In the Season 50 premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” there wasn’t much talk about it being 50 years of history, aside from a few mentions in the monologue and at the beginning of “Weekend Update.” But that’s okay, the show will be celebrated properly in February with a three-hour special. This first new episode with guest host Jean Smart (herself a bona fide legend) felt like the show had done it a lot to get to, and at just 90 minutes, barely enough time to cover everything that’s happened over the summer or even the last two weeks.

Moo Deng, Eric Adams, the Harris-Trump debate, the summer of Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson: the show had it all. And it had a game host in Smart, a current Emmy winner for “Hacks”which is always great, but wasn’t particularly served with the home run skits you’d expect from someone of her stature for a big season opener.

Something about the pacing of some of the sketches didn’t match Smart’s genius one-liner skills (razor-sharp in “Hacks”), such as a scene about a Romance novelist who spiced up a math textbook for children. Don’t put Smart on your show and then force her to read long texts from a book in front of her face. She wasn’t given much to do Debuting a Charli XCX show titled “The Talk Talk Show”, hosted by Bowen Yang (as XCX), in which she played a fashion icon with a strong German accent. And in a final section about the “Real Housewives of Santa Fe“The sketch was more about steaming fajitas than the featured housewives.

A parody was much better CNN documentary about “I Love Lucy” in which Smart played a dramatic actress who took over the title role before Lucille Ball was cast (with Marcello Hernandez as Desi Arnaz), and a “$100,000 Pyramid” parody with Smart as Tonia Haddix (with a monkey puppet) from “Chimp Crazy.”

It was the kind of week where the regular sketches took a back seat, followed by a very strong cold open and a “Weekend Update” with a summer’s worth of strange news to enjoy. It was also a week with a new opening credits sequence and the introduction of three new actors (but you didn’t see much of it in this episode), after the departure of Chloe Troast, Punkie Johnson and Molly Kearney.

Musical guest Jelly Roll, introduced by Smart and “Hacks” co-star Hannah Einbinder (the daughter of original “SNL” cast member Laraine Newman), performed “Liar.” Later in the show he returned with “winning streak.” A title card was given before the final hug Tom McCarthya former NBC security chief who died in July. At one time he was involved in a Secret Service investigation into comedian John Mulaney’s appearance on the show.

One could argue that 13 minutes is way too long for an “SNL” cold open, but this one was full of jokes and so many random guests doing spot-on impersonations – after a summer of speculation who would play which politician – that it was never exaggerated.

After a brief introduction by the confidently handsome David Muir (Andrew Dismukes), Maya Rudolph returned as presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, now with a whole new set of tricks, including the signature laugh, the obligatory “falling out of a coconut.” Tree” reference, some dance moves and great lines, like comparing her campaign to Sabrina Carpenter’s hit “Espresso”: “The lyrics are vague, but the mood hits,” she said.

Then came the guest stars. As some expected, Jim Gaffigan was a perfect Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor and Harris’ vice president, nailing the voice and Midwestern-isms (“I haven’t been this excited since I got 10 percent off a Leaf blower at got Menards!”). Andy Samberg was silly and playful as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who joked that as First Gentleman he would decorate the White House for Christmas with a Hanukkah theme.

James Austin Johnson remained in the role of former President Trump, this time behind bulletproof glass, railing against Bowen Yang’s Sean “Diddy” Combs (“They take your pets and do freak-offs…they do a diddy.”) as Vice President JD Vance.

But the real surprise was Dana Carvey’s return to “SNL.” Once again leaving an indelible impression of a politician during election season. He played President Biden, an impression he perfected on his podcast with David Spade, and pulled it off so well that you wonder why that in-the-bag performance wasn’t on the show four years ago . “And guess what, and by the way, the fact is, no kidding, I’m serious now,” Carvey said as Biden, and it was perfect.

Smart’s monologue had hardly any jokes (but there were good ones) and had a lot of charisma. She performed a rendition of Judy Garland’s “I like New York“, interspersed with comments about how she began her career in the city around the same time “SNL” began in 1975. She said she confused the letters with “Saturday Night Laughs.” “Then I watched the show and thought, ‘This can’t be right,'” Smart joked that she’s wanted to do the show since then, but “This is the first Saturday that fits my schedule.” It’s not It’s hard to imagine an alternate timeline with Smart in this original lineup and such a start to her career, but let’s just say that things turned out pretty well for her regardless.

Best sketch of the night: Spirit Halloween comes out November 1st

What’s happening to all the abandoned K-Marts, run-down AutoZones and empty malls across America? For six glorious weeks, they become spirit Halloween shops that open in minutes. In this pre-recorded sketch, contributors Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner and Michael Longfellow discuss how the stores help communities (and otherwise unemployed local perverts) by offering rash-inducing wigs, disposable fog machines and seedy, court-avoiding costumes with names like ” Candy Slave” (Oompa Loompa) and “Fat Yellow Worker” (Minion). “That’s not Taylor Swift,” a young girl says of a fake costume. “And neither do you,” Fineman tells her. After Halloween, all stores will disappear immediately. Unfortunately no refund.

Also good: Let the monkey win “$100,000 Pyramid”.

A well-cast piece with Devon Walker as host Michael Strahan, Hernandez as Bad bunnyKenan Thompson as Robinson and Fineman as Hawk Tuah Girl (real name Haliey Welch). The jokes quickly flew about some very naughty activities Robinson allegedly engaged in and Haddix (Smart) answering every monkey-related question. It was fast-paced and very funny.

“Weekend Update” winner: Eric Adams still has (too) swagger

The costume and water spray alone make it tempting to give the award this week Yang’s hilarious portrayal of the famous baby hippo Moo Dengbut Walker, as embattled New York Mayor Eric Adams, had a lot more meat on his bones than, say, a zookeeper’s ankle. Adams repeatedly tried to incriminate Michael Che, even as he protested his innocence and proclaimed his love for the city’s workers: “The dancers, the bottle girls, Fat Joe.” Walker-as-Adams said he loved being in the to travel to Turkey, especially given his fondness for Turkish Delight (a briefcase from Turkey with $100,000 in it).

“Weekend Update” loser: Che’s tired, offensive jokes

By now it’s old hat for Che to come up with a few jokes that are only funny because they’re so flippantly offensive that it would be shocking to tell them on television in 2024. That’s supposed to be the joke: Che gets away with such retrograde behavior for a long time. His targets this week include: Harris (because she’s a woman who talks and talks), Chinese drivers and Haitians, who Che joked were chasing her Domestic cat that traveled 800 miles returning home from Yellowstone Park.

College football is unpredictable and entertaining, which is why we live for what happens on Saturdays. And the fifth Saturday of the 2024 season did not disappoint, from Kentucky’s stunning upset of No. 6 Ole Miss to a tumultuous game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Every Sunday I post my biggest takeaways from college football weekend. I’ll highlight the most interesting storylines, keep an eye on the College Football Playoff contenders, and particularly highlight individual and team performances that deserve the spotlight.

Here are my key takeaways from Week 5:

1. Jalen Milroe had his Heisman moment.

I’m sure every voter kept an eye on Saturday night’s events in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but just in case people missed it, I’m ready to personally get a copy of Alabama’s first-half performance against Georgia to deliver them (plus the final minutes). Milroe was sensational, repeatedly picking apart Kirby Smart’s defense. Alabama scored touchdowns on each of its first four possessions, Nick Saban was a fist-pumping buddy, and by halftime Milroe had totaled 305 yards of offense and three touchdowns. Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter was also great in the first month of the season – and I loved him striking the Heisman pose after his interception against UCF on Saturday – but Milroe should be considered a leading candidate for the sport’s most prestigious individual award apply when the calendar changes from September to October.

2. Georgia is still one of the best teams in the SEC – and the country.

I admit that I wrote the Bulldogs off a bit after they lost 28-0 on the road. I don’t think I was alone. But what Georgia did defensively in the second half against Alabama was remarkable and a credit to both the players and coach Kirby Smart, who, as you know, got them into the game at halftime. That gave Carson Beck and his offensive weapons (which admittedly aren’t nearly as strong as in years past) time to get back into this game. I know Georgia came up short, but I’m impressed with the team I saw in the second half. This is a Bulldog team that can compete with anyone in the country, no matter where the game is played. I might even feel better about Georgia versus Texas (or another elite team with a non-dual threat quarterback) than I did about the Dawgs facing a team like Alabama. However, I’m not writing this team off after the comeback we experienced on a Saturday night in enemy territory.

3. Ole Miss could be a contender. But Kentucky could also be legitimately good.

It’s still early in the season and a loss doesn’t disqualify anyone – let alone an SEC team expected to be in contention for an at-large CFP spot – but what we saw from the Rebels on Saturday was at least a little worrying. All of the points and explosive plays we had seen for weeks against overwhelming competition were no longer on display against Kentucky’s stout defense. The Wildcats played hard against then-No. 1 Georgia two weeks ago, but they fell short in the end (and we were all still sad about the decision to punt!). It was a similar situation but a different result against No. 6 Ole Miss on Saturday when Mark Stoops made a bold fourth-down call from deep in Kentucky’s own territory that, thanks to a bit of luck, led to the game-winning touchdown.

Ultimately, this is the type of game Kentucky tends to lose, which makes it notable that the Cats won it. It’s also the kind of game a serious CFP contender shouldn’t give up on, and that’s what worries me about the Rebels. You have to be tougher.

4. Miami has flaws but is still somehow undefeated.

The ‘Canes are probably still the team to beat in the ACC, but they’re not such an overwhelming favorite after a shaky win over Virginia Tech on Friday night. They came close to defeat on a final play that took about 10 minutes of real time to review. For the record, while I think the statement about an incomplete pass was correct, the process up to this point was a mess. I wish we could give the refereeing teams the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, we didn’t get to see this game and we’re not going to make a decision on the field.’ We’ll just send it to replay!’ But unfortunately.

This weekend reminded me of the Cam Ward Experience from his Wazzu era. There were amazing highs, but also some brutal lows. And so it was against Virginia Tech, Heisman-caliber moments mixed in with bad turnovers. We’ll see how Miami responds to this close decision – especially on the defensive side of the ball, which has struggled greatly against a previously underpowered Hokie offense.

5. Jeremiah Smith is already one of, if not the best, receivers in college football.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day had effusive praise for his true freshman receiver in the spring when I visited Columbus. I was surprised because it’s rare for a head coach to actually see the hype surrounding a potential star before he’s played a single snap. But he knew what Smith was made of, and he knew how we would all react when we saw him in action. Smith is simply an incredible talent with incredible hand-eye coordination and body control. The one-handed grab he had against Michigan State was just the latest highlight in a long line that has been building since Week 1. As a Buckeye, he’s already in unprecedented territory; The Ohio State true freshman record is eight touchdowns. In four games, Smith has five touchdown catches.

6. Army and Navy are 4-0 for the first time since 1945.

Yes, you read that correctly. These two service academies haven’t had such a good start to the season since the end of World War II. For those of us who love the sport, watching Army and Navy play well is not only fun – even though it’s still more than two months before they face off in their traditional rivalry game – it’s also pretty fascinating because it could actually have an impact on the CFP! Both teams are eligible for the Group 5 championship spot in the new 12-team bracket, although the Army-Navy game will take place a week after the American Athletic Conference championship game. And both teams currently lead the AAC standings. It’s a cool, if unlikely, scenario to look forward to.

7. The death of the Big Ten East was a blessing for Indiana and Rutgers.

No one was happier with the Big Ten’s new schedules without divisions than Rutgers and Indiana. After a decade in the East Division with annual games against some of college football’s biggest teams, these two schools finally no longer have schedules that require three or four losses from the start. Indiana is 5-0 for the third time in program history in Curt Cignetti’s first season as head coach, backing up all of his big words. Rutgers is 4-0 for the first time in over a decade, with its remaining schedule not including Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State or Oregon. Most years we talked about whether Rutgers and Indiana could reach the six-win threshold for bowl eligibility. Now we might be discussing how well they can make a bowl game. And that’s pretty cool.

8. UNLV seems perfectly fine without Matthew Sluka.

Sluka’s NIL dispute dominated the news cycle this week, but had no impact on the Rebels when they actually faced Fresno State on Saturday. UNLV defeated Fresno State 59-14 in its Mountain West opener, a margin that spoke volumes about how the Rebel team felt about their now-former starting quarterback leaving the team three games into the season because of money , which he believed he deserved was owed. Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 yards and ran for another 119, totaling four touchdowns in his first start. I think UNLV will be fine the rest of the way without Sluka.

9. Baylor’s Dave Aranda is running out of time. And Sam Pittman. And maybe Hugh Freeze at some point?

Hot Seat Watch 2024 is heating up as Baylor suffered its third loss in four games and Arkansas snatched a loss from the jaws of victory for the second time this season. These are terrible losses for these teams to endure! The Bears lost to a red-hot BYU team after completely collapsing against Colorado last weekend. Aranda had a fantastic season, finishing 12-2 as a sophomore, but things have gone downhill since then. It’s hard to justify keeping him after the September Baylor has had so far.

It may also be the end of the season for Pittman at Arkansas after losing to a beatable Texas A&M team that plays his backup quarterback. He started the season in one of the hottest spots ever, and the Razorbacks then fell short against a mediocre Oklahoma State team despite nearly doubling the total length of the Pokes. The easy (or difficult) thing about the Arkansas situation is that Pittman hired his likely successor – Bobby Petrino – this offseason. That could either lead to a quick change or give Arkansas leadership the wiggle room to make a decision later this season. We will see what happens in Fayetteville, just as we watch what happens in Auburn, Alabama. This attitude from Freeze isn’t working, as evidenced by embarrassing losses to Cal, Arkansas and Oklahoma this season alone. (Let’s never forget New Mexico State either.) This is a supposed offensive guru overseeing quarterbacks who can’t stop turning the ball over and costing the Tigers victory. And that puts you in the hot seat.

10. The CFP hasn’t lowered the stakes on games like Alabama-Georgia.

There has been a strange narrative this season from national pundits who have argued that top-five showdowns like the one in Tuscaloosa are somehow meaningless in the era of the 12-team playoffs. They think it’s a bad thing that the loser of this Georgia-Alabama game could easily still make the College Football Playoff – and that’s why they think the expanded playoffs devalue the regular season. I can’t imagine anyone who watched Alabama-Georgia on Saturday felt like it was meaningless. Or that knowing that the loser of the game was still alive in the CFP race took something away from an incredibly entertaining game that will likely have a big impact on the SEC race.

Tell Kalen DeBoer this game didn’t matter. I’m sure he would tell you.

Even before Donald Trump started spreading lies about legal Haitian immigrants eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio, or heavily armed Venezuelan immigrants “taking over homes” in Aurora, Colorado, Republicans were obsessed with Demonizing diversity.

Republican-led legislatures in several states have passed laws that eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies at public colleges and universities. Under pressure from conservative groups and right-wing trolls, big-name companies—including Ford, Harley-Davidson, and Lowe’s—that just a few years ago pledged to promote DEI initiatives in the workplace have scaled back or abandoned such efforts.

This very public denigration of diversity is having an impact. A recent CNN poll asked respondents whether they believe that “the increasing number of people of many different races, ethnic groups, and nationalities in the United States primarily threatens or primarily enriches American culture”?

A staggering 33 percent said diversity threatens American culture, up from 11 percent in 2019. More than four years after the killing of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer sparked global protests against police violence and systemic racism, this is America’s true racist Reckoning – a situation that has left the nation more isolated, xenophobic and beholden to white supremacist ideas.

Forget dog whistles. Republican members of Congress post racist hate speech against legal immigrants on social media. On about legal Haitian immigrants.

“All of these thugs had better get their act together and leave our country before January 20th,” Higgins wrote. January 20th is Inauguration Day. He eventually deleted the post, but not before it was viewed more than 400,000 times and reposted more than 2,200 times. He didn’t apologize.

But there is no bigger megaphone than Trump, who denigrates immigrants with ugly language that comes from 1930s Germany. He often talks about how immigrants – meaning black and brown people from other countries – “poison the blood of our country” and calls them “vermin.”

“They come from the Congo. They come from Africa. They come from the Middle East. They come from all over the world – from Asia,” Trump said at a rally in Uniondale, New York. “What’s happening to our country is that we’re just destroying the fabric of life in our country.” We won’t take it any longer. You have to get rid of these people.”

Without evidence, and contrary to recent FBI statistics showing a significant decline in serious crime across the country, Trump claims that immigration is fueling a rise in crime. And he promises to carry out “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” by deporting millions of undocumented immigrants because a core tenet of the MAGA movement is to keep this nation as white as possible.

When Trump makes such statements, he receives cheers, applause and chants of “send her back.” But if such a thing were even possible, this nation would all but collapse without legal or undocumented immigrants.

In his remarkable 1965 satire Day of Absence, playwright Douglas Turner Ward imagines a small southern town that wakes one morning to find that all its black residents have disappeared without a trace. Of crying babies not cared for by black nannies – a white woman complains that her baby doesn’t know her and she’s “unfamiliar with jokes.” It” – to unmanned and silent factories, the city comes to a standstill. The confused white residents have become dysfunctional without the presence of the black people they have always despised.

America would become a great city without immigrants.

A certain text from Lin Manuel-Miranda’s musical “Hamilton” often resonates particularly strongly with audiences: “Immigrants, we get the job done.” That’s because it’s true. At no time in its history has this nation existed without the labor, creativity and ingenuity of those who came to this nation – whether by force or by choice.

Undocumented immigrants pay billions in taxes. They work in the stores we visit, the restaurants we eat at, and harvest the produce we buy at grocery stores. You can see them in parks looking after other people’s children. They are our friends, colleagues and neighbors. You are an irreplaceable part of this nation.

Diversity has enriched this nation. It is not a threat now or ever. Of course the immigration system needs to be improved, but not by deporting the millions of people who contribute to this country every day. The culture that Trump claims is disappearing, white Christian America, has always been a myth. The strength of this nation lives in the vibrancy of the people born in other lands.

And the distinctly American culture they created will be at risk if Trump—and not Vice President Kamala Harris, a proud daughter of immigrants—becomes our next president.

Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @reneeygraham.

OASIS will announce their North American tour dates on Monday after sharing a new post.

This comes after The Sun revealed that Noel and Liam Gallagher will be releasing further US reunion tour dates next year.

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Fans went wild when Noel and Liam announced their reunion shows in the UK and Ireland in 2025 in August.

Many fans are hoping it’s true and can’t wait to get their hands on tickets.

Now, the rockers have shared four photos of the band’s billboards in major North American cities on their official X account with the caption, “MONDAY 8AM ET #OasisLive25.”

There is no further information about the dates yet.

Oasis last toured North America in 2008 – when they played in Virginia as part of their tour for their seventh studio album Dig Out Your Soul.

Earlier this week, it was leaked online by a reputable industry website that the band would be playing shows in the US and Canada as part of their 2025 reunion tour.

One fan said on Reddit: “If the leaks from early last month are true, they will be playing a limited stadium round across North America.”

They pointed out that there are many venues where the brothers can do their thing on stage.

They said there are different areas with more than 60,000 concerts in Mexico City, New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto.

One replied: “If the leaks are true, my plan (hoping the universe doesn’t laugh at it!) is to look for Boston tickets.”

Another added: “I think the cities on the leak make the most sense…NYC Toronto Chicago LA Mexico City.”

We’ve reported that Oasis are expected to play in New York and Los Angeles, as well as Chicago and Boston.

A source told us: “Noel and Liam will announce their shows in the US on Friday.

“There will be a handful of big dates in major cities.

“Brits living in New York and Los Angeles should have a good chance of getting a ticket.

“Oasis doesn’t want a repeat of the problems they’ve had with tickets to their home concerts, but they expect the same strong demand they’ve seen here.”

This was after they dropped a big hint about the American tour.

The band’s official X account shared the exciting news by tweeting: “Oasis will be touring the UK and Ireland in summer 2025! Tickets go on sale on Saturday, August 31st. IRE 8am IST UK 9am BST.”

The site added: “These dates will be the band’s exclusive European performances.”

Their post suggested they may have had plans to perform elsewhere – including in the US.

Oasis 2025 tour dates

OASIS brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have announced a 17-gig comeback tour next summer – here are the details

The Wonderwall hitmakers will wow audiences as follows:

JULY 2025
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park

16th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium

30th – London, Wembley Stadium

AUGUST 2025
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium

12th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park

SEPTEMBER 2025
27th – London, Wembley Stadium
28th – London, Wembley Stadium

Oasis sold out seven nights at Wembley Stadium as well as shows in Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Liam recently returned to the stage during the double clash between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois over the weekend.

He was forced to hit back after fans criticized his performance at Wembley Stadium – leading some to demand a refund for next year’s tour.

He shared a picture of a bird with the words: “You won’t stop me from singing my song.”

“I’ll sing it forever.”

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Matt Campbell is now the all-time wins leader at Iowa State.

The Cyclones improved to 4-0 with a win at Houston.

Iowa State at Houston football score updates, highlights and more

Here’s how the Cyclones won Saturday night.

Jarrod Hufford injured

Iowa State’s starting center went down on the field with just over 2:00 to go. He was able to walk back to the sideline under his own power.

Jeremiah Cooper picks off fourth down pass

After a JR Singleton strip-sack pushed Houston back for fourth-and-long, Jeremiah Cooper intercepted a desperation pass. ISU has it in Houston territory with just over 4:00 to play.

Abu Sama breaks 77-yard touchdown

Abu. Sama.

The Southeast Polk graduate disappeared into a pack before somehow emerging on the other side unscathed and sprinting into the end zone. It goes into the books as a 77-yard touchdown.

Iowa State has complete control with 5:39 to play.

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Iowa State scoring drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:59

Jontez Williams picks off Donovan Smith

That might seal it.

Houston was in the middle of its best drive of the night and had the ball at the ISU 24, but Donovan Smith tried a shot to the end zone and was picked off by Jontez Williams for a touchback. That’s also Williams’ first career interception.

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Iowa State takes over at its own 20-yard line, leading 13-0 with 6:38 to go.

Kyle Konrardy extends Iowa State lead with field goal

Iowa State couldn’t fully take advantage of the strong field position, but the Cyclone offense did enough to get into field goal range. Kyle Konrardy drilled his 34-yard field goal attempt to make it 13-0.

Houston has 11:39 left in the game to make a comeback.

Iowa State scoring drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 4:01

End of third quarter: Iowa State 10, Houston 0

Houston’s offense can’t find any rhythm against Iowa State’s defense.

Iowa State now has the ball inside the Houston 35 with a 10-point lead. It hasn’t been pretty for the Cyclones tonight, but they’re still in full control with 15 minutes to go.

Malik Verdon forces fumble

Suddenly, Iowa State is in the driver’s seat.

Malik Verdon punched out the ball, and Jacob Ellis fell on it in Houston territory. A penalty at the end of the play will give ISU great field position at the Houston 32.

Former Cyclone Breece Hall showed his appreciation for the play.

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Jayden Higgins scores touchdown to extend ISU lead

After his first touchdown was called back by a penalty, Jayden Higgins has put a touchdown on the board, for real this time.

Rocco Becht delivered a great pass to Higgins’ outside shoulder in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown to cap ISU’s best drive of the game.

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Iowa State scoring drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:31

Houston’s Michael Batton injured

Houston’s leading tackler is limping off the field with the help of trainers.

Jaylon Jackson breaks 50-yard run

Iowa State’s stagnant offense just got a huge boost.

On first down at the Iowa State 34, Jaylon Jackson broke a run through the right side for 50 yards before he was shoved out of bounds inside the Houston red zone.

It’s Iowa State’s longest rush of the season so far.

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Cyclone defense gets key stop

Iowa State’s defense is determined to win this game by itself.

The Cyclones got a big stop after Houston crossed midfield. The ensuing Houston punt bounced into the end zone, so it’ll be ISU ball at the 20-yard line with 4:43 to go in the third quarter.

Iowa State comes up empty after promising drive

Rocco Becht appeared to have a touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins, but a penalty for ineligible man downfield nullified the touchdown. A fumbled handoff and a sack pushed Iowa State back even farther, and Kyle Konrardy’s 42-yard field goal was pushed wide right.

The Cyclone offense can’t seem to get it figured out.

Halftime: Iowa State 3, Houston 0

Iowa State’s defense in that first half? Very good.

Iowa State’s offense? Not so much.

The Cyclones do hold a lead and will receive the opening kickoff of the second half, but a very quiet half has kept Houston in this game.

Iowa State holds a 143-119 lead in yardage, 9-4 edge in first downs and also leads in time of possession.

Houston offense goes nowhere, punts back

The Cougars have no answer for Iowa State’s defense.

Through five drives, Houston has just four first downs and 14 total passing yards. The run game has been effective in spurts, but not enough to sustain a full drive down the field.

Iowa State has it at its own 13-yard line, leading 3-0, with 6:08 remaining in the first half.

Iowa State punts it back

A field position battle has unfolded.

Iowa State had the start to a promising drive, but a third down conversion on a pass to Jaylin Noel was overturned after replay found the ball hit the ground.

Cougars offense goes three-and-out

Four drives, four punts.

Houston appeared to have something cooking on that drive after a long run by Zeon Chriss, but it was called back due to a block in the back penalty on Houston. An incomplete pass on third down ended the drive there.

ISU has it at the 20 after the punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback.

Houston goes back to Zeon Chriss at QB

The back-and-forth continues as expected for Houston. Chriss is back in at QB for Donovan Smith for drive No. 4.

Cyclones go three-and-out

Iowa State’s offense hasn’t been able to sustain its momentum from the first drive. A short run followed by two incomplete passes stalled that possession.

Tyler Perkins’ punt was fair caught, and a holding penalty against the Cougars’ return unit will pin their offense back a bit further. Houston will have it at its own 42-yard line with 13:00 left in the half.

After starting 3-for-3 for 30 yards, Rocco Becht is now 4-for-9 for 33 yards.

Houston stuffed, forced to punt again

Another Houston drive, another punt.

Iowa State has it at its own 7-yard line with 14:02 left in the half.

John Klosterman injured

Linebacker John Klosterman is slow to get up after a third-down play. He’ll be helped off the field by Iowa State’s trainers.

End of the first quarter: Iowa State 3, Houston 0

Iowa State holds a lead after a low-scoring first quarter. Houston has third-and-7 near midfield when the second quarter gets underway.

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Houston goes back to Donovan Smith

Perhaps Houston is changing QBs every drive, or maybe first-year coach Willie Fritz is just waiting for one to earn the job. Either way, Smith is back in for the third drive of the game.

Cyclones forced to punt

Iowa State opts to punt on fourth-and-4 from the Houston 45. It’ll go down as a net gain of just 25 yards after the ball bounced into the end zone for a touchback.

Houston takes over at its own 20-yard line. Other than Sneed’s 37-yard scamper early in the first drive, the Cougars’ offense has been almost non-existent through two possessions.

Zeon Chriss checks in at quarterback for Houston

And there’s the 2-QB system we expected.

Zeon Chriss checks in at quarterback for Houston’s second drive. He took off down the right side for a nice 11-yard gain, but a third-down run went backward. Jaylin Noel’s fair catch will give Iowa State the ball at its own 26, leading 3-0 with 5:17 on the clock in the first quarter.

Kyle Konrardy gives Iowa State the early lead

A balanced attack led Iowa State down the field on the first drive.

Rocco Becht hit each of his first three pass attempts for 30 yards. Three different rushers took carries, led by Jaylon Jackson going for 11 yards. But the drive stalled deep in Houston territory. Kyle Konrardy knocked in a 23-yard field goal to get ISU on the board.

Iowa State scoring drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:25

Houston breaks big run, but Cyclones get fourth down stop

Running back Stacy Sneed broke a 37-yard run to get into ISU territory. The Cyclone defense stood tall there, forcing a fourth-and-4 attempt that ended with a run short of the sticks.

Iowa State takes over in a scoreless game at its own 30.

Donovan Smith starts at QB for Houston

Houston used two quarterbacks last week, but it will be the usual starter, Donovan Smith, to begin Saturday’s game.

Iowa State wins coin toss, defers to second half

The Cyclone defense will see the field first. Iowa State opts to kick off to start the game and will receive the second half kick.

How to watch Iowa State football at Houston

When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28

Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: Fox Sports 1

Livestream: Fox Sports Live (cable subscription required)

Online radio: The Varsity Network

Gameday forecast: Conditions for Iowa State’s game at Houston

Iowa State at Houston football tickets

Tickets are still available for Saturday’s game. Houston’s website lists tickets starting at $15 apiece.

You can find more information here.

Houston football record, scores, stats and more

2024 marks Houston’s second season in the Big 12.

The Cougars went 4-8 last year (and 2-7 in Big 12 play) and parted ways with head coach Dana Holgorsen. Replacing Holgorsen is Willie Fritz, who spent eight seasons turning Tulane into a contender in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane went 12-2 and 11-2 over Fritz’s last two seasons at the helm.

This year, Houston is 1-3 and 0-1 in Big 12 play. The offense has struggled each game, scoring 7, 12, and 0 points in its three losses. Houston’s 13 points per game ranked 129th out of 134 FBS teams.

Houston vs. Iowa State football series history

Iowa State and Houston have never played each other, but Houston quarterback Donovan Smith is a familiar name for Cyclone fans.

Smith played against Iowa State twice when he played at Texas Tech from 2021-22. He beat Brock Purdy and the Cyclones in 2021, throwing for 322 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-38 victory.

Iowa State at Houston football betting odds, over/under

Iowa State is a 13.5-point favorite over Houston, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

The over/under is set at 43.5 points, reflecting Houston’s offensive struggles.

Iowa State football recap: Cyclones crush Arkansas State

Iowa State returned from its bye week to dominate Arkansas State, 52-7, last Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.

Six different Cyclones reached the end zone a combined seven times, and most of the team’s starters were resting on the sidelines partway through the third quarter. Defensively, Arkansas State only mustered 182 total yards and committed four turnovers.

The Cyclones are aiming for their first 4-0 start since 2000, when Dan McCarney’s team started 4-0 en route to a 9-3 season. The Cyclones have started 3-0 on five occasions since then but have lost their fourth game each time, most recently in 2022.

Matt Campbell ties Dan McCarney for most wins at Iowa State

Matt Campbell tied Dan McCarney’s record last week for most career wins at Iowa State, and Saturday presents his first opportunity to take the record for his own.

Campbell, now in his ninth year in Ames, owns a 56-48 record at Iowa State. McCarney took over an ISU program in despair in 1995 and revitalized the program, going 56-85 across 12 seasons.

Algona teammates ready to continue playing together at Iowa State

Two of the highest-rated football prospects in the state of Iowa are teammates at Algona. They’ll also be teammates next year at Iowa State.

Meet Alex Manske and Jack Limbaugh, two future Cyclones who are starring in the high school ranks.

The first top-five matchup of the 2024 season showed why college football is an amazing and incredibly chaotic sport.

No. 2 Alabama appeared to be on its way to an easy victory over No. 4 Georgia as the Crimson Tide took an early 28-0 lead. But the Bulldogs somehow fought their way back into the game in the second half and took their first lead with 2:31 left when Carson Beck hit Dillon Bell for a 67-yard touchdown.

Common sense would predict that Beck’s bombshell on Bell would be the highlight of the evening. But college football isn’t bound by common sense rules. Freshman Ryan Williams caught a 75-yard TD pass from Jalen Milroe on Alabama’s first offensive play after Bell’s TD, giving the Crimson Tide a lead they knew they wouldn’t relinquish after freshman corner Zabien Brown With 43 seconds left, Beck picked it up and sealed a 41-34 win.

Alabama’s victory came in the Tide’s first home game as an underdog in 17 years and ended a 42-game regular-season winning streak for Georgia dating back to November 7, 2020. The only team Georgia beat in this series: Alabama, as the Tide beat Georgia in both the 2021 and 2023 SEC Championship games.

Both contests served as quasi-quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff during the four-team era. With only one other power conference team with a loss, the Bulldogs could still make the playoffs in 2021 and get revenge on Alabama in the national title game. A season ago, Alabama’s victory over Georgia knocked the Bulldogs out of the playoffs entirely and Georgia took out its frustration on an undermanned Florida State team in an Orange Bowl defeat.

This year, the 12-team College Football Playoff is just around the corner. Thanks to the expanded field, Georgia still has an excellent chance of reaching the postseason even if it loses again. Saturday night’s game wasn’t supposed to be the playoff setback it could have been in years past.

And that’s just okay. Nothing from Saturday night’s game was discounted because the loser had a good chance of making the playoffs. Bryant-Denny Stadium was still sold out and tickets were selling for four figures on the secondary market. Are you really trying to tell a Georgia or Alabama fan that this game wasn’t that important just because the playoff field is bigger?

There was still a lot at stake when it came to the playoffs. The win gives Alabama a big advantage in the race to reach the SEC title game and a chance at a first-round bye. While Georgia likely needs to win at both Texas and Ole Miss to return to the SEC title game, Alabama can now potentially afford a loss at Tennessee or LSU and make it to the championship game.

Yes, the postseason stakes for regular-season games may not be as high as they once were. But that doesn’t take away from what we saw on Saturday evening. That Alabama win will be remembered for a long time for reasons that have nothing to do with the playoffs.

Here are the rest of this week’s winners and losers.

winner

UNLV: The Rebels made an impressive statement in their first game without starting QB Matthew Sluka. UNLV defeated Fresno State 59-14 as Hajj-Malik Williams scored four total touchdowns in his first start. Williams threw for three scores and ran 12 times for 119 yards and another touchdown, days after Sluka said he would no longer play for the Rebels because of a supposedly unfulfilled $100,000 NIL promise.

A sports betting executive offered to make that payment this week, and UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III said after the game that the money could be put to better use. White had 10 catches for 127 yards and two scores.

Indiana: The Hoosiers are expected to be in the AP Top 25 on Sunday after a 42-28 win over Maryland. Indiana is now 5-0 and one win away from bowl eligibility as Kurtis Rourke threw for 359 yards and six different Hoosiers scored a touchdown. Indiana will be the road favorite at Northwestern in Week 6, and a win there will set up an exciting game between an undefeated Indiana and a potential one-loss Nebraska on Oct. 19.

Tulane: After a non-conference schedule that included games against Kansas State and Oklahoma, Tulane opened conference play with a dominant 45-10 home win over South Florida. QB Darian Mensah was 18 of 22 for 326 yards and three touchdowns, while former Oklahoma and USC wide receiver Mario Williams caught two touchdown passes. The Green Wave has a very manageable AAC schedule and should be in the running for the conference title – and a possible College Football Playoff berth – all season long.

Duke: The Blue Devils scored 21 points in the second half in a 21-20 home win over North Carolina. The Tar Heels led 20-0 in the third quarter before Duke scored three goals in the final 21 minutes. A late decision to punt on fourth-and-1 was dangerous for Manny Diaz’s team, but Duke tied the Tar Heels inside the 10 with under two minutes left and Tre Freeman intercepted Jacolby Criswell with 30 seconds left. Duke is now 5-0 in Diaz’s first season heading into a trip to Georgia Tech in Week 6.

loser

Baylor: The Bears couldn’t recover from their crushing loss at Colorado. BYU took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and held it into the second half for a 34-28 win in Waco. Sawyer Robertson appears to have replaced Dequan Finn as the Bears’ starting QB, but defense has been a real problem. BYU scored touchdowns on its first four drives of the game and only one came on a short field after a turnover. Games at Iowa State and Texas Tech in the next three weeks could prove crucial to coach Dave Aranda’s future.

Auburn: Who will Hugh Freeze blame this week? After QB Hank Brown started the last two games for the Tigers, Freeze put Payton Thorne back in the starting lineup Saturday against Oklahoma and Kip Lewis’ pick-6 with 4:06 left proved to be the clincher in a 27-21 victory for the Sooners. Auburn outscored Oklahoma 482-291, had 26 first downs to Oklahoma’s 11 and incurred fewer penalties. Oh, the Sooners were also missing their top five wide receivers. But that didn’t matter as true freshman QB Michael Hawkins rushed 14 times for 69 yards and a TD along with a two-point conversion.

Oklahoma State: The No. 20 Cowboys have a hole to dig out of after an 0-2 start to Big 12 play. OSU fell 42-20 at Kansas State on Saturday and is certain to be out of the top 25 on Sunday. Kansas State QB Avery Johnson scored five total touchdowns, with Kansas State averaging 8.8 yards per rush. Ollie Gordon II, a 2023 All-American, had his best game of the season on Saturday against an FBS opponent with 15 carries for 76 yards. But that’s clearly not good enough.

UAB: The Blazers fell to 1-3 with a 41-18 home loss to a Navy team that ran all over Memphis in Week 4. The Midshipmen averaged more than five yards per carry, but QB Blake Horvath also spread the UAB defense to 225 yards passing and two TDs on just 11 attempts. Since Trent Dilfer took over in 2023, UAB is just 5-11. One of those losses came to Louisiana-Monroe and coach Bryant Vincent, the Blazers’ interim coach in 2022, who was passed over for the job. Vincent’s Warhawks are now 3-1 this year after a 13-9 win at Troy on Saturday night.

Actor Bobby Deol, who will next be seen playing the antagonist in Tamil star Suriya’s film Kanguva, says it was “difficult” to destroy his hero image on screen.

After a dull phase in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Deol experienced a revival with the success of multi-starrers like Race 3 and Housefull 4. His career got a big boost after the Netflix feature film ‘Class of 83’ and Prakash Jha’s web series ‘Aashram’ received critical acclaim.

Last year’s blockbuster “Animal”, in which he played the villain, changed everything for him overnight. There are reports that the actor will appear as an antagonist in the Alia Bhatt starrer Alpha.

Asked if the industry is capitalizing on his villainous avatar, Deol told PTI in a group media interaction: “When you play a role, you are offered similar roles but this has been happening for years. That’s it.” not that it’s happening now. “It was a hard time…changing my image, and finally I changed my image and created characters that were different from each other.”

The actor was speaking on the green carpet of the IIFA Awards 2024 on Saturday, where he won the award for Best Performance in a Negative Role for ‘Animal’.

Deol said he can’t talk about ‘Alpha’ right now and hopes the audience will love him in ‘Kanguva’, which is slated to hit theaters on November 14.

The son of Bollywood veteran Dharmendra, the actor made a promising lead debut in 1995 with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Barsaat opposite another star kid Twinkle Khanna. This was followed by hits like Gupt, Soldier, Ajnabee, Bichhoo and Humraaz before experiencing a dry spell at the cinema.

The actor believes that everyone goes through ups and downs. “I don’t like to look and think, ‘Oh my God! I went through that time’. It is a journey that every person goes through in life. “If you work hard, the day comes when you get some (kind of) recognition,” he added.

On the IIFA Awards stage, Deol also shook a leg with Shahid Kapoor on his popular track ‘Tera Rang Balle Balle’ from 1998’s ‘Soldier’.

(With contributions from agencies.)

He’s YouTube’s most followed creator claiming to earn £550million per year, thanks to his expensive stunts and challenges.

But MrBeast, real name James Donaldson, 26, from Wichita, Kansas, has this month found himself being sued by former contestants of his upcoming gameshow over allegations of ‘chronic mistreatment’ including sexual harassment.

Five participants of the forthcoming Beast Games are suing the internet personality, alleging ‘unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions’.

They claim production teams maintained ‘the strictest control’ over them, including removing their belongings and withholding food, water, and medical care to the extent that contestants were hospitalized for dehydration. Meanwhile, he has been accused of ‘faking videos’ in recent months – something his team has denied. 

But not so long ago, MrBeast had a crystal clean reputation and was known as a YouTube philanthropist, offering lavish gifts to unwitting members of the public in his videos.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, before growing up in Greenville, North Carolina, Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video in February 2012, aged 13.

His early content revolved around harmless pranks on friends and he first went viral in 2017 with a video of himself counting to 100,000 – a stunt that took over 40 hours to complete. 

As his following grew, Donaldson moved towards the lavish giveaways that have become his trademark.

It started small, giving away cash prizes to members of his community, but quickly gathered momentum and by 2018 he was donating $100,000 worth of products to a homeless shelter.

In one video, he dropped $20,000 out of a drone and gave a pizza man the house he was delivering to as a tip.

Gareth Boyd, head of growth at Finty.com, said Donaldson outgrew other YouTubers because his stunts, which are not confined to charitable acts, ‘were totally and utterly different to anything else anyone was doing’.

‘Going to a football training ground and seeing who can hold onto an airplane the longest – what other TV show does that?’ he added.

Donaldson himself credited his success to innovative thinking and calculated risk-taking.

On his 26th birthday, MrBeast took to Instagram to announce he was giving away six Teslas

MrBeast (pictured in 2023) is YouTube’s most subscribed-to creator, with 317 million followers

Many of Donaldson’s giveaways are funded by brand deals and ad revenues. His philanthropy, as is often the case, is not devoid of self-interest. 

In a video from 2018, his mother repeatedly rebuffed his attempts to give her a check for $100,000. 

Donaldson joked: ‘If I don’t give it to you, I don’t have a viral video.’ His mother asked: ‘So you’re using me for views?’ To which he replies: ‘Yes, but you get money too, so we’re both happy.’

It’s a relatively simple model: the small sums generated from his first videos were reinvested into producing ever more ambitious stunts, which in turn brought in bigger revenues. The cycle continued.

In 2021, it was reported that less than half (45 per cent) of his earnings were reinvested in his channel.

However, the stunts have also been known to divide opinion. In January, he released a video showing scores of people from the US and across the world whose severe cataracts he had removed with the help of a not-for-profit eye care organization.

Some critics questioned whether he was being kind for clicks, but the doctor who performed the surgery said many patients had benefited.

Similarly, he was lambasted online for gifting a young waitress a new car covered in logos as a tip – with several slamming the gesture as a shameless publicity grab.

Donaldson – for his part – explained his generosity in a video in 2018. ‘I genuinely enjoy helping people’, he said. 

‘It’s something I’ve had an issue with, I’m that much of a nice guy. I don’t know why – and I’m not just saying this to look good – I’ve just always been a really nice guy.’

Five participants of the forthcoming Beast Games are suing the internet personality, alleging ‘unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions’. Pictured in 2022

MrBeast also explored other streams of revenue and, in 2020, launched MrBeast Burgers.  

The 26-year-old partnered with Virtual Dining Company to launch the food-based venture back in 2020, using storefronts of other existing restaurants to cook up the sandwiches.

Known as ‘ghost kitchens’, the concept was initially a hit – with Donaldson successfully parlaying his fame so that a mass of more than 10,000 lined up for the opening of the first MrBeast Burger location in New Jersey’s American Dream mall. 

It also saw more than a million burgers sold before Donaldson even had the opportunity to advertise them.

However, last year, MrBeast sued the company behind his branded line of MrBeast Burgers and demanded it be shut down after customers blasted their meals as ‘inedible’. 

The YouTube megastar – known for his extravagant cash giveaways – filed the lawsuit in New York District Court, accusing Virtual Dining Concepts of damaging his reputation by selling undercooked burgers and cold fries with his name on them.

MrBeast also explored other streams of revenue and, in 2020, launched MrBeast Burgers

The burgers were later blasted as ‘inedible’ with some claiming the meat was raw

In 2021, his persona as a ‘nice guy’ was questioned further after his employees offered an alternative perspective.

The New York Times reported 11 people who worked for the YouTuber said his ‘demeanor changed when the cameras weren’t around’ and described ‘a difficult work environment’.

Matt Turner, an editor for Donaldson from 2018 to 2019, said he was berated on an almost daily basis and posted a video explaining the allegations.

He also wrote in a since deleted Twitter thread that he was ‘yelled at, bullied…and called replaceable by MrBeast every single day’, according to newspaper.

Nate Anderson, who worked for Donaldson for a week, also alleged that the YouTuber was a perfectionist who made unreasonable demands.

Despite the claims, one year later in 2022, MrBeast overtook Swedish content creator PewDiePie, and earned his title as the YouTuber with the most subscribers. He currently has 317 million subscribers, with each video gaining hundreds of millions of views.

On the Joe Rogan Experience podcast he told the presenter about how he dubs his channels so people speaking different languages can enjoy his content, boosting his follower count.

He told Rogan: ‘We actually… I’m kind of curious why you don’t do this… we do our videos in other languages as well.

‘So these are the exact same videos on my main channel, but we pay voice actors to dub over them. We translate the text on the video – everything.’

The YouTuber’s Spanish channel is ‘one of the fastest growing channels last year [2021]’ and went from 300,000 viewers to a staggering 22 million in a single year.

In one video, MrBeast helped 1,000 blind people see for the first time by paying for them to have surgery

Jeremiah received successful eye surgery but was also awarded $50,000 dollars to put towards his college tuition

In July, the channel was engulfed in another alleged scandal after one of its most popular stars was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a child.

Ava Kris Tyson, a former co-host on the Mr Beast channel, is alleged to have formed a relationship with the minor when they were aged 13.

The pair were allegedly introduced after the child won an online competition. At that time, Tyson, who is transgender, was 20 and had not transitioned yet. 

Tyson – who has a son with their ex-wife – is said to have spent years communicating with the fan on public online forums before meeting when the teen turned 16.

The fan, who is now an adult, says they are not a victim and has defended Tyson but has admitted some of the messages were ‘inappropriate’ and ‘edgy’.

Since the relationship was revealed in a series of expose-style videos and clips, several controversial posts by Tyson have resurfaced.

Multiple posts show Tyson interacting with ‘Shadman’, an artist known for drawing young characters in sexual poses.

In one post, Tyson begged Shadman to ‘draw a 10-year-old anime girl’. Other posts show Tyson sexualizing cartoon children. 

MrBeast’s stunts involve huge amounts of money – often several hundreds of thousands of pounds

The uproar on social media was triggered by a series of videos that claimed to show Instagram posts of Tyson and the minor who had visited them at college.

The two pictures show Tyson in 2020 with two other males, but the person who is allegedly the minor is blurred.

DailyMail.com could not independently verify the images. 

The claims have suggested that the child, who goes by the name ‘Lava,’ met Tyson through a fan meet-up after winning a contest through MrBeast’s YouTube channel that he and Tyson started in 2012, according to Insider Gaming.

They then co-ran a Discord channel and kept in touch on social media.

The allegations against Tyson have resurfaced many questionable tweets – a majority showing them sexualizing cartoon children.

Tyson referred to an image of the 14-year-old character from the Incredibles, Violet, as ‘low key cute,’ while other posts included references to them wanting to be a part of sexual relations with children.

In 2016, they posted ‘nothing gets my k*** cranking like some Loli’ – the term refers to a young-looking girl character. 

They also commented on a link posted on what was then Twitter that redirected users to a pornographic comic of Caillou and his mother – ‘Caillou’ is a popular children’s show about a four-year-old boy.

‘Help, I need an adult,’ Tyson commented.  

Lava, who is now 20 years old, has commented on the allegations against Tyson in a post on X.

‘These videos are massive lies and twisting the truth,’ he posted.

‘Ava never did anything wrong and just made a few edgy jokes. I was never exploited or taken advantage of.’

Tyson has since made their X profile private.

Ava Kris Tyson, a former co-host on the Mr Beast channel, was accused of an inappropriate relationship with a minor

Ava Kris Tyson – who shot to stardom with MrBeast’s channel with 305 million subscribers – is alleged to have started the relationship when the child was 13

Earlier this year, MrBeast revealed that he makes an eye-watering £550 million a year, but claimed not to be rich.

The social media star said everything he makes from a video or post gets reinvested into future content or giveaways.

Despite those huge numbers pulling in millions of dollars-worth of advertising revenue and brand deals per video, he told TIME: ‘I’ve reinvested everything to the point of – you could claim – stupidity, just believing that we would succeed. And it’s worked out.’

The star’s high-ticket giveaways over the years have included a $2.5m private jet and $2m private island, on top of millions more in cash prizes, so how does he afford it all?

On top of the value of the prizes themselves, each video tends to involve a big budget, purpose built set, and hours of filming – up to 12,000 hours of video for just a 15-minute clip.

In return for the whopping investments, he said that each video brings in ‘a couple million’ in revenue through YouTube adverts, plus a similar figure for adverts inserted into the video itself – for which the brand pays a hefty fee.

In January, he made over a quarter of a million dollars through ads on one X post alone, which played before a video he reuploaded from September.

Five participants of the forthcoming Beast Games are suing the internet personality, alleging ‘unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions’. Pictured: The set up for Beast Games

The Youtuber’s story took a twist this month after former contestants of his upcoming gameshow sued him over allegations of ‘chronic mistreatment’ including sexual harassment.

The 26-year-old is the target of a class action lawsuit, along with Amazon, which picked up the show.

Five participants of the forthcoming Beast Games are suing the internet personality, alleging ‘unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions’.

They claim production teams maintained ‘the strictest control’ over them, including removing their belongings and withholding food, water and medical care to the extent that several contestants were hospitalized for dehydration.

They also accuse the Youtuber of fostering a ‘toxic and hostile’ work environment, particularly for female participants, as a result of ‘boys-will-be-boys working conditions seemingly promoted by Mr Donaldson,’ per the filing. 

‘I wanted to join because I was a fan of MrBeast and his videos made me smile during the COVID-19 pandemic,’ one female said.

‘I expected to be challenged, but I didn’t think I would be treated like nothing — less than nothing. 

‘And as one of the women, I can say it absolutely felt like a hostile environment for us. We honestly could not have been respected less as people, much less employees if they tried.’

Once known as a generous philanthropist, has the tide now begun to turn against MrBeast?

In one example, the filings cite instructions from a handbook said to be used by Donaldson’s company titled, ‘How to Success in MrBeast Production’.

The alleged document encourages staffers to ’empower the boys’ by looking the other way on inappropriate behavior.

‘If talent wants to draw a d*** on the white board in the video or do something stupid, let them… Really do everything you can to empower the boys when filming and help them make content. Help them be idiots,’ the alleged handbook states.

The Beast Games were marketed as a competition of 1,000 competitors for a $5  million cash prize – billed as the largest ever in TV and streaming history.

But the plaintiffs allege unpaid wages and expenses, arguing that they were intentionally misclassified to circumvent California’s employment laws.

Additional claims include that they were denied proper meal or rest breaks and that contestants suffered emotional distress as well as physical injuries.

‘The Contestants were exposed to dangerous circumstances and conditions as a condition of their employment,’ the lawsuit states.

‘As local news reported, ‘many contestants, … found it was the poor set conditions, rather than the challenges themselves, that proved to be the main difficulty’.’

James Stephen Donaldson, known professionally as MrBeast, is an American YouTuber

The filing states they competitors were ‘penned into enclosed spaces with, under conditions where they were underfed, overtired, and competing in stressful and exhausting challenges for a cash prize that could change their lives’.

Beast Games was announced back in March with candidates asked to submit applications. The release date has not yet been made public.

‘While participants knew upon signing the contract at the production’s inception that they were facing a potentially long and challenging competition, they allege getting a lot more than they bargained for,’ attorneys for the anonymous ‘Beast Games’ contestants said in a statement about the lawsuit. 

‘Several contestants ending up hospitalized, while others reported suffering physical and mental complications while being subjected to chronic mistreatment, degradation and, for the female contestants, hostile working conditions.’ 

The lawsuit was filed on the same day Rolling Stone published an investigation in which former contestants described hazardous work conditions  which echoed many of the lawsuit’s claims.

The filing alleges that ‘Beast Games production was so void of standards of reasonable care that MrBeast allegedly offered to cover the contestants’ therapy’. 

The document demands that Donaldson’s company pay the alleged unpaid expenses and wages as well as an unspecified amount of damages. 

It was also claimed that the set ‘fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism’, according to BBC. 

MrBeast has also been accused of ‘faking’ his viral videos in recent months. 

A whistleblower, a former employee of MrBeast, who had been working in the ideation department, posted on YouTube and Reddit with the claims. 

Mr Beast, a.k.a Jimmy Donaldson speaks to the media during the MrBeast Feastables launch in June 2024

The leaker said MrBeast had been lying to his fans, and that the winners of his challenge videos were ‘never random’. 

‘They’re almost always local to MrBeast, and often times friends and family of MrBeast employees, or just the employees themselves,’ they wrote. 

They said the huge sums offered by MrBeast in his videos were real, but that he had hired actors for them instead of random people. 

However, ‘Chucky’, a current MrBeast employee running the ideas and thumbnails team, took to X/Twitter to ‘debunk’ the rumours. 

He alleged the employee had worked at the channel for less than a month before being fired for ‘erratic’ behaviour. 

Chucky wrote: ‘I’d appreciate it if everyone reading this could help dispel all this fake rumors by spreading this info. 

‘Jimmy spends unfathomable amounts of money and time to ensure the integrity of what he does and I hate to see it come into question with a bunch of lies.’ 

Last year, MrBeast was accused of fabricating a story that he’d been invited to join the doomed Titan sub’s expedition, where five people were killed. 

Five were killed after the OceanGate-owned submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion when it went to explore the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18, 2023

The flood of posts persisted for hours, eventually eliciting this response out of Donaldson – who claimed the grab came from a screenshot that his friend sent him

He said he received a message asking if he’d be willing to join the OceanGate mission to see the remains of the Titanic as a last-minute addition. 

He wrote on X/Twitter: ‘I was invited earlier this month to ride the Titanic submarine, I said no. Kind of scary that I could have been on it.’ 

But Twitter users grew suspicious as the message was blue instead of clear, and claimed he’d written the message himself. 

‘Wait… Blue bubble?’ remarked one user – the first of many to point out how on iPhones, texts received from other Apple users are generally clear.

‘How did you manage to receive a blue message on iMessage?’ wrote another, as speculation swirled as to the message’s legitimacy.

‘It is weird how it’s cropped so bad,’ another commented – whereas a more flippant detractor sniped: ‘why is the text reciept[sic] blue[?] why are you making this up[?]’

The flood of posts persisted for hours, eventually eliciting a response out of Donaldson – one that claimed the grab came from a screenshot that his friend sent him, after the YouTuber forwarded the alleged correspondence.

‘My friend sent me the screenshot of when he invited me,’ The North Carolina native – who is worth an estimated $500million – wrote: ‘Didn’t think to scroll up and screenshot our old texts myself.’

As someone who has survived caffeine withdrawal, I can tell you that cowboy coffee is both a blessing and a potential curse. In a time when it’s never been better to be a coffee lover, with countless gadgets and handcrafted beans at your fingertips, there’s something charmingly rustic about making coffee like a frontiersman.

Of course, you can learn how to make a frappe in three easy steps, Or you can make a nutrient-dense coffee at home that’s so healthy it’ll practically negate your campfire habits. But out in the wild, where your barista is a campfire and your milk frother is a stick, cowboy coffee reigns supreme—for better or for worse.