Adam Lambert once again showcased his unmatched vocal prowess during his explosive live rendition of Queen’s classic anthem “I Want to Break Free” at YouTube Space New York. The performance, which left fans on the edge of their seats, highlighted Lambert’s ability to inject his own dynamic style into one of rock music’s most iconic tracks.

From the moment he took the stage, Lambert’s energy was palpable, as he effortlessly navigated the song’s powerful highs and charged emotional undertones. His voice soared with precision, delivering both the freedom and defiance at the heart of the song’s message. With his commanding presence and flawless vocal technique, Lambert brought a fresh, electrifying interpretation of the legendary Queen track, making it entirely his own.

The intimate setting of YouTube Space allowed Lambert to connect with fans in a unique way, showcasing not just his vocal abilities but his passion for live performance. His infectious charisma and stage presence were on full display, making this live performance one of the standout moments of his career. The crowd’s response was nothing short of ecstatic, with applause and cheers echoing throughout the venue.

Lambert’s rendition of “I Want to Break Free” wasn’t just a tribute to Queen—it was a testament to his own artistry and versatility as a performer. His bold, fearless delivery proved why he continues to be one of the most captivating voices in rock and pop music today.

It was the Queen frontman vs. the host on ‘The Late Late Show’

It was the battle of the Queen frontmen on The Late Late Show Thursday night. Well, one was a Queen frontman, the other was a talk show personality with Broadway experience.

Adam Lambert, who’s preparing for Queen’s summer tour of North America, surprised the audience when host James Corden suggested he would make a better lead singer for the iconic band. What ensued was a sing-off of Queen hits, much like Corden’s recent Broadway face-off with Neil Patrick Harris.

Lambert started things off with another surprise — his Queen bandmates rolled out on stage to perform “We Will Rock You.” Corden fired back, “That was amateur hour,” before flipping the Grammy winner the bird during “Don’t Stop Me Now.”

By the end of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” a teary-eyed Corden conceded Lambert to be the better Queen frontman. At least he closed on a high note with a duet of “Somebody to Love.”

The Oscars were hostless this year, so Adam Lambert and Queen stepped in to give the show an opening to remember. The band performed a medley of hits and paid tribute to late frontman Freddie Mercury, who was the focus of the nominated film Bohemian Rhapsody.

Adam, who has been performing with the band for several years now, led a powerhouse performance of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.” At the end, Freddie Mercury appeared on screen behind them, and Adam declared, “Welcome to the Oscars!” The crowd gave a standing ovation.

The Audience Loved It

One of the best parts of the performance was getting to see Hollywood’s biggest stars, dressed to the nines, rocking out from their seats. Highlights included Javier Bardem, Glenn Close, and Allison Janney.

Twitter Loved It, Too

Adam got plenty of love from fans on social media, including from fellow musicians and his American Idol family. Former Idol contestant Melinda Doolittle said he “has a unicorn melted gold velvet voice made of all your favorite things.”

For some viewers who found the rest of the ceremony boring, making the whole show a Queen concert sounded like a great idea.

Other Twitter users simply shared how great they thought the performance was, with some calling it one of the best Oscar performances in history and “a career moment for Adam.”

Forget The Haters

Of course, the performance wasn’t without its detractors. Some viewers complained about the song choices, while others insisted that Adam could never compare to the great Freddie Mercury.

However, as songwriter Elio Pace pointed out on Twitter, “If you want Freddie PUT THE RECORDS ON!”

A Big Year For ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

It’s not hard to understand why the Oscars chose Queen to open the show. Bohemian Rhapsody was nominated for five awards and won four of them, including Best Actor for Rami Malek. As Oscars producer Donna Gigliotti told the LA Times,

“How did we come to that decision? Well, you have to look at the fact that this is a movie [“Bohemian Rhapsody”] that has done in excess of $800 million worldwide business. Japan alone is $100 million. We are putting on a show for a worldwide audience. So Queen is kind of a natural for us. I mean, don’t you want to be at rehearsals when Queen are rehearsing? It’s exciting. It’s fantastic.”

The coming year is also a big one for Queen and Adam Lambert. Not only are they going on a new tour this summer, but Adam recently released a new song called “Feel Something” off his upcoming fourth album — his first in more than three years.

They said they would rock us, and they did.

During Christmas, superstar Taylor Swift delighted Cyrus Porter, a 96-year-old World War II veteran and dedicated Swift fan, by making an unexpected visit to chat and perform a song. She entered to an enthusiastic reception, and after the initial excitement subsided, she delivered an acoustic version of her hit “Shake It Off,” fostering a joyful singalong experience.

Swift began by extending Christmas greetings to the family and sharing high fives with the children. She then addressed Mr. Porter, saying, “My dad sent me a video of you and you mentioned wanting to attend a concert. I’m not sure when our next tour will be, so I thought I’d bring the concert to you here, and we can take some song requests.” Watch this touching interaction below.

Accompanied by her parents, Swift engaged in a conversation with Mr. Porter, revealing that her grandfather also served in World War II. Mr. Porter expressed his amazement, saying, “I can’t believe this,” and showcased his vitality at 96 by standing up to share a brief wartime story. Following this, Swift strummed her acoustic guitar and performed an energetic version of “Shake It Off,” prompting the young children to dance and the rest of the family to sing along. Watch Taylor’s heartfelt entrance to meet Mr. Porter.

Chris Porter, a family member, shared the video online, praising Swift by stating, “Taylor Swift has shown herself to be a person of exceptional integrity and character. She entered the room without seeking the spotlight, appeared genuinely touched and grateful by our enthusiastic cheers, and seemed truly humbled by our reception.” Watch Swift perform “Shake It Off” with her full live production in the video below.

Known for her dedication to meeting fans, Swift has made numerous similar appearances at intimate events. Online admirers praised her generosity with time, leaving comments like “She is genuinely kind and down-to-earth, truly enjoying meeting people. What a beautiful memory for all of you,” and “This moved me to tears. It’s the sweetest thing I’ve witnessed in a long time. It really warmed my heart.”

The Colorado wide receiver and cornerback won the prestigious award, given to the top player in college football every year, on Saturday, Dec. 14, during the Heisman ceremony at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

The football star, 21, thanked friends, teammates, coaches and family during his acceptance speech, but he got particularly emotional while shouting out his father, Travis Hunter Sr.

“I want to say something to my father. He’s not here. But I know you’re watching on TV,” he said, tearfully. “Dad, I love you. All the stuff you went through, man. Now, look at your oldest son. I did it for you, man. All the times that you ain’t get to see me, and the times that you came to see my games. From probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me, man, that means so much to me.”

“I know you wanted to be here and you can’t, but trust me, I got you,” he concluded. ”I’m bringing the trophy home. I love you.“

Travis Sr. opted to stay home so his mom — Travis Jr.’s grandmother Shirley Hunter — could attend instead, according to The Palm Beach Post.

“He could have went. He just wanted me to go in his place because I hadn’t been (to New York) and he wanted me to go instead of himself,” she told the outlet after the Heisman ceremony.

Travis Jr. also gave a shout-out to his grandma during his speech.

“My grandma, you’re the person that got me to start playing football. That means so much to me,” he began. “You seen the vision before I even seen the vision. At 4 years old, you told me to put on some pads, go outside and play with your cousins.”

“Y’all see how small I am. Just imagine me at 4 years old trying to put on shoulder pads,” he continued, inciting laughs. “It’s crazy. I thank you. I know you’re up there crying. I rarely talk to you, but I am telling you right now, I love you. Thank you for everything you have done.”

Travis Sr. told The Palm Beach Post that although he’d miss this ceremony, he plans on attending his son’s other life moments: “I want to be there when he gets married and when he gets drafted,” he said.

Per Sports Illustrated, Travis Jr. is the second Buffaloes player in school history to win the Heisman Trophy, joining running back Rashaan Salaam, who won in 1994. Travis Jr. won the Heisman over Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Miami quarterback Cam Ward, and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty for the honor.

This season, the Colorado wide receiver caught 92 passes for 14 touchdowns and 1,152 yards; each of those first two figures led the Big 12. He also intercepted four passes and broke up 11, with the latter figure also leading his conference.

His efforts also helped Colorado finish 9-3 and reach the Alamo Bowl, and he became the first player in history to win both the Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s most outstanding receiver, per Sports Illustrated.

Earlier this year, the Colorado football star gifted his mother a five-bedroom home in Savannah, Georgia, and posted a video of the elaborate surprise on his YouTube channel.

In 2023, he also gave his then-girlfriend Leanna Lenee a new Tesla — a surprise he documented on his YouTube channel. This February, the pair announced their engagement.

The couple recently confirmed their wedding date to be May 24, 2025.

A California man has died after reportedly being mauled by his three dogs near a children’s playground.

Pedro Luis Ortega, 26, was attacked by his three XL bullies while walking in Mesa Viking Neighborhood Park, San Diego at around midday on Friday, Dec. 13, the San Diego Police Department stated in a news release, per Fox 8 News, NBC 7 San Diego and NBC News.

Ortega was bitten repeatedly in the attack, according to police. A second person also sustained “serious bite injuries” while trying to intervene in the attack, per the outlets.

Both victims were transported to the hospital where Ortega later died, SDPD Officer Jose Perales confirmed to NBC 7 San Diego. The injuries of the second victim are thought to be non-life-threatening. A child who was with Ortega was found unharmed, per Fox 8 News.

Police reportedly tasered the dogs after they arrived on the scene, causing them to run off. Several other people in the park also reportedly tried to stop the attack with shovels and a golf club found at the scene, per multiple outlets.

A spokesperson for the nonprofit organization Humane Society, Nina Thompson, told NBC 7 San Diego: “Upon arrival, our humane officers worked collaboratively to locate two of the dogs [that] were still loose, and impounded a third dog that had been contained in a car.”

The three dogs were placed into bite quarantine before being euthanized on Saturday, Dec. 14, Thompson confirmed. Their remains are being tested for rabies, according to reports.

Witness Paul Ngo told NBC News of the attack, “I saw a person running around with three dogs. I noticed that he was constantly repeating like, ‘Hey, be gentle, be nice.’ “

Another local witness, Steve Marto, told NBC 7 San Diego, “I just saw [the police] had something trapped in the weeds over here. I thought it was a person at first because they were talking about setting up a perimeter,” referring to the dogs being captured.

An investigation into the attack is ongoing.

ABC News will pay $15 million in charitable contributions to Donald Trump’s presidential library after the news outlet and anchor George Stephanopoulos settled a libel lawsuit brought by the president-elect.

Trump, 78, originally filed the lawsuit in March, against Stephanopoulos, 63, and ABC News, accusing them of defaming him when Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated that Trump was found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll during a March 2024 interview with South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace. Trump was actually found liable for sexual abuse, a different offense.

The Associated Press reported on Saturday, Dec. 14, that the suit was settled on Friday and that the settlement agreement states that ABC’s presidential library payment will be used for a nonprofit organization that will be established alongside the not-yet-built library.

As a part of the settlement, ABC News also posted an editor’s note on the same page as Stephanopoulos’ interview with Mace, expressing regret over the anchor’s statements. The AP reports that ABC also agreed to pay $1 million in legal fees to Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito.

“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” an ABC News spokesperson told PEOPLE.

Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The suit centered on Stephanopoulos’ interview with Mace, a Republican who has publicly spoken about being raped at the age of 16.

In the interview, Stephanopoulos questioned Mace’s decision to endorse Trump, reminding her that Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming former Elle advice columnist Carroll in a civil trial in 2023.

“You endorsed Donald Trump for president,” Stephanopoulos told Mace in the March 10 interview. “Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony that we just saw?”

Mace then accused Stephanopoulos of trying to “shame” her, and added, “[Trump] defended himself over that and denies that it ever happened, but he was not found guilty in a criminal court of law.”

Stephanopoulos repeated that Trump had been found “liable for rape.”

Carroll initially sought to hold Trump accountable for rape with her lawsuit, but a jury settled on sexual abuse, a lesser offense in New York, where the lawsuit was filed. Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw the case, wrote in a later court filing that the jury hadn’t ruled out rape, but said that Carroll had not officially proven her case.

ABC News has 10 days to deposit the $15 million into an escrow account being managed by Trump’s attorneys and to pay the legal fees.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

Donald Trump campaign adviser Alex Bruesewitz collapsed on stage during an appearance at a Republican event in New York City.

On Sunday, Dec. 15, the 27-year-old political strategist was introducing incoming White House deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino, at the 112th New York Young Republicans Club Gala when he began to slur his words in a video posted on YouTube.

“I’m forgetting my words,” he said on stage at the event, which was held at the Cipriani Wall Street, after appearing to be okay at the start of his speech as he spoke about Scavino.

Bruesewitz froze for a moment and fell to the side, bringing the lectern down with him in the clip, before the crowd gasped and multiple people rushed to his aide.

Political activist Jack Posobiec shared an update on Bruesewitz on his X account, writing on Sunday, “Just talked to @alexbruesewitz backstage … He is getting checked out by medical after having a brief fainting spell onstage. All levels are normal.”

“He’ll be just fine,” Posobiec added.

President-elect Trump also called into Sunday’s event to send his well-wishes to Bruesewitz following the incident.

“I know that Alex is going to be fine because he’s a tough son of a gun,” Trump said, per The Independent. “There’s no doubt about that. So I want to say hello to Alex, because he’s a very special guy.”

Master of ceremonies Raheem Kassam — a political activist and onetime chief adviser to former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage — insisted Bruesewitz was doing okay following the incident, according to Fox News.

“I talked to our friend Alex Bruesewitz and you know what he said to me? He goes, ‘Did I at least look cool?’ I said, ‘Alex, you used gravity like I’ve seen nobody use gravity before in their lives,’ ” he said at the event, per the outlet. “But he’s recuperating back there, so give him a big cheer so he’ll hear you.”

Political and corporate consulting and media agency XStrategiesLLC — of which Bruesewitz is CEO — didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for an update on Monday, Dec. 16.

The Zodiac Killer is one of the most notorious serial killers in history.

Known not only for the gruesome murders he committed in northern California in the late 1960s, but for the cryptic letters he sent to the media extolling their own crimes, the killer and their unsolvable ciphers are still puzzling sleuths more than 60 years later.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, which was the recipient of 17 of the 22 letters the Zodiac is known to have sent, the unidentified perpetrator, whose crimes have served as the subject for multiple film and TV projects, including Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, 2007’s Zodiac (Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.) and 2024’s This Is the Zodiac Speaking, was responsible for the deaths of at least five individuals.

Teenagers Betty Lou Jensen and David Arthur Faraday, wife and mother Darlene Ferrin, college student Cecila Shepard and taxi driver Paul Stine tragically lost their lives at the hands of the Zodiac, while Michael Renault Mageau and Bryan Hartnell narrowly escaped death.

Ferrin’s sister Pam Huckaby opened up to the Vallejo Times-Herald about her late sibling in July 2019, noting that Ferrin’s daughter Deena is now a mother herself. “Darlene would have been a great mom to her,” she said. “Darlene loved her family and was very family oriented.”

Huckaby added: “If that hadn’t happened, Darlene would be with me. With us. With the family.”

And while investigators have only confirmed five killings associated with the Zodiac, the murderer claimed to have taken the lives of as many as 37 people through his various letters, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

Keep reading to find out more about the Zodiac Killer’s victims and what happened to them.

The Zodiac Killer is a mass murderer who terrorized the city of San Francisco from 1968 to 1970. While many theories have emerged regarding the killer’s identity over the years, only one suspect has ever been named in connection to the crimes by investigators, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

The outlet reported that Arthur Leigh Allen, a convicted child molester who lived in the Vallejo area, owned boots that matched the killer’s footprints and had referenced a short story in a police interview that the Zodiac had mentioned in one of their letters.

Zodiac survivor Mageau also positively identified Allen from a photo lineup as the man that had shot him years earlier. According to the Chronicle, Allen died of a heart attack in 1992 and was never charged in relation to the Zodiac murders.

In May 2014, business owner Gary Stewart claimed his father Earl Van Best Jr. was responsible for the murders in his book The Most Dangerous Animal Of All, and in October 2021, a team of more than 40 former law enforcement investigators known as The Case Breakers claimed that they had identified another man as the Zodiac: Air Force veteran Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018 per Fox News.

The FBI confirmed to Newsweek in May 2023, however, that the killer’s identity was not yet known.

As of October 2024, no one has been charged with the Zodiac’s crimes

Who were the Zodiac Killer’s victims? 

Betty Lou Jensen and David Arthur Farada

16-year-old honor roll student Jensen and 17-year-old wrestler Faraday were the Zodiac Killer’s first known victims. According to This Is the Zodiac Speaking, the high school students had been out for their first date before David drove them to a secluded area on Lake Herman Road in Benicia, Calif. to be alone.

The couple were shot and killed by the Zodiac on Dec. 20, 1968, and their bodies were later discovered outside of their vehicle by a passerby.

Darlene Ferrin

The killer’s next victim was 22-year-old Ferrin, a waitress who was both a wife and a new mother. Ferrin, along with 19-year-old Mageau, was shot while sitting in Ferrin’s car in a remote parking lot in Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo, Calif., roughly 15 minutes away from where the previous victims had been found, on July 4, 1969.

After entering and leaving the parking lot abruptly, the Zodiac reportedly pulled up behind Ferrin’s car, then approached the passenger side with a flashlight before opening fire. Mageau survived the attack while Ferrin did not.

Ferrin’s sister opened up about her oldest sibling to the Vallejo Times-Herald, saying, “She was a great sister. There were 10 of us — eight girls, two boys. She was the oldest and my idol.”

According to Times-Herald, the Zodiac Killer called 911 following the July 4 attack on their third and fourth victims to take credit for the incident. “I want to report a double murder,” they said. “If you will go one mile east on Columbus Parkway to the public park, you will find the kids in a brown car. They were shot with a 9 MM luger.”

During the call, the Zodiac also confessed to the killings of the two high school students that had taken place one year prior. “I also killed those kids last year,” they said. “Goodbye.”

Cecila Shepard

On Sept. 27, 1969, 22-year-old Shepard became the fourth known victim to die at the hands of the Zodiac while picnicking in Lake Berryessa in Benicia, Calif., with her boyfriend Hartnell.

According to reports, the Zodiac held the couple at gunpoint and tied them up before fatally stabbing Shepard 10 to 20 times and wounding Hartnell, who survived the attack. Hartnell told authorities that he initially thought the man, who was wielding a pistol and wearing a hood, was a robber, but that he refused money when it was offered, stating, “I don’t want the money, all I want to do is kill [you].”

After attacking Hartnell and Shepard, the Zodiac marked the vehicle’s passenger side door with the dates of two of their previous shootings, per This Is the Zodiac Speaking.

Shepard’s obituary in the Napa Valley Register revealed that she had been a student at Pacific Union College, where she was studying music. Her funeral services were attended by more than 1,000 friends and family members, who recalled her love for her craft.

Paul Stine

The Zodiac’s final confirmed victim was 29-year-old Paul Stine. Stine was killed on Oct. 11, 1969, after giving the Zodiac a taxi ride. Radio station KFGO reported that Stine was a San Francisco State doctorate candidate who was working as a cabbie while pursuing his degree.

The Zodiac took ownership for his last victim’s life in a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle in which he included a bloodied piece of the victim’s clothing. The letter was printed in an Oct. 15, 1969 issue of the paper.

“This is the Zodiac speaking. I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington St. and Maple St. last night, to prove this here is a blood stained piece of his shirt,” the killer wrote, adding, “I am the same man who did in the people in the North Bay Area.”

Have the Zodiac Killer’s crimes been solved? 

While elements of the zodiac killer’s crimes have been solved, including several of the ciphers he sent to the media, others remain a mystery.

The Desert Sun reported on Aug. 13, 1969, that Donald and Bettye Harden had cracked the killer’s first cipher after it was sent to local newspapers. Known as the 408 cipher, it read in part, “I like killing because it is so much fun.”

In December 2020, web designer David Oranchak cracked another of the killer’s ciphers 51 years after being sent to the Chronicle with the help of Australian mathematician Sam Blake, and Belgium warehouse operator Jarl Van Eykcke.

In the note, the Zodiac Killer said that he hoped the authorities were having “lots of fun” trying to catch him and seemingly gave them a clue regarding a 1969 broadcast of Jim Dunbar’s AM San Francisco during which an anonymous caller claimed to be the Zodiac and said they didn’t want to go to the gas chamber.

“THAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW,” the Zodiac wrote. “I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE [sic] ALL THE SOONER BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME.”