Sports, Entertainment & Culture — August 31, 2026

Djokovic out of US Open in first round. Novak Djokovic, 39, fell to Mariano Navone in a 4-hour, 36-minute five-set marathon -- his first opening-round Grand Slam exit since 2006.

ESPN reported the 39-year-old was both ill and hurting during the defeat, adding physical struggles to the on-court result. The loss ended a run of nearly two decades in which he had never been eliminated at the earliest stage of a major, a streak stretching back 19 years. Navone needed all five sets and more than four and a half hours to close out the match.

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Scheffler wins second FedEx Cup. Scottie Scheffler held off Viktor Hovland at the Tour Championship, claiming his second FedEx Cup title and passing Tiger Woods atop the PGA Tour's career earnings list.

USA Today · Read more →

Dolly Parton laid to rest. Family interred the country legend beside her late husband Carl Dean in Nashville after a private ceremony. Tributes continued nationwide, including a dedicated Grand Ole Opry show.

Rolling Stone · Read more →

Rodrigo festival raises $20 million. Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan and Doechii headlined the inaugural all-women Daisy Chain Fields festival, which raised $10 million for women- and girls-focused charities. Melinda French Gates doubled it to $20 million.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the first-year event drew a massive crowd to Southern California and was billed as a day of music and empowerment. The final charitable total came in two parts: the festival itself generated half the sum, with Melinda French Gates matching that amount to reach the combined figure benefiting organizations serving women and girls.

Hollywood Reporter · Read more →