Benny Blanco is once again taking to the open ocean rather than the skies to see his wife, Selena Gomez, embarking on an eight-day boat journey across the Atlantic ahead of her 34th birthday, a trip made necessary by the music producer’s well-documented fear of flying.

Blanco, 38, shared his unconventional travel plans in a TikTok video posted Thursday, July 16, showing himself aboard a boat somewhere out on the open water. Text overlaid on the clip read, “POV: ur traveling across the atlantic in the titanic to see ur wife bc ur scared of flying,” a playful nod to his ongoing aversion to air travel. Blanco paired the footage with Sam Cooke’s 1962 song “Nothing Can Change This Love” and captioned the post simply, “the things we do for love.”

Gomez, 33, has been based in London since May filming the sixth season of Hulu’s hit comedy “Only Murders in the Building,” alongside co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short. Her extended stay overseas has kept the couple largely apart in recent months, with the exception of a brief reunion in early July, when Blanco joined her in New York City for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden. Gomez turns 34 on July 22, and Blanco’s lengthy sea voyage is timed to ensure he can celebrate the milestone birthday with her in person despite the distance separating them for much of the summer.

Blanco’s fear of flying has become a well-established part of his public persona in recent years, one he has discussed openly across multiple interviews. Speaking with ELLE while literally driving cross-country from Los Angeles to New York earlier this year, Blanco did not mince words about his feelings toward air travel. “Oh my God, I hate it,” he said. “Terrifying. I’m in Dallas right now. I’m driving to New York from Los Angeles.” That kind of cross-country driving has become a regular routine for Blanco whenever Gomez’s filming schedule keeps her on the East Coast, allowing the couple to maintain their relationship despite his aversion to planes.

International travel presents a bigger logistical challenge, one Blanco has tackled by opting for extended sea voyages rather than transatlantic flights. During an appearance on the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast alongside Gomez, Blanco described his usual process for reaching Europe. “I take the boat to Europe,” he said. “Oh my God, it’s so long. It’s like first you have to drive to New York and then you get on a boat for eight days, and you’re on the Titanic.” Blanco has previously referenced taking a similar transatlantic boat trip with musician Ed Sheeran, during which the two worked together on Sheeran’s “Divide” album, underscoring that this latest journey is not the first time he has chosen the sea over the sky to reach the continent.

Gomez has spoken candidly about her husband’s fear of flying and what it means for their relationship when they are apart. Asked directly what Blanco is like on a flight during the same “On Purpose” interview, Gomez answered plainly, “He does not fly.” Blanco added that he has flown in the past, but not since the two began dating. Gomez went on to say she isn’t even sure she would want to fly alongside her husband given the intensity of his anxiety around air travel, explaining that she would spend the entire flight worried about him rather than relaxing, and describing it as clearly “a big fear of his.”

The couple, who married in September 2025, have discussed the challenges of maintaining a long-distance relationship during Gomez’s filming stints away from Los Angeles. Speaking on the “Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware” podcast, the two said they aim to see each other at least once every three weeks whenever work keeps them apart, a goal that has driven Blanco’s frequent cross-country drives and, when overseas filming is involved, his extended sea voyages. Gomez has described the arrangement as difficult but manageable, crediting mutual trust as central to making the long-distance stretches work. “The biggest thing in the world is trust,” Gomez has said. “I can say with all my heart that I trust this person.”

Gomez has continued documenting her time in London on social media throughout the filming process, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses from the “Only Murders in the Building” set, including photos alongside co-stars Martin Short and Meryl Streep, who joined the show’s cast this season. On June 10, Gomez posted a gallery of photos to her Instagram grid marking the couple’s time apart, writing in the caption that distance means little when someone means so much, tagging Blanco directly and noting that she missed him.

Blanco’s romantic, if unconventional, journey across the Atlantic has drawn widespread attention online, with fans and entertainment outlets alike highlighting the lengths he has gone to in order to be present for his wife’s birthday despite his flying anxiety. The trip continues a now-familiar pattern for the couple, in which Blanco’s aversion to air travel has repeatedly shaped how the two navigate time apart during Gomez’s demanding filming schedules, whether through long cross-country drives within the United States or multi-day sea crossings when international travel is required.

With Gomez’s birthday approaching on July 22 and filming for the new season of “Only Murders in the Building” continuing in London, Blanco’s eight-day voyage is expected to bring the couple back together just in time for the celebration, offering another example of what Blanco himself has repeatedly summed up in three simple words: the things we do for love.

Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” paid tribute to a former member of its Wizard crew during Friday’s episode, honoring Gregory Colburn, the nephew of longtime captain Keith Colburn, who died in May at the age of 32.

At the close of the July 17 episode, the network aired a dedication reading, “This episode is dedicated to Monte’s son Gregory Colburn, Wizard crewman 2018–2022,” accompanied by a video montage chronicling Gregory’s time aboard the vessel. Gregory, whose full name was Gregory Martin Urjevich Colburn, died on May 19 in Chico, California. According to a recap of the episode published by TV Insider, his death followed an unexpected motorcycle accident that month, though his family’s published obituary does not specify a cause of death and no official cause has been publicly confirmed.

Gregory served as a crewman aboard the F/V Wizard, the commercial crab fishing vessel captained by his uncle, Keith Colburn, from 2018 through 2022. Keith has appeared on “Deadliest Catch” since the show’s third season, which aired in 2007, making the Wizard and its crew a long-running fixture of the Discovery Channel series. Gregory’s father, Monte Colburn, serves as relief captain and mate aboard the Wizard, having worked alongside his brother Keith in the Bering Sea crab fishing industry for decades.

Born November 21, 1993, in Lakeview, Oregon, Gregory grew up in Kings Beach, California, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, where he attended school from kindergarten through 12th grade within the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District. Before finding his way to commercial fishing, he worked in restaurants around the North Lake Tahoe area. According to his obituary, Gregory eventually “found his calling fishing crab on the Bering Sea in Alaska,” a pursuit that connected him to generations of his family’s long history in the demanding commercial fishing industry.

His obituary describes a deep sense of pride in both his work at sea and his time on television. “Gregory was proud of his time at sea and of being on The Discovery Channel reality show Deadliest Catch,” the obituary reads. Viewers who followed his appearances on the series came to know him for his dedication and resilience navigating one of the most physically demanding professions in the country, often cited as among the most dangerous jobs in America due to the harsh conditions of Bering Sea crab fishing.

Between fishing seasons, Gregory made his home in Chico, California, where he met his fiancée, Caitlin Nenadal. The couple became engaged, and according to his obituary, Gregory “lived for Caitlin, to whom he was engaged, and for riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.” Those who knew him remembered him for the warmth he brought to his relationships both on and off the boat. “Gregory had a heart of gold which shone through his eyes and his smile; his kind heart was rivaled only by his loyalty to his family and friends,” his obituary states. “Gregory impacted all whose lives he touched and he will be sorely missed.”

Gregory is survived by his fiancée, Caitlin Nenadal; his daughter, Scarlette Colburn; his parents, Catherine and Monte Colburn; his grandfather, Martin Urjevich; five siblings; and a wide circle of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. His family has not publicly disclosed additional details surrounding the circumstances of his death and has asked for privacy as they continue to grieve.

The tribute aired during an episode that also captured a tense moment for the Wizard crew, as the show documented a life-threatening incident in which a crew member fell overboard amid severe weather and 22-foot seas. According to the episode, the crew managed to complete a successful rescue without serious injury, with Keith Colburn reflecting afterward on how close the situation had come to a far worse outcome. The crew then returned to work, hauling in a full quota of crab despite the dangerous conditions, before the episode closed with the dedication to Gregory.

Gregory’s death adds to a series of losses the “Deadliest Catch” community has experienced over the show’s nearly two-decade run. The series has previously paid tribute to other crew members and captains who have died, including longtime captain Phil Harris, who died in 2010 following a stroke, and deckhand Todd Meadows, whose death was similarly honored on the show earlier this year with a posthumous appearance and tribute alongside his children. The recurring losses reflect both the physical risks inherent to commercial fishing in the Bering Sea and the close-knit nature of the fishing families the show has followed since its debut.

“Deadliest Catch” airs Fridays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on Discovery Channel, continuing to follow multiple fishing vessels and their crews as they navigate the Bering Sea’s crab fishing seasons, an industry the show has documented for nearly 20 years. The Wizard, under Keith Colburn’s command, remains one of the program’s central vessels, with Monte Colburn continuing to serve alongside his brother in the years since Gregory’s departure from the crew in 2022.

Fans of the series took to social media following Friday’s broadcast to share their condolences after learning of Gregory’s death, with many recalling his presence on the show during his four seasons aboard the Wizard. The tribute marked one of the more emotional moments of the current season, offering viewers a chance to remember a young man whose family’s connection to Bering Sea crab fishing spans multiple generations, and whose own passion for life at sea became a defining part of his identity both on camera and off.

The White House has defended Argentina’s football players after they displayed a banner asserting the country’s claim to the Falkland Islands following their World Cup semifinal victory over England, setting up a diplomatic disagreement with the United Kingdom just days before Argentina’s championship match against Spain.

Following Argentina’s 2-1 win in a tense semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday, several players held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” using Argentina’s own term for the disputed South Atlantic islands. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer supported calls Friday for FIFA to investigate the display and appeared to voice support for Spain ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina.

Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s FIFA taskforce, pushed back against criticism of the banner, framing the players’ actions as a matter of free expression protected under the U.S. Constitution. “We believe in our first amendment rights here in the United States of America,” Giuliani said, adding that Argentina’s players would have the “opportunity to be able to make statements” while competing in the U.S.

The disagreement arrives at a delicate moment for British politics, with Andy Burnham set to take over as prime minister on Monday. England and Argentina are separately scheduled to face off in rugby’s Nations Championship on Saturday in Argentina, a fixture where England players have reportedly threatened to walk off the field if any of their teammates are subjected to racist abuse.

Starmer’s spokesperson addressed the banner controversy directly on Thursday, reaffirming Britain’s longstanding position on the islands’ sovereignty. “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver,” the spokesperson said, adding that “potential action is a matter for FIFA, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football.” The spokesperson also passed along Starmer’s good wishes to both finalists, adding pointedly, “especially Spain.”

Business Secretary Peter Kyle offered a sharper assessment of the incident earlier Thursday, telling the BBC that the banner represented “an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football.” Kyle added, “The World Cup has [as] one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football. That is now a matter for FIFA. I expect FIFA to do its investigation thoroughly.” Starmer’s spokesperson confirmed the prime minister endorsed Kyle’s remarks urging FIFA to open a formal investigation.

FIFA has confirmed it is reviewing the incident through its standard disciplinary process. In a statement, the organization said, “As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee is assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA disciplinary code.” No timeline has been given for when that review might conclude or what sanctions, if any, might follow.

The episode is not without precedent within international football’s governing bodies. In 2024, Spain players Rodri and Álvaro Morata were suspended for one match by UEFA after chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish” during celebrations in Madrid following Spain’s win over England in the Euros final, a separate territorial dispute between Spain and Britain over the peninsula at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.

Wednesday’s semifinal had been anticipated as a potential flashpoint for tensions between Argentina and England well before kickoff, given the countries’ shared history tied to the Falklands. More than 900 people were killed during the 1982 war that erupted after Argentina invaded the islands, a conflict that ended with British forces retaining control of the territory, which remains a British Overseas Territory to this day.

The banner controversy follows a separate diplomatic dispute that emerged earlier this month, when Argentina complained that a Royal Navy vessel, HMS Medway, had passed through what it considers its national waters without permission while sailing from the Falklands to Chile. Starmer’s spokesperson rejected that characterization, saying Britain had notified the Argentine government in advance of the voyage. “We notified the Argentinian government in advance of HMS Medway undertaking a routine logistics visit to Chile between 5 and 8 July to support British Antarctic Survey operations, which will deliver essential stores and supplies to sustain scientific research in Antarctica,” the spokesperson said. “The Royal Navy always operates in full compliance with international law and the transit from the Falkland Islands to Chile was carried out via the most direct practicable route, considering operational safety and weather factors to ensure timely delivery.”

The Falkland Islands government issued its own statement responding to the banner display, expressing disappointment though not surprise at the players’ actions. The government said it was “disappointed – though regrettably not surprised” that Argentina’s footballers had “decided to tarnish” the semifinal, describing it as “a game that did not in any case involve the Falkland Islands.” The statement continued: “That said, it is hardly news to anyone that the people of the islands were victims of an aggressive invasion in 1982, which left many traumatised. The banner displayed by Argentina last night, therefore, was particularly insensitive for many people in the Falklands … We hope FIFA will make good on their promise to keep politics out of sport and sanction all behaviour of this nature in line with its own rules.”

The controversy adds a geopolitical subplot to a World Cup final already carrying significant weight on the pitch, with Argentina seeking to become the first nation in more than six decades to win consecutive World Cup titles when it faces Spain on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium. Whether FIFA ultimately issues any formal sanction against the Argentine Football Association over the banner display remains uncertain, though the governing body’s past handling of similar politically charged celebrations, including the 2024 UEFA suspensions of Rodri and Morata, suggests some form of disciplinary response is possible in the days following the tournament’s conclusion.

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Users of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, began reporting widespread access problems early Saturday morning, according to outage-tracking service Downdetector, which recorded a sharp spike in user complaints beginning at 3:46 a.m. Eastern time.

Downdetector, which aggregates real-time reports from users to identify potential service disruptions across websites and apps, flagged the surge in its social media post, prompting the hashtag #XTwitterDown to begin trending on the platform as affected users shared their experiences. As of Saturday morning, X had not issued a public statement addressing the reported outage, and the platform’s official developer API status page had not shown any confirmed incident, a pattern that has occurred during several of the platform’s previous disruptions this year.

Saturday’s reported outage adds to what has become a recurring pattern of service disruptions for X throughout 2026. The platform has experienced at least one notable outage roughly every month this year, according to tracking by multiple outlets, with incidents ranging from brief, localized disruptions lasting under an hour to more severe events affecting tens of thousands of users across multiple countries.

One of the year’s most significant disruptions occurred in February, when users across the United States, United Kingdom and India reported widespread access issues beginning early Monday morning. Downdetector recorded more than 40,000 user reports of problems with the platform as the outage unfolded, with the number continuing to climb throughout the morning. That February incident came not long after X owner Elon Musk announced plans to make the platform’s recommendation algorithm, including the code determining which organic and advertising posts are shown to users, fully open source, with updates to be released every four weeks alongside developer notes explaining any changes.

X has also experienced more severe, longer-lasting outages tied to issues beyond its own infrastructure. In November 2025, the platform suffered what was described as its most significant outage of that stretch, when Cloudflare, a major cloud and network services provider used by X and numerous other websites, experienced its own outage that left multiple platforms without service for several hours. Cloudflare said at the time that it did not immediately know the direct cause of the disruption affecting its network.

Other outages this year have varied in scope and duration. One incident saw reports spike suddenly around 1:45 p.m. Pacific time, surpassing 4,000 reports within the first 20 minutes, with the disruption lasting just over an hour and primarily affecting the platform’s browser-based version rather than its mobile app. During that particular incident, X’s official developer API status page never reflected any issues, remaining green throughout the disruption despite the surge in user-reported problems, a discrepancy that has become a recurring feature of how the platform’s outages are tracked and confirmed.

A separate January outage struck significant numbers of users shortly after Musk’s algorithm transparency announcement, though it remains unclear whether the two events were directly connected. In each case, the platform’s outages have tended to follow a similar pattern: a sudden spike in Downdetector reports, often numbering in the thousands within a short window, followed by a gradual decline in complaints as service is restored, typically without an official public explanation from X regarding the underlying cause.

X’s ownership structure adds another layer of scrutiny to its recurring reliability issues. Musk acquired the platform, then known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022, later rebranding it to X in July 2023. The service reports having up to 650 million monthly active users globally, with more than 132 million users accessing the platform daily, figures that underscore the scale of disruption even relatively brief outages can cause when they affect a meaningful share of that user base.

Common symptoms reported during X’s past outages have included persistent “Something went wrong” error messages, timelines that fail to refresh or remain stuck displaying older posts, and inconsistent access between the platform’s desktop website and its mobile applications, with one often continuing to function while the other fails entirely. Users experiencing access problems are typically advised to check both the official X Support account and third-party monitoring tools, since the platform’s own status indicators have not always reflected ongoing incidents in real time during past disruptions.

As of Saturday morning, it remained unclear how many users were affected by the reported outage, which specific features or platforms were experiencing the most significant disruption, or how long the issue might persist before service is fully restored. Given the pattern established by X’s previous outages this year, affected users may see intermittent functionality return gradually throughout the morning, though the platform’s history suggests the precise cause of Saturday’s disruption may not be publicly disclosed even after service is restored.

Users seeking updates on the status of Saturday’s reported outage were directed to monitor Downdetector’s live reporting page, along with X’s own official accounts, for further information as the situation develops. Given the frequency of similar incidents throughout 2026, technology analysts have continued to raise questions about the platform’s underlying infrastructure reliability, even as X has maintained that the vast majority of its service remains operational on a day-to-day basis despite the recurring disruptions.

BTS set a new streaming milestone this week after releasing the music video for their song “NORMAL” exclusively on Spotify, with the platform confirming Friday that the video became the most-streamed K-pop music video in a single day in Spotify’s history.

The video, released Friday at 1 p.m. Korea Standard Time, marks the latest visual from the group’s fifth studio album, “ARIRANG,” which itself became the most-streamed K-pop album in Spotify history on March 20. Spotify announced the new record on its Instagram and X accounts shortly after the video’s release, according to reporting from The Music Universe.

“NORMAL” offers what Spotify described as a deeply personal look at the seven-member group, moving between scenes captured during a late-night celebration and the quieter moments of the following morning. The video follows each member through that arc, portraying what daily life looks like for BTS when they step away from the stage and the spotlight that typically surrounds them. According to Big Hit Music, the group’s label, the setting was a deliberate creative choice intended to offer fans an unfiltered look at the band’s everyday, private side in contrast with their more polished on-stage personas.

One of the video’s most talked-about moments recreates a viral promotional image the group had teased in the lead-up to the release, showing all seven members standing in a row in front of a set of urinals with their backs to the camera. That image originated from a midnight teaser clip posted to HYBE Labels’ YouTube channel the night before the video’s release, which showed the members in the restroom setting before BTS leader RM squeezed past the group in an unguarded, comedic moment. The teaser also resolved a mystery that had been circulating online for days, tied to a series of attention-grabbing advertisements that ran earlier in July in print newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Post. Those ads featured the urinal-themed photo beneath a tabloid-style headline reading, “BTS Members Seen in Bathroom Amid Mysterious Gathering,” part of a broader promotional campaign that the music video ultimately brought full circle.

Alongside the video, BTS released three additional versions of “NORMAL,” including a Korean-language rendition that had first been revealed during the group’s concert in Busan, as well as an instrumental version. A physical single CD is also being made available through the Weverse platform. “NORMAL” serves as the second single from “ARIRANG,” following the album’s lead single, “SWIM,” and originally debuted at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated April 4, drawing praise for its understated vocal delivery and conversational sing-rapping style.

“ARIRANG” itself has continued performing strongly on the Billboard charts in the months since its March release. The album spent three consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200, the top albums chart in the United States, and remained at No. 25 on the chart dated July 18. “SWIM” has extended its own run on the Hot 100, sitting at No. 84 in its 16th consecutive week on that chart as of the same date.

The “NORMAL” video’s Spotify-first release continues a broader partnership between BTS and the streaming platform that began earlier this year to mark the group’s return following an extended hiatus. As part of that collaboration, Spotify hosted a series of immersive live events bringing fans, known collectively as ARMY, together in cities around the world. Among those events, BTS performed at Pier 17 in New York City in March, marking the group’s first U.S. performance in four years. Spotify also introduced in-app features tied to the album’s release, including an interactive experience called Decoding ARIRANG and a dedicated BTS Music Quiz, giving fans new ways to engage with the group’s music directly within the app.

The video’s exclusive debut on Spotify, rather than a traditional platform such as YouTube, reflects a broader strategy tied to the group’s digital footprint on the streaming service, where BTS draws roughly 35.5 million monthly listeners. The video is currently available only in select beta markets for Spotify Premium subscribers, part of the platform’s ongoing rollout of music videos as a feature alongside exclusive content such as live performances and cover recordings. Spotify noted that the “NORMAL” release followed closely behind another artist’s video exclusive on the platform, with country singer Jelly Roll launching the video for his song “Hands Up” exclusively on Spotify for 48 hours just days earlier.

The “NORMAL” video itself is set to remain a Spotify exclusive for 48 hours before becoming available on other streaming and video platforms, following the same release pattern used for the platform’s other recent artist exclusives.

BTS’s commercial dominance extends well beyond this latest record. According to Spotify, the group’s tracks appear on more than 130 million user-generated playlists on the platform, and BTS has had six songs inducted into Spotify’s Billions Club, a designation reserved for tracks that surpass one billion streams. Those songs include “Dynamite,” “My Universe,” “Butter,” “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey, “FAKE LOVE” and “Life Goes On.” Listenership for the group spans a wide global footprint, with the United States, Japan and Peru currently ranking among the top countries streaming BTS’s music.

The group’s promotional push around “NORMAL” arrives during an active stretch on the touring front as well. BTS is currently wrapping up the European leg of its Arirang World Tour, with concerts scheduled at Paris’s Stade de France. The group is also set to make a high-profile appearance this weekend, joining Justin Bieber, Madonna and Shakira as co-headliners of the halftime show for the FIFA World Cup final, scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, adding another major milestone to what has already been an eventful comeback year for the group following their extended hiatus.