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Anika Nilles has been rocking out on the drums for several years now ... and it looks like she'll be hitting some pretty big stages in the near future.

The professional drummer's been selected to support the legendary prog-rock group Rush on their upcoming reunion tour, which isn't too far out in the future.

We're going to take a look into the background of the musician and see how she was selected to take the stool of the group's legendary former drummer.

Nilles is originally from Germany, and she earned a degree in popular music and music business from the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg in Mannheim, according to Modern Drummer.

The musician had originally pursued a career in social education, although she gave it up in order to follow her dreams of working as a professional musician.

Nilles' big break came in 2013, when she posted a video for her track "Wild Boy" on YouTube, and the clip racked up thousands of views overnight.

The performer kept raising her public profile by sharing videos of her original compositions on YouTube, and she's earned millions of views through her work.

Nilles dropped her debut solo album, "Pikalar," which featured instrumental compositions, in 2017.

The performer's since released three further albums, and her most recent record, "False Truth," debuted earlier this year.

Nilles remained busy in between the release of each of her records, as she began appearing at international drumming festivals and drum clinics.

She also hit the road as part of Jeff Beck's band back in 2022, when she joined the late guitarist on a tour around Europe, according to Loudwire.

Nilles' involvement with Rush was revealed in October 2025, when the group revealed she'd been selected to replace Neil Peart on their upcoming 2026 reunion tour, reports Variety.

The group's former drummer died in 2020 following a battle with glioblastoma, and his family's given the band their blessing to hit the stage again.

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson issued a press statement about their plans to get back together ... Geddy said they "could not be more excited" to have Nilles as their drummer.

Rush's surviving members are heading back into the limelight -- because they just announced a reunion tour!

The group -- consisting of bassist-singer Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson -- is set to hit the road in the summer of 2026 on what's being labeled as the "Fifty Something" tour, according to Variety.

The pair's going to be joined by drummer Anika Nilles, who will in for Neil Peart, who died back in 2020 from glioblastoma.

The news broke in an interview with Lee and Lifeson at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Sunday night, and the bassist said choosing to tour again was a “very difficult decision” given Peart's absence.

Lee and Lifeson reportedly began privately jamming on their old songs following their longtime friend's death, which helped them work through his absence.

The late drummer's family has given the band their blessing to hit the stage again, and the group's planning to pay tribute to Peart multiple times at each show.

In addition to Nilles -- who formerly toured with Jeff Beck -- the group is going to hire a keyboard player to join them on the road ... and Lee quipped Lifeson would have more room to dance with all the extra support.

Judge Diane Goodstein's waterfront home at Edisto Beach in South Carolina burned down Saturday.

The former Circuit Court Judge was reportedly out walking her dogs when the fire started at her residence, which was located in a gated community, according to Greenville's WYFF-TV.

Her husband -- former Democratic state Senator Arnold Goodstein -- and several other family members had to escape from the upper levels of the house, and they were rescued by emergency service workers in kayaks after sheltering in the marshlands near the residence.

Several people were hospitalized for injuries sustained during the incident.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is currently investigating the fire at the judge's residence as a possible arson attack, Fox News reports.

Goodstein spoke to the Daily Mail on Monday morning and said she'd been feeling "alright" in the days following the blaze.

Arthur Jones had plenty of ups and downs throughout his career in the NFL, which lasted for nearly a decade.

The older brother of professional martial artist Jon Jones hopped between teams and even earned himself a Super Bowl ring prior to his death at the age of 39.

We're going to take a look into the background of the late football player and see what he accomplished throughout his sports career.

Arthur first began gaining attention for his athletic skills back in high school, where he played football and was a member of Union-Endicott High School's wrestling team.

He started attending Syracuse University in 2005 -- although he didn't play any games during his freshman year of college, according to the school's official sports website.

Arthur more than made up for the missed opportunities during his second year, when he became one of 40 players to have participated in every game in the 2006 season.

The athlete remained with the Syracuse Orange until 2009, when he finished out his final year with the team.

Arthur kicked off his career in the NFL in 2010, when he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens as a defensive end.

The athlete, whose younger brother Chandler also played in the league, remained with the Ravens until 2013, when he helped lead them to victory at Super Bowl XLVII.

Arthur didn't remain with the Ravens after the big game, though, as he signed a five-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts in 2014. He ended up being released from his contract after sitting out for the entirety of the 2015 season, after which he received a four-game suspension in 2016 following a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, reports ESPN.

He signed with the Washington Commanders in 2017, although he was quickly placed on injured reserve.

Arthur stepped away from professional sports in 2018, when he announced his retirement from the NFL.

The professional athlete's death was revealed seven years later, and a cause hasn't been revealed as of yet.

The Ravens released an official statement regarding his death, and the organization's general manager, Eric DeCosta, claimed the team was "terribly saddened" about his loss.

Dave Chappelle's been taking his act on the road for decades ... and it looks like he might be open to booking more dates in the Middle East in the future.

The comedian appeared at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival on Saturday and declared it's "easier to talk" in Saudi Arabia than it is back home in the United States, according to The New York Times.

Dave, who headlined the festival, also touched on the murder of Charlie Kirk during his set, and joked he'd likely be "canceled" for speaking about the late right-wing media figure if he did so Stateside.

He admitted he wasn't sure how his comments would be received back home ... before adding he was probably going to "find out."

Dave ended his set expressing his fears about going back to the United States, and he brought up his concern about being silenced over what he's said ... he said his fans would know whether he was in distress if he ended up publicly expressing his support for Israel.

The festival hasn't been intensely criticized by some fellow comics ... others have spoken out about contract restrictions on jokes about royals and religion, among other topics.

TikTok star Jennifer Nicole Rivas was found dead at her home in the capital city of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, on Wednesday.

The influencer's body was discovered at her residence, and authorities have cited natural causes as her cause of death, according to the New York Post.

The social media star's family said they suspect Rivas died from of complications from an epileptic seizure ... they said she had been taking medication for the condition.

Climber Balin Miller is dead after he fell while attempting to summit El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Photographer Tom Evans posted on his Facebook account following the incident and said Miller was dealing with a stuck gear bag when the accident occurred.

The climber apparently went back down on his rope in an effort to correct the problem, and he reportedly rappelled off the end of his rope.

The climber was reportedly livestreaming on TikTok when he fell, and his death was witnessed by multiple viewers.

Several witnesses were present at the scene when Miller fell, and they reported park rangers arrived at the scene of the fatal accident shortly after it occurred.

Miller's mother, Jeanine Girard-Moorman, also confirmed his death on Facebook Wednesday.

The climber made a name for himself climbing some of the most difficult routes in mountaineering, including the "Slovak Direct" on Denali, the highest summit in North America.

Balin was just 23 years old.

Megachurch pastor Robert Morris won't be preaching to the choir anytime soon ... because he pled guilty to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child Thursday.

Morris entered his plea in Oklahoma's Osage County District Court, and he was given a 10-year prison sentence -- but he's only gonna have to serve six months, according to NBC News. He'll also have to register as a sex offender and pay $250,000 in restitution as part of his plea agreement.

FYI ... Morris founded Gateway Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas in 2000. The church's congregation grew into the tens of thousands, and he later became associated with President Donald Trump.

Christa Pike's murder of Colleen Slemmer back in the 1990s shocked citizens of Tennessee, where Pike has remained on death row ever since she was convicted of the Slemmer's killing.

Pike won't be on death row for much longer -- because she was just given a date for her execution.

We're going to take a look into the murderer's background and see what's happened in the years since she committed her heinous crime.

Christa apparently experienced a difficult upbringing, which allegedly included instances of both physical and sexual abuse, according to USA Today.

The convicted murderer later described herself as "mentally ill," especially around the time of the killing, in a letter to The Tennessean.

Christa's attorneys later said she'd been diagnosed with "bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders," although the conditions weren't discovered until after she'd been convicted of murdering Slemmer.

Her attorneys, who also said she'd been subject to neglect as a child, claimed she'd later developed "deep remorse" for her actions.

Christa, who was just 18 years old at the time of the crime, initially met Slemmer through their participation in the Knoxville Job Corps, and she eventually became fearful of Slemmer trying to steal her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp.

Slemmer was murdered on January 12, 1995, when Christa, Shipp, and their friend Shadolla Peterson lured her into a wooded area near the Corps center and began attacking her, killing her. Christa carved pentagrams into her victim's forehead and chest in the attack.

The murderer also kept a fragment of her victim's skull, and she showed it off to fellow students.

She was eventually arrested, and she was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1996. Tadaryl Shipp was also convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison ... while Peterson, who apparently served as a lookout, received probation after testifying against Christa.

Christa's legal team has made several appeals, and they've argued she would not receive the same sentence if she were tried today, according to CBS News.

Her attorneys' filings have apparently noted evidence of their client's various issues -- including PTSD and congenital brain damage -- wasn't included at her trial.

However, Christa -- who's currently the only female inmate on death row in Tennessee -- has since been given an execution date of September 30, 2026.

Texas Christian University's administration found itself in hot water on Tuesday after de-transitioner Chloe Cole claimed the school had canceled her speaking appearance in a post shared on her X account.

Here's what went down ... Cole, who's made a name for herself in the right-wing world by speaking publicly about her experience of transitioning to a male before reverting back to her biologically born sex, alleged TCU had shut down her appearance, which was organized with Turning Point USA.

Cole later claimed there were plenty of rooms available for the event at TCU, and alleged the school's administration said the matter wasn't "open for discussion."

Cole's allegations spread across right-wing social media channels, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he'd be looking into the matter on X.

However, TCU's administration disputed Cole's claims, and noted they'd held an event with Turning Point USA to honor Charlie Kirk's life back in September, according to Fox News.

The administration also claimed Turning Point USA's chapter at TCU asked the university to host another event on October 7, although the space they wanted was apparently already taken up. The administration said it notified the group it wouldn't be able to host the event and offered to find another space for the function.

Cruises are usually great ways to kick back, relax, and enjoy the open waters ... although passengers on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas probably aren't feeling too great about their trip right now.

Turns out almost 100 people on the cruise ship, which left San Diego on September 19, have come down with norovirus, with 94 individuals being passengers and 4 being crew members, according to NBC News.

FYI, norovirus is typically spread through either contaminated food or contact with a contaminated surface, and it usually causes nausea and diarrhea, among other symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The ship's crew has responded to the outbreak by isolating affected passengers, increasing cleaning procedures, and collecting stool samples for testing.

Royal Caribbean Group issued a statement about the outbreak, and claimed many of their cleaning procedures "far exceed public health guidelines."

The Serenade of the Seas' passengers are going to catch a little breather, luckily, because the ship docked in Miami on Thursday, according to NBC 6.

The state of Tennessee has officially set a date for Christa Pike's execution -- and if it goes through, she'll become the first woman executed in the state in more than 200 years.

The state's Supreme Court has scheduled the execution for September 30, 2026, USA Today reports.

Pike killed Colleen Slemmer, whom she'd originally met through a career-training program, after she began suspecting Colleen would try and steal her boyfriend.

Pike, as well as her boyfriend and another friend, lured Colleen into a wooded area near the Knoxville Job Corps center, where the victim was attacked and eventually killed. Pike reportedly bragged about the incident, during which she carved pentagrams into Colleen's forehead and chest.

Pike and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, were both convicted of first-degree murder, while her friend, Shadolla Peterson, testified against her and ended up sentenced to probation. Shipp was sentenced to life in prison ... he's set to become eligible for parole next month.

Pike has since accepted responsibility for her actions, and her attorneys have claimed her troubled upbringing -- which allegedly included physical and sexual abuse -- would have earned her a life sentence had she been tried today.

Pike's attorneys also cited the Death Penalty Information Center ... only three women have ever been executed in the state of Tennessee, the most recent in 1819.

It looks like Vice President J.D. Vance isn't too worried about a little online controversy ... because he just brushed off concerns about a bogus video President Donald Trump posted on social media earlier this week.

Here's the deal ... 47 posted an A.I.-altered video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer based off a short press conference the two gave after a meeting with Trump at the White House this week ... in the fake version of the video, the pair are giving a speech about suppostedly giving free healthcare to undocumented immigrants to drum up support for Democrats.

And just for a little extra oomph, Jeffries has a mustache and a sombrero in the fake video, which was set to mariachi music. And the fake Schumer says the two of them are "woke pieces of sh*t."

Elon Musk just achieved another milestone ... because he hit the halfway mark on his way to becoming the world's first trillionaire.

The tech mogul briefly achieved a net worth of $500 billion on Wednesday after Tesla stock climbed by almost 4%, which shot an estimated $9.3 billion right into his pockets, Forbes reports. It's currently dropped to $490.1 billion, according to Forbes' Real-Time Billionaire Tracker.

And just in case you were wondering ... he's on track to become a trillionaire in 2033, when the first of two vesting dates for his proposed $1 trillion pay package from Tesla kicks off.

It looks like Megyn Kelly's gonna be skipping Super Bowl LX's halftime show ... because she just slammed the NFL's decision to pick Bad Bunny as the annual event's headliner.

The conservative commentator made her remarks on Tuesday's episode of SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show," and described the singer's presence at the event as "a middle finger to MAGA and conservatives" throughout the United States, according to The Daily Beast.

Megyn also claimed Bad Bunny -- born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio -- wouldn't tour in America because he "hates the United States so much."

FYI, the singer stated he'd be skipping out on touring throughout the U.S. over concerns for his fans' safety after ICE raids started becoming more common in a September interview with i-D.

The sentiment apparently wasn't shared by Megyn, who referred to the singer as a "very unattractive female-looking thing" after sharing videos of him performing in drag.

Oh, and she openly wondered if the example set by Bad Bunny's pick would mean Diddy was a forerunner for next year ... he's in a bit of a messy legal situation, though, so we wouldn't count on it.

Joshua Allen danced his way into the hearts of "So You Think You Can Dance" fans and established himself further through his work in TV and film.

But the performer's story wasn't entirely straightforward, as he spent time behind bars prior to his death at the age of 36 in 2025.

We're going to take a look into the background of the dancer and see what went down in his personal life before his death.

Joshua got his start by appearing on "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 4, and he came out on top of the other competitors -- including Stephen "tWitch" Boss, with whom he became close friends.

The dancer's work was later featured on the big screen, as he was a featured performer in the 2010 film "Step Up 3D."

Joshua ended up being brought on as a dancer and choreographer during the second season of the Oxygen show "Dance Your A** Off," which aired in 2010.

He also had a brief stint in scripted television, as he appeared on an episode of "American Horror Story" in 2011.

Joshua's story wasn't entirely clean, as he spent time in jail after he was involved in several altercations in 2016, according to Deadline.

The performer's legal troubles began that January, when he picked up a conviction for willfully injuring a girlfriend.

He reportedly attempted to strangle the same individual four months later, and he apparently chased her into a coffee shop before he got into a fight with a customer and threw a glass vase at another patron.

Joshua was later convicted of willfully injuring a girlfriend after a prior conviction and assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to a year in county jail, and he had to serve five years of probation and attend a year of domestic violence counseling.

Joshua died after he was struck by a train near his residence in his home state of Texas, his family told TMZ.

There's currently an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the professional dancer's death.

We spoke to one of Joshua's family members shortly after his death, and they stated the performer's family was requesting "privacy and prayers."