Shonda Rhimes‘ spicy medical soap wrapped its 21st season tonight with the requisite drama we’ve come to expect from a Grey’s finale, pairing steamy backroom trysts with surgical breakthroughs, a hostage situation, and Chekhov’s tank of acetylene.
The episode sets the stage with Bailey (Chandra Wilson) congratulating the season’s interns, including Simone (Alexis Floyd), Adams (Niko Terho), Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.), and Jules (Adelaide Kane), for finishing their first year. Soon, they’ll be sporting their own white coats and bossing around a new batch of interns.
We’re also quickly swept up in a trio of life-and-death cases, each with their own accompanying baggage.
One involves Nora (Floriana Lima), who recently told Owen (Kevin McKidd) she loves him, much to the dismay of Owen’s wife, Teddy (Kim Raver). Saving Nora requires building her a new aorta and a stapling procedure that goes against everything Teddy knows about heart surgery. Also not easy? Operating on the woman having an affair with your husband.
Another involves Ben (Jason George), who finds his attempts to save a patient with a severe liver injury thwarted, resulting in him breaking the rules. Yes, again.
But the finale’s most dramatic case brings back Dylan Gatlin, the 9-year-old with a brain condition we met a few episodes ago, along with her mother, Jenna (Piper Perabo). Dylan’s first surgery didn’t go as planned, and Jenna grows so desperate that she wheels in a tank of acetylene and threatens to blow up the hospital if Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) doesn’t immediately operate on her daughter.
How does it all play out? Do we see Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) in the flesh? And does that tank of acetylene go boom? We unpack it all in our Grey’s Anatomy season 21 ending explainer.
Does Meredith return?
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
While Pompeo’s Meredith has narrated the entirety of season 21, she’s only made a handful of in-person appearances at Grey Sloan. She returns in the finale, however, to meet with Catherine (Debbie Allen) about selling her shares in the hospital to help fund her Alzheimer’s research.
Her presence rankles Webber (James Pickens Jr.), who resents Meredith for the business and talent she cost the hospital by leaving.
Does Teddy save Nora?
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman on the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 21 finale
Yes. With the help of Winston (Anthony Hill), Teddy successfully performs the risky stapling procedure and saves Nora’s life.
It’s an emotional procedure for Teddy, who witnessed the intimacy her husband, Owen, shares with Nora. She knows Nora told Owen she loves him, and Teddy wants to know if Owen feels the same. But he won’t give her a straight answer.
Before she goes into the OR, Nora tearfully tells Owen that, should she survive the procedure, she understands if he can’t be with her. In case she doesn’t make it, she asks him to look after her mother, who she says doesn’t have anyone else. Owen assures her she’ll make it out alive.
When the “moment of truth” arrives during the surgery, Teddy is hesitant. “The moment that we staple her aorta, the pressure from her heart could blow the staple line and she’ll die,” she says to Winston, who tells her that they can’t stop now.
A compromise is reached when they decide to lower Nora’s blood pressure to help relieve pressure. The gamble pays off, and Nora survives.
“You changed what was possible today,” Owen tells Teddy in the aftermath. “You changed medicine.”
“And yet I still lose,” replies Teddy, heartbroken by his betrayal.
Are Owen and Teddy still together?
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt in the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 21 finale
By episode’s end, Owen and Teddy appear to have broken up.
This is despite Owen telling Teddy in the aftermath of Nora’s surgery that, while he has feelings for Nora, he still wants to be with her. “You are the mother of our children, and you are my best friend.” But it’s too late for Teddy, who says she can no longer be with him.
“You’re giving up on us?” he asks. “I’m choosing me,” she replies.
What’s this about a hostage situation?
Jenna grows hysterical and desperate after being told that Dylan’s first surgery didn’t go as planned and that the doctors want to wait and see if she recovers before attempting another procedure. She wheels a tank of acetylene, stolen from the truck of her contractor husband, into the OR and orders Amelia and Adams to operate on Dylan again immediately. “If you don’t save her,” she warns, “I’m taking everyone down with me.”
They begin the operation, and Beltran (Natalie Morales) is able to glimpse the threat through the observation window. She lets Catherine, Webber, and Meredith know, and they immediately call in law enforcement.
The cops want to send in a SWAT team ASAP, but Meredith advises against it, saying they could imperil Dylan’s life and they should allow Amelia to complete the surgery. “It’s Amelia, she can do it,” Meredith assures them.
Does Amelia save Dylan?
Richard Cartwright/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Yes, Amelia successfully reduces the swelling and stops the bleeding in Dylan’s brain. It’s not easy, though, what with Jenna refusing to allow any neuromonitoring or imaging teams in the room.
Things begin to look dicey once Dylan starts bleeding again and they can’t stop it. That’s when Meredith bursts in with a bag of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) that will help alleviate clotting. With the plasma, Amelia is able to stop the bleeding and save Dylan.
Jenna, who’s been beating herself up for not keeping her daughter safe, is grateful. Before being arrested, she reveals that the tank had been empty the whole time.
What’s going on with Ben?
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Jason George as Dr. Ben Warren on the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 21 finale
Ben returned to Grey’s in season 21 after previously leaving his surgical residency to become a firefighter (and Station 19 member). Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone very well for him.
Earlier this season, he defied Teddy by keeping the emergency department open during a heatwave, and now that decision is coming back to bite him. Bailey, his wife and coworker, tells him that Teddy wants him gone, and that this could very well be his last day.
His penchant for rule-breaking continues in this episode. Since the hostage situation keeps him and his patient out of an OR, he decides to operate on him in the ICU. Bailey is furious, but, knowing that he’s got nothing to lose, decides to lend him a hand.
After successfully completing the operation, the pair commiserates outside the hospital. “I should’ve stood up for you more and protected you,” she says. Ben tells her it’s not her fault. “I stand by my choices to save lives, every time,” he replies.
Bailey tells him they’ll find “somewhere better for him.”
How do Jo and Link celebrate their wedding?
Richard Cartwright/ABC Camilla Luddington as Jo and Chris Carmack as Link on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Link (Chris Carmack) spend most of the episode unaware there’s a hostage situation, as the newlyweds embark on a romantic hook-up in a storage room. They treat this pocket of bliss as if it’s their honeymoon.
They seem very happy together.
Will Meredith return in season 22?
ABC/Eric McCandless
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith and Debbie Allen as Catherine on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
After helping Amelia with the plasma, Meredith is reminded of how much she misses the OR. So she makes a deal with Catherine — she’ll continue her Alzheimer’s research during the year, but return to Grey Sloan during the summers to work as a general surgeon.
Catherine agrees, and Webber is pleased. He tells her he’s always envisioned her and Bailey “at the helm” of the hospital once he retires. “You and your work will always have a home here,” he says.
Still, time will tell how much on-screen action Pompeo gets going forward.
Any other loose ends?
Liliane Lathan/ABC Niko Terho, Harry Shum Jr., Midori Francis, Adelaide Kane, and Alexis Floyd on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
A few.
Jules confronts Winston about why she hasn’t been on his service. He admits it’s due to the romantic tension between them. “We’re spending a lot of time together, and lines were getting blurry, right? Did you not feel that?”
She replies that the lines were very clear to her, and feels he’s denying her opportunities. When he encourages her to work with another cardiac surgeon, she retorts, “But you’re the best one.”
Simone and Adams, meanwhile, reconnect with a passionate kiss after drifting apart. Being at the center of the hostage situation together made him realize that he never wants to be without her. Very lovely, but there is a complication. In the final scenes, we briefly catch a glimpse of the new interns — and one is a guy she just hooked up with.
About that acetylene…
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Niko Terho as Adams in the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 21 finale
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Jenna said the tank of acetylene was empty. The cops, too, said it was empty upon finding it. But Jenna’s husband says he never keeps empty tanks in his truck. “Did Jenna ever open the valve?” he asks. Looking back, she sure did.
Uh-oh.
Adams sprints to the OR to warn that the (very flammable) gas is in the air. But he’s too late. From outside the hospital, we see an explosion of flames and lots of shattered glass.
How bad was the explosion? Who was hurt? That’s a question for next season.
Where can I watch Grey’s Anatomy?
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Jacqueline Mazarella and Floriana Lima in the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 21 finale
Tiffany Slaton, 28, said she has always had a love of foraging, gardening and outdoor adventures.
But her survival instincts and knowledge of nature were put to the test when she was lost in the mountains of Fresno, California, for nearly three weeks and was finally found alive on Wednesday.
Slaton spoke to reporters during a press conference on Friday about her experience that started out as a three-day solo camping trip and ended as a survival mission.
“I may never do a vacation longer than three days ever again,” she said on Friday.
Tiffany Slaton speaks out after surviving in the mountains of Fresno, California, for nearly three weeks.
Pool via ABC News
Slaton, from Jeffersonville, Georgia, was first reported missing by her parents on April 29 after they had not heard from her for nine days, officials said.
At the start of her camping trip, she recounted to reporters how she had fallen off a cliff and became unconscious for two hours, injuring both of her legs in the process. Slaton, who is a trained horticulturist and “pre-Olympian” in archery, then proceeded to splint one of her legs and “pop another knee back into place,” she said.
Due to a recent avalanche, she was unable to get back onto the main road and was unsuccessful in reaching 911 due to a lack of cell service.
Thus, she began her “long arduous journey” of attempting to get back to civilization, which included fighting off animals, surviving on leeks and boiled snow, hiking peaks up to 11,000 feet high and suffering through 13 heavy snow storms, she said.
“Nature is quite terrifying. Once you start finding things that are scary for you, you do your best to keep moving and get over it.” Slaton said.
Although she began her “vacation” with a tent, two sleeping bags and her bicycle, she was only able to hold onto a lighter and a knife for most of her journey.
Throughout her time alone in the wilderness, she kept thinking she would rather “live than have to deal with my parents seeing that I failed in such a dumb way” and that she was determined to be reunited with her family before her birthday, which was on Thursday.
Tiffany Slaton was found alive after being missing for three weeks in Fresno, California, according to police.
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
From May 6 to May 10, officials conducted search and rescue efforts looking for the 28-year-old, police said. But with a search spanning nearly 600 square miles and no confirmed sightings of her since April 24, police said they had decided on Tuesday to scale back their efforts.
Then on Wednesday, her parents, Bobby and Fredrina Slaton, received a phone call from none other than their daughter Tiffany, saying, “Dad, I’m alive.”
The missing camper had fought through a blizzard and found shelter in an unlocked cabin at a resort near Lake Edison, officials said.
Officials said resort owner Christopher Gutierrez had “left a cabin unlocked as a precaution for this exact situation where someone who is lost could seek shelter and increase their chances of surviving the outdoor elements and harsh weather.”
When she came across this cabin, Slaton said she thought she was hallucinating and that she had “managed to make it to the North Pole.”
“When the door opened, I saw the best sleeping bag in the world,” Slaton said.
Gutierrez discovered Slaton when he arrived at the resort to open up the place for the summer, he told reporters on Wednesday.
“As soon as I saw her, she didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug. It was a pretty surreal moment,” Gutierrez said.
Slaton said, “If he hadn’t come that day, they would have found my body there.”
Gutierrez said he knew that there had been a missing hiker in the area and called the sheriff’s office to say he had found Slaton.
Slaton told Gutierrez that “all she wanted was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
Deputies confirmed the woman was Slaton, who was then examined by medics and treated for dehydration, according to officials.
Officials said that Slaton, who they described as a “fighter,” was found approximately 45 miles from where she was last seen.
Slaton, who was wearing sunglasses during the press conference, said she has experienced eye damage due to the snowy conditions along with a few minor cuts and burns. She also said she had lost about 10 pounds after being in the wilderness for 20 days, yet her blood work came back “perfect” due to her foraging skills.
Fredrina Slaton said she is “very proud” of her daughter’s survival, but “will be prouder when she gets a GPS.”
Tiffany Slaton will travel back home to Georgia with her family as she continues to recover. She said she journaled the whole adventure and plans on going through that documentation as she adjusts back to reality.
At least 80 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling on targets across Gaza as faltering talks on a new ceasefire continued and Donald Trump said he wanted the US to “make” the devastated territory “into a freedom zone”.
Trump’s statement recalled the plan he put forward in February for the US to take control of Gaza to reconstruct it as a luxury leisure and business hub. The scheme implied the possible permanent displacement of many or all of the territory’s 2.3 million people and triggered global outrage.
In Qatar, on the third day of his Middle East tour, Trump said: “I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good: make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone. I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone.”
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, rejected the idea, saying: “Gaza is an integral part of Palestinian land – it is not real estate for sale on the open market.
“We remain firmly committed to our land and our national cause, and we are prepared to make every sacrifice to preserve our homeland and secure our people’s future.”
There had been widespread hope that Trump’s regional visit could lead to a new pause in hostilities or a renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where a tight Israeli blockade is now in its third month.
Instead, the raids and bombardment over the past 48 hours have raised levels of violence in Gaza higher than for several weeks, with the death toll coming close to what was seen during the first days of Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza after a fragile ceasefire collapsed in March.
Some officials in Gaza put the number killed by Israeli attacks on Thursday as high as 120.
Analysts said the omission of Israel from Trump’s itinerary was a significant blow to the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and evidence of tension between the two leaders. The US president visited Saudi Arabia, then Qatar and arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
Netanyahu, who leads the most rightwing government in Israel’s history, vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with an expanded offensive in Gaza to achieve Israel’s stated war aims of “crushing” Hamas and freeing the 58 hostages it is holding.
Hamas seized 251 hostages in its October 2023 attack on Israel, during which its militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed at least 52,928 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza’s health ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
The number of casualties reported over the past 48 hours – about 160 – has not been confirmed independently. Israeli officials have said many of the recent strikes targeted senior Hamas commanders and accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, a charge the militant Islamist organisation denies.
On Thursday, Palestinians commemorated the “Nakba”, or catastrophe, of 1948, in which about 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homeland after the creation of Israel.
“What we are experiencing now is even worse than the Nakba of 1948,” Ahmed Hamad, a Palestinian in Gaza City who has been displaced several times, told Reuters.
“The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement. Wherever we go, we face attacks. Death surrounds us everywhere.”
People clamour for donated food at a community kitchen in Jabaliya. Photograph: Jehad Alshrafi/AP
Pressure on Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza is mounting. Stocks of food and fuel are almost exhausted. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, while 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an international authority on the severity of hunger crises.
Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that Israel’s blockade “has transcended military tactics to become a tool of extermination”.
The global campaign group also criticised “plans to squeeze Gaza’s 2 million people into an even tinier area while making the rest of the land uninhabitable”.
Israel, which claims the blockade is necessary to stop Hamas looting and selling aid to fund its military and other operations, has put forward a plan to distribute humanitarian assistance from a series of hubs in Gaza run by private contractors and protected by Israeli troops.
Vetted representatives of families would be allowed to pick up monthly food packages from six hubs in southern Gaza.
The US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been established to manage the scheme, announced on Wednesday that it would begin operating by the end of the month and that it had asked Israel to lift its blockade.
Israel has not commented on the statement.
Aid officials in Gaza, including from the UN, have described the scheme as unworkable, inadequate, dangerous and potentially unlawful, and Gulf states that were approached for funding have reportedly refused to back the plan.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, acknowledged the criticism of the plan and said Washington was “open to an alternative if someone has a better one”.
There was also violence in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The Israeli military said a hunt was under way after a woman who was nine months pregnant and on her way to the delivery room was killed when a suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire on her car.
Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, praised the attack as “heroic” in a video statement but did not admit responsibility.
Palestinian officials said five people were killed in a raid by the Israeli army in the northern village of Tammun. Israeli military officials said the operation had targeted buildings suspected of being used to plan terror attacks.
Rivers around Kentucky start to crest after heavy rainfall
Kentucky residents face severe floods, river cresting after heavy rains battered the state.
Louisville is at risk of seeing severe storms, including tornadoes and large hail May 16 as a strong system is set to approach the metro area, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville.
The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk for severe storms, the fourth-highest of five risk levels. The moderate risk area includes the western half of Kentucky and much of southern Indiana. Kentucky cities east of Frankfort are in the enhanced risk area, the third-highest level.
“If you’re in the Louisville area and have outdoor plans, the threat will get going between 3-6 p.m. (May 16),” NWS Louisville meteorologist Brian Neudorff said during a May 15 briefing.
Louisville is also under a slight risk for flash flooding, meaning there is at least a 15% chance the metro area will see flash floods. Urban areas are more vulnerable to flash flooding, Neudorff said.
Here is the latest information from around Louisville and Kentucky.
Louisville and some nearby locales are under a severe thunderstorm warning as of 7:47 p.m.
Impacted areas include central Jefferson County, all of Spencer County, western Shelby County, north central Nelson County, all of Bullitt County and north central Hardin County, according to the warning. The warning expires at 8:15 p.m.
Risks include heavy rainfall, 60 mph wind gusts and hail the size of a quarter. Hail and wind damage are possible impacts.
Several counties in east and central Kentucky are under a tornado watch as of 7:15 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
The watch is active until 3 a.m. May 17. The entire commonwealth is now under a tornado watch after the NWS issued one for parts of west and central Kentucky at 4 p.m.
Gov. Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency ahead of severe storms forecasted to arrive in Kentucky in the afternoon and into the evening.
Strong winds, hail, flooding and tornadoes are possible hazards for much of the commonwealth.
“Once again we have a dangerous weather system sweeping across the commonwealth,” Beshear said in a news release. “We expect a significant round of weather coming this afternoon and into tonight that will produce strong winds that could lead to power outages, a possibility of hail, flooding and potential for tornadoes. We need everyone to be really careful and make sure you have weather alerts on and are at a location where you can seek safety if needed.”
Beshear has activated the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center and the Kentucky National Guard are prepared to respond as needed, the news release states.
I declared a state of emergency for Kentucky ahead of the dangerous weather system moving across our state this afternoon and tonight. The @KentuckyGuard are ready to respond, as well as @KYTC crews across the state. @KentuckyEM is working to keep Kentuckians informed. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/VT5dUpKFl2
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) May 16, 2025
The National Weather Service in Louisville has issued a tornado watch for Jefferson County and the surrounding area.
Jefferson County Public Schools has cancelled after-school activities for May 16 due to the risk for severe weather, district officials announced on social media.
High school proms will continue as planned, JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said.
Oldham County Schools is releasing students two hours early on May 16 due to the possibility of severe weather in the afternoon. Elementary schools will be released at 12:20 p.m., while middle and high schools will be released at 2 p.m. Enrichment centers will also be closed, and extracurricular activities are canceled.
“Although the storms may not arrive until late afternoon/early evening, we want to err on the side of caution to ensure all students are home and buses are off the roads before the storms hit, as these storms have the potential for destructive winds and very large hail,” an email from the school district to parents states.
Friday
A 40-90% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86 and low around 65. Southwest winds of 6-13 mph become 9-14 mph in the evening. New rainfall amounts of between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Saturday
West winds of 10-16 mph during the day. Sunny skies turn partly cloudy with a high near 76 and low around 57. West winds of 5-9 mph Saturday night which become light after midnight.
Sunday
A 30% chance of showers, mainly overnight after 2 a.m. Mostly sunny skies turn partly cloudy, with a high near 79 and low around 60. Light west winds.
Monday
A 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. and overnight after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy with a high near 79 and low around 63.
⛈️Strong storms will develop west of the area and move towards us tonight ⚠️Severe storms on Friday bringing all hazards 📌Here are some graphics that describe the threats for each day and the general timing for Friday 📱📺Remain weather aware tonight and tomorrow pic.twitter.com/lHncVtT69f
The Israeli military intensified operations across Gaza Thursday, killing more than 100 people, and pledged to continue bombings as US President Donald Trump suggested establishing a “freedom zone” in the enclave.
Many of the casualties were in Jabalya in northern Gaza and in Khan Younis in the south, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to eradicate Hamas with a strategy that would see the military hold more territory in Gaza and push the entire civilian population into a smaller area in the south.
“There will be no in-and-out,” Netanyahu said earlier this month. “We’ll call up reserves to come, hold territory – we’re not going to enter and then exit the area, only to carry out raids afterward.”
The intensified Israeli attacks come amid what appears to be growing differences between the US and Israeli governments. President Donald Trump said last week that he wants an end to the “brutal war” in Gaza and has skipped Israel in his Middle East tour. He also bypassed Israel twice this month in bilateral deals reached with regional militant groups. Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage last week, and the Houthis agreed to stop firing at American ships in the Red Sea while pledging to continue fighting Israel.
On Wednesday, Trump denied that Israel was sidelined. “This is good for Israel,” he said.
But on Thursday, he said he wanted the US to “take” Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone.”
“I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,” Trump said in Qatar.
The latest Israeli operations came as the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the number killed by the Israeli offensive in Gaza since October 2023 now exceeds 53,000.
Mahmoud Basal, a Civil Defense spokesman, said: “We are currently reporting more than 100 martyrs in areas of the Gaza Strip (on Thursday), from central Khan Younis to northern Gaza.”
Basal said a family of six, including four children, had been killed in Jabalya. The father was a nurse at Kamal Adwan hospital, according to the hospital.
He said that an Israeli bombardment had also killed 13 people at a Jabalya clinic where a large number of Gazans had gathered. Al Awda hospital said it had received many wounded people after the strike on the clinic.
CNN has asked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment on the reported strike.
In Khan Younis, 11 members of one family were killed in an airstrike on a house, according to a CNN stringer who visited the scene. A teenage boy, Ahmad Al-Safi, who had been displaced from northern Gaza, told CNN: “I was sleeping and I thought the house fell on us. I went into a state of shock… I thought I was a martyr.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported Thursday that 82 bodies had been received at Gaza hospitals in the past 24 hours, as well as 152 injured people. It said the number killed as a result of Israeli military operations since October 2023 had risen to 53,010. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants. In January, the IDF said it had killed 20,000 Hamas operatives since October 7.
The IDF continues to issue evacuation orders for different parts of Gaza. The latest was directed at people in the Rimal neighborhood on the coastline in central Gaza on Wednesday. The IDF’s Arabic language spokesman said on X the order was due to “Hamas’s terrorist activities in the area,” adding that it also “bombed the area and will continue to target it today and in the coming days.”
UN agencies are expressing alarm at the worsening situation for civilians.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs posted on X Thursday that the “blockade, displacement orders, and ongoing bombardments – including on tents, hospitals and schools – continue to drive mass casualties, displacement and deprivation.”
It cited a UN study this week warning that with “the persistent inability of humanitarian agencies to access populations in dire need, an anticipated escalation in hostilities, and the continued mass displacement of people, the risk of famine in the Gaza Strip is not just possible – it is increasingly likely.”
‘We are destroying more and more homes’
The Israeli government has not been swayed by a growing tide of international criticism over the blockade on aid reaching Gaza, now in its third month.
Netanyahu said earlier this week: “We are destroying more and more homes, they have nowhere to return to. The only inevitable outcome will be the desire of Gazans to emigrate outside of the Gaza Strip,” a goal that Trump had supported soon after coming into office.
Negotiations on a fresh ceasefire that would see the remaining hostages released appear to have stalled. The Qatari prime minister told CNN Wednesday he does not expect to see progress soon in the negotiations his country is mediating, criticizing Israel for sending a “bad signal” by continuing to bomb the enclave while dispatching a delegation to talks in Doha.
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told CNN’s Becky Anderson that he had seen the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander this week as a “breakthrough that will help bring back the talks on track.”
But he added: “Unfortunately Israel’s reaction to this was (bombing) the next day, while sending the delegation.” He accused Israel of “basically sending the signal that (they) are not interested in negotiations.”
An Israeli official told CNN Thursday there had been no progress in the talks in Doha, which were still ongoing.
Israel wants to extend the first phase of the deal to continue the exchange of hostages, alive and deceased, in return for further releases of Palestinian prisoners and the flow of aid into Gaza – but without any commitment to permanently ending the war.
Hamas claimed Thursday that while mediators were working to “steer negotiations back on track,” Israel was carrying out mass bombardment “in a desperate attempt to impose terms under fire.”
Hamas also said that it expected, “according to the understandings reached with the American side, and with the knowledge of the mediators, that humanitarian aid will begin to enter the Gaza Strip immediately, [and] calling for a permanent ceasefire,” after its release of Alexander.
It added that “the failure to achieve these steps, especially the introduction of humanitarian assistance to our people, will cast a negative shadow over any efforts to complete the negotiations on the prisoner exchange process.”
Irvine, Calif.-based burger chain In-N-Out confirmed that the company is making several changes to its ingredient sourcing policies, including the removal of artificial food coloring from its pink lemonade and strawberry syrup and swapping out ketchup that contains high-fructose corn syrup.
In-N-Out changed its ingredient sourcing policy seemingly in response to the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Services departments’ plan to phase out artificial food dyes by the end of 2026. The quick-service chain is one of the first restaurant companies to make changes following the announcement of the food dye ban.
The news first broke on a popular In-N-Out social media fan account, but was verified separately by In-N-Out, which stated, “As part of our ongoing commitment to providing our customers with the highest-quality ingredients, we have removed artificial coloring from our Strawberry Shakes and Signature Pink Lemonade. We’re also in the process of transitioning to an upgraded ketchup, which is made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.”
Before 2025, the FDA approved the use of Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 in the production of food, as well as the much rarer dyes, Citrus Red and Orange B. In January, the FDA made the decision to ban red dye No. 3, commonly found in icing, sprinkles, and maraschino cherries. When the federal government under President Donald Trump unveiled its plan to remove artificial dyes from the nation’s food supply last month, HHS Secretary Kennedy said they were “clearly associated with a variety of a grim inventory of diseases.”
Related:Burger King testing facility, Popeyes operations, big restaurant sales drops
Earlier this week, the FDA approved the first three natural food colorants that will replace petroleum-based synthetic dyes after they are phased out between 2026-2028: Galdieria blue, butterfly pea extract, and calcium phosphate. More natural food colorants are waiting to be approved.
While high-fructose corn syrup has not been banned by the federal government, Kennedy has made his views on corn syrup clear and mentioned wanting to “wean America off” of the sweet corn byproduct even before he was sworn in as head of the HHS.
Since U.S. farmers produce 90 million acres of corn each year — though that is primarily used as a feed grain for livestock — a policy that banned corn syrup would not be popular with agricultural communities.
In-N-Out did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
[This story contains major spoilers from the season 21 finale of Grey’s Anatomy, “How Do I Live.”]
Grey’s Anatomy warned viewers that an explosive finale was coming.
Heading into the season 21 ender, “How Do I Live,” that aired on Thursday night, the ABC medical drama’s official social media account posted two throwback photos of the memorable two-part finale back in season two (“It’s the End of the World” and “As We Know It”). That tense bomb-in-a-body-cavity episode saw Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) with guest stars Christina Ricci and Kyle Chandler trying to keep a bomb lodged in a patients’ chest from exploding.
“Same vibe,” wrote the ABC account.
This time, instead of a bomb, the mother (guest star Piper Perabo) of a child patient who had gone unresponsive after brain surgery brings a highly flammable acetylene tank into the operating room and forces Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) to perform a high-risk surgery to save her daughter. Interns Simone (Alexis Floyd) and Adams (Niko Terho) are among the small group and once the hospital gets word of the hostage situation, Meredith (Pompeo) takes up the case to save her sister-in-law, nephew and the others.
Meredith ends up saving the day by figuring out how to treat the young patient so Amelia can successfully finish the surgery. When the mother relaxes with relief, the tank topples over. To everyone’s shock, nothing happens. That’s when she reveals the tank was empty — she never wanted to hurt anyone, she just wanted to save her daughter.
But just as the episode moves on to wrap up other storylines with the doctors — including Jo (Camilla Luddington) telling new husband Link (Chris Carmack) they’re having twin girls; Warren (Jason George) and wife Bailey (Chandra Wilson) realizing he doesn’t have a job at Grey Sloan; Simone and Adams getting back together (despite her having slept with a stranger played by Trevor Jackson, and not telling Adams); and Teddy (Kim Raver) officially walking away from husband Owen (Kevin McKidd) — Amelia and Adams are told that the tank wasn’t empty to start; the valve must have been opened, leaking its flammable contents onto the operating floor above.
The final moments of the episode then showed several of Grey‘s surgeons on that operating floor — including and most prominently Link and Bailey — before following Meredith down on the ground and safely away from the building. That’s when the explosion happens. The last shot is on Meredith as she turns around and stares in shock at the blast. Warren is seen running back to help, while Meredith stares in horror at the flames escaping the hospital floor up above.
Below, showrunner Meg Marinis confirms that no one — except Meredith and Warren — is safely alive heading into the already renewed season 22 (which won’t return until the fall). She also talks casting challenges amid industry-wide budget cuts and how she and Pompeo are approaching her onscreen role for next season. She also shares insight into how she and the writers, who go back into the room on Monday, will tackle the high-stakes task of choosing which characters will survive: “If we can get the writers upset then we know we’re doing it right. It’s supposed to make people upset [when someone dies].”
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Why are you torturing us all summer with this cliffhanger?!
I know, I know. It’s all I got left right? Now that we’re in streaming, it’s the thing that we writers at networks still have: summer. We make you wait for three months!
You went from a celebratory wedding episode with Jo and Link into this traumatic cliffhanger finale. The Grey’s Instagram account warned viewers something big was coming with that throwback post. People were freaking out on social media.
I’m glad they posted that. It is the same vibe in the sense that we’re stuck in an OR with something that’s possibly explosive, where people we know are worried if something is going to blow up. It’s kind of the same here as it was then with that bomb-in-a-body-cavity episode where it wasn’t somebody who is inherently evil. That was an accident back in season two and this time it’s a mom [played by Perabo] who doesn’t think she has something explosive. She’s playing the long game to get her daughter the treatment she needed, but she wasn’t educated on the tank enough to know that it wasn’t empty. I love that we twist it in the very end. You think everything is going to be just fine. But if you’re a long-term Grey’s fan, you hear that music start to pick up in the end and you know that it’s not.
We’ve spoken about how you look to Grey’s past to inspire what you do now. Did that season two ender inspire this story?
It wasn’t that literal. When I knew I wanted to have Ellen [Pompeo] in the episode, I wanted to give her a nostalgic hero moment. Even though she’s not in every episode and she wasn’t necessarily on this case [with the child patient named Dylan], if we have her in the finale and we intentionally put Lucas in there with Amelia and make it Meredith’s family, we can give her the hero moment. Just like the bomb-in-a-body-cavity episode, because it’s Meredith, she would do anything to save the hospital and the people who are in it.
You did at least confirm that Meredith survives the blast. Did you debate that, or did you always know you would end on her?
(Laughs) I always knew I would end on her.
Piper Perabo (second from right) with Andy Bean playing her husband talking to Grey Sloan doctors Monica (Natalie Morales) and Amelia (Caterina Scorsone).
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
You had to cast the right person to pull off this three-episode guest role of Jenna, someone who could play a mother’s emotional despair quietly at first, but then build to be a believable threat. How did you land on Piper Perabo?
What I said to casting was that it needs to be someone who has a girl-next-door type of look where you would never think they were capable of doing this, but then on the other hand, it needs to be someone who has the ability to pull this off. They sent us a bunch of options. We knew it was going to be a three-episode arc. We have been building towards this since Amelia started the “impossible case” arc, we always knew it was going to climax in this way.
We’d been thinking for a long time who was going to play this mom. We also went back and forth: Is it a father? Is it a mother? It’s much more interesting to me if it’s a mother, being a mother myself and knowing that you would do anything to save your kid. So her name was on this list and I thought, “Can I get her? She’s such a catch. Would she be interested, is she available?” Then I started doing a deep dive. I watched her on Yellowstone and as soon as I saw her in the [prison] jumpsuit, it was perfect.
They sent her the script and set me up on a call with her that I, of course, took in the middle of a laser tag center when I was there with my son. It was a perfect working mom moment where I was trying to sell her on this part of a mother. She was like, “Where does it go?” I pitched her the story and she was like, “Oh, this is very cool.” She became such a collaborative partner in building the deterioration of the character, with hair and makeup and her demeanor. She practiced with that flint [on the tank] for a whole weekend. She was so game and her performance is just breathtaking, especially her breakdown.
And she did that the same performance like 35 times, even when it wasn’t her coverage. At the end of the day, I was like, “Do you have a headache?” I don’t know if it was actually 35 times, but there’s a lot of people and angles and camera setups, and even if the camera wasn’t on her, she gave the same performance.
Before I got to the explosion twist, I was going to ask if you could speak as the doctors in that room and weigh in on what Jenna’s punishment should be. But now, that’s a lot more complicated. Is Piper’s character someone you want to continue with?
It was a three-episode arc. I feel like the reality will be that she’s going to face some sort of legal ramification. But, for the doctors, I think it’s probably split. I think Meredith and Amelia probably have more torn opinions on what happened, being mothers and having more perspective than our young doctors. I think Lucas [Adams] is probably like — that woman is crazy and deserves to go to jail.
You left a lot of characters in harm’s way. Is Link on the top of that list, since he’s the doctor we actually see in an operating room?
Well, I feel like a lot of people are probably sitting in operating rooms, so unless you saw them and where they were when that explosion went off, I don’t think we can say anyone is necessarily safe.
Adams was also running up to the operating floor, so we have to add him to the list then.
Jules was also on the OR floor.
So was Bailey and Monica (Natalie Morales).Is Meredith the only one who is for sure safe?
We did see Warren running back into the building [from outside]. We saw Jo outside the building, but we didn’t see her leave, so it just depends on what exit she took, I guess.
And Teddy maybe left the building, since Bailey was told that no one had seen her for hours. Why did you focus on Link? Is that because he and Jo just had this very happy wedding? And did you debate who you were going to show in that operating room?
Yes. (Laughs) And it was a debate. I didn’t even really talk about that with the writers. When I wrote the script and I was going through that final montage, I was just like, “I’m going to put these people here.” Then even after the table read, I added somebody on that OR floor. I put Jules going up there.
Did those actors read into that, especially Chris Carmack?
Yeah. I’ve had conversations with some of them, but they all know it’s a Grey’s Anatomy cliffhanger and they know every year they never know what to expect. They’re here for it. They like to keep our stories exciting and fresh. When he was filming the scene, he did a couple of funny takes. Also our nurse Linda [Linda Klein] is in that scene.
Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) is last seen in the season 21 finale running up to the hospital operating floor before the explosion.
Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
When you wrote the finale, did you know then who might not survive? Or have you been thinking about it and will decide when you go back?
We go back in the writers room on Monday. I definitely have thoughts. Whether or not those thoughts change, that can always happen. I haven’t put pen to paper yet, but it’ll be very soon that I do.
Can you take me inside the writers room on these decisions. Is it like Hunger Games where you are each standing up and fighting for your favorite characters?
I don’t know if we go as far as Hunger Games. (Laughs) Who knows, it might be that on Monday, we’ll see! Everybody wants to hear each other out. But even in the last two seasons with what you saw this year, we had to reduce the cast a little bit [because of industry-wide budget cuts], and everybody has very passionate feelings about their favorite characters. But if we can get the writers upset then we know we’re doing it right. It’s not as satisfying a story if people aren’t upset when someone leaves. It’s supposed to make people upset and sad, so I’m sure there’ll be some arguments. But I’ve been persuaded before to change my mind on things.
The state of the industry brought about those cuts you mention, where you had to even skim back airtime with the main cast this season. Are you going into another season that will be similar, where you’ll have to make those tough decisions gain?
We don’t know those decisions yet. I don’t think anybody’s budget is growing, unfortunately, these days. But there are ways to meet budgets that don’t necessarily mean you’re saying goodbye to people. So those are all ongoing conversations, and they’re not fun.
Yet you still brought back many past characters. Do you have to get creative in other places so you can afford those casting surprises?
Yeah, it’s a creative conversation and you just have to make sure that you don’t sacrifice the story. There’s a lot of strategy, a lot of thinking and it’s just a different way of writing. But you know, we’ve been at this for a while, so we’re pretty good at figuring it out.
A lot of the recent Grey’s exits have been mutual and/or pre-announced departures. I’m trying to think, who was the last character who got killed off or left that we didn’t know until it aired?
Was it Deluca [Giacomo Gianniotti] maybe? I think he might have been the last death. Maggie [Kelly McCreary] left — she survived, but that wasn’t announced. It’s really hard because so many things get out before you want them to get out. But, what can you do? You just have to hope that it doesn’t get out.
Going into finale, you did tease that Teddy was going to do something she’s never done. Should we believe she was officially leaving Owen in her final scene in the finale?
It’s kind of twofold. She did a surgery that had never been done before, creating a whole new synthetic biggest-artery-in-the-body kind of thing. And also that she chooses herself, yes.
Presuming she survives and that Owen survives, are you looking forward to exploring what they look like after the Teddy and Owen book is closed? That book is very long.
That book is very long, and obviously, they’re forever tied to one another, when you’re in war with one another and have children together. But I am interested in it. It was really interesting to see that story play out this season and to see both of those characters still able to kind of light up and smile with other people. I think a lot of people were wondering where their [open marriage] experiment was going, but Nora [Floriana Lima] really fell in love with Owen and I think Teddy really had something for Cass [Sophia Bush], even though Cass is happily married. It was really fun to see those two characters have chemistry with others and I feel like they really did have chemistry between the actors, too.
You really complicated Simone and Adams’ relationship — beyond now wondering if they’re alive. If we know Simone, she’s not keeping this secret that she slept with someone else, it would eat her alive. Then the person she slept with [played by Trevor Jackson] walks in as a new intern at the hospital. Can you confirm he’ll be part of the cast for season 22?
We will see him in season 22, yes. Even though he was in both of these episodes for just a little bit, he walked in with such a presence where we know it’s going to be dynamic. He is someone who has that confidence that not many young interns have. That’s really interesting to see someone at the lower level of their career acting like he’s chief at the hospital. Also, what is that going to mean for this class above him [that includes Simone and Adams] who will be having to supervise and teach him?
Are you casting a whole new class of interns, since the current interns are now in their first year of residency?
I have a big enough cast as it is! Will maybe will have people who guest a couple times. But no, we have plenty of people that we’re very happy with.
You brought Levi back for Jo and Link’s wedding in the penultimate episode. Were there other people you wanted to bring back and how was that conversation with Jake Borelli about coming back so soon after he left the show?
There’s no character who has been here who I wouldn’t want to bring back — and even death doesn’t stop us. (Laughs) Jake was excited to come back. We always knew there would be a wedding at one point, but we didn’t know that we were definitely going to do it this season. As we were looking at what our finale was going to be, the writers came to me and they said, “We think we should do the wedding the episode before the finale, because the finale is such a darker tone,” so to put that right before would be really lovely. When they pitched me that I thought, “Well, we can’t have them get married without Jake.” We asked, “Can we bring Jake back?” They said yes. We called Jake and I walked him through the story and he thought that was such a great moment for Levi to be able to show Jo what being a mom is, and to marry them and walk her down the aisle showed such lovely evolution of their friendship.
Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Link’s (Chris Carmack) wedding in the penultimate episode of season 21.
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Ellen also returns as Meredith for the finale. At the start of the episode, it seemed like you were setting her up to leave the hospital for good, but by the end we see that you’re actually setting her up to stay. She wants to come back to Grey Sloan to operate on her own schedule, around her family and her Alzheimer’s disease research. You were renewed for season 22 and she’s returning as an executive producer. Will we be seeing her more onscreen next season than we did this year?
We don’t quite know the answer to that yet, but as much as she’s willing to come hang out and play with us, we will have her!
Will you still approach filming her arcs in blocks and recurring stories, like this season?
Yeah, we try to do that just so that we can accommodate her schedule. She likes to develop and produce other projects. So what usually happens is that in the beginning of the season I talk to her about her availability and what she’s looking for, so it’s a cooperation between her and the show. I mean, she’s been there for 22 years. She is able to have a say in what it might look like.
Throughout her press run for her Hulu series Good American Family, she was asked many times about her future on Grey’s and I’m sure you saw her answers. She said she’s not going anywhere, that it would make no sense emotionally or financially for her to leave. Have you spoken to her about how doing this other role has impacted her feelings about Grey’s?
I spoke to her yesterday. We speak frequently. I went to her star ceremony on Hollywood Walk of Fame, and that was so amazing to see. Good American Family is doing really well. I think she’s really happy with its success and very proud of it. I can’t speak for her, but to be able to walk away and do something that’s different after playing the same character for 21 years and then be able to have it be such a success, I mean, if it were me, I’d feel great! Because, you know, people call her “Meredith” on the street. There were so many fans on Hollywood Boulevard shouting, “Meredith, Meredith!”
I’m so happy for her. Also, she is making it all work. She was on our set the week that Good American Family premiered. So she was going back and forth between press for that show and coming to Grey’s, still dedicated to our show. Everyone was watching GAF and supporting her and asking her about it. There are some dark moments! Also it’s such a crazy story, the true story. So of course, we want her to succeed. If she succeeds, we succeed.
Sandra Oh recently said she’s been thinking more about Grey’s than she ever has before. Did you see that headline?
I did. I wanted to be like, “Call me!” (Laughs) I did see it. I think she recognizes the history and legacy of the show, and she played such a big part in that. Gosh, if I could have her back, I’d love to have her come be in an episode.
What would you dream to have Yang come back and do?
The list is very long. But we love everyone that’s been on the show. Every writer in that writers room is always pitching for someone to come back. We just try to do it not all the time because then it’s not as special.
At the ABC Ufronts, Craig Erwich cited Grey’s, 9-1-1 and Rookie as “old shows” that aren’t old because you keep being discovered by new generations. You’ve been digging from the well of nostalgia since taking over, is that your secret sauce to satisfying original fans while also courting new ones?
I think that’s my love for the show, the Easter eggs. And probably just my memory of the show. We try to keep it new and fresh at the same time as delivering that sense of nostalgia. When you’ve been on for so long, clearly we’re a comfort to a lot of people. When the world is changing every day the way it does, sometimes we’re going to cliffhang! But other times it’s nice to throw in a couple of Easter eggs and remind people why this show is so great. We’re here because of the fan’s love for us so it’s also my return of the love.
This was your first full season as showrunner, since season 20 was shortened to 10 episodes due to COVID. What did you learn from showrunning this season?
That 18 [episodes] is a lot longer than 10! Probably the most I’ve learned is to carve out time to keep myself healthy. Stamina. And make sure that you that you are a cheerleader, even if you’re tired. Being at the top, you have to make sure other people have the stamina. So it’s about helping to encourage and support that. I learned a lot of things. Post[-production] for 18 episodes is also a lot longer than 10 episodes — longer is harder.
In the beginning of the season when we spoke, you said, “I’ll push any boundaries they’ll let me push.” What are you most proud of that you pushed?
We had a lot of big shows this season. We had a blood explosion. We had an actual explosion. We had a helicopter. We had a character almost dying in a car accident. We had the window washer come through a wall. I felt like we really pushed every episode to have that memorable event and I am proud of that. I also love quieter shows, but I felt like we really pushed it in terms of there being something big in every episode, especially with today’s limitation on budget and making sure that we don’t work really long hours. We were able to accomplish all that and make some really exciting TV.
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey (left) with Caterina Scorsone as her sister, Amelia.
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Climate change was a theme going into the season, federal funding came up in the finale. You tackle access to healthcare a lot, especially for women. What were some of the real-world issues you think had the most impact?
People really responded to the climate change stories. There was a lot of press about it. We are doing a panel at the Hollywood Climate Summit. Especially with the increasing heat, and then we had no idea what would happen in January in L.A. [with the wildfires]. That was something people really responded to. So many of us were personally affected by the fires so we were very happy that we told those episodes, especially when that happened, because we all got blindsided. It was awful.
After going through the experience of the fires, will you write that into season 22?
I don’t know. Obviously, we’re not a show like Station 19. I would have to see how people feel about that because we had crew members who lost homes and we’re going to be rebuilding for a very long time. It’s something to think about. Climate change is definitely something we’ll always continue to revisit because hospitals are so affected by it.
Do you think your 10 p.m. time slot move this season was a success?
I do. So many people watch us no matter where we are, and I think a lot of us were brought up in time slots being everything. But now with streaming and Hulu and so many people watching us in different ways, they’ll find us no matter where we are.
So much of the medical landscape has changed with Trump in office. Grey’s isn’t a political show, but is this administration inspiring things you want to do?
I always jot down notes, but I make sure that it’s from the doctor’s perspective. I’ll jot down a note to ask a medical professional what they think about it. Because, we’re not a political show. We appeal to all types of viewers. So if it’s something directly affecting surgeons and how hospitals run, for sure. But if it’s just clickbait, no.
What surprised you most about something that went viral this season?
Bailey always goes viral, anything she does. It brings me such joy that character is still giving little mic drops throughout the year. I also feel like a lot of people responded to the guys playing golf (laughs) and Warren having bromances with different guys on the show.
Since we saw that Warren wasn’t in the blast, is he officially back for season 22 [he returned to Grey’s after Station 19 ended]?
Well, he’s alive, but he doesn’t have a job. But he is still married to Bailey!
And to wrap, your favorite question: How many seasons do you want to go… 50?
(Laughs) I hope to be here as long as they’ll have me. I love this show. I love working for Shonda [Rhimes, creator]. It’s home. I’m in it to win it so let’s see how long they can keep us going. I’m here.
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Grey’s Anatomy season 21 episodes stream on Hulu, with the finale available on Friday.
Inside the historic Auburn Courthouse, the next phase in a trial involving celebrity, money and a deadly ambush is unfolding in the case of Dan Serafini.Jury selection began Tuesday, according to Placer County Superior Court officials.Serafini is a former Major League Baseball player who Placer County prosecutors accuse of hiding inside his in-laws’ Homewood home and shooting and killing his father-in-law, Gary Spohr, and attempting to kill his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, in June 2021.Wood survived but killed herself in 2023. Her daughter Adrienne Spohr previously told KCRA 3 that despite recovering from the attack, “she missed my dad terribly and was never able to comfortably live again in her home.”| RELATED | Who is Dan Serafini, the former MLB player accused in Tahoe-area murder case?Days after the shooting, investigators discovered video surveillance footage from the home that showed a man wearing a hoodie and a face cover. He was seen walking up to the home hours before the shooting.Two years later, detectives determined the man in the hoodie was Serafini.Serafini’s friend, Samantha Scott, pleaded guilty in February of this year to being an accessory to a felony in connection with the deadly ambush. A Placer County sheriff’s investigator previously testified that Scott gave Serafini a ride on the day of the shooting.A sentencing date for Scott has not yet been set.Serafini pitched in the majors from 1996 to 2007 and was later featured in 2015 on an episode of the TV show “Bar Rescue,” which portrayed him as a bar owner in serious financial trouble.He is also married to Erin Spohr.| VIDEO BELOW | Sisters sue each other over inheritance of Tahoe-area parents after 2021 deathsOpening statements are set to begin next week and the trial could last into late July, according to the SFGate. Serafini faces murder and attempted murder charges.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Inside the historic Auburn Courthouse, the next phase in a trial involving celebrity, money and a deadly ambush is unfolding in the case of Dan Serafini.
Jury selection began Tuesday, according to Placer County Superior Court officials.
Serafini is a former Major League Baseball player who Placer County prosecutors accuse of hiding inside his in-laws’ Homewood home and shooting and killing his father-in-law, Gary Spohr, and attempting to kill his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, in June 2021.
Wood survived but killed herself in 2023. Her daughter Adrienne Spohr previously told KCRA 3 that despite recovering from the attack, “she missed my dad terribly and was never able to comfortably live again in her home.”
Courtesy of Adrienne Spohr
| RELATED | Who is Dan Serafini, the former MLB player accused in Tahoe-area murder case?
Days after the shooting, investigators discovered video surveillance footage from the home that showed a man wearing a hoodie and a face cover. He was seen walking up to the home hours before the shooting.
Two years later, detectives determined the man in the hoodie was Serafini.
Serafini’s friend, Samantha Scott, pleaded guilty in February of this year to being an accessory to a felony in connection with the deadly ambush. A Placer County sheriff’s investigator previously testified that Scott gave Serafini a ride on the day of the shooting.
Placer County Sheriff’s Office
A sentencing date for Scott has not yet been set.
Serafini pitched in the majors from 1996 to 2007 and was later featured in 2015 on an episode of the TV show “Bar Rescue,” which portrayed him as a bar owner in serious financial trouble.
He is also married to Erin Spohr.
| VIDEO BELOW | Sisters sue each other over inheritance of Tahoe-area parents after 2021 deaths
Opening statements are set to begin next week and the trial could last into late July, according to the SFGate. Serafini faces murder and attempted murder charges.
Warning: this story contains spoilers from the May 15 episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
Lives hung in the balance on the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy.
On the May 15 episode of the ABC medical drama, Jenna — the mother of Dylan, the young girl whom Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) performed brain surgery on — took matters into her own hands when her daughter showed no signs of improvement.
Jenna found Amelia and Simone Griffin (Alexis Floyd) and told them that she had a tank of acetylene gas. She threatened, “You’re gonna operate on Dylan, and you’re gonna fix her. And if you don’t, if you don’t save her, I’m taking everyone down with me.”
From left: Caterina Scorsone and Alexis Floyd on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.
Disney/Eric McCandless
Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) arrived in the O.R. and demanded to know, “What the hell is happening?” as she held Simone against her will. When Jenna insisted they continue, Lucas came to the aid of Amelia, who was working without neuromonitoring.
After finding out about the hostage situation, the response team then wanted to send a SWAT unit. But Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) reminded them, “Wait a second, that mother’s not in a rational state. If you send officers in there right now, it’s over. Amelia has already started the surgery, so the safest thing for us to do right now is to let her finish.”
In Harm’s Way
As the situation escalated, Meredith — who previously placed her hand on a bomb inside a patient in season 2 — risked her own life once again to help. She said to Jenna, “I’m a mother too. I had my son in this very O.R. I know we would do anything for our kids. We feel our kids’ pain as deeply as they do, if not more and we live to protect them.”
The doctors were then able to complete the procedure and save Dylan. Jenna then dropped the tank of gas. She broke down in tears and admitted, “It’s empty. It’s always been empty. … I’m so sorry.” She was promptly taken away in handcuffs by the SWAT team.
After the incident, Lucas pulled Simone into a supply closet and kissed her. He said, “I don’t want to be apart, Simone. All I want is to be with you. … If we can make it through that, the rest, we’ll figure it out.” However, unbeknownst to him, Simone had later hooked up with someone new, who turned out to be a doctor in the new intern class, after their breakup.
Niko Terho on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Dylan’s father later apologized to Lucas and Amelia for his wife’s actions, and Amelia said, “Thank god, the tank was empty.”
“I don’t have any empty tanks in my truck,” he replied, and Lucas clarified, “The police said it was empty when they checked.”
Jenna’s husband then asked if his wife ever opened the valve and if anyone was still in the O.R. Realizing what this could mean, Lucas raced to see if the gas had been released from the tank as Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack) — who learned he was expecting twin girls during the episode — was seen performing surgery.
As Meredith walked away from the hospital, a large explosion was seen, and who survived in the hospital was unclear.
Choosing Me
After Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) presented an experimental procedure that could save Nora (Floriana Lima), Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) questioned if it was the right move. After admitting her own doubts, Teddy told Owen that she had seen him with Nora and asked, “Was there a trauma, or did you just lie so that you could spend quality time with your girlfriend?”
When she asked if he was in love with Nora, Owen said, “I am married to you.” Teddy then reminded him, “That’s not what I asked.”
Nora told Owen, “When I told you I loved you last night, I thought I was dying…but if Teddy’s plan works, then I want you to know that if you’re not there when I wake up, I understand.” He told her that she would “make it to the other side.”
From left: Kim Raver, Jacqueline Mazarella and Floriana Lima on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Teddy was undeterred by evacuation orders due to the hostage situation and continued Nora’s surgery. When Owen demanded they exit, Teddy responded, “If we close now, Nora is dead.”
After Teddy second-guessed their plan, the doctors pulled it off and ultimately saved Nora.
In the aftermath of the surgery, Owen and Teddy have a conversation about their future. After admitting that he had feelings for Nora, Owen insisted he wanted to make his relationship with Teddy work.
From left: Kim Raver and Kevin McKidd on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.
Disney/Tina Thorpe
However, she was done, saying, “From the moment I met you, it made my world feel whole. I changed my career. I moved continents because being without you felt impossible. But sometimes what we think is impossible is just failure of imagination. There is no invisible force keeping us together. It was a choice, picking you every time. And I’m not sure I want to make that choice again.”
When asked if she was giving up on them, she responded, “I’m choosing me.” The moment was the antithesis of Meredith’s infamously asking Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) to “Pick me, choose me, love me” on a 2005 episode of the show.
Proud Wife
Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) delivered bad news to her husband, Ben Warren (Jason George), telling him that Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) would not be recommending to permanently bring him on board at Grey Sloan after he transitioned back to medicine following his stint as a firefighter.
With the O.R. shut, Ben went rogue and decided to reopen a patient’s abdomen to save him. When Bailey found him, she said, “You do not cut a patient open outside of the O.R. or unless he’s about to die.”
Jason George on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
“What are they gonna do? Fire me?” he responded. Despite her reservations, Bailey jumped in to help her husband.
She later told him, “I should have stood up for you more,” after he lost his job. Ben said, “I have no regrets. I stand by my choices to save lives, every time.”
A Return to the O.R. — and Grey Sloan
Meredith returned to Grey Sloan and informed Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) that she would be selling her shares of the hospital to help fund her Alzheimer’s research.
“You grew up here, and this hospital is part of who you are,” Richard told her, to which she said, “Part of who I was.”
After the hostage situation, Meredith realized she missed the operating room and asked Catherine if she could spend her summers at Grey Sloan working as a general surgeon, in addition to being “available for consults during the year.”
Richard interrupted, saying, “It’s a deal,” and Catherine agreed.
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Welcome to ICYMI, where we recap the pop culture and entertainment news you might have missed over the past week.
Sydney Film Festival opening movie slapped with copyright lawsuit
Anticipation for Together — the new body horror starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie — has been steadily building since Neon bought it for an eye-watering $US17 million ($26.5 million) at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
The debut feature film from Australian Youtuber turned writer and director Michael Shanks, Together is now facing a copyright lawsuit that claims it “blatantly” ripped ideas from Patrick Phelan’s 2023 black comedy, Better Half.
The complaint claims that StudioFest optioned Phelan’s script for Better Half in 2019. In late 2020, producers sent an email to Brie and Franco’s WME representatives that pitched the couple as leads on the film and had a full version of the script attached.
The following day, the representatives responded saying the couple were passing on the project. Production went ahead with different leads and Better Half premiered in 2023 and was screened at several film festivals to little fanfare.
The lawsuit claims that both films use Plato’s Symposium as inspiration for a narrative about a couple physically fusing together as a metaphor for co-dependency. It also claims they both have identical endings that feature a vinyl record of Spice Girls’ 1997 album, Spiceworld.
Other claims include the duplication of a comical scene in which both couples become fused at the genitals, similar visual motifs and identical character details.
According to interviews with Shanks, WME connected him with Franco who then involved his wife, Brie.
“I remember reading the [Together] script and immediately turning to Alison to say, ‘I think we should act in this one together,’ because the characters had been together for over a decade,” Franco told The Hollywood Reporter.
Alison Brie, Michael Shanks and Dave Franco at Together’s Sundance premiere event in January. (Getty: Neilson Barnard)
WME said in a statement that the lawsuit was “frivolous and without merit”.
“The facts in this case are clear and we plan to vigorously defend ourselves,” it added.
Together is slated as the opening night film at the upcoming Sydney Film Festival. A spokesperson for the festival confirmed to ABC Entertainment that the screening would go ahead as planned on June 4 and that Shanks would be in attendance.
Australia’s 2025 Eurovision result is in and the internet has thoughts
If you’re not a Eurovision tragic (complimentary) who woke up at 5am to watch the second Eurovision 2025 semi-final and you don’t want spoilers, this is your warning.
Australia’s Milkshake Man, Go-Jo, has not made it through to the grand final.
It’s the second year in a row we’ve failed to qualify, after Electric Fields was also kicked out in 2024.
But it’s more of a shock this time around: Go-Jo was consistently ranking in the top third of all the 2025 acts and, just days ago Emily Griggs, head of the Australian delegation and SBS Entertainment, told the ABC she believed the Milkshake Man had “what it takes to push us back into the top 10”.
Suffice to say, a lot of people on the internet have feelings:
Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo to star in Aussie adaptation of Dracula
Oscar-nominated Wicked lead and British musical theatre star Cynthia Erivo is set to star in a one-woman version of Dracula on London’s West End, created by Australian director and playwright Kip Williams.
The “cine-theatre” adaptation of Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel, which melds live performance with live and prerecorded video, will star Erivo in all 23 roles, including the iconic vampire.
Cynthia Erivo will play 23 characters in a new adaptation of Dracula from the Australian creative team behind The Picture of Dorian Gray. (Pictured at the Meta Gala earlier this month.) (AP: Invision/Evan Agostini)
It’s her first stage role since The Color Purple in 2016, which won her a Tony Award.
On Instagram, Erivo described returning to the theatre as a “homecoming” and a “huge challenge”.
“From the moment I was asked, I could not get the role out of my mind. Kip Williams’s vision is thrilling, terrifying, and deeply resonant, offering a chance to sit with not only the darkness in the world, but also the light we fight to hold onto … This show will ask everything of me — and I’m ready to give it.”
Williams’s adaptation of Dracula first opened at Sydney Theatre Company in 2024, starring Australian actor Zahra Newman (ABC TV’s Diary of an Uber Driver).
In Dracula at Sydney Theatre Company, Zahra Newman played all 23 characters, including naive solicitor Jonathan Harker and his fiancée Mina. (Supplied: STC/Daniel Boud)
Speaking to ABC Arts in 2024, Williams described the play as about the tension between desire and fear, and “the monster within”.
Dracula follows the success of Williams’s one-woman cine-theatre adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Sarah Snook, which is up for six Tonys and won two Olivier Awards. It’s on Broadway until June 29.
Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo opens in February 2026.
Lead actor cast for Buffy reboot
The Buffy reboot series is one step closer to our screens, with 15-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong announced as the lead alongside returning star Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Gellar shared an adorable video to her Instagram of the moment she let Armstrong in on the big news.
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Armstrong has already featured in TV projects like Anne with an E and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, as well as starring alongside Zac Efron in the 2022 film adaptation of Stephen King’s Firestarter.
Multiple Academy Award-winner director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) is attached to direct the Buffy reboot pilot.
Cannes says no to the nip slip
The Cannes Film Festival is underway in France, and while you might catch the next Best Picture winner, one thing you won’t see is an errant nipple.
Bella Hadid turned heads with a sheer broutfit at the 2024 Cannes premiere of The Apprentice. (Getty: Mustafa Yalcin)
This comes after the festival laid down some new laws over what is and isn’t acceptable on their red carpet, including any and all nudity, as well as “voluminous outfits … especially those with a large train that could hinder the proper flow of traffic”.
While a sheer dress has become the outfit du jour for the past few Cannes editions, officials have said they’re prepared to deny admission to any nearly nudes, with on-the-ground journalists already saying they’ve seen some red carpet turn-aways.
The rule against poofy dresses also impacted festival jury member Halle Berry, who revealed she had to swap her planned outfit for something more dress-code appropriate.
“I had an amazing dress by Gupta to wear tonight and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big,” Berry said at a news conference.
However, some attendees were flying closer to the Sun on opening night, with Heidi Klum stepping out in a mile-long (approx) floral Elie Saab number and Chinese actor Wan QianHui turning up in a multi-tiered Wang Feng gown.
Heidi Klum turned up the volume for her Cannes opening night fit, rules be damned. (Getty: Daniele Venturelli)
In better news, Cannes has also dropped their rumoured requirement that women wear heeled shoes on the red carpet, now allowing “elegant shoes without a heel”. The festival faced backlash in 2015 after certain attendees were turned away from the premiere of Carol for reportedly ditching the heels.
Jury president Juliette Binoche welcomed the change earlier in the week.
“I think it’s a very good idea, by experience,” she said.
The Cannes Film Festival will run until May 24.
Trailer of the Week: Superman
Even superhero haters had to bite their tongue this week as the first full trailer for James Gunn’s upcoming Superman was released. Miles away from the grey-saturated world seen in recent Superman offerings, the new trailer is being praised for actually resembling a live-action comic book *shock horror*.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(684x287:686x289)/Greys-Anatomy-051525-tout-a97698b63b0e4d6dbac2987af9ea7c54.jpg "Meredith Puts Herself in Harm’s Way Once Again")