Dawson’s Creek Star Reflects on Viral Y2K-Inspired Outfit

Katie Holmes has spoken out about the viral moment when she donned a dress over jeans, a fashion choice that ignited discussions about the revival of early 2000s style. During her recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, the 44-year-old actor shared her perspective on the outfit that turned heads.

Holmes clarified that the navy blue mini dress she wore to the 2022 Jingle Ball was actually a corset top paired with relaxed light-wash jeans and Maison Margiela sneakers. Her decision was simple: “I knew I wanted to dance there because I was going with my nephews. So, I threw my sneakers on and I thought I looked cool.”

However, her red carpet look led to numerous comparisons to early 2000s fashion, with some fans expressing surprise at the trend’s return. One Twitter user quipped, “Katie Holmes woke up and decided it was 2002,” while another wondered, “Wait… Is this picture recent???? I thought it was from the early 2000s.”

Despite the online buzz, Holmes insisted that she doesn’t overthink her daily outfits and prefers comfort. “I thought I looked cool. I felt cool! I felt great and then I woke up the next morning and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” she reflected.

Holmes’ stylist, Brie Welch, also defended the look, explaining that it was a collaborative effort that blended Holmes’ taste with thoughtful styling. Welch noted, “We decided the rich color and subtle bustier effect detailing of the top was elegant and would be fun if paired with jeans.”

In a recent cover story for Glamour’s April issue, Holmes further emphasized the importance of supporting one another, stating: “Come on, women, let’s hold each other up here. Let’s look a little bit past what we’re wearing. That’s our duty amongst each other. I feel like the woman’s journey is deeper.”

Peter Manfredonia Receives 55-Year Prison Term for Murder and Kidnapping

A 26-year-old man, Peter Manfredonia, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison following a series of violent crimes in Eastern Connecticut, which included a deadly sword attack and the murder of a former schoolmate.

In February, Manfredonia pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including murder and kidnapping, in connection with the shooting death of 23-year-old Nicholas Eisele and the abduction of Eisele’s girlfriend. During the hearing at Milford Superior Court, Eisele’s family and friends wore T-shirts adorned with his image and the message, “As long as I breathe you’ll be remembered. Justice for Nick.”

Manfredonia expressed deep remorse in court: “There are no words that can possibly atone for what I have done. My actions were nothing short of reprehensible. What I did was inexcusably horrendous, and I will regret it every day for the rest of my life.”

He also faces sentencing for a separate incident involving a sword attack that resulted in the death of 62-year-old Ted DeMers and left an 80-year-old man severely injured. This attack took place in Willington, Connecticut, on May 22, 2020. The motive for this violence remains unclear; however, an acquaintance of Manfredonia had recently distanced herself from him.

After the sword incident, Manfredonia reportedly broke into another residence in Willington, holding the occupant hostage for approximately 24 hours. The victim recounted that Manfredonia had stated he “just flipped.”

Two days later, he travelled to Derby, Connecticut, where he fatally shot Eisele before forcibly taking his girlfriend and fleeing the state, prompting a six-day multistate manhunt.

After releasing the kidnapped woman near Columbia, New Jersey, Manfredonia was traced to Pennsylvania, where he was seen taking an Uber to a Walmart in East Stroudsburg. Despite extensive searches, he initially managed to evade capture. Later, he was spotted near Scranton, which prompted further search efforts.

Authorities believe he stole a vehicle and abandoned it in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, before taking another Uber to Hagerstown, Maryland, where he was apprehended without incident close to a truck stop. Manfredonia is expected to be sentenced for the sword attack on Thursday.

Long Delays for Urgent Care Highlight Strains on Emergency Services

A recent analysis indicates that some patients in England have endured ambulance waits exceeding two days. Data from Labour’s Freedom of Information requests revealed extended wait times for ambulance responses and hospital admission delays. In December, a patient in the North West waited over 65 hours for a category 3 ambulance, which covers urgent but non-life-threatening needs. The typical target for such responses is within two hours for 90% of cases.

For more critical category 2 calls, including heart attack and stroke patients, the longest waits reached over 21 hours in the West Midlands and Yorkshire, despite an 18-minute target. December also saw East Midlands patients waiting over 26 hours for category 2 care.

Additional data highlighted cases where patients spent up to 40 hours waiting in ambulances outside hospitals in regions such as the South West and East of England. NHS Providers chief Sir Julian Hartley pointed to high demand, workforce shortages, and limited capacity as contributing factors to these delays. He emphasised the urgent need for a fully funded workforce plan to resolve these issues.

NHS England’s statistics show that in December, average category 2 call response times reached one hour and 33 minutes, later improving to 39 minutes in January but still above the target. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting criticised the government’s handling of NHS staffing and pledged a Labour-led expansion of the workforce to address delays. Meanwhile, the government outlined its Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan, including scaling up community services and introducing 800 new ambulances to improve response times.

Fraudsters Use Sophisticated Tactics to Exploit Trust and Urgency

Throughout 2022, UK citizens were defrauded of £177.6 million through over 45,000 impersonation scams, according to UK Finance, which leads the Take Five campaign to raise awareness about fraud. The campaign, highlighted during Take Five Week (17-21 April), stresses the importance of pausing and verifying any requests for money or sensitive data before responding.

These scams involve criminals impersonating trusted organisations, such as banks, the police, or even close acquaintances, often making urgent appeals via calls, texts, or emails. Katy Worobec, UK Finance’s managing director of economic crime, noted that distinguishing legitimate communication from fraudulent messages can be challenging due to frequent contact with genuine organisations.

Take Five advocates for rejecting or ignoring suspicious requests and swiftly reporting any incidents to banks and Action Fraud. Although many banks have adopted a voluntary code to reimburse scam victims, there have been concerns about inconsistent enforcement. New measures by the Payment Systems Regulator may soon mandate full reimbursement for authorised push payment (APP) scam losses exceeding £100. Certain banks, like TSB and Nationwide, already offer specific protections. In a move to address growing concerns over fraud, NatWest has implemented restrictions on cryptocurrency payments to safeguard customers from large financial losses.

Leighton Amies Convicted of Murder After Fatal Attack on Tomasz Oleszak

A 14-year-old boy who boasted “I’ve wetted your boy” after fatally stabbing a teenager has been convicted of murder. Leighton Amies knifed Tomasz Oleszak deep in the chest while the victim was walking through a nature park in Gateshead last October.

Amies denied the murder charge, claiming he did not realise he had stabbed Tomasz and had only slashed another youth’s coat after being attacked by a group. During the trial, he could not be named due to a reporting ban, but Mr Justice Spencer lifted this restriction, stating it was in the public interest to deter young people from carrying knives.

The judge remarked, “There is a public interest in trying to deflect young people from the carrying of knives, where when that happens, this kind of utterly tragic outcome can occur.” He added that the public’s right to know the details of the case outweighed the defendant’s interest in maintaining anonymity.

The defence team had requested that the judge postpone lifting the ban until after sentencing in May, but the judge insisted the public deserved to know the complete details of the case involving the 14-year-old victim. Once Amies turns 18, the anonymity order will expire, and his sentence will extend beyond that birthday.

During the trial, jurors learned that Amies was walking through Whitehills Nature Park with his girlfriend when he was followed by a group of youths. He had a serrated kitchen knife in his jacket pocket, which he claimed to have taken from home for “reassurance.” He used it to slash Tomasz when confronted.

After delivering the fatal blow, Amies reportedly shouted to the gang, “I’ve wetted your boy,” indicating his intent to boast about the stabbing. Prosecutor Mark McKone KC stated, “He wanted them to know he had stabbed one of their number. It was a boast.”

Peter Makepeace KC, representing Amies, argued that the defendant did not seek trouble and urged the jury to consider his situation: a 14-year-old under attack in the dark, unsure if the group was armed. He said, “This is a 14-year-old under group attack and having to make terrible decisions under a moment’s notice.”

The jury also found Amies guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the boy whose coat was slashed. The judge commended the jurors for their dedication throughout the emotional trial and offered them an exemption from jury service for five years.