Custody spat over New Orleans escape-artist dog settled with visitation agreement
The wiry terrier named Scrim who had virtually all of New Orleans looking for him while he spent most of the previous year on the run – enduring a hurricane, a historic snowfall and other perils – landed in the middle of an adoption controversy among those who recently brought him to heel again and then wanted to keep him.
But in a video showing them sharing a sofa with Scrim, those who helmed an effort to bring the dog off the streets to domesticity announced a Solomonic solution that would keep all of them involved in his life – though his owner would be a local animal rescue shelter proprietor who had lost him in November and ultimately reneged on an earlier agreement for a key search volunteer to adopt him.
News of shelter proprietor Michelle Cheramie's change of heart had ignited a wave of social media hatred, including accusations of selfishness and her viewing the ungovernable pup as little more than 'a meal ticket' given the viral media attention his abscondence had generated.
Nonetheless, in their video with Cheramie and Scrim, would-be adopters Tammy Murray and Freba Maulauizada pleaded for a stop to the acrimony that had erupted in what seemed like only the latest tale to prove the intense passions that pets can inspire in Americans – and how nothing good can truly last on the internet.
'Please, please … do not hate,' Murray said in the video, after having described herself as 'devastated and really speechless' at her foiled adoption of Scrim in an earlier social media post that prompted the digital pile-on suffered by Cheramie. 'It does not get us anywhere, and it feels awful.'
Zeus' Rescues reportedly first took in Scrim after he was found astray in a south-east Louisiana trailer park on Halloween 2023. He bolted from Cheramie's home in November, doing so by chewing through a second-floor window screen and leaping 13ft on to a driveway.
Scrim was staying with Cheramie – who owns Zeus' Rescues – while he recovered from having earlier gone on the lam for six months after fleeing his then-adoptive family's yard.
He survived summer temperatures above 100F, Hurricane Francine in September and wounds that were suspected to have been inflicted by someone wielding an air pellet gun. He was also missing a chunk of ear as well as several teeth – and had a number of abrasions – when he was caught in October and placed in Cheramie's home to rest and await readoption.
After he skedaddled from Cheramie's home in November, the trail went quickly cold after the batteries in Scrim's GPS collar died within hours. People with nets and tranquilizer darts formed search parties that scoured the city for Scrim on both of his runs, but they came up empty-handed.
He eschewed baits of beef tripe and locally beloved Popeyes fried chicken while making fleeting appearances on doorbell camera videos across New Orleans, earning him international media coverage as well as a large online following within the city and beyond.
Eventually, on 11 February, an apparently hungry Scrim reportedly crawled into a narrow trap designed for cats, was recaptured and returned to Cheramie. She said a veterinary exam and X-rays indicated that Scrim had tapeworms and intestinal parasites but was otherwise in good health.
Murray at that point thought Scrim would be going to the home she shared with her partner, Maulauizada. The animal advocate and furniture designer, who had spent days and nights partaking in efforts to find Scrim, had submitted an application to adopt the dog through Zeus' Rescues and had gained approval.
However, on 18 February, Cheramie announced on Facebook that she had decided to keep Scrim for herself after he had bonded with her dog, Scooby, and had even been received warmly by her cats.
'I had a change of heart,' Cheramie wrote. 'I wanted him to be my dog.'
She acknowledged that Murray and Maulauizada 'took it hard', referred to 'a lot of hurt and pain', and expressed a desire for a time when 'we will all heal'.
Murray herself confirmed that was the case in her own social media statement, writing: 'No words. Devastated and really speechless. 10+ months of my life dedicated to bringing him home to safety. Even made it official and filled out an application and got approved only to be here … not my dog.'
Many sympathized with Murray. One user wrote Cheramie was acting 'selfish … and … isn't putting Scrim's needs before her emotions'. Another wrote: 'She sees him as a meal ticket.' And still another wrote to Zeus' Rescues: 'I think you have showed you can't properly take care of him. This should not be your dog.'
The Louisiana news outlet Nola.com reported that someone telephoned Cheramie and threateningly told her: 'You better never let me see you out on the street.'
The rancorous tone of the dialogue unwittingly set off by Murray's and Cheramie's dueling statements then evidently prompted both to collaborate on defusing it.
Convinced that Scrim was thriving in Cheramie's home, Murray and Maulauizada then essentially dropped their adoption claim to leave him in the care of the Zeus' Rescues proprietor, with assurances that they would still have roles in his life. They also made a conciliatory video with Cheramie and Scrim, on her lap, between them.
An intermittently teary-eyed Murray said in the video: 'Our focus is on Scrim. I hope everyone can celebrate with us that this dog is just doing wonderful.'
Apologizing for the statement that unleashed the backlash directed at Cheramie, she added: We really want this to end on a good note.'
Cheramie, for her part, denied Scrim's measure of fame was a factor in her love for him. She said she was grateful Murray and Maualauizada engaged in 'honest and open conversations' with her about 'a painful situation' – and wanted 'what's best' for Scrim.
'I love the fact that we can have this type of relationship and that we're here now doing this,' Cheramie remarked.
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New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Jamie Lee Curtis confirms a ‘Murder, She Wrote' reboot: ‘It's happening'
That's not all she wrote. Jamie Lee Curtis has confirmed that she will star in a 'Murder, She Wrote' reboot. 'Oh, it's… happening,' Curtis told Entertainment Tonight. 'We're a minute away, but yeah, [I'm] very excited. Very excited,' the 'Halloween' actress, 66, added. 'But I'm tamping down my enthusiasm until we start shooting. I have a couple of other things to hustle, but then I'll get to enjoy that work.' 7 Jamie Lee Curtis attends the 'Freakier Friday' LA premiere on July 22, 2025. Getty Images for Disney 7 Angela Lansbury in 'Murder, She Wrote.' Courtesy Everett Collection The Oscar-winning actress will play the iconic mystery writer and amateur sleuth role, Jessica Fletcher, who was originally played by Angela Lansbury. The original 'Murder, She Wrote' ran on CBS for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996. Lansbury died at age 96 in 2022. ''Murder, She Wrote' has given me more worldwide attention than any other role I played in the movies or on the stage,' she said in 2013 while receiving an honorary Oscar. 'It's a wonderful thing to be known in Spain, Portugal, in Paris, in France and Germany and everywhere.' The original show was set in the quaint town of Cabot Cove, Maine. 7 Angela Lansbury in 'Murder, She Wrote.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection 7 George Maharis, Angela Lansbury and Chad Everett in a 1990 episode of 'Murder, She Wrote.' ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection 7 Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan at the 'Freakier Friday' movie premiere in Mexico on July 24, 2025. Carlos Tischler/eyepix via ZUMA / Jessica Fletcher was a retired schoolteacher-turned mystery writer and amateur sleuth, who had a knack for solving murders in real life. The reboot movie starring the 'Haunted Mansion' actress was first reported in December. It will be a film written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo. Curtis has enjoyed a career resurgence lately, as she reprised her 'Halloween' role in the 2018 movie, won an Oscar in 2023 (in the 'best supporting actress' category for 'Everything Everywhere All At Once') and she's in the buzzy Hulu show, 'The Bear.' She's also set to reprise her modern classic 'Freaky Friday' role in the upcoming sequel, 'Freakier Friday,' premiering Aug. 8. 7 Jamie Lee Curtis at the premiere for 'Freakier Friday' in LA on July 22, 2025. REUTERS 7 Angela Lansbury in 'Murder, She Wrote.' Courtesy Everett Collection Lansbury got a slew of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role, and reprised the role in four TV movies, in addition to the show. On 'Murder, She Wrote,' behind the scenes, Lansbury was known for helping hire older actors in guest roles, who had dwindling careers and needed work in order to qualify for their Screen Actors Guild medical/dental benefits. Randall Bosley, a former extra from 'Murder, She Wrote' told the LA Times in 2023 about an incident when Lansbury passed the Craft Services table on set, and saw a paltry offering of only chips, coffee, and water. Bosley recalled that Lansbury said, 'This is unacceptable. I want my people well taken care of. I'm going back to my trailer and I'm not coming back until this table is properly stocked with nourishing food and drink for everyone.' Bosley said, 'Soon thereafter the craft service table was filled with the most wonderful array of food and drink. It became well known among people doing extra work that this was a show you really wanted to work on.'


CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
Why Americans can't chill out about ice-free European beverages
It's a sticky, boiling hot day in Paris, London, Rome, Athens or any other heatwave-stricken European destination. You flop down in a cafe after a morning spent on your feet. You order a refreshing cold drink. The beverage arrives and it's lukewarm. No ice cubes to be seen. You flag down the server and ask for the same again, this time with ice. It arrives with a solitary, sad-looking ice cube that melts before the first sip. 'So, I started saying, 'Oh, can I get extra ice?' And then they give just two ice cubes…' recalls New Yorker Isabel Tan, who has first-hand experience of Europe's froideur when it comes to adding frozen H20 to liquid refreshment. 'Eventually, I was like, 'Okay, let me just see what they'll do if I just ask for a bucket of ice…' So I asked that, half as a joke. But they brought out a small bucket of ice. I was in Italy, and it was really, really hot… So it kind of worked out.' Just as there are — at least broadly speaking — cultural differences in how some US folks and Europeans handle the tap water versus mineral water question, there's also a divide when it comes to the iciness of beverages. After Tan successfully ordered the ice bucket in Italy she jokingly posted about her experience on TikTok. Her video is part of a slew of memes, TikToks and Instagram Reels that have popped up in recent summers as Americans decamp to Europe and come face to face with resolutely room-temperature drinks. That social media trend is capturing, as historian Jonathan Rees puts it, a genuine, 'historically determined' cultural difference. 'The entire world does not have as much interest in ice as the United States does,' says Rees, the author of 'Refrigeration Nation: A History of Ice, Appliances, and Enterprise in America.' 'We are very much accustomed to having ice in just about everything. It's very much an American thing.' Another author, Amy Brady, whose book 'Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks – A Cool History of a Hot Commodity' contemplates the environmental consequences of populating so many aspects of life with frozen chunks of water, agrees. 'Americans are unique on the world stage in terms of our absolute obsession with ice,' she says. 'Americans are unique on the world stage in terms of our absolute obsession with ice.' Amy Brady, author of "Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks – A Cool History of a Hot Commodity' That rings true for Tan, who is originally from Singapore and grew up around different attitudes toward refrigeration. 'It's a cultural thing in the Asian culture to believe that drinking warm drinks is actually better for you,' she says. Years in New York converted Tan to the icy way of life. 'Even in my Stanley Cup right now, there are ice cubes,' she says, gesturing to the giant water bottle in her hand. 'I definitely prefer ice drinks. Even in the winter, I will drink an iced coffee… ice drinks year round.' UK-based Claire Dinhut has a different perspective: 'I personally really don't like ice, nor do I even like the taste of water,' she tells CNN Travel. Dinhut is half American, half French, but despite spending time in Los Angeles as a kid, she never got on board with the American love of ice. She's lived in Athens, Prague and now the UK, and is grateful that living in Europe means she avoids mounds of ice in drinks. Her preference? 'A good sorbet.' 'I find that ice dilutes the overall flavor of the beverage, falls on your face and spills your drink when you try to drink it, and is a good way for people to hide the actual amount of drink in a cup,' says Dinhut. The European verus US ice divide might have gained attention online in recent years, but it's not a new thing. Brady points to historic examples of 'people from around the world coming to America and being shocked.' 'I uncovered essays and letters from Charles Dickens, the famous 19th century English author, who came to America and was shocked and frankly disgusted by what he called the mounds of ice overflowing from American drinks,' recalls Brady. 'We were a spectacle to others because of our obsession with ice.' Rees says the American problem of sourcing ice on their travels goes back more than 100 years. 'People in the late 19th century, once they were hooked on ice, would ask Europeans for ice and be baffled when they couldn't get it.' So, just how did Americans become so ice-obsessed? Rees says the American love of ice can be traced back to Frederick Tudor, a businessman and entrepreneur in 19th century Boston who made such a fortune selling frozen water that he became known as the 'Ice King.' 'He, with a lot of help, came up with a way to cut ice off ponds and streams, packed it into ships and sent it all over the planet,' says Rees. 'He sent ice to India. He sent ice to the Caribbean. He sent ice to the American South. That is the beginning of the ice industry.' And even with all these ice exports, there was leftover ice lying around. 'Nobody knew what to do with it,' says Rees. 'So, Tudor began to give ice away to American taverns… They would put it in their drinks, and then people would sort of get hooked on having their drinks cold, and then they would come back and buy it from him later. And it worked fabulously well. He created a market. He became very rich.' Tudor was by no means 'the first person in the world to put ice in a cocktail,' Brady says – no one really knows who was – but people living in hot climates have always looked for ways to cool down. 'His innovation was to bring ice to people living in climates where ice didn't form naturally.' As the 19th century rolled into the 20th, ice was cemented as a status symbol in the US. 'Marketing campaigns talked about ice like they would talk about an automobile or a TV set,' says Brady. 'To own an icebox would be the way to signal to your neighbors that you have arrived, you know, as a middle-class American, who has kind of, quote, unquote, made it financially.' In Europe, ice never gained the same popularity — not in the 19th century and not today. Whereas Americans look upon ice with glee, generally speaking Europeans view ice as unnecessary, and even a little gross. 'I'll order iced drinks during the summer out of necessity,' says Dinhut. 'But I will chug the drink as to not actually let it get watered down and change the flavor.' Ice expert Rees explains that it's true that, 'when you put ice in your drink, it automatically dilutes it.' He says that when it comes to Americans and ice, 'it's as much about what Americans are used to as it is about taste. It's a little crazy. But Americans have loved ice for so long that we're willing to make that sacrifice. We're willing to pay extra in order to have our drinks diluted in particular ways.' As a quintessential US lover of ice, Rees waxes lyrical about 'the little crackling noise when you place it in there, the tinkle when the ice hits the side of the glass.' 'That makes me very happy for some reason,' he says. When Brit Lacey Buffery moved to the US five years ago she noticed the amount of ice 'right away.' At first, she found the icy pint glasses of tap water served in restaurants 'too cold.' But in time, she adapted. 'I've gotten used to and now really like a very cold drink,' she says. Her British partner, meanwhile, has remained steadfast in his anti-ice perspective. He'll specifically request no ice. 'That confuses servers as I don't think they see that regularly,' says Buffery. As she acclimated to life in the California, Buffery was also taken with US refrigerators — which are often twice the size of typical UK fridges — 'Americans have the largest refrigerators in the world,' confirms the ice historian Rees — and often come with an inbuilt ice dispenser. 'I have never had a fridge in the UK with an ice dispenser,' says Buffery. 'We would make squash in a jug as a kid and store it in the fridge for the summer. And we would obviously have an ice tray in the freezer, but you couldn't have much ice as it wasn't easily available.' On social media, Buffery points out free soda refills are commonplace in the US but rare in Europe, suggesting this also plays a part in the ice debate — 'We pay per drink in the UK, and who wants to keep paying for a ton of ice with a little soda?' Still, it intrigues Buffery to reflect on how much her habits have changed over her half decade in the US. She and her husband intend to move back to the UK soon, and when they do, Buffery says she will be hunting down a US-style fridge as soon as possible. Buffery's experiences suggest a lot of the ice-versus-no-ice debate is about what you're used to. While historically, northern European countries were cooler in summer than certain US states, the climate crisis has led to increased summer temperatures in cities like London and Paris. But ice can still be elusive. 'My understanding is to a certain extent it's easier to get ice than it used to be all over Europe, but it is still the exception rather than the rule,' says Rees. In many European destinations, there's no guarantee the establishment where you're dining or drinking will have ice. There isn't, as some TikToks have suggested, an ice shortage in Europe. It's just not the cultural norm. And whereas US hotels typically have ice machines in the corridor, and grocery stores sell giant bags of ice, this isn't generally commonplace outside of North America. 'One of the first things on a list that a host might send a party guest is 'who's bringing the ice?'' says ice historian Brady. 'That's very much an American thing.' Canadian Zoe McCormack — 'not American, but very much the same ice culture,' she says — lives in Paris. She tells CNN Travel she often struggles to track down ice in restaurants in the French city. She says she's less bothered by the iceless drinks in the winter months, but she still hates the lukewarm water, served in tiny 'shot glasses.' 'I don't really drink hot coffee, hot tea and stuff like that. So when they bring lukewarm water, I just find the taste weird,' she says. McCormack also suggests the lack of air conditioning in Europe plays a role — and the generally warmer fridges. When she buys a can of iced tea or soda that's been stored in a European grocery store chiller, 'the drink is not that cold.' When McCormack can, she reaches to the back of the shelf, searching, often in vain, for the coldest can she can find. 'The grocery store is not air conditioned, it's crazy, and you're reaching into the back to try and grab the drinks in the back, because those have probably been there the longest and are the coldest, and sometimes even those aren't that cold. And I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I just need something refreshing.' But it's so hard to find.' If you're an American heading to Europe this summer getting anxious about ice — and possibly a lack of air conditioning and tap water too — rest assured that there are other ways of staying cool in the heat: gelato, sorbet and granita, to name a few. A jug of tinto de verano in Seville will be full of ice, while a glass of rose in Provence will be chilled to perfection. Plus, Europe isn't a monoculture. Every destination will be different. 'I gotta admit, I really like ice, but I understand when I'm traveling that I'm not going to be able to get it in every single place, and sometimes I'm not going to be able to get it at all,' says the historian Rees. He adds: 'But that's all right. I leave the United States specifically so that I can try other people's cuisines, which includes their drinks and they may not have ice in them.' Brady echoes this, suggesting viewing an iceless European beverage as simply a cultural difference, rather than a frustration, and taking it as opportunity for 'self-reflection.' 'Try to resist what might be an immediate reaction, which is, 'Oh, this tepid water, this tepid tea is less good or less clean, or less tasty, less delightful,'' she advises. 'That is a very American, specific perspective. And, putting that aside, also just experiencing how other people around the world develop their own culinary tastes and preferences will make life much more interesting… And it'll just keep you from being a jerk.'


Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
USPS to Reissue America's Favorite Stamp
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Postal Service is inviting the public to participate in a nationwide vote to revive a beloved piece of American history. Why It Matters The competition is taking place in celebration of USPS's 250th anniversary and ahead of the United States' semiquincentennial in 2026. The Stamp Encore Contest, which is open until the end of September, gives Americans the chance to select a favorite stamp pane from a curated list of 25 bestselling and popular designs from recent decades for reissue as part of the 2026 stamp program. What To Know The contest is open to everyone, with no limit on the number of votes you can cast. The options are varied and include fun choices like Star Wars droids, Disney villains, Mister Rogers, and even Bugs Bunny-themed stamps. Other options celebrate major American milestones and historic events, like the Transcontinental Railroad and the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. File photo of vintage U.S. postage stamps. File photo of vintage U.S. postage stamps. GETTY The full list of stamps you can vote for is as follows: Art of Disney: Magic (2007) Bugs Bunny (1997) DC Comics Super Heroes (2006) Flag Act of 1818 (2018) Have a Ball! (2017) Mail a Smile (2015) Peanuts (2001) Star Wars: Droids (2021) Wonder Woman (2016) Batman (2015) Charles M. Schulz (2022) Disney Villains (2017) Frozen Treats (2018) Heritage Breeds (2021) Message Monsters (2021) Send a Hello (2011) Total Eclipse of the Sun (2017) Bioluminescent Life (2018) Classics Forever (2016) Emancipation Proclamation (2013) Happy Birthday (2021) Let's Celebrate (2020) Mister Rogers (2018) Star Trek (2016) Transcontinental Railroad (2019) You can view the full range here. The USPS has been busy preparing for its 250th anniversary, which officially falls on Saturday, July 26. A range of USPS-themed stamps was released earlier this week, and events will take place at select Post Office locations this weekend to mark the occasion. What People Are Saying Postmaster General and CEO David Steiner said in a statement: "On July 26th, we proudly observe the 250th Anniversary of the United States Postal Service and mark two and a half centuries of service to the American public. In 1775, our Founding Fathers recognized the importance of creating an institution that could bind the nation together and foster secure and accessible communications between every community in America. The rich and enduring history of the Postal Service demonstrates the strength of their wisdom, and we look forward to providing reliable, affordable, and universal service for generations to come." What Happens Next Voting is now open through September 30 and can be conducted online or by mail. The winning stamp pane will be revealed in May 2026 at the Boston 2026 World Expo, coinciding with national celebrations marking 250 years since the founding of the United States. Until then, the results will remain under wraps.