News

JoJo Siwa will replace Nigel Lythgoe as a judge on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Published

2 years ago

January 27, 2024

JoJo Siwa will replace Nigel Lythgoe as a judge on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

JoJo Siwa, the newly appointed So You Think You Can Dance judge, is pictured at the American Music Awards on Nov. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

JoJo Siwa, the newly appointed So You Think You Can Dance judge, is pictured at the American Music Awards on Nov. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

JoJo Siwa will replace Nigel Lythgoe as a judge on the hit reality TV dance series So You Think You Can Dance.

Fox announced the 20-year-old TV and social media personality will join co-hosts Allison Holker and Maksim Chmerkovskiy with the launch of season 18 on Mar. 4, following Lythgoe’s decision to step down as he faces two sexual assault lawsuits.

The 74-year-old producer and choreographer is accused of assaulting his high-profile co-host, TV personality, actor and singer Paula Abdul, who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Lythgoe at the end of last year. Two other women, former contestants on the reality TV show All American Girl, launched a separate sexual assault lawsuit against Lythgoe soon after.

Lythgoe has denied the allegations.

“I have informed the producers of So You Think You Can Dance of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” Lythgoe said in a statement shared with NPR on Jan. 6. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”

The show’s producers — Fox, 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions — also shared a statement at that time about its decision to move forward without Lythgoe, “to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage.”

Paula Abdul accuses 'American Idol' producer of sexual assault

Born in Omaha, Neb., Siwa launched her career on the Lifetime series Dance Moms in 2015. She went on to work with Nickelodeon and developed a following on YouTube for videos about her daily life. Siwa appeared on the 30th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2021, making news headlines as the first person to dance with a same-sex partner.

Siwa’s previous appearance as a judge on the last season of So You Think You Can Dance has divided fans of the show about the news of her appointment for the upcoming season.

“This ruins the show for me. I tried to watch when she was on last season. So annoying and loud. Not going to watch now,” wrote one person on the Fox Instagram channels announcing Siwa’s new job. “I was surprised at how good she was at judging. Jojo is loud, but she really knows her stuff. And her technique comments, for the most part, are spot on. Give her a break,” wrote another.

News

Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

Published

11 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

Smoke rises over Konarak naval base in southern Iran on Sunday. The base was one of hundreds of targets of U.S. and Israeli forces throughout the country.

Planet Labs PBC

hide caption

toggle caption

Planet Labs PBC

Commercial satellite images are providing a unique look at the extent of damage being done to Iran’s military facilities across the country.

The U.S. and Israeli military campaign opened with a daytime attack that struck Iranian leadership in central Tehran. Smoke was still visible rising from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound following the attack that killed the supreme leader.

An image by the company Airbus taken on Saturday shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Iran’s Leadership House in central Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of attacks.

Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

Advertisement

hide caption

toggle caption

Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

Israel and the U.S. have gone on to strike targets across the country. Reports on social media indicate that there have been numerous military bases and compounds attacked all over Iran, and Iran has responded with attacks throughout the Middle East.

U.S. forces have also been striking at Iran’s navy. In a post on his social media platform, President Trump said that he had been briefed that U.S. forces had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels. U.S. Central Command did not immediately confirm that number but it did say it had struck an Iranian warship in port.

An image captured on February 28 shows a ship burning at Iran's naval base at Konarak.

An image captured on Saturday shows a ship burning at Iran’s naval base at Konarak.

hide caption

toggle caption

Numerous satellite images show burning vessels at Konarak naval base in southern Iran. Images also show damage to a nearby airbase where hardened hangers were struck by precision munitions.

Hardened aircraft shelters at Konarak airbase were struck with precision munitions.

hide caption

toggle caption

And there was extensive damage at a drone base in the same area. Iran has launched numerous drones and missiles toward Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Many drones have been intercepted but videos on social media show that some have evaded air defenses and caused damage in nearby Gulf countries. In Dubai, debris from an Iranian drone damaged the iconic Burj Al Arab, according to a statement from Dubai’s government.

Buildings at an Iranian drone base at Konarak were destroyed in the strikes.

hide caption

toggle caption

Iran’s most powerful weapons are its long-range missiles. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have hidden the missiles deep inside mountain tunnels. Images taken Sunday in the mountains of northern Iran indicate that some of those tunnels were hit in a wave of strikes.

Following Khamenei’s death, Iran declared 40 days of mourning. Satellite images showed mourners gathering in Tehran’s Enghelab square on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told NPR on Sunday that Iran will continue to fight “foreign aggression, foreign domination.”

A White House official told NPR that Trump plans to talk to Iran’s interim leadership “eventually,” but that for now, U.S. operations continue in the region “unabated.”

A large crowd of mourners fill Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday, following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

hide caption

toggle caption

News

Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

Published

21 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

new video loaded: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

The first battle of the midterm elections will be the U.S. Senate primary in Texas. Our Texas bureau chief, David Goodman, explains why Democrats and Republicans across the U.S. are watching closely to see what happens in the state.

By J. David Goodman, Alexandra Ostasiewicz, June Kim and Luke Piotrowski

March 1, 2026

News

Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

Published

23 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

Gunfire rang out at a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday and at least three people were killed, the city’s police chief said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told reporters the shooter was killed by officers at the scene.

Fourteen others were hospitalized and three were in critical condition, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said.

“We received a call at 1:39 a.m. and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” Luckritz said.

There was no initial word on the shooter’s identity or motive.

An Austin police officer guards the scene on West 6th Street at West Avenue after a shooting on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Austin, Texas.

Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP

Davis noted how fortunate it was that there was a heavy police presence in Austin’s entertainment district at the time, enabling officers to respond quickly as bars were closing.

“Officers immediately transitioned … and were faced with the individual with a gun,” Davis said. “Three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect.”

She called the shooting a “tragic, tragic” incident.