Surprise! Ben Affleck seen working at Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru after ...

Ben Affleck isn't just drinking his Dunkin' coffee. Now, he's serving it too.

The "Good Will Hunting" and "Gone Girl" actor, 50, has been the subject of viral memes, often photographed juggling Dunkin' coffees. On Tuesday, the Cambridge native surprised local fans when taking orders at one of the chain's Boston-based locations in Medford, Massachusetts.

In several photos captured by fans, Affleck was seen sporting the full employee uniform: A brown "America runs on Dunkin" tee, matching visor and, to complete the look, a drive-thru headset.

One customer, Lisa Mackey, shared a picture on Instagram of Affleck on the job, thanking him and his wife, Jennifer Lopez, "for my coffee this morning." Mackey also described Affleck as "quick-witted and funny" to NBC10 Boston and said she was told by crew members that they were filming a commercial.

One user on Twitter shared a video of Affleck playing barista and serving coffee to Lopez, who donned a white, puffer winter coat. Others used the opportunity to generate more memes and jokes. Affleck, a well-known Dunkin' enthusiast, became a viral meme when a 2020 paparazzi photo showed him dropping an order of drinks outside his home.

"no one has ever seen Ben Affleck smile this hard in Hollywood. man needs to quit his job and start picking up shifts at Dunkin'," one user wrote.

Another meme joked that "Justice runs on Dunkin'," with a photoshopped image of Affleck sporting the Batman mask.

"POV: Ben Affleck is handing me my medium cold brew with one cream and one pump pumpkin at a suburban Dunkin," one user tweeted,

"Find someone who loves you the way Ben Affleck loves #Dunkin," another user wrote.

While Dunkin' hasn't officially commented on Affleck's appearance, the company shared an ominous tweet, an eye emoji, that same day.

Hollywood actor Tyler Bowe back in hometown Fall River for music ...

FALL RIVER — Tyler Bowe won’t be putting on an act when he shares the stage next month with Cultural Center owner Marc Dennis.

“He’s one of my best friends,” said Bowe, who for nearly four decades has made a living as a West Coast actor in TV shows, commercials and music videos.

“It’s going to be an honor to play. I’m very much looking forward to it,” he added, during a recent interview in The Club at the Cultural Center at 205 S. Main St., where he’ll headline a music show Saturday, Aug. 7.

Among the more recognizable TV series in which Bowe has played minor but regular roles were "Murphy Brown," "China Beach" and "The West Wing."

He played a Portuguese cook in the latter series.

More:'The West Wing' cast reunites on HBO Max in sweet, emotional special to get out the vote

Tyler Bowe's Fall River roots

Born Tyler V. Botelho on the Azorean island of Sao Miguel, Bowe, 62, said he knew as a young boy that he was destined to lead a life that would incorporate some level of creativity and entertainment.

His late mother worked two jobs as she put herself through college, earning a master’s degree from Brown University to become a teacher, while his late father worked as a head machine mechanic at the former Anderson-Little clothing manufacturer.

Like her mother, Bowe’s sister, who is now retired, became a school teacher.

“I was the black sheep of the family,” he laughed. “I wanted to go to Hollywood.”

More:Celebrity sightings in Spindle City

Bowe said when he was 12 and working as a delivery boy for the former Rego’s Market on Bedford Street, he saved his $3 weekly salary to buy an 8mm film camera, projector and screen.

“I made at least 20 movies with kids in the neighborhood,” he said, including one that he says featured a harrowing death scene on the roof of the Anderson-Little building.

Bowe notes that when he was a child he had five uncles who were all professional photographers.

“I grew up with it. Even in the Azores, I had my own darkroom,” he said.

After arriving in Fall River in 1968, Bowe says he spent a total of three months learning English at the Espirito Santo School, a private Catholic school.

But it wasn’t long before he was writing song lyrics in class, an obsessive habit that got him into trouble during his sophomore year at Bishop Connolly High School.

One day, after having been repeatedly warned by teachers and the principal to pay attention in class, Bowe said he asked his biology teacher about a galactic reference in a Deep Purple song called “Space Truckin’.”

“Brother Leo told me to get out and go to the office,” he said.

Bowe says his parents got the bad news that he was being expelled, which led to his attending B.M.C. Durfee High School for the rest of the year.

But Bowe said he didn’t like the atmosphere at Durfee and dropped out at the end of the semester.

“I hated it. It was too rough,” he said. “It wasn’t for me.”

Bowe said his mother urged him to earn a GED equivalency degree at Bristol Community College, which he did. He then took a liberal arts course at the college while playing rock music in clubs five nights a week.

“We were making good money,” he said.

Bowe said as music became a full-time job he and his fellow band members first rented a house on Highland Avenue and then a house in Westport.

Headed to Hollywood

Bowe was 24 in 1983 when he loaded up his car and for the next five days and nights drove cross-country to Hollywood, California, where he hoped to establish a career in acting.

His previous performance experience had been as a frontman and guitar player for the “new wave” rock band The Moderns — which opened shows for the likes of The B-52s, The Romantics and The Ramones — and the more traditional classic rock band Sayne, both of which played gigs throughout New England.

More:Fall River strong: From Rhodes scholars to MMA fighters, 10 notable city natives

After arriving in Los Angeles, Bowe, who immigrated at age 9 to Fall River with his parents and sister, signed up for acting classes at Beverly Hills Playhouse.

To make ends meet, and in addition to knocking on doors to get auditions, Bowe began working for an old Teamsters Union friend from Rhode Island, setting up booths for events and trade shows.

He eventually formed a production company called Bowe Productions and began booking rock bands, such as the up-and-coming Guns N’ Roses, in California and Arizona.

One of the investors in his booking business was his Teamsters friend, who Bowe says had previously been general manager of the Providence Civic Center (now known as the Dunkin’ Donuts Center) and had worked with heavyweight concert promoter Frank J. Russo.

First big acting break

Bowe’s big break in terms of a steady acting assignment came in 1988, when he said a casting director friend suggested he audition for the role of an office worker known only as Dave on a new TV show called "Murphy Brown."

Bowe says he passed the audition and was included in the show’s first episode, although it would be a while before he actually spoke lines.

“I was hired as a day player to work three to four days a week,” he said. “It was like an actor’s dream come true.”

The recurring role as Dave, he said, lasted a total of eight years.

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Bowe, who lives in the same Hollywood Hills condo he bought more than 35 years ago, says that the phone stopped ringing.

“There was no work for a year and two months,” he said.

Luckily for him, he had just finished working on an independent action yarn called “Unchained,” about a group of kidnapped women forced to fight each other in an underground mixed martial arts ring.

The movie, which features a cameo appearance by Eric Roberts, is available via Amazon Prime Video and opened July 2.

Hollywood crowd

Living in Hollywood Hills, he said, means that you never know who you’ll run into on the street or in a restaurant or store.

Some of the celebrity names he drops include Mark Wahlberg, Mike Tyson, Gene Simmons, Ringo Starr and Mickey Rourke.

Bowe says he also stays in touch with Fall River native and Grammy Award-winning recording engineer and producer David Reitzas, who also lives in Los Angeles.

More:Fall River strong: 10 more local legends, from musicians to soccer stars

“He’s one of my best friends from when I went to Connolly, and he produced my song 'I’m Sorry' at the Record Plant (L.A. recording studio),” Bowe said.

He says he shortened and anglicized his name to Bowe after he realized that no one calling out his name at West Coast auditions would ever figure out the correct Portuguese pronunciation of Botelho.

“It was a nightmare,” Bowe said. “They got as far as 'Bo' but couldn’t say the rest, so I figured let’s just make it Bowe.”

Fall River show will be grand opening of The Club

Bowe, who is divorced and has no children, has been back in Fall River and staying at his sister’s house since February.

And although he’s managed to make his financial bread and butter in the world of TV and video — including providing photo body doubles for well-known actors and even hand modeling — Bowe has never stopped making music.

He said he’s got a professional recording studio in the Hollywood Hills condo he shares with a roommate who is a musician.

Half the songs Bowe said he’ll perform at The Club at the Cultural Center will be originals.

The Khourys, a Fall River sister duo, are scheduled to appear as opening act.

Bowe’s old Fall River buddy Marc Dennis will join him on stage for at least one song toward the end of the concert, which will mark the grand opening of The Club at the Cultural Center.

More:Why this popular Portuguese pop/rock singer opened a new restaurant in downtown Fall River

Bowe said he’s also proud of the fact that he and his longtime friend and music producer Mir Wave — who will be on stage with him in Fall River — won an award in 2016 at the International Portuguese Music Awards, held at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford, for a song called “Soul.”

Dennis — who spent 30 years as a Fall River public school bilingual teacher, dabbled in real estate and has had a career as a professional Portuguese-language pop singer — signed a purchase and sale agreement for the Cultural Center commercial building in March 2021 with former owner Liberal Silva.

In addition to the basement-level The Club at Cultural Center — which has a maximum capacity of 200 people — the two-story structure includes a main banquet hall that can handle up to 300 people and a ground floor restaurant at 201 S. Main St. that serves dinner Thursday through Saturday.

Dennis says after the Aug. 7 concert he’s going to feature either live or DJ music with room to dance every Friday and Saturday in the basement-level venue with no cover charge.

He also says that because of a growing demand for private parties and functions he might end up closing the restaurant in order to use all available space for that purpose.

Dennis says all $45 VIP seating with complimentary hors d’oeuvres is sold out, but there are still plenty of $30 general admission tickets available.

Charles Winokoor may be reached at cwinokoor@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism and subscribe to The Herald News today.

Dunkin' is rolling out a new rewards program | CNN Business

New York CNN Business —

Dunkin’ is replacing its old rewards program, DD Perks, with a new program called Dunkin’ rewards. Some customers aren’t happy because several specialty drinks cost a lot more points.

The new system comes with a number of changes. Members will receive 10 points for every $1 spent, up from 5 points for every $1 in the old program. And they can start redeeming rewards after 150 points instead of 200 and use those points toward food for the first time. Plus members who visit a Dunkin’ at least 12 times within a calendar month can unlock more points and have access to new benefits for three months.

But another big change is causing a backlash: Under the new system, members need 700 points to get a free cold brew, cold brew with cold foam, Dunkin’ refresher or hot or iced espresso drink, and 900 points for a frozen drink or hot or iced signature latte. With DD Perks, members were able to get a free drink, without those limitations, for just 200 points.

“We consistently heard members ask for three things: flexibility, variety, and recognition,” said Scott Murphy, Dunkin’ president. “We’re excited to deliver this to them through the new program.”

Murphy added that Dunkin’ hopes to attract loyal customers who weren’t part of DD Perks with the new program, “while introducing new and expansive ways to continue to thank our longstanding loyalty members.” The new program should help improve customer experience overall, he said.

Dunkin' is making changes to its rewards program. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Dunkin’ ran a limited pilot of the program this summer. Now, Dunkin’ Rewards is replacing DD Perks entirely — those with DD Perks memberships will become Rewards members automatically. It will start rolling out the new program Thursday. Dunkin’ unveiled changes on its website, and Insider shared details of the program earlier this week.

Already, some are expressing dismay about the new program, especially because of the amount of points required to earn free drinks.

“Please keep DD Perks — it’s a million times better,” one person wrote on Twitter, adding “why do you have to try and fix things that aren’t broken???” Another said “I hate the new dunkin rewards,” adding a cry face emoji.

In response to the criticism, Murphy noted that “change is always going to be an adjustment.” But, he said “in the long run, Dunkin’ loyalists will benefit even more,” because of the added flexibility. He also said that with special perks for the most loyal members and other targeted offers, “members will get many of our coffee beverages at a better value than with DD Perks.”

Rewards programs are an important way for companies to learn more about their customers’ preferences and promote loyalty in a competitive sector. Recently, many chains have been making tweaks to their programs or launching new ones.

Starbucks (SBUX) said during its September investor day that it is planning improvements to its loyalty program, including showing real-time order updates in the app. The coffee chain also teased a joint rewards program with other companies such as retailers and airlines. Starbucks (SBUX) last overhauled its program in 2020.

IHOP announced a rewards program in March, and McDonald’s (MCD) launched its first national rewards program last year.

Dunkin' Donuts hosts Massachusetts couple's wedding: 'Absolute riot'

Richard Duckett

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

WORCESTER, Mass. – In 1992, a young couple’s heart-to-heart conversation over coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts led to broken hearts.

More than 27 years later, their story had a happy ending, when Valerie Sneade and Jason Roy were married at the very same Dunkin’.

“It had to happen here,” Roy said during an interview with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. “We think it’s an absolute riot,” said singer and actress Sneade, who is taking the name Valerie Roy. “Has anybody been married in Dunkin’ Donuts before? Maybe we’ll start a trend.”

Dunkin’ was still open for regular business as the nuptials took place. At 1 p.m. Friday, invited guests were on one side, waiting for the bride to arrive as cameras clicked and a couple of TV crews lined up shots. Regular customers got their orders at the counter as coffeemakers whirled.

Sneade sang part of the song “Marry Me” as part of her vows before she and Roy were pronounced man and wife.

A French vanilla coffee in March 1992

The high spirits were a stark contrast to misunderstandings and words that didn’t come out right after Roy bought Sneade a French vanilla coffee at Dunkin’ a few days before Sneade’s 21st birthday in March 1992.

The couple met at a party at the house of one of Sneade’s friends, where she grew up. Roy, who grew up in Worcester, came to the party with a mutual friend. “He walked into the room, and he said to me, ‘You have the most beautiful eyes,’ ” Sneade recalled.

“We were madly in love,” she said.

Roy is “very old school,” Sneade said. He asked her to meet at Dunkin’ because he wanted to talk about a plan he had for them. Sneade was going to college. Roy was supportive of Sneade pursuing a career in the performing arts. “The most important thing for me, I wanted to provide for her,” he said.

“He felt the best best way for him to do this on our behalf was to join the service – the Navy – since his father and grandfather had previously served,” Sneade said. “He would acquire skills and provide a good life for us with many opportunities.

“I felt like I didn’t know what to make of his decision,” Sneade said. “I was flattered and overwhelmed by his commitment, but equally felt he was placing a burden on himself in taking care of me. I said the wrong things. ‘Why are you putting so much pressure on yourself?’ I kind of crushed him. I felt awful.”

Afterward, they talked on the phone and agreed to take a step back. Except for a couple of chance encounters, they didn't see each other for more than 25 years.

Roy joined the Navy and married and is the father of three children. Sneade appeared in local musicals and developed her own cabaret shows, which she performed in Boston, New York and Florida. She also had a first marriage and moved to Florida.

“We led two very different lives,” Sneade said. “I wouldn’t want to change a thing that happened. Jason has three beautiful children who he adores. I had a different way to give to the world through music.”

“Everything happens for a reason,” Roy noted.

They were gone from each other’s lives, but not forgotten.

Sneade put on a musical, Roy showed up

Sneade returned to perform in the area, often accompanied on the piano by Jim Rice, a pianist, musical arranger and music director who has known Sneade for years.

Sneade and Rice put on four performances of her Valentine’s Day musical revue “A Hollywood Valentine” in February 2018. Roy’s mother read a story in the Telegram & Gazette about the upcoming shows and told her son. Roy showed up.

“I saw him sitting on the front row. I looked out almost like a deer in the headlights. I thought ‘Oh my goodness,’ ” Sneade said.

“When I got there, I was shaking, I was so nervous,” Roy said.

“Jim Rice said, ‘Who’s that?’ I said, ‘That’s my ex-boyfriend from 25 years ago,’ ” Sneade recalled.

Three months later, she packed her bags and moved back from Florida. Roy proposed to Sneade on New Year’s Eve 2018.

Jim Rice, a minister, officiated at Friday’s wedding.

“When you’re 18 or 19 years old you don’t understand love until you’ve lived,” Valerie Roy said. “I think we’re going to appreciate each other more so much later in life because every day is a blessing. I can’t imagine my life without him. Something led me back.”

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Chain restaurant name changes you might not remember

Most everyone has heard “Love that chicken from Popeyes” or wonders what Reba McEntire is doing dressed as KFC's Colonel Sanders after endless commercials on TV. But do you know how these iconic chain restaurants got their names? Some chains and their names have been around since World War II and others are relatively recent while others have been around but were renamed or rebranded. See how many you recognize.

The story continues below the gallery.

IHOB

On July 7, 1958, Jerry Lapin, Al Lapin, and Albert Kallis founded the International House of Pancakes in Burbank, California as a pancake house/diner-style table service restaurant. Starting in 1973, the name was shortened to "IHOP" for marketing purposes, using a cartoon kangaroo in commercials.

On June 11, 2018, IHOP fliped the “P” to a “B” and became known as IHOB, to show they’re as serious about burgers as they are about pancakes. ihop.com

More IHOP:Fake name change to IHOb to boost burger business was risk worth taking

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Popeyes was founded in 1972 in Arabi, Louisiana as Chicken on the Run when owner Al Copeland wanted to compete with Kentucky Fried Chicken. Because of lackluster sales, Copeland renamed his restaurant to Popeyes after Popeye Doyle from the Oscar-winning movie “French Connection.” Shortly after, the restaurant became known as Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits and in 1975, it became known as Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken.

In February 2017, they became known as Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen to highlight their Louisiana roots and to show the Cajun state is more than just chicken and biscuits. popeyes.com

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar

Applebee's was started by Bill and T. J. Palmer, who opened their first restaurant, T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs, in Decatur, Georgia, on November 19, 1980.

In 1986 the name was changed to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar to reflect the Palmers' original concept of a place where everybody knows your name. applebees.com

Boston Market Rotisserie Kitchen

Founded in 1984 in Newton, Massachusetts as Boston Chicken and known for their rotisserie chicken and a variety of side dishes.

In 1995 they became known as Boston Market Rotisserie Kitchen after expanding their menu to include turkey, meatloaf and ham, which the change now reflected. bostonmarket.com

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More on dining chains:Which casual dining chain has the most loyal customers?

Uno Pizzeria & Grill

The first Uno’s was started in 1943 by University of Texas football star Ike Sewell and his friend Ric Riccardo in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Known simply as The Pizzeria, lines began forming almost immediately for Sewell’s deep-dish pizza.

In 1997, Pizzeria Uno changed its name to Pizzeria Uno, Chicago Bar & Grill before simplifying it to Uno Chicago Grill to show they were more than just pizza. Realizing they were too similar to other casual dining chains, they later changed the name to Uno Pizzeria & Grill. unos.com

KFC

KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1930 as Sanders Court & Café in North Corbin, Kentucky. An entrepreneur who learned to cook from his mother at age 7, Sanders began selling his trademark chicken from his roadside restaurant. In 1950, he was officially named a colonel and began dressing the part, growing a goatee and wearing a white suit with a string tie and calling himself “Colonel Sanders.” Sanders franchised his first restaurant in 1952 to his friend Pete Harman, who coined the name Kentucky Fried Chicken.

In 1991, the KFC name was officially adopted since it was already widely known by this moniker. In 2015, KFC was struggling as the leading chicken retailer and began a new series of advertisements featuring a rotating cast of characters as Colonel Sanders before Reba McEntire was chosen as the first female Colonel Sanders in January 2018. kfc.com

Domino’s Pizza restaurant

Domino’s started out as DomiNick's in 1960 by brothers Tom and James Monaghan, who bought the Ypsilanti, Michigan pizza restaurant for $500.

In 1965, Tom Monaghan purchased two other pizzerias but was unable to retain the DomiNick's name. After an employee suggested Domino's, Monaghan loved the idea and renamed the business Domino's Pizza, Inc. The three dots on the logo represent Monaghan's original three stores. dominos.com/en

Taco Bell

Taco Bell was founded by entrepreneur Glen Bell, who opened a hot dog stand called Bell's Drive-In in San Bernardino, California in 1948. After seeing how well the Mexican restaurant across the street, the Mitla Café was doing, he learned how to make tacos and opened a new stand called Taco-Tia in late 1951. Opening a string of El Taco restaurants in the next few years, Bell built the first Taco Bell in 1962 in Downey, California. tacobell.com

Burger King

Burger King started out as Insta-Burger King in 1953 in Jacksonville, Florida by Keith J. Kramer and Matthew Burns, after the two opened the restaurant based around a cooking device called an Insta-Broiler.

When the business began failing, the two sold their enterprise to James McLamore and David R. Edgerton in Miami, Florida, who renamed it Burger King in 1959. bk.com

Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts began in 1948 as the Open Kettle, a restaurant owned by William Rosenberg that sold coffee and doughnuts in Quincy, Massachusetts.

In 1950, Rosenberg changed the name to Dunkin’ Donuts after discussing it with company executives. Rosenberg decided to focus on coffee and doughnuts after his experiences selling food at construction sites and factories and saw these were always the most popular items. In 1972, they introduced their iconic Munchkins donut hole treats. dunkindonuts.com

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Cheat Sheet: Free donuts, D-Day, more hidden cash today?

Cori Faklaris

cori.faklaris@indystar.com

Today is National Doughnut Day! Get down to Monument Circle, where the Salvation Army is giving away 2,000 doughnuts from Square Donuts Indy. You can also get a free doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts, with the purchase of a free drink. And at Taylor's Bakery, it's buy one, get one free ... and buy a dozen, get a DOZEN free! Where's your favorite sweet spot in the Indy area?

-- The day actually has its roots in America's war history, notes USATODAY.com. During World War I, about 250 Salvation Army officers went to Europe to comfort U.S. troops, which including making and serving doughnuts along the frontline trenches. The "doughnut girls" reprised their duties during World War II.

More top headlines for Friday, June 6, 2014:

1. Some lucky patrons of Taylor's Bakery today will also be among the beneficiaries of $187 that was hidden by an anonymous donor and found Thursday at the Downtown canal by Nicholas Salupo, a Marian University student and donut fan who's stopping by to buy for all this morning. The @HiddenCashIndy may do at least a third giveaway before moving on to the next city, too. A late Thursday night tweet promised: "Cue Pharrell, tomorrow is going to be a real Happy Friday in Indy." Stay tuned!

2. Today also marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, an event that changed not only the course of World War II, but also America's role in the world. President Barack Obama joined other world leaders to honor the some 156,000 American and Allied troops who fought their way ashore at Normandy, France, to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany.

-- What it was like: Read one harrowing account at IndyStar.com from Navy Ensign Joseph Alexander, who had anticipated an uneventful in-and-out mission that turned into anything but.

-- And here's a real treasure: Hoosier war correspondent Ernie Pyle's historic dispatch from the Normandy beachhead. "Men were sleeping on the sand, some of them sleeping forever," he wrote.

3. Married couple Kevin and Amber Stitt were buried together -- despite the fact that it was Kevin who had pulled the trigger and fatally shot Amber before killing himself on Aug. 26, 2013. Read Jill Disis' account and tell me if you're as startled as those attending the couple's Edinburgh funeral by the family's decision to keep them together in death.

4. Did you run the inaugural Monumental Mile race? Organizers deemed Thursday evening's event a success, with more than 600 people preregistered in seven categories. All races went from 12th and Meridian streets to Monument Circle. Frezer Legesse and Liudmila Stepanova won in the elite category with times of 4:03 and 4:43, respectively.

5. Remember the teen who took that popular Greenwood High School graduation selfie? The Star's Dana Benbow has more on Liam Pineiro, who's become a viral star on the Vine video-sharing service. The 17-year-old's 51,000 follows far eclipses those of more-conventional celebrities, a stat that has caught the attention of producers who put him in a recent commercial and one of their upcoming (and undisclosed) shows for A&E.

6. Talk about irony: The Miami Heat's LeBron James was forced to exit Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs after he suffered severe leg cramping as temperatures soared to 89 degrees. The reason: A power outage apparently killed the air conditioning inside the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Officials pledged to fix the system by tipoff Sunday for Game 2.

7. Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin may be among the Vatican's top candidates for a spot in Chicago. So reports Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed, who quotes an observer saying Tobin has found the favor of Pope Francis: "Tobin is a religious, which Francis likes for humility. . . . He (Tobin) speaks flawless Spanish as well as Portuguese and French, which enables him to cross barriers in the bishops' conference, which is a key issue with the pope." (Ht to Twitter follower and college buddy @RoMustGo!)

8. The movie version of Indianapolis author John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars" hits the nation's film screens officially today. Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising Shailene Woodley's performance as Hazel Grace Lancaster, the girl dying of cancer who hadn't planned on falling in love. If you attended an early screening, what did you think?

-- The Indianapolis Museum of Art is promising a "funky" premiere this morning at 10 a.m., in honor of the role played in the book and movie by the 100 Acres park's Funky Bones sculpture.

-- Follow The Star's David Lindquist on Twitter at @317lindquist for all things #TFIOS-related.

9. Who else has been eagerly anticipating Season 2 of Netflix's "Orange Is The New Black"? Salon's Heather Havrilesky says the smart, funny, diverse drama about the lives of women in prison has learned "lean into its heavier moments without always retreating to the safety of one-liners." Recommend.

10. Paul Poteet says we'll enjoy a beautiful First Friday today, with mostly sunny skies and a high of 80; check his forecast at IndyStar.com for details this weekend.

-- Among the fun things to do tonight: eat dinner at Food Truck Friday at the Old National Centre, catch a free Heartland Film screening and listen to a talk on Indianapolis jazz history. What are your plans?

-- A week of Circle City Pride festivities begin at 7 a.m. Saturday with the Rainbow 5K Run & Walk and continuing with at least one event each day until the daylong pride festival June 14. Are you participating?

-- And Steak 'n Shake wants to gather 20,000 customers at its 529 locations at 1 p.m. this Saturday for what they hope will be certified the World's Largest Birthday Sing-Along by Guinness World Records. Who's going?

-- That reminds me: Happy birthday to US! The Indianapolis Star turns 111 years old today. On our front page for the first edition on June 6, 1903, posted by Retro Indy: Greetings from President Theodore Roosevelt.

Stay safe and have a great weekend no matter your plans, Indy! Follow me on Twitter at @heycori or at Facebook.com/heycori. And check back every morning for my Cheat Sheet guide to everything you need to know today at IndyStar.com -- plus, my Week in Review, to be posted later today and featured in your Sunday Star!

Russia's version of Starbucks reopens with a new name and logo ...

A restaurateur and rapper duo unveiled Stars Coffee on Thursday, reopening the chain of coffee shops in Russia formerly owned by Starbucks, the latest major company rebranding after a months-long Western corporate exodus from the country.

At a packed launch in central Moscow, rapper Timati presented the new brand, whose logo features an image of a woman with a star above her head, alongside co-owner and restaurateur Anton Pinskiy, before shops start opening on Friday.

Banned from using the Starbucks (SBUX) logo, Timati said they had sought to find some continuity, namely the circular shape and “female gender,” which he said contrasted nicely with the brown, cigar-like “masculine color” in the new logo.

Russian singer and entrepreneur Timur Yunusov, better known as Timati, drinks coffee at a newly opened Stars Coffee coffee shop in the former location of the Starbucks coffee shop in Moscow, Russia, Dmitry Serebryakov/AP

“People’s perceptions may be different,” said Pinskiy. “But if you compare, then apart from the circle, you won’t find anything in common.”

Starbucks declined to comment on the similarity of the logo and name, but referred to an earlier statement in which it said the company had made the decision to exit and no longer had a brand presence in the Russian market.

Since Starbucks had its own resource and production base, Timati said the duo had to find new suppliers, but they had encountered no problems.

Stars Coffee imports beans from Latin America and Africa, Pinskiy said, with suppliers of other items based in Russia.

“We just found other suppliers, found the right roasters, and because the baristas mixed it all correctly, we have a product that we think will be competitive,” he said.

Seattle-based Starbucks, which helped popularize takeaway coffee in a traditionally tea-loving society, said it would exit Russia after nearly 15 years in late May.

Starbucks had 130 stores in Russia, operated by its licensee Alshaya Group, with nearly 2,000 employees in the country. Pinskiy said shops would gradually reopen throughout August and September.

Wider trend

People are seen inside the newly-opened Stars Coffee cafe in Moscow Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

Global franchise operator Alshaya, established in Kuwait, had lost interest in doing business after Starbucks pulled its brand from Russia, Timati told Reuters. Alshaya did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We won the tender - there were a lot of participants - acquired it and made our own brand,” he said.

The deal mirrors a wider trend among Western brands, which has been changing the country’s retail and corporate landscapes as the conflict in Ukraine enters its sixth month.

Renault sold its majority stake in carmaker Avtovaz to a Russian player for just one rouble, while McDonald’s, whose restaurants have now become Vkusno & tochka, did not disclose a figure.

Both of those deals included buyback options, but Pinskiy said that didn’t apply to Starbucks due to the franchise model it operated under in Russia.

He declined to disclose figures concerning the deal with Alshaya. “We have invested as much as we paid them,” Pinskiy said. “This is (an) expensive pleasure.”

The pair said they were interested in more acquisitions, but gave no further details.

While the partnership may appear unlikely, Timati, one of Russia’s most famous rappers, co-founded the Black Star Burger chain in Russia, which sells a “Timati Burger.”

He is also known for his support of the Kremlin and in 2015 released a track containing the lyrics “President Putin is my best friend.”

Pinskiy, who earlier this month told Russian reporter and political activist Ksenia Sobchak that he had never tried coffee in his life, has a string of restaurants in his portfolio, including a joint project with Timati, REDBOX, which serves Pan-Asian cuisine.

'Wonder Woman' soars into theaters and more: 5 things to know Friday

Editors

USA TODAY

'Wonder Woman' soars into theaters

DC Comics' Wonder Woman is to the rescue Friday as the superhero flick hits theaters. Although female superhero movies have a history of flopping, Wonder Woman is looking to break the trend. The film has received high praise leading up to its premiere, and Gal Gadot's performance as the lead has many audience members, especially women, welling up as she plunges into battle. The movie's debut has not been without controversy, though.Female-only showings at certain theaters sparked some outrage last week, and the film has been banned in Lebanon.

Ex-Penn State president faces sentencing over Sandusky case

Former Penn State President Graham Spanier could face jail time when he is sentenced Friday for his conviction in hushing up suspected child sex abuse in 2001 by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. In a court filing, prosecutors asserted that Spanier, 68, should get up to a year in jail. Spanier was convicted of child endangerment in March in a case that revolved around a complaint by a graduate coaching assistant that he saw Sandusky sexually molesting a boy in a team shower in 2001. Sandusky was not arrested until 2011. He was convicted the following year of sexually abusing 10 boys and is serving a decades-long prison sentence.

Violence at a casino resort triggers security alert in the Philippines

Philippine authorities ruled out terrorism Friday after at least 36 people died after a lone gunman stormed into Resorts World Manila — a casino resort on Manila Bay — before opening fire and setting gaming tables alight. Videos posted on social media showed people fleeing in terror amid several loud bangs. Ernesto Abella, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, said there was no evidence to link the attack with fighting between Islamist extremists and government forces in the south of the county. Manila Police chief Oscar Albayalde said the victims died from suffocation and smoke inhalation and none had gunshot wounds.

Labor Department to release jobs report

Economists are hoping to see solid growth numbers when the Labor Department releases its May jobs report Friday. Expectations were raised after payroll processor ADP on Thursday estimated that businesses added a whopping 253,000 jobs last month, well above economists’ median estimate of 180,000. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the Labor Department to tally 180,000 new positions in the public and private sectors. So far this year, job growth has averaged 185,000 in the monthly report, with April recording 211,000 jobs added. .

Sweet! It's National Doughnut Day

If you've had a long week, take heart: It's Friday. Better yet: It's National Doughnut Day! Several national chains, including Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Duck Donuts and Cumberland Farms are marking the occasion with free pastries. Note: Not all stores are participating. Some, such as Dunkin' Donuts and Cumberland Farms, require the purchase of a beverage to get the freebie. National Doughnut Day was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to honor women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I.

Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 things podcast below:

'Spenser Confidential': Mark Wahlberg denied Post Malone's death ...

Mark Wahlberg plays the action (and his many pummelings) for laughs in his new Netflix film "Spenser Confidential," streaming Friday.

After teaming up for heavy, real-life dramas based on tragic events ("Patriots Day," "Deepwater Horizon" and "Lone Survivor") and the action movie "Mile 22," Wahlberg and director Peter Berg have lightened up for their fifth collaboration..

"We decided to do something different," says Wahlberg. "We wanted to try and do something funny."

Wahlberg steps into the private eye character Spenser created by author Robert B. Parker and played by Robert Urich in ABC's TV series "Spenser: For Hire" from 1985 to 1988. This requires showing he can still take the blows that come with the gig, including from rapper Post Malone, who makes his acting debut and gets a few licks in during a prison brawl.

Wahlberg, 48, talked to USA TODAY about some of his greatest hits and one painful kick:

Question: Who knew you and Post Malone were friends? How did he get the part?

Mark Wahlberg: We were hanging out at my house and he was like, "You know, I'd really love to be in a movie." And then he was like, "I want to die in a movie." He just wanted to get killed in a movie. I said, "I got this other idea, but you wouldn't die. But you guys could beat me up. And then ultimately, I'll beat the (expletive) out of you." Peter had never met him, had never seen him act. I didn't know if it was going to be good. But I kept telling Pete, 'It's going to be good.'

Q: He has prison-worthy face tattoos, but how was Post Malone as an actor?

Wahlberg: The day came where he was supposed to shoot his scene, but they didn't even know if he was in town. So everybody's panicking because musicians move to the beat of their own drum. They don't adhere to schedules. But he was in his trailer, pounding Bud Lights. We were heading over to the real jail to shoot and Post is trying to bring his 12-pack inside. I was like, "You can't bring a 12-pack of Bud Light into the jail, bro. It's not going to happen." I said, "I could probably get one beer for you in a Dunkin' Donuts cup."

He was also a little nervous. It was his first time. But after the first take, Peter was happy and Post had a great time. The sky is the limit for his acting career.

Q: And this ends with you getting punched by Post Malone?

Wahlberg: And Cowboy Cerrone, the winningest fighter in the history of the UFC. He doesn’t know how to pull a kick, either. I got kicked in the ribs.

Q: One of the greatest hits you ever took on camera was a crushing blow that made it into the 2006 football film "Invincible." Do you remember that?

Wahlberg: Yeah, of course. That was a very memorable hit. I remember specifically because it's called an ear hole, when a guy hits you so hard, your ear touches your shoulder on the other side. You're really getting racked. And it's a slow-mo shot of me running down the sideline on a kickoff. The guy was a former NFL Broncos player and he just was coming as fast as he could from the opposite direction. I didn't know what was coming and I got hit. It's funny because, on that football movie with all the hits, I had a bad neck, bad shoulders, bad back, bad knees, bad hips. Everything was hurting me. So as soon as that hit came, it's like, he's done for the day. They said, take an ice bath and go home. But the hit kind of realigned me and actually fixed everything. It lit me up and loosened me up. I took a five-minute ice bath, jumped on my scooter and played golf.

Q: How was it brawling Joaquin Phoenix in 2000's "The Yards"? It's intense.

Wahlberg: It became one of the better fights that I have a been a part of. He didn't know what I was going to do. I didn’t know what he was going to do. I think he wished he knew what I was going to do after the first night of shooting because it got pretty aggressive. He's a gamer, he's a method guy. Between him and Ben Foster, they’ll beat their heads off the side of a tree to get into character.

Q. It's been 25 years since you brawled alongside and played basketball with young Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Basketball Diaries." How was his basketball game?

Wahlberg: He was playing Jim Carroll, no easy feat since the guy would go on to play Division I basketball. But it was more important to have a great actor than a great basketball player.

Q: How's your game these days?

Wahlberg: I don't play anymore. I don't want to roll an ankle. I was playing my kids the other day and started firing off NBA threes and tweaked my elbow. I was like, "Damn." My kids were like, "Dad, you're so old. You can’t even take a shot." They were dying laughing.

Q: Cue the "We can rebuild him" question. What's up with your bionic "Six Billion Dollar Man" movie now that director Travis Knight is onboard?

Wahlberg: I’m hoping to get the script any day now. We've got a great idea and a great take on it. Hopefully, we'll be making it soon because I'm not getting any younger. I just feel there is a ticking clock. Like "The Fighter," I knew that I had a certain window to be able to make that movie in my own head, being able to pull off the physicality, Did you watch "The Irishman"? They were able to do the technology with the face. But when (Robert De Niro) is kicking the guy, it looked a little older. I want it to be more believable.

Early Buzz: Hader, Pee-wee, donuts and more news

Whitney Matheson

USA TODAY

Hey, guys! I hope you're having a spectacular week. Don't forget I'll be at the Apple Store in SoHo tonight talking to actress/filmmaker Lake Bell about her new flick, In A World. (It's really good.) Hope to see you there!

Headlines:

- Watch the trailer for the new Spike Jonze movie, Her, featuring music by Arcade Fire.

- Is Pee-wee Hermanreturning to TV?

- Larry David talks about his new HBO movie, Clear History.

- Watch the trailer for Thor: The Dark World.

- Ooh, Marc Maron just posted an interview with Bill Hader.

- Nick Offerman offers a "summer reading recap."

- Sad to hear that AIDS activist Sean Sasser died. (You may remember him from the San Francisco season of The Real World.)

- Former VJ Kennedy talks about her new memoir.

- I like this compilation of funny scenes in serious dramas.

- IFC rounds up some entertaining footage from celebrities' auditions.

- Geena Davis still looks great in her League of Their Own uniform.

- An early film by Orson Welles has been rediscovered.

- Amber Tamblyn is joining Two and a Half Men next season.

- Did Daft Punk really cancel on Colbert? Billboard says maybe not.

- Bravo's proposed Heathers series isn't happening.

- Why isn't Doctor Who's new Doctor a woman? (Personally, I don't care about the gender, and Peter Capaldi seems like a great choice.)

- Check out these photos from when Madonna hosted Saturday Night Live in 1985.

- Here's a gallery of Dunkin Donuts flavors from around the world.

- And from The Onion: "Man Misses Simple Pleasure of Going to Movie Store, Browsing for Something, Being Told It's Out, Driving Home."