Eileen Davidson credits Oprah Winfrey with changing her outlook on “Days of Our Lives” role

Eileen Davidson looked back on a time when Oprah Winfrey changed her outlook on life.

Key Points

• The soap opera star, who was transitioning from a role on The Young and the Restless to one on Days of Our Lives, saw the talk show host and her guest discussing the importance of having no expectations.

• Davidson tried the approach herself and ended up having the "best" year of her creative life.

Soap opera actressEileen Davidsonjust described having whatOprah Winfreywould call an "aha moment," because of the former talk show host.

TheYoung and the Restlessalum, who had originated the character of Ashley Abbott in 1982, which she left and returned to several times over the years, recalled being asked to work on another soap,Days of Our Lives,during an appearance this week on theSoapypodcast.

While Davidson was asked to do both series at first, she said, she lost her job atY&Rtwo months later.

"I thought, 'I'm like a baseball player," Davidson said. "I got no say in it. I took a pay cut. I was so angry. I was so pissed off, because I got no say."

Still, Davidson joined the other soap opera, because she needed the money for her family.

"I was so angry," the actress repeated. "And I'm going toDayswith so much bitterness. I had no idea what I was going into. I didn't know who I was going to be working with. I was kind of just given a take it or leave it. And then I watched Oprah."

The experience of hearing the conversation between Winfrey and her guest changed things for her.

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"She said, 'When you're in life, if something happens, just have no expectation,'" Davidson recounted. "Have no expectations, and then you'll be surprised and it'll be a blessing.' And I went, 'I can't go into this new job being full of bitterness and hate."

She decided to "go in completely free of it, any bitterness, and just welcome the experience, see what was going to happen.'"

As viewers who watched Davidson as Kristen know, what happened wasverygood.

"It was, honestly, one of the best years of my life creatively," Davidson said. "I won my first Emmy that year."

She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy (for the first time) for her work onDays of Our Livesin both 1998 and 2014. She won for the latter. (Davidson was nominated onY&Rin 2003, 2018, and 2025. She won in 2018.)

And she continued to appear onDaysfor decades.

Watch the full conversation above.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byCosmopolite

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May 07, 2026

Eileen Davidson credits Oprah Winfrey with changing her outlook on “Days of Our Lives” role

Eileen Davidson looked back on a time when Oprah Winfrey changed her outlook on life. Key Points The soap opera st...

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Carrie Underwood on HiNote, Healthy Habits and Life on a Farm (Exclusive)

Carrie Underwood launched HiNote, a wellness brand designed to make wellness feel doable

NEED TO KNOW

• Underwood emphasizes self-care through fitness, nutrition and going on walks to balance her career and family life

• The "Jesus, Take the Wheel" singer says she finds joy and fulfillment living on her Tennessee farm

Carrie Underwoodwants to live life on a HiNote.

At 43, Underwood has her priorities straight — and she wants to show up as her best possible self for it all.

"I have to take care of myself because if I get sick, if I get down, if I get unhealthy, everything suffers," Underwood says. "I can't do my job the way I want to, I can'tbe a momthe way I want to, I can'tbe a wifethe way I want to or a friend."

After launching the Fit52 app in 2020, Underwood knew she was ready to take it a step further — this time by simplifying the path to "the best version of yourself" for women everywhere. The result was her newly launched wellness brandHiNote.

"Over the past couple of decades, I really have been trying my best to take care of myself," Underwood, who's currently serving as judge onAmerican Idol, says. "I know better than anyone. I'm in gyms all over the world, it's confusing and there's so much information out there and we really wanted to simplify."

According to a press release, HiNote brings together movement, nourishment and community to make wellness feel doable. The first product launch is HiNote's Everyday Energy Daily Nutrition Drink Mix, which is available in three flavors.

"We want to create things that are easily implementable into daily life. Nothing should be too complicated," she says of the drink mix. "It's not a meal replacement. We're not telling you to get on some crazy diet... You're going to be hydrated. You're going to get your protein, you're going to get some fiber, you're going to get some greens and some super foods and some veggies in there."

She continues, "I'm in my 40s and I feel now it's more important than ever to make sure that those numbers stay where they need to be."

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Over the years, Underwood — who released her last studio albumDenim & Rhinestonesin 2022 — has found that the best remedies involve making time for herself and staying off social media.

"If I do have time to work out, I'm going to work out. If I don't, I might go for a walk. I try to look for those windows in my day that it's like, 'What can I do right now instead of sitting on your phone scrolling?' Which is everybody's favorite pastime these days," she says.

"The foundation is good sleep and good nutrition. I feel like we try to over complicate things," she says, adding, "And then having healthy snacks, having our HiNotes sitting on the counter, it's an easy win. All those little easy wins really do make a big difference."

Most recently, however, Underwood has found fulfillment at her Tennessee farm.

"I grew up in a small town on a farm to leave the farm, go and do all this other stuff, only to end back up on a farm," she says. "I love getting my hands in the dirt. I love growing things. I love it when I make dinner and my husband's a big hunter, my boys are hunters, so we get the cleanest meat anywhere," she says.

The "Somethin' Bad" singer continues, "It's something really soul-filling, as well as fueling your body right when you know exactly what's in it. Nobody's sneaking anything, it was grown right. It's fun and it's great for your brain and your body to be out in the sunshine and have your hands in the dirt. It's very cup-filling for me."

Learn more aboutHiNote here.

Read the original article onPeople

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May 07, 2026

Carrie Underwood on HiNote, Healthy Habits and Life on a Farm (Exclusive)

Carrie Underwood launched HiNote, a wellness brand designed to make wellness feel doable NEED TO KNOW Underwood em...

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North Hagerstown sweeps team titles in Washington County track meet

North Hagerstown's boys extended their streak ofWashington CountyPublic Schools outdoor track & field team titles to six, while the Hubs girls snapped Smithsburg's four-year run and completed a North sweep of the team honors during the 2026 county championships at South Hagerstown on May 6.

Boys team scores

North Hagerstown 175; Smithsburg 150.5; Boonsboro 110; South Hagerstown 100.5; Clear Spring 84; Williamsport 37; Hancock 23.

Girls team scores

North Hagerstown 197; Smithsburg 123; Boonsboro 113; Clear Spring 112; South Hagerstown 98; Williamsport 41.

Boys individual results

100-- 1. Byron Snyder (Williamsport) 10.91; 2. Torin Sitter (South) 11.06; 3. Isaiah Seering (North) 11.10.

200-- 1. Torin Sitter (South) 22.41; 2. Byron Snyder (Williamsport) 22.55; 3. Wyatt Hegedus (Boonsboro) 23.09.

400-- 1. Torin Sitter (South) 49.24; 2. Clinton Otinkorang (South) 50.26; 3. Naythan Bwana (Boonsboro) 51.97.

800-- 1. Dylan Herbst (Smithsburg) 2:00.11; 2. Landon Call (North) 2:01.80; 3. Gage Crampton (Clear Spring) 2:02.49)

1,600-- 1. Dylan Herbst (Smithsburg) 4:29.23; 2. Landon Call (North) 4:29.37; 3. Walker Mason (North) 4:29.96.

3,200-- 1, Michael Wynkoop (Smithsburg) 9:54.05; 2. Walker Mason (North); 3. Grayson Wynkoop (Smithsburg).

110 hurdles-- 1. Daniel Apiou (Clear Spring) 14.83; 2. Thomas Owusu (North) 15.59; 3. Jonathan Morris (North) 16.01.

300 hurdles-- 1. Jonathan Morris (North) 43.85; 2. Michael Boller (South) 44.49; 3. Ish Badaki (Boonsboro) 45.24.

4x100 relay-- 1. South (Myles Clottey, Kareem Walton, Jameir Simms, Torin Sitter) 43.95; 2. Boonsboro 44.30; 3. North 45.49.

4x200 relay-- 1. North (Jared Anderson, Jonathan Morris, Carter Naylor, Isaiah Seering) 1:33.07; 2. Smithsburg 1:34.02; 3. Boonsboro 1:35.84.

4x400 relay-- 1. South (Clinton Otinkorang, Jameir Simms, Myles Clottey, Michael Boller) 3:32.94; 2. North 3:40.22; 3. Smithsburg 3:46.61.

4x800 relay-- 1. Smithsburg (Dylan Lowe, Grayson Wynkoop, Ernesto Mellott, Gavin Gross) 8:49.66; 2. North 8:58.73; 3. Clear Spring 9:02.21.

Shot put-- 1. Austin Dinsmore (Boonsboro) 45-8; 2. Brooks Myers (Clear Spring) 41-10 1/4; 3. Garett Forrest (North) 39-8 3/4.

Discus-- 1. Austin Dinsmore (Boonsboro) 136-4; 2. Brooks Myers (Clear Spring) 131-1; 3. Trevor Jessup (Smithsburg) 127-9.

High jump-- 1. Daniel Apiou (Clear Spring) 6-2; 2. Ish Badaki (Boonsboro) 6-0; 3. tie, Kareem Walton (South) and Michael Jackson (Smithsburg) 5-8.

Pole vault-- 1. Elias House (North) 11-0; 2. Brady Bruette (North) 11-0; 3. Derek Rummel (Smithsburg) 10-6.

Long jump-- 1. Byron Snyder (Williamsport) 20-11 1/2; 2. Jacob Tyler (Smithsburg) 20-9 1/2; 3. Landyn Clark (Hancock) 19-7.

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Triple jump-- 1. Daniel Apiou (Clear Spring) 44-2; 2. Naythan Bwana (Boonsboro) 40-6 1/2; 3. Rittenhouse Shuster (Smithsburg) 39-7 1/2.

Girls individual results

100-- 1. Annabelle Schaberl (North) 12.34; 2. Taraji Nartey (North) 1245; 3. Trinity Savage (South) 12.45.

200-- 1. Taraji Nartey (North) 25.94; 2. Annabelle Schaberl (North) 26.56; 3. Abigayle Fluharty (Boonsboro) 26.70.

400-- 1. Mackenzie Philp (North) 1:00.16; 2. Abigayle Fluharty (Boonsboro) 1:00.73; 3. Juliet Hodge (Clear Spring) 1:00.73.

800-- 1. Mackenzie Philp (North) 2:22.73; 2. Juliet Hodge (Clear Spring) 2:27.11; 3. Emily Franko (Boonsboro) 2:30.53.

1,600-- 1. Caroline Philp (North) 5:14.54; 2. Anna Ramanan (North) 5:34.47; 3. Emily Franko (Boonsboro) 5:41.98.

3,200-- 1. Anna Ramanan (North) 12:18.84; 2. Charlee Hajel (North) 13:22.62; 3. Madeline Schaberl (North) 13:34.51.

100 hurdles-- 1. Brielle Morales (Clear Spring) 15.97; 2. Anna Chamberlin (North) 15.99; 3. Kristen Gyamfi (South) 17.45.

300 hurdles-- 1. Dayanah Brunson (North) 50.45; 2. Brielle Enow (Clear Spring) 52.64; 3. Kristen Gyamfi (South) 52.82.

4x100 relay-- 1. Smithsburg (Acasia Todd, Melyssa Bard, Lilian Hade, Skyla Mastronardi) 49.91; 2. South 50.52; 3. Boonsboro 50.84.

4x200 relay-- 1. South (Chloe Gietka, Ajayah Alexander, Wynter Cephus, Trinity Savage) 1:45.34; 2. Smithsburg 1:47.70; 3. Boonsboro 1:52.26.

4x400 relay-- 1. North (Taraji Nartey, Dayanah Brunson, Anna Ramanan, Caroline Philp) 4:24.79; 2. Clear Spring 4:35.04; 3. Smithsburg 4:37.89.

4x800 relay-- 1. North (Caroline Philp, Brianna Mathews, Anabelle Myers, Mackenzie Philp) 10:51.13; 2. Boonsboro 11:08.49; 3. Smithsburg 12:08.16.

Shot put-- 1. Sarah Mohler (Boonsboro) 35-9 1/2; 2. Katelyn Moffitt (Clear Spring) 35-8 1/2; 3. Sidney Turner (Boonsboro) 32-10 1/2.

Discus-- 1. Sidney Turner (Boonsboro) 122-3; 2. Sarah Mohler (Boonsboro) 113-5; 3. Katelyn Moffitt (Clear Spring) 98-3.

High jump-- 1. Skyla Mastronardi (Smithsburg) 5-4; 2. Hadley Elwood (Clear Spring) 5-4; 3. Anna Chamberlin (North) 5-0.

Pole vault-- 1. Evelyn Briggs (Boonsboro) 9-6; 2. Audrey Roberts (Clear Spring) 9-0; 3. Lilian Hade (Smithsburg) 8-6.

Long jump-- 1. Trinity Savage (South) 17-7 1/2; 2. Chloe Gietka (South) 16-11; 3. Alyssa Merriman (Williamsport) 15-3 1/2.

Triple jump-- 1. Chloe Gietka (South) 36-8 1/2; 2. Binta Macalou (North) 33-8; 3. Hadley Elwood (Clear Spring) 32-3 1/2.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail:2026 Washington County Public Schools Track & Field meet results

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May 07, 2026

North Hagerstown sweeps team titles in Washington County track meet

North Hagerstown's boys extended their streak ofWashington CountyPublic Schools outdoor track & field team titles to six, while...

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Publicly owned arena gets mixed support from suburban commissioners

Commissioners are moving forward with a publicly owned indoor arena that will be the largest of its kind inWarren County. But not all officials are convinced it's a good investment.

The Warren County Port Authority will issue roughly $125 million in revenue bonds purchased by private investors to finance the arena. The hockey and concert venue is a focal part ofRenaissance Pointe,a $200 million development on a 50-acre lot located alongside Interstate-75 in Middletown.

On April 28, commissioners,all of whom are Republican, voted 2-1 to approve funding for the arena, which will be owned by thePort Authority, the county's economic development agency. The one commissioner who voted against the deal told The Enquirer it wasn't worth the risk.

"I'm not mad at my colleagues," said Commissioner Dave Young, who voted against it. "There are jurisdictions that would really jump up and down at this opportunity because it does create other opportunities for revenue. But Warren County is already firing on all cylinders."

"Tourism is our No. 1 industry, so we don't need to take a big risk," he added. "I just don't think it's worth the risk."

Plans for Warren County's largest indoor arena come as Cincinnati and Hamilton County officials consider where and how to build amodern arena to replace Heritage Bank Centerat The Banks.

Commissioners Tom Grossmann and Shannon Jones voted to approve the funding. Both said the county needed to look into more opportunities for sales tax revenuein case property tax is eliminated.

"While I don't think the government should be running the hockey business or event center business, I do believe that we can make investments in our community to help grow business and sales revenue, and help all of our businesses in the county with projects like this," Grossmann said before voting to support the project.

What's in the arena plan?

According to Warren County Commissioners' April 28 board meeting, here's what's planned for the unnamed 161,000-square-foot arena:

• Three multipurpose ice skating rinks that can be converted into floors for concerts and other events.

• 3,200 seats for hockey events.

• 5,000 seats for other events, including floor seating.

• Merchandise shop, restaurant and two bars.

• Hotel with 130 rooms.

• Space for hockey games and practice, youth ice skating, concerts, conferences, trade shows and other events.

Warren County created an economic development fund using casino dollars collected from Miami Valley Gaming. If the arena falls short of its projected revenue, and there's a shortfall in bond repayment, the county will use $12.5 million from this fund to pay it.

Middletown also committed $12.5 million to back the development.

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Commissioners disagree over arena proposal

During the meeting, project stakeholders shared positive projections for the arena's expected revenue.

But a presentation by Tim Flaherty, CEO ofEntertainment Events, Inc., the concert promotions company that would manage bookings, got tense.

Young said he didn't want the county to get into the "concert promotions business." Hockey games will make up a smaller portion of revenue at the stadium than concerts and other events.

"I don't like the structure," Young told The Enquirer. "This started as sports tourism and hockey, and out of the $20 million of projected revenue, only 15% is actually coming in from ice hockey."

Young also disliked that if a performer doesn't sell as many tickets as projected, the arena owner ‒ the Port Authority ‒ loses money.

"Our name is at risk. Our brand is at risk. They're not gonna be challenging you when this goes south,"Grossmannsaid to Flaherty, referring to Warren County taxpayers. "They're gonna be challenging us."

Middletown City Council also needs to vote on the deal. Councilman Paul Lolli said council supports it. During the Warren County meeting, he said Middletown has invested nearly $18.9 million in Renaissance Pointe, which sits across the interstate from the city's defunct Towne Mall.

Young asked Lolli why Middletown wasn't issuing the bonds. Lolli said he wasn't part of those discussions.

"From my perspective, it seems like it's your project, but yet it's going to be owned by the Warren County Port," Young said. "Do we potentially want to backstop in investing in your project?"

New hockey team hinges on arena

TheUnited States Hockey League, a junior hockey league with 16 teams in the Midwest, plans to add four new teams. One of them will be based in Middletown, if Renaissance Pointe gets this arena. No team name has been announced.

The league is a training ground for aspiring pro hockey players ages 16-20. They play 32 home games per season and most of the games are on the weekend, according to IceWorks Ventures Inc., a league franchise owner. The team would be the arena's anchor tenant, and each game draws an average of 2,400 fans.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer:Warren County officials OK new arena after fight over funds

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May 07, 2026

Publicly owned arena gets mixed support from suburban commissioners

Commissioners are moving forward with a publicly owned indoor arena that will be the largest of its kind inWarren County. But not all o...

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Oprah’s new book club pick made her feel ‘transported.’ What did she choose?

Oprah Winfrey’slatestbook club pickis a new novel from a beloved literary voice.

Winfrey chose“John of John”by Douglas Stuart, theNational Book Award-nominated authorof “Shuggie Bain” and “Young Mungo.” “John of John” traces a complex father-son relationship against the backdrop of a small textile and farming town on a northern Scottish isle.

“I felt transported,” Winfrey said in a statement. “I could feel every aspect of this remote community where tradition and judgment quietly shaped everyone’s life. Douglas Stuart brilliantly weaved a layered, compelling and yet so intimate a story of identity, what it means to belong, and the courage to claim your own truth.”

Oprah’s Book Club pick for May: ‘John of John’ by Douglas Stuart

“John of John,” one ofUSA TODAY’s most anticipated booksof 2026, follows a young, broke graduate as he returns from art school to his hometown. John-Calum Macleod must weather the disappointed eye of his sheep farmer and devoutly religious father, who is distressed by how his son has changed and grown into himself in college.

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Winfrey calls the novel a "complex and compelling tale that ultimately showcases the transformational power of love in a hostile and judgmental world."

Stuart pulls from his own background as a fashion designer to create the textile community and art student protagonist in “John of John.” This novel continues to explore the parent-child dynamics Stuart dug into in “Shuggie Bain” and “Young Mungo.” His books often interrogate how expectations in small, conservative hometowns can be at odds with his protagonists’ gender and sexuality.

“The phone call from Oprah telling me she loved my book and wanted to share it with her book club will always be one of the greatest, and most surreal, calls of my life,” Stuart wrote in a statement. “What an incredible honor. I grew up in a home without books but we always loved stories and storytelling. Oprah's was the first book club I saw on television, the first to say that books are for everyone and that everyone is welcome. For three decades she has been bringing writers and readers together and I can’t express how thrilling and humbling it is to become a small part of that legacy.”

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find heron Instagram, subscribe to our weeklyBooks newsletteror tell her what you’re reading atcmulroy@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Oprah's Book Club pick for May made her feel 'transported'

byCosmopolite

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May 06, 2026

Oprah’s new book club pick made her feel ‘transported.’ What did she choose?

Oprah Winfrey’slatestbook club pickis a new novel from a beloved literary voice. Winfrey chose“John of John”by Douglas Stuart, the...

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