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News Daypop

FDA approves over-the-counter sales of overdose-reducing Narcan nasal spray

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of over-the-counter sales for Narcan, an overdose-reversing nasal spray. The FDA green light marks the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription (only the 4-milligram dose of Narcan has been approved; other formulations, including higher dosages and injectable versions of naloxone, will continue to require a prescription.) Naloxone rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, including in situations where fentanyl is involved. According to the FDA, in the 12-month period ending in Oct. 2022, the United States recorded 101,750 overdose deaths, primarily from opioids including fentanyl.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said“Today’s approval of OTC naloxone nasal spray will help improve access to naloxone, increase the number of locations where it’s available and help reduce opioid overdose deaths throughout the country. We encourage the manufacturer to make accessibility to the product a priority by making it available as soon as possible and at an affordable price.”

The decision allows the drug to be made available at drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, and online shops. It’s not immediately clear when Narcan will be available for over-the-counter sale. The FDA said this timeline will be determined by the product’s manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, who said it will be available “by the late summer to account for manufacturing changes that will be implemented to support nonprescription packaging, as well as supply chain modifications.”

Emergent BioSolutions CEO Robert G. Kramer said in a statement: “Today’s landmark FDA OTC approval for Narcan nasal spray marks a historic milestone as we have delivered on our commitment to make this important emergency treatment widely accessible, given the alarming rates of opioid overdoses occurring across the country.”

Walgreens spokesperson Zoe Krey said it would offer Narcan later this year in stores and online: “Delivering access to this lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose if administered in time is imperative, and Walgreens is already working with suppliers to bring this OTC medication to shelves.”

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News Daypop

Pope Francis admitted to hospital with respiratory infection

The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Francis has been admitted to a hospital in Rome after complaining of breathing difficulties in recent days, and have cancelled his meetings for the next two days. The Pope had appeared in relatively good form during his scheduled general audience Wednesday, though he noticeably grimaced while getting into and out of the “popemobile.” Francis’ audiences through Friday were canceled, and questions remained about the pope’s ability to participate in the Vatican’s Holy Week activities.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pontiff is being treated at the Gemelli hospital, where Francis underwent surgery in 2021. Bruni said in a statement: “In recent days Pope Francis has complained of some breathing difficulties,” adding that Covid-19 had been ruled out by the tests but the pope would “require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy.” Bruni confirmed that testing at the hospital had determined that Pope Francis has a respiratory infection, and concluded:  “Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayers.

Francis had part of one lung removed when he was a young man due to a respiratory infection; and he spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital following the 2021 surgery for an intestinal narrowing, which included the removal of 13 inches of his colon.  He had also been using a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture. The Pope has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didn’t respond well to the general anesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery; but. now has said the knee injury was healing and he has been shown walking more with a cane of late.

Francis is due to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, kicking off the Vatican’s Holy Week observances: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9.

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Sports Daypop

Penn State signs Mike Rhoades to 7-year deal as new head coach

Penn State and Mike Rhoades have agreed on a seven-year deal worth over $3 million per year for him to become the next head coach of the Nittany Lions. Matt Fortuna tweeted that Rhoades will have an average salary of $3.7 million across his seven-year deal with Penn State. Rhoades will replace Micah Shrewsberry, who left to take the head coaching job at Notre Dame. Shrewsberry was 37–31 in his two season with Penn State, leading the program to its first NCAA Tournament bid in over a decade.

Penn State tweeted: “Welcome to Happy Valley, @CoachRhoades 🦁 A proven winner and a Pennsylvania native, we are thrilled to officially announce Mike Rhoades as the next Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Men’s Basketball Head Coach → https://bit.ly/MikeRhoades #WeAre”.  

Rhoades said in a statement: “It’s with great honor and excitement to be Penn State’s Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Men’s Basketball Head Coach. I would like to thank Dr. Bendapudi, Pat Kraft and Michael Wade Smith for their faith in me and the opportunity to lead this great program. We will be bold, different and aggressive moving our program forward. We will play with great energy and excitement while always being relentless in our pursuit of making this basketball family into something special. I can’t wait to get to work.”

Rhoades just finished his sixth season as VCU’s head coach, compiling a 129-61 record with the Rams. He made the NCAA Tournament in three of those six seasons, including this past one. The 2022-23 Rams team finished with a 27–8 record and 15-3 mark in the Atlantic-10 Confernece. The team won both the regular season and tournament titles.

According to sources, Utah State’s Ryan Odom is expected to be the top candidate at VCU to replace Rhoades.

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Sports Daypop

Atlanta Falcons sign veteran defensive end Calais Campbell to one-year deal

The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran defensive end Calais Campbell in free agency to a one-year deal with the franchise.

Campbell, a second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, spent his first nine seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. The six-time Pro Bowl selection and former Defensive Player of the Year then spent three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who traded Campbell to the Ravens in 2020; he was released earlier this month.

Campbell logged 809 combined tackles, 165 tackles for a loss, 99 sacks, 57 passes defensed, 16 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, three interceptions and three touchdowns in 227 appearances over his first 15 seasons in the league.

Campbell totaled 36 combined tackles, 5.5 sacks, four tackles for a loss, two passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 14 starts last season.

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Country Daypop

Carly Pearce earns fourth No. 1 with “What He Didn’t Do”

Carly Pearce earned her fourth career No. 1 at country radio with her current single “What He Didn’t Do,” which appears on Carly’s 2021 project, ‘29: Written In Stone’.  Pearce took to social media to express her appreciation: “The hardest season of my life brought me the most beautiful redemption story. The most personal song I’ve released to radio is the #1 song in the country. I’m drinking rose and I’m in my feels and just so grateful for the life you’ve given me. #whathedidntdo”

Pearce also shared a carousel of images on Instagram with the caption: “WHAT HE DIDNT DO IS #1!!!! I can’t even put into words what this moment means. When I wrote this song, I needed to be reminded of my worth & that I deserved better— and y’all have shown me that I DO matter. Thank you country radio, my co-writers @emilyshackelton & Ashley Gorley, fans & my entire team for this. This season of my life started so painful, and is ending so beautiful. What a way to end the 29 chapter 🥹♥🙏

Pearce just released a live version of her latest album dubbed ’29: WRITTEN IN STONE (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)’ which was filmed at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works during her intimate acoustic concert that took place in 2022. The album features special guests including Lee Brice (“I Hope You’re Happy Now), The Isaacs (“Easy Going”), Matthew West (“Truth Be Told”), Jenee Fleenor (“29″) and Ashley McBryde (“Never Wanted To Be That Girl”).

Pearce also recently wrapped up her suppor of Blake Shelton’s Back To The Honky Tonk Tour.  For a full list of Carly Pearce’s upcoming tour dates, visit her official website HERE.

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Country Daypop

CMT Music Awards reveal Top 6 ‘Video of the Year’ finalists

CMT has revealed the top six finalists vying for the night’s most-coveted “Video of Year” award at the 2023 CMT Music Awards. Fans have cast their votes over the past three weeks across all categories including “Video of the Year,” narrowing down to the top six finalists from the original list of 16 nominees.

The final six “Video of the Year” nominees are: Blake Shelton – “No Body”, Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart”, Cody Johnson – “Human”, HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”, Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God” and Morgan Wallen – “You Proof”.  Fan voting is now open at vote.cmt.com.

On Sunday, April 2nd, these six nominees will be narrowed down to top three, with voting continuing through the live show, leading up to the big reveal at the end of the night.

The Top 6 this year sees Carrie Underwood competing for her fifth consecutive “Video of the Year” win and tenth overall in the category. Underwood remains the most awarded artist in CMT Music Awards history with 25 career wins. A win from Kane and Katelyn Brown would make them the first husband/wife duo to win the award in CMT history, and would also be the first win for each of them in this category. Blake Shelton is vying for his second “Video of the Year” win (having earned his first win in 2018), and Cody Johnson, HARDY, Lainey Wilson and Morgan Wallen are hoping for their first win in the category.

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Entertainment Daypop

Take a look at the trailer for Season 2, Part 2 of ‘Firefly Lane’

Netflix has shared a trailer for the final episodes of Season 2, Part 2 of ‘Firefly Lane.’

Firefly Lane is based on the Kristin Hannah novel of the same name, and the series follows best friends Tully Hart (Katherine Heigl) and Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke) throughout the decades.

The Season 2, Part 2 trailer shows an estranged Tully (Heigl) and Kate (Chalke) reunite after Kate falls ill. An official description reads: “For Kate and Tully, no obstacle is too big when it comes to their lifelong friendship. But is there one mistake that could tear them apart forever?” Ben Lawson, Beau Garrett, Yael Yurman and Ignacio Serricchio also star.

Firefly Lane Season 2, Part 2 will premiere April 27. Take a look at the series trailer – here.

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Entertainment Daypop

Jeremy Renner to open up about snowplow accident in Diane Sawyer interview

Jeremy Renner is speaking out publicly for the first time about the snowplow accident that almost took his life. The “Hawkeye” star was severely injured and left in critical condition on New Year’s Day when he was crushed by a 7-ton snowcat snowplow outside his Reno, Nevada home while trying to protect his nephew. He was left with blunt chest trauma and more than 30 broken bones.

Renner will open about the scary incident with ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer in the special Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph, set to air April 6 at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC.  ABC News released a promo of the sit-down interview between Renner and Sawyer where he opens up about the snowcat accident that left him in critical condition on New Year’s Day. Renner recounted how he sustained his life-threatening injuries, saying: “I’d do it again .. Yeah, I’d do it again, ’cause it’s going right at my nephew.” 

The actor confirmed he was conscious after the accident and remembers the pain, telling Sawyer: “All of it … I was awake through every moment.” The trailer includes audio from the 911 call after Renner’s accident. Renner candidly speaks about his determination to live:  “I chose to survive, this is not going to kill me, no way. I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I’ve been refueled and refilled with love and titanium.”

Renner tweeted an update on his recovery Sunday, alongside a video of himself using a specialized treadmill, captioning the post: “I now have to find OTHER things to occupy my time so my body can recover from my will.”

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Rock Daypop

Smashing Pumpkins reveal North American tour dates with Interpol and Stone Temple Pilots

The Smashing Pumpkins will hit the road for their 2023 North American This World Is a Vampire Tour,  featuring special guests Stone Temple Pilots, Interpol, and Rival Sons on select dates. The 26-date tour will kick off on July 28 in Las Vegas and conclude on Sept. 9 in Noblesville, Indiana.

The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan said in a statement: “I grew up in a world where I needed to know bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure existed, it meant there was a place for people like me to hang out and belong. That’s what The World Is a Vampire is about. Bringing back that sense of community. If you don’t fit in, you belong here. It’s about having a shared experience and respecting others, but ultimately having fun. A true alternative festival, where all the self-proclaimed weirdos and outsiders of the world can get together and have a party.” General on-sale tickets will be available Friday, March 31 at 10 a.m. local. Head to smashingpumpkins.com for information.

The band also shared their new single “Spellbinding” from their upcoming 12th album, Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, due out May 5.  You can take a listen to “Spellbinding” – here.

Atum will be released as a special-edition box set featuring 10 additional unreleased tracks; the band have already released 22 tracks from the album, which was written and produced by Corgan over the past four years.

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Rock Daypop

The Killers, Kendrick Lamar and more to headline 2023 ‘Life Is Beautiful’ Festival

The Killers, Kendrick Lamar and Odesza are among the performers confirmed for Las Vegas’ 2023 Life Is Beautiful festival that will return to the city’s downtown area this September to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The Killers will top the bill on opening day, September 22 along with the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Inhaler, Slayyyter, Raye, and more. Lamar will headline on Saturday, September 23  following sets from The 1975, Reneé Rapp, The Rose, and others.  The festival will wrap with a headlining set from Odesza on September 24, alongside appearances from Nelly, Kim Petras, Biig Piig, and more.  In addition, Las Vegas mainstays such as Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Jabbawockeez, Magic Mike Live, Piff the Magic Dragon and Tape Face will also be on hand for performances and appearances.

Craig Asher Nyman, Life is Beautiful’s director of music, programming and development, said: “Pairing those artists with current and future superstars of music sets the stage for our biggest party yet. This year’s lineup is a reflection of the ten years we’ve spent striving to give fans incredible experiences, centered around a weekend of revelry in Las Vegas. Our fans are the heartbeat of this festival, and it’s our intention to deliver a festival that is a true representation of their interests.”

Tickets for the 10th anniversary of the festival will go on sale on Thursday, March 30 and 10am PT and will be available to purchase at the festival’s website – here.

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