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California becomes second state to report new highly contagious Covid-19 strain

California has reported its first case of a more contagious COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, and the second confirmed case in the U.S. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the case was confirmed in Southern California Wednesday afternoon.  During a Wednesday afternoon briefing, San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said a 30-year-old man in the county with no travel history tested positive for the new strain on Tuesday. “Because there is no travel history, we believe this is not an isolated case in San Diego County,” Fletcher said. He urged residents to stay at home for New Year’s celebrations, citing the region’s already strained healthcare system.

Colorado reported the first known case of the variant in the U.S. on Tuesday and was investigating a second possible case Wednesday. Both of the cases are National Guard soldiers who were deployed to support staffing at a nursing home in Simla, Colorado, outside Denver, state health officials said.

Scientists in the United Kingdom said the variant strain, known as B.1.1.7, is more contagious than previously identified strains but not more severe. According to models, it has an increased transmission rate of 70% compared with other variants.

California reports case of highly infectious COVID-19 strain

Via www.cbsnews.com
 

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News Daypop

Government begins sending $600 COVID-19 stimulus payments

On Wednesday, the U.S. federal government began mailing out COVID-19 stimulus checks worth $600 for most Americans, amid ongoing efforts to raise the amount to $2,000. The $600 amount was part of the $900 billion coronavirus relief package negotiated in Congress for months and signed by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said that the government has already begun sending the money into Americans’ accounts, via direct deposit, and that paper checks would begin to go out Wednesday. The direct infusions of cash will continue to be deposited and sent through the mail into next week, Mnuchin said. 

The payments are the second direct aid sent to Americans as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The first checks for $1,200 were given out in April after Congress passed the initial relief package, the CARES Act.  Similar to the first payments early this year, the new $600 amount will be sent to all eligible Americans and $1,200 will be given for married couples. There will be an additional $600 per child. All Americans who made up to $75,000 in 2019, or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly, will receive the full amount. The qualifying income figures are determined by recipients’ 2019 federal tax return.

$600 stimulus payments have started going out, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says

Via www.msn.com
 

Editorial credit: marekuliasz / Shutterstock.com

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Sports Daypop

Buffalo Bills approved for fans at home playoff games

Just one week ahead of the wild card round, the state of New York approved a capacity of 6,772 fans for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills currently hold the No. 2 seed in the AFC, and will host a playoff game for at least the first round. The wild card round will mark the first time in 25 years that Buffalo has hosted a playoff game. 

The Bills announced Wednesday that all fans who attend the game will be required to receive a negative COVID-19 test through the league’s testing partner, Bioreference Laboratories, in order to be admitted into the game. Tickets will be made available to season ticket holders who opted into buying tickets earlier this year. Fans will also be required to pay for their own COVID-19 test, which costs $63.

The Bills have a 6-1 home record, and are one of five teams with just one home loss on the year.

Mafia returns: Bills given OK to host playoff fans

Via www.espn.com
 

Editorial credit: JoanneStrell / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Brett Young Announces Caliville Weekend Festival in Summer 2021

Brett Young is heading back to his California roots by hosting Caliville Weekend in Palm Springs next summer, June 18-21.

The four-day experience features live performances, including a headlining show by Brett, along with wellness activities, pool parties, hotel takeovers and more. There will also be a closing night show featuring surprise performers.Ticket packages for the Caliville Weekend are on sale now. Payment plans are available, and tickets are 100% refundable.

Brett is also working on his upcoming album, and its lead single, “Lady,” is currently in the top 25 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

Brett Young’s Bringing the Sunshine in 2021 With a Getaway Festival

Via tasteofcountry.com
 

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Reba McEntire says ‘Goodbye to 2020’ in social media message to fans

Reba McEntire shared a heartfelt message to fans in a recent Instagram post, bidding farewell to 2020 and sharing that she’s looking forward to a better year in 2021.

Said McEntire on Instagram: “I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you. Please stay safe and healthy so we can all get together in 2021. This has been a booger bear of a year and I’m very thankful and grateful that we got through it. It’s coming to a close and we can start looking forward and thinking positively for the next year,” the country star said on social media. “I love you very much and thank you so much for everything — your support, your love, your prayers, your comments everything. Take care of yourself, pretty please.”

In 2020, McEntire launched her podcast Living & Learning With Reba McEntire, featuring her Reba co-star and friend Melissa Peterman. On the podcast, McEntire and Peterman have interviewed Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Kristin Chenoweth, Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins and more. The star also hosted the 2020 CMA Awards with Darius Rucker.

Reba McEntire Bids 2020 Goodbye, Says It Was a ‘Booger Bear’ Year

Via theboot.com
 

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

Gilligan’s Island’s Dawn Wells Dies at 82 Due to COVID-Related Causes

Gilligan’s Island star Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers on the hit show from 1964-67, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles.  She was 82. Wells’ publicist said that the actress died of causes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Wells appeared on countless television programs, including Bonanza, The Love Boat, Gilligan’s Planet, Growing Pains, Baywatch, Columbo and Roseanne, among many others. She reprised her character of Mary Ann in the TV movies Rescue from Gilligan’s Island (1978), The  Castaways on Gilligan’s Island (1979) and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island (1981).

Wells was crowned Miss Nevada in 1959 at age 20 and competed in the Miss America pageant the following year. In 1960, she graduated from the University of Washington with a drama degree. She went on to marry talent agent Larry Rosen in 1962, but they divorced five years later in 1967.

In 2018, Wells’ good friend Dugg Kirkpatrick launched a fundraiser to help the actress pay off medical bills. Wells had been struggling to make ends meet and she allegedly suffered “an unexpected accident that required hospitalization for two months” and needed the funds to “alleviate penalties by the IRS” and cover her hospital costs. The fundraiser raised $205,510.  

Dawn Wells, Mary Ann from ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ dead at 82 from Covid-19 complications

Via rss.cnn.com
 

Editorial credit: CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

Constance Wu welcomes baby girl with boyfriend Ryan Kattner

Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu is a new mom. Wu’s manager, Larry Taube, confirmed that Wu, 38, welcomed her first child, a daughter, with her boyfriend, musician Ryan Kattner, over the summer.

Wu has kept out of the public eye during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has her Instagram and Twitter accounts labeled as “defunct.”

Wu played Jessica Huang on the ABC series Fresh Off the Boat, which ended in February after six seasons. She also portrayed Rachel Chu in the film Crazy Rich Asians and will reprise the role in a sequel. Kattner performs in the rock band Man Man under the name Honus Honus.

Surprise! Constance Wu Welcomes Her First Child, a Baby Girl

Via www.msn.com
 

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

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Rock Daypop

Guns N’ Roses Hoping To Put Out a New Album in 2021

Guns N’ Roses has been working on their first new album with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993 “The Spaghetti Incident?” for a few years, and now it looks like that wait might finally come to an end in 2021.

According to Slash in an interview with Cleveland.com, both Guns N’ Roses and Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators are trying to get some new music out next year:  “We did a week of initial pre-production, and there’s 20 songs and we’re gonna start back up next year,” he said. “I spent a lot of time writing and demoing that stuff. And prior to that, Duff and I did some jamming and we also worked on the Guns record, and I’ve had a couple of ancillary recordings and jams on top of that, so there’s been a lot of stuff going on. I’m really not good at slowing down and just sitting around. I would like to think that we’d have some new stuff out next year — from both camps, I guess. It’s hard to say, but I would like to think we’ll have stuff out next year, yeah.”

Slash Believes New Guns N’ Roses Music Will Come Out in 2021

Via loudwire.com
 

Editorial credit: A.PAES / Shutterstock.com

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Rock Daypop

Neal Schon of Journey Pays Tribute To Leslie West

Journey guitarist Neal Schon took to social media to pay tribute to Mountain icon Leslie West, who passed away on December 23rd. 

Schon shared a video tribute to West and he wrote, “What a year friends.. first Ed and now Leslie West. Wanted to pay tribute Leslie tonight as he truly was a major influence on my playing and he really taught me to Soar. Ever since seeing Mountain at Woodstock with ‘Theme for an Imaginary Western’ I was blown away by his majestic playing. God Bless Leslie RIP brother.” 

Watch the video tribute from Schon: here.

JOURNEY’s NEAL SCHON Pays Musical Tribute To LESLIE WEST

Via www.blabbermouth.net
 

Editorial credit: Bruce Alan Bennett / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

“Playing with Fire” by BLACKPINK reaches 600 million views on YouTube

BLACKPINK has reached a new YouTube milestone with “Playing with Fire” The music video for “Playing with Fire” hit 600 million views, after initially being released on November 1, 2016.

“Playing with Fire” is BLACKPINK’s sixth music video to hit 600 million views, after “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” “BOOMBAYAH,” “As If It’s Your Last,” “Kill This Love,” and “How You Like That.”

You can add to the view count by watching “Playing with Fire” on YouTube.

Blackpink’s ‘Playing with Fire’ music video passes 600M views on YouTube

Via www.upi.com
 

Editorial credit: Zety Akhzar / Shutterstock.com