Month: January 2021

Categories
News Daypop

Dow jumps 300 points as firms rally against GameStop stock transactions

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 300.19 points while the S&P 500 climbed 0.98% and the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.50% as U.S. markets rebounded on Thursday.  Brokerage firms took steps to restrict an influx of transactions on heavily shorted stocks, after the stock trading app Robinhood restricted trades involving GameStop, AMC, Blackberry, and Nokia. 

All four stocks plummeted Thursday; they were popular on Reddit r/WallStreetBets, where users banded together to drive up prices of such stocks despite traditional hedge funds that had shorted them. AMC fell 56.63%, GameStop dropped 44.29%, Blackberry fell 41.63% and Nokia slipped 28.4%.

Robinhood said it restricted trading in the stocks “in light of recent volatility” and also updated its instructional tools to help people “educate themselves, including how to make sense of a volatile market.”

Stocks soar as GameStop, AMC get pounded

Via www.foxbusiness.com
U.S. equity markets rallied Thursday as heavy trading in shares of GameStop, AMC and others…
 

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News Daypop

First cases in the U.S. of South African COVID-19 variant reported in South Carolina

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Health officials in South Carolina announced Thursday that they have identified two cases of a COVID-19 variant that emerged recently in South Africa. The two cases are the first found of the mutated virus in the United States. According to South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, federal officials identified the B.1.351 variant in adults from the state’s Lowcountry and Pee Dee regions. The patients have not traveled internationally and did not know each other.

Interim DHEC Public Health Director Dr. Brannon Traxler said in a statement, “The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 variant in our state is an important reminder to all South Carolinians that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over. While more COVID-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited. Every one of us must recommit to the fight by recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together.”

New variants first reported in Britain and South Africa are said to be more transmissible, but most experts have said the available vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna should also be effective against the mutated strains.

First U.S. cases of COVID-19 variant from South Africa found in South Carolina

Via www.cbsnews.com
A new and highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has been found…
 

Categories
Sports Daypop

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger willing to restructure his contract to remain on team for 2021 season

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said that he’s “pretty sure” he wants to return to the team for the 2021 season and is willing to restructure his contract. Due to a drop in revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Roethlisberger’s $41.2 million cap hit for next season presents a problem for the Steelers. Roethlisberger said on Thursday, “I want to do everything I can and made that very clear to them from the very beginning that it was my idea to basically help the team however I can this year… I am pretty sure I want to go one more year [because] I think I can do it and give us a real chance [at] winning.”

Earlier Thursday, Steelers’ CEO Art Rooney II told reporters the team have left the door open for Roethlisberger to return, but it will depend on whether adjustments are made to his contract. “I think we’ve been up front with Ben in letting him know that we couldn’t have him back under the current contract,” Rooney said. “I think he understands we have some work to do there. We’ll have more conversations internally, and we’ll have more conversations with Ben. We’ll have to know what the cap number is to finalize some of those decisions. With Ben, we owe it to him to have a conversation about how he wants to end his career, and we intend to do that… I think we’d like to see Ben back for another year if that can work. But as we said, there’s a lot of work to be done if that can happen. There may need to be decisions on both ends for that to happen.”

Big Ben vows to help Steelers with $41M cap hit

Via www.espn.com
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he is willing to work with the team on a…
 

Editorial credit: Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

Houston Texans Deshaun Watson officially requests trade from team

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Quarterback Deshaun Watson has officially requested a trade from the Houston Texans after months of speculation. On Thursday, Watson informed the team that he wanted to be traded.

Reports of Watson’s trade request emerged less than 24 hours after news broke that the Texans plan to hire David Culley as their next coach. However, sources said that Watson made the request before Culley’s hire. Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he can decide where he plays next based on offers the Texans receive.

The 25-year-old quarterback completed a career-high 70.2% of his throws for 33 touchdowns, seven interceptions and an NFL-high 4,823 yards in 16 starts this season. He has made the Pro Bowl for each of the last three seasons. He signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension in September. 

Sources: Watson has asked Texans to trade him

Via www.espn.com
Quarterback Deshaun Watson officially requested a trade from the Texans weeks ago, sources told…
 

Editorial credit: Steve Jacobson / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Kris Kristofferson has officially retired from music

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With no fanfare, actor and singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson has officially retired from music. According to a report regarding his estate, Kristofferson – who turns 85 this June – permanently stepped out of the spotlight in 2020. Kristofferson’s estate is now being represented from a management standpoint by Morris Higham Management, and his son, John Kristofferson, is now leading the Kristoffersons’ family businesses — including KK Records, Kristofferson’s indie record label. Tamara Saviano, a longtime friend and colleague, is in charge of public relations. Included in this news release was a note that Kris Kristofferson “officially retired in 2020,” though this announcement about new estate management was the first time the general public is hearing the news. 

Kristofferson put out 17 solo albums and was part of the Highwaymen with Cash, Jennings and Willie Nelson. As an actor, he is well known for his role in the 1976 iteration of A Star Is Born, for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award.

Kristofferson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004. As of 2016, he is a member of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, and in 2019, he received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association.

Kris Kristofferson has retired

Via www.msn.com
Country music legend Kris Kristofferson quietly retired last year, according to a new press…
 

Editorial credit: Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley hoping to bring country musical ‘May We All’ to the big screen

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Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley hopes to bring the country-music musical “May We All” to life as a stage production, as well as a movie version to be developed simultaneously. Kelley and his partners announced they have teamed up with director Andy Fickman for the film version, whose credits include directing and exec-producing CBS’ TV series “Kevin Can Wait” as well as a number of feature films and stage productions.

The stage version was set for a developmental production at Memphis’ Playhouse in the Square in fall 2020, to have been followed by an official Nashville premiere in 2021. However due to the coronavirus pandemic halting live shows, producers decided to move up the film adaptation.

In a synopsis, “May We All” is described as being about “disappearing small-town America as seen through the hopeful eyes of its youth,” with a “fledgling country singer” protagonist who “reluctantly comes home after a rough start in Nashville, ultimately to discover that her roots may take her a lot further than her dreams.” The book for the stage version was being written by Troy Britton Johnson and Todd Johnson.

Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley Set To Bring “May We All” Musical Project To The Big Screen

Via www.cmt.com
Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley has expanded his plans for “May We All,” a…
 

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Take a look at Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in the biopic ‘Spencer’

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The first image of Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales has been released for the upcoming biopic, “Spencer.”  The film is currently in production in Germany for a planned release this fall. The photo shows Stewart as the princess, staring out of a window, wearing a black blouse and red jacket, with a black veiled hat. As previously reported, the period piece takes place in the 1990s and will have Stewart playing Diana over the Christmas holiday where she allegedly plotted her divorce from Prince Charles and began planning for a life away from the British royal family.

The synopsis for the film reads: “December, 1991: The Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumours of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.”

Princess Diana was killed Aug. 31, 1997 in a car crash in Paris that was caused in part by a high-speed pursuit by paparazzi. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul, were also killed; a bodyguard survived the crash..

Kristen Stewart Dazzles As Princess Diana In New Film ‘Spencer’ — See The Uncanny Resemblance

Via okmagazine.com
The highly anticipated first look of Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in the upcoming film…
 

Editorial credit: Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Code Orange Share Animated Video for “Autumn and Carbine”

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Metal band Code Orange debuted a new music video for “Autumn and Carbine,” animated by frontman Eric “Shade” Balderose and Jami Morgan of NOWHERE2RUN Productions.

Code Orange also released couple limited edition “Autumn and Carbine” merchandise options on their webstore, a shirt and a scented candle. The band, featuring Eric “Shade” Balderose on electronics/guitar/vocals, Jami Morgan on drums/vocals, Reba Meyers on guitar/vocals, Dominic Landolina on guitar and Joe Goldman on bass, last joined Slipknot for their Knotfest livestream along with Underoath.

Check out the animated video for “Autumn and Carbine” – here.

Watch Code Orange’s dystopian new video for Autumn And Carbine

Via www.kerrang.com
Code Orange get animated in their intense but incredibly badass new video for Underneath’s…
 

Categories
Rock Daypop

Papa Roach teams up with TIkTok star Jeris Johnson for new version of ‘Last Resort”

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Papa Roach have teamed up with TikTok star Jeris Johnson for a reloaded version of their classic 2000 anthem ‘Last Resort,’ released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band’s global hit.

Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix said in a statement, “It was amazing to hear that Jeris connected with the track the same way people all over the world have. That conversation of ‘Last Resort’ and its impact on all types of people hasn’t stopped for 20 years, and we were stoked to ‘Reload’ it for a new generation to keep that conversation going.”

A video for the reloaded version of ‘Last Resort’ can be viewed at the link: here.

PAPA ROACH: New Version Of ‘Last Resort’ Featuring TikTok Star JERIS JOHNSON To Arrive Tomorrow

Via www.blabbermouth.net
PAPA ROACH will release a new version of its classic song “Last Resort” on Wednesday, January 27. The reworked track is collaboration with genre-bending pop/rock musician and TikTok star Jeris John…
 

Editorial credit: Brandon Nagy / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

The Weeknd releasing greatest hits album ‘The Highlights’ ahead of Super Bowl halftime show performance

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The Weeknd has announced a greatest hits album called The Highlights. The career-spanning collection is listed on his official website with a release date of Feb. 5.

The 18-track CD, which includes hits such as Blinding Lights and Can’t Feel My Face, arrives just two days before The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show performance in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 7.

You can pre-order The Highlights now.

The Weeknd releasing ‘The Highlights’ album ahead of Super Bowl performance

Via www.msn.com
If you like The Weeknd but aren’t sure you’ll know all the songs he’ll be playing during his…

Editorial credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com