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Sports Daypop

NBA Finals Game 2: Phoenix Suns defeat Milwaukee Bucks 118-108, taking 2-0 series lead

The Phoenix Suns defeated Milwaukee 118-108 on Thursday in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, taking a 2-0 series lead.

Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had a stellar effort for the Bucks, totaling 42 points (15-of-22 shooting), 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in Game 2, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the Suns, who hit 20 of its 40 3-point attempts and shot nearly 50 percent from the field as a team. Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points, hitting seven of his 12 3-pointers, followed by Mikal Bridges (27 points) and Chris Paul (23 points).

The series heads back to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Sunday, July 11 at 8:00 pm, airing on ABC.

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News Daypop

Amid drought, Gov. Newsom asks Californians to voluntarily cut water usage 15%

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asked residents to voluntarily cut water usage by 15% amid record temperatures and a drought in the state.  On Thursday, Newsom added nine more counties to the state’s drought emergency declaration, which now covers 50 of California’s 58 counties, adding that the water conservation request was not mandatory.

The governor suggested Californians cut water usage by taking shorter showers, only running appliances such as the dishwasher and washing machine when they are full, limiting outdoor water use and using recycled water for outdoor projects. He added that reducing water usage by 15% would save 850,000 acre-feet of water, enough to supply over 1.7 million households for one year. Newsom’s office said: “The hots are getting hotter and the dries are getting drier — that is the reality of climate change. During the last drought, we made water conservation a way of life and we can do it again.”

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News Daypop

President Biden promises an end to military mission in Afghanistan by Aug. 31

President Biden promised on Thursday that he won’t “send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan,” saying the United States’ military mission will end by Aug. 31. The update comes just a couple days after the Pentagon said the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is about 90% complete.

Biden spoke in the East Room of the White House, taking questions from reporters and defending his administration’s decision to fully withdraw.  Said Biden: “We did not go to Afghanistan to nation build. How many more, how many more thousands of America’s daughters and sons are you willing to risk? How long would you have them stay? It’s up to the Afghans to make decisions about the future of their country.”

Biden’s remarks come amid renewed peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Iran. The Taliban have taken control of more territory in Afghanistan recently and stepped up attacks against government forces. Some fear that the Taliban could again seize control of the country from the current government in as little as six months, a situation that existed before U.S. forces arrived in 2001. However, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that while the United States aims for a “negotiated peaceful, political settlement,” it has the ability to support the Afghan military without a formal presence there.

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Sports Daypop

Wimbledon 2021: Ashleigh Barty, Karolina Pliskova advance to women’s final

On Thursday, Ashleigh Barty and Karolina Pliskova both advanced to the women’s finals at Wimbledon. The top seeded Barty defeated 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(3). Pliskova eliminated No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Barty and Pliskova are both playing in their second career Grand Slams. Barty will be going after her second major title, previously winning the 2019 French Open in her first attempt to capture a Grand Slam. Pliskova is back in a major final for the first time since the 2016 U.S. Open, where she was defeated by Angelique Kerber.

Barty and Pliskova will face-off for the Wimbledon singles title at 9 a.m. EDT Saturday in London, airing on ESPN.

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Country Daypop

Documentary film “Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story” to debut this August

The autobiographical documentary of country music superstar Cody Johnson “Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story” will hit theatres on August 10th. The film recounts Johnson’s real-life journey from rodeo arenas to some of the biggest musical stages in America. Johnson opens up in the film about how his years on the rodeo circuit prepared him for his life as a country star, and the similarities between the two careers.

The documentary features guest appearances by Reba McEntire, Navy Seal Chris Kyle’s widow Taya (Kyle), Houston Ranch’s James Barton, along with Johnson’s wife Brandi (Johnson), his producer Trent Willmon, and his pastor Randy Weaver.

Tickets for Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story go on sale beginning July 14 at codyjohnsonfilm.com

Cody Johnson’s ‘Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story’ Documentary Coming To Theaters This Summer

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Country Daypop

Martina McBride announces double LP “Greatest Hits” vinyl collection

Martina McBride has announced that she will be releasing a special double LP collection entitled “Greatest Hits: The RCA Years” on vinyl and exclusively launching with Walmart on August 20th. Fans can also purchase a special edition Sea Blue version of the LP.  The new 2 disc collection will include some of her biggest hits including “Independence Day,” “Concrete Angel,” “This One’s For The Girls,” “A Broken Wing,” and more.

Said Martina: “When I signed my record deal with RCA in 1991, vinyl was out and CD’s were in. Even though I’ve always been happy to have my name on any form of recorded music, I’ve always hoped to see my music on vinyl. I’m SO THRILLED to share this double vinyl album of hits that I recorded during my time with RCA. This is a very special project to me and I’m excited that everyone will be able to add it to their vinyl collection.” 

To pre-order “Greatest Hits: The RCA Years” click – here.

Martina McBride announces double vinyl ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation

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Entertainment Daypop

Disney + releases trailer for Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ featuring final appearance from Chadwick Boseman

Disney+ shared a trailer for the animated anthology series What If…? which features Marvel universe characters Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Killmonger, Tony Stark, Thor, Doctor Strange and others, teasing “infinite possibilities” in the Marvel universe. What If…? is based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name, and explores what would happen if major moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe happened differently.  Disney+ also revealed on Instagram a poster for the show.

Written and created by A.C. Bradley, the series features Jeffrey Wright as the voice of ‘The Watcher,’ who narrates the show. The series also features the voices of several actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the late Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa (aka Black Panther), Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Josh Brolin as Thanos, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.

Take a look at the trailer for What If…? at the link – here.

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Entertainment Daypop

‘American Horror Stories’ releases first-look teaser and announces cast

FX dropped the trailer for its new anthology series “American Horror Stories,” and series creator Ryan Murphy shared a teaser that introduces each cast members and their character names. Murphy wrote on Instagram. “And this isn’t even the half of it. Take a peek at some of the American Horror Stories cast.”

Included in the teaser were: Matt Bomer as Michael, with Gavin Creel as Troy, Sierra McCormick as Scarlett, Ashley Martin Carter as Rowena, Paris Jackson as Maya, Belissa Escobedo as Shanti, Kaia Gerber as Ruby, Aaron Tveit as Adam and Rhenzy Feliz as Chad.  Madison Bailey will portray Kelley, with Kyle Red Silverstein as Quinn, Amy Grabow as Tipper Gore, John Carroll Lynch as Larry Bitterman, Naomi Grossman as Rabid Ruth, Dyllon Burnside as James, Nico Greetham as Zinn, Charles Melton as Wyatt, Kevin McHale as Barry, Danny Trejo as Santa, Billie Lourd as Liv Whitley and Virgina Gardner as Bernadette.

“American Horror Stories”, a spinoff of the FX series American Horror Story, will premiere July 15 on Hulu.

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Rock Daypop

Take a look at the trailer for new HBO documentary ‘Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love, and Rage’

HBO has released the trailer for Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love, and Rage, the first film in the network’s ‘Music Box’ documentary series.

The movie, executive produced by Bill Simmons, examines the details and legacy of the ill-fated Woodstock ’99 festival, held July 22 – 25, 1999 in Rome, New York. It commemorated the 30th anniversary of the original 1969 Woodstock concert and came five years after Woodstock ’94. Woodstock ‘99 features interviews with artists who performed during the three-day event, as well as clips with organizers like Michael Lang, the promoter behind the original Woodstock.

Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love, and Rage premieres July 23 on HBO and HBO Max. Watch the trailer for Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love, and Rage at the link – here

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Categories
Rock Daypop

Metallica, Greta Van Fleet and Cage the Elephant among those performing at ‘ATLive’ weekend in Atlanta

ATLive, a weekend concert series in Atlanta, is planned for November 5-6 with an all-star lineup. The festival has one night dedicated to country music and one for rock ‘n’ roll, with country performers George Strait, Eric Church and Caitlyn Smith on November 5 and rockers Metallica, Greta Van Fleet and Cage the Elephant on November 6.

Performers will take the stage in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the center of the city. In this year’s promotional video, George Strait says, “Hello Atlanta, it’s been a while.” Lars Ulrich of Metallica continues, “You better open the roof! We’re gonna blast it open! Come see us play live.”

The concert weekend serves to give back to the community through donating a portion of its proceeds. Metallica’s charity All Within My Hands, which supports workforce education and fights hunger, and Military Warriors Support Foundation, which works to provide housing for U.S. veterans, will receive a portion of the proceeds.

Tickets for ATLive will go on sale July 16 via Ticketmaster here for 11/5 and here for 11/6.

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