Month: February 2022

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Sports Daypop

Medina Spirit stripped of 2021 Kentucky Derby win as Mandaloun is named winner

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The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced on Monday that Medina Spirit, the horse that won the 2021 Kentucky Derby but later failed a drug test and died, has been stripped of his Derby victory.  The commission also ruled that the $1.86 million purse from Medina Spirit’s win must be forfeited and returned for redistribution.  In addition, the commission suspended Medina Spirit’s trainer, Bob Baffert, for 90 days, and issued him a $7,500 fine.  Baffert said in a statement: “I am very disappointed in the ruling. It runs contrary to the scientifically proven facts in this case and the rules of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. We will be filing an immediate appeal.” Baffert previously was suspended by Churchill Downs and cannot enter a horse in the Derby in 2022 or 2023. The veteran trainer also is barred from entering horses at the New York Racing Association’s Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct tracks.

The commission named Mandaloun, the second-place finisher, the official winner of the annual Triple Crown race.  Churchill Downs in a statement: “Today, Churchill Downs recognizes Mandaloun as the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby and extends our congratulations to owner-breeder Juddmonte, trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux.  Winning the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting achievements in sports and we look forward to celebrating Mandaloun on a future date in a way that is fitting of this rare distinction.”

Medina Spirit tested positive for 21 picograms of the steroid betamethasone through a post-race sample after the 2021 Derby win. That amount of the drug is double the legal threshold allowed in Kentucky racing. Baffert claimed that the drug came from an ointment used to treat the horse for a skin condition. Medina Spirit died during a workout Dec. 6 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Baffert initially claimed that Medina Spirit died of a heart attack, but a necropsy report this month showed no definitive causes of death for the 3-year-old colt.

The 2022 Kentucky Derby is set to take place May 7 at Churchill Downs.

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Categories
Country Daypop

Morgan Wallen’s “Sand In My Boots” reaches No. 1 on country radio

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Morgan Wallen has the #1 song at country radio with “Sand In My Boots,” which rises to the top of this week’s Mediabase country radio singles chart.

Wallen last scored a country radio No. 1 in November 2020 with his hit “More Than My Hometown.”  Other single from Wallen, such as “7 Summers,” were likely on track for #1, but many radio programmers pulled Wallen’s music in early 2021 after his controversial, racially-insensitive video surfaced on social media.

Elsewhere on country radio, Kelsea Ballerini’s “half of my hometown (featuring Kenny Chesney)” rises one spot to #2 this week, and Kane Brown’s “One Mississippi” ticks up a spot to #3. Parker McCollum’s “To Be Loved By You” jumps three spots to #4, and Jordan Davis’ “Buy Dirt (featuring Luke Bryan)” rises one place to #5.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Sam Hunt’s pregnant wife Hannah Lee Fowler files for divorce, citing adultery

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Hannah Lee Fowler, the wife of country singer Sam Hunt, has filed for divorce. In court documents filed on February 18th in Tennessee, Fowler revealed that she is pregnant with the couple’s first child, and cited “inappropriate marital conduct” and “adultery” as the reasons for divorce. The couple had not publicly announced that they were expecting, however, court documents state that Fowler is pregnant and due in May. Fowler is asking for alimony, child support and primary custody of the child, as well as for each party to be “awarded their respective separate property.” The documents also state: “The husband is guilty of such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct toward the spouse as renders cohabitation unsafe or improper.”

Hunt and Fowler were married in 2017, but first met when Hunt was a quarterback for the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Hunt’s debut 2014 album ‘Montevallo’ is named after Fowler’s hometown, and his song “Drinkin’ Too Much,” featured on his 2020 album ‘Southside,’ references their relationship.

In 2019, Hunt was arrested on DUI and open container charges in Nashville, and pleaded guilty in 2021. Hunt was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail with all time suspended except for 48 hours. Hunt agreed to serve time at DUI Education Centers and complete an alcohol safety course.

Sam Hunt’s Pregnant Wife Files For Divorce, Says He’s “Guilty Of Adultery”

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Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Dave Chappelle is returning to Netflix with new series, ‘Chappelle’s Home Team’

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Dave Chappelle is set to produce a series of comedy specials for Netflix.  The streaming service announced that the comedian will serve as executive producer for the upcoming series titled “Chappelle’s Home Team.”  The series will feature a total of four specials.  The first special, “Earthquake: Legendary,” features the comedian Earthquake and will premiere on Feb. 28. Donnell Rawlings will appear in the next special, with a release date TBD.

In a statement, Chappelle said: “I’ve been doing this a long time and comedians like Quake and Donnell are not only friends but have inspired my own career. Anyone in the comedy community knows these names and knows their time to shine is long overdue. I am proud to be a part of this moment.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

‘Peacemaker’ creator James Gunn engaged to series star Jennifer Holland

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‘Peacemaker” creator James Gunn and series star Jennifer Holland are engaged after 7 years together. The 55-year-old filmmaker and 35-year-old actress announced the news on social media. Gunn simply wrote “😏❤” in the caption of his Instagram post, which featured a photo of Holland sipping from a mug with a diamond ring visible on her left hand.  Holland simply posted a picture of the couple with the caption “Happiness”.  Holland and Gunn have been in a relationship since 2015, when they were first introduced by their mutual friend Michael Rosenbaum.

Gunn is the director of box office hits such as the Guardians of the Galaxy series and The Suicide Squad, as well as the writer, director, and creator of the Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker, starring John Cena as the titular superhero. Holland first teamed-up with Gunn in the 2019 superhero horror film Brightburn, produced by Gunn.  She joined the DCEU with last year’s The Suicide Squad, which was written and directed by Gunn, and originated the onscreen role of Emilia Harcourt, an A.R.G.U.S. agent assisting the rag-tag group of supers through their mission from the comms room. In HBO Max’s Peacemaker, Harcourt is part of the black ops team working on “Project Butterfly,” fighting against the parasitic butterfly-like alien species that’s begun taking human form.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Paul McCartney will hit the road for 13-date ‘Got Back’ North American tour

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Paul McCartney will hit the road on the Got Back Tour, a 13-city trek that will take him across the U.S. between April and June. The Got Back Tour will begin on April 28 with his first-ever show in Spokane, WA, before wrapping-up on June 16 with a show in East Rutherford, NJ.  Said McCartney: “I said at the end of the last tour that I’d see you next timeI said I was going to get back to you. Well, I got back!”

The tour is McCartney’s first since the the 39-date, 12-country Freshen Up Tour concluded in July 2019 with a sold-out show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Tickets for all dates on the tour will go on sale to the public on Friday, February 25 at 10am local time at https://paulmccartneygotback.com/.  American Express Card Members can purchase tickets from February 22, again at 10am local time, until February 24 at 10pm local time.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Bon Jovi launches contest for local bands to open for them on upcoming U.S. tour

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Bon Jovi has launched a new contest that will allow local bands to open for them on their upcoming U.S. tour. Local bands can upload an audition video featuring original music to Bon Jovi’s official website for a chance to open for the group; one local band will be selected for each tour date. Said Jon Bon Jovi: “We have all missed touring and we know that nothing can replace the energy of a live show for the fans or the band.”

Bon Jovi spent much of the past two years recording and releasing new music, while also creating livestream performance content and launching Bon Jovi radio for their fans. The group’s latest album was “2020.”

Bon Jovi’s 2022 tour is set to kick-off April 1 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb., before wrapping-up on April 30 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.  For more information and to upload a submission, visit www.bonjovi.com.

Editorial credit: A.PAES / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Olivia Rodrigo shares the making of ‘Sour’ in the film ‘Driving Home 2 U’ to air on Disney+

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Disney+ will exclusively premiere Olivia Rodrigo’s film Driving Home 2 U, which will chronicle the creation of her 2021 breakthrough record Sour.  Rodrigo shares in the trailer: “I think I just wanted to tell people what was going on in the back of my head in a way that was proud and not ashamed. Coming from this place of hurt and you manage to turn it into something that you’re proud of – there’s like nothing better than that.”

The hybrid film, directed by Stacey Lee, ‘paints the picture of Sour using behind-the-scenes footage captured in the studio and throughout Rodrigo’s day-to-day life, from her process of transfixing hyper-personal experiences into chart-topping songs to her parlay into the realm of pop’s elite as a young woman.’

Driving Home 2 U is set to debut on March 25.  Shortly after the film’s release, the 18-year-old Rodrigo will make her first appearance at the Grammy Awards where she’s nominated for seven awards including Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance.

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Billboard Music Awards to be broadcast live on NBC this May 15th

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The 2022 Billboard Music Awards are set to air live on NBC from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 15. A host and performers for the event, which celebrates music’s greatest achievements, will be announced in coming weeks.

Honorees for the Billboard Awards will be determined by their performance on the Billboard charts, while nominees and winners are based on key fan interactions with music including streaming, album, digital sales, radio airplay, touring and more.

This year’s broadcast will include the ICON Award, honoring record-breaking artists and their wider impact. Pink was the recipient of this award in 2021, with other past recipients including Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder and Janet Jackson.

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Categories
News Daypop

One woman dead, five others injured in shooting at Portland, Oregon park

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One woman was killed and five others injured during a shooting Saturday night in Portland. The Portland Police Bureau said that the woman was dead when officers arrived just after 8 p.m. at the scene near Normandale Park, a frequent hub for protests against racism and police killings. The wounded victims, two men and three women, were transported to hospitals. Authorities have not released information about their conditions and have not identified a suspect or those shot.

On Sunday, police said they believe the incident “started with a confrontation between an armed homeowner and armed protesters.” Officials have not publicly discussed a potential motive, saying the investigation is “very complicated,” and adding that witnesses were unwilling to talk to responding officers.  Department spokesperson Lt. Nathan Sheppard would not say whether police had made any arrests in connection to the shooting, telling reporters at a virtual briefing on Sunday afternoon that “things are changing constantly in this investigation. As we learn more, things change. At this point, it would be irresponsible of me to comment on arrests that were made, if any.”

According to information on social media, protesters were set to gather in the park at 7 p.m. Saturday, seeking to highlight the cases of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a Minneapolis police officer earlier this month during a no-knock raid, and Patrick Kimmons, a 27-year-old Black man killed by Portland police during a 2018 altercation.  An initial statement from Portland police said that homicide detectives were investigating the scene and that the Oregon State Medical Examiner would determine the cause and manner of the victim’s death.

In a statement. Portland police said the scene of the shooting “was extremely chaotic, and a number of witnesses were uncooperative with responding officers. Most people on scene left without talking to police. Detectives believe a large number of people either witnessed what happened, or recorded the incident as it unfolded. This is a very complicated incident, and investigators are trying to put this puzzle together without having all the pieces.”

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