Month: March 2022

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Pop Daypop

Kanye West is banned from performing at the Grammys due to ‘concerning online behavior’

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A representative for Kanye ‘Ye’ West said that the rapper has been barred from performing at the Grammy awards next month due to “concerning online behavior.”  The decision came shortly after Ye was suspended from Instagram for 24 hours; the platform said content on Ye’s account was in violation of its policies on “hate speech and bullying and harassment”.

The Grammys is to take place April 3 in Los Angeles. West is up for five awards this year; he has previously won 22 Grammys and has been nominated 75 times throughout his career.  Neither West, nor The Recording Academy, have publicly commented on the situation.

Rapper The Game defended West in an Instagram post, saying: “The Grammys have at the last minute decided to pull @kanyewest from performing on the show as if we didn’t know it was coming. Could be because @trevornoah is hosting and there was a conversation held amongst his team & the academy that led to the decision or because Ye’s account was suspended just days ago for reasons unknown especially in a world where all the negativities of the world can be found on the same app with no repercussions or suspensions. We’ll just say it’s all of the above & a continuous disrespect for us & all that we have brought to the table in entertainment, media & sports over the last 100 years especially.”

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News Daypop

House passes legislation to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus

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In a move designed to further isolate Moscow’s economy in response to President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, the House passed a bill on Thursday that will suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.  Biden is expected to sign the trade suspension measure into law when it reaches his desk. The House-passed bill now heads to the Senate.

The bill would revoke Russia’s “most favored nation” status in the World Trade Organization and pave the way for President Biden to introduce higher tariffs on Russian goods such as steel, aluminum and plywood. It’s the latest in a series of punitive actions in coordination with the E.U. and Group of Seven industrial nations after Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

The vote came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a virtual address to Congress, calling on lawmakers to do more to help Ukraine.  The Biden administration has already imposed a series of punitive measures to block Russian oil and gas imports in coordination with the European Union. However Zelenskyy has repeatedly asked for his allies to take military steps to protect Ukraine, such as imposing a no-fly zone over parts of the country and providing fighter jets.

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News Daypop

Federal judge allows Capitol riot suspect to plead guilty for assault of a police officer

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A federal judge has allowed a Texas man accused of assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to plead guilty in an unusual move from the court.  U.S. District Judge Randy Moss repeatedly asked the defendant, Lucas Denney, if he was aware of his rights and if he wanted to proceed with pleading guilty to assaulting an officer at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors violated laws by waiting months to file charges against Denney; just recently they filed a one-count indictment despite initially having Denney arrested on additional charges.

William Shipley, an attorney for Denney, had earlier moved at a hearing for a guilty plea in part because he believes doing so would preclude the filing of more charges; Judge Moss rejected him.  During Thursday’s hearing, however, the judge was particularly focused on telling Denney that pleading guilty to one charge didn’t mean he wouldn’t face more charges in the future.

Denney consulted with his lawyers before pleading guilty, and Judge Moss accepted Denney’s plea, having determined there was a factual basis for the plea. Denney admitted to picking up a pole from the ground and swinging that item at a law enforcement officer. saying, “The purpose was to block the pepper spray, but I did.” Denney had told the FBI that he was a member of the group Patriot Boys of North Texas, which he described as a conservative group that supported President Donald Trump. Denney was accused of lying about not knowing anybody who went to Washington to enter the Capitol.

If prosecutors had filed all the charges listed in the complaint, Denney would have faced some two dozen charges. Prosecutors say at this time, they have not made a decision on pursuing additional charges. Following his guilty plea, Denney faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

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Sports Daypop

LA Dodgers sign first baseman Freddie Freeman to six-year, $162 million deal

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Five-time All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman will be joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, signing a 6-year deal worth $162 million.

Freeman was widely expected to return to the Atlanta Braves, with whom he has played his entire 12-year career.  However, after Atlanta traded for Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson earlier in the week, the Braves essentially removed themselves from bidding for Freeman.

The 32-year-old Freeman had 180 hits last season, batting .300 with 31 home runs and 83 RBI and helping Atlanta win its first championship in 26 years.

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Sports Daypop

Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry out indefinitely due to sprained ligament in foot

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Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry will be out of play indefinitely due to a sprained ligament in his left foot. Sources say that x-rays on Curry’s foot came back negative, indicating there is no fracture or major damage.

The 34-year-old Curry suffered the injury in Wednesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. Curry left the game midway through the first half, played just 14 minutes and putting up three points, one rebound and two assists. At 4:19 in the second quarter, Curry and Celtics guard Marcus Smart dove for a loose ball. Smart rolled up Curry’s left leg, resulting in the injury.  Warriors coach Steve Kerr criticized Smart for the play postgame, saying: “I thought it was a dangerous play. I thought Marcus dove into Steph, and that’s what I was upset about. A lot of respect for Marcus. He’s a hell of a player, a gamer, a competitor. I coached him in the World Cup a few summers ago. We talked after the game and we’re good. But I thought it was a dangerous play.”

Curry, in his 13th season, is averaging 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game through 63 games played this season.

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Country Daypop

Craig Morgan to release memoir “God, Family, Country: Soldier, Singer, Husband, Dad – There’s a Whole Lot More To Me”

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Craig Morgan has teamed with author Jim DeFelice, known for co-authoring the bestseller “American Sniper,” to write his memoir, “God, Family, Country: Soldier, Singer, Husband, Dad—There’s a Whole Lot More to Me.”

Said Morgan: “My hope is to inspire people with this book. It felt like at this point in my life and career, I’ve been blessed to be able to do so much that if I didn’t write my story now I might forget everything.” 

Among the revelation’s in Morgan’s book are his stories about working with the CIA in Panama and as an undercover agent who fought sex traffickers in Thailand.  Morgan joined the Army and trained as a paratrooper, serving 17 years in the US Army and Army Reserve. He is the recipient of the USO Merit Award and the army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.

Morgan’s memoir will be released Sept. 27. Pre-orders are available now.

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Country Daypop

Garth Brooks announces date in Charlotte, N.C. on his 2022 Stadium Tour

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Garth Brooks’ 2022 Stadium Tour has added another stop, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. on Sat., July 16. The show will be Brooks’ first Charlotte concert in 24 years, and his first gig at the home of the Carolina Panthers.

Upcoming stadium tour dates include Camping World Stadium in Orlando (March 26), Nissan Stadium in Nashville (April 16), Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (April 30), Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. (May 7), Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (May 21).

Tickets for the Charlotte stadium show go on sale March 25 at 10 a.m. EST on the Garth Brooks line at Ticketmaster (1-877-654-2784), though the Ticketmaster app or at ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks.

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Entertainment Daypop

Take a look at the trailer for the Netflix series ‘Our Great National Parks’ hosted by Barack Obama

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Streaming service Netflix shared a trailer for the docuseries ‘Our Great National Parks’ featuring former-President Barack Obama.

Our Great National Parks celebrates and explores “the power of our planet’s greatest national parks and wild spaces,” with Obama serving as narrator. The five-episode series will span five continents and highlight Monterey Bay, Calif., Tsavo National Park in Kenya, Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia, and other areas.

Obama says in the trailer: “This is a journey through the natural wonders of our shared birthright.”  Obama also serves as executive producer with James Honeyborne (Planet Blue II) and Tonia Davis.

Our Great National Parks premieres April 13. You can take a look at the trailer – here.

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Entertainment Daypop

Paul Wesley cast as James T. Kirk for Season 2 of Paramount Plus Series ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’

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Paul Wesley has been cast in the iconic role of James T. Kirk in the upcoming second season of the Paramount+ series “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” due to premiere on Paramount Plus on May 5.  “Strange New Worlds” also stars Anson Mount as Capt. Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, and takes place prior to the events of the original “Star Trek” series.

The show follows the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike, before Kirk became captain of the Starship Enterprise. Wesley will appear as a young version of Kirk, and is now the third actor to play the character. William Shatner played Kirk in the original “Star Trek” series as well as in multiple films, and Chris Pine has played Kirk in three “Star Trek” films to date, with a fourth on the way.

Wesley is best known for playing Stefan Salvatore for eight seasons in The CW drama series “The Vampire Diaries.” 

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Pop Daypop

Jack Harlow announces his sophomore album “Come Home The Kids Miss You”

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Jack Harlow has announced his sophomore album “Come Home The Kids Miss You” will drop on May 6. Harlow shared the news in a cover story with Rolling Stone.

Jack also took to social media to share his new Rolling Stone cover, posting on Instagram:  “I’m on the cover of Rolling Stone. And together we’re announcing my new album, ‘Come Home The Kids Miss You,’ out May 6th. Now for what I really wanna say: B**CH WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH”

Harlow’s debut album, “That’s What They All Say,” was released back in December 2020, and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, led by Harlow’s breakout single, “What’s Poppin.”

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