Categories
Sports Daypop

NBA Semifinals: Knicks defeat Heat, Lakers beat Warriors

* The NY Knicks beat the Miami Heat 111-105 on Tuesday, to tie up their Eastern Conference semifinals series 1-1. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, while Julius Randle returned from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him in Game 1 with 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and RJ Barrett scored 24 points for the No. 5-seeded Knicks. Josh Hart finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Game 3 between the Knicks and Heat will be held Saturday, May 6th at 3:30 pm in Miami.

* The Los Angeles Lakers won Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors with a score of 117-112. Anthony Davis had 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots, while LeBron James added 22 points and 11 rebounds while facing off against Stephen Curry in their postseason showdown. For the Warriors, Curry scored 27 points, Klay Thompson had 25 points, and Kevon Looney grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds for his fourth game of this postseason with 20 or more, and also had 10 points and five assists.

The Warriors and Lakers will face-off in Game 2 on Thursday, May 4th at 9:00 pm at Chase Center.

Editorial credit: Brocreative / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Operation targeting fentanyl trafficking on dark web leads to 300 arrests

On Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department – as well as International law enforcement organizations including European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) — announced 228 arrests in 9 countries, and the seizure of more than a hundred guns in a “record-breaking” joint law-enforcement operation targeting fentanyl and opioid traffic on the dark web. The DOJ also said that the culmination of the operation included confiscating $53 million in cash and virtual currencies, as well as 850 kilograms of drugs that included 64 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics.

Dubbed “Operation SpecTor” by the Justice Department, the law enforcement action was conducted by the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team, composed of multiple government agencies. Taking part in the operation: the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. postal inspectors; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Internal Revenue Service; and Homeland Security. Working alongside these agencies was international law-enforcement partners in Austria, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Britain, Brazil, Poland, and Switzerland.

In a statement, the DOJ said: “Operation SpecTor was a coordinated international effort spanning three continents to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking on the darknet, or dark web … The operation was conducted across the United States, Europe, and South America, and was a result of the continued partnership between JCODE and foreign law enforcement against the illegal sale of drugs and other illicit goods and services on the darknet.”  

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the operation seized “117 firearms, 850 kilograms of drugs that include 64 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and $53 million in cash and virtual currencies … Our message to criminals on the dark web is this: You can try to hide in the furthest reaches of the Internet, but the Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for your crimes. The availably of dangerous substances like fentanyl on dark net marketplaces is helping to fuel the crisis that has claimed far too many American lives. We will continue to illuminate the dark web and we will bring to justice those who try to hide their crimes there.”

Editorial credit: Heidi Besen / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Shelter-in-place ordered after third stabbing near campus of UC Davis, California

After a third person was stabbed in a week in the college town of Davis, Calif., the city issued a shelter-in-place order for a part of Tuesday morning. The two previous stabbings resulted in death, marking the first homicides in Davis in three years. The latest stabbing in the home of the University of California, Davis, came just before midnight on Monday at a homeless encampment, where a woman was stabbed multiple times through a tent. The UC Davis Medical Center listed her in critical condition as of Tuesday.

message issued by the city of Davis and the university read: “The suspect matches the description of previous stabbing incidents. He is described as a male wearing all dark clothing, possibly a blue shirt and jeans, carrying a black backpack and wearing black Adidas shoes with stripes.” Authorities said they looked for a suspect until close to dawn on Tuesday, at which point they lifted their shelter-in-place order. Davis Police were joined in the search by the Sacramento Police Department, Elk Grove Police Department, Yolo County Sheriff, West Sacramento Police Department, and Woodland Police Department. UC Davis said it brought in extra private security to the campus and added staffers to after-hours Safe Ride vans.

The first stabbing took place on Thursday at Davis’ Central Park. Police Chief Darren Pytel said at the time that the victim suffered from a “significant number of stab wounds.” Monday’s stabbing came shortly after the stabbing death on Saturday of UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm, 20, who was a local student expected to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Editorial credit: Chris Allan / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Shania Twain releases ‘Queen of Me (Royal Edition)’

Shania Twain has released ‘Queen of Me (Royal Edition)’, the deluxe edition of latest album Queen Of Me. The deluxe ‘royal edition’ features five extra tracks, including two new originals – “Bone Dry” and “Wanted Man.”  To stream Queen of Me (Royal Edition), head here.

Twain shares: “I wrote ‘Bone Dry’ alone on the acoustic guitar and the song is about having everything in the world but still feeling empty. I guess it’s about whatever you want it to be about as the listener but there is some reading between the lines with this song! I remember waking up thinking I’ve got everything I could want in the world; I should wake up super happy and feeling grateful and enthusiastic about the day. But the good life I have now compared to my underprivileged youth can sometimes leave me feeling impatient and impossible to satisfy. ‘Bone Dry’ is my reflection on how money, beauty, fame, power, elements that really don’t bring genuine fulfillment. It’s the simple things in life that do for me personally. Like the joy of parenting, being in love, smelling roses, the company of animals, dreaming, creative freedom, nature. When I stay connected to these things, I’m truly happy and whole.”

Twain also collaborated with Breland on the reimagining of “Inhale/Exhale Air.” Shared Breland: “I am a huge Shania Twain fan and have always dreamt of singing on a song with her. The first Super Bowl I can remember watching was the one that she played halftime, and once I got into country music as an artist, she was my number one dream collab. What she represents for country music and beyond is so important, and she’s opened up doors for artists like me. It was a no-brainer for me to be on this song and I’m looking forward to playing some shows with her this summer.”

Shania’s Queen of Me Tour just kicked-off on Friday, April 28th at Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA. The tour will make stops across North America and Europe in Vancouver, Denver, Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, London, Dublin and more before wrapping up on November 14th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC.

Editorial credit: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Hardy and Lainey Wilson hit No. 1 on country radio with ‘Wait in the Truck”

Hardy and Lainey Wilson are No. 1 on the Mediabase country chart with their now certified Platinum hit, “Wait in the Truck.” Said Hardy on social media: ““wait in the truck” is #1. Thank you Country Radio, @laineywilsonmusic and especially the writers @hunterphelpsmusic, Jordan Schmidt and @reneeblair. LFCROW”

Hardy added in a statement: “I’m just so happy a song like this still has a place in country music. Thanks to everyone involved for taking this song to the top, and for believing in this one.”  Wilson added: “I’m so honored Hardy asked me to join him on a song that’s had an impact on so many people and shed light on a topic a lot of folks are scared to talk about. He is one of the most brilliant songwriters I’ve ever met and puts on one heck of a show. I can’t wait to be back out on the road together this fall!”

“Wait in the Truck” earned three nominations at the 2023 ACM Awards for Song Of The Year, Music Event Of The Year, and Visual Media Of The Year.  The song was streamed over 219 million times, and was paired with a cinematic official music video.

Hardy & Lainey Wilson Score No. 1 With ‘Wait In The Truck’

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Nightly talk shows immediately stop production after Hollywood writers go on strike

Hollywood writers went on strike on Tuesday after negotiations between the writers union and the studios fell through. The union said in a statement that the board of directors for the Writers Guild of America (“WGA”) voted unanimously to call for a walkout effective just after midnight; picketing began Tuesday afternoon. The strike will bring an end to television production until an agreement is reached, bringing major impacts to the entertainment industry.

WGA said the decision to strike came after it failed to reach an agreement after six weeks of negotiations with studios and streaming services including Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony under the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The union’s statement read: “The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing.” 

As a result of the strike, scripted television series may be forced to shorten their seasons, while the production of television shows and films may be delayed. Nightly network talk shows including The Late Show with Steven Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers will immediately stop running new episodes, and in most cases will instead air re-runs.  Additionally, NBC’s Saturday Night Live has shut down production, with the May 6th episode with Pete Davidson returning as host now cancelled.

Union members are seeking pay increases to offset higher living costs. According to WGA statistics, median writer-producer pay has declined 4%, or 23% when adjusted for inflation.  The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (the association that represents studios, television networks and streaming platforms), said that it had offered compensation agreements for the writers. However, one of the biggest disputes was regarding union proposals that would require companies to staff television shows with a certain number of writers for a specific period of time, “whether needed or not.”

Editorial credit: Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

2023 Tony Award nominations: ‘Some Like It Hot’ leads with 13 nods

During a livestream on Tuesday, actors Lea Michele and Myles Frost announced the nominations for the 2023 Tony Awards, which recognize excellence in live Broadway theatre.

Some Like It Hot (a musical adaptation of the comedy film starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) leads the nominations this year with 13, including Best Musical. The show follows two friends/musicians who disguise themselves as women to join an all-girl band, after fleeing from Chicago after witnessing a mob hit. The musical, starring Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee with songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, has been turned into an embrace of trans rights. Borle and Ghee also both earned acting nominations.

& JulietNew York, New York and Shucked followed with nine nominations each, while Kimberly Akimbo and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street both earned eight nods; and Ain’t No Mo’A Doll’s HouseInto the WoodsLeopoldstadt and Parade are each up for six awards.

The 76th annual ceremony, hosted by Ariana DeBose for the second straight year, will take place June 11 at United Palace in New York City and air on CBS. The show will also be available to stream on Paramount+.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Anthrax shares they are in the studio recording their new album

Anthrax revealed on social media they are back in the studio to work on their new album, the long-awaited follow-up to 2016’s For All Kings.  The band shared a photo of core instrumental members Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, and Frank Bello alongside producer Jay Ruston, along with the caption: “ANTHRAX IN THE STUDIO…”We’re Going To Need A Bigger Boat…..We have been in the studio with producer @jayruston, laying down basic tracks in preparation for Joey to record his vocals, and for Jonathan Donais, to add his leads and solos. No title nor release date at this time, Stay tuned for info!! @thefrankbello @joeybelladonnaofficial @scottianthrax @charbenante @jonathanmdonais”

Anthrax are currently laying down tracks before vocalist Joey Belladonna and lead guitarist Jonathan Donais add their respective parts. Benante briefly discussed the band’s recording plans earlier this year, and how the band is working around his own busy schedule as the current drummer for Pantera. Said Benante: “Basically we’ve been working on this record but it’s been taking long to do, because we’ve been out here touring again. The plan is to get in in between the Pantera schedules and start to do the drums, and just start to build the record. At least if we can go in and record the drum tracks, and everybody can start to add to that, then we can really have some momentum on this record, with a 2024 release [planned].”  Benante will hit the road with Pantera both as support on Metallica’s tour and on their own headlining North American run with special guests Lamb of God.

Anthrax recently wrapped up a co-headlining run with Black Label Society, and are set to perform at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in late May.

Editorial credit: ChrisJamesRyanPhotography / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Fall Out Boy dropping limited ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ vinyl edition

Fall Out Boy will drop limited vinyl editions of their eighth studio album So Much (For) Stardust with the introduction of Crynyl – records filled with real tears from the band. Upon its March 24 release, So Much (For) Stardust debuted at No. 1 on the Rock Album charts.

Created in partnership with Los Angeles based art studio BRAIN, the band first teased Crynyl’s arrival last month with a mysterious post showcasing Pete Wentz extracting said tears. The first-of-its-kind drop launches with 50 double-sided LPs sealed with the band’s tears, and are now available for $99.99 at crynyl.com. Each Crynyl comes packaged in a gatefold box with a built-in, fully functional tissue dispenser.

The band will also be launching their headlining So Much For (Tour) Dust tour across stadiums and arena. The 25+ date North American trek will kick off at Chicago’s famed Wrigley Field on June 21st before continuing through cities like St. Louis, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Toronto, and concluding in Camden, NJ on August 6th.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Fall Out Boy dropping limited ‘So Much (For) Stardust’ vinyl edition

Fall Out Boy will drop limited vinyl editions of their eighth studio album So Much (For) Stardust with the introduction of Crynyl – records filled with real tears from the band. Upon its March 24 release, So Much (For) Stardust debuted at No. 1 on the Rock Album charts.

Created in partnership with Los Angeles based art studio BRAIN, the band first teased Crynyl’s arrival last month with a mysterious post showcasing Pete Wentz extracting said tears. The first-of-its-kind drop launches with 50 double-sided LPs sealed with the band’s tears, and are now available for $99.99 at crynyl.com. Each Crynyl comes packaged in a gatefold box with a built-in, fully functional tissue dispenser.

The band will also be launching their headlining So Much For (Tour) Dust tour across stadiums and arena. The 25+ date North American trek will kick off at Chicago’s famed Wrigley Field on June 21st before continuing through cities like St. Louis, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Toronto, and concluding in Camden, NJ on August 6th.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com