Month: November 2023

Categories
Country Daypop

2023 CMA Awards: See the full list of winners

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The 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards took place on Wednesday night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning returning to host the awards ceremony for the second consecutive year.

Lainey Wilson, who led the night with nine nominations, was the night’s biggest winner – taking home five awards including the top prize, ‘Entertainer of the Year,’ as well as album of the year for Bell Bottom Country, female vocalist of the year and a pair awards for her HARDY collaboration “wait in the truck.”

Luke Combs took home the award for ‘Single of the Year’ for his rendition of ‘Fast Car,’ written by Tracey Chapman, who took home the ‘Song of the Year’ award for the song. Chapman first wrote and released the song in 1988 as part of her debut studio album; Combs re-recorded the song in 2023.

For the full list of winners, head to the CMA website.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

2023 CMA Awards: See the full list of winners

shutterstock_286279118827580

The 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards took place on Wednesday night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning returning to host the awards ceremony for the second consecutive year.

Lainey Wilson, who led the night with nine nominations, was the night’s biggest winner – taking home five awards including the top prize, ‘Entertainer of the Year,’ as well as album of the year for Bell Bottom Country, female vocalist of the year and a pair awards for her HARDY collaboration “wait in the truck.”

Luke Combs took home the award for ‘Single of the Year’ for his rendition of ‘Fast Car,’ written by Tracey Chapman, who took home the ‘Song of the Year’ award for the song. Chapman first wrote and released the song in 1988 as part of her debut studio album; Combs re-recorded the song in 2023.

For the full list of winners, head to the CMA website.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

House Oversight Committee issues subpoenas for Hunter Biden, president’s brother James Biden

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Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee announced that President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden; his brother, James Biden; and Hunter Biden’s business associate Rob Walker were subpoenaed, demanding they appear for depositions. Other Biden family members were asked to sit for interviews Wednesday in the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing presidential impeachment inquiry.

The subpoenas are in relation to the panel’s ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Biden; the committee had previously subpoenaed banks for records belonging to Hunter and James Biden. Biden’s son, Hunter, was called to appear for a deposition on Dec. 13. Biden’s brother James and business associate Rob Walker are scheduled for Dec. 6 and Nov. 29, respectively.

In addition to the subpoenas, the committee is requesting transcribed interviews with other Biden family members and associates, including both Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen, and the widow of Beau Biden, Hallie Biden. Also asked for transcribed interviews were James Biden’s wife, Sara; Elizabeth Secundy, the older sister of Hallie Biden; and Tony Bobulinski a former business associate of Hunter Biden.

Comer said: “The House Oversight Committee has followed the money and built a record of evidence revealing how Joe Biden knew, was involved, and benefited from his family’s influence peddling schemes. Now, the House Oversight Committee is going to bring in members of the Biden family and their associates to question them on this record of evidence.”  The committee said: “The Biden family, their business associates, and their companies received over $24 million from foreign nationals over the course of approximately five years — including millions of dollars from China, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and Kazakhstan. The Bidens and their associates made complicated financial transactions to conceal the source and total amount of money they received from foreign nationals and companies.”

White House spokesman Ian Sams said the ongoing inquiry has “turned up no evidence to support their outlandish allegations of bribery and ‘high crimes and misdemeanors .. Instead of using the power of Congress to pursue a partisan political smear campaign against the president and his family, extreme House Republicans should do their jobs.”

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Categories
News Daypop

Ivanka Trump testifies she wasn’t involved in documents relating to father’s civil fraud trial

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Former president Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, testified Wednesday that she was not involved in fraudulent Trump Organization financial statements. Ivanka Trump’s testimony began Wednesday in the New York civil business fraud trial against her father, brothers and the Trump Organization, where she stated she had not worked for the business since 2017.

When Ivanka was asked about a financial statement that has been deemed fraudulent by Judge Arthur Engoron, she said she was not involved and doesn’t know what valuations it contained; however under questioning by the New York attorney general’s office lawyer Louis Solomon, Ivanka Trump admitted she was paid a profit from the Trump Organization 2022 sale of the Old Post Office Building in Washington. Ivanka Trump repeatedly replied “I don’t recall” while on the witness stand, when asked about documents as well as letters and emails she wrote presented to her by the attorney general’s lawyer questioning her. As Solomon continued his questioning about business transactions more than a decade old, Ivanka Trump told Solomon she had given him the same answers to these questions a year and a half ago.

Ivanka Trump was dropped as a defendant in the case when an appeals court ruled her work at the Trump Organization happened too long ago; however, New York Attorney General Letitia James told reporters Wednesday morning that Ivanka is “inextricably tied to the Trump Organization.” Ivanka Trump once served as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization before she became a senior White House adviser after Trump won the 2016 election, forcing her to step away from her role in the family business.

Ivanka is the last Trump to testify in the penalty phase of the $250 million civil fraud trial against her father Donald Trump after he was found liable for inflating the value of his real estate properties in New York. Since her father left office in 2021, Ivanka Trump has neither sought public office nor taken part in his 2024 campaign.

Editorial credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

Jake Paul vs. Andre August boxing match announced for December 15 in Orlando

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Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions announced Wednesday morning that he will fight Andre August on Dec. 15 in Orlando, Fla.   The match, which will be held at the Caribe Royale Resort, will air on DAZN. The YouTube celebrity-turned boxer shared on his socials: “Ask and I shall deliver. August has more KO’s than me, more wins than me, more experience than me, but I like to gamble. The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing.”

Paul said in a news release: “I’m a professional boxer and I want to be world champion, so I need to pursue the path toward greatness against people who have been boxing their whole life. So far, my entire boxing career has been on pay-per-view, but now it’s about more than business. Now I want to build my experience in the ring against seasoned fighters.”

Paul, 26, made his boxing debut in 2020, when he beat YouTuber Ali Eson Gib; he later beat former NBA star Nate Robinson and MMA fighter Ben Askren in two other boxing bouts, and went on to beat MMA star Tyron Woodley twice in 2021 before defeating MMA star Anderson Silva in 2022.  Paul suffered his first loss in February against boxer Tommy Fury; he later beat MMA fighter Nate Diaz in August for his most recent victory.

The 35-year-old August (10-1-1) is on a five fight winning streak, beating Brandon Martin by unanimous decision Aug. 11 in St. Louis, totaling five knockouts through 12 fights. The 5-foot-10 Houston native said: “I don’t talk very much. I’m all about that action! Jake Paul has the money, the fame, the team and the resources. but he doesn’t have my hunger. When that bell rings, I am going to go straight to Jake Paul and ring his bell and send him back to YouTube for good.”

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

Chicago Bears to start Tyson Bagent in place of injured Justin Fields on “TNF”

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Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday that rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent will start in Chicago’s “Thursday Night Football”  game against the Carolina Panthers, after QB Justin Fields was not been cleared to play. Fields hasn’t played since he dislocated his thumb in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Eberflus’ announcement came after the team listed Fields as doubtful on its injury report ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the Panthers, the Chicago Bears have listed quarterback Justin Fields as doubtful. Per ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, that status gave Bagent his fourth start of the campaign.

The 23-year-old Bagent, an undrafted rookie out of Shepherd University, has started Chicago’s last three games. Chicago has gone 1-2  with Bagent, where he’s completed 66.7 percent of his throws for 614 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.

Fields, who dislocated his thumb in Week 6, has amassed 1,201 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions along with 420 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in 2023.

Editorial credit: ChicagoPhotographer / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

SAG-AFTRA reaches tentative deal with studios to end strike after 118 days

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After an historic strike of 118 days, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) – the union that represents performers on film and television – announced on Wednesday that they have reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP). The strike will officially come to an end at 12:01am on Thursday, November 9th. The last strike of this nature was in 1980, and it lasted for three months.

SAG-AFTRA said in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly: “We are thrilled and proud to tell you that today your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. As of 12:01am PT on Nov. 9, our strike is officially suspended and all picket locations are closed. We will be in touch in the coming days with information about celebration gatherings around the country.”. SAG-AFTRA says that its tentative agreement with the studios is worth more than $1 billion over three years and added that it has “extraordinary scope” and “unprecedented provisions”, but added that the full details of the agreement will not be provided until it is reviewed by the SAG-AFTRA National Board on Friday.

The AMPTP shared in their own statement that the agreement is, “the biggest contract-on-contract gains in the history of the union” and one that represents a “new paradigm”… It gives SAG-AFTRA the biggest contract-on-contract gains in the history of the union, including the largest increase in minimum wages in the last forty years; a brand new residual for streaming programs; extensive consent and compensation protections in the use of artificial intelligence; and sizable contract increases on items across the board. The AMPTP is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and looks forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories.”

SAG-AFTRA joined the Writers’ Guild of America on the picket lines, as the WGA had been on strike since May. Actors were on strike since July 14, after the guild’s national board voted unanimously to launch the work stoppage. Following the expiration of their contract on June 30 and a 12-day extension period, the union and the AMPTP failed to reach an agreement. The strike of both SAG-AFTRA and WGA marked a historic moment in the Hollywood labor movement, as the first concurrent strike between the guilds since 1960.

Editorial credit: Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Watch Guns N’ Roses debut unreleased song ‘The General’ at final U.S. show

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Guns N’ Roses have finally performed the previously unreleased song “The General” on stage at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl.  The anticipated debut of “The General” dates back to recording sessions for Guns N’ Roses’ 2008 album Chinese Democracy, at which time Axl Rose was the only remaining founding member of the group,. In 2006, Axl stated that 32 songs were in development for what he envisioned to be a trilogy of albums, but only 14 were released on Chinese Democracy.

Five years after bassist Duff McKagan and guitarist Slash returned to the group in 2021, GN’R released a reworked version of the Democracy sessions song “Absurd” (previously known as “Silkworms”), followed shortly by another named “Hard Skool.” In August 2023 they released a third track, “Perhaps,” and announced that “The General” would be included on the B-Side of an upcoming vinyl release of that song.

You can watch video of the live debut of ‘The General’ – here.

Editorial credit: A.PAES / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

The Scorpions announce new Las Vegas residency

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The Scorpions have announced a new Las Vegas concert residency to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s ninth album, Love at First Sting, (1984).  The band posted to social media: “Scorpions are returning to @BakktTheaterLV for Love at First Sting Las Vegas – a brand new exclusive headlining residency show in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their iconic album, Love at First Sting, performing the album + all of their biggest hits April 11 – May 3.”

Love at First Sting spawned hard rock staples such as “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Still Loving You” and “Big City Nights.” Scorpions’ latest album, their 19th, Rock Believer, arrived in 2022.

The German hard rock band will play nine dates at the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas between April 11–May 3, 2024 (The nine performances going on sale are April 11, 13, 18, 20, 24, 26 and 28; and May 1 and 3).

Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, November 10th at 10 am PT via Ticketmaster.

Editorial credit: A.PAES / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Olivia Rodrigo drops “Can’t Catch Me Now” from ‘Hunger Games’ soundtrack

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Olivia Rodrigo has shared her new song “Can’t Catch Me Now” off the soundtrack for the upcoming film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, arriving on November 17, the day of the movie’s release.

Rodrigo shared on Instagram:  “yayayayyyy!!!! my new song “Can’t Catch Me Now” from the @thehungergames is out now. the film and the rest of the soundtrack are out November 17th!!!!! hope ya dig🪐🌸⚡ “

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes also features new music from Rachel Zegler, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, Flatland Cavalry, Bella White, and Charles Wesley Godwin.

Take a listen to “Can’t Catch Me Now” – here.
Pre-order The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Music From & Inspired By) – here.

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