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News Daypop

Hunter Biden defies subpoena to privately testify ahead of impeachment inquiry vote

On Wednesday, President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden defied a congressional subpoena to appear privately for a deposition in an impeachment inquiry against his father, prior to the House holding a vote to formalize the process. The chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, said that Republicans expect “full cooperation” with the private deposition. Comer and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, told reporters later Wednesday that they will begin looking at contempt of Congress proceedings in response to Hunter Biden’s lack of cooperation.

In a rare public statement, Hunter Biden spoke to reporters for about 10 minutes to Capitol Hill, saying he is prepared to testify in front of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee, but only in public. The private deposition is part of the House’s impeachment investigation against the president. The president’s son slammed the subpoena requesting closed-door testimony, saying it could be manipulated, saying outside the Capitol: “Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say. What are they afraid of? I am here. Hunter Biden added: “There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen.”

Republicans have been pursuing an impeachment inquiry seeking to tie President Joe Biden to his son’s business dealings, but have thus far failed to uncover evidence directly implicating President Biden in any wrongdoing. Questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden family’s international business, and some say their evidence points to “influence peddling” in their business dealings, particularly with international clients.

Hunter Biden is also facing additional criminal charges in two states from a special counsel overseeing a long-running investigation. He’s charged with firearm counts in Delaware, alleging he broke laws against drug users having guns in 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. Special counsel David Weiss also filed new charges and nine new tax counts last week, alleging he schemed to avoid paying about $1.4 million in taxes over a three-year period.

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Sports Daypop

St. Louis Blues fire six-season coach Craig Berube after disappointing 13-14-1 start

St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced they have fired coach Craig Berube, this coming after the team lost to the Detroit Red Wings 6-4 on Tuesday night in St. Louis, the fourth straight loss for the Blues. The Blues said Drew Bannister will serve as interim coach, who previously worked as coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliate.

The Blues have started their 2023-24 campaign with a disappointing 13-14-1 record, and currently sit in sixth place in the Central Division, nine points behind division-leading Colorado. The Blues are in 10th place out of 16 teams in the Western Conference’s Central Division. They rank 24th in goals for and 23rd in goals against.

Berube, 57, led the Philadelphia Flyers to a 75-58-28 record in two seasons as coach in 2013-14 and 2014-15, who then fired him after the 2014-15 campaign.  He posted a 206-132-44 record in six seasons with the Blues, in which they reached the playoffs four times over the last five seasons, including a Stanley Cup winning run in 2018-19.

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Sports Daypop

Washington’s NHL Capitals, NBA Wizards moving to Virginia in 2028

The majority owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals, Ted Leonsis, announced plans on Wednesday he will move those franchises from Washington, D.C., to Virginia by 2028. Leonsis took control of the Capitals and Capital One Arena in 1999, acquired the WNBA’s Washington Mystics in 2005, and the Wizards in 2010.

The CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment said in a press release that the company reached a “framework of an agreement for a public-private partnership” to build an entertainment district in Alexandria, Va., at Potomac Yard. Leonsis said: “We are committed to providing world-class fan experiences while continuously evolving our teams, deepening community ties and solidifying our role as leaders at the forefront of sports and technology. The opportunity to expand to this 70-acre site in Virginia, neighboring industry-leading innovators, and a great academic partner, would enable us to further our creativity and achieve next-generation, leading work — all while keeping our fans and the community at the forefront of everything we do.”

The proposal includes a $2 billion, 9 million square-foot campus for Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s headquarters, an arena for both franchises, a media studio, a Wizards practice facility, a performing arts venue, an Esports facility, retail, restaurants and more. Monumental said Capital One Arena, home of the Wizards and Capitals in Washington, could potentially be updated to be the future home of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Currently, The Capitals’ practice facility is in Arlington, Va.  The Mystics, also owned by Leonsis, currently play at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in southeast Washington.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also spoke alongside Leonsis about the planned move at a news conference Wednesday in Alexandria. Virginia officials said they are still working on additional plans for transportation related to their project, and that the relocation also must be approved by the state’s General Assembly and Alexandria City Council.

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Country Daypop

2024 GoldenSky Country Music Festival to feature headliners Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan

The GoldenSky Music Festival unveiled its 2024 lineup, with Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett and Luke Bryan revealed as headliners for the three-day event. The 2024 edition will take place at Discovery Park in Sacramento, CA from Oct. 18-20, 2024.

The festival posted on social media: “GoldenSky, your lineup is here! The Exclusive Golden Presale starts tomorrow. Are you on the list? Don’t wait; sign up now for the Exclusive Golden Presale to get front-of-the-line access tomorrow, Wednesday, December 13, at 10 am PST. Lock in your passes during the presale at the lowest possible price level available. With passes starting at just $10 down you won’t want to wait any longer. But wait there’s more! When you buy your passes during the Presale and use our layaway plan, your first payment won’t kick in until February 2024. Sounds like a rodeo throw-down to us! Head to http://goldenskyfestival.com to sign up now. #GoldenSkyFestival #CountryMusicJam #GoldenPresale”

Keith Urban will headline on Friday, Oct. 18th, which will also feature Turnpike Troubadours, Elle King, Clint Black, Locash, Shane Smith & The Saints, Haily Whitters, Travis Denning, Carter Faith, Kylie Morgan, Logan Crosby. On Saturday, October 19th, headliner Thomas Rhett will be joined by Riley Green, Gabby Barrett, Charles Wesley Godwin, Conner Smith, Sam Barber, Hunter Hayes, David Nail, George Birge, Hannah Ellis, Tanner Adell. Finally on Sunday, October 20th, Luke Bryan takes the stage, along with Bailey Zimmerman, Ashley McBryde, Paul Cauthen, Colbie Caillat, Larry Fleet, Deana Carter, Chayce Beckham, RVSHVD, Lecade, Madeline Merlo.

Those interested in attending can sign up for access to a presale; tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m.  For more information, head to the festival’s official website.

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Categories
Country Daypop

Luke Combs responds with kindness after $250k fan lawsuit

After a Florida woman was ordered to pay country star Luke Combs $250,000 for selling counterfeit merchandise on Amazon, Luke Combs is responding with kindness.

The woman, Combs’ fan Nicol Harness, suffers from congestive heart failure, and began selling homemade tumblers for $20 bearing Comb’s likeness. Harness made a mere $380 from the merch, but after a recent hospital stay found out that a judge ordered her and other defendants to pay Combs a quarter of a million dollars each, and her Amazon storefront was locked. Harness says she was unaware of the lawsuit until her Amazon store was frozen, and later found a notice in her spam folder from Combs’ attorney giving her 21 days to respond, which had already passed.

Combs, who had been unaware of the matter until he saw news reports, has now personally responded — saying he will not pursue the lawsuit, but will pay Harness instead. Said Combs in a social media video: “This is unbelievable. I was completely shock when I saw this this morning and it makes me sick. This is not something I would ever do. This is not the kind of person I am. I am not greedy in any way, shape or form. Money is the last thing on my mind, I promise you that … I spent the last two hours trying to make this right, trying to figure out what’s going on because I was completely and utterly unaware of this. We do have a company that goes after folks only supposedly large corporations operating internationally that make millions and millions of dollars making counterfeit t-shirts and things of that nature — running illegal businesses. Apparently, this woman Nicol has somehow gotten wrapped into that, and that makes me absolutely sick to my stomach… It makes me sick honestly that would happen, especially at the holidays. I can’t imagine being in her shoes. She was never supposed to be involved in anything like this. No fan should ever have to be involved in anything like this.”

Combs spoke to Harness personally by phone, and he shared that $5,500 of her income was being held by Amazon because of the lawusuit, adding that he will be sending her $11,000 to help with medical expenses and creating tumblers he will sell on his website with proceeds to benefit her directly.  He also invited Harness and her family to a show in 2024 to “give her a hug and tell her I’m sorry in person.

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Categories
Entertainment Daypop

‘Barbie’ leads 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards film nominations

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the nominations in the film categories for the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards, with the smash hit film Barbie leading the nominees with 18 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Greta Gerwig, Best Actress for Margot Robbie and Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling.

Oppenheimer, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, and Poor Things, from Yorgos Lanthimos and Tony McNamara, follow Barbie with 13 nominations each; and Killers of the Flower Moon, the true crime drama by Martin Scorsese, is up for 12 awards.

The previously-noted films will compete for Best Picture along with American Fiction, The Color Purple, The Holdovers, Maestro, Past Lives, and Saltburn.

TV category nominees were announced earlier this month, with “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+) leading the contenders with six nominations and “Succession” (HBO) following with five nods.  “A Small Light” (National Geographic), “Abbott Elementary” (ABC), “Beef” (Netflix), “Lessons In Chemistry” (Apple TV+), “Loki” (Disney+), “Reservation Dogs” (FX), and “The Bear” (FX) tied with four nominations each.

Hosted by Chelsea Handler, the Critics Choice Awards gala will broadcast live on The CW on Jan. 14, 2024 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.

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Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Former castmates, friends pay tribute to the late Andre Braugher

Former castmates, friends and colleagues are paying tribute to Andrew Braugher, who died on Monday, December 11 after a brief battle with illness at the age of 61.

Many of Braugher’s former Brooklyn Nine-Nine costars took to social media to honor their colleague: Terry Crews, who played Lieutenant Terry Jeffords, wrote via Instagram,“Can’t believe you’re gone so soon. I’m honored to have known you, laughed with you, worked with you and shared 8 glorious years watching your irreplaceable talent. This hurts. You left us too soon. You taught me so much. I will be forever grateful for the experience of knowing you. Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship. Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time. You showed me what a life well lived looks like. Rest In Peace, Andre. I love you, man. 😢❤”; Braugher’s B99 on-screen husband, Marc Evan Jackson, posted a photo on X of the twosome behind the scenes of the sitcom, writing “O Captain. My Captain”; And Melissa Fumero, who portrayed Amy Santiago on the series, shared a slideshow of photos of herself and Braugher, writing: “I will remember all the advice you gave me. I will remember all the times we laughed because your laugh was one of the all-time greatest laughs to have ever existed. I will remember the deep love and loyalty you had for your family. I will remember it every time I ask work to make time for me to be with my family. I will remember how you sent me pictures of Fall trees in NJ because you knew how much I missed that time of year back east. I will remember you calling me Melly Fumé. I will remember so much. It was an honor to be in your orbit for a time, Sir. May you Rest in Peace, my friend.”

Braugher portrayed Captain Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which ran for eight seasons from 2013 to 2021. Braugher earned two Critics Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and received four Emmy Award nominations.  He was also well-known for his Emmy-wining role as Det. Frank Pembleton on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” which ran for seven seasons on NBC.

Braugher is survived by his wife of more than 30 years, former “Homicide” costar Ami Brabson. He is also survived by sons Michael, Isaiah and John Wesley, brother Charles Jennings and mother Sally Braugher.

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Categories
Rock Daypop

Corey Taylor announces 2024 North American solo tour

Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has announced a 2024 solo tour across North America. Taylor timed the announcement to coincide with his 50th birthday, thanking fans for their birthday wishes and then revealing the month-long run of shows.

Taylor’s tour kicks-off on February 3 in Toronto, making stops in Montreal, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans, and several more cities before wrapping-up on March 3 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Presales are underway with the general on sale tickets set for Friday, December 15th at 10 am local time via Ticketmaster.

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Charli XCX engaged to The 1975 drummer George Daniel

Charli XCX is engaged to George Daniel, the drummer and primary producer for the band The 1975.

The 31-year-old Charli XCX (real name: Charlotte Emma Aitchison) shared photos of her and Daniel, 33, on social media showing how Daniel proposed, a snap of two tea cups, flowers, a candle, and an engagement ring sitting on a tray table on top of a bed. She wrote: “charli xcx and george daniel f—ing for life!!!”

The couple went official in May 2022 when Charli shared pics of her and Daniel on vacation and have since made numerous red carpet appearances together. The musicians first worked together for their 2021 feature on No Rome’s single “Spinning” and collaborated on numerous other recordings including “Hot Girl (Bodies Bodies Bodies),” and most recently “In the City” featuring Sam Smith.

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Categories
Rock Daypop

Bleachers launching U.S. leg of ‘From The Studio To The Stage’ tour in 2024

Bleachers will launch the North American leg of their ‘From The Studio To The Stage’ tour in 2024. The tour serves as support of Bleachers forthcoming self-titled album, which drops March 8, 2024. Samia will serve as support on tour

The U.S. run kicks-off in Salt Lake City on May 18, with Bleachers making numerous stops around the country before wrapping-up in Asbury Park on June 15. Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff posted a message to fans concerning tickets: “we know there’s lots of issues and confusion when buying tickets to shows. want to ensure you we’ve done and will always do everything in our power to make this process as clean and transparent as possible for you all. we’ve had conversations from every single venue and promoter to the heads of the companies to limit fees and advertise only the total price to fans for as many shows as possible. so the ticket price you see is the ticket price you pay. this tour means the world to me and i want to make sure everyone gets in the door feeling right. also keep me posted if you encounter anything weird because i wanna know what you guys deal with and be able to take it right to the top of these companies and do my best to make it easier for bleachers fans and everyone. love you all! see you at FTSTTS ( just wait till you see this shit 🙂 )”

Tickets are currently on sale now via Ticketmaster. In addition, $1 from the sale of each ticket will be donated to The Ally Coalition, the charity frontman Jack Antonoff founded with his sister Rachel to support LGBTQ youth.

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