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News Daypop

Justice Department sues Texas developer with accusations of preying on Latino homebuyers

Federal authorities sued Houston-area developer Colony Ridge on Wednesday, with accusations of them luring Latino home buyers into seller-financed mortgages and setting them up to default and face foreclosure.  The lawsuit comes one week after the Houston Landing published an investigation about Colony Ridge’s lending practices.

Colony Ridge entities developed a collection of subdivisions that cover about 33,000 acres of land 30 miles north of Houston. Federal authorities allege that Colony Ridge used Spanish videos to target prospective Latino buyers, and once a person visited the property, the developer allegedly used high-pressure sales tactics, required minimal down payments and extended loans without assessing a buyer’s ability to repay or verifying their gross income.

Alamdar S. Hamdani, U.S. Attorney for area of Houston, said: “Colony Ridge set out to exploit something as old as America: An immigrant’s dream of owning a home. As alleged in the complaint, Colony Ridge’s exploitative practice began with misleading advertisements on platforms like TikTok and often ended with families facing economic ruin. No home – and shattered dreams.”

Federal authorities also said at a news conference on Wednesday that Colony Ridge also misrepresented facts — such as guarantees of water, electricity and sewer hook-ups — “causing borrowers to incur substantial unanticipated expenses after closing”, federal officials said. Once a buyer fell behind on payments, the company bought the land again and repeated the process — sometimes multiple times with the same piece of property.

Colony Ridge’s chief executive John Harris said Wednesday he was “blindsided” by the lawsuit, which he called “baseless and both outrageous and inflammatory. Our business thrives off customer referrals because landowners are happy and able to experience the American Dream of owning property. We loan to those who have no opportunity to get a loan from anyone else and we are proud of the relationship we have developed with customers. We look forward to telling the true story of Colony Ridge.”

Editorial credit: Paul Brady Photography / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Xfinity urges users to change passwords after 36M customers are affected by hackers

Xfinity has notified its customers that a hacker data breach obtained access to the personal information of 36 million customers — comprising nearly all of Xfinity’s customers. The data included passwords, user names and security-question answers.

An Xfinity notice to customers this week said that the hack was due to a vulnerability in Citrix software that was patched. Subsequently, Xfinity discovered that hackers had nonetheless gained access to customers’ personal data. The Xfinity notice said: “after additional review of the affected systems and data, Xfinity concluded on December 6, 2023, that the customer information in scope included usernames and hashed passwords; for some customers, other information may also have been included, such as names, contact information, last four digits of social security numbers, dates of birth and/or secret questions and answers.” 

According to Comcast, all Xfinity customers — even those whose accounts might not have been breached — must reset their usernames and passwords, and strongly recommended its customers enable two-factor authorization to secure accounts. It also warned customers to not re-use passwords across multiple platforms.

Comcast noted “while Xfinity advises customers not to re-use passwords across multiple accounts, the company is recommending that customers change passwords for other accounts for which they use the same username and password or security question.” 

Cloud computing company Citrix had announced a vulnerability in its software Oct. 10 and issued mitigation guidance Oct. 23; then on Oct. 25, Xfinity said, it discovered “suspicious activity and subsequently determined that between October 16 and October 19, 2023, there was unauthorized access to its internal systems that was concluded to be a result of this vulnerability.”

Customers with questions can contact Xfinity toll-free at (888) 799-2560 24 hours a day Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time. More information is available on Xfinity’s website at xfinity.com/dataincident.

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Sports Daypop

Lionel Messi, Inter Miami kicking-off 2024 MLS season vs. Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21st

MLS announced on Wednesday that Lionel Messi will kick-off his first full Major League Soccer (MLS) campaign with Inter Miami on Feb. 21, 2024 at home with with a match against Real Salt Lake. Messi joined Inter Miami in July after signing a two-and-a-half year contract.

The MLS 2024 matches were announced along with the full schedule for the regular season, which ends on Oct. 19 followed by the MLS Cup Playoffs and culminating in the MLS Cup on Dec. 7. Among their 34 regular season games, Inter Miami will also visit Orlando City SC on May 15 during MLS Rivalry Week. Miami’s final regular season game is Oct. 19 at New England Revolution.

Messi is a World Cup champion and record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as best player in the world; he had 11 goals in 14 appearances across all competitions for the MLS side while leading the club to their first-ever trophy by winning the Leagues Cup final.

The 2024 Leagues Cup will be played from July 26 to Aug. 25. MLS regular season matches are not planned in that window. The tournament will begin two days after the MLS All-Star Game, to be played July 24 in Columbus.

Editorial credit: Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.com

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Sports Daypop

Michigan receives notice of allegations from NCAA for recruiting violations

According to sources and reported by ESPN, Michigan football has received a notice of allegations from the NCAA related to the investigation into illicit recruiting and coaching during COVID-19 ‘dead period’. Michigan faces four Level II violations, along with a Level I allegation against coach Jim Harbaugh for misleading investigators.

Michigan has 90 days to respond to the notice of allegations, and the NCAA will have 60 additional days thereafter for a rebuttal. Michigan can wait until well after the College Football Playoff to finally address the allegations based on this timeline.

In January, Michigan received a first draft of the NCAA notice, with the program agreeing to several Level II allegations, including texting during the dead period, analysts performing on-field coaching and coaches watching workouts via Zoom during the COVID-19 shutdown. However, Michigan continues to push back on the Level I violation that Harbaugh lied to investigators regarding the incidents. In order to try and get ahead of the NCAA’s punishment, Harbaugh served a self-imposed suspension for three games at the beginning of the season, and also served a separate three-game suspension during the end of the regular season, which was handed down by the Big Ten in response to information the conference received from the NCAA’s findings.

Michigan is also under a separate investigation for coordinated sign-stealing and in-person scouting involving former analyst Connor Stalions.

Editorial credit: Wichai Cheva Photography / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Trisha Yearwood debuts ‘nearly unrecognizable’ new look and hairstyle with bangs

Trisha Yearwood is showing off her recent hair transformation, looking nearly unrecognizable in a series of photos she posted to Instagram.

In Yearwood’s first two photos, she shows off her new honey blonde hairstyle -with the addition of bangs – as she dons leather leggings, a cherry red velvet blazer and black boots, finishing off with a bold red lip. Yearwood, 59, wrote in her caption: “Closing out Vegas ‘23 with a bang! Special thanks to n@goodwillglendastyle for the gorgeous blonde balayage, Ray @wynnlasvegas Salon for the bangin’ haircut, and @lypservice for the glam. Those red lips tho! Merry Christmas, and love one another! 🎄♥💚

Yearwood tagged her post at The Colosseum at Cesar’s Palace, where her husband Garth Brooks’ performed his final Vegas residency show of 2023 over the weekend.   Brooks wrote in a tweet: “What an EPIC 2023 at [Cesar’s Palace]  Thank YOU for showing up BIG every single night and bringing the party to Vegas! Can’t wait to do this again in 2024!”

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Country Daypop

Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson debut unreleased song in Las Vegas

Lainey Wilson surprised fans during her Las Vegas show on Dec 15, bringing Miranda Lambert on stage to join her for a live performance, including debuting a a new, unreleased song the duo co-wrote together. Wilson had posted on her Instagram some images of her and Lambert on stage rehearsing, along with the tagline: “Charlie’s angels but make it country 😇

The collaboration kicked off with a rendition of Lambert’s hit “Kerosene,” before they transitioned into the debut of their mystery song. Lainey told the crowd: “This song is so, so special, and you can hear her all over it. She helped me write the song, and I’m so proud of the song, we hope you love it.”   Cowgirl Magazine posted a clip of the ladies performing on Instagram, writing, “@laineywilson and @mirandalambert surprised us with a new song tonight at @virginhotelslv! This duo is amazing.”

Lambert and Wilson teamed up with Luke Dick to write the track, titled “Good Horses.” Wilson said it was a “special” opportunity to perform the song for the first time during the third night of her Wildflowers and Wild Horses shows, explaining: “There were a lot of highs this past week in Vegas and this is definitely one of them,” Wilson said. “We wrote ‘Good Horses’ with [Luke Dick] and when my sister [Miranda Lambert] agreed to join me for the third night of my Wildflowers and Wild Horses shows, I knew we had to add it to the setlist.🐴 It was special gettin’ to perform it for the first time for a crowd of horse lovin’, rodeo-in’, country lovin’ people like us.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

Sister of Céline Dion says singer’s symptoms of stiff-person syndrome have worsened

Céline Dion’s sister, Claudette Dion, shared in new interview that the singer has reportedly lost control of some of her mobility amid her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis. The disease is considered to be rare and only affects approximately one in a million people.

According to a translation from French, Claudette Dion told 7 Jours: “She doesn’t have control over her muscles. What pains me is that she has always been disciplined. She always worked hard.” Claudette said that it is her dream and her sister’s to return to the stage one day:  “In what capacity? I don’t know. The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what gets me.”  Claudette added, “There are some people who have lost hope because it is a disease that is not known. If you only knew how many calls we receive at the Foundation to hear from Céline! People tell us they love her and pray for her. She receives so many messages, gifts, blessed crucifixes.”

Dion revealed in a video posted on social media in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome. The singer said the symptoms are what have been causing her to have severe muscle spasms in the past: “The spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to. I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life.” Dion’s diagnosis caused the singer to reschedule and cancel her entire 2023 tour.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Stiff-person syndrome (‘SPS’), is a disease that causes “progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms” that are triggered by environmental factors such as “sudden movement, cold temperature or unexpected loud noises.”  Yale Medicine writes that prominent SPS symptoms include muscle stiffening and painful muscle spasms that can be provoked by emotional stress or, again, outside stimuli. These spasms can be “so severe that they cause the person to fall down.”

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Sister of Céline Dion says singer’s symptoms of stiff-person syndrome have worsened

Céline Dion’s sister, Claudette Dion, shared in new interview that the singer has reportedly lost control of some of her mobility amid her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis. The disease is considered to be rare and only affects approximately one in a million people.

According to a translation from French, Claudette Dion told 7 Jours: “She doesn’t have control over her muscles. What pains me is that she has always been disciplined. She always worked hard.” Claudette said that it is her dream and her sister’s to return to the stage one day:  “In what capacity? I don’t know. The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what gets me.”  Claudette added, “There are some people who have lost hope because it is a disease that is not known. If you only knew how many calls we receive at the Foundation to hear from Céline! People tell us they love her and pray for her. She receives so many messages, gifts, blessed crucifixes.”

Dion revealed in a video posted on social media in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome. The singer said the symptoms are what have been causing her to have severe muscle spasms in the past: “The spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to. I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life.” Dion’s diagnosis caused the singer to reschedule and cancel her entire 2023 tour.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Stiff-person syndrome (‘SPS’), is a disease that causes “progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms” that are triggered by environmental factors such as “sudden movement, cold temperature or unexpected loud noises.”  Yale Medicine writes that prominent SPS symptoms include muscle stiffening and painful muscle spasms that can be provoked by emotional stress or, again, outside stimuli. These spasms can be “so severe that they cause the person to fall down.”

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

‘Wonka’ debuts at No. 1 at the box office with $39M in earnings

The musical “Wonka” debuted with $39 million in its opening in U.S. and Canadian theaters, with its star, 27-year-old Timothée Chalamet, earning his second No. 1 movie (following 2021’s “Dune.”)

“Wonka” is the first big Hollywood release to launch following the end of the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike, and its success it due in part to Chalamet’s promotion of the film.  Said Jeffrey Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros.: “It shows you the power of a star, and it also shows you the power of a star going out and working a movie. Having him out there after the strikes were over was a win for him and a win for the movie.”

Directed by Paul King, “Wonka” is a prequel to 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” with Chalamet starring as a young Wonka trying to open a candy store. The ensemble cast includes Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman and Keegan-Michael Key.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” again ranked second this week with $5.8 million in its fifth week of release, with Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” dropping to third with $5.1 million in its second week of release.

Editorial credit: Sarunyu L / Shutterstock.com

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Rock Daypop

Bret Michaels, Queensryche among 2024 M3 Rock Festival performers

The M3 Rock Festival has revealed details for the 15th edition in 2024, featuring headlining performances by Queensrÿche and Bret Michaels. The 2024 M3 Rock Festival takes place May 4th and 5th at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

Michaels shared: “I’m truly excited to be back at M3. It’s a great rock festival, and I promise you I’m bringing all killer hits, no filler, and a big show! I want the fans to unleash their inner rockstar.”

Performers on Saturday, May 4th include Queensrÿche, Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, Last In Line, Quiet Riot, Lynch Mob, Doro, Aldo Nova, Child’s Play, Fan Halen, and more.  On Sunday, May 5th, Night Ranger, Stryper, Y&T, Faster Pussycat, Cold Sweat, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Sun Dogs will perform, along with a full headlining set by Bret Michaels and special guest Dee Snider.

Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster; head to the fest’s official website for more information.

Editorial credit: Brandon Nagy / Shutterstock.com