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News Daypop

Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director in narrow 51-49 vote

Kash Patel was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday afternoon to serve as Director of the FBI.

The Senate narrowly confirmed Patel along party-lines with a vote of 51-49; only two Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — joined Democrats in voting to oppose Patel.

Collins explained her decision to vote against Patel’s confirmation, saying there is a need for an FBI director who is “decidedly apolitical” and Patel’s “time over the past four years has been characterized by high profile and aggressive political activity… [his] past statements and actions “cast doubt on Mr. Patel’s ability to advance the FBI’s law enforcement mission in a way that is free from the appearance of political motivation.”

Murkowski shared a statement saying her opposition to Patel “stem[med] from his own prior political activities and how they may influence his leadership,”adding that the FBI “must be trusted as the federal agency that roots out crime and corruption, not focused on settling political scores. Murkowski said she was “disappointed that when [Patel] had the opportunity to push back on the administration’s decision to force the FBI to provide a list of agents involved in the January 6 investigations and prosecutions, he failed to do so.”

FBI directors are appointed to 10-year terms but can be removed by the president. Chris Wray, whom the president appointed in 2017, resigned at the end of the Biden administration after Pres. Trump said he would be firing him upon taking office.

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News Daypop

Mitch McConnell announces retirement from Senate, will not seek reelection in 2026

Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday he will be retiring from the Senate, and will not seek reelection in 2026.

McConnell, who turned 83 on Thursday, announced in a floor speech where he reflected on his decades-long political career: “seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between I have been humbled by the trust they place in me to do their business, right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor for an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”

McConnell said that he still has “unfinished business to attend to,” and that the Senate must fight for national security priorities and greater resources for defense: “thanks to Ronald Reagan’s determination, the work of strengthening America’s hard power was well underway when I arrived in the Senate, but since then, we’ve allowed that power to atrophy, and today, a dangerous world threatens to outpace the work of rebuilding it. So lest any of our colleagues still doubt my intentions for the remainder of my term, I have some unfinished business to attend to.” McConnell added that he will leave the Senate “with great hope for the endurance of the Senate as an institution. There are any number of reasons for pessimism, but the strength of the Senate is not one of them.”

Following his speech, McConnell received a standing ovation from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. McConnell is the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history. First elected in 1984, the Kentuckian intends to serve the remainder of his term ending in January 2027. McConnell has dealt with a series of medical episodes in recent years, including injuries sustained from falls and times when his face briefly froze while he was speaking.

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Sports Daypop

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone signs two-year contract extension

The New York Yankees announced that manager Aaron Boone has received a two-year contract extension that will take him through the 2027 season.

The Yankees said on November 8th that they would be exercising Boone’s 2025 option, coming just nine days after the club lost the World Series in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boone said after his option was picked up that he looked forward to “working tirelessly to return the Yankees to the postseason to compete for a world championship.”

Boone, 51, is entering his eighth year as Yankees manager, and is one of three managers in franchise history to lead the Yankees to the postseason in six of his first seven years (joining Casey Stengel and Joe Torre). Boone led the Yankees to a 603-429 record over the last seven years, with his Yankees teams going 22-23 in the postseason during that span — including their 2024 run to the World Series.

The Yankees will host the Tampa Bay Rays in their first spring training game at 1:05 p.m. EDT Friday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Their regular-season opener will take place March 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium.

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Sports Daypop

Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis Jr. suspended 25 games for anti-drug program violation

The NBA announced on Thursday that they have issued a 25-game suspension to Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. for a violation of the league’s anti-drug policy.

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Portis tested positive for the opioid pain medication tramadol, a painkiller often used for patients following surgery, which is a controlled substance. He began his suspension Thursday.

Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein later issued a statement on social media that his client unintentionally took tramadol (was added to the banned substance list last spring) and that an assistant of Portis’ told him the substance was Toradol — a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug. Bartelstein wrote: “I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant. Bobby is a great person, teammate and professional, and has a wonderful reputation in our league, his communities and his team. There are no bigger fans of the NBA than Bobby and I, and we are grateful to have closely and collaboratively worked with the NBA on countless occasions. We support the league’s anti-drug policy and its purpose in having a fair, competitive, healthy landscape for our athletes as it relates to drugs of abuse, performance enhancing issues, etc. Bobby Portis is absolutely not a drug abuser.”

Portis, 30, apologized to the Bucks organization and their fans, sharing in his own statement that he used the drug while recovering from an elbow injury and had been using “an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation. During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. I give everything I have on the court and will terribly miss playing games for the Bucks during this time. I will continue to work hard and be ready for our long playoff run.”

Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement that the team respects the NBA’s suspension, adding that the team supports Portis: “Together we will take this opportunity to grow and will have a better and stronger Bobby and Milwaukee Bucks team. He’s an integral part of who we are, a huge member of the Milwaukee community, and we look forward to his return.”

Portis is a 10-year veteran, and has a player option of $13.4 million in 2025-26. He averaged 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game through 46 appearances this season.

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Country Daypop

Luke Bryan to launch 2025 ‘Country Song Came On’ tour

Luke Bryan is gearing up to kick-off the Country Song Came On tour across more than 30 cities this summer. Joining Bryan on tour will be some of country music’s up-and-coming artists as special guests, including: George Birge, Avery Anna, Ashland Craft, Mae Estes, Cole Goodwin, Braxton Keith, Randall King, Vincent Mason, Drake Milligan, Adrien Nunez, and Owen Riegling. DJ Rock will appear on all dates.

The Country Song Came On Tour will launch on May 29th in Bethel, New York, coming just two weeks after his first-ever west coast dates of Farm Tour 2025 playing three shows in California (Merced, Fresno & Kern Counties) on May 15, 16 & 17, 2025.

Tickets for Luke Bryan’s 2025 Country Song Came On Tour are on sale now at Bryan’s website.

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Country Daypop

Russell Dickerson adds dates to his 2025 Russellmania Tour

Russell Dickerson has revealed ‘Round 2’ of his upcoming Russellmania Tour 2025, adding new dates to extend the tour into amphitheaters this summer. Serving as direct support on tour will be Jake Scott and Niko Moon on select dates.

Russell shares on Instagram: “RUSSELLMANIA ROUND 2 is coming in HOTTT w/ NIKO MOON & JAKE SCOTT 🔥 👀 Oh, did someone say amphitheaters and making memories under starry nights sky?! Yes, I did! This tour is gonna be ABSOLUTELY ELECTRIC and we can’t wait to see your beautiful faces. LETS GET READY TO RUSSELL!!! 🚀🧨💪

The first leg of the Russellmania Tour will kick off March 14 in Nashville; while Russellmania Round 2 kicks off June 5 in New York, with stops in Asbury Park, Boston and Indianapolis before wrapping in Sterling Heights, Michigan, on June 14.

Tickets for all dates are available now at: RussellDickerson.com.

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Pop Daypop

See The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan in the trailer for ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) stars in the official trailer for the suspense thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, Trey Edward Shults upcoming feature film set to debut in theaters on May 16.

The teaser sees The Weeknd portray a musician plagued by insomnia and facing an emotional breakdown. According to a synopsis, the character is ‘pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence.’

Hurry Up Tomorrow, which also stars Jenna Ortega as Anima and Barry Keoghan as Lee, is inspired by The Weeknd’s new album and tour of the same name. The album Hurry Up Tomorrow represents the final chapter in the pop star’s trilogy (after 2022’s Dawn FM and 2020’s After Hours).

Watch the trailer for Hurry Up Tomorrow HERE.

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Entertainment Daypop

See The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan in the trailer for ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) stars in the official trailer for the suspense thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, Trey Edward Shults upcoming feature film set to debut in theaters on May 16.

The teaser sees The Weeknd portray a musician plagued by insomnia and facing an emotional breakdown. According to a synopsis, the character is ‘pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence.’

Hurry Up Tomorrow, which also stars Jenna Ortega as Anima and Barry Keoghan as Lee, is inspired by The Weeknd’s new album and tour of the same name. The album Hurry Up Tomorrow represents the final chapter in the pop star’s trilogy (after 2022’s Dawn FM and 2020’s After Hours).

Watch the trailer for Hurry Up Tomorrow HERE.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

See Robert Pattinson in the trailer for ‘Mickey 17’

Warner Bros. has released a new official trailer for Mickey 17, the new film starring Robert Pattinson and the latest from Academy Award–winning writer/director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite). The film was inspired by Edward Ashton’s book, titled Mickey7.

In Mickey 17, Pattinson portrays “expendable” Mickey Barnes, who dies after getting infected by a virus, loses his hand in outer space, and encounters various other misfortunes again and again. The one positive part of his experience seems to be Nasha (Naomi Ackie), who “always loved” Mickey. The film also stars Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun and Toni Collette.

‘Mickey 17’ opens in theaters March 7; see the trailer: HERE.

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Categories
Rock Daypop

Bob Dylan announces ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’ tour dates

Bob Dylan is hitting the road this spring on a four-concert trek as part of his ongoing ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour’ (which began in 2021).

The 83-year-old Dylan announced new tour dates for 2025, which is slated to stop in at intimate theaters, convention centers and performing arts centers in Oklahoma, Kansas, his native Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Following his previously-announced show at the Tulsa Theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 25 , Dylan will perform at at Century II Concert Hall in Wichita, Kansas (March 29); Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, Minnesota (April 4); and The Weidner – Cofrin Family Hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin (April 6).

News of the tour comes after 29-year-old actor Timothée Chalamet portrayed a younger Dylan in the award-binning biopic A Complete Unknown, released in December. Chalamet is nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Dylan posted on social media shortly before the film hit theaters last December with the statement: “There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!). Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role. Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me. The film’s taken from Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric – a book that came out in 2015. It’s a fantastic retelling of events from the early ‘60s that led up to the fiasco at Newport. After you’ve seen the movie read the book.”

Tickets for the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour are available to purchase here.

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