Month: December 2021

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Country Daypop

Lauren Alaina invited by Trisha Yearwood to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry

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10 years after making her debut on the Opry stage, Lauren Alaina was surprised over the weekend and invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by friend/mentor Trisha Yearwood.

Artists were making video appearances sharing their Christmas wishes during the show; and when it was time for Yearwood to share her wish, she said: “Also, is that Lauren Alaina because I think that’s Lauren Alaina, is that you? Junior (her nickname for Alaina), I have a present for you. Hold on.” Yearwood then made her way out to the stage to surprise Alaina, saying: “I have some surprises for you too. I know your Mom is here and I know your Dad is as well. He’s super proud of you right now because I have the honor of asking you on behalf of the Grand Ole Opry if you will please accept our invitation to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.” Alaina fell to her knees and began to cry, and after catching her breath she said: “I did not expect this. You are my hero. I could not have picked a more perfect person to ask me. She calls me Junior- y’all I’m in her phone as Junior which is the coolest thing to have happened to me besides this!”

Said Yearwood: “You are the real deal. You’ve played over 50 times. It’s obvious what this means to you. This is a very special club to be in so you have to understand what the Opry means to be asked. It’s such an honor. Country music is in good hands with you. Soak up every second!”

Alaina’s induction into the Opry will take place in early 2022, with a date TBD.

Editoria credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Chris Lane reveals he is battling COVID-19 Omicron variant

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Chris Lane has tested positive for a breakthrough case of the coronavirus, sharing his diagnosis on his Instagram Story and saying: “Well… COVID finally got me. It finally got my hind end.” He also shared that he has the new Omicron variant of COVID, adding, “Praying the rest of the family doesn’t get it.” Lane is married to Lauren Bushnell Lane, 31, with whom he shares their 6-month-old son, Dutton Walker. Bushnell Lane shared earlier this year that the couple had received the COVID vaccine.

The 37-year-old Lane’s diagnosis also comes ahead of his Fill Them Boots tour, which is set to kick off Jan. 13. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is the most contagious yet, has more mutations than any before it, and seems to evade the previously-effective two-dose vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

Lane joins a number of country artists dealing with COVID; Brett Eldredge was forced to cancel shows over the weekend because he tested positive for COVID-19, and Dan + Shay also scrapped a handful of shows this fall after experiencing some positive COVID-19 cases in their camp.

Editorial credit Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

Trevor Noah files lawsuit against NYC Hospital and doctor over alleged botched surgery

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Trevor Noah has sued a hospital and doctor in New York City after they allegedly botched a surgery he underwent in 2020. The 37-year-old ‘The Daily Show’ sued Dr. Riley J. Williams III and the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, according to court documents.

According the the documents, Trevor was a patient between August 25, 2020 and December 17, 2020, and underwent the surgery with the doctor at the hospital on November 23, 2020. In the court documents,  The lawsuit claims that the defendants “were negligent and careless in failing to treat and care for [him] in a careful and skillful manner, and failing to use approved methods in general use in the care and treatment.”  The lawsuit also alleges that the hospital and doctor failed “to prescribe proper medications, failed to discontinue certain prescription medications, and failed to use proper tests and examinations in order to diagnose the conditions” that Trevor was suffering from, adding that he suffered “serious personal injury” after the surgery, some of which are “permanent, severe, and grievous.”

The Hospital for Special Surgery has denied Trevor‘s claims with a representative saying that the comedian’s claims are “meritless.” The representative shared in a statement: “HSS received a complaint filed on behalf of Mr. Trevor Noah. We have shared with Mr. Noah’s attorney a detailed rebuttal to the claims, which are meritless. Due to HIPAA we are restricted by law from addressing publicly specific aspects of the treatment of any patient. The hospital is “committed to excellence in the care we provide to each of the more than 150,000 patients we treat each year.”

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

‘Fast & Furious 10’ delaying its release date until May 2023

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Universal Pictures has pushed back action sequel Fast & Furious 10 to May 19, 2023. Series stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson. Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang are all expected to return for the latest installment in the F&F franchise.

“F&F 10,” from frequent series director Justin Lin, was originally set to hit theaters on April 7, 2023. The most recent film in the Fast & Furious series, titled ‘F9: The Fast Saga,’ debuted in theaters this past June and earned $726.6 million worldwide. The end credits scene for F9: The Fast Saga featured Jason Statham returning to his role as Deckard Shaw.  It has also been announced that director Justin Lin will also be helming “Fast & Furious 11,” which is expected to be the last film of the franchise’s main series of movies.

In place of  Fast & Furious 10’s original release date, Universal has instead moved an as-yet-untitled DreamWorks Animation film into the April 7, 2023 opening spot.

Editorial credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Senator Manchin pulls support for Biden’s $1.75 trillion social spending plan

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Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said Sunday he can no longer support President Biden’s Build Back Better Act. Manchin told ‘Fox News Sunday’ that concerns over inflation, the national debt and the COVID-19 pandemic forced his decision, saying “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there. This is a no on this piece of legislation. I have tried everything I know to do.   In a lengthy statement reiterating those concerns, Manchin said Democrats in Washington “are determined to dramatically reshape our society in a way that leaves our country even more vulnerable to the threats we face.”

In response, White House press secretary Jen Psaki issued a statement early Sunday afternoon, disputing the senator’s public comments.  Psaki said Manchin’s remarks on Fox “are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances,” adding, “Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework ‘in good faith.’  Just as Senator Manchin reversed his position on Build Back Better this morning, we will continue to press him to see if he will reverse his position yet again, to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word. The fight for Build Back Better is too important to give up. We will find a way to move forward next year.”

As written and proposed, the Build Back Better plan would pass through special Senate budgetary rebukes requiring a simple majority vote. Manchin, a moderate Democrat, has pushed for bipartisan cooperation in everything the chamber does since he arrived in the Senate in late 2010. In his statement Sunday, Manchin said he will “continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the needs of all Americans and do so in a way that does not risk our nation’s independence, security and way of life.”

Editorial credit: Rachael Warriner / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker test positive for COVID-19

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Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker said on Sunday that they had tested positive for COVID-19. Warren and Booker were both on the Senate floor last week for several key votes, including authorizing the Pentagon’s budget for 2022 and increasing the debt limit, which will prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its bills.

Warren tweeted that she tests regularly for COVID-19; she tested negative last week, however, then tested positive on Sunday.  Warren said: “Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection provided against serious illness that comes from being vaccinated & boosted.”

Booker shared in a statement that he had experienced mild symptoms on Saturday, and he learned he tested positive on Sunday.  Booker said: “Fortunately, my symptoms are relatively mild. I’m beyond grateful to have received two doses of vaccine and, more recently, a booster — I’m certain that without them I would be doing much worse. I encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and boosted.”

The two senators are among the thousands across the country that have tested positive amid a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant. The U.S. reported more than 80,000 cases and 250 additional deaths in the past 24 hours.  President Biden is expected to address Americans on Tuesday about the surge of the Omicron variant.

Editorial credit: Trevor Bexon / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Tracy Lawrence and Clay Walker announce 2022 mini-tour

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Clay Walker and Tracy Lawrence have announced plans to embark on a short co-headlining tour in the spring of 2022. The nine-date tour kicks off on March 3 at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and wraps up on March 19 at Owensboro Sports Center in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Walker said in a press release: “Tracy and I have been good friends for a lot of years and being on the same stage at the same time, singing one hit after another, is one of the highlights of my career.”  Added Lawrence: “So excited to be sharing the stage with my friend!  Many years of hits between us and now we get to go out and play them together for all our fans. While we have toured together over the years, this time we decided to switch things up and share the stage and band for the entire show. No question – this is going to be a good time!”

Tickets are on sale at the link here – traceylawrence.com

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Cassadee Pope announces “Thrive” tour to launch spring 202

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Cassadee Pope is hitting the road in Spring 2022 for her ‘THRIVE’ Tour.   Pope released her ninth album, THRIVE, which blended two musical genres, Country and Pop Punk.

Says Pope: “Seeing the reaction to THRIVE has been so validating and beautiful. I can’t wait to see that in its physical form on the Thrive Tour! This music is me to the core and I’m looking forward to showing people what that looks like night after night. Rocking out with my fans again will feel so good.”

Tickets for the Pope’s THRIVE Tour are on sale now; head to the link here for tickets and more info.

Cassadee Pope to Follow Pop-Punk Influenced Album With Thrive Tour

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

‘Suspicion’ starring Uma Thurman heading to Apple TV+ on Feb. 4

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Apple TV+’s upcoming thriller series ‘Suspicion,’ starring Uma Thurman, is coming to the streaming service on Feb. 4. The eight-episode drama will premiere with two episodes, followed by new installments coming every Friday. Suspicion is based on the award-winning Israeli series False Flag.

In the series, Thurman ‘portrays a prominent, American businesswoman whose son is kidnapped from a New York hotel. Suspicion falls on four British citizens who were at the hotel on the night of the kidnapping. The group then finds themselves in a race against the FBI and the National Crime Agency as they try to prove their innocence.’

Suspicion also stars Kunal Nayyar, Noah Emmerich, Georgina Campbell, Elyes Gabel, Elizabeth Henstridge, Tom Rhys-Harries and Angel Coulby. Rob Williams (Man in the High Castle) is serving as showrunner and executive producer, and Chris Long (The Americans) will direct and also executive produces.

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Categories
Entertainment Daypop

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ earns the third-biggest global debut in history with $587M opening weekend

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Despite rising concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID-19 across the globe, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earned a staggering $587.2 million internationally over the weekend.

The film, starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man, ranks as the third-biggest worldwide debut in history behind “Avengers: Endgame” (with $1.2 billion) and “Avengers: Infinity War” ($640 million).  Those two films opened in China (which is currently the world’s biggest moviegoing market), while “No Way Home” has not yet been released there. Internationally, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earned $334.2 million from 60 overseas markets.

The third chapter in Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy (directed by Jon Watts) takes place after Peter Parker’s identity is revealed to the world. Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and accidentally unleashes a multiverse, featuring plenty of villains from past Peter Parker timelines. Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Otto Octavius drop by to wreak havoc and torment Spider-Man in the crossover event.  “Spider-Man: No Way Home” also stars Zendaya as Spidey’s girlfriend MJ, Jacob Batalon as his best friend Ned, and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May.

Editorial credit: Tinsletown / Shutterstock.com