Month: December 2022

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Additional performers added to 2023 ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’

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Additional performers have been added to the already star-studded lineup for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023. The show will take place from Disneyland, Los Angeles and New Orleans. As previously announced, 18x host and executive producer Ryan Seacrest will once again head to Times Square to lead the festivities, with actress and producer Liza Koshy returning as co-host alongside Seacrest. In addition, country artist Jessie James Decker will also join the duo in Times Square as the Powerball co-host for her fourth consecutive year.

Disneyland will become this year’s inaugural host destination and home to an additional Rockin’ Eve celebration with veteran hostess and multi Platinum-selling artist Ciara overseeing festivities. Ciara will perform a medley of “Better Thangs” and “Jump;” with additional appearances from American indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums, Maddie & Tae, Shaggy with fellow Jamaican artist Olaf Blackwood, and Ben Platt joined by indie sister duo Aly & AJ.  Halle Bailey, K-pop band Tomorrow X Together (TXT), Bailey Zimmerman and Lauren Spencer Smith will also perform. The Disneyland segments are pre-taped prior to the New Year’s holiday.

After serving as the official LA Party DJ at last year’s show, DJ, producer/rapper and philanthropist D-Nice will return as this year’s L.A. co-host. Performers at the LA Party include Wiz Khalifa, Finneas, Armani White, Betty Who, Dove Cameron and singer-songwriter Nicky Youre.  And in New Orleans, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner and Billy Porter will perform a medley of his hits, where he will be co-hosting New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Festivities.

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House passes Respect for Marriage Act to protect same-sex and interracial marriage

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The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that provides federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriage. Called the Respect for Marriage Act, the measure won bipartisan support in the Democratic-led House, after the lower chamber passed this summer a version of the bill with backing from 47 Republicans. The House vote to give final approval to the legislation was 258 to 169, with one Republican voting “present.” Thirty-nine GOP lawmakers joined all Democrats in supporting the bill.

The Respect for Marriage Act now heads to President Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. It had passed the Senate 61-36.  Mr. Biden said the measure’s passage will provide peace off mind to LGBTQI+ and interracial couples now guaranteed federal protections.  The White House said in a statement: “Congress has restored a measure of security to millions of marriages and families. They have also provided hope and dignity to millions of young people across this country who can grow up knowing that their government will recognize and respect the families they build.”

The legislation requires the federal government and all states to recognize marriages if the pair was wed in a state where the union was legal. It also cements protections for interracial couples, ordering states to recognize marriages regardless of “the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals.” It also repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which recognized marriage as “only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife” and refers to the word spouse as “a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife.”

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WNBA star Brittney Griner released from Russian prison in swap for convicted arms dealer

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President Joe Biden announced Thursday that WNBA star and Olympian Brittney Griner has been released from a Russian prison in a one-for-one prisoner exchange. Griner, the 32-year-old center for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after arriving in the country with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was found guilty of smuggling narcotics into Russia in August and sentenced to nine years in prison. Griner’s arrest came shortly before the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

The POTUS tweeted: “Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home.”  Later during remarks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, Biden said exchange took place in the United Arab Emirates after months of negotiations: “This is a day we worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstakingly intense negotiations.”  The President added: “These past few months have been hell for Brittney and for Cherelle and her entire family and all teammates back home. People across the country have learned about Brittney’s story, advocated for her release, stood with her throughout this terrible ordeal and I know that and I know that support meant a lot to her family.”

Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Griner was released in exchange for the U.S. release of international arms dealer Viktor Bout. In its statement, the Russian foreign ministry said the United States “categorically refused to engage in dialogue” on the inclusion of Bout in the prisoner exchange, but added, “Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”  Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death,” was serving a 25-year prison sentence for selling weapons that U.S. prosecutors said were intended to be used to kill Americans.

The one-for-one exchange means that former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who has been in Russian custody since 2018, was not part of the deal. Whelan was arrested at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 and convicted of espionage charges, which the former security executive has denied. He is serving a 16-year hard labor sentence at a Mordovia prison camp. Biden said negotiations for his release remain ongoing:“We have not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who has been unjustly detained in Russia for years. This was not a choice of which American to bring home. … While we have not succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up …We remain in close touch with Paul’s family, the Whelan family, and my thoughts and prayers are with them today. They have to have such mixed emotions today and we’ll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release.”

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Céline Dion reveals struggle with rare neurological disorder

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Céline Dion has shared her struggle with a rare neurological disorder, posting a video on Instagram with the caption: “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through…It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February. – Céline”

The 54-year-old singer postponed the spring 2023 dates of her Courage tour after being diagnosed with Stiff-person syndrome. In her video on Instagram, Dion said the disorder causes spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing: “Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome, which effects something like one in a million people … While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having. Unfortunately, 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 a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better, and my precious children, who are supporting me and giving me hope. I’m working hard with my support medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again. But I have to admit, it’s been a struggle … I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now.”

Dion was scheduled to kick-off the European leg of her Courage tour Feb. 24, 2023, in Prague, Czech Republic but has rescheduled the shows to 2024. Summer 2023 dates of her tour have also been canceled. Dion postponed the opening of her Las Vegas residency show at Resorts World Theatre in October 2021 due to “severe and persistent muscle spasms” and she canceled the remaining North American dates of her Courage tour in January, also citing muscle spasms.

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Netflix shares the trailer for ‘Emily in Paris’ Season 3

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Netflix shared the trailer for Season 3 of the romantic-comedy Emily in Paris, starring Lily Collins. Emily in Paris was created by Darren Star (Sex and the City, Younger), and follows Emily Cooper (Collins), a 20-something American who moves to Paris to work for a French marketing firm.

Season 3 will see Emily face tough choices in her personal and professional life, as she is torn between her feelings for Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), and working for Madeline (Kate Walsh) or Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu). An official synopsis reads: “Emily will have to decide exactly where her loyalties lie — at work and in her romantic life — and what those decisions mean for her future in France, all while continuing to immerse herself in the adventures and surprising twists and turns that life in Paris provides.”  Ashley Park, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery and Camille Razat also star.

Emily in Paris was recently renewed through Season 4; Season 3 premieres Dec. 21 on Netflix. You can take a look at the trailer – here.

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Atlanta police arrest two teens for Nov. 26 Atlantic Station murders of 12 and 15-year-old

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Atlanta police announced two teens have been arrested in connection to the deadly shooting that killed a 12-year-old and 15-year-old, and wounded four others, near Atlantic Station on Nov. 26. The shooting happened after groups of juveniles were escorted off the Atlantic Station area property for disorderly behavior and violation of curfew. Gunfire broke out triggered by a dispute among the juveniles, according to police. Killed in the shooting were 12-year-old Zyion Charles and 15-year-old Cameron Jackson.

Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said in a live streamed press conference Wednesday:  “One was a 15-year-old and another was a 16-year-old. One of those individuals was apprehended in New York with the assistance of our fugitive team as well as the U.S. Marshals,  This case is still very active.”

The arrested teens are charged with two counts of murder, aggravated assault and a gang-related charge, according to police. Hampton said the two teens in custody for the shooting were students in Atlanta Public Schools:  “It’s a tragic situation … We take these cases — as all homicides — seriously. We’re pleased to announce we were able to make arrests.”  Hampton added that there are people depicted in a video of the shooting that police “are still working on,” and believes they will have additional charges in the case.

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Family of Black refugee Patrick Lyoya sues Grand Rapids police officer for fatal shooting

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The family of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man and Congolese refugee shot and killed by a Michigan police officer in April, filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on Wednesday against the city of Grand Rapids and the officer charged in the shooting. The 26-year-old Lyoya was fatally shot in the back of the head by Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr following a struggle as Lyoya attempted to flee a traffic stop on April 4 on the city’s southeast side. The 31-year-old Schurr has been charged with second-degree murder in the case and is slated to stand trial in 2023.

The 12-page complaint claims Schurr violated Lyoya’s civil rights when he pursued Lyoya on foot and did not wait for backup before using lethal force. The family is seeking financial damages for Lyoya’s death, per the complaint.  Attorneys Ayanna Hatchett and Ven Johnson wrote in the complaint: “Schurr’s actions demonstrated a reckless disregard of his legal duties, as well as a substantial lack of concern for whether death or injury would result from his actions,”  adding Schurr’s actions “demonstrated a malicious risk of harm and an indifference to the consequences of his actions.” The lawsuit also says the city of Grand Rapids created a culture of excessive force by not appropriately responding to complaints against GRPD officers made in prior years.

Lawyers for Schurr maintain he was acting with appropriate use of force during the shooting. Schurr was initially placed on paid administrative leave before being fired after the second-degree murder charge was announced by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker in June. After the Grand Rapids Police Department and city officials released footage of Lyoya’s shooting on April 13, protesters held several demonstrations and marches calling for accountability from the city’s police. Footage included video from Schurr’s body-worn camera, a surveillance camera from a nearby home and the cell phone of the passenger with Lyoya.

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Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones and more to guest host ‘The Daily Show’

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Comedy Central announced a slate of guest hosts for The Daily Show, following longtime host Trevor Noah’s imminent departure on Thursday.

Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, D.L. Hughley, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes and Marlon Wayans will guest host The Daily Show beginning January 17, as part of its “next chapter”. Comedy Central added that “Daily Show” correspondents and contributors are also “set to host with additional details to be announced.”

Noah announced his plan to leave The Daily Show in September, and will launch a comedy tour in January. Chris McCarthy, president/CEO of Paramount Media Networks, said in a statement: “As we enter Trevor’s final week, we want to thank him for his many contributions. Trevor redefined the show, as did Jon Stewart before him, and as we look to the future, we are excited to reimagine it yet again with the help of this incredible list of talent and correspondents along with the immensely talented ‘Daily Show’ team.”

“The Daily Show” airs weeknights at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central and is available the following morning on Paramount+.

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Steve Martin & Martin Short, Austin Butler to host December episodes of ‘Saturday Night Live’

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Steve Martin and Martin Short are set to co-host “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, December 10th, with “Elvis” star Austin Butler also set to make his hosting debut on the NBC comedy series later this month. Martin and Short will host on Dec. 10 with musical guest Brandi Carlile. Butler will host on Dec. 17 with musical guest Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Martin has hosted the show 15 times in his career and has appeared in numerous guest roles, while Short was a cast member during the show’s 10th season and has hosted the show three times. The duo currently star in the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building” and will resume their ““You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today!” tour in 2023.  Carlile will be making her second appearance on “SNL.” Her newest album, “In These Silent Days,” was recently nominated for seven Grammy Awards.

Butler most recently starred in Bay Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis,’ and has previously starred in films like “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “The Dead Don’t Die.” Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who are up for two Grammys for their album “Cool It Down,” will also be appearing for the second time on SNL. 

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2022 People’s Choice Awards: See the full list of winners

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The 2022 People’s Choice Awards was held on Tuesday, December 6, hosted by Kenan Thompson and airing on NBC and E! The fan-voted awards show was held at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, featuring nominees from over 40 categories. The ceremony honored some of the biggest stars of the year with Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, and Lizzo taking home top prizes.

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness won The Movie of 2022, with star Elizabeth Olsen taking home the awards for Female Movie Star and Action Movie Star. Sandler was named Comedy Movie Star and Styles Male Artist of 2022. Gomez received the Comedy TV Star award for her work in Only Murders in the Building, as well as the award for Social Celebrity of the year. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift won the Female Artist, the Album of 2022 for Midnights, and the Music Video of the year for “Anti-Hero.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar presented Selma Blair the award for Competition Contestant of the year for her appearance on Dancing With the Stars.  Honorary awards went to Ryan Reynolds, recipient of the ‘People’s Icon Award;’ Lizzo, who received the ‘People’s Champion Award’ (and also won the Song of 2022 for “About Damn Time”); and Shania Twain, who was honored with the ‘Music Icon Award’ and performed a medley of some of her biggest hits.

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