Month: February 2024

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Entertainment Daypop

See Lupita Nyong’o in the trailer for ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’

Lupita Nyong'o attends 76th Annual Tony Awards at United Palace Theatre in New York on June 11^ 2023

Paramount Pictures has shared a trailer for the post-apocalyptic horror film A Quiet Place: Day One, featuring Lupita Nyong’o. The film is a prequel to the ‘Quiet Place’ movies directed by John Krasinski, and starring Krasinski and Emily Blunt.

A Quiet Place: Day One takes place in New York hundreds of days before the events of 2018’s ‘A Quiet Place’ on “day one” of the alien invasion that first introduced the blind but hearing-sensitive creatures featured in the Quiet Place films.

The trailer shows Nyong’o’s character fleeing alongside a character played by Joseph Quinn as aliens rain down from the skies and terrorize humans in the streets of New York City. Nyong’o is later seen waking up while covered in dust as she and the Man on Island (Djimon Hounsou), a character first introduced in A Quiet Place Part II, are surrounded by aliens.

A Quiet Place: Day One opens in theaters June 28; take a look at the trailer – here.

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‘Barbie The Movie: In Concert’ coming to the Hollywood Bowl in July

Barbie movie in the cinema.

Mattel has revealed a live-to-film concert experience Barbie The Movie: In Concert is coming to The Hollywood Bowl on July 27. The hit film will be brought to life with live music from The Barbie Land Sinfonietta, from executive producer and orchestrator Macy Schmidt’s all-women orchestra.

Barbie The Movie: In Concert will see the film ‘Barbie’ projected onto a giant LED screen above The Barbie Land Sinfonietta as they perform alongside the film’s award-winning score, conducted by Schmidt.

Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman said in a statement: “Audiences of all ages flocked to theaters last summer to celebrate the joy of the Barbie movie together. Now fans have the opportunity to further celebrate Barbie with an unforgettable live musical experience, led by an incredibly talented all-women orchestra.” 

Subscription packages are now on the Hollywood Bowl’s website, and single tickets go on sale May 7.

‘Barbie The Movie: In Concert’ comes to the Hollywood Bowl

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New details of suspect are revealed in slain University of Georgia jogger case

University of Georgia -University Seal; brand logo

Federal officials revealed new details on Sunday regarding the suspect charged with the death of an Augusta University College of Nursing student on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (‘ICE’) confirmed that the suspect, Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, of Athens, is a Venezuelan migrant and not a United States citizen. Ibarra was charged in the murder of Augusta University junior Laken Hope Riley, 22, who was found dead on Thursday near a lake on UGA’s campus after jogging nearby.

Athens-Clarke County jail records show that Ibarra is charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another, and was denied bond Saturday morning. Authorities say there is no evidence Ibarra previously knew the victim and was not a student at UGA  According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the suspect’s brother, Diego Ibarra, 29, is in custody on federal charges of possessing a fraudulent green card and faces up to a decade in prison. Both brothers are undocumented.

According to a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ibarra was arrested by US Customs and Border Protection on Sept. 8, 2022 after entering the United States illegally near El Paso. ICE noted that “he [Ibarra] was paroled and released for further processing.” New York City police also arrested Ibarra last September and charged “with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,” according to ICE, with the agency adding that NYPD released him “before a detainer could be issued.”

Ibarra’s immigration status became a hot topic amongst politicians who are fighting to tighten border security. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp requested confirmation on Saturday of the suspect’s immigration status as well as any information available regarding the asylum claims and release of the suspect’s brother, posting on X: “Laken Riley’s tragic death struck the hearts of Georgians everywhere and has sparked national outrage. Joe Biden’s failed policies have turned every state into a border state, and I’m demanding information from him so we can protect our people when the federal government won’t!  While media reports surrounding this case have relied on sources and leaks from your own federal agencies, the answers to these basic questions must be provided publicly as soon as possible.”

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Arrest made in murder of Kentucky student found in dorm room

The back view of two detectives at crime scene; yellow police tape 'do not enter * warning * police crime scene'

Police in Kentucky say that a suspect has been arrested in connection to the death of a student who was found dead in his dorm room over the weekend at Campbellsville University. The victim, 18-year-old Josiah Kilman, was discovered unresponsive in his dorm room around 1 a.m. local time Saturday morning. According to a press release from the university, Kilman was transported to Taylor Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Kilman’s cause of death has not been determined, and his body was transferred to the Kentucky Office of the Medical Examiner in Louisville for an autopsy.

According to an update from the Campbellsville Police Department posted to Facebook, authorities were dispatched after receiving a call for a “suspicious male located inside a barn” on the Green County and Taylor County line. The Green County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police announced on Saturday evening that 21-year-old Charles Escalera was arrested at approximately 5:15 p.m. in connection with Kilman’s death; police said Escalera was taken into custody without incident.  According to online records, Escalera is facing murder and burglary charges and is being held in the Taylor County Detention Center.

Campbellsville is a private Christian university that’s about 84 miles southeast of Louisville and approximately 83 miles southwest of Lexington. Dr. Joseph Hopkins, Campbellsville University president, said in a statement: “Campbellsville University is grieving the loss of one of our family. We have lost a student and our hearts are broken. During this devastating time, the continued safety of our students and the residents of our community are our primary concern. With consultation from local law enforcement, we will continue to implement every measure necessary to protect and support students and our community.”

Editorial credit: SynthEx / Shutterstock.com

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Entertainment Daypop

Taylor Swift reveals new ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ bonus track

Taylor Swift performs at Madison Square Garden; New York^ NY^ USA - December 13^ 2019

Taylor Swift announced another special edition of her upcoming LP, The Tortured Poets Department, featuring an addition bonus track titled “The Albatross.” Swift posted to her socials: ‘File Name: The Albatross 🤍 Pre-order the new edition of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT with exclusive bonus track “The Albatross” on my website now’

Swift’s latest announcement comes just a week after she announced a separate special edition of the new album, with the bonus track “The Bolter.” The new album – dubbed ‘TTPD’ for short – is set for release April 19, and was announced Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2024 Grammy Awards after winning the trophy for best pop vocal album for her 10th album, Midnights.  Swift said: “This is my 13th Grammy. I want to say thank you to the members of the Recording Academy for voting this way, but I know that the way that the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans. So I want to say ‘thank you’ to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years — which is that my brand-new album comes out April 19.”

The 16-song TTPD tracklist features from Post Malone and Florence + the Machine, along with a 17th bonus track titled “The Manuscript.” (to pre-order, head here.)

Swift also continues to tour the world on her Eras Tour, currently taking the show to Australia with performances in Melbourne and Sydney.

Editorial credit: Brian Friedman / Shutterstock.com

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Jennifer Lopez shares trailer for upcoming documentary ‘Greatest Love Story Never Told’

Jennifer Lopez at the Dolby Theatre; LOS ANGELES^ USA. February 13^ 2024

Prime Video shared a poster and trailer for the upcoming Jennifer Lopez documentary, ‘The Greatest Love Story Never Told,’ posting on X: “Go behind the making of Jennifer’s love story. The Greatest Love Story Never Told, a new documentary from @jlo, arrives February 27.”

The documentary “offers unflinching access to Jennifer’s most personal moments as she works hard to reclaim her narrative through the making of her album and film, ‘This is Me…Now.’” Lopez released the album This is Me…Now and an accompanying narrative film, This is Me…Now: A Love Story last week; the projects explore Lopez’s past romances, her love story with husband Ben Affleck, and her “twenty-year journey to self-love.”

The Greatest Love Story Never Told documentary follows Lopez’s ups and downs on set and features interviews with her inner circle, along with candid home moments. An official synopsis reads: “This is a vulnerable portrait of an icon who put it all on the line and discovered a newfound determination in self-acceptance and love.”

The documentary ‘Greatest Love Story Never Told’ is set for release Feb. 27 on Prime Video, you can check out the trailer – here.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

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Federal judge says MyPillow’s Mike Lindell must pay $5M in election data dispute

'MyPillow' founder/Political activist Mike Lindell speaks during CPAC Texas conference at Hilton Anatole. Dallas^ TX - August 5^ 2022

A federal judge said that ‘MyPillow’ chief executive Mike Lindell must pay $5 million to a software engineer who challenged data that Lindell said proves China interfered in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Lindell, who says he plans to appeal, pointed out that the breach-of-contract lawsuit was against one of his companies, Lindell Management LLC, and not against him personally.

Lindell launched his “Prove Mike Wrong Challenge” as part of a “Cyber Symposium” he hosted in South Dakota in 2021. Lindell offered a $5 million reward through Lindell Management for anyone who could prove that “packet captures” and other data he released there were not valid data “from the November 2020 election.” Software engineer Robert Zeidman entered the challenge with a 15-page report that concluded the data from Lindell did not “contain packet data of any kind and do not contain any information related to the November 2020 election.” A panel of contest judges, including Lindell’s attorney, declined to declare Zeidman a winner.

Last April, a panel of three arbitrators unanimously ordered Lindell to pay Zeidman $5 million, concluding that he had satisfied the contest rules. In the new ruling, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim expressed concern about how the panel interpreted what he called a “poorly written contract,” but said courts have only limited authority to overrule arbitration awards and ordered Lindell to pay up with interest within 30 days.

Lindell has conceded that he doesn’t have the money to pay the money awarded Zeidman: “We’re not able to pay — I can’t borrow money to pay these attorneys. MyPillow can’t pay because of what happened. I have $10,000 to my name.”  Lindell has previously said that MyPillow had to work to stay afloat after stores like Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond “canceled” his product.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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Pres. Biden blasts Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF ruling on frozen embryos

President Joe Biden at the end of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Rome^ Italy. October 31^ 2021

President Joe Biden blasted the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent decision on in vitro fertilization which ruled that frozen embryos are people. The state court’s decision prompted the University of Alabama at Birmingham pause IVF treatments.

Biden said that the Alabama high court’s decision is a “direct result” of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, and also casted blame on former President Donald Trump with his appointments of conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Biden condemned the Alabama high court’s ruling: “Today, in 2024 in America, women are being turned away from emergency rooms and forced to travel hundreds of miles for health care, while doctors fear prosecution for providing an abortion. And now, a court in Alabama put access to some fertility treatments at risk for families who are desperately trying to get pregnant. The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable.”

Biden’s statement came a day after the Alabama Supreme Court ruling, which marked the first time a court has ever given rights and protections so early after conception, but did not ban in vitro fertilization (IVF) and is limited to Alabama. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF are children under state law, prompting legal concerns among doctors and patients over unused embryos that get discarded in the process. As a result of the ruling, The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced that it would stop IVF treatments, citing possible legal repercussions as a result of the decision: “we are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF, but we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments.”

Biden said he and Vice President Kamala Harris are committed to fighting for reproductive rights and “won’t stop until we restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state.” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a Thursday morning statement: “What is happening in Alabama right now is only possible because Donald Trump’s Supreme Court justices overturned Roe v. Wade. Across the nation, MAGA Republicans are inserting themselves into the most personal decisions a family can make, from contraception to IVF. With their latest attack on reproductive freedom, these so-called pro-life Republicans are preventing loving couples from growing their families. If Donald Trump is elected, there is no question that he will impose his extreme anti-freedom agenda on the entire country.”

Editorial credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com

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2024 Met Gala reveals theme and co-chairs Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth

Zendaya arrives for the ‘Euphoria’ FYC Party on April 20^ 2022 in Los Angeles^ CA

The co-chairs for the 2024 Met Gala were announced with a reveal on social media: “Just in: This year, #BadBunny, @ChrisHemsworth, @jlo, @Zendaya, and Anna Wintour will serve as this year’s official #MetGala co-chairs! Tied to the aforementioned exhibition, the dress code is “The Garden of Time.” http://vogue.cm/JeWLw0Z”.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed that Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth will serve as the Costume Institute Benefit event’s co-chairs. Honorary chairs are Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. The announcement on Vogue’s social channels came along with a comical video of text messages Wintour sent to the co-chairs, asking if they’re free on May 6.

The stars and Wintour will welcome guests to the museum for an exhibition entitled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”  Vogue described this year’s “Garden of Time” theme as one that has “nothing to do with the Brothers Grimm or Disney, but is rather a celebration of clothing and fashion so fragile that it can’t ever be worn again — and are therefore sleeping beauties in the scrupulously maintained archives of The Costume Institute … we can expect to see a range of fashion on display, dating back as far as a 17th-century Elizabethan-era English bodice, that embodies the beauty of the natural world — its fragility and its inevitable decay. More modern, less delicate pieces imbued with the same spirit as the spotlit fashions will be showcased alongside them, and broken up into three sub-themes: Land, Sea and Sky.”  Vogue also notes that the dress code was inspired by a short story of the same name written by JG Ballard in 1962. (

Hemsworth will attend his first Met as a co-host, with Bad Bunny marking his third year at the Met. Zendaya has attended the Met five times, and Lopez is a 13-time attendee. TikTok is a sponsor of this year’s gala, which will take place on May 6.

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Wendy Williams, 59, diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia

Wendy Williams at Star Ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 17^ 2019

Former talk show host Wendy Williams, 59, has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, according to a statement released Thursday by her medical team. Williams was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023 and those diagnoses have “enabled Wendy to receive the medical care she requires,” according to the press release.

The press release explained that the former host of the “Wendy Williams Show” underwent a battery of tests in 2023 after her memory started to fail and she began to “lose words” and “act erratically.” The statement read: “As Wendy’s fans are aware, in the past she has been open with the public about her medical struggles with Graves’ Disease and Lymphedema as well as other significant challenges related to her health. The decision to share this news was difficult and made after careful consideration, not only to advocate for understanding and compassion for Wendy, but to raise awareness about aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and support the thousands of others facing similar circumstances. Wendy is still able to do many things for herself. Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed. She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way.”

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a group of disorders that occur when nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain are lost. FTD can affect behavior, personality, language and movement. The National Aphasia Association describes primary progressive aphasia is “a neurological syndrome in which language capabilities become slowly and progressively impaired.” Unlike other forms of aphasia, primary progressive aphasia does not result from a stroke or brain injury and instead is caused by the “deterioration of brain tissue important for speech and language.” And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dementia is an umbrella term that describes “the impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities.”

The disclosure of Williams diagnosis comes ahead of the release of Lifetime’s documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?” The two-part documentary, filmed over the course of two years and executive produced by Williams, dives into her declining health and alcoholism, all of which contributed to her being placed under a court-ordered guardianship in 2022. Williams’ health issues first came to light after she collapsed on-air during her daytime talk show’s Halloween episode in 2017. At the time, she attributed the incident to her Graves’ disease diagnosis, but not long after she revealed she was living in a sober house to treat her alcoholism. Williams seemed to relapse numerous time, and checked in and out of rehab throughout 2022 and 2023.

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