Kip Moore
might be a bit sleep deprived these days. He can't get a good night's
rest thanks to an unwanted visitor in the home he rents in Nashville.
Kip says there's no doubt about the fact that his home is haunted by a
female ghost who sweeps outside his bedroom door.
He told Taste of Country,
"It's real, and every night I feel like I'm gonna die. I'll hear some
loud crashes at 3 a.m. in the middle of the night. It'll give you a
heart attack, that's for sure. But at least she's clean. She sweeps, so
at least she's clean."
Kip has managed to quiet the ghost a bit
with a recent converation he had with her. He said, "I literally heard
something the other night that just, I couldn't believe I heard it and I
sat up in my bed and I really did this. It was 2 a.m. and I said, 'I
got no beef with you if you've got no beef with me' and I went back to
sleep."
Kip is sure to get some rest this weekend as he's on the
road. He performs tonight (Friday, June 28th) in Dauphin, MB and on
Sunday (June 30th) with Toby Keith in Tinley Park, IL. Billy Currington's
new single, "Hey Girl," takes him back to his early teenage days. He
tells us he relates to the tune because the title helped him meet a few
young ladies back in the day. It reminded me of the time that when
my friends and I, growing up on the beach, would see a girl. You know,
we were 14 and 15. It seems like it was always the easiest and best
pickup line (laughs). It was just naturally what we'd always say
-- 'Hey, girl' -- and it would start a conversation, so it's definitely
real."
"Hey Girl" is the debut single from Billy's upcoming CD, We Are Tonight, which will be in stores on September 17th.
Billy is on the road this summer playing fairs and festivals. CHECK IT OUT
Brad Paisley
gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "test drive" when it comes to
his music. The singer is always anxious to get feedback from those
closest to him when he's done making a record, but there is only way he
will present the new stuff -- on four wheels!
Brad tells us: "The
album car test is the big one. I cannot stand to play the album for
people in the studio -- or even in anything other than where there's
moving pictures in front of you, because there's nothin' worse than
somebody sitting there and the only thing they have to look at is you,
and the only they have to think about is how they look listening. Like,
they shouldn't have to worry about their reaction to my music. They
should be able to have that reaction without me sitting across from
them, goin', 'Well, whaddaya think?' That's no fun. In a car, you're
both facing the same direction, and you're both watching the world as it
comes towards you. And there's somethin' about thatthat is just the only place to listen to music for me. It's the best invention ever: the radio inside of a car."
Brad is climbing toward the top of the charts with his latest hit, "Beat This Summer."
His tour of the same name rolls on to Virginia and New Jersey this weekend with special guests Chris Young, Lee Brice and The Henningsens.
Beginning at noon CT today (Friday, June 28th), a limited number of tickets for Toby Keith's
Oklahoma Twister Relief Concert will be released to the public for
purchase. The event will be held on July 6th at the University of
Oklahoma's Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman,
Oklahoma. Tickets may be purchased at ticketmaster.com. In addition to
Toby, performers include Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Ronnie Dunn and Willie Nelson. Proceeds will benefit the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund. Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood will star in their own episodes of the upcoming season of TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?. The ladies will trace their ancestry through the show. The new season premiers on July 23rd. Zooey Deschanel, Chris O'Donnell, Christina Applegate, Jim Parsons, Cindy Crawford and Chelsea Handler will also be featured in this season's lineup. Kellie Pickler's new video for "Someone Somewhere Tonight" reportedly features her Dancing With The Stars partner Derek Hough. The clip's director, Roman White,
recently tweeted, "Loving me some @kelliepickler and @derekhough right
now. Just saying." Derek also posted a photo, saying, "Here's a little
sneak peek of the project @kelliepickler and I did a couple of weeks
ago." Someone Somewhere Tonight" is the first single from Kellie's
upcoming album. No release date has yet been announced. CHECK IT OUT: http://tinyurl.com/mfrh8f8
Scotty McCreery took a break from his first headlining tour to perform at the Sweet 16 birthday party for Sadie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame.
After the party, Sadie tweeted, "This boy made my birthday the best day
of my life! So thankful that he came down for my party!"
The
day before the party, which took place in West Monroe, Louisiana, Scotty
also got stuck in the mud in a truck with Sadie's brother, John Luke Robertson, and enjoyed the legendary home cooking of Kay Robertson.
Scotty
said, "The first time I met Sadie and John Luke was at the Opry in
Nashville. I saw her tweet that said she was in Nashville, so I said,
'Hey, you want to come to the Opry?' I've watched the show since season
one and we had exchanged tweets before."
Scotty and Sadie talked
about her upcoming birthday during their Opry visit, and a few phone
calls later, he was confirmed to perform at the "Redneck Red Carpet"
party, held under a tent at a vineyard on June 17th.
Scotty
added, "I texted her before the party and asked if she had any song
requests and she said as long as I played 'See You Tonight' that she
would be happy because that is one of her favorites right now, which is
really cool. We kept it country. Willie and John Luke came onstage and
we sang 'Man of Constant Sorrow.' We had a good ol' time!"
Scotty also stayed at Sadie's parents' house, Korie and Willie Robertston, the night of the party.
Scotty
said, "I like the fact that they are who they say they are; they are
who they look they are on the TV show. They are good, normal folks who
like to have fun. It's really cool for me being so young and being in
the public eye to have friends like John Luke and Sadie who are in the
same boat. I am in an adult business and always around adults, so it's
nice to have friends who are in the spotlight and around my same age."
Pictures of Sadie's birthday party are featured in the current issue of Us Weekly magazine, which is on newsstands now.
Scotty continues to work on his second studio album, which is set for release later this year.
The project's debut single, "See You Tonight," is currently climbing the country charts. CHECK IT OUT: http://tinyurl.com/on4wkho
The video for Carrie Underwood's
latest hit, "See You Again," leaves plenty of room for viewers to take
away their own individual meanings. Carrie tells us that was by design. "The
'See You Again' video, I've been hearing the most amazing stories on
what it means to different people, and it means different things, and
that's how we wrote it, you know? We didn't want it to be one specific
story, you know? We wanted people . . . Those are always the best songs,
the best movies, the best things when people kind of fill in the gaps
themselves and it can mean something different to each person that hears
it."
In the next several weeks, Carrie will begin rehearsals for her role as Maria von Trapp in the live broadcast of The Sound of Music. The three-hour televised performance will air on NBC in December.
Lee Brice reached out to a young fan who was recently injured after leaving a concert. Nine-year-old Jaylynn Hiller
was hit by a car driven by a teenager who was under the influence after
leaving a concert in Allegan, Michigian earlier this month. She had
planned to attend Lee's concert the next day, but was in the hospital
with a fracture pelvis and unable to go.
As a big of Lee's, Jaylynn was very upset she had to miss the show.
Jaylynn's
story got back to Lee, who also found out that the little girl loves
his hit "I Drive Your Truck" because her stepfather was recently killed
in a car accident and it was his favorite song.
Lee's management got in touch with Jaylynn and offered backstage passes to her and her family for one of his upcoming shows. FAST FACTS
Lee's new single is "Parking Lot Party."
He's currently on tour with Brad Paisley on the Beat This Summer tour. They play tonight (Friday, June 28th) in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
COUNTRY TRIVIA
Q. Who was the first artist to have an album enter the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at Number One? A. George Strait
Friday, June 28th
ON THE TUBE
KENNY CHESNEY: NO SHOES NATION/GAC 11:00AM, 7:00PM (ET)
Kellie Pickler (country star, and American Idol contestant) (27)
Kathy Bates (Oscar-winning actress, Misery,Titanic,Fried Green Tomatoes) (65)
Danielle Brisebois (singer-actress, played little Stephanie on All In The Family, also appeared in Knots Landing) (44)
Mel Brooks (Comedic movie director and actor, The Producers, Blazing Saddles) (87)
John Cusack (movie actor, Say Anything, High Fidelity) (47)
John Elway (Former NFL quarterback) (53)
Mary Stuart Masterson (actress, Weeds,Fried Green Tomatoes, Benny & Joon) (47)
Alessandro Nivola (actor, Best Laid Plans, Junebug, Jurassic Park III, Face/Off, Goal!, Grace is Gone, husband of actress Emily Mortimer) (41)
ON THIS DAY
The Band Perry
was the subject of a bobblehead night at a minor-league baseball game
at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, Tennessee in 2012. The band threw out
the first pitch before the hometown Astros defeated the Danville Braves,
5-2.
"Hillbilly Bone," Blake Shelton's duet with Trace Adkins, earned a gold single in 2010.
George Strait's Somewhere Down In Texas album was released in 2005.
Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Chesney and Delbert McClinton performed for 40,000 fans at a Dale Earnhardt tribute concert at Daytona Motor Speedway in Florida in 2003. The show became a Fox TV special.
Willie Nelson claimed the Number One spot in Billboard with "Living In The Promiseland" in 1986.
The Oak Ridge Boys topped the Billboard country chart with "Trying To Love Two Women" in 1980.
Marty Robbins' "El Paso City" went to Number One in 1976.
T.G. Sheppard's "Tryin' to Beat the Morning Home" went to Number One in 1976.
Merle Haggard recorded the Top Five single, "The Bottle Let Me Down," in 1966.
CAMERON DIAZ IS THE NEW MISS HANIGAN: A rep for Columbia Pictures has confirmed that Cameron Diaz will be playing Miss Hanigan in the highly-anticipated remake of Annie being produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z. The film co-stars Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhane Wallis. 'TODAY' SHOW BEATS 'GOOD MORNING AMERICA' WITH PAULA DEEN INTERVIEW: The ratings for Wednesday's (June 26th) Paula Deen episode of the Today show were higher than the ratings for Good Morning America for the first time since the week of Hurricane Sandy back in November. Today averaged 4.84 million viewers but GMA only scored 4.67 million. 'FELICITY' STAR JOINS HBO PILOT:Scott Speedman from Felicity and the cancelled ABC drama Last Resort has joined Ryan Murphy's HBO drama pilot Open. American Beauty'sWes Bentley was previously cast as the show's other male lead. RELEASE DATE SET FOR 'FIFTY SHADES OF GREY': Universal Pictures and Focus Features have announced that Fifty Shades of Grey
will be released globally on August 1st, 2014. Although the director
and writer have been set, it is still unclear who will be playing the
roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. JULIANNE MOORE CLOSE TO JOINING 'THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY':Game Change star Julianne Moore is reportedly close to signing on to play President Alma Coin in the final two films of The Hunger Games franchise. The official announcement might be made by Lionsgate at the panel for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
EMMA STONE IS A REDHEAD AGAIN: Now that Emma Stone has completed filming The Amazing Spider-Man Two,
she has dyed her hair back to the fiery red locks that she is known
for. Though she rose to fame with the red hair, the actress has revealed
that she is actually a natural blonde. FRIENDS AND FAMILY BURY JAMES GANDOLFINI: Celebrity friends and family of James Gandolfini gather in New York on Thursday (June 27th) to bury the award-winning actor. Guests included: Vincent Pastore, Lorraine Bracco, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Joe Pantoliano, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, David Chase as well as non-Sopranos actors Alec Baldwin, John Turturro, and New Jersey governor Chris Christie. NIGELLA LAWSON MOVES OUT OF HER HOME WITH HER ALLEGEDLY ABUSIVE HUSBAND: Movers have been photographed over the past few days retrieving belongings from the home that belonged to Nigella Lawson and her husband Charles Saatchi.
Nigella's sister was at the home on Wednesday (June 26th) to supervise
as the movers picked up some of the 53-year-old chef's personal effects. AMANDA BYNES IS BACK TO CALLING PEOPLE UGLY: More people can be added to the elite list of names that Amanda Bynes has called out for being ugly on Twitter. Bynes tweeted and deleted messages saying that her own sister Jillian and her Hairspray co-star Zac Efron have ugly faces. The tweets were caught as screen grabs by Gossip Cop and E! Online before Amanda had her change of heart. ADAM BRODY AND LEIGHTON MEESTER'S FIRST PUBLIC OUTING AS A COUPLE: Former teen soap opera stars Adam Brody and Leighton Meester made their debut as a couple by holding hands at the premiere of Adam's new film Some Girl(s)
on Wednesday night (June 26th.) The actors have been dating since
January but this is the first time they have acknowledged their
relationship at an industry event.
PEOPLE ARE OFFENDED BY DISCOVERY'S 'SHARK WEEK' AD
A new ad that was released this week to promote Discovery Channel's Shark Week has been creating a bit of controversy. According to the Hollywood Reporter, some people are offended by the ad's depiction of the grizzly death of a seal.
The
commercial was made as a fake news story showing Snuffy the Seal being
released back into the ocean after being nursed back to health by
humans. As Snuffy is being lowered into the ocean, a shark jumps out of
the water and eats him as people look on in horror. The ad ends with the
tagline, "It's a bad week to be a seal. For the rest of us it's pretty
awesome." Viewers on Discovery's YouTube channel where the video
was posted are having mixed reactions with some finding it hilarious and
others saying it is in poor taste and flat-out disgusting.
It doesn't appear that Paula Deen's interview on the Today
show did her much good since sponsors continue to cut their ties with
her and new stories of her prejudice views are coming out. Another one
of the chef's former employees has come forward and revealed to the National Enquirer that Paula allegedly used homophobic slurs to refer to her employees at her Georgia eatery Lady & Sons.
Following her interview with Matt Lauer
on Wednesday (June 26th,) Paula lost partnership deals with huge
retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Home Depot who have all released
statements expressing that they do not plan on ordering any additional
Paula Deen products after their current stock runs out. Paula also lost
her job as a rep for the diabetes medication Novo Nordisk which she
scored after famously revealing her diagnosis with the disease which she
hid from the public for several years.
At the time of her Today show interview, Paula had only lost two business partners. She has now lost six.
Martha Stewart appeared on Wednesday's Watch What Happens Live and gave her thoughts on the situation to Andy Cohen.
She said, "I feel sorry for Paula Deen. She's a public figure. And I
know you have to be extremely careful being a public figure."
Premiering this Sunday on Showtime: DEXTER. The final season of Dexter,
airing at 9 P.M., begins with Miami Metro investigating a murder as
Dexter continues to juggle life as a family man and serial killer. Dexter stars Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas and Desmond Harrington. RAY DONOVAN. The series, starring Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight, Frank Whaley and Elliot Gould,kicks
off its premiere at 10 P.M., focuses on Ray Donovan, a professional
'fixer' for the rich and famous in Los Angeles who can make anyone's
problem go away except those created by his own family.
Sunday's
series premiere follows Ray, who must find a way to get an action star
out of a scandal with a transexual as his father gets released from
prison 5 years early.
Forbes
has released their annual list of the most powerful actress' in
Hollywood. The list consists of some of the industry's biggest names but
the ranking comes as a bit of a surprise.
Though Angelina Jolie taking the top spot and Jennifer Lawrence taking number two may seem like a given, Jennifer Aniston and Kristen Stewart beating out the likes of award-winners Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron, and Sandra Bullock for the third and fourth spots is not as expected. The magazine explains, "Thanks to Friends,
Aniston would be fine if she never worked another day in her life.
Instead, she's mostly doing movies that appeal to her artistic side, not
necessarily her bank account. The actress takes pay cuts to appear in
films like Horrible Bosses and We're the Millers. She
still earns big from her deals with Vitamin Water and Aveeno skin care
and she's never out of the press. Her recent engagement to actor Justin
Theroux was one of the biggest tabloid stories of 2012."
They also justify Kristen's spot on the list saying, "With the Twilight
money still rolling in (for now), Stewart makes her fourth appearance
on the Celebrity 100 list after topping our list of Hollywood's
Highest-Paid Actresses last year. This is likely to be Stewart's last
Celebrity 100 list for a while though. While she helped make Snow White and the Huntsman a hit, a sequel is still a ways off and the actress doesn't seem terribly interested in doing more big-budget movies."
Hugh Jackman earned the top spot on the Most Powerful Actors list.
The Top Ten:
#10 Sandra Bullock #9 Mila Kunis #8 Charlize Theron #7 Emma Stone #6 Meryl Streep #5 Gwyneth Paltrow #4 Kristen Stewart #3 Jennifer Aniston #2 Jennifer Lawrence #1 Angelina JolieCHECK IT OUT:
Print This Story Kat Von D has called off her engagement to Deadmau5 and the couple are going their separate ways again. The tattoo artist revealed the news on her Twitter page on Wednesday (June 26th.)
Kat wrote: Kat Von D✔@thekatvond
Cheating on your loved one is the most
hurtful thing one could do. I hate to have to admit, that this
relationship is indeed over.
Deadmau5 addressed the cheating accusation on his Facebook
page on Thursday (June 27th) by writing, "All i am saying on the
matter: Kat and I split in November and I moved back home to Toronto.
During this time, while we were broken up, I did have relations with
another woman. Following that, Kat and I reconciled and I acknowledged
being intimate with another person while we were estranged. We did move
past those issues and I proposed to Kat in mid- December. At the end of
June, it was clear that the relationship was not working and we mutually
ended the engagement. I was not, at any point, unfaithful to Kat during
our time together. I don't wish to go tit for tat with these kinds of
pronouncements and don't expect to comment further, but I do believe
that those who have expressed concern deserve a more complete
understanding of what transpired."
Kat was previously engaged to Sandra Bullock's ex-husband Jesse James but that engagement was called off as well.
Opening today (Friday June 28th) is the new action movie from director Roland Emmerich, White House Down, starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke and Richard Jenkins.
The film follows policeman John Cole, played by Tatum, who has just
been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting
President James Sawyer, played by Foxx. When he takes his daughter on a
tour of the White House, the building is overtaken by a paramilitary
group, John must save the president, his daughter and the country.
White House Down is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Opening today (Friday June 28th) is the new comedy from director Paul Feig, The Heat, starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Birchir, Marlon Wayans and Michael Rapaport.
The film follows two total opposite law enforcement agents, straight
laced Ashburn, played by Bullock, and foul mouthed Shannon, played by
McCarthy, who must join forces to bring down a ruthless drug lord.
The Heat is rated R and has a running time of 1 hour and 57 minutes.
SENATE PASSES IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL: The Senate passed
historic immigration reform legislation Thursday (June 27th) that
contains a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants currently in the
country while also mandating a military-style effort to secure the
border with Mexico. The measure passed on a bipartisan 68-32 vote, with
14 Republicans joining all 52 Democrats and two independents to support
it. However, the legislation's prospects in the Republican-controlled
House are very uncertain, with conservatives generally against the path
to citizenship. EX-VICE CHAIR OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF TARGET OF LEAKS PROBE: Retired Marine General James "Hoss" Cartwright,
a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is under
investigation for allegedly leaking classified information about a
covert cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities, according to reports by
NBC News and The Washington Post. In June 2012, the New York Times reported that Cartwright was a crucial player in the cyber operation, which was started under President George W. Bush. According to the Times,
Obama ordered the cyberattacks sped up, and in 2010 an attack using a
computer virus called Stuxnet temporarily disabled 1,000 centrifuges
that the Iranians were using to enrich uranium. Congressional leaders
demanded a criminal probe into the leak, and Obama said he had zero
tolerance for such leaks. Cartwright, once considered the leading
candidate to become Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, resigned from the
military in August 2011. FRIEND OF TRAYVON MARTIN TESTIFIES FOR SECOND DAY: A 19-year-old friend of Trayvon Martin,
who was the last person to speak to him, via cell phone, before his
February 2012 killing, testified for a second day yesterday (June 27th)
in the second degree murder trial of George Zimmerman. During Rachel Jeantel's testimony, defense attorney Don West
had several testy exchanges with her, charging that Martin injected
race into the fatal confrontation with Zimmerman, and suggesting she
wasn't believable because of inconsistencies in her story. But Jeantel
remained firm in her testimony about the night Zimmerman shot Martin
after a fight that Jeantel said she overheard on the phone. Among
inconsistencies highlighted by the defense was that Jeantel testified
that Martin's last words were "Get off! Get off!" before Martin's phone
went silent, but she conceded yesterday that she hadn't mentioned that
in her account of what happened to Martin's mother. Jeantel said she
left out some details to spare the woman's feelings, and also because
she wasn't asked directly about them. Jeantel testified that she thought
race was an issue because Martin told her he was being followed by a
white man, calling him a, quote, "creepy-ass cracker." But when the
defense attorney responded, "It was racial because Trayvon put race in
this?", she answered no. TODAY'S FYI:FBI HAD MOLE INSIDE WIKILEAKS:Wired
reveled Thursday (June 27th) that the FBI had a mole inside WikiLeaks
for three months in 2011, less than a year after the anti-secrecy
organization released thousands of U.S. military and diplomatic
documents leaked to them by Bradley Manning. The mole, Iceland native Sigurdur Thordarson, went to Wired with his story, revealing that he'd provided the FBI with chat logs, videos and other data from WikiLeaks head Julian Assange
and others and received $5,000 in return. Thordarson, who's now 20, had
actually been a close associate of Assange and his motives for turning
against him are unclear. He told Wired that he, quote, "didn't want to participate in having [hacker groups] Anonymous and Lulzsec hack for WikiLeaks." However, Wired says
Thordarson actually approached Lulzsec on his own in 2011 to ask them
to hack the Icelandic government for WikiLeaks, without getting
permission from Assange. WikiLeaks fired Thordarson in November 2011
after discovering that he was selling WikiLeaks t-shirts and embezzling
the money, but he continued working for the FBI even after that. NEW RULES TO ENSURE ALL FOOD, DRINKS SOLD IN SCHOOLS ARE HEALTHIER:
The Agriculture Department said yesterday (June 27th) that new rules
finalized this week that were required under a child nutrition law
passed in 2010 will ensure that all food and drinks sold in schools are
healthier, with new fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits. Rules put
into place at he beginning of the 2012 school year had already imposed
the healthier standards for the free and low-cost school breakfasts and
lunches that are subsidized by the federal government. The limits are
now being expanded to apply to food sold in what's called the "a la
carte" line, as well as to what's puts in school food and drink vending
machines. HILLARY CLINTON WINS LIBERTY MEDAL, JEB BUSH TO AWARD: Two leading potential 2016 presidential opponents will meet this September when ex-Florida Republican Governor Jeb Bush presents the 2013 Liberty Medal to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
in Philadelphia. Bush is chairman of the National Constitution Center,
which is giving Clinton the award in honor of her career in public
service and her advocacy efforts on behalf of women. Clinton hasn't
announced her 2016 plans, but is considered the frontrunner for the
Democratic nomination if she does run. For his part, Bush, who hasn't
ruled out a 2016 presidential campaign, would be considered one of the
top GOP candidates if he does get run. TENNESSEE MAN CHARGED IN ROMNEY TAX RETURNS SCHEME:
A 34-year-old Tennessee man was charged with six counts of wire fraud
and extortion on Wednesday (June 27th) for a scheme involving former
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's tax returns during
last year's presidential campaign. Michael Mancil Brown is accused of
sending an anonymous letter to the accounting firm Pricewaterhouse
Coopers in Franklin, Tennessee, last August, demanding $1 million in
digital currency be put in a Bitcoin account to keep some of Romney's
past income tax returns from being released. Brown falsely claimed that
he'd gained access to the accounting firm's computer network and stolen
the tax documents. Similar letters were sent to the Democratic and
Republican offices in Franklin. During last year's campaign, Romney
refused to released any tax returns from earlier than 2010.
Bitcoin is a form of electronic cash.
SHUTTLE EXHIBIT FEATURING ATLANTIS OPENING AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER:
An exhibit dedicated to the 30-year U.S. space shuttle program is
opening to the public on Saturday (June 29th) at Kennedy Space Center in
Florida, with the shuttle Atlantis as its centerpiece. More than 40
astronauts who flew on Atlantis during its 33 missions will take part in
the grand opening Saturday. The shuttle is displayed in the exhibit
tilted at an angle to give it the appearance of being in flight in
orbit. The exhibit also features a life-size replica of the Hubble Space
Telescope and images of the International Space Station beamed on the
wall. Atlantis, which was the final shuttle to fly, touching down on
July 21, 2011, to end the shuttle program, is also the last of the three
surviving shuttles to go on public display. SPORTS: CAVALIERS TAKE BENNETT FIRST IN NBA DRAFT: The Cleveland Cavaliers picked UNLV freshman forward Anthony Bennett at the Number 1 pick in the first round of the NBA draft last night (June 27th) in New York. The Orlando Magic took Indiana's Victor Oladipo with the Number 2 selection, the Washington Wizards took Otto Porter Jr. of Georgetown third, Indiana's Cody Zeller went to the Charlotte Bobcats fourth, and the Number 5 pick was Maryland's Alex Len, taken by the Phoenix Suns. SERENA WILLIAMS ADVANCES, ALL U.S. MEN OUT AT WIMBLEDON: Defending champion and top-seed Serena Williams advanced at Wimbledon Thursday (June 27th), easily eliminating 100th-ranked Caroline Garcia
of France 6-3, 6-2. There were no major upsets on Day 4 of the
tournament, one day after several high-ranking players were stunningly
ousted, including Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova. All
the U.S. men are now out of the tournament, however, with all 11
eliminated, the first time in 101 years that no American men reached
Wimbledon's third round. The final one ousted was 156th-ranked Bobby Reynolds, who was defeated yesterday by top-seeded Novak Djokovic 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-1. HERNANDEZ BEING EYED IN 2012 MURDERS: One day after being arraigned for first-degree murder in connection with the death of his friend Odin Lloyd, former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez
is now being investigated as a possible suspect in a July 2012 double
murder in Boston, according to reports. Three men were found shot in a
car at a traffic light in the incident, two of them fatally, and
investigators believe they'd gotten into a fight earlier at a nightclub
with a group that included Hernandez. The Boston Globe says the working theory is that Lloyd might have had information about Hernandez's role in the double murder. (Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.
CULT - Skye and Jeff search for evidence against Sakelik.
CULT - Jeff and Skye try to infiltrate a True Believers meeting.
DAY TIME TALK SHOW THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - (repeat) THE VIEW - Mariah Carey, guest co-host Jesse Tyler Ferguson LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat) THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - Wanda Sykes, Kris Jenner, India.Arie JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - (repeat) THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Tenacious D, Cathy Ladman LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat) LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)
GiRL SPENDS THREE HOURS A DAY TO LOOK LIKE A JAPANESE CARTOON CHARACTER:
A 20-year old woman from London said she takes three hours every day to
make herself look like a human doll. Katie Lawrence, an art student,
admits she's obsessed with studying Japanese culture and searching for
outfits to wear with her exaggerated make-up. Lawrence said spends about
$300 each month on make-up. Lawrence added that her addition to make-up
started when she was just 11-years-old and her mother introduced her to
lip-gloss. (Daily Mail)
PAYPAL GALACTIC WILL LET ASTRONAUTS PAY BILLS FROM SPACE:
The e-commerce business PayPal will launch PayPal Galatic to make
universal space payments a reality. The company is planning to bring
together leaders in the scientific community to prepare and support the
future of space commerce. Anuj Nayar explains, "Astronauts who live for
months in space still need to pay their bills back on Earth and for
entertainment while in space." (ABC News) TWO SISTERS ARRESTED FOR DUI IN SAME CAR AT SAME TIME:
Two Miami sisters were charged with driving under the influence at the
same time in the same car. Steffany and Vanessa Miranda were both
arrested last Saturday (June 23rd) when a deputy spotted their
Volkswagon swerving, increasing and decreasing speeds and braking
suddenly. Steffany was behind the wheel when the deputy tried to pull
them over but the sisters stopped in the middle of the road and
proceeded to switch seats. Both were arrested and charged with DUI. (New
York Daily News) DRIVER CRASHES AND GETS COVERED IN PAINT:
A Washington State man and his dog were covered in paint after the man
lost control of his vehicle, which at the time was carrying buckets of
paint. The driver somehow lost control of his SUV and ran off the
highway, near Belfair, south-west of Seattle. The paint went flying
covering the man and his formerly black dog. The unidentified man was
taken to the hospital with minor injuries. (Telegraph)
Texas Gov. Perry's Criticism of Filibuster Figure Wendy Davis Gets Personal
Democratic Texas state Senator Wendy Davis
was catapulted to national political stardom with her marathon
filibuster Tuesday (June 25th) to try to block sweeping new legislation
that would force most of the abortion clinics in Texas to close. Davis'
hours-long filibuster, and the loud shouts from abortion rights
supporters in the Senate gallery, kept the legislation from being passed
before the midnight end of the special legislative session. However,
Republican Governor Rick Perry the next day called a second
special session that will almost surely pass the legislation. Perry also
criticized Davis publicly yesterday (June 27th), and did so in
strikingly personal terms. Speaking at the National Right to Life
Conference, Perry spoke about Davis' history, saying, "She was the
daughter of a single woman. She was a teenage mother herself. She
managed to eventually graduate from Harvard Law School and serve in the
Texas Senate. It's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own
example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full
potential and that every life matters." Her went further afterward,
telling reporters he was glad Davis' mother didn't have an abortion,
saying, "What if her mom had said, 'I just can't do this. I don't want
to do this.' At that particular point in time, I think it becomes very
personal." Davis, whose single mother had four children and was herself
divorced with a child by 19, shot back at Davis in a statement. She
said, "Rick Perry's statement is without dignity and tarnishes the high
office he holds. They are small words that reflect a dark and negative
point of view. Our governor should reflect our Texas values. Sadly,
Governor Perry fails that test."
Research: 54 Percent of Workers Say Boss Expects Them to Work on Vacation
A
growing number of bosses are asking employees to work while on
vacation, something that's been enabled by technology such as tablets,
smartphones and laptops that makes this a lot easier to do. New research
from global technology company Ricoh Americas found 54 percent of
workers saying their boss expects them to work while on vacation, while
an even greater number seem to have trouble separating from work all on
their own, with 64 percent saying they check their email while on
vacation because it helps to ease the return to work. But not being able
to relax on vacation harms the health and personal lives of workers,
according to LiveScience.com, raising the risk of burnout and
causing problems at home. Ricoh Americas VP of strategic marketing
Terrie Campbell said, "Workers absolutely must have a chance to recharge
for themselves, their families and their career. Employers ignore this
need at their peril."
Weirdest Giveaway Ever -- Minor League Baseball Team Awarding Free Funeral
Minor
league baseball teams have all kinds of fun giveaways and events to get
fans out to the ballpark. But one Pennsylvania team has come up with
possibly the weirdest giveaway ever, planning to award a free funeral to
one lucky fan at an upcoming game. The Yahoo! Sports blog ThePostGame
reports that The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the
Philadelphia Phillies, will be giving out one $10,000 funeral or
memorial package during the August 20th game, which they're calling a
"Celebration of Life." The package includes a casket, embalming or
cremation, the services of a funeral director and staff, a hearse and
facility for funeral services, a headstone and a spray of flowers for
the casket. To register, fans are asked to submit an essay of 200 words
or less describing their ideal funeral and why they deserve it. IronPigs
General Manager Kurt Landes is calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime
giveaway" and "the most highly-coveted 'out-of-the-box' promotion in
IronPigs history."
When it comes to the most powerful celebrities, Forbes ranks Taylor Swift at Number Six on their newly-compiled "Celebrity 100" list. She is the only country act in the Top 10, flanked by Madonna, Beyonce and Jon Bon Jovi, among others. Oprah Winfrey tops the list.
Appointment to the list is based on several factors, including income, marketability and media presence over the past 12 months.
Taylor earned an estimated 55 million dollars over the last year.
Other country acts on the list include Toby Keith at Number 43 with an estimated income of $65 million; Carrie Underwood at Number 46 with $31 million; and Kenny Chesney at Number 47 with $53 million. CHECK IT OUT
It's been a big week for Hunter Hayes!
He celebrated his career second Number One hit, "Somebody's
Heartbreak," earlier this week, and now comes news that his new album, Encore, debuts at Number One on the Billboard country albums chart. This is Hunter's first chart-topping debut.
He tells us: "That's huge! This concept, this deluxe, this Encore concept
for me is very strange. It's not something I would've necessarily
planned or thought about ahead of time. 'Crazy,' for instance, was
originally a recording for the next record until I and the team talked
about it and we were like, 'Well, the idea behind Encore is
several different things, right? It's including songs on the original
record, that, to me, deserve to be a part of the original record that I
just never gave the chance to, songs that were written afterwards that
to me defies the laws a little bit to go backwards but they need to be a
part of this chapter. They need to be, lyrically, a part of this
record. And thenyou have 'Crazy,' which was written about a year ago, but all in all I feel like 'Crazy' kind of sums up the concept (laughs).
To do this with this with this record was a chance of a lifetime to go
back and finish up your first impression the way you'd want to finish
it." Encore features eight new or re-recorded songs in addition to collaborations with Jason Mraz and Ashley Monroe.
"I
Want Crazy" is currently just outside the Top Five on the country
charts, selling more than 100,000 downloads this week alone.
Hunter performed the song with The Voice winner Danielle Bradbury during the recent season finale of the show. CHECK IT OUT
The title of Luke Bryan's upcoming album will be called Crash My Party, after his current hit single which is quickly climbing the charts. The CD will be in stores on August 13th.
Luke
revealed the title and cover of the album to his fans earlier this week
on his official website by challenging them to "uncover" tiles that
were hiding the album cover image by tweeting the hashtag #CrashMyParty.
Over 4,000 tweets were sent within 30 minutes, making #CrashMyParty
trend nationwide.
Luke tells us that Crash My Party has something for everyone, despite the title. "The
album, it has your party songs, it has your songs that are about life
that about rural life. It's got some love songs that I've never done
this type of love song on it that I'm really, really excited about. I
mean, we've got songs for the guys, songs for the girls, songs you can
go ride dirt roads in, songs you can cry to. I think I've got a song on
there that could really, really change some people's lives and really
help them heal through a tough time. So, I've never been more excited
than an upcoming album, and I think this one has something for everybody
on there."
Crash My Party is the follow-up to Luke's most successful album to date, tailgates & tanlines, which has now been certified double platinum.
Luke recently debuted the video for "Crash My Party." CHECK IT OUT
Miranda Lambert's brand new single is called "All Kinds of Kinds." It's the fifth release from her Four the Record album, and it's a song that Miranda tells us just seemed to hit home with her from the get-go. "'All
Kinds of Kinds' is such a different song. To me, I heard this -- my
producer sent it to me -- and I don't know, I just identified with it
immediately. I don't really know why, but it just...all these characters
in this song, and I'm finally in . . . I found my niche, I found my
spot in country music, and everyone's uplifted me through that, and
winnin' awards and havin' hits, but I still feel like I'm a little bit
different. And I'm glad for that. But for 'All Kinds of Kinds,' it's
just talkin' about all kinds of scenarios and how it takes so many
different characters to make the world what it is."
Miranda
will be performing at the CMA Songwriters Series event at the Royale
Boston Nightclub in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 11th. The show
features Brett James, Kip Moore, and Bob DiPiero. FAST FACTS
Miranda
is on the Jason Aldean-headlined bill at Fenway Park in Boston on July
12th & 13th. The show also features performances by Jake Owen and
Thomas Rhett.
The video for Chris Young's
latest single, "Aw Naw," debuts today (Thursday, June 27th) at noon ET
on VEVO. The clip was recently shot in Nashville, and includes Chris'
band members.
Chris said, "With a song like "Aw Naw," you have
to have a fun music video. The night we shot the video we didn't wrap
until 4 a.m. but we had a lot of laughs and pulled a few pranks but we
stayed hydrated with aw naw juice."
"Aw Naw" was co-written by Chris, and is the debut release from his upcoming album, called A.M., which will be released on September 17th.
"Aw Naw" is currently available on iTunes and other digital music destinations. FAST FACTS
Chris is currently on tour with Brad Paisley.
The Beat This Summer tour, which also featured Lee Brice and The Henningsens, plays in Virginia Beach on Friday (June 28th).
Shania Twain
was one of the few country acts who reacted to the Supreme Court's
ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, which clears the way for gay
couples to get married and enjoy tax and health benefits. Shania
tweeted, "Congratulations to everyone celebrating #equality today in the
U.S. #loveislove"
Ronnie Dunn and Kid Rock are among the acts making guest appearances on rocker Sammy Hagar's new album, Sammy Hagar And Friends. The 10-track CD of both original material and cover songs is set for release on September 24th.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
COUNTRY TRIVIA
Q. From what Georgia city does Luke Bryan hail? A. Leesburg
Miranda Lambert shot the video to "Fastest Girl In Town" in Dickson County, Tennessee, with NASCAR driver Danica Patrick in 2012.
Ralph Stanley underwent a triple bypass operation in Virginia in 2005.
Jamie O'Neal had surgery in Nashville for a ruptured disc in her back in 2001.
Tracy Lawrence and his wife, Becca, had a daughter, Skylar JoAnn Lawrence, in Nashville in 2001.
Common Thread: Songs Of The Eagles went triple-platinum in 1994. It featured Travis
Tritt, Little Texas, Clint Black, John Anderson, Alan Jackson, Suzy
Bogguss, Vince Gill, Billy Dean, Tanya Tucker, Diamond Rio, Trisha
Yearwood, Brooks & Dunn and Lorrie Morgan.
Lyle Lovett married Julia Roberts at the St. James Lutheran Church in Marion, Indiana in 1993, after a whirlwind romance that began during filming of the movie The Player.
Ray Price's chart-topping single "For the Good Times" charted in 1970.
Hank Snow recorded the Number One single "I've Been Everywhere" in 1962.
Gene Autry recorded the Number One single, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," in 1949.
NBC EXTENDS OPTIONS TO JOHN STAMOS AND OTHER STARS OF 'I AM VICTOR': NBC and Universal TV have extended the options of five cast members in the drama pilot I Am Victor including John Stamos and Matthew Lillard.
Earlier this month, the network decided to retool the show and it is
believed they are looking to meld two of the female characters into one. MTV CANCELS 'ZACH STONE IS GONNA BE FAMOUS': MTV has decided not to renew Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous
for a second season. The network released a statement saying, "After
careful consideration of many factors, we have ultimately decided not to
move forward with an additional season of the series. We wish Bo, the
cast and the entire production crew the very best." 'CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY' MAY BE HEADING TO BROADWAY: A stage version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened in London on Tuesday (June 25th) and the show is being considered to make the move to Broadway. Skyfall director Sam Mendes adapted the story to the stage but the reviews were not quite as overwhelmingly positive as the musical version of Roald Dahl'sMatilda which began its Broadway run this season. OWN NETWORK PICKS UP TWO SOAP OPERAS:Oprah's OWN network has picked up the rights to air the first 40 episodes of the soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live
which were previously cancelled by ABC but have been continuing online.
The network will begin airing the shows back to back Monday through
Thursday starting on July 15th. ELIZABETH BANKS SIGNS ON FOR TWO INDIE FILMS:Hunger Games actress Elizabeth Banks has signed on to star in two new indie films including the Beach Boys biopic Love & Mercy where she will play Brian Wilson's wife. In Little Accidents, Banks will play a woman whose life spirals out of control after a town is devastated by a mining accident that kills 12 men
COURTENEY COX IS DATING 'COUGAR TOWN' COSTAR: Newly divorced Courteney Cox is reportedly dating her Cougar Town costar Brian Van Holt. An insider told Us Weekly that they have been together for about six months. Cox's ex David Arquette once told Howard Stern that his wife and Brian were having an emotional affair. REPORT: KIM KARDASHIAN IS OBSESSED WITH LOSING HER BABY WEIGHT:North West was born less than two weeks ago but her mother, Kim Kardashian, is reportedly obsessed with losing her baby weight. Sources tell Radar Online,
"She really believes she can lose the first 30 pounds in the first
month. She wants to look good in a bikini by the end of the summer." ANNA WINTOUR TWEETS FOR THE FIRST TIME:Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour tweeted for the first time through her magazine's official Twitter
account to express her support of the Supreme Court decision regarding
same-sex marriage. The tweet said, "Today's rulings are a big step
forward for all Americans striving to achieve equality. I couldn't be
happier or more proud. --A.W." KIM ZOLCIAK IS PREGNANT: Bravo reality star Kim Zolciak has revealed that she is pregnant with her fifth child. The revelation was made on Tuesday's (June 25th) episode of Don't Be Tardy. The 35-year-old took over a dozen pregnancy tests and all of them confirmed that she is with child. JESSICA BIEL USES SHOCK COLLARS ON HER DOGS:Total Recall star Jessica Biel
was spotted walking her dogs in New York City on Tuesday (June 25th)
and both pups were wearing controversial shock collars. The collars are
commonly used to teach obedience but some people feel it is a form of
animal cruelty.
The past week hasn't been so easy for celebrity chef Paula Deen but she attempted to turn things around for herself by sitting down to an interview on the Today show with Matt Lauer
on Wednesday (June 26th.) Paula got emotional during the conversation
while insisting that she is a loving person and that she is distressed
by the way the n-word gets tossed around between members of the
African-American community. US Weekly is reporting that Paula has hired Judy Smith -- the inspiration for Kerry Washington's character on Scandal
-- to help her through this crisis. However, those close to Deen insist
that even though the controversy may be costing her endorsement deals,
her businesses are thriving.
Shortly after Paula's
interview, Caesars casino company announced that they will be closing
all four restaurants that operate on their properties as part of a
business partnership with the chef.
Walmart also released a
statement on Wednesday afternoon saying, "We are ending our relationship
with Paula Deen Enterprises and we will not place new orders beyond
those already committed."
Many
celebrity couples have stood up for marriage equality by announcing
that they would not walk down the aisle until everyone had that right
and with Wednesday's (June 26th) repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act,
at least one Hollywood power couple is ready to take the plunge. Not
long after the Supreme Court made their ruling to strike down the law
and overturn Prop 8, Kristen Bell re-proposed to her fiancé and baby daddy Dax Shepard.
The House of Lies actress wrote:
Dax originally responded by writing but deleting, "F*** Yes!!!!!!!" He later wrote:
The happy couple first got engaged back in 2009 and welcomed their daughter Lincoln last March.
REPORT: RELATIONSHIP TROUBLE FOR JENNIFER ANISTON AND JUSTIN THEROUX
It appears that it was more than just busy schedules that caused Jennifer Aniston to stop planning her wedding to Justin Theroux. Radar Online is reporting that the couple reportedly cannot agree on where to live after the wedding.
According
to sources, Jennifer loves living on the West coast and refuses to live
outside of Southern California but Justin was hoping he could convince
her to relocate to New York City. One insider told the website, "He
suggested the couple could live in New York City part-time, no more than
six months a year and L.A. the rest of the time. Justin misses the Big
Apple, and his friends. His entire life was in New York, and he uprooted
his entire life to move to LA to be with Jen. He thinks it's time Jen
start to compromise, but she is absolutely refusing to live on the East
Coast, even part-time."
The Friends actress
reportedly refused the offer possibly due to the massive renovations she
is currently performing on her $21 million estate.
EMMA WATSON DIDN'T REALIZE SHE WAS FAMOUS UNTIL COLLEGE
Emma Watson spent 10 years making the Harry Potter
films but she claims it wasn't until she came to United States for
college that she realized how many people knew who she was. The actress
appears in the August issue of Teen Vogue discussing her fame.
She
revealed that she wasn't aware of her celebrity status until she
arrived at Brown University and had photographers following her every
move. Emma explains, "It sounds stupid, or completely unbelievable, but
that was when I realized that I was famous." The 23-year-old adds,
"There are still days when I deal with fame horribly and there are days
when I deal with it really well." CHECK IT OUT:
5 Ways College Accidentally Prepares You for the Real World: http://bit.ly/K8W1I5
At 24 years old, Lucy Hale has had some experience in the dating world and up until recently she had a habit for falling for the bad boys. The Pretty Little Liars star chatted with Us Weekly about her new beau at NYC's Bongo Boutique on June 23rd.
Lucy has been dating Revolution's Graham Rogers. She described him to magazine as being "such a sweetheart" and added, "He is a good guy. And I am past the bad-boy stage."
This is the actress' first public relationship since breaking up with actor Chris Zylka last September after six months of dating.
SUPREME COURT HANDS VICTORY TO GAY MARRIAGE SUPPORTERS: The
Supreme Court handed an historic victory yesterday (June 26th) to gay
marriage advocates, striking down a key part of the federal Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) to make married gay couples equal federally with
straight couples. The 5-4 decision, which saw Justice Anthony Kennedy
side with the court's liberal wing, threw out the part of DOMA which
kept legally married gay couples from receiving federal tax, health and
pension benefits that are otherwise available to married couples.
Kennedy wrote the purpose of the law was to impose a disadvantage and,
quote, "a stigma upon all who enter into same-sex marriages made lawful
by the unquestioned authority of the states." However, the court's
decision didn't touch on another part of DOMA, which says a state
doesn't have to recognize a gay marriage performed elsewhere. In a
second case, dealing with California's constitutional ban on same-sex
marriage, the court also issued a 5-4 ruling that leaves in place a
lower court's decision that the Proposition 8 ban was unconstitutional,
clearing the way for gay marriage to return in the state. It was a
technical ruling that said those challenging the lower court's ruling
didn't have standing to do so.
After the Supreme Court's ruling, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Department of Defense would extend benefits to same-sex military spouses as soon as possible.
MANDELA REPORTEDLY ON LIFE SUPPORT: Former South African president and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela
is on life support, according to reports out last night (June 26th),
after having struggled since being hospitalized on June 8th for a
recurring lung infection. Authorities have described the 94-year-old's
condition as critical since Sunday. After visiting Mandela last last
night, South African President Jacob Zuma canceled his visit to Mozambique where he was supposed to attend a summit today. TRAYVON MARTIN'S FRIEND TESTIFIES ABOUT FINAL PHONE CALL: A friend who was on the phone with 17-year-old Trayvon Martin moments before he was shot and killed by volunteer Sanford, Florida, neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in February 2012 testified about the call during Zimmerman's murder trial yesterday (June 26th). Nineteen-year-old Rachel Jeantel
said that Martin had told her he was being followed by a man he
described to her as a, quote, "creepy-ass cracker" as he walked back
from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee. Martin
thought he'd lost him, but then told Jeantel Zimmerman was behind him.
She testified that she heard Martin ask, "What are you following me
for"? and then Zimmerman asking Martin what he was doing there, followed
by what sounded like the phone earpiece drop into the grass as she
heard Martin say, "Get off! Get off!, before the phone went dead.
There
was also testimony from two former neighbors of Zimmerman, who said
they heard howls and shouts for help in the moments before the shooting
and saw one figure on top of another on the ground. Additionally, about a
half dozen calls made by Zimmerman to a non-emergency police number to
report suspicious people in the neighborhood in the months before Martin
was killed were played for the jury. Prosecutors contend they show
Zimmerman's state of mind as increasingly frustrated with repeated
burglaries and that he'd reached a breaking point the night he shot
Martin. However, the defense argued the calls were irrelevant. TODAY'S FYI: STATIONS!: Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive to your audience. SNOWDEN PREVIOUSLY SAID LEAKERS 'SHOULD BE SHOT,' CRITICIZED WIKILEAKS: The technology news site Ars Technica published a story yesterday (June 26th) on what a person believed to be NSA leaker Edward Snowden
wrote in the site's chatrooms in 2009, including saying that leakers
should be, quote, "shot in the balls," and criticizing WikiLeaks, the
anti-secrecy site that is now helping him try to obtain asylum.
According to Ars Technica, Snowden posted using the alias "TheTrueHOOHA," and the quotes came from chats in 2009 discussing a New York Times
article describing covert U.S. operations to target Iran's nuclear
program. The story was based on information from anonymous sources, and
Snowden wrote, "Who the f*** are the anonymous sources telling them
this? Those people should be shot in the balls." He also wrote, "WTF
NYTIMES . . . Are they TRYING to start a war? Jesus Christ, they're like
WikiLeaks." TheTrueHOOHA also wrote about politics, including
expressing support for libertarian policies, among them the gold
standard and the elimination of Social Security. He wrote, "Save money?
Cut this Social Security bullsh*t. Somehow, our society managed to make
it hundreds of years without Social Security just fine." POPE NAMES COMMISSION TO REFORM VATICAN BANK: Pope Francis
set up a special commission of inquiry Wednesday (June 26th) to reform
the Vatican bank, which has long been accused of failing to meet
transparency standards intended to fight money laundering and tax
evasion. The five-member panel, made up of an Italian cardinal, a French
cardinal, a Spanish bishop, an American monsignor and a female Harvard
Law professor who's a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will report
directly to the pope, bypassing the Vatican bureaucracy that has
sometimes been targeted by allegations of scandal and corruption. CHINESE ASTRONAUTS LAND SAFELY AFTER SPACE MISSION:
Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth Wednesday (June 26th) after a
15-day mission, during which they docked with an experimental space
lab, part of China's plans to build a working space station by 2020. The
Shenzhou 10 spacecraft was China's fifth manned space mission since
2003. In addition to the scientific work, female astronaut Wang Yaping
gave a physics lecture from space last week on the effects of
weightlessness that was widely viewed by middle school students around
China. Despite its advances, China is still far behind U.S. and Russia
in space technology. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH TO RETIRE MOST LAB CHIMPS:
The National Institutes of Health announced that it plans to stop using
almost all of its chimpanzees in biomedical research, keeping just some
50 for further research crucial to human health if its needed. About
310 chimps will be retired to the Federal Sanctuary System in the next
few years, although it's unclear where exactly the animals will go. The
AP reported that some might eventually go to the Chimp Haven sanctuary
in Louisiana. Explaining the long-expected decision, NIH Director
Francis Collins said the use of chimps in biomedical research has been
valuable in the past, but that new technologies has made their use in
research largely unnecessary. DISCOVERY CHANNEL'S ATTENTION-GRABBING NEW 'SNUFFY THE SEAL' AD FOR SHARK WEEK: CNN BRINGING BACK 'CROSSFIRE,' WITH GINGRICH, CUTTER: CNN is relaunching its political debate show, Crossfire, this fall, this time with former House Speaker and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich co-hosting with former Barack Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter. Joining Gingrich on the conservative side will be columnist and MSNBC co-host S.E. Cupp, and Cutter will be joined on the liberal side by CNN contributer and former Obama green jobs adviser Van Jones. Crossfire debuted in 1982, and was originally hosted by Pat Buchanan and Tom Braden. Later co-hosts included Robert Novak, Tucker Carlson, James Carville, Paul Begala and Bill Press, before it went off the air in 2005. SPORTS: PATRIOTS PLAYER HERNANDEZ CHARGED WITH MURDER: New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested yesterday (June 26th) and charged with the execution-style murder of Odin Lloyd,
a friend who prosecutors say had angered the 23-year-old NFL player at a
nightclub a few days earlier by talking to people Hernandez, quote,
"had troubles with." The body of Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football
player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee, was found last
week shot multiple times in an industrial park about a mile away from
Hernandez's North Attleborough, Massachusetts, home. Prosecutors contend
that early on the morning on June 17th, two days after being at the
nightclub, Hernandez and two friends picked up Lloyd at his home, and as
they drove around, they discussed what happened at the nightclub. Lloyd
started getting nervous and texted his sister, ''Did you see who I am
with?'' When she asked who, he answered, ''NFL,'' then, "Just so you
know.'' It's charged that Hernandez and his friends drove Lloyd to the
industrial park, shot and killed him there, and then left. Investigators
didn't identify the two other people or say whether they were under
arrest.
Soon after Hernandez's arrest, the Patriots announced they had cut him from the team.
FEDERER, SHARAPOVA OUT AT WIMBLEDON: There were two huge upsets on third day of play at Wimbledon on Wednesday (June 26th), with both Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova
out of the tournament. Defending Wimbledon champion Federer, who was
seeded third, was beaten in the second round by 116th-ranked Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky
6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5), ending his streak of reaching at least
the quarterfinals at a record 36 consecutive major tournaments, his
earliest Grand Slam event exit in a decade. On the women's side,
third-seeded Sharapova fell 6-3, 6-4 in the second round to 131st-ranked
Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal. There were also seven
players who withdrew either ahead of or during their matches yesterday,
including second-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who bruised a bone in her leg when she slipped on the turf Monday, and sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who fell during his match yesterday and then left. (Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)
ANGER MANAGEMENT - Charlie begins seeing a new female therapist who has unorthodox therapy methods.
ANGER MANAGEMENT - Charlie steals a hot woman from an angry nerd.
WILFRED - Ryan doesn't trust his sister's new love interest.
DAY TIME TALK SHOW THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - (repeat) THE VIEW - Toni Collette LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - Johnny Depp, Marc Maron, Dawes THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - David Spade, Joey King, Grace Potter JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - Dwayne Wade, Annette Bening, Tony Goldwyn, the Neighborhood THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Channing Tatum, Marc Maron LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat) LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat) THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Tom Goldstein THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Daniel Libeskind CONAN - Kevin Hart, Chris Kluwe, Eve
COUPLE LETS STARBUCKS DRINKERS VOTE ON NAME FOR THEIR BABY: A
Connecticut couple, who was struggling to decide on a name for their
son, had Starbucks customers vote on the baby's name. Jennifer James and
Mark Dixon are expecting their baby boy in September and have allowed
Starbucks patrons to vote on either Logan or Jackson. The couple has
received nearly 1,800 votes since they started the contest, not
including people that voted more than once. The contest ended on Tuesday
(June 25th) and the baby will be named Logan Jackson. (New Haven
Register) ICE CREAM MAN ARRESTED FOR DRUNK DRIVING: A London
man has been charged with drunk driving while serving ice cream out of
his truck. Paul Hewlett is alleged to have been over the legal limit
moments after serving children ice cream. The ice cream van was pulled
over by police after receiving reports from concerned parents earlier in
the week. The 49-year old will be in court next week facing charges of
drunk driving and driving without valid insurance. (The Sun) NEW TWITTER ACCOUNT IS REPORTING EVERY NYPD STOP-AND-FRISK:
The account, @StopAndFrisk, was created last month to put a social
spotlight on the controversial NYPD practice. New York-based developer
Simon Lawrence and journalist Michele Lent Hirsh created the Twitter
account to try and put a stop to the NYPD practice which allows officers
to stop somebody they believe has committed a crime, is in the process
of committing a crime, or is about to commit a crime. The account tweets
several stop-and-frisks, which include the subject's age, location and
the reason the police made the stop as per the records made available by
the New York Civil Liberties Union. Lawrence said they originally
wanted to tweet at the same rate the NYPD stops suspects, but then
realized that would be too frequent for Twitter to handle. (Mashable)
CALIFORNIA MAN FACES JAIL TIME AFTER WRITING ANTI-BANK MESSAGES IN CHALK:
A 40-year-old California man is being prosecuted for writing anti-bank
messages on sidewalks -- and now faces a 13-year sentence. Jeff Olsen
will stand trial on 13 counts of vandalism. The judge is barring Olsen's
attorney from "mentioning freedom of speech during the trial." Upon
exiting the courtroom on Tuesday (June 25th), Olsen said, "Oh my gosh...
I can't believe this is happening." Olsen, a member of Occupy Wall
Street, visited the Bank of America for 6 months leaving behind
scribbled slogans like "Stop big banks" and "Stop Bank Blight.com."
According to Bank of America, it cost them $6,000 to clean up the water
soluble chalk. (Sand Diego Reader) INDIAN REPORTER FIRED AFTER REPORTING FROM ATOP MAN'S SHOULDERS:
An Indian reporter was fired after reporting on the flash flooding in
Uttarakhand while on a man's shoulders. Narayan Pargaien triggered
outrage after a video clip of the incident went viral. The reporter
claimed the survivor had hoisted him on his shoulders as a sign of
respect. Pargaien explained, "...[He] wanted to show me respect, as it
was the first time someone of my level had visited his house." News
Express did not air the clip because they found it to be distasteful.
(News Laundry.com)
MANY PEOPLE WOULD RATHER HAVE A ROOT CANAL THAN WORK WHILE ON VACATION:
A new survey finds Americans are very serious about their vacations.
The study was commissioned by Ricoh Americas Corp. and was conducted
online by Harris Interactive. The survey covered over two-thousand
adults, and found that half of those who said they have taken a vacation
said they'd rather get a root canal than work while on vacation.
Sixty-seven-percent of those who have taken a vacation said their
families resented it if they worked while away, and three-quarters said
their employer did not make it easy to access work-related documents
remotely. However, 67-percent of those who took a vacation said that
checking work e-mail eased their return to work. Vice president of
strategic marketing at Ricoh said, "Workers absolutely must have a
chance to recharge themselves, their families and their career.
Employers ignore this need at their peril." (UPI) STATES MAPPED OUT BY WHICH PRODUCT THEY ARE MOST FAMOUS FOR PRODUCING: http://tinyurl.com/oyhaw57 WHY PEOPLE BECOME "FANS" OF THINGS ON FACEBOOK:
A new survey finds that most people who "like" brands on Facebook do so
because they wish to support the brand. The firm Syncapse worked with
Hotspex to interview over two-thousand consumers about why they became
Facebook fans and found that 49-percent said "to support the brand I
like," and 42-percent said "to get a coupon or discount."
Thirty-five-percent said "to participate in a contest" while 27-percent
said "to share my interests/lifestyle with others." The research also
found that certain brands make a higher emotional connection with people
on Facebook than others. Disney and Coca-cola were found more likely to
be "Liked" on Facebook by people "looking to support the brand I like."
(Mashable) DOGS INTERACT WITH CAREGIVERS AS HUMAN CHILDREN INTERACT WITH THEIR PARENTS:
Austrian researchers find that the relationship between dogs and their
owners is remarkably similar to the relationship between young children
and their parents. Scientists from the University of Veterinary Medicine
in Vienna explain that human infants use their caregivers as a secure
base when it comes to interacting with the environment. For example, a
toddler stands by a parent and carefully investigates his or her nearby
environment knowing the parents is close. To find this, researchers
examined the reactions of dogs under three circumstances: absent owner,
silent owner, and encouraging owner. The dogs were given the opportunity
to earn treats, and researchers say the dogs were much less interested
in earning treats if their owner was not present. When researchers
replaced the owner of the dog with a stranger they observed that the
dogs hardly interacted with the strangers and were not interested in
trying to get the food reward. (UPI) DEPRESSED TEENS FOUND TO TURN TO SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR HELP:
A new study finds that distressed teens are using social media and
mobile technology to experess their suicidal feelings and reach out for
help. Two studies made the connection, both conducted by researchers at
Ohio State University. One study analyzed data from a sample of MySpace
members' profile pages in 2008 from those between the ages of 13 and 24.
From two-million comments researchers narrowed down to 64 comments that
truly referenced suicide. A second study found that of over
one-thousand participants, those that said they had felt suicidal said
they were most likely to talk to a friend or family member, and the
second-most likely method of communication was found to be texts,
talking on the phone, instant messaging or posting to a social network.
Researchers say this information means society should perhaps redirect
its resources from suicide hotlines to social networks. (Daily Mail) 10 WAYS YOUTUBE LETS YOU LIVE VICARIOUSLY: http://tinyurl.com/ppvnv9w TSA FOUND TO SCREEN SLOWLY BUT ACCURATELY:
An experiment finds that the T-S-A is in fact slow and effective at
screening the stuff you bring onto an airplane. To test this,
researchers at Duke University gave about 200 TSA agents a test which
required them to pick out a perfectly fomed "T" shape among many similar
shapes. They were shown several versions of these images and to make it
trickier some images did not even contain the perfect "T" shape at all.
Next, 93 Duke undergraduates took the same test. The Duke students
founf the "T" with 82-percent accuracy and took 3.86-seconds on average
per image. The TSA officers took more than six-seconds per image, but
had accuracy rates of 87 to 88 percent. Researchers explain the key in
this exercise is consistency and that the TSA who took the same amount
of time to check out each new image were the most successful. The TSA is
said to be "very interested in the project." (NBC) MEN WHO COMPLIMENT A WOMAN BEFORE ASKING HER OUT ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET A "YES":
A recent study finds that men who gave a woman a simple compliment
before asking her out were 16-percent more likely to get a date than
guys who did not give a compliment. Dating expert Tracey Steinberg says
this may happen because most women work hard to look good and that when
they know a man appreciates their beauty it makes them want to get to
know him better. (Men's Health) APPLE ADDS A MALE VOICE TO SIRI IN LATEST BETA UPDATE:
Apple has updated the beta version of its iOS operating system for
developers and included a new male voice option for the Siri voice
assistant. Apple says the new Siri voices, in male or female, have been
developed to sound less robotic. In addition to the new voices, the iOS 7
beta update includes support for iPad, a new version of the Reminders
app, the return of Voice Memo and a number of other small improvements.
Apple is expected to release iOS 7 to the general public this fall. (UPI) CUTLERY INFLUENCES HOW WE TASTE FOOD:
Researchers from the University of Oxford have found that what you eat
your food with influences how it tastes. Researchers found that cheese
tastes saltier when eaten from a knife rather than a fork, and that
yogurt tastes best eaten from a spoon. Researchers say the size, weight,
shape and color of cuterly all have an affect on the flavor of our
food. For example they found that a white spoon made yogurt taste best
and a small spoon made foods seem sweeter in flavor. The research was
published in the journal Flavour. (Fox)
As Prince William and Kate Middleton
await the birth of their first child next month, a lot of the rest of
the world is waiting too, and some people are placing bets on things
like the baby's name, arrival date, size, and more random things like
whether or not it will have red hair like its uncle, Prince Harry. CNNMoney
reports that William Hill, one of the world's biggest online betting
sites, has already taken in more than $30,000 in bets on the royal baby,
with the most money expected to be wagered on the baby's name. The
majority of those betting think the couple will have a girl, and
"Alexandra" is the leading name, at 5-2 odds. Close behind are "Diana"
and "Elizabeth," for William's late mother, Princess Diana, and for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Second.
Mother Sues Monster Energy Drink Maker After 19-Year-Old Son Dies
The
mother of a California 19-year-old who died last July from a cardiac
arrhythmia has filed a lawsuit against Monster Beverage Corp., charging
that his death was caused by regularly drinking Monster energy drink.
The lawsuit alleges that Alex Morris wouldn't have died if he hadn't
drunk two cans of Monster energy drink every day for the three years
before his death, including the day he died. Paula Morris' attorney in
the case is also representing the family of 14-year-old Anais Fournier
of Maryland, who also sued Monster Beverage after Fournier died after
drinking two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy Drink. Energy drinks,
including Monster, have come under increased scrutiny, with the FDA
investigating reports of deaths linked to them.
Study: Having a Big Desk Makes You More Likely to Be a Jerk
Have
you ever noticed that the person with the biggest desk at work or the
biggest car in the neighborhood is also more likely to be a jerk? The Week
reports that new research is now backing that up. Columbia University
psychologists who tested how people reacted to the physical spaces
around them found that large, lavish environments can make people feel
more powerful, which leads them to be more likely to behave dishonestly.
Study author Andy Yap told the Denver Post, "When you feel more
powerful, you are more willing to take risks. If they hang a carrot in
front of you, you might do whatever it takes to get that carrot, even if
it's unethical." The researchers found the same thing with cars: people
in a driving simulation were more likely to carry out a hit-and-run if
they were in large fancy cars, and cars with bigger seats were more
likely to be parked illegally.
Hunter Hayes
celebrated the Number One success of "Somebody's Heartbreak" with a
party at songwriting organization BMI in Nashville yesterday (Tuesday,
June 25th). This is Hunter's second consecutive chart-topper, following
on the heels of "Wanted."
Hunter co-wrote "Somebody's Heartbreak" with Andrew Dorff and Luke Laird. He tells us he really latched on to the song once he heard Luke's recorded version of it. "This
was one of my first favorites. I remember Luke actually did a demo of
the song before I did, and I loved it so much I was like, 'I have to go
do my own now (laughs),' you know, because that's kind of my way
of showing the team -- that's always been my way of the showing the team
-- how much I'm into a song. I can like it, but if I don't do my own
demo of it I don't feel like I'm quite invested on it. I did three
different versions of this demo. I've been excited about this song since
day one, since we wrote it. I felt good about it leaving the writing
room, and I was stoked when I got Luke's demo. I really was jazzed on
it, and so it shows youhow excited I am about it, to get to
celebrate that it did this well, and to have two in a row is pretty
cool, too, so I'll take that any day."
Hunter is quickly climbing the charts with "I Want Crazy," which might end up being his third chart-topper.
His new album, Encore, a deluxe edition of his self-titled debut album, was released last week and is expected to bow at Number One on the Billboard country albums chart. FAST FACTS
Hunter performs various fairs and festivals around the country this summer.
He kicks off his first headlining tour in October.
A Brentwood, Tennessee man who has allegedly been stalking John Rich was arrested on Sunday (June 23rd). Mark Christopher Sevier,
a 36-year-old attorney, was charged with aggravated stalking after
violating two restraining orders the singer had against him.
Sevier reportedly was released on $4,000 bond and is set to return to court on July 29th.
Rich
contacted police and presented evidence of Sevier's harassment,
including emails which threatened his wife and sons' safety, as well as a
picture of a man depicting the singer dressed in next-to-nothing,
covered in what appears to be blood, and draped in an American flag.
Rich had a previous legal issue with Sevier a few years ago over the rights to two songs Sevier co-wrote with artist Shanna Crooks.
Sevier and Severe Records LLC brought a copyright infringement case
against Rich and several others, which was dismissed after an appeal to
the U.S. District Court in 2011. Ownership of the songs was disputed for
several years before Crooks assigned ownership to the two songs to Rich
and his publishing company.
Sevier's law career is reporedly in
an "inactive status," as the Tennessee Sup
reme Count has ruled he
"can't practice law due to reasons of mental illness."
Carrie Underwood
has been added to the lineup for the sold out Oklahoma Twister Relief
Concert on July 6th. Due to her previously scheduled show at the Grand
Ole Opry, the Oklahoma native's performance will be aired via satellite
from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville to the Gaylord
Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.
In addition to show organizer Toby Keith, performers will include Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Dunn, Mel Tillis and John Anderson. More artists are being added to the line up and will be announced on a future date.
Net
proceeds of tickets (after tax and credit card fees) will benefit the
United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund to aid recovery
efforts.
Verizon Wireless is offering a text-to-donate
capability before, during and after the benefit concert. Customers of
any wireless carrier may donate by texting the keyword REBUILD to 52000,
which will give an automatic $10 donation to the United Way of Central
Oklahoma's May Tornadoes Relief Fund. Verizon Wireless customers will be
limited to five text donations. FAST FACTS
Blake
Shelton hosted a televised fundraiser concert for Oklahoma's tornado
victims back in May. The event raised $6 million for the United Way of
Central Oklahoma.
Jake Owen
claims the top of the country charts this week with "Anywhere With
You," which is his fourth consecutive Number One hit in as many singles.
Jake tweeted, "Huge thanks to all my fans and friends at Country Radio for my 4th #1 in a row off Barefoot Blue Jean Night album. New music comin' soon!!"
Jake
tells us that part of the recipe to his success lies in choosing songs,
not just because of chart potential, but because they connect with him
on a personal level. "Anytime I record a song, it has to do
somethin' for me personally. I mean, I don't just look at it as though,
'Well, this sounds like a song that would be a hit on the radio, so I
should just put my voice on it.' In order for me to put my voice on a
song, I have to believe it, and I have to want to be a part of it, and
so a lot of these new songs -- and any song really that I've recorded
previously is . . . are things that I enjoy gettin' out there and
singin'. I enjoy watchin' people sing it back."
Jake is currently at work on his next album with producer Joey Moi.
The album's first single, called "Days of Gold," is expected to arrive at radio in August. FAST FACTS
"Anywhere with You" has been certified gold for more than half a million downloads.
Every single from Jake's Barefoot Blue Jean Night album is now gold, platinum, or double platinum.
Things got a little wild at Kenny Chesney's
concert at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Saturday (June 22nd). According
to reports, the stadium show ended with public brawls, injured fans,
and a huge mess for workers to clean up. Close to 75 people were
arrested inside and outside the venue for a variety of offenses,
including disorderly conduct, public intoxication and aggravated
assault.
According to Pittsburgh's CBS affiliate, the trouble
started when some eager Chesney fans arrived at the venue before the
gates opened, resulting in heavy traffic tie-ups. Things got worse as
tailgaters left piles of trash in the parking lots.
The
President of ALCO Parking said, "The Kenny Chesney crowd is the most
difficult crowd for our staff to work with of any of the events of the
year."
Chesney's No Shoes Nation tour rolls on to St. Louis on Thursday (June 27th).
Little Jimmy Dickens
has been diagnosed with a pre-cancerous condition on his vocal chords.
The Opry star will undergo three weeks of short-term radiation
treatments beginning next week. Jimmy's doctors expect him to make a
full recovery.
The 92-year-old entertainer said, "I can't begin
to express my sincere gratitude for the thoughts and prayers that are
being sent my way. My family and I appreciate the support, and I can't
wait to return home to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in one of my
favorite rhinestone suits someday soon."
Jimmy most recently
surprised Opry audiences with an appearance on April 12th. Prior to
that, his latest scheduled performance happend back in December.
The Opry is inviting Jimmy's friends and fans from around the world to send cards and letters to:
Jimmy Dickens c/o Grand Ole Opry House 2804 Opryland Drive Nashville, TN 37214 FAST FACTS
Jimmy became a Grand Ole Opry member in 1948 and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983.
His
classics include "Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait)," "Country Boy,"
"Out Behind The Barn," and "May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose."
Tyler Farr
has something to go absolutely "Redneck Crazy" about. His hit song of
the same name officially marks Tyler's first Top 20 hit. The song is
still climbing the Mediabase Country and Billboard Country charts at Number 19, and while happy with the feat, Tyler says he doesn't want to stop there. He tells us: "You
know, you work so hard to get to this point, and then you get to this
point, and you're like, 'All right, so what do I do now?' So it's . . .
we're here, and we have a goal, and the goal is to get all the way to
the top."
"Redneck
Crazy" also continues to gain traction in the video world, with over
1.5 million views for the song's video on VEVO and counting.
The success of the song has raised demand for Tyler's debut album, also called Redneck Crazy, which will be in stores on October 15th.
Tyler's fan base also continues to grow, with Facebook users growing 600 percent in the last three months alone.
He continues on the road, playing fairs and festivals around the country this summer. FAST FACTS
Tyler's stepfather played lead guitar in George Jones' band.
He has co-written songs for Colt Ford and Joe Nichols.
COUNTRY TRIVIA
Q. Who is Lady Antebellum member Hillary Scott's famous mother? A. Linda Davis, who dueted with Reba McEntire on "Does He Love You"
Kip Moore
might be a bit sleep deprived these days. He can't get a good night's
rest thanks to an unwanted visitor in the home he rents in Nashville.
Kip says there's no doubt about the fact that his home is haunted by a
female ghost who sweeps outside his bedroom door.
Billy Currington's
new single, "Hey Girl," takes him back to his early teenage days. He
tells us he relates to the tune because the title helped him meet a few
young ladies back in the day. It reminded me of the time that when
my friends and I, growing up on the beach, would see a girl. You know,
we were 14 and 15. It seems like it was always the easiest and best
pickup line (laughs). It was just naturally what we'd always say
-- 'Hey, girl' -- and it would start a conversation, so it's definitely
real." 
Brad Paisley
gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "test drive" when it comes to
his music. The singer is always anxious to get feedback from those
closest to him when he's done making a record, but there is only way he
will present the new stuff -- on four wheels!
Beginning at noon CT today (Friday, June 28th), a limited number of tickets for Toby Keith's
Oklahoma Twister Relief Concert will be released to the public for
purchase. The event will be held on July 6th at the University of
Oklahoma's Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman,
Oklahoma. Tickets may be purchased at ticketmaster.com. In addition to
Toby, performers include Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Ronnie Dunn and Willie Nelson. Proceeds will benefit the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund.
Scotty McCreery took a break from his first headlining tour to perform at the Sweet 16 birthday party for Sadie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame.
After the party, Sadie tweeted, "This boy made my birthday the best day
of my life! So thankful that he came down for my party!"
The video for Carrie Underwood's
latest hit, "See You Again," leaves plenty of room for viewers to take
away their own individual meanings. Carrie tells us that was by design. "The
'See You Again' video, I've been hearing the most amazing stories on
what it means to different people, and it means different things, and
that's how we wrote it, you know? We didn't want it to be one specific
story, you know? We wanted people . . . Those are always the best songs,
the best movies, the best things when people kind of fill in the gaps
themselves and it can mean something different to each person that hears
it."
Lee Brice reached out to a young fan who was recently injured after leaving a concert. Nine-year-old Jaylynn Hiller
was hit by a car driven by a teenager who was under the influence after
leaving a concert in Allegan, Michigian earlier this month. She had
planned to attend Lee's concert the next day, but was in the hospital
with a fracture pelvis and unable to go.
CAMERON DIAZ IS THE NEW MISS HANIGAN: A rep for Columbia Pictures has confirmed that Cameron Diaz will be playing Miss Hanigan in the highly-anticipated remake of Annie being produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z. The film co-stars Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhane Wallis. 
EMMA STONE IS A REDHEAD AGAIN: Now that Emma Stone has completed filming The Amazing Spider-Man Two,
she has dyed her hair back to the fiery red locks that she is known
for. Though she rose to fame with the red hair, the actress has revealed
that she is actually a natural blonde.
It doesn't appear that Paula Deen's interview on the Today
show did her much good since sponsors continue to cut their ties with
her and new stories of her prejudice views are coming out. Another one
of the chef's former employees has come forward and revealed to the National Enquirer that Paula allegedly used homophobic slurs to refer to her employees at her Georgia eatery Lady & Sons. 
Forbes
has released their annual list of the most powerful actress' in
Hollywood. The list consists of some of the industry's biggest names but
the ranking comes as a bit of a surprise.
Kat Von D has called off her engagement to Deadmau5 and the couple are going their separate ways again. The tattoo artist revealed the news on her Twitter page on Wednesday (June 26th.)
Opening today (Friday June 28th) is the new action movie from director Roland Emmerich, White House Down, starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke and Richard Jenkins.
The film follows policeman John Cole, played by Tatum, who has just
been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting
President James Sawyer, played by Foxx. When he takes his daughter on a
tour of the White House, the building is overtaken by a paramilitary
group, John must save the president, his daughter and the country.
Opening today (Friday June 28th) is the new comedy from director Paul Feig, The Heat, starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Birchir, Marlon Wayans and Michael Rapaport.
The film follows two total opposite law enforcement agents, straight
laced Ashburn, played by Bullock, and foul mouthed Shannon, played by
McCarthy, who must join forces to bring down a ruthless drug lord.
When it comes to the most powerful celebrities, Forbes ranks Taylor Swift at Number Six on their newly-compiled "Celebrity 100" list. She is the only country act in the Top 10, flanked by Madonna, Beyonce and Jon Bon Jovi, among others. Oprah Winfrey tops the list.
It's been a big week for Hunter Hayes!
He celebrated his career second Number One hit, "Somebody's
Heartbreak," earlier this week, and now comes news that his new album, Encore, debuts at Number One on the Billboard country albums chart. This is Hunter's first chart-topping debut.
The title of Luke Bryan's upcoming album will be called Crash My Party, after his current hit single which is quickly climbing the charts. The CD will be in stores on August 13th.
Miranda Lambert's brand new single is called "All Kinds of Kinds." It's the fifth release from her Four the Record album, and it's a song that Miranda tells us just seemed to hit home with her from the get-go. "'All
Kinds of Kinds' is such a different song. To me, I heard this -- my
producer sent it to me -- and I don't know, I just identified with it
immediately. I don't really know why, but it just...all these characters
in this song, and I'm finally in . . . I found my niche, I found my
spot in country music, and everyone's uplifted me through that, and
winnin' awards and havin' hits, but I still feel like I'm a little bit
different. And I'm glad for that. But for 'All Kinds of Kinds,' it's
just talkin' about all kinds of scenarios and how it takes so many
different characters to make the world what it is."
The video for Chris Young's
latest single, "Aw Naw," debuts today (Thursday, June 27th) at noon ET
on VEVO. The clip was recently shot in Nashville, and includes Chris'
band members.
Shania Twain
was one of the few country acts who reacted to the Supreme Court's
ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, which clears the way for gay
couples to get married and enjoy tax and health benefits. Shania
tweeted, "Congratulations to everyone celebrating #equality today in the
U.S. #loveislove"
NBC EXTENDS OPTIONS TO JOHN STAMOS AND OTHER STARS OF 'I AM VICTOR': NBC and Universal TV have extended the options of five cast members in the drama pilot I Am Victor including John Stamos and Matthew Lillard.
Earlier this month, the network decided to retool the show and it is
believed they are looking to meld two of the female characters into one.
COURTENEY COX IS DATING 'COUGAR TOWN' COSTAR: Newly divorced Courteney Cox is reportedly dating her Cougar Town costar Brian Van Holt. An insider told Us Weekly that they have been together for about six months. Cox's ex David Arquette once told Howard Stern that his wife and Brian were having an emotional affair.
The past week hasn't been so easy for celebrity chef Paula Deen but she attempted to turn things around for herself by sitting down to an interview on the Today show with Matt Lauer
on Wednesday (June 26th.) Paula got emotional during the conversation
while insisting that she is a loving person and that she is distressed
by the way the n-word gets tossed around between members of the
African-American community.
It appears that it was more than just busy schedules that caused Jennifer Aniston to stop planning her wedding to Justin Theroux. Radar Online is reporting that the couple reportedly cannot agree on where to live after the wedding.
Emma Watson spent 10 years making the Harry Potter
films but she claims it wasn't until she came to United States for
college that she realized how many people knew who she was. The actress
appears in the August issue of Teen Vogue discussing her fame.
At 24 years old, Lucy Hale has had some experience in the dating world and up until recently she had a habit for falling for the bad boys. The Pretty Little Liars star chatted with Us Weekly about her new beau at NYC's Bongo Boutique on June 23rd.
A Brentwood, Tennessee man who has allegedly been stalking John Rich was arrested on Sunday (June 23rd). Mark Christopher Sevier,
a 36-year-old attorney, was charged with aggravated stalking after
violating two restraining orders the singer had against him. 
Jake Owen
claims the top of the country charts this week with "Anywhere With
You," which is his fourth consecutive Number One hit in as many singles.
Things got a little wild at Kenny Chesney's
concert at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Saturday (June 22nd). According
to reports, the stadium show ended with public brawls, injured fans,
and a huge mess for workers to clean up. Close to 75 people were
arrested inside and outside the venue for a variety of offenses,
including disorderly conduct, public intoxication and aggravated
assault.
Little Jimmy Dickens
has been diagnosed with a pre-cancerous condition on his vocal chords.
The Opry star will undergo three weeks of short-term radiation
treatments beginning next week. Jimmy's doctors expect him to make a
full recovery.
Tyler Farr
has something to go absolutely "Redneck Crazy" about. His hit song of
the same name officially marks Tyler's first Top 20 hit. The song is
still climbing the Mediabase Country and Billboard Country charts at Number 19, and while happy with the feat, Tyler says he doesn't want to stop there. He tells us: "You
know, you work so hard to get to this point, and then you get to this
point, and you're like, 'All right, so what do I do now?' So it's . . .
we're here, and we have a goal, and the goal is to get all the way to
the top."