Categories
Pop Daypop

Former One Direction member Liam Payne dies at 31 after fall from hotel balcony in Argentina

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, has died after a fall from his hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday evening. Authorities have not determined if Liam’s death was intentional or accidental; no further details have been shared as of press time, with authorities remaining on-site to investigate.

TMZ was the first to break the news of Payne’s death, reporting that several witnesses at the hotel where he was staying in Buenos Aires tell us Liam fell from his room on the 3rd floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel shortly after 5 PM in Buenos Aires. Witnesses also stated that Liam had been acting erratic in the hotel lobby earlier the same day, smashing his laptop, and was carried back to his room. Liam had been in Argentina recently for his fellow-One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert on Oct. 2 at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires.

Payne made his debut in 2008 on the British series The X Factor. After his elimination he auditioned again for the show in 2010, and at just 16 years old he was recruited to be a member of the new boy band One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. The group went on to become a massive success before ultimately breaking-up in 2015.   Payne went on to drop his debut EP First Time in August 2018, and his first solo studio album LP1 in 2019; just this past March he released his LP “Teardrops.”

Payne subsequently revealed in June 2021 that he struggled with alcohol and prescription drug addictions when One Direction was on tour, and he experienced suicidal thoughts during his addition.

Payne is survived by his son Bear Grey Payne, 7 (whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole) as well as his parents, Karen and Geoff; and two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com
Categories
News Daypop

Nationwide recall expands of BrucePac meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria

A nationwide recall of meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria bacteria has expanded to nearly 12 million pounds, federal officials said. The recall includes 75 meat and chicken products.

BrucePac of Woodburn, Oregon, recalled the roughly 5,000 tons of ready-to-eat foods this week after U.S. Agriculture Department officials detected listeria in samples of poultry during routine testing, with further tests identifying BrucePac chicken as the source. The meat used in those products was processed at a Durant, Oklahoma, manufacturing plant operated by BrucePac; the company sells precooked meat and poultry to industrial, foodservice, retail companies, school districts and restaurants across the country.

Hundreds of products sold at grocery chains such as Kroger, Wegmans and Trader Joe’s, as well as schools, are part of the BrucePac meat recall that now involves almost 12 million pounds of meat and poultry that may be contaminated with listeria bacteria, which can cause illness and death.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had disclosed the products included in the recall, first announced October 9th in a 300+ page list, which included foods produced between May 31 and Oct. 8. Other brands whose products are part of the recall include Taylor Farms, Boston Market, 7-Eleven, Aldi’s and Rao’s. The updated recall includes prepared salads, burritos and other foods sold at stores including Costco, Trader Joe’s, Target, Walmart and Kroger.

The recalled foods can be identified by establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection. Such foods should be thrown away or returned to stores for refund.  Consumers can search on the USDA recall site to find potentially affected products, and is urging consumers to check the list of products involved in the recall because they may have a different establishment on the label due to processing by other companies: “Consumers are urged to carefully review the information, including the product and label information”. 

The USDA officials said that no illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the recall, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not launched an outbreak investigation, according to a CDC spokesperson.

Editorial credit: Tada Images / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Search underway for 2 missing U.S. Navy pilots after jet crashes near Washington’s Mount Rainier

A search is underway for 2 missing U.S. Navy pilots after their aircraft appears to have crashed Tuesday afternoon somewhere east of Mount Rainier in Washington’s Pacific Northwest. On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a flight ban around an area believed to be where the jet possibly went down.

The United States Navy said that the aircraft was based on Whidbey Island Naval Air Station north of Seattle and had been on a routine training mission on Tuesday.  It is unknown if the pilots (whose identities have not been released) went down with the plane or ejected themselves from the EA-18G Growler fighter jet before it presumably crashed somewhere at about 3:23 p.m. Pacific time. All EA-18G squadrons are stationed at NAS Whidbey except one squadron at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

The crashed jet is part of Electronic Attack Squadron 130, which boasts being the oldest electronic warfare squadron in the Navy. According to the Electronic Attack Squadron website, the EA-18G Growler’s sensors and weapons “provides the warfighter with a lethal and survivable weapon system to counter current and emerging threats.”

Per USA Today, the Nay said that the search team includes a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter launched from Whidbey Island to “locate the crew and examine the crash site,” but noted that weather could be a factor in the search. Between 5 to 9 inches of snow is possible amid patchy fog and heavy snow is forecast for Wednesday for Mount Rainier.

Editorial credit: Peter R Foster IDMA / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Listen to Demi Lovato’s ‘You’ll Be Okay, Kid’

Demi Lovato shared the track ‘You’ll Be OK, Kid’, written for the new documentary film Child Star on Hulu.

Child Star is Lovato’s directorial debut features interviews with Drew Barrymore, Raven-Symoné, Kenan Thompson, JoJo Siwa and more, sharing how growing up in the entertainment industry affected them. Demi said of the film (and writing the song): “It allowed me to deep dive into emotions from my childhood, while also connecting with others who had so many shared experiences. As we were editing the film, I became very inspired to write a song. The idea of connecting with my younger self through the pain and hardships that came along with child stardom was so important to me. I wrote the song as a letter to my inner child, and I hope that it can give others an opportunity to connect with their inner child as well.”

Lovato’s last project was 2023’s ‘Revamped’, and this spring she appeared on Slash’s Papa Was A Rolling Stone cover.

Stream ‘You’ll Be OK, Kid’ HERE.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Walgreens announces plans to close 1,200 stores by 2027

Walgreens announced on Tuesday that it plans to close 1,200 stores by 2027, amid slowing sales and changing consumer behavior. Per the announcement, Walgreens estimates a quarter of its 8,700 stores in the U.S. are unprofitable.

Walgreens reported growth within its business segments, but said it will shut down more than 1,000 stores over the next few years. The pharmacy chain said 500 of the closings would occur over the next 12 months, with the news comeing after their announcement in June that it would close “underperforming” U.S. stores.

Walgreens said that the closures as part of its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year earnings; in a statement, CEO Tim Wentworth acknowledged the company was “in the midst of a turnaround that will take time, but we are confident it will yield significant financial and consumer benefits over the long term.”

According to a company release, Walgreens shares jumped 12% as of just before noon and new information released by Walgreens on Tuesday reflected “sales growth across all segments.”  Wentworth said during an earnings call that the closures will give the company a “healthier store base, and will enable us to respond to shifts in consumer behavior and buying preferences,” and added that the company hopes to keep on a majority of its workforce impacted by the pending store closures.

Editorial credit: Robert V Schwemmer / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Georgia judge rules it ‘mandatory’ that county officials certify election results

A Georgia judge has ruled that county election officials had an obligation to certify election results without delay — amid rising fears that rogue election officials could seek to delay or decline to certify results after Election Day due to allegations of fraud or error.

Julie Adams, a Republican member of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, had brought forth the case hoping that the judge would rule that certifying election results were “discretionary.”  However per CNN, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said in his ruling that state election boards don’t have the power to reject such counts. McBurney found that the law is clear, stating that ‘the superintendent must certify and must do so by a certain time … election superintendents in Georgia have a mandatory fixed obligation to certify election results. There are no exceptions.”  McBurney said in that cases of alleged fraud or systemic error are issues that should be addressed by appropriate local authorities and should not be used to whether to or not certify election results.

McBurney said in Tuesday’s ruling: “election superintendents in Georgia have a mandatory fixed obligation to certify election results. Consequently, no election superintendent (or members of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstances .. if election superintendents were, as plaintiff urges, free to play investigator, prosecutor, jury and judge, and so — because of a unilateral determination of error or fraud — refuse to certify election results, Georgia voters would be silenced. Our constitution and election code do not allow that to happen.”

The ruling comes after Georgia’s controversial State Election Board recently passed new rules that some voting rights activists are concerned would cause chaos in the certification process. One of those new rules allows election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” prior to certification. Georgia began early voting for the 2024 under new rules passed by the state election board that would grant county election boards the ability to delay certifying election results to investigate potential discrepancies.

Editorial credit: Frame Stock Footage / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

The Weeknd drops ‘Timeless’ featuring Playboi Carti

The Weeknd is teasing more music from his upcoming LP Hurry Up Tomorrow, teaming up with Playboi Carti for their new collaboration “Timeless”. The song was previously performed live during The Weeknd’s concert in São Paulo last month, which also featured Carti on stage live. The livestream of that show has garnered over 17 million views and trended in 25 countries globally.

Timeless is produced by MIKE DEAN, Ojivolta, Pharrell Williams & Twisco, and is the follow-up to The Weeknd’s previous single “Dancing In The Flames” which debuted in the Top 15 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

The Weeknd’s upcoming full-length album Hurry Up Tomorrow marks the culmination of his trilogy of studio projects (following 2022’s Dawn FM and 2020’s After Hours).

Take a look at the lyric video for ‘Timeless’ – HERE.
To pre-order Hurry Up Tomorrow head HERE.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Taylor Swift to release 256-page ‘Eras Tour’ book, ‘TTPD’ anthology vinyl/CD on Black Friday

Taylor Swift is gearing up to embark on the final leg of her ‘The Eras Tour’, and the superstar announced Tuesday that she’ll be releasing her first book, The Official Eras Tour Book, featuring 256 pages and over 500 images. The book will include many never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes photos taken throughout the tour’s nearly two-year run.

Swift, 34, posted on Instagram: “We’ll be kicking off the final leg of The Eras Tour this week, which is hard to comprehend. This tour has been the most wondrous experience and I knew I wanted to commemorate the memories we made together in a special way. Well, two ways actually. Excited to announce that The Official Eras Tour Book, filled with my own personal reflections, never-before-seen behind the scenes photos, all the magical memories you guys brought every single night AND …. The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology on vinyl and CD will all be available for the first time ever only at @Target starting Nov 29th. 🤍”. 

Swift also announced the release The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology on CD and vinyl, for sale exclusively at Target stores in the United States; details of an international release will be forthcoming. The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology vinyl and CD editions will be available at Target beginning Nov 29.

Swift’s Eras tour will be wrapping its run this year, making it highest-grossing concert tour of all time (per Forbes, the tour has pulled in nearly $2 billion to date across 149 shows). The final Eras Tour performance is scheduled for Dec. 8 in Vancouver. Both the book and ‘TTPD’ anthology will be available in Target stores only on Black Friday (Nov. 29), before being available via the Target app and Target.com on Nov. 30.

Editorial credit: GrandAve / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

New Jersey Transit operator killed, 23 passengers injured after train hits fallen tree

A train operator is dead and 23 passengers were injured after a New Jersey Transit train hit a tree early Monday. The New Jersey Transit train had departed the state capitol of Trenton before striking a tree that had fallen on the tracks in Burlington County, near Philadelphia on Monday morning.

NJ Transit said in a statement that forty-two passengers were on the River Line train traveling southbound from Trenton at about 6 a.m., EDT, approaching the Roebling Station in Mansfield Township when the incident occurred at 6:04 a.m. All of the injured passengers were said to have incurred mostly minor, non-life-threatening injuries. Local affiliate NBC New York captured helicopter footage showing a large chunk of a tree on the track and the front of the train completely smashed, with New Jersey Transit Police at the scene and investigating.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement on X: “I have been briefed on an accident on the [NJ Transit River Line] earlier today in which the light rail struck a tree on the tracks, leading to the death of the train operator and injuring passengers. An investigation is underway. Our prayers are with all affected by this tragic incident.”

River Line service was suspended in both directions between the Roebling and Bordentown stations the rest of Monday morning, with NJ Transit officials stating they would be continuing the investigation into the incident.

Editorial credit: George Wirt / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Arrest made, hurricane relief efforts paused after reported threats to FEMA crews

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (‘FEMA’) has paused Hurricane Helene assistance operations in some North Carolina counties due to threats being made against responders in the area. Per CNN, FEMA officials had its workers in Rutherford County, N.C. leave that jurisdiction immediately on Saturday after a threat was issued by a militia, according to local National Guards troops.

CBS News confirmed on Monday that one person was arrested in connection to the threat, with a FEMA spokesperson telling the network: “FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance. For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”

As first reported by The Washington Post, FEMA crews were forced to relocate due to a reported armed threat against workers, with a FEMA spokesperson telling CNN: “For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, as we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”

Authorities in Ashe County, NC also said that were threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees responding to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Ashe County is located about three hours northeast of Asheville, NC, which was hard-hit by Helene.  Ashe County Sheriff Phil Howell posted on Facebook regarding the alleged threats against FEMA employees: “Recently in the mountain region, there have been threats made against them. This has not happened in Ashe County or the surrounding counties. Out of an abundance of caution, they have paused their process as they are assessing the threats.”

Jordan Monaghan, deputy communications director for North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, said the governor’s office was “aware of significant misinformation online and reports of threats to workers … The governor has directed the Department of Public Safety to identify with local law enforcement the specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure safety and security as this recovery effort continues.”

In a statement to CBS News, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call Saturday afternoon that said a man with an assault rifle had made a comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working on recovery efforts in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area. The man suspected of making the threat was identified as William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina; he was armed with a handgun and a rifle when he was arrested and charged with going armed to the terror of the public before being released on a $10,000 bond.