The spotlight was on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as it so often has been over the past three years. “Our speaker tonight is one of the most important people living,” … Click to Continue »
Crosby, Stills & Nash music can now be streamed on Spotify once again, five months after David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills requested their labels remove their recordings in support of Neil Young‘s decision to leave the streaming service.
Their music is available via Spotify as of Saturday (July 2). CSN will donate proceeds from streams to COVID-19 charities for at least a month, a source tells Billboard.
In February, the band members commented, “We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast. While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music — or the music we made together — to be on the same platform.”
Nash had previously shared a statement in which he said he “completely agree[s] and support[s] my friend, Neil Young.”
The dispute between Young and Spotify began when Young released an open letter on Jan. 24 that demanded his catalog be removed from the streaming service due to COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation spread by Joe Rogan, whose Joe Rogan Experience podcast is exclusive to Spotify.
In response, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek released a statement at the time saying the streaming service would introduce an advisory on podcasts that discuss COVID-19. Meanwhile, Rogan posted a 10-minute video to Instagram, in which he said he was not “trying to promote misinformation” with his podcast, and chose to bring on vaccine skeptics such as Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Peter McCullough as guests “to hear what their opinion is.”
“I had them on and because of that, those episodes in particular were labeled as being dangerous — they had dangerous misinformation,” Rogan said, adding that he’ll “do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view.”
A 35-year-old New York man is facing trespassing and stalking charges after authorities said he entered two New York City residences linked to the famed singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
Police say the suspect, who was arrested Friday (July 1), entered one of the residential buildings, located in the city’s Tribeca neighborhood, on March 26. He walked “through an unlocked door and remained unlawfully” before fleeing on foot when security told him to leave, investigators said.
On June 12, the same man entered another residential building linked to Swift, located on the same street, and “made threats through the intercom toward a 32 year-old female,” according to a spokesperson for the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information.
Swift, 32, has had prior issues with alleged stalkers. In 2018, police said a man broke into her Tribeca townhouse and took a nap. That same year, a Colorado man was arrested outside a Beverly Hills home owned by Swift with a knife, a rope and ammunition.
A judge has issued a restraining order against Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin, police said Saturday (July 2).
The order was signed Friday, and authorities visited an upscale neighborhood in the north coastal town of Dorado where the singer lives to try to serve the order, police spokesman Axel Valencia told The Associated Press.
“Up until now, police haven’t been able to find him,” Valencia said.
Martin’s publicist did not immediately return a message asking for comment.
It was not immediately known who requested the restraining order. Valencia said he could not provide further details because the order was filed under Puerto Rico’s domestic violence law.
El Vocero, a Puerto Rico newspaper, said the order states that Martin and the other party dated for seven months. The report quotes the order as saying they broke up two months ago, but the petitioner says Martin did not accept the separation and has been seen loitering near the petitioner’s house at least three times.
“The petitioner fears for his safety,” El Vocero quoted the order as saying.
AP has not obtained a copy of the order.
Valencia said that the order prohibits Martin from contacting or calling the person who filed it and that a judge will later determine at a hearing whether the order should remain in place or be lifted. He added that usually orders are implemented for at least a month.
Valencia noted that the person who filed for the restraining order did not contact police, which would have involved prosecutors determining if there was enough evidence to file charges. Rather, the request went straight to the court.
Halsey revealed that they’ve suffered three miscarriages in the past, one of which required a medically necessary abortion so that the singer didn’t “risk going into sepsis.”
In a personal response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade penned for Vogue, Halsey shared details about their experience with abortion, and whether eventually giving birth to a child changed her opinion on the right to abortion. The essay was published on Friday (July 1).
“Many people have asked me if, since carrying a child to term after years of struggling to do so, I have reconsidered my stance on abortion,” wrote Halsey, who welcomed her first child, Ender, in July 2021. “The answer is firmly no. In fact, I have never felt more strongly about it. My abortion saved my life and gave way for my son to have his. Every person deserves the right to choose when, if, and how they have this dangerous and life-altering experience. I will hold my son in one arm, and fight with all my might with the other.”
In the essay, Halsey explained how having an abortion saved her life.
“I miscarried three times before my 24th birthday,” the pop star said. “It seemed a cruel irony that I could get pregnant with ease but struggled to maintain a pregnancy. One of my miscarriages required ‘aftercare,’ a gentle way of saying that I would need an abortion, because my body could not terminate the pregnancy completely on its own and I would risk going into sepsis without medical intervention. During this procedure, I cried. I was afraid for myself and I was helpless. I was desperate to end the pregnancy that was threatening my life.”
She noted that her previous experience led her to rewriting her will during the third trimester of her pregnancy with Ender.
“I was prepared for the worst,” Halsey wrote. “I gave detailed instructions regarding the donation of my organs should I die or be declared brain-dead, meaning if my heart beat on but my brain wasn’t functioning, the state would have permission to cut into my warm and still flush flesh and take my organs to save other lives. How funny that while my own heart would amount to nothing more than a series of involuntary movements on an operating table, a beating heart in my womb could mean I couldn’t consent to saving my own life.”
Halsey has been been leading “My body, my choice” chants at their concerts to voice opposition to the June 24 reversal of Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that had previously guaranteed one’s federal rights to abortion. They reacted to backlash from anti-choice conservatives on Twitter last week, writing: “Downside of doing outdoor venues: no door to hit them on the way out.”
In another tweet, she added, “The ‘people pay to see you sing not hear your views’ argument is so dumb. No, you paid to see me use a stage as a form of expression in the manner that I choose. Sorry you lack the critical thinking to realize that the rhetorical power of music doesn’t always serve your escapism.”
“Honored to have my audience,” Halsey also tweeted. “Proud they cultivate a space where emotion and action meet. Love doing what I do. And expect me to always tell the truth when I get up there. Show must go on.”
Read Halsey’s essay for Vogue in full here.
Travis Barker gave an update on his health after being hospitalized in Los Angeles earlier this week.
The producer and Blink-182 drummer told fans that he’s feeling “much better” after facing “life-threatening pancreatitis.”
Barker uploaded a note on Instagram Stories on Saturday (July 2) to share details about how he developed pancreatitis following what seemed to be a routine endoscopy on Monday (June 27).
“I went in for an endoscopy Monday feeling great,” Barker wrote. “But after dinner, I developed excruciating pain and have been hospitalized ever since.”
He said, “During the endoscopy, I had a very small polyp removed right in a very sensitive area, usually handled by specialists, which unfortunately damaged a critical pancreatic drainage tube. This resulted in severe life threatening pancreatitis.”
“I am so very very grateful that with intensive treatment I am currently much better,” wrote Barker.
Wife Kourtney Kardashian also shared an update Saturday afternoon via Instagram Stories: “Oh what a scary and emotional week it has been. Our health is everything and sometimes we take for granted how quickly it can change … I am so grateful to God for healing my husband, for all of your prayers for him and for us, for the overwhelming outpouring of love and support. I am so touched and so appreciative. I am so thankful to our specialists, doctors, and nurses at Cedars Sinai for taking such wonderful care of my husband and me during our stay.”
The rocker was spotted being taken into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on a stretcher, with Kardashian following behind him, on Tuesday. That morning, he had tweeted “God save me” — though it was unclear if the tweet was related to the medical situation.
Barker’s daughter Alabama and stepdaughter Atiana both addressed fans with messages on Instagram Stories on Wednesday.
“Thank you guys for all the prayers and love, I appreciate you & love all of you,” Alabama wrote, while Atiana posted, “Thank you for the outpouring of love and prayers sent our way at this time. It is heard, felt and appreciated. Xx.”
His ex-wife Shanna Moakler released a statement on Friday that said, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out with concern to my ex and father of my children. I know he is in great hands and surrounded by loving support and the best medical teams available and his beautiful wife Kourtney.”
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