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.

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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.

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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.

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Riley Green details new tour with ‘Smokey & The Bandit’ inspired video announcement

Riley Green announced his headlining Damn Country Music Tour with a throwback video featuring all of Green’s opening acts on the new tour. Green, 35, posted on social media alongside the clip: “I’m bringing my Damn Country Music Tour with @ellalangleymsic and special guests to a city near you.”

The video clip announcing the tour pays homage to the classic Smokey and the Bandit film, and features all of Green’s opening acts on the new tour. Ella Langley is set to perform during the tour, and the duo collaborated on “Don’t Mind if I Do,” off Green’s album of the same name dropping Oct. 18.  Shares Green: “I learned to play guitar to my granddaddy’s favorite country songs from back in the day and the new album is a throwback to the era when I first became a fan. For this tour I was able to find some of my favorite artists and songwriters to join us, and singing with Ella every night will be a lot of fun.”

For Damn Country Music Tour ticket information, click here.
Pre-order Green’s new LP Don’t Mind if I DoHERE.

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Reba McEntire releases the theme song to new NBC sitcom ‘Happy’s Place’

Reba McEntire has teamed up with music legend and longtime friend Carole King to write the theme song for her new NBC comedy “Happy’s Place.”   McEntire co-wrote the three-minute uptempo track with band member Doug Sisemore and King, with her live band credited with recording the track.

“Happy’s Place” stars Reba McEntire as her character, Bobbie, inherits her father’s tavern (Happy’s Place) and is surprised to discover that she has a new business partner, Isabella, played by Belissa Escobedo, a twentysomething half-sister she never knew she had. The series also stars Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

McEntire shared in a press release: “I’m so happy for the opportunity to write the theme song for ‘Happy’s Place’ with my good friend, Carole King. It just doesn’t get much better than that! I hope my fans will love this song as much as they did the theme song for the ‘Reba’ show.”

The song will be available across all music platforms and debut simultaneously as the “Happy’s Place” series premieres on Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The series will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Additionally, McEntire can also be seen this fall as a coach on NBC’s Emmy-winning reality TV singing competition, “The Voice.”

You can watch a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the song ‘Happy Place’ – HERE.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Reba McEntire releases the theme song to new NBC sitcom ‘Happy’s Place’

Reba McEntire has teamed up with music legend and longtime friend Carole King to write the theme song for her new NBC comedy “Happy’s Place.”   McEntire co-wrote the three-minute uptempo track with band member Doug Sisemore and King, with her live band credited with recording the track.

“Happy’s Place” stars Reba McEntire as her character, Bobbie, inherits her father’s tavern (Happy’s Place) and is surprised to discover that she has a new business partner, Isabella, played by Belissa Escobedo, a twentysomething half-sister she never knew she had. The series also stars Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

McEntire shared in a press release: “I’m so happy for the opportunity to write the theme song for ‘Happy’s Place’ with my good friend, Carole King. It just doesn’t get much better than that! I hope my fans will love this song as much as they did the theme song for the ‘Reba’ show.”

The song will be available across all music platforms and debut simultaneously as the “Happy’s Place” series premieres on Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The series will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Additionally, McEntire can also be seen this fall as a coach on NBC’s Emmy-winning reality TV singing competition, “The Voice.”

You can watch a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the song ‘Happy Place’ – HERE.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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.

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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.

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Willie Nelson & Family to perform at ‘Austin City Limits’ 50th Anniversary concert

Austin City Limits” (ACL) is set to mark 50 years since its first taping with Willie Nelson and Family set to perform during the “Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash” on Oct. 17 on the lawn at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Opening for Nelson & Co. will be Austin-based country group Asleep at the Wheel.

Austin City Limits first welcomed Nelson to the stage to tape the pilot episode of ACL on Oct. 17, 1974,  of what is now the longest running music television show in U.S. history. Since that first ACL performance, Nelson has appeared on the program 18 times – more than any other performer. He was also the first inductee into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, and has a bronze statue located outside ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

Austin City Limits will stream performances by Willie Nelson & Family and Asleep at the Wheel live from Austin City Limits’ 50th Birthday Bash, with the worldwide livestream available on aclturns50.com and Austin City Limits TV’s YouTube channel beginning at 7pm CT on Thursday, October 17, 2024. The stream will only be available live, and performance highlights will air on PBS and stream on the PBS App in 2025.

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan to host NBC’s adventure reality series ‘Destination X’

Ator Jeffrey Dean Morgan has signed on to host NBC’s adventure reality competition series, Destination X.

The official series description states: “Viewers will follow contestants as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime but have no idea where they are. In order to win, they must figure out their mystery locations. Once they’re on the blacked-out Destination X bus, the journey transforms into a real-life game board, with challenges designed to offer clever clues as to their location, along with a few misdirects to keep them guessing. At the end of each episode, contestants must guess where they are and the furthest from the actual location is sent packing. The first participant to reach Destination X will be crowned the winner. With high stakes and mind-blowing spectacular gameplay, the series will keep viewers engaged and take them along for the ride.”

The series is based on a similar Belgian show where contestants are transported in a bus with blacked out windows and dropped off in mystery locations, and must figure out where they are and the person who guesses furthest from the action location will be sent home each week.

Corie Henson, executive vice president of unscripted content, competition and game Shows at NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement: “Jeffrey Dean Morgan embodies the mischievous international man of mystery, making him the perfect host and puppet master for this new travel adventure series.  He’s dashing, charming, playful and the ultimate travel companion!”

Morgan said in a statement: “Destination X captivated me with its blend of travel, mystery, and gaming. I can’t wait to embark on this wild guessing game across the globe as Master of Ceremony, navigating players through challenges that test their mental and physical abilities.”

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