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Bebe Rexha and Jimmie Allen to serve as celebrity mentors on Season 20 of “American Idol”

Bebe Rexha and Jimmie Allen serve as celebrity mentors on the upcoming Season 20 of American Idol.  Rexha shared the news from Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii in a video clip; and on Twitter, American Idol also also shared the news.

The role of ‘celebrity mentor’ has previously been filled by country radio DJ Bobby Bones for the past four seasons, but Bones revealed in January that he won’t return to Idol this season because of a conflict with another show that he’s involved in.

Season 20 of American Idol will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 8PM ET on ABC, its network home for the past four seasons. Ryan Seacrest will return as host, and the show’s celebrity judges will remain Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

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Pop Daypop

Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg to host new NBC music reality series “American Song Contest”

Kelly Clarkson is teaming up with Snoop Dogg to host NBC’s upcoming music competition series American Song Contest.  According to Deadline, the show is based on the Eurovision Song Contest by the European Broadcasting Union, which has been running for over 65 years and is watched by over 200 million people annually.  Said Clarkson: “I have been a fan and love the concept of Eurovision and am thrilled to bring the musical phenomenon to America. I’m so excited to work with Snoop and can’t wait to see every state and territory represented by artists singing their own songs.

The show is set to feature live music performances that represent all 50 states, five US territories, and that nation’s capital. The contestants will be competing to win the country’s votes for the best original song. A duo, band or solo artist will each represent their location and perform their original songs across all three qualifying rounds. The set 56 artists are set to be named at a later date, but must be 16 years or older, only present original songs, and can’t be part of a tribute or cover band.

American Song Contest is set to debut on Monday, March 21 at 8 pm ET, and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock. The series will run for a total of eight weeks on Monday nights, with the grand finale scheduled for May 9.

Snoop Dogg & Kelly Clarkson To Host NBC’s ‘American Song Contest’ Reality Series

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Sports Daypop

NBA reinstates ex-Kings, Pelican guard Tyreke Evans after 2019 drug ban

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced Monday that Tyreke Evans, NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2010, has been reinstated to play in the league after serving a two-year suspension for violating the NBA/NBPA anti-drug program. Evans was disqualified on May 17, 2019, under the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. He was eligible to apply for reinstatement last year.

The league announced Monday that Evans is now an unrestricted free agent, eligible to begin negotiations with teams immediately and can sign a contract as soon as Friday. The 32-year-old Evans has played 11 seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers. Drafted fourth overall by Sacramento in 2009, Evans earned the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award during the 2009-10 season averaging 20.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He averaged 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists with Indiana prior to his dismissal from the league during the 2018-19 season.

Evans is the first NBA player to be banned and reinstated since Chris “Birdman” Andersen, who was reinstated in 2008 after serving a similar two-year ban. Under the league’s jointly approved drug policy, a player can be suspended for two years if he tests positive for what’s considered a “drug of abuse.”

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James Harden’s debut for the 76ers delayed due to hamstring injury

On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that James Harden’s debut with the team will be delayed through the All-Star break as he continues to recover from a left hamstring injury that he suffered as a member of the Brooklyn Nets prior to the trade that landed him in Philly.  Harden will not participate in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, where he was selected as a reserve.

The 76ers have two more games prior to the All-Star break; Tuesday’s home game against the Boston Celtics, and Thursday’s game against the defending-champion Bucks in Milwaukee. Their first game after the break is on Friday, Feb. 25 against the Timberwolves in Minnesota, and the team is hopeful that will be Harden’s official debut at home.

Harden has already passed his physical, and he participated in his first practice with the team on Monday.  When he does finally debuts for Philly, Harden will be sporting a new look – after wearing No. 13 for the entirety of his career, he will sport No. 1 with the Sixers (the No. 13 is retired for the Sixers courtesy of the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.).

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Entertainment Daypop

Whoopi Goldberg returns to “The View” after 2-week suspension for controversial comments

Whoopi Goldberg returned to her co-hosting spot on ‘The View’ after a two-week suspension following controversial remarks about the Holocaust. The 66-year-old Goldberg returned to the show on Monday, February 14.  Goldberg’s two-week suspension was announced on February 1, after she had said the Holocaust “isn’t about race” during a discussion about a school board banning Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel ‘Maus.’

Upon her return, she mentioned how diving deep into sensitive topics was par for the course on the show. “I missed you all too. There’s something kind of marvelous about being on a show like this, because we are The View, and this is what we do, and sometimes we don’t do this [as] elegantly as we could. It’s five minutes to get in important information about topics, and that’s what we try to do everyday.”  Goldberg continued:  “I want to thank everybody who reached out while I was away. I listened to everything everybody had to say, and I was very grateful. I hope it keeps the important conversations happening, because we’re going to keep having tough conversations. In part, because this is what we’ve been hired to do, and it’s not always pretty, as I said, and it’s not always as other people would like to hear.”

Following the backlash against Whoopi, the comedian apologized and discussed her comments on-air with Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.  She said at the time: “It is indeed about race, because Hitler and the Nazis considered Jews to be an inferior race. Now, words matter, and mine are no exception. I regret my comments, as I said, and I stand corrected. I also stand with the Jewish people, as they know.”  Despite her apology, ABC News President Kim Godwin suspended Goldberg on February 1, saying: “While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments.”

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Jason Reitman pays tribute to his late father, director/producer Ivan Reitman

Director Jason Reitman took to Twitter to pay tribute to his late father, “Ghostbusters” creator Ivan Reitman, with whom he worked on the sequel “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”. Ivan Reitman died in his sleep at his home on Saturday night. He was 75.

Reitman tweeted with a picture of him as a boy alongside his father: “I’ve lost my hero. All I want is the chance to tell my father one more story. He came from a family of survivors and turned his legacy into laughter. Thank you for the kind messages. Enjoy his movies and remember his storytelling gifts. Nothing would make him happier.”

Like his father, Jason Reitman has achieved great success as a filmmaker, receiving four Oscar nominations including two for Best Director for his work on “Juno” and the Best Picture-nominated “Up In The Air.” In 2019 that he took up the sci-fi film franchise that his father made famous and became director of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” with Ivan Reitman serving as a producer. The father-son duo promoted “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” together, with Jason Reitman saying at the time: “For 40 years, the one question I was asked more than any other was, ‘Are you going to make a ‘Ghostbusters’ movie?’ I decided now was the time because … I wanted to make a movie for my father and I wanted to make a movie for my daughter.”

Jason Reitman Honors Father Ivan Reitman: “I’ve Lost My Hero”

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Silk Sonic releases cover of “Love’s Train” in honor of Valentine’s Day

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Silk Sonic dropped a cover version of  “Love’s Train” by the band Con Funk Shun.

The duo consisting of Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars are bringing back the funky, soulful sound of the ’70s as Silk Sonic, and Con Funk Shun’s “Love’s Train” is said to be among the pair’s favorite songs.  Con Funk Shun was an R&B/funk band that rose to popularity in the 1970s; “Love’s Train” appeared on their 1982 album, To The Max.

Take a listen to Silk Sonic’s cover of “Love’s Train” – here.

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Charli XCX shares video for “Beg for You” featuring Rina Sawayama

Charli XCX has shared a new video for her single “Beg For You,” featuring a guest appearance from Rina Sawayama.

Charli has been busy of late; she released the song “Good Ones” in September, and Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens joined her on her latest single “New Shapes.”  Earlier this year, Charli released Alone Together, the making-of documentary about her 2020 album How I’m Feeling Now.

The rest of Charli’s upcoming album, Crash, arrives on March 18.  She’s also set to tour North America in support of Crash at the end of March, with a European leg beginning in May.

Take a look at the video for Beg for Youhere.

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Sports Daypop

Los Angeles Rams defeat Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win Super Bowl LVI

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 Sunday in Super Bowl LVI at their home field, SoFi Stadium. Quarterback Matthew Stafford led the way for Los Angeles, throwing for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was named Super Bowl MVP.

The Rams took the lead with 1:25 remaining in the game on a one-yard pass from Stafford to receiver Kupp. The catch capped off a 15-play, 79-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock. On the ensuing drive, the Rams’ defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-one to clinch the game.

At 36-years-old, Rams coach Sean McVay became the youngest coach in NFL history to win a title with Sunday’s victory. The Rams’ win also marked the second straight year that the Super Bowl champions won in their home stadium. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first time in NFL history to accomplish the feat last year by winning Super Bowl LV in Raymond James Stadium.

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Ottawa Senators’ forward Austin Watson suspended two games for interference on Boston Bruins’ Jack Ahcan

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Sunday that Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson has been suspended two games for interference on Boston Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan.

The incident occurred at 8:07 of the first period in the Senators’ 2-0 loss to the Bruins on Saturday, when Watson hit Ahcan up high after clearing the puck from the corner and was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for interference.

The 30-year-old Watson will forfeit $15,000 in salary, with the money going to the players’ emergency fund; however, he does have the right to appeal the decision.  Watson has two goals and one assist in 30 games for Ottawa this season.

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