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Simone Biles shares plans to compete in 2024 Paris Olympics

Simone Biles, the greatest women’s gymnast of all-time, is planning to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The gymnast acknowledged for the first time on an appearance on the TODAY Show that she aims to compete at the 2024 Olympics. Biles, 26, told ‘Today’ show host Hoda Kotb on Thursday morning that if Kotb were to wager $5 on whether she’s planning on returning to Olympic competition when the Games are in Paris in 2024, it wouldn’t be a bad bet. Said Biles: “Right now, I would say that’s the path I would love to go, so I wouldn’t mind if you put it in the ‘yay’ section.” 

Biles competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), but once she arrived, she experienced ‘the twisties.’  The twisties is a psychological issue where a gymnast loses track of the ground when they’re flying through the air — and if a gymnast loses track of the ground while in the air, they have no idea when to land, safely or otherwise, and can result in serious injuries. Biles chose to withdraw from both the team competition and the individual all-around competition to focus on her mental health, winning a silver medal as part of the team competition, and an individual bronze medal on the balance beam.

Biles is on her way to a spot on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. At her first competition since the Tokyo Games at the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championship, Biles claimed a historic eighth all-around title. But she told Kotb that she was still taking it slowly: “Everything leading up to these next Games is very intentional. I’ve been playing it on the down-low this time, making sure mentally and physically are both intact … There were times when I would come in the gym and I would be like ‘you know what, no, I don’t think this is going to work’ and then I was like ‘no, I’m going to give it another day. As long as I showed up for another day and kept putting that work in, then it kind of went down and dwindled.” 

The 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled to begin Paris on July, 26, 2024 through August 11, 2024.

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Sports Daypop

Women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey and LSU agree to record $32M contract

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey has agreed to a 10-year, $32 million contract extension, pending final approval from the LSU Board of Supervisors, which meets Friday. Mulkey’s deal is the most-lucrative in women’s college basketball history — UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who makes $2.9 million annually, was previously the highest-paid women’s basketball coach.

The new deal carries an average annual value of more than $3 million, not including incentives and other perks. It will see Mulkey’s salary start $2.75 million and escalate to $3.65 million in its final year in 2033. She was previously set to make an average of $2.5 million annually through 2029. Mulkey can also earn up to $550,000, annually, in NCAA tournament-related incentives, including $230,000 for winning the title.

Mulkey, 61, engineered the first national title in LSU history, who entered the 2023 NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed. Mulkey lead the team to a 102-85 win in April over Iowa. She is 60-8 in two seasons at LSU.

From 2000 through 2020, Mulkey led Baylor to a 632-104 record. The three-time National Coach of the Year led the Bears to three national titles. Her 692 career wins rank 19th in women’s college basketball history.

The Tigers will start the 2023-24 campaign against East Texas Baptist on Oct. 26 in Baton Rouge, La.

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Pop Daypop

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ ‘I Remember Everything’ debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

“I Remember Everything,” the duet from Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is from Bryan’s self-titled LP, which also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart; and is the fourth straight country song to hold the top position on the all-genre song chart. It is also the first No. 1 single for both Bryan and Musgraves.

I Remember Everything reached the top with relatively little radio airplay, and has also being promoted as a rock song – which helped it to simultaneously debut at No. 1 on two different format charts, and the all-genre chart. The song has debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, and Hot Rock Songs charts.

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Entertainment Daypop

Take a look at Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz in the first trailer for ‘Ferrari’

Neon shared a first look at the racing drama Ferrari, starring Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz and Shailene Woodley.

Directed by Michael Mann and based on Brock Yates’ book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine, the follows Ferrari during the summer of 1957, as the ex-Formula 1 racer who built his own factory and established the Ferrari brand.  An official film synopsis reads: “Behind the spectacle of Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari is in crisis. Bankruptcy threatens the factory he and his wife, Laura (Cruz) built from nothing ten years earlier. Their volatile marriage has been battered by the loss of their son, Dino a year earlier. Ferrari struggles to acknowledge his son Piero with Lina Lardi (Woodley). Meanwhile, his drivers’ passion to win pushes them to the edge as they launch into the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.”

Ferrari also stars Patrick Dempsey as driver Piero Taruffi, Jack O’Connell as driver Peter Collins; Sarah Gadon as Linda Christian and Gabriel Leone as Fon de Portago.

Ferrari opens in theaters Dec. 25. Take a look at the trailer for the film: here.

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‘That ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life for two rapes

Former “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on Thursday after he was convicted of raping two women. Masterson will serve two 15-year sentences consecutively, one for each charge. He must also register as a sex offender.

A Los Angeles jury of seven women and five men found Masterson, 47, guilty of two counts of forcible rape on May 31 after seven days of deliberations. That verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology − where all three women were also members at the time − to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks. The women blamed the church and said that when they reported him to Scientology officials, they were told they were not raped and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing.

Both attacks took place in Masterson’s California home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox sitcom “That ’70s Show.” The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend.

LA Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo sentenced the actor after hearing statements from the women about the trauma they experienced and the suffering caused by the disturbing memories in the years since. Judge Olmedo said: “Mr Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s choice and voice. Your actions 20 years ago today were criminal, and that’s why you are here.”

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Pop Daypop

Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and Nelly Furtado reunite on ‘Keep Going Up’

Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and Timbaland have reunited 16 years after their last collaboration for the new single, “Keep Going Up.” The song also marks producer Timbaland’s first official solo single in over eight years.

The trio first collaborated in 2007 on the smash hit “Give It To Me,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and has generated nearly a billion streams. The track also featured on Timbaland’s platinum-certified album Shock Value, charting at No.5 on the Billboard 200.

“Keep Going Up” originated from Beatclub (the music creator platform founded by Timbaland) and its members, Last Trip To The Moon. Brandon Stewart and Brandon Cordoba (the production team members) created the beat, and Timbaland later added his production style to the track.

To take a look at behind the scenes footage of the making of the video for “Keep Going Up”, head here.
Buy or stream “Keep Going Up” – here.

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Entertainment Daypop

Bruce Springsteen postponing September tour dates to treat peptic ulcer disease

Bruce Springsteen has postponed all of his performances in September as he undergoes treatment for peptic ulcer disease. The announcement comes weeks the singer canceled two concerts in Philadelphia due to an undisclosed illness.  According to Mayo Clinic, peptic ulcers are open sores that develop inside the lining of one’s stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine, with the most common symptom being stomach pain: “Stomach acid makes the pain worse, as does having an empty stomach … less often, ulcers may cause severe symptoms like vomiting, dark blood in stool, nausea or trouble breathing.”

Springsteen and The E Street Band announced the news on their social media on Sept. 6: “Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have postponed all performances currently scheduled for September 2023, beginning with tomorrow’s show scheduled for the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. Mr. Springsteen is being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease and the decision of his medical advisors is that he should postpone the remainder of his September shows.”

Springsteen personally noted that his medical advisors advised him to take off the rest of the month to focus on his health: “Over here on E Street, we’re heartbroken to have to postpone these shows. First, apologies to our fabulous Philly fans who we missed a few weeks ago. We’ll be back to pick these shows up and then some. Thank you for your understanding and support. We’ve been having a blast at our US shows and we’re looking forward to more great times. We’ll be back soon.”

The impacted shows include Syracuse, New York, (Sept. 7); Baltimore, Maryland, (Sept. 9); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (Sept. 12 and 14); Uncasville, Connecticut, (Sept. 16); Albany, New York, (Sept. 19); Columbus, Ohio, (Sept. 21); and Washington, DC, (Sept. 29).   Springsteen’s website states that ‘Ticketholders will receive information regarding rescheduled dates for the postponed shows.’

As of press time, Springsteen and The E Street Band are set to resume touring on Nov. 3 in Vancouver.

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Sports Daypop

Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen to miss rest of season after suffering partial Achilles tear

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday that outfielder Andrew McCutchen will miss the rest of this season after partially tearing his left Achilles tendon. The Pirates placed McCutchen on the 10-day injured list. McCutchen suffered the injury during Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He initially believed he was ‘fine’, even tweeting as much; he later followed-up that tweet about his condition: “Well, no I’m not😞. Dang this sucks”

Th3 37-year-old McCutchen returned to the Pirates last winter on a one-year contract, and has hit 256/.378/.397 (112 OPS+) with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, and 11 stolen bases (on 14 attempts).  He was the 2013 National League Most Valuable Player Award winner, and has appeared in more than 2,000 big-league games, homering 299 times and earning his 2,000th career hit earlier this season.

McCutchen has said he no plans on retiring and he will continue to play – but only with the Pirates: “I’m not done. Tom Brady said he would stop playing when he (stunk). I don’t want to put it in the same context, but when my body tells me I’ve had enough, then I’ve had enough. My body is still saying, ‘Nah, you’re good. You’re fine.’”

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DE Carl Nassib, first openly gay active player in NFL, announces his retirement

Defensive end Carl Nassib announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday after seven seasons. Nassib, who played for the Browns, Buccaneers (2x) and the Raiders, shared on Instagram that he could “hang up his helmet for the last time” knowing that he gave the sport everything he had.

Nassib wrote: “This is a bittersweet moment for me. Growing up I loved how fun football was. I loved the pursuit of perfection. I loved the small window where every player has to chase their dreams. …I really feel like the luckiest guy on the planet.” He also thanked his family, friends, his agent and the teams he played for, particularly Tampa Bay: “These two [Jason Licht and John Spytek] reignited my career not once… but twice. I was fired twice and they picked me up both times. I played my best football in Tampa and it never would have happened if it wasn’t for those two legends.”

Nassib was drafted by Cleveland in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He spent two seasons with the Browns, three seasons with the Buccaneers and two as a member of the Raiders. He finishes his NFL career with 187 combined tackles (128 solo), 45 tackles for loss, 59 quarterback hits, 25.5 sacks, 19 pass deflections, four forced fumbles and one interception in 99 games.

Nassib made history in 2021 when he revealed that he was gay, becoming the first openly gay active NFL player. Per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Nassib said that his future plans are to work with the league on diversity, equity and inclusion and “exciting philanthropic efforts”.

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Netflix renews ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ for Season 3

Netflix has renewed the David E. Kelley legal drama ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ for a third season. Season 3 of the ‘The Lincoln Laywer,’ which is based on the book series by author Michael Connelly, will be based on the fifth Lincoln Lawyer novel, The Gods of Guilt.

The Lincoln Lawyer follows Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) “an iconoclastic idealist, runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln, as he takes on cases big and small across the expansive city of Los Angeles.” In addition to Garcia-Rulfo, Becki Newton (Lorna), Jazz Raycole (Izzy), Angus Sampson (Cisco) and Yaya DaCosta (Andrea Freemann), among others, will reprise their roles in season three..

Peter Friedlander, vp of scripted series, Netflix U.S. and Canada, said in a statement: “We’re thrilled to bring back The Lincoln Lawyer for a third season. Ted Humphrey and Dailyn Rodriguez have taken us deeper into Mickey Haller’s world, building out characters and stories that have connected with our global audience, and we look forward to seeing what they have in store for everyone’s favorite lawyer. The show continues to top our global lists and it’s a testament to the work from a creative powerhouse team including Michael Connelly, David E. Kelly, Ross Fineman and our partners at A+E Studios.”

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