Categories
News Daypop

FBI says fatal car explosion outside Palm Springs fertility clinic was an ‘act of terrorism’

An explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California on Saturday resulted in one fatality and four injuries, in what authorities are describing as an “intentional act of terrorism.” Palm Springs is located about 110 miles east of Los Angeles.

In a Facebook post, Palm Springs city officials said that the blast occurred just before 11 a.m. local time at North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, a stretch that has several healthcare facilities, including American Reproductive Centers, a local IVF clinic. Four other people were injured in the explosion, none of which are believed to be staff members of the clinic. .

In a statement, Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills disclosed that one person was killed in a vehicle explosion that appeared to be “an intentional act of violence.”  Mills stated that the explosion caused significant damage to multiple buildings, some of which were severely affected, noting that the blast zone spans several blocks. Davis added that the debris was scattered across an area of at least 250 yards in every direction.

Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles bureau said on X that investigators, bomb technicians and an evidence response team responded at the scene, and is working closely with the Palm Springs Police Department. Davis stated at a press conference “make no mistake: this is an intentional act of terrorism,” and confirmed that four individuals were hurt, although no information was given about the severity or nature of their injuries. The identity of the deceased person has not yet been confirmed, nor has their role in the incident been determined. Davis stated that the victim was in close proximity to the car when it detonated.  In addition, investigators have identified a person of interest, though Davis clarified that they are not currently pursuing an active suspect.

Sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News that heavily armed officers from multiple agencies were seen outside a residence in Twentynine Palms, roughly an hour from where the explosion occurred, and this development is connected to the Palm Springs incident.

American Reproductive Centers (ARC), which appears to be the clinic in question, posted on Facebook that the vehicle exploded in the parking lot close to its facility, and no staff members were harmed in the incident. ARC assured that its laboratory, which stores vital reproductive materials such as embryos and eggs, was unaffected by the blast: “We are heavily conducting a complete safety inspection and have confirmed that our operations and sensitive medical areas were not impacted by the blast,” adding that they plan to resume normal operations by Monday morning.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has also been briefed on the incident, she said on X: “we are working to learn more, but let me be clear: the Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America. Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable.

Editorial credit: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Mechanical issues the cause of Mexican sailboat crash into Brooklyn Bridge that killed 2, injured 19

Officials provided an update after a Mexican Navy sailboat with 277 people on board crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday evening, killing two people and injuring more than a dozen others along the New York City waterfron.

The Cuauhtémoc vessel — a training ship used for the Mexican Navy — crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge just before 9 p.m. local time on May 17, prompting a search-and-rescue operation. The Mexican navy confirmed the incident in a statement on X, writing: “During the sailing maneuver of the Cuauhtémoc sailboat in New York, a mishap occurred with the Brooklyn Bridge, causing damage to the training ship, preventing the continuation of the training cruise for the time being. The status of personnel and equipment is being reviewed by naval and local authorities, who are providing support. The Navy reaffirms its commitment to personnel safety, transparency in its operations, and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Navy.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference after the incident that the Cuauhtémoc crashed into the landmark due to a mechanical mishap, shortly after taking off from the nearby Pier 17. Adams confirmed that 277 people total were onboard at the time of the crash and that no one fell into the water. Adams shared in an update on X: “Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge. At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries.”

Chief Wilson Aramboles of the New York Police Department (NYPD)’s Special Operations Division stated that the ship was en route to Iceland, adding that “the pilot lost power of the ship.” New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez also said during the press conference that the head of the bridge division was in Brooklyn, and a preliminary assessment found no signs of major damage.

Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexican ambassador to the U.S., told reporters the ship has been sailing for about 20 years; Per the South Street Seaport’s museum’s website, the vessel was built in 1981 at the Celaya Shipyards in Bilbao, Spain. The Cuauhtémoc was taking part in a training cruise to mark the so-called “Bicentennial of the Consolidation of the Independence of the Seas” (or the 200th anniversary of the Mexican Navy expelling the last of the Spanish strongholds from Mexico), and had departed from the Mexican island of Cozumel off the Yucatan Peninsula on May 4 on its 170-day planned voyage set to take in 22 ports in 15 countries. The ship arrived in New York City on May 13.

According to a statement from Veracruz’s governor, one of the two fatalities was identified on Sunday as a 20-year-old Mexican Navy cadet from Veracruz, Mexico. Gov. Rocío Nahle García wrote on X: “I deeply regret the passing of Veracruz cadet América Yamilet Sánchez. My love, support and solidarity go out to her family. My gratitude to the Secretariat of the Navy and my wishes for a speedy recovery for those injured. Veracruz is with you.” 

The other victim was reported by the Mexican outlet El Universal as Adal Jair Marcos of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca​, who had been aboard the ship for the past nine months.

Editorial credit: DANIEL SUPRIYONO / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Darius Rucker to return for 16th Annual ‘Darius and Friends’ St. Jude Benefit concert

Darius Rucker returns to the historic Ryman Auditorium on Monday, June 2 for his 16th annual “Darius and Friends” concert benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event unofficially kicks off the week of CMA Fest in downtown Nashville, and has raised more than $4.3 million to date, will feature a surprise all-star roster of friends as has become tradition at the annual celebration.

Rucker posted on his socials: “Here we go! I’m beyond excited to announce the 16th annual “Darius and Friends” concert! Join me on Monday, June 2nd at the legendary @theryman as we come together to raise money for the incredible kids at @stjude. Let’s make it another unforgettable night for a great cause!”

Rucker made a commitment to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital nearly two decades ago after taking an inspiring tour of the hospital. Through that experience, Rucker learned how St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Following that 2008 visit, Rucker’s effort has since become an annual tradition. Friends performing with Rucker in past years have included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Dan + Shay, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Jelly Roll, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Megan Moroney, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers and Tommy Thayer of KISS, among many others.

For ticket info, head HERE.

Editorial credit: Geoffrey Clowes / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

‘The Naked Gun’ reboot shares trailer starring Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson

Paramount‘s new Naked Gun reboot film has shared a teaser trailer.  The comedy stars Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Police Squad legend Frank Drebin (initially played in the franchise by the late Leslie Nielsen).

The Naked Gun reboot is helmed by Akiva Schaffer, from producers Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins. The film also stars Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, Liza Koshy, Cody Rhodes and Busta Rhymes, as well as Eddie Yu, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, Liza Koshy, Cody Runnels and CCH Pounder.

The film debuts in theaters August 1; see the trailer: HERE.

Editorial credit: G Holland / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Linda Cardellini to play Jason’s mother in ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel series ‘Crystal Lake’ on Peacock

Variety reports that Linda Cardellini will star as Pamela Voorhees in the “Friday the 13th” expanded prequel series at Peacock, titled “Crystal Lake”. Cardellini was also recently cast in a lead role in the upcoming HBO series “DTF St. Louis” alongside David Harbour and Jason Bateman.

Crystal Lake was originally picked up straight to series at Peacock in 2022, with Brad Caleb Kane serving as creator, writer, showrunner and executive producer of the series (whose premise is being kept under wraps). Those familiar with the “Friday the 13th” franchise will recall that Pamela Voorhees was the mother of Jason Voorhees, the hockey mask-wearing slasher featured throughout most of the films in the horror franchise.

In the original film from 1980, Jason is a child who drowns at Camp Crystal Lake while the negligent counselors were partying, and his death leads his mother, Pamela (portrayed by Betsy Palmer), to seek revenge on the new counselors when the camp re-opens. The role of Pamela has subsequently been played by Marilyn Poucher, Paula Shaw and Nana Visitor in various sequels, crossover and reboot movies.

The original “Friday the 13th”grossed nearly $60 million, and there have been eleven films in the franchise, including “Jason X,” “Freddy vs. Jason,” and the 2009 reboot. Jason became the main antagonist beginning with the second film.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Snoop Dogg, Jelly Roll feature the late Tom Petty in music video for ‘Last Dance with Mary Jane’

The late Tom Petty is featured in the new video for Snoop Dogg’s song “Last Dance with Mary Jane,” which reimagines Petty’s classic track “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

The rapper, 53, released the music video for “Last Dance with Mary Jane” which also features song collaborator Jelly Roll. The clip, directed by Dave Myers, features an animated Petty playing guitar and harmonica, and singing along to the hook of the song.

Snoop’s “Last Dance with Mary Jane” appears on his most recent album Missionary, his first collaborative album with Dr. Dre since 1993.

Released in 1993, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” was recorded during the sessions for Petty’s album Wildflowers, but was released as part of his ;Greatest Hits’ album, hitting #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 – giving Petty his first top-20 single.

See the video for ‘Last Dance with Mary Jane’  – HERE.

Editorial credit: Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan pleads not guilty to federal obstruction charges

A Wisconsin judge has entered a plea of not guilty to federal charges alleging she interfered with the arrest of a migrant outside her courtroom.

On Thursday, Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan entered a plea of not guilty to federal charges accusing her of interfering with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. Dugan is accused of obstructing justice and hiding an individual sought by federal authorities.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries accepted Dugan’s not guilty plea to two felony counts: obstructing an official proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent federal agents from locating and arresting him. Judge Dries scheduled the next court appearance for July 9 and set July 21 as the start date for Dugan’s trial. Neither Judge Dugan nor her attorney Steven Biskupic commented on whether they expect the case to proceed to trial.

The charges stem from an incident on April 18, when Dugan was presiding over a domestic violence case involving Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was accused of attacking his roommate and two other individuals during a dispute over loud music, according to local police records. Prosecutors allege that Dugan intentionally misled federal agents who were attempting to detain Flores-Ruiz due to his immigration status. According to the indictment, she confronted ICE officers in the courthouse hallway and then personally led Flores-Ruiz out of her courtroom, allowing him to evade immediate arrest. Although Flores-Ruiz temporarily escaped, ICE agents eventually apprehended him after a brief foot pursuit.

Dugan was taken into custody on April 25, with FBI Director Kash Patel stating that investigators believe she deliberately diverted federal agents to help Flores-Ruiz avoid arrest. Following her arrest, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a temporary suspension, removing Dugan from her duties on the bench pending the outcome of the case.

A day before her court appearance, Dugan’s legal team filed a motion requesting the dismissal of the charges. The motion argued that Dugan’s actions are protected by judicial immunity and claimed that federal authorities had overstepped their constitutional boundaries, citing the 10th Amendment – and contending that federal immigration officers lack the authority to arrest a sitting state judge within her own courthouse. Her attorneys argued in the filing that “even if the evidence were to suggest Judge Dugan did what the indictment alleges, those actions would be part of her official judicial duties, which grant her complete immunity from criminal prosecution. Judges are specifically empowered to manage the proceedings within their courtrooms and, more broadly, oversee activities in the courthouse. Prosecuting a state court judge for performing her official functions would violate the constitutional principles that underlie the 10th Amendment.”

Judge Dugan, who was first elected to the bench in 2016, has a long history of advocating for low-income clients, particularly in cases involving civil rights violations and domestic violence.

Editorial credit: Christopher Penler / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Supreme Court expresses concern over Trump’s birthright citizenship plan amid legal challenges

The U.S. Supreme Court signaled hesitation over letting President Donald Trump’s controversial attempt to redefine birthright citizenship proceed while lawsuits challenging the policy are still ongoing.

The high court expressed skepticism as it grilled the federal government’s lawyer on Thursday over Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship through executive order, and questioned how the controversial plan could be put into effect.  The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to narrow the scope of three lower court rulings that halted the policy nationwide.

The case centers on Trump’s proposal to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. unless at least one parent is a citizen or legal resident. This would mark a sharp departure from the longstanding interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to nearly all born on U.S. soil.

In an uncommon move, the justices heard arguments concerning several emergency appeals by the Trump administration. These appeals aim to limit the reach of nationwide injunctions that halted Trump’s birthright citizenship order almost immediately after it was issued in January. The justices intensely debated the broader question of when nationwide injunctions are appropriate over more than two hours of arguments; however, when it came specifically to birthright citizenship, a majority appeared to believe in this instance that blocking the policy nationwide may have been warranted—especially in lawsuits brought by states.

New Jersey’s Solicitor General warned that limiting injunctions would cause chaos, as people move between states and inconsistent citizenship rulings would be unworkable.  Conservative justices including Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh, acknowledged these concerns and questioned the feasibility of enforcing Trump’s plan unevenly across the country.

Firmly opposed to allowing Trump’s policy to proceed were liberal justices, who emphasized its conflict with constitutional precedents. Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the administration’s legal arguments, while Justice Elena Kagan expressed doubt that the government could implement the plan effectively within the proposed timeframe.

Lower courts have unanimously blocked Trump’s policy, prompting the administration to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court. Depending on the ruling, the policy could be enforced in some states but not others, raising concerns about legal uniformity.

Despite not directly addressing the constitutional validity of Trump’s proposal, the Court’s decision on the scope of injunctions could affect how similar executive actions are challenged in the future.  In addition, the outcome of this case could reshape how courts block federal policies, with major implications beyond just immigration.

Editorial credit: Fedor Selivanov / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Parker McCollum drops ‘Hope That I’m Enough’ from self-titled studio LP

Parker McCollum has dropped “Hope That I’m Enough,” the latest release from his upcoming fifth studio album, Parker McCollum, set to arrive on June 27.  The new tracks follows the album’s lead single, “What Kinda Man.”

Hope That I’m Enough‘ is co-written by McCollum, Matt Jenkins, and Jessi Alexander, and produced by Frank Liddell and Eric Masse.  McCollum said in a statement that the upcoming album is “the best thing I’ve ever done. This record is honest, this record is raw, this record is one thousand percent authentic, Parker, and it feels really good to get back to writing and recording songs like I always wanted to.”

Pre-order Parker McCollum – HERE.

Listen to ‘Hope That I’m Enough’ – HERE.

Editorial credit: Geoffrey Clowes / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Eric Church to celebrate new album release with two-night Nashville performance

Eric Church will celebrate his new album release with an exclusive pair of shows set for May 23/24 at Nashville’s newest live music venue, The Pinnacle.

Church posted on X: “On May 23rd and 24th, for the FIRST TIME EVER, Eric will perform his newest album Evangeline vs. The Machine, along with a number of his most iconic hits, for two special nights ONLY at Nashville’s newest venue, @ThePinnacleNash Tickets are available https://tix.to/EVTM.LIVE”

The one-off shows will see Church perform his highly anticipated album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, in sequence for the first time, while also featuring performances of his most iconic hits.  The album is due out May 2nd.

Church shared behind the making of Evangeline vs. The Machine: “An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time.  believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art – I think it’s important. I’ve always let creativity be the muse. It’s been a compass for me. The people that I look up to in my career and the kind of musicians I gravitate to never did what I thought they were going to do next – and I love them for it. I never want our fans to get an album and go, ‘Oh, that’s like Chief or that’s like this.’ Painstakingly, I lose sleep at night to try to make sure that whatever we do creatively, they go, ‘Wow, that’s not what I thought.’ I think that’s my job as an artist.”

For ticket and other information, head to Church’s website.

Pre-order Evangeline vs. The Machine HERE.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com