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U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) have introduced a bill to help support music tourism throughout the country. Dubbed the American Music Tourism Act of 2024, the newly introduced legislation would be an amendment to the Visit America Act that passed in 2022 and required the assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism to lead a coordinated national effort to rejuvenate international tourism following declines from the pandemic.
The American Music Tourism Act of 2024 requires the assistant secretary to identify locations and events in the United States that are important to music tourism and promote domestic travel and tourism to those sites and events.
“Tennesseans know a thing or two about the positive impact that music tourism has on the economy and culture,” Sen. Blackburn said in a statement. “The Volunteer State is proud to be home to so many iconic musical landmarks for tourists to enjoy – from Graceland in Memphis to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol. This bipartisan legislation promotes music tourism’s fast-growing industry and ensures fans from all over the world can celebrate the rich history of music for generations to come.”
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The act classifies music tourism as the act of traveling to a state or locality to visit historic or modern-day music related attractions including museums, studios, venues of all sizes and other sites related to music. The definition also includes traveling somewhere in the U.S. to attend a music festival, concert or other live music performance. If passed, the act would strengthen the economic benefits of music festivals like Tennessee’s Bonarroo or California’s Stagecoach, as well as music venues from Madison Square Garden in New York City to Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.
“Music venues are keepers of our culture. From Red Rocks to the Grand Ole Opry, and hundreds of small venues across our country, millions visit Colorado and all our states to hear world class musicians and connect with each other,” said Sen. Hickenlooper in a statement. “Our bipartisan American Music Tourism Act will support these venues by helping our music tourism industry grow and expand.”
The bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the Recording Academy, the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International, the Recording Industry Association of America, Live Nation Entertainment, the National Independent Venues Association, Tennessee Department of Tourism Development, Tennessee Entertainment Commission, Memphis Tourism, Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism and the Overton Park Shell in Memphis.
“The Recording Academy is pleased to support the American Music Tourism Act and applauds Senators Blackburn and Hickenlooper for their continued dedication to lifting up the music community,” said Recording Academy chief advocacy and public policy officer Todd Dupler in a statement. “Music has long played an important role in our economy and culture. This bill will amplify the music community’s contributions to economic growth and increase understanding of music’s impact on the U.S. and the world.”
Live Nation’s president of Nashville music and business strategy Sally Williams also voiced her approval of the act, stating, “In Nashville, Memphis, and countless other communities across the country, a vibrant live music scene is an economic magnet that draws fans from around the globe. The American Music Tourism Act is an important piece of legislation that will help ensure live music remains a pillar of American culture and tourism, and we’d like to thank the Senator for her leadership on this issue.”
The American Music Tourism Act would leverage this existing framework within the Department of Commerce to highlight and promote music tourism in the United States with the act requiring the assistant secretary to submit their findings, achievements and activities to the congressional and senate committees within one year of its passage and every year thereafter.
“From rural communities to city centers, independent stages attract investment and visitors for the artists and professionals that put on shows and the restaurants, retail, and attractions around them,” said National Independent Venue Association executive director Stephen Parker in an endorsement. “The American Music Tourism Act finally recognizes music tourism as a catalyst for economic development and ensures its growth is a national priority. We applaud Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Hickenlooper for aligning the nation’s tourism strategy with the venues and festivals across our country that the world travels to experience.”
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New York City Mayor Eric Leroy Adams loves feigning like he’s adjacent to Hip-Hop, even if his record shows that just isn’t the case. Nevertheless, Adams recently sat down for an interview with the popular Drink Champs podcast, and the reaction has been less than enthusiastic.
That’s being kind as rapper NORE and his outlet are getting slandered on X (formerly known as Twitter) for platforming the NYPD cop turned Brooklyn Borough President and now NYC Mayor.
Recently, Adams appeared on The Breakfast Club, which was also highly criticized, and he got absolutely cooked by activist, lawyer and political commentator Olayemi Olurin, who called him out on his hypocrisy, noted the racial profiling by NYPD and had him evading her questions. While Olurin is clearly highly familiar with policy (and got harrassed by NYPD brass), we mean no disrespect when we say NORE and his co-host DJ EFN are not on the same intellectual level to challenge Adams on his actions. Not that it should matter, anyway, but we won’t hold our breath when it comes to the likelihood of the Drink Champs crew asking tough questions.
But don’t shoot the messenger, peep the reactions to NYC Mayor Eric Adams on Drink Champs in the gallery.
9. Eric Adams on Drink Champs
Source:Revolt
Eric Adams on Drink Champs eric adams on drink champs
From Ye calling out George Bush after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to the breakthrough of having Barack Obama brush the imaginary dirt off his shoulder, hip-hop has long had a complicated relationship with the White House. On Tuesday (April 16), ESPN and Disney’s Andscape debuted the first trailer for Hip-Hop and The White House […]
Following calls for him to withdraw from and boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Olly Alexander explained why he will still be participating in the annual competition on Friday (March 29).
In a statement posted to his Instagram, Alexander responded to activist group Queers for Palestine, who wrote the singer an open letter asking him to withdraw from the contest. “I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel,” he wrote. “I know some people will choose to boycott this year’s Eurovision and I understand and respect their decision.”
The “Dizzy” singer continued, saying that he took “a lot of time to deliberate” over the correct course of action, and decided that withdrawing from Eurovision “wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.” Alexander said he and a number of other contestants spoke and decided that “by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace.”
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In its original open letter, Queers for Palestine applauded Alexander’s “vision of queer joy and abundance you’ve offered through your music, and share your belief in collective liberation for all,” then asked him to “heed the Palestinian call to withdraw from Eurovision … There can be no party with a state committing apartheid and genocide.”
Alexander also shared a statement from a collective of other Eurovision participants — signed by himself, Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Norway’s Gåte, Portugal’s Iolanda, San Marino’s Megara, Switzerland’s Nemo, Denmark’s Saba, Lithuania’s Silvester Belt and Finland’s Windows95Man — saying that they “stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages.” They added that they felt “it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”
Queers for Palestine later responded to Alexander’s decision, saying that while they “welcome” responses from both the singer and his fellow contestants, they found both statements lacking. “When [Alexander et al] use that voice to downplay the genocide in Gaza by vaguely calling it a mere ‘situation,’ they misuse their power. When they choose to ignore the call for a boycott issued by the largest Palestinian coalition, in historic Palestine and in exile, they risk condescending to the people who are being occupied and massacred and are asking for our solidarity.”
This is not Alexander’s first time sharing his thoughts on the ongoing war in Gaza. Shortly before he was announced as a participant in Eurovision 2024, the singer signed an October 2023 open letter from LGBTQ activist group Voices4London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out Israel as an “apartheid regime.” After Alexander was announced as the U.K.’s representative for the annual contest, a source for the Conservative Party spoke to The Daily Telegraph to criticize the BBC for choosing the singer as a representative for the U.K., calling the decision “either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck from the BBC.”
Read both of Olly Alexander’s full statements below:
Olivia Rodrigo has been vocal about her support for reproductive rights throughout her Guts World Tour, and politicians are taking notice. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer welcomed the 21-year-old pop star to Detroit on Saturday (March 23) with a pun-filled video quoting the pop star’s song titles and commending her for speaking out about bodily autonomy.
“We’re not just good 4 u, we’re great for anyone who believes in the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their own bodies,” Whitmer began, addressing Rodrigo directly in a clip posted to TikTok. “Like you, Michiganders have guts and are using their voices to drive change.”
“Across the nation, it feels like we’re taking one step forward, three steps back, but here, we’ve been a brutal force against any attempts to roll back our reproductive freedoms,” she continued, mixing in nods to songs on Rodrigo’s two studio albums, 2021’s Sour and 2023’s Guts. “We’ve slayed outdated vampire laws that threatened our autonomy and expanded protections for those seeking or providing reproductive healthcare. Not a bad idea, right?”
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“Olivia, your voice resonates with so many, not just through your music, but through your advocacy,” Whitmer added. “And in Michigan, we’re no stranger to fighting for what’s right. We couldn’t be happier to have you.”
Whitmer’s video comes about a month after Rodrigo kicked off her first-ever arena tour. In conjunction with the trek, the “Drivers License” singer launched her Fund 4 Good supporting local abortion organizations.
In addition to donating a portion of her proceeds from tickets to abortion funds across the globe, Rodrigo has also been inviting local chapters of the National Network of Abortion Funds to set up resource tables at each Guts World Tour venue in North America. At some shows, fans could grab free morning-after pills, condoms and lube; however, funds were reportedly asked recently to stop offering those items at concerts.
Watch Whitmer’s TikTok below.
@biggretchwhitmer Welcome to Detroit, @Olivia Rodrigo! Here in Michigan, we’re ensuring everyone has the license to make their own choices. It’s time to drive home the message that our rights are not up for debate. These policies aren’t just logical, they’re good 4 u. ♬ original sound – BigGretchWhitmer
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A judge has ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can continue to prosecute the Donald Trump election interference case in Georgia. The catch is the former love interest of Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, must step down from the case for Willis to proceed.
Several outlets, including The Hill, have been covering the hearings featuring DA Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, which was an issue raised by Trump’s legal team. Willis did not previously disclose the nature of her former relationship with Wade, and both took to the stand sharing with the court the happenings in their brief romantic union.
This was largely seen as an attempt by Trump’s team to not only get Willis off the case but to have the whole matter thrown out in court. However, the case is still going forward as planned, of course, with Wade stepping aside. Wade can also remain as a prosecutor but Willis would have to step aside as Judge Scott McAfee ruled it would be a conflict of interest.
As expected, Trump’s team believes the judge didn’t do enough to change the course for their client and issued a statement pushing back on the decision.
“While respecting the Court’s decision, we believe that the Court did not afford appropriate significance to the prosecutorial misconduct of Willis and Wade, including the financial benefits, testifying untruthfully about when their personal relationship began, as well as Willis’ extrajudicial MLK ‘church speech,’ where she played the race card and falsely accused the defendants and their counsel of racism,” Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead defense counsel in the case, shared in a statement.
A statement has not emerged from Wilis or her team regarding Judge McAfee’s decision.
On X, reactions to the news that DA Fani Willis will be allowed to remain on the Trump election interference case with conditions began cropping up. We’ve got them listed below.
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Photo: Getty
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Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making a bold play, eyeing NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers as his potential vice president pick.
According to reports, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy has reached out to New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to gauge his interest in becoming his vice president. Kennedy has confirmed that the veteran signal-caller is at the “top” of a list of candidates along with former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura. He also said that he and Rodgers have been speaking “pretty continuously” and that Rodgers appeared to be very receptive to the idea.
Kennedy, who comes from a storied political family, has become more prominent in recent years due to his vaccine skepticism and voiced backing of conspiracy theories about the federal government and its public health system. Rodgers, 40, who is set to return as the Jets starting quarterback after getting injured in the first minutes of the past season, has become a somewhat polarizing figure as he has also embraced being a contrarian provocateur when it comes to vaccine skepticism during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has backed Kennedy multiple times in the past few months. Ventura has previously said that if Kennedy considered him he would be honored, but his son, Tyrel Ventura, said in an email to the New York Times: “No one has officially asked Gov. Ventura to be a vice-presidential candidate so the governor does not comment on speculation.”
Given that the National Football League begins its season in September, there are questions as to how Rodgers would operate if he were to officially accept the role. Kennedy has reportedly also spoken to former Democratic presidential candidate and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard. All three declined to comment on if those conversations took place to the press, but a source close to Kennedy’s campaign claimed that all three declined to be considered.
The added star power of Rodgers could boost Kennedy’s numbers – at present, he’s sitting in third place with a potential 15% of voters behind incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden at 35.5% and Republican nominee Donald Trump at 39.8%, according to polling data from Real Clear.
With election season fully underway in the U.S., stars in Tennessee are making sure their voices are heard — and urging others to share their voices, too.
On Wednesday (March 13), Allison Russell, Maren Morris and a cavalcade of other stars joined forces to release “Tennessee Rise,” a new political anthem in support of U.S. Senate candidate Gloria Johnson. The group — billed as the Tennessee Freedom Singers — also features names such as Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Brittney Spencer, Amanda Shires, Emmylou Harris and many more singing in support of change for the state.
The soulful song sees the star-studded group protesting against children being “gunned down at school” and asserts that their home state is currently “waltzing in blood,” before calling on voters to “go and make yourself known.”
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The roster of the Tennessee Freedom Singers also includes Beth Nielsen Chapman, Brooke Eden, Denitia, Devon Gilfillian, Elizabeth Cook, Erin Rae, Fancy Hagood, Jaimee Harris, Julie Williams, Kam Franklin, Katie Pruitt, Kyshona Armstrong, Langhorne Slim, Lilly Winwood, Lucie Silvas, Mary Gauthier, Meghan Linsey, Meghan McCormick, Mya Byrne, MORGXN, Paul McDonald, Phillip-Michael Scales, Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, Sara Van Buskirk, Shelly Colvin, Tre Burt and Wade Sapp.
According to a press release, the song was inspired by the Tennessee Three — the Democratic coalition of Tennessee Representatives Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson — who were subjected to an expulsion vote from the Tennessee House floor for participating in a protest advocating for gun control. The release goes on to say that Russell organized the collaboration to support Johnson’s run for Senate, “banding together some of Nashville’s best and brightest musicians for an essential fight for democracy.”
In a joint post with Johnson to promote the song on Instagram, Russell referred to the song as “a call to all who care about human rights, voting rights, equality, democracy & freedom in Tennessee.” She continued, adding that she hoped listeners in her home state understand the track’s core message. “It has never been more important to use our powerful voices & votes in Tennessee. Go and make yourself known! Register! Vote! Rise!”
Johnson launched her Senate campaign in September, where she hopes to win the Democratic primary on Aug. 1 and challenge incumbent senator Marsha Blackburn for her seat in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. “Tennessee deserves better,” Johnson said upon announcing her candidacy. “Hardworking Tennessee families need someone who will fight for them and not just the billionaires and corporations and the wealthy and the well-connected.”
Check out the official music video for “Tennessee Rise” below:
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The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat.
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The bill, passed by a vote of 352-65, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear.
TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.
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The lawmakers contend that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the U.S. any time it wants. The worry stems from a set of Chinese national security laws that compel organizations to assist with intelligence gathering.
“We have given TikTok a clear choice,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. “Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), and remain operational in the United States, or side with the CCP and face the consequences. The choice is TikTok’s.
House passage of the bill is only the first step. The Senate would also need to pass the measure for it to become law, and lawmakers in that chamber indicated it would undergo a thorough review. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he’ll have to consult with relevant committee chairs to determine the bill’s path.
President Joe Biden has said if Congress passes the measure, he will sign it.
The House vote is poised to open a new front in the long-running feud between lawmakers and the tech industry. Members of Congress have long been critical of tech platforms and their expansive influence, often clashing with executives over industry practices. But by targeting TikTok, lawmakers are singling out a platform popular with millions of people, many of whom skew younger, just months before an election.
Opposition to the bill was also bipartisan. Some Republicans said the U.S. should warn consumers if there are data privacy and propaganda concerns, while some Democrats voiced concerns about the impact a ban would have on its millions of users in the U.S., many of which are entrepreneurs and business owners.
“The answer to authoritarianism is not more authoritarianism,” said Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. “The answer to CCP-style propaganda is not CCP-style oppression. Let us slow down before we blunder down this very steep and slippery slope.”
Ahead of the House vote, a top national security official in the Biden administration held a closed-door briefing Tuesday with lawmakers to discuss TikTok and the national security implications. Lawmakers are balancing those security concerns against a desire not to limit free speech online.
“What we’ve tried to do here is be very thoughtful and deliberate about the need to force a divestiture of TikTok without granting any authority to the executive branch to regulate content or go after any American company,” said Rep. Mike Gallagher, the bill’s author, as he emerged from the briefing.
TikTok has long denied that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government. The company has said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and won’t do so if it is asked. To date, the U.S. government also has not provided any evidence that shows TikTok shared such information with Chinese authorities. The platform has about 170 million users in the U.S.
The security briefing seemed to change few minds, instead solidifying the views of both sides.
“We have a national security obligation to prevent America’s most strategic adversary from being so involved in our lives,” said Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y.
But Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said no information has been shared with him that convinces him TikTok is a national security threat. “My opinion, leaving that briefing, has not changed at all,” he said.
“This idea that we’re going to ban, essentially, entrepreneurs, small business owners, the main way how young people actually communicate with each other is to me insane,” Garcia said.
“Not a single thing that we heard in today’s classified briefing was unique to TikTok. It was things that happen on every single social media platform,” said Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif.
Republican leaders have moved quickly to bring up the bill after its introduction last week. A House committee approved the legislation unanimously, on a 50-vote, even after their offices were inundated with calls from TikTok users demanding they drop the effort. Some offices even shut off their phones because of the onslaught.
Lawmakers in both parties are anxious to confront China on a range of issues. The House formed a special committee to focus on China-related issues. And Schumer directed committee chairs to begin working with Republicans on a bipartisan China competition bill.
Senators are expressing an openness to the bill but suggested they don’t want to rush ahead.
“It is not for me a redeeming quality that you’re moving very fast in technology because the history shows you make a lot of mistakes,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
In pushing ahead with the legislation, House Republicans are also creating rare daylight between themselves and former President Donald Trump as he seeks another term in the White House.
Trump has voiced opposition to the effort. He said Monday that he still believes TikTok poses a national security risk but is opposed to banning the hugely popular app because doing so would help its rival, Facebook, which he continues to lambast over his 2020 election loss.
As president, Trump attempted to ban TikTok through an executive order that called “the spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People’s Republic of China (China)” a threat to “the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States.” The courts, however, blocked the action after TikTok sued, arguing such actions would violate free speech and due process rights.
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Charles Barkley is walking back a threat he jokingly made regarding Black Trump supporters and how punchable their faces are.
During a recent episode of Barkley’s show with Gayle King on CNN, the former NBA power forward responded to Donald Trump relying on racist stereotypes and fake solidarity with Black people to woo Black voters during an appearance at the Black Conservative Federation Gala in South Carolina (which unsurprisingly had a white AF audience).
During the speech, Trump, in his usual delusional fashion, claimed Black people are walking around in t-shirts with images of his mugshot, which he got after being indicted on RICO charges for alleged election interference in Georgia. Trump also claimed, “Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, and they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against.” He said this in reference to his own legal woes, which, obviously, have nothing to do with racial discrimination, and are rich coming from the orangey-white nationalist who spearheaded the propaganda-reliant attack on critical race theory, Black Lives Matter and DEI.
“If I see a Black person walking around with a Trump mug shot, I’m gonna punch him in the face,” Barkley told King.
Now, the second Barkley said this, we all should have known it would only be a matter of time before he had to make another statement dialing it back. According to USA Today, video clips of Barkley’s remarks got hundreds of views, which means he likely came under fire because folks were more offended by what he said than they were by a demonstrably racist white man who has such little respect for “the Blacks” that he will perform white supremacy right in our faces then turn around and cite anti-Black injustice when it’s convenient for his political campaign.
“Obviously I’m not gonna go around punching random strangers in the face,” Barkley said on his show Wednesday in an attempt to clarify his remarks. Still, he made it clear that he is not walking back his contempt for Trump or the sunken place soldiers who support him.
“When Donald Trump compares his plight with that of the Black person, that is what I had a problem with,” Barkley went on to say. “Now, I do wanna say this. I want to make it perfectly clear… If you’re a Black person and you’re wearing a Donald Trump mugshot, you are a freaking idiot.”
“Idiot” is actually too kind a word to use here. “Sambo Blackey-lackey bowing to their MAGA massa’” is far more appropriate.