Oklahoma native gets 4-chair turn on ‘The Voice’

 A contestant from McLoud, Ross Clayton, made his debut on the season 23 premiere of NBC's hit show 'The Voice' with judges Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan, and Chance the Rapper. Clayton's rendition of 'Blue Ain't Your Color' earned him a four-chair turn. Despite Shelton's attempt to sway Clayton with talk of their shared Oklahoma roots and potential gigs, the first-year coach, Horan, got down on one knee and begged Clayton to join his team, ultimately becoming the first member of Horan's team. Clayton, who took a break from singing to focus on his family, is a father of three and is now back on stage.

The blind auditions of 'The Voice' are always highly anticipated, and this season's premiere was no exception. Fans of the show were thrilled to see the coaches fight for a chance to mentor Ross Clayton, an Oklahoman with a passion for music.

Clayton's powerful performance of 'Blue Ain't Your Color' impressed all four judges, who turned their chairs in admiration. As the coaches made their pitches, the competition became fierce. Shelton, a seasoned veteran of the show, tried to sway Clayton by appealing to their shared Oklahoma roots and offering him potential gigs.

However, it was Niall Horan's heartfelt plea that won Clayton over. Horan, a first-year coach on the show, got down on one knee and begged Clayton to join his team, promising to support him every step of the way. His passionate appeal struck a chord with Clayton, who ultimately chose to join Horan's team.

Clayton's story is an inspiration to aspiring musicians everywhere, showing that with hard work and dedication, dreams can come true. With the support of his family and his new coach, he is ready to take on the challenges of 'The Voice' and make his mark on the music industry.

Ja Morant suspended from Grizzlies for 2 games after posing with gun on Instagram

 

Ja Morant, the All-Star guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, has been suspended for two games by the team following an investigation by the NBA into his actions on Instagram Live early on a Saturday morning. The investigation was initiated after Morant was the subject of a detailed story earlier in the week which alleged his involvement in three off-court incidents of violence. Although Instagram Live videos are typically deleted after they end, Morant's social media activity was recorded and circulated on the internet.

In the video, Morant is seen appearing to hold a firearm to the side of his head and repeatedly flashing it while recording from what appears to be a strip club after the Grizzlies' loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Morant had an impressive 27 points and 10 assists in the game.

The NBA spokesman, Mike Bass, stated that the league is investigating the social media post involving Morant. As a result of the suspension, Morant will not be playing in the Grizzlies' upcoming games against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, which are part of a Southern California road trip.

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During a live show on Netflix, Chris Rock made jokes about Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap incident.

 Chris Rock expressed his weariness in discussing Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap incident, but he emphasized that it did indeed hurt him. During a live Netflix comedy special, the 58-year-old comedian delved into the 2022 Academy Awards altercation, stating that anyone who believes "words hurt" has never been physically hit. Will Smith had previously attributed his actions to bottled-up anger.

The incident sparked conversations about America's tolerance for casual violence, as Smith remained at the ceremony and later received his first Oscar for Best Actor. Rock, who received praise for his composure following the confrontation, addressed a range of topics in his streaming service's inaugural live comedy show, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage. These included issues surrounding woke culture, politics, and Meghan Markle.

Rock acknowledged the Smith altercation by stating his intention to avoid offending anyone during the show, quipping that he never knows who might get triggered. He also made a comment about the state of America, stating that if the Russians were to visit now, half the country would be willing to hear them out due to the current societal chaos.

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 Chris Jericho Lays Out The Complications Of Working With Chyna In WWE

Chris Jericho is a clout vampire in the eyes of some people, but he has had some truly memorable rivalries throughout his career. However, Jericho isn't a big fan of his feud with Chyna from 1999, even though it led to him winning his first WWE Intercontinental Championship.

During the latest episode of "Talk Is Jericho," the titular host talked about winning the title for the first time. According to Jericho, it ticked off one of his main wrestling goals, but he didn't enjoy working with Chyna. "It was very hard. She was a very special talent obviously, but she was really hard to work with. Because she had, once again, gone so far so quickly, and wasn't really properly trained. Plus, she was under the umbrella of Triple H at the time — they were dating. So it was really hard to work with her in the ring and outside of the ring."

Jericho went on to say that he always wanted to win the Intercontinental Championship. He recalled watching Ricky Steamboat as the champion when he was still a young fan and believing that "The Dragon" was better than World Champions like Hulk Hogan. From that moment on, he knew that he had to win the title someday.

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 Ted Lasso 'Biscuits With the Boss' Ice Cream Drops Tomorrow

The new flavor is part of a collaboration with Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.

Thanks to a new Ted Lasso-themed ice cream flavor from Jeni's Ice Creams, fans will soon be able to try his special shortbread cookies as a frozen dessert. You'll be able to grab a scoop of Biscuits with the Boss beginning March 2 in Jeni's shops, through the store's app or have it shipped to you via online ordering. Maybe this will help curb Nate's villainous streak? 

Described as "Crumbly shortbread cookies in buttery sweet cream. Salty, mouthwatering, conversation-worthy," the flavor comes from a collaboration between Jeni's and Ted Lasso. Early birds who visit a Jeni's location can score a few bonus items, and those who are signed up for Jeni's Splendid Rewards can receive exclusive, limited-edition Jeni's x Ted Lasso merchandise like t-shirts. 

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 Russian factory activity expands at quickest rate in six years in Feb -PMI

An employee works in a blast furnace shop at Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) in the city of Magnitogorsk, Russia October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

MOSCOW, March 1 (Reuters) - Activity across Russia's manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest rate in six years in February, driven by upticks in production and new sales, while higher input costs added to inflationary pressures, a business survey showed on Wednesday.

The S&P Global Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose in February to 53.6 from 52.6 in January, moving further above the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction.

The sector has now seen growth for 10 months in a row, an upturn predicated on domestic demand as new export orders have contracted for 13 months running, while Moscow has prosecuted what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

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 ‘Almost Famous’ Star Casey Likes Cast as Marty McFly in ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’

Casey Likes has been cast as Marty McFly in “Back to the Future: The Musical,” which is coming to Broadway this spring.

He joins the previously announced Tony Award winner Roger Bart, who will play Doc Brown, as well as Olivier Award nominee Hugh Coles, who has been cast as George McFly. Both Bart and Coles starred in the West End production of “Back to the Future: The Musical.”

Likes has some experience bringing beloved films to the stage. He recently appeared in the lead role of apprising rock journalist William Miller in “Almost Famous: The Musical.” Likes casting was announced on “Good Morning America,” with the actor stepping out of a DeLorean. He has the unenviable task of finding his way into a role made famous by Michael J. Fox.

Bart won a Tony for his performance as Snoopy in the 1999 revival of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and earned another nomination for his role as a flamboyant theater director in “The Producers.” Coles has appeared in “The Festival,” “Defending the Guilty” and “Atlanta.”

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 KISS Officially Announce Final Date of Their Farewell Tour During ‘Howard Stern Show’ Appearance

During a highly publicized appearance on The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM, KISS have officially announced the final show of their End of the Road farewell tour, which will take place on Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the second of back-to-back nights.

There had been other proposed end dates for the rock legends just on this tour alone (which began in 2018) with manager Doc McGhee floating a couple loose timelines before declaring earlier this year that KISS will indeed put on their final tour performance in 2023.

Notably, this trek is not the first time the group has made an attempt to retire and there will surely be speculation about the legitimacy of this announcement.

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Considering the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers booked a set of 2023 U.K. dates and mentioned it'd be their last shows in the region, it really does appear that KISS are winding down their 50-year touring career with lone mainstays Paul Stanley having turned 71 earlier this year and Gene Simmons set to turn 74 this summer.

The band specifically noted this is the end of the farewell tour, leaving the door open for other opportunities such as one-off shows, residencies or festival appearances. Only time will tell.

See all of KISS' upcoming tour dates at their website and for your chance to see them, perhaps for the final time, get tickets here.

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Woody Harrelson takes a jab at COVID vaccine mandates in 'SNL' monologue

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Harrelson added: "I threw the script away. I mean, who was going to believe that crazy idea? Being forced to do drugs? I do that voluntarily all day."

The joke seemingly referenced lockdown measures in 2020 to stop the spread of COVID, as well as medically recommended vaccine booster shots.

As of Feb. 23, 69.3% of Americans are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A September 2022 study by the CDC determined a primary series of the vaccine in addition to a booster was significantly more effective at preventing hospitalization than only a primary series. This applied to adults who are and are not immunocompromised. 

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 Woody Harrelson on work and weed

Now 61 years old, Harrelson's day job remains the same. He's spent the last 38 years yo-yo-ing back and forth between TV and movies, comedy and drama. Versatility is his calling card.

"I've always been much more partial to the more indie spirit, you know, the movies that have this kind of deep heart," he said. And "Champions," his latest, "definitely has heart."

Harrelson plays a prickly but charming basketball coach with NBA dreams, who finds himself coaching a team of players with intellectual disabilities called "The Friends." Before the first day of shooting, director Bobby Farrelly (whom Harrelson first worked with 27 years ago on "Kingpin") told him the first scene he'd shoot, when his character meets the team for the first time, would be almost entirely improv.

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 Will Hardy receives passionate endorsement from Spurs’ Gregg Popovich

The Utah Jazz began the season as one of the surprise teams in the NBA and near the top of the Western Conference standings. With more than half of the season gone by and the trade deadline in the rearview, the Jazz have come back down to earth. They are still alive in the race for the postseason but they aren’t taking any teams by surprise anymore as they were early on. Even so, it’s been a solid debut for Jazz first-year head coach Will Hardy. Prior to the Jazz’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, Hardy received heavy praise from coaching legend Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs as per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hardy was a former assistant under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs from 2015-2021.

“He was a pretty impressive individual from the get-go. So I put him out on the court quickly with the guys and found that he commanded respect very quickly, just by being himself and teaching,” Popovich said. “He’s got a good wry sense of humor that he uses, and then I slowly fell in love with guy, and then he matriculated to the bench and showed that you understand the game, and made suggestions that were meaningful. He doesn’t say much unless he thinks he needs to; he’s got a great temperament – much better than mine. And I actually learned from him in a lot of those situations, as much or more than he learned from me.”

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 NAACP Image Awards 2023: See the complete list of winners

The ceremony for the 54th NAACP Image Awards took place Saturday.

The event recognizes achievement in the arts, entertainment and culture by people of color in more than 80 categories. Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis, Will Smith and Angela Bassett, who won Entertainer of the Year, were among those honored.

A list of nominees in several film and television categories follows below. Winners are indicted in bold.

Entertainer of the Year

Angela Bassett *WINNER

Mary J. Blige

Quinta Brunson

Viola Davis

Zendaya

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