Russian President Vladimir Putin says peace negotiations with Ukraine have reached a “dead end”

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that peace negotiations with Ukraine have reached a “dead end,” and accused Kyiv of violating previous agreements. Putin made the comments during a joint news conference at the Vostochny Cosmodrome with Belarusian President Alexander Lukaschenko, where the two were meeting at the spaceport to talk with rocket and space industry representatives.

Putin accused Ukraine of breaking agreements the two countries made during talks in Istanbul back in March. Russia agreed to reduce military activity around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv during those peace talks, and ahead of the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was open to declaring neutrality and a possible compromise over the disputed separatist-held regions in far eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas.

During Tuesday’s remarks, Putin said regarding the war with Ukraine that “there was simply no choice, it was only a matter of time when it will begin. That’s it.” Putin justified the offensive in eastern Ukraine by saying that Russian forces must protect separatists there.

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Letter from Congress to Federal Trade Commission details Washington Commanders ‘potentially unlawful’ conduct

According to a letter sent from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, the Washington Commanders and owner Daniel Snyder “may have engaged in a troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct that allegedly involved withholding up to $5 million in refundable deposits from season ticket holders and also hiding money that was supposed to be shared among NFL owners.”  The NFL is working with former SEC chair Mary Jo White to “review the serious matters raised by the committee.”  White is also already investigating the sexual harassment claims against Snyder and Washington.

Among the many allegations in the 20-page letter includes those made by Jason Friedman, a former vice president of sales and customer service who worked for the franchise for 24 years. Friedman “provided the Committee with information and documents indicating that the Commanders routinely withheld security deposits that should have been returned to customers who had purchased multiyear season tickets for specific seats, referred to as seat leases.”  The letter also says Friedman told committee members the team maintained “two sets of books,” including one set of financial records used to underreport certain ticket revenue to the NFL.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy on Tuesday,  “We continue to cooperate with the Oversight Committee and have provided more than 210,000 pages of documents.”

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Dallas Mavericks’ point guard Luka Dončić diagnosed with left calf strain, out indefinitely

The Dallas Mavericks said on Tuesday that point guard Luka Dončić has been officially diagnosed with a left calf strain after undergoing an MRI.  The confirmation of Dončić’s injury comes two days after he exited in the third quarter of Dallas’ regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs.

The 23-year-old Dončić leads Dallas in points (28.4), rebounds (9.1), assists (8.7) and steals (1.2) per game. In 13 career playoff games, he has averaged 33.5 points, 9.5 assists and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Dončić has begun treatment, and according to the Mavericks organization there is no timetable for his return. The Mavericks, who finished 52-30 in the regular season, are the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and will open the playoffs against the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz on Saturday.

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Darius Rucker announces 13th Annual Darius & Friends benefit concert

Darius Rucker announced he will return to the historic Ryman Auditorium on Monday, June 6th for his 13th 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 to date has raised more than $2.5 million.

Darius and Friends will feature an all-star roster of friends to be announced in the coming weeks. Says Rucker:  “I can’t wait to be back at the Ryman with all of our friends from St. Jude. This show is always a highlight of the year for me, because it not only raises funds for a very important cause, but it also allows me to bring together some of my best friends in Nashville for a fun night of incredible music.”

Rucker made a commitment to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital nearly 15 years ago after taking an inspiring tour of the hospital. More than a decade later, that effort has become an annual tradition. Tickets to the 13th Annual Darius & Friends benefit concert start at $50 with VIP options up to $150, and are available via AXS.com.

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Tenille Townes shares tracklist, collaborators on new EP ‘Masquerades’

Tenille Townes revealed the tracklist for her upcoming EP, Masquerades, set to be released on April 22 via Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville in partnership with RCA Records.

The EP will feature tracks with hit singer-songwriter Wrabel, who duets with Tenille on “When You Need It,” as well as support from BRELAND on the song “Shared Walls.”

For more details on Townes upcoming release, head to her official website.  To pre-order/pre-save “Masquerades,” head here.

Tenille Townes reveals ‘Masquerades’ EP

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Brie Larson joins the cast of “Fast & Furious 10”

“Fast & Furious” franchise star Vin Diesel has publicly welcomed Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson to the ‘F&F’ family. Diesel wrote in an Instagram post, which included a photo of him and Larson laughing together, “Yeah yeah yeah… you see this angel over my shoulder cracking me up, you say to your self ‘that’s captain Marvel. Clearly there is love and laughter in this image. What you don’t see however, is the character you will be introduced to in Fast10. You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology. Beyond her beauty, her intellect… her Oscar, haha is this profound soul who will add something you might not have expected but yearned for. Welcome to the FAMILY Brie. @brielarson.”

Larson has publicly expressed her desire to join the blockbuster franchise, saying in a past interview: “Please, please tell everybody I would, of course, want to be in a Fast & Furious movie. I’m obsessed. I love them. I think they’re so good. They’re so fun. And they’ve made me appreciate cars. And it’s something that should be appreciated. They’re incredible. So of course, please.”

Plot details for Fast10 have not been disclosed, but just a few months ago Jason Momoa was announced as the newest member of the Fast & Furious family. Fast 10 will see the return of Justin Lin, who directed the latest installment of the blockbuster series, as well as previously announced cast members including Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, Sung Kang, and Daniela Melchior

Shooting on the movie is slated to begin this spring with a release date set for release May 19, 2023.

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Comedian Gilbert Gottfried dies at age 67 after long illness

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried has died at age of 67, according to a post on social media written by his family.  The statement read: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.”   According to Glenn Schwartz, Gottfried’s longtime friend and publicist, the comedian died on Tuesday from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.

Gottfried performed stand-up comedy for over 50 years, and according to his representative, became known as “the comedian’s comedian” because his live performances put aside political correctness while he delivers jokes that know no boundaries.  Gottfried’s comedic career led to roles in films including “Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Problem Child,” “Look Who’s Talking II” and “The Aristocrats.” He was also notably the voice of the wise cracking parrot Iago in Disney’s iconic animated film “Aladdin.”  In 2017, he was the subject of the documentary “Gilbert,” about his life. He also co-hosted a podcast, “Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!”, where he and Frank Santopadre interviewed Hollywood icons and legends.

Gottfried is survived by his wife Dara, daughter Lily, 14, son Max, 12, sister Karen, and nephew Graham.

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2022 CMT Music Awards: See the full list of winners

The 2022 CMT Awards aired Monday night live from Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville, hosted in-person by Kane Brown and actor Anthony Mackie. Brown stepped in as co-host after Kelsea Ballerini tested positive for COVID-19. Ballerini co-hosted the show and performed from her home.

Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood were among the night’s big winners, winning two trophies, including the night’s top honor – Video of the Year. Said Aldean: “Winning is more exciting to me now than ever. It’s one thing to win awards when you’re a shiny new penny, but it’s another thing when you’ve been in the game for a long time, and you’re competing with all the shiny new pennies. After 17 years, I’ve never won this particular award. It means a lot to me, always. We all want to win. It’s not why we do it, but it’s nice to be recognized.”

Underwood added: “My fans have been voting for me since day one of my career, and that’s why I’m here in the first place. The fact they’re still voting is very special, and I don’t take that lightly. I’m so grateful they’ve carried me through, and we’re still here, and I’m still making music that I love.”

Cody Johnson also picked up two wins Monday night – Male Video of the Year and CMT Digital-First performance of the Year.

For the full list of winners, head to the link below.

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Former police officer who stormed Capitol is found guilty on all six counts at jury trial

On Monday, a former police officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was found guilty on all six charges at trial. Thomas Robertson, who was an officer in Rocky Mount, Virginia, when he entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, was arrested last January and fired by the city shortly thereafter.

The verdict given Robertson was another win for the Justice Department, which is overseeing an unprecedented investigation into the hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Robertson’s trial was the second Jan. 6 defendant to take his case to a jury.  Jurors deliberated Friday afternoon and all day Monday before reaching a verdict just before 5:30 p.m.

Robertson faced six charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and entering and remaining is a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon. A Justice Department attorney argued that Robertson was “part of the problem” on Jan. 6 and “decided to take matters into his own hands” because he didn’t like the outcome of the election, and added that “this defendant gleefully put himself in the thick of the initial round of rioters who set off hours of chaos inside the Capitol.”

Nearly 800 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, and almost 250 have pleaded guilty. In addition to the two jury trials thus far, two Jan. 6 defendants have resolved their cases through bench trials. More than 2,500 people entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack, and hundreds more assaulted law enforcement officers outside the building.

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President Biden selects former federal prosecutor as his second nominee to lead the ATF

On Monday, President Biden announced the finalization of a federal rule to regulate so-called “ghost guns” more like regular guns, including requiring serial numbers and background checks for the purchase of kits to assemble guns privately. Kit makers and re-sellers would have to include a serial number on the weapon, and the federal rules would also require background checks for anyone purchasing a kit that can be readily made into a working firearm, including 3-D printing kits — just like the background check law that applies to all licensed gun sales. The rule would not ban gun kits themselves or strengthen penalties for crimes committed with ghost guns.

Biden also introduced his second nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, former U.S. Attorney Steve Dettelbach. Dettelbach defended the ATF for facing unfair public criticism.  He said: ‘the men and women of the ATF and the public that they protect deserve better support from us. As we emerge from this pandemic, we’ve got to recognize that many Americans still face fear and isolation – not because of a virus, but because of an epidemic of firearms violence. It’s not a new problem, and it has many causes. That’s why it’s going to take an all hands on deck partnership approach to address that issue, and the ATF will be there.”

Dettelbach served as U.S. attorney for the northern district of Ohio during the Obama administration before resigning in 2016.  If confirmed, Dettelbach would be the first permanent director of ATF in seven years. The position often faces pushback from gun rights groups and has only had one Senate-confirmed director in the past 16 years. The White House touted Dettelbach’s two-decade career as a prosecutor at the Department of Justice, as well as his record of taking on criminal gang activity, domestic extremism and his experience with community gun violence.

This will be Biden’s second attempt at finding the ATF a permanent director. Last September, The White House withdrew former ATF agent David Chipman’s nomination to lead the agency amid opposition from gun rights advocates, Republican senators and some Democrats.

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