Rafael Nadal advances while Nick Kyrgios overcomes injury to win on Day 8 of Wimbledon 2022

Rafael Nadal moved into the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Monday, beating No. 21 Botic van de Zandschulp of The Netherlands, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(6) in the fourth round. The 36-year-old Spaniard, who has won the first two legs of the calendar Grand Slam for the first time in his career, is now 18-0 in majors this season.

Nadal will next face American Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, after Fritz advanced to his first career quarterfinal. Nadal and Fritz are 1-1 head-to-head, and this will be their first meeting on grass. Nadal is 7-0 in Wimbledon quarterfinals.  Nadal said of Fritz: “He’s playing well, he’s having an amazing year, winning a first Masters 1000, against me by the way in the finals so, yeah, gonna be a tough match but we are in quarterfinals of Wimbledon so what can I expect?” 

The winner of the Nadal-Fritz match could potentially meet up with Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals. Kyrgios advanced to his first major quarterfinal in seven years by beating 20-year-old American Brandon Nakashima in five sets. The Australian Kyrgios next faces Cristian Garin of Chile in the quarters. Said Kyrgio: “In 2019 my agent had to come get me out of a pub at 4:00 AM before I played Nadal.  This year I have a different mindset. I’ve come a long way, that’s for sure.”

Top seed and three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic will face No. 10 seeded Jannik Sinner on Tuesday; Sinner defeated No. 5 Carlos Alcaraz in four sets Sunday. Djokovic has said he has added motivation to win his fourth straight Wimbledon because he is not currently permitted in the U.S. to play the U.S. Open because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19.

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Carrie Underwood joins Guns N’ Roses for two surprise concert appearances in the UK

Carrie Underwood joined Guns N’ Roses onstage for two songs during each of their July 1st and 2nd shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the United Kingdom, joining the band during their songs “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City.” Underwood was in London last week to promote her new album, Denim & Rhinestones. 

In April, Underwood welcomed Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose as a special guest during her headline performance at the Stagecoach Festival. After her UK appearance with the band, Underwood took to Instagram to share photos from the first UK show:  “Together again…but this time in London and with a few more friends! ❤ Thanks, @gunsnroses and your crew for welcoming me into your world like family. And thanks to all the fans who gave these legends the royal welcome that they deserve. I am but a fan who somehow managed to find her way on stage to have a moment of magic with her heroes! How did I get so lucky?”

After the second show, she again took to social media to share her excitement: “Never in a million years did I think I would get to spend not one but TWO nights of my life on stage with @gunsnroses ! Thanks, again, to the band and crew and, of course, to the fantastic crowd! The energy was !!! Until next time… #GunsNRoses #AxlRose #Slash #duffmckagan #london”

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Randy Houser announces sixth studio album ‘Note to Self’

Randy Houser announced his sixth studio album Note To Self, will be available November 11th.  All songs on the 10 track album feature co-writes by Houser, including the title track.

Produced by Houser and Blake Chancey, Randy shares about the project: “Blake and I worked on this record a long time, and I’m really looking forward to sharing the rest of it with the folks who’ve already shown how excited they are for new music. This album came together at a time when I was reflecting on who I am and what’s important to me, envisioning the kind of future I’d like to see for myself and my family.”

“Note To Self” is Houser’s first taste of new music since 2019’s Magnolia.  Houser also released a video for the single, filmed in downtown Nashville and shot in one take by a drone. The video follows Houser performing solo from Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, across the alley and to the historic stage of Ryman Auditorium where he joins his full band.  You can check out the video – here.

Randy Houser Announces Sixth Career Studio Album, ‘Note To Self’

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‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ sequel to open in theaters in 2023

Sony Pictures has shared plans to release a sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2023.  According to Deadline, the studio said that the new film will open in theaters Dec. 20, 2023.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman and writer Gil Kenan had previously confirmed there would be a sequel film on June 8 — dubbed ‘Ghostbusters Day.’ The new film will return to the franchise’s original New York City and Firehouse setting. Reitman recently told The Hollywood Reporter: “At the end of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Ecto-1 is driving into Manhattan, returning to its home. And before anyone ever heard the title Afterlife, we called it Rust City. Which would not have made sense to anyone until they saw the movie. The code name for the next movie is Firehouse.” 

The Ghostbusters franchise originated with the 1984 film Ghostbusters, directed by the late Ivan Reitman, Jason’s father. The movie was followed by the 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II, the 2016 reboot Ghostbusters, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which opened in November.

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FX renews ‘The Old Man’ with Jeff Bridges for Season 2

FX has announced the renewal of  The Old Man for a second season, starring Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow and Amy Brenneman.  The first season of The Old Man, featuring seven episodes, debuted on June 16.  The series follows Dan Chase (Bridges), a former CIA agent living off the grid and trying to avoid assassins sent to kill him.

Eric Schrier, FX Entertainment President, said in a statement: “Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz and Warren Littlefield have done a fantastic job with The Old Man, which delivers on the powerful intrigue and breathtaking action of Thomas Perry’s book. The stellar cast led by Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman and Alia Shawkat is really connecting with audiences and we are excited to get to work on Season 2 with our colleagues at 20th Television and this fantastic team.”

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Ketanji Brown Jackson officially sworn in as first Black woman on the Supreme Court

Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in on the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, becoming the first Black woman on the bench.

The 51-year-old Jackson, a top federal appellate court judge and former public defender, was sworn in at noon following the retirement of Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, who ascended to the high court in 1994 and announced his resignation earlier this year. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the constitutional oath, and Breyer administered the judicial oath. Roberts said at the ceremony: “There will be a formal investiture in the fall, but the oaths will allow Judge Jackson to undertake her duties, and she’s been anxious to get to them without any further delay. On behalf of all of the members of the court, I am pleased to welcome Justice Jackson to the court and to our common calling.”

Jackson was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for about a year before ascending to the Supreme Court.  President Joe Biden had promised during his campaign for president in 2020 that he would nominate a Black woman to the court.

The Senate narrowly confirmed Jackson in April by a 53-47 vote, with most Republicans arguing that Jackson’s track record as a judge showed she is weak on crime. Jackson is the 116th Supreme Court justice, and will formally join the court when it begins its next term in October.

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U.S. Supreme Court limits federal power to curb carbon emissions at power plants

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court said on Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency has no authority in regulating carbon emissions from existing power plants.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that Congress must have a say in applying such rules: “In certain extraordinary cases, both separation of powers principles and a practical understanding of legislative intent make us ‘reluctant to read into ambiguous statutory text’ the delegation claimed to be lurking there. To convince us otherwise, something more than a merely plausible textual basis for the agency action is necessary. The agency instead must point to ‘clear congressional authorization’ for the power it claims.”

The liberal justices maintained that Congress already had given the EPA that authorization through the Clean Air Act. Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent: “Today, the court strips the EPA of the power Congress gave it to respond to the most pressing environmental challenge of our time. It deprives EPA of the power needed — and the power granted — to curb the emission of greenhouse gases.”

Led by West Virginia, the case was brought by a coalition of Republican-led states and coal companies that contested an earlier federal appeals court decision that said the EPA had the power to issue the kind of regulations they opposed. West Virginia’s lawsuit took issue with the 2015 Obama administration Clean Power Plan, which sought to lower carbon emissions by 32% by regulating existing coal- and natural-gas-fired power plants. The Obama administration had planned to require states to lower carbon dioxide emissions by replacing coal power plants with green energy sources.

During Donald Trump’s presidency, he replaced Obama’s initiative with a plan that essentially removed all regulations. But when President Biden took office, he reversed course and promised to slash greenhouse emissions nationwide dramatically.  Biden called the ruling “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards.” He said in a statement: “While this decision risks damaging our nation’s ability to keep our air clean and combat climate change, I will not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis.”  Biden has ordered the Justice Department and other affected agencies to review the Supreme Court ruling and devise plans to allow federal law to cut back on emissions that cause climate change.

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Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges arrested on felony domestic violence charge

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said on Thursday that Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was arrested on a felony charge in Los Angeles, and released on $130,000 bail.  Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records show that the 24-year-old Bridges was arrested at 1:55 p.m. local time Wednesday and booked at 5:37 p.m. He was released just after 8 p.m. and has a court date scheduled for July 20.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Bridges was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence. Police did not provide any additional information about the charge. The Hornets said on social media that they are “aware” of the situation involving Bridges, adding, “we are in the process of gathering additional information. We will have no further comment at this time.”

The Hornets announced earlier in the week that they extended a qualifying contract offer to the 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward.  Bridges, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 80 starts last season for the Hornets. Bridges’ arrest came on the eve of NBA free agency, which began Thursday night.

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Kevin Durant requests trade from Brooklyn Nets

ESPN, The Athletic and Yahoo Sports are all reporting that All-Star forward Kevin Durant requested a trade on Thursday from the Brooklyn Nets.  The bombshell news came just hours before free agency opened Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. Phoenix and Miami are two of Durant’s preferred destinations, according to multiple sources.

The 33-year-old Durant, a 12-time All-Star, is under contract through 2025-26; he is set to make $44 million in 2022, and his annual salary will escalate to $53 million by 2025.  He averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in 55 starts last season. He joined the Nets in a 2019 trade from the Golden State Warriors, where he won two consecutive NBA championships and NBA Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018.

All-Star teammate Kyrie Irving missed much of the year because of his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19; he was ineligible to play in home games for the majority of the season. Earlier this week, Irving announced his decision to opt in to the final year of his contract with the Nets, telling The Athletic he wanted to honor his commitment to the Nets and Durant, his friend and teammate.

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Kacey Musgraves and Fancy Hagood team up for the song “Blue Dream Baby”

Kacey Musgraves has teamed up with country-pop singer Fancy Hagood for their newly-released single, “Blue Dream Baby.”  “Blue Dream Baby” will appear on Hagood’s forthcoming record, which follows his successful 2021 collection, “Southern Curiosity.” Hagood and Musgraves are longtime friends, but “Blue Dream Baby” is their first collaboration together. Hagood wrote the single alongside Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and songwriter Alysa Vanderheym.

In honor of pride month, Hagood and Musgraves have also released the animated music video for the song, featuring “gayliens” and Musgraves’ alter ego “Spacey Kacey.” Take a look at the video for Blue Dream Baby – here.

Hagood wrote on Instagram: “I want to thank @spaceykacey for being the sexiest cartoon I’ve ever seen and for throwing down on the track! It’s a dream come true when you get to put magic out into the world…but to get to do it with one of your besties is just next level of special I could stay high on!”

Hagood also made note of Musgraves’ support of the LGBTQ+ community: “Kacey is such a trailblazer and has created so much room in this town [Nashville] for queer expression and art. I have felt the effects of the change she has helped create not only in my career, but in my personal life as well. Kacey made me feel seen long before we were friends, and I’m so honored to share a track with such a legend.”

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