Champ Alexander Volkanovski trains for a second belt, but champ Islam Makhachev looks to turn him back. Josh Emmett acclimates to Perth. Jack Della Maddalena enjoys a home game, but Randy Brown plans to play spoiler.
UFC 284 Countdown previews two title fights, as featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski challenges lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for pound-for-pound supremacy. Plus, featherweights Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett battle for interim gold. UFC 284 main card action kicks off on Saturday, February 11 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.
A Florida teen accused of killing his classmate by stabbing her more than 100 times pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Monday in St. Johns County.
First Coast News reports Aiden Fucci's trial was set to begin Monday but he pleaded guilty prior to jury selection. There will be no trial and sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
"I just want to say I plea guilty and I'm sorry for the Bailey family and my family," he reportedly said in court.
Fucci was charged as an adult in the death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey. Bailey was stabbed 114 times and her body was found less than a mile from Fucci's home, police said.
There's clearly still serious bad blood between Migos' rappers Quavo and Offset following the death of Takeoff ... and those emotions boiled over backstage at the Grammys into a physical fight.
Sources at the show tell us just before Quavo took the stage to perform his song "Without You" as a tribute to Takeoff during the "In Memoriam" segment of the show, he and Offset got into a physical fight and had to be pulled apart.
As for what led to it -- we're told The Grammys had asked Offset to be a part of the tribute, but Quavo refused to let him take part. We're told Quavo blocked Offset from joining him on stage ... leading to the melee.
Our Offset sources say it was Quavo who started the fight.
We should note -- Quavo and Takeoff were extremely close at the time of Takeoff's murder -- Offset was on the outs with the group. Quavo's "Without You" was a song he specifically wrote for Takeoff.
Nonetheless, people watching Sunday night's show were disappointed to see it was clear there had not been a reconciliation between Quavo and Offset since Takeoff's death.
(CNN) The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,361 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.
The total death toll in Turkey has climbed to 1,541, according to Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay. There are now 9,733 people injured in Turkey, Oktay also said.
The total death toll in Syria is 820. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports 430 deaths across government-controlled areas and the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, reported 390 deaths in opposition-controlled areas.
Reading, Pennsylvania emcee Mack Montega and Philadelphia's own Quilly team up for a new banger titled "Wishing Well." Check out the official music video.
The Prince family came for a special episode to discuss a very serious situation that happened in our community that greatly impacted our culture. This is a conversation that needed to be had and one that we hope a lot of you never forget as you navigate through the trenches and the bright lights. Community always wins.
Rest in peace to our brother Kirsnick Khari Ball, otherwise known to the world as Takeoff.
In this clip, Nicholas Irving talks about his service as a special operations sniper in the 3rd Ranger Battalion for the U.S. Army before explaining how the birth of his son helped calm him down and change his demeanor from the self-described "hothead" he once was. He also talks about being bullied in high school and how his attitude changed after he shot someone, in the service of his country, for the first time. He promised himself that he would never get picked on again. Elsewhere in the conversation, Nicholas reveals that his parents were also in the service and they both worked in the Army (Counter Intelligence), before stating that was graduated high school with a 1.70 GPA because he was constantly getting into fights at school. Lastly, he explains that his father was the disciplinarian of his household and both of his parents were very religious during his childhood.
Loch aka WARLOCH is a veteran Atlanta MC known for being a lyricist,song writer, and well rounded song crafter.With a dramatic flair, he combines complex lyricism with Mean, gritty bars and Observations on the streets and Everyday life.
He was Influenced by MCs such as Run DMC, LL Cool J ,Rakim, Nas,Redman, Eminem,Wu Tang Clan, Tupac, Kurupt, Ras Kass, and a Tribe Called Quest
Born in Detroit and raised in Cobb County,South Fulton,and all over the Metro ATL area ,he released his first full project ,No Soap No Rags as a member of the group Thirst & Loch in 2003 then 4 solo projects The Last Flip, The Final Front, The Social Network, Afro American Horror Story and Afro American Psycho.
He’s had music played on Hot 107.9 in Atlanta, Shade45,88. 5 Ga State radio,WIBB in Macon,K-100, Wrfg 89.3 and more.His music has been featured on Allhiphop.com and many blog sites.
He has music with The Outlawz (EDI @ Edifon4L and Kastro), Sean Price, Lyfe Jennings, Sy Scott, Mally G of Illegal, Young Noble of The Outlawz, Adina Howard, Mr 704, Jag, Cap 1 and Loch’s musical family and crews Bad Blood, SDK and Kamp Kaos .
He has performed at shows with Luda, Juvenile, David Banner, Killer Mike, The Clipse, Rock City and more.
Currently Loch has a single out called Streets Talkin with Young Noble @Young_Noble Of The Outlawz @OutlawzOfficial . The music video is directed by @Tower4Hire. Engineered by @Santiagotheplug from @Undisputedmedia and Produced by Iggknight. He’s also working on new music with Dr. Dre affiliate and Eminem Producer Black Nailz @Therealblacknailz and planning a new Project for 2023
The US military has downed the suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean.
President Joe Biden approved shooting down the balloon.
Navy assets & Coast Guard assets are on standby if required for any possible recovery efforts, a defense official told CNN prior to the balloon being shot down.
The balloon was first spotted in the sky over Montana earlier this week and traveled across the middle of the country, following weather patterns before it exited the continental United States on Saturday.
Prior to the balloon being shot down, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for airports in Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; & Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The FAA also restricted airspace near Myrtle Beach “to support the Defense Department in a national security effort.”
Top military officials had advised against shooting down the balloon while over the continental US because of the risk the debris could pose to civilians & property on the ground, but officials had maintained that all options remained on the table.
Earlier Saturday, Biden had told reporters in Syracuse, New York, that his administration was “gonna take care” of the balloon when asked by CNN if the US would shoot it down.
China's Foreign Ministry has said the balloon entered US airspace by accident. But the State Department has said the presence of the balloon over US territory was "a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law, and it is unacceptable that this has occurred."
The discovery of the balloon prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone his highly anticipated diplomatic visit to China, saying the incident "created the conditions that undermine the purpose of the trip."
Cashout Beatz is the next big producer out of the Midwest! He first started making beats in the basement of his mother's home in Cincinnati, Ohio. After years of perfecting his craft, he consistently traveled & networked with upcoming independent artists in the Midwest & South region. He decided to open a studio of his own, and started taking classes to learn how to engineer and mix music.
He quickly developed a unique sound and working with local artists really helped him build his sound. After building a buzz in the streets, he caught the ears of Young Scooter, which led him to eventually produce and go on tour with him. Cashout Beatz has worked with many artists in the Freebandz family such as Young Scooter, Casino, Mexico Marc, and BMG Sunny. After multiple releases with Icewear Vezzo, including "Mudd Baby", "Quagen", "God Bless The 6" featuring Babyface Ray, "Play For Keeps" featuring G Herbo, "F Blocc," and many more. He has now reached the Billboard Charts with 'Rich Off Pints 2' charting #1 and 'Rich Off Pints 3' charting #3.
Cashout Beatz is set to launch his production record label Cashout Music and will be signing upcoming producers, songwriters, and artists. Follow: @1cashoutbeatz on all social media platforms.
NEW YORK (AP) — Across the country, there’s a silent frustration brewing about an age-old practice that many say is getting out of hand: tipping.
Some fed-up consumers are posting rants on social media complaining about tip requests at drive-thrus, while others say they’re tired of being asked to leave a gratuity for a muffin or a simple cup of coffee at their neighborhood bakery. What’s next, they wonder -- are we going to be tipping our doctors & dentists, too?
As more businesses adopt digital payment methods, customers are automatically being prompted to leave a gratuity — many times as high as 30% — at places they normally wouldn’t. And some say it has become more frustrating as the price of items has skyrocketed due to inflation.
Unlike tip jars that shoppers can easily ignore if they don’t have spare change, experts say the digital requests can produce social pressure & are more difficult to bypass. And your generosity, or lack thereof, can be laid bare for anyone close enough to glance at the screen — including the workers themselves.
Dylan Schenker is one of them. The 38-year-old earns about $400 a month in tips, which provides a helpful supplement to his $15 hourly wage as a barista at Philadelphia café. The gratuity helps cover his monthly rent & eases some of his burdens while he attends graduate school & juggles his job.
Schenker says it’s hard to sympathize with consumers who are able to afford pricey coffee drinks but complain about tipping. And he often feels demoralized when people don’t leave behind anything extra — especially if they’re regulars.
“Tipping is about making sure the people who are performing that service for you are getting paid what they’re owed,” said Schenker.
“People do not like unsolicited advice,” said Ismail Karabas, a marketing professor at Murray State University who studies tipping. “They don’t like to be asked for things, especially at the wrong time.”
Philadelphia emcee and Beautiful Payne Entertainment boss, RJ Payne, drops a new collaboration with yet another hip hop legend as he and Young Noble of the Outlawz unleash "Pac Energy."
Delaware native and OBH Records artist, Beyah, is putting in heavy work as he's quickly become a name hip hop fans should familiarize themselves with. His latest single and accompanying music video is a perfect example of Beyah's immense talent.
Put on your thinking caps, burn something and tap in.
PARIS (AP) — Police in southeastern France have arrested a convicted murderer linked to Italy’s most powerful organized crime group, the ’ndrangheta, who was on the run for 16 years, Interpol & Italian police said on Thursday.
Italy’s ANSA news agency reported that the 63-year-old had been working for the past 3 years as a pizza-maker in Saint Etienne, where he had lived since 2014.
An Interpol statement said French police, with help from Italian colleagues, arrested Edgardo Greco in Saint-Etienne. He was wanted for 2 murders in 2006 & accused of attempted murder in another case. Italian authorities said the 2 people killed in 2006 were brothers who were beaten to death with a metal bar in a fish shop in Calabria.
Interpol, the international police organization based in Lyon, France, said the killings were “part of a ‘mafia war’ ... that marked the early 1990s” in Italy.
Investigations by Italian prosecutors in Catanzaro & police in Cosenza — both in southern Italy — led to the arrest.
The ‘ndrangheta, based in the ‘toe’ of the Italian peninsula, is one of the world’s most powerful cocaine traffickers & is seen as the largest threat among organized crime syndicates. In recent years, ’ndrangheta mobsters have been arrested around Europe & even in Brazil.
Buffalo Ny Artist spillz716 is back with another super banger & This time he brought Buffalos legendary Ndure with him. Schooling the youth while giving them jewels through bars and substance is a easy task for these 2 song writers. Buffalo HIPHOP & RNB is on the rise.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China as the Biden administration weighs a broader response to the discovery of a high-altitude Chinese balloon flying over sensitive sites in the western U.S.
The abrupt decision came despite China’s claim that the balloon was a weather research “airship” that had blown off course. The U.S. has described it as a surveillance vehicle.
The development came just before Blinken had been due to depart Washington for Beijing & marked a new blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations.
President Biden declined to comment when questioned at an economic event. 2 2024 reelection challengers, Donald Trump & Nikki Haley said the U.S. should immediately shoot down the balloon.
Discovery of the balloon was announced by Pentagon officials who said 1 of the places it was spotted was over the state of Montana, which is home to 3 of America’s 3 nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
A senior defense official said the U.S. prepared fighter jets, including F-22s, to shoot down the balloon if ordered. The Pentagon ultimately recommended against it, noting that even as the balloon was over a sparsely populated area of Montana, its size would create a debris field large enough that it could have put people at risk.
The official said the balloon was headed over the Montana missile fields, but the U.S. has assessed that it had only “limited” value in terms of providing intelligence China couldn’t obtain by other technologies, such as spy satellites.
The official called the presence of the balloon “unacceptable.”
“The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure,” a statement said.
Saturday January 28th was Base Day Fuego was outside and hit two meet and greets back to back as well as a radio interview with the home team radio station Hot 93.7 and capped the night off with a headlining show Fuego & Friends, lets not forget he also shot a music video after the show! Fuego has been working and if you missed Base Day here is a quick recap!
Say Dat 3 “Fast Money Slow Opps” available now on ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS!
Black Soprano Family affiliate and Burlington, New Jersey native, B.A.R.S. Murre, drops off official visuals for his new single titled "Uranus" featuring BSF artist ElCamino. Off of Murre’s fothcoming album “Jewelry Store Shootouts.”