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Taylor Swift Is Spotify’s Most-Streamed Artist Of 2023

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s her, hi — Taylor Swift is Spotify’s 2023 most-played artist. According to Spotify Wrapped, Swift was 2023’s most-streamed artist globally, raking in more than 26.1 billion streams since January 1. That means the pop powerhouse has dethroned Puerto Rican reggaeton star Bad Bunny, who held the coveted title for three years in a row beginning in 2020. He’s in the number two slot in 2023, followed by The Weeknd in third, Drake in fourth, and regional Mexican musician Peso Pluma in fifth. It’s not such bad news for Bad Bunny, however: his 2022 album ...

Sean Combs Steps Down As Revolt Chairman

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs has temporarily stepped down as chairman of his cable television network Revolt amid multiple sexual abuse allegations against the music mogul. Revolt announced Combs’ decision on social media Tuesday. It’s not clear when he will return to his media company — which said Combs previously had “no operational or day-to-day role” at the network. “This decision helps to ensure that Revolt remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this ...

WWE Smashes Social Media Record With Return Of Punk

WWE crushed its social media record over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with the return of wrestler CM Punk at Survivor Series garnering more than 71 million views across all of the sports entertainment company’s platforms. Survivor Series, a premium live event that’s been held for 37 years, took place at the Allstate Arena in Chicago on Saturday. While WWE’s fervent fans had been talking about the possibility of CM Punk returning to the organization for weeks, his appearance at the WWE event after nearly a decade away from the company surprised nearly everyone, and many took ...

Ohio Supreme Court Dismisses Redistricting Lawsuits

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The more than two-year legal battle over the maps of Ohio Statehouse districts that were crafted in response to the 2020 Census may be over. In a 4-3 ruling late Monday, the Ohio Supreme Court cited unanimous, bipartisan passage in September of a new round of legislative maps in dismissing three long-running lawsuits brought by Democratic and voting-rights groups. After winning five straight rounds of wrangling that found the redrawn districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans, they had sought to raise new objections this time to other ...

Hunter Biden Tells Congress He’d Testify Publicly, Setting Up High-Stakes Face-Off

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden offered Tuesday to testify publicly before Congress, striking a defiant note in response to a subpoena from Republicans and setting up a potential high-stakes face-off even as a separate special counsel probe unfolds and his father, President Joe Biden, campaigns for reelection. The Democratic president’s son slammed the subpoena’s request for closed-door testimony, saying it can be manipulated. But Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, stood firm, saying Republicans expect “full cooperation” with their ...

R&B’s Kiana Ledé Taking Back Control Of Music, Life

NEW YORK (AP) — Kiana Lede is one of R&B’s brightest rising stars but that doesn’t mean she always embraces the compliment. “I kind of have mixed feelings about it because it gets me in my head about me needing to do more or me being more invested in my craft, or I just don’t have the right (industry) politics surrounding me,” said Lede, who’s launching the international leg of her “Grudges” tour Tuesday starting in Auckland, New Zealand. “(But) it also makes me feel great because they’re clearly appreciating me and understanding that I do this for healing ...