politics: Last News

Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race over the weekend (July 21), and it was confirmed that vice president Kamala Harris would be representing the Democratic party in the upcoming election.Almost immediately, a plethora of famous faces came forward to back her bid, including John Legend – who called for the American public to “elect Kamala Harris as our President” – George Takei, and Jamie Lee Curtis. However, it was support from Charli XCX that drew the most attention, as the singer made a nod to the success of her latest album (and pop culture phenomenon) by sharing a tweet reading “Kamala IS brat”.Not only did it play into ‘Brat’ being the album of the summer, it also came after a video of the Vice President was mashed up with the Charli song ‘360’ was created and soon went viral online.kamala harris edit to 360 by charli xcx.

Kamala Harris has made her first public appearance since President Joe Biden announced on Sunday (July 21) that he’s dropping out of the 2024 presidential election and endorsing Harris to run in his place as the Democratic nominee.On Monday (July 22), Harris appeared at her first campaign staff meeting in Wilmington, Delaware, where she walked out to a powerful anthem: Beyoncé‘s ‘Freedom’.On the 2016 track from ‘Lemonade’, Beyoncé sings: “Freedom / Where are you? / ‘Cause I need freedom, too / I break chains all by myself / Won’t let my freedom rot in hell/ I’ma keep running / ‘Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves.”Watch the clip below.Kamala Harris walking out to “Freedom” by Beyoncé. pic.twitter.com/Ensco4CvGW— Complex (@Complex) July 22, 2024During her speech, Kamala Harris directly addressed her opponent in Donald J.

Steely Dan have hit back at the Republican National Convention’s cover band for choosing to perform their track ‘Reelin’ In The Years’.The Nashville band Sixwire – comprised of Andy Childs (lead vocals, guitar), Steve Hornbeak (keyboards, vocals), John Howard (bass guitar), Steve Mandile (guitar, vocals) and Chuck Tilley (drums, percussion) – provided a massive setlist filled with covers of classic tracks at the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) that took place last week (July 15-18).The set list included classic covers of such as Cheap Trick‘s ‘I Want You to Want Me’, Foo Fighters‘ ‘Learn To Fly’, U2‘s ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ and Steely Dan’s ‘Reelin’ In The Years’.Now, Steely Dan have taken to their official Facebook page to respond to the band’s cover of their 1972 song, suggesting that they perform Donald Fagen’s anti-Trump song ‘Tin Foil Hat’ instead.“Hey Sixwire: If you want to play our music, how about playing the man in the Tin Foil Hat?” read the post shared on Steely Dan’s official Facebook page.Released in 2017 on Todd Rundgren‘s album ‘White Knight’, ‘Tin Foil Hat’ features Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen and condemns Trump’s presidency from 2017-2021. “Cause the man in the tin foil hat, Is tweeting like a teenage girl / He puts the Pluto in plutocrat, It’s gonna be a yuge yuge yuge new world,” they sing in the chorus, referencing the former president’s tweeting habits.The song also mentions other Trump moments such as “coming down the escalator,”, alternative facts, tiny hands and Fagen comparing his presidential term to a “coup d’état.”This is not the first time the ‘Dirty Work’ band has hit out at the Republican party.

he is dropping out of the 2024 race, despite a recent op-ed in which he suggested Mitt Romney should run.Last Saturday (July 20), Sorkin published an op-ed article in The New York Times titled “How I Would Script This Moment for Biden and the Democrats”. In it, Sorkin lamented the troubles Biden had been facing with his campaign.The 81-year-old president has faced increased scrutiny following a disastrous debate performance in June, with pleas from fellow Democratic Party colleagues, along with notable public figures like George Clooney, Stephen King and Stephen Colbert, to step down.“So here’s my pitch to the writers’ room: The Democratic Party should pick a Republican,” Sorkin proposed.

announced his decision today (July 21), explaining that it was “in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”Biden has also offered his “full support and endorsement” for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the next Democratic presidential candidate.Now, several figures across the entertainment industry have shared their thoughts on Biden dropping out. Barbra Streisand wrote that Biden would “go down in history as a man who accomplished significant achievements in his 4 year term,” adding: “We should be grateful for his upholding of our democracy.”Meanwhile, director Jon Favreau said it was a “courageous and selfless decision.” “The President did what he’s done for the last four years – he listened to the American people and put the country’s interests ahead of his own,” he continued.

Association of Independent Music (AIM) has responded to today’s King’s Speech, urging the government to protect independent venues and secure a diverse future for British music.Earlier today (July 17), King Charles delivered the Labour government’s first King’s Speech in the House of Lords. The speech set out the government’s priorities for the months ahead, as well as the bills they want to pass in the next parliamentary session, following the party’s general election victory.Alongside the 39 bills outlined were plans to strengthen local economies, reform the Apprenticeship Levy, and place stronger requirements on those developing Artificial Intelligence (AI).Gee Davy, Interim CEO of the AIM, has now responded to the speech, urging the new government to “strengthen the ‘agent of change principle’ in their housing and planning goals, to protect the UK’s independent venues and the music that makes a building feel like a home.”This comes amid a period of struggle for the live music sector, with Music Venue Trust’s 2023 report revealing that venues are currently closing at a rate of around two per week.

Matthew McConaughey has said he is considering running for political office, three years after he seriously considered a run to be Texas governor.The Magic Mike and Dallas Buyers Club star, 56, appeared on a panel at the National Governors Association in Salt Lake City this week, alongside both Democrats and Republicans.When asked if he was actively considering running for elected office, he replied (via Politico): “Yes, I have thought about running for office, getting into this category.”“I’m on a learning tour and have been for probably the last six years of understanding what this category means.”“Do I have the instincts and intellect that it would be a good fit for me and I would be a good fit for it,” he added. “You know, would I be useful?”He later expanded on the challenge of moving from the entertainment world to politics.

Donald Trump named J.D. Vance as his vice presidential pick for the 2024 election race, people have been piling in on the film version of Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.The 2020 drama film was based on Vance’s 2016 memoir of the same name.

Tenacious D‘s deportation from Australia following the duo’s recent remarks onstage about the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump.While performing in Sydney on Sunday (July 14), Jack Black sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to his bandmate Kyle Gass, before asking him to make a wish. Gass shared his wish with the audience, remarking: “Don’t miss Trump next time.”The remark was in reference to the failed assassination attempt on Trump at a rally over the weekend, during which a shooter fired at the former President, but only grazed Trump’s ear and claimed the life of one rally attendant.At the Tenacious D show, the comment elicited laughs from the audience, but drew criticism once posted on social media, with many condemning the duo for wishing violence on another human being.NEW: Comedian Jack Black's bandmate makes a "birthday wish" during a performance in Sydney, says he wishes they "don't miss Trump next time." Black was videoed giving Tenacious D band member Kyle Gass a birthday cake."Make a wish," Black said.

the assassination attempt on the former president’s life over the weekend.The monarch, 75, wrote a private letter to Trump, 78, that was delivered Sunday via the United Kingdom’s embassy in Washington, DC, Buckingham Palace confirmed to The Post.The palace did not provide details about the contents of the message.Sources told the Daily Beast that Charles’ letter was “in keeping” with the sentiments expressed by Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer.He reacted to the shooting at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday by posting: “I am appalled by the shocking scenes at President Trump’s rally and we send him and his family our best wishes.”“Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack,” Starmer, 61, added.Trump was shot in the ear while he was speaking onstage at the Butler Farm Show grounds.The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was perched on a roof about 130 yards from the stage.Crooks was shot and killed by Secret Service, sources told The Post.Another rally-goer, 50-year-old former firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed by Crooks. Two others, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were wounded.Trump told The Post in an exclusive interview that had he not slightly moved his head when Crooks fired at him with an AR-style gun, he would’ve been killed.

Lana Del Rey fans have been reacting to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on social media.Former President Donald Trump was seen being rushed off stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday (July 13) after a gunman opened fire from a nearby building, grazing his ear.

50 Cent, M.I.A., Kid Rock, and Freddie Gibbs, among others – have reacted to a shooting at a Donald Trump political rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday (July 13).A man – who has been identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania – is suspected of firing rifle shots at the former president, with one bullet appearing to strike his ear. The FBI have confirmed they are treating the incident as an assassination attempt.A spokesperson for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi, said that the president was “safe”, while one spectator at the rally was killed and two others were critically wounded.

Actor and author Matthew McConaughey teased a possible political run during the National Governor’s Association summer meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, Friday, where he weighed in broadly on the 2024 presidential race.Participating in a discussion on the role of culture in polarization, McConaughey joked with governors about indulging in the Hollywood heavyweight’s tequila brand the night before, while also taking a more serious tone regarding the “entertainment” factor in American politics. He argued that the “extremes seem to be going further left and further right” and “decency doesn’t seem to be on the table.”“I understand it’s hard to market and sell success in how people negotiate, because it’s not as fun, it’s not as sexy, it’s not as exciting as the car wreck. We’re a nation of rubberneckers,” McConaughey said.

Donald Trump has told George Clooney to “go back to television” after he called on Joe Biden to step down, adding “movies never really worked for him.”President Biden performed poorly in the first debate against Trump on June 27, appearing to lose his way several times, causing many of his supporters to call into question his ability to continue in the fight for the White House.Concerns were further heightened last night (July 11) at a press conference at the NATO Summit where Biden mistakenly referred to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” and to his Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump”.Clooney published an op-ed piece in the New York Times this week in which he encouraged Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee, saying he has the power to save democracy by doing so.Trump has now fired back on Truth Social. “So now fake movie actor George Clooney, who never came close to making a great movie, is getting into the act.

System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian has once again hit back at Imagine Dragons for their controversial gig in Azerbaijan.Last month, Tankian made headlines when he criticised Imagine Dragons for their decision to go ahead with their controversial gigs in Israel and Azerbaijan, stating that he has “zero respect for those guys”.The dispute came over a show that Dan Reynolds and co played in Azerbeijan’s capital city, Baku, which some argued could be perceived as being an endorsement of the country’s authoritarian President Ilham Aliyev.Tankian had sent the group a letter last summer urging them to pull out of the Baku Olympic Stadium show. In the letter, he stated that proceeding with the gig “would help whitewash the dictatorial regime’s image”.The likes of Brian Eno, Thurston Moore and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters also took the time to share an open letter last August asking Imagine Dragons to back out from the gigs.

the Labour Party swept hundreds of seats across the country and ended 14 years of Conservative rule at the 2024 General Election.Nandy will be responsible for overall strategy and policy across the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including allocating grant-in-aid funding for the British Film Institute (BFI), and is set to oversee a review of the licence fee.Lisa Nandy MP @lisanandy has been appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport @DCMS. pic.twitter.com/aQdf8CuNQF— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024In a post on X/Twitter, she wrote: “From rugby league to Royal Opera, our cultural and sporting heritage runs through our towns, villages and cities and is one of our country’s greatest assets.“It is an unbelievable privilege to take on the role of Secretary of State @DCMS.

UK general election yesterday (July 4), Blur drummer Dave Rowntree was unsuccessful in his bid to become MP for his Mid Sussex constituency.Rowntree was beaten to a seat by Alison Bennett, the candidate for the Liberal Democrats.When he announced he’d been selected as Labour candidate last March, he said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to become Labour’s first Mid Sussex MP. Residents have their best chance in a generation to make their vote count and return a Labour MP to parliament.”If you want to get rid of the @Conservatives in Mid Sussex, vote @UKLabour #Win24 pic.twitter.com/ZGcXM1bhRd— Dave Rowntree (@DaveRowntree) June 29, 2024Sir Keir Starmer has now fulfilled that aim, with Labour sweeping hundreds of seats across the country and ending 14 years of Conservative rule.The FAC, for whom Rowntree is an Artist in Residence, have extended their commiserations to the X drummer, but have said they look forward to working with “a new influx of MPs” following the Labour win.At the end of year FAC AGM in 2023, which NME supported, Rowntree highlighted the financial difficulties musicians were facing because of streaming.“Our Blur album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ on week one in the UK sold just over 44,000 units – including 22,000 vinyl albums, 13,000 CDs, 3,000 cassettes and 2,000 sales-equivalent streams,” he said.“In fact, the album had tens of millions of streams on Spotify alone but the cassette sales had a bigger impact on our chart position.

MGMT have responded after the Conservative Party used one of their songs in a General Election advert.The American indie duo hit back at the Tories after the UK’s Prime Minister posted a campaign video, sponsored and promoted by the party, to his X/Twitter and Facebook accounts featuring a slowed-down, unauthorised version of their track ‘Little Dark Age’.The band exclusively told NME: “How many times do we have to remind you jokers that this song is NOT fair game for your utter garbage? Let’s all laugh at this dingus. Clock’s ticking, mate.

the party swept hundreds of seats across the country and ended 14 years of Conservative rule.Sir Keir Starmer is set to be appointed Prime Minister later today (July 5) and promised “national renewal” in a victory speech. Now, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) has said it looks forward to working with “a new influx of MPs” following today’s landslide win.The FAC is the trade union body representing the needs of musicians and artists in the UK, and its CEO, David Martin, has said it’s crucial to “pick up on unfinished business from the previous Parliament, and quickly deliver the much-anticipated reforms to music streaming alongside greater support for the live music ecosystem”.In a bid to support live music earlier this year, MPs recommended a ticket levy on arenas and stadiums to save grassroots venues and artists.

Billy Bragg has promoted a way to shake up British politics and make the Liberal Democrats the official opposition to the government.Singer-songwriter Bragg posted a thread earlier today (July 3) in which he advised voting tactically in order to make the Lib Dems the UK’s second-largest party. The overwhelming prediction is that the Labour Party will win a large majority in the election – and could win by a landslide – with most pollsters predicting that the incumbent Conservative Party will finish a rather distant second.However, it could turn out that another party, most likely the Lib Dems, ends up with the highest amount of seats after Labour.

Cardi B has stressed that she’ll “never turn Republican” despite criticising President Joe Biden and saying she might not vote for him in the upcoming election, or anyone at all.The rapper had pledged her support to Biden in the past, having interviewed him and endorsed him in the 2020 election. She also said that she had told him personally that if he wants people to vote for him “we don’t want no false promises.”Explaining her decision to endorse him further, after initially supporting Bernie Sanders, she said: “It’s either, like, we go with Joe Biden or Donald Trump. I’d rather go with Joe Biden.