It was a day of hope and anticipation that quickly turned to heartbreak. Let’s remember the Challenger crew. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Day: January 28, 2026
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In the months since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking engagement in Utah, his wife, Erika Kirk, has transformed into a one-woman media empire.
Erika has hosted rallies, visited the White House, and sat for countless interviews.
And this week, she launched her 30-city Make Heaven Crowded Tour.
Some folks think it’s all a bit much for a grieving widow with two young children at home — and Candace Owens is one of those folks.
Owens, a fellow conservative pundit who was friends with Charlie, has long been critical of Erika’s handling of Charlie’s death.
Now, Candace has released what she claims is audio of a giddy Erika thanking her staff for helping her host the September memorial rally for Charlie.
The recording was allegedly made just 11 days after Charlie’s death, and many have pointed out that Erika doesn’t sound how we imagine a grieving widow would sound.
“Wow, I don’t even know where to begin. The fact that we were able to pull off an event of the century is just insane. We had 275,000 people that attended and a stadium overflow,” Erika can be heard saying.
“I think we’re at like 200,000 for merch sales. Don’t quote me on that, cause I think it just keeps like bumping up like crazy. I just wanted to say a huge, huge thank you to the events team, the development team, the graphic design team, and the production team,” she continues, adding:
“Honestly, a lot of the staff that worked on the memorial — they had 20-hour days for a week during the time of us grieving the loss of my husband. And honestly, I know several staff who didn’t even sleep.”
Erika then shifted her tone and instructed her staff to set aside any disagreements between them.
“I don’t care if any of you have beef with each other from the past, or have any issues with, someone said something about this, or that, like if you guys have any of that, please put it to rest,” she said, adding:
“My husband’s dead. Like, I’m not trying to be morbid, but he’s dead. And it puts life into perspective of how short life is, and relationships.”
Many commenters agreed with Candace’s view that Erika seemed unnaturally upbeat in the recording:
“It is the general tone that is off-putting. It’s the laughter that is off-putting. It’s again, we are not even two weeks after watching your husband be assassinated. We’re talking about numbers and metrics that have been hit,” one user wrote.
“I’m so sick of this grieving in their own way. As a widow with small kids, who has been a part of groups of widows with small kids; her behavior is NOT normal,” another added.
Erika continues to enjoy a great deal of support from people who were fans of her husband’s.
But she’s also receiving more criticism than ever, mostly from people who believe she’s exploiting her husband’s memory for personal gain.
Erika Kirk Heard Boasting About Merchandise Sales Just Days After Charlie Kirk’s … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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Is Angelina Jolie broke?
No. But wealth doesn’t mean unlimited wealth, even for the most successful celebs.
A jarring report says that the sacrifices that Jolie has made for her children have cost her financial opportunities.
Now, she’s selling off property — some of which she’s owned for decades — and preparing for a major change.
Selling one property is just that, but two?
A new report alleges that Jolie is experiencing financial struggles — relatively speaking, at least.
For nearly three decades, she owned an apartment in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
In July of 2025, she quietly sold the property.
The sale has only just become public, RadarOnline reports.
Jolie’s sale price is not public knowledge, but the unit that she has owned since 1997 had an estimated value just shy of $2 million.
Additionally, Jolie is reportedly preparing for another major property sale.
This one is a little closer to home.
She owns a colossal mansion in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.
The $25 million property is a six-bedroom, 10-bathroom estate.
Jolie purchased the home in June of 2017, raising her children in safety amidst her ugly divorce battle with Brad Pitt.
Prioritizing her children has cost her in more ways than one
These days, almost all of the Jolie-Pitt children (one might as well just call them the Jolie children, at this point) are legal adults.
Vivienne and Knox are 17. That will change in mere months. This July, they will turn 18.
Angelina has reportedly been unable to move overseas due to the miserable custody situation with Pitt.
Once there are no longer any minors in the equation, she will be free of the legal tether preventing her from moving.
It’s unclear where she will move (speculation is varied and, in some cases, wild), but she’ll have plenty of options.
Rob Shuter wrote on Substack this month about Jolie’s alleged financial issues.
According to a source, the actress is “struggling to keep her lifestyle in Los Angeles.”
The insider acknowledged: “She turned down roles to focus on her family, which is admirable, but it hits the wallet.”
The source explained: “That’s part of why she’s looking abroad – where her money actually stretches.”
To be clear, the insider admitted: “She’s not broke, but she’s not exactly swimming in cash either.”
This is heartbreaking
The source claimed: “The legal battle with Brad over Miraval has drained her accounts faster than anyone imagined.”
Allegedly, Pitt’s complaint about Jolie selling her stake in Chateau Miraval, a winemaking estate, is that she sold this stake without his permission.
Many believe — correctly or otherwise — that Pitt is merely using this legal battle to punish and exercise control over Jolie beyond the bounds of their divorce and custody war.
Even if this is untrue, it is easy to see why it appears that way.
We cannot verify whether the battle has truly drained Jolie’s finances. But she has only remained in LA because she had no choice but to live near her ex, and we’re sure that a decade of legal fights has been expensive.
Angelina Jolie Sells Off More Property Amidst Alleged Financial Woes was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
By: Claire Stremple, Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s senior Senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, told reporters on Tuesday that Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem should “probably” step down. Murkowski is one of a handful of Senate Republicans calling for further investigation into the killing of U.S. citizens by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement personnel and ICE conduct in Minneapolis.
She is the second Republican in the U.S. Senate, after Thom Tillis of North Carolina, to call for Noem’s resignation.
“She has, through her words — and I think in her actions — she’s taken a direction that has not been helpful to the situation, and I don’t think that it helps the country,” Murkowski said.
“Accountability goes all the way to the top, and I think you have a secretary right now that needs to be accountable to the chaos and in some of the tragedy that we have seen,” she added.
Her comments come after a massive surge of federal agents has been operating in Minneapolis as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Their actions include an unknown number of arrests and two fatal shootings in three weeks, prompting widespread protests.
Murkowski voted to confirm Noem’s appointment last January. Noem faces mounting bipartisan criticism after House Democrats co-sponsored articles of impeachment against her.
Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich III did not immediately respond to questions about Noem’s leadership from the Alaska Beacon on Tuesday.
Murkowski has not supported calls from a faction of progressive Democrats in Congress to defund the agency. She voted in support of the Republican-drafted budget package earlier this year that sent almost $85 billion to the agency, giving it a larger budget than the U.S. Marine Corps.
“You’ve got all these cries to say, ‘We can’t give another penny to ICE.’ Well, the fact of the matter is ICE has the resources that they will need. What it comes down to is: What are they doing with the money? And that’s where it comes to the management, that’s when it comes to who is controlling it, that’s when it comes to who is ultimately in charge and accountable,” she said.
Congressional response to ICE action in Minneapolis
Alaska’s congressional delegation is split in its response to the ICE action and the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend.
In a Sunday statement, Murkowski called for a “comprehensive, independent investigation” of the killing, which she said is necessary to build back public trust. Her statement called on Congressional committees to fulfill their oversight duties in hearings.
“ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties,” she said in the statement.
“The tragedy and chaos the country is witnessing in Minneapolis is shocking,” Murkowski’s statement said, and added that the killing of another U.S. citizen “should raise serious questions within the administration about the adequacy of immigration-enforcement training and the instructions officers are given on carrying out their mission.”
Sullivan’s office is closely monitoring reports out of Minneapolis following the fatal shooting, according to a statement through spokesperson Devyn Shea. Sullivan stopped short of calling for an independent investigation of ICE actions.
“He believes we should gather all the facts and investigate the incident before drawing conclusions — to ensure accountability, restore public trust, and prevent future confrontations that result in loss of life,” his spokesperson wrote.
“Senator Sullivan strongly supports our law enforcement and their ability to do their jobs. He also believes that any loss of life is tragic and hopes that the temperature in Minnesota on both sides can be lowered and that the situation between protestors and law enforcement deescalates and the violence dissipates,” the statement said.
Silver Prout, a spokesperson for Begich’s office, said he will not speculate, but “allow facts to be established through appropriate investigative processes.”
“Congressman Begich supports law enforcement’s ability to carry out their duties safely and without interference from agitators,” Prout wrote on Tuesday. “This includes a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in the commission of those duties.”
Prout said Begich supports “appropriate” Congressional oversight of federal law enforcement and that safe communities are a top priority of Begich’s.
“If anything, recent events have underscored the need for additional funding to ensure law enforcement has the tools, personnel, and training needed to complete their job,” she wrote.
Congressional candidates speak out
Some congressional candidates have issued statements in response to the violence and unrest in Minneapolis. Former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat challenging Sullivan, called for an independent investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, as well as increased Congressional oversight for ICE and funding for local law enforcement in Alaska.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our communities,” she wrote on social media on Monday.
“What’s happening right now in the Lower 48 does nothing to make us safer here in Alaska. In Alaska, we respect the rule of law and lawfully carrying a firearm never justifies deadly force by federal agents,” the post said.
On Monday, the campaign of Democratic candidate Matt Schultz, who is challenging Rep. Begich for Alaska’s sole House seat, called on Congress to respond to the killings of U.S. citizens by ICE.
The statement urged that ICE be withdrawn from Minnesota and for its personnel to be better trained. It accused the Trump administration of deploying them “as a cudgel for settling petty partisan grudges.”
“I’m troubled by the silence and inaction of too many of our leaders here in Alaska,” the statement said, specifically attacking Begich and another candidate, independent Bill Hill. “It is time to speak up and show up for our fellow Americans, immigrants, and the Bill of Rights.”
Hill gave a statement on social media on Monday, saying that Americans should be able to exercise their 1st and 2nd Amendment rights without “being killed by their government.”
“Our congressman needs to stand up and fight for an independent investigation into the shooting of Alex Pretti. Until that happens, ICE should get the hell out of Minneapolis,” the statement said.
Corinne Smith and James Brooks contributed reporting to this story. This story has been updated.
The Voice contestant, Jay Allen has announced that after over a decade of living in Nashville, he is leaving the hustle and bustle of Music City behind.
In a new post, Allen penned a “goodbye” message addressed to the city that he has called home for 13 years. The singer revealed that he will be moving to Phoenix, AZ. This seems to be an obvious choice for him to continue building a future with his fiancée, Renee Lynn, whose Instagram bio shows she’s from Gilbert, AZ
He reflects on his time in Nashville, noting how the city shaped his musical journey, tested his resilience, and ultimately gave him the realization that true success comes from within, not from a particular place.
“Goodbye Nashville. After 13 years, today we officially packed up my condo and hit the road to Phoenix, AZ. I’ll be forever grateful to the town that gave me a career, broke my heart in more ways than one, and taught me that dreams are not accomplished in a place, but within one’s self,” Allen wrote.
The Iowa native also shared that on the same day he finished packing up the U-Haul and was ready to head out of town, he also celebrated being 21 months “free of alcohol and addiction.” He also promised that this goodbye was not permanent as he planned to return at some point to continue building his career in music.
“I’ll be back for work, but for now — so long, Music City,” the message concluded.
This news follows a major life update for Allen. On December 25, he shared with the world that he had proposed to Lynn while spending the holidays in Arizona. The images captured Allen down on one knee as he popped the question to his other half. Both donning their festive, all-black ensembles, they celebrated the exciting moment among family members.
His caption read, “SHE SAID YES!!!!! Merry Christmas to my beautiful @renee_lynn_r. With a sober mind, I can confidently say that I’m in love with you and want a family with you. God only knows what we’ve both been through to get here. Thank you for waiting for me. My gift is you 🖤”
The excitement doesn’t end there for Jay Allen, because just a few days ago, he delivered yet another update to fans regarding his music career.
“I signed a deal!!!!!,” he wrote. “I’ve known @randallfoster for over 10 years, and it finally made sense for us to partner. I’m proud to announce that I’ll be releasing all of my new solo and forthcoming rock music exclusively through @symphonicdistro. Believing in a positive future with good people.”
Between the new music on the way and a wedding to plan, it sounds like Jay Allen has plenty on his plate right now. Fans can catch him performing live throughout 2026 on his Living Gracefully Tour, with dates through April.
A full list of upcoming performances can be found on his official website.
The post ‘The Voice’ Contestant Says ‘Goodbye’ To Nashville After 13 Years appeared first on Country Now.
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Brett Young’s journey takes an inspiring turn as he opens up about sobriety and the turning point that led him to prioritize family over party life. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Brett Young’s journey takes an inspiring turn as he opens up about sobriety and the turning point that led him to prioritize family over party life. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
HARDY has built a wildly successful songwriting career, and even with his success as a solo artist continuing to soar, that part of his identity still sits at the core of everything he does. So when Blake Shelton recently praised his talent in the songwriting department, HARDY was quick to admit how much that means to him.
As one of Nashville’s most sought-after songwriters, HARDY has penned hits for Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, Cole Swindell, Morgan Wallen, and so many more. Even with such an impressive resume, hearing Blake Shelton call him “brilliant” hit differently. During an interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal, the Mississippi native watched a clip of Shelton gushing over his next single “Let Him In Anyway,” which HARDY penned alongside Zach Abend, Kyle Clark and Carson Wallace.
Shelton explained that track off 2025’s For Recreational Use Only album struck him in a way very few ever have, comparing its emotional weight to his 2002 hit “The Baby,” which he still describes as a “punch to the gut” for its powerful storytelling.
“I mean, ‘Let Him In Anyway’ is just, it is hard to find songs that haven’t been written already at this point. And that song, to me, comes in a way that I’ve never heard anyone say it like that before,” Shelton shared.
He continued to boast about HARDY’s undeniable talent to create unique stories, making it clear his respect runs deep.
“I mean, the guy is just brilliant, I think,” Shelton continued. “And he’s been really good to me, and I think we’ve been an important part of other’s journey. He certainly doesn’t need me anymore. And the fact that he sent this song over to me and let go of it means a lot to me. Really does.”
In turn, the “Bottomland” singer echoed that sentiment, reflecting on just how much Shelton has influenced him over the years and how much it means to now have him in his corner.
“Blake is a huge influence of mine when it comes to, well, really a lot of stuff. I mean, he has such a wide spectrum of personalities, kind of similar to me. It’s like you can have a song like ‘Hillbilly Bone’ and a year later have a song ‘Mine Would Be You.’ And that was always really inspiring to me that he could pull off so many different things,” he explained. “And so I’m a huge, massive Blake fan. And then getting to know him and know how kind and cool and normal he is. I love it, man. I want Blake Shelton singles till I die.”
HARDY was also quick to point out that Shelton saying he doesn’t need him anymore is simply “crazy.” And the truth is, no matter how much he excels in his artist career, songwriting will always be a passion that continues to drive him.
“I remember I sent Dierks [Bentley] a song not too long ago, and he called me an idiot. And I was like, ‘what?’ He was like, ‘dude, you’re one of the biggest artists in town. Why are you pitching me songs?’ And I’m like, ‘dude, I’m a songwriter.’ I will always have that grind in me.”
While HARDY has yet to confirm when his next new music will arrive, he did hint that a wave of songs he had a hand in writing could be on the way. The hitmaker teased that he may have “four or five” cuts dropping around the same time. He kept the names of the artists behind the unreleased tracks under wraps, though he did reveal that one belongs to a female artist and another will likely be his own.
“I can’t talk about anything else,” he said, cryptically.
The timing couldn’t be better, as HARDY is fresh off another major career milestone. His latest single, “Favorite Country Song,” has reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase Country charts, marking his fifth No. 1 as an artist and 16th as a songwriter.
Something special also seems to be in the works as HARDY, Tim McGraw, Morgan Wallen, and Eric Church each posted a similar cover-style image featuring different names and dates to their Instagram accounts on Monday (Jan. 26). Fans are now speculating that a collaboration of some kind could be on the horizon.
Adding to the excitement, HARDY is also gearing up to launch his COUNTRY! COUNTRY! TOUR for 2026. The trek kicks off next month and will run through August.
The post HARDY Reacts to Blake Shelton Calling Him A ‘Brilliant’ Songwriter appeared first on Country Now.
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If your Valentine’s Day date is a foodie, especially one who loves all things Trader Joe’s, then you need to check out this list for the best gifts.
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