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Palm Springs Bombing: FBI Reveals Identity Of Suspect In Fertility Clinic Attack That’s Now Dead

Following an act of terrorism that damaged a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California, on Saturday, police have announced that the person of interest in the attack is dead. According to KTLA 5, the FBI confirmed the news during a press conference on Sunday and identified the suspect as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, a resident of Twentynine Palms, California.

“We are fairly confident that Mr. Bartkus is our primary subject, our primary suspect, a person of interest,” Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI in Los Angeles, told reporters, per KESQ.

How did the suspect carry out the attack at a Palm Springs reproductive health facility?

Investigators believe Bartkus detonated a bomb inside a vehicle outside the fertility clinic on Saturday morning, killing one person and injuring four others. Authorities also said Bartkus may have been trying to livestream the attack. Additionally, the FBI confirmed that Bartkus’ remains were found in the car that exploded.

While the suspect appeared to be targeting the fertility clinic known as American Reproductive Centers, the street where the attack occurred is also home to several medical facilities, NBC News reported. The FBI released a photo of Bartkus and confirmed that he was driving a 2010 Ford Fusion sedan with California license plate 8HWS848. Investigators are still working to track his movements in the hours leading up to the explosion.

“We know where Bartkus was at about 6 a.m. [Saturday] and we know the timeline of when he entered the city; however, we need the public’s help in identifying where he traversed within the city before the explosion,” Davis said.

What kind of information did investigators find about the suspect in the Palm Springs explosion?

Davis said authorities found evidence indicating that Bartkus had “nihilistic ideations.”

“We are tracking a possible manifesto out there… we believe he was attempting to livestream [the incident],” Davis said, per KTLA 5.

Authorities also said they have found a 30-minute audio recording that supports the suspect’s anti-natalist views. Additionally, officials said Bartkus may be linked to a YouTube account that features videos on homemade explosives.

May 19, 2025

genre kpop  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
Fans Choose JIN’s ‘Echo’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

JIN‘s new Echo EP tops this week’s new music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (May 16) on Billboard, choosing the BTS member’s latest solo endeavor as their favorite new music release of the past week.

JIN’s seven-track collection saw a landslide victory, with a staggering 93% of votes placed in support of the EP. Voters chose Echo over new releases from artists across genres, including Morgan Wallen, Rihanna, Laufey, Avicii (a posthumous compilation album), Lola Young, Sebastián Yatra and Rico Nasty.

Echo — the follow-up to JIN’s debut solo EP, 2024’s Happy — was released on Friday (May 16). “Don’t Say You Love Me,” “Nothing Without Your Love,” “Loser” featuring YENA, “Rope It,” “With the Clouds,” “Background” and “To Me, Today” make up the tracklist for the K-pop star’s new project. “Don’t Say You Love Me” also got an official music video, directed by Yongseok Choi and shot across various locations in Singapore.

Trending on Billboard

He’ll be celebrating the new release in the upcoming week in New York City with a televised performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!, on an episode set to air on Wednesday (May 21) on NBC.

Since its announcement, Echo has been described by JIN’s team as a “perspective on universal life experiences, capturing everyday emotions with warmth and sincerity. Built on dynamic band sounds, the album showcases his versatile vocals across a spectrum of moods and styles. It reflects a deeper layer of vocal maturity and personal storytelling that underscores Jin’s evolving artistry.”

Among the new music trailing behind Echo on this week’s poll are Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem, Rihanna’s “Friend of Mine,” Laufey’s “Tough Luck” and more, all with a very minor percentage of the vote.

See the final results of this week’s poll below.

May 19, 2025

Billboard Family  ·  genre pop  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
Jesy Nelson Gives Birth to Twins at 31 Weeks: ‘Healthy and Fighting Strong’

Jesy Nelson and Zion Foster’s babies have arrived. The new parents welcomed healthy, identical twin girls who were born early, at 31 weeks, on Thursday (May 15).
Their premature birth occurred after Nelson faced complications with her pregnancy due to carrying monochorionic/diamniotic twins, babies who share a placenta while having separate amniotic sacs.

“Our beautiful baby girls decided to come at 31weeks plus 5 days,” Nelson announced in an Instagram post on Sunday (May 18). “It all happened so quickly, but we are so blessed that they are here with us, healthy and fighting strong! We’ve never felt more in love.”

“Everybody meet Ocean Jade Nelson-Foster and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster,” the singer wrote in her introduction to the newborn twins. She uploaded sweet snapshots of herself and her partner, Foster, lovingly holding their babies; the proud dad shared Nelson’s post in an Instagram Story and commented, “My princesses are here.”

Trending on Billboard

The former Little Mix member revealed she was pregnant in January in an Instagram post that indicated the couple was expecting twins. “She’s eating for 3 now,” she hinted at the time.

In early March, she shared that they’d learned that Ocean and Story were monochorionic/diamniotic twins, which raised medical concerns.

 “Normally, most twins will have two placentas that they feed off of, but when you have mono/di twins, that means your twins live off one placenta, which can lead to lots of complications,” Nelson explained in an emotional Instagram video posted in March. “One baby might take all the nutrients, the other might, which — really awful to say — could lead to both babies dying. At the moment, I am currently pre-stage TTTS, which is twin-to-twin transfusion. I’m being monitored very closely, I have to go be scanned twice a week.” (Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS, is a rare pregnancy condition that affects identical twins or multiples when their shared network of blood vessels in the placenta is imbalanced, according to John Hopkins Medicine. One twin might give away more blood than it receives, risking malnourishment and organ failure, while the other twin might receive too much blood and become susceptible to the heart being overworked, or other cardiac complications.)

Days later, Nelson shared an update that doctors determined she needed to undergo a medical procedure that would “give our babies the best chance of surviving.”

Prior to giving birth on May 15, her last video update on Instagram came at the end of March, when she announced from the hospital that the operation had been successful, and the TTTS had “cleared up.” She said she was to stay in hospital, however, as doctors told her her cervix was very short and that her water could break at any time — “and I’m still very, very early.”

She also shared images from a black-and-white maternity photo shoot in early May.

Nelson and Foster were first linked together in January 2022. In August 2024, they released a song together titled “Mine.” 

May 18, 2025

genre rock  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News  ·  nsfs
Bruce Springsteen Calls Out ‘Unfit President’ Trump Again, Says Elected Reps ‘Utterly Failed to Protect the American People’

Bruce Springsteen resumed denouncing Donald Trump from the stage of his Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour Saturday night (May 17) in Manchester, England.
The Los Angeles Times reports the Boss didn’t back down from his stance on Trump this weekend, after the U.S. president called Springsteen “highly overrated,” “dumb as a rock” and a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!)” in a post on Truth Social. The rant was Trump’s reaction to the musician calling out the president’s “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration” at his tour opener earlier in the week.

“Things are happening right now that are altering the very nature of our country’s democracy, and they’re too important to ignore,” Springsteen said to the crowd in a three-minute speech on Manchester’s Co-op Live stage on Saturday, as heard in a video posted by the L.A. Times.

“In my home, they’re persecuting people for their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. That’s happening now,” Springsteen said, echoing what he’d spoken about at his May 14 show. “In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. That’s happening now. In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers.”

Springsteen continued, “They are removing residents off American streets without due process of law and deploying them to foreign detention centers as prisoners. That’s happening now. The majority of our elected representatives have utterly failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American.”

On a note of optimism that quoted novelist and civil rights activist James Baldwin, he added, “The America I’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real, and regardless of its many faults, it’s a great country with a great people, and we will survive this moment. Well, I have hope, because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said. He said, ‘In this world, there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.’”

On Friday, after Springsteen had shared similar thoughts from the stage on opening night of his tour, Trump responded on Truth Social, writing: “I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States. Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country. Sleepy Joe didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing, but Springsteen is ‘dumb as a rock,’ and couldn’t see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)? This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare.’ Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”

The “Born in the U.S.A.” singer, who’s performing across the U.K., France, Spain, Germany and Italy from now through early July, endorsed Trump’s opponent Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

May 18, 2025

News
Is Chris Brown Still In Jail? The Start Of His Upcoming Tour Is Now In Jeopardy

Chris Brown has been denied bail by a UK judge after being arrested on assault charges in Manchester, England. At the time of publishing, he remains in custody.

Brown, who was arrested at a Manchester hotel this week after traveling to England, is accused of committing assault at a London nightclub during his visit to the country in 2023.

What are prosecutors saying about the charges Chris Brown faces in England?

According to Reuters, prosecutors said it was an “unprovoked attack” that took place at the Tape nightclub in London. Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls said the 36-year-old singer committed the “unprovoked attack with a weapon in a nightclub full of people” and assaulted a music producer with a bottle.

What’s next for Chris Brown after getting arrested in Manchester?

Brown is scheduled to launch his “Breezy Bowl XX” tour on June 8 in the Netherlands. However, he has also been ordered to appear at London’s Southwark Crown Court on June 13, putting the tour in question. According to the BBC, District Judge Joanne Hirst said the case has been moved to Southwark Crown Court because the charges are too serious to be handled at a magistrates’ court.

Despite the serious charges, many of Brown’s fans gathered at Manchester Magistrates’ Court to show support for the singer. A 35-year-old fan named Candy said she has been listening to Brown’s music since she was 14 and will continue to support him.

“I’m just here to support him,” she told the BBC. “I love his music, his voice. Even my children are fans now.”

The two-time Grammy Award winner has produced hits such as “Loyal,” “Run It” and “Under the Influence.”

May 18, 2025

News
Amazon Refund Lawsuit: What To Know About Allegations About Breach Of Refund Policies

Dozens of customers are continuing to express complaints about Amazon as the company faces a class-action lawsuit for allegedly breaching its own refund policies, KHOU 11 reported.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, stated that Amazon failed to issue refunds even when customers returned their items within the 30-day return policy.

What’s included in the class-action lawsuit against Amazon?

According to the class-action lawsuit, the complaint applies to any person in the U.S. who was incorrectly charged by Amazon for “failing to return a product that was timely returned in its original condition during the six years prior to the filing of this action.” People who returned an Amazon item on time and in proper condition may qualify for the lawsuit. Additionally, the filing states that people may qualify if they were charged despite making the return, or if they were promised a refund (or received an instant one) but never actually got it.

If the lawsuit is successful, customers may receive refunds, settlement checks or account credits. However, the payouts may vary, and some plaintiffs might only receive a few dollars depending on damages and the number of claimants.

Who initiated the lawsuit against Amazon?

Plaintiff Holly Jones Clark of Kentucky filed the lawsuit after purchasing a book on Amazon that was later canceled by the seller. Clark said she received confirmation that she would get a refund, but it was never processed by Amazon. According to Clark, many other customers have also complained about being recharged after returning an item and being denied a refund even when tracking confirmed delivery.

May 18, 2025

Eurovision  ·  International  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
JJ of Austria Wins Eurovision 2025 With ‘Wasted Love’

Classically trained countertenor JJ of Austria is the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest winner with “Wasted Love,” a song that combines operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist. JJ beat 25 other competitors during Saturday’s (May 17) grand final in the Swiss city of Basel.
Israel’s Yuval Raphael came second at an exuberant celebration of music and unity that was shadowed by the Gaza war and ruffled by discord over Israel’s participation.

JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria’s first winner since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst in 2014. JJ, who sings with the Vienna State Opera, has called Wurst a mentor. It was Austria’s third victory overall in Eurovision.

Trending on Billboard

“This is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s crazy,” said the singer after being handed the microphone-shaped glass Eurovision trophy.

JJ won after a nail-biting final that saw Raphael scoop up a massive public vote from her many fans for her anthemic “New Day Will Rise.” But she also faced protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Estonia’s Tommy Cash came third with “Espresso Macchiato,” and Swedish entry KAJ, who had been favorite to win with jaunty sauna ode “Bara Bada Bastu,” came fourth.

The world’s largest live music event reached its glitter-drenched conclusion with a grand final in Basel, Switzerland, that offered pounding electropop, quirky rock and outrageous divas.

Acts from 26 countries — trimmed from 37 entrants through two elimination semifinals — performed to some 160 million viewers for the continent’s pop crown. No smoke machine, jet of flame or dizzying light display was spared by musicians who had three minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.

The show offered a celebration of Europe’s eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes. Lithuanian band Katarsis delivered grunge rock, while Ukraine’s Ziferblat channeled prog rock and the U.K.’s Remember Monday offered country pop.

Italy’s Lucio Corsi evoked 1970s glam rock, while Icelandic duo VAEB rapped about rowing and Latvia’s six-woman Tautumeitas offered gorgeous, intertwined harmonies.

There were divas aplenty, including Spain’s Melody, Poland‘s Justyna Steczkowska, participating in Eurovision for a second time after a 30-year gap, with “GAJA,” and Malta’s outrageous Miriana Conte, who performed “Serving” – a song whose previous suggestive title and lyrics were changed on the orders of contest organizers – on a set including a glitter ball and giant lips.

Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of Eurovision, said the competition has become more diverse over the years, both musically and linguistically. There are songs in 20 languages this year, including Ukrainian, Icelandic, Albanian, Latvian and Maltese.

“In the past it was about having a catchy, innocuous pop song, usually in English,” he said. But “in recent years the formulaic approach to a Eurovision entry hasn’t succeeded.

“An entry needs to be memorable and it needs to be authentic in order to succeed these days.”

This year’s contest was roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel’s participation. Dozens of former participants, including Switzerland’s Nemo, have called for Israel to be excluded, and several of the broadcasters that fund Eurovision sought a review of the country’s participation.

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests both took place in Basel, though on a much smaller scale than at last year’s event in Sweden, where tensions spilled over backstage and Dutch competitor Joost Klein was expelled over an alleged altercation with a crew member.

Hundreds of people marched through Basel just before the competition, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Boycott Israel.”

Earlier, a group of Israel supporters gathered in Basel’s cathedral square to root for Raphael and to show that “Jews belong in public spaces in Switzerland,” Zurich resident Rebecca Laes-Kushner said.

She said that “it would be such a strong statement against antisemitism,” if Raphael won.

“This is supposed to be about music, not about hate,” she said.

The European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, which runs Eurovision, tightened the contest’s code of conduct this year, calling on participants to respect Eurovision’s values of “universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity” and its political neutrality.

After a controversial ban in 2024 on flags, apart from national ones, being waved in the arena, this year audience members can bring Palestinian flags or any others, as long as they are legal under Swiss law. Performers, though, can only wave their own country’s flag.

Eurovision director Martin Green told reporters that the organizers’ goal was to ”re-establish a sense of unity, calm and togetherness this year in a difficult world.”

“All 37 delegations, in difficult times, have behaved impeccably,” he said.

May 18, 2025

Billboard Family  ·  Concerts  ·  genre country  ·  genre pop  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
Blue Ivy’s Earring Got Stuck in Beyoncé’s Hair on Stage, Unbeknownst to Mom

The show must go on, even when your earring accidentally gets completely tangled in Beyoncé‘s hair. The superstar’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, found herself in this exact situation on the Cowboy Carter Tour stage earlier this week. Blue and little […]

May 17, 2025

News
Black Basketball Player Could Face Death Penalty In Indonesia Over THC Cannabis Edibles

Jarred Shaw, a professional basketball player who plays overseas for the Tangerang Hawks, is being detained in Indonesia for having THC cannabis edibles.

According to Fox 4, the Dallas native, who’s 34, has played in the Indonesian Basketball League since 2022 and signed with the Hawks in 2024. The Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police arrested him after local officials ransacked his apartment in Tangerang Regency, Indonesia. After searching the residence on May 7, they found over 130 marijuana-laced candies with a combined total of 869 grams (30.6 ounces) of illicit cannabis.

Jarred Shaw faces a life sentence and even the death penalty

In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, the airport’s police chief, Ronald Sipayung, said that airport customs officials noticed a suspicious item from Thailand allegedly ordered by Shaw, which prompted them to report it to her team. While in police custody, Shaw reportedly shared that the candy wasn’t just for him but also for his teammates. 

Per Fox News, there have been other cases regarding cannabis that led to drug traffickers being found guilty. Their punishment? Death by firing squad, a method of capital punishment. Although Thailand decriminalized cannabis in November 2024, Indonesia maintains some of the world’s harshest drug laws. Under current regulations, Shaw faces the possibility of life imprisonment or even the death penalty if convicted. Government data from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections shows that approximately 530 individuals are currently on death row in Indonesia, most for drug-related offenses, including 96 foreign nationals.

Jarred Shaw’s basketball career comes to a sudden halt

The Tangerang Hawks manager spoke out, sharing that the basketball franchise has cut ties with Shaw due to his violation of their agreement. Additionally, league chair Budisatrio Djiwandono confirmed the decision was made to permanently bar the athlete from playing in the Indonesian Basketball League.

“We don’t tolerate players, administrators or anyone in the field involved in drugs,” Djiwandono told the Associated Press. “There is no room for drug users in the basketball world.”

May 17, 2025

News
Big Freedia’s Partner Devon Hurst Dies At 38 From Diabetes Complications

Big Freedia posted an emotional tribute on Instagram on Thursday after the death of her 20-year partner, Devon Hurst. Freedia wrote on social media that she is devastated to announce Hurst died from complications of diabetes at age 38.

“He will be deeply missed by everyone in this community who knew him and loved him,” Freedia wrote. “We take comfort in knowing he is free from any pain and suffering, and is at peace in the loving arms of Jesus Christ.”

Hurst is survived by his mother, Chareen; his three sisters and three brothers; daughter Zyrielle; son Davone; nieces and nephews; and partner Freddie Ross Jr., People reported.

Freedia asked for prayers and told fans that public services will be announced once completed.

As she went back to Instagram to wish a happy birthday to her sister, Crystal, Freedia continued to keep her longtime partner in her heart.

“Happy Birthday to my Baby Sister,” she wrote. “She knows how much her words can even explain she knows the pain her brother is in rn. I’m devastated heartbroken and very sad 😩 I’ll make it up to promise you 🙏🏾 that I love you we gone have many more to celebrate.”

What did Big Freedia previously say about her relationship with Devon Hurst?

In a 2023 interview with AnOther Mag, Freedia said it was love at first sight when she met her partner.

“I experienced it with my partner, and we’ve been together going on 18 years,” she said at the time. “It’s our love that’s kept us together.”

Freedia also said in the interview that she believes in destiny.

“It’s played out very well for me,” she said.

In a December interview with The Shade Room, Freedia said she met her partner through The Party Line, a local New Orleans phone line. Freedia said Hurst came to her show in Houston and “never returned home.”

“I fell in love with him from the first time I saw him,” she said in the interview, according to Them. “To have this boyfriend that I can now be public with, I can bring home to meet mama and the family, it was something different for me and it was something special.”

May 17, 2025

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