Taylor Swift is breaking records. Again. Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which dropped on Friday, became the most-streamed album on its first day across Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. The pop star’s 11th studio album raked in a stunning 300 million streams in a single day on Friday on Spotify alone, becoming the most-streamed album in a single day in just 12 hours. Amazon and Apple also said Swift’s album broke records across their respective streaming platforms. “The album broke the record for biggest pop album of all time by first-day streams,” Apple Music said. Amazon Music reported “The…

Last updated: April 22, 2024 23:00 EDT | 2 min read Chile is tentatively moving toward the launch of a CBDC, with the public seemingly firmly behind the central bank’s plans.Per the media outlet Criptonoticias, the Central Bank of Chile (BCCh) is yet to commit to a CBDC launch.However, a digital peso rollout is looking increasingly likely, with the BCCh announcing it is set to commence Proof-of-Concept (PoC) testing.Chile Central Bank Making CBDC MovesThe central bank also conducted a survey. It said that it asked “the general public and representatives of the public and private sectors” for their CBDC-related opinions.The…

Individually wrapped cheese slices could be banned in New York under a new bill that’s aiming to significantly reduce the use of plastics. Senate Bill S4246, dubbed the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, would require companies that have a net annual income of more than $1 million to reduce consumer packaging, improve recycling efforts of their product packaging and help update recycling infrastructure. Once approved, producers would have to reduce their packaging by 10% of weight within three years, 20% by five years, 30% by eight years, 40% by 10 years and 50% by 12 years, according to New York…

 In the ever-evolving cryptocurrency market, investors are always on the lookout for promising coins to diversify their funds into. Amid this search, DeeStream emerges as a revolutionary coin that uses blockchain technology to enhance the streaming sector. While DeeStream continues to attract investors’ attention, the value of the DeeStream token surges.Meanwhile, TRON and Stellar investors are betting on 100X gains for DeeStream in the Twitch battle amid Solana’s decline. However, the promising future of DeeStream and the potential for significant returns are causing a lot of crypto enthusiasts to flock into the presale while the opportunity is still available. TRON’s Founder…

Heath Ledger in ‘A Knight’s Tale.’ Cover Images A Knight’s Tale almost got a sequel on Netflix, but without the late Heath Ledger — at least according to screenwriter Brian Helgeland. “When we finished A Knight’s Tale, we were already thinking about making the sequel as a pirate film,” Helgeland, 63, shared during an interview with Inverse, published on Monday, April 22. “Sony didn’t want to do it.” The 2001 film starred Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant in 14th-century Europe who dreams of being a Knight. When he poses as a knight to enter a competition, Willam continues to…

The Hermès Birkin bag tops the list in the world of luxury handbags. As a status symbol among A-listers, this fashion piece is seen in the hands of elites and celebrities.Acquiring a coveted Birkin bag may require a fisherman’s patience and a private investigator’s instinct, however.  UNVEILING THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE CARS FROM BUGATTI TO LAMBORGHINI The allure of the handbag partly lies in its exclusivity; it is not available for purchase online, and its availability is often held secret. With a price range spanning tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, it remains exclusive to those who can and are…

4/22: The Daily Report with John Dickerson 4/22: The Daily Report with John Dickerson 44:05 Karen, a “vibrant and beloved ostrich” at the Topeka Zoo, died after swallowing keys she nabbed from a staffer, the zoo announced on Facebook last week.According to the zoo, Karen “reached beyond her exhibit fence” and got the keys off the staffer before “immediately swallowing the keys.” The zoo tried both surgical and non-surgical fixes, but they were unsuccessful. Karen, a 5-year-old, was euthanized on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.”We are devastated by the loss of Karen,” said Topeka Zoo interim Director Fawn Moser in…

The Public Theater has announced complete casting for the encore tour of Mobile Unit’s bilingual musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Adapted by Rebecca Martinez and Julian Mesri in English and Spanish, the joyful musical of separation, reunion, and mistaken identity returns after a successful tour of the five boroughs in 2023.This year’s free touring production will visit outdoor sites in collaboration with The New York Public Library and Bryant Park and as part of the “Backyard at Hudson Yards presented by Wells Fargo” series at Hudson Yards. The Mobile Unit will also pop up at…

Five people, including two children, were found dead inside an Oklahoma City home Monday morning, police said.Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight referred to the deceased as a family. Knight said by email that police can’t yet reveal what investigators believe happened, but he said, “All died violently.” Police were dispatched to the residence about 16 miles west of downtown Oklahoma City at about 9:35 a.m. based on a report that there were bodies inside, Knight said. Officers discovered the five, including at least two believed to be children, when they arrived, he said. “The five people had injuries all…

Last updated: April 22, 2024 19:45 EDT | 2 min read The Hong Kong Securities & Futures Professionals Association (HKSFPA) advocated establishing a self-regulatory committee within the city’s crypto firms to enhance compliance monitoring on April 22.“Many economically developed regions in the world have established statutory semi-official industry self-regulatory institutions to focus on industry development,” Hong Kong regulators wrote.HKSFPA Calls for Industry-Led Licensing Authority in Hong Kong’s Financial MarketIn a recommendation letter, the HKSFPA highlighted the absence of an overarching organization to foster the development of Hong Kong’s financial market industry. It criticized the current regulatory landscape as overly focused on…

More than two years after announcing she’d been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition, Celine Dion is looking to the future with optimism. The five-time Grammy winner appears on the cover of Vogue France’s May issue and, in the accompanying interview, opens up about her experience with stiff person syndrome. “I haven’t beat the disease, as it’s still within me and always will be,” Dion told the publication. “I hope that we’ll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it.”After noting that she undergoes “athletic, physical…

Vogue’s guide to the best vintage stores in Beirut is part of our directory of the very best vintage around the world, curated by editors from all over. Whether you’re traveling and searching for some superb stores to visit on your trip or are curious about your local vintage treasure chests, Vogue’s directory has you covered.Beirut has long been on the fashion map—Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Sandra Mansour, Georges Chakra, need we say more? But it’s a city that’s also at the forefront of all things vintage fashion. Across the seaside town, you’ll find a variety of vintage, second-hand, and…

Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Investigation Discovery Several participants in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV claim they were not informed the docuseries would air on the Investigation Discovery network, a.k.a. ID. “I’m not too familiar with ID, but for the interview I sat down for, it was not an appropriate network for the show,” Raquel Lee Bolleau, a former star of Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show, told IndieWire in an interview published on Saturday, April 20. “I had no clue it was on [ID] until one or two weeks before it aired.” Quiet on Set aired on ID…

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)officials jumped into action to wrangle an alligator that made its way under an airplane at the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.FWC said it received a report on Monday of an alligator on the runway at the Air Force Base in Hillsborough County.Pictures and video posted to Facebook by MacDill Air Force Base officials show the nearly 10-foot-long alligator lounging near the wheels of an airplane parked on the tarmac.The alligator, at one point, was even seen wedged between the two sets of wheels of the plane.FLORIDA GOLFER PHOTOGRAPHS ALLIGATOR WITH GIANT TURTLE…

An unusual drama is going viral on Reddit as a young man sought advice after friends gave him grief for insisting they fasten their seat belts in the car before he started driving — and over 6,000 people have already reacted to the post.”Last night, I was getting off work at 11:30 p.m.,” wrote the young man, describing himself as 18 years old.”My two other friends were also leaving as well and asked me if they could get a ride,” he wrote on Reddit, describing the two friends as 18-year-old males. WOMAN REJECTS ‘WORST NAME EVER’ FOR HER CHILD, PLEADS WITH…