The deal will see Charm Industrial collect forestry waste and transform it into a bio-oil it buries underground.

The U.S. Department of Justice said five people — including four U.S. nationals — "facilitated" North Korean IT workers to get jobs at American companies, allowing the regime to earn money from their remote labor.

The grotesque tower known as the Obama Presidential Center rises high above Chicago's South Side and offends the sensibilities of everyone from architectural experts to environmentalists.

Socialism comes to Seattle as well, the BBC formally apologizes, Newsom insider busted, Disney backs away from DEI, and more.

If President Trump is earnest about his desire to bring in more H-1B workers, one thing we can all agree on is that he needs to be discriminating.

The Democrats Are Fighting

Coming in hot. It’s safe to say that 2025 has been a pretty huge year for Parker McCollum. Beyond the fact that he dropped his self-titled, fifth studio album back in June to commercial and critical success, the Texas native also scored huge career milestones, performing at President Donald Trump’s inaugural ball in January and co-hosting Better Together Texas and raising over $8.5 million for flood relief with Miranda Lambert in August. Originally, many thought McCollum was setting his eyes on 2026 in the form of a short but sweet, 14-show tour spanning from January to March, as announced along with fellow Texan and red dirt superstar, Randy Rogers. With that being said, however, the “Stoned” singer decided to plot out his entire year of 2026 early with the announcement of a full, 44-show tour stretching from January to September, featuring a revolving door of special guests throughout. View this post on Instagram Originally, McCollum was extending his self-titled tour into 2026 with 14 new shows spanning from January to March. Beginning on January 23rd in El Paso, Texas, at the Don Haskins Center, the 33-year-old singer/songwriter will hit a plethora of different cities, including Glendale, Arizona, San Antonio, Texas, Savannah, Georgia, and Lexington, Kentucky, before wrapping up with two nights in St. Augustine, Florida, on March 27th and 28th. With this new announcement, however, he will be hitting the likes of 44 different cities from January to September. These new cities include the likes of Los Angeles, California, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Seattle, Washington, Orange Beach, Alabama, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Stephenville, Texas and many more. McCollum will also be employing a revolving door of talented openers throughout the tour. Originally, Jake Worthington, Max McNown, William Beckmann, Laci Kaye Booth, Mike Ryan and Tyler Halverson (who McCollum recently teamed up with on a re-release of “Beer Garden Baby”) were all set to make appearances. Now, however, he’s also adding the likes of Gary Allan, Gabby Barrett, Josh Abbott Band, Kassi Ashton, Owen Reigling, Logan Ryan Band, Aubrie Sellers and Jackson Wendell as additional support on select dates. Additionally, McCollum will be headlining Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, on July 29th with none other than Gary Alan and Josh Abbot Band as the special guests. Presale for the new set of dates beginning in June goes live next Wednesday, November 19th, at 10 a.m. local time, with general sale starting on Friday, November 21st, at 10 a.m. local time. As always, members of McCollum’s fan club, Gold Chain Nation, will get first access to tickets to each show. As one of the key members of Texas representation that broke into the mainstream, there’s no denying that McCollum puts on a hell of a show. From early hits such as “Hell of a Year,” “Pretty Heart” and “I Can’t Breathe” to recent releases like the long-awaited “Solid Country Gold” and “My Blue,” his discography is not to be overlooked in a live setting. If he’s in a city near you, you won’t want to miss him. 2026 Tour Dates January 23 – El Paso, Texas – Don Haskins Center ° January 24 – Glendale, Arizona  – Desert Diamond Arena °= January 29 – Edinburg, Texas – Bert Ogden Arena > January 30 – Corpus Christi, Texas – Hillard Center Arena °> January 31 – San Antonio, Texas – Frost Bank Center °> February 5 – Oxford, Mississippi – SJB Pavilion at Ole Miss °# February 6 – Lexington, Kentucky – Rupp Arena °# February 12 – Winston-Salem, North Carolina – Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum °# February 13 – Auburn, Alabama – Neville Arena °# February 14 – Savannah, Georgia – Enmarket Arena # March 26 – Estero, Florida – Hertz Arena x+ March 27-28 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheater x+ June 4 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – BMO Pavilion x/ June 5 – Sterling Heights, Michigan – Michigan Lottery Amphitheater x/ June 6 – Grand Rapids, Michigan – Acrisure Amphitheater x/ June 18 – San Diego, California – Viejas Arena ~$ June 19 – Los Angeles, California- Greek Theatre ~$ June 20 – Sacramento, California – Golden 1 Center ~$ June 25 – Nampa, Idaho – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater ~$ June 26 – Bend, Oregon – Hayden Homes Amphitheater ~$ June 27 – Kent, Washington – Accesso Showare Center ~$ July 16 – Brandon, Mississippi – Brandon Amphitheater ~> July 17 – Orange Beach, Alabama – The Wharf Amphitheater ~> July 18 – Alpharetta, Georgia – Ameris Bank Amphitheater ~> July 24 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio – Blossom Music Center z/ July 25 – Fairborn, Ohio – Wright State University – Nutter Center z/ July 29 – Morrison, Colorado – Red Rocks Amphitheater +0 July 31 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater +0 August 1 – Omaha, Nebraska – Chi Health Center Omaha +0 August 6 – Bridgeport, Connecticut – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater z/ August 8 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania – The Pavilion at Star Lake z/ August 21 – Simpsonville, South Carolina – CCNB Amphitheater at Heritage Park x% August 22 – Huntsville, Alabama – The Orion Amphitheater x% September 3 – Bangor, Maine – Maine Savings Amphitheater x@ September 4 – Gilford, New Hampshire – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion x@ September 5 – Saratoga Springs, New York – Saratoga Performing Arts Center x@ September 17 – Jonesboro, Arkansas – First National Bank Arena x! September 18 – Rogers, Arkansas – Walmart Amp x! September 19 – Evansville, IN  – Ford Center x! September 24 – Stephenville, Texas – EECU Center x> September 25 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Paycom Center x> September 26 – Beaumont, Texas – Doggett Ford Park x> x Max McNown ° Jake Worthington = William Beckmann > Jackson Wendell # Tyler Halverson ? Mike Ryan + Laci Kaye Booth 0 Josh Abbott Band / Kassi Ashton % Annie Bosko @ Owen Reigling ! Logan Ryan Band $ Aubrie Sellers + Gary Allan z Gabby Barrett ~ Vincent Mason While you’re here, fire up one of the standouts from his latest album, “My Blue.” The post Parker McCollum Announces Extended 2026 Tour Dates Featuring Josh Abbott, Gary Allan, Jake Worthington & More first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The Yeehaw Sessions EP is perfection. Today, Kaitlin Butts released five new songs as part of the aforementioned EP, which includes covers of four songs in Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova,” Don Williams’s “Tulsa Time,” “The Chicks’ Sin Wagon,” Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” as well as her own original song, “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me).” Butts has become one of buzziest female stars in the genre, thanks in part to the virality of her 2024 single “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me),” and she recently inked a record deal Republic Records, and this is her first release with the new label. Fans already had a preview of the EP when Butts put out her beautiful rendition of “The Middle,” which is easily my favorite on this project, and really gives the song an entirely new meaning. I’ve always loved that song, but the way she slowed it down and filled it with so much raw emotion is absolutely stunning. Of course, you can’t g wrong with classics like “Sin Wagon” and “Tulsa Time,” but I have to say, I am obsessed with the cover of “Red Wine Supernova.” I know she’s controversial, but I love Chappell Roan’s music (“Pink Pony Club” is a certified hit, I will not debate it), and that’s the easy standout to me aside from “The Middle.” Butts says she wanted this to be a collection of “upbeat, rowdy and fun” songs that she’s been performing live for fans over the last several years which have all been very well-received: “A couple years ago I put out an EP called ‘Sad Yeehaw Sessions,’ a collection of sad covers that I have always loved and wish I had written myself. After releasing ‘Roadrunner!’ which featured much happier songs, I wanted folks to know that there were brighter days ahead. So we created the antithesis — something upbeat, rowdy, and fun: all cover songs that I’ve been performing live the last couple years.” Of course, like she mentioned, this Yeehaw Sessions project is a bit of a contrast to her 2022 Sad Yeehaw Sessions EP, channeling the electricity and energy of her live show. Butts is a star, she’s been working her behind off for many years just to get to this point, and her music is incredibly well-written and creative, which really sets her apart from so many in the industry. She’s so refined with her ideas and what she has to say, which makes every release so impactful and a truly meaningful addition to her larger catalog. I love all of the song selections here, it’s the perfect amount of variety that her fans, who appreciate both traditional country and the truly quality, more modern music alike, will love. She made a statement even through songs that aren’t her own and are already beloved, which is not easy to do and I can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve next. But until then, I will have these on repeat… “Red Wine Supernova” She crushed “Sin Wagon”: Her cover of “The Middle” is breathtaking: Kaitlin Butts Tour Dates November 14 – Fort Worth, Texas – Billy Bob’s Texas November 15 – Fredericksburg, Texas – Luckenbach TX November 22 – Nashville, Tennessee – Ryman Auditorium December 6 – San Diego, California – House of Blues San Diego December 7 – Santa Barbara, California- Arlington Theatre December 10 – Tucson, Arizona – Rialto Theatre December 11 – Los Angeles, California – The Fonda Theatre December 12 – Fresno, California – Tower Theatre December 13 – San Francisco, California – The FillmoreThe post Kaitlin Butts Reimagines Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova” On Incredibly Fun New ‘Yeehaw Sessions’ EP first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Well that would be a shame. The 2025 CMA Awards are coming up next week, on Wednesday, November 19. The annual show takes place at Bridgestone Arena here in Nashville, and this year Lainey Wilson will serve as the solo host for the first time after co-hosting last year with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. But as it stands right now, millions of people won’t be able to watch the 59th Annual CMA Awards. As everybody knows by now, YouTube TV and Disney are locked into a contract dispute that has resulted in the Disney family of networks, including ESPN and ABC, being removed from the streaming platform. That means no college football, no “Dancing With The Stars,” and if the dispute continues into next week, no CMA Awards for the estimated 10 million YouTube TV subscribers. It doesn’t appear that there’s an end to the standoff in sight, despite Disney reportedly losing $4 million per day and $30 million per week that the carriage dispute drags on. During a recent call with investors, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston warned that the dispute “could go for a little while,” though we don’t know how long a “little while” is. Meanwhile, YouTube TV, which is owned by Google, is accusing Disney of trying to jack up the price to carry their networks, which would force the streaming service to (yet again) raise the price of their service for consumers: “Our current agreement with Disney has approached its renewal date, and we will not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products. Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal.” There’s also the added layer of Disney owning several of its own streaming services, like Hulu, Fubo, Disney+ and ESPN, with many believing that Disney is doing this to try to draw consumers away from YouTube TV and to their own platforms. So basically we’ve got two billion dollar companies arguing over money, and at the end of the day, the consumers are the ones who lose. Sounds about right. All that to say, if the dispute carries on until next Wednesday, which it sounds like it will, country music fans who have YouTube TV will have to look elsewhere to watch the CMA Awards. That means either subscribing to another streaming service like Hulu, Fubo or Sling (which isn’t owned by Disney, for what it’s worth), or watching the show with a conventional antenna. ESPN has attempted to ease the backlash from college football fans by streaming College GameDay live on X every Saturday that the dispute carries on, so that would also be a possibility for the CMA Awards if they chose to. I’ve reached out to the CMA Awards for comment on the possibility that the show won’t be available to YouTube TV subscribers and whether there are any plans to make the show available for free on any other platforms, and we’ll let you know if we hear back from them. But as of right now, if you want to watch the show next week and you have YouTube TV, it’s time to start thinking about alternate options. 2025 CMA Awards Nominees Entertainer of the Year Morgan Wallen Luke Combs Lainey Wilson Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Album of the Year Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney Producer: Kristian Bush Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank Cold Beer & Country Music – Zach Top Producer: Carson Chamberlain Mix Engineer: Matt Rovey F-1 Trillon – Post Malone Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi Mix Engineers: Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson Producer: Jay Joyce Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce Male Vocalist of the Year Chris Stapleton Morgan Wallen Luke Combs Cody Johnson Zach Top Female Vocalist of the Year Lainey Wilson Ella Langley Megan Moroney Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Vocal Group of the Year Old Dominion The Red Clay Strays Little Big Town Lady A Rascal Flatts Vocal Duo of the Year Brooks & Dunn Dan + Shay Brothers Osborne The War and Treaty Maddie & Tae Single of the Year “4X4XU” – Lainey Wilson Producer: Jay Joyce Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” – Luke Combs Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney Producer: Kristian Bush Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank “I Never Lie” – Zach Top Producer: Carson Chamberlain Mix Engineer: Mat Rovey “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley ft. Riley Green Producer: Will Bundy Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley Song of the Year “4X4XU” – Lainey Wilson Songwriters: Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere, Lainey Wilson “Am I Okay? – Megan Moroney Songwriters: Jessie Jo Dillon, Luke Laird, Megan Moroney “I Never Lie” – Zach Top Songwriters: Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols, Zach Top “Texas” – Blake Shelton Songwriters: Johnny Clawson, Josh Dorr, Lalo Guzman, Kyle Sturrock “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley ft. Riley Green Songwriters: Riley Green, Ella Langley, Aaron Raitiere New Artist of the Year Zach Top Ella Langley Stephen Wilson Jr. Tucker Wetmore Shaboozey Musician of the Year Jenee Fleenor (Fiddle) Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar) Brett Mason (Guitar) Rob McNelley (Guitar) Derek Wells (Guitar) Music Video of the Year “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney Directors: Alexander Gavillet, Megan Moroney “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood Director: Dustin Haney “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson Director: TK McKamy “Think I’m In Love With You” – Chris Stapleton Director: Running Bear “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley & Riley Green Directors: Ella Langley, John Park, Wales Toney Musical Event of the Year “Don’t Mind If I Do” – Riley Green ft. Ella Langley Producers: Scott Borchetta, Jimmy Harnen, Dann Huff “Hard Fought Hallelujah” – Brandon Lake w/ Jelly Roll Producer: Micha Nichols “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson w/ Carrie Underwood Producer: Trent Willmon “Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome “You Had to Be There” – Megan Moroney ft. Kenny Chesney Producer: Kristian Bush The post Don’t Panic Yet, But You May Not Be Able To Watch The CMA Awards Next Week If You Have YouTube TV first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Another stellar track. Since breaking out last summer upon the release of his debut single, “After Me?,” Kashus Culpepper has been one of the hottest young stars in the alt. country scene. Mixing in a beautiful blend of country, blues and soul, the Navy veteran has already flexed his versatility, collaborating with the likes of Marcus King on the rockin’ “Southern Man,” Chase Rice on his track from ELDORA, “Tall Grass,” and 4x Grammy-winner, Sierra Ferrell on the tender, Willie Nelson-inspired “Broken Wing Bird” back in June. And, of course, he’s backed that up with a plethora of stellar solo releases over the past year, including the likes of “Who Hurt You,” “Jenni” and his cover of Tom Jones’ “Sexbomb” for the soundtrack of the Netflix film, The Wrong Paris. After getting nods to open for the likes of Whiskey Myers, 49 Winchester and Charles Wesley Godwin during the summer, as well as Darius Rucker throughout his recent Canadian tour, the Alabama native has caught the eye of both alternative and mainstream stars in the adolescence of his career thus far. Recently signing to Big Loud Records and joining the likes of the aforementioned Godwin, Morgan Wallen, Gavin Adcock, Dylan Gossett, ERNEST and more, it feels as if the “Jenni” singer is on the verge of breaking out in a big way. And it looks like that day may be coming incredibly soon. After releasing his most recent single, “Mean to Me,” back on October 24th, Culpepper turned heads by announcing that his highly-anticipated debut album, Act I, will be releasing on Friday, January 23rd, featuring 18 tracks such as the aforementioned collaborations with Ferrell and King, “Broken Wing Bird” and “Southern Man” as well as “After Me?” View this post on Instagram Discussing the album in his Instagram caption, Culpepper noted that Act I has a little bit of everything in it, focusing on the wide range of emotions captured throughout. He’d also hope that listeners find a piece of themselves in the record. “This record has so many emotions in it. Love. Heartbreak. Joy. Anger. Hope. Everything that makes us human. It’s been a journey creating these songs. At times it even feels like a movie, looking back on the moments that shaped it.  Lord knows I’m grateful for every moment. I hope you can find a piece of yourself in these songs, and in this album.” With just over two months until the album officially releases, the Alabama native is back once again with another preview of the project. This time, it comes in the form of another brand new single, “In Her Eyes.” View this post on Instagram Judging by the song’s title, you’d expect Culpepper to deliver a sweet, simple love song that, in all likelihood, probably features the cliché line, “I found God in her eyes,” or something of that nature. Thankfully, Culpepper, along with co-writers, Oscar Charles and the legendary Brent Cobb, completely subvert listeners’ expectations here on “In Her Eyes.” At its core, “In Her Eyes” is all about finding out that a lover isn’t the right person for you. After setting the scene beautifully in the verse, remarking that the woman’s hair “shined like sin” which ultimately reflected the same color as her soul, Culpepper grapples with the fact that he’s desperate to find redemption in the sultry chorus. “Ain’t it just like me to wanna believe paradise road runs one way Hell straight to the top where it’s cold it ain’t hot Don’t get lost you get saved Yeah 1, 2, 3 if I know me, I’ma free fall for all those lies Ain’t it just like me to wanna believe  I don’t see you, devil, in her eyes” Not to be outdone in the chorus, the back half of “In Her Eyes” evolves into a much heavier-sounding track, hitting its crescendo in the outro. Backed by a phenomenal guitar solo from Brian Elmquist, Culpepper wails that there’s “blood on the dance floor” as the song reaches its final peak. Ultimately, “In Her Eyes” is yet another homerun from Culpepper. If there’s one thing that’s certain about his discography, you’re not going to hear the same song twice. That’s accomplished once again here with a surprisingly rockin’ outing. Given both the quality and diversity of all the pre-released tracks, Act I is shaping out to be one of the most exciting album releases heading into 2026. I can confidently say that you will not want to miss this one when it releases on January 23rd. Act I Tracklist “Intro” “Southern Man” feat. Marcus King “Alabama Beauty Queen” “Woman” “Break Like Me” “Believe” “Stay” “Mean To Me” “Broken Wing Bird” w/ Sierra Fierra “Better Weather” “That’s The Feeling” “Man Of His Word” “In Her Eyes” “Is It True” “After Me?” “Out Of My Mind” “House On A Hill” “Cherry Rose” “In Her Eyes” The post Kashus Culpepper Previews Upcoming Debut Album, ‘Act I,’ With Stellar New Track, “In Her Eyes” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.