Interviewer: Jillian York Yazan Badran is an assistant professor in international media and communication studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and a researcher at the Echo research group. His research focuses on the intersection between media, journalism and politics particularly in the MENA region and within its exilic and diasporic communities. *This interview has been edited for length and clarity.  Jillian York: What does free speech or free expression mean to you? Yazan Badran: So I think there are a couple of layers to that question. There's a narrow conception of free speech that is related to, of course, your ability to think about the world. And that also depends on having the resources to be able to think about the world, to having resources of understanding about the world, having resources to translate that understanding into thoughts and analysis yourself, and then being able to express that in narratives about yourself with others in the world. And again, that also requires resources of expression, right? So there's that layer, which means that it's not simply the absence of constraints around your expression and around your thinking, but actually having frameworks that activate you expressing yourself in the world. So that's one element of free expression or free speech, or however you want to call it.  But I feel that remains too narrow if we don't account also for the counterpart, which is having frameworks that listen to you as you express yourself into the world, right? Having people, institutions, frameworks that are actively also listening, engaging, recognizing you as a legitimate voice in the world. And I think these two have to come together in any kind of broad conception of free speech, which entangles you then in a kind of ethical relationship that you have to listen to others as well, right? It becomes a mutual responsibility from you towards the other, towards the world, and for the world towards you, which also requires access to resources and access to platforms and people listening to you. So I think these two are what I, if I want to think of free speech and free expression, I would have to think about these two together. And most of the time there is a much narrower focus on the first, and somewhat neglecting the second, I think. JY: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, now I have to ask, what is an experience that shaped these views for you? YB: I think two broad experiences. One is the…let's say, the 2000s, the late 2000s, so early 2010 and 2011, where we were all part of this community that was very much focused on expression and on limiting the kind of constraints around expression and thinking of tools and how resources can be brought towards that. And there were limits to where that allowed us to go at a certain point. And I think the kind of experiences of the Arab uprisings and what happened afterwards and the kind of degeneration across the worlds in which we lived kind of became a generative ground to think of how that experience went wrong or how that experience fell short. And then building on that, I think when I started doing research on journalism and particularly on exiled journalists and thinking about their practice and their place in the world and the fact that in many ways there were very little constraints on what they could do and what they could voice and what they could express, et cetera. Not that there are no constraints, there are always constraints, but that the nature of constraints were different - they were of the order of listening; who is listening to this? Who is on the other side? Who are you engaged in a conversation with? And that was, from speaking to them, a real kind of anxiety that came through to me. JY: I think you're sort of alluding to theory of change… YB: Yes, to some extent, but also to…when we think about our contribution into the world, to what kind of the normative framework we imagine. As people who think about all of these structures that circulate information and opinion and expressions, et cetera, there is often a normative focus, where there should be, about opening up constraints around expression and bringing resources to bear for expression, and we don't think enough of how these structures need also to foster listening and to foster recognition of these expressions. And that is the same with, when we think about platforms on the internet and when we think about journalism, when we think about teaching… For example, in my field, when we think about academic research, I think you can bring that framework in different places where expression is needed and where expression is part of who we are. Does that make sense? JY:  Absolutely. It absolutely makes sense. I think about this all the time. I'm teaching now too, and so it's very, very valuable. Okay, so let's shift a little bit. You're from Syria. You've been in Brussels for a long time. You were in Japan in between. You have a broad worldview, a broad perspective. Let’s talk about press freedom. YB: Yeah, I've been thinking about this because, I mean, I work on journalism and I'm trying to do some work on Syria and what is happening in Syria now. And I feel there are times where people ask me about the context for journalistic work in Syria. And the narrow answer and the clear answer is that we've never had more freedom to do journalism in the country, right? And there are many reasons. Part of it is that this is a new regime that perhaps doesn't still have complete control over the ground. There are differentiated contexts where in some places it's very easy to go out and to access information and to speak to people. In other places, it's less easy, it's more dangerous, etc. So it's differentiated and it's not the same everywhere. But it's clear that journalists come out and in from Syria. They can do their job relatively unmolested, which is a massive kind of change, contrast to the last thirteen or fourteen years where Syria was an information black hole. You couldn't do anything. But that remains somewhat narrow in thinking about journalism in Syria. What is journalism about Syria in this context? What kind of journalism do we need to be thinking about? In a place that is in, you know, ruins, if not material destruction, then economic and societal disintegration, et cetera. So there are, I think, two elements. Sure, you can do journalism, but what kind of journalism is being done in Syria? I feel that we have to be asking a broader question about what is the role of information now more broadly in Syria?  And that is a more difficult question to answer, I feel. Or a more difficult question to answer positively. Because it highlights questions about who has access to the means of journalism now in Syria? What are they doing with it? Who has access to the sources, and can provide actual understanding about the political or economic developments that are happening in the country. Very few people who have genuine understanding of the processes are going into building a new regime, a new state. In general, we have very, very little access. There are few avenues to participate and gain access to what is happening there. So sure, you can go on the ground, you can take photos, you can speak to people, but in terms of participating in that broader nation-building exercise that is happening; this is happening at a completely different level to the places that we have access to. And with few exceptions, journalism as practiced now is not bringing us closer to these spaces.  In a narrow sense, it's a very exciting time to be looking at experiments in doing journalism in Syria, to also be seeing the interaction between international journalists and local journalists and also the kind of tensions and collaborations and discussion around structural inequalities between them; especially from a researcher’s perspective. But it remains very, very narrow. In terms of the massive story, which is a complete revolution in the identity of the country, in its geopolitical arrangement, in its positioning in the world, and that we have no access to whatsoever. This is happening well over our heads—we are almost bystanders.  JY:  That makes sense. I mean, it doesn't make sense, but it makes sense. What role does the internet and maybe even specifically platforms or internet companies play in Syria? Because with sanctions lifted, we now have access to things that were not previously available. I know that the app stores are back, although I'm getting varied reports from people on the ground about how much they can actually access, although people can download Signal now, which is good. How would you say things have changed online in the past year? YB:  In the beginning, platforms, particularly Facebook, and it's still really Facebook, were the main sphere of information in the country. And to a large extent, it remains the main sphere where some discussions happen within the country. These are old networks that were reactivated in some ways, but also public spheres that were so completely removed from each other that opened up on each other after December. So you had really almost independent spheres of activity and discussion. Between areas that were controlled by the regime, areas that were controlled by the opposition, which kind of expanded to areas of Syrian refugees and diaspora outside. And these just collapsed on each other after 8th of December with massive chaos, massive and costly chaos in some ways. The spread of disinformation, organic disinformation, in the first few months was mind-boggling. I think by now there's a bit of self-regulation, but also another movement of siloing, where you see different clusters hardening as well. So that kind of collapse over the first few months didn't last very long. You start having conversations in isolation of each other now. And I'm talking mainly about Facebook, because that is the main network, that is the main platform where public discussions are happening. Telegram was the public infrastructure of the state for a very long time, for the first six months. Basically, state communication happened through Telegram, through Telegram channels, also causing a lot of chaos. But now you have a bit more stability in terms of having a news agency. You have the television, the state television. So the importance of Telegram has waned off, but it's still a kind of parastructure of state communication, it remains important. I think more structurally, these platforms are basically the infrastructure of information circulation because of the fact that people don't have access to electricity, for example, or for much of the time they have very low access to bandwidth. So having Facebook on their phone is the main way to keep in touch with things. They can't turn on the television, they can't really access internet websites very easily. So Facebook becomes materially their access to the world. Which comes with all of the baggage that these platforms bring with them, right? The kind of siloing, the competition over attention, the sensationalism, these clustering dynamics of these networks and their algorithms. JY: Okay, so the infrastructural and resource challenges are real, but then you also have the opening up for the first time of the internet in many, many years, or ever, really. And as far as I understand from what friends who’ve been there have reported, is that nothing being blocked yet. So what impact do you see or foresee that having on society as people get more and more online? I know a lot of people were savvy, of course, and got around censorship, but not everyone, right? YB: No, absolutely, absolutely not everyone. Not everyone has the kind of digital literacy to understand what going online means, right? Which accounts for one thing, the avalanche of fake information and disinformation that is now Syria, basically. JY: It's only the second time this has happened. I mean, Tunisia is the only other example I can think of where the internet just opened right up. YB: Without having gateways and infrastructure that can kind of circulate and manage and curate this avalanche of information. While at the same time, you have a real disintegration in the kind of social institutions that could ground a community. So you have really a perfect storm of a thin layer of digital connectivity, for a lot of people who didn't have access to even that thin layer, but it's still a very thin layer, right? You're connecting from your old smartphone to Facebook. You're getting texts, et cetera, and perhaps you're texting with the family over WhatsApp. And a real collapse of different societal institutions that also grounded you with others, right? The education system, of different clubs and different neighborhoods, small institutions that brought different communities together of the army, for example, universities, all of these have been disrupted over the past year in profound ways and along really communitarian ways as well. I don't know the kind of conditions that this creates, the combination of these two. But it doesn't seem like it's a positive situation or a positive dynamic. JY:  Yeah, I mean, it makes me think of, for example, Albania or other countries that opened up after a long time and then all of a sudden just had this freedom. YB: But still combined, I mean, that is one thing, the opening up and the avalanche, and that is a challenge. But it is a challenge that perhaps within a settled society with some institutions in which you can turn to, through which you can regulate this, through which you can have countervailing forces and countervailing forums for… that’s one thing. But with the collapse of material institutions that you might have had, it's really creating a bewildering world for people, where you turn back and you have your family that maybe lives two streets away, and this is the circle in which you move, or you feel safe to move. Of course, for certain communities, right? That is not the condition everywhere. But that is part of what is happening. There's a real sense of bewilderment in the kind of world that you live in. Especially in areas that used to be controlled by the regime where everything that you've known in terms of state authority, from the smallest, the lowliest police officer in your neighborhood, to people, bureaucrats that you would talk to, have changed or your relationship to them has fundamentally changed. There's a real upheaval in your world at different levels. And, you know, and you're faced with a swirling world of information that you can't make sense out of. JY: I do want to put you on the spot with a question that popped into my head, which is, I often ask people about regulation and depending on where they're working in the world, especially like when I'm talking to folks in Africa and elsewhere. In this case, though, it's a nation-building challenge, right? And so—you're looking at all of these issues and all of these problems—if you were in a position to create press or internet regulation from the ground up in Syria, what do you feel like that should look like? Are there models that you would look to? Are there existing structures or is there something new or? YB:  I think maybe I don't have a model, but I think maybe a couple of entry points that you would kind of use to think of what model of regulation you want is to understand that there the first challenge is at the level of nation building. Of really recreating a national identity or reimagining a national identity, both in terms of a kind of shared imaginary of what these people are to each other and collectively represent, but also in terms of at the very hyper-local level of how these communities can go back to living together. And I think that would have to shape how you would approach, say, regulation. I mean, around the Internet, that's a more difficult challenge. But at least in terms of your national media, for example, what is the contribution of the state through its media arm? What kind of national media do you want to put into place? What kind of structures allow for really organic participation in this project or not, right? But also at the level of how do you regulate the market for information in a new state with that level of infrastructural destruction, right? Of the economic circuit in which these networks are in place. How do you want to reconnect Syria to the world? In what ways? For what purposes? And how do you connect all of these steps to open questions around identity and around that process of national rebuilding, and activating participation in that project, right? Rather than use them to foreclose these questions. There are also certain challenges that you have in Syria that are endogenous, that are related to the last 14 years, to the societal disintegration and geographic disintegration and economic disintegration, et cetera. But on top of that, of course, we live in an information environment that is, at the level of the global information environment, also structurally cracking down in terms of how we engage with information, how we deal with journalism, how we deal with questions of difference. These are problems that go well beyond Syria, right? These are difficult issues that we don't know how to tackle here in Brussels or in the US, right? And so there's also an interplay between these two. There's an interplay between the fact that even here, we are having to come to terms with some of the myths around liberalism, around journalism, the normative model of journalism, of how to do journalism, right? I mean, we have to come to terms with it. The last two years—of the Gaza genocide—didn't happen in a vacuum. It was earth shattering for a lot of these pretensions around the world that we live in. Which I think is a bigger challenge, but of course it interacts with the kind of challenges that you have in a place like Syria. JY: To what degree do you feel that the sort of rapid opening up and disinformation and provocations online and offline are contributing to violence? YB: I think they're at the very least exacerbating the impact of that violence. I can't make claims about how much they're contributing, though I think they are contributing. I think there are clear episodes in which the kind of the circulation of misinformation online, you could directly link it to certain episodes of violence, like what happened in Jaramana before the massacre of the Druze. So a couple of weeks before the Druze, there was this piece of disinformation that led to actual violence and that set the stage to the massive violence later on. During the massacres on the coast, you could also link the kind of panic and the disinformation around the attacks of former regime officers and the effects of that to the mobilization that has happened. The scale of the violence is linked to the circulation of panic and disinformation. So there is a clear contribution. But I think the greater influence is how it exacerbates what happens after that violence, how it exacerbates the depth, for example, of divorce between between the population of Sweida after the massacre, the Druze population of Sweida and the rest of Syria. That is tangible. And that is embedded in the kind of information environment that we have. There are different kinds of material causes for it as well. There is real structural conflict there. But the kind of ideological, discursive, and affective, divorce that has happened over the past six months, that is a product of the information environment that we have. JY: You are very much a third country, 4th country kid at this point. Like me, you connected to this global community through Global Voices at a relatively young age. In what ways do you feel that global experience has influenced your thinking and your work around these topics, around freedom of expression? How has it shaped you? YB: I think in a profound way. What it does is it makes you to some extent immune from certain nationalist logics in thinking about the world, right? You have stakes in so many different places. You've built friendships, you've built connections, you've left parts of you in different places. And that is also certainly related to certain privileges, but it also means that you care about different places, that you care about people in many different places. And that shapes the way that you think about the world - it produces commitments that are diffused, complex and at times even contradictory, and it forces you to confront these contradictions. You also have experience, real experience in how much richer the world is if you move outside of these narrow, more nationalist, more chauvinistic ways of thinking about the world. And also you have kind of direct lived experience of the complexity of global circulation in the world and the fact, at a high level, it doesn't produce a homogenized culture, it produces many different things and they're not all equal and they're not all good, but it also leaves spaces for you to contribute to it, to engage with it, to actively try to play within the little spaces that you have. JY: Okay, here’s my final question that I ask everyone. Do you have a free speech hero? Or someone who's inspired you? YB: I mean, there are people whose sacrifices humble you. Many of them we don't know by name. Some of them we do know by name. Some of them are friends of ours. I keep thinking of Alaa [Abd El Fattah], who was just released from prison—I was listening to his long interview with Mada Masr (in Arabic) yesterday, and it’s…I mean…is he a hero? I don’t know but he is certainly one of the people I love at a distance and who continues to inspire us. JY: I think he’d hate to be called a hero. YB: Of course he would. But in some ways, his story is a tragedy that is inextricable from the drama of the last fifteen years, right? It’s not about turning him into a symbol. He's also a person and a complex person and someone of flesh and blood, etc. But he's also someone who can articulate in a very clear, very simple way, the kind of sense of hope and defeat that we all feel at some level and who continues to insist on confronting both these senses critically and analytically. JY: I’m glad you said Alaa. He’s someone I learned a lot from early on, and there’s a lot of his words and thinking that have guided me in my practice.  YB: Yeah, and his story is tragic in the sense that it kind of highlights that in the absence of any credible road towards collective salvation, we're left with little moments of joy when there is a small individual salvation of someone like him. And that these are the only little moments of genuine joy that we get to exercise together. But in terms of a broader sense of collective salvation, I think in some ways our generation has been profoundly and decisively defeated. JY:  And yet the title of his book, “you have not yet been defeated.” YB: Yeah, it's true. It's true. JY: Thank you Yazan for speaking with me.

Group led by EFF and Imperial Valley Equity & Justice Asks Gov. Newsom and Caltrans Director to Act Immediately SAN FRANCISCO – California must revoke permits allowing federal agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to put automated license plate readers along border highways, a coalition led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Imperial Valley Equity & Justice (IVEJ) demanded today.  In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Director Dina El-Tawansy, the coalition notes that this invasive mass surveillance – automated license plate readers (ALPRs) often disguised as traffic barrels – puts both residents and migrants at risk of harassment, abuse, detention, and deportation.   “With USBP (U.S. Border Patrol) Chief Greg Bovino reported to be returning to El Centro sector, after leading a brutal campaign against immigrants and U.S. citizens alike in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis, it is urgent that your administration take action,” the letter says. “Caltrans must revoke any permits issued to USBP. CBP, and DEA for these surveillance devices and effectuate their removal.”  Coalition members signing the letter include the California Nurses Association; American Federation of Teachers Guild, Local 1931; ACLU California Action; Fight for the Future; Electronic Privacy Information Center; Just Futures Law; Jobs to Move America; Project on Government Oversight; American Friends Service Committee U.S./Mexico Border Program; Survivors of Torture, International; Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans; Border Angels; Southern California Immigration Project; Trust SD Coalition; Alliance San Diego; San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium; Showing Up for Racial Justice San Diego; San Diego Privacy; Oakland Privacy; Japanese American Citizens League and its Florin-Sacramento Valley, San Francisco, South Bay, Berkeley, Torrance, and Greater Pasadena chapters; Democratic Socialists of America- San Diego; Center for Human Rights and Privacy; The Becoming Project Inc.; Imperial Valley for Palestine; Imperial Liberation Collaborative; Comité de Acción del Valle Inc.; CBFD Indivisible; South Bay People Power; and queercasa.  California law prevents state and local agencies from sharing ALPR data with out-of-state agencies, including federal agencies involved in immigration enforcement. However, USBP, CBP, and DEA are bypassing these regulations by installing their own ALPRs.  EFF researchers have released a map of more than 40 of these covert ALPRs along highways in San Diego and Imperial counties that are believed to belong to federal agencies engaged in immigration enforcement.  In response to a June 2025 public records request, Caltrans has released several documents showing CBP and DEA have applied for permits for ALPRs, with more expected as Caltrans continues to locate records responsive to the request.  “California must not allow Border Patrol and other federal agencies to use surveillance on our roadways to unleash violence and intimidation on San Diego and Imperial Valley residents,” the letter says. “We ask that your administration investigate and release the relevant permits, revoke them, and initiate the removal of these devices. No further permits for ALPRs or tactical checkpoints should be approved for USBP, CBP, or DEA.”  "The State of California must not allow Border Patrol to exploit our public roads and bypass state law," said Sergio Ojeda, IVEJ’s Lead Community Organizer for Racial and Economic Justice Programs.  "It's time to stop federal agencies from installing hidden cameras that they use to track, target and harass our communities for travelling between Imperial Valley, San Diego and Yuma."  For the letter: https://www.eff.org/document/coalition-letter-re-covert-alprs For the map of the covert ALPRs: https://www.eff.org/covertALPRmap For high-res images of two of the covert ALPRs: https://www.eff.org/node/111725 For more about ALPRs: https://sls.eff.org/technologies/automated-license-plate-readers-alprs    Contact:  DaveMaassDirector of Investigationsdm@eff.org

I’m here for it. As time passes, it’s becoming clear that 2026 is looking to be a monster year for Cody Johnson. Coming off his first-ever CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year back in November, in addition to fully recovering from his burst eardrum back in October, the Texas native just returned to the stage and kicked off his lengthy 28-show tour, which recently added the likes of Kip Moore, Clint Black, Randy Houser, Jon Pardi, Carter Faith and more as openers, in Birmingham. With shows scheduled from February to September in the likes of Houston, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Little Rock and more. it’s safe to say that Johnson is going to be quite busy on the road. As he does more interviews, however, it seems as if 2026 is shaping up to be a busy year release-wise as well for the “Dirt Cheap” singer. Though he released the highly-anticipated cover of “Travelin’ Soldier” back in November and hopped on some tracks with the likes of Brandon Lake, CeCe Winans and Michael Martin Murphey throughout 2025, Johnson hasn’t dropped any truly original songs since the deluxe edition of Leather, which was released in November 2024. It looks like that’s about to change this year. Last week, during a conversation with Katie Neal on her podcast, Katie & Company, Johnson would confirm that new music will be coming soon. Even more excitingly, he finally confirmed that both Luke Combs and Brothers Osborne have OFFICIALLY cut their tracks together as well. “Me and Luke Combs cut one together. We finally got that done… Brothers Osborne, that was kind of a last-minute deal. I heard the song, and I was like, ‘This sounds like John and TJ.’ They happened to be reaching out at the same time. [They were like], ‘Hey, when we do our next project, would you do this song with us?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, absolutely. Would you do this with me on my project?’ So it was kind of a trade-off.” The “Human” singer would also tease the fact that even more collaborations are set to appear on the album. With that being said, however, he wouldn’t name any names, noting he’s still in the process of getting some set up. “There’s a couple of collabs that haven’t happened yet. It’s still just a lot of cellphone conversation… There’s gonna be some cool surprises on here.” Before he kicked off his tour over the weekend in Birmingham, Johnson sat down with 102.5 The Bull’s Spencer Graves for an interview. During the conversation, the 38-year-old singer/songwriter would discuss his influences throughout his career, before noting how strong the ties between country, blues and gospel are. “Gospel music, especially, southern gospel music has a lot of facets to it besides just being around church. There’s a lot of influence from blues and country music. I think that blues and country music and gospel are cousins in this thing.” Johnson would then dive into the fact that he and his band have leaned more into their rock influences over the years. More excitingly, however, he’d reveal that he recorded a rock project with one of his idols down in Nashville last week. “Then over the years, we’ve had more rock influence, and I do have a pretty hardcore rock background of what I love too. At this point in my career, it’s really fun to get to do a Gospel song with CeCe Winans. Or like I did this week in Nashville, go record a rock project with one of my rock idols, you know, the guys that I always looked up to.” Unfortunately, Johnson would not elaborate past that. With that being said, however, it’s safe to assume that the project was more than likely recorded with a band, not a single artist, given the fact he said “guys that I always looked up to.” It can also be inferred that this is a full-length record of some sort, given the use of the word “project,” and not a one-off appearance on a tribute record, much in the vein as Eric Church, Koe Wetzel, Brooks & Dunn and more recording songs for The Rolling Stones’ Stoned Cold Country album. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see. With that being said, however, it’s looking like we will be receiving a TON of new music from CoJo throughout the year in 2026. @mrspencergraves Cody Johnson Is Recording a Rock Album #cojonation #codyjohnson #countrymusic #spencergravesshow ♬ original sound – Spencer Graves Cody Johnson Tour Dates February 13 – Champaign, Illinois – State Farm Center with Randy Houser & Carter Faith  February 14 – Louisville, Kentucky – KFC Yum! Center with Scotty McCreery & Carter Faith  February 27 – Winston-Salem, North Carolina – LJVM Coliseum with Carter Faith February 28 – Columbia, South Carolina – Colonial Life Arena with Clint Back & Carter Faith March 6 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – PPG Paints Arena with Kip Moore & Walker Montgomery March 7 – Baltimore, Maryland – CGF Bank Arena with Kip Moore & Walker Montgomery March 22 – Houston, Texas – Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with Jon Pardi & Randy Houser March 28 – Little Rock, Arkansas – Simmons Bank Arena with Kip Moore & Carter Faith April 10 – Bossier City, Louisiana – Brookshire Grocery Arena with Kip Moore April 24 – Indio, California – Stagecoach May 2 – Clemson, South Carolina – Death Valley (Clemson Stadium) May 9 – Des Moines, Iowa – Casey’s Corner May 30 – Rosemont, Illinois – Allstate Center July 11 – Cavendish, Prince Edward Island – Cavendish Beach Music Festival July 17 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena with Drew Baldridge July 18 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena with Ian Munsick & Walker Montgomery July 25 – Jacksonville, Florida – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena August 8 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Paycom Center August 22 – Knoxville, Tennessee – Food City Center August 29 – Saint Paul, Minnesota – Grand Casinoa Arena September 12 – Tacoma, Washington – Tacoma DomeThe post Cody Johnson Reveals He Recorded A Rock Project With “One Of His Rock Idols” Last Week first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

I don’t think this is going to phase the ladies one but, but the more you know… of course, Riley Green is country music’s resident heartthrob, and discussion about his looks, and his dating life, are both hot (no pun intended) topics among his fans. From Ella Langley to Megan Moroney, and more recently his CMA Awards date which he called just “a friend,” his fans are always trying to get to the bottom of who he may, or may not be, dating. They’re incredibly invested, and Riley often jokes that the internet knows who he is dating before he does, so I think a lot of the time, fans read a lot more into things that what’s going on in reality, but at the same time, they’re probably right a lot, too. But I can’t say I blame them for wanting to know, because I’m nosey too, but it does get exhausting at a certain point, though I digress… I think a lot of his female fans will be relieved, and certainly shocked, to learn that he has never actually celebrated Valentine’s Day with a girl, but it sounds like when the time comes, they shouldn’t expect him to go too over the top. During an interview with ABC News Radio, he confessed that he’s not always the most prepared when it comes “to any holidays,” and he thinks that if he was with a special lady on Valentine’s Day, he would show up with “last-minute” flowers from the grocery store: “I’m definitely a procrastinator when it comes to any holidays. A lot of my Christmas gifts get wrapped in newspaper. And I don’t know that I’ve celebrated a Valentine’s Day with a girl, but I would imagine that if I did, it would go a lot like that. It would be a last-minute type of flower from the grocery store type situation.” I’m not sure if I fully believe him, but I also don’t think he’s the only man on Earth to ever do that, so it’s not all that shocking, either. I do know one thing, though… and that is that there’s gong to be a LOT of people listening to his hit “Worst Way” this Saturday (yes, that’s when Valentine’s Day is in case anyone needed the reminder). Of course, “Worst Way” was first part of Riley’s Way Out Here EP, then on his third studio album Don’t Mind If I Do last year. It was a solo write by Riley, and quickly became a fan-favorite for its sensual, seductive lyrics and departure from what Riley normally writes about, which is heartbreak and losing a girl… the complete opposite of this song. And the music video is certainly not safe for work, so to speak, and I’m sure you’ve probably seen it and know exactly what I’m talking about. I think Riley can call it good with this being his contribution to Valentine’s Day for years to come… I’ll just leave this here: “Worst Way” The full list of Riley’s tour dates for 2026 is available below. Cowboy As It Gets 2026 Tour Dates: April 16th, 2026 – Southaven, MS – Landers Center#~$ April 17th, 2026 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center#~$ *ON SALE 10/3 April 18th, 2026 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena#~$ May 7th, 2026 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion#~• May 8th, 2026 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre#~• June 18th, 2026 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center#~• June 19th, 2026 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center#~• June 20th, 2026 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater#~• June 25th, 2026 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center#$* June 26th, 2026 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake#$* July 16th, 2026 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center#~• July 23rd, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre#~• August 6th, 2026 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater#/• August 7th, 2026 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center#/• August 8th, 2026 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live#/• August 13th, 2026 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion#/• August 14th, 2026 – Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre#/• August 15th, 2026 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre#/• August 21st, 2026 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford#$*^ August 22nd, 2026 – Grand Forks, ND – Ralph Engelstad Arena#$*^ #Justin Moore ~Drake White $Mackenzie Carpenter •Hannah McFarland *Adam Hood /Zach John KingThe post Riley Green Reveals He’s Never Spent Valentine’s Day With A Date: “I’m Definitely A Procrastinator” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Eric Church takes pride in bringing people together. One could describe the Chief’s latest entrant into the musical world as this: A ride. Evangeline vs. The Machine was designed to be listened to from front to back, and is a look into the genius of Church when he simply asks the question, “How far can I push this thing?” He elaborated on why he chose to do that in his recent interview with CBS Mornings: “First of all, I think it’s an honor to be anything that you do a long time. To be able to do music… it was such a moonshot for me to ever be able to have one successful song or one successful album. I feel like the more successful you are, the more you should push that boundary. That comes from the artists that I grew up with that had that creative compass. To me, people sometimes when they get successful, they pull back, and they do what made them successful. Because they are making money and they stay there. I think that’s the time that you do push the boundaries.” There’s no doubt Eric Church pushes the boundaries. And another thing that the Chief is exceptional at is bringing people together. The artist has crafted high-energy songs for fans to sing along to for two decades now, and he’s fully aware that on any given night, he has a unique crowd at his concerts. Two people that normally wouldn’t ever stand next to each other or hold a conversation are suddenly lifting beers up in the air together as Church breaks into “Drink in My Hand.” Music – along with sports and entertainment – is one of those special things that we have that can cut through our differences. Eric Church doesn’t just stand up on the stage, belt out hit after hit, and then go home. Rather, he’s keenly aware that his music – even if it’s just for a couple of hours – is bringing people together. To him, that’s a very beautiful thing, and he cherishes it every time he gets in front of a microphone: “I see it every night. When we go to these cities and play in front of 15,000 and 20,000 people, I know that a majority of those people that are watching me do not agree with the person beside them. But for those three hours, they do. And they are all pulling on the rope the same way.” He’s previously talked about how he loves using music as an element of good, especially in the live show. That’s especially come up a lot as Church has continued to play and expand on the good versus evil theming within Evangeline vs. The Machine. As a fan, it’s interesting to see the awareness that the Chief has as an artist. Clearly, he knows that as he’s gotten bigger in music, he’s slowly built up the ability to focus on things bigger than music… and that’s what makes Church such a special artist in this day and age. You can view Eric Church’s full interview in the video below: The post Eric Church On The Power Of Live Music To Unite People Who Don’t Agree On Everything: “For Those 3 Hours They Do” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Following up “Choosin’ Texas” and “Dandelion” with another heater. This week, Ella Langley made history with her smash hit single “Choosin’ Texas,” as it reached the #1 spot on on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As last week rolled to an end, “Choosin’ Texas” and reigning Grammy New Artist of the Year, Olivia Dean’s smash hit, “Man I Need,” were neck and neck in the battle for #1 on the Hot 100, and knowing that history was on the line, Langley would encourage fans to make a last-minute push for the track, rallying them to purchase the song on iTunes, which clearly worked. She also just put out the title track to her forthcoming sophomore album a little over a week ago, and she just announced another new one form the 18-song tracklist, “Be Her,” will be out everywhere this Friday. Ella shared the news, as well as a teaser over on Instagram, which finds her singing about he perfect woman who has everything figured out: “She drinks wine by the glass, Not by the bottle, She ain’t stuck on the past, Ain’t worried about tomorrow, She’s a lover, mother, a sister and wife, She rolls over in the morning to the love of her life Only smokes one on vacation Says just what she thinks, She don’t need validation Or much of anything” Sounds like we could all use a little advice from this supreme being… It’s unclear who the writers are, but you can listen to part of “Be Her” here: View this post on Instagram Dandelion is slated for release on April 10th, and Ella produced the album alongside Miranda Lambert and Ben West, and it’s easily one of the most highly-anticipated projects announced this year. Ella previously said she wanted it to feel like “the best kind of Sunday afternoon,” and the record really serves as a love letter to her childhood memories and that feeling of nostalgia and freedom: “This record has so much growth in it. I’ve never poured more of myself into a project, into a song, into an idea, and it’s fallen out so beautifully. It’s about learning yourself, making mistakes, and realizing that it’s all just part of life. I want this record to be something that fans can relate to, but also something they want to get up and dance to at the same time. To me, this record feels like fireflies in the summertime. It feels like windows down on a red dirt road. It feels like the best kind of Sunday afternoon. It feels like those days I remember as a kid where it felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day. This record is really a love letter to that.” Ella of course put out her debut album Hungover in the summer of 2024, which featured her smash hit, award-winning song with Riley Green “You Look Like You Love Me.” Since then, her star has only continued to grow, and she has a ton of momentum going into this release and I think this will easily be her biggest year thus far considering how much she’s already accomplished… and it’s only February. “Choosin’ Texas” “Dandelion” The Dandelion Tour Dates 5/7/2026 Toledo, OH Huntington Center (+,&) 5/8/2026 St. Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena (+,&) 5/14/2026 Estero, FL Hertz Arena (@, &) 5/15/2026 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena (@, &) 6/18/2026 Oklahoma City, OK Zoo Amphitheatre (+,&) 6/19/2026 Independence, MO Cable Dahmer Arena (+,&) 6/25/2026 Salem, VA Salem Civic Center (+,&) 6/26/2026 Wilmington, NC Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park (+,&) 7/23/2026 Pikeville, KY Appalachian Wireless Arena (#, %) 7/24/2026 Cary, NC Koka Booth Amphitheatre (#, %) 7/25/2026 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum (#, %) 7/30/2026 Gilford, NH BankNH Pavilion (@, %) 7/31/2026 Canandaigua, NY CMAC (@, %) 8/13/2026 Austin, TX Moody Center (#, &) 8/14/2026 Corpus Christi, TX Hilliard Center (#, &) 8/15/2026 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena (#, &) @ Kameron Marlowe + Dylan Marlowe # Kaitlin Butts & Gabriella Rose % Laci Kaye BoothThe post Ella Langley Shares Teaser Of New Song, “Be Her,” Along With Release Date first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

He’s a man of the people. This past weekend, Post Malone was in San Francisco ahead of the Super Bowl to perform at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture for the “Bud Light Presents Post Malone & Buddies” show. It was a free concert, sponsored by Bud Light, which is a brand he has worked with a lot, and in fact, Posty starred in a Super Bowl commercial this year alongside Shane Gillis and Peyton Manning. But according to the San Francisco Chronicle, during the show, Post called out Bud Light for the beer prices during this concert. He first made a comment about how much he wished his Dallas Cowboys were playing in the big game this year, and he told everyone who was there that was a Cowboys fan they would get free beer because he deeply sympathized with them: “I know everyone in this room is pretty heartbroken because the Dallas Cowboys will not be playing. Raise your hands if you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan. Y’all get free beers the rest of the night.” It sounds like most people thought that was just an off-handed comment or joke, but after a fan in the crowd informed him that Bud Light wasn’t offering free drinks at the free show, Posty was shocked to learn how much they actually cost… a cool $14 for a cheap beer. It’s honestly a pretty standard price for a sporting event or concert these days, especially in California I would guess, but obviously it’s been a long time since Post has had to buy beer in a setting like that, and he wasn’t having it. He called it “unacceptable at a Bud Light show,” and told the entire crowd he would cover half the tab for the entire night, making beers $7 each: “I had had some young man over on this side tell me that the beers were not free. $14 for a beer? … That’s absolutely unacceptable at a Bud Light show. Ladies and gentlemen, I will cover half of the tab for the entire night. So, therefore, beers will only be $7.” He then bumped the price down to $5: “Actually, beers are $5, and I’ll cover the rest.” After thinking about it more, he ultimately dropped the price to $3, joking that it was only for Cowboys fans, but he assured the crowd it was “genuine” and he was actually going to cover most of the tab. Plenty of fans tried to take advantage, but bartenders did not comply, and so they had to continue to pay the outrages prices for a Bud Light. Post of course ran through hits like “I Had Some Help,” and many others, and he also brought out several surprise guests in T-Pain and Quavo, putting on what I’m sure was a great show because he really is one of the best live performers in mainstream music with such a wide variety of songs. It’s unfortunate that his gesture wasn’t honored, because I definitely believe him when he says he genuinely wanted to do it for his fans, but I’m not sure how that works though I’m sure the venue wasn’t going to chance it and we’re going to make their money either way. Maybe next time he’ll ask about it beforehand, because it was a really kind offer and he’s always come across as very authentic in terms of his kindness. He’s also right, beer and alcohol prices are out of hand, as are concert tickets these days, but many artists have tried to take all of that on to no avail. It’s a losing battle at this point, unfortunately… Post is gearing up to embark on a 2026 stadium tour that kicks off in May, in addition to hinting late last year that he has TWO new albums he’s hoping to drop this year. This pre-Super Bowl performance comes on the heels of his epic Grammy awards performance, where he honored the late, great Ozzy Osbourne with an awesome cover of War Pigs”: WAR PIGS A tribute to Ozzy Osbourne – Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, Andrew Watt and Post Malone#GRAMMYSpic.twitter.com/d8ey3tWfzv — Jen (@TheGNRGiirl) February 2, 2026 Big A** Stadium Tour Part Two Tour Dates Fri Apr 10 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Tortuga Music Festival* Sun Apr 26 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach Music Festival* Wed May 13 – El Paso, TX – Sun Bowl Stadium Sat May 16 – Albuquerque, NM – Boots In The Park Festival* Tue May 19 – Waco, TX – McLane Stadium Sat May 23 – Baton Rouge, LA – Tiger Stadium Tue May 26 – Birmingham, AL – Protective Stadium Fri May 29 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium Sun May 31 – Panama City Beach, FL – Gulf Coast Jam* Fri Jun 05 – Oxford, MS – Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Sun Jun 07 – Myrtle Beach, SC – Carolina Country Fest* Tue Jun 09 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium Fri Jun 12 – Indianapolis, IN – Lucas Oil Stadium Tue Jun 16 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium Sat Jun 20 – Wildwood, NJ – Barefoot Country Music Festival* Mon Jun 22 – East Hartford, CT – Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field Thu Jun 25 – Cleveland, OH – Huntington Bank Field Sat Jun 27 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest* Tue Jun 30 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium^ Sat Jul 11 – Fayetteville, AR – Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Wed Jul 15 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Stadium Fri Jul 17 – Ames, IA – Jack Trice Stadium Tue Jul 21 – Missoula, MT – Washington-Grizzly Stadium Fri Jul 24 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium Tue Jul 28 – Salt Lake City, UT – Rice-Eccles Stadium *Festival appearance ^ Without Jelly RollThe post “Absolutely Unacceptable”: Post Malone Calls Out Bud Light For Insane Beer Prices At His Super Bowl Weekend Show first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

ICE Director Todd Lyons is before the House Homeland Security Committee this morning and was asked by the despicable Eric Swalwell – the man who got shagged by a Chinese Spy – . . .

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is holding her semi-weekly press conference with reporters soon. It was slated to begin at 1PM so it should start at any moment. Watch below:

The loathsome Democrat from New Jersey, Rep. La Monica, who assaulted ICE agents last year while trying to break into an ICE facility, actually had the gall to ask ICE Director Todd . . .