5 people charged in connection with singer Liam Payne’s death
Former One Direction member Liam Payne’s death led to charges against five individuals, with allegations ranging from manslaughter to drug trafficking, according to Argentine judicial officials. Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October after police said he consumed “various substances,” including drugs and alcohol.
Toxicology reports revealed alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his death. Argentine prosecutors concluded his death was accidental, stating his intoxicated state caused him to mistake the balcony for an exit.
The charges included manslaughter against Payne’s representative, the hotel manager and the head receptionist. Prosecutors alleged these individuals failed in their duty to ensure Payne’s safety.
The representative, described as aware of Payne’s vulnerable state, reportedly left the hotel shortly before the incident.
Meanwhile, hotel staff allegedly facilitated Payne’s movement to a room with a balcony despite his intoxicated state. These defendants face up to five years in prison if convicted.
Two others, a hotel employee and a local waiter, face charges of supplying cocaine to Payne during his stay. They are being held in pre-trial detention and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Payne addressed his struggles with substance abuse and mental health earlier in the year, marking six months of sobriety after undergoing treatment in the United States. In Argentina, days before his death, he attended a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan.
Chinese-sponsored hackers behind ‘major’ breach: Treasury Department
Investigators accuse China of hacking U.S. Treasury Department computers. And funeral arrangements are set for America’s 39th president, Jimmy Carter. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased updates for Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024.
Chinese-sponsored hackers are behind ‘major’ breach: Treasury Department
The U.S. Department of Treasury said it’s still working to determine the extent of damage from a data breach it called “a major incident.” In a letter sent to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Monday, Dec. 30, the Treasury Department said a Chinese-sponsored “threat actor” was able to gain access to department employees’ workstations earlier this month and view “unclassified documents” maintained by those workers.
The letter said the hackers gained access through a third-party cybersecurity service called BeyondTrust and overrode certain department security measures. The department stopped using BeyondTrust after the attack.
The Treasury Department is working with the FBI and other members of the U.S. intelligence community to “fully characterize the incident and determine its full impact.” The department said it will provide Congress more information in a supplemental report within 30 days.
China’s ministry of foreign affairs denied any Chinese involvement.
Arrest warrant issued for embattled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
The court recently voted to strip Yoon of his presidential powers. He faces impeachment over his short-lived declaration of martial law.
The court granted the arrest warrant for Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. Yoon is wanted for questioning in multiple investigations, including one over accusations of leading an insurrection — a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty in South Korea.
President Joe Biden spoke with the nation’s interim president in recent weeks, expressing America’s commitment to democracy there. America has roughly 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent to communist North Korea.
Memorial events scheduled for late President Jimmy Carter
Details are now public about the nation’s plans to pay tribute to the late former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday, Dec. 29, at 100 years old. Biden declared Thursday, Jan. 9, a National Day of Mourning. New Year’s Day will begin an eight-day mourning period.
The Carter family will gather in the former president’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, over the next few days.
On Saturday, Jan. 4, the state funeral will be held. It starts at 10:15 a.m. ET with a motorcade from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, and will travel through Plains, taking a brief pause at 10:50 a.m.
At that stop, the National Park Service will ring the historic bell on the Carter family farm 39 times in honor of the late president. At 10:55 a.m., Carter’s final journey to Atlanta will begin.
At 3 p.m., the motorcade will stop at the Georgia State Capitol for a moment of silence led by Gov. Brian Kemp. It will then go on to its destination, the Carter Presidential Center, for a service at 4 p.m.
Carter will lie in repose from 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5, until 6 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, for the public to pay respects.
He will then be taken to Washington, D.C., where Congress will pay tribute in a private ceremony. Then Carter will lie in state for the public to pay respects until Thursday, Jan. 9, when Carter will be taken home to Georgia for a private family funeral service and internment. Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy at the funeral.
5 people charged in connection with singer Liam Payne’s death
Five people were charged in connection with the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne in Argentina, according to the country’s prosecutor’s office. Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October after police said he consumed “various substances,” including drugs and alcohol.
A friend of Payne, the hotel manager and its head of reception are accused of “negligent homicide” in connection with the singer’s death. If convicted, they face a maximum of five years in prison.
Two other hotel employees were charged with selling Payne drugs. They face up to 15 years in prison.
FAA investigating after Gonzaga Bulldogs’ jet ordered to stop at LAX
The Federal Aviation Administration launched an investigation after a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team nearly crossed a runway as another flight took off from Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, Dec. 27.
The FAA has launched an investigation after a Delta plane almost hit the Gonzaga’s men’s basketball team’s private jet on Friday. 😳
The jet, operated by Key Lime Air, was ordered by air traffic controllers to stop as a Delta flight took off. No one was hurt. Gonzaga was in Los Angeles for its game against UCLA on Saturday, Dec. 28.
Over 1 million expected to ring in the new year at Times Square
The NYPD said while there have not been any “specific credible threats” to the Times Square celebration, the department has been operating in a heightened threat environment since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel.
As for the big celebration, fans braving possible wet weather and the many others watching at home will be able to enjoy musical acts from Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and the Jonas Brothers.
New charges filed in former One Direction Singer Liam Payne’s death
Two more individuals have been charged in connection with the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne. The 31-year-old died on Oct. 16 after falling from a third-story hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
According to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, the newly charged individuals include the hotel’s reception head and manager.
Details from the 911 calls
The reception head called emergency services twice around Liam Payne’s death. He reported a guest who was allegedly intoxicated and “trashing the entire room.”
In the second call, the receptionist asked dispatchers if police were on their way. When informed that police and Argentina’s emergency medical services (SAME) were en route, he requested that only SAME respond.
Rolling Stone reports the hotel still employs the reception head.
Charges remain unclear
It’s still unclear what charges the reception head and manager face. They joined three others previously charged in the case.
The first three individuals, detained in November, include two other hotel staffers and an individual accused of abandonment of a person leading to death.
Toxicology report
After Liam Payne’s death, a toxicology report revealed he had alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant in his system.
The coroner confirmed Payne’s death resulted from internal and external bleeding, as well as a cranial injury sustained during his fall.
In November, there was a private funeral for Liam Payne in England. His family, girlfriend and former One Direction bandmates attended.
What happens next?
All five individuals charged will face interrogations in the coming weeks. A judge will then decide whether there is enough evidence to prosecute, drop the charges or take no further action.
3 arrested in connection to former ‘One Direction’ singer Liam Payne’s death
Authorities in Argentina have arrested three people in connection with the death of former “One Direction” singer Liam Payne. In a press release, Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said authorities arrested an employee at the hotel where Payne fell to his death last month, an alleged drug dealer, and a person who “accompanied the artist daily during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires.”
Officials said at least four supplies of narcotics were “conclusively proven” to have been addressed to Payne during his stay at the Casa Sur hotel between Oct. 13 and 16. Payne fell from a third-floor balcony of the hotel on Oct. 16.
Thursday’s report revealed that in the 72 hours before he died, Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription anti-depressant in his system.
The hotel employee and alleged dealer are both charged with providing narcotics while the third person is charged with providing narcotics and abandonment of a person followed by death.
Payne, along with Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, formed the popular boy band “One Direction” on a reality competition show in 2010 before the group announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016. Before his death, Payne posted to Snapchat that he was in Buenos Aires to attend a concert by Horan.
Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff
Donald Trump makes his first staffing announcement as president-elect, naming his White House chief of staff. And a federal judge in Texas makes a ruling concerning undocumented immigrants married to American citizens. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.
Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 7, 2024
She will become the first woman to hold the job of chief of staff when Trump takes office on Jan. 20. It is a position considered to be the second most powerful job in Washington — behind the presidency.
Wiles, the daughter of the late NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall, also ran Trump’s campaign in the state of Florida during the 2016 and 2020 elections. Her political career dates back to Ronald Reagan’s years, when she worked as a campaign scheduler for his 1980 presidential bid.
In a statement, Trump said, “Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns. Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to make America great again.”
In the coming days, the president-elect is set to begin reviewing other names to build out his team, including filling cabinet positions. His son Donald Trump Jr. told Fox News the key factor each candidate must have is delivering on his father’s message and not someone who “thinks they know better.”
The GOP picked up a seat in Pennsylvania with several media outlets projecting Dave McCormick defeated Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey. Republicans now hold 53 seats in the chamber with two races, one in Nevada and one in Arizona, still to be called.
California governor calls special session to protect liberal policies
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has called a special legislative session to protect the state’s liberal policies ahead of a second Trump presidency. Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday they’re preparing to “protect California values” against the incoming administration.
California is ready to fight.
I just called an emergency special session to help bolster our legal resources and protect our state against any unlawful actions by the incoming Trump Administration.
Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate… pic.twitter.com/fIBPKsehot
“We know to take Trump at his word when he says he’ll roll back environmental protections, go after our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, attack our civil rights and restrict access to essential reproductive care,” Bonta said. “Mr. Trump repeatedly overstepped his authority between 2016 and 2020. There’s no reason to think he won’t do it again. We checked him and we stopped him, and we pushed him back into his box when he tried to step out of it.”
The California special session is scheduled to start Dec. 2. Newsom is also calling on the state legislature to give the attorney general’s office more funding to battle federal challenges.
In his ruling on Thursday, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker — who was appointed by President-elect Trump during his first term — said Congress has not given the executive branch the authority to implement such a policy. Campbell Barker had previously put an administrative hold on the regulation as he considered the lawsuit, which was brought by Texas and 15 other states.
The policy, which the Biden administration called “Keeping Families Together,” would have applied to spouses who have been living in the country for 10 years, as well as stepchildren. It could have affected between 750,000 and 800,000 people.
3 arrested in former ‘One Direction’ singer Liam Payne’s death
In a press release, Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said authorities had arrested an employee at the hotel where Payne fell to his death last month, an alleged drug dealer, and a person who “accompanied the artist daily during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires.”
Officials said at least four supplies of narcotics were “conclusively proven” to have been addressed to Payne during his stay at the Casa Sur hotel between Oct. 13 and 16. Payne fell from a third-floor balcony of the hotel on Oct. 16.
Thursday’s report revealed that in the 72 hours before he died, Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription anti-depressant in his system.
The hotel employee and alleged dealer are both charged with providing narcotics while the third person is charged with providing narcotics and abandonment of a person followed by death.
Man behind AOL’S iconic ‘you’ve got mail’ dies at 74
An iconic voice that defined a generation in technology has died.
Elwood Edwards, endearingly known as AOL’s “You’ve got mail” guy, died Tuesday. Nov. 5, at the age of 74 after suffering from a “long illness,” according to an announcement by local news station WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio.
Edwards worked there as a graphics and camera operator, among other roles. According to the announcement, made Thursday, he died one day before his 75th birthday.
Toxicology report reveals Liam Payne died with ‘pink cocaine’ in his system
Liam Payne reportedly had “pink cocaine” in his system when he died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, according to a toxicology report. The 31-year-old former One Direction singer’s tragic death has shed light on the dangers of the synthetic drug, known as “tusi,” which includes a mixture of methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine and more.
Pink cocaine is an increasingly popular drug, especially in Latin America and Europe, known for its bright pink color and euphoric effects.
Getty Images
Despite its name, the drug often contains no actual cocaine, but instead combines substances that can have stimulant, dissociative and hallucinogenic effects.
The unpredictability of the ingredients makes the drug particularly dangerous, with users at risk of serious side effects such as unconsciousness, respiratory failure and even death.
Experts warn that the vibrant, designer appeal of pink cocaine can mislead users, who may believe they know what they’re taking. Its spread has been linked to a growing number of drug-related deaths.
The drug has gained notoriety due to its association with high-profile figures, including disgraced music mogul Diddy earlier in 2024.
Payne’s death adds to a tragic trend, and authorities are urging the public to be cautious about the growing presence of this highly dangerous drug.
Liam Payne’s preliminary autopsy report released; One Direction issues statement
A preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office said pop singer Liam Payne died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.” The 31-year-old died Wednesday, Oct. 16, after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
The autopsy found a total of 25 injuries on the singer’s body, suffered from the fall. The prosecutor’s office has requested additional studies to help in the investigation.
On social media, Payne’s One Direction bandmates paid tribute to their friend in a joint statement Thursday, saying:
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Biden, Netanyahu react after Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu react after Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. And billionaires Mark Cuban and Elon Musk speak to voters in battleground states. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces have killed the man they say was the chief architect of the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which started the ongoing war in Gaza. They had been trying to get Yahya Sinwar for a year, describing him as a “dead man walking” in the days after Hamas’ first attack.
However, it appears that while Israeli forces had been tipped off Sinwar was in the Rafah area, troops just happened to come across him unknowingly during battle. It was not until later they realized they had killed Israel’s most wanted man.
The IDF released drone video of what appears to be Sinwar’s final moments, showing a man with a wounded hand, who they say is Sinwar, sitting down in a destroyed building and throwing a piece of wood at the drone. They say Sinwar’s body was found with a bulletproof vest, grenades, and 40,000 Israeli shekels.
“Since the beginning of this war that Sinwar started on October 7 — we’ve said: Our war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza. We mean it.”
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the elimination of Yahya Sinwar and our operational goals in Gaza: pic.twitter.com/OgkgUc5Bhi
Israeli leaders celebrated his killing as a settling of scores and said it could be a turning point in the war.
“While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message: this war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages.”
U.S. officials are hoping with Sinwar out of the picture, a cease-fire can finally be reached between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden, who has already tried to broker cease-fire deals, seemed to have renewed hope when speaking to reporters Thursday, Oct. 17.
“Now’s the time to move on,” he said. “Move on, move toward a ceasefire in Gaza, make sure that we move in a direction that we’re able to make things better for the whole world. It’s time for this war to end and bring these hostages home.”
President Biden said he’s sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel to help figure out what’s next. Netanyahu has said Israel will keep fighting until all the hostages taken on Oct. 7 are free, and that it will keep control over Gaza long enough to ensure Hamas does not rearm.
While Sinwar’s death has sparked optimism the war in Gaza will soon end, it won’t be the end of fighting in the Middle East.
Just this month, Israel opened a new front against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon after a year of trading cross-border fire. Hezbollah had been striking Israel as a show of solidarity with Hamas.
In the wake of Sinwar’s death, Hezbollah announced a “transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel.”
Musk, Cuban talk election as candidates take part in charity event
As the 2024 presidential campaign inches closer to its final two weeks, the candidates each garnered the support of two billionaire representatives to spread their message to voters on Thursday.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has appeared alongside Republican candidate former President Donald Trump at recent events, held a town hall at a Pennsylvania high school near Philadelphia. Musk called on Pennsylvanians to register to vote and described the importance of the battleground state to this election.
“You show what matters by your actions, not your words, and my actions are I’m here,” Musk said. “I’m in Pennsylvania, and I’m here for a very important reason, which, yeah, which is, I can’t emphasize, I can’t emphasize enough that Pennsylvania is, I think, the linchpin in this election. And this election, I think is going to decide the fate of America, and along with the fate of America, the fate of Western civilization.”
Meanwhile Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris called on NBA team owner and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban to reach voters during a rally at a college campus in Wisconsin. In his address to the crowd, Cuban took aim at Trump’s trade policies.
“I mean back in the 90s, in the early 2000s, he was a little bit coherent when he talked about trade policy, and he actually made a little bit of sense,” Cuban said, “but I don’t know what happened to him. The way he’s been thinking about tariffs and trade now, something’s a little bit lost. And now his trade policies, particularly with tariffs, are basically just gibberish.”
As for the candidates themselves, they both made an appearance at Thursday night’s Al Smith charity dinner in New York City, which raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and is a traditional stop for both parties toward the end of the election cycle. However, breaking from tradition, Vice President Harris did not appear in person.
Instead, she sent in a video in which she appeared alongside former Saturday Night Live star Molly Shannon, who reprised her famous character Mary Katherine Gallagher.
“It is a very important dinner, and it’s an important tradition. And I’m so proud to be a part of,” Harris said.
In his speech, former President Trump criticized Harris for not showing up to the event in person. Harris is the first presidential candidate to do that since 1984.
“It’s been a long tradition for both Democrat and Republican candidates for President of the United States to attend this dinner,” Trump said. “You know, it is a rule; you got to go to the dinner. You got to do it. Otherwise bad things are going to happen to you from up there. You can’t do what I just saw on that screen. But my opponent feels like she does not have to be here, which is deeply disrespectful to the event and, in particular, to our great Catholic community. Very disrespectful.”
In a statement regarding her absence, the Harris campaign said the vice president was campaigning Thursday and “the campaign wants to maximize her time in battlegrounds this close to the election.”
Texas execution of man in shaken baby case halted
The Texas Supreme Court halted the execution of a man sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of his 2-year-old daughter.
A jury convicted Robert Roberson of killing the toddler in a case of “shaken baby syndrome,” which his attorneys, as well as Texas lawmakers and medical experts, now say was based on faulty and outdated scientific evidence related to the diagnosis.
The last-minute stay came just over one-hour before Roberson’s death warrant was set to expire. However, a legal battle is still ongoing, and a new execution date could be set after Roberson’s potential testimony before Texas lawmakers next week. A House committee subpoenaed him on Wednesday, Oct. 16, as it reconsiders the lawfulness of his conviction.
Liam Payne’s preliminary autopsy report released; One Direction statement
A preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office said pop singer Liam Payne died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.” The 31-year-old died Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
The autopsy found a total of 25 injuries on the singer’s body, suffered from the fall. The prosecutor’s office has requested additional studies to help in the investigation.
On social media, Payne’s One Direction bandmates paid tribute to their friend in a joint statement Thursday, saying, “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Phoenix ends 21-day streak of record hot temperatures
The city of Phoenix, Arizona is getting its first feel of fall, relatively speaking, after 21 straight days of record-breaking hot temperatures.
From Sept. 24 to this past Monday, Oct. 14, the Weather Service recorded 19 new all-time highs and two days tied previous records; all temperatures well into the triple digits.
Parts of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico have been gripped by the recent heat wave, with unseasonably warm temperatures 10 to 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year.
A cold front is expected to move in this weekend and cool things down.
Rare copy of US Constitution sells for $9 million
You don’t have to be in a Nicholas Cage movie to get your hands on an important document from American history — but you do need millions of dollars. A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution sold at auction Thursday evening in North Carolina for $9 million.
The document was printed 237 years ago and is the only copy of its type believed to be privately owned. The copy of the Constitution was found two years ago when a property in North Carolina was being cleared out.
The property was once owned by Samuel Johnston, the state’s governor in the 1780s. The document also came with a letter from George Washington asking for the Constitution to be ratified.
Showing her business acumen, Swift decided to bypass traditional Hollywood studios and went directly to AMC theaters for the release, which could have been an important factor if the writers’ strike hadn’t been resolved.
Both films will likely break records for box office revenue from a concert film, especially as The Eras Tour film sold $26 million in presale tickets in just 24 hours, coupled with the difficulty of seeing either artist live. Let’s see how much each film will have to make to top the chart. Here are the highest-grossing concert films in history in this week’s Five For Friday.
#5: The Original Kings of Comedy
“The Original Kings of Comedy” made household names of the late Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey. Spike Lee directed the 2000 film, which was shot at North Carolina’s Charlotte Coliseum. The concept of four powerhouse comedians hitting the road and shooting a film was unprecedented at the time but spawned similar products like Blue Collar Comedy Tour and The Comedians of Comedy. The film was a huge success, taking home $38 million at the time, or $67 million when adjusted for inflation. It’s Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has some of the best scores of any movie on this list.
#4: One Direction: This is Us
About a decade ago, One Direction was one of the toughest tickets to get on the planet, although it pales in comparison to what Swifties have to go through today. The next best option for 1D fans was “One Direction: This is Us.” Morgan Spurlock, who made a name for himself eating McDonald’s for 30 days in “Super Size Me,” directed the flick. The movie followed the British boy band’s London stop on its Take Me Home tour and featured footage from before its days on The X Factor. The movie was released in 3D, like most major releases of the time. It has above average reviews and made $68 million globally, or $89 million when adjusted for inflation.
https://youtu.be/cxDpKIZ8EDw?feature=shared
#3: Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert
“Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert” made more than $70 million at the box office, or $101 million in 2023 dollars. It opened the same weekend as the 2008 Super Bowl, which is regarded as one of the best, and it’s the biggest opening ever for a film released on the weekend of the Big Game. There probably wasn’t a ton of overlap in the audience, as this was 15 years before Taylor Swift got teen girls to tune into football games. The reviews are moderate, but if you had a young daughter in the mid-2000s, you likely saw this one.
#2: Eddie Murphy Raw
Before he starred in “Shrek” and “The Nutty Professor,” Eddie Murphy was bigger than life on stage. In 1987’s “Eddie Murphy Raw,” he takes on New York’s famed Madison Square Garden fully clad in purple leather. “Raw” brought in more than $50 million at the box office, the equivalent of $133 million today. It has good reviews, and is often seen as one of the best stand-up specials of all time, despite Murphy admitting that some of the jokes make him cringe today. He planned to make a return to the stage in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in those plans.
