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Bravo green lights new pop culture series 'Bravo's Chat Room'

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Bravo Media(LOS ANGELES) — Fans who can’t get enough of Bravo’s hit shows will now see even more of the network’s stars with the new late night series, Bravo’s Chat Room. 

Executive produced by Andy Cohen of Watch What Happens Live, the six-episode Chat Room will feature a panelist of Porsha Williams (Real Housewives of Atlanta), Gizelle Bryant (Real Housewives of Potomac) and Kate Chastain (Below Deck) discussing all things pop culture, including buzzed-about moments on Bravo shows.

The TV personalities will also share stories and insight into their own lives. Chat Room will be hosted by Hannah Berner of Summer House.  

“I am thrilled for these Bravo ladies who already have such big personalities on our network to come together (virtually) for the ultimate group chat,” Cohen says. “Their quick wit and powerful observations will provide a much-needed voice in today’s pop-culture landscape delivered in a way that only Bravo can.”

Chat Room will film remotely, with each panelist dialing in from their own respective locations. 

The show will premiere on September 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET and continue through October 12. 

Details about the new show come in the wake of NeNe Leakes announcing her departure from Real Housewives of Atlanta. 

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

“God ain’t done with me yet”: Blanco Brown shares photo of his life-saving helmet after head-on crash

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ABC/Image Group LA“The Git Up” star Blanco Brown is on the mend after a serious head-on motorcycle collision in early September left him hospitalized and fighting for his life. The singer underwent a 12-hour surgery to address the unspecified traumas he sustained.

Fortunately, Blanco is expected to make a full recovery. As he continues to heal, the singer touched base with his fans on social media for the first time since the crash. He posted a picture of the helmet that he was wearing, and also praised the rest of his Indian Motorcycle safety gear for “[showing] true to its quality.”

“Firstly, I have to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for sparing my life and keeping me whole!!!” Blanco wrote. “The fact that I’m here and still in my right mind is God’s proof — I feel so blessed!”

He went on to thank his fans, friends, family and everyone else who wished him well after the accident.

“I fought for my life,” the singer noted. “I fought to see all y’all’s faces and those smiles again, and I fought to share my purpose.”

In the picture he shared, Blanco’s arms are still in casts. However, he seemed to be in high spirits, and excited to return to normal life and music-making.

“God ain’t done with me yet, we’re just getting started!” he promised.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

TikTok, WeChat to be banned from US app stores starting Sunday

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Chesnot/Getty Images(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Starting Sunday, downloads of the massively popular video app TikTok and the messaging app WeChat will be banned in the United States, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Friday morning.

The department said in a statement that the move was necessary to “safeguard the national security of the United States.”

President Donald Trump issued twin executive orders in August, saying the apps would shut down by September 20 if they were not sold to U.S. owners. The administration claimed the Chinese Communist Party was using data collected through these apps to “threaten the national security, foreign policy and the economy of the U.S.”

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in an interview on Fox Business News Friday morning that these new rules announced this morning were in connection with the executive orders issued in August and are “separate” from the ongoing negotiations between TikTok and tentative U.S. buyers, including Oracle and Walmart.

Ross said that “for all practical purposes” WeChat will be shut down in the U.S. as of midnight Monday with the new Commerce Department ruling.

“TikTok is more complicated,” Ross added, saying that essentially a deadline for a deal with a U.S. buyer has been extended until November 12. In the meantime, updates will be barred in the app.

TikTok has an estimated 65 million to 80 million users in the U.S. WeChat, meanwhile, has some 19 million users in the U.S. — a majority of them people of Chinese descent who use the app to connect with love ones or conduct business in China.

A TikTok spokesperson told ABC News in a statement that they disagree and are disappointed with the Commerce Department’s decision. The company vowed to continue its challenge against the “unjust executive order.”

Spokespeople for Tencent, WeChat’s parent company, did not immediately respond to request for comment. ABC News has also reached out to Google and Apple for comment.

By William Mansell & Catherine Thorbecke
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

'We Need Christmas': Maddie & Tae are getting festive with a six-song holiday collection

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Mercury NashvilleMaddie & Tae get into the holiday spirit with their new mix of festive classics and seasonal originals, We Need Christmas. The duo say they hope their new batch of tunes will bring some fun and excitement at the end of what has been a challenging year for many.

“We are so proud of this project and loved recreating some of our favorite Christmas classics as well as [writing] some of our own,” explain Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr.

“Making We Need Christmas was such a bright spot for us this year,” they add,  “and we hope this project brings a little joy and peace to our fans during this difficult year.”

We Need Christmas includes two original tunes: The title track and “Merry Married Christmas.” The two bandmates each had a hand in writing both those tracks, and appropriately enough, Taylor’s husband Josh Kerr contributed his notable songwriting talents to “Merry Married Christmas.”

The project is due out on October 23. It’s available for preorder on the duo’s website, along with a special limited edition line of holiday-themed merchandise. You can pick up bundles including a custom candle, Christmas tree ornament, pajama sleep set and more.

Here’s the track list for We Need Christmas:

“This Christmas”
“Holly Jolly Christmas”
“O Come All Ye Faithful”
“Merry Married Christmas”
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
“We Need Christmas”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

"When the Party’s Over”: Brett Eldredge’s Billie Eilish cover is unexpected and haunting

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Warner Music NashvilleCountry crooner Brett Eldredge knows that a song by Billie Eilish is far from the first thing fans expect him to cover, but he’s a big fan of the pop phenomenon’s catalogue. That’s why he was inspired to deliver his own live take on “When the Party’s Over,” which is out today.

Brett had dropped “When the Party’s Over” into his set during his most recent European tour. The released version was recorded during his show in Glasgow, Scotland, which was actually the first time he and his band performed it.

“I heard this song a year or two ago and I just love how unique of an artist she is and the complex nature of the songs she writes,” Brett gushes. “I love how emotional and intense they are and could tell she had to grow up fast and really puts her life out there in her music.”

As someone who took a break from technology and shut out the outside world while he made his most recent album Sunday Drive, Brett knows first-hand how difficult it can be for songwriters to figure out what they want to say. That’s another reason why he’s so impressed by 18-year-old Billie.

“I think it’s a powerful thing to be that young and to have found your voice, and it speaks to people of all ages,” he points out.

“For whatever reason, when people hear my cover of this song, I think they’d say to themselves, ‘I didn’t see that coming at all,’” but that’s exactly what I wanted because when I heard it I thought, ‘Man, I could do something special with this,’” Brett adds.

“I’m so grateful for the song that she’s written and grateful to be able to sing it.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.