Trudeau trades blows with Tony Stark in new Marvel comic

The variant cover to Choosing Sides #5, a new comic featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau conferring with the Canadian super team Alpha Flight. (Marvel)

Warning: This story contains spoilers for Civil War II: Choosing Sides.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wades into the latest comic book crisis in the new issue of the Marvel's Civil War II: Choosing Sides. The variant cover features the smiling PM sitting in the boxing ring with members of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight behind him.

A variant cover is a special cover that will only be used for a limited number of issues of the comic. 

In the comic, Alpha Flight members Sasquatch, Puck and Aurora are called to the prime minister's office after they're involved in a mission on American soil. Alpha Flight find themselves caught in a larger issue involving a character named Ulysses who has the power to the predict the future.  Some heroes want to act on the information to prevent future calamities; others, such as Iron Man, feel they are overstepping their bounds.

In the comic written by Chip Zdarsky and illustrated by Ramon Perez, the prime minister talks to Alpha Flight after an incident on American soil. (Marvel)

Written by Toronto's Chip Zdarsky and drawn by Toronto's Ramon K. Perez, Choosing Sides #5 is littered with Canadiana, with the PM referencing intelligence agency CSIS and cracking jokes about the Leafs. 

Prime Minister Trudeau cracks jokes about the Leafs, while cautioning the superheroes to respect civil liberties. (Marvel)

Not only does Perez capture Trudeau's photogenic qualities, but Zdarsky provides more than a political caricature. As the team members struggle with whether to launch what is essentially a super-powered first strike, Trudeau, in the tradition of Canadian peacekeeping, searches for common ground.

Of course that doesn't mean Marvel's resident court jester Zdarsky is above having some fun with the meme-worthy PM. There are jabs about his viral fame and even the grizzled Puck appears defenceless against his charms.

In an unlettered excerpt from Civil War II: Choosing Sides, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau goes a few rounds with Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. (Marvel)

But the true payoff arrives as Trudeau's sparring partner for his weekly boxing sessions is revealed, none other than Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. The two trade punches and quips, Trudeau following up every wallop with an apology.

Comic fans will recall this isn't Alpha Flight's first run-in with a Trudeau. Justin Trudeau's father, the late prime minister Pierre Trudeau also appeared in a number of Marvel comics and was instrumental in the creation of the super team, who first appeared in a 1979 issue of The Uncanny X-Men.

While the elder Trudeau never got to sock it to an Avenger, the new comic suggests his son's powers of media magnetism show no signs of fading.

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Trudeau trades blows with Tony Stark in new Marvel comic

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CBC disappointed by CRTC decision to halt Radio 2 ads

The federal broadcast regulator on Wednesday ruled against the CBC's application for an extension to continue commercial advertising on Radio 2 and ICI Musique.

The CRTC decided to allow advertising for a three-year period, until the end of August 2016, with the condition ads not exceed more than four minutes in a broadcast hour.

The ruling required that advertising on CBC not have an undue negative impact on advertising markets; that advertising would not be unduly disruptive to listeners; that CBC's level of investment in radio be maintained; and that the variety and diversity of Radio 2 and ICI Musique's services not be diminished.

In its decision Wednesday, the regulator advised that the CBC had satisfied three of the four requirements but that it had failed to maintain the investment in radio, citing a $22 million drop in operating expenses over a two-year period up to the end of the 2014-15 broadcast year. The regulatory body also noted that the ad revenue CBC took in was below projections.

The CBC expressed disappointment in the decision, saying in a statement it demonstrates "a lack of understanding about the reality of public broadcasting."

"Quite simply, the CRTC's decision means CBC/Radio-Canada has fewer resources to invest in the programs and services it provides to Canadians," spokeswoman Alexandra Fortier said.

The CBC depends on a combination of government funding and commercial revenue, Fortier said, and the decision will hamper the broadcaster's ability to pursue its strategic priorities into the next decade.

"By cutting off a source of revenue, the CRTC is simply ensuring there are fewer resources available to do that," she said. "That does not help CBC/Radio-Canada serve Canadians."

CBC in the spring applied for a two-year extension of the current arrangement, arguing that, while the Liberal government pledged in its budget to invest $675 million to the corporation over a five-year period, budget cuts in previous years and the decline in the television ad market, among other factors, made the continuation of stable radio market advertising revenues necessary.

The ruling is to go into effect on Thursday.

"That is simply not in keeping with modern business practices," said Fortier. "We will make the required changes to our programming schedule and wind down this part of our business, however this simply cannot be completed by the end of day today."

Historically, advertising was allowed on CBC radio stations until a 1974 decision by the CRTC.

Earlier this decade, the CBC applied to be allowed unlimited advertising space on those two networks until 2018, but the regulator opted for a three-year period with a cap on how much time ads could fill.

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CBC disappointed by CRTC decision to halt Radio 2 ads

Björk to be celebrated in multimedia exhibit in London

London's Somerset House is hosting the European premiere of Björk Digital, an immersive exhibition of digital and video works produced by the famous Icelandic singer and a team of visual artists and programmers.

Visitors to the exhibition are invited to engage with the works through the latest virtual reality (VR) technology. The organizers say Björk, 50, believes VR provides a private theatrical experience, allowing audiences to connect with her in a unique way.

"She approaches things as an artist. So she's always been driven by an innate curiosity I think, to sort of look at the world in a different way, to try and express herself in a different way and to sort of take audiences with her on that journey," said producer Paul Clay.

"If you are open to that and you're prepared to relax and experience the world along side her, then you will be taken to some quite extraordinary places."

With a career spanning more than two decades, Björk is known for her daring approaches to music, performance and fashion.

Björk to play 2 shows during exhibit run

The exhibition brings to life a wide range of subjects, from the barren, windswept landscapes of her home country to the slippery insides of Björk's own mouth as she sings the track Mouthmantra.

Some of the other highlights include Black Lake - an immersive cinema film with a bespoke surround-sound system, and a 360-degree, one-to-one recital of Stonemilker, the first track of Björk's album Vulnicura.

Björk, seen in a file photo, was previously the subject of a retrospective at MOMA in New York City. (Martin Mejia/The Associated Press)

"It's a journey. We take the audience on a journey through the process of Vulnicura. So we are creating a VR world, if you like, for this particular album," said Clay. "

You will see a music artist create on one level, an album full of great music. On another level you'll see an individual go through the pain and torture of loss and come to terms with that over the course of an hour and a quarter, and on another level you will see technology used to blow your mind in terms of how we can experience the world that's around us," he added.

The singer has been previously the subject of a retrospective exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Björk Digital runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 23.

Björk will hold two special concert performances in London in September as well.

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Björk to be celebrated in multimedia exhibit in London

Newcomer Maren Morris scores 5 CMA nominations

Chris Stapleton, Eric Church and budding newcomer Maren Morris are the leaders at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards.

The three performers received five nominations each Wednesday. The CMAs will air live in the U.S. on Nov. 2 on ABC in Nashville, Tennessee, celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Stapleton is nominated for entertainer of the year along with Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban. Stapleton's nominations also include musical event of the year, which he shares with wife Morgane for You Are My Sunshine.

Morris had a breakout year, getting nominations for female vocalist, new artist and album of the year for Hero. Her hit, My Church, is up for single and song of the year.

Church's nominations include album, male vocalist, music video, single and song of the year.

Church's nominations include album, male vocalist, music video, single and song of the year.

The duo Joey + Rory earned a nomination for vocal duo of the year. Joey Feek, who formed the group with her husband Rory, died earlier this year at age 40.

Underwood and Brad Paisley will host the awards ceremony.

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Newcomer Maren Morris scores 5 CMA nominations

Justin Bieber, The Weeknd recognized by Guinness World Records

Canadian singers Justin Bieber and The Weeknd were recently presented with Guinness Book of World Records certificates for singular achievements.

Bieber was recognized in eight categories encompassing chart dominance and internet and social media presence, while The Weeknd set two marks.

Bieber's Sorry, Love Yourself, Company and Mark My Words were among a record 17 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during December 2015. Relatedly, he set the record for most new songs to appear simultaneously on that same chart, with 13 tracks from his Purpose album showing up in December 2015.

Bieber on Jan. 14 of this year became the first ever performer to occupy all three spots on the U.K. singles chart, with Love Yourself, Sorry and What Do You Mean? finishing 1-2-3.

The Stratford, Ont., performer also notched the most streamed track in a single week on Spotify, with What Do You Mean? was streamed over 30.7 million times. He also holds the records for the most streamed album in a week on Spotify – over 205 million times for Purpose.

Other Bieber records:

• Most Twitter followers (male): 85,235,563
• Most viewed video channel on YouTube, individual: 10,478,651,389 views since 2009
• Most subscribers on YouTube, male: 20,711,202

The Weeknd's Beauty Behind the Madness album was streamed 60 million times between December 2014 and December 2015, a record for a one-year period according to Guinness.

The Toronto native, whose given name is Abel Tesfaye, also set the mark for the most consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 by a male solo artist. The Weeknd was a consistent Top 10 presence for 45 weeks, between March 7, 2015 and Jan. 9, 2016, comprising singles Earned It, Can't Feel My Face and The Hills.

The 2017 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records comes out in September.

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Justin Bieber, The Weeknd recognized by Guinness World Records

Indigenous artist 'putting Gitxsan people on the map' in China

A Gitxsan artist from British Columbia is among several artists from around the world chosen to create murals at a mountain village resort in China.

"To be able to put Gitxsan people on the map and shed light on the reality and history of Indigenous people in Canada is something I am very grateful for," Sterritt said.

Angela Sterritt, who is also an award-winning journalist, spent five days painting her mural on a 10-seven-foot wall in a resort on Mount Longhu in Jiangxi, a province in southeast China.

She travelled to China at the invitation of Karl Schutz, a German-born Vancouver man known for establishing an acclaimed series of murals in Chemainus, B.C., in the 1980s. 

Schutz, in turn, was invited to organize the mural project by Steven Liu, a well-known Chinese entertainer, who "wanted to create a global mural attraction in his artisan village," according to Schutz.

"I found Angela's website on line and was amazed about her powerful art ... her painting is awe inspiring," said Schutz.

First Nations artist Angela Sterritt made the journey to China with her young son, Namawan, who also helped with the project. (Supplied)

Sterritt made the journey with her young son, Namawan, who also helped with the project.

The mural Sterritt painted is a re-creation of one of her existing works, called First Contact, which she says is about the resilience and strength of Indigenous women. It is a striking image is of an Indigenous woman facing the viewer, while helicopters hover behind.

"It depicts a woman whose connection and love for her community, family, the land and her culture eclipse fear instilled in us at the time of first contact," Sterritt said.

"As a Gitxsan woman, I've been gifted Sip' xw hligetdin — the strength to speak out — through my art and as a journalist. This piece speaks to Indigenous women rising from the ashes [using] what has been within her all along — her culture, in this case from the Wolf Clan, an Owl Crest and a Big Raven House."

Challenges worth it

Sterritt describes the experience of being in a mountain resort in China as "nothing short of incredible," especially the food and the beautiful scenery.  

It wasn't without challenges, however.

"We also were faced with very, very hot weather, peaking at about 38 degrees daily, so often it was too dangerous to work. There were also several thunder storms, which meant less time to work as the heavy rain and wind would wash fresh paint or chalk away," Sterritt said. 

The mural Sterritt painted is a re-creation of one of her existing works, called First Contact, which she says is about the resilience and strength of Indigenous women. (Supplied)

Working through a Chinese translator was challenge, she said. Also she injured her feet while climbing down from a scaffold and in the heat, the wounds soon became infected.

Still, Sterritt said the overall experience of sharing her work, providing an image of contemporary Indigenous peoples without stereotypes, and the story of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls made everything worth it.

"I have talked about the MMIW stories I've reported and written about here, and people are completely shocked, and so for me, maybe my art will provide a small glimpse of seeing our people in a different, more accurate light."

Tune in to The Candy Palmater Show 1 p.m., Wednesday, August 31, to hear a feature interview with Angela Sterritt.

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Indigenous artist 'putting Gitxsan people on the map' in China

Margaret Atwood tries new wings with Angel Catbird graphic novel

Coloured pencils were never in short supply during Margaret Atwood's childhood, and she put them to good use.

"I was always a visual person," the famed Canadian author said during a recent interview in Toronto.

"I spent a lot of time as a child drawing, probably because I had the materials for it, whereas I didn't have the materials for music, because I grew up in the bush a lot, and there wasn't a piano....

"I never had the piano-playing upbringing that a lot of children my age would have had," she added. "I always had coloured pencils."

Atwood recalled the huge outburst of comic books in the late 1940s which had both kids and adults enthralled, from the characters and strips in daily newspapers to the coloured comics in free weekend supplements.

The cover of the graphic novel Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood is seen in this undated handout photo. (Penguin Random House Canada-HO/CP)

She created a few superheroes of her own as a kid, drawing cats with wings. In the '70s, the author translated her artistic talent to the Kanadian Kultchur Komix strip in This Magazine, and a bit later, the Book Tour Comix strip she'd send to her publishers at Christmas to "make them feel guilty."

With the release of Angel Catbird from Dark Horse Books on Sept. 6, Atwood's love of comics fostered in her earlier years is fully taking flight in her new graphic novel.

The author of such works as The Blind Assassin, The Edible Woman and MaddAddam teamed with artist Johnnie Christmas and colourist Tamra Bonvillain to illustrate Atwood's story of Strig Feleedus, a young genetic engineer who finds himself the unwitting subject of his own experiment.

One evening, Feleedus becomes accidentally mutated in an unlikely mishap involving a cat, an owl and his own DNA. While contending with outside forces, Angel Catbird must also face his own ongoing internal struggles, with the duelling animal and human identities clawing at and clashing with each other.

Comic book with a conscience

The literary legend had a chance to gain exposure to a wide array of comic creators and fans of the genre when she attended Comic-Con in San Diego earlier this summer.

"The community is quite accepting of just about everything," said Atwood, who is slated to appear at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto on Saturday.

"If you run into somebody that's got a face mask on that makes them look like a decaying corpse, you just think: 'OK, that's the decaying corpse guy — welcome!"' she added with a laugh.

"They're nice to each other, and there's a lot of diversity in it, and that's pretty refreshing in our world of today."

Atwood seeks to make Angel Catbird more than a standard superhero fable but a comic book with conscience, using the format as a way to bring awareness to bird conservation.

Nature Canada contributes statistics, which appear in banners throughout the novel. The conservation charity also draws attention to its .SafeCatSafeBird outreach campaign in an effort to make cat owners aware of the risks of letting felines roam freely, highlighting the potential dangers to their own lives as well as the harm they can cause to birds.

"Migratory songbirds — the ones that eat the insects in our boreal forests — they're showing a sharp decline in numbers. So that is economically bad for us," Atwood said. "If you want a self-interested reason to be concerned about birds, that's it.

"We should all be working to up their numbers because the more dead trees you get from insect infestations, the more forest fires you're going to get."

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Margaret Atwood tries new wings with Angel Catbird graphic novel

Bruce Springsteen wraps up Jersey dates with longest-ever U.S. show

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band couldn't leave New Jersey without breaking another record.

Tuesday night's concert at MetLife Stadium ended four hours after it started, breaking the previous record for the group's longest U.S. show of three hours, 59 minutes set at MetLife last Thursday.

Springsteen, who turns 67 next month, played 25 songs in the main setlist and further nine in the encore, ending with his frequently performed cover of Jersey Girl by Tom Waits.

While Springsteen has been touring in support of his reissue of 1980's The River, Tuesday's show began with 10 songs that were released on his first two albums in the early 1970s, Greetings from Asbury Park and The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle.

For Spirt in the Night from Greetings, Springsteen was joined onstage by singer Rickie Lee Jones.

Springsteen told the audience his three recent shows at the Meadowlands in New Jersey were "most enjoyable."

The Boss' longest show ever was four hours, 6 minutes in Helsinki, Finland, in 2012.

The River Tour 2016, which kicked off in January, ends in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sept. 14.

Springsteen's memoir, Born to Run, will be released on Sept. 27, and his manager Jon Landau told Billboard earlier this summer that his next music project is a solo album, describing it as "a very different kind of record."

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Bruce Springsteen wraps up Jersey dates with longest-ever U.S. show

Selena Gomez cancels Canadian concerts to focus on battling lupus, anxiety

Two pop mega-concerts scheduled in Atlantic Canada this weekend have been cancelled, the promoter says, after headliner Selena Gomez pulled out of the shows.

The 24-year-old pop star has cancelled her upcoming appearances in Paradise, N.L., and Moncton, N.B., due to health concerns, according to David Carver Music.

The organizers of AtlanticFest 2016, said late Tuesday that refund information for the two Atlantic Canadian stops would be available next week.

"David Carver Music firstly extends our thoughts and well wishes to Ms. Gomez. David Carver Music and Atlantic Canadian music fans stand with her on the decision to put her health first," the promoter said.

ANNOUNCEMENT http://pic.twitter.com/W0dK1Kr49z

— @AtlanticFestCa

Gomez was set to play in Paradise on Saturday and Moncton on Sunday, accompanied by Flo Rida and DNCE. 

The singer told People magazine on Tuesday that she was taking a break to focus on her health. Gomez has been diagnosed with lupus, and says she has been dealing with anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

"I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off," she reportedly said in a statement.

Confirmation of cancellation of Selena Gomez performance in Paradise comes as stage almost built. @CBCNL http://pic.twitter.com/BoS6Un6lAl

— @etheridr

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Selena Gomez cancels Canadian concerts to focus on battling lupus, anxiety

PlayStation 4 Slim images appear weeks before Sony press event

Several images and videos of a slimmer Sony PlayStation 4 console have surfaced online, weeks ahead of its expected announcement.

Images first appeared earlier this month on an online auction site. It showed a PlayStation 4 with smaller dimensions and rounded edges, as well as a slightly redesigned controller, complete with packaging showing the new model.

Gaming site Eurogamer "visited the person who claimed to have bought the console" from the auction listing, taking photos and video of the new model. The site briefly posted the video, before taking it down "upon taking legal advice." But the images remain online.

Twitter user @shortman82 posted several photos of the PS4 Slim, including some alongside the current PS4 model as a size comparison.

@GameOverGreggy @MarsRSA Anything for you Greg ;-) http://pic.twitter.com/ZRH66i9qRr

— @shortmaneighty2

@Tenkay23 That is the little led lights i was talking about ;-) http://pic.twitter.com/MvLclEdn3L

— @shortmaneighty2

The Wall Street Journal corroborated the rumours and images with its own report, saying that a refreshed PS4 would indeed be announced alongside the PS4 Neo, a more powerful version able to play games at 4K resolution.

Sony is widely expected to announce the PS4 Neo at a press event Sept. 7 in New York — the same day that Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone at a similar event.

Freelancer Laura Kate posted an unboxing video of the PS4 Slim, seemingly confirming the details from earlier images and reports. (Laura Kate/YouTube)

Freelance games journalist Laura Kate uploaded a video of her own on Tuesday, showing another model with the same form factor and redesigned controller. She also hooked it up to a television to confirm it was a working console.

Sony hasn't commented on any of the rumours or images of the PS4 Slim.

Console revamps

The console gaming market has been in the middle of a refresh, three years after the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One machines.

Microsoft announced a more powerful version of the Xbox One, codenamed Project Scorpio, designed to play games at full 4K resoluion (a step up from the standard 1080p resolution), while still making games compatible with existing Xbox One models.

It launched the Xbox One S, a slimmed down version of the standard Xbox One earlier this month.

Microsoft's Xbox One S laid atop the larger 2013 version of the Xbox One console. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

If reports of the PS4 Slim and PS4 Neo play out as expected next week, Sony will be on similar footing with Microsoft's product line refresh. 

Meanwhile, Nintendo is keeping mum about its latest console, codenamed NX. It's rumoured to be a brand new console that takes cues from its current Wii U and 3DS machines, but isn't backwards compatible with them. The NX is due out in March of next year.

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PlayStation 4 Slim images appear weeks before Sony press event

Every Tragically Hip album finds a place on latest Canadian Billboard chart

Canada's insatiable appetite for the Tragically Hip sent the rock band's entire discography back onto the Billboard charts last week.

All 17 Hip albums, ranging from their debut EP to their most recent Man Machine Poem, found spots on the Billboard Canadian Albums in the wake of the much-anticipated CBC broadcast of their final tour stop in Kingston, Ont.

Sitting at No. 1, ahead of Frank Ocean's Blonde, was the band's 2005 release Yer Favourites, a greatest hits compilation that was chosen by their fans through a vote on the band's website. The album saw its total consumption rise 238 per cent, pushing it up a spot from second place a week earlier.

Also finding positions in the Top 10 were this year's Man Machine Poem, holding steady at No. 6, 1992's Fully Completely, which climbed to eight from 39, and 1989's Up To Here, which shifted to ninth place from 28 last week.

The Hip's other albums, which include a number of live concert recordings, also found spots on the chart.

Billboard's Canadian album chart is tallied by Nielsen Music and based on album sales, digital song sales and audio on-demand streams.

Interest in the Hip skyrocketed earlier this year when frontman Gord Downie revealed he has terminal brain cancer, but planned to launch a tour across much of the country anyway.

Tickets to the shows sold out almost immediately, leading to CBC picking up a national broadcast of the final tour stop in Kingston. The concert quickly became a major event as fans made plans to host viewing parties and some local communities organized their own public screenings.

CBC's broadcast of the concert averaged just over four million viewers, according to the network.

Overall, the band's total album sales rose 157 per cent from the previous week, Nielsen Music reported, while digital song sales were up 342 per cent and online streams are up 185 per cent.

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Every Tragically Hip album finds a place on latest Canadian Billboard chart

Police respond to singer Chris Brown's home

Los Angeles police have been called to singer Chris Brown's home.

Authorities said officers responded after a woman called police seeking assistance.

Police Lt. Chris Ramirez told reporters that the call came early Tuesday from outside the residence in the Tarzana neighbourhood.

Ramirez didn't say what assistance the woman needed. He says detectives hope to talk to Brown, the woman, and any witnesses.

Officer Lyle Knight tells The Associated Press that police are waiting for a judge to approve a search warrant for the home in the San Fernando Valley area.

Brown, just after 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, posted a profane rant to Instagram, claiming that he was asleep and awakened by police helicopters. He also said he has been busy working and taking care of his daughter.

The singer pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge after a 2009 incident with Rihanna, his girflriend at the time. According to a police affidavit, Brown tried to push her from a car and repeatedly hit and choked her.

Brown was jailed in 2014 for nearly three months for violating his probation by getting into an altercation outside a Washington hotel.

The offences have led to immigration problems for Brown in the United Kingdom, Australian and in Canada.

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Police respond to singer Chris Brown's home

Sturgill Simpson slams country music industry over Merle Haggard award

Miranda Lambert on Tuesday night will receive the Merle Haggard Spirit Award at the Academy of Country Music Honors ceremony, but one country singer is having none of it.

Sturgill Simpson went on a rant on his Facebook page Monday at what he called the "unjust treatment of a music legend" due to the creation of the new award.

Haggard died in April at age 79. He was a prominent figure of the outlaw country movement and pioneer of the rougher-edged, California-born Bakersfield sound, which was a reaction to the slickly produced, strings-laden music emerging from Nashville.

Simpson feels the award is exploiting Haggard and against what the rebellious artist, whose classics included Mama Tried and Sing Me Back Home, stood for.

"If the ACM wants to actually celebrate the legacy and music of Merle Haggard, they should drop all the formulaic cannon fodder bullshit they've been pumping down rural America's throat for the last 30 years along with all the high school pageantry, meat parade award show bullshit and start dedicating their programs to more actual country music," said Simpson.

Miranda Lambert and Merle Haggard are show in December 2014 at a Nashville music industry event. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)

The Kentucky-born Simpson just finished off 11 Canadian dates this month in support of his third full-length release, A Sailor's Guide to Earth, and resumes his tour in September in the U.S.

Simpson predicted he would be "blackballed" by the industry. He also took pains to say that he has no issue with Lambert as an artist, although he added, "something tells me that in her heart, she knows I'm dead on."

Lambert has yet to publicly comment.

Reaction to his post online was mixed, with one pointing out the ACM Awards were originally based out of California and not on Nashville's Music Row.

The ACM Honors will be broadcast in the U.S. on CBS on Sept. 9.

Sturgill Simpson is great but he doesn't need to have a confrontation with ACM over a nonsensical award unless he wants to build his brand.

— @sterlewine

Ok now I know what Sturgill said and I still agree

— @JasonIsbell

Today's to-do list: song review, write new ep. of Unforgettable Country, attend meeting on ways to blackball @SturgillSimpson. Whoops!

— @billydukes

Read Simpson's full rant (warning: contains explicit language)

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Sturgill Simpson slams country music industry over Merle Haggard award

Canadian James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Lochte to compete on Dancing with the Stars

Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe is taking a lap around the dance floor.

The 29-year-old Oakville, Ont., native will appear on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.

"Oh boy, we are really doing this!" the star driver tweeted Tuesday. "Trading Stop n Go boots for dance shoes!"

ABC says Hinchcliffe's partner will be Sharna Burgess.

Hinchcliffe makes his appearance just under a year-and-a-half are being rushed to hospital in critical condition after an accident in an Indianapolis 500 practice run. Hinchcliffe suffered massive bleeding from a leg injury and required two surgeries, but returned to the racing track over four months later.

Oh boy, we are really doing this! Trading Stop n Go boots for dance shoes! Any tips, @h3lio? @DancingABC #DWTS https://t.co/XN9bIkp74r

— @Hinchtown

Despite his current legal woes, 12-time Olympic medallist Ryan Lochte was named Tuesday as one of the contestants.

Lochte admits he lied about having a gun held to his head at a Rio de Janeiro gas station, where he and three other American swimmers had stopped to use a restroom. Lochte says he has offered to reimburse fellow swimmer James Feigen for a nearly $11,000 fine Feigen paid to resolve legal issues and leave the country.

Brazil wants Lochte to return to face a charge of filing a false police report, but he told ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday his legal team is dealing with the situation, adding "we're just trying to get this over with."

Former Texas governor Rick Perry will make history, meanwhile, as the first U.S. presidential candidate to appear on the show. Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay previously appeared on the show.

The 23rd edition of the show, premiering Sept. 12, also features recording artists Babyface and Vanilla Ice; model and former Kanye West flame Amber Rose; Terra Jole from the reality show Little Women; actors Jake T. Austin, Marilu Henner, Jana Kramer and Maureen McCormick; Rio Olympics gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernandez and recently retired NFL star Calvin Johnson.

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Canadian James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Lochte to compete on Dancing with the Stars

Winnipeg Tragically Hip fan dead of same brain cancer Gord Downie has

Joanne Schiewe held on long enough to take in what could be Gord Downie's final concert in Winnipeg, but on Monday, just weeks after the show, she lost her battle with brain cancer.

Schiewe, who recently celebrated her 36th birthday, lived just past the six to 18 months she was told she would likely survive.

Schiewe was a big Tragically Hip fan who had glioblastoma, the same form of terminal brain cancer that Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie has.

Downie announced his diagnosis in May and the band set off on its summer tour, which wrapped up on Aug. 20 in the band's hometown of Kingston, Ont.

Schiewe and her partner Jared Spier were excited to get a few tickets to the recent Hip show at the MTS Centre. After their initial attempt to buy tickets online failed, Hip fans banded together and donated tickets to the pair.

Joanne Schiewe and her partner Jared Spier were worried she might not make it to the Hip's show in Winnipeg. (CBC)

But in the days before the concert, Schiewe's condition worsened, leaving them worried she might not survive long enough to catch Downie on stage one last time.

Schiewe was an avid runner and helped raise thousands of dollars for brain cancer research. She was inducted into the Manitoba Runners' Association Hall of Fame for contributions she made to the community.

Rather than mourn her passing, Spier said the family is celebrating the life Schiewe led.

Jared Spier, here with Joanne Schiewe, said family and friends are celebrating her life. (Submitted to CBC)

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Winnipeg Tragically Hip fan dead of same brain cancer Gord Downie has

'I am a songwriter': Taylor Swift reports for jury duty

A Nashville judge dismissed pop star Taylor Swift as a potential juror in an aggravated rape and kidnapping case on Monday, Davidson County District Attorney General's Office spokesman Ken Whitehouse said.

"She asked to be left off out of concern for an upcoming trial in Denver where she was — she used the term 'groped' — by a fan at a meet-and-greet," Whitehouse said.

Swift told the judge she would be more than willing to serve on a jury in any other type of case, he said.

Potential juror Taylor Swift, right, poses for a photo with Bryan Merville in a courthouse waiting area in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday. (Bryan Merville via AP)

In the Denver case, Swift filed a counterclaim last year after a former radio host sued her.

David Mueller claimed he lost his job after a member of Swift's security team falsely accused him of grabbing the singer's buttocks backstage during a 2013 photo session. Muller claimed the person who assaulted Swift was actually one of his superiors.

Swift's counterclaim states, "Ms. Swift knows exactly who committed the assault."

Before Swift was dismissed from the jury pool on Monday, she took time to chat and take selfies with other potential jurors.

When asked her occupation, she told the judge, "I am a songwriter," according to the Tennessean.

Bryan Merville, who owns a technology infrastructure company, said he took a photo with Swift for his daughters, who are huge fans. He said he was one of about 140 people waiting in a holding area Monday morning before they were called to separate courtrooms. About 15-20 asked Swift for a photo or autograph.

"She's about as famous as they come, but she couldn't have been nicer," Merville said. "She took the time to talk to every person who asked her for a picture."

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'I am a songwriter': Taylor Swift reports for jury duty