A United States judge has ruled that Alphabet’s Google illegally dominated two markets for online advertising technology, dealing another blow to the tech titan in an antitrust case brought by the US government.
On Thursday, US District Judge Leonie Brinkema, in Alexandria, Virginia, ruled that Google unlawfully monopolised markets for publisher ad servers and the market for ad exchanges, which sit between buyers and sellers. Antitrust enforcers failed to show the company had a monopoly in advertiser ad networks, she wrote.
The ruling could allow prosecutors to argue for a breakup of Google’s advertising products. The US Department of Justice has said that Google should have to sell off at least its Google Ad Manager, which includes the company’s publisher ad server and its ad exchange.
Google will now face the possibility of two different US courts ordering it to sell assets or change its business practices.
A judge in Washington will hold a trial next week on the DOJ’s request to make Google sell its Chrome browser and take other measures to end its dominance in online search.
Google has previously explored selling off its ad exchange to appease European antitrust regulators.
Brinkema oversaw a three-week trial last year on claims brought by the DOJ and a coalition of states.
Google used classic monopoly-building tactics of eliminating competitors through acquisitions, locking customers into using its products, and controlling how transactions occurred in the online ad market, prosecutors said at the trial.
Google argued the case focused on the past, when the company was still working on making its tools able to connect to competitors ‘ products. Prosecutors also ignored competition from technology companies, including Amazon.com and Comcast, as digital advertisement spending shifted to apps and streaming video, Google’s lawyer said.
Newcastle have won five Premier League games in a row to surge into third place, but can they continue that run when they visit in-form Aston Villa on Saturday?
According to BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton, “the race for a Champions League spot is well and truly on.”
“Aston Villa are right in the mix for the top five too, but the thing that stands out for me about Newcastle is that they look like they have got loads of energy”.
Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.
He joins DJ &, producer Sherelle, a fan of Arsenal, for week 33.
Her debut album, With A Vengeance, is out now.
Do you concur with their evaluations? You can make your own predictions below.
The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page.
With an impressive late victory over Real Madrid and a comfortable Champions League quarter-final victory, Mikel Arteta’s side have won another memorable week for Arsenal fans.
“I was always really confident we would not just pull through but do really well against them”, Sherelle told BBC Sport.
“We’d scored the goals in the first leg so all we really had to do was keep them out. That didn’t matter because it meant the game was slower and less exciting.
” It’s exciting to be in the semi-finals but there is still work to do.
“When we fell at the last hurdle to claim these bigger cups, which was always what struck me hardest growing up as an Arsenal fan.
” I had to have a bit of time out and stop watching Arsenal for a while after the 2006 final against Barcelona because of the shock of how that loss happened, with everything unravelling for us in the final few minutes.
“We had a few years after that when we struggled a bit and I couldn’t deal with what I was seeing because I was born in the 1990s and my era was the time of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires.
You could not really dispute how amazing Arsenal were when I was in primary school for the “Invincibles” season.
Whatever happens in the semi-final against Paris St-Germain, or the final in Munich should the Gunners get there, Sherelle feels Mikel Arteta’s team have a bright future.
It was difficult for me to see our level decline while I was growing up because I witnessed such incredible things, but I’m glad to see it rebound,” she continued.
“Look, it would be really nice to win the Premier League again at some point, but people have to remember that we are still finishing high up the table – we’ve been second for the past couple of years – which was not the case for a few seasons.
“I’m very happy with where we are right now, and I can see some exciting things coming up.” If we do win the Champions League, it could be the start of something very special, but if we don’t then this team is not going away.
Premier League predictions
Saturday, 19 April
What data are gathered from this quiz?
Brighton have had a bit of a dip in form and started conceding a few goals, so their hopes of breaking into the top five are probably gone now.
Even so, the 10th-placed Seagulls are one of those teams that can wallop someone just when you think you’re going to write them off.
I don’t expect that to happen on Saturday, however. The Bees are always difficult to beat, despite having a bad run and only one place below them in the table.
The more I think about it, the more it smells of a draw. I am pretty sure the BBC readers are going to go for a draw too, so we all agree on this one.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1.
What data are gathered from this quiz?
On Wednesday, Newcastle won 5-0 over Crystal Palace, especially on the break, and I was there.
The Eagles should really have levelled after going 1-0 down, but Eberechi Eze made a mess of his penalty and the game was over by half-time.
How can I support Palace after they have scored ten goals in two games against Manchester City? It has been a bad week for them.
I am not exactly convinced by Bournemouth either, though. They ended a poor run by beating Fulham on Monday but they have looked a little tired of late, and don’t have as much firepower as Newcastle or Manchester City.
The way they handled the Magpies is what worries me about Palace. They need a response to that poor performance, and I think we might get one from them at Selhurst Park. Eze won’t likely be able to play as well once more.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1.
What data are gathered from this quiz?
I’m looking forward to playing this game on Radio 5 Live. It is so hard to call, because of where both teams are at.
Everton will work hard, of course, but they are also very capable of winning this if they are as ‘ in your face ‘ as they can be, and upset City’s rhythm.
If Pep Guardiola’s side plays like they did against Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago but don’t really get going, they will get turned over.
On the other hand, City really caught fire after almost going 3-0 down against Palace last week. You can never be sure what you will receive from them in each half, let alone game to game, if they play that way.
So, it is hard to know how the game will pan out. Everton will not be overly expansive or bothered about possession and will pick their moments when they throw Abdoulaye Doucoure forward.
I can see them scoring, but they will be direct and Beto will fall behind, so I’m guessing City will win in some ways. They have to, really, because they are under pressure to make the top five.
Prior to the record-breaking 132-year run of Goodison’s earliest scoring, Doucoure scored in the 132-year span of 10.18 seconds in a game against Leicester in February, beating my attempt for Blackburn in 1995, who scored in 12.94 seconds.
That’s still the fastest goal scored there by an away player, though, so hopefully no-one manages a quicker one before the end of the season – especially when I am there to talk about it as co-commentator.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
What data are gathered from this quiz?
Speaking of records, already-relegated Southampton are still trying to avoid taking one away from Robbie Savage’s Derby for the lowest Premier League points tally.
For them to reach 11 points and bring the Rams’ total from 2007-2008 to 11, they will need a point from their final six games, but they won’t get it here.
West Ham are not in any danger of going down but they will still certainly not want to finish 17th, which is where they are right now.
They played well against Liverpool last time out and still lost, but they won’t need to play as well as they did this time around to earn three points.
Hammers boss Graham Potter could really do with a win, because their fans will want to finish a forgettable season with a bit of optimism, and they should have something to smile about on Saturday.
As for the loyal and long-suffering Southampton fans, well I’ve said before how miserable this season has been for them. By now, I believe I would have switched to supporting Portsmouth, Brighton, or even Bournemouth.
Being serious, I’ve got a lot of admiration for the travelling fans that have stuck with them through this, and I guess the consolation here is that they won’t have a long journey back from London to the south coast.
Sutton’s prediction: 2-0
What data are gathered from this quiz?
Newcastle are the Premier League’s momentum monsters, especially since winning the Carabao Cup, but their excellent form goes back further than that.
Aston Villa, who are seventh-placed in the English Premier League, are also in excellent shape, winning four straight games in the process. Despite overall losing the tie, they excelled in the Champions League quarter-final against Paris St-Germain.
Villa’s comeback on the night, to win 3-2 after falling 2-0 down, took me by surprise but they really showed what they are made of. I think PSG will win this season’s Champions League, but Villa pushed them all the way.
With what is in the top-five race in store, this is going to be a fun game as well as a fiendish one. Who or what decides it might come down to fine margins, and who makes the most of their chances, because both teams are going to get opportunities.
Whoever wins will score for Villa, regardless of their position, but they might want to beat Marco Asensio in penalties. He missed two spot-kicks last weekend against Southampton after I told everyone to watch out for him on the Fantasy 606 pod, which sums up my FPL season and predicting ability in one fell swoop.
You could make an argument for both teams here, but I am going with Newcastle, because of how good they were when I watched them at St James ‘ Park on Wednesday to beat Palace 5-0.
Whoever shoots from the left was absolutely amazing, and Harvey Barnes was electric, just unbelievably good down the left?
With those two playing the way they are, Newcastle are going to keep on winning.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
Sunday, April 20.
What data are gathered from this quiz?
Something is wrong with Chelsea, exactly.
They drew at home to Ipswich last week, for example. I laughed when I saw my guest, Yizzy, had put the Tractor Boys down to get a point but that ended up being the result that killed me.
Everyone seems to be feeling the pressure, based on what Enzo Maresca has said since then, saying that he has since urged the fans to trust him and that the fans have reacted negatively to the crowd’s actions.
He was questioning the fans, but also his players ‘ temperament. Heaven will help those squad in the long run if you consider how many millions have been spent on them and how weak of a character they lack to play the way their manager wants them to be.
This is probably going to be another score draw but I seem to get Fulham wrong whatever I say.
They deserved to get something from their defeat at Bournemouth on Monday, and I am going with them to get a repeat of their win at Stamford Bridge in December.
Sutton’s prediction: 2-1
What data are gathered from this quiz?
After winning the Champions League against Real Madrid, Arsenal will be at such heights.
I am covering this game and while Arteta will probably rest a few players and freshen things up, the Gunners will still have too much nous for Ipswich.
Ipswich’s season probably summed up because they lost to Chelsea last time out and were unable to recover from the defeat, but they deserve praise for doing so.
Ipswich were pretty stubborn when they lost 1-0 at Emirates Stadium in December and I am expecting them to show some resilience this time too, even if they end up with the same result.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-2
Sherelle’s prediction: We are likely to rest players, but I have a feeling that we might actually draw this. I won’t say that, though! 0 – 1
Sherelle’s comment on Arsenal’s Premier League campaign: It’s been quite fitting for us to have drawn with Everton and Brentford in the last few weeks, but I don’t understand why we rested players in those games.
What data are gathered from this quiz?
Wolves have already beaten Manchester United once this season and, on current form, they are favourites this time too.
Vitor Pereira’s side are flying with four straight wins, and we know how inconsistent United are.
Bruno Fernandes has been one of the few United players who can command a high with their performances this year, but Wolves currently look more balanced and make the better team.
United’s whole campaign is still hanging on what happens in the Europa League and we will have to wait and see whether their incredible late comeback to beat Lyon on Thursday to reach the semi-finals changes anything about their awful Premier League form.
I regret having to say this, but I’m hoping for their fans to have another miserable afternoon at Old Trafford, where they have already lost more league games (seven) than they have won (six) this season.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-3
What data are gathered from this quiz?
Leicester ended their long losing run with a draw at Brighton last weekend, but I’m afraid another defeat is on its way for the Foxes here.
Even though Liverpool last time out was as untouchable as anything, they still managed to get past West Ham. They could be even limper against Leicester, and they will still win to move even closer to the title.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-3.
Monday, April 21.
What data are gathered from this quiz?
Tottenham’s Europa League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt will have their stadium buzzing with joy and relief.
But Nottingham Forest are the counter-attack kings and they have the tools to get another win like the one they got over Spurs at the City Ground in December, where they had 30% of possession and still won 1-0.
Forest have hit a bit of a blip of late, though, and they don’t appear to be quite the same force they were a few weeks ago.
A win would be more likely for them to get their top-five bid back on track, and Nuno Espirito Santo would love it when he made a comeback to Tottenham, where he did not spend much time as manager, but a draw seems more likely to me.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1.
How did Sutton do last week?
Chris got five correct results, with no exact scores, from the 10 games in week 32, giving him 50 points.
The BBC readers managed to get four correct outcomes with no exact scores, resulting in a total of 40 points using the most popular scoreline from their overall predictions for each game.
But the weekly win went to Chris’s guest, rapper Yizzy. When he backed Ipswich to earn a surprise point at Chelsea, he was right, and that was crucial to his victory.
His six correct results and no exact scores left him with 60 points and, with six rounds of fixtures left to play, the guests are now above Chris in the predictions league table with the most outright wins.
“This season is all about points, not wins”, Sutton said. I’ve won the previous two, but I wanted to do it differently and with more consistency this time.
There was also a rearranged game this week, Newcastle’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday, which was meant to take place in week 29.
After leading with a 2-1 win over Newcastle, Sutton added 10 points, putting him up with 80 total that week.
weekly victories, ties, and overall results for the 32nd week.
Wins
Ties
Points
Guests
10
4
2,460
Chris
9
4
2,780
You
7
5
2,500
Source: BBC
weekly victories, ties, and overall results for the 32nd week.
Newcastle have won five Premier League games in a row to surge into third place, but can they continue that run when they visit in-form Aston Villa on Saturday?
“The race for a Champions League spot is well and truly on,” said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton.
“Aston Villa are right in the mix for the top five too, but the thing that stands out for me about Newcastle is that they look like they have got loads of energy.”
Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.
For week 33, he takes on DJ & producer Sherelle, who is an Arsenal fan.
Her debut album, With A Vengeance, is out now.
Do you agree with their scores? You can make your own predictions below.
The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page.
It has been another memorable week for Arsenal fans, with Mikel Arteta’s side clinching an impressive late win at the Bernabeu to complete their comfortable Champions League quarter-final victory over holders Real Madrid.
“I was always really confident we would not just pull through but do really well against them,” Sherelle told BBC Sport.
“We’d scored the goals in the first leg so all we really had to do was keep them out. It meant it was a slower game and not as exciting, but that didn’t matter.
“It’s exciting to be in the semi-finals but there is still work to do.
“Growing up as an Arsenal fan, it was always when we fell at the last hurdle to claim these bigger cups that hit me hardest.
“I had to have a bit of time out and stop watching Arsenal for a while after the 2006 final against Barcelona because of the shock of how that loss happened, with everything unravelling for us in the final few minutes.
“We had a few years after that when we struggled a bit and I couldn’t deal with what I was seeing because I was born in the 1990s and my era was the time of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires.
“I was in primary school for the ‘Invincibles’ season when you could not really argue with how amazing Arsenal were.
Whatever happens in the semi-final against Paris St-Germain, or the final in Munich should the Gunners get there, Sherelle feels Mikel Arteta’s team have a bright future.
“I saw us do such incredible things when I was growing up so it was hard to see our level come down so much, although I am very happy to have seen it go back up again,” she added.
“Look, it would be really nice to win the Premier League again at some point, but people have to remember that we are still finishing high up the table – we’ve been second for the past couple of years – which was not the case for a few seasons.
“I am very happy with where we are at the moment, and I can see big things on the horizon. If we do win the Champions League, it could be the start of something very special, but if we don’t then this team is not going away.
Premier League predictions
Saturday, 19 April
What information do we collect from this quiz?
Brighton have had a bit of a dip in form and started conceding a few goals, so their hopes of breaking into the top five are probably gone now.
Even so, the 10th-placed Seagulls are one of those teams where just when you think about writing them off, they will come up with a performance and wallop someone.
I don’t expect that to happen on Saturday, however. Brentford are only one place below them in the table and although they are not on a great run either, the Bees are always hard to beat.
The more I think about it, the more it smells of a draw. I am pretty sure the BBC readers are going to go for a draw too, so we all agree on this one.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
What information do we collect from this quiz?
I was at St James’ Park on Wednesday and Newcastle were brilliant in their 5-0 win over Crystal Palace, especially on the break.
The Eagles should really have levelled after going 1-0 down, but Eberechi Eze made a mess of his penalty and the game was over by half-time.
It has been a bad week for Palace, who also conceded five goals against Manchester City on Saturday, and how can I back them after they have shipped 10 goals in two games?
I am not exactly convinced by Bournemouth either, though. They ended a poor run by beating Fulham on Monday but they have looked a little tired of late, and don’t have as much firepower as Newcastle or Manchester City.
My concern about Palace is how passive they looked against the Magpies. They need a response to that poor performance, and I think we might get one from them at Selhurst Park. Surely Eze can’t play as badly again.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
What information do we collect from this quiz?
I am at this game for Radio 5 Live and am looking forward to it. It is so hard to call, because of where both teams are at.
Everton will work hard, of course, but they are also very capable of winning this if they are as ‘in your face’ as they can be, and upset City’s rhythm.
If Pep Guardiola’s side play like they did against Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago, and don’t really get going, then they are going to get turned over.
On the other hand, City really caught fire after almost going 3-0 down against Palace last week. If they play like that, they will win – but you are never quite sure what you are going to get from them in each half at the moment, let alone game to game.
So, it is hard to know how the game will pan out. Everton will not be overly expansive or bothered about possession and will pick their moments when they throw Abdoulaye Doucoure forward.
They will be direct and Beto will run in behind, and I definitely see them scoring, but I am still going with City to edge this, somehow. They have to, really, because they are under pressure to make the top five.
I held the record for the fastest goal scored at Goodison in its 132-year history until Doucoure scored after 10.18 seconds against Leicester in February, beating my effort for Blackburn after 12.94 seconds in 1995.
That’s still the fastest goal scored there by an away player, though, so hopefully no-one manages a quicker one before the end of the season – especially when I am there to talk about it as co-commentator.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
What information do we collect from this quiz?
Speaking of records, already-relegated Southampton are still trying to avoid taking one away from Robbie Savage’s Derby for the lowest Premier League points tally.
They need a point from their final six games to make it to 11 points and equal the Rams’ total from 2007-08, but they are not going to get it here.
West Ham are not in any danger of going down but they will still certainly not want to finish 17th, which is where they are right now.
They were decent against Liverpool last time out, and still lost, but they won’t have to play as well as they did at Anfield to take three points this time.
Hammers boss Graham Potter could really do with a win, because their fans will want to finish a forgettable season with a bit of optimism, and they should have something to smile about on Saturday.
As for the loyal and long-suffering Southampton fans, well I’ve said before how miserable this season has been for them. I think I’d have switched to supporting Bournemouth, Brighton or even Portsmouth by now.
Being serious, I’ve got a lot of admiration for the travelling fans that have stuck with them through this, and I guess the consolation here is that they won’t have a long journey back from London to the south coast.
Sutton’s prediction: 2-0
What information do we collect from this quiz?
Newcastle are the Premier League’s momentum monsters, especially since winning the Carabao Cup, but their excellent form goes back further than that.
Seventh-placed Aston Villa are also in great shape, on a run of four successive league wins, and although they lost the tie overall, they were sensational in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris St-Germain.
Villa’s comeback on the night, to win 3-2 after falling 2-0 down, took me by surprise but they really showed what they are made of. I think PSG will win this season’s Champions League, but Villa pushed them all the way.
This is going to be a cracking game, and also a feisty one with what is at stake in the top-five race. Who or what decides it might come down to fine margins, and who makes the most of their chances, because both teams are going to get opportunities.
Villa will score, whoever they play up top, although maybe they should take Marco Asensio off penalties. He missed two spot-kicks last weekend against Southampton after I told everyone to watch out for him on the Fantasy 606 pod, which sums up my FPL season and predicting ability in one fell swoop.
You could make an argument for both teams here, but I am going with Newcastle, because of how good they were when I watched them at St James’ Park on Wednesday to beat Palace 5-0.
Harvey Barnes was electric, just unbelievably good down the left, and the same goes for Jacob Murphy on the other flank – his opening goal was absolutely amazing, because who shoots from there?
With those two playing the way they are, Newcastle are going to keep on winning.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
Sunday, 20 April
What information do we collect from this quiz?
There is something not right at Chelsea.
They drew at home to Ipswich last week, for example. I laughed when I saw my guest, Yizzy, had put the Tractor Boys down to get a point but that ended up being the result that killed me.
From what boss Enzo Maresca has said since then, by asking the fans to trust him and saying the players are affected by the crowd, everyone seems to be feeling the pressure.
He was questioning the fans, but also his players’ temperament. If you think about how many millions have been spent on that squad, then if they don’t have the strength of character to play the way their manager wants, then heaven help them in the long run.
This is probably going to be another score draw but I seem to get Fulham wrong whatever I say.
They deserved to get something from their defeat at Bournemouth on Monday, and I am going with them to get a repeat of their win at Stamford Bridge in December.
Sutton’s prediction: 2-1
What information do we collect from this quiz?
Arsenal will be on such a high after their Champions League win over Real Madrid.
I am covering this game and while Arteta will probably rest a few players and freshen things up, the Gunners will still have too much nous for Ipswich.
It probably summed up Ipswich’s season that they went 2-0 up against Chelsea last time out and could not see out the win, but they deserve credit for giving it a good go.
Ipswich were pretty stubborn when they lost 1-0 at Emirates Stadium in December and I am expecting them to show some resilience this time too, even if they end up with the same result.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-2
Sherelle’s prediction: We are probably going to rest players and my gut feeling is we might actually draw this – I am not going to say that though! 0-1
Sherelle on Arsenal’s Premier League campaign: It’s been quite humbling for us to mix beating Real with drawing with Everton and Brentford in the past couple of weeks, but I get why we have rested players in those games to prioritise that tie.
What information do we collect from this quiz?
Wolves have already beaten Manchester United once this season and, on current form, they are favourites this time too.
Vitor Pereira’s side are flying with four straight wins, and we know how inconsistent United are.
I am going to give Bruno Fernandes a goal, because he has been one of the few United players who can hold their head up high with their performances this season, but at the moment Wolves look well-balanced, and they are the better team.
United’s whole campaign is hanging on what happens in the Europa League tie against Lyon on Thursday but, win or lose there, I don’t think what happens there changes anything about their awful Premier League form.
I am sorry to say this but their fans are going to have another miserable afternoon at Old Trafford, where they have already lost more league games (seven) than they have won (six) this season.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-3
What information do we collect from this quiz?
Leicester ended their long losing run with a draw at Brighton last weekend, but I’m afraid another defeat is on its way for the Foxes here.
Liverpool were as limp as anything against West Ham last time out, but they still got over the line. They could be even limper against Leicester, and they will still win to move even closer to the title.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-3
Monday, 21 April
What information do we collect from this quiz?
If Spurs get past Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday, then their stadium will be absolutely buzzing with relief and jubilation on Monday.
On the other hand, if Tottenham lose in Germany, then the atmosphere could get quite nasty and that could affect their players.
Nottingham Forest are the counter-attack kings and they have the tools to get another win like the one they got over Spurs at the City Ground in December, where they had 30% of possession but won 1-0.
Forest have hit a bit of a blip of late, though, and they don’t appear to be quite the same force they were a few weeks ago.
They are desperate for a win to get their top-five bid back on track and Nuno Espirito Santo’s would love to get it on his return to Tottenham, where he did not last long as manager, but a draw feels more likely to me.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
How did Sutton do last week?
Chris got five correct results, with no exact scores, from the 10 games in week 32, giving him 50 points.
Using the most popular scoreline from their predictions for each game, the BBC readers got four correct results with no exact scores, for a total of 40 points.
But the weekly win went to Chris’s guest, rapper Yizzy. He was right when he backed Ipswich to get a surprise point at Chelsea and that proved crucial in his victory.
His six correct results and no exact scores left him with 60 points and, with six rounds of fixtures left to play, the guests are now above Chris in the predictions league table with the most outright wins.
“This season is all about points, not wins,” Sutton said. “I have won the last two seasons, and I wanted to do it differently this time, and show more consistency.”
There was also a rearranged game this week, Newcastle’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday, which was meant to take place in week 29.
Sutton picked up 10 more points after going for a 2-1 Newcastle win, leaving him with a total of 80 points that week.
Callie Twisselman opens up to the Mirror about her love of Dolly Parton, life growing up on the ranch, song-writing and what the future holds in a wide-ranging chat while on her UK tour
Callie opens up to the Mirror in a wide-ranging chat(Image: Supplied)
After wowing at C2C: Country to Country, at London’s O2 Arena, the future looks bright for Callie Twisselman.
We caught up with her for a spot of lunch in the capital in the middle of her UK tour which has been going down a storm. From signing a deal with Dolly Parton’s manager, to growing up on her family’s seventh-generation grain and cattle ranch in California, Callie opened up about life in the spotlight….and what the future holds.
Country music is a massive over here…how have you found playing C2C again? So many have come up to me from the last time I played, saying they had been following my career ever since. It’s so humbling.
In terms of your creative process, how do you go about writing music? Are you quite set in your ways? I’ll take something off the top of my head, and then just kind of start with a melody on the guitar and then write the lyrics. But sometimes it’s like, (my manager) Danny telling me, ‘Hey, that’s a good song title…why don’t you roll with it.’ So I do!
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Do enjoy the lyric writing process? I’ve written songs since I was 15, and I started out with poems, so words have always been kind of an easy thing for me, but I also enjoy it a lot. Sometimes you’ll get writer’s block, and then it’s aggravating, but it hasn’t happened too much, thankfully.
Is your music quite autobiographical? Sometimes it can feel like I am writing in a diary. So it can be a lot of your own experiences, but then you do have to make them a little more interesting sometimes, and jazz them up a little bit.
Do you find that process of putting some of the more personal lyrics out there quite nerve wracking? When I was first starting out, I felt like I had to hide certain things, as I didn’t want people to think that about me. Then I learned along the way that the more open you are and honest, the more people can relate to that.
Hot property: Callie Twisselman(Image: Instagram/callietwiss)
You’ve met Dolly Parton quite a few times…what was that like and what advice did she give you? She’s always so sweet. She talked to me about sacrifice, and how that was one of the things she said she had to do. And if you want to get to where you want to be, you have to sacrifice things
What have you sacrificed? I’ve sacrificed relationships. Just focusing on the music takes you away from time with family or loved ones. But you have to make choices.
Has that been hard, though, making those decisions? I had to move away from California, and that was a tough one at first. But then I love Nashville, because it’s Music City, and it felt like that’s where I was meant to be. So that was a good, tough choice.
You interviewed Dolly on International Women’s Day and she talked about how she leaned on her family…have you done the same? They’re very supportive. My parents and my siblings have always supported my music. My mum was trying to be a singer when she was younger, and I was in a local country band, and so her and my father have always loved country music, and I think they live vicariously through me.
Can you recall your mum when she was singing? I remember I’d have the tambourine, and she would sing Patsy Cline and all that sort of vibe. I thought I want to do that, so I started singing the national anthem everywhere. I was 10.
You moved to Nashville from California to follow your musical dreams. Were your parents worried? My mum was, of course, nervous. She was like, ‘you’re going 2000 miles away from home.’ But they were very supportive about the music, and I knew it’s always what I wanted to do, and they just always encouraged me to chase my dreams.
How close are you to them? I talk to them every day on the phone if I’m not with them or I visit California every couple months. I help out on the family ranch when needed
What does helping out on the ranch look like? Well, we have cattle, so I help vaccinate them, or move them to another field and check their waters. We have horses too. I love to just do my part.
Were you ever minded to do that full time? (laughs) It’s always gonna be there if I need it.
Callie Twisselman is managed by Dolly Parton’s manager(Image: Instagram/callietwiss)
When the opportunity came to work with Danny Nozell (Dolly Parton’s manager) did you jump at the chance? Absolutely. Danny met all my family and really loved them. I remember him saying ‘there’s sharks out there and you can’t be taken advantage of.’ He’s been great ever since.
We talked about the creative process, and occasionally you get writer’s block. What do you do in that situation? I try not to force it, because I know when that happens, nothing good comes out of it. Not good music. I just take a break and live a little bit – not too long, because I obviously want to keep writing – but try to get inspiration. So then it’ll come out naturally. But then co-writes always help too. If you are stuck, other people can give some ideas.
A lot of people look at people like Taylor Swift and how she keeps evolving musically from country to pop and even into folk. Has there ever been any sort of pressure on you to adapt your sound? No pressure ever, really. But like I also grew up loving Shania Twain and she was able to cross over. And I’ve always loved both genres – country and pop – and I don’t want to be put in a box. I just want to make music and hope that people like it.
Last year, you released In My World, before joining forces with Dolly and fellow country singers Maddie & Tae and Jessie James Decker for the Diane Warren-penned single Gonna Be You. What’s next? We’re working on tour dates, and looking to release music every six weeks. Keep pumping out my new music.
Max Verstappen says he is “very relaxed” about his future despite Red Bull’s difficult start to the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Following his sixth place at the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend, Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko told Sky Germany he has “great concern” about Verstappen potentially leaving the team.
The Dutchman, who is aiming to win a record-equalling fifth consecutive drivers’ title this year, is third in the championship, eight points behind leader Lando Norris of McLaren.
Round five takes place in Saudi Arabia this weekend, with Sunday’s race starting at 18:00 BST.
“A lot of people are talking about it except me,” said Verstappen on Thursday.
“Like I said before, I just want to focus on my car, work with the people in the team – that’s the only thing I’m thinking about in Formula 1 at the moment.
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until 2028. But Marko told BBC Sport this month that it contains a performance clause that could allow him to depart the team.
The 27-year-old has been linked with moves to Mercedes and Aston Martin for 2026 when new regulations are being introduced. He held talks with Mercedes last year but their team boss Toto Wolff said at the season-opener in Australia last month that a pitch to sign Verstappen for next season is “not on any radar”.
Asked in the drivers’ news conference whether he would like Verstappen as a team-mate at Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso said: “Yes, but that’s unlikely to happen, very unlikely.”
Verstappen moved to within one point of Norris in the standings with a brilliant win at the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position two weeks ago.
His weekend in Sakhir was a stark contrast to the highs of Suzuka as he qualified in seventh and finished the race three places lower than Briton Norris, who ended his day on the podium in third.
Verstappen continued: “I just go race by race. I think [Saudi Arabia] will be better than Bahrain. The rest is out of my hands.
“At the moment, we are not the quickest so it is tough to fight for a championship, but it is a long road. Last year here it all looked great and we know how the season ended up.”
Red Bull were untouchable in Jeddah last year with Verstappen first and then team-mate Sergio Perez second. But while the Dutchman went on to seal his fourth title in a row, Red Bull lost out to McLaren in the constructors’ championship, eventually dropping behind Ferrari and finishing third.
“I enjoyed last year and the year before when we were dominant,” said Verstappen.
“Now it is enjoyable in a way of the challenges that are out there and trying to improve the situation I would say.
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In-form teenager Mirra Andreeva went out of the Stuttgart Open as she lost in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16.
Sixth seed Andreeva, who has already won two titles this season, lost 6-3 6-2 against unseeded Alexandrova in just over an hour.
Andreeva, 17, became the youngest champion at a WTA 1000 event in February by winning the Dubai Tennis Championships, before triumphing at Indian Wells in March.
But she was unable to wrestle control of the match from Alexandrova, 30, who claimed her fourth win over a top-10 player this season.
Alexandrova will play American third seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals after she thrashed Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-1 6-1.
Italian fifth seed Jasmine Paolini beat unseeded German Jule Niemeier 6-1 7-5 to reach the last eight for the second successive year.
She will play the winner of Thursday’s match between American fourth seed Coco Gauff and Germany’s Ella Seidel.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will play Belgian Elise Mertens in the quarter-finals after Anastasia Potapova withdrew before their last-16 match with an injury.
