Entertainment News Roundup: Nygard seeks bail on sex charges, citing poor health; Joe Ricketts launching news outlet and more

Trump clemency likely for Lil Wayne, no pardons for Giuliani or Bannon -sources U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to grant clemency to rapper Lil Wayne on Tuesday in a final wave of pardons and commutations that is not expected to include lawyer Rudy Giuliani or ex-aide Steve Bannon, sources said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Producer Ian Levine sells some royalties from "Take That" songs to One Media

British songwriter and producer Ian Levine has sold his share of royalties from some tracks of English pop group "Take That" to One Media iP Group, the music publisher and distributor said on Monday, sending its shares 16% higher to 8 pence. Besides producer royalties from tracks in the band's debut album, including "A Million Love Songs" and "I Found Heaven", One Media said it has also bought producer royalties of two other "Take That" tracks which were never released.

'Tiger King' star Jeff Lowe ordered to surrender cubs in animal welfare case

"Tiger King" star Jeff Lowe, the former business partner at the private wildcat zoo featured in the hit Netflix series, has been ordered to surrender his cubs and their mothers after the death of two young tigers in his care. Lowe and his wife Lauren were also ordered not to put animals on public exhibit without a license in a federal court ruling issued in Oklahoma last week, according to a U.S. Justice Department statement on Tuesday.

Trump clemency likely for Lil Wayne, no pardons for Giuliani or Bannon -sources

U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to grant clemency to rapper Lil Wayne on Tuesday in a final wave of pardons and commutations that is not expected to include lawyer Rudy Giuliani or ex-aide Steve Bannon, sources said on Monday. Trump is expected to issue more than 100 pardons and commutations on his last full day in office. Two sources familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Trump appeared to have been dissuaded from pardoning himself or members of his family.

Billionaire businessman Joe Ricketts launching news outlet

Billionaire businessman and founder of TD Ameritrade Joe Ricketts is launching a new national outlet to deliver news "without opinion or bias," a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The news of the venture was first reported by the Omaha World-Herald https://omaha.com/business/local/joe-ricketts-is-launching-a-national-news-outlet-based-in-omaha/article_117fe584-55e5-11eb-9f6b-9349abea2fd7.html, which describes Joe Ricketts as a leading funder of national conservative causes. The Center for Responsive Politics has listed him as a Republican megadonor.

Canadian fashion mogul Nygard seeks bail on sex charges, citing poor health

Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard urged a judge on Tuesday to release him on bail, citing poor health as he awaits possible extradition to the United States on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Jay Prober, Nygard's lawyer, told a judge in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that keeping the 79-year-old defendant in custody during the pandemic "would be nothing short of a death sentence."

Music producer Phil Spector, convicted of murder, dead at 81

Rock producer Phil Spector, who changed the sound of pop music in the 1960s with his "Wall of Sound" recordings and was convicted of murder for the 2003 murder of a Hollywood actress, has died at age 81 of COVID-19, according to authorities and media reports. Spector produced 20 top 40 hits between 1961 and 1965 and went on to work with the Beatles on "Let It Be," as well as Leonard Cohen, the Righteous Brothers and Ike and Tina Turner.