On the Radar: Friday without 'Friday,' solar groundbreaking, Saudi driving
Rebecca Black's 'Friday' video had gotten more than 170 million hits on YouTube.
June 17th, 2011
06:11 AM ET

On the Radar: Friday without 'Friday,' solar groundbreaking, Saudi driving

Three things you need to know today.

Where's 'Friday'?: This will be your first Friday in, well it seems like forever, that you can't kick off with a Rebecca Black "Friday" video fix from YouTube.

Entertainment Weekly reports that the clip, which had more than 167 million views, has been pulled.

“This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Rebecca Black. Sorry about that” is what you'll read when you click on the link.

The website NME.com reports that the video was pulled in a dispute with Ark Music, which wrote the track's music.

Solar power plant: Friday is the official groundbreaking for what is billed as the world's largest solar energy facility.

The Blythe Solar Power Project is being constructed on 7,000 acres of public lands in the desert of Riverside County, California.

When it is completed, the solar power plant will produce electricity to power 300,000 single-family homes for a year, its backers say. Using the plant's solar-generated electricity rather than fossil fuels will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2 million tons a year.

During construction, the plant is expected to create 1,066 construction jobs and almost 300 permanent jobs.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joins other state and local officials for Friday's groundbreaking.

Saudi driving: Saudi women are being encouraged to challenge the status quo and get behind the wheel Friday.

Though there are no traffic laws that make it illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, religious edicts are often interpreted as a ban against female drivers.

The day is expected to be a test of wills - and authority - between police and the campaign, which has been publicized by Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

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Filed under: California • Celebrity • Energy • Environment • Music • Saudi Arabia • Showbiz • YouTube
soundoff (49 Responses)
  1. Vickly19

    The Friday version by Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert is much better, so thank you for that, Ms Black!

    June 17, 2011 at 9:40 am | Report abuse |
  2. Frank

    "religious edicts are often interpreted as a ban against female drivers" There were no cars 1500 years ago. This "religious" aspect is BS and is a social ban by people who twist up their own religion. It's like Catholics and abortion, nowhere in the Jesus's teaching does he say you can't have abortions.

    June 17, 2011 at 10:10 am | Report abuse |
  3. Istrt

    Of course how a topic can be completed without putting some sort of 'dirt' on Muslims. Is this CNN or FOX?

    June 17, 2011 at 10:15 am | Report abuse |
  4. Rebecca Black did us ALL a favor!

    Fallon and Colbert's version is WAY better @Vickly19! There should be a rule about singing frogs on Youtube!

    Here is my favorite interpretation!
    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&w=640&h=360]

    June 17, 2011 at 10:21 am | Report abuse |
  5. Geoff Hamilton

    Katy Perry has just saved the world with her release of the T.G.I.F. video... add that to her list of miracles for sainthood

    June 17, 2011 at 10:23 am | Report abuse |
  6. Blythe Man

    @Jon Pierson...John the Baptist didn't write the book of Revelations. The apostle John did while imprisoned on the isle of Patmos. You phony preachers are all alike. If people actually read their bibles none of you would even have jobs.

    June 17, 2011 at 10:40 am | Report abuse |
  7. Why?

    I'm all for women's rights, but why do they have to empower themselves by DRIVING?!?!?! Isn't there enough death in the Middle East without women hitting the roads?

    June 17, 2011 at 11:36 am | Report abuse |
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