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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Women lead the major categories at the Grammys this year – names like SZA, Taylor Swift, Victoria Monét, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and Brandy Clark top the list. If Taylor Swift wins for “Midnights,” she will become the first artist in Grammy history to win the top prize four times. (And, conversely, artists it loves to nominate but not award: both Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus have yet to receive a Grammy. I'd love to see a Cyrus win, but I’ve been burned before! She’s tied with the likes of Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus with six nominations, and I think it is her time to finally take home a trophy.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Victoria Monét, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo, Brandy Clark, Maria Sherman, Jonathan Landrum Jr, ” Jon Batiste, ”, ” Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, ” Janelle Monáe, “, ” Taylor Swift, I’m, Swift’s, Jon Batiste —, Swift, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, it’s, Batiste, Victoria, ” Olivia Rodrigo, Victoria Monét’s, Monét, I'm, Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew, ” Jack Antonoff, Dan Wilson, ” Caroline Ailin, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Gregory Aldae Hein, Michael Pollack, ” Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, ” Daniel Nigro, Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell SHERMAN, Jon Batiste, Miley Cyrus, Barbie ”, ” isn’t, Gracie Abrams, Fred, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, Samara Joy, there’s, Mama, It’s, SHERMAN, ” Taylor Swift SHERMAN, Rodrigo, Cyrus, Keem, Kendrick Lamar, Rich, ” Drake, Eryn Allen Kane, Baby Keem, Drake, Mike ’, Andre, Future’s hoarse, Kane’s, Mike, —, ” It's, Flash’s, ” Tyler Childers, Luke Combs, Dolly Parton, ” Chris Stapleton SHERMAN, she’s, Doc Watson, She’s, Luke Comb’s, Tracy Chapman, Parton, Combs, Chris Brown, ” Robert Glasper, Alex Isley, ” Coco Jones, There’s, Jones, Justin Timberlake, Bill ”, I’d, ” Ana Bárbara, Lila Downs, ” Flor De Toloache, “ Amor, ” Lupita Infante, America –, Flor de Toloache, Lupita Infante, Pedro Infante, LANDRUM, He’ll, Ana Bárbara, Vincente Hernandez Organizations: ANGELES, Press, Entertainment, SHERMAN, “, Recording Academy, Eilish, The Recording Academy, Rockstar, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Stapleton, BEST, ICU, De, Regional, Christian, CBS, Paramount Locations: Victoria, Dua Lipa, America, American

☆ 4 of the biggest stereotypes about Americans, debunked by a British woman living in Ohio
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewA British woman who moved to the US says she had many misconceptions about the country until she lived there. Stereotype 1: Americans are lazyIn one video, Hart said there was a misconception that Americans are "lazy people" which she'd found to be "so not true." AdvertisementHart said that contrary to the stereotype that Americans are lazy, she thinks Americans are extremely committed to work. In a January TikTok , Hart also brought up the fact that many Americans don't have passports and are not required to have them to travel between states. AdvertisementIn a post from July 2023, she expanded on the topic of American friendliness while challenging another stereotype that Americans don't like British people.

Persons: —, Millie Hart, Hart, she's, she'd, it's, Ralph Buehler, I've, Hart's Organizations: Service, Business, Fox News, Pew Research Center, Virginia Tech, Forbes, RAC, Walmart, NBC Locations: West Midlands, England, Ohio, America, Britain's

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Los Angeles-area gang leader jailed in Las Vegas in the 1996 killing of hip-hop music icon Tupac Shakur has hired a private attorney to represent him ahead of his murder trial scheduled this summer. The other, in 2021, was for failing to represent a defendant in Las Vegas Justice Court. Knight is serving 28 years in a California prison for an unrelated fatal shooting in the Los Angeles area in 2015. Davis was indicted by a grand jury in Las Vegas and arrested in September outside his home in suburban Henderson and has pleaded not guilty. or Biggie Smalls, six months later in Los Angeles.

Persons: —, Tupac Shakur, Duane “ Keffe, ” Davis, Carl Arnold, Robert Arroyo, Davis, Charles Cano, Arnold, didn't, Shakur, Marion “ Suge, Knight, Davis incriminated, Christopher Wallace, Biggie Smalls, Arroyo, Cano Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Nevada State Bar, Las Vegas Justice, Prosecutors, Los Angeles Police Department, BET, FBI, Los Locations: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, Las, Compton , California, California, Henderson

☆ Black and Jewish Activists Have Allied for Decades. What Now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Daniel Bergner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The cover of that edition of S.N.C.C.’s newsletter called attention to police killings of Black men, with the headline: “Cops Run Wild. Where Will They Strike Next?” Black and Palestinian resistance to repression were bound together. The theology claims that an immense fraud has been perpetrated by Jews upon Black people. Yet in recent years, a new bond between Black and Jewish activists has emerged, catalyzed, in part, by the confluence of civil rights protests and attention to the Palestinian plight. The alliance is “growing and exciting,” Nyle Fort, a Black activist and assistant professor of African American and African diaspora studies at Columbia, told me.

Persons: Huey P, Newton, Louis Farrakhan, Satan ”, ”, Ye, “ I’m, Kyrie Irving, Jacob, Henry Ford, Mumia Abu, Jamal, Rather, Fort, Fort’s, “, ” Fort, Nehisi Coates, Coates, Abraham, zealots, Jim Crow, Morgan Bassichis Organizations: Black Panther Party, Black Power, Washington, ”, America, Columbia, West Bank, Dream, Israel, Fort, Jewish, Peace, Union Theological Seminary, Jewish Voice Locations: Black, Jersey City, Ferguson, United States, Palestinian, Israel, Washington, Manhattan, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Hebron

☆ Popcast (Deluxe): Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande and 21 Savage Kick Off 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Popcast (Deluxe): Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande and 21 Savage Kick Off 2024 Pop’s premier troll returns while one of its biggest voices turns her attention to gossip, and the first blockbuster rap album of the year arrives. Hosted by Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli. Produced by Sawyer Roque and Pat Gunther. Editing by Jamie Hefetz. Audio editing by Pedro Rosado.

Persons: Nas X, Ariana Grande, Jon Caramanica, Joe Coscarelli, Sawyer Roque, Pat Gunther, Jamie Hefetz, Pedro Rosado

☆ 'The Color Purple' star Taraji P. Henson had to prove she could sing, and the director had to fight to cast her: 'Welcome to Hollywood'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"The Color Purple" director Blitz Bazawule fought to cast Taraji P. Henson, the actor said. Henson said this was not the first time "I was the director's choice, but not the studio's choice." AdvertisementTaraji P. Henson said she had to prove she could sing in her audition for "The Color Purple," and that the movie's director fought to cast her. "That's happened to me several times in my career where I was the director's choice, but not the studio's choice. AdvertisementShug Avery (Taraji P. Henson) makes a grand entrance in "The Color Purple."

Persons: Blitz Bazawule, Taraji, Henson, IndieWire, Shug Avery, —, Alice Walker's, Annie, That's, Shug, Bazawule, y'all, Oprah Winfrey, Dax Shepard, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Warner Bros Locations: Hollywood

☆ It turns out there are a lot of iconic 2014 moments that turn a decade old soon — and somehow feel like yesterday
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One TikToker has rounded up some of 2014's biggest moments with a punchy rap. AdvertisementA TikToker's rap going through some of 2014's most viral pop culture and internet moments has many asking the same question: Wait, that was 10 years ago? Related storiesA couple of users seemed to wonder what had become of one the biggest internet stars of the year: Alex from Target. AdvertisementThe star of the meme, Alex Lee, became a cultural sensation when a photo of him went viral on Twitter and won him many adoring fans. Earlier this year, a photo of an old desktop computer went viral on X, leading many users to look back on the way the internet functioned when they were growing up.

Persons: It's, —, Mikey Angelo, Harry Styles, Elon Musk's, Alex, Alex Lee, Lee, he's, Ariana, ellen selfie, Angelo Organizations: Service, Target, Twitter, New York Times

☆ Analysis: How Iowa became a chaotic curtain-raiser for a fateful political year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Des Moines, Iowa CNN —The storied history of the Iowa caucuses has never seen anything like this. Haley: ‘The fellas are scared’Unlike DeSantis, Haley isn’t wagering her campaign on Iowa. Icicles hang from the roof as people arrive for a Haley campaign event at the Thunder Bay Grille on January 13, 2024, in Davenport, Iowa. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesYet Iowa has has raised existential questions for the DeSantis campaign. And time is short, because the Iowa campaign is ending just as it began — with the former president on top.

Persons: shivers, Donald Trump, they’re, ”, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Iowans, ” Trump, Trump, –, DeSantis, Haley, Chris Christie’s, she’d, Vivek Ramaswamy, Xi Jinping, Nigel Farage, “, ” –, patriotically, we’re, caucusgoers, Ramaswamy, —, Haley slugged, admonitions, Judge Arthur Engoron, Sharon Mancero, ” Mancero, Mancero, Joe Biden, he’s, Clinton, ‘, Haley isn’t, She’s, ” Haley, Will Hurd —, Trump —, That’s, Win McNamee, that’s, George W, Bush, “ We’re, Mark Harris, Haley’s, Lovisa, Swede, ” Tedestedt, Chip Roy, Louis, Stanley, Chip Somodevilla, Joel Rudman, “ I’ve, ” Rudman, It’s, ” DeSantis, Biden, it’s, ” CNN’s Kit Maher, Veronica Stracqualursi Organizations: Des Moines , Iowa CNN, House, Former South Carolina Gov, Trump, Trump –, New, New Jersey Gov, “ Trump, Iowa Republicans, Capitol, Iowa, Des Moines Register, NBC, Republican, GOP, Republicans, Des Moines, Senate, CNN, New York Stock Exchange, Social Security, Jimmy Centers, Iowa Republican, South Carolina, Former Texas GOP, “, White House, Ankeny, Haley, America, South Carolina Republican, Texas, Florida Panhandle, Centers Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, Iowa, week’s, Hampshire, Florida, New York, Washington, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Sioux City, New Jersey, British, Indianola, Clinton , Iowa, DeSantis, Des, Fox, Wall, Manhattan, New Hampshire, Cedar Falls, Ankeny, South, Davenport , Iowa, Granite, St, Hubbard , Iowa

Winter storms and cinema closures in North America didn’t dampen the opening weekend for “ Mean Girls. Not accounting for inflation, that’s more than the $24.4 million the first movie made in its opening weekend. This iteration of “Mean Girls” stars Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho and Reneé Rap, who played Regina on stage. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesAmazon and MGM’s “The Beekeeper" debuted in second place with an estimated $16.8 million from 3,303 theaters. The Walt Disney Co. sent its 2020 Pixar film “Soul” to movie theaters this weekend as well, where it made $429,000 from 1350 locations in North America.

Persons: Tiny Fey, Martin Luther King Jr, Jason Statham, Jay, Clarence, “ Barbie, ”, hadn’t, Regina George, Angourie Rice, Auli’i, Regina, Fey, Samantha Jayne, Arturo Perez Jr, bode, “ Wonka, Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Jeymes Samuel, “ Luca Organizations: Paramount, Golden Globes, “, Rotten, Miramax, Sony, Universal, Walt Disney Co, Pixar, Disney Locations: North America, British

☆ An Airbnb host's son secretly filmed a guest in the shower, then tried to blackmail her into sending him a sex video: prosecutors
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A man living in his mother's Airbnb home secretly filmed a guest naked and then tried to blackmail her, prosecutors allege. Prosecutors say Strutz admitted to hiding a cell phone camera in a basket on the bathroom counter. AdvertisementThe son of an Airbnb host was sentenced to prison in connection to allegations that he secretly filmed a guest in the shower and tried to blackmail her into sending him an explicit video. The graphic messages continued for several months until Strutz sent her a nude image of herself from when she showered in the Airbnb bathroom, prosecutors allege. Strutz admitted he filmed the guest using a cell phone he had hidden in a basket on the bathroom counter, prosecutors allege in the complaint.

Persons: Kevin Strutz, Strutz, —, cyberstalking, Airbnb Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, Eastern, Eastern District of California, FBI, CBS News, Attorney's, Eastern District of Locations: Ceres , California, Eastern District, Strutz's, Airbnb, Eastern District of California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ten of the best songs of the year, as determined by Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman, in no particular order. “Monaco,” Bad BunnyBad Bunny’s 2023 album, “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” is a reclamation of his past sound, the hard-hitting rap that preceded his mainstream superstardom. And it is part of the reason why his 2023 single and first No. “OMG,” NewJeansIn 2023, girl groups dominated the K-pop conversation. At the fore is NewJeans, with their Y2K-nostalgic sound that pulls from the turn of the millennium's R&B and pop music.

Persons: Maria Sherman, Victoria Monét Buckle, Victoria Monét, Ariana Grande, Chloe x Halle, Monét’s, doesn’t, “, ”, ” Miley Cyrus, Miley Cyrus ’, ” PinkPantheress, PinkPantheress, Leo ”, What’s, ” Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan, ” Paramore Long, Paramore, Hayley Williams, “ Rush, ” Troye Sivan, Sivan, Laura Les, Dylan Brady, NewJeans, ” Danny Brown Danny Organizations: ANGELES, Associated Press, Fifth Harmony, Bronx Locations: “, “ Monaco, Monaco, The Tennessee, Australian

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ten of the top albums of the year, as chosen by Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman. Instead of embracing the antiquated practice of ranking very different albums against one another, we're celebrating the best next to the best. Leading the charge is Peso Pluma, whose third studio album, “Génesis,” became the highest-charting regional Mexican album of all time. “Hackney Diamonds,” The Rolling StonesPrior to “Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones hadn’t released an album of original material in 18 years. AP's Jocelyn Noveck put it best: This album is their best new work in decades — tight, focused, full of heart and swagger.

Persons: Maria Sherman, “ Barbie, “, Carín León, ”, Pluma, Olivia Rodrigo, Rodrigo, —, Joan Didion, ” Rodrigo, “ Lucky, Megan Moroney Let’s, Morgan Wallen’s “, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, Megan Moroney, Taylor Swift, Charlie Watts, Andrew Watt, Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, AP's Jocelyn Noveck, Raven, Kelela, Shaadi Devereaux, ” Karol G, reggaetón, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Rauw Alejandro, Karol G's, there's, Ojos, Shakira, It’s, Carlos Niño, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar’s, Arlo, Arlo Parks Organizations: ANGELES, Associated Press, banda, Tennessee, “ Hackney, Ojos Ferrari, Sun, Chicago, NFL, Carolinas, — Locations: Mexican, Mexico, Kelela, Será, Puerto Rican, Panamanian, , New York, Colombian, “ Carolina, California, Sunbeams, ”

[1/5] Honoree Dionne Warwick and her family attend the 46th Kennedy Center Honors gala at the Kennedy Center in Washington, U.S., December 3, 2023. REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Washington celebrated singer Dionne Warwick, comedian Billy Crystal, Bee Gees member Barry Gibb, rapper and actress Queen Latifah, and opera star Renée Fleming on Sunday at the Kennedy Center Honors, the top U.S. honor for achievements in the arts. "There simply is no song that Dionne Warwick cannot sing," said record producer Clive Davis, adding that she had "inspired musicians all over the world." Crystal, 75, known for roles in films such as "When Harry Met Sally," "City Slickers," and "Analyze This," was next up. Opera singer J'Nai Bridges said ahead of the show that Fleming had helped make opera more mainstream.

Persons: Dionne Warwick, Julia Nikhinson, Billy Crystal, Bee, Barry Gibb, Queen Latifah, Renée Fleming, Joe Biden, Gladys Knight, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Clive Davis, Singer Cynthia Erivo, Alfie, Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan, Robert De Niro, De Niro, Biden, Tony, Whoopi Goldberg, Crystal, Oscar, Kerry Washington, Tituss Burgess, Christine Baranski, Susan Graham, Fleming, Sigourney Weaver, Fleming's, J'Nai Bridges, Gibb, Robin, Maurice, Michael Bublé, Ben Platt, Jeff Mason, Jasper Ward, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kennedy Center, REUTERS, Rights, Washington, Kennedy, White, Broadway, Bee, Big Town, U.S, CBS, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Warwick

WASHINGTON (AP) — The newest group of Kennedy Center honorees, including comedian Billy Crystal and actor Queen Latifah, are being feted Sunday night at a star-studded event commemorating their lifetime achievement in arts and entertainment. Opera singer Renée Fleming, music star Barry Gibb and prolific hitmaker Dionne Warwick also are being honored at the black-tie gala. Bill Cosby received both honors, but they were rescinded in 2018 following his sexual assault conviction, which later was overturned. Along with his late brothers Robin and Maurice, the trio launched a nearly unmatched string of hits that defined a generation of music. Fleming sang the national anthem while Latifah performed “America the Beautiful.”

Persons: Billy Crystal, Queen Latifah, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb, Dionne Warwick, Kennedy, Deborah F, Rutter, “, Jodie Dallas, ”, Harry Met Sally, Bride ”, Crystal, Mark Twain, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, Neil Simon, Bill Cosby, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Bacharach, ” Fleming, Barack Obama, England’s Royal Academy of Music . Gibb, Robin, Maurice, Latifah, Dana Owens, Fleming Organizations: WASHINGTON, Kennedy Center, of, England’s Royal Academy of Music, Bee Locations: “, Warwick, Chicago, America

The expulsion of George Santos from the House on Friday, after a year shaped by audacious lies and outright frauds, ended his 11-month congressional tenure. But as he stormed off Capitol Hill, Mr. Santos made abundantly clear that he had no intention of returning to obscurity. Mr. Santos, a New York Republican, is scheduled to stand trial next year on a lengthy rap sheet that includes charges he defrauded donors, lied to election officials and stole unemployment benefits. But in American politics, even convicted criminals are often given second acts — if not in elected office, then on reality TV or the big screen. Here’s what might be next — and what will not be — for the disgraced and recently deposed former congressman.

Persons: George Santos, Santos Organizations: Capitol, New, New York Republican Locations: New York

☆ Andre 3000 breaks Billboard record with flute song
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Some fans may not be happy with Andre 3000 for releasing a record that isn’t a rap song, but give the man some credit. The artist, who has been beloved as both a solo act and part of the hip-hop duo Outkast, has broken a Billboard record for the longest song to ever crack the Billboard Hot 100. 90 and “becomes the longest-running song ever to have hit the chart, surpassing Tool’s ‘Fear Inoculum,’ at 10:21 in length,” according to Billboard. Andre 3000, now 48, has suggested that he may have aged out of the hip-hop game. Much of his audience has pushed back on that, while embracing the new music.

Persons: Andre, Andre 3000 ’, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Billboard, Sun Locations: ’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A high-profile entertainment marketing consultant was targeted by a woman who had been stalking one of his friends before she fatally shot him after her forcing her way inside his Los Angeles home, prosecutors said Thursday. This week's slaying of Michael Latt sent shockwaves through Hollywood as the suspect faces charges of murder and burglary. Latt, 33, had worked on projects with filmmakers including Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay, as well as rap artist Common. Prosecutors allege that Jameelah Elena Michl, 36, knocked on his home's door and forced herself inside once it was open. Latt had also worked at the Sundance Institute, which issued a statement on behalf of his family.

Persons: Michael Latt, shockwaves, Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, Jameelah Elena Michl, haven’t, Michl, Oscar Grant, Michael B, Jordan, Michelle Satter, Quentin Tarantino, David Latt, Latt, “ Michael, ” Latt, “, Forbes, Lindsey Bahr Organizations: ANGELES, Prosecutors, Angeles County, Attorney's, Love, Sundance, Sundance Institute, Justice Locations: Los Angeles, Hollywood, ”, Oakland , California

☆ Popcast (Deluxe): Can Rap Bridge Its Generation Gap?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Popcast (Deluxe): Can Rap Bridge Its Generation Gap? Is it possible for rappers to age gracefully? A discussion on the state of the genre and where it may be heading. Produced by Sawyer Roque and Jamie Hefetz. Audio editing by Pedro Rosado.

Persons: Jon Caramanica, Joe Coscarelli, Sawyer Roque, Jamie Hefetz, Pedro Rosado

☆ A 76-year-old retiree who experienced his teenage wish of being a flight attendant wants you to know dreams can come true at any age
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Harvey Brown, 76, was asked to be an honorary flight attendant on a Southwest Airlines flight. Brown wanted to be a flight attendant when he was a teenager and was able to experience it. AdvertisementA 76-year-old retiree lived out a dream from his youth and became a viral sensation after Southwest Airlines made him an honorary flight attendant. In June, Harvey Brown, who lives in Portland, Oregon, took a Southwest flight to Austin, Texas. Brown told BI that he hopes young people who might have seen the videos of him experiencing life as a flight attendant will see that dreams can come true even in later years of life.

Persons: Harvey Brown, Brown, —, he's, it's, Harvey, I'm, Ashley Bain, we're Organizations: Southwest Airlines, Service, Southwest Locations: Portland , Oregon, Austin , Texas, Dallas , Texas, Denver

☆ Young Thug's defense lawyer said his name stands for 'Truly Humble Under God'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A defense lawyer for Young Thug told jurors his rapper name actually means "Truly Humble Under God." AdvertisementAn attorney defending Young Thug in his RICO trial said the Grammy winner's moniker actually stands for "Truly Humble Under God." Steel said Young Thug desired to break his community out of poverty and an "endless cycle of hopelessness," and that if he achieved his goal, he would be "Truly Humble Under God." "They call themselves YSL because the pants, tight-fitting pants, the women's pants that they're wearing it says YSL, Yves Saint Laurent. Steel also said that "pushing P," the title of a song featuring Young Thug, was short for "pushing positivity."

Persons: Young Thug, Brian Steel, Young, Yves Saint Laurent, Steel, —, Jeffery, Tupac Shakur, Fani Willis, Jeffery Williams, Young Stoner, YSL, That's, Prosecutors, He's, Willis, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Prosecutors Locations: Atlanta, Fulton County

☆ Young Thug trial: Opening statements begin in rapper’s racketeering trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Christina Maxouris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The prosecution began opening statements Monday morning in the racketeering trial of Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug, who is accused of leading a violent street gang in the Atlanta area affiliated with the national Bloods gang. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was charged alongside more than two dozen other people under the state’s expansive Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – known as RICO. Young Thug is among six defendants who have pleaded not guilty to all charges and are standing trial in an Atlanta courtroom, the judge said Monday. Prosecutors say Young Thug is the cofounder of a criminal street gang – Young Slime Life – that’s responsible for violent acts dating back a decade. The trial is expected to last months and could feature a star-studded list of witnesses, including rappers Lil Wayne and Killer Mike.

Persons: Young Thug, Young, Jeffery Williams, Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Gunna, –, Brian Steel, Thug, “, ’, Willis, Trump’s, that’s, Steel, “ Jeffery, ”, he’s, Camila Cabello, ” Travis Scott, Drake, Childish Gambino, Ludwig Göransson, Marquavius Huey, Deamonte Kendrick, Gotti, Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan, Shannon Stillwell, Lil Wayne, Mike Organizations: CNN, Bloods, Judge Ural Glanville, Prosecutors, WXIA Locations: Atlanta, Fulton County, Fulton, “ Havana

Prosecutors are expected to take the controversial step of using Young Thug's rap lyrics as evidence against him. Here are some things to know as the trial gets underway:WHO IS YOUNG THUG? Elton John called working with Young Thug an “amazing moment” after recording the song “Always Love You” featuring Nicki Minaj and Gunna. Young Thug has been in jail since his arrest on May 9, 2022, having been denied bond several times since then. Young Thug's racketeering conspiracy charge and two gang charges each carry a penalty of five to 20 years in prison.

Persons: Young, who's, Jeffery Lamar Williams, “ Stoner, ” —, Childish Gambino’s, Young Thug, Savage, BlocBoy JB, Slim Jxmmi, Rae Sremmurd, Drake, Chris Brown, Travis Scott, Elton John, Nicki Minaj, Gunna, Camila Cabello, M.I.A, Gucci Mane’s, “ Jeffery ”, Calvin Klein, ”, ” Young Thug, Racketeer, “, Sergio Kitchens, Alford, ma'am, — Walter Murphy, Trontavious Stephens, Uzi, HE'S, — Organizations: ATLANTA, Prosecutors, WHO, Business, bae, Bloods, Infiniti, Metro Boomin Locations: Atlanta, Havana, Fulton County

☆ How Walmart, Kroger, and other major retailers are ramping up self-checkout tech to combat theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Retailers and tech firms are developing new ways to detect — and prevent — theft. Companies like Walmart and Kroger are using cameras, AI sensors, and other tech at self-checkouts. These days, companies like Walmart, Kroger, and more are outfitting their self-checkouts with cameras, AI-enabled sensors, and other high-tech tools to tamp down theft at self-checkout stations. They previously said, "As with other retailers, theft is always a challenge, and we're always looking for better ways to tackle this issue. The presence of a person is one of several low-tech ways retailers have managed to curb shoplifting at self-checkout lanes.

Persons: —, Craig Szklany, Dominick Reuter, we're, Sensormatic, Kroger, Abhinai Srivastava, haven't, Srivastava, Sensormatic's Szklany Organizations: Companies, Walmart, Kroger, Service, Business, BP

☆ Jamala: Russia adds Eurovision-winning Ukrainian singer to wanted list
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Jack Guy | Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Russia has put a Ukrainian singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016 on a wanted criminal list, according to state media. Jamala, whose full name is Susana Jamaladynova, is “on the wanted list for criminal charges,” Russian state media outlet TASS reported on Monday. Russian state media called it anti-Russian and Moscow said it violated Eurovision rules. In 2022, Ukraine won Eurovision again thanks to folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra’s song “Stefania,” which was written about the frontman’s mother. While the winning nation normally hosts the following year’s contest, Ukraine was unable to do so due to the Russian full-scale invasion.

Persons: Susana Jamaladynova, Jonathan Nackstrand, Jamala, ”, Vladimir Putin’s, Stefania, Sweden’s Loreen Organizations: CNN, TASS, Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Russian Federation, Getty, Ukraine, Eurovision, Liverpool Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, AFP, Crimea, Ukraine, Moscow, United Kingdom, Spain, Italian, Turin

☆ The Beatles Are Still Charting the Future of Pop. It Looks Bleak.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Peter C. Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

In that context, the “Now and Then” movie’s upfront billing of the track as the last Beatles song feels like a two-pronged rhetorical move. But the truth, ultimately, will lie not with any facts inherent to the universe of existing Beatles recordings. If you can make a Beatles single using ideas from two dead Beatles, then you can make one with ideas from three dead Beatles — or even, perhaps, from four. It reminds me of the Beatles without sounding like the Beatles — and why should it, when Lennon didn’t write it for them? But I suspect that, in this late project, the always-innovative Beatles are once again ahead of their time.

Persons: Drake, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, Hank Williams, I’ve, McCartney, Lennon didn’t, relistened

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