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☆ Who was Laken Riley and what happened to her: Profile on Georgia nursing student murdered by Jose Ibarra
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Nicole Chavez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Laken Riley’s name was heard in court countless times and repeated by politicians around the country who described her brutal killing. They listened carefully and often sobbed as witnesses described how the last moments of Riley’s life unfolded. From left, Connolly Huth, roommate of Laken Riley, Lauren Phillips, sister of Laken Riley, and Sofia Magana, roommate of Laken Riley, react as Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard announces the verdict on Wednesday. Hyosub Shin/Pool/APShe wanted to live a ‘faithful Christian life’At 22, Riley’s life was largely guided by her Christian faith. He also took a moment to remind people how rich Riley’s life was before it ended.

Persons: Jose Ibarra, Ibarra, Lilly Steiner, Connolly Huth, Laken Riley, Lauren Phillips, Sofia Magana, H, Patrick Haggard, Hyosub, ’, ” Riley’s, Allyson Phillips, “, Jesus, ” Riley, John Phillips, Hyosub Shin, Laken, ” Abby Phillips, Riley, ” Lauren Phillips, ”, Huth, Steiner, ” Steiner, “ Laken, ” Magana, ” John Phillips Organizations: CNN, University of Georgia’s, Superior Court, Atlanta, AP, Augusta University’s College of Nursing Locations: Woodstock , Georgia, Georgia, St, Honduras, Athens, Clarke, Athens , Georgia, Laken, University of Georgia’s Oconee Forest Park, Lake Herrick

The gunman who shot a longtime Santa Monica College employee is dead following a pursuit that ended in a standoff in El Segundo, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Police say 39-year-old Davon Durell Dean, a Santa Monica College employee, shot his coworker Monday night on campus. At about 3 p.m. Tuesday, the suspect’s car was located in El Segundo. As a result of the standoff, access to Aviation Boulevard between 124th Street and El Segundo Boulevard was closed. In wake of the on-campus shooting, Santa Monica College said counseling and mental/emotional support services would be provided to students and faculty who have been impacted.

Persons: Durell Dean, Dean Organizations: Santa Monica College, Santa Monica Police Department, Police, Aviation, El, Authorities Locations: El Segundo

☆ Earth’s inner core has slowed so much it’s moving backward, scientists confirm. Here’s what it could mean
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Comparing the timing of seismic signals as they touched the core revealed changes in core rotation over time, confirming the 70-year rotation cycle. But the depth and inaccessibility of the inner core mean that uncertainties remain, she added. The mysterious region where the liquid outer core envelops the solid inner core is especially interesting, Vidale added. “We might have volcanoes on the inner core boundary, for example, where solid and fluid are meeting and moving,” he said. Because the spinning of the inner core affects movement in the outer core, inner core rotation is thought to help power Earth’s magnetic field, though more research is required to unravel its precise role.

Persons: seismologist Inge Lehmann, —, ”, Lauren Waszek, “, ” Waszek, John Vidale, “ We’ve, ” Vidale, we’ve, what’s, Vidale, Seismologists, Lehmann, Waszek, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, James Cook University, Earth Sciences, University of Southern California’s Dornsife, of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Geological Survey, Scientific Locations: Australia, New Zealand, South Sandwich, South

☆ Why the Negro League stats belong in the MLB record books
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Fortunately, we got to see other NLB players join an integrated MLB a short time into their careers. Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesFormer NLB players who joined the integrated MLB got on base more frequently (.361) than the average (.324). Hulton Archive/Getty Images Robinson was a formidable athlete in college, lettering in four sports at UCLA. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Robinson poses in the dugout with Dodgers teammates as he makes his historic debut on April 15, 1947. Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Images Robinson leaps into the air to try to turn a double play in 1952.

Persons: “, Major League Baseball’s, Neil Paine, –, Todd Peterson, White, Satchel Paige, Dizzy Dean, Mark Rucker, of Famer Dizzy Dean, ”, Dean, Paige, Willie Mays, Mays, Henry “ Hank ” Aaron, Aaron didn’t, Wes Westrum's, It’s, Don Newcombe, Jackie Robinson, Robinson, Rachel Isum, Johnny, Jorgensen, Harold, Pee Wee, Reese, Eddie Stanky, Rickey, Rogers, Richard Nixon, Paul Schutzer, Edd Roush, Bob Feller, Bill McKechnie, Cliff Welch, Ed Sullivan, Rachel, — Jackie Jr, David, Sharon —, Robert Riger, Jackie Robinson's, Larry Doby –, Hall, Hall of Famer –, Josh Gibson, Gibson’s, Gibson, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ruth, We’ll, Larry Doby, Stanley Weston, Doby, Cobb, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Walter Johnson, they’ll Organizations: CNN, Negro League Baseball, Major League, MLB, Negro League, Wrigley Field, White MLB, of Famer, White, Birmingham Black Barons, Indianapolis, National Leagues, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Polo, Bettmann, Getty, National League, Brooklyn Dodgers, Hulton, UCLA, US Army, Kansas City Monarchs, Negro Leagues, Sporting, Montreal Royals, Dodgers, New York Yankees, GOP, Republican, Hall of Fame, CBS, Freedom, American League, Hall of Famer, Baseball, Cleveland Indians, NL, AL Locations: Chicago, , New York, Cairo , Georgia, Pasadena , California, Los Angeles, New York, Stamford , Connecticut, Williamston , North Carolina, Bettmann, Anaheim , California

☆ At Berkeley, a Protest at a Dean’s Home Tests the Limits of Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Vimal Patel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The dean of Berkeley’s law school is known as a staunch supporter of free speech, but things became personal for him when pro-Palestinian students disrupted a celebratory dinner party for some 60 students at his home. In a viral video, Erwin Chemerinsky, a noted constitutional scholar, can be seen shouting “Please leave our house! Ms. Afaneh and her supporters, who were invited to the dinner, described Ms. Fisk’s struggle for the microphone as a disproportionate and violent response. Students, they said, had a right to speak at a university gathering. The dinner was open to all third-year law students and paid for by the university, according to Mr. Chemerinsky.

Persons: Erwin Chemerinsky, Malak, Chemerinsky’s, Catherine Fisk, Afaneh, Fisk’s, Chemerinsky Organizations: Mr Locations: Oakland, Calif, Berkeley

☆ Spend the night at St. Paul’s Cathedral for just $9
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Buildings in London don’t come much more historic than St. Paul’s Cathedral. Now history lovers with a passion for reading can apply to spend the night in the iconic site. They will then be met by the Dean of St. Paul’s who will take them on a tour. There are no showers and it’s a short walk down a corridor from the hidden library to the nearest toilet. Jordan Pettitt/Press Association/APSandra Lynes Timbrell, director of visitor engagement at St. Paul’s, said in the release: “The recently restored library at St Paul’s has long been a secret gem of the cathedral – cleverly concealed by the ingenious architecture of Christopher Wren.

Persons: London don’t, Christopher Wren, Winston Churchill, Diana, Jordan Pettitt, Paul’s, Sandra Lynes Timbrell, St, DreamHouse Organizations: CNN, Hidden, Press Association, Airbnb, St Locations: London, St, Paul’s, Airbnb, Moulin Rouge

☆ Laken Riley: Vigil to be held for Augusta University student killed on UGA campus as a suspect remains in custody
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A vigil will be held Monday afternoon for Laken Hope Riley, an Augusta University nursing student who was found dead after jogging on the University of Georgia campus last week, as her suspected killer’s immigration status has drawn the scrutiny of Republican leaders. Riley, who was a UGA student until May 2023, was found dead Thursday near a lake on the university’s campus from blunt force trauma, according to UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark. Riley’s killing has left the University of Georgia to grieve two tragic deaths that occurred less than a day apart: Her body was discovered just hours after the death of a UGA student the previous night. The Monday afternoon vigil will be co-hosted by Riley’s Alpha Chi Omega sorority at UGA in remembrance of both of the dead students, the university said. Clark referred to Riley’s killing as a “crime of opportunity,” noting he believes the suspect acted alone.

Persons: Laken Hope Riley, Riley, Jeff Clark, Jose Antonio Ibarra, Ibarra, Clark, haven’t, ” Clark, outcries, Brian Kemp, Joe Biden, ” Kemp, Joe Biden’s, Mike Johnson, Riley’s, Biden, “, ” Jose Antonio Ibarra Clarke, Greg Abbott, Diego Ibarra, Peers, ’, ”, ” Riley, ” Laken Hope Riley, Lauren Phillips, “ I’m, LISTo, CNN’s Ashley R, Williams, Rebekah Riess, Priscilla Alvarez, Isabel Rosales, Jaide Timm, Garcia, Jamiel Lynch Organizations: CNN, Augusta University, University of Georgia, Republican, UGA, UGA Police, Investigators, GOP, Riley’s Alpha Chi Omega, Police, ” Police, Customs, Georgia Gov, Sheriff’s, Governors, Republican Texas Gov, Democratic, Biden, Pew Research, ICE, New York City, NYPD, US, Office, Middle, Middle District of Georgia, Augusta University College of Nursing, UAC, Facebook, of Nursing, Hispanic Student Association Locations: Venezuelan, Mexico, Middle District

☆ Laken Riley: Suspect in University of Georgia killing didn’t know victim and is not a student on the campus, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Jamiel Lynch | Dalia Faheid | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The suspect in the killing of an Augusta University College of Nursing student on the University of Georgia campus in Athens did not attend school at the campus and did not know the victim, authorities said Friday. The Athens-Clarke County Coroner identified the 22-year-old nursing student on Friday morning. All classes on the University of Georgia’s Athens campus were canceled Friday and will resume Monday, the school said. I will miss and love you forever Laken.”Before her enrollment at Augusta University, Riley was a student at the University of Georgia until 2023, UGA spokesperson Cole Sosebee said. Riley’s body was discovered mere hours after the death of a University of Georgia student the previous night.

Persons: Laken Hope Riley, “, Jeff Clark, Jose Antonio Ibarra, Ibarra, Riley, Clark, ” Clark, haven’t, Greg Trevor, Riley “, ”, Joshua L, Jones, ‘, ” Riley, Lauren Phillips, “ I’m, Cole Sosebee Organizations: CNN, Augusta University College of Nursing, University of Georgia, Augusta University, ” University of Georgia Police, Campus, University of Georgia’s, ” Police, Police, UGA, College of Nursing, University of, University of Augusta College of Nursing, of Nursing, University, Georgia Locations: Athens, Clark, Clarke, “, University of Georgia’s Athens

Riley was an Augusta University College of Nursing student at its campus in Athens, which is also home to the University of Georgia. She was a junior on the dean’s list, Augusta University said. “The victim was an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia until the spring of 2023, and then she became a nursing student at the Augusta University nursing program in Athens,” UGA spokesperson Cole Sosebee said. Obtained by CNNAll classes on the University of Georgia’s Athens campus are canceled Friday and will resume Monday, the school said. Augusta University has canceled Friday classes at the College of Nursing campus in Athens, which is about 2.5 miles from the University of Georgia’s intramural fields.

Persons: Hope Riley, “, Greg Trevor, Riley, Sonny Wilson, Jeffrey L, Clark, Cole Sosebee, Laken Hope Riley, Augusta University’s, Brooks A, Keel, Joshua L, Jones Organizations: CNN — University of Georgia Police, UGA, Augusta University College of Nursing, University of Georgia, Augusta University, CNN, University of Georgia Police, Police, ” UGA, University of Georgia’s, College of Nursing, University of, ” Augusta University, UGA Police Department, USA, Brumby Hall Locations: Athens, Clarke, ”, University of Georgia’s Athens, Clarke County

A 26-year-old man was charged on Friday with kidnapping and murdering a nursing student whose body was found in a wooded area at the University of Georgia in Athens the previous day, the authorities announced. They called the homicide, the first in nearly 30 years on campus, “a crime of opportunity” and said that the two apparently had not known each other. The victim, Laken Riley, 22, was an undergraduate student at the school until the spring of 2023 and then enrolled at Augusta University’s nursing program, which has a campus in Athens, school officials said. University police identified the suspect as Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, at an evening news conference. He said that while Mr. Ibarra lives in Athens, he is not a citizen of the United States.

Persons: ”, Laken Riley, Augusta University’s, Jose Antonio Ibarra, ” Jeffrey Clark, Ibarra, Clark Organizations: University of Georgia, Augusta, University police Locations: Athens, Augusta, United States

☆ Shipping CEO Angela Chao, sister of former Cabinet member Elaine Chao, dies in car crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Angela Chao, CEO of the shipping company the Foremost Group and sister of former US cabinet secretary Elaine Chao, was killed in a car crash in Texas on Sunday, according to a spokesperson for her company. Angela Chao, 50, had been CEO of the shipping company since 2018, assuming the role from her father, James S.C. Chao, who had founded it in 1964. “Angela Chao was a formidable executive and shipping industry leader, as well as a proud and loving daughter, sister, aunt, wife and mother. She was also a precocious youngster, learning about the shipping industry at an early age,” said the companies’ statement. Elaine Chao is the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Persons: Angela Chao, Elaine Chao, James S.C, Chao, Michael Lee, Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley, “ Angela Chao, ”, TradeWinds, “ Angela, Presisdent George W, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell Organizations: New, New York CNN, Foremost, Harvard, American Bureau of Shipping Council, Harvard Business School’s, Dean’s Advisors, Metropolitan Opera, Chairman’s, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai Mulan Education, Asian American Foundation, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders Locations: New York, Texas, Austin , Texas, Los Angeles, Shanghai

Conservatives have looked to country music over the decades to voice political beliefs and react to social change. Maines called Keith’s song “ignorant,” while Keith began performing in front of a doctored photo of Maines with Saddam Hussein. KEITH WAS A FAN OF THE MILITARY, AND VICE VERSAIn the years following “Courtesy,” Keith participated in 18 USO tours, performing for more than 250,000 service members in his lifetime. Lucas says he and others sent CDs with Keith’s song, “American Soldier,” to the wives of the men serving with his son. Keith “emboldened others in country music to think viewpoints that might be perceived as angry and conservative were okay to express,” Willman says.

Persons: — Toby Keith’s, Keith, We’ll, Jason Aldean, Jason Isbell, ”, Chris Willman, “, Willman, Willie Nelson, Amanda Marie Martinez, Jim Crow America, ” Martinez, Merle Haggard, “ Okie, Haggard, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama’s, “ Let's, George W, Bush, Obama, Donald Trump, it’s, Joseph M, Thompson, Alan Jackson, Jackson, Darryl Worley’s “, Clint Black’s “, Natalie Maines, Maines, Saddam Hussein, KEITH, ” Keith, John A, Lucas, ” Lucas, ’ ” Lucas, Aldean, Oliver Anthony’s “ Rich, Keith “, ” Willman, Pat Finnerty, Toby Keith, Hogan, ” Finnerty, ‘, Finnerty, Jude ’, it’d, Maria Sherman Organizations: Country Music, Variety, Pentagon, Dixie Chicks, U.S . Army, Army, North Locations: NORFOLK, Va, U.S, Afghanistan, Iraq, America, Vietnam, Muskogee, Iran, Clint Black’s “ Iraq, Richmond , Virginia, Tennessee, Richmond, ”, Philadelphia, Los Angeles

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesStill, country music has broken new ground. He says country music is now in a position where people who “maybe never gave us a chance” are listening to country music with an open-mindedness. Smyers has his own theories to why country music is experiencing this explosive period. “And I feel like country music kind of does the authenticity thing better than any other genre.”Up-and-comer Megan Moroney agrees. “I just kind of stay in my lane and do the best I can with supporting country music,” she told AP.

Persons: Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, Roll, Harvey Mason, ”, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Aldean’s “, Wallen’s “, Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, Oliver Anthony’s, “, Richmond ”, Wilson’s Deana Carter, Bailey, Wilson, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Ingrid Andress, Dan Smyers, Dan, Shay, Justin Bieber, I’ve, Smyers, Dustin Lynch, Darius Rucker, “ I've, Megan Moroney, there's, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, John Legend, Chance, Garth Brooks, Brooks, fiddles, ” Brooks, it’s Organizations: ANGELES, Recording Academy, Associated Press, North, Richmond, “, AP, United, CBS, Paramount, Crypto.com Locations: —, U.S, Luminate, United States, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Vietnam, Europe, America, Nashville, Los Angeles

Gunjan BanerjiGunjan Banerji is the lead writer for The Wall Street Journal's live markets coverage. Her articles and videos have covered the biggest stories in financial markets of the past decade, spanning stocks, bonds and derivatives. Gunjan helped lead the Journal’s award-winning coverage of retail investing and the meme stock mania that swept markets in 2021. She continues to explore how individual investors are navigating the financial markets and where they are putting their money. In her spare time, Gunjan can be found practicing Classical Indian Dance or playing with her bernedoodle Todd.

Persons: Gunjan, Gerald Loeb, Todd Organizations: CNBC, New York Press, Newswomen’s, of New, GameStop, Netflix, Journal, New York University, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, NYU Locations: of New York, New York

☆ Opinion | Trump’s Lawyers Should Have Known Better
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jesse Wegman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

With so many lawyers involved in the Watergate criminal scheme, the American Bar Association started requiring law schools to provide ethics instruction or risk losing their accreditation. In Fulton County, Ga., three of former President Donald Trump’s lawyers — Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis — have now pleaded guilty to crimes in service of Mr. Trump’s scheme to overturn the 2020 election and stay in the White House. All three have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in the sprawling state RICO case against Mr. Trump. Two other Trump lawyers, Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, still face criminal charges in the Georgia case. If Mr. Trump’s 2020 racket was “a coup in search of a legal theory,” as one federal judge put it, these lawyers provided the theory, and the phony facts to back it up.

Persons: Richard Nixon’s, John Dean, Nixon’s, Donald Trump’s, — Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis —, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Chesebro, Powell Organizations: American Bar Association, House, Trump Locations: Fulton County ,, Georgia

☆ Opinion: The 2,000-year-old advice for coping in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. A surprising number claimed to think about the ancient empire as often as ‘every day’ or least every week or two. It became a meme (are you even in a relationship if she hasn’t asked you about the Roman Empire? They marvel at their absolute dominion, their mastery of every strand of civilisation — and then how that power suddenly slipped away. Biden on Wednesday took steps to speed up the ability of Venezuelans in the US to obtain work permits.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Seneca, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Bobby McFerrin’s musing, David M, Perry, hasn’t, Jo Ellison, —, Marcus Aurelius, that’s, David Perry, “ There’s, ” Perry, Paula M, Krebs, “, Donald Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, Trump, …, ’, ” Cupp, Roe, Wade, Cupp, he’s, Dean Obeidallah, Trump’s, Patrick T, Brown, Bill Bramhall, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, David Zurawik, Rupert, Murdoch, Roger Ailes, Richard Nixon, ” Murdoch “, Walt Handelsman, Kevin McCarthy, Max Burns, Donald Trump, today’s MAGA, ” Clay Jones, Chuck Schumer, Elena Sheppard, Sen, John Fetterman, baring, Fetterman, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim Yo Jong, Sung, Yoon Lee, “ Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Kim Jong, ” “, Hunter Biden isn’t, Alexis Coe, George Washington’s, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Bush, Hunter, … Hunter, Joe Biden, Biden, Peter Bergen, Mike Pence, … Biden, Bergen, ” Lisa Benson, Martin Sheen, Melissa Fitzgerald, Gurney, John F, Melissa, Andy, Michael Bociurkiw, ” Bociurkiw, Volodymyr Zelensky “, Zelensky, Lanhee J, Chen, ” Chen, Keir Giles, It’ll, Jennifer Wexton, Barbara Comstock, Alex Brandon, Jill Filipovic, Democrat “, ” Wexteon “, Eric Adams, Julian Zelizer . Biden, ” Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Frida Ghitis, Agatha Christie, China Adam H, Sobel, Holly Thomas, Russell Brand, Akanksha, Dan Perry, Gilead, Netanyahu government’s, Gene Seymour, Jann, Reggie B, Maren Morris, Matt Winkelmeyer, ” Maren Morris, Nicole Hemmer, Morris ’, Morris, Jason Aldean’s “, Oliver Anthony’s “ Rich, Richmond ”, “ Rich, ” Hemmer, Anthony himself, ‘, Hemmer Organizations: CNN, Financial Times, West Virginia University, Modern Language Association, WVU, West Virginia, Republican, Press, Florida Gov, White, Content Agency, Content Agency Rupert Murdoch Media, Fox News, Capitol, Agency, Democratic, fied Republican Party, Republican Party, Justice Department, Qatari, Amnesty International, Kennedy Center, UN, Assembly, CBS, Ukraine’s, Republicans, Democrat, Progressive Supra, GOP, Walton, Mobile, North, Richmond Locations: Rome, Ukraine, TikTok, Roman, Roman Republic, Washington, ”, Korean, North Korea, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Dulles , Virginia, Virginia, New York City, United States, China, Las Vegas , Nevada

☆ The Half-Truth of America’s Past Greatness - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Esau Mccaulley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

People unfamiliar with the idea of a racial map may have been surprised by Black responses to Jason Aldean’s country song “Try That in a Small Town,” which became a hit this summer. I wonder how often vigilante groups were formed to protect Black Southerners from harm rather than inflict it upon them. According to Mr. Aldean, it is simply about the traditional values of small-town America. Do we discover it during the first centuries of the Republic when slavery was the law of the land? The small-town song, in the end, is about a return to a glorious past that existed only for some.

Persons: Jason Aldean’s, Aldean, he’s, Jim Crow Locations: ”, America, Republic

REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A federal judge will sentence two more members of the far-right Proud Boys on Friday who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed bid by then-President Donald Trump's supporters to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election victory. The second defendant, Ethan Nordean, was a leader of the group who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes. The sentencing of Pezzola and Nordean follows U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Thursday ordering two other former Proud Boys leaders, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, to serve 17 years and 15 years in prison, respectively. The government is seeking a 20-year prison term for Pezzola and a 27-year term for Nordean. Former Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio will be sentenced on Sept 5.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden's, Dominic Pezzola, Ethan Nordean, Trump, Biden, Pezzola, Nordean, Timothy Kelly, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Biggs, Stewart Rhodes, Rehl, Mark, Nick Smith, Smith, Enrique Tarrio, Sarah N, Lynch, Makini Brice, Scott Malone, Grant McCool Organizations: Trump, U.S, Capitol, U.S . Congress, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Proud Boys, Capitol Police, Boys, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington

☆ 'Rich Men North of Richmond': A virtually unknown conservative singer just rocketed to the top of the charts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The right-wing media universe is maturing — and finding great success — beyond typical news commentary. That’s quite a feat, considering singer Christopher Anthony Lunsford was virtually unknown just weeks ago. It’s also illustrative of the power amassed by right-wing media forces, taking unknown quantities and churning them out into overnight blockbuster hits, a weaponized cudgel against perceived enemies in mainstream institutions. And, while he is a well known country singer, Jason Aldean’s widely criticized “Try That In a Small Town” was not much of a commercial success until it was boosted by right-wing media to the top of the Billboard charts. As conservatives increasingly see legacy media companies and performers as not only disagreeable, but outright evil, it makes sense that they would look toward outsiders to fill their entertainment needs.

Persons: Oliver Anthony Music’s, “, Christopher Anthony Lunsford, Lunsford, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, It’s, Donald Trump, Tom Cruise, Jason Aldean’s Organizations: CNN, North, Billboard, Fox News, Trump, Daily, Disney Locations: Richmond, Washington

☆ Fact Check-Jason Aldean did not sue ‘The View’ or its hosts in July 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The claim that country music singer Jason Aldean sued the co-hosts of ABC’s “The View” for defamation originated from a satirical website. The Dunning Kruger Times describes itself as part of a network of “parody, satire and tomfoolery,” adding that “everything on this website is fiction” (ghostarchive.org/archive/Rybzc). There are no credible media reports of Aldean having filed such a suit in July 2023, when the claim began circulating online (ghostarchive.org/archive/KP5ah). A spokesperson for “The View” did not provide comment, while a representative for BBR Music Group, the agency that represents Aldean, did not respond to a request for comment. The claim stems from the satirical website Dunning Kruger Times.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Dunning Kruger, Whoopi, Aldean, “, Dunning, Read Organizations: Washington Post, New York Times, Dunning Kruger Times, BBR Music, Reuters

☆ A Multiracial, Hip-Hop-and-Bluegrass Band Wants to Fix Hate in America - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Farah Stockman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The free publicity, complete with an online post by Donald Trump, spurred a surge in record sales. I recently spent two days with Gangstagrass, a band that is making music that actually unites us, and reflecting on why it isn’t better known. A version of the group produced the theme song of the TV drama “Justified.” (The song, “Long Hard Times to Come,” was nominated for an Emmy in 2010.) The multiracial band was created by Rench, a Brooklyn-based musician and producer. When he isn’t making music, Mr. Whitener is a stay-at-home dad.

Persons: Jason Aldean’s, ”, Aldean’s, Donald Trump, “, M.C, Dan Whitener, Farrow, Whitener, Dolio Organizations: Gangstagrass, Times, Phillies, Adidas Locations: Brooklyn, Pensacola, Fla, New Jersey, Omaha

☆ Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ Hits No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last week, Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” which the country star portrays as a paean to neighborly values but critics have described as a call to racist vigilantism, opened at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, after its music video became a culture war battleground. 1 single on Billboard’s all-genre singles chart in Aldean’s nearly two-decade career as a top Nashville hitmaker. As the song has stirred debate, tweaks have been made to its music video, which early on was pulled without explanation by Country Music Television but remains available on YouTube. Last week, a new version appeared, six seconds shorter than the original and scrubbed of news clips showing Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

Persons: Jason Aldean’s, Nashville hitmaker Organizations: Nashville, Country Music, YouTube Locations: ”, Aldean’s, United States

☆ Fact Check-Claim Blake Shelton canceled TV contract stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no evidence that American singer Blake Shelton has pulled out of a multimillion-dollar project with Country Music Television (CMT). Reuters found no evidence that Shelton had a “$30-million-dollar project” with CMT, or that he has stepped away from one. No announcements about the purported partnership are featured on Shelton’s website (www.blakeshelton.com/news), or social media profiles (twitter.com/blakeshelton), (www.facebook.com/blakeshelton/). Representatives for CMT and for Shelton did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The claim that Blake Shelton has canceled a multimillion contract with CMT is unfounded and originates from a satirical website.

Persons: Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean’s, CMT’s, Shelton, Dunning, Dunning Kruger, tomfoolery, Read Organizations: Country Music Television, CMT, Tennessee Courthouse, NBC, Facebook, Reuters, Dunning Kruger Times, Defense Locations: ”, African

☆ Analysis: Tony Bennett sang in a key that Jason Aldean’s song can’t reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

White jazz artists were antiracists before the term was inventedMany of the tributes to Bennett mentioned his disdain for bigotry. Many White jazz artists were antiracists, long before the word was invented. Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s musical mentor, recorded with and relentlessly championed Black jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. He hired a Black jazz bassist, Eugene Wright, and refused to play in segregated venues. There are countless photos of a beaming Bennett hanging out with Black jazz artists.

Persons: Tony Bennett, Ed Sullivan’s, Bennett, ”, Duke Ellington, “, ’ ” Bennett, there’s, Jason Aldean, Aldean, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Rick Diamond, Bennett —, ” Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Benny Goodman, Jim Crow, Ellington, Louis Armstrong, don’t, It’s, that’s, Lionel Hampton, Goodman, Michael Ochs, Amy Winehouse, Winehouse, fidgety, “ We’ll, “ You’re, ” Winehouse, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Elvis Costello, Bennett’s unflappability, Bennett wasn’t, Brubeck, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Evans, Mark Allan, Greg Thomas, ” Thomas, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas, Wynton Marsalis, Bennett –, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, –, Thomas, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Toronto Star, MLK, Atlanta Civic Center, US Army, Carnegie Hall, Michael Ochs Archives, Jazz, Studios Locations: New York, Tennessee, America, Atlanta, Nazi, African, British, Turkey, Japan, London, Aldean, American, Europe, United States

☆ Analysis: Country music is at a crossroads. Two of its most viral songs show why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The struggle for the soul of country music is on full display now as two very different songs have been making headlines. Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesThese two songs, so differently received yet recorded under the same big country umbrella, are an embodiment of the crossroads where country music currently stands. Like all musical traditions that fuse, evolve and splinter, country music and its legions of fans are engaged in a negotiation for the genre’s main identity. When the Dixie Chicks spoke out against the Iraq War in the early 2000s, their popularity in country music circles never fully recovered.. Small towns, fast cars and American values are as essential to country music as four chords and the truth.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman, Chapman, Combs, ”, Tracy, ” Chapman, “, Luke, Bryan Bedder, they’ve, Aldean, Little Richard, Otis Redding, ” Aldean, —, Holly G, Morgan Wallen, Michael Loccisano, foremothers, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, ” Combs, it’s Organizations: CNN, CMT, Billboard, Singer, Amarillo, Black Opry, Washington Post, Texas Democrat, country’s, Dixie, Grand Ole Opry Locations: Copenhagen, underrepresentation, Aldean, Macon , Georgia, Iraq

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