Actor Danny Materson found guilty on two counts of rape

Actor Danny Masterson was convicted on Wednesday on two counts of rape during his retrial in Los Angeles. The Associated Press reported that the seven-woman, five-man jury deadlocked on the third count after deliberating for over a week. The actor has been free on bail since his June 2020 arrest by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

Wednesday’s verdict was delivered nearly six months after Masterson’s first trial ended with a mistrial, with jurors leaning towards acquitting the now 47-year-old star of “That ’70s Show”. Masterson was accused of raping three women he met through the Church of Scientology (to which Masterson still belongs) – identified at trial as Jane Doe #1, Jane Doe #2 and Jane Doe #3 — at his Hollywood Hills home from 2001 to 2003. He faced up to 45 years in prison if he was convicted on all three counts.

Masterson has denied all the allegations leveled against him by the women. Masterson never took the stand in either the first trial or retrial, and his defense attorneys declined to call any witnesses. The actor also denies assaulting a fourth woman, identified as Jane Doe #4, who told the court during his first trial he had raped her; Masterson has not been criminally charged with raping her. Both of Masterson’s trials have focused on the Church of Scientology, which Masterson’s accusers all said tried to cover up the allegations against the actor. The judge again allowed witnesses to testify how they were pressured by church officials not to talk to police about the rape allegations. Scientology spokeswoman Karin Pouw has denied the allegations, saying that church doctrine requires members to “abide by all the laws of the land.”

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Actor Danny Materson found guilty on two counts of rape

Actor Danny Masterson was convicted on Wednesday on two counts of rape during his retrial in Los Angeles. The Associated Press reported that the seven-woman, five-man jury deadlocked on the third count after deliberating for over a week. The actor has been free on bail since his June 2020 arrest by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

Wednesday’s verdict was delivered nearly six months after Masterson’s first trial ended with a mistrial, with jurors leaning towards acquitting the now 47-year-old star of “That ’70s Show”. Masterson was accused of raping three women he met through the Church of Scientology (to which Masterson still belongs) – identified at trial as Jane Doe #1, Jane Doe #2 and Jane Doe #3 — at his Hollywood Hills home from 2001 to 2003. He faced up to 45 years in prison if he was convicted on all three counts.

Masterson has denied all the allegations leveled against him by the women. Masterson never took the stand in either the first trial or retrial, and his defense attorneys declined to call any witnesses. The actor also denies assaulting a fourth woman, identified as Jane Doe #4, who told the court during his first trial he had raped her; Masterson has not been criminally charged with raping her. Both of Masterson’s trials have focused on the Church of Scientology, which Masterson’s accusers all said tried to cover up the allegations against the actor. The judge again allowed witnesses to testify how they were pressured by church officials not to talk to police about the rape allegations. Scientology spokeswoman Karin Pouw has denied the allegations, saying that church doctrine requires members to “abide by all the laws of the land.”

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

New York Knicks and GM Scott Perry parting ways

Sources told ESPN that the New York Knicks and their general manager Scott Perry will part ways this off-season, as the franchise is not planing to extend Perry’s expiring contract. Perry was hired for the role of GM in 2017.

The 59-year-old Perry and the Knicks hired current coach Tom Thibodeau in 2020, who has a 125-111 record over three seasons. Jeff Hornacek and David Fizdale also served as full-time head coaches under Perry.  Under Perry, the Knicks made two playoff appearances over the last three years, and went 47-35 in 2022-23, earning their most wins in a season since 2012. This year’s campaign also marked just the second time the Knicks won at least 43 games in a second since 2000-01. The 2022-23 Knicks also beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs to earn their first postseason series victory since 2012; however, they went on to lose to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks went 41-31 in 2020-21 before losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round that postseason.

Perry previously served as coach at the University of Detroit Mercy and Eastern Kentucky, and worked as an assistant at Michigan. He was a front office executive for the Detroit Pistons and served as the assistant general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007.  Perry returned to the Pistons in 2008 to become their vice president of basketball operations, and later became Orlando Magic assistant general manager in 2012. In April of 2017, he became vice president of basketball operations for the  Sacramento Kings, but moved onto to take the Knicks general manager spot just three months later.

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Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro to sit out Game 1 of NBA Finals with hand injury

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters Wednesday that guard Tyler Herro will not play in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, June 1st because of a lingering hand injury. Spoelstra said of Herro, “He’s not there yet.” Herro suffered a fractured hand during the Heat’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 16th; he has only played two play-in tournament games fully, against the Hawks and Bulls. Miami went on to defeat the Bucks, Knicks and Celtics without Herro, reaching the Finals.

No formal timetable has been given, but Herro is expected to return to the court at some point during the NBA Finals, per ESPN’s Marc J. Spears.  TNT’s Chris Haynes reported on Monday night that Herro could be expected back by Game 3 of the Finals, which will take place on Wednesday, June 7.

Herro – the 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year — averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the 2022–23 regular season to go with a league-leading .934 free-throw percentage.

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Miranda Lambert and Leon Bridges team up for “If You Were Mine”

Miranda Lambert and Leon Bridges are teaming up for the new duet, “If You Were Mine.”  Lambert shared a preview of the track, co-written with Pistol Annies bandmate Ashley Monroe and Jesse Frasure, on social media along with the caption: “Two Texans. One song. June 6. Presave at the link in my bio ✨🌕

According to a press release, the song centers around the theme of “unrequited love”. Lambert said in a press release: “I have been a big fan of Leon for a while because he is very authentic as an artist and I love his music. Since we are both from Texas, we threw in a few Texas references, of course – the Frio River being one. When we finished this song, we sent it to Leon in hopes that he would want to collaborate and we were so glad that he said yes. I have really enjoyed getting to know him and I’m happy to have him as a new friend.”  Bridges adds: “I was humbled to have Miranda ask if I’d join her on this beautiful duet she wrote. Getting in the studio with her in Nashville to sing this song together was magic. There’s nothing better than two Texans on one mic!”

To pre-save “If You Were Mine”, head here.

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‘CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair’ documentary to premiere July 5th on Hulu

The Country Music Association (CMA) announced that the feature-length documentary film ‘CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair’ will be released on Hulu this July 5th. Running 75-minutes, “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair” highlights the festival’s origin in 1972 as ‘Fan Fair,’ taking place at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. It later moved to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds by 1982, and then to downtown Nashville two decades later.

CMA Fest celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, taking place June 8-11 in Nashville. CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern said of the documentary in a statement: “CMA Fest has taken several shapes throughout its storied history. As we step into our 50th year, our hope with this film is to underscore the one thing that has remained with the festival—its heart. We are thrilled to share the evolution and magic of this incredible event with the Hulu audience.”

Added Kelly Striewski, CMA’s Senior Vice President, Marketing, Content & Communications Strategy: “What better way to tell the story of CMA Fest than through the eyes of the artists, our industry and the fans. This film highlights the truly unique connection that exists within CMA Fest and how this festival has continued to grow the Country community throughout its 50 years. We couldn’t be happier to have this story debut on Hulu.”

ABC will air its annual “CMA Fest” network primetime special later this summer. For more information on CMA Fest, visit www.cmafest.com.

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Selena Gomez to launch two new series with Food Network

Food Network announced in a press release that Selena Gomez will launch two new series at network. The singer/actress stars with Steve Martin and Martin Short on the popular Hulu series Only Murders in the Building.

The 30-year-old Gomez is developing two new projects, including a celebration-focused series for the holidays. She will launch a second series in 2024 that will see her meet up “with some of the best chefs in the country in a quest to cook their most popular dishes when she visits their kitchens.”

Warner Bros. Discovery chairman Kathleen Finch said in a statement: “The holidays are always huge for Food Network, reaching nearly 60M P2+ viewers, and having Selena kicking off the nearly 100 hours of new and returning holiday programming will certainly make this coming season one to celebrate.” Gomez previously collaborated with Warner Bros. Discovery on the cooking series Selena + Chef for Max, (formerly known as HBO Max).

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2 arrested, 3 still at large in shooting in Hollywood Florida that injured 9

Police in Hollywood, Florida said that two people have been arrested, while three suspects are still being sought in connection with Monday’s mass shooting on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk in Hollywood, Florida that left nine people including several children hospitalized.  Hollywood Police have not released the identities of the injured, but said four of the nine victims are minors ranging in ages from 1 to 17, and the 5 adults are between the ages of 25 – 65. All of the victims were taken to either Memorial Regional Hospital or Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital; as of Tuesday morning, three adults had been treated and released from the hospital, while the other victims were in stable condition.

The shooting on Memorial Day happened shortly before 7 p.m. near Johnson Street, as the Broadwalk was crowded with Memorial Day beachgoers. Police said the incident started with an altercation between two groups of people that resulted in gunfire, and video from the city of Hollywood’s live feed of Hollywood Beach show people running or seeking cover when the gunshots were fired. What appears to be two guns can also be seen on the ground in the video. Officers responded and detained multiple people at or near the scene.

Police said Tuesday that while the people detained weren’t identified as the shooters, two were arrested on firearms charges; five handguns had been recovered, police said. Two of the handguns had been reported stolen, including one from Miami-Dade and one from Texas. Officials also released photos of three people who they believe were involved in the shooting, and are asking for the public’s help in identifying them. At a news conference Tuesday, Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy was the two people arrested were not from Hollywood but were from elsewhere in South Florida. Said Levy: “I’m very confident that we will apprehend those three persons. When you do something like this in broad daylight, with CCTV cameras up and down our Broadwalk, you will be identified and you will be caught and brought to justice. We’re not gonna tolerate this kind of behavior in a beautiful beach setting. We’re a very peaceful city and we will not tolerate people coming into our city and behaving in this way with no regard to people that are in harm’s way with iinocent bystanders injured like they were yesterday.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hollywood Police Department at 954-764-4357(HELP) or 954-967-4567.

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Family announced that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia

In a statement issued by the Carter Center on Tuesday, the family of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter announced that Mrs. Carter has dementia. The statement read: “The Carter family is sharing that former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia. She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones. Mrs. Carter has been the nation’s leading mental health advocate for much of her life. First in the Georgia governor’s mansion, then in the White House, and later at The Carter Center, she urged improved access to care and decreased stigma about issues surrounding mental health.”

The former first lady is 95, and the statement did not say when she was given the diagnosis. The statement continued: “One in 10 older Americans have dementia, a condition that affects overall mental health. We recognize, as she did more than half a century ago, that stigma is often a barrier that keeps individuals and their families from seeking and getting much-needed support. We hope sharing our family’s news will increase important conversations at kitchen tables and in doctor’s offices around the country. The universality of caregiving is clear in our family, and we are experiencing the joy and the challenges of this journey. We do not expect to comment further and ask for understanding for our family and for everyone across the country serving in a caregiver role.”

In February, it was announced that former President Jimmy Carter, 98, was suspending medical care and receiving only end-of-life hospice care, tweeting at the time: “After a series of short hospital stays, former President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”

The Carters have been married since 1946. They have four children and more than two dozen grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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Warriors’ GM Bob Myers stepping down after 11 seasons and 4 NBA Championships

Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers told ESPN on Tuesday that he will step down as president of basketball operations and general manager of the organization when his contract expires at the end of June. Myers has spent the past 12 years with the Warriors, and became their general manager in April 2012. Myers told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he declined ownership’s offers on a new deal that would have placed him among the NBA’s top-earning executives.

During his time with the Warriors, Myers hired Steve Kerr, drafted Draymond Green, signed Andre Iguodala, and assisted in signing Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016.  Under his helm, the Warriors grew into the most successful team of the past decade of NBA history, winning four championships and reaching the NBA Finals six times. Golden State also set the regular-season wins record by going 73-9 during the 2015-16 season, and Myers won the NBA’s executive of the year award in both 2015 and 2017. The Warriors lost in the second round to the Los Angeles Lakers this season, their first playoff loss before the Finals under Kerr.

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