Dallas Stars avoid elimination with 3-2 overtime win against Vegas Golden Knights

The Dallas Stars stayed alive at home with a 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday night in Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights, bringing the Western Conference final to 3-1.

The Stars’ Jason Robertson scored two goals in regulation and Joe Pavelski scored on a power play at 3:18 of overtime (after Vegas’ Brayden McNabb was called for high-sticking). It was Pavelski’s ninth goal of the playoffs and his first of the series. Robertson, who had a career-best 46 goals in the regular season. tied the game twice, matching goals by Vegas’ William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault.

Game 5 between the Vegas and Dallas will take place Saturday, May 27 at 8:00 pm in Las Vegas.  If the Golden Knights win on Saturday, the championship series will start in Las Vegas on May 31. If the series goes six or seven games, the series will begin on June 3.

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Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years on Capitol riot charges

A federal judge sentenced Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes to 18 years in prison Thursday for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The 57-year-old Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy, received the longest sentence of any defendant to date. Before pronouncing the sentence in Washington, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said: “you, sir, present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country and to the republic and to the very fabric of this democracy.”

Prosecutors said Rhodes was in contact with Trump between his election loss and Jan. 6, calling on him to invoke the Insurrection Act with the intent of creating an armed militia to act on his behalf. Judge Mehta accepted the government’s recommendation to apply an enhancement for terrorism in Rhodes’ sentencing for the first time in a Jan. 6 case, . Mehta agreed with prosecutors that Rhodes “inspired the use of violence” in his followers to disrupt the certification and that his conduct met the legal definition of terrorism intended to influence the actions of government; and cited the stockpile of weapons the Oath Keepers had amassed just outside of Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, as well as Rhodes’ orders for members to delete incriminating messages after the Capitol assault.

Rhodes called himself a “political prisoner” before his sentencing. He addressed Judge Mehta in defiant remarks maintaining his innocence, saying: “like President Trump, my only crime is opposing those who are destroying our country.”  In November he was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, along with co-conspirator Kelly Meggs. A jury found he and other members of the group played a principal role in disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

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White House unveils national strategy to combat antisemitism

On Thursday, the White House released a comprehensive plan to counter antisemitism across the U.S. In a video clip at an event announcing the plan, President Joe Biden said the strategy is “most ambitious and comprehensive U.S. government-led effort to fight antisemitism in American history, adding “we must say clearly and forcefully that antisemitism and all forms of hate and violence have no place in America.” 

The plan includes addressing the lack of education about the Holocaust, security at Jewish institutions, and the proliferation of conspiracy theories on the Internet. The strategy features four pillars: increasing awareness and understanding of antisemitism; improving safety for Jewish communities; reversing the normalization of antisemitism and building solidarity among religious groups.

Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first Jewish spouse of a vice president, said at the event that antisemitism has divided American society: “It threatens our democracy while undermining our American values of freedom, community and decency. And antisemitism delivers simplistic, false and dangerous narratives that have led to extremists perpetrating deadly violence against Jews.”

Outgoing White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice said that to increase awareness about antisemitism, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. will launch the first U.S.-based Holocaust education research center.  In addition, the National Endowment for the Humanities will expand its investment in K-12 education on Jewish history, adding that federal agencies have “committed to incorporating information about antisemitic bias and discrimination into their diversity, equity inclusion and accessibility training programs.”

The White House said that the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center will conduct an annual threat assessment “on antisemitic drivers of transnational violent extremism that can be shared with technology companies and other nongovernmental partners.”  The center released a declassified version of its first assessment on Thursday.

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Jacksonville Jaguars sign ex-Broncos kicker Brandon McManus

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced Thursday they have signed veteran kicker Brandon McManus to a one-year deal – less than two days after the Denver Broncos’ released him. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted: “Former Broncos’ kicker Brandon McManus is signing a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per source. McManus was released Tuesday and found work less than 48 hours later.”  The Jaguars waived kicker Riley Patterson in a corresponding transaction.

The Broncos cut McManus on Tuesday, ending his nine-year tenure with the AFC West franchise. McManus had been with the club since 2014 and was the last member of the Super Bowl 50 World Champion squad. McManus made 77.8% of his field goals and 92.6% of his extra points over 17 games last season for the Broncos, and made 81.4% of his field goals and 96.9% of his extra points in 144 appearances for the Broncos.

The Jaguars started organized team activities Monday and resumed the sessions Thursday. They will meet for additional organized team activities Tuesday and Wednesday, June 2 and June 5 through 8.

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Hulu shares trailer for documentary ‘Jelly Roll: Save Me’

Jelly Roll teased his new ABC News documentary Jelly Roll: Save Me, a film about the life of the country music singer/rapper.  According to a film synopsis, the documentary follow the country-rap sensation’s “journey of redemption in real time as he works through his mental health and addiction struggles and grapples with his rising fame.”

Jelly Roll: Save Me explores Jelly Roll’s rise to fame and his mental health and addiction struggles, and follows the artist as he prepares for his hometown show at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The singer also shares details about his previous incarcerations, and subsequently, his efforts to help at-risk youth.

Jelly Roll: Save Me is set to premiere May 30 exclusively on Hulu before the release of the his debut country album ‘Whitsitt Chapel,’ which will arrive on June 2 via BBR Music Group.  Take a look at the documentary trailer – here.

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‘Fox & Friends’ summer concert series to feature Justin Moore w/Riley Green, Parmalee and more

‘Fox and Friends’ will launch its 15th annual All-American Summer Concert Series this Friday, May 26, with co-hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, and Brian Kilmeade on hand from the Fox Square, the plaza outside of FNC’s headquarters in New York.  This year’s live shows will take place on the plaza every Friday through September 1.

The concert series, which will also stream live on Fox Nation, will kick-off with Grammy award-winning rock band 3 Doors Down, and will feature acts this summer including Parmalee with Blanco Brown, Justin Moore with Riley Green, Tyler Farr and Gary Levox of Rascal Flatts, and more.

The 2023 All-American Summer Concert Series Lineup:
MAY 26 – 3 DOORS DOWN
JUNE 2 – PARMALEE WITH BLANCO BROWN
JUNE 9 – COLBIE CAILLAT
JUNE 16 – JUSTIN MOORE WITH RILEY GREEN
JUNE 23 – TYLER FARR
JUNE 30 – SKILLET
JULY 7 – UB40
JULY 14 – ELEVATION WORSHIP
JULY 21 – RASCAL FLATT’S GARY LEVOX
JULY 28 – FLO RIDA
AUG 4 – DONNY OSMOND
AUG 11 – JELLY ROLL
AUG 18 – VANILLA ICE & ROB BASE

‘Fox & Friends’ announces 2023 All-American Summer Concert Series lineup

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Adam Driver named honorary starter for Indianapolis 500

Indiana native Adam Driver will wave the green flag as the honorary starter for the 107th Indy 500 on May 28.  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced: “The force will be with us on Race Day. Indiana native and former Marine Adam Driver will serve as honorary starter for the 107th #Indy500 presented by @gainbridgelife on Memorial Day Weekend.#INDYCAR | #ThisIsMay”

Indianapolis Motor Speedway president J. Douglas Boles said in a release: “Adam is going to experience one of the most exhilarating, powerful and exciting moments in all of sports as he stands atop the flag stand and waves the green flag to officially start the world’s greatest race. Indy 500 Race Day is full of meaning for our drivers, our fans across the globe and most especially our active-duty military members and veterans. Adam is not only a star recognized across the world but also a former U.S. Marine who will be a very fitting addition to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”

Driver, a Julliard graduate and former Marine, attended the University of Indianapolis for a year. He co-founded Arts in the Armed Forces, a non-profit organization that staged theatrical and musical performances for members of the military. Driver is perhaps best known for playing Kylo Ren in the last three “Star Wars” movies. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards, four Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway previously announced that singer-songwriter Jewel will perform the National Anthem, while ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ actress Stephanie Beatriz will serve as grand marshal. Coverage of the 107th Indy 500 will begin Sunday, May 28 at 9 a.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. At 11 a.m., NBC and Peacock will broadcast pre-race through post-race interviews.

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Take a look Fantasia and Halle Bailey in the trailer for The Color Purple remake

Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg have reunited to create a musical remake of The Color Purple, nearly 40 years after the original film was released. The new remake stars Fantasia, making her big feature film debut, as well as Halle Bailey, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, H.E.R., Corey Hawkins, Ciara and more.

Winfrey, who played Sofia in the original film, shared what makes the forthcoming project so special: “The reason this moment is so important is as long there is a need for self-discovery, self-empowerment, as long as there is a need for victory in someone’s life as long, as there is a need for people to know what it feels like to be loved up and to be made full and hold to somebody else’s love, there will be a need for ‘The Color Purple.’”

The Color Purple will premiere on December 25.
Watch the trailer – here.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces 2024 presidential bid

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president, announcing the news with a campaign video during a glitch-riddled event on Twitter with the owner of the social media site, Elon Musk. DeSantis filed paperwork on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, before his planned event with Musk.

DeSantis said: “I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback … But we know our country’s going in the wrong direction. We see it with our own eyes. And we feel it in our bones.” In his campaign video, DeSantis said he was running to “lead our great American comeback … We proved it can be done. We chose facts over fear, education over indoctrination, law and order over rioting and disorder.”  DeSantis painted a dark picture of a country he said is going in the wrong direction under Biden and urged Republicans to get behind him: “My pledge to you is this: If you nominate me you can set your clock to January 20, 2025, at high noon because on the west side of the US Capitol, I will be taking the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States. No excuses, I will get the job done.”

DeSantis’ decision to announce his campaign in a Twitter conversation with Musk ultimately backfired; the audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it virtually impossible for most users to hear the new presidential candidate in real time. Musk said the event’s technical glitches were due to “straining” servers because so many people were trying to listen to the audio-only event; more than 20 minutes passed beyond the scheduled start time with users getting kicked off, hearing microphone feedback and hold music and dealing with other technical problems.

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Florida Panthers sweep Carolina Hurricanes to head to Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers are heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996, after sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4-3 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday.

Matthew Tkachuk scored a power-play goal with 4.9 seconds left in regulation to send the Panthers ahead, his second goal of the game. Tkachuk’s goal came after Jesper Fast tied the game 3-3 with 3:22 remaining. Aleksander Barkov had two assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves for the Panthers, who are the second wild card from the East.

Florida will play either the Vegas Golden Knights or Dallas Stars in the Final. Vegas leads that best-of-7 series 3-0, with Game 4 taking place on Thursday.

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