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Jumat, 05 April 2019

Read letter from Jussie Smollett's legal team to city's Law Department - Chicago Tribune

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https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-jussie-smollett-legal-letter--20190405-htmlstory.html

2019-04-05 12:51:00Z
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Kurt Cobain died 25 years ago today. A fan recalls seeing Nirvana play on the verge of fame - CNN

"Who the hell is Nirvana?" Wilder asked.

The show was two days before Wilder's 24th birthday and two weeks after the release of "Nevermind," the band's landmark album. She was "mesmerized."

"I remember it was not music I'd heard before," Wilder said, "But you got the sense that this was something special."

Her friend knew the band's manager, and Wilder got to go backstage. She didn't talk to lead singer Kurt Cobain, but "I very clearly remember him sitting on a couch and looking very socially uncomfortable." She recalled a woman trying to flirt with the shy, budding rock star, who seemed unsure of himself.

Terri Wilder in the 1990s. "I kind of miss that era," she says.

"He wasn't comfortable as the center of attention," Wilder said.

A week later "Nevermind" was certified gold and the band's breakthrough hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," was playing constantly on MTV. Cobain -- who died less than three years later, on April 5, 1994 -- had become the reluctant voice of Generation X.

A shocking death

Cobain and Nirvana heralded rock's grunge era of the early 1990s, bookending an era dominated by '80s synth pop, New Wave and hair bands like Bon Jovi. Cobain eschewed slick, corporate rock, and his anguished lyrics and distorted riffs expressed both intimacy and rebellion.

"It was a great time to be alive in your twenties," Wilder said. Over the next few years she began regularly going to shows by similar bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.

But she added, when you're young, "you're in this bubble thinking twenty-year-olds don't die."

Wilder remembers MTV's Kurt Loder delivering the news that Cobain had been found dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound.

The rocker joined Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison in the so-called 27 Club, a group of famous musicians who all died unexpectedly at age 27.

At that point, Wilder had only known a couple of people who had died. "It was shocking to my generation," she said.

Nirvana's lasting influence

A quarter century later, Cobain's career continues to fascinate and inspire. Rolling Stone named he and Nirvana 30th on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."

And of course, "Nevermind" tops Rolling Stone's list of most influential grunge albums.

Spencer Elden, who swam naked as a baby on the cover of "Nevermind," told CNN in 2011 that his father, who worked rigging special effects in Hollywood, got the gig with a friend to photograph the famous album cover. He put his infant son in the water and snapped a few photos that entered rock history.

In 2015, a 19-year-old girl in Washington found rare photos of her father playing with Cobain in his first-ever concert in Raymond, Washington in the spring of 1987.

And that same year, fans salivated over never-before-heard musical recordings of the alt-rock icon, dormant for 21 years, that surfaced ahead of filmmaker Brett Morgen's film biography "Montage of Heck."

Danny Goldberg, Nirvana's manager, released a memoir this week about his time with Cobain and the band, titled "Serving the Servant."

Nirvana wasn't the first grunge or alt-rock band, but that breakthrough moment in the fall of 1991 remains perhaps their most important contribution to music. They helped pioneer a genre of rock and helped other Seattle bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden reach fans around the world.

"Even if people weren't famous, 1992-1996 was a great time to hear local bands too," said Wilder, who now lives in New York City. After the Nirvana show she became focused on checking out new music. But she never saw them, or Cobain, again.

"I kind of miss that era," she said. "It was one of the happiest times of my life."

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/05/entertainment/kurt-cobain-death-25-years-trnd/index.html

2019-04-05 12:23:00Z
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Eric Holder, Nipsey Hussle's alleged shooter, defended by Chris Darden, former OJ Simpson prosecutor - The Washington Post

Eric Holder, the suspect in the killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle is seen with his attorney, Christopher Darden, front, in Los Angeles County Superior court Thursday. (Damian Dovarganes/AP)

April 5 at 7:18 AM

Dressed in a light blue jail shirt and matching pants, Eric Holder’s eyes darted furtively from side to side as he surveyed the packed courtroom. But as Holder was charged with murdering Grammy-nominated rapper and beloved community organizer Nipsey Hussle, his view was often obstructed by the bespectacled man standing squarely in front of him: his lawyer, Christopher Darden.

Thursday’s tense setting should feel familiar to the longtime litigator. More than 20 years ago, he was at the center of another high-profile Los Angeles murder case that sent shock waves across the city and the nation. Only back then, Darden was still with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and his job was to convince a jury that O.J. Simpson was guilty of brutally murdering his ex-wife and another man.

Darden’s central role in that highly charged trial, which was fraught with racial overtones, sparked widespread outrage as some black people labeled him a “race traitor” and other observers blamed his courtroom strategy for Simpson’s ultimate acquittal.

By defending Holder, Darden, now 62, is once again being vilified by some in the black community, finding himself on the wrong side of public opinion in an explosive case that has many seeking justice for the loss of a talented musician who devoted his life to improving his community. Darden did not respond to a request for comment Thursday and declined to speak to reporters at the courthouse.

[Nipsey Hussle and Lauren London shared a ‘modern-day love story.’ Now, she’s ‘completely lost.’]

But as Darden has made clear in the past, negative public opinion has rarely kept him from doing what he believes is right.

“I understand that some black prosecutors have a name for the pressure they feel from those in the community who criticize them for standing up and convicting black criminals,” Darden wrote in his 1996 book, “In Contempt,” which came after Simpson was acquitted. “They call it the ‘Darden Dilemma.’”

He continued: “It’s probably not the future I dreamed of on those summer nights on my parents’ porch, but there is a truth behind it that makes me proud. I hope that, because of the things I have done, my children and their children will find it easier to challenge the status quo and to stand up for what is right.”

Born on April 7, 1956, Darden was one of eight children and grew up in Richmond, Calif., located about 18 miles north of San Francisco. His mother devoted most of her time to raising her children, and when they were older she worked in a school cafeteria. Meanwhile, his father held three jobs, bouncing between working as a welder at a naval shipyard, a laborer and a part-time bail bondsman. Darden’s father also gained “a reputation as an old, blue-collar lawyer,” he wrote, helping fellow workers or sailors file lawsuits against discrimination and other kinds of unfair treatment.

“[F]or as long as anyone could remember, I was walking around saying I was going to be a lawyer someday,” Darden wrote.

Darden didn’t know any actual lawyers, but that didn’t matter. He knew about their lifestyles and wanted that for himself.

“I knew they made a lot of money, dressed nicely, and had power, commodities that I had in short supply,” he wrote. “When you grow up in Richmond, it can be intoxicating to imagine a way out. Being a lawyer was like that for me. I had no sense of what a lawyer did; it was like imagining some far-off place you’d never been, some fantastic land where you could drive whatever you wanted and eat as much as you could.”

In the spring of 1977, Darden graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in criminology. He went on to get his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and passed the state’s bar exam — widely believed to be one of the most difficult in the country — on the first try.

After a brief stint working for the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles, Darden made the jump to the district attorney’s office in the early 1980s. As a young prosecutor, Darden wrote that he earned a reputation for “irreverence and cockiness” and developed a “fiery, aggressive style” in the courtroom.

Darden’s caseload went from misdemeanor felonies to murders, gang crimes and police violence. In the late ’80s, he was involved in the state’s case against Joseph Danks, the “Koreatown Slasher,” who was accused of murdering six people and attempting to kill two others in a series of stabbings.

Then Simpson, California’s hometown football hero and an international celebrity, was arrested in June 1994 and accused of stabbing his ex-wife Nicole Brown and waiter Ron Goldman to death.

As an experienced prosecutor with numerous convictions under his belt, Darden wrote that he had a feeling he would have a role in Simpson’s case, but he “didn’t look forward to it.” It had been 13 years as a prosecutor and he hadn’t taken a real vacation. He was tired.

And there was also the ominous warning from his father.

“You’ll catch hell if you work on that one,” Darden’s father said in the book. “There’ll be hell to pay, you work on that one.”

“So, you think I shouldn’t get involved?” Darden responded.

“No,” his father said. “I didn’t say that. You have to do what you have to do. You have to do what you think is right.”

As he predicted, Darden was eventually approached by Marcia Clark, one of the lead prosecutors on the Simpson case. When he was told by Bill Hodgman, the other prosecutor on the case, that he would mostly be in the background, he was “relieved.”

“That meant no TV, which meant I didn’t have to worry that every homie in Southern California would be wondering if I was betraying my race,” Darden wrote, adding that he had a “duty to the prosecutors’ office, to the families of the victims, and even to the black community” to work on the case.

Simpson’s 11-month trial transfixed the nation, and in a city plagued by racial discrimination, the question of double-murder was swiftly eclipsed by issues surrounding race.

These circumstances may explain why Darden went from behind the scenes to being the first lawyer to address the jury and and delivering the prosecution’s closing argument, Jeffrey Toobin wrote in the 1996 book “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson."

“That it was Chris Darden who began the case demonstrated how much the prosecution effort had evolved over the months leading up to the trial,” Toobin wrote. “The racial tensions in the case made the logic of adding Darden even more compelling. The case needed a black prosecutor.”

But as critics have since argued, Darden’s prominent role in the trial likely did more harm than good to the prosecution’s case. Many have pointed to the moment when Darden forced Simpson to try on the bloodstained leather gloves – which resulted in Johnnie Cochran’s famous line, “If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.” – as a turning point.

“The glove demonstration provided the classic example of Darden’s shortcomings as a trial lawyer — his impetuousness, his immaturity, his failure to prepare either himself or his witnesses adequately,” Toobin wrote.

Even Darden knew he made a costly mistake.

“I knew what the damage truly was,” he wrote in his book. “People ask me now would I do it again. No. Of course not.”

In the aftermath of Simpson’s acquittal, it was unclear if Darden would return to law, The Washington Post’s William Booth wrote in October 1995.

“I don’t know if I ever want to try another case,” Darden told the Los Angeles Times in June of that year. “I don’t know if I ever want to practice law again.”

He later added: “Frankly, I’m ashamed to be part of this case. I’m not ashamed of the efforts of our team. We have a great team, a wonderful team. I wouldn’t trade it. But I hope that my participation in this case is not the legacy that I leave.”

More than two decades have passed since the Simpson trial and in that time Darden left the district attorney’s office and became a defense attorney, opening his own firm. He also appeared as a legal commentator on numerous cable news networks including CNN, NBC and Fox News.

Recently, Darden made headlines for representing former NFL player Brandon Browner, who is appealing an attempted murder conviction, according to Bleacher Report.

On Thursday, Darden stood in front of Holder to block him from cameras, according to CBS Los Angeles, while entering a plea of not guilty on behalf of his client. At least six stone-faced deputies also surrounded Holder, who arrived at Los Angeles County Superior Court in a squad car under heavy security, the news station reported. Following his arrest on Tuesday, Holder has received many threats on social media, according to the Times.

Holder’s bail was set at $5 million; his next court date is May 10.

When news spread that Darden was defending Holder, social media exploded with reactions, many critical of the attorney. By early Friday, Darden’s name was still a top trending term on Twitter.

Chris Darden’s relationship with Black America is just... like... 🤦🏾‍♂️
— Mark Anthony Green (@Mark_A_Green) April 4, 2019

So Chris Darden just wants to stay pissing off black people 😂😂😂
— 🇹🇹Black🇭🇹Aziz🇳🇬aNANsi🇯🇲 (@Freeyourmindkid) April 4, 2019

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/04/05/he-made-oj-simpson-try-gloves-now-hes-defending-nipsey-hussles-alleged-killer/

2019-04-05 11:06:13Z
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Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger resting after successful heart surgery: report - Fox News

Video

Mick Jagger resting after 'miracle' heart valve surgery: report

The Rolling Stones frontman reportedly underwent a noninvasive heart valve replacement procedure. Dr. David Dupree explains how it works on 'Fox & Friends.'

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was reportedly resting Thursday after earlier undergoing surgery in New York City to replace a valve in his heart.

The 75-year-old “Satisfaction” singer was in great health and could be released from the hospital within the week, Billboard reported, citing sources.

OZZY OSBOURNE POSTPONES ALL 2019 CONCERTS TO RECOVER FROM INJURY, HEALTH SCARE

Jagger underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement, sources told Billboard. Doctors also inserted a stent to prop open at least one of the singer's arteries, the New York Post reported. The minimally invasive procedure allowed Jagger to avoid major surgery.

His recovery time is expected to be four or five days so the artery can heal without any bleeding issues, according to Billboard. The father of eight would then need to rest further before taking the stage again.

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM UNDERGOES EMERGENCY HEART SURGERY, SUFFERS VOCAL CORD DAMAGE

The surgery follows an announcement last week that the band was postponing the upcoming U.S./Canada concert dates of their “No Filter” tour. They were expected to make up the shows and asked fans to hold on to their tickets.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Meanwhile, organizers of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival announced Fleetwood Mac will replace the Rolling Stones to close the main stage on May 2, the festival’s 50th anniversary.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rolling-stones-mick-jagger-resting-after-successful-heart-surgery-report

2019-04-05 10:49:15Z
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Jussie Smollett still owes Chicago $130,000 - ABC News

Two days after prosecutors in Chicago unexpectedly dropped all charges against Jussie Smollett, city officials gave the "Empire" actor a week to pay back $130,000 used to investigate a hate crime in January that officials said was bogus.

Smollett missed the deadline, and he's about to be sued.

(MORE: Taraji P. Henson weighs in on 'Empire' co-star Jussie Smollett's case)

Bill McCaffrey, a spokesperson for the city's Department of Law, said in a statement Thursday night: "Mr. Smollett has refused to reimburse the City of Chicago for the cost of police overtime spent investigating his false police report on January 29, 2019. The Law Department is now drafting a civil complaint that will be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook Country."

The lawsuit will be filed "in the near future" and the city "will pursue the full measure of damages allowed under the ordinance," McCaffrey concluded.

(MORE: City of Chicago asks 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett to pay $130K for cost of investigation)

Chicago has asked Smollett, against whom 16 felony charges had been filed, for an "immediate payment" of $130,106.15 "in an attempt to resolve this matter without further legal action," according to a letter obtained last week by ABC News. The letter asked for the payment within seven days and said additional fines were possible.

(Matt Marton/AP, FILE) "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett arrives at the Leighton Criminal Court Building for his hearing in Chicago, March 14, 2019.

Smollett, who insists he's been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one," was released after forfeiting $10,000 -- 10% of his $100,000 bond -- and performing a few hours of community service.

(MORE: What happened? Timeline of investigation into Jussie Smollett's attack claim)

Joe Magats, the first assistant state attorney in Illinois, told ABC Chicago station WLS, "We stand behind the investigation and the facts revealed," and, "We believe he did what he was charged with doing," and, "This was not an exoneration. To say that he was exonerated by us or anyone is not true."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said dropping the charges against Smollett "is without a doubt a whitewash of justice."

A federal investigation into a threatening letter investigators say was part of the hoax is still underway.

"Empire" is produced by 21st Century Fox, now part of the Walt Disney Co., also the parent company of ABC News.

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2019-04-05 07:21:28Z
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Ozzy Osbourne postpones all 2019 concerts to recover from injury, health scare - Fox News

Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne on Thursday announced the postponement of all his 2019 tour dates as he recovers from an injury suffered while convalescing from pneumonia.

The 70-year-old self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness” fell at his Los Angeles home and aggravated old injuries from a 2003 all-terrain vehicle accident that required surgery last month, a statement read. He will remain under a doctor's care as he recovers.

OZZY OSBOURNE SHARES GROUSOME PHOTO OF BUSTED BLOOD VESSEL IN EYE FROM INTENSE COUGH

“I can’t believe I have to reschedule more tour dates,” Osbourne said in the statement. “Words cannot express how frustrated, angry and depressed I am not to be able to tour right now. I’m grateful for the love and support I’m getting from my family, my band, friends and fans, it’s really what’s keeping me going. Just know that I am getting better every day…I will fully recover…I will finish my tour…I will be back!”

Earlier this year, the former Black Sabbath rocker was forced to postpone his European tour after developing an upper-respiratory infection caused by the flu, which doctors warned could turn into pneumonia. He was later hospitalized for complication from the flu.

Last October, the “Paranoid” singer suffered a show-canceling health scare when he developed an infection in his hand that required surgery.

The announcement to postpone the 2019 shows comes weeks after Bernie Torme, a veteran hard rock guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan and his own solo bands, died at age 66.

The Ozzy shows were expected to be rescheduled beginning in February 2020. Concert-goers were asked to hold on to their tickets because they will be honored for the new dates.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Osbourne told Rolling Stone magazine last year he would be embarking on his final tour.

“I’m not retiring,” he said. “It’s ‘No More Tours,’ so I’m just not doing world tours anymore. I’m still going to be doing gigs, but I’m not going on tour for six months at a time anymore. I’d like to spend some time at home.”

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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ozzy-osbourne-postpones-all-2019-concerts-to-recover-from-health-scare

2019-04-05 07:15:15Z
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Kamis, 04 April 2019

Growing Up Game of Thrones: How the Cast Has Changed - E! Online

Can you believe it's been eight years since we first learned winter is coming?

HBO

Drogon

They grow up so fast!

Article continues below

The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones will premiere on HBO on Sunday, April 14.

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https://www.eonline.com/news/1029705/growing-up-game-of-thrones-how-the-cast-has-changed-since-season-1

2019-04-04 17:57:00Z
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