Larry Hoover Jr. Thanks Kanye West for Helping Father Get Commuted Sentence
Larry Hoover Jr. is shouting out Kanye West for sticking his neck out for his father ... because he tells us Ye was instrumental in Larry Hoover getting a commuted sentence from President Trump.
Larry Jr. tells TMZ ... Kanye and Alice Marie Johnson are a big reason why Trump commuted the prison sentence of the Gangster Disciples founder.
Kanye and Drake went to bat for Larry Sr. and famously squashed a beef back in 2021 with a livestreamed event billed as the "Free Larry Hoover" fundraising benefit concert.
Alice is working as Trump's "pardon Czar" ... and she had her prison sentence commuted and then pardoned during Trump's first term, with an assist from Kim Kardashian.
Larry Jr. says his father is ready to come home after spending nearly 30 years in solitary confinement in federal prison, but it may not be that easy.
That's because Hoover, now 74 years old, still has an Illinois state penalty ... Trump can't forgive state crimes, so Hoover's immediate future remains to be seen.
Larry Jr. says the family is still fighting to free Hoover from state custody ... and he's got messages for Trump and Illinois governor JB Pritzker.
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Business Insider
18 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Americans are questioning the value of a college degree. Trump is joining the debate.
President Donald Trump wants to tweak a traditionalfeature of the American dream: a college degree. Trump has continued to escalate his battle with Harvard University, threatening to cut off the Ivy League school from federal funding if it does not meet the administration's demands, which include eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and cracking down on campus activism. The latest threat against Harvard, however, floated shifting funding to trade schools, an alternative path to a four-year college degree. "I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land," Trump wrote in a May 26 post on Truth Social. "What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!" The White House's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, added onto the president's comments in an interview with Fox News: "Apprenticeships, electricians, plumbers, we need more of those in our country, and less LGBTQ graduate majors from Harvard University. And that's what this administration's position is." Over the past few years, a growing number of Americans have started to question the value of a college degree due to high costs and a tough labor market, making trade schools and apprenticeships a favorable alternative. It marks a shift in the standard American dream, in which a four-year college degree had been viewed as a step to middle-class success. However, Jon Fansmith, assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, told Business Insider that taking funding away from Harvard and other research institutions isn't the answer to boosting investment in trade schools. "The money that he is talking about withholding from Harvard is money that Congress provided to research agencies to perform advanced scientific and biomedical research," Fansmith said, adding that Harvard earned grant money because "they had the best researchers, the best laboratory facilities, the best understanding of how to advance that science," he continued. "You can't simply take that money and use it for another purpose." Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the Department of Education, told BI that "American universities that are committed to their academic mission, protect students on campus, and follow all federal laws will have no problem accessing generous taxpayer support for their programs." 'Two very separate stories' Higher education doesn't have the same draw that it once did. Some Gen Zers previously told BI that despite being taught that college was the primary path to success, they felt they could make a living by directly entering the workforce or going to trade school. Please help BI improve our Business, Tech, and Innovation coverage by sharing a bit about your role — it will help us tailor content that matters most to people like you. What is your job title? (1 of 2) Entry level position Project manager Management Senior management Executive management Student Self-employed Retired Other Continue By providing this information, you agree that Business Insider may use this data to improve your site experience and for targeted advertising. By continuing you agree that you accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . That's why Trump's push to invest more in trade schools is important, Fansmith said — they help Americans get a stable career to support themselves and their families, and the federal government can help support those schools by asking Congress to approve more funding, not redirecting the funding unilaterally. "There are two stories here. One is this administration's attack on Harvard, and the other is, what is the role of trade schools, and is there a need for more support for trade schools? And as much as the president's trying to conflate the two, those are two very separate stories," Fansmith said. While Trump's big spending bill proposes some provisions to expand Pell grant eligibility to short-term programs, it does not detail a significant funding increase for trade schools. The Trump administration's rhetorical focus on trade schools isn't new. Before he won the 2024 election, Linda McMahon, now Trump's education secretary, wrote an opinion piece in The Hill advocating for the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to workforce training programs. "Our educational system must offer clear and viable pathways to the American Dream aside from four-year degrees," she wrote. Trump also signed an executive order on April 23 to strengthen and expand workforce development and apprenticeships programs, which McMahon called a "significant step in ensuring every American can live their American Dream." Congress' role in rethinking education For years, Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for greater access to postsecondary education options, like free community college, and there has been bipartisan agreement on the need to boost apprenticeships and workforce programs without redirecting funding from higher education institutions. Amid the heightened focus on alternatives to a four-year college degree, the New York Federal Reserve said in a recent report that college still pays off; the median worker with a college degree earns about $80,000 a year, compared to $47,000 for a worker with just a high school diploma. Trump hasn't yet implemented his idea to redirect Harvard's federal funding to trade schools, and it's unclear how, or if, he will attempt to follow through. While he has already withheld billions of dollars from Harvard and other schools across the country for failing to meet his administration's political demands, the moves have been met with lawsuits, and Fansmith said it's likely more legal action would ensue should Trump attempt to move around funding without congressional approval. "We're talking about spending money that Congress said would go to support really critically needed research into things like cancer and Alzheimer's and diabetes, and other things that impact everyday Americans' lives, and give it to trade schools," Fansmith said. "Trade schools are great schools. They have lots of benefits. They deserve a lot of federal support, but not just to make a political point at the expense of Harvard." Jason Altmire, president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities — a group that represents for-profit colleges — said in a statement that Trump's focus on trade schools "is an investment in America's workforce." "The best way to support trade schools is to reduce the regulatory burden facing private career schools while increasing funding that allows students interested in the trades to choose the highest quality school," Altmire said.
CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
Utah judge rules a convicted killer with dementia is competent to be executed
A convicted killer in Utah who developed dementia while on death row for 37 years is competent enough to be executed, a state judge ruled late Friday. Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, was sentenced to die in 1988 for killing Utah mother of three Maurine Hunsaker. Despite his recent cognitive decline, Menzies 'consistently and rationally understands' what is happening and why he is facing execution, Judge Matthew Bates wrote in a court order. 'Menzies has not shown by a preponderance of the evidence that his understanding of his specific crime and punishment has fluctuated or declined in a way that offends the Eighth Amendment,' which prohibits cruel and unusual punishments, Bates said. Menzies had previously selected a firing squad as his method of execution. He would become only the sixth U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad since 1977. The Utah Attorney General's Office is expected to file a death warrant soon. Menzies' lawyers, who had argued his dementia was so severe that he could not understand why he was being put to death, said they plan to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. 'Ralph Menzies is a severely brain-damaged, wheelchair-bound, 67-year-old man with dementia and significant memory problems,' his attorney, Lindsey Layer, said in a statement. 'It is deeply troubling that Utah plans to remove Mr. Menzies from his wheelchair and oxygen tank to strap him into an execution chair and shoot him to death.' The U.S. Supreme Court has spared others prisoners with dementia from execution, including an Alabama man in 2019 who had killed a police officer. Over nearly four decades, attorneys for Menzies filed multiple appeals that delayed his death sentence, which had been scheduled at least twice before it was pushed back. Hunsaker, a 26-year-old married mother of three, was abducted by Menzies from the convenience store where she worked. She was later found strangled and her throat cut at a picnic area in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. Menzies had Hunsaker's wallet and several other belongings when he was jailed on unrelated matters. He was convicted of first-degree murder and other crimes. Matt Hunsaker, who was 10 years old when his mother was killed, said Friday that the family was overwhelmed with emotion to know that justice would finally be served.
CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
Recap of ‘Diddy' trial: ‘Jane' says Sean Combs threatened to cut her off financially over sexual ‘hotel nights'
A woman using the pseudonym 'Jane' took the stand for a second day of salacious testimony at the end of the fourth week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal criminal trial. Jane's testimony comes as the prosecution seeks to show Combs and his inner circle used violence, lies, drugs, and other means to coerce Jane and Cassie Ventura into having sex with other men as part of drug-fueled sexual performances known as 'hotel nights' or 'Freak Offs.' Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. His defense has acknowledged Combs was violent but has questioned the motives of those testifying and said the women consented to the sexual activity. Jane began testifying Thursday afternoon and is expected to return to the stand next week to continue her testimony and cross-examination. Here's what we learned in testimony Friday. Jane, who dated Combs from 2021 to 2024, testified that Combs falsely promised he'd spend quality time alone with her and dismissed her repeated requests to stop participating in his sexual 'hotel nights.' Jane said that Combs promised her the things she wanted, like date nights and quality time, but said he wanted to have 'hotel nights' first. She would agree, but then afterward they'd be too exhausted and 'spent the rest of our free time sleeping,' she testified. 'I need a breather and a break from you,' she wrote in a text message, read aloud in court Friday, from November 2021 after seeing Combs spend quality time with another woman shortly after Jane had a 'hotel night' with him. 'This doesn't make me feel good at all. Your true intentions with me are in plain sight.' Jane testified that they had a 'hotel night' on her birthday in 2022 in which she had sex with another man at Combs' direction. Soon after, she saw on social media that Combs had a 'big grandiose birthday' for another woman he was dating, and the contrast was 'heartbreaking,' Jane said. 'I don't ever want to do another hotel night,' she texted Combs around that time. 'I didn't want to do those things with you on my birthday but I wanted to make sure we had a good time.' In 2023, Combs suggested she fly to New York to visit him, but she was hesitant because she figured he'd want to have a 'hotel night' while she was there, she testified. He promised her they would have a romantic time just the two of them, so she agreed to go, she said. But when she was mid-air, Combs texted her about getting 'entertainment' for them, and she felt 'really disappointed,' she testified. Jane said they bickered 'about just how I was done with this and I didn't want to do this and like why every time I see you this is happening.' They ended up having a 'hotel night' that night, she testified. Jane also recounted two times when the man brought in for the 'hotel night' was someone she was not attracted to, and how Combs kept pushing for her to try and engage with him regardless. Regarding one of those times, in 2023, Jane testified Combs said to her, 'Are you sure? Maybe just a little bit' even though she said she knew that 'this was definitely not something that I could fake doing.' She said they eventually excused the man because she was 'repulsed by him,' and then another man came to the hotel after. Jane said she and Combs entered into a 'love contract' in 2023 in which he agreed to pay her $10,000-per-month rent as an allowance. He is still paying for her rent, even now, she testified on Friday. She also testified he threatened to cut her off financially if she stopped participating in 'hotel nights.' In text messages from August 2023 that were read aloud in court, amid a discussion about a 'hotel night,' Combs told her he put $15,000 on credit for things in her new house. When Jane then expressed hesitation about having the 'hotel night,' in part because she was having her period, Combs became angry and accused her of using him for money, according to the texts. Days later, she expressed frustrations to Combs with how he treated her, and Combs sent her an audio message threatening to stop financially supporting her. 'I'm about to really disappear on you, you feel me?' Combs said in the audio message that was played aloud in court for the jury. He said she had a 'rude awakening' coming if she didn't stop fighting him. 'You better get on your job, that's all it is,' Combs said. 'Because you got me on my job.' Jane testified that she understood her 'job' was 'taking care of him, being good to him and making sure he was happy,' which included the sexual encounters. She said his 'job' was taking care of her financially. Jane also texted Combs that he had been 'making things feel completely transactional lately' and was 'threatening me any chance that you get.' She testified that Combs was constantly reminding her that he paid for her home. Around the time when she and Combs entered into their 'love contract,' Combs also paid for Jane to get veneers 'because he didn't like my teeth,' Jane testified. At one point thereafter when Jane texted him complaining that she hadn't seen him alone outside of a hotel room for the 'hotel nights,' Combs responded, 'Well get over it please. Look at the roof over your head and that pretty smile. I don't want to do anything if that's still an issue.' In late 2023, she sent him messages saying she didn't want to play this role in his life anymore. 'I feel it's the only reason you have me around and why you pay for the house,' she wrote. 'I don't want to feel obligated to perform these nights for you.' Combs responded to the text, 'Girl stop.' The jury heard audio from a 'hotel night' in which Combs was dismissive of a request from Jane to have her male sex partner wear a condom. The audio was an excerpt from a video recording of a 'hotel night' that captured a conversation between Jane, Combs and a man named Don. On the recording, Jane said, 'you promised' to Combs, who expressed his disapproval. Jane said on the stand that she and Combs had a conversation before that 'hotel night' in which he told her it would be okay if she wanted the man she would have sex with to wear a condom. He eventually gave the 'entertainer' a condom, Jane said. She said she asked Combs to allow the 'entertainers' to wear condoms several times, but Combs was typically dismissive. Jane was asked why she needed Combs' permission to have the man wear a condom, and Jane seemed to get emotional and said she was 'still trying to process' that. She said she didn't insist on the man wearing a condom because then Combs would be 'unhappy.' At another point in her testimony, the jury saw 15 photos that weren't released to the public (none of the exhibits were shown to the public in court). Jane testified that each of the photos showed her and another man during a 'hotel night' and that Combs was present for all of the nights pictured. One female juror placed her hand over her face as the sexually explicit photos were displayed on the screens in front of them. Jane testified that when Combs would run out of drugs during a 'hotel night,' he'd call an assistant, a butler or one of his security guards to bring more. She recalled a time in 2022 when Combs directed her to pick up drugs from security personnel at his Los Angeles home and fly with them to meet him in Miami. She communicated with Combs' aide Kristina Khorram about picking up the 'package' at Combs' home. Jane said she asked Khorram if this was 'safe and okay,' and Khorram said, 'It's fine I do it all the time.' Jane flew with the drugs to Miami and later took ecstasy with Combs that she said came from the package. Jane testified that Combs gave her drugs during the 'hotel nights' that kept her awake for longer and made it easier for her to participate in the 'fantasy.' Jane cried and was emotional as she detailed one 'hotel night' in which she had sex with three other men, at Combs' insistence, on her birthday. Jane said she flew to Miami in 2023 to celebrate her birthday with Combs and he told her they'd spend quality time together. When they went to dinner, Combs brought up plans for a 'hotel night,' and she reluctantly agreed to participate. Jane said the first man who showed up that she never met before felt like a stranger and it was upsetting. 'More of an invasive moment because it was my birthday and I didn't want to do this on my birthday,' she said, crying. After the man left, Jane and Combs moved to a different suite at the hotel and Combs 'shifted his energy' and became more loving. He had arranged for cake, flowers and balloons in the suite, and they had some alone time, she said. But then another man came to the room for sex, and then a third man. 'I acted like it was nothing, but inside I hated it,' she said, adding between tears that she acted that way because she loved Combs. On the stand, Jane grew very emotional while discussing the birthday. She heaved more than once as she cried, and prosecutor Maurene Comey asked her repeatedly if she needed a break. Each time Jane said no. At another point in her testimony, a box of tissues was passed to her in the witness box by the courtroom deputy. After that birthday, Combs left her in the room and went on a private vacation with another romantic interest, Jane testified. According to messages read aloud in court, she texted him, 'Why do you lie to me?' She wrote to him that she wanted to get off the 'hamster wheel' and said, 'I didn't want to do all of that on my birthday.' Jane said she and Combs were on a break for about a month after that, but got back together.
