Video: Legendary singer gifts Purple Heart vet a new home
According to Taste of Country, the iconic country music singer gifted Sergeant Derek Austin, a U.S. veteran and Purple Heart recipient, with a new house during his Pittsburgh concert on May 31 in partnership with the Military Warriors Support Foundation. In a video from Strait's concert, an announcer with Military Warriors Support Foundation can be heard sharing Austin's story of service to the United States during his deployment in Afghanistan.
'I want to tell you a story about this American hero — and tell you what he did for our freedom,' the announcer told the crowd. He explained that Austin was 'injured severely from shrapnel wounds when his convoy was attacked' in Afghanistan. 'Because of that, he also suffered severely from TBI, and PTSD,' the announcer said.
'We're gonna say thank you in a very, very, very special way,' he added. 'We're gonna give this hero a beautiful home!'
READ MORE: Pics: US Air Force vet released from Venezuelan detainment
In the video, Strait can be seen presenting a huge key to the Purple Heart recipient as the announcer shared that Austin would be receiving a new home from the Military Warriors Support Foundation in partnership with the legendary country singer.
Following the announcement of the gift, the Military Warriors Support Foundation representative honored Strait for his partnership with the organization and for helping give homes to U.S. military veterans.
The Military Warriors Support Foundation representative noted that Strait's gift to Austin marked the 124th home the country singer had helped give away. 'George, it's about $61 million worth we've given away together,' the announcer said.
According to the Military Warriors Support Foundation's website, Strait has partnered with the organization for almost 14 years in 32 different states to give away over 120 homes to Gold Star Families and veterans who were wounded in combat.
'As a veteran himself, George Strait has long supported American military personnel,' the website states. 'During his sold-out concerts, George Strait stops his performance to recognize and honor our country's combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star spouses. These Heroes are brought on stage to meet George and are celebrated by thousands in the crowd as they are presented with a mortgage-free home. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these Heroes and their families.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
7 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
With moves on West Bank and Gaza City, Israel defies global outcry
The idea of a Palestinian state 'is being erased from the table,' Bezalel Smotrich, the hard-line finance minister, declared after the government approved a settlement project of 3,400 housing units in the heart of the occupied West Bank. Advertisement 'Every town, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea,' Smotrich said Wednesday. At the same time, the Israeli military said it was advancing plans to take over Gaza City, with troops already on the city's outskirts and tents being moved into the southern Gaza Strip for displaced people. An additional 50,000 reservists would be told to report for duty in September, while troops have already obtained 'operational control' over 75 percent of the Gaza Strip, the military said in statements. The United Nations has put that number closer to 90 percent. The military 'has begun the next phase of the war,' said Brigadier General Effie Defrin, the Israeli military's chief spokesperson. The looming assault aims to prevent Hamas — which led the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel that started the war — from regrouping and planning future attacks, an Israeli military official, who requested anonymity in line with military protocol, told journalists at a briefing Wednesday. Advertisement About 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others kidnapped during the 2023 assault. After nearly two years of Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas, the Gaza Strip has been largely leveled and parts of it have been brought to the brink of famine. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. For Netanyahu, 'it doesn't matter if these steps — the war in Gaza and the quasi-annexation in the West Bank — would damage Israel's relations with the Arab world,' said Michael Milshtein, an Israeli analyst and former military intelligence officer. He said both developments also showed that Netanyahu believes he can continue to depend on American support, even as Arab and European nations sharply condemn Israel's actions. World leaders quickly condemned the announcements on Gaza City. 'The military offensive in Gaza that Israel is preparing can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war,' President Emmanuel Macron of France said on social media. France is among a growing number of countries that, frustrated with Israel's war in Gaza, have declared in recent months that they will recognize a Palestinian state at the annual UN General Assembly in September. While the United States has for years endorsed a so-called two-state solution, it has blocked recent efforts to recognize full Palestinian statehood under current conditions. Advertisement Prospects for a functional Palestinian state have been dim for years, and its boundaries have never been clear. Netanyahu has not publicly shared his position on the new ceasefire proposal, which Hamas has accepted and was announced this week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. But a statement that his office released Wednesday night seemed to signal that the military operation was soon to begin. Smotrich has led a pressure campaign by hard-liners who have threatened to quit Netanyahu's coalition, and potentially bring down his government, if the proposed ceasefire deal was pursued. Orit Strock, a minister in Netanyahu's government and a member of the far-right Religious Zionism party, warned the prime minister in a radio interview about accepting a deal that did not defeat Hamas and put 'the value of returning the hostages above the national interest.' 'This will push the country into a horrible abyss,' Strock told Army Radio. 'So it is very possible that we will say we will not be prepared to lend our hand to the government.' The new proposal has been described as a 'partial deal' that would not immediately release all hostages and would postpone discussions about ending the war, including the issue of disarming Hamas. As many as 20 hostages are still believed to be alive, according to Israeli authorities. The bodies of 30 others, they say, are being held in Gaza. Many Israelis fear that Hamas will kill the remaining hostages if the military operation goes forward. The Israeli official who briefed journalists Wednesday described the military operation as 'gradual, precise, and targeted,' saying it would extend into areas of Gaza City where Israeli soldiers had not previously been during the war. Advertisement The city and its surrounding neighborhoods remain a stronghold for Hamas fighters and the militants' government, the official said. Two other Israeli military officials said the operation would unfold in parts. First, troops would encircle Gaza City while allowing the population to move south, passing through checkpoints to prevent Palestinian militants from escaping. Then, the troops would move in with force. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. Ahmed Saleh, 45, said Israeli troops were sending remote-controlled vehicles packed with explosives to blow up buildings, block by block, in the Zeitoun neighborhood near where he lives in Gaza City. 'I hear the big explosions all the time; they are getting closer,' said Saleh, adding that he would try to stay in his home for as long as possible. If he is forced to leave, Saleh said, he would head west to a beachfront, where he previously lived in a tent while waiting for the violence to ebb. Although worried that Israeli forces will close escape routes to the west, Saleh said he will not move to southern Gaza, as Israel is demanding of displaced residents. 'There are no services there at all, but most importantly, there is no room left for newcomers in the south,' he said. 'I know no one there and have no more money to pay for that trip.' As the international community has focused on the devastating war in Gaza, the Israeli government has barreled ahead with settlement construction in the West Bank. The project that was given final approval Wednesday, known as East One, or E1, was delayed for more than two decades. While the United States had pressured Israel to reject settlement expansion, the Trump administration has been far less critical of settlements than most of the international community, which generally considers them to be illegal and obstacles to Israeli-Palestinian peace. Advertisement About 500,000 Israeli settlers and about 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank. Israeli authorities have advanced plans for more than 20,000 housing units as of late July, already the highest tally in years, according to Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog. That has been accompanied by a campaign of brazen attacks by Jewish extremists on Palestinian communities. On Wednesday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi cited a 'completely inhumane reality that the Israeli aggression has created in Gaza.' He also accused Israel of taking 'illegal measures that continue to undermine the two-state solution and kill all prospects for peace in the region.' The Israeli military official said the new operation will also expand humanitarian aid in southern Gaza, where displaced people are being told to move. That will include opening new aid distribution sites, ensuring there is no fighting near them and opening new routes for trucks to safely bring in more supplies. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gov. Newsom reacts to Bed Bath & Beyond's refusal to open stores in California
LOS ANGELES – Bed Bath & Beyond announced that its comeback will not include locations in the largest state in the nation. Marcus Lemonis, Bed Bath & Beyond Executive Chairman said in a statement issued Aug. 20 that the company will not open a brick-and-mortar location in California. Lemonis said that the state, home to over 39 million people, will be served solely through delivery. "We're taking a stand because it's time for common sense," the statement reads. "Businesses deserve the chance to succeed. Employees deserve jobs that last. And customers deserve fair prices. California's system delivers the opposite." The company is attempting to make a comeback after filing for bankruptcy and closing all its stores in 2023. It reopened its first Bed Bath & Beyond Home near Nashville on Aug. 8. "After their bankruptcy and closure of every store, like most Americans, we thought Bed, Bath & Beyond no longer existed," California Gov. Gavin Newsom's press office said in response to the announcement on X. "We wish them well in their efforts to become relevant again as they try to open a 2nd store." Lemonis replied to a post from the governor's personal X account proposing pro-business reforms for the state. "We will target opening 300 small to midsize neighborhood stores thru our Kirklands investment," Lemonsis wrote. "You are a smart man and I know the post below is out of frustration." California critic claims Bed Bath & Beyond decision 'isn't about politics' In the statement, Lemonis claimed that the decision "isn't about politics." However, the statement repeatedly attacked regulatory policies passed in the state. "California has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America," Lemonis wrote. In a Feb. 5 appearance on Fox Business, Lemonis called a California law requiring corporations with revenues of more than $1 billion to report their greenhouse gas emissions a "crazy law." 83387715007 Lemonis also fought San Joaquin County when Camping World, for whom Lemonis serves as CEO, installed an oversized flag pole to fly an American flag without proper permits – county officials told the Los Angeles Times in 2024. "Camping World has a habit of installing flagpoles that are quite large in size, but they do it without pulling permits," San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti told the Times. "This is a self-inflicted issue, but as a business owner and someone who understands marketing, it's brilliant." The Times reported that the flag in front of the location in the Northern California town of French Camp had been taken down from the 130-foot flagpole during the permitting process for an undisclosed amount of time. Lemonis told Sacramento Fox affiliate FOX40 that he ordered the store to fly the flag again in August 2024 saying, "If we felt like we were putting people in danger or causing any issues with air traffic, which would absolutely not be okay, then I wouldn't do it." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California won't have any Bed Bath & Beyond stores. Find out why. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Shake Shack, Sweetgreen and Cava are flashing warning lights for the US economy
As President Donald Trump's aggressive policies on international trade and immigration gradually begin to make their presence felt, the underwhelming recent earnings results reported by some key casual food businesses are serving as flashing warning lights for the U.S. economy. Shake Shack shares tumbled 7.7 percent in response to its second-quarter results, despite their being generally positive. In comparison, Sweetgreen shares dropped 23 percent after it cut its 2025 outlook for the second consecutive quarter, and Cava's quarterly revenue disappointed estimates because of weaker-than-expected sales growth. Bloomberg columnist Connor Sen has argued that the headwinds being faced by those brands are uniquely significant because their restaurants are more likely to be based in metropolitan centers along the west and east coasts of the United States, which are likely to bear the brunt of the president's policies first. Shake Shack, for instance, has 80 of its 610 U.S. locations in New York, while one-third of Sweetgreen's branches are in New York and California, and Cava is based in D.C., which, along with Maryland and Virginia, accounts for 17 percent of its business, according to Bloomberg. Their exposure to 'critical coastal metro areas that are immigration hubs and popular international tourism destinations' contrasts with rival eateries such as Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Texas Roadhouse, which more typically cater to middle American diners across a wider geographic spread and have not yet suffered an equivalent financial setback. Sen points out that New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco – three of America's biggest cities, all coastal and Democrat-governed – suffered a combined 43,000 job losses in the first six months of the year, a period when the U.S. as a whole added 500,000. Over the same half-year stretch, those three locations plus Washington, D.C, saw a combined reduction in their workforces of 60,000 people, after experiencing a 160,000 increase in 2024, a phenomenon that might very reasonably be attributed to Trump's immigration crackdown. Meanwhile, New York City Tourism + Conventions has said it expects to see a 17 percent fall in international visitors this year, and Visit California is forecasting a 9.2 percent fall in arrivals, as travellers from overseas register their disapproval of Trump's administration by vacationing elsewhere. Those factors conspire to leave businesses dependent on America's coastal cities facing a smaller pool of potential customers. Furthermore, those who remain appear to be less likely to spend their disposable income, meaning a reduced likelihood of their treating themselves to a meal out. The latter point is made by a preliminary study of consumer sentiment carried out by the University of Michigan, which found left-leaning voters much less likely to spend freely in August than their Republican counterparts. While economists might traditionally look at the stock market or the unemployment rate to gauge the health of a nation's bank balance, the well-being of brands like Shake Shack, Sweetgreen, and Cava can be equally revealing, primarily by exposing regional disparities. Other surprisingly telling indicators of an economic downturn or coming recession might include declining sales of men's underwear, reduced sales of inessential goods like snacks and cigarettes in grocery stores, or, conversely, a rise in the sales of miniature bottles of alcohol, which might signal increased consumer stress. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
