Latest news with #MASA
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump pardons rapper NBA YoungBoy in spree of clemency actions
He was serving a 23-month sentence for federal gun charges as part of a plea deal reached with federal prosecutors in December. The previous month, Gaulden pleaded guilty to his involvement in a Utah pharmacy drug ring, but he avoided incarceration and paid a $25,000 fine. "I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and for giving me the opportunity to keep building - as a man, as a father, and as an artist," Gaulden, whose rap name stands for "Never Broke Again," wrote on his Instagram account. "This moment means a lot." He added that the pardon "opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I'm fully prepared to step into this." More: Trump's latest wave of pardons includes rapper, GOP governor convicted of corruption The pardon means Gaulden will no longer have travel restrictions, allowing him to embark on a 32-date national tour set to kick off in September that he's dubbed the "MASA tour" - "Make America Slime Again." It's a riff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Slime refers to a close friend or homie in hip-hop lingo. Trump has issued a slew of pardons that coincided with the first full week of Ed Martin serving as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. Trump had previously nominated Martin to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but he withdrew in the face of Republican opposition on Capitol Hill over Martin's support for Jan. 6 rioters. Pardons fully wipe out a recipient's guilt of a criminal act and any penalties tied to a conviction. Typically, a wave of pardons comes at the end of a president's term. But Trump has smashed all norms, beginning with his day one pardons of more than 1,600 individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump on May 27 pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley of the USA Network television show "Chrisley Knows Best" fame, in which they portrayed themselves as real estate tycoons in the South. The couple was found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans. More: Trump pardons former Army officer convicted in court martial of disobeying COVID rules The next day, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, 74, a notorious former Chicago gang leader who co-founded the Gangster Disciples and was convicted in 1973 for the murder of a drug dealer. Hoover, who was serving six life terms for his federal charges, still must serve a 200-year sentence for his Illinois state charges. Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who resigned from his office after pleading guilty in late 2004 to one count of conspiring to commit tax fraud and depriving the public of honest service over $107,000 in gifts he accepted from companies doing business with the state. Rowland, a former New York congressman, was later convicted of obstructing justice, conspiracy, falsifying government documents, and other violations of campaign finance laws. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. More: Donald Trump pardons former Republican Rep. Michael Grimm for tax fraud conviction Trump pardoned former New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican congressman from 2011 to 2015, who resigned after being convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to eight months in prison. And as first reported by USA TODAY, Trump also pardoned former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, a former U.S. Army officer who was found guilty by a special court martial during the Biden administration for refusing to follow COVID-19 safety measures. The White House has not provided a full list of Trump's pardons, deferring to the Department of Justice, which updates clemency actions on its website. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Zac Anderson Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
President Trump pardons rapper NBA YoungBoy in flurry of clemency actions
President Trump pardons rapper NBA YoungBoy in flurry of clemency actions Show Caption Hide Caption Trump pardons reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley President Trump called Savannah Chrisley from the Oval Office in the White House to tell her he wanted to pardon her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump pardoned rapper NBA YoungBoy as part of a spree of reprieves this week, including one for a couple known on reality television and a commuted federal sentence for a former Chicago gang leader convicted of murder. A White House official confirmed the May 28 pardon of Louisiana-based NBA YoungBoy, 25, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden. He was serving a 23-month sentence for federal gun charges as part of a plea deal reached with federal prosecutors in December. The previous month, Gaulden pleaded guilty to his involvement in a Utah pharmacy drug ring, but he avoided incarceration and paid a $25,000 fine. "I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and for giving me the opportunity to keep building ‒ as a man, as a father, and as an artist," Gaulden, whose rap name stands for "Never Broke Again," wrote on his Instagram account. "This moment means a lot." He added that the pardon "opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I'm fully prepared to step into this." More: Trump's latest wave of pardons includes rapper, GOP governor convicted of corruption The pardon means Gaulden will no longer have travel restrictions, allowing him to embark on a 32-date national tour set to kick off in September that he's dubbed the "MASA tour" ‒ "Make America Slime Again." It's a riff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Slime refers to a close friend or homie in hip-hop lingo. Trump has issued a slew of pardons that coincided with the first full week of Ed Martin serving as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. Trump had previously nominated Martin to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but he withdrew in the face of Republican opposition on Capitol Hill over Martin's support for Jan. 6 rioters. Pardons fully wipe out a recipient's guilt of a criminal act and any penalties tied to a conviction. Typically, a wave of pardons comes at the end of a president's term. But Trump has smashed all norms, beginning with his day one pardons of more than 1,600 individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump on May 27 pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley of the USA Network television show "Chrisley Knows Best" fame, in which they portrayed themselves as real estate tycoons in the South. The couple was found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans. More: Trump pardons former Army officer convicted in court martial of disobeying COVID rules The next day, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, 74, a notorious former Chicago gang leader who co-founded the Gangster Disciples and was convicted in 1973 for the murder of a drug dealer. Hoover, who was serving six life terms for his federal charges, still must serve a 200-year sentence for his Illinois state charges. Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who resigned from his office after pleading guilty in late 2004 to one count of conspiring to commit tax fraud and depriving the public of honest service over $107,000 in gifts he accepted from companies doing business with the state. Rowland, a former New York congressman, was later convicted of obstructing justice, conspiracy, falsifying government documents, and other violations of campaign finance laws. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. More: Donald Trump pardons former Republican Rep. Michael Grimm for tax fraud conviction Trump pardoned former New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican congressman from 2011 to 2015, who resigned after being convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to eight months in prison. And as first reported by USA TODAY, Trump also pardoned former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, a former U.S. Army officer who was found guilty by a special court martial during the Biden administration for refusing to follow COVID-19 safety measures. The White House has not provided a full list of Trump's pardons, deferring to the Department of Justice, which updates clemency actions on its website. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Zac Anderson Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NBA YoungBoy says Trump pardoned him: 'This moment means a lot'
The Brief Rapper NBA YoungBoy says he received a pardon from former President Donald Trump. He was serving a nearly two-year sentence for federal gun charges in Utah. The rapper thanked Trump and is now preparing for his "MASA" tour starting in September. Rapper Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, better known as NBA YoungBoy, said that he has been granted a pardon by President Donald Trump. The rapper made the announcement on his Instagram page Wednesday. What they're saying "I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist," he wrote. "This moment means a lot. It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this." RELATED: President Trump to grant full pardons to reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley He also thanked Alice Marie Johnson, Trump's "Pardon Czar," and his attorney, Brittany K. Barnett. The backstory In 2024, a federal judge in Utah sentenced the Louisiana rap artist to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. The rapper acknowledged that, while filming a rap video in Baton Rouge, he possessed a Glock 21 .45-caliber pistol and a Masterpiece Arms MPA30T 9mm handgun. Also, he said, he possessed a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol at his home in Huntsville, Utah. He agreed to give up the guns. Gaulden had previously been convicted in Louisiana of aggravated assault with a firearm, according to his statement released in advance of the plea agreement. Utah agents raided Gaulden's home amid a complaint that he had posed as a doctor in an effort to obtain prescription painkillers, multiple news outlets reported. What's next NBA YoungBoy is preparing for his upcoming tour, titled "The MASA tour." It will kick off in Dallas in September. Big picture view President Donald Trump on Wednesday also signed pardons for reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley, who have been serving federal prison sentences since being convicted three years ago of bank fraud and tax evasion. Trump's pardons pave the way for the couple best known for the TV series "Chrisley Knows Best" to be freed from prison. Todd Chrisley, 57, has been incarcerated at a minimum security prison camp in Pensacola, Florida. Julie Chrisley, 52, was imprisoned at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky. The Source The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from NBA YoungBoy's public statement on Instagram, where he announced the pardon and thanked former President Donald Trump, Alice Marie Johnson, and his attorney. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Alberton martial artists bring home 31 medals from provincial champs
Sixteen students from Alberton Martial and Fitness delivered outstanding performances at the MASA Gauteng Provincial Championships, held in Lenasia on May 10. Competing against top athletes from various martial arts federations across the province, the Alberton team walked away with an impressive 31 medals including nine gold, 14 silver and eight bronze. Hosted by MASA, the tournament was a celebration of diverse styles including karate, kickboxing, taekwondo and Tang Soo Do, among others. The Alberton team, led by sensei Andre van Jaarsveld included Jeandre van Jaarsveld, Poloko Matoase, sensei De Wet le Roux, Reatlehile Matoase, Drelyn Venter, Thivaan Chengiah, Jayden Weitz, Marlise Smit, Rafael Johnso, Ori Mulaudzi, Declan Paulsen, Ari Mulaudzi, Onge Mulaudzi, Jared Charles, MJ Fernandez and Amelia Charles. These athletes demonstrated discipline, skill and sportsmanship throughout the competition, making their dojo and community proud. Alberton Martial Arts and Fitness is a family-oriented dojo that welcomes new members of all ages and skill levels. Those interested in joining may contact sensei Andre at 0836453164 or via email at info@ You can also follow their journey on Facebook and Instagram at @AlbertonMartialArts. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
New Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia shipowners urge dialogue on port tariff hike impact
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Shipowners' Association (MASA) has called for discussions through the Port Consultative Committee (PCC) regarding the government's recent proposal to implement a 30 per cent increase in port tariffs and the introduction of a new port charging framework. The association's chairman, Mohamed Safwan Othman, said the proposed changes might introduce unexpected cost burdens across the maritime and logistics value chain, ultimately affecting industry stability and national trade competitiveness. He said all tariff-related matters should be discussed via a formal consultative platform to ensure all industry voices are heard, from shipowners and hauliers to logistics providers, port users, and manufacturers. In a statement, Mohamed Safwan said the proposals must be executed responsibly through transparent justification, phased implementation, and, most importantly, structured engagement with all stakeholders. "Changes on port tariffs and the introduction of a new port charging framework may introduce unexpected cost burdens across the maritime and logistics value chain, ultimately affecting industry stability and national trade competitiveness," he said. Mohamed Safwan was responding to the proposals under the New Guidelines on Port Tariff Non-Gazetted Tariff (NGT) announced by Penang Port Sdn Bhd. He noted that the proposed changes outline a wide-ranging update to port charges, including new fee categories and adjustments that affect marine services, port dues, pilotage, towage, and container handling. "The introduction of new fees such as environmental protection charges, tugboat standby rates, and shifting charges must be supported by transparent cost rationale and performance benchmarks, he said. Mohamed Safwan emphasised that any increase in cost must come with demonstrable improvement in port services, which includes reduced waiting and turnaround times, more efficient container handling, streamlined gate operations, and improved digital systems for tracking and billing. "Without such clarity, stakeholders may perceive these charges as arbitrary and disconnected from the actual services delivered. Operators must see tangible value in return for higher tariffs," he said. Mohamed Safwan also stressed the need for a uniform application of the new tariff structure across all Malaysian ports, as differing interpretations or inconsistent rollout would only create confusion and administrative burdens for shipping lines and port users. "Therefore, for clear guidelines and consistent enforcement to avoid market distortions," he added. Lastly, Mohamed Safwan urged that any additional revenue generated from the tariff increases be transparently reinvested into upgrading port infrastructure, improving digitalisation, integrating multimodal transport systems, and accelerating the adoption of green port technologies. "MASA insists that the benefits of this policy must be visible and equitable to all who contribute to the national logistics network," he said.
