Latest news with #PersonoftheYear
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
What's next for 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)' now that Taylor Swift owns her music
What's next for 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)' now that Taylor Swift owns her music Taylor Swift shocked the fandom May 30 by not announcing her highly antissssssipated album "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" or debut album, but saying she purchased back all of her music, her films, her album art, unreleased songs and music videos. She also added she will not rerecord her "Reputation" album. Fans have clamored for months for Swift to rerelease her final two albums, most recently at the American Music Awards. In a handwritten letter posted on her website, the singer explained her decision, adding she hadn't rerecorded more than a quarter of "Reputation (Taylor's Version)." "The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it," she wrote. "All that defiance, that longing to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood, that desperate hope, that shame-born snarl and mischief. To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it." More: Taylor Swift finally sings long awaited 'Reputation' track About 'Reputation' Swift talked about her sixth album in Time Magazine when she was named Person of the Year. 'It's a goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure,' Swift told Time magazine during her person of the year interview in 2023. 'I think a lot of people see it and they're just like, sick snakes and strobe lights.' She added that the vault tracks would be "fire." Her letter on May 30 said those vault tracks may still see the light of day if fans are "into the idea." To say they would be is a wild understatement. "If it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have," she wrote. "It will just be a celebration now." What about her debut album? Swift did write that she had rerecorded her entire debut, self-titled album. "I really love how it sounds now," she wrote. "Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-remerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about." Her debut album launched her onto the country music scene in 2006 with hits like "Tim McGraw," "Our Song" and "Teardrops on My Guitar." Over the years of her career, Swift has refined her vocal delivery, so fans have been curious to hear a new version of her first album — and to see how strong her Southern accent is for Round 2. 'Look What You Made Me Do': Swift on owning her masters Swift had been on a mission to reclaim her first six albums since 2018, when her contract with Big Machine Records expired and, she said, the label would not sell her the masters, or original recordings of her songs. Instead, Big Machine sold her self-titled, "Fearless," "Speak Now," "Red," "1989" and "Reputation" albums to private-equity group Ithaca Holdings, owned by Scooter Braun, who has represented stars like Kanye West and Justin Bieber. Swift took the fight back to the recording studio, a suggestion from Kelly Clarkson, to own her art and prevent the old versions from being played on streaming services. In 2019, Braun sold the masters to another company, Shamrock Holdings, for $300 million. Taylor Swift's 'Reputation': All the gossip about Joe Alwyn, Kanye West and Tom Hiddleston Swift announced she purchased her catalog from Shamrock on May 30. Her letter did not include the price, but she indicate the success of her four rerecorded albums and the Eras Tour made the purchase possible. Swift told Time the project of rerecording her albums feels like a mythical quest comparable to Lord of the Rings, the Avengers and Harry Potter. 'I'm collecting horcruxes," she said. "I'm collecting infinity stones. Gandalf's voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now.' The singer signed with Universal's Republic Records in 2018 and made sure under her new deal she owned all her songs. And in 2021, Swift started to rerelease her albums, one-by-one with additional "from the vault" tracks. She released four: April 9, 2021: "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" Nov. 12, 2021: "Red (Taylor's Version)" "Red (Taylor's Version)" July 7, 2023: "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" Oct. 27, 2023: "1989 (Taylor's Version)" Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
State Witness in Karen Read Retrial Dressed Like Deceased Boston Cop to Reconstruct Scene
Jurors in the controversial Karen Read retrial underway in Massachusetts in connection with the Jan. 29, 2022 death of her Boston cop boyfriend saw photos of a prosecution witness in similar clothes that were worn by John O'Keefe when he died as part of what he described as an accident reconstruction. Accident deconstructionist Dr. Judson Welcher, who is expected to be the state's last witness in the bombshell case, told jurors he dressed like O'Keefe to see whether the wounds on the officer's right arm were consistent the right taillight of Read's Lexus SUV. Welcher testified that because he's roughly the same height as O'Keefe he wore clothing identical to what O'Keefe was wearing when he was found in a snowbank on the front lawn of 34 Fairview Road in Canton, down to the same model of sneakers. Welcher works for Aperture, a company based in Texas that received roughly $400,000 in taxpayer funds to testify for the government, according to testimony in the case. "So there's been two potential theories. One is that a glass was thrown at rear of vehicle... the other was impact to the arm," Welcher told the court. He testified about movements made by Read's Lexus before O'Keefe's phone stopped responding, which the government argues shows that she hit her boyfriend after a night of heavy drinking and left him to die during a blinding blizzard. Her defense team insists O'Keefe was beaten inside the house where his body was found on the lawn, and may have been attacked by the homeowner's former dog, a German Shepherd named Chloe. In recent testimony, another Aperture employee was forced to admit on the stand that he misrepresented his credentials before testifying in the Read trial, prompting a fiery exchange between that witness, Shannon Burgess, and Read's attorney Robert Alessi who asked: "Either you have a bachelor of science degree or you don't." Burgess replied that he did not. Read reacted to Welcher's testimony after court ended Tuesday, which came after a five day break. During the break, on May 21, Judge Beverly Cannone, who is overseeing Read's retrial after her first trial ended in a hung jury last year, was honored by the Norfolk County Bar Association as the "Person of the Year." 'So he tried to dress identically to John, but didn't do anything else to mimic what the commonwealth is accusing me of,' Read told reporters at the end of the court day added: 'I think it's important to demonstrate, what is the commonwealth accusing me of? The speed? The positioning? Recreate that for us. … That's what I would want to see if I were you.' When Welcher's testimony concludes, the trial will be put into the hands of Read's defense team. Read is facing second-degree murder charges and the possibility of life in prison. Los Angeles defense attorneys Alan Jackson, a former prosecutor in the city, and Elizabeth Little, are working alongside Massachusetts lawyers David Yanetti and Robert Alessi. The state hired a special prosecutor, Hank Brennan, who had represented notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, who became a fugitive for more than a decade before his capture at a rent-controlled apartment building in Santa Monica.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina brewing company mourns the passing of it's founder
ASHVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Oscar P. Wong, the founder of North Carolina staple Highland Brewing, has passed away. Wong passed away after a multi-year long battle with Cancer. Wong founded Highland Brewing in the basement of a pizza shop in downtown Ashville. Highland has grown into one of the largest brewing companies in the Southeast and have now been making beer for over 27 years. During his life, Wong turned a post-retirement hobby into a pioneering brewery that helped shape the industry. He is also was a recipient of US Small Business Administration's Person of the Year, the Brewers Association's Recognition Award, and was a member of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. For more information on Highland Brewing and it's founder, visit the Highland Brewing website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Highland Brewing founder, Asheville craft beer pioneer, Oscar Wong, dead at 84
ASHEVILLE - Oscar Wong, a beloved father, friend and community member who became known as the "Godfather of Asheville Craft Beer" as the founder of the city's first brewery, Highland Brewing, has died. On May 25, Oscar Wong died peacefully at his home with Anna Wong, his wife of 57 years, and one of his daughters, Leah Wong Ashburn, by his side, according to a news release from Highland Brewing. He was 84. Nearly three years ago, Wong was diagnosed with cancer and given a prognosis of six months to a year to live. Wong was described as a person who valued the "quality of life and spent his remaining time fully immersed in the love of his family and those he cherished deeply." He was attributed to saying, 'Personal relationships are the currency of life.' Wong often "expressed deep gratitude for an enriched life that exceeded his wildest imagination," the news release stated. "From sipping scotch with friends every Friday to playing handball at 84, Oscar lived fully and always encouraged those around him to do the same," the news release stated. Wong's death comes after what was officially recognized as Oscar Wong Day on May 16, commemorating the founding of Highland Brewing and Wong's contributions to setting the foundation for Asheville to become known as a "Beer City." In 1994, Wong launched Highland Brewing in the basement of Barley's Taproom at 42 Biltmore Ave. downtown. Wong, the son of Chinese immigrants in Jamaica, attended Notre Dame and went on to lead a long and successful career as an engineer. Upon retirement, Wong made a home in Asheville, where he discovered a new interest: craft beer. Wong became an entrepreneur, mentor, active society member, and performed community service at ARC, Rotary and UNC Asheville. In 2023, he was presented by the governor with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian award. Other accolades earned over the decades include the U.S. Small Business Administration's Person of the Year for North Carolina and the Brewers Association's Recognition Award for 'individuals whose inspiration, enthusiasm, and support have contributed to the craft brewing movement.' Last year, Wong celebrated Highland Brewing's 30th anniversary. "My vision was that it would be one or two breweries in town, and I'd be one of those and have my personal watering hole and it'd be small," Wong told the Citizen Times in 2024. Highland Brewing will host a celebration of life for Wong at Noon on June 29. This is a developing story. Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@ or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram/Bluesky. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Oscar Wong, Highland Brewing founder, local beer pioneer, dead at 84
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Pushes Conspiracy HHS Forced Kids Into Slavery
Robert Kennedy Jr. has claimed he is shutting down an alleged government connection to child sex trafficking that has been widely discredited as a conspiracy theory. The Health and Human Services Secretary was referring to an unsubstantiated allegation made by Donald Trump that more than 300,000 migrant children disappeared during Joe Biden's presidency. Trump suggested the children may have been trafficked as sex slaves, although there is no evidence to support his claim. RFK Jr.'s claim at a White House Cabinet meeting was the latest in a series of accusations by Trump officials against the previous administration that some experts have said are a distortion of the facts. 'We have ended HHS's role as the principal vector in this country for child trafficking,' Kennedy said on Wednesday. 'During the Biden administration, HHS became a collaborator in child trafficking for sex and for slavery, and we have ended that,' he continued. 'We're very aggressively going out and trying to find these 300,000 children that were lost by the Biden administration,' he said. The country's top health official made the claim as top Trump officials touted their accomplishments during a Cabinet meeting to mark the first 100 days of the president's second term. Kennedy's accusation about missing migrant children was similar to ones made by Trump both in interviews and on the campaign trail. 'We have 325,000 children here during Democrats — and this was done by Democrats — who are right now slaves, sex slaves or dead,' Trump said in his December TIME interview for 'Person of the Year'. 'And what I will be doing will be trying to find where they are and get them back to their parents.' Trump's border czar Tom Homan has also vowed to track down migrant children he accused the Biden administration of losing. Homan claimed many of them would be in forced labor and the sex trade. Republicans started making accusations that some 300,000 migrant children were missing after an August 2024 report by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general's office. It found that 32,000 unaccompanied minors failed to show up for immigration court hearings from 2019 to May 2024. Another 291,000 migrant children did not receive court notices. The report stated that those who do not appear for court are 'considered at higher risk for trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor.' The policy director of the American Immigration Council, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, told the BBC the numbers indicated a 'paperwork issue' rather than 'anything nefarious.' He said there are valid concerns about children being exploited, but they can't the children are being trafficked. The Office of Refugee Resettlement within HHS is typically responsible for unaccompanied migrant children taken into custody. The department is tasked with then finding sponsors for them. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate in January, Kennedy repeated the claims that the migrant children were being sex trafficked and enslaved. He told senators finding the children was a top priority of the Trump administration.
