Latest news with #Roberts'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
John Roberts helps DOGE avoid turning over records for now in CREW litigation
Chief Justice John Roberts has granted the Department of Government Efficiency temporary relief from having to disclose information about its operations to a watchdog group. Roberts' temporary order Friday will remain in place pending further word from him or the full court. The federal government argues that DOGE isn't technically an agency and is therefore exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. From that premise, the government argued that a district court judge in Washington, D.C., had turned FOIA 'on its head' by ordering DOGE to 'submit to sweeping, intrusive discovery just to determine if USDS [DOGE] is subject to FOIA in the first place.' A federal appellate panel refused to halt the judge's discovery order, and the administration appealed to the justices for emergency relief, as it has done in several cases in recent months. The government urged the justices to reject what it called a 'fishing expedition' into 'sensitive executive-branch functions.' The watchdog group that brought the lawsuit, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, opposed DOGE's urgent bid. CREW said the government was trying to prematurely get the justices to decide that DOGE isn't an agency subject to FOIA, arguing that what's at issue here is the 'far narrower antecedent question: whether the court of appeals clearly and indisputably erred in refusing to disturb a district court order allowing limited discovery to ascertain DOGE's agency status.' It said the government 'has raised a fact-intensive legal issue supported by unreliable evidence, did so in a manner it was explicitly told would lead to discovery, and now needs to respond.' This litigation is separate from the urgent Supreme Court appeal over DOGE's access to sensitive Social Security data. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Did Meridian, MS, singer Jamal Roberts win 'American Idol'?
Meridian-native Jamal Roberts is the new "American Idol." More than 26 million viewers voted on Sunday night, May 18, the biggest turnout in the show's history. This season's final three was stacked with Southerners. Roberts competed against John Foster, 18, of Addis, Louisiana and Breanna Nix, 25, of Denton, Texas. After two rounds of performances, the three competitors stood on stage awaiting the third place announcement. Suspense grew and the singers held their breath before host Ryan Seacrest announced Nix would not be joining the final two. Roberts is the second Mississippian to win "American Idol." Trent Harmon of Amory won Season 15. Before Roberts, five Mississippi natives had made it to the Top 10. Skylar Laine of Jackson was a finalist on Season 11. La'Porsha Renae of McComb was runner-up on Season 15. Most recently, Gattman resident Colin Stough placed third in Season 21. Also in Season 21, Amory resident Zachariah Smith made the top five. Roberts, a 27-year-old P.E. teacher at Crestwood Elementary, started his "American Idol" Season 23 journey when he won a golden ticket singing "Mary Jane" by Rick James in audition rounds. Before competing on "American Idol," Roberts grew a following singing covers on TikTok. In the weeks following his audition, Roberts traveled throughout the U.S. with his fellow contestants, eluding elimination rounds with his raw, soulful performances. On Monday, May 12, Roberts became the fourth Mississippian in "American Idol" history to break the Top 3. When Roberts first auditioned, judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood were impressed, but agreed Roberts could use some more confidence. The singer gradually grew his stage presence, and by the finale, Roberts easily commanded the room. Mississippi has rallied around Roberts in the past few weeks, and no community has supported the singer more than his own hometown. Last week, Meridian held a massive celebration for Roberts' homecoming including a parade. Roberts gave a performance outside Meridian Town Hall that drew a crowd of 20,000. Meridian's entire population in just over 33,500. A video package shown before Roberts' second performance Sunday night showed the P.E. coach's homecoming before he flew back to California for the finale. "We are very proud that he is from Meridian," a resident said in the video. "He's showing our children they can accomplish their dreams." Roberts' students gave emotional speeches as the entire city showed their support. "No matter what happen after this, I'm still going to be your coach," Roberts told his students. Roberts moved the audience with a passionate rendition of TEEKS' "First Time" for his first performance Sunday night. Signs sporting "Team Jamal" swayed in the audience, and Roberts' family wiped tears as the music faded out. "You just look so comfortable and at ease in the way you're walking around interacting with everybody," Underwood said in a full-circle moment. Underwood told Roberts in his audition that he needed to work on looking more comfortable and confident while singing. "Will you teach me how to be how that smooth?" Bryan joked. "When we leave the set and I go back home, people ask me about you, and I'm like, 'Man, he is just so smooth with his delivery,' … Everything about you is a star." "What I love about you is the way you just navigate the story and it happens to come out of your mouth in brilliant form," Richie said. The song was hand-selected by this season's artist-in-residence Jelly Roll, who earlier in the season said Roberts' performance of his song "Liar" was even better than his original. Jelly Roll declared the song "Jamal's song." Roberts isn't the only Mississippian with ties to the song. Grammy-nominated songwriter Ben Johnson, a member of the sibling trio Track45, co-wrote the song. The Johnsons originally are from Meridian. Sunday night, Roberts and Jelly Roll sand "Liar" together. For his second performance, Roberts sang "Just My Imagination" by The Temptations. "I cannot believe that you've been in a school room teaching kids and you go from that to what you're able to do in front of us," Bryan said. "You're one of the most amazing people that I've ever seen on this show." After the judges' comments, Seacrest pointed out the lipstick stain still on Roberts' cheek from his mom before the performance. Roberts has shown his love for his family throughout the competition. Roberts is a father of three daughters Harmoni, 6, Lyrik, 4, and Gianna, who was born just two weeks before the finale. Harmoni and Lyrik have joined the audience for several of Roberts' performances, and once again cheered for their dad Sunday night. For his final performance, Roberts performed Tom Odell's "Heal," which he also performed to earn a spot in the Top 10. Once again, Roberts moved the audience to tears, adding his own twist on the original song, centering his version on his religious faith and love for Jesus. Roberts' version of "Heal" is available now for purchase and streaming. Lici Beveridge contributed reporting. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jamal Roberts wins American Idol 2025
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jamal Roberts Shared Adorable Photo of New Baby Before 'American Idol' Finale
American Idol finalist Jamal Roberts shared major family news during the 2025 season. Two days before the May 18 final, he shared a photo of his new baby daughter wearing a ladybug costume on his Instagram page. "Hey world, meet my little ladybug 😩, Gianna Grace Roberts. I'm so proud to be her father 😭 #girldadforlife#idol," he wrote. Roberts' dating history is not clear, including whether he has a girlfriend, as he did not share the mother's name. Note: This article will contain a spoiler on who won American Idol 2025. According to TV Insider, Gianna is one of Roberts' three kids. He also has daughters Harmoni and Lyrik, the site reported. During the finale, Roberts held one of his sleeping little girls on stage. Roberts was later declared the winner of the 2025 season, thrilling his fans. "I am a country music lover from WAY back, but I've thought since day one that Jamal had a special once in a lifetime voice and absolutely deserved to win this show!!!!" a fan wrote on the show's YouTube page. Fans also filled Roberts' Instagram comment thread with well-wishes after the baby announcement. Roberts told Billboard that he started singing in church, which his family encouraged. He also said that he bucked tradition by having kids before getting married and having a wife, but he doesn't regret that. "Some people say don't have kids before you're married. Growing up in the church, of course we knew to be married before we had kids," he told Billboard. "I wasn't, but being a dad is literally the best thing that ever happened to me. It calmed me down and gave me a better look at things and actually having girls teaches you how to treat a woman. They're very sensitive, especially with their daddy. So you learn how to treat this one without making this one feel jealous.' He also credited his grandparents for his singing talents. 'I started singing at the age of two. My grandparents found out I could sing and I started singing in church and [covering] the Temptations and Michael Jackson," he told the site. "I had a granddaddy on my dad's side who was a bishop and a grandad on my mom's side was a deacon, so I was in church every time the door opened. I was the usher, and I was in the choir and I used to play the drums.'
Time Out
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
'Phantom of the Opera' musical review: A hauntingly beautiful gothic romance masterpiece
Don your masquerade ball finery – the longest-running musical on Broadway has returned to grace Singapore's stages after six long years. First debuting at West End in 1986, The Phantom of the Opera by musical maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber has been captivating audiences for decades, with a grand total of close to 14,000 curtain calls completed over its 35-year New York theatre tenure. Surely, this tale possesses a certain allure that keeps pulling both fresh and longstanding fans in – and I wasn't about to miss out on my first Phantom experience with this new run at Marina Bay Sands' Sands Theatre. A love triangle, jealousy, manic obsession and elements of horror – Phantom has all the trimmings of a classic gothic romance. It goes without saying that unlike titles like Wicked and Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Phantom of the Opera isn't one of those upbeat feelgood musicals with toe-tapping tunes you'd be itching to dance along to. This dark narrative will grip you in wide-eyed rapture and bated breath – right from the start where the foreboding title track invades the stage with electric guitar riffs, all the way till the bittersweet ending scene where calmness finally settles after the tumult. Set in Paris Opera House circa the 19th Century, Phantom is essentially a musical production within a musical production – its story is centred around an opera troupe and its dancer-turned-soprano-lead Christine Daaé (Grace Roberts), who soon becomes the object of the Phantom's (Ben Forster) desire and all-consuming infatuation. It's only fitting that many of its tunes take on operatic influences – a friendly introduction to an otherwise niche category of classical music, if you will. With such a singing style, some portions of the lyrics might admittedly be hard for the untrained ear to make out, so expect minor moments where you'll strain your ears only to find the words unintelligible – at least for some of the side characters who stick towards a more traditional opera vocal technique. Thankfully, all the leads' voices ring clear and strong, with the overall story remaining unaffected and easy to follow even for first-timers who haven't done their pre-show homework. And oh, what a treat we were served by the treacle-throated Roberts, who hit all the toughest high notes with masterful precision. While the title song and other hits like 'Think of Me' and 'Music of the Night' are certainly set to wow, it's Roberts' hauntingly beautiful rendition of the ballad 'All I Ask of You' – a heartfelt duet with Matt Leisy who plays Raoul – that blew us away with its delicate and ethereal, yet powerful, delivery. Both male leads Leisy and Forster bring forth a commendable performance, with Leisy's warm vocals perfectly complementing Roberts' in their shared pieces, and Forster commanding the stage as the tortured antagonist. The latter did mildly falter on holding some of his higher notes, but his overall portrayal of the Phantom as a mentally distraught, tormented outcast of society is one to watch. All this to say: the boys are great in their own right, but the clear star of the show is Roberts – much like the character she plays. Though I haven't had the privilege of witnessing any other Christines on stage, it's clear as day that Roberts was made for the role. Other supporting characters like Carlotta (Raquel Suarez), Madame Giry (Marni Raab), and especially Meg Giry (Claire Lander) also hold their own. One underrated tune we loved amidst the chaos of it all was 'Notes / Prima Donna' – an ironically cheerful-sounding ditty mainly sung between the opera house's co-owners Andre (Curt Olds) and Firmin (James Borthwick). With a springy beat and fun rhyming lines, it starts off with a tinge of cheekiness before eventually segueing into something with more sinister undertones. Story-wise? More discerning modern audiences may not necessarily sympathise with the Phantom as the infamous 'tragic figure' of the story. Perhaps I'm no empath, but I certainly didn't feel much for the disfigured character and his inexcusable actions, as much as his circumstances were unfortunate. While I can't speak for others, this for me was likely due to the lack of a heart-wrenching backstory delving into how he ended up in his plight. That said, it's also worth remembering that this musical was written in a wildly different era of entertainment, where times were much simpler. But forget overly complex storylines and character lore – The Phantom of the Opera is to be appreciated purely for being a theatrical masterpiece, and in that regard, it hits the spot. Powerhouse vocals aside, its graceful ballet numbers, glittering costumes and dazzling sets are guaranteed to impress as you're whisked from stage to cemetery and dark mysterious lair. We'll refrain from spoiling it for new watchers, but we'll say this: So cleverly designed are the sets that they'll completely rewrite your perspective of the depth that a theatre stage can hold. You'll know exactkt what we mean once you watch the show. If you haven't already witnessed this spectacle, it's high time you get swept up in the whirlwind. This is one musical that's fully worth splurging on better seats for – we strongly recommend going for something in the centre column towards the front for the full immersive experience.
CBS News
18-04-2025
- CBS News
Alaska Native man who maintained innocence in murder of white teen settles for $11.5 million after 2 decades in prison
An Alaska Native man who maintained his innocence in the 1997 killing of a white teenager has agreed to an $11.5 million settlement with the city of Fairbanks after alleging police acted with a racial bias in a case in which he and three other Indigenous men spent nearly two decades in prison. Marvin Roberts is the last of the so-called Fairbanks Four to reach a settlement with the city after their murder convictions were vacated in 2015. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed his long-running civil lawsuit against the city and police officers on Thursday at the request of the parties involved. "I don't think any amount of money will be enough to justify what I endured as an innocent man in prison," Roberts said in a recent statement released by one of the law firms that represented him. "This settlement, however, gives me freedom with my life, and most importantly, more time with my daughter and my parents, who supported me throughout this nightmare." Fairbanks city attorney Tom Chard confirmed the city and its insurance carriers had agreed to an $11.5 million settlement. Terms of the agreement set out a payment schedule, the last due by Oct. 1, 2026. The agreement stipulates that the settlement "shall not be construed as an admission of liability or responsibility" by the defendants. The settlement is a "complete vindication of Marvin Roberts' innocence, which he has maintained with extraordinary dignity for almost three decades," one of Roberts' attorneys, Nick Brustin of Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP, said in a statement released by the New York-based civil rights firm. The agreement comes nearly 1 1/2 years after the other three men, George Frese, Eugene Vent and Kevin Pease, agreed to accept $1.59 million each from the city's insurer. The city said that settlement was "not an admission of liability or fault of any kind." Roberts chose not to settle in 2023, instead choosing to move forward with the appeal, KTUU reported . "They were all offered, you know, $1.6 million or so each. Three out of the four took that deal," Roberts' attorney Mike Kramer said, according to the station. "It's hard to walk away from a million bucks, particularly when the city's still saying 'you're guilty and we're going to appeal everything in this case and we're going to drag this out until you're old men.'" Alaska Native leaders long advocated for the men's release, saying the convictions were racially motivated. Pease is Native American; Frese, Vent and Roberts are Athabascan Alaska Natives. Roberts was the only one of the four who was on parole at the time the convictions were thrown out. A 2015 settlement in a civil case brought by the men that led to the convictions being thrown out followed a weeks-long hearing that reexamined the case in detail and raised the possibility others had killed 15-year-old John Hartman. While the four men each maintained their innocence, the Alaska Department of Law said the settlement was not an exoneration. The men would argue the settlement that led to their release - in which they agreed not to sue - was not legally binding because they were coerced. An appeals court panel ruled in their favor. Fairbanks Police spokesperson Teal Soden said the agency still lists Hartman's killing as an "open/active" case.
