Daniel Penny Indicted in the Death of Jordan Neeley
Marine veteran Daniel Penny was indicted in the death of a homeless subway performer Jordan Neeley today. Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter by New York City grand jurors. Last month, Penny placed Neeley in a chokehold, resulting in Neeley losing his life. A video of the incident went viral and called for Penny’s arrest.
Witness Juan Alberto—who recorded the viral video— shared with NBC New York that Neeley said “he was hungry, he was thirsty, that he didn’t care about anything. He didn’t care about going to jail, he didn’t care that he gets a big life sentence,” while on the subway. Penny believed that he was protecting passengers from Neeley, who suffered from mental illness.
Mom of 6-Year-Old Virginia School Shooter Turns Herself In
Deja Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old in the Richneck Elementary shooting in Virginia, pleaded guilty to lying about her marijuana usage before purchasing the gun her son used. The 25-year-old mother faces 18 to 24 months in prison. Attorney general Gene Rossi said, “Miss Taylor’s role in this tragedy is a complete accident and a complete mistake. She takes full responsibility for her son’s actions and will feel guilt for the rest of her life.” Taylor also faces state charges.
Grammys Adds Best African Music Performance Category
The Grammys have finally included African music in its own category. Genres include Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz. According to the Grammys, those viable for nomination must “utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent” and “regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions.”
“The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape,” said Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy CEO.
