PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A document handwritten by singer Aretha Franklin and found in her couch after her 2018 death is a valid Michigan will, a jury said Tuesday, a critical turn in a dispute that has turned her sons against each other.
It’s a victory for Kecalf Franklin and Edward Franklin whose lawyers had argued that papers dated 2014 should override a 2010 will that was discovered around the same time in a locked cabinet at the Queen of Soul’s home in suburban Detroit.
The jury deliberated less than an hour after a brief trial that started Monday. After the verdict was read, Aretha Franklin’s grandchildren stepped forward from the first row to hug Kecalf and Edward.
“I’m very, very happy. I just wanted my mother’s wishes to be adhered to,” Kecalf Franklin said. “We just want to exhale right now. It’s been a long five years for my family, my children.”
Aretha Franklin was a global star for decades, known especially for hits like “Think,” “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Respect.” She did not leave behind a formal, typewritten will when she died five years ago at age 76.
But documents, with scribbles and hard-to-decipher passages, emerged in 2019 when a niece scoured the home for records.
In closing arguments, lawyers for Kecalf and Edward Franklin said the fact that the 2014 papers were found in a notebook in couch cushions did not make them less significant.
“You can take your will and leave it on the kitchen counter. It’s still your will,” Charles McKelvie told the jury.
Another lawyer, Craig Smith, pointed to the first line of the document, which was displayed on four large posters in front of the jury.
“Says right here: ‘This is my will.’ She’s speaking from the grave, folks,” Smith said of Franklin.
Kecalf and Edward had teamed up against brother Ted White II, who favored the 2010 will. White’s attorney, Kurt Olson, noted the earlier will was under lock and key. He said it was much more important than papers found in a couch.
“We were here to see what the jury would rule. We’ll live with it,” Olson said after the verdict.
The jury found that the 2014 version was signed by Aretha Franklin, who put a smiley face in the letter ‘A.’
There still will be discussions over whether some provisions of the 2010 will should be fulfilled and whether Kecalf Franklin could become executor of the estate. Judge Jennifer Callaghan told all sides to file briefs and attend a status conference next week.
Franklin’s estate managers have been paying bills, settling millions in tax debts and generating income through music royalties and other intellectual property. The will dispute, however, has been unfinished business.
There are differences between the 2010 and 2014 versions, though they both appear to indicate that Franklin’s four sons would share income from music and copyrights.
But under the 2014 will, Kecalf Franklin and grandchildren would get his mother’s main home in Bloomfield Hills, which was valued at $1.1 million when she died but is worth much more today.
The older will said Kecalf, 53, and Edward Franklin, 64, “must take business classes and get a certificate or a degree” to benefit from the estate. That provision is not in the 2014 version.
White, who played guitar with Aretha Franklin, testified against the 2014 will, saying his mother typically would get important documents done “conventionally and legally” and with assistance from an attorney. He did not immediately comment after the verdict.
The sharpest remarks of the trial came from Smith, who represented Edward Franklin. He told the jury White “wants to disinherit his two brothers. Teddy wants it all.”
Kecalf Franklin sat near White during the trial but they did not appear to speak to each other.
“I love my brother with all my heart,” Kecalf said outside court when asked if there was a rift.
Aretha Franklin’s other son, Clarence Franklin, lives under guardianship in an assisted living center and did not participate in the trial.
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Follow Ed White on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edwritez
You don’t need to buy expensive products to get big discounts. During Amazon’s Prime Day sales event, which is happening right now, you can find deep discounts on quality items that cost less than $50. Whether it’s a teeth whitening kit or a Fire TV device, we’ve curated some of the top Prime Day deals you can find for under $50.
Top Prime Day deals that are under $50
Keep in mind that since Prime Day is a live event, some discounts may have changed since the time of publishing.
As bad of a rep as heat drying gets, it’s worse to let your hair air dry. One solution is to get Wavytalk’s ionic hair dryer. The technology behind this device protects your hair from heat damage while adding an enviable shine. As a bonus, if the temperature ever gets too high, the unit shuts off for safety.
The Beast is a high-tech tumbler that keeps beverages at your desired temperature for longer. The double-wall, stainless steel construction is BPA-free, sweat-free and doesn’t promote lingering flavors. It is dishwasher safe, features an airtight lid and is sized to be cup holder friendly — no more awkward commutes.
Bentgo is a rugged lunch box that can handle the abuse handed out by kids. It has leak-proof technology to ensure there are no spills and that all food stays fresh. The five compartments are sized to accommodate a child’s appetite and encourage eating a balanced meal. This lunchbox is also easy to clean.
If you don’t like being pestered by flying pests, then you need a way to keep those bugs at bay. This two-in-one model works as both a passive and an active means of defense. In its stand, the ultraviolet light attracts mosquitoes, luring them to fly into a zap. However, when removed, you can go after offending insects, swatting at them like you would a tennis ball.
Persistent headaches can ruin your day. And night. Having a go-to product that relieves discomfort can be a game-changer. This wearable cap offers 360-degree cooling and compression to help reduce the pain of migraines. It fits all head shapes and is simple to use — just chill and wear.
People notice a bright smile. Fortunately, with whitening strips, that goal can be easier to achieve than you may realize. This kit contains 21 treatments that can brighten your smile without the use of harsh bleaches. The strips have been certified nontoxic and microbiome safe, which means they protect the good bacteria while lifting stains.
Sitting is not as comfortable as most people think. It can place stress and pressure on many sensitive areas in your lower back. This ComfortFoam cushion contours to your body to provide tailbone relief, so sitting is a pleasant experience, not a test of endurance. The cushion can be used in the office, at home, during car rides and more.
For all its good, apple cider vinegar can be tough to swallow. These vegan gummies are made in the U.S. in allergen-free facilities, so they are suitable for almost every dietary restriction. The company’s formula also includes vitamin B12 to help with immune function, heart health and more.
Lavender essential oil can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions. While it may reduce stress, the National Institutes for Health have determined it also has anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. This high-quality, cruelty-free option can be used in a diffuser or mixed with a carrier oil for topical use.
Looking sharp starts with good grooming. This high-quality stainless steel trimmer is best for removing ear and nose hair. The one-button design makes it easy to use, and the protected blades snip hair without painful pulling. The trimmer is waterproof, which makes it super simple to clean.
If you are serious about removing stains from your teeth, it takes some effort. This deluxe kit contains all the tools you need to give it your best shot. You get a teeth-whitening gel pen (which is vegan and sugar-free) along with a whitening tray for application. Your purchase also includes an LED that is effective after just a 10-minute treatment.
Not all makeup is the same. Some are wet; some are dry. However, no matter what product you’re using, these Beaky sponges will help you get the job done. They’re shaped like a teardrop so you can work with precision or bold strokes.
This product is a toner that can soothe and hydrate your skin after cleaning. It can help heal inflammation and make dark spots fade while improving your overall skin texture. It is formulated for fast absorption, and sourcing mucin does not harm snails — it’s what a snail leaves behind when it scoots along.
Yeti may be known for its coolers, but the company also makes high-quality temperature-maintaining tumblers as well. This model has a MagSlider lid that uses magnets to keep your beverage from spilling. It features a no-sweat design and durable outer coating so your tumbler looks like new for longer.
This set of glasses comes with bamboo lids, reusable glass straws and two cleaning brushes. The glasses are suitable for either hot or cold beverages and are dishwasher-safe for convenient cleaning.
This versatile countertop appliance lets you blend, mix and chop. When finished, just twist it apart before washing it. It is mighty and convenient, making it a worthy tool for creating sauces, dips, drinks, snacks and more. It comes with everything you need to get blending straight out of the box.
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is an affordable and powerful streaming device if you don’t have a smart TV. It gives you support for Wi-Fi 6 and 4K streaming. Once plugged in and signed up, you have access to over 1 million TV episodes and movies.
Making fresh waffles was never easier. This mini waffle maker has a 4-inch nonstick cooking surface that is suitable for waffles, hash browns, cookies, biscuits and more. The compact size means it will fit in any kitchen, even one in an RV. The purchase includes a recipe guide so you can get started cooking right away.
A quality cast-iron skillet can be passed down through the generations, making it an heirloom. This Lodge skillet arrives pre-seasoned for convenience. It features two handles and two pouring spouts for versatility. The heat retention gives you an edge-to-edge cooking surface so you can have even and thorough cooking with every dish.
An accurate meat thermometer is essential for safety. It takes the guesswork out of hitting the right temperature. This model has an auto-rotating backlit display that makes it suitable for either right-handed or left-handed users in low-light conditions. The thermometer automatically turns on when in use and goes back to sleep when you finish to preserve battery life.
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This recipe, which hails from Cakebread Cellars, is featured in “Gather: Casual Cooking from Wine Country Gardens” (Harry N. Abrams, $40) by Janet Fletcher.
The Napa-based food writer is known for her “Planet Cheese” newsletter, as well as her cookbooks highlighting wine, cheese and farm-to-table fare. Her latest book highlights more than 60 recipes from 13 edible gardens in wine country, including this Cakebread-inspired salmon dish.
For this recipe, you’ll need an untreated 1-inch by 6-inch cedar plank, which is used to infuse the salmon with smoke without having to use a smoker. It should be available at most lumber stores. The recipe may also generate a bit of extra roasted-tomato butter. Freeze it for later and serve it with other seafood dishes like steamed clams, grilled lobster or swordfish. The salmon goes well with sides like fresh potatoes, green beans or corn on the cob, according to Fletcher.
Cedar Plank Salmon with Roasted-Tomato Butter
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
Roasted-Tomato Butter
½ pound San Marzano or Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Soak a 1-by-6 cedar plank in cold water to cover for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the roasted-tomato butter: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Turn on the convection fan, if available. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the tomatoes, cut side up, on the pan. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, then drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the thyme. Put the garlic cloves on the baking sheet as well. Bake the tomatoes until they are tender and starting to color and shrink, about 45 minutes.
Let the tomatoes cool, then remove the skins and put the flesh into a food processor with any juices from the pan. Squeeze the garlic flesh out of its skins into the food processor, then add the butter and pulse until smooth and creamy. Add the basil, lemon juice and Espelette pepper and pulse to blend. Taste for salt. Scoop into a bowl and set aside.
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to high. Brush the fish lightly all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the fillets, skin side down, on the plank and set the plank on the grill directly over the fire. Watch carefully and have the grill lid ready with vents open. The smoldering plank will generate a lot of smoke. When the edges of the plank start to flame, cover the grill and cook the salmon until you can easily slide a metal offset spatula between the skin and the flesh, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
With the spatula, transfer the fillets to dinner plates, leaving the skin behind. Top each portion with 1 tablespoon of the tomato butter.
Serve immediately.
Recommended wine pairing: Cakebread Cellars Two Creeks Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley.
— Janet Fletcher, “Gather: Casual Cooking from Wine Country Gardens” (Harry N. Abrams, $40)
Cakebread Cellars, 8300 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, www.cakebread.com.
By CHRIS MEGERIAN, SEUNG MIN KIM and KARL RITTER (Associated Press)
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO leaders agreed Tuesday to allow Ukraine to join “when allies agree and conditions are met,” hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted the organization’s failure to set a timetable for his country as “absurd.”
“We reaffirmed Ukraine will become a member of NATO and agreed to remove the requirement for a membership action plan,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, referring to a key step in joining the alliance.
“This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step path to a one-step path,” he said.
Although many NATO members have funneled arms and ammunition to Zelenskyy’s forces, there is no consensus among the 31 allies for admitting Ukraine into NATO’s ranks. Instead, the alliance leaders decided to remove obstacles on Ukraine’s membership path so that it can join more quickly once the war with Russia is over.
Zelenskyy pushed back sharply against the decision.
“It’s unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” Zelenskyy tweeted as he headed to the annual NATO summit in Vilnius. “While at the same time, vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine. It seems there is no readiness to invite Ukraine to NATO or to make it a member of the Alliance.”
Asked about Zelenskyy’s concerns, Stoltenberg said the most important thing now is to ensure that his country wins the war, because “unless Ukraine prevails there is no membership to be discussed at all.”
The broadside from Zelenskyy could renew tensions at the summit shortly after it saw a burst of goodwill following an agreement by Turkey to advance Sweden’s bid to join NATO. Allies hope to resolve the seesawing negotiations and create a clear path forward for the alliance and its support for Ukraine.
“We value our allies,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter, adding that “Ukraine also deserves respect.” He also said: “Uncertainty is weakness. And I will openly discuss this at the summit.”
Zelenskyy is expected to meet Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders.
There have been sharp divisions within the alliance over Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, which was promised back in 2008 even though few steps were taken toward that goal.
In addition, the Baltic states — including Lithuania, which is hosting the summit — have pushed for a strong show of support and a clear pathway toward membership for Ukraine.
However, the United States and Germany urged caution. Biden said last week that Ukraine was not ready to join. Members of NATO, he told CNN, need to “meet all the qualifications, from democratization to a whole range of other issues,” a nod toward longstanding concerns about governance and corruption in Kyiv.
In addition, some fear that bringing Ukraine into NATO would serve more as a provocation to Russia than as a deterrence against aggression.
Concretely, NATO leaders decided to launch a series of multiyear programs to bring Ukraine’s Soviet-era military equipment and doctrines up to modern standards so the country can be fully interoperable with the alliance.
The leaders and Zelenskyy are set to launch a new, upgraded forum for their cooperation on Wednesday: a NATO-Ukraine Council, where all parties can convene crisis talks if their security is under threat.
To fast-track its future membership, the leaders agreed to do away with a membership action plan for Ukraine, a program often seen as mandatory for aspiring nations to undertake.
Known in NATO parlance as a MAP, the action plan involves a tailor-made package of advice, assistance and practical support for countries preparing to join NATO. Bosnia, for example, is currently taking part in one.
Pressed by reporters to say what kind of conditions are being placed on Ukraine joining, Stoltenberg said: “We want modern defense and security institutions,” and armed forces that can operate within NATO.
He also said Kyiv’s hopes might hinge on strengthening its governance standards and fighting corruption.
The dispute over Ukraine stands in contrast to a hard-fought agreement to advance Sweden’s membership. The deal was reached after days of intensive meetings, and it’s poised to expand the alliance’s strength in Northern Europe.
“Rumors of the death of NATO’s unity were greatly exaggerated,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters triumphantly on Tuesday.
According to a joint statement issued when the deal was announced, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will ask Turkey’s parliament to approve Sweden joining NATO.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another holdout, is expected to take a similar step. Hungary’s foreign minister said Tuesday that his country’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership was now just a “technical matter.” Erdogan has not yet commented publicly.
The outcome is a victory as well for Biden, who has touted NATO’s expansion as an example of how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has backfired on Moscow.
Finland has already become the 31st member of the alliance, and Sweden is on deck to become the 32nd. Both Nordic countries were historically nonaligned until the war increased fears of Russian aggression.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that NATO’s expansion is “one of the reasons that led to the current situation.”
“It looks like the Europeans don’t understand their mistake,” Peskov said. He warned against putting Ukraine on a fast track for NATO membership.
“Potentially it’s very dangerous for the European security. It carries very big risks,” Peskov said.
Erdogan met with Biden on Tuesday evening but remained mum on the deal to advance Sweden’s membership in NATO.
Although Biden made a reference to “the agreement you reached yesterday,” Erdogan said nothing about it. It was a conspicuous omission from Erdogan, who has not commented on the issue publicly during the summit.
However, Erdogan appeared eager to develop his relationship with Biden. He said previous meetings were “mere warm-ups, but now we are initiating a new process.”
The Turkish president has been seeking advanced American fighter jets and a path toward membership in the European Union. The White House has expressed support for both, but publicly insisted that the issues were not related to Sweden’s membership in NATO.
The Biden administration has backed Turkey’s desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the U.S.
Biden is on a five-day trip to Europe, with the NATO summit as its centerpiece.
The president spent Monday in the United Kingdom, meeting at Windsor Castle with King Charles III and in London with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
He met Tuesday with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, emphasizing his commitment to transatlantic cooperation, before he joined the NATO gathering.
“Nothing happens here that doesn’t affect us,” Biden told Nauseda. The White House said Nauseda presented Biden with the Order of Vytautas the Great, the highest award a Lithuanian president can bestow. Biden is the first U.S. president to receive it.
After the summit ends Wednesday, Biden will travel to Helsinki. On Thursday, he will celebrate Finland’s recent entry into NATO and meet with Nordic leaders.
___
Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, Lisa Mascaro and Darlene Superville in Washington, Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, and Lorne Cook in Vilnius, Lithuania, contributed to this report.
If you want to hear about the day the guys aboard the fishing boat Sensation landed a giant marlin and danced to Tina Turner because they were sure they had won $3.5 million, only to find out they had not, first you need to know about Ashley Bleau and the Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament in Morehead City, North Carolina.
Bleau, 45, is a self-described “Down East redneck” for whom business attire is board shorts and bare feet. Like a lot of people on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, he grew up hoping he would own a boat someday, and last year he bought a beaut: Sensation, a 52-foot custom fishing boat with a cabin for lounging and a downstairs bunk room. He has used the boat to build his charter company, Sensation Sport Fishing.
In June, he entered it in the Big Rock Tournament, joining 270 other vessels that set out to sea over six days in hopes of winning millions in prize money and having their achievement engraved in the Big Rock fountain at the Morehead City docks.
Since 1957, the Big Rock tournament, run by a nonprofit charity, has attracted sport fishermen from all over, including Michael Jordan, who competes on his fishing yacht Catch-23.
“If you grow up around here and care about fishing at all, Big Rock is your Super Bowl,” Bleau said.
Bleau’s captain was Greg McCoy, 56, who left his previous job partly because the boat he captained was owned by the woman he was divorcing. McCoy’s only dedicated crew member was Darrin Cox, a 21-year-old in a camo hat whom nobody calls Darrin. He goes by Scooter.
Bleau found fishermen willing to pay for 24 shares in the boat at $3,013 a share, with different anglers assigned to different days.
The shareholders on Sensation agreed that the people on board for any prize catches would divide 70% of the payout among themselves. Bleau, McCoy and Scooter would take 10% each.The first boat to bring in a marlin weighing more than 500 pounds would win the Fabulous Fisherman prize, worth $739,500. The prize for catching the biggest marlin overall was $2,769,400. The potential haul, then, was $3.5 million if you won both prizes.
The Sensation planned to leave Morehead City at 5 each morning of the tournament and look for a place to drop its lines by the 9 a.m. starting time. Under the rules, the fishermen would have until 3 p.m. each day to hook a fish, and they could fight it as long as it took to reel it in. Boats had to radio in to tournament officials when they had a fish on the line. They also had to provide video of their battles with fish later to confirm the catch was legitimate and there was no cheating. Winners had to take polygraph tests.
The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament store in Morehead City, N.C., on June 30, 2023. The tournament is a major civic event in Morehead City. (Madeline Gray/The New York Times)
Many of the boats heading out into the Atlantic had big, dedicated crews and fancy sonar technology that could find a fish in the water below and lock onto it and follow it around.Bleau’s boat had none of those things. To find marlin, McCoy relied on instincts and knowledge honed over 20 years at sea. Earlier this year, he and Scooter fought a 600-plus-pound bluefin tuna for 11 hours. They got it right up to the boat, but then the line snapped and the fish was gone.“Broke my heart,” Scooter said.
On the first day of the Big Rock, the swells were 8 to 10 feet high, and four of the nine people aboard Sensation spent most of the morning vomiting. Jordan’s Catch-23 did not even go out.Three boats managed to land blue marlin that day, though only one weighed more than the minimum 400 pounds. On Day 3, Sea Wolf brought in a 408.1-pounder and Predator a 459-pounder. On Day 5, two more big marlin came in, including one from the boat Sushi at 484.5 pounds.
Sensation had one day left — Saturday, June 17 — to catch a prizewinning fish.As the boat headed out to sea that morning, Scooter, not normally one for bold statements, made a prophecy: “At 2:13 p.m., we’re going to hook a marlin, and it’s going to win.”The morning passed quietly. McCoy searched for “rips,” locations where warm and cold water met. They can create lines of sea grass and trash where baitfish like to hide. That’s where fish would be, he thought.
Sensation dropped the lines and trolled. At the end of one particular line was a Black Bart Super Plunger with a blue and silver head and streaks of red and purple.
Scooter’s 2:13 p.m. came and went. Fish do not wear watches.
But two minutes later, the line with the Black Bart exploded off the reel. “A hit like you wouldn’t believe,” McCoy said later. Line raced from the rod with a screaming whine. Something was on the line, and it was big.
Bleau got it all on video. Scooter brought the rod to the shareholder who was then taking his turn in the chair — Bailey Gore, who owns a basement waterproofing company in Boone, North Carolina. Bare-chested and wearing sunglasses, Gore braced himself in a low squat to let his legs and back do the work.
When the marlin jumped, they knew they had a good one. “If we can catch this fish,” McCoy recalled saying, “we’ll win the Big Rock.”
After more than an hour of battle, the fish made one final dive, going down to 1,000 feet, trying to get away. Then the line went heavy and stopped moving. McCoy, who has caught about 15 blue marlin in his life, said the marlin probably had a heart attack and died. (Daniel Pauly, a marine biologist at the University of British Columbia, confirmed in an interview that a fish can die from overexertion during a fight.) Their task now was to haul the fish up without breaking the line. Hour after hour they winched it up.
Once they boated it, Bleau said, they knew they had won. The fish was a blue-black monster, its mouth frozen open in surprise.
McCoy set off for home, going 24 knots to cover the 55 miles back to shore. He cranked up Tina Turner and the crew danced and drank and took pictures with the fish. Bleau called his daughter. Scooter imagined the boat he would buy with his $350,000 cut. McCoy told him he would introduce him to a financial planner so he could make the right investments.They pulled into the docks around 11:15 p.m. Word had spread about their big catch, and people packing the waterfront restaurants and bars cheered them as they motored into Morehead City. A huge crowd packed Big Rock Landing.
The tournament’s weighmaster, Randy Gregory, who is a marine biologist, boarded the boat and inspected the fish. He quickly recognized a problem. The marlin had a bite on its tail, apparently from a shark, and was a missing chunk of flesh on its anal fin.
Under the rules, any fish that was mutilated during the battle would be disqualified. When a fish is hurt, the angler has an unfair advantage.
Ideally, “when you fight and land this fish, you have fought 100% of the fish,” the Big Rock president, Emery Ivey, said in a Facebook video after the tournament. The guys on Sensation had fought 100% of this marlin, minus a couple of chunks.
McCoy said that he had noticed “blemishes” on the fish, but that he had seen much worse in his career. “It never went through my mind that it would be disqualified,” he said. “That might be me not reading the rules properly, but I’ve read them a hundred times.”
Sensation’s win was in doubt. But out of respect for the crew’s efforts, Ivey said, officials chose to announce the weight: 619.4 pounds. It was the first fish greater than 500 pounds, and the largest overall by 135 pounds. The crowd hooted in celebration, but tournament officials said they needed to deliberate further and sent everyone home.
That night, they brought in additional biologists and experts to examine the fish. Their conclusion: It had indeed been bitten by a shark or some other predator during the time it was hooked on the line.
The next morning, they announced that Sensation’s catch was disqualified.
“Nobody was pulling for those guys harder than we were on the Big Rock board,” Ivey said in an interview. “You know, they’re a hometown boat. Everybody knows who they are. But the rules are rules, and to keep up the integrity of the tournament, we have to enforce the rules as they’re written in our rule book.”
Bleau has protested the decision and retained legal counsel. Neither he nor Ivey would discuss any possible litigation. Bleau’s argument is that previous Big Rock marlin have come in with bites and still been counted as qualified results. Some people point to the 2019 winner, a 914-pound marlin caught by the fishing boat Top Dog, as an example. But Ivey said that fish was mutilated only after the fight was over, when the fisherman were hauling it into the boat.
Bleau has plenty of support in Morehead City. His daughter made T-shirts identifying Sensation as the Big Rock People’s Champion and sold more than 1,000 of them.It turns out that losing $3.5 million because of a poorly timed shark bite is the sort of thing that makes fishermen examine their real principles.“I’ve never been about the money,” McCoy said. “I wanted my name on that Big Rock fountain. I have ever since I started fishing down here. And I thought I’d done it.”The other day, Scooter was talking to a friend on another boat, saying he felt as if he had won the tournament.
“But you-all didn’t win,” another guy on the boat said. He had been part of the crew on Sushi that caught the winning marlin.
Scooter shrugged and said, “We caught a bigger fish.”
A federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. Regulators are seeking to ax the deal because they say it will hurt competition.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in a ruling that the “FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition. To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content.”
Microsoft appeared to have the upper hand in a 5-day San Francisco court hearing that ended late last month. The proceeding showcased testimony by Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and longtime Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who both pledged to keep Activision’s blockbuster game Call of Duty available to people who play it on consoles — particularly Sony’s PlayStation — that compete with Microsoft’s Xbox.
“Our merger will benefit consumers and workers. It will enable competition rather than allow entrenched market leaders to continue to dominate our rapidly growing industry,” said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick in a written statement.
Shares of Activision Blizzard Inc. jumped 5% on the ruling.
The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust laws, had asked Corley to issue an injunction temporarily blocking Microsoft and Activision from closing the deal before the FTC’s in-house judge can review it in an August trial.
Both companies suggested that such a delay would effectively force them to abandon the takeover agreement they signed nearly 18 months ago. Microsoft has promised to pay Activision a $3 billion breakup fee if the deal doesn’t close by July 18.
The case is an important test for the FTC’s heightened scrutiny of the technology industry under Chairperson Lina Khan, who was installed by President Joe Biden in 2021 because of her tough stance on what she sees as monopolistic behavior by tech giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook parent Meta.
Another judge rebuffed the FTC’s attempt earlier this year to stop Meta from taking over the virtual reality fitness company Within Unlimited.
Corley, herself a Biden nominee, expressed skepticism about the FTC’s case during the proceedings, particularly about the hypothetical harms caused if Microsoft were to remove Call of Duty from rival platforms or offer a subpar experience on competing consoles.
“It all comes down again to Call of Duty,” she said. “We’re here because of Call of Duty.”
Near the close of the hearing, Corley said the FTC had already achieved a victory for consumers because of promises Microsoft made to some rivals as it sought to clear a path for the Activision Blizzard deal to go through.
As antitrust investigations and legal challenges mounted in the U.S. and around the world, Microsoft pledged that Call of Duty would appear on Nintendo’s Switch console, Nvidia’s cloud gaming service and other platforms for at least a decade.
“In many ways you won,” Corley told the FTC’s lead trial attorney on the case, James Weingarten.
“I don’t think we won,” Weingarten responded, saying there was no evidence that the “hastily agreed to” contracts would sufficiently protect the market.
A number of other countries and the European Union have approved the Activision Blizzard takeover, but it still faces opposition from the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority. Microsoft is appealing the British regulator’s move to block the deal and a tribunal hearing on that is set to begin later this month.
Canadian regulators are also investigating the transaction and have concluded it is “likely to result” in preventing or lessening competition on gaming consoles, subscription services and cloud-based gaming, according to a letter to Microsoft filed in the U.S. case late last month.
KING WILLIAM — Officials in King William County are assessing the damage after one of the most historic buildings in the county took a direct hit from lightning during heavy storms on Saturday.
The chimney of the old jail was struck, and possibly the administration building, the county said in a news release. Technology and phone systems in the administrative building were knocked out by the storm.
The old jail is used as a conference room and restroom facilities.
Bricks were sprayed all over the ground below the building, the release stated.
The lightning on July 8 missed the buildings next to the old jail, including the historic courthouse and the museum. The historic courthouse is the oldest courts building in continuous use in the United States. Judicial proceedings still take place in the courthouse from time to time.
While the storm temporarily knocked out technology systems in the government complex, electricity was not lost to any of the buildings. Phone lines were still out as of Monday.
King William Fire & EMS surveyed the building and found no evidence of fire.
The historical building struck by lightning has no regularly scheduled use, but the museum is open every Sunday from 1-4 p.m. except on certain holiday weekends.
Following the Second World War, I served for almost a decade as a foreign correspondent based in Prague for Hungarian newspapers. In that capacity I walked the corridors of power in the Communist world of Eastern Europe.
I had an opportunity to observe how the system worked and what motivated the Communist leadership. Under Soviet domination, Eastern Europe was a mirror image of the Soviet regime. It didn’t take me long to notice the historical similarities between the Nazi regime in Germany and the Soviet regime in Russia.
The Soviet Union doesn’t exist anymore, but the mentality of the regime has re-emerged under Vladimir Putin’s 23-year rule.
While searching for logical and rational explanation for Yevgeny Prigozhin’s ill-fated uprising in Russia — the march of the Wagner force on Moscow — it would be useful to make some historical comparison.
Under Hitler, it was the SA, also known as the Storm Troopers or Brownshirts, the Nazi party’s private militia, that had a leading role in terrorizing the opposition and helping Hitler to gain power. Subsequently, the SA become too powerful and independent and posed a threat to Hitler’s hegemony over the Nazi party.
The SA opposed Hitler’s accommodation with the German army’s leadership and demanded a “second revolution” beyond the one that brought the Nazi party to power. That is when Hitler sided with the SS, another paramilitary group under the command of Himmler, known for its exclusive loyalty to Hitler. The SA leadership was slaughtered by the SS and the SA group was sidelined.
According to news reports, the cooperation between Putin and Prigozhin began in St. Petersburg, where Putin, a former colonel in the Soviet secret service, was a minor city official and Prigozhin was selling hot dogs. Putin’s rise in power was followed by Prigozhin getting rich. He became known as Putin’s “chef” because he had obtained lucrative state contract for his catering service, supplying food to Russian military bases and school systems.
Although private militias are forbidden by law in Russia, Prigozhin, supported by Putin, was permitted to organize and finance the Wagner group, an armed militia of mercenaries. First, to advance Moscow’s aims, they were deployed in the Middle East and Africa.
Once the Russian invasion of Ukraine began last year and the Russian Army bogged down, Prigozhin engaged his Wagner militia in the fighting. To replenish the rank of his fighters, Prigozhin was permitted to recruit volunteers from Russia’s large prison system. Those who signed up were promised amnesty.
According to news reports, more than 20,000 Wagner fighters have died on the frontlines in Ukraine.
Just as the conflicts between Hitler’s SA and SS were based on personal rivalries between leaders, so was Prigozhin’s conflict with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the top Russian military commander in Ukraine.
Prigozhin accused them of incompetence and starving his militia of ammunition, weapons and supplies. At one point, he accused them of ordering an air strike against his troops, killing 30 of his fighters. That was when Prigozhin ordered his troops to march on Moscow.
Prigozhin’s Warner group sized a major Russian military hub, Rostov-on-Don, and from there marched on Moscow. His troops were 120 miles from Moscow when Prigozhin ordered them to turn around.
This decision was made after the intervention of President Aleksander Lukashenko of Belarus, an ally of Putin. Prigozhin and his militia members were offered amnesty and exile in Belarus.
Putin sided publicly with Prigozhin’s adversaries, the Russian military establishment, just as Hitler did with the SS in Germany. In Russia, the Prigozhin mutiny was short-lived. But according to students of Russian history, it will have ominous political consequences for Putin’s leadership. It presages instability for his regime, and just like it is impossible to become pregnant just a little bit, so will Putin’s hold on power become hard to sustain.
It is often said, “It couldn’t happen.” Until it happens.
Frank Shatz is a Williamsburg resident. He is the author of “Reports from a Distant Place,” the compilation of his selected columns. The book is available at the Bruton Parish Shop and Amazon.com.
All signs pointed to John Hall Jr. excelling in his field.
As president of AG Wraps, a Chesapeake-based custom vehicle wrap and graphics shop, Hall works as the third generation of his family in the sign industry. And his modern take on old-school marketing is a recipe for expansion.
Since he came on board, Hall said AG Wraps has maintained 15-30% annual growth. The business probably outgrew its old 6,000-square-foot building, where it was comfortable for 14 years in Great Bridge, about three years ago, he said.
To achieve the business’s goal of 30% growth within the next three years to reach the $5 million mark, Hall said he and his team realized they needed a bigger production and installation facility.
After a year of searching, the ideal industrial building at 913 Business Park Drive off Military Highway in Chesapeake became available. Hall purchased the 11,200-square-foot building for $1.4 million in April for AG Wraps’ new headquarters and put $220,000 in for renovations and new equipment.
A second location, opened six years ago at 4760 Virginia Beach Blvd. in Virginia Beach, operates as the sales showroom and was purely derived from a marketing need, Hall said. With a low marketing budget, the building itself is a type of organic branding.
“It’s turned out to be a really lucrative investment for us,” Hall said. “We get a lot of walk-ins there because it’s right in the heart of Town Center.”
John Hall Jr. owns two local businesses, Chesapeake-based AG Wraps and Norfolk-based Archbell Signs. He started in the industry at 15 years old, bought his first house at 18 years old and one of the businesses when he was 19 years old. (Courtesy photo)
And their work has spread throughout Hampton Roads and beyond — even nationwide.
“We have a lot of local companies that are franchises that are based here, so we ship graphics all over the country,” he said.
He named Chesapeake-based Silbar Security and Virginia Beach-based Zoomin Groomin as two of his vehicle wrap clients, equally locally grown and expanding businesses.
Nowadays, AG Wraps can wrap just about anything, including cars, food and box trucks, trailers, buses and RVs, boats, commercial vehicles, interior and exterior walls and storefronts.
“Because of our quality, our name, our designers and things like that, we garner a good bit of the area and people drive two to three to four hours to come to do business with us,” he said.
He said Hall has made him signs and fun custom vehicle wraps featuring Scooby-Doo’s 4×4 Mystery Machine, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a Batmobile and DeLorean time machine.
“I come to him with these crazy requests and he gets it from a vision standpoint to full execution,” Lawyer said. “It’s been really exciting to watch John really grow that business.”
Hall’s career began when he was just 15 years old. Milton McKinney, Hall’s maternal grandfather, had owned Archbell Signs, a Norfolk-based business dating back to 1963.
Pete Archbell, a true craftsman of his time, had created the business focused on hand-drawn and hand-painted lettering. McKinney brought his talent to the team in the early 1970s and was quickly elevated to Archbell’s business partner. A decade later, the business made another shift when McKinney bought out Archbell and concentrated on screenprinting for larger runs of decals, signs and other wide-format advertising.
After Hall graduated from Oscar Smith High School in 2004, he left Archbell Signs and went to work for his uncle, Mike McKinney, who started Action Graphics and Signs the year before. Then in 2006, at just 19 years old, Hall bought the business.
“We were definitely like the small guys; we weren’t doing a lot of volume of work,” Hall said of the early days.
Two years later, he renamed it AG Wraps and pivoted the focus to vehicle wraps.
“It was the newest and latest and greatest trend in the sign industry,” he said.
Hall honed his skills and went on to maintain large local contracts, including Hampton Roads Transit, The Tide light rail, Old Dominion and Norfolk State universities and a variety of service-related businesses.
In 2018, Hall also became the owner of Archbell Signs, which keeps its focus on residential and commercial real estate signage needs, fabricated and monument signs, channel letters, lighted and box signs.
Today, Hall employs four workers at Archbell and 19 people at AG Wraps. He wants to expand the team with another graphic designer, junior sales associate and integrator.
Although Hall recollects his earlier dreams to become a real estate investor when buying his first home at 18, he has no qualms about the path he took.
“It’s been a fun ride,” Hall said. “We’re one of the bigger companies in the area that’s the go-to for vehicle wraps, storefronts and wall murals.”
We can express ourselves with enthusiasm! Today we see communicative Mercury running into bold Leo at 12:11 am EDT, encouraging us to say what’s on our hearts and forget about any limitations we put on ourselves. As the sensitive Moon harmonizes with dedicated Saturn, they ground our decision-making and solidify how we feel. Later on, the Moon conjoins expansive Jupiter to give us a double dose of optimistic luck — that said, this could verge on overconfidence. Enjoy the freedom, but don’t go too far!
Aries
March 21 – April 19
You’re ready to do what you really want. It’s possible that you’re already doing what you want to in many ways, but you still might hold back on wearing that one item of clothing because you think it’s too loud or avoid trying something in public for fear of being laughed at. Your confidence in your self-expression is heightened now, taking away some of the sting of what other people think and making it easier to be yourself. Don’t hold back!
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
You can be honest with yourself, Taurus. Your heart might have been telling you something that you’ve been repressing for some time, and as you take a more objective look at your emotions, you’re able to see what that really means for your life. Instead of pretending that you have to be a person that you’re really not, even to yourself, you can be more self-assured and relax into your genuine identity. You don’t have to be perfect — you just have to be you.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
The unknown is calling to you, Gemini! You may have previously held back from submitting your resume or auditioning for a project or career that intrigues you, possibly from concerns that you didn’t have the skills or experience to measure up to other competitors. While it’s true that someone will almost always have more knowledge than you, you don’t get experience by sitting at home and not rising to the occasion. Whether you succeed or not, at least you’ll know you tried!
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
You might feel more like a part of the team than usual. Even if you’d typically avoid taking on team roles, the people that you’re with can strengthen your sense of positivity and belonging. Your energy is more likely to be in sync with theirs, and it should feel like you have a real state of flow going once you allow yourselves to brainstorm together. As long as you have the good of the group in mind, it will be hard to go wrong.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Leadership might be thrust upon you at any moment. You could be used to standing out from the crowd, but being the leader of the crowd is different. Commanding others and guiding them in a healthy way, managing chaotic situations, centering disarrayed groups — none of these things are simple for anyone to do. However, you might be just the person to lead everyone out of their confusion! The best leaders work alongside their team, so don’t forget to pitch in yourself.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
You might be expanding your mind now. You possibly have an artistic or spiritual pursuit that you’re trying to develop, and at last, you’re truly able to get somewhere with it. Perhaps meditation was too hard to focus on, or a creative pursuit was too time-consuming or precise, but with some mentorship and practice, you can turn anything into a daily activity for yourself. You can even find instructional videos online to watch alongside while you hone your skills. Don’t let today go to waste.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Someone might be encouraging you to follow your dreams. You could be looking at the long, hard road of work that it will take to get you to your ideal lifestyle — it can be disheartening to feel like you’re so far away, with so much more effort to be put in. A friend may arrive to lift the curtain and show you the light at the end of the tunnel — especially if they’ve already gotten there before you. Follow the light to triumph!
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
Satisfaction is possible through checking things off of your list. You may have a list of projects that you’re working on completing, or just a bucket list of places to visit, but either way, you’re able to make progress at this time. The way forward might have been blocked the last time you tried to finish these particular items, but the road has finally been cleared, and you’re ready to start down it. Every step taken is a step toward your victory.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
An escape is just around the corner. Your life might be chaotic or burdensome right now in a way that’s confining, and you could be looking for a way to let the pressure off of yourself for a while. Opportunities to travel may pop up left and right for you, even if they’re just to the next city over. Take a chance and say yes to a trip outside of your normal routine! Everyone needs to get away from the grind sometimes.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Deep feelings might be shared throughout the day. You may open up to someone who you were previously closed off to, possibly after they share with you first. Sharing troubles or concerns going on in your separate lives should allow you both to understand each other better in the long run. Even if you didn’t know each other well originally, your friendship can grow stronger and flourish after you have a conversation and share your inner thoughts. Be open to connection.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
You’re allowed to be very honest with someone else. They might not have realized how they affected you with something that they said or did in the past, good or bad. Take this moment, if you’re ready, to share your feelings with them. Whether their words made you feel more secure with their support or more determined to succeed and prove them wrong, they likely had a lasting effect on you that shaped who you became. Say what’s in your heart!
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Uncertainty doesn’t have to be a bad thing today. You may be unsure of how your routine is contributing to your success, while it seems like everyone around you has it together. Consider asking a friend for their viewpoint — perhaps you’re missing openings by focusing too hard on something else or avoiding an unfortunately necessary practice that could elevate your lifestyle by improving your organizational skills. It’s okay if it takes a second pair of eyes to see what you’re missing.
