Alex Pretti had previously come to the attention of federal authorities and suffered a broken rib during a clash with immigration agents roughly a week before he was fatally shot by Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis, according to a report. Pretti, an ICU nurse, was among dozens of anti-ICE demonstrators who had confronted federal agents in the city in the weeks leading up to the shooting. According to CNN, Pretti told a friend that during the earlier incident he witnessed ICE officers chasing what he believed was a family on foot. He stopped his vehicle and began yelling and blowing…
Author: Kelly Whitewood
The uncertainty surrounding who exactly was on board a private jet that erupted into a fiery crash in Maine — killing all six people aboard — intensified Tuesday as investigators worked to identify the victims and National Transportation Safety Board officials reached the site. The Bombardier Challenger 600, which had departed from Houston and made a refueling stop before a planned flight to Paris, overturned and burst into flames while attempting takeoff from Bangor International Airport around 7:45 p.m. Sunday, just as a powerful winter storm began slamming the region. Maine’s medical examiner said Tuesday that efforts were still underway…
Neil Diamond’s Quietly Emotional Reaction to Song Sung Blue Surprised Everyone Neil Diamond is not known for effusive praise or dramatic reactions. Which is exactly why his response to Song Sung Blue caught everyone off guard. The new film, written and directed by Craig Brewer and starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, tells the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina, a Wisconsin couple who fall in love later in life and form a Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning & Thunder. While the film is not a biopic, Diamond’s music forms the emotional backbone of the story — and…
Two federal officers discharged their weapons during the fatal encounter with Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis, according to an initial report submitted to Congress by the Department of Homeland Security and reviewed by CNN. The report, compiled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as part of its preliminary internal investigation, states that a struggle occurred between Pretti and federal officers before two officers fired their agency-issued firearms. Initial DHS Findings According to the report: CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted, and a physical struggle ensued. During the struggle, a Border Patrol agent repeatedly shouted, “He’s…
Investigation Continues After Fatal Private Jet Crash at Maine Airport Authorities in Maine are continuing to investigate a fatal private jet crash at Bangor International Airport, where a business aircraft overturned during takeoff amid severe winter weather, killing all six people on board. The Bombardier Challenger 650 crashed shortly after 7:45 p.m. Sunday while departing Bangor en route to Paris following a refueling stop. According to officials, the aircraft lost control during takeoff and overturned on the snow-covered runway before erupting into flames. Recovery Delayed as Federal Investigators Secure Scene Local police confirmed Tuesday that recovery efforts have not yet…
A Mother’s Voice, a Son’s Faith, and a Moment That Stopped the Room American Idol has no shortage of powerful auditions, but few arrive with the kind of quiet gravity that Keyla Richardson brought into the room. At 29, Richardson is a single mother, a gospel singer, and a music teacher from Pensacola, Florida. And before she ever sang a note, it was clear why she was there. “I’m here because of my son,” she said, standing beside Drew—the person she calls her best friend, her motivation, and her reason for never giving up. “I See Myself in My Students”…
No One Was Prepared for This “He Was Only 37…” — The Sentence a Mother Couldn’t Finish, and the Story That Asked America to Slow Down and Listen No one was prepared for how this story would land. Not a family grappling with sudden loss. Not coworkers stunned to recognize a familiar name. And not a public that encountered a headline before it ever heard a mother’s unfinished sentence. “He was only 37…” she said — and then the words stopped. Not because there was nothing more to say, but because grief often interrupts language itself. That pause — that…
Six Killed After Private Jet Flips and Explodes During Takeoff in Maine Six people were killed Sunday evening when a private jet flipped over and burst into flames during takeoff at Bangor International Airport in Maine, authorities confirmed. The aircraft was attempting to depart amid heavy snow from Winter Storm Fern when the crash occurred. Among the victims was Tara Arnold, a prominent Houston attorney and the wife of elite Texas law firm partner Kurt Arnold, co-founder of Arnold & Itkin LLP. The jet was registered to the firm. The group was traveling to Paris when the tragedy struck. A…
How Faith Hill’s “Breathe” Changed Country Music Forever When Faith Hill released “Breathe” in 1999, she likely had no idea she was about to redraw the boundaries of country music — and permanently change her own career in the process. Written by Stephanie Bentley and Holly Lamar, the song became the title track of Hill’s fourth studio album and marked a defining moment not just for her, but for the genre as a whole. By the time Breathe arrived, Hill was already flirting with pop success. Her 1998 singles “This Kiss” and “Let Me Let Go” both cracked the Top…
Riley Green Says He Has 17–20 Songs Ready For His Next Album Riley Green isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The Alabama native recently revealed that fans could be getting new music sooner rather than later, sharing that he already has a full album’s worth — and then some — ready to go. In a conversation with Holler, Green said he’s currently sitting on “probably 17 to 20 songs” that he feels confident putting on his next record. “It’s a really cool time to have so many eyes and ears on you,” Green said, referencing the surge in momentum he’s enjoyed…