Film Review: Ma

Ron Wynn
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Film Review: Ma
Ron Wynn
Ron Wynn

Octavia Spencer is such a great actress she makes Tate Taylor’s horror/spoof “Ma” bearable, but only when she’s on-screen, which is much of the time. There’s no plot or premise other than a middle-aged woman wreaking havoc on a bunch of privileged, not so bright teens who accompany her to a basement seduced by a chance to drink without supervision or concerns about either parents or police discovering them.

Of course, the fact that there’s no sign of security leaves them wide open to being slaughtered by any sort of serial killer, which perfectly describes Spencer’s character.

Things get off to a humdrum start with Maggie (Diana Silvers) agreeing to attend a party with Haley (McKaley Miller) and three boys. Except Maggie somehow ends up in a van with kids who aren’t planning anything except getting totally wasted. When Sue Ann (Spencer) shows up after many other adults refuse to buy the kids booze, she supposedly takes pity on them and buys some liquor. But that’s just the start of things going really bad for this group.

Sue Ann begins doing horrid things with a gleeful, scary look, and a demeanor that says “hey, I could do this all day.” It’s an indicator of how great an actress Spencer really is in that she can be so utterly convincing one minute as a nice, non-threatening nanny type, and the next equally scary as a psycho killer. Taylor isn’t trying to shock or stun or even surprise anyone with “Ma.” It’s basic slice-and-dice stuff featuring at least two people (Spencer and Juliette Lewis) who’ve been in better films, and presumably will go on to superior ones in the future.

“Ma” is a throwaway, classic summer junk. It’s enjoyable and utterly forgettable.

Restricting abortion is ‘bad for business,’ 180 business leaders say

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Restricting abortion is ‘bad for business,’ 180 business leaders say

By Jackie Wattles, CNN Business

(CNN) — Top executives from more than 180 companies have a message for lawmakers: Restricting abortion is “bad for business.”

A letter endorsed by the business leaders appeared as a full-page ad in Monday’s New York Times, declaring “it’s time for companies to stand up for reproductive health care.”

They argue that limiting access to comprehensive care, “including abortion,” threatens “the health, independence, and economic stability of our employees and customers.” The letter says strict abortion laws are “against our values” and impede corporate efforts to build diverse workforces.

Among the list of the ad’s endorsers are chief executives from Yelp, Slack, Tinder, H&M, and food delivery app Postmates. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, was also on the list, though he signed on behalf of the other company he runs, digital payment firm Square. The group included fashion designer Eileen Fisher.

Businesses have shown a growing willingness to take stands on issues like LGBTQ rights, immigration and gun control — but they’ve remained mostly silent on abortion policy through years of debate.

That changed for some companies this year after Alabama lawmakers approved a near-total ban on abortion, and as “heartbeat” laws, which prohibit abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected or as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, gained new traction in several states. They include Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Louisiana.

Three of the world’s biggest entertainment companies — Netflix, Disney and WarnerMedia — said last month that they may stop producing movies and TV shows in Georgia if the state’s “heartbeat” law takes effect. (WarnerMedia, a unit of AT&T, is the parent company of CNN.)

The executives behind the letter were brought together by a coalition that includes the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the advocacy group NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Ilyse Hogue, NARAL’s president, said in a statement that the organization applauds the executives for “taking a stand on behalf of their employees, customers, and communities.”

“We encourage the entire business community to join us in protecting access to reproductive health care in the critical months and years to come,” she added.

The coalition is calling the campaign “Don’t Ban Equality” and it launched a website Monday that invites other executives to sign on.

Vikrum Aiyer, vice president of public policy at Postmates, said in an interview with CNN Business that his company decided to speak out “principally because of values” and because restricting women’s access to abortion hampers their ability to “make economic choices.”

“The lack of simple access to care and treatment, and having to leave state lines in order to seek that treatment, means not only is their well-being at risk, but their economic and financial circumstances are at risk,” Aiyer said.

“We already have pretty anemic parental leave laws in this country to begin with, and a pay gap on top of that,” he said, calling abortion restrictions “another chipping away of gender equity.”

Aiyer said Postmates is bracing for pushback from consumers who disagree with the company’s stance — but, he added, “it matters more to us that women are stood up for.”

“It’s not a Democratic value or a Republican value; it’s the value of personal sovereignty,” Aiyer added. “Democracy is messy, but our taking of a position is more about sparking a conversation than imposing a position on our employees or customers.”

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Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz shot in the back in the Dominican Republic

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Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz shot in the back in the Dominican Republic

By Anyi Lizardo and Amir Vera, CNN

(CNN) — Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz is recovering from surgery after being shot at a club in his native Dominican Republic on Sunday, according to police.

Ortiz was shot in the back by a motorcyclist who approached Ortiz outside the Dial Discotheque in Santo Domingo, Felix Durán Mejia, a spokesman for the Dominican National Police, told CNN.

“The bullet went through his stomach,” Durán Mejia said. Ortiz is in stable condition and “out of danger” after undergoing surgery.

Ortiz’s father, Leo Ortiz, spoke to reporters outside the hospital after the surgery and said his son was safe.

“He is resting right now. He is stable,” he said in Spanish.

A second person, television host Jhoel Lopez, who was with Ortiz, was also shot, according to his wife, Liza Blanco.

“They were both on their backs. It was very fast. He doesn’t remember much because he was also in shock from the bullet wound,” Blanco told reporters in Spanish. “But thank God he is stable.”

Suspects in custody

Multiple people have been detained in connection with the shooting, Durán Mejia said. It’s unclear whether those detained include the motorcyclist.

One of the suspects is being treated at a local hospital, the Dominican Health Service (SNS) said in a statement. The suspect, the statement said, was hit and attacked by bystanders immediately after Ortiz was shot.

Ortiz, also known as Big Papi, was born in Santo Domingo and made his Major League Baseball debut in 1997, according to MLB’s website.

The first baseman and designated hitter played 20 seasons before retiring in 2016. While Ortiz’s major league career began with the Minnesota Twins, he was best known for his 14 seasons in Boston as the Red Sox’s designated hitter.

In 2004, he helped the Red Sox end the so-called “Curse of the Bambino” by winning the World Series — the team’s first championship since 1918. Ortiz was also on the Red Sox title team in 2007 and 2013. He was named World Series MVP in 2013 when Ortiz, then 37 years old, batted .688 with two home runs, six RBIs and eight walks, finishing with a .760 on-base percentage.

The 2013 championship came just months after the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 200 others. Ortiz emerged as a champion for the city in the bombings’ aftermath, and his emotional tribute to Boston the day after police captured bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev gained national attention.

“This jersey, that we wear today, it doesn’t say ‘Red Sox.’ It says ‘Boston,’ ” Ortiz said, standing on the infield as the crowd cheered police officers who were on the field.

“This is our f***ing city. And nobody’s going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong,” he said.

In his 20 seasons in the majors, Ortiz hit 541 home runs and had a career batting average of .286.

Ortiz retired at the end of the 2016 season, and the Red Sox retired his uniform number in 2017. He will be eligible to be on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot at the end of 2021 (for the class of 2022).

Sports world responds to shooting

Shocked professional athletes sent prayers and well-wishes late Sunday as news of the shooting surfaced.

“It’s crazy to hear what happened to David Ortiz. It goes to show you that anyone can be in danger at anytime no matter your status. Get well soon Big Papi. I’m praying for you,” said New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes.

“Anxiously waiting for more news. In the meantime, only prayers for @davidortiz, Tiffany and their family,” said former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez on Twitter.

MLB tweeted its support as well.

“Our thoughts are with David Ortiz, who is reportedly hospitalized after being shot in his hometown of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,” the league’s tweet read.

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Orphaned elephants get new life in Kenya

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Orphaned elephants get new life in Kenya

Video by Channon Hodge, words by Maureen O’Hare, CNN

(CNN) — When they found Enkesha in Kenya’s Masai Mara in 2017, the baby elephant’s trunk was nearly severed by the wire snare wrapped tightly around it.

She was in intense pain and at risk of losing the appendage so necessary for food and survival.

It took a three-hour operation and a lot of aftercare but, two years later, calf’s trunk has knitted well. When CNN Travel meets her at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s elephant orphanage in March 2019, she is with the rest of the nursery’s little herd — none bigger than four foot tall — padding through the undergrowth, pulling at foliage with their nimble trunks.

The snare that imperiled Enkesha is one of more than 150,000 removed by the trust since it established its first de-snaring team in 1999, as part of its ongoing work for the protection and conservation of wildlife and wild habitats in Kenya.

The elephant orphanage in Nairobi National Park is the most famous of the trust’s nine programs. Founded in 1977, it was the first organization in the world to successfully raise milk-dependent orphans by hand and reintegrate them back into the wild.

How to raise an elephant

“Through the nursery here we’ve raised over 244 elephants,” the trust’s CEO, Angela Sheldrick, tells CNN Travel. Elephants orphaned though poaching, habitat destruction and human-wildlife conflict are picked up by rescue teams and looked after by the keepers here.

“When you take on a baby elephant it’s a long-term project,” she explains, because “their lives mirror our own.” An elephant of one year is just as vulnerable and needing of care as a human child.

“We presently have 93 elephants that are milk-dependent,” she says. “They’re with us for the first three years here in the nursery. Once they get older they need exposure to the wild herds because ultimately every elephant that we raise lives a wild life again. We just usher them through the difficult milk-dependent years.”

It takes time and patience to introduce them to living independently. Says Sheldrick. “Like your own kids, they don’t fly the nest quickly. They need to have that confidence.” The process takes about five years, but the nursery’s alumni is blossoming. There are now close to 150 rehabilitated orphans, with 30 known calves of their own.

The orphanage has also hand-raised 17 rhinos. One of the most popular residents is Maxwell, a rhino who was born blind and then rejected by his mother. He’s been at his nursery “forever home” since 2007.

‘Joyful and joyous’

The trust was established more than 40 years ago by Angela’s mother, Daphne Sheldrick, in memory of her late husband, conservationist David Sheldrick. Daphne passed away last year, while the trust has been headed up by Angela since 2001.

“When my mum was pioneering this she was the first person in the world to raise an infant elephant,” says Sheldrick. “It was difficult. One didn’t have the Internet; one didn’t have the benefit of anyone having done it before. It’s quite remarkable how far we’ve come.”

The trust’s head keeper, Edwin Lusichi, has been at the nursery for 20 years. He tells CNN Travel that working with elephants is “important and joyful and joyous, and you just feel relaxed.”

“It’s unfortunate that what is causing them to be left orphans is caused by human beings,” he adds.

It’s our responsibility to look after our fellow creatures, for our planet and for the future. “Our young ones will never get to see them if we don’t protect them now,” he says.

Never forget

The charity is open to the public for one hour each day, so visitors can meet the elephants and learn about the threats facing the species.

Orphans can be adopted from $50 per year and their foster “parents” can enjoy an extra visiting hour in the evening.

Lusichi is leading the tour the night we visit, introducing the 21 elephants, two rhinos and one giraffe currently on site.

The grown elephants go on to new lives in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya’s largest national park, but the bond with those who brought them up is not lost.

“They never forget the kindness and do want to return,” says Sheldrick. “The bulls less so — they travel great distances and become more independent — but the female herds are all about bonded family units. They don’t ever forget those that have raised them.”

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphanage, KWS Workshop Entrance to Nairobi National Park, Magadi Road, Nairobi 00503, Kenya

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Newly restored historic sailing ship crashes and sinks days after relaunch

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Newly restored historic sailing ship crashes and sinks days after relaunch

By Jack Guy and Stephanie Halasz, CNN

(CNN) — A historic sailing ship has crashed just days after taking to the water following an extensive renovation project.

The 121-foot Elbe No. 5 collided with the 466-foot Astrosprinter, a Cyprus-flagged cargo ship, on the Elbe river near Hamburg, Germany on Saturday afternoon, according to Wilfried Sprekels, a fire department official.

Eight passengers on board the Elbe No. 5 were injured in the collision at Stadersand, Sprekels told CNN. They were rescued from the boat and taken to different local hospitals.

Emergency services secured the ship because of fears of oil leaks and a rescue company will investigate the possibility of recovering the wreck, he added.

There were 43 people on board at the time, including 14 crew members, according to a statement from Hamburg police.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, but an investigation continues, police said.

The Hamburg Maritime Foundation, which owns the ship, released a statement on the accident.

“We are deeply saddened by the collision. Our thoughts are with the passengers and the members of the ship’s crew who were hurt,” read the statement.

The Elbe No. 5 was built in 1883, making it the city’s oldest fully wooden ship. It recently underwent significant renovation work, according to the foundation.

After decades as a pilot boat used to guide larger ships into Hamburg’s port, the Elbe No. 5 was sold to American journalist Warwick Tompkins, who used it as a houseboat.

In 2002, it was bought by the Hamburg Maritime Foundation and brought home to be used as a pleasure boat for tourists.

The renovation project was announced in September 2018 and on May 29 the Elbe No. 5 returned to its home port, according to a tweet from the maritime foundation.

Just over a week later, the collision wrecked the historic vessel.

Wolfgang Bentz, who was involved in the restoration, told German radio station NDR that he had watched over the wreck after the accident.

“I couldn’t sleep all night,” he said.

However, Bentz believes the Elbe No. 5 could sail again.

“It’s made of wood and had some damage before,” he told NDR. “Let’s see what further damage is added in the rescue effort.”

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Volkswagen employees in Tennessee could help determine the future of the United Auto Workers

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Volkswagen employees in Tennessee could help determine the future of the United Auto Workers

By Chris Isidore, CNN Business

(CNN) — The membership and influence of the United Auto Workers union has been shrinking for decades. In the latest effort to reverse that trend, the union will try to win a vote this week at Volkswagen’s only US plant.

More than 1,700 hourly workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will get to vote Wednesday, Thursday or Friday on whether they want the union to represent them. The union narrowly lost a similar vote five years ago.

A win for the union would be historic. Foreign automakers, such as VW and Toyota, own 31 factories and produce nearly half of the cars built in the United States. None of those foreign-owned plants have ever been unionized. Workers there are generally paid less than workers represented by the UAW.

The Volkswagen plant would boost UAW’s flagging membership. It represented more than 1 million people at auto assembly plants in the 1980s, but only 155,000 at GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler today. Plant closings, automation, the shift of production to Mexico, and the rise of foreign companies have taken their toll.

The UAW desperately needs to break through at a so-called transplant factory.

“It is important for the UAW to nab one of the plants to rebuild membership as well as clout,” said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Cox Automotive. “But I’m not optimistic it’s going to happen.”

The timing matters, too. The UAW faces tough negotiations with General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler on a new round of labor deals later this year.

Jobs will be a big issue. GM, for example, is closing four American plants. Looming in the background are competitive pressures from the nonunion transplant factories.

The ability of the UAW “to set wages for the industry is shrinking,” said Kristen Dziczek, vice president of industry, labor and economics for the Center for Automotive Research. “When the Detroit automakers lose share, the UAW loses share.”

The UAW says the average worker at the Volkswagen plant makes about $21 an hour, compared to $28 an hour at a unionized auto plant. Volkswagen said annual pay, including overtime and bonuses, at the Chattanooga plant came to an average of $54,700 last year.

“We are among the best paying employers in the region,” the company said in a statement.

Krebs said the gap between unionized and nonunion plants is shrinking. A decade ago, the union made concessions to help keep GM, Ford and Chrysler alive in the face of lower-cost competition from foreign automakers. And it has never fully recovered. Gaining a foothold in a transplant factory would give the UAW an edge.

“If all the plants were UAW represented, they’d have more power over the automakers,” she said. But that hasn’t been the case for the US auto industry since the early 1980s when the transplants first started opening.

The VW plant in Chattanooga would seem to be one of the UAW’s better opportunities to win a vote. A member of the German autoworkers union sits on VW’s board of directors. More than 100 VW plants worldwide employ union-represented workers — everywhere but in China and at the Chattanooga plant.

“Chattanooga workers deserve this vote,” said UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg.

During the last vote in Chattanooga five years ago, the union narrowly failed, getting support of 47% of the employees who voted. Some Republican politicians in Tennessee, a state known for its tough anti-union policies, felt that VW had been too solicitous of the workers. After that vote, the UAW commended the company for trying to “provide an atmosphere of freedom to make a decision.”

But this time around, the two sides have clashed far more. Each side has filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, which will oversee this upcoming vote.

Most of the foreign-owned auto plants are located in the South, which has a far lower level of union membership than in the industrial Midwest, where most of the unionized plants of the Detroit automakers are located. It also means the UAW faces an uphill battle, even if it wins the vote at VW.

“I don’t know if it necessarily translates to making it easy to win over workers with anyone else,” said Dziczek. “It would be an important win, but not sufficient.”

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Top Tips for Moving With a Pet

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Top Tips for Moving With a Pet

Your furball is part of the family, so if you’re like most, you don’t make major life decisions without thinking of your pet’s needs — including where you live and how you move into a new home.

When people decide on new homes and communities, pet priorities are often equal to or more important than human-focused amenities, according to the 2019 Mayflower Mover Insights Survey. American pet owners say one-third of their overall decision to move was related to their pets. What’s more, survey respondents cited a willingness to pay significantly more in living costs per month (32 percent) and even forgo perks like shorter commutes and updated kitchens in favor of pet-friendly features.

Pets may get the priority for perks when their humans relocate, but moving is still a stressful activity for animals. Half of pet owners reported their pets struggled to adjust to new homes. However, there’s good news: more than nine in 10 owners say their pets adjusted to new settings in less than a month. And, more than 90 percent agree that wherever they and their pets are together is instantly home.

Moving with a pet? Consider the following:

• Yard Matters: Dog owners consider yard size 85 percent of the time, and 82 percent of dog and cat owners consider a fenced-in backyard. If you’re looking to let your dog off-leash or allow your cat into the yard, prioritize homes with fencing and plenty of space for pets to exercise.

• Walking Trails: Don’t just consider the house when home-shopping. Look for neighborhoods offering proximity to parks, dog runs, walking trails and other amenities that make dog-walking safe and enjoyable.

• Scope Out Pet Services: Try not to leave a gap in veterinary care or pet services. If you’re moving far enough away to require a new veterinarian, identify who that will be in advance. If anything arises as you’re settling into your new home, you won’t want to deal with the added stress of researching where to take your sick pet. Likewise, get recommendations for services such as dog walkers, pet sitters or dog boarding so you and your pet can hit the ground running in your new community.

• Anticipate Bumps: A move can be difficult on pets — dog owners reported their dogs had trouble adapting to new neighborhoods, while cats had more trouble adjusting to new houses. Nine out of 10 dog and cat owners recommend being patient, spending more time with pets and showing them where everything is in the new home.

• Pack Pet Gear Wisely: Make moving day a breeze by keeping all your pet supplies — food, medications, etc. packed in an easy-to-access box that’s clearly labeled. Consider keeping several days’ supply with you and transporting these necessities in your car.

Planning a move? For tips and insights, visit mayflower.com.

With a bit of extra preparation, you can pave the way for a smooth move for everyone in your family, including your pet.

48TH Annual CMA Fest Review

Keosha Thomas
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48TH Annual CMA Fest Review

The Country Music Festival has been going strong since the 1970s and it has come a long way. Each year the event gets bigger and better. Everyday we took you on a journey behind the scenes from live concerts downtown, private fan parties, VIP access, and of course family time at the Xfinity Fan fair located in the Music City Convention Center was lots of fun with vendors, games, meet and greets with country artists and celebrities.

It was an action-packed weekend so we definitely had our walking shoes ready  for CMA Fest. Now take this journey  with us as we review Voice 615’s 1st CMA Festival experience. ( Note: This was not my first rodeo at the CMA Fest.)

We were able to catch up with Blanco Brown who has a hot hit titled, “Git Up” which even has a cute #Gitupchallenge routine with basic moves that are fun. Watch the interview here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/BygDLsPFQh_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link . (Be sure to check out our video for a tutorial.)

Looking back over the weekend, it was four rainy days and some sunshine of sold-out shows and capacity crowds, as well as man great surprise performances and collaborations making the 48th annual CMA fest one for the record books.

At Nissan Stadium, Lil Nas X created one of the festival’s most talked-about moments Saturday night, joined by Billy Ray Cyrus and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Keith Urban for an epic surprise performance of “Old Town Road,” the No. 1 song in the country for 10 weeks and running. As I scanned the audience, it was apparent your really couldn’t put this ATL rapper in a boxed category.  There had been a lot of controversy over whether Lil Nas X should be considered a country artist or not and the infamous Billboard chart scandal.  He definitely proved he is a crossover artist just as well as  Taylor Swift  who seems to have no issue being listed in multiple categories. At any rate this was the BEST performance of the whole weekend especially with the added bonus of Nashville’s own Keith Urban playing the guitar as only he can.  ( Check out our video here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Byg1xmjlySy/ )

Country Music Hall of Fame’s newest inductees, Brooks & Dunn joined Brothers Osborne Thursday night to perform “Hard Workin’ Man” as well as “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” including Ashley McBryde, while Tanya Tucker brought out surprise guest Brandi Carlile to perform multiple songs during her opening set. Kelsea Ballerini welcomed The Chainsmokers for an explosive performance of “This Feeling” on Thursday night, Carrie Underwood brought out rock ‘n’ roll legend Joan Jett for a five-song medley performance of Jett’s hits including “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” “Bad Reputation,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Fresh Start” and “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” on Friday night, Luke Combs joined Tim McGraw Saturday night to perform “Real Good Man,” and Maren Morris welcomed Carlile back to perform their striking song “Common” Sunday night. Florida Georgia Line was joined by HARDY during “Y’all Boys” and Morgan Wallen for “Up Down,” with an additional surprise including Midland performing “Mr. Lonely” Thursday night.  Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell performed “What Happens In A Small Town” Friday night ,and Dierks Bentley welcomed Tenille Townes to the stage Saturday night, celebrating women in Country with cover performances of Trisha Yearwood’s “She’s in Love with a Boy” and Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine.” Luke Bryan had the entire stadium on their feet dancing, closing out the festival on Sunday night.

“CMA Fest,” the three-hour primetime television special hosted by Thomas Rhett and Ballerini alongside special guest host Bobby Bones airs Sunday, August 4 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network.

“Despite some weather challenges, this year’s CMA Fest was truly one to remember,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a great event for fans to see their favorites and discover new artists. The feedback I received from artists is how much they enjoy the more intimate interactions with fans that CMA Fest offers. We managed to integrate the CMA Foundation and our music education efforts throughout the festival, which culminated with the Eagle Honor Choir belting out Carrie Underwood’s ‘The Champion’ to a packed house at Nissan Stadium Sunday night. It was certainly one of the highlights of the festival.”

Rain didn’t damper the spirit of festival goers, as fans came out in droves Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9. The festival took over downtown Nashville, with more than 300 acts performing on 11 official stages. The nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium were sold out, with more than 50,000 in attendance each night. Tens of thousands of fans attended the festival’s outdoor stages and activations as well as Xfinity Fan Fair X inside Music City Center. Chevy Riverfront Stage, Budweiser Forever Country Stage and the Nashville Acoustic Corner Stage all reached capacity during CMA Fest.

The Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater, which returned for a third year, sold out Friday and Saturday nights with a capacity of 6,800. BBR Music Group led the charge with co-headliners Randy Houser and Chase Rice getting the party going Thursday while Red Light Management offered a Friday lineup that drew capacity crowds topped by Brett Young. Former rodeo champion turned rising Country talent Cody Johnson co-headlined Saturday with Hunter Hayes, drawing another standing-room-only crowd partying to a lineup programmed by Warner Music Nashville. Johnson thanked military, law enforcement and firefighters, asking anyone who’s served or works in these areas to stand and be recognized.

Returning this year, The HGTV ‘A Very Brady’ Lodge featured performances by “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz and Creative Nation artists Kassi Ashton, Barry Dean, Luke Laird and Steve Moakler. In addition, cast members of “The Brady Bunch” – Barry Williams (Greg), Maureen McCormick (Marcia) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) – participated in a panel and meet & greet with fans.

Next year’s CMA Fest will take place Thursday, June 4 through Sunday, June 7, 2020. Four-day passes for CMA Fest in 2020 are on sale to the public Friday, Aug. 2 at CMAfest.com/tickets.

The longest-running Country Music festival in the world welcomed visitors from all 50 states and 37 international countries, marking the first time visitors from Israel, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Thailand attended the festival. Over 30 International artists performed at CMA Fest this year, representing Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand and for the first time, The Netherlands and South Africa.

Over the course of the four-day festival, Xfinity Fan Fair X inside Music City Center welcomed large crowds, hosting more than 300 artists across meet-and-greets and three indoor stages, including the CMA Close Up Stage, which featured Artist of the Day sessions with Trisha Yearwood alongside McBryde, Karyn Rochelle and Lucie Silvas on Thursday, Old Dominion on Friday, Chris Young on Saturday and Tracy Lawrence on Sunday. One of the most-attended attractions at Xfinity Fan Fair X was Randy Travis’ booth; the Country Music Hall of Fame member met with fans all four days, the first time he returned to host meet-and-greets in more than two decades. Ken Burns’ “Country Music” documentary was previewed throughout CMA Fest, including a panel on the CMA Close Up Stage on Sunday featuring the film’s writer/producer Dayton Duncan joined by Country artists Kathy Mattea, Ketch Secor (of Old Crow Medicine Show) and Marty Stuart for a conversation about the eight-part film series, set to air on PBS starting Sunday, September 15.

Fans at Xfinity Fan Fair X also enjoyed daily performances on the Radio Disney Country Stage where they showed off their dance moves with Stephanie Quayle during her performance of “Drinking with Dolly” and with Blanco Brown while he sang “Get Up.” Returning for a second year, the Spotlight Stage hosted impressive crowds and featured more than 50 emerging and unsigned artists performing and meeting with fans, with lines for meet-and-greets that wrapped around the corner. Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation was a “pup-ular” highlight inside Fan Fair X again with all 61 adoptable dogs finding their forever homes. Fans and their canine companions paraded from Nissan Stadium to the Chevy Breakout Stage at Walk of Fame Park Thursday morning with Lambert, Dan Smyers (of Dan + Shay) and adoptable dogs during MuttNation’s Mutt March.

CMA Fest is a one-of-a-kind festival with artists donating their time to perform so ticket proceeds can directly benefit high-quality music programs across the country through the CMA Foundation. For the first time this year, CMA Fest offered attendees the opportunity to donate directly to the CMA Foundation through several special events and activations, as well as a text-to-donate option. Thomas Rhett hosted an album release event for Center Point Road Saturday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena, which raised $100,000 that will be donated directly to the CMA Foundation. The CMA Foundation and U.S. Bank partnered to raise awareness for music education through the Play For M.E. activation. Four brightly painted, used pianos from Metro Nashville Public Schools lined the festival, allowing fans and even artists including Ell, Hayes and Townes to pop by for impromptu performances, all to raise money for the CMA Foundation’s music education initiatives. All four pianos have been replaced in their respective MNPS locations with new ones for students to enjoy. Celebrity fitness trainer Erin Oprea led the first-ever Fitness at Fest, a sold-out high-intensity workout with all proceeds benefiting the CMA Foundation. Country artist Carly Pearce and radio personality Amy Brown brought the burn and encouraged fans throughout the workout. This year’s top selling merchandise product was the Official Lineup Tee, which features the Nissan Stadium lineup on the back and the proceeds of which benefit the CMA Foundation.

Attendees were more engaged than ever before with users of The Official CMA Fest App up 15% year-over-year, spending an average of 15 minutes per session during the four days of the festival and scheduling nearly 700,000 events. Users were also engaged with three new app features: ‘Order Ahead,’ which allowed users to purchase select merchandise and beverages to skip the line and get back to the music faster, ‘Fest Chat,’ featuring a community for attendees to communicate directly with each other to share their favorite moments, and ‘Donate to Music Education,’ which provided an easy way to support the CMA Foundation’s efforts to shape the next generation through high-quality music education. Additionally, attendees were encouraged to download the app and turn on notifications to receive the most up-to-date information on weather conditions, including safe shelter locations, adjusted gates or doors opening times and updated stage schedules.

Corporate brand and marketing partnerships totaled more than 50 activations throughout the festival footprint this year, with 37 brands represented on-site as official CMA Fest partners, 12 of which were new to CMA Fest in 2019.

“CMA Fest attendees enjoyed haircuts, food and beverage sampling, fun photo ops, giveaways, games and more – all free thanks to this year’s brand and marketing partners,” says Damon Whiteside, CMA Chief Marketing Officer. “This festival offers an opportunity like no other for brands to engage directly with the truest of Country Music fans.”

CMA collaborated with photographer Katie Kauss for a CMA Fest portrait booth that had artists getting into the playfull summer spirit with a ball pit. View the photos HERE. In addition, photographer John Shearer shot candid moments behind-the-scenes of the artists before taking the Nissan Stadium stage, all photos are viewable HERE.

Unique artwork was spotted throughout CMA Fest. Popular muralist Kelsey Montague (best known for the Taylor Swift ME! mural in Nashville) painted an original interactive mural for the CMA Foundation that was on display at the CMA Fan Experience at Xfinity Fan Fair X inside Music City Center. Nashville-based Friendly Arctic designed a custom, limited edition CMA Fest poster that was sold at the festival and is still available on their website.

Musically Fed, an organization that fights to end hunger by working with the music industry to distribute excess food from touring shows and events, donated food from Nissan Stadium, Chevy Riverfront Stage and Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater catering, feeding more than 800 people.

I’m a black man with a teenage son. I can’t bring myself to watch ‘When They See Us’

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I’m a black man with a teenage son. I can’t bring myself to watch ‘When They See Us’

By Doug Criss, CNN

(CNN) — I tried to watch “When They See Us.” I couldn’t even get past the trailer.

As scenes from director Ava DuVernay’s new Netflix miniseries about the Central Park Five flashed across my screen, I felt sick. Maybe it was the all-too familiar images of young black men in police custody and on trial. Maybe it was the parade of weeping mothers and anguished fathers.

Or maybe it was my own memories of negative encounters with the police.

I remember what’s it’s like to be a young black man on the other end of a police officer’s suspicious stare. And I’ve got a teenage son now. Sadly I know he’ll endure the same treatment.

Watching the trailer brought all this to the surface.

Why do some TV shows and movies generate such emotions in us? David Ewoldsen, a professor of media and information at Michigan State University, told me it’s because consuming a story through a visual medium is a very particular mode of engagement.

“One of our motivations for engaging in stories is to get away from ordinary life,” Ewoldsen said. But the sobering world of “When They See Us” — decades old but still very real to many African Americans in 2019 — doesn’t afford us that respite.

“It’s not an escape from our everyday stresses,” Ewoldsen said. “We have a tendency, when watching TV or film, to put ourselves in it.”

It could have been me … or my son

“When They See Us” is about one of the great injustices in modern American history. It’s the true story of Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam and Raymond Santana, five teenagers of color who were convicted of raping, beating and leaving a white female jogger for dead in New York City’s Central Park in 1989.

Police coerced false confessions from the teens, who were convicted despite no direct evidence tying them to the crime. They spent years in prison before a serial rapist confessed to raping the jogger. DNA evidence exonerated them and their convictions were vacated in 2002. The case has became a flashpoint in the fight against systematic racism in the justice system.

What gets to me — no, what outrages me — is how much things haven’t changed much since. With stunning regularity we learn of black men who are exonerated too late of crimes they didn’t commit. We’ve seen encounters between black men and police turn unnecessarily deadly. Think of Tamir Rice. Philando Castile. Or Terence Crutcher. If they had been white, they’d probably still be with us today.

I’m grateful that none of my encounters with police ended up with me dead or wrongfully jailed, but there have been some scary ones.

I particularly remember one that happened around the time the Central Park Five case was dominating the nation’s headlines. When I was a student at Arkansas State University, I was running late for my job at the school cafeteria one Saturday morning. As I half-walked, half-ran across campus, a police car pulled up and an officer blitzed out, hand on his gun. He demanded my ID because I “matched the description” of someone who had just committed a crime nearby. I handed him my driver’s license and he looked it over while eyeing my face.

“No, it’s not him,” he told someone on his radio, sounding almost disappointed. He shoved the license back into my hand and hopped back into his car without so much as a “sorry to bother you, sir.”

I wasn’t much older than the five kids arrested in that Central Park crime. Today I’m the father of two sons — including a 16-year-old, the same age as the oldest teen wrongfully charged in that case.

I often think back to that day. What if I didn’t have my license? Would he have taken me into custody? What would have happened to me then?

My story could have fit with countless recent tragic accounts of African Americans suffering violence at the hands of police.

I realize now that my reaction to “When They See Us” is tied up in those two viewpoints: I could have been one of the Central Park Five, and so could my son.

We crave escape, not real-world stress, in our entertainment

It’s not just me. Many other people of color are talking about how they can’t bring themselves to watch “When They See Us” or stopped watching partway through.

Some have even compared the reaction to “When They See Us” to the response many African Americans had to the TV miniseries “Roots,” which brought the horrors of slavery to millions of living rooms in 1977.

Ewoldsen, the film professor, told me human beings are hardwired to be moved by what we see on screen.

“We are a visual species,” he said. “We show incredibly fast reactions to visual images.”

And he is right when he says we can’t help but share the emotions of TV or movie characters who look like us.

As I watched the “When They See Us” trailer I imagined that I (or my son) was one of those teen boys, desperately trying to reason with cops hell-bent on throwing me in jail. And then I imagined I was one of their parents, trying my best to protect my son yet feeling increasingly helpless against the relentless power of the criminal justice system.

I’m not a big fan of the word “triggering,” but I think that’s what DuVernay’s miniseries is doing for a lot of black and brown people. Triggering memories of their own frightening encounters with police. Triggering memories of their sons and husbands who never made it home after being pulled over.

Turns out I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Other people of color also are struggling to watch it

The media is full of images of black trauma. Viral stories of people harassed for essentially living while black. YouTube videos of people of color getting arrested by police. Movies about slavery and Jim Crow. News clips of black bodies lying under sheets on urban streets.

I talked to a young woman named Rhema White, who lives in Stonecrest, Georgia, and feels overwhelmed by it all.

She wanted to watch “When They See Us” on Saturday after coming home from the movies, but stopped herself.

“I saw all the tweets about it. But I realized I don’t want to subject myself to that right now,” said White, 24.

“I just feel like we’re always seeing these things on the news. It can just be too much,” she said. “Some people seem like they’re just addicted to feeling bad. I want to protect myself from that. I don’t want that in my spirit.”

White believes people need to understand what happened to the Central Park Five. So she will try again to watch the miniseries this weekend — alone — and then discuss it with friends who’ve already seen it.

So will another professor I spoke to, Anna Everett, who teaches film and media studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Everett said she was planning on watching “When They See Us” this weekend and both anticipating and dreading it.

“We tend to have what we call primary identification with actors on screen … (which) means we recognize how certain media messages move and touch our emotions,” she said in an email.

“They either trigger pleasure or pain, sometimes both simultaneously (say the horror genre, example). We therefore anticipate being swept up in the powerful retelling of this history that we either chose to ‘witness’ via watching this portrayal, or avoid by missing it.”

One woman could only watch 10 minutes before she stopped

That’s the same mix of emotions Natasha Carter told me she felt when she tried to watch “When They See Us” over the weekend.

“But every time I seriously contemplated turning it on, I feared it was going to upset me or make me angry. So I didn’t watch it,” said Carter, who lives in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

She tried to watch it again earlier this week but had to bail after about 10 minutes.

“It’s kind of weird that I’m nervous to watch it. It’s the work week — I don’t have time for emotions,” she said. The show made her think “about the men that I love in my life and how quickly their life can change for no reason. That bothers me.”

Carter praised DuVernay for tackling the subject, and she hopes all races — not just black people — watch “When They See Us.”

She also said she’ll try to watch the series again later this week. But only in the daytime.

“It’s easier in the daylight,” she said. “When it’s dark, it’s scary.”

I will try again, too. Maybe this weekend. Maybe it’s something my son and I should watch, and discuss, together.

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New Rules for Tennessee’s Hemp Program

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New Rules for Tennessee’s Hemp Program

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) is announcing rule changes for the state’s hemp program to better serve hemp producers.

“Farmers have been growing and researching this crop in Tennessee since the program began in 2015 as a pilot program,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “The hemp industry and federal laws have changed in recent years, and we’re updating our program rules to be more consistent with how other crop programs are managed.”

The application period for a license to grow hemp is now open year-round. Grower applications can be found here. Licenses will expire June 30 of each year, and all grower licenses issued in 2019 will expire June, 2020.

Other program changes include:

  • Hemp processors will no longer be required to register through TDA.
  • The hemp program will no longer issue licenses for certified seed breeders. However, anyone manufacturing, distributing, or labeling seed should be licensed through TDA’s Ag Inputs section.
  • Growers will still need movement permits when transporting rooted plants and are now required to be permitted when moving harvested hemp from their growing site.

TDA has licensed more than 2,900 hemp growers in 2019. In 2018, TDA approved 226 hemp producer applications.

Federal and state laws require Tennessee hemp growers be licensed through TDA’s hemp program. While the 2018 Farm Bill removes hemp from the list of federally controlled substances, it remains illegal to grow hemp without a license through an approved state program.

The Tennessee General Assembly enacted Public Chapter 916 in 2014, tasking the department with development of a licensing and inspection program for the production of hemp in Tennessee. You will find more information about Tennessee’s hemp program here.

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