Update: 1:53 PM EST
A 16 year old boy had been leading police on a wild two county chase for the past hour in South Florida.
The chase finally came to an end at around 1:50 PM EST after the suspect was arrested in Miami Gardens.
The chase began in Southern Miami-Dade County after the boy allegedly stole a Chevy Suburban.
More to come.
Video from WSVN Channel 7 in Miami.
WSVN-TV – 7NEWS Miami Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Deco
Cover Photo Credit: Traffic Camera/ WSVN (Screenshot)
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Millennial Intelligencer: Robert Mugabe Wins Confucius Peace Prize, But What Does That Mean?
You’d be hard pressed to find many more people on planet Earth less deserving of a “peace” prize that Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe. And yet Mugabe was just named as the winner of the 2015 Confucius Peace Prize.
For those unaware, the People’s Republic of China launched the answer to the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, in response to the Nobel presentation of a Chinese dissident.
Despite the prize being awarded by a private institution, the validity of its intentions has come under question. It is been suggested as targeting those that benefit China’s geopolitical position rather than peacemakers, for example both Fidel Castro and Vladimir Putin.
The same is true in this case, though when questioned about Mugabe’s poor track record regarding political dissent and economic guidance, the chairman of the committee that awarded Mr. Mugabe with the Prize, Qiao Damo, told The Guardian that “Every country’s economy has its highs and lows. Though its economy is lagging behind, [Zimbabwe is] a very stable country [and] stability is precious in the African continent.”
While the Western reaction is well-known, one would likely also have interest in what Zimbabwean opinion is on the matter.
The largest news outlet in the country, The Herald, is a state-owned enterprise according to the Zimbabwean Stock Exchange, and is commonly regarded as the government’s mouthpiece. But it has been remarkably silent on the matter.
While The Herald lacked any specific coverage of the honor bestowed on Mugabe, it did offer a piece somewhat touching on the subject which suggested that Mugabe is trying to downplay the importance of the award.
This may have something to do with his desire to not stir negative public opinion as another Zimbabwean outlet featured a scathing piece lambasting the award.
While this is purely conjecture, it seems that there is a swath of Zimbabwean society that isn’t fooled by international gamesmanship. And the state has seemed to take notice.
Cover Photo Credit: Al Jazeera English/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Could Abi Ann Be The Next Breakout Country Music Star?
Across America, a new song about female empowerment is starting to gain traction in the most peculiar of places- on Radio Disney.
“Slide over, I’m driving, I ain’t just another cliché riding,” Abi Ann’s song “Truck Candy” commands.
A catchy tune poking fun at some of the more ridiculous tropes in country music, “Truck Candy” is enjoying a run on the kids centric radio network and on iTunes Radio where it is featured.
Rise News recently spoke to the 18-year-old rising star via phone from her apartment in Nashville, TN about her upbringing, her music and what she hopes to accomplish in the changing country landscape.
“I think that history repeats itself,” Ann said when asked about changes in the genre. “I see country music becoming more open to seeing more unique changes. A good twenty years ago that may not have happened.”
Abi Ann was born in Texas but raised in Los Angeles.
“I was an extremely ADD kid, my parents threw me into a whole lot of different activities. Music was the only thing that really stuck,” Ann said. “I grew up with very strong country roots.”
She attended Campbell Hall School where she said that she was encouraged to try to strike it big.
“I grew up in LA and my friends called me Hannah Montana growing up,” Ann said. “I went to a very understanding school and they were very helpful with everything.”
One of her first big breaks came when she was able to join Kelly Clarkson on tour, performing before the superstar in 36 cities in the US and Canada. She said that she learned a great deal from the experience.
“It was my first major tour. Kelly really runs a very loose camp and there is like no tension on the tour. It was just really eye-opening and I learned about my craft,” Ann said of Clarkson. “She really plays with her sound. I have so much more respect for her because of how versatile she is.”
Abi Ann, an 18 year old rising star in the country music world.
After graduating from high school, Ann enrolled in Belmont University in Nashville where she is studying entrepreneurship, not exactly a major for those who wish to skirt through school.
She has a strong business sense, learning from her small business owning father the importance of being self-reliant.
“I’ve always been very much a believer in a separation of church and state in my life. I really like school and music,” Ann said. “I’m going to school for business because I want to be self-sufficient. I’ve just always had a knack for business. And I’ve always loved academics as much as music.”
The Clarkson tour wrapped up on September 20, which cut into the start of the fall semester. As a result, Ann is taking classes online but she hopes to take on campus classes in the future.
In terms of her sound, Ann said that she is very willing to mix different influences into her music from current pop and country music to some older legends that helped define the genre.
“My main influences were Johnny Cash and Shania Twain. That’s a weird combination for sure,” Ann said. “Shania, I look up to as a very strong woman figure.”
And that brings us back to her hit “Truck Candy”, a song that could easily be seen as a modern-day feminist ballad.
“It’s not that intense,” Ann said. But I’m very supportive of female empowerment.”
Saying that she views music as a form of therapy, Ann indicated that the song was more a direct response to the default masculinity that exists in much of country today.
“I wrote it with Walker Hayes. This was before Maddie and Tae and we were concerned about the gender imbalance in country music,” Ann said. “I definitely think it is an acquired taste. Country is not something that everybody loves.”
Ann made it clear that she deeply loves country music and sees it as one of the most vibrant music scenes going today.
Having only turned 18 a few months ago, Ann is still very young.
“I’ve had instances where I couldn’t go and do the typical teenage thing but I keep a pretty tight circle,” Ann said of some of the challenging aspects of fame. “But I have the best friends. My roommate is with me now and she’s smiling [listening to the interview].”
Like this piece? Rise News just launched a few weeks ago and is only getting started. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with global news. Have a news tip? (No matter how big or small!) Send it to us- [email protected]
Photo Credits: Submitted
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Report Says That 40% Of Girls In Juvenile Detention Are LGBTQ. But Why?
There are few topics more depressing than that of crimes committed by young people. But a shocking study regarding the make up of the children in the American juvenile delinquency system has come back in the public consciousness.
A report for the National Council on Crime and Delinquency says that 40% of girls in the juvenile delinquency system fall under the LGBTQ umbrella. Shocking.
The report was authored by Dr. Aisha Canfield and Dr. Angela Irving.
“New NCCD research findings from a sample of 1,400 girls in juvenile jurisdictions around the country show that 40% of girls in the juvenile justice system are lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or gender-nonconforming (LBTQ/GNC), and 86% of girls in the system are of color.[i]” Irving explained in a blog post.
She further went on to elaborate that these girls would end up there due to committing what she called “survival crimes” such as prostitution.
OZY commented that falling under the LGBTQ umbrella set these girls up for further discrimination and harsh treatment, which leads to them being placed in juvenile hall.
“‘LGBT of both sexes are also three times more likely to receive disproportionately harsh consequences at school, while also being the target of harassment. Perhaps surprisingly, LGBT girls are more likely to get in trouble for fighting; for boys, it’s disruptive behaviors in the classroom.”
This information means that people who work in juvenile halls should probably have to adapt their training and practices to learn how to address issues that girls who fall under the LGBTQ umbrella could face.
“I think statistics like that really identify the importance for us to think intersectionally…A lot of times when we think about the criminal justice systems it’s often directed at young black men… this is not only about young black men, it’s about young black trans women, it’s about young cis women, it’s about the LGBTQ population also,” Jonathan Lykes, policy analyst of the Center for the Study of Social Policy told the Huffington Post. “So really understanding how all of these different populations are impacted by these oppressive systems.”
Like this piece? Rise News just launched a few weeks ago and is only getting started. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with global news. Have a news tip? (No matter how big or small!) Send it to us- [email protected]
Cover Photo Credit: Michael Coghlan/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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