(CHICAGO) — Chicago’s top prosecutor announced Wednesday that her office completed its Cannabis Expungement Project with over 15,000 cannabis convictions removed from the record.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said that her office has complied with Illinois’ new cannabis rules that took effect two years ago after the substance was legalized.
Foxx said in a statement that the expunges have brought relief to thousands of people.
“Felony charges can affect every aspect of a person’s life, from jobs to housing, long after the debt to society has been paid,” she said in a statement.
Foxx filed her first 100 motions to vacate cannabis related offenses in December 2019 and has presented more motions since.
On Friday, she will present 214 additional cannabis expungement requests, bringing the total to 15,191, according to her office.
There are 588 remaining cannabis cases in the system that date back as far as 1965, however, the state attorney’s office said it will require additional time for research and data to expunge those records.
(NEW YORK) — Growing concerns over cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the United States are prompting record investments from firms to protect critical industries.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said last month that intelligence officials were “concerned” about the possibility of Russian cyberattacks against critical U.S. infrastructure in the wake of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
“The reason we’re concerned about it is not just based on our longstanding understanding of how the Russians operate, but it’s actually the product of specific investigative work and surveillance work that we’ve been doing all together,” Wray told an audience at the Detroit Economic Club in March.
Wray’s comments came a few weeks before Tuesday’s announcement that Goldman Sachs planned to expand its reach in supply chain cybersecurity, investing $125 million in a strategic partnership with a company that serves energy, government and aerospace and defense accounts.
Nikhil Gupta, a professor with New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, who is affiliated with the NYU Center for Cyber Security, told ABC News the investment was part of a growing trend.
Over the past year, several private investment firms have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in cybersecurity. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s Liberty Strategic Capital spent $525 million to acquire mobile security vendor Zimperium last month; Turn/River Capital acquired security policy management firm Tufin for $570 million earlier this month; and software security giant McAfee sold its Enterprise business to Symphony Technology Group for $4 billion dollars in March 2021.
Gupta noted that “more than 70% of manufacturing is conducted by actually small and medium-sized companies, and these companies don’t have resources to invest in upgrading their computers or, or implementing cybersecurity solutions.”
He added, “A lot of times they are manufacturing companies and they just don’t have expertise to even understand the value of electronic files which are transmitted to them.”
Goldman Sachs billed its $125 million investment as part of a new strategic venture with Fortress Information Security, a company responsible for securing 40% of the U.S. power grid, as well as assets in critical manufacturing and the nation’s defense industries.
Fortress is seen by industry insiders as one of the nation’s leading cybersecurity providers for critical infrastructure organizations with digitized assets. The company says its platform is focused on allowing customers to manage their outside vendors, assets and software as a part of their supply chains. The firm also maintains a central repository of security information shared by utility companies across the country.
“The depth and breadth of the Fortress platform are unmatched and we believe there is a meaningful opportunity to accelerate,” Will Chen, a managing director for asset management at Goldman Sachs, said in a statement about the new venture.
Chen noted Goldman Sachs’ investment will allow Fortress to expand its platform into “product adjacencies, including software and hardware bill of materials, workflow orchestration, and additional analytics and reporting capabilities.”
Gupta, the NYU professor, said the hefty investment was a start and “this investment should not be just one time.”
“No amount of investment is enough, and you can look at the attacks that’s happening and the targets that you have to save like nuclear power plants, and the supply chain for other kinds of manufacturing goods, which goes into billions of dollars,” he said.
Fortress Chief Operating Officer Betsy Soehren Jones told ABC News that the company’s “biggest risk right now is with small and midsize companies in the United States because they don’t think about cyber the same way that they think about a CPA or hiring a law firm or HR or anything else.”
“This can’t not be part of what they spend money on, but they don’t and so they become the biggest targets because of the information that they have,” she added.
Retired Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, a senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told ABC News “the big issue is that we are vulnerable.”
“We know we’re going to be compromised. The question is, can we mitigate the impact of it and recover from it rapidly? That’s where investments are needed. That’s why investments like this one contribute to improve cybersecurity,” Montgomery said.
In recent years, the number of cyberattacks — specifically ransomware attacks — against the government and private companies have increased, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last year at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event.
One of the biggest vulnerabilities is linked to a commonly used piece of software called Log4j, a utility that runs in the background of many commonly used software applications, according to Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Log4j is widely used across the internet — from cell phones to e-commerce to internet-connected devices in homes and offices.
“This vulnerability, which is being widely exploited by a growing set of threat actors, presents an urgent challenge to network defenders given its broad use,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement in December.
Soehren Jones says the Goldman Sachs investment will allow them to address these types of vulnerabilities faster.
“The speed at which you answer these things is so critical. That’s what this is going to do…it’s going to be able to put us on warp speed when it comes to a response,” Soehren Jones said.
With the investment, Fortress said it plans to double in size in a year, growing to 400 employees.
(ORLANDO) — The Florida Department of Health has released new guidance reaffirming its stance against gender-affirming care for transgender youth, following similar efforts by several other Republican-led states across the country.
The agency slammed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which recently stated its commitment to “supporting and protecting” transgender youth, their families and caretakers.
“The federal government’s medical establishment releasing guidance failing at the most basic level of academic rigor shows that this was never about health care,” said Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo.
He claimed the HHS’ move to protect gender-affirming care was about “injecting political ideology into the health of our children.”
Sarah Lovenheim, the assistant secretary of public affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, slammed the decision.
“HHS stands with transgender and gender non-conforming youth and their families — and the significant majority of expert medical association — in unequivocally stating that gender-affirming care for minors, when medically appropriate and necessary, improves their physical and mental health,” she said in a statement.
In March, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced actions the department was taking to protect the decisions of families with LGBTQ youth following a move from Texas leaders that declared gender-affirming care “child abuse.”
“At HHS, we listen to medical experts and doctors, and they agree with us, that access to affirming care for transgender youth is essential and can be life-saving,” Becerra said in a statement.
HHS issued guidance that gender-affirming care for minors, when medically appropriate and necessary, improves their physical and mental health.
“Attempts to restrict, challenge, or falsely characterize this potentially lifesaving care as abuse is dangerous,” the HHS stated in its guidance.
It continued, “Such attempts block parents from making critical health care decisions for their children, create a chilling effect on health care providers who are necessary to provide care for these youth, and ultimately negatively impact the health and well-being of transgender and gender-nonconforming.”
The Florida DOH says social gender transition should not be an option for children or adolescents and people under 18 should not be prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy.
It also says gender reassignment surgery should not be a treatment option for children or adolescents.
Instead, the department recommends social support and counseling for transgender students.
HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
The state agency argued that the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatments can cause a lapse in brain development or cause cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, infertility, increased cancer risk and thrombosis.
This argument has been debunked by several physicians who spoke to ABC News, who say these potential side effects only present real risks after puberty has already occurred and are not a risk to youth taking puberty blockers.
They also assert that adolescents are not being given physical gender reassignment surgeries.
LGBTQ advocates quickly denounced Florida’s move.
“Decades of evidence demonstrates that affirming transgender and nonbinary youth in their identities contributes to positive mental health outcomes and can reduce the risk for suicide,” said Sam Ames, the director of advocacy and government affairs at LGBTQ suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project.
“This is appalling. Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Health should be doing everything they can to support all kids, rather than playing politics with their lives,” LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD said in a statement. “All major medical associations support gender-affirming care for trans youth. Denying kids live-saving, medically necessary, gender-affirming care is downright dangerous.”
Fans of Britney Spears will be forever grateful to Mathew Rosengart for helping Britney extricate herself from her conservatorship last year. But other celebrities also appreciate Rosengart’s work on their behalf, and on Wednesday, one of them gave him an award at a ceremony in Beverly Hills.
Rosengart’s longtime client Sean Penn presented Rosengart with Variety‘s Power of Law Award, and in his speech, Penn specifically highlighted the attorney’s work for Britney, which resulted in her being freed from her the restrictions placed on her for 13 years.
“By extracting a young woman named Britney Spears from a disturbingly antiquated conservatorship, he did much more than inspire the memes of fans in finding justice for this high-profile client,” Penn said, adding, “For those of us who have Matt on our side, we all feel we were the only fight on his card. He’s extraordinary.”
In his acceptance speech, Rosengart said it was when a friend praised him for his work with Britney — telling him, “You have changed somebody’s life at a time when law is under siege” — that he realized being a lawyer “really is a high calling,” adding, “It’s an honor to do the job.”
Penn’s ex-wife Madonna also happens to be a big Britney supporter, even suggesting earlier this year that she’d like to do a joint stadium tour with the younger star.
Def Leppard has debuted a second advance track from their forthcoming 12th studio effort, Diamond Star Halos, a melodic rock gem called “Take What You Want” that kicks off the album.
“Take What You Want” combines all the elements of the classic songs from Def Leppard’s heyday, including a jangly guitar intro, catchy riffs, soaring vocals, and blazing guitar solos.
The track is available now via digital formats. “Take What You Want” was preceded by the album’s first single, the rocking “Kick.” The band also released a music video for “Kick.”
As previously reported, Diamond Star Halos, which is due out May 27, is a 15-track collection that’s the band’s first album of new original tunes since 2015’s self-titled effort. It can be pre-ordered now as a deluxe package, a two-LP set and digitally, among other configurations.
Diamond Star Halos includes two duets with acclaimed country/bluegrass artist and longtime Def Leppard fan Alison Krauss — “This Guitar” and “Lifeless.” In addition, famed David Bowie pianist Mike Garson plays on two songs — “Goodbye for Good This Time” and “Angels (Can’t Help You Now).”
Diamond Star Halos will arrive in advance of Def Leppard’s 36-city Stadium Tour of North America with Mötley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. The trek gets underway June 16 in Atlanta, and is mapped out through a September 9 concert in Las Vegas.
On Wednesday in London, Tom Parker‘s band mates in The Wanted gathered to remember the singer, who tragically died of brain cancer on March 30 at age 30.
As the BBC reports, The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran and Nathan Sykes carried Tom’s coffin into the church as “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis was played. One Direction‘s Liam Payne also attended the service.
During the service, Max George joked, “As we were carrying Tom in, I could actually hear him saying, ‘It’s about time,’ because he’s carried us for the last 15 years…he has left us far too early and we will miss him so much…rest easy, mate.”
Siva Kaneswaran noted, “There’s one thing we can all agree on — Tom Parker was an absolute hero.”
According to Sky News, Tom’s widow, Kelsey, said in her eulogy that Tom was her “soulmate” and that marrying him was “the best day of my life.” She also said, “I will treasure every memory because life with you was never dull.”
The couple shared two children: daughter Aurelia Rose, two-and-a-half, and son Bodhi Thomas, 18 months.
Flowers spelling out the title of The Wanted’s hit “Glad You Came” were seen outside the church.
Ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and longtime Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse are among many artists taking part in an upcoming tribute album to Rush.
The two-disc compilation, aptly titled An All-Star Tribute to Rush, will be released June 24. It consists of 27 covers of Rush classics, including “Closer to the Heart,” “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” “Fly by Night,” “The Spirit of Radio,” “Subdivisions” and “YYZ.”
Other artists participating include Kip Winger, Great White‘s Jack Russell, Mr. Big‘s Eric Martin, former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee, Dokken‘s George Lynch, Zebra‘s Randy Jackson, Slaughter‘s Mark Slaughter, Testament‘s Alex Skolnick, and Dream Theater members James LaBrie and John Petrucci. Additionally, the album features late Warrant vocalist Jani Lane on two tracks.
If that’s not enough Rush tributes for you, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante is releasing his own Rush covers EP, which will be available this Saturday as part of Record Store Day.
Here’s the full track list of An All-Star Tribute to Rush:
Disc 1
“Working Man” — Sebastian Bach & Jake E. Lee
“By-Tor and the Snow Dog” — James LaBrie & John Petrucci
“Analog Kid” — Sebastian Bach & John Petrucci
“The Trees” — Mike Baker & Brendt Allman
“La Villa Strangiato” — Steve Morse
“Mission” — Eric Martin
“Anthem” — Mark Slaughter & George Lynch
“Jacob’s Ladder” — Sebastian Bach & John Petrucci
“Closer to the Heart” — Fates Warning
“Natural Science” — Devin Townsend
“YYZ” — James Murphy
“Red Barchetta” — James LaBrie
“Freewill” — Gregoor van der Loo
“Tom Sawyer” — Alex Skolnick Trio
Disc 2
“Distant Early Warning” — Randy Jackson
“Lakeside Park” — Sebastian Bach
“Limelight” — Kip Winger
“Subdivisions” — Randy Jackson
“Different Strings” — Robert Berry
“Tom Sawyer” — Sebastian Bach
“Bastille Day” — Jani Lane & Alex Skolnick
“A Farewell to Kings” — Randy Jackson
“Spirit of the Radio” — Kip Winger
“2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx” — Jani Lane & Vinnie Moore
“New World Man” — Robert Berry
“Fly by Night” — Sal Marrano
“Force Ten” — Robert Berry
Great American Country is welcoming a familiar face.
Candace Cameron Bure has signed a deal with GAC Media, which encompasses the Great American Country channels, to develop, produce and star in a series of films across GAC Family and GAC Living. She’ll also be taking on an executive role at the company to curate programming and help lead the the annual Great American Christmas series.
“I’m very excited to develop heartwarming family and faith-filled programming and make the kind of stories my family and I love to watch. I am constantly looking for ways that I can inspire people to live life with purpose,” the Fuller House actress shares in a statement, adding that her goal is to create “compelling wholesome content” to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Prior to joining GAC, Candace had starred in multiple movies on Hallmark. She also appeared opposite Randy Travis in his 2007 film, The Wager.
Police drummer Stewart Copeland and Sean Lennon are among the musicians who have contributed to a song co-written by Primus frontman Les Claypool and Ukrainian musician Eugene Hütz of the band Gogol Bordello that’s been released in support of Ukraine as it continues to fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Along with Claypool, Hütz, Copeland and Lennon, the track also features Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Billy Strings and Gogol Bordello violinist Sergey Ryabtsev. Stewart plays percussion on the song, while Sean contributes guitar and vocals.
“The night of the invasion, I was dining with close friends of mine from Poland who were hosting their family visiting the US from their town, which is 50 kilometers from the Ukraine border,” Claypool says. “Needless to say, they were stressed and concerned about what was happening in their homeland. After a few vodka shots of solidarity, I started texting with my buddy Eugene from Gogol Bordello to get his perspective and insight.”
He continues, “In that vodka-laced dialogue, we started mutually praising Zelensky for his surprisingly epic display of courage. ‘Zelensky has balls of steel!’ we agreed. It was then that we decided that some freaky, ‘East meets West’ art needed to be thrown that way.”
“Zelensky: The Man with the Iron Balls” is available now via digital outlets. Proceeds will be donated to the humanitarian aid organization Nova Ukraine.
Incidentally, Copeland plays with Claypool in the jam supergroup Oysterhead, which also features Phish singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio. The band is scheduled to headline final day of the three-day Sweetwater 420 Fest in Atlanta on May 1.
It’s been a year since Eric Church dropped Heart & Soul, the massive, chart-topping triple album that produced hit singles like “Hell of a View.”
To celebrate, Eric just shared a new acoustic version of another single off the project, “Heart on Fire.” The original version of the song was the first track on the first disc of the three-disc album. It was also the first song Eric wrote for Heart & Soul.
Originally released as a high-octane rock song with a music video that tips its hat to big moments from Eric’s career to date, the new version of “Heart on Fire” is much simpler. Sitting alone on a stool in front of a microphone, Eric sings a stripped-down version of the song, accompanying himself only on acoustic guitar.
The acoustic version of the song premiered on Wednesday — exactly one year after the middle disc, &, dropped on April 20, 2021.
The one-year anniversary of Heart happened on April 16, and the one-year-anniversary of Soul will follow on April 23.
Eric is currently on tour, and he’s also planning a couple of stand-alone stadium dates this summer: One in Milwaukee over Memorial Day weekend, and another in June, featuring Morgan Wallen and Ernest as opening acts.
