Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Chris Cornell & more among rock nominees for 2022 Grammys

Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Chris Cornell & more among rock nominees for 2022 Grammys
Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Chris Cornell & more among rock nominees for 2022 Grammys
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The nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday. Here’s who’s being recognized in the rock categories.

In the Best Rock Album field, you’ll find Foo FightersMedicine at Midnight, AC/DC‘s Power Up, Chris Cornell‘s posthumous No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1, Paul McCartney‘s McCartney III, and Black PumasCapitol Cuts — Live from Studio A.

The Best Rock Song nominees are Foo Fighters’ “Waiting on a War,” McCartney’s “Find My Way,” Mammoth WVH‘s “Distance,” Kings of Leon‘s “The Bandit,” and Weezer‘s “All My Favorite Songs.”

For Best Rock Performance, the nominees include Foo Fighters’ “Making a Fire,” AC/DC’s “Shot in the Dark,” Cornell’s cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Black Pumas’ “Know You Better (Live from Capitol Studio A),” and Deftones‘ “Ohms.”

Deftones is also up for Best Metal Performance with “Genesis,” along with Dream Theater‘s “The Alien,” Gojira‘s “Amazonia,” Mastodon‘s “Pushing the Tides,” and Rob Zombie‘s “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition).”

Finally, the Best Alternative Album nominees include St. Vincent‘s Daddy’s Home, Halsey‘s If I Can Have Love, I Want Power, Fleet FoxesShore, Japanese Breakfast‘s Jubilee, and Arlo Parks‘s Collapsed in Sunbeams.

The 2022 Grammys will take place Monday, January 31.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton & Carrie Underwood score nominations at 2022 Grammy Awards

Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton & Carrie Underwood score nominations at 2022 Grammy Awards
Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton & Carrie Underwood score nominations at 2022 Grammy Awards
CBS 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chris Stapleton and Mickey Guyton are the most nominated country acts at the 2022 Grammy Awards. 

On Tuesday, H.E.R. announced the nominees in the country music categories of Best Country Album, Best Country Song, Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Both Chris and Mickey scored three nods a piece, Mickey nominated for her debut album, Remember Her Name, while Chris’ Starting Over, which was named Album of the Year at the 2021 CMA Awards, also appears in multiple categories. 

Kacey Musgraves and Brothers Osborne picked up a pair of nominations each. “Camera Roll” lands Kacey in the categories of Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance, while Brothers Osborne are up for Best Country Album for Skeletons and Duo/Group Performance for the personal “Younger Me.” 

Carrie Underwood also scored two nods for her hit duet with Jason Aldean, “If I Didn’t Love You,” and Best Roots Gospel Album for My Savior, her debut gospel album released in 2021.

Among the first-time nominees are Jimmie Allen, who appears in the coveted Best New Artist category, and Walker Hayes, who is nominated for his viral hit, “Fancy Like.” 

Carly Pearce helped announce the nominations at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles where she unveiled the nominees in the Americana, blues and folk music categories.

Here are the country nominees at the 2022 Grammy Awards:  

Best Country Album
Skeletons — Brothers Osborne
Remember Her Name — Mickey Guyton
The Marfa Tapes — Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Jack Ingram
Starting Over — Chris Stapleton
The Battle of Dood and Juanita — Sturgill Simpson

Best Country Song 
“Fancy Like” — Songwriters: Walker Hayes, Cameron Bartolini Josh Jenkins, Shane Stevens, (Walker Hayes)
“Better Than We Found It” — Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz (Maren Morris)
“Camera Roll” — Songwriters: Kacey Musgraves, Ian Fitchuk, Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves)
“Cold” — Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon (Chris Stapleton)
“Country Again” — Songwriters: Thomas Rhett, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley (Thomas Rhett)

“Remember Her Name” — Songwriters: Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram, Parker Welling (Mickey Guyton)

Best Country Solo Performance
“Forever After All” — Luke Combs
“Remember Her Name” — Mickey Guyton
“Camera Roll” — Kacey Musgraves
“You Should Probably Leave” — Chris Stapleton
“All I Do is Drive” — Jason Isbell 

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“If I Didn’t Love You” — Jason Aldean ft. Carrie Underwood 
“Glad You Exist” — Dan + Shay
“Younger Me” — Brothers Osborne
“Chasing After You” — Maren Morris & Ryan Hurd 
“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” — Miranda Lambert & Elle King 

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Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish & Olivia Rodrigo among leading nominees for 64th Annual Grammy Awards

Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish & Olivia Rodrigo among leading nominees for 64th Annual Grammy Awards
Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish & Olivia Rodrigo among leading nominees for 64th Annual Grammy Awards
Rory Kramer

The Grammy Awards are going big this year: For the first time, there are 10 nominees in each of the so-called Big Four categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist.

The leading nominee for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards is jazz artist Jon Batiste with 11, followed by Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R., both with eight, and Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, both with seven.

The nominees for Record of the Year include “I Still Have Faith in You,” the comeback single by Swedish icons ABBA, as well as Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett‘s duet “I Get a Kick Out of You.”  Other nominees in that category are Silk Sonic‘s “Leave the Door Open,” Justin Bieber’s “Peaches,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” and “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat and SZA.

Best New Artist nominees include Olivia, The Kid LAROI, Glass Animals, Billie Eilish’s brother FINNEAS, and Saweetie.  Album of the Year nominees include Justin Bieber’s Justice, Taylor Swift‘s Evermore, Lil Nas X’s Montero, Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever and Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s Love For Sale.

Nominees for Song of the Year — an award that goes to songwriters only —  include Olivia’s “drivers license” and Ed Sheeran‘s “Bad Habits,” as well as “Leave the Door Open,” “Happier Than Ever,” “Kiss Me More” and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name.)”

Of note, BTS secured their second Grammy nomination: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, for “Butter.” Also of note: JAY-Z is now the most Grammy-nominated artist in history, with 83 nods total. He was previously tied with Quincy Jones with 80. His nods come for his guest appearances on albums by Kanye West and the late rapper DMX.

The Grammy Awards will air January 21 on CBS. Here are the nominees in the main categories:

Record of the Year
“I Still Have Faith in You” — ABBA
“Freedom” — Jon Batiste
“I Get a Kick Out Of You” — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
“Peaches” — Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
“Right On Time” — Brandi Carlile
“Kiss Me More” — Doja Cat Featuring SZA
“Happier Than Ever” — Billie Eilish
“Montero” (Call Me By Your Name) — Lil Nas X
“drivers license” — Olivia Rodrigo
“Leave the Door Open” — Silk Sonic

Album of the Year
We Are — Jon Batiste
Love For Sale — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) — Justin Bieber
Planet Her (Deluxe) — Doja Cat
Happier Than Ever — Billie Eilish
Back Of My Mind — H.E.R.
Montero — Lil Nas X
Sour — Olivia Rodrigo
Evermore — Taylor Swift
Donda — Kanye West

Song of the Year
“Bad Habits” — Fred Gibson, Johnny McDaid & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)
“A Beautiful Noise” — Ruby Amanfu, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Alicia Keys, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna,
Linda Perry & Hailey Whitters, songwriters (Alicia Keys And Brandi Carlile)
“drivers license” — Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)
“Fight For You” — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“Happier Than Ever” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“Kiss Me More” —  Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Carter Lang, Gerard A. Powell II, Solána Rowe & David Sprecher, songwriters (Doja Cat Featuring SZA)
“Leave The Door Open” — Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” — Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Omer Fedi, Montero Hill & Roy Lenzo, songwriters (Lil Nas X)
“Peaches” — Louis Bell, Justin Bieber, Giveon Dezmann Evans, Bernard Harvey, Felisha “Fury” King, Matthew Sean Leon, Luis Manual Martinez Jr., Aaron Simmonds, Ashton Simmonds, Andrew Wotman & Keavan Yazdani, songwriters (Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon)
“Right On Time” — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
 
Best New Artist
Arooj Aftab
Jimmie Allen
Baby Keem
FINNEAS
Glass Animals
Japanese Breakfast
The Kid Laroi
Arlo Parks
Olivia Rodrigo
Saweetie

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Anyone,” Justin Bieber
“Right On Time,” Brandi Carlile
“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish
“Positions,” Ariana Grande
“Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“I Get A Kick Out Of You,” Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
“Lonely,” Justin Bieber & Benny Blanco
“Butter,” BTS
“Higher Power,” Coldplay
“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat Featuring SZA

Best Pop Vocal Album
Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe), Justin Bieber
Planet Her (Deluxe), Doja Cat
Happier Than Ever, Billie Eilish
Positions, Ariana Grande
Sour, Olivia Rodrigo

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Love for Sale, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
‘Til We Meet Again (Live), Norah Jones
A Tori Kelly Christmas, Tori Kelly
Ledisi Sings Nina, Ledisi
That’s Life, Willie Nelson
A Holly Dolly Christmas, Dolly Parton

Best Music Video
“Shot in the Dark,” AC/DC
“Freedom,” Jon Batiste
“I Get a Kick Out of You,” Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
“Peaches,” Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” Lil Nas X
“Good 4 U,” Olivia Rodrigo

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is now the #1 ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 Song of All Time

The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is now the #1 ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 Song of All Time
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is now the #1 ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 Song of All Time
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The Weeknd‘s number-one hit “Blinding Lights” has set quite a few chart records since it was first released two years ago.  That’s why Billboard now lists it as number one on its new list of the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs.

The list is based on historical performance on the Hot 100 chart, and “Blinding Lights” gets the title because it set the records for the most weeks ever spent in the top five, top 10 and top 40 on the Hot 100, as well as on the chart overall.

Specifically, the song was in the top five for 43 weeks, the top 10 for 57 weeks, the top 40 for 86 weeks, and stayed on the chart for 90 weeks.

“I don’t think [it] has hit me yet,” The Weeknd told Billboard when he was informed of his latest accomplishment. “I try not to dwell on it too much. I just count my blessings, and I’m just grateful.”

“Blinding Lights” replaces Billboard’s previous #1 Song of All Time, Chubby Checker‘s “The Twist,” which was number one in 1960 and in 1962.

The top 10 on Billboard‘s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs chart are:

1. “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd
2. “The Twist,” Chubby Checker
3. “Smooth,” Santana feat. Rob Thomas
4. “Mack the Knife,” Bobby Darin
5. “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
6. “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes
7. “Party Rock Anthem,” LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
8. “I Gotta Feeling,” The Black Eyed Peas
9. “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix),” Los Del Rio
10. “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

AC/DC’s ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’ album celebrates its 40th anniversary today

AC/DC’s ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’ album celebrates its 40th anniversary today
AC/DC’s ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’ album celebrates its 40th anniversary today
Leidseplein Presse B.V.

Forty years ago today, AC/DC released its seventh internationally available studio album, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), a follow-up to the Australian rockers’ massively successful Back in Black.

While its popularity and impact paled in comparison to Back in Black — which, with 25 million copies sold, has become the fourth best-selling album ever in the U.S. — For Those About to Rock was AC/DC’s first album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200.

The album also was AC/DC’s second with singer Brian Johnson, who joined the band before the recording of Back in Black following the death of longtime frontman Bon Scott. Additionally, it was the third of three consecutive AC/DC records produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange.

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, spanning the last week of 1981 and the first two weeks of 1982. Two singles were released from the album: the title track and “Let’s Get It Up,” which reached #4 and #9, respectively, on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. “Let’s Get It Up” also peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100.

AC/DC toured extensively in 1981 and ’82 in support of the album, which has gone on to sell over four million copies in the U.S.

Here’s the For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) track list:

“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”
“I Put the Finger on You”
“Let’s Get It Up”
“Inject the Venom”
“Snowballed”
“Evil Walks”
“C.O.D.”
“Breaking the Rules”
“Night of the Long Knives”
“Spellbound”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘West Side Story’ star Rita Moreno on the advice she shared with new star Ariana DeBose

‘West Side Story’ star Rita Moreno on the advice she shared with new star Ariana DeBose
‘West Side Story’ star Rita Moreno on the advice she shared with new star Ariana DeBose
20th Century Studios/Nico Tavernese

Rita Moreno became the first Latina to win a best supporting actress Oscar in 1961 for her portrayal of Anita in the iconic musical West Side Story. Now, half a century later, the 89-year-old actress is starring in Steven Spielberg‘s version of West Side Story.

“I don’t think of it as a remake….I think of it as Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. It’s a reimagining,” Moreno told ABC News.

The musical, which is inspired by Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet, is set in New York City in the 1950s and tells the story of rival gangs — the Sharks, who are Puerto Rican, and the Jets, who are white. At the story’s heart is the relationship between Tony, a former member of the Jets, who falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks.

Anita, who is Bernardo’s girlfriend and Maria’s friend and confidante, is played by Ariana DeBose in the new film. Moreno and DeBose told ABC News that Moreno gave DeBose advice about something she regrets not doing in a certain scene, but neither actress would say what scene that was.

“[Moreno] was very graceful with me, because, I’ll be very candid — I was awkward AF,” DeBose admitted. “She was, like, ‘I think there’s more power in a different delivery. So if that is helpful to you.’ “And I took the note. It was a good note.”

Moreno said, “I said, ‘I think it’s immensely effective, and I never — it never occurred to me to do the scene that way.’ Well, I’m thrilled that she used it.”

You can see more of the interviews in the primetime ABC News event Something’s Coming: West Side Story – A Special Edition of 20/20, airing on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Taylor Swift lets off a “feral screech” after “All Too Well” tops Billboard 100

Taylor Swift lets off a “feral screech” after “All Too Well” tops Billboard 100
Taylor Swift lets off a “feral screech” after “All Too Well” tops Billboard 100
TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift certainly had a memorable reaction when “All Too Well” became the top song in the country.  The single is now number one on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, which was no easy feat because it had to dethrone Adele‘s hit, “Easy on Me,” in order to do it.

Taylor celebrated the milestone on Twitter and hilariously wrote “*FERAL SCREECH*” when sharing the announcement.  “All Too Well” is not only her eighth official chart-topper, it is now the longest-running song to hit number one.

“All Too Well,” which clocks in at 10 minutes and 13 seconds, topples Don McLean‘s nearly 50-year record, when his eight-minute and 34 second song “American Pie (Parts I & II)” rose to the top in 1972.

Taylor’s mind was blown by her history-making accomplishment, as evidenced by the tell-all emoji, and she further thanked fans in a follow-up message, writing, “I’m so proud of this song and the memories I have with you guys because of it. You truly chose this one and now you did THIS?! I’m floored. A ten minute song is at the top of the Hot 100.”

She also thanked her team for helping turn the 10-minute version of the heartbreaking ballad into “The ultimate craftsman of songs,” and shouted out collaborators Jack Antonoff and Christopher Rowe as well as sound engineer Laura Sisk and songwriter Liz Rose

The Grammy winner is celebrating the success of her newly rerecorded Red (Taylor’s Version), which is now the number-one album in the country after debuting atop the Billboard 200.

E! News reports that Taylor has since jetted to South America to visit longtime love Joe Alwyn on the set of his upcoming movie, The Stars at Noon, which is reportedly being filmed in Panama.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Dua Lipa announces Service95, a world-focused recommendation platform coming in 2022

Dua Lipa announces Service95, a world-focused recommendation platform coming in 2022
Dua Lipa announces Service95, a world-focused recommendation platform coming in 2022
Daniele Venturelli/Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images

Dua Lipa wants to help you make sense with what’s going on in the world, so she’s launching the new platform, Service95, to provide style, culture and societal insights through her well-traveled lens.   

Launching in January, the service will introduce Dua’s fans to movers and shakers from across the world and share their perspectives about life, culture and style.  Dua will also provide recommendations for little-known places to eat, hang out and visit that she personally finds fascinating. 

The Grammy winner-turned-lifestyle-guru said she was inspired to launch Service95 because she is always curating experiences for her friends, because she loves sharing all the hidden gems and global insights she learned of while touring.  Now, she wants to invite everyone into her inner circle.

“The more we share with each other, the closer we become, the wider our circles grow,” Dua said in a statement to ABC Audio.  “I find huge joy in telling people what I’ve learned about in any given city and love finding connection in our shared experiences. Service95 is going to take that idea and bring it to anyone who’s as curious as I am about life.”

You can subscribe to the free, weekly Service95 newsletter via the official website

Dua also teased her upcoming At Your Service podcast, which compliments Service95’s purpose, where she’ll tap into her journalism skills and interview hard-to-get “high profile guests” on a myriad of topics — from complex world issues to things on their radar.

“Not only am I probing them about the things I’m most curious about, I’m also treating them like the experts they are,” Dua said.

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

NBA suspends Pistons’ Stewart and Lakers’ James after on-court skirmish

NBA suspends Pistons’ Stewart and Lakers’ James after on-court skirmish
NBA suspends Pistons’ Stewart and Lakers’ James after on-court skirmish
Zelenenka/iStock

(NEW YORK) — The NBA has suspended-without-pay Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart after an altercation during Sunday’s game.

The NBA announced Monday that for “recklessly hitting,” James will serve his one-game suspension Tuesday when the Lakers face the New York Knicks. For his part, Stewart has been suspended two games for “escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing” James “in an unsportsmanlike manner.”

The incident began with just over nine minutes remaining in the third quarter during Sunday’s game at Little Caesars Arena. James and Stewart had been vying for position during a free throw, when James struck Stewart as their arms became intertwined, ESPN reports. Blood appeared steam from above Stewart’s eye immediately after the blow. Several people, including coaches and teammates, attempted to block Stewart’s path as he attempted to run toward James. Both players were subsequently ejected from the game, with Stewart assessed two technical fouls and James a flagrant foul 2.

The Lakers and Pistons will face off again next Sunday in Los Angeles. Both Stewart and James will be eligible to play in that game.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ahmaud Arbery death trial live updates: Jury begins deliberations

Ahmaud Arbery death trial live updates: Jury begins deliberations
Ahmaud Arbery death trial live updates: Jury begins deliberations
Stephen B. Morton – Pool/Getty Images

(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — A Georgia jury was set to begin deliberating Tuesday the fates of three white men charged with trapping Ahmaud Arbery with their pickup trucks and fatally shooting.

“Your oath requires that you will decide this case based on the evidence,” Judge Timothy Walmsley told the jury before sending the panel off to begin their deliberations.

The jury got the case after Linda Dunikoski, the Cobb County, Georgia, assistant district attorney appointed as a special prosecutor in the Glynn County case, took two hours to rebut the closing arguments made on Monday by attorneys for the three defendants.

The jury, comprised of 11 white people and one Black person, heard wildly different summations on Monday of the same evidence in the racially-charged case. Dunikoski alleged the defendants pursued and murdered Arbery because of wrong assumptions they made that the Black man running through their neighborhood had committed a burglary, while defense attorneys countered that Arbery was shot in self-defense when he resisted a citizen’s arrest.

Travis McMichael, the 35-year-old U.S. Coast Guard veteran; his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, a retired Glynn County police officer, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 53, each face maximum sentences of life in prison if convicted on all the charges.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to a nine-count state indictment that includes malice murder, multiple charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a 12-gauge shotgun and aggravated assault with their pickup trucks.

The McMichaels and Bryan were also indicted on federal hate crime charges in April and have all pleaded not guilty.

Here’s how the news developed. All times Eastern:

Nov 23, 11:34 am
Judge gives jury final instructions

Judge Timothy Walmsley read the jury final instructions and explained the law and each charge to the jury before sending the panel off to deliberate their verdicts.

Walmsley told the jury that they must reach a unanimous verdict beyond a reasonable doubt, explaining that does not mean “beyond all doubt” or to a “mathematical certainty.”

He reminded the jury that the defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and that the burden of proof is solely on the prosecution.

Walmsley said that lesser charges could only be considered against William “Roddie” Bryan. He said the lesser charges against Bryan are simple assault, reckless conduct and reckless driving.

“Each of you must decide this case for yourself,” Walmsley said.

Nov 23, 10:56 am
Prosecutor pokes holes in Travis McMichael’s testimony

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski suggested to the jury that Travis and Greg McMichael became angry at Ahmaud Arbery after he ignored their calls to stop when they pulled up alongside him during the pursuit.

Dunikoski attacked the testimony of Travis McMichael, pointing out inconsistencies and claims she alleged were concocted for the trial.

Dunikoski said neither Travis McMichael nor his father told police on the day of the shooting that they were trying to place Arbery under criminal arrest because they believed he had committed a burglary at a home under construction in their neighborhood.

The prosecutor cited Travis McMichael’s testimony that he thought his father had called 911 before they set out to chase Arbery.

“Does anybody believe that?” asked Dunikoski, suggesting that a dispatcher would have kept Greg McMichael on the line to get more information.

She scoffed at Travis McMichael’s claim on the witness stand that he didn’t know what his father yelled at Arbery as they chased him, including the alleged statement threatening to shoot Arbery.

She said Travis McMichael’s testimony was full of “maybes” and assumptions, including that Arbery may have committed a crime, that maybe he was caught.

“These are all maybes. He doesn’t know anything,” Dunikoski said.

Dunikoski also poked holes in Travis McMichael’s claim that he spoke to Arbery calmly during the pursuit, trying to get him to stop and answer questions about what he was doing in their neighborhood.

“Do you believe for a minute he was talking softly to Ahmaud Arbery?” Dunikoski asked the jury.

She played a 911 call Travis McMichael made after Arbery was cornered, and breathlessly reported his emergency that “A Black male was running down the street.” In the background of the call, Greg McMichael was heard yelling at Arbery, “Stop. Goddammit. Stop.”

The prosecutor wrapped up her rebuttal argument by telling the jury the defendants are all “parties to the crime” and asked the panel to convict them on all charges.

Nov 23, 10:03 am
Defense attorneys call for a mistrial

As prosecutor Linda Dunikoski continued her rebuttal argument, defense attorneys for Greg and Travis McMichael objected several times, accusing Dunikoski of misstating the law that pertains to citizen’s arrest.

After one of the defense attorneys called for a mistrial in front of the jury, Judge Walmsley sent the panel out of the courtroom.

Walmsley appeared frustrated at all the interruptions to Dunikoski’s rebuttal, saying, “I like to get the closing arguments done.”

Walmsley denied the motion for a mistrial, telling the attorneys, “I indicated the law is going to be provided to the panel. I’ve indicated the court’s position with respect to the law.”

Nov 23, 9:42 am
‘This isn’t the Wild West’: Prosecutor

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski went through the felony counts against the defendants, telling the jury that the evidence shows they are guilty of each charge, including malice murder.

“This isn’t the Wild West,” Dunikoski said, referring to the actions the McMichaels and Bryan allegedly took.

“But for the criminal intent at false imprisonment, but for the false imprisonment, but for the assault with the motor vehicles, but for the aggravated assault with the shotgun, he (Arbery) wouldn’t be dead. That’s how you think about it,” Dunikoski said. “You can’t take out any of these crimes. You take out any one of these crimes that they committed and he’s still alive.”

Dunikoski added, “All of the underlying felonies played a substantial and necessary part in causing the death of Ahmaud Arbery.”

Nov 23, 9:18 am
‘Ignorance of the law is no excuse’: Prosecutor

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski began her rebuttal argument by telling the jury she wants to make sure “we are on the same page as far as the facts and the law goes.”

She said the law requires “a fair-minded and impartial juror to honestly seek the truth.”

“In other words, do you think they committed the crimes? That’s all you need. Oh, if you go, ‘Yeah, I think they committed the crimes, you’re good. That’s all you need.”

Dunikoski’s statement prompted objections from the defense attorneys that she was misstating the law. Judge Timothy Walmsley told the jury he will instruct them on the law once Dunikoski is finished.

The prosecutor then told the jury that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

“If you’re going to take the law into your own hands, you better know what the law is,” Dunikoski said, referring to the laws of self-defense and citizen’s arrests that the defendants are claiming.

“The state is not saying that Greg and Travis McMichael ran out of their house to go murder him,” Dunikoski said. “It started out as one thing and it escalated and it escalated until it became murder.”

Nov 22, 8:30 pm
Jury sent home for the night

After Kevin Gough, the attorney for William “Roddie” Bryan, wrapped up his closing argument, Dunikoski informed the judge that she’d need another two hours to present her rebuttal argument.

Judge Walmsley polled the jury and they said they didn’t want to stay longer.

Dunikoski will present her rebuttal argument on Tuesday morning before the jury is given final instructions on the law and sent to begin deliberations.

Court will resume at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, about a half-hour earlier than usual.

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