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Young Thug trial delayed at least a day after co-defendant is stabbed in jail

Atlanta rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, makes his first appearance at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta on Dec. 15, 2022. Opening statements began Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, and continued Tuesday in the racketeering conspiracy and gang trial for the rapper and five other people. Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

ATLANTA — One of the five co-defendants on trial with rapper Young Thug has been stabbed at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, delaying the proceedings for at least a day, authorities said.

Shannon Stillwell was stabbed multiple times Sunday evening and was in stable condition, the county sheriff's office said in a news release Monday. Stillwell was stabbed by another inmate, Willie Brown, during a fight between the two men, who were housed in the same zone, the sheriff's office said. The cause of the fight wasn't known, the release said.

Brown, who was arrested in July 202O and was being held without bond, was charged with aggravated assault and possession of prohibited items in relation to Stillwell's stabbing. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could comment on the charges.

The racketeering conspiracy trial for Stillwell, Young Thug and four others began last month after about 10 months of jury selection .

Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville dismissed the jury for the day Monday morning, saying one of the defendants had “a medical issue.” Glanville told the jurors they should return Tuesday “and we'll just see how things go at that point in time, and we'll take the week as it comes.”

The jail has long been plagued by violence and other problems, and a lawyer for the sheriff's office last month told state lawmakers that inmates had fashioned weapons from broken flooring and pipes. The U.S. Department of Justice announced this year that it was investigating detention conditions in Fulton County.

Prosecutors say Young Thug, whose given name is Jeffery Williams, led a violent street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, that was responsible for killings, shootings, carjackings and other crimes over about a decade. They allege that he used his successful music career and social media posts to promote the gang and establish its dominance.

Defense attorneys have said police and prosecutors relied heavily on jailhouse informants who had every reason to tell them what they wanted to hear. They have also criticized prosecutors' use of rap lyrics as evidence of crimes, saying their clients' art and free expression are being improperly used against them.

FILE - Tucker Carlson, host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," poses for photos in a Fox News Channel studio, March 2, 2017, in New York. A former Donald Trump supporter who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6, 2021, filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, saying the network made him a scapegoat for the Capitol insurrection. Although the lawsuit mentions Fox's Laura Ingraham and Will Cain, former Fox host Carlson was cited as the leader in promoting the theory. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Former Fox host Tucker Carlson is launching his own streaming network with interviews and commentary

NEW YORK — Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson is starting his own streaming service, promising to “tell the unadorned truth” to fans for $72 a year, he announced Monday.

Commentary, interviews, Carlson-flavored news reports and documentaries, even an advice show will be offered on the Tucker Carlson Network, which is essentially staffed by the people who used to work for him at Fox.

The new venture comes more than seven months after Fox abruptly fired Carlson, its most popular host. Fox never publicly explained the firing, and Carlson said on Monday that “it really is one of those mysteries that I'll probably never get to the bottom of.”

“I want to wake up and say to myself, ‘You can say whatever you want,’” Carlson said, announcing his streaming service on The Megyn Kelly Show, a podcast and radio show hosted by fellow Fox News refugee Kelly, who has remade her career as an independent commentator.

“I'm going to do it without interference, period,” Carlson said. “I'm going to tell the unadorned truth — I hope gently and in the least offensive way as I possibly can. But I'm going to tell the truth until the day I die.”

Before being bounced, less than a week after Fox agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to settle a lawsuit over coverage of the 2020 election, Carlson hosted what The New York Times said may be the most racist show in cable TV history, but by some measures the most successful.

He averaged 3.2 million viewers a night for the first three months of 2023, according to the Nielsen company. Fox's ratings plunged immediately following his exit. Replacement Jesse Watters built the audience to 2.6 million in November in Carlson's old time slot, and Fox said Watters has gained advertisers who didn't want their commercials with Carlson.

Now Carlson enters the world of subscription services with a variety of products on his own network.

“The Tucker Carlson Encounter” will be a long-form conversation show, with singer Kid Rock and golfer John Daly among the first guests. “The Tucker Carlson Interview” will be a more formal question-and-answer session, like one he conducted recently with former President Donald Trump.

Both of those programs will be offered free on his website, at least at first, while material of his observations on “After The Tucker Carlson Interview” will be behind a paywall.

“Tucker Carlson Uncensored” will be similar to the opening monologue he aired on his Fox show, while “Tucker Carlson Films” will produce documentaries like he made for the Fox Nation online service — including a controversial one that cast doubt on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

The show “Ask Tucker Carlson” will feature the host answering questions from subscribers and giving advice.

Carlson told Kelly that while he's “psyched to vote for Trump” in the 2024 election, he didn't see himself as a potential vice presidential candidate, as some published reports have speculated .

“It's just so unimaginable,” he said. “I haven't led a life that prepares people for politics.”

But despite Kelly's prodding, Carlson didn't rule the idea out.

Carlson had partnered with X , formerly known as Twitter, for content after leaving Fox. He'll still post material there, branded under his network, but said he determined X didn't have the capacity to help him build out the service he needed.

Fox had no immediate comment on Carlson's venture, or whether it would violate a contract with the host that reportedly ran through next year's election.

Neil Patel, Carlson's former college roommate who launched The Daily Caller website with him in 2010, will be CEO of the new network, running business operations. Justin Wells, Carlson's former executive producer who was fired from Fox with him in April, will oversee content.

“I feel happy,” Carlson told Kelly. “I feel liberated.”

Rapper 2 Chainz rushed to hospital in early morning Miami car crash

2 Chainz was reportedly rushed to the hospital as the result of a three-car accident that happened early Saturday morning in Miami.

The 46-year-old “Presha” rapper sustained neck injuries in the collision, sources told TMZ.

It’s unclear whether 2 Chainz — who was in the city for the annual art fair, Art Basel — suffered additional injuries in the accident, though he’s said to be in stable condition.

The “Bugatti” artist was leaving the popular Booby Trap strip club shortly before another car smashed into him, apparently from behind, reports TMZ. 2 Chainz was getting ready to exit I-95 when the accident occurred.

Authorities reportedly believe the driver who hit the rapper could have been under the influence.

Florida Highway Patrol told The New York Daily News that the collision involved three vehicles — a 2016 Mercedes, a 2013 Nissan, and a 2010 Toyota.

“There were no fatalities and at least one adult male was transported to an area hospital,” said a spokesperson for FHP.

On his Instagram Story, 2 Chainz shared a video of himself being loaded into the ambulance, panning to the damaged vehicles as a paramedic was getting ready to shut the ambulance doors.

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