USC Trojans football does not have a talent problem, but there is a flaw - "The Herd"
Salt Lake County prosecutors filed three felony charges Thursday against a University of Southern California football player over an alleged rape that took place in July.
Osa Masina, a 19-year-old sophomore linebacker at USC and former standout high school player in the Salt Lake area, is facing a $250,000 bond, reports ABC 4 Utah, a local affiliate.
Officials removed Masina from the football team at USC and the university asked him to leave the campus on Monday. On Thursday, prosecutors filed the charges against Masina for allegedly assaulting an old friend at a house party on July 26th. He"s also under investigation for sexually assaulting the same woman in California just weeks earlier, ABC 4 Utah reports.
The charges come after a nearly two-month investigation by police in Utah. Masina turned himself in on Thursday morning.
"Unfortunately, it"s a s*x assault case. We try to be sensitive to the victim in this case and get all the proper facts and work it that way," said Lt. Dan Bartlett with Cottonwood Heights police.
The District Attorney filed three felony charges against Masina: one for rape and two for forcible sodomy.
Masina"s attorney, Greg Skordas acknowledged the gravity of the allegations, "There are certainly some serious allegations." Skordas said.
The charging documents report the victim, a nineteen-year-old woman, told officers she consumed alcoholic beverages and marijuana at a party and went to sleep on a couch after feeling "not all there."
The documents say the victim awoke at some point during the night and found Masina on top of her. When she woke up early the next morning, according to the documents, she only had on a bra and a blanket draped over her, ABC 4 Utah reports.
"Consent is not assumed. And if a person says no or a person is not in a position to give you that consent, you cannot assume that you have that consent," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said.
Gill says the process of taking this case to court now begins and that could take quite a while. In the meantime, he hopes the situation between Masina and his former friend will start a conversation in our community.
"I think that we need to recognize, and we need to start educating our community that we need to respect the integrity of every person and these are not liberties that we can take whenever we feel like it," Gill said.
ABC 4 Utah spoke with the woman"s attorney, who said, "She and her family wish to maintain as much privacy as possible, and will continue to cooperate with the investigation."
SHAWN MENDES - MERCY (MUSIC VIDEO) REACTION Photo Shawn Mendes at Madison Square Garden this month; the Canadian pop star, who took off on Vine, is releasing his second LP, Illuminate, on Friday. Credit Alex Wroblewski for The New York Times
Shawn Mendes got his first guitar at the age of 14, a major-label record deal at 15 and his first No. 1 album last years Handwritten at 16, thanks largely to the democratizing power of the internet.
But since taking off on Vine, the looping micro-video app, with his #6secondcover versions of others pop hits, this Canadian singer has done something more impressive: Hes stuck around with songs of his own.
Instead of banking on a gimmick or a single piece of shareable content to carry the load of a potential career think of Psys Gangnam Style Mr. Mendes, who has teen idol looks and thus far an unblemished reputation, diligently built a young fan base online and through live shows (and meet-and-greets). That loyal base has supported five platinum-selling hits, including two Billboard Top 10s (Stitches and Treat You Better), along with arena-size world tours, both as a headliner and as an opener for Taylor Swift.
There had never been anyone that emerged from Vine as a recording artist, said David Massey, the president and chief executive of Island Records, Mr. Mendess label, adding that this singers tendency to go viral was not in itself a reason to sign him. Im naturally wary of those things because they havent really translated, apart from Justin and YouTube, he said, referring to Justin Bieber, Mr. Mendess most obvious predecessor.
Yet not long after Handwritten topped the charts, Mr. Mendes was able to all but abandon Vine (and cover songs), seamlessly kicking into a new gear that of the established pop star. On Friday, he will release Illuminate, his second LP, which has benefited from more traditional channels of promotion: early radio singles, music videos and television commercials. His internet-curio days are over.
Adding to the unlikeliness of Mr. Mendess ascent is that he managed to gain a real industry foothold by being not on trend but decidedly off, relying on an acoustic guitar in place of electronic dance beats; a mostly anonymous team of collaborators, instead of brand-name producers; and an aw-shucks persona, without any trace of bad boy. His soft, sometimes soulful pop-rock plays primarily to tweens and teenagers, but has also found traction on adult contemporary radio stations, giving Mr. Mendes both the screaming-superfan and dentists office demographics.
Illuminate represents the careful evolution of his digestible sound and subject matter, with much of the organic instrumentation and good-guy earnestness of Handwritten intact. But backstage before a sold-out show this month at Madison Square Garden, Mr. Mendes, now 18, stressed the necessity of following up his debut promptly because of the relentlessness of adolescence.
From 15 to 18, everybody is a different person, he said in a voice not quite done changing. Every six months, I have a whole new outlook on life. Theres just so much happening, I would have exploded if I had to wait another year to show the world what Im capable of.
Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better Video by ShawnMendesVEVO
Unlike Handwritten, Mr. Mendess Illuminate, which he called a mix between Ed Sheeran and the John Mayer album Continuum, credits him as a songwriter on every track. Though many artists bristle at direct musical comparisons, Mr. Mendes is exceedingly open about his influences; his entire sonic development is documented in online videos, after all. (Mr. Sheeran and Mr. Mayer also serve as his big-brother figures in the industry, Mr. Mendes said.)
He is also forthcoming about the realities of outgrowing child stardom. While Mr. Mendes insisted that his chivalrous character in song is true to life I want all the strings attached, girl is a representative line he acknowledged that like Miley and Justin before him, some form of a fall could be expected.
Ive never had a scandal, but I dont know if thats so much because Im perfect, or because people arent caring enough yet, he said. Give it some time. Ill probably be very upset, but its a part of the gig.
Still, Im proud to say Im a role model for kids, he added.
That doesnt preclude growing up. In between albums, Mr. Mendes returned to his native Pickering, Ontario, to graduate from high school with his class (he has studied remotely since 10th grade) and splurged on a Jeep Wrangler (sans rims for the moment). Ahead of his 18th birthday, he also got his first tattoo, though its characteristically wholesome: an abstract acoustic guitar on his forearm, made up of trees, the Toronto skyline and a sound wave representation of his parents and little sister saying, I love you.
Confident but clearly tender, Mr. Mendes has the familiar charm of a popular kid who has the faculties not to unsettle parents with his slickness. On Illuminate, he pushes boundaries but always with respect; women tend to have the power in Mr. Mendess songs, though sometimes they are led astray by less honorable men.
At the Garden, Mr. Mendes admitted to some anxiety about debuting songs with more adult themes, like the sultry Bad Reputation, about a girl whos shamed for her sexuality. They dont know what youve been through, he sings. Trust me I could be the one to treat you like a lady.
Lights On is more straightforward, with Mr. Mendess pre-emptively identifying as a gentleman before promising to love you with the lights on/keep you up all night long. The song is barely PG-13, but Mr. Mendes said he worried he could surpass where my fans think I am in life (though the path to maturity is traditionally less fraught for male pop stars).
Im releasing a song about s*x at 18, which is appropriate, he explained. I wouldnt have done it if I were 16 or 17. Ill release a song about drinking at 21, you know what I mean?
Later that night, when he gave the premiere of Lights On from the arena stage, beginning with the line, d**n you look so good with your clothes on, the squealing crowd seemed to understand just fine.
You and I aren"t that dissimilar. We"re both white, born in the 1980s, went to very privileged high schools in places that otherwise have a lot of diversity me in Brooklyn at the same school as Lena Dunham and Zac Posen, you in Baltimore at the same schoolas Mark Teixeira and Gavin Floyd. We"re both catchers who won"t be in the major leagues next year because we can"t hit.
Other than that, Steve, I won"t pretend to know you, but I need to tell you, from one privileged urban white kid to another, be better.
Be better as a human being in this world than to think for a second that it"s OK to end a tweet about Black Lives Matter with "Everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals!" The tweet included calling Barack Obama "pathetic," so basically, youdehumanized millions of people, including the President of the United States.
MORE: National anthem protests
Be better than apologizing by saying "First and foremost, I would like to apologize to the Seattle Mariners, my teammates, my family, and the fans of our great game for the distraction my tweets on my personal Twitter page caused." The apology you owe is notfirst and foremost to the Mariners. The problem you caused was not distraction. The problem you caused was fanning the flames of racism.
Be better at listening, and read a bit more. It was just last week that Adam Jones, your former teammate with your hometown Orioles, said "Baseball is a white man"s sport." Think about what he said, why he said it and how it applies to you.
MORE: Steve Clevenger"s offensive comments
"Just dont do something because youre told to do something," Jones said. "Do it because you understand the meaning behind it and the sacrifice behind it.
He was talking about standing for the national anthem, but, Steve, the words also fit your apology, which seemed more designed to get people off your back than to show that you intend to grow and learn from your mistake, if you even believe it was a mistake.
Protests Call for Arrest of Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby for Fatal Shooting of Terence Crutcher
Last week the fatal police shooting of Terence Crutcher made him the latest in an immeasurably long line of black men and women murdered by the police. And after footage of the shooting went viral, news broke recently that the officer who shot Crutcher will face charges of first degree manslaughter. For many, it appears this is something to celebrate. Although it will not bring Crutcher back, and there is certainly no guarantee of a conviction, this charge represents hope of justice and redemption. Perhaps this shows that the US has a racial conscience after all.
But while this charge is certainly better than no charge at all, we should be wary of seeing it as a quick-fix solution. If attention is only focused on charging an individual officer, we surely lose sight of the much bigger picture. Through this lens we might see Crutchers murder as only the fault of one trigger-happy police officer who does not see the value of black life, rather than a system that devalues black lives all over America.
This sort of discourse is in the interest of the US power structure. We are encouraged to see the murder as the fault of an individual bad cop rather than the foreseeable and predictable realities of a rotten system and a rotten police force. With the footage having gone viral, and racial inequality in the spotlight, those in power will be only too happy to individualise the problem, making this one officer the scapegoat. The charges are necessary to maintain the illusion of a racially just society.
The story of an individual bad cop helps to maintain the myth of a tolerant and post-racial society, one that doesnt need a Black Lives Matter movement. The charges create an illusion of progress, without doing the meaningful work needed to bring about real change. Rather than engaging in the introspection that the US (and the UK) so desperately needs, attention is shifted conveniently, the whole issue can then be dismissed after a single court case.
Individual manifestations of racism are part of the picture, but not the whole picture. Systemic racism permeates the police force particularly, and society generally. We shouldnt be given convenient excuses to forget that.
When we consider that black Americans are killed by police on an almost daily basis, it should be clear that Crutchers death is not an isolated occurrence. Black deaths at the hands of the police are so frequent that, in a news cycle that seems to be permanently on repeat, Crutchers murder is already becoming old news. As attention turns to the Charlotte killing of Keith Lamont Scott, the names might change, but the narrative remains a disturbingly familiar one.
We will not see an end to racial oppression if we only charge officers, but never change the system from which their actions arise. As the Macpherson report and subsequent reports have shown us in the UK and as is so patently obvious in the US our police forces are institutionally racist.
With the genealogy of US police forces stretching back to the need to control and oppress black populations through slave patrols, it should not be a surprise that racism remains deeply ingrained. Police continue to harass, abuse and murder black people every day and although this is certainly more prevalent in the US, its a problem in the UK too.
Terence Crutcher: Unarmed black man with his hands up killed by Tulsa police
Anti-racist efforts must remain focused on institutional change. Of course there is no reason why this cannot be reached alongside individual prosecutions, but we must see the bigger picture. Nothing hampers racial progress more than the illusion of racial progress.
So let us not be distracted by the quick (and often attractive) fix of persecuting an individual. For real racial justice, and a future where black lives matter, our efforts must focus on the disease, not just the symptoms.
Jacoby Brissett Leads Patriots To 27-0 Victory Over Texans
Pressed into action, rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett helped guide the Patriots to a 27-0 shellacking of the Texans. Time Sports
New England Patriots outside linebacker Jamie Collins (91) celebrates a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the first half at Gillette Stadium.(Photo: Winslow Townson, USA TODAY Sports)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Jimmy and Jacoby. And then, of course, theres Tom.
But for all the headlines, articles, and print the New England Patriots quarterbacks generate, its something else that has the team looking like legitimate Super Bowl contenders through three games.
A championship-caliber defense.
The unit smothered and confused the Houston Texans Thursday night, 27-0, in the ninth shutout of the Bill Belichick era to put New England at 3-0. That was without starting middle linebacker Donta Hightower, who was inactive with a knee injury.
So even as rookie third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett started his first game while backup Jimmy Garoppolo healed from a shoulder sprain and Tom Brady watched from home serving his four-game Deflategate suspension, the Patriots kept rolling.
We have confidence in Jacoby. We have confidence in Jimmy. And we have confidence in that other guy thats coming back pretty soon, Patriots defensive end Chris Long told USA TODAY Sports after the game. So its up to us as a defense to execute. We know how good our offense can be so we just want to hold up our end of the bargain.
Thatthey did.
The Patriots limited Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler to 24completions on 41 attempts for 196 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
The first time the Texans crossed midfield came with 1:27 left to play in the third quarter on the 43rd play from scrimmage for Houston.
The Patriotslimited star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and standout rookie Will Fuller to seven catches and 87 yards, combined.
That New England and head coach Bill Belichick did all of this on just three days rest and preparation should turn heads around the rest of the NFL.
Let me tell you, man, Bills game plan each week is the best game plan, Patriots safety Duron Harmon said after the game. He just he continues to amaze you with the things that come up in his mind to attack the offenses weakness.
Said Texans tight end Ryan Griffin: We were shocked.We couldnt get anything going.
So as the Patriots prepare to face a struggling Buffalo Bills (0-2) team next Sunday, theres a good chance New England emerges from the Brady absence undefeated. They already have a lead in the AFC East, and it might only get wider.
Our coaches arent like Hey, youre great, just take it easy, cornerback Logan Ryan told USA TODAY Sports after the game. Were practicing hard. Were in pads. Were doing all the work that it takes. When youre doing all that work, the games should be fun. Right now, thats the case for us. When you see an outcome like this, you believe.
Best Of The Notorious B.I.G. Old School Hip Hop (90s Rap Biggie Mix By Eric The Tutor)
Women reign supreme over at the kingdom that is ABC Thursday Night, and a newbie has emerged. But does a non-Shondaland production even stand a chance? Notorious is trying its darndest to be the next Scandal, and it seems to be workingfor now.
It begins with a bang. And I mean that literally. Thats what I call a homecoming, says an anonymous male, and I can tell I already hate him. Before our blonde heroine Julia George (Piper Perabo) can kick him out (thats what she was going to do, right? He made a s*x pun, for crying out loud), she realizes its 4:46 p.m. and shes running late. She bids her boyfriend, who we learn has just been promoted to federal judge, goodbye and swoops in to save the day as her PA Megan (Sepideh Moafi) tells her Louise is locked in her office.
Were soon introduced to Julias boss: Louise Herrick (Kate Jennings Grant), star of Louise Herrick Live, the no. 1 cable news program in the country. Louise isnt actually locked in her office; shes lounging on a chaise wearing lingerie and entertaining a boy toy, who tells Julia, I like your vibe. Hey boss lady, how do you like your meat? OMG with the sexual puns.
Even though it has Louises name, the show is clearly Julias baby. Shes like the Leslie Knope of the news world. (Theres even confusion in her office as to whether a guest is named Gary or Jerry!) The guest on tonights LHL is Jake Gregorian (Daniel Sunjata), a smooth-talking criminal-defense attorney with a car worthy of a Ferris Bueller joy ride, aviators probably worth more than your house, and best of all, dimples you could swim in.
As the show-within-the-show is about to begin, we get some breaking news that is pretty much going to set the tone for the entire episode (and possibly the whole first season): Internet mogul Oscar Keaton (Kevin Zegers as a hot Mark Zuckerberg, basically) has been issued an arrest warrant for fleeing the crime scene of a hit-and-run. And what do you know, Jake Gregorian is his friend and lawyer. How convenient!
Louise appears to ambush him, breaking the news that Oscar is surrendering to police live on air, and Jake angrily storms out in a fit of rage at the thought of being set up. But its all an act! OMG (again!), what a twist. This is just like Fight Club. I had to plant the seeds of doubt before the country rushed to judgment, Jake explains to Julia. LHL got the scoop and theyre trending, so everyones happy. As for the Jake/Julia duo, Im hesitant to give in to this will-they-or-wont-they vibe going on its being shoved pretty ferociously down our throats but I will say the two have great chemistry, so eventually, maybe, we can root for them.
Anyway, Jake heads to the police station to visit Oscar, who vehemently denies any involvement even though it was his car. He does, however, admit to oooone little thing: Despite the fact that hes supposed to be sober, there did happen to be a secret stash of cocaine in the car used in the hit-and-run. You know, for a friend. Before Jake can comment, the episode drops bomb no. 2: The hit-and-run victim has died and Oscars being charged with second-degree murder. Dun dun duuuun.
Meanwhile, back at Gregorian & Gregorian, Jakes law office that he runs with his brother Bradley (J. August Richards), bomb no. 3 drops: Jake is in love with Oscars wife, Sarah (Dilshad Vadsaria). May I suggest a new drinking game called Notori-Shots: Take a shot every time an unexpected twist is revealedor dont. It could get ugly. So, yeah, there is so much backstory we need now: How did Oscar and Jake become friends? Was it before or after his affair with Sarah? Even though Sarah pays Oscars bail, the awkward hand placement between the two says a lot about the state of their marriage. Jake must be low-key thrilled.
