by tyler | Jan 5, 2024 | CNN, us
Here’s a look at the College Football Playoff, a seeded postseason format which began for the 2014 season and replaced the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).
January 8, 2024 – The Michigan Wolverines will face the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in Houston.
January 1, 2024 – The two semifinal games take place. No. 1 Michigan Wolverines edge No 4. Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime 27-20 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and No. 2 Washington Huskies defeat No. 3 Texas Longhorns 37-31 at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
January 9, 2023 – The College Football Playoff National Championship game takes place in Los Angeles. The Georgia Bulldogs defeat Texas Christian University’s Horned Frogs (TCU) 65-7 for their second national title in a row.
The 13-member selection committee selects and seeds the four playoff teams. (Number 1 will play Number 4; Number 2 will play Number 3).
The two winning teams of the semifinal games advance to the title game, which determines the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football national champion.
This replaces the heavily criticized BCS postseason system, which ran from the 1998-2013 seasons and was often accused of unfairness relating to team selections.
According to the College Football Playoff, compared to the BCS, the “format increases revenue for all conferences and independent institutions.”
Revenue Distribution Policies
The College Football Playoff trophy, presented to the championship team, is handmade, stands 26.5 inches tall and is constructed from 24-karat gold, bronze and stainless steel.
The playoff is contracted from the 2014-15 season through at least the 2025-26 season.
The committee members, which include athletic directors and former coaches and players, serve on staggered three-year terms.
The 13 Selection Committee Members
After the ninth week of regular season play, the selection committee begins ranking the top 25 teams on a weekly basis. The committee identifies and compares the top teams, then votes them into the rankings.
Towards the end of the regular season, selection weekend takes place, where the committee determines the playoff matchups.
The committee selects teams based on conference championship wins, overall win-loss records, strength of schedule, head-to-head matchups and other criteria.
The selection committee is also responsible for choosing the teams which play in the Cotton, Fiesta and Peach Bowls in years those bowls are not hosting the semifinal games. (The Rose, Sugar and Orange Bowls have previous existing contracts with conferences).
Members are recused from voting when “they or an immediate family member receives compensation from the school or has a professional relationship with that school.”
Semifinal playoff games rotate between the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.
Cities interested in hosting the national championship game must submit a bid, in a process similar to bidding for a Super Bowl site.
June 26, 2012 – A BCS oversight committee of university presidents approves the four-team seeded postseason format presented by the BCS commissioners, to begin in the 2014 season and continue through the 2025 regular season (2026 bowl games).
November 21, 2012 – ESPN announces it has obtained the rights for the new college football playoffs from 2014 through the 2025 season.
April 23, 2013 – The College Football Playoff is announced as the name of the new system to replace the BCS.
October 16, 2013 – The names of the 13 members of the selection committee are announced.
January 6, 2014 – The final BCS National Championship game is played in Pasadena, California. The Florida State Seminoles beat the Auburn Tigers 34-31.
July 14, 2014 – The CFP National Championship trophy unveiled.
October 28, 2014 – The selection committee begins issuing weekly rankings for the top 25 teams.
December 6-7, 2014 – Selection weekend takes place. The committee releases the matchups for the inaugural playoff and for the other bowl games.
January 1, 2015 – The University of Oregon defeats Florida State University 59-20 in the 101st Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, California. In the Sugar Bowl, The Ohio State University defeats University of Alabama 42-35, advancing to the first College Football Final against the Oregon Ducks in Arlington, Texas.
January 12, 2015 – The Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the Oregon Ducks 42-20 to win the inaugural College Football Playoff Championship. 33.3 million viewers watched the championship game, making ESPN’s broadcast the largest audience in cable TV history.
December 1, 2022 – The tournament board of directors agrees to expand the playoff field from four to 12 teams, beginning with the 2024-2025 season.
December 3, 2023 – Florida State (13-0) finishes at No. 5 in the final rankings, just missing out on the playoff. The Seminoles are the first undefeated team from a major Power-5 conference to be excluded from the playoffs since its inception in 2014.
2025 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
2026 – Hard Rock Stadium in Miami
by tyler | Jan 5, 2024 | CNN, us
Here’s a look at the life of Dolly Parton, the Grammy Award-winning singer, song writer, producer and actress.
Birth date: January 19, 1946
Birth place: Locust Ridge, Sevier County, Tennessee
Birth name: Dolly Rebecca Parton
Father: Robert Lee Parton, farmer
Mother: Avie Lee (Owens) Parton
Marriage: Carl Dean (May 1966-present)
Has received 54 Grammy Award nominations and won ten competitive awards. She has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nominated for two Academy Awards and one Tony Award. Nominated for five Emmy Awards and won one.
Has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.
Founder of the Dollywood Foundation, which funds Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – a program which began in Sevier County, Tennessee, and provides preschool-aged children with a book every month from birth to kindergarten. The program has spread to other parts of the country and internationally.
Was born fourth of 12 children. Six of her siblings worked as professional musicians.
1957 – Records her first song, “Puppy Love,” with Goldband Records.
1959 – First guest appearance on the Grand Ole Opry at the age of 13.
1964 – Moves to Nashville after graduating from high school.
1967 – Joins “The Porter Wagoner Show.”
1967 – First full-length album titled “Hello, I’m Dolly,” is released on Monument Records.
1968 – Wins the Country Music Association award, with Porter Wagoner, for Vocal Group of the Year.
January 4, 1969 – Becomes a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
1971 – “Joshua” becomes Parton’s first solo single to top the US country charts.
April 1974 – Leaves “The Porter Wagoner Show.” Parton writes the song “I Will Always Love You” in honor of her professional break from her duet partner and mentor of seven years.
1975 and 1976 – Receives the Country Music Association award for female vocalist of the year.
1976-1977 – Her syndicated variety show “Dolly!” runs on television.
1978 – Receives the Country Music Association Award for entertainer of the year.
February 15, 1979 – Wins a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, for the song “Here You Come Again.”
1980 – Appears in her first film, “9 to 5,” along with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Parton wrote the original theme song and was later sued in federal court by a couple claiming the recording was copied from their 1976 song, “Money World.” A jury later found in favor of Parton.
February 24, 1982 – Wins two Grammy Awards for the song “9 to 5”: Best Country Vocal Performance, Female and Best Country Song.
May 3, 1986 – The theme park Dollywood opens in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
March 2, 1988 – Wins a Grammy, with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for the album, “Trio.”
1987-1988 – Her primetime variety show on ABC, “Dolly,” airs for one season.
1988 – Establishes the Dollywood Foundation.
1992 – Whitney Houston releases her version of Parton’s song “I Will Always Love You,” which tops the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, a record at the time.
1994 – Parton’s autobiography, “Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business,” is published.
1999 – Is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
February 23, 2000 – Wins a Grammy, with Harris and Ronstadt, for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for the song “After the Gold Rush.”
February 21, 2001 – Wins a Grammy, with Gary Paczosa and Steve Buckingham, for Best Bluegrass Album for “The Grass is Blue.”
February 27, 2002 – Wins a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the song “Shine.”
May 19, 2001 – Dollywood’s Splash Country waterpark opens in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
April 14, 2004 – The US Library of Congress awards Parton the Living Legend medal.
2005 – Named a recipient of the National Medal of Arts.
2006 – Is a Kennedy Center honoree.
February 12, 2012 – Receives a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
December 10, 2015 – NBC airs the movie, “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.” It is inspired by Parton’s life and her song “Coat of Many Colors.”
November 2, 2016 – Receives the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Annual Country Music Awards Show.
November 30, 2016 – NBC airs “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love,” a sequel to the original movie which aired in 2015.
November 30, 2016 – In a video message, Parton announces that she has created the “My People Fund” through her Dollywood Companies and hopes to give each family affected by the Great Smoky Mountain wildfires $1,000 a month for six months to help them get “back on their feet.”
February 15, 2017 – Wins a Grammy with Pentatonix, for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for a remake of her song “Jolene.”
February 27, 2018 – Parton donates the 100 millionth Imagination Library book to the Library of Congress.
February 10, 2019 – Parton is celebrated in an all-star tribute at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. She also performs at the event for the first time in 18 years along with Miley Cyrus, Little Big Town, Katy Perry and others.
May 3, 2019 – FBI Director Christopher Wray honors Parton with the 2018 Director’s Community Leadership Award. She is given the award as recognition for her efforts to provide financial support to families affected by wildfires that ravaged parts of eastern Tennessee in 2016.
August 5, 2019 – Nashville Mayor David Briley declares the date Dolly Parton Day.
November 26, 2019 – NBC airs “Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry.” The two-hour special celebrates Parton’s milestone as a member of country music’s most esteemed institution.
January 26, 2020 – Wins a Grammy, with the duo For King & Country, for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “God Only Knows.”
April 1, 2020 – Announces she is making a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University’s coronavirus research.
November 2020 – Parton learns that after donating $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s COVID-19 Research Fund, her assistance partially funded the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Parton’s name appears in the preliminary report on the vaccine among sponsors like the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
March 14, 2021 – Wins a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “There Was Jesus.”
August 11, 2021 – Parton and mystery writer James Patterson announce they are co-writing a novel, titled “Run, Rose, Run.” The 448-page book will be accompanied by an album based on its characters and situations. The book is published on March 7, 2022.
April 29, 2022 – In an interview with NPR, Parton says that she’d “accept gracefully” if inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, one month after she said she wanted to withdraw her nomination.
May 4, 2022 – It is announced that Parton will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
June 15, 2022 – Vanderbilt University Medical Center announces that Parton is donating $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research at Vanderbilt.
November 12, 2022 – Parton receives a $100 million Courage and Civility Award from Jeff Bezos and his longtime partner Lauren Sanchez. The award money can be used as Parton sees fit. Last year, Bezos awarded $100 million each to CNN contributor Van Jones and chef José Andrés.
November 17, 2023 – Parton releases her first rock album, “Rockstar.”
by tyler | Jan 5, 2024 | CNN, us
Here’s a look at the life of Michelle Obama, wife of 44th US President Barack Obama.
Birth date: January 17, 1964
Birth place: Chicago, Illinois
Birth name: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson
Father: Fraser Robinson, water filtration worker
Mother: Marian (Shields) Robinson
Marriage: Barack Obama (October 3, 1992-present)
Children: Sasha, Malia
Education: Princeton University, B.A., 1985; Harvard University, J.D., 1988
Religion: Christian
Graduated magna cum laude with a sociology degree from Princeton.
Met Barack Obama when she was assigned to be his mentor at Sidley & Austin, a Chicago law firm.
Her father suffered from and eventually died of multiple sclerosis.
Has won a Grammy Award.
Nominated for one Primetime Emmy Award.
1988-1991 – Associate attorney at Sidley & Austin in Chicago.
1991-1992 – Assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
1992-1993 – Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development.
1993-1996 – Founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago.
1996-2002 – Associate Dean of Student Services for the University of Chicago and director of the University Community Service Center.
2002-2005 – Executive Director for Community Affairs for University of Chicago Hospitals.
2005-2007 – Member of the board of Tree House Foods, a food supplier for Walmart stores.
2005-January 2009 – Vice President of Community and External Affairs for University of Chicago Hospitals.
January 20, 2009 – Becomes the first lady of the United States.
April 2009 – “Michelle Obama: In Her Own Words” is published.
February 2009 – Appears on the March cover of Vogue magazine.
February 9, 2010 – Launches the national campaign, “Let’s Move!,” to reduce childhood obesity.
April 2011 – Launches the national veterans’ campaign, “Joining Forces,” with Jill Biden.
June 20, 2011 – Travels to Africa for a week to focus on youth leadership, education, health and wellness.
June 21, 2011 – Visits former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela at his home.
May 29, 2012 – “American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America” is published.
February 24, 2013 – Presents the Academy Award for best picture.
March 13, 2013 – Along with other high profile celebrities and politicians, Obama’s financial information is hacked and posted online. Her student loan information and credit report are posted.
March 14, 2013 – Is on the cover of April’s edition of Vogue. This is the second time she has appeared on the cover.
May 2014 – Launches the national campaign, “Reach Higher,” a higher education initiative.
March 2015 – Launches the national campaign, “Let Girls Learn,” a global focus on girls’ education.
July 2015 – Guest edits “More” magazine. Obama is the magazine’s first guest editor as well as the first, first lady to guest edit an entire issue of “More.”
November 10, 2016 – Obama hosts the soon-to-be first lady, Melania Trump, for tea and a tour of the White House residence, Press Secretary Josh Earnest says in a White House briefing.
November 11, 2016 – Is on the cover of December’s edition of Vogue. This is the third time she has appeared on the cover.
January 13, 2017 – Gives her final White House remarks thanking her supporters and saying, “being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life and I hope I’ve made you proud.”
September 27, 2017 – Remarks that “any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice” during an appearance at the Inbound 2017 conference in Boston.
May 21, 2018 – Netflix announces the Obamas have signed a multi-year production deal that in which the two will work both in front of and behind the camera.
November 13, 2018 – Obama’s memoir “Becoming” is published, shooting to No. 1 on the Amazon Best Sellers list.
December 27, 2018 – Is voted the woman most admired by Americans this year, knocking Hillary Clinton from the top spot for the first time in 17 years, according to Gallup’s annual survey.
November 20, 2019 – Is nominated for a Grammy for best spoken word album for the audio version of “Becoming.”
December 30, 2019 – For the second year in a row, a Gallup survey lists Obama as the woman most admired by Americans.
January 26, 2020 – Wins a Grammy for best spoken word album for the audio version of “Becoming.”
July 16, 2020 – Announces that she is launching “The Michelle Obama Podcast” on Spotify.
March 10, 2021 – Obama speaks candidly, in an interview with People magazine about her struggles with low-grade depression during the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges of 2020. “Depression is understandable in these circumstances, during these times,” she said in the interview. “To think that somehow that we can just continue to rise above all the shock and the trauma and the upheaval that we have been experiencing without feeling it in that way is just unrealistic.”
June 21, 2022 – Audible, Amazon’s audiobook and podcast service, announces that Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, signed an exclusive multi-year first-look production deal with Audible.
by tyler | Jan 5, 2024 | CNN, us
Here is a look at the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.
Birth date: January 12, 1964
Birth place: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Birth name: Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen
Father: Ted Jorgensen
Mother: Jackie (Gise) Bezos
Marriage: MacKenzie (Tuttle) Bezos (1993-2019, divorced)
Children: A daughter adopted from China, and three sons
Education: Princeton University, B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science, 1986
He was adopted at a young age by his stepfather, Miguel “Mike” Bezos, an engineer at Exxon.
1994 – Leaves D. E. Shaw & Co. in order to develop Amazon.
1999 – Is named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.
2000 – Founds Blue Origin, LLC, an aerospace company to provide low-cost access to private space travel.
2011 – Bezos and his wife donate $15 million to create the Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics at Princeton University.
November 2012 – Fortune Magazine names Bezos 2012 Businessperson of the Year.
March 2012-2013 – Leads the privately funded Apollo 11 F-1 Engine Recovery project team that, in March 2013, recovers parts of two rocket engines from the Atlantic seafloor. The rockets from the 1969 Apollo 11 mission remain property of NASA.
August 5, 2013 – It is announced that Bezos is purchasing The Washington Post. Bezos officially becomes the owner on October 1.
January 1, 2014 – Bezos is evacuated on an Ecuadorian navy helicopter from the Galapagos Islands after he develops kidney stones. An Amazon spokesman later says no surgery was required.
November 24, 2015 – Bezos’ company Blue Origin successfully lands a rocket back on Earth after a space flight. In the past, rockets were disposed of after launching space crafts. Reusable rockets would substantially reduce the cost of space flight.
July 18, 2016 – Amazon confirms Bezos has a cameo role as an alien in the movie “Star Trek Beyond.”
December 14, 2016 – Along with other tech executives, Bezos meets with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower to discuss issues such as education, trade and immigration.
September 5, 2018 – Bezos contributes $10 million to With Honor, a nonpartisan organization and super PAC that aims to increase the number of veterans in politics.
September 13, 2018 – Bezos announces via Twitter that he and his wife will commit $2 billion to a fund called “Bezos Day One Fund.” The fund will support nonprofits that help homeless families and create a network of preschools in low-income communities.
January 9, 2019 – In a joint statement, Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, announce they are divorcing after 25 years of marriage.
February 7, 2019 – In a blog post, Bezos accuses AMI, the publisher of the National Enquirer, of trying to extort him, alleging that AMI threatened to release compromising photos of him.
READ MORE: Jeff Bezos and the National Enquirer: A timeline of events.
March 6, 2019 – Haven, the name of the venture created by Bezos, Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon to improve the health care system, is unveiled.
March 30, 2019 – An investigator working for Bezos to find out how evidence of his extramarital relationship was provided to the National Enquirer claims that Saudi Arabia had access to information before the photos and texts were leaked. In an opinion article for the Daily Beast, Gavin de Becker says that Saudi leadership wanted to harm Bezos because of the Washington Post’s coverage of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
April 4, 2019 – Bezos and his wife announce that they have agreed to divorce terms, with MacKenzie set to keep 25% of the couple’s Amazon stock, which would give her a 4% stake in the company. Bezos will retain voting control over all MacKenzie’s shares and will also maintain all his interests in the Washington Post and Blue Origin.
May 9, 2019 – Bezos unveils Blue Origin’s new rocket engine and a mockup of the lunar lander it wants to use to shuttle cargo or people to the moon. The lunar lander’s first mission is slated for 2024.
February 17, 2020 – Bezos commits $10 billion to the Bezos Earth Fund, a new initiative to back scientists, activists and organizations working to mitigate the impact of climate change.
July 29, 2020 – Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, CEO of Google’s parent company Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg all testify before a House subcommittee on anti-trust to address concerns that their businesses may be harming competition.
October 19, 2020 – The Bezos Academy, the first location of a network of tuition-free preschools serving children in underserved communities, opens in Des Moines, Washington.
November 16, 2020 – Bezos announces that he will give $791 million in grants as part of his Bezos Earth Fund to 16 organizations that are working to protect the environment.
February 2, 2021 – In its fourth-quarter 2020 earnings report, Amazon announces that Bezos will step down from his role as chief executive in the third quarter of 2021. He will transition to the role of executive chair. Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy will become chief executive officer at that time.
May 26, 2021 – During the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Bezos announces that he will officially step down from his role as chief executive officer on July 5. That is the anniversary of the date Amazon was incorporated in 1994.
July 15, 2021 – The Smithsonian announces that Bezos will donate $200 million to the museum, the largest gift the institution has received since its founding in 1846.
July 20, 2021 – Bezos travels to space and back on an 11-minute ride aboard the rocket and capsule system developed by his space company, Blue Origin. During his post-flight news conference, he announces a new philanthropic initiative that gives recipients $100 million to give to charities and nonprofits of their choice. The first two winners are Van Jones and José Andrés.
November 14, 2022 – In an exclusive interview, Bezos tells CNN he will devote the bulk of his wealth to fighting climate change and supporting people who can unify humanity in the face of deep social and political divisions.
by tyler | Jan 5, 2024 | CNN, us
Here’s a look at the life of Michael Skakel, the nephew of Ethel Kennedy. Skakel was convicted in 2002 of the 1975 murder of his neighbor, Martha Moxley. Skakel’s conviction was vacated by the Connecticut Supreme Court in 2018. In October 2020, the Connecticut State’s Attorney announced they will not retry Skakel.
Birth date: September 19, 1960
Birth place: Greenwich, Connecticut
Birth name: Michael Skakel
Father: Rushton Skakel Sr.
Mother: Anne Skakel
Marriage: Margot Sheridan (1991-2001, divorced)
Children: George, 1999
Education: Curry College, Milton, Massachusetts, B.A., 1993
Both Skakel and victim Martha Moxley were 15 years old at the time, and lived near each other in Greenwich, Connecticut.
His older brother, Tommy, and their live-in tutor, Kenneth Littleton, were also suspects.
Prosecutors claimed Skakel killed Moxley in a jealous rage.
Dominick Dunne’s bestselling 1993 novel “A Season in Purgatory” is based on the case.
October 30, 1975 – Martha Moxley fails to return home after her evening out concludes with a stop at the Skakel home to visit Tommy and Michael Skakel, Kennedy nephews by marriage.
October 31, 1975 – Martha’s body is discovered. She is believed to have been beaten to death with a golf club, which is found near her body. Tommy Skakel is questioned by the police.
1978 – Michael Skakel is charged with drunken driving. To sidestep a prosecution, Skakel family attorneys work out a deal with police: Skakel will go to the Elan School in Poland Spring, Maine, to be treated for alcohol addiction and the state will not pursue the charges.
1994 – Skakel works as an aide to Sen. Edward Kennedy’s reelection campaign.
1998 – Two books based on the crime are published – “Greentown,” by Timothy Dumas, and “Murder in Greenwich,” by Mark Fuhrman.
June 1998 – Superior Court Judge George Thim begins an 18-month one-person grand jury review of information gathered by investigators.
January 19, 2000 – An arrest warrant for an unnamed individual is issued in the Moxley murder. Later the same day, Skakel surrenders to police and is released on $500,000 bond.
June 21, 2000 – At a pre-trial hearing, two of Skakel’s former classmates at the Elan School in Maine testify that he had confessed to them back in the 1970s, “I’m gonna get away with murder. I’m a Kennedy.”
May 7, 2002 – Testimony begins in the case.
June 7, 2002 – Skakel is convicted.
August 29, 2002 – Skakel is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
November 24, 2003 – Attorneys file an appeal, seeking to overturn his murder conviction.
January 13, 2006 – The conviction is upheld by the Connecticut Supreme Court.
November 13, 2006 – The US Supreme Court declines to hear Skakel’s appeal, meaning his conviction stands.
April 17, 2007 – Skakel’s petition for a new trial is filed. Former high school classmate Gitano “Tony” Bryant says two of his friends were involved in the murder, not Skakel.
October 25, 2007 – The petition for new trial is denied as the judge finds statements not credible that Bryant and his two friends, all African American, could go unnoticed in the mostly white neighborhood.
November 6, 2007 – Skakel’s lawyers file a writ of habeas corpus and petition for a new trial in federal district court.
September 27, 2010 – Skakel’s lawyers file a new appeal claiming that his trial attorney, Mickey Sherman, was incompetent in that he failed to obtain evidence from prosecuting attorneys pointing to other suspects, and that Sherman’s own financial problems drew his focus away from the case. Sherman had pleaded guilty in June to failing to pay $400,000 in federal income taxes.
February 8, 2011 – Skakel testifies in his appeal hearing, the fourth attempt at overturning his conviction.
March 6, 2012 – His appeal is denied by a three-judge panel of the Connecticut Supreme Court.
October 24, 2012 – Skakel is denied parole by the state parole board in Suffield, Connecticut.
October 23, 2013 – A Connecticut Appellate judge orders a new trial for Skakel, saying defense attorney Mickey Sherman’s representation of Skakel was “constitutionally deficient.”
November 21, 2013 – Skakel is released after his bail is posted. Superior Court Judge Gary White sets several conditions for the bail, including barring Skakel from leaving Connecticut without court approval, ordering him to wear a GPS tracking device and requiring that he report to a bail commissioner.
August 8, 2014 – Prosecutors file an appeal to reinstate Skakel’s conviction of killing Moxley in 1975. If the appeal fails, prosecutors state they will retry Skakel.
December 30, 2016 – The Connecticut Supreme Court reinstates Skakel’s 2002 murder conviction in a 4-3 decision, reversing the appellate court’s order for a new trial in 2013. The final version of the court’s decision is released on May 8, 2017.
January 6, 2017 – Skakel’s attorneys file a motion to reconsider the ruling of the Connecticut Supreme Court and requesting a seven-member court panel hear the motion to ensure a “full and fair determination.” The argument raises an unprecedented issue, as the judge who authored the majority decision retired from the court and cannot participate in any future decisions.
May 4, 2018 – The Connecticut Supreme Court vacates Skakel’s conviction. Prosecutors can choose to retry Skakel, but had no comment immediately following the decision.
August 8, 2018 – Connecticut files a petition with the US Supreme Court to review the decision by Connecticut’s high court to vacate Skakel’s conviction based on inadequate assistance of counsel. Skakel files a brief in response to Connecticut’s petition approximately three months later.
January 7, 2019 – The US Supreme Court denies Connecticut’s petition for review.
July 24, 2020 – Federal Judge Michael Shea rules that Connecticut officials cannot keep judicial records and court proceedings secret for cases involving teenagers charged with major felonies, a ruling that will reopen Skakel’s case to the public if he is retried.
October 30, 2020 – Chief State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. announces that prosecutors for the state of Connecticut will not retry Skakel for the death of Moxley. Addressing the Stamford Superior Court, Colangelo confirms that after “Looking at the evidence, your honor, looking at the state of the case, it is my belief that the state cannot prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
January 3, 2024 – Skakel files lawsuits against the lead police investigator in the case and the town of Greenwich alleging malicious prosecution, violation of his constitutional rights and other claims.
by tyler | Jan 2, 2024 | CNN, us
Christmas might be over, but Kwanzaa is just getting started.
December 26 marked the start of Kwanzaa, also spelled Kwanza (with one ‘a’ at the end). It’s a seven-day non-religious holiday observed in the US, meant to honor African Americans’ ancestral roots. The celebration lasts until January 1.
The name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.”
Created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a Black nationalist and professor of Pan-African studies at California State University at Long Beach, Kwanzaa became popular in the 1980s and 1990s in tandem with the Black Power movement — making up the trio of winter holidays along with Hanukkah and Christmas.
The holiday is defined by Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles. Each day of the festival is dedicated to a specific principle, marked by lighting a new candle on the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra.
Even though Kwanzaa isn’t as widely celebrated as it used to be, its seven principles still hold true for some. Here’s a look at what those principles are, and what they mean.
Umoja means unity in Swahili.
Karenga defines this on his Kwanzaa website as: “To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.”
Or self-determination. This principle refers to defining, naming, creating and speaking for oneself.
Translated as “collective work and responsibility,” ujima refers to uplifting your community.
“To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together,” Karenga writes.
Cooperative economics. Similar to ujima, this principle refers to uplifting your community economically. “To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together,” he writes.
Nia means purpose.
Karenga expands on this principle with, “To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.”
Meaning “creativity,” Karenga defines this principle as “To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.”
The final principle translates to “faith.”
Karenga defines this as faith in community, writing, “To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.”
