Music icon Tina Turner passes away at 83 – National & International News – WED 24May2023

Music icon Tina Turner passes away at 83.

Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh faces federal fraud charges.

Neo-Nazi paramilitary group enters Russia-Ukraine conflict.

NATIONAL NEWS

Music icon Tina Turner passes away at 83

Legendary performer Tina Turner has passed away at her home in Zurich, Switzerland at the age of 83. Sometimes called the “Queen of Rock n’ Roll”, Turner had hits in many pop genres including rock, R&B, and country. Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in Brownville, TN, on November 26, 1939 to a family of sharecroppers. She recalled picking cotton with her family at a young age. 

When she was in her teens, she met musician Ike Turner who cultivated her singing talent. She released her first album in 1958. Turner later married Ike and they performed together to great acclaim throughout their marriage. But the relationship was was turbulent and abusive. When she eventually divorced Ike in the mid-70s, Turner became a symbol of resiliency for many abused women. She soon embarked on a successful solo career. She rose to superstardom in the 1980s when she was in her 40s. Her most successful single, a powerful rock ballad called “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, came out in 1984.

Turner continued as a powerhouse singer and performer, touring well into her 70s. The sharecropper’s daughter from Tennessee spent her final days in her 260,000 sq. ft. mansion in Switzerland.

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Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh faces federal fraud charges

Disgraced former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh has been indicted on federal fraud charges. Murdaugh, 54, was convicted earlier this year of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul on their rural 1,700-acre estate. He received a life sentence for the double murder. However, he is still facing about 100 state charges for stealing money both from clients and his own law firm during his career as a personal injury lawyer. 

Now, a federal grand jury has indicted Murdaugh on 22 fraud counts including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering. According to the indictment, Murdaugh “engaged in three different schemes to obtain money and property from his personal injury clients” between 2005 and 2021 during his career as a personal injury. Among those Murdaugh allegedly defrauded were the sons of his personal housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died after an accident at his home.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A neo-Nazi paramilitary group has entered the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Two paramilitary groups calling themselves the Russian Volunteer Corps (or RDK) and Liberty of Russia Legion (LSR) have claimed responsibility for a raid in Russia near the Ukrainian border and has vowed to carry out more raids. Denis Kapustin, leader of the RDK, claims his group succeeded in taking prisoners and seizing some weapons including an armored personnel carrier. Kapustin said he was “satisfied with the result [of the raid]”.

Russia’s defense ministry said last week that it had repelled a raid by an “insurgency”, killing more than 70 saboteurs. Russia claim that RDK and LSR as Ukrainian militants, but the Ukrainians claim they are Russian anti-Kremlin paramilitaries.

Kapustin is described as a Russian nationalist, and his group openly claims to want a mono-ethnic Russian state. At a news conference in Ukrainian territory, reporters asked Kapustin about reports of neo-Nazis in his group’s ranks. He replied that that was “a matter of perception”.

Kapustin denied reports that his group were using weapons supplied to Ukraine by the West. Both Ukrainian and US leadership have sought to distance themselves from RDK’s and LSR’s actions.

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