The BET Awards return on Sunday night. The evening will be performance-packed and begin with a blazing set by Megan Thee Stallion, two days after the release of her third studio album.

Taraji P. Henson, an Oscar-nominated performer, will host the performance for the third time at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre.

BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More

Lauryn Hill and her son YG Marley, Childish Gambino, Ice Spice, Tyla, Chlöe, Coco Jones, Keke Palmer, Marsha Ambrosius, Summer Walker, GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, and Victoria Monét will also perform. Will Smith will perform a new song, but no specifics have been disclosed. The Grammy and Oscar winner is still recovering from the iconic Oscars slap two years ago, with the successful release of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” bolstering his recovery. Tanner Adell, a country musician, will also perform on the BET Amplified stage.

The BET Awards will be broadcast live on BET starting at 8 p.m. Eastern from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. They will also air simultaneously on Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Pop, TV Land, Nickelodeon at Nite, and VH1.

Drake leads the nominations, exactly as he did last year. These include an album of the year nomination for his eighth studio album, “For All the Dogs.”

BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More

One of the accolades he’s up for is the music video for “First Person Shooter,” his collaboration with J. Cole, which may have sparked his recent feud with rapper Kendrick Lamar.

Nicki Minaj follows with six, including album of the year for her much-anticipated “Pink Friday 2” release. Two of her nominations were for her song “Barbie World,” which appeared on the hit “Barbie” soundtrack, which she sang with Ice Spice.

J. Cole, Sexyy Red, SZA, and best new artist Grammy winner Victoria Monét all have five nominations, while 21 Savage, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Tyla, and Usher each have four.

Usher will receive the BET Awards’ Lifetime Achievement award, previously granted to Busta Rhymes last year and Sean “Diddy” Combs the year before.

The R&B sensation is an eight-time Grammy winner who recently completed a two-year residency at the Park MGM, “Usher: My Way”. In February, he released his first solo album in eight years, and in August, he will embark on a 24-city U.S. tour dubbed “Past Present Future.”

BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More

Usher’s 2024 Super Bowl halftime show received critical acclaim and featured guest appearances from Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, and Ludacris. His album “Confessions” sold over 10 million units in the United States, making it one of the best-selling music projects ever. It produced No. 1 songs like “Yeah!” with Ludacris and Lil Jon, “Burn,” and “Confessions Part II.”

Presenters include Andra Day, Colman Domingo, DC Young Fly, Devale Ellis, Jay Ellis, Jessica Betts, Ms. Pat, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Saucy Santana.

SOURCE – (AP)___

Some shady personalities are making an unwelcome appearance in the Lego fandom, which is well-known to include children, teenagers, and adult collectors—and for all the wrong reasons.

Lego products, particularly the more expensive sets that cost $1,000 or more, are highly sought after by both lone shoplifters and larger organized retail crime rings. This is because the sets, which are displayed on store shelves, can be sold for a healthy profit through both legal and illegal channels.

Shoplifters Love Lego. The Colorful Plastic Toy Bricks Are A Gold Mine For Criminals

Miguel Zuniga is still coping with the June 18 break-in at his Bricks & Minifigs Lego resale franchise store in Lomita, Los Angeles County.

Around five in the morning on Tuesday, the Lego heist took place.

“The ADT security system called while I was sleeping. My wife then received a call. We were being robbed, so I went directly to the cameras,” Zuniga said to CNN.

Within ten minutes, he arrived at his store, but the robbers had left with an estimated $5,000 to $7,000 worth of Legos.

Retail crime specialists told CNN that Lego sets that have been stolen are easy to resale, usually difficult to track down, and, if they are in immaculate condition and unused, can fetch a price that’s not too far off the original retail price. Even well-maintained old sets might fetch 50% of their original cost.

Several states have had Lego thefts in recent months.

According to CNN affiliate KABC, authorities in California detained two individuals earlier this month in relation to a retail crime ring that reportedly stole thousands of Lego toys from multiple Southern California businesses.

According to a police statement cited in the story, more than 2,800 boxes of Lego toys, each with a retail value ranging from $20 to over $1,000, were found by LAPD detectives.

Police in Philadelphia have recorded several Lego set thefts in the last several months from stores like Barnes & Noble and Target; the stolen sets have been valued anywhere from $250 to $1,000 per. Target informed CNN that it was unable to provide any information regarding Lego thefts at its locations. An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by Barnes & Noble.

Additionally, police in Richmond, British Columbia, just north of the border, found and confiscated more than a thousand pilfered toys in March. Lego sets and other soft toys valued at over $150,000 were among the pilfered items.

Among the most often taken goods
Lego sets are frequently in the top 10 most stolen retail products, along with branded jeans, purses, designer shoes, Olay skincare products, and Apple devices, according to experts, despite the difficulty in obtaining reliable statistics.

“Lego is different. Read Hayes, director of the Loss Prevention Research Council, which has Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Gap as members, and a criminologist at the University of Florida, said, “The brand is always refreshing their offerings, always on trend with tie-ins to pop culture and special edition sets.”

Hayes told CNN that his company collaborates with most stores who sell Lego merchandise in addition to Legoland theme parks. “There is always a demand.”

Shoplifters Love Lego. The Colorful Plastic Toy Bricks Are A Gold Mine For Criminals

Because of this, there is a growing market for counterfeit goods, particularly on the internet, in addition to the market for stolen Lego products.

Lego violations are nothing new to Wichita, Kansas, police captain Casey Slaughter, who oversees the department’s property crimes section.

Slaughter told CNN, “We see Lego toys as one of the more frequently stolen items in our area.” “Lego theft can happen to any retailer selling the brand, but there are also a few secondhand stores that specialize in Lego that have emerged as resellers.” They are under attack.

Lego thieves find it easy money, he claimed. He claimed that it was hard to find out where they were taken from.

Wichita Police looked into 19 Lego thefts between January 8, 2024, and May 7, 2024, according to information the police agency sent CNN. The information showed that among the stolen items were sets from the Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars movies.

When contacted for comment, Lego referred CNN to online tools on its website to teach customers how to recognize phony Lego products and online businesses.

Since April, a number of Bricks & Minifigs locations in California have experienced thefts.

“This is most likely our fourth or fifth Lego-themed hit. Regarding the heist of Zuniga’s store, Captain Calvin Mah of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s major crimes section stated in an interview with CNN that “they happen quickly, 30 seconds to a minute.”

“I could see that they were aiming for particular Lego pieces when I watched the security footage. They had a clear idea of what they wanted. They were looking for the uncommon or collectible sets, the high-end and high-value ones, he claimed.

Shoplifters Love Lego. The Colorful Plastic Toy Bricks Are A Gold Mine For Criminals

When Zuniga told CNN about the robbery, she became tearful.

On the day of the break-in, Zuniga cleaned his store and then went home to take a shower.

He remarked, “I sent a bat signal to the community when I came back to come and support us in our time of need.” Consumers arrived; some even gave away their Lego sets. To stock empty shelves, he purchased Lego kits that were marked down at the neighborhood Target.

“The first customer that came in at nine in the morning was a 71-year-old who had built some of the most expensive Lego sets,” Zuniga recalled, sobbing uncontrollably. He’s a legend in our community. He arrived crying.

SOURCE – (CNN)

Are you interested in the tales behind renowned songs and their creators? Perhaps you’ve heard of Jimmy Buffett, the musician famous for “Margaritaville” and his laid-back beach music. However, one aspect of his life narrative gets little attention: his first wife, Margie Washichek.

She was there before he became famous, supporting him in ways many people are unaware of. Margie Washichek and Jimmy Buffett married in 1969 at St. Joseph’s Chapel, and their journey together began with optimism and music. Like many couples experiencing hardships, Jimmy pursued his goals in Nashville, putting his marriage under strain.

This essay sheds light on Margie Washichek’s secret narrative, from her early support to life following their separation. Are you ready to discover more about this secret chapter? Continue reading!

The Wedding of Margie Washichek and Jimmy Buffett

Margie Washichek and Jimmy Buffett exchanged wedding vows in a modest, lovely church. Soon after, they packed their bags for Nashville, believing Jimmy’s songs would become popular in the country music industry.

The Wedding at St. Joseph’s Chapel

Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek picked a particular location for their wedding day. They married in 1969 at St. Joseph’s Chapel, situated on the Spring Hill College campus. This church provided a stunning backdrop for their wedding, which marked the beginning of their lives together.

The couple’s choice to marry in such a special place demonstrated how much they valued tradition and building a solid foundation for their future. In Pascagoula, Mississippi, where Jimmy Buffett was born, the wedding at St. Joseph’s Chapel was more than simply a celebration; it signaled the beginning of what they hoped would be a long journey together.

Move to Nashville for Jimmy’s musical career.

Margie Washichek and her husband, James William Buffett, packed their bags for Nashville shortly after their wedding in 1969. Nashville was the center of the music business. Jimmy planned to make a huge impression there with his music.

If you wanted to be a country music star, this city was the place to go.

Jimmy worked hard in Nashville to stand out among the many aspiring artists. He performed shows at local venues and penned songs day and night, hoping that one of them might lead to an opportunity in the business.

Margie encouraged him every step of the way, believing in his skill and goal. While barriers were plentiful—competition was fierce, and successes were rare—they remained optimistic that Jimmy’s unique combination of country sounds would ultimately get noticed.

Problems in Jimmy and Margie’s Marriage

Jimmy’s attraction to another woman strained his marriage with Margie. They separated in September 1972, when the obstacles became unbearable.

Jimmy’s “obsession” with another woman.

Jimmy had affection for a young girl named Edith. This new hobby created problems in his marriage. The more he concentrated on Edith, the less attention he paid to his wife, Margie Washichek. Edith worked at a clothes business called The Looking Glass. Jimmy used to spend time outside the business. To get Edith’s attention, he played the guitar and created songs.

Divorce filing in 1972.

Margie Washichek and Jimmy Buffett officially ended their marriage in September 1972. After three years together, Jimmy filed for divorce, which demonstrated their intimate relationship as husband and wife.

The filing occurred at a time when both were facing personal issues. For Margie, the breakup of her marriage meant confronting a future without the man she had supported throughout his early music career moves in Nashville.

On the other hand, Jimmy saw this as a watershed moment in his career, and he finally married Jane Slagsvol in 1977. But where is Edith? We have very little information on her as yet.

Margie Washichek’s Post-Divorce Life

The narrative continued even after Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek parted ways. Jimmy carefully included a sincere acknowledgment of Margie’s influence on his life in his songs. Despite winning the title of Miss USS Alabama, Margie stayed quiet after her divorce. However, there are reports that she lived quietly and began her life with someone else.

Jimmy made a gesture of recognition.

Following their divorce, Jimmy Buffett did something kind for Margie Washichek. He took a Mercedes and left her. This was not simply a vehicle; it was his method of expressing gratitude. He wanted to express his gratitude for all of her kindness and encouragement, particularly in the early goings of his Nashville music career.

This gesture demonstrates that Jimmy acknowledged Margie’s contribution to his career and life even after they parted ways. Jimmy’s leaving the Mercedes was more than a present; it was an acknowledgment of Margie. It highlighted how important she had been working behind the scenes to help him through good times and bad.

This is a reminder that when it comes to showing thanks to someone who has supported you through difficult times, sometimes deeds speak louder than words. Jimmy battled skin cancer for a while before passing away on September 1, 2023.

The Part Margie Played in Jimmy’s Early Career

In the early years of Jimmy Buffett’s career, Margie Washichek was more than simply a name associated with him. She was there for him when uncertainties obstructed his way, lending her support. Her faith in his aspirations gave him the will to compose and perform songs that would eventually win over millions of listeners.

She supported him as he performed at modest venues and made great efforts to establish himself in Nashville’s packed music halls. Not only did she provide emotional support, but she also took on practical duties so Jimmy could concentrate on his profession.

Margie’s persistent commitment was vital in creating the foundation for Cameron Marley Buffett’s legendary family heritage. From handling tight money to navigating the vagaries of the music business, they overcame many obstacles on their voyage, demonstrating the strength of collaboration from the start of a remarkable career.

Conclusions

Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek’s voyage sheds light on a little-known tale. Every stage of their journey, from their chapel wedding to their challenges and eventual separation, had a unique story to tell.

It illustrates how love can be put to the test by success and may leave lasting scars. Even after they broke up, Jimmy showed Margie that he valued her in his ascent to prominence by gifting her a vehicle. This historical fragment provides us with more than just hearsay; it teaches us about perseverance, encouragement, and the intricacies of interpersonal interactions while pursuing one’s goals.

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