Thurs PM News: Proud Boys Guilty, Jordan Neely Update, 1 Missing in MA Chemical Blast.

Tim MeadsMay 4, 2023

Proud Boys Convicted

Breaking news: a jury in Washington, D.C. has convicted four out of five Proud Boy defendants of seditious conspiracy in relation to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The men convicted are Enrique Tarrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys, and three other members and chapter leaders: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl.

Democrats Debate Subway Chokehold

Various Democrat political leaders are speaking out after a homeless man on a NY subway died from being put in a chokehold on Monday. Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claims that 30-year-old Jordan Neely was murdered. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the accusation irresponsible at a time when “we are still investigating the situation.”

The city medical examiner ruled the death a homicide on Wednesday. Witnesses say that Neely was threatening riders on the subway when another passenger took him down from behind and placed him in a chokehold for about 15 minutes, as other passengers helped subdue him. Neely had been arrested over 40 times in the past and had an outstanding assault warrant at the time of his death. Still, Adams stressed that there are “so many unknowns at this time.”

One Missing After Chemical Explosion In Massachusetts

Breaking news: one worker is missing after an explosion rattled a pharmaceutical chemical facility in Newburyport, Massachusetts early Thursday morning. CBS reported that firefighters were called to Seqens, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Newburyport shortly before 2:00 am et. Once the crew arrived at the location, they reportedly found an industrial-sized vat 30 feet away in a parking lot. According to authorities, four workers were inside the building at the time and were treated for injuries. The fifth is mysteriously missing. Here’s the town’s fire chief, Steve Bradbury:

“We have a missing person that we are trying to locate. We have a lot of debris that we have to go through. We have a lot of work to do to try to find this person.”

Major Union Withholding Biden Endorsement

The United Auto Workers, an influential union in U.S. politics, has announced that it has not yet made a decision whether to re-endorse President Joe Biden in the 2024 election, citing concerns over his plans to increase electric vehicles on the road — a move that could take away jobs from Americans.

Biden has supported policies that would effectively require two-thirds of new cars sold in the U.S. to be electric within a decade. However, electric vehicles often use fewer parts, meaning fewer workers are required to manufacture them or are often made overseas in places like China. CNN reported that the UAW president sent a memo to members this week, saying that “The federal government is pouring billions into the electric vehicle transition, with no strings attached and no commitment to workers” while adding that “The EV transition is at serious risk of becoming a race to the bottom.”

Jury Rules Ed Sheeran Didn’t Copy Marvin Gaye

In entertainment news, a Manhattan jury ruled Thursday that English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran was not liable for copyright infringement in the case regarding his 2014 hit song “Thinking Out Loud,” which was accused of sounding too similar to Marvin Gaye’s hit song “Let’s Get It On.”

The suit, which was brought by the family of a co-writer of the song, was asking for 100 million dollars in damages. Sheeran has stated that if the case had gone the other way he would quit music altogether.