5 things you need to know Thursday
Trump visits West Virginia after controversial Boy Scouts speech
President Trump will head to West Virginia for a rally Thursday that could provide a respite from thornier issues — a staff shake-up, controversial immigration policies and sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea. Last month, Trump visited the state to give a speech at the Boy Scouts' National Jamboree that included political attacks.Facing public backlash, the organization apologized to its members — some of whom said they were offended by Trump's rhetoric — and insisted that it doesn't promote politics.
Woman to be sentenced in texting suicide case
A Massachusetts woman faces sentencing Thursday in a suicide-by-text case. Michelle Carter, 20, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in June for sending her depressed boyfriend a barrage of text messages urging him to kill himself when they were teenagers. A judge ruled in June that Carter caused the death of Conrad Roy, who filled his truck with carbon monoxide in a Fairhaven store parking lot in 2014. Carter, 20, could face up to 20 years in prison.
College football preseason coaches poll arrives
The college football season is less than a month away, and to get you ready for the action, Paste BN Sports will unveil the Top 25 preseason Amway Coaches Poll on Thursday at noon ET. The poll is voted on by a panel of 65 coaches across the country, and the usual suspects in the running for the early No. 1 ranking are Ohio State, Alabama and Florida State. As we prepare for the games to kick off, we learned whom ESPN paired up as broadcast announcing teams for the season. Are you ready for some football?
Eight new acts to catch at Lollapalooza
From Thursday to Sunday, Lollapalooza will invade Chicago's Grant Park with the likes of Chance the Rapper, Lorde, Arcade Fire, Muse and the Killers. A significant portion of the 176 Lolla artists are newcomers, some of whom could go on to be marquee names and headliners. Long ago, a little-known Lady Gaga played an afternoon set on a small Lolla stage. Acts such as Jain, Sampha and Mura Masa may not be household names, but they're among our picks for eight up-and-coming artists you have to see at Lolla this year.
Happy 40th, Tom Brady!
Tom Brady is a five-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots. He's often called the greatest quarterback of all time. He's an author. He belongs to the most exclusive clubs. He is married to one of the world's most famous supermodels. He has even sumo wrestled and mistakenly been called the owner of the New York Jets. One thing he has never been is 40 years old. That changes Thursday. What do you get the man who has everything? We're guessing Brady's wishing for that sixth Super Bowl ring.
Bonus: McCain joins Paste BN Network for live interview
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will sit down with The Arizona Republic, part of the Paste BN Network, for a live interview Thursday (2 p.m. ET). The interview comes days after the Arizona Republican returned home to begin treatment for a recently diagnosed brain tumor and after he entered a deciding vote in Washington that helped block the Republican repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
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