'We're making our way': how Virginia became the most progressive of the US’s southern states

The Guardian

2021-03-08 14:55:06

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• Virginia becomes 1st Southern state to abolish death penalty as governor signs law

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• White House officials visit border facility; Harris to manage influx of migrants

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• See inside the two types of border facilities for unaccompanied migrant minors

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• Aimee Mayo Emotionally Revisits 1990 Suicide Attempt in Memoir: 'I'm Just Grateful to Be Alive'

  Editor's Note: This story includes graphic details of multiple suicide attempts. It was Christmas Eve of 1979, and Aimee Mayo's father had just put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. As news spread and chaos ensued in the home she shared with her grandparents, a terrified little...Read Full StorySuicide PreventionCelebritiesLove StoryFather ChristmasLong StoryLong LifeSouthernLonestarBMIHusbandShocking Life StoryWrite SongsGrandparentsMultiple Suicide AttemptsChristmas EveAimee MayoDanny MayoTracy ByrdKenny ChesneyCarrie UnderwoodLoretta LynnDolly PartonTaylor SwiftDanny McbrideFaith Hill

• Tim McGraw Posts Amazing Cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Ramblin’ Man’ in Throwback Backstage Clip

  For Tim McGraw, if you can’t entertain your audience live and in person, you might as well share a behind-the-scenes classic.Earlier this week, the country star posted a video of him and his road band (the Dancehall Doctors) singing a cover of Ramblin’ Man. McGraw captioned it “miss playin with these boys… Here’s some Allman Bros.”View this post on InstagramA post shared by Tim McGraw (@thetimmcgraw)How Much Does Tim McGraw Love the Allman Brothers? He Sang With GreggThis isn’t the first time Tim McGraw has sung an Allman Brothers song and it probably won’t be the last. He loved the southern rock group, which sang for the final time together in 2014. The group, which debuted in 1969, disbanded and reunited several times. It even survived through the deaths of several of its band members. The song Ramblin’ Man was the band’s signature. The single, from the album Brothers and Sisters, was released in 1973. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ramblin’ Man was the only top 10 single for the group. Initially, the Allman Brothers thought the song was too country for their southern-rocker style. After all, it was inspired by a Hank Williams song by the same name. The group’s guitarist Dicky Betts wrote and sang the song. Betts once said he wrote the song at 4 a.m. Tim McGraw and Gregg Allman sang on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno show together in 2009. The two performed the title song of McGraw’s then-new album Southern Voice. And McGraw showed his love of the Allman Brothers by name-checking them in the lyrics.Here’s a sampling of the lyrics from Southern Voice: “Smooth as the hickory wind that blows from Memphis down to Appalachicola. It’s hi ya’ll, did ya eat well? Come on in, I’m sure glad to know ya.“Don’t let this old gold cross, an’ this Allman Brothers t-shirt throw ya. It’s cicadas making noise with the southern voice.”The Tim McGraw song also named a variety of celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Dolly Parton, Tom Petty and Aretha Franklin.The Allman Brothers Live On Through MusicGregg Allman died in 2017 of complications of liver cancer. Several months after he performed on the Leno Show with Tim McGraw, he underwent a liver transplant.Back in current times, the McGraw fans loved the Allman Brothers cover the country star shared with them.One commented: “Love this. It truly shows that it isn’t just work for you and the band, but pure, from the heart, fun.”Another fan wrote: “Anything this man sings is wonderful and makes my heart very happy.”CelebritiesRock MusicVideo MusicMusic VideoClassic MusicInstagramMcGrawSouthern VoiceTim McGraw LoveRamblinClipBackstageSongSingingStarTim McgrawHank WilliamsGregg AllmanJay LenoMichael JordanDolly PartonTom PettyAretha Franklin

• The Latest: Brazil 2nd nation to top 300,000 COVID-19 deaths

  SAO PAULO, Brazil — Brazil has reached 300,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and become the second nation to top that figure. The United States hit the same milestone on Dec. 14, but it has a larger population.Read Full StoryBrazilCovid-19Public HealthUnited StatesSao PauloCOVID-19 DeathsSAO PAULOPopulation

• Families bask in hugs, affection as nursing home COVID-19 restrictions lifted

  Families bask in hugs, affection as nursing home COVID-19 restrictions lifted. FOR MORE: https://nbc4i.co/3d52b0L. Families bask in hugs, affection as nursing home COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Columbus Downtown Development Corp.'s new leadership takes on an equity agenda. Police recover girl, 5, reported missing from northeast Columbus. U.S. Marshal shot serving warrant...Read Full StoryNursing HomeCovid-19AffectionBaskIrsPublic HealthU.S. MarshalEGGcellentHugsCollege StudentsSouthernCentral OhioPoliceLotteryColumbus U.S.

• India’s daily COVID-19 infections rise to five-month high

  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India added 53,476 COVID-19 infections overnight, the highest daily rise since Oct. 23, the health ministry data showed on Thursday. India has 11.8 million COVID-19 cases, the third-highest amount behind the United States and Brazil. The country reported 251 new deaths, taking the overall tally to...Read Full StoryIndiaInfectionsCovid-19BrazilNew DelhiPublic HealthUnited StatesReutersDeathsReportingCountryMinistryNallur SethuramanNeha AroraChristian Schmollinger