Big tech companies are turning to nuclear power as AI ramps up demand for electricity.

We were thrilled by the remarkable interest in speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27–29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. After an in-depth review process, we’ve selected 20 exceptional finalists—10 for breakout sessions and 10 for roundtables. Now, we’re putting the final decision in your hands. Audience Choice voting is open through […]

WASHINGTON, DC — In a closely watched case with broad implications for religious liberty and the separation of church and state, the U.S. Supreme Court has deadlocked on whether states can prohibit religious charter schools, leaving unresolved questions about the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. The 4-4 tie in the consolidated cases of Oklahoma Statewide Virtual …

Forget George Floyd, remember the 14,000. In 2019, the FBI recorded less than 17,000 homicides. After George Floyd died of a drug overdose while violently resisting arrest, we would not see numbers like that again. 4,870 more people were murdered in 2020. Those excess deaths meant that Floyd and BLM killed nearly as many people …

Yet another country artist has decided to leave the genre to work for the Lord. I say another because back in 2o23, Granger Smith announced that he was leaving country music to pursue a full-time position in ministry. It was shocking, but it also made sense because he had just suffered a huge loss in his family. Now, a former American Idol winner is following in the footsteps of Smith as he chooses to leave country music behind and move forward with a career in gospel and worship music. You might remember Trent Harmon from his incredible run on the singing competition show back in 2016. After bringing faith to the forefront of his performances and his time on screen, Harmon won the 2016 edition of American Idol. And it was no fluke… Harmon showcased his unique, southern stylings and powerful voice on his way to winning the whole thing. Here was his rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey” from his run on the show: He’s certainly got some pipes. Harmon didn’t exactly rocket to stardom after his American Idol victory (not a lot of artists do nowadays), but he has since made a living as a country artist. That is until he recently decided that he’d be leaving the genre behind in favor of gospel and worship music. The 34-year-old artist told The Christian Post that for the longest time, he almost felt like he was living a double life singing non-Christian songs and then praising his Lord and Savior separately. But an experience while he was on American Idol changed his thought process on keeping the two things apart from one another: “It was like, ‘That has its own thing. Keep it over there.’ I remember sitting around sharing songs with several contestants one night… and I played a worship song. There was a different feeling in the room. I thought, ‘You know what? That left a mark tonight.'” That singular experience led to many instances where Harmon decided to make his performances more faith-based. The more the country artist weaved his religion into his music, the more he felt at ease. That’s how Trent Harmon finally came to the conclusion that he wanted to leave a legacy, which consequently meant that he wanted to leave country music behind: “I kept wanting to go do more shows that were more spirit-filled. I feel most at comfort whenever I’m playing songs that I know have a purpose, have a meaning behind them. I realized I was writing more and more faith-based stuff in my own time. These songs are the ones I wanted to end my show with. Then I kind of realized, I wanted my whole show to be these songs. When you have kids, you want to leave a legacy.” Though it was a scary decision to leave country music, Harmon continued to feel better and better about the career shift. A recent performance at a church all but confirmed to the former American Idol winner that his life was moving in the right direction: “It was a smaller church, but I didn’t care if it had been 2,000 or 200 people. I just thought, ‘I feel comfortable doing this, man. I’m back to my roots. I’m playing the music that I know the words to. I’m not having to change any lyrics so that my mom won’t be upset if she sees it online later.’ I’m at peace with the songs and the music that I’m making right now.” And even with the transition from country music to worship, Trent Harmon suggests that he sees a lot of overlap with country and gospel (especially with more modern artists like Jelly Roll) that he can work within. At the end of the day, the 34-year-old artist just wants to be proud of and comfortable with what’s he’s doing as a career. Harmon hopes that by shining a spotlight on what matters most to him, others can also be led to experience the grace of God: “Those two genres have always intermingled and mixed. As far back as Elvis. And I have a foot of fans in each genre. That’s something that I’m able to do. I’m proud to do it. My hope is that this music will encourage hearts and strengthen faith. And it will remind listeners that God is always working, even in the waiting.” Can I get an amen?The post Former ‘American Idol’ Winner Leaving Country Genre To Focus On Worship Music first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

It’s about time someone did a deep dive on this topic. I’m happy to openly discuss – and potentially spark conversation around – why listening to Sturgill Simpson (or Johnny Blue Skies) while mowing evokes such a spiritual feeling. I don’t know about you, but I personally love to have a big ol’ yard to mow… as long as I’ve got a playlist chock full of grass-cutting anthems. And no one has arguably perfected the lawn mowing genre better than the artist formerly known as (and to be honest, still known as) Sturgill Simpson. Surely you’ve heard of Simpson’s Cuttin’ Grass volumes, right? Basically, back in 2020, Sturgill released two different bluegrass albums. Vol. 1 is referred to as “The Butcher Shoppe Sessions” and Vol. 2 is called “The Cowboy Arms Sessions,” and both consist of covers of his already existing songs – just in the style of bluegrass. And with the name Cuttin’ Grass, and the album art being Sturgill sitting on a riding mower, it’s almost like it’s a musical instructional manual for lawn care. “All the Pretty Colors” from Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1. “Call To Arms” from Cuttin’ Grass Vol 2. Obviously, either of those albums are magical to listen to while pushing a mower or riding a mower (zero-turn preferred). But the overwhelming zen that’s felt while slashing blades of grass and listening to Simpson isn’t exclusive to those two albums. Really any Sturgill album does the trick, and I’ve got some personal favorite songs that I like to cue up when I hop aboard my mechanical grass-cutting steed. Shall we? “Long White Line” This track only makes sense. There’s not a long white line in your yard, but there is a cut line that guides you from row to row. And boy oh boy… does life make a lot of sense when this song is rocking in your headphones and you’re making stripes in your front, back, or side yard. Don’t come checking on me when I shout the lyrics to this song just loud enough to where you can hear me above the lawnmower. I’m doing just fine. “In Bloom” Can’t leave Simpson’s cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” off the list. Plants, flowers and trees being in bloom means that it’s time to get out in the yard and get to work. And Sturg’s countryfied version of this iconic grunge track is the perfect compliment. Though the song itself isn’t about cutting the grass, it might as well be. Just as the grass is in full bloom, it’s time to cut it back down to a manageable, manicured length. Like the blooming process, it’s a beautiful, ever-repeating cycle. “Living the Dream” Now this one only works if you are sitting atop a grass-mowing chariot. The larger the deck on the thing, the better. I can’t attest to this song working if you are using a push mower. If it’s self-propelled, I could see it still working. But Simpson’s “Living The Dream” really reaches its mowing potential if you’ve got it on while you are on a straightaway in your yard, allowing for a sip of an ice cold beer that was sitting in the mower’s cup holder. Doesn’t get any better than that, am I right? “One For The Road” Gotta include one from the Johnny Blue Skie catalogue. I’ve gone back to a number of the tracks from Passage Du Desir, like “Scooter Blues” and “Swamp of Sadness.” Johnny Blue Skies’ debut album wasn’t exactly a country album, but it doesn’t exactly fall under the category of rock either. It was once again a cosmic take on music from Sturgill, and the spaced-out song (in every sense of the phrase) that I love to turn all the way up while mowing is “One for the Road.” Again, an adult beverage perfectly assists the enjoyment of this one into the stratosphere. Sometimes this is the song to go to after you’ve completed the yard word. If you’ve got a fridge in the garage, going right to that beautiful ice box right after putting the mower in park is preferred. The garage-ier the beer, the better. But getting back to the question at hand… why is it such a spiritual experience to tune to Sturgill Simpson or Johnny Blue Skies while spinning your mower blades? My answer to that, after much thought, is this. Maybe like religion itself, there’s simply something about it all that’s bigger than ourselves. That mysterious feeling that comes with cueing up Stu and taking care of the grass maybe isn’t meant to be understood. Could we possibly be destined to just trust that Simpson’s music perfectly aligns with mowing? I’m certainly not opposed to letting go and letting the country stylings of Sturgill steer the mower where it needs to be. Maybe it all feels spiritual because… it is.The post Why Is Mowing The Lawn While Listening To Sturgill Simpson Such A Spiritual Experience? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Memorial Day 2025 is here. Marking the unofficial start of the summer, everybody is looking forward to celebrating Memorial Day with friends and family. However, we can’t forget just how much weight this day holds for all of those who’ve lost loved ones fighting to secure our freedom overseas. It’s a day to remember those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Laying down their lives so that we’re able to fire up the grill this weekend. We get to stay home from work because some never came home from work. Never forget. It’s no secret that there’s been a number of country artists who’ve paid their respects to those true heroes, so let’s take a look at some of best country songs that pay tribute to fallen soldiers. 5. “Arlington” – Trace Adkins One of the cornerstones of Trace Adkins long career, “Arlington” is told from a fallen soldier’s point of view, as he was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, the resting place for our fallen troops. 4. “Dress Blues” – Jason Isbell This song shows you the perspective of what a friend goes through when they lose their best friend fighting overseas. It’s a conversation between Isbell, and his best friend as he was attending his memorial and funeral after he was brought back home. He reflects on the good times, and how it doesn’t even feel real. 3. “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” – Justin Moore This song is the ultimate tribute to our fallen troops. The intro nearly brings you to tears instantly, as he sings about a family getting ready to welcome home their son from overseas, when they’re told that he passed away in combat. Then he hits us with a line in the chorus that cuts straight to the heart: “They’re in a better place up there, but they sure left a hole down here.” 2. “Some Gave All” – Billy Ray Cyrus The title track from Billy Ray’s debut album, “Some Gave All” tells the story of a man named Sandy Cane, who came back from overseas. And while Sandy was a hero himself, he wanted all those who think of him to remember that “all have some, but some gave all.” “All gave some, some gave allSome stood through for the red, white and blueAnd some had to fallAnd if you ever think of meThink of all your liberties and recallSome gave all…” 1. “If You’re Reading This” – Tim McGraw Now talk about a song that will bring a grown man to tears. It’s about a letter from a fallen soldier to his significant other that he wrote in case he passed away during war. The letter talks about how he’s in Heaven now, and he lists the last few things he wants to tell those he loves before he’s laid to rest for good. Grab the Kleenex. The post 5 Country Songs Honoring The Heroes Who Made The Ultimate Sacrifice first appeared on Whiskey Riff.