Toby Keith, Boeing Investigation, and Defining Tarnation

Michigan Shooting Verdict 

A jury yesterday found a Michigan mother guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with her son's 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School that killed four students and injured seven other people. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for each count; her sentencing is scheduled for April 9. 

Jennifer Crumbley, 45, is believed to be the first parent to be held criminally responsible for a mass attack committed by their child. To carry out the Nov. 30, 2021, attack, her then-15-year-old son used a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun his father bought him for Christmas four days before (see timeline). Her son, now 17, pleaded guilty as an adult to all 24 charges in 2022, including murder and terrorism, and was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole. 

The shooter's father, 57-year-old James, will take the stand next month in a separate trial over involuntary manslaughter charges.

Toby Keith Dies

Country music star Toby Keith has died at the age of 62 after a two-year battle with stomach cancer. The artist—who also wrote most of his songs—sold over 40 million records and had 20 No. 1 singles and nine No. 1 albums throughout his 30-year career.  

Born Toby Keith Covel in Oklahoma in 1961, he worked in the oil fields and as a semi-professional football player before rising to fame in the 1990s with songs such as "Should've Been a Cowboy"—the most-played country track of the decade—and "How Do You Like Me Now." The singer was also known for his patriotic songs like "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue," inspired by his father's death (an Army veteran) and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Through his music success and business ventures—including part ownership of the label that signed Taylor Swift—Keith regularly appeared on the Forbes list of highest-paid country entertainers. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021. Former President Donald Trump awarded him a National Medal of the Arts in 2021. See tributes here.

Boeing's Missing Bolts

Four bolts intended to fasten a door plug panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 were missing before last month's midair Alaska Airlines blowout near Portland, according to a federal report released yesterday. It marks the first official account of the incident, which led to the temporary grounding of over 170 Max 9s and prompted renewed scrutiny of Boeing.

The investigation found unnamed Boeing employees at its factory in Washington state removed the door plug to allow repairs in September. An image taken of the reinstalled door (for unrelated reasons) reportedly shows the missing bolts. The plane was delivered to Alaska Airlines in October, and investigators saw no evidence the plug was removed again. 

The report came the same day the head of the Federal Aviation Administration faced congressional scrutiny over the agency's alleged lax oversight of Boeing amid a string of recent technical malfunctions at the manufacturer. The FAA committed to adding more inspectors to Boeing factories. 

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