Wes Donehower has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President, A&R at Big Loud Records and Mercury Records.
According to Wednesday’s (June 18) announcement, this “unique” dual role originated from the “successful strategic alliance” between Big Loud Records and Mercury Records.
Since signing a multi-year distribution deal back in 2024, the two labels have worked closely together across artists like Big Loud’s Morgan Wallen.
In his previous role, Donehowerserved as Senior Vice President, A&R at Republic Records where he worked on the deal to bring Jelly Roll to the label in partnership with BMG and Broken Bow Records.
He also led A&R on Jelly Roll‘s latest album, Beautifully Broken, which debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200.
Prior to this, Donehower worked in A&R at Columbia Records where he signed artists such as Lil Nas X,Russ, Koe Wetzel, and Quinn XCII.
Big Loud partner and CEO Seth England commented on Donehower’s appointment: “Wes has an exceptional track record of discovering and signing game-changing talent, and he’s firmly established himself as one of the industry’s top A&R executives.”
“Wes has firmly established himself as one of the industry’s top A&R executives.”
Seth England, Big Loud
Added England: “I respect his work ethic, his creative instincts, and the impact he makes on the culture.
“We’re honored to welcome him into the Big Loud family through our partnership with Mercury.”
Mercury Records Chairman and CEO Tyler Arnold, said: “Wes is an incredible A&R executive who has an innate ability to work across every genre.
“He has great instincts, but more impressively has a gift of building long lasting and genuine relationships with artists.
“We’ve shared a lot of great moments already, and I’m so excited to team up with Wes for many years to come.”
“He has great instincts, but more impressively has a gift of building long lasting and genuine relationships with artists.”
Tyler Arnold, Mercury Records
Commenting on his new role, Donehower said: “Tyler and Seth have set a standard for our business with their dynamic and artist centric approach.
“It’s a privilege to work with both the Mercury and Big Loud teams.
“It’s a privilege to work with both the Mercury and Big Loud teams.”
Wes Donehower, Big Loud and Mercury Records
“I’m looking forward to continuing to build new relationships in country music while fostering my longstanding partnerships across all genres.”
This appointment is another sign of the strengthening relationship between Big Loud Records and Mercury Records’ parent company, Universal Music Group.
On May 1, Big Loud sold a minority stake in Morgan Wallen’s master recording catalog to Chord Music Partners, in a deal reportedly valued at over $200 million.
Universal Music Group holds a 25.8% stake in Chord Music Partners, via a $240 million investmentmade in February 2024.Music Business Worldwide
Here are the key events on day 1,211 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
This is how things stand on Thursday, June 19 :
Fighting
The death toll from a large-scale Russian attack on Kyiv earlier this week has risen to 28, with 130 injured, although rescue work is still under way.
The attack was carried out by 440 drones and 32 missiles, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Moscow characterised the attack as precision strikes on “military-industrial facilities in the Kyiv region”, although video footage showed the attack levelling parts of an apartment block in the Ukrainian capital.
Russia said it captured the village of Novomykolaivka in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, where Russian forces have renewed their offensive. The region has been at the centre of fighting since the Russian invasion in 2022.
Diplomacy
Speaking to foreign media at a late-night news conference, Russian leader Vladimir Putin dismissed fears that he was planning to attack the NATO military alliance. He said the military bloc and its rearmament did not threaten Russia.
Putin said he would consider Germany to be a direct actor in the Ukraine war should it supply Kyiv with Taurus cruise missiles. Earlier this month, Germany’s Ministry of Defence said it did not have plans to do so, despite repeated requests from Ukraine.
Putin further said he does not consider Germany to be a “neutral state”, but a “party supporting Ukraine, and in some cases … as accomplices in these hostilities”.
Despite his remarks, Putin said he was prepared to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, although he also expressed doubts about Germany’s role as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Putin has offered to meet with Zelenskyy but only during the “final phase” of talks to end the conflict. Last month, Putin declined to attend a face-to-face summit in Istanbul with the Ukrainian president.
Zelenskyy is reportedly planning to attend a NATO meeting in The Hague next week, where members will discuss raising defence spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Sanctions
Canada announced new sanctions targeting 77 individuals, 39 entities and 200 vessels in Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers. In addition to the sanctions, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged a further $1.47bn in military support for Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin has said Iran did not take up Russia’s offer to work together on air defence and said anti-air systems were not covered under the strategic partnership Moscow and Tehran signed in January.
Putin, Russia’s president, said in a televised interview late on Wednesday that the agreement did not cover defence.
“We once proposed to our Iranian friends to work together on anti-air systems, but our partners did not show any great interest,” he said.
“As far as individual supplies are concerned, yes, of course, we made those at the time, but this has nothing to do with the crisis today,” Putin added, without specifying when the offer and past supplies took place.
People and businesses in the US have faced a whirlwind of policy change in recent months. But one thing has remained fixed: borrowing costs set by the US central bank.
The Federal Reserve stuck with that strategy on Wednesday, leaving its key interest rate unchanged, even as officials’ expectations for the economy worsened.
The decision marked the fourth in a row without action, keeping the bank’s influential lending rate hovering around 4.3%, where it has stood since December.
That came despite forecasts from policymakers suggesting they expect slower growth, higher unemployment and faster inflation than they did just a few months ago.
Typically, the Fed lowers borrowing costs if it believes the economy is struggling and raises them if prices start to rise too quickly.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on the Fed to cut interest rates, while pushing major changes to economic policy, including raising tariffs on goods from around the world.
Fed officials, who are empowered to set interest rates independent of the White House, have said they are worried that a one-time jump in prices due to those new levies could morph into a more persistent problem.
Inflation, the pace of price increases, remains above the Fed’s 2% target, coming in at 2.4% in May.
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the bank was braced for prices to rise more quickly in the months ahead as firms start to pass on the cost of the import taxes to their customers.
“That process is very hard to predict,” he said, noting that it would depend on how big the tariffs are and their duration.
“That is why we think the appropriate thing to do is hold where we are.”
He said the bank could afford to wait, noting that the economy overall remained “solid” and the unemployment rate remains low at 4.2%.
But projections released by the Fed showed that policymakers, on average, are expecting growth to slow to 1.4% this year, down from 2.5% last year and the 1.7% they were forecasting in March.
The forecasts call for inflation of roughly 3%, up from the 2.7% predicted in March and a rise in the unemployment rate to 4.5%.
The outlook for interest rate cuts in 2025 did not change significantly, with a majority of members still expecting rates to drop just below 4% by the end of the year.
But the projections anticipate slightly higher rates in 2026 and 2027 than previously forecasted.
In remarks on Wednesday ahead of the Fed’s decision, Trump repeated his criticism of Powell, calling him “stupid” and “too late” to act, while speculating about the end of his term.
The European Central Bank has cut interest rates eight times since last June. The Bank of England cut borrowing costs last month but is expected to hold rates steady this week.
But Isaac Stell, investment manager at Wealth Club, said Trump may have “talked himself into a bit of a bind”, as the Fed stays committed to its wait-and-see approach.
“Central bankers tend to jealously guard their independence, which means that unless there’s a really compelling reason to cut they might just stay sat on the fence,” he said.
Fed interest rate decisions determine what it charges banks for short-term loans.
That rate in turn has significant influence over borrowing costs across the economy, informing what regular banks end up charging households and businesses for mortgages and other kinds of loans.
At 4.3%, the Fed’s benchmark interest rate remains markedly higher than it was between 2008 and 2022, when the bank started to hike rates in response to rising prices.
But it is roughly a percentage point lower than where it stood last year.
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
“I am beyond excited to announce my commitment to the admissions process at Harvard University!! Thank you so much to my parents, friends, teammates, coaches, Coach Amanda and Coach Geordie for all their support in this process! Go Crimson!! ❤️”
Beckman is graduating from Ventura High School, whom she represented at CIF-Southern Section Division I Championships in May. She placed 5th in the 200 free (1:49.16) and 2nd in the 100 fly (54.62), coming within a second pf her PBs in both events. She’d swum her fastest 200 free (1:48.88) at the Channel League championships in April, and her best 100 fly (53.42) a year ago at the 2024 Channel League championships. Beckman went on to the California State Meet where she finished 11th in the 200 free (1:50.57) and 5th in the 100 fly (54.73).
Last summer at the 2024 Speedo Summer Championships, swimming for her club team, Buenaventura Swim Club, she clocked LCM bests of 1:01.91 in the 100 fly, 58.25 in the 100 free, and 2:06.20 in the 200 free.
Beckman’s best times would have scored in the ‘A’ final of the 100 fly, the ‘B’ final of the 200 free, and the ‘C’ final of the 100 free at the 2025 Ivy League Women’s Championships.
“I am incredibly humbled to announce my commitment to the admissions process at Harvard University! I am so excited to continue my studies and athletic career alongside such an amazing group of people. Thank you to everyone who cheered for me, supported me, and guided me throughout this process, and especially to Coach Amanda and Coach Geordie for this opportunity. Go Crimson! ♥️”
Lee swam for Santa Margarita Catholic High School and SOCAL Aquatics Association, specializing mainly in sprints. At the 2025 California CIF-Southern Section Division I Championships, she placed 14th in the 50 free (24.19) and 19th in prelims of the 100 free (52.93); as a junior in 2024, she had been 3rd (23.36) and 4th (51.01) in the respective events.
In LCM, she clocked a 58.31 in the 100 free and 1:04.51 in the 100 fly last summer at Southern California’s June Age Group Championships.
Lee’s best times would have scored in the ‘B’ final of the 50 free and the ‘C’ final of the 100 free at the 2025 Ivy League Women’s Championships.
Best SCY times
50 free – 23.22
100 free – 50.83
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The human body is an endless source of fascinating facts. For example, the human heart beats more than two and a half billion times over a person’s life. Another surprising area is bones: the human body completely renews all of its bones every ten years. Some bones, such as the femur, can withstand forces exceeding a thousand kilograms. It is this remarkable strength that led researchers at Princeton University to create a new bio-inspired material that enhances concrete strength by 5.6 times compared to conventional forms. Read on to explore one of the latest advancements in innovative concrete.
Concrete developed by Princeton University
Drawing inspiration from the structure of the cortical bone that lines the human femur, U.S. researchers have devised an innovative technique to reinforce cement by incorporating cylindrical and elliptical holes.
This design, detailed in the scientific journal Advanced Materials, enhances the material’s resistance to breakage by slowing the spread of cracks. The interaction between the cracks and the tubes triggers a hardening reaction that gradually dissipates impact energy. Unlike traditional cement, this new method offers increased durability and strength in demanding situations.
Instead of relying on additives like fibers or polymers, the team focused on optimizing the internal geometry of the concrete with advanced computational modeling. The precisely arranged holes mimic the irregular architecture of bone, significantly improving the material’s toughness. Additionally, they established a framework to measure structural disorder, allowing engineers to design more resilient building materials.
This reinforced concrete has vast applications in the construction industry, particularly in civil infrastructure requiring exceptional strength. The technique also benefits from advancements in additive manufacturing, potentially transforming how buildings and structures are constructed to improve safety and longevity.
Why are human bones so resilient?
The human body contains over 200 bones, enabling various movements—from standing and running to lifting objects and protecting fragile organs. Bones owe their strength to several key factors, such as composition, structure, and regeneration.
The human body contains more than two hundred bones that enable it to perform all kinds of actions, from standing to running, lifting objects or protecting delicate organs. Human bones owe their great strength to several factors, including their composition, structure and ability to regenerate.
Composition: Bones are both hard and flexible, composed of hydroxyapatite—a crystalline mineral made of calcium and phosphate—and collagen. Hydroxyapatite provides hardness, while collagen adds flexibility.
This characteristic inspired Princeton’s scientists, as bones feature a multi-layered, porous structure. Microscopically, bones contain osteons—cylindrical cavities that form networks capable of evenly distributing weight. Macroscopically, they have a trabecular, honeycomb structure, especially in larger bones like the femur.
Bones constantly renew thanks to osteoclasts, which break down old structures, and osteoblasts, which build new ones. This adaptation allows bones to withstand daily physical demands.
If you are interested in learning more about biomimetic technologies and innovations like this beetle-shell-inspired material that enhances concrete strength and reduces environmental impact, subscribe to our newsletter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Israel has given assurances about the safety of its personnel at Iran’s Russian-built nuclear power plant in Bushehr. Russia and Iran have been working on the joint project for three decades. He made the comments at a meeting with foreign press.
The Department of Justice on Wednesday asked a court to let the agency seize $225 million from a so-called “pig butchering” operation—a term that describes scams where con men build up the trust of a victim over time, and then trick them into handing over large amounts of money. The funds, which the crooks held in USDT stablecoins, were laundered through the crypto exchange OKX, according to Justice Department. This is the U.S.’s largest ever seizure of funds tied to crypto confidence schemes, said the agency.
While prosecutors didn’t name one perpetrator in the complaint, they did say the funds were linked to a “scam compound” in the Philippines. These locales usually house scores of workers who labor in shifts to lure victims into parting ways with their crypto, like Bitcoin, or cash. Many of these workers are employed by transnational criminal rings and forced to work against their will, according to the United Nations.
The DOJ was able to identify more than 430 victims tied to the 144 OKX accounts through which victims’ funds were laundered. One of these victims was Shan Hanes, the former CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank in Kansas. In August 2024, Hanes was sentenced to 24 years in prison for stealing $47 million of his bank’s funds to invest in what he thought was a cryptocurrency investment opportunity that turned out to be a scam.
“These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year,” Matthew Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s criminal division, said in a statement.
Losses from cryptocurrency scams have accelerated in the U.S. over the past five years, according to the most recent annual report on internet crime from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. From 2023 to 2024, the money Americans lost skyrocketed 66% to $9.3 billion and the number of complaints the agency received more than doubled to nearly 150,000, said the government agency.
The most common crime linked to cryptocurrencies was extortion, or when bad actors manipulate photos or videos to create explicit content and lure victims into sending crypto. The second most common type was investment fraud, or when criminals promise victims outsized returns if they send them money.
This latter category includes Hanes, the former bank CEO. “He was the pig that was butchered,” wrote his lawyer at the time of his sentencing. “Mr. Hanes’s vulnerability to the Pig Butcher scheme caused him to make some very bad decisions, for which he is truly sorry for causing damage to the bank and loss to the Stockholders.”
Learn more about all things crypto with short, easy-to-read lesson cards. Click here for Fortune’s Crypto Crash Course.
The dilemma of whether the US should join Israel in attacking Iran, or stay out of the offensive altogether, has exposed divisions among US President Donald Trump’s supporters.
“I may do it, I may not do it,” the Republican president said on Wednesday whether the US would join the conflict by targeting Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump often railed against “stupid endless wars” in the Middle East on the campaign trail, but has also maintained that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon”.
The possibility that he might draw the US into another foreign entanglement has pitted the isolationist and hawkish wings of his party bitterly against one another.
Among those that have expressed doubt about Iran’s nuclear plans are Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who in March testified before Congress that while Iran’s enriched uranium was at an all-time high, experts did not believe it was working on a nuclear weapon.
On 10 June – just three days before Israeli strikes on Iran began – Gabbard also posted a video in which she warned that “political elite and warmongers” were “carelessly fomenting fear and tensions” that risked putting the world “on the brink of nuclear annihilation”.
Gabbard’s video and prior comments reportedly opened a rift between her and Trump, who US news outlet Politico reported “became incensed” at the video.
Watch: Protect the world or avoid war? Americans divided on Iran conflict
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters when asked about her earlier comments before Congress. “I think they were very close to having a weapon.”
She later accused the media of taking her comments out of context, telling CNN that she was on “the same page” as Trump.
Gabbard was not alone among Republicans in criticising potential US involvement in the conflict.
On Tuesday, conservative Republican congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky sided with Democrats to introduce a bill that would block Trump from engaging US forces in “unauthorised hostilities” with Iran without congressional approval.
“This is not our war. Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,” Massie posted on X.
Several proponents of Trump’s “America First” doctrine pointed out that he vowed to keep the US out of “forever wars” such as those that led to the deaths of thousands of US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has called for the US to stay out of the conflict with Iran.
On his podcast, he lambasted Republican “warmongers”, provoking a rebuke from Trump, who called Carlson “kooky”.
Georgia congresswoman and Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene leapt to Carlson’s defence in a highly unusual break with the president.
She said anyone who supported such an intervention was not “America First”.
The tensions exploded into a shouting match on Tuesday during an interview between Carlson and hawkish Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz became defensive when asked if he knew the population and ethnic mix of Iran.
Carlson said: “You’re a senator who’s calling for the overthrow of the government and you don’t know anything about the country!”
Cruz retorted: “No, you don’t know anything about the country!”
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former political strategist, argued on Carlson’s podcast that allowing the “deep state” to drive the US into a war with Iran would “blow up” the coalition of Trump supporters.
“If we get sucked into this war, which inexorably looks like it’s going to happen on the combat side, it’s going to not just blow up the coalition, it’s also going to thwart the most important thing, which is the deportation of the illegal alien invaders who are here,” he said.
On Wednesday, however, Bannon seemed to slightly soften his tone, telling attendees at a Christian Science Monitor event that the MAGA wing of his supporters would trust his judgement if he decided to commit US forces to the conflict.
“Maybe we hate it but you know, we’ll get on board.” he said.
Another conservative political commentator, Charlie Kirk – who describes himself as closer to the “isolationist” side of the debate – said on X that Trump is “pragmatic” and values “common sense”.
“I don’t know if President Trump will choose to involve America against Iran,” Kirk wrote. “But he is a man I trust to be making that decision.”
What do we know about the Fordo nuclear site?
Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell said it had “been kind of a bad week for the isolationists” in the party.
“What’s happening here is some of the isolationist movement led by Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon are distressed we may be helping the Israelis defeat the Iranians,” McConnell told CNN.
Other warhawks in the party are egging on Trump to target Iran.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said it was in the national security interests of the US to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes such as energy.
“President Trump understands the threat the ayatollah [Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] presents to us, not just Israel, and that he will, at the end of the day, help Israel finish the job,” Graham told Fox News.
Vice-President JD Vance, seeking to bridge the divide, said in a social media post that Trump “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment”.
“That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” he added. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.”
An opinion poll in recent days indicates Trump voters would broadly support the US in helping Israel to attack Iran.
The survey by Gray House found that 79% of respondents would back the US providing offensive weapons for Israel to strike Iranian military targets. Some 89% were concerned about Iran obtaining atomic bombs.
On Trump’s Truth Social social media platform, however, many expressed concern that the US could again find itself embroiled in a Middle Eastern conflict thousands of miles away.
“No war with Iran. No more foreign wars,” one user wrote. “America first!”
Another user warned that US involvement in Israeli operations could cost the Republicans politically in the years ahead.
“Don’t do this,” the user wrote. “Republicans will never win again if you do this.”
While campaigning for the White House in September, Trump said: “We will quickly restore stability in the Middle East. And we will return the world to peace.”
With the Iran-Israel conflict on a knife-edge, the question of whether the US president is an isolationist or an interventionist may be answered sooner rather than later.
