A movement to honor fallen soldiers on Memorial Day. Plus, Al Roker's surprise return.
May 26, 2023 | [VIEW IN BROWSER]( This is TODAY May 26, 2023 | [VIEW IN BROWSER]( This is TODAY The founder of the far-right group Oath Keepers was sentenced to 18 years in prison, nearly six months after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Plus, the latest on growing calls for a Mississippi police officer to be charged after he shot and seriously wounded an 11-year-old boy who called 911 for help for his mother. The Latest [The founder of the Oath Keepers was sentenced to 18 years in prison, the longest Jan. 6 sentence yet.]( Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right group Oath Keepers, was [sentenced to 18 years in prison]( Thursday after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy last year for the groupâs involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Before he was sentenced, Rhodes called himself a âpolitical prisonerâ and said the only crime he committed was opposing those who are âdestroying our country.â Judge Amit Mehta disagreed, saying Rhodesâ actions led to his criminal conviction. âYou, sir, present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country and to the republic and to the very fabric of this democracy," Mehta said during the sentencing hearing. Rhodesâ 18-year sentence is [the longest sentence handed down]( to a Jan. 6 defendant so far. [An 11-year-old boy who called 911 for help was seriously injured when he was shot by police.]( The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has [opened an investigation into the police shooting]( of an 11-year-old boy who had called 911 for help for his mother, officials and the familyâs lawyer said. Aderrien Murry was seriously injured early Saturday when he was shot at his motherâs home in Indianola, attorney Carlos Moore [told NBC News](. Aderrien had called for help during a confrontation between his mother and the father of one of her children. When police arrived, they ordered everyone to come out with their hands up, Moore said. Aderrien came out of a bedroom with his hands raised, only to be met with gunfire, Moore said. âThe child suffered a collapsed lung, lacerated liver and fractured ribs," Moore said. "Heâs blessed to have survived but heâs still in pain emotionally and mentally." Now, [there are growing calls for the officer to be charged](and for the body camera footage to be released. [A woman's viral tweet started a movement to visit the graves of fallen heroes on Memorial Day â and you can help.]( Every Memorial Day since her grandfather's death, Emily Domenech has visited his gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. In 2020, she tweeted an offer: Send the name of a loved one who is buried there, and she'd leave a flower or send a photo of their gravesite. Eight hours later, she was still there, visiting graves and sharing photos on Twitter. "Families from all around the world said things like, 'My grandfather or uncle is buried there and I canât travel from Kansas.'" The experience inspired [The Honor Project](, which draws volunteers from around the country to place Flags of Valor at gravesites on Memorial Day. [Learn more about it here](. If you're interested in being an Honor Project volunteer, sign up on the [TMF website.]( And anyone interested in requesting a visit for their loved one can [Submit Your Hero]( on the website. [ð Jenna Bush Hager says her book club pick for June is the perfect summer read.]( The [Read With Jenna]( pick for June is ["The Celebrants" by Steven Rowley,]( which she calls "the perfect summer book." The novel follows a group of friends who meet at UC Berkeley and stay in each otherâs lives thanks to an unusual pact. âThey get together and have basically living funerals where they tell each other how much they love each other," Jenna said. Kick off your summer reading by [picking up "The Celebrants" here](. Live Better TODAY Achieve your life goals with easy tips. Years before Tunde Oyeneyin became a Peloton instructor, she was intent on reversing her health as a 15-year-old who weighed more than 200 pounds. She felt [self-conscious after joining a gym](, often sticking with the cardio machines because she worried about others watching her do strength training. She spoke with TODAY.com about how she [overcame her fear]( and reached her goal of losing 70 pounds. "I decided I would rather look foolish than not try," she said. Tunde also shared [how she motivates herself]( when she doesn't feel like exercising, and the mantra she recommends for anyone beginning a wellness journey. [See her advice here](. What's for dinner? Allow us to do the meal-planning for you. This elegant [capellini with spicy tomato crab sauce]( comes together in "lightning speed" (about 20 minutes) for an easy weeknight dinner, according to chef Lidia Bastianich. She recommends adding a little extra liquid to the sauce made from garlic, tomatoes, scallions, crab and flakes of peperoncino, a hot chili pepper. [Get the recipe](. Daily Delight A little pick-me-up before you go. Wait a second, we know that guy! [Al Roker]( scared the daylights out of his co-hosts yesterday with a [surprise cameo on TODAY]( less than a month after knee replacement surgery. Cane in hand, Al popped out cackling from backstage during a segment on the 3rd Hour, leaving Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer in disbelief. "We weren't expecting that â clearly," Craig said. Al, 68, had surgery on May 9 and has been off the air during his recovery. Craig said the beloved TODAY weatherman is expected to return next week. "That was just a little preview of what we can expect," Craig said. [See Al's surprising moment here](. Thanks for letting us in your inbox!
See you again tomorrow morning. Written by Scott Stump | Edited by Shane Lou
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