Tamron Halldedicated an episode of her new talk show to discussing IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization. The episode aired earlier this week and guests Kenya Moore and Gretchen Rossi stopped by to share their stories of IVF treatments, fails, and successes.
According to Penn Medicine, one million babies have been born from IVF and other technologies for infertility between 1987 and 2015 and more people are using assistance in reproduction.
“IVF has been used more frequently in recent years as a first line of therapy for all causes of infertility.”
The treatments in the United States are so costly, that women are taking “egg-cations,” which is traveling to other countries to freeze their eggs. A guest on the show traveled to Spain and paid $4,500 to freeze her eggs. The average cost for the procedure in the US is $10,000 to $15,000.
In April of this year, talk show host Hall gave birth to a baby boy via IVF. Real Housewives of Atlanta Star, Kenya Moore shared that she gave herself IVF shots. Gretchen Rossi, formerly of Housewives of Orange County, acknowledged that the process is costly, but shared that there are facilities that provide payment plans for IVF.
More women opening up about their struggles with having a child including Michelle Obama and Gabrielle Union and urge women to know that they have options of they struggle with infertility.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lee Boyd Malvo, who terrorized the Washington region in 2002 as one-half of a sniper team, is at the center of a case the Supreme Court will hear this fall. But the justices’ eventual ruling probably will mean less for him than for a dozen other inmates who, like the now-34-year-old Malvo, were sentenced to life without parole for murders they committed as teens.
At issue for the Supreme Court is whether Malvo should be resentenced in Virginia in light of Supreme Court rulings restricting life-without-parole sentences for crimes committed by juveniles. But the case could also be an opportunity for the Supreme Court, which has recently become more conservative , to put the brakes on what has been a gradual move toward more leniency for juvenile offenders .
Regardless of the case’s outcome, Malvo isn’t leaving prison anytime soon. He’s serving four life-without-parole sentences in Virginia. He was sentenced to another six life life-without-parole terms for shootings in Maryland. But an appeals court ruled last year that Malvo should be resentenced in Virginia, the decision the Supreme Court will review.
The appeals court explained that after Malvo was sentenced, the Supreme Court issued a series of decisions affecting juvenile killers, decisions that required Malvo to be resentenced. But even if the justices were to agree that Malvo should receive new sentences in Virginia and even if he were given something short of life without parole, then he still would have to successfully get his Maryland sentences reduced before having a shot at freedom.
“The reality is that other people have more at stake in this case than he does,” said Jody Kent Lavy, the executive director of the Washington-based Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, which has filed a Supreme Court brief supporting Malvo.
Lavy says a dozen other Virginia inmates will be affected by Malvo’s case. They include Donte Jones, who was 17 when he fatally shot a convenience store employee during a robbery; Holly Landry, who was 16 when she participated in a robbery in which a man died after being beaten with a hammer, and Jason Clem, who was 16 when he fatally stabbed his boss at the restaurant where he worked as a dishwasher.
Youth advocates have generally been pleased with the direction of the Supreme Court on juvenile sentencing in recent years. The court has recognized that minors should be treated differently from adults, in part because of their lack of maturity and greater ability to change.
In 2005, the court eliminated the death penalty for offenders who were under 18 when they committed crimes. Then, in 2012, the justices said teenage killers couldn’t automatically get life sentences with no chance of parole, explaining that punishment should be rare for juveniles. Four years later, the court made the decision retroactive , giving additional prisoners the hope for freedom.
“I have no idea what they’re going to do in Malvo, but I would hope that they wouldn’t do anything that pulls back from that progression,” said Kathleen Wach, whose firm represents Derek Ray Jackson Jr. He was 17 when he killed a man during a convenience store robbery; he will be affected by the Malvo case’s outcome.
The justices’ 2012 and 2016 rulings provided opportunities for inmates such as Jackson and Malvo, who went back to court to challenge their sentences. Malvo argued he should be resentenced in Virginia because after a jury convicted him of murder but rejected the death penalty, he was automatically given a life-without-parole sentence. But Virginia has argued that Malvo’s sentence — and others like it — weren’t automatic, and that a judge could have suspended all or part of it, so Malvo shouldn’t be resentenced.
“This case is about Lee Malvo, a convicted mass murder who killed Virginians in cold blood and terrorized an entire region. He received a fair trial in which he had a chance to make his case, and he should not have the chance to get out of jail or receive a lighter sentence,” said Michael Kelly, a spokesman for the Office of Virginia’s Attorney General.
Two lower courts have sided with Malvo, ruling that a court should assess whether he’s one of the rare juvenile offenders deserving of a life-without-parole sentence. The Supreme Court will decide if that’s right.
Having Malvo as the face of the issue, however, has some advocates worried because his crimes make him unlikely to elicit sympathy from the justices.
Malvo was 17 when he and John Allen Muhammad went on their sniper spree, killing 10 people in the Washington area. They picked off victims going about their daily business: shopping, getting gas and mowing the lawn. Muhammad, who was 41 at the time of the shootings, was sentenced to death and executed in 2009.
Lawyer Joshua Toll, who represents a client affected by Malvo’s case, acknowledged that lawyers in his position wish a different defendant were before the justices. Toll wants his client, David Sanchez Jr., to be resentenced and said that after two decades in prison he’s a different person from the 17-year-old who fatally shot a motorcyclist while under the influence of alcohol and LSD. He shouldn’t spend the rest of his life in jail, Toll said.
“He deserves the chance to at least make the case,” he said.
The case is Mathena v. Malvo, 18-217 .
DALLAS (AP) — Opening statements were set to begin Monday in the murder trial of a white Dallas police officer who fatally shot a black neighbor in his home, a shooting the officer has said happened after she entered the man’s apartment by mistake.
Amber Guyger, 31, is on trial for last year’s fatal shooting of 26-year-old Botham Jean, whom she said she mistook for an intruder in her own home.
Her lawyers are likely to argue she fired in self-defense based on the erroneous belief that she was in her own apartment and that Jean, an accountant from the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, was a burglar.
During pretrial proceedings Monday morning, prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over whether Guyger’s cellphone messages should be entered into evidence. Opening statements were delayed when a defense attorney told Judge Tammy Kemp that elected Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot had recently given an interview regarding the case that aired on a Dallas TV station. Creuzot is not one of the trial prosecutors.
The judge had previously issued a gag order in the high-profile case and was visibly frustrated by the report. Kemp delayed the proceedings while reviewing the video and said she would question jurors about whether they had seen it.
The case has attracted intense national scrutiny for its strange circumstances and as one in a chain of shootings of unarmed black men by white police officers.
The outcome may hang on whether the jury believes that Guyger’s mistake was reasonable, according to legal experts. Twelve jurors and four alternatives were selected to hear the case earlier this month. Their backgrounds have not yet been made public.
Guyger was off duty but still in uniform when she shot Jean. She told investigators that after a 15-hour shift she parked on the fourth floor of her apartment complex’s garage — rather than the third floor, where she lived — and found the apartment’s door ajar.
Three days after the shooting, Guyger was arrested for manslaughter. She was subsequently fired from the Dallas Police Department and charged by a grand jury .
The jury will have to decide whether Guyger committed murder, a lesser offense such as manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, or no crime at all.
Actor, director and producer Issa Raeis producing a reboot of the 1996 heist film “Set it Off.”
Issa Rae has been booked and busy; recently she co-starred alongside Marsai Martin and Regina King in “Little” and is starring in HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show.”
Rae has her sights on starring in the reboot, although it is not clear with character she has her eyes on. Other stars have not been revealed yet.
The Hollywood Reporter reports the “Insecure” star will produce the project along with Montrel McKay, her partner at Issa Rae Productions. Syreeta Singleton and Nina Gloster have been tapped to write the script. Singleton is a writer for the Showtime series, “Black Monday” and Gloster is a staff writer for “Star.”
The crime thriller told the story of four friends working low-paying jobs. Frustrated at their lack of opportunity, the quartet commit a series of bank robberies.
In March of 2018, Je’Caryous Johnson adapted the movie into a play and the show toured around the country.
So far, the original cast is not behind the remake.
In an interview on “Sway’s Universe,” Fox said “You can do something else new, but you should leave it alone.” Pinkett-Smith shared the same sentiments in an interview.
“I personally think that’s something you just leave alone,” Pinkett-Smith said. “It’s a classic, it’s done.”
One fan tweeted, “Put aside the INSANE performances and choreo. This woman put every type of woman in her show- POC, plus size, trans, women with disabilities- everyone! And they all looked SEXY AF. Rihanna’s stomping on every other lingerie company’s neck.” (@TyneElaine).
From singer to fashion designer, Rihanna does it all.
Most recently, Rihanna shocked the creative world through her debut of the latest Savage X Fenty line at the Savage X Fenty New York Fashion Week presentation fashion show. The show took place on September 10, at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. This presentation went above and beyond most fashion shows, and incorporated both music and fashion through live performances from artists like Big Sean and 21 Savage. The show opened with the models engaging audience members through an elaborate choreographed dance, featuring Rihanna herself.
Rihanna has always claimed that Savage x Fenty was a brand created with all types of women in mind. The Savage X Fenty New York Fashion Week presentation held true to this claim, as Rihanna used models of all different body types and from all different cultural backgrounds to showcase her lingerie. Transgender women, plus-sized women, women of color and women with disabilities were all invited to find and express their unique beauty with Savage X Fenty, making this event not only a statement about fashion, but a statement about the importance of diverse inclusion in all fields.
Entering into to the Amazon special about the show, Rihanna said “Every woman deserves to feel sexy. We are sexy, we are multi-faceted and I want women to embrace that to the fullest.”
Support for Rihanna’s diverse inclusion in Savage X Fenty has been immense on both Twitter and Instagram since the show.
One fan tweeted, “Put aside the INSANE performances and choreo. This woman put every type of woman in her show- POC, plus size, trans, women with disabilities- everyone! And they all looked SEXY AF. Rihanna’s stomping on every other lingerie company’s neck.” (@TyneElaine).
Climate activists are blocking busy DC intersections at this hour. Organizers of the Shut Down DC protest say they are trying to bring the city to a standstill to raise awareness and encourage action on the issue of climate change. Protesters are blocking or causing traffic to slow at 14th and C streets SW, 16th and K streets, 16th and I streets, 18th and Massachusetts Avenue, and 12th and Independence Avenue. DC Homeland Security is warning drivers that they could face delays in the afternoon commute. Commuters are advised to use public transportation.
“With many also showcasing ’80s hints of bold shoulders, it shows an emerging optimism on the red carpet and a willingness to have a little fun with fashion,” said Kerry Pieri, the fashion and features director for HarpersBazaar.com.
NEW YORK (AP) — Did someone send a memo? Taraji P. Henson, Zoe Kazan, Susan Kelechi Watson, Mandy Moore and Marisa Tomei all showed up to the Emmys in two-tone looks of pink and red that stood out on the awards’ purple carpet.
The dual tones were the strongest trend among the women on Sunday night, where outfits from Zendaya, Gwendoline Christie and current red carpet darling Billy Porter also turned heads.
While it’s common to see many stars wearing a certain color, the combination of pink and red was particularly eye popping on the Emmys purple carpet.
“With many also showcasing ’80s hints of bold shoulders, it shows an emerging optimism on the red carpet and a willingness to have a little fun with fashion,” said Kerry Pieri, the fashion and features director for HarpersBazaar.com.
Henson’s French tulle gown with a sheer red cape was custom Vera Wang Collection. Kazan’s black, magenta and pink silk gown with bow detail was Gucci. Badgley Mischka created Kelechi Watson’s version, in ruby crepe with blush pink sleeves that fell off the shoulder. Moore wore Brandon Maxwell, a pink twill gazar blouse with a red crepe cummerbund skirt.
Corsets, too, had a wow moment. Indya Moore wore white Louis Vuitton and Zendaya rocked Vera Wang in green with a daring top.
“Both also had slits up to there, making this the current approach to something sexy. Maybe it means we’re all finally ready to move on from the naked dress,” Pieri said.
Pieri considered Christie’s intensely “Game of Thrones” Bordeaux cape look a near miss. While costume-y, she said, “celebrating the end of a major epic fantasy drama sometimes calls for gilded robes.”
Christie was Brienne of Tarth on the popular, defunct HBO series, which won top honors for best drama at the ceremony.
Marielle Bobo, fashion director for Essence, said seafoam was another shade du jour — on Regina King, Brittany Snow, Jameela Jamil and Padma Lakshmi.
“They stunned in the soft pastel hue which complements a variety of skin tones,” Bobo said, also noting the red and pink parade that made for an “unexpected yet refreshing combination.”
There were some classic Hollywood metallic moments as well, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus in sequined gold and Rachel Brosnahan in navy blue, the latter offering a “modern take on Hollywood glam with architectural accents,” Bobo said.
Laura Linney, Chrissy Metz, Niecy Nash, Dominique Jackson and Patricia Clarkson embraced heavily sequined looks.
Kerry Washington, Angela Bassett and Amy Poehler all opted for pants, while Porter, who has made headlines with his red-carpet gowns, chose sparkling stripe trousers from Michael Kors and a huge statement hat with a towering brim on one side by Stephen Jones. Porter ended up making history later as the first openly gay man to win an Emmy for best actor in a drama series for his role of Pray Tell on FX’s “Pose.”
Misa Hylton, an MCM global creative partner and designer, was among the fans of Ava DuVernay’s custom Reem Acra tulle gown that screamed princess in Champagne gold crystals and sequin embroidery.
“It was so stunning,” she said. “Absolutely gorgeous. She looked really elegant and beautiful. I’m not used to her dressed up in that way. She definitely wowed.”
Also on her best-dressed list was Jamil. It was called mint by the designer, Monique Lhuillier. It had a pleated ball skirt with a single-sleeve bandeau top. She wore it with a bright orange lip and matching polish on her nails.
“She looked like a princess but she was very modern. I loved the bangs and her long hair,” Hylton said. “I love color and I love unexpected.”
Among her misses: Greta Lee in an iridescent pistachio green puff midriff top with a full skirt. She made use of her look’s pockets on the purple carpet.
“I see maybe where she was going, but I didn’t think it looked good on her,” Hylton said. “Maybe if it was black it would have been a more classic look.”
Hylton was underwhelmed for a good half of the carpet.
“I was bored,” she said. “On the men, the brown tuxedos were just drab.”
But Jonathan Evans, style director for Esquire, praised men in brown like Dan Levy and others who changed things up. He also included “Brett Gelman with his rusty shawl collar tux and Kit Harington’s conspicuous air tie.”
Bobo counted Zendaya among her carpet wins.
“It gave me flashbacks to her Met Gala Disney moment,” she said, “but this time she served Poison Ivy realness with strawberry tresses to complement her green number.”
She also heralded Bassett, in a custom crimson look from Antonio Grimaldi, with sculptural neckline and dramatic cape detail to her top. Bobo said the actress “continues to make waves on the red carpet.”
But her top moment was Lee wearing Christopher John Rogers, a top and skirt look from his spring-summer 2020 collection.
“This was a major win for designers of color, who rarely make it to the grand stage at these sort of events,” Bobo said.
Washington’s professional football will look for its first win of the season tonight when it will host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The ‘Skins are 0-2 after losing the first two games of the season to the Eagles and Cowboys. The Bears are off to a 1-and-1 start with a loss to the Packers and win over the Broncos. On a high note, the Burgundy & Gold have won seven straight over the Bears. On the downside, Washington has lost seven straight Monday night games, and are 2-16 in Monday night home games since 1997 and an overall league worse 6-23 on Monday night in that span.
An overnight shooting in Southeast DC has left a juvenile dead and two others injured.
Police say the shooting happened in the 13-hundred block of Morris Road in Anacostia around 10 o’clock last night. Police are searching for three male suspects dressed in dark clothes. Authorities say the surviving juvenile victims suffered non-life threatening injuries.
NEW YORK (AP) — The searing TV series on the plight of the Central Park Five created a memorable Emmy moment Sunday when the five exonerated men stood and were honored at the awards show.
The four-part Netflix series explores the true story of five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were coerced into confessing to a rape they didn’t commit in 1989 and follows them over the course of 25 years to their eventual exoneration.
Show creator Ava DuVernay lost in the directing and writing categories but Jharrel Jerome won for best lead actor in a limited series.
“I feel like I should just be in the Bronx right now, just chilling, waiting for my mom’s cooking. But I am here in front of my inspirations,” said Jerome, a New Yorker whose mother told him about this ugly chapter in city history.
He then acknowledged the Central Park Five — Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise — who had been invited.
“This is for Raymond, Yusef, Antron, Kevin, and King Korey Wise. Thank you so much, it’s an honor. It’s a blessing,” said Jerome.
Some of the men raised fists in the air, while others, including Wise, had tears in their eyes. Jerome played Wise in the series.
The case of the Central Park Five cut the city along racial lines from the outset, with the victim being a young white woman. It drew worldwide attention.
It took years for the five to be exonerated, and they spent most of their youth in prison. Another man later confessed to the attack.
The series has had real-life consequences for former “Central Park Five” prosecutor Linda Fairstein. Fallout from the Netflix show has led to her being dropped by her book publisher, Dutton. Fairstein also resigned as a Board of Trustees member at Vassar College and from the victims-services agency, Safe Horizon.
Music and Art lovers there’s a new space in Prince George’s County for you to enjoy your craft. It’s the new Prince George’s Community College Center for Performing Arts and the grand opening is this weekend. My guest is Andre Mazelin – Senior Manager of the Center for Performing Arts at Prince George’s Community College
Prince George’s Community College Center for Performing Arts is hosting a grand opening September 27th– 29thand will include comedy, blues, gospel, and jazz. More information here: www.pgcc.edu/arts
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
Fall is standing by! As you’re working on your wardrobe for the new fall season, are you having some challenges? Is your cooler weather wardrobe ready? If not… we have help for you. What’s in, what’s out. What’s hot, what’s not and what to hold on to from last year. Our guests will give you the boost you need to look fantastic for the Fall. Now is the best time, to get an idea of what to get rid of and what to keep.
(Foxborough, MA) — Antonio Brown is no longer a member of the New England Patriots. He thanked the Patriots for the opportunity on Twitter this afternoon. The Patriots say he worked hard for them over the last eleven days but it was time to move in a different direction. Brown played just one game for New England after his release from Oakland. He has been accused of sexual assault by his former trainer and sending intimidating text messages to another woman.
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart said Friday that it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its namesake stores and Sam’s Clubs following a string of mysterious illnesses and deaths related to vaping.
The nation’s largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, said that it will complete its exit from e-cigarettes after selling through its current inventory.
The move is due to “growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity” regarding vaping products, the company said in a statement.
President Donald Trump has proposed a federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products.
Michigan banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes this week. A few local governments, including San Francisco, have passed bans on flavored tobacco.
E-cigarettes represent a very small part of Walmart’s nicotine business, which also includes traditional cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and nicotine gum. But the vaping industry has come under increased scrutiny after the deaths and illnesses — along with a surge in underage e-cigarette use.
More than 500 people have been diagnosed with breathing illnesses after using e-cigarettes and other vaping devices, according to U.S. health officials. An eighth death was reported this week. But health officials still have not identified the cause.
In July, Walmart raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including all e-cigarettes, to 21. It also said then that it was in the process of discontinuing the sale of fruit- and dessert-flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems.
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Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio
No arrests have been made in either of these cases. Investigators are looking to see if these shootings are possibly connected.
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DC Police are investigating nine people shot in two separate incidents. Two of the nine victims were killed.
Just after 10 last night Metropolitan Police were called to the 1300 block of Columbia Road in Northwest on a report of multiple shots fired. Once their officers found 6 victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were 5 males and 1 female. The only details released is the victim killed was a male. The other injuries ranged from serious to non-life threatening. Police are looking for two suspects last seen in a light-colored Nissan with an AK style rifle.
Some 30 minutes later and a short distance away police were called to a triple shooting in the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue in Northeast. One of the male victims in this shooting was fatally injured.
No arrests have been made in either of these cases. Investigators are looking to see if these shootings are possibly connected.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963.
The plan is for students to leave school and walk to the White House and then the U.S. Capitol today starting at 11 a.m. This walkout is ahead of a major protest planned by Shut Down D.C. Strike Coalition on Monday.
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Students frustrated with the government inaction on climate change have decided to take the matter into their own hands. The D.C. Youth Climate Strike is planning to hold a walk today.
The plan is for students to leave school and walk to the White House and then the U.S. Capitol today starting at 11 a.m. This walkout is ahead of a major protest planned by Shut Down D.C. Strike Coalition on Monday. Climate Change activists are looking to block major intersections in the city to stop traffic and bring attention to their cause. They want lawmakers to take action on climate change now.
As for the students that choose to walk out of school today. Here are what area school leaders are saying. In the District of Columbia students who walk out of class have 5 days in which to turn in a letter from their parents permitting them to take part. In Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties students who walk out of class will be given an unexcused absence. In Fairfax County, Virginia students will only receive an excused absence if they were notified in advance that they were taking part in today’s protest.
DC Police say they are fully prepared to handle any First Amendment assemblies of any stature.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
Tonight at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club,check the DMV Kings of R&B, featuring Top 5, with special guest Kevin Ross. Doors open at 6pm, showtime is 8pm.
Blues Alley presents Dee Dee Bridgewater this weekend for two shows each night, 8pm & 10pm.
The Mosaic Theatre Company presents Lynn Nottage’s “Fabulation”or the re-education of undine. Running through September 22nd.
August Wilson’s award winning production of “Jitney”opens tonight at Arena Stage and runs through October 20th.
The Wolly Mammoth Theatre presents the stage play “Fairview”,running through October 6th. Features recent Howard Graduate, Chinna Palmer.
The Tony Award Winning Musical “Cats”is playing at The Kennedy Center through Oct. 6th. More information at: kennedy-center.org
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on Facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
It is a painful and sometimes debilitating disease… often affecting people of color. It’s also a disease we’ve been hearing about for many, many decades. September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month . The disease remains a major health issue for nearly 100-thousand Americans.
(Washington, DC) — Support and opposition for DC statehood is falling along party lines. A hearing on a bill to make DC the 51st state was held in the House today for the first time in more than two decades. Local lawmakers and supportive Democrats made the case that DC residents deserve the full benefits of citizenship. Republicans kicked off the hearing by calling the city too corrupt and financially dependent on the federal government to become a state.
The 16-year-old black student wrestler was only given 60 seconds to decide. In the video that went viral you can see he was upset but you could also hear his teammates cheering him on. He did go on to win.
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It’s a story that went viral in 2018, during a wrestling match on December 19th a referee told Andrew Johnson that before he hits the mat he had to cut his dreds or he will not be able to compete.
The 16-year-old black student wrestler was only given 60 seconds to decide. In the video that went viral you can see he was upset but you could also hear his teammates cheering him on. He did go on to win. That referee, Alan Maloney has been given his punishment for that decision that angry many all across the country, who called it an abuse of power and racist.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association in conjunction with the state’s Division on Civil Liberties conducted an investigation into the matter and have decided to issue a 2-year suspension. Moving forward the NJSIAA will now start bias training for all of its high schools’ sports officials in the state.
The Division on Civil Liberties has released a training package called, “Guidance on Race Discrimination Based on Hairstyle”. It states specific guidelines that any policy that bans or restricts hairstyles associated with race may violate New Jersey state law.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
It’s time to get moving and help us to Stomp Out Sickle Cell. The big event is this weekend at Howard University and I have all the details of why you need to be a part of this campaign to find a cure for sickle cell. My guest is Barbara Harrison – Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease
Stomp Out Sickle Cell Move On Event is Saturday, September 21stfrom 9am to 12 noon. It will feature Zumba, a Boot Camp and Kids Zone all moving simultaneously for 1 hour. More information here:
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
The move to ban vaping and the sale of some e-cigarette products is moving incredibly fast. CNN and CBS have dropped all e-cigarette advertising. Michigan followed New York’s lead in banning flavored products. Locally, the Montgomery County Council introduced a bill to ban vaping sales within 1/2 mile of middle and high schools. In The District of Columbia… two bills have been introduced to curb the sales and flavored e-cigarettes. All of this coming after seven, vaping related deaths this year. Several over the past month.
Guests:
Dr. Carla Williams, Interim Director, Howard University Cancer Center
Gregory Conley, President, The American Vaping Association
Dr. Roquell Wyche, Cardiologist, MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, Board President, Greater Washington Region American Heart Association
Actress, fashion icon, and activist Tracee Ellis Ross launched a hair care line for Afro-textured hair. Pattern was available online September 9 and will be available in select Ulta stores on September 23. The line will include products and tools for in and out of shower use. Twenty years in the making, the Girlfriends star made her first pitch for her line back in 2008.
In an interview with Curly Nikki, Ross chronicled her journey to loving her hair and highlighted her battle with her hair while working on set to get the iconic “Joan Hair.” She recently shared that the cast will reunite on “Blackish.”
At the time, Black actresses that sported their natural curls on camera were few and far in between.
“By the time I made it onto Girlfriends, I was one of very few women wearing their hair naturally in Hollywood. I learned to embrace my natural texture and curl pattern and love it and care for it. But it was a journey not supported by commercials, entertainment and rows of products in every store,” she told WWD.
Tracee has been a champion of inclusivity in gender, race, and now hair type. The Pattern’s website and Instagram champion women of all skin tones and hair types.
“@patternbeauty is for those of us who need more than a quarter size of a product. large conditioner size that actually fulfill the unmet needs of our community. accessible pricing because everyone should have access to their most beautiful hair in their own shower, and gorgeous packaging that conjures the legacy of our history and makes us all feel like the royalty that we are.”
(Annapolis, MD) — Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is calling for five men who were wrongly imprisoned to be compensated. The men have sought compensation over the past 18 months from the state Board of Public Works without success. Hogan instructed the board to work with the state’s administrative law judges to create a plan to pay the men. The Republican governor put the blame on Democrats for failing to pass laws to create rules for paying exonerees. The five men collectively spent 120 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.
(Prince George’s County, MD) — One person is dead following and another is injured in a shooting in Prince George’s County this afternoon. Police say two people were shot at an apartment complex near the 82-hundred block of Martin Luther King Jr Highway in Glenarden. One victim died at the scene. No other injuries have been reported. Police are searching for the shooter.
We often talk about the school to prison pipeline and reference black boys. But there are growing numbers of our black girls in prison. The suspensions rates are increasing and we’re seeing more incidents of abuse. We get an in-depth look at this issue in a new documentary titled “Push Out: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools”.
Monique Morris, Executive Producer, “Push Out: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools”Dr. Bahiyyah Muhammad, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology & Criminology, Program Director, Inside Out Program, Howard University
Rebecca Epstein, Researcher, Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality
“We are honored to have Mr. Isiah Ike Leggett serve as the Opening Convocation speaker as we kick off the new school year,” says President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Mr. Leggett’s commitment to the community is an example of how public service is both a calling and a passion for those who want to create change within their communities.”
WASHINGTON (September 17, 2019) – Howard University announces former Montgomery County Executive, the Honorable Isiah “Ike” Leggett, will deliver the keynote address during the 152nd Opening Convocation on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019 at 11 a.m. in Cramton Auditorium.
“We are honored to have Mr. Isiah Ike Leggett serve as the Opening Convocation speaker as we kick off the new school year,” says President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Mr. Leggett’s commitment to the community is an example of how public service is both a calling and a passion for those who want to create change within their communities.”
Howard University’s Opening Convocation is a time-honored tradition that officially signals the beginning of the academic year. Leggett’s address will welcome the Class of 2023 and acknowledge recent achievements of the university.
Leggett served three consecutive terms as Montgomery County Executive from 2006 to 2018. In 2016, he was president of Maryland Association of Counties and president of County Executives of America. Before his election as county executive, Leggett served as an At-Large member on the County Council from 1986 to 2002, and as council president three times. From 2002 to 2004, Leggett served as chair of the Democratic Party of Maryland.
Leggett received a Bachelor of Arts from Southern University, a Master of Arts degree and a Juris Doctorate degree from Howard University, and a Master of Laws from George Washington University. He graduated from Southern University in 1967 as a distinguished military graduate. In 1977, he was selected as a White House Fellow, one of a select number of citizens nationwide for his exemplary civic, professional and educational achievement. In 1981, he was selected as the Southern University Outstanding Alumni. In 1985, Leggett received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Howard University Law School. He has served as a board member on a host of civic and community organizations. Currently, Leggett serves as a member of the Board of Regents for the University System of Maryland.
He served as a professor of Law at the Howard University Law School from 1975 to 2006. Leggett also served as assistant/associate dean from 1979 to 1986. Leggett served as captain in the Army, which included a tour of duty in Vietnam.
Leggett has received numerous awards and honors during his 32 years of public service, including his selection as a “Washingtonian of the Year” in 2015. Additional awards include Distinguished Alumni Awards from Howard University and Southern University; the George Washington University Fulbright Public Service Award; the National Breakfast of Champions Award; and the Good Scout Award from the National Capital Area – Boy Scouts of America.
In early August, “The Rookie” co-star said she was quitting the show because of sexual harassment and racial discrimination she experienced during its freshman year last season.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actress Afton Williamson’s claims of misconduct against her on the set of “The Rookie” weren’t substantiated by an independent investigator, according to the ABC drama series’ producer.
Production company Entertainment One said Tuesday the investigation led it to conclude no unlawful or inappropriate behavior was committed by the co-workers accused by Williamson.
In early August, “The Rookie” co-star said she was quitting the show because of sexual harassment and racial discrimination she experienced during its freshman year last season.
The probe, which began in late June, involved some 400 hours of interviews and review of video and other evidence, Entertainment One said in a statement. The full report wasn’t released for privacy reasons, said the company known as eOne.
Williamson called the finding “heartbreaking” in a lengthy Instagram post Tuesday evening, saying the results were the result of lies and a cover-up. She vowed to continue to work to improve conditions for cast and crew on sets.
The executive producers, one of whom Williamson previously accused of mishandling her allegations, were found to have “addressed matters of which they were made aware promptly and in a fair and reasonable manner,” eOne said.
The company said it recognizes that people view situations through their own “experiences and perspectives,” adding that it regretted that “Ms. Williamson’s time on the series was not a positive one for her, and we respect her decision to move on to other projects.”
A separate statement from the Disney-owned network welcomed the probe’s completion.
“We are confident that eOne takes these matters seriously and that they will continue to look for the best ways to surface concerns and address complaints,” ABC and ABC Studios said in a joint statement.
The law firm of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp hired third-party EXTTI, a firm that investigates allegations of workplace misconduct and discrimination, to handle the probe, eOne said.
The Los Angeles-based crime drama, starring Nathan Fillion in the title role of a rookie police officer, returns Sept. 29 for its second season.
Officials are encouraging anyone who may have information in this case to contact the Montgomery County Child Exploitation Unit.
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A Former Montgomery County School volunteer has been arrested for the unthinkable.
Yesterday police charged and arrested 28-year-old Dake Williams. The arrest follows an incident back in 2017. When police raided his home they also found more than 1,000 images of child pornography. Detectives say some of the images included children, little 3-year-old girls performing sex acts with adult men and even animals.
Williams worked as a volunteer wrestling coach at Quince Orchard High School. He has been charged with multiple counts of child porn possession. The principal at the school, Elizabeth Thomas does not believe the charges have anything to do with his time at the school. They are however making available to students in need psychologists, counselors and pupil personnel workers on hand for those in need.
Officials are encouraging anyone who may have information in this case to contact the Montgomery County Child Exploitation Unit.
Williams is due to make his next court appearance is next month. He is currently out on bond.
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A little drama for you this morning. We are hitting the theatre for the production of the Pulitzer Prize winning production of “Fairview” and it features one of Howard University’s very own talents. My guest is China Palmer – Actress in Fairview
Fairview won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2019 and this is the first production of the play since the original in New York City. Fairview now playing thru October 6that the Woolly Mammoth. More information here:
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is pushing for statehood. A hearing on a bill to make Washington the 51st state is scheduled for Thursday. Bowser led a rally down Pennsylvania Avenue early in the week, demanding voting rights for the city’s 700-thousand residents. The mayor organized the event to raise awareness about the hearing on HR 51 in the House this week. The bill has more than 200 co-sponsors, and support from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. But are the chances better now than ever? We take a look at the issues and the challenges.
Guests:
Justin Yaddiya Johnson, Community Activist and Founder of Long Live Go-Go (not pictured)
Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5 DC CouncilmemberBeverly Perry, Senior Advisor to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser
(Undated) — A second woman is accusing New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown of sexual assault. In an article posted by Sports Illustrated Monday, a woman who chose to remain anonymous details how she met Brown at a charity event in 2017 and how he later paid to have her do some artwork at his home in the suburbs north of Pittsburgh. She claims that on her second day there, Brown exposed himself to her. The latest allegation comes after a former personal trainer filed a lawsuit against Brown saying he had sexually assaulted her on different occasions in 2017 and 2018. Brown has denied those allegations. The accuser in that case, Britney Taylor, met with NFL investigators on Monday.
Join WHUR and Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease as we get moving to STOMP OUT Sickle Cell Saturday, September 21st at 8:30am at the Hospital Plaza. Come out for a 5K walk/run plus participate in the move-on events, including Zumba, boot camp, and kids zone. Howard University President Dr. Wayne Frederick will participate as part of his Run to Cure Sickle Cell Campaign.
(Washington, DC) — Former Trump campaign chief Corey Lewandowski is on the hot seat in the House. Lewandowski told the Judiciary Committee that the American people continue to be “sold a false narrative” about the 2016 election. During his time as campaign manager, Lewandowski said he doesn’t recall having any conversations with “foreign entities.” He also condemned what he called a “fake Russia collusion narrative.” Lewandowski said the committee is going down a “rabbit hole” in an effort to bring President Trump down.
The panel is investigating alleged presidential obstruction of justice and abuse of power. It’s a step toward the possible opening of impeachment proceedings against President Trump. The White House ordered limits on Lewandowski’s testimony through executive privilege, even though he has never worked for the Trump administration.
The Los Angeles Times reported Netflix paid well above the speculated $500 million NBCUniversal paid to retake “The Office,” and the reported $130 million Hulu parent Walt Disney Co. paid for “Seinfeld.” Both of those deals are for U.S. streaming only — Netflix has bought the global rights to show “Seinfeld.”
LOS GATOS, Calif. (AP) — Move aside, “Friends” and “The Office.” Netflix now has a new gem — a show about nothing.
The company announced Monday it would start streaming all 180 episodes of “Seinfeld” in 2021, gaining a hugely popular addition to its library as the battle for viewers heats up.
Netflix Inc., which pioneered the binge-watching culture of streaming, was dealt a double blow this summer when it lost “The Office” and “Friends,” two of its most popular shows, as their respective owners pulled them to add to their own streaming services.
It’s a battle not likely to wane as the streaming TV space grows more crowded. Netflix has created significant momentum with its original shows, but new competitors are constantly popping up, including streaming arrivals from Apple and Disney.
Still, Netflix has a head start in the online space, with its deep library of past and new shows. It struck the five-year deal with Sony Pictures Television for the global streaming rights to “Seinfeld,” the Emmy-winning television comedy which aired its final episode in 1998. Terms were not released.
The Los Angeles Times reported Netflix paid well above the speculated $500 million NBCUniversal paid to retake “The Office,” and the reported $130 million Hulu parent Walt Disney Co. paid for “Seinfeld.” Both of those deals are for U.S. streaming only — Netflix has bought the global rights to show “Seinfeld.”
“Seinfeld is the television comedy that all television comedy is measured against,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement.
Netflix noted it is still focused on producing its own shows — but it can’t ignore the demand for rewatching old hits. The company spent $12 billion on original and non-original programming last year.
Jerry Seinfeld’s show “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and his standup special “Jerry Before Seinfeld” are already distributed by Netflix.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith and Dame Helen Mirren will read a bedtime story during a one-night fundraising event to help fight global homelessness.
Smith and Mirren will each tell their story from different locations during the World’s Big Sleep Out on Dec. 7. The campaign will encourage people in 50 cities globally to sleep outside for a night in hopes of raising $50 million for the charity.
Smith’s reading will take place in Times Square in New York City. Mirren will appear in Trafalgar Square in London.
Each location is expected to feature live performances. The sleep out will also be held in other major cities including Chicago, Amsterdam, Madrid and Los Angeles.
All the proceeds raised will go toward registered charities helping homeless and displaced people.
Trebek told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday that after a short period of optimism when he stopped chemotherapy, his “numbers shot up” and doctors ordered him back on the treatment.
NEW YORK (AP) — “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek says he’s had a setback in his battle with pancreatic cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy again.
Trebek told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday that after a short period of optimism when he stopped chemotherapy, his “numbers shot up” and doctors ordered him back on the treatment.
The 79-year-old game show host announced in March that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. But he hasn’t missed a day on the show, which tapes its episodes in advance.
Trebek said his goals for the summer were to get his strength and hair back, and his progress on both fronts was “dismal.”
Twenty firefighters from 13 separate fire stations have tested positive for the microscopic mites. The mites burry into the skin and cause severe itching. The mites appear to look like a crooked raised rash.
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The Prince George’s County Fire Department is dealing with a Scabies outbreak.
Twenty firefighters from 13 separate fire stations have tested positive for the microscopic mites. The mites burry into the skin and cause severe itching. The mites appear to look like a crooked raised rash.
Scabies is spread by close skin to skin contact. The Prince George’s County Health Department believes it may have spread by the sheets used by the firefighters when they stay in the firehouse. Health officials also feel that is highly unlikely that any patient that was helped by a first responder caught Scabies. It is being recommended that if you feel you may have contracted it after being assisted by a firefighter to contact your physician immediately.
Chief Barksdale says this outbreak is not affecting service. Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale, said they took quick action to stop the spread of scabies as soon as they were made aware of the mite. The issue came up last week as a result 205 firefighters were checked out.
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The victim was found on Annapolis Road and Atwell Avenue. The victim has not been identified.
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Police in Prince George’s County are on the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident this morning.
The victim was struck early this morning in Mitchellville. The victim was found on Annapolis Road and Atwell Avenue. The victim has not been identified. There is no word if charges will be filed against the driver.
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During Congressional Black Caucus week, hundreds of people were pretty excited to meet Senator Cory Booker on this past weekend. The Presidential Candidate and the New Jersey State Committee hosted a brunch at Smith Commons Restaurant in the District. Many supporters anticipated his message as he spoke about the importance of voting and his quest to make a change in our country. He also spoke about his love for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and what makes him different from other candidates.
We are hooping it up this morning to Slam Dunk Breast Cancer. The 20thAnnual Donna Hopkins Breast Cancer Basketball Tournament is this weekend. My guest is Donna Hopkins – CEO and Founder of Hopkins Breast Cancer, Inc.
The 20thAnnual Donna Hopkins Breast Cancer Basketball Tournament is September 20th– 22ndat Lake Arbor Community Center in Mitchellville. The tournament will feature top level men and women teams. More information here:
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Showon 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
Football season is underway. Unfortunately… so are the losses for Washington’s own burgundy and gold pro football team. The most recent loss… at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday… 31-21. We’re doing a little Monday evening quarterbacking and examining the long-standing rivalry between the ‘Skins and the Cowboys.
Fight back against prostate cancer. Join the Emmanual Health Education, Inc. for the 2019 Prostate Cancer Awareness Walk, Run Ride September 21st at Allen Pond in Bowie. www.emmanualhealthedu.com
Friendship Picnic
Meet new friends. Build a stronger community. Come out September 22nd for the Montgomery County Friendship Picnic at Wheaton Regional Park. www.montgomeryparks.org
NCNW
Support women and their families. Spend an evening with the National Council of Negro Women September 21st at the Leesburg Firehouse. www.ncnwrestondulles.org
Sickle Cell 5K
Get moving and help WHUR Stomp Out Sickle Cell. Come out for the Stomp Out Sickle Cell 5k Walk Run September 21st at Howard University Hospital. www.sicklecell.howard.edu
Caregivers Conference
The Prince George’s County Department of Family Services presents a Family Caregivers Conference September 25th. It’s free and open to county residents. 301-265-8658.
AKA
Do you need help preparing for college? Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity is hosting a SAT Test Prep and Financial Aid Information Forum September 28th at Oxon Hill High School. www.hlkapsi.org.
Second Chance Foundation
Enjoy music with a purpose. Join The GateWay Second Chance Foundation for the Lifting Our Youth In Song musical September 28th at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt. www.secondchance.org
Ivy Charities
Lace up your sneakers for the 24th Annual 5k Walk-Run September 28th. It’s hosted by the Ivy Community Charities of Prince George’s County, Inc. www.iccpgc5k2019.eventbrite.com
Jay Jenkins says he hesitated when a buddy suggested they vape CBD.
“It’ll relax you,” the friend assured.
The vapor that Jenkins inhaled didn’t relax him. After two puffs, he ended up in a coma.
That’s because what he was vaping didn’t have any CBD, the suddenly popular compound extracted from the cannabis plant that marketers say can treat a range of ailments without getting users high. Instead, the oil was spiked with a powerful street drug.
Some operators are cashing in on the CBD craze by substituting cheap and illegal synthetic marijuana for natural CBD in vapes and edibles such as gummy bears, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The practice has sent dozens of people like Jenkins to emergency rooms over the last two years. Yet people behind spiked products have operated with impunity, in part because the business has boomed so fast that regulators haven’t caught up while drug enforcement agents have higher priorities.
AP commissioned laboratory testing of the vape oil Jenkins used plus 29 other vape products sold as CBD around the country, with a focus on brands that authorities or users flagged as suspect. Ten of the 30 contained types of synthetic marijuana — drugs commonly known as K2 or spice that have no known medical benefits — while others had no CBD at all.
Among them was Green Machine, a pod compatible with Juul electronic cigarettes that reporters bought in California, Florida and Maryland. Four of those seven pods contained illegal synthetic marijuana, but which chemical varied by flavor and even location of purchase.
“It’s Russian roulette,” said James Neal-Kababick, director of Flora Research Laboratories, which tested the products.
Vaping in general has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks because hundreds of users have developed mysterious lung illnesses, and several have died. The AP’s investigation focused on yet another set of cases, in which psychoactive chemicals are added to products presented as CBD.
The results of AP’s lab testing echo what authorities have found, according to a survey of law enforcement agencies in all 50 states. At least 128 samples out of more than 350 tested by government labs in nine states, nearly all in the South, had synthetic marijuana in products marketed as CBD. Gummy bears and other edibles accounted for 36 of the hits, while nearly all others were vape products. Mississippi authorities also found fentanyl, the powerful opioid involved in about 30,000 overdose deaths last year.
Reporters then bought brands that law enforcement testing or online discussions identified as spiked. Because testing by both authorities and AP focused on suspect products, the results are not representative of the overall market, which includes hundreds of products.
“It’s always been important to me before any success,” she told The Associated Press Thursday at her annual Diamond Ball charity gala. “As a kid, just seeing those commercials on television with the kids in Africa where it’s like, ‘it just takes 10 cent or 25 cents to help somebody,’ . I used to think, ‘When I grow up, I’m a gonna be rich and I’m going to make a lot of money and I could make a lot of 10 cents and a lot of 25 cents.’”
NEW YORK (AP) — Like many kids, Rihanna dreamed of someday growing up to be rich, but helping others was at the forefront of her vision.
“It’s always been important to me before any success,” she told The Associated Press Thursday at her annual Diamond Ball charity gala. “As a kid, just seeing those commercials on television with the kids in Africa where it’s like, ‘it just takes 10 cent or 25 cents to help somebody,’ . I used to think, ‘When I grow up, I’m a gonna be rich and I’m going to make a lot of money and I could make a lot of 10 cents and a lot of 25 cents.’”
She’s made a lot more than that as superstar singer and now fashion and beauty mogul, and with her Clara Lionel Foundation has doled out money around the globe to help support education programs, women’s health and emergency response organizations for people in need.
The foundation named after Rihanna’s grandparents raised more than $5 million Thursday night. Cardi B and Offset, A$AP Rocky, Karlie Kloss, DJ Khaled, 21 Savage, Pharrell Williams and others came out to support the glittering charity dinner, which even featured an impromptu performance by Rihanna and Williams.
“I’m a fan of her energy. She has a beautiful soul,” DJ Khaled said before entering the event at Cipriani’s in downtown Manhattan with his pregnant wife. “In my book, she keeps it mad real . It’s just a beautiful day, we’re putting beautiful energy out there.”
It was the second all-star event Rihanna staged this week. Khaled, Halsey and more turned out for her New York Fashion Week show on Tuesday, an extravaganza for her lingerie line Savage X Fenty that featured musical performances along with a catwalk.
The star wowed on the red carpet dressed in a black velvet turtleneck dress with a flared skirt.
“Just glam. She’s so glamorous, she’s so gorgeous. Anytime I think of Rihanna, I just think of just glam,” said rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
Rihanna told the crowd she was “humbled” by the support for Clara Lionel, and noted that her grandmother Clara Brathwaite, who died seven years ago, would tell her helping others is “about the collective joining forces.”
She told the AP her connection to her grandparents makes the event a sentimental one.
“So these things get really personal, emotional, and I just want to expand this every year to a different cause because I don’t feel like people deserve to be left out and that that’s really the core of the foundation,” she said.
Inside the event, which started two hours late and was hosted by Seth Meyers, stars mingled in a hall that was decorated with a tropical, colorful motif. A$AP Rocky, recently freed after a legal battle in Sweden that saw him behind bars there for weeks, held court at one table as he chatted with 2 Chainz and others; Cardi B bid a very exact $109,000 for a rare copy of a book on Rihanna, along with a two-thousand pound marble stand designed to hold it.
The night was not without some controversy: One of the honorees, activist and journalist Shaun King, has been accused of mishandling money he claims he’s received for various causes he supports. The Clara Lionel Foundation was almost immediately met with backlash after it was announced King would be a Diamond Ball honoree, forcing King to release a 72-page report in an attempt to defend himself against the allegations.
The foundation’s executive director stood by the decision to honor King, who has been a supporter of Clara Lionel.
“We decided to honor Shaun King for a reason, and we decided to honor Shaun King for that same reason tonight,” said Justine Lucas, executive director of the foundation.
King, who defended himself on Twitter just before the event, did not address the allegations as he accepted his honor, instead imploring the crowd to work harder to fight injustice: “It’s not good enough to have good intentions.”
Cardi B stood up for King just before the event.
“One of the main reasons why is so important for me to be here is because Rihanna is honoring Shaun King. A lot of people need to follow Shaun King on Instagram. He protests so much for all minorities, he protests so much for the whole entire world,” said the Grammy-award winning rapper.
Also honored was Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, where Rihanna was born. Mottley is the first woman to ascend to the position, and Rihanna personally presented her with an award.
Mottley said no matter how global Rihanna is, she always brings Barbados with her.
“Rihanna is one of our citizens of whom we are very, very proud,” Mottley said. “When you come from 166 square miles and you can produce people who make a global impact, it gives your heart a certain amount of warmth.”
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AP Entertainment Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody contributed to this report.
In a letter posted to subscribers on its website, Mitch Lowe, CEO of MoviePass, wrote,” In August 2017, MoviePass began a transformation of the movie going industry by introducing its low monthly price subscription service. Since then, others in the industry have followed our lead. ”
NEW YORK (AP) — MoviePass, the movie ticket subscription service that allowed subscribers to buy up to three movie tickets per month for a small fee, shut down Saturday.
Its future is unclear.
Helios and Matheson Analytics, the parent company of MoviePass, said Friday in a release that it was interrupting service for all its subscribers because its efforts to seek financing have not been successful.
It says it’s “unable to predict if or when” MoviePass will continue. The company says it’s planning to study all options including the sale of the company in its entirety.
MoviePass drew in millions of subscribers, initially luring them with a $10 monthly rate. But that proved unsustainable. Because MoviePass typically pays theaters the full cost of tickets — $15 or more in big cities — a single movie can put the service in the red. The company was forced to make changes. Those efforts, however, never stopped the losses.
In a letter posted to subscribers on its website, Mitch Lowe, CEO of MoviePass, wrote,” In August 2017, MoviePass began a transformation of the movie going industry by introducing its low monthly price subscription service. Since then, others in the industry have followed our lead. ”
MoviePass said it will be providing subscribers with “appropriate” refunds for their period of service already paid for. Subscribers will not need to request a refund or contact MoviePass customer service to receive a refund. Subscribers will not be charged during the service interruption, according to the website.
Helios acquired a majority stake in the subscription service in 2017.
This is a very big week for the Nations Capitol. On Thursday, Mayor Bowser will make history by testifying before a House committee looking into making the District the 51st state.
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Washington, D.C. (Monday, September 16, 2019) – D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser led a caravan of veterans, city leaders, and residents down Pennsylvania Avenue, NW today to further push the message to make the District of Columbia the nation’s 51st state.
The move comes as a hearing is set for this Thursday in the House of Representatives on the DC Statehood issue. “I was born in this city without voting representation. I will not die that way,” said Bowser. The mayor rode on a bus filled with veterans carrying 51-star flags and shouting 51, 51, 51 hoping to send a message that DC is ready for statehood. It’s believe the bill to make the District the 51st state has enough support in the Democratic controlled House to pass. The battle is expected to be much tougher in the Republican controlled Senate.
Today’s action is just one of several statehood events scheduled for this week. Tuesday, the Mayor will unveil a list of businesses who support DC Statehood followed by a roundtable discussion on Wednesday. Friday, Bowser will unveil art exhibits in all 8 wards and Saturday DC Statehood will be highlighted in the 2019 Fiesta DC Parade.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
We are hitting the beach this morning on Taking It to the Streets. But no, it’s not about swimming. It’s all about cleaning up the environment. There’s a big effort underway this weekend to get more African Americans engaged in sustainability efforts. It’s the 2019 International Beach Cleanup. My guest is Rachel Clark – Founder and President of Waves of Change
Waves of Change, is a Howard University student led non-profit organization participating Saturday, September 21stin the coastal clean-up. Crews will gather at 8:15am at Banneker Park. Follow them on IG or Twitter @WavesofChangeHU
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
Philanthropy is viatl to Howard’s commitment to provide an education experience of exceptional quality and produce distinguished global leaders. As a second-generation fundraiser, his life’s mission is to connect people who have the capacity to change the world with people who have the financial resources to make it happen. On this episode of “The Journey,” Dr. Wayne Frederick chats with David Bennett, the Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations at Howard University.
