D.C. Mayor Bowser has extended hours for cooling centers, homeless shelters, and recreation pools across the city.
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A heat advisory has been issued for the Washington Metropolitan area. It will last until 8 p.m. tonight. D.C. Mayor Bowser has extended hours for cooling centers, homeless shelters, and recreation pools across the city.
Some cooling centers with be open until 6 p.m. or until it is safe to be outdoors.
Homeless Shelters: 24 hours
Recreation Pools: Open until 9 P.M. through July 22
Neo-soul songstress Angie Stone is back on the scene with her eighth studio album, Full Circle. This album proves that Stone needs no introduction as she has been a veteran in the music industry for decades.
Full Circle, which consists of 10 songs, is a compilation of soulful sounds that narrates stories on faith, love, and agony. Although the album gives a nostalgic feel, it has a stellar production value that gives it a current feel. Featuring R&B veteran Jaheim, their seamless vocal ability is reflected on #4 track, “Gonna Have To Be You.”
Stone’s southern background is undeniable on tracks like “NeverBride, “Grits” and “Time for That.” She also preaches that ladies should let the past go on the track, “Dinosaur.” This harmonious album is the soundtrack of the highs and lows of being a woman.
Angie Stone is a well seasoned artist in the industry. From being associated with groups like The Sequence, Mantronix, and Vertical Hold, she eventually earned her respect as a solo artist in 1999 with debut album, Black Diamond. Her hard work has been acknowledged in the industry through multiple accolades. She has 3 Grammy noms, 2 Soul Train awards and 2 RIAA Gold Album Certifications.
The 2019 Emmy nominations were announced Tuesday. Actors D’arcy Carden (The Good Place) and Ken Jeong (Crazy Rich Asians) announced the list of award hopefuls.
Outstanding Comedy Series Barry Fleabag The Good Place The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Russian Doll Schitt’s Creek Veep
Outstanding Drama Series Better Call Saul Bodyguard Game of Thrones Killing Eve Ozark Pose Succession This Is Us
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Billy Porter, Pose
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Mandy Moore, This Is Us
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Mahershala Ali, True Detective
Benicio Del Toro, Escape at Dannemora
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal
Jared Harris, Chernobyl
Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Joey King, The Act
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon
Aunjenaue Ellis, When They See Us
Niecy Nash, When They See Us
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader, Barry
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Outstanding Reality Competition The Amazing Race Nailed It! American Ninja Warrior RuPaul’s Drag Race Top Chef The Voice
Outstanding Variety/Talk Series The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last Week Tonight with John Oliver The Late Late Show with James Corden The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Limited Series Chernobyl Escape at Dannemora Fosse/Verdon Sharp Object When They See Us
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan, Barry
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Stephen Root, Barry
Tony Hale, Veep
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Henry Winkler, Barry
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul
Alfie Allen, Game of Thrones
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
Chris Sullivan, This Is Us
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Sarah Goldberg, Barry
Sian Clifford, Fleabag
Olivia Colman, Fleabag
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Betty Gilpin, GLOW
Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Gwendoline Christie, Game of Thrones
Julia Garner, Ozark
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Fiona Shaw, Fleabag
Sophie Turner, Game of Thrones
Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us
Michael McKean, Better Call Saul
Glynn Turman, How to Get Away with Murder
Michael Angarano, This Is Us
Kumail Nanjiani, The Twilight Zone
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Matt Damon, Saturday Night Live
Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Peter MacNicol, Veep
John Mulaney, Saturday Night Live
Robert De Niro, Saturday Night Live
Adam Sandler, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Fiona Shaw, Fleabag
Kristin Scott Thomas, Fleabag
Ann-Margaret, The Kominsky Method
Jane Lynch, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Sandra Oh, Saturday Night Live
Maya Rudolph, The Good Place
Emma Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal
Asante Blackk, When They See Us
Paul Dano, Escape at Dannemora
Stellan Skarsgard, Chernobyl
John Leguizamo, When They See Us
Michael Kenneth Williams, When They See Us
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Cherry Jones, The Handmaid’s Tale
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away with Murder
Carice van Houten, Game of Thrones
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie
Patricia Arquette, The Act
Margaret Qualley, Fosse/Verdon
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
Marsha Stephanie Blake, When They See Us
Vera Farmiga, When They See Us
Emily Watson, Chernobyl
Outstanding Variety/Sketch Series At Home with Amy Sedaris Documentary Now Drunk History I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman Saturday Night Live Who Is America
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program
Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen’s Game of Games
Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, Making It
RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Marie Kondo, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
James Corden, The World’s Best
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. ET at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Changing Lives and Restoring Hope. That’s the goal of an upcoming community event this Friday in Upper Marlboro. It’s the 2019 Hope Fest hosting by the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center. My guest is Denise McCain – Director of the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center
Hope Fest 2019 is Friday, July 19thfrom 12pm to 3pm at the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center @ 14757 Main Street – Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. More information here:
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
WASHINGTON (AP) — John Paul Stevens, who served on the Supreme Court for nearly 35 years and became its leading liberal, has died. He was 99.
Stevens’ influence was felt on issues including abortion rights, protecting consumers and placing limits on the death penalty. He led the high court’s decision to allow terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay to plead for their freedom in U.S. courts.
As a federal appeals court judge in Chicago, Stevens was considered a moderate when Republican President Gerald Ford nominated him. On the Supreme Court he became known as an independent thinker and a voice for ordinary people against powerful interests.
He retired in June 2010 at age 90, the second oldest justice in the court’s history.
The House is condemning President Trump’s weekend attacks on four Democratic congresswomen. The resolution approved today on a mostly party-line vote denounces Trump’s comments as “racist.” It follows a weekend tweet from Trump saying the minority lawmakers should go back to the countries they came from and fix the problems there. All four women are American citizens. Has the racially-tinged rhetoric from President Trump changed the racial dynamic in America? Is America more racist now than ever before?
Guests:
Joia Jefferson-Nuri, Political Communications Strategist
Justin Hansford, Executive Director, The Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, Howard University School of Law
An arrest has been made in the killing of Sadie Roberts-Joseph, a Baton Rouge icon who founded an African American history museum, according to officials during a press conference on Tuesday. Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said detectives have arrested Ron Jermaine Bell in connection with the homicide. He now faces a first-degree murder charge.
The founder of Baton Rouge’s African American history museum died of suffocation and her death was a homicide, a coroner ruled Monday, as residents of Louisiana’s capital city struggled to come to terms with the slaying of the well-respected, 75-year-old community leader.
East Baton Rouge Coroner Beau Clark released preliminary autopsy results that show Sadie Roberts-Joseph was suffocated before her body was found in the trunk of a car Friday.
He said Roberts-Joseph died from “traumatic asphyxia, including suffocation.” The Advocate reports this means her airways were physically blocked, cutting off her oxygen supply.
Roberts-Joseph founded the Baton Rouge African American Museum in 2001. It features a 1953 bus that visitors can board to learn more about the Baton Rouge bus boycott of that year. They can also learn about three different types of cotton grown in the museum’s garden, and learn more about African American contributions in areas such as inventions and art.
“Why not try something that could distinguish us and have the ability to bring us closer to the people who make decisions that are in the news?” said Zirinsky, who enjoyed nearly 20 years working in CBS’ Washington bureau. “That’s not constricting. That’s liberating. That opens channels for us.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Long consigned to the evening news ratings basement, CBS News figures it can’t hurt to take some chances.
The first was the appointment of a new anchor, Norah O’Donnell, who takes over Monday at the start of what promises to be a busy midsummer week. The second comes in November, when the “CBS Evening News” leaves New York for Washington, D.C.
CBS News President Susan Zirinsky is bullish on the advantages the moves will offer, and says CBS will guard against any temptation to become Washington-centric. That’s a consideration for a broadcast where its strongest markets competitively are in the middle of the country.
“Why not try something that could distinguish us and have the ability to bring us closer to the people who make decisions that are in the news?” said Zirinsky, who enjoyed nearly 20 years working in CBS’ Washington bureau. “That’s not constricting. That’s liberating. That opens channels for us.”
The “CBS Evening News” has been behind ABC and NBC in the ratings for decades, through anchors Dan Rather, Katie Couric, Bob Schieffer, Scott Pelley and Jeff Glor. This season, ABC’s “World News Tonight” is averaging 8.7 million viewers, NBC’s “Nightly News” is at 8.1 million and CBS is at 6 million, the Nielsen company said. Behind Glor, the gap widened: CBS’ drop of 5% in viewership from last year is steeper than the others, who had little change.
Dismissed by many in television for its older audiences, the evening newscasts are still durable institutions. Even the “CBS Evening News” routinely draws more eyeballs than attention-seeking cable news hosts.
O’Donnell, 45, spent seven years on “CBS This Morning,” but her roots are in Washington reporting. She covered the White House for both CBS and NBC, and got her start in the business following Congress at Roll Call.
Back in Washington, she’ll be able to call sources and take lunches for quick updates on stories. The proximity to power is important, since so many stories have Washington roots. Perhaps it can help O’Donnell land an interview with President Donald Trump; rivals Lester Holt at NBC and George Stephanopoulos at ABC have had memorable sessions.
Zirinsky said she’d been considering moving the evening newscast to Washington even before deciding to replace Glor with O’Donnell.
She’s impressed that O’Donnell, who will also be managing editor of the broadcast, has a genuine curiosity about the news. That may sound simple, but not every anchor has that, she said.
“I’m fascinated by the amount of material she can take in, synthesize and reveal to the audience in a meaningful, understandable way,” she said.
On Tuesday, O’Donnell is set to travel to Florida, marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch. CBS hopes that will neatly tie her in the audience’s mind to network history, since many Americans experienced space travel through the words of legendary anchor Walter Cronkite.
O’Donnell grew up in San Antonio — between her, Pelley, Schieffer and Rather, Texas roots seem to be another tradition for CBS News anchors.
“I believe in this broadcast and the legacy of this broadcast,” O’Donnell said. “I do think that the truth is under attack, that journalism is under attack, that civility is under attack and I think we can help change that. I think we need to be the most trusted broadcast in America.”
Her family has a military background, and that will be felt in the broadcast: The regular feature “Profiles in Service” will introduce people who serve the country in some way. Veteran producer Al Ortiz is also working on a new regular segment on climate change. Transfers of staff members from “60 Minutes” and “CBS Sunday Morning” are aimed at beefing up the broadcast’s investigative muscle and writing.
A mother of three, O’Donnell is the third woman after Couric and Diane Sawyer to be a solo host of a network evening newscast, and she expects that will help offer perspective.
“The broadcast is going to be more urgent,” she said. “Strong writing will always be a hallmark and substantive reporting about politics — not who is up by a point or two in the latest poll.”
She’ll offer information, not affirmation, she said.
“People are hungry right now for straight-ahead news,” Zirinsky said. “We’re not coming at you with a point of view. We don’t have an adjunct part of our network that has a point of view.”
Following Monday’s debut, the big change — the move to Washington — will come after a new studio is built there and an executive producer is named for the broadcast.
Lopez’s show was cut short on Saturday night when problems at a substation left parts of Manhattan without electricity. The Garden, Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts were all evacuated.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jennifer Lopez kept her word to fans who were disappointed when a power outage in New York City forced her to postpone her concert over the weekend.
Lopez returned to the stage Monday at Madison Square Garden, saying she was going to celebrate “no matter what.” She called it an “amazing night.”
Lopez’s show was cut short on Saturday night when problems at a substation left parts of Manhattan without electricity. The Garden, Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts were all evacuated.
The power outage came on the anniversary of the 1977 New York City outage that left most of the city without power.
NEW YORK (AP) — Diddy’s “Making the Band” is officially coming back to TV.
The music mogul announced Monday that the hit series, where he discovered groups including platinum-sellers Danity Kane, would return to MTV in 2020.
“Making the Band” made its debut on ABC in 2000 when Lou Pearlman, who managed the Backstreet Boys and ’N Sync, launched the show and formed the boy band O-Town. Diddy re-vamped the show for MTV in 2002 and discovered the rap group Da Band. Diddy also launched the careers of Day 26, Donnie Klang and Danity Kane — who released two No.1 albums under his Bad Boy Records — on the show.
Diddy went viral last week when he asked his social media followers if he should bring back the series.
The global casting call for the show begins Monday across social media platforms.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Lawyers for Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill will ask an appeals court Tuesday to overturn a 2008 drug and gun conviction that’s kept the Philadelphia rapper on probation for a decade.
The city judge who oversees the case and sent him to prison in 2017 on a parole violation has a grudge against the performer, the lawyers said, and city prosecutors agree.
Prosecutors under District Attorney Larry Krasner have filed a motion supporting his bid to toss the conviction and be retried under a new judge.
Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, has become a symbol for criminal justice reform after Judge Genece Brinkley sentenced him in 2017 to two to four years in prison for minor probation violations. He spent about four months in prison before a court ordered him released last year.
Defense lawyers hope to persuade the state Superior Court that Williams’ conviction be thrown out based on alleged credibility issues with the now-retired police officer who was the key witness against him at the nonjury trial. The officer said the then-19-year-old Williams pointed a gun at him during the arrest outside his southwest Philadelphia home. Williams has denied pointing a gun at police.
Williams has frequently tangled with the judge over terms of his parole, especially over reporting requirements and travel rules that he says conflicts with his music career. Brinkley, after a 2015 hearing that included testimony from Williams’ then-girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, said she “has done nothing but try to help the defendant.”
Williams is a fixture at NBA games in Philadelphia and has the support of many high-profile celebrities and athletes. He appeared in last month’s season finale of Saturday Night Live, performing beside DJ Khaled, John Legend, SZA and other artists in a tribute to slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.
A judge is expected to rule on whether Kelly can be released on bond in the Chicago indictment before facing the New York charges. Prosecutors want Kelly to remain in federal custody, where he’s been since his arrest Thursday, because they say he’s dangerous and a flight risk.
CHICAGO (AP) — R&B singer R. Kelly is expected to appear in a Chicago federal courtroom on charges that he recruited girls and women to have illegal sex with him and then covered up the crimes by paying and threatening the victims and witnesses.
Federal judges were supposed to meet Monday in Chicago to figure out how to proceed in the case that involves separate indictments out of Chicago and New York but that will be discussed Tuesday before Kelly is arraigned.
After that, a judge is expected to rule on whether Kelly can be released on bond in the Chicago indictment before facing the New York charges. Prosecutors want Kelly to remain in federal custody, where he’s been since his arrest Thursday, because they say he’s dangerous and a flight risk.
Tonight at 7 p.m. at H.D. Woodson her parents are holding a Peace Walk in her memory.
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Today marks one year since the senseless murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson. She was fatally shot as she walked to get ice cream in her Clay Terrace neighborhood.
Tonight at 7 p.m. at H.D. Woodson her parents are holding a Peace Walk in her memory.
This walk comes on the heels of DC Police announcing that an 8th suspect had been charged in her death. He has been identified as 22-year-old Antonio Murchison. He was actually in a DC jail on an unrelated charge.
Six of those indicted will have their trial begin in August of 2020. The remaining suspects trial will begin in January of 2021. Officials believe the Makiyah got caught in the middle of a gunfight between two rival gangs.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
ThePrince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center is hosting a weekend dedicated to showing the pride and diversity of black women and their natural hair. My guest is Monica Montgomery – Executive Director of the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center
Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center has a whole weekend to empower the beauty and diversity of black women by shining the light on black hair July 19ththru July 21st. 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.
Just last week, iconic singer-entertainer Stevie Wonder announced during a concert that he would soon receive a kidney transplant. The surprising news has reinvigorated the push to get more minorities to register as living kidney donors. We examine the struggle that still exists for so many who need kidney transplants and what you can do about it.
(Virginia Beach, VA) — Boxing legend Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker is dead after he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach. Police say Whitaker was hit by a pickup truck last night at an intersection west of downtown Virginia Beach. The 55-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver stayed on the scene and was interviewed by police. Police say the investigation is ongoing. Whitaker won the Olympic gold in 1984 and had championship belts in four weight classes. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.
Today’s show was sparked from a heartfelt instagram post by former Washington NFL player, Albert Haynesworth who opened up about his kidney failure.
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Today’s show was sparked from a heartfelt instagram post by former Washington NFL player, Albert Haynesworth who opened up about his kidney failure. Haynesworth took to the social media to share that he is in need of a kidney transplant and is searching for a donor.
Today we brought in John Bayton a kidney recipient, Alice Andor,Senior Director of Communications from the American Kidney Fund, and by phone Kaylin Curry from Vanderbilt University Center. They spoke about what it means to be on the receiving end of a kidney transplant and how you can become a donor and be involved.
If you have a guest or show topic that you would like me to consider. Send me the details. Please in the subject line put “Around The DMV in 15 w/ Taylor Thomas”
Follow me on instagram and twitter @TaylorThomas963
The Baton Rouge Police Department issued a statement recognizing Joseph and what she meant to others.
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The founder of the African American History Museum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was found dead last Friday in the trunk of her car.
Sadie Roberts-Joseph, who was 75 years old was a known community leader. According to the Advocate, she founded the Odell S. Williams Now and Then African American History Museum in 2001 and was the creator of the organization “Community Against Drugs and Violence. ” She was a strong advocate and promoted making Juneteenth a state and national holiday.
The Baton Rouge Police Department issued a statement recognizing Joseph and what she meant to others. ” Ms. Sadie was a tireless advocate of peace in the community”, said the agency.
“Ms. Sadie is a treasure to our community, she will be missed by BRPD and her loss will be felt in the community she served”, said the agency.
Her cause of death is still under investigation. It’s unknown what led police officers to the discovery of her body in the trunk of her car.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
The CFO David Umansky says they cannot shift money from within the system to fill the shortfall.
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It’s not the news that anyone wants to hear this close to the end of the fiscal year. City Officials say DC Public Schools are facing a budget shortfall of some $23 million dollars.
As is it stands now in the District, no government agencies can go into the next fiscal year carrying a debt. The current school system’s budget is $900 million dollars. That means leaders have until the end of the fiscal year, September 30th to bridge that gap. The CFO David Umansky says they cannot shift money from within the system to fill the shortfall.
When asked officials say one of the reasons has to do with the increasing cost of qualified and talented staff and teachers. Umansky says the Mayor and school leaders are looking for funds from other city agencies to balance the budget.
The system already has a hiring freeze in place at its headquarters and employee travel and training has been cut back over the last few weeks. Bonuses were awarded to teachers with outstanding annual assessments. In addition, the school system had to deal with overtime pay for staff members.
School officials are confident that they will have a balanced budget by the end of the fiscal year.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
The winners received tickets to Kings Dominion, complete with parking passes, lunch, and fast passes to avoid long lines at the amusement park. The teachers received WHUR t-shirts, wristbands, and other goodies.
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https://youtu.be/3Qo_CJ4WGBI
Bowie, Maryland (Monday, July 15, 2019) – When it comes to being kind, 5th grade students at Tulip Grove Elementary School in Bowie, Maryland say it comes easy for them. WHUR visited the school last month after the students submitted a video showing how they go about their day thinking of others. The students entered a three minute video as part of the “WHUR Kings Dominion Kindness Challenge.”
We asked 5th graders at schools in the District, Prince George’s County, and Alexandria to tell us how they define kindness. The winners received tickets to Kings Dominion, complete with parking passes, lunch, and fast passes to avoid long lines at the amusement park. The teachers received WHUR t-shirts, wristbands, and other goodies. WHUR Digital Reporter Candice Adkins made the big announcement. The reaction and remarks are priceless.
This morning we are profiling an amazing play underway at the Mosaic Theatre. Twisted Melodies is the story of 70s soul legend Donny Hathaway’s final 24 hours, his battle with mental illness and internal struggles. My guest is Kelvin Roston, Jr. – Author, performer and musical director
Twisted Melodies is a one-man show based on the life of 70s soul singer and composer Donny Hathaway. The play is an immersive and crashing production about Hathaway’s compelling inner struggles. Twisted Melodies is underway thru July 21stat the Mosaic Theater. 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 twitterat @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
If you’re a busy, single professional… you know how hard it is to find a date. You spend half your time or more at the office. Often.the only people you really interact with are co-workers. But dating a co-worker is often considered taboo, off-limits… don’t even think about it! But now Airbnb, Facebook and Google are saying you can ask your co-worker out on a date. There are however, restrictions. Is it a good idea?
Guests:
Tonya Sloans, Esq., Ethics Attorney, Career Maximization Strategist
“It broke my heart, but with all the stress I went through with this baby, I don’t know how I could have done it,” Kenya said. “Even now, breastfeeding every three hours, changing diapers, being up at all hours. I just don’t think I could have been present.”
Kenya Moore returns back for season 12 of “Real Housewives of Atlanta”. Moore was shown in a sneak peak of the season 11 finale which airs on BravoTv Sunday 8/7c.
From the looks of things, Nene’s personal feelings about Kenya’s arrival is going to cause some drama between the women on the show and may put an end to Nene and Cynthia’s friendship. “This is a bunch of bulls–t that Cythia’s doing,” Nene said in the preview. “I’m really afraid that our friendship will end forever.”
Kenya told PEOPLE magazine during an interview about her sadness of not sharing her new life as a mother and wife.
“It broke my heart, but with all the stress I went through with this baby, I don’t know how I could have done it,” Kenya said. “Even now, breastfeeding every three hours, changing diapers, being up at all hours. I just don’t think I could have been present.”
However, according to the insider, both the production team and Moore wanted her to return to her life as a full-time parent and wife. Moore wanted more money than what the producers were offering. The producers also wanted to film all aspects of her life which including personal time with Kenya and her husband Marc Daly.
Since Kenya left ‘RHOA’, she has kept a good line of communication with some of the cast mates including Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, and Porsha Williams. Moore even attended Williams’ baby shower.
Kenya welcomed her first child to the world, Brooklyn Doris Daly, on November 4, 2018. The ‘RHOA’ mom continues to keep her fans up to date on her new life as a mother and wife to her husband Marc Daly on all social media platforms.
It’s easy to greet these remakes both cynically and a little eagerly. In the case of “The Lion King,” the songs are still good, the Shakespearean story still solid. And, well, Beyonce’s in it.
Life moves in a circle, “The Lion King” tells us, and, increasingly, so does studio moviemaking.
Close on the heels of “live-action” remakes of “Aladdin” and “Dumbo” and on the precipice of a reborn “The Little Mermaid,” ″The Lion King” is back, too. Round and round we go. Cue Savannah sunrise. Cue “Naaaants ingonyama bagithi baba!”
The remakes have themselves been a mixed bag offering some combination of modern visual effects, fresh casting and narrative tweaks to catch up more dated material to the times. Don’t count on a new “Song of the South,” but much of the Disney library will soon have been outfitted with digital clothes for the Internet era.
It’s easy to greet these remakes both cynically and a little eagerly. In the case of “The Lion King,” the songs are still good, the Shakespearean story still solid. And, well, Beyonce’s in it.
And yet Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King,” so abundant with realistic simulations of the natural world, is curiously lifeless. The most significant overhaul to an otherwise slavishly similar retread is the digital animation rendering of everything, turning the film’s African grasslands and its animal inhabitants into a photo-realistic menagerie. The Disney worlds of cartoon and nature documentary have finally merged.
It’s an impressive leap in visual effects, which included Favreau, cinematographer Caleb Descehanel and VFX chief Rob Legato making use of virtual-reality environments. Some of the computer-generated makeovers are beautiful. Mufasa, the lion king voiced again by James Earl Jones, is wondrously regal, and his mane might be the most majestic blonde locks since Robert Redford. And the grass stalks of the pride lands shimmer in the African sunlight.
But it’s a hollow victory. By turning the elastic, dynamic hand-drawn creations of Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff’s 1994 original into realistic-looking animals, “The Lion King” has greatly narrowed its spectrum of available expressions. Largely lost are the kinds of characterization that can flow from voice actor to animation. (Think of how closely fused Tom Hanks is with Woody in the “Toy Story” movies.) Here, most of the starry voice actors (including Donald Glover as the grown-up lion prince Simba, Beyonce as the older lioness Nala and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous Scar) feel remote from their characters. And, in many cases, so do we.
It’s worth asking: Just how real do we need our talking animals? Do we need the feathered majordomo Zazu (voiced by John Oliver) to look enough like a red-billed hornbill to win the approval of avid birders? “The Lion King” may well be a pivotal stepping stone toward CGI splendors to come, but for now, it feels like realism has been substituted for enchantment.
That doesn’t stop an army of top craft professionals and an enviable voice cast from doing their best to inject some vitality into “The Lion King.” The familiar songs by Elton John and Tim Rice are back, along with a new tune by Rice and Beyonce, though this time, the score by Hans Zimmer, with Lebo M., feels more airy and buoyant.
Yet the degree to which this “Lion King” mimics the first is disappointing. (Jeff Nathanson gets a solo writing credit but scene-to-scene the film hues extremely close to the original.) There’s a sound case to be made that the tale, which has been running on Broadway for more than 20 years, needs little revision.
But the few deviations taken by the filmmakers make you want more. The role of Nala has rightfully been elevated and toughened. The most rope for riffing has been extended to the new Timon and Pumba: Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen. Taking over for Nathan Lane’s meerkat and Ernie Sabella’s warthog, Eichner and Rogen make their own shtick together and they, more than anyone else, give “The Lion King” a breath of fresh air, even as they make plenty of fart jokes.
Yet that’s hardly enough to warrant a bland, unimaginative rehash like this, let alone merit Beyonce’s imperial presence. Instead, “The Lion King” is missing something. A purpose, maybe, and a heart. The life expectancy of Disney classics has begun to feel more like a hamster wheel than a circle of life, and it’s getting harder and harder to feel the love.
“The Lion King,” a Walt Disney Co. release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements. Running time: 118 minutes. Two stars out of four.
“After working together at the Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert, I admired the undeniable depth in Jerry’s big voice,” Stewart said in a statement. “A true soul singer.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jerry Lawson, who for four decades was the lead singer of the eclectic cult-favorite a cappella group the Persuasions, has died. He was 75.
Lawson died Wednesday at a Phoenix hospice after a long illness, longtime friend and sometime Persuasions producer Rip Rense said.
Lawson’s smooth baritone led the group of five and later six singers, who were revered as the “The Kings of a Cappella” by their small but devoted fan base.
Through 25 albums the Persuasions recorded rock, blues, gospel and pop songs, all with no sound other than their own voices, long after the doo-wop era and long before the “Pitch Perfect” movies, when a cappella was rare.
“Thirty-eight years and we still ain’t got no band, man!” Lawson told The Associated Press in 2000. “That’s the story right there.”
They had many famous fans including Rod Stewart, the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, the members of Boyz II Men and Frank Zappa, who gave their career a boost when he discovered them in the late 1960s.
“After working together at the Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert, I admired the undeniable depth in Jerry’s big voice,” Stewart said in a statement. “A true soul singer.”
They began as a casual and nameless collection of singers on the basketball courts and front stoops of Brooklyn in 1962, with Lawson bringing the warm, friendly voice he developed singing gospel songs during his youth in Apopka, Florida.
“It was just five guys who used to stand on the corner or go down to the subway station every night and just do this,” Persuasions member Jimmy Hayes told the AP in 2000.
Joseph Russell, Herbert Rhoad and Jayotis Washington rounded out the original quintet.
They got their break when Zappa signed them to his independent label for their first album in 1969.
The Persuasions performed with everyone from Liza Minnelli to Joni Mitchell to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and covered the songs of Motown, Sam Cooke and Paul Simon.
The eclecticism that made them so beloved also kept them from reaching pop stardom.
Music executives never knew how to market them and commercial radio had no clue what niche to stick them in.
“They’ve never gotten their due,” Rense told the AP in 2000. “They’re the greatest, most enduring American a cappella group. In another country like Japan they’d be declared a living treasure.”
Lawson left the group in 2002. A few years later he joined a much younger group of San Francisco acapella singers that had based themselves on the Persuasions to form “Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town.”
The group released an album, co-produced by Lawson and his wife, in 2007, and in 2011 they appeared on NBC’s music competition show, “The Sing-Off.”
In 2015, he released his only solo album, “Just a Mortal Man.”
A documentary on Lawson is in the works and is expected to be released later this year.
He is survived by wife Julie Lawson and daughters Yvette and Wanda Dawson.
At his request, no funeral will be held, his family said in a statement.
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Associated Press Writer John Rogers contributed to this story.
He was arrested after the indictment was handed down earlier Thursday in federal court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Chicago federal court on Tuesday afternoon.
CHICAGO (AP) — Singer R. Kelly, already facing sexual abuse charges brought by Illinois prosecutors, was arrested in Chicago on sweeping federal indictments that accuse him and members of his entourage of recruiting women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with the performer and later paying victims and witnesses to cover up his crimes.
An indictment unsealed Friday in the Eastern District of New York includes charges of racketeering, kidnapping, forced labor and the sexual exploitation of a child. It says Kelly and his managers, bodyguards and other assistants picked out women and girls at concerts and other venues and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly. They also set rules the women and girls had to follow, including not leaving their rooms — even to eat or go to the bathroom — without Kelly’s permission, calling the singer “Daddy,” and not looking at other men, the indictment alleges.
The indictment alleges that the criminal acts occurred over two decades dating back to 1999, both in the U.S. and overseas. It accuses Kelly of engaging in sexual acts with girls under 18 and without disclosing that he had a sexually transmitted disease. It also accuses him of producing child pornography, including by asking minors to send him photographs.
A separate 13-count indictment filed in Chicago federal court details efforts to cover up sexually explicit videos of Kelly with underage girls. Prosecutors say the defendants paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to victims and witnesses to make sure they wouldn’t cooperate with law enforcement. It also accuses Kelly of using physical abuse, violence and blackmail to prevent victims from providing evidence to law enforcement.
The Chicago indictment charges Kelly with child sex crimes, including producing child pornography, and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. It also names Kelly’s business manager and another employee.
U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Joseph Fitzpatrick said the R&B singer was out walking his dog when he was taken into custody about 7 p.m. Thursday and was being held by federal authorities. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Kelly is being held at the high-rise Metropolitan Correctional Center, in downtown Chicago.
He was arrested after the indictment was handed down earlier Thursday in federal court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Chicago federal court on Tuesday afternoon.
Kelly’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, said Friday that federal agents arrested Kelly on charges out of Illinois and New York. The singer hopes to be released after a bail hearing early next week, Greenberg said.
The conduct Kelly is charged with in federal court “appears to largely be the same” as what he is charged with in state court, Greenberg said, adding that Kelly “was aware of the investigations and the charges were not a surprise.”
“He and his lawyers look forward to his day in court, to the truth coming out and to his vindication from what has been an unprecedented assault by others for their own personal gain,” Greenberg said, adding that Kelly looks forward to being able to continue making music and performing “for his legions of fans that believe in him.”
The arrest was the second time this year that Kelly has been taken into custody in Chicago on sex charges. The 52-year-old Grammy winner, whose real name is Robert Kelly, was arrested in February on 10 counts in Illinois of sexually abusing three girls and a woman. He pleaded not guilty to those charges and was released on bail.
Darrell Johnson, a publicist for Kelly, said he planned to deliver a statement about the latest developments at a Friday morning news conference in Atlanta. He declined to comment ahead of that time.
Kelly’s attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment on the federal charges. Fitzpatrick said Kelly’s arraignment date and time had not yet been set.
Kelly has faced mounting legal troubles this year after Lifetime aired a documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which revisited allegations of sexual abuse of girls. The series followed the BBC’s “R Kelly: Sex, Girls & Videotapes,” released in 2018, that alleged the singer was holding women against their will and running a “sex cult.”
Soon after the release of the Lifetime documentary, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said her office had been inundated with calls about the allegations in the documentary. Her office’s investigation led to the charges in February and additional counts added in May.
Kelly avoided prison after similar allegations were made more than a decade ago. A jury in 2008 acquitted him of child pornography charges that stemmed from a videotape, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, allegedly showing Kelly having sex with a minor.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that Kelly was arrested Thursday, not Friday.
Taddesse is being held in a District jail without bond.
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It’s an unbelievable story. Police have arrested a man for the bold and disturbing rape of a woman on the Cheverly Metro station platform Thursday.
Prince George’s County Police say the assault happened just after 12:30 pm. The victim was alone on the platform at the time.
Detectives say the suspect boarded a train and got off at the next stop which was the Deanwood Metro Station. The suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Abraham Berhanu Taddesse of Cheverly, Maryland. He was apprehended a short time after the incident near the metro station.
Taddesse is being held in a District jail without bond. He faces first rape charges and his extradition back to Maryland is pending.
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Barry is expected to arrive either tonight or early Saturday morning. Officials say it could turn into a hurricane before then.
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Tropical Storm Barry is gaining strength as it heads towards the Louisiana coast, already saturated by heavy rains earlier this week. Forecasters predict that Barry could become the first hurricane of the season.
At last check it had 50-mile-an-hour winds and it was in the Gulf of Mexico. Its just 90 minutes south of Louisiana. Heavy rain is expected in much of Louisiana and Mississippi. Some experts predict between 20 and 25 inches of rain over the next few days could overwhelm places like New Orleans. Other area’s that will be hard hit include Arkansas, Alabama and Florida.
The National Weather Service which issued the highest alert that they could say there is a life threatening danger of rising water moving inland from the coast within the next 36 hours.
Barry is expected to arrive either tonight or early Saturday morning. Officials say it could turn into a hurricane before then. Tornadoes are possible.
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Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club presents the legendary Peabo Bryson, tonight at 8pm and tomorrow night at 7pm.
Jeffrey Osborne is at the Birchmere tonight for a 7:30 show.
Also tonight, The Birchmere presents Ledisi “Nina & Me”at The Music Center at Strathmore. Show time is 8pm.
At City Winery, Vivian Green performs on Saturday for two shows, 7pm and 10:15pm. Then on Sunday, DC’s own Carolyn Malachi takes to the stage for an 8pm show.
Jean Carne is at Blues Alley through Sunday for two show each night, 8pm and 10pm.
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:35 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on Facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
Sixteen-year-old Lakira Youngblood was last seen on Wednesday in the 200-block of 45th Street in Southeast.
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Police are searching for a missing teenage girl in DC. Sixteen-year-old Lakira Youngblood was last seen on Wednesday in the 200-block of 45th Street in Southeast. She is described as a black female who is four-foot-eight and weighs 138 pounds. Youngblood was last seen wearing a black shirt, black leggings and white shoes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should contact police right away at 202-727-9099 or text 50411.
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They are the people who raised you, your parents. But many adult children find out sooner or later that those roles reverse and they find themselves parenting and caring for elderly parents. Even with healthy, older parents, it is not easy. We look at parenting your parents as they get older. The challenges and the resources.
(Washington, DC) — More rain is on the way for the DC area. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch starting at 2:00 p.m. today and going through 2:00 a.m. Friday. Much of the DC area is expected to see scattered, severe thunderstorms with excessive rain and flash flooding. Some storms could bring damaging winds and isolated hail. This comes after heavy rains caused flooding all around the DMV Monday.
(Washington, DC) — A House panel is authorizing a dozen subpoenas to people with links to President Trump. New York Democrat Jerry Nadler said the subpoenas cover the Trump administration’s actions on immigration and alleged obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation. Nadler chairs the judiciary panel. Georgia Republican Doug Collins called it a “subpoena binge” and “another trek down an empty road.” The subpoena list includes former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner.
Kushner is the President’s son-in-law. Others on the subpoena list include former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and former Trump campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.
“We’re doing a bunch of tests and they’re saying I have some nerve damage going on throughout my body,” August explains. “It’s like my immune system went on vacation. So, I’m just waiting on it to come back and we can get together and it can do what it do, man.”
On July 8, August Alsina made an Instagram video update about his health explaining why he couldn’t make it to this year’s Essence Fest.
“Hi guys. As you can probably tell I’m in the hospital. So, here’s the stitch. I woke up one day and wasn’t able to walk. I couldn’t feel my legs and my doctor ended up admitting me into the hospital.” Alsina remains positive throughout the video.
“We’re doing a bunch of tests and they’re saying I have some nerve damage going on throughout my body,” August explains. “It’s like my immune system went on vacation. So, I’m just waiting on it to come back and we can get together and it can do what it do, man.”
In 2017, August opened up about having an autoimmune disease that attacks his liver. This illness has led to several incidents including a collapse on stage during a 2014 performance. He has disclosed the details of the disease to his close friend Jada Pinkett-Smith. August Alsina isn’t letting his health get the best of him and promises new music in the future.
August Alsina became a popular artist in mainstream music in 2014. He has been featured on the Billboard Hot 100. He also had a hit single titled “I Luv This Sh*t” and won Best New Artist and BET’s Viewer’s Choice Award in 2014.
Monica and Shannon secretly got married in L.A. of November 2010 and kept their marriage under wraps. In January 2011, they went public with their marriage and had a second ceremony for family and friends in July 2011.
Earlier this week singer Monica discussed the infidelity that ended her marriage with Shannon Brown as well as her feelings towards the other woman.
The multi-platinum artist shared her thoughts on Instagram Live, along with her musical colleague Tank.
“Typically when people find out their mate is cheating, they will blame the other person more harshly than their mate, and I just find that to be insane. You realize how stupid that is because at the end of the day, the person that you either took vows with or made a commitment.”
Monica makes it clear that the end of their marriage was not caused by infidelity. She explains that motherhood gave her a new outlook.
“Yeah, it’s nobody that’s going to meet somebody that I’m with that don’t know that they my somebody, but they still don’t owe me what the person that I’m with does. I may get some information from, or be resourceful towards or maybe just want to know a little bit about, but I’m not confronting or running up on somebody else that’s been with somebody. It’s your husband. She ain’t take no vows with you.”
Although Monica is known for handling business with the side woman based off of her hit song “So Gone”, she has grown and now believes that fighting the other woman is a crazy way of thinking.
“Because everybody ain’t married, but if I live with you it’s the same thing for me. So it’s like the commitment that you’ve made and the requirements and responsibility of taking care of the other person’s heart only belongs to your mate.”
The Grammy Award-winning artist believes that it is no woman’s responsibility to keep a man in check and that he should always provide for and protect his woman.
She closes the live video stating, “When somebody disrespects you like that, it’s sometimes a lack of love. People assume it’s just a lack of love towards you, but a lot of people, when they’re moving around like that, they don’t really love themselves and sometimes they don’t even feel worthy of who it is they have and they don’t even know how to care for that. Sometimes you can’t do what you weren’t taught.”
Monica and Shannon secretly got married in L.A. of November 2010 and kept their marriage under wraps. In January 2011, they went public with their marriage and had a second ceremony for family and friends in July 2011.
Monica and Brown have a 5-year-old daughter, Laiyah Shannon. Monica also has two sons, 13-year-old Rodney and Romelo, 11, from a past engagement; Brown also has a son, Christopher, from a previous relationship.
The outcome from a new report check on Metro bus service show the transit agency barely passed. This despite the numerous efforts made to improve services.
The complaints include slow and unreliable service as some of the biggest issues. The study was conducted by Coalition for Smarter Growth and the MetroHero app. ‘
Data was collected from 34 routes in nine top priority ridership area. They are 16th Street NW, Anacostia/Congress Heights, Seventh Street, 14th Street NW, Georgia Avenue/ H Street/Benning Road, Rhode Island Avenue, North Capitol Street, U Street and Wisconsin Avenue/Pennsylvania Avenue.
Here’s what they found 60 percent of buses were on time. Being on time means that they arrived within a 7 minute window of the scheduled time. On average buses traveled about 10 mph. Only one bus route got an B and that was the A7 that runs in Anacostia. Buses on that route drove about 12 mph. The route with the slowest travel times was along the 14th Street NW corridor. Buses only went about 8 mph. Some were even tracked as slow as 5 mph.
City leaders are making this a major priority. In fact, the city has added new dedicated bus lanes in parts of the metro with more to come. The ultimate outcome is that there is still alot more that needs to be done to prevent or stop riders from abandoning Metro bus all together. Some suggestions from the experts include increasing bus speed, combining bus stops and allowing all door entry and off board payments. Leaders say they are working on a number of ways to bring customers back to Metro bus.
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Today from 2 to 5 p.m. DC police will be at the 7’11 at Minnesota Avenue and Good Hope Road today handing out flyers.
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Today the Metropolitan Police Departments 6th District Station has decided to make today Relisha Rudd Awareness Day.
Relisha Rudd was 8-years-old when she went missing in February but she was last seen on March 1, 2014, with a janitor from DC General Homeless Shelter. She was living there with her mother and brother. That shelter that had a number of issues has since been closed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Today from 2 to 5 p.m. DC police will be at the 7’11 at Minnesota Avenue and Good Hope Road today handing out flyers. Rudd would be 13 years old and they have aged enhanced pictures of how she would look today. Kids under the age of 13 will be given free Slurpees.
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In a statement, the couple said Westbrook’s mission is “to spread positive ideas, art and products that entertain and empower the greatest number of lives.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith are looking to expand their brands under a new corporate umbrella.
The Hollywood power couple on Wednesday announced the launch of a new media venture.
According to a statement, Westbrook Inc. will be a cross-platform holding company “formed to execute the Smith family’s global content and commerce business strategy.”
In a statement, the couple said Westbrook’s mission is “to spread positive ideas, art and products that entertain and empower the greatest number of lives.”
Westbrook Studios will serve as the studio home to all new premium TV and motion picture projects. It currently serves “Red Table Talk,” the Facebook Watch series featuring Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
The company will also develop projects as starring vehicles for Will Smith.
The award-winning Netflix series also became a showcase for actresses of color, thanks to nuanced story lines with depth that have often proved elusive.
NEW YORK (AP) — From corrupt, brutal overseers to the fraught world of inmate hierarchy to unlikely friendships and romances, “Orange is the New Black” told deeply rich and complex stories about life for women behind bars that resonated far beyond prison walls.
While it was originally centered around the privileged white character of Piper Chapman (played by Taylor Schilling), the supporting characters — some quirky, some volatile, some comic, some tragic — became the show’s breakout stars.
The award-winning Netflix series also became a showcase for actresses of color, thanks to nuanced story lines with depth that have often proved elusive.
It’s no surprise that some of them went on to become the show’s biggest draws.
Uzo Aduba won the dramedy’s only acting Emmys, while Emmy-nominee Laverne Cox, Danielle Brooks, Samira Wiley and Dascha Polanco all gave masterful performances that lifted their careers far beyond life in Litchfield federal penitentiary.
As the hit dramedy winds down with the seventh and final season on July 26, those actresses take a look back at the profound impact the series had on their lives.
ADUBA (Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren)
A not-so-funny thing happened to Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba on her way to audition for a different part on the show: She was late.
She thought maybe the faux pas was the universe trying to tell her that acting wasn’t her destiny. Aduba, 38, had been trying professionally for about 10 years, with small victories, but she quit after her tardiness, thinking maybe a law career was the way to go as her parents, of Nigerian descent, preferred.
That’s when the life-changing phone call came. There was bad news: She didn’t get the part of track star-inmate Janae Watson. But there was also good: She was offered Crazy Eyes instead, though only for a couple of guest appearances. She wore the bantu knots that became the signature style of the character to the audition.
Thank goodness she didn’t listen to the universe. Aduba’s role was extended and she won two Emmys, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe.
Like Crazy Eyes sometimes does, she let the muses rule.
“My phone wasn’t ringing, with regards to film and television anyway, before our show came out,” she told The Associated Press. “It just felt surreal, I think, for a lot of us to even be having this sort of experience.”
Now, with her higher profile, she has a goal: “I am trying to tell the stories of the missing, the people and the voices that are missing in the tapestry.”
For so many in the cast, the Medfield, Massachusetts-raised Aduba said, “We had been living on the Island of Misfit Toys and being made to feel as though there was no place for us when the truth of the matter is space just needed to be made.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Upcoming projects include the film “Beats” and the FX series “Mrs. America.”
COX (Sophia Burset)
The LGBTQ activist didn’t quit her day job at the drag spot Lucky Cheng’s in Manhattan until after the first season of Orange wrapped. But it wasn’t long until she made history as the first trans person on the cover of Time magazine.
“I just cried,” she said.
The magazine’s story accompanying the cover on the transgender tipping point had her describing her childhood in Mobile, Alabama, growing up bullied and harassed for presenting as feminine. She came out as trans years later while working in New York City, where she took up acting.
Thanks to OINTB, where her character rode out cycles of acceptance, hatred and violence, Cox has used her star platform to educate the world and push for just treatment of LGBTQ people everywhere.
So much has changed for Cox in the show’s seven-year run.
“Seven years ago I turned 40 and I had not had the big breakthrough in my acting career that I had wanted. I was in tons of debt. I thought it was time for me to do something else,” she told the AP. “I was like, ‘I should go back to graduate school’ and I bought some GRE study materials from a friend of mine.”
Then she auditioned for Orange, “and here we are.”
Cox was the first openly trans person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category and the first to be nominated for any Emmy since composer Angela Morley in 1990.
For years at Lucky Cheng’s she’d tell co-workers she wanted to be an actor and win awards, “and they’d be like, yeah, right whatever,” Cox recalled. “A black trans woman in 2010 saying she wants to be a big star was like, ‘Yeah right, yeah cool.’ Who knew?”
WHAT’S NEXT: She has several projects pending, including the film “Promise Young Woman.”
BROOKS (Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson)
As the brash Taystee, Brooks showed the way not just for other actors of color, but for women of size.
“Cornbread fed, baby, cornbread fed,” she laughed.
The Augusta, Georgia-born Brooks was well on her way doing theater when “Orange” happened after she graduated with a bachelor’s from the Juilliard School.
Brooks is also a singer, earning a Tony nomination for Sofia (Oprah’s film part) in the 2015 Broadway production of “The Color Purple.” She dropped a music video in February for Black History Month featuring herself all glammed up and wet in a bathtub singing “Black Woman,” which includes the lyrics: “The world tells me there is space for me, if I cinch it up and I sew it in, the world tells me it’ll all be mine, with some lashes on and some lighter eyes.”
The song, Brooks told the AP, was “my way of healing myself” while encouraging others to accept who they are.
Brooks’ mom is a minister and her dad a church deacon. Church taught her a lot about how to present herself to the world and the importance of prioritizing self-love. Now, she wants to “show the industry, look what happens when you give people opportunity.”
The 29-year-old Brooks was working as a waitress in New York City (“I was a horrible waitress”) when her agent got her an audition for “Orange,” though initially only two episodes were promised.
“I almost said no to it because I didn’t get to read the script and when I saw the scene that I was going to be in I had to be topless. I was like, oh no. I’m from South Carolina. I grew up in a very religious household. I was nervous also about playing a stereotype, of the black woman who the world might consider sassy and loud and angry. To put that on TV, I was not sure about it.”
She’s obviously glad she did.
“It has completely changed my life,” Brooks said. She believes it also opened doors for nontraditional shows featuring full casts of color on TV.
“How much has the world changed, how much has Hollywood changed where you can have shows like ‘Pose,’ you can have ‘Insecure’ and ‘Atlanta’ and a plethora of other shows out there where the lead can look different from what we’ve seen before?”
WHAT’S NEXT: She appears in the film “Clemency” and is working on an EP. She is also expecting her first child.
WILEY (Poussey Washington)
Wiley was a bartender for two and a half years after she, too, graduated Julliard when she auditioned for Orange. There were no promises that lesbian character Poussey would be a recurring role. After she got the job, she stayed at Fred’s Restaurant in Manhattan for the first couple of seasons.
“I didn’t want to be stupid about it and quit my job and then end up nowhere,” she told the AP.
Like her character, Wiley is gay. Raised in Washington, D.C., Wiley’s sexuality was embraced by her liberal pastor parents, which she considers key to her success. She’s now an advocate for LGBTQ, immigration and prison reform causes.
Wiley, 32, was not publicly out in those early seasons of Orange. She credits Poussey with giving her the strength and confidence to come into her own, both as an actor and a gay black woman. Wiley appeared on the cover of Out magazine for its 20th anniversary to seal the deal.
“I think deep down, the both of us, Poussey and I, are just like really open and honest people with our hearts,” Wiley said. “There are real Pousseys out there, in prison, not in prison, being thrown away because people think they don’t matter.”
Wiley won three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Poussey. She went on to receive an Emmy nomination in 2017 for her portrayal of Moira in the Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” and won an Emmy for that part the following year.
WHAT’S NEXT: Wiley appears in the film “BIOS” and is working in a comedy, “Breaking News in Yuba County.”
POLANCO (Dayanara “Daya” Diaz)
She had dreamed of becoming an actor as a child but thought her weight might hold her back, so she put herself through Hunter College instead, going to school as a teen mother raising a young daughter.
The Dominican Republic-born Polanco went on to earn a bachelor’s in psychology and worked in a hospital as she studied to be a nurse (and eventually had a second child, a son). But over time, she decided to pursue acting.
After minor roles in two TV series, she was cast in OITNB in 2012.
“I had three jobs at the time and I was also finishing my nursing clinicals,” she told the AP of life before “Orange.”
“We are the reality.” she added. “Hollywood has been very exclusive in who they consider an actor, who they want to depict on screens.”
Polanco, who is also a songwriter, now values her versatility as an actor who doesn’t fit the Hollywood mold, though the early years were nerve-wracking.
“We can all relate to that, not feeling enough. I was very fearful of going out to auditions and being told, well you have to lose weight, well your hair is curly,” she said. “You come across this discrimination and this prejudice and you don’t realize how much they affect you. … It’s learning how to embrace those scars and how we use it as foundation and not as identity.”
It’s not always easy. While acting and music are passions, “I’m still out here not getting roles,” Polanco said.
WHAT’S NEXT: She plays Cuca in the film version of the stage musical “In the Heights” and worked in the film “iGilbert.”
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Associated Press writers Ryan Pearson and Michael Cidoni Lennox in Los Angeles and Gina Abdy in New York contributed to this story.
Speed has not been ruled out as a factor in this case.
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U.S. Park Police are investigating a bizarre accident overnight that claimed the life of two people. The victims have not been identified. The driver of the dark colored GMC Yukon had to be extricated from the vehicle after it flipped and ended on its side. The unidentified person is listed in critical condition at an area hospital.
Officials say the SUV left the roadway around Midnight and went through the small park at the intersection of 21st Street and Pennsylvania Avenues in NW hitting the two victims. The truck hit the bench that the who were sitting on so hard that is completely destroyed the concrete and wood bench and another near it. Speed has not been ruled out as a factor in this case.
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Williams has now taken her talents on the road with the Bring It LIVE Tour. The tour has all new talent, choreography & video segments, dance battles, interactive elements and audience participation (with prizes). They will be touring across the country for the next several months.
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https://youtu.be/oFx0BKDKQfc
Washington, D.C. (Wednesday, July 10, 2019) – Fresh off her widely popular reality dance show “Bring It,” Diana Williams, best known as ‘Coach D,’ stopped by our WHUR studios today to talk about how she inspires young girls during some of the most challenging times of their lives.
“It’s not easy. You have to remember these are pre-teen and teen girls with raging hormones and lots of attitude. But I love every minute of working with them and watching them grow,” said Williams.
Coach D is a no nonsense dance coach who motivates young girls to be their best in and outside the studio. Her tough love has been captured for 5 seasons on the hit Lifetime TV series that showcases Coach D and her Dancing Dolls.
Williams has now taken her talents on the road with the Bring It LIVE Tour, which was featured Wednesday, July 10th at the Warner Theatre. The tour has all new talent, choreography & video segments, dance battles, interactive elements and audience participation (with prizes). They will be touring across the country for the next several months.
Coach D sat down and talked with WHUR Digital Reporter Candice Adkins explaining why working with youth is what she is destined to do.
We are talking money this morning, specifically your credit. I have details about a free community education and financial empowerment event coming up designed to help persons understand and improve their FICO score. My guest is Joanne Gaskin, VP of Scores and Analytics at FICO. She heads up the Score A Better Future
On Wednesday, July 17, FICO, the leading credit scoring company, together with Operation HOPE and consumer advocacy groups, will host “Score A Better Future,” from 6:00-8:30pm ET at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health. The event offers attendees the opportunity to learn the key ingredients in their FICO Score, and walk out with a roadmap for their future with free 1-on-1 counseling from accredited credit coaches from Operation Hope. 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.
It was an incident that has reignited a conversation about the relationship between police and the community. Management at a Starbucks in Tempe, Arizona asked police officers to leave the store after a customer complained that they were uncomfortable. With more smartphones recording police on the job, few of those headline-making video are flattering. They’ve raised questions about why some communities fear the police.
Al Walker, Retired DC Master Patrol Officer
Clyde Boatwright, Vice-President, Maryland Fraternal Order of Police
(Washington, DC) — A federal appeals court is siding with President Trump in a emoluments case involving his DC hotel. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit today filed by attorneys general from DC and Maryland. The lawsuit claims Trump is illegally profiting off the presidency through his luxury hotel in downtown DC. The three-judge panel said the attorneys general lacked legal standing that the president violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution. Trump still faces a similar lawsuit filed by Democratic members of Congress.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser says President Trump’s Fourth of July event emptied a special fund used to protect the city. The fund is used to protect DC from terrorist threats and provide security at events like protests and state funerals. In a letter to the president, Bowser said the fund has now been depleted and is estimated to be running a six-million-dollar deficit by September 30th. Trump’s “A Salute to America” event, combined with police costs for demonstrations through the weekend, cost the DC government one-point-seven million dollars. Bowser also noted that the account was never reimbursed for seven-point-three million dollars in expenses from Trump’s 2017 inauguration. The mayor requested that the White House fully reimburse the fund.
Chris Brown‘s latest album INDIGO is the number one album in the country this week.
With major collaborations from artists like Drake, H.E.R., and Nicki Minaj; the 32- track album reached 98 million streams according to Billboard. Brown is one of many artists who offers bundle deals when purchasing his album. Concert tickets and merchandise are included with each sale.
Despite his personal issues, Brown is no stranger to having major support from his fans. In 2011 and 2012, he topped the charts with his albums F.A.M.E and Fortune.
“I still couldn’t find peace. I started seeing a therapist. I was searching for answers, and although I felt like I was making progress, I still wasn’t ready to pick up a racket. “
Tennis superstar Serena Williams opened up about speaking up against injustice in her professional career and seeking therapy to deal with the backlash from the 2018 US Open controversy in the August 2019 issue of Harper Bazaar. She showcased the cover on her Instagram with unretouched photos and essay filled with an open essay of raw emotions.
Williams recalls one of her early memories of her career at age 17 when she won her first Grand Slam. After her feat, she gained the confidence to move in with her sister, Venus, and pursue her career. With starting a intensive athletic carer at a young age and still remaining relevant, many would wonder what keeps Williams motivated. She states:
“I have been asked what keeps me motivated to continue playing tennis. To me, the answer is simple: I love the sport. When I’m giving speeches I always say how important it is to love what you do. If you don’t, then find something that speaks to you. Follow your passion. Of course, there are times when loving tennis is hard.”
The 2018 US Open sparked an abundance of controversy. Williams opens up for the first time about what really happened from her perspective.
“…..September 2018. It’s the final of the US Open, and I’m competing to win my 24th Grand Slam against Naomi Osaka. It’s the beginning of the second set, and the umpire thinks he spots my coach signaling me from the stands. He issues a violation—a warning. I approach him and emphatically state the truth: that I wasn’t looking at my coach. ‘I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose,’ I said. I walk back to the court and lose the next point. I smash my racket in frustration; he issues another violation and gives a point to my opponent. I feel passionately compelled to stand up for myself. I call him a thief; I again demand an apology. I tell him he is penalizing me for being a woman. He responds by issuing a third violation and takes a game from me. In the end, my opponent simply played better than me that day and ended up winning her first Grand Slam title. I could not have been happier for her.”
With the controversy after the US Open and the backlash Williams received, she went to a therapist to look for answers.
“I still couldn’t find peace. I started seeing a therapist. I was searching for answers, and although I felt like I was making progress, I still wasn’t ready to pick up a racket. Finally I realized that there was only one way for me to move forward. It was time for me to apologize to the person who deserved it the most. I started to type, slowly at first, then faster as if the words were flowing out of me.”
Williams then penned an open letter to her opponent Naomi Osaka to apologize for her role in the situation.
“Hey, Naomi! It’s Serena Williams. As I said on the court, I am so proud of you and I am truly sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing in sticking up for myself. But I had no idea the media would pit us against each other. I would love the chance to live that moment over again. I am, was, and will always be happy for you and supportive of you. I would never, ever want the light to shine away from another female, specifically another black female athlete. I can’t wait for your future, and believe me I will always be watching as a big fan! I wish you only success today and in the future. Once again, I am so proud of you. All my love and your fan, Serena.”
Osaka responded:
“People can misunderstand anger for strength because they can’t differentiate between the two,” she said graciously. “No one has stood up for themselves the way you have and you need to continue trailblazing.”
Faced with sexism, criticism and backlash throughout her entire career, Williams learned the importance of using her voice and speaking up for herself.
“I’ll admit, it was a long while before I picked up a racket again. There is only so much one person can take. As a teenager, I was booed by an entire stadium (I took the high road and even thanked those who didn’t want to see me win). I’ve been called every name in the book. I’ve been shamed because of my body shape. I’ve been paid unequally because of my sex. I’ve been penalized a game in the final of a major because I expressed my opinion or grunted too loudly. I’ve been blatantly cheated against to the point where the Hawk-Eye rules were introduced so that something like that would not happen again. And these are only the things that are seen by the public. In short, it’s never been easy. But then I think of the next girl who is going to come along who looks like me, and I hope, ‘Maybe, just maybe, my voice will help her.’”
Ultimately, Williams found the strength to continue because of her daughter. She then emphasizes that she won’t ever stop raising her voice against injustice. Earlier this year Williams debuted her #DreamCrazier Nike ad highlighting the issue of sexism in professional sports.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé has dropped a new original song from Disney’s live-action “Lion King.”
The song, “Spirit,” was released Tuesday and should get an Academy-Award push for Academy Award consideration.
The tune comes at a pivotal moment for Nala, the character voiced by Beyoncé, in the film that comes out July 18. She also co-wrote the song.
It’s part of an album called “The Lion King: The Gift” that Beyoncé is executive producing and performing on along with other artists. It will be released digitally July 11, with the physical album coming July 19.
The collection is a companion to the main “Lion King” soundtrack, which consists mostly of songs from the animated film, along with a new number from Elton John and Tim Rice, who wrote the songs for the original.
The suit also alleges that Marriott Hotels are not properly disclosing the true cost of the hotel room online.
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The District of Columbia’s Attorney General Karl Racine says Marriott Hotels resort and amenity fee’s are deceptive.
Racine wants the Bethesda based hotel chain to become more transparent about its pricing and fees. The official complaint was filed Tuesday against Marriott International Inc. stating that the lack of transparency violates the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures.
The suit also alleges that Marriott Hotels are not properly disclosing the true cost of the hotel rooms online. Racine called it “drip pricing”. Where after one books a room they can see an increase due to resort fees or amenity fees from $9 to $95 dollars a night. It directly affects consumers trying to price shop online by not having the total cost posted.
Racine wants the hotel chain to change how they do business, pay restitution to DC consumers and the fines associated with the act.
Marriott officials say they do not comment on current litigation’s.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
He was also responsible for the design of a number of libraries in the District of Columbia and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.
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The man who drew up the design for the District’s wildly popular African American Museum of History and Culture has died. Phil Freelon passed away in Durham, North Carolina on Tuesday.
In 2016 the well respected and talented architect was diagnosed with ALS. ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. “A” means no. … Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.
Freelon was 66-years-old. He was also responsible for the design of a number of libraries in the District of Columbia and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.
The family is asking anyone who wants to honor Freelon instead of sending flowers she is asking that you donate to Northstar Church of Arts. It was found by the two last year.
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963
WASHINGTON (AP) — John Paul Stevens, who served on the Supreme Court for nearly 35 years and became its leading liberal, has died. He was 99.
Today’s show was sparked from a heartfelt instagram post by former Washington NFL player, Albert Haynesworth who opened up about his kidney failure. Haynesworth took to the social media to share that he is in need of a kidney transplant and is searching for a donor.
Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club presents the legendary Peabo Bryson, tonight at 8pm and tomorrow night at 7pm.
(Washington, DC) — More rain is on the way for the DC area. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch starting at 2:00 p.m. today and going through 2:00 a.m. Friday. Much of the DC area is expected to see scattered, severe thunderstorms with excessive rain and flash flooding. Some storms could bring damaging winds and isolated hail. This comes after heavy rains caused flooding all around the DMV Monday.
who motivates young girls to be their best in and outside the studio. Her tough love has been captured for 5 seasons on the hit Lifetime TV series that showcases Coach D and her Dancing Dolls.
