Joel Edgerton named GQ Australia’s Man Of The Year 2018
GQ Australia has celebrated its 20th anniversary and the 12th annual GQ Men of the Year Awards. Twenty awards were presented at a black tie gala at The Star in Sydney, with winners appearing in the special GQ Men of the Year issue, now on sale.
The GQ Men of the Year Awards, presented by major sponsor Audi for the second year, recognise and honour extraordinary men and women who lead by example, striving for positive change and achieving great success in their chosen field.
International stars walking the GQ red carpet in Sydney for an excited media pack included: GQ Man of the Year Joel Edgerton, Naomi Watts, who presented an award to GQ Creative Force recipient Cameron Bloom, GQ International Man of Style Lucky Blue Smith, GQ International Woman of the Year Emily Ratajkowski plus GQ Actor of the Year Keiynan Lonsdale and TV Actor of the Year Dacre Montgomery.
The evening started with welcomes from News Corp Australia’s publisher of the News Prestige Network, Nicholas Gray, and the editor of GQ, Michael Christensen.
They had plenty of colleagues in the audience including the chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times Penny Fowler, the editors of The Australian Christopher Dore and The Daily Telegraph Ben English, and the new CEO of Sky News Paul Whittaker. Executives from the magazine side of the business included editorial director of Conde Nast titles Edwina McCann, editor-in-chief of delicious. Kerrie McCallum and director of communications Sharyn Whitten.
Two former Australian magazine editors-turned-publishers visiting from their overseas posts were Nick Smith, now CEO of Buro Global, and Grant Pearce, editorial director GQ Asia Pacific.
#RHoA: Nene Leakes Felt Eva Marcille Looked 'Stupid' During the Pass the Peach Game!
Eva has lots to say about her co-stars behind their backs, but is she able to own the shade in person?
Eva Marcille was caught up in the middle of all the drama on Sunday's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" -- and according to NeNe Leakes, was "looking a little stupid."
The shadefest went down when Cynthia Bailey hosted a "Bailey-cue" at her home, Lake Bailey. She urged the ladies to bring a plus one, and Porsha Williams showed up with two people: Shamea Morton and her sister, Lauren. Naturally, Eva wasn't happy to see Shamea after last week's episode, when she complained to Porsha that her friend was "messy," "shady" and basically untrustworthy. Their beef stems from last season but was allegedly put to bed at Cynthia's Love and Light Ceremony.
"Cynthia's directive was to bring a plus one," Eva told the camera. "But no, [Porsha] brings Lauren and...and..." Refusing to say Shamea's name, Eva took a sip from her drink. Shade!
What Eva didn't know was that Porsha had filled Shamea in on all the smack Eva talked about her the last time everyone hung out. Shamea was genuinely confused by it all because she thought -- like the rest of us -- that everything had been squashed last season. But Shamea was determined to focus on eating (she's pregnant) and avoid any pettiness. And honestly, that's a pretty solid way to go through life.
At the Bailey-cue, Cynthia insisted the ladies play a game of Pass the Peach, which was 100 percent intended to spark up drama. "The person with the peach either answers the question or passes the peach to the person that they think the question is about." We see you, Ms. Bailey!
NeNe pulled the first question: "Who do you think in this group needs a makeover?" NeNe passed the peach to Porsha, who passed it to Eva, who proudly announced that she could "help everybody out with a little bit of glam."
"No shade, I'm gonna pass the peach," she continued, handing the fruit to Shamari DeVoe, the newest Housewife.
Marlo Hampton -- NeNe's forever plus one -- pulled the next question: "Who's a big liar?" She happily answered: "From the past, I would say Porsha. For the future, I would say Eva."
"Pause! Pause, pause, pause, pause, pause," Eva shouted as she stood up. "Why exactly are we a liar?"
Marlo said she didn't feel she really knew Eva. Eva countered by saying she's known Marlo for years. Marlo corrected her, saying she hasn't known her for years -- she's seen her "be fabulous for years."
"But you're definitely extra, and sometimes, you're extra when it's not appropriate," Eva replied. Marlo shot back, "Well, it's not appropriate to be basic. You're basic, darling."
During her confessional, Eva threw shade Marlo's way. "I know of Marlo, and I've seen Marlo multiple times at different events. How I lie? I have no idea, but what I do lie is on my bed, comfortably, next to my man. I'm sorry, where do you lie, Marlo? Next to who? Silence? Okay."
Kandi Burruss interrupted the scream fest between Eva and Marlo to say, "I love you, Eva, but I'm about to give you that peach. The other day, you shaded the hell out of Shamea, and now you fixin' bean dip today." (Cue footage of 15 minutes prior, when Eva was catering to Shamea and asking if she wanted some of her seven-layer bean dip.)
"Cynthia invited us to the lake and asked us to bring a friend," Eva shouted in defense. "So my first question to Porsha was, 'What friend are you bringing?'"
"I'm sorry, but you were fired up about her," Porsha interrupted. "You were going in, girl."
"I'm sorry, but what's wrong with that?" Eva maintained. "The point is, after Love and Light, there was still shade. The interviewer asked a question about you, and I responded."
Shamea -- who had been quiet up to this point -- responded, "It doesn't matter! People ask me questions about you after Love and Light, and I'm cool on that."
"Where?! When?! How?! And it publishes on what?!" Eva fired back.
In comes Cynthia with her grievances: "I heard from someone that you were telling people that I paid Will to date me."
Taken aback, Eva replied, "What I told you was what I knew to be facts." When Cynthia pressed her, Eva admitted, "I don't know that to be true."
"I don't know if Eva is a liar, but it seems that she's getting a little caught up now," NeNe later told Bravo cams. "It's looking a little stupid."
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
#Empire: ‘Porsha’ Ta’Rhonda Jones Releases ‘Queen Is Here’ Album
Ta’Rhonda Jones, who stars as Cookie Lyon’s assistant “Porsha” on the Fox hit series, “Empire,” has released her album, Queen Is Here.
In case you missed the memo, the 29-year-old Chicagoan is an actress and a rapper – she’s got bars too!
LISTEN TO IT HERE
Congrats Ta’Rhonda!
#NewMusic from Tamar Braxton ‘The Makings of You’ Video
Tamar Braxton has been relatively quiet as it relates to her music. However, the R&B songstress surprised her fans with a video for “The Makings of You,” which appears on her Bluebird of Happiness album.
Filmed in Washington, D.C, the ’70s-inspired visual (which is reminiscent of the film Claudine) finds Braxton sitting on a porch daydreaming about her man. Although the video is minimal, it ties in perfectly with the rawness of the song.
WATCH HERE
Braxton released Bluebird of Happiness in September 2017. She made it clear that it is her final album. With the release of “The Makings of You” video, I’m sure Braxton will come\ out of retirement from music very soon.
#HipHopNews: Tekashi 6ix9ine Pleads Not Guilty In Federal Racketeering, Firearms And Drugs Case
Just a little over a week ago, at 7 p.m. EST on Nov. 18, U.S. federal agents arrested Brooklyn's 6ix9ine and a few of his associates on various federal racketeering, weapons and drugs charges. During an arraignment hearing at Manhattan's Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse Monday afternoon (Nov. 26), the rainbow-haired rapper pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Walking into the courtroom in a navy blue, federal detention-center-issued jumpsuit, the embattled rapper was joined by three other reputed members of the Brooklyn-based Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. Toward the beginning of the hearing, which lasted just a bit over an hour, 6ix9ine and all three other men pled not guilty to the charges. The trial date for the case is all set to begin on Sept. 4, 2019.
During the course of today's hearing, prosecutors for the U.S. government began presenting the nature of their investigation and the methods they used to obtain information they will use against 6ix9ine and the rest of the indicted Nine Trey members, which include Jamel Jones (Mel Murda), Kifano Jordan (Shottie), Jensel Butler (Ish), Fuguan Lovick (Fu Banga) and Faheem Walter (Crippy).
According to the prosecutors, 6ix9ine's cell phone information was accessed when he crossed the border in March 2018. The government also secured evidence from an extensive search through his social media and Cloud accounts after they got the warrants to conduct the search. They obtained similar information from other members of the set.
At another point of the hearing, which was noted in part for the absence of Faheem Walter, who is still recovering from injuries he sustained in an Oct. 26 shooting, it was said that a July 16 shooting was intended for a Nine Trey member who had reportedly fallen out with the gang. Police allege that Tekashi was one of the Nine Trey members who ordered his shooting, and they learned of the Nine Trey member's location because he was on Instagram Live.
Authorities also cite Tekashi as being responsible for an armed robbery on April 3 while also being a part of the Barclays Center shooting on April 21. They say the shooting unfolded after Tekashi met a rival rapper (reportedly Casanova) who was set to perform for another boxer as said boxer entered the arena that day. 6ix9ine was supposed to perform for that boxer's opponent.
6ix9ine, who the NYPD has confirmed was transferred from Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center to another federal detention center, has been hit with six charges, including counts of racketeering conspiracy and using and carrying firearms he discharged in connection to the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. 6ix9ine hasn't been granted bail, but his attorney Lance Lazzaro will apply for it directly to the trial judge. Because the trial date isn't for nearly one year, there is a good chance 6ix9ine will remain behind bars for the duration of the time until then.
6ix9ine faces 32 years to life in prison.
#CONDOLENCES: Oprah Winfrey’s Mom, Vernita Lee, DEAD at 83!
Oprah Winfrey’s mom Vernita Lee died on Thanksgiving at her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, TMZ reports. She was 83 years old. A private funeral service has already been held.
According to US Weekly, Vernita Lee was born in deeply segregated Mississippi on May 2, 1935 and worked for many years as a housekeeper. Oprah was raised by Lee’s mother, her maternal grandmother, until the age of 6, when she went to live with Vernita in Milwaukee.
Vernita is survived by Oprah and Oprah’s her half-sister Patricia Amanda Faye Lee, grandchildren Alisha Hayes, Chrishaunda Lee Perez, Aquarius Lofton, Andre Brown and great-grandchildren Jaxon Praise Perez, Chai Theresa Perez, Donovan Hayes and Trinity Hayes.
Lee’s family has suggested memorial donations be made in her name to Feeding America, the United States’ largest domestic hunger-relief non-profit organization.
Kim Kardashian Says She Was On Ecstasy During Famous Ray J Sex Tape
Kim Kardashian West says she was under the influence when she made some decisions in her past, including her first marriage – to music producer Damon Thomas when she was just 19 – and a sex tape with her ex, singer Ray J.
“I did ecstasy once and I got married. I did it again, I made a sex tape. Like, everything bad would happen,” Kardashian, 38, told Scott Disick and sister Kendall Jenner.
Kardashian wed music producer Damon Thomas in 2000 when she was 19 years old. He filed for divorce in 2003.
“Like, my jaw was shaking the whole time,” Kardashian said of the experience.
She also recounted the time when she and pal Paris Hilton slept on rafts in the ocean after departing a party in Ibiza at 7 a.m.
“I definitely went through a wild phase, I would say in my late teens. I’m not like that anymore. But I still have fun — don’t get it twisted, I’m always the life of the party,” she said
#BUSINESSNEWS: GM Announces Cuts At Car Assembly Plants In Michigan, Ohio, Canada
‘Making America Great Again'?
General Motors says it plans to cease production of some models at three vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. and Canada in 2019. It also plans to cut production at two plants in the U.S. that make transmissions. The company said the moves are part of an effort to cut 15 percent of its workforce.
It's part of a major restructuring that will prioritize the company's electric and autonomous vehicle programs.
The decision, announced Monday, will impact Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit, Lordstown Assembly in Warren, Ohio, and Oshawa Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario. Two transmission plants — one in White Marsh, Md., and another in Warren, Mich. — are also set to stop production.
GM says it is maintaining its profitable lineup of SUVs and trucks but will shift away from some of its smaller vehicles that haven't seen strong sales.
The company said it plans to halt production of the Chevrolet Cruze at the Lordstown plant in March. In Detroit, it plans to halt production of the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Volt in March and the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala in June. In Ontario, it plans to halt production of the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac XTS by the final quarter of 2019.
"These tend to be the lower-margin vehicles," GM's Chief Financial Officer Dhivya Suryadevara told reporters.
The company says 5,901 hourly employees and 804 salaried employees work at these plants.
"We are announcing the cessation of certain products resulting in a number of plants being without allocated volume to produce," GM spokesperson Julie Huston-Rough told NPR. She added that shutting down or closing a plant is an issue that must be discussed in negotiations with the United Auto Workers.
GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said the company is aiming to cut executive positions by 25 percent, as part of its overall push to cut it workforce. "We will achieve this through a combination of voluntary and involuntary programs," she said.
GM added that it expects to save some $6 billion by the end of 2020.
"The UAW and our members will confront this decision by GM through every legal, contractual and collective bargaining avenue open to our membership," the union said in a statement.
President Trump told reporters, "We don't like it, I believe they'll be opening up something else." He added that he's "not happy" about the announcement.
The communities impacted by the decision are digesting the news.
"They told me straight up there's nothing we can do," Ontario Premier Doug Ford told lawmakers, according to CBC. He called the decision "absolutely devastating," and the broadcaster reported that thousands of workers at the Ontario plant stopped working Monday.
As Michigan Radio reported, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan called the news "troubling" and said that the union and local officials are "working together to come up with a solution that works for GM and the employees."
Ohio politicians are also responding to the announcement. Arno Hill, the mayor of Lordstown, told NPR that he received a call from GM to inform him about five minutes before the news was released to the public. The Lordstown plant makes the Chevy Cruze.
"Everybody's very downhearted," he said. "They know they're making a great product. ... but they also realize that the car is not selling, and, you know, the key is to get another product for this plant."
"GM owes the community answers on how the rest of the supply chain will be impacted and what consequences its disastrous decision will have on the Mahoning Valley and our state," Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown said in a statement. Ohio Gov. John Kasich called it "painful to see this happen to the plant's workers," noting the plant had been working with GM for more than 50 years.
Barra explained that GM is restructuring now, "while the company and the economy are strong, to stay in front of a fast-changing market."
That sentiment, as NPR's Jim Zarroli reported, is paired with a widespread expectation that the economy will slow down next year. He adds that there are also big questions about trade and rising interest rates.
"So there are just a lot of questions about where the market is going, whether sales have peaked," Jim reported. "I think GM is just trying to sort of get ahead of what it sees as an inevitable downturn."
Family of Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. Demands Video Release After Alabama Mall Shooting Death
The family of Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr., who died Thanksgiving night after he was shot by a police officer working security at an Alabama mall, is calling on the Hoover Police Department to release the mall video, witness videos and body camera footage of Bradford's death.
Initially, officials said Bradford was engaged in a fight with an 18-year-old at the Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Ala. when he pulled out a gun and shot the teen. A 12-year-old bystander also was wounded that night. That night, police and city officials hailed the quick response as "heroic."
But officials later retracted the statement, saying it was "highly unlikely" Bradford had fired the shots that injured two people.
In a statement early Monday, city and police officials said they can "say with certainty Mr. Bradford brandished a gun during the seconds following the gunshots, which instantly heightened the sense of threat to approaching police officers responding to the chaotic scene." Body camera and other available video was turned over to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department as part of the investigation, and the evidence is now with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
"We extend sympathy to the family of Emantic J. Bradford of Hueytown, who was shot and killed during Hoover Police efforts to secure the scene in the seconds following the original altercation and shooting. The loss of human life is a tragedy under any circumstances," the statement continued.
Crump says several witnesses have come forward since the shooting to say the police officer who killed Bradford didn't give any verbal commands to Bradford before shooting him in the face.
Officials also say the shooter could still be at large. Crump says police offered Bradford no medical assistance after the shooting. Family members were tearful at the news conference at Birmingham's Kelly Ingram Park. Several clutched photos of Bradford. At one point, Bradford's grandmother Althea Pipkin collapsed and was escorted away as she sobbed over her grandson's killing.
Crump and the family say it's just another instance of a black man dying at the hands of police. Crump has represented other black men who were killed by police or others, including Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.
The officer who shot Bradford has since been placed on administrative leave. His name has not been released.
Neither the State Bureau of Investigations, which is handling the investigation, nor Hoover police officials have responded to requests for further comment.
Crump says the family's communication with the police department has been minimal. He says as of Sunday, the family still had not been contacted by Hoover police about Bradford's death. Instead, he says the Bradford family found out about his death through social media.
On Saturday, protesters walked through the mall chanting "Say his name — EJ" and carrying signs that read "Justice for E.J." and "Hoover PD Lied."
E.J. Bradford Sr., who is a retired Birmingham jail employee, says he considers others in the law enforcement community as family. But he is angered by Hoover's quick conclusion to label his son the killer. Bradford Sr. says he called Hoover police at 12:30 a.m. Friday but was told they would call him back. He says they did not call him before they gave a media briefing and that he has yet to receive a call.
"My son is gone. I can't get him back. ... You vilified my son," Bradford Sr. said Sunday.
April Pipkins, Bradford's mother, says Thanksgiving will never be the same again. Other family members joined Pipkins at the news conference. One of them was Clemon Brown, who is Bradford's younger brother. Brown says he blames the media for going with early police accounts.
"EJ was not that kind of guy at all," Brown says. "He was very respectful to his mother [and] his father."
The family says Bradford had been taking care of his father, who has cancer. Crump says the family is unsure as to whether it can have an open casket funeral because the police officer shot Bradford in the face. Law enforcement has not yet released any details about the fatal shooting. Crump says in the meantime, they are going to explore every possible legal avenue available on the state and federal level.
"What the family wants most is justice," Crump says.
Jason Momoa and the Celebs come out to Aquaman's London Premiere!
Jason Momoa holds his character’s trident while walking the blue carpet at the Aquaman world premiere on Monday (November 26) at Leicester Square in London, England.
The 39-year-old actor was joined at the event by his co-stars Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, and Dolph Lundgren, as well as director James Wan.
See The pics!
Make sure to see Aquaman when it hits theaters everywhere on December 21.
Rihanna Posts Cryptic Message After Chris Brown Flirts With Her On Social Media
It was reported that just recently Rihanna posted a very sensual picture of herself while wearing a piece of lingerie from her Savage X Fenty line. She was topless. Tons of fans let her know that she’s gorgeous and one of those fans was her ex, Chris Brown.
As a response to Rihanna’s pic, Chris posted, ‘😳.’Meek Mill replied as well, commenting, ‘🏆🏆🏆🏆’
After that Rihanna posted a Bible quote, which was also accompanied by an inspiring message. This was posted on her Instagram Story, yesterday, November 25 and people claim that the message might be targeted at her ex, Chris Bworn. Here it is:
‘There may be times when it seems that you cannot go forward, but at least you do not have to go backward,’ the message read.
It continued and said ‘You may not know how to forge ahead, but you can stand firmly on what you know of God.’
Rihanna’s post did not stop there, and it continued with the following words:
‘Instead of passively yielding to the enemy, you can say ‘This is the ground I have gained, and I’m not giving it up, devil. You are not driving me back into the hole that God pulled me out of. I am going to stand strong in the power of God until He delivers me.”
Rihanna did not mention Chris there, but her fans seem to believes that it’s definitely about him.
Even if these two broke up a long time ago, sources claimed that she’s still the love of his life and he would do anything to get her back.
Shawn Mendes Opens Up About Rumors Surrounding His Sexuality – Again
Ever since Shawn Mendes became famous as a pop singer and performer, fans have wondered if he was secretly gay. Even though he has denied the rumors repeatedly, he opened up about it once again, because the speculation just won’t end.
On social media, fans of his love to point out the way in which he appears feminine, in both mannerisms and gestures, suggesting that his way of speaking is the tell-tale sign of his secret sexuality.
During a chat with reporters from Rolling Stone, the singer opened up about his relationships, denying, once again, that he’s a gay man. According to Mendes, the way people speculate about him makes it tough for others who are struggling with their sexuality.
The singer said, “I thought, ‘You f*cking guys are so lucky I’m not actually gay and terrified of coming out,” before going on to point out several of the comments online. He has to admit, however, the comments on Instagram and Twitter get to him sometimes.
He added that if his fans really liked him and his music, it wouldn’t matter if he were gay or not. Back in 2016, Mendes addressed the rumors, stating that his sexuality shouldn’t be a topic of discussion, period.
Moreover, Shawn said he didn’t feel proud of the fact that he needs to be seen out in public with women to prove to everyone he’s not gay. Mendes joked that he felt terrified after Taylor Swift posted a video showing her putting eye makeup on him, even though he agreed to it.
Shawn is just “feminine,” as he put it, and that’s alright, that’s the person who he is and it’s what makes him special as an individual. Previously, fans believed he was dating Hailey Baldwin after appearing on the red carpet with her.
However, just a month later, she got engaged to Justin Bieber, effectively ending those rumors. Shawn explained that he reached out to her after the news of their coupling, even though she unfollowed him. To his fans, it seemed like Shawn was really interested in Hailey, but it was unreciprocated.
Michelle Obama's Memoir Sold Over 1.4 Million Copies in Its First Week
Former Forever First Lady. Style Icon. Mother. Barack Obama's Wife. Author. Michelle Obama is a lot of things, and with the release of her new memoir Becoming, the multi-hyphenate will soon add "New York Times Bestseller" to her lengthy resume. Becoming sold 750,000 copies on its first day and, according to The Associated Press, raked in more than 1.4 million copies in its first week.
Released on November 13, Michelle Obama's Becoming has become one of the fastest-selling memoirs of 2018, outselling memoirs like Hillary Clinton's latest What Happened (300,000 first-week sales) and Bob Woodward's White House tell-all Fear: Trump in the White House, which sold 1.1 million copies during its first week in September. Becoming is also rumored to have outsold Donald Trump's 1987 memoir The Art of the Deal.
Crown Publishing revealed to The Associated Press that Becoming currently holds the No. 1 spot for adult non-fiction in Germany, France, Denmark, Holland, Spain, and more. Just days after its release, Barnes and Noble announced that Becoming had the best debut of any book released in 2018 since Harper Lee's 2015 novel Go Set a Watchman.
“We knew Becoming was going to be one of the biggest books of the year, but it has now officially had the best first week of sales of any book in 2018, and is among the fastest sellers in Barnes & Noble history,” said Liz Harwell, senior director of merchandising, trade books at Barnes & Noble. “This is definitely the must-have book of the holiday season.”
Obama is currently bringing her book on tour, hitting major cities across the states from her hometown Chicago to Brooklyn, NY, Washington, D.C, Philadelphia, PA, and more. At her latest stop in Washington, D.C, Barack Obama surprised his wife onstage and opened up about the summer he finally met her.
"The thing that I remember during that summer as we became friends, before she finally relented to a date, was she was one of a kind," he said. "I hadn't met somebody who was that strong and that honest—somebody who I just felt was a rock, [she] was somebody who I knew at that point I would always be able to count on, and someone who that if she was the mother of my children I knew my children would turn out extraordinary."
NASA Probe Lands Safely On Martian Surface
NASA's InSight probe landed successfully on Mars Monday shortly before 3 p.m. ET.
Two tiny spacecraft that flew with the lander to Mars were able to relay telemetry from the probe as it descended to the surface. As a result, mission managers knew immediately that the landing had worked. Unsurprisingly, the control room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., erupted in cheers.
In the coming days, mission managers will be assessing the health of the probe after its 300 million-mile trip. It will be some weeks before all of InSight's scientific instruments are deployed, and six months or more before the first scientific results are in.
Landing on Mars is no simple task. InSight had to slow down from 12,300 mph as it entered the top of the Martian atmosphere. It reached a complete stop on the ground 6 1/2 minutes later.
"The landing is all completely automatic and autonomous," says Rob Grover, leader of the Entry, Descent and Landing team at JPL. "We have no ability to actually, kind of, fly the lander to the surface."
The reason real-time control isn't possible is that it takes a radio signal approximately eight minutes to travel from Earth to Mars. Because the entire landing sequence takes only 6 1/2 minutes, the lander would already be on the ground by the time a signal from Earth arrived.
Here's how it happened: About 90 minutes before atmosphere entry, mission managers sent the latest tracking information to the probe, so it knew where it was and how fast it was traveling.
Then, the probe got rid of what's called the cruise stage. That's a part of the spacecraft needed only while InSight is traveling from Earth to Mars.
"We eject that from the vehicle seven minutes before we're going to hit the top of the atmosphere," Grover says.
After that, the spacecraft turned, so its heat shield was pointing in the right direction.
As the probe descended, the air molecules that make up the Martian atmosphere struck the heat shield, causing the shield to heat up and the craft to slow down.
"Believe it or not, 99 percent of the energy that we have coming in from space is actually bled off by the atmosphere," Grover says.
The heat shield did its thing for about 3 1/2 minutes, then the parachute deployed. At that point, the probe was still traveling faster than the speed of sound, so InSight had a special parachute designed for supersonic speeds.
Finally, the probe cut loose the parachute and landed using rockets.
"The whole descent under rocket power takes about 40 seconds or so," Grover says. "We have 12 small descent engines grouped around the bottom of the lander that are providing the thrust to slow us down the final kilometer."
Even though they couldn't do anything to help InSight as it descended, mission managers were able to watch it land, thanks to a pair of small spacecraft known as MarCO.
The MarCO spacecraft hitched a ride with InSight.
"It's about the size of a cereal box," says Anne Marinan, a systems engineer on the team that's in charge of MarCO. It is one of a new generation of really small satellites called cubesats.
"Cubesats were originally developed as a way to easily give students, essentially, access to space," Marinan says.
Cubesats are now being used at NASA to test new technologies. In MarCO's case, the new technology is communications equipment that will relay telemetry data from InSight to Earth.
InSight landed on what seems to be a very boring part of Mars, known as Elysium Planitia. Mission managers wanted a boring spot — they want the probe to sit quietly. Its two primary instruments, a sensitive seismometer and an underground temperature probe, will be measuring tiny fluctuations in the planet's interior.
To make accurate measurements, those instruments shouldn't be disturbed. If they work properly, scientists should get a better sense of the interior structure of the Red Planet.
The mission is expected to last about two Earth years.
Meek Mill Concert Shooting Victims’ Families Demand $6 Million to Settle Wrongful Death Lawsuits
The families of the two men killed during a shooting outside Meek Mill’s concert are now demanding $6,000,000 to settle the lawsuits against the rapper.
On November 21, court documents were filed by the estates for Jaquan Graves and Travis Ward in which they explained they are willing to settle their separate cases against Meek.
Both claim to be willing to accept $3 million each to bring an end to the cases they brought against Meek, for a grand total of $6 million both families are seeking.
Meek has yet to file a response to their offer of compromise.
Last year, the rapper was sued by the estate of Jaquan Graves for wrongful death after Graves was shot and killed outside Meek’s 2016 concert in Connecticut while he was leaving the show.
Meek was also hit with a separate lawsuit by the estate of Travis Ward, who was killed during the shooting outside the venue.
Both lawsuits accused Meek, along with the Oakdale Musical Theatre Company and Live Nation, of being negligent in handing security of the concert. The suit also pointed to Meek’s lyrics claiming they incite violence and described how Meek’s concert have had shootings in the past.
Meek has denied all allegations that he had any role in contributing to the shooting, saying it was out of his control and he could not have known the shooting was going to happen.
Cardi B's Private Jet Forced to Make Emergency Landing in Chicago After WGCI Big Jam Performance
Days after Cardi B headlined a superstar bill of artists at Chicago's United Center for WGCI's Big Jam on Saturday night, the rapper was forced to return to the Windy City early Monday (Nov. 26) when her private jet en route from Los Angeles to New York made an emergency landing in Chicago due to a sick passenger onboard.
According to TMZ, a private flight Bardi was on from LA had to make an emergency landing when one of the passengers -- reportedly not a member of Cardi B's crew -- required medical attention. "I'm stuck in Chicago," Cardi said on her Instagram stories (watch below). "We had to do an emergency landing in Chicago. Let me tell you something ... I'm not taking no more fucking jets. I don't give a fuck, bro. These type of shits don't happen on Delta."
On Saturday, however, the "Bodak Yellow" artist was happy to be in Chi-Town, making her grand entrance to the roar of the crowd wearing a glitzy Peter Pan-inspired lime-green dress. She also rocked freshly dyed green hair to complete the outfit. The 26-year-old powered through some trouble mid-performance, as she kicked off her bothersome heels during "Ring" and finished off her lively set barefoot.
Cardi B, Offset, Quavo and DJ Mustard Hung Out Courtside at Atlanta Hawks Game: See the Pic
Young Dolph, Tory Lanez and Kodak Black all hit the stage prior to Cardi and Lil Baby closed out the show.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘GUT CHECK’
When your wife drags you out on Thanksgiving night to go early black Friday shopping…
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Brock Bear
Meet Brock! So you know what to do to see more. Just CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICS and remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN NOR ALTER any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
You’re Welcome!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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