Jourdan Dunn for Vogue Greece - September 2021!
Always FAB!
#RHOA: NeNe Leakes Reunites With Former Housewives At Husband's Memorial!
NeNe Leakes hosted a memorial service in honor of her late husband, Gregg Leakes, on Monday (06.09.21).
The 53-year-old star reunited with some of her former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' co-stars at her Linnethia Lounge in Georgia as they got together for a celebration of life event to pay tribute to the businessman, who died of cancer last week.
NeNe was joined at the memorial by Lisa Wu, Phaedra Parks, Marlo Hampton, Porsha Williams and Eva Marcille and other friends and family in order to pay tribute to Gregg.
Phaedra shared a photo from the memorial on her Instagram account and wrote: "Whenever you call me-I'll be there, whenever you need me-I'll be there, I will always be around @neneleakes #RIH @greggleakes #GreggLeakes.(sic)"
Keke Wyatt, Tamar Braxton, and gospel singers Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell and Le’Andria Johnson all sang at the emotional event.
Alongside an old photo, NeNe wrote on Instagram on Monday: “Today we celebrate you Gregg with love, just the way you wanted it [broken heart emoji] (sic)"
Gregg was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018 but was in remission the following year. However, in June this year, the 53-year-old star revealed her husband's cancer had returned and the following month, she expressed her joy he'd been released from hospital after undergoing surgery.
Sadly, in August she told customers in her lounge The Linnethia that Gregg was dying after being criticised by a group for not wishing their party a happy birthday.
She said over loudspeakers in the Atlanta venue: "My husband is transitioning to the other side.
"You don't know what we’re dealing with right now. We walked in this lounge because we had to walk in this lounge because this is our business.
"So, when people approach and say, 'You're rude because you don't want to say happy birthday,' my husband is at home dying.
"I don't want to say, 'Happy birthday,' OK? So please, give us some respect. Please, give us some love, OK?"
And it was confirmed a week ago he'd sadly died.
A family publicist said: "Today the Leakes family is in deep pain with a broken heart. After a long battle with cancer, Gregg Leakes has passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by all of his children, very close loved ones and wife Nene Leakes.
"We ask that you pray for peace and strength over their family & allow them to mourn in private during this very very difficult time."
NeNe and Gregg married in 1997 but she filed for divorce in 2010. They reunited and went on to remarry in 2013.
Gregg is also survived by his and NeNe's son Brentt, and five other kids from previous relationships, Daryl, Damian, Dexter, Denton, and Katrina, as well as his stepson, NeNe's other child Bryson. Pics courtesy of FreddyO
#MusicNews: Rahsaan Patterson Gets House Remix Treatment On His Songs “I Try” & “Heroes & Gods”!
Rahsaan Patterson links up with renowned house remixer Quentin Harris for reimagined versions of his songs “I Try” and “Heroes & Gods”.
The remix versions of each song create a compelling and unique way of presenting them in comparison to the more traditional originals. These reimagined versions from Quentin Harris will certainly have you ready to groove on the dance floor.
LISTEN HERE
Both of the original versions of the songs were included on Patterson’s album “Heroes & Gods” which released in 2020.
#HipHopNews: Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, And 2 Chainz Announce ‘Legendz Of The Streetz Tour’!
The show will go on. After being postponed in the wake of the pandemic, the “Legendz of the Streetz Tour” will resume this fall. Formerly titled “Feed the Streetz,” the nationwide tour includes a powerhouse lineup co-headlined by Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, and 2 Chainz, along with Fabolous and Boosie Badazz. Lil’ Kim and Trina will also perform on select dates, with DJ Drama serving as the official tour DJ for most stops.
The 11-date trek kicks off Sept. 30 in Augusta, Ga. and wraps Oct. 22 in Memphis, Tenn. The rescheduled dates also include stops in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Miami, and Tampa.
The original tour was slated to launch in April 2020 and also included T.I. and Yo Gotti.
Tickets are on sale now, with additional dates to be announced.
LEGENDZ OF THE STREETZ TOUR DATES
Sept. 30 – Augusta, GA – James Brown Arena^
Oct. 1 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena*
Oct. 2 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Complex*
Oct. 3 – Baltimore, MD – Royal Farms Arena*
Oct. 8 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center*
Oct. 9 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center*
Oct. 10 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center*
Oct. 15 – Miami, FL – BB&T Center^
Oct. 16 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Arena^
Oct. 17 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena^
Oct. 22 – Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum^
*with Lil’ Kim
^with Trina
#BABYNEWS! Jennifer Lawrence is pregnant with her first child with husband Cooke Maroney
Congratulations are in order for Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney!
The "Don't Look Up" star, 31, and her art gallerist husband, 37, are expecting their first child together, Lawrence's representative Liz Mahoney confirmed to USA TODAY on Wednesday.
Mahoney said no other details will be provided at this time.
Lawrence and Mahoney tied the knot at a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island in October 2019. He is a director of the Gladstone Gallery, an art gallery with locations in New York City, Los Angeles and Brussels. The couple began dating in the summer of 2018 and confirmed their engagement in February 2019.
The Oscar winner opened up about the relatively easy wedding planning on the "NAKED with Catt Sadler" podcast in June 2019.
“I’ve been in a good place. I haven’t been neurotic about it. I’m, like, too lazy to be neurotic," she said. “I saw a dress I liked. I was like, ‘That’s the dress.’ I saw a venue, I was like, ‘Cool, we got the venue.' ”
Lawrence, who previously dated her "mother!" director Darren Aronofsky, told Sadler that before meeting Maroney, she wasn't in the marrying frame of mind.
"I just met Cooke, and I wanted to marry him. We wanted to marry each other. We wanted to commit fully. He’s my best friend, so I want to legally bind him to me forever," she joked. "Fortunately, the paperwork exists for such a thing. It’s the greatest. You find your favorite person on the planet, you’re like: You can’t leave."
2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade To Return In Full With Crowds!
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to return in full this year for its 95th annual holiday celebration, with all the giant balloons, overpacked crowds, awkward musical performances, and random celebrity sightings New Yorkers love and have come to expect. That is, of course, barring any unforeseen circumstances potentially getting in the way between now and then, but when during this pandemic has something gone wrong planning a giant NYC-is-open event months in advance?
"On Thanksgiving Day, the spectacle will once again delight New York City spectators and a national television audience with its signature mix of giant character helium balloons, fantastic floats, marching bands, performance groups, celebrities, clowns, and the one-and-only Santa Claus," Macy's said in a statement.
Some major details about the event, including public viewing locations and access/vaccination rules for the crowd, won't be announced until closer to the event. But Macy's says that all volunteer participants and staff will be vaccinated, all participants and staff will wear face coverings and additional protective equipment as needed, social distancing will be in place at all interior/exterior parade operations, and there will be an overall reduction in the number of participants by 10-20 percent (approximately 800 to 1,600 fewer participants).
Despite that reduction, Macy’s says that its signature giant character balloons will once again be flown with 80-100 handlers.
The parade, which has happened every year since 1924 (except for three years during World War II), was radically pared down last year to minimize the number of people who had to be there in person to operate everything. There were only about 25 humans assigned to each balloon last year, with 12 giant balloons instead of the usual 16, and 18 floats instead of the usual 26.
And instead of the typical 2.5 mile parade route, the whole thing took place around Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, and because the event did not have any in-person crowds, much of it was pre-filmed before that Thursday. There was also an attempt to stuff in brief appearances by other NYC parades that had been cancelled in 2020.
The end result was strange and underwhelming, befitting the mood of the city at that point in the pandemic
Richmond Virginia Removes Confederate Gen. Robert Lee Statue!
A crowd erupted in cheers and song Wednesday as work crews hoisted an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee off the pedestal where it has towered over Virginia’s capital city for more than a century.
One of America’s largest monuments to the Confederacy, the equestrian statue was lowered to the ground just before 9 a.m., after a construction worker who strapped harnesses around Lee and his horse lifted his arms in the air and counted, “Three, two, one!” to jubilant shouts from a crowd of hundreds. A work crew then began cutting it into pieces.
“Any remnant like this that glorifies the Lost Cause of the Civil War, it needs to come down, said Gov. Ralph Northam, who called it "hopefully a new day, a new era in Virginia.” The Democrat said it represents “more than 400 years of history that we should not be proud of.”
Sharon Jennings, an African American woman born and raised in Richmond, said she had mixed feelings seeing it go.
“It’s a good day, and it’s a sad day at the same time,” Jennings, 58, said. “It doesn’t matter what color you are, if you really like history, and you understand what this street has been your whole life and you’ve grown up this way, you’re thinking, ‘Oh, my God.’ But when you get older you understand that it does need to come down.”
Some chanted “Whose streets? Our streets!" and sang, “Hey hey hey, goodbye.” One man with a Black Lives Matter flag was escorted out by police after running into the fenced-off work area. No arrests were reported, and there was no sign of a counter protest.
Workers used a power saw to cut the statue in two along the general's waist, so that it can be hauled under highway overpasses to an undisclosed state-owned facility until a decision is made about its final disposition.
The job was overseen by Team Henry Enterprises, led by Devon Henry, a Black executive who faced death threats after his company's role in removing Richmond's other Confederate statuary was made public last year. He said the Lee statue posed their most complex challenge.
“It won’t transport in this height, so we need to lift the rider off the horse and transport it that way. From a thickness standpoint, we don’t know how long it will take. Are there iron supports? It’s a total mystery,” Henry said Wednesday.
Northam ordered the statue’s removal last summer, citing nationwide pain over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck. Litigation tied up his plans until the Supreme Court of Virginia cleared the way last week.
The 21-foot (6-meter) high bronze sculpture sat atop a granite pedestal nearly twice that tall, towering above Monument Avenue since 1890 in this former capital of the Confederacy.
State, capitol and city police officers closed streets for blocks around the state-owned traffic circle before its removal, using heavy equipment and crowd-control barriers to keep crowds at a distance. The Federal Aviation Administration granted the state’s request to ban drone flights, and the event was livestreamed through the governor’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
“This is a historic moment for the city of Richmond. The city, the community at large is saying that we’re not going to stand for these symbols of hate in our city anymore,” said Rachel Smucker, 28, a white woman who moved to Richmond three years ago. “I’ve always found it to be offensive, as a symbol of protecting slavery and the racism that people of color still face today.”
The pedestal is to remain for the time being, although workers are expected to remove decorative plaques and extricate a time capsule on Thursday.
After Floyd’s death, the area around the statute became a hub for protests and occasional clashes between police and demonstrators. The pedestal has been covered by constantly evolving, colorful graffiti, with many of the hand-painted messages denouncing police and demanding an end to systemic racism and inequality.
The sculpture was valued for its artistic quality, and stood among four other massive Confederate statues that were removed by the city last summer.
The decisions by the governor and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney to remove the Confederate tributes marked a major victory for civil rights activists, whose previous calls to remove the statues had been steadfastly rebuked by city and state officials alike. A statue of Black tennis hero and Richmond native Arthur Ashe erected in 1996 is expected to stay.
“I think it’s pretty apropos that the only remaining monument on this tree-lined street is Arthur Ashe, and I’m pretty confident he’ll withstand the test of time," Stoney said.
A previous wave of advocacy and resistance led to a rally of white supremacists in the city of Charlottesville erupting into violence in 2017. Other Confederate monuments started falling around the country.
In Virginia, local governments were hamstrung by a state law protecting memorials to war veterans. That law was amended by the new Democratic majority at the statehouse and signed by Northam, allowing localities to decide their fate as of July 1, 2020.
Stoney then moved swiftly, citing the continuing demonstrations and concerns that protesters could get hurt if they tried to bring down the enormous statues themselves. Protesters had already toppled a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis before Stoney's decree. Work crews then removed removed statues of Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Confederate naval officer Matthew Maury and Gen. J.E.B. Stuart from the thoroughfare, where their pedestals remain.
Northam's plans to remove the Lee statue stalled until the Supreme Court of Virginia cleared the way last week in unanimous rulings against two lawsuits, saying that in a democracy, “values change and public policy changes too.”
The changes have remade the prestigious avenue, which is lined with mansions and tony apartments and is partly preserved as a National Historic Landmark district. Northam has tapped the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to lead a community-driven redesign for the whole avenue.
As for the Lee statue, Northam has said his administration will seek public input on what should happen to it next.
Rihanna Has Dropped Her Lawsuit Against Her Father!
Rihanna has dropped a lawsuit against her father Ronald Fenty, who had previously been alleged to have been misusing the multi-hyphenate’s name for his own benefit.
via: BBC: The pop star had accused her father, Ronald Fenty, of misusing her name to benefit his own entertainment company, and sued him in 2019 for false advertising and invasion of privacy.
She also said he had tried to book her on an overseas tour without permission.
The case was due to come to trial on 22 September, but Rihanna filed to dismiss the case on Tuesday.
No reason was given, but US media reports suggest that she reached an out-of-court settlement with her father and his business partner.
Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, filed her legal case two years ago, saying: “Although Mr Fenty is Rihanna’s father, he does not have, and never has had, authority to act on Rihanna’s behalf.”
She alleged that in 2017, her father and another man, Moses Perkins, created a company called Fenty Entertainment, which repeatedly claimed it was affiliated with Rihanna.
In court documents, her lawyers said: “Mr Fenty and Mr Perkins have used these lies in a fraudulent effort to solicit millions of dollars from unsuspecting third parties in exchange for the false promise that they were authorised to act on Rihanna’s behalf.”
They claimed that Fenty Entertainment tried to book a 15-date tour of Latin America worth $15m (£11m), as well as shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, without Rihanna’s knowledge.
Furthermore, they alleged that Ronald Fenty was trying to profit from the “Fenty” trademark, which Rihanna has used for several business ventures including her multi-million dollar cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty.
Her father had previously tried to file his own trademark for the name Fenty, as part of a plan to open a chain of boutique hotels, she claimed. The US Patent and Trademark Office denied the request.
Asking for an injunction against her father and his business partner, Rihanna said his business activities violated advertising, competition and privacy laws and risked “serious irreparable injury” to the Fenty brand if not stopped.
The singer, who is the world’s richest musician, has long had a strained relationship with her father, who has struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction in the past.
Neither party was immediately available to comment on the termination of the legal case.
Last month, Rihanna announced details for the upcoming Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 special. Fans worldwide will be able to tune in for the unveiling of the new collection on Amazon Prime starting Sept. 24. Simultaneously, fans will also have the chance to shop the collection via the Amazon Fashion Store and the Savage X Fenty site.
Michelle Obama to be Honored with Freedom Award by the National Civil Rights Museum!
Obama along with the Poor People’s Campaign will receive the award in a virtual ceremony on Oct. 14. Since 1991, the Freedom Award has honored “individuals who have made significant contributions in civil rights and who have laid the foundation for present and future leaders in the battle for human rights.”
Past recipients include Nigerian human rights, civil rights and democracy activist Hafsat Abiola, social justice activist and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative Brian Stevenson statesman and civil rights leader John Lewis, and Yemini journalist Tawakkol Karman.
Obama became the nation’s first Black first lady in 2009 when her husband, Barack Obama, was elected the 44th president. During the Obama’s two terms in the White House, Michelle Obama led a global initiative to make education more accessible to young girls and adolescents. Other initiatives included Let’s Move, focused on healthier nutrition values and activity among children, and Joining Forces, which is geared toward helping service members and their families thrive in their communities.
The Poor People’s Campaign, which is named after the 1968 Poor People’s March on Washington, was organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and works to combat the racial economic inequalities. The movement’s campaign leaders are the Rev. William Barber and the Rev. Liz Theoharis.
This year, Michelle Obama, along with eight other women, including author Octavia Butler and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, will be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame as the 2021 class. “During her eight years as First Lady,” said NWHF, Obama “helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, transforming the White House into the ‘People’s House. Since leaving the White House, she has continued to have a profound public impact.”
In the years since leaving her post at the White House, Obama has authored a memoir, “Becoming,” created a companion journal to the memoir and released a documentary about the multi-city “Becoming” book tour.
“Those months I spent traveling — meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe — drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with,” she said in a statement about the documentary. “In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries, and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of ‘becoming,’ many of us dared to say our hopes out loud.”
The Chicago native and lawyer also teamed up with her husband to produce several film projects under the duo’s Higher Ground Productions, including this year’s Netflix hit “Fatherhood.”
Derek Jeter Has Been Inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame!
It’s a very big day for Derek Jeter! The 47-year-old retired Yankees player was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday afternoon (September 8) at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York.
Derek‘s wife Hannah Jeter looked so proud as she sat in the audience with the couple’s two daughters Bella, 4, and Story, 2.
Derek‘s parents Dorothy and Sanderson Jeter were also in attendance along with his sister Sharlee and her son Jalen.
Michael Jordan and Derek‘s former Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera also showed their support at the ceremony.
Derek was first elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2020, but his induction ceremony was postponed because of the pandemic.
Derek was elected almost unanimously into the Hall of Fame, except for one writer who did not vote for him.
During his acceptance speech at the ceremony, Derek threw a little dig at that one writer.
“Thank you to the baseball writers, all but one of you, who voted for me,” Derek said as the crowd erupted in laughter.
Dylann Roof Files Second Appeal Against Death Sentence Ruling!
Dylann Roof, a white man who fatally shot nine Black parishioners as they prayed in a church, is challenging the appeals court’s ruling to uphold his death sentence conviction.
On Wednesday (Sept. 8), Roof’s legal team petitioned for the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear his argument that his trial and sentencing were flawed. “The Panel’s decision conflicts with this precedent, opening the door to death sentences based on victims’ goodness and worth,” the convicted killer’s lawyers wrote in a court filing. “Especially troubling, it sanctions reliance on victims’ religiosity as evidence of that heightened worth.”
Court upholds death sentence for Dylann Roof
If the U.S. Fourth Circuit grants Roof’s appeal, the case will be reheard before the entire court and will be his last resort before heading to the Supreme Court.
As previously reported, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction and death sentence last month. The three-judge panel ruled collectively that Roof was competent to stand trial. They also denied his argument that the judge overlooked evidence of his alleged mental illness.
“No cold record or careful parsing of statutes and precedents can capture the full horror of what Roof did. His crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose,” the judges wrote.
Ex-district attorney charged in Ahmaud Arbery case arrested
Back in 2015, Roof entered the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina and opened fire on several Black parishioners who were conducting Bible study. He fatally shot nine members of the congregation as they prayed. During the mass shooting, Roof told the victims that he was killing them because Black people were “raping our women and taking over the world.”
Two years later, Roof was found guilty on 33 counts of federal hate crimes for the slayings, becoming the first person in the United States to receive a death sentence for those charges.
Balenciaga’s $1200 Sagging Boxer Sweatpants Branded As Racist!
Popular fashion brand Balenciaga is under fire for their $1,190 sagging sweatpants that have fake boxer briefs sewn inside. Many are labeling the new design as racist as they say it appropriates black youth culture.
Per Hot New Hip Hop one shopper took to TikTok to post the Balenciaga pants at the store rack, which was later shared to Twitter with the caption: “They’ve really just gentrified sagging.”
“This feels very racist Balenciaga,” the person says in the tik tok. “They’ve woven the boxers inside the trouser
Sagging pants were made illegal in some states, with a black man even being killed over it. In Shreveport, Louisiana, a cop killed 31-year-old Anthony Childs, while trying to arrest him for breaking the “saggy pants ban.”
“This actually pisses me off,” added another Tweeter. “Do you know how many black men have been vilified, discriminated against, and killed for this only for it to be marketed as high fashion?”
Balenciaga has not yet responded to the backlash.
Kerry Washington, 44, Flashes Underboob In White Dress: ‘Break All The Rules’!
Kerry Washington is glowing! On Tuesday, the 44-year-old actress shared several photos of herself rocking natural curls and revealing white dress by luxury fashion brand Mônot.
"Break all the rules. #OverDressed #UnderBoob #WhiteAfterLaborDay #BeYou," she captioned the post.
Celebrity friends and fans took to the comments to share their awe of the star's beauty.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh SHUT. IT. DOWWWWWNNNNNNNNNN," Yvonne Orji said.
"Gorgeous and I looooove the hair!" Uzo Aduba noted.
"DAMN," Charlize Theron praised.
"That is just fabulous!" a fan wrote.
"This hair is life," a commenter added.
The Little Fires Everywhere star is known for rocking her natural hair in photoshoots and on red carpets. In an interview with Allure in 2017, the mother of two admitted that her hair was more than a fashion statement.
“I like to wear my natural texture, especially now because I have children and I want them to know that their hair is perfect as it is. They don’t have to change it or straighten it. They can, but they don’t have to,” Washington said.
Talking to Today in 2018, the star further explained the importance of setting an example for children by practicing self-love.
"You want to make sure you’re modeling self-love and unconditional self-love. I love myself no matter what way I choose to wear my hair that day. I love my hair. Women are so lucky who have textured hair. You can wear it straight or curly,” Washington noted. “The most important thing we can do as women to empower our daughters is to do the homework on ourselves. What we do is more important is more than what we say. You can say to a child they have to love themselves. But until you can embody that truth and live it, what you’re saying is much less important. For me, it’s about living with as much self-love and self-respect as I’m able to.”
Amazon Fires Black Employee After White Man Calls Him The N-Word!
A Black Amazon employee is out of a job after being fired following a racist verbal attack by a white man while making a delivery.
Nikolas Mayrant, who happens to be the brother of popular social media influencer Heather Rose, was delivering a package to the home of Brad Boynton in Cornelius, North Carolina, on Monday. The incident, captured on a Ring Doorbell camera, shows Boynton becoming angry at how Mayrant parked the Amazon truck. He also accuses Mayrant of breaking several Amazon policies. When Boynton, who is also employed with the company, calls a colleague to report Mayrant, he calls him the N-word multiple times and takes photos of him. According to a Go Fund Me page, Mayrant says he was terminated shortly after the ordeal.
Heather Rose posted the video on her Instagram page, which shows the confrontation and Boynton saying the N-word multiple times as he scolds Mayrant about parking on the grass. The video attracted over 150,000 views and over 2,000 outraged comments. She called on her large following to help her get justice for her brother, who was wrongly terminated.
“My brother is now out of a job with a brand new car and apartment! I’ve called Amazon 100 times making a complaint. I’m asking that you do the same. Or tell me something better I can do!!!” she wrote.
Florida 'Cyber Grave Robbers' Charged With Condo Collapse ID Theft!
A man and two women were arrested and charged with stealing the identities of seven victims of the Surfside condominium collapse near Miami Beach this summer and attempting to obtain credit cards in their names, a Florida prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Betsy Alejandra Cacho-Medina, 30, Kimberly Michelle Johnson, 34, and Rodney Choute, 38, face multiple counts of identity theft and fraud, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said at a news conference.
"Cyber grave robbers did move very quickly after the collapse to grab what they could while family and friends were in absolute emotional turmoil," she said.
The suspects are accused of taking the personal identification of five people who died or two who survived the collapse of the Champlain Towers South tower in June.
That information was later used to obtain credit cards and make fraudulent transactions valued at up to $50,000. The alleged scheme involved the use of vacant residences as drop-off boxes for the delivery of the victims' credit cards.
"This investigation has also shown that these individuals appeared to be very skilled identity thieves and professionals. Except for their names, almost nothing else about seemed to be true," she said.
The investigation, which involves local law enforcement, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is still ongoing. More victims and suspects could emerge, Fernandez Rundle said.
Investigators allege that the fraud scheme began in early July when the suspects made calls to financial institutions claiming to be deceased victims to request replacement credit cards. The husband's identity of a deceased victim was also targeted in the crime, according to Fernandez Rundle.
Bond has been set at $1 million for Cacho-Medina. Johnson is being held on $500,000 bond and a $430,000 bond has been placed on Choute.
Nearly 100 people were killed when the 12-story residential building came down early in the morning of June 24. It took more than a month for search crews to recover and identify the remains of all individuals who were trapped in the rubble.
Of the 98 people killed in the collapse, all but one of them died at the scene.
The cause of its collapse remains undetermined. A 2018 engineering report found the edifice had deficiencies that are now at the focus of multiple inquiries, including a grand jury probe.
In response, officials in South Florida began to study residential buildings for signs of poor construction or structural weaknesses.
Kodak Black Donates $20,000 to Child of Officer Who Died of COVID-19!
Kodak Black’s philanthropic mission continues. According to TMZ, the controversial rapper has made a generous donation to the child of Jennifer Sepot, the 27-year-old Fort Lauderdale officer who died from COVID-19 complications last month. Black’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, said his client had learned about Sepot’s death in a news article and was particularly moved by the tragedy because he, too, has suffered from the disease.
“‘Make sure that kid is straight,’” Cohen recalled Kodak saying. “Pay for her college fund.”
Kodak reportedly put down $20,000 to help fund the 2-year-old girl’s higher education.
The Fort Lauderdale Fraternal Order of Police told TMZ they are “grateful to everyone who has donated to the Sepot family in memory of Jennifer. Her loss has had an immeasurable and lasting impact on our officers. The generosity by supporters has offered a degree of hope during a time in which support for law enforcement feels to be a waning movement.”
It was reported earlier this month that Kodak received a cease-and-desist letter from the Housing Authority of Pompano Beach. The group accused the rapper of causing a disturbance while trying to donate air conditioning units to residents of the housing project. Kodak reportedly hand-delivered the equipment in early July, amid record-breaking heatwaves in the United States.
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A representative for the Housing Authority told TMZ that Kodak’s donation was “an extremely generous and admirable gesture,” but there were concerns about installation and safety guidelines.
In other Kodak news, the 24-year-old rapper recently confirmed he is expecting a baby girl with Maranda Johnson.
Vermont State Troopers Under FBI Investigation Over Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards!
Three Vermont state troopers have resigned amid an investigation into allegations they created/distributed fake vaccination cards.
via Complex: Per a statement released by the Vermont State Police, two troopers—identified as Shawn Sommers and Raymond Witkowski—handed in their resignations on Aug. 10. The previous day, another trooper had “raised concerns with supervisors” about their conduct. Trooper David Pfindel, meanwhile, resigned effective Sept. 3 after additional investigation by the Department of Public Safety.
In a statement, Col. Matthew T. Birmingham—director of the Vermont State Police—said he was “upset and disappointed” by the alleged behavior.
“If these allegations are proved to be true, it is reprehensible that state troopers would manipulate vaccination cards in the midst of a pandemic, when being vaccinated is one of the most important steps anyone can take to keep their community safe from COVID-19,” Birmingham said, adding that he’s “embarrassed” by this situation that has “tarnished” the department’s reputation.
The now-former troopers are accused of having “varying roles” in the creation of the fake vaccination cards. Local authorities have since referred the incident to the FBI, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Burlington. Tuesday, Vermont State Police confirmed that an FBI investigation is currently in progress.
“Based on an initial internal review, we do not believe there is anything more the state police could have done to prevent this from occurring,” Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling said. “As soon as other troopers became aware of this situation, they raised the allegations internally, and commanders took swift and decisive action to hold these individuals accountable and report this matter to federal authorities.”
Akon Says Rich And Famous People Face More Problems Than The Poor In Response To Actor Michael K. Williams’ Death!
Akon is trending online and facing some backlash after sharing his stance on wealthy people people enduring more problems than those who are less fortunate while responding to the death of his friend, actor Michael K. Williams.
While speaking with TMZ on Tuesday (Sept. 7) about Williams' tragic passing, which was announced on Monday (Sept. 6), the Senegalese-American rapper explained that celebrities face more difficulties in their everyday lives than regular civilians, but due to the culture of their famous careers, they can sometimes mask their personal struggles.
"He was actually a really good friend, amazing person, super funny, super talented," the rhymer began, referring to Williams. "It’s definitely a sad day for everybody." Akon also shared that they hadn't seen one another since before the coronavirus pandemic, which began last March.
"There’s just too many of us going down like that and I think when moments like this happen we all gotta reflect, cause we’re all going through things in our lives…and making decisions that actually affect not only us and our life but everyone that surrounds and looks up to us," Akon said. "The famous and the rich go through more issues than the poor. You know when they say 'More money, more problems,' that’s a real thing."
Many people on social media weighed in on Akon's remarks, with the majority disagreeing with him.
One person typed, "Dear Akon, We all grieve equally and it doesn’t matter how much is in your bank account. I am sad over your friend dying by drug overdose but don’t tell poor people they have it better then you do. You live in a bubble of bull crap and poor people struggle more."
Another plainly wrote, "Akon said the rich Nd famous go threw more then the poor Boyyyy if yuonnnn get the fuck outta here."
Michael K. Williams' death has not been confirmed via an autopsy just yet, but reports suggest he died of a suspected heroin-based overdose as drug paraphernalia was found in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment where he passed away.
The Konvict Muzik founder continued: "You know, this business creates this, like, environment where everyone’s wearing a mask, no one tells you what’s really going on in your life, so real friends can’t even really advise you cause we don’t really know what’s happening cause we put on this facade of success but yet behind the face there’s so much happening."
Akon added that people should check on their friends and family, especially during the country's current crisis.
Michael K. Williams, known for his roles on HBO's The Wire as well as Boardwalk Empire, 12 Years a Slave and Lovecraft Country, was only 54 years old. Recent reports claim that an investigation has been made into his death and police are searching for the individual(s) who supplied Williams with the drugs that took his life.]
Former Georgia DA Booked on Obstruction Charges in Ahmaud Arbery Case!
Former Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson was booked on charges related to her misconduct in the aftermath of the Ahmaud Arbery shooting.
Johnson, 49, turned herself into the Glynn County sheriff’s office on Wednesday morning and was later released from the Glynn County Detention Center on her own recognizance, meaning she did not have to pay a cash bond.
Last week, Johnson was indicted by a grand jury on charges of violating her oath of public office and obstruction of a police officer.
Johnson was the area’s top prosecutor when three white men chased and fatally shot Arbery last year.
Georgia prosecutors alleged that she used her position to delay arrests of the men– father-son duo Greg and Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan. In addition, the indictment also alleges the ex-DA showed “favor and affection” to Greg McMichael, who once worked as an investigator in her office. Johnson also failed “to treat Ahmaud Arbery and his family fairly and with dignity.”
Johnson had been district attorney in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit since 2010. She lost her reelection bid last November after facing much criticism about how she handled the Arbery case.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘YOU’RE TOO NEAR IF YOU CAN SMELL IT’
That rhasta smell’s gonna take a while to go.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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