#MAGFAB: Singer and Actress Halle Bailey for V Magazine
Singer and actress Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in Rob Marshall’s live-action remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID. Ahead of the film’s release, V MAGAZINE captured the star on the rise with photographer Rob Rusling in an underwater-themed shoot that fused AI technology with photography, as Bailey donned this season’s best couture looks with Bulgari’s latest high-jewelry collections throughout the cover story. V’s Digital Director Mathias Rosenzweig spoke to Bailey about the message of the movie and how her identity from musician to feature film movie star took shape. This idea of embracing change and living as who you really are took hold of Bailey, bridging her and Ariel in ways that made for a life-changing performance.
“I was homeschooled and performed around the world all my life, so that was all I knew. I was always surrounded by people to hold me, to carry me, my sister [Chloe Bailey] in particular. So, without that, I felt stripped bare and I had to find that strength within myself. But, I believed in myself and that there was something greater for me— something greater on the other side of fear and the unknown.”
“I think the message of this film is universal and there are so many lessons to be learned. The main thing I took away from the filming process was allowing myself the power to go after what I want and not be afraid to do so.”
“Melissa McCarthy came to join me on set and it was so cool to witness her work. I just remember looking at her and being like, ‘You can do that, too!’”
“I found that a lot of my time in London was that I was feeling the exact way Ariel was feeling in the beginning of the story. It was my first time away from home, I grew up in a very big family. I lived in my parents’ home up until two years ago, and so I grew up always having people around, especially my siblings to guide me. My sister Chloe, who’s like a second mom to me, has always been there in my personal life and my career, holding my hand and guiding me through every step of life. So this was the first project that I did by myself.“
V Magazine Issue #142 is available to pre-order on shop.vmagazine.com and available on global newsstands beginning May 4th
#RHOA: ‘The Real Housewives Of New York City’ Reboot Gets Season 14 Premiere Date Post
Bravo is teasing The Real Housewives of New York City reboot and has revealed its Season 14 premiere date. The new ladies of the Big Apple landed post The Real Housewives of Atlanta starting Sunday, July 16 at 9 p.m. ET. Watch the teaser spot in the video below.
The cast that was unveiled at BravoCon 2022 includes Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Dana Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank and Brynn Whitfield.
“They’re super fashionable. The things that they are arguing about are as ridiculous as early RHONY,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a different show. It’s so hard because everyone is going to compare it to RHONY, which was so perfect. And I hope this is perfect in a totally different way.”
RHONY was the first spinoff of The Real Housewives of Orange County and premiered back in 2008 with a cast that included the likes of Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps and Bethenny Frankel. After 13 seasons, the cable network opted to take the show downtown and focus on a new set of women.
Originally, the reboot would have seven housewives but shortly after filming began, Lizzy Savetsky dropped out of the show blaming “antisemitic” attacks.
Bravo is reportedly working on a RHONY: Legacy spinoff that would catch up on housewives from New York City’s past but no timeframe has been revealed as to when this show would premiere.
Additionally, legacy housewives Sonja Morgan and De Lesseps star in a spinoff called Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake. The show set to air sometime in 2023 features the socialites taking their big city personas into a small town of Illinois.
#MusicNews: Jodeci Unveils Dates For “Summer Block Party Tour” With SWV & Dru Hill
Legendary R&B group Jodeci have just unveiled the dates for their much anticipated Summer Block Party Tour with special guests SWV and Dru Hill.
The tour will take the three group across North America, kicking off in Charlotte on July 28th. There are 20+ stops along the way before it wraps up on September 8th in Concord, CA.
Tickets are on sale now, and you can check out the full run of dates below.
Jodeci “Summer Block Party” Tour Dates
7/28 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
7/29 Baltimore, MD CFG Bank Arena
7/30 Greensboro, NC White Oak Amphitheatre at Greensboro Coliseum Complex
8/4 Brooklyn, NY Coney Island Amphitheater
8/5 Bridgeport, CT Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
8/6 Philadelphia, PA The Mann Center
8/10 Detroit, MI Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre
8/11 Chicago, IL Arie Crown Theater
8/13 Indianapolis, IN TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
8/15 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/18 Atlanta, GA Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
8/19 Pelham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
8/20 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
8/24 Baton Rouge, LA Raising Cane’s River Center
8/26 Houston, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
8/27 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8/31 Denver, CO BellCo Theater
9/2 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
9/3 Chula Vista, CA North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
9/7 Los Angeles, CA YouTube Theater
9/8 Concord, CA Concord Pavilion
#HipHopNews: Pop Smoke Producer Says Late Rapper Wouldn't Approve '99 Percent' Of Posthumous Music
Pop Smoke’s estate has released two posthumous albums since his death, but go-to-producer/manager Rico Beats says the late rapper wouldn’t approve of most of the music.
A fan’s DMs with Rico Beats went viral over the weekend where Pop’s manager claimed that the Brooklyn rapper wouldn’t have approved of “99 percent” of the music that’s arrived following his February 2020 death.
“If pop was a live he would not approved of 99 percent of the stuff they put out,” Rico candidly answered a fan who was curious about potential new music.
The fan was disappointed to hear that there might not be any more songs left as Pop Smoke’s estate appeared to completely empty the vault, according to the “AP” producer.
“Who said he had music left,” Rico wrote. “What else ya want pop died 3 years ago how much music ya think he did in one year? Y’all gotta be real.”
The “Dior” rapper (real name Bashar Jackson) died on February 19, 2020 at the age of 20 after being rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with multiple gunshot wounds, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.
Pop Smoke was visiting Los Angeles at the time and posted a photo on Instagram of an Amiri gift bag, which inadvertently showed the address of the property he was renting on Hercules Drive.
Using that information, a group of teens wearing ski masks reportedly entered the rapper’s bedroom that night and confronted him in the shower.
Last month, a 20-year-old man pleaded guilty in juvenile court. The defendant — whose identity has not been made public — pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery, becoming the first of four defendants charged in Pop Smoke’s death to admit wrongdoing in the fatal incident.
He was sentenced to four years and two months in the Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Los Angeles, but could remain in juvenile custody until he’s 25.
Others charged in Pop Smoke’s death include Corey Walker, who was 19 at the time, along with a 15-year-old and 17-year-old.
On the music side, Pop’s estate hasn’t released an official single in 2023. His acclaimed Shoot For the Stars, Aim For the Moon debut album arrived in July 2020 via Republic Records/Victor Victor and was executive produced by 50 Cent.
A second posthumous album, Faith, arrived in July 2021 to much less fanfare with features from Chris Brown, Dua Lipa, Rick Ross, Quavo, Kodak Black, Kanye West, Pusha T and more.
The 2023 Tony Award nominations are out and 'Some Like It Hot' leads with 13 Noms!
The musical Some Like It Hot — a theatrical remake of the 1959 Billy Wilder movie musical — garnered 13 Tony nominations, the most in a season that saw many new plays and musicals take the stage.
This year's musical theater nominations made a little bit of history: J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell are the first nonbinary actors to be nominated for Tony Awards. Ghee, in Some Like It Hot, plays the leading role of Jerry, a man who disguises himself as a woman and then comes to realize parts of both identities suit. Newell plays the featured, female role of Lulu in Shucked. Although some theater awards, like the Drama Desk, the Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle awards don't divide actors into male and female roles, the Tony Awards do.
The nominations also highlighted three plays which have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Between Riverside and Crazy, Cost of Living and Fat Ham. But it is Tom Stoppard's new play about the Holocaust, Leopoldstadt, which received the most nominations: six, with Fat Fam, Cost of Living and Life of Pi following with five each.
The 2023 Tony Award nominations were presented Tuesday morning by Lea Michele — former Glee star and the woman who transformed the Funny Girl revival into a hit — and Myles Frost, who won the Tony last year for portraying Michael Jackson in MJ the Musical.
The awards are scheduled to be broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ on June 11, 2023. The full list of nominations is at the Tony Awards website.
Best Musical
& Juliet
Kimberly Akimbo
New York, New York
Shucked
Some Like It Hot
Best Play
Ain't No Mo'
Between Riverside and Crazy
Cost of Living
Fat Ham
Leopoldstadt
Best Revival of a Musical
Camelot
Into the Woods
Parade
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Revival of a Play
A Doll's House
The Piano Lesson
The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
Topdog/Underdog
Best Leading Actress of a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
Lorna Courtney, & Juliet
Micaela Diamond, Parade
Best Leading Actress of a Play
Jessica Chastain, A Doll's House
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976
Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders
Best Leading Actor of a Musical
Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot
J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot
Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Brian D'Arcy James, Into the Woods
Ben Platt, Parade
Colton Ryan, New York, New York
Best Leading Actor of a Play
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topdog/Underdog
Corey Hawkins, Topdog/Underdog
Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Wendell Pierce, Death of a Salesman
Best Featured Actress of a Musical
Julia Lester, Into the Woods
Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
Philippa Soo, Into the Woods
NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot
Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet
Best Featured Actress of a Play
Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham
Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ain't No Mo'
Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
Kara Young, Cost of Living
Best Featured Actor of a Musical
Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like It Hot
Jordan Donica, Camelot
Alex Newell, Shucked
Best Featured Actor of a Play
Jordan E. Cooper, Ain't No Mo'
Samuel L. Jackson, The Piano Lesson
Arian Moayed, A Doll's House
Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt
David Zayas, Cost of Living
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden, Parade
Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Jack O'Brien, Shucked
Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo
Best Direction of a Play
Saheem Ali, Fat Ham
Jo Bonney, Cost of Living
Jamie Lloyd, A Doll's House
Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt
Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain't No Mo
Max Webster, Life of Pi
Best Book of a Musical
David West Read, & Juliet
David Lindsay-Abaire, Kimberly Akimbo
Robert Horn, Shucked
Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, Some Like It Hot
David Thompson and Sharon Washington, New York, New York
Best Original Score
Almost Famous, music by Tom Kitt; lyrics by Cameron Crowe and Tom Kitt
Kimberly Akimbo, music by Jeanine Tesori; lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
KPOP, music and lyrics: Helen Park and Max Vernon
Shucked, music and lyrics: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally
Some Like It Hot, music: Marc Shaiman; lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman
Best Choreography
Steven Hoggett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Susan Stroman, New York, New York
Jennifer Weber, KPOP
Jennifer Weber, & Juliet
Good Luck to all the Nominees!
The Met Ball Gala 2023: See All The Looks From Fashion's Biggest Night
Fashion’s biggest night is here. The stars stepped out to celebrate the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on the first Monday in May.
This year’s Costume Institute exhibition, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” is hosted by co-chairs Dua Lipa, Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, and Vogue‘s Anna Wintour. The theme revolves around Lagerfeld, the late German designer best known for his work as creative director of Chanel and also Balmain, Chloé, and Fendi.
From Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s fashionably late entrance to Cardi B’s black and white Chanel-inspired gown, there were plenty of glamorous and even catty fashion statements. Doja Cat channeled Lagerfeld’s famous cat Choupette, while Lil Nas X came as a crystallized cat, styled by Pat McGrath and Dior Men. Ice Spice and Yung Miami (with Diddy as her date) also made their Met Gala debuts.
See the all the looks HERE!
Isaiah Washington Says Ku Klux Klan Members Were Some Of His “Best Teachers And Neighbors”
Isaiah Washington has revealed his belief that some of the “best elementary teachers” and “neighbors” he had during his childhood were also members of the Ku Klux Klan.
The veteran actor, who has been open about his thoughts on race and other polarizing topics, recently shared his experience as a youth growing up in a southern, racially prejudiced environment on Instagram. The post, which includes a black-and-white photo of what appears to be three generations of KKK members, was initially removed from the platform. However, Washington has since reposted the photo and an accompanying message that has yet to be taken down.
In the post, the former Grey’s Anatomy cast member shared that it was commonplace for him and his fellow students to play with one another and visit each others homes, but that the racial “boundaries” were known on both sides.
“I had some of the best elementary school teachers and even some neighbors that I knew were Klan Members back in Texas while growing up. I knew where They stood with me and They also knew where I stood with Them. The boundaries were very, very clear and I still played with Their kids, I just couldn’t drink from Their outside water hose or come inside Their house to eat.”
Washington wrote that while he experienced racial prejudice during his childhood, the conditions of his own home environment were often superior to that of his neighbors and classmates. He also pondered if he and his own family’s goodwill towards the community had a positive effect on his classmates’ outlook on him and his success as an entertainer.
“Their houses were usually much smaller than what I grew up in,” the 60-year-old added. “My mother never refused to let Their kids into her house to eat a summer lunch and drink from our vintage JFK water glasses. I can’t help but wonder today, if Their kids are vigorously supporting me as an actor today, simply because I showed Them love and respect as a true Texan and a true American. even when Their parents and grandparents forbid Them to reciprocate love and respect for me publicly to me back then, but I’m infamous now, I wonder…”
Hollywood writers set to strike after talks collapse
Thousands of Hollywood film and TV writers are set to go on strike starting Tuesday after a midnight deadline passed without an agreement over higher pay from studios.
It ends 15 years without a labor dispute in an industry grappling with changes sparked by the boom in TV streaming around the globe.
The strike will likely throw studio productions into turmoil.
Late-night shows are expected to immediately stop, though Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon spoke in favor of his writers on the Met Gala red carpet on Monday.
"I support my writers, but we have a lot of staff and crew that will be affected by this, you know, but, you know, they got to get a fair deal... I need my writers. I need them real bad. Yeah, I got no show without my writers."
The last strike of the Writers Guild of America lasted 100 days in 2007 and 2008 and cost the economy of California $2.1 billion as productions shut down and out-of-work writers, actors and producers cut back spending.
Studios don’t want another disruption after the COVID-19 pandemic halted production around the globe for months, but budgets are tight, and studios have laid off thousands of employees while cutting spending.
Late on Monday, the group that represents studios like Disney, Netflix said it had offered what it called “generous increases in compensation” in negotiation with the guild.
However, it said the primary sticking points were proposals that, quote, “would require a company to staff a show with a certain number of writers for a specified period of time... whether needed or not.”
The writers' guild said in a statement that companies' behavior had quote, “created a gig economy inside a union workforce.”
According to guild statistics, half of TV series writers now work at minimum salary levels compared to a third, nearly a decade ago.
The WGA also wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from writers’ previous work, and to ensure they are not asked to rewrite draft scripts created by AI.
Further ahead, the strike could lead to a delay of the fall TV season; writing for fall shows normally starts in May or June.
Find Out Guest Judges Who Will Temporarily Replace Katy Perry And Lionel Richie On 'American Idol'
"American Idol" has revealed the stars who are tapped to fill in for Katy Perry and Lionel Richie when they take on their coronation duties in England. ABC announced on Monday, May 1 that Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran will serve as guest judges on Sunday, May 7.
The two will join judge Luke Bryan in the upcoming episode. In the episode, Alanis is set to be pulling double duty as she will also be a mentor for the remaining contestants, who will take the stage to perform duets of Ed's popular songs.
Not stopping there, Alanis and Ed will also perform in the episode. While Alanis will perform one of her classics, the English singer is set to belt out his new single "Boat" following the release of his latest album, "-" (pronounced as "Substract").
Prior to this, Luke teased that people would be excited for the fill-ins for Katy and Lionel. "It's big time. It's big time," the country star told ET's Cassie DiLaura ahead of his set at Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, on Saturday, April 29. "The people that we have filling in, contestants have used their songs many, many times. A lot more than mine!"
Earlier this year, it was revealed that King Charles tapped Katy and Lionel to be among the performers at his coronation concert on Sunday, May 7. Taking place one day after the coronation, the concert will be held in Windsor Castle.
Of the invite, Katy told ExtraTV, "It was very regal, it was like a cursive I have never seen. I loved it. It was so beautiful and it was so grateful to get the honor because actually I am an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, which primarily focuses on ending child trafficking, which is a huge issue of our time and it just aligned with all my values."
"I'm also an ambassador for Unicef. And as a mother I know first-hand these innocent children need help, they need to be helped. So I'm just going there as an ambassador and they asked me to sing and it all aligned," the "Roar" hitmaker added.
Charles' concert, which will broadcast live on BBC, will also include soul pianist Alexis Ffrench and 29-year-old singer-songwriter Freya Ridings. Also performing at the concert is Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who will duet with 57-year-old Welsh opera icon Sir Bryn Terfel, Take That, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, Steve Winwood and Nicole Scherzinger.
Serena Williams announces second pregnancy at 2023 Met Gala
Serena Williams is expecting her second child with her husband Alexis Ohanian.
The tennis legend announced her pregnancy on Instagram shortly before hitting the red carpet at the 2023 Met Gala, which was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday.
Sharing a series of photos featuring her and the Reddit co-founder in their outfits, Serena wrote in the caption, "Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala."
Serena, 41, and Alexis, 40, were later pictured cupping her bump as they posed for photographers on the red carpet, with the sportswoman rocking a black-and-white gown by Gucci.
The couple, who tied the knot in November 2017, are already proud parents of their five-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
In August 2022, Serena announced via U.S. Vogue magazine that she was retiring from tennis to focus on expanding her family.
"I'm here to tell you that I'm evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago, I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family," she wrote.
At the time, Serena explained that they had been trying for another child over the past year and received information from her doctor that assured her that they were able to add to their family whenever she was ready.
"I definitely don't want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out," she added.
Ed Sheeran Tears Up over Wife Cherry's Cancer Diagnosis: She's the 'Most Amazing Thing in My Life'
Ed Sheeran is getting vulnerable with fans about his wife Cherry Seaborn's cancer diagnosis.
In the singer's new Disney+ docuseries titled Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All, set for release on Wednesday, he opens up about what it was like to learn that his pregnant wife was diagnosed with cancer in February 2022.
In the first episode titled "Love," Sheeran and Seaborn — who largely shies away from the spotlight — share a heart-to-heart as she explains why she decided to be a part of the documentary.
"I got diagnosed with cancer at the start of the year which was a massive s—ter," she says. "It made me massively reflect on our mortality. I would never agree to do anything like this but it made me think, 'Oh if I died, what's people's perception of me? What do you leave behind?'"
Seaborn adds, "For Ed, the whole point is he wants to say to people, 'I'm not just this music machine. I'm not just this robot that tries to get No. 1. I'm a father, I'm a son, I'm a friend.' It wasn't until this year when I was like, 'I might die.'"
In a much more serious tone, Sheeran, 32, says that she's playing it down and begins to get teary-eyed as he explains, "It was horrible." He later says that he wrote seven songs in four hours to cope with the pain he felt.
"When something really intense happens to him, he writes a song," says Seaborn.
Elsewhere in the episode, the "Shape of You" singer opens up about how much Seaborn, 30, means to him.
"It's the most amazing thing in my life that nobody really knows about," he says. "Everything in my life got so much better when she got into it."
The docuseries, where Sheeran sheds light on his private life and struggles, will premiere Wednesday on Disney+.
The singer-songwriter will also release his latest album pronounced Subtract (but displayed as "-") on Friday.
On March 1, the musician announced via press release that he poured his "deepest, darkest thoughts" into his new album.
"I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be," he shared. "Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art," he said.
"Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade's worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts."
"Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth," he continued of Seaborn, with whom he welcomed a second daughter in May of last year.
He added that this inspired him to put out an album that accurately represented what he was experiencing.
"It's opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time I'm not trying to craft an album people will like, I'm merely putting something out that's honest and true to where I am in my adult life," said Sheeran.
Statue honoring Emmett Till's mother unveiled at Illinois alma mater
An 850-pound sculpture of Mamie Till-Mobley speaking at a podium now stands at Argo
Over the weekend, Mamie Till-Mobley and her son, Emmett Till, were honored just outside their hometown of Chicago, Illinois. In 1955, the 14-year-old’s open-casket funeral catapulted the Civil Rights Movement to new levels.
“I think everybody needed to know what had happened to Emmett Till,” Till-Mobley famously said after denying the mortician’s offer to touch up her son’s body. The teen was savagely murdered in Mississippi after allegedly whistling at a white woman as he visited family for the summer. His accuser, Carolyn Bryant Donham, died of cancer last week at the age of 88. Although an arrest warrant was issued, she nor his killers ever received jail time.
On Saturday (April 29), Argo Community High School, which the late Till-Mobley attended, showed its appreciation for the mother and her son. The institution unveiled an 850-pound sculpture done by Sonja Henderson. The artist began the project in 2021. Emmett Till Memorial Walkway was also revealed, according to an article published by The Hill yesterday (April 30). Illinois state Sen. Kimberly Lightford spoke at the ceremony about what the coveted commemoration meant for the community.
“Mamie Till-Mobley’s bravery was felt and is still felt across the nation. She personalized strength and action and showed up,” Lightford shared. The sculpture shows the revered parent standing gracefully at a podium. Her son’s photo was thoughtfully included where she stands. Her quote, “We are only given a certain amount of time to do what we were sent here to do. You don’t have to be around a long time to share the wisdom of a lifetime. There is no time to waste,” is engraved into the monument. Though nearly 70 years have passed since Till’s death, supporters still fight for his name to never be forgotten. Last year, he and his mother were posthumously awarded Congressional Gold Medals. Earlier this year, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth began work to have the church where his funeral was held declared a national monument.
Elon Musk Announces Charging Option for Publishers on Twitter
*Elon Musk will soon allow media publishers on Twitter to charge users to read articles on the platform.
Users will be able to access articles for a one-time fee instead of paying a monthly subscription fee.
“Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click,” Musk tweeted on April 29. “This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article.”
As Variety reports, there are still a number of unknowns about Twitter’s upcoming feature, including the percentage of each transaction that Twitter will take in commission.
In related news, Musk chopped it up with Bill Maher on “Real Time” Friday and spoke about his acquisition of Twitter, free speech, and what he calls the “woke mind virus.”
“I think we need to be very cautious about anything that is anti-meritocratic and anything that results in the suppression of free speech,” Musk said to Maher, Variety reports. “So those are two of the aspects of the ‘woke mind virus’ that I think are very dangerous…. You can’t question things, even the questioning is bad. Almost synonymous would be cancel culture.”
“My concern with Twitter was that it is somewhat of the digital town square and it’s important that there be both the reality and perception of trust for a wide range of viewpoints,” he said.
Musk, who purchased Twitter last year, also touched on the “indoctrination that’s happening in schools and universities.”
“The experience that we had in high school and college is not the experience that kids today are having, and hasn’t been for 10 years, maybe 20 years… Parents are generally not aware of what their kids are being taught, or what they’re not being taught,” Musk said, Variety reports. “Let me give you an example that a friend of mine told me. His daughters go to high school in the Bay Area and he was asking them, ‘Who are the first few presidents of the United States.’ They could name Washington, so he said, ‘What do you know about him?’ ‘That he was a slaveowner.’ ‘What else?’ ‘Nothing.’ Like okay, maybe you should know more than that. Slavery is obviously a horrific institution, but we should still know more about George Washington than that.”
Musk also explained why he had to “take drastic action” after buying the social media platform in order for Twitter to avoid bankruptcy.
“I think things are reasonably stabilized right now. It was on the fast-track to bankruptcy after acquisition so I had to take drastic action. There was no choice,” Musk said
First Republic Bank Collapses, Taken Over by JP Morgan
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has reported that First Republic Bank has become the third bank to collapse in recent months and that JPMorgan Chase will assume all of its assets.
The FDIC claimed that the agreement would minimize customer interruptions while preventing the agency from having to deploy its emergency powers.
On Monday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) confirmed that the bank had collapsed and JPMorgan Chase is expected to assume “all of the deposits and substantially all of the assets of First Republic Bank” under the terms of the agreement.
“JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association submitted a bid for all of First Republic Bank’s deposits. As part of the transaction, First Republic Bank’s 84 offices in eight states will reopen as branches of JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, today during normal business hours,” the FDIC told ABC News. “All depositors of First Republic Bank will become depositors of JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, and will have full access to all of their deposits.”
First Republic Bank is the third major U.S. bank to collapse in recent months after the collapse of both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
“As of April 13, 2023, First Republic Bank had approximately $229.1 billion in total assets and $103.9 billion in total deposits,” the FDIC said. “In addition to assuming all of the deposits, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, agreed to purchase substantially all of First Republic Bank’s assets.”
The FDIC further stated that keeping the agency from taking over would “minimize disruptions for loan customers.”
Early Monday, Jonathan McKernan from the FDIC Board of Directors released a statement regarding the Bank’s collapse.
“I am pleased we were able to deal with First Republic’s failure without using the FDIC’s emergency powers. It is a grave and unfortunate event when the FDIC uses these emergency powers,” said McKernan. “Any decision to use the FDIC’s emergency powers should be approached skeptically, taking into account the unique facts and circumstances of the time, and with careful attention to the implications for the future.”
Former police officer Tou Thao found guilty in George Floyd's death
Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao has been found guilty of a charge of aiding and abetting in manslaughter, stemming from the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill issued the guilty verdict Monday night, writing in his decision, "The verdict is based on the finding of fact and conclusions of law."
The verdict comes almost three years after Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, at the hands of police officers sparked nationwide protests.
Thao is the last of the four fired Minneapolis police officers to be found guilty in the case.
"The conviction of Tou Thao is historic and the right outcome," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement. "It brings one more measure of accountability in the tragic death of George Floyd. Accountability is not justice, but it is a step on the road to justice."
Cahill has set Thao's sentencing date for Aug. 7.
Thao's sentence is expected to range from 41 to 57 months in prison.
The 37-year-old Thao has already been convicted on federal charges of violating Floyd's civil rights and is currently serving a 3 1/2-year prison sentence.
Thao is one of four former officers to face both state and federal charges in Floyd's death, including 47-year-old Derek Chauvin, who was captured on security video and witness cellphone footage digging his knee into the back of Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes, rendering the handcuffed and prone man unconscious and without a pulse.
Floyd was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
"While we have now reached the end of the prosecution of Floyd’s murder, it is not behind us," Ellison said in the statement. "There is much more that prosecutors, law-enforcement leaders, rank-and-file officers, elected officials, and community can do to bring about true justice in law enforcement and true trust and safety in all communities."
Ellison called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to combat police misconduct and abuse, and to prevent racial bias in policing.
A Hennepin County jury convicted Chauvin, the senior officer involved in Floyd's death, in April 2021 of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Cahill, who presided over Chauvin's trial, sentenced the veteran cop to 22 1/2 years in prison.
Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd's civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, which he is serving concurrently with his state sentence.
Former officers J. Alexander Kueng, 28, and Thomas Lane, 40, both pleaded guilty last year to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter after they were convicted along with Thao in the federal case.
Lane and Kueng are both serving 2 1/2-year prison sentences in the federal case. Lane also received a sentence of three years in the state case, while Kueng was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in the state case.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Cute Baby
He forgot to change is diapers on the way there.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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