NASA Renames Facility in Honor of Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson, the mathematician whose calculations made for groundbreaking space missions, has just been honored by NASA with a facility in her name.
Established in 1993, the Independent Verification and Validation Facility (IV&V) in West Virginia has been renamed the Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility, according to the association.
“Born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in 1918, Katherine’s intense curiosity and brilliance with numbers lead her to a distinguished career with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and NASA.”
Johnson was played by Taraji P. Henson in 2016 film Hidden Figures.
Last fall, Johnson was also honored with a statue and scholarship at her alma mater, West Virginia State University.
“I am very appreciative to WVSU for giving me the opportunity to create the monument sculpture of Mrs. Katherine Johnson,” Frederick Hightower, the artist behind the life-size statue of Johnson, told Metro News. “This sculpture being on our campus will not only honor the great accomplishments of Mrs. Johnson, but will also bring national attention and recognition to one of America’s great HBCU’s, West Virginia State University.”
#RHoA: Look who showed up at Andy Cohen’s Baby’s Gathering, It’s Phaedra!
Andy Cohen's baby shower will go down in history as the largest and most fabulous gathering of Real Housewives under one roof ever. Not only did the list of attendees include several OG Housewives, current Housewives, and Andy's celebrity friends, but a major surprise guest also arrived to party with this crew.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Phaedra Parks surprised everyone — especially Andy — when she showed up to celebrate the late night host's son at his baby shower. As one of the organizers of the soirée, Nene Leakes explained how Phaedra got on the guest list when she appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Sunday night. "First of all, let's be very clear now, that's almost a question for Andy. Andy's request was he wanted the people from the current season only to be at the baby shower," Nene told a caller during the show. "Now, I texted Andy I had a surprise for him. He did not know what the surprise was."
Andy then said that he thought Nene's surprise guest would be her friend Marlo Hampton, who we've seen for many years on RHOA, including in the current season. Marlo did end up accompanying Nene to the baby shower, too. Still, Phaedra definitely seemed to be a welcome surprise at Andy's baby shower. The RHOA alum was all smiles as she met new friends and reconnected with longtime pals. And yes, she obeyed Lisa Rinna's order to dance on top of tables during the party.
Nene reconnected with Phaedra last year after she announced that her husband, Gregg Leakes, had been diagnosed with colon cancer. The two soon reunited at Nene's birthday party in December. "You know, Phaedra like many people reached out to me when Gregg was sick. She was one of those people who reached out to me," Nene said on WWHL in December. "This is my first time seeing Phaedra in like two years. She looked great."
Now that Phaedra is back in her life, would Nene want the alum to get back in the RHOA crew?
#Empire: Jussie Smollett ‘s Episode of ‘Drop the Mic’ Battle has been Pulled!
TNT has pulled an upcoming episode of its hip-hop roast battle show “Drop the Mic” featuring “Empire” star Jussie Smollett. The episode, set to air March 6, was yanked following the arrest of Smollett on Thursday for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself.
In the episode, Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee on “Orange Is The New Black,” faced off against Smollett in a battle. Also on the episode, famed “American Idol” star Clay Aiken took on “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Sharknado” star Ian Ziering.
“We had an episode of ‘Drop The Mic’ this season with Jussie that you’ll now (correctly) never see, but sadly it will shelve Clay Aiken, WHO WAS A VERY GOOD RAPPER (at least for now),” executive producer Jensen Karp wrote on Twitter.
WATCH HERE
The Smollett episode of “Drop the Mic” is actually already available in at least one spot, however: YouTube is currently offering the episode for a $1.99 fee. The episode — which is marked as the 13th from Season 2, was apparently first released online on Feb. 6, but a TNT spokesperson confirmed that the network is now looking to remove it. The episode had already been pushed by several weeks following the initial reports of the attack against Smollett, but now it appears to not be on deck to air at all on TNT.
“We are pulling the episode in the interest of not being exploitative of an incredibly sensitive situation,” the TNT spokesperson said. “We are holding on airing his episode for now and we are replacing it with the Raven Simon vs Ron Funches and Joey McIntyre vs Joey Fatone episode.”
TNT’s decision comes as Fox mulls the fate of Smollett on “Empire.” As reported earlier Thursday, 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment said in a statement that “we understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process. We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”
#NEWMUSIC from Jacob Latimore ‘Come Over Here’
Rising star Jacob Latimore has returned with an infectious new single for the yearning lovers. The singer/actor has been lighting up the small and big screens lately but fans have been awaiting the follow-up to his stellar album Connection. He delivers with “Come Over Here,” a contemporary R&B mid-tempo that finds Latimore requesting a visit from his lady.
LISTEN HERE
This single appears to be the first release off a new album, which will make this a very exciting year for Jacob Latimore, who can be seen in the second season of Showtime’s The Chi, premiering April 7.
#HipHopNews: Meek Mill Dissing Nicki Minaj And Her New Man On Leaked Snippet?
Meek Mill is taking aim at an ex on a leaked snippet of a new song.
On Monday (Mar. 4), Houston Rockets guard James Harden previewed an unreleased track from the Philly rapper on Instagram Stories. The song has raised eyebrows as it finds Meek rapping about an unnamed ex-girlfriend and her new man. But it has some fans wondering if the lyrics are about Nicki Minaj and her new boyfriend, Kenneth Petty.
Meek Mill calls out Nicki Minaj and her new boyfriend Kenneth Petty pic.twitter.com/x2y2FCSuJi— The internet is undefeated (@inf_tv) March 5, 2019
“This shit beyond me, you were supposed to be my Beyoncé / Now you this ni**a fiancée?” raps Meek. “Fuck you mean you feel a connection? / He listen to you, what? / This ni**a wear Balenciaga with boot-cut jeans / What the fuck you losing your mind? / Ayo, call my fucking phone back, yo.”
He continues to take shots at the unnamed couple. “Everytime you post this ni**a wanna smoke this ni**a / We just broke up last year, how you know this ni**a? / You was cheating on me or sleeping on me?” he continues. “Man, fuck all that / You with this bum-ass ni**a, he ain’t up like that / Real ni**a to a weirdo, he ain’t cut like that / Twelve rounds in that pussy, he don’t fuck like that.”
After the song surfaced, Meek responded to the speculation on Twitter. “Stop the bap I’m like on my 6 girl in the last 2 years let me live,” he tweeted. “Y’all gotta hear the whole thing first ….. just chill.”
Following Meek and Nicki’s breakup in 2016, Nicki has moved on with Petty. The two reportedly met when Nicki was a teenager living in Queens and reconnected late last year. They vacationed together for Nicki’s 36th birthday in December and have reportedly even discussed marriage.
Come Inside The 'Captain Marvel' Red Carpet Los Angeles World Premiere
HOLLYWOOD, CA — Hollywood was beaming with delight and excitement as the US premiere of "Captain Marvel" took everyone's breath away Monday evening along Hollywood Boulevard.
Brie Larson, who plays the titular role in the movie, and a parade of stars such as Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto, Rune Temte, McKenna Grace, and Clark Gregg graced the red carpet outside the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
Other highlights of the red carpet world premiere included the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, "Thunderbirds," conducting their signature Delta Formation over the Captain Marvel premiere. It featured six F-16 Fighting Falcons, the Air Force's premier multi-role fighter aircraft, soaring over Los Angeles and Hollywood.
For those unfamiliar with the character, the superhero film follows the story of Carol Danvers (Larson), a fighter-jet pilot who acquires superhuman powers after a major accident propels her into an inter-galactic world.
Check out some photo highlights from the "Captain Marvel"Red Carpet World Premiere:
More pics HERE
Movies is out Friday!
Kylie Jenner Allegedly is the World's Youngest Billionaire!
The 21-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality star and beauty entrepreneur is now the world’s youngest billionaire, according to Forbes on Tuesday (March 5).
With her Kylie Cosmetics business, Kylie made the magazine’s ranking for richest people of 2019, and the billionaires list for the first time. She is also declared as the “youngest self-made billionaire ever.”
“Forbes estimates Jenner’s company is worth at least $900 million. She owns all of it. Add in the cash Jenner has already pulled from the profitable business, and the 21-year-old is now a billionaire, with an estimated fortune of $1 billion. She’s the youngest-ever self-made billionaire, reaching a ten-figure fortune at a younger age than even Mark Zuckerberg (who was 23 when he hit that mark),” the publication declares.
I guess!
Will Smith Portraying Venus and Serena Williams’ Dad in New Film Is Causing Controversy
Sparked by a report this week out of trade magazine Deadline, it has been announced that Will Smith is close to signing up to play the role of Venus and Serena Williams‘ father Richard Williams in a movie titled “King Richard.” But there are plenty who believe Smith would be the wrong choice.
Folks aren’t questioning Smith’s acting ability, they have a problem with his looks and say that he’s too light to play Williams, who has a darker complexion. And names like Idris Elba and Mahershala Ali came up as actors who some thought should play the role instead.
A lot of people are saying Will Smith doesn't have a dark enough complexion to play Richard Williams in a new movie.
“I love Will Smith but um… They couldn’t find a darker actor to play this role?” someone wrote on Tuesday.
“Was Idris Elba busy?” another person asked.
“And Oscar nomination for best makeup goes to ..whoever makes him look like Mr Williams ! Lmao ,” a third person tweeted.
But there were some who felt the total opposite and said Smith should be judged by his acting ability alone, not how light or dark he is.
“So let me understand that a black man can only play a black man now if he is the right shade of black,” someone tweeted on Tuesday. “So that case Denzel Washington should never played Malcom x. We as black people only brings ourselves down.”
“Will is a box office draw,” a second person commented. “I can’t believe he is getting noise about not being dark enough. He is an awesome actor whose movies I will always go see. …. Even if he plays Jesus whom we all know was black.”
“King Richard” reportedly will tell the story of how Williams trained his two daughters to become two of the best tennis players in the world, although he had no background in the sport himself.
Williams has said he drew up a 78-page plan for his daughters’ tennis future and trained them on run-down courts in their Compton, Calif., neighborhood. Today Serena Williams has a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and Venus Williams has seven.
Smith hasn’t commented on the controversy surrounding his role yet, but the chatter on social media continues.
WWE Star King Kong Bundy Passes Away At 61
WWE legend King Kong Bundy has passed away. Bundy, real name Christopher Alan Pallies, died on Monday (March 4). His cause of death is unknown at this time.
He was 61. The WWE released the following statement via their official website:
WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Legend King Kong Bundy has passed away.
Bundy was appropriately called the “walking condominium,” standing at an impressive 6-foot-4 and weighing 458 pounds. The sight of Bundy stepping between the ropes was intimidating enough, but his crushing offense proved that he was every bit as destructive as advertised. In fact, Bundy was so dominant that he demanded referees count to five when he pinned his opponents to show that there was no way they were getting up.
The Atlantic City, N.J., native broke into WWE in the 1980s, dominating at the first WrestleMania and memorably challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship inside a Steel Cage at WrestleMania 2.
Although Bundy left WWE in the late ’80s, he returned in 1994 as part of The Million Dollar Corporation, once again destroying rivals with the Avalanche Splash and proving that he was one of the greatest and most eye-catching big men to lace up a set of boots.
WWE extends its condolences to Bundy’s family, friends and fans.
A London Man Is The Second HIV Patient Cured Of The Virus After Stem Cell Transplant
A London man has been free of HIV for 18 months after a stem cell transplant, which is now the second success to include the “Berlin patient,” doctors say. The therapy was previously used for Timothy Ray Brown, a U.S. man that was treated using the transplant in Germany in 2007 and is still free of HIV.
The patient has not yet been identified, but it is reported that he was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and began taking medication to control the virus in 2012. He developed Hodgkin lymphoma the same year and agreed to a stem cell transplant to treat cancer in 2016.
Doctors figured with the appropriate donor, the London patient might not only get treatment for his cancer but a possible HIV cure as well. The donor doctors found had a gene mutation that has a natural resistance to HIV. Research shows about 1% of people descended from northern Europe have inherited the mutation from both parents and are immune to most HIV. The donor had this double copy of the mutation; great news for the London patient.
The transplant changed the London patient’s immune system, giving him the donor’s mutation and HIV resistance. To see if the virus would come back, the patient voluntarily stopped taking his HIV drugs. Typically, when a patient stops taking their meds, the virus comes back in two to three weeks because HIV patients are expected to stay on daily medication for life to suppress the virus.
That didn’t happen with the London patient, as there is still no trace of the virus after 18 months off the drugs.
Timothy Ray Brown told The Associated Press he would like to meet the London patient and encourage him to go public because “it’s been very useful for science and for giving hope to HIV-positive people, to people living with HIV.” Dr. Gero Hutter, the German doctor who treated Brown, called the new case “great news” and “one piece in the HIV cure puzzle.”
Netflix Responds To Steven Spielberg’s Attempt to Block The Streaming Network From Competing For Oscars
Netflix hit Steven Spielberg with a classy clapback after he shared his disdain for the company’s Oscar achievements.
The iconic director holds a place in the directors branch on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He recently used his position to speak out against supporting films that debut on Netflix. Rather than being eligible to win an Academy Award, he’d prefer for them to be in the running for the Emmys. Which is diminishing, in a way, since the Emmys are dedicated to television. IndieWire explained this comes from Alfonso Cuaron’s Netflix movie, “Roma,” winning honors for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Achievement in Directing, and Best Achievement in Cinematography.
Well, Netflix replied to Mr. Spielberg’s biased opinion by expressing their genuine “love” for cinema and motivations for doing the work they’ve been so successful in.
“We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
-Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters
-Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time
-Giving filmmakers more ways to share art
These things are not mutually exclusive.”
Contrary to Spielberg’s concerns, A-list movie figures have defended the streaming platform’s place in the industry. Ben Affleck acknowledged to the Associated Press that Netflix is “defining the future.”
“It’s fun to be part of what Netflix is doing because they’re heavily invested in telling stories, they want a lot of stuff out there. And there’s a thrill, a rush, an excitement to that.”
He also told the Today show, in regards to Steven’s opinion, “People are working to try to define how that [changing business] will be. For me and Charlie [Hunnam, co-star in ‘Triple Frontier’], to do a movie for Netflix is no different from doing a movie anywhere else. We’re just trying to do our job.”
“Insecure’s” Jean Elie also added on Twitter, “Why would you want to stop others from shining/sharing the light?”
Meanwhile, Bruce Campbell from “Army of Darkness” was very direct saying, “Steven Spielberg is gunning to make sure Netflix never has another Oscars contender like Roma. Sorry, Mr. Spielberg, Roma ain’t no TV movie – it’s as impressive as anything out there. Platforms have become irrelevant. Make a movie with Netflix.”
Look at Halle Berry Topless with a Back Tattoo!
Halle Berry is serving some serious sexiness. This week, the 52-year-old actress showed off some new ink. No word on whether the tattoo is temporary or a henna tatt, but the artwork is impressive. The new body art is located on her back running from her upper neck, toward her backside. The design appears to be a vine with leaves. Posing topless in the kitchen, she holds an egg in one hand and a pan in the right hand, pairing the shot with shiny bottoms. She captions the image
Who says I’m not a mermaid…We’re not questioning you sweetie!
Hillary Clinton Says She’s Not Running For President in 2020 Election
In an exclusive interview with News 12, Hillary Clinton officially ruled out a 2020 presidential run but maintained her desire to speak out and stand up for what she believes in.
“I’m not running, but I’m going to keep on working and speaking and standing up for what I believe,” Clinton said, as she expressed her concerns about the current state of American politics.
“I want to be sure that people understand I’m going to keep speaking out,” she continued. “I’m not going anywhere. What’s at stake in our country, the kind of things that are happening right now are deeply troubling to me. And I’m also thinking hard about how do we start talking about listening to each other again? We’ve just gotten so polarized. We’ve gotten into really opposing camps, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my adult life.”
As a result, Clinton has promised to work alongside the Democratic candidates in the longstanding fight to “win back the White House.” When it comes to running for any other elected office again, that’s pretty much out of the question. But, she’s determined to help support.
“I love living in New York and I’m so grateful that I had the chance to be a senator for eight years and to work with people across our state.” She said, “I care deeply about the future of New York and so, again, I’m gonna do what I can to help support candidates and causes that I think are continuing to make New York a better and better place.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES?
‘DOGGY DAY CARE’
Shoutout to whoever decided to make it a staple to put a giant roll of hand wipes by the carts
#EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Mr Jay!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
ENJOY!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
