Duchess Meghan Markle guest edits British Vogue, features 'Forces for Change' women
Meghan, wife of Britain’s Prince Harry, has chosen to feature 15 women she considers “Forces for change” on the cover of the September issue of British Vogue that she guest edited, Buckingham Palace said on Sunday.
The Duchess of Sussex, who gave birth to her first child in May, spent seven months working with British Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful on the issue.
The former actress, 37, said in a statement she had sought to steer the focus of the September issue – usually the year’s most read – to “the values, causes and people making impact in the world today.”
The cover of the magazine, which will be available on Aug. 2, features names like teenage climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, boxer Ramla Ali and actress and women’s rights advocate Salma Hayek Pinault.
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward, and model and former refugee Adut Akech are among others featured in a list that also includes mental health and diversity campaigners.
“Through this lens I hope you’ll feel the strength of the collective in the diverse selection of women chosen for the cover as well as the team of support I called upon within the issue to help bring this to light,” Meghan said in the statement.
“I hope readers feel as inspired as I do, by the ‘Forces for Change’ they’ll find within these pages.”
The issue also features a “candid conversation” between Meghan and former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, and an interview with veteran primatologist Jane Goodall.
#RHOA: Apollo Nida Has Been Re-Released From Prison Into Halfway House!
Former ‘RHOA’ star and Phaedra Parks’ ex-husband Apollo Nida has been released from prison…again. He was freed in June but broke a technical condition of his release and has been back behind bars ever since.
Apollo Nida is a free man again. The former Real Housewives of Atlanta star was released from the Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix in New Jersey for the second time this summer on July 29 per Federal Bureau of Prison paperwork obtained by Radar Online. He is now living in a Philadelphia halfway house. He was released on June 4 but nine days later broke a technical condition of his release and was sent back to prison, though what the violation was hasn’t been revealed.
Phaedra Parks‘ ex-husband must have caught some kind of break because he wasn’t scheduled to be released until October 15. In 2014 he was sentenced to eight years in prison for fraud and identity theft, but a judge shaved a year off the sentence this past March. He accepted a guilty plea after federal prosecutors claimed he stole $2.3 million from numerous people in a fraud scheme that began in 2009.
Phaedra didn’t comment when he was released from prison originally in June, and she has yet to say anything about it now. The former couple share two sons, nine-year-old Ayden and six-year-old Dylan. The couple married in 2009 but she filed for divorce once Apollo’s legal issues began. Their messy and complicated divorce was initially finalized in 2016 then overturned. Their marriage was finally declared over in 2017 when they reached a parenting plan settlement that included Apollo getting weekly phone calls with his sons.
Now that Apollo is out, once he finishes his stint at the halfway house in October he’ll be able to marry fiancée Sherien Almufti, as they got engaged while he was behind bars. He proposed to her in 2016, two years into his prison term. She was featured a June 30, 2018 episode of Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta. “I am marrying my best friend. I love him so much,” Sherien gushed.
#Empire: Flashback Cookie is The Head of The Table Season 1 Episode 3
Word to the wise Empire characters — never mess with Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) and especially never mess with her family. Many learned this lesson as the seasons wore on, but this particular moment is throwing it way back.
In this flashback video from Season 1, Cookie comes over to the Lyon estate to have dinner with her ex-husband Lucious (Terrence Howard), his girlfriend Anika (Grace Byers), and their three children.
WATCH
Needless to say, things aren’t exactly civil and Cookie makes sure Anika knows her place in the family. “Excuse me? In this family, we say grace before we shove food in our mouths. Shall we?” Cookie says.
#NewMusic from H.E.R. – 21
R&B star H.E.R. has released her new song “21” after releasing her single “Racks” with YBN Cordae. Backed by an acoustic beat, H.E.R. alternates between singing and rapping to reflect on her life after her year of success.
LISTEN HERE
H.E.R. is currently in the studio putting the final touches on her official debut album which should be out later this year.
#NewHipHop from Big Sean – ‘Single Again’
Big Sean is on trial in the video for “Single Again” featuring Jhené Aiko and Ty Dolla $ign.
The short film, which was inspired by Sean’s relationship with Aiko, is a cautionary tale of what can happen in the court of public opinion when we believe what we see on social media.
WATCH
Sean is “on trial for cheating allegations” in the Lawrence Lamont-directed clip, which was shot in his hometown of Detroit. The scandal has made headlines and driven a wedge between the video’s co-stars, real-life couple Ryan Destiny and Keith Powers. He thinks Sean is innocent, but she disagrees.
“The video has a lot of important messages, but the main one is for people to ‘wake up and smell the roses’ in a world where we wake up and check our phones instead,” explained Sean.
Lamont added, “The visual highlights a few social issues, including social media’s ability to sway people’s opinions to the point of disharmony, the social pressures faced by Millennial’s and Generation Y and media coverage of the Black man. While bringing these key issues to light, I also wanted to capture Detroit’s beautiful spirit and style.”
“Single Again,” which samples Carl Thomas’ “I Wish,” follows Sean’s “Overtime” freestyle, which also dropped last week.
Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’ copied Christian rap song a Jury has found her Liable!
A jury on Monday found that Katy Perry’s 2013 hit “Dark Horse” improperly copied a 2009 Christian rap song in a unanimous decision that represented a rare takedown of a pop superstar and her elite producer by a relatively unknown artist.
The verdict by a nine-member federal jury in a Los Angeles courtroom came five years after Marcus Gray and two co-authors, first sued in 2014 alleging “Dark Horse” stole from “Joyful Noise,” a song Gray released under the stage name Flame.
The case now goes to a penalty phase, where the jury will decide how much Perry and other defendants owe for copyright infringement.
Questions from the jury during their two full days of deliberations had suggested that they might find only some of the defendants liable for copyright infringement. The case focused on the notes and beats of the song, not its lyrics or recording, and the questions suggested that Perry might be off the hook.
But in a decision that left many in the courtroom surprised, jurors found all six songwriters and all four corporations that released and distributed the songs were liable, including Perry and Sarah Hudson, who wrote only the song’s words, and Juicy J, who only wrote the rap he provided for the song. Perry was not present when the verdict was read.
Other defendants found liable were Capitol Records as well as Perry’s producers: Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cirkut, who came up with the song’s beat.
Gray’s attorneys argued that the beat and instrumental line featured through nearly half of “Dark Horse” are substantially similar to those of “Joyful Noise.” Gray wrote the song with his co-plaintiffs Emanuel Lambert and Chike Ojukwu.
“Dark Horse,” a hybrid of pop, trap and hip-hop sounds that was the third single of Perry’s 2013 album “Prism,” spent four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2014, and earned a Grammy nomination for Perry, who performed the song during her 2015 Super Bowl halftime show.
Her attorneys argued that the song sections in question represent the kind of simple musical elements that if found to be subject to copyright would hurt music and all songwriters.
“They’re trying to own basic building blocks of music, the alphabet of music that should be available to everyone,” Perry’s lawyer Christine Lepera said during closing arguments Thursday.
The defendants’ musical expert testified that the musical patterns in dispute were as simple as “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
But the jury of six women and three men disagreed, finding that the bumping beat and riff at the center of “Joyful Noise” were original enough to be copyrighted.
Perry and the song’s co-authors testified during the seven-day trial that none of them had heard the song or heard of Gray before the lawsuit, nor did they listen to Christian music.
Gray’s attorneys had only to demonstrate, however, that “Joyful Noise” had wide dissemination and could have been heard by Perry and her co-authors. They provided as evidence that it had millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify, and that the album it’s included on was nominated for a Grammy.
“They’re trying to shove Mr. Gray into some gospel music alleyway that no one ever visits,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Michael A. Kahn during closing arguments, when he also pointed out that Perry had begun her career as a Christian artist.
Jurors agreed, finding that the song was distributed widely enough that the “Dark Horse” writers may well have heard it.
Kahn and Gray declined comment but smiled as they left the courtroom after the verdict.
Lepera and other defense attorneys also declined comment outside court. Perry’s publicist did not immediately return an email message seeking comment Monday evening.
Perry, a 34-year-old pop superstar and “American Idol” judge, brought laughs to the proceedings when she testified during its second day when her lawyers were having technical troubles getting “Dark Horse” to play in the courtroom.
“I could perform it live,” Perry said.
No performance was necessary after the audio issues were fixed. Jurors heard both songs played back-to-back in their entirety at the end of closing arguments last week.
Mario Lopez Speaks against Child Transitioning Saying Letting Your Children Transition Genders Is 'Dangerous' and 'Sort of Alarming' and now he’s Catching Heat For It!
Mario Lopez is making headlines after he spoke out about transgendered children, in particular Charlize Theron's child Jackson. The Access Hollywood host criticized Theron's decision to allow Jackson, 7, to identify as a transgender girl when she was a toddler, calling it "dangerous."
Lopez's comments came during an appearance on The Candace Owens Show last month, where he spoke with the conservative talk show host about what Owens described as a "weird trend" coming out of Hollywood. She brought up Theron's comment about Jackson to the Daily Mail in April in which she said, "I thought she was a boy, too, until she looked at me when she was 3 years old and said, 'I am not a boy!'"
"My God, if you're 3 years old, I just think it's dangerous as a parent to make this determination then," Lopez, 45, said. "It's sort of alarming and my gosh, I just think about the repercussions later on."
The Saved by the Bell star added that he thinks parents should let their children be children, but "at the same time, you got to be the adult in the situation." He said that a child's "formative years" are a much more appropriate time to have conversations about gender, as any time before that is "way too young" in his opinion.
Lopez has three children with his wife Courtney Laine Mazza: Gia, 8, and Dominic, 5, and a newborn son born earlier this month.
Owens also drew on personal experience and said she was train got understand "this new Hollywood mentality where they just think their children now have the mental authority."
Back in April, Theron said that she was protective of her children. "So there you go! I have two beautiful daughters who, just like any parent, I want to protect and I want to see thrive. They were born who they are an exactly where in the world both of them get to find themselves as they grow up, and who they want to be, is not for me to decide," she said at the time. "And I will do everything in my power for my kids to have that right and to be protected within that."
Lopez's words garnered a few strong reactions on social media.
“You know, I grew up in a country where people lived with half-truths and lies and whispers and nobody said anything outright, and I was raised very specifically not to be like that,” she told Daily Mail. “I was taught by my mom that you have to speak up; you have to be able to know that, when this life is over, you’ll have lived the truth you’re comfortable with, and that nothing negative can come from that.”
WOW!
NickI Minaj And Boyfriend Kenneth Petty Get Marriage License In L.A.
It looks like wedding bells will be ringing for Nicki Minaj in L.A. She and her boyfriend, Kenneth Petty, took out a marriage license in the City of Angels Monday. People at the Beverly Hills Courthouse spotted the two at the marriage license bureau window. Nicki was reportedly trying to lay low and sported a hat while Petty paid for the license.
Interestingly enough, she announced that she and Petty got their marriage license last month on her Queen Radio show. She said,
“We did get our marriage license…And no you guys are not invited to the wedding. I think I have what I was striving for, just happiness. It was so hard to get to a happy place. Now that I’m there, I don’t want to compromise that for anyone or anything.”
And marriage isn’t the only thing in their plans. She also added,
“We are about to have a baby child! I’m not saying I’m pregnant, but obviously, that’s the end goal, right?”
She also insisted she and Petty were in this forever in her verse on Chance The Rapper’s “Zanies and Fools.” She said,
“He the Clyde to my Bonnie, ’bout to walk down the aisle and be a mommy.”
She and Petty went public with their relationship at the end of 2018. The two also reportedly dated back when Nicki was 16.
Are you here for Nicki Minaj tying the knot with her boyfriend?
Rihanna UNFOLLOWS Tidal & Follows Spotify!! (Is there a Beef w. Jay Z)
There is a brewing beef in between Rihanna and her mentor and ex-boss Jay Z.For several years, Jay Z has certain other artists to sign up for Tidal, around the other streaming platforms.
And it appears to have worked.But Rihanna may perhaps be all set to make a adjust.This morning Rihanna unfollowed Tidal on Instagram and followed Spotify. This is a achievable sign that Rihanna may possibly be planning to break with Jay Z’s streaming system – and go to Spotify.
Since its start, Rihanna has designed a range of exclusives with Tidal.But Rihanna has a new challenge coming up – and she is possible signaling a improve in her most well-liked streaming provider.Spotify has been throwing close to Big dollars to artists who are keen to sign distinctive bargains with them. And it appears that Rihanna is prepared to turn on Jay Z’s firm – for Hard cash.
Woman Charged As Hacker In Capital One Data Breach Exposing Over 100 Million Customers
A woman has been charged in connection with a hacking breach at Capital One bank that exposed information from more than 100 million credit applications over a 14-year period – what is thought to be one of the largest such attacks in recent years.
Authorities in Seattle have charged Paige A. Thompson, who also goes by the handle "erratic," with a single count of computer fraud. She appeared in court on Monday and is scheduled for a detention hearing on Thursday.
Thompson is accused of hacking credit scores, balances, income information and Social Security numbers from a total of 100 million people in the U.S. and 6 million in Canada.
Virginia-based Capital One, the nation's seventh-largest bank, acknowledged the breach in a statement on Monday, but said it believed the hacked information was not used in any actual fraud.
"While I am grateful that the perpetrator has been caught, I am deeply sorry for what has happened," said Richard D. Fairbank, chairman and CEO, in a statement. "I sincerely apologize for the understandable worry this incident must be causing those affected and I am committed to making it right."
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The hacked data consists of information from credit card applications from individuals and small businesses, mostly from 2005 to early 2019. That includes 140,000 Social Security numbers and 80,000 linked bank account numbers from secured credit card consumers.
According to a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle, some of the information was posted to GitHub, a software development platform owned by Microsoft.
The complaint says Thompson boasted in Twitter direct message about having obtained the data, saying she had "basically strapped myself with a bomb vest, [expletive] dropping capitol ones dox and admitting it."
"I wanna distribute those buckets I think first," "erratic" wrote in a Twitter message late last month. "There ssns ... with full name and dob."
Messages from a Twitter account belonging to Paige A. Thompson referred to data that was acquired from Capitol One, the Justice Department says.
According to the complaint, the FBI searched a bedroom believed to belong to Thompson and seized "numerous digital devices."
"During the initial search of some of these devices, agents observed files and items that referenced Capital One and the Cloud Computing Company, other entities that may have been the targets of attempted or actual network intrusions, and "erratic" aliases associated with Paige A. Thompson."
Capital One says it found a vulnerability in its system on July 19, just two days after receiving an email alerting it that some of its data had appeared on Github. It then asked for the FBI's help.
The bank says it will contact affected customers and make free credit monitoring and protection available to them.
Last week, credit bureau Equifax agreed to pay $700 million to consumers in connection with a similar breach that occurred two years ago.
2 killed in shooting at Mississippi Walmart; suspect, a former employee, in custody
Two people have died and an officer was injured after a shooting at a Mississippi Walmart. USA TODAY
Two people were killed Tuesday in a shooting at a Mississippi Walmart in Southaven, and a suspect who is a former employee was in custody, Southaven Police Chief Macon Moore said.
During a press conference held midmorning, Moore said the suspect was shot when two officers confronted him, and they exchanged fire. The suspect is undergoing surgery at a local hospital.
A police officer was injured and taken to the hospital but is expected to be OK. The officer was hit in his bulletproof vest and not seriously hurt, according to Moore.
Both victims are reported to be Walmart employees; one was found dead in the store and another dead in the parking lot. DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco said the shooter was an employee until Monday.
Police told reporters the first officers arrived on the scene at 6:36 a.m, just three minutes after initial calls came in. Two officers encountered the suspect outside, which is when the police officer was shot. There were about 60 employees inside the store when officers arrived; police were also getting reports of a fire that had been set inside the store. Just two weeks ago, Moore said, Southhaven police participated in active shooter response training, which undoubtedly helped them Tuesday morning
The Walmart is "still an active scene," Moore said, and a suspicious package was also found inside the store. Moore did not take any questions from reporters, but said he should have another update later this afternoon.
The incident rattled the community of Southaven 15 minutes south of Memphis, Tennessee, and home to 55,000 people.
Carlos Odom, 35, typically comes to Walmart to visit his cousin, who works there. Odom was leaving around 6:30 a.m. when he heard more than a dozen shots.
"I just hear gunshots," Odom said. "Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow.
"When the cops run into Walmart, you hear more gunshots. After that, it stopped."
The Walmart shooting comes just two days after a 19-year-old man opened fired at the Gilroy Garlic Festival about an hour southeast of San Jose in California's Bay Area. Three people died in that shooting: a 6-year-old boy, 13-year-old girl and 25-year-old man. At least a dozen people were injured; the shooter was killed by police who were working the festival.
Lady Gaga Caught Kissing Audio Engineer During Brunch In Los Angeles
Does Lady Gaga have a new man? According to what witnesses told PEOPLE, the Grammy-winning musician was locking lips with her monitor engineer Dan Horton during the pair’s brunch date in Studio City, California. Gaga and Horton were dining out at Granville restaurant, where neighboring diners said the couple looked to be “more than friends” and were “smooching multiple times” while enjoying a bite to eat.
In one of the numerous images published over at PEOPLE, the 33-year-old superstar bends down to kiss the 37-year-old tech man right on the mouth. “She seemed confident and in a good place,” the diner said of the duo, who apparently picked up beverages over at the health eatery Lemonade before returning to Granville.
“Ironically, she had a table in the front near the sidewalk, so she was clearly okay with being seen. She seemed very happy when interacting with the guy she was with,” the diner continued.
So who is Holton, exactly? Per his LinkedIn page, the Nashville native is the owner of Audio Engineering Consulting Group, which has worked with numerous pop stars including Bruno Mars and Camila Cabello. He was also previously married to actress Autumn Guzzardi.
Gaga, as you know, broke off her engagement with ex-fiance Christian Carino back in February. Since then, she’s been romantically linked to a number of actors, most infamously to her Star Is Born co-star Bradley Cooper and to Avengers star Jeremy Renner. This isn't the first time Mother Monster's turned heads for planting a kiss on her employees. She made headlines a few months ago when she pecked her married bandmate during a live show as well.
Gaga has not confirmed any dating rumors at this time.
A$AP Rocky Pleads Not Guilty At Assault Trial In Sweden
A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty as his assault trial commenced in Sweden's Stockholm District Court on Tuesday (July 30), claiming he acted in self-defense.
The 30-year-old rapper, whose birth name is Rakin Mayers, was detained on July 3 stemming from June 30 assault charges against 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari, the alleged victim who claims Rocky and two of his friends assailed him with a bottle, punched, and kicked him during the incident. Rocky's mother, Renee Black, was present during the trail for her son, who, if convicted, faces two years in prison.
The trial was held in a secure courtroom due to "the large interest from the media and the public," the Daily Mail UK reports. The publication also indicates Rocky appeared in court in handcuffs wearing a jacket with "A$AP Lifestyle" scrawled on the back. During the trial, Swedish newspaper Expressen revealed Jafari's past criminal history, which involves previous convictions for petty theft, assault, and heroin. Jafari's 20-year-old friend, who apparently saw the incident unfold, will also appear as the teen's witness during the case.
In more than 500 pages of court documents, Swedish prosecutors claimed the Grammy-nominated musician "deliberately, together and in agreement" attacked Jafari in central Stockholm while he was on the ground, and that the alleged victim sustained injuries from parts of or a whole bottle during the brawl. Jafari's attorney claims Rocky's guards "grabbed him by the neck and dragged him away," and that his client did not instigate the attack.
In tandem with this new report, Daily Mail UK also published photographs which supposedly capture Rocky mid-assault and others show Jafari bruised and blood-stained after the scuffle.
At this time, the artist's lawyer, Martin Persson, told Sweden's SVT he intends to present new evidence in court that would prove "no bottle has been used to hit or injure anyone" and that Rocky acted "within the limits of the law."
Per CBS News, Rocky's trial could continue on Thursday and Friday, though it's undecided at this time.
John Legend Receives National Civil Rights Museum Award
The National Civil Rights Museum has announced this year’s Freedom Award recipients: musician John Legend, feminist writer Gloria Steinem and human rights activist Hafsat Nabiola.
The Memphis, Tennessee-based museum honors civil and human rights leaders at the annual award ceremony. This year, the awards will be presented on October 30 at The Orpheum Theater in Memphis.
Legend is an R&B recording artist who has long been known for using his musical influence and resources to promote social justice and equality in America and around the world, and now, he will be honored for his work.
Also recognized is Hafsat Abiola, a Nigerian activist and president of ‘Women in Africa,’ which is a group that supports African women with high potential, and the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy.
Gloria Steinem is an author, lecturer, and political activist who heads several organizations that promote gender equality and rights for females.
Congratulations to all three Freedom Award recipients!
Naomi Campbell Claims She Was Blocked From French Hotel Over Her Skin Color
Naomi Campbell continues to face racism firsthand. In a new interview with Paris Match, the iconic supermodel was asked about paving the way for new generations of models in terms of diversity.
While the industry has made progress in recent years as compared to the '90s and earlier, Campbell noted the challenge is permanent.
Per an English translation of the French interview, the catwalk pro went on to recall an alleged recent experience in the south of France during the Cannes Film Festival.
According to Campbell, she was invited for an event in a hotel she did not name. However, Campbell said she and her friend were not let inside because of the color of the star's skin.
She further explained the man at the entrance of the hotel pretended it was full, but continued to let other people in.
As a result, Campbell told Paris Match she continues to express herself and make herself heard because of these shocking moments—ones she has experienced over the decades.
"I used to have to fight for the same fee as my [white] counterparts doing the same job," she recalled to Vogue Australia in April of her early career.
"It's still not balanced completely," she told Vogue Australia of the international industry today. "I'm the face of a new campaign and I was told that because of the color of my skin a certain country would not use my picture...For me it was a reality check. I never believe in the hype, so it just kept things in perspective for me. Now I would like to know that models [of color] get the same opportunities and fees in advertising."
Protester Interrupts Trump Speech in Virginia: ‘You Can’t Send Us Back!’
A protester interrupted President Donald Trump’s speech Tuesday by referencing his racist attacks against four Democratic congresswomen of color.
“Mr. President, you can’t send us back! Virginia is our home,” the protester said at Trump’s speech in Virginia, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, home of the first representative legislative assembly in the Western Hemisphere.
Police officers escorted out the protester, who carried signs reading “deport hate” and “go back to your corrupted home,” while audience members booed and chanted “Trump.”
Earlier this month, Trump told four congresswomen of color who have criticized him and his administration to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came,” employing a racist phrase routinely used to denigrate and otherize people of color. All four lawmakers — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) — are U.S. citizens, and three of them were born in the United States.
At a rally later that week, his supporters viciously chanted “send her back,” referring to Omar.
This weekend, Trump, who has a long history of racism, also unleashed a barrage of racist attacks against Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and his majority-black congressional district.
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘DRAGON MAN’
Meet Ron. Absentee Step-Father of Dragons.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Louis WOOF🐻!
Meet Louis! You can see more when CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
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Enjoy!
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
