Wicked, Mattel, recall — Kigsz, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 12, 2024

Mattel Blames ‘Wicked’ Doll Packaging Listing Porn Site As ‘Print Error’

The toy's packaging features a link to an adult website and not the musical film.

Upon fans discovering that the Wicked doll packaging listed a porn website, Mattel has apologized for the “print error.”

The product inaccurately lists a site called Wicked.com, believing it was the correct web address for doll purchasers to view more about the upcoming musical film. However, as fans began to buy the doll, they realized that the website actually stood for something not so age-appropriate. According to Metro UK, Wicked.com actually takes people to an 18-and-older website.

@metrouk Mattel has addressed an unfortunate misprint on their Wicked doll packaging that actually led customers to a corn site… Eagle-eyed fans spotted the error after following the link that was meant to take them to the movie site. The producers of Barbie have apologised and advised parents that the site 'is not appropriate for children'. #fyp #wicked #universal #arianagrande #cynthiaerivo #movie #wickedmovie #cinema #elphaba #wickedthemusical #barbie #mattel #awkward #news #celebnews #barbiedoll ♬ original sound – MetroUK

This misprint is quite troublesome to some parents, especially as the toy is meant for children ages four and up. Two of the dolls feature the likeness of the movie’s two stars, singer-actresses Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Moreover, they include snippets of the duo singing. The two-part film is an adaption of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.

Mattel confirmed the mistake to multiple news outlets. However, they have urged those who purchased the dolls to discard the defunct packaging or cover up the wrong website.

The highly anticipated film covers the time before and during Dorothy’s journey through Oz, as depicted in the classic film The Wizard of Oz. Wicked details the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and her tumultuous friendship with Glinda the Good Witch during their young adulthood.

The 2024 adaption, directed by Jon M. Chu, reportedly cost $145 million. Its marketing campaign featured collaborations with multiple brands outside of Mattel, including Stanley, Crocs, and H&M. No one directly attached to the film has commented on the doll-packaging controversy.

The movie opens in theaters on Nov. 22, and a sequel is expected in 2025. As for its accompanying merchandise, specifically the controversial dolls sold at major retailers, Mattel has removed them from store shelves. NBC News also reported that stores have made the dolls unavailable for purchase online.

Spirit Airlines auction, Google, Mercor — (Photo: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

by Daniel Johnson

November 12, 2024

Spirit Airlines Flight Reportedly Struck By Gunfire In Haiti

After Spirit Airlines issued a statement confirming that a flight attendant received minor injuries, the airline suspended flights to Haiti and has taken the plane that was hit with gunfire out of service

A Spirit Airlines flight to Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city, was allegedly hit by gunfire on Nov. 11, and it was diverted to the Dominican Republic, where it was examined and found to have damage consistent with gunfire.

According to NBC News, after the airline issued a statement confirming that a flight attendant received minor injuries, Spirit suspended flights to Haiti and took the plane that was hit with gunfire out of service.

“Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Port-au-Prince (PAP) diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI). Following the flight’s arrival at STI, an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” the statement said.

The statement continued, “One Flight Attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel. No Guest injuries were reported.”

The United States State Department also subsequently issued an alert warning of “gang-led efforts” at stopping travel to Haiti and cautioned Americans not to travel there.

As for the Spirit customers and employees forced to land in the Dominican Republic, a separate flight is being arranged for them to return to Florida.

A separate outbound JetBlue flight from Port-au-Prince to New York City also showed evidence that it was likely struck by gunfire, according to a statement the airline issued.

“No issues were initially reported by the operating crew,” the airline said.

JetBlue, similar to Spirit Airlines, launched its own post-flight investigation of its aircraft and suspended all flights to and from Haiti through Dec. 2 after discovering its plane was hit by gunfire as it blamed the suspension of services to and from Haiti on “ongoing civil unrest.”

American Airlines also issued a statement stating that it would suspend flights from Miami to Port-au-Prince.

“We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” the statement read.

The U.S. State Department also issued a statement warning against traveling to and from Haiti through an alert from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

“The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports,” the alert said.

The alert continued, “You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti. Only attempt to depart Haiti or travel within Haiti if you believe it is safe for you to do so.”

Fani Willis, Young Thug — Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images/ (David Walter Banks)

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 12, 2024

Re-elected Fulton County DA Fani Willis Speaks On Young Thug Release

Shortly before re-election as Fulton County’s District Attorney, Fani Willis shared her thoughts on the outcome of one of her most high-profile cases, the RICO trial involving Young Thug.

Young Thug was released on Oct. 31, after serving over two years in jail. The Atlanta rapper received probation and time served after entering a guilty plea. Willis had been seeking an extension to her role in Georgia’s largest county, securing her job as DA for the next term, despite a contentious year.

The day before Election Day, Willis was questioned if launching the case was “worth all the trouble” in the end. The case had become the longest-running trial in Georgia history, as well as fraught with controversies. However, Willis emphasized that all must be held accountable for their wrongdoing, regardless of the outcome.

“It’s always worth the trouble. The reality is, as you know, I have aggressively prosecuted gang violence, and there is no one above or below the law,” she told WSB-TV.

In regards to the rapper’s sentencing, Willis withheld her personal thoughts on his release. She emphasized that the judgement on the matter belongs to Judge Whitaker, who currently presides over the case.

However, Willis still noted that Young Thug will have to stay on the straight and narrow path. If not, despite already serving nearly three years, he could spend two decades in prison for violating probation.

She added, “Hope springs eternal that he will do well because if not, he’s going to land himself in prison for another 20 years.”

Moreover, concerning her own criticism for how the case went down, Willis says its all part of the job.

“You shouldn’t be the district attorney if you’re not willing to take flack,” she expressed. “The reality is the world has been caught up with one defendant. But we indicted 28 defendants. Fourteen of those defendants are now disposed of cases. We have 14 more defendants to go, and so we are going to continue to pursue justice in that case.”

With re-election under her belt, Willis must now deal with her other high-profile RICO case against Donald Trump. Given the trial delays and Trump’s own re-election, the case may endure even more legal challenges as it attempts to move forward.

CASINOS, Georgia Capital, Georgia Senate, bet, sports, betting, commissioner — Photo by Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels, small image (Photo by DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

by Sharelle B. McNair

November 12, 2024

People Allegedly Cashed In By The Billions On Bets From The 2024 Presidential Election

Will this change the process of future elections?

Billions of dollars were paid from people around the world on election betting sites, like Polymarket, hoping to cash in on the next U.S. President, NBC News reports.

Platforms like Polymarket, which are not open to betters from the U.S., saw more than $3.6 billion in bets on the 2024 presidential election, with $1.5 billion placed on now-President-elect Donald Trump and $1 billion on Vice President Kamala Harris. Bets came in for the outcomes of elections in swing states, racking up over $270 million on Polymarket and more than $120 million on fellow betting app, Kalshi, a legal betting platform.

Pennsylvania saw the highest betting volume, garnering $47 million on both platforms. Michigan and Georgia came in second place as the remaining states fell into the top 15 states with high trading volume. Bets on swing states on both Polymarket and Kalshi made up close to half of the total trading volume on state outcomes. Experts like economics professor at Dartmouth University, Eric Zitzewitz, aren’t surprised about the bets on swing states since voters see them as the most vital in the election. “There’s not that much interest in ‘Will the Republicans win Alabama?’ or ‘Will the Democrats win California?” he said.

“People are kind of interested in the states that are going to decide the election.”

According to Complex, a bet on Polymarket from a user named “Theo” waged more than $28 million on Trump, who secured the White House for a second term with 312 electoral votes over Harris’ 226. The results of the election helped the user walk away with close to $83.5 million in winnings, using 11 different accounts on different platforms.

Polymarket’s operations were paused in the states by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2022, CEO Shayne Coplan said plans to return have begun. However, skepticism has arised, thanks to “Theo.” A gambling regulator from France launched an investigation on Polymarket’s policies being in compliance with its rules.

Zitzewitz feels bets in the swing states provided an interesting perspective on the 2024 election cycle as incoming bets gave voters an early idea of which candidate was leading over traditional polls. “The people who are trading in the markets trying to make money have very strong incentives to be looking for the most up-to-date news so that they can get the jump on others and make some money that way,” Zitzewitz said.

“As a result, markets tend to move immediately as things are reported.”

People are taking a closer look at the election results while the four-time indicted businessman has begun to fulfill his cabinet with allies. Trump also secured the overall popular vote, unlike what he did in 2016 against former First lady Hilary Clinton, despite winning more electoral votes.

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Jay Z, Jack Dorsey — Photo: Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images), Andrew Mager, CC BY-SA 2.0

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 12, 2024

‘Block’ Staff Purportedly Told Not To Mention Jay-Z In Company Communications

Staff has been given “stern warnings” from management that there should be no mention of JAY-Z.

The co-founder of the social media platform, Twitter, Jack Dorsey, also has a financial tech firm named Block. A recent report by Fortune has revealed that the company has warned employees not to discuss one of its board members, Hip-Hop billionaire Jay-Z.

JAY-Z is connected to Block (formerly known as Square) after the tech company purchased Tidal in March 2021 for $237.3 million for an 86.2% stake. The Brooklyn entrepreneur became a director and was placed on Black’s board of directors after the purchase. Shareholders sued, stating that Dorsey and other board members approved the sale because of Dorsey’s friendship with JAY-Z. However, a judge dismissed the lawsuit because the plaintiffs did not show that Block’s directors acted in bad faith, though the purchase “seemed, by all accounts, a terrible business decision.”

Three Block employees have confirmed that management has given the staff “stern warnings” that Shawn Corey Carter, also known as Jay-Z, should not be mentioned in anything internal from the company, such as email or Slack. The report was given anonymously because they were not allowed to speak on such matters.

When asked about the rumored “warning,” a spokeswoman for the tech company declined to comment on what is being reported. But, it was recently announced that there were layoffs at Tidal, which the Brooklyn rapper once owned. Fortune previously reported that Dorsey expressed that the music streaming platform will be operated “like a startup again.”

“So we’re going to part ways with a number of folks on our team,” Dorsey wrote in a letter to the staff. “We’re going to lead with engineering and design, and remove the product management and product marketing functions entirely. We’re reducing the size of our design team and foundational roles supporting TIDAL, and we will consider reducing engineering over the next few weeks as we have more clarity around leadership going forward.”

After the warning issued to Block employees, Dorsey led a virtual all-hands-on meeting. Typically, employees are allowed to ask questions, sometimes anonymously, but they were not given that option, according to sources.

Due to the legal troubles that fellow rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently involved with, as Jay-Z is a close associate of the imprisoned entertainment mogul, Block employees purportedly have questions about the connection and how it affects the “Hard Knock Life” recording artist.

Trump, dei, public schools, NY — (Photo: Gage Skidmore/flickr)

by Daniel Johnson

November 12, 2024

Young Black And Latinx Men Voted For Trump Because Of The Economy

Politically, Trump was able to parlay dissatisfaction over the increased prices Americans have paid during inflation into votes

More younger Black and Latinx men voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, and some of them cited the economy and jobs as reasons for their choice at the ballot box.

According to The Associated Press, Trump gained a larger share of those voters than he did when he ran against Joe Biden in 2020.

Overall, voters, including Black and Latinx voters, cited the economy and jobs as a reason they voted for Trump, although Trump’s policies are expected to make the cost of living even more expensive.

Juan Proaño, the CEO of LULAC, the largest and oldest civil rights organization for Latinx Americans, claims the election results made it clear that the groups he represents responded to Trump’s messaging on the economy.

“I think it’s important to say that Latinos have a significant impact in deciding who the next president was going to be and reelected Donald Trump,” Proaño told the AP.

“(Latino) men certainly responded to the populist message of the president and focused primarily on economic issues, inflation, wages and even support of immigration reform.”

Rev. Derrick Harkins, a minister who has served Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York and has overseen outreach to Black American religious communities for over a decade, told the outlet that Trump’s bombastic approach got younger Black men to vote for him.

“I think that Trump, with this bogus machismo, has been effective amongst the young men, Black, white, Hispanic,” Harkins said.

“And I think, unfortunately, even if it’s a very small percentage, you know, when you’re talking about an election like we just had, it can be very impactful.”

Inflation has been a dominant theme of the election cycle, and according to David Wessel, the director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institute, several factors caused it.

Many people, particularly politicians, point to either the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021 or supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, but inflation is much more complex than two factors.

“There’s a confluence of factors — it’s both,” Wessel told NBC News. “There’s a lot of things that pushed up demand and a lot that’s kept supply from responding accordingly, as a result we have inflation.”

Politically, Trump parlayed dissatisfaction over the increased prices Americans have paid during inflation into votes, despite the Biden administration’s ability to corral inflation close to its 2% target, low unemployment numbers, and higher wages.

According to first-time voter Alexis Uscanga, a 20-year-old college student from Brownsville, Texas, “Everything just got a lot more expensive than it once was for me.”

Uscanga told the AP, “Gas, grocery shopping, even as a college student, everything has gone up in price, and that is a big concern for me and other issues like immigration.”

Uscanga stated that although he did not like Trump’s rhetoric, he believed life was better for him under Trump.

Although Black and Latinx voters helped Trump win, it goes almost without saying that Trump would not win without the votes of white people, who have not voted in favor of a Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Act in 1965.

In the eyes of Terrance Woodbury, the co-founder of HIT Strategies, this dynamic makes Black and other men of color the new swing voters.

“Men of color are beginning to emerge as the new swing voters. For a long time, we talked about suburban women and soccer moms who can swing the outcome of elections. Now men of color are really beginning to emerge as that, especially younger men of color, who are less ideological, less tied to a single party, and more likely to swing either between parties or in and out of the electorate.”

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