December 20, 2023
The superstar announced on Instagram that her movie, “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” is headed to the big screen around the world.
Beyoncé wasn’t joking when she told the BeyHive that the Renaissance wasn’t over. The superstar announced in a voice-over on Instagram that her movie, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, distributed by AMC Theatres, is headed to the big screen in countries worldwide.
The Renaissance continues with the film making its way to theatres in Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hungary, Andorra, Romania, Bulgaria, and Mongolia, according to the video post on Instagram brought to viewers by two fictitious KNTY 4 News announcers.
Queen Bey prefaced the big announcement, saying to fans, “… Y’all didn’t have to break my website. But I told y’all the Renaissance is not over.” Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé’s production company, continues the film version of the concert that, according to Variety, brought in around $600 million in revenue during her more than 50-stop tour that began in May 2023.
Concert venues buzzed with more than 2.7 million fans as the tour “created a sanctuary for freedom and shared shared joy,” the website added.
A description of the motion picture event, according to the website, said viewers can expect to witness “the journey of Renaissance World Tour, from its inception to the opening in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri.” It continued, “It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft.” It was “received with extraordinary acclaim,” according to the website.
The impact of the concert experience is still on the minds of fans. Some fans even initially thought the Instagram video would announce an extension of the concert tour. One fan wrote, “At a theatre near you 💔. I was literally hoping for an extended tour. I was ready to sell my house and car, ma’am, 😂.”
In North America, box offices sold $21 million in tickets priced between $22 and $32, according to Billboard as of Dec. 3, making it the number one seller at the time.
Members of the BeyHive can purchase tickets online.
December 20, 2023
Vice President Harris is beating out Old Joe in the polls in terms of approval.
A new poll says Americans are feeling Vice President Kamala Harris over President Joe Biden – but not by much.
Released on Dec. 18, the survey, conducted by Monmouth University, shows Biden trailing at a new approval low of 34% while Harris is leading the way at 35%. For independent voters, his approval rating sits at only 24% – down close to 15 points since July 2023. The two main topics that are sinking Biden’s voter approval are immigration and inflation. Following that was Biden’s campaign promises of a “better life” with his “Bidenomics” strategy. Sixty-nine percent of voters feel life is backtracking, while just 20% believe things are trending in the right direction.
Patrick Murray of the Monmouth University Polling Institute said much of the data comes from Americans still living with high prices, post-COVID, but there is some truth to it. “The Biden administration keeps touting their infrastructure investments and a host of positive economic indicators,” Murray said.
“Those data points may be factual, but most Americans are still smarting from higher prices caused by post-pandemic inflation. This seems to be what’s driving public opinion. There is political danger in pushing a message that basically tells people their take on their own situation is wrong.”
Publicly, Harris and Biden don’t seem too worried about the low approval numbers, as their eyes are still on staying in the Oval Office. The country’s first female VP has constantly defended her boss, most recently against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who attacked Biden’s negotiating skills at a conference.
“With all due respect, when anyone who has had the experience McCarthy just had, I don’t think he’s a judge of negotiations,” Harris said.
Biden claims he doesn’t pay much attention to the polls, either.
On Nov. 9, Biden told reporters they were reading the polls, showing he was trolling behind Trump, wrong. “I’ll give you 10 polls, eight of them I’m beating him Trump in those states, he said. “Eight of them. You guys only do two.”
But behind closed doors, a different narrative is being painted. Before the Thanksgiving holiday, Biden held a meeting with top aides to inquire what they were going to do about the numbers. According to The Daily Mail, both Biden and First Lady Jill have been concerned for months, but since the numbers haven’t budged in weeks, things have gotten tense.
December 19, 2023
Boston school officials did not discriminate against white and Asian students by basing admissions at elite public high schools in part on applicants' zip codes and family income rather than the results of an entrance exam, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Tuesday.
This news was first reported by Reuters.
Boston school officials did not discriminate against white and Asian students by basing admissions at elite public high schools in part on applicants’ zip codes and family income rather than the results of an entrance exam, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Dec. 18.
A unanimous three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the city’s policy, which was in effect for one year during the COVID-19 pandemic, did not violate the U.S. Constitution because it was adopted to ease racial disparities in elite schools and not to discriminate against students of any particular race.
The court upheld a judge’s ruling dismissing a lawsuit by the Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence, which had sued on behalf of five unidentified students.
The panel said a June ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down race-conscious college admissions policies did not render Boston’s policy unlawful.
Circuit Judge William Kayatta wrote that the Supreme Court made clear that using socio-economic factors as a tool to increase diversity was not the same as giving explicit advantages to students of specific races.
Boston had changed its exam-based admission standards for Boston Latin School and two other elite schools in 2021 because the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the administration of an entrance exam. The coalition said that by setting quotas based on zip codes and then ranking applicants based on family income and grade point averages, the policy illegally favored Black and Latino applicants.
But the plan did not consider the race of any individual student to determine whether they would be admitted, the 1st Circuit said on Tuesday.
“And the Coalition offers no evidence that geography, family income, and GPA were in any way unreasonable or invalid as selection criteria for public-school admissions programs,” Kayatta wrote.
The coalition is represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian group. Erin Wilcox, one of its lawyers, said the ruling was disappointing and that the Supreme Court should review the use of racial proxies in school admissions.
“The First Circuit’s ruling today is a perfect example of why it’s so important for the high court to take up this serious civil rights issue,” Wilcox said in a statement
Lawyers for the Boston School Committee, which adopted the admissions policy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The coalition had sued in 2021, alleging that the policy had a disparate impact on white and Asian students in violation of their rights to equal protection under the U.S. Constitution.
The percentage of white and Asian students at the three schools dropped from 69% to 41% after the policy was adopted, according to filings in the case.
But the 1st Circuit on Tuesday said it was not clear that the decrease was triggered by the new policy, and even if it were, there was no evidence that white and Asian students were under-represented at elite schools.
In fact, the court said, white and Asian students respectively made up 16% and 7% of the eligible student population, and 31% and 40% of successful applicants under the COVID-era policy.
The panel included Circuit Judges O. Rogeriee Thompson and Jeffrey Howard.
In May, the 4th Circuit ruled that a Virginia county did not intend to discriminate against Asian-Americans when it overhauled its admissions policy for an elite science and technology high school in 2020.
A group of parents who had sued the county, and are also represented by Pacific Legal, have asked the Supreme Court to take up the case.
The case is Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence Corp v. The School Committee of the City of Boston, 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Nos. 21-1303 and 22-1144.
For the Parent Coalition: Christopher Kieser of the Pacific Legal Foundation
For the Boston School Committee: Kay Hodge of Stoneman, Chandler & Miller
Read more:
Court leery of race bias claims over Boston school admission policy
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December 19, 2023
The first full-service Black-owned salon in Charlotte's Northlake Mall is earning a round of applause from its customers.
Katossa Glover’s hair salon is the first full-service salon in North Carolina’s Northlake Mall.
The shop welcomed clients to the location during a Nov. 12 grand opening. According to Queen City News, Glover has been the owner of Applause! Hair Designs since 2014, and in 2020 she decided to take her shop to Northlake Mall.
Glover has overcome several odds and worked her way to success to become the thriving Black business owner she is. After securing the prime retail spot for her salon, Applause! Hair Designs, her entrepreneurial dreams came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, “when we reopened, our clients rushed the door,” Glover said. “So it’s the support of not only the hair salon clients because those clients are now coming here because they were so excited about the nail salon opening. So, it feels like we have our own community here in this corner.”
Glover said she named her salon Applause! because she believes it’s how her clients should feel when they leave: “that they’re worth it.”
Tracey Pickard, a loyal customer of Glover’s, told Queen City News, “I would describe Katossa as an anchor. You can always, you can take a breather because of your schedule or just life hits. But she’s always there to welcome you back and to pick up where she left off.”
For this inspirational entrepreneur, seeing her vision come alive is like a dream come true.
Glover said everyone is welcome at her salon and that her shop is “not just about us having a Black team or having Black clients.” She wants to be there for Charlotte natives and give back to the Charlotte community as a whole, no matter what that looks like.
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December 19, 2023
Rihanna stunned in a lavender fur coat to match her shoes for her re-released Fenty x Puma collaboration.
The bad gyal is back to red-carpet appearances. Rihanna stunned guests at the relaunch of her Fenty x Puma collaborations as she made her way around the Dec. 18 event donning a purple fur coat.
According to Us Weekly, the “B*tch Better Have My Money” singer not only rocked furry purple outerwear but further matched the palette with a padded leather jacket of a deeper shade that was layered underneath. However, the true star was Rihanna’s lavender Creeper Phatty sneakers, a remix of her coveted collection with the shoewear brand. Before the 35-year-old’s dive into lingerie and cosmetics, one of her first entrepreneurial pursuits was the release of Fenty x Puma.
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The now iconic collaboration, known for its use of platforms, satin fabrics, and jumbo shoelaces, has been reimagined from its original design in 2015. The release of new shoes, such as the restyled creeper and the newly added Avanti, is also impacted by the entertainer’s “new perspective” as a mom, with Rihanna telling Vogue back in September that her two sons inspire her creatively.
“It’s a bit of a family reunion,” shared the global star. “Coming back to Puma as a mom, in a new space, allowed for new perspectives and ideas…This time around, we expanded our creations to kids, ’cause I selfishly want my boys in everything their dad and I wear or design.”
Staying true to making the styles unisex and kid-friendly, Rihanna’s two shoe models come in a variety of colorways and range from $75 to $160, depending on the size. The collection is available now for those who want to dress like Rihanna from head to toe.
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December 19, 2023
A San Francisco Airport employee discovers he won a $20M lottery after scratching off his ticket during his lunch break.
An airport employee at San Francisco International Airport is likely looking at new heights. During his lunch break, Durwin Hickman bought a lucky lottery ticket at a liquor store and instantly became a multimillionaire.
A press release by the California Lottery detailed the extraordinary event. Before starting his shift as a skycap, Hickman bought the $30 Set For Life! Scratchers ticket. While casually scratching the ticket, he noticed the penultimate spot revealed the word “LIFE,” earning himself the top prize of $20 million for that game. With this win, Hickman has gone from assisting travelers with their luggage before checking into their flights to never having to work again.
“It was the biggest rush I have had in my life,” shared the Bay Area employee on the news, relaying that it was not the first time he had won big in the lottery system. Though not as sizable as a multimillion-dollar check, Hickman previously won $1,000 on a lucky strike.
As for what he plans to do with the money, Hickman’s wife may be the ultimate winner, after Hickman said his “whole thing” is to purchase a home for his love.
The “LIFE” symbol automatically grants the grand prize winner $800,000 annually for 25 years. With this new and improved salary, Hickman can easily make his wife’s dream of homeownership come true.
As for the lucky store that sold him the winning ticket, L&M Liquor in Hayward, California will also receive a hefty bonus of $100,000 for producing a winner.
Seven others won substantial monetary prizes ranging from $1 million to $5million while trying their luck at the scratch game. However, only Hickman earned the coveted prize that has him set for life.
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December 19, 2023
The NaphCare medical providers at Fulton County Jail are being sued alongside the facility for their alleged negligence that led to the death of Shane Kendall, an autistic 19-year-old inmate.
The family of Shane Kendall is suing the medical staff at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta for his death inside the facility. Kendall is said to have suffered from multiple mental health problems, and his family says he should never been put in the notorious jail.
According to The Appeal, Kendall was tried as an adult for fatally shooting his adoptive mother at 15, then moved to the Fulton County Prison at the age of 18 despite his family’s claims of severe mental disability. While inside the prison, he died at 19. Kendall’s family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the medical staff provided by NaphCare, claiming they were negligent in reviving Kendall from an alleged suicide attempt. Others named in the suit were the medical providers in charge and the sheriff and employees at the sheriff’s office in Fulton County.
According to the court documents obtained by The Appeal, a NaphCare medical provider refused to perform CPR on Kendall due to having a bad knee. The incident reports detailed that one officer was “alarmed” by her unwillingness to perform the potentially lifesaving act. An additional provider who arrived more than 10 minutes later seemed “disorientated” as well.
However, NaphCare has denied any fault on its end for Kendall’s death and requested that the case be dismissed. The for-profit medical company has had other complaints in the past regarding negligent care toward unwell inmates. Despite being sued more than 300 times, in November NaphCare had its contract renewed with Fulton County commissioners and will net more than $33 million by the end of 2024.
Kendall’s family is adamant about seeking justice for the 19-year-old and others who were victims of inept care due to their status in society.
“It’s not just about Shane. There are so many lives in there,” said Margie Thorpe, the deceased teen’s stepmother. “The fact that we still contract with this medical company to take care of these people or not take care of them is a crime.”
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December 19, 2023
All students except for one attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; all were charged with felony battery.
Four teenagers have been arrested, with a fifth one pending, after a video showed a Florida student being attacked and slammed headfirst into concrete.
According to Local10.com, the incident took place outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Coral Springs, Florida. The victim lost consciousness and suffered skull damage.
Police officers arrested Chinua Leefatt, 15; Jordan Thompson, 16; Caleb Hensley, 17; and Sylvester Hicks Jr., 16. Another teenager, Jahmeer Beautziel, 17, has yet to be arrested.
Four of the suspects attend Marjory Stoneman; Leefatt attends Coral Glades High School. All have been charged with felony battery.
In an email to parents last week, Marjory Stoneman Principal Michelle Kefford said she intended to expel the four students, the New York Post reported.
“We are also doing everything we can through district processes to ensure these students do not return to our campus,” Kefford wrote in the email, according to WPLG.
Last week, TMZ posted a video of the interaction.
The Coral Springs Police Department posted an update regarding the arrest of the aforementioned individuals on its Facebook page.
The father of one of the suspects, Barrington Leefatt, expressed skepticism and insisted that his son, Chinua, was attacked previously.
“That kid (victim) is not innocent, I’m telling you,” he said, adding that he had a video of his son being attacked first.
The New York Post reported that the school is no stranger to being in the news.
In 2018, a deadly mass shooting took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, leaving 14 students and three teachers dead. The student responsible for the shooting, Nikolas Cruz, was given a sentence of 17 life terms in prison last year for the event that took place on Valentine’s Day.
Cruz headed into the school armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and started shooting people in the building. He was so callous that before he was apprehended he went back and finished off people who had been wounded by the initial bullets.
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December 19, 2023
In 2016, the former Carolina Panther invested in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and made four times his investment
Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton hasn’t played in the league since 2021, when he played for the Carolina Panthers, yet he is still making money due to great investments. On a recent episode of the “Assets Over Liabilities” podcast, Newton said he invested in a sports league that brought him back four times what he’d initially invested after realizing that his football money wouldn’t carry him forever.
According to AfroTech, the athlete had an epiphany that led him to make wise investments outside of what he’d earned on the playing field.
“Football’s contracts was always gonna be what it was, but when you talk about everything outside of football, or even investing, sort of to speak, these are the things that I was really trying to find out,” Newton said. “Like, is this a good deal versus is this a bad deal?
“And that led me to understanding like, ‘Yo, I got a business mind. How can I start hiring people to take my vision and execute it?’ And I wanted to put language in place that they are protected as well as my business is protected.”
Newton invested in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2016. After putting in $250,000, he made over $1 million from the then-fledgling league.
“Full transparency, I put as much as I possibly could in there,” he said. “They capped me at a quarter mil. … I tried to invest more, and then, a couple of years ago, I get an email and it’s like, ‘UFC has just been bought out. We’re gonna cash you out for it.’”
With that email, without doing much and just watching the money grow, he did well for himself.
Newton was with the New England Patriots in 2020 after playing for the Panthers, but was cut from the team. He hasn’t played since then but hasn’t retired either, and still sees himself playing in the league, even in a backup role, if given the chance.
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December 19, 2023
Renowned artist and sculptor Richard Hunt of "Swing Low" fame died in his Chicago home on December 16. He was 88.
Renowned Chicago artist Richard Hunt died peacefully in his home on December 16, according to an obituary posted on his website. He was 88.
One of the most prolific artists of his time, Hunt’s produced some of the country’s most moving sculptures and monuments.
Born September 12, 1935 in Chicago, Hunt became an avid member of the city’s art scene at a young age, joining the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) and the Junior School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He later attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) on a scholarship, where he taught himself how to weld, crafting found metal objects into works of art. Two years later, his work was showcased in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), launching his expansive career.
The first time Hunt witnessed Emmett Till in his open casket proved a pivotal moment. “What happened to [Till] could have happened to me,” Hunt said. Compelled by the young boy’s untimely death, Hunt’s artwork heavily inspired by his own civil rights activism. He created sculptures of several historical figures, including Till, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, and Ida B. Wells.
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson named Hunt to serve on the National Council of the Arts. Hunt was the first African American visual artist to serve on the council.
Over the course of his nearly 70-year career, Hunt served on several boards and committees, including working as a Commissioner for the National Museum of American Art as part of the Smithsonian Institution. He received dozens of awards as well, such as John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center.
His 30-foot bronze statue, Swing Low, currently hangs inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture in honor of the African American Spiritual.
Hunt’s work defined the 20th century, and he considered artistic freedom the most significant aspect of his career. “I am interested more than anything else in being a free person,” he said. “To me, that means that I can make what I want to make, regardless of what anyone else thinks I should make.”
Hunt will be laid to rest in a private ceremony in Chicago. In 2024, there will be a public celebration of his life and artwork, according to NBC News.
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