A California man who publicly mocked the COVID-19 vaccine on social media died last week from the deadly virus.
Stephen Harmon, 34, bragged and joked against getting the vaccine and even quoted Jay-Z lyrics saying, “I got 99 problems but a vax ain’t one.”
While documenting his hospitalization due to COVID, Harmon continued to denounce getting vaccinated, ABC7 reported.
“… I will not be getting vaccinated once I am discharged and released,” Harmon tweeted from his hospital bed.
In early July, Harmon blasted President Joe Biden’s vaccine initiatives saying, “Biden’s door-to-door vaccine ‘surveyors’ really should be called JaCovid Witnesses. #keepmovingdork.” However, Harmon died on Wednesday at Corona Regional Medical Center, the Associated Press reported.
It was three days before his passing when the active Hillsong Church member credited his faith in God for not believing in the vaccine.
“If you don’t have faith that God can heal me over your stupid ventilator then keep the Hell out of my ICU room, there’s no room in here for fear or lack of faith,” Harmon exclaimed.
It was the founder of the Hillsong Church, Brian Houston, who confirmed that Harmon had died from COVID complications. Houston took to Instagram to reveal when he received “the devastating news that our beloved friend, Stephen Harmon has passed away from Covid. Heartbreaking.”
“Stephen was just a young man in his early 30’s,” Houston added. “He was a graduate from Hillsong College and a vital part of our church in California. He was one of the most generous people I know and he had so much in front of him. He would always turn up to our grandkids’ soccer games and he will be missed by so many. RIP.”
Harmon had been treated for pneumonia and critically low oxygen levels in the hospital prior to his death, KCBS-TV reported.
Former Notre Dame Basketball Star Cameron Biedscheid Fatally Shot in St. Louis
Former Notre Dame forward Cameron Biedscheid tragically lost his life last week after being shot and killed in St. Louis.
Biedscheid was killed just before 11 p.m. on Friday on the same block where he lived in an unincorporated area in north St. Louis County, STL Todayreports. The 27-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Police still have not identified any suspects in the fatal shooting.
Biedscheid was a hometown hero who was hailed as one of the best basketball players out of the area in the last 20 years. He was a standout star on the Cardinal Ritter boys basketball team averaging 31.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game during his senior year in high school, as noted by the Fighting Irish Wire.
The school took to Twitter to express their sadness over the passing of “one of the best to ever do it at Ritter.”
Some of his sports accolades include being named the Post-Dispatch All-Metro player of the year, Mr. Show-Me Basketball by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and a Parade All-American.
After high school, Beidscheid attended Notre Dame University where he averaged 6.2 points in 34 games as a freshman. In his sophomore year, he transferred to Missouri where he was dismissed by Tigers coach Kim Anderson before the 2014-15 season. Beidscheid went on to enjoy short stints at Jacksonville State, Louisiana State University-Shreveport, and Harris-Stowe.
His former Notre Dame teammate Joey Brooks expressed his grief over Biedscheid’s murder on Twitter early Saturday afternoon.
“Lost a little brother in Cam Biedscheid today, and it hurts … RIP Cam! I guess wishing I would have done more is normal but that’s a forever feeling, tough to put into words right now…RIP Cam!! Forever my fav “Lou Boy” Until we meet again, Love you,” Brooks said.
President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen’s Book Slated for October Release
Penguin Random House has announced that in partnership with Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and legendary musician Bruce Springsteen will release the book, RENEGADES: Born in the USA, on October 26.
The book is a collection of candid, intimate, and entertaining conversations between the 44th president of the United States, and the “Born in the USA” singer.
“Over the years, what we’ve found is that we’ve got a shared sensibility. About work, about family, and about America. In our own ways, Bruce and I have been on parallel journeys trying to understand this country that’s given us both so much. Trying to chronicle the stories of its people. Looking for a way to connect our own individual searches for meaning and truth and community with the larger story of America,” President Obama writes in the opening pages of the book.
The book is based on the conversations Obama and Springsteen had started on their Spotify podcast, Renegades. On the podcast, the two legends share exclusive stories about life, music, and their enduring love of America and it continues in the book. RENEGADES also showcases exclusive photos from both authors’ personal collections and never-before-seen material, including Springsteen’s handwritten lyrics and Obama’s annotated speeches.
In Springsteen’s opening dialogue, he writes, “There were serious conversations about the fate of the country, the fortune of its citizens, and the destructive, ugly, corrupt forces at play that would like to take it all down. This is a time of vigilance when who we are is being seriously tested. Hard conversations about who we are and who we want to become can perhaps serve as a small guiding map for some of our fellow citizens…This is a time for serious consideration of who we want to be and what kind of country we will leave our children. Will we let slip through our hands the best of us or will we turn united to face the fire? Within this book, you won’t find the answers to those questions, but you will find a couple of seekers doing their best to get us to ask better questions.”
The English-language print edition will be 320 pages long and include more than 350 full-color photographs and illustrations. The suggested price is $50.00 in the United States and $65.00 in Canada. The digital edition will be priced at $17.99 in the United States and $21.99 in Canada. You can learn more at renegadesbook.com.
Tiffany Haddish Is Getting Ripped, Says Legs Will be ‘Amazing’ For Flo Jo Role
Tiffany Haddish has been blessed with some killer legs as part of her fitness preparation to play the late iconic track star Florence Griffith Joyner.
The “Girls Trip” star is gearing up to portray the track and field legend in the first-ever biopic on Joyner’s life. Haddish is producing and starring in the film about the 3x Olympic Gold-winning athlete who was one of the comedian’s role models growing up.
Now while working on the film, Haddish has had to go through extensive physical training that has her body and legs looking ripped.
“This is going to be huge — and my legs are going to be amazing!” Haddish toldPeople on Friday. “Florence Griffith Joyner was an amazing human being and the more I’m learning about her, the more I’m like ‘Wow!'”
It was early June when the biopic was announced. Haddish is set to portray Joyner as the film recalls her historic feats in sports and untimely death at the age of 38. Haddish is also working alongside Joyner’s widower Al Joyner who is serving as a creative consultant on the film, Deadlinereports.
While training for the film, Haddish has already dropped 50 pounds and is loving all the results of the weight loss.
“First of all, it feels good to be able to wear a two-piece and not feel like, ‘Oh, I got to put a whole sarong on and a very large coverup, coverall situation. It feels good to be able to be free,” Haddish said. “And the main thing about the whole transformation is my knees feel like they’re happy. And when my legs is happy, Tiffany’s happy.”
FloJo was known for her signature style that included vibrant colors, braids with beads, and long nails. Haddish has been getting accustomed to FloJo’s fashion as she works to get more in character for the biopic.
“I have tried on some of the outfits and I must say, I look pretty darn good in them,” says Haddish. “I had the long nails over the summer. We don’t have long nails right now because there’s a lot of typing that I’m doing; I’m in the process of writing my next book. So we need the fingertips so we can move quickly on the keyboard, but the nails will be back sooner than later.”
We’ll be on the lookout for the FloJo biopic release date and Haddish’s second book.
Jason Whitlock Blames LeBron James For Team USA Basketball’s ‘Indifference’ in Summer Olympics
The 2021 Summer Olympics has already been an interesting affair before the first week has finished.
From Olympian gymnast Simone Biles becoming the first female athlete with her own Twitter hashtag and emoji, to tennis professional Naomi Osaka facing harsh criticism because she is playing for Japan in the Summer Olympics, there have been many ups and downs.
Now, the once-almighty USA Basketball team is facing criticism because it went a lackluster 2-2 in the preliminary rounds of the Olympics and then lost the first game that counts to France–which was considered a no-no in the “old days” of Olympic competition. People are definitely wondering what is up with Team USA. For a nation that went undefeated every year in Olympic competition after National Basketball Association (NBA) players were allowed to compete–save for 2004–the world has caught up, talent-wise.
Well, according to The Blaze sportswriter Jason Whitlock, the misfiring of Team USA falls on recent billionaire and Los Angeles Lakers basketball player, LeBron James. Whitlock feels as if the modern-day athlete doesn’t care about America, that they “act like they hate” our country.
In his words, “Indifference defines these Olympics.”
“It’s not all LeBron’s fault,” Whitlock wrote. “He’s just the face of the me-first, social media athlete. He decided to wrap himself in the Black Lives Matter flag. He gets the lion’s share of the blame because he’s the one athlete who could have made a difference pushing back against the anti-American tide. Instead, he sold out. He accepted all the checks for lending his name to bad TV projects and political campaigns built on race-baiting.
“He’ll be a billionaire soon. But his legacy will always be polarizing and less than what it should be. His disingenuousness has harmed his likability. His Space Jam movie isn’t half-bad. No one cares. It’s a box office disaster. LeBron sacrificed half of his domestic appeal to serve Nike’s China interest.”
Keep in mind, James–along with stars James Harden and Stephen Curry–are not participating in this year’s Olympics
Stranger Raises $60K Through Social Media For An Airport Piano Player
Tonee “Valentine” Carter is a dedicated piano player at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport who never expected to bask in the social media spotlight for simply doing what he loves.
He received more than $60,000 in tips, after a stranger named Carlos Whittaker used the power of social media to collect tips for the musician who is on dialysis, according to CNN.
Instead of quietly enjoying the music himself while heading back home to Tennessee from Atlanta last Wednesday, Whittaker decided to chat with the piano player, who has been cranking out tunes at the airport for 13 years.
Their impromptu conversation blossomed into an opportunity to share music and to summon help for the 66-year-old Carter through Instagram. Whittaker, who is an author and speaker, recorded footage of Carter’s melodious piano music and shared it with hundreds of thousands of his followers, CNN reported.
Tips for Carter poured in from Venmo and CashApp. The amount totaled $20,000 when Whitaker’s plane touched down in Nashville. After he interviewed the piano player on his podcast, the amount jumped to $44,000. The $61,000 mark was ultimately reached by Friday, according to the interview.
Although Carter has been playing piano for 60 years, spreading joy to airport travelers is his focus, not receiving money for what he does, according to WSB-TV.
“I do what I do because I love it. It’s never been about money for me,” Carter said in the interview. “This is the most fun job I’ve ever had. People love live music. They’ve had a weary travel day. They’re not expecting this, and it changes everything. I love this job.”
When Whittaker found out Carter endures dialysis at nights, then shows up to share his musical talents with others, he wanted to make his life a little easier. The surprising tip result led Carter to classify his positive experience as “God at work,” WSB-TValso reported.
Carter’s son-in-law and daughter met Whittaker after their father’s story illustrating the power of kindness went viral, according to their Facebook post.
White Woman Throws Fit After Getting Caught Stealing From Black-Owned Business
A white woman went into a rage after being put on blast for stealing from a local Black-owned business.
Rapper Richard Bougere and his wife Danielle Banks own The Pop Up Shop, a San Francisco-based retail store that sells products created by Bay Area artists, Fox Newsreports. The store opened at the start of the summer and has already had to deal with shoplifting.
It was last week when employees and shoppers say they saw a woman putting items into her personal bag, including a bathing suit. After being confronted over the theft, a video shows the woman yelling and berating someone inside of the parking lot. She flipped off the person who was filming her.
After getting their products back, The Pop Up Shop decided to share the incident to blast shoplifters and show how they can affect an up-and-coming business.
“It’s just disappointing because these are all up and coming new businesses and they really can’t afford to have items stolen,” Bougere said. “I mean four or five items can change the trajectory of their business. It’s just unfortunate.”
His wife shared her husband’s sentiments and said how stealing one item from the shop can affect all the people involved with the product being on store shelves.
“When you’re taking from somebody, you’re really taking from what they’ve been trying to build,” Banks said. “They’re trying to invest in their kids. Some of the brands are mother and child owned.”
Akeem Diaz is one of the artists who has his personally designed pieces on sale at The Pop Up Shop. Diaz acknowledges how hard times are for some people. But blasted the woman for stealing items that are of no life value to her.
“I get we’re in the middle of a pandemic, and I get that people are going through financial crises you know with the wealth gap continuing to widen,” Diaz said. “But she wasn’t in there stealing necessities. She was trying to steal to get cute.”
Civil Rights Activist and Education Advocate Robert Moses Dies at 86
Civil rights activist and leader Robert “Bob” Moses, who championed Black voting rights, died over the weekend at the age of 86.
The passing of the civil rights activist was verified by Algebra Project, in which Moses was a founder, board member, and president. The organization released a statement on the day of his passing, July 25.
“It is with sadness, our deepest condolences, appreciation and meditations that the Algebra Project, Inc., shares the news of the passing of our founder, mentor, President, teacher and friend, Robert Parris Moses. His transition to that higher level only inspires us all to love, struggle and live with and for our people as he did, as we continue to work to realize Bob’s vision of “raising the floor of mathematics literacy” for all young people in the United States of America.”
Derrick Johnson, NAACP President & CEO sent a statement via his Twitter account.
Throughout his life, Bob Moses bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice. He was a strategist at the core of the voting rights movement and beyond.
He was a giant.
May his light continue to guide us as we face another wave of Jim Crow laws.
According to his bio on the Algebra Project website, Moses was born on January 23, 1935, in Harlem, New York. He received a B.A. in Philosophy from Hamilton College back in 1956 then went on and received an M.A. in Philosophy from Harvard University in 1957. Moses was in charge of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee’s Mississippi Voter Registration Project from 1961-1964; was also co-Director of the Council of Federated Organizations 1962-1964, and was a lead organizer for the 1964 Mississippi “Freedom” Summer Project, parachuting Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to 1964 National Democratic Convention in Atlantic City.
After Moses taught mathematics at the Samé School in Tanzania, East Africa from 1969 to 1976, he then returned back to the United States and re-entered the doctoral program in Philosophy at Harvard.
Moses was a MacArthur Foundation Fellow from 1982-1987, and he decided to use his fellowship to begin the Algebra Project, which uses mathematics as an organizing tool for quality education for all children in America. With the help of the National Science Foundation, the Algebra Project works with middle and high school students who had performed in the lowest quartile on standardized exams, in anticipation that the students attain a high school math benchmark, with the expectation for the students to graduate on time in four years, ready to do college math for college credit.
Moses is survived by his wife, Dr. Janet Jemmott Moses; children Maisha Moses, Omo Moses, Taba Moses, Malaika Moses & daughter-in-love Saba Moses; and Grandchildren Zuri Sueksagan Moses, Parris Sueksagan Moses, Krishna Moses Mitchell, Johari Moses, Kamara Moses, Yohana Kahassai Moses & Yara Kahassai Moses.
Fresh Initiative Aims To Boost Digital Presence For Small Black-Owned Businesses
Small Black businesses, like many small businesses overall, can always use new tools to help them grow and potentially generate extra revenue.
Now, they can gain such support and resources from the “NYC Small Biz: Open + Online,” a fresh initiative to help small businesses to take part in the growing digital economy. The effort was launched July 22 by the NYC Small Business Resource Network (SBRN).
The network calls itself a unique public-private partnership among the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the five borough Chambers of Commerce, NYC Department of Small Business Services, and the Partnership for New York City.
The new drive comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed and accelerated how consumers shop and buy goods by e-commerce. Experts contend that trend is most likely expected to keep rising moving forward, particularly with a growing number of people buying more items online.
Throughout the pandemic, brick-and-mortar businesses that lacked a digital presence and relied on foot traffic were at a disadvantage, the SBRN reported per a news release. The network claims it has worked to address that disparity by helping small businesses establish e-commerce capabilities, and as the economy begins to recover, Open + Online will widely and rapidly boost that effort.
The good news for entrepreneurs is the SBRN provides many services for free. They include website help, digital marketing guidance, social media strategy, and general tech consultations, to name a few. For restaurants specifically, no-fee services include general business strategy and financial planning. Another is help with operations management, including functions like HR, marketing, compliance and regulatory issues.
The SBRN, which is free to join, is open to small business owners within the five boroughs. Some 80% of the small businesses the network has reached are minority- or women-owned and 30% are Black-owned, an SBRN spokesperson says. Essentially, the Open + Online program aims to create a resilient small business community, helping them compete in the accelerated digital economy.
A greater digital presence could help smaller entrepreneurs scale. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, reports that the share of New York City retail sales that occurred online rose to 21% this year from 13% in 2019. In the apparel market, the online share of sales grew from 34% to 57%, underscoring the need for small business owners to be able to compete across channels, data from a news release disclosed.
For its part, Open + Online reports its initiative will enable hundreds of small businesses to upgrade their web presence and expand e-commerce activity as they struggle to recover from pandemic-related losses.
Since launching in 2020, over 17,000 businesses from across the five boroughs have been reached through the SBRN. The network cites popular resources include marketing, finance, legal, accounting and business strategy. Restaurants, beauty, and retail have been among the top industries served. The SBRN was started last September in response to the crisis facing many of the city’s over 230,000 small businesses, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported.
The SBRN reports it is working in communities that have been difficult to reach by other mainstream programs. Most of the businesses seeking assistance have been minority- and/or women-owned with five employees on average.
“The pandemic has exposed many weaknesses and inequities in our economy, across the country, and especially in New York City,” Michael Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation, stated. “We have the opportunity and obligation to help these businesses get back on their feet. Today’s expansion of the Small Business Resource Network will help address critical economic disparities by helping thousands of small businesses, particularly those owned by minorities and women, recover and thrive by ensuring they are better able to participate in the digital economy.”
Maria Gotsch, president and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City, stated, “These new digital tools will empower small businesses to compete and grow in this accelerated digital economy, creating a more resilient small business community and preserving the vibrancy of our neighborhoods.”
The program calls for independent web designers to build and upgrade websites. Entrepreneurs can gain expert guidance on how to maximize their new digital footprint. The services will be provided free to small businesses selected to the program, prioritizing minority, women, and immigrant-owned businesses with fewer than 20 employees. Some examples of Squarespace websites created during the program’s pilot phase include princessandheiress.com, africanqueenboutiquenyc.com, and parkasiabrooklyn.com. Several partners and individual donors provided financial support to help SBRN launch Open + Online.
Small businesses can apply to Open + Online at smallbiz.nycon a rolling basis initially until September.
Busta Rhymes Is Officially Holding Bitcoin; Inspired By Elon Musk, Cathie Wood, and Jack Dorsey
Many celebrities have jumped on the bitcoin bandwagon this year. Now, you can add Trevor George Smith Jr., aka Busta Rhymes, to the list.
Earlier this month, Rhymes asked his 3.8 million followers on Twitter a series of questions about cryptocurrency. Many people shared their insights and resources, including MicroStrategy CEO and popular bitcoin enthusiast Michael Saylor.
But it wasn’t until last week’s B-Word Conference that Rhymes made his relationship with bitcoin official. The rapper announced on Twitter that he is officially holding bitcoin.
Rhymes shared that he is officially holding bitcoin and looking into Ethereum next.
Bitcoin is the leading cryptocurrency in the market. In February 2021, Coindesk reported that bitcoin’s market value surpassed the trillion dollar mark.
Ethereum stands right behind bitcoin, claiming its spot as the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. After Elon Musk confirmed his investment in Ethereum at the conference, the price of Ethereum rose, CNBC reported.
B-Word Conference Inspires Busta Rhymes to Invest in Bitcoin
Wednesday’s B-Word Conference was hosted by the Crypto Council for Innovation. The B-Word streaming conference was designed to “demystify” and “correct mainstream narratives about bitcoin”.
The conversation between Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, and Cathie Wood was the highlight for many viewers. It sealed the deal for many investors who were on the fence about bitcoin. The three CEO’s were featured on a panel to discuss “Bitcoin As A Tool For Economic Empowerment.” They focused on providing education and insights for institutions looking to invest or leverage the power of bitcoin. The conversation was exactly what Busta Rhymes needed to claim his stake in the decentralized digital currency.
Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX, is one of the loudest and influential voices in the crypto space. During the panel discussion, he confirmed that he is a supporter of bitcoin. Musk revealed that he holds more bitcoin than dogecoin or ether and wants to see the cryptocurrency succeed. He also shared that his investments are limited beyond cryptocurrencies. He only owns stock of Tesla and SpaceX.
“If the price of bitcoin goes down, I lose money. I might pump but I don’t dump,” Musk said. “I definitely do not believe in getting the price high and selling or anything like that. I’d like to see bitcoin succeed.”
Cathie Wood and Jack Dorsey Highlight the Power of Bitcoin
Cathie Wood, one of the most influential females in crypto, provided economic insights supporting the case for bitcoin. She’s the founder, CEO, and CIO of ARK Invest. In 2020, she gained notoriety for her unconventional stock picks and predictions that turned out to be right. Now, she’s all in on bitcoin and sees the digital currency reaching $500,000, Bloomberg reported.
Jack Dorsey, CEO of both Twitter and Square, dived into the conversation with his tech insights. Dorsey has previously said that bitcoin and blockchain technology are the future of Twitter. Earlier this year, he teamed up with Jay-Z to invest $23 million in new a bitcoin endowment called ₿trust. Dorsey believes that bitcoin “has the potential to make everyone’s life better.”
