George Stinney Jr. was convicted in 1944 of the murder of two young white girls, 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames. The tragic case was built entirely on circumstantial evidence that revolved around the boy having spoke to the girls the day of their death. However, no physical evidence linked him to the actual murders. MSN News reports Judge Carmen Tevis Mullen is responsible for overturning the case. The judge says the case was “not overturned on its merits, whic
The group responsible for the Sony hacking scandal just took their campaign to a dangerous new level via a new message directed at both Sony executives and anyone planning to see the now-controversial comedy, The Interview. “We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places The Interview be shown, including the premiere,” reads the latest threat from the group known as Guardians of Peace. “How bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.” “The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If the house is nearby, you’d better leave.)…All will denounce Sony.” The broken English and cartoonish commands to “denounce Sony” perfectly encapsulate the bizarre mix of absurd humor and real fear that’s characterized this scandal. The hacks have damaged the reputations of Sony several Sony execs, two of whom were exposed for making racist jokes about President Obama via their corporate email accounts. The Interview stars Seth Rogen and James Franco, and while both actors have denounced the actions of the hackers, they’ve also expressed their belief that the impact of the attacks will be minimal. North Korea has denied responsibility, but offered praise for those responsible for the hacks. 9 Things We Learned From the Sony Hacking Scandal 1. New Ghostbusters Cast Revealed! One email reveals that the studio is hoping to have Jennifer Lawrence, Melissa McCarthy, Emma Stone, and Lizzy Caplan star in the upoming all-female Ghostbusters reboot. Well, “all-female” isn’t quite accurate. The ladies will be joined by an A-list male star, who will apparently need to be dragged to the set kicking and screaming…
Leaked emails from the major Sony hack suggest that actresses like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone have expressed interest in the ‘Ghostbusters’ reboot.
Who will die? Who will merge? Who will swap spit? Who will… go to art school?!? Hours after The Vampire Diaries Season 6 Episode 10 closed out the year for this CW drama, executive producer Julie Plec took to Twitter and at least made the upcoming hiatus a little more bearable for fans of the series. She ran through 16 (!!!!) tidbits, teases and spoilers for The Vampire Diaries Season 6 , which returns with new installments on Thursday, January 22. Watch The Vampire Diaries Season 6 Episode 10 Online Will Stefan and Caroline finally see each other naked? Who will we meet via flashback? Who will we meet in present day? Consider yourselves SPOILER WARNED and scroll down for a glance at what’s to come, courtesy of Plec’s Twitter feed… Two witches will merge (but will it be Kai and Jo or Liv and Luke?). We will meet the real Sarah Salvatore. Bonnie will return to present day Mystic Falls, but how will her experience have changed her? Via separate flashbacks, we’ll meet young Stefan and young Caroline. There will be “A LOT” of kissing… by more than one couple. “There will be a hook-up, a break-up, and a make-up. Not necessarily by the same couple.” There will be more than one death. Matt will receive a “life calling.” Tyler will take a “stand on behalf of his girl.” We’ll flashback to Damon in 1858. Stefan will “fix a friendship… and the some.” (Go ahead and cheer, Staroline shippers!) Elena will get a “proposition that could change her life forever.” Enzo will meet a girl. Jeremy Gilbert will apply to art school. For reals. Alaric will fall in “sweet sweet love.” Caroline will ponder the functionality of vampire blood (in terms of trying to save her mother, we presume). Which of these storylines has you most excited? Drool over the following cast photos and sound off below! The Vampire Diaries Season 6 Cast Photos 1. Ian Somerhalder Promo Pic Yes, Damon sort of died to end The Vampire Diaries Season 5. But Ian Somerhalder will still a key role going forward on The CW drama.
Taylor Swift turns 25 years old today. And it’s safe to say the artist has had a solid 2014. She was named Billboard Woman of the Year . Her latest album, “1989,” went crazy platinum. She’s had back-to-back number-one singles and she’s kept fans wondering about whether or not she has a belly button . So, in honor of the biggest superstars in the history of ever, let’s run down Taylor’s year in photo gallery form, shall we? Remember these Taylor Swift dancing GIFs from her “Shake It Off” video? 27 Taylor Swift Dancing Gifs from “Shake It Off” 1. Bring It On What do you have to say about cheerleaders NOW, Taylor? Remember how Taylor celebrated the Fourth of July with close friends? Taylor Swift 4th of July Party Photos 1. Taylor Swift and Famous Friends Taylor Swift hosted a July 4 party and look who showed up: Jaime King, Amanda Griffith, Emma Stone, Lena Dunham, Jessica Szohr of Gossip Girl, Odeya Rush of the upcoming film The Giver (which costars Swift), and singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. Did you catch Swift performing at the 2014 MTV VMAs? 2014 MTV VMAs in GIFs! 1. Nicki Minaj TWERKIN’ IT! Nicki Minaj twerking like a woman possessed at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards! What about at the America Music Awards? American Music Awards 2014: Best GIFs 1. Iggy Azalea WORKS IT Iggy Azalea works it at the 2014 American Music Awards. Then, of course, that was that crazy awesome “Blank Space” video: 19 CRAZY Taylor Swift “Blank Space” GIFs 1. Taylor Goes Elin Nordegren This is what happens when Taylor Swift catches a man cheating, at least in her music video for “Blank Space.” She goes all Elin Nordegren on his car! And, most recently, Swift took to the (SEXY!) stage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show: Taylor Swift at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 1. Taylor Swift on the Catwalk Sing it, Taylor Swift! Also: strut it, Taylor Swift! The artist performs here at the 2014 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. So say it loud and say it proud with us: HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY, TAYLOR SWIFT!!! We can’t wait to see what you do for an encore in 2015.
SMH … Black Secret Service Agents File Discrimination Lawsuits A new report is highlighting an ongoing issue in the President’s security detail; racism. According to several black former secret service agents, the agency has a longstanding history of racism and discrimination that could be putting the Commander In Chief at risk. The Daily Beast reports: The track record of the U.S. Secret Service in protecting President Barack Obama has come under intense scrutiny in recent months due to several major security lapses, the most recent of which prompted the resignation in October of Secret Service Director Julia Pierson. A recently released Department of Homeland Security report about that incident determined that a number of “performance, organizational, technical and other” factors contributed to the security breach. What is not mentioned in that DHS report is another long-running issue within the Secret Service—one which, according to several experts, creates the conditions for a breakdown in agency morale that could ultimately compromise the security of President Obama. That threat is embodied in a long-running lawsuit filed by a group of African-American Secret Service agents who allege the agency’s culture is replete with racism. “If the black Secret Service agents’ legal claims related to racism in the agency are true, then there is a threat to the president’s security because he is a black man,” says Matthew Fogg, a retired chief deputy U.S. Marshal who in 1998 won a multimillion-dollar jury verdict in a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against his agency. “If they are treating black people differently, then how can that not affect the president?” Fogg also is party to one of two pending class-action discrimination cases filed by black federal agents against the U.S. Marshals Service. The mere fact that the most qualified agents are not getting promoted within an agency due to racial factors—as is alleged in both the the Secret Service and U.S. Marshals litigation—indicates, Fogg says, that race is an issue in the quality of protection being provided to individuals, including the president. What do YOU think??? Do you think members of the Secret Service could be slow to protect the First Black President of the United States???
