Tag Archives: the-event

Prince Harry: Plans to Propose to Meghan Markle Revealed?

Like Hemingway and the Jimmy John’s guy  before them, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will soon be headed to the green hills of Africa, where they’ll participate in a full-blown safari. Unlike those giants in the worlds of literature and cold cuts, however, Harry and Meghan thankfully won’t be slaying any large beasts. But that doesn’t mean they won’t have something to show off when they get home. According to Radar Online, Harry is planning to propose to Meghan during the couple’s jungle jaunt. The continent is apparently of tremendous emotional significance to Harry, who sought refuge there with his brother and father following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. “Africa means everything to Harry,” a source close to the Royals tells Radar. “It is where he and William were taken by their father to escape after their mother’s death.” And that’s not the end of the Harry’s sentimental ties to Africa: “He feels himself there, and it was the South African jewelry he gave to Meghan that first gave their relationship away,” says the insider, adding: “Prince William proposed to Kate there.” In case you still haven’t grasped the extent to which Harry really, really loves Africa, the tipster continues: “He really feels he has found a soulmate in Meghan, and both have even said they would love to live on and run a wildlife safari reserve.” At this point, you should imagine the source grabbing you by the shoulders, shaking you, and screaming about Harry’s love of Africa. “The continent, the Toto song, everything! Harry. Loves. Africa!” Rumors about Harry and Meghan getting engaged have been circulating pretty much from the moment the world learned they were dating, but it’s really beginning to feel like it’ll happen soon. The couple attended Pippa Middleton’s wedding together  last month, and the event served as their unofficial coming out party. Now that they’re a confirmed couple, it seems only a matter of time before Harry puts a ring on it. At 32, he’s not longer the wild child/black sheep (depending on whom you ask) of the Royal clan, and he’s spoken in recent years about his desire to settle down and start a family. We don’t know for sure when he’ll propose … but it sounds like there’s little doubt as to where it’ll happen. View Slideshow: Meghan Markle: 16 Things to Know About Prince Harry’s New Squeeze

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Prince Harry: Plans to Propose to Meghan Markle Revealed?

Ariana Grande Still Playing Benefit Concert After Last Night’s Terrorist Attack

As you’ve surely heard by now, the UK was hit by yet another terrorist attack last night. Three men men drove a van onto London Bridge, hitting pedestrians before they jumped out and began stabbing people. Seven people were killed and 48 were injured. The terrorists were shot and killed by police when they arrived on the scene. It sounds absolutely horrifying, and it’s especially scary considering the Manchester attack that happened less than two weeks ago. On May 22nd, a suicide bomber entered an Ariana Grande concert , setting off a nail bomb that killed 22 people. Countless others were injured. Ariana was understandably devastated by what happened, but she still managed to pull together, along with her team, to plan a benefit concert for the victims and their families. The concert will take place back in Manchester, and Ariana will perform, along with Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Take That, Coldplay, Niall Horan, Usher, Robbie Williams, Little Mix, the Black Eyed Peas, and Pharrell Williams. Anyone who attended her original Manchester concert can get in for free, and all proceeds will go to a fund set up for the people who were injured and the families of the people who were killed. The concert was scheduled for tonight … but will it go on in light of last night’s attack in London? According to Ariana’s manager, Scooter Braun, absolutely it will. Here’s the statement he released in full: After the events last night in London, and those in Manchester just two weeks ago, we feel a sense of responsibility to honor those lost, injured, and affected . We plan to honor them with courage, bravery, and defiance in the face of fear. Today’s One Love Manchester benefit concert will not only continue, but will do so with greater purpose. We must not be afraid and in tribute to all those affected here and around the world, we will bring our voices and sing loudly. I am pleased to say we have the full support of Greater Manchester Police and the government and are assured the safety of all those attending is the highest priority. All artists involved have been unwavering in their support this morning and are determined to carry on with the show. We ask the strong city of Manchester and the world to join us in making the statement that hatred and fear will never win. Today we stand together. Thank you. For their part, Manchester police have said that they’ll be thoroughly searching everyone coming into the concert . Ariana, meanwhile, has been in Manchester for a few days, visiting her fans who were injured during the original attack. Last night, she tweeted that she was “praying for London,” and this morning she’s been promoting tonight’s show. The concert will be televised in several countries, and any money earned from this will also go to the victims. It’s an amazing thing that Ariana and all these people are doing, and a very brave thing as well. Will you be watching? View Slideshow: Manchester Bombing: A Tribute to the Victims

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Ariana Grande Still Playing Benefit Concert After Last Night’s Terrorist Attack

Parisian Mayor Condemns Black Feminist Festival For Excluding White Women

French Mayor Threatens To “Stop” Black Feminists Festival For Excluding Non-Black People Organizers of an event called Nyansapo Festival in France intended for Black feminist s caught a lot of grief from Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris this week. The mayor threatened to halt the festival for it’s lack of permission for ‘all’ to engage in certain parts of the event, according to France 24 . The event organizers say it is important to restrict access to certain sessions so that black women can engage in open, honest conversations about their unique struggles, without judgement from others, according to the report. The non-black mayor did not like that, at all. The Nyansapo festival has divided its events into four categories– those open exclusively to black women (which account for 80% of activities), those open to both black women and black men, those open to women of colour and those open to everyone. The majority of events are reserved for black female participants. An outcry of white tears commenced on twitter, where people openly condemned the event. Even a French ‘race’ organization called LICRA says Rosa Park would’ve had a fit if she saw the ‘discriminatory’ festival guidelines. Festival “interdits aux blancs”: #RosaParks doit se retourner dans sa tombe. Le combat antiraciste devenu l'alibi d'un repli identitaire. pic.twitter.com/XXgvyQHOTh — LICRA (@_LICRA_) May 26, 2017 “Forbidden to whites” Festival: # RosaParks must be turning in his grave. The anti-racist struggle become the alibi of a rising nationalism. The mayor then reposted the flyer and added her disgust with the exclusion of white women from certain areas of the festival. In translation, she says: I condemn with firmness the Organization to # Paris event “forbidden to whites”. Je condamne avec fermeté l'organisation à #Paris de cet événement “interdit aux blancs”. https://t.co/DKJmdPry5v — Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) May 28, 2017 Since a part of the event took place in the city hall, Hidalgo threatened to stop the event altogether. “I am asking for this festival to be banned,” the mayor said, adding she also reserved the right “to prosecute the organizers for discrimination”. Later in the day, Hidalgo tweeted that she had found a “solution” to the problem. The festival organized in a public space will be open to everyone. Workshops with restricted participation will be held on a strictly private basis. But, the gag is…that was the plan for the organizers all along. The therapeutic session were being held privately and off of municipal grounds in the first place, according to reports. Thoughts?

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Parisian Mayor Condemns Black Feminist Festival For Excluding White Women

A Little Positivity: Richard Sherman Pays Honor Roll Student’s College Tuition In Full 

Ain’t he nice? NFL Baller Richard Sherman Funds High School Girl’s College NFL star Richard Sherman made a promise to a Virginia High school student. He said that if she picked up her grades, he would fund her entire college education. This weekend, he followed through. According to Richmond.com , Varina High School Senior Harshai James met Sherman at a “Celebrity Waiter” dinner last year where in their quick conversation he mentioned that if she picked up her grades, he would fund her college. The event took place to support the “Excel To Excellence” foundation, which was started by Sherman’s teammate who also attended Varina High School, Michael Robinson. This year, Hershai made honor roll and got her tuition covered by the athlete. All parties have kept to amount she’s received a secret. James plans on attending Norfolk University. Good luck grad! Getty Images

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A Little Positivity: Richard Sherman Pays Honor Roll Student’s College Tuition In Full 

Ariana Grande Concert Rocked by Explosion; At Least 22 Dead

Tragedy has struck an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. According to multiple news outlets, at least 22 people were killed and countless others injured after a pair of loud bangs were heard Monday evening inside Manchester Arena.  Law enforcement sources in Great Britain and the United States have told NBC News they believe these sounds to have been explosions. Shortly after reports started to leak out about what transpired or may have transpired at the concert, Greater Manchester Police confirmed there were a “number of fatalities and others injured.” It remains unclear just how many people died from the explosions themselves and how many were killed as a result of the stampede that occurred after the blasts went off. Those associated with the event tell TMZ they heard an explosion in the rotunda area (where merchandise is sold), which is located outside the seating area in the venue.  Immediately afterward, mass chaos ensued as everyone sprinted toward the nearest exit. About two hours after outlets starting reporting on the horrible occurrence, police said they were treating it as a terrorist act. There are reports the explosive device was a “nail bomb,” TMZ writes, which would explain why many victims at the scene were bleeding profusely. “Ariana is okay,” a representative for the artist says. “We are further investigating what happened.” Manchester Arena sits atop the Manchester Victoria transit station. As of this writing, all lines to Manchester Victoria were closed, National Rail says in a statement. Northern Railway said the station had been evacuated and local police have issued the following statement: “Emergency services are currently responding to reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena. There are a number of confirmed fatalities and others injured. “Please avoid the area as first responders work tirelessly at the scene. “Details of casualty bureau will follow as soon as possible.” This is what a concert goer told The Daily Mail of what he witnessed after the first explosion went off: “Everybody started screaming and running for the exit … We could hear the police and ambulance sirens. It was terrifying. “There were thousands of people trying to get out at once. They were all screaming and crying. The whole place smelt smokey and burnt.” Added another person in attendance, this time to The Manchester Evening News: “We saw young girls with blood on them, everyone was screaming and people were running.” Victoria Monét and Bia opened for Grande on Monday night and both artists are believed to be fine. Grande’s tour was scheduled to continue at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday night, but it’s hard to believe this show will now take place. Not that it matters at the moment, of course. The Manchester Arena, which opened in 1995, can hold up to 21,000 spectators; it was not clear how many people were in the crowd for the concert. But it is clear that this is a tragedy of massive proportions. UPDATE : We’ve found a video that purports to show the explosion. Look to the left in the following footage and listen for a loud bang: If you look towards the left you see the explosion and hear the bang. I hope to GOD everyone is ok, and so glad Jess and Em are. #manchester pic.twitter.com/q81KHGEJ6E — Joe Gregory (@JoeAaronGregory) May 22, 2017 Said another witness to the BBC: “The lights had come up everyone was just getting out and walking towards the stairs, when all of a sudden this huge sound which sounded like an explosion went off.” “Everyone just stopped and turned around.” “Then somebody shouted ‘it’s a bomb’ and everyone just started running. Everybody was trying to push people up the stairs.” “There was a lot of children there without parents. There was no one to calm them down so everyone was just screaming crying and pushing.” How awful. Simply awful and absolutely unimaginable. Our thoughts go out to the victims of this attack, and we will continue to update this tragic story as more information becomes available. Update : This is the latest string of Tweets from the local police department whose officials are investigating the violence: Update : Grande has suspended the remainder of her European tour until an unspecified date, while the death roll has risen to 22. At least 59 people are injured, 19 of them in critical condition. Police are treating this as the act of a suicide bomber, presuming the attacker is dead, but investigating whether or not he was part of a larger organization/network. And Grande has Tweeted the following statement: DEVELOPING STORY…

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Ariana Grande Concert Rocked by Explosion; At Least 22 Dead

Ain’t That Amerikkka! Texas Congressman Al Green Threatened With LYNCHING After Calling For Trump’s Impeachment

Congressman Al Green Plays Death Threats He Received For Calling For Trump’s Impeachment Camille Scott, a spokeswoman for Congressman Al Green says he’s been receiving threatening messages to his offices in both Houston and Washington D.C. after calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment earlier this week. The Congressman played some of the more graphic messages for attendees at a town hall in Houston this Saturday, according to Houston Chronicle reports : “You ain’t going to impeach nobody. Try it and we will lynch all of you,” a caller said in one of several threatening recordings the Houston Democrat played at a town hall meeting Saturday. “You’ll be hanging from a tree,” the caller continued. The calls use graphic racial slurs, some calling Green the n-word. “You are so disgusting,” one caller said. “You’re scum. You’re pathetic.” Green says he wanted his constituents to be aware of the calls, but he remains focused on taking steps toward the impeachment process. “You cannot allow hate to be hidden,” Green said about the voicemails. “You have to expose hate. Hate is a means by which people can be harmed. It’s an evil. The best way to deal with evil is to expose.” Green called for Trump’s impeachment from the House floor Wednesday, citing the firing of FBI Director James Comey as one of his reasons. “The president fired the FBI Director who was investigating him and said he did it because of the investigation,” Green said. “That’s pretty serious. That’s obstruction of justice. We believe no person is above the law, not even the President of the United States of America.” Green says his objective in calling the town hall was to allow the Houston community to voice their concerns about the president. Some attendees asked how they could help with the impeachment process. Green encouraged them to call their local representatives and to continue to show up for town hall meetings. “I’m expecting the people to stand up and make their voices heard, so that we in Congress will know what their desires are,” he said. “When the people express their will, I think it will impact the will of the Congress.” The event had a heavy police presence and thorough security checks were administered to all who attended the meeting at Fountain Life Center. Some in attendance expressed their support for Green, including Robin Paoli, who helped organize the Houston Women’s March in January. “We stand with you,” Paoli said of Green. “We stand with your honorable action of holding the president accountable. I as a white woman stand by my brother and say we will not tolerate those kind of death threats and racial slurs that are being thrown at you.” We love that Green is getting support from his constituents on this matter, but do we really want a Trump impeachment? Just know, Vice President Pence is FAR FAR worse. In the meantime though, Trump is doing a great job of making America hate again, isn’t he? Getty Images

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Ain’t That Amerikkka! Texas Congressman Al Green Threatened With LYNCHING After Calling For Trump’s Impeachment

New York Urban League Honors Designer Tracy Reese At Annual Gala

Designer Praised For Her Commitment To Women Of All Sizes & Shapes The New York Urban League saluted black fashion designer Tracy Reese for her pledge to make women of all ages shapes and sizes feel beautiful. The designer was among a group of women who were honored for their community work by the nonprofit advocacy group, which hosted it’s 52nd annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner March 16 at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Reese, dressed in one of her creations, took the modest route as she collected her award, thanking her father for giving her seed money to start her business, and promising to continue to represent for all women. “I love what I do,” Reese said, “and it’s my mission to provide women of all sizes and colors to look and feel beautiful….I hope we can all make a difference in someone’s life. That’s the beauty of life, when you can share it.” Also honored at the fete were Erica Payne, the president of Patriotic Millionaires, and Tiffany Warren, the president and founder of Adcolor, which encourages at-risk youth to take up painting. The event raised $35,250, which will help fund the Urban League’s programs and services, like STEM education and job training. Tuesday’s gala brought out the likes of journalist and entrepreneur Tai Beauchamp, Essence Magazine editor in chief Vanessa De Luca and former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson. Gala co-chair Manny Gonzalez, the senior director of multicultural marketing for Moet Hennessy, later led the crowd in a toast to the honorees and the New York Urban League. “Some of us are wondering where the country’s leadership is,” Gonzalez said. “But one thing we don’t have to worry about is the New York Urban League and the leadership of Arva Rice.”

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New York Urban League Honors Designer Tracy Reese At Annual Gala

JetBlue Kicks Family Off Flight Due to… Birthday Cake?!?

JetBlue has apparently grown sick and tired of every other airline making news over the past several weeks. News for the wrong reasons, but still. News nonetheless. Therefore, in light of United assaulting a customer , Delta showing a patron the door for using the bathroom and Virgin turning away a young cancer patient, JetBlue has gotten into the Awful PR Business for itself. Here's how… On May 3, a family of four was traveling to New Jersey when they allegedly refused to move a birthday cake they brought on board out of the overhead bin. Cameron Burke, his wife Minta and their two young kids were headed to a surprise party when the patriarch started filming an encounter between himself and police officers who were brought on board to confront him over the issue. The father told ABC 7 that he moved the dessert item from an overhead bin to under the seat in front of him when asked, but that two flight attendants were still giving him a hard time over it. “You know, you could see the gestures – then she was pointing to her, did you tell him he couldn’t put anything in the overhead compartment?,” Cameron said. “I had approached them, and I said everything was fine, and she said, ‘Sir, this does not involve you.’ “When she told me I had been non-compliant, then I said, ‘Ma’am, had you been drinking?’ because her behavior was not normal.” The airline forced all passengers to deplane in light of this incident, with the Burkes told they could not get on the flight and given a refund instead. According to JetBlue spokesperson Morgan Johnston, however, the Burkes are not victims here. He says “the video circulating [below] does not depict the entire incident and only starts after the objectionable behavior occurred.” The company claims Cameron refused numerous requests to take the cake out of an overhead bin which is reserved for safety equipment in case of an emergency. “The customers became agitated, cursed and yelled at the crew, and made false accusations about a crewmember’s fitness to fly,” JetBlue said, adding: “After the customers refused to speak with a team leader about the situation, the Port Authority Police Department was called and the entire aircraft deplaned. “The Captain determined the customers’ behavior demonstrated a risk for additional escalation in air and would not be allowed to fly.” JetBlue noted that cakes are permitted onboard as long as they are within the carry-on size limits. Minta, though, says she wants at least one of the flight attendants fired and that her children were left “traumatized” by what transpired. Watch the viral footage below and try to draw your own conclusions:

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JetBlue Kicks Family Off Flight Due to… Birthday Cake?!?

Harry Styles: BLASTED for Covering Kanye West Song

Harry Styles is trying to carve out a solo career for himself, similar to the way Zayn Malik did in 2016, but his career has already hit a snag.  That snag comes in the form of Kanye West. Now, we're not saying they're friends or anything, but Styles opted to cover the track, “Ultralight Beams.”  This event occurred during Harry's first-ever solo show at London's Garage Nightclub on Saturday night. The reason you're probably scratching your head wondering why this is the first you're hearing of the show is because it was announced on the same day.  We can just imagine how upset you are that you did not get to attend. Don't worry. We have you covered with a video of the performance. Harry's take on the song sounds surprisingly alright, and while people at the event seemed to be playing along with it, Twitter was not entirely impressed with it.  When one user praised the performance, a user fired back and likened the sound to ear cancer. “People actually think this is good? I have ear cancer from listening to this.”  We get it, some people don't like one of their favorite songs being covered, but still, it's hardly a nice way to vent frustration.  Interestingly, even some of Harry's fans found the surprising number to be a little bit dull.  “I love harry, but i'm not feeling this cover. White people really don't need to make indie/rock covers of songs by rap artists.”  We wonder how Taylor Swift feels about her ex-boyfriend singing a song that was made by her enemy, Kanye West.  Yes, we're still not over that feud.  Harry shocked the internet and released his self-titled debut album on Friday. Unlike his performance of “Ultralight Bean,” it is poised to be a success, with critics taking a shine to it.  Styles rose to fame on the seventh season of The X Factor U.K. after being put in a group when he was eliminated from the show as a solo contestant.  One Direction subsequently became one of the biggest bands on the planet, but the band decided to take a hiatus last year to embark on solo opportunities.  Will they really get back together, or will their solo opportunities keep them apart?  Have a look at the full performance below.   

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Harry Styles: BLASTED for Covering Kanye West Song

Steven Holcomb Dies; Former Gold Medalist Was 37

Steven Holcomb, a former Olympian Gold Medalist in the bobsled, was found dead in his room at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York on Saturday. He was 37 years old. As of this writing, the cause of Holcomb’s is unknown. No foul play is suspected and it is believed he died in his sleep, although we’ll know more about an autopsy is performed. “The entire Olympic family is shocked and saddened by the incredibly tragic loss today of Steven Holcomb,” Scott Blackmun, United States Olympic Committee CEO, said in a statement. He added: “Steve was a tremendous athlete and even better person, and his perseverance and achievements were an inspiration to us all. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Steve’s family and the entire bobsledding community.” Holcomb, a native of Park City, Utah, won a total of three medals while representing the United States at the Olympics. He took home a Gold in 2010 after piloting the four-men sled that broke the United States’ 62-year first-place drought in the event. And Holcomb also won two two bronze medals in 2014; the five-time world champion was training for the 2018 Games at the time of his death. “The only reason why the USA is in any conversation in the sport of bobsled is because of Steve Holcomb,” U.S. bobsled pilot Nick Cunningham, who roomed next to Holcomb in Lake Placid, told the Associated Press. “He was the face of our team. He was the face of our sport. We all emulated him. “Every driver in the world watched him, because he was that good at what he did. It’s a huge loss, huge loss, not just for our team but for the entire bobsled community.” Holcomb battled depression in the past and even attempted suicide inside of a hotel room in 2007. He wrote honestly and emotionally about this period in his life as part of his 2012 autobiography, “But Now I See: My Journey From Blindness to Olympic Gold.” The memoir chronicled how Holcomb was diagnosed with the eye disease keratoconus, which slowly degenerated his vision until a surgery saved his sight and, as a result, his bobsledding career. “After going through all that and still being here, I realized what my purpose was,” Holcomb said in a 2014 interview with the AP. Said USA Bobsled & Skeleton CEO Darrin Steele said in a statement on Saturday: “It would be easy to focus on the loss in terms of his Olympic medals and enormous athletic contributions to the organization, but USA Bobsled & Skeleton is a family and right now we are trying to come to grips with the loss of our teammate, our brother and our friend.” We send our condolences to the family members, friends and loved ones of Steven Holcomb. May he rest in peace. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2017: In Memoriam

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Steven Holcomb Dies; Former Gold Medalist Was 37