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Howard University On Alert After Suspected Locals Beat Students On Campus

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Howard University dorm buildings, according to students, are filled with mold and unfit for living.

Howard University, which maintains a sprawling campus in Northwest Washington, D.C., is currently on alert after a recent violent incident went wide. According to reports, a group of suspected locals beat students on campus grounds and police are investigating the matter.

As reported by local outlet WRC-TV, Howard University officials confirmed that an attack from a large group did take place on campus near two residence halls in the early morning hours of Monday (August 16). One student explained that a large group of what they described as “D.C. locals” began to attack them. Another explained that the group stomped them so badly that they thought death was near.

“I was prepared to die,” the student said. “When I was on the ground getting stomped out, I just stopped feeling the pain at one point.”

The outlet added in its report that another student was stabbed in the back and beaten by over two dozen people. According to witnesses, security guards at Howard University allegedly did nothing to help the harmed student. It hasn’t been shared what sparked the group to attack the students.

So far, campus police say that they managed to arrest one teen suspect who was found with a handgun in their possession. Marcus Lyles, executive director of public safety and chief of police at Howard University, announced a series of investigations and other actions connected to the incident. A lieutenant for the campus police was suspended after internal findings, and a security contractor is no longer working with the university.

The school shared plans to install over 1,000 cameras across cameras. In addition, the school will also establish walking paths for students that will keep them near a security officer.

Photo: The Washington Post / Getty

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Jamie Foxx Says He’s ‘Finally Startin to Feel Like Myself’ Following Health Scare: ‘GOD IS GOOD’

Jamie Foxx has shared another update following his April health scare, revealing he’s feeling better than ever in the months since his hospitalization.

The 55-year-old movie star took to Instagram Wednesday (Aug. 16) to thank fans for the well wishes, sharing a carousel of photos showing him enjoying some time outdoors. “You’re lookin at a man who is thankful… finally startin to feel like myself…,” he wrote in his caption. “It’s been an unexpected dark journey… but I can see the light…”

“I’m thankful to everyone that reached out and sent well wishes and prayers…,” Foxx continued. “I have a lot of people to thank… u just don’t know how much it meant… I will be thanking all of you personally… and if you didn’t know… GOD IS GOOD… all day every day…”

The post comes about four months after the Strays star was hospitalized for an unknown “medical complication,” as shared by his daughter in April. The family has remained private about the details of Foxx’s illness, though the actor did open up about his experience in a July Instagram video.

“I went through something that I thought I would never ever go through,” he told fans at the time. “I know a lot of people were waiting and, you know, wanting to hear updates but to be honest with you, I just didn’t want you to see me like that.”

Foxx’s latest update follows close behind controversy surrounding a post he made about being “betrayed by a fake friend,” as he later clarified. His word choice in the since-deleted post — “They killed this dude name Jesus … What do you think they’ll do to you???!” — sparked outrage as some thought the star was spreading antisemitic rhetoric.

“I want to apologize to the Jewish community and everyone who was offended by my post,” he responded in a follow-up apology. “I now know my choice of words have caused offense and I’m sorry. That was never my intent. To clarify, I was betrayed by a fake friend and that’s what I meant with ‘they’ not anything more. I only have love in my heart for everyone. I love and support the Jewish community. My deepest apologies to anyone who was offended.”

RBD’s Anahi Voted Dream Latin Barbie by Fans: See Who Won Ken

Billboard readers have voted and crowned RBD’s Anahí as the Latin artist they would like to see portray Barbie in a dream sequel. Our readers have also voted for their dream Latin Ken, picking Anahí’s very own group member Christopher von Uckermann. 

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The two fan polls were published in mid-July on the heels of the Barbie movie’s release, which in its opening weekend “claimed the top spot with a massive $155 million in ticket sales from North American theaters from 4,243 locations, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie (as well as every Marvel movie this year) as the biggest opening of the year and breaking the first-weekend record for a film directed by a woman,” The Associated Press reported

So Billboard Latin asked readers to vote for their dream Barbie and Ken in polls featuring 50 Latin acts including Karol G, Thalía, TINI, Manuel Turizo, Romeo Santos and Maluma, to name a few. 

The winners were Anahí with 77 percent of the votes, and von Uckermann with more than 56 percent of the votes. The former is followed by Kimberly Loaiza and Kenia OS; the latter is followed by former RBD members Alfonso “Poncho” Herrera and Christian Chávez. 

In other RBD news, von Uckermann — alongside Chávez and Maite Perroni — are set for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week, which is returning to Miami’s Faena Forum the week of Oct. 2-6. The three Mexican pop stars will take center stage to talk about their “Soy Rebelde” reunion tour — following a 14-year hiatus — set to kick off on Aug. 25 at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. 

Billboard Latin Music Week will also coincide with the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Watsco Center in Miami, and will broadcast live on Telemundo. For registration and more information, visit www.billboardlatinmusicweek.com.

See the Barbie poll results below, followed by the Ken poll results:

10 Vinyl Record Player Accessories Every Collector Should Own

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Collecting vinyl is only half of the fun. Once you build up your knowledge, you can have fun testing out more advanced record players and setting up a crisp listening experience using the best speakers, of course. With record players having a major comeback, models have evolved and modernized, allowing you to enjoy listening to popular artists today or classics from the past.

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Whether you’re an experienced record collector who knows how to safely clean vinyl, are a beginner starting your record-playing journey or are just looking for gifts for music lovers, there are a few things every record collector should have in their arsenal.

From unique pieces of home decor to vinyl storing essentials, we rounded up some accessories every vinyl collector should own.

Keep reading to stock up on the picks below.

light up

Amazon

YuanDian Light Up “Now Playing” Vinyl Record Stand

$29.99

Looking to show off your records? You can spotlight whatever you’re listening to with Yuan Dian’s Light-Up Vinyl Record Stand. This stand can not only be mounted to your wall, but has a light-up ability to shine a light on the latest tunes you’re spinning for the day.

brown and bronze record player stand with turntable and vinyls on it

Amazon

MAWEW Record Player Stand

$29.99 $32.99 9% OFF

Even if you’re new to owning vinyl, your guests don’t have to know that, and this record player stand can assist in giving off the vibe that you know what you’re doing. The top portion allows you to keep your record player in a safe spot that also puts it on display. Underneath are slots for storing your vinyl, while the side comes with a hook to hang your over-ear headphones or tote bags — it’s up to you!

black digital scale next to product box

Amazon

Neoteck Digital Turntable Stylus Force Scale

$13.99 $15.59 10% OFF

Part of keeping your vinyls in pristine shape is making sure your record player needle’s force isn’t too heavy. That’s where a turntable stylus force scale comes in, like this one from Amazon — which is also at its lowest price yet in the last 30 days. How it works is you lay the device on a still record, then turn the turntable on and wait until the device zeros out. Place the needle on the center dot and read the grams on the display.

black cleaning spray with crush and box

Amazon

EVEO Premium Vinyl Record Cleaner Kit

$21.97 $26.97 19% OFF

Keep your turntable and records in tip-top shape using EVEO’s 4-in-1 cleaning kit. Within it you’ll find everything you may need, including a velvet brush and cleaning fluid specifically for albums, a hands-free turntable needle gel cleaner and a duster brush.

James

The Abbey Fixed Blade

$69

Getting a package filled with new vinyls can be exciting, but since they’re made from delicate materials you need to be gentle when opening packages. This fixed blade was originally designed with opening vinyl in mind as it uses a thin blade that won’t knick or slice the actual record. It also versatile and can be used to open letters, boxes and more.

black product box with photo of record player sleeves

Walmart

Big Fudge 12” Outer Sleeves for Vinyl Records

$14.99

These outer sleeves may seem like a basic accessory to own, but they’ll go a long way in protecting the quality of your records. Included is 25 sleeves made from a high-density polypropylene that will stand up to water damage while keeping out dust and dirt that could scratch or ruin records.

black turntable preamplifier with cord

Amazon

Pyle Phono Turntable Preamplifier

$18.99 $22.99 17% OFF

For less than $20, Pyle’s Phono Turntable Preamplifier will help boost your turntable’s signal if it’s not already built into it. What this does enhance the sound quality and overall better your listening experience. Even if your turntable has one built-in, if you want better quality, then an external one like this will only sharpen the sound.

white vinyl storage and carrying case

Amazon

Victrola Vintage Vinyl Record Storage and Carrying Case

$50.51 $69.99 28% OFF

Want to take your vinyl with you on the go? Add this carrying case to your cart and worry less about scratching or damaging records. It can hold up to 30 records and is made from a heavy duty vinyl material that’ll protect your precious collection from bumps and tumbles thanks to its edge guards and lock system.

black speakers

Best Buy

Sony – Core Series 5″ 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers

$199.99

Some record players require separate speakers in order to hear your vinyls played in the best possible quality. Sony’s bookshelf speakers are compact making them apartment dweller-friendly while the three-way sound system condenses it into one source rather than investing in multiple sound systems. The speakers also come with 53Hz to 50kHz frequency response for a wider range of sound.

black suitcase record player

Walmart

Udreamer Record Player Turntable

$59.99 $99.99 40% off% OFF

And, of course, if you collect vinyl, make sure you have a record player turntable to play spin it on. Udreamer’s model is currently 40% off and comes in a convenient briefcase for portability. It supports three playback speeds and can play three different record sizes: 7 inches, 10 inches and 12 inches. You won’t need speakers either as it has built-in ones and Bluetooth capabilities, which allows you to connect your phone and stream music.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best record players and turntables, portable CD players and the best celebrity headphones.

Diddy Announces Inaugural REVOLT WORLD Three Day Event In Atlanta

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REVOLT WORLD

Source: REVOLT TV / Revolt TV

Diddy is showing it is still “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”. He has announced the inaugural REVOLT WORLD event in Atlanta.

As spotted on Bossip the business mogul is taking his REVOLT brand to newer heights. On Wednesday, August 15 the event was formally announced on social media. “We’re reimagining the intersection of culture and creativity with this three-day immersive experience featuring daily lineups of your favorite REVOLT shows, impactful conversations, live performances, interactive masterclasses, experiential activations, a gaming house, creator studio, and more” the press release reads. This year’s inaugural theme is “We Are Hip-Hop” which is a nod to the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop and the ten year anniversary of REVOLT TV.

The 72-hour event will feature live performances from MoneyBagg Yo, Uncle Waffles, Don Toliver, King Combs and more. REVOLT WORLD will also feature G Herbo, Jeezy, Omarion, Curren$y and others as speakers. Additionally, they will also broadcast Drink Champs and Caresha Please as live podcasts. Yung Miami expressed her excitement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “My first live podcast! I’m so excited & nervous at the same damn time! #careshaplease @revolttv” she wrote. 

General admission tickets ($149) and VIP tickets ($399) are now available for purchase here. 

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Paramount Decides Against Selling BET Majority Stake

After at least five months of deliberations, Paramount Global has decided against selling a majority stake in its BET Media Group, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The move to take down the “for sale” sign for the unit — which includes the BET channel, streamer BET+ as well as VH1 and BET Studios — follows publicly expressed interest from the likes of moguls Tyler Perry, Byron Allen, Sean “Diddy” Combs and others in acquiring a majority interest. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported Paramount’s decision to end the bidding process for BET.

Perry is already in business with Paramount via a multiyear content partnership struck in 2019, while Allen has been aiming to expand his TV station empire that counts The Weather Channel and Combs has a TV presence with his Revolt network.

During Paramount’s latest earnings call, on Aug. 7, CEO Bob Bakish was asked about the status of the potential sale and didn’t address BET by name, but replied: “We’re always looking for ways to maximize shareholder value. And as we said before, that might involve divesting, acquiring or potentially partnering on assets all of which we’ve done. But other than that, I’m not going to comment on anything specifically.”

The company has owned BET since 2000, when the Sumner Redstone-led firm then named Viacom snapped up Black Entertainment Television for $2.3 billion in stock and $570 million in debt. At the time, the BET channel was carried in 62.4 million households domestically.

For the past several years, Paramount has been looking to slim down its collection of assets in order to scale up in streaming and burnish its core entertainment portfolio (Paramount Pictures as well as CBS, Showtime, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET and streamers Paramount+ and Pluto TV). That effort has boosted Paramount+ to about 61 million subscribers globally, but the streaming division still isn’t profitable, tallying $424 million in losses in the second quarter.

Earlier this month, the company struck a $1.62 billion deal with private equity giant KKR to sell off major book publisher Simon & Schuster. That sale (a yearslong effort after its first attempt was blocked by a judge over antitrust concerns) followed Paramount selling tech site CNET for $500 million in 2020, CBS’ New York BlackRock headquarters building for $760 million and CBS’ Studio City lot for $1.85 billion in 2021.

Paramount, with its large collection of linear channels, has been subject to headwinds in the industry amid the march of cord-cutting as consumers look beyond pay-TV packages to subscription streaming offerings. In the last quarter alone, more than 1.7 million subscribers were shed by the major pay-TV and cable companies (including Comcast, Charter and DirecTV), per a tally from Leichtman Research.

Affiliate and subscription revenue at Paramount’s TV Media unit was off 2 percent in its most recent quarter, the company disclosed Aug. 7, noting that the decline was “primarily reflecting the impact from subscriber declines, partially offset by pricing increases.”

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Post Malone Gets Shout-Out From Allen Iverson After ‘White Iverson’ Notches 1B Spotify Streams: ‘The Whole World Loves This Song’

Post Malone got the ultimate shout-out this week when his debut breakthrough 2016 single, “White Iverson,” crossed the 1 billion streams mark on Spotify and the man who inspired it gave Austin some love.

“Congrats on 1 billion Spotify streams,” retired 11-time NBA All-star Allen Iverson said in a video tribute posted by Spotify. “The whole world loves this song and I’m honored to be a part of it. Keep that same form, Post.”

According to the commemorative clip, “White Iverson” became the 10th song to cross that magic mark back on April 10, a momentous occasion that was celebrated with a memorial plaque sent to the rapper during his two-night stand at London’s O2 Arena in May.

In the video — which was part of Monday’s roll-out of the second episode of Spotify’s Billion Club: The Series show — we see Malone unwrap his latest shiny honor, and in typical fashion he wonders if he could shotgun a whole beer through it. He then promptly sets up a game of Backstage Plaque Pong, using the Spotify honor as an excuse to play his favorite drinking contest. He also takes time to tell the story behind the music.

“I made the beat and I wrote the song but I didn’t know how to work ProTools and so I took it over to my buddy’s house,” he explains as he, of course, pours a full beer into the plaque after promising to find a “cool spot” for his new hardware in the studio he’s building at home.

“It’s such a cool thing looking at something and saying ‘we did that… the team did that and the people like the music that much enough to play it a billion times,’” he said. “I couldn’t be more… I guess grateful is the word I’m looking for. It feels super cool that the song does connect with people, and I’m just happy to bring joy into anyone’s life when I can. It’s an amazing feeling for me, and that really gave me the confidence and courage to keep attempting to do what I love. I just appreciate all the support, and it’s the most beautiful feeling in the world for me.”

Malone also noted that beloved point guard Iverson’s shooting inspired his own legendary lights-out beer pong game — which AI also gave props to in his message — ending with footage of Iverson miming a jumper fading into Posty arcing a perfect shot into the suds-soaked plaque. “White Iverson” debuted on Malone’s SoundCloud channel in 2015 and then served as the lead single from his 2016 debut album, Stoney.

The singer is currently on tour in support of his Austin album, with the final show on his North American summer tour slated for Saturday (Aug. 19) at Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA.

Check out the Spotify video below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=Sm9vNQ9ZcYQ&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Nick Jonas Was Up Above It, Then He Was Down In It: Watch the JoBro Fall Into a Hole on Stage in Boston

Nick Jonas had a rough day at work on Tuesday. The Jonas Brothers singer and solo star was minding his own business during the group’s The Tour date at Boston’s TD Garden gig while singing “Sail Away” when a trap door opened up behind him and, well, there’s no easy way to say it, he fell in.

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While moving backwards to rejoin his bros Kevin and Joe, Nick slipped into the void, but, like any pro who has been doing this most of his life, he jumped back up and kept the party rolling. Idina Menzel thought it was hilarious, reposting footage of the stage drop with the message, “hang in there @nickjonas.”

While Nick didn’t appear to comment on the slip and fall, he did post a series of pics on his Instagram celebrating big bro Joe Jonas’ 34th birthday on Tuesday. “Beautiful night in Boston celebrating @joejonas. See you again for show #2 tonight! #THETOUR,” he wrote alongside a carousel with highlights from the first night at the Garden, including Nick and Kevin presenting Joe with a giant three-tiered birthday cake on stage.

Joe also posted some highlights from the night, including a video of the packed arena crowd serenading him with “Happy Birthday” as he was presented with a comically large birthday card signed by fans. “Celebrated my birthday in Boston with 19,000 of my closest friends,” read the on-screen description of the clip, accompanied by the DNCE-themed caption, “Cake By the Boston. Love you. Thank you!”

Joe also posted pics from a family birthday dinner and his own carousel of snaps with personal highlights from night one of their two-night Beantown stand.

Check out Menzel’s tweet and fans serenading Joe below.

Ed Sheeran Appears to Teases Release Date For ‘Autumn Variations’ Album in Jokey ‘Damper Hamper’ Informercial

Famed Game of Thrones extra Ed Sheeran has flipped the script on Westeros’ favorite wintry warning with his recent “Autumn Is Coming” teaser campaign. Now he’s finally confirmed that his weeks of cryptic Instagram photos and videos — including a bit last week where he worked a shift at a Minneapolis LEGO store and flashed a minifig wearing a shirt with the fall-themed slogan — has a pay-off.

Kind of.

The “Eyes Closed” singer made Sheerios work for it a bit, though. The information came in the form of a fake 90-second informercial from the Gingerbread Man Shopping Channel that dropped on Wednesday (Aug. 16) in which Ed plays a cheesy pitchman whose tagline is: “if you like it a bit damper, check out my hamper!”

In a fast-talking bit where he talks up the wonders of the season of leaves and soggy rain, Sheeran promises a “brand new product” that will help you – yes, you! — deliver the “glum of autumn to the folks you love most.” Okay, so what he technically appears to be selling is an apple box filled with dirty, wet clothes, mashed potatoes, a warm pint, a rake, scarf, frozen pies and other miscellaneous items.

The wind-up leads to what appears to be the album title, Autumn Variations, with an accompanying phone number (917-909-4498) revealing that while all damper hampers are currently sold out, the shop will be re-stocking on Aug. 24. At press time a spokesperson for Sheeran had not returned a request for additional information on the project.

Before the commercial dropped, Sheeran shared more details about the album in an interview with Andy Cohen for his Deep & Shallow SiriusXM podcast. When Cohen asked if “Autumn Is Coming” was a reference to new music coming in October, Sheeran said “not in October. No, but there is new music coming.”

To clarify, Sheeran said, “It’s an album about Autumn and… I kind of have no expectations for it. I sort of, I made it whilst basically I, it was the album I was trying to make and then – (subtract) happened. And then, so I kind of like have finished it over the last year and, yeah, it’s ready to come out, so I’m gonna put it out.”

The interview came ahead of an exclusive show on Monday for SiriusXM subscribers and a group of special guests at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, NY that included Howard and Beth Stern, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, John Mayer, Brooke Shields, Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cohen, James Corden, Michael J. Fox, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld and others.  

Sheeran dropped his latest maths-themed album, – (subtract), in May of this year.

Check out Sheeran’s informercial below.

Britney Spears Shares First Post After Breakup Reports, Reveals She’s ‘Buying a Horse’

Breakups are never easy. Some folks keep calm and carry on. Some of us heal by cutting our hair, hitting the gym, or eating the contents of the fridge.

Britney Spears, it would appear, is indulging in some retail therapy.

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In her first post to Instagram after reports spread on her separation from Sam Asghari, Brit has announced she’s identified a new addition for her stable.

“Buying a horse soon,” she writes in a post on Instagram, accompanied by a pic of the pop star enjoying a trot on the beach. “So many options it’s kinda hard,” she continues. “A horse called Sophie and another called Roar. I can’t make up my mind. Should I join the camaraderie and put a pink cowboy hat on. Either way I think I found my sweet spot with Roar.”

TMZ was the first to share news of Britney and Sam’s split after a year of marriage, though neither side has publicly confirmed the current status of their relationship. Billboard has reached out to Spears’ reps for more information.

The U.S. singer and Asghari have been romantically linked since meeting on the set of Spears’ 2016 “Slumber Party” music video. The couple got engaged in September 2021, and soon tied the knot in a stunning, star-studded Los Angeles wedding ceremony in June 2022.

Rumors of marital trouble began swirling back in March, when Asghari, an an Iranian-American model, actor, and fitness trainer, was spotted without his wedding ring. His rep told People, however, that he simply removed it because he was filming a movie. The 29-year-old actor supported Spears through her grueling – and very public — legal battle to end her 13-year conservatorship that controlled her personal and professional life.

The 41-year-old artist last posted Asghari on her Instagram page earlier this summer, sharing a series of smiling selfies with her husband captioned with a red shoe emoji.