Current Events
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Nelly and Ashanti
We know you care. Legendary spin the block couple, Nelly and Ashanti, are getting a docuseries at Peacock.
Deadline exclusively reports the music superstars will be the focal point of a docuseries fresh off their secret marriage and the birth of their first child.
According to the website, the series will be filmed and produced by Nelly, Ashanti, and Critical Content, the company behind the Netflix documentary Sly and MTV’s Catfish. It will follow the celebrity couple. The Haynes will also executive produce alongside Jenny Daly and Oji Singletary at Critical Content Studios.
Deadline also reports the series has been filming for the past few months, but no did not share when we can expect to see the series on the streamer.
Nelly & Ashanti’s Love Timeline
Nelly and Ashanti’s legendary love story began in 2003 and ended in 2013 before a chance encounter during the VERZUZ event (remember those?) between Fat Joe and Ja Rule when they were both brought in as special guests to participate in the music battle.
In April 2024, Ashanti confirmed what we all knew: that she was pregnant with the couple’s first child, born in July. We also learned the couple, without much fanfare, got married in December 2023 in Missouri.
The upcoming docuseries will mark Nelly’s return to television. He starred in 2014-2015’s Nellyville, which lasted for two seasons on BET, and the Kevin Hart-led mockumentary Real Husbands of Hollywood. The “Country Grammar” rapper also starred in Adam Sandler’s The Longest Yard remake and an episode of CSI: New York. He also showed off his dance moves when he competed in Dancing With The Stars.
Ashanti was also bit by the Hollywood bug, starring in movies like Resident Evil: Extinction and series like Army Wives and Love & Listings.
Will you be tuned in? Let us know.
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Residents in the Westside, Los Angeles neighborhood of the Pacific Palisades, are threatened by a raging wildfire, leading Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency, and officials are looking to tame the blaze. The Pacific Palisades and other neighborhoods in California are under evacuation orders while the images from the wildfire have sparked both concern and debate online.
All across social media, the California wildfire has been discussed widely with users posting stirring photos and videos of the blaze. According to various reports from the likes of CBS News and the Los Angeles Times along with local outlets.
The fire began in Northwest Los Angeles on Tuesday (Jan. 7) morning and led to the evacuation of around 30,000 residents of the Pacific Palisades, which is nestled in the Westside region of Los Angeles County. High winds throughout the day spread the brush fire and CalFire reports that the blaze grew to a size of nearly 3,000 acres. Damages from the blaze are still being tallied along with the number of injuries, with widespread reports of heavy traffic and the like as residents look to flee to safety.
A second blaze broke on in Eaton in the Northern Los Angeles County neighborhood of Altadena and has reportedly torched over 1,000 homes according to CalFire officials. There was also a blaze titled the Hurst Fire that broke out in Los Angeles’ Sylmar neighborhood on Tuesday and touched several hundred acres.
Winds reached as high as 99 mph in the Altadena region and 84 mph at Hollywood Burbank Airport according to the National Weather Service. Santa Ana winds are typical in California but not usually this intense according to officials covering the weather event.
On X, formerly Twitter, residents enduring the wildfires are sharing their accounts of what they’re facing and giving detailed photos and video footage of the spreading damage. Those replies can be viewed below.
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Photo: Getty
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With Dry January in full swing, several people are opting to abstain from alcohol for the entire month while others are employing a Damp January tactic and lowering the intake with lighter sips. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is urging alcohol brands to add a warning label that drinking can cause cancer, prompting a new debate about the ingesting of adult beverages.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory last Friday calling for warning labels to be placed on bottles of alcohol meant for drinking highlighting the cancer risk links. In the advisory, Murthy says that drinking can lead to the cause of seven types of cancer – mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, breast, liver, colon and rectum.
In a statement, Murthy clarified his office’s findings.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”
In the United States, around 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases are active along with an annual total of 20,00 alcohol-related cancer deaths. The statement adds that many factors go into determining one’s cancer risks including biological, environmental, social, and economic factors. Currently, the standard of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women is considered moderate drinking and assumed to not bear any significant risks.
Congress would need to approve the warning labels and there would need to be quantifiable data findings to get this through the chambers. There has already been some resistance to the advisory by opinion writers who cover the health industry with one columnist suggesting that the same should be said of recreational marijuana.
With the incoming Trump administration, it isn’t known how much roadway this advisory will have with President-elect Donald Trump, who reportedly does not drink.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Fulton County Jail / Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
President-elect Donald Trump is slated to appear for sentencing for his conviction in the “hush money” case in New York City, and his online supporters are beside themselves.
Last Friday (January 3), President-elect Donald Trump received bad news regarding his sentencing in the “hush money” case in New York City when Judge Juan Merchan issued a decision that he would proceed. Judge Merchan ordered the sentencing to take place ten days before Trump is to be sworn in as president in Washington, D.C. The 18-page decision detailed Merchan’s reasoning, primarily explaining that Trump’s claims of immunity citing the Supreme Court’s infamous opinion were not valid. “The Constitution dictates that only a President, after taking the oath of office, has the authority of the Chief Executive, a President-elect does not. Accordingly, a President-elect is not permitted to avail himself of the protections afforded to the individual occupying that Office,” Merchan wrote.
Trump’s constant trashing of Merchan and other lawmakers and the court system also played a part in the decision. “Defendant’s disdain for the Third Branch of government, whether state or federal, in New York or elsewhere, is a matter of public record. Indeed, Defendant has gone to great lengths to broadcast on social media and other forums his lack of respect for judges, juries, grand juries, and the justice system as a whole,” he continued. Trump is not expected to receive any time in jail, as Merchan noted the difficulties in handing a prison sentence to a sitting president, he will not move to throw out the conviction.
Trump raged over that fact in a post on his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Monday morning (January 6), hours before his team declared that they would file an emergency appeal with New York State known as an “Article 78” petition used to challenge decisions by state judges and agencies. Several of Trump’s supporters among the right voiced their displeasure with Merchan on social media. “JUST IN: Judge Juan Merchan has just ordered President Trump to be sentenced in his phony hush money case on January 10th in New York City, 10 days before his inauguration. Outrageous,” wrote Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who’s been an ardent follower of Trump.
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Source: Michael Reaves / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion soft launched her alleged new boo, Chicago Bulls hooper Torrey Craig, and it didn’t take long for the drama to follow.
It only took hours after Megan Thee Stallion and Torrey Craig looked coupled up in a pic, an IG model decided it was time to put the NBA hooper on blast, and she came with receipts.
The streets began talking in 2024 about the two possibly dating after, with Thee Stallion adding more fuel to the fire by showing up to his games and posting a flick, even though they both have not officially confirmed they are in a relationship.
Things got interesting on social media over the weekend when an IG model, Jasmine Elizabeth, who also doubles as a registered nurse, shared dirty DMs she and Craig exchanged, with Megan Thee Stallion’s “B.A.S” as the soundtrack.
X removed Elizabeth’s original post because it violated the platform’s rules, but you can always count on someone screen-recording a moment on social media.
The IG Model shared screenshots of payments Craig allegedly sent to her, DMs asking her if she ever made a sex tape and if he could suck on her breasts.
#thejasmineelizabethhh exposes Chicago Bulls NBA player Torrey Craig for sending her payments And explicit messages after revealing his relationship with Megan Thee Stallion.👀First her bestfriend now jasmine.. Megan might have a problem💀#FREETORYLANEZ pic.twitter.com/I7lU3gHagn
— 41POP (@not41pop) January 5, 2025
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Torrey Craig Responded To The Claims
Craig, 34, responded to the post on Saturday via his Instagram Stories, writing, “Ain [sic] no way ppl want clout that bad.” In another post, he shared a video of a woman showing how to make fake Instagram DMs.
In another post, Craig shared messages from Elizabeth, ignoring her. One question she asked was, “I have a question for you. You gonna let me come to one of your games? I’m not tryna be seen, just wanna see you & head out lol.”
Torrey Craig pulled the reverse uno 👀 pic.twitter.com/37vWX3pOhl
— NFTs (@igotnftsmedia) January 5, 2025
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Elizabeth clapped back showing Craig indeed engaging in DM conversations with her.
The Jasmine Elizabeth posted a screen recording of her and Torrey Craig’s convo proving that she WASN’T talking to herself. pic.twitter.com/MXOWW4Mmze
— NFTs (@igotnftsmedia) January 5, 2025
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As expected, social media had thoughts. Some feel Elizabeth made Craig look silly asking for breast milk, calling him Homelander from The Boys, while others accuse her of being a clout chaser.
Did not want to know Torrey Craig was Homelander but here we are. pic.twitter.com/6cj400gpSg
— Nafisa (@thatxxv) January 5, 2025
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We hope Megan Thee Stallion is doing well despite all of this nonsense. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. See what happens when you let people in your business
5. A choice
7. Why are y’all like this.
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Source: CHRIS KLEPONIS / Getty
President Joe Biden awarded his final list of recipients for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including Denzel Washington and Hillary Clinton.
On Saturday (Jan. 4), President Joe Biden recognized an array of luminaries by awarding them the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is his final such ceremony as Commander-in-Chief, and the list of 18 honorees included Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, NBA Hall-of-Famer and businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Denzel Washington receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. pic.twitter.com/W59TnJxofk
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 4, 2025
The other recipients included Chef Jose Andres, actor Michael J. Fox, scientist Bill Nye, U2 singer/songwriter Bono, scientist and activist Jane Goodall, fashion mogul Ralph Lauren, American Film Institute founder George M. Stevens, entrepreneur Tim Gill, and World Cup winner Lionel Messi. There were also posthumous honorees – activist and co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Fannie Lou Hamer, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, former Michigan Governor George Romney, and former Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.
I am so humbled and overwhelmed with emotion right now. It is an absolute honor and privilege that President Joe Biden selected me for the esteemed Presidential Medal of Freedom award. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that this kid from Lansing, MI would one day… pic.twitter.com/3gFsus16cA
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 4, 2025
One particular honoree caught the wrath of right-wingers – billionaire George Soros, who has been a consistent donor to Democrats through the years. Bestowing the Presidential Medal of Freedom on donors is not unusual. In Donald Trump’s first term in office, he bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon the late conservative media figure Rush Limbaugh and billionaire Republican donors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Carlyle Group co-founder David M. Rubenstein joined Soros on the list of honorees.
The ceremony was held in the East Room of the White House, and it was a jubilant affair. Michael J. Fox, who was honored for his contributions to the research of Parkinson’s disease, was overcome with emotion after receiving the honor. Chef Jose Andrés, who has become a global figure with his World Central Kitchen helping those in need after disasters and conflict, expressed his appreciation in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Today, I’m humbled to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I know that immigrants are bridges…we build the longer tables that connect us all,” he wrote.
When I first arrived to Washington DC in 1993, Senator Moynihan told me – “if you love America, America will always love you back.”
Today, I’m humbled to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I know that immigrants are bridges…we build the longer tables that connect us… pic.twitter.com/vyV5g4ziyl
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) January 4, 2025
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January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol was attacked by a mob of largely white domestic terrorists operating under the orders of Donald Trump as part of his “Stop The Steal” movement. On the fourth anniversary of the heinous attack on democracy, many on X are remembering the January 6 insurrection just as Trump is gearing up for a second term in the White House.
The events of January 6 were an example of how unchecked power in the White House could be dangerous, and how the lack of checks and balances might essentially doom our democracy. Under Trump’s guidance and fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories from the darkest corners of the Web, the mob of Trump supporters swarmed the Capitol under the veil of misguided justice in the name of their leader.
The group, sparked by politically motivated bloodlust, was sent to attack Vice President Mike Pence for failing to block the confirmation and there were clear intentions to harm any elected official who was a perceived enemy of Trump. This mob felt ordained to carry out Trump’s justice as wayward vigilantes fighting under a false flag.
Given the level of meddling Trump engaged in on the state level regarding losing votes over what he thought would be shoo-ins for his reelection, the weaponizing of his base to enact a coup of sorts should have had its day in court before winning the election last fall. Even members of Trump’s party sought a path where the president-elect would face the facts of his actions.
However, procedural delays, political hand-wringing, and an unprecedented move by the United States Supreme Court empowered Trump and will most likely allow him and the January 6 insurrectionists to sidestep justice unscathed. The embers of hope that Trump would have his day in court were effectively snuffed out after Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith filed to have felony charges against Trump dropped.
The election interference matter Trump has been accused of was marred by the typical tug-of-war of politics, with Trump supporters stating that the DOJ was on a “witch hunt” and a true denial of any sort of accountability from Trump. It is sobering that Donald Trump yet avoided penalties for his actions yet again, and the populace at large is bracing for another four years under Trump’s reign.
On X, formerly Twitter, many are remembering the January 6 insurrection attack, and the reactions are centered on the truth of what happened, not centering on any political side.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will not face a federal investigation into violations of judicial ethics he allegedly committed.
On Thursday (Jan. 2), the U.S. Judicial Conference announced that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will not be subject to a federal investigation of allegations that he violated ethics with past behavior. In letters sent to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga), the judicial body relayed their decision, questioning if they had the authority to make such a probe.
“Justice Thomas has filed amended financial disclosure statements that address several issues identified in your letter,” Conrad wrote, continuing: “In addition, he has agreed to follow the relevant guidance issued to other federal judges, which would include the guidance mentioned above. We have no reason to believe he has done anything less. That provides one answer to your referral request.”
The requests to investigate came from Democrats in Congress who pointed to findings from a published investigative article last April by ProPublica that showed over two dozen instances of Thomas receiving luxury gifts and trips, mostly from the billionaire and Republican sponsor Harlan Crow. These include Crow purchasing Thomas’ mother’s home and a 2019 trip to Indonesia estimated to have cost $500,000. It has been estimated that since Thomas’ 1991 confirmation, he’s accepted $4.75 million worth of gifts. Thomas had argued that the guidelines at the time didn’t demand that he disclose those gifts. Conrad also cited that a request by Whitehouse and Johnson made to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for a special counsel impacted the conference’s decision.
The situation has caused an uproar, with many more questioning the Court and its ability to rule and deliver opinions without bias. The judicial advocacy group, Fix The Court, decried the news in a statement: “The Conference’s letters further underscore the need for Congress to create a new and transparent mechanism to investigate the justices for ethics violations since the Conference is unwilling to act upon the one method we had presumed existed to do that.”
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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Last week, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and not-so-genius tech bro Elon Musk, co-chairs of President-elect Donald Trump’s new “Department of Government Efficiency,” both went on social media defending the American tech industry’s consistent hiring of foreign engineers despite the MAGA world’s seething hatred for immigrants taking “American jobs” and the fact that Musk and Ramaswamy backed Trump as he spewed xenophobic, anti-immigrant hate speech on the campaign trail throughout his campaign.
Musk tweeted, “The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low” and that “there is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America,” the so-called greatest country in the world. Ramaswamy co-signed Musk, tweeting: “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.”
The remarks have sparked somewhat of a civil war in the MAGA world between conservatives who don’t appreciate Americans being characterized as lazy and incompetent (you know, unless those Americans are non-white male “DEI hires”) and Trump supporters who will back team Trump no matter what the president-elect or his loyal affiliates have to say.
Anyway, former CNN host Don Lemon weighed in on the controversy with a message for MAGA Republicans on both sides of the debate:
All of y’all are stupid!
“Now you’re finding out, you dumb f**king idiots,” Lemon said in the latest episode of his YouTube video series, which he launched after Musk canceled his series on X because Lemon made him look like a big, racist idiot during an interview (which only happened because Musk is a big, racist idiot.)
“Now you’re just figuring this sh*t out. You’re so f**king stupid and you deserve it. You f**king deserve it because you’re so dumb. Yes, I am gloating over your stupidity,” Lemon continued. “You have been co-opted, you’re in a f**king cult and you don’t even realize it because you have stupid MAGA brain and you don’t get it. How stupid and dumb are you?”
I mean, Lemon ain’t wrong — but damn, bro, did you have to drag them like that?
Actually, yes, yes he did.
They are, after all, just a bunch of “dumb f**king idiots.”
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Source: @WakaFlocka / Twitter
Waka Flocka Flame will be appearing at a gala hosted by Black conservatives for the second inauguration of Donald Trump, with Antonio Brown among the other featured guests.
As President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration approaches later this month, multiple events are being finalized. One of them will be the Legacy of Freedom Ball, organized by the Black Conservatives Federation, which has added Waka Flocka Flame to its lineup of guests. The federation has promised “an evening of elegance and unparalleled celebration” to honor Trump for his second presidential term. However, the addition of Waka Flocka Flame has drawn derision to the event from observers. “Embarrassing,” was the commentary from activist Deray Mckesson in a post sharing the flyer on X, formerly Twitter.
Embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/3nenAwJIdo
— deray (@deray) December 30, 2024
The other guests that have been to the gala include Brooklyn rapper Fivio Foreign, former NFL star receiver Antonio Brown, former ESPN host and sports journalist Sage Steele, former Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll, and evangelist Dr. Alveda King, the niece of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King and Steele will serve as honorary event chairs along with two Republican members of Congress, Florida Representative Byron Donalds and Texas Representative Wesley Hunt. Noted conservative media figure Kimberly Klacik will serve as the mistress of ceremonies.
Waka Flocka’s inclusion in the event is unsurprising, considering that he’s been an avid supporter of Donald Trump publicly since early last year. The Queens-born, Atlanta-based artist even declared that if Vice President Kamala Harris had won the presidential election in November, he would leave the United States. He defended his position in a post on X, formerly Twitter, last July.
“Trump still my president. I don’t have to stand with a red hat or dance [on] stage for money in my pockets,” he continued. “[It] Didn’t push me [in] this direction. This is my choice like I choose not to eat pork, but do that make me hate pork lovers or disrespect their character…nor will I act like [it].” Waka Flocka Flame was not alone in declaring his support of Trump either on the rap front, as Fivio Foreign was present at a Trump rally last year. They join Kodak Black, who has gone on record of supporting the president-elect after receiving a pardon from him back in 2021.