In a criminal complaint, the FBI detailed how a hacker allegedly stole data from 100 million people—and how she got caught.
from Wired https://ift.tt/2K1jUZA
via
Monday, July 29, 2019
Bow Wow vexes Wendy Williams supporters by posting body shaming
Shortly after dissing his ex-girlfriend Ciara, it looks like Bow Wow is now throwing daggers at talk show host Wendy Williams.
The 32-year-old rapper, whose real name is Shad Moss, took to Twitter to post a photo of Williams in a black, two-piece bathing suit under the body-shaming caption: “They say it’s a hot girl summer” followed by several emoticons meant to poke fun at Williams.
They say its a hot girl summer 😂⚠️ 😷 🤢 pic.twitter.com/IcZgN9XsVg
— Bow Wow (@smoss) July 28, 2019
The post, which received plenty of backlash, is believed to be in response to Williams calling Bow Wow out last week for his “very distasteful comments” about Ciara, in which he called his ex a “b—h” during a nightclub appearance and talked about “having her first.”
READ MORE: Wendy Williams blasts Bow Wow for disparaging Ciara during a club appearance
In defense of Ciara, Williams, 55, took Bow Wow to task and didn’t mince words.
“Bow Wow, I am mad at you … What’re you doing?” Williams said at the beginning of her “Hot Topics” segment. “Bow Wow, I’m not hating on you, but young man, so what?”
“It’s very distasteful. We’ve all had somebody before we had you, man. We’ve all lived, but to be shirtless in a club and calling her a ‘b—h,’ you were so wrong for that,” Williams added.
Now Williams’ supporters are also firing back at the former rapper.
wendy flying in private jets while you posting google images and flying coach, beyloved
— 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 | fan account (@payolapapi) July 28, 2019
Yet she out here making much more money than you and ended you
— Megatron (@normaninicki) July 28, 2019
when u failed as a rapper so you gotta turn to making fun of older (more successful) women on the TL 🤣🤣🤣 log out shad
— chels (@chelseannna) July 28, 2019
Earlier this year, Bow Wow was in the news for a domestic dispute with a girlfriend that left him with several scars on his face and posing for a mugshot. In the February incident, he claims that he was the victim and the woman, Leslie Holden was the aggressor. He claimed that he was wrongfully arrested, but faced misdemeanor battery charges.
READ MORE: Bow Wow claims that his girlfriend threw a lamp at him during violent brawl
The post Bow Wow vexes Wendy Williams supporters by posting body shaming appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/31474j3
via
Trump calls Al Sharpton a “racist” in latest rant
President Trump continued his attacks on Black leaders Monday, by setting his sights on Rev. Al Sharpton.
After seeing that Rev. Sharpton was in Baltimore, holding a press conference in part to address Trump’s attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings, the President went on a tirade:
“I have known Al for 25 years. Went to fights with him & Don King, always got along well. He “loved Trump!” He would ask me for favors often. Al is a con man, a troublemaker, always looking for a score. Just doing his thing. Must have intimidated Comcast/NBC. Hates Whites & Cops!”
After tweeting more attacks on Rep. Cummings and blasting Rev. Sharpton for showing up to “complain and protest” then stating “nothing will get done for the people in need,” Trump continued his wild rant:
“Al Sharpton would always ask me to go to his events. He would say, “it’s a personal favor to me.” Seldom, but sometimes, I would go. It was fine. He came to my office in T.T. during the presidential campaign to apologize for the way he was talking about me. Just a conman at work!”
Its no secret that the President and Sharpton once had a relationship
Rev. Sharpton recently told The New York Times about his encounters with Trump in NYC: “I’ve never heard him say anything racial. I always sensed he was not comfortable being around us. He reminded me what he was — a Queens guy. He saw us as entertainers or athletes that he had to do business with.”
Sharpton was clear to point that out, by tweeting a photo of Trump cozying up to himself and other civil rights leaders:
“Trump at NAN Convention 2006 telling James Brown and Jesse Jackson why he respects my work. Different tune now.”
Trump at NAN Convention 2006 telling James Brown and Jesse Jackson why he respects my work. Different tune now. pic.twitter.com/mvNQmPdLUh
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) July 29, 2019
In an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Sharpton also responded by pointing out Trump’s potential strategy.
“[Trump’s] going to attack the most visible black person that comes across his desk and he thinks can set a tone. I’m not going to bite the bait.”
Earlier this month, Sharpton called out Trump’s strategy in 2016 and how it relates to Vice President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign:
“Donald Trump won playing the race card but he also played that he was going to undo everything President Obama did,” Sharpton said on MSNBC.
“He was the co-pilot of the years that Mr. Trump is now trying to displace.”
This morning’s rant is the latest attack in a line of attacks on leaders of color, including: Rep. Elijah Cummings, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Rashidah Tlaib, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Maxine Waters.
The post Trump calls Al Sharpton a “racist” in latest rant appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2ZhkkjO
via
Barack Obama co-signs op-ed piece signed by 149 Black former administration members blasting Trump
Former President Barack Obama shared his support for a blistering op-ed piece condemning President Donald Trump’s latest attacks, flatly calling them “racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia.”
—Donald Trump writes racist tweet about congresswomen of color—
The op-ed piece titled: “We are African Americans, we are patriots, and we refuse to sit idly by,” was published by The Washington Post on Friday and Obama tweeted the link which was signed by 149 African American members of the former President’s administration.
On Saturday, Obama shared the scathing op-ed and praised his former team for taking up the fight against Trump’s rabid racism.
“I’ve always been proud of what this team accomplished during my administration. But more than what we did, I’m proud of how they’re continuing to fight for an America that’s better,” Obama wrote.
And Trump’s nasty attacks have been persistent and non-stop.
He tweeted: “So interesting to see “Progressive” Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly……
“….and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how….
“….it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!”
Obama administration members took a stand on Friday against Trump’s vitriol.
“We stand with congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, as well as all those currently under attack by President Trump, along with his supporters and his enablers, who feel deputized to decide who belongs here — and who does not,” the article read.
—Rep. Ayanna Pressley proposes bill to abolish the reinstatement of capital punishment—
“There is truly nothing more un-American than calling on fellow citizens to leave our country — by citing their immigrant roots, or ancestry, or their unwillingness to sit in quiet obedience while democracy is being undermined.”
The article also outlined that Trump’s “go back where you came from” rhetoric is a racist trope that is a loud and clear reminder of the ugliness that has long existed in America.
“We’ve heard this before. Go back where you came from. Go back to Africa. And now, “send her back.” Black and brown people in America don’t hear these chants in a vacuum; for many of us, we’ve felt their full force being shouted in our faces, whispered behind our backs, scrawled across lockers, or hurled at us online. They are part of a pattern in our country designed to denigrate us as well as keep us separate and afraid,” the article read.
“As 149 African Americans who served in the last administration, we witnessed firsthand the relentless attacks on the legitimacy of President Barack Obama and his family from our front-row seats to America’s first black presidency. Witnessing racism surge in our country, both during and after Obama’s service and ours, has been a shattering reality, to say the least. But it has also provided jet-fuel for our activism, especially in moments such as these.”
The article continues tearing into Trump.
“We come from Minnesota and Michigan. The Bronx and Baton Rouge. Florida and Philadelphia. Cleveland and the Carolinas. Atlanta and Nevada. Oak-town and the Chi. We understand our role in this democracy, and respect the promise of a nation built by, for and of immigrants. We are part of that tradition, and have the strength to both respect our ancestors from faraway lands and the country we all call home.
“Our love of country lives in these demands, and our commitment to use our voices and our energy to build a more perfect union. We refuse to sit idly by as racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia are wielded by the president and any elected official complicit in the poisoning of our democracy.”
The post Barack Obama co-signs op-ed piece signed by 149 Black former administration members blasting Trump appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2LN7hDU
via
TESS discovers three new planets nearby, including temperate “sub-Neptune”
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, has discovered three new worlds that are among the smallest, nearest exoplanets known to date. The planets orbit a star just 73 light-years away and include a small, rocky super-Earth and two sub-Neptunes — planets about half the size of our own icy giant.
The sub-Neptune furthest out from the star appears to be within a “temperate” zone, meaning that the very top of the planet’s atmosphere is within a temperature range that could support some forms of life. However, scientists say the planet’s atmosphere is likely a thick, ultradense heat trap that renders the planet’s surface too hot to host water or life.
Nevertheless, this new planetary system, which astronomers have dubbed TOI-270, is proving to have other curious qualities. For instance, all three planets appear to be relatively close in size. In contrast, our own solar system is populated with planetary extremes, from the small, rocky worlds of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, to the much more massive Jupiter and Saturn, and the more remote ice giants of Neptune and Uranus.
There’s nothing in our solar system that resembles an intermediate planet, with a size and composition somewhere in the middle of Earth and Neptune. But TOI-270 appears to host two such planets: both sub-Neptunes are smaller than our own Neptune and not much larger than the rocky planet in the system.
Astronomers believe TOI-270’s sub-Neptunes may be a “missing link” in planetary formation, as they are of an intermediate size and could help researchers determine whether small, rocky planets like Earth and more massive, icy worlds like Neptune follow the same formation path or evolve separately.
TOI-270 is an ideal system for answering such questions, because the star itself is nearby and therefore bright, and also unusually quiet. The star is an M-dwarf, a type of star that is normally extremely active, with frequent flares and solar storms. TOI-270 appears to be an older M-dwarf that has since quieted down, giving off a steady brightness, against which scientists can measure many properties of the orbiting planets, such as their mass and atmospheric composition.
“There are a lot of little pieces of the puzzle that we can solve with this system,” says Maximilian Günther, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research and lead author of a study published today in Nature Astronomy that details the discovery. “You can really do all the things you want to do in exoplanet science, with this system.”
Compare and contrast worlds in the TOI 270 system with these illustrations. Temperatures given for TOI 270 planets are equilibrium temperatures, calculated without the warming effects of any possible atmospheres. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
A planetary pattern
Günther and his colleagues detected the three new planets after looking through measurements of stellar brightness taken by TESS. The MIT-developed satellite stares at patches of the sky for 27 days at a time, monitoring thousands of stars for possible transits — characteristic dips in brightness that could signal a planet temporarily blocking the star’s light as it passes in front of it.
The team isolated several such signals from a nearby star, located 73 light years away in the southern sky. They named the star TOI-270, for the 270th “TESS Object of Interest” identified to date. The researchers used ground-based instruments to follow up on the star’s activity, and confirmed that the signals are the result of three orbiting exoplanets: planet b, a rocky super-Earth with a roughly three-day orbit; planet c, a sub-Neptune with a five-day orbit; and planet d, another sub-Neptune slightly further out, with an 11-day orbit.
Günther notes that the planets seem to line up in what astronomers refer to as a “resonant chain,” meaning that the ratio of their orbits are close to whole integers — in this case, 3:5 for the inner pair, and 2:1 for the outer pair — and that the planets are therefore in “resonance” with each other. Astronomers have discovered other small stars with similarly resonant planetary formations. And in our own solar system, the moons of Jupiter also happen to line up in resonance with each other.
“For TOI-270, these planets line up like pearls on a string,” Günther says. “That’s a very interesting thing, because it lets us study their dynamical behavior. And you can almost expect, if there are more planets, the next one would be somewhere further out, at another integer ratio.”
“An exceptional laboratory”
TOI-270’s discovery initially caused a stir of excitement within the TESS science team, as it seemed, in the first analysis, that planet d might lie in the star’s habitable zone, a region that would be cool enough for the planet’s surface to support water, and possibly life. But the researchers soon realized that the planet’s atmosphere was probably extremely thick, and would therefore generate an intense greenhouse effect, causing the planet’s surface to be too hot to be habitable.
But Günther says there is a good possibility that the system hosts other planets, further out from planet d, that might well lie within the habitable zone. Planet d, with an 11-day orbit, is about 10 million kilometers out from the star. Günther says that, given that the star is small and relatively cool — about half as hot as the sun — its habitable zone could potentially begin at around 15 million kilometers. But whether a planet exists within this zone, and whether it is habitable, depends on a host of other parameters, such as its size, mass, and atmospheric conditions.
Fortunately, the team writes in their paper that “the host star, TOI-270, is remarkably well-suited for future habitability searches, as it is particularly quiet.” The researchers plan to focus other instruments, including the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, on TOI-270, to pin down various properties of the three planets, as well as search for additional planets in the star’s habitable zone.
“TOI-270 is a true Disneyland for exoplanet science, and one of the prime systems TESS was set out to discover,” Günther says. “It is an exceptional laboratory for not one, but many reasons — it really ticks all the boxes.”
This research was funded, in part, by NASA.
from MIT News https://ift.tt/2GAtEIt
via
50 Cent: ‘Power’ being overlooked by Emmys is racial
50 Cent said he thinks “Power” being overlooked by the Emmys over the years was racial despite the success of popular Starz series that has a prominently black cast.
“I like to say it’s racial. That’s the easy way to get out of things,” said the rapper and executive producer of the series during a panel discussion Friday at the Television Critics Association Press Tour. “People who are running and connected to these ceremonies are not necessarily cool people.”
After 50 Cent’s comments, “Power” creator Courtney Kemp — who accompanied him on stage — sarcastically said “So now, we’ll never get one.”
“Power” stars Omari Hardwick as a man who’s trying to leave behind his life as a drug kingpin and go legit. The series has become one of Starz’s most popular shows, but the popularity of the series hasn’t translated into Emmy nominations.
50 Cent said he experienced being overlooked before during his music career, especially when his debut studio album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ” was released in 2003.
“This project is the same material I used for my music,” he said. “I didn’t receive an award for best new artist when I had the largest debut for a hip-hop album. I sold more records for a first album today. I look at it the same. I’m going to make the numbers. The viewership before we’re done with it, they’ll be looking around saying ‘Yeah, we (expletive) up again.’ ”
“Power” will air its sixth and final season in two parts, Starz said. The first half, which 10 episodes, will begin as previously announced on Aug. 25. The concluding five episodes will start airing in January.
Kemp said the Emmy snubs were “disappointing.” But she was happy that the show has gotten recognition from their “core audience,” including the NAACP Image Awards.
“I thought we were doing something new and fresh,” Kemp said. “I was hoping that the Emmy voters would take notice, and they didn’t. You just accept it and move on. But we’ve been winning Image Awards now for quite some time. It feels as though our core audience does love and respect the show. Not every show gets the attention it deserves.”
The post 50 Cent: ‘Power’ being overlooked by Emmys is racial appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2SKTZZ8
via
T.J. Maxx apologizes to family for racially profiling their Black son
Discount retailer T.J. Maxx has apologized to a Connecticut family who says their teenage son was the victim of racial profiling by store employees.
Melissa Askew-Ferris tells WFSB-TV her three sons were at a T.J. Maxx store in Wethersfield earlier this month and were followed by store employees. The boys immediately left.
The family from Cromwell later learned an employee had identified one of her sons as someone suspected of stealing from the store. Askew-Ferris, who is black, says surveillance video showed her son bore no resemblance to the suspect.
T.J. Maxx, part of the Framingham, Massachusetts-based TJX Companies, in a statement said we “expect that all of our customers will be treated with dignity and respect” and “sincerely apologize that this was not the experience” of the Askew-Ferris family.
The post T.J. Maxx apologizes to family for racially profiling their Black son appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2YuoE1Y
via
Actresses of color make equal-pay quest a group effort
Actresses of color are getting more roles and acclaim, but not commensurate money. Recognizing that achieving change isn’t a solo act, they looked for help — and found it in each other.
Giving colleagues a peek at their paychecks, speaking out about economic disparity and using hard-won success to boost others are among the measures slowly gaining traction in an industry where most actors are hunting for their next freelance job and women of color face entrenched barriers.
“One of the first things we say is, ‘Find out what the people around you are making,'” said entertainment lawyer Nina Shaw, a founding member of Times Up, the organization created in 2018 to fight sexual misconduct and workplace inequality. “And more and more, we’re finding that people are willing to talk to each other.”
Without knowledge of what other actors with a similar track record are getting for equivalent work, “you are way behind the eight ball,” said Gabrielle Union (“Think Like a Man,” ”Being Mary Jane”).
Changing entrenched behavior takes time, Union said, but “little by little we’re communicating, and women of color, specifically black women, are like, ‘Oh, hell nah.’ We are so woefully underpaid, under-appreciated, disrespected.”
Ana de la Reguera (“Power,” upcoming film “Army of the Dead”) saw the value of networking as part of “Latinas Who Lunch,” an informal group started by Eva Longoria. Actresses, as well as writers and directors, gathered to share their experiences and job and career building tips.
“We were actually encouraging each other to, say, shadow (observe) a director, ask to direct an episode, ask to be the executive producer,” de la Reguera said. The #MeToo movement consumed their attention last year, but she continues advising women one-on-one as they learn to navigate Hollywood’s intricate system, which she said is more challenging than the still-growing industry in her native Mexico.
What performers earn is difficult to verify, say researchers who track film and TV employment. Privacy concerns are one obvious reason, as are the complex deals that include compensation for acting and other work (as with HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” which Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman starred in and produced).
But there is research that adds weight to complaints of disparity. In the latest San Diego State University analysis of TV’s broadcast, cable and streaming programs, women had 40 percent of the speaking roles while men had 60 percent in 2017-18 despite the genders being evenly split in the population. Further limiting opportunities for women of color: 67 percent of all female roles went to white actresses, the study found. That exceeds the almost 61 percent they represent among U.S. women.
Asked if industry racism is at play, Union, who won a contract dispute with media giant Viacom-owned BET over her series “Being Mary Jane,” had a ready reply.
“Based on the numbers that I know that black women, Latinas, Asian women, indigenous actors are making, there is no other logical reason why we are paid what we are paid versus what our contemporaries are paid who are lacking melanin,” she said.
Less work means fewer chances for an actress to build a resume and the fan base that leads to more and better roles. Yet box-office receipts and TV ratings show that audiences embrace projects with multiethnic casts, according to an annual Hollywood diversity report from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Union wanted an established actress playing opposite her in “L.A.’s Finest,” which spins off Union’s character from “Bad Boys II,” and settled on Jessica Alba (“Sin City,” ”Dark Angel”). As executive producer of the Spectrum TV series, Union was positioned to make that happen — and ensure that Alba was fairly compensated.
“Because of the way my deal is set up, I had no problem giving back money to make sure Jessica Alba gets paid what Jessica Alba is worth,” Union said. “But you have to have the studio, the network, everyone to sign off on that.”
Asserting one’s economic value can be complicated when the sensitive subject of ethnicity is involved, even for celebrated actress Viola Davis, an Oscar and Emmy winner. In a 2018 interview Davis said that while people have termed her “a black Meryl Streep” she isn’t paid what she’s worth.
Davis later felt compelled to offer a public apology, telling The Associated Press she doesn’t compare herself to Streep, others do, and that she was taking responsibility for making the most of her potential with her own productions.
While African American actresses fight for pay that matches the stardom and critical acclaim they’ve achieved after decades of struggle, the scant number of leading roles for actresses of Asian and Latino descent is a different burden.
Even with the box-office hit “Crazy Rich Asians,” the sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” and Sandra Oh’s success in “Killing Eve,” actors with Asian roots struggle to get lead roles and commensurate pay, said Nancy Wang Yuen, a Biola University professor and author of “Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism.”
“There isn’t a kind of a consistent platform advocating for Asians in Hollywood, and that’s part of the problem,” she said.
Jennifer Lopez made a huge leap for Latinas with 1997’s “Selena,” becoming the first Hispanic actress to earn $1 million. The importance of that payday has grown in retrospect, said Lopez, who recalled that she felt undeserving and even ashamed of her success at the time.
“But now I realize that it was important because our community needed that boost to say, ‘Yes, we are just as much value as any other actor (in) a leading role in Hollywood, in a big film,” Lopez said.
“Everybody knows there is racism, there is sexism …. it all exists. It’s just about us getting to the point of you realizing what you’re worth and who you are,” she said.
Awkwafina, the young breakout star of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “The Farewell,” finds herself in a similar position but forced to navigate among established actresses fed up with the status quo and past ready to make waves.
“Maybe I should inform myself how getting paid works but, at this point, I’m a newcomer. … And I don’t know what I should be getting,” she said. “But I think if I continue to deliver products that are doing well and that are well-received, I should be compensated fairly, right?”
The post Actresses of color make equal-pay quest a group effort appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2YciZOE
via
Meghan Markle makes history as guest editor of British Vogue and interviews Michelle Obama
Meghan Markle lent her creative vision to help put together a memorable cover for the upcoming September cover for British Vogue as a guest editor.
—‘They don’t make it easy’: Meghan Markle admits struggles with being in public eye—
The new mom stepped into a history-making role as the legendary magazine’s first guest editor in its 103-year history. And the Duchess of Sussex selected key figures for the cover as well as chose the photographer, Vogue reports.
And when it came to showcasing her royal face, Markle was clear about getting the message across that she did not want certain assets covered up.
“My instructions from the Duchess were clear: ‘I want to see freckles!’” photographer Peter Lindbergh the outlet about her request the morning of their photoshoot.
—BBC slammed for ‘racist’ & ‘disrespectful’ cartoon of Meghan Markle—
The news was announced Sunday in Instagram posts by both the magazine and the official account of Markle and Prince Harry that revealed the issue was named “Forces for Change.”
“For the past seven months, the duchess has curated the content with British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful to create an issue that highlights the power of the collective,” the royals’ post read.
Included in the issue is an interview between Markle and former First Lady Michelle Obama and a conversation between Markle and Dr. Jane Goodall.
“For the cover, the Duchess chose a diverse selection of women from all walks of life, each driving impact and raising the bar for equality, kindness, justice and open mindedness. The 16th space on the cover, a mirror, was included so that when you hold the issue in your hands, you see yourself as part of this collective.”British Vogue noted that Markle is the first guest editor of the all-important September issue in 103-year history of the magazine.
“Guest editing the September issue of British Vogue has been rewarding, educational and inspiring,” Markle said in the Instagram post. “To deep dive into this process, working quietly behind the scenes for so many months, I am happy to now be able to share what we have created.”
The post Meghan Markle makes history as guest editor of British Vogue and interviews Michelle Obama appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2yj3aXc
via
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)