Kiki Layne stars in Gina Prince Bythewood flick ‘The Old Guard’

Director Gina Prince Bythewood is bringing her brilliance to Netflix with a new action The Old Guard, due out this summer.

READ MORE:  Alexandra Shipp responds to Kiki Layne coming for her Storm role: ‘I won’t ever bad mouth a fellow actor’

The Love & Basketball director directs the film based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and they’ve enlisted some of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters to take part.

The all-star cast includes Charlize Theron and If Beale Street Could Talk star, Kiki Layne. 

Here’s the official synopsis:

Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (KiKi Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Old Guard is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks.

READ MORE: Kiki Layne, James Earl Jones, Rick Ross cast in ‘Coming To America 2’

Check out the trailer:

The Old Guard premieres July 10 on Netflix.

By the looks of the trailer, we’re in for a wild ride of non-stop action with this flick.

Aside from Love & Basketball, Bythewood brought us beloved classics like The Wood, Beyond The Lights, The Secret Life of Bees, and Disappearing Acts, among others.

Rucka’s graphic novel series started in 2017 with the publication of “The Old Guard Book 1: Opening Fire.” 

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

 

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White Man Threatens to Call Police on Black Men for Trespassing at Minneapolis Gym

A white man threatened to call the police on some black men at a Minneapolis gym after accusing them of not belonging in the building, according to Business Insider.

In another case of racial profiling, the black men, the entrepreneurs behind Team Top Figure, a social media consulting firm, shared the encounter in the Mozaic East building, where they rent space from a WeWork on site. They were entitled to use the gym.

The white man, Tom Austin, a venture capitalist who runs the F2 Intelligence Group, approached the men questioning whether they belong there.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Normally we don’t speak out about encounters of racial profiling and age discrimination that we face day to day in our lives as young black entrepreneurs. Although today May 26th 2020 7:51pm we encountered a situation where a man entered the facility, a shared private gym that we utilize in our @wework @mozaic_east office located in uptown Minnesota. Granted we’ve been in this office space and have rented and grown our business for the past 1 year and half here. As we were working out this man approached and immediately asked us who we were and if “WE BELONG” in this building. Granted in order to enter the building you NEED a key card to enter EVERY part of the building which EACH of our team members individually have. We all pay rent here and this man demanded that we show him our key cards or he will call the cops on us. We are sick and tired of tolerating this type of behavior on a day to day basis and we feel that we had to bring light onto this situation.

A post shared by Top Figure (@teamtopfigure) on May 26, 2020 at 8:33pm PDT

Austin provided Business Insider a written statement:

“Yes, I f—-d up. Should have handled it differently.  Not my job to have done anything. Building management had been complaining that tenants were allowing their friends to trespassing and use a private gym that was authorized only for building tenants. Said hello to everyone when I walked in. But after working out for 10 minutes, I noticed that one of the tenants seemed to have brought 4 friends and I complained to them that this isn’t right. One guy was letting his other 4 friends in and out of the building with his pass card FOB. Four guys didn’t have a FOB. When I said something, they got in my face accusing me of racial profiling. I said it wasn’t racial profiling and it was all about suspicious activity/behavior. Because they were in my face and didn’t have pass cards, I took photos and called the property manager. I only called the building property manager!  Never called 911.  I told them I’d have done the same thing if they were white, or even a bunch of girls who were trespassing. What surprises me is that we worked out in gym together for another 45 minutes. I had already apologized to them for making them feel it was a race issue and I listened to all their grievances about “being black.” When I left the gym, at the end of the night I said “Have a great night, hope we’re good.” and did a fist bump with each of them! There is way more to the story. Fake news!”

The Star Tribune reported that Stuart Ackerberg, CEO of Ackerberg Group, which owns the MoZaic East building, has terminated Austin’s lease. Ackerberg said he was still heartbroken from seeing the video of police brutality victim George Floyd when he viewed the video clip of the confrontation.

“My heart hurts,” he said. “This is not how we do business. … I’m alarmed by what I saw.”

He said that two WeWork members used their key fobs to access the gym and he assumes the other people in the Top Figure group also were employees.

“It appears they had every right to be there and to use that amenity,” he said.

Ackerberg said he spoke to Austin on Wednesday and expressed his dismay.

“I shared with him that I did not think it was handled well and there are other ways to go about this,” he said. “It’s unfortunate. Our goal is to create a safe and inviting experience for everybody.”

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How This L.A. Attorney Found Success As An Expat Living In Kuwait

Each year, thousands of Americans leave the United States to find opportunities in international markets. Oftentimes, these expats are able to obtain higher salaries in addition to other benefits in these countries for their American education and work experience. For a Los Angeles-based lawyer, moving to another country to continue her law career brought on a new set of opportunities along with a memorable cultural experience.

Najmah Brown already had several years of experience working in entertainment law when she was offered the chance to expand her career internationally with a job at the Al-Adwani Law Firm located in Kuwait. Her clients included the Oprah Winfrey Network, Al Jazeera America, and CBS.

After her first trip to the country in 2015, she decided to return on business where she was introduced to Kuwaiti lawyers after meeting a diplomat. “He asked if I would work with him and run his firm’s national department,” Brown said in an interview with Downtown Los Angeles News.“My experience before that had been in media, so I was unsure as to how that would translate to working in an Arabic country.”

“But after accepting the position, the first client I worked with was a telecommunications company. I immediately noticed there were a lot of similarities between my work there and my previous work in media. I was still working with contracts and paperwork, just in different industries.”

Brown was able to find success working in the firm’s international department providing transactional legal services to local companies within the country. She continues to work with a range of both foreign and local Kuwaiti clients including entertainment, by getting overseas talent to perform within the country. She also wrote for a wrote a legal column for the Arab Times publication and has consulted with the U.S. embassy on local matters when it needed an English-speaking lawyer.

“In the United States we follow a common law system, whereas Kuwait follows civil law,” Brown said. “When we were working with international companies, they were always concerned with how a judge would apply the law in their case.”

“Because there’s no precedent, any judge can interpret the law the way he wants to. Their system is not as complex as ours and their laws aren’t as detailed, so you don’t know what is going to happen until you get in front of the judge.”

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Algorithm quickly simulates a roll of loaded dice

Michigan deputy under investigation after punching Black woman on video

Another day, another incident of police violence. 

Even as America crosses the sad threshold of 100,000 people who have died from the coronavirus, Black people are still being victimized by those who are tasked with protecting and serving their communities. 

A married couple, in Washtenaw County, Michigan, has gone viral after a violent interaction between them and officers hit the internet. 

READ MORE: Additional video shows George Floyd was not resisting arrest as police claimed

According to MLive, Sha’Teina Grady El and her husband, Dan Grady El were ordered to leave the scene after deputies responded to a shooting in their Apple Ridge neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township. The incident happened around midnight.

The report says that the couple was asked by police to vacate a possible crime scene, but they refused to leave. Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said the couple then began “obstructing,” the deputies’ efforts to secure the scene. 

Police contend that when officers tried to physically remove the two from the scene, the two resisted. That is when a deputy picked Sha’Teina up and punched in the head before placing both her and her husband into police custody. 

Sha’Teina Grady El, a Black woman from Ypsilanti, Michigan, is seen on video being repeatedly punched by a white officer. Her husband was tased by the other officer. This occurred May 26.
pic.twitter.com/LH5cRWegMI

— Branden Hunter (@JustCallmeBHunt) May 27, 2020

Video shows Sha’Teina being struck violently in her head multiple times by the officer. It also shows Dan being tased. Both were arrested and transported to Washtenaw County Jail.

Sha’Teina was detained on an outstanding warrant, while her husband was released. 

“We were just trying to videotape to make sure nothing happened outside my daughter’s house, which had kids in the area,” Dan told MLive. “That was our whole mission.”

Outraged residents protested outside the sheriff’s office yesterday. Sheriff Clayton said that the officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave while the department performs an investigation. 

READ MORE: Eric Garner’s mother Gwen Carr on George Floyd’s death: ‘It’s a recurring nightmare’

 “As with any situation where a deputy uses force, a full and thorough review will be completed,” Clayton said, “We are committed to sharing all the relevant factual information with the public as it becomes available.”

According to a sheriff’s office statement to the Detroit Free Press, an external agency will conduct the internal investigation and body cam, and dashcam footage has already been collected as part of the investigation. 

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

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Michigan House passes bills to let college athletes be paid

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Colleges athletes could be paid for the use of their names, images or likeness rights under bipartisan legislation approved Wednesday by the Michigan House, which overwhelmingly sent the bills to the Senate for consideration.

READ MORE: Black NCAA players with Black head coaches more likely to graduate

The measures would prohibit in-state schools, the NCAA and athletic conferences from blocking student-athletes from being compensated. They also would no longer make it a crime for agents to enter into contracts with student-athletes.

The NCAA, pressured by states that started acting on their own, is drawing up new rules to let athletes become paid sponsors — able to earn money for their names, images and likenesses without compromising their eligibility.

Isaiah Livers #2 of the Michigan Wolverines drives to the basket against Kyle Ahrens #0 of the Michigan State Spartans in the first half of the game at Crisler Arena on February 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

“This is all about treating all students fairly, including our student-athletes,” said a sponsor, Rep. Brandt Iden of Kalamazoo County’s Oshtemo Township, who played tennis at Kalamazoo College. “This long overdue reform will ensure they have the ability to go out and promote themselves — using their likeness or image — to make a few extra dollars, just like their classmates are allowed to do.

He said the change “should have been made years ago nationwide, but Michigan simply cannot wait on the NCAA to get its act together any longer.”

READ MORE: NCAA top doctor says resuming college sports this fall will depend on coronavirus testing

Another bill sponsor, Democratic Rep. Joe Tate of Detroit, played football at Michigan State University and in the NFL. He has said players are the driving force behind billions in revenue for the NCAA, universities and colleges.

The legislation largely would take effect starting in 2023. The bills passed on 94-13 and 95-12 votes in the GOP-led chamber.

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White man loses office lease after calling cops on Black young men at gym

Tom Austin has lost his office space. 

While the city of Minneapolis continues to reel from the police killing of George Floyd by four officers, another racist incident in the city has gone viral. 

READ MORE: White man calls cops on Black men at Minneapolis WeWork gym

In a widely socialized video from Instagram, a white businessman named Tom Austin confronted a group of young Black men at a WeWork’s gym. Because he did not believe that they belonged in the space, he demanded to know if they are members. He further harassed them by taking their pictures and threatening to call the police on them.

He made these threats, despite being repeatedly told they were lawful tenants in the building.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Normally we don’t speak out about encounters of racial profiling and age discrimination that we face day to day in our lives as young black entrepreneurs. Although today May 26th 2020 7:51pm we encountered a situation where a man entered the facility, a shared private gym that we utilize in our @wework @mozaic_east office located in uptown Minnesota. Granted we’ve been in this office space and have rented and grown our business for the past 1 year and half here. As we were working out this man approached and immediately asked us who we were and if “WE BELONG” in this building. Granted in order to enter the building you NEED a key card to enter EVERY part of the building which EACH of our team members individually have. We all pay rent here and this man demanded that we show him our key cards or he will call the cops on us. We are sick and tired of tolerating this type of behavior on a day to day basis and we feel that we had to bring light onto this situation.

A post shared by Top Figure 🛩 (@teamtopfigure) on May 26, 2020 at 8:33pm PDT

Stuart Ackerberg, the CEO of Ackerberg Group, owns the Mozaic East building that houses office space for both parties. He told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he was devastated that this happened on his property and that he had to terminate Austin’s office lease. He admitted to the newspaper that by the time he saw the footage from the confrontation, he was already feeling heartbroken from seeing the Floyd video.

“My heart hurts. This is not how we do business,” Ackerberg said. “I’m alarmed by what I saw.”

Ackerberg also confirmed that the young men did indeed belong there and used two key fobs to enter the gym.  He assumed that their guests were also company employees and thus, free to use the facility.

Mozaic East Building (Screenshot from website)

The property owner says that he personally spoke to Austin on Wednesday about the incident.

“I shared with him that I did not think it was handled well and there are other ways to go about this,” the landlord said. “It’s unfortunate. Our goal is to create a safe and inviting experience for everybody.”

For his part, Austin also gave a statement to the Star Tribune. He admitted to messing up, stating that he “should have handled it differently.”

He also told the outlet that he said he was “sorry” for how his actions made them feel.

“I said, ‘I’m sorry you thought I was being racist, but I was not. If you were a bunch of women, I would have done the same thing.’ ”

READ MORE: Joe Biden says Minneapolis police must be held ‘fully accountable’ in George Floyd’s death

In posting the Instagram video, the young men, who own a social media and branding company called Top Figure, wrote that they wanted to bring light to the racist incident. 

They noted that they would not have been allowed entry into the private facility if they had not been given prior access. They wanted to come forward in the hopes of bringing an end to the kind of racial profiling Blacks experience on a daily basis. 

The post White man loses office lease after calling cops on Black young men at gym appeared first on TheGrio.

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Hairstylists Are Saying Social Distancing Is Crushing Their Industry

Many industries are dealing with seismic changes in the wake of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic. With states beginning to slowly reopen for the summer season, many businesses have to develop new strategies and procedures under the new reality and to continue to protect both workers and customers from spreading the infection.

The hair industry is among those severely impacted by the public health crisis and stringent social distancing procedures. According to a report done by Business Insider, many businesses including hair salons have been forced to add surcharges to their fees to maintain overhead costs because many establishments have had to cut their customer capacity by half. In addition to extra supplies for sanitation reasons, it’s become the only way they can keep costs done.

“The cost of reopening includes all the extra supplies that we need and all the cleaning supplies that we need,” Rachel Gower, owner of Houston-based Upper Hand Salon, said to local news station KTRK. The salon is adding a $3 “sanitation charge” to guests’ checks.

While many hair salon owners are adjusting to the new reality brought by the public health crisis, they have also had to find creative new ways to stay afloat as hairstylists count as freelancers who often are not eligible for unemployment benefits and rely heavily on customer tips.

“It’s been a financial adjustment, what I receive in unemployment for a week, I can make in a day or two,” D.C.-based hairstylist, Cierra Curenton, told ABC News. “I’m single, so I have no one to help carry the financial burden.”

This has led others in the industry to extend a helping hand to stylists who have been severely impacted by the viral outbreak. Diishan Imira, CEO of Mayvenn Hair Extensions, decided to offer those in need help by starting a GoFundMe campaign to help hairstylists struggling with their expenses amid the public health crisis.

“It feels good to be able to do something when helplessness consumes our world right now,” Imira told ABC News. “Black salons and barbers are the backbone for black entrepreneurship and an integral part of our communities.”

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Less Than 40% of African American Businesses Are Still Operating: Report

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on African American businesses has begun to raise concerns that the damage will be long-lasting.

According to The Washington Post, less than 40% of African American business owners in the U.S. are still operating, the furthest decline of any race. Overall active business owners have dropped 22% since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S.

“We already have disparities. African Americans have the lowest business-ownership rate in the population. …And so here we’re creating a situation of closures that’s hitting the groups with the lowest rates even harder,” Robert Fairlie, an economics professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz told The Washington Post.

According to Fairlie, 450,000 African American business owners have closed their stores since the pandemic began. One of the reasons for the steep decline is because beauty salons, barbershops, daycare centers, taxi services, and clubs make up a significant portion of African American-owned businesses. All of these industries have either had to completely shutdown or have had to operate at a highly reduced capacity.

Celebrities such as Mark Cuban, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, and Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs have all made efforts to help minority businesses during the coronavirus pandemic

Additionally, the lack of financial relief from the Paycheck Protection Program has affected African American businesses. Forbes reported earlier this month just 12% of African American and Latino businesses that applied for PPP funds reported receiving what they asked for. Nearly half of those individuals said they will be forced to close permanently by the end of the year.

Heidi Shierholz, policy director at the Economic Policy Institute told the Post all recessions hit African Americans and Hispanics harder, but the coronavirus’ effects could last for years after the pandemic is over.

“All recessions exacerbate existing inequalities by race and ethnicity—and always hit black and Hispanic workers harder—but this one will be worse. It will be an absolute nightmare.”

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Tom Cruise Is Making a Movie in Space With SpaceX and NASA

The actor is reportedly working with director Doug Liman on the film.

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Graduation Gift Ideas (2020): The 15 Best Gifts For Your College Grad

This year's students have been through a lot. Here are 15 graduation gift ideas, from coffee makers and tablets to an Amazon Prime subscription.

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MIT Elects The First Black Female Student Body In The School’s History

Diversity in higher education has always been a social issue within the United States when it comes to who gets access to the country’s most elite schools. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is considered one of the most elite schools in the country and around the world. This week it made history by electing its first black student body president.

Danielle Geathers is a college sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering but she’s already making school history after her recent win in the school elections for student body president. Geathers’ win makes her the first black woman to lead the undergraduate association. Her running mate, Yu Jing Chen, represent a population in the school that often goes overlooked.

“Someone asked if the UA president was a figurehead role [during the debate]. I think no, but minimally, a black female in that role will squash every perception that MIT is still mostly white and male,” Geathers told the school’s paper, The Tech, according to Because We Can. “Minimally, the immediate image of that will make MIT a more welcoming and inclusive place.”

According to The Tech, 38.5% of the undergraduate population voted in the election compared to just 14.4% in last year’s election and 18.3% in the 2018 election.

On their website, Geathers and Chen state that their mission gives a platform and voice to minorities within the student body. “Our leadership increased accessibility to student resources on campus and levied student concerns to administration, ranging from the Burton Conner transition to the search for the new Institute Community and Equity Officer,” they wrote in a statement.

“Our impact spans from creating MIT’s first and only black women recruiting initiative to pioneering MIT representation at America’s largest Asian American student advocacy conference.”

 

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We are beyond excited to be elected as your next Undergraduate Association President and Vice President! A major thank you to all of you who supported us every step of the way of this journey. We could not have gotten this far without the communities that rallied behind us. Thank you for believing in us. We are incredibly grateful and cannot wait for what is to come. @fionayara2020 there are no words to capture how much you have inspired us and together, we achieved the highest voter turnout in recent MIT history (38.5%!!!), we are excited for the future of MIT!

A post shared by @ danielleandyujing on May 3, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT

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5 Mobile Keyboards Reviewed: Arteck, Plugable, Sounwill, Moko, Jelly Comb

We review five foldable, phone-friendly keyboards you can toss in your pocket.

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Covid-19 Creates Long, Anxious Waits for Fertility Treatments

As fertility clinics gradually reopen, patients and doctors must weigh the risks of seeking pregnancy during a pandemic—or waiting too long to try.

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‘Close Them Down’: Donald Trump Threatens To Shut Down Social Media Platforms

By Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media companies on Thursday, White House officials said after Trump threatened to shut down websites he accused of stifling conservative voices.

The officials gave no further details. It was unclear how Trump could follow through on the threat of shutting down privately owned companies including Twitter Inc.

The dispute erupted after Twitter on Tuesday for the first time tagged Trump’s tweets about unsubstantiated claims of fraud in mail-in voting with a warning prompting readers to fact check the posts.

Separately, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit by a conservative group and right-wing YouTube personality against Google, Facebook, Twitter and Apple accusing them of conspiring to suppress conservative political views.

In an interview with Fox News Channel on Wednesday, Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said censoring a platform would not be the “right reflex” for a government worried about censorship. Fox played a clip of the interview and said it would be aired in full on Thursday.

Facebook left Trump’s post on mail-in ballots on Tuesday untouched.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution limits any action Trump could take.

Facebook and Alphabet’s Google declined comment. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

“Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen,” Trump said in a pair of additional posts on Twitter on Wednesday.

The president, a heavy user of Twitter with more than 80 million followers, added: “Clean up your act, NOW!!!!”

Republican Trump has an eye on the November election.

“Big Tech is doing everything in their very considerable power to CENSOR in advance of the 2020 Election,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday. “If that happens, we no longer have our freedom.”

 

STRONGEST THREAT YET

Trump’s threat is his strongest yet within a broader conservative backlash against Big Tech. Shares of both Twitter and Facebook fell on Wednesday.

Last year the White House circulated drafts of a proposed executive order about anti-conservative bias which never gained traction.

The Internet Association, which includes Twitter and Facebook among its members, said online platforms do not have a political bias and they offer “more people a chance to be heard than at any point in history.”

Late on Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said Trump’s tweets about California’s vote-by-mail plans “may mislead people into thinking they don’t need to register to get a ballot.”

Separately, Twitter said Trump’s tweets were labeled as part of efforts to enforce the company’s “civic integrity policy.”

The policy document on Twitter’s website says people may not use its services for manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes.

In recent years Twitter has tightened its policies amid criticism that its hands-off approach allowed fake accounts and misinformation to thrive.

Tech companies have been accused of anti-competitive practices and violating user privacy. Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon.com face antitrust probes by federal and state authorities and a U.S. congressional panel.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers, along with the U.S. Justice Department, have been considering changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a federal law largely exempting online platforms from legal liability for the material their users post. Such changes could expose tech companies to more lawsuits.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley, a frequent critic of Big Tech companies, sent a letter to Dorsey asking why Twitter should continue to receive legal immunity after “choosing to editorialize on President Trump’s tweets.”

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu in Washington, Katie Paul in San Francisco, Supantha Mukherjee and Shubham Kalia in Bangalore; Elizabeth Culliford in Birmingham, England, and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller, Grant McCool and Himani Sarkar)

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'If Found' Is an Essential Game About Letting Go of the Past

Dreamfeel’s visual novel tells a compelling queer coming-of-age story, with a surreal sci-fi twist.

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To Beat Covid-19, You Have to Know How A Virus Moves

As public spaces reopen, scientists are racing to understand the mysterious and turbulent way the disease spreads through air—from person to person, and place to place.

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Remote Work Has Its Perks, Until You Want a Promotion

Companies like Facebook and Twitter expect many employees to work far from headquarters after the pandemic. That calls for a change in corporate cultures.

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Apple MacBook Pro (13-Inch, 2020) Review: Portable, Powerful, Pedestrian

The middle child in Apple's Mac line marries power and portability—and offers it at a steep price.

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Lockdown: South Africa's authorities demolish 'illegal' shacks

South Africa's local authorities have been demolishing shacks claiming they were built illegally.

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How a steeplechase champion is training at home

Conseslus Kipruto is an Olympic and two-time World champion in the 3000m steeplechase. He's shared his homemade workout regime.

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Cocaine and Guinea-Bissau: How Africa's 'narco-state' is trying to kick its habit

Concern mounts about Guinea-Bissau commitment to curb drug trafficking, writes Ricci Shyrock.

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Venus Williams launches new sunscreen line for women of color

Venus Williams may be a world-renowned athlete but now the legendary tennis player is parlaying her love of skincare into a new business venture.

According to Black Enterprise, Williams has teamed up with retailer Credo Beauty to launch a new line for sunscreen products aimed specifically at women of color.

READ MORE: Naomi Osaka surpasses Serena Williams as the highest-paid female athlete

“SPF is a part of my daily routine because I spend so much time outdoors as a result of my job, and through the years I found that a lot of natural sunscreens left a white cast on my skin,” Williams said of the collaboration during on an Instagram Live announcement.

“That’s why with EleVen by Venus, we wanted to set a new standard for clean beauty and ensure our sunscreens are versatile, lightweight and blends with all skin tones. It really works for everyone!”

View this post on Instagram

Clean suncare has arrived! ☀️☀️☀️ Our new silky SPF serum that doubles as hydrating skincare + a creamy sunscreen that protects without ever leaving a trace! #FaceTheDay #CleanBeauty

A post shared by EleVen By Venus Williams (@elevenbyvenus) on May 21, 2020 at 10:32am PDT

 

Earlier this month during an interview with Allure, Williams notes that her love of skincare products started at an early age, sharing, “When I was younger, I was wild and too free, and I took it for granted that I had great skin. But that is not the case now. I am covered from head to toe when I’m outside: long sleeves, long pants, and sunscreen. I try to protect my skin as much as I can.”

During this week’s IG Live she elaborated on that anecdote, giving credit to her sister for nudging her in the right direction, explaining, “Serena really inspired me. We would practice side by side and I’d see her all the time in sunscreen and long sleeves. Finally one day I realized what I was doing to my skin by not protecting it.”

READ MORE: Magic Johnson to provide $100 million in aid for Black small businesses

The 39-year-old is currently quarantining in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

 

 

 

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Octavia Spencer reveals she’s been lying about her age – on her birthday!

Octavia Spencer‘s age of record on Google is 48. But now the Oscar-winning actress is coming forward to reveal her real age, just in time for a milestone birthday.

This week, Spencer took to her Instagram to come clean to her fans and followers about her age, while humorously explaining why she felt compelled to come clean.

Actress Octavia Spencer attends the special screening of Universal Pictures’ ‘Ma’ at Regal LA Live on May 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

READ MORE: Octavia Spencer, Blair Underwood on why Black love can’t thrive without self-love

“Hey Y’all, I’m sitting out here in the backyard. Drinking some sangria, eating some potato chips, listening to Ronnie Milsap. Celebrating my birthday,” she explained Tuesday, seemingly in good spirits.

“The big 5-0. Ugh,” she continues feigning a cringe. “Yeah, I know I been saying I’m 48. But the internet will always win. People putting dates and numbers.”

READ MORE: WATCH: Octavia Spencer transforms in ‘Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam C.J. Walker’

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Octavia Spencer (@octaviaspencer) on May 25, 2020 at 4:35pm PDT

 

READ MORE: Octavia Spencer to be honored with Producers Guild Visionary Award

She then went on to explain the potential confusion her shaving a few years off the top has caused her old friends, imitating one of her former classmates by stating, “‘I thought we went to school together. I’m 50. How are you 48?’”

“Cuz I want to be!” she responds answering her own question.

“All that seems so trivial now. I’m grateful to be turning 50, especially right now, when we’ve lost so many,” she notes becoming more serious. “We’ve lost so many. Remember this time last year? We talked about deferring your joy? Now, if you did not look for the joy between May 24th, this time last year until now…just let that sink in. But the good Lord has a way of making us prioritize things and I think that’s what this crazy pandemic is doing.”

Spencer turned 50 on Monday which was also Memorial Day.

“Figure out what’s important to us, who. I know y’all are feeling a certain kind of way because I’m feeling a certain kind of way,” she admits, adding, “But since it’s my birthday I’m not feeling the way I normally feel, where I need some laughter. I’m feeling very grateful,” she continued.

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George Floyd: Police deploy rubber bullets, chemicals on protesters

A protest in response to the police killing of a Black man in Minneapolis turned violent on Tuesday night. 

Thousands of protesters showed up at the intersection of Chicago Avenue South and East 38th St. around 5 p.m. to voice peaceably their anger over the senseless death of George Floyd.

READ MORE: George Floyd dies after saying he can’t breathe with cop’s knee on his neck

Within hours, a memorial in front of the Cup Food store was organized by the community, where leaders and activists were tapped to speak.

Scenes from the protest where #GeorgeFloyd died after being detained my Minneapolis Police. pic.twitter.com/CjdgRMtE5u

— s. gross (@ShariStrib) May 26, 2020

According to WCCO, the local CBS affiliate, a man who stated that he was a witness to the event also spoke. 

The reports further state that most of the protesters were even wearing masks and trying to maintain social distance as they gathered amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

At 6 p.m., the protest then turned into a march where participants walked from the market toward the 3rd Precinct, where the officers were thought to have worked. The tone was solemn yet energized, peaceful yet intentional.

More insight of the protest
The minnesota community really came together for #GeorgeFloyd ❤️
We need justice for him and the mayor of Minneapolis can throw away that pitiful letter.

WE NEED THAT SUPREMACIST POLICE OFFICER PROSECUTED! pic.twitter.com/AHaSvEPFB1

— ebony queen👑🇲🇱🇱🇷🇬🇳 (@_TallGirlsOnly) May 27, 2020

Arrived at the precinct. The door has been smashed and protest signs left outside #georgefloyd pic.twitter.com/CmrDdT97vh

— Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020

 It was then that the tone of the protest changed. 

Footage from the protest outside Minneapolis PD’s 3rd Precinct and the march to demand justice for #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/Bu9fffwGIy

— PSL Minneapolis (@PSLMPLS) May 27, 2020

The news stated that a smaller group began to vandalize police cars and spray paint on the building, and police responded by deploying in riot gear firing tear gas and rubber bullets.  But depending on whose report you believe, the police became aggressive before the vandalization started.

Lots of violent images being shared, this is the protest before cops fired gas. They hired the first shot. Not us. But they dont hear us when we march so we fight back. #GeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter #Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/jCwsu3D6QY

— Triple H (@HenryHuber) May 27, 2020

 

What do the cops of @MinneapolisPD do when a peaceful protest happens? They drop tear gas. Downright embarrasing. #GeorgeFloyd #AllLivesMatter #BlackLivesMatters pic.twitter.com/2WvPa9vCkJ

— isaac 💫 (@Redexxy) May 27, 2020

“It’s real ugly,” one protester told WCCO, “The police have to understand that this is the climate they have created, this is the climate they created.” 

“I got on my knees and I put up a peace sign and they tear-gassed me,” another protester said.

Carlos Gonzalez, a photojournalist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, posted heartbreaking photos of the fallout after the aggressive police response. One woman is seen with her face covered in milk as someone tries to help her get tear gas out of her eyes. 

The scene at the Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct. pic.twitter.com/ykxsfPn8PD

— Carlos Gonzalez (@CarlosGphoto) May 27, 2020

Star Tribune reporter Andy Mannix posted that he was shot in the thigh with a large rubber bullet.

I Was just shot with this in the thigh. pic.twitter.com/igcJ3e7iQ4

— Andy Mannix (@AndrewMannix) May 27, 2020

Tweets out of Minneapolis are saying that multiple people were struck in the head with the rubber projectiles: one Somalian woman and another a white man. There is no word on the condition of their injuries.

#GeorgeFloyd

A women was shot in the head by a rubber bullet during the protest of George Floyd💔💔 pic.twitter.com/mpRD1jZ9zJ

— Chapos (@Chapos14) May 27, 2020

Minneapolis #protest live footage. Police have barricaded themselves in the department and have been firing teargas and firing at protestors amid murder of #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/A1L0e3ilmW

— Hales! (@HaleyWanders) May 27, 2020

A man at the #GeorgeFloyd protest was allegedly shot/hit by the Minneapolis police. Prior to this, everyone was getting tear gassed and maced. pic.twitter.com/Jw0fqGriqm

— Gio.. (@Berto_Archer) May 27, 2020

Tensions were high and many were too impatient to wait for justice to manifest. Some protesters have even tweeted out the home address of former MPD officer, Derek Chauvin, that perpetrated the crime against Floyd. 

They showed up to the killers cops house. This is exactly where everyone should be. #BLM #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd #MPD #Protest #WECANTBREATHE #OSINT #DerekChauvin #Minneapolis #MinneapolisPolice #MinneapolisPD pic.twitter.com/aRPW5Ym4N2

— 1312 (@0x520) May 27, 2020

Others arrived at the protest armed and ready for confrontation. Here a participant observed a white man with a gun holding a sign that read “Justice for George.”

Genuinely don’t understand why white guys are bringing guns to a black protest???? #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/gyNCY0234L

— 𝕽𝖆𝖍𝖒𝖆☁️ (@nefelibatababy) May 27, 2020

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there was a white man with a gun who attendees said had intentions to shoot into the crowd. The presumed vigilante was instantly subdued and disarmed.

Crazy how so white male tried to shoot up the #GeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatters #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd protest this is outta hand pic.twitter.com/geWWRFsd8e

— Chris Johnson (@c_raw1234) May 27, 2020

READ MORE: Former NBA star Stephen Jackson mourns ‘brother’ George Floyd killed by Minneapolis police

George Floyd was killed on Monday evening as police attempted to detain him and an officer pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck for over eight minutes. Police claim that Floyd was a suspect in a forgery, attempting to pass a fake $20 bill. 

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Google Chrome Is Getting a Bunch of New Privacy Features

The next version of the browser will be more secure than ever. Here’s what you need to know.

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