The only thing better than buying a new bicycle is keeping it. We tested a bunch of bike locks and these are our picks—and some advice for using them.
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Saturday, October 24, 2020
How Aston Martin is trying to save its iconic brand
Two years after Aston Martin's initial public offering, shares are trading at a fraction of a dollar. The company is looking to its DBX sport utility vehicle to help turn things around.
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Friday, October 23, 2020
Lenny Kravitz on gigantic scarf that went viral: ‘It was cold’
‘It’s funny to see, especially on Halloween.’
Lenny Kravitz admits he is amused by all the memes inspired by the infamous giant scarf that he wore to run errands in 2012.
“Okay, the scarf is big, but the internet has made the scarf enormous,” the singer tells GQ in a new interview. “You look at some of those [images] and it’s just like, “Okay guys, the scarf is three times bigger than it really is in this picture, but it was big and it was cold,” he adds.
“It’s funny to see, especially on Halloween. People either do the Lenny Kravitz look—the onstage look — or they do the scarf. And it’s funny, I saw some pictures yesterday of this little kid who did the whole thing perfectly down to the plastic bag coming from the grocery store,” Kravitz continues.
Read More: Lenny Kravitz on ex Lisa Bonet’s husband Jason Momoa: ‘Love this dude’
Kravitz explained in a 2018 interview with Jimmy Fallon that the scarf was a gift from a friend, and it came in handy when he needed to shop for groceries in the cold weather.
“I live in the Bahamas, I’m used to hot weather, and I had to go to the store. I was buying some groceries, and I thought I’d put on a little scarf to protect my throat, and that’s the scarf I had,” he told Fallon on his late night show.
When asked if he still owns the giant scarf, Kravitz said, “Oh yeah, absolutely,” he shared with GQ.
The artist details the first 25 years of his life in a new memoir titled “Let Love Rule,” named after his 1989 debut studio album.
In the book, the musician describes his relationship with his mother and five godmothers, noting that “Black feminine energy kept me sane.”
“I recognized their strength: how much love they could give, how supportive they could be, how talented they were and how they were the rock of the family, and their families,” Kravtz says in his GQ interview. “I always felt seen by them, even as a child. I marveled at their God-given talents. These women were just juggling everything,” he explains.
“Not only were they trailblazers in their fields, they were also taking care of their families, their men and their lives. Having those kinds of women around me was really nurturing.”
“Let Love Rule” is available at bookstores now.
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Wearing masks could save over 100,000 lives through February: study
There are more than 8.4 million confirmed COVID cases in the U.S and more than 223,000 deaths
More than 100,000 COVID-related deaths could be prevented in the next few months if 95% of Americans wear masks in public, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation analyzed data on Covid-19 cases, testing, mask use, and deaths from February 1 through September 21, which helped inform model projections for the course of the contagion through March 2021, CNN reports.
According to the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine on Friday, nearly 130,000 lives could be spared if mask compliance was at 95 percent, for each state with or without social distancing. The analysis also estimates that more than 95,000 COVID deaths could be prevented if 85 percent of the U.S. population wore face coverings in public.
Read More: FDA approves first COVID-19 drug: the antiviral remdesivir
Health officials continue to stress the importance of mask use in slowing the spread of the virus, most especially as the U.S enters into flu season. The nation is also experiencing a new wave of infections.
“The potential life-saving benefit of increasing mask use in the coming fall and winter cannot be overstated. It is likely that US residents will need to choose between higher levels of mask use or risk the frequent redeployment of more stringent and economically damaging [social distancing mandates]; or, in the absence of either measure, face a reality of a rising death toll,” the analysis states.
“We think the key point here is that there’s a huge winter surge coming and our models have been showing that for many months,” said IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray.
Read More: Woman in her 30s died from COVID-19 on airplane
“You can see in the paper what universal masks can do and they blunt quite a bit of the surge or delay it,” Dr. Murray continued. “I think it’s very difficult at the point where we are in the US — where there’s so much community transmission of the virus — to prevent some fall winter surge, but we can certainly make it much smaller.”
“The fall/winter surge will intensify in November and December, reaching a peak in January. Many states will face enormous pressure on hospital capacity and will likely have to re-impose some social distancing mandates,“ IHME said in its weekly update. ‘The best strategy to delay re-imposition of mandates and the associated economic hardship is to expand mask use.”
There are more than 8.4 million confirmed COVID cases in the U.S and more than 223,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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Lena Waithe, Laverne Cox, and the Cast of Hulu’s ‘Bad Hair’ on the Politics of Black Hair
Just in time for Halloween, Justin Simien, the writer and director best know for the TV series and movie “Dear White People,” released a new project that has turned the pressures Black women face to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards into a satirical horror film. Titled “Bad Hair,” the film follows the story of Anna played by Elle Lorraine who she succumbs to the hair discrimination Black women commonly face at work and ends up getting a weave from hell — literally.
The film takes place in 1989 as Anna pursues her dream of becoming a VJ at a Black music video TV network. However, she realizes that her natural coils are standing in the way of her aspirations after her manager, a light-skinned, straight-haired woman played by Vanessa Williams, encourages her to adopt a more white-friendly appearance. As a result, she reluctantly gets a weave, which turns out to be possessed by a demonic force. The evil weave becomes more than just the film’s antagonist: it’s a metaphoric symbol of the generations of oppression Black women have faced in lieu of white beauty norms.
“This young woman is incredible at her job. She has all the tools,” said Lorraine ahead of the film’s release on Hulu on October 23 to, BLACK ENTERPRISE. “But somehow she is not able to be seen because she’s not meeting this standard according to other people’s ideas of beauty.”
The Insecure star also admitted that she, too, still feels pressured by the same social stigmas. “There are times I question how I should look at an audition if they’re able to see past what my hair looks like and see what I’m giving and the work that I put in.”
Actress and LGBTQIA+ activist Laverne Cox said the film emphasizes the compromise Black women have had to make to their identities in order to get ahead. “Bad Hair is about the horror of white supremacy intersecting with the horror of capitalism.”
Waithe added, “This is Justin’s love letter really — a scary, funny love letter — to Black women and what they go through, particularly in the workplace.”
Watch Lena Waithe, Elle Lorraine, Laverne Cox, Blair Underwood, and Jay Pharoah open up about “Bad Hair” in the video below.
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Highlights From the 2020 Black Men XCEL Virtual Summit
Thousands of participants joined BLACK ENTERPRISE for the 4th annual Black Men XCEL Summit, which featured a variety of sessions, workshops, coaching, and virtual activities designed to train, equip, develop, and inspire Black men across a broad array of endeavors.
Sponsored by FedEx Express, Black Men XCEL (BMX) was created to provide Black men with the tools and resources needed to advance in their respective careers and industries as well as acquire generational wealth and maintain mental wellbeing. Participants were also granted access to some of today’s most successful business leaders like Walker Co. & Brands founder and CEO Tristan Walker, athletes like former NFL player Tiki Barber, and executives like PayPal Head of Global Financial Compliance Investigations Art Taylor. Furthermore, the summit, which was also facilitated in partnership with presenting sponsors AT&T and JPMorgan Chase, provided attendees with the opportunity to conduct live chats with speakers, experts, and mentors.
“The motto for this year’s BMX is celebrating the best of who we are,” said BLACK ENTERPRISE President and CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. in his opening remarks. “It is a celebration of Black men’s collective achievement, resolve, and resilience during one of the most challenging periods of our history. We meet under the cloud of COVID-19 and a crippled economy. We are nearing the end of a divisive, racially-charged election, and Black men are under assault at all levels.”
Thriving Amid COVID
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Walker Co. & Brands founder and CEO Tristan Walker kicked off the summit with a powerful session about how he built and positioned Walker Co. & Brands for its merger with Procter & Gamble. Walker, who went from a Twitter intern to serving on the corporate boards of Footlocker and Shake Shack, also opened up about how his company has grown amid COVID.
“The reason why I think we’ve been able to thrive as Walker and Company is because we had established that relationship from the very beginning. We were digitally native from the very beginning. So by the time COVID hit, we were prepared for this outcome,” said Walker.
At another point during his session, he admitted that if his company would have likely run out of money if it was not acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2018.
Turning Trials Into Triumph
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick opened up about his road to redemption following his 21-month prison sentence in 2007 for his involvement in a dogfighting ring during a panel about empowering the next generation of Black men.
“When I came home from prison, I felt the pressure. I felt like I was living in a bubble,” admitted the FOX Sports analyst and activist about the notorious incident which overshadowed the rest his football career.
However, rather than succumbing to the pressure he felt, Vick says he used the tools he developed behind bars to help him persevere.
“I set goals while I was in prison. I accomplished almost everything that I wanted to accomplish and then some. That right there was the ultimate confirmation that I could do anything that I wanted to do in my life.”
Vick added that now he uses the adversity he’s overcome as a teachable moment for younger Black men and women.
“I preach a hard message when talking to the youth in terms of responsibility, character, your beliefs, values, and morals,” said the NFL legend. “I try to explain to young men and women the hurt and the anguish that I’ve experienced to grow stronger and to get to where I am today. I want my message to be, at all cost, you’re not going to go through life perfect, there are going to be some ups and downs, but it’s all in how you persevere.”
Black Men and the Ballot
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stressed the importance of exercising the right to vote and overcoming voter suppression during his appearance. He also urged young people, in particular, to make their voices heard at the polls.
“For young people who are disillusioned or who don’t trust the system, take it from one who is a little older and has experienced a lot, your future is on the ballot. And the world that you want to live in is on the ballot,” Holder told BLACK ENTERPRISE SVP and Chief Content Officer Derek T. Dingle. “If you want to shape that world, you have to participate in that process by voting on November 3. But then you have to continue to be involved in a civic way and do the things that people before have done. Fight for not only your generation but for generations that will come after you.”
Building Wealth That Last
In a panel sponsored by JP Morgan Chase, Barber, the former NFL running back who spent 10 seasons with the New York Giants and the co-founder of Thuzio, shared one of the biggest financial mistakes he made during his career.
“The worst mistake I made personally was I bought a very expensive apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was over $6 million. I had been around for a very long time, but the timing was wrong in the market. And I didn’t look at the market. I didn’t look at the economic trends,” he admitted. “And we know what happened in 2008, the world corrected itself.”
Not only did he lose money on his property, but he then went through a divorce two years later. “Everything started compounding,” he added. “Timing absolutely matters when you’re making large purchases like that.”
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Man who drove semi-truck into BLM protesters charged
Bogdan Vechirko could spend up to six years in prison if convicted
The man who drove his gas tanker into a crowd of peaceful protesters on a closed-down Minneapolis interstate in May has been charged with two felonies.
Bogdan Vechirko, 35, is facing a felony charge of threats of violence and a gross misdemeanor charge of criminal vehicular operation, according to a press release from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s office, Star Tribune reports.
Vechirko, who was released from jail in June, reportedly admitted to investigators that he was “kind of in a hurry” when he nearly plowed through Black Lives Matter demonstrators on May 31. Thousands had gathered on the Interstate 35W bridge to protest the death of George Floyd, who had died days earlier while being detained by Minneapolis police.
Read More: Georgia man told to remove BLM shirt before voting
Vechirko claims he didn’t intend to drive into the protest, but investigators noted in the criminal complaint that “in addition to the large crowd, there were multiple vehicles stopped on I-35W northbound as the road approached the bridge and that a number of vehicles were driving the wrong direction up an entrance ramp.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation released video showing the activity on the bridge leading up to the incident. The footage shows Vechirko picking up speed as he approached the protestors, hitting 70 mph. Officials stated in the complaint that Vechirko had adequate time to stop.
“Investigators reviewed traffic cameras and a number of cellphone videos, all of which showed protesters screaming and running in a panic from the truck,” the attorney’s office said.
Read More: Latino voters pitted against BLM in false Spanish media
“At least one individual, A.W., suffered injuries as a result of her attempts to get out of the way of the truck,” the complaint stated. “A.W. reported that she fell and suffered scrapes and abrasions to her leg.”
Officials noted that “the thorough investigation showed that Vechirko wanted to scare people out of his path.” No major injuries were reported.
Vechirko could spend five years in prison if convicted on the felony charge and up to one year on the gross misdemeanor charge.
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Alleged member of right-wing group Boogaloo Bois charged with rioting during Minneapolis protest
Ivan Harrison Hunter has been charged in an incident where someone shot into Minneapolis police headquarters
A Texas man allegedly affiliated with the right-wing group, the Boogaloo Bois has been charged with rioting in connection to the Minneapolis protests for George Floyd.
Read More: Nigerian president leaves protest shootings that killed at least 12 people out of speech
Authorities say, Ivan Harrison Hunter, 26, is the person who shot 13 rounds into the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct on May 28 with an “AK-47 style semiautomatic rifle,” according to MPR News. He is being charged with one count of participating in a riot and made an appearance in front of a judge on Thursday.
The criminal complaint says it was Hunter who was caught on video high-fiving another man while yelling, “Justice for Floyd!” and that a distinctive skull face mask from the riot was seen on his Facebook page. Hunter also made comments about committing violence in Minneapolis on the page.
He is apparently affiliated with Steven Carrillo, a member of the Boogaloo Bois, a far-right anti-government extremist group. Carrillo was charged with the May 29 killing of a federal Protective Service officer in Oakland, California.
An undercover informant was able to confirm Hunter’s affiliation with Carrillo. He says Hunter admitted to helping set the fire that burned down the precinct and shooting at the building.
On June 3, officers stopped Hunter in Texas while he was riding in the front seat of a pickup truck around 2 a.m. He had attended a protest for Floyd near Austin and officers say when they pulled the vehicle over they allegedly discovered an AK-47 style assault rifle attached to a vest he was wearing. They also found three semi-automatic rifles, loaded pistols, six loaded magazines, and marijuana.
Read More: Second anonymous juror in Breonna Taylor case speaks out
The officers confiscated the guns, ammunition and marijuana, then released Hunter and the two men he was with.
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Five films to watch this weekend…no matter your mood
From documentaries to horror, this list has a little something for everyone
Fall is in full swing but COVID-19 is still running rampant. So this may be the perfect weekend to stay inside and catch up on a few films you may have missed or check out some brand new offerings.
Read More: 5 star-studded horror flicks to watch this Halloween
Whether you’re looking for something spooky to get you ready for Halloween or need a good laugh, a good cry, or a bit of both, this list has you covered:
The Way I See It
This fantastic film debuted to record ratings on MSNBC this week and earned the praise of Barack Obama in the process. Based on the New York Times #1 bestseller comes The Way I See It, an unprecedented look behind the scenes look at two of the most iconic presidents in American history, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through the eyes of renowned photographer Pete Souza.
As the official White House photographer, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful person on earth. The movie reveals how Souza transforms from a respected photojournalist to a searing commentator on the issues we face as a country and a people. The film was helmed by Dawn Porter, the visionary behind John Lewis: Good Trouble and it’s not to be missed.
Read More: ‘Good Trouble’ director Dawn Porter on the legacy of Rep. John Lewis
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
This ridiculously raunchy sequel will be just what it sounds like, but it’s certainly worth a watch if you’re ready for a politically-tinged, raunchy ride. Sacha Baron Cohen is back up to his old tricks as Borat, and this time, his daughter is along for the fun. Be prepared to see some real-life racists doing what they do and even more questionable behavior from Trump stumper, Rudy Giuliani. To no one’s surprise, though, the only Black woman in the film is also the only person who has any sense, and this crass, funny flick may be the escape you’re looking for. Check it out on Amazon Prime Video.
On The Rocks
If you’re looking for a laugh, this little gem of a film written and directed by Sofia Coppola could be right up your alley. On The Rocks stars Rashida Jones, Bill Murray, and Marlon Wayans and is just what you need as a welcome respite from a tough week.
A young New York mother (Jones) thinks she’s happily hitched, but when her husband (Wayans) starts logging late hours at the office with a new co-worker, she begins to fear the worst. She turns to the one man she knows can help – her charming, impulsive father (Murray), who insists they investigate together. As the two begin prowling New York at night, careening from uptown parties to downtown hotspots, they discover that at the heart of their journey lies their own relationship. Check it out on AppleTV+.
Bad Hair
If you’re looking for a fright, this horror satire set in 1989 features an all-star cast of Black talent showing off their hair-raising skills in ways we’ve never seen. Stars like Elle Lorraine, Vanessa Williams, Lena Waithe, Laverne Cox, Jay Pharoah, Kelly Rowland, Blair Underwood, Ashley Blaine Featherson, and Usher Raymond are among the famous faces who have roles in this campy thrill ride now playing on Hulu. The film, from Justin Simien, follows an ambitious woman who gets a weave in order to succeed in the image-obsessed world of music television. Her flourishing career comes at a great cost when she realizes that her new hair may have a mind of its own.
Read More: Justin Simien on making horror flick ‘Bad Hair’ for Black women
Jingle Bell Bride
Even though we’re still in October, some people just can’t wait for the holidays to hit. The Hallmark Channel is already kicking off its long list of Christmas-themed films this weekend. Jingle Bell Bride premieres today and in it, Ronnie Rowe Jr. stars as Matt, a single man who helps an overworked, stressed-out wedding planner believe in the magic of Christmas in a rural town that refuses to conform to modern communication.
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Marc Lamont Hill to vote Democrat for first time in 24 years
The scholar and pundit says he usually votes for the Green Party.
Marc Lamont Hill says he will vote as a Democrat for the first time in this year’s presidential election.
The author and professor revealed in an online conversation that he’d been voting with the Green Party for decades. When a young woman asked would he be voting in this year’s election, he revealed his prior political affiliation.
“I am absolutely going to vote, I have never not voted,” said Hill in a one minute and thirty-second clip posted to his Instagram page. He goes on to say, “I have voted for the Green Party for the last 20 years.”
Read More: Breonna Taylor lawyer, Lonita Baker, on why Black women must vote
The woman challenges Hill and accuses him of throwing away his vote. He refutes with, “I think it depends on how you understand voting,” says Hill. “I think voting is absolutely harm reduction, it’s a tactic to buying time.”
Hill continued, “Sometimes the goal of voting is to build long term vision and sometimes it is to stop an immediate harm, there have been many elections when the distinction was relatively minimal and I think the distinction has been relatively minimal and I thought it was important to build up grassroots support for the Green Party.”
The Green Party is an independent political party with a connection to the socialist movement and the Green movement per GP.org. They have four pillars: Ecological Wisdom, Non-Violence, Grassroots Democracy, and Social Justice.
Hill says this political moment is “on fire.”
“I would say for the vulnerable American it is always on fire but Trump isn’t watching the fire he is pouring gasoline on it. And Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both problematic candidates but I don’t think they are the same.
He goes on to explain why is finally voting blue after all these years.
Read More: Charlamagne Tha God credits Trump with ‘actually talking to young Black male voters’
“Four more years of Donald Trump is not only dangerous for the vulnerable here in America but he is dangerous for any type of movement. As much as I dislike Joe Biden he can be moved, he can be persuaded. So for the first time in 24 years, I’m going to vote for the Democrat.”
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