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Showing posts from December, 2018

21 Savage Has A No. 1 Album For The First Time Ever

21 Savage has finally arrived. Of course, he’s been around for (what seems like) a long time now. His two Slaughter mixtapes dropped in 2015, and a year later, he scored a bit of a breakthrough on Drake’s “Sneakin” as well as via a superstar collab with Migos, YG, and Mike Will Made-It. His biggest push yet was “ rockstar ,” the 2017 record-smashing, Grammy-nominated team-up with Post Malone that culminated in a massive singalong with Aerosmith at the 2018 VMAs. But his true arrival — the one at the top of the chart — is here now: His second album, I Am > I Was , debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, giving him his first top-charting album ever. The album racked up 131,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, Billboard reports, and features uncredited guest appearances from Travis Scott, Post Malone, Childish Gambino, Offset, and others. 21’s 2017 debut, Issa Album , hit No. 2, and his Without Warning collab album with Offset and Metro Boomin hit

The singer raising her voice against Vietnam’s new cyber law

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Hanoi, Vietnam – Dressed in the traditional Vietnamese long gown known as “ao dai”, dissident artist Do Nguyen Mai Khoi holds up a banner in a silent protest amidst the roar of traffic in the capital’s Old Quarter. The signs reads “undemocratic regime” but features the images of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, of Facebook, and Eric Schmidt, of Google – rather than of those leading Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party. “I don’t criticise people in the government. I only criticise the system,” Mai Khoi said. The 35-year-old singer-songwriter said she does not want to be accused of spreading “anti-state propaganda” and handed a lengthy prison sentence like others who have criticised Vietnam’s leaders in the streets or online. After police signalled to her to end the demonstration or face arrest, Mai Khoi folded up her banner and moved it to Hanoi’s Long Bien Bridge. There, in a comment to media, she accused Facebook and Google of acting as dictatorships for cooperating with Vietnam

Smoke shop: Worker fired after anti-Trump rant at customer

A store that sells smoking and vaping material in Georgia says it fired an employee after he yelled profanity at a customer wearing a T-shirt and hat supporting President Donald Trump . The customer, Ian Fergeson, says he went to Xhale City in the Atlanta suburb of Tucker to try to buy vape juice. WAGA-TV reports that Ferguson recorded a video showing the unnamed store worker refusing to wait on him and using several expletives. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the video showed the worker calling Trump and the customer “racist.” In a statement on Facebook and Twitter , the shop says it does not tolerate such behavior by employees and that it fired the worker immediately after Friday’s confrontation. Xhale City did not immediately return a call Monday to The Associated Press. Read More from Trend News Web http://bit.ly/2GR0jvG

BR Best of 2018

‘You’d have to ask her psychiatrist’: Trump responds to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s move toward a 2020 presidential run

President Donald Trump responded to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Monday announcement that she is forming an exploratory committee for a potential 2020 presidential run. During a phone interview with Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth asked Trump whether or not Warren can win. “Well, that I don’t know,” Trump responded. “You’d have to ask her psychiatrist.” Trump made this comment during an interview for Fox News’ “All-American New Year” special that airs on New Year’s Eve. The president also mocked the Democratic senator from Massachusetts, who he has repeatedly called “Pocahontas,” because of her claim that she is part-Native American. “Elizabeth Warren will be the first,” Trump said, referring to Warren being the first major Democrat to throw her hat into the ring. “She did very badly in proving that she was of Indian heritage. That didn’t work out too well.” In an apparent attempt to get ahead of attacks related to her claim, Warren released a video discussing a DNA test that she

Why 2018 Was A ‘Really Big Triumph’ For The Curve Community

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R epresentation was a major buzzword in 2018, and widespread calls for increased diversity behind the scenes have led to noticeable improvements on screen. In particular, people of color and the LGBTQ community celebrated visibility wins thanks to movies like Black Panther and shows like Pose . But there’s one community that’s had to struggle a little more this year to be heard, and finally, it seems, they’ve made enough noise. The community in question goes by many names — curve, plus-sized, body-positive, fat-positive, or sometimes, just fat — but much like any other marginalized group of people, they’re bound together by the same desire to be treated with respect. In what seemed like a banner year for the community, stories derived from the curve experience hit the big and small screens one after another, from the Amy Schumer-starring I Feel Pretty all the way to Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald’s beloved Dumplin’ . In between, Netflix dropped their controversial-but-

Judge denies Kevin Spacey’s request to skip court appearance

Interested in Kevin Spacey? Add Kevin Spacey as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Kevin Spacey news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Former “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey must appear in a Massachusetts court on accusations that he groped a young man in 2016, a judge ruled on Monday. The 59-year-old Oscar-winning actor had argued he should be excused from attending his Jan. 7 arraignment at the Nantucket District Court because his presence would “amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case.” But Judge Thomas Barrett denied Spacey’s request. Spacey has said he will plead not guilty to felony indecent assault and battery. The allegations were first brought in November 2017, when former Boston TV anchor Heather Unruh told reporters that Spacey groped her teenage son during a chance encounter in the crowded bar of a Nantucket restaurant. An attorney for Spacey, Juliane Balliro, had argued that Spacey’s presence at his arraignment

6 top VCs give their best 2019 predictions for healthcare, from a biotech correction to a ‘shadow cash economy’ stepping into the light

Venrock partner Camille Samuels is ready to get back to the basics in biotech. “I’m enthused by the correction,” Samuels told Business Insider. Over the past five years, the Nasdaq biotech index is up 25%, though recently stocks have taken a tumble, putting them into correction territory, a term that refers to a 10% or greater decline from a stock’s most recent peak . In 2019, she said, she’s anticipating a return to the basic biotech-business model. That is, instead of a broad platform with six or more potential drugs in the works, a more straightforward focus on one or two lead programs that a company knows super well. The correction in turn will drive that because there will be less available capital pouring into early-stage companies, forcing them to have a more zoomed-in approach. “I remain an optimist on the fundamentals of biotech, but the industry has gotten so enthusiastic as to be undisciplined,” Samuels said. On the policy side, Samuels said she expects to see the bio

Lady Gaga Got Choked Up While Performing ‘Shallow’ For The First Time: Watch

Over the weekend, Lady Gaga launched her Las Vegas residency show , Enigma , and to absolutely no one’s surprise, it was a creative spectacle for the ages. Amid a slew of costume changes and larger-than-life set designs, Gaga flew through a 21-song setlist that included fan favorites like “Born This Way” and “Bad Romance,” as well as a poignant cover of David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans.” Perhaps most notably, her set included the first live performance of “Shallow,” her Golden Globe-nominated anthem from A Star Is Born . Making her way to the piano, Gaga gave a heartfelt speech to the audience. “For a really long time, I felt so misunderstood about the way I dressed, the way I talked, my attitude,” she said. “They thought it was shallow. But this shit is deep as fuck.” Gaga got visibly choked up during the song’s first verse, but carried on in stunning fashion after some encouragement from her Little Monsters in the crowd. Together, they belted that sky-grazing chorus, givin

Child shot in face outside Wendy’s restaurant

Authorities say a 5-year-old shot in the face in a North Carolina fast-food restaurant drive-thru pulled a gun from a pocket in the back of the car’s passenger seat, where his father put it days earlier while cleaning. Police said in a statement Monday that the boy unbuckled himself from his booster seat outside a Wendy’s restaurant in Randleman on Sunday afternoon and grabbed the .45, which discharged as his mother got set to place an order. The boy was critically injured. Police say the boy’s father told investigators he put his handgun in the seat pocket, without the boy’s mother’s knowledge, as he vacuumed two days earlier and forgot to remove it. At the conclusion of their investigation, police say investigators will meet with prosecutors to determine charges. Read More from Trend News Web http://bit.ly/2F1sIxz

Marvin Lewis Reportedly Fired as Bengals HC After 16 Years with Franchise

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Joe Robbins/Getty Images The Cincinnati Bengals fired Marvin Lewis on Monday the team announced , parting ways with the winningest coach in franchise history. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network first reported the news.   Lewis leaves Cincinnati having compiled a 131-122-3 record over 16 seasons. This past year, the Bengals finished last in the AFC North with a 6-10 record. They’ve now missed the playoffs for three straight seasons. To some extent, Lewis is a victim of his own success. There was once a time when a three-year postseason drought was nothing for the Bengals. Between 1983 and 2004, they had only two playoff appearances. But Lewis ushered in a new era for the Bengals and raised the bar for what was expected. Cincinnati reached the postseason in seven of his 16 years on the sideline and won four division titles. As much as he did to help the Bengals achieve a level of respectability it hadn’t enjoyed in decades, one could argue his departure is overdue. The Bengals n

House Democrats are getting an early start before returning from winter recess — and it begins with legislation that would end the government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats unveiled a package of bills Monday that would re-open the federal government without approving funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall with Mexico, establishing an early confrontation that will test the new power dynamic in Washington. The House is preparing to vote as soon as the new Congress convenes Thursday, as one of the first acts after Democrats take control, according to an aide who was not authorized to discuss the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. Democrats under Nancy Pelosi are all but certain to swiftly approve the two bills, making good on their pledge to try to quickly resolve the partial government shutdown that’s now in its second week. What’s unclear is whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will consider either measure — or if Trump would sign them into law. “It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same le

Car carrier on fire in Pacific, some crew abandon ship

A Panamanian car carrier heading from Japan to Hawaii caught fire in the Pacific Ocean, with some crew members abandoning the ship and the U.S. Coast Guard and other vessels heading to its rescue Monday. The Coast Guard said in a statement that crew members launched a life raft and four of the 21 mariners aboard left the Sincerity Ace wearing life jackets. The agency could not confirm if they reached the life raft. The remaining 17 crew members stayed on board to fight the fire. The Coast Guard said other commercial vessels were helping with the rescue 1,800 nautical miles (3,333 kilometers) northwest of Hawaii. The statement doesn’t say what caused the fire on the 650-foot (198-meter) ship. “The distance involved here requires any and all available support, we thank the crews of the commercial vessels for volunteering to assist and have Coast Guard air support en route,” Petty Officer 1st Class Les Elliott said in the statement. One commercial vessel had arrived and was assessi

Stocks are set for strong gains at the open, but remain on track for their worst December since the Great Depression (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, AMZN, MRO, HES, RIG)

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Universal US equity markets rallied Monday after President Donald Trump expressed optimism over the possibility of a trade deal with China. Still, the major averages posted their worst December performance since 1931, with the S&P 500 falling 9.2%. The benchmark index was down 6.2% in 2018. Watch stocks trade live . Stocks soared into the new year, but were unable to stave off their worst December since the Great Depression.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 267 points, or 1.16%, while the S&P 500 was higher by 21 points, or 0.86%, near 2,507. Despite Monday’s gain, the S&P 500 fell 9.6% for the month of December, making it the worst closing month to the year since 1931, when it sank 14.5%. The benchmark index lost 6.2% in 2018, its biggest annual decline since 2008.  Monday’s gains came after President Donald Trump on Saturday tweeted that trade talks between the US and China were progressing, fueling optimism that a deal could be ironed out in January, w

Kim Jong Un reaffirms commitment to denuclearization in letter to South Korea

SnowGlobe 2018: Tyga Talks ‘Taste’ And The ‘Bigger Moments’ He Has Planned For Next Year

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By Kat Bein Tyga had a banner year in 2018. The national narrative spoke of a “comeback” for the California rapper, but watching him perform a barrage of seemingly endless hits on stage at SnowGlobe Festival in Lake Tahoe this weekend seemed to have those in attendance screaming, “When did he ever leave?” The “Faded” MC braved low 40-degree temperatures to bring serious heat. He was joined on stage by his signature, scantily-clad dancers and proved college kids in snow suits really can twerk on ice. He finished his set with his biggest hit of 2018, the recently certified triple-platinum “Taste,” but backstage, he told MTV News all about his plans for the year ahead. MTV News: It was quite a treat to see you. It was my first time, and I don’t know if that was a shorter set for you than usual, but it was hit after hit after hit. Tyga: Yeah, we tried to keep it short and fast, you know? The crowd was good. It was freezing. I was like, “Man, I hope they just use more of the pyro. K

Video shows bags believed to contain Khashoggi’s remains: report

Video footage leaked to Turkish media shows a Saudi hit team in Istanbul carrying bags reportedly containing the remains of journalist Jamal Khashoggi , whose murder sparked an international outcry and jeopardised the kingdom’s relations with its Western allies. The video shows the arrival of some of the members of the team at the Saudi consul-general’s residence in Istanbul on the day Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate, several hundred metres from the residence. One of the hit team members is seen carrying bags, which according to the Turkish media, may contain body parts of the journalist, who was a critic of Saudi Arabia ‘s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ,  also known as MBS . Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate on October 2 to obtain documents certifying he divorced his ex-wife so he could remarry. He was killed and dismembered inside the consulate, in what Turkey called a “premeditated murder” orchestrated by the Saudi government. Saudi officials have counter

Andrew Johnson, Alan Maloney, and the Reckoning With Racism Against Black Hair

By Mikelle Street In a video, now viewed by most since surfacing online on December 20 , Andrew Johnson, a high school sophomore and wrestler, has his hair cut by a physical trainer wielding a pair of scissors. The cut was haphazard, the trainer grabbing and hacking at clumps of the student’s dreadlocks at random while wearing gloves. Johnson stood mostly immobile in the clip, seemingly on the verge of tears. At one point his coach, George Maxwell, steps into the frame clapping his hands, speaking directly to Johnson, presumably with words of encouragement, to get the young athlete back in the game — to keep him focused. He had an important match only seconds away. This was just one obstacle. But what an obstacle it has proven to be. Though Johnson went on to win his bout — looking on dejectedly as Alan Maloney, the referee who gave the wrestler the ultimatum which would lead to cutting his hair, held up Johnson’s arm in victory — it sent ripples through social media, which came bac

‘We live and die by the price of oil’: Texas business executives sound off on Trump, tariffs, and more in new survey

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Henry Romero/Reuters The outlook among manufacturing business executives in Texas worsened in December, underscoring frustrations around trade-related uncertainty within the manufacturing sector nationwide . The latest survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas showed both its general business activity index and company outlook index plunged to their lowest levels since mid-2016. Data for the survey was collected between December 18 and 26, during a particularly volatile time in the financial markets.  “We face great uncertainty for the near future,” one respondent wrote. “The economic policies of President Trump are causing unnecessarily volatile pricing and unpredictable outcomes.”  Executives in Texas have grown more negative in their overall business outlooks, according to the latest reading from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, accentuating broad tariff-related concerns across the manufacturing sector nationwide. Several measures of business activity dipped in D

Republican candidate kept donations despite requests to return them, filings show

Black Monday 2018

Ben Volin @BenVolin Marvin Lewis was finally fired after 16 seasons with the Bengals, the second-longest tenure behind Belichick. Lewis produced 7 playoff seasons, but no wins. He also had three ties, which is not easy to do in today’s NFL https://t.co/B9RCDdghE5 Read More from Trend News Web http://bit.ly/2s1qntP

Nukes, economy, Trump summit: What’s in Kim Jong-un’s 2019 agenda

Kim Jong-un will be keeping North Korea watchers busy on New Year’s Day, when he is expected to give his annual address laying out the country’s top priorities for the year ahead. The speech, which is normally broadcast on North Korea’s state-run television network, is often the best gauge of what the North Korean leadership is focussed on and what tone it will take in its dealings with the outside world. For 2019, it will be parsed carefully for clues about Kim’s thinking on denuclearisation talks with Washington and a second summit with US President Donald Trump , relations with South Korea and Pyongyang’s efforts to get rid of international sanctions as it tries to build up its domestic economy. A look at Kim’s plate for the coming year: The economy This is Kim’s primary concern. He made that clear in his 2018 News Year’s address and his government has been hammering it home ever since. In his first televised speech, at a military parade in 2012, Kim vowed the nation wou

Nick Foles to Start vs. Bears After Tests Reportedly Confirm Bruised Ribs

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Mark Tenally/Associated Press Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles  will start on Sunday in the NFC Wild Card Game against the Chicago Bears after tests reportedly confirmed that he avoided any broken bones. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson confirmed to reporters Monday that Foles would play after Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Foles only suffered bruised ribs during Philadelphia’s 24-0 Week 17 victory over Washington that saw the team clinch a playoff spot. Third-stringer Nate Sudfeld entered the Washington game after Foles exited. Starter Carson Wentz is still out with a stress fracture in his back. The Eagles can thank Foles for leading them to the playoffs after Wentz’s injury, as he helped them to three straight wins to end the season. He threw for a combined 962 passing yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams , Houston Texans and Washington. The effort built on Foles’ legendary status with the franchise after he won S

Russia detains US citizen on suspicion of spying

Justin Bieber’s ‘Feud’ With JoJo Siwa Is The Last Good Thing That’ll Happen In 2018

Justin Bieber and JoJo Siwa have quite a bit in common. They both launched their careers at young ages, propelled by some degree of viral fame. And they both boasted platinum-selling singles in their early-to-mid teens. So it makes sense that the now 24-year-old Biebs would want to look out for the 15-year-old Siwa as she continues making waves as a performer — including offering (perhaps unsolicited) advice on auto design. Just before Christmas, as Jezebel points out , Siwa posted an Instagram photo of a garishly decorated BMW her parents gave her, causing Bieber to comment, “Burn it.” Now, that’s kinda funny! And it was probably meant as a joke? Siwa’s mom seems to have taken it that way anyway, replying to Bieber with a cry-laughing emoji and a simple “burn your own things.” Justin eventually made his way into peacemaking mode with a clarifying tweet. “I have nothing against you,” he wrote, “it was the car and the colors.” JoJo, presumably riding the high of this interaction

Sydney kicks off global 2019 parties with dazzling spectacle

Australia’s largest city, Sydney, put on its biggest-ever fireworks display in a spectacular welcome to the New Year, kicking off a wave of celebrations for billions around the world. A record amount of pyrotechnics as well as new fireworks effects and colours lit up the city’s skyline for 12 minutes and dazzled the more than 1.5 million spectators who packed the harbourfront and parks. An earlier thunderstorm did not dampen the spirits of revellers who camped out at vantage points, some since the early hours of the morning. To mark the international year of indigenous languages in 2019, the harbour also hosted a ceremony celebrating Aboriginal heritage that included animations projected onto the bridge’s pylons. Around the world The party atmosphere will sweep across major cities in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas as the clock ticks past midnight. Hong Kong: Glittering fireworks will be sent skyward from five barges floating in Victoria Harbour in a 10-minute display watc