#MAGFAB: Beaujangless, Miss Fame and Sasha Colby, Among Others Talk Drag for HARPER’S BAZAAR Magazine
Seven drag queens including Beaujangless, Sasha Velour, Kevin Aviance, Plastique Tiara, Sasha Colby, Miss Fame, and Serena Tea talk gender, power, and the joy of performance.
Around the country, drag performers are under threat, thrust to the center of a culture war. But for practitioners of the art, it’s not just about putting on a show; it’s about finding truth, community, and freedom.
For BAZAAR’s July digital cover story, Alexander Chee explores the ways in which drag has always been a part of our culture and what’s at stake when gender expression is demonized, politized or criminalized.
As told to Ariana Marsh: On being inspired by the first drag show he ever saw: “The first drag show I ever saw was Monét X Change in 2015 in New York City. I started going regularly, at least once a week. I thought it was so cool; I just didn’t know how to get myself in it.”
On being called “the Beyoncé of Brooklyn”: “I got hired to do my first official show back in the summer of 2019, at Metropolitan Bar in Brooklyn. I did a Rihanna mega mix, and I fell fully in love with the stage. Once you develop a brand, people come to see you because they love watching you do what you do. They call me “the Beyoncé of Brooklyn” because I do all of her live performances in my shows.
On uplifting people during performances: “As queens, we are trying so hard to entertain and to uplift others and make sure that everybody’s having a good time. There are so many instances where people have grabbed me right after my number and said, ‘I really needed to hear that song today. It reminds me that I’m a strong, powerful person.’ We’re not doing anything malicious. We’re following our dreams and doing it graciously, while putting smiles on other people’s faces.”
A version of this article will appear in the August 2023 issue of HARPER’S BAZAAR, on newsstands July 25.
#RHOA: Kenya Moore Brings 'Worldwide' New Love Interest to Set with Daughter Brooklyn: 'He Is a Keeper!'
Kenya Moore got a moment to spend with love interest Roi Shlomo despite their booked schedules.
A preview of next Sunday’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta episode shows Moore greeting her new man after dancing with daughter Brooklyn while filming promotional footage for Kenya Moore Hair Care.
“Roi is just really difficult to pin down because he is actually worldwide,” says Moore, 52.
But she adds, “He is a keeper!”
Moore revealed her new love interest in the first episode of RHOA’s season 15. “Monyetta [Shaw] is best friends with this super bachelor named Roi,” Moore said in the episode. “So she made an introduction. And I’m kind of crazy about him. He’s been very kind to me. He’s funny. He makes me feel alive. And he’s not bad on the eyes.”
She’s also described the Kale Me Crazy entrepreneur as “a sweetheart” and said she feels “like a woman again” because of her new relationship.
Moore’s connection with Shlomo is her first since she announced her divorce from Marc Daly. The exes married in 2017 and confirmed their split in May 2021. The divorce process is still ongoing.
The RHOA star has spoken openly about the split both on and outside of the Bravo series. “I felt like my voice was stifled a lot because I felt like I had to be a certain kind of wife to get along with him and his personality," she said during an episode of Tamron Hall in January. "That's not what a marriage is about."
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
#MusicNews: Coco Jones Presents ‘What I Didn’t Tell You Tour’ Dates
Coco Jones is not just having a moment right now, she is the moment. Her name is on the tip of everyone’s tongues, her music is all over playlists and topping the charts, she just won Best New Artist at the BET Awards 2023 and she’s poised to make her debut on the mainstage at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture. ESSENCE Fest isn’t the only place that Jones will be performing with the announcement of her What I Didn’t Tell You Tour.
Set to begin in August, this will be Coco’s first headlining tour, named after her stellar 2022 project What I Didn’t Tell You. She’ll be accompanied on this journey by Ebony Riley and up-and-comers Haben and S!MONE who will open select dates.
Around the country, drag performers are under threat, thrust to the center of a culture war. But for practitioners of the art, it’s not just about putting on a show; it’s about finding truth, community, and freedom.
For BAZAAR’s July digital cover story, Alexander Chee explores the ways in which drag has always been a part of our culture and what’s at stake when gender expression is demonized, politized or criminalized.
As told to Ariana Marsh: On being inspired by the first drag show he ever saw: “The first drag show I ever saw was Monét X Change in 2015 in New York City. I started going regularly, at least once a week. I thought it was so cool; I just didn’t know how to get myself in it.”
On being called “the Beyoncé of Brooklyn”: “I got hired to do my first official show back in the summer of 2019, at Metropolitan Bar in Brooklyn. I did a Rihanna mega mix, and I fell fully in love with the stage. Once you develop a brand, people come to see you because they love watching you do what you do. They call me “the Beyoncé of Brooklyn” because I do all of her live performances in my shows.
On uplifting people during performances: “As queens, we are trying so hard to entertain and to uplift others and make sure that everybody’s having a good time. There are so many instances where people have grabbed me right after my number and said, ‘I really needed to hear that song today. It reminds me that I’m a strong, powerful person.’ We’re not doing anything malicious. We’re following our dreams and doing it graciously, while putting smiles on other people’s faces.”
A version of this article will appear in the August 2023 issue of HARPER’S BAZAAR, on newsstands July 25.
#RHOA: Kenya Moore Brings 'Worldwide' New Love Interest to Set with Daughter Brooklyn: 'He Is a Keeper!'
A preview of next Sunday’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta episode shows Moore greeting her new man after dancing with daughter Brooklyn while filming promotional footage for Kenya Moore Hair Care.
“Roi is just really difficult to pin down because he is actually worldwide,” says Moore, 52.
But she adds, “He is a keeper!”
Moore revealed her new love interest in the first episode of RHOA’s season 15. “Monyetta [Shaw] is best friends with this super bachelor named Roi,” Moore said in the episode. “So she made an introduction. And I’m kind of crazy about him. He’s been very kind to me. He’s funny. He makes me feel alive. And he’s not bad on the eyes.”
She’s also described the Kale Me Crazy entrepreneur as “a sweetheart” and said she feels “like a woman again” because of her new relationship.
Moore’s connection with Shlomo is her first since she announced her divorce from Marc Daly. The exes married in 2017 and confirmed their split in May 2021. The divorce process is still ongoing.
The RHOA star has spoken openly about the split both on and outside of the Bravo series. “I felt like my voice was stifled a lot because I felt like I had to be a certain kind of wife to get along with him and his personality," she said during an episode of Tamron Hall in January. "That's not what a marriage is about."
The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
#MusicNews: Coco Jones Presents ‘What I Didn’t Tell You Tour’ Dates
Coco Jones is not just having a moment right now, she is the moment. Her name is on the tip of everyone’s tongues, her music is all over playlists and topping the charts, she just won Best New Artist at the BET Awards 2023 and she’s poised to make her debut on the mainstage at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture. ESSENCE Fest isn’t the only place that Jones will be performing with the announcement of her What I Didn’t Tell You Tour.
Set to begin in August, this will be Coco’s first headlining tour, named after her stellar 2022 project What I Didn’t Tell You. She’ll be accompanied on this journey by Ebony Riley and up-and-comers Haben and S!MONE who will open select dates.
After a previously scheduled festival appearance at Broccoli City Festival 2023 in D.C. on July 16th, the What I Didn’t Tell You Tour begins in earnest on August 5th in Ontario, California with Jones opening for Jhené Aiko. Coco will bounce around North America through early September with shows locked in for cities such as Boston, Toronto (which will be presented by Spotify as a part of their R&B First Nights series), Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Birmingham and Philadelphia. Her itinerary also includes Sol Blume Festival in Sacramento and Made In America Festival in Philadelphia.
The rising star will complete this 16-city run in Norfolk, Virginia on September 3rd. If you don’t see your city among these tour dates, don’t get sad just yet. This is only the first leg of the tour, with Coco already confirming that more dates will be announced in the coming months.
Coco Jones’ What I Didn’t Tell You Tour is the perfect opportunity for fans to see her live and to not miss her in this moment. To ensure that happens, you’ll need a ticket, of course. Tickets go on public sale on Friday, June 30th at 10 a.m. local time. View all of the dates below, and visit her tour landing page for links to all ticket sales.
Coco Jones What I Didn’t Tell You Tour Dates:
August 5 – Ontario, California – Toyota Arena
August 8 – Boston, Massachusetts – Paradise Rock Club
August 10 – Toronto, Ontario – The Phoenix Concert Theatre
August 11 – Detroit, Michigan – Majestic Theatre
August 13 – Chicago, Illinois – House of Blues
August 15 – Minneapolis, Minnesota – First Avenue
August 17 – Denver, Colorado – Gothic Theatre
August 20 – Sacramento, California – Sol Blume Festival
August 22 – Los Angeles, California – Fonda Theatre
August 23 – Santa Ana, California – The Observatory
August 25 – Phoenix, Arizona – The Van Buren
August 27 – Dallas, Texas – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
August 29 – Birmingham, Alabama – Iron City
August 30 – Nashville, Tennessee – Brooklyn Bowl
September 2 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Made In America Festival
September 3 – Norfolk, Virginia – The NorVa
#HipHopNews: Casanova Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison on Federal Gang Charges
A New York federal judge on Tuesday (June 27) sentenced the artist (real name Caswell Senior) to 188 months in prison after he pleaded guilty last year to one charge under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), as well as a charge of conspiracy to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana.
Casanova, a Brooklyn rapper once signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, was one of 18 men charged in 2020 for their alleged roles in the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation gang, which prosecutors said “committed terrible acts of violence” across the New York City region.
“Caswell Senior is not just a notorious recording artist, but he is also a high-profile leader of a vicious street gang and a magnet for gang violence,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement after the sentencing, adding that Casanova’s stature had helped the gang recruit and expand nationwide. “Gang life is not worth it and will lead to many years in prison.”
Prior to the criminal charges, Casanova had been an up-and-coming artist, peaking at No. 3 on Billboard’s Next Big Sound chart in 2019 after the release of his album Behind These Scars. Chatting with Billboard at the time, Casanova said he was hopeful for the future, but knew that his past could return to haunt him: “People will always blame you for your past. I’m ok with that; I just have to fight harder. I have to do more to get recognized.”
In December 2020, he was one of 18 defendants named in the sweeping RICO case over Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation, which prosecutors said operated a violent narcotics operation across the NYC metro area, including the murder of a teenage boy in Poughkeepsie. The allegations even included “brazen fraud” for exploiting benefits programs providing assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May 2022, Casanova pleaded guilty to the RICO conspiracy charge and the drug charge. Among other things, he admitted to participating in a July 2020 shootout at a crowded Miami house party in which he personally shot a man, leaving the victim seriously injured.
Ahead of Tuesday’s sentencing, federal prosecutors requested a prison term ranging from 188 to 235 months, calling Casanova “a high-profile gang leader” who had “amplified the message of the gang” through his music, helping to recruit “a generation of new members.”
“He did not simply pretend to be violent in his music or on social media,” the government wrote. “Unfortunately, he walked the walk. Senior’s offense conduct is not about a few song lyrics or how he marketed his music. Rather, he carried out an array of violent activity and significant narcotics trafficking that benefited some of the gang’s most violent and impactful members.”
Casanova’s attorneys argued that he should receive a sentence well below those guidelines. They said he was “not involved in the gang’s daily activities” and had begun “to distance himself” from the group as his music career took off, including having “denounced gang life” in some public statements.
“The fact is that Mr. Senior stayed in this gang as it furthered his rap career,” Casanova’s lawyers wrote. “As he gained moderate success and then a recording contract with Roc Nation, he increasingly separated himself from the gang’s activities despite remaining a member.”
In a statement to Billboard on Wednesday, Casanova’s lawyer, James Kousouros, said he and his client were “gratified that the court acknowledged the productive messages that Mr. Senior had been giving against gang life over the past several years and sentenced him to the lowest end of the guidelines.”
The US Supreme Court affirmative action: Consideration of race outlawed as factor in college admissions
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action in college admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.
Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have "concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual's identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice."
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision "rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress."
Harvard students Shruthi Kumar, left, and Muskaan Arshad, join a rally on affirmative action in college admissions, in Washington, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022.
What is affirmative action and why do schools use it?
Affirmative action in college admissions is a policy of taking an individual student's race or ethnicity into account during the selection process.
Since the 1960s, seeking to overcome a legacy of segregation and inequality in higher education, many American colleges and universities began giving preference to applicants from underrepresented groups in order to proactively diversify their campuses.
In addition to redressing historic injustice, the schools say a diverse learning environment benefits all students and leads to a more informed society and workforce.
Where is affirmative action used in higher education?
Roughly 20% of four-year public universities still consider race during the admissions process, according to a report by Ballotpedia. Many of those institutions say they consistently evaluate race-neutral alternatives but that they are largely less effective in advancing campus diversity.
Since 1996, 10 states have banned the use of race in public university admissions, including California, Michigan and Florida, according to the American Educational Research Association.
Is there evidence that race-conscious policies are working?
Many schools, including Harvard and UNC, say consideration of race as one factor in a holistic assessment of applicants is an indispensable tool for building a diverse campus
Since 1976, Black, Native American, Hispanic and Asian American student enrollment has surged, according to Department of Education data. Despite the gains, however, students of color remain underrepresented on campuses nationwide.
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action in college admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.
Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have "concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual's identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice."
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision "rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress."
Harvard students Shruthi Kumar, left, and Muskaan Arshad, join a rally on affirmative action in college admissions, in Washington, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022.
What is affirmative action and why do schools use it?
Affirmative action in college admissions is a policy of taking an individual student's race or ethnicity into account during the selection process.
Since the 1960s, seeking to overcome a legacy of segregation and inequality in higher education, many American colleges and universities began giving preference to applicants from underrepresented groups in order to proactively diversify their campuses.
In addition to redressing historic injustice, the schools say a diverse learning environment benefits all students and leads to a more informed society and workforce.
Where is affirmative action used in higher education?
Roughly 20% of four-year public universities still consider race during the admissions process, according to a report by Ballotpedia. Many of those institutions say they consistently evaluate race-neutral alternatives but that they are largely less effective in advancing campus diversity.
Since 1996, 10 states have banned the use of race in public university admissions, including California, Michigan and Florida, according to the American Educational Research Association.
Is there evidence that race-conscious policies are working?
Many schools, including Harvard and UNC, say consideration of race as one factor in a holistic assessment of applicants is an indispensable tool for building a diverse campus
Since 1976, Black, Native American, Hispanic and Asian American student enrollment has surged, according to Department of Education data. Despite the gains, however, students of color remain underrepresented on campuses nationwide.
Barack Obama disagree as Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in colleges
The United States Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.
Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have "concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual's identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the colour of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice".
Justice Clarence Thomas — the nation's second black justice, who had long called for an end to affirmative action — wrote separately that the decision "sees the universities' admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes".
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision "rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress".
Echoing her dissent, President Joe Biden said he "strongly, strongly" disagrees with the court's ruling. He urged colleges not to let the ruling "be the last word".
"They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America," Biden said from the White House. He said colleges should evaluate "adversity overcome" by candidates.
Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.
In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court's first black female justice — called the decision "truly a tragedy for us all".
Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, "With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces 'colour-blindness for all' by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life".
The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.
Two former presidents offered starkly different takes on the High Court ruling.
Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential front-runner, wrote on his social media network that the decision marked "a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded".
Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that affirmative action "allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it's up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives".
The Supreme Court had twice upheld race-conscious college admissions programmes in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.
But that was before the three appointees of former President Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.
Lower courts also had upheld the programmes at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.
The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America and were weighed by the conservative-dominated but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two black people, and a Latina.
The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favour of black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.
The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court, in 2013, to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.
Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.
The group argued that the constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise. Roberts's opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.
The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.
Blum's group had contended that colleges and universities can use other race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socio-economic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.
The schools said that they use race in a limited way but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.
The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.
Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have "concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual's identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the colour of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice".
Justice Clarence Thomas — the nation's second black justice, who had long called for an end to affirmative action — wrote separately that the decision "sees the universities' admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes".
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision "rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress".
Echoing her dissent, President Joe Biden said he "strongly, strongly" disagrees with the court's ruling. He urged colleges not to let the ruling "be the last word".
"They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America," Biden said from the White House. He said colleges should evaluate "adversity overcome" by candidates.
Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.
In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court's first black female justice — called the decision "truly a tragedy for us all".
Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, "With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces 'colour-blindness for all' by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life".
The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.
Two former presidents offered starkly different takes on the High Court ruling.
Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential front-runner, wrote on his social media network that the decision marked "a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded".
Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that affirmative action "allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it's up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives".
The Supreme Court had twice upheld race-conscious college admissions programmes in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.
But that was before the three appointees of former President Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.
Lower courts also had upheld the programmes at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.
The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America and were weighed by the conservative-dominated but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two black people, and a Latina.
The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favour of black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.
The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court, in 2013, to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.
Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.
The group argued that the constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise. Roberts's opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.
The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.
Blum's group had contended that colleges and universities can use other race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socio-economic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.
The schools said that they use race in a limited way but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.
Madonna recovering from ‘serious bacterial infection,’ postpones Celebration world tour
Madonna is taking time to heal after a health scare, which will postpone at least some of her Celebration world tour that had been set to commence next month.
In a post shared to his verified Instagram, Guy Oseary, Madonna’s longtime manager, shared that the 64-year-old icon “developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU” on Saturday.
“Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected,” Oseary continued.
“At this time we need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour,” he added. “We will share more details with you as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows.”
A source close to the singer shared with CNN on Wednesday that she is “out of the ICU and recovering.”
Madonna’s next tour, titled the Celebration tour, was scheduled to kick off July 15 in Vancouver, Canada, followed by two dates in Seattle starting on July 18. The tour was set to continue throughout the United States and Canada through early October, before heading to Europe.
Madonna also added supplemental dates in the US in December and January, followed by four show dates in Mexico City.
Yusef Salaam From The Exonerated Five Wins NYC’s Council Primary
Spectrum News shared an emotional clip of Salaam addressing his supporters as the news of his victory broke.
“This campaign has been about those who have been counted out. This campaign has been about those who have been forgotten. This campaign has been about our hall of community who has been pushed into the margins of life and made to believe that they were supposed to be there. What has happened in this campaign has restored my faith in knowing that I was born for this. Every single thing that happens to you, happens for you,” expressed the 49-year-old.
When speaking on his campaign to the Associated Press, he revealed that it focused heavily on “bettering the lives of those in the community that raised him, including through housing justice, economic advancement, and police and law enforcement reform.”
Adding, “I’ve often said that those who have been close to the pain should have a seat at the table.”
The Harlem native was one of the five teenagers wrongfully convicted of the rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park in April 1989. His conviction was overturned in 2002. Following this, Salaam along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise became known as the “Exonerated Five.” The men later filed a civil suit against New York City and won with an attached $41 million settlement.
Salaam is very likely to win the general election this November.
Beyoncé & Kelly Rowland Team Up to Combat Homelessness in Houston With Permanent Housing Complex
America has a problem, and one of the biggest problems the country is currently grappling with is the housing crisis. Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland are teaming up to do their part to help combat this problem in their hometown of Houston, Texas.
On Tuesday, Harris County officials announced that the county would be collaborating with the Houston natives to create 31 permanent housing units. The initiative is set to use $7.2 million in American Rescue Plan funds to build the complex. “Initiatives like this one I certainly will be supportive of it no matter who’s behind it, but it’s especially interesting… because there are these names of Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, who, of course, have been supportive of the community for a very long time,” Judge Lina Hildago said during a press conference Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle.
In addition to the housing units, the new permanent housing project — called the Knowles-Rowland House — will have case managers, peer specialists, service specialists and support services, like transportation, mental health, physical and behavioral health support. An “even bigger launch” of the housing complex is slated for a September announcement once Beyoncé is back in her hometown for her two Renaissance World Tour shows at Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland have consistently given back to their hometown. After Hurricane Harvey upended the city in 2017, Beyoncé returned to Houston alongside Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams and mom Tina Knowles-Lawson to help serve food to those affected. Over a decade earlier, Rowland teamed up with the Knowles family to found the Survivor Foundation, a charity intended to provide transitional housing for Houston victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Speaking on the Knowles-Rowland House, local pastor and Bread of Life executive director Rudy Rasmus told the Chronicle, “This will be our fifth housing development in downtown in Precinct 1 over these last 17 years, and we’re just really grateful to continue to help end homeless in our county.”
Jada Pinkett Smith Leads Her Family To Use Psychedelic Drugs
"I think it was my mom, actually, that was really the first one to make that step for the family. It was just her for a really, really long time and then eventually it just trickled and evolved and everybody found it in their own ways," rapper Jaden told the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver.
Jaden didn't specify which psychedelics he was referring to, but said they have helped him form stronger relationships with his sister and his half-brother in a "profound" way. He said, "Siblings can argue so much and fight so much, and lord knows me and my siblings have done so much of that in the past. But the level of love and empathy that I can feel for them inside of the (psychedelic) experiences and outside of the experiences has been something that's profound and beautiful."
Jaden's half-brother is Trey, 30, who Will had with his ex-wife Sheree Zampino, 55. He added about how drug use has helped them resolve differences, "It will actually help us to open up our minds to get out of the old ways of thinking that got us into lots of these arguments and open it up so that it just releases and makes room for you to work it out and massage it out until it's completely gone."
Popular psychedelics include psilocybin (mushrooms), ayahuasca, LSD and mescaline.
Jaden previously opened up about experimenting with magic mushrooms in 2022. He told Mr Porter, "I believe that mushrooms are going to help us expand consciousness. The collection is not just clothes to sell. It's loaded with spiritual experiences and mystical states. We're just making clothes that can go along with people's journeys."
Jada has battled drug and alcohol addiction, and said on her Facebook Watch show in 2021, "Drinking red wine for me was like drinking glasses of water. Because I'm used to that hard hit. I was drinking hard in high school, too, and when I got out here I was doing cocktails. So, ecstasy, alcohol, weed. Let me tell you, I was having myself a little ball."
She said she quit drink and drugs by going "cold turkey" and, months later, revealed she used psychedelics to "knock out" her depression. Jada added on "Red Table Talk", "It's not successful for everybody. I struggled with depression for so long. And the thing about the plant medicine is it helps you feel better but also solves the problems of how you got there in the first place."
Her husband Will did ayahuasca 14 times in Peru over a two-year period around 2011, telling David Letterman on "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction" in 2022 that he saw visions of his family and career crumbling.
He added, "I realised that anything that happens in my life, I can handle it. I can handle any person I lose, I can handle anything that goes wrong in my life, I can handle anything in my marriage, I can handle anything that this life has to offer. That's part of the psychological training that happens in ayahuasca."
John Boyega Thanks Jamie Foxx For Finally Picking Up The Phone After His Hospitalization
John Boyega has "finally" got a call from Jamie Foxx. The "Star Wars" actor, 31, gave an update on the "Ray" star's health after the 55-year-old Oscar winner's daughter Corinne Foxx revealed in April her dad had been hospitalized in the middle of production on his upcoming movie "Back in Action" with a mystery "medical condition."
John told PEOPLE at the Hollywood premiere of his and Jamie's film "They Cloned Tyrone" on Tuesday, June 27, "He finally picked up the phone. Thank you, bro. He's doing well. And then, you know, we (are) just giving him the privacy, and we can't wait for his return. I gave him the well-wishes directly. I gave him all the well-wishes. So I'm just gonna be waiting until he comes back out here. So take your time, Jamie. We love you, bro."
Datari Turner, 44, who co-produced "They Cloned Tyrone" with Jamie, also said his friend is recovering and expects to be in front of the cameras again soon. He added, "He's doing amazing. I promise you. Doing really, really good. (Our director) Juel (Taylor) talked to him yesterday. John Boyega talked to him yesterday. He's in really, really good shape and spirits. And he'll be back on the screen. He'll be back to work very soon."
Jamie's co-star Cameron Diaz, 50, continued to shoot "Back in Action" with a body double standing in for Jamie. A source told PEOPLE the actress "wanted to be supportive and help out in any way" after her castmate's health crisis even though "his family has kept his status very quiet."
Jamie, his family and his team have stayed silent on his condition, but his representative has denied a conspiracy theory the Covid vaccination had led to the actor suffering blood clots. Jamie updated fans on Instagram in May by thanking them for "all the love" and said he felt "blessed."
Presumed Human Remains And Titan Wreckage Recovered After 'Catastrophic' Implosion
First pictures of the wreckage have surfaced online as the debris has been returned to land at a port in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Twisted chunks of the 22-foot submersible came ashore at a Canadian Coast Guard pier on Wednesday.
"The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy," said MBI Chair Captain Jason Neubauer. "There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again."
The Coast Guard stated that U.S. medical professionals will conduct "a formal analysis of presumed human remains that have been carefully recovered within the wreckage at the site of the incident."
Horizon Arctic, a Canadian ship, carried a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to search the ocean floor near the Titanic wreck for pieces of the submersible. Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in Massachusetts and New York that owns the ROV, said in a statement on Wednesday that it has completed offshore operations.
Pelagic Research Services said its team is "still on mission" and cannot comment on the ongoing Titan investigation, which involves several government agencies in the U.S. and Canada. "They have been working around the clock now for 10 days, through the physical and mental challenges of this operation, and are anxious to finish the mission and return to their loved ones," the company's statement said.
The OceanGate submersible imploded during its voyage in the North Atlantic Ocean on June 18. After five days of search, the company announced on June 22 that they believe all five passengers had perished in a "catastrophic" implosion.
The five passengers were Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, Stockton Rush, 61, OceanGate CEO and co-founder who piloted the sub, and former French Navy commander Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77.
Gymnastics star Simone Biles returning to competition in August in first meet since 2020 Olympics
Simone Biles is back. The gymnastics superstar plans to return to competition at the U.S. Classic outside Chicago in early August, her first event since the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
USA Gymnastics announced Wednesday that Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist and the 2016 Olympic champion, is part of the women’s field for the single-day event set for Aug. 5 at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates.
Biles has taken most of the last two years off following her eventful stay in Japan in the summer of 2021, where her decision to remove herself from multiple events to focus on her mental health shifted the focus from the games themselves to the overall wellness of the athletes.
She served as a cheerleader as her American teammates won the team silver then sat out the all-around, vault and floor exercise finals she had qualified for while dealing with what is known as “the twisties” — a gymnastics term for when an athlete loses their spatial awareness when airborne.
Biles returned for the balance beam final, where she won a bronze medal that tied Shannon Miller’s record for most Olympic medals by an American female gymnast. She hinted at the Paris 2024 Olympics but only after taking a lengthy break.
The last two years have been a whirlwind of sorts. She headlined her post-Olympic tour in the fall of 2021 and married NFL player Jonathan Owens — now a defensive back for the Green Bay Packers — this spring.
The 26-year-old Biles has also become one of the most vocal advocates for athletes finding space to protect their mental health after her stand in Japan put the issue front and center. While the conversation around the subject is constantly evolving, Biles’ return to the sport she dominated for nearly a decade suggests an athlete who wants to go out on her own terms.
The U.S. Classic is one of the marquee events on USA Gymnastics’ annual calendar and typically serves as a warm-up of sorts for the national championships, this year scheduled for late August in San Jose.
Biles used the Classic as her comeback meet in 2018 following a two-year hiatus after her record medals haul in Rio de Janeiro. It took her all of two hours to show she remained the gold standard in her sport, setting the stage for another spectacular run that included two more world all-around championships in 2018 and 2019 and three more national titles.
Things could be different this time around, in more ways than one.
Biles courted the spotlight during her run-up to Tokyo, becoming in many ways the face of the U.S. Olympic movement. She appears to be taking a more subdued approach with the Paris Games about a year away. She’s kept her various social media channels almost entirely gymnastics-free, instead using them to highlight snippets of her personal life.
And for the first time since rising to stardom as a teenager in 2013, Biles won’t have to shoulder the burden of being the standard bearer for the U.S. program.
Sunisa Lee, who won gold in the all-around final in Tokyo, will also be at the U.S. Classic after spending two years competing at Auburn, where she helped spearhead a massive uptick in interest in collegiate gymnastics.
Lee missed the second half of her sophomore year with the Tigers while grappling with health issues but is eyeing a return to the Olympics not necessarily to defend her all-around title but to take another shot at gold on uneven bars, her signature event.
Lee placed third on bars in Tokyo, due in no small part to the attention she received in the immediate aftermath of becoming the fifth straight American woman to win the Olympic title.
Biles became adept at navigating the various demands of her time as her stardom rose. She appears to be plotting a more subdued path as she tries to make a third Olympic team, a rarity for an American female gymnast. Dominique Dawes (1992, 1996 and 2000) is the only U.S. woman in the last 50 years to be selected for three Olympic teams.
Then again, Biles is also competing at a time when it is becoming more commonplace for elite gymnasts to compete well into their 20s and beyond.
The easing of name, image and likeness rules at the NCAA level have allowed Lee and several other top Americans like Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Leanne Wong to not be forced to choose between competing collegiately and cashing in on their Olympic success.
Carey, the 2020 Olympic champion on floor exercise and the 2022 world champion on vault, has spent the last two years at Oregon State. Chiles, who won a team silver in Tokyo and added three medals — including silvers on floor and vault — at the world championships last fall, has thrived at UCLA. Wong, the 2021 world championship silver medalist, has helped Florida reach the national finals each of the last two years.
They will all arrive in Chicago sharpened by having competed regularly since Tokyo.
Biles, by contrast, is in a different place. She’s maintained since she left Japan that she wouldn’t rush into any decision attempting to make a run at Paris, stressing all along that she would only return to the sport she dominated for so long because she wants to and not out of a sense of duty.
Registering for the Classic is but one step in several that she’ll need to make over the next 14 months. The key for her will be to find the right balance that she mastered while experiencing the kind of crossover success reserved for select few Olympic champions.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend welcome baby number four via surrogate
The 37-year-old took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce that she and the All of Me singer welcomed a baby boy named Wren Alexander Stephens via surrogate on Monday 19 June.
"Just minutes before midnight on June 19th, I got to witness the most beautiful woman, my friend, our surrogate, give birth amidst a bit of chaos, but with strength and pure joy and love," Chrissy shared with her followers in the lengthy post.
"We want to say thank you for this incredible gift you have given us, Alexandra," the TV personality wrote referring to their surrogate, who was she shared her pregnancy journey with. "And we are so happy to tell the world he is here, with a name forever connected to you, Wren Alexander Stephens."
Five months earlier, the couple welcomed a baby girl, Esti, who was carried by Chrissy. They are also parents to daughter Luna, seven, and son Miles, four.
The happy news comes almost two years after the couple lost their son Jack 20 weeks into Chrissy's pregnancy. Following their loss, the model shared that she had to undergo a life-saving abortion, which resulted in the passing of their unborn son.
Daniel Penny pleads not guilty for chokehold death of Jordan Neely
Daniel Penny, 24, pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide during a court appearance. As previously reported by REVOLT, on May 1, the white former United States Marine was filmed placing Jordan Neely, a Black unhoused street performer, in a fatal chokehold during an incident on a New York subway car.
According to CNN, Penny’s hearing lasted less than five minutes and the only time he spoke was to say “not guilty.” Earlier this month, he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for Neely’s death and is due back in court on Oct. 25. The 24-year-old previously walked free on a $100,000 bond, and the outlet noted that his conditions were not adjusted at today’s hearing. Penny is still not in custody.
Following today’s court appearance, Penny’s attorney, Thomas Kenniff, maintained his client’s innocence. “All of the evidence that we’ve seen so far, all of the evidence that we expect to see, shows that Danny acted reasonably, under very difficult circumstances in a confined environment that none of us would want to find ourselves in,” the lawyer claimed. Neely was unarmed and had no physical interactions with any passengers. However, at the beginning of the month, Penny told Fox News Digital the victim “would have killed somebody” if he didn’t intervene when the 30-year-old Black man allegedly yelled about not having access to adequate food and housing.
Steven Raiser, another lawyer for Penny, said his defense team plans to argue that it is “every New Yorker’s right and duty to defend each other when faced with grave harm.” Kenniff added, “We are a long way off from trial, but all the evidence we’ve seen is that our client acted under the law. [We are] confident our client acted within the confines of the law.” A medical examiner classified Neely’s death as a homicide.
Carlishia Hood accepts Nicki Minaj’s offer to pay for son’s college education following viral Chicago attack
As previously reported, earlier this month, the 35-year-old mother was repeatedly punched by 32-year-old Jeremy Brown as she waited in line to order food at a fast food restaurant in Chicago. Her 14-year-old son witnessed the attack and shot and killed the man in his mom’s defense. Still, it was the mother and teen who ended up behind bars. “On June 18 of this year, my life changed. My son’s life changed. Never in a million years would I have imagined being brutally attacked, beaten, and then arrested,” Hood said at a press conference yesterday (June 27) after being released from custody. And then Nicki Minaj stepped up.
With the tragic story dominating the headlines, once the global superstar got wind, she posted a message to her Instagram Story offering to help. “That 14-year-old boy that backed [that] hammer out when that grown a** man was punching his mother in the face as if she were a MAN is a true hero. If he wants to go to college, I’d love to help. It’s what ANY son should’ve done for their MOTHER. She raised a dope kid [and] should be so proud. Also, God knew [before] she knew that she’d be attacked that day [and] made sure they had protection on DECK. God is GOOD,” Minaj shared with her 222 million followers.
Her message was reposted by multiple blogs. Hood heard the news and accepted the offer via social media. “We most definitely appreciate you, Nicki Minaj! My son just ran and told me to look at [The] Shade Room. Your comment most certainly just made his day. Yes, my son will be attending college, and we can use any help we can get. Prayers are greatly appreciated from you all. Thank you so, so much, Queen,” the grateful mother wrote in the blog’s Instagram comment section
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Election Theory That Would Give States More Control Of Federal Elections
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an election law theory that would favor state leaders having more control over federal elections.
The Independent State Legislature Theory had previously been shot down three times by the court. According to the argument, state legislatures have the final say in elections. This includes everything from voting maps to laws. What’s troubling is under this theory, states would have the authority to throw out ballots they deem ineligible during presidential elections. These moves would have no oversight from the governors or courts. The Trump-backed thesis came about after he launched a campaign after President Biden‘s win. Several of the Supreme Court conservatives expressed some support for the theory, but ultimately, it was rejected yet again. The 6-3 decision was handed down with conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett also ruling against it.
“Our precedents have long rejected the view that legislative action under the Elections Clause is purely federal in character, governed only by restraints found in the Federal Constitution,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.
North Carolina Republicans have pushed the court to co-sign the theory formally known as Independent State Legislature Theory. The idea attracted controversy due to the potentially devastating creation of unfair voting laws in states. This would have meant state lawmakers could write any new election regulations simply based on their beliefs. Critics have cautioned that accepting unrestricted state-level authority to enact federal election laws could pose a severe threat to democracy.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
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EVENING GOODIES: Meet Daddy Mex
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