Young Jeezy has been arrested for threatening his son. Jeezy, whose government name is Jay Jenkins, turned himself in to police on Friday, Jan. 3 for charges including terroristic threats, false imprisonment, and battery. The charges stem from a September 2012 incident in which Jeezy and his 17-year-old son Jadarius Jenkins got into an argument in a bathroom.

The incident report states that Jeezy pushed the teen into a glass shower door causing him to hit his head. The fight continued as Jeezy punched him in the face and dragged him to the bedroom where he continued his assault.

In police statement, Jadarius said that his father threatened him. “I will put a bullet in your head right now,” said Jeezy allegedly while he choked the teen. “If I could get away with it, I would kill you,” the rapper continued.

Sources told TMZ that the Atlanta rapper confirms the two had a typical argument that is being blown out of proportion by the child’s mother for monetary gain.

Jeezy was released according to Fulton County records on $45,000 bond. He is due in court Jan. 29 for a plea and arraignment hearing.

“We have no doubt this matter will resolve itself appropriately. At this moment, Mr. Jenkins is thankful for the support of his fans and the respect for his family’s privacy,” Jeezy’s attorney said in a statement.

Young Jeezy was arrested previously for a Miami Beach shootout incident and in 2008 for a DUI. He was also under investigation in regards to a major cocaine-dealing ring.

Amidst pressure from shareholders regarding a lack of diversity, Apple pledges to add more women and minorities to executive positions.

Shareholders Trillium Asset Management and the Sustainability Group recently expressed concerns that only one woman holds a seat on Apple’s eight-member board and one incoming woman on its executive team.

“There is a general problem with diversity at the highest echelon of Apple. It’s all white men,” said Jonas Kron, director of shareholder advocacy at Boston-based Trillium.

Andrea Jung, former CEO of Avon Products, is the only woman and person of color on Apple’s board. Angela Ahrendts, the former CEO of Burberry Group, is the only woman on the executive team.

In response, the iPhone maker has amended its charter to include language that pledges the company will consider women and minorities as candidates.

“The Committee is committed to actively seeking out highly qualified women and individuals from minority groups to include in the pool from which Board nominees are chosen,” the charter now reads.

Shareholders have met with Apple representatives over the past few months to discuss the lack of women and minorities on the all-white male-led board. They will address further concerns and take a vote on February 28. Until then, most are satisfied with the amendment in the language.

“This is going to be a multiyear process. It is not going to change overnight. It will take some time for Apple to make the decisions they need to make and vet the possible candidates out there. But I think they are committed to doing that,” said Kron. He adds that he has been “pressuring a number of companies in different industries on the issue.”

Recently Twitter and Facebook were highlighted for the lack of diversity on their boards.

Just days since Sasheer Zamata was added to the Saturday Night Live cast, two new black female writers have been added to SNL’s behind-the-scenes staff.

The NBC sketch show, which previously received flack for its homogeneous cast, hired LaKendra Tookes, an Improv Olympic West theater alum, and Leslie Jones, a standup comedienne.

Jones’ resume boasts cameos on The League ,Chelsea Lately, Girlfriends, Showtime at the Apollo, and Mind of Mencia.  Tookes, a former news reporter who auditioned in Los Angeles, is an expert celebrity impersonator, known to cover Fran Drescher and Nicki Minaj among many others.

SNL alums Tina Fey and Jason Sudeikis began their stints on the comedy sketch show behind the scenes before launching very successful careers in front of the camera.

Photo credit: Hollywood Reporter

Kanye West‘s lawyers have filed cease-and-desist papers against seven anonymous coders behind Coinye West, a virtual currency following in the footsteps of Bitcoin, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The court papers document an image of a cartoon West wearing the Shutter shades from the “Stronger” video on a gold medallion. West’s lawyers say the use of the image is trademark infringement.

“Given Mr. West’s wide-ranging entrepreneurial accomplishments, consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that Mr. West is the source of your services,” one of the lawyers in the cease-and-desist papers state.

This is no merchandise from the “Yeezus Tour,” which continues in 2014.

Coinye West actually started as a joke. “We said Coinye West and we were like, ‘Holy… we gotta make that,’” one of the coders said.

Despite legal proceedings, the coders aren’t backing down completely. In fact, the site launched January 7 at 10 p.m. under the name Coinye Coin. A website based in India for Coinye Coin is active despite the pressure. The image has received a makeover. The Kanye lookalike is now on a fish but still rocking the shades.

There’s a chance that Coinye West could take off and become more than an Internet sensation.

“We want to get this into the hands of the public—after that, it’s peer to peer and unstoppable,” the coders said.

[Image: Coinye West Twitter]

Singer Chris Brown rejected a plea deal in a Washington, D.C. courtroom yesterday, maintaining innocence after being accused of punching a fan and breaking his nose on his Brown’s tour bus last October.

Attorney Mark Geragos, who represented the late Michael Jackson during his run-ins with the law, said in an exclusive interview that Brown rejected the proposed deal “because he’s not guilty.”

He continued,  ”I’ve seen everything I need to see in this case, so absent prosecutors turning over video footage of [Brown] doing it, there’s little or no chance of any plea deal.”

Prosecutors said Wednesday they had uncovered related surveillance footage, but made no further comment. Brown appeared in court with girlfriend, Karrueche Tran. Brown will return to court February 20 along with all other involved parties to receive his trial date.

In the world of hip-hop, there are some who are one-hit wonders and there are those who have dropped an innumerable amount of hot tunes making them bonafide heavy-hitters. Swizz Beatz is surely the latter. Since the age of 16, he’s gained massive respect and recognition that has landed him on Forbes‘ list of “Highest Paid Cash Kings” for two consecutive years. For 2014, the Grammy award-winning, recording artist, record producer, and philanthropist is slated for a number of projects that span many genres, from hip-hop artists DMX and Common to soulful R&B legend Dionne Warwick.

But, Swizz’s music isn’t the only thing on point. Whenever spotted on the red carpet, his clothing choices prove that he is a man who takes pride in his appearance. His look is urban fashionably mixed with gentleman swag. Not to say Swizz won’t wear a down vest or slightly sagging jeans – but even if he does, the look is still done tastefully. So guys, if you have made a resolution to step up your look for 2014, you may want to take a few tips from this week’s Star Style, Swizz Beatz.

There are various tuxedo styles for every occasion. When attending an after five event that isn’t formal, choosing a tuxedo with suit appeal in a non-traditional color will help you stand out from the crowd.

Invest in simple accessories with luxe appeal such as hats, sneakers, and even sunglasses. Such accessories can add a bit of casual finesse.

Whether for a beach vacation or a summer picnic, Hawaiian-print pants or shorts will make an impression. Temper the look with a sleek modern shirt and plain kicks.

There is more than one way to wear a suit. Free your mind, and lighten stuffy business attire with your favorite pair of athletic sneakers, a bold shirt, and a classic topper.

If you find yourself gravitating towards animal print, it’s perfectly fine. But, keep the look simple and pair with solid garments.

A nautical-inspired look is one that’s classic and always looks great. So, whether you’re coordinating stripes or basic solids, like navy and white or black and white, the combination works perfectly for a wedding, an office event, or Sunday brunch.

When shopping for a coat, consider one that can complements your overall style.

Believe the hype. Ladies, really do love it when a man has a mean shoe game.

Men who want to get their shine on can do so with a blazer in an iridescent material. Whether pairing with jeans or a solid colored pants, every other part of the outfit should be simple.

A leather jacket with hot details is one sure way to keep any closet modern and up to date.

Tap into your inner Blues Brother by donning a tuxedo blazer, a basic Tee, and dark jeans. Instead of wearing casual shoes with the look, consider sneakers that have just as much character.

Just as there are style dos and don’ts for various women’s shapes, the same applies when it comes to men. To that point, men who are on the lean side wear motorcycle jackets the best.

Former congressional representative Gabrielle Giffords was a first-hand victim of gun violence when she was shot at point blank range three years ago. The gunman left Giffords in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head, and killed six others in the 2011 attack. Giffords wrote Wednesday, in an op-ed commemorating the third anniversary of the horrific event:

We’re not daunted. We know that the gun lobby, which makes money by preventing sensible change, relies on dramatic disappointments to wound us, reduce our power, push us back on our heels.
Our fight is a lot more like my rehab. Every day, we must wake up resolved and determined. We’ll pay attention to the details; look for opportunities for progress, even when the pace is slow. Some progress may seem small, and we might wonder if the impact is enough, when the need is so urgent.

But every day we will recruit a few more allies, talk to a few more elected officials, convince a few more voters. Some days the steps will come easily; we’ll feel the wind at our backs. Other times our knees will buckle. We’ll tire of the burden. I know this feeling. But we’ll persist.

We can get tough and win elections. We’ll support our allies. And those who stood in the way will face a powerful advocacy community standing between them and re-election.

She tweeted a link to the article, writing:

Three years after the shooting that almost took my life, I can move my arm again. Grit can overcome paralysis. http://t.co/LuDvqDajO0

— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) January 8, 2014

Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly started a political action committee called Americans for Responsible Solutions in January 2013, supporting Americans’ Second Amendment rights while proposing such gun control tactics as limiting the sale of high-capacity magazines, limiting the sale of assault weapons, and ending gun trafficking.

On January 18th, Sasheer Zamata, the first Black female cast member on “Saturday Night Live” in five years, will make her debut. As much as I wish I could say her hiring was due solely to Lorne Michaels recognizing her massive talent, the truth is that the Black community’s collective outrage played a large role in forcing his hand. But, many people ended up receiving exactly what they wanted, which was a Black female actress on SNL, but now the tricky part comes into play: How do we want to see her on the show?

Yesterday, I read an article on Clutch by writer Dioni L. Wise titled “7 Characters I Don’t Want Sasheer Zamata to Play on SNL.” After reading her well-written piece, I had three non-consecutive reactions. First, I laughed at her list because I’m extremely confident that she will end up witnessing every character/caricature she DOESN’T want to see, especially when Zamata has already played some of them, like Michelle Obama for example.

Also, many of the times a Black female character has been featured on the show, she has been played by a Black man, like Kenan Thompson, who’s played everything from ratchet chicks to stereotypically fat, loud women. Now that he claims he’s done playing women, something tells me those characters aren’t disappearing. But we can be hopeful because SNL has also hired two Black female writers this week, LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones.

Secondly, it made me slightly sad that the article even had to be written in the first place. It made me sad that Black women have been so negatively represented in major media that there is a very real fear of viewing their intrinsic worth drubbed in one fell swoop (or skit) a.la Russell Simmons‘ Harriet Tubman sextape skit. Of course, Black folks collectively don’t help our own causes with our support and viewing of ratchet reality TV shows.

But my final reaction to her article was anger, which was not directed at Wise, but more so at the fact that we as Black people are still begging for inclusion, instead of creating and controlling. When this whole “petition SNL to hire a Black woman” thing began, there was a small group of folks (myself included) who believe that we don’t need a Black woman on SNL, because we need our own program on a major network where we could produce our own creative content. Truth be told, most of the Black people who signed that petition and actively campaigned for the hiring of a Black actress don’t even watch “Saturday Night Live” anymore. We’re not their target demographic, nor do we actively support their product, yet we want to dictate how they produce their content and make sure it’s in line with our sensitivities? That doesn’t make any sense. You can’t make the rules for the game you don’t control.

We are currently living in an amazing time where something as innocuous as going viral on YouTube can force a network to trust entire projects in the hands of capable Black women like Issa Rae (who has series coming up with HBO and ABC). Rae is now using her YouTube channel as a hub to create content for other Black men and women (like Andrea Lewis’ “Black Actress” web series) that can hopefully result in massive opportunities not only in front of the camera, but also in the boardroom. But instead of advocating for creative control, once again we find ourselves begging them to throw us scraps of bread to satiate our hunger, rather than demanding space in the oven to bake our own loaf.

Black folks in 2014 have the power of mass consumption in a way we’ve never had before, even more than when “In Living Color” was on the air. Regardless of what you may think of shows like “Scandal,” “The Game,” and “Being Mary Jane,” we have the ability to drive a massive amount of eyeballs to the small screen. And don’t even try to sell me the argument that advertisers can’t see the benefits in marketing to a large Black demographic because African Americans’ buying power is projected to be 1.1 TRILLION by 2015.

I’m writing this today because I see exactly how Zamata’s situation will play out. We are going to tune in to SNL for the first time in a long while just to see how she does. We will find a specific skit to get offended about, and we will drag SNL’s ass all over social media until we eventually receive an apology. We will stop tuning into SNL (once we remember all the reasons we no longer like it), and we will find another program/network to bitch about for their lack of diversity. And in the mean time, we will not use our excessive influence to support Black content creators. And we will ultimately find ourselves right back in this very same position again.

I’m so damn sick of this repetitive cycle of continuous begging and pleading that I HOPE we finally wake up and realize what many other minority groups realized a LONG time ago: If you don’t OWN it, you’ll never have any adequate say ABOUT it.

LAB

Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.

By Andre George

For the discerning gentleman, a custom bespoke suit is much like a calling card. In a sense, it’s an actualized statement of character, an invitation of sorts into his world of self-defined living and luxury. As fashion trends lead the less inclined towards the pastures of homogeneous reproduction, the elite group of men whom exist outside of this realm traverse an entirely different terrain. In the same way late 19^th-century sidekicks rode alongside their partners—cavalier cowboys, so rides the Custom Clothier.

More than a tailor or cutter, a custom clothier is your personal aficionado of style and presentation—a maestro of fabrics and art. I say art, because that is the only way to describe the full breadth of their capabilities. They are savants who dare to use their gifts for good—agent provocateurs to all things which would dare to stand in the way of one of the single greatest accoutrements to express sophistication and power—the bespoke suit. These artisans work tirelessly to help us to both discover and unlock our personal style in a way that challenges preconceived notions and expectations. Take a moment and imagine the possibilities. A man of substance and influence, with a magisterial craftsman beside him is a formidable pairing. One which often boasts symphonic results—this is the beauty of synergy. And like all things, it’s a process. The schematics which are drafted to bring together a man and his suit are unique. It’s exclusive to them—to him. This is bespoke.

Whether you’re a casual suit wearer, new to the lifestyle or have an expansive collection that’d make members of the original “Rat Pack” jealous, the bespoke suit speaks an entirely different language. Bespoke differs from off-rack or made-to-measure suits in a number of ways. Every nuance is taken into consideration in order to deliver an unparalleled masterpiece of fabric and function. Sonnets could be written to pay homage to the process, yet it would still fall short of illuminating the process from inquiry to finished product. Thus, I have found in such discussions it’s always best to garner knowledge from the superstars themselves. Fortunately, I made successful contact with bespoke wizard extraordinaire—Peter Frew of Archangelo Sartorial in Brooklyn. Ever so gracious, he took a few moments out of his backlogged schedule to share some tidbits on bespoke suits and how the process works.

Uptown: It seems more professionals are entering into the bespoke market, what do you attribute to this trend?

Frew: Fashion recycles… We’re now seeing a resurgence of the suit even for casual occasions. Bespoke is the high-end of this market. It is once again (the suit) a staple item which professionals use to make statements. And I expect this trend to continue.

Uptown: What’s the most important piece of the clothier/client relationship?

Frew: Communication, Communication, Communication. If clients aren’t open or have trouble communicating, it slows down the whole process. It’s up to me to walk them through this, but the better the communication, the smoother things will go and they’ll be more satisfied with the end result.

Uptown: Where do you find your inspiration?

Frew: Culture. Different lifestyles. Sometimes it’s just taking what my clients share and thinking about how I can create awe. Say they need the suit for an award show or premiere—I think, what will give it an awe factor. It has to fit the need. If the suit is for a party, I think the same thing. What will make this suit demand attention in that environment? This is what inspires me.

Uptown: What, if any, misconceptions are there about the bespoke suit?

Frew: The cost involved. True bespoke uses superior materials which gives the suit more durability and wear. Bespoke is entirely custom and takes things into account like a client’s body mechanics and natural movements. There really is no other.

Uptown: How do you ensure each client’s personal style is reflected accurately in each bespoke suit?

Frew: It’s the process. I have a 5 step process which is my full proof way to exceed my clients’ expectations. I start with an initial consultation and follow it with 4 additional sittings. This gives the client and I plenty of opportunity to build the suit to their image.

Uptown: How long does it take from start-to-finish to complete a bespoke suit?

Frewn: Typically, you’re looking at a 10-12 week process. Each suit takes 70-80 man hours to complete.

Uptown: Any tips on entering into the bespoke market for first time clients?

Frew: Absolutely! First thing to keep in mind for prospective clients is that they should understand the difference between made-to-measure and true bespoke before commissioning any work. Bespoke is entirely custom and there are no short cuts or pre-measurements. Also, do plenty of research. I would also recommend clients to check out a few houses (bespoke tailors) before settling on one. Finding a house that you’re comfortable with will benefit them in the end.

André George is a Lifestyle Influencer and Brand Strategist. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr @TheAndreGeorge

Oscar-winning actress Mo’Nique and former Danity Kane member D. Woods will co-star in an indie movie adaptation of Larry Duplechan novel, Blackbird.

Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington will play the parents of Randy Rousseau (Julian Walker), a gay teen struggling with his sexuality and his religious, conservative Mississippi family. “Blackbird is a film about the choices people are forced to make as they struggle to figure out how to be themselves,” executive producer and Mo’Nique’s husband Sidney Hicks said. Mo’Nique will also executive produce the film alongside her husband’s media company, Hicks Media. Patrick Ian Polk will direct.

Blackbird will premiere February 16, 2014 at the Pan African Film Fest at Rave Cinemas in Los Angeles.

The liquid gold known as Velveeta is experiencing a shortage nationwide, affecting cheese dips and sauces in households everywhere. Despite airing television commercials of chili con queso dips made with Velveeta, Kraft warns customers of a temporary shortage of the orange colored, cheese-esque substance.

It all started when Advertising Age reported East coast Velveeta shortages in grocery stores.  Brand representative Jody Moore blamed the “nature of manufacturing” for the processed cheese shortage. Moore assures it’s only a short term issue, affecting only Velveeta’s hard cheese products. It’s a matter of supply and demand in the now dubbed “cheesepocalypse.”

During the NFL playoffs and impending Superbowl, Velveeta is high in demand for tail gating and parties. The Superbowl XLVIII will air February 2 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Velveeta is an 86-year-old,  $500 million brand owned by Kraft.

Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown is happily married to Nick Gordon according to news released by Brown on January 9. Bobbi Kristina tweeted a picture showing hands crossed and “#HappilyMarried• SO#Inlove• if you didn’t get it the first time that is..”

Bobbi Kristina and Nick Gordon announced their engagement in 2012 on The Houstons: On Our Own, a short-lived reality show. Whitney Houston informally adopted Gordon when he was 12-years-old and he lived with the family.

The two former reality stars’ families objected to the union. The engagement was called off a month later. Gordon announced the pair were not dating or engaged and the two were close like they always have been.

Then in July 2013, the engagement was reconfirmed. “”YES, we me nick are engaged,” she wrote on Facebook. “I’m tired of hearing people say ‘eww your engaged to your brother’ or ‘if Whitney was still alive would we be together or would she approve of this.’” She continued, “Let me clear up something, we aren’t even real brother and sister, nor is he my adoptive brother. My mom never adopted him. In fact, mommy was the one who even said that she knew that we were going to start dating.”

A rep confirmed that the two had married in secret, E! reports. A wedding date was not revealed but the two may have hit the altar sooner than revealed in tweet. However, Brown began referring to Gordon as her hubby in November 2013.

Along with the wedding bombshell, Brown hints that the couple has ”BIGGGG things in store”  for 2014. ”I’m so excited ..! We bouta change the world babbbbby! #bringEmOut! #Getready!xO!” she continued.

Courtesy of YourTango

Being married to a fabulous guy brings with it a very unique set of problems. You feel lucky to have him as your partner, but behind the bliss are a whole lot of fears. Do any of these thoughts sound familiar?

“I trust my husband, but know how other women are.”
“He’s a great-looking, amazing man—a real catch—which is why I’m so worried.”
“My partner is too nice. He just doesn’t get it when a woman is flirting with him.”

When your husband is a hottie, you may feel like you’re always on guard. It seems like wherever he goes, other women are drawn to him and want to talk to him, be near him and even touch him. You get jealous, and tension and conflict soon follow in your relationship.

Keep reading on YourTango…

Read more from our partner YourTango:

What It Takes To Be Monogamous

The 3 Best Sex Games To Play With Your Partner

Marriage: Expert Tips & Advice

Courtesy of Huffington Post/Black Voices

It was long thought that marriage was a solution to poverty, but new research suggests that impoverished single moms may be better off staying single.

In 1996 Congress passed legislation which allowed states to allocate funds to programs encouraging single mothers to marry — the thought being that a two-income household would result in fewer problems for children raised in those homes down the line.

Now, Kristi Williams, an associate professor of sociology at The Ohio State University, says this program has failed to alleviate the problem. Her research was released Monday by the Council on Contemporary Families as part of their in-depth look at the War on Poverty.

Williams writes, “A nationally representative study of more than 7,000 women found that approximately 64 percent of the single mothers who married were divorced by the time they reached age 35-44. More importantly, single mothers who marry and later divorce are worse off economically than single mothers who never marry.”

Keep reading …

[Image: Shuttershock]

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

You know the ongoing insinuation that homophobic men tend to have the most homosexual tendencies?

Well, studies reveal that is in fact true. A past study by the American Psychological Association was orchestrated to investigate whether homophobic men tend to show more sexual arousal to homosexual cues than those whom are non-homophobic.

Keep reading …

[Image: Shuttershock]

Courtesy of Black Enterprise

Log on to a site like Odesk.com and you’ll quickly see profiles for the tens of thousands of workers based around the globe, ready to hire out their services for as little as $.50/hour. A few easy mental calculations reveal that this hourly rate works out to just $20/week and $1,020/year for a full-time staff member – numbers that sound awfully appealing compared to standard Western salary and compensation packages.

But the maxim that “most things that sound too good to be true, usually are” should certainly be applied to this situation. While remote workers have their place in an increasingly global labor market, hiring outside staff members isn’t the right fit for every company. Much depends on the job itself, too — for example, you may not want to outsource your core competencies.

If you’re considering hiring remote staff for your business, consider the following pros and cons first.

Keep reading …

[Image: Shuttershock]

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

Season three of “Single Ladies” begins with a serious wedding crisis and a bride meltdown. Fortunately, Keshia, April and Rachel are there to the rescue. But who’s getting hitched, you ask? Morgan, played by actress Cassandra Freeman. The VH1 hit show has been on hiatus for a little over a year but the hotter than hot gals are back for more drama, laughs and, of course, fierce fashion looks.

I’ve been fans of the show from the beginning. The addition of Morgan came as a surprise because she’s nothing like any of the other ladies. Morgan is a mom of a thieving teenager (who I think is just trying to find herself) juggling real-life problems, chasing love and welcoming her new position at the boutique.

I caught up with the actress behind this lovable character, and boy is she hilarious. Cassandra she dished on whether a wedding is really happening for Morgan, what she and her character have in common, and who she would cast as her dreamy guy! Check it out.

Keep reading …

The Nebraska toddler seen in a profanity-laden viral video has been taken into protective custody, Omaha police announced.

The Omaha police’s Child Victim Unit and the Nebraska Child Protective Services stated the toddler and three other children were taken into custody on Wednesday. No criminal activity was found in the video, but an investigation found safety concerns.

According to KETV, the toddler and four others were injured in a suspected gang shooting and were relocated in the past due to gang activity fears.

The African-American toddler seen in diapers repeats phrases of profanity while the adults call him racial slurs and at one point he raises his middle finger. The adults also make references to gang activity. In the video, one of the adults can be heard asking the toddler, “So what hood you from blood?”

The child’s 16-year-old mother says that he is smart and does not curse. She insists that “somebody told him to do that. My son doesn’t do that. I don’t allow it.” The mother admits she was in another room while a friend of her brother was with the child. She said the friend was “wrong for doing that…posting the video up and getting us into this situation.”

The police union in Omaha shared the video online to show “the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in.” Officials say the video was found on a local gang member’s Facebook.

“The whole point of this is to give an unfiltered view of what police officers deal with every day,” said Sgt. John Wells, president of the Omaha Police Officers Association.

The police department said in a statement that the toddler was not taken due to any criminal activity. They have also distanced themselves from the police union saying they wouldn’t do anything that would “interfere with community relations.” Police Chief Todd Schmaderer says the department wasn’t involved in posting the video and doesn’t have control over what the union posts.

Tika Sumpter from Tyler Perry’s “The Haves and the Have Nots” opens up about the perception of Black women on television.

Sumpter plays the steamy and manipulative Candace Young, who is involved with an older married white man, on the OWN scripted show. Her role has been the latest in a sea of criticism that says images like these propel the negative stereotypes of African-American women. Critics have also spoken out against one of the African-American gay characters on the show.

“I think sometimes, because we haven’t been on TV that much, and [because] this is all relatively new; people want to be represented differently and they feel like one person is speaking for the masses. But if the character has no challenges or isn’t a bit messy — there’s no show. There’s a reason why people love [ABC’s prime-time hit] ‘Scandal’ or ‘The Haves and Have Nots’ or ‘Being Mary Jane’ on BET. It’s because these characters aren’t perfect. If you want to put a perfect person on TV, you will have no show. In life, sometimes you see yourself in these characters and sometimes it’s not pretty,” she says in Rolling Out magazine.

Tyler Perry and Oprah have scored a rating success with the addition of Perry’s scripted shows to the once struggling network. Nearly three million television viewers tuned in for the season two debut of “The Haves and the Have Nots,” which surpassed its previous network ratings by 57 percent. The ratings earned them the show the No. 1 season premiere spot in the history of OWN.

Sumpter, who waited tables while waiting for her acting break to come, says her advice to other actors is “to put your head down and work. Don’t look at other people and compare yourself. Just do the work. Because when the opportunity is there, you have to be ready. Make sure your craft is refined and you’re constantly working on it. Plow through the weeds. Go to the auditions and go to the meetings and be on time. Stop looking to the left or the right. Keep your head down and keep moving.”

Check out Sumpter in Ride Along with comedian Kevin Hart and Ice Cube on January 17.

It’s been a decade since the food and film industry was awed by documentary Super Size Me, starring Morgan Spurlock, who ate nothing but McDonald’s, three times a day for one month. The film unintentionally showcased fast food’s detrimental effect on a person emotionally, mentally, and physically. Over the period of 30 days, Spurlock gained 24 lbs. and experienced extreme mood swings and sexual dysfunction due to a lack of nutrients.

But Colo, Iowa science teacher John Cisna experienced vastly different results. Cisna consumed only McDonald’s for three months, but with strict nutritional limits, given by his students. He was limited to a 2,000 calorie day, despite eating Big Mac’s, Quarter Pounders, and desserts, including sundaes and ice cream cones. His mission was to prove to his students it’s not where you eat, but how and what you eat. He lost a total of 37 lbs., with the help of an exercise regime that included a 45-minute daily walk.

“McDonald’s had absolutely nothing do do with this,” he says, although he managed to sway a local McDonald’s franchise into giving him the three-month meal supply for free. “If you had a McDonald’s senior executive serve me a Quarter Pounder in person, I wouldn’t know him.”

“We congratulate John Cisna on his weight loss and improved overall health, and we are pleased he was able to accomplish his goals by making balanced choices, which included many of his favorite McDonalds menu items”, said Cindy Goody, McDonalds senior director of nutrition.