It seems Joseline Hernandez will have to hold on tight to her crown as the reigning queen of reality TV and adult entertainment, this season of “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta,” as Vivid releases a hardcore sex tape of Mimi Faust and Nikko Smith.

The mother and former Stevie J flame is the co-star of a new Vivid Entertainment sex tape, entitled “Mimi & Nikko: Scandal in Atlanta,” just weeks before the May 5 season premiere.

Vivid Entertainment, known for their release of the highly-successful Kim Kardashian and Ray J sex tape that catapulted the the then-unknown reality addict to overnight success and world domination, is set to release the sex tape of Mimi and her current beau Nikko on April 21. But just how hardcore is the footage, you may ask? You’ll have to Google it for yourself. Caution! It’s NSFW!

Self-proclaimed “Puerto Rican princess” Joseline chimed in on the media blitz writing, “If you going to f*ck on camera at least be a freak not a boring 45 year ol’ lady. What they got this hoe under. Granny porn?”

See what else Joseline had to say below.

 

To whom it may concern http://t.co/xRg7QUQWBZ

— Joseline Hernandez (@MsJoseline) April 14, 2014

I’m done!!!! Payback sweet just sit back and crack the fuck up http://t.co/kY1d1xZm6O

— Joseline Hernandez (@MsJoseline) April 15, 2014

N your nigga look like he got that Christmas package.

— Joseline Hernandez (@MsJoseline) April 14, 2014

I guess we’ll learn whether Nikko is packing like Stevie J apparently is.

A Dutch teen using the name “Sarah” on the Twitter handle @QueenDemetriax_ on Monday tweeted: “@AmericanAir hello my name’s Ibrahim and I’m from Afghanistan. I’m part of Al Qaida and on June 1st I’m gonna do something really big bye.”

American Airlines responded swiftly from its official Twitter account with a tweet that has since been removed: “Sarah, we take these threats very seriously. Your IP address and details will be forwarded to security and the FBI.”

Shortly thereafter, in a series of tweets, the girl pleaded frantically with the airline, writing, “I’m just a girl,” and claiming the threat was a joke made by her friend, but it was already too late.

The teenager turned herself into police in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands on Monday afternoon, after authorities launched an investigation into her whereabouts, according to Wessel Stolle, a Rotterdam Police Department spokesman told CNN.

“The assumption made by her tweets was taken seriously, and I may add that it is a rather alarming threat,” said Stolle.

The girl has been charged with “posting a false or alarming announcement” under Dutch law, but the consequences of the accusation remain unclear, according to CNN.

Part of Twitter’s acceptable use policy is the policing of direct cyber threats of violence against other users.

[Homepage image: Shutterstock]

Tumblr can be quite sentimental and meaningful when used correctly. Father Lance Underwood bonds with his two sons Taj and Amar by recreating iconic album covers.

Underwood has also included an album, Beats By Q and Trey, the trio made in the series posted to his Tumblr page, entitled QtAlbumCover. Download the album for free here and keep clicking to see more of the recreated album art.

[Images: QtAlbumCover]

Mohammad Arif, a convicted cannibal, was arrested Monday for a second time in Pakistan after authorities discovered a young boy’s head in his home.

Arif, 35, and brother Mohammad Farman, 30, were released from jail last year after serving a two-year sentence for cannibalism. According to police, the cannibal brothers dug up more than 100 corpses from the local cemetery and ate them. They’re from the small town of Darya Khan in central Pakistan.

“Residents informed police after a stench emanated from the house of the two brothers,” District Police Chief Ameer Abdullah told Reuters. “We raided the house on Monday morning and found the head of a young boy.”

The identity of the boy is unknown, but Ameer Abdullah Khan, Superintendent of Police in Darya Khan, reported the child was 2- or 3-years-old. Arif admitted to cooking the boy’s body parts in a meat curry.

Once married with children, both brothers were abandoned by their wives before their 2011 arrests.

Arif, a notorious Pakistani cannibal, was home when the raid occurred and taken into custody. A manhunt for his brother Farman is underway.

[Image: Shutterstock]

A Flint, Michigan mother and two others were jailed for viciously beating her 11-year-old son and posting the video to Facebook.

The child’s mother, 28-year-old Demitria Powell, was charged with third degree child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse in the third degree, and third degree child abuse committed in the presence of another child. Her accomplices Uteas Taylor, 42, and Stefan Felton, 40, were also charged for the same offenses.

The child was accused of making false statements on his Facebook page. He was reportedly disciplined for acting like a “thug.” In the six-minute clip, the boy was struck across the face and beaten on his torso over 50 times with a belt. Taylor, who was present during the taping, is the child’s godmother. Felton, Taylor’s boyfriend, filmed the clip and mentions in the video that he was incarcerated for 10 years. The boy was forced to hold onto the arm of a dining room chair while the beating occurred.

“Throughout the beating, the adults admonished the child for his behavior and warnings were given that he not get involved with gang activity,” the arrest statement read. “Near the end of the video, the child was in obvious pain and he was squirming while being struck and still forced to hold onto the arms of the chair.”

At the end of the clip, the boy was forced to reveal his name and age to the camera. The clip was posted to his personal Facebook page as part of his punishment.

“The adults in this case clearly went beyond what is a reasonable level of  ‘parental discipline,’” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said. “What the video in this case reveals is a group of adults whose actions were a criminal assault against a child and that behavior cannot be condoned nor allowed under the law.” Police were summoned to the home after numerous concerns were reported as the video made its way across Facebook.

Bond was set at $7,500 for Powell, and at $8,500 for Taylor and Felton. Their next court date was not immediately scheduled. The investigation is ongoing.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Anthony Criss, aka Treach of NJ hip hop trio Naughty By Nature and star of Treach’s Naturally Naughty Porno Movie, was arrested Friday for outstanding warrants and speeding and spent the night in jail.

The “O.P.P.” rapper fled from police in Union City, New Jersey after being summoned to pull over for driving 55 mph in a 25 mph zone. He was speeding through a a highly congested area in his Escalade. After a nine block police chase, the Grammy award winner rushed towards police vehicles, where gun pointing officers demanded Criss back into his vehicle.

He complied with the officers’ orders, Union City Police Chief Richard Molinari said, adding that Criss was cited for reckless driving, speeding and driving with a suspended license.

Criss, ex-husband of Pepa from legendary rap group Salt-N-Pepa, had an Essex County outstanding arrest warrant for failing to appear at a hearing related to child support. There were additional warrants issued out of Union City and Secaucus for failing to appear at motor vehicle violations hearings.

The “Hip Hop Hooray” rapper was released Saturday on $15,000 bail.

Criss’ attorney, Darryl Smith, had no comment.

Nowadays, it has become inevitable that during early-morning social media surfing, I will come across a blog or article where a Black writer will bemoan Black people’s lack of inclusion in some venture.

I have read countless think pieces on the lack of diversity of skit shows, late night talk show hosts, singing competitions, dating competitions and even movies such as Noah. Whenever one of these articles is written, it’s expected that all Black people should rally behind the cause and fight for Black folks to have an increased presence in whatever part of society we’re being neglected full access into.

So a lot of people truly can’t understand why I not only refuse to support inclusive-campaigns, but why I feel that many of them are actually hurting the Black community.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

First, let me be 100% clear in saying that I DON’T think inclusion is bad because I’m of the opinion we live in a world where all things are equal right now. I KNOW Black people are suffering at the hands of systemic prejudice.

True, Black folks in North America are A LOT better off than our ancestors.  But the sad fact is that the problem with our society today is that far too many people believe racism is a thing of the past, when it’s just as prevalent and potent as it was four decades ago.

So why do I believe constantly complaining about inclusion is hurting the Black community? Because when we continually bitch about not being included, we not only overlook our ability to create something for ourselves, but we also diminish whatever it is that we already have for ourselves.

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.

Edmond Aviv, of South Euclid, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, claims a judge has “destroyed” him for ordering him to stand on a corner for hours wearing an “I am a bully” sign, Sunday, April 13.

The sentence stems from an ongoing dispute between 62-year-old Aviv and neighbor Sandra Prugh. Prugh claimed Aviv bullied her and her disabled children for the past 15 years. Prugh has two adult adopted children with developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. Her husband has dementia, and her son is paralyzed.

Prugh said in a letter to the court Aviv had called her an ethnic slur while she was holding her adopted Black children, spit on her several times, and routinely threw dog feces on her son’s car windshield. She describes how Aviv once smeared feces on a wheelchair ramp her children use. Aviv pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, but denied bullying her family.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, Aviv sat in a chair with a large, handwritten sign describing his actions as a neighborhood bully. He ignored honking horns, pedestrians taking pictures, and obscenities yelled at him.

“The judge destroyed me,” Aviv said. “This isn’t fair at all.”

The judge also ordered Aviv to serve 15 days in jail and participate in anger management classes and counseling. Aviv also had to write a letter of apology to Prugh.

The Center for American Progress issued a report that confirms that low-income or poor students of color not only have less experienced teachers, but also less effective teachers.

The study, which analyzes teacher evaluation scores in low-income and affluent districts in both Massachusetts and Louisiana, found Louisiana students living in high-poverty areas are almost three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “ineffective,” than a student in a school in the lowest poverty area. Massachusetts students from high-poverty schools are three times as likely to be taught by a teacher rated “unsatisfactory,” than students in low-poverty schools.

[Image: Shutterstock]

A second report indicates an unequal distribution of teachers. While No Child Left Behind previously asked states to devise plans to ensure more fair distribution of beneficial educational resources, subsequent waivers gave states the flexibility to deviate from those requirements.

[Image: IOnenewsone]

When it comes to tennis, Serena Williams indisputably shuts the court down. The untouchable champion is the oldest player in history to be ranked as the number one. Blessed with unbelievable strength and an unmatched aptitude of skill, her talent has aligned her with notable business endorsements and partnerships with brands such as Nike, Wilson, Gatorade, O.P.I., HSN, Sleep Sheets, Mission, and the Miami Dolphins. Her curvy, athletic build has been the topic of praise from both men and women (although she recently shared in the May issue of Fitness, that she now “embraces” her body).

If there is anything that the reigning French Open, U.S. Open, WTA Tour Championships, and Olympic ladies singles champion has been the epitome of, it is superb fitness. But in the area of fashion and lifestyle, Serena has also been pulling rank with a successful Home Shopping Network line, The Signature Statement Collection by Serena Williams. Proving to be a champ of all things on and off the tennis court, Serena will also be launching a web series called, “In My Shoes,” giving fans a glimpse at a range of scenarios that occur during a day in her life. But until then, have a glimpse at some of the top looks we’ve spotted on this week’s Star Style, Serena Williams.

Serena mixed a little sugar and spice by toning down her flirty short-shorts with a conservative blazer. As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea not to show too much skin at the same time. Take a cue from Serena and highlight one asset at a time, as opposed to letting everything show at once.

In many cases, a red dress makes a statement on its own. However, if you must really turn up the volume a notch, then by all means adding a hot pair of red bottoms or another luxury shoe will surely set the look on fire!

Like a nude pair of shoes, a neutral tan dress can serve up a variety of looks. You can add a pop of color or tone it down with safari-inspired items. It’s a wardrobe must-have.

Although First Lady Michelle Obama has been recognized for her great arms, we can’t exactly sleep on Serena’s. Perfectly toned arms are the only accessory needed for a sleeveless gown or dress.

Black and white with a healthy dose of gold are a classic take on the graphic trend.

A dress with simple details is a fuss-free option for any occasion.

Having curves doesn’t mean turning away from body-conscious fabrics and skins, such as leather. Paying extra special attention to the cut and design of a dress is imperative. For instance, whenever you spot paneling or seams that flow with curves, it’s a good sign that such elements will complement your shape.

Spring and summer wedding celebrations are fast approaching leaving many to ponder about what to wear. Sheath dresses in light pastels and beach-inspired colors are easy solutions.

From covering up a bad hair day to boosting your signature style, hats are a sure way to make a hit.

To many, a jumpsuit is a simple one-stop outfit, however, this doesn’t mean you can’t play it up. For added curves, throw in a belt, and for more attitude pile on the jewelry. And if necessary, layer it up with a blazer too.

Make adoring eyes green with envy by incorporating an emerald tone mini dress in your wardrobe – if and only if you have the right shape to pull off the look.  The must-have for every and any mini dress, however, are a great pair of legs.

Just because distressed denim is a trend of the moment, it doesn’t mean that the entire outfit should look disheveled. Stay chic by pairing the jeans with a button-down shirt and classic blazer.

The Alabama veteran who hired an undercover cop posing as a Ku Klux Klan hitman to murder his Black neighbor will spend the next six years in prison.

Last week Allen Wayne Morgan agreed to plead guilty for using interstate facilities and travel with the intent of committing a murder for hire.

Sentencing was previously delayed for two months while U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre reviewed additional evidence in the case, regarding Morgan’s mental health status. That additional evidence was taken into consideration when Bowdre handed down the sentence in what the judge called a “horrible soap opera.”

Prosecutors played audio tapes of the conversation between Morgan and an undercover cop posing as a KKK hitman, in which Morgan asked the cop to murder his neighbor, during the sentencing. He wanted the man “hung from a tree like a deer and gutted,” after he suspected the neighbor had raped his wife. Authorities say Morgan offered a watch, a necklace, and a gun as a form of payment for the murder last August.

The judge cited evidence of Morgan’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), brought on after serving 175 combat missions in Iraq, as a cause to reduce his sentence. The judge also sentenced him to three years of supervised probation when his prison term is complete.

“Mr. Morgan detailed his calculated desire to end his neighbor’s life through the most brutal and heinous means. Today’s sentence reinforces that vigilantism is not acceptable in our society and we will prosecute that crime,” U.S. District Attorney Joyce White Vance said according to CBS affiliate WIAT.

Where presidential elections are beauty contests, Congressional midterms are all about anger and rage.

Polls never really show the exact extent of this.  There’s no identifiable or authoritative Anger Poll – a “how angry are you?” poll.   We see numerous polls about preferences and what we do or not like.  For example, we already know we don’t like doing our taxes, which is the view discovered from above by a Pew Research Center survey showing 56 percent of us hate doing our taxes.  But, that’s probably the folks who end up owing.

Personally, I’d like to see an anger poll.  Not another level of dissatisfaction with Congress poll or how much fam disapproves of President Obama poll.  And even though it’s something like news for the horse race gamblers, some of us get unbelievable headaches from survey after survey measuring how much half the public still detests the Affordable Care Act.

But, an anger poll could go beyond the political divisions and reveal the root cause of electoral anxieties we see in polls and hear on the street.  The deciding factor in this upcoming Congressional midterm isn’t really about which party base is the most mobilized, but it’s more about how angry or anxious certain blocks of voters are.

This is problematic for both Democratic and Republican parties.  However, at this stage, it’s much more problematic for Democrats as the left has proven itself incapable of using voter anger as a valuable resource.  While progressives are writing diatribes and pity party scripts, conservatives are coming up with creative twists on anger.

Defensively, Democrats are earnestly rolling out a wave of populist themes designed to win the hearts and minds of lost base voters.

From the minimum wage to equal pay, the issues seem solid on paper and in polling headlines bearing upbeat assessments of a Democratic Party comeback in this year’s highly consequential midterm election. National Gallup polls over the past 12 months show pretty convincing numbers of Americans supporting a minimum wage hike: 76 percent wanting an increase in November 2013, up from 71 percent just nine months earlier.

On the issue of equal pay, electrified by legislative wrangling in Washington over the Paycheck Fairness Act, Democrats are convinced they have a battle flag to wave. With Republicans appearing to stutter for a retort, polls again show relatively solid majorities of Americans supporting equal pay for women. In a recent American Women research poll, 65 percent gave a nod to the Fairness Act. Even a recent Rasmussen poll, known to lean GOP, shows 78 percent of women believing they don’t receive equal pay for equal work, along with 53 percent of men.

While the polls give Democrats political flavors that float nicely off the tongues of partisan pundits crushing conservative commentators on the talk show circuit, it’s not certain whether these numbers will translate into votes come November. Deeper dives into the numbers reveal a problematic outlook for Democrats as they struggle to find electoral traction with traditional constituencies.

Even if 69 percent of Americans support a minimum wage hike, as a Bloomberg poll found, there’s no guarantee 69 percent of Americans are going to vote for Democrats in November. The key question observers are asking is: What issue or issues, exactly, will make voters tick in 2014?

In that same Bloomberg poll, the winds begin to shift when a later question injects the possibility that a minimum wage increase could stunt job growth: under those circumstances, just 57 percent support minimum wage.

YouGov shows 62 percent support for the wage increase, which still leaves 38 percent in the “opposed” or “not sure” columns. And for Democrats, there is a distressing 30 percent of Americans who believe a minimum wage spike will actually hurt individuals — since more businesses won’t hire them due to budget constraints.

A solid 30 percent of voters age 55 and up and 27 percent of independent voters also oppose the notion of more pay for minimum wage workers, two blocks that typically determine the outcome of Congressional midterms. And with a barely 40 percent voter turnout rate during in-between presidential cycle elections, those numbers could be the difference between fewer Republicans controlling the House or the GOP outright controlling the Senate.

An early March Washington/ABC poll discovered 50 percent of the population would vote for a Congressional incumbent who votes for a federal minimum wage hike. Nearly 30 percent said it wouldn’t make a difference and 19 percent said they’d vote against the lawmaker who votes for a national raise.

The Bloomberg poll showed just 49 percent of voters motivated enough on the strength of that issue that they were going out to vote. But, the voter picture gets foggier when wealthier Americans making more than $100,000 annually don’t support a minimum wage, thereby illuminating an income gap whereby the richer are less likely to support such measures.

Ultimately, the issue of race could appear as the bellwether in this election. In the YouGov poll, 86 percent of African Americans support the minimum wage increase, compared to just 56 percent of whites and 70 percent of Latinos. Obviously, this presents a number of problems for Democrats as they look to rely on non-white base voters to raise them over the top as candidates near November.

At this stage, Democratic strategists frame the racial dimensions of the midterm in the context of non-white voter turnout. “Our voters are younger, more unmarried women, more African-American and Latino voters,” President Obama said, attempting to energize donors at a Houston gathering. “They get excited about general elections; they don’t get as excited about midterm elections.

“[But] we have this congenital disease, which is in midterm elections we don’t vote at the same rates.”

Whether Democrats or Republicans are willing to admit it, race may end up being the critical fault line in this election. And not just in terms of non-white voters not showing up at the polls.

One of these issues will have to resonate with white voters as much as it does voters of color if Democrats expect to see dividends in November. In a recent poll from Democratic polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Roesner Research, just 64 percent of what are called “Rising American Electorate” voters — Black, Latino, unmarried women and youth — indicate they’ll vote in the 2014 midterms compared to 79 percent of white voters.

Since 2006, Democrats have watched their white voter share plummet — which is the reason Obama is hitting the campaign trail sounding electoral alarms. In the 2006 midterms, which Congressional Democrats won, they managed to snag 47 percent of white voters. Two years later, in the historic election of the first Black president, it dropped to 43 percent. By the 2010 and 2012 cycles, a sobering reality hit Democrats when fewer than 40 percent of the white electorate voted for Democrats.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

CHARLES D. ELLISON is a veteran political strategist and Chief Political Correspondent for UPTOWN Magazine, hosting its newly launched #Uptownhall tweetcast every Wednesday at 2pm ET.  He’s also Washington Correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune and a frequent contributor the The Root. He can be reached via Twitter @charlesdellison.

Beyoncé  and JAY Z may be hitting cities across America this summer with a Mr. and Mrs. Carter Tour.

The rumored stadium tour is proposed to hit 20 cities across America starting in June and will include a New York July 4 date. An official announcement has not been delivered from either side of one of music’s richest couples but we know how Queen Bey likes surprises.

The couple has been working nonstop since opening the 2014 Grammy Awards with a “Drunk in Love” performance. Jay Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail tour wrapped in January and the Mrs. Carter World Tour ended this past March. Since then, the two have been seen swapping kisses on their sixth wedding anniversary with their daughter Blue Ivy and appearing at Coachella. Beyoncé joined little sister Solange on stage during Coachella for an adorable musical family reunion. JAY Z and Nas buried the hatchet onstage with a performance of “Dead Presidents II”- the song that started their rift. 

While the couple has produced a string of popular songs “Bonnie & Clyde,” ”Crazy in Love,” and “Drunk in Love,” the couple has never committed to a full length tour together. JAY Z has frequently embarked on join tours with singers. He ended a disastrous joint tour with R Kelly, co-headlined with Mary J Blige, and most recently with “Suit & Tie” partner Justin Timberlake. Besides her first tour Beyoncé has been running the world all by herself with few additions from other artists. With a large enough selection of music together and separately, it’s certainly time for Mr. and Mrs. Carter to go on the road together.

JAY Z is set to announce his “Made In America” festival, which his superstar wife headlined last year, is moving to Los Angeles this afternoon. Seems to be the perfect time to drop the news of their joint together.

Former “Saturday Night Live” star Maya Rudolph will get her own spin-off variety show, called “The Maya Rudolph Show.” The show will debut on Monday, May 19, a few weeks after the premiere of the “Rosemary’s Baby” mini-series starring Zoe Saldana.

Rudolph will be pulling out all the stops for the throwback one-hour special by showing off her singing ability and comedic skills. The Bridesmaids star called on her SNL alums Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, and Chris Parnell. Kristen Bell, Chris Parnell, Craig Robinson, and Sean Hayes will also bring laughs.

Electric Lady Janelle Monáe will rock the house as a musical guest, with former Tony! Toni! Toné! singer-producer Raphael Saadiq as the show’s bandleader.

Deadline reports that “The Maya Rudolph Show” is a backdoor pilot that will develop into an ongoing series if all goes well.

Rudolph was one of the more popular cast members from SNL with her impersonations of Beyoncé, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, and Barbra Streisand. Since her departure after a seven-year run, the comedy show has received backlash for the its lack of diversity, specifically women of color. “Scandal” star Kerry Washington spoofed the backlash by playing all the a series of Black characters Michelle Obama to Oprah Winfrey. Afterward, SNL hosted auditions specifically for Black comedians in L.A. and New York.

In January, the show announced they would be adding Sasheer Zamata as a cast member. LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones were added to the roster of writers for the stage that may transition to an onscreen role.

Real Housewives of Atlanta fans know that Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore have mixed like oil and water since their first encounter last season.  Many barbs and blows later, their on-camera squabbling during the season 6 reunion show led to Porsha Williams’ real life arrest Wednesday.

The footage from the taping was used by Fulton County police to issue a warrant for Williams’ arrest.  She was booked and charged with  misdemeanor battery April 16 and was released the same day.

And though Kenya Moore might be the one with beauty queen dna, she has to give Williams props for taking a cute mug shot, no?

Earlier reports indicated Williams planned to surrender herself to authorities on Thursday, April 17.  According to Williams’ lawyer, she also plans to file felony aggravated assault charges against Moore.

Bravo reportedly plans to run an edited version of the fight during part 1 of the reunion show this Sunday.
 Preview clips show a highly aggravated Williams physically attack the former Miss USA after the latter waved a wand in her face.

In the teaser for the reunion, Williams threatens Moore that if she continued to put the prop in her face, “it would go up her a**.”

The two continue to trade insults, Williams calling Moore a “slut from the nineties.”  After the fight, a later segment shows Porsha being carried off the set of the reunion, disappointed with herself after she confronts Kenya before the two wrestle to the ground. 

Diabetes has become a nationwide epidemic. The number of U.S. adults with diabetes has more than tripled in the last 20 years. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and other minority groups have a particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.

However, in spite of this trend, the number of heart attacks, strokes and other complications attributed to the disease have plummeted.

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the rates of heart attacks and strokes among diabetics have dropped 60% over the last 20 years. The report also confirmed that kidney failure and amputations have drastically declined.

“It is great news,” said Dr. John Buse, a University of North Carolina diabetes specialist, of the drop in rates.

“The prognosis for folks with diabetes has improved dramatically over the last two decades, at least for those with good access to care,” Buse said in an email.

The drop is mainly attributed to better screening, medicine and care.

In the 1990s, key research proved that it was possible for diabetics to keep their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol under control.

These studies showed that amputation, heart problems and issues with vision were not necessarily inevitable.

Insurance companies have also since expanded coverage of blood sugar monitors and diabetes treatment.

Harvard has its highest percentage of accepted Black students to date for its freshman class of 2014, cccording to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.

Some selective institutions only accept between 5 and 10 percent of all students who apply. This year, Harvard accepted 2,023 students from an applicant pool of 34,295. Black students make up 11.9 percent of the accepted students. Typically, 70 percent of Harvard’s Black accepted students end up attending the university, which means that there should be around 170 black students in this fall’s entering class.

The journal also reports that at Williams College, a top-rated liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts,  14.3 percent of their accepted students are Black.

[Image: Shutterstock]

This is more good news to add to the pile of recent positive press concerning Black students and higher education. Many have read the story of Kwasi Enin, the student who was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools, and Avery Coffey, who was accepted to five. There’s also Akintunde Ahmad, a Bay Area student who has a 5.0 GPA and a 2100 SAT score, and is also headed for the Ivy League.

Although Dr. Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University celebrates the achievement, warns against letting this be the end all be all:

“While we are tempted to jump up and down in excitement over the school’s decision to accept the fact that blacks are just as bright as whites, we might need to take a moment of pause. Even though the presence of black students is very important to a campus, the reality is that admitting students of color neither requires significant courage nor shows any real sign of meaningful progress when it comes to truly shaping the direction of a university. The holy grail of power in any academic environment is the number of tenured faculty positions, which Harvard continues to keep African Americans from obtaining.”

He makes an excellent point. Although having more Black students will help bring a sense of diversity and change on campus, Black tenured faculty is necessary for true change. Black students should have that support system, as well, in dealing with some of the alienation that is common for many students of color on Ivy League campuses.

[Image: Shutterstock]

If I were Mimi Faust, my line of shower rods would be shipping as I wrote this!

National chains including Home Depot, Target, and Walmart are struggling to keep inventory of sturdy “rods of steel,” after Mimi’s sex tape hit the web.

TMZ broke the news of the shower rod shortage, as they reached out to the major big box stores from California to Georgia. Each store reported the same story — the rods are flying off shelves.

Ever since the X-rated trailer of the sex tape of Mimi and boyfriend Nikko Smith was released, social media has been ablaze with viewers wanting to recreate the Mimi shower experience. A host of photos and tweets hashtagged #MimiShowerRod demonstrate the frenzy. The shower rod even has a Twitter account of its own, @MimiShowerRod.

Season three of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” premieres on VH1 on Monday, May 5. The sex tape fiasco was captured by VH1 cameras as it was “mysteriously” leaked.

RELATED: Why Do We Care That Sex Tapes Don’t Make Black Women Famous?

Twitter, Inc. revealed its new mobile app advertising will reach over 1 billion users, a number that rivals Facebook.

In a blog post today, the network described how the ads will encourage users to download software applications. This new strategy marks the first time marketers can purchase advertisements on the growing social network. With the new ads, Twitter will now be able to attract consumers in various industries, including e-commerce and gaming.

When a user selects an app-installed ad, they’ll be redirected to the advertiser’s page in a mobile-app store to download the program.

With the collaboration with MoPub, a mobile-advertising exchange that Twitter bought in October, advertisers can now reach 1 billion customers, including Twitter’s 241 million users.

“This is the first connection between Twitter and MoPub and we are eager for other opportunities in the future,” said Kevin Weil, vice president of revenue products at Twitter. “MoPub has some serious scale.”

Facebook, which currently has 1.2 billion users, launched ad placement in October 2012, driving 245 million app downloads just last year.