Atlanta Hawks General Manager Danny Ferry is under fire for making racially-charged comments about NBA star Luol Deng‘s free agency, in a conference call.

The team’s minority co-owner Michael Gearon sent a letter to the controlling owner, Bruce Levenson, requesting Ferry’s resignation or firing. In the letter, which was authenticated by two people familiar with the case, Gearson detailed what happened on the conference call when Ferry described Deng as “a guy who would have a nice store out front but sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back.”

“[The comments] were not from a private conversation — they were in a business environment on a business matter in front of a dozen or more people,” Gearon wrote. “If Ferry would make such a slur in a semi-public forum, we can only imagine what he has said in smaller groups or to individuals.”

On Monday, USA TODAY Sports reported Ferry was reading from a profile report by internal and external sources describing Deng as “a good guy overall. But he is not perfect. He’s got some African in him. And I don’t say that in a bad way.”

Gearon wrote, “Ferry completed the racial slur by describing the player (and implicitly all persons of African-descent) as a two-faced liar and cheat.”

Ferry apologized to Deng’s agent, Ron Shade. Deng, a former Chicago Bull of nine years who was recently traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers then the Miami Heat, is known as one of the league’s good guys. The 29-year-old All-Star was awarded the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

Ferry, 47, released a statement early Tuesday, stating he was only repeating comments gathered by the team.

Source

According to a recent study, autism signs in children one years old and younger can be erased. The research, run by the University of California Davis’ MIND Institute, is going with the “earlier the better” approach when it comes to autism treatment.

The study provided direct therapy to babies ages 6-9 months old who were identified as having early signs of autism. Autism includes the inability to make eye contact, lack of babbling and fixations.

By the time the seven babies in the study reached their third birthday, a time when autism can be diagnosed reliably, five didn’t show any autism symptoms and a sixth had only mild symptoms.

Although the results were impressive, the therapy is not considered a cure for autism, or even a treatment. The study needs more children for more confirmation.

Sally Rogers, professor at UC Davis, said she and her colleagues are planning a larger study now, to begin as soon as they can line up funding.

The treatment, which is a modified version of a therapy program already offered to older children diagnosed with autism, involves 12 hour-long training sessions for families.

Photo: Shutterstock

Last week, G.R.L. group member and former “X-Factor” contestant, singer Simone Battle committed suicide by hanging herself in the closet of her Los Angeles home. She was just 25 years old. Here’s the thing about depression, specifically Black women and depression … We do not address it. We do not discuss it. We sweep it under the rug. We claim, “She’s just trying to get attention.” Or, we truly believe it can just be prayed away.

I believe in God and know that prayer can help us through all of our tough times, but I also know that if depression could solely be cured by prayer alone, then there would be millions of people still alive today. We need to talk about it and write about it, and encourage even more dialogue about it, in order to save our lives.

Depression hurts. Emotionally it can take you from manic highs to severe and dangerous lows. Depression also takes a physical toll on your body, causing you to feel actual physical pain and distress, making it hard to get out of bed and function in everyday life. Depression runs in my family, and not once was it addressed or spoken about. During my childhood a lost a family member to suicide. I had no idea the pain, emotional lows, and constant worry I felt was actually depression until I was in my mid-twenties. I struggled with depression since childhood and literally had no idea what to do with those feelings, and channeled it into anger, or just severe sadness and isolation. I spent a lot of time in my room, and only felt happy if I were participating in something creative. As soon as a girl said she did not like me, picked on me, or any little trigger happened in my life, the depression came back even harder. Every single time.

Sometimes, I would sit in church and wonder why everyone else felt so happy, so moved and inspired, while I still felt sad or alone. How can I have parents who love me, siblings, grandmothers, and a few friends, but still feel so alone. Why am I constantly praying that these feelings go away, and yet they would undoubtedly return? Hiding it became easy for me to do. Smiling at work, going on auditions and entering the room as a bubbly and happy girl, and listening to everyone else’s woes, as I hid mine. Thankfully I was able to get help through therapy, and also understand and gain the ability to recognize the signs of my depression. So, how then do you know if the feelings, pain, or emotions you are experiencing are depression?

The major types of depression are: Major/Clinical, Chronic, Bipolar/Manic, Seasonal, and Postpartum. The most common form is Major/Clinical Depressive Disorder, which is characterized by the following:

1. Prevention of the ability to function in everyday life.
2. Depressed mood and loss of interest.
3. The symptoms are not all related to the use of substances i.e. medication and drug usage.
4. Physical debilitation that prevents functioning in everyday tasks of life.
5. Feelings of isolation, guilt, worthlessness, and thoughts of suicide.

Chronic Depression lasts for more than two years and does not physically disable a person as Major/Clinical Depression will. Seasonal Depression is based on the seasons of the year and location you live in. Often in cities where the weather is often rainy, dark, or cloudy, as in Seattle, this type of depression will occur. Postpartum depression is directly correlated to giving birth and the emotions that are carried after the child has entered the world. The signs of this depression usually occur within the first month, and one in 10 women will be affected. (Bipolar Disorder can also cause depression). If you suspect that you, a friend, or family member may be experiencing depression-like symptoms you and they should immediately seek medical help.

According to the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) Black women experience depression symptoms with a greater severity and persistence. Only 12 percent of us will seek help or treatment for these issues. Culturally, Black women are seen as such strong and/or angry individuals who do not need the same type of help that a white or so-called “weaker” woman would need, but we all know this type of thinking is wrong. Yes, Black women are strong and have shouldered the weight of many different issues and societal pressures, but it is also the need to want to keep this portrayal alive, that can lead to depression. It is OK to be vulnerable and feel weak, but most times we are not allowed to be. If not defending ourselves against ignorant stereotypes, some of us are working more than one job, putting ourselves through school, raising children, etc. But no matter what, and no matter how strong we are … we all need help. Talking to our friends and family members about depression can be difficult and at times scary. Depression and thoughts of suicide are not easily discussed in our community.

Last month, when actor and comedian Robin Williams committed suicide there was a huge outpouring of not just sympathy, but also a huge awareness of depression and suicide. Let’s make this a reaction to deaths of suicide in our community as well. Simone Battle was just 25, beautiful, talented, and severely depressed. Our strength is what fuels us and what we can use to save us.

If you or someone you know needs help please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255.

[Image: Shutterstock]

It’s no secret that the late comedy icon Joan Rivers was no friend of First Lady Michelle Obama. And according to a late interview only weeks before her death, the Fashion Police host banned Mrs. Obama from attending her wake.

In an interview with The Sunday Times magazine, Rivers also banned singer Adele, calling her “fat,” and Chelsea Handler, before calling her a “drunk” and a “whore.”

At a signing for her new book Diary of a Mad Diva at an NYC Barnes & Noble, a reporter asked Rivers about the possibility of the first gay president, where she replied: “We already have it with Obama, so let’s just calm down.”  The brash comedienne also directed a barb at FLOTUS, calling her a “tranny.”

These weren’t the first jokes Rivers made at the First Family’s expense.

During an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, Rivers said: “We used to have Jackie O now we have Blackie O!”

Rivers died at the age of 81 after going into cardiac arrest during routine throat surgery. In a recent interview, the actress seemed to expect death, calling it “inevitable” due to her advancing years. She also tried to help daughter Melissa Rivers to come to terms with her impending death.

Valentine’s Day is typically a day when couples get together and shower each other with love and affection. But, on February 14th 2005, the Tennessee Titans Samari Rolle had no gifts or grand gestures of love for his wife Danisha – just a punch to her left eye. Rolle later turned himself in after staff at the Baptist Hospital in Nashville contacted the police while treating Danisha for her injuries. Less than a month later he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens – and fined one week’s pay for the incident. No suspension or warning of a lifetime ban, just losing $58,823 of his $1 million salary.

Just one month later, on March 14th, 2005, Rolle’s 6’3, 305 lb Titans teammate, Brad Hopkins, got into a dispute with his wife Ellen. She insisted to an insurance agent that they needed to add a new vehicle to their coverage, which enraged Hopkins enough to wrap his hands around her throat and proceed to choke the air out of her. He was charged and arrested for domestic assault.

In May of 2006, Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns was arrested after throwing his wife Kellie to the ground, only to pick her up and carry her to their room where he threw her around some more. After stating she wants a divorce, he picked her up and carried her on his shoulders and literally flung her out the front door. He was arrested on one count of assault and two counts of harassment.

On April 10, 2007, the NFL unveiled their new conduct policy which was designed to curb and control their players off-the-field incidents. Commissioner Roger Goodell decided that they needed to impose much harsher punishments on players, and they backed it up by imposing two of the harshest penalties they’ve ever handed down in the history of the league: Adam “Pac Man” Jones yearlong suspension and Michael Vick’s indefinite suspension without pay (which lasted two seasons). The move was praised by current and former players, as well as executives around the league who felt it took a strong stance against improper and malicious behavior.

Yet, in February of 2008, deputies arrived at the home of Houston Texans kick returner Jerome Mathis after receiving a 911 call. His common law wife, 26-year old Erica Smith, had been pushed onto their bed by Mathis and viciously choked – while she was six months pregnant. Mathis was arrested and charged with assault and family violence.

Then days later, on February 19th, 2008, Oakland Raiders cornerback Fabian Washington got into an argument with his live-in girlfriend who’s also the mother of their young baby, after being accused of “hanging out with other girls.” In a moment of rage, he wrapped his hands around her throat and dragged her backwards before allowing her to reach for their child. He was then arrested at his home for domestic battery.

In May of 2009, Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka was at home when his wife confronted him over contacting other women on Facebook. He responded by throwing her down the stairs. He was suspended for one game without pay for violating the leagues conduct policy.

In November, 2010, Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints, began arguing with his wife Racquel just after 2 a.m. outside of a Lafayette night club. Will escalated the confrontation by grabbing her by her hair and pulling her down the street. He was arrested shortly thereafter.

Photo credits: Getty Images

After sparking up conversation while standing in for lottery tickets, Edith Hill, 96, and Eddie Harrison, 95, were destined to fall in love. And get married. Thought they are not officially entered into the Guinness Book of World Records, the Virginia couple is likely the oldest married interracial couple in the USA, according to Rebecca Wright, Hill’s daughter.

The newlyweds have been companions for more than a decade but their recent marriage has sparked controversy – but race isn’t a factor. The wedding has been deemed “problematic” due to Hill being declared legally incapacitated for several years. 

A judge learned that Wright, who shares co-guardianship with sister Patricia Barber, took Hill to get married without the court’s permission.  Barber was against the marriage.

“I guess I wanted company,” Hill said in an interview, explaining why she married. “I wanted somebody I could help, and they could help me. … We were both single. My husband was gone. His wife was gone. We became the best of friends.”

Hill’s granddaughter Robin Wright told AP, “You catch them kissing all the time,” she said. “They’re actually in love. Really in love. … I know he’s part of the reason she gets up every morning.”

Barber’s representative said the marriage was frowned upon because it caused confusion over how to split Hill’s estate but that didn’t stop the love birds. The court eventually removed Wright and Barber as Hill’s guardians and ruled that breaking up their marriage would “create a circumstance in Ms. Hill’s life that she doesn’t deserve.”

In this case, timing is everything. Being the law abiding citizens they are, Hill, who is African American, and Harrison would have had to wait until they were close to 50 to lawfully marry and avoid jail time for violating the state’s Racial Integrity Act.

“That’s done away with, isn’t it,” Hill responded when asked about laws banning interracial marriage. And she would be correct, interracial unions were illegal in Virginia until 1967.

Some may applaud the league for showing a great commitment to protecting women by changing its policy to a two-strike system that results in a lifetime ban. Others rave over how admirable the Baltimore Ravens are for cutting Ray Rice after the video leaked of him assaulting his wife Janay Rice.

I don’t want to downplay the abuse of any woman by comparing injuries, but why wasn’t the 2012 murder of 22-year old Kasandra Perkins enough to instigate change? Why wasn’t the shooting death of eight-months pregnant Cherica Adams enough to establish change? Or why didn’t any of these other seven occurrences of domestic assault by NFL players from 2005-2010 result in any more than a tap on the wrist? It’s because the National Football League has NEVER prioritized the concerns of women, and they’ve always been more interested in brushing their players’ bad behavior under the rug.

On March 12, 2011, when the NFL owners decided to stage a lockout of the NFL players over the collective bargaining agreement, the league and its players were given an unprecendented opportunity to sit across from each other in a boardroom and hammer out a new deal that would encompass new standards in compensation as well as punishment. After 18 weeks and 4 days of constant back-and-forth negotiating, they reached a consensus on a new agreement that identified major issues such as the salary cap, revenue sharing, rookie salaries and even player health and safety. They also established rules around punishing players who violated the leagues substance abuse policy. But there was nothing collectively agreed upon about punishment for domestic violence.

Allow a moment for that to really sink in. Women have been violently and viciously attacked since the inception of the league and they found absolutely no time to hammer out the details of punishing players for beating women. Yet, they did find time to explore specific fines and suspensions for players who got high or got drunk. Josh Gordon’s punishment was decided long before his recent troubles, because it was a collectively bargained punishment. But no one thought it significant enough to institute rules against domestic violence?

So when we see tough suspensions for the use of performance enchanting drugs, or smoking weed, it’s natural to wonder how  someone can get suspended for an entire season for lighting up a blunt, and only two games for lighting up his wife. The easy answer is that we need to blame Roger Goddell for having his head up his ass, but the real answer is far worse than that. In fact, the real answer is what should really piss you off about the Ray Rice incident, the Greg Hardy incident and the Daryl Washington incident as well. Although nearly half of all arrests for violent crimes amongst NFL athletes is for domestic abuse, no one – not the commissioner, not the NFLPA, nor the player reps or other officials associated with the game – thought it was important enough to specifically address.  Although every year there is a huge domestic violence scandal, no one in the league deemed violence against women important enough to institute tougher policies on players.

So to the Seth Rogen’s of the world, please stop believing it’s the commissioner alone who has prioritized substance abuse over domestic abuse, and understand that it’s the entire league – from Goodell to the NFLPA – who decided that it’s more important to settle on fines for players who come to camp overweight (article 42. Section 1. i), than it is to create penalties for players, coaches and executives who beat the shit out of their wives.

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.

Apple marketing chief Philip Schiller unveiled a few new products Monday at Flint Performing Arts Center in Cupertino, California. The tech giant introduced their iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch and a new mobile payment system.

First was iPhone 6, a larger, thinner phone with an aluminum body and curved glass sides. Whereas that model has a 4.7 inch screen, the screen on the iPhone 6 Plus is 5.5 inches. The base model’s screen has over 1.1 million pixels, while the plus has over 2 million. Both models feature an enhanced camera with image stabilization technology.

The new phones will be available for pre-order on Sept. 12 and released on Sept 19. With a two-year contract, the iPhone 6 is available for $199 for 16 GB of memory, $299 for 64 GB and $399 for 128 GB. The iPhone 6 Plus is priced at $299 (16 GB), $399 (64 GB) and $499 (128 GB).

The bigger news came when Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the Apple iWatch. “Apple Watch is the most personal device we’ve ever created,” Cook said. “It will redefine what people expect from a watch.” 

The $349 iwatch is available with six interchangeable bands and comes in stainless steel, aluminum or 18K gold. Users navigate the watch by tapping or swiping its interface as well as through a crown on the side that brings up apps. The watch will be compatible with iPhone 5, 5c, 5s and iPhone 6 and will be available early next year.

Cook also announced a new mobile payment system, called Apple Pay. The tool will allow users to make payments from their phones or watches without having to give their financial and personal information to merchants. Apple has teamed with financial companies American Express, Mastercard and Visa for the venture. They’ve also been working with McDonald’s, Disney, Target, Whole Foods and Subway to integrate its services.

Apple hopes these new products will help bolster the faith in the company’s creativity, which has been waning since the late Steve Jobs handed over the reins. “A lot of other companies don’t need to be as bold on a frequent basis as Apple,” Soumen Ganguly, a director at consulting firm Altman Vilandrie & Co., told CNET ahead of Apple’s latest commercial launch. “But people have come to expect it from Apple. They’re only as good as their last great product, and we’re four years away from that.” Cook seems to have faith that the Apple Watch will fill the void, calling it a “breakthrough” and the “next chapter” in the company’s history.

[Source: CBS News]

A new federal government report shows that nine out of 10 American kids are eating too much salt, raising their lifelong risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Current guidelines suggest that children eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. However, researchers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that on average, kids are eating 3,300 milligrams of sodium, and that’s not even accounting for salt added at the table.

“One in six children already has raised blood pressure, which can result in high blood pressure in adulthood, as we know a major cause of heart disease and stroke,” said CDC Deputy Principal Director Ileana Arias. “This is incredibly concerning to us.”

About 43% of the sodium in kids’ diets comes from the ten foods that they eat most often. These include: pizza, bread and rolls, cold cuts and cured meats, savory snacks, cheese, sandwiches, pasta dishes, chicken patties and nuggets, Mexican dishes and soups. Arias warns that although some of these foods may not taste salty, they are top contributors because they have a high sodium content.

These habits will likely contribute to more salt intake in adulthood. “We know that the taste for salt is established through diet at a young age,” Arias said. “Not only are children eating too much sodium, they are establishing a high threshold or taste for salt beyond childhood.”

Unfortunately, taking the salt off the table is not the solution here since most of the foods come packed with sodium before they even reach the table. The best way to ensure your children’s health is to read nutrition labels to check for sodium levels. Making other healthier choices like serving fresh fruit and vegetables and cooking food at home that contains less salt will also help prevent this issue.

New national standards for school lunches should also help to stem the tide of too much salt. School cafeterias are expected to reduce the amount of salt in school meals by 25 to 50 percent by 2022. The USDA has taken the lead on this by reducing the salt in the foods they offer to schools.

The study authors drew their conclusions using data from more than 2,000 children who participated in the CDC’s 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

[Source: HealthDay]

Stars, they’re just like us! Well, sorta. New York Fashion Week is not just for industry insiders or tastemakers who anticipate the new trends presented on the runway. Celebrities are also among those who eagerly sit front of the house for an up-close presentation of looks, that would be suitable for any of their upcoming performances, appearances, and many other outings. Having first dibs at clothing has it perks. After all, they are the driving force behind the designer looks we crave.

Here are 20 celebrities spotted at NYFW!

Angela Simmons was spotted wearing a color-blocked, lace-textured dress with a mandarin collar — perfect for the Vivienne Tam Spring 2015 presentation.

There’s no stopping J. Hud these days! For the Spring 2015 Versus Versace fashion show, Jennifer Hudson wore a white draped jersey top and matching skirt and black over-the-knee boots from the Versace Pre-Fall 2014 Collection.

Practically anything Tracee Ellis Ross wears is a show-stopper. She was spotted in a stunning, metallic gold knee-length dress at the Tracy Reese Spring 2015 collection.

Elle Varner attended the Marissa Webb Spring 2015 collection wearing a slightly sweet, yet sort of sassy dress that’s actually ideal for any occasion.

Kimora Lee Simmons is no stranger to the runway. During Fashion Week, she attended the Argyleculture Spring 2015 presentation wearing a chic meets casual A-line dress.

Jay Pharoah cleans up really well and got suited up for the Perry Ellis Spring 2015 collection presentation.

By the looks of Uzo Aduba‘s dress that she wore to the Vivienne Tam show, orange is the new little black dress, worth trying for the season.

Nicki Minaj is all about making bold entrances on- and off-stage, which was no different for the Spring 2015 Versus Versace collection.

Rihanna proves to us that white after Labor Day is really worth considering at the Adam Selman presentation.

Rashida Jones is superbly styled in a mixed-print culotte look at the Rebecca Taylor Spring 2015 show.

La La and Carmelo Anthony have been making their rounds during fashion week, making them the best-dressed couple in attendance.

Laverne Cox was spotted wearing a body-con dress at the Herve Leger Max Azria Spring 2015 show.

Rosario Dawson made a fashion-forward entrance in a graphic-printed dress, to attend several New York Fashion Week shows.

Estelle stopped for a pose in an airy, sheer LBD with designer Jay Godfrey following his spring 2015 presentation.

Garcelle Beauvais opted for a figure-complementing, color-blocked dress at the Pamella Roland show.

Sweet and simple, describes the overall mood of the dress Alicia Quarles wore to the Carolina Herrera show.

Wearing one of the hottest colors of the season, Anika Noni Rose looks remarkable in this retro dress while attending the Spring 2015 Badgley Mischka show.

Miguel has a swag all of his own, which he displayed at the Moet & Chandon Toasts Harper Bazaar Icons event.

The man who teaches women how to walk the runway, J. Alexander was spotted in a relaxed look at the Spring 2015 Concept Korea show.

From watching the fashion shows, to presenting her own HSN shoe collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, June Ambrose continues to imprint her mark within the fashion industry.

Naomi Campbell not only sat front row, but she also walked the runway this season! At the Badgley Mischka show, wore a mixed metallic tube dress.

Fashion Rocks 2014 kicked off its celebrity-filled music and fashion benefit show last night. The televised event returned to the stage after a long six-year hiatus. It all went down in New York at the Barclays Center. The global charity fundraiser, hosted by Macy’s, blended musical performances and fashion icons all under one roof.

Here is some of the most memorable style of Fashion Rocks 2014!

Naomi Campbell looked gorgeous (and ageless) as she introduced a performance, alongside designer Tommy Hilfiger.

Nicki Minaj made a drastic change from red carpet to onstage — wearing a classic little black dress offstage and a ripped denim costume onstage.

Jennifer Hudson showed off her svelte body in a black leather and gold vest and bodysuit, while performing her single “It’s Your World.”

Justin Bieber showed off his — skin — after stripping down to his Calvins onstage. The audience booed the pop star, and he even stumbled over his lyrics.

Jennifer Lopez looked fabulous at 45, as she performed her new song “Booty” (which was basically an unwritten theme at last night’s event). She rocked a silver sequin Versace mini-dress.

Nick Jonas looked very dapper as the 22-year-old singer hit the red carpet.

Rita Ora looked stunning on the red-carpet wearing a sheer black Stephane Rolland couture dress. Later on, she performed David Bowie’s “Fashion”.

Usher took the stage in an all-black leather outfit, in typical Usher-style.

Actress Kat Graham wears a two-piece suit with a black bustier on the red carpet.

Supermodel Joan Smalls wore a fun graphic-print mini dress by Fausto Pugslisi on the red carpet.

And Latrice Royale, of hit show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” brought disco to the Fashion Rocks stage, as she performed with Jennifer Hudson, in this sheer embellished one-piece.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $50 million on Wednesday to support emergency efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The U.S.-based agency is allocating money to United Nations agencies and international organizations to buy supplies and scale up the emergency response in the affected countries. They are also giving funds to public and private sector partners to speed up the development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics that could help fight the virus and its spread.

The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that about 4,300 people have been infected and more than half of those people have died since March, when the outbreak began. The virus is currently raging in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, and it is spreading to neighboring countries Senegal and Nigeria.

On Tuesday, the WHO said the virus killed nearly 200 people in a single day, bringing the death toll to 2,296. The organization warns that the virus is growing exponentially and might reach up to 20,000 infections in West Africa before it is stopped.

“We are working urgently with our partners to identify the most effective ways to help them save lives now and stop transmission of this deadly disease,” Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the Gates Foundation’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.

The Gates Foundation has already committed $10 million to fight the Ebola outbreak, including $5 million to the WHO for emergency operations and research and development assessment,s and $5 million to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

With this new pledge, they want to be sure that some of the money goes toward long-term solutions. “The spread of this disease has really happened because of the very weak health systems in these very poor countries,” said Chris Elias, the Gates Foundation’s head of global development. “We need to be thinking how we can build up those health services, how we train healthcare workers, and how we make sure they have the equipment they need to do their jobs.”

Source

Mike Tyson beat down a Canadian news anchor with his words Wednesday. After the host brought up his sexual assault conviction, the heavyweight champion cursed him out on live television.

CP24′s Nathan Downer asked Tyson about his meeting with embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who recently returned to work after completing rehab and is seeking re-election.

Downer asked: “Some of your critics would say, ‘There’s a race for mayor. We know you’re a convicted rapist. This could hurt his campaign.’ How would respond to that?”

Tyson was clearly upset by the comment and called Downer a negative person before saying, “You come off as a nice guy, but you’re really a piece of s*** … F*** you.”

Downer reminds Tyson that they are on live TV to which Iron Mike responded, “I don’t care. What are you going to do about it?”

The interview continued with Tyson and his Canadian promoter discussing his one-man show Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, which is beginning its run in Canada. Downer asks if it’s more nerve-wracking to appear on stage than to box. Tyson, still agitated, insults Downer again.

“Come on, Mike,” Downer responds.

Tyson insults him a third time before Downer decides to wrap up the interview and thank Tyson for coming. However, The Champ gets in one last swear before the segment is finished.

After the show, Downer said it was unfortunate that Tyson felt insulted by his question because that was not his intention. He also apologized for the vulgar language on the show. He tweeted:

No ill will toward Mike Tyson. He lashed out at me and that’s okay. Not taking it personally pic.twitter.com/e27mfrOagJ

— nathan downer (@nathandowner1) September 10, 2014

Watch the video of the segment below. Warning: NSFW.

Clearly, President Obama has come a long way from a Nobel Peace Prize and gracing Time Magazine as its Person of the Year. Those distinctions were a lifetime of Black History in the making. But neither prepared him for the bubbling geopolitical melee he’s faced with at the moment.

Countless Obama critics, naysayers and we-didn’t-vote-for-him hecklers have found their moment in six words that may possibly seal the fate of his presidency’s legacy: “We don’t have a strategy, yet.” How much that haunts him depends – a lot – on either the resolution or outcome of events taking shape in Ukraine and the Middle East, and possibly in forgotten Asia if saber rattling between the Chinese and Japanese doesn’t cool down.  And so, ok, some of us get it: it wasn’t the most artful thing to say.

But, after last night’s ISIS speech, we’re left wondering: why did it take all that to get him there?  There’s really no serious problem with the Obama strategy he initially said he didn’t have a strategy for, at least not yet. It was just so painful to watch him politic his way through a stomach-churning process, to make it so unnecessarily hard. Even last night, when he finally arrived at strategic nirvana, he kept driving the worn out point that he wasn’t putting American troops on the ground. Okay – we get that, you said it a million times already. Just tell us what you’re going to do in place of that and we’ll be on our merry way.

Obviously, the Commander-in-Chief, as much as he dreamed about being president since birth, didn’t watch many war movies growing up. So the contrived “gates-of-hell” theater his Vice President pulled off the previous week isn’t the type of thing that comes naturally for the younger Obama. It could also be a generational thing.

What he did do last night, however, is make fresh political theater in some effort to respond to Americans craving for exactly that: gladiator-style theater responding to current global theatrics. You should read Micah Zenko’s Foreign Policy piece about why we’re idiots for doing that.

Even though Obama is (you have to get him credit) still showing stubborn resolve in committing military action, he’s still in a place where nearly 60 percent of Americans think he’s “weak” – and the other 40 percent simply not wanting to believe that (in this volatile day and age) an American president can be weak:

Those are (potentially) legacy-killing numbers – the type of sentiment Jimmy Carter never recovered from. Added to that is some political validation for many Republican and conservative detractors who, for years since his selection as Democratic nominee for president in 2008, decried the fact that voters were about to elect a man who had no prior experience (or even interest) in military service or affairs.

I’m convinced a lot of this could be, simply, cultural.  His cool pose, “don’t-give-a-fuck” Black man DNA won’t allow him to show he doesn’t care when he does. It’s like the difference between a Black man and a White man stepping in dog shit on a sidewalk; the latter freaks out and launches into a 90 second episode of cursing and air-punching while the former just quietly scrapes it off his feet, curses under his breath and keeps on moving.  We saw this difference on blast with the last president after 9/11 happened. Rather than stay cool and target the assholes that did it, President Bush tripped out and put the whole world on fire to make a point about whose geopolitical balls were the largest.

That’s not to say Obama can’t lead or manage the world’s most well-funded and powerful military. It’s to say that he’s not managing public expectations of how that’s done.

His famous “long game” approach doesn’t fit with the “short play” approach we prefer. While managing a military is, ultimately, all about a long game strategy, generals and commanders through history show that you still have to strike the balance between strategic thinking and tactical gimmickry. Lincoln mastered this during the Civil War with his ability to clearly articulate the strategic interests at stake (keeping the Union intact) through grandiloquent staging like the Gettysburg Address or keeping the White House open to citizens and wounded Union soldiers. How else was he going to ask millions of young men to put themselves in the path of slaughtering Confederate rifles and artillery?

Still, it was perfectly reasonable for him to claim he didn’t have a strategy. If you want successful military strategy, you don’t broadcast the details – but, you do give a sense that you know what you’re doing.

But, I see it. In a war against the Islamic State common sense dictates that you would want just as much of an all-out coalition of Muslim nation states unified than you want Western intervention. Making it a U.S.-led or Western-motivated war only falls into the ISIL’s hands – they want a New Crusades pitting one civilization against the other.  In the process of forming that coalition, Obama can actually resolve a number of thorny topics that have gripped the Middle East in perpetual warfare for generations, not limited to finalizing an agreement with Iran and finding a way towards peace in other conflict zones. ISIL is the common evil everyone can agree to hate. Hitler during World War II, for example, became that existential threat so intense that even the United States and its hated communist rival the Soviet Union couldn’t help but team up against him.

The problem, though, is that Obama is no Franklin Roosevelt. If he was, he’d have crafted last night’s speech more in the context of a war between good and evil, and that this is a fight against evil.

Navigating war in Ukraine also requires patience and deft understanding of very shaky fault lines along the so-called Baltic States. The bottom line: how much do you really want to test a crazy ass, unpredictable nation holding a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads (second only to the U.S.)? Did Presidents Eisenhower or Nixon do it when the Soviet Union did, essentially, the exact same thing when it bum-rushed through Hungary and Czechoslovakia?  Of course not – so what makes Obama’s restraint so different? Said Russian President Vladimir Putin the other day to a youth forum:  “Thank God, I think no one is thinking of unleashing a large-scale conflict with Russia. I want to remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers.” Who wants to play chicken with that?

So, rather than be responsible for blowing up the planet (because he’s got kids, too), Obama opts for the long game, deal making approach. Pulling together a coalition of former enemies – like Saudi Arabia and Iran – against the ISIL threat is no small thing. Additionally, we’re getting close to the moment where, inevitably, Ukraine will be split into East and West Ukraine (see the Cold War German model for reference).  And, if the U.S. let’s Putin have that much – giving him better strategic foothold along the Black Sea – then perhaps Russia turns a blind eye when the U.S. begins air-striking ISIL targets in Syria.  It’s been more Russia rather than Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, that’s been holding U.S. warplanes back since the rogue Eastern European giant has a major naval base in the Middle Eastern country. The White House has been working those phones.

All of this depends on which threat is worse: an egotistical, but rational Putin or a megalomaniacal and irrational Islamic State?

Certainly, Obama didn’t want to broadcast his options to enemies.  Let the pundits dissect that for him. Yet, for someone known to give grand speeches, he sucks at user-friendly and digestible break downs that get us to the point. There is a way to pursue the long game strategy and cut deals while also keeping your public confident you have it under control. Strategically, he’s got a very logical vision; optically, he’s hitting self-inflicted road bumps and giving his political rivals more excuses than needed to undermine him.  Thanks for wearing us out.

CHARLES D. ELLISON is a veteran political strategist and Chief Political Correspondent for Uptown Magazine. He is also Washington Correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune and a frequent contributor to The Root.  He can be reached via Twitter @charlesdellison.

After an alleged blowout fight with wife Phaedra Parks, and skipping town, Apollo Nida turned himself in to federal prison a day late.

During his last month of freedom, Nida, 35, had been partying, drinking heavily and rushing to pen a tell-all book. He was scheduled to report to prison on Wednesday at noon. When he didn’t show up, an arrest warrant was issued.

According to sources, Nida and Phaedra got into an argument about her not putting money on his books and refusing to bring their two boys to visit. Real Housewives of Atlanta cameras were rolling, capturing the couple’s exchange.

Not that this is the first time the two have argued publicly. Parks, 40, who has been married to Nida for five years and has two sons with him, has also apparently been battling with him for the past two months over money.

Nida faces an eight year prison sentence for money laundering, ID theft and bank fraud.

Nida also served prison time for auto title fraud from 2004-2009.

Photo: Instagram/Apollo Nida

A Philadelphia Eagles Running Back has been deemed an embarrassingly “bad tipper” after tipping only two dimes on a $60 restaurant bill.

LeSean McCoy visited PYT burger joint in Philadelphia with three companions on Monday. According to the restaurant’s owner, Tommy Up, McCoy was verbally abusive to the wait staff, including derogatory statements about women. After noticing the baffled waiter’s reaction to the receipt, the owner was equally confused about the 0.03% tip on a $61.56 bill.

McCoy recently addressed the tipping debacle, after a snapshot on the receipt went viral when the restaurant posted it on their Facebook page.

He told Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, “It’s bull****, man” after blaming bad service for the reason for the minimal tip. He declined to further divulge. Bowen elaborated on Twitter:

On McCoy receipt thing: my understanding is, he was really ticked about service. But org wishes he’d handled it differently. He understands

— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) September 8, 2014

PYT apparently has a reputation for not-so-great service, leading many commenters to leave their own opinions about the restaurant of on their Facebook page.

Two more witnesses are speaking out about the slaying of unarmed teen Michael Brown. The pair of eyewitnesses, who asked to remain anonymous, were contractors at work when Officer Darren Wilson opened fire on Brown, killing him. They were only fifty feet away.

The witnesses confirm other eyewitness stories that Brown, 18, had his hands up in the air when he was shot six times. One man stated Officer Wilson, who remains on a paid leave of absence, was the aggressor, chasing Brown.

“The cop didn’t say get on the ground. He just kept shooting,” the man told CNN. The contractor says he saw Wilson fire a shot at Brown while his back was turned. The men admitted they didn’t see how the confrontation started.

That same witness described the gruesome scene, saying he saw Brown’s “brains come out of his head,” again stating, “his hands were up.” One bystander remembers hearing one gunshot, then another 30 seconds later.

A private autopsy conducted for the Brown family showed that Brown was shot at least six times, including twice in the head. A grand jury is currently hearing the case and will determine whether Wilson will face any charges.

A transgender woman from Miami, Florida has undergone over a hundred black market surgeries to mimic curvy celebrities.

Tatiana Williams, born Cory Williams, has had dozens of illegal surgeries over the last 20 years, including breast implants, laser treatment and facial fillers. Her butt enhancement surgeries involved the injection of eight pounds of silicone in each cheek. Williams,  40, now boasts a 60 inch rear end.

Williams, who has been living as a woman since her teenage years, has never visited a licensed surgeon.

She said: “Going to the black market is a big risk. People can die from these injections.”

Illegal silicone injections often use non-surgical silicone, sometimes purchased from hardware stores. It can lead to severe infections that result in deformations, amputations and even death.

But Ms. Williams said that many people take the risk to follow in the footsteps of curvy celebrities.

She said: “I love Kim Kardashian’s body – it’s beautiful. She’s exactly what a woman should be.”

Photos: DailyMail

After six months of deliberating, the fate of Oscar Pistorius has finally come to a close—almost. A judge has ruled that the paraplegic 27-year-old did not willfully murder his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day of last year but may not be completely off the hook.

The sprint-runner claimed to have not known live-in girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was behind the locked bathroom door when he shot four times to confront a burglar.  According to Associated Press, “Judge Thokozile Masipa said prosecutors have not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Pistorius, 27, is guilty of premeditated murder.”

Pistorius has been visibly affected throughout his trial with tearful outbursts and vomiting when details of the murder were being discussed. But the victim’s mother believes otherwise. Back in April, June Steenkamp told Daily Mirror in an interview that she thinks Oscar Pistorius is faking his emotions saying he had fallen from “hero to devil”.

[IMAGE: GETTY/AP]

With the possibility of spending 25 years to life in prison off the table, he could still spend at 5-7 years behind bars on lesser charges, including firing a gun unlawfully.

“It’s clear that the his conduct was negligent.” said the judge. Pistorius admitted to firing his weapon without warning saying, “I fired before I could think. Before I even had a moment to comprehend what was happening. I pulled the trigger the moment I heard the noise (behind the door).”

The double amputee became known for his “blade-like” prosthetic legs and was named “blade runner” after becoming the first amputee to compete in track for the Olympics.

For the second time in six years, someone threw a Molotov cocktail into the office of Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in Kansas City, Missouri. According to a statement released by the Congressional Black Caucus, no one was injured during the incident and police are investigating.

The statement reads:

“The Congressional Black Caucus strongly condemns this type of vandalism targeted at Congressman Cleaver, and denounces any act of violence towards Members of Congress. This type of abhorrent behavior is the most ineffective means of voicing discontent or disagreement.”

Cleaver took to social media to address the incident by calling it “minor” and urged that the focus should turn back onto the victims and those affected by 9/11.

Folks, my staff is safe and law enforcement is investigating. Focus today should be on greater things.

— Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (@repcleaver) September 11, 2014

Let’s not dwell on a small incident that happened and hurt no one. Thoughts, prayers are w/the families & friends of those killed on 9/11.

— Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (@repcleaver) September 11, 2014