Few people can make urban street-wear as glamorous as Rihanna, so it’s only fitting that she’d take the design helm over at Puma. As the new creative director of Puma, Rihanna will oversee the women’s fitness and training line. She’ll also help to design and customize classic Puma offerings, while creating new designs to keep the brand fresh.

Not only will Rihanna take on the role of creative director in 2015, but she’ll also be Puma’s global brand ambassador and the face of the fall 2015 ad campaign.

Puma CEO Bjorn Gulden said RiRi was a natural choice, as she is a fashion award-winning icon and an ever present style inspiration:

“Signing Rihanna is a fantastic step for Puma. Her global profile, her charisma and individuality, her ambition – all these things make her a perfect ambassador for our brand. With a strong portfolio in football, running and motorsport, finding an inspiring partner for women’s training was very important. Rihanna was a natural choice for us. We’re delighted to have her as a partner, and we’re looking forward to what’s to come.”

Rihanna recently flew to the Puma headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany to sign the lucrative deal, that was the topic of speculation last month. She’s gotten a head-start on advertising Puma by on her Instagram. Keep clicking for more images …

[Images: Instagram/badgalriri]

The saga of the Sony hack gets worse by the day.

The company has been forced to cancel the New York premiere of their film The Interview, as a a result of ominous threats by the hackers. There are also two lawsuits being filed against Sony. The first is by two former employees who claim that Sony knew they were susceptible to hackers and did nothing about it. Two production managers of The Interview are also suing in response to the company’s decision regarding the film. And if that wasn’t enough, new emails of co-chairwoman Amy Pascal have been released, in which she compares the trend of movie stars in television roles to that of white actress adopting Black children.

The hackers threatened a 9/11-style attack for the planned Thursday premiere at the Sunshine Cinema in New York City. “The world will be full of fear,” reads the warning, first published by the Los Angeles Times. “Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.” Sony made the decision to cancel that premiere as a result. Sony execs also said that they would not object if theater owners decided not to show the film.

The movie stars Seth Rogen and James Franco in their attempt to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The hacker group, who call themselves Guardians of Peace, is suspected to be based in North Korea. The NYPD and FBI are investigating the threat. The L.A. premiere of the film occurred without incident.

Adding to Sony’s issues are a couple of civil lawsuits. Two former employees are suing the company on behalf of 15,000 Sony employees on the grounds that the company was aware of their security vulnerability, but made the decision not to protect themselves. Lawyers for Michael Corona and Christina Mathis said, “Their most sensitive data, including over 47,000 Social Security numbers, employment files including salaries, medical information, and anything else that their employer Sony touched, has been leaked to the public, and may even be in the hands of criminals.” Both said they’d already spent dozens of hours and shelled out hundreds of dollars on identity theft protection and other measures.

The other civil suit comes from production managers Susan Dakow and Yvonne Yaconelli. They, too, blame Sony for not having a better security system. However, they also have a claim against the studio in regards to decisions it made about The Interview.

“Various news reports suggest the original script of The Interview introduced a fake villain, but that Sony specifically changed the script to make North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un the film’s villain,” the lawsuit stated. “Upon information and belief, Sony knew it was reasonably foreseeable that producing a script about North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un would cause a backlash.”

And the cherry on top is the release of another email. Pascal sent a message in response to Sony Television President Steve Mosko‘s frustrations about not knowing about a large deal involving his sector. Pascal tried to console him by saying he just “was not used to TV being the new black baby.” This is seemingly in reference to a number of white actresses — like Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, and Charlize Theron — adopting Black children.

According to a source, the comments were not meant to be racist and in fact was completely misconstrued. “She was making an ‘Orange is The New Black’ reference and like anybody else could have, left out the comma in the middle of writing a quick email filled with shorthand and abbreviations,” the source said.

If most people were to see a figurine of President Barack Obama squatting with his pants around his ankles and his bottom out in the process of defecating, they would think of it as insulting. However, it’s a proud Christmas tradition in Spain.

Caganers are small pooping figurines that have been part of Spanish tradition since the 1700s. That’s when a peasant farmer version of the statuettes began popping up in Christmas Nativity scenes alongside the Wise Men and Baby Jesus in the Catalonia region. The figurine was dubbed “El Caganer,” which, most nicely translated, means “the defecator.” The little pile of poop underneath him represents fertility and good fortune.

The belief is that the tradition was inspired by peasant farmers who could not afford fertilizer and would relieve themselves in their fields throughout the day to fertilize their land. Therefore, pooping was connected to plentiful crops, and thus El Caganer was born.

“There was a legend that if a countryside man did not put a caganer in the Nativity scene, he would have a very bad year collecting vegetables,” Joan Lliteras, a “caganer connoisseur” and former president of Catalonia’s Friends of the Caganer association, told the BBC.

Interestingly, the Catholic Church in Spain has largely turned a blind eye to the figurines and allowed them to be a part of church Nativity scenes, as long as it was shuffled to the side. Lliteras explained that having it front and center “would be a lack of respect.”

As time wore on, the figurines grew to include celebrities, sports stars, and political figures, including Queen Elizabeth, Michael Jackson, Shakespeare, and Madonna. Catalans contend that the figurines do not indicate a joke, but a show of respect.

Sergi Alós Pla, whose family has been making the figurines in the city of Girona for over two decades, owns Caganer.com. The site boasts over 350 different characters, with 40 new faces added every November.

President Obama was bestowed the honor when he was first elected in 2008 and he is reportedly a fan favorite. New additions this year include Captain America, Che Guevara, the Mario Brothers, Beethoven, and Humphrey Bogart.

Naturally, not everyone is a fan of the caganers and some find them insulting, despite the history of good intention. But anthropologist Louis Mallart thinks everyone needs to chill out and respect the unique — gift of the caganer. In fact, he finds the figurine’s presence in the Nativity scene to be quite important, “perhaps even more than the shepherds or the Three Kings.”

The kings “offer the infant Jesus something material, external to themselves: honey, gold, frankincense and myrrh,” he wrote on a Catalan blog, “while the caganer offers with humility something which ‘comes out’ of his own heart, something that farmers worldwide consider to be the best fertilizer for the earth.”

Pla is a bit more understanding of some people’s apprehension. “It is weird that our family can live from a crapping figurine,” he says. “But — and I don’t know if it’s because of the caganer tradition — my grandmother always said our family has a lot of luck. Things always seem to go smoothly for us.”

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On Tuesday, Instagram added five new filters to its app, so now you can spend an extra five minutes deciding which filter makes your selfie look its best.

The last time Instagram added new filters was two years ago with the addition of Mayfair and Willow. The new bevy of photo altering greatness are named Slumber, Ludwig, Crema, Aden, and Perpetua.

But that’s not all that has changed. Instagram is also introducing a way to “manage” your filters. Now you can organize the order of your filters so the ones you use most often are clustered at the front of the line and the ones you never use can remain at the end where they belong.

Probably the best of the new features is that now, the photo you’re editing will appear in the filter icons as opposed to the stock photo of a hot air balloon. Now you can see what the photo will look like with the different filters without having to jump back and forth between three different ones, trying to decide which one makes your smile look the best.

Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, will also get a photo altering update. Facebook will now auto-enhance the light and shadow on users’ photos.

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Celebrity babies have our attention from the minute they appear as just a barely-there bump. Most celebrity moms-to-be hide their pregnancy for as long as possible. But someway, somehow it never stays a secret for long.

2014 boasted some of the most beautiful mothers-to-be, including Kerry Washington, Kelly Rowland, Ciara, and Zoe Saldana who all wore the pregnancy glow incredibly well. The year also brought some of the most out-of-the-box names for the future stars of tomorrow. Get into the 2014 celebrity births.

Kelly Rowland and Tim Weatherspoon – Titan Jewell Weatherspoon

The Kisses Down Low singer shocked us all when she wed her best friend and manager Tim Weatherspoon over the summer in a super secret Caribbean wedding. Then, she dropped another bomb revealing that she was expecting a baby boy later in the year. On November 4th Kelly gave birth to Titan Jewell Weatherspoon, who weighed 7.5 lbs.

Ciara and Future – Future, Jr.

Ciara made maternity look amazing before the birth of Future Jr., whose father is her former fiancé Future. The R&B singer maintained her tight body during her pregnancy by working out with trainer Gunnar Peterson. No wonder three months after giving birth she posed for Calvin Klein looking amazing.

Lance Gross and Rebecca Jefferson – Berkeley Brynn Gross

Tyler Perry protégé Lance Gross and his stylist fiancée Rebecca Jefferson put Gross’ photography skills to use to announce their bundle of joy. The couple announced they were the proud parents of Berkely Brynn Gross on November 20.

Kerry Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha – Isaballe Amarachi

Scandal’s resident fixer Kerry Washington certainly knows to keep the paparazzi from snapping pictures of her newborn baby girl Isabelle Amarachi. Proud parents Washington and husband ex-NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha haven’t released any photos of their firstborn. Only close friends, family, and President Obama have seen what we know is one gorgeous babe.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher – Wyatt Isabelle
The former That 70’s Show co-stars welcomed their first child on October 1, after months of Kunis hiding her baby bump from paparazzi. Daughter Wyatt Isabelle has a unique name, one which came to the couple while they were at a Lakers Game. Kutcher said he just started calling off random things and when Wyatt came up, Kunis said “That’s it!”

Scarlett Johansson and Romain Dauriac – Rose Dorothy

Scarlett Johansson brings her classic Hollywood looks on screen which might explain why she opted out of the traditional Hollywood craze of naming your kids something insanely strange. The first time mother secretly married Romain Dauriac in October and welcomed daughther Rose Dorothy this fall.


Christina Aguilera and Matthew Rutler – Summer Rain

The Voice coach took some time away from the popular singing competition to finish baking that bun in the oven. After announcing her engagement to fiancé Matthew Rutler, the mother to Max, 6, gave birth to daughter Summer Rain over the summer. Aguilera is definitely in the running for the most out of the box baby name of 2014.


Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock – River Rose

The American Idol powerhouse might have fooled us by singing all those heartbreak anthems like Since You Been Gone but she’s a happily married woman. This year she and new husband Brandon Blackstock welcomed baby girl River Rose. According to Clarkson, River Rose loves Lady Gaga’s music and could possibly make a cameo with the eccentric star.


Lil Kim and Mr. Papers – Royal Reign

Queen Bee Lil Kim’s pregnancy was one of the most shocking announcements of the year. Instantly we knew that Lil Kim would go all out for the birth of her first child. After all she is over the top! Lil Kim gave birth to baby Royal Reign and dropped the baby weight in time to have a Ladies Night on the Soul Train Awards with Da Brat and Missy Elliott.

Thandie Newton and Ol Parker – Booker Jamba Parker
This April the bombshell actress gave birth to her son Booker Jamba Parker at home. Newton has shared few photos of her son but from what we can tell he is adorable.


Omarion and Apryl Jones – Megaa Grandberry

Love & Hip Hop Hollywood stars Omarion and Apryl Jones documented their pregnancy along with their drama on the VH1 hit series. The couple allowed Mona Scott Young’s cameras in their home as Jones delivered their son Megaa Grandberry in a waterbirth at home.


Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale – Apollo Rossdalle
No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani gave birth to her third child Apollo Rossdale at age 44. The Hollaback Girl has a house full of boys with sons Kingston and Zuma plus husband Gavin Rossdale. We wonder if she’ll continue trying until she gets that elusive girl.

Evelyn Lozada and Carl Leo Crawford – Carl Leo Crawford Jr

Lozada retired her Basketball Wives pumps and fell in love with a baseball player. She announced she was starting motherhood over just as her oldest daughter Shanice was off to college and entering her 20s.

Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake-Lee – Sadie Williams

Grey’s Anatomy hunk Jesse Williams welcomed baby girl Sadie with his new wife Aryn Drake Lee this past year.

Idris Elba and Nayiana Garth – Winston Elba

Idris Elba kept his upcoming pregnancy with his girlfriend under wraps for as long as possible. But he couldn’t hide the excitement on Twitter when his first baby boy was born.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes –  Esmeralda Amada Gosling

Gosling and Mendes win the award for most elusive couple during pregnancy and the few months post birth. How this couple in the digital age have been able to escape from the paps without getting a single snap is a Beyonce’ stealth move.

Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego - twin boys, names unknown
The newest mommy on the scene is Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy actress who gave birth to twin boys on December 8.

Sometimes we wake up in the morning and we need silence. Not the sound of anyone’s voice, the television, the telephone, or even the lights flashing and beeping from our electronics. Simply silence. Yesterday was that day for me. It was time to put the world on pause.

This time of the year is so busy and like many of you I’m sure, last week I felt like I was spinning on a wheel. Work was so busy and there was so much going on in my life. So, instead of jumping up and running to the barn to ride my horse like I usually do on Saturday morning or rushing into traffic to join the Christmas shopping rush…I sat quietly, drank my coffee, and reworked my plan for the day.

I put on my Roberta Flack “Oasis” album and spent the morning joyfully doing arts and crafts, placing and pasting the words and pictures I had previously cut out for my 2015 vision board. The day continued to flow and I did manage to do a little bit of shopping after all. By early evening, after a conference call and a short nap, I started contemplating whether or not I had it in me to get dolled up and drink all night at my friend’s holiday party.

Once again, wisely I paused. Instead, I took a shower and put on my pajamas. By 9:30 I was curled up in bed with a book and my puppy (she’s 10 years old). Even that didn’t last long. By 9:45 I was down for the count or out like a light, as they say. We all need these moments of rest, quietude, and peace.

The question is how often do you actually give yourself this vital time? How often do you put yourself first and shut the world and everyone else out. This holiday season and as often as possible give yourself a gift and just stop. Shut off your electronics, take a warm bath, put on your favorite album… whatever it is that you need to do for yourself – love yourself and Just Do It.

Image: Shutterstock

Wendy is an executive coach and founder of the entertainment law firm Credle & Associates, PLLC. Contact her at www.spandacoaching.com or follow her on twitter @IamWendyCredle

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer is considering a $75 million wrongful death settlement with Eric Garner’s family. However, this move, which some are calling political, might not be cut and dry.

Stringer says an early deal would actually save the city money in the long run, because a lengthy trial wouldn’t be necessary. However, some are questioning his involvement in the high-profile case in the first place.

A former chief lawyer for New York City has accused Stringer of “grandstanding.” Previous to 2014, wrongful death and imprisonment lawsuits have been handled by the city’s Law Department, which is overseen by the mayor’s office. This means that Stringer would cut Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s role in the Garner family’s lawsuit.

Usually, the comptroller reviews the settlement reached by municipal lawyers.

“If we can settle this without litigation for a cost reasonable to the city … and bring closure … that’s something we will explore,” said Stringer, who has emerged as de Blasio’s political rival. “We work daily with the Law Department in settling claims against the city. They have a role to play post-litigation and they do their job very well.”

Although he has received some criticism for his involvement in the wrongful death suit, the City Charter does allow the comptroller to negotiate such settlements.

The Garner family is open to discussing a resolution with Stringer (pictured to the right of Mayor de Blasio). However, their lawyer says he may not be able to guarantee all the changes the family wants. “There are issues that go beyond compensating the family, which are to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Garner family attorney Jonathan Moore said. “It includes retraining and reform in the Police Department. I don’t know that he’d have the power to address that.”

Stringer has negotiated huge settlements this year. One was a compensation of $6.4 million for David Ranta, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years for murder. Another Stringer-negotiated settlement paid out $2.3 million to the family of a Rikers Island prisoner who literally cooked to death in his cell.

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It was five months ago that 16-year-old Jada from Houston, Texas entered the public eye after speaking out against social media bullies who mocked her  sexual assault.  Now, two of the teens who allegedly raped her are finally being charged.

Clinton Onyeahialam, 19, and an unidentified 16-year-old have been arrested for gang raping Jada on June 1, according to the Houston Chronicle.  Onyeahialam is being charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child.

The case gained attention when Jada discovered photos of herself on social media lying unconscious and half-naked at a house party she attended with three friends.  She said she was given a drink at the party, and did not remember what happened next, but the pictures indicated she had been raped.

But what took the teen over the edge was when she saw that social media users had created a hashtag called #jadapose mocking the position she was in as she lay passed out on the floor.  She then created #IAmJada to counter the ridicule and spoke with several media outlets about her abuse.

When asked today on MSNBC how she felt about the arrests, Jada said it was “wonderful.”

“I’m just grateful and thankful for everyone who followed and supported me,” she added.

Jada said she wants “justice” for the heinous acts committed against her, including not only the rape, but the online bullying.

“We’re attempting to work with state legislatures right here in Texas to make cyber bulling a crime,” said Quanell X, the family spokesman,” because you have so many people out there that are victims of sexual assault, but they don’t want to be bullied through social media, so they tend to keep their stories to themselves and never come forth.”

“We don’t want to allow social media, which has been a gift and a curse in many cases, to stop victims from speaking up about being a victim of a sexual assault or a crime,” he continued.

X said it took so long to arrest the assaulters because although the culprits had been “braggadocios” about their part in the crime, a very thorough investigation of the situation was being carried out.

Jada says she aspires to continue being an advocate for rape victims, but also has her sights set on a specific career goal.

“I would like to keep working on this with others…but I would like to go to college and then become a pharmacist.”

The release of American contractor Alan Gross from a Cuban prison has proven to be the first sign that relations between the United States and Cuba will improve.  President Barack Obama confirmed this during an announcement that the country’s Cuban policies are expected to relax.

The U.S. and Cuba have been in tight communication since June of 2013, after Pope Francis urged Obama during a meeting to consider making strides to develop a closer relationship with the island.

Then, in November of 2013, when Gross’ health began to rapidly decline, 66 senators penned a letter to President Obama suggesting that he “act expeditiously to take whatever steps are in the national interest to obtain [Gross’s] release.”

Gross had become a prisoner after he was caught delivering satellite phones and communication equipment to a Jewish group in Cuba.  Gross, who was working for the U.S. Agency for International Development at the time, was accused of aiding policy-opposers “to promote destabilizing activities and subvert constitutional order.”  He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2011.

During Gross’ imprisonment, he lost 100 pounds, lost vision in one eye, began losing teeth, and now has difficulty walking.  Reportedly, he engaged in hunger strikes and attempted to take his own life while behind bars.

Last week, Obama first spoke about negotiating a release plan involving Gross during an interview with the Fusion television network.

“We’ve been in conversations about how we can get Alan Gross home for quite some time,” said Obama. “We continue to be concerned about him.”

On Tuesday, a one hour conversation between Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro took place, the first correspondence between presidents of the countries since the Cuban revolution over 50 years ago, says White House officials.  By Wednesday, Gross was freed and returned to the U.S.

Reportedly, the U.S. made a deal with Cuba that included a swap of prisoners.  Cuba released Gross and an unidentified U.S. intelligence agent who has been imprisoned for over 20 years, and the U.S. released three Cuban intelligence agents who were convicted of spying in 2001.

The Obama Administration says both nations will re-open embassies and the U.S. will renew ties with Cuba that will allow Americans to travel to the island more easily and do business with its citizens.

“We are charting a new course toward Cuba,” said a senior administration official. “The President understood the time was right to attempt a new approach, both because of the beginnings of changes in Cuba and because of the impediment this was causing for our regional policy.”

Tasha Smith‘s four year marriage is finally coming to an official end, and things are already looking ugly.  She has filed for divorce from her estranged husband, Keith Douglas, but not without paying him a pretty penny.

The “Why Did I Get Married?” star was ordered to pay Douglas $50,000 in spousal support immediately.  Smith, whose net worth is reportedly $1.5 million, was the breadwinner in the marriage, and thus, is the one forced to pay up.  The settlement is meant to keep Douglas afloat until a more permanent payment plan is devised.

Smith’s marriage has been on the rocks publicly since November when Douglas filed a restraining order against the actress claiming that she would often throw drunken, wrathful fits.  A judge ordered that the couple stay 2 yards away from each other in their shared home.  The two had to stay 100 yards away while outside the home.

One week later, Tasha filed her own court order alleging that Douglas accused her of sleeping with women, calling her an “fucking dike.”  She claimed she felt he was “capable” of killing her.

This will be Smith’s second divorce.  She ended her marriage with her first husband in 2007.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama spoke candidly to People magazine about questions of race and racism, sharing that they, too, had experienced their fair share of discrimination.

The couple did a joint interview with the mag this past month in which they discussed some of the prejudices they faced before the presidency. “Before that, Barack Obama was a Black man that lived on the South Side of Chicago, who had his share of troubles catching cabs.”

Even after they started occupying the White House, the Obamas have been confronted with racism. The first lady shared, “I tell this story — I mean, even as the first lady — during that wonderfully publicized trip I took to Target, not highly disguised, the only person who came up to me in the store was a woman who asked me to help her take something off a shelf. Because she didn’t see me as the first lady, she saw me as someone who could help her. Those kinds of things happen in life. So it isn’t anything new.”

President Obama said, “There’s no Black male my age, who’s a professional, who hasn’t come out of a restaurant and is waiting for their car and somebody didn’t hand them their car keys.” He admitted that it had happened to him as well. His wife then chipped in, “He was wearing a tuxedo at a black-tie dinner, and somebody asked him to get coffee.”

The President believes that race relations have improved, but acknowledges that there is more to be done.

“The small irritations or indignities that we experience are nothing compared to what a previous generation experienced,” Obama said. “It’s one thing for me to be mistaken for a waiter at a gala. It’s another thing for my son to be mistaken for a robber and to be handcuffed, or worse, if he happens to be walking down the street and is dressed the way teenagers dress.”

Given the nation’s attention to race relations stemming from the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, this commentary speaks to some of the things that people are trying to get across in the nationwide protests.

Obama said that he supported LeBron James in his decision to wear an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt, which references the last words of Garner. “I think LeBron did the right thing. We forget the role that Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, and Bill Russell played in raising consciousness,” said Obama. “I’d like to see more athletes do that — not just around this issue, but around a range of issues.”

The Obamas also discussed how they introduce conversations about race in America to their daughters Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13. “When you’re raising Black kids you have to talk about these issues, because they’re real,” said Mrs. Obama.

The President said they try to get them to think about “how they think they should have to act as African American girls.” He added that after some of the high profile cases like Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, “Around the dinner table we’re pointing out to them that too often in our society Black boys are still perceived as more dangerous, and it will be part of their generation’s task to try to eradicate those stereotypes.”

Source

Bobby Shmurda was arrested at Quad Studios in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday on gang conspiracy charges.

The 20-year-old Brooklyn rapper was led away from the studios in handcuffs and faces a gang conspiracy indictment tied to a series of shootings that devastated the city, according to police sources. He was taken into custody in the early morning hours on Dec. 17 by narcotics detectives. They subsequently got a warrant and searched the recording studio and Shmurda’s car, finding three guns.

When the cops did a sweep of some of his associates, they were able to find an additional 16 guns. Reportedly, a bunch of Shmurda’s friends were rounded up by cops and also face conspiracy charges.

The Miami-born Shmurda, née Ackquille Jean Pollard, is believed to be tied to a string of drug-related crimes, gang-related shootings, and “acts of violence,” according to police sources.

A rep for Quad Studios said they knew nothing of Shmurda’s alleged criminal dealings. “Right now we’re waiting for the investigation to unfold and that’s all we can say,” said the rep, who refused to give his name.

Shmurda’s uncle was also in the dark about the proceedings. “We don’t know what is going on,” Garfield Pollard told The Daily Beast in a phone interview from his Breinigsville, Pennsylvania home. “We haven’t talked to him yet.”

The rapper is being held at Brooklyn’s 71 Precinct and is due to be arraigned on Thursday morning.

Prior to this most recent bust, Shmurda had a brush with the law in October over marijuana. He was allegedly smoking weed while double parked and was arrested, which forced him to miss a performance. He expressed his disappointment in a video on Instagram with the caption: “So da bum ass cops locked me up yesterday Fa some bullsh— made me miss [a show].”

Before that, the rapper was booked on a gun charge on June 3, for concealing a weapon inside of a couch in his Brooklyn apartment.

There is no confirmation as to whether or not the marijuana or gun charge have been adjudicated.

Source

A Republican state representative from Missouri proposed a bill that would require women seeking abortions in the state to get consent from the man who provided the sperm in order to have the procedure.

Rep. Rick Brattin, 34, filed a bill on Dec. 3 that proposed that anyone seeking an abortion would need written consent from the man who begot the fetus. It reads:

“No abortion shall be performed or induced unless and until the father of the unborn child provides written, notarized consent to the abortion, except in cases in which the woman upon whom the abortion is to be performed or induced was the victim of rapeor incest and the pregnancy resulted from the rape or incest. If the father of the unbornchild is deceased, the woman upon whom the abortion is to be performed or induced shall sign a notarized affidavit attesting to the fact. No physician shall perform or induce an abortion unless and until the physician has obtained the written consent required in this subsection. The physician shall retain a copy of the consent or affidavit in the patient’s medical record.”

In an interview, Brattin elaborated, “Just like any rape, you have to report it, and you have to prove it,” he told the site. “So you couldn’t just go and say, ‘Oh yeah, I was raped,’ and get an abortion. It has to be a legitimate rape.” There doesn’t appear to be any clarification on what constitutes “legitimate” rape.

Likely, Brattin’s bill will go nowhere. In 1976, Planned Parenthood v. Danforth made it unconstitutional to require a woman to receive spousal or parental consent when seeking an abortion. Conservative lawmakers in Ohio tried to push a similar bill in 2009 and failed. There have also been cases of men trying to sue for consent, but these have also failed.

Brattin, who was elected in 2010, made headlines last year when he tried to push for anti-evolution lessons in science classes. In January, he attempted to bring back executions by firing squad. Most recently, he filed a bill that proposed that any federal laws that Missouri lawmakers did not like would be deemed unenforceable in the state. Unfortunately for him, this is also illegal. The U.S. Constitution is pretty clear about that one.

Got presents? Christmas is just a week away. If you’re still stuck on gift ideas, here is a round up of editor’s picks with options that will satisfy every member of the family.

Essio Aromatherapy Shower Kit

$44.99

Boring home showers transform into mini-spa retreats with this aromatherapy kit.

Proenza Schouler x Master Dynamic headphones

$495

For the fashion fiend: High sound quality meets high design.

MAC PRO Lip Palette/6 Select Plums

$40

Pretty puckers abound with this compact palette containing six pinky-purple shades that work on every skin tone.

jimmyCase iPhone Wallet

$39

For the person who doesn’t haul around a tote or murse: a streamlined solution to keeping all essentials in one place.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Kiss Pop Lipstick Collection,

$300

You’ll definitely leave a Marc with this limited edition box featuring 9 irresistible, kissable demi-matte shades of the line’s covetable color sticks.

Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Refueling Set,

$59

This kit contains everything he’ll need to battle the cold winter months – from energizing, moisturizing face wash to super-strength hand salve.

Butter London Gears & Gadgets Ultimate Lacquer Trunk

$150

20 pretty polishes and a set of professional manicure tools are the perfect present in helping her nail it this holiday season.

Revo Supersignal Walnut and Aluminum Digital Radio

$340

The smooth walnut finish gives this utterly modern digital radio a throwback 70s feel.

Nars Limited Edition Nars Vault nail and lip set,

$500

For your most glam friend: A specially curated collection of 10 Audacious lipsticks and 10 vampy varnishes

Rihanna Rogue Man eau de toilette

$69 (3.4oz)

Notes of spicy black pepper, fresh citrus and cedar wood are the perfect complement to his rakish swagger.

LittleBits Base Kit

$99.99

Both children and adults will enjoy designing and prototyping their own interactive creations, instead of simply unwrapping a ready-made electronic.

Godiva Gold Ballotin

$50 (36 pc.)

Need a hostess gift that makes an impact? Godiva has you covered with its Gold Ballotin box of assorted chocolates, wrapped in a Swarovski crystal adorned ribbon.

Teavana Perfectea Maker

$19.95 (16 oz.)

Take away the messiness of seeping loose tea leaves for the tea drinker in your life.

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme eau de toilette

$62 (50 ml)

This fragrance embodies the history, the Italian luxury aesthetic, and the journey into Gucci’s world of glamour and style.

SheaMoisture Color Correcting, Contouring & Highlighting Palette

$24.99

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-Compiled by Chrystal Parker, Joanne Amay, Annika Harris

Being a fan of a celebrity is one thing, but splurging on dozens of cosmetic surgeries to look like him or her is a bit too far. Kim Kardashian super-fan Jordan James Parke has gone to extreme lengths to imitate the famous socialite’s signature pout.

Jordan told The Sun newspaper that after he saw Kim on an episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” he fell in love with the 33 year old. In an attempt to look like his idol, the 23-year-old British makeup artist has undergone 50 cosmetic surgeries, including Botox, lip and cheek fillers, laser hair removal, and eyebrow tattoos, spending over $150,000.

Parke’s over-the-top appearance hasn’t been without harsh criticism, but he isn’t worried.

“I laugh when people try to insult me by telling me I look plastic or fake. Do they think I’m going for the natural look? If I was, I’d ask for my money back.”

He’s particularly proud of his lips, which have received over 50 filling treatments to reach their voluptuous size.

On Wednesday morning, a judge exonerated a 14 year old for murders committed in 1944, 70 years after he was executed.

George Stinney Jr., a Black teen who was convicted of beating two young white girls to death in the small, segregated town of Alcolu, South Carolina in 1944, was sentenced to death via electric chair. Weighing only 95 pounds, Stinney had to sit on a phone book in the electric chair, as the straps didn’t fit him properly.

Stinney is often cited as the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th century. His trial didn’t last a full day, only three hours. A jury of 12 white men took 10 minutes to find him guilty. There wasn’t any physical evidence linking him the crimes, and he was forbidden to see his parents after he was apprehended. He was executed within three months of the killings and his conviction was never appealed.

Civil rights advocates have spent years trying to get the case reopened, arguing that Stinney’s confession was coerced. Officials said Stinney had admitted beating the girls, 11 and 8 years old, with a railroad spike.

In a 2009 affidavit, Stinney’s sister, Amy Ruffner, said she had been with him on the day of the murders and he could not have committed them.

Ruffner received support from family and friends after testifying for the case’s reopening.

Earlier this year, she told the Guardian: “I never went back [to Alcolu]. I curse that place. It was the destruction of my family and the killing of my brother.”

The Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has kidnapped approximately 185 women and children and killed about 32 people, while wreaking havoc on a northeast Nigerian town, CNN reported.

The extremists stormed Gumsuri in pick-up trucks on Sunday and used machine guns to open fire on the town. The armed men then loaded almost 200 of the villages’ women and children into vehicles and left.

“They gathered the women and children and took them away in trucks after burning most of the village with petrol bombs,” an unnamed local government official said.

Several Gumsuri residents are now without homes after the violent men poured gasoline on homes and set them ablaze, according to village native Modu Kalli.

“We lost everything in the attack. I escaped with nothing, save the clothes I have on me,” Kalli said to CNN.

Another villager, Umar Ari, said he was just one of the hundreds of Gumsuri residents who fled to Maiduguri, another northeastern city. It took him four days to arrive at his destination.

‎”They destroyed almost half the village and took away 185 women, girls and boys,” Ari said.‎

The Cameroon military said they also had an encounter with Boko Haram near the border of Nigeria on Wednesday and killed 116 of its members. The terrorist group had tried to attack the Cameroonian town of Amchide.<

“Our defense forces rigorously fought back this barbaric attack, and forced the enemy to retreat,” Cameroonian government spokesperson Issa Tchiroma Bakary said.<

According to the U.S. Congressional Research Service report, Boko Haram has killed at least 5,000 people since its emergence in 2002. In 2009, the group began heavily attacking Nigeria, and drew major national attention after kidnapping 200 Nigerian schoolgirls in April of this year.

The Islam extremist group is fighting the West African country in an attempt to overthrow the government and form an Islamic state, according to BBC News.

John Crawford III‘s family has filed a federal lawsuit against several Ohio entities, including the Beavercreek Walmart where the 22 year old was shot and killed by police while carrying a toy gun.

The family is also suing the two officers who were involved, the Beavercreek Police Department, the department’s police chief, and the city itself, CNN reports.

On April 5, Crawford grabbed a toy gun off the shelf at the retail store that had been sitting out of its package for days. Someone saw him and called the police, stating that Crawford was “walking around with a gun in the store, waving and pointing” it at people, according to the recording of the call.

When the two officers arrived, Sgt. David M. Darkow and Officer Sean C. Williams, Crawford was talking on his cell phone with the gun pointed to the floor and his back turned toward police. Within one second after spotting Crawford, Williams fired his gun and shot Crawford dead, according to the lawsuit.

A grand jury decided against indicting the officers involved in the shooting.

The family’s attorney Michael Wright said the young man’s race, Black, was a factor in his killing.

“We believe that had Mr. Crawford been white, he may have gotten a little bit more time to respond to the police officers,” said Wright. “These officers came in, saw Mr. Crawford and shot him on sight. They didn’t give him the opportunity to live.”

The suit says officers should not have shot Crawford because he was not a threat.

“Mr. Crawford never used, loaded or pointed the pellet rifle at anyone, was doing nothing improper or illegal, and never caused any harm or acted in a manner that would cause any reasonable person to believe that he may cause harm,” the suit stated.

Crawford’s family believes Walmart was partially responsible because the air rifle Crawford held when he was shot had been sitting on a shelf out of its packaging for at least two days, the family’s attorneys said Tuesday.

A Walmart spokesperson released a statement addressing Crawford and a woman who suffered a heart attack and died after viewing the shooting.

“Our condolences go out to the families who lost loved ones,” the statement reads. “Out of respect for everyone involved, we believe it’s not appropriate to discuss the specifics of this matter, but we can say that our associates acted properly. We take the safety and security of our stores very seriously so that Walmart remains a safe shopping experience for our customers.”

The lawsuit also claims the police chief did not properly train the two involved officers.

The family is seeking at least $75,000 in compensation and an undisclosed amount in punitive damages, according to the suit.

Denzel Washington is the latest Hollywood A-lister to learn, via the Sony email hack scandal, what some Sony executives think about him.

In an email written to studio head Michael Lynton, a producer said the company should avoid casting Black actors, notably Washington, because the rest of the world is “racist.” The email went on to say the Training Day actor doesn’t have worldwide appeal, and his numbers just don’t compare to similar actors. The timing of the email was impeccable as The Equalizer, starring Washington, was released soon after. The film made over $191 million in box office sales, with half of it’s revenue from overseas sales.

The identity of the producer who penned the email is unknown. Neither Washington or Lynton has made a comment.

But it looks like the U.S. government has found the culprit behind the cyber attack, none other than North Korea.

The news came from a government official, who stated a formal attribution by the United States government could come as early as Thursday.

Sony Pictures’ latest effort, The Interview, seemed to be the motive, as the comedy was based on journalists who score an interview with the North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un and plot to kill him. The movie, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, was slated for a Christmas release, but has since been pulled from distribution. Any mention of the movie has also been removed from the company’s website.

Looks like FOX News talk show host Bill O’Reilly has put his foot in his mouth again. This time, he suggested the Black community ditch the “I Can’t Breathe” police brutality protest T-shirts for a “Don’t Get Pregnant at 14” T-shirt. Yes, this really happened.

During a segment of his show “The O’Reilly Factor” last night, O’Reilly had special guest Martin Luther King Jr., III, the eldest of slain Civil Rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., discussing recent news, including athletes wearing the shirts baring Eric Garner‘s last words.

For O’Reilly’s information, teen pregnancy is down 51 percent from it’s peak in 1990.

But he didn’t stop there, gassing racial stereotypes. On another episode, during his “Talking Points Memo” concluding segment, he rips into Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson, who has been outspoken on the recent occurrences of police brutality. O’Reilly first made a list of why Blacks “dislike this country,” naming President Obama and Jackson as examples of success stories. He referenced the Snakes on a Plane actor’s widely popular song of minorities struggling against racist police with the chorus, “I Can’t Breathe.” O’Reilly tried to tell Jackson to stop fueling race fires, and encourage your rags to riches success story.