OceanGate Posts Job Listing For New Sub Pilot While Titan Submersible Was Still MIA
by Mary Spiller

June 24, 2023

OceanGate Posts Job Listing For New Sub Pilot While Titan Submersible Was Still MIA

According to the DailyMail, a popular TikTok account revealed that OceanGate posted an urgent job request for a new submersible pilot in the midst of the viral tragedy surrounding their submarine that crashed while attempting to see the Titanic wreckage. The company’s listing was reportedly active from Monday, June 19, to Thursday, while their Titan submersible was still missing with the company’s CEO – Stockton Rush – and four other passengers on board. 

Screenshots of the OceanGate Expeditions job listing were shown and had watchers baffled due to the timing of the whole thing. The now-deleted posting asked someone to “manage and operate our fleet of manned submersibles and support vessels.” The position described as a Submersible Pilot/Marine Technician was open at the peak of OceanGate’s controversy surrounding their Titan submersible that was found imploded on Thursday after being missing for nearly a week.

The description asked for “a committed and competent individual with a combination of strong mechanical and interpersonal skills who can work on sensitive marine equipment, perform regular maintenance and operate complex systems to support dive operations.”

Other requirements included working in a confined space and fitting through a “28-inch diameter” ring. 

The company described it as an “excellent opportunity for a high-energy professional,”, especially for someone who was “positive and energetic with [a] good sense of humor.”

Posted to Indeed and the company’s website, the page was taken down, surrounding internet uproar. OceanGate has been called out for alleged design issues that rendered their Titan submersible dangerous to operate.

Texas Woman Shoots Innocent Uber Driver, Claims He Was Trying To Kidnap Her
by Mary Spiller

June 24, 2023

Texas Woman Shoots Innocent Uber Driver, Claims He Was Trying To Kidnap Her

Texas woman, Phoebe Copas, is up against murder charges after fatally shooting her Uber driver in the head on June 16. Copas claims she thought he was attempting to kidnap her, so she shot him. 

Despite her alleged motives, the El Paso Police Department’s investigation determined that the driver, Daniel Piedra Garcia, never went off course from her destination. Because she was never in any danger from the 52-year-old husband and father, she’s facing murder charges and being held on a $1.5 million bond.

Copas was visiting her boyfriend in Texas when she ordered Piedra Garcia’s Uber to bring her to meet her boyfriend at a nearby casino. While in the car, Copas reportedly saw highway signs for “Juarez Mexico” and grew paranoid. El Paso police reported that Copas drew a revolver and shot the innocent man in the wrist and the back of the head. After the car crashed due to his injuries, Copas took a picture of the scene and sent it to her boyfriend before calling 911. 

“The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination,” police reiterated to the public.

The Uber driver officially passed away on Wednesday after being taken off life support. Ana Piedra, Daniel’s wife, created a GoFundMe requesting financial support because Daniel was “the sole provider for our family,” She described him as “very happy to finally be able to work and bring home income” as an Uber driver.
Another Piedra Garcia family member expressed shock after hearing about the incident. 

“It was just shocking, hard to believe; a lot of us had seen the news, but we never even imagined, it never crossed our mind that it was going to be him. “They make assumptions, they see stuff maybe on the news, maybe on social media, and stuff that’s not necessarily true, and when they come here, they come without really knowing,” She told a news outlet. 

“I miss him, and I wish this wouldn’t have happened to him. He didn’t deserve that. No one deserves that.”

Queen Latifah ‘In Shock’ At Being First Female Emcee Honored At Kennedy Center
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 24, 2023

Queen Latifah ‘In Shock’ At Being First Female Emcee Honored At Kennedy Center

History has been made in this year’s list of Kennedy Center honorees. Queen Latifah will be the first female emcee to be honored for lifetime artistic achievement by the center during its 2023 program on Dec. 3.

The Washington, D.C. ceremony, held and televised from the Kennedy Center Opera House, has spotlighted artists whose craft and contributions have made a significant impact on American culture since 1978.

Queen Latifah will be featured as the Kennedy Center pays homage to hip-hop’s 50-year anniversary, as detailed by CBS News.

In a statement announcing the former rapper’s induction into the center’s prestigious Honorees list, Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center, praised the emcee’s art and work.

“Hip-Hop has been an important, thriving art form here at the Center for a number of years; what a privilege it is to bestow an Honors to the First Lady of Hip-Hop who has inspired us along the way,” shared Rutter.

Latifah’s fellow honorees are comedian Billy Crystal, five-time Grammy winner Renée Fleming, singer and producer Barry Gibb, and vocalist and host Dionne Warwick. Latifah is the sole performer with a background in rap and hip-hop among the honorees, and only the second rapper in the show’s history to ever be chosen, as LL Cool J was the first, selected in 2017.

According to The New York Times, the “Equalizer” star was “in shock” when she found out about the news while in her dressing room for the CBS show.

Joining in on the widespread celebration of hip-hop’s 50th birthday, the Kennedy Center will also present a salute to the expansive genre created by and pioneered through the decades by African American artists.

“This year we pay special tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a uniquely American culture whose constant evolution is one of enduring relevance and impact, reflecting our society as it has grown into an international phenomenon,” said Rutter.

Gloria Estefan, herself a Kennedy honoree, will host the show. It is set to premiere to the public in late December, in the weeks following the live ceremony.

RELATED CONTENT: KRS-One Talks 50 Years of Hip-Hop and Moving the Culture Forward With Essence Festival Performance 

Missouri Woman Chases Down Sister’s Stolen Vehicle With Three Children In Her Car
by Mary Spiller

June 24, 2023

Missouri Woman Chases Down Sister’s Stolen Vehicle With Three Children In Her Car

Missouri woman Francesca Jones was arrested and charged on Sunday, June 18, after she chased her sister’s stolen car and began shooting at its passengers after the vehicle had burst into flames. The incident took place just 10 miles northwest of downtown St. Louis.

As reported by KSDK, 32-year-old Jones was charged with three counts of first-degree assault, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and three counts of armed criminal action. 

According to the St. Louis County Police Department, who responded, Jones spotted her sister’s stolen 2020 Dodge Challenger just one day after it was taken. Even though she was with her three children and driving in a quiet St. Louis suburb, Jones began chasing the vehicle. Her pursuit led to the Challenger smashing into a truck at a busy intersection less than a mile from where the chase began. It caught fire from the collision.

As the driver and passenger attempted to climb out of the flaming car to get to safety, Jones began shooting at both of them. One reportedly shot back at Jones. Police were called to the scene following reports of the shots fired, and upon their arrival several eyewitnesses told them what they had seen of the incident. 

The investigation is being handled by the St. Louis County Police Department. Jones is being held on a nearly $1 million bond, which must be paid in cash. Police found the gun she had used in the trunk of her car. The identities of the Challenger’s passengers have not been released. 

by Mary Spiller

June 24, 2023

Drake Is Dropping His Very First Book Of Poetry

Aubrey Drake Graham, more commonly known by his stage name, Drake, is dropping his first work of literature on June 24, 2023. The “Hotline Bling” rapper announced his upcoming poetry book on Instagram the day before. 

According to the post, Drake’s book features a deep blue cover with white text across the back, binding, and front, reading, TITLES RUIN EVERYTHING: A STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS BY KENZA SAMIR & AUBREY GRAHAM. The poetry book will drop at 1 p.m. EST at Drake’s online merch store, drakerelated.com, plus selected retail shops. The price of the book wasn’t specified. 

Songwriter Kenza Samir co-wrote the 100-page book.

Drake, 36, captioned his announcement post, “I don’t know if I have ever wanted people to buy or support something more in my life…our first book is available tmrw on @drakerelated and other select retailers.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi)

On his merchandise store’s Instagram page, he posted another promotional statement.

“The Boy and his friend @kenzanotkendra are releasing their first poetry book on drakerelated.com and other select retailers tomorrow at 1 PM EST,” The caption read.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Drake Related (@drakerelated)

Ahead of the book’s official release, the Canada-born artist partnered with the New York Post to run a limited-edition newspaper to showcase the book’s artistic cover. Available at newsstands and online for just $5 at the tabloid’s website, the Drake Post is available now.

Drake fans are eagerly awaiting the book’s drop. One commenter wrote, “Bare IG captions coming out of these pages,” and another added, “Bout to hit that Barnes & Noble.”

“Keep winning homie. This major… I said what I said, your captions should be a coffee table book.”

Another Instagram user commented, “Finna add ‘best selling author’ to the list of accomplishments.”

Aside from praising the rapper for expanding his horizons, others were just worried about the book being affordable. “Praying it’s a reasonable price,” one fan wrote.

More Than 3,500 Union Starbucks Employees Striking Over Company’s Ban On Pride Decor
by Mary Spiller

June 24, 2023

More Than 3,500 Union Starbucks Employees Striking Over Company’s Ban On Pride Decor

Workers at 150 unionized Starbucks locations across the United States are going on strike to show their anger at the company’s policy about Pride decorations in their stores. As reported by CNN, the workers are using their strike to dispute Starbucks’ systemic “hypocritical treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers.” 

While Starbucks has denied all the allegations of its behavior, employees are showing solidarity on social media by standing with their fellow union workers affected by the restrictions. 

According to company guidelines, store team leaders are permitted to decorate their respective stores any way they want, including in celebration of Pride, as long as they don’t violate certain safety guidelines. However, some of the Starbucks locations were indeed restricted from decorating for Pride.

In response, the Starbucks Workers United’s (SWU) official Twitter announced, “Over 150+ stores and 3,500 workers will be on strike over the course of the next week.”

They used the same platform to dispute the company’s claims that all the allegations were false. The coffeehouse chain released a statement saying, “We unwaveringly support the LGBTQIA2+ community. There has been no change to any policy on this matter, and we continue to encourage our store leaders to celebrate with their communities, including for US Pride month in June. We’re deeply concerned by false information that is being spread.”

The SWU responded with a series of tweets, beginning with, “Starbucks claims that pride decorations haven’t been banned – but according to internal documents and store manager testimonies, their own responses have not been consistent.”

 

The SWU pointed out that close to 100 Starbucks stores in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas banned Pride decorations.

The workers going on strike are doing so not only to draw attention to the Pride decor bans but also to show it as an example of Starbucks’ treatment and mentality toward folks who identify as LGBTQIA+.

RELATED CONTENT: Former Starbucks Manager Awarded $25M Settlement After Infamous Arrest Of 2 Black Men

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 24, 2023

Like Father, Like Son: Bronny James To Rock The Same No. 6 Jersey As His All-Star Dad

Bronny James was named after his NBA father, LeBron James, and his high school career was scrutinized just like his father’s was. After scoring NIL deals with companies his father is associated with, such as Nike and Beats By Dre, and taking up the same sport, he has decided to wear the same number his father currently wears, No. 6.

In May 2023, Bronny announced he would be attending the University of Southern California, and at the time, the school posted a photo of him in his uniform sporting the No. 8.

 

Sports Illustrated reported the meaning LeBron gave for wearing his beloved six. The future Hall of Famer wore No. 23 for the Cavaliers because of his love for his idol, Micheal Jordan, who wore that number when he played with the Chicago Bulls. Yet, when he went to the Miami Heat for the 2010–11 season, he switched to No. 6.

“Why I wear number six, there’s multiple reasons,” James said, “One, because 23 is one of my favorite numbers as well, so two times three is six. … Also, my first son was born on October 6. … My youngest son [Bryce] is June 14th, the sixth month of the year. Six has always been with me ever since I was a kid for some reason, especially when it relates to my family.”

Bronny is a 6-foot-3 guard who played basketball for Sierra Canyon School in California and is considered one of the top guards in the country based on ESPN 100, placing him at No. 19 for the class of 2023.

Shortly after Bronny committed to joining the basketball team at USC, another NBA legend’s son, DJ Rodman, the son of Dennis Rodman, took to Instagram to announce that he would be heading to USC also to play basketball.

Patti LaBelle ‘Honored’ To Perform Tina Turner Tribute At BET Awards
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 24, 2023

Patti LaBelle ‘Honored’ To Perform Tina Turner Tribute At BET Awards

Patti LaBelle will honor the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner, in a tribute performance at the 2023 BET Awards.

Rolling Stone announced the news that the Godmother of Soul will commemorate her late industry friend and fellow legend in a set paying homage to the life and music of Turner.

The BET Awards released a statement confirming the performance, stating that renditions of the acclaimed singer’s songs will “capture the essence of Turner’s unparalleled legacy.”

After Turner’s death on May 24, 2023, LaBelle expressed her adoration and gratitude for the rock legend in a heartfelt social media post.

“Tina, the world will forever be grateful for your voice, your fearlessness, and your grace,” shared the “You Are My Friend” singer.

While there is no further word on other artists who may share the stage with LaBelle for the tribute, the 79-year-old is more than up for the task.

“Tina was a trailblazer and someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for because of all that she overcame and all that she accomplished,” stated the Grammy Hall of Famer.

“She was and is everything! And I am honored that I am able to pay tribute to her in this way.”

While the two singers have different voices and sounds, LaBelle and Turner’s incredible artistry has cemented both of them as Black music icons in their respective takes on soul, rock, and R&B.

The BET Awards will not only pay homage to the rock icon but also continue its yearlong celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. It will include additional performances from Glorilla, Coco Jones, and Lil Uzi Vert, with Busta Rhymes being bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.

The ceremony takes place on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles, and available to watch live on BET, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, and VH1.

RELATED CONTENT: Legendary Queen of Rock & Roll Tina Turner Passes Away at 83

Does the NBA Have a Colorism Issue? Twitter Starts Conversation About Current Draft Class
by Sharelle Burt

June 24, 2023

Does the NBA Have a Colorism Issue? Twitter Starts Conversation About Current Draft Class

Colorism was the topic of conversation during Thursday night’s 2023 NBA Draft.

Influencer and host Scottie Beam retweeted a video of the 2023 NBA draft class posted by sports commentator Taylor Rooks with the caption “Biracial girlllllll.” The caption references a parody song that frequently circulates on Twitter timelines of a man paying homage to biracial women.

Several Twitter followers joined in on the conversation, alluding Beam was pointing out the lack of dark-skinned players drafted this year. “My mom has been pointing out that’s all that’s in the NBA nowadays,” one user tweeted. Another said, “Light skin don’t make them biracial,” and a tweeter with the handle @IamGregordeee, said he calls it “the #NewBeigeOrder.” 

According to statistics from Statista, as of 2022, a little over 71% of players in the NBA identify as African American, while 8% are two or more races. The conversation about colorism in the Black community is a touchy subject as some feel it should be kept alive, and others think it’s time to wrap it up. “Only WE look for this in everything,” a Twitter user wrote. “Commercials, movies, cookouts, neighborhoods, restaurants lol. We’ve been doing this colorism game for decades. It will never end. I’m convinced.”

The biracial topic has been studied for years as celebrities and athletes have spoken out about how they deal. In 2018, NBA Boston Celtics player Blake Griffin spoke about his biracial upbringing. Growing up in Oklahoma, Griffin said he was “too young to really understand” all the stares and comments he and his family would receive. As he got older, Griffin said there was less of a need to address the comments. “I also think there is a huge movement of people like me who don’t feel the need to answer that,” Griffin said. “That’s what’s special.”

On an episode of BET’s College Hill: Celebrity Edition, Joseline Hernandez and Amber Rose got into a physical fight after Rose admitted to not feeling comfortable as a biracial woman. “I don’t fit in white spaces, and I don’t fit in Black spaces either,” Rose said. “If I were to say something that is not appealing to a Black person, I would then be white in that moment.” Yet another colorism-related moment in pop culture this week similar to the NBA’s “issue.” 

Kanye West Denies Gap’s $2 Million Damages Lawsuit Against Him
by Mary Spiller

June 24, 2023

Kanye West Denies Gap’s $2 Million Damages Lawsuit Against Him

Ye, the artist formally known as Kanye West, has denied all accusations of wrongdoing brought against him by Gap, his former business partner. According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline on June 23, 2023, Ye is demanding that the company pay his legal fees incurred during their court case and immediately drop the lawsuit against him.

Gap filed against Ye after being sued by Art Center, which owns property in downtown Los Angeles and leased a building to the retailer. As a stipulation of the yearly contract, Art Center required a $104,000 monthly rent and an agreement that the company would not make any alterations to the building without Art Center’s explicit permission. In October 2022, Art Center accused Gap of completing “numerous, significant, unapproved modifications,” thus breaching their contract. 

In response, Gap filed a counterclaim against its ex-business partner West, claiming it was he who breached the contract by altering the building, and that under its agreement with West, Gap could not be held liable for lawsuits resulting from Yeezy’s actions. 

The suit read, “The performance of the work not only breached the Strategic Agreement, but the manner of preparing for and performing the work caused the need for the repairs and restoration alleged in the complaint.” 

In response, Ye adamantly denied responsibility for any of it, claiming, “Gap’s claims fail because the June 25, 2020, Strategic Agreement between Gap and Yeezy Supply (Strategic Agreement”) is invalid or voidable.” 

The Donda rapper continued to call Gap out for failing to fill its contractual obligations with him while they were partnered. 

“Many of the modifications complained of were, in fact, beneficial to the Premises, and all were carried out for the benefit of the Strategic Agreement with Gap,” read his statement. “Gap must have anticipated that modifications such as were made to the Premises are typical for this type of business. If anything, the property was improved by Cross-Defendants such as building an ADA ramp.”

According to Radar Online, Ye was certain he never would’ve partnered with Gap in the first place if he had been aware that it had “[signed] a lease requiring no modifications to the property used for a pop-up store.”

He reiterated that he shouldn’t be held financially liable for any of the nearly $2 million in damages that Gap owes Art Center. 

RELATED CONTENT: Kanye West Fights Back Against Allegations Made By Former Donda Academy Teachers

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