Monday, September 13, 2021

Historic VMA Win Makes Blue Ivy Carter the Youngest to Ever Take Home the Award

Blue Ivy Carter Photo Credit @beyonce
With a father that hustled his way from the murderous streets of the Marcy Projects to musical fame and later rare black billionaire status as a businessman and a mother who is arguably the worlds reining pop music diva — Blue Ivy Carter came into the world with a lot of expectations foisted on her. 

So, far the oldest of Jay Z and Beyoncé’s brood, has proved them inadequate. 

Sunday at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, the nine-year-old became the VMA’s youngest winner ever, adding the Moonperson to an already impressive collection that includes a Grammy and a BET Award. 

Carter got the award for her credited work on her mother’s song “Brown Skin Girl,” which appeared on The Lion King: The Gift album and won for Best Cinematography at the VMA’s. While it is nowhere near her mother’s record 30 MTV wins, it’s impressive nonetheless considering the previous record holder was then 17-year-old Billie Eilish.

The win also continued a series of remarkable wins for both Carter and the team that began when she became the youngest BET Award winner thanks to the song at eight and earlier this year when she became the second-youngest Grammy winner when “Brown Skin Girl” was named best music video.

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Thursday, September 9, 2021

Biden Unveils Six-Pronged Strategy to Fight Spread of Covid, Including Sweeping Vaccine Mandates

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans. (Courtesy YouTube)
On the same day former president Donald Trump — who is reportedly being paid millions of dollars to provide commentary for its upcoming pay-per-view boxing match between Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort for the company — called into the Triller Fight Club press conference and declared that were he to step into the ring, "My easiest fight would be Joe Biden,” the nation's current steward had more pressing matters on his mind.

"My job as president is to protect all Americans," President Biden said Thursday, as he addressed the nation to announce sweeping changes to its Covid-19 vaccine requirements."So tonight, I'm announcing that the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees that together employ over 80 million workers to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week." 

Biden's so-called six-pronged strategy focuses on:
  • Reaching the unvaccinated
  • Further protection for the vaccinated with booster shots
  • Keeping schools open
  • Boosts for testing and masking
  • Economic recovery
  • Improving care for those battling the virus

In addition to the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration developing a rule requiring all employers with at least 100 employees to make sure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require unvaccinated workers to get a negative test at least once a week, Biden is signing an executive order to require vaccination for employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government — with no option to test out.

He also announced requirements for health care providers that accept Medicare and Medicaid,  for the staffs of Head Start programs, Department of Defense Schools and Bureau of Indian Education-operated schools with companies that fail to comply facing fines of up to $14,000 per violation.

“We’ve been patient,” he said in a bitter rebuke to the millions of Americans who have chosen to not yet get vaccinated. "But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us."


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Wednesday, September 8, 2021

‘King Richard’ Role Generates Oscar Buzz for Will Smith

 

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Will the third time be the charm? That's what Will Smith fans are anxious to find out after rave reviews from the Telluride Film Festival following the debut of his latest effort their Thursday generated early Oscar buzz for the iconic musician turned actor.

In the movie, "King Richard," the two-time nominee portrays Richard Williams, the father and first coach of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. A press release from Warner Brothers describes the flick as chronicling "the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever."

Smith received Academy Awards nominations for his starring roles in two previous biopics, losing to  Denzel Washington ("Training Day")  in 2002 after being nominated for "Ali" and to Forrest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland") in 2007 when he got the nod for his work in "The Pursuit of Happyness."

The thespian, who has racked up five Grammys as a musician, may not be a lock to finally hear his name called on acting's biggest stage, but critics have already started pushing him as a frontrunner for best actor— including industry-standard Variety which said of the race for 2022's top award and Smith who it ranked as its No. 1 contender:

Twenty years after Will Smith lost his first Oscar nomination for “Ali” to Denzel Washington for “Training Day,” the two biggest celebrities could battle it out once again, at least based on the early word for “King Richard” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”

The movie premieres In Theaters and HBO Max on November 19, but for those seeking an early glimpse of what the buzz is all about watch the trailer below:

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