Michael Jackson's Breakdancing Mentor, Bruno 'Pop N Taco' Falcon, Dead at 58

©Bruno "Pop N' Taco" Falcon/ Facebook 

The man that helped shape the King of Pop's legacy as a dancer is dead at 58.

Hip-hop dancer and choreographer Bruno "Pop N Taco" Falcon passed away Saturday.

Falcon's official Facebook page first broke the news.

"It is with sadness and emotion that I announce Bruno passed away yesterday," the account posted alongside a picture of the dance in his prime.

It added, "Bruno was an incredible, kind and generous man. He always had that smile that lights up our hearts every moment. A unique and incredible talent. He will forever be the greatest dancer of history, with Michael Jackson. We are all thinking of Bruno's family and sending them all our love. Bruno "Pop N' Taco" Falcon is the king."

His sister Diana Wolgamott confirmed the death to ABC7 and said that he died of natural causes at his Long Beach home.

©Bruno "Pop N' Taco" Falcon/ Facebook

The East LA native first broke into the mainstream as a dancer portraying Electro Rock 1 in 1984's breakdancing hit “Breakin’."

Starring alongside rapper-turned-actor Ice-T and fellow dancing phenomenon Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quinones, Falcon helped bring the art form to the forefront of the American psyche.

The dancer parlayed his newfound fame into a successful career as a dancer and choreographer for some of music's biggest acts. It is his 16-year collaboration with 13-time Grammy winner Michael Jackson, however, that may be his most enduring legacy.

Falcon worked with the pop star on multiple projects including Captain EO (1986), Moonwalker (1988), and the Dangerous Tour (1992-93), and is credited with tutoring the singer and talented dance in his own right, in the ways of popping, waving, gliding and other dance techniques that he incorporated into his unique style and made his own.

Following his death, Falcon's nephew Alberto "Beto" Pina organized a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his funeral expenses. Pina said that his uncle was an all-around good and humble person, but over the years he had fallen on hard times.

"To many, Bruno was an icon, a legend in the dance world, a master of popping and a teacher. But to us he was a son, a brother, a friend and an uncle," Pina wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Bruno was a good man whos generosity over the years was unmeasurable. He was just an all around good and humble person."

Pina continued, "So we are here asking his fans, students and family for any donations to help us lay our Bruno to rest. Bruno "Pop N Taco" will forever live in our hearts. He left his legacy in this world and for that we are proud of him. We love you Bruno."

The fundraiser had raised more than half of its goal of $40,000 at press time.

Denzel Washington, Simone Biles Among 17 Medal of Honor Recipients

Gymnastics legend Simone Biles is among 17 Presidential 

Medal of Honor Recipients Announced Friday. 

Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles and actor Denzel Washington are among the 17 people slated to be given the nation's highest civilian honor next week.

President Joe Biden made the announcement Friday that the duo would be among those to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The award is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.

"These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith," President Biden said in a statement revealing the selections.

He added, "They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities – and across the world – while blazing trails for generations to come."

Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, with a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She is also a prominent advocate for athletes’ mental health and safety, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault.

Washington is an actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years.

Joining them on the list are US Soccer star Megan Rapinoe, and several posthumous honorees, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, and Dr. Julieta García — the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president — amongst others.

The awards will be presented at the White House on July 7.

Click here for a complete list of the recipients. 

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Makes History as Supreme Court's First Black Woman Justice

Credit: Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States

Justice Stephen G. Breyer (Retired) administers the judicial oath to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in the West Conference Room at the Supreme Court Building. Her husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, holds the Bible.

For the first time in its 233-year history, the Supreme Court has a black woman among its sitting justices.

On Thursday 51-year-old Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to replace the justice she once worked for as a law clerk — Justice Stephen Breyer. Justice Breyer administered the judicial oaths to her before his retirement became effective at noon, along with Chief Justice John Roberts.

“With a full heart, I accept the solemn responsibility of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and administering justice without fear or favor, so help me God,” Jackson said in a statement issued by the court. “I am truly grateful to be part of the promise of our great Nation. I extend my sincerest thanks to all of my new colleagues for their warm and gracious welcome.”

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has officially made history by becoming the 1st Black woman to be sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice! I am overwhelmingly proud to experience this well-deserved and powerful moment! #BlackExcellence pic.twitter.com/bkWkIFZfhP

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) June 30, 2022

Jackson is the court's 116 justice and in replacing Justice Breyer, who sat on the bench for 27 years, joins one of the most diverse courts in the body's history.

Its membership includes representation from two of the country's largest minority groups and three major religions (Catholic, Protestant and Judaism). With the addition of Brown alongside Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett, it will be the first time four women have served together on the nine-member court.

Biden nominated Jackson in February, a month after Breyer, 83, announced he would retire at the end of the court’s term.

The administration said in a statement that Biden "sought a candidate with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law" to replace Justice Breyer at the time of the selection.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

That’s a Biden Win! pic.twitter.com/ayHCZvNhdr

— Biden Wins (@BidensWins) June 30, 2022

"He also sought a nominee—much like Justice Breyer—who is wise, pragmatic, and has a deep understanding of the Constitution as an enduring charter of liberty," it added. "And the President sought an individual who is committed to equal justice under the law and who understands the profound impact that the Supreme Court’s decisions have on the lives of the American people."

The Senate confirmed Jackson’s nomination in April. The vote was 53-47 in her favor. Every member of the Democrat caucus, along with three Republicans — Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah — voted yes to approve the historic pick.

Official Biography

Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice,

was born in Washington, D.C., on September 14, 1970. She married Patrick Jackson in 1996, and they have two daughters. She received an A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard-Radcliffe College in 1992, and a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1996. She served as a law clerk for Judge Patti B. Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts from 1996 to 1997, Judge Bruce M. Selya of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1997 to 1998, and Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1999 Term. After three years in private practice, she worked as an attorney at the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2003 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007, she served as an assistant federal public defender in Washington, D.C., and from 2007 to 2010, she was in private practice. She served as a Vice Chair and Commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2010 to 2014. In 2012, President Barack Obama nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where she served from 2013 to 2021. She was appointed to the Defender Services Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States in 2017, and the Supreme Court Fellows Commission in 2019. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., appointed her to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2021 and then nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2022. She took her seat on June 30, 2022.