Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 7th, 2020 - Update #33

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

POLITICS-HALLELUJAH - From CNN:  Joseph R. "Joe" Biden has been elected the 46th President of the United States.  Inauguration Day is Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

From CNN:  The Moment When Networks Called The Presidential Race For Joe Biden

MOVIES - From Deadline:  After 18 months and 40,000 COVID-19 tests, "Jurassic World: Dominion" has finished shooting.

From CNN:  Kamala Harris, who on Saturday became America's first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect, represents a new face of political power after an election all about who wields power and how they use it.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Vince Vaughn talks about a sequel to his 2004 hit, "Wedding Crashers."  [When your career is in decline, make a sequel to your biggest hit ... ]

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Donald Glover speaks excitedly about Seasons 3 and 4 of his FX television series, "Atlanta."

CRIME - From TMZ:   Rapper King Von is dead after a violent confrontation outside an Atlanta nightclub that ended in gunfire

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The nation of Guatemala has made the horror film, "La Llorona," its selection to compete in the race for an Oscar nomination in the category, "Best International Feature Film" (which has previously been known as "Best Foreign Language Film").

MOVIES - From Variety:   Johnny Depp says Warner Bros. asked him to resign in his "Fantastic Beasts" role of Gellert Grindelwald, and he says that he has agreed.

HOME RELEASE - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has announced a December 15, 2020 Blu-ray and DVD release date for his much talked about hit film, "Tenet."

SCANDAL - From Variety:   A murder suspect has been arrested in the Sunday, November 1st shooting death of actor Eddie Hassell in Grand Prairie, Texas.

POLITICS-MOVIES - From InformedComment:   Top Five Horror films on Halloween that remind us of Trump’s Presidency

DISNEY - From Deadline:  It is a day of layoffs from Disney units, ESPN and Searchlight. This is related to the COVID-19 fallout.

CELEBRITY - From YahooGMA:  Emmy-winning actor, Michael J. Fox, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease, reveals that he is losing his ability to act.

SPORTS - From NBA:  The best player from the last 20 NBA drafts, according to NBA.com.

POLITICS-CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   Duchess Meghan of Sussex has another first to add to her resume: She's the first member of the British royal family to vote for president in an American election.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. and director Robert Zemeckis' remake, "The Witches," is getting backlash from disability community.

STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:   Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx will star in and executive produce "Dad Stop Embarrassing Me" for Netflix.  It is based on his relationship with his daughter, Corinne Foxx.

STREAMING - From Variety:   Oscar-winning actor, Jeremy Irons ("Reversal of Fortune"), will headline Netflix's adaptation of Robert Harris' 2017 bestselling novel, "Munich."

TELEVISION - From CinemaBlend:   Actress Hilarie Burton ("One Tree Hill") has been cast as "Lucille," the wive of Neegan in AMC's "The Walking Dead."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actress/recording artist, Eve, is leaving the CBS afternoon talk show, "The Talk," after four seasons.

POLITICS - From BET:   U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) criticizes Black supporters of President Donald.

CELEBRITY - From THR:   Oscar-nominated actor, Johnny Depp, has lost his defamation lawsuit in the United Kingdom.  Depp has brought an action against News Group Newspapers over "The Sun's" 2018 article, "Wife Beater," about Depps contentious marriage to and divorce from actress Amber Heard.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 10/30 to 11/1/2020 weekend box office is "Come Play" with an estimated take of 3.15 million dollars.

COMICS - From GamesRadar:  George C. Romero is partnering with publishing company, Heavy Metal, to produce a comic book prequel to his late father, George A. Romero's seminal zombie film, "Night of the Living Dead" (1968).

MOVIES - From NewYorkTimes:  "The Purge" film franchise reveals the ugly truth about America. 

OBITS:

From BBC:  The English actor, Geoffrey Palmer, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, November 5, 2020.  Palmer was best known for his roles on British television sitcoms like "As Time Goes By" (1992-2005).  He also had memorable roles in films such "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988) and "The Madness of King George" (1994).

From Variety:   Actress Carol Arthur has died at the age of 85, Sunday, November 1, 2020.  Arthur was best known for her appearances in several Mel Brooks films, including "Blazing Saddles" (1974).  Arthur was married to the late actor Dom DeLuise from 1965 to his death in 2009.  The couple had three sons, actor Peter, Michael, and David DeLuise.

From Variety:  Actor Eddie Hassell has died at the age of 30, Sunday, November 1, 2020, apparently shot to death.  Hassell is best known for his roles in the 2010 Oscar-nominated film, "The Kids Are All Right" and on the NBC television series, "Surface."

From BBC:  The Scottish actor and film producer, Sean Connery, has died at the age of 90, Saturday, October 31, 2020.  Connery was best known for playing seminal secret agent and spy, James Bond, Agent 007, in seven films over a 21 year period, beginning with "Dr. No." in 1962 and ending with "Never Say Never Again" in 1983.  Connery also won a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for his role in the 1987 film, "The Untouchables."

From Deadline:  Tributes for the late Sean Connery flood in...

From YahooEntertainment:  President Donald pays tribute to Sean Connery... by lying about him.
--------------------------------

COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlanticThe Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

9/28 - From Deadline:  John Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker reports that over 1 million people have died of COVID-19 worldwide.

10/2 - From YahooNews:  President Donald and the First Lady have tested positive for COVID-19.

10/26 -  From YahooFinance:  Walmart CEO detects a new wave a panic buying as consumers stock up for another surge in coronavirus cases.

11/5 - From CNN:  The US set a grim new Covid-19 record Thursday -- following a week marked by high case numbers -- surpassing 120,000 infections in a single day. 

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.


Thursday, August 20, 2020

BET Her Presents Breonna Taylor Special by the NBA's Kyrie Irving

BET Her, the Network Dedicated to Black Women, Partners With PlayersTV to Air Kyrie Irving’s Breonna Taylor Special, “#SayHerName, Justice For Breonna Taylor”

The One-hour Special Premieres Saturday, August 22, 2020 at 9 PM ET/PT Only on BET Her and Saturday, August 29 at 11 PM ET/PT on BET

In addition to driving action around Breonna Taylor’s case, the special will feature panel conversations with Kyrie Irving, Common, Jemele Hill, Dr. Brittney Cooper, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, among other leading voices on the frontlines of the movement

#JusticeForBreonnaTaylor

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Her announced the airing of “#SayHerName, Justice For Breonna Taylor,” produced by six-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving. On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was fatally shot in her home by Louisville police enforcement, executing a no-knock search warrant. The warrant was not issued for Breonna Taylor. More than three months later, the officers responsible for her death still walk the streets as free men.

The one-hour special explores the importance of movements like #SayHerName and examines how Breonna’s murder highlights the lack of awareness around Black women victims of police brutality. Premiering Saturday, August 22, 2020 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET Her, “#SayHerName, Justice For Breonna Taylor,” will feature panel conversations with leading voices on the frontlines of the movement, including six-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving, award-winning artist Common, acclaimed journalist Jemele Hill, author Dr. Brittney Cooper, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza. Additionally, the special will provide viewers with several actionable steps to drive change and demand #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor. An encore presentation of “#SayHerName, Justice For Breonna Taylor,” will air Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 11 PM ET/PT on BET.

    “Too often, there is silence when Black Women are killed by law enforcement. While millions of protestors have taken to the streets demanding change, we must continue calling for justice for Breonna Taylor whose case remains largely disconnected from the broader narrative”

“It is critical to magnify how Black women are, tragically, also subject to lethal police brutality, and we must demand that Breonna Taylor’s killers are brought to justice. We are committed to utilizing our platforms to drive awareness and sustainable impact. We stand in solidarity with Breonna’s family and all of the voices on the frontlines fighting for justice to be served.” said Scott Mills, President, BET.

“Too often, there is silence when Black Women are killed by law enforcement. While millions of protestors have taken to the streets demanding change, we must continue calling for justice for Breonna Taylor whose case remains largely disconnected from the broader narrative,” said Tavia Pitts, VP of Ad Sales, "BET Her is dedicated to bringing awareness to important issues directly affecting the Black community, specifically Black women. We are proud to partner with Kyrie, PlayersTV, and the many leading voices in the frontlines fighting for bold reforms that address racially biased policing and misuse of force. Together, we will not be ignored.”

Throughout the broadcast, specific calls to action will be made available to the public, including:

  •     Dial 844-298-2731 to demand Louisville City Leadership get #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor via Color of Change.
  •     Check your voter registration status and register to vote at Vote.Org.
  •     Sign the Justice For Breonna Taylor petition today on Change.Org.
  •     CALL Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron at 502-696-5300 and demand he charge the officers who murdered Breonna Taylor via Until Freedom.
  •     Post on social media using #SayHerName and #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor to raise awareness about Breonna's case.

The program is also supported by Color Of Change, Vote.org, Until Freedom, Black Future's Lab, The Gathering For Justice, MoveOn, Vera Institute For Justice, Harness, ACLU, Campaign Zero, Imagine Justice and PlayersTV.

“#SayHerName, Justice For Breonna Taylor,” joins BET’s roster of programs produced from its media-focused initiative “Content For Change.” The initiative helps address systemic racism, and inequities in America including racial justice, economic empowerment, education, health, and civic participation.

For more details on “#SayHerName, Justice For Breonna Taylor,” please visit www.bet.com and follow @BETHerTV & @BETNews across social platforms to join the conversation using the hashtag #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor.


About BET:
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

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Sunday, May 31, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 24th to 31st, 2020 - Update #29

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

From ESPN:  NBA legend and retired player, Patrick Ewing (the New York Knicks), recently battle COVID-19 and was hospitalized.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Apple will be finance and will be the "creative studios" for "Killers of the Flower Moon," which will be directed by Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.  The original studio, Paramount, will distribute the film worldwide.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Doug Liman will direct that secretive Tom Cruise/Elon Musk/NASA that is supposedly going to be shot in space!

STREAMING - From BI:  Warner Media content chief, Kevin Reilly, says "we're closing deals every week" for content and talks HBO Max

MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Christopher Nolan bought a 747 to blow up for his new film, "Tenet," instead of relying on CGI.

TELEVISION - From IndieWire:  Although the 13th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has yet to debut, the series has been contracted for a 15th season, which would make it the longest running live-action comedy series in American television history.  That would put it past the 14 seaons of ABC's sitcom, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet."

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Woody Allen don't give a f**k!

MOVIES - From ComicBook:  Actor John David Washington said that he asked director Christopher Nolan questions about the plot of their film, "Tenet," every day of filming.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  The governor of Italy's Veneto region said that the "Venice Film Festival," scheduled for September 2nd to the 12th, 2020, will go ahead as scheduled.

BLM-MUSIC - From YahooEntertainment:  A Louisiana man falsely imprisoned for 37 years stuns the judges of "America's Got Talent" with his audition.

DISNEY-NBA - From THRThe Walt Disney Company and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are in talks to resume the 2019-20 NBA season in late July.  Games would be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

PIXAR - From Deadline:  "Out," an animated short that Pixar produced for Disney+, features Pixar's first gay main character.

MOVIES - From VarietyJon Stewart, former host of "The Daily Show," has an upcoming political comedy film that he has written and directed, entitled "Irresistible."  It will debut on demand on June 26th and forego a theatrical release.

BLACK AMERICA AND COVID-19 - Crisis or... :

GEORGE FLOYD:

From NBCNews:  (5/26) - A Minneapolis black man, George Floyd, dies after pleading with a police officer that he could not breathe.

From YahooLifestyle:  Should the police officer who killed George Floyd be forgiven so quickly, if at all.  Welcome to "toxic black forgiveness."

From CNN:  Demonstrators in Europe rally to support #GeorgeFloyd protestors in the United States.

From YahooSports:   It is a big frickin' deal when a white NFL quarterback speaks out about the murder of George Floyd and the African-American community, even if that QB is an incoming rookie - in this case, Joe Burrows of the Cincinnati Bengals.

From YahooUSAToday:  "Qualified immunity" allows police officers to act like laws don't apply to them... because they don't.

From YahooABC:  The wife of Minneapolis police office, Derek Michael Chauvin, who killed George Floyd, says she is filing for divorce.

From NBCNews:  The phrase, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts," that Trump has twice used on Twitter has its origins in one of the darkest periods of American history.

From YahooSports:  Prominent sports figures react to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and remind people of why former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested by taking a knee before his games.

From CBSNews:  Because COVID-19 isn't killing Black people fast enough to satisfy some... Video shows Minneapolis cop with knee on neck of motionless, moaning man who later died.

From CNN:  The four police officers involved in the death of George Floyd have been fired.  That includes Officer Derek Chauvin who kneeled on Floyd's neck.

From TheDailyBeast:  Ira Toles, a black man, recounts how Minneapolis police office, Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck, tried to kill him in 2008.  He still bears the scars of Chauvin's violence.

CHRISTIAN COOPER - From YahooLifestyles:  New Yorker Amy Cooper becomes the latest white woman to go viral after making a false complaint against Christian Cooper, an African-American man via 911.

From YahooNewsAmy Cooper has been fired from her job at Franklin Templeton.

OBITS:

From THR:  A giant of a man, Larry Kramer, has died at the age of 84, Wednesday, May 27, 2020.  Kramer was a Tony Award-winning playwright, best known for the play, "The Normal Heart."  He received an Oscar-nomination for writing the screenplay for "Women in Love" (1969).   Many will remember him as a prominent and historically important LGBT rights activist and AIDS activist.  He was one of the founders of ACT UP, which led the charge in changing public policy regarding AIDS and with changing the perception of people living with it.

From THR:  Veteran character actor, Richard Herd, has died at the age of 87, Tuesday, May 26, 2020.  Herd is known for the numerous supporting, recurring, and guest roles he played in numerous TV series and films.  Herd was George Costanza's boss ("Mr. Wilhelm") in 11 episodes of "Seinfeld."  Herd appeared on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Voyager."  He also appeared in such notable films as "All the President's Men" and "The China Syndrome."

From Variety:  The Japanese pro wrestler, Hana Kimura, has died at the age of 22, Saturday, May 23, 2020.  Kimura was also a cast member of the most recent season of Netflix's "Terrace House."


Saturday, May 23, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 17th to 23rd, 2020 - Update #20

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From YahooNYT:  (5/21) - Maybe, President Donald really did miss the intelligence warnings about COVID-19 during briefings... because he has a short attention span.

From RSN:  (5/22) - Robert Reich's talks about "A Tale of Two Pandemics," one for the wealthy and one for the black, brown, indigenous, and essential.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC is renews 13 of its current series and cancels five.

TRAILER - From RollingStone:  You can watch the second trailer for Christopher Nolan's upcoming film, "Tenet." The film, which stars John David Washington, is due July 17th release (we hope).

DAYTIME EMMYS - From THR:  The nominations for the 47th annual Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced June 26th, 2020 during a two-hour special on CBS.

SPORTS - From THR:  In the wake of its 10-part Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls docu-series, "The Last Dance," ESPN has announced a Tom Brady 9-part docu-series, "Man in the Arena."

CELEBRITY-CRIME - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress Lori Loughlin ("Full House") and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, will plead guilty to charges related to the "college admissions scandal."  Both are facing at least a few months in prison.

COMICS TO FILM - From THRZack Snyder talks about HBO Max's 2021 release of his version of the superhero film, "Justice League," which he did not get to finish before its original release back in 2017.  Director Joss Whedon completed the film.  The article contains details about the film's production and what could and may be done to finish the "Zack Snyder" cut.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Producers Michael Bay and Adam Goodman are teaming up on the pandemic thriller, "Songbird," which will shoot in Los Angeles while the city is in lock down.  Beginning production in five weeks, it may be the first film to shoot in the city.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Actor David Arquette will reprise his role as "Sheriff Dewey Riley" from the original "Scream" films for the "Scream" reboot.

MOVIES - From VarietyChristopher Nolan would like his upcoming film, "Tenet," to revive movie theaters out its COVID-19 slumber.

MOVIES - From VarietyLily Wachowski, co-creator of "The Matrix," was not at all happy the Elon Musk and Ivana Trump were referencing the line "Take the red pill" from the film.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix debuts the first trailer for Spike Lee's film, "Da 5 Bloods."

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-winners Phil Lord and Chris Miller are teaming with Oscar-nominee Ryan Gosling for the film, "Project Hail Mary," for MGM and based on the upcoming novel by the author of "The Martian."

STREAMING - Deadline:  The streaming service, CBS All Access, has announced its third "Star Trek" series (following "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Picard").  It is entitled "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," and will focus on Spock, Pike, and Number One, and will take place in the years before the original "Star Trek" TV series, in which Spock served under Capt. James T. Kirk.

OBITS:

From ESPN:  Former NBA All-Star player and coach, Jerry Sloan, has died at the age of 78, Friday, May 22, 2020.  As a pro basketball player, Sloan was drafted by the NBA's old Baltimore Bullets in 1965, but he was best known for his decade-long tenure with the Chicago Bulls.  He was considered one of the Bulls' greatest players.  Sloan coached the Utah Jazz from 1988 to 2011, and coached the Jazz to the NBA Championship Finals in 1997 and in 1998, where they lost both times to Michel Jordan's Bulls.  As a college basketball player, Sloan lead the University of Evansville men's basketball team to consecutive "Division II" national titles.

From Deadline:  The actor Gregory Tyree Boyce has died at the age of 30.  He was best known for his small but pivotal role in the first film in the "Twilight Saga," 2008's "Twilight."

From Variety:  The actor and former child star, Ken Osmond, has died at the age of 76, Monday, May 18, 2020.  Osmond was best known for portraying infamous teen character, "Eddie Haskell," on the classic TV series, "Leave It to Beaver" (1957-1963).  Osmond reprised the role for the syndicated revival series, "The New Leave It to Beaver"/"Still the Beaver" (1984-1989).  Osmond was also a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department from 1970 to 1988.

From Deadline:  Film writer, producer, and director, Lynn Shelton, has died at the age of 54, Friday, May 15, 2020.  A leading light in 21st century American independent cinema, Shelton was best known for her films, "Humpday" (2009) and "Your Sister's Sister" (2011).  She was in a relationship with actor Marc Maron, who appeared in her 2019, "Sword of Trust."

From Deadline:  Miss America 1971 and former First Lady of Kentucky (1979-1983), Phyllis George, has died at the age of 70, Thursday, May 14, 2020.  George was married to one-time governor of Kentucky, John Y. Brown, Jr.  For many, however, George is best remembered as a pioneering NFL sportscaster.  She was a sports analyst for CBS from 1975 to 1983, including a stint on CBS' "The NFL Today."


Sunday, March 1, 2020

Vanessa Bryant's Attorney Speaks on Brewing Crash Site Photo Scandal

STATEMENT FROM GARY C. ROBB, LEGAL COUNSEL ON BEHALF OF HIS CLIENT, VANESSA BRYANT, RELATIVE TO THE ALLEGED PUBLIC DISSEMINATION OF CERTAIN HELICOPTER CRASH SITE PHOTOS

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE) Statement From Gary C. Robb, Legal Counsel on Behalf of His Client, Vanessa Bryant:

Our client, Vanessa Bryant, is absolutely devastated by allegations that deputies from the Lost Hills Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department publicly disseminated photos from the helicopter crash site.

Mrs. Bryant personally went to the Sheriff’s office on January 26th and requested that the area be designated a no-fly zone and protected from photographers. This was of critical importance to her as she desired to protect the dignity of all the victims, and their families. At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families’ privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests.

First responders should be trustworthy. It is inexcusable and deplorable that some deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff’s substation, other surrounding substations and LACoFD would allegedly breach their duty. This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families. We are demanding that those responsible for these alleged actions face the harshest possible discipline, and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated. We are requesting an Internal Affairs investigation of these alleged incidents.

Mrs. Bryant is grateful to the individual who filed an online complaint exposing these acts of injustice, and for the choice to protect human dignity.

We ask that anyone else who has information as to the facts underlying these alleged grievous and shameful incidents contact our office at 816–474-8080 or email via www.robbrobb.com

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Saturday, January 11, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 1st to 11th, 2020 - Update #37

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

REVIEW - From Patreon:  My review of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

DISNEY - From THR:  Disney+ is seeking to remake "Space Camp," the 1986 adventure movie from 20th Century Fox.

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STAR TREK - From THR:  Director Noah Hawley hints that his "Star Trek" movie might involve a new cast...

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SCANDAL - From Deadline:   Harvey Weinstein's defense team in his sexual assault trial in Manhattan want the media kept out of jury selection.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  Director Bong Joon Ho and Oscar-winner Adam McKay are teaming up to bring Joon's acclaimed film, "Parasite," to HBO as a limited series.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Cable network, FX, has renewed "American Horror Story" for three more seasons, in addition to the already approved tenth season.  The ninth season, "American Horror Story: 1984," finished November 2019.

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CELEBRITY - From THR:  The British royals, Prince Harry and his wife Megan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have announced that they are stepping down as "senior royals."  They are reducing their royal duties and may split time living in the United Kingdom and North America.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Warner Bros. has signed a deal with Cinelytic to use its A.I. driven project management system.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Silvio Horta, the creator of ABC's "Ugly Betty," was found dead of an apparent suicide Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  The 2020 / 31st Producers Guild Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced.  Winners will be announced January 18, 2020.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  The 2020 / 72 Annual Directors Guild Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced January 25, 2020.

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AWARDS:  From GoldDerby:  The nominations for the 2020 / 73rd BAFTA Awards (the "British Academy Film Awards") have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, February 9, 2020.

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SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Harvey Weinstein's rape trial began today (Mon., Jan. 6th, 2020) in a Manhattan courtroom.  Explosions begin...

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles County District Attorney has charged Harvey Weinstein with four counts of sexual assault.  Weinstein and his attorneys may try to get a delay in the Manhattan trial to deal with the L.A. developments.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  If you care (and I don't), the winners at the 2020 / 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced last night (Sun., Jan. 5th, 2020).  The best picture winners were "1917" (drama) and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (comedy).

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 1/3 to 1/5/2020 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" with an estimated take of 33.7 million dollars.

From Variety:  "Frozen II" is now the highest-grossing animated film ever, grossing 1.325 billion in global box office receipts.  The previous record holder was the original "Frozen" (2013) which grossed 1.281 billion.  "Incredibles 2" (2018) sits at 1.243 billion.

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MOVIES - From EW:  A new image from "Bill & Ted Face the Music" features the title characters with their daughters.

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MOVIES - From IndependentUK:   Terry Gilliam finally finished his aborted film, "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote."  Now, he has decided to finish his career with a rant-filled interview about wanting to be a "Black lesbian in transition" and being tired of white men being blamed for everything.

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POLITICS - From InformedConsent:  "Trump, Troll-in-Chief, Wags the Impeachment Dog by Going to War With Iran" by Juan Cole.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  Bong Joon Ho and Quentin Tarantino top 9th AACTA International Awards.

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STREAMING - From TVLine:  Al Pacino's Nazi-hunting series, "Hunters," will arrive Feb. 21st on Amazon.  The series is executive produced by Jordan Peele.

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SCANDAL - From CNN:  Molly Fitzgerald, an actress who appeared in "Captain America: The First Avenger" has been charged with killing her mother, 68-year-old Patricia Fitzgerald, on December 20, 2019.  The 38-year-old Fitzgerald played a "Stark girl" in the first "Captain America" film.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Actor Harry Hamlin says that he was close to winning the role of "Indiana Jones" in "Raiders of the Lost Ark."  He said he lost the role because he dissed director Steven Spielberg.  Hamlin did go on to star in the NBC TV series, "L.A. Law."

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  RuPaul Charles' talk show, entitled "RuPaul," will not continue past its three-week trial run which aired Summer 2019.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Apparently, nearly 23 years after its first release, "Men in Black," still has not made a profit and may be losing money...

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TRAILERS - From THR: The first trailer for "A Quiet Place II" arrives.

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DISNEY - From Quartz:  2019 was Disney's biggest year, but will 2020 be its most important?

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The site offers a photo gallery of  "Notable Hollywood & Entertainment Industry Deaths In 2019."

From RollingStone:  Rock musician and drummer, Neil Peart, has died at the age of 67, Tuesday, January 7, 2020.  Peart was best known as the acclaimed, accomplished and legendary drummer for the legendary rock band, "Rush."

From GuardianUK:  Author and journalist Elizabeth Wurtzel has died at the age of 52, Tuesday, January 7, 2020.  She is best known for the 1994 memoir, Prozac Nation.  The film was adapted into a 2001 film starring Christina Ricci.

From Deadline:  Director, screenwriter, and actor Buck Henry has died at the age of 89, Wednesday, January 8, 2020.  As a screenwriter, Henry is best known for co-writing the film, "The Graduate" (1967), for which he received an Oscar nomination.  As a director, he shared an Oscar nomination with Warren Beatty for directing "Heaven Can Wait" (1978), which he also co-wrote.  He hosted "Saturday Night Live" 10 times during the series first five seasons, and with Mel Brooks, he co-created the TV series, "Get Smart" (1965-1970).

From WCPO:  Former National Football League (NFL) coach, Sam Wyche, has died at the age of 74, Thursday, January 2, 2020.  Wyche is best known for his tenure coaching the Cincinnati Bengals from 1984 to 1991.  He took the Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers.  However, he was an assistant coach on the 49ers' Super Bowl XVI championship team.  As a NFL player, Wyche was a quarterback and played for the Bengals for three seasons.

From BuzzFeed:  The rapper and recording artist, Lexii Alijai, has died at the age of 21, Wednesday, January 1, 2020.  An up-and-coming recording artist, Lexii had released one full-length studio album, "Growing Pains," in September of 2019.  Alijai was also the granddaughter of the late recording artist and producer, Roger Troutman, who founded the 1980s funk band, "Zapp."

From ESPN:  Former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and pitcher, Don Larsen, has died at the age of 90, Wednesday, January 1, 2020.  Larsen was a member of two of the New York Yankees World Series champions (1956, 1958).  Larsen was the first and remains the only player to pitch a perfect game in the World Series, Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.

From ESPN:  Former National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner, David Stern, has died at the age of 77, January 1, 2020.  Stern was the NBA commissioner from 1984 to 2014, replacing the late Larry O'Brien.   He oversaw the NBA during the most successful period in its history, as the league expanded its international fan base, become a global brand.

From THR:  Industrial designer and neo-futuristic and film concept artist, Syd Mead, has died at the age of 86, Monday, December 30, 2019.  He was best known for his conceptual design for films like "Blade Runner" (1982) and "Tron" (1982) among many.

From NPR:  The English songwriter, musician, writer, and comedian, Neil Innes, has died at the age of 75, Sunday, December 29, 2019.  Innes was known for his collaborations with "Monty Python," writing songs for two "Monty Python" albums, and he wrote and performed both sketches and songs for the final season of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (1974).  He was also the co-founder (with Python's Eric Idle) of the rock band, "The Rutles," a parody of "The Beatles."


Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 22nd to 31st, 2019 - Update #26

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

REVIEW - From Patreon:  My review of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

STAR TREK - From ThePlaylist:  Actor Simon Pegg, who plays Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, is not sure if he and the other cast of the current Star Trek film franchise will be in director Noah Hawley's planned "Star Trek 4" film project.

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SPORTS - From NBA:  National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar, LeBron James, currently a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, has been named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Decade.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  President Barack Obama names his favorite films and TV shows of 2019.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 12/27 to 12/29/2019 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" with an estimated take of 72 million dollars.

From Variety:  It's official's Universal Pictures' film adaptation of the famous Broadway musical, "Cats," is a flop.  Directed by Oscar-winner Tom Hooper, the film may rack up 100 million dollars in theatrical losses.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  A New York court finds that rape is a "hate crime."  This ruling concerns a lawsuit against Oscar-winning filmmaker, Paul Haggis, brought by a woman who claims that Haggis raped her in his apartment in New York in 2013.

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POLITICS - From RSN:  Robert Reich on "How American Oligarchy Works."  First essay: billionaire Paul Singer’s Elliott Management hedge fund

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STREAMING - From LaurenceFuller:  Actor, writer, and producer Laurence Fuller is sharing his new short film, "Echoes of You."

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SCANDAL - From Deadline:  One of the men who accused Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct has died by suicide.  Ari Behn was an author and the ex-husband of Norway's Princess Martha Louise and reportedly took his life Christmas Day.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  The Rio de Janeiro headquarters of the Brazilian comedy troupe, "Porta dos Fundos," was hit by a Molotov cocktail.  Porta dos Fundo created "The First Temptation of Christ," a comedy Christmas special that suggests that Jesus Christ is gay.  Netflix has been streaming the special, although there has been a petition to have it removed.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  The site has a page where you can read movie scripts, including titles like "Knives Out" and "Honey Boy."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Gal Gadot and her husband, Jaron Varsano, are producing a film adaptation of the 2014 Hebrew novel, "Borderlife."  The novel has been banned from school reading lists by the Israeli government because it depicts an Israeli-Palestinian.

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SCANDAL - From THR:   NBC Sports has indefinitely suspended its NHL (National Hockey League) analyst, Jeremy Roenick, for making inappropriate (but damn funny) comments about NBC colleagues.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Kobe Bryant is hosting a screening of director Destin Daniel Cretton's critically acclaimed death row drama, "Just Mercy," in Los Angeles on January 6, 2020.  The film stars Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson, and Jamie Foxx.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Stephen King's debut novel, "Carrie" (1974), is the subject of another adaptation, this time as a TV miniseries for FX.

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BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 12/20 to 12/22/2019 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" with an estimated gross of 175.5 million dollars.

From Variety:  "The Rise of Skywalker" tops the international box office in its debut with an estimated take of 198 million dollars.From Patreon:  My review of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

From Variety:  At the Chinese box office, "The Rise of Skywalker" is beaten by Chinese martial arts, historical, action movie, "Ip Man 4: The Finale."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  After the film adaptation of the legendary musical, "Cats," debuted, Universal Pictures sent out a "new version" of the film with "improved visual effects."

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MOVIES - From Boston:  A look at 10 New England towns that are perfect settings for Christmas movies.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman died at the age of 88, Thursday, December 26, 2019.  A two-time Tony Award winner, Herman was the composer and lyricist "Hello, Dolly!" and "Mame," and the composer for "La Cage aux Folles."

From THR:  The television producer Lee Mendelson has died at the age of 86, Wednesday, December 25, 2019.  Mendelson produced more than 60 animated TV specials featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the "Peanuts" gang, winning six Emmy Awards.  For the legendary "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965), Mendelson wrote the lyrics for the song, "Christmastime is Here."  Mendelson died at Christmas day.

From Variety:  Former actress Sue Lyon has died at the age of 73, Thursday, December 26, 2019.  Her career ran from 1959 to 1980, but Lyon was best known for playing the title character in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film, "Lolita," based on Vladimir Nabokov's novel of the same title.

From Deadline:  Radio talk show host and "shock jock" Don Imus has died at the age of 79, Friday, December 27, 2019.  Over a nearly 50-year period, Imus interviewed a number of important figures in American politics.  Imus' peak period ended in 2007 when CBS Radio and MSNBC fired him after he made derogatory and racist comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team - calling them "nappy headed ho's."

From Variety:  The songwriter Allee Willis has died at the age of 72, Tuesday, December 24, 2019.  A member of the "Songwriters Hall of Fame," she is best known for writing songs for "Earth, Wind & Fire" like "September" and "Boogie Wonderland."  She also co-wrote the theme song, "I'll Be There for You," for the NBC series, "Friends," and the song score for the Broadway production of "The Color Purple."  Willis was also a two-time Grammy Awards winner.

From Variety:  ESPN reporter Ed Aschoff has died at the age of 34, Tuesday, December 24, 2019, after a battle with pneumonia.  Aschoff joined ESPN in 2011, where he covered college sports.

TRAILERS:

From SlashFilm:  Here is the first official trailer for Christopher Nolan's next mind-bending film, "Tenet," with a breakdown of the contents of the trailer by the article's writer.  "Tenet" opens July 17, 2020.

From EW:  Marvel Studios releases the first official teaser trailer and a poster for its next feature film, "Black Widow," which is set for release, May 1, 2020.

From THR:  The first official trailer for the next James Bond movie, "No Time to Die," makes it debut.

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 11th to 17th, 2017 - Updated #29

Support Leroy on Patreon.

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POLITICS - From RSN:  Russell Brand says "austerity" is brutality not frugality.

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SPORTS - From BET:  Boxer Floyd Mayweather will make between $200 to $300 million for his "super-fight" with MMA fighter Conor McGregor (who will make $100 million) on August 26th, 2017.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  Glenn Close to star in "Sea Oak," a half-hour zombie drama for Amazon.

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COMICS-FILM - From ThePlaylist:  Marvel Studios has no immediate plans for Marvel Comics' "Fantastic Four."

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OBIT - From THR:  Film editor Bill Butler died at the age of 83 of June 4, 2017.  He earned an Oscar nomination for his work on Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange."

From Variety:  Film director John G. Avildsen has died at the age of 81, Friday, June 16, 2017.  He won an Oscar for directing the original "Rocky" (1976).  He also directed the original "Karate Kid" films.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Aisha Tyler is leaving the CBS daytime talk show, "The Talk," after six seasons.

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MOVIES - From EW:  There is a new documentary, "Score," about film music which celebrates some of the greatest musical moments in film history.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Danai Gurira, one of the stars of "The Walking Dead," will appear in both the "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Infinity War."

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COMICS-FILM - From Collider:  An R-rated Marvel Studios movie is not out of the questions says Marvel boss, Kevin Feige.  Jessica Chastain in talks to play a villain.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Simon Kinberg set to direct "X-Men: Dark Phoenix," which will begin production soon.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  The new cinematic Spider-Man, Tom Holland, has revealed that the upcoming "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is the first film in a trilogy.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Actress and model, Anita Pallenberg, has died at the age of 73, Tuesday, June 13, 2017.  She appeared in the film "Barberella" and in "Performance" with the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger.  She also had three children with Jagger's band mate, Keith Richards.

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MOVIES - From Variety: Michelle Monaghan is returning for "Mission: Impossible 6."  She plays Dr. Julia Meade, the wife of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt and was last seen in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (the fourth film).

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MOVIES - From EW:  Josh Brolin bulks up with muscle for his role as Cable in "Deadpool 2."

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TELEVISION - From THR:  Anthony and Joe Russo, the guys behind the two Captain America movies, "Winter Soldier" and "Civil War," will join Henry Selick, director of "A Nightmare Before Christmas," to bring the video game "Little Nightmares" to television.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Lionsgate is planning to dramatize the story of the controversial rap group, 2 Live Crew, in film.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Woody Allen's upcoming drama, "Wonder Wheels," will debut December 1, 2017.

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SPORTS:  From NYTimes:  The Golden State Warriors win the 2017 National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship, their second in three years.  They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129 to 120, to win the best of 7 series, 4 games to 1.

From AOLNews:  Championship teams visit the White House to celebrate with the President of the United States. The Golden State Warriors players voted unanimously not to visit President Trump after winning the 2017 NBA Championship.

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THEATRE - From Variety:  A complete list of 2017 Tony Award winners, including Bette Midler and "Dear Evan Hansen."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 6/9 to 6/11/2017 weekend box office is "Wonder Woman" with an estimated take of $57 million.

From Deadline:  With an estimated global box office debut of $169.3, "The Mummy" is delivering some of Tom Cruise's best box office numbers.

From Deadline:  Still, Wonder Woman is whipping Tom Cruise's ass at the domestic box office.

From Variety:  The global box office gross of Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" has pushed Universal Pictures past $3 billion in global box office for the calendar year, 3 days faster than last year.

From Variety:  "The Mummy" may be in trouble at the North American box office, but it make $52 million in China.

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CULTURE - From YahooNews:  Tomorrow, June 12th is "Loving Day,"  It is also the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision "Loving v. Virginia."  The AP is republishing its last interview with Mildred Loving.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  "The Hollywood Reporter" offers an appreciation of Adam West, who played Batman/Bruce Wayne in the campy 1960s "Batman" TV series for ABC.  West died on Friday, June 9, at the age of 88.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Rafael Nadal won his 10th French Open men's singles title, the most by anyone, and a record he has held since he won his seventh French Open singles title in 2012.  With this victory, he becomes the first individual to win 10 singles championships in a single Grand Slam event, in this case the French Open.

From TheGuardian:  In the women's singles, Jelena Ostapenko won her first women's Grand Slam singles title with her victory in the French Open women's singles.  She is the first tennis player from the nation of Latvia, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title.

From YahooSports:  With their 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators tonight, the National Hockey League's (NHL) Pittsburgh Penguins win the 2017 Stanley Cup.  They also won the 2016 Stanley Cup, making them the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 19 years.


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Kobe Bryant's Venture Capital Fund Invests in VIPKID

Kobe Bryant Announces Investment in Chinese Education Company VIPKID

First education investment ever by Bryant Stibel’s new $100 million fund

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VIPKID, the leading online education platform for children in China to learn English through teachers in North America, today announced it has received investment from the $100 million fund by Bryant Stibel, the venture capital firm announced by Kobe Bryant and Jeff Stibel at the NYSE on August 22, 2016. The investment in VIPKID marks Bryant Stibel’s first ever investment in education, as well as the firm’s second investment in a Chinese company following their first investment in Alibaba in 2014.

    Bryant Stibel @kobebryant @stibel invests in @TheVIPKIDLife, their 1st ever edu investment, from their $100M fund.

Two months ago, the basketball legend met with VIPKID, a company that uses the on-demand economy model to connect children in China with teachers in North America, aiming to give children in China a virtual North American elementary school experience. “Their platform is changing things,” Kobe Bryant said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Monday. Bryant said it took him only five minutes of listening about VIPKID to decide he wanted to invest. “It’s a no-brainer for me. We have to look for companies adding value to society, helping kids learn and grow.”

“We value Kobe`s influence in the U.S. and around the world,” said Cindy Mi, founder and CEO of VIPKID. “With this investment, we can strengthen the bridging of resources between the U.S. and China and further improve VIPKID`s strategic plans for international development.”

The connection between VIPKID and Bryant Stibel was facilitated by Learn Capital, the Silicon Valley VC firm that is at the forefront of the global educational technology sector. Earlier this month on Aug. 3, VIPKID announced a $100 million Series C round led jointly by Sequoia Capital and Jack Ma’s Yunfeng Capital. Winning support from Bryant Stibel less than a month later establishes VIPKID as an industry leader and global contender in the online education space.

The new funding will accelerate VIPKID’s plans to fuel efforts in curriculum and product development, and maintain its leading position in content, teaching standards, product experience, and service quality. With the company currently hiring over 1,000 instructors a month across North America, the financing will also help grow its network of teachers. Additionally, VIPKID will also speed up the strategic development of globalizing its entire platform.


ABOUT VIPKID
Founded in 2013, VIPKID's mission is to provide the North American elementary school experience to children in China between the ages of five to twelve years old, all from the comfort of their homes. Headquartered in Beijing, the company offers fully immersive one-on-one English language instruction provided online by the world's most highly qualified teachers. Curriculum is aligned to U.S. Common Core State Standards and uses a flipped-classroom approach to foster creativity and critical thinking skills. To date, VIPKID has over half a million registered users. For more information, go to t.vipkid.com.cn.

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Monday, July 18, 2016

Titan Comics Announces Plans for 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International

TITAN COMICS AT SAN DIEGO COMIC CON 2016: FULL PLANS REVEALED

TITAN BRINGS DOCTOR WHO, TORCHWOOD, PENNY DREADFUL, SHERLOCK, AND DARK SOULS, PLUS MANY MORE, TO SDCC

For the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International, Titan Comics brings its biggest ever offering of exciting debuts, SDCC variants and special appearances from a host of creators including; NBA all-star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Mycroft Holmes), Torchwood’s Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman (Torchwood); Doctor Who actor, writer and director Noel Clarke (The Troop); comic writers Paul Cornell (Third Doctor), George Mann (Dark Souls), Cavan Scott (Ninth Doctor, Vikings), Si Spurrier (Eleventh Doctor), and Rob Williams (Eleventh Doctor), plus many more phenomenal talents from the comics industry.

NBA All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is set to make a very special appearance on Thursday, July 21, 2016, at SDCC to debut his all-new comic book, Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook. This hotly anticipated issue #1 launches at the show two weeks before general release with an exclusive SDCC variant cover by series artist Joshua Cassara (New Avengers, The Troop) – only available to purchase at the Titan booth, #5537. Fans will get the chance to meet the sporting legend at a very special panel on Thursday July 21 at 12pm (room 5AB), where Kareem will be discussing his unique approach to the elder Holmes brother with Joshua Cassara and Titan Comics Senior Editor Andrew James. Each audience member will receive an exclusive show art card. Then, straight after the panel, at 1.30pm (Autograph Area, AA02), Kareem and the creative team will be on hand to sign copies of this special convention edition of issue #1.

Titan Comics is also thrilled to take SDCC attendees behind the scenes of a major new comic series, Torchwood – based on the hit TV show, written by superstar sibling team John Barrowman (Arrow, Torchwood, Doctor Who) and Carole Barrowman! Titan will be debuting a very special edition of issue #1 featuring the original hit story, “The Selkie” by John and Carole, with a brand-new cover from Tommy Lee Edwards (Turf) – only available to purchase at the Titan booth #5537. Fans will get the chance to meet Captain Jack himself along with Carole Barrowman at a special Torchwood #1 signing on Sunday July 24, 2016 at 11am (Autograph Area, AA21).

John and Carole will be appearing at an unmissable comics panel on Saturday July 23, 2016 at 3.30pm (room 5AB) alongside special Doctor Who guests – writers Rob Williams, Paul Cornell, George Mann, and Cavan Scott. This special panel is a must-attend for Whovians and Torchwood aficionados alike, delving into upcoming plans for both series as well as new announcements and art reveals. Each audience member will receive a free limited edition art card.

Plus, Whovians will be able to meet a host of Doctor Who writers and artists throughout the show including the likes of Paul Cornell, Si Spurrier, George Mann, Cavan Scott, Rob Williams, Alice X. Zhang (Twelfth Doctor, The Blacklist), and Simon Fraser (Eleventh Doctor) in various signings at the Titan booth #5537. This will include a special signing of the all-new convention one-shot, “The Long Con,” featuring two phenomenal covers by Simon Fraser and Alice X. Zhang.

SDCC attendees will get a very special opportunity with a first-look at Titan’s new Warhammer 40,000 comic series – based in the staggeringly popular dark science fiction universe from Games Workshop. Join Warhammer 40,000 writer George Mann in a special panel on Thursday July 21, 2016 at 2.30pm (Room 4) to be among the first to see exclusive art by Tazio Bettin (Independence Day) and Enrica Angiolini from the new comic, and hear upcoming plans for the series – due to launch in October. Each attendee will receive an exclusive art card.

Fans attending the Robotech panel held on Thursday July 21, 2016 at 8.30pm (Room 24ABC) will also get a world-exclusive first look at the new Robotech series from Titan Comics, based on the cult 1980s animated TV show.

Titan will be exhibiting a number of SDCC exclusives – only available at Titan’s booth #5537 – including: Dark Souls #3 SDCC variant by Ben Templesmith (Batman, The Squidder); Tank Girl: Two Girls One Tank #1 SDCC variant by Tank Girl co-creator Jamie Hewlett; and Sherlock: A Study In Pink #2 SDCC variant by Claudia Caranfa (Vikings, Doctor Who).

Titan will be offering advanced copies of their FREE summer/fall preview sampler – giving comic fans the inside track on breaking news and exclusive previews of some top-flight comics and graphic novels released from July to December 2016. Featuring Dark Souls, Warhammer 40,000, Assassin’s Creed, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Mycroft Holmes, Vikings and many more.

See below for a full list of creator signings and panel information:

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

PANEL: KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR’S MYCROFT HOLMES
Guests: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joshua Cassara, Andrew James
Date: July 21, 2016 / Time: 12-1pm
Location: 5AB

NBA All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar makes a special appearance at Comic-Con to launch his new comic book, Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook, which debuts exclusively at SDCC with a special variant cover. This exciting series is a brand new standalone comic book adventure that uncovers the secrets of the elder Holmes brother. Join series artist Joshua Cassara (The Troop) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on stage for an hour of exclusives and insider reveals. Each audience member will receive an exclusive show art card.

For more information and to add the panel to your SDCC schedule, visit: https://comiccon2016.sched.org/event/7ezR?iframe=no

SIGNING: MYCROFT HOLMES
Guests: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joshua Cassara
Date: July 21, 2016 / Time: 1.30-2.30pm
Location: Autograph Alley, Table AA02

NBA All-star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and series artist Joshua Cassara are signing copies of their new series Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook #1 SDCC variant.

PANEL: WARHAMMER 40,000
Guests: George Mann, Andrew James
Date: July 21, 2016 / Time: 2.30-3.30pm
Location: Room 4

This is the world-exclusive first look at Titan's much hyped new Warhammer 40,000 comic book series, based in the staggeringly popular dark science fiction universe from Games Workshop. Join Warhammer 40,000 writer George Mann (Dark Souls, Doctor Who), and editor Andrew James for a jam-packed panel spotlighting the hotly anticipated comic launch in October. Be the first to see exclusive art by Tazio Bettin (Independence Day) and Enrica Angiolini from the comic and upcoming plans for the series. Each attendee will receive an exclusive art card.

For more information and to add the panel to your SDCC schedule, visit: https://comiccon2016.sched.org/event/7f0O?iframe=no

FRIDAY JULY 22, 2016

SIGNING: DOCTOR WHO: ELEVENTH & TWELFTH DOCTOR COMICS
Guests: Rob Williams, Si Spurrier, Alice X. Zhung
Date: July 22, 2016 / Time: 10.00-11.00am
Location: Titan Booth #5537

Writers Rob Williams and Si Spurrier, and artist Alice X. Zhung will be signing copies of the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor comics and collections.

SIGNING: THE TROOP COMICS
Guests: Noel Clarke, Joshua Cassara
Date: July 22, 2016 / Time: 3-4pm
Location: Titan Booth #5537

Writer, director and Doctor Who actor Noel Clarke, with rising star, series artist Joshua Cassara will be signing copies of their hit superpowered series, The Troop. 

SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2016

SIGNING: DOCTOR WHO CONVENTION COMICS SPECIAL
Guests: Simon Fraser, Alice X. Zhang
Date: July 23, 2016 / Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Titan Booth #5537

Artists Simon Fraser and Alice X. Zhang will be signing copies of their Doctor Who convention special comic book adventure - “The Long Con” – making its debut at SDCC.

SIGNING: DOCTOR WHO EVENT COMICS
Guests: Cavan Scott, George Mann, Paul Cornell
Date: July 23, 2016 / Time: 1-2pm
Location: Titan Booth #5537

Writers Cavan Scott and George Mann will sign copies of the 2016 summer event comic - Supremacy of the Cybermen, and writer Paul Cornell will be signing copies of his smash-hit, Four Doctors.

PANEL: DOCTOR WHO & TORCHWOOD COMICS
Guests: John Barrowman, Carole Barrowman, Rob Williams, Paul Cornell, George Mann, Cavan Scott
Date: July 23, 2016 / Time: 3.30-4.30pm
Location: Room 5AB

John Barrowman and Carole Barrowman give you the inside secrets of their brand new Torchwood comic, which debuts at the show. Get your fix of all things Whovian from writers Cavan Scott, George Mann, Rob Williams, and Paul Cornell and Doctor Who editor Andrew James, who reveal upcoming plans for Titan's Doctor Who comics and take you behind the scenes of Titan's all-new convention one-shot, “The Long Con”. Exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming art from the cavalcade of amazing global talents! Each audience member will receive a free art card.

For more information and to add the panel to your SDCC schedule, visit: https://comiccon2016.sched.org/event/7gJN?iframe=no

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2016

SIGNING: TORCHWOOD COMICS
Guests: John Barrowman, Carole Barrowman
Date: July 24, 2016 / Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Autograph Area, Table AA21

Join superstar sibling scribes John Barrowman and Carole Barrowman as they sign copies of the first issue of their Torchwood series – debuting at SDCC!

SIGNING: PENNY DREADFUL COMICS
Guest: Louie De Martinis
Date: July 24, 2016 / Time: 12-1pm
Location: Titan Booth #5537

Series artist Louie De Martinis will be signing copies of the hit new Penny Dreadful comic series.

To keep up to date with Titan Comics at SDCC follow Titan Comics on Twitter at @comicstitan and on Facebook and Tumblr.


ABOUT TITAN COMICS
Titan Comics offers astounding comics and graphic novels from the world's greatest licensed properties, alongside creator-owned comic books from new and world-renowned talent and classic graphic novels re-mastered for brand-new audiences.

For more information, visit: https://www.titan-comics.com

Connect with Titan Comics:
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