Month: February 2021

Rowdy Rebel hooked up Bobby Shmurda with a unique glow-in-the-dark chain, following his highly-anticipated release from prison, earlier this week. The piece, crafted by NYC-based Eric the Jeweler, features all VVS emeralds.

“WELCOME HOME @realbobbyshmurdags9,” Eric the Jeweler wrote on Instagram, Saturday, with a video showing off the necklace. “Shmurda in all VVS emeralds with the emerald emoji stop playing with me! Hardest emerald piece out NEW YORK IS BACK they know who really run the city @rowdyrebel I shmurda’d this piece.”

Neilson Barnard / Getty Images

Shmurda later thanked Rebel for the piece on Instagram.

Friday, Shmurda and Rebel’s single, “Computers,” was certified Gold and Rebel took a moment to thank his friend on Instagram.

“I want to take this moment to thank my fans, @Epicrecords , friends and family last but not least my little big bro @realbobbyshmurdags9 and just everyone who was a part of making ‘Computers’ that anthem that still rings off til today!” Rowdy wrote. “I promise you guys it’s only the beginning I have so much more in store for you guys…. stay tuned.”

Since being released from prison on February 23rd, Shmurda has seen a massive spike in his streaming numbers and has already appeared in a viral video on social media.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been accused of sexual harassment by another former aide, just days after his previous accuser published a detailed account of her story on Medium. 25-year-old Charlotte Bennett now says she also experienced misconduct in the workplace while working for the Cuomo administration in 2020.

“I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared,” Bennett told the New York Times. “And was wondering how I was going to get out of it and assumed it was the end of my job.”

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Bennett’s new accusation also comes after NY lawmaker Ron Kim accused the Governor of threatening his career for publicizing the nursing home scandal.

Cuomo released a statement, Saturday night, addressing the new allegations:

… Ms. Bennett’s initial impression was right: I was trying to be a mentor to her. I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate,” the statement read in part. “The last thing I would ever have wanted was to make her feel any of the things that are being reported,” he said. “This situation cannot and should not be resolved in the press; I believe the best way to get to the truth is through a full and thorough outside review and I am directing all state employees to comply with that effort. I ask all New Yorkers to await the findings of the review so that they know the facts before making any judgments. I will have no further comment until the review has concluded.

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Authorities in Germany and Belgium seized over 50,000 pounds of cocaine, Wednesday, setting a new European record for the largest amount of the drug ever seized. The week-long international operation concluded with the arrest of a 28-year-old man from Vlaardingden, the Netherlands. The total street value of the cocaine seizure is estimated to be worth several billion euros.

Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Getty Images

“We have succeeded in seizing a record amount of cocaine,” Rolf Bösinger, State Secretary in Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance, announced Wednesday. “With this blow against organized narcotics crime—also thanks to the exemplary cooperation with European partner authorities—German Customs has once again impressively demonstrated its clout. Our strategy of continuing to massively strengthen customs is working.”

35,658 pounds of cocaine were found hidden in 1,728 cans of construction putty being shipped from Paraguay, via Tangier and Rotterdam. Additionally, authorities found 15,873 pounds of cocaine by searching other suspicious shipments being sent to the same recipient using a process described as “risk analysis.” The second shipment was alleged to be containing blocks of wood.

“The intercepted mega-shipments to the Netherlands together form an absolute record. Never before has so much cocaine been intercepted at once,” a Dutch police spokesperson noted.

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The Food and Drug Administration has approved a third coronavirus vaccine for use in the United States. Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine to combat the deadly virus that has killed over 500,000 people in the U.S. over the last year will be made available as soon as possible. Shipments of the first few million doses are expected to go out Monday.

Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images

“This is really good news,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told The Associated Press Saturday. “The most important thing we can do right now is to get as many shots in as many arms as we can.”

J&J’s one-dose vaccine has been found to be 85% protective against the strongest strains of COVID-19. The company says 20 million doses are expected to be delivered by the end of March and 100 million by the start of summer.

“This is exciting news for all Americans, and an encouraging development in our efforts to bring an end to the crisis,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “But I want to be clear: this fight is far from over.”

J&J is still seeking approval for emergency use in Europe and from the World Health Organization.

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A new survey conducted by the hotel search platform Trivago has found that 38% percent of respondents said they would give up sex for a year to be able to travel again, an activity that has been dramatically restricted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.  The new survey was conducted from Jan. 3-9 and polled over 2,000 adults in the U.S. and U.K.

Arguing for the importance of travel in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Trivago found that over 80% of those surveyed agree that travel is a part of a “well-rounded life.”

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

In addition to giving up sex for a year, Trivago added that “one in five said they would give up their partner to travel now,” and that “nearly half would give up their job.”

Trivago’s survey results come as the United States has now passed one-year since COVID-19 was first discovered in the country.

“The exceptionally prolonged lockdown because of ineffective management and the subsequent social disruptions and economic misery — in many ways worse than the Great Depression, with tremendous inequities, hunger, homelessness, unemployment, and despair — are already leading to rampant drug addiction, depression, suicides, and homicides,” New York City-based forensic psychiatrist and violence expert Dr. Bandy X. Lee recently told CNN.

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Sen. Ted Cruz made a joke about his infamous Cancun trip during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Friday, during which, he also declared that former President Donald Trump, “ain’t going anywhere.” Cruz faced national backlash after being seen traveling to Cancun during the historic winter storm that struck his home state of Texas, earlier this month.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

“God bless CPAC,” Cruz said Friday. “I gotta say Orlando is awesome. It’s not as nice as Cancun. But it’s nice.”

In the days following his attempted Cancun trip, Cruz defended himself as being a “good dad,” who was looking out for his children.

Later in his CPAC speech, Cruz warned of a return of Trump: “There are a whole lot of voices in Washington who want to just erase the last four years,” Cruz said. “And they look at Donald J. Trump and they look at the millions and millions of people inspired who went to battle fighting alongside President Trump, and they’re terrified. And they want him to go away.”

“Let me tell you this right now, Donald J. Trump ain’t going anywhere,” he emphasized.

The former President is expected to speak at CPAC later this weekend.

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Emmanuel Acho is officially set to replace Chris Harrison as host for The Bachelor’s season finale episode, following a racism scandal, earlier this month. Harrison faced backlash after appearing to defend contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who has been accused of publishing racist posts on social media.

Cindy Ord / Getty Images

“IT’S OFFICIAL: I’ve accepted the Rose & am honored to be hosting the @bachelorabc After the Final Rose this year,” Acho announced on Twitter, Saturday. “It’s been a pivotal season & this episode will be one of the most storied shows in its history. Empathy is needed and change is coming. See y’all then!”

In response to Good Morning America revealing the news, Acho replied, “Life changing. I can’t wait!”

Harrison announced his decision to take a break from the show, earlier this month with a statement apologizing for his defense of Kirkconnell: “This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions. To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.”

Kirkconnell has been accused of attending an antebellum plantation-themed party in 2018, wearing an offensive Native American costume, and posting pictures of Confederate flags on social media.

The season finale of The Bachelor airs on March 15.

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Following reports that a Black Superman film may be imminent, Ray Fisher, who starred as Cyborg in 2017’s Justice League and accused director Joss Whedon of misconduct, is continuing to criticize Warner Bros. Saturday, Fisher reminded his followers of the accusations he leveled against the makers of the potential film.

“Do ya’ll remember that time Walter Hamada and @wbpictures tried to destroy a Black man’s credibility, and publicly delegitimize a very serious investigation, with lies in the press? But hey, Black Superman… A>E,” Fisher wrote in a tweet, Saturday.

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

He added in a separate tweet: “As I’ve said from the start: Walter Hamada ATTEMPTED to interfere with the JL investigation. He was unsuccessful in doing so because I did not allow him to. Having the investigator make a statement claiming there was no interference is purposely misleading and desperate. A>E.”

Fisher has previously referred to Hamada, an executive at Warner Bros., as  “the most dangerous kind of enabler.”

Justice League costar Gal Gadot has also admitted that her experience with Whedon, “wasn’t the best,” telling The LA Times in 2020, “I had my own experience with [him], which wasn’t the best one, but I took care of it there and when it happened.”

The new Superman reboot is expected to be written by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

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