In a surprise move the Tunisia Football Federation names Mondher Kebaier as its new national team coach.
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Intro Video
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Meek Mill seeks end to 2007 drug, gun case in Philadelphia
Rapper Meek Mill is due in court Tuesday to learn if Philadelphia prosecutors will drop a 2007 case that’s kept him under court supervision for more than a decade.
The 32-year-old has spent about two years in prison over a drug and gun conviction overturned this year because of credibility concerns about the arresting officer.
He’s now working with Jay-Z and others on a campaign to promote criminal justice reform.
Testimony from the 2008 trial shows the teenager born Robert Williams acknowledged having a gun but denied pointing it at police or selling drugs.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court overturned the felony conviction last month and removed the city judge who sent Williams back to prison over minor probation violations.
District Attorney Larry Krasner could also choose to retry the case or seek a plea agreement.
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Jeffrey Epstein and the Power of Networks
Letoya Johnstone: Kenya's transgender fashion icon
Kei Kamara recalled by Sierra Leone as disciplinary ban lifted
Yakou Meite: Reading striker chose to share racist abuse to demonstrate impact on players
Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor moves to Turrkey's Kayserispor
WATCH: Missy Elliott delivers mind-blowing performance at VMAs
The 2019 MTV VMAs went down in New Jersey on Monday night and featured a show-stopping performance from this year’s Video Vanguard Award recipient, Missy Elliott.
The iconic rapper performed a carer-spanning medley of her hits including “Lose Control”, “Get Ur Freak On”, “Pass That Dutch”, and “Work It.”
She even brought out a grown-up Alyson Stoner, who danced in many of Missy’s videos when she was just a kid.
PHOTOS: Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and more serve big, bold looks at the MTV VMAs
FOREVER WORKING IT @AlysonStoner #VMAS pic.twitter.com/BOxYVJUbUg
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) August 27, 2019
Missy Elliott brought the house down with her power-packed performance, proving her talent and her hits are timeless.
Here’s who won big at the 2019 MTV VMAs + complete winners list
Cardi B sang her praises as she presented her with the coveted Video Vanguard Award, adding another achievement to her long list of accomplishments. Earlier this year, she became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame. In May, she was given an honorary doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music.
Check out her unforgettable performance:
“I promised I wouldn’t cry at this one because I cry at every award,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I have worked diligently over two decades and I never thought that I would be standing up here receiving this award and it means so much to me.”
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Queen Latifah returns to the rap game for VMAs finale
The 2019 MTV VMAs delivered tons of big moments and saved one of the night’s biggest surprises for last when Queen Latifah closed out the show with a return to her rap roots.
PHOTOS: Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and more serve big, bold looks at the MTV VMAs
In celebration of this year’s location of New Jersey, the icon was joined by Naughty By Nature, Wyclef Jean, Fetty Wap, and Redman, who all hail from the Garden State. Each artist performed their most iconic single, “Trap Queen,” “O.P.P.,” “Hip Hop Hooray,” and “Gone Till November” before Queen Latifah delivered a rendition of her own beloved chart-topper “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Here’s who won big at the 2019 MTV VMAs + complete winners list
Check it out:
While it was incredible to see Queen Latifah back behind the mic, it wasn’t the show’s only amazing moment.
Missy Elliott gave a career-spanning performance of her hits before receiving the Video Vanguard Award and several other Black women helped to make this year’s VMAs one of the best in recent memory.
WATCH: Missy Elliott delivers mind-blowing performance at VMAs
Lizzo was on fire when she took the stage to perform “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell” and spread her message of body positivity far and wide:
H.E.R. was awe-inspiring when she hit the stage to debut a brand new song, “Anti.”
Check it out:
Normani had all the right moves during her performance of her latest single “Motivation.”
ICYMI, here it is:
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Monday, August 26, 2019
Here’s who won big at the 2019 MTV VMAs + complete winners list
The 2019 Video Music Awards was full of big moments and big wins from some of our favorite artists.
This year’s VMAs was a vast improvement from recent shows and celebrated the diverse music scene in a major way and honored one of the most innovative musicians of our time, Missy Elliott with the Video Vanguard Award.
Lil Nas X took home Song of The Year for his record-breaking hit “Old Town Road” and Cardi B brought home a moon man for Best Hip Hop Video for “Money.”
Check out the full list of winners below:
MICHAEL JACKSON VIDEO VANGUARD AWARD
Missy Elliott
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande – Republic Records
SONG OF THE YEAR
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Columbia Records
BEST NEW ARTIST, presented by Taco Bell ®
Billie Eilish – Darkroom/Interscope Records
BEST COLLABORATION
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” – Island Records
PUSH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish – Darkroom/Interscope Records
PHOTOS: Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and more serve big, bold looks at the MTV VMAs
BEST POP
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker” – Republic Records
BEST HIP HOP
Cardi B – “Money” – Atlantic Records
BEST R&B
Normani ft. 6lack – “Waves” – Keep Cool/RCA Records
BEST K-POP
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv” – Columbia Records
BEST LATIN
ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho – “Con Altura” – Columbia Records
BEST DANCE
The Chainsmokers, Bebe Rexha – “Call You Mine” – Disruptor/Columbia Records
BEST ROCK
Panic! At The Disco – “High Hopes” – Elektra Music Group
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records
BEST DIRECTION
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Columbia Records – Directed by Calmatic
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco – “ME!” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Loris Paillier & Lucas Salton for BUF VFX
BEST EDITING
Billie Eilish – “bad guy” – Darkroom/Interscope Records – Editing by Billie Eilish
BEST ART DIRECTION
Ariana Grande – “7 Rings” – Republic Records – Art Direction by John Richoux
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho – “Con Altura” – Columbia Records – Choreography by Charm La’Donna
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” – Island Records – Cinematography by Scott Cunningham
BEST GROUP
BTS
BEST POWER ANTHEM
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign “Hot Girl Summer”
SONG OF THE SUMMER, presented by Samsung
Ariana Grande & Social House – “boyfriend”
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Morgan Freeman on playing POTUS in ‘Angel Has Fallen’
Morgan Freeman is currently starring in the action-packed thriller, Angel Has Fallen and the prolific actor is taking on the role of POTUS for the flick that also stars Jada Pinkett Smith and Gerard Butler.
Check out the official synopsis:
When there is an assassination attempt on U.S. President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), his trusted confidant, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), is wrongfully accused and taken into custody. After escaping from capture, he becomes a man on the run and must evade his own agency and outsmart the FBI in order to find the real threat to the President. Desperate to uncover the truth, Banning turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name, keep his family from harm and save the country from imminent danger.
Jada Pinkett Smith discusses how a ‘conventional’ marriage to Will Smith would have killed her
The third installment in the Fallen series, Angel Has Fallen stands on its own as a psychologically tense, kinetic thriller that never lets off the accelerator from its opening killer-drone attack.
WATCH: Jada Pinkett Smith on fierce new role in ‘Angel Has Fallen’
Angel Has Fallen is directed by Ric Roman Waugh from a screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen and Matt Cook & Ric Roman Waugh, story by Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt, and based on characters created by Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt. Lionsgate and Millennium Media present, a Millennium Films/G-Base production.
Morgan Freeman set to star in sequel of ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’
Check out our exclusive interview with Morgan Freeman, above.
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Viola Davis will play Michelle Obama in Showtime series ‘First Ladies’
Viola Davis may be ready to bid farewell to her award-winning role on How To Get Away With Murder, but the actress has already lined up her next TV gig and it’s a big one.
According to reports, she has signed on to portray Michelle Obama in an upcoming series at SHOWTIME entitled First Ladies. The series id currently in development at the premium network and will be a one-hour drama written and executive produced by Aaron Cooley.
Variety reports:
The series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of First Ladiesfrom throughout history, with season one focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. “First Ladies” will turn it lens on the East Wing of the White House, as opposed to the West, where many of history’s most impactful and world changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic First Ladies.
Viola Davis says she will only work with hairstylists who are familiar with Black hair
Viola Davis has been vocal about her desire to break down barriers in Hollywood.
“If you look to the past and look at storytelling where there’s a huge deficit in terms of our voice and our presence, that’s not a good place to start,” she said at Variety’s Inclusion Summit earlier this year. “What we have to fight for, and this is what I’m proud about with JuVee, is autonomy in storytelling and production and all of it. Don’t just tell me that the only way Viola can exist in the story is if a white person is leading the charge and I’m in the background.”
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Jesús Dones-Monroig: Creating space for everyone in chemistry
Growing up on a large swath of land in Puerto Rico, Jesús Dones-Monroig was always playing in nature. He was encouraged to plant, build, and explore the environment around his home. His father even took him to the ocean to go spearfishing, where he developed a fascination for marine life. He credits a lot of his curiosity of nature to his parents, who encouraged Dones-Monroig and his siblings to play outdoors.
“[My parents] let us be free to do whatever we wanted out there. They gave us the freedom to have an idea and play with things outside to make it happen,” says Dones-Monroig.
Eventually, this affinity with the natural world would contribute to Dones-Monroig’s interest in biology and organic chemistry. He went on to study chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras and was particularly inspired by his organic chemistry professor, Ingrid Montes, to appreciate the world through a molecular level.
Now a fifth year PhD student in the Department of Chemistry, Dones-Monroig works in the lab of Ronald Raines, the Roger and Georges Firmenich Professor of Natural Product Chemistry, and studies collagen mimetic peptides, or “CMPs.” Dones-Monroig has developed a CMP that can selectively anneal with damaged collagen. At this stage, he is working on optimizing his newly developed CMP to help detect mammalian collagen that has suffered damage. In the future, he hopes to develop a system that selectively anneals to different types of damaged collagen.
As a chemical biologist, Dones-Monroig also works on synthetic chemistry projects, from developing synthetic peptides through organic chemistry to synthesizing faster and more selective organic molecules for “click chemistry.”
“That’s why I love research in the Raines Lab,” Dones-Monroig says, “You’re not restricted to one area of chemistry.”
Promoting diversity and inclusion
Dones-Monroig is a family-driven, community-oriented person, and being so far from home has motivated him to create connections and support groups at MIT. He also feels strongly that without the right support, students can’t fully realize their potential in their academic and professional pursuits.
While pursuing his masters in chemical biology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Dones-Monroig was involved in programs that promote diversity and inclusion. Coming to MIT, he felt there was a lack of support for underrepresented and underserved graduate and undergraduate students at the Institute. With the help of professor and former head of the Department of Chemistry Tim Jamison, as well as individuals in the Women in Chemistry (WIC) group and the Chemistry Graduate Student Committee (CGSC), Dones-Monroig founded the Chemistry Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion (CADI).
Launched in 2018, CADI seeks to support the success of underrepresented and underserved graduate and undergraduate students in the chemistry department and to help ensure that the campus has safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for students. The group facilitates conversations regarding the state of diversity in the field of chemistry and provides students with professional and academic resources. Finding community in graduate school can be just as important as the classes one takes or the skills one acquires, Dones-Monroig says.
“If we are not given support at a personal level, our educational and professional potential is going to be directly affected. CADI is for anybody that doesn’t feel part of the chemistry department,” he says.
Dones-Monroig also serves as a pod leader for the MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP), a program that aims to promote the value of graduate education and improve the research enterprise through increased diversity in MIT.
“The students that come to this program are astounding. They’re very intelligent and driven, but they may not have the same resources as MIT in their home universities. So we welcome them,” says Dones-Monroig.
Continuing with his penchant for mentorship, Dones-Monroig will serve as a graduate resident advisor (GRA) at the MIT Student House. He will be a mentor to the international undergraduate and graduate students that live there.
Healthy bodies, healthy minds
Outside of his research, Dones-Monroig stays quite active and enjoys sports. He plays on MIT’s intramural basketball team, and he also enjoys volleyball, tennis, and surfing. Perhaps most impressively, he participates in the Spartan Races, which are races that range in length and feature a variety of physical obstacles. Next month, he will be doing an Ultra-Spartan Race on Killington Peak in Vermont, where he will go through 60 obstacles over the course of 30 miles.
For Dones-Monroig, exercise allows him to reduce stress and focus on something other than his research. He attributes his good health, mentally and physically, to staying active. This mentality is from his 61-year-old father, who still tries to run races against him, Dones-Monroig jokes.
“If you have a mindset of keeping your body as healthy as your mind, you’ll be more productive. I train my mind in the lab and come out and train my body outside,” says Dones-Monroig.
While Dones-Monroig clearly works hard, he plays hard too, and loves to dance salsa on the weekends. With friends that he has made in the local Puerto Rican community, Dones-Monroig goes out to dance and socialize at La Fábrica in Central Square.
“I think I’m decent at salsa,” Dones-Monroig laughs, adding, “When compared to non-salsa dancers, then I’m good!”
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The Engine expands, responding to rapid growth of “tough tech”
The Engine announced today that it will create an additional 200,000 square feet of shared office, fabrication, and lab space in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to further foster “tough tech” — transformative technology that takes the long view, solving the world’s important challenges through the convergence of breakthrough science, engineering, and leadership.
The Engine, built by MIT, invests in early-stage tough-tech companies. These companies have long been underserved by the traditional investment ecosystem, leaving many breakthrough ideas stuck in the lab. A new model of venture capital firm, The Engine has provided dozens of forward-looking entrepreneurs with critical access to capital, industry know-how, and specialized equipment through its 28,000-square-foot location at 501 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square, Cambridge.
The expansion, in collaboration with MIT, will extend and amplify the progress of the thriving innovation ecosystem in Cambridge and the greater Boston region. Central to the effort will be the renovation of the existing building at 750 Main Street to serve as a new hub for tough-tech growth, with the capacity to accommodate approximately 100 companies and 800 entrepreneurs. The initiative will accelerate the development of next-generation technology by providing the vital infrastructure and resources necessary to accommodate fast-growing startups throughout the region.
This new hub will provide a place for companies to put their ideas into action — helping them build transformative technologies as efficiently, economically, and effectively as possible. It will have a natural proximity to academic institutions; access to talent; flexible and affordable lab and fabrication facilities; and a network that will foster relationships for market readiness. It aims to connect the diverse tough-tech ecosystem — entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, leaders in academia and business, investors, and policymakers. The space will be specifically designed for companies at the convergence of technology disciplines across engineering and physical sciences, where access to diverse space and tools are essential for success. This expansion demonstrates MIT’s ongoing commitment to investing in and anchoring the evolving innovation ecosystem in and around Kendall Square.
The Engine launched its portfolio in 2017 with investments in seven tough-tech companies. It has since invested in 12 additional tough-tech founding teams, bringing its current portfolio to 19 companies. Together, those companies have raised approximately $285 million in capital and employ more than 200 people.
“We have a rare opportunity to help cultivate the next generation of leaders tackling the world’s most urgent, challenging problems,” says Katie Rae, CEO and managing partner of The Engine. “We also have the chance to forge a foundational infrastructure that can potentially change the geography of innovation. A thriving hub can propel the Boston region into the future as a magnet for world-changing companies in tough tech.”
Since its founding in 2016, The Engine has pioneered a new framework for investing in and supporting tough tech startups working on transformative technologies — ranging from commercial fusion power and ultra-efficient semiconductors to next-generation cell therapies and new manufacturing methods for metals, among others. This framework clears a path to commercialization for companies by providing capital, infrastructure (labs, equipment, office space, and more), and a support network. In October 2018, hundreds of members of The Engine’s network of companies and supporters joined forces in the Boston area at the first annual Tough Tech Summit.
“It’s thrilling to witness the revolutionary work coming out of The Engine,” says Israel Ruiz, executive vice president and treasurer at MIT. “The model appears to be working just as we had hoped: The direct access to key infrastructure, enabling investment, and support services is helping game-changing innovators to accelerate their work in order to more rapidly address consequential and challenging pursuits. The new expanded space will allow The Engine, and its companies, to significantly increase its local and global impact.”
The design for the 750 Main Street building renovation is slated to be finalized in 2019, with construction scheduled to begin later this year. The Engine’s new space will be complemented by active ground floor uses that will contribute to a more animated streetscape.
Once situated in its expanded location, The Engine will continue to invest in areas such as advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, energy, food and agriculture, space, semiconductors, the internet of things, quantum computing, biotech, artificial intelligence, robotics, and the intersection of new technologies.
MIT continues to play a leading role in fostering innovation and research in and around the MIT campus through its Kendall Square Initiative, which will create a vibrant multiuse district with new buildings, open space, and gathering spaces, and will be home to innovative companies, retail, and restaurants. This tough-tech hub will be a new center for The Engine, and a focal point of the innovation ecosystem inspired and cultivated by MIT.
For more information about The Engine, please see its first report for the period 2016 -2018.
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FBI investigating altered racist photo calling for ‘No Black people’ at Rio Americano High School
A California high school has “found no evidence” that a racist online bulletin targeting Black people originated from its website.
An altered screenshot from the Rio Americano High School website has prompted an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, sacbee.com reports. The image titled, “District-wide High School No Black people policy,” is circulating on Facebook and Snapchat and reportedly contains a slew of pearl-clutching racist slurs in the message. The post also warns that the Ku Klux Klan would be patrolling the hallways.
READ MORE: I bought the LAST Popeye’s chicken sandwich in my area and a fight almost broke out
But according to San Juan Unified School District officials, the photo is fake and was never on Rio Americano’s site.
“After our initial review, we have found no evidence that a website with this message ever existed on the Rio Americano High School website,” said district community relations director Trent Allen.
Rio Americano is a public high school in Arden-Arcade, California, just outside Sacramento. According to Atlanta Black Star, “white students account for 67 percent of Rio’s population, while 15 percent of students identify as Latino and 4 percent as Black.”
District officials first learned of the offending image Thursday, calling it “incredibly hurtful.”
READ MORE: 50 Cent tells critics of remixed ‘Power’ theme song to ‘Chill Out’
“The message does not represent Rio Americano High School, its staff, students or community,” said Allen. “Already, the student body is coming together add messages of inclusion and acceptance to a planned rally.”
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department and FBI have launched an investigation to track down the culprit responsible for the altered racist message. Officials admit the memo was never published online — only shared via text and social media.
“It is not acceptable to make any individual feel intimidated, harassed or otherwise discriminated against,” said Rio Americano Principal Brian T. Ginter, and the students agree with him. Many have reportedly vowed to come together and “add messages of inclusion and acceptance to a planned rally,” said Allen.
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China Trade Spillover, LA’s Pollution by Block, and More News
The Kenyan school that was once a British detention camp
See How LA Belches Emissions, Block by Block
Trump’s Trade War Isn’t Just a US–China Problem
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