Flava Flav tweets about lawsuit, says he "loves" Chuck D and says they "will fix it"
Earlier this week, it was reported by several media outlets that Public Enemy group mates Flavor Flav and Chuck D were allegedly at odds because of a lawsuit Flav filed against Chuck. However, Flav tweeted on Thursday that he holds bears Chuck no ill will.
He wrote, "#ATTENTION EVERYONE!! this is Flavor Flav speaking himself,,,,I love my partner Chuck D everyone so don't get it twisted,, we will fix it !!FF."
According to TMZ, Flavor Flav is suing Chuck and several Public Enemy producers because "he hasn't seen a royalty check in several years," although he "co-wrote more than 50" Public Enemy tracks.
Flav also claims that his voice and image were "used without his consent" on Public Enemy's "Nothing is Quick in the Desert" -- released in June -- and that he never received money from the toy company that created Public Enemy action figures. He's reportedly blaming producer Gary G-Wiz for the toy company offense, since he was the one who allegedly made that deal.
Chuck, on the other hand, told TMZ that Flav "took a wrong road" with his lawsuit and that the rapper is just simply "peeved about a third party merchandiser and the way the record biz now works."
However, Chuck's not angry enough to hold a grudge against Flav -- he told TMZ, "We will be [together] on a future stage."
Source-ABC
2017 Grammy Salute to Music Legends
A PBS special featuring highlights of the Grammy Salute to Music Legends concert will premiere Friday, October 13, at 9 p.m. as part of the network's Great Performances series.
The show, which celebrated the Recording Academy's 2017 Special Merit Award winners, took place July 11 at New York's Beacon Theatre. It featured musical tributes to Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Nina Simone, Shirley Caesar, country legend Charley Pride, jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal and Sly Stone.
Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day performed Simone's 1964 song "Mississippi Goddam," while Kirk Franklin and Le'Andria Johnson sang a medley of Caesar's "You Name It," "It's Alright, It's OK, You're Next in Line For a Miracle" and "Satan, We're Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down." Shirley also appeared onstage to sing her songs "Caught Up" and "Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name."
Other artists at the show included Charlie Wilson, Valerie Simpson and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid -- all performing an homage to Sly Stone -- plus Dionne Warwick and ex-Stylistics singer Russell Tompkins Jr.
Other honorees celebrated at the event included country singer Jimmie Rodgers, pioneering rock band The Velvet Underground, "Philly Soul" architect Thom Bell and record executives Mo Ostin and Ralph S. Peer.
Here are the honorees featured on the Grammy Salute to Music Legends special, followed by the performers saluting them:
Thom Bell
"You Make Me Feel Brand New" -- Russell Thompkins Jr.
"Then Came You" -- Dionne Warwick
Ahmad Jamal
"But Not for Me"/"Ahmad's Blues"/"Poinciana" -- Stanley Cowell
Nina Simone
"Mississippi Goddam" -- Andra Day
Jimmie Rodgers
"Hobo Bill's Last Ride"/"Mule Skinner Blues"/"T for Texas" -- Dwight Yoakam
Ralph S. Peer
"Crazy Blues" -- Catherine Russell
"The Great Pretender" -- Russell Thompkins Jr.
"Georgia on My Mind" -- Andra Day
The Velvet Underground
"I'm Waiting for the Man"/"Sunday Morning" -- John Cale Band with Maureen "Moe" Tucker
Shirley Caesar
Medley: "You Name It"/"It's Alright, It's OK"/"You're Next in Line for a Miracle"/"Satan, We're Going to Tear Your Kingdom Down" -- Kirk Franklin with Le'Andria Johnson
"Caught Up"/"Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name" -- Shirley Caesar
Mo Ostin
"A Few Words in Defense of Our Country"/"I Think It's Going to Rain Today" -- Randy Newman
Charley Pride
"Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone" -- Neal McCoy
"Kiss an Angel Good Morning" -- Charley Pride
Sly Stone
"I Want to Take You Higher"/"Everybody Is a Star"/"Sex Machine"/"Dance to the Music" -- Charlie Wilson, Valerie Simpson, Vernon Reid
Source-ABC
Amazon faces lawsuit over 'faulty' eclipse glasses
A US couple have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Amazon, claiming they sustained eye injuries from solar eclipse glasses purchased on the site.
Corey Payne and Kayla Harris said they experienced headaches and vision impairment after using the glasses to watch the US eclipse on 21 August.
Amazon said it issued a recall on potentially hazardous eclipse glasses on 10 August.
The couple claimed they were not informed of the recall.
Legal documents filed by the pair say the warning was "tragically too little, too late".
Amazon has declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed in a federal court in South Carolina on Tuesday.
The online retailer claimed it emailed customers issuing a recall of certain solar eclipse glasses products that it was unable to verify as having been manufactured by reputable companies.
However, Amazon did not disclose the scale of the recall or list the affected vendors.
When it issued the recall, it said it did not name specific brands or products, because some suppliers were selling legitimate versions of eclipse glasses.
The couple said that they did not look into the sky without wearing the glasses to view the first total solar eclipse to cross the North American continent from ocean to ocean since 1918.
Several hours after viewing the eclipse, the pair said they experienced headaches and eye watering.
Over the following days, they then developed vision impairment including blurriness and distorted vision.
The couple are seeking to represent other customers who also claim they did not receive a warning from Amazon and suffered similar injuries from using defective eclipse glasses.
The pair want Amazon to pay for the medical cost of monitoring peoples' eyes to see how much damage, if any, has occurred.
In the run-up to the solar eclipse, experts warned people never to look directly at the Sun with the naked eye.
Nasa scientists warned against using homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, because these glasses would transmit thousands of times too much sunlight for the eyes to handle.
Instead, they advised people to obtain special eclipse glasses from the American Astronomical Society (AAS)'s list of Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers.
Source-BBC
Hurricane Harvey hit the US economy hard
The costs of the deadly storm in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico have continued to mount, with Texas authorities estimating it at $125bn (£97bn).
Hurricane Harvey has killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
While the rain has shifted away from Houston, the US's fourth largest city, much remains underwater. The state of Texas is one of the US's main economic engines.
Many firms in the region, a major transport hub that is a home to the oil and gas industry, don't know when they will resume normal operations.
The storm struck at the heart of America's oil and gas industry, knocking a third of all US production offline, closing refineries around the Gulf Coast, and causing major pipelines that move fuel to other markets to shut.
Petrol prices, which increased in anticipation of the storm, are expected to continue to rise, despite additional shipments from overseas. In Texas, shortages at stations in some areas have been reported.
Mansfield Oil Company, a wholesale gas supplier, is trying to bolster its supplies by bringing in fuel by lorry and rail - even ships, depending on the market.
Companies are trying to figure out when they can restart operations.
Colonial Pipeline said it expected to re-open its Houston line by Sunday, but other firms said they didn't know when normal operations would resume.
"Given the unprecedented flooding in the city of Port Arthur, it remains uncertain how quickly the flood waters will recede, so we cannot provide a timeline for restart at this time," said Motiva, which runs one of the biggest refineries. "Our priority remains the safety of our employees and community."
Moody's expects costs to businesses to total $10bn-$15bn, with additional infrastructure costs rising as high as $10bn.
Some damage was already evident.
Fires from organic peroxides were reported at the Crosby plant of chemical company Arkema and more were expected, after flooding overwhelmed the firm's back-up generators and refrigerators designed to keep the materials cool.
The plant was six feet underwater, the company said.
Shutdowns of other facilities have led to releases of pollutants, while water has overwhelmed Houston's sewers. The structural integrity of reservoirs is also being monitored, the White House said.
Source-BBC
Car makers offer scrappage deals
Renault-Nissan and Kia are the latest car companies to launch car trade-in schemes, aimed at persuading UK customers to swap older, more polluting, car models for new ones.
Earlier Volkswagen and Toyota announced diesel scrappage schemes, joining BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Vauxhall who have all launched schemes.
The car companies will accept trade-ins from any brand registered before 2010.
It comes as the "toughest ever" new-car emissions tests begin to be rolled out.
Kia and Renault are offering £2,000 off new models, for part-exchanged vehicles, all of which will be taken off the road.
Nissan is calling its scheme a "switch" scheme since not all the cars traded in will be scrapped. The firm is also offering a £2,000 incentive and encouraging customers to consider buying their all-electric Leaf model.
VW will give discounts of up to £6,000 to trade in diesel vehicles when buying a new car. Meanwhile, Toyota is offering up to £4,000 off models more than seven years old.
Amongst the biggest firms marketing cars in the UK only Peugeot, Landrover, Honda, Citroen, Fiat and Volvo, have not announced trade-in schemes.
Car manufacturers have been under increasing political pressure, especially in Germany, to encourage consumers to buy less polluting cars.
Source- BBC
Wayne Rooney charged with drink-driving
Everton striker Wayne Rooney has been charged with drink-driving, British police said Friday.
Rooney, England's all-time record goalscorer and former captain, was stopped by police near his home in Cheshire, northwest England, in the early hours of Friday.
"The man was arrested shortly after 2:00am (0100GMT) today, Friday 1 September, after officers stopped a black VW Beetle," said a police statement.
Police said 31-year-old Rooney "has since been charged with driving whilst over the prescribed limit."
Rooney had been released on bail and is due to appear at Stockport Magistrates' Court on September 18.
He was seen posing in a selfie with cricketer Jack McIver in a bar in the upmarket town of Alderley Edge, near his home, on Thursday, August 31.
McIver shared the photo of the pair in the Bubble Room on Instagram at around 10:00pm (2100 GMT) that day with the comment: "International Break #legend".
Rooney announced his retirement from international football last week, having scored 53 goals in 119 appearances.
He made his decision despite England manager Gareth Southgate offering to recall him for the World Cup qualifier against Malta on Friday.
Rooney re-joined boyhood club Everton in the pre-season after a successful 13-year spell at Premier League rivals Manchester United.
He has seemed rejuventated by the move to the Liverpool-based club and scored in his first two Premier League games of the 2017/18 campaign, a 1-0 win over Stoke City and a 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
Source-AFP
Caribbean Wellness Celebration to start in September 2017
The Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services will kick off its Health Promotion Campaign with the celebration of the 10th year anniversary of Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) during the entire month of September 2017.
Caribbean Wellness Day is celebrated annually on the second Saturday in September throughout the Caribbean Region. This year it will be celebrated on the 9th of September. The aim of CWD is to increase awareness and promote activities to address the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) e.g. cancers, hypertension and diabetes which continues to severely impact the health, economy, and development of the region.
Every year, the overall theme of Caribbean Wellness Day is "Love that body." Aside from the overall theme, Caribbean Wellness Day also has a special theme each year. This year, the theme is "Securing a future generation through eating healthy and not smoking" with a slogan "Be fresh, be cool, reduce the risk" with a focus on youth ages 15 – 29.
Recognizing the threat posed by NCDs, the CARICOM Heads of Government outlined key strategies to prevent, control and reduce NCDs through the life course. This includes the need to improve nutrition and increase physical activity in the entire population, especially among children and youth.
The Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services joins CARICOM in their efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and eradicate NCDs. The Ministry recognizes that all individuals have a responsibility when it comes to healthy living and wants to encourage all individuals in the Turks and Caicos Islands to make a least one lifestyle change during the month of September.
Activities planned for Turks and Caicos Islands for Caribbean Wellness during the month of September are as follows:
Thursday, 31st August – Official announcement from the Minister of Health, Agriculture and Human Services opening the month of September Nationwide as Caribbean Wellness Month including all health promotion events and activities planned for the month.
Thursday, 31st August – Announcement of Shopping Basket Cook-off in Grand Turk (for teams including Government departments, private organizations, churches, civic groups, NGOs, etc.) – who will use five ingredients selected by the Ministry, plus any optional extra ingredients that they may have in their own store cupboards at home to prepare a healthy dish as a team. Each team will compete against other teams on their island, and a panel of judges will award 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes. The competition will rotate from island to island.
A Press Conference in Providenciales on the 7th to announce Caribbean Wellness Day and upcoming health promotion week to address risk factors associated with NCDs. During the week following CWD, the Ministry encourages all individuals in the TCI to make a least one lifestyle change.
1st – 30th September – A Caribbean Wellness "Love that body" health promotion message will be played daily on multiple radio stations throughout the day. See enclosed sample list of messages.
9th September – Caribbean Wellness Day, will signify the start of health fairs that will be held on the islands of Grand Turk, Providenciales, South Caicos and North Caicos. Mini fairs and clinics will be held on Salt Cay and Middle Caicos.
There will be mini health clinics, fairs and talks on the islands of Middle Caicos and Salt Cay – members of the community will be invited to come to the clinic for a full physical examination. Also, health personnel will conduct community outreach to visit those who may not come to the clinic. Additionally, on the same day, mini health fair and talks will be held with community residents to discuss health promotion, risk factors for NCDs, and chronic disease management.
Caribbean Wellness Days – As a nation, we will celebrate health promotion by addressing a risk factor of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, etc. on each day of the week:
11th September – Mental Health Monday
12th September – Take a Fruit to Work/School Day
13th September – Drink Water Wednesday
14th September – Walk, Run, Cycle (Fitness) Thursday
15th September – Rest and Relaxation Friday
Irma forecasted to remain a 'powerful hurricane for days'
Hurricane Irma in the central Atlantic is expected to remain a "powerful hurricane" as it heads towards the Caribbean, US weather monitors said Friday.
Irma, a Category 2 storm, formed just days after the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season, Harvey, unleashed massive rain and floods over Texas.
The hurricane is packing winds of 110 miles (175 kilometers) per hour, and is moving west at a speed of 13 miles per hour.
Irma is swirling in the mid-Atlantic some 1,580 miles east of the Leeward Islands, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said at 1500 GMT.
Its tropical storm-strength winds extend outward up to 90 miles -- meaning these strong winds have already reached Puerto Rico and the Antilles Islands.
The storm reached powerful Category 3 status on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale Thursday when its winds were clocked at 115 miles per hour.
"Irma is forecast to remain a powerful hurricane for days," the NHC said, adding that strength fluctuations "are possible" over the weekend.
The hurricane's center is forecast to reach the Lesser Antilles islands on Tuesday.
South Florida meteorologist Craig Setzer said it was too early to tell if the storm would impact Florida or the Gulf of Mexico region.
Anxiety is running high over the risk of another storm in the southern United States after Harvey pounded the Texas coast, making landfall last week as a Category Four.
Source- AFP
US ban on N Korea travel comes into force
Washington's ban on US citizens travelling to North Korea came into force on Friday, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang's weapons ambitions.
The measure was imposed following the death of student Otto Warmbier in June, a few days after the 22-year-old was sent home in a mysterious coma following more than a year in prison in the North.
He had been convicted of offences against the state for trying to steal a propaganda poster from a Pyongyang hotel and sentenced to 15 years' hard labour, with President Donald Trump blaming Pyongyang's "brutal regime" for his plight.
On its website the State Department said it took the decision due to "the serious and mounting risk of arrest and long-term detention of US citizens".
Three Americans accused of various crimes against the state are behind bars in the North, which is engaged in a tense standoff with the Trump administration over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes.
Earlier this week Pyongyang launched a missile over Japan, in a major escalation, and it has threatened to fire rockets towards the US Pacific territory of Guam.
In July it carried out its first two successful tests of an intercontinental-range missile, apparently bringing much of the US mainland into range.
Exemptions to the travel ban are available for journalists, Red Cross representatives, those travelling for humanitarian purposes, or journeys the State Department deems to be in the national interest of the United States.
But NGOs working in the North privately express concerns about how the process will function and the potential impact on their work.
A few remaining US citizens in the country left on Thursday, reports said.
Source-AFP
TODAYS WEATHER FORECAST & HURRICANE IRMA
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY AND HOT WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...
TURNING MAINLY FAIR TONIGHT
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION CONTINUES FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS & THE TCI
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN tHE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE TCI
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 94F 34C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE: 81F 27C
SUNSET: 7:28PM SUNRISE: 6:51AM SAT.
MOONRISE: 4:19PM MOONSET: 3:26AM SAT.
HIGH TIDE: 5:17PM LOW TIDE: 11:44PM
HIGH TIDE: 5:35AM SAT. LOW TIDE: 11:42AM SAT.
WEATHER OUTLOOK: FOR TOMORROW: PARTLY CLOUDY, HOT AND HUMID WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND FEW THUNDERSTORMS
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK:....PLEASE SEE THE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE BELOW, ELSEWHERE A TROPICAL WAVE IS LOCATED OVER THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN OFF
THE WESTERN COAST OF AFRICA IS PRODUCING DISORGANIZED CLOUDINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT
AND THIS SYSTEM COULD BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AFTER THE WEEKEND WHILE IT MOVES OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC THIS SYSTEM HAS A 50 PERCENT FORMATION CHANCE
THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
THIS IS A NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE IRMA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6PM FRIDAY, 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2017.
... IRMA TURNS WESTWARD WITH 120-MPH WINDS...
AT 5 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.8° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 39.1° WEST OR ABOUT 1495 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.
IRMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 13 MILES PER HOUR (MPH). A TURN TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST IS EXPECTED TOMORROW.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRMA IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH, UP OR DOWN, ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS, BUT IRMA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A POWERFUL HURRICANE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6AM, KEEP LISTENING AND FOLLOWING RTC ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA SITES FOR MORE.