Chris Brown answers Kevin Hart challenge, donates $100,000 to Hurricane Harvey victims
Chris Brown has responded to Kevin Hart's recent call to donate to Hurricane Harvey relief. Though Hart mentions donating to the American Red Cross, Brown is going another route.
On Instagram, Brown writes, "IM SKEPTICAL ABOUT RED CROSS SO MY DONATION WILL GO TO THE PEOPLE!"
Though Brown doesn't specify to whom, or to what agency, he'll make his donation, it's a big one. In a video statement posted next to his written one, he says, "Kevin Hart, I accept your challenge. We need to come together. I'm donating a $100,000. It's for everybody out there in Texas for the relief and everything. And I implore and encourage everybody else who can change and make a change for this to please donate and help out."
Hart's #HurricaneHarveyReliefChallenge on Instagram tagged Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Beyoncé, Chris Rock, Justin Timberlake, Jerry Seinfeld, and Steve Harvey, asking for donations to "support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts." Hart added Dave Chappelle and Jay Z to his call as well.
Since Harvey made landfall Friday, Houston and the surrounding area has experienced "unprecedented," devastating flooding, with record rainfall . Harvey has also dumped torrential rain over southeast Texas, with ABC News meteorologists forecasting historic rainfall totals up to 50 inches by Wednesday.
Paris Jackson pays tribute to late father Michael on his 59th birthday
Tuesday marks what would have been Michael Jackson's 59th birthday. His daughter, Paris Jackson, who's following in her late dad's artistic and activist footsteps, made sure to send her late dad a special birthday message on Instagram.
With a photo of her as a toddler giving her daddy a kiss, Paris writes, "birthday wishes to the love of my life, the one person who showed me what passion truly was, the one that gave me solid morals to live by and how to dream. i will never feel love again the way i did with you. you were always with me and i am always with you."
Paris continues, "though i am not you, and you are not me, i know with all of my being that we are one. and our souls will never change in that way. thank you for the magic, forever and always."
The rising young star also posted another Instagram picture shortly after of herself on the red carpet at last Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, with a ghostly image of Michael superimposed, kissing her on her temple.
Some fans may remember Paris' shocking revelation in her January interview with Rolling Stone magazine in which she said that "it's obvious" her father was murdered and that his death was "a setup."
The King of Pop died on June 25, 2009, due to an overdose of the anesthetic propofol. His former personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death and served two years in prison for it.
Source-ABC
R. Kelly releases statement on canceled After Party tour date in Memphis
Over the weekend, fans were disappointed to discover that R. Kelly's After Party tour date in Memphis for this past Sunday was canceled. Monday, the controversial singer released a statement to explain why the decision was made.
"After back-to-back sold out shows in Atlanta, GA and Pelham, AL, Mr. Kelly would have loved nothing more than to finish the #southerntakeover portion of his After Party Tour in Memphis, TN tonight," reads a message on Kelly's Instagram. "The decision to cancel the show was by the promoter, in breach of their agreement and out of Mr. Kelly's control. He's sorry his Memphis fans are disappointed and will do his best to make it up to them soon. As always, he thanks all of his fans for their support."
The scrapped date in Memphis is the fifth overall for Kelly's After Party tour. Four other dates were canceled earlier this month in the wake of the recent ongoing allegations that the singer's harboring several young women at various residences and controlling their lives, like a cult. Kelly denied the claims in a July video announcement, telling fans that his After Party Tour would go on, regardless of the report, which he called "a bunch of crap" in the clip.
Source-ABC
Beyonce pledges to "help as many as we can" in Houston
Houston native Beyonce is reaching out to her city as it struggles to overcome the challenges of Hurricane Harvey.
In a statement to the Houston Chronicle, Queen Bey says, "My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help."
She adds, "I am working closely with my team at [my charity] BeyGOOD, as well as my pastor to implement a plan to help as many as we can."
Many stars have also sent love and prayers to Houston, including Drake, Common, Beyonce's Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, Michael Strahan, and Beyonce's friends Coldplay, who wrote a special song for the city. Kevin Hart has also challenged other celebrities to raise money to help the victims.
Source-ABC
Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and more send messages of support to Houston
Many celebrities have sent messages of love to residents of Houston following the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas over the weekend, including widespread flooding.
Houston natives and Destiny's Child groupmates Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland both shared notes on Instagram, with Bey posting a black-and-white picture of what appears to be her holding up the Texas flag in concert, with the message "Texas You Are In My Prayers" emblazoned across the photo.
Other artists, including Common and Drake, have also sent prayers and messages of hope to Houston via social media. Along with screenshots of contact info for the U.S. Coast Guard, Houston Police and the American Red Cross, Common tweets, "Praying for #Houston. Please share to help our brothers and sisters in Texas impacted by #HurricaneHarvey."
Drake shared two separate Instagram messages: one showing an image of the state of Texas alongside a personal note, and another picture of several hotline numbers for anyone in need of help in Houston.
"I am praying for the safety of all those affected. Houston has truly been a home to me over the last 8 years," writes Drake.
Kelly Rowland's 's Instagram picture shows cars and a major interstate highway all submerged underwater, with the words "Pray For Houston" displayed across it. In the caption, she writes, "Houston has, and always will be the city that changed my LIFE! Everyone please send out prayers for H-Town!"
Source-ABC
US Coast Guard apprehends Dom Rep nationals suspected of drug smuggling
The United States Coast Guard says four Dominican Republic nationals were arrested when they were interdicted by the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier in the Mona Passage waters off Puerto Rico.
On Friday, the Coast Guard said the crew of a Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft detected a suspicious go-fast vessel traveling towards Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic, about 38 nautical miles west of Desecheo Island, Puerto Rico.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan diverted the Joseph Napier to interdict the suspect vessel – “which failed to heave to and performed aggressive maneuvers to avoid interception.”
During the pursuit, the Coast Guard said the Joseph Napier boarding team members “observed the suspects jettisoning objects overboard, and one of the suspects brandishing a knife at them.”
“The Joseph Napier forced the non-compliant vessel to a full stop by employing disabling fire to the suspect vessel’s engines,” the Coast Guard said.
“Following the interdiction, a Coast Guard boarding team conducted an at-sea boarding and removed the suspected smugglers.
Miguel Rivera-Cuadrado, Coast Guard Investigative Service Resident Agent in Puerto Rico, said it was “a successful interdiction thanks to the great interagency coordination communication and execution between the Coast Guard units involved.
“The Coast Guard’s shared resolve with our federal and local law enforcement partners is to protect the citizens of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands by stopping and keeping these maritime threats from entering our shores,” he said.
Source-CMC
VW engineer jailed for emissions scandal
A former Volkswagen engineer who helped develop a device that enabled cars to evade US pollution rules has been sentenced to more than three years in prison and ordered to pay $200,000.
James Liang, 63, was the first person prosecuted in the emissions scandal.
The US investigation has led to charges against seven others in the US and sparked probes in other countries.
Volkswagen has admitted guilt, agreeing to spend as much as $25bn to address US claims.
Liang co-operated with prosecutors, who argued that his help with the investigation warranted a reduction in the possible punishment to three years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
But US District Court Judge Sean Cox opted for a harsher penalty of 40 months and a $200,000 penalty, saying he wanted to send a message to others in the car industry.
"This is a very serious and troubling crime against our economic system," he said.
Volkswagen has admitted that it used software installed in diesel vehicles to deceive environmental regulators in the US and Europe between 2006-15.
The German company sold about 11 million such vehicles globally, including almost 600,000 in the US.
The devices, which allowed vehicles to perform better in test conditions than they did on the road, came to light after a study of emissions by researchers at West Virginia University.
In a memo submitted to the court last week, prosecutors acknowledged that Liang did not "mastermind" the plan, but argued that he abdicated his responsibility to speak out.
They wrote: "Unless individual actors are also punished, future corporate employees and contractors may be tempted to justify their criminal behavior as just 'doing their jobs' or 'following orders'.
"Sentencing Liang to a three-year term of imprisonment will deter others from making similar rationalizations."
Liang's lawyer had urged the judge to consider a lighter penalty in recognition of his assistance with other cases.
Liang, who is still employed by Volkswagen but does not work as an engineer, can appeal.
Source-BBC
'Catastrophic' flooding expected to worsen as a result of Harvey
"Catastrophic" flooding in the US state of Texas is only expected to worsen in coming days as waters rise following a storm of historic proportions.
A record 30in of rain (75cm) has already fallen on the city of Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, turning roads into rivers.
But forecasters say that number could nearly double later this week.
On Monday President Donald Trump also approved an emergency declaration for neighbouring Louisiana.
Harvey made landfall as a category-four hurricane late on Friday, bringing flooding described by officials as "unprecedented". It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.
Up to 2,000 people have been rescued in and around Houston, the fourth-largest city in the US, where about 6.6m people live in the metropolitan area.
The area is expected to have received a year's rainfall within a week. Five people are reported dead. Helicopters have plucked victims from rooftops.
Governor Greg Abbott has activated the entire Texas National Guard - some 12,000 so-called "civilian soldiers" - to assist national forces in search and rescue operations.
Local recording artist Jak Nasty added that this was like something out of a movie, he added that waters rose quickly and that alligators were seen swimming around as water rose. He added that he has been checking on neighbors as well as family members being affected from the Turks & Caicos Islands visiting.
Meanwhile, army engineers have begun releasing water from two dams controlling water flowing along a major river into the heart of Houston.
Officials said they were opening the Addicks and Barker dams to stop water spilling into neighbouring communities, but that this could cause further damage down the Buffalo Bayou.
GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO SUPPORT DDME’S HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS
With the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season well upon us, His Excellency the Governor has begun a programme of visits to hurricane shelters throughout TCI to establish that the country is as prepared as possible to protect the inhabitants of the islands in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm hitting TCI.
The programme of shelter visits will run throughout the hurricane season and will include a general inspection of the shelters by His Excellency, accompanied by staff from the Department of Disaster Management & Emergencies (DDME) who will update the Governor on shelter preparations.
HE the Governor commented: “With so much potential storm activity already this season, it is vital that we ensure that shelter facilities are equipped and ready for the public to use in the event of an emergency. I would like to commend the work of the DDME in preparing for this year’s hurricane season and in raising public awareness of steps that every family can take to ensure their safety at this time. I have been reassured by what I have seen of the shelters that I have visited so far. But we cannot be complacent. I intend to visit as many shelters as I can during the hurricane season and hope to see the same level of readiness across all the islands.”
The programme of shelter visits began on 3 August with a visit to the Enid Capron Primary School.
Holder keeps Windies on top
Captain Jason Holder's telling all-round contribution kept West Indies with their noses in front, but opposite number Joe Root was leading an England fightback as the second Test at Headingley remained fascinatingly poised ahead of today's penultimate day.
At the end of an absorbing third day here yesterday, England were 171 for three in their second innings — a lead of two runs after conceding a first-innings deficit of 169.
Root was unbeaten on 45 and partnered by Dawid Malan on 21, while opener Mark Stoneman struck 54 to gather his first Test half-century in his second match at his level.
Seamer Holder proved the Windies talisman, grabbing the key wickets of veteran opener Alastair Cook (23) and Tom Westley (8) to end with two for 44.
The 25-year-old Holder had earlier helped lead a Windies rally as the Caribbean side were dismissed for 427 in their first innings after resuming the day 329 for five.
He produced a cameo 43 off 54 deliveries, while Jermaine Blackwood crunched a typically aggressive 49 in a 75-run, eighth-wicket partnership which proved invaluable after West Indies lost wickets off the first two balls of the day.
Shai Hope, unbeaten on 147 overnight, failed to add when he nicked seamer Jimmy Anderson behind, and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich followed without scoring to a catch at second slip by Root off the next ball.
However, Blackwood and Holder took the attack to England in an enterprising stand that took the total past 400.
Blackwood, dropped at mid-on by Moeen Ali off seamer Stuart Broad in the day's second over before he had added to his overnight 21, stroked seven fours in a breezy 63-ball knock, while Holder also counted seven boundaries.
Holder matched his partner for audacity, taking three consecutive boundaries from a Broad over. The first was a pull to backward square and the last two, exquisite off-side drives.
With the score ticking over, Holder holed out down the ground off seamer Chris Woakes in the fourth over following the first drinks break, and in the next over Blackwood misjudged a second run and was run out at the striker's end.
Last men Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach further frustrated the English in a 23-run partnership before being separated, six minutes into an extended morning session.
Anderson finished with five for 76, while Stokes picked up two for 63.
England were then given a solid start in their second innings by Cook and Stoneman who put on an important 58 for the first wicket.
The left-handed Cook played cautiously in a 63-ball knock that included two fours, while Stoneman struck seven fours in a 124-ball knock.
Source-CMC
Holder, whose nine overs on the trot before tea cost just 10 runs, got the breakthrough about 20 minutes before the interval when he beat Cook on a couple of occasions before finding the edge through to wicketkeeper Dowrich.
Unbeaten on 35 at tea with England on 68 for one, Stoneman reached his half-century about half-hour after tea with a boundary to fine leg off Holder.
Westley, on four at tea, escaped being run out when West Indies bungled an ideal chance with the right-hander stranded mid-pitch, but he perished in the next over, nicking a drive at Holder to Dowrich at 81 for two.
Fast bowler Gabriel then returned to remove Stoneman with a superb delivery that angled in, straightened and rocked off-stump as the left-hander defended, leaving England stumbling at 94 for three.
Windies had their tails up at this stage but Root, dropped on 10 by Kyle Hope at gully off pacer Kemar Roach, anchored an unbroken 77-run, fourth-wicket partnership with Malan to steer England safely to the close.
The right-handed Root has so far faced 82 deliveries and counted nine fours.
Source-CMC