Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Wake-Up Call: It's 'The Slap' Viewed 'Round The World


➤CELEBRITIES DIVIDED OVER WILL SMITH SLAPPING CHRIS ROCK AT THE OSCARS, SMITH APOLOGIZES TO ROCK:  Naturally, Will Smith unexpectedly slapping Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards was on a lot of people’s minds on Monday. Many celebrities spoke on the incident—and opinions landed all across the board
  • Tiffany Haddish told People at the Governors Ball following the event, "When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife. That meant so much to me. As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, 'Keep my wife's name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,' that's what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you. And that meant the world to me. And maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives."
  • Today host Craig Melvin said on Monday, “If you’re rearing a boy, especially in this country, you spend so much time talking to our kids about keeping your hands to yourself, controlling your emotions and then there’s also this long-held perception in this country that men of color, especially, can’t control their rage and their anger, and to see someone who’s been that beloved for decades — it was troubling on so many levels.”
  • Ex on the Beach contestant ZaraLena Jackson, who also suffers from alopecia, said, “I think it’s inappropriate to make any joke about someone with alopecia as it’s a condition that highly impacts mental health for that individual and isn’t a laughing matter. To be clear, I don’t condone violence, but him defending Jada showed strength in my eyes and was very comforting to see a man stand by his woman when she has alopecia.”
  • Rosie O’Donnell posted to Twitter, “so upsetting – on every level – bravo to Chris Rock – for not eviscerating will smith – which he could do any day of the week – he walked away – bravo from a sad display of toxic masculinity from a narcissistic madman #Oscars2022 #chrisROCK.”
  • Nicki Minaj wrote a series of tweets on Monday morning (March 28th). “Imagine what it must feel like to be losing your hair to the point where you have to shave it bald. You think that’s easy to deal with for anyone? You don’t think she’s cried about that many times? 2022 y’all gon have to see these men about those jokes you made about their wives,” she wrote, adding that Smith had “a front row seat to his wife’s pain… he’s the 1 consoling her… drying her tears behind closed doors when those cameras go off.”
  • Jodie Turner-Smith posted to Twitter Sunday (March 27th), “and as far as *that incident* goes….. i am still processing. i have second hand embarrassment for all involved.”
  • Kathy Griffin also posted to Twitter Sunday (March 27th), “Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a Comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.”
  • Whoopi Goldberg said she feels Smith “overreacted.” On Monday’s episode of The View, she said, “I get it. Not everybody acts the way we would like them to under pressure. Some people just snap. He snapped. What I do want to say was that it was remarkable, wonderful, that Chris Rock did not take it to that other place it could’ve gone. I don’t know if they spoke or apologized or not. All I know is sometimes you get to a point where you behave badly. I myself have behaved badly on occasion.”
  • Sean “Diddy” Combs told Page Six on Sunday night that Smith and Rock had worked out their issues. “That’s not a problem. That’s over. I can confirm that … It’s all love. They’re brothers,” he said. It is reported that Rock will not be pressing charges against Smith.
➤THE ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES SAYS THEY’RE CONDUCTING A ‘FORMAL REVIEW’ The Academy posted a statement to Twitter following the event that read, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form … Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.” On Monday, they released a statement saying they were conducting a formal review. “The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law,” the statement reads.

Some Twitter users commented on the possibility of Smith losing his Oscar. “If we are talking about taking back Oscar’s let’s start with Roman Polanski,” one user wrote. Another commented, “The Academy spent decades ignoring rape by Harvey Weinstein before it was forced to remove him from its membership, and never once took action against violence by Roman Polanski who drugged and raped a 13 year old or Mel Gibson who continues to promote hate.”

➤SAG-AFTRA RELEASES STATEMENT, SAYS SMITH’S BEHAVIOR IS ‘UNACCAPTABLE’: In a statement released on Monday, SAG-AFTRA wrote, “As the union representing presenters and other performers working on the Oscars, SAG-AFTRA is focused on ensuring our members always work in a safe environment.”

The statement continued, “Violence or physical abuse in the workplace is never appropriate and the union condemns any such conduct. The incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable. We have been in contact with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC about this incident and will work to ensure this behavior is appropriately addressed. SAG-AFTRA does not comment on any pending member disciplinary process.”

➤WILL SMITH APOLOGIZES TO CHRIS ROCK:  On Monday night, Will Smith issued an apology to Chris Rock. In an Instagram post, Smith wrote, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.”


➤CHRIS ROCK'S TEAM DENIES DIDDY'S CLAIMS THAT HE AND WILL SQUASHED THEIR ISSUES: Meanwhile, Chris Rock's team also denied Diddy's claims that he and Will squashed their beef, telling TMZ that Will and Chris have not spoken at all after the slap. A source said that Chris went straight to his dressing room after "the slap" and there hasn't been any communication between Will and Chris. A person in Chris' camp also said the comedian had "no intention of staying" initially.

The source also noted Chris Rock didn't have any idea Jada Pinkett-Smith had alopecia and that he "doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

➤CHRIS ROCK TOUR SALES SKYROCKET:  In other news, Rock's tour ticket sales have skyrocketed after Will Smith's slap at the Oscars. According to sources, ticket sales for Rock's "Ego Death" tour has went from $46 per ticket on March 18th to a whopping $341.


📺WILL SMITH AND JADA PINKETT-SMITH TO DISCUSS CHRIS ROCK SLAP ON 'RED TABLE TALK':  Reports also say that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are set to break their silence on the Chris Rock Oscars slap on an upcoming episode of Red Table Talk. According to RadarOnline, the couple will allegedly tape the episode as early as this week.

➤WORLD FOCUSES ON ALOPECIA, JADA'S HAIR LOSS DISORDER, AFTER OSCARS:  7 million people suffer from alopecia, the disorder Jada Pinkett Smith has struggled with since 2018. Since the Oscars, a renewed awareness regarding the disorder has surfaced. Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. The body's immune system attacks its own hair follicles. Often, hair falls out in patches, and in severe cases, patients lose eyebrows and eyelashes. Black and Hispanic women have a higher chance of developing alopecia.

➤NEW ROUND OF TALKS BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA SET FOR TODAY: A new round of talks between Ukraine and Russia is set for today in Istanbul in hopes of ending the war. This comes as the fighting appears stalemated, according to AP, even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address to the nation last night that Ukrainian forces had retaken control of Irpin, a suburb of the capital of Kyiv, from Russian forces. AP cited a senior U.S. defense official as saying it's believed Ukraine had also retaken control of the eatern town of Trostyanets, while Russian forces were making little progress.

 
Meanwhile, President Biden said Monday that he hadn't been calling for regime change in Russia when he said at the end of his speech in Poland Saturday that President Vladimir Putin, quote, "cannot remain in power." He said, "I was expressing the moral outrage that I felt toward this man. I wasn’t articulating a policy change." At the same time, Biden also said he wasn't, quote, "walking anything back," and would make "no apologies." Biden further said he was expressing a, quote, "aspiration," stating, "People like this shouldn’t be ruling countries. But they do. The fact they do doesn’t mean I can’t express my outrage about it."


Leading Russian Newspaper Suspends Operations: Russia’s leading independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, suspended operations Monday after coming under pressure from Russian authorities, saying it will be closed for the duration of the war in Ukraine, referring to it using, in quotations, the "special operation" term Russian authorities insist media use. The newspaper, whose editor, Dmitry Muratov, won the Nobel Peace Prize less than six months ago for the paper's courageous reporting in difficult circumstances, was the last major independent media outlet critical of Putin’s government after others either shut down or had their websites blocked since the invasion began.


➤HOUSE JAN. 6TH COMMITTEE VOTES TO HOLD NAVARRO, SCAVINO IN CONTEMPT: The House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol voted unanimously last night to hold Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino, former advisers to Donald Trump, in contempt for Congress for refusing to comply with the committee's subpoenas. The recommendation for criminal charges for Navarro, who was a trade adviser to then-President Trump, and Scavino, who was a Trump White House communications aide, now goes to the full House, where it's likely to be approved by the Democratic-led chamber. After that, it would go to the Justice Department, which would make the final decision on prosecution. Members last night also appealed again to Attorney General Merrick Garland for action, as he hasn't yet decided whether to pursue contempt charges sent by the House in December for former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Meanwhile, a federal judge yesterday ordered the release to the committee of more than 100 emails from former Trump lawyer John Eastman. Eastman has claimed attorney-client privilege. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge David Carter said it is, quote, "more likely than not" that Trump committed crimes in his attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

(Photo: Pottsville Republican-Herald, AP)


🌨AT LEAST THREE KILLED IN PA HIGHWAY COLLISION INVOLVING DOZENS OF VEHICLES AMID SNOW SQUALL: At least three people were killed and more than a dozen injured yesterday in a collision on a Pennsylvania highway during a snow squall involving dozens of vehicles, including tractor trailers. The Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management said the pile-up on Interstate 81 in northeast Pennsylvania happened around 10:30 a.m., with officials believing a snow squall affected visibility. Estimates of the number of vehicles involved ranged between 40 and 60, and some of the vehicles caught on fire, including three tractor trailers.

➤STUDY...30% OF ADOLESCENTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE PREDIABETIC:  A study by JAMA Pediatrics has discovered that nearly 30% of adolescents and teens in the USA have prediabetes. The study analyzed data from nearly 6,600 people. Between 1999 and 2002, this number had been around 12%, meaning there has been a significant increase of prevalence in the 12 to 19 age group. Prediabetes is an elevated blood sugar level that falls below the threshold for diabetes. Those who live in poverty are especially at risk.

➤POLL...MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY THEY'VE HAD COVID: More than half of Americans now say they've had Covid-19, according to a new poll from Monmouth University. According the Washington Post, 52 percent said they'd had Covid in the poll, up from 40 percent in January, with the Post saying this appears to be the first poll to show a majority of Americans have had Covid at some point. However, the poll does say that just over 40 percent said they'd tested positive or been definitively diagnosed, while 10 percent said they weren't diagnosed, but know they had Covid. There was a partisan difference, with some 57 percent of Republicans saying they'd have Covid, compared to 38 percent of Democrats, according to the Post.

➤LOUISIANA IS MOST STRESSED STATE: Louisiana came out on top as the most stressed state in a measure by WalletHub that looked at more than three dozen metrics in four categories: stress related to work, money, family, and health and safety. Following Louisiana in the top 10 were Nevada, New Mexico, West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. The least stressed state was Utah, followed by Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Hawaii, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Nebraska and New Jersey.

🏈NY TAXPAPERS TO LAY OUT RECORD $850M FOR NEW BUFFALO BILLS STADIUM: New York taxpayers will be laying out a record $850 milion for a new $1.4 billion stadium for the Buffalo Bills, including $600 million from the state and $250 million from Erie County, Governor Kathy Hochul announced yesterday. The previous record for public money spent on an NFL stadium was $750 million for the Las Vegas Raiders. Under the deal, the Bills are committed to staying in Western New York for 30 years, and Hochul says the cost of the stadium will be paid back in the 22nd year because of the $27 million a year in taxes the team will generate. She also said the deal is, quote, "ironclad" because of a provision requiring the Bills to pay the entire stadium construction cost if they move. While, as with other similar deals around the country, there are complaints about so much public money going to build a stadium for a sports team owned by billionaires, Hochul said the public financing component will be 61 percent, which she claimed is, quote, "well below other recent NFL stadium deals in comparable markets."

🏀UCONN, LOUISVILLE REACH FINAL FOUR IN WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT: Louisville and the University of Connecticut both won their Elite Eight games yesterday in the women's NCAA basketball tournament. Number 1 Lousiville topped Number 3 Michigan 62-50, and will play fellow Number 1 South Carolina in the Final Four. Number 2 UConn needed two overtimes to oust Number 1 NC State 91-87 and reach its 14th straight Final Four. UConn will be playing Number 1 Stanford to try to make it to the championship game.


🏈NFL MAKES CHANGES TO ROONEY RULE: The NFL is making some changes to the Rooney Rule announced Monday to try to ensure more opportunities for diverse candidates. Among them, starting this season, all teams must have a woman or a member of an ethnic or racial minority as an offensive assistant coach, who will receive a one-year contract and work closely with the head coach and offensive staff to gain experience. Dasha Smith, the NFL’s chief administrative officer, also said virtual interviews will no longer be acceptable for head coach and general manager positions, and there will be specific requirements for candidates to become offensive assistants, including at least three years of experience on the college or pro level.

⚾PUJOLS, BACK WITH CARDINALS, SAYS THIS IS 'LAST RUN': Albert Pujols, who is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played his first 11 seasons, confirmed yesterday that this will be his final season, saying, "This is it for me. This is my last run." The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Cardinals.

➤COWBOYS OWNER JONES ASKED JUDGE TO DISMISS PATERNITY CASE, ALLEGES EXTORTION: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones asked a judge yesterday to dismiss a paternity case against him, alleging the 25-year-old woman who claims she's his daughter is involved in an extortion attempt against him and the Cowboys. Jones said Alexandra Davis had delivered a draft of her lawsuit to him and asked if he would, quote, "make a deal" to ensure he wouldn't be identified as her father. Jones is alleged to have paid $375,000 to Davis' mother, whom the lawsuit says was courted by him in 1995 when she was working at the American Airlines ticket counter in Little Rock, Arkansas. The complaint also says two trusts were established in 1995 that have paid an undisclosed amount to Davis and her mother and remain in effect.



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