The next Madden NFL 19 tournament is going on as scheduled, days after the shooting in Florida, but organizers are making major changes … TMZ has learned. Dennis C. Wiltshire — a rep for FIAD Entertainment Group, which is putting on the…
Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2018
Friday, August 17, 2018
Virginia Man Gets Shot in Argument Over Aretha Franklin
The death of Aretha Franklin on Thursday morning has elicted an abundance of sorrow and sentimentaltity across the Internet.
For two men in Virginia, however, it led to an intense argument that only concluded when one of them pulled out a gun and shot the other.
Police told WTKR that the disagreement stemmed over whether or not Halle Berry had ever portrayed the legendary singer in a movie.
Serious stuff, as you can see, very much worthy of a firearm being used.
According to this same report, the argument eventually turned physical, with one half of the flap pulling out his weapon and firing it at least once.
The shooting victim is in serious condition, while both men were treated by paramedics at the scene of the altercation in Suffolk and then transported to a local hospital.
An investigation has been opened, but no charges have been filed just yet.
For the record, Franklin said in a 2011 interview that she would love for Berry to play her on the big screen in a biopic someday.
This is what the late artist said at the time:
She was my first choice, everything’s subject to negotiation, and she shouldn’t underestimate her own talent.
There are a number of other leading ladies out there that can definitely handle the role. I never expected Halle to sing. She’s an actress, not a singer.
Many actors have portrayed vocalists by lip-synching to the artists’ original recordings.
Berry, however, declined the honor because she did not think she could do the legendary role justice.
Many years later, in January of 2018, Franklin chose Oscar-winner and former American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson to take on the role of… well… herself.
The movie, which was to be produced by Straight Outta Compton’s Scott Bernstein and Dreamgirls’ Harvey Mason Jr., was to be based on Franklin’s autobiography Aretha: From These Roots.
There is no plans for its production or release at the moment, though.
None of this is meant to imply that it’s worth yanking out a glock and shooting someone who misremembers this series of events.
We’re just giving our readers some background on how/why this argument got started in the first place.
The Queen of Soul, who passed away from pancreatic cancer, will be laid to rest in her hometown of Detroit.
There is not yet a scheduled date for the memorial, but Franklin will be lying in an open casket, according to a new report, with plenty of singers expected to perform.
And thousands of people expected to attend.
Tweeted Barack Obama upon learning of Franklin’s death:
“Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect.”
“May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace.”
In one of her most memorabe performances, Franklin made the ex-President tear up.
Watch below to see what we mean:
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Virginia Tech Lax Team Raps N-Word, Is Very Sorry About It
Oops, folks…
… they"re bad!
Earlier this week, members of the Virginia Tech women"s lacrosse team didn"t just record themselves singing along to Lil Dicky"s "Freaky Friday."
They recorded themselves singing along to this explicit track AND released the footage on social media.
And because the women are all white, and because the lyrics include a certain N-Word, backlash against the athletes was swift and ferocious.
(For whatever it"s worth, yes: "Freaky Friday" is the song in whose video Kendall Jenner stars and during which she"s very excited about her vagina.)
After the video below made its way around YouTube and Head Coach John Sung made note of the comments, he said the following to The Roanoke Times:
"This is a teachable moment. It’s not something that we’re proud of. The team is very apologetic and sorry. There’s nobody of any color that should say it. Period.
"There’s nobody that should say it."
Sung insisted there “was no malice involved" and we tend to believe him.
"They just thought that they were singing along to a song," he added.
"They had just won. They’re singing songs. The first couple songs were Disney songs…They were celebrating and they were dancing and they were excited."
Some folks out there were satisfied with this apology.
Others, however, don"t think any apology was even necessary.
Take radio host Clay Travis, for example, and his response to this so-called scandal on Twitter:
"Hey @Deadspin," he wrote, mentioning the name of a website that ran this story and asking:
"Was the Virginia Tech women’s team chanting racial slurs or were they singing along to one of the most popular rap songs in America? This is pathetic, and fake news."
It"s actually an interesting debate:
Should any mea culpa have been required when these young women were just singing along to the words of a track?
Should white people avoid saying this epithet at ALL times, including this one?
Ponder your answer as you watch the footage in question:
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Virginia Tech Women"s Lacrosse Team Sings N-Word During Lil Dicky Sing-along
Virginia Tech’s women’s lacrosse team not only loudly, and proudly, sang the n-word on the team bus — but they POSTED video of themselves singing the lyric from Lil Dicky’s “Freaky Friday.” The women — who were all white — were in a celebratory…
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Sean Spicer"s Renting Out His Virginia Townhouse for $2,550 Per Month
Sean Spicer’s looking for a tenant to sign a lease on the largest D.C. area townhouse ever witnessed both in person and around the globe — kidding … it only has 2 bedrooms. The ex-White House Press Secretary recently put his own 2-bed, 1-bath…
Sean Spicer"s Renting Out His Virginia Townhouse for $2,550 Per Month
Sean Spicer’s looking for a tenant to sign a lease on the largest D.C. area townhouse ever witnessed both in person and around the globe — kidding … it only has 2 bedrooms. The ex-White House Press Secretary recently put his own 2-bed, 1-bath…
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
NFL"s Su"a Cravens Claims Racial Profiling After Traffic Stop in Virginia
Washington Redskins safety Su’a Cravens is threatening to sue cops in Virginia — claiming he was racially profiled and roughed up during a recent traffic stop … and he’s got video of the aftermath. TMZ Sports has confirmed the…
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Lady Gaga Shops for Thanksgiving at Kroger in West Virginia
Lady Gaga joined in the Thanksgiving scramble Wednesday, shopping up a storm in West Virginia. Gaga’s fam lives in West VA., so it seems she’s pitching in for Thursday’s feast. The pic was shot at a Kroger supermarket and she was all over the…
Lady Gaga Shops for Thanksgiving at Kroger in West Virginia
Lady Gaga joined in the Thanksgiving scramble Wednesday, shopping up a storm in West Virginia. Gaga’s fam lives in West VA., so it seems she’s pitching in for Thursday’s feast. The pic was shot at a Kroger supermarket and she was all over the…
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Mike Vick Responds to Charlottesville Attack: Virginia Will "Get it Right"
Mike Vick says his home state of Virginia WILL overcome the politically-charged violence in Charlottesville … telling TMZ Sports his has faith in the people of the commonwealth. “Virginia’s home — I love Virginia,” the QB told us…
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Alt-Right Rally in Charlottesville Virginia Sparks Riots, State of Emergency Declared
A “Unite the Right” rally in downtown Charlottesville has been met with protesters, and so much violence has erupted … the governor declared a state of emergency. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe made the declaration Saturday morning amid…
Friday, July 28, 2017
R. Kelly"s Virginia Concert Has Tons of Seats Available Amid "Cult" Allegations
There’s a good reason R. Kelly went on camera to reassure fans his weekend concerts are still a go — because ticket sales for his opening night are seriously lagging. Kelly’s first concert since the sex ‘cult’ allegations came out is…
Monday, June 19, 2017
Caitlyn Jenner Said WHAT About the Virginia Shooting?!?
Caitlyn Jenner is one of the more outspoken Republicans in Hollywood.
But most Internet users agree that her political views don’t give the reality star license to say something as inappropriate as she said on Friday night.
Jenner was taking part in a discussion at the College Republican National Committee’s convention when she was asked for her thoughts on the violent attack on a GOP baseball practice earlier in the week.
On the morning of June 14, a gunman opened fire on various Republicans and their staff members, seriously wounding Congressman Steve Scalise and injuring three others.
The shoot was killed by Capitol Police and later identified as James T. Hodgkinson, an extreme member of the Democratic Party who had volunteered for the Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign last year.
“Nobody deserves what happened out there. There’s no justification,” Jenner said to open his remarks, which were shared on Facebook yesterday.
Added the former Olympic Gold Medalist, perhaps hinting that he’d favor stricter gun control laws:
“There are crazy people. We have to minimize that type of stuff… As far as the people that were injured, it’s an absolute shame. You just want them to recover.”
What feud? Caitlyn Jenner spent Father’s Day with daughters Kendall and Kylie in Los Angeles.
If Jenner had stopped there, she’d have been fine.
Everyone on both sides of the political aisle would have nodded in agreement.
But then Caitlyn tried to make a joke.
“Fortunately the guy was a really bad shot,” she quipped. “Liberals can’t even shoot straight.”
And this is where Caitlyn planted her high-heeled foot directly into her mouth.
Yes, Hodgkinson was a Liberal.
But his horrible actions didn’t speak for all Liberals. Or most Liberals. Or even the smallest minority of Liberals.
The attack against these politicians has been denounced by every prominent Democrat who has issued a statement on it.
Making it sound as if all Liberals “can’t shoot” implies that all Liberals want to shoot, which is simply stoking the already-scorching flames of partisan divide.
This was one deranged individual committing a heinous attack; it signified nothing about either political party,
Over the course of the dinner on Friday, Jenner spoke on a variety of topics, from Kanye West to the Paris climate agreement.
The former track and field legend said the latter, which President Donald Trump is pulling American out of, is “just a way for the rest of the world to kind of ruin us economically.”
There’s no proof whatsoever to back up that statement, but Jenner’s loved ones would say she has a problem with the truth in general these days.
Over the final few episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians Season 13, Kim and her family members slammed Caitlyn for lying.
They took serious issues with things she wrote in her memoir about her marriage and her time on the show and it’s unlikely we’ll see her on E! ever again.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Virginia Rep. Don Beyer Hopes Congress Shooting Brings Dems and Republicans Together
Alexandria, Virginia’s own representative in Congress hopes the shooting that injured his colleague can be a uniting force. We got Congressman Don Beyer — who reps Virginia’s 8th District, including Alexandria — at Simpson Field Wednesday, where…
Steve Scalise, House Republican, Among Those Shot in Virginia
Representative Steve Scalise was among multiple people shot Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Virginia in what witnesses and law enforcement officials are describing as a “deliberate attack.”
The incident took place while Scalise, Rand Paul, Mo Brooks and other Congressmen were taking part in baseball practice prior to starting their work day.
With new information pouring in every minute, here is what we know at the moment:
Scalise, a member of the House Republican leadership as the majority whip, appeared to have been shot in the hip and is reportedly in stable condition.
At least two Capitol Hill police agents and Representative Roger Williams were also wounded in the attack, Brooks tells CNN.
The gunman was shot by U.S. Capital Police, apprehended and taken to the hospital, officials said.
However, Senator Mike Lee tells Fox News that the suspect (who Brooks describes as a “middle-aged white man”) has been killed.
We cannot verify this latter claim right now, but Alexandria police have Tweeted that the shooter is “not a threat” any longer.
Recounting the chaos to CNN, Brooks approximated that 50 to 100 shots were fired.
He said there were a number of congressmen and congressional staffers lying on the ground shortly after he heard a “blam” and that he used his belt as a tourniquet to assist one of the victims.
“I see a rifle… I hear another blam… at the same time I heard Steve Scalise scream. He was shot,” the Alabama Republican told the news outlet.
He said he saw Scalise crawling toward right field at one point, “leaving a trail of blood.”
Paul, who was reportedly awaiting his turn to bat when the shooting broke out, told Joe Scarborough on air this morning that “everybody would’ve died except for the fact that Capitol Hill police were there.”
He said the “baseball field was basically a killing field.”
“It sure as heck wasn’t an accident,” Brooks added. “He was going after elected officials.”
In response to the horrible incident, President Donald Trump has released the following statement:
The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely.
We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.
The shooting took place around 7:15 a.m. EST.
Along with Scalise, Paul and Brooks, Congressmen Brad Wenstrup, Ron DeSantis Chuck Fleischmann and Senator Jeff Flake were among the 15-25 people at Simpson Field in Alexandria for the practice.
Schools in the area have been placed on lockdown.
“The gun was a semiautomatic,” Brooks said, adding in an interview with FMTALK1065:
“The shooter was shot behind home plate as he was circling around to the first base dugout where there were a number of us congressmen and other folks.
“Our security detail was able to incapacitate him at that point.
“I don’t know if he [shooter] was dead. He was wounded. I don’t know how many times he was wounded.”
Scalise is a 51-year old who has represented Louisiana’s First Congressional District since 2008; he chairs the House Republican Study Committee and is married with two kids.
He’s the first member of Congress to be shot since former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in January 2011.
Tweeted President Trump soon after issuing the statement above:
“Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend and patriot, was badly injured but will fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Former FBI Director James Comey Home in Virginia After Trump Firing (PHOTO)
If former FBI director James Comey is upset about joining the ranks of the unemployed … he’s hiding it behind a sly grin. Comey looked pretty carefree Wednesday as he walked around his driveway in Virginia. You might expect him to be laying…
Monday, May 8, 2017
Senator Tim Kaine Officiates Wedding of Former Staffer in Virginia (PHOTOS)
Senator Tim Kaine has a side hustle that is keeping him super busy on the weekends … he does weddings! The former Dem Veep nom officiated the wedding of Gena Boyle Berger, a former staffer who worked with Kaine when he was Governor of Virginia.…
Monday, April 17, 2017
Virginia in "Misery" "Memba Her?!
Frances Sternhagen is best known for playing the snarky sheriff’s wife Virginia — who insists her hubby is having an affair — in the 1990 thriller “Misery.” Guess what she looks like now!
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Michelle Obama: West Virginia Woman FIRED For Calling FLOTUS an "Ape in Heels"
The past week hasn’t been the greatest for those dreaming of unity, civility, or even just a safe place to live their lives without harassment from bigots and hate groups.
In the days since Donald Trump was elected president, race based hate crimes – many apparently inspired by the election – have been reported from coast to coast.
Most of the racist rhetoric and actions have been perpetrated by individuals acting alone, who (to be fair) do not represent any large segment of Trump’s support base.
However, there have been cases of those in power using Trump’s election as an opportunity to “throw off the hood,” so to speak, and come forward as the worst kind of bigots.
The woman in the photo above is Pamela Ramsey Taylor of Clay, West Virginia.
On Election night, Taylor posted the following repugnant status update about First Lady Michelle Obama:
“It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified first lady in the White House,” the post read, according to local news station WSAZ 3.
“I’m tired of seeing an ape in heels.”
Her town’s mayor, Beverly Whaling, echoed the sentiment in a rely to the update, which read:
“Just made my day, Pam.”
The thread was deleted shortly thereafter, but not before immeasurable damage was done to both women’s reputations.
A signature to remove the women from their respective posts has received over 140,000 signatures, and today, it’s being reported that Ramsey has indeed been fired.
She has told local press that she plans to file a lawsuit against those who have “slendered” he in the media by … reporting what she said on Facebook?
Whaling has thus far refused to step down from her post, and may soon be subject to a recall vote.
Whaley is a Democrat (ed. note: ?!?!?!) and her party officials in her state have issued the following apology:
“These radical, hateful and racist ideals are exactly what we at the West Virginia Democratic Party will continue to fight against.
“We will continue to fight for a West Virginia that is inclusive, not divisive, and a home for all to feel safe, welcome and protected.“
Trump has yet to comment on the matter
The President-elect has asked his supporters to stop committing hate crimes in his name during a recent interview on 60 Minutes, but many feel that the fact that Trump complained about peaceful protests before condemning his followers’ racist crimes is unconscionable.
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