Kim Kardashian may have the market cornered when it comes to celebrity emojis, but her reign won’t last for long if legendary entertainment industry photographer Johnny Nunez gets his way. After unveiling a line of emojis featuring Beyoncé’s stylist Ty Hunter, Nunez and his business partner Nicholas Semkiw (a.k.a. Intro Media) are introducing a new […]
When Nas announced the “Opportunity Fund” in 2014, in conjunction with Google and New York City-based tech educator General Assembly, the message was clear: the future is technology, and more women, African-Americans, Latinos and other underrepresented groups need to be involved. While women are earning more college and advanced degrees than ever (recent Department of […]
“The Big C” (cancer) is a scary subject. While nearly everyone knows someone who’s suffered from the disease, we’ve made great strides in terms of early detection and treatment. Still, there’s more to be done. In 2005, Dr. Mona Jhaveri worked to develop and commercialize a DNA-based therapeutic compound that could have potentially been a […]
For much of the 90s, the city of Seattle was synonymous with the grunge scene. It went much farther than music, though; flannels and combat boots became mainstays in fashion (recently making a comeback, but that’s another story…), influenced heavily by what the kids at the shows were wearing. Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s anthem “Baby Got Back” not […]
People living with HIV in 2015 are healthier than ever. The advent of better drugs with fewer side effects has greatly improved the lives of those infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Today (World AIDS Day) we remember that even with these advances in treatment and increased prevention efforts, HIV is still a deadly […]
Citing a “fundamental difference of opinion,” actress Scarlett Johansson stepped down as ambassador for the humanitarian group Oxfam. Johansson had been criticized by the group and others for her association with SodaStream, an Israeli company with a factory in a settlement in the Palestinian West Bank. Oxfam opposes trade from settlements, considered illegal under international law. A …
A new study finds that much of a child’s “weight fate” – that is, whether he or she will fight the battle of the bulge for their life – is sealed before kindergarden. The study, published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine, was paid for by the federal government. Overweight 5-year-olds were found …
Following an investigation that found more officers are available to handle Manhattan homicides than for homicides in the outer boroughs, the NYPD is looking to recruit “qualified members of the services in ranks of sergeant, lieutenant and detective to fill current and anticipated vacancies within borough detective squads,” per an internal memo. The Manhattan South …
The mayor who led New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe will begin a trial for a corruption scandal during his last days in office. Ray Nagin was indicted a year ago on charges he accepted free trips and more than $200,000 in bribes from contractors in exchange for helping them secure lucrative city contracts. The …
Three years ago today, the Egyptian people overthrew their dictator of 30 years, Hosni Mubarak. Bombings yesterday and clashes today marked this anniversary in a state currently under police rule, following the ouster (some would say coup) of President Mohammed Morsi. Even if Egypt’s future seems uncertain now, the revolution was a heroic undertaking by …
Brazil is bracing itself for widespread protests in more than 30 cities including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Porto Alegre. The Anonymous Rio protest group said on its Facebook page that “there will be no World Cup” and proclaimed Saturday’s “Operation Stop the World Cup” to be only the first act. Last year, …
In the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” the protagonists erase their memory in the hope of getting a fresh start. This may be closer to reality than we think. A new drug, HDACi, has proven to interfere with one of the ways that brain cells record memories and doctors could someday prescribe the drug …
Several bombings targeting police hit Cairo this morning, killing five. The blasts occurred the day before the third anniversary of the January 25, 2011 revolution. Since the revolution, the country has seen its first democratic election and the removal of that leader, President Mohammed Morsi, by what many would call a coup d’etat. Egypt recently …
The Food and Drug Administration is conducting new studies of the safety of caramel coloring in soft drinks and other foods. Previous research has shown no identifiable health risk. The agency’s announcement comes in response to a study by Consumer Reports that shows varying levels of an impurity formed in some caramel coloring in 12 …
An AP poll shows that while 58 percent of Americans finds Obama “very likeable,” less than a third consider him to be an above-average president. After his first inauguration, nearly two-thirds of Americans predicted Obama would be an “outstanding leader.” The president’s numbers took a hit because of persistent unemployment, controversy over his decisiveness, honesty …
At least two people died in clashes between protesters and police in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Wednesday. Medics on the scene said the deaths were caused by bullet wounds, although it is unclear whether they were rubber or real bullets. The past two months have seen countless clashes in the Ukraine as the …
Six Florida couples filed a lawsuit to overturn the state’s gay marriage ban. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on behalf of the couples by Equality Florida Institute Inc. The lawsuit claims Florida’s gay marriage ban violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. Similar claims have been made …
A new report from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office says that while the nation can celebrate decades of progress against smoking, more work needs to be done. “The real emphasis needs to be put on the fact that we still have a major and tragic catastrophe going on,” said acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak. The …
Detroit police say a 4-year-old girl accidentally shot her 4-year-old cousin to death with a loaded rifle she found under her grandfather’s bed. The girl was playing and watching TV on Thursday afternoon when she found the gun. The girl picked it up, pointed it at the boy and shot him once in the chest. …
Best Buy said sales during the holiday season were down .8%, as their stock plunged 28% in pre-market trading Thursday.
The retailer attributed the drop to the highly promotional retail environment. Despite the decline, it is a slight improvement from …
For the third day in a row, thousands of protestors took to the streets of Bangkok, rallying against upcoming elections. The elections were called in hopes of diffusing anti-government protestors, but both opposition parties have refused to take part. One protestor was shot and injured Wednesday morning and a small explosion took place outside of …
An 11 year old boy and a 13 year old girl were injured during a shooting at their middle school on Tuesday morning in Roswell, New Mexico. The suspected shooter, a 12 year old classmate, used a 22-gauge sawed off shotgun to terrorize his classmates. The boy has not yet been named or formally charged. …
Three U.S. officials familiar with the matter say that President Obama is likely to cosign changes to the way the NSA and other government agencies collect phone information for possible future surveillance of Americans. The changes are not yet set in stone and would mainly effect Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Widely controversial, the law …
A boat carrying 200 South Sudanese fleeing unrest and warfare in the region sank while crossing the Nile, killing all on board, military officials said Tuesday. Tens of thousands have already fled the rebel-held city of Bor. The front-lines of the conflict continue to shift, but are presently located about 45 miles from the country’s …
Two California police officers were acquitted Monday in the death of a homeless man in July of 2011. The violent incident was captured by a surveillance camera at a busy transit center. The dead man – Kelly Thomas, 37 – is shown on the tape screaming for his father repeatedly and begging for air as …
According to a story published in the New York Times on Monday, older Americans are signing up for the Affordable Care Act in larger numbers than younger ones. Only 24 percent of those who signed up for a health insurance plan in the first three months of the program are between the ages of 18-34, …
