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With TikTok facing a ban in the U.S., young people flock to another Chinese app

Sandra Rose
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With TikTok facing a ban in the U.S., young people flock to another Chinese app
RedNote
Screengrab

Millions of TikTok users are flocking to RedNote, a Chinese social media app. TikTok will be banned in the U.S. on Sunday, Jan. 19, if it is not sold by Bytedance, the Chinese company that owns it.

RedNote is now the No. 1 social media app in the Apple store.

Congress voted to ban TikTok, which they claim is a spy tool for the Chinese government. But TikTok users say Congress banned TikTok because Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asked them to.

There are tons of posts on RedNote criticizing the U.S. government for censoring them on social media.

Many RedNote users sent the hashtag “TikTokrefugee” trending. Others are concerned that the Chinese government may be spying on them.

Americans are having difficulty with the language barrier on the Chinese app. One person tweeted a scene from “The Karate Kid” featuring Jaden Smith and Taraji P. Henson. The user captioned the clip: “Me trying to communicate with the Chinese dudes in the comment section of RedNote.”

The RedNote app has been an eye-opening experience for some American users.

One American said she noticed a difference in the older Chinese population on the RedNote app. She said older Chinese people look “so much less traumatized than most Americans.”

Rocko responds to the Internet mocking his bald mugshot

Sandra Rose
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Rocko responds to the Internet mocking his bald mugshot
Rodney Hill, Rocko
Georgia Gazette

Monica’s baby daddy Rocko Da Don responded to the Internet mocking his balding mugshot.

According to the Georgia Gazette, Rocko, 45, was arrested in Fulton County (Atlanta) in December and charged with disorderly conduct, obstruction of law enforcement officers, and criminal trespassing.

Most jails don’t allow detainees to wear hair weave in their booking photos.

The mugshot shows music producer and independent label owner Rodney Ramone Hill Jr. with male pattern baldness.

Rodney Hill, Rocko
Screengrab

Rocko, who normally wears hats, wore a hair weave unit to rapper Rich Homie Quan‘s funeral in September.

Rocko’s mugshot quickly went viral on social media, prompting a response from the father-of-4 boys.

“F*** all y’all, I promise you… F*** y’all ni**as,” Rocko laughed. “I hope y’all got some money today, ’cause I did.”

Male weave units are partial wigs that cover thinning hair or bald spots. When applied by a professional hairdresser, male weave units look like real hair. The cost ranges from $149 to several thousand dollars.

Tyga
Screengrab

Rocko is in good company. Male stars who allegedly wear male weave units include rappers Drake, Jay-Z, Tyga, Fetty Wap, Offset, and singers Chris Brown and Jason Derulo.

Pastor forces unwed teen to apologize to congregation for getting pregnant (Video)

Sandra Rose
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Pastor forces unwed teen to apologize to congregation for getting pregnant (Video)
Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

A Virginia pastor forced an unwed teenager to apologize to his congregation for getting pregnant. Apparently, the girl approached the pastor for counseling and he advised her to repent and seek the congregation’s forgiveness.

Cell phone video of the young girl’s tearful apology went viral last week. Since then, protesters have visited the church to express their disappointment.

The incident occurred at the True Vine Apostolic Church of Christ when Bishop Terry Jackson called upon the unidentified girl to address the congregation.

“Stand right in front of the congregation. Don’t touch that table,” the pastor told the nervous girl.

“Um, I want to apologize to everybody in here because I am pregnant,” she said before pausing to wipe tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry y’all, I just hope that y’all all forgive me and hold prayer for me,” she said, as the congregation applauded politely.

The pastor took the mic and said he hopes she repents for her sin now rather than later. “If you sin, you don’t wait until the baby comes to repent, you repent now,” he said.

“We ain’t gon’ condone your sin now… we ain’t gon do that. Ain’t no baby showers going on, that’s what you lose out on. When you have a baby out of wedlock you don’t get a baby shower and nobody at this church should attend one.”

The conservative church is divided among the sexes – with men dressed in suits on one side of the aisle and women wearing white dresses on the other side.

@lifenwithmeek This pastor is running his church like a cult #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ? original sound – LifeNwithMeek

After the video went viral, a young man confronted the pastor — and was promptly shown the door by a group of men. The young man threatened to return with protesters to shut the church down.

@lifenwithmeek The congregation was broadcasting live tonight and someone showed up. The video of the young lady getting in front of the congregation is posted on my page. The church is True Vine Apostolic Church of Christ #pastor #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ? original sound – LifeNwithMeek

As the video clip continued to go viral on social media, the girl’s mother, Dee Myles, responded in a Facebook post.

“To everyone that’s concerned, we greatly appreciate it. However, I do want you to know that you all are interrupting my peace and is causing more damage than good,” Myles wrote. “You are showing up disrupting my church, my beliefs, and disrespecting my pastor. I am where I want to be and where I chose to be. We were not forced or manipulated to stand before the congregation. My daughter willingly approached the congregation and was welcomed and embraced with open arms. I stand on what I’ve been taught, and I’m raising my daughter to do the same.”

Why Michelle Obama is skipping Donald Trump’s Inauguration

Sandra Rose
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Why Michelle Obama is skipping Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Jean Catuffe/GC Images

Michelle Obama skipped former President Jimmy Carter’s memorial service last week, and now she is skipping Donald Trump‘s Inauguration on Jan. 20.

Former President Barack Obama will attend Trump’s Inaugural Ceremonies, but his wife Michelle Obama won’t be with him.

President Joe Biden and former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have confirmed they will attend the inauguration.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

There is speculation that Mrs. Obama won’t attend Trump’s inauguration because she despises the President-elect.

Mrs. Obama previously said that attending Trump’s 2017 inauguration was not an enjoyable experience for her.

During an emotional speech at a rally for Kamala Harris in Michigan in October, Michelle Obama said Trump was an “existential threat” to women’s rights. She told Black men that a vote for Trump “is a vote against us.”

In her speech, the former first lady expressed her fear and agony over Trump’s possible return to the White House.

Her voice trembled and she nearly broke down in tears as she implored women – “and the men who love us” – to vote for Harris.

“Please, please do not hand our fates over to the likes of Trump, who knows nothing about us, who has shown deep contempt for us,” Obama said. “Because a vote for him is a vote against us, against our health, against our worth.”

Trump broke with White House tradition when he declined to attend Biden’s Inauguration in January 2021.

Trump was the first U.S. president to refuse to attend the inauguration of his successor in 152 years.

Beyoncé Delays Announcing World Tour. Asks for Prayers

Sandra Rose
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Beyoncé Delays Announcing World Tour. Asks for Prayers
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

Fans are speculating after Beyoncé postponed her world tour announcement on Jan. 14 and instead asked for prayers on social media.

Sources say Beyoncé was going to announce her new world tour, but she decided to delay the Jan. 14 announcement “due to the devastation caused by the ongoing wildfires around areas of Los Angeles.”

Alex Slitz/Getty Images

In a post on social media, the pop singer said her big announcement would be postponed until a later date.

“I continue to pray for healing and rebuilding for the families suffering from trauma and loss. We are so blessed to have brave first responders who continue to work tirelessly to protect the Los Angeles community. To join our efforts in supporting those impacted, please visit @BEYGOOD. Love, B.”

Beyoncé donated $2.5 million to families that were displaced during the wildfires that continue to rage in Southern California.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Beyoncé’s fans agree that she should postpone the tour because of the economy and the fact that her husband, Jay-Z, is still under suspicion of assaulting a child.

Sources say Beyoncé is sick with worry that her husband’s reputation is being destroyed by allegations that may not be true. She is also very concerned that the accusations may be true. She is smart enough to know that Jay-Z had a loose zipper problem.

In December, an Alabama woman sued Jay-Z for drugging and assaulting her when she was only 13. The woman added his name to a lawsuit that she originally filed in October against Sean Combs.

Earlier this month, a judge granted Jay-Z permission to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Jay-Z has until Feb. 6 to file the motion. The plaintiff has until Feb. 28 to file her opposing documents. Then Jay-Z has until March 14 to file his reply, if any.

Jay-Z vigorously denied the allegations. In a recent motion filed earlier this month, attorney Alex Spiro argued that the statute of limitations on rape expired in August 2021.

Man who stole nearly $1 million from DoorDash drivers is shot dead

Sandra Rose
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Man who stole nearly $1 million from DoorDash drivers is shot dead
Photo may have been deleted
Stamford PD

A 22-year-old man who stole nearly $1 million from DoorDash drivers was fatally shot in an apparent dispute with three men in New York.

David Smith was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in a parking lot at the Heritage Homes apartments in New Rochelle, NY on Monday, Jan. 6. He was rushed to a hospital where he died.

Police say Smith was due to appear in a Connecticut courtroom on Wednesday, Jan. 8 to either accept or reject a plea deal in the $1 million DoorDash fraud case.

Three men were arrested and charged with Smith’s murder. None of the suspects were current or former DoorDash drivers.

Officials said Smith’s murder was not connected to the DoorDash fraud case in Connecticut, the Stamford Advocate reported.

Smith’s death means the DoorDash fraud case will be closed and the $700,000 seized by police will be returned to his victims eventually.

The complex case began in June 2023 when Stamford police responded to a domestic violence call at an apartment complex in Stamford, Connecticut.

Police spoke with a pregnant woman who said Smith, then 21, choked her and pointed a loaded gun at her head. Smith was gone when police arrived, so they got the woman’s permission to search his apartment for the gun.

In an affidavit, police claimed they found the gun along with evidence of a phishing scheme that targeted DoorDash drivers. They also recovered 109 payment cards, only one of which was in Smith’s name; various California driver’s licenses, paychecks, and a “large amount of stacks of cash” totaling $52,410 in the apartment.”

Police said in the affidavit that the licenses, payment cards and cash, along with five safes found in the apartment, were all seized as evidence in the investigation. One of the safes, which police said was left open, contained an additional $146,260, according to the affidavit.

Another safe contained $534,570 in cash. In total, police seized $733,240 from Smith’s apartment, according to the search warrant.

Smith was charged with third-degree assault on a pregnant person, risk of injury to a minor, second-degree strangulation, illegal possession of a high-capacity magazine, first-degree reckless endangerment, and other charges.

The cash and other evidence taken from the apartment led to separate charges of first-degree larceny, third-degree identity theft, two counts of second-degree forgery, trafficking in personal identifying information and first-degree computer crime.

Smith posted a $250,000 bond and was living in Mount Vernon under 24-hour GPS monitoring when he was killed.

Authorities believe Smith may have used phishing text links to steal the paychecks of more than 700 DoorDash drivers, the affidavit said. The affidavit stated Smith stole “in excess of $950,000” from DoorDash drivers while perpetrating the scheme.

Kamala Harris refuses to invite JD Vance for a courtesy tour of VP’s residence

Sandra Rose
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Kamala Harris refuses to invite JD Vance for a courtesy tour of VP’s residence
MediaPunch / BACKGRID

Vice President Kamala Harris has declined to invite incoming Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, for the traditional tour of the VP residence.

The Vice President’s official residence is a cottage on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, DC.

Eric BARADAT / AFP

After Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Melania Trump caught heat for not inviting incoming first lady Jill Biden on a tour of the presidential residence at the White House in 2021.

But Melania’s decision was understandable considering that Trump supporters believed the election was stolen.

In an interview with “Fox and Friends” that aired on Monday, Melania complained that the Obamas didn’t give her enough information to move into the White House residence in 2016. But now she knows the layout of the house, and she knows where the furniture is going.

Ron Sachs / CNP

In November, JD and his wife Usha reached out to Kamala Harris’ staff seeking details including what they would need to childproof the residence. JD and Usha share 3 children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, who are all under the age of eight.

According to CBS News, their questions were initially ignored by Harris’ staff. But they have since communicated with Navy aides who oversee the residence.

Before Christmas, Navy officials reached out to the Vances to discuss the layout of the residence, logistics of the move-in, and to help answer any questions the Vances had, a person familiar with the call told CBS News.

Best Image / BACKGRID

Usha Vance spoke with Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff for about 40 minutes last week, sources told CBS.

But Harris has not reached out to the incoming VP JD Vance to offer him a tour of the residence – as is customary during the peaceful transition of power.

People close to Harris say she was never afforded an invite from former VP Mike Pence to visit the VP residence before she was sworn in in 2021.

4CRNS, WCP / BACKGRID

It isn’t clear where Harris and Emhoff will go when they leave the Naval Observatory residence. Their 3,500 sq. ft. home in the affluent Brentwood suburb of Los Angeles is under an evacuation order due to the wildfires.

Joie Chavis considers moving with her children after wildfire destroys their school

Sandra Rose
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Joie Chavis considers moving with her children after wildfire destroys their school
Joie Chavis
Instagram

Social media influencer Joie Chavis is considering moving with her 3 children after a wildfire destroyed their school. Joie has children by rappers Bow Wow, Future, and NFL star Trevon Diggs.

She recently took to social media to express her concerns about the California wildfires that killed 24 people and destroyed over 15,000 structures.

Joie, 34, said she has been contemplating moving for months but she wanted her children to finish school first.

“Yes. Where I live, only three other properties around me survived that fire. Everything around us burned down,” she wrote. “I have been contemplating moving for months but didn’t want to because of the kids finishing this year of school. But, their school is gone.”

Over 150,000 residents are under evacuation orders in Southern California, including the Kardashians and LeBron James and his family.

In a follow-up post, Joie wrote: “I left home last week to workout, taking nothing. Thinking I’d be right back. Was never able to go back. Even if I wanted to get out of LA [right now] I can’t. My ID is home. Thinking I’d use Apple Pay if needed. Ugh. My anxiety is through the roof.”

“There is no power where I live, so who knows when I’ll be able to return. Even then, I’ll be returning to gather our things and move. Just pray it stops,” Joie added.

Joie said she is relying on her faith to keep her sanity.

“Prayer and my faith is the only thing keeping me sane. I’ve had to buy everything, literally, to get by each day—clothes, toiletries, etc. Although it’s an inconvenience, it’s not nearly as bad as the people that have lost their homes. It’s heartbreaking,” she said.

But some social media users laughed at celebrities who lost one of their homes in the wildfires. They say wealthy celebrities have other homes and enough money to rebuild.

Social media reserved their empathy for Black residents of the Altadena/Palisades area who lost their only home and everything they own in the fires.

Update: Judge Sets $50K Bond for Caitlin Clark’s Stalker

Sandra Rose
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Update: Judge Sets $50K Bond for Caitlin Clark’s Stalker
Caitlin Clark
Getty Images, Indianapolis PD

Update: A Texas man who was charged with stalking Caitlin Clark appeared at a bond hearing on Tuesday morning. Michael Lewis was charged with sending hundreds of violent and explicit messages to the Indiana Fever star on X (Twitter).

Lewis’s behavior in court was “erratic” and he appeared nervous. At one point the judge told him to “stop talking!”

Lewis’ attorney told the court he has a mental illness and was off his medications.

His bond was set at $50,000. If Lewis posts bond, he must wear an ankle monitor and remain in Indiana until his pre-trial hearing on March 31.

Before Lewis left the courtroom, the judge advised him to keep quiet in jail unless he’s talking to his lawyer.

Lewis, 55, drove from Texas to Indianapolis, Indiana to be close to Clark. He continued bombarding the 22-year-old WNBA star with sexually explicit messages on X.

Authorities say Lewis sent Clark over 800 messages on X, including one message saying he drove around her house 3 times. He added: “Don’t call the law yet.”

MEGA/WENN

An affidavit shows Lewis began contacting Clark on X on December 27. He mentioned having “fantasies” about the former Iowa Hawkeyes standout. “this fantasy caitlin relationship is changing me for the better. . And about an hour ago i felt strong caitlin feelings. .like sensual. .wow”,” he wrote in one message.

Clark blocked Lewis on X, and he was banned from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where the Fever play home games.

But Lewis threatened to confront Clark when the Fever traveled to away games.

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Clark’s bodyguard (in grey jersey) shadows her everywhere she goes.

Federal investigators tracked Lewis’s IP address to a hotel in the 100 block of West Market Street. The hotel is about a mile from Gainbridge Fieldhouse where the Fever play. Another IP address was tracked to the Indianapolis downtown library.

“Lewis’s presence in Indianapolis was especially concerning given that he is a Texas resident,” detectives said in the affidavit.

Indianapolis police confronted Lewis at the hotel on Jan. 8. He acknowledged writing messages to Clark on X. When asked why, he said, “just the same reason everybody makes posts.” But he denied sending the threatening messages. He confessed to having “an imaginary relationship” with Clark. He also said he was just joking with her.

Police did not arrest Lewis during their first visit, but the messages continued after the police left, the affidavit states. He was arrested at his hotel on Jan. 12.

Clark told police she changed her public appearances because of the violent threats from Lewis.

Meanwhile, sports journalist Jemele Hill quietly deleted her post, saying Clark doesn’t get the same level of hate as Black players in the WNBA.

One fan wrote: “Like we’ve been saying, just because Caitlin Clark doesn’t complain about stuff on social media doesn’t mean she doesn’t deal with it.”

Another person wrote, “Watch how no WNBA player will now come out and talk abt what Caitlin Clark is going through.”

Keyshia Cole’s Home Burns to the Ground in California Wildfires

Sandra Rose
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Keyshia Cole’s Home Burns to the Ground in California Wildfires
Keyshia Cole
Instagram

Keyshia Cole is the latest celebrity to lose her home in the California wildfires. Celebrity hairstylist and Cole’s BFF Jonathan Wright revealed the R&B singer’s house burned to the ground while she was out of town last week.

Wright shared photos and video of the destruction, showing nothing left of Cole’s house but ashes and rubble.

He captioned the video: “Prayers to Freen and her Kids and family I ask everyone to send them a Prayer up lift her spirits. She was also affected by the Fire, like literally a week ago we in Miami to come home to this is crazy like mind Blowing Freenn wasn’t gone say nothing I feel like she should cause this shii is crazy how this happened to everyone [sic].”

Keyshia Cole
Instagram

Cole hasn’t spoken publicly about her loss. She is mom to 2 boys. It is unknown if she had fire insurance.

Cole adds to the growing list of celebrities who lost their homes on the West Coast.

The wildfires, which began on January 7, tore through Southern California, leaving death and destruction in multiple cities. The death toll has risen to 24, officials said. Over 15,000 structures have been destroyed.

Over 150,000 residents are under evacuation orders as the wildfires continue to rampage.

Officials warned that the death toll is expected to rise in the next few days as rescuers search through the rubble of burned homes and businesses.

Arson was blamed for some of the fires.

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