EXCLUSIVE: Lala Anthony, Romany Malco, Deon Cole to star in ‘Holiday Rush’ at Netflix

Netflix is gearing up for the premiere of Holiday Rush and we’ve got the first look at the star-studded holiday flick.

Fresh off of her shocking Power departure, Lala Anthony will star alongside Romany Malco, Deon Cole, Sonequa Martin-Green, Darlene Love, Tamala Jones, Roscoe Orman, Amarr M. Wooten.

Holiday Rush is directed by Leslie Small and produced by Sean Dwyer, Elizabeth Cullen, Julie DiCataldo along with Greg Cope White and will premiere globally on November 28 on the streamer.

In it, a popular radio DJ (Romany Malco) loses his job just as his four spoiled kids hand over their Christmas lists. Through downsizing, the family starts to realize that having less could lead to more good than they ever imagined.

CASTING NEWS: Lala Anthony, Luke James, Lil Rel Howery join ‘The Chi’

Check out the official synopsis:

Popular New York radio DJ Rush Williams (Romany Malco) has been spoiling his four children since they lost their mom. Unfortunately, the kids share their pricey Christmas lists right when he loses his job. To keep Rush on the air, his producer Roxy Richardson (Sonequa Martin-Green) and his Aunt Jo (Darlene Love) plan to help him buy another station — if the Williams family can downsize fast and embrace a simpler life. In this heartwarming film, a loving father reconnects with his children and opens his heart to love when they all learn that true joy comes from not what you have but who you have around you.

Peep the exclusive photos:

Netflix

Netflix

Netflix

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Ole Miss honors student wears blackface, prompts warning

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A University of Mississippi honors student has reported himself to the college for posting a photo in which he is wearing blackface, prompting the school to issue a warning about costumes.

Citing a school email, news outlets report the student told the college he acknowledged “the racist and hurtful impact of his poor judgment.” The undated photo shows the student also wearing an honors college shirt.

READ MORE: Middle school teacher in Pennsylvania placed on leave following racist rant

The university sent an email to the school community last week saying the student, who was not identified, is now working on a “Restorative Justice Plan” that includes working with people negatively affected by his actions.

Another email titled “My Culture Is Not A Costume” warns students to avoid culturally inappropriate behavior and cites “a recent post.”

“As the season of fall parties and Halloween celebrations approaches, a disturbing trend on college campuses involves students and campus organizations engaging in culturally inappropriate behavior,” the letter states. “Some examples include the use of blackface, costumes that mock or demean other people’s culture, and identity-based slurs.”

It also includes tips on how to choose costumes that don’t demean others.

Politicians, celebrities and others in recent years have apologized after photos surfaced showing that they darkened their skin with makeup.

READ MORE: Photo surfaces of Mississippi attorney general candidate in blackface skit

In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam apologized but faced calls for his resignation after a racist photo from his 1984 medical school yearbook surfaced in February. The photo showed a young man in blackface next to someone in a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. Northam promptly apologized without saying which person was him. Then a day later, he denied being in the photograph at all, while admitting he wore blackface as Michael Jackson at a dance contest decades ago.

In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey apologized in August for wearing blackface years before entering politics.

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also apologized last month after a yearbook photo surfaced showing him in brownface makeup at a 2001 costume party.

The practice reinforces racial stereotypes and reduces Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans and other people of color based on skin tones and exaggerated physical features, social scientists say.

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Former police officer who killed Atatiana Jefferson out of jail on $200k bond

The white former Fort Worth Texas police officer Aaron Dean who was charged with murder after fatally shooting Atatiana Jefferson on Saturday in her own home, is out of jail on $200,000 bond.

READ MORE: BREAKING: Atatiana Jefferson’s family holds press conference

The trigger-happy former cop killed the 28-year-old woman with one shot through her bedroom window, while casing the outside of her home after a neighbor called authorities to do a welfare check because the door appeared to be slightly open.

Dean has since resigned from the department followed the national outcry from the victim’s family and activists who marched and demanded transparency and his immediate firing. But before Interim Fort Worth Police Chief Ed Kraus could fire Dean, he quit.

“My intent was to meet with him today to terminate his employment with the Fort Worth Police Department, however, the officer tendered his resignation this morning before we met,” Kraus said previously on CNN.

READ MORE: Texas officer charged with Atatiana Jefferson’s murder, resigns after shooting

Additionally, Kraus said Dean is “dishonorably discharged” from the force.

The victim’s family is preparing for a vigorous legal fight and have enlisted civil right attorney S. Lee Merritt, USA Today reports.

Merritt is the same attorney who assisted Botham Jean’s family in getting justice after he was shot and killed by former Dallas cop, Amber Guyger.

“If you think this is over you have not been paying attention,” Merritt said.

“Atatiana Jefferson deserved to live in a world where she was safe from brutality playing video games in her home with her nephew. (Her nephew) Zion deserves more too. Let’s change this world into the one he deserves.”

Sgt. Chris Daniels said police and Tarrant County prosecutors are “diligently” investigating the incident.

READ MORE: Atatiana Jefferson’s grieving father says, ‘Unlike this Botham Jean, I don’t want no hug,’ after daughter was gunned down by Fort Worth cop in her own home 

“We understand that this is a tough and tragic event, not only for her family but for the community,” Daniels said. “We value the trust that we’ve had with our community. We will continue to build that trust.”

On Saturday, a neighbor called the Fort Worth police because Jefferson’s front door appeared to be open. Two seconds after arriving to the house in response to the call, Dean is seen on edited body camera footage shouting commands outside saying, “Put your hands up! Show me your hands!” He never identifies himself, but instead decides to immediately fireg into what looks like a dark bedroom. We later learned that Jefferson was in that room and had been shot to death while babysitting her 8-year old nephew. The medical examiner says she died at 2:30 a.m.

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She's a Natural! Gabrielle Union's Cropped Curls Make Waves on Instagram

Fun fact: This past weekend, I hightailed it to the Chicago salon I’ve been frequenting for over 20 years, marched right up to the owner (my longtime stylist), and dramatically proclaimed, “I can’t take another day!” while pulling at my hair. Coveted lengths be damned, I was planning to park myself in his chair on a…

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Miami-Dade police aide on administrative duties after ‘monkey’ comment

A long-time public service aide is under investigation for allegedly making disparaging racial remarks about a Black female sergeant at the Miami-Dade Police Department.

READ MORE: Texas officer charged with Atatiana Jefferson’s murder, resigns after shooting

Pablo Espinoza, who is Hispanic, was called out by an attorney for reportedly saying Miami-Dade Schools Police Sgt. Tracy Moore “looks like a monkey,” right before he was set to testify in a hearing last month. An investigation is underway and Espinoza has since been placed on “administration duties” the Miami Herald reports.

“The Miami-Dade Police Department takes all complaints seriously and are committed to the highest performance standards and ethical conduct,” the department said in a statement. “We hold ourselves accountable for our actions and take pride in a professional level of service and fairness to all.”

Espinoza is responsible for overseeing the maintenance of breathalyzers, the breath-test machines which used to analyze if a driver is drunk. Espinoza’s role requires him to often testify as a witness at administrative and criminal hearings. He has been applauded by organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his advocacy.

However, Espinoza is not a cop. As a public service aide, he can write traffic-accident reports, direct traffic and answer the public’s queries, the outlet reports.

Moore was arrested in July and charged with drunk driving. Her defense lawyer Michael Catalano is arguing that the breath test are not reliable, because Moore had recently undergone gastric bypass surgery and that might have affected the results.

According to Catalano, Moore was at a Florida Department of Motor Vehicles office on Sept. 4, waiting on an administrative hearing to fight to keep her license, when Espinoza made the derogatory racial remark about her.

“Your client looks like a monkey sitting there,” Catalano said Espinoza said to him.

“I was shocked. Nobody talks like that in 2019,” Catalano told the outlet.

Catalano shared what Espinoza said to Moore. He said he later sent Espinoza a text message demanding that he apologize for his insensitive comment.

READ MORE: Officer who shot naked man in Georgia found not guilty

“Pablo. You have 2 hours to [apologize] for saying my [client] looks like a monkey or I report it to the director,” Catalano wrote in a text message. “I was disgusted by that and they have video in the hallway. Apologize and we drop it.”

Espinoza replied: “I’m apologizing. Done.”

Catalano reportedly was able to get Espinoza to admit in a Oct. 7 deposition meeting that he made the racist remark. Catalano followed up by informing Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez about what occurred and lobbied for Espinoza’s firing.

“My client and I are very upset about this,” Catalano wrote, according to the outlet which obtained a copy of the email. “How would he even think to say that? My client wants PSA Espinosa fired immediately.”

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