Nike Releases A Touching Tribute to Kobe Bryant Entitled “Mamba Forever”

The Kobe Bryant public memorial service, held Monday at the Los Angeles Staples Center, was a chance for the people to pay their final respects to the NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant. The father and daughter, along with seven others, were killed in a helicopter accident on January 26. Bryant’s loved ones, including widow Vanessa Bryant and fellow basketball legend Michael Jordan, shared stories remembering Kobe’s impact on their lives.

On Monday, Nike followed suit, releasing “Mamba Forever,” a touching tribute and emotional goodbye to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.  Rather than use public images or videos, Nike opted for a simple but powerful approach: utilizing audio clips in the background to chronicle Bryant’s accomplishments over his long, illustrious career.

Bryant first signed with the famous company in 2003, part of an elite class of NBA players (Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James) that signed with the brand that year. The move helped Nike solidify its position in basketball and elevated the brand for a new generation following Jordan’s third and final retirement that year. Bryant would go on to have multiple lines of shoes and gear under the brand and joined then-CEO Mark Parker at its annual investor meeting to celebrate the launch of the company’s business strategy in 2017.

“Kobe was one of the greatest athletes of his generation and has had an immeasurable impact on the world of sport and the community of basketball,” the recent statement from Nike read. “He was a beloved member of the Nike family. We will miss him greatly. Mamba forever.”

A beautiful way to say farewell to a sports hero. Rest in power, Black Mamba.

Mamba Forever.

(sound on) pic.twitter.com/B2LUIcpRCc

— Nike (@Nike) February 24, 2020

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Inmate’s mom claims that prison guards’ brutal beatings prompted her son’s suicide

The mother of a man serving life in prison has filed a lawsuit claiming correctional officers brutally beat her son so mercilessly, it caused him to kill himself.

Darlene McDay, mom of Dante Taylor, says two sergeants and two correctional officers at Wende Correctional Facility outside of Buffalo, New York, allegedly beat her son with their batons before hog-tying his arms and legs and throwing him down a flight of stairs in 2017, according to an article in The New York Daily News. 

READ MORE: Rapper Kodak Black says he is being abused in prison; mother hires Benjamin Crump

The personnel were identified in the lawsuit as Sgt. Scott Lambert, Sgt. Timothy Lewalski, Corrections Officer Melvin Maldonado and Corrections Officer McDonald, according to the newspaper.

Twelve hours after the alleged Oct. 6, 2017 beating, Taylor, 22, hanged himself in his cell, his mom claims in her suit.

“These officers, they’re public servants. They don’t have the right to inflict punishment on people. They don’t have the right to decide that somebody should be punished or abused or brutalized,” McDay told the Daily News.

McDay, 43, included photographs of Taylor’s badly bruised face in her lawsuit, although she told the newspaper that she still can’t look at the photos.

“I’m afraid if I actually see (the photos) that I just won’t be able to keep going,” McDay said. “I’m afraid if I looked at it that I just wouldn’t be able to deal with it.”

In 2014, Taylor was convicted of raping and murdering Sarah Goode, a 21-year-old mother in Mastic, L.I. Taylor was found guilty of raping Goode, stabbing her to death and leaving her nearly naked body in a wooded area. Taylor was appealing the verdict, alleging prosecutorial misconduct at the time he took his life.

Regardless, Taylor’s conviction didn’t justify his mistreatment by law enforcement authorities, McDay says in her lawsuit.

“He was a human being as well,” she said.

Yet McDay said the moment her son was sent to Wende, he became a target of one correctional officer, whom she alleged starved him and kept him from taking showers. That unnamed officer reportedly also told other staffers that Taylor was a snitch.

McDay seeks unspecified damages for excessive force, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. This last charge stems from her complaint that medical staffers who treated Taylor after the Oct. 2017 beating never reported anything about his injuries to her or authorities.

READ MORE: Two inmate deaths over the weekend in Mississippi prisons bring total number to 12

McDay said she learned of Taylor’s injuries from inmates who called to tell her guards had beaten him and urged her to look into it.

Prison records described Taylor’s bruises as self-inflicted, claiming he banged his head against a wall, according to the lawsuit.

“They’re liars,” McDay said.

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Milani Cosmetics Debuts the Salt-N-Pepa Collection

Indie beauty brand Milani Cosmetics has partnered with hip-hop legends Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, aka Salt-N-Pepa, on a makeup collection celebrating the iconic style of the famed duo.

“Milani was one of the first brands to champion diversity and stand behind the mission of offering prestige quality to all,” said Evelyn Wang, CMO of Milani Cosmetics, in a press release. “Throughout their career, Salt-N-Pepa have achieved many notable ‘firsts’ – first female rap act to gold and platinum status; first female rap act to win a Grammy Award. It’s been a collaboration that celebrates breaking barriers and true confidence. It was only fitting to launch during Black History Month and upcoming Women’s History Month.”

The limited-edition collection has been available since February 16th, when it launched on Ulta.com and then milanicosmetics.com on February 20th. It can be purchased in stores–including Walgreens and CVS–starting March 15th. To learn more about the collection, click here.

“Makeup has always been a form of self-expression for us. I love to experiment and play with different looks and have been a long-time Milani makeup user. My mother and sisters also use the brand, so this partnership took things full circle,” said Pepa (Sandra Denton). “Milani’s message of diversity and inclusivity really resonated with us,” Salt (Cheryl James) shared. “It was extremely important for us to create products that represent us and are accessible to our fan base.”

SALT-N-PEPA’S HERE Get ready for the most epic collaboration: Milani x @TheSaltNPepa! #MilanixSNP⁣
⁣
Available NOW online at @ultabeauty! Shop here: https://t.co/L45VltQyfU
⁣ pic.twitter.com/CVKQ2KiNVV

— Milani Cosmetics (@milanicosmetics) February 16, 2020

The collection includes:

• The Hot, Kool and Vicious Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette ($19.99): Twelve shade eye shadow (nine matte / three shimmer) “CD” palette with an illuminating champagne highlighter.
• The Very Necessary Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette ($19.99): Multi-use “CD” palette with twelve bold eye shadows (four soft metallics, two mattes, two bold metallics, two shimmers, one pearlized shimmer, one pearl matte) with a shimmering golden highlighter.
• The “Push It” Lip Kit ($11.99): Universally flattering red lip liner and lipstick kit.
• The “Shoop” Lip Kit ($11.99): Iconic ’90s nude lip liner and matte lipstick kit.

Salt-N-Pepa, the first female rap group to attain platinum status, has sold more than 12 million albums to date. The duo’s industry accolades include a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo/Group, various MTV Video Music Awards, and the “I Am Hip-Hop Icon Award” from BET.

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University of Southern California Announces Financial Aid Expansion to Benefit Lower Income Families

University of Southern California President Carol L. Folt announced two new policies to make a USC undergraduate education more affordable for those who may not ordinarily meet the financial constraints of the university: families with an annual income of $80,000 or less will attend USC tuition-free and owning a home will not be counted in the calculation used to determine a student’s financial need.

These new actions will start with first-year students who will enter USC in the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021.

“We’re opening the door wider to make a USC education possible for talented students from all walks of life,” said Folt in a written statement, who has promised to make access and affordability a priority since she became president. “This significant step we are taking today is by no means the end of our affordability journey. We are committed to increasing USC’s population of innovators, leaders, and creators regardless of their financial circumstances. Investing in the talent and diversity of our student body is essential to our educational mission.”

These changes will allow the university to provide more viable opportunities for low- and middle-income students both in California and throughout the United States. Eligible students who apply will receive up to $45,000 more aid during their undergraduate studies.

“Financial barriers should not be a deal-breaker for students with the merit and motivation to attend a top-tier research university like USC,” said Undergraduate Student Government President Trenton Stone. “This plan will help make our incredible university community more accessible to a wider range of individuals from diverse financial, geographical, and cultural backgrounds.”

As part of this new expansion, USC will increase undergraduate aid by more than $30 million annually, which will allow the university to provide stronger financial assistance to more than 4,000 students every year once the program is in full effect. It is anticipated that approximately one-third of the fall 2020 and spring 2021 entering class will benefit from this increase in financial assistance.

“USC is committed to educating the strongest minds, independent of background or ability to pay. For decades, USC has invested in this commitment,” provost Charles Zukoski said. “With this new initiative, we will be even better positioned to recruit students from all backgrounds and strengthen the USC experience for everyone.”

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Court evidence shows girl found dead in duffel bag had been abused for months

Trinity Love Jones, 9, had been bruised and abused for months. When she was finally identified, after her dead body was found in Hacienda Heights partially stuffed inside of a duffel bag, a medical examiner drew multiple diagrams to capture all of her scars.

READ MORE: Missing Black girl found in duffel bag identified by police; death ruled homicide

Recently in a Pomona, California courtroom, Superior Court Judge Mike Camacho ruled there was enough evidence against the girl’s mom, Taquesta Graham, 29, and her mom’s boyfriend, Emiel Hunt, 39, for the state to proceed to trial. Both have been charged with murder and torture and have pled not guilty, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Evidence presented at the preliminary hearing included text messages between Graham and Hunt that allegedly show they had beaten and starved the girl numerous times over a period of months. Trinity developed an infection on her feet that made it painful when she wore shoes.

On Friday, Camacho ruled the case should proceed to trial, noting the evidence showed “systematic abuse and neglect.”

“It’s clear that these were intentional acts and the defendants acted with conscious disregard,” Camacho said, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Investigators read text messages in which Hunt and Graham talked about punishing Trinity for peeing on herself. “Trinity is going to get it,” her mom allegedly texted Hunt during one text message exchange.

In another, Graham asks Hunt to show Trinity the text she has sent: “We were talking about giving you a burrito …you messed up.”

Hunt and Graham told police that two weeks before Trinity died, she had fallen and hit her head. L.A. County Sheriff’s Det. Marc Boisvert testified that the girl had a huge lump on her forehead and both of her eyes were swollen.

Boisvert told the court that Graham told investigators Trinity was congested on Feb. 28, 2019, so she gave her Pedialyte, soup and a bagel, then got in the shower. She said when she got out, Trinity was having a seizure, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Later that day, Graham told detectives, she went to work at a dollar store while Hunt waited for her in the parking lot. Trinity was in the back seat of the car sleeping. She said when she got off work around 9:30 p.m., the three returned to a hotel, and Hunt carried Trinity to the room. Graham said when she checked on her daughter later that night, she wasn’t breathing. She also shares, according to The Los Angeles Times, that she believed that Hunt had placed a pillow over the child’s face earlier that night in the car.

Hunt tells a slightly different story. He told police that when he woke up around 3 a.m. on March 1 and noticed Trinity wasn’t breathing, he and Graham “freaked out” because they both have criminal histories. He further stated that they told each other “we didn’t do anything wrong,” Boisvert testified, according to The Los Angeles Times.

READ MORE: Mother charged with gruesome murder of girl found stuffed in duffel bag

The girl’s body was found March 5, 2019, partially hidden inside of a large duffel bag near an equestrian trail in Hacienda Heights. Police asked for the public’s help in identifying the girl and received thousands of tips, including one from a relative who called police after seeing a sketch and photo of Trinity, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Sheriff’s Det. Louie Aguilera testified that police have the couple on surveillance footage carrying what appears to be a body wrapped in a blanket from the Budget Inn in Sante Fe Springs. They also have video from Walmart showing the couple buying two shovels, a blanket and a lighter and video of them at another store buying a duffel bag identical to the one Trinity was found in.

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