Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare, Warzone Add “Black Lives Matter” Splash Screen
Infinity Ward’s two most recent Call of Duty games now greet players with a splash screen supporting Black Lives Matter when they start the game.
Players who boot up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone now will be prompted to download an update, and it’s added a new splash screen to the game announcing support for Black Lives Matter. The screen, reported on by The Verge, contains a message for the Call of Duty player community.
“Our community is hurting,” the screen reads. “The systemic inequalities our community experiences are once again center stage. Call of Duty and Infinity Ward stand for equality and inclusion. We stand against the racism and injustice our Black community endures. Until change happens and Black Lives Matter, we will never truly be the community we strive to be.”
The screen will appear for all players upon booting the game, and The Verge reports that it is also appearing on loading screens and when you switch between different modes.
While Call of Duty has long been notorious for having many toxic players, this is one of several efforts being taken or promised right now to address racism among the player base. Season 4 has been delayed following the murder of George Floyd, and Infinity Ward has promised to combat in-game racism with enhanced counter-measures.
Infinity Ward is one of several developers and publishers that has addressed current world events and pledged support for Black Lives Matter.
GameSpot would like to encourage readers to donate to Black Lives Matter, and to seek out black voices in media.
GameSpot is now hosting Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
Article via GameSpot
‘It is a horrific scene:’ 7 killed in Alabama mass shooting; suspect at large
Seven people were killed in a mass shooting at a residence in Morgan County late Thursday.
The shooting took place at a home on the 500 block of Talucah Road in Valhermoso Springs close to Somerville at a little before 11:30 p.m., according to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
The victims are four men and three women.
Upon arrival at the residence, deputies saw part of the home was on fire and later discovered seven bodies inside after the fire was extinguished.
“It is a horrific scene and to be able to process it will take some time,” MCSO’s public information officer Mike Swafford told a local TV news station. “We don’t have a motive at this time. We don’t have a determined suspect at this time. Investigators are following leads to piece together exactly what happened and who was involved. We can say we don’t believe there is an active threat to anybody in the area.”
Swafford told AL.com investigators believe the suspect went to the residence with the intention of shooting everyone there.
Some victims had multiple gunshot wounds, Swafford said. Authorities are still working to identify all of the victims, but Swafford said some lived at the house where the shootings occurred.
“Incredibly heinous, talking cold blooded,” Swafford said in describing the homicides.
Deputies at the scene extinguished the fire, which Swafford said investigators speculate was started to cover up the crime.
The director of the county’s 911 service two calls reporting gunfire at the residence came in around 11:30 p.m. One caller said a gun had been fired intermittently for an hour.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Somerville Police Department were brought in to assist with the crime scene. The FBI’s Violent Crimes Taskforce is also assisting.
AL.com has attempted to contact Swafford, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Somerville Police Department to gather further details about the shooting.
The shooting comes a little over a week after the county witnessed a triple homicide.
The seven deaths make this shooting one of the worst mass homicides in recent Alabama history.
Five people, including a pregnant mother, were killed in Citronelle in 2016. Five people were killed in a robbery in Birmingham in 2012 and five were killed in Shelby County in 2008.
In 2009, 11 people, including the gunman, were killed in a shooting spree in Samson.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
Article via AL
Spike Lee on what’s different about these protests
“People are tired and they take to the streets,” said Lee.
It’s not the first time that Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” has been freshly urgent, but Lee’s 1989 film has again found blistering relevance in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
On Monday, Lee released a short film titled “3 Brothers” connecting the death of Radio Raheem (played by Bill Nunn) in “Do the Right Thing” to the deaths of Floyd and Eric Garner. Floyd died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against his neck as he begged for air. Garner’s dying plea of “I can’t breathe” became a rallying cry against police brutality in 2014.
“I’ve seen this before. This is not new,” Lee said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday. “I was born in ’57 so I was 11 years old when I saw the riots with Dr. King’s assassination, later on with Rodney King and the Simi Valley verdict, Trayvon Martin and Ferguson.”
“People are tired and they take to the streets,” said Lee.
“Do the Right Thing,” about rising racial tensions on a hot summer day in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, took direct inspiration from reality. In the film, Raheem is choked to death by a police officer, sparking a riot.
Lee modeled the choke hold that kills Raheem on the murder of Michael Stewart, a graffiti artist who was killed by New York City police officers in 1983. Lee dedicated the film to Stewart’s family, as well as those of several other black people killed by police officers.
“His death is not just made up. Many years later, Eric Garner, automatically I thought of Ray Raheem,” said Lee. “Then to see my brother George Floyd. I mean, he was quoting the words of Eric Garner: ‘I can’t breathe.’ He was channeling Eric Garner. I’m sure of it.”
As much as Lee sees history repeating itself, there’s one element of the current unrest that strikes the filmmaker as new.
“I’ve been very encouraged by the diversity of the protesters. I haven’t seen this diverse protests since when I was a kid,” Lee said, citing the movements of the ’60s. “I’m encouraged that my white sisters and brothers are out there.
“That is the hope of this country, this diverse, younger generation of Americans who don’t want to perpetuate the same (expletive) that their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents got caught up in. That’s my hope.”
“My young white sisters and brothers are out there in the streets. How many black folks are in Salt Lake City, Utah? And let’s take into account that the NBA is not playing,” said Lee, letting out an enormous cackle. “The Utah Jazz are not playing!”
“3 Brothers” is the second short Lee has released during the pandemic. While Lee has kept to his Upper East Side apartment with his family, he has also biked around the city to shoot. Lee’s “New York, New York,” set to Frank Sinatra, was released in early May as an ode to his outbreak-stricken city. Next week, he’ll release on Netflix “Da 5 Bloods,” a Vietnam War drama about four black veterans who return to Vietnam to find the remains of their fallen squad leader (Chadwick Boseman).
Lee has only modest hopes for justice in the aftermath of Floyd’s death. Attorney General William Barr he calls “not a friend to justice.” “He’s going to do what Agent Orange tell him to do,” said Lee, using his favored nickname for President Donald Trump.
But Lee has been buoyed by a photo of New York police officers kneeling with protesters, an image he likened to Colin Kaepernick’s NFL protests.
“They need to show the image more,” said Lee. “Colin Kaepernick is a patriot.”
Article via NBCNews
Dick Wolf Fires Writer From ‘Law & Order’ Spinoff for Threatening to ‘Light Up’ Looters
Craig Gore, a writer whose credits include “S.W.A.T.” and “Chicago P.D.,” has been fired from Dick Wolf’s upcoming “Law & Order” spinoff series after controversial Facebook posts about looters and the recent curfew put in place across Los Angeles.
“I will not tolerate this conduct, especially during our hour of national grief. I am terminating Craig Gore immediately,” Dick Wolf said in a statement to Variety.
Photos on social media show Gore holding a weapon with the caption “Curfew…” In another comment, Gore threatened to “light motherf—ers up who are trying to f— with my property,” in reference to protests that took place in Los Angeles on Monday.
Gore’s posts, which incited a strong reaction on social media, come amid calls for criminal justice reform after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minnesota. His posts gained traction on social media after Drew Janda, who worked on the OWN series “Greenleaf” and HBO shows “Big Little Lies” and “Barry,” brought attention to Gore’s remarks.
Variety has also learned from sources that Paradigm, which represented Gore, has now cut ties with the writer and producer.
“Craig Gore is no longer a Paradigm client. We condemn his post in the strongest possible terms,” said a spokesperson for the agency.
Gore previously listed himself as a “co-executive producer on ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’” — the new Chris Meloni series in the works at NBC — on his Facebook profile. However, Meloni replied to Janda’s tweet saying that he has “no idea who this person is or what they do.” Meloni clarified that the showrunner on the “Law & Order: SVU” spinoff is Matt Olmstead, not Gore, adding that he has “gotten no word on any hirings.”
On the same day as Gore’s posts, the “S.W.A.T.” writers’ room Twitter account posted a statement calling for “law enforcement to de-escalate conflicts, not exacerbate them.” Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, one of the show’s executive producers, said that he is “frustrated, angry, but determined to do better. Onscreen and off.”
Other than “S.W.A.T.” and “Chicago P.D.,” Gore recently had a “DEA” series in development at Fox. However, according to sources the network passed on the project, which had been given a script plus penalty commitment, earlier this year.
Article via Variety
DL Hughley Calls Kanye West “Morally Bankrupt”
Kanye West is no stranger to criticism. The outspoken Yeezy owner has had his share of controversy and comedian/radio host, DL Hugely, is no fan of the rapper. Like R&B singer Tyrese, Hughley believes West’s spiritual awakening with his rap Christian album and Sunday Service movement is a marketing ploy. Hughley has also been critical of Kanye’s in-laws, especially Kim Kardashian West, and her work in prison reform.
DL Hughley says Kanye West is morally bankrupt
Hughley has been utilizing his expanded profile outside of comedy to speak on social issues throughout the last few years and many consider him a thought leader on issues regarding society and race. Hughley has written several books giving his commentary and has been praised for the analysis he gives on important issues.
The comedian turned radio host has not been pleased with West’s behavior for the last few years but was particularly upset about West’s now-infamous “slavery was a choice” comment. In a new interview with Vlad TV, Hugely says West has no morals.
“He’s a tremendously talented dude but a morally bankrupt human being,” Hugely said. “When albums didn’t sell, this n***a sold God to n***as,” he continued, referring to West’s Jesus Is King album and controversial Sunday Service ceremonies.
He also spoke of West’s political affiliations, calling his decisions unsalvagable. Hughley believes that West is too vain to see any error in his ways and make changes for the better.
DL Hughley has criticized Kanye West and the Kardashian family before
Hughley has spoken out about West before. He once said in an interview that West only appears smart to “dumb people” and that West has no real advisers, but only enablers who surround him.
Hughley has also been vocal about his feelings about West’s wife, particularly his criticism of Kim Kardashian West’s prison reform work. While he believes it’s admirable that Kardashian West is using her platform for the greater good, he has been skeptical of her agenda.
He has been upset at those who have praised Kardashian West for her work yet fail to acknowledge African Americans who have been in the line of advocacy far longer than the reality star.
One of Hughley’s jokes about Kardashian West’s romantic relationships gained the most traction. It came after Kardashian West was seen leaving the White House following her meeting to discuss prison reform.
“Kim Kardashian meeting with the president to discuss prison reform makes sense,” he began. “Who’s screwed more Black dudes than her and the prison system?”
Hughley was unphased by Kardashian West’s work to free Alice Johnson, a non-violent offender who was serving a life sentence for drug charges. According to Hughley, Johnson’s case represented a photo opportunity for Kardashian West and the case was an easier task for her.
“This was the prisoner a reality star liked and a cause they could go behind that another reality star was sparked to,” he told Vlad TV in 2018.
Article via CheatSheet
Vanessa Morgan Says She’s Being ”Used as a Sidekick” to Riverdale’s White Characters
Actress Vanessa Morgan Kopech is speaking out about being “tired of how black people are portrayed in media.”
Morgan, who currently plays Toni Topaz in The CW’s Riverdale, took to Twitter on Sunday, May, 31 to share that she was not going to be “quiet anymore.” In a statement posted on the social media platform, she wrote, “Tired of how black people are portrayed in media, tired of us being portrayed as thugs, dangerous or angry scary people. Tired of us also being used as side kick non dimensional characters to our white leads.”
“Or only used in the ads for diversity but not actually in the show,” she continued. “It starts with the media. I’m not being quiet anymore.”
On Tuesday, the 28-year-old actress stated that her role on Riverdale “has nothing to do with my fellow classmates/friends. They don’t write the show. So no need to attack them, they don’t call the shots & I know they have my back.”
Article via EOnline
BLM Protests in Denmark as Black Lives Matter Goes Global
The Black Lives Matter protests that have sprung up in the wake of the killing of George Floyd are no longer just an American movement. The George Floyd protests have spread around the world, as protests have erupted in London, Japan, New Zealand, and Denmark. This BLM protest in Copenhagen, Denmark is just one example of the far reaching battle against police brutality and racial injustice, as protesters chant I can’t breathe in a variety of languages and cultures. Racial injustice is a truly global issue, and while the United States might have its own shameful history, the world itself can no longer deny that Black Lives Matter.
YouTube star Jake Paul claims he wasn’t looting after video shows him at damaged Arizona mall
YouTube star Jake Paul denies that he “engaged in any looting or vandalism” despite being seen with friends on video at an Arizona mall as people around them appeared to be damaging property Saturday night. Demonstrators all over the country continued to protest the death of George Floyd over the weekend, calling for an end to police violence. Floyd died at police hands in Minneapolis early last week.
“To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism,” the influencer said in a statement posted on Twitter Sunday. The 23-year-old claimed he and his friends “spent the day doing our part to peacefully protest” Floyd’s death and claimed they were tear-gassed for filming the protests.
Floyd died after a police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes as he moaned that he couldn’t breathe. A viral video of the incident sparked the ongoing protests, some of which have turned violent, all over the nation.
“We filmed everything we saw in an effort to share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we traveled through; we were strictly documenting, not engaging,” added Paul. “I do not condone violence, looting or breaking the law.”
However, Paul added in the statement that he understands the “anger and frustration that led to the destruction we witnessed.”
pic.twitter.com/kwsQ2jyMm1— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) May 31, 2020
Multiple videos showing Paul and his group at the Arizona mall surfaced on Twitter late Saturday and into Sunday morning. New York Times Reporter Taylor Lorenz was one of many who shared the viral videos on the platform. She claimed the footage showed Paul and his friends “‘looting’ and trashing property in a Scottsdale mall last night amid protests.”
Much of the footage appears to be Instagram stories posted by Paul’s photographer/videographer, Andrew Blue. Blue also put out a statement on his Instagram stories denying their party took part in the alleged looting or vandalism.
The viral videos appear to show Paul walking around both the outside and the inside of the mall wearing a white face mask with a red stripe. Multiple people are seen on camera damaging the property, walking into stores and running around.
The footage doesn’t clearly show if Paul did or didn’t participate in the alleged vandalism or take anything from the businesses.
Paul is no stranger to public incidents and viral moments. He recently admitted his brief supposed marriage to YouTube star Tana Mongeau last year was fake, after speculation the nuptials were a publicity stunt, according to Entertainment Tonight. Earlier this year, Paul alleged he and former One Direction member Zayn Malik, had a tense interaction in Las Vegas. Malik’s model girlfriend, Gigi Hadid, later called Paul out on Twitter for his comments, reports ET.
YouTube star Jake Paul and his friends were caught “looting” and trashing property in a Scottsdale mall last night amid protests pic.twitter.com/KyrE87TvA9— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) May 31, 2020
Article via CBS
Kate Hudson’s Fabletics brand cuts ties with influencer Myka Stauffer
Kate Hudson’s Fabletics is one of a host of brands that have canceled ties with influencer Myka Stauffer after she announced she had “rehomed” her adopted son, Huxley, because of his “medical needs,” including autism.
Ohio-based YouTuber Stauffer and her husband revealed last week they had given up the Chinese-born 4-year-old after adopting him in 2017. Huxley was given to another family even though Stauffer once gushed, “I wouldn’t trade him [for] anything!” in a 2018 Instagram post, which doubled as a paid ad for Dreft laundry detergent for newborns.
When asked by a fan, Hudson said on Instagram that Stauffer was “terminated.”
Other brands that have cut ties with Stauffer include Playtex Baby, Chili’s Suave and Big Lots.
Article via PageSix
Music industry to go silent for Black Out Tuesday following George Floyd protests
The music industry is planning to turn off the music and hold a day to reflect and implement change in response to the death of George Floyd and the killings of other black people.
Several top record labels organized Black Out Tuesday as riots erupted around the world sparked by Floyd’s death as well as the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Music-based companies Live Nation and TikTok, as well as the Recording Academy, posted to social media that they planned to support and stand with the black community.
“On Tuesday June 2nd, Columbia Records will observe ‘Black Out Tuesday,’” the Sony label home to Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, Adele and John Legend said in a statement. “This is not a day off. Instead, this is a day to reflect and figure out ways to move forward in solidarity.”
“We continue to stand with the Black community, our staff, artists, and peers in the music industry,” the company continued. “Perhaps with the music off, we can truly listen.”
https://www.instagram.com/columbiarecords/?utm_source=ig_embed
Resources, ways to donate: How you can take action from home after the death of George Floyd
Others that have joined Black Out Tuesday include the Sony imprints RCA Records and Epic Records; the Universal Music Group divisions Republic Records, Def Jam, UMG Nashville, Capitol Records and Island Records; and the Warner Music Group imprints Atlantic and Warner Records. Smaller, independent labels as well as music publishing companies and management firms have also signed on.
UMG’s Interscope Geffen A&M said that in addition to joining Black Out Tuesday, the label home to Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar would not release music this week — the first label to do so.
“Instead, IGA will contribute to organizations that help to bail out protesters exercising their right to peacefully assemble, aid lawyers working for systemic change and provide assistance to charities focused on creating economic empowerment in the Black community,” its statement read.
IGA postponed new music releases MGK, 6lack, Dylan, Jessie Ware, Smokepurp, Lil Mosey, Billy Raffoul, Max Leone and more in coordination with their partners Alamo, LVRN, The Darkroom, Bad Boy and more.
MTV, VH1, CMT and others go dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds
At 5 p.m. ET/PT today, MTV and the Entertainment & Youth Group brands of ViacomCBS are going dark and suspending all programming for 8 minutes and 46 seconds – the length of time former Minneapolis Police Department Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck before he died, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s complaint.
8 minutes, 46 seconds and ‘inherently dangerous’: What’s in the criminal complaint in the George Floyd case
MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Net, Pop, VH1, TV Land, CMT + Logo will all participate.
Musicians including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, Post Malone and Harry Styles have spoken out following Floyd’s death and the worldwide riots. Jay-Z released a statement late Sunday calling for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to prosecute those responsible for killing Floyd.
“I, along with an entire country in pain, call upon AG Ellison to do the right thing and prosecute all those responsible for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent of the law. This is just a first step. I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have,” Jay-Z said. “I prevail on every politician, prosecutor and officer in the country to have the courage to do what is right. Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves.”
Racial tensions were also running high after two white men were arrested in May in the February shooting death of black jogger Arbery in Georgia, and after Louisville, Kentucky, police shot Taylor to death in her home in March.
The R&B duo Chloe x Halle, who will release their sophomore album “Ungodly Hour” on Friday, posted a cover of the classic civil rights anthem and protest song “We Shall Overcome” to Instagram.
“This week has been very heavy for all of us. We’ve been trying to, not understand, because there’s no way to understand the terrible killings — we just have heavy hearts this week and are just trying to do everything we can to pray and lift each other up with our voices,” Halle said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“With everything going on, we felt like music can be very healing, because it’s been that way for us in kind of keeping us sane during this time,” Chloe added. As much as we could, we just wanted to share our gift of song to even just lift spirits for even a few seconds.”
Article via USAToday