Category: Opinion

Chris Brown has been facing backlash over risqué photos he has taken with female fans at meet-and-greets on his recent tour.

On Monday, multiple photos of Brown’s meet-and-greets from his current “One of Them Ones” tour with Lil Baby went viral on Twitter, with many fans pointing out the unusual and provocative poses in the pictures.

Brown quickly took to Instagram to defend the photos, saying that he has the “coolest fans on the planet.”

“PSA!!! When artists (everyone) do concerts, they all have something called a VIP package,” he wrote in an Instagram Story. “I haven’t done meet and greets in over 7 years…”

Brown continued: “I have the coolest fans on the planet… I appreciate the f**k outta them. These are memories that will last with them forever. Unlike most of the lame-a** artists that won’t make eye contact with the people who made it possible to even have a career. I only exist because these fans saw something in me I never thought was possible… So Ima go all out for my fans!!!”

Still, some fans thought that Brown had gone too far with the photos.

However, many commenters felt that the fans got their money’s worth for the VIP packages, which cost up to $3,500.

Shane Martin, a Connecticut-based music marketing expert who operates meet-and-greets at concerts, also shared an Instagram post last week applauding Brown’s interaction with his fans at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut.

“I’ve operated hundreds and hundreds of meet & greets over the years and never have I ever seen an artist interact with the fans the way Chris Brown did,” Martin wrote.

“Usually artists pose for the pic, maybe shake a hand or two and then say next, making the experience last about 20-30 seconds. But Chris Brown shook everyone’s hand, gave multiple hugs, signed multiple things, and took lots of very entertaining pictures with each person! He actually stood there and talked to each fan for 3-4 minutes.”

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office turned down an invitation for the governor to appear on “The View,” questioning the hosts’ motives for wanting him on the show.

The program sent the invite Monday telling the governor’s office they would “be honored” to have DeSantis appear on the show. DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, Bryan Griffin, told “The View” that his office will “pass on the offer” in light of co-hosts’ past remarks about the governor.

“Thanks for the invite. I understand that you are sending this request on behalf of your team,” Griffin wrote in a Tuesday email. “But are the hosts of the View really interested in hearing from Governor DeSantis about all of the important work he is doing on behalf of Floridians to protect their health and livelihoods, to stand up for parents and children, and to defend freedom? Which of the below statements from the hosts of the View do you recommend our team considers when deciding if the interview will be a genuine pursuit of truth? Or worth the time?… We will pass on this offer.”

Griffin quoted co-host Joy Behar calling DeSantis a “negligent, homicidal sociopath” in August 2021, and co-host Sunny Hostin calling the governor a “fascist and a bigot” in June 2022. The email also included a remark from co-host Ana Navarro, who said in April 2022 that DeSantis’ policies are “anti-Black,” “anti-gay” and “anti-American.”

Another statement included Sunny Hostin accusing the governor of targeting marginalized groups such as African Americans and LGBTQ+ people.

“It started with CRT. Let’s remember that — and those are anti-history laws, anti-Black history laws, really,” she said. “If you start coming after Black people, what comes next, right? Of course the LGBTQ+ community, and then women, and then other marginalized groups.”

DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, applauded Griffin’s response in a Tuesday tweet.

Twenty-one Chinese warplanes flew into Taiwan’s air defense zone on Tuesday, the same day House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taipei, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense.

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force planes — which included ten of its newer J-16 fighters, eight J-11 fighter jets, one KJ-500 airborne early warning, and control aircraft, one Y-9 electronic warfare plane, and one Y-8 transport aircraft — entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.

The warplane’s entry into the ADIZ came the same day Pelosi traveled to Taiwan to visit a historic visit. She is the highest ranking US official to visit the self-governed island democracy in 25 years.

China repeatedly warned it would take some type of military action should Pelosi visit the island, saying the People’s Liberation Army would “not sit idly by.”

After her arrival late Tuesday night, China announced that the PLA would hold “targeted military operations” around the island in response. The Chinese military will hold live-fire drills in six areas surrounding Taiwan from August 4 to 7, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency and state-affiliated Global Times.

The drills, which began Tuesday night, not only involve air and maritime exercises, but also the firing of conventional missiles and long-range artillery.

San Francisco hosted a Sunday fetish festival popular among gay men despite growing concerns about the spread of monkeypox and the city’s declaration of a health emergency days ahead of the event.

The Up Your Alley festival is “usually described as a bit kinkier/nastier, more-gay male-centric” than other fetish festivals in San Francisco. The event draws thousands each year, with the festival website encouraging attendees to “wear your gear, your leather, or your birthday suit” while keeping “an open mind.”

“San Francisco showed during COVID that early action is essential for protecting public health,” Democratic Mayor London Breed said when she declared monkeypox a health emergency on July 28.

Despite Breed’s emphasis on taking “early action” to combat a health emergency, the well-attended kink festival still went on as planned.

Other promotional materials for Up Your Alley encouraged prospective attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The materials made no mention of the monkeypox vaccination or altering one’s habits to mitigate the risk of transmission.

Gay and bisexual men account for the overwhelming majority of monkeypox cases observed in the U.S. so far.

President Donald Trump is calling it as he sees it when it comes to Brittany Griner, accusing the “potentially spoiled” WNBA star of traveling to Moscow “loaded up with drugs,” and dismissing the idea of trading her for a Russian arms dealer.

Trump recently appeared on the “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” where he was asked about 31-year-old Griner’s detainment in Russia.

“She went in there loaded up with drugs into a hostile territory where they’re very vigilant about drugs. They don’t like drugs, and she got caught,” Trump said.

“And, now we’re supposed to get her out, and she makes, you know, a lot of money, I guess. We’re supposed to get her out for an absolute killer and one of the biggest arms dealers in the world. Killed many Americans. Killed many people.”

“Loaded up with drugs” isn’t exactly consistent with the known information. Griner, in court, admitted to accidentally bringing marijuana that she says was prescribed by a doctor in the States to help deal with the pain from previous basketball injuries, instead of taking powerful pain medications.

“It certainly doesn’t seem like a very good trade, does it? He’s absolutely one of the worst in the world and he’s gonna be given his freedom because a potentially spoiled person goes into Russia loaded up with drugs,” Trump said to Travis and Sexton.

The man the U.S is reported to be considering swapping Griner for, is Viktor Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death.”

U.S. Congressman Colin Allred said last week that it’s up to the Russians to accept the deal.

“The ball is entirely in the Russian’s court. I think we’ve made a very good offer to them based off what we know what they want,” Allred said.

The Congressman did not specifically mention Bout’s name or any other specifics of the proposed deal.

Griner has been detained since late February when Russian officials found hashish oil in her bag. She pled guilty and is awaiting her sentence. She faces up to 10 years in prison unless there’s a prisoner swap.

Justin Beiber is back in action… performing for the first time since his frightening facial paralysis.

Justin hit the stage in Lucca, Italy Sunday, where he sang, danced, and brought the house down like his old self.

Justin was previously diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a rare virus that caused paralysis in his face, along with other symptoms.

Beiber took a month off from his world tour, but promised fans he’d be back at the end of July, and he was well enough to deliver.

He’s scheduled to perform in South America, South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, again … before making his way to the U.S.

Elon Musk’s disdain for his father likely just intensified, after his 76-year-old father, Errol Musk pretty much said his son is fat and he’s not proud of him.

Errol was a guest on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show in Australia Monday, where he told the hosts he’s not proud of his son for creating game-changing technology and becoming a billionaire, saying: “You know, we are a family that have been doing a lot of things for a long time. It’s not as if we suddenly started doing something.”

Errol was pretty clear that his favorite child is Elon’s brother, Kimbal, whom he called his “pride and joy.”

He also threw shade at Elon when asked about photos of his son on vacation in Greece, saying “Elon is very strongly built but he’s been eating badly,” and suggesting he take a weight loss product called Garcinia Cambogia.

He went on to say that while Elon does own a fleet of cars, he does not own a single Tesla.

Elon has made it clear, that he detests his dad and blames him for his family’s early struggles. This interview is not likely to change his mind.

Columbian pop singer Shakira could be looking at up to eight years in prison because Spanish prosecutors have accused her of tax fraud.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is facing six charges alleging she failed to pay the Spanish government nearly $15 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutors said they would also seek a fine of $24.5 million.

The singer “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law,” her public relations firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement Wednesday.

The 45-year-old singer’s tax fraud case is expected to go to trial after she rejected a settlement deal offered by prosecutors. A trial date has not yet been set.

If convicted, prosecutors are asking the court for a sentence of eight years and two months.

A judge can waive prison time for first-time offenders if they are sentenced to less than two years behind bars.

Prosecutors charged Shakira with tax evasion in December 2018, claiming that she failed to pay millions in taxes to the Spanish government between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira listed the Bahamas as her official residence for tax purposes during those years, but prosecutors allege that she was in fact living in Spain with her now-ex partner, Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, father of her two children.

Shakira testified before a judge in 2019 as part of an investigation into her alleged tax evasion and denied any wrongdoing. Her PR firm said she immediately paid what she owed with interest once she was informed of the debt by the tax office.

The entire case hinges on where she lived during the years in question.

Spanish Judge Marco Juberías wrote that his three-year probe found there existed “sufficient evidence of criminality” for the case to go to trial.

Chris Rock made a joke about the infamous Will Smith slap during his stand-up show, but made no mention of Smith’s recent video apology.

Chris performed in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre this weekend … his first appearance since Smith’s apology, and his jokes were on point.

He put a spin on a big issue in our country and weaved it into Oscar’s greatest hit … “Everybody is trying to be a f—ing victim. If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith — I went to work the next day, I got kids.”

Chris got in a few more jokes… “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face!

Will made an emotional apology to Chris during his video appeal, saying Chris wasn’t ready to talk with him. Chris had previously said that he was not going to talk to Will or accept his apology. Perhaps the video softened his position. Either way, based on his performance he’s healing.

Will didn’t say why it took him 4 months to speak out following the slap,but he did seem pained by his actions and sincere in his apology. It would appear that Smith has more healing to do than Rock. Nevertheless, it looks like this is Will’s reemergence. It’s a very good bet the whole thing will not affect Will’s career, long term.

President Joe Biden held his longest call yet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning amid rising tensions between the two powers.

The call, which was their fifth since Biden assumed office, started at 8:33 a.m. ET and lasted for two hours and 17 minutes, according to the White House.

Xi cautioned Biden against disobeying Beijing’s policy on Taiwan, according to a Chinese translation of the conversation.

According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the president expressed moral concerns about forced labor and ethnic genocide in China on Thursday.

The Chinese MFA denied the alleged exchange entirely, saying, “According to White House Press Secretary, ‘genocide’ & ‘forced labor’ came up in last night’s call between Chinese & US Presidents. That is disinformation.”

“Pure lies,” an MFA spokesperson said of the White House’s claim. “White House spokesperson said the issues of genocide and forced labor were mentioned in the call last night, that is false information.”

In the Xinjiang area, China is alleged to have wrongfully detained up to 3 million Uyghurs and performed forced sterilizations and abortions. According to Chinese authorities, the camps in the area serve as “re-education” centers that fight Islamic extremism.

According to White House Press Secretary, “genocide” & “forced labor” came up in last night’s call between Chinese & US Presidents. That is disinformation. pic.twitter.com/sKdZQfqVnJ

— CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) July 29, 2022

Chinese government officials have warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to cancel a planned trip to Taiwan, siting Chinese-U.S. foreign policy agreements.

“The call was a part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the PRC and responsibly manage our differences and work together where our interests align,” the White House said of the call.