When it comes to building her family, Rihanna sits back and lets God take the reins. Starring on the cover of Interview magazine’s latest issue, the Fenty mogul says she’s open to having more children.

“[I’ll have] as many as God wants me to have,” the mother of two told Interview magazine when asked about her desire to have more children. “I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl. But of course, if it’s another boy, it’s another boy.” 

In May 2022, Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky, welcomed their first son, RZA, who will be 2 on May 13. Soon after, the couple’s family expanded with the birth of their second son, Riot Rose, now 8 months old, in August 2023. Though the award-winning singer once imagined being a “girl mom,” she has fully embraced life as the mother of sons, as previously reported by theGrio. 

“They’re the best, having a house full of boys […] I love it,” she said.  

Even when she’s not physically with her boys, Rihanna carries a piece of her little ones with her. In a YSL mini duffle bag, which the stylish star once used as a diaper bag, she keeps one of Riot’s burping cloths and a pacifier of RZA’s alongside her beauty essentials and daily necessities. 

“[W]hen I move, I either keep a rag or a pair of socks or a pacifier,” she told the publication. “Something from them.” 

However, just as Rihanna is leaving any future children up to God, she says she took a similar approach to her relationship with A$AP Rocky. The couple were first spotted together at the 2012 Video Music Awards (VMAs), where romance rumors began to swirl when A$AP Rocky groped the “Umbrella” singer’s booty mid-performance. 

“That was the day that we thought we met. At rehearsal. So it was, like, manager-to-manager, client-to-client,” she said, explaining that the two barely knew each other at the time. “So when he grabbed my ass that night … my team was worried that I wanted to have his head on a f**king mantle. But I was like, ‘Ah, nah.’ That’s why everybody was like, ‘Oh my God, she likes him.’” 

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Following the viral moment, Rihanna starred as the leading lady in the rapper’s “Fashion Killa” music video, which was shot by Virgil Abloh. While the two played love interests onscreen in 2013, Rihanna says their actual love story didn’t begin until 2019.  

“We saw fashion the same. We saw creative the same. We ended up in the same circles a lot,” she said, noting how the two supported each other through the years. “We’ve known each other for a long time. I’ve seen him in relationships. He’s seen me in relationships. We’ve seen each other outside of relationships. We knew what we were capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other’s lives. We can make or break each other’s hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution.” 

Seeing their relationship as “a flower [that is] either going to die or blossom,” Rihanna let time determine its destiny. Months after the couple started dating, the 2020 lockdown occurred, which the Fenty mogul says sped up their relationship, allowing them to get comfortable with each other before starting a family. 

“I let God lead and just let go,” she added. “Because in previous relationships, I tried and tried and tried my best, and you still feel like it’s not enough. So when someone sees you completely, and believes in you, and thinks you’re worthy of being the mother of their kids, it’s a great feeling. I felt the same about him. I knew he would be a great dad.” 

Having labeled their children as their best collaboration, A$AP Rocky reportedly does not shy away from his fatherly duties – including stinky diapers. 

“I love him differently as a dad. This is major, major…it’s a turn-on,” she said, explaining how parenting intensified her love for the rapper. “It’s just like, wow. What a leader, what a great, patient loving…and my kids are obsessed with him.”

Embracing the journey of motherhood while continuing to build an empire with Fenty, Rihanna said she never imagined a decade ago that this would be her reality. 

“I wouldn’t have had any idea,” she shared. “The only thing that I knew I wanted, or that I could imagine, was motherhood. I didn’t know how it would come, but it is the best part of my journey so far. Everything else was a surprise.”

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With only 71 days until Hot Girl Summer, Megan Thee Stallion a.k.a. Thee Hot Girl Coach is letting us in on exactly what she’s doing to get her body(ody-0dy-ody) in shape.

Speaking in a new cover interview for Women’s Health Magazine, Megan let it be known how exactly she’s staying fit in the gym, but to be fair—getting up and working out isn’t as easy for her as we think.

“Getting out of bed to work out in the morning is a struggle,” she explained. “I have to get mentally prepared. I’m like, ‘I can stay here for another hour, or I can get up and go work out and be a bad bitch. If I want to be a stallion and not a pony, I got to get up and put in the work.’”

And what type of work does that entail? Pilates, running up sandy hills at the beach, 40 minutes on the stair master or elliptical. On legs days, she’s hitting hip thrusts, goblet squats, leg extensions, and those “stallion kicks” (a.k.a. donkey kicks). On core days, she’s switches to weighted situps, lat pulldowns, lat flies, and “renegade rows” to strengthen and tone her back.

Looking good and staying healthy isn’t just about the exercise though, it’s also about diet. But don’t worry, Meg let us know what she usually leans towards for that too:

On her way to achieving her ideal physique, Megan noticed that no matter how much she worked, she still had “this little gut,” she says. So, she leveled up her diet by scaling back on bread, tuna melts, and red meat and eliminating sugary drinks like soda, juice, and cognac. Today, she drinks about a gallon of water a day and reaches for tequila instead. When Megan realized she no longer felt bloated and her skin became noticeably clearer, she knew she was on the right track.

Modifying her diet wasn’t all about vanity, though. Megan also wanted to feel better. She’s eased long-standing stomach issues by consuming more nutrient-rich foods, like avocados. These days, she maintains healthy eating habits by drinking a strawberry, banana, almond milk, and protein powder smoothie or a green juice in the morning before she works out, eating pan-seared salmon for lunch, and having sea bass or cod for dinner along with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, or brown rice; she snacks on cucumber slices with salt and pepper, and cherry tomatoes with light balsamic vinaigrette.

OK, hotties! Now that we’ve got our marching orders, we expect to see you all bright and early (or later in the afternoon, make it work for you, boo) in the gym.

Hot Girl Summer is around the corner, and we’ve got to be ready. All in favor, say “Ahht!”

The anticipation for the next film, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux,’ has reached a fever pitch, as Warner Bros. has released the first teaser, which features Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in their legendary roles as Joker and Harley Quinn. The sequel to the blockbuster hit ‘Joker’ offers a fresh twist by going into the world of musical cinema, a break from its predecessor’s psychological thriller origins.

At CinemaCon, when the trailer was revealed, there was tangible enthusiasm among theater owners and fans alike, anxious to see the highly awaited picture. Expectations for the sequel are sky-high with the original film grossing more than $1 billion worldwide and earning Phoenix an Oscar.

Director Todd Phillips, who helmed the original film, expressed that while ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ ventures into the musical genre, it remains true to the essence of its predecessor. Phillips emphasized that music plays a crucial role in both films, with Arthur Fleck’s journey intricately intertwined with melodies that reflect his inner turmoil. Referring to the upcoming sequel, Phillips remarked, “To me, that doesn’t veer too far from the first film. Arthur has music in him. He has a grace to him.”

Phoenix, reprising his role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, is sure to enchant viewers once more as the famous figure. He is joined by the amazing Lady Gaga, who brings her flair to the part of Harley Quinn, marking a reunion between Phillips and Gaga after their collaboration on ‘A Star is Born.’

The sequel foreshadows the psychological intricacies that will emerge as the story investigates the interwoven fates of its characters. Drawing inspiration from the medical term for a shared delusion between two people, the film promises to dig deeper into its characters’ broken psyches.

Fans are left wondering if a change in genre would help the Joker sequel achieve even greater success, as the trailer teases viewers with glimpses of the film’s eerie yet fascinating world. The sequel is expected to cause a stir when it opens on October 4, 2024, thanks to its innovative strategy and outstanding cast.

Watch the teaser trailer of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ below.

What are your thoughts on the new Joker trailer? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

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CHICAGO (AP) — Plainclothes Chicago police officers fired nearly 100 gunshots over 41 seconds during a traffic stop that left one man dead and one officer injured, according to graphic video footage a police oversight agency released Tuesday.

Five officers from a tactical unit who were in an unmarked police vehicle surrounded an SUV last month driven by Dexter Reed, allegedly for failing to wear a seatbelt. Video shows the 26-year-old Black man briefly lowering a window and then raising it and refusing to exit the vehicle as more officers arrived, yelled commands and drew weapons.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said preliminary evidence showed Reed fired first, injuring an officer in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the city’s West Side. Then four officers returned fire, shooting 96 rounds.

The gunshots continued even after “Reed exited his vehicle and fell to the ground,” COPA said in releasing the body-worn camera footage, 911 calls and police reports.

The videos released offer a fuller perspective than what police initially offered last month.

Police Superintendent Larry Snelling previously said the shooting on March 21 began with a traffic stop and described it as an “exchange of gunfire.”

Family members have questioned authorities’ account of the shooting, looking for answers about why Reed was pulled over. Andrew M. Stroth, an attorney for the family, said Reed’s mother, sister, uncle and father saw the video Tuesday and were emotionally distraught. He said they remember the young man as a talented high school basketball player with ambitions of being a sports broadcaster.

“I really can’t explain the pain that me and my family is going through, but I just hope there are people out there who understand he was a son, he was a brother, he was an uncle, he had loved ones,” Reed’s sister, Porscha Banks, told reporters. “He was somebody very important.”

Banks and other family members joined a demonstration Tuesday night outside the 11th District Police Station, where protestors demanded the firing of the officers who shot Reed. One person was hospitalized after some of the demonstrators clashed with a heckler, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Stroth called it an unconstitutional police stop with plainclothes officers who did not announce they were police. He said the family wants to see a swift investigation and for the department to better comply with a court-supervised reform plan.

“Nothing is going to bring Dexter back, but certainly efforts should be taken to make sure this doesn’t happen to another family,” he said.

On Tuesday, police spokesperson Thomas Ahern said the department was cooperating with the investigation.

“We cannot make a determination on this shooting until all the facts are known and this investigation has concluded,” he said.

The videos show multiple perspectives, including from the officer who was shot. But there isn’t clear footage of Reed shooting. A gun was later recovered from the vehicle.

The tactical unit drives up to the scene with multiple officers screaming profanity-laced commands for Reed to first lower the window and then open the door.

Then gunshots erupt. A man calling 911 to report the shooting described it as “shooting like they’re having a Vietnam War.”

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Reed exits the vehicle and slumps to the ground, ending up facedown with his head near the rear passenger wheel and wearing only one shoe. Blood trails into a nearby gutter. Footage of the car shows dozens of bullet holes. The other shoe sits just outside the driver’s door.

“Don’t move! Don’t move!” the officers scream at Reed, lifting up bloody slumping hands in search of a gun but not finding one. They handcuff him as he remains facedown and unmoving.

“I don’t know where the gun is,” an officer says. They later use a flashlight to look into the vehicle and locate the weapon on the passenger seat.

“He started shooting at us,” another officer says.

Afterward more officers and an ambulance arrive on scene.

“All of us were shooting,” one officer says repeatedly.

Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed a full investigation, saying Tuesday’s release was part of an effort to be more transparent.

“Attempts to withhold or delay information are mistakes of the past,” he said at a news conference with COPA and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. “As mayor and as a father, raising a family, including two Black boys on the West Side of Chicago, I’m personally devastated to see yet another young Black man lose his life during an interaction with police.”

He said the city doesn’t condone shootings against police officers and noted that the officer, who is also Black, suffered a wrist injury but could have fared far worse. Had the bullet gone a few inches in another direction, Johnson said he would be here “talking about the death of another Black man.”

The officers were placed on 30 days of administrative leave amid the investigations from COPA and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said her office will determine whether the officers’ use of force was warranted or necessitated criminal charges.

“Let me assure you that our pursuit of justice will be relentless, guided by the facts, grounded in evidence and the law,” she said.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office classified Reed’s death as a homicide and reported that he died of “multiple” gunshot wounds.

COPA was created in 2016 after the city was forced to release dashcam video of then-officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, contradicting officers’ account that the teen had lunged at police with a knife. Its responsibilities include investigations of shootings by police.

The police department has been under a consent decree since 2019, handed down after the U.S. Justice Department found a long history of racial bias and excessive use of force following McDonald’s death.

The independent monitoring team overseeing the department’s compliance has repeatedly found it falling behind on deadlines and specific goals and last year called on Snelling as the incoming superintendent to “address challenges that have disproportionately delayed progress.”

Warner Bros. Television is set to captivate audiences once again with the debut of “Pretty Little Liars: Summer School” on Max. The Max Original drama series is slated to premiere with two episodes on Thursday, May 9, followed by one new episode weekly through June 20.

“Pretty Little Liars: Summer School” picks up where its predecessor, “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin,” left off, thrusting viewers into the gripping aftermath of harrowing events. The next generation of Pretty Little Liars finds themselves grappling with a fate perhaps more daunting than death itself – summer school. As if the academic hurdles weren’t enough, Millwood High isn’t the only obstacle standing in the way of their idyllic summer plans, which include fun summer jobs and new, dreamy love interests. A new villain, with possible ties to the infamous A, emerges in town, promising to test the limits of our protagonists in ways they never imagined.

The cast boasts a talented ensemble, including Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Malia Pyles, and Maia Reficco, who reprise their roles as the next generation of Pretty Little Liars. Joining them are Mallory Bechtel, Sharon Leal, Alex Aiono, Jordan Gonzalez, and Elias Kacavas, adding depth and intrigue to the already riveting narrative.

The series is helmed by creators, writers, and executive producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (“Riverdale,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”) and Lindsay Calhoon Bring (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”). Aguirre-Sacasa’s Muckle Man Productions and Alloy Entertainment produce the show in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Executive producers include Alloy’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo, along with Marlene King, who developed the original “Pretty Little Liars” series, and Michael Grassi.”Pretty Little Liars: Summer School” promises to deliver the same level of suspense, mystery, and intrigue that fans have come to expect from the franchise, while also offering fresh twists and turns that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Don’t miss the thrilling premiere on Max, beginning May 9, as the secrets and lies of Millwood High unfold once again.

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Cooking with a salt substitute might lead to blander food, but it could lower the risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease.

Those are the findings of a new systematic analysis that was published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine,  according to CNN. Researchers examined 16 controlled trials with 35,251 people with an average age of about 64 and an above-average risk of cardiovascular disease.  The trials compared common salt — about 100% sodium chloride with iodine added occasionally — and a salt substitute made of 25% to 30% potassium chloride and 60% to 75% sodium chloride.

“We are excited to be able to provide evidence that salt substitutions are effective for improving cardiovascular outcomes when used long-term, up to 10 years,” said Dr. Loai Albarqouni, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor at the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare at Bond University in Australia. “Previous synthesis tended to focus on short-term outcomes, lasting only two weeks.”

The authors also discovered a link between salt substitution and a reduction in sodium in urine and lowered blood pressure — an impact comparable to that of blood pressure drugs, which Albarqouni said may account for the decreased mortality risk. Most of the trials examined took place in China; the remainder were in the Netherlands, Norway, Taiwan, Peru, and the United Kingdom.

Albarqouni said diets that are heavy on packaged or restaurant food likely include too much sodium. Bloating, swelling, fatigue, elevated blood pressure and increased thirst and/or urination are symptoms that might signal you’re consuming too much sodium.

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The American Heart Association recommends a daily salt restriction of 1,500 milligrams and not exceeding 2,300 mg for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure.

Experts advise individuals to try salt replacements that are similar to the substitutes used in the study. In addition to eliminating or reducing salt in home cooking, you can use salt-free spices to add more flavor to food.

The authors said further research is required to determine whether salt substitution is safe for patients who are “sensitive to micronutrient manipulation,” particularly those who are sensitive to potassium.

“This is not the strongest study to base a lot of conclusions on at this point,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. “But it adds to the body of evidence and the signal in the noise that getting rid of sodium salt in your diet is a big plus and getting potassium in your diet is better.”

While Freeman wasn’t involved in the study, he told CNN that “the best way to get potassium in your body is to eat fruits and vegetables — that’s where potassium is most plentiful.”

Renowned director Edward Berger, best known for his work on “All Quiet On The Western Front,” is about to start an intriguing new project with Netflix. His most recent film, “The Ballad of a Small Player,” promises to fascinate spectators with its dramatic storyline and excellent ensemble.

The film, starring Colin Farrell as Lord Doyle, tells the story of a high-stakes gambler seeking safety in the busy metropolis of Macau. The screenplay, written by Rowan Joffe and based on Lawrence Osborne’s bestselling 2014 novel of the same name, is set to tell a fascinating story of redemption and intrigue.

Producer Mike Goodridge of Good Chaos, along with Edward Berger of Nine Hours and Matthew James Wilkinson of Stigma Films, are collaborating to bring this intriguing story to life. With a team of seasoned professionals at the lead, “The Ballad of a Small Player” is prepared to make an impact in the film industry.

The logline teases audiences with a gripping narrative: “When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.”Filming is set to begin in Summer 2024, with sites spread around Asia. From the bustling streets of Macau to the serene surroundings of the region, viewers can expect a visual feast that transports them to the heart of the story.

Edward Berger and Netflix’s relationship is particularly noteworthy. “The Ballad of a Small Player” is Berger’s first movie as part of a creative partnership and global first-look film arrangement with Netflix. With Netflix’s global reach and Berger’s artistic vision, the film is ready to reach audiences worldwide, cementing Berger’s standing as a director to watch.

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Democratic strategists are sounding the alarm for Black voters after a report indicated that if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump returns to the White House, his allies and longtime aides will prioritize policies concerning “anti-white racism.”

According to Axios, a potential second Trump administration will seek to undo equity programs aimed at addressing generations of discrimination against Black and brown Americans, including decades-old federal programs and recent programs established by President Joe Biden. 

“I wish I could say this report is shocking, but frankly, the Trump campaign has been nothing but consistent in their defense of white supremacy and extremist policies,” Jamarr Brown, executive director of Color of Change PAC, told theGrio. “Trump’s candidacy has always been wholly focused on creating a more hostile world for Black people while dismantling any and all pre-existing protections for Black communities.”

In a manifesto known as Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank advised by former Trump presidential transition team director Johnny McEntee, lays out a conservative agenda for a hypothetical second Trump administration. 

The nearly 900-page guide includes policy directives like ending what it calls “affirmative discrimination,” including diversity, inclusion, and equity programs that it claims are “vehicles” for “unlawful discrimination.” In other words, the screed implies equity programs under Biden and previous administrations are discriminatory against white people. 

In March 2023, Trump slammed President Biden’s executive order establishing an equity lens across the entire federal government, calling it a “Marxist concept.” If elected in November, the former Republican president vowed he would “get this extremism out of the White House, out of the military, out of the Justice Department, and out of our government.” 

“As Trump and his allies plan to dismantle ‘anti-white’ racism, we must really underline the true disparities in our system that demand federal protections for Black people,” said Brown of Color of Change PAC. 

The former Texas Democratic Party executive director rejected Trump-aligned figures who suggest federal systems rooted in equity are “broken” because “they were never built to work for all communities and people in the first place.” 

“Our spaces of learning, our economy, our criminal legal systems, and our electoral systems, were all designed to work exclusively for the white and the wealthy,” he added. 

The concept of anti-white racism has already found success in high-profile legal battles, some of which have been forged by Trump allies and advisors. 

In 2021, a Texas judge ruled against the Biden administration’s $29 billion COVID-19-era restaurant relief program intended for women and minority-owned businesses under the grounds that it was discriminatory against a white male restaurant owner. The plaintiff in that case was represented by America First Legal Foundation, a conservative litigation firm founded by Stephen Miller, a former Trump White House aide.

The legal argument in the Texas case centered on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which says that no state shall deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The clause was historically used in landmark cases that ended racial segregation in schools, upheld race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions, and protected the voting rights of Black Americans. 

Now, conservative litigants are winning legal cases under the same 14th Amendment clause on behalf of white citizens, claiming to be harmed by programs intended to undo generational inequities impacting Black communities. To date, the equal protection clause has been used to successfully end President Biden’s debt relief program for Black farmers and force the Minority Business Development Agency to open its programs to white businesses as opposed to disadvantaged communities. 

The 14th Amendment clause was also used to overturn race-based affirmative action, which was decided by the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court and made possible by President Trump’s three nominees. 

Reecie Colbert, a Democratic strategist and commentator, told theGrio that the Project 2025 agenda and legal cases undoing equity programs designed to address racial disparities impacting Black and brown communities is an “opening salvo to what we would see under a Trump administration.”

“They are trying to make us second-class citizens [and] bring us back to the Jim Crow era,” said Colbert, who warned Black voters that “our citizenship is on the ballot in 2024.” She added, “I don’t know that it’s sunk in quite yet just how dire things are.”

Colbert argued that even the Supreme Court ruling to overturn President Biden’s student loan debt relief program, which was designed to benefit Black and brown borrowers, and Republican-led efforts to end DEI programs are connected to this larger aim to undo any progress at addressing racial disparities in wealth, education and business.  

“They’re doing it because … it’s making progress. And really, DEI is a pretext for attacking racial equality,” she said. “The same way that CRT [Critical Race Theory] was a pretext for attacking history being taught even at the elementary school level.”

Antjuan Seawright, a longtime Democratic strategist, told theGrio that if the agenda of Trump and his allies becomes a reality, it will totally “send us full steam backward.”

“Just the idea being floated of this kind of strategy or plan should be a friendly reminder to everyone but, in particular, Black folk, that progress is not permanent.” He added, “It’s an ongoing fight, and it is to be solidified daily.”

Brown of Color of Change PAC said this year’s election will be critical in determining “how Black communities advance across the country” and that the recent reporting about what Trump aims to do if elected back into office should be a “wake-up call for voters.” 

“Not only for progressives to organize with a deeper understanding of what a Trump administration means for our movement but also for those voters who have never cast a blue ballot,” he said.  

“This report makes it even more clear that a Trump White House can not be held accountable to our communities,” Brown added. “A huge part of the power of our movement for racial justice is our ability to guide decision-makers toward reform policies and hold them accountable for obstructing justice for Black people. This will not be possible if Trump’s white supremacist platform is given another term.”

The Biden-Harris campaign came out swinging against Trump’s anticipated agenda to undo equity policies across the federal government. 

“He’s making it clear that if he wins in November, he’ll turn his racist record into official government policy, gutting programs that give communities of color economic opportunities and making the lives of Black and brown folks harder,” said former U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign. 

“Already, his Project 2025 allies have blocked billions of dollars in support for women and minority-owned businesses, and if he wins a second term, they’ll take their divisive agenda even further. It’s up to us to stop him.”

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