After a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May left customers wondering if their beloved cheddar bay biscuits might become a thing of the past, Red Lobster is enlisting the help of a young Black executive to help get the company back on its feet.

On Aug. 26, Fortress Investment Group announced the appointment of former P.F. Chang’s CEO Damola Adamolekun as CEO of RL Investor Holdings LLC, “a new entity that is seeking bankruptcy court approval to acquire from Red Lobster Management LLC.”

The popular seafood restaurant chain took a major financial hit due to some costly regular menu items like its daily Endless Shrimp promotion, which gave customers access to all the shrimp they could eat for just twenty dollars. That delicious deal cost the company over $11 million and led them to file for bankruptcy in May of this year, according to Fortune.

Back in June, we told you that Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav stepped in to help the struggling chain keep the cheddar bay biscuits flowing by ordering everything on the menu – from the crab legs to the cole slaw.

“Ya boy meant it when I said I was gonna do anything and everything to help @redlobster and save the cheddar bay biscuits,,,ordered the whole menu,!!!,” he wrote on X.

Since the announcement of his hire, Adamolekun has been visiting restaurants across the country to sample menu items and speak with customers about what the company can do to improve, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Sounds like a pretty amazing job, right?

“Red Lobster is an iconic brand with a tremendous future. I’m looking forward to working with our team members across North America to reinvigorate the brand by making it the best place to work for our employees and improving the experience for our guests,” Adamolekun said in a statement announcing his hire.

The 35-year-old holds a Bachelor in Economics and Political Science from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. In a 2023 interview with Fortune, Adamolekun said he’s not big on work-life balance: “My life is my work. My work is my life.”

He says he typically starts his day at 4 am with an eight-mile run before arriving at the office at 7 a.m. to start reading emails and attending scheduled meetings.

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Emily in Paris is back! Get ready for more Parisian chic, Italian charm, and all the drama that Emily Cooper can dish out. Fans are over the moon that the show is returning for another season, with new episodes set in both the City of Lights and the Eternal City. We can’t wait to see what adventures await our favorite fashionista!

The announcement of a fifth season for Emily in Paris comes on the heels of the series’ recent success. Fans can anticipate more of Emily’s captivating romantic pursuits, iconic fashion choices, and immersive cultural experiences in the upcoming episodes.

Emily’s love life is about to get even more complicated! In Season 4, she had a whirlwind romance in Rome but couldn’t quite shake her feelings for her ex in Paris. Get ready for a love triangle that’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.And that’s not all – there are new characters and challenges coming Emily’s way that will add even more drama and excitement to the show.

Emily in Paris is totally addictive! It’s got everything – funny moments, cute romances, and gorgeous backdrops. Can’t wait to see what Emily gets up to next!

Here’s a deeper dive into what we can expect from Season 5:

• A love triangle: Emily will likely find herself caught between her growing feelings for Marcello in Rome and her lingering connection with Gabriel in Paris. This will create a dramatic and exciting storyline for fans to follow.






• Cultural exploration: With Emily spending time in both cities, we can expect to see more of the unique cultures and experiences that Paris and Rome have to offer. This will provide viewers with a glimpse into the vibrant lifestyles of these European cities.






• Fashion and style: Emily’s iconic fashion sense is a major draw for many fans. We can expect to see her continue to impress with her stylish outfits and trendsetting looks.






• Career growth: Emily’s career as a marketing consultant will likely play a significant role in the new season. We may see her take on new challenges and opportunities, both professionally and personally.

Emily in Paris season 5 is gonna be a total blast! Imagine Emily caught between two hot guys, exploring the coolest spots in Paris and Rome, and always looking on point. It’s going to be a wild ride filled with laughs, drama, and lots of fashion envy.

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Three years after a former Georgia district attorney was indicted on charges alleging she interfered with police investigating the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery, the case’s slow progression through the court system has sputtered to a halt, one the presiding judge insists is temporary.

Jackie Johnson was the state’s top prosecutor for coastal Glynn County in February 2020, when Arbery was chased by three white men in pickup trucks who had spotted him running in their neighborhood. The 25-year-old Black man died in the street after one of his pursuers shot him with a shotgun.

Johnson transferred the case to an outside prosecutor because the man who initiated the deadly chase, Greg McMichael, was her former employee. But Georgia’s attorney general says she illegally used her office to try to protect the retired investigator and his son, Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shots.

Both McMichaels already have been convicted and sentenced to prison in back-to-back trials for murder and federal hate crimes. So has a neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, whose cellphone video of the shooting triggered a national outcry over Arbery’s death. A court heard their first appeals six months ago.

The criminal misconduct case against Johnson has moved at a comparative crawl since a grand jury indicted her on Sept. 2, 2021, on a felony count of violating her oath of office and a misdemeanor count of hindering a police officer.

While the men responsible for Arbery’s death are serving life sentences, the slain man’s family has insisted that justice won’t be complete until Johnson stands trial.

“It’s very, very important,” said Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery’s mother. “Jackie Johnson was really part of the problem early on.”

Johnson has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. After losing reelection in 2020, she told The Associated Press that she immediately recused herself in the handling of Arbery’s killing because of Greg McMichael’s involvement.

Johnson’s case has stalled as one of her attorneys, Brian Steel, has spent most of the past two years in an Atlanta courtroom defending Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug against racketeering and gang charges. Jury selection in the case took 10 months, prosecutors began presenting evidence last November and they are still calling witnesses.

Senior Judge John R. Turner, who was assigned to Johnson’s case, insists there is nothing he can do but wait.

“If anyone’s concerned that the case is being shuffled under the rug, I can guarantee you it’s not,” Turner told the AP in a phone interview. “It’s moving at a snail’s pace, but it will move forward eventually.”

After Arbery was killed, Greg McMichael told police that he and his son had armed themselves and chased the Black man, suspecting he was a fleeing criminal. Bryan, who didn’t know any of the men, made a similar assumption after seeing them pass his home and joined in his own truck.

The indictment against Johnson alleges she told police they shouldn’t arrest Travis McMichael. It also accuses her of “showing favor and affection” to Greg McMichael by calling on George Barnhill, a district attorney in a neighboring judicial circuit, to advise police about how to handle the shooting.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr appointed Barnhill four days later to take over as outside prosecutor. Carr has said he picked Barnhill without knowing he already had advised police that he saw no grounds for arrests in Arbery’s death.

Barnhill stepped aside after a few weeks, but not before he sent a letter to police captain arguing the McMichaels acted legally and Arbery was killed in self-defense.

After Johnson was charged, she reported to jail for booking and was released without having to post bond. Her attorneys waived a formal reading of the charges before a judge and she has yet to appear in court. The judge denied legal motions by Johnson’s lawyers to dismiss the case last November. Court records show no further developments over the past 10 months.

“Securing an indictment is just one step in our ongoing pursuit of justice for Ahmaud Arbery and his family,” Carr said in a statement. “We have never stopped fighting for them, and we look forward to the opportunity to present our case in court.”

Johnson’s attorneys, Steel and John Ossick, did not respond to emails and a phone message seeking comment. They have argued in court filings there is “not a scintilla of evidence” that she hindered police.

Prosecutors responded with a court filing that listed 16 calls between phones belonging to Johnson and Greg McMichael in the weeks following the shooting.

Two legal experts who aren’t involved in the case said there is no deadline for Johnson to stand trial. She hasn’t been jailed, so there is little pressure to expedite her case.

Steel’s prolonged absence because of the Atlanta gang trial likely isn’t the only factor slowing the case, Atlanta defense attorney Don Samuel said.

Courts remain saddled with a backlog of cases since the COVID-19 lockdowns, he said. And the attorney general’s office has a limited staff of criminal prosecutors with their own busy caseloads.

Samuel also questioned whether prosecutors have a strong case against Johnson. Even if she opposed charging the McMichaels in Arbery’s death, he said, prosecutors haven’t accused her of taking bribes or similar blatant corruption.

District attorneys “have a huge amount of discretion to make decisions about what cases to pursue,” Samuel said. “The notion that we’re going to start prosecuting DAs for prosecuting or not prosecuting strikes me as really being on the edge of propriety.”

Danny Porter, the former district attorney for Gwinnett County in metro Atlanta, said prosecutors like Johnson have a legitimate role in advising police on whether or not to arrest suspects before an investigation is complete.

As for Johnson’s recommendation in 2020 that the attorney general replace her with another prosecutor who concluded Arbery’s killing was justified, Porter said: “I don’t think that’s a violation of the law, though it might have made them mad.”

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Tito Jackson, beloved member of The Jackson 5 and elder sibling to Michael and Janet Jackson, has died at 70. His sons, TJ, Taj and Taryll confirmed the news of his passing in an Instagram post late Sunday night.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us,” the post read.

“We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” the post continued. “Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T.’ Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously.”

Jackson — who just performed at Fool In Love Festival last month in Los Angeles — was the oldest male Jackson brother and played guitar for the group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Of course, Black folks on X are mourning the legend. One user, @AmberTMzuka, wrote: “I’m glad Joe fixed the strings on his guitar so Tito could show him how talented he was and start The Jackson [5]. That solo in ‘Heartbreak Hotel was [fire]. The swingingest Jackson. A legend. An icon. Rest in power, Tito Jackson.”

Another personality, @xoraveen, lamented over the constant loss of our legends this month. She stated: “First James Earl Jones. The Frankie Beverly. Now Tito Jackson????????? SEPTEMBER IS ONLY 15 DAYS IN AND IT CAN GOOOOOOOOOOO.”

Musician and frequent Jackson 5 collaborator Jonathan Moffett, known @jsugarfootm, expressed how heartbroken he was over the news. Alongside a slew of photos, he wrote: “I’m stunned, devastated and speechless. I love you, Tito. My most sincere love & prayers for the entire Jackson family. I love you all VERY much.”

One person, @travisfromdabk_, gave Jackson his flowers on X. “Tito Jackson was a SELF TAUGHT guitarist. Let that be known. One of the greatest,” he wrote.

Perhaps @filmsbratz said it best: “rest easy, tito jackson, you’re reunited with your baby brother now.”

Jackson is survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon and Jackie, his sisters Janet, Rebbie and La Toya and their mother, Katherine.

Janet Jackson once almost showed her full moon to the Queen of England.

The music icon, 58, recalled the embarrassing wardrobe malfunction, which happened in the ‘90s, while reminiscing on some of her most memorable fashion moments for British Vogue. When the “That’s the Way Love Goes” singer came to a picture of her in her iconic “Rhythm Nation” jumpsuit, she said, “Funny story about this outfit: I was performing for the Queen of England and we were doing ‘Rhythm Nation.’” Sure enough, as soon as I squatted, my pants split right in my booty crack. And I mean badly.”

Jackson was in disbelief, she said, adding, “I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ And then I started feeling air back there, so I knew it had really happened.”

She handled the fashion faux pas by never turning her back to the Queen. When the choreography called for her to turn around, she said, “I just faced forward.”

“Could you imagine if I would have flashed her, just for a hot second?” she said.

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Elsewhere in the video, Jackson takes viewers through looks spanning her childhood in the ‘70s to more of her memorable stage looks throughout her epic entertainment career. She admits she was a tomboy who would often have to stand her ground when it came to picking out what she wore with her mother. She preferred to wear suits and pants, whereas her mother preferred dresses and colors like pink.

However, Jackson noted with a sly grin, “I got my way a lot.”  

She added, “It was really just about being me and being comfortable.”

In another image of her as a teen attending the American Music Awards, she wears a red ruffled taffeta gown and a pair of hoop earrings, one of which has a key dangling from it. She explained that since she didn’t carry a keychain, she had to get creative in how to keep keys on her.

“I used to take care of the animals, and we had animals; giraffes, muflon sheep, pheasants, tucans, cocktoos, dogs,” she said adding, “That’s why I kept a key there.”

She also noted that she hadn’t seen that dress since older sister LaToya helped herself to it in the ‘80s.

“Sisters,” she said with a laugh.

The video wraps with a look from her current tour designed by Thom Browne.

“There’s certain designers that are just genius to me. Thom is right in there. He’s a true genius and he did this for me for tour,” she noted of the designer she called a friend.

“And I think he made it him, but he also made it me,” she said of the tuxedo jumpsuit look.

When discussing the current tour and its fanbase, the music legend said, “You know, it is the people who have grown with my music from the beginning and their children. It just lets me know that my music has stood the test of time, which would be a dream for any artist.”  

53

A new report from Sportskeeda has revealed that OnlyFans, a popular subscription-based platform, generated significantly more revenue in 2023 than the combined salaries of all NBA players.

The report states that OnlyFans creators collectively earned an astounding $6.6 billion last year, while the NBA’s total player payroll for the 2023-2024 season was $4.9 billion. This means that OnlyFans brought in $1.7 billion more than the NBA players’ combined earnings.

Despite the NBA featuring some of the world’s most highly-paid athletes, including LeBron James and Steph Curry, the platform’s vast number of creators has allowed it to surpass the league’s total player payroll. OnlyFans boasts over 2 million creators, compared to the NBA’s approximately 500 players.

One notable example of the earning potential on OnlyFans is Corinna Kopf, a popular content creator who recently revealed in a livestream that she has earned $67 million over the past three years. Kopf is estimated to make around $2 million per month currently.

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Thousands descended in Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Legislative Conference. 

Like every conference, affectionately known as “CBC Week,” the caucus, which is its largest in history with 60 members, hosted several panels on various policy issues impacting Black communities across the country, from voting rights and the economy to Black maternal health and public safety.  

“It is more than just a conference. It is a catalyst for change,” said U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell during Wednesday’s opening press conference. 

Sewell, who serves as board chair of CBCF, added, “As we prepare for an exciting few days, we do so at a very pivotal moment in American history.”

This year’s “From Vision to Victory” makes clear that the caucus’ main focus – in addition to empowering Black America – is to ensure victory in November’s general election. Democrats are working to win back the House of Representatives and elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the first female, first Black female, and first Indian president of the United States. 

If successful, it will mark a pivotal moment for the Congressional Black Caucus, as U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., would become the first Black speaker of the House. Moreover, Harris, a former CBC member, would mark the second time that a former caucus member entered the White House (President Barack Obama is also a former member).

“I think that she definitely prizes the thought partnership of the CBC, and I think she will lean on them heavily to sort of help her sort through some of the issues to address,” LaShawn Warren, chief policy officer at Southern Poverty Law Center, told theGrio. 

Warren, who participated on a panel Friday on how civic engagement can strengthen Democracy across the Deep South, said the “stakes are high” this year for the CBC, as right-wing and Republican leaders and organizations target diversity, equity and inclusion programs in education and business. The movement against DEI has also resulted in book bans on Black authors and censorship of Black history in public classrooms. 

“It underscores the need for sound leadership. It also underscores the need for us to have a strategy and concentrated effort to improve ladders of economic opportunity,” said Warren. 

The policy expert said the attacks on DEI are a “distraction” and that CBC leadership must “use their platform and bully pulpit” to hold corporations accountable and “adhere to the civil rights laws that are already on the books” to ensure agencies like the Department of Justice are “diligent” and “intentional” about “enforcing” them.

On Monday, the CBC released its “Corporate Accountability Report on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” which calls on Fortune 500 corporations to reaffirm their commitments to DEI, update on racial equity investments, and work with the CBC to create legislative solutions that will help close the racial wealth gap.  

“We cannot allow a handful of right-wing agitators to bully corporations, and this report offers corporate America a guide to strengthening their diversity practices,” CBC chairman U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said in a statement.

“This report is the initial step in a strategic effort to ensure the tools of economic opportunity are protected as we work to advance our Black wealth and economic prosperity agenda in the next Congress to close the Black-white wealth gap in America.”

This week, the Fearless Fund, a capital venture firm, closed its $20,000 grant program for Black women-owned businesses after a lawsuit filed by conservative litigant Edward Blum sought to open the grant to white women and other minority groups. It claimed the grant exclusively for Black women was discriminatory. 

Several such lawsuits have emerged after the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action programs at U.S. colleges and universities last year.

Sakira Cook, federal policy director at Southern Poverty Law Center, noted that such programs and civil rights laws were “put in place to redress long-standing discrimination that existed in housing, in education and employment, in financial services, access to for small businesses, to loans.”

Cook told theGrio, “What we’re seeing is a retrenchment by extremists on the right to pull back those protections as a mechanism to eliminate Black and brown power that is being built and have been built over time.” 

Harris’ potential rise to the presidency is critical for the success of the CBC’s legislative agenda, which includes advancing economic policies to close the racial wealth gap. The caucus also wants to see key legislation drafted by CBC members passed into law, like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. 

Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist, told theGrio that a potential President Kamala Harris would likely lean on the CBC, much like President Joe Biden did in passing bills like the Emmett Till Antilynching Act and making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

“If you accept the premise that Black voters are the most loyal and the most dependable bloc of voters in the Democratic coalition, then, like the people who represent them overwhelmingly, they are going to play an outsized role,” said Payne.

“They have, frankly, many times kind of offered a steady hand when the Democratic Party has kind of been in difficult situations,” he added. “And I would imagine for that to continue going forward.”

Noting Harris’s historic nomination at last month’s Democratic National Convention, Nicole Austin-Hillery, president and CEO of CBCF, said, “We are a part of that history, and we are carrying on with our mission to empower the global Black community.”

“After all, we are known as the conscience of the Congress,” Austin-Hillery said of the Congressional Black Caucus. 

“The work of our members has expanded access to health care, lifted families out of poverty, created opportunities in education and employment,” she added. “Our work is more than just about policy. It is about changing lives.”

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A24 announced that their highly anticipated films, TUESDAY and MAXXXINE, will be available to stream exclusively on Max in the United States this October.

TUESDAY, a poignant exploration of loss and resilience, will debut on Max on Friday, October 11. The film follows a mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her teenage daughter (Lola Petticrew) as they confront the unexpected arrival of Death in the form of a talking bird.

MAXXXINE, a chilling thriller set in 1980s Hollywood, will also be available on Max on Friday, October 18. The film stars Mia Goth as Maxine Minx, an adult film star who gets her big break but finds herself caught in a deadly game as a mysterious killer targets the starlets of Hollywood.

Both films will make their linear debuts on HBO the following Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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