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The Country Music Awards’ decision to completely disregard Beyoncé’s groundbreaking album, Cowboy Carter, and her chart-topping single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” is a slap in the face to Beyoncé, her fans, and the integrity of country music itself.It’s not just a snub; it’s a missed opportunity to celebrate diversity, innovation, and true talent.

Beyoncé’s impact on country music is undeniable. Not only did she become the first Black woman to have a number one country album, but she also brought a fresh perspective and a new energy to the genre. Her ability to seamlessly blend elements of country, R&B, and pop music created a sound that resonated with audiences worldwide.

The CMAs’ failure to recognize Beyoncé’s contributions is a missed opportunity to celebrate diversity and innovation in country music. It sends a message that the genre is still resistant to change and unwilling to embrace artists who don’t fit the traditional mold. This is a harmful message that can discourage aspiring artists from pursuing their dreams and exploring new creative avenues.

It’s not just about Beyoncé. It’s about the future of country music. By overlooking artists like Beyoncé, the CMAs are alienating a new generation of fans who are demanding more representation and inclusivity. They are missing out on the opportunity to attract a wider audience and to grow the genre.

Moreover, the CMAs’ snub of Beyoncé is particularly egregious considering the recent success of other artists who have crossed over from pop to country. Post Malone, for example, received four nominations this year despite having only recently dabbled in the genre. Shaboozey, another artist who has gained popularity through collaborations with Beyoncé,also received nominations.

The fact that these artists were recognized while Beyoncé was completely overlooked highlights the double standards and biases that exist within the country music industry. It is a clear indication that the CMAs are more interested in promoting artists who conform to their narrow view of country music than they are in celebrating true talent and innovation.

This is not the first time the CMAs have been criticized for their lack of diversity and inclusivity. In recent years, there have been calls for the organization to do more to promote artists from marginalized communities and to recognize the contributions of women in country music. The snub of Beyoncé is a clear setback in this effort.

It is imperative that the CMAs take steps to address these issues and create a more inclusive and equitable awards show.By recognizing the contributions of artists like Beyoncé, the CMAs can help to broaden the appeal of country music and ensure that it remains relevant for years to come.

The Beyhive is outraged, and we won’t stand for it. We demand justice. The CMAs need to rectify this mistake and acknowledge Beyoncé’s incredible talent. It’s time for the country music industry to wake up and embrace the future.

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A New Jersey woman was held in jail for two weeks after police mistakenly identified her as a criminal suspect. Though she’s been freed, she just received even more bad news in regards to the aftermath of the mess.

Ms. Judith Maureen Henry’s only crime was sharing the name of a woman who was an actual suspect. In 2019, authorities with the Pennsylvania Interstate Parole Services issued a warrant for her arrest, per NJ.com. The warrant cited a parole violation on drug-related charges. About 12 police cars plus the U.S. Marshals pulled up to Henry’s home in Newark, Nj. with guns drawn to place her under arrest, according to a lawsuit she filed in 2020.

Despite her pleas insisting they had the wrong woman and with seemingly no further investigation, they dragged her to Essex County Correctional Facility.

It wasn’t until she was placed behind bars and fingerprinted four times that authorities compared her information to that of the suspect they really sought: a woman who pleaded guilty to drug possession in 1993 and skipped parole, per her lawsuit.

It took days for the police to put two and two together before Henry was finally released. However, a ruling announced last week, a judge pummeled her mission to hold the cops accountable for their sloppy mistake.

Read more from The New Jersey Monitor:

A three-judge appellate panel ruled Thursday that the marshals who hauled Judith Maureen Henry to the Essex County Correctional Facility in 2019 acted on a “constitutionally valid” warrant and were entitled to qualified immunity, a legal protection that insulates law enforcement officers from liability.

“Their arrest of Henry relying on information attached to the warrant was a reasonable mistake, and therefore her arrest did not violate the Fourth Amendment,” wrote Judge Thomas Ambro of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Henry’s complaint — that the Marshals failed to take her claims of innocence seriously — raises a host of policy questions about the role of the Marshals Service after they apprehend a suspect on a warrant for a crime they did not investigate,” Ambro wrote.

Henry’s lawsuit claimed she was treated unfairly because she was a low-income Black woman from Jamaica. She also claimed that as a result of the two-week detainment she suffered from claustrophobia, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

However, the 30 defendants she named in the suit including six deputy U.S. Marshals and several state officials may not feel the wrath of legal accountability. It’s unclear if she plans to seek other legal avenues.

We haven’t heard or seen the last of Reesa Teesa after all. “Insecure” star Natasha Rothwell is officially developing the infamous and viral TikTok series “Who TF Did I Marry” into a TV adaptation.

After Rothwell’s Big Hattie Productions won what Variety reports was a “competitive” bidding war at ABC, Rothwell will reportedly also star in and executive produce the title.

“CAN’T STOP. WON’T STOP. LFG. @bighattieproductions,” Rothwell wrote in the caption of a post on Instagram celebrating the news.

In a joint post with entertainment lawyer Omara Harris and Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson, the trio shared that the deal was finalized after six “long” months of negations.

“[Reesa Teesa] I am so beyond humbled and honored that [you] entrusted my law firm with your journey to TV Land and the worldwide stardom and frenzy that ensued after you uploaded your Viral TikTok Series,” the caption, presumably penned by Harris, continued. “So much more to come y’all!! More major announcements brewing!”

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In the original TikTok series uploaded in February, which spans 52 videos totaling around eight hours of content, Johnson recounted her wild and complicated experience of marrying and then divorcing the ex-husband she dubbed “Legion,” whom she claimed was a pathological liar.

Johnson shared the entire relationship timeline, from how she met “Legion” to when she began to find holes in his stories to what ultimately led her to leave. Despite giving him a cover name, viewers ultimately sleuthed that his real name is Jerome McCoy, and he has since denied Johnson’s claims. As the series racked up more than 450 million impressions across social media, including millions of views, other “characters” from Johnson’s story also came forward, including a previous wife of McCoy’s.

During the “ensuing frenzy” caused by the binge-worthy series, Johnson landed on “Good Morning America” and was interviewed by major publications like New York Magazine. A month after the series hit TikTok, she was signed with CAA.

News of the television adaptation comes just as Rothwell’s upcoming series, “How to Die Alone,” is set to premiere Sept. 13 on Hulu. Rothwell, who is also repped by CAA, will also appear in Season 3 of “The White Lotus,” reprising her Emmy-nominated role from Season 1. 

New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan’s decision to postpone former president Donald Trump’s sentencing Friday is yet another flagrant and sickening example of how the criminal justice system treats Black, often poor, Americans one way but rich, white Americans differently.

Imagine that a Black man robs a liquor store and then announces he’s running for mayor. As he campaigns and during his trial, he publicly disparages the prosecutors, the judge, the judge’s family. Then, after the robber is convicted, he asks the judge he repeatedly insulted to postpone his sentencing because…he’s running for mayor.

It’s a preposterous calculus, and yet it’s roughly analogous to what we all saw on Friday.

There are numerous opportunities in our criminal justice system to get leniency and the benefit of the doubt. Black people often don’t get either. Many white defendants expect – and get – both.

Much has been said about Trump’s threat to respect for the rule of law. But that threat isn’t simply coming from the former president. It’s being amplified by fawning and feckless judges who cower at the first suggestion that they might be treating a powerful, rich white man like the convicted criminal he is.

Running for any elected office is a privilege, not a requirement and not a right. It is no more an excuse to delay or avoid criminal consequences than is wearing a green shirt. But time and again, the nation is treated to judges who, quite literally, appear afraid of Trump and his supporters.

It’s understandable that the likes of Georgia election workers Wandrea Ross and Ruby Freeman would be fearful of deranged Trump supporters threatening them for simply helping to count votes in a state election the former president didn’t win. They were ordinary citizens doing the work that allows us to have free and fair elections. What’s Merchan’s excuse? He’s a state Supreme Court judge who has protection.

Trump, as we all remember, was convicted of 34 felony counts in a case where he and his former fixer/lawyer cooked up a scheme to pay off a porn star so she wouldn’t spill the tea about him having unprotected sex with her. The scheme was designed to keep said porn star, Stormy Daniels, quiet as Trump ran for the presidency.

The former fixer, Michael Cohen, went to jail for campaign finance violations tied to the scheme. Trump, convicted three months ago, faced up to four years in prison for his part in the scheme, though few think he will actually get that much time, if any, behind bars.

In delaying Trump’s sentencing until after the election, Merchan wrote that his decision “should dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party and or any candidate for any office.”

Put simply, Merchan got punked. Since when was running for election a stay out of jail free card? He could have issued his sentence. Trump would have appealed and remained free while doing so – like many other non-violent criminal defendants.

Instead, Mechan shrunk from the prospect that he might be blamed for appearing to be biased against Trump.

In bending over backward to avoid the appearance of anti-Trump bias, Merchan failed in his duty to administer justice without fear or favor and watered the deep-rooted cynicism in the heart of many Black Americans that the system is a bad joke where we’re the only punch lines.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — At the site of a race massacre that reduced neighborhoods to ashes a century ago, where murals memorialize a once-thriving “ Black Wall Street,” one African American mother strives to keep others from dying as they try to bring new life into the world.

Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth as white women in Oklahoma, which consistently ranks among the worst states in the nation for maternal mortality.

“Tulsa is suffering,” said Corrina Jackson, who heads up a local version of the federal Healthy Start program, coordinating needed care and helping women through their pregnancies. “We’re talking about lives here.”

Across the nation, programs at all levels of government — federal, state and local — have the same goals to reduce maternal mortality and erase the race gap. None has all the answers, but many are making headway in their communities and paving the way for other places.

Jackson’s project is one of more than 100 funded through Healthy Start, which gave out $105 million nationally in grants this year. Officials call Healthy Start an essential part of the Biden administration’s plan for addressing maternal health.

Other approaches to the crisis include California halving its maternal mortality rate through an organization that shares the best ways to treat common causes of maternal death and New York City expanding access to midwives and doulas two years ago. Several states passed laws this year aiming to improve maternal health, including a sweeping measure in Massachusetts. Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced more than $568 million in funding to improve maternal health through efforts such as home visiting services and better identifying and preventing pregnancy-related deaths.

Locally and nationally, “we need to really identify the birthing people who are at potentially the greatest risk,” New York City health commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said, “and then wrap our arms around them throughout their pregnancies.”

A Healthy Start in Tulsa

Besides coordinating prenatal and postpartum care — which experts say is crucial for keeping moms alive — local Healthy Start projects provide pregnancy and parenting education and referrals to services for things like depression or domestic violence. The local efforts also involve women’s partners and kids up to 18 months. And they focus on issues that influence health, such as getting transportation to appointments.

“You try to get them in their first trimester and then work with them to delivery day, and then we also work with the babies to make sure that they reach their milestones,” Jackson said.

Jackson got help from the local Urban League as a single mom, and felt called to give back to her community. She’s been with Healthy Start for more than 25 years, first through Tulsa’s health department and recently through a nonprofit she started that received about $1 million in federal funds this fiscal year.

“I’m just like a mom to this program,” Jackson said.

Oklahoma overall has a maternal mortality rate of about 30 per 100,000 live births, significantly higher than the national average of about 23. But in Jackson’s quarter-century tenure, she said, there have been no maternal deaths among clients.

Pivotal to Healthy Start’s success are care coordinators like Krystal Keener, a social worker based at Oklahoma State University’s obstetrics and gynecology clinic, where clients get prenatal care. One of her responsibilities is to educate clients about health issues, like how to spot the signs of preeclampsia or how much bleeding is too much after delivery.

She also helps with practical matters: Many clients don’t have cars, so they call Keener when they need a ride to a prenatal visit, and she assists in scheduling one.

With doctors, Keener serves as a patient advocate. On a recent afternoon, Keener sat in on a prenatal appointment for Areana Coles. A single mom, Coles was joined by her 5-year-old daughter, who was born prematurely and spent time in intensive care.

Coles, 25, said Healthy Start is “probably the best thing that’s happened in this pregnancy.” She called Keener “an angel.”

Together they navigated several recent medical concerns, including dehydration and low potassium levels that put Coles in the hospital.

With Coles’ due date approaching, Keener talked about what to watch for around delivery and shortly after, like blood clots and postpartum depression. She advised Coles to take care of herself and “give yourself credit for small things you do.”

During an ultrasound a few minutes later, Coles watched Dr. Jacob Lenz point to her unborn baby’s eyes, mouth, hand and heart. He printed an image of the scan, which Coles immediately showed her daughter.

Keener said she’s gratified that Coles would not be giving birth prematurely this time.

“You made it to term – yay!” she told her client.

Coles smiled. “My body can do it!”

Improving medical care

While programs like Healthy Start focus on individual patient needs, other efforts manage the overall quality of medical care.

California has the lowest maternal mortality in the nation — 10.5 per 100,000 live births, less than half the national rate. But that wasn’t the case before it created a “maternal quality care collaborative” in 2006.

Founded at Stanford University’s medical school in partnership with the state, it brings together people from every hospital with a maternity unit to share best practices on how to deal with issues that could lead to maternal injury or death, like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and sepsis.

“When you look at the rate of maternal death in the United States compared to California, they basically ran neck-and-neck until it was established,” said Dr. Amanda Williams, clinical innovation adviser for the collaborative. “At that time, they totally separated, and California started going down. The rest of the country started going up.”

In the collaborative, hospitals get toolkits full of materials such as care guidelines in multiple formats, articles on best practices and slide sets that spell out what to do in medical emergencies, how to set up medical teams and what supplies to keep on the unit. The collaborative also tackles issues such as improving obstetric care by integrating midwives and doulas – whose services are covered by the state’s Medicaid program.

At first, some doctors resisted the effort, figuring they knew best, Williams said, but there’s much less pushback now that the collaborative has proven its value.

MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach started participating around 2010. The collaborative helps “vet through all the research that’s out there,” said Shari Kelly, executive director of perinatal services. “It’s just so important to really understand how we as health care providers can make a difference.”

For example, if a woman loses a certain amount of blood after a vaginal delivery, “we know to activate what we call here a ‘code crimson,’ which brings blood to the bedside,” Kelly said. “We can act fast and stop any potential hemorrhage.”

She said the collaborative has also helped reduce racial inequities — bringing down the rate of cesarean sections among Black moms, for example.

In July, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a similar initiative to California’s, focused on the quality of maternal care nationwide: the first baseline health and safety requirements for maternal emergency and obstetric services in hospitals.

Experts said getting maternal mortality under control at a national level requires tailoring solutions to individual communities, which is easier when programs are locally run.

New York City has a goal of reducing maternal mortality overall — and specifically achieving a 10% drop in Black maternal mortality by 2030. Statewide, Black residents are about four times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than white residents.

The city is starting with, among others, low-income residents and those living in public housing. The New Family Home Visits Initiative gives pregnant people and those who’ve given birth visits from professionals such as nurses, midwives, doulas and lactation consultants. Vasan said more than 12,000 families have gotten visits since 2022.

Nurse Shinda Cover-Bowen works for the initiative’s Nurse Family Partnership, which has her visiting some families for 2 1/2 years, well beyond the pregnancy and birth. She said “that consistency of someone being there for you and listening to you and guiding you on your mother’s journey is priceless.”

Being grounded in the local community — and its history — is also crucial for Healthy Start projects. The lingering effects of racism are evident in Tulsa, where in 1921, white residents are estimated to have killed 100-300 Black people and destroyed homes, churches, schools and businesses in the Greenwood section. That’s where Jackson lives now, and where health disparities persist.

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Being relatable is valuable for Black women, who may distrust the health care system, Jackson said. Plus, knowing the community makes it possible to work closely with other local agencies to meet people’s needs.

Denise Jones, who enrolled in Healthy Start in February, has struggled with anxiety, depression and drug addiction, but has been sober since April.

In mid-July, baby items filled her room — a crib, a bassinet, tiny clothes hanging neatly in a closet — in anticipation of her child’s arrival. Jones, 32, flipped through a baby book, pointing to a sonogram of her son Levi, who would be born within a couple of weeks.

She said she feels healthy and blessed by the help she’s gotten from Healthy Start and Madonna House, a transitional living program run by Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma.

“I have professionals that are working with me and give me support. I didn’t have that with my other pregnancies,” she said. “I’m at one with my baby and I’m able to focus.”

As promised, Jamie Foxx is finally discussing the April 2023 health scare that landed him in the hospital for several weeks.

On Monday, the actor and singer, 56, announced he’s gearing up to perform an “unforgettable” one-man show in Atlanta over three nights from October 3 through October 5.

According to a post on his Instagram that simply featured the phrase “What had happened was,” the show, titled “One More Chance: An Evening with Jamie Foxx!” will reportedly delve into his “journey through a serious health scare, filled with humor, heart, and heart inspiration.”

“Experience Jamie Foxx like never before in this intimate and engaging performance, as he opens up about his struggles, triumphs, and everything in between,” the caption continued. “Get ready for a night of laughter, reflection, and genuine connection.”

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According to the post, more details, including timing and ticket information are forthcoming.

In April of last year, not much was known about what led to Foxx’s hospitalization, and he has yet to go into great detail. Footage of the Oscar and Grammy-winning performer discussing the ordeal surfaced in July, in which he told a crowd he had a very bad headache leading up to the hospitalization.

“I asked my boy for an Advil,” he recounted, snapping his fingers. “I was gone for 20 days.”

Earlier this year, Foxx hinted that this special was in the works during an appearance at the African American Film Critics Association’s Special Achievement Awards luncheon in March.

“Everybody wants to know what happened, and I’m going to tell you what happened. But I’ve got to do it in my way,” Foxx said, according to Variety. “I’m going to do it in a funny way. We’re going to be on the stage. We’re going to get back to the standup sort of roots.”

He added, “It’ll be called, ‘What Had Happened Was,’ and it’s got all the things that happened, especially on our side of our community.”

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Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL today announced that Grammy- and Emmy-winning artist Kendrick Lamar will headline the APPLE MUSIC SUPER BOWL LIX HALFTIME SHOW at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA on Sunday, February 9, 2025, airing on FOX.   

“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one,” said Lamar.

“Kendrick Lamar is a cultural icon whose artistry transcends music. His ability to connect with audiences on a global scale is unparalleled. We are honored to have him perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show,” said Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, co-founder of Roc Nation.

“The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is a celebration of music and culture, and we are thrilled to bring this show, starring the incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s Vice President of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats.

“Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar. Time and time again, he has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop,” said Seth Dudowsky, Head of Music at the NFL. “We’re excited to collaborate with Kendrick, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to deliver another unforgettable Halftime Show.”   

Creative Direction for Lamar’s performance will be provided by pgLang.

The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show telecast will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Roc Nation will also serve as the strategic entertainment advisor of the live performance.   

Apple Music’s multi-year partnership with the NFL and Roc Nation brings together the Super Bowl Halftime Show — the most-watched musical performance of the year — with Apple Music, which celebrates musicians, songwriters, producers, and fans, and offers the world’s best music listening experience with a catalog of over 100 million songs and immersive sound powered by Spatial Audio. Apple revolutionized the music experience with iPod and iTunes and continues the award-winning tradition with Apple Music. Follow @AppleMusic on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.   

Earlier this year, The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Starring Usher became the most-watched halftime performance of all time and garnered three 2024 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Variety Special (LIVE). In 2023, The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna scored five Emmy nominations, taking home two, including Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special, a first in Super Bowl Halftime history. In 2022, Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar garnered five Creative Arts Emmy nominations. The critically acclaimed performance won three Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live), a first-ever for the show.   

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