What Happened to Playboy Magazine?

 

Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Enterprises, penned an open letter revealing that its Spring 2020 issue will be the last. In the letter, Kohn explained that the current halt in production (due to the coronavirus pandemic) prompted the final decision.

Are Americans out of poverty?

 

The child tax credit helped push a key measure of poverty to its lowest level on record, according to new Census Bureau data Tuesday that signaled just how critical government assistance was to propping Americans up in the second year of the coronavirus pandemic.

Median income remained essentially static in 2021, and the official poverty rate did as well. But the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which adjusts for government assistance like tax credits and stimulus checks, dropped 1.4 percentage points to 7.8%.

New York City Workers Fired Over Vaccine Mandate

 

The mandate, which was first announced by former Mayor Bill de Blasio ahead of an expected winter surge in COVID-19 cases, came to fruition last week amid a much less dire coronavirus situation in the city and the country at large. Nevertheless, nearly 3,000 workers were at risk of termination on Friday over the rule, but many submitted their proof of vaccination or chose to get the shot after being notified of their imminent termination.

New York City begins vaccination checks

 

People dining indoors at New York City’s restaurants, browsing art at its museums or sweating in its gyms had to show proof Tuesday that they were at least partially inoculated against COVID-19 as the city began the nation’s largest effort yet to exclude the unvaccinated from public places.

Coachella Music Festival Announces 2022 Return

After two years of rescheduling due to COVID, Coachella music festival announced it would return for Spring 2022.

One of the world's largest musical festivals, the event has been held every spring in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado desert since 1999. 

Are Robots Taking Over Our Manufacturing Jobs?

 

Workers have long feared losing their jobs to newcomers, but the threat has changed somewhat in the digital age, with automated technologies posing a new form of competition for human labor. 

Who will get this $32.5M Miami mansion?

 

And while the former couple may be relieved they don’t have to deal with a divorce settlement — since they never quite walked down the aisle —  there is still the $32.5 million Miami Beach pad they bought together last summer to consider. 

The exes purchased the home on Aug. 19, under the limited liability company, Fleetwood Star Holdings, Florida property records show.

Located on the upscale Star Island, the waterfront home comes complete with 10 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.

Why The World Needs To Go On Lockdown

It's 2021 and a plague has been killing off thousand in every country. There has been no effective way to combat the disease.

As countries around the world tighten lockdowns, impose curfews, ban large get-togethers and even halt alcohol sales to tackle a surge in coronavirus cases, officials in India and the U.S. announced some progress toward expanded immunization campaigns as infections rates continued to climb on multiple continents.

In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday said the country had administered more than 4.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines nationwide and had distributed more than 13 million doses.

The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Led China To Be The Biggest Foreign Investors

 

China overtook the U.S. as the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2020, a year in which overall global flows cratered by 42% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a United Nations trade agency said.

Flows fell to an estimated $859 billion from $1.5 trillion in 2019, according to the UNCTAD Investment Trends Monitor. It was the lowest level since the 1990s and 30% below the investment trough that followed the 2008-09 global financial crisis.

While the world as a whole struggled, China held on, said UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. It became the world’s largest FDI recipient with flows rising by 4% to $163 billion.

A return to positive GDP growth and a targeted investment facilitation program helped stabilize investment in China after the first coronavirus lockdowns there, the agency said.

How Much Does It Cost Beyonce To Stay In Paris?

 

Beyoncé is one of the most recognizable people on the planet. She’s been in the public eye since she was a teenager building her career and massive wealth. Though the singer lets fans in on to small glimpses of her life through Instagram, Beyoncé is also known for keeping her private life out of the spotlight.

People Are Dying From The COVID-19 Vaccine

 

A California resident who was vaccinated against COVID-19 died just hours later — and authorities are trying to find out why.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced the death and the investigation Saturday in a Facebook post, but gave few details.

The county, which is in the greater Sacramento area, was “recently notified” of the person’s death, the police said.

The person had tested positive for coronavirus in December and had been vaccinated just hours before their Jan. 21 death.

Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez to perform at Biden swearing-in

 

Pop artists Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga will be among A-listers who will perform at the largely-virtual swearing-in ceremony of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on January 20.

Gaga, one-of-a-kind artist, performer and a trailblazer in beauty and fashion, will sing the national anthem and Lopez will give a musical performance on the West Front of the US Capitol, where the ceremony will be taking place.

Biden, 78, and Kamala Harris, 56, will be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States during the ceremony.

But it won't be a typical inauguration, for several reasons.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and fresh security concerns following a pro-Trump mob breaching the Capitol last week have combined to force some changes to what is a historical American day.

50 Cent Reacts To New COVID Suggestion To Film Industry

 

The Los Angeles health department is urging film and television productions to implore stopping for the next little while as the pandemic continues to rage on but, with 50 Cent currently in the midst of several different shows, including Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Black Mafia Family, and more, he's not down to pause for another lockdown.

As cases continue to rise, the L.A. health department is asking the television and film industries to lead by example, asking them to stop shooting for the time being until things are more under control. One of the movers-and-shakers in the industry, 50 Cent is seemingly very frustrated about these guidelines, waking up and immediately "needing a drink" upon reading the reports. 

Jennifer Lopez Talks Coronavirus Quarantine and More

The 51-year-old singer recently opened up about the coronavirus quarantine and coming face-to-face with all of the challenges presented by the year 2020.

"I think all of us during the quarantine were a little bit afraid of the kids just sitting in front of their electronics all day," Jennifer Lopez told CBS.

Rihanna, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift named 'Music's Most Iconic Figures'

 

Beyoncé, Rihanna and Taylor Swift are the only music acts included on Forbes’ annual list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, where they’re sharing rarefied air with the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Oprah Winfrey and Vice-President elect Kamala Harris.

“The leaders on Forbes’ 2020 list of the World’s Most Powerful Women are playing a critical role in determining what the post-pandemic world will look like.” “Their influence is being leveraged beyond economic and political might to transform industries and solve for society’s most urgent issues. The power they hold to move us all forward has never been more apparent — or needed.

Rihanna ranks highest among the singing icons, at No. 69, mostly for her charitable efforts. The$800 million Bajan beauty donated millions of dollars to various charities, including coronavirus relief efforts, and to help abuse victims in L.A. and the needy in New York City. Of course, the “Only Girl in the World” chanteuse is also a business maven, thanks to her Fenty Beauty line and Savage X Fenty lingerie line — expanded through a landmark partnership with LMVH, the French conglomerate, which is at the helm of Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, and Louis Vuitton.

Taylor Swift Donates $13,000

Taylor Swift is spreading the holiday joy this difficult season, helping out those in need. Billboard can confirm the star donated $13,000 (very on brand) to two mothers' GoFundMe pages after reading a Washington Postarticle spotlighting Americans who are behind on rent due to the government's lack of stimulus agreement amid the COVID-19 crisis.

One Nashville-based woman, Nikki Cornwell, is a single mother and shared that she is $5,000 behind on rent, and that she isn't sure her kids will have a Christmas this year. "this has been a horrible year for us," she wrote on her fundraising page, noting that she was supposed to start a job in May, but that was sidetracked when she tested positive for coronavirus. "Its been rough because I'm not the only person looking for work. My family would appreciate any help this holiday. I am definitely praying for miracles. God bless everyone."

Beyonce New Adidas Gear Is #OutNow

 

Beyoncé's second Ivy Park x Adidas apparel collection is dropping online Thursday, a day ahead of its release in stores.

The athleisure line, dubbed "The Drip 2 Collection," comes nine months after the first installment of Beyoncé's Ivy Park x Adidas gear, which sold out almost instantly when it dropped at the start of the year.

Online sales were set to begin at 4pm ET on the Adidas Ivy Park website. Prices range from about $25 for accessories and up $200 for apparel.

The collaboration is a continuation of Adidas' (ADDDF) strategy of leveraging non-athlete influencers to work as "creative partners" for limited capsule collections of its athletic wear. Scarcity and celebrity have proven a winning combination for Adidas' high-profile collaboration with Kanye West's Yeezy label.

Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez endorse Joe Biden

 

The couple had a virtual chat with the former vice president and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, where they voiced their support for the Democratic nominee.

Jennifer Lopez, 51, and Rodriguez, 45, also discussed their concerns about the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, racism, and the importance of the Latino community voting.

"We're thrilled and we're excited to vote. I think our voice has never been more important," Rodriguez said in the video posted to Biden’s social media on Friday. "We want to come together as a team to defeat Covid and to rebuild this U.S. economy that needs us all so much."

3 Investing Lessons From Jay-Z

In 2019, Shawn Corey Carter became hip-hop's first billionaire. Better known as Jay-Z, Mr. Carter didn't just make his money by rapping, although he's one of the industry's best-selling artists. Instead, he built a sprawling empire, including a music label, a sports management company, a streaming service, and a high-end sports bar.

With the Brooklyn-born rapper continuing to grow his net worth, there are certainly many investing lessons to learn, both from his business ventures as well as from his lyrics. Here are three of them.

Feds Are Saying R. Kelly Paid Someone To Attack Him

Feds are up to no good again in the R. Kelly case. After recent news that R. Kelly was attacked while behind bars, the Feds are saying the prisoners was paid through a unknown source for the attack to happen.

Here is the story:

Doug Anton, an attorney for Kelly, told CNN that the singer's legal team had been advised by the US Attorney's Office that the singer was on his bed in his cell Tuesday at Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center when another inmate came in and started to punch him.

Guards at the federal facility stopped the assault almost immediately, according to Anton. Anton said that R. Kelly did not sustain any injuries and that X-rays did not reveal any fractures.