SEATTLE—David Ortiz doubled in his first at-bat to become baseball’s all-time leader in hits as a designated hitter and hit a two-run homer an inning later, leading the Boston Red Sox to an 11-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.
Ortiz entered the night tied with Harold Baines for the most hits as a DH and it took just one at-bat to claim the record. Ortiz doubled to left-center field to lead off the second inning and was acknowledged by a standing ovation from the mix of Red Sox and Mariners fans.
An inning later, Ortiz collected his eighth hit of the series with a two-run homer off Seattle starter Aaron Harang (4-8), his 19th this season.
Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 18 games, currently the best in baseball, and the Red Sox knocked around Harang for seven runs and eight hits.
Ortiz appeared touched by the ovation, tipping his helmet twice toward the standing fans and patting his chest. Ortiz already held the marks for the most runs scored, doubles, home runs, extra-base hits and RBIs by a designated hitter.
Good Black News
Kanye West’s new daughter North is not the only new addition to the superstar’s long list of creative (or procreative) projects. Via Twitter, the high-end French denim label A.P.C. has announced a fashion partnership with the rapper. Following on the heels of the release of his sixth album Yeezus, West will be releasing a capsule collection — a line with a limited number of items and a short sales duration — with the designer brand.
West has tried his hand at designing several times before. His own collection Dw Kanye West, which has shown at Paris Fashion Week, was seen as a disappointment by fashion insiders, although he has famously designed some well-received shoes for Giuseppe Zannoti. Hopefully his capsule collection with A.P.C. will fare just as well. Between a child, an album, and now this fashion project, West seems to be on a prodigious creative roll.
article by Alexis Garrett Stodghill via thegrio.com
BARRINGTON, Ill. (AP) — Pop star Rihanna is donating $5,000 to a suburban Chicago high school to cover the costs of her brief but tardy visit earlier this year. Barrington Unit District 220 tells The Daily Herald that the money was sent to offset expenses for security and signs for the musician’s March trip to Barrington High School. The rest of the cash will be allocated for students.
The singer traveled to Chicago’s northwestern suburbs after the school won her “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” video contest. Their five-minute, student-produced film highlighted the school’s volunteer and community service programs. But fans waited for more than four hours on the first day of the school’s spring break after Rihanna showed up late. While they waited, students got free tickets, CDs and signed merchandise.
The singer traveled to Chicago’s northwestern suburbs after the school won her “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” video contest. Their five-minute, student-produced film highlighted the school’s volunteer and community service programs. But fans waited for more than four hours on the first day of the school’s spring break after Rihanna showed up late. While they waited, students got free tickets, CDs and signed merchandise.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — Describing them as teachers, President Barack Obama said Wednesday that two dozen recipients of national medals for contributions to the arts and humanities have created works that will last for American life.
At a White House ceremony, Obama awarded medals to 23 singers, dancers, poets, producers, playwrights, scholars and others, and one performing arts organization. As applause and cheers rippled across the stately East Room, Obama joked that the audience was doing so “Because I’ve bought their books, I’ve seen their movies, I buy their records. So we’re major contributors here.”
Turning more serious, he praised the medal recipients for using their talents “To open up minds and nourish souls, and help us understand what it means to be human, and what it means to be an American.” “We celebrate people like our honorees here today not just because of their talent, but because they create something new. They create a new space and that becomes a lasting contribution to American life,” Obama said.
Among those receiving a National Medal of Arts are Herb Alpert, of Malibu, Calif., the musician behind the Tijuana Brass phenomenon and co-founder of A&M records; filmmaker George Lucas, of San Anselmo, Calif., and the Washington Performing Arts Society, of Washington, D.C.
Recipients of the National Humanities Medal include author Joan Didion, sportswriter Frank Deford and Robert B. Silvers, editor and co-founder of The New York Review of Books. All three are from New York.
LOS ANGELES — On March 21, 2012, the state of Alabama officially proclaimed “Octavia Spencer Day” for the native daughter who had captured the nation’s attention and a supporting-actress Oscar for her role as Minny in The Help weeks earlier.
The Montgomery native was granted stretch pink limousine service, slammed down the state Legislature gavel and heard a hometown marching band play a song in her honor. But after that Spencer, 43, stopped accepting accolades for her work.
“It’s hard to outdo a day in my honor, so I kind of wanted that to be the ultimate moment. I didn’t go beyond that,” Spencer says. “At some point you have to stop. I’d be running around accepting things, then I’d get rusty for the work.”
That’s not likely to happen. She is re-emerging with a vengeance, starting with her co-starring role in Fruitvale Station (opening wide on Friday), which garnered top honors at January’s Sundance Film Festival. The film by 27-year-old writer/director Ryan Coogler is based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area who was shot by police on New Year’s Day 2009.
Rose gave fans a hint on Instagram last week that their marriage was near when she posted a photo of Wiz with the caption, “My soon to be husband…. I Love his crazy hair @mistercap :-)”
However, many wondered whether or not they held secret nuptials without anyone ever knowing back in January when the then-pregnant Rose used the H-word after a videographer in Los Angeles gave her a Ninja Turtles ice cream bar.
“My husband loves Ninja Turtles! That’s really cute, thank you,” she told him. Wiz popped the question back in March 2012, and announced the happy news on Twitter. “She Said Yes!!!” the rapper wrote, and included a pic of his fiancée’s hand flashing a gorgeous and blinding engagement ring.
Shortly after, Rose tweeted, “He has made me the Happiest Woman in the World!!!!”
The couple welcomed their first child together, a son named Sebastian ‘The Bash’ Taylor Thomaz, in February. “He’s a good boy,” Rose gushed with a smile.
article by Bruna Nessif via eonline.com
WE tv has greenlighted a new reality series starring the R&B girl group SWV as they attempt to reclaim the fame of their ’90s heyday. The cable channel ordered six one-hour episodes of the series, called SWV — Sisters With Voices, which will air in early 2014. The trio, consisting of Cheryl “Coko” Clemons, Leanne “Lelee” Lyons and Tamara “Taj” Johnson, announced the news while performing at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on Sunday. The New York City-based group, whose chart-topping hit songs include “Weak” and “Right Here/Human Nature,” broke up in 1998, amid internal fighting, to embark on separate solo careers. They reunited in 2005.
“The journey of SWV is the kind of real and personal comeback story our viewers love to see,” said Lauren Gellert, WE tv’s senior vp original production and development, in a statement Monday. “These dynamic women experienced enormous success together, then it all fell apart. United again, the stakes are higher than ever, and so — at times — is the drama and tension. We can’t wait to present this fresh, new series to WE tv viewers.” Sisters With Voices is produced by Entertainment One Television, with Tara Long, John Morayniss, Howie Long and Jennifer Long executive producing alongside Kate Farrell of WE tv.
article by Erin Carlson via hollywoodreporter.com
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant is engaged to Minnesota Lynx guard Monica Wright. Wright confirmed the engagement following Minnesota’s 91-59 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday night.
Durant, who was selected with the second overall pick in the 2007 draft, just completed his sixth season in the NBA. The 24-year-old forward averaged 28.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season. Wright is in her fourth season in the WNBA. She played her college ball at Virginia and turns 25 on July 15.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com
Chris Brown spent his Fourth of July holiday showing his more charitable side by giving back to students in the community. As part of his newly-launched Unity campaign, the singer donated over 1,000 pairs of Reebok sneakers to students at Crenshaw High School in L.A. on Saturday. The event, “WE US: Walk Everywhere in Unity’s Shoes,” drew special meaning for Brown as he reflected on many of his own childhood memories.
“I used to have to borrow my cousin’s clothes,” he told PEOPLE. “So being able to come from that poverty-stricken environment and then being able to get out of it is what I tried to [do]. … I just want to show the kids and have them have a better light of opportunities for them to do what they need to do.”
After Saturday’s charitable event, Brown wrote a tweet saying: “Thank you for allowing me to continue to inspire change in the world. Today was a great day forward! #UnityCampaign.” Brown launched his Unity Campaign after the release of his latest song, “They Don’t Know,” which features unreleased vocals from late singer Aaliyah and highlights his hopes to end violence.
His sixth studio album, X, is expected to hit stores on July 16th.
article by Lilly Workneh via thegrio.com
TV One today announced that the network saw its highest monthly primetime ratings of the year in June among Adults 25-54 and households. The ratings success was supported by the new original docu-series Fatal Attraction, as well as the second season of popular reality series R&B Divas Atlanta, which concluded on June 19. Furthermore, a strong showing of R&B Divas Atlanta Reunion: Part 1 special which premiered on June 26 helped end the month on a high note.
“TV One’s greatly-anticipated original programming line-up in the month of June proved strong among our key audience,” remarked Alfred Liggins, President and CEO, TV One. “We’re confident that the positive ratings will carry over into the month of July when we premiere R&B Divas Atlanta Reunion: Part 2 and R&B Divas LA on July 10, as well as the second season of The Rickey Smiley Show on July 26.“
Among TV One’s core audience Adults 25-54, the network posted a 34 percent year-over-year increase (106,000 vs. 79,000). The network was also up among overall households by 21 percent (142,000 vs. 117,000). Additionally, TV One posted double-digit year-over-year increases among Adults 25-54 and households in June.
The R&B Divas Atlanta Reunion: Part 1 special that aired on June 26 at 10 pm posted a .67 rating among Adults 25-54, delivering 414,000 Adults 25-54. The episode also posted a .91 household rating, delivering 522,000 homes. TV One was the number one ad-supported cable network among Black Adults 25-54 in the 10 pm time-slot on Wednesday, June 26. Since the May 1 premiere of R&B Divas Atlanta season two, the network has been a top three ad-supported cable network among its core demo of Black Adults 25-54 on Wednesdays at 10 pm (nine consecutive weeks).
Said Keith Bowen, Chief Revenue Officer, TV One, “As TV One’s ratings continue to show positive growth, our cross-platforms brand solutions and integrations become even more valuable to advertisers looking to reach Black adult viewers.“
article by Tambay A. Obenson via ShadowAndAct