The Wendy's fast food restaurant where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was killed is engulfed in flames, after protesters set fire to the building Saturday night. Footage of the burning restaurant can be found below.
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Brooks was killed Friday night after an altercation with a police officer in Atlanta. While resisting arrest, Brooks wrestled a taser away from one of his arresting officers and began to flee. "The fight started when they tried to make an arrest ... after that he took a taser and took off," an eyewitness said. The officer then shot his firearm at Brooks.
Brooks was rushed to the hospital, where he died soon after.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has condemned the actions of the officer who shot Brooks saying, "There is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do."
"I do not believe this was a justified use of deadly force," she added.
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields has resigned from her position. "APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department. I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve," she said.
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Britney Spears Burned Down Her Home Gym
Britney Spears says she accidentally burned down her home gym six months ago after setting up two candles.
Britney Spears has been keeping busy during quarantine, staying fit through her at-home workouts but, in her latest exercise journal, she admitted that she accidentally set her gym on fire last year.
The legendary pop star has been uploading videos of herself working out and practicing yoga in her yard for months and, finally, it was revealed that she's been working out outdoors so often because her home gym was basically destroyed after a fire broke out six months ago.
"Hi guys, I'm in my gym right now. I haven't been in here for like six months because I burned my gym down," said Spears in the most casual way possible. Clearly, she's not all too bothered about it.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
"I had two candles and, yeah, one thing led to another and I burned it down. So, I'm in here and I only have two pieces of equipment left," she added before filming her routine.
This entire admission happened in the first ten seconds of her video as she spoke rapidly about what happened, not paying the fire any mind. In her caption, she clarifies that it was an accident, in case anybody thought otherwise.
"It was an accident ….but yes …. I burnt it down," she wrote. " I walked past the door to the gym and flames. BOOM !!!!!! By the Grace of God the alarm went off after that and yippy hoorah nobody got hurt."
View this post on InstagramStay safe and maybe don't light any candles this time.
Deadly NYC Subway Fire Leaves One Dead, 17 Injured
A brutal fire on a northbound 2 train in New York City left 17 injured and one dead, Friday.
One passenger is dead and over a dozen more are injured, following a subway fire in New York City on a northbound 2 train. The New York Police Department is currently investigating the incident.
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The fire began at 3:15 AM Friday. The train was ablaze as it pulled into the station at West 110th Street and Lenox Avenue. Authorities expect foul play as evidence at the scene points to the fire being intentionally set. Authorities suspect the hypothetical arsonist to be involved in two separate fires at subway stations from earlier that morning.
17 people, five of whom are firefighters, were injured. 36-year-old train operator Garrett Goble has been pronounced dead.
"Absolutely heartbroken to share the news that one of our New York City Transit family members passed away as a result of an incident this morning," Interim New York City Transit president Sarah Feinberg told CBS Local. "We are devastated by this. This is a hard moment for New York City Transit. A devastating incident. Our hearts and prayers are with our families, with our workforce, and with the family of and loved ones of our family member who has passed away… This is another horrific moment for our family."
The MTA has announced a $50,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
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Universal Admits Masters Of Nirvana, Elton John, & More Damaged In 2008 Fire
A new court filing shows UMG has acknowledged the loss of master recording from Nirvana, Elton John and more in the 2008 warehouse fire.
Universal Music Group has confirmed that master recordings of Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Elton John, Beck, Soundgarden, Sheryl Crow, R.E.M and more were destroyed in the 2008 fire at Universal Studios Hollywood, as reported by Pitchfork.
David McNew / Getty Images
In June 2019, The New York Times reported that an extensive number of master recordings were destroyed in 2008, but not initially reported by UMG. Now, as a part of a new filing in the artists’ class action suit against UMG, the company has acknowledged that masters of the aforementioned artists, as well as Bryan Adams, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, David Baerwald, Jimmy Eat World, Les Paul, Peter Frampton, Michael McDonald, Slayer, Suzanne Vega, Surfaris, White Zombie, and Y&T were destroyed.
UMG sent the following response to Pitchfork:
The plaintiffs’ lawyers have already been informed that none of the masters for four of their five clients were affected by the fire — and the one other client was alerted years earlier and UMG and the artist, working together, were still able to locate a high-quality source for a reissue project. Recognizing the lack of merit of their original claims, plaintiffs’ attorneys are now willfully and irresponsibly conflating lost assets (everything from safeties and videos to artwork) with original album masters, in a desperate attempt to inject substance into their meritless legal case. Over the last eight months, UMG’s archive team has diligently and transparently responded to artist inquiries, and we will not be distracted from completing our work, even as the plaintiffs’ attorneys pursue these baseless claims.
Howard King, who represents the artists, released a statement saying, “Universal claimed 17,000 artists were affected by the fire when they were suing for damages. Now that they face a lawsuit by their artists, they claim a mere 19 artists were affected. This discrepancy is inexplicable.”
Fire At Manufacturing Plant Threatens Global Vinyl Record Supply
A fire in California may have a drastic impact on Vinyl production.
A massive fire burned through the manufacturing and storage facility for Apollo Masters in Banning, California, Thursday, according to The Desert Sun.
No employees were injured, but with Apollo Masters being one of the only manufacturers of lacquers in the world, the fire could shake up Vinyl production worldwide. “We are uncertain of our future at this point and are evaluating options as we try to work through this difficult time," a statement on the company's website reads.
Pitchfork spoke with Ben Blackwell, co-founder of Third Man Records, email: “From my understanding, this fire will present a problem for the vinyl industry worldwide,” Blackwell wrote. "There are only TWO companies that make lacquers in the world, and the other, MDC in Japan, already had trouble keeping up with demand BEFORE this development.
“I imagine this will affect EVERYONE, not just Third Man Pressing and Third Man Mastering, but to what extent remains to be seen.”
Pitchfork also contacted David Read, vinyl production and sales coordinator for Duplication, who believes that the damage “will directly affect all vinyl plants, bands/labels, mastering engineers, plating facilities etc., anyone who used lacquers as part of their vinyl production. In my almost 40 years experience the vinyl industry as a whole is incredibly resilient and filled with talented professionals who will, and already are, teaming together to find a way out of this current problem.”
Vinyl popularity has been on the rise in recent years. In 2018, sales grew 12 percent from 8.6 to 9.7 million according to The Verge.
Man Claims He Burned $1 Million To Avoid Paying Child Support
A former Ottawa mayoral candidate told a Supreme Court judge that he set fire to more than $1 million in an effort to avoid paying spousal and child support.
A businessman in Ottawa is claiming to have burned more than $1 million cash in an attempt to avoid having to pay spousal and child support to his ex-wife. The man in question is Bruce McConville, a former mayoral candidate who, ironically, ran on a tough-on-crime platform before he lost his election. His claims that he burned a total of $1,039,000, however, are not flying with Supreme Court judge, Kevin Phillips.
In his latest effort to dodge a court order dictating that he file an affidavit over his finances in order to determine how much he owes in child and spousal support, McConville has claimed that the profits from selling businesses and properties behind his ex-wife's back are gone. Despite a separate court order that he not sell his properties, McConville sold his assets to his accountant, and refused to pay $300,000 to the court as a security. During a contempt motion last week, he told Judge Phillips that he made up to 25 withdrawals from half-dozen bank accounts that totalled the $1,050,000 he made from his secret sales. When asked where the money was, McConville indicated that he "destroyed" it. He was pressed for clarification, and after rambling on, he admitted that he "burnt it" in portions on two separate occasions: $743,000 on September 23rd, and $296,000 on December 15th.
Judge Phillips was alarmed, but grew more and more suspicious when McConville stated that he did not record the burning, and that no witnesses were present. “It’s not something that I would normally do,” McConville explained. “I am not a person that is extremely materialistic. A little goes a long way. I have always been frugal. That’s why my business lasted for 31 years.” On January 28th, Judge Phillips declared that it was "crystal clear" that McConville has "deliberately set out to thwart the court and the proper administration of justice." McConville was sentenced to 30 days in jail, and is required to pay a $2,000 per day fine, which will not count towards his spousal support nor child support, until he gives an honest account of his finances to the court. He was also threatened with future incarceration that would make his current sentence seem like a "walk in the park."
Judge Phillips pointed out how monumentally McConville has failed his kids, noting, "you have set out to do damage to your children’s future by destroying, on purpose, the financial wherewithal that you had to provide for their best interests.” He then informed him that “it may well be, therefore, that your remaining assets, equity in the home and RRSPs, etc., end up entirely in the hands of [your ex-wife]. If that’s the result you are trying to bring about, then so be it. But you cannot thumb your nose at the court as you have done.” He also urged McConville "to get in compliance because that $2,000 a day is going to run up such that you lose everything."
Lil Wayne, A Boogie & More Dominate Updated "FIRE EMOJI" Playlist
“FIRE EMOJI” has you covered with the best releases of the week.
It’s time. Our weekly “FIRE EMOJI” playlist is back to round up the best tracks from the last seven days.
With a new album from Lil Wayne out, the New Orleans rapper was bound to dominate the playlist. Wayne has three spots held down this week: “Dreams,” “I Do It,” and “Mahogany” all make an appearance. “I Do It” comes featured with Big Sean and Lil Baby who team up to help Wayne put together one of the best tracks off Funeral. “Mahogany” isn’t to be forgotten either. This track features bar after bar and multiple flows for Wayne to weave in and out of.
Moving on, “Fire Emoji” also boasts an appearance from A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. “King of My City” sees the Bronx rapper letting it be known where he originates: “I be feeling like the king of my city/From the Bronx, not Benny.”
Other songs include Royce Da 5’9″, Russ, Rick Ross, A$AP Ferg and more. Check out the full playlist and all our other playlists below.
Follow our freshly-updated Wake & Bake playlist here.
Follow our G.O.O.D. Music playlist (for a GOOD ASS FRIDAY) here.
Megan Thee Stallion, Yo Gotti & More Headline Superb "FIRE EMOJI" Playlist
It’s been a great week for hip hop.
Our weekly “FIRE EMOJI” playlist is back this week with plenty of heat to get you through the week.
Kicking things off is Yo Gotti with his new banger “H.O.E. (Heaven On Earth).” Gotti comes through with a catchy hook rapping “I’m a hoe, I know I’m a hoe/ But don’t you call me a lil’ n—a, that sh– come with the smoke.” This track comes paired up with a music video that puts Gotti in a “Make the Hood Great Again” hat, as he serves as the President of the United States. Gotti’s next album, Untrapped, drops on January 31st.
Also new this week, is Megan Thee Stallion’s “B.I.T.C.H.,” which samples Tupac’s “Rather Be Ya N–ga.” She explains that she’d rather be a “B.I.T.C.H.,” because that’s what she’ll end up being called regardless: “I’d rather be a B.I.T.C.H. because that’s what you gon’ call me when I’m trippin’ anyway.” Megan confirmed she was finishing up her debut studio album in December; however, no release date has been announced.
Other new additions include tracks from Lil Baby, Future, Mac Miller, 070 Shake and more. Check out the “FIRE EMOJI” playlist below.
Follow our freshly-updated Wake & Bake playlist here.
Follow our G.O.O.D. Music playlist (for a GOOD ASS FRIDAY) here.
Drake, Future & Mac Miller Headline A Strong Week For "Fire Emoji" Playlist
2020 is continuing to boast a strong start.
Following a strong start to the year last week, our weekly “FIRE EMOJI” playlist is back with another update filled with the hottest releases from the last seven days.
To kick things off, Drake and Future reunited for a new banger titled “Life is Good,” a self-evident truth for all of us, now that we’ve got this track to vibe to. Drake starts the track off with smooth verse before a beat switch that introduces an expectedly hard verse from Future. All and all, the track brings fans back to the What A Time To Be Alive days.
Also to be found is a new posthumous release from Mac Miller, “Good News.” The lo-fi, sleepy vibe is one that’ll leave fans with waterworks before the full release of Miller’s upcoming Circles, which releases next week. This single is accompanied by a somber music video with trippy visuals and two quick clips of Miller in the studio.
Also included are new tracks from Mick Jenkins, Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion and more. Check out the full playlist below.
Follow our freshly-updated Wake & Bake playlist here.
Follow our G.O.O.D. Music playlist (for a GOOD ASS FRIDAY) here.
Tons of EDM’s DJs Are Raising Money for Australia’s Fires In Their Own Ways
It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening in Australia right now with the bushfires — and DJs across the world are stepping up to help.
Steve Aoki, David Guetta, Don Diablo, Alison Wonderland, Svdden Death and many more are using their platforms to raise awareness and encourage donations for the national emergency. Some have raised money through shows and merchandise sales, or straight up donations, while others have called on fans to help out — no amount is too great or small.
Showtek lay it all out in their post below:
It’s unbelievable to see what this planet is turning into. The climate crisis is no joke but we all seem to look the other way when it comes to making real changes. We need to change the way we live and eat to make sure we can save this planet so animals and people don’t have to suffer like this. Make a difference yourself because no one will do it for you! Please donate anything you can to help!
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, at least 20 people have died, and half a billion animals have been lost due to the raging bushfires in Australia. Devastating images have surfaced of burnt wildlife and blood red skies, adding sense of urgency to the ongoing climate crisis.
Read some of the posts from the dance community below and find out where to donate here.
DJs React to Bushfires in Australia
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