Category Archives: Leslie Anne Dominique

Life after death on Facebook

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

Have you ever wondered what happens to an individual’s social media account after they pass away? Well, Facebook has generated a new system to handle the deaths of social media users.

On Tuesday, the social media giant announced that legacy contacts would be given majority of control over a validated deceased account on Facebook. There is also a new “Tributes” section on the network that will allow loved ones to honor the deceased person. Legacies will be permitted to manage this “Tributes” page as well. In continuance, Facebook has made changes to assure that profiles of dead people will not show up in unexpected places on the website.

This new system is in response to Facebook’s 2015 project to allow people to assign a legacy contact to manage their social media account in the event that they passed away. However, many legacies and loved ones made complaints about finding the deceased accounts in invite recommendations or even birthday reminders.

For the past few years Facebook has been struggling to devise a solution to the problem of deceased user accounts but now they believe they have found a solution. With the new system deceased accounts must be memorialized.

Essentially Facebook must confirm that the account at hand belongs to a dead person. Accounts can only be memorialized by friends and family of the said user. In continuation, only users 18 and up can assign legacy contacts, but parents with young children are now permitted to apply for legacy contacts to control their children’s account.

Memorized accounts can be controlled by legacies in the sense that profile photos and posts can be edited however, private messages cannot be read and no past posts may be deleted. Rather than old and new posts being merged together, there are separated sections between deceased and alive, serving as a digital memorial.

While Facebook has offered a number of solutions to this perplexing issue, there are still a number of questions being asked. Many are concerned at the fact that users are only permitted one legacy. The questions is: What happens if the user and the legacy die either in the same incident or in two different scenarios, who will manage the account? Facebook administrators have recognized this issue but have yet to find a solution.

As social media networks continue to rule the internet, the issue of deceased accounts and what happens to digital footprints is still a question at hand. Facebook promotes the idea of users using the network to share influential milestones, including the death of loved ones. According to Facebook, 30 million users view memorialized profiles per month. The social network is doing all this in an effort to continue life after death and let people’s legacies live on, connecting people dead or alive.

This story has been reported by a number of sites such as, NBC and WIRED. Both articles provided relevant information about the subject. This is a very relevant story as many social media users are concerned of digital footprints after death.

‘Endgame’ tickets selling rapidly

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

The blockbuster motion picture event of the year is arriving on April 26, with the release of “Avengers: Endgame.” However, if you want to get tickets, get in line.

Earlier this week “Endgame” tickets officially went on pre-sale. Due to popular demand of the coveted tickets, movie websites such as Cinemark and AMC crashed instantaneously

According to Fandango, in a matter of six hours, Marvel’s most recent project broke the record for highest pre-sale tickets purchased in 24 hours, a record that was held briefly by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” But it doesn’t just stop there, Marvel fanatics are offering to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars to get their hands on “Endgame” tickets.

Tickets for the movie have been appearing all over the internet on websites such as eBay. There are nearly 400 listings currently on eBay ranging from $100 to $15,000. In fact a pair of tickets was sold for $15,000 in New Jersey.

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Chris Hemsworth and Chadwick Boseman, “Avengers: Endgame” is set to break box office records. Latest projections estimate that “Endgame” will bring in at least $250 million in revenue its opening weekend. If “Endgame” meets these expectations, it will beat “Infinity War” sales as well as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” making “Endgame” the biggest domestic opening weekend in history.

“Endgame” targeted anticipation from audiences for an entire year. After the intense cliffhanger at the end of “Infinity War” and the introduction of a new superhero in “Captain Marvel,” fans will definitely be showing support for the movie event. Truth will be told when the Avengers unite to save the Marvel Universe on April 26.

This story has been released by multiple entertainment news sources such Wired and ForTheWin. Each website is reporting with the numbers to provide evidence of how influential this movie will be. “Endgame” is predicted to be the biggest movie money maker this year so, it makes sense for this story to be reported.

Fan banned after slur against Cousins

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

Earlier today the Boston Celtics issued a statement concerning a two-year suspension of a fan that used racial slurs against Golden States Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins.

The incident occurred on Jan. 26, during a game where the Warriors faced the Celtics in Boston. A fan murmured a racial slur at Cousins while he was on the court. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, “During that game, there was a fan who muttered the n-word at DeMarcus Cousins.”

Cousins then went on to inform the security team and they took care of the fan. The fan, who was a minor, was ultimately removed from the game. Over the last two months, the team has held an investigation surrounding the incident, interviewing fans, officers and other witnesses.

This morning the Celtics finally released a statement in regards to the situation. Based off of the evidence, the team has decided to issue a two-year ban on the perpetrator. According to the statement, “the punishment for any corroborated discriminatory language used towards any player, employee, or fan at a Celtics home game is a lifetime ban.”

Earlier this week Cousins made a statement claiming that he has been referred to as a n-word on multiple occasions by fans. In a report that he made with Yahoo! he says, “It’s crazy because this has happened to me on a few occasions. I reported it to the league, and, you know, I may have said whatever I said back and I was still punished for it.”

It doesn’t just stop there. Cousins is only one of many African American basketball players who have experienced similar cruelty from fans. Marcus Smart, a shooting guard on the Celtics, expressed disappointment about the incident in a conversation with Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. In the pregame statement, Smart stated “I’ve dealt with a lot of things, here in my own city, and out of this city … I get it. I’ve seen it. I’m not surprised, and it has to be fixed, plain and simple.”

Let’s not forget that just earlier this month; Russell Westbrook was all over the headlines when the Utah Jazz permanently banned a fan who belligerently mocked him with racial references. In Westbrook’s situation he raised controversy in his rebuttal to the offensive comments. However, Cousins argues that “our emotions are the same as yours. You somewhere walking down the street and someone says something crazy to you, you’re going to react.”

It appears that the NBA is making moves to hold fans more accountable for their inappropriate behavior at basketball games. These players are too often taunted by heckling, racial slurs etc. and are expected to remain calm. This is an issue that must be regulated and dealt with accordingly.

This story has been majorly reported by all of the top news networks. It seems that majority of the stories hold the importance of protecting athletes and holding fans accountable. This story also made television airwaves, being reported on CBS Sports, ESPN and many more networks.

Good Samaritan arrested in drug bust

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

Oh how the cookie crumbles…

A man who was praised for buying $540 in Girl Scout cookies last Friday, was arrested on Tuesday for federal drug charges.

Last Friday, Detric Lee McGowen was a hero all over the internet. His story of buying 120 boxes of Girl Scout cookies from freezing children at the supermarket went viral.  The story was picked up by local and national news, with pictures of him and the happy children presented all over.

Unrelated to his generosity, McGowen was arrested on Tuesday and charged by the DEA with conspiracy to import and distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.

McGowen is one of the 11 men tied up in a case claiming that they conspired to import Mexican drugs into the U.S. More than $1 million were found among the defendants.

Various local news networks have caught up with the Girl Scouts from Greenville to speak on their experience with McGowen. In an interview with the Greenville News, Karen Kelly, the vice president of the Girl Scouts chapter stated, “Nobody was hurt. Nobody was threatened.… We had no reason to believe that this man was anything other than one of our valuable customers.… This is now in the hands of law enforcement and of course we will cooperate with authorities.”

The Girl Scouts of Greenville are saddened by the actions of McGowen and maintain that the girls are safe and that McGowen presented no form of danger or threat. It has not yet been reported if the Girl Scouts plan on returning the money,

McGowen has been charged with a total of eight drug-related counts and has further been charged with racketeering and conspiracy to deceive the United States.

This story has been reported by a variety of news networks. CNN, NPR, The Washington Post and more have written about the intriguing story. The overall draw to the story is that you never really know a person. A criminal may be who you least expect.

Trump discusses Venezuela at FIU

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

On President’s Day, President Donald Trump flew to Miami to give a speech at Florida International University, where he was joined by hundreds to thousands of Venezuelans chanting, “libertad, libertad, libertad” (freedom, freedom, freedom).

The purpose of Trump’s speech was to address the crisis in Venezuela and announce his support for Juan Guaidó, an opposition politician to the Venezuelan regime and the man who many believe is the rightful president. The South American nation is currently going through a political crisis involving hyperinflation, leaving millions of citizens in poverty. President, Nicolás Maduro, who many citizens blame for the nation’s decline, has refused much of the humanitarian aid that is being sent to feed the starving in Venezuela.

Trump spoke to the pleas of much of his audience stating, “a new day is coming in Latin America.”  The president seeks a “peaceful transition of power” in which Guaidó is president. The large majority of his speech was focused on discrediting Maduro’s socialist agenda.

He warned Maduro supporters that they would lose their livelihoods. Speaking of the blockage of aid from the United States, the president said of Maduro, “He would rather see his people starve than give them aid.” Although Trump’s speech was rather mellow for him, there were underlying hints at a military invasion by the U.S., if the presidency was not granted to Guaidó.

Many question Trump’s intentions and stance on the issues revolving around Venezuela. Trump spoke greatly of Venezuelans who have protested and raised arms against the corrupt government however; this is the same man who is supporting the deportation of Venezuelans who seek to flee tyranny from the Maduro regime.

Maduro has since responded to President Trump’s speech, stating that it was “A tired rhetoric questioning our right as a free country to adopt the ideas of socialism which is humane and Christian. It was a Nazi-style speech.” It seems that the two leaders share a flair for the dramatics.

In a video surrounded by military officials, Maduro claimed “Donald Trump wants to ban ideologies… [He] wants to impose his way of thinking of the white supremacists in the White House. No! Venezuela will continue with its division of ideologies. We will continue to be multiracial.”

Maduro believes that Trump is encouraging an invasion of Venezuela and has taken action to avoid such. Since Monday, Nicolas Maduro has forbid all aid from the United States to enter the country. This has put the Venezuelan crisis at a climax.

What now?

Fighting back is not in the favor of Venezuelans, as the military regime is rather strict and forceful. It seems that it would take outside interaction from military giants, such as the United States, to get Venezuelans the freedom and supplies that they need. In opposition of the regime, Guaidó has called for a huge nationwide march on Feb. 23 to get charitable relief into the country. Venezuelans are in wide support of Guaidó and find that he will be the key to gaining them their freedom.

How are we reporting this story?

This story, along with many stories regarding the Venezuelan crisis, has been reported by various news sources. Every day different networks such as CNN, NBC and FOX are reporting stories on Venezuela on paper, on air, and on television. There hardly is a day that passes when Venezuela is not being reported by journalists. Many news organizations are reporting it by focusing on the food crisis and how citizens are fighting to gain supplies; others are focusing on statements from Maduro himself. Many journalists are also suspecting an invasion from the U.S., and reporting on this expectation.

Grammys criticized for Motown tribute

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

Uh Oh! Did the Grammys really just do that? On Sunday’s biggest night in music, Jennifer Lopez graced the stage to perform a tribute in honor of Motown Records at the 61st annual Grammy Awards, and fans were not impressed.

Lopez took the stage took the stage to perform hits such as “Dancing in the Street,” “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” “Please Mr. Postman” and “Do You Love Me?” She also joined Smokey Robinson in a performance of “My Girl.” While, the performance was entertaining, her style of dress and salsa dancing had no relation to the Motown label.

For those who have been missing for the past century, Motown Records is a legendary Detroit record label known for popularizing Black music. Motown is responsible for the success of legends such as Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and, you guessed it, Michael Jackson. So maybe it can be understood why Motown fans were surprised to see Lopez parading the Staples Center stage in full leotard, to honor the label.

Fans took to Twitter to complain about the disaster. Many questioned why in Black History Month, on the eve of Motown’s 60th anniversary, would the Grammy’s choose Lopez, instead of a successful African American artist, to perform. Motown is a staple in the Black community and generated the first genuine respect for Black artists, thus the decision to choose Lopez was not fully thought through.

In response to all the controversy, Lopez spoke to “Entertainment Tonight” saying, “The thing about music is that it inspires all. Any type of music can inspire any type of artist. You can’t tell people what to love.” She went on to say, “It was for my mom. I could cry. It’s such a good moment. It’s just a dream come true.” Many find J-Lo’s defense to be sub- par.

Talented she may be, the Lopez Motown medley simply missed the mark and overshadowed the success and legacy of Motown Records.

This story has been widespread throughout the news media, being reported by various outlets. Some sources, such as The Grape Vine, reported rather harsh on Lopez and claimed that her performance gentrified the Motown genre. Whereas, “Entertainment Tonight” and many others defended J-Lo’s performance, not understanding the significance of the performance. Many commended her performance, missing the point of the entire backlash.

Muslim inmate executed in Alabama

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

ATMORE, Ala. — Muslim inmate Dominique Ray was executed by lethal injection under the order of the U.S. Supreme Court after requesting to have an Islamic spiritual mentor in the execution chamber on his day of death.

According to sources, shortly before the case was brought to the U.S. Supreme Court, Ray argued that his Atmore Prison did not accommodate Muslim inmates in that a prison-employed Christian chaplain stayed in the chamber to offer comfort during lethal injections. However, his prison along with the state refused to grant for an imam to be present. Due to “security reasons,” Ray’s imam, Yusef Maisonet, was only permitted to view the execution in the next room, separated by glass.

Ray gained the attention of the nation when he challenged this decision at the federal appeals court. On Wednesday the court granted him a stay of execution, while they decided if Ray’s case violated Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by “preferring one religion over another.”

However, less than 24 hours later in a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court allowed for the commencement of the execution on Thursday. His imam was not in the room.

Ray was sentenced to death after he raped and murdered a 15- year old, Tiffany Harville whose body was discovered in a cotton field. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall called Ray’s execution a “long-delayed appointment with justice.”

Conservative justices claim that their abrupt decision was due to the “last-minute nature” of Ray’s appeal. Whereas, liberal justices find the ruling to be inevitably wrong.

Ray’s case brings to question if the Establishment Clause was actually violated. Many argue that Christian prisoners have been granted the right to have a religiously affiliated leader by their side during execution so, why is Ray’s case different?

As Alabama’s first execution of 2019, Dominique Ray’s case is still being reviewed. Although he was not granted his religious rights, the conversation about church and state will continue.

Knicks trade Porzingis to Dallas

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

It was announced on Thursday that the New York Knicks traded, Kristaps Porzingis along with Trey Burke, Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Deandre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr, Wesley Matthews and two future first-round picks.

Porzingis, a 7-foot-3 Latvian, first round draft pick, was once booed by Knicks fans when he took the court. However, upon realization of his undeniable talent, averaging 22.7 points per game, he soon became the King of New York.

So, why exactly did the Knicks trade New York’s golden boy?

Along with being out this entire season due to an ACL injury, rumors had been speculating that the All-Star athlete wanted out of New York. Having allegedly skipped meetings regarding his future on the team, management began to make moves for the removal of Porzingis. After all there was no agreement for an extension to his contract before this season.

A meeting was held this Thursday with management in which Porzingis expressed his disdain for the team’s future plans. General manager Scott Perry says he “no longer wanted to be a part of our group.” Upon what seemed to be an instantaneous meeting, the Knicks granted Porzingis’s wish to be traded to the Dallas Maverick’s.

Although management has faced serious backlash due to the block buster trade, Steve Mills, president of the Knicks, stated while on a conference call, “We feel like we did the right thing. When you try to think about how you want to build your team for the long term, you don’t want to commit a max [contract] to a player who clearly says to you he doesn’t want to be here. That would be a disservice for our organization and disservice to our fans.”

Hours after the announcement, Porzingis addressed fans on Twitter saying, “New York will always have a special place in my heart. Grateful for everybody who made this journey so special for my family and I.”“The Unicorn” left New York with a heartfelt message but also with many questions about the future of the franchise.

The Knicks haven’t had legendary athletes since the 1970s when Walt Frazier brought the city two rings and the 1990s when Patrick Ewing graced the court. Carmelo Anthony was also adored by the city but he tanked in his later years.

The team now desires to build itself around young players. Considering the team has the current lowest standing in the league, they may be a shoe in for Duke’s ultra-talented, Zion Williamson, who is presumed to be the No. 1 2019 NBA Draft Pick.

The Porzingis trade could possibly bring the Knicks into a new era of success, or this may simply be the Knicks running another talented player out of the city.