Salon.com > Prachi Gupta http://www.salon.com Fri, 03 May 2013 03:47:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Georgia town allegedly diverting sewage to black neighborhood http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/town_to_hold_first_integrated_prom_now_allegedly_discriminating_via_sewage_treatment/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/town_to_hold_first_integrated_prom_now_allegedly_discriminating_via_sewage_treatment/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 21:51:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13288132 Rochelle, Ga. made national headlines recently when Wilcox County high school held its first-ever integrated prom last weekend.

Now, nonprofit environmental law organization Earthjustice is targeting the town for another instance of racial discrimination: its sewage treatment.

According to Earthjustice.org, "White residents of Rochelle live on the south side of the city’s railroad track. African-Americans live on the other side." The city maintains pipes in the predominantly white neighborhood, but not the African-American side. "As a result," writes Earthjustice, "untreated sewage backs up and overflows into the streets and the yards of residents on the north side of the tracks."

“Sewage overflows my pipes and flows under my house. It’s time somebody did something about it. They [the white community] live comfortably and I want to live comfortably, too,” said Rochelle resident Rufus Howard.

Howard is one of nine Rochelle residents represented by Earthjustice, who will file a lawsuit under the Clean Water Act if the city does not resolve the issue in 60 days.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/town_to_hold_first_integrated_prom_now_allegedly_discriminating_via_sewage_treatment/feed/ 4 Lil Wayne responds to family of Emmett Till over offensive lyric http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/lil_wayne_responds_to_family_of_emmett_till_over_offensive_lyric/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/lil_wayne_responds_to_family_of_emmett_till_over_offensive_lyric/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 20:29:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13288056 Although Epic Records apologized for an offensive Lil Wayne rap lyric back in February, the rapper did not issue a formal statement until this week.

In the Future remix called "Karate Chop," Wayne compared the 14-year-old civil rights icon Emmett Till, murdered in 1955, to a sex act.

Wayne sent a letter to Till's family recently, saying he "acknowledged" the hurt caused by the lyrics:

Dear Till Family:

As a recording artist, I have always been interested in word play. My lyrics often reference people, places and events in my music, as well as the music that I create for or alongside other artists.

It has come to my attention that lyrics from my contribution to a fellow artist’s song has deeply offended your family. As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge your hurt, as well as the letter you sent to me via your attorneys.

Moving forward, I will not use or reference Emmett Till or the Till family in my music, especially in an inappropriate manner. I fully support Epic Record’s decision to take down the unauthorized version of the song and to not include the reference in the version that went to retail. I will not be performing the lyrics that contain that reference live and have removed them from my catalogue.

I have tremendous respect for those who paved the way for the liberty and opportunities that African-Americans currently enjoy. As a business owner who employs several African-American employees and gives philanthropically to organizations that help youth to pursue their dreams my ultimate intention is to uplift rather than degrade our community.

Best,

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.
Lil Wayne

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/lil_wayne_responds_to_family_of_emmett_till_over_offensive_lyric/feed/ 2 Steven Spielberg to direct “American Sniper” film adaptation http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/steven_spielberg_to_direct_american_sniper_film_adaptation/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/steven_spielberg_to_direct_american_sniper_film_adaptation/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 19:38:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13288017 The "American Sniper" project is moving forward, adding legendary director Steven Spielberg to its credits, reports THR. Spielberg will also co-produce the film, along with Andrew Lazar and Peter Morgan and actor Bradley Cooper.

Cooper bought the rights to the film adaptation of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's book in May 2012, but fast-tracked the project after Kyle's death in early 2013. Kyle was shot dead by veteran Eddie Routh, thought to have been struggling with PTSD.

Cooper will star as Chris Kyle, and intends to use the role to illuminate high-profile issues, telling NPR's Terry Gross that Kyle's story "needs to be told and it’s also relevant on two fronts. One, gun control, and two, the need to address this — the many soldiers that are coming back with post-traumatic stress disorder.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/steven_spielberg_to_direct_american_sniper_film_adaptation/feed/ 2 “Iron Man 3″ box office hit in China http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/iron_man_3_box_office_hit_in_china/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/iron_man_3_box_office_hit_in_china/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 18:15:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287868 Despite the minor controversy sparked by product placement in its made-for-China scenes, "Iron Man 3" garnered almost $21 million in the Chinese box office, topping the one-day sales record set by “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” in 2011.

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Online reactions to the film have been largely positive, but bloggers appear united in their consternation of the deliberate product placement that sees new a character named Dr Wu (played by mainland Chinese actor Wang Xueqi) consume a [milk] carton of Gu Li Duo.

Not that audiences outside mainland China will get a glimpse of this, though: this scene is part of the film’s China release, a version which is four minutes longer than the normal cut seen everywhere else in the world.

"Transformers 4" is the next Hollywood studios film expected to follow the similar model of dual version releases.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/iron_man_3_box_office_hit_in_china/feed/ 0 Reese Witherspoon on arrest: “I literally panicked” http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/reese_witherspoon_on_arrest_i_literally_panicked/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/reese_witherspoon_on_arrest_i_literally_panicked/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 15:41:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287691 America's sweetheart Reese Witherspoon tainted her image two weeks ago when she and husband Jim Toth were pulled over for drunken driving in Atlanta. Toth was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and failure to maintain the lane while Witherspoon, outraged, was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Although Witherspoon has offered a public apology, the star emphasized how embarrassed she is on today's "Good Morning America." “I saw him arresting my husband and I literally panicked,” she said. “I told him I was pregnant. I’m not pregnant. I said all kinds of crazy things.”

Witherspoon, who also told an officer, “Do you know my name?”and “You’re about to find out who I am,” said: "I think we made a mistake and it was something that will absolutely never happen again.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/reese_witherspoon_on_arrest_i_literally_panicked/feed/ 4 Listen to the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/listen_to_the_soundtrack_of_baz_luhrmanns_great_gatsby/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/listen_to_the_soundtrack_of_baz_luhrmanns_great_gatsby/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 15:16:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287674 NPR First Listen has made the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's glitzy 3-D adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" available for streaming via Playlist.

For music fans, the soundtrack, which features new music by top artists like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Gotye and Lana del Rey, arrives with as much anticipation as the movie set to open May 10. NPR on the jazz-infused rap and pop soundtack:

Whether Lurhmann's film does justice to Fitzgerald's essential work will become widely evident when the film opens on May 10. First, we have the film's soundtrack, which like Lurmann's [sic] previous ones both arises from within the film and stands separately from it. Some have wondered why, after Lurhmann enlisted Jay-Z's help and announced that his movie's music would recast hip-hop as the jazz of our boom-and-bust era, only a few rappers show up on the album. But just as Fitzgerald peppered his text with references to jazz-influenced pop songs to show how that music became a lingua franca, so this soundtrack aims to show how hip-hop now deeply informs rock, dance music and the Top 40.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/listen_to_the_soundtrack_of_baz_luhrmanns_great_gatsby/feed/ 1 Must-see morning clip: Colbert on over-the-counter Plan B http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/must_see_morning_clip_colbert_on_over_the_counter_plan_b/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/must_see_morning_clip_colbert_on_over_the_counter_plan_b/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 13:13:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287585 The FDA, which apparently stands for the "Fornication Distribution Agenda" is "handing out hussy pills to 15-year-old girls" and Stephen Colbert is outraged:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/must_see_morning_clip_colbert_on_over_the_counter_plan_b/feed/ 0 Chris Kelly of rap group Kris Kross dies at 34 http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/chris_kelly_of_rap_group_kriss_kross_dies_at_34/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/chris_kelly_of_rap_group_kriss_kross_dies_at_34/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287547 Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly, one half of the beloved 1990s rap duo Kris Kross, is dead at 34.

Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith, two teenagers whose gimmick included wearing baggy clothes backwards, rose to international stardom in 1992 with their multiplatinum debut album, "Totally Krossed Out," which carried their hit single, "Jump."

According to the authorities, Kelly died of an apparent drug overdose on Wednesday after being taken to an Atlanta hospital.

Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, and music producer Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label have released the following statement:

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1. To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trendsetting, backwards pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris – the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party. Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music, and we will forever love him.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/chris_kelly_of_rap_group_kriss_kross_dies_at_34/feed/ 1 “Mad Men” recapped via Facebook updates http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/mad_men_recapped_via_facebook_updates/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/mad_men_recapped_via_facebook_updates/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 21:15:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287142 If you are behind on the current season of "Mad Men," you could read Heather Havrilesky's recaps to understand how the ad execs at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce are faring in 1968.

But if you're really short on time, you should check out these amusing Facebook recaps, via HappyPlace.com.

Here are a few from season 6:

Head over to HappyPlace.com for more.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/mad_men_recapped_via_facebook_updates/feed/ 3 Tale of lost Vietnam vet reunited with family in “Unclaimed” deemed false http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/tale_of_lost_vietnam_vet_reunited_with_family_in_unclaimed_deemed_false/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/tale_of_lost_vietnam_vet_reunited_with_family_in_unclaimed_deemed_false/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 20:31:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287073 The remarkable story of a Vietnam vet, who had been reunited with his American family after being presumed dead in 1968, made international headlines earlier this week thanks to an upcoming documentary, "Unclaimed."

But if it sounded too good to be true, it's because it was.

The ambitious project by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Jorgensen charts veteran Tom Faunce's journey to reconnect Special Forces Green Beret Master Sgt. John Hartley Robertson with his family. Though the filmmaker makes no claims, the conclusion seems firm when Robertson's 80-year old sister declares: “There’s no question. I was certain it was him in the video, but when I held his head in my hands and looked in his eyes, there was no question that was my brother."

But new information has emerged, debunking the conclusion of Jorgensen's film. From the Independent:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/tale_of_lost_vietnam_vet_reunited_with_family_in_unclaimed_deemed_false/feed/ 4 Diane Sawyer to host first televised interview with Malala Yousafzai http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/diane_sawyer_to_host_first_televised_interview_with_malala_yousafzai/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/diane_sawyer_to_host_first_televised_interview_with_malala_yousafzai/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 19:52:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286898 Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl who became an international icon for women's rights after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban, will speak to "ABC World News" anchor Diane Sawyer in her first televised interview.

The interview will air in October 2013, marking the one-year anniversary of the Taliban's attempt on her life. BBC’s Mishal Husain will also interview Malala in partnership with ABC News. Per the press release, the broadcast of the interviews will be coordinated with the publication of Yousafzai's upcoming memoir, “I Am Malala."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/diane_sawyer_to_host_first_televised_interview_with_malala_yousafzai/feed/ 4 John Oliver to guest-host “Daily Show” starting June 10 http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/john_oliver_to_guest_host_daily_show_starting_june_10/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/john_oliver_to_guest_host_daily_show_starting_june_10/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 17:45:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286815 Jon Stewart will go on an eight-week hiatus (previously reported as 12) from hosting "The Daily Show" beginning Monday, June 10, Comedy Central has announced.

Stewart is taking a break from hosting the show to direct his first film, “Rosewater,” an adaptation of BBC journalist Maziar Bahari’s harrowing memoir of imprisonment in Iran, for which Stewart also wrote the screenplay. Stewart is slated to return on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

John Oliver, who has been a "Daily Show" correspondent for the past seven years, will guest-host in Stewart's place. "Don’t worry, it’s still going to be everything that you love about ‘The Daily Show,’ just without the thing that you love the most about it,” said Oliver in a press release. Guests for Oliver’s first week include Seth Rogen, Armando Iannucci, Fareed Zakaria and a musical performance by Mavis Staples.

Although die-hard "Daily Show" fans will miss Stewart's comedic genius this summer, the show is still in good hands. Below are some of John Oliver's most memorable segments:

"Even Better Than the Real Thing"

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/john_oliver_to_guest_host_daily_show_starting_june_10/feed/ 3 “Downton Abbey” casts first black character http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/downton_abbey_casts_first_black_character/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/downton_abbey_casts_first_black_character/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 15:52:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286764 Gary Carr will play the first black character on the fourth season of ITV's highly acclaimed costume drama, "Downton Abbey."

Carr will play Jack Ross, "a charming and charismatic young man" in the eight-episode season whose role “will bring interesting twists to the drama," said executive producer Gareth Neame in a statement.

The addition of a black character was announced in February responding to criticism over the show's lack of diversity.

Carr's previous experience includes roles in BBC series "Bluestone 42" and "Death In Paradise."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/downton_abbey_casts_first_black_character/feed/ 4 Fleetwood Mac releases first set of music since 2003 http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/fleetwood_mac_releases_first_set_of_music_since_2003/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/fleetwood_mac_releases_first_set_of_music_since_2003/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 13:40:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286592 Without announcement, Fleetwood Mac yesterday released its first new music in a decade, available exclusively through iTunes.

The Guardian reports:

The release, simply titled Extended Play, comprises a quartet of tunes: three originals by Lindsey Buckingham and one by Stevie Nicks, written in 1973 when the pair were still the duo Buckingham Nicks. This is hardly a set of sexagenarians' basement tapes: Without You – not be confused with the Danny Kirwan-written Mac song of the same name – and Sad Angel are as shiny as Rumours, and even the lonely piano ballad, It Takes Time, has a dramatic synths/strings coda.

Buckingham revealed plans for the EP at a gig in Philadelphia earlier this month – the band have been performing some of the new songs on their current tour. "It's the best stuff we've done in a long time," he said, promising that the record would be out "in a few days". It took a few weeks, instead, but within hours of appearing on iTunes, Extended Play had appeared in the digital shop's top 10 chart, though it has since dropped.

Download it here.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/fleetwood_mac_releases_first_set_of_music_since_2003/feed/ 0 Must-see morning clip: Jon Stewart on Syria’s chemical weapons http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_on_syrias_chemical_weapons/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_on_syrias_chemical_weapons/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286578 Jon Stewart attempts to understand if Syria has crossed the "red line" of consequences for the U.S., but can't seem to get a straight answer:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/must_see_morning_clip_jon_stewart_on_syrias_chemical_weapons/feed/ 1 Amanda Knox appeals to Meredith Kercher’s family http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/amanda_knox_appeals_to_meredith_kerchers_family/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/amanda_knox_appeals_to_meredith_kerchers_family/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286540 In an exclusive interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, 25-year-old Amanda Knox tells her side of the story that made her an international headline six years ago.

Knox was convicted for the murder of her study abroad roommate, Meredith Kercher, and released in 2011 when the charges were dismissed. Italian courts recently overturned Knox's acquittal, however, and viewers are reminded that "every word she says here and in the pages of her new book...could affect her freedom."

In the interview, Knox recounts the night of Kercher's death, maintaining that Knox was at her Italian boyfriend's home that night. When she learned of the death, the Italian media scrutinized her reaction as callous. Knox admits to Sawyer,"I wish I could have been more mature about it."

"I felt very lost, very alone and very vulnerable," she explained. "My friend had been murdered, and it could have just as easily been me."

Knox also appealed to Kercher's family, saying "Eventually I can have their permission to pay my respects at her grave and I would also like them to know that she talked about them to me," she said.

Watch Part I of the interview, below:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/amanda_knox_appeals_to_meredith_kerchers_family/feed/ 7 Chris Matthews to end “The Chris Matthews Show” http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/chris_matthews_to_end_the_chris_matthews_show/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/chris_matthews_to_end_the_chris_matthews_show/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:15:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286156 Chris Matthews is leaving "The Chris Matthews Show," his nationally syndicated politics talk show on NBC, whose last episode will air July 21, reports TVNewser.

The departure is part of the host's new long-term contract with MSNBC, where he will continue to host "Hardball." Matthews says that with his extra time, he will work "on writing books like the one I’m committed to now on the relationship between Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan, that and producing documentaries on history and politics."

Matthews' full statement, below:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/chris_matthews_to_end_the_chris_matthews_show/feed/ 17 “Downton Abbey” inspires retail line http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/downton_abbey_inspires_retail_line/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/downton_abbey_inspires_retail_line/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:57:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286107 ITV's surpise hit "Downton Abbey" is expanding its global empire with a "range of products," turning itself into a brand. According to a CNBC interview with Gareth Neame, the show's executive producer and production company Carnival Films' managing director, you'll soon be able to wear "Downtown Abbey", cook like "Downtown Abbey," smell like "Downton Abbey," look like "Downton Abbey," write like "Downton Abbey" and sit in rooms like "Downton Abbey":

"We'll be working across an entire range of products coming out this year. From fashion, apparel and homeware and furniture to wallpapers, beauty products and stationary," Neame, who is also the show's executive producer, told CNBC.

"Some of these things have been available since 2012 and we publish books and have made a music album, but the more complex products take time," he said, adding that there would be even more scope for merchandizing in the future.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/downton_abbey_inspires_retail_line/feed/ 5 Jason Collins’ ex-fiancé: I didn’t know he was gay http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_ex_fiance_i_didnt_know_he_was_gay/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_ex_fiance_i_didnt_know_he_was_gay/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:12:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286052 Jason Collins made sports history this week, in a splashy cover for Sports Illustrated, when he became the first openly gay male professional athlete, drawing praise from fellow athletes, journalists and politicians, including President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton.

But for years, Collins, who came out with the simple line “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” was so guarded about his sexual orientation that he even kept it hidden from his ex-fiancée, former WNBA player Carolyn Moos.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_ex_fiance_i_didnt_know_he_was_gay/feed/ 14 Cosmarxpolitan: Sex advice from Karl Marx http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/cosmarxpolitan_sex_advice_from_karl_marx/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/cosmarxpolitan_sex_advice_from_karl_marx/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:55:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285850 Rife with double entendres and political wordplay, here is your new favorite dishy Tumblr, Cosmarxpolitan, in which Karl Marx rations out sex advice for your average proletarian gal.

View more issues here.

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