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Simone Biles ends her Olympic comeback with a silver medal in the freestyle

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PARIS (AP) — American gymnast Simone Biles didn’t get the golden send-off she hoped for.

On Monday, Biles won the silver medal in the freestyle final — her eleventh Olympic medal — after taking several costly steps off the line during her routine.

Brazilian Rebeca Andrade became the first gymnast to defeat Biles in the free exercise final at a major international competition, scoring 14.166 to surpass Biles’s rating of 14.133.

The bronze medal was won by Jordan Chiles, Biles’ longtime friend and teammate.

Biles, 27, considered the best in the history of the sport, was not at her best during the performance to music by pop icons Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

Still, she managed to increase her medal haul in Paris to 4 — gold in the team final, all-around and vault, in addition to silver, surprisingly, in her favorite event.

“I couldn’t be more proud of how I did,” Biles said. “I’m 27 years old and I’m finishing these Games with four medals. I’m not mad about it.”

Biles’ medal total (including seven gold, two silver, two bronze) now equals Czech Vera Caslavska for the second-most amongst gymnasts in Olympic history. She lost her probability to win a fifth medal in Paris earlier Monday when she fell in the balance beam final while ending fifth.

While it could look easy at times, it isn’t. She hit the mat during a floor warmup and re-wrapped her stubborn left calf before the competition, which she strained in qualifying last week.

Her passes weren’t perfect – she went over the line twice – but her difficulty level is generally so high that it doesn’t really matter.

Not this time. She received an execution rating of seven.833, which included 0.6 deductions for going out of bounds, allowing Andrade to win her second Olympic gold.

Still, Biles, wearing a red, white and blue leotard embellished with hundreds of rhinestones, finished the nine-day competition in Paris, once and for all silencing critics who had long ridiculed her for withdrawing from multiple events at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

She won a total of 4 medals, just one lower than eight years ago in Rio de Janeiro.

Chiles — the final competitor of the day — initially received a rating of 13.666 from the judges. After a delay, her rating was increased by 0.1 when she asked about the difficulty component of her rating, allowing Chiles to overtake Romania’s Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea for third place.

Biles said that after winning the show jumping final on Saturday, she noticed that her haters “are really quiet now, which is weird.”

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In contrast, the constant roar of support that followed Biles wherever she went at Bercy Arena, which became a hub for celebrities from across the spectrum — including former NFL star Tom Brady, who performed Monday — each time she performed.

The outdoor exercise is Biles’ signature event, where she will be able to mix the most difficult, boundary-pushing acrobatics in her sport with charismatic choreography to create arguably the most enjoyable 75 seconds of her sport.

However, the enthusiasm was somewhat dampened by an unusual execution blunder.

The show ends with Biles blowing a kiss, a small gesture she has incorporated into her show in various forms over the years.

Whether that was a goodbye kiss is an open query. Maybe even Biles’.

She has not yet spoken out about what awaits her after the Paris Games, although she has left the door ajar in case of a possible return when the Olympic Games happen in Los Angeles in 2028.

“Never say never,” Biles said after winning her second Olympic title in the ski jumping event earlier in the Games. “The next Olympics are at home. So you never know. I’m really getting older.”

She’ll be 31 by then, an age when most gymnasts have long since retired. But Biles is redefining that phrase in real time, and given the gulf that also exists between her and almost everyone else in the sport — barring Andrade, who pushed Biles as hard as she’s been pushed for nearly a decade — anything is feasible.

She won the silver medal about an hour after the balance beam final, in which half of the eight competitors jumped down the steps during a routine because they lost their balance.

Biles included. She lost her balance at the end of her acrobatic series and received a rating of 13.100, which put her in fifth place, tied with teammate Sunisa Lee.

Like Biles, Lee saw her gold hopes end midway through her performance when she fell in the same portion of the performance as Biles.

Later, the two Olympic champions and long-time friends, with 17 Olympic medals between them, lamented the strange atmosphere in the strangely quiet arena, which is generally filled with music all the time.

“It adds to the stress, just because it’s like, yeah, you’re the only one there,” said Lee, who will take some day off before deciding on her future. “So I felt pressure.”

Alice D’Amato of Italy won gold on the balance beam with a rating of 14.366. Zhou Yaqin of China won silver with a rating of 14.100, just ahead of bronze medalist Manila Esposito of Italy. Italy, which won silver behind the U.S. in the team competition, has never before won a medal on the beam.

The awards podium has long served as a second home for Biles during a profession that features 41 medals in major international competitions, a number that will never be broken and — who knows? — may even be increased in Los Angeles.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Melania slammed Donald Trump with third prenup change, fueling rumors of marital drama after she dodged his kiss and claim resurfaced

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For years, there was speculation concerning the authenticity of the love between President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump. The theories intensified after Melania was caught repeatedly hiding from her husband’s public displays of affection for years.

Some imagine their relationship is solely business-related, a view that gained popularity when the New York Post reported in September 2023 that its alleged insider claimed that Melania had renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with the forty fifth president for the third time. The move followed Trump’s confirmation of his intention to hunt a second term as president after announcing his re-election campaign on November 15, 2022.

When the couple married in 2005, the initial prenuptial agreement reportedly significantly favored Donald Trump. However, since then the contract has been renegotiated not less than 3 times, with the primary renegotiation going down in 2017 and one other in 2020, when she served as apparently delayed moving to the White House – not less than that is what the New York Post claims in its unconfirmed reports. It is unclear why the thrice-married Trump would conform to loosen up his protections as part of such an arrangement.

In 2023, an alleged insider told the Post’s Page Six gossip column: “Over the past yr, Melania and her team have been quietly negotiating a brand new deal following the suspension of her contract with Donald Trump. This is not less than the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marriage contract.

WASHINGTON – JULY 4: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend an event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosts a "Salute to America" ​​celebration that includes a flyover of military planes and a large fireworks display. (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – JULY 4: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend an event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosts a “Salute to America” ​​celebration that features a flyover of military planes and a big fireworks display. (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

It continued to be claimed that Melania can be increasingly concerned about Trump’s mounting legal problems. Last yr, he was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with making secret payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. That same yr, Trump was also found liable in a civil suit for sexual abuse and defamation of author E. Jean Carroll. More than a yr ago, Trump was also charged in Atlanta with attempting to overturn the presidential vote within the 2020 elections in Georgia. Trump ultimately faced federal criminal charges related to his mishandling of classified documents after leaving office and the January 6 rebel.

With all this happening against Trump, Melania obviously desired to be certain she can be secure.

“This agreement was necessary due to ongoing legal disputes that (…) (Donald) has suffered,” the source said.

However, the insider also told Page Six that the postnuptial agreement doesn’t mean Melania plans to depart Trump.

They said the revised deal would also provide money for his or her 18-year-old son, Barron Trump.

“Melania is most concerned with maintaining and increasing the considerable trust she has in her son, Barron.”

Another source backed up this statement, saying, “I know she wanted this to provide her with more money, and also – from what I understand – there is at least a set amount that Barron is expected to get.”

Fans shared their thoughts on Melania renegotiating her prenup with The Daily Beast’s. side.

One person said: “Thanks to her we managed to save him. After filing for bankruptcy five times, he will be living on Melany’s benefits.”

The second wrote: “He must secure Barron’s future before the non-existent money disappears.”

A third commenter advised: “Honey, take the money and run.”

CNN is preparing for Trump’s second visit to the White House reported that his wife doesn’t plan to live in Washington full time. Sources told the news outlet that while Melania plans to attend essential events, she will spend loads of time living between New York City – as her son Barron attends NYU there – and Palm Beach, Florida, where many of her friends live.

Her reported impending absence from the White House has sparked whispers about whether Melania is serious about her responsibilities and priorities as first lady, but that is not all. It also sparked more speculation about whether she and Trump have a blissful marriage.

Even during Trump’s victory speech, a smiling Melania avoided being kissed by her husband as he sang her praises on stage. After thanking her and expressing his appreciation for her “best-selling book in the country,” Trump moves to hug and kiss his wife, then places her hand on her cheek as she turns her head barely.

Still, Melania assures doubters that every little thing is effective in her marriage to Trump. In September, she even tried to disclaim the rumors during an interview on “Fox & Friends.”

When asked what she liked about her husband, she replied: “His essence. His humor. His personality. His kindness,” he added later. “It’s very special. His positivity. His energy. It’s unbelievable. Yes, so we’ve got a fantastic relationship.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Jussie Smollett’s 2019 Self-Attack Conviction Overturned – Andscape

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the choice to fireside an actor Jussie Smollett conviction on charges of organizing a racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lying to police.

The the state’s highest court ruled that the special prosecutor shouldn’t have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for waiving $10,000 bail and performing community service. The ruling and appeal didn’t address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence.

Smollett, who’s black and gay, claims two men attacked him, hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and placed a noose around his neck, resulting in an enormous seek for suspects by Chicago police and sparking a world uproar. Smollett was starring in a television drama that was filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged that he organized the attack because he was unhappy with the studio’s response to hate mail he received.

“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and considered it unfair,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in a 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, more unfair than the resolution of any single criminal case would be for this court to find that the state is not obliged to honor agreements on which people have relied to their detriment.”

Smollett’s attorneys argued that the case ended with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped initially 16 counts of disorderly conduct. A grand jury reinstated the fees after a special prosecutor took over the case. The jury convicted Smollett of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021

Emails searching for comment were sent Thursday to Foxx’s office and Smollett’s attorney, who argued that Smollett was the victim of a racist and politicized justice system.

Testimony at trial showed that Smollett paid $3,500 to 2 men he knew to perform the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what insults to shout and shout that Smollett was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.

Smollett testified that “there was no fraud” and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.

He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, six of which he had already served released pending further notice — 30 ​​months probation and ordered to pay roughly $130,000 in restitution.

The state appeals court’s ruling upheld Smollett’s conviction, declaring that nobody promised Smollett that he would not face a brand new charge after accepting the unique deal.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham didn’t take part in Thursday’s decision.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Lil Baby didn’t just rap about change – he went to Harvard to achieve it – Essence

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lil Baby speaks on stage on the ASCAP R&S Music Celebration on the London Hotel on June 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)

Lil Baby will not be only considered one of the most important names in hip-hop – he can also be an aspiring entrepreneur who’s serious about taking his business knowledge to the subsequent level.

The GRAMMY Award-winning rapper recently participated in Harvard Business School’s “Launching New Ventures” program, a prestigious short course designed to help entrepreneurs grow their ventures through modern strategies. The program, which will not be a level-granting initiative, focuses on key entrepreneurial tools, including opportunity assessment, competitive evaluation and developing sustainable business models, – we read on this system’s website.

For Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, the move was greater than just earning bragging rights. Known for hits like and , the Atlanta native has all the time been open about his desire to construct a legacy beyond music. As head of his record label 4PF (Four Pockets Full), he is committed to creating opportunities for artists and running a business that will not be only profitable, but in addition influential. However, he realized that running a successful label required honing his skills, and Harvard was the right place for this.

Movie shared on X On Wednesday, we got to see Lil Baby participating within the show. The clip ended on a touching note as he was presented together with his certificate of completion, followed by a surprise ceremony organized by his family.

While critics were quick to indicate that he didn’t “graduate” from Harvard – despite misleading headlines – his decision to commit to this system is critical in itself. Shows like “Launching New Ventures” offer insights that may transform corporations and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges, and Lil Baby’s presence signals his commitment to constructing a legacy that goes far beyond music. For Lil Baby, the move is an element of a broader commitment to securing his position not only as a rapper, but in addition as a mogul. His commitment to self-improvement reflects the values ​​he promotes through his music: perseverance, resilience and development.

It’s also value noting that Lil Baby’s decision to attend Harvard sends a powerful message to his community, especially Black entrepreneurs. In a world where barriers to business education still exist, his decision to pursue higher education shows that it’s never too late – or too unconventional – to take what you are promoting seriously.

As Lil Baby grows, one thing is obvious: his diligence knows no limits. Whether he’s behind the microphone or within the classroom, he proves that the important thing to success is to continually strive for more.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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