Angela Bassett Set To Direct Whitney Houston Biopic On Lifetime
Angela Bassett is set to direct an upcoming Whitney Houston biopic that will air as a Lifetime Original Movie. The new film will be the talented actress’s directorial debut. “I have such regard for both Whitney’s and Bobby’s amazing talents and accomplishments; and I feel a responsibility in the telling of their story,” said Bassett in a statement, according to Variety. “Their humanity and bond fascinates us all. I’m beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world.” Read more.
Yasiin Bey Cancels U.S. Tour Amid Unspecified Legal Issues
The rapper formerly known as Mos Def has canceled an upcoming summer tour of the United States due to unspecified legal reasons. Now known as Yasiin Bey, the Brooklyn native recently moved to South Africa and isn’t coming back to the States any time soon. The Together Music Festival in Boston posted the following message on its website: “We regret to inform you that due to immigration/legal issues Yasiin Bey is unable to enter back into the United States and his upcoming US tour has been canceled.” Read more.
The Caribbean is being hit by a virus that is new to the region and strikes its victims with excruciating headaches, fever and joint pain similar to arthritis, the Associated Press reports. The chikungunya virus gets its name from an African word that can be loosely translated into “contorted with pain,” AP notes. Hospitals and clinics throughout the region are trying to figure out how to deal with the influx of patients suffering from an unfamiliar disease that is spreading quickly through mosquitoes. Read more.
Another Philadelphia Child Dies After Collapsing At School With No Nurse On Duty
Another Philadelphia elementary student has died after falling ill at a school that didn’t have a nurse on duty. The death comes several months after a 12-year-old fellow Philadelphia public school student died on a day her school also didn’t have a nurse on duty. On Wednesday, the 7-year-old Andrew Jackson Elementary School student – whose name has not yet been released — died after suddenly collapsing in his classroom, according to CBS Philadelphia. He was soon transported to a local hospital where he died. There is not yet word on what might have caused the child to collapse. Read more.
City, Church Top Bidder To Buy Morris Brown For $14.6 Million
The City of Atlanta is the top bidder to buy Morris Brown College out of bankruptcy with an offer of $14.6 million, city officials announced late Thursday. Atlanta partnered with Friendship Baptist Church, one of two historically black churches to sell in the wake of the future Atlanta Falcons stadium, to place a bid on the embattled property. Under the proposal, the city — through its economic development agency Invest Atlanta — will spend $10.625 million and Friendship will contribute $4 million, according to Mayor Kasim Reed spokeswoman Melissa Mullinax. The Morris Brown Bankruptcy Creditors Committee has confirmed the city as the highest bidder, she said. Read more.
