Nobel Peace Prize in the spotlight, Pennsylvania school district officials go too far to shame parents, Blue Ivy Carter sends Twitterverse into a tailspin

The Lion King, starring Beyonce and Donald Glover, earned a whopping $185 million in its opening weekend. The Jon Favreau directed film is good for the eighth-best opening of all time and the best opening ever for a family-friendly PG film, narrowly edging out Incredibles 2. Moreover, the film has earned over $346 million overseas, priming The Lion King to be another $1 billion worldwide hit for Disney.

Blue Ivy Carter is on her way! The Twitterverse went crazy when it discovered Beyonce's 7-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, sings and has a writing credit on "Brown Skin Girl," one of the tracks released from The Lion King: The Gift, the album Beyonce curated for the film. Blue Ivy begins and ends the song, which features her mother, Beyonce, SAINt JHN, and Wizkid.

Donald Trump hosted in the Oval Office at the White House survivors of religious persecution from 17 countries around the world, including Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. And, Trump is being roundly slammed because he was so focused on the fact that Murad has a Nobel Prize that he couldn’t focus on why she won or what happened to her family. Also, speaking of Trump, his friend, Jeffrey Epstein was denied bail in his sex trafficking case.

School Lunch Program Officials Running Amok. Roughly 1,000 letters were sent to parents whose kids are in school in the Wyoming Valley West School District in Pennsylvania. The letter said pay your lunch debt, or your kids will go into foster care. Joanne Van Saun, who runs the local child and youth services agency, is not happy and clapped back at the Wyoming Valley West School District, saying, 'To weaponize my agency was just outrageous'. 

Once the media made Ms. Van Saun's comments public, the West Wyoming School District pulled back its comment about putting kids in foster care.

Unfortunately, last week, there was so much national attention on Donald Trump’s outrageous use of Congressional Representative Ilhan Omar, as his poster child to get votes for 2020, that the American people did not know that Representative Omar had introduced legislation to end school lunch debt shaming.

Manuel A. Mendez is Blue Ivy’s personal stylist; backlash to Roseanne Barr’s joke about Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat still continues; and more

In this episode of What's The 411, journalist Kizzy Cox, and comedian Onika McLean are talking about Chrissy Teigen's response to a track on Cardi B's new album; the less than tepid response to Iggy Azalea's new album, the feud between Vivica Fox and Kenya Moore continues; the news that Jay-Z and Beyonce's daughter, Blue Ivy has a personal stylist; the uneven way that ABC treats Roseann and Black-ish; the perils of butt injections and butt lifts, interviews with Dion Clarke, the founder of the Harlem Fine Arts Show and some of the guests at the Harlem Fine Arts show, and
more.

VIDEO DISCUSSION: DuVernay’s Central Park Five to be a Netflix limited series; Blue Ivy Carter is getting a lot of attention; Blac Chyna takes Rob to Court

What's The 411 Episode 113 consists of QUICK TAKES of topical news about Ava DuVernay; Chrissy Teigen, RYSE TV, Blue Ivy's Boom Shakalaka and lively discussions about Tupac and Madonna, Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian, and Japanese men who are turning to life-sized anatomically-correct dolls for companionship.

QUICK TAKES:

Film director Ava DuVernay is tackling another tough subject affecting African-Americans. Using the Central Park Five case, DuVernay will explore the subject of social and criminal injustice. Central Park Five, a five-part miniseries will debut on Netflix in 2019.

Chrissy Teigen would like you to stop sending her photos of babies that look like John Legend. She’s sick of it already, so just stop it!

Be on the lookout for RYSE TV. What started out as a magazine is growing into a VOD streaming entertainment platform and mobile app. Based in Atlanta, RYSE, which stands for “Recognizing the Young Successful and Empowered,” will soon become a multimedia group, offering the magazine, TV content, and an app.

Rapper and business mogul, Jay Z’s new album, 4:44 is out and when the confessional album dropped, it had the world talking. But, when the world heard five-year-old Blue Ivy's Boom Shakalaka freestyle, let’s just say that the little rumble you heard was the Internet breaking yet again with people signing up for #IvyLeague!

Pictures of Khloe Kardashian, North West, and Tristan Thompson surfaced online and the Tristan Thompson haters did not hold back, from wondering why he’s not with his own child to God is going to punish him, to hoping the Cleveland Cavaliers dump him.

Kendall and Kylie Jenner's T-Shirt Debacle

The lawsuits keep piling up for Kylie and Kendall Jenner over their T-shirts infused with pictures of themselves and iconic rappers Tupac and Biggie. First, Voletta Wallace, Biggie’s mom, hit fast and furiously, and now according to Billboard, photographer Michael Miller is suing the sisters for copyright infringement over the use of photos he took of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.

WHAT’S POPPIN – AMERICAN CULTURE

A letter that rapper/actor Tupac Shakur wrote to pop star Madonna breaking off their relationship is going up for auction July 19th through the 28th on the Gotta Have Rock and Roll website, with bids starting at $100,000. The letter shows Tupac as very sensitive, thoughtful, and well-educated. Tupac seemed to have broken off the relationship with Madonna because of what half of his fans would think of him dating a white woman. However, he was hurt by a comment in the press that she was “off to rehabilitate all the rappers and basketball players”. Prior to reading that comment, Tupac thought he was the first rapper Madonna dated.

Q. What are your thoughts about this revelation of the Tupac letter to Madonna?

WHAT’S POPPIN – RELATIONSHIPS

In more Kardashian news, it looks like Rob Kardashian has gotten himself into a whole lot of hot water. In a series of extremely graphic and expletive-ridden posts, which have since been taken down, Kardashian blasted his ex-girlfriend and mother of his only child, Blac Chyna. Chyna responded to the onslaught of messages in a since-deleted Snapchat post, alleging that Kardashian hit her. She has also lawyered up. Famed attorney Lisa Bloom is now representing Blac Chyna and it is not looking good for Rob Kardashian. In fact, Kardashian now has a temporary restraining order against him.

A source close to Blac Chyna told People magazine that Chyna is the victim in this situation: “She’s had to have a new phone number every month and constantly has to change her number. While everyone is writing stories and thinking it’s fun gossip, it’s actually dangerous.”

Q. Does Rob need psychological help? Are we being sucked into the marketing machine of a new season of Rob and Chyna?

WHAT’S POPPIN – RELATIONSHIPS

The NY Post had an article about a new trend in Japan. It seems that Japanese men are turning to life-sized anatomically-correct dolls for companionship because they feel that their wives are neglecting them.

What happened to the notion that women are supposed to do whatever their husbands want?

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Our Photo of the week is a photo of Madonna and Tupac hanging out at the club.

THE 411onBOOKS INTRO

Coming up next, Troy Johnson, CEO, and webmaster of AALBC.com and Ruth Morrison are giving a shout out to Go On Girl Book Club for the way it gives back to the community.

And, they can help you to find a good book to read!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Our Motivational Quote of the Week is:

Success belongs to those who chase it.

This is a quote from Chris Louis. Chris posted his quote in the comments section in one of our YouTube videos. So, keep posting motivational quotes and you never know where we’ll find your quote.

CARIBBEAN COOK-UP

ONIKA: And now….here’s Ms. Kizzy with her Caribbean cook up. What’s in the pot, gal!?

KIZZY: Now, Fay Ann Lyons might have made the song famous, but this is what I call "Heavy T Bumper!" Soca artist Destra invited a man from Belize onto the stage and had him lay down. Destra dropped herself butt first onto his groin area. That did not go well, she burst the man’s bladder and he sued Destra for medical fees, 2 months of missed work as well as pain and suffering. A Belizean judge ordered Destra to pay the man just over $55,000 TT dollars which amount to less than 10,000 USD.

VIDEO: Kendall and Kylie Jenner had to backtrack on their Biggie and Tupac T-Shirt Venture; Chrissy Teigen is sick of John Legend look-alike baby pictures

What's The 411's Quick Takes recorded on July 11, 2017, are:

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay will explore the subject of social and criminal injustice through Central Park Five, a five-part miniseries that will debut on Netflix in 2019.

Chrissy Teigen is sick of people sending her baby pictures that look like John Legend

Be on the lookout for RYSE TV. What started out as a magazine is growing into a VOD streaming entertainment platform and mobile app.

When the world heard Jay-Z and Beyonce's five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy's Boom Shakalaka freestyle, let’s just say that the little rumble you heard was the Internet breaking yet again with people signing up for #IvyLeague!

Pictures of Khloe Kardashian, North West, and Tristan Thompson surfaced online and the Tristan Thompson haters did not hold back.

The lawsuits keep piling up for Kylie and Kendall Jenner over their T-shirts infused with pictures of themselves and iconic rappers Tupac and Biggie.

John Boyega Makes Forbes Top 30 List, Monique Pressley serves up the media something proper, Fay Ann Lyons sets the record straight

411 QUICK TAKES

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes Awards Show; and actress Taraji P. Henson won a Golden Globe award for best actress in a drama for Empire.

Singer Natalie Cole was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. Her parents, sister, and brother are also buried there. Natalie Cole died from idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, which led to heart failure. She was diagnosed with the ailment after receiving a kidney transplant in 2009.

IN MEMORIAM

We bid a fond farewell to:

• Singer Nicholas Caldwell, a co-founding member of the legendary group, The Whispers. Caldwell passed away from congestive heart failure. He was 71.

• Rocker David Bowie, who pioneered Glam Rock, died at age 69. He leaves behind his wife, former supermodel and entrepreneur Iman, and daughter, Alexandria "Lexi" Zahra Jones.

What's The 411 - WHAT'S POPPIN"

Forbes Top 30 Under 30: John Boyega, Jewel Burks, Nailah Ellis-Brown

"Forbes recently released its Top 30 Under 30 List and to my happiness there are a number of black people on the list!," said Kizzy Cox. The list includes 23-year-old heartthrob John Boyega! Boyega is blazing trails in the new Star Wars film "The Force Awakens", as the first black storm-trooper we've ever seen in a Star Wars film. Boyega, who is British of Nigerian descent has proudly embraced his African origins, in an interview with the NY times he said:

"I'm grounded in who I am, and I am a confident black man. A confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man. I'm proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me."

Also on the list are several black women--can we say #blackgirlmagic??--including 26-year-old Jewel Burks an entrepreneur within a family of entrepreneurs, she co-founded and is CEO of PartPic which helps people find parts they're looking for their electronics or other machinery. Additionally, 28-year-old Nailah Ellis-Brown is founder of Ellis Island Tropical Tea. Incredibly, Brown started by selling her old Jamaican family tea recipe out of the trunk of her car! A silent partner eventually invested $150,000 for a bottling plant in Detroit and now she's selling her tea to Whole Foods and other stores throughout the US! Can we say #Caribbeangirlmagic??

UNDER THE RADAR

JANET JACKSON

Pop star Janet Jackson canceled some of her tour dates due to illness. A rumor spread that Janet had throat cancer, which prompted the singer to issue a statement on twitter to debunk the rumors:

"Remember...believe it when you hear it from my lips, the rumors are untrue. I do not have cancer. I'm recovering. My doctors have approved my concerts as scheduled in Europe, and as I promised, the postponed shows will be rescheduled. Thank you for your prayers and love."

Monique Pressley: Bill Cosby's Attorney

People magazine is reporting that after failing to find sufficient evidence to back a model's claim that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby at a Playboy Mansion party in 2008, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that it would not file charges. No matter where you are on the Bill Cosby issue, you must admit Monique Pressley is serving the media up something proper! Just watching the eloquent way she executes her argument, you just want to snap your fingers in a circle. Ms. Pressley, a Howard University Law School graduate, is more than a lawyer; she is a minister and a member of the cut life. I love watching her.

FAB411

Tips for Teeth Whitening

Beauty expert Courtney Rashon gives her recommendations for keeping your teeth bright and white!

A great smile is important. And it's also important to make sure you have white teeth. Here a few ways to keep your teeth white and bright.

Baking soda. Baking soda does not contain fluoride but you can use this along with your regular toothpaste once a day. The baking soda keeps your teeth white

Whitening strips. Whitening strips are amazing for keeping your teeth gleaming. Whitening strips are easy to apply and come with instructions and can brighten up your smile in one week. The strips can be found in local drugstores and supermarkets.

Limit the use of drinking things like coffee and tea. Both can be good for you, but not always so good on your teeth. Heavy smoking and tobacco use can also stain your teeth. Brush regularly after having more than one cup.

Visit the dentist. Regular cleanings will also help to keep your teeth clean, healthy and white. This should be done at least once a year.

And as for cosmetics, teeth whitening using a machine with ultraviolet light and a special gel can brighten you smile in one hour. The results are instant and this can be done every 1 to 2 months.

Amandla Stenberg Comes Out as Bisexual

Outspoken teen actress Amandla Stenberg, famous for her breakout role in the Hunger Games as 'Rue' came out as bisexual on a Teen Vogue snapchat. The 17-year-old said in a series of snaps:

It's a really, really hard thing to be silenced. And it's deeply bruising to fight against your identity and to mold yourself into shapes that you just shouldn't be in," Stenberg said "as someone who identifies as a black, bisexual woman, I've been through it, and its hurts. It's awkward and it's uncomfortable. But then I realized because of Solange [Knowles], and Ava DuVernay, and Willow [smith], and all the black girls watching this right now, that there's absolutely nothing to change." "We cannot be suppressed," the actress continued. "We are meant to express our joy, and our love, and our tears, and be big and bold and definitely not easy to swallow."

El Chapo Captured

El Chapo, a gangster's gangster, has been captured. The notorious Mexican drug kingpin, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is in the pen!

El Chapo met with actor Sean Penn via a hook-up by actress Kate del Castillo. Can you believe El Chapo was trying to shoot a film- got to give it to El Chapo, this was a real gangster move. Guzman thought his story was worthy of Hollywood. Unfortunately for Guzman aka El Chapo, this was how the Mexican authorities were able to track him down to a house in an upscale neighborhood in a coastal city according to Mexico Attorney General Arely Gomez.

In closing this segment, Onika McLean said, "Sean Penn, I know you came after Lee Daniels, but you better probably watch your back now, because now El Chapo, you gonna be on the chopping block!"

CARIBBEAN COOK-UP:

Trinidadian Soca Artist Fay Ann Lyons Fights for Power Soca

Carnival season is quickly coming upon us! Trinidad's carnival is only 2 weeks and 5 days (but who's counting??) And masqueraders everywhere can't wait to jump and wave their way down the road and across the stage...but some are wondering where is the power Soca they're supposed to be wining to? Because this year's power Soca songs haven't been strong. Fay Ann Lyons, famous Trinidadian Soca artist and 3-time winner of the carnival road march title (the only woman to have ever done so) called out those people who said that basically power Soca was on its way out. Elaborating on her comments in an interview with looptt, Lyons said:

"my next point was that Iwer and Superblue are known for singing power Soca and you telling them that dead and don't bring no power and you telling younger artistes don't do power cause we are not playing it so you already blocking people cause you are telling them there is no market for it. I turned to the crowd and said fight for your artistes, fight for your music and your culture. After I said what I said, I said anybody who disagree(s) that you should not support the art form could kiss my black ass."

FAY ANN is making a great point because at the end of the day, groovy Soca is great it's nice music to groove to: slow wine and chip, but if you're about to cross that stage and get wassy (Trini slang for turn up and get wild) you want a power Soca song to get you there! And if you want to promote cultural unity, you need all the types of Soca music--you can't put down one and uplift the other.

REALITY TV RECAP

RHOA Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker Name Son Ace Wells Tucker

There is lots of baby news going around. Real Housewives of Atlanta stars Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker recently welcomed a baby boy named Ace Wells Tucker. She made the announcement on January 7, after she gave birth the day before. Kandi and Todd were going back and forth about the name but the finally decided on a name that was unique that they both liked.

Interestingly enough, fellow RHOA cast mate, Phaedra Parks showed up at the hospital.

IN THE PIPELINE:

Upcoming Events

The Schomburg Center for research in Black Culture will Premiere the documentary, Black and Cuba on January 26. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.com.

PEPSI has confirmed to the Associated Press, that Beyoncé will perform on the Super Bowl half-time show at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Last month, Coldplay announced it would perform at the halftime show. Beyoncé and Coldplay collaborated on the band's new album, A Head Full of Dreams.

R&B LEGEND, Mavis Staples, will release a new album on February 19th entitled, LIVIN ON A HIGH NOTE.

The upcoming Stellar Awards, featuring the best in Gospel Music will take place on February 19th In Las Vegas.

You heard of Patti Pies...now get ready for Patti Cakes. Patti LaBelle will again partner with Walmart for three new additions to her dessert line. In addition to the sweet potato pie, Walmart will add a premium vanilla pound cake and a premium caramel cake.