Grab a coffee before heading to your desk and brush up on this morning’s news, here’s everything you need to know to start your day.
1. Celebrities are showing support for rapper Meek Mill after he was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison for violating probation from an incident in 2008. Celebrities like JAY-Z, Kevin Hart, T.I, and Angie Martinez have come to the rapper’s defense, calling the sentence unjust. (People)
2. A viral photo of a woman flipping off Trump’s motorcade has resulted in the hero being fired from her job. Juli Briskman was fired from Akima LLC, a government contractor, after they caught wind of the picture. Briskman said she went to HR after the photo went viral and was fired after sharing the image on social media because her employer found it “obscene.” (HuffPost)
3. Woody McClain will reprise his role as Bobby Brown for BET’s upcoming two-part special The Bobby Brown Story. The miniseries is expected to pick up where The New Edition Story left off and will follow Brown’s solo success, his marriage to Whitney Houston, and his affair with Janet Jackson. (Deadline)
4. Diddy’s documentary, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, has earned the hip hop mogul more Hollywood recognition. Diddy accepted the Hollywood Documentary Award for the film at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards. The hip hop mogul called the award an “honor” and reflected on his journey from “Harlem to Hollywood,” “I guess I have arrived and it feels good.” (XXL)
5. Tamar Braxton made her first appearance since she and hubby Vincent Herbet announced their divorce. Braxton was spotted at the 2017 Soul Train Awards, where she was photographed without her wedding ring. The singer also made a return to social media after taking a brief break following the divorce announcement. (Page Six)
6. The Air Force has revealed that it failed to notify civilian law enforcement that Texas church shooter Devin Patrick Kelley had been discharged for assaulting his wife and child, information that could have prevented him from purchasing firearms. Kelley was a member of the US Air Force from 2010-2014. He was court-martialed in 2012 for domestic violence. (CNN)
