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Nicki Minaj has filed a $75,000 defamation lawsuit against a blogger who said she was a “cokehead” and was known for “shoving” cocaine up her nose.
In the lawsuit, the rapper says Marley Green, a blogger known as Nosey Heaux, “falsely and maliciously” called her a drug addict in a Twitter video posted Monday that “outrageously defamed” her and sparked a “firestorm of social media attention,” Rolling Stonereports.
The filing includes a transcript of the video in which Green calls Minaj a cokehead: “[Minaj is] shoving all this cocaine, shoving in all this cocaine up her nose. Allegedly. Thank you. Allegedly. But we all know it’s true. F*** – listen, I can’t even say allegedly with that ‘cause I – we know it’s true. I’m not saying allegedly on that. Nicki Minaj is a cokehead.”
The lawsuit says that Green’s “statement was false because [the] plaintiff has never used cocaine.”
Green says she’ll countersue.
“Nicki Minaj has been in a rage for several days now. She threatened me, sent her barbz to harass and threaten to kill me, now doxxing me. She has gone way too far and I’m definitely suing her. #Survivingthepettys,” Green tweeted.
“Marley Green is a disgrace – someone so lacking in fundamental decency that she has posted vile comments about Nicki’s one-year-old son,” Minaj’s lawyer Judd Burstein said in a statement sent to Rolling Stone.
“She will no longer be permitted to use the name ‘Nosey Heaux’ because we will take her trademark from her when she does not have enough money to pay the judgment,” he added. “Anyone else who spreads lies about Nicki will suffer a similar fate.”
Nicki’s lawsuit follows Cardi B successfully suing blogger Tasha K for defamation in April. She was awarded more than $4 million in damages.
Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
(BALTIMORE) — The conviction of Adnan Syed should be vacated, prosecutors said in a new court filing Wednesday.
Syed was the subject of the popular podcast “Serial,” which profiles various murders around the country and shed light on the lack of DNA testing in his case.
At 17-years-old, he was convicted for the 1999 murder of 18-year-old Hae Min Lee and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. Prosecutors on Wednesday said that conviction should be vacated due to the lack of DNA evidence that “calls into question the integrity of the conviction.”
The Baltimore County, Maryland, State’s Attorney said in her filing the “evidence against the Defendant was not overwhelming and was largely circumstantial.”
Syed’s lawyer Erica Suter agreed.
In her response motion filed on Wednesday, she said his conviction rests on the word of a cooperating then 19-year-old who was “incentivized” to cooperate.
“Our criminal legal system serve us when we can have confidence in outcomes,” Suter wrote. “Mr. Seyed’s conviction rests on the evolving narrative of an incentivized cooperating, nineteen-year-old co-defendant, propped up by inaccurate and misleading cell phone location data.”
In November 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Syed’s appeal for a new trial, upholding a Maryland appeals court’s decision that rejected claims his trial lawyer failed to interview an alibi witness, and therefore Syed’s constitutional right to effective legal representation was violated.
State’s Attorney Marylin Mosby said her office was set out to right the wrongs of previous convictions.
“For that reason, after a nearly year-long investigation reviewing the facts of this case, Syed deserves a new trial where he is adequately represented and the latest evidence can be presented. As stewards of the court, we are obligated to uphold confidence in the integrity of convictions and do our part to correct when this standard has been comprised,” she said. “We have spoken with the family of Ms. Hae Min Lee and fully understand that the person responsible for this heinous crime must be held accountable.”
In March, the office asked Baltimore City Police Chief Becky Feldman and the defense filed a Joint Petition for Post-Conviction DNA Testing of the victim’s clothing. Specifically, the motion requested the clothing tested for touch DNA, which was unavailable at the time of trial.
In 2018, the Baltimore City Police Lab tested various items for DNA through an agreement between the Office of the Attorney General and the defendant’s previous counsel. However, the items now being tested were not previously tested in 2018, with the exception of the victim’s fingernail clippings.
In 2018 the State’s Attorney’s office conducted a DNA test but noted that some items were not tested.
The new filing says the re-investigation of the case revealed evidence regarding the possible involvement of two alternative suspects other than Syed.
The two suspects may be involved individually or may be involved together, the filing said, noting these suspects were known persons at the time of the original investigation and were not properly ruled out nor disclosed to the defense. According to the trial file, the person said “He would make her [Ms. Lee] disappear. He would kill her.” The state said it cannot disclose names at this point.
The Serial podcast tweeted, “This is big news. For the first time, Baltimore prosecutors are saying they don’t have confidence in Adnan Syed’s conviction and are asking for his release.”
This is big news. For the first time, Baltimore prosecutors are saying they don’t have confidence in Adnan Syed’s conviction and are asking for his release.
This is big news. For the first time, Baltimore prosecutors are saying they don’t have confidence in Adnan Syed’s conviction and are asking for his release. https://t.co/5Z4VkWcunY
Prosecutors don’t make a determination whether he is innocent, just that the conviction should be vacated based on the evidence and Syed should be granted a new trial.
The court filing says that Syed’s case might have incurred a violation of what is known as the Brady rule — stemming from the Supreme Court precedent-setting case Brady v. Maryland that requires a remedy if the defense is not given all of the information at trial it could potentially foil the case.
“The State avers that considering the totality of evidence now available, the information about an alternative suspect would have been helpful to the defense because it would have helped substantiate an alternative suspect defense that was consistent with the defense at trial.”
(WASHINGTON) — Americans may be getting some relief at the gas pump, but they are not finding that relief at the grocery store.
Gasoline prices nationwide are down 10.6% from their record high of $5 a gallon in June. According to the American Automobile Association, the national average is now $3.70 for a gallon of regular, but food prices continue to soar.
The August Consumer Price Index found inflation rose 8.3%, down slightly from July’s reading of 8.5%, but still near a 40-year high. Those falling gas prices were more than offset by higher prices for rent, food, healthcare, and electricity.
The Federal Reserve’s series of interest rate hikes designed to beat back high inflation has had little impact on food prices. Economists say that is because a number of factors influence the cost of food, including the geopolitical landscape and weather.
The war in Ukraine has sent prices of wheat and other commodities higher while severe floods and droughts in parts of the U.S. have impacted crops and food supply. An outbreak of the avian bird flu is also wreaking havoc on the U.S. chicken and turkey population, triggering a spike in egg prices and analysts are already warning that turkey for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner will be the most expensive yet.
Unlike discretionary spending on things like clothing and entertainment, demand for food is not flexible, and consumers are feeling the pinch down nearly every aisle of the supermarket. Overall, the cost of food is up 11.4% in the past year, that’s the highest annual increase in 23 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices for groceries shot up 13.5% over the past year, while eating out is 8% more expensive, as restaurants hike prices to pay for their own rising food costs.
Sticker shock has hit some items worse than others. The price of eggs is up 39.8%, milk prices have risen 17%, while bread is up 16.2% from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fruits and vegetables combined cost 9.4% more than they did a year ago, while meat is up 6.7% and chicken costs 16.6% more.
Fresh data shows skyrocketing food prices are starting to change consumer’s buying habits at the supermarket. Sales of frozen dinners and entrees fell 11.4% in August, while sales of cookies fell 8.9% and sales of frozen juices and drinks slid 8%, according to the data analytics and research firm IRi.
Experts say there are strategies you can implement to help you make money-saving decisions on your next trip to the grocery store.
First, plan your meals for the week and take inventory of your refrigerator and pantry so you know exactly what you need. Once you know what you need, make a list and stick to it. Experts say going to the grocery store without a plan leaves you open to impulse purchases, which could lead to poor money decisions.
Avoid those pricier pre-packaged lunches and dinners, as well as pre-cut vegetables and fruits. They may be a time-saver, but experts agree the higher cost for convenience can quickly drain your wallet. Whenever possible, buy store-brand products. They are nearly always cheaper than name brands, and in many cases, you won’t be sacrificing quality. According to Consumer Reports, 22% of shoppers choose which supermarkets to shop at based partly on the quality of their store brands.
You can also clip digital or paper coupons and join your store’s loyalty program where you can start taking advantage of store discounts immediately.
Perhaps the number one money-saving tip – never food shop when you’re hungry. It’s sure to be a budget buster.
Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — A New York City mother police said is suspected of drowning her three children while in the throes of a postpartum breakdown is now facing homicide charges.
The mother, 30-year-old Erin Merdy, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, according to the New York Police Department. For each victim, she is charged with murder, murder with depraved indifference to human life and murder of a victim under 11 years old, officials said.
The charges were filed even as Merdy is undergoing psychiatric evaluation at a hospital and came a day after New York City’s chief medical examiner determined her three children — a 7-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl and a 3-month-old daughter — died from drowning and that the manner of death was homicide.
Worried relatives and police found Merdy soaking wet, barefoot and alone early Monday on the Coney Island boardwalk after she called family members and allegedly threatened to harm her children, according to police. One official briefed on the probe told ABC News that the mother was “nearly catatonic” when police attempted to speak with her and are probing whether postpartum depression played a role in the alleged triple slaying.
The children were discovered by police unresponsive at 4:42 a.m. Monday at the water’s edge of Coney Island beach, about 2 miles from where the mother was located, authorities said.
Police said the deaths of the children appeared to be premeditated and not something that occurred at the spur of a moment.
The horrific incident began unfolding around 1:40 a.m. Monday, when a relative called 911 and said she was concerned that the mother was going to harm the children.
Officers went to the mother’s apartment in Coney Island, knocked on the door but got no answer, officials said. While at the address, a man showed up and identified himself as the father of one of the children, who also expressed concern for the well-being of the children and told officers he believed the mother had taken them to the boardwalk, according to authorities.
The mother was not able to communicate with police when they detained her for questioning on the boardwalk, officials said.
Police have obtained surveillance video of Merdy walking the children calmly to the ocean in the middle of the night, police sources told ABC New York station WABC.
Kenneth Corey, chief of department for the New York Police Department, said at a news conference on Monday that the children were found unresponsive at the water’s edge near the boardwalk at W. 35th Street. Officers immediately performed life-saving measures on the children, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but they were all pronounced dead at Coney Island Hospital.
The mother has no prior arrests or history of being emotionally disturbed, according to NYPD records. She has prior domestic incidents of harassment and aggravated harassment that did not result in charges, according to the records. Corey said investigators have found no indication of a prior history of abuse and neglect of the children.
The city Administration for Children’s Services declined to discuss Wednesday whether it should have been looking into Merdy before the children’s deaths, and if the family slipped through the cracks.
“Our top priority is protecting the safety and well-being of all children in New York City. We are investigating this tragedy with the NYPD,” an ACS spokesperson said.
While police said they are investigating whether postpartum depression played a role in the episode, Dr. Anna Yegiants, a resident physician and member of the ABC News Medical Unit, explained there is a difference between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
Yegiants said that while it is possible for someone with postpartum depression to harm their children, it is not common. She said postpartum psychosis, however, presents essentially a break with reality and causes delusional thinking that could lead to such violence.
Up to 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression, according to the American Psychological Association, and symptoms can occur during pregnancy and last for days or even months after delivering a baby.
“Postpartum depression is not your fault — it is a real, but treatable, psychological disorder,” the APA says on its website. “If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, take action now: Put the baby in a safe place, like a crib. Call a friend or family member for help if you need to.”
(DETROIT) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday touted his administration’s work on electric vehicles while touring the 2022 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, describing a future where charging stations are as easily available as gas stations.
“The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified,” Biden said as he announced the first round of federal funding for electric vehicle chargers from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law he signed last year.
“We’re approving funding for the first 35 states, including Michigan, to build their own electric charging infrastructure throughout their state,” Biden said. “And you are gonna be part of a network of 500,000 charging stations.”
According to a White House official, the $900 million investment will help build chargers across 53,000 miles of the national highway system.
Biden also took a moment to promote the new EV tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act. The law, signed last month, includes a $7,500 credit for new vehicles and a $4,000 credit for purchases of used EVs.
The Inflation Reduction Act also requires that an electric vehicle and its batteries must be assembled in North America in order to qualify for the federal tax incentive.
“It used to be that to buy an electric car you had to make all sorts of compromises, but not now,” Biden said. “Thanks to American ingenuity, American engineers, American auto workers, that’s all changing. Today, if you want an electric vehicle with a long range, you can buy one made in America.”
Several states are beginning to phase-out gas-powered vehicles and shift to electric cars. California became the first state in the U.S. to implement regulations that ban the sale of new gas-engine vehicles by 2035. The Golden State will require all new cars to run on electricity or hydrogen.
Biden, a self-professed car enthusiast, toured the showroom alongside General Motors CEO Mary Barra and its president Mark Ruess. At one point, the president got inside a bright orange Chevrolet Corvette Z06 — which has gasoline-fueled V8 engine — and revved the engine.
“Move out of the way everybody, this thing flies,” the president said to the press. Biden has his own vintage 1967 Corvette.
After turning off the engine, Biden joked that he was going to tell his Secret Service detail he was driving home.
Biden also stopped to check out a bright blue Electric Chevy Silverado, a yellow-orange Mustang, and a group of new plug-in electric vehicle Jeeps before getting behind the wheel and driving an electric Cadillac Lyriq.
“Come on jump in, I’ll give you a ride back to Washington,” Biden quipped.
Britney Spears would have had a completely different debut single if Simon Cowell hadactually managed to wrestle “…Baby One More Time” away from her.
Speaking on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, the super producer revealed he tried to snag the future hit single for his boyband Five, the male version of the Spice Girls. Cowell said he was “just on the verge of breaking them in America” and he felt the future Britney hit was Five’s golden ticket.
Cowell said he learned of the track when an affiliate called him. “[The song] was written for TLC. TLC passed,” he recalled. After the affiliate played it for him over the phone, he remembers saying, “Oh my God, I’ve got to have this song.”
The former American Idol judge sought out producer Max Martin, who wrote the hit, and offered him a Mercedes 500 SL in exchange for the single. “I phoned up Max and said, ‘Please, please give me this song,'” Cowell recalled, but found out it was “promised … to someone else.”
Cowell demanded to know who grabbed it before him and learned it went to a singer who was unknown at the time — Britney Spears. Cowell tried convincing Martin to break the deal: “Let me give you some advice. No one is gonna have a hit with a name called Britney Spears!'”
Of course, the rest is history and Cowell admits Martin’s foresight was better than his. “He made the right decision,” the British mogul quipped. “Listen, I would have taken the car!”
Singer John Michael Montgomery is on the road to recovery after sustaining injuries in a bus crash last week, according to an update from his son and fellow country artist Walker Montgomery. The younger Montgomery wrote that his dad was “doing well” and that the family was “lucky” in an update on Twitter.
Country-themed Fox drama Monarch debuted on Sunday, and a report from Deadline now says that a total of 5.3 million viewers tuned in to watch the show’s first episode, either in real time or in the encore presentation. That’s the biggest fall debut of a new Fox scripted series in three years.
Paramount+ has announced a second season of Halo is already blasting off.
Production has just begun on the sophomore season of the video game-turned-streaming show in Budapest, Hungary, reports the streaming service.
Like the game, the show centers on the 26th century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. The tip of the spear is Pablo Schreiber‘s super-soldier Spartan-117, also known as Master Chief.
The actor and Natascha McElhone, who returns as Dr. Halsey, are also serving as producers this season, which will also see actors Joseph Morgan and Cristina Rodlo join the cast as series regulars.
According to the streaming service, Vampire Diaries vet Morgan plays James Ackerson, “a formidable intelligence operative,” and Rodlo plays Talia Perez, “a corporal specializing in linguistics … who has yet to see any real combat.”
Fiona O’Shaughnessy and Tylan Bailey also return in season 2, along with other Halo stars, among them Bokeem Woodbine and Halo game series star Jen Taylor, who reprises as the A.I. Cortana.
(NEW YORK) — As freight railroads and their unions continue to feel pressure from the White House, businesses and other stakeholders to reach an agreement before a potential strike, economic experts say the possible work stoppage will wreak havoc on businesses and consumers.
Two labor unions representing 57,000 engineers and conductors, who make up roughly half of all rail workers, are seeking a better time-off policy and contend that rail companies are trying to force a deal without meeting their requests. The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents the nation’s freight railroads in national collective bargaining, said the rail companies offered a fair contract that includes a significant wage increase.
ABC News Live spoke with Abe Eshkenazi, the CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management, or ASCM, about the potential ramifications of a strike on all aspects of the economy.
ABC NEWS LIVE: How vital are our railroad tracks to our supply chain?
ABE ESHKENAZI: Well, you’re talking about the most vital activities within logistics and transportation. By any measure, 30 to 40% of our goods are moved by rail. So we’re talking about a significant amount of movement of goods and services from raw materials to finished goods. In almost every aspect, the supply chain relies on the rails from the ports to our consumers, and the warehouses. This is a vital link in our logistics and warehousing system.
ABC NEWS LIVE: President Biden was briefed on the situation this morning. What do the railroad workers want in this case and can this strike be averted?
ESHKENAZI: I think the hope from every perspective is that we are able to reach an agreement. I think there has been some discussion about some legislative action, if it is not if we don’t see an agreement. I think the impact that it’s having [is] on the workers. There are significant issues that they have not only in terms of their hours of work, [and] away from all of their work conditions. There obviously are a number of issues that need to be addressed, but the criticality of the logistics and the rail system can’t be underestimated if we do have a work stoppage or any disruption.
ABC NEWS LIVE: Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh cut his Europe trip short to try and stave off this strike. What’s the worst-case scenario for our supply chain if this does go forward?
ESHKENAZI: Well, you’re talking significant detrimental effects. We’re already facing a number of shortages. We’ve got congestion at the ports. You’ve got trucking issues. We have warehouse capacity issues. Our demand and our supply are not balanced right now. So having a rail disruption is going to impact everything from the raw materials to the manufacturing and obviously to the consumer and the availability of goods down the stream here. This is a global supply chain. Any disruption, as we’ve seen in the past, is going to have a collateral effect. Whether we’re talking about weather-related issues or the conflict in Ukraine. We’re seeing collateral impact from these disruptions on almost every aspect of the supply chain. We’re seeing it in inflationary cost as well as labor issues, trying to find workers as well.
ABC NEWS LIVE: Amtrak has already canceled some long distance routes and companies have moved to suspend hazardous shipments in case they get stranded mid-route. Is our supply chain going to take a hit now regardless of whether or not there’s actually a strike?
ESHKENAZI: Well, we’re already seeing companies take some action and mitigate risk. There is a challenge that supply chain professionals need to address. And that’s a force coming, disruption from the rails so that, unfortunately, there are very few alternatives to the rail volume and the costs that are associated with it. So there really aren’t a whole lot of alternative transportation modes that we can rely on. That disruption on the rails is going to have a dramatic effect on almost every aspect of our economy.
ABC NEWS LIVE: And I understand that Congress has the ability to step in if a strike does happen. Do you think that the government ultimately will have to get involved?
ESHKENAZI: I don’t see how it doesn’t happen for a variety of reasons. No. 1, our economy depends on efficient rail and logistics. Secondly, we’re coming into the November elections. I don’t think that anybody in the legislature wants to address a rail stoppage or a work stoppage right now if we can avert it. Obviously, we’re already dealing with a lot of impact from the pandemic and a lot of the disruptions in our supply chain, whether from [the] China shutdown or weather-related issues. I’m not sure that we’re prepared for a significant disruption in our rail systems. Supply chain professionals need and work with accurate data and reliable systems. Removing this mode or modality of transportation would have significant and detrimental effects to almost every aspect of our supply chain.
(ALBANY, NY) — Charlotte Bennett, a former aide who has accused ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, sued him Wednesday in federal court, alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.
In addition to Cuomo, the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, also named three of his top aides: Melissa DeRosa, Jill DesRosiers and Judith Mogul.
Bennett was among 11 women a New York Attorney General’s report found Cuomo harassed, which led to his resignation from office in August, 2021.
“Throughout her employment as Defendant Cuomo’s Executive Assistant, the then-Governor subjected her to sexualized comments about her appearance, assigned her humiliating and demeaning tasks, and beginning in early June 2020, subjected her to invasive and unwanted questions about her personal life, romantic and sexual relationships, and history as a survivor of sexual assault,” Bennett’s lawsuit said.
When Bennett reported her claims and her fear of retaliation to chief of staff DesRosiers Bennett, she was transferred “to an inferior position,” the lawsuit said.
“The Governor has always said he didn’t harass anyone and with each day that goes by more and more information is uncovered showing how evidence favorable to the Governor was suppressed and crucial facts ignored or omitted that undermined witness credibility. What else will come out during the discovery process? We’ll see them in court,” Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday.
Bennett went public with some her claims in a February 2021 article in The New York Times after another former Cuomo staff member, Lindsey Boylan, published her account. Cuomo claimed at the time that his actions involving Bennett were misunderstood.
The allegations in the lawsuit expand upon many of the public claims Bennett previously made, including an Oct. 4, 2019, phone call when she said Cuomo began singing the words, “Are you ready?” to the tune of “Do You Love Me?” by The Contours.
“When Plaintiff told Defendant Cuomo she did not recognize the song, Defendant Cuomo sang several lines from the song: ‘Do you love me, do you really love me? Do you love me, do you care?’ Defendant Cuomo’s singing to her made Plaintiff uncomfortable and she laughed awkwardly,” the lawsuit said.
A few weeks later, Cuomo asked Bennett a series of pointed questions about the size of his hands, the suit said.
“Given the common association between the size of a man’s hands and the size of his penis, Plaintiff understood Defendant Cuomo to be encouraging her to comment on the size of his genitals, which made her extremely uncomfortable,” the lawsuit said.
Bennett accused Cuomo of asking her uncomfortable questions about a time when she was sexually assaulted during college, the suit said.
“Defendant Cuomo’s questions made Plaintiff extremely uncomfortable, but she felt she could not decline to respond and briefly described an incident in which her then-boyfriend ejaculated on her clothing without her consent,” the lawsuit said. “Defendant Cuomo responded with something to the effect of, ‘Well, some people have it much worse.'”
Cuomo resigned last year after a five-month investigation by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. The 168-page report said “the governor engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment under federal and New York State law.”
“Specifically, we find that the Governor sexually harassed a number of current and former New York State employees by, among other things, engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching, as well as making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women,” the report said.
In announcing his resignation, Cuomo said his first instinct was to fight the allegation, which he said were politically motivated. However, he said it would save the taxpayers millions of dollars for him to step down. “The best way I can help now is if I step aside,” he said last year.
However, he said, “Don’t get me wrong — this is not to say that there are not 11 women who I truly offended. There are. And for that, I deeply, deeply apologize.”
