Baller Alert Its A Lifestyle

California Governor Gavin Newsom is doing his part to keep schools safe against gun violence.

On Tuesday, Newsom signed a first-of-its-kind bill known as AB 28, which will double taxes on firearms and ammunition, The Hill confirms. An 11 percent tax will be added to the federal taxes already on these products, which is typically 10 or 11 percent. This revenue, which is estimated to be approximately $160 million yearly, will go directly to school safety programs, such as those to prevent campus shootings and give more resources to investigators. The money will also go toward an initiative to remove weapons from documented domestic abusers. Despite the controversial move, Newsom says the measure is necessary.

“While radical judges continue to strip away our ability to keep people safe, California will keep fighting because gun safety laws work,” he wrote in a statement.

The new action does come as a surprise to some, considering that Newsom has been opposed to raising taxes in the past. However, it seems his urge for stricter gun laws has trumped that. Newsom is one of the key figures pushing for national reform on guns, which will make it harder for dangerous people to obtain them. Newsom also has the research to back his AB 28 regulation. Studies have found that California is seeing a sharp decrease in firearm-related deaths. Per Newsom, the gun death rate is 43 percent lower than in other states.

Gun enthusiasts could challenge the laws in the near future. Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, called the changes unconstitutional and claims this will not do much to prevent mass shootings.

Nick Cannon is forever grateful for Mariah Carey standing by him when he was first diagnosed with lupus.

The comedian has praised Carey on multiple occasions for being a great wife and mother. However, Cannon says that during his health scare, she stepped up in ways that he will never forget.

“She was my rock. She went hard. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for how hard she went with the doctors, with me, my stubbornness,” Cannon shared with podcast host Steven Bartlett during an interview with him for “The Diary Of A CEO” podcast.

Cannon was diagnosed with lupus in 2012. The disease has led to some pretty close calls, with the “Drumroll” actor experiencing kidney failure and potentially deadly blood clots in his lungs. Through it all, Carey prevailed as the “perfect helpmate, the perfect matriarch, the perfect mom, the perfect wife in those scenarios.” Even after divorcing in 2016, Cannon still has the utmost respect for the “One Sweet Day” vocalist.

Having lupus is partially what motivated Cannon to have more children outside of his and Carey’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe. However, he may have gone overboard with his procreation plan, now the father to 12 kiddos across six different women. Thankfully, his health has seemingly improved over the years, despite being unsure if he would survive long enough to see his children grow up. He was hospitalized last year for pneumonia but has since bounced back.

Everybody felt like Jimmy Butler, if you are a fan of any team in the Eastern Conference after the blockbuster trade of Damian Lillard to The Milwaukee Bucks was announced Wednesday. The Portland Trailblazers finally found a reasonable suitor for Damian Lillard’s services after he requested a trade early in the Summer. It had almost been three months, and all indications until about two weeks ago was he would make his way to Miami.

The main obstacles in finalizing the deal revolved around finding a taker for the final year of starting center Jusuf Nurkic’s contract, as Portland aimed to clear their books and kickstart their rebuilding efforts. The initial offer of Tyler Herro and some draft picks failed to entice Portland to part ways with their seven-time All-Star. However, a more attractive proposition emerged in the form of a three-team trade involving the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.

Following news of the trade, Miami’s Jimmy Butler jokingly went to Instagram and asked the NBA to look into Milwaukee.

“Yo NBA man, y’all need to look into the Bucks for tampering… Y’all didn’t hear it from me, but I heard it from somebody.”

Milwaukee received Damian Lillard, while the Suns got some much-needed depth. Milwaukee sent Grayson Allen, while Portland sent Nasir Little, Keon Johnson, and Jusuf Nurkic. The Portland Trailblazers received Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, a 2029 first-round pick from Phoenix, and pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 with Milwaukee.

The Miami Heat have already been in talks to acquire Jrue Holiday and the trade is pending until his new home is also established.

Star pass rusher Chandler Jones took to X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming that he was brought into a mental health hospital against his own will last week.

On September 19, the four-time Pro Bowler shared an intriguing Instagram story while casually enjoying a bowl of cereal in his underwear, tagging LeBron James, Lamar Jackson, and Kodak Black in his posts.

Chandler Jones latest IG story in which he has tagged LeBron James and Kodak Black while eating Honey Bunches of Oats in his underwear. pic.twitter.com/UnUwcqLWLf

— Kenny King Jr (@KennyKing_Jr) September 19, 2023

After his barrage of interesting Instagram story posts, he took to X days later, saying, “First day out but I’m still aligned.” Attached to the tweet were written notes where Jones claimed he had been taken in by the Las Vegas fire department last week against his will. He shared “a group of 5 to 7” showed up at his front door with an ambulance.

First day out but I’m still aligned. pic.twitter.com/AgxZWP7U9e

— ♛Chandler Jones (@chanjones55) September 26, 2023

Jones’ note also mentioned that he informed them that he hadn’t committed any wrongdoing, stating, “The police mentioned concerns about my online posts.”

He then claims he was transferred to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital with “no cellphone or no communication.”

Chander, who is also the brother of UFC fighter Jon Jones, also alleged, “I was injected with I don’t know what.”

He claims he reached out to Raiders 6 to 7 times while he was inside the facility and never heard back.

Jones is in the second year of his three-year, $51 million contract. He’s not appeared in a game this season and when the organization has asked about his situation, they continue to call it a personal matter.

On Tuesday, McDonald’s announced that it would be adding two new limited edition dipping sauces, Sweet & Spicy Jam Sauce and Mambo Sauce, as an option for customers next month.

According to McDonald’s USA Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Tariq Hassan,  the company “gets inspiration for the food our fans love by exploring the incredible taste and flavors found in communities across the country.”

The new Mambo sauce drew its inspiration from Washington, DC’s well-known Mumbo sauce, which has a “tomato-based, sweet, spicy and vinegary” Flavor.

While the Sweet & Spicy Jam offers a “jammy red pepper sauce” that has apple cider vinegar, Szechuan peppercorn, and cayenne pepper taste.

McDonald’s revealed that both dipping sauces will be available nationwide as of Oct. 9 and remain “while supplies last.”

Usher is reportedly set to go on a world tour after performing for the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Sources close to Usher have suggested that he may announce a world tour during his Super Bowl LVIII performance in February, as his team has been reserving arenas worldwide.

On Tuesday, a group of teens were arrested after several stores were looted in Downtown Philadelphia’s Center City.

Police say the large group got away with a handful of merchandise from stores like Foot Locker, Lululemon, and Apple before fleeing.

According to ABC7Chicago, police arrested 15 to 20 people and confiscated two firearms while responding to the looting.

The incident at the Chestnut Street Foot Locker was described as a coordinated attack by individuals wearing black attire and masks.  Several juveniles fled the scene, and at least one adult was apprehended.

Police stated that they “successfully apprehended multiple individuals” connected to the looting at the Walnut Street Lululemon.  One witness reported observing “30 plus people” running from the police at Lululemon, while her friend added that there were “clothes everywhere.”

So far, no arrests have been made regarding the Apple Store looting on Walnut Street, but police have recovered many stolen items, including mobile phones and tablets. No injuries have been reported at this time.

“We are actively investigating these incidents and working diligently to identify and apprehend those responsible for these unlawful acts,” said the Philadelphia Police Department.

An antitrust lawsuit has been filed against Amazon over claims it overcharges sellers and holds back the competition.

The lawsuit was filed in a Seattle federal court on Tuesday by the FTC and attorneys general from 17 states, accusing Amazon of wielding its “monopoly power” to inflate prices, degrade quality for shoppers, and unlawfully exclude rivals, thereby undermining competition, CNBC News reported.

The agency detailed what they say is Amazon’s two-pronged strategy that helps it “unlawfully maintain” its monopoly power. The FTC said the suit also cited the company’s so-called anti-discounting measures to punish sellers and deter other online retailers from offering lower, more competitive prices than Amazon, which translates to keeping costs higher for products across the internet.

Amazon also “effectively requires” sellers to use its “costly” fulfillment services to obtain the vaunted Prime badge for their products, the FTC wrote, making it more expensive to do business on the platform.

FTC Chair Lina Khan told media outlets during a briefing Tuesday that sellers are paying $1 of every $2 to Amazon.

Plaintiffs accuse Amazon of forcing sellers to pay expensive fulfillment and advertising fees to market their goods on its site while facing no other choice “but to rely on Amazon to stay in business.” These tactics, in return, degrade the shopping experience on the site by having an overwhelming search result with “pay to play ads” that steer shoppers toward more expensive and less relevant products, Khan said.

“The upshot here is that Amazon is a monopolist, and it’s exploiting its monopolies in ways that leave shoppers and sellers paying more for worse service,” Khan said at the briefing. “In a competitive world, a monopoly hiking prices and degrading service would create an opening for rivals and potential rivals to come in, draw business, grow, and compete, but Amazon’s unlawful monopolistic strategy has closed off that possibility, and the public is paying directly as a result.”

David Zapolsky, Amazon’s general counsel and senior vice president of global public policy, responded to the FTC’s complaint, saying it is “wrong on the facts and the law.”

“The practices the FTC is challenging have helped to spur competition and innovation across the retail industry and have produced greater selection, lower prices, and faster delivery speeds for Amazon customers and greater opportunity for the many businesses that sell in Amazon’s store,” Zapolsky said. “If the FTC gets its way, the result would be fewer products to choose from, higher prices, slower deliveries for consumers, and reduced options for small businesses—the opposite of what antitrust law is designed to do.”

The FTC says it is primarily seeking to hold Amazon liable. In the complaint, the FTC and states called for the court to prevent Amazon from continuing the alleged unlawful behavior and order “structural relief” to the extent necessary to resolve the harm.

Structural relief refers to remedies, like breakups and divestments, that change the business itself rather than order it to discontinue a specific behavior.

Often, in antitrust cases, a judge will rule on whether a company is liable for the alleged violations first. From there, a separate proceeding to determine the proper remedies occurs should there be a finding of liability.

Whew, the tea between Kroy Biermann and his estranged wife, Kim Zolciak, is piping hot. Yet, despite some steamy revelations, he still wants to end their marriage.

On Tuesday, the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum filed court documents, asking a judge to dismiss Biermann’s divorce filing. Her reason? According to Zolciak, the two are still getting freaky in their Georgia home, which indicates that there may be some hope. However, later in the day, Biermann shot back in court, making it clear that despite a few sexy moments between the two, the divorce is still on.

In his response obtained by TMZ, Biermann says their being intimate “does not indicate a desire to reconcile.” The former NFL star has been firm in his stance that Zolciak’s ridiculous spending habit and gambling addiction have driven them into financial ruin. Nevertheless, the two are still shacking up in their marital home, which has also been a point of contention for the estranged couple. Zolciak does not want to sell the property, though Biermann does not wish to pay off their many debts, including a $1 million tax bill to the IRS.

Zolciak has hurled her own accusations, claiming the retired athlete smokes marijuana. In June, she even called the police on Biermann, accusing him of going into a rage after believing her friend was trying to abduct their son. He’d threatened to file a kidnapping charge against Zolciak’s friend, but it doesn’t appear that ever happened.

It looks like Zolciak will have to fight a little harder to keep her man.

Ahead of Halloween, AirBnB offers guests a chance to spend the night at Shrek’s Swamp. And what makes it even better is that Donkey is the host.

What’s being called a memorable and enchanting getaway, guests can book to stay among the picture-perfect Scottish Highlands for a stay they won’t forget, Forbes reported.

“Shrek’s mud-laden, moss-covered, murky-watered swamp is situated among the rolling hills of Scotland where guests can stay up late, swap stories, and eat like an ogre – because in the morning, Donkey’s making waffles!” AirBnB’s website reads.

Guests are invited to sleep like an ogre in Shrek’s swamp.

“Located among the hills of the Scottish Highlands, Shrek’s Swamp is a stumpy, secluded haven fit for a solitude-seeking ogre – and for the first time ever, a handful of his biggest fans,” the website continues.

“Shrek’s Swamp is lovely. Just beautiful. The perfect place to entertain guests,” Donkey said. “You know what I like about it? Everything. The overgrown landscaping, the modest interiors, the nice boulders, all of it. I can’t wait for guests to experience this muddy slice of paradise for themselves.”

With Donkey as the host, guests can live their own versions of the layered ogre life for two special, starry nights with stories around a firepit late at night, waffles in the morning, and an outhouse.

For £0 a night  – a nod to the priceless refuge Shrek’s Swamp has provided fairytale creatures of all kinds – ‘brogres’ will be able to request to book an exclusive two-night swamp stay* for up to three guests October 27-29.

Onion and ogre enthusiasts can request to book Shrek’s Swamp beginning October 13 at 6 p.m. BST at airbnb.com/shrek. Guests are responsible for their own travel to and from Scotland.

Hollywood writers have officially returned to work after the WGA unanimously ended the 148-day strike.

On Tuesday, The union said, “The WGAW Board and WGAE Council also voted unanimously to lift the restraining order and end the strike as of 12:01 am PT/3:01 am ET on Wednesday, September 27.  This allows writers to return to work during the ratification process but does not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.”

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has finalized an “exceptional deal” in a three-year agreement.  Minimums for members will increase by 5% upon contract ratification, followed by 4% on May 2, 2024, and 3.5% on May 2, 2025, providing gains and protections across all sectors of the industry.

It looks like Cardi B has an all-new set of problems in one of her million-dollar mansions.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cardi B (@iamcardib)

Just in time for Halloween, the “Bodak Yellow” superstar says there is a ghost in her Los Angeles home. However, what makes her spirit friend bothersome is that it only appears when her husband, Offset, is away.

During an Instagram Live session, the rapper detailed how a buzzing noise will randomly appear in the hallway whenever she’s alone. Whenever she tries to locate the source of the sound, she can’t figure out where it may be coming from.

“Mind you, when I be in the house in Atlanta or New York, there’s nothing. But this house in L.A. is always some weird vibe,” she told her followers.

Though Cardi does not appear frightened by the presence, she did reveal that her ghostly sidekick seemingly wants a taste of her Bongos.

“I feel like if I sleep, the f*****g ghost is gonna finger pop me because, b***h, the n***a wants me,” she said, adding that she may begin staying in a hotel room if Casper the Freaky Ghost continues its nightly visits, which would be a more drastic, as she has already asked her security guard to sleep downstairs.

Cardi certainly has a long list of problems, but an invasive apparition was probably not on her 2023 bingo card. Nevertheless, she seems to be handling it well, given the possibility of demonic possession and whatnot.

Things are getting spooky, Belcalis. It may be the perfect time to drop an album, just saying.