florida
Florida Rapper Rod Wave Arrested For Battery By Strangulation
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Florida rapper Rod Wave was arrested over the weekend after police put out a warrant to bring him in. The St. Petersburg native was arrested for battery by strangulation and is currently awaiting charges regarding the matter. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Rod Wave, 23, was arrested during a traffic stop this past Sunday (May 1) in his hometown. The rapper whose real name is Rodarius Marcell Green was a passenger in the vehicle that was stopped ahead of Wave getting booked at the Pinellas County Jail. The arrest warrant originated from Osceola County according to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. As the Times adds in its reporting, Wave grew up in the Cromwell Heights section of town, gaining fame as a musician during ...
Florida Votes to Punish Disney for Opposition to “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
Florida Republicans are retaliating against The Walt Disney Company for its opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by passing a new law repealing Disney World’s special district status. As reported by Deadline and The New York Times, the land surrounding Disney World has been covered by the Reedy Creek Improvement District since 1967. It allows Disney to administer its own emergency services while gaining extra control over land use and environmental issues. It’s a very business-friendly arrangement, enacted for the sole purpose of enticing the House of Mouse to build a theme park, which it finally did in 1971. That special arrangement is set to end June 1st of 2023. The Florida Senate voted to eliminate the District on Wednesday, and the House followed suit today. Gove...
Gabrielle Union Calls Out Disney & Other Corporations For Silence Amid Florida “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty Gabrielle Union stars in Disney’s remake of Cheaper by the Dozen, which is set to premiere on Disney + next week. But Union’s union with Disney did not stop her from calling out the entertainment giant for its complete failure to read the room in its response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which made headlines last week. First, let’s start with what Disney CEO Bob Chapek said regarding Florida’s bill. “I want to be crystal clear: I and the entire leadership team unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and their communities,” Chapek said in a memo sent. “And, we are committed to creating a more inclusive company ― and world. I understand that the very need to reiterate that commitment means w...
Ariana Grande and More Celebs Slam Passage of Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
On Tuesday (March 8), the controversial Parents Rights in Education bill was passed in the Florida Senate, leading Ariana Grande and other famous faces to speak out against it. Better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the potential law would restrict teachers from speaking about LGBTQ+ history, people, and other topics in school classrooms across the state and give parents the right to sue educators and administrators who did so. A proposed amendment to the bill would also require school counselors and teachers to out LGBTQ+ students to their parents at home if they come out or confide in a trusted adult at school. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Really disgusting,” Ari wrote in her Instagram Stories beneath a post by Equality Florida sharing the news. Meanwhile, George Takei ...
New Florida Music Festival Announces Lineup With deadmau5, Marshmello, RL Grime, More
Thunder Beats Music Festival have announced a booming phase one lineup of their inaugural 2022 event, with the second wave set to be announced soon. Taking place at the Pensacola Interstate Fair Grounds in Florida, Thunder Beats Music Festival features a massive lineup of artists including deadmau5, Marshmello, Baauer, Zomboy and Kaskade as well as a host of regional talent. Over 100 artists will perform across three stages during the fest, presented by Thunder Ranch Entertainment Holdings. Thunder Beats Music Festival Phase 1 lineup announcement. c/o Press Organizers also announced that deadmau5 is bringing his fan-favorite “cube” production, which was recently confirmed to appear in Las Vegas as part of a high-profile residency at Zouk Nightclub. Rec...
Propy rallies 227% as real estate NFTs become reality and PRO lists at Coinbase
Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) skyrocketed in popularity over the course of 2021 as the wider public became enthralled with projects like the Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks, but these one-of-a-kind digital images are only scratching the surface of what NFT technology is capable of. One project focused on expanding the functionality of NFTs beyond the digital art space is Propy, a protocol focused on the integration of blockchain technology with the real estate sector by automating the closing process of home buying to make the entire process faster, simpler and more secure. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that after hitting a low of $1.12 on Jan. 12, the price of PRO moved 227% higher to hit a daily high at $3.67 on Jan. 14 as its 24-hour trading volume spi...
Reelected Miami mayor to take 401k retirement savings partly in Bitcoin
The long-standing mayor of Miami Francis Suarez has now announced plans to take a part of his 401(k) payout in Bitcoin (BTC) just a month after he started receiving salary in BTC. Soon after becoming the first United States lawmaker to accept a part of his salary in Bitcoin, Suarez wants to dedicate a part of his retirement savings to Bitcoin based on “a personal choice,” he said in an interview with Real Vision: “I just think it is a good asset to be invested in. I think it’s one that’s obviously going to appreciate over time. It’s one that I believe in.” Suarez highlighted that Bitcoin’s success is tightly tied to the confidence in the system, which is inherently an “open-source, un-manipulatable system”. The mayor revealed that he has started receiving salary payments in Bitcoin t...
White House does not rule out Haiti request for U.S. troops
The United States is still reviewing a request for troops made by Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph to help secure key infrastructure after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Monday. Psaki said Haiti’s political leadership remains unclear and that it was vital for the country’s leaders to come together to chart a united path forward. Moise was shot dead early on Wednesday at his Port-au-Prince home by what Haitian authorities describe as a unit of assassins formed of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans. Haitian police said on Sunday they had arrested another key suspect. The death of the president has plunged the troubled country into deeper turmoil, and U.S. officials traveled there on Sunday to assess the situation and ...
Groove Cruise Will Not Require COVID-19 Vaccination to Attend
As major cruise lines remained locked in a dispute with the state of Florida over the requirement of COVID-19 vaccination proof for passengers, Groove Cruise has announced that vaccination status will not be required to attend the event’s 2022 edition. The news arrives after Royal Caribbean, the organization hosting Groove Cruise 2022, confirmed that none of its passengers will need to provide proof of vaccination to board a ship moving forward. While Royal Caribbean is strongly encouraging passengers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before embarking, the line will not require them to do so, according to The Wall Street Journal. Groove Cruise owner and “Chief Excitement Officer” Jason Beukema took to YouTube to address the decision, announcing that Royal Caribbe...
David Guetta is Accepting Bitcoin and Ethereum as Payment for $14 Million Miami Condo
Global EDM superstar David Guetta is reportedly selling his multimillion-dollar Miami condominium—and for 38 Bitcoin, it can be yours. View from the bedroom of David Guetta’s $14 million Miami condo, which is available to purchase using cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Freud Group According to a report published by Mansion Global, Guetta paid $9.5 million for the 2,521-square foot, three-bathroom condo in 2018 and has now listed it with the help of Miami-based broker Freud Group at a price of $14 million. That sum can be paid in cash or cryptocurrencies like Ethereum or Bitcoin, according to Freud Group’s property listing. Guetta’s property comes with comes with access to the amenities of the Setai Hotel, including three oceanfront swimming pools, ...
Inter Miami owner ‘optimistic’ that Leo Messi will join in the future
Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas believes his side will be able to land Barcelona star Lionel Messi in the future. Messi’s contract with Barcelona will expire at the end of this month and the club is desperately trying to tie down the 33-year-old to a new deal. Various reports have stated that Messi’s potential Barca extension would include a provision for him to play two more seasons in Spain, then move to Inter Miami in 2023. Mas confirmed that he and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham have been involved in talks to bring Messi to Florida. “David and I have been working really hard, we have aspirations of bringing the best players here and Leo Messi is a generational player, arguably the best player of all time,” Mas told the Miami Herald. “I am optimistic Messi will play in an Inter Miami sh...
Florida Concert Promoter Charges $18 for Vaccinated Attendees, $999 for Unvaccinated
While Florida’s government has moved to ban vaccine passports, one promoter has found a clever way to provide concert-goers an extra incentive to get vaccinated. Pop punk band Teenage Bottlerocket is performing at St. Petersburg’s VFW in late June. The promoter of the event wants to encourage attendees to get vaccinated and is offering a $981 discount on tickets for those that do. That means vaccinated patrons who can establish proof will be allowed to purchase an $18 ticket whereas unvaccinated patrons will pay $999. Teenage Bottlerocket was sold on the idea after the promoter, Paul Williams, equated this setup to companies such as Krispy Kreme, who offered free products upon proof of vaccination, or stores like Target, who offered coupons to vaccinated patrons. It’...
