
Former New York City police commissioner Howard Safir dies
Howard Safir, the former New York City police commissioner whose four-year tenure in the late 1990s included sharp declines in the city’s murder tolls but also some of its most notorious episodes of police killings of Black men, has died
2023-09-13 07:49

Fashion executive and breast cancer survivor uses her NYFW show to raise awareness
One brand creator used her runway to raise awareness for breast cancer and encourage women to support their bodies during this year’s New York Fashion Week. As a breast cancer survivor herself, Dana Donofree, who was diagnosed at 27, previously struggled to find the perfect fit when it came to intimates after her mastectomy. The mold and structure of “regular” bras were not only incompetent but seemingly “awful” and “ugly,” according to the designer. That was until she developed the perfect configuration for her own brand, AnaOno. Speaking to Elle, Donofree recounts how her former frustration with limited lingerie options led to the launch of her company. “After removing both my breasts to treat my disease and reconstructing them, I found that ‘regular’ intimates no longer fit. What was available to me instead were these awful, ugly, matronly bras,” she explained. “I knew that we could do better! Women undergoing cancer treatment are already dealing with so much. They don’t also need to deal with hating their clothes. So I started figuring out a solution.” A designer and innovative problem solver, Donofree examined the necessary fit for the recovery stages associated with breast cancer survivors who’ve endured implants, mastectomies, and unilateral removals. No matter how far along a woman is in their individual journey post-diagnosis, AnaOno offers a range of picks from nighties to breathable leisurewear. “Something I’ll never compromise on is absolute inclusion,” the creator continued. “Whether you have two breasts, one breast, no breasts, or new breasts…we’ll make it work for all of it.” With that being said, Donofree ensured her size range varied, with the largest available option being a 3X. Donofree’s desire to design her brand supporting breast cancer survivors was also about inspiring other women, through a fuse of agency, style, ease, and motivation in keeping a healthy body and mind. This also meant straying from the “pink-washing” that is often associated with the disease. The fashion executive noted: “As a survivor myself for 13 years, I can say that there have been times when I’ve been really mad at the ‘pink-washing’ of breast cancer awareness. It felt very exploitive to me, you know, to have your pain and ‘resilience’ put in a marketing campaign!” And that’s exactly what she avoided in this year’s runway display during fashion week in the Big Apple. Inside a Lower East Side church, Donofree’s show titled “(R)Evolution” unfolded negligee versatility to promote properly fitting garments and breast cancer awareness. “I didn’t want to abandon the use of pink altogether, because breast cancer research and awareness saves lives. If we can impact research and find more ways to treat this disease, we can get more time with the ones we love,” the fashion mogul remarked. “And if we can impact awareness, we can ensure people get diagnosed as fast as possible, which leads to many more treatment options.” “We’re finally awakening to the fact that cancer and disease is an issue that’s linked to pollution and environmental damage,” she continued. “Fashion as a whole needs to accept responsibility to create a better earth and healthier humans, because what touches your skin gets absorbed by your skin. Using quality fabric matters a lot to me, and to other fashion designers. And it also matters greatly to cancer patients.” Donofree enlisted the help of #CancerCulture, a patient-led nonprofit organisation dedicated to spreading awareness in creative avenues, to co-produce the show. The brand’s display will also lead to a donation of $25,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Center, with hopes to reach a larger sum of $50,000. In Donofree’s experience, she’s concluded that the right bra will lead to “a better life”. “It’s not just about your body – it’s about your story,” AnaOno’s website reads. “No matter who you are, no matter your story, we believe you should have a bra that fits your unique shape.” Read More Ralph Lauren, a son of the Bronx, takes over Brooklyn in lavish return to NY Fashion Week Proenza Schouler debut effortlessly cool looks at NYFW Tory Burch deconstructs classic style in new NYFW collection
2023-09-13 06:21

MTV Video Music Awards return Tuesday, with an all-female artist of the year category
The MTV Video Music Awards return Tuesday night and for the first time in the show’s history, only women are nominated in the artist of the year category
2023-09-13 05:59

Oklahoma prosecutor and sheriff at odds over BTK serial killer link to cold case
A sheriff’s office in Oklahoma said self-proclaimed BTK serial killer Dennis Rader is a “prime suspect” in Cynthia Dawn Kinney’s 1976 disappearance, but the local district attorney now says there’s not enough information despite recently requesting a formal investigation on the case. District Attorney Mike Fisher said during a press conference on Monday he’s not at a point where he could file charges against Rader, who is currently behind bars for the murders of 10 people between the 1970s and the 1990s. But Mr Fisher had asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to open a formal investigation into Ms Kinney’s disappearance because of the public interest in the revived cold case, and he will file charges if he learns of evidence that would warrant it, he said. Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden fired back at the DA in his own press conference the following day, saying that he was “absolutely furious” at the comments regarding the case. “District Attorney Fisher attempted to derail the investigation by contacting the prison where Dennis Rader is held in an attempt to halt further interviews between Dennis Rader and our Investigators,” the agency said in a release. He said the DA’s comments were based on incomplete information and did not accurately represent the OCSO’s efforts or the progress that has been made. The sheriff also revealed that while he was in an interview with Rader on Monday afternoon, the convicted killer told him, “guess I’m cleared,” according to what he heard from the DA on the news that officials “don’t have anything.” Sheriff Virden said the matter will be addressed in the proper channels. He added that they have numerous leads they will keep pursuing. “We’ll continue to push for justice, honest and true,” he said. “We have something behind us and that’s the honest truth.” Rader, now 78, gave himself the nickname BTK — for “bind, torture and kill,” played a cat-and-mouse game with investigators and reporters for decades before he was caught in 2005. He ultimately confessed to 10 killings in the Wichita, Kansas, area, about 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) north of Pawhuska. He is imprisoned for 10 consecutive life terms. Last month, Rader was named the prime suspect in the 1976 disappearance of 16-year-old Cynthia Dawn Kinney in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and in the 1990 murder of 22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber in McDonald County, Missouri. Ms Kinney was last seen at a laundromat. A bank was installing new alarms across the street from that laundromat, Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden has said. Rader was a regional installer for security system company ADT at the time, but Virden wasn’t able to confirm that Rader installed the bank’s systems. Sheriff Virden told KAKE-TV he decided to investigate when he learned that Rader had included the phrase “bad laundry day” in his writings. DA Fisher said he sat in on interviews that Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma investigators conducted with Rader about 90 days ago, but the sheriff has not shared any physical evidence with the DA’s office. On Monday, the DA called the information he has received so far “rumours because they’ve not been substantiated yet.” And he said he hadn’t seen anything “that at this point arises to the level of even reasonable suspicion.” He said he had seen things that gave him “pause and concern” about the sheriff’s department, including the way they handled a dig for evidence at Rader’s former property in Park City, Kansas, last month. And he called his relationship with the sheriff “broken.” “I’m not trying to create a conflict with the sheriff of Osage County,” he said. “But, there are certain ways to investigate a case, and I’m concerned that those proper investigative techniques have not been used. That’s why I asked the OSBI to assist.” The prosecutor said he was also concerned for Kinney’s parents, with whom he met for about two hours on Friday. He said they are both in their 80s, and the renewed speculation has taken a physical toll on them. “Cynthia went missing 47 years ago. They’ve got no answers,” Mr Fisher said. “We have reason to believe that it may have been a homicide. We can’t say that with any absolute certainty, but we’ve seen nothing to suggest otherwise as there’s been no contact with Cynthia Dawn since 1976, since her disappearance.” Hours after the DA said there was insufficient information to pursue charges against serial killer, the sheriff announced a National BTK Task Force to provide assistance in the cold case of Ms Kinney. The team includes several renowned experts in the field, including several agencies, Nancy Grace, Former Prosecutor & Media Personality, Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Task Force Coordinator and CSI, Paul Holes, Cold Case Investigator and Rader’s own daughter Kerri Rawson who has been assisting investigators with the case. Last month, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office released never-before-seen drawings from the killer they believe may hold the key to solving a missing persons case and several homicides. The chilling images depict three different women who are bound and gagged in what appear to be barns, which investigators believe could be in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Hundreds of Rader’s drawings and writings were recovered after his arrest in 2005, but Sheriff Virden says the images may confirm more crimes were committed. Law enforcement also recently dug up Rader’s former family residence, and reportedly found a “pantyhose ligature”. Rader is currently incarcerated at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas. Read More Woman bound and gagged in BTK serial killer’s drawing has potentially been identified BTK serial killer’s chilling drawings released amid search for new victims The BTK killer’s need for notoriety led to his capture a decade ago. He’s now a ‘prime suspect’ in at least two other murders
2023-09-13 05:57

Ukrainian pilots could be flying F-16s in three months, Air National Guard head says
The U.S. could have the first Ukrainian pilots trained on F-16 fighter jets before the end of the year, though it will be longer than that before they are flying combat missions
2023-09-13 05:28

Trump Org. announces sale of New York City golf course
The Trump Organization said it sold its lease for a New York golf course with sweeping views of Manhattan to Bally's Corporation, ending several years of controversy.
2023-09-13 04:50

'It's been a long ride': Mark Consuelos reveals Kelly Ripa considering retirement is 'a real thing'
'I do talk about retirement with great interest, but right now I’m very happy, especially working with Mark,' Kelly Ripa said in August
2023-09-13 03:51

Dog the Bounty Hunter may join search for Danelo Cavalcante
Dog the Bounty Hunter is considering joining the manhunt for escaped Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania, according to sources close to the former reality TV star. For 12 days now, US Marshalls, FBI and SWAT teams and local and state police have led the search for Cavalcante in suburban Chester County. Cavalcante, a convicted murderer who is now armed, has managed to elude authorities and sneak nearly 30 miles past the perimeter of his initial hiding spot in Longwood Gardens in Pocopson Township. Authorities said on Tuesday that the search is no longer contained to a perimeter and they’ve switched their focus to South Coventry Township after Cavalcante was spotted in the area stealing a .22 rifle on Monday night. Sources close to Duane “Dog” Chapman have now told TMZ that the veteran bounty hunter is weighing on joining the multi-agency operative and has already been making calls to law enforcement to coordinate his potential role in the manhunt. Mr Chapman is said to have been keeping up with developments in the full-scale search since Cavalcante escaped Chester County Prison on 31 August. The unnamed source told TMZ that if Mr Chapman feels confident he is familiar with the perimeter and up-to-date with all the information available, he could be joining the search as soon as this week. Authorities have blamed the vast wooded area in Longwood Gardens for Cavalcante’s success in eluding hundreds of officers. Despite remarks by US Marshalls on Monday that law enforcement now had the upper hand after Cavalcante moved to an urban area, Lt Col George Bivens said that search teams are facing the same challenges they did in the immediate aftermath of Cavalcante’s escape nearly two weeks ago. Around 8pm on Monday, a motorist told 911 dispatchers that a male figure had crouched near the woodline near Route 100. Troopers responding to the scene investigated the sighting and found footprints on the mud consistent with Cavalcante’s prison shoes, which were also found in the area. Mr Bivens said that although authorities arrived at the scene within minutes, Cavalcante managed to travel a significant distance during that time. “Just because they found a footprint doesn’t mean that we know what direction he travelled,” Mr Bivens said. A resident of the area called shortly after to report that a pair of workboots on her porch had been stolen. Then at 10.10pm, a homeowner reported that a “short Hispanic man” broke inside his garage. Mr Bivens said that Cavalcante stole a .22 rifle with a scope and a flashlight on it. The homeowner opened fire on Cavalcante with his pistol but the fugitive is not believed to have been injured. Cavalcante fled before Pennsylvania State Police arrived at the scene. Near the edge of the driveway, authorities found clothes that Cavalcante had been spotted wearing over the weekend. Around 500 officers were hunting for Cavalcante on Tuesday as one school district remained closed and residents were told to secure their homes and be vigilant. The search is now focused near Route 23 to the North, Route 100 to the East, Fairview and Nantmeal roads to the South and Ambridge and Country Park roads to the West. Cavalcante was sentenced to life in prison for the April 2021 murder of his former girlfriend Deborah Brandao. In Brazil, prosecutors in Tocantins state said Cavalcante is accused of “double qualified homicide” in the 2017 slaying of Válter Júnior Moreira dos Reis in Figueirópolis, which they said was over a debt the victim owed him for repairing a vehicle. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his capture. Read More Danelo Cavalcante update: Escaped prisoner is ‘armed’ as Pennsylvania police hold press conference Where has Danelo Cavalcante been spotted since his Pennsylvania jailbreak? Pennsylvania police defend against criticism of Danelo Cavalcante manhunt after revealing killer is armed
2023-09-13 02:23

Former No. 1 tennis player Simona Halep gets 4-year ban in doping case
Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been suspended from professional tennis for four years for doping violations
2023-09-13 01:16

For HBCUs, the bands are about much more than the show to the Black community: 'This is family'
The famous marching bands at historically Black colleges and universities have been putting on their must-watch shows for decades
2023-09-13 00:19

Bob Woodward seeks to end Donald Trump's lawsuit over audiobook
By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK The American journalist Bob Woodward is seeking to end former President Donald Trump's
2023-09-12 23:20

'I'm not feeling so confident': Bebe Rexha shares real reason behind plan to skip MTV Video Music Awards
Bebe Rexha revealed she was very anxious about people talking about her weight
2023-09-12 21:15