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Filtering by Category: News

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS GET THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME ON THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW

ABC

ABC

On Thursday, students from the high school senior class of Summit Academy Charter School in Brooklyn, NY appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where they received a surprise gift.  The students opened up to Ellen DeGeneres about what Summit Academy meant to them and how it would affect their future.  One student said, “Coming to Summit, it made my dreams and goals more realistic, coming from a single-parent house.”  Summit Academy is located in a neighborhood where only 4 percent of adults attended college.  The senior class will be the school’s first ever graduating class.

At the end of the show, the entire senior class was overcome by emotion when Ellen announced they would each receive a 4-year college scholarship.  The students cried and laughed, while they embraced each other and buried Ellen in a group hug.

The scholarships, made possible by Walmart, will provide the students with tuition for any state university in New York.  Ellen told the students: "Last time you were here, Walmart wanted to give you $25,000.  We've never done anything this big before, we've reached out to the people at Walmart, and they want to give each one of you a four-year scholarship."  Ellen revealed the entire amount is worth $1.6 million.

Ellen posted on Instagram about the amazing moment:

You can watch the full inspiring video below.

Ellen DeGeneres just presented the entire senior class of the Summit Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y. with keys to their future: full four-year college scholarships. The school aims to send every student to college - and last year, 93% of the first graduating class achieved that goal, according to Campbell and Swift.

 

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CELEBS TWEET IN SUPPORT OF TRANSGENDERS AFTER TRUMP LIFTS BATHROOM PROTECTION LAWS

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

On Wednesday, the Donald Trump administration reversed Barack Obama’s federal protection laws that allowed transgender students to use whichever bathroom corresponds to their gender identity.  The White House explained Trump’s decision in a statement: "As President Trump has clearly stated, he believes policy regarding transgender bathrooms should be decided at the state level.  The joint decision made today by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education paves the way for an open and inclusive process to take place at the local level with input from parents, students, teachers and administrators."

The reversal sparked protests and angered several civil rights groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union.  The LGBT project director for the ACLU, James Esseks, said: "Revoking the guidance shows that the president's promise to protect LGBT rights was just empty rhetoric.  But the bottom line is that this does not undo legal protections for trans students, and school districts can and must continue to protect them and all students from discrimination.  School districts that recognize that should continue doing the right thing; for the rest, we'll see them in court."

Obama’s decision to protect transgender rights in the bathroom had previously been celebrated among civil rights groups, including the ACLU.  The group wrote about Obama’s move: “This is a BIG deal – the federal government just made history and set clear standards to protect transgender people!”

Several celebrities took to Twitter to express their outrage at Trump revoking the protections, and show their support of the transgender community.  THE WANNA has gathered the reaction tweets below.

 

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OSCARS SURVEY REVEALS AMERICANS DON’T WANT POLITICS AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS

Oscars.org

Oscars.org

On Tuesday, Pollfish conducted a survey to find out what Americans think about politics and diversity at the Academy Awards.  The survey asked 1,000 Oscar-watching Americans whether or not they want celebrities at the awards ceremony to share their political opinion.  The results found that 25% of Americans think celebrities at the Oscars should avoid political topics, including any mention of Donald Trump.

Below are the rest of the Pollfish Oscar Sunday Survey results:

MOST AMERICANS DON'T WANT TO HEAR HOLLYWOOD'S POLITICAL OPINIONS

45% of Americans think celebrities should be allowed to voice their opinions at the Oscars. Another 25% say Hollywood shouldn't use its platform to talk politics, 21% think celebrities should completely stay out of politics, and 10% say Hollywood is too liberal. 

1 IN 4 AMERICANS DON'T WANT TO HEAR TRUMP'S NAME AT THE OSCARS

Asked which issues they don't want to hear about at the Oscars, 19% of Americans said they hope celebrities don't talk about Donald Trump. Other topics Americans don't want to hear about are immigration (14%), the refugee situation (12%), and racial inequality (12%). Only 12% of Americans wouldn't mind hearing about political topics during the Oscars.

HALF OF AMERICANS THINK THIS YEAR'S NOMINEES ARE MORE DIVERSE THAN USUAL

Asked whether they think this year's Oscar-nominated films are more diverse than in previous years, 49% of Americans said yes. Another 18% said no, and 13% think the Oscars have always been diverse. 1 in 5 Americans aren't sure.

MEN AND WOMEN DON'T SEE EYE-TO-EYE ON OSCAR DIVERSITY

54% of men and 47% of women think this year's Oscar-nominated movies are more diverse than in years past—a 7% difference.

 

THE WANNA wants to hear from you!

Do you think Hollywood celebs at the Academy Awards should voice their political opinions?

 

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MUSLIM COMMUNITY RAISES THOUSANDS TO REPAIR VANDALIZED JEWISH CEMETERY

Robert Cohen/AP

Robert Cohen/AP

On Tuesday, Muslim American activists Linda Sarsour and Tarek El-Messidi launched an online fundraiser to help repair a Jewish cemetery that was vandalized this week in St. Louis, Missouri.  The LaunchGood fundraiser, “Muslims Unite to Repair Jewish Cemetery,” has raised over $80,000 within 24 hours, which is four times the projected goal of $20,000 by the end of March.  The fundraiser page promoted a message of unity: “Through this campaign, we hope to send a united message from the Jewish and Muslim communities that there is no place for this type of hate, desecration, and violence in America.  We pray that this restores a sense of security and peace to the Jewish-American community who has undoubtedly been shaken by this event.”

On Monday morning, St. Louis police responded to a report of the Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery being vandalized and found over 170 of the headstones destroyed.  Phillip Weiss, the owner of a monument company helping to fix the cemetery said, "A lot of people are coming out—they're just interested to see, 'Was their loved one's monument affected by this?'”

Police are currently investigating security footage from the cemetery, but have turned up nothing solid yet.

Robert Cohen/AP

Robert Cohen/AP

Recently, there have been bomb threats to various Jewish community centers throughout the U.S., for which Muslim Americans have offered aid.  One Muslim American civil rights organization, The Council on American-Islamic Relations, offered a $5,000 reward for any information to help find the people behind the false bomb threats.

The Muslim Americans’ support of the Jewish community is in direct opposition to Rick Santorum’s comments to CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Tuesday: "If you look at the fact, the people who are responsible for a lot of this anti-Semitism that we're seeing, I hate to say it, a lot of it is coming from the pro-Palestinian or Muslim communities."

 

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EVA LONGORIA, DOMINIC THIEM AND MORE FAMOUS FACES WILL SOAK UP THE SUN AT MEXICO TENNIS OPEN

XSPOSURE via Daily Mail

XSPOSURE via Daily Mail

The annual Albierto Mexicano Telcel, also known as the Mexican Tennis Open, will be held from February 27th to March 4th in Acapulco, Mexico at the Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial Hotel.

Several celebrities and tennis stars will make their way to Mexico to enjoy the tennis open in the warm weather.  Actress Eva Longoria will attend the event along with her husband Jose Baston, the President of Televisa, Latin America’s largest media company.  Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem (who claimed the Mexico Open title in 2016), and other tennis stars will also join the festivities.

This year players include: Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro, David Goffin, John Isner and Alexander Zverev.

Pedro Haces Sordo, President of the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office, announced: “We are excited to host such great tennis icons in what is to be a spectacular tournament in Acapulco.  We will be welcoming visitors from Mexico and from throughout the world who are coming to see many of the top international tennis stars play during the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.  After an action-packed day, the destination’s selection of top-notch hotels, pristine beaches and adventure and culinary experiences create the perfect setting to unwind.”

Ober Delgado

Ober Delgado

Acapulco is a huge tourist destination, and the number of tourists making their way to the seaport has risen in 2017.  The city, located on the Pacific coast of Mexico, is known as Mexico’s original beach destination.  Special events and activities throughout the year include: the tennis open, surfing, a French film festival, scuba diving, snorkeling and even cliff-diving performances.

Acapulco is also known for being a Hollywood celebrity hotspot.  Famous faces spotted throughout the city in the past include: Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, Madonna, John Travolta, Antonia Banderas, Salma Hayek, Melanie Griffith, and more.

Go here to find out how to watch the 2017 Albierto Mexicano Telcel live stream.

 

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THREE FORMER U.S. GYMNASTS ACCUSE LONGTIME DOCTOR OF SEXUAL ABUSE

Robert Killips/AP

Robert Killips/AP

On Sunday, three members of the U.S. women’s national gymnastics team, Jamie Dantzscher, Jeannette Antolin and Jessica Howard, accused Dr. Larry Nassar of sexual abuse on 60 Minutes.  The women alleged that starting in the 1990s when they were minors, Nassar, told them he needed to perform medical examinations on them “to improve their health and address their medical problems.”  They said as part of his exams, Nassar would insert ungloved fingers inside their private parts for long periods of time on several occasions.

Dantzscher told 60 Minutes, "He would put his fingers inside of me and move my leg around.  He would tell me I was going to feel a pop.  And that that would put my hips back and help my back pain."

Antolin said, “I remember being uncomfortable because of the area.  But in my mind, I was like, ‘If this helps, I’ll do anything.’  It was treatment.  You don’t complain about treatment.”

CBS News

CBS News

The three gymnasts are not the first to make allegations against Nassar.  Many others, including students from Michigan State University where Nassar served as a sports doctor, have accused him of abuse.  However, Nassar has not been charged for the MSU sexual abuse allegations yet.

Along with these accusations, Nassar has been charged with possessing child pornography.  In December 2016, FBI investigators found 37,000 child pornography images and videos at Nassar’s home, some which were found on hard drives he tried to get rid of in the garbage.  The FBI is also in possession of a GoPro video of Nassar apparently molesting young girls in a pool.

Nassar, who is licensed to practice osteopathic medicine in Michigan, served as the USA Gymnastics team doctor from 1996 to 2015 and at MSU from the 1990s to 2015.  Nassar pleaded not guilty to the child pornography charges.  Nassar also insists that the methods he used on the three U.S. gymnasts were the correct medical practice.

 

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SYRIAN REFUGEE, STAR OF OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT, TAKES A STAND TO PROMOTE PEACE!

ITN Productions

ITN Productions

A Syrian refugee, Hala Kamil, who’s family was featured in an Oscar-nominated short plans to attend the awards ceremony to spread a message about the Syrian refugees’ plight.  The short documentary film, “Watani: My Homeland,” follows Kamil and her four children as they escape from Aleppo after her husband, Abu Ali Slaibeh, was captured by Islamic State militants in 2013.  The film, directed by Marcel Mettelsiefen, documents the family’s journey to a Turkish refugee camp and later, Germany.

Kamil was originally unable to attend the Oscars ceremony due to Donald Trump’s travel ban, which is currently halted.  Upon hearing the news that she can now go, Kamil wrote a statement in response.   Kamil stated: “When I heard that I might have the opportunity of attending the Oscars to represent ‘Watani: My Homeland,’ I felt incredibly proud and happy but bittersweet.”  Kamil said she and her husband used to enjoy the Academy Awards together: “Abu Ali and I would stay up late every year to watch the Oscars live on television.  Sipping coffee together as we always did, we’d try to recall the names of all the famous actors and actresses as they graced the red carpet, in complete awe of this huge event.”

Kamil explained that she wants to use her time at the Oscars to help spread a message throughout the world about refugees, especially from Syria.  Kamil wrote:  “I want to tell the world about a small country called Syria, a country that has been burnt alive, its people torn up from the soil they once thrived on.  All this destruction and displacement needs the concerted effort of the whole world working together, to help these people back to their roots, the roots they hold so dear.  We need people to understand that we are not terrorists despite what the media and the politicians might say, all we are is human.”

You can read Kamil’s full statement here, and watch the moving trailer for “Watani: My Homeland” below.

A new film from director Marcel Mettelsiefen. The epic story of one family's escape from war torn Aleppo, and their attempt to make a new life in Germany.

 

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ASHTON KUTCHER SEEKS TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY

Getty Images

Getty Images

On Wednesday, Ashton Kutcher spoke in front of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee to seek funding for his anti-human trafficking organization, Thorn.  Thorn, which Kutcher co-founded, seeks to end the sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking of children through technology.  Kutcher told the committee, “Technology can be used to enable slavery, but technology can also be used to disable slavery.  Can we build the tools that are better than their tools to fight what is happening?”

Kutcher explained how law enforcement agencies are understaffed and unequipped to deal with the sheer number of trafficking cases, but Thorn’s software, “Spotlight” can shorten the amount of time it takes ”from three years to three weeks.”  Spotlight, he said, was able to locate 6,000 victims in just six months.  Kutcher said, “The technology we're building is efficient, nimble, enduring, and it only gets smarter with time.”  He continued, “It's taking the internet, which is largely anonymous, and making it far less anonymous.”

One committee member, Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, brought up Trump’s travel ban and how it might affect human trafficking victims: “Could they have come in under that ban?  When we say we are going to protect these victims, we must look for every possible way to accomplish this goal.”

Kutcher agreed that refugees are the most exposed to traffickers: “When people are left out and not supported and not given love they need to grow, it becomes an incubator for trafficking.”

Kutcher shared a horrific example of human trafficking to hammer the point home: “I've seen video content of a child that's the same age as mine, being raped by an American man who was a sex tourist in Cambodia.  This child was so conditioned by her environment that she thought she was engaging in play.”

Kutcher spoke about his “other day job” of being a father to two children, whom he has with wife Mila Kunis.  Kutcher said, “It is my effort to defend their right to pursue happiness and to assure a society and government that defends it as well.”

Watch Kutcher’s full hearing below, and be sure to check out Thorn’s website as well.

 

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ENRAGED METALLICA FANS TWEET OUT AGAINST THE "HORRIBLE" LIVE PERFORMANCE AT 2017 GRAMMYS

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

On Sunday, the 59th annual Grammy Awards ceremony aired live on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  Beyonce, Adele, and Bruno Mars all performed live.  The evening had several live mishaps including Adele who had a meltdown center stage and pleaded with the audience to let her start over during her tribute performance to the late great George Michael.  Yet, the real train wreck of the night was the collaboration between Metallica and Lady Gaga.  Metallica’s performance was eagerly awaited by fans after the band announced their appearance back in January, saying they had “something very unique and special planned.”

Gaga and Metallica performed Moth Into Flame together, but lead singer James Hetfield’s microphone did not work initially.  Hetfield could be seen mouthing the lyrics, but the audience could not hear his voice.  The audio mishap led Lady Gaga to share her mic with Hetfield, and the two worked hard to make-up for the mishap.  By the song’s second verse, Hetfield’s mic was back in working condition.

Afterwards, Hetfield appeared visibly upset by the audio mess-up and threw his guitar off the stage, where someone on the side managed to catch it.  Twitter user Troy Hughes caught the moment on camera:

Actress and LGBTQ activist, Laverne Cox added to the mayhem when she initially introduced the highly anticipated rock performance and just threw it to Lady Gaga leaving out any mention of Metallica on stage.  Earlier today, Cox tweeted an apology:

Fans were outraged with how Metallica’s Grammys performance played out.  Many took to Twitter to express their disdain at the technical issue and show their support of Metallica.  Fans anticipated how someone would be “getting fired,” and others insisted the Grammys should “get it together.”  THE WANNA has gathered the most entertaining reaction tweets below!

 

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CELEBS TWEET OUT ABOUT THE LATEST TRAVEL BAN RULING!

Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

On Thursday, a federal appeals court ruled against reinstating Donald Trump’s immigration ban.  The panel of three California-based judges refused to lift the block from a previous lower court ruling.  Trump’s executive order, signed in January, barred Syrian refugees and immigrants from the Muslim-majority countries of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S.

The federal appeals court ruling did not sit well with Trump, who tweeted in response:

On Friday, Trump announced the White House will come up with new security measures next week and continue trying to lift the court's block on his order.  At a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said, "We will be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country.  You will be seeing that sometime next week."

Hollywood celebrities took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the court’s decision and react to Trump’s response tweet.  THE WANNA has compiled a list of celeb tweets below.

Uzo Aduba

Stephen King

Trevor Noah

Stephen Colbert

Patton Oswalt

Chrissy Teigen

Cher

Seth Rogen

Josh Gad

Michael Moore

Debra Messing

 

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UNITED TALENT AGENCY CANCELS ANNUAL OSCARS PARTY TO PROTEST TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION BAN

REX/Shutterstock

REX/Shutterstock

On Wednesday, the United Talent Agency announced they canceled their annual Academy Awards party to protest Trump’s travel ban.  Instead, the UTA will donate $250,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union and the International Rescue Committee, as well as host a rally to support immigration.  The rally will take place on February 24th, two days before the Oscars, to “express the creative communities' growing concern with anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States.”  The UTA said the rally will aim to combat the “potential chilling effect on the global exchange of ideas and freedom of expression.”

UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer said in a letter to agency employees: “This is a moment that demands our generosity, awareness, and restlessness.  Our world is a better place for the free exchange of artists, ideas, and creative expression.  If our nation ceases to be the place where artists the world over can come to express themselves freely, then we cease, in my opinion, to be America.”

Trump’s travel ban affected the UTA personally since they represent Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, who is nominated this year in the Best Foreign Language Film category for “The Salesman.”  Farhadi has chosen to boycott the Oscars this year in protest of Trump’s order.  When contacted by the UTA about their decision, he responded with a text saying he was “honored and in tears.”

 

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TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN HINGES ON FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULING

AP

AP

On Wednesday, Donald Trump criticized the Federal Appeals Court judges who will decide whether to reinstate Trump’s executive order on immigration.  The three judges are Judge William Canby, Judge Richard Clifton and Judge Michelle Friedland, from the California-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trump spoke in front of the Major Cities Chiefs Association in Washington, D.C., and said of the Federal Appeals Court: “I don’t want to call a court biased, so I won’t call it biased.  Courts seem to be so political and it would be so great for our justice system if they could read a statement and do what’s right.”

Trump also read out a section of U.S. immigration law that he felt backed his immigration order, and insisted that the President has the authority to decide who enters the country.  Trump said that even “a bad high school student” could understand the immigration language and agree to reinstate his travel ban.  Trump continued, “I think it’s sad, I think it’s a sad day.  I think our security is at risk today.  And it will be at risk until such time that we are entitled and get what we are entitled to as citizens of this country.  We want security.”

Last Friday, Trump’s travel ban, which bars refugees from entering the U.S., and stops immigration from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen was halted by US District Judge James Robart.  Trump tweeted over the weekend in response to the ruling:

 

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BRITNEY SPEARS ASKS FANS TO PRAY FOR HER NIECE AFTER SERIOUS ATV ACCIDENT

Instagram @britneyspears

Instagram @britneyspears

On Monday, Britney Spears asked her fans to pray for her 8-year old niece, Maddie, who was recently hospitalized after a serious ATV accident.  Britney posted a photo of Maddie on Instagram with the caption: ‪"Need all the wishes and prayers for my niece."

‪Need all the wishes and prayers for my niece 💜‬

A photo posted by Britney Spears (@britneyspears) on

According to a police report, the incident occurred Sunday at 3 PM on Jamie Lynn Spears' family property in Louisiana.  Maddie, who is Jamie Lynn’s daughter, was riding an ATV when she steered into a pond and became submerged.  Jamie Lynn, her husband, Jamie Watson, and other family members witnessed the accident but were unable to release Maddie from the seatbelt which kept her pinned inside the vehicle.  Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards stated, “The ATV and child were instantly submerged in the water right before their eyes.”  After the family’s unsuccessful attempts to free Maddie, the ambulance arrived: "Within two minutes, Acadian Ambulance Services arrived and assisted in freeing the child from the cold waters."

Maddie is currently in stable but critical condition at a nearby hospital.

Thanksgiving ride...

A photo posted by Jamie (@jamiewatson985) on

Jamie Lynn’s father, Jamie Spears, spoke out on the incident: "All I can say is pray for our baby Maddie."

A rep for Britney released this statement: “Right now the Spears family asks that everyone respect their privacy during this time and appreciates all the prayers and support for their family.”

THE WANNA hopes for a speedy recovery for Maddie, and will keep the whole Spears family in our thoughts!

 

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THE TOP 5 MOST WATCHED SUPER BOWL 51 COMMERCIALS

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

On Sunday night, approximately 111 million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl LI, which was held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.  The New England Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 after a huge comeback from the Patriots, leading to Tom Brady becoming the first quarterback to win five Super Bowl titles.  Lady Gaga gave a halftime show performance that the internet loved, celebrities posted their festivities on Snapchat and Instagram, and the game set Twitter abuzz for most the night.

And this year, the Super Bowl brought viewers some of the best new commercials of 2017.  Each year, the Super Bowl is well known for premiering some of the most creative, entertaining and moving commercials.  Companies spend millions of dollars on their Super Bowl ads to make sure they are top-notch entertainment.  According to the New York Times, the average cost of a 30-second ad during this year’s Super Bowl LI was $5 million, up from $4.8 million a year ago.  On top of that, some companies are spending upwards of $12 million to advertise the commercials before the actual game, which shows just how big an impact the Super Bowl ads can be on viewers.

THE WANNA has gathered the TOP 5 of the most watched Super Bowl LI commercials below.  Enjoy!

Tide – Terry Bradshaw Stain

This creative ad mixed reality into its premise when Terry Bradshaw showed up on live television with a red stain on his white shirt.  The stain was a ploy to set up the Tide ad that came later, which followed Bradshaw’s hilarious journey to get his dirty shirt cleaned.  Bradshaw ends up in Jeffrey Tambor’s house, the star of the original three-part Tide commercial with Rob Gronkowski, and washes his shirt using new Tide PODS Plus Downey.

No stain deserves fame. Check out how Terry Bradshaw found a better clean with Jeffrey Tambor and new Tide PODS® Plus Downy.

Produced by: Saatchi & Saatchi

Starring: Terry Bradshaw, Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Gronkowski

YouTube views: 2,902,423

Wix.com – Big Game

Gal Gadot and Jason Statham lead an action-packed commercial for Wix.com which involved a chef working on a Wix.com website for his own food truck while the two action stars in his restaurant beat up a handful of bad guys and cause an explosion.  Later, they hijack his new food truck and continue wreaking havoc for the chef, who uses Wix.com to easily move his business forward anyway.

Get ready for action in our Big Game commercial featuring Jason Statham and Gal Gadot. When Felix, a business owner in a disruptive world, has to deal with Gal and Jason destroying his bistro, he keeps his cool. Why? Because with Wix, he knows he'll always stay stunning.

Already seen our Big Game spot featuring Gal Gadot and Jason Statham? Then don't miss out on part 2! Felix has a stunning food truck but when Gal and Jason reappear, he has to keep his cool. Watch now to see how all of the action unfolds.

Directed by: Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans)

Starring: Gal Gadot, Jason Statham

YouTube views: 4,419,549

84 Lumber – Complete the Journey

This moving commercial shows a mother and daughter’s migrant journey to become legal American citizens.  After the commercial aired, the 84 Lumber website reportedly crashed from all the visitor traffic.

The full, uncut 84 Lumber Super Bowl promotional film. See a mother and daughter's symbolic migrant journey towards becoming legal American citizens. Contains content deemed too controversial for the original ad and banned from broadcast. Learn more about opportunities with 84 Lumber at Journey84.com.

Directed by: Cole Webley

YouTube views: 3,143,775

Audi – Daughter

This Audi commercial involved a father’s narration about how he would have to tell his daughter that the men in her life are “worth more” than she is, despite her “drive” and “intelligence.”  The ad called attention to the gender wage gap with an ending title card that said: “Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work.”

Progress is in every decision we make, every technology we invent, every vehicle we build. It's our past, our future, our reason to exist. Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work. A 2016 report by the U.S.

Directed by: Aoife McArdle

YouTube views: 8,259,279

Budweiser – Born The Hard Way

In the 60-second ad, which cost about $10 million, Budweiser showed the journey the company’s founder, Adolphus Busch, faced while immigrating to America.  After his arrival on U.S. soil, Busch is greeted with jeers from people saying, “You’re not wanted here!  Go back home!”  After the commercial aired, Trump supporters called for a Budweiser boycott.  But Budweiser has clarified that the ad had nothing to do with Trump’s immigration ban: "Our focus this week is on our Super Bowl ads and our brands.  We created the Budweiser commercial to highlight the ambition of our founder, Adolphus Busch, and his unrelenting pursuit of the American dream.  This is a story about our heritage and the uncompromising commitment that goes into brewing our beer.  It's an idea we've been developing along with our creative agency for nearly a year."

This is the story of our founder's ambitious journey to America in pursuit of his dream: to brew the King of Beers. Subscribe to Budweiser: youtube.com/budweiser Connect with Budweiser: Facebook: facebook.com/BudweiserUSA Instagram: instagram.com/budweiser Twitter: twitter.com/budweiser

Directed by: Chris Sargent

Starring: Sam Schweikert

YouTube views: 21,346,900

 

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NORDSTROM DROPS IVANKA TRUMP'S BRAND AMID #GRABYOURWALLET BOYCOTT

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

On Thursday, Nordstrom officially dropped Ivanka Trump brand’s clothing and accessories from their stores and website.  Nordstrom said the reason for cutting ties with Trump was due to poor sales of the brand’s products.  Nordstrom released a statement: “We’ve said all along we make buying decisions based on performance.  We’ve got thousands of brands – more than 2,000 offered on the site alone.  Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business.  Each year we cut about 10 percent and refresh our assortment with about the same amount.  In this case, based on the brand’s performance we’ve decided not to buy it for this season.”

Nordstrom’s decision comes amid the #GrabYourWallet movement.  The movement, named after Donald Trump’s infamous “Grab them by the p***y” comment, encourages people to boycott businesses and brands that are affiliated with the Trump family.  The group, started by Shannon Coulter and Sue Atencio, published a website dedicated to the boycott.  The website’s “What We're About” section says: “#GrabYourWallet boycott has grown into a movement and central resource for the flexing of consumer power in favor of a more respectful and inclusive society.”

The website details which companies people should boycott and which companies have been dropped from the boycott after they stopped selling Trump products.  The companies that have since ended business with Trump products include: Uber, RueLaLa, Bellacor, Shoes.com, Jenny Craig and now, Nordstrom.

On Twitter, Nordstrom insisted it was “not a political decision”:

 

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BEYONCE AND JAY-Z'S BABY PIC BREAKS A WORLD RECORD ON INSTAGRAM!

Getty Images

Getty Images

On Wednesday, Beyonce announced via Instagram that she was expecting twins with husband Jay-Z.  Queen Bey’s Instagram photo, which shows the singer kneeling on a bed of flowers holding her pregnant belly, immediately blew up on social media.  Guinness World Records revealed that Beyonce, “shattered the world record for the ‘Most liked image on Instagram,’” quickly surpassing the previous record-holder, Selena Gomez.  Guinness World Records declared: “Queen Bey’s Instagram post racked up 6,335,571 likes as of 9:00 PM EST on Wednesday 1 February…The photo shook the Internet on Wednesday, amassing more than 5 million likes in 3 hours and took over Twitter as well, with ‘Twins’ becoming the top trend on the platform minutes after the photo went live.”

Along with her stunning, record-breaking Instagram photo, Beyonce released an entire pregnancy photo album.  The album can be found on Beyonce’s website, and is titled, “I Have Three Hearts.”

Beyonce’s pregnancy seems to have stirred up quite the excitement within Hollywood, and several celebrities posted on Twitter and Instagram about the baby news.  Some celebs expressed how they were glad Beyonce took their “mind off the shitty world for a minute,” or just how incredibly excited they are in ALL CAPS.  THE WANNA has some of the best celebrity reactions about Beyonce’s baby news below.  Enjoy!

Chrissy Teigen

Brie Larson

Millie Bobby Brown

Congratulations @beyonce I am so happy!!!! ☺️☺️☺️💜💜💜 #formation

A photo posted by Millie Bobby Brown (@milliebobby_brown) on

Ellen DeGeneres

Me too!

A photo posted by Ellen (@theellenshow) on

Gabourey Sidibe

Hailey Baldwin

Bryce Dallas Howard

Rita Ora

Best Coast

Issa Rae

Todrick Hall

 

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HOLLYWOOD CAN'T STOP TRUMP BUT SPRINGSTEEN, LAWRENCE AND MANY MORE CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE IMMIGRATION BAN!

Getty Images

Getty Images

Last week, Donald Trump signed an executive order, known as the “Muslim ban,” that barred refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.  Thousands of Americans have joined forces to protest the immigration ban since then, including a number of famous faces.  Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Lawrence, and Arnold Schwarzenegger are some of the celebrities who have spoken out or taken action against the ban.  THE WANNA has compiled a list of all the celebs who have made a stand against Trump’s immigration order below.

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen sent a strong political message at his recent concert in Adelaide, Australia.  On stage Springsteen addressed, “the Muslim ban and the detention of foreign Nationals and refugees.”  He continued: “America is a land of immigrants.  This is fundamentally un-American.  This is a song about immigrants.”  He then performed, “American Land,” to cheers from the crowd.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence shared a heartfelt message on Facebook, which took a jab at the Trump administration:

Kal Penn

After a bigoted Twitter user told Kal Penn, “You don’t belong in this country,” Penn created a crowd-funding campaign to aid Syrian refugees in response to the hater.  Penn’s crowdrise page is called, “Donating to Syrian refugees in the name of the dude who said I don’t belong in America.”  The page states: “We are better than the hateful people who tell us we don't belong in our own country, that America can't be a beacon of freedom and hope for refugees from around the world. We will turn their bigotry, along with the President's, into love.”  So far, the fundraiser has raised over $750,000.

Sia

Sia pledged to match up to $100,000 in donations to the American Civil Liberties Union the day after Trump signed the immigration order.  Sia tweeted:

This prompted other celebrities to follow suit, including Rosie O’Donnell and Judd Apatow, who vowed to join Sia in her donations pledge.

Bella and Gigi Hadid

The Hadid sisters, both of Muslim descent, joined others on the streets of New York to protest the Muslim ban.  The duo held a sign that said, “We are all Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Atheists, Christians, Jews,” highlighting the letters that spell out the word “humans.”  Other celebs to join the Muslim ban protests include Ellen Page and Chloe Grace Moretz.

#nobansnowalls

A video posted by @ellenpage on

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke out about Trump’s Muslim ban in an interview with Mario Lopez on Extra.  Schwarzenegger, who Trump recently mocked for his Celebrity Apprentice ratings on Twitter, discussed the way in which Trump went about creating the ban.  Schwarzenegger said, “I think the real problem is that it was vetted badly.  If they would run this by the Justice Department and Homeland Security and had the lawyers really study and focus on it and give it some time to do it the right way.”  He continued, “To go and ban people who have a green card, that means that the United States of America has given you permission to work here permanently and you are on the way to permanent citizenship.  I was in that position.  It’s crazy, it’s crazy and makes us look stupid when the White House is ill-prepared to put this kind of executive order out there.”

Check out THE WANNA’s latest post to see how celebs at the 2017 SAG Awards spoke out about Trump’s immigration ban.

 

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SAG WINNER, ACTOR MAHERSHALA ALI GIVES THE MOST MOVING AND GLOBAL MESSAGE OF THE NIGHT!

Dave McNary/Reuters

Dave McNary/Reuters

The 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards were held Sunday night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA.  The SAG Awards followed in the wake of President Trump’s Muslim ban and executive order to practice “extreme vetting” upon immigrants and refugees entering the United States.  Many SAG Award-nominated celebrities were outraged by Trump’s actions, which led to an emotional and politically-charged night in Hollywood.

Mahershala Ali, who won for his supporting role in Moonlight, gave a personal and emotional speech about being a Muslim during Trump’s immigration ban.  In his speech, Ali explained how the film Moonlight teaches acceptance of those who are different instead of persecution.  Ali said, “I hope that we do a better job of that,” to the sounds of cheers and applause from the audience.  Ali continued to say how each person is unique and that we must accept each other, rather than “go to war.”  Ali revealed that his mother, an ordained minister, was not thrilled when he converted to Islam.  Ali said, “We put things to the side, and I’m able to see her, she’s able to see me.  We love each other, the love has grown, and that stuff is minutiae.  It’s not that important.”  You can watch the rest of Ali’s moving speech below.

Several other celebrities came to the SAG Awards with Trump’s immigration ban in mind.  Kerry Washington and Simon Helberg both showed up on the red carpet with visual protests of the Muslim ban.  Other celebrities who took the stage during the SAG Awards, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures), and David Harbour (Stranger Things) used the opportunity to address Trump’s actions and share poignant messages of unity.  THE WANNA has gathered some of the most moving and politically-minded moments of the 2017 SAG Awards below for you to enjoy.

Simon Helberg Holds Protest Sign

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

 

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5 SERIOUS CHANGES TRUMP HAS ALREADY EXECUTED IN OFFICE...HOW WILL IT EFFECT YOU?

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

On Friday, January 20th, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States and a week later he has already made several executive orders and serious changes to Barack Obama’s administration.  Several changes will have serious effects on Americans into the future.  

Below are THE WANNA'S top five changes Trump executed his first week in office.  HOW WILL THEY EFFECT YOU? 

1. Trump Signs Executive Order to Defund International Planned Parenthood

The Monday after his Inauguration, Trump signed an executive order cutting federal funds from organizations that support abortion around the world.  The policy is known as the Mexico City Policy, or Global Gag Rule, and it will stop funds going to overseas organizations that perform abortions.  Trump signed the order keeping in tradition with every Republican President after Ronald Reagan who signed it.

This caused outrage among many, who say that now even more women and babies will die as a result of seeking unsafe abortions overseas.  Many people have reacted on Twitter to a photo of the signing that shows several “men making decisions about women’s bodies.”  Check out some of the tweets here.

2. Trump’s Mexican Border Wall

Throughout his campaign and after his Election, Trump has promised to build a wall along the length of the Southern U.S. border with Mexico.  Trump announced his plans to make Mexico pay for the building of the wall, but Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto refuses to acquiesce.  Tensions between the two leaders have grown as Nieto cancelled his planned meeting with Trump following Trump’s tweets directed at Nieto.

Now Trump has suggested a 20% import tax from Mexico and other trade countries, which means that Americans would actually pay for the wall’s construction.  The wall has been the source of much dispute and frustration among Americans.  Check out these tweets about how Americans have reacted to the wall plan so far.

3. Trump Suspends Mortgage Premium Rate Cut

The Trump administration halted a cut to the FHA insurance premium rate that Obama had announced in his final days as President.  The “mortgage-fee reduction” was meant to go into effect on January 27th, until Trump’s halt.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked Trump to reverse his suspension in his opening statement on the Senate floor: "What a terrible thing to do to American homeowners.  President Trump, with the flick of a pen, ended that new policy, making it harder for Americans of modest means to obtain their piece of the rock, the American dream – home ownership."

According to CNN Money, Trump’s suspension of the FHA cut could majorly affect the American housing market, and make it more difficult for those with “lower credit scores, or those who don't have the traditional 20% down payment in savings” in the future.

4. Trump Signs Two Executive Orders on Immigration

Trump signed two executive orders on Friday that will expand the military and enact “extreme vetting” of immigrants from "terror-plagued countries."  Limiting immigration was another huge campaign promise of Trump’s, and his actions aim to restrict all refugee and immigrant entry to the country.  The new order aims to, "keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America."  Trump also implemented a visa ban on people from Syria, and other Middle Eastern and African countries.

Trump’s stance on immigration has many Americans and people from other countries angry and scared.  Protests have erupted everywhere and human rights activists are in action.  Many people who want to come to the U.S. to live the “American Dream” are devastated and losing all hope.  One Washington-based non-profit organization, the National Iranian American Council, said, “Donald Trump is making good on the most shameful and discriminatory promises he made on the campaign trail.  He called for a Muslim ban and is now taking the first steps to implement one. This will not stand. The American people are better than this.”

5. Trump Attacks Celebrities

As The WANNA has discussed in previous posts such as "Celebs Speak Out," many Hollywood celebrities have protested against Trump’s Presidency.  Below are some of the celebs Trump has attacked during his time as President Elect.

During his first week in office Trump called Madonna “disgusting,” following her controversial Women’s March speech, and said her words were “disgraceful to our country.”

Trump has called out Alec Baldwin for his SNL portrayal on Twitter:

Trump attacked the entire cast of Hamilton after they addressed Mike Pence directly at a performance.  He tweeted that they were “rude” and should “Apologize!”

More recently, Trump called out Arnold Schwarzenneger on Twitter for his low Celebrity Apprentice ratings and for supporting Hillary Clinton:

 

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THE "IT" GIRLS OF SUNDANCE 2017!

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

While President Trump is settling into the White House and overturning Obamacare, the 2017 Sundance Film Festival is in full swing in Park City, Utah!

This season, many feared the reports earlier in the year on the shortage of snow might affect the festival turnout.  Yet, despite the snow reports, the turnout was OTT and showed no shortage of Hollywood "it" girls frolicking around town!  In fact, several quintessential "it" girls were spotted on the red carpet promoting their upcoming films.  Ya know that quintessential Sundance "it" girl...She's that indie actress that everyone is talking about.

In the middle of a blizzard, she manages to arrive at her scheduled screening fashionably late, just in time for a few pictures posing with her hair perfectly messy, snow-kissed skin all a glow and an entourage of directors and writers in tow! 

This year at Sundance the "it" girls were in full force!  Ms. Rooney Mara (Ghost Story), Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West), Elizabeth Olsen (Ingrid Goes West, Wind River), Riley Keough (The Discovery), Zoey Deutch (Rebel in the Rye, Before I Fall), and Jenny Slate (Landline) all made the list!  

Getty Images

Getty Images

C Flanigan/Getty Images

C Flanigan/Getty Images

Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune

Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune

In 2014, Rooney attended the festival to support her boyfriend, Charlie McDowell’s directorial debut film, "The One I Love."  THE WANNA was there to capture all the action.  You can watch our interview with Charlie and the cast HERE.

In 2014, Elizabeth Olsen attended the festival alongside her now ex-boyfriend Boyd Holbrook.  This season, Olsen hit the slopes solo and promoted two films that premiered at Sundance this season including:  "Ingrid Goes West," directed by Matt Spicer and "Wind River," directed by Taylor Sheridan.  

You can catch Olsen and the cast of Wind River’s red carpet interview here.

Olsen's co-star in "Ingrid Goes West" is the Indie darling, Aubrey Plaza!  Plaza is Hollywood's next leading lady!  The edgy and talented actress attended the festival in 2014 to promote and star in her boyfriend’s latest film, "Life After Beth."  The couple shared some tips on how to date and successfully work together...watch our coverage HERE!

Speaking of Sundance "it" girls, in 2012, "Fifty Shades of Grey" star, Dakota Johnson was a complete unknown and the new girl on the scene.  Watch this interview with THE WANNA host, Gina Glickman Giordan and a very shy Johnson who was promoting the indie film, "Goats," directed by Christopher Neil and co-starring David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga.  

Be sure to WATCH our Sundance series:  “Shit Celebs Say" starring more Sundance "it" girls including:  Kristen Wiig, Kate Bosworth, Lake Bell, Anna Lynne McCord, Amy Poehler and more!  

Teaser for In the Mixx's Sundance 2013 coverage featuring Steve Carell, Amanda Seyfried, Amy Poehler, Jessica Alba and many more!

 

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