As it stands, the world is facing a hardship that is hasn't faced in just over a century: a pandemic that is forcing people to stay home as opposed to living normally. The Coronavirus is ravaging countries throughout the globe, including the United States which is quickly approaching 500,000 confirmed cases. Numerous people are dying at alarming rates and our way of life has been completely shut down. One of the things that have been taken from us over the past month, is sports.
None of the big sports leagues are operating right now and it has certainly put a damper on a lot of people's moods. In the NBA, some of the players have been trying to pass the time by practicing while others look more towards philanthropic efforts. Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is making sure he gives nurses their credit during this hard time. In fact, he recently surprised a group of Oakland nurses with a FaceTime call.
The nurse holding the phone seemed to have had a prior conversation with Curry about what she and her colleagues have been going through. Curry told all of the staff that he is extremely appreciative of their efforts and that he hopes to help in any way possible. He even noted that while sports are fun, they aren't as important as those working on the frontlines to keep us healthy.
Curry is certainly maintaining his status as the resident good guy of the NBA.
Coronavirus Survives 17 Days On Cruise Ship After Passengers Left
Coronavirus RNA was found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship 17 days after passengers departed the vessel following a two-week quarantine.
The CDC reports that coronavirus RNA, the genetic material of the virus that causes COVID-19, survived for 17 days on surfaces of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, after passengers had already left. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the study on Monday, after examining the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan and the Grand Princess cruise ship docked at the Port of Oakland in California. Both ships had been quarantined prior to docking, after folks on board each ship had tested positive for COVID-19. According to the study, coronavirus RNA was found on multiple surfaces in the Diamond Princess cabins up to 17 days after passengers had vacated the ship, but before the disinfection process had commenced.
However, it was determined that transmission largely occurred between passengers prior to quarantine, and researchers could not determine if initial transmission occurred from these contaminated surfaces. As for crew members, they were mostly infected during or after quarantine. The Diamond Princess was previously reported as the site with the most cases of coronavirus outside of China. 621 people had tested positive for COVID-19, with two passengers—an 87-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman—dying from the virus. On the Grand Princess, 21 people had tested positive for coronavirus, including 19 crew members and 2 passengers. The vessel had 2,400 passengers on board.
“The results provide key information about the stability of [the virus] and suggests that people may acquire the virus through the air and after touching contaminated objects,” the National Institute of Health said in a press release. It had previously been found in a study by the New England Journal of Medicine that coronavirus can survive for 3 hours in aerosols (liquid droplets in the air, from coughs or sneezes), 4 hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard, and 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel. To prevent contracting coronavirus from one’s fingertips, the CDC recommends washing one’s hands for at least 20 seconds each time, and to avoid touching one’s face.
Steph & Ayesha Curry Help Feed Oakland Kids Amid School Closures
Steph and Ayesha Curry are working with a few organizations to help feed children in the Oakland community amid school closures as a result of coronavirus.
Steph and Ayesha Curry are making sure that the children in the Oakland area don’t have to go hungry amid the nation-wide school closures due to the threat of coronavirus. As COVID-19, aka the novel coronavirus, continues to spread through the United States, many school districts across the country have made the decision to cancel school for the rest of March in order to contain the virus and prevent further spreading. While this move may serve to protect the health and safety of the country, many children rely on their schools to provide them with their 1-2 meals a day. With schools closing, many are concerned that kids may end up going hungry.
Kimberly White/Getty Images for Eat. Learn. Play.
Steph and Ayesha Curry have recognized that possibility, and have decided to take action. Their foundation “Eat. Learn. Play.” has teamed up with the Alameda County Community Food Bank and Feeding America to ensure that children in the Oakland community are fed. The Currys each shared a video of themselves explaining how they’re doing their part and encouraging others to get involved so that kids don’t have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.
“Oakland just announced they’re closing schools until April because of the COVID-19 crisis,” Steph wrote on his post. “While we support this decision, we’re concerned about what this means for childhood hunger in our hometown. More than 18,000 students in Oakland rely on their school for 2+ meals each day and our foundation @eatlearnplay is making a donation to @accfb and @feedingamerica to help ensure no child has to worry about where their next meal is coming from while schools are closed. Please join us by donating to @ACCFB or a food bank near you.” Big ups to the Currys for looking out for the kids!
Kamaiyah Explains Firing Off Accidental Shot In Movie Theater
Kamaiyah was arrested in September 2019 over the incident, but she explained to Sway Calloway that it wasn’t as terrible as it was made to be.
It was a reunion of sorts on Sway in the Morning after Oakland natives Kamaiyah and Sway Calloway reminisced on their days in the Bay Area. After Kamaiyah talked about raking in the dough as a teen while shooting dice on the block, Sway asked the Got It Made rapper about the September 2019 incident that left her behind bars. There were reports that Kamaiyah discharged a firearm in a movie theater, but she cleared the air once and for all.
Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images
Kamaiyah said that the media made things out to be more than they were. “They took that the wrong way,” she told Sway. “People will see me, they see my philanthropy and all the stuff, and the moment that a situation like that happen they make it seem like I’m not the same person that was just out her donating money to the Boys and Girls Club.”
As a public figure, Kamaiyah said he has to protect herself so she legally obtained a firearm. “What happened was, somebody had my gun and brung it back to me and the safety wasn’t on,” she said. She and her friends were inside her apartment building’s private screening room at the time. The group was enjoying an episode of Power when Kamaiyah decided to check the gun’s safety. Unexpectedly, Kamiayh said the gun went off. The security cameras caught everything.
“That’s all that happened,” the rapper added. “They made it seem like I walked in the movie theater, watching a movie, and shot the motherf*cker. C’mon man. What kind of sense does that even make?” Watch Kamaiyah’s interview with Sway in the Morning below.
Raptors’ Masai Ujiri Sued By Oakland Police Officer Over Alleged Assault
Police officer launches lawsuit against Ujiri stemming from NBA Finals altercation.
Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri has reportedly been sued by an Oakland police officer, who claims that Ujiri assaulted him following Toronto's NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors. According to The Toronto Star, sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland alleges that Ujiri struck him in the face and chest at Oracle Arena on June 13, 2019, after Strickland demanded to see Ujiri's on-court access credentials.
According to the report, the lawsuit states that Ujiri's alleged actions were "foreseeable" based on "previous altercations involving similar circumstances." In addition to Ujiri, the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and the NBA were named in the suit for failing to warn the plaintiff of Ujiri's "violent predisposition" and "propensity for physical violence prior to his assault on Strickland."
Per The Toronto Star:
"The suit, which seeks medical expenses, lost wages and other damages, also accuses the defendants of failing to "provide adequate safety and security to the public" and "failing to post signs warning of danger, including the danger of Masai Ujiri."
Back in October, prosecutors in California announced that no official charges would be filed again Masai, but it appears Strickland is determined to get some money out of the whole ordeal. Check out footage from the incident in question below.
Too $hort & Tom Hanks Appear On Oakland Mural Side-By-Side
Too $hort & Tom Hanks make an unlikely duo appearing side-by-side on a mural representing different types of Oakland legends.
What started out as an excuse for artists Pierre BellaFonté, Charles Meck, and Uter Charles to get outside and paint turned into a commentary on the dichotomy of the types of legends that hail from the city of Oakland. Painted with oil enamel, a 100-foot mural, which appears on a brick wall at the corner of San Pablo and Castro Street near the Oakland Greyhound station, depicts rapper Too $hort and actor Tom Hanks, two well-known Oakland legends.
“Oakland breeds influencers and people should be proud to be here. It’s important to pay attention to our backyard—we have epic stuff going on,” BellaFonté expressed. While Too $hort moved to the Oakland area in the 80s and attended Fremont High School where he played drums in the marching band, Tom Hanks attended Skyline High School and later studied theatre at Chabot College in Hayward. Despite sharing similar roots, $hort and Hanks have very little else in common, having embarked on very different career paths. The mural, then, in some sense serves to represent “a juxtaposition of Bay Area culture”—a result that the artists did not anticipate, but are wholeheartedly embracing. “[People] like that they’re opposites, two different cultures of Oakland,” said Meck.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
“I think it’s a fresh take on representing Oakland,” said BellaFonté. “We’re out painting every night, and this is a nice opportunity for us to do a mural that people are respecting. Graffiti in essence represents a city’s culture, and people forget what it’s about when they try to take it away.” Surrounding the depiction of Hanks’ likeness are visual references to his most iconic films: Wilson, the volleyball from “Castaway,” the keys of a piano for “Big,” a pixelated cursor in homage to “You’ve Got Mail,” kites flying in the air for “Saving Mr. Banks,” and black-and-white cow print bordered by a lasso and cowboy boot for Woody from “Toy Story.” The tissues, a detail with less obvious connotations, are “Hank”-erchiefs.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIDAL
As for $hort, an image of Thomas the Train and a trophy bearing the title “Player” appear on the mural in honour of his iconic hits “Blow the Whistle” and “I’m A Player.” The earlier years of his career, in which he sold mixtapes out of his car, are depicted through the massive boombox surrounded by cassette tapes. “In a way, they represent us,” said BellaFonté. “Some of us, some of our friends get down sometimes on working four jobs. It’s tough living in Oakland. These pieces remind us Oakland is epic, it’s fun and to make the best of things.” The artists plan to finish the mural by Sunday or Monday, and though the city did not commission the piece, officials don’t seem to mind it. “We are lucky to have so many murals that reveal Oakland’s creative spirit,” said Roberto Badoya, Oakland’s cultural affairs manager. “We don’t oversee all public murals that enrich our city. This mural celebrates two Oaklanders that embody that creative spirit.”
HBO’s "We Are The Dream" Trailer Will Bring You To Tears
HBO’s “We Are The Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical” documentary trailer will leave you in shambles.
While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s national holiday commemorating his life and legacy is officially behind us, HBO’s upcoming We Are The Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical documentary will follow the youth of Oakland as they prepare to compete in the city’s annual Martin Luther King Oratorical Festival.
This particular competition features hundreds of children ranging in grades from pre-kindergarten through the twelveth grade that get to publicly perform a mixture of published and original poetry and speeches. The children are encouraged to reflect on the topics that matter to them the most, ranging from topics including cultural commentary/acceptance, political activism, social justice, environmentalism, and more.
HBO’s We Are The Dream, directed by Amy Schatz and executive produced by Mahershala Ali, will follow the journey of a multitude of beautiful, blossoming souls as they prepare for the 2019 40th Annual Martin Luther King Oratorical Festival.
The trailer alone draws its viewers in as the courageous youths participate in what many adults refuse to engage in, public speech. These brave students, from all different walks of life, are continuing the legacy of the coveted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who used his oratorical skill set to bring the world together.
In a statement released by HBO, the network praised the filmmakers’ journeys alongside an amazing group of emboldened and empowered children stating,
“It is a portrait of passionate young people raising their voices about issues they care about – social justice, immigration and more – and of a community that celebrates them.”
While this past Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was filled with surprises from White House counselors and the FBI, we’re sure this executive-produced worked by Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali will do the Reverand and the youth of Oakland, CA justice.
Check out the full-length trailer for HBO’s upcoming documentary, We Are The Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical in the video provided below. And also be on the lookout for the film to premiere on HBO February 18 at 7:00 P.M. EST.