From the White House to Hollywood, check-out the latest news, trends and upcoming events. No images? Click here My Isolation Diary By Emily Vogel (Source: Giphy) Dear Diary, Gossip Girl here. Just kidding – it’s still me, Emily, your one and only source into the minds of Hollywood's most bad-ass women. I’ve traded in my Fendi for flaming hot Cheetos and my swimsuit for sweatpants because who has time for summer when HBO Max is reviving early 2000s content faster than an Urban Outfitters. After the mass exodus from NYC during COVID, it seems that the streaming company is now single handedly responsible for restoring all cultural appeal to Matthew Broderick's hometown. The campaign kicked-off in May with“Friends: The Reunion,” where audiences all over middle America were reunited with their favorite friend group east of the Mississippi, giving hope to every ‘Rachel’ who is still looking for her ‘Ross.’ But the subway doesn’t stop there… Last week HBO Max entered phase 2 of "Operation: Make NYC Cool Again" with the season premiere of "Gossip Girl." This tactical maneuver was targeted to all millennials who are still trying to make headbands "a thing" again. However, despite the new cast, the voice of Kristen Bell and familiar themes of betrayal were still a friendly reminder that the city remains full of glamour and Manhattan’s elite are not giving up their Park Avenue penthouses post-pandemic. But what’s New York City without ‘Samantha Jones?’ I guess it’s just called the “Sex & The City” reboot. Yes, HBO Max is also heading up this new series because I guess someone has to convince the next generation that in NYC not only can you afford a closet of Jimmy Choos on a writer’s salary, but you'll also befriend powerful women who become lifelong best friends (unless your names are Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall). Click here to check-out the first official photos of the show that dropped last week. Carrie Bradshaw voice: As I sit here and write, I can't help but think... is HBO Max producing great content, or is it all an elaborate scheme to revive the greatest city on earth?. Mj Rodriguez is First Trans Woman to Be Nominated for Lead Acting Emmy(Source: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images) Mj Rodriguez made history at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the first trans actress to be nominated for a lead acting performance. Rodriguez scored the nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Blanca on the FX drama “Pose.” “Pose,” which is about New York’s ballroom scene amid the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and early ’90s, just wrapped its third and final season. In her role as Blanca, Rodriguez captivated audiences as her character took in kids and created the House of Evangelista. Mj Rodriguez joins a cast of other accomplished lead actress nominees, including three-time Emmy winner Uzo Aduba (“In Treatment”), Oscar winner Olivia Coleman (“The Crown"), Emma Corrin (“The Crown”), previous category winner Elizabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) and Jurnee Smollett (“Lovecraft Country”). From McDonald's to the Olympics: How Jumper Quanesha Burks Made Her Way to Team USA(Source: @strongbelieverQ ) Before Quanesha Burks was a full-time professional long jumper, her only previous job experience was working at the McDonald’s in Hartselle, Alabama, as a 17-year-old. The town of 14,000 people was also where she and her siblings were raised by her grandparents. Quanesha remembers the early years as a struggle, watching her family live paycheck to paycheck. Her days would start at 4:30 a.m. taking her grandmother to work at the local nursing home, which was 30 minutes away from their house. Upon returning, she’d wake up her sisters and get them ready for school before dropping them off and then attending her own classes. After school, it would be practice and then work. Quanesha didn’t quit her job until she graduated high school with her 11 state titles. At the University of Alabama, she became the first in her family to attend college and went on to have a successful career. However, the past few years as a professional have not been easy for Burks, dealing with loss and injury. “It felt like all the odds were against me,” Burks says. I was facing so much, but I kept going back to when I worked at McDonald’s. I had my goals set and I knew I could do it.” Up next, Quanesha will represent team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. “It’s been a journey and it all started with a little girl working at McDonald’s and here I am.” Meet Sirisha Bandla: India-Born Woman Who Flew to Space on Virgin Galactic(Source: BBC) Sirisha Bandla, vice president of government affairs and research operations at Virgin Galactic (SPCE), soared into the sky over New Mexico early Sunday along with Sir Richard Branson. Sirsha is only the second woman born in India to go to space after Kalpana Chawla who died when the Columbia Space Shuttle crashed at re-entry in 2003. Soon after the rocket's return, Indians started sending her congratulatory messages on social media. India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu tweeted that "her achievement will motivate many more young girls in India and abroad to take up challenging careers." Indian billionaire businessman Anand Mahindra took to Twitter as well,"Indian women are not just breaking glass ceilings - they're literally dismantling ALL ceilings on this planet and rocketing into space," he wrote. Sunday's trip makes the UK entrepreneur the first of the new space tourism pioneers to try out their own vehicles, beating Amazon's Jeff Bezos and SpaceX's Elon Musk. 1st African American To Win The Scripts National Spelling Bee Also Holds 3 Basketball World Records (Source: John Raoux/AP) On July 9, Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the Bee’s first African American champion in its 96-year history. "It made me feel really proud," she said after clinching the victory. "I'm really hoping lots of little brown girls all over the world and stuff are really motivated to try out spelling and stuff because it's really a fun thing to do and it's a great way to kind of connect yourself with education, which is super important." Zalia spelled “murraya” correctly to win the competition, after conquering words such as “retene,” “ancistroid” and “depreter” over multiple rounds. First Lady Jill Biden, herself an educator, was there to witness the drama. National spelling champ isn't the only title to Zalia's name. She also holds three Guinness World Records for her basketball talents: the most bounce juggles in one minute with four basketballs, the most basketball bounces in 30 seconds with four basketballs, and ties the record for most basketballs dribbled at once — six — by one person. Ukrainian Army's Decision to Make Female Soldiers March in High Heels Sparks Backlash(Source: Getty) Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has defended its decision to train female soldiers to march in high heels, following an outcry from local lawmakers. Women from the Ukrainian armed forces will march in a parade to mark the 30th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union on August 24. They have been training twice a day to master the steps and are progressing well, Major Eugene Balabushka told Army Inform. Balabushka confirmed the plan to wear high heels during the parade. However, the decision to march in high heels angered a number of lawmakers after local media picked up images published by the defense ministry. The officials called on the ministry to replace the high-heeled shoes, appoint a gender adviser and carry out a survey of women in the security and defense sector to find out how they feel about working conditions, including their uniforms. The ministry now says it will still require heels, but will give female soldiers “more comfortable” and safer heels that will have lacing to hold the shoes in place. BFFs 4 Lyfe WrapWomen is a power base of influential women of entertainment, media, technology and brands committed to changing the face of their industries. Sure to stay up-to-date on all things WrapWomen at www.wrapwomen.com. Join the conversation on social media! Follow us on Instagram for surprise guest takeovers and Insta live performances. |