By Rebecca Cukier

Ariana Grande is still followed by Starbucks, but the “thank u, next” singer today unfollowed the coffee giant. Ariana, 26, is currently climbing up Twitter trends for her decision to shade the Seattle-based chain amid the brand’s controversial decision to ban employees from wearing Black Lives Matter clothing – a policy that’s since been reversed. Starbucks is now making headlines for a “backtrack” after it ruled out employees “[violating]” the company’s dress code policy by toting #BLM attire. The pop princess, followed by 190 million, herself once updated in Starbucks’ green apron as she promoted the Cloud Macchiato. The vibe appears to have changed.ADVERTISEMENT

Literally, ‘Thank U, Next’

Ariana unfollowed Starbucks on Tuesday morning. She also took to her Instagram stories to promote other, and lesser-known coffee brands, posting an iced beverage from Nimbus Coffee, a wizard-themed coffee outlet in L.A. “mmmmmmmm @nimbus_coffee_la ⚡,” she wrote, then posting a beverage from Undergrind Cafe. Starbucks’ initial policies ruled out employees from wearing Black Lives Matter clothing or accessories while working. A bulletin had stated that employees were “not permitted to wear buttons or pins that advocate a political, religious or personal issue.”

Starbucks Quickly Backtracks After Backlash

Social media did not respond well to the policy, with June 12 seeing the company reverse its policy in a tweet reading: “Black Lives Matter. We continue to listen to our partners and communities and their desire to stand for justice together. The Starbucks Black Partner Network co-designed t-shirts with this graphic that will soon be sent to 250,000+ store partners.” A statement also issued by the brand behind the Frappuccino addressed the movement revived after the May 25 death of black man George Floyd.

The ‘Bucks Backs Down

The statement read: “These are alarming, uncertain times, and people everywhere are hurting. You’ve told us you need to express yourself at work, asking: ‘Do you understand how I feel? Do you understand the black community is in pain?’” continuing: “We see you. We hear you. Black lives matter. That is a fact and will never change.” Ariana, whose Starbucks cup fills her Instagram feed, has also jokingly ordering a “Grande” during her “Carpool Karaoke” Starbucks stop with James Corden in 2019. She also fronted the brand more officially last year.

Fronted The Cloud Macchiato

Gettyimages | Raymond Hall

2019 brought the former “Victorious” star in a popular Instagram post as she posed in the iconic green apron and snuggling a dog while holding the Cloud Macchiato beverage. The star’s last name is, of course, the Grande medium-sized drink, with the cloud being both a tattoo the singer has, plus her perfume. As to Starbucks, which has faced boycott threats over its controversy, it’s now allowing employees to “wear Black Lives Matter t-shirts, pins, and name tags.” Ariana largely sees herself backed by fans on Twitter.

https://theblast.com/133843/ariana-grande-unfollows-starbucks-on-instagram-after-coffee-chai

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BY MICHELE MENDEZ

During Pride Month, members of the LGBTQ+ community often share their personal journeys to understanding their sexual orientation or their gender identities. If they’re comfortable, some even use the opportunity to come out to friends and family. Like Tana Mongeau, who came out as pansexual to her 5 million Instagram followers in her Pride Month post.

“I never thought I’d be brave enough to publicly share my sexuality in the way I do now.. I still struggle with it- I hate the boxes, I hate people telling me i’m straight or discrediting my relationship if i’m with a girl,” Mongeau began her June 15 Instagram post. “But I’m proud to be not only a member but an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

The 21-year old YouTube star then explained how she’s attracted to all genders. While the technical term for someone who is attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender identity is pansexual, Mongeau says she’s not worried about labeling her sexuality at all.

“I’m proud to say i will live my life based on loving people not for their gender but their soul. Some people call that pansexuality, everyone calls me bi, I personally don’t find a need to label it all.. love and sexuality is gender less to me & I’m so lucky to have this platform to speak openly about that,” she continued.

While Mongeau has only now opened up about her sexual orientation, she has been very public about her previous relationships with both men and women through the years. After dating actress Bella Thorne from September 2017 to February 2019, she began seeing fellow YouTuber Jake Paul, whom she tied the knot with in Las Vegas (although the stars confirmed the ceremony was not legally binding).

Currently, fans think Mongeau is dating Noah Cyrus. In her coming out post, she even included a picture with the singer, but Mongeau didn’t confirm whether they’re really together or just friends.

Take a look at Mongeau’s Instagram post below.

Mongeau ended her statement with a sweet message directed to all her LGBTQ+ fans: “I LOVE ALL OF U LGBTQIA BABIES, EXACTLY WHO YOU FEEL LIKE INSIDE IS EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE MEANT TO BE ?️‍??.”

MATTHEW MEADOW

We live in a society where the slightest hint from an artist on social media could signal something bigger. Extrapolations have been made from artists following each other, leaving a comment or a like, showing up in the studio on an IG story (which is actually a bit more than “slight”), and more. One of the most damning indications of something new happening has been when an artist wipes their Instagram, a carefully curated collection of images and videos that tell a story of an artist. When such a thing is wiped, it usually signals a rebrand or something new happening.

Skrillex just wiped his Instagram of all but two pieces of content. The oldest is a December 2019 post where he’s playing live and accidentally kills the mixer; the second is a more recent post that was shared a day before #BlackOutTuesday, a clip of a song with Ty Dolla $ign, Ant Clemons, Virtual Riot, and actress/activist Nia Miranda speaking about police brutality.

According to a post on r/skrillex, he’d actually removed all but six of his posts as recent as this past Saturday. A newer post in the Reddit community alerted us that he’d taken it a step further, though exactly when isn’t particularly clear.

This is definitely an indication of something coming, but we can’t know what it will be. And longtime Skrillex fans know to keep their expectations in check, because we never know what he’s got in store.

So keep an eye on his socials to be the first to learn what he’s planning.

https://www.youredm.com/2020/06/16/skrillex-wipes-nearly-all-instagram-posts-sparking-new-music-rumors/

Stephanie Mlot

Instagram has become a popular platform for the Black Live Matter movement, with supporters using the social network to demand justice, express solidarity, support businesses, amplify voices, and raise awareness. But while a revolution rages on the surface, Instagram is reconciling how it treats equality at the core.

“In the last few weeks, we’ve seen an incredible movement happening around the world. As these important conversations have come to our platform, we’ve seen communities on Instagram mobilizing,” CEO Adam Mosseri wrote in a blog post.

“At the same time, we’re also hearing concern about whether we suppress Black voices and whether our products and policies treat everyone equally,” he continued, highlighting the irony that “we’re a platform that stands for elevating Black voices, but at the same time Black people are often harassed, afraid of being ‘shadowbanned’ and disagree with many content takedowns.”

For years, users have complained of stealth banning—the act of blocking someone and/or their content in such a way that they don’t realize it’s happening. Instagram promised more information “soon” about the types of posts it avoids recommending. The company, which has previously taken steps to curb online bullying and bolster mental health, is turning its focus toward underrepresented groups at and on Instagram.

“We need to better support the Black community within our own organization, as well as on our platform,” according to Mosseri, who outlined four key elements for change:

1. Harassment: Address safety inequalities on and off the site and fill gaps in products and policies
2. Account verification: Adjust current criteria to ensure inclusivity
3. Distribution: Review how content is filtered on Explore and Hashtag pages
4. Algorithmic bias: Investigate how internal technology enforces inequality

“This work is going to take some time, but we’re going to provide updates over the next few months—both about what we learn and what we address,” Mosseri said. “These efforts won’t stop with the disparities people may experience solely on the basis of race; we’re also going to look at how we can better serve other underrepresented groups that use our product,” including the LGBTQ+ community and body positivity activists.

By LEE WEI LIN

BROUGHT TO YOU BY 8 DAYS
This is definitely not how you should be sliding into someone’s DMs.

It’s not uncommon these days to have complete strangers slide into your DMs, but what should you do when they start sending you unsolicited lewd messages?

The latest celeb to come forward with her experience with thirsty fans is Julie Tan. Over the weekend, the actress shared a screenshot of her conversation with a stranger, who started off the conversation with a not-so-subtle “Can I lick your * everyday and born babies (sic)”. Julie then responded with “Who gave you the rights to talk to me like that. (sic).”

1 of 2Gross
Instead of backing off, the stranger went on to say that Julie was “too gorgeous for [him] and asked her if she could let us marry and born babies (sic)”. He later wrote in Chinese: “I didn’t mean it. Please forgive me. I live near Singapore and I enjoy visiting [your country]. I don’t even need to take a plane, and I can go [to Singapore] by car. You were a child actress, right?”

Julie didn’t respond and instead, posted a screen cap of the conversation on her IG Stories on June 13. “Here’s the dilemma,” she wrote. “Instead of understanding the discomfort it gives to women, it actually encourages him because he now has an ongoing conversation with me. But if I ignore him, he will continue to think that there are no consequences.”

2 of 2You go girl
She soon posted a screenshot of his profile, writing: Mothers how would you feel knowing your son wrote this. Fathers, would you be okay with someone sending this to your daughter? Would you be okay knowing this is how your friend or colleague spends their free time?

When contacted by 8days.sg, Julie declined to comment on her post.

For those who think that this is a good idea, here’s a tip: just because the internet provides a cloak of anonymity, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get away with harassment of any sort online.

Under the Protection From Harassment Act, intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress is a crime and those found guilty can be subjected to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both.

https://www.todayonline.com/8days/sceneandheard/celebrities/julie-tan-names-and-shames-netizen-who-sent-her-lewd-instagram-dms

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Chelsea Stewart 

Kourtney Kardashian always slays.

She is known for her street looks and casual outfits, but she also knows how to switch things up all while remaining true to her original sense of style. The Poosh founder can truly rock anything and turn the most basic items into an outfit, from plain white tees and pajamas to — most recently — a flannel that fans say belongs to Scott Disick.

That’s right — let’s discuss more here.

Kourtney Kardashian wore the shirt in a recent Instagram photo

Kardashian took to Instagram on June 14 and shared a photo of her hugging a lamb while sporting the flannel. The same day, a fan page posted the picture alongside a photo of Disick in a similar shirt. The caption read, “KOURTNEY IS REALLY WEARING SCOTT’S FLANNEL!”

Fans commented on the similarities in the comment section, with one person writing: “When I saw that shirt, I raised an eyebrow.” Someone else seemed a bit skeptical, though, saying, “I hope that’s his flannel.”

As of writing, neither Kardashian or Disick has addressed the speculation.

More on Kourtney Kardashian’s photo

According to Us Weekly, the photo was taken in Wyoming, where Kardashian is reportedly vacationing with Disick, their three kids, and the rest of their family.

“They’re all having a fun time doing family activities like swimming, etc,” an insider told the outlet.

The trip comes just weeks after Disick joined Kardashian and their kids for a vacation to Utah for Memorial Day weekend. The Utah getaway came on the heels of Disick’s split from Sofia Richie, whom he began dating in 2017. E! News reported at the time that Richie had called off their relationship so Disick could focus on issues that led to him spending time in rehab in late April.

“Sofia thinks Scott has a lot on his plate right now and thinks it’s best for them to be apart so he can focus on himself. She is only looking out for him and his best interest and it was primarily her decision for them to split,” the source shared. “Sofia has been spending time with her family and has taken the majority of her stuff out of Scott’s house.”

As he works to better himself, the E! News source also said he had been leaning on Kardashian for support.

“Kourtney knows how to handle Scott and he is always in a better headspace when he gets to spend time with his kids,” the insider continued, referencing the Utah trip. “She has really been there for him since his rehab exit, and has had a lot of sympathy towards him.”

Kourtney Kardashian’s romantic relationship with Scott Disick ended years ago

Kardashian and Disick dated off-and-on between 2006 and 2015. The Poosh founder broke up with Disick for good when he was seen partying with a group of women, including an ex-girlfriend. But despite their split, the two have remained friends and continue to co-parent their children.

“The truth is, my problems shouldn’t affect the kids,” Disick said in a 2019 interview with Us Weekly. “Just because their mother and I couldn’t make it as a perfect, romantic couple shouldn’t have anything to do with the kids. They don’t deserve our mistakes, so we figured out a way.”

It’s amazing to see them in this space after everything they’ve been through. Keep it up, you two.

ANDREA SMITH

Airbnb has compiled a list of 10 most-liked Airbnbs on Instagram @ Airbnb

Now that our thoughts are turning to travel again, Airbnb has decided to give us some inspiration. It is looking back to the summer of 2019 and has unveiled the top 10 most-liked homes from its Instagram account, which just might help to fuel your wanderlust.

Fisherman’s boathouse, Milos

This traditional fisherman’s boathouse sleeps four and is located on Firopotamos beach on the Greek island of Milos. It has a large king-sized bed and a queen-size bed and is fully organic and ecological. The bungalow has a kitchen, bathroom, shower, wi-fi and satellite TV.

Scandinavian home, Norway

This modern Scandinavian home looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean and is based in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It sleeps eight people in four bedrooms and has a jacuzzi on the porch, two living rooms with TV, and a playroom for the children. Barbeque equipment is provided and a fishing boat can be used upon request, subject to availability.

Bellagio apartment, Italy

The air-conditioned apartment is located in Bellagio, and guests have access to a heated swimming pool from June to September that overlooks the lake and a garden. It sleeps four people and has a fully-equipped kitchen, bathroom with shower and washing machine. A laptop-friendly workspace is provided and the apartment has a fast wi-fi connection.

Italian-inspired house, Mexico

Casa Volta was inspired by the old Italian vaults that have a cool space under them. It has a pool and is located in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. It sleeps four people in two bedrooms, and guests can walk just a couple of minutes through lush greenery to a wild private beach.

Remote cottage, Norway

This remote cabin in Hordaland, Norway, comes complete with views of Sandvin Lake. It sleeps two people, and there is a shared kitchen and bathroom in the main house. For those who are up for an adventure, the Trolltunga mountain is just a hike away.

Floating villa, Australia

Guests can stay at a private room for two at Lilypad Palm Beach, a luxurious floating villa in New South Wales. Overnight stay packages include tasting plates and champagne on arrival, dinner, breakfast from The Boathouse Palm Beach, on-board wine cellar, 24-hour concierge service and use of the stand-up paddleboards and fishing gear.

Cliff House, Australia

‘Cliff House’ is a holiday home that sleeps six people and occupies the top floor of a waterfront-positioned house on Bannisters Head, New South Wales. It offers great views over the rocks and out to the water and has a front balcony, fully-equipped kitchen and a selection of cookbooks. It has a TV/DVD player, board games, music speaker, washing machine, dryer and an outdoor shower for when guests come back from the beach.

The Highlands, Ontario

The Highlands is a three-bedroom home in the Niagara escarpment region of Beaver Valley in Ontario, with sunset views over Lake Eugenia. Situated on seven acres, it is surrounded by cedar trees and sleeps eight people. It has an open concept living, kitchen and dining room, kitchen and a full suite of appliances, including a waffle-maker, slow cooker, blender and fondue set.

Treehouse, Bali

This wooden house floats in the jungle treetops of Ubud, with views of the local rice farms. It sleeps four people and has semi-open walls, natural textures and finishes. It is not suitable for children and is recommended for more able-bodied guests, as it includes a rope bridge to the entrance door, steep rail-less stairs to the second storey and an open pool with a high drop from the pool’s edge.

English barn, Devon

Heazille Barn is located in eight acres of fields and woodland in Devon. It has an open-plan lounge, dining area and kitchen, and its oak-beamed windows offer fantastic views of the valley and Killerton Woods. The kitchen is fully equipped, and the barn sleeps four people in two bedrooms.

With over ONE MILLION views Big Mister is making a huge impact and growing a large following throughout the Bay Area. Big Mister, a rapper out of San Jose California has passed the 1 million view mark on YouTube for his song Northern Cali Ambitions, a remake of Tupac’s My Ambitions As a Rider.

In an interview with Big Mister, he stated he was inspired by the energy that Tupac’s track put out in the mid 90’s when he was 1st introduced to Tupac’s hit album All Eyes On Me. For him, the song never lost it’s energy and he always felt connected to it, so being in close contact with a music producer Filthy Fill of DND music, he decided one day to reach out and ask if he can remake the track. He got back to Big Mister telling him to check his email and when he heard the remake he was 100% satisfied and shocked. He was about to be a part of one of many remakes that he knew was going to be a hit. As he was in the middle of a non stop buzz on social media he wanted to make sure he didn’t waste the beat with just a normal rap song, so he did a lot of thinking about who he should ask to feature on it. He reached out to the biggest Mexican rapper out of the Bay Area known as Big Tone, surprisingly, he reached back and blessed him and agreed to write a 16 bar verse out of love of music and did it for no charge. Big Mister said it was a blessing. At this point Big Mister had to really think hard on the projects next move so what he did was put out a post letting his followers know about the beat and the feature with Big Tone. Big Mister asked his followers who else should he put on the track, and he stated there was over a 100 recommendations of local rapper’s but he decided to invite Benny Blanco on the track, a local rapper that he was in close contact with.

Big Mister knew whomever he put on the track it would help them get exposure as well. He wanted to make sure he blessed the right people. Although many artists were qualified to be on the track, the last artist he invited was the most interesting story about this song. He invited Kassandra Rose a rapper/singer out of san Jose who was not discovered yet. Originally Big Mister had another female artist in mind, unfortunately that person was one of the many rap artists out of the Bay Area who got a strong buzz on social media and let it get to their heads forgetting where they came from and that person ignored the messages he said he still went around and asked other people who could relay the message to her and they then replied with a price on a feature that was unreasonable. Obviously it didn’t work out, so he remembered his cousin Jessica mentioning her friend Kassandra Rose. He wanted to make a statement and bring out a young female artist from his same home town who he knew had potential to blow up if put on the right project. He said Kassandra Rose was happy and appreciated him inviting her on the track and she got to work immediately. He sent her the details of lyrics and the original track to vibe off with instructions which she read the instructions like a straight A student and she replied back, “I got you!”

Big mister said a week later she sent a rough draft of the chorus and he listened to it several times and thought it was really nice. Her voice was on beat but wasn’t going to fit with the feeling he was looking for so he said he had to think of a way to tell her without discouraging her because he knew she could do what he’s looking for. So he reached out to her telling her it’s tight but sounds too sweet like a Mariah Carey song and that’s not going to work for this track. Big Mister said she was a sport and did not get discouraged, in fact, it’s still an inside joke between them two. When she got it right it was off to be mixed and mastered. The song was mixed and mastered at Red Eye Recording Studios in San Jose, CA. where most of Big Mister’s vocals are also tracked at. Big Mister said he remembers sending her the finished track and how stoked she was to hear it upon completing the track they finished it off with a video done by Benny Blanco. The graphics for the single was done by Chris Anthony one of the best graphics designers in California. And with all of that Big Mister is off to his next big move in the music industry. His portrayal of music and video intertwined is up there with some of the greatest rap stars of all time and we look forward to hearing his next track soon!

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4712752