First Lady Shines on More Magazine Cover

First Lady Michelle Obama is radiant on the February 2012 cover of More magazine in a headshot that captures her in a relaxed lean, with a bright smile and wearing a bold red cardigan (paired with a floral skirt that was cropped out of the cover image).

Mrs. O has an affinity for wearing vivid colors and she’s been on a roll this month with choosing flattering hues. On January 14 she graced the stage at the BET Honors 2012 in a radiant red gown from designer J. Mendel’s 2012 Resort collection, and on Monday (January 24) she waved from the crowd at the State of the Union Address in a sapphire dress from Barbara Tfank’s 2012 Resort collection.

Ask Men's 2012 Most Desirable Woman

Jennifer Anniston and Angelina Jolie have ruled for a generation, but there's a new sheriff in town. Surprisingly, these two stars didn't make the 2012 list.

Ask Men's readers selected 39 year old Sofia Vergara as their "Most Desirable Woman" of 2012 in the annual list of the Top 99 . The "Modern Family" star snagged the top spot this year after placing third on last year's list. Beauties that didn't even make the list in 2011 placed second and third for 2012. Kate Upton, "Sports Illustrated" Rookie of the Year, took the number two spot and Oscar nominated star Rooney Mara."The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" ranked number three. Rounding out the top five are Victoria Secret's model Miranda Kerr at #4 and singer/entertainer Nicki Minaj at #5.

After the newbies top the top honors, we get down to the familiar as we look at the last of the top ten list: # 6 Emma Stone, #7 Scarlett Johansson, #8 Kim Kardashian,#9 Rihanna, and #10 Candice Swanepoel of Victoria Secret fame.

Now in its 11th year, AskMen's Top 99 Most Desirable Women is  now in its eleventh year. As the site's largest feature, the list helps signal shifts in the qualities men are looking for in their dream girls and celebrity crushes; over 1 million readers voted on the Top 99 in 2012. And Vergara's meteoric ascent to #1, combined with the notable omissions of Aniston and Jolie, indicates that guys are increasingly looking for fresh faces.

Folks To Follow on Twitter

Twitter is a place where the six degrees of separation of normal life collapse into one. This social media site is where people you love or hate give you access to their most-intimate, amazing, deranged and comedic thoughts. Here is a list of NewsOne’s Black folks you need to follow.


1. @Questlove
This drummer for the Roots was one of the first big hip-hop folks to fully embrace Twitter. You can learn about his random thoughts, tour dates and see cool conversations about food and music.
2. @RolandSmartin
This CNN commentator posts a lot more than just the news. He’s an avid sports enthusiast who isn’t afraid to argue with folks. Not too long ago he got into a hilarious back and forth with @Toure about Black golfers. You gotta love Roland!
3. @Toure
Toure is the best-selling author on racial issues and isn’t afraid to set it off on Twitter with whoever wants it. Beyond his arguments with @RolandSmartin, he keeps you in the loop with what’s hot in cultural and political events. He will most likely offend you, though, so brace yourself.

Minorities Targeted in Beverage Campaign

A new study conducted by Yale University suggests that soft drink and other sugary beverage manufacturers target their marketing campaigns to Latino and African-American children and teenagers.

A report released today from Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity said that children and teens were exposed to double the amount of television ads for full-calorie and sugary beverages from 2008 to 2010. The study also reported that black children and teens saw 80- to 90 percent more ads compared with whites, including more than twice as many ads for Sprite, Mountain Dew, 5-hour Energy, and Vitamin Water. Hispanic children saw 49 percent more ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks, with Hispanic preschoolers seeing more ads for Coca-Cola Classic, Kool-Aid, 7 Up and Sunny Delight than their older counterparts.

Pepsi Pays $3.1 Million in Discrimination Suit

Pepsi Beverages Co. will pay $3.1 million to settle federal charges of race discrimination for using criminal background checks to screen out job applicants — even if they weren’t convicted of a crime.

The settlement announced with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is part of a national government crackdown on hiring policies that can hurt blacks and Hispanics.

EEOC officials said the company’s policy of not hiring workers with arrest records disproportionately excluded more than 300 black applicants. The policy barred applicants who had been arrested, but not convicted of a crime, and denied employment to others who were convicted of minor offenses.

Using arrest and conviction records to deny employment can be illegal if it’s irrelevant for the job, according to the EEOC, which enforces the nation’s employment discrimination laws. The agency says such blanket policies can limit job opportunities for minorities with higher arrest and conviction rates than whites.
The company has since adopted a new criminal background policy and plans to make jobs available to victims of the old policy if they are still interested in jobs at Pepsi and are qualified for the openings.

Related articles

• Pepsi Beverages pays $3.1M in racial bias case (thegrio.com)
• Pepsi Beverages pays $3M in racial bias case (usatoday.com)
• Pepsi Beverages pays $3.1M in racial bias case (sfgate.com)

TV Chef Paula Deen Copes With Diabetes

Paula Deen vs. Anthony Bourdain

U. S. Today is reporting that Celebrity chef Paula Deen on Wednesday pledged a portion of her earnings from a lucrative endorsement deal with a diabetes drugmaker to the nonprofit American Diabetes Association.

The queen of Southern cooking and author of numerous cookbooks disclosed Tuesday that she's had Type 2 diabetes for three years while promoting high-fat, high-sugar recipes as usual on her Food Network TV shows. She also said Tuesday that she'd signed on as the face of a new diabetes health initiative sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Victoza, a noninsulin injectable medication she now takes.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour's Pardon 200 Spree

In his final days as Mississippi governor, Republican Haley Barbour gave pardons or early releases to nearly 200 people, including more than two dozen whose crimes were listed as murder, manslaughter or homicide.

State records released Tuesday show some of the convicted killers were pardoned, while others were given medical or conditional releases. Barbour had released five other convicted killers in 2008. One of them had been granted a conditional release and was pardoned this time.

AAFCA Honors Hollywood's Finest African American Stars

Viola Davis (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) honored several of Hollywood's finest actors in one of the first presentations of awards season. Its 3rd Awards Ceremony was held January 8, 2012 at the historic Helm Bakery in Culver City California.

Among the honorees were actors Viola Davis, Richard Rountree and Hill Harper. Ms. Davis received the Best Actress Award.  Roundtree received the 2011 Legacy Award for his contribution to pop culture with his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in 1971. The star helped expand the way men of color are seen and portrayed in contemporary cinema.

How Tall is Your Favorite Celebrity?

The other day I went to the movies to catch "Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol. As I sat crunching my popcorn while transfixed by the breakneck speed of the movie's plot, I happened to notice how all the actors were about the same height. Since Tom Cruise isn't a giant by any means, I did a little research when I got home to see just how tall the screen icon is. Of course, once on that journey, I found surprises in the height of a number of well-known celebrities. See if you imagined these celebs at the height they actually are.

LeBron James Engaged

According to the AP, Miami Heat forward LeBron James asked his high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson to marry him during a New Year's Eve party Saturday night. The party, hosted by Heat teammate Dwyane Wade and his girlfriend Gabrielle Union, was also a belated birthday celebration for James, who turned 27 on December 30. Heat star Chris Bosh and Queen Latifah were also on the guest list of 60 friends and family members.

"When it happens, it happens," Brinson, 25, told Harper's Bazaar of marriage in 2010. "If we do it, I want it to be forever.

The couple have two children: LeBron James Jr., 7 and Bryce Maximus James, age 4.

Teammate Chris Paul and Miami Heat owner Micky Arison tweeted their congratulations shortly after the announcement went public.

No wedding date was announced. James and the Heat were playing host to the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday. Michael Jordan got engaged  on Christmas Day.