20 days ago
Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen's story reveals how colorism, comparison, and beauty standards can shape Black women's self-image from childhood into adulthood.
For generations of Black communities, actress Phylicia Rashad has been seen as one of the beacons of grace and beauty. However, in a recent conversation on the "IMO Podcast" hosted by Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Rashad revealed that she once did not see herself as beautiful in comparison to her sister Debbie Allen.
"I think if there was competition that I felt, I always felt that Debbie was beautiful and that I was not," Rashad shared. "I don't remember what led to the conversation, but I said to Deborah that I had always wanted to be beautiful, like her, and she looked at me, she said, 'But you're the beautiful one, you're the one. I was always trying to be beautiful like you,' and then we broke down and started crying."
"We grew up with that foolishness, that colorism, foolishness that brown paper bag [test] foolishness," Allen interjected. "I remember one time Phylicia loved chocolate milk, and we were drinking chocolate milk, and my uncle said to her, 'Girl, you better drink all the white milk you can.' That was so ugly."
"I think that's why Phylicia felt, but Phylicia looked more like Mama than me. And I always wished that I was pretty like her," Allen added.
#allen
For generations of Black communities, actress Phylicia Rashad has been seen as one of the beacons of grace and beauty. However, in a recent conversation on the "IMO Podcast" hosted by Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Rashad revealed that she once did not see herself as beautiful in comparison to her sister Debbie Allen.
"I think if there was competition that I felt, I always felt that Debbie was beautiful and that I was not," Rashad shared. "I don't remember what led to the conversation, but I said to Deborah that I had always wanted to be beautiful, like her, and she looked at me, she said, 'But you're the beautiful one, you're the one. I was always trying to be beautiful like you,' and then we broke down and started crying."
"We grew up with that foolishness, that colorism, foolishness that brown paper bag [test] foolishness," Allen interjected. "I remember one time Phylicia loved chocolate milk, and we were drinking chocolate milk, and my uncle said to her, 'Girl, you better drink all the white milk you can.' That was so ugly."
"I think that's why Phylicia felt, but Phylicia looked more like Mama than me. And I always wished that I was pretty like her," Allen added.
#allen
27 days ago
Prince William has paid homage to the "incomparable" Dame Deborah James in a moving video message.
The Prince of Wales, 44, made a surprise appearance in a pre-recorded message at the inaugural Bowelbabe Fund Rebel Ball in London on what would have been the campaigner's 45th birthday.
He recalled: "What struck me was Deborah's positivity and humour in the face of adversity – what she liked to call 'rebellious hope'".
He described Dame Deborah, who died in 2022, as "an amazing woman" and said her Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK had achieved so much in the last four-and-a-half years, investing in pioneering research that was "giving more people more time with the ones they love".
Prince William addressed the room with a pre-recorded message (@ Simon Way)
#dame #james
The Prince of Wales, 44, made a surprise appearance in a pre-recorded message at the inaugural Bowelbabe Fund Rebel Ball in London on what would have been the campaigner's 45th birthday.
He recalled: "What struck me was Deborah's positivity and humour in the face of adversity – what she liked to call 'rebellious hope'".
He described Dame Deborah, who died in 2022, as "an amazing woman" and said her Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK had achieved so much in the last four-and-a-half years, investing in pioneering research that was "giving more people more time with the ones they love".
Prince William addressed the room with a pre-recorded message (@ Simon Way)
#dame #james
1 month ago
Jean Smart could set a brand-new record at the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14. If she wins in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Deborah Vance in the final season of Hacks, she'll be the first comedy lead actor to win for every season of a single television series.
Plus, the win would give her eight acting Emmys, which would tie the all-time record with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman.
With Smart back in the spotlight because of the awards show, we're taking a deep dive into her love life, including her current romance and her relationship with her late husband.
Smart is in a relationship with Joe Pacheco. While it's unclear exactly when they started dating, they made their red carpet debut at the 2024 Emmy Awards, then attended the Golden Globes together in 2025. Pacheco was once again Smart's date to the Emmys in 2025, Golden Globes 2026, and was by her side at the premiere for Hacks' final season in April.
The actress told CBS Mornings in June 2025 that she was dating a "wonderful actor." When she appeared on the Wiser Than Me podcast in May 2026, she called her boyfriend an "extremely lovely man" and said she met him at a friend's party.
#awards #lead
Plus, the win would give her eight acting Emmys, which would tie the all-time record with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cloris Leachman.
With Smart back in the spotlight because of the awards show, we're taking a deep dive into her love life, including her current romance and her relationship with her late husband.
Smart is in a relationship with Joe Pacheco. While it's unclear exactly when they started dating, they made their red carpet debut at the 2024 Emmy Awards, then attended the Golden Globes together in 2025. Pacheco was once again Smart's date to the Emmys in 2025, Golden Globes 2026, and was by her side at the premiere for Hacks' final season in April.
The actress told CBS Mornings in June 2025 that she was dating a "wonderful actor." When she appeared on the Wiser Than Me podcast in May 2026, she called her boyfriend an "extremely lovely man" and said she met him at a friend's party.
#awards #lead
2 months ago
Johnston Carmichael, a UK-based independent accountancy and business advisory business, has bolstered its leadership team with four new appointments.
Tamsyn Weston joined the company as chief technology officer in Edinburgh. She will lead the company strategy across IT, cybersecurity, digital development, AI and automation.
Weston has more than 20 years of experience in technology, transformation and cybersecurity roles in regulated environments. Her role will focus in part on the responsible use of emerging technology to support the company's growth.
In Glasgow, Deborah Ramsay has joined as an audit partner.
Ramsay is a chartered accountant and has held Responsible Individual status since 2020. She brings more than 20 years of audit experience, including a background at a 'Big Four' company.
#ramsay #business
Tamsyn Weston joined the company as chief technology officer in Edinburgh. She will lead the company strategy across IT, cybersecurity, digital development, AI and automation.
Weston has more than 20 years of experience in technology, transformation and cybersecurity roles in regulated environments. Her role will focus in part on the responsible use of emerging technology to support the company's growth.
In Glasgow, Deborah Ramsay has joined as an audit partner.
Ramsay is a chartered accountant and has held Responsible Individual status since 2020. She brings more than 20 years of audit experience, including a background at a 'Big Four' company.
#ramsay #business
2 months ago
It is a bittersweet time for Deborah Roberts and Al Roker.
Over the weekend, the couple's youngest son returned to college, although the ABC anchor had to miss his college drop off for the first time.
In addition to Nick, 24, the couple, married since 1995, are also parents to daughter Leila, 27, plus the TODAY anchor shares Courtney, 39, with late ex-wife Alice Bell.
Nick goes to college in Vermont (@ Instagram)
As Al dropped off Nick at college — he graduated with an ***** ociate's degree in May 2025 and is now working on his bachelor's — Deborah took to Instagram and shared a sweet snap of him proudly standing in his set up dorm room.
#leila
Over the weekend, the couple's youngest son returned to college, although the ABC anchor had to miss his college drop off for the first time.
In addition to Nick, 24, the couple, married since 1995, are also parents to daughter Leila, 27, plus the TODAY anchor shares Courtney, 39, with late ex-wife Alice Bell.
Nick goes to college in Vermont (@ Instagram)
As Al dropped off Nick at college — he graduated with an ***** ociate's degree in May 2025 and is now working on his bachelor's — Deborah took to Instagram and shared a sweet snap of him proudly standing in his set up dorm room.
#leila
2 months ago
On August 20, Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV) reported third-quarter results that told two different stories at once. Revenue fell to $705.7 million from $800.6 million a year earlier, and the company posted a net loss of $0.70 per diluted share. Yet backlog value rose 5.1% year over year to $881.9 million, and management pointed to record land efficiency and a widening margin trend as evidence the business is being rebuilt for a different market. The gap between the near-term numbers and the longer-term setup is where this story gets interesting.
Hovnanian's adjusted homebuilding gross margin climbed to 14.6% in the quarter, up from a first-quarter trough, and management guided to 15% to 16.5% in the fourth quarter as newer, more recently underwritten communities make up a larger share of deliveries. Those communities were priced with today's higher incentive environment already built in, rather than ***** umptions from years ago when incentives were lower. The company's land position backs up that shift: 87% of controlled lots are now optioned rather than owned, the highest share in company history, up from 46% a decade earlier, freeing up capital and letting Hovnanian walk away from deals that no longer pencil out.
Total liquidity stood at $379.8 million, well above the company's own target range of $170 million to $245 million, while quick move-in inventory dropped 19.3% year over year to 820 homes as production was matched to actual sales pace. Contracts per community came in at 9.4, which management says ranks third among peers reporting similar periods. Demand also firmed lately: website traffic in July 2026 hit its highest level for that month since 2019, and month-to-date contracts in August ran 3% ahead of last year. To capture more of that traffic, Hovnanian hired active adult lifestyle veteran Deborah Blake to sharpen its Four Seasons brand as it pushes further into move-up and active adult buyers.
The quarter's headline numbers were rougher than the backlog alone suggests. Revenue fell from $800.6 million to $705.7 million, and Hovnanian swung to an adjusted pretax loss of $2.3 million, driven largely by delayed deliveries at newer joint venture projects that pulled unconsolidated joint venture income below expectations. That shortfall also broke a long streak: it was the first time in 23 quarters that adjusted pretax income landed below the company's own guidance range. Consolidated domestic contracts slipped 4.6% year over year to 1,155 homes, which management attributed to political and financial volatility keeping potential buyers on the sidelines.
#quarter #Share
Hovnanian's adjusted homebuilding gross margin climbed to 14.6% in the quarter, up from a first-quarter trough, and management guided to 15% to 16.5% in the fourth quarter as newer, more recently underwritten communities make up a larger share of deliveries. Those communities were priced with today's higher incentive environment already built in, rather than ***** umptions from years ago when incentives were lower. The company's land position backs up that shift: 87% of controlled lots are now optioned rather than owned, the highest share in company history, up from 46% a decade earlier, freeing up capital and letting Hovnanian walk away from deals that no longer pencil out.
Total liquidity stood at $379.8 million, well above the company's own target range of $170 million to $245 million, while quick move-in inventory dropped 19.3% year over year to 820 homes as production was matched to actual sales pace. Contracts per community came in at 9.4, which management says ranks third among peers reporting similar periods. Demand also firmed lately: website traffic in July 2026 hit its highest level for that month since 2019, and month-to-date contracts in August ran 3% ahead of last year. To capture more of that traffic, Hovnanian hired active adult lifestyle veteran Deborah Blake to sharpen its Four Seasons brand as it pushes further into move-up and active adult buyers.
The quarter's headline numbers were rougher than the backlog alone suggests. Revenue fell from $800.6 million to $705.7 million, and Hovnanian swung to an adjusted pretax loss of $2.3 million, driven largely by delayed deliveries at newer joint venture projects that pulled unconsolidated joint venture income below expectations. That shortfall also broke a long streak: it was the first time in 23 quarters that adjusted pretax income landed below the company's own guidance range. Consolidated domestic contracts slipped 4.6% year over year to 1,155 homes, which management attributed to political and financial volatility keeping potential buyers on the sidelines.
#quarter #Share
3 months ago
By Deborah Mary Sophia and Rashika Singh
July 21 (Reuters) - Alphabet faces heightened scrutiny from investors as a delay in the launch of a model key to its AI ambitions adds to worries over the payoff from massive data-center spending, months after raising expectations with a blockbuster quarter for cloud sales.
The Google parent — set to report second-quarter results on Wednesday — has delayed from June the launch of its next flagship model, Gemini 3.5 Pro, built especially to catch up with rivals in the lucrative market for AI coding tools and agentic AI tasks.
The setback has raised concerns as Chinese open-source models increasingly challenge top U.S. labs for customers amid growing worries about steep AI bills that have also fanned fears that Big Tech could be over-building capacity.
"While Google is missing the boat on AI coding and that's a very real growing concern ... Google's strategy is all about the ecosystem," said Dave Wagner, portfolio manager at Aptus Capital Advisors.
#launch #quarter
July 21 (Reuters) - Alphabet faces heightened scrutiny from investors as a delay in the launch of a model key to its AI ambitions adds to worries over the payoff from massive data-center spending, months after raising expectations with a blockbuster quarter for cloud sales.
The Google parent — set to report second-quarter results on Wednesday — has delayed from June the launch of its next flagship model, Gemini 3.5 Pro, built especially to catch up with rivals in the lucrative market for AI coding tools and agentic AI tasks.
The setback has raised concerns as Chinese open-source models increasingly challenge top U.S. labs for customers amid growing worries about steep AI bills that have also fanned fears that Big Tech could be over-building capacity.
"While Google is missing the boat on AI coding and that's a very real growing concern ... Google's strategy is all about the ecosystem," said Dave Wagner, portfolio manager at Aptus Capital Advisors.
#launch #quarter
3 months ago
By Deborah Mary Sophia and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed
July 16 (Reuters) - Trump Media & Technology Group has unveiled a paid-for, licensed data feed that will give banks and trading firms "the fastest" access to posts from influential Truth Social accounts, such as President Donald Trump's, whose posts often move global markets.
The product, called "Truth API," will deliver posts from the 10 most influential accounts to customers at a significantly faster pace than a regular push notification on the Truth Social platform, a spokesperson said.
The feed is designed for organizations "most impacted by the cost of a delay in information", such as algorithmic trading firms, the company said in a statement. "Until now... firms that prioritize tracking influential Truth posts have relied on manual monitoring. Truth API closes the gap."
The move is TMTG's first step into data-licensing, and opens up a new revenue stream for the company, which has faced challenges in scaling its media business amid stiff competition from larger social media firms.
July 16 (Reuters) - Trump Media & Technology Group has unveiled a paid-for, licensed data feed that will give banks and trading firms "the fastest" access to posts from influential Truth Social accounts, such as President Donald Trump's, whose posts often move global markets.
The product, called "Truth API," will deliver posts from the 10 most influential accounts to customers at a significantly faster pace than a regular push notification on the Truth Social platform, a spokesperson said.
The feed is designed for organizations "most impacted by the cost of a delay in information", such as algorithmic trading firms, the company said in a statement. "Until now... firms that prioritize tracking influential Truth posts have relied on manual monitoring. Truth API closes the gap."
The move is TMTG's first step into data-licensing, and opens up a new revenue stream for the company, which has faced challenges in scaling its media business amid stiff competition from larger social media firms.
4 months ago
By Nupur Anand and Deborah Mary Sophia
July 7 (Reuters) - Amazon.com said on Tuesday it is looking to raise $25 billion through a U.S. dollar bond sale, in the company's latest push to fund its hefty AI investments.
Tech companies have been tapping debt markets and launching equity sales to fund their costly AI infrastructure build-out. Big Tech, including Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta, are expected to spend more than $700 billion on AI this year.
Peak demand for the offering reached $62 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg News, which also first reported about the latest offering.
The offering includes a mix of fixed-rate and floating-rate notes, across eight tranches, with maturities ranging from 2029 to 2066, according to a final term sheet filed on Tuesday.
July 7 (Reuters) - Amazon.com said on Tuesday it is looking to raise $25 billion through a U.S. dollar bond sale, in the company's latest push to fund its hefty AI investments.
Tech companies have been tapping debt markets and launching equity sales to fund their costly AI infrastructure build-out. Big Tech, including Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta, are expected to spend more than $700 billion on AI this year.
Peak demand for the offering reached $62 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg News, which also first reported about the latest offering.
The offering includes a mix of fixed-rate and floating-rate notes, across eight tranches, with maturities ranging from 2029 to 2066, according to a final term sheet filed on Tuesday.
4 months ago
The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, returned to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and took an active role in the opening festivities, ******* isting with ticket distribution and personally welcoming visitors as they entered the historic All England Club.
Dressed in a blue linen suit, Middleton was seen mingling with the public. Lines of devoted tennis fans had queued up in the early hours, some as early as 4 a.m., hoping to secure tickets in hopes of experiencing Wimbledon’s fourth day.
Later in the day, Middleton joined four-time Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman and Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), to watch British Arthur Fery take on Otto Virtanen in a second-round match. Beyond her courtside presence, Middleton was also scheduled to meet with children from the Shine Camera Club, a photography initiative that empowers and supports children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Dressed in a blue linen suit, Middleton was seen mingling with the public. Lines of devoted tennis fans had queued up in the early hours, some as early as 4 a.m., hoping to secure tickets in hopes of experiencing Wimbledon’s fourth day.
Later in the day, Middleton joined four-time Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman and Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), to watch British Arthur Fery take on Otto Virtanen in a second-round match. Beyond her courtside presence, Middleton was also scheduled to meet with children from the Shine Camera Club, a photography initiative that empowers and supports children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
5 months ago
Al Roker and Deborah Roberts got emotional seeing their daughter, Leila Roker, all dressed up on her wedding day.
On Sunday, June 14, Roker reposted an Instagram video, originally shared by Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier NYC, featuring footage from Leila's wedding day. "Thanks to markingramatelier for the beautiful looks for the bride, leilaroker and mother of the bride, debrobertsabc," the Today host wrote alongside the clip.
The video began with Roberts' first reaction to Leila in her wedding dress. She smiled and clutched her dress upon seeing Leila's bridal beauty, and the two went on to share a hug. Roberts, for her part, got dressed in a beautiful lilac gown and led Lilac to her first look with Roker.
Roker, for his part, was all smiles seeing Leila's completed bridal look. He lovingly joined hands with Roberts and their daughter during the special moment before the trio posed for pre-wedding photos together. The video also featured footage from the wedding ceremony and reception, including clips of Roker and Roberts giving a speech and sharing a sweet dance.
Fans gushed over the wedding video in the comments of Roker's post. "You all were stunning," wrote Octavia Spencer. One user stated, "They both looked so lovely! Both dresses were perfection. Lavender is debrobertsabc's color!" Another added, "Congratulations. Beautiful bride and incredible family."
On Sunday, June 14, Roker reposted an Instagram video, originally shared by Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier NYC, featuring footage from Leila's wedding day. "Thanks to markingramatelier for the beautiful looks for the bride, leilaroker and mother of the bride, debrobertsabc," the Today host wrote alongside the clip.
The video began with Roberts' first reaction to Leila in her wedding dress. She smiled and clutched her dress upon seeing Leila's bridal beauty, and the two went on to share a hug. Roberts, for her part, got dressed in a beautiful lilac gown and led Lilac to her first look with Roker.
Roker, for his part, was all smiles seeing Leila's completed bridal look. He lovingly joined hands with Roberts and their daughter during the special moment before the trio posed for pre-wedding photos together. The video also featured footage from the wedding ceremony and reception, including clips of Roker and Roberts giving a speech and sharing a sweet dance.
Fans gushed over the wedding video in the comments of Roker's post. "You all were stunning," wrote Octavia Spencer. One user stated, "They both looked so lovely! Both dresses were perfection. Lavender is debrobertsabc's color!" Another added, "Congratulations. Beautiful bride and incredible family."
5 months ago
Meet this year's winner of the Pilot Pen $100,000 G2 Overachievers Grant! Deborah Hill is lifting up disadvantaged youth in her Florida community through her nonprofit Bridge of Hope Kitchen, serving hot meals and providing tutoring services. Pilot VP of Marketing Ariann Langsam joins Kelly to surprise Deborah with the honor. Visit powertothepen.com/g2overachievers/ for more information on next year's grants!
5 months ago
Related: Gynecologists Are Revealing Their Most Mind-Boggling Patient Stories, And That's It, I'm Never Looking At My Body The Same Way Again
After retiring from playing hockey, Lemieux represented many talented NHL players as their agent. He also co-founded the furniture company Andros Home with his wife, Deborah, in Lake Park, Florida.
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After retiring from playing hockey, Lemieux represented many talented NHL players as their agent. He also co-founded the furniture company Andros Home with his wife, Deborah, in Lake Park, Florida.
Related: Doctors Are Sharing The 1 Symptom That Is A Massive Red Flag For Colon Cancer
Related: I Couldn’t Explain Why I Was Exhausted All The Time. Then I Googled 3 Words And My Stomach Dropped.
Related: 18 Totally Incorrect Health Myths That People Still, For Some Reason, Believe To Be True
