Jennifer Hudson Teaches Stephen Colbert A Thing Or Two About Gospel Music

When the spirit moves Jennifer Hudson, she doesn’t need much prompting to burst out in song.

The singer and actress spontaneously showed off her incredible vocal range while appearing as a guest on Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” on Monday.  

Hudson, who is promoting her new Netflix movie “Sandy Wexler,” told Colbert that she grew up singing gospel music at church. Her first solo happened on an Easter Sunday, when she was just seven years old. 

But while singing the old hymn, “Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone,” she said she forgot the words and the congregation had to help her out. 

Colbert asked Hudson if she had a favorite hymn today. This time, the Grammy Award-winning artist showed no signs of stage fright, diving into an impromptu rendition of the spiritual, “Talk About A Child Who Do Love Jesus.”

Colbert seemed to be a fan, saying, “If I wasn’t a Christian when that song started, I would be when that song was over.”  

Watch Jennifer Hudson’s performance in the video above.

H/T: Relevant Magazine

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I Still Have So Many Questions About This Juicero Thing!

Juicero is a start-up company that apparently wanted very much to disrupt the “juice space.” And in pursuit of that goal, its executives managed to convince Silicon Valley investors to pony up $120 million in seed money, which has led to the production of a $400 machine that squeezes bags of juice. But Bloomberg Technology reporters Ellen Huet and Olivia Zaleski zeroed in on an interesting fact behind all of Juicero’s hooplah: Apparently, bags of juice can be squeezed by an existing product called “the hand,” which in most instances retails for “free” and nearly just as often includes a “buy one, get one” option.

And “hands” apparently squeeze these bags of juice just as well as Juicero machines. Check it out:

And thus, Huet and Zaleski have answered an important inquiry: “Do you need a $400 juicer?” The answer is no. But having read their story, I still have so many questions! Let’s go through Bloomberg’s story and you’ll see what I mean.

One of the most lavishly funded gadget startups in Silicon Valley last year was Juicero Inc. It makes a juice machine. The product was an unlikely pick for top technology investors, but they were drawn to the idea of an internet-connected device that transforms single-serving packets of chopped fruits and vegetables into a refreshing and healthy beverage.

Why does your juicer need to be “internet-connected?” 

Doug Evans, the company’s founder, would compare himself with Steve Jobs in his pursuit of juicing perfection. He declared that his juice press wields four tons of force—“enough to lift two Teslas,” he said.

Why does anyone need that much force to squeeze juice? I mean, you’d think that a machine that could lift just one Tesla would do the trick. “Not good enough,” Evans told his engineers, “I need that second Tesla’s worth of Newtons.” Maybe the original goal was to build a Two-Tesla Lifting Machine, and initial market research revealed scant demand for such a thing?

A person close to the company said Juicero is aware the packs can be squeezed by hand but that most people would prefer to use the machine because the process is more consistent and less messy.

Is it though? Here’s how I get juice. Open fridge, get juice, pour into glass, voila! I find it hard to believe that people “would prefer to use the machine.” (Also: “A person close to the company?” That person, close to the company, should have leveled with the company, saying something like, “I dunno, guys, a $400 bag squeezer? [Sound of sharp intake of breath.]”

The device also reads a QR code printed on the back of each produce pack and checks the source against an online database to ensure the contents haven’t expired or been recalled, the person said. The expiration date is also printed on the pack.

Whyyyyyyyyyyy?

The creator of Juicero is something of a luminary in the world of juicing.

People can be that?

Evans, 50, follows a diet of mostly raw, vegan foods. Technology was a new thing for him, but he picked it up quickly.

Did he, though?

In fundraising meetings, Evans promised a revolutionary machine capable of squeezing large chunks of fruits and vegetables, said two people who agreed to invest in the company. Evans secured funding in 2014 by showing 3D-printed renderings of the product without a working prototype, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they signed nondisclosure agreements.

Did they also ask to not be identified because they look so foolish?

But after the product’s introduction last year, at least two Juicero investors were taken aback after finding the packs could be squeezed by hand.

Wait. They didn’t know that bags full of juice could be squeezed by hand? 

Doug Chertok, a Juicero investor, said he figured it out on his own. “There is no doubt the packs can be squeezed without the machine,” he said. “I’m still a huge fan.”

Bu-bu-but … how are you still a fan? Didn’t they basically take your money and set it on fire? 

He said the company is a “platform” for a new model of food delivery, where fresh fruits and veggies are delivered regularly to the home.

Should I be the one to break it to this guy that these kinds of services have existed for many years?

“Juicero is still figuring out its sweet spot,” he said. “I have no doubt that they’ll be very successful.”

Someone just needs to build a bigger machine with the lifting force of seven Teslas to help find this sweet spot, no doubt. But what really went wrong here?

“It’s very difficult to differentiate yourself in the food and beverage sector,” said Kurt Jetta, who runs retail and consumer data firm Tabs Analytics. “Entrepreneurs may be tempted to have a technology angle when it’s not really there.”

And there it is.

~~~~~

Jason Linkins edits “Eat The Press” for The Huffington Post and co-hosts the HuffPost Politics podcast “So, That Happened.” Subscribe here, and listen to the latest episode below.  

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Trump Administration Says Deported Dreamer Wasn’t Protected — And That No One Fully Is

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WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump vowed that young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children wouldn’t be targeted for deportation. But immigrant advocates have warned for months that he wouldn’t keep that promise ― and Juan Manuel Montes, a 23-year-old with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections, claimed on Tuesday that his deportation was proof.

Montes and his lawyers are caught in a public, high-stakes fight with the Department of Homeland Security. Administration officials say they didn’t deport Montes in February in the way he claims ― but that they could have if they had wanted to.

“DACA enrollees are not being targeted,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Wednesday on Fox News. “I don’t know why this individual was picked up. [But] everybody in the country illegally is subject to being deported. So people come here and they stay here a few years and somehow, they think that they’re not subject to being deported. Well, they are.”

At stake is whether the Trump administration can credibly claim that it isn’t targeting DACA recipients, even as the president brags that he has unleashed immigration agents to make their own decisions about whom to remove from the country.

In the Montes dispute, both sides agree on two facts: that the 23-year-old was detained on Feb. 19 after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally and then deported and that he held a DACA work permit that was set to expire in January 2018.

But Montes and his attorneys claim he was first deported a day or two earlier. Montes says in a court filing that a Border Patrol agent approached him on the street when he was not carrying his identification and did not allow him to show his DACA work permit, speak to an attorney or go before a judge. Instead, Montes says the agent took him to the border and sent him into Mexico hours later, on Feb. 18.

DHS officials say they have no record of any of a deportation on that day, and that Montes was only deported once, on Feb. 20. They also say he never told them he was a DACA recipient.

Juan Manuel has been unequivocal in his assertion that he never voluntarily left the country while he had DACA. We believe him.
Nora Preciado, one of the attorneys representing Montes

The difference is enormously important. DACA recipients are supposed to seek permission from the government before leaving the country. If Montes left the country voluntarily without that permission, as DHS has claimed, he would have violated his DACA status, which could have led to him losing his protections. But if Montes is telling the truth, his deportation is the first reported case of someone with active DACA status being expelled from the country.

“Juan Manuel has been unequivocal in his assertion that he never voluntarily left the country while he had DACA. We believe him,” Nora Preciado, a staff attorney with the National Immigration Law Center, which is representing Montes, said in a statement. The organization, along with other law firms, sued the government on Montes’ behalf to get information on his removal.

The Trump administration has maintained that it isn’t going after DACA recipients. But as administration officials have repeatedly emphasized, DACA isn’t a guarantee of safety from deportation.

“We can’t promise people who are here unlawfully that they’re not going to be deported,” Sessions said on Fox News. 

Like President Barack Obama’s administration, Trump’s DHS has deported people after they lost their DACA status. This happened an average of seven times per month under Obama. But Trump deported 43 former DACA recipients during his first month in office alone, USA Today reported.

“A decision to grant deferred action may be revoked by DHS at any time, particularly in the case of someone who commits a crime or is otherwise found to pose a national security or public safety threat,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Sarah Rodriguez said Tuesday in an email. “Deferred action does not, in any way, prevent DHS from moving forward with execution of a removal order.” 

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article said the DHS says it deported Montes on Feb. 19. The department says it detained Montes on Feb. 19 and deported him on Feb. 20. 

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24 Printable Coloring Sheets That Celebrate Girl Power

If you’ve got access to a printer and some art supplies, printable coloring sheets are a great way to feel like one of those crafty Pinterest moms without having to actually know your way around a pair of safety scissors. 

A mom from Huffington Post Parents’ So You Want To Raise A Feminist Facebook group recently asked for “awesome printouts for little future intersectional feminists.” 

So we rounded up some of the best options, depicting both famous women and badass characters known for promoting girl power, from Moana to Michelle Obama. We won’t judge you if you decide to join your kids in coloring these feminist role models. 

The HuffPost Parents newsletter, So You Want To Raise A Feminist, offers the latest stories and news in progressive parenting.

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Steve Harvey Has 'Big' Plans For The Network Return Of 'Showtime At The Apollo'

Once again ladies and gentleman, it’s showtime!

This week the world renowned Harlem theater and the FOX network announced the television return of “Showtime At The Apollo.” The announcement of the one-hour weekly talent showcase, which will premiere during 2017-2018 season, will also mark the return of longtime Apollo host, Steve Harvey who also hosted last year’s revival special.

While last year’s two hour event showcased the Apollo’s legendary Amateur Night and featured appearances by comedians Tracy Morgan, and Mike Epps and performances by T.I., John Legend, and En Vogue, Harvey said the latest iteration of the weekly series will be focused on finding comedy’s next biggest star. 

“We all had such a blast on the two specials that aired earlier this season, that we thought it really deserved being a weekly event,” said Harvey in a press release for the upcoming series. “But our mission is a little different this time around. Instead of just putting on a great show, we’re going to do that and find the next great comic and the next big music star.”

Harvey, who served as the show’s host for seven years beginning in 1993, went on to express his enthusiasm for returning to the Apollo stage. 

“That’s what the Apollo is all about. My roots are on that stage and I can’t wait to be there every week, looking for great talent. Who said you can’t go back home again,” he added.

Since opening in 1934, the theater’s legendary Amateur Night talent competition has been lauded for launching the careers of countless entertainers including Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Dave Chappelle, James Brown, Lauryn Hill, and The Jackson 5 to name a few.

Open auditions for “Showtime At The Apollo” will be held at the Apollo Theater on April 23.

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