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If you use vaping products or e-cigarettes, you won’t be able to buy them at Walmart for much longer. The company has decided to stop selling them altogether amid recent health concerns.
Jennifer Lopez struts her stuff in an updated version of that iconic Versace gown. Scroll down for pictures.
And billionaire Robert Smith expands his gift to pay off student debt at Morehouse College.
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup.
TOP STORY: Walmart to Stop Selling E-Cigarettes
As of 9/17, 530 cases of lung injury associated w/ use of e-cigarette/vaping products have been reported from 38 states & one territory. 7 deaths have been confirmed. Learn the latest findings. t.co/kW4IMD8sJP
Walmart is getting out of the vaping business entirely. The retail giant says it will stop selling e-cigarettes at all of its stores, including its Sam’s Club locations. Walmart will sell through its existing inventory before pulling the e-cigarettes off the shelves.
According to an internal memo obtained by NBC News, executives decided to pull the plug on the products due to the “uncertainty” over whether they are safe and the “growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity” surrounding them. Back in May, Walmart announced it would stop selling fruit and dessert-flavored e-cigarettes which were “shown to be preferred by minors.”
Walmart’s decision comes amid heightened concerns about vaping and whether the habit is causing severe lung illnesses in patients nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 530 people have gotten sick and their conditions have been linked to vaping. Seven people have died in six states.
Health officials are struggling to determine a common element. The CDC cautions on its website, “Most patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette products containing THC. Many patients have reported using THC and nicotine. Some have reported the use of e-cigarette products containing only nicotine.
We do not yet know the specific cause of these lung injuries. The investigation has not identified any specific e-cigarette or vaping product (devices, liquids, refill pods, and/or cartridges) or substance that is linked to all cases.”
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: Jennifer Lopez Stuns In Updated Green Versace Dress
GettyJennifer Lopez walks the runway at the Versace show during the Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 on September 20, 2019.
Jennifer Lopez delighted fans during Milan Fashion Week when she strutted down the runway wearing an updated version of the famous Versace dress she wore to the Grammys in 2000. Before Lopez appeared on the catwalk, her song “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” played and images of the 2000 dress were displayed on the walls, according to the BBC.
Lopez was the final model in the Versace show in Milan, Italy. She then posed with designer Donatella Versace on the runway as everyone in the crowd stood and cheered. In case you’re wondering, Lopez is 50 years old.
GettyJennifer Lopez and Donatella Versace during the Milan Fashion Week on September 20, 2019 in Milan, Italy.
The plunging green dress Lopez wore in 2000 set off a viral reaction the Internet had not seen before. It actually prompted Google to create its Images tab.
GettyJennifer Lopez in Versace at the 42nd Grammy Awards on February 23, 2000
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt explained in 2015 to Project Syndicate, “People wanted more than just text. This first became apparent after the 2000 Grammy Awards, where Jennifer Lopez wore a green dress that, well, caught the world’s attention. At the time, it was the most popular search query we had ever seen. But we had no surefire way of getting users exactly what they wanted: JLo wearing that dress. Google Image Search was born.”
UPDATE: Billionaire Expands Gift to Pay Student Debt For Morehouse College Grads
Thank you to Robert F. Smith, the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners, and his family who have donated $34 million to the new Student Success Program to pay off the loans that students and parents of the Class of 2019 accumulated to fund a Morehouse education.
Billionaire Robert F. Smith, the CEO of Vista Equity Partners, made headlines in May when he pledged to pay the student debt owed by 2019 graduates of Morehouse College. Morehouse is a historically black men’s college in Atlanta. Smith made the announcement after accepting an honorary doctorate.
Smith and his family are now taking the extraordinary gift a step further. The college explained in a news release that Smith’s financial gift will pay for not only the class of 2019’s education but will also cover any remaining student debt owed by their parents and guardians as well. Smith, whose net worth is estimated to be more than $6 billion, is donating $34 million to pay off the debt.
The president of Morehouse, David A. Thomas, stressed that Smith’s gift will be life-changing for the graduates and their families. “It is our hope that our graduates will use their newfound financial freedom to pursue their career goals, to lead and serve the community, and to remember the spirit of the gift given to them by paying it forward to support the education of future classes of Morehouse Men.”
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
Wild video shows a driver plowing an SUV through a busy mall in Schaumburg, Illinois. The SUV crashed through glass doors at Sears and into several stores at Woodfield Mall before the driver was arrested. No injuries have been reported: t.co/7WLla9yvZR
- A vehicle crashed through a Sears store at Woodfield Mall in Illinois and then kept on driving. It was caught on video.
- The New England Patriots dropped wide receiver Antonio Brown and he’s seeking to join another team.
- Barron Hilton, the chairman of Hilton Hotels and grandfather to Paris Hilton, died on Thursday at the age of 91.
- Scientists have figured out what ancient humans might have looked like.
- A great white shark was photographed near a surfer in Cape Cod.
CHECK THIS OUT
It’s been 80 years since comic book fans were introduced to the caped crusader Batman, with Batman Day being celebrated today. The character debuted in May of 1939 in Detective Comics #27.
As pointed out by Newsweek, there doesn’t appear to be any specific reason as to why Batman Day falls on a different date each year. Amazon is celebrating with a special collection of items which you can see here.
Gamers can also celebrate with a crossover Batman event on Fortnite. Participants can explore the Gotham City Rift Zone and complete specially-themed challenges. Find out how to acquire Catwoman and Batman skins in Fortnite here.
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