Elon Musk's new vision for Twitter is backfiring, and a new social media app created by Black tech entrepreneurs is finding its footing. Last week, Musk announced new rate limits that will prevent unverified users from viewing more than 600 tweets a day. This comes after removing verified check marks and pushing people to pay for basic features that were available to everyone before he took over as CEO of the app. According to AfroTech, a new app called Spill, created by Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown, two former Twitter employees, and is built around creating safe spaces for diverse communities. According to recent reports from AfroTech, the Spill app has been soaring on the Apple App Store, where it hit number one. Sorry, Android users, but Spill is currently only available for the iPhone.

On July 4, Malia Obama turned 25 years old, and her dad, former President Barack Obama, showed some love on his socials. In an Instagram post, Obama wrote, "Happy birthday to this talented, hilarious, and beautiful young woman. Malia, I hope 25 brings you everything you’re looking for and more." 

Happy birthday, Malia!

On July 4, Halle Berry had us all seeing fireworks when she posted photos of herself with boyfriend Van Hunt. The Oscar winner posted a photo with the caption, “Can’t ruin my vibe today, and you damn sure can’t ruin his!” Berry and Hunt have been together for over three years and are going strong. We love to see Black love thrive. 

Check out the post above.

Da Brat is very pregnant, and her wife, Jesseca Dupart is making sure she is feeling all the love. On July 4, the rapper shared a video on Instagram of Dupart surprising her with a pre-push gift: a brand-new Tesla, as reported by Vibe. Da Brat dedicated a heartfelt message to Dupart on IG, writing in part, "When Shalamar made ‘Never Knew Love Like This Before,’ they wrote it for ME! We UNDERSTAND one another. Some people STILL never ever find what we have in a whole lifetime." 

See the expression of their love above.

The Sacramento Observer has been recognized as the nation’s best Black newspaper, along with 16 other honors, at the 2023 Messenger Awards organized by the National Newspaper Publishers Association in Nashville, Tenn. This is the seventh time in history that the Observer, which is family-owned, has received the John B. Russwurm Award as America’s best Black newspaper. The awards are divided into six divisions, including equity, perspective, culture, creative, digital, and audience, with the pinnacle being the John B. Russwurm Award, given to the newspaper with the highest cumulative score. In addition, Larry Lee took home “Publisher of the Year,” a competitive honor against over 200 Black newspapers and the publishers who are part of the NNPA. Congrats! 

The board of directors of the Buffalo Audubon Society, an organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation of birds, has voted unanimously to change its name due to John James Audubon’s involvement in slavery, the Buffalo News reports. The ornithologist once owned Black people, stood against emancipation, and “stole human remains and sent the skulls to a colleague who used them to assert that whites were superior to non-whites,” according to John James Audobon: A Complicated History. Ed Sirianno, the executive director of the Buffalo chapter, said the Buffalo Audubon Society will form a committee to determine a new name.

The remarkable talent and awe-inspiring vocal diva Audra McDonald turned 53 years young on July 3. Throughout her career, she has continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible in musical theater and opera, amassing an impressive collection of awards and accolades. McDonald has won more Tonys than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories. See her performance of Billie Holiday above.

On July 3, legendary Today show anchor and Meteorologist Al Roker shared that his oldest daughter Courtney and her husband Wesley Laga had welcomed their first child, a daughter named Sky Clara Laga. The newest addition to the Laga-Roker family was born on July 3, and according to PEOPLE, the family "couldn't be happier." Courtney is Roker's daughter with ex-wife Alice Bell, whom he was married to from 1984 to 1994. He also has two children, Leila and Nick, with his wife, journalist Deborah Roberts.

Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan finally put a ring on it! The rapper married his longtime girlfriend, Jasmine in a star-studded wedding in Dallas, Texas. It’s unclear how long they have been together, but the happy couple already has two children. Raekwon, 53, whose real name is Corey Woods, exchanged vows with Jasmine in front of some of the biggest power players in the music industry, including fellow bandmates of the Clan including RZA, Ghostface Killah and Inspectah Deck. Also, Nas, Fat Joe, and N.O.R.E. 

The couple took their vows while being serenaded by  Faith Evans. See the video above.

Paramount has dropped the upcoming biopic Bob Marley: One Love , which stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the late legendary reggae artist and activist. The film is years in the making directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard, Monsters and Men) and produced by Marley's son, Ziggy Marley, daughter Cedella, and Marley's widow Rita Marlet. It will follow the journey of Marley leading up to 1978's One Love Peace Concert. Bob Marley: One Love is set to hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024. Check out the trailer above.