August 6, 2024
T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris was picked up on an arrest warrant that was issued for another man with the same name at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
HipHopDX reported that T.I. was not arrested but was given three citations and allowed to leave the scene.
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August 6, 2024
Rep. Jeffries described Gov. Hochul’s decision as a “reasonable thing to do at this moment” during a news conference on August 5
Senate Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries praised the decision of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to pause a controversial congestion pricing program even though it reportedly cost the Manhattan Transit Authority $15 billion.
According to Gothamist, Jeffries described Gov. Hochul’s decision as a “reasonable thing to do at this moment” during a news conference on Aug. 5, which marked the groundbreaking of a $57 million project that will add elevators to the city’s Clausson Avenue station.
According to Jefferies, “I think that Gov. Hochul was obvious that she had cost-of-living concerns regarding congestion pricing that should be evaluated. I stayed neutral throughout the entire process, but I’ve supported the pause as a reasonable thing to do at this moment.”
Jeffries supported the pause following Hochul’s announcement on June 5. His office quickly approved a “temporary pause of limited duration to understand better the financial impact [of congestion pricing] on working-class New Yorkers.”
Although the program was touted by Danny Pearlstein, a spokesperson for Riders Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for better transit in New York, Hochul indicated that her decision to pause congestion pricing came from talking to everyday New Yorkers.
Although the cost of congestion pricing for the everyday driver would have increased the daily fee to enter a designated congestion zone in Manhattan to $15, transit advocates like Riders Alliance accused Gov. Hochul of orchestrating a political move.
Gov. Hochul and Rep. Jeffries, however, have denied such actions. According to Jeffries, “We did not discuss the impact adversely on the House of Representatives in connection with congestion pricing.”
According to The New York Times, congestion pricing has proven effective at reducing pollution, although it was no less controversial when first instituted in London. When London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan decided to expand the city’s congestion pricing program in August 2023, he was met with protests and criticism from his own party and the opposition. Still, he eventually won the election comfortably despite his plans for congestion pricing.
However, the data released on July 24 showed that most London drivers had already met the threshold for avoiding the $16 fee. However, it still made more than $130 million for the City of London, and it is projected that by 2026, the city will no longer be collecting fees because all cars will comply.
Hochul, meanwhile, faces two lawsuits from environmental groups, including one from the Sierra Club, the aforementioned Riders Alliance, and the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, which alleges that Hochul’s blockage of the program constitutes a violation of the New York State right to clean air and water promised to its citizens via the state Constitution.
According to Dror Ladin, a lawyer for Earthjustice’s northeast regional office and lead attorney on the group’s lawsuit against Hochul, “The governor just took it away and said, ‘We’re not going to do that. That seems to be a pretty clear violation. Governor Hochul’s decision to block congestion pricing is totally inconsistent with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act,” Ladin told the Sierra Club.
“It specifically gets us further away from our emissions goals.”
August 6, 2024
Black women entrepreneurs discuss how the anti-DEI movement could potentially impact the future of Black business.
With rising threats limiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) funding, Black women entrepreneurs are expressing their fears and strategies to handle this growing issue.
A cohort of 70 Black entrepreneurs, the majority being women, participated in the conversation regarding the future of their businesses. As DEI initiatives remain under attack, crucial funding is now in limbo. This current dilemma limits how many companies can stay in operation and get off the ground.
The discussion by tech CEO Barbara Jones-Brown pointed to a particular lawsuit that has paused the distribution of Fearless Funds grants to Black women entrepreneurs.
“There are grant programs that are giving people $100,000, $200,000, and $500,000. They were giving [$20,000], and they get attacked,” said Jones-Brown, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s all calculated. All of this stuff is strategic…They know exactly what they’re doing to dismantle all of this.”
The lawsuit, filed by an Edward Blum-led conservative group, claimed that its $20k grant contest to support Black women entrepreneurs was “discriminatory.” The Fearless Fund’s mission of investing in women-owned companies has been stunted amid the legal battle.
Jones-Brown’s own success also stemmed from DEI funding. She scaled her own business, Freeing Returns, through the help of Black-led funds. The funding efforts gained traction after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, which prompted nationwide protests and a cultural shift to uplift the Black community.
“A lot of Black-led funds got created that year,” explained Jones-Brown. “So, I was pitching to Black women, Black men, and they heard me; they saw me.”
However, the shift now leans in the opposite direction, with a conservative movement to disband DEI programs. The movement ignores the fact that funding barriers continue to persist for minority-owned companies. According to a 2021 study by the Minority Business Development Agency, Black entrepreneurs were 13% more likely to use their personal finances to alleviate business struggles than their white counterparts.
“These organizations, funds and programs are set up to address the disparity between brown and Black communities and women,” explained Donna Ennis, director of community engagement for the Georgia MBDA Business Center. “Because when you do the research even on women companies, no matter what color, they’re significantly underfunded as well.”
All hope is not lost, with some lenders understanding that specifically helping diverse entrepreneurs keeps them around. However, the most significant factor in maintaining one’s business is having the sales to sustain it.
“We need to really focus on getting a lot of our money through sales, not just from investments and grants and non-dilutive funding,” Jones-Brown said. “That’s wonderful to get you started, but we need business. We are in business to make money.”
One can expect this anti-DEI movement to wage on. Despite this issue, Black women entrepreneurs continue to rally together and advocate for the importance of diverse funding.
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August 6, 2024
Declan Hicks was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.
On August 2, a five-year-old boy died after a bounce house went flying into the air at a family event at a baseball park in Maryland.
According to NBC Washington, the boy, who was identified by a representative of the family as Declan Hicks, died during “Faith and Family Night” at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, where the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball team was playing a game. An inflatable bounce house, which had several children playing inside, went airborne due to a wind gust.
A press release from the Charles County Government stated that the Charles County 9-1-1 Public Safety Communications responded to a call about a moon bounce house becoming airborne with children inside it. According to the outlet, the moon bounce was carried approximately 15 to 20 feet up in the air, causing the children inside to fall before it landed on the baseball field.
Within minutes, Charles County EMS personnel, who were stationed at the stadium, started attending to the children, along with trainers from the team and some volunteer first responders. Two children were injured and taken to Children’s Hospital, where Hicks was later pronounced dead. The second child had non-life-threatening injuries.
“We extend our deepest empathy to the children and their families during this difficult time,” stated Charles County Government Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins, II, Esq. in a written statement. “We thank our EMS team and the Maryland State Police for their swift actions to ensure the children received immediate care.”
NBC Washington spoke to Hicks’ father, David Hicks Jr., who stated his wife was at the game with Declan.
“She’s trying to get through it, but it tears her up,” Hicks stated. “We can’t even come with words sometimes.”
“Words just can’t explain how remarkable he was.”
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Maryland Department of Labor are investigating what happened.
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August 6, 2024
Trump shares similarities with the Georgia rapper. Both were indicted on RICO charges by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
During a live podcast with controversial influencer Adin Ross, Donald Trump said that rapper Young Thug is being “treated very unfairly” in his Georgia RICO trial.
After Ross mentioned his “friend” Young Thug and his current legal battle, he asked Trump what they could do to ensure the rapper’s right to a fair trial. NFR Podcast shared the clip with X.
Donald Trump on Young Thug’s current situation with Adin Ross
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) August 5, 2024
“He’s gotta be treated fairly”pic.twitter.com/jCPiCJekg3
Trump responded, kind of.
“So, I heard about him, so I have heard he is being treated very [unfairly] by (district attorney Fani Willis), and I would tell her, she’s got to treat these patriots that are being all, terrible, all going after him, and I hear Young Thug is being treated…I heard the name. I heard it from other people that he’s being treated unfairly. So, he’s got to be treated fairly.”
Young Thug was indicted on racketeering, gang, drug, and gun charges in 2022. His case has caused much controversy, including a potential mistrial and the removal of its original judge. Despite this, he and five others continue to be detained.
Trump’s sentiments are not shocking, given his own RICO charges in the state. Young Thug, like Trump, is being prosecuted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Trump also criticized Willis, even mocking the pronunciation of her first name.
“She goes by the name Fani, even though it’s F-A-N-I, she wants it pronounced ‘faa·nee,’ little French, little French accent,” stated Trump.
However, according to Fox 5, Fani is a Swahili name that means “prosperous.”
As for Willis’ indictment against Trump for election interference, the Supreme Court’s June ruling on presidential immunity further complicates the case. Moreover, the Georgia Court of Appeals will hear Trump’s appeal of the Willis disqualification decision on Dec. 5, extending the actual trial even more.
August 6, 2024
The fashion designer made suits for the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and JAY-Z
A social media post revealed that fashion designer Waraire Boswell, who has styled the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Jay-Z, recently passed away.
Without revealing the cause of death, the Instagram post stated that he lost a private battle and the family has asked for privacy as “they take the time to grieve” the man they loved.
“After a private battle, it is with heavy hearts that we announce the tragic passing of fashion designer, Waraire Boswell. Waraire was an enthusiastic father, a devoted husband, and a loyal son who captured the friendships of many through his infectious personality and creative talents. Affectionately known as Boz, he is survived by his wife, Monica Boswell, and their two children, Miles and Mason, his mother, Ann Boswell, and his sister, Kasmin Boswell.”
Women’s Wear Daily reported that Boswell was 48 years old when he died.
The popular designer graduated from California State University at Northridge. His height (Boswell stood 6’7″) was the primary reason he started making clothes, as he struggled to find attire that matched his body frame. He started working in the 1990s when he was employed with the United Talent Agency and then the William Morris Agency.
In 2002, Boswell started his fashion label and attended industry events where he could be seen in his suits, which led many people to ask about the suits he was wearing.
His clothes became popular among athletes and celebrities, and his clothes were worn by dignitaries when they were out and about at highly attended functions such as award shows and sports events. Some people who wore his clothes included Tyson Chandler, Will Smith, Blake Griffin, Chris Bosh, and Colin Kaepernick.
In the Instagram post announcing his death, he was quoted as always saying, “Infrastructure starts with family, then becomes a legacy when you inject love into what you do.”
August 6, 2024
This may shake some things up online....
A judge ruled Google’s search engine was an illegal monopoly after finding it forced its dominance to diminish competition and limit innovation, The Associated Press reported.
The decision was handed down by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Aug. 5 after a year-long legal battle between the internet conglomerate and the U.S. Justice Department for what’s been labeled as the country’s biggest antitrust showdown in 25 years.
Mehta reviewed evidence, including testimony from top executives at Google, Microsoft, and Apple, during a ten-week trial in 2023 and finally ruled, following both sides presenting closing arguments in May 2024. “After having carefully considered and weighed the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta wrote in a 277-page ruling.
He continued, claiming Google’s dominance in the search market is evidence of it being a monopoly by enjoying “an 89.2% share of the market for general search services, which increases to 94.9% on mobile devices.”
The judge’s ruling could cause a shift on the internet and hinder one of the world’s favorite companies and its parent, Alphabet Inc. The parent company argued that Google’s popularity strictly came from consumers, who have a desire to use it as their trusted search engine. With the search engine being so good at its job, the company feels it has become synonymous with finding things online.
The search engine processes approximately 8.5 billion queries per day worldwide, which is almost double its day-to-day volume from 12 years ago. However, Mehta’s ruling was geared toward the billions of dollars Google spends per year to install the search engine as the default option on new cellphones and other tech gadgets.
Back in 2021, Google spent over $26 billion in efforts to lock in default agreements.
While Google defended those accusations by noting that consumers tend to change their search engines, Mehta said trial evidence showed that Microsoft’s Bing search engine holds an 80% share of the search market on the Microsoft Edge browser. If Google was not locked in as the predetermined option, the numbers show other search engines have the range to be successful.
According to The Guardian, Google’s President of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, said the company is planning to appeal the decision. “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available,” Walker said.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland called the ruling a major victory as antitrust regulators at the Justice Department, who filed a lawsuit while Donald Trump was still in office, have been revving up efforts to combat Big Tech’s power under President Joe Biden’s administration. “This victory against Google is a historic win for the American people,” Garland said.
“No company — no matter how large or influential — is above the law. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce our antitrust laws.”
While the ruling has the room to change the status of internet searches, it does not state what penalties Google will face for violation of antitrust laws, which could open the door for questions about the future of the company’s dominance over the search industry and its operations.
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August 6, 2024
Black folks continue to pose for Olympic Iconography.
The 2024 Paris Olympics Gymnastics competition came to a close Sunday night. For the first time in gymnastics history, each podium space was occupied by a Black woman. The iconography is epic and potentially marks the end of an era for Simone Biles, the world’s most decorated gymnast of all time. After winning the gold in the vault, all-around, and the team final, Biles took the podium for what may be the last time as a silver medalist for floor exercise. Biles was joined by teammate Jordan Chiles, who scored a bronze medal for the individual event. Completing the trio of winners was Rebeca Andrade of Brazil.
Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles showed love to Rebeca Andrade after she won her first gold medal of the Paris Olympics ❤️ pic.twitter.com/feXEvnPyCx
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 5, 2024
Though Team USA athletes did not take home the top prize, their enthusiasm for the winner, Andrade of Brazil, was evident. Honoring Andrade as she took her place on the podium, both Biles and Chiles knelt, giving Brazil’s most decorated Olympian her due. The moment is being lauded as picture-perfect. The image will most likely join the ranks in epic Olympic iconography. The photo speaks to the sportsmanship of the 2024 gymnast class and could be seen as a passing of the torch from Biles.
Biles spoke highly of Andrade during the 2024 matchups, stating how Andrade’s talent level both pushed and unnerved her.
After her all-around win, Biles said, “I don’t want to compete with Rebeca no more. I’m tired. I’ve never had an athlete that close, so it definitely put me on my toes and it brought out the best athlete in myself.”
BLACK ENTERPRISE cannot highlight a moment that will likely go down in the Olympic annals without harkening back to arguably the greatest Olympic photo ever. Track and field athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, American-born Black men, stamped their names in history for throwing up Black power fists on the Olympic podium at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
Amid the Civil Rights Movement, Black women and men marched and organized, and some were brutalized in the name of equal rights. Smith and Carlos, while chosen to represent the U.S., did not receive the same freedoms as other U.S. citizens. Smith and Carlos lifted the Black fist salute on an international stage as a way to amplify the message of Black Americans. Their message was clear as they stood in silent protest.
There was a price to be paid as Smith and Carlos were exiled from the remainder of the games and received harsh criticism once returning to the U.S. Both have spoken out over the years detailing the trials they faced due to their actions. Yet they endured.
The photo of Olympic greatness, persistence, and defiance is often referenced when speaking of memorable Olympic iconography. Biles, Chiles, and Andrade are in legendary company.
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August 6, 2024
These five key tips will help young entrepreneurs begin their journey to achieve a healthy work-life balance, exceed sales goals and manage a growing team.
Young business owners are among the most driven and visionary leaders today. Competing against established, innovative, and growing companies forces you to think creatively and remain passionate about your product or service. However, it’s common for young entrepreneurs to also feel immense pressure to meet sales goals, complete tasks, and lead an entire company.
Although pressure comes with the job of being an entrepreneur, it shouldn’t be so overwhelming to the point of feeling burned out and falling behind on tasks, especially when you have recently launched your own company. Five key tips will help young entrepreneurs begin their journey (and stick with it), ultimately allowing them to achieve a healthy work-life balance, exceed sales goals, and manage a successful, growing team.
Managing a to-do list can be difficult for new business owners; you may feel like you have to take care of everything or find it hard to trust someone else to complete an important assignment. Entrepreneurs should focus on the priorities that require their time and attention; a supporting staff or staff member can handle any other smaller tasks. This is a great way to relieve some pressure and also to trust employees to complete these tasks and meet deadlines.
Do not underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. One must sleep well every day to think creatively and feel more energetic. Sleep is not only important to your health, but it can also help you make smarter business decisions and work more efficiently. Young entrepreneurs should get into the habit of being rested enough to tackle anything.
Whether it’s a client or an employee, if somebody has a request that doesn’t fit into your busy schedule or isn’t something that requires your special attention, then politely decline or say something like, “I’m sorry, I would love to help you right now, but I’m very busy at the moment. Can I get back to you tomorrow? It’s easy to say “yes” but young entrepreneurs must learn to say “no” and avoid taking care of more than they can handle.
Taking risks might sound intimidating to a young entrepreneur, but doing so may open doors to amazing opportunities. Trying a different sales plan or expanding your company to different markets are decisions that may or may not result in success, but having a plan set for both scenarios will be hugely helpful in moving the business forward.
Starting a company is not easy, and taking on such a challenge can make people feel nervous about their business plans. It’s important to remember that calling a mentor or hiring a business consultant is not only OK but is, in fact, a very smart move. Having a business professional guide you in growing your company can make the process run smoothly and the experience more exciting.
Young entrepreneurs are already eager to learn and practice new business strategies, all they need is a push in the right direction. By applying the tips above, you will surely see personal and professional growth, a growing business team, and a prosperous company.
Written by Stephanie Chung
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August 6, 2024
Business owner Keisha Smith-Jeremie shares tips for entrepreneurs after pitching her adult applesauce brand, Sanaia Applesauce, on Season 10 of ABC's "Shark Tank."
Originally Published Oct. 18, 2018.
Applesauce is for kids, right? Wrong.
Keisha Smith-Jeremie pitched Sanaia Applesauce for applesauce-loving adults on Season 10 of ABC’s Shark Tank. After the show, BLACK ENTERPRISE sat down with Smith-Jeremie for an interview about the show and her business.
It’s absolutely true. The absolute best part of this journey has been proving that adage true over and over again. Every day, I meet adults who whisper to me about the applesauce they sneak and squeeze out of their kids’ pouches or how they feel like they have to pretend they have kids when they are in the applesauce aisle. Millions of adults still love applesauce, and Sanaia was made with us in mind.
Sanaia is unlike any other applesauce on the market. The category is crowded but all around the same theme: what kids want. Sanaia uses green apples exclusively, whereas all other brands use red varieties. We also include actual baked apple wedges in every jar, and our flavors are authentically island-inspired. I think the key is to hone in on the customer or problem you address that no one else has. In our case, it’s the adults who’ve been settling for baby food taste and consistency in the current applesauce marketplace.
The very first thing I did was to research sources of information from others who had already been on my path. I found a book called Good Food, Great Business by Susie Wyshak. I then took it a step further and, after reading the book, found the author on LinkedIn and asked her for a consultation. The lesson here is to be relentless about finding paths already paved and to proactively seek out advice and counsel. Don’t reinvent the wheel, even if you’re creating a new product.
In March of 2017, nine months after we launched the company, I received an email from the show’s producers. I was at first certain it was a crack email! We applied and, three weeks later, learned we would be pitching in June. The application process is extremely rigorous but the production team was really helpful along the entire journey.
Practice, practice, practice. The first 2-minute pitch when you enter the tank is really important, and you have to develop a strong one that gets the sharks’ attention, but the real key to surviving the experience is to know your business inside and out. I watched hours and hours of shows, wrote down all of the questions, and practiced with my team until I could comfortably answer every single one.
The valuation process is particularly tricky for a young company like ours. We had to come up with something realistic and defensible. The key is not to get laughed out of the tank with a number that feels too lofty but to set a target that you can make reasonable estimates to build your way up to. I did consult with friends that I have who work in the finance sector to pressure test my rationale, and it was an incredibly important exercise to have those practice sessions.
Sanaia Applesauce CEO Keisha Smith Jeremie (ABC/Eric McCandless)
Since the taping of the show, we have been following up on all of the interest from buyers we received at the tradeshows this summer. We will be on grocery shelves across the country in our plastic cup offering in January. That first moment when I see Sanaia on a grocery store shelf will bring even more tears than what the Sharks brought out in me.
How do you plan to grow the business in 2018 and beyond?
For 2019, our focus will be establishing Sanaia as the definitive choice for adults who love applesauce. We see our single-serve plastic cup offering as the ideal option for breakfast as well as midday and after-dinner snacks. Beyond the grocery stores, we will be working to place our single-serving plastic cup offering Sanaia in airports, corporate cafeterias, and universities; basically, whenever adults have a hankering for some light, healthy, and sweet—we want Sanaia to be there.
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