• News

by Sharelle Burt

August 2, 2024

Rudy Giuliani Ordered To Pay Almost $400K To Creditors After Crying Broke In NY Court

Rudy Giuliani's massive financial woes continue.

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Rudy Giuliani, the former attorney for Donald Trump, has finalized a last-minute deal to end his bankruptcy case and pay close to $400,000 to financial advisers hired by creditors, who include former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, ABC News reports. 

The deal, filed on July 31 in White Plains, New York, helps the disgraced former New York City mayor alleviate a possible deep dive into his personal finances after threats from a federal judge. 

Moss and Freeman won a massive $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani in 2023 over his false ballot fraud claims against them in correlation to the 2020 presidential election. The mother and daughter duo accused Giuliani of pushing lies about the presidential election being stolen from Trump, leading to death threats.

The agreement comes just three weeks after Judge Sean Lane dismissed Giuliani’s bankruptcy case and criticized him for several failed attempts to disclose his income sources and comply with court orders. After the case was dismissed, Giuliani’s legal team claimed he didn’t have enough money to pay the creditors’ forensic financial adviser, which was required under bankruptcy laws. 

Lane called his claims “troubling.”

“Even assuming that the Debtor does not have the funds on hand to immediately pay these bankruptcy expenses, he certainly has considerable assets upon which he can draw to pay such expenses,” Lane said in an order dated July 25.  

The claims prompted Lane to order all involved parties to submit suggestions on how to end the case by noon July 31 and prepare for a potential evidentiary hearing on Giuliani’s finances if a deal couldn’t be reached. The judge has to sign off on the agreement, which was filed less than three hours before the deadline. 

According to the Associated Press, Giuliani will be required to pay $100,000 to his lawyers to help pay Freeman and Moss’ financial adviser, New York-based Global Data Risk. The rest of the firm’s expenses will come from proceeds of selling either Giuliani’s apartment or Florida condominium, which are worth $5.6 million and $3.5 million, respectively, according to court documents. The firm can also place liens on both properties to ensure the fees are paid under the agreement.

Freeman and Moss can secure enforcement and payment of the $148 million verdict in federal court in Washington, D.C., where they won their case. Because of the bankruptcy, the collection efforts were put on hold.

This victory for the former election workers just added to Giuliani’s financial and legal woes. When he filed for bankruptcy, Giuliani listed nearly $153 million in existing or potential debts, including almost $1 million in state and federal tax liabilities, the money he owes lawyers, and millions of dollars in potential lawsuit judgments against him. He estimated his assets to be worth $1 million to $10 million.

He is facing additional criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona for his role in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, in which he has issued a not-guilty plea in both cases.

• Leadership

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

August 2, 2024

Give A Knockout Presentation That Leaves Your Audience Impressed

Giving a presentation in front of your peers, clients, or in front of a board is one of the more stress inducing tasks for most people.

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Originally Published Apr. 14, 2019.

Giving a presentation in front of your peers, clients, or in front of a board is one of the more stress-inducing tasks for most people. Getting up in front of a crowd to talk, explain, and bring forth an idea can be scary no matter the size of the group or who is in the room. However, as one who has presented in plenty of meetings, given a TEDx speech, and who has a stutter, I can tell you they are not as terrifying as you think.

Four Tips on Delivering a Great Presentation

Make eye contact

This was the first rule I learned when speaking publicly. Making eye contact engages people and makes them feel like they are being directly talked to, plus it invokes confidence. Your audience will believe that you know what you are talking about.

Have minimal info on slides 

When doing a presentation, sometimes you may want to use Canva or Google Slides to show pictures, charts, quotes, etc. My advice is to keep the information as brief as you can. In my opinion, the visuals of a presentation are used to have you expound on a topic. The audience is there to hear you talk, not to read the slides.

Project your voice 

During a speech, talk, or presentation, one of the goals is to make sure everyone hears you. The room that you are speaking in may be small with a handful of people or packed with folks who cannot wait to hear what you have to say. No matter the size of the crowd, you want to speak at a volume level so everyone can hear you. The goal is for people in the back to hear what you have to say as well as those seated in the front.

Use your personality 

Some of the most boring, mundane meetings have been because the presenter was dry and spoke in a flat, almost robotic manner devoid of any personality. That will turn people off from what you have to say and possibly put folks to sleep. My suggestion is to inject who you are into the presentation. When I spoke at TEDxWilsonPark, one of the ways that I wanted to keep the audience interested is to show my goofy charm which gained laughs, and I was able to connect with the audience. This is your presentation; personalize it.

RELATED CONTENT: Are You Bossing Up In Your Online Meetings?

• Education

by Stacy Jackson

August 2, 2024

Foster Youth Receive College Dorm Assistance From ‘Move-In Day Mafia’

The initiative supports former foster care youth entering HBCUs with a school shopping spree, care packages, and a dorm room makeover.

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Originally Published Aug. 4, 2023.

No student should have a lonely transition as they begin their college journey.

Television editor and producer TeeJ Mercer is putting an end to the harsh reality that many students lack proper resources when entering college through her non-profit, Move-In Day Mafia (MIDM). The initiative supports young adults aging out of the foster care system who are furthering their studies at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

According to the non-profit’s website, the “MAFIA” is a group of volunteers that supports underserved first-year students by presenting them with the ultimate dorm room makeover experience to boost their drive to pursue their educational goals. The “MAFIA” shows up to the campuses of HBCUs to provide these services for former foster youth as they start a new chapter of their lives.

“How can students focus, create, and thrive when they are worried about their basic human need?” Mercer, a Howard University graduate, told Essence. “I just want them to go to school and not have to work two or three jobs to take care of themselves. The only thing they should be concerned about is studying hard, partying, making memories, and, ultimately, graduating.”

The dorm room makeover also comes with care packages stuffed with hygiene and cleaning products.

“It costs about $1,700 to get each of our MIDM scholars moved in and set up with their first few months of care packages,” Mercer said. “But we have resolved that we will do EVERYTHING in our power to disrupt the foster care to prison pipeline and transform it into the foster care to HBCU graduate pipeline!”

MIDM stays connected with the students for four years and celebrates them upon graduation. 

Move-In Day Mafia is a collaboration with TV production company Planet Bougie. You can also help the “MAFIA” as a volunteer or send a donation.

RELATED CONTENT: UGA Students Battle Bats In Dorms Amid Public Health Concern

• News

by Jameelah Mullen

August 2, 2024

50 Cent Was Almost Excluded From The 2022 Super Bowl Performance

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the rapper turned media mogul opened up about his strained relationship with the Roc Nation Founder.

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Rapper 50 Cent recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter. In the candid interview, the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, discussed everything from his media empire, rap beefs and of course, Diddy. 

The rapper also spoke about his performance in the 2022 halftime show which featured a mash-up of Dr. Dre-produced artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, and others. 

The media mogul shared he almost didn’t participate in the star-studded show. 

“They wanted to leave me out of it. They didn’t want me there,” the producer told The Hollywood Reporter. 

When asked who “they” were, 50 Cent said he was referring to Jay-Z’s ROC Nation who produced the show. He went on to say that fellow rapper Eminem is the reason why he was invited to perform.

“Eminem wouldn’t do it without me. That’s how I ended up on the show because he was not coming if I didn’t do it,” Jackson told the publication.

“When that happens, you go, ‘Damn, so you just lost Eminem because you didn’t bring 50? Damn. All right. Bring 50 then.’ But if it was up to them, they would not have me there. I’m the surprise. I’m not on the bill at all. But they couldn’t get Em to do it without me.”

The mogul seemed to take a jab at Jay-Z’s wife by implying that she may have a plug at the Grammys. 

“I don’t know who’s voting in that sh*t. It’s crazy. Whoever they are, they’re off at Beyoncé’s house because she has 30 of them,” the rapper said.

The Carters have not responded to 50 Cent’s comments. 

Jay Z wasn’t the only peer Jackson discussed. He held no punches when asked about Sean Puffy Combs. 50 Cent says he always got bad vibes from the disgraced producer. 

“I’ve been very vocal about not going to Puffy parties and doing sh*t like that,” the rapper said.

“I’ve been staying out of that shit for years. It’s just an uncomfortable energy connected to it.” Jackson is producing a Netflix documentary called Diddy Do It. The multi-episode series is expected to chronicle Diddy’s fall from grace. The streaming service has not announced a release date for the project.

RELATED CONTENT: 50 Cent Calls For Removal Of White Judge Captured on Video Threatening To Shoot Black Teens

by Ida Harris

August 2, 2024

Stacey Abrams Is A Class Act At Kamala Harris Rally In Atlanta

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Atlanta was lit Tuesday, July 30, at the Kamala Harris for President Rally that took place at the Georgia State Convocation Center. The crowd of 10,000 supporters were reported to be the largest crowd the vice president has drawn yet, according to MSNBC. The energy was magnetic. Harris’ Divine 9 sorority sisters represented in Alpha Kappa Alpha regalia, donning string pearls and the colors pink and green. The South had something to say and something to show and prove. Atlanta’s most notable celebrities, dignitaries, and public servants were in the building to rile up the crowd and support Harris in her fight to win the White House. Martin Luther King III watched from the rafters as Mayor Andre Dickens, and Senators Jeff Osoff and Raphael Warnock took center stage before a performance by Megan Thee Stallion and a word on gun violence from Migos rapper Quavo. While Vice President Harris was the main event, Stacey Abrams was the class act. 

Abrams set the night off when she walked across the stage to address a crowd who was enchanted by her presence. As the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial candidate reached the podium, rally-goers chanted “STACEY-STACEY-STACEY.” Abrams quickly redirected their enthusiasm and intonation to “Kamala-Kamala-Kamala.” The gesture was thoughtful and in solidarity with Harris. Abrams captivated the audience with her spirited speech, reminding them of the impact Georgia voters had on the 2020 presidential election that turned the state blue and resulted in a presidential win for Joe Biden and placed then-Senator Kamala Harris into the vice presidency. 

“Four years ago in state, we were in a dark place,” Abrams said. 

“There was COVID, but there was also Ahmaud Arbery. There was disease that was ravaging our nation and sadness…”

Abrams continued: “But four years ago when the nation looked around and asked ‘How do we find our way out?’, Georgia leaned in and said ‘Watch us get it done.’” 

“Georgia leaned in,” Abrams said. 

“It said we’re not only going to give you 16 electoral college votes and President Joe Biden, but because we’re southern we’re going to give you not one but two U.S. Senators.”

As of late, Abrams has been as visible on the political scene. In April 2023, the political leader took her talents to Howard University, where she serves as the inaugural Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics. 

Upcoming, is a new podcast Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams where the discussion will focus on topical issues, strategies and solutions. 

RELATED CONTENT: Stacey Abrams Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

• Health and Wellness

by Jameelah Mullen

August 2, 2024

FDA Approves First Blood Test for Colon Cancer Screening

Colon Cancer Screening: The test could increase the number of patients who receive screening for colorectal cancer.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new colorectal cancer (CRC) blood test.

Shield is a test created by Guardant Health in California. It is the first approved blood test that will serve as the primary screening option for the disease. Additionally, the company said the test meets Medicare coverage requirements. 

The FDA’s approval comes after a clinical trial that included 20,000 average-risk adults. The study showed Shield had an 83% sensitivity for detecting colorectal cancer. The study results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine in March. 

Robert Smith, Ph.D., senior vice president of Early Cancer Detection Science for the American Cancer Society, says that Shield is the only blood test currently available for CRC screening. 

“It compares favorably with other colorectal cancer screening tests,” such as colonoscopy, CT colonography, and stool tests, Smith told Fox News Digital.

“It offers the potential to detect colorectal cancer in a person who is non-adherent with screening recommendations, asymptomatic, and willing to get this test based on preference, convenience, or both,” he added.

Smith says the major advantage of this test is that it can be done during a routine doctor’s visit; patients will not have to take time off work or be sedated for the screening. 

The test does come with some disadvantages. According to Smith, the Shield test cannot detect polyps, which can serve as a precursor to CRC. If polyps are detected during a colonoscopy, they are removed and tested for signs of cancer. 

According to the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, more than one in three adults aged 50 to 75 are not getting the recommended CRC screening. 

Dr. Daniel Chung, gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, believes the Shield blood test may encourage more people to get the recommended screenings. 

“The persistent gap in colorectal cancer screening rates shows that the existing screening options do not appeal to millions of people,” Chung said in a Guardant press release. 

“The FDA’s approval of the Shield blood test marks a tremendous leap forward, offering a compelling new solution to close this gap. This decision will help make screening tests more broadly accessible. With increased screening rates and early cancer detection, many more lives can be saved,“ Chung said. 

For more information about the Shield Test, visit the Guardant website.

RELATED CONTENT: Dak Prescott Tackles Colon Cancer With Sh-t Talk Video

• Women

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

August 2, 2024

Fact Check: Kamala Harris Has Long Identified As A Black Woman, Despite Trump’s Lack Of Awareness

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This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said at an annual gathering of Black journalists on Wednesday that his Democratic rival Kamala Harris had downplayed her Black heritage in the past. The narrative, which quickly spread on social media, is false.

Similar posts were fact-checked by Reuters in 2020, when she became the first Black and Asian American woman to serve in the second highest office in the country. This and other misinformation about Harris has resurfaced since she launched her White House campaign in July.

At the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Chicago on July 31, Trump said, (timestamp 06:02): “She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting the Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black, until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”

He continued, “But you know what, I respect either one, I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn, and she went — she became a Black person.”

Contrary to Trump’s statements, however, Harris has long publicly identified as both Black and South Asian American.

Kamala Harris was born to an Indian mother and a Black Jamaican father, both immigrants to the United States. The U.S. Census includes people of Jamaican heritage among racial groups considered to be Black.

Her White House biography says she is “the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American” to be elected Vice President.

In a 2016 feature for The New York Times Magazine, Harris talked about her mother’s “choice of community” for her and her younger sister, Maya, after her parents divorced and referred to herself as a Black person: “She had two Black babies, and she raised them to be two Black women.”

In a 2012 interview hosted by digital news organization The Wrap, Harris, then California Attorney General, referred to herself as both African American and Asian American. The clip starts off with her saying, “When we think about women holding elected office and what is the significance of it, you know, it’s not because we are trying to makes these milestones in terms of the ‘first of’, and, you know, in fact when I was first elected district attorney of San Francisco, I was the first woman elected, first African American woman elected, and Asian American elected in the state as a district attorney…”

At a 2006 panel of emerging Black leaders at a conference about issues impacting African Americans, Harris, then San Francisco District Attorney, referred to herself as African American (starting at timestamp 24:01): “What I suggest we do as African American is own this issue in law enforcement and then define it in the way that works for us because it is a myth, to say that African Americans don’t want law enforcement.”

Harris graduated from Howard University, one of the country’s most esteemed HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), in 1986.

A spokesperson for Donald Trump sent a link to a July 31 post published on his Truth Social account repeating the former president’s comment about Harris’s heritage. The post features a clip from a 2019 video that shows Harris cooking Indian food with actress Mindy Kaling, who is of Indian heritage.

In the video, Harris responds, “Yes, yes,” when Kaling says she is Indian. When Kaling says the two women are South Indian, Harris responds by saying, “You look like the entire one-half of my family.”

A representative for Harris shared a video where Harris responded to Trump’s appearance at the NABJ by saying, “It was the same old show. The divisiveness and the disrespect.”

Harris has faced a plethora of sexist and racist attacks online, including questions over her racial identity, since announcing her 2024 bid for the Oval Office. Republican Party leaders have urged lawmakers to focus on her policy positions and steer clear of personal attacks.

VERDICT

False. Kamala Harris is of Indian and Jamaican heritage and has long self-identified as both Black and South Asian American.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Women In Mississippi Hope Kamala Harris Will Turn The State Blue 

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 2, 2024

Carmelo And LaLa Anthony’s Baby Boy Named ESPN’s Top Basketball Recruit In New York

The 17-year-old high school senior already has offers from Auburn University, Florida State University, Ohio State University, Rutgers University, and USC (University of Southern California).

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Kiyan Anthony, the son of Carmelo Anthony (former NBA player for the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets) and LaLa Anthony (actress, Power; and former MTV host), has been named ESPN‘s No. 1 New York State Recruit for 2025.

The media outlet recently released the list and gave the future NBA star a grade of 86, the player with the highest rating in New York State. According to ESPN Radio, Kiyan, who will be a senior in high school this upcoming year, is also ranked as the 40th-best player in the country for the upcoming Class of 2025.

Kiyan, who hasn’t yet committed to any college program, has already garnered interest from his father’s alma mater, Syracuse University. In 2022, the school offered him a basketball scholarship. Carmelo played just one season at Syracuse (2002-03) and took the team to a championship in his only collegiate season. That championship is the only one the school has won.

Beyond blessed to receive an offer from Syracuse University! #GOORANGE🍊🍊 pic.twitter.com/uBMq5Kwdv7

— Kiyan Anthony (@kiyananthony) November 13, 2022

• Money

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

August 2, 2024

5 Tips To Make Your Money Work For You

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Originally Published Jan. 6, 2023.

Day in and day out, we, as consumers, are constantly throwing our hard-earned money down the drain. Spending is a part of the American lifestyle, so why not get the most for our buck? Put down the credit card and start making some sound decisions when it comes to making your money work for you!

How to get started:

Start an online store

Yes, I know. Many of us look at online stores as gimmicky, cluttered with the same mass of stock apparel, and downright sketchy. However, drop-ship is a completely new ball game and takes the manual labor out of actually running a business by yourself.

Invest a little to set up the website, get quick samples to photograph (many already come with stock photos), upload, then have a third-party ship them out every time someone orders. You literally never lift a finger.

Try peer-to-peer lending

I’ve honestly tried this and it worked out, at first. The trick to peer-to-peer lending is to NEVER lend over $100. This is because lending comes with risks, of course. If you lend anything over that and it turns out that person can’t repay you, then you end up losing every cent.

Although these apps may send them to collections to help get your money back, it’s always safe to say, only lend what you may feel comfortable with never getting back. However, if you do decide to go this route, you can make up to a $50 profit on every loan you dish out.

Invest in quick-app stocks

These apps include Acorns, Stash, etc. They take a portion of the dollar amount of what you spend – then invest it into stocks of your choice. It’s seamless and a thoughtless process, so much so that you’ll look up and would have invested over $500 within a month!

Use coupons or rebate apps – every time you shop

If you frequent stores like Target, Walmart, or even popular retail stores, there’s a legit way to pay less for everything. Apps like Ebates, Rakuten and more, can filter through your daily purchases and get your money back on the spot.

You can even save bigger by using coupons on all your purchases as well. Ordering pizza? There’s a coupon. Getting face wash from Walgreens or CVS? There are tons of coupons for that, too! Just Google it and thank me later!

Keep the bulk of your money in interest savings accounts

If you want to have your money make you more money over time, consider an interest savings and/or checking account.

There is a vast difference between an account that builds interest and your standard Chase Bank account. Online banks like Ally, Wealthfront, or Betterment are slowly but surely creeping up to take the crown when it comes to high APYs or annual rates of return.

This story first appeared on BlackPRWire.