by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 22, 2024

Damon Dash Claims His 1/3 Share Of Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Is Still For Sale—But Can He Actually Sell It?

Dash posted on Instagram he was taking 'real inquiries only.'

The ongoing saga of whether Damon Dash will sell his one-third share of Jay-Z’s iconic debut album Reasonable Doubt remains unresolved. Over the weekend, the former Roc-A-Fella executive announced that his stake in the classic hip-hop record is still available, but it remains unclear if he is legally able to sell it.

Jay-Z’s one-time partner has once again put the word out that someone with the right amount of cash can be the third owner of the Reasonable Doubt album, which came out almost 30 years ago.

“This s**t is for sale 1/3 … only real inquiries only”

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A post shared by Dame Dash (@duskopoppington)

But can Dash actually sell it without permission from his former partners, Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke?

Over two years ago, Jay-Z and Biggs obtained a restraining order to prevent Dame from selling an NFT of the project. Roc-A-Fella Records had asked for a declaration that Dash owned no rights to Jay-Z’s first album and the proposed sale of the NFT would breach his fiduciary duty as a co-owner. In June 2022, attorneys for both Roc-A-Fella and Dash informed a federal judge that they had reached a deal and Dash had agreed that he had no right to sell any portion of the album as a non-fungible token or otherwise.

“RAF, Inc. owns all rights to the album Reasonable Doubt, including its copyright,” the agreement states. “No shareholder or member of RAF, Inc. holds a direct ownership interest in Reasonable Doubt.”

Under the terms of the agreement hashed out, Dash can still sell the one-third stake he has in Roc-A-Fella in the future, but he cannot “in any way dispose of any property interest in Reasonable Doubt.

Earlier this year, however, a New York judge ordered Dash to sell his shares for his alleged refusal to pay a $823,000 judgment to movie producer Josh Weber.

Weber won a defamation and copyright infringement lawsuit against Dash following a dispute over the 2016 film, Dear Frank. The other Roc-A-Fella owners objected to the ruling, citing the bylaws that mandate approval from the board of directors to sell off shares. U.S. Magistrate Robert W. Lehrburger shut down their objections and ruled Dash’s one-third ownership of Roc-A-Fella is personal property that can be seized to satisfy his judgment.

Kamala Harris, Bernice A. King, Jasmine Crockett, Joyce Beatty

by Sharelle Burt

July 22, 2024

Win With Black Women Raise $1.5M For VP Kamala Harris’ Campaign In As Little As 3 Hours

Black women here to save democracy yet again!

The organization Win With Black Women jumped on a ZOOM call to organize with more than 40,000 Black women and raised over $1 million for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.

The call was held on Jul. 21 and hosted an impressive lineup of political and civil rights leaders, including Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-Tx.), Joyce Beatty (D-Oh.) and Dr. Bernice King. Described as a strong display of unity, leaders announced the call to action for Black women to get ready for Election Day and to help Harris combat former President Donald Trump. “We have a plan. This is not arbitrary. We are ready,” moderator Holli Holiday said.

We made history together tonight and raised over $1.5 million in just 3 hrs!

Have you given yet? Donate here: https://t.co/LNDjYUl9X6 #WinWithBlackWomen #OneVoiceOneFight pic.twitter.com/l9FvPAInXx
— Win With Black Women (@WinWithBLKWomen) July 22, 2024

With a powerful projection, Crockett proposed a strategy to ensure Project 2025 never sees the light of day. The legislator said the call was “historic” and said she was proud to be a part of it. “Thank you to my amazing SISTERS! Last night was historic, in a good way! While I had to hop off because this morning I have a hearing on the shooting that took place at Trump’s rally, every minute that I was able to be on was empowering,” she wrote.

“Yes, we KAM! #Kamala pronounced comma – la.”

Thank you to my amazing SISTERS! Last night was historic, in a good way!

While I had to hop off because this morning I have a hearing on the shooting that took place at Trump’s rally, every minute that I was able to be on was empowering.

Yes we KAM! #Kamala pronounced comma -… pic.twitter.com/fnyMG0OiMP
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) July 22, 2024

She encouraged the call’s attendees to study the public document as a way to help potential voters see that Harris has what it takes to make sure Trump doesn’t take a step into the Oval Office again. The fiery politician has used her platform to make it clear that she is standing firm with her party, regardless of who the candidate is. “I have been clear about where I stand. I am ALL IN for VP @KamalaHarris. She’s the VICE PRESIDENT… she’s the second in command. She can & will finish the job,” she wrote on X after the call.

“We have to do the work! I don’t want another few weeks of not getting to the job of BEATING MAGA & Project 2025!”

I have been clear about where I stand, I am ALL IN for VP @KamalaHarris. She’s the VICE PRESIDENT… she’s the second in command. She can & will finish the job!

We have to do the work! I don’t want another few weeks of not getting to the job of BEATING MAGA & Project 2025! https://t.co/bYRbCDWewU
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) July 22, 2024

The financial support and endorsements continued to pour in after President Biden made the groundbreaking decision to drop his reelection bid. According to CNN, longtime Democratic fundraiser Alan Kessler said his phone wouldn’t stop ringing in a show of support for Harris. One simply called the decision “transformative.”

Fellow fundraiser Matt Gorman said people who were once holding money back are now “excited” donors are “excited” about the new presumptive nominee. “The energy in the last 6 hours has been reinvigorating and inspiring,” Gorman said. As a result, Vice President Harris raised $49.6 million in grassroots donations for her campaign since Biden’s endorsement.

However, on top of money, she will need 1,986 delegates to decide if she will officially become the party’s nominee. As of Jul. 21, 531 delegates had already endorsed Harris.

Derrick Henry, Body Maintenance, Baltimore Ravens, NFL

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 22, 2024

Ravens’ Derrick Henry Drops $240K A Year On Body Maintenance To Stay In Top Shape

The running back recently signed a two-year, $16 million contract including $9 million guaranteed in 2024.

Many athletes prioritize their bodies during the season to stay in peak game shape. However, Derrick Henry, the running back for the Baltimore Ravens, takes this commitment to the next level. For Henry, maintaining his physique is a year-round practice, reportedly costing him $240,000 annually.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Henry’s financial adviser, Pete Kotos, stated that the Ravens player probably spends $240,000 a year on body maintenance. Henry gave a somewhat detailed look into what his day consists of when it comes to his diet and nutrition. As with most players, he has a personal chef who prepares his meals. It’s mostly natural and there are no fried foods, gluten, dairy, or artificial sugars included on his plate.

He stated that during the season, he won’t start eating until around 4 or 5 p.m. He mentioned that he would then eat another meal, usually around 8 p.m. But, when the season is over, he will eat his first meal around 1 p.m.

“I probably eat three chicken breasts, some rice, and broccoli,” he told the media outlet. “Then I have some gluten-free pancakes, scrambled eggs, diced potatoes, home fries, and some steak.”

His diet and his natural ability to play his position very well are working out for him. He has had 1,757 more rushing years since the 2018 season. Add to that, 37 more broken tackles and 27 more rushing touchdowns than any other football player in the NFL.

The New York Post reported that Henry, who spent his first eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, signed a two-year, $16 million contract earlier this year, including $9 million guaranteed in 2024. Over the last six seasons, the running back has run for 8,268 yards and 80 touchdowns, making him one of the best at his position.

by Daniel Johnson

July 22, 2024

Black Families In California Fight For Land, Call For Reparations

The practice of eminent domain has been the source of recent pushes for Black people to receive reparations, or repayment for the wrongs done to them by their state or federal governments.

Black families in Coloma, California, a small town of around 300 people, are fighting to receive restitution for land that they say was denied to their ancestors by the State of California in order to create a state park. Coloma, historically, is one of the places where the Gold Rush of the 19th Century was kicked off, and among those who came to California seeking the opportunity to strike it rich were free and enslaved Black Americans.

According to CBS News, roughly 100 years after the Gold Rush, California took lands from inhabitants, likely using eminent domain law, for the creation of the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, which opened in 1942. The California State Park Department is aware that the land of some Black people was taken in order to create the park, and lists information about property that was historically owned by Black families at the site of the park.

According to two sets of descendants of Nelson Bell, a formerly enslaved Black man from Virginia who settled in the area, they believe his land was stolen through the machinations of the legal system. According to a document CBS News procured from the El Dorado History Museum, a judge determined that since Bell had no heirs living in California at the time of his death in 1869, his estate would go on the auction block, allowing whoever wanted the property to bid for and purchase it.

Elmer Fonza, a retired brewery worker who moved to Nevada from California, and the third-great grandson of Bell, is not sure what happened to the property after it went up for auction, but testified at the final meeting of California’s state reparations task force that he believed the family should still have ownership of the land.

“We rightfully believe that we have been denied the generational wealth that our family may have been entitled to if given our rightful inheritance — the land once owned by Nelson Bell.” Fonza said at the meeting.

Another family who claims to be descended from Bell, but not related to Fonza, is the Burgess family. That family, who also claims Rufus Morgan Burgess, a Black writer who was brought to the city along with his enslaved father as an ancestor, told CBS News that if the land cannot be returned to the families it was originally stolen from, then they should be compensated.

Jonathan Burgess, the co-owner of a barbeque catering business and a Sacramento resident, told the outlet, “We have to bring forth the truth, because that’s reconciliation. And then once we bring forth the truth, which I’ve been doing in speaking the whole time, we’ve got to make it right.”

The discrepancy between the two family kinships is an illustration of the kind of work that is in front of Black families if California declares that as a condition of receiving reparations they have to produce and document their lineage, which is often a difficult task for Black families due to the practice of family separation during enslavement and documents which outright erased them from records.

California lawmakers are currently considering reparations proposals in the California State Legislature, including a bill that would create the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency, which would assist Black residents in researching their sometimes fragmented family histories. The legislature is also weighing another proposal, which is similar to Burgess’ argument. That piece of legislation would entitle Black Californians who had their land taken by the government using racially discriminatory means or methods to compensation for the lost lands or the return of the property.

The practice of eminent domain has been the source of recent pushes for Black people to receive reparations or repayment for the wrongs done to them by their state or federal governments. In June 2023, Michael Jones, a 63-year-old resident of Huntsville, Alabama, told The New York Times that his family’s fight was really about the erasure of their ability to build and create wealth.

“For our family and others, it’s not just about the taking of the land; it’s about the taking of our ability to build wealth,” Jones said.

by Stacy Jackson

July 22, 2024

Chesapeake Woman Wins $180K With 6 Virginia Lottery Tickets

The woman's strategic play of identical winning numbers across multiple Virginia Lottery tickets resulted in a substantial $180,000 payout.

A Chesapeake resident struck gold with the Virginia Lottery when she purchased six tickets for the Pick 5 game, all bearing identical winning numbers for the June 5 draw.

Latoya Burke’s decision to play the same five-digit combination on multiple tickets paid off handsomely, as each ticket netted her $30,000, culminating in a staggering $180,000 windfall. “I checked the numbers, and I was happy,” Burke shared with Lottery officials upon claiming her prize. The winning combination for that draw was 5-5-5-5-0. Burke’s 50/50 wager strategy meant that matching all five winning numbers in exact order resulted in the $30,000 payout per ticket.

Burke purchased her lucky tickets at Tinee Giant on Jackson Avenue in Chesapeake. The Virginia Lottery holds Pick 5 drawings twice daily, offering a top prize of $50,000 for a $1 play. The odds of matching all five winning numbers in precise order stand at one in 100,000.

All profits generated by the Virginia Lottery are allocated to K-12 public education in the state. Last fiscal year, Chesapeake schools received over $27.2 million in lottery funds. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Lottery contributed more than $867 million to K-12 education, accounting for roughly 10% of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.

Recently, Virginia participated in Lottery Week, a North American initiative showcasing how lotteries benefit their respective states. “Since the first ticket was bought on September 20, 1988, the Virginia Lottery has generated funds for the Commonwealth, including more than $12 billion for K-12 public education,” stated Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones, appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in April. “All of us take pride in our mission of contributing to Virginia’s future, one play at a time.”

The lottery produces thousands of winners daily across the state. Beyond educational funding, businesses partnering with the Lottery to sell tickets earn commissions, often benefiting small-town stores and local economies. During Lottery Week, Virginia reaffirmed its commitment to responsible gaming practices and raising awareness about problem gambling.

Ohio judge, racial Discrimination, Jefferson County Judge Tracy Davis, Kentucky

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 22, 2024

Kentucky Judge Chastises 2 Teenagers For Fighting In Jail: ‘I’m Not Your Mama. Don’t Play With Me’

Jefferson County Judge Tracy Davis warns Demaurion Moore and Mekhi Cable about their behavior

Two Kentucky teenagers who are on trial for allegedly killing another teenager were admonished by Jefferson County Judge Tracy Davis, who found out that the two suspects were fighting in jail. She expressly told the two teens, “I’m not your mama. Don’t play with me.”

According to WHAS11, the two teenagers, Demaurion Moore and Mekhi Cable, are on trial for allegedly shooting and killing 16-year-old Tyree Smith back in 2021 while he was on a school bus. The incident took place at the Jefferson County Public School bus stop in Louisville. Smith attended Eastern High School. The two suspects, who were 16 years old at the time, allegedly drove by the bus stop and shot it up, killing Smith in the process and injuring two other students, a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old.

Attorneys for both teenagers were trying to have separate trials as opposed to the two of them being tried together. That was the purpose of the hearing, but Judge Tracy Davis laid the law down at the inception of the hearing after finding out the teens had been fighting one another.

She immediately warned the two boys that if she received another phone call about them “fighting and acting a fool,” they would not be happy.

“I don’t know how you all ended up in the same place or the same area, but that is 100,000% disrespectful, and it will not be tolerated. I’m not your mama. Don’t play with me.”

She also told them that they both face assault charges when they fight, and she expressed her disappointment in their behavior.

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A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

The boys are being tried for three different shootings, but Smith was not the intended target in one of them. Prosecutors want to try both boys for the separate cases together, but defense attorneys are requesting that each trial (of the three) be individual cases for both Moore and Cable. That would be a total of six trials if defense attorneys got their way. But, Davis stated that because the bus stop shooting was done together, they would be tried together for the Smith killing.

Isabella Strahan, Michael Strahan, Fever

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 22, 2024

Michael Strahan’s Daughter Isabella Reveals She Is Officially Cancer-Free In New Video

The 19-year-old first revealed her brain tumor diagnosis in January.

Michael Strahan has a lot to celebrate. His daughter, Isabella, revealed that she is officially cancer-free in a new video.

The 19-year-old shared the good news in a YouTube video titled “Goodbye Hospital.” In the vlog, she told viewers that an MRI scan detected no cancer in her body.

The teenager also showed footage of her going to the hospital to have her chemotherapy port removed. “I miss my doctors already and everyone who’s helped me because they’re all so nice,” explained Isabella. “I feel like I’m just saddened today knowing that I wasn’t gonna be going back for a while because I love them so much. So, that was my last hospital vlog until October!”

She initially shared her brain tumor diagnosis to Good Morning America in January. In the interview, Isabella revealed the decision to freeze her eggs to protect them from the rounds of chemotherapy.

Moreover, her cancer diagnosis took a toll on the entire family. Her father contemplated leaving television to spend more time with his loved ones.

While on In Depth With Graham Bensinger, Strahan spoke of retiring earlier than he once thought due to Isabella’s health scare. Strahan transitioned from playing in the NFL to daytime television, with his current hosting gig on GMA. Upon learning of his daughter’s cancer, he spent time away from the morning show.

“You’d think I’m the athlete, the tough guy, the father in the family. It is not about any of that. It has really made me change my perspective on so many things,” he shared in the interview. “I love my life, and I enjoy my life, but at some point, my kids are in college, I want to be able to go to college and say, ‘Yeah, let’s take a trip.’”

However, the 52-year-old assured fans that his time on television was not up yet. Despite this, his newfound outlook on family remains.

by Daniel Johnson

July 22, 2024

Edible Candies Recalled Due To Hospitalizations, Potential Death

While the Food and Drug Administration investigates microdosing candies made by Diamond Shruumz, it has recommended that the public avoid all products produced by the company.

While the Food and Drug Administration investigates microdosing candies made by Diamond Shruumz, it has recommended that the public avoid all products produced by the company. In conjunction with the FDA’s warning, the company that produces the candies has issued a recall after products have been linked to 36 hospitalizations and perhaps even one death across 36 states.

According to the Miami Herald, following the FDA’s warning in early June, Prophet Premium Blends, the parent company of Diamond Shruumz, issued a recall of all products on June 27.

“Due to consumers becoming ill after consuming the entire chocolate bar and some products containing higher levels of Muscimol than normal, all of our consumers must refrain from ingesting this product while we, alongside the FDA, continue our investigation as to what is the cause of the serious adverse effects,” the company said on its website. “In coordination with the FDA, we have initiated a RECALL and have ceased production and distribution of all Diamond Shruumz products. Retailers and wholesalers should discontinue use, stop distribution, quarantine the product immediately and contact their sales representative to initiate the return and refund.”

According to the FDA, the symptoms include seizures, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, high and low blood pressure, abnormal heart rates, agitation, nausea, and vomiting. Although the company has warned retailers that carry its products to remove them from shelves, the FDA warned that as of July 16, some products were still on the shelves.

Between July 9 and July 16, approximately 10 new cases were reported despite the warning that all products were on recall. According to the FDA, “(The) FDA is working with the National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Smoke Shop Association to increase awareness of the recall. All Diamond Shruumz-brand products have been recalled and should not be available for sale. Consumers should not purchase or consume any Diamond Shruumz-brand products. If you have seen a store continuing to sell recalled Diamond Shruumz-brand products, you can report this information to the FDA.”

The company is offering customers a full refund for any purchased products, and customers who may have purchased the recalled products are encouraged to either throw them away or return them to Premium Prophet Blends. Anyone who has gotten sick after eating the products should call the FDA’s Poison Help Line at 800-222-1222.

Candace Parker, WNBA, Basketball, adidas

by Stacy Jackson

July 22, 2024

adidas Basketball Honors Candace Parker With Surprise Ceremony At WNBA All-Star Weekend

The surprise ceremony celebrated Parker's new role as president of adidas Women's Basketball.

Adidas Women’s Basketball orchestrated an intimate ceremony to honor Candace Parker’s extraordinary journey and her groundbreaking new role as president of the brand during WNBA All-Star Weekend.

The surprise ceremony brought together Parker’s closest friends, loved ones, and other WNBA athletes to celebrate the basketball great’s 16-year collaboration with adidas.

“I’m so happy to represent a brand that believes in what I believe in, want my opinion and want to push the game forward,” Parker said, according to a press release. “I’m so grateful to adidas.”

In 2008, Parker joined adidas during her WNBA rookie season. In 2010, she became the first woman to have a signature adidas shoe, the ACE Commander. In her playing career, which ended in 2023, Parker was one of the league’s all-time greats, winning two MVP awards.

The ceremony follows the brand naming Parker its first-ever president of adidas Women’s Basketball in May, a position created to advance the brand’s commitment to women’s sports. Notable figures like Chelsea Gray and Sue Bird spoke at the ceremony, praising Parker’s trailblazing efforts and her impact both on and off the court.

Moved by the recognition, Parker told the audience to “never stop opening doors for women.” She added, “I’m so grateful for where the game is right now…To the players that are still playing – enjoy it. Your responsibility is to open up more doors for the next and do the impossible.”

WNBA All-Star weekend started with the annual ACE Party following adidas Women’s Basketball’s ceremony for Parker. Prominent guests such as Angel Reese and Megan Rapinoe attended, with Flau’jae Johnson delivering a performance to cap off the evening.

“Both moments mark the brand’s commitment to amplifying women in basketball and uniting the robust roster of athlete partners into a sisterhood,” the press release stated.

Visit adidas Women’s Basketball to shop products from Parker’s collection.

HBCU, Abbott Scholars Program, Medical student, Meharry Medical College

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 22, 2024

HBCUs Make Strides In Medical Diversity With Abbott Scholars Programs

HBCUs like Howard University and Meharry College will take part in the 300 scholarships allotted until 2026.

Four HBCUs have partnered with the Abbott Scholars Program to put more diverse students in white coats.

Through the initiative, Abbott provides scholarships at historically Black institutions and minority nursing associations. The medical and healthcare company started the program in 2021, pledging $5 million to reduce the systemic barriers keeping diverse scholars out of the medical field.

One recipient of this scholarship, Jermaine Blakely, deemed the opportunity as “monumental” for students lacking financial support.

“I’m very grateful for a company like Abbott Laboratories, who decided to give me a scholarship so that I can decrease some of that financial burden for me…because medical school is arduous and very complex itself,” the Howard Medical student told WTOP. “So helping to decrease an additional burden for me has been very monumental, to not only my mental health but to my academic capabilities.”

The initiative also partners with the National Black Nurses Association and National Association of Hispanic Nurses. Alongside HBCUs like Howard University and Meharry College, these organizations will take part in the 300 scholarships allotted until 2026. Abbott’s program hopes to increase the number of diverse medical professionals, an issue Blakely believes is vital to improving patient care.

“The human experience is so customized and so unique to every patient,” he added.

Minority representation in medical schools remains slim. According to the Association of Medical Colleges, Black students made up only 10% of enrollees for the 2023-24 school year. Moreover, only 5.7% of U.S. doctors consider themselves Black. With Black people accounting for 12% of the U.S. population, these numbers leave a gap between Black physicians and underrepresented communities.

Only four historically Black medical schools are in operation. However, these schools, such as Xavier University of Louisiana, provide the biggest cohort of Black medical school graduates. Their programs foster generations of Black doctors, with initiatives like Abbott allowing more students to take part.

In light of these statistics, Abbott has tasked itself to supply resources and pathways for HBCU students and minority-serving organizations to build careers in health care.