• Celebrity News

by Daniel Johnson

July 20, 2024

Sean Kingston And His Mother Indicted On Federal Fraud Charges

Sean Kingston allegedly used his celebrity status and association with Justin Bieber to lure potential victims.

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Rapper and singer Sean Kingston, 34, and his mother, 61-year-old Janice Turner, have been indicted on federal fraud charges in Broward County, Florida. The pair stand accused of participating in a scheme designed to defraud their victims of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry, and other goods, using fake documents. 

According to The Associated Press, Kingston and Turner were both arrested on May 23, in separate locations; Kingston during a show at Fort Irwin, and Turner when a SWAT team raided a rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The federal Indictment alleges that Kingston and Turner said that they used wire transfers to pay for the high-end items, but no transfers actually occurred. According to investigators, the pair then kept in excess of $1 million worth of items despite not paying for them. 

According to the warrant for the charges in Florida, the pair are alleged to have stolen nearly $500,000 in jewelry, over $200,000 from Bank of America, $160,000 from a Cadillac Escalade dealer, over $100,000 from First Republic Bank, and $86,000 from a custom bed maker. 

Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Anderson, is already serving a two-year probation sentence for trafficking stolen property. 

According to Variety, the pair face up to 20 years in prison for each count. If found guilty on all counts, the pair would see significant time behind bars. 

The United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida stated in a press release announcing the indictment, “According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers as payment for vehicles, jewelry, and other goods purchased by the defendants, when in fact no such bank wire or other monetary payment transfers had been executed by the purported banks, and thereafter the defendants retained or attempted to retain the vehicles, jewelry, and other goods despite non-payment.”

According to one of the attorneys for an individual who is suing Anderson, he uses his celebrity status and association with Justin Bieber, with whom he collaborated on the song “Eenie Meanie,” to lure potential victims in. 

“(Anderson uses) basically a script, he says that he works with Justin Bieber, and obviously puts on a big show here, this is a rental house, he doesn’t own it, and he lures people using his celebrity into having them release things without him paying for it and then he simply never pays.”

RELATED CONTENT: Sean Kingston Sits In Florida Jail After Being Charged With $1M Fraud

• History

by Mary Spiller

July 20, 2024

Activist Dr. Enid Pinkney Dies At 92, Leaving Legacy Of Preserving Black History

Dr. Enid Pinkney dedicated her life to preserving Black History in Miami-Dade.

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According to Local 10, South Florida native Dr. Enid Pinkney has passed away at 92 years old. She spent her life dedicating her time to preserving and educating about African-American history in Miami-Dade County. 

Born in 1931 in Miami-Dade County, Pinkney began her education at All-Black Booker T. Washington High School before going on to work in the Miami-Dade Public School system.

Through the years, Pinkney grew to be known as an activist in South Florida. She told Local 10 that her goal was to preserve Miami’s Black history.

Pinkney said at the time, “People were going to forget the struggle as to how we have come to where we are today. We don’t appreciate that history. All we’re concerned about is what’s happening now.”

Pinkney recalled seeing much of that important history herself firsthand. She worked to put up new markers to commemorate three very historical Black communities in Little Haiti, formerly known as Lemon City.

She explained, “It is the people from Lemon City who with a machete and the strength of their backs cleared the land to make Miami what it is today. And we don’t know that history. I hope that this begins and serves as an example of our becoming interested in how we got to where we are.”

At the height of her advocacy work, Pinkney also headed the effort to restore the Hampton House, a historic motel in Overtown and the last standing one from segregated Miami. It had visitors such as Muhammad Ali and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the ’60s during its prime.

It was during one of these times that Pinkney saw King while she was still a child. She told Local 10, “He went to Virginia Key Beach. He loved the beach. I heard him speak at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He spoke there, and people would go to hear him. He could always draw a crowd.”

Pinkney will be remembered as a historian and activist of South Florida who worked her entire life to preserve the forgotten African-American heritage of the state.

RELATED CONTENT: Historian Receives $1.5M Grant To Expand Racial Justice Tours

• Women

by Daniel Johnson

July 20, 2024

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Longtime Congresswoman, Dies At 74 After Battle With Cancer

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died on July 19 following her battle with pancreatic cancer, which she previously announced she had been diagnosed with in June.

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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee passed away on July 19 at the age of 74 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, which she had publicly announced in June. The Texas Democrat served in the House of Representatives since 1995 and was a staunch advocate for civil rights, championing bills such as the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act and the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

According to NBC News, although Jackson Lee was not born in Texas, she embraced the state after moving to Houston in the late 1970s to work for Fulbright & Jaworski. She quickly became involved in Houston’s political scene, serving on the City Council and as a municipal judge. Building on these successes, Jackson Lee aimed for Congress, where she ultimately served on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget committees.

In a statement released by her family announcing their loss of Jackson Lee, they noted a few of her legislative victories and expressed sadness over the loss of their grandmother, mother, wife, and sister. Jackson Lee also picked up the fight started by the late John Conyers, and in 2019, re-introduced Conyers’ HR 40 legislation proposing a committee to consider reparations payments for Black Americans.

“Her legislative victories impacted millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Holiday to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. However, she impacted us most as our beloved wife, sister, mother, and Bebe (grandmother). She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America,” the statement read.

According to Texas Monthly, Jackson Lee leaves behind a legacy of using the power that she had to fight for those who were downtrodden and left behind, and remains a figure of Black political power. In Jackson’s move to challenge incumbent Democrat Craig Washington for the 18th Congressional District seat, she was seen as an upstart who went against the established Black political players in Houston, but it worked in her favor. 

Willie Isles, a supporter of Jackson Lee, reflected on the race to Texas Monthly, “We went up against the [Black] establishment. She didn’t grow up in Fifth Ward, and it’s been a Fifth Ward–Third Ward game for years.” Despite this, Jackson Lee won the primary handily, getting 63% of the vote against Washington’s 37% and parlaying that to a landslide against her Republican opponent in the general election.

Jackson Lee was remembered fondly by political leaders, not only by Democrats, but a few Texas Republicans also gave her honor and respect. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement on Twitter/X, calling for Texans to pray for the family of Jackson Lee. 

“Cecilia and I will forever remember Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. She was a proud Texan and a tireless advocate for the people of Houston. Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will live on. Please join us in prayer for her family and loved ones.”

Sen. Ted Cruz also joined Abbott in requesting prayer for Jackson Lee’s family, in his own statement, “I’m deeply saddened by the passing of my friend & colleague Sheila Jackson Lee. She was a tireless advocate for Houston. I will always cherish our friendship & the laughs we shared throughout the years. Heidi & I offer our prayers and sincerest condolences to her family.”

Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat whom Jackson Lee ran to replace in 2023 before losing decisively to Mayor John Whitmire, issued his condolences and reflections on Jackson Lee’s political career via a statement he released on X: “But her work on the ground, in some of the poorest and under-resourced communities; the channeling of billions of federal dollars back to her district; her presence at someone’s bedside, giving words of comfort to families who lost loved ones; her appearances at places of worship and events showcasing the global diversity of our City; and her uncanny ability to be everywhere, working every day for those who needed a champion, made her truly exceptional.”

• Celebrity News

by Daniel Johnson

July 20, 2024

NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor Arrested Over Alleged Sex Offender Registry Violation

The former New York Giants linebacker was added to the sex offender registry in 2011.

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NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was arrested in Florida on July 17 due to a felony warrant being issued for his arrest over allegations of his failure to disclose a residence change, which violated the terms of his status as a registered sex offender. According to the Pembroke Pines Police Department, after he turned himself in, Taylor was released on July 18 after he posted bail.

As The Athletic reported, Taylor’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said the arrest was due to a “misunderstanding” and said that his client would be pleading not guilty. 

“As with the previous incident involving the same allegations, Mr. Taylor did not knowingly commit any criminal offense. This situation is a significant misunderstanding,” Eiglarsh told the outlet. “We are confident that, once the prosecutors review the exculpatory evidence demonstrating Mr. Taylor’s innocence, he will once again achieve a favorable outcome.”

According to NBC News, Taylor had been arrested in December of 2021 on the same charge, and his requirement to register as a sex offender stemmed from soliciting an underage sex worker in 2011, which also resulted in him being charged with misdemeanor sexual misconduct. The girl alleged that she was beaten and forced to go to Taylor’s hotel room in New York. Taylor’s defense at the time, according to Fox News, was that he was unaware that the girl was underaged. Taylor alleged that the girl told him that she was 19.

Although the 65-year-old Taylor is a member of the Hall of Fame and the New York Giants Ring of Honor, his legacy has been tainted through numerous scandals since his induction to both. Ultimately, according to Yahoo, Taylor was determined to be a level one sex offender at the sentencing hearing for the 2011 incident, which meant that his photo did not appear in any online databases. Taylor was also sentenced to six years of probation in Florida, his home state. 

RELATED CONTENT: Lawrence Taylor Now a Registered Sex Offender

• News

by Mary Spiller

July 20, 2024

FDA Misses Deadline Again To Ban Toxic Chemicals In Hair Relaxers

Studies have found that formaldehyde in hair relaxers and straighteners are associated with hormone-related cancers.

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The Food and Drug Administration’s long-awaited proposal to ban the use of formaldehyde as an ingredient in hair products in the U.S. has been delayed yet again. Frustratingly, although the ban was set to be implemented in July of 2024, the new target date has been moved to September of this year. Due to the constant delay, followers of the proposal are unclear about when it will come to fruition. 

The FDA’s proposed rule has been highlighted as an important step in protecting Black women who use hair relaxers and hair straighteners that contain the harmful formaldehyde chemical. The FDA has found that it is highly toxic and suggested that it’s causing harm to the mostly Black women who use products that include it.

This is not the first time the FDA has missed the deadline to enact the proposal. Initially, according to NPR, the scheduled implementation was for April 2024. After the first deadline was missed, it was pushed back to July, and now it’s been moved again to September.

The FDA told NPR on April 3, to explain the constant delays, that the action date had to be moved as officials were “still developing the proposed rule.”

An FDA spokesperson added that the proposal “continues to be a high priority. [But] it takes time.”

“Before a proposed rule can be published in the Federal Register for public comment, it must be reviewed and approved within FDA and other parts of the Federal government,” the spokesperson said. 

An attorney who represents product manufacturers and retailers, Allison Stevenson, concurred with the FDA spokesperson’s statement. She stated that she was not surprised by the continued delays in enacting the proposal.

Stevenson said, “There are a lot of moving parts…This all falls under legislation that is still relatively new, in almost all respects. And so it’s not uncommon to see things get delayed for one reason or the other.”

She predicted that the bill probably wouldn’t occur until 2025, despite how necessary it is to protect people of color whose health is disproportionately affected by formaldehyde in hair products. 

“The regulation is necessary to protect the health and safety of communities of color,” Stevenson stated. “I certainly don’t believe that the delay should be indicative to anyone that the FDA is not making this issue a priority.”

As reported by the FDA, formaldehyde is associated with long-term effects including: “an increased number of headaches, asthma, contact dermatitis and possibly cancer.” 

A recent study also concluded there is an increased risk of women developing hormone-related cancer when using the chemicals in their hair and, particularly, Black women are more likely to report using affected products.  

RELATED CONTENT: FDA Disregards Deadline To Ban Cancerous Formaldehyde Found In Hair Relaxers

by Sharelle Burt

July 20, 2024

Bankruptcy Is Giving More Student Loan Borrowers Relief Thanks To Biden’s Policy Change

A report showed a 36% increase in the number of people who filed cases looking for student debt to be discharged.

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Data from the Department of Justice revealed student loan borrowers are successfully receiving debt relief through bankruptcy after a policy change from the Biden administration. 

A report released on July 17 showed a 36% increase and a total of 588 people who filed cases looking for student debt to be discharged between October 2023 and March 2024. In March, 1,220 new cases had been filed since the new federal policy was mandated, CNN reported.

Before the change, which was implemented in November 2022, ​student debt discharge was out of reach for borrowers going through the bankruptcy process solely because borrowers were required to show that paying off the student debt would place them in “undue hardship.” Now, of the cases that went through the court system, 98% have been granted full or partial student debt discharge.

The updated guidance toned down some of the processes borrowers go through to show hardship while paying down student loans and made it easier for federal lawyers to recommend to courts that the debt be discharged. Acting associate attorney general Benjamin C. Mizer released a statement praising the data revealed in the report. As Congress would need to act to remove the policy, Mizer said the numbers show it should be here to stay. “The results are clear: This guidance has helped make the promise of a fresh start in bankruptcy a meaningful option for individuals weighed down by student loan debt,” he said. 

According to CNBC, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wrote a letter in May 2024 to the director of the U.S. Trustee Program at the Department of Justice, Tara Twomey, pressuring her “to continue to educate borrowers, attorneys, and courts” about the Biden administration’s intentions to treat federal student loans more like bankruptcy. 

Warren, who is a strong advocate of student loan debt relief and taught bankruptcy courses at Harvard Law School, outlined facts showing that between 2011 and 2019, more than 99.8% of borrowers who filed for bankruptcy failed to get their loans discharged. This was a result of lawmakers adding extra stipulations for the reason of discharge, fearing young people would try to eliminate their obligations after graduating. 

When it was time for repayment, borrowers were often asked to prove a “certainty of hopelessness,” leaving government lawyers with intense court battles. 

President of the National Student Legal Defense Network, Aaron Ament, said he is “happy to see progress” in what he calls a “broken system” as a quarter of a million borrowers file for bankruptcy every year. “We are happy to see some progress in addressing a broken system, but successfully supporting a tiny fraction of those borrowers is not a cause to declare ‘mission accomplished’ — it’s a sign of how much work remains,” he said.

The Biden Administration has made strides in debt relief and ahead of Election Day 2024, promises to keep things moving. As of May 2024, the total student debt cancellation for close to five million Americans has reached $167 billion.

RELATED CONTENT: Supreme Court To Decide Whether Student Loan Payments Will Double In Some States

• News

by Mary Spiller

July 20, 2024

Mother Found Dead Two Years After Her Teen Son And Brother Were Shot To Death

Chanell Crosby was 35 years old .

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Chanell Crosby, the mother of a 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot in Atlanta’s DeKalb County two years ago, was found dead on July 19. According to 11Alive, police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.

Tragically, Crosby’s death comes just two years after her teenage son, Jamiren Crosby, and her brother, Darrio “Polo” Giles, were both found dead.

On Thursday night, Atlanta Police issued a missing person’s report for Chanell Crosby, 35. She was last seen by her family on July 14 between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. and authorities suspected her to be somewhere in the Macon Georgia area.

The next day, according to an 11Alive interview with her family, led by Cody Alcorn, Chanell’s dad, and Jamiren’s grandfather, Don Wilson, said that he had received a phone call from Atlanta police alerting him that Chanell’s body had been recovered.

Chanell was found when several civilians flagged down police officers at around 2 p.m. to notify them about an abandoned car that smelled very bad in the West End MARTA station area. Atlanta police officers approached the vehicle to examine it and located Chanell’s body in the back seat. The car was sitting just nine miles from the Crosby home. 

The Atlanta Police Department has since confirmed that investigators found Chanell’s body in the car and that APD will be taking the lead on the investigation into her death.

11Alive reported, “Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta Tip Line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org, or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637).”

Chanell’s death comes nearly two years after her son, 13-year-old Jamiren Crosby, was found behind a townhome on Parkway Trail in Lithonia on Sept. 19, 2022. His death was ruled a homicide, and to this day, no arrests have been made in his case. Furthermore, on April 20, 2022, Chanell’s brother, Darrio “Polo” Giles, was also found shot and killed inside an apartment complex on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW.

His death was allegedly related to a robbery gone wrong as Polo had just won around $4,000 in a progressive slot machine. When he was found dead in the morning, the cash he had won was gone and the Atlanta Police’s preliminary investigation corroborated the attempted robbery theory.

RELATED CONTENT: Georgia Woman Found Dead in Car Dealership Reportedly Killed by Hitman Hired By Ex-Boyfriend

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 20, 2024

Terrell Owens Blames Tom Brady For Blocking His NFL Comeback In 2021

The Hall of Fame wide receiver said the quarterback ignored his calls when he wanted to replace Antonio Brown that year.

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Former NFL player Terrell Owens revealed recently that he tried to make a comeback several years ago after retiring from football, but was ignored by one of the greatest quarterbacks to hit the field.

According to Pro Football Talk, Owens appeared on the Bubba Dub Show and told the host that he was willing to come out of retirement in 2021. This was right as the season ended for the year during week 17. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were playing the New York Jets. This was the last game that wide receiver Antonio Brown played in. Tom Brady was the quarterback. Before the game ended, Brown infamously took off his jersey and shoulder pads and sprinted off the field before the game was over.

That was a nationally televised game and when Owens witnessed that, he thought he could contact Brady to see if he could replace Owens since the team was heading to the playoffs. Yet, Owens had been out of the league since 2012, plus he was 48 years old at the time. He expressed that he reached out to Brady through mutual friends, but never heard back from the future Hall of Famer.

“Tom Brady ignored me,” Owens revealed. “The year that AB went crazy…they just needed somebody to fill some holes with AB leaving at the receiver position. I reached out to him through Randy and some other people, just to come in and play third down and red zone situations. This dude ignored me. It just shows you the lack of respect there, but then when they get in front of you they want to act like they respect you.”

No telling why Owens would have thought that Brady or the Buccaneers would have just welcomed him on the team since he hadn’t played in nine years — and the season was already over. Nevertheless, Owens blames the retired quarterback for denying his comeback plans.

RELATED CONTENT: Terrell Owens Hit By Car Following Argument During Pickup Basketball Game

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 20, 2024

Kentucky Motel Must Pay Over $2M After Man Fatally Suffers From 150-Degree Shower Burns

Econo Lodge Motel must pay the estate of Alex Chronis a total of $2.06 million after the 76-year-old man died after sustaining third-degree burns after shower at the motel

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A Kentucky motel has been ordered to pay more than $2 million to the family of a man who died after suffering severe burns after taking a 150-degree shower.

According to Business Insider, the Econo Lodge Motel in Erlanger, Kentucky has to pay the family of Alex Chronis a total of $2.06 million after the 76-year-old man sustained third-degree burns after taking a shower at the motel. A jury awarded the estate a judgment of $1.3 million to cover medical expenses, $250,000 for pain and suffering, $16,000 for funeral costs, and $500,000 for punitive damages.

The estate originally filed the lawsuit in October 2022 in Kentucky’s Kenton County Circuit Court for $7 million in damages.

The lawsuit said the water temperature exceeded 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

RELATED CONTENT: City Of Atlanta To Pay Hollman Family $3.8M Settlement

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

July 19, 2024

‘Songtalker’ Civil Rights Activist Dr. Bernice Reagon Dies At 81

The civil rights activist, scholar, and musician described herself as a "songtalker" and believed singing pulled people together.

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Civil rights activist, musician, and scholar Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, who co-founded The Freedom Singers, died at the age of 81 on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter, musician Toshi Reagon.

Toshi shared the news via Facebook, quoting her mother’s poignant words: “I was here before I came, and when I die, I am not leaving…”

Born to Reverend Jesse Johnson and Beatrice Wise Johnson, Dr. Reagon devoted over five decades to combating racism and systemic inequities globally. As a civil rights activist and musician, she described herself as a “songtalker.”

“These days, I come as ‘songtalker,’ one who balances talk and song in the creation of a live performance conversation with those who gather within the sound of my voice,” Reagon stated on her website. “As a student leader and activist in the Albany Movement, I sang and stood in the sound of the congregational singing of the freedom songs charging the air we breathed.”

The influential civil rights activist and musician was born October 4, 1942, in Dougherty County, Georgia. She served as a field secretary for the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and co-founded the SNCC Freedom Singers in 1962.

In 1973, while at Howard University, Reagon established the renowned African American women’s cappella group Sweet Honey In The Rock. Her illustrious career included leadership roles at the Smithsonian Institution and a professorship at American University. As a musician and civil rights activist, Dr. Reagon received numerous accolades, including the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award and the Presidential Medal for contribution to public understanding of the humanities.

Throughout her life, Reagon seamlessly blended her roles as a civil rights activist, musician, and scholar, leaving an indelible mark on American culture and social justice movements.

Reagon’s influence extended beyond activism and performance into scholarly and media realms. She spearheaded the creation of “Wade in the Water,” a groundbreaking series on African American sacred music that earned a Peabody Award. This project, along with her work on Africans in America, showcased her expertise in cultural history. Her talents also enriched the film industry. Reagon lent her musical prowess to several acclaimed productions, including the civil rights documentary Eyes on the Prize and the adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel, Beloved.

Plans for a public celebration of life will be announced.

RELATED CONTENT: The Legendary ‘King of Calypso’ and Activist Harry Belafonte Dies at 96