New Jersey Judge Sentences Killer Who Lured Women on Dating Apps to 160 Years in Prison
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 7, 2021

New Jersey Judge Sentences Killer Who Lured Women on Dating Apps to 160 Years in Prison

A man who killed unsuspecting victims that he lured through dating apps has been sentenced to over 150 years in prison.

According to The Associated Press, convicted serial killer Khalil Wheeler-Weaver will be spending the remainder of his natural life in jail after a New Jersey judge gave him a sentence of 160 years in prison.

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver
(Image: Twitter)

Wheeler-Weaver was convicted Wednesday of going on a killing spree that ended with three women dead. He was indicted nearly four years ago on three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, including kidnapping, aggravated arson, and desecration of human remains charges.

Five years ago, the convicted killer used dating apps to lure and then kill three women. At a state court in Newark, New Jersey, the 25-year-old Wheeler-Weaver denied committing the heinous crimes when he addressed Superior Court Judge Mark S. Ali, insisting that he was framed for the killings. He had no emotion when the judge sentenced him to 160 years in prison.

NorthJersey.com reported that Superior Court Judge Ali stated, “The purpose of this sentence is that this defendant never walks free in society again.”

Wheeler-Weaver, who has been jailed in Essex County since he was arrested for the crimes in December 2016, will be eligible for parole after 140 years.

There were four known victims. One of them, Tiffany Taylor, was able to escape and testified in the trial. She also spoke at Wednesday’s sentencing and described how the attack changed how she lives.

“My whole life is different; I don’t wear makeup anymore; I don’t have friends. I’m always paranoid. But I’m happy to still be here,” she said to the court before telling the judge, “I hope you don’t show him any remorse because he’s not showing any remorse.”

Three other women did not survive his attacks: Sarah Butler of Montclair, New Jersey; Joanne Brown of Newark, New Jersey; and Robin West of Philadelphia.

Prosecutors introduced evidence at the trial that Wheeler-Weaver had lured his victims through the use of dating apps. He had sex with the women and then strangled them. The victims’ bodies were found between September and December 2016 in northern New Jersey. Evidence was also provided from Wheeler-Weaver’s cellphone that placed him where the victims had disappeared and where their bodies were discovered.

Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Adam Wells stated at the sentencing that the killings were separated by weeks which gave Wheeler-Weaver a chance to ponder his actions before killing again.

The National Black Justice Coalition Asks Netflix To Pull Dave Chappelle’s The Closer
by Derek Major

October 7, 2021

The National Black Justice Coalition Asks Netflix To Pull Dave Chappelle’s The Closer

Dave Chappelle’s new stand-up special, The Closer, is drawing a wave of criticism, and two organizations have asked Netflix to pull it off their app.

The Closer premiered Tuesday and is the fifth and final installment in a series of five stand-up specials by Chappelle for Netflix. In it, the comedian talks about the trans community, defends the rapper DaBaby and Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling, and calls out white LGBTQ members who pretend to be oppressed but hide behind their whiteness when it’s convenient.

In a statement on Twitter, GLAAD expressed disappointment in Chappelle’s jokes adding, “Chappelle’s brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities.”

The National Black Justice Coalition called Chappelle’s special “lazy and hostile transphobia and homophobia” and is calling on Netflix to pull the special from the app.

“With 2021 on track to be the deadliest year on record for transgender people in the United States—the majority of whom are Black transgender people—Netflix should know better. Perpetuating transphobia perpetuates violence,” David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, said in a statement.

“Netflix should immediately pull The Closer from its platform and directly apologize to the transgender community.”

Others on social media have also called out the comedian for his jokes. However, the special is also praised by Chappelle fans for his honesty and unusual outlook on subjects such as the ‘Me Too’ movement.

Toward the end of The Closer, Chappelle references a trans comedian, Daphne Dorman, who he credited for defending him after his 2019 special Sticks & Stones. Dorman passed away soon after defending Chappelle.

“I don’t know what the trans community did for her,” Chappelle said. “But I don’t care because I feel like she wasn’t their tribe. She was mine. She was a comedian in her soul.”

Two of Dorman’s sisters defended Chappelle’s special, saying they were outraged at the suggestion the comedian’s set was transphobic or derogatory.

“Daphne was in awe of Dave’s graciousness,” Dorman’s sister Becky wrote to the Daily Beast. “She did not find his jokes rude, crude, off-coloring, off-putting, anything. She thought his jokes were funny. Daphne understood humor and comedy—she was not offended. Why would her family be offended?”

“Dave loved my sister and is an LGBTQ ally,” Dorman’s younger sister Brandy added. “His entire set was begging to end this very situation.”

Miami Heat Star Jimmy Butler Teams With Shopify To Perk Up His ‘Big Face Coffee’ Brand
by Jeffrey McKinney

October 7, 2021

Miami Heat Star Jimmy Butler Teams With Shopify To Perk Up His ‘Big Face Coffee’ Brand

Not impressed with the coffee choices at hand as the National Basketball Association (NBA) headed into the bubble in Orlando, Florida, in 2020, Jimmy Butler devised his own “Big Face Coffee.”

But what jokingly began as offering overpriced cups of coffee for $20 has led the Miami Heat star to launch a coffee brand of his own in a business worth $465.9 billion in 2020,  the Global Coffee Market reports.

After the season, Butler got serious by filing trademarks for Big Face and formally started his coffee company, CNBC reported. He announced on Oct. 1 that he joined the creator program of e-commerce giant Shopify to boost his Big Face coffee brand. The program reportedly enables entrepreneurial athletes to keep all profits by not withholding fees or equity stakes.

“I wake up in the morning excited to train and go work out,” Butler told CNBC. “Then I want to hurry up and get home so I can practice my bartending,” he said, talking about making coffee drinks. His initial plans call for selling branded products in Shopify like coffee mugs and NFTs. Later, he plans to sell the beans.

Butler explained he traveled to coffee farms, including in Costa Rica, to study the business. He said his discussions with farmers were “special,” He wants to use Big Face to “tell the story behind the beans and the farmers and their families. The time, the effort, the energy put into a cup of coffee.”

The epiphany came when the NBA star went to Orlando to save its season last year. Butler saw a void at the secluded Disney campus because he didn’t consider the coffee options to be good. He used his espresso machine and coffee beans from El Salvador to sell coffee for $20 per cup.

The sign outside Jimmy Butler’s door at Disney. (Via Meyers Leonard Twitter/Via Meyers Leonard Twitter)

Butler discovered that coffee-lovers confined to the campus were willing to buy a superior coffee. Plus, it allowed him to capture a dominant share of the roughly $2,000 per diem provided to players. He sold options, including the so-called “red-eye,” which is coffee merged with a shot of espresso, and macchiatos, cappuccinos, and lattes. Big Face also won bids for coffee beans in the Cup of Excellence auction last August. The purchase totaled over $65,000 for over 1,000 pounds of premium El Salvador coffee.

Butler said the bubble business experience provided a challenge away from basketball. “It’s just the competitor in me,” he stated.

Partnering with Butler allows Shopify to blend a well-known figure into its e-commerce platform and use Butler’s name, image, and likeness for promotions.

Yet, making money with his new coffee is not Butler’s main motivation. He has reportedly made over $144 million in his NBA career, said: “It’s not about that for me. I think basketball has been a great source of income for me and my family.” He added he’s in the business just to make and talk over coffee.

18-Year-Old Suspect Identified in Texas School Shooting After Getting Into Fight With Classmate
by Ashantai Hathaway

October 7, 2021

18-Year-Old Suspect Identified in Texas School Shooting After Getting Into Fight With Classmate

Police have arrested an 18-year-old suspect after a Texas high school shooting left four people injured.

Police have identified Timothy George Simpkins as the gunman. He turned himself in after first fleeing the scene, police said.  Simpkins will be charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

 

On Wednesday around 9:15 a.m., police responded to a call about a shooting on the second floor of Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas.

According to Kevin Kolbye, the city’s assistant police chief, four people were injured, two of them were shot, but were expected to survive. Three of the injured were taken to the hospital.

As authorities investigate, Police say they have found a handgun they believe may be connected to the shooting in the street. But have not confirmed if it is the weapon used in the shooting.

Authorities say the shooting happened after two students began fighting in class, then a gun was pulled. Students and teachers hid and blocked doors inside their classrooms for safety.

Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said that the shooting “is not a random act of violence.”

“This is not somebody attacking our schools. This is a student, we believe right now, preliminary, that it was a student that got into a fight and drew a weapon,” he added.

The school was placed on lockdown. Students at the high school were evacuated to a nearby performing arts center to meet their parents, the school district said.

There have been 21 school shootings this year, according to Education Week. Last year, there were 10.

 

Video Released of Milwaukee Police Shooting Black Bystander In His Doorway, Instead of Fleeing Suspect
by Ashantai Hathaway

October 7, 2021

Video Released of Milwaukee Police Shooting Black Bystander In His Doorway, Instead of Fleeing Suspect

A Milwaukee man wants justice after being gunned down by police who were chasing after another man.

On September 8, 2019, 43-year-old Tari Davis was shot by a Milwaukee police officer who was trying to pursue someone else.

Police say they were attempting to catch a suspect who fled a traffic stop. When the suspect ran in Davis’ home, police shot Davis instead.

“I got to my back door, and it swings towards me, I looked down to see who the person was then I looked up there’s the flash, gunfire, I’m feeling the pain, I’m hurting, it’s excruciating pain going on at that moment,” Davis said.

Recently, Davis published a 50-second body camera video of the shooting on a website that he created. The clip shows the moment the fleeing suspect runs to Davis as he was standing by his backdoor.

The video also shows the officer firing a shot that hit Davis in the stomach. Neither Davis or the suspect had weapons.

Two years later, Davis is still waiting for justice. The officer, Nikolas Zens, who had one and a half years of experience at the time, was not charged by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. But was later fired.

Davis says two years later, police still have possession of his cellphone and they have refused to release all of the body camera footage.

“The hard part is realizing they are trying to do what I think they are trying to do is they want to cover this up as much as possible,” he said.

In November 2019, Davis filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee seeking compensation for damages caused by police.

Milwaukee Police Department released a statement regarding the case:

“The Milwaukee Police Department does not have a formal statement on this matter as there is pending litigation. The member engaged in this officer-involved shooting was discharged from the Milwaukee Police Department.”

 

Family Sues City of Arlington, TX After Toddler Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba At Public Splash Pad
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 7, 2021

Family Sues City of Arlington, TX After Toddler Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba At Public Splash Pad

A family in Arlington, TX is suing the city after losing their 3-year-old to a brain-eating amoeba the toddler caught at a public splash pad.

On Monday, the parents of Bakari Williams filed a $1 million lawsuit for the death of their child, Star-Telegram reports. Tariq Williams and Kayla Mitchell say Bakari was hospitalized on September 5, one day after playing at the Don Misenhimer Park splash pad.

The park was a favorite of Bakari’s. But after playing at the park, his mother noticed something was wrong with her son.

“All he wanted to do was lay down, so I automatically knew there was something wrong right there and then,” Mitchell told CBS Austin.

“Bakari was a loving, energetic, passionate, sweet, beautiful, innocent boy. He didn’t deserve to die in this manner,” Williams said of his late son.

Bakari died on Sept. 11 of the rare and highly fatal central nervous system disease primary amebic meningoencephalitis. The disease is caused by the parasitic amoeba Naegleria fowleri.

On Sept. 27, the city announced Bakari’s death after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detected positive cases of the amoeba in water samples collected from the splash pad. The city also announced an investigation into maintenance procedures after finding issues within the water quality documentation at the park.

Now, the family’s attorney Stephen Stewart says Bakari died as a result of the city of Arlington’s negligence with regularly testing the water, as required by the state.

“That’s simply unacceptable,” Stewart said. “If a splash pad amusement is left untested, if the water is left untreated, bad things happen.”

The city has since closed all of its splash pads for the remainder of the year. But Stewart says that’s not enough. It’s the second tragedy the family has suffered after losing a child to SIDS in 2019.

“The last thing that we want is for anyone else and their family to have to feel and go through what we’re going through at this time,” Williams said.

Arlington May Jim Ross has issued out an apology to the family, Fox 4 reports.

“This is bad. Nothing is worse than the loss of a child,” Ross told the outlet. “But I was raised to own it.”

Asian Man Angrily Tells Black College Student To ‘Go Back To Your Country’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 7, 2021

Asian Man Angrily Tells Black College Student To ‘Go Back To Your Country’

A post on a social media platform has gone viral that shows an Asian man reprimanding a young Black student in his room in a college dorm.

In the video clip, the man is seen yelling in the face of the student, and in the midst of the shouting he angrily says, “Okay, you don’t speak English, then you should go back to your country! I don’t know where you’re from!”

According to the clip was posted on TikTok by user @graccxx who phrased the video with a caption that read, “My roommate’s dad harassing my boyfriend for not wearing a mask in my room. Share this sh*t.”

@graccxx share this shit #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – grace

In the clip below, which was posted earlier this week, the Asian man is seen towering over the young student chastising him for not having a mask on his face.

“Close your mouth, wear the mask” he is seen saying to the student as the young man is trying to speak to him. As the student attempts to respond, the Asian man asks, “Do you read English? Do you read English?” As the student again attempts to speak and then blurting out, “Nah, I don’t read English,” the Asian man says to him, “Okay then, you don’t read English. Then you should go back to your country! I don’t know where you’re from!”

Apparently shocked at what the man is saying, the student asks him “Is this a joke?” After taking the verbal abuse, the student stands up and asks his girlfriend’s roommate if she is going to allow her father to speak to him like that. As the student tries to deflect from the situation, the Asian man is seen trying to agitate the student into fighting.

Grace, who filmed the scene stated that she recorded the video so she can have proof of the man’s action to show campus security. She also stated in the comment section of the post that the roommate’s mother also tried to stop her from recording the scene.

The viral video clip has 12 million views.

Netflix’s Black Western The Harder They Fall Opens London Film Festival
by Derek Major

October 7, 2021

Netflix’s Black Western The Harder They Fall Opens London Film Festival

Reuters – Netflix Western “The Harder They Fall” opened the London Film Festival on Wednesday, with an all-star red carpet kicking off the return to glitzy in-person premieres at the annual event following a mainly virtual 2020 version.

Oscar winner Regina King, “Luther” star Idris Elba and “Da 5 Bloods” actor Jonathan Majors feature in the film about an outlaw who joins forces with his old gang to hunt down a crime boss recently freed from jail.

The film, whose cast also includes “Joker” actress Zazie Beetz and Oscar nominee LaKeith Stanfield, is inspired by real-life African American cowboys.

“It feels amazing … ‘The Harder They Fall’ lived in my head for so long ever since I was a child,” director Jeymes Samuel told Reuters.

“The characters in it are all real characters. The story is fictional. I assembled them all in one place, one time, like the Avengers.”

Elba, who was joined on the red carpet by his co-stars as well as rapper Jay-Z, a producer on the film, plays crime boss Rufus Buck, a role he described as “completely different” to his to his role as a murder detective in popular television series “Luther”.

“I was like to try and give a spectrum to the fans, so people see me in different roles,” he said. “This is a bad guy … and it’s in a Western and I love Westerns.”

The 65th edition of the festival will feature 159 feature movies, including 21 world premieres over 12 days. Stars of hugely popular television drama “Succession” will also premiere its third series.

Highly anticipated films showing at the festival include “Spencer”, starring Kristen Stewart as the late Princess Diana, Wes Anderson’s love letter to journalism “The French Dispatch” and coming-of-age drama “The Tender Bar” directed by George Clooney.

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”, starring Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, will close the film festival on Oct. 17.

(Reporting by Sarah Mills; Additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Pharrell Williams To Move His Something In The Water Festival Out Of Virginia Beach Citing City’s ‘Toxic Energy’
by Derek Major

October 7, 2021

Pharrell Williams To Move His Something In The Water Festival Out Of Virginia Beach Citing City’s ‘Toxic Energy’

Singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams announced his Something In The Water music festival will not return to Virginia Beach, citing its ‘Toxic energy’.

In the letter Pharrell, sent to Virginia Beach’s City Manager Patrick Duhaney,  the NERD band member said he brought the series to his hometown to ease racial tension, unify the region and bring economic development. However, he added “for far too long,  it has been run by and with toxic energy.”

“The toxic energy that changed the narrative around the homicide of my cousin, Donovan Lynch, a citizen of Virginia, is the same toxic energy that changed the narrative around the mass murder and senseless loss of life at Building Number 2,” Pharrell wrote.

Pharrell’s cousin, Lynch was shot and killed by Virginia Beach police in March. The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) said Lynch was “brandishing a handgun” before he was shot and a gun was recovered at the scene. Deshayla Harris, 29, was also killed alongside Donovan.

A criminal investigation into the shooting is ongoing along with an independent investigation by a local prosecutor and a review by the VBPD’s internal affairs unit. However, Pharrell believes there are too  unanswered questions about the incident and has called for a federal investigation.

Pharrell’s letter was a response to Duhaney asking to meet with the artist and the festival’s managers before making the final decision, but Pharrell was undeterred.

“I wish the same energy I’ve felt from Virginia Beach leadership upon losing the festival would have been similarly channeled following the loss of my relative’s life,” Pharrell wrote.

Donna MacMillan-Whitaker, who is part of the team that organizes the event, confirmed to WTKR, a local CBS affiliate, that the 2022 Something In The Water festival would not be held in the city.

“Confirmed. Festival is not happening in Virginia Beach next year. Pharrell loves the people of Virginia Beach and wants positive change and equality for everyone. We are all disappointed, but hopefully, this can be a catalyst for positive change for our city in the future,” MacMilan-Whitaker said.

Education Dept. Expands Student Loan Forgiveness Eligibility To Public Sector Workers, Military Members
by Derek Major

October 7, 2021

Education Dept. Expands Student Loan Forgiveness Eligibility To Public Sector Workers, Military Members

Reuters – The Biden administration on Wednesday announced changes to the federal student loan forgiveness program that would allow thousands more public sector workers, including members of the military, to seek a reprieve on the debts they incurred getting their education.

The new policies outlined by the U.S. Department of Education would affect an estimated 550,000 borrowers and give them an extra two years of progress toward forgiveness, officials said in a statement, outlining changes that run through Oct. 31, 2022.

“Teachers, nurses, first responders, service members, and so many public service workers have had our back especially amid the challenges of the pandemic,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said.

Such public servants, he said, should be able to seek loan forgiveness. “The system has not delivered on that promise to date, but that is about to change for many borrowers who have served their communities and their country,” Cardona said.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) aims to allow such workers to apply to have their student loans canceled after 10 years of public work and consistent payments, though borrowers must apply and many face roadblocks or restrictions.

Wednesday’s announced overhaul aims to simplify the application process and review previous applications that had been denied or faced processing errors, paving the way for more borrowers to get relief, the department said.

It also allows 22,000 borrowers with previously ineligible “consolidated” loans to use the program, it said, adding another 27,000 borrowers could also qualify for the program if they certify certain work histories.

The National Education Association, an education union representing 3 million teachers and other workers who could benefit from program, praised the changes. “This is a welcome step towards keeping the promise of PSLF and canceling the student debt of every educator who has served their commitment to their communities,” it said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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