World Anti-Doping Agency to Reconsider Cannabis Ban Following Sha’Carri Richardson Olympic Disqualification
by Alexa Imani Spencer

September 16, 2021

World Anti-Doping Agency to Reconsider Cannabis Ban Following Sha’Carri Richardson Olympic Disqualification

Sha’Carri Richardson was banned from competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics because she tested positive for marijuana—now the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is reconsidering its cannabis ban.

WADA chose to take another look at the ban in response to “requests from a number of stakeholders” in international athletics, NPR reported.

While it’s not clear whether any changes will be made to the policy, cannabis will continue to be banned for the 2022 athletic season. WADA’s executive committee will begin “a scientific review of the status of cannabis” next year. In the meantime, a new version of a list of prohibited substances will be released by Oct. 1.

“I am pleased with the decisions that were taken today by the executive committee on a range of key topics. These will help further strengthen the global anti-doping program and the protection of clean sport,” WADA president Witold Bańka said.

“In particular, the decisions made by the committee in relation to compliance, the 2022 Prohibited List and in a number of science-related areas will prove to be important for the continued success of the system and for the good of athletes around the world,” Bańka continued.

Richardson sparked a lot of conversation after she received a 30-day suspension for testing positive for THC, an active ingredient in marijuana. Despite having won in the 100-meter race at the U.S. Olympic trials, she was unable to compete in the finals due to the penalty.

The track star said she used marijuana after finding out her biological mother died from a reporter days before the finals.

“To hear that information come from a complete stranger, it was definitely triggering. It was definitely nerve-shocking,” she told Today. “No offense to him at all, he was just doing his job, but it put me in a state of mind of emotional panic.”

“I’m not making an excuse or looking for empathy in my case,” she added. “However, being in that position in my life, finding out something like that…Dealing with the relationship I have with my mother, that definitely was a very heavy topic on me.”

Richardson was suspended during a time where several U.S. states had legalized the use of recreational marijuana. Many people question if the substance has any performance-enhancing properties.

“I didn’t think the evidence base for marijuana would be particularly strong,” Dr. Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic said according to NPR. “But as I looked at the papers yesterday, I was surprised at how weak it is.”

Pan African Dr. Umar Johnson ‘Marries’ 2 Women in Ceremony Shown On Instagram Live
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 16, 2021

Pan African Dr. Umar Johnson ‘Marries’ 2 Women in Ceremony Shown On Instagram Live

A “wedding” had taken place several days ago that was filmed seen on Instagram Live. No big deal, except that the “nuptials” involved 2 women and a man, the man being Dr. Umar Johnson.

The ceremony was captured and posted by gossipofthecity_ as the video clip shows the controversial Dr. Johnson getting “married” to two women (It is illegal to marry two women in New York, so it may not be an official union recognized by law).

According to HipHopWired, Dr. Johnson, who identifies as Pan Africanist has reportedly always stated that he wanted to marry two women.

Social media reacted to this union.

Trinidad Health Minister Debunks Nicki Minaj’s Swollen Private Parts Claims Against the Vaccine
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 16, 2021

Trinidad Health Minister Debunks Nicki Minaj’s Swollen Private Parts Claims Against the Vaccine

Nicki Minaj’s controversial anti-vaccine tweets have caused so much uproar, Trinidad’s Health Minister was forced to step up and speak out.

On Wednesday, Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh denied Nicki’s “false” claims against the vaccine, saying they searched far and wide for the swollen testicles and couldn’t find such an account CNN reports.

“We, unfortunately, wasted so much time yesterday running down this false claim,” Deyalsingh said. “As far as we know, at this point in time, there has been no such reported either side effect or adverse effect of testicular swelling in Trinidad or … anywhere. None that we know of anywhere else in the world.”

Deyalsingh expressed his frustration with even having to address the tweet. But as the country’s health minister and with Minaj being one of the biggest stars out of the country, he had no choice but to address the claims she shared with her 22 million followers.

“What was sad about this is that it wasted our time yesterday, trying to track [it] down,” he continued. “Because we take all these claims seriously, whether it’s on social media or mainstream media.”

On Monday, Minaj became a trending topic after sharing her concerns against the vaccine, including a bizarre alleged account from her “cousin’s friend in Trinidad.”

“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent,” Nick said in a tweet. “His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”

Her comments have led to a debate with MSNBC host Joy Reid, an invitation to the White House, and now a public scolding from her country’s health minister. Additionally, Minaj revealed that she was put in Twitter jail due to her tweets, Page Six reports.

It looks like Nicki has learned her lesson when it comes to sharing too much of her opinions on a public platform.

Florida Mayor Loses 6 Unvaccinated Family Members Within Three Weeks
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 16, 2021

Florida Mayor Loses 6 Unvaccinated Family Members Within Three Weeks

The mayor of Belle Glade, Florida, has suffered repeat losses within his family due to COVID-19 and people being unvaccinated.

Lisa Wilson, an aide to Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay and the wife of Bell Glade Mayor Steve Wilson, has spent the last few weeks in and out of their local chapel to bury her unvaccinated family members who passed away from COVID, WPTV reports.

“It’s just been really bad for my family. We’re really, really struggling,” Wilson said. “I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it. I don’t have (any) words for it. I don’t know.”

It all started three weeks ago when Lisa’s 48-year-old uncle, Tyrone Moreland, fell sick to COVID and was hospitalized. Moreland died from the virus shortly after.

“Maybe a week after he was hospitalized, then my grandmother was hospitalized, also,” Lisa Wilson said.

But unfortunately, 89-year-old Lillie Mae Dukes Moreland died two days after her son was buried. She then lost three cousins who were all unvaccinated to COVID. The government aide works daily to educate the public about getting the vaccine. However, she was unable to motivate her own family to take action.

“I work side by side with the communities and constantly push the message to get people vaccinated,” Wilson told CNN, “but I couldn’t convince my family members to get vaccinated.”

Despite all the heartbreaking loss, she’s endured the last three weeks, Lisa Wilson is still advocating for the vaccine and urges Belle Glade residents to protect themselves.

“My family is going through a hard time, and I wouldn’t wish that on any family member anywhere,” she said. “If my family was vaccinated, they would be here today.”

“They were just scared,” she said of why her family wasn’t vaccinated. “Everything was new, and they were just scared.”

Aaliyah’s Uncle Throws His Sister Under The Bus, Says She ‘Knew A Lot More’ About R. Kelly Abuse
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 16, 2021

Aaliyah’s Uncle Throws His Sister Under The Bus, Says She ‘Knew A Lot More’ About R. Kelly Abuse

As Aaliyah’s music finally hits streaming platforms on the 20th anniversary of her passing, her uncle, Barry Hankerson, is shedding new light on her past relationship with R. Kelly.

Hankerson recently appeared on Dr. Oz and threw his own sister, Aaliyah’s mom, Diane, under the bus by claiming while he was in the dark about Aaliyah’s secret romance with R. Kelly, she knew more about the situation than he did.

“Didn’t have a clue. Completely ignorant to it,” Hankerson, CEO of Blackground, said when asked if he knew about Kelly’s inappropriate sexual relationship with Aaliyah when she was allegedly between the ages of 13 to 15. When asked if anyone in his family knew about the relationship, Hankerson claimed his sister knew about it before he did.

“I think my sister knew a lot more than what we thought she knew,” Hankerson revealed.

Since the start of R. Kelly’s trial for racketeering and sex crimes, more revelations have been made into Kelly’s long-rumored romance with Aaliyah. Prosecutor and attorney Maria Cruz Melendez has said that Kelly married Aaliyah when she was 15, and he was 27 after learning that she was pregnant, NY Post reports.

“One night in 1994, while the defendant was on tour, he got some news about Aaliyah,” Melendez said in court documents obtained by XXL. “She thought that she was pregnant. This, of course, was a huge problem for him. Why? Because at the time, Aaliyah was only 15-years-old and if she was pregnant, that meant that there would be questions, a lot of questions. At the very top of that list of questions would be: Who is the father of that baby?”

Most recently, an accuser named Angela took to the stand and claimed to have walked in on R. Kelly performing oral sex on Aaliyah in 1993 when she would have been 13 or 14 years old.

As more accusers testify in the trial, grim details continue to emerge into the alleged criminal enterprise the disgraced singer was running. Kelly is accused of abusing women, girls, and boys in a decades-long sex trafficking ring that targeted vulnerable youth who came to Kelly in hopes of landing a career in music.

by Seimond London

September 16, 2021

The Anderson Family Travel Journal – A Journey Back to Tradition

“Inspired by Nissan Pathfinder, writer Chris Atwell has written a series about the fictional Anderson Family and imagined the adventures they might have on a summer road trip with Pathfinder. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this article are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, or entities is intended or should be inferred.”

The Ultimate Road Trip

The Anderson family road trip takes a detour to reconnect with family and the rich African-inspired traditions of the historic Gullah community on the Sea Islands of coastal South Carolina. Denise’s family roots are there, and the rugged, off-road capabilities of the all-new Nissan Pathfinder help bring geographically distant relatives—located in some challenging terrain—and multiple generations together for a celebratory reunion. Denise tells the story:

One of the big motivators behind this road trip was family.

So far, the days we’ve spent exploring the East Coast in our new Pathfinder have produced many adventures and memorable experiences for our family. It’s been quality family time.

For me, the real promise of the Pathfinder was always the opportunity to connect with our extended families, many of whom are spread out across the country—some in very remote locations. Today, I drove us to my maternal grandparents’ home in the Gullah Islands of South Carolina.

My family has lived in the Carolina Lowcountry for generations. I remember spending many summers as a child on the beautiful Sea Islands, enjoying the African-Creole-inspired food, music, and traditions unique to the region. Living and working in New York for so long has kept me away. Our kids hadn’t visited the area since they were very young.

Thankfully, our new Pathfinder made the Gullah community, its rich culture, and Grandma and Grandpa far more accessible. The drive from Virginia Beach took about 9 hours with rest stops and took us through some of the most gorgeous and undeveloped areas of the South. As we ventured further into the countryside, I used the Apple CarPlay to listen to my favorite ’90s tunes through the Bose sound system. While the kids weren’t familiar, I schooled them on the classics and let the music take me back to my teenage years driving along these same roads.

We went off-road for long stretches, driving by beautiful marshes and waterways and under acres of magnificent oaks and cypress. The new Pathfinder’s Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive helped us sail over the sudden changes in terrain that locals know but can be a challenge for visitors. It handled the varied terrain with no problem, adjusting as needed and undoubtedly ready for whatever lies ahead in our journey.

Finally, we reached Beaufort County, crossing the river to St. Helena’s Island, the center of African American Gullah culture. The homestead was as sturdy and welcoming as I remembered. I can say the same for my grandparents! It was a joyous reunion and an opportunity to pass on this community’s rich history and traditions to my children.

Felt good to be home.

  • Bose speakers and the Apple CarPlay: “Available feature.” Apple Carplay is – Available feature shown. Use feature only when safe and legal. Compatible device and service required. Subject to third party service availability. For more information see nissanusa.com/connect/legal
  • Intelligent All-Wheel Drive: Intelligent All-Wheel Drive cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

Shaq’s $16M Florida Mansion Gets Makeover, New Agent To Help Attract Buyers
by Alexa Imani Spencer

September 16, 2021

Shaq’s $16M Florida Mansion Gets Makeover, New Agent To Help Attract Buyers

Shaquille O’Neal’s multimillion-dollar mansion hit the market three years ago and is still looking for a buyer. The basketball Hall of Famer’s home, originally listed for $28 million, is currently listed for $16.5 million.

The Isleworth estate, located outside Windermere, Florida, is a 31,000-square-foot mansion sitting on a three-acre lot. The 12-bedroom home overlooks Lake Butler and was originally built with various amenities, including a 6,000-square-foot basketball court, fitness room, and dance studio, Fox Business reported.

Other features included in the luxury home are a resort-style guest wing, master retreat, 17-car garage, a 95-foot-long Tiki-style cabana, and boat dock.

Shaquille O'Neil
Home office (Christian Pestana Rodriguez)

“Every exquisite detail has been curated to deliver the ultimate luxury living experience,” Danial Natoli of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty said in a statement from 2018. He went on, “While it was built for a basketball legend, the world-class amenities and fine finishes will delight any discriminating homebuyer.”

Several listing agents have tried to secure a buyer but have been unsuccessful, according to Realtor.com. The property’s current listing agent, Benjamin Hillman, said the home was close to finding a buyer earlier this year, but the deal fell through in February.

Hillman is trying to help buyers see themselves in the home by removing some of Shaq’s décor. The mansion had plenty of Shaq memorabilia, a Shaq-branded indoor basketball court, and oversized furniture.

Shaquille O'Neil
Sports court before makeover (Christian Pestana Rodriguez )
Shaquille O'Neil
Sports court after makeover (Christian Pestana Rodriguez)

“The person who is going to buy this house is going to put their own stamp,” Hillman told “Mornings with Maria.” “I had to do a big bold move and take Shaq out of the picture and put the new buyers in the picture.”

Hillman has removed all of the home’s old, brown furniture, repainted several taupe rooms white, and changed light fixtures. He also restaged 11 rooms to have a modern look, including bathrooms.

Shaquille O'Neil
Great room after makeover (Christian Pestana Rodriguez)

The exterior of the home also had some changes. The home received new landscaping and a pressure wash to the pavers and driveway. According to Hillman, the makeover cost around $40,000.

“Anyone who will buy this house will make some changes,” Hillman told Realtor. “What we’ve done is make it a nice, warm, turnkey scenario.”

The Justice Department Is Reviewing How It Monitors Police Departments That Receive Federal Grants
by Derek Major

September 16, 2021

The Justice Department Is Reviewing How It Monitors Police Departments That Receive Federal Grants

Reuters – Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta this week ordered the Justice Department to review whether it is adequately monitoring police departments and other recipients of its federal grants to ensure they are not engaging in “illegal discrimination.”

The review was ordered in a Sept. 15 memo made public on Thursday. For years, major civil rights organizations have complained the Justice Department was too lax in funding organizations such as police departments that have engaged in racial fprofiling and other overly aggressive and discriminatory enforcement aimed at Black and brown communities.

“Law enforcement agencies engaged in discriminatory policing practices should not receive and utilize taxpayer-supported grants,” said NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill, who has long called on the department to claw back funds from troublesome police departments.

“Today’s announcement by the DOJ…is an important step toward making sure that federal funds are not used in a discriminatory manner by state and local law enforcement agencies.”

The Justice Department’s grant-making arms collectively award more than $4 billion a year to states, municipalities and local victims service providers and research institutions.

Grant winners are prohibited from using public money to discriminate against people because of race, national origin, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation.

“This review is intended to ensure that the department is providing sufficient oversight and accountability regarding the activities of its federally-funded recipients,” Gupta wrote in her memo to other top department officials.

More broadly, Attorney General Merrick Garland has been stepping up the Justice Department’s enforcement of federal civil rights laws, an area that was not prioritized under former President Donald Trump.

The actions also follow a wave of protests across the United States last summer against systemic racism following the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Garland in recent months announced the Civil Rights Division was launching investigations into patterns of possibly discriminatory practices by police departments in Minneapolis, Louisville and Phoenix.

(Reporting by Sarah N. LynchEditing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)

Gabrielle Union Says She Was Harassed By Neo-Nazis While Visiting ‘Game of Thrones’ Filming Spots
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 16, 2021

Gabrielle Union Says She Was Harassed By Neo-Nazis While Visiting ‘Game of Thrones’ Filming Spots

Actress Gabrielle Union took a trip to Croatia and experienced racism while visiting some of the filming locations for the hit series Game of Thrones.

The LA’s Finest star is opening up in her new memoir about the violent racist encounter she had in 2019 while visiting Croatia for a convention, Insider reports. Union wanted to get a close-up of some of the places Game of Thrones filmed like any GOT fan would do if they had the chance.

“We just wanted to make it out of King’s Landing alive,” Union wrote in “You Got Anything Stronger?”

Google Play

But things got pretty racist when Union and her friends passed a group of teenagers who started hurling racial slurs at them. Union and her crew just ignored the kids and tried to continue on with their photo-op tour.

They entered into a bar they thought was gay-friendly because of the rainbow decor. But as soon as they entered, they realized they weren’t welcome.

“The whole place was covered in racist decorations, like trophies of past kills,” Union RECALLED.

The bar featured “Jim Crow memorabilia” as well as “Black mammies and jockeys” relics the establishment had imported from America, Union detailed. Reading the room, Union and her friends decided to leave after two men lifted their shirt sleeves and showed off their swastika tattoos.

While exiting, the “skinheads” followed Union and her friends. The American tourists sought solace in a cop they noticed nearby.

“He turned. Sneered and glanced at the men behind us,” Union wrote. “Then he looked away.”

Once outside the area GOT fans know as “King’s landing,” Union says the neo-Nazis stopped following them. The shocking “truth” about the racist encounter still sits with the Bring It On star to this day.

“You’re outnumbered. And you’re not trying to die in a fu*king Croatian bar in King’s fucking Landing,” Union jokingly wrote.

Nicki Minaj Blasts White House Officials After They Denied Offering Her An Invitation to Visit
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 16, 2021

Nicki Minaj Blasts White House Officials After They Denied Offering Her An Invitation to Visit

After Nicki Minaj sounded off on her Twitter account to tell her fans that she didn’t attend the Met gala due to a vaccination requirement, she has been ridiculed by some and supported by others for her views on not getting the vaccine until she has “done enough research.”

Now, even the White House is chiming in, and presently Minaj has beef with them too.

In Minaj’s original tweet on Monday, she stated,

After several tweets and follow-ups, she posted this:

In the midst of this controversy, MNSBC host Joy Reid reprimanded Minaj for helping spread alleged misinformation about the effects of the vaccination. She then responded:

According to CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci, while speaking to CNN‘s Jake Tapper, responded to what Minaj stated on Twitter: “There is a lot of misinformation, mostly on social media, and the only way we know to counter mis- and disinformation is to provide a lot of correct information and to essentially debunk these kinds of claims which, you know, may be innocent on her part. I’m not, you know, blaming her for anything, but she should be thinking twice about propagating information that really has no basis as except a one-off anecdote. And that’s not what science is all about.”

Sometime later, Minaj tweets that the White House has invited her to visit and discuss this in person.

Then NBC News reported that the White House put out a statement denying they invited the rapper but instead that they offered her a phone call with medical experts. A White House official told NBC News that they “offered” to speak to Minaj to discuss questions about “the safety and effectiveness” of the COVID vaccine after she posted Tweets that led to Twitter temporarily suspending her account.

“As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” the White House official said.

Fox News reported that Minaj responded to the White House’s denial of an invitation.

“Do y’all think I would go on the internet and lie about being invited to the f—ing White House? Like what? Do you guys see what is happening right now?” Minaj said in a 14-minute video post on her Instagram account.

She claimed that her manager and publicist had been on the call with the White House in which the administration officials stated, “We’d like to offer Nicki an invitation to come to the White House to speak with” Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

In her Instagram video, she stated that the White House called back after she Tweeted about the invitation and said that the administration “weren’t too happy” about her talking about it publicly.

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