by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 16, 2026

A’Ja Wilson Gifts Nike A’One Sneakers To Entire Benedict College Women’s Basketball Team

A’Ja Wilson paid tribute to her father’s HBCU by gifting the Benedict College women’s basketball team each a pair of her signature A’One Nikes.

WNBA star A’Ja Wilson is celebrating her family’s HBCU legacy by giving her signature Nike A’One sneakers to every player on the Benedict College women’s basketball team.

Las Vegas Aces champ and 2025 TIME Athlete of the Year paid tribute to her dad’s legacy at Benedict College by gifting the women’s basketball team each a pair of her signature sneakers, HBCU Game Day reports. The squad showed love on social media on Jan. 12, thanking the WNBA star for the generous gift.

“The Benedict College Women’s Basketball team extends a heartfelt thank you to A’ja Wilson, multi-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, TIME Magazine’s 2025 Athlete of the Year, and WNBA All-Star, for blessing our program with her Nike A’One signature shoes,” the team wrote.

The Benedict College Women’s Basketball team extends a heartfelt thank you to A’ja Wilson, multi-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, TIME Magazine’s 2025 Athlete of the Year, and WNBA All-Star, for blessing our program with her Nike A’One signature shoes.

Your impact goes… pic.twitter.com/GQelJu66Gm
— Benedict College (@BenedictEDU) January 12, 2026

The gift honors Wilson’s father, Roscoe Wilson Jr., a standout Benedict College Tiger in the 1970s. A dominant big man in the SIAC and NAIA, he earned multiple all-conference and All-American honors, played at Rucker Park alongside legends like Julius Erving, had a pro career overseas, and later coached at Benedict and Morris College.

Wilson carried on her father’s basketball legacy while forging her own path. After a dominant high school career at Heathwood Hall Episcopal, she joined Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks and became one of college basketball’s most decorated players. In the WNBA, she rose to superstardom with the Las Vegas Aces, winning three championships (2022, 2023, 2025) and two Finals MVPs. A four-time league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, Wilson has firmly cemented her status as a basketball superstar.

“Your impact goes far beyond the hardwood,” Benedict College wrote. “You continue to inspire the next generation of women who play with purpose, power, and pride. We’re honored to lace up greatness and carry the standard forward.”

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 15, 2026

‘New Racist’ Judge Officially Resigns After Investigation Reveals Disturbing Recordings About Black People, LGBTQ+ Community

Ryan spoke out on how she despises the Black Lives Matter movement, referred to Black people as “lazy.”

Judge Kathleen Ryan, who labeled herself a “new racist,” has officially ditched her Oakland County, Michigan, bench for good after an investigation revealed disturbing recordings of how she feels about Black people and members of the LGBTQ+ community, WXYZ Detroit reports.

Ryan can be heard on recordings dated September 2024, showcasing offensive viewpoints about both demographics and how she isn’t “systematically racist” but “a new racist. She has been on paid administrative leave for months, but has now resigned voluntarily.

The recordings came from the bravery of Oakland County Probate Court Administrator Edward Hutton, who is also an attorney. Hutton said Ryan harassed him for years and he finally decided to speak out as he felt someone with those types of viewpoints wouldn’t be able to give fair rulings. “Nobody with that much hate in their heart for certain people — not just individuals, but groups of people– I don’t believe that they could possibly make fair, unbiased decisions regarding them,” he said.

Ryan spoke out on how she despises the Black Lives Matter movement, referring to Black people as “lazy.” “I’m so pissed off at this Black Lives Matter, #MeToo,” she was heard saying.

“From England, if you’re a Black from any other country, you’re doing way better. If you’re an American Black person, then you’re a f****** lazy piece of s***.”

Colleagues like Judge Daniel A. O’Brien were disappointed in how the investigation was handled, calling her removal “a sad day for the court.” “She was a great judge and was respected for her work on the bench,” he said. However, others, such as Dave Woodward, chair of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, who first received copies of the recordings, says he was “sickened” by what he heard. “I was sickened by it. There’s just no excuse,” Woodward said, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“Such language demeans the robe, corrupts the judiciary, and erases the trust in our legal system.”

As she caught wind of her racist hot takes being recorded, Hutton says she once bragged about being “untouchable” due to her judicial stature. Ryan’s thoughts were supported by once being charged with domestic violence. The charges were later dropped after she told police that she was a judge. “I’m pretty untouchable. So you guys really want to be d***s… You got 22 judges who are p*****s,” Ryan was once heard saying.

“Guess what — they’re still going to back me.”

Guess she was wrong.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 15, 2026

Alpha Kappa Alpha Members Mark 118th Founders’ Day In Ghana

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. traveled to Ghana to celebrate the 118th Founders' Day of the first Black Greek-lettered sorority.

Five-hundred members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. traveled to Ghana for the organization’s 118th Founders’ Day to honor their African roots, celebrate the sorority’s legacy, and serve the local community.

This marked the first time the first Black Greek-lettered sorority celebrated Founders’ Day outside the U.S., My Joy Online reports. The trip included visits to historic sites like Cape Coast Castle and the Assin Manso Slave River, central to the transatlantic slave trade, and featured a community service component.

“We have a program called the CHIP Childhood Hunger Initiative PowerPacks,” explained Danette Anthony Reed, supreme basileus of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. “While we are here on January 15, we intend to pack at least 1,000 PowerPacks. These will include essential food items such as rice, tomato paste, and packaged fish. Every member of the group will contribute in one way or another, making this a collective effort.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Carrie J. Clark (@carrie.j.clark)

Local officials praised the sorority’s visit, with Adinkra Group CEO Diallo Sumbry, who helped organize the trip, saying the presence of Alpha Kappa Alpha members would boost tourism, strengthen cultural ties, and deepen business connections between Ghana and the United States.

“What this shows is that years after the Year of Return and into the Black Star Experience, we are still attracting large numbers of people from the diaspora to come to Ghana,” he said.

The Founders’ Day celebration continues the momentum of Ghana’s 2019 Year of Return and the Beyond the Return initiative, aimed at strengthening cultural, historical, and economic ties with the diaspora.

“We’re very happy that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated has decided to celebrate its 118th Founders’ Day in Ghana,” said Gilbert Abeiku, deputy chief executive officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority. “It’s a historical occasion; it’s a historical moment, not just because it’s the first time that a group this large from America, a college-educated group of Black women, has decided to celebrate their Founders’ Day and chart our new chapter here. But what this shows is that years after the Year of Return and now into the Black Star Experience, we are still attracting a large number of diasporas to come back to Ghana.”

The sorority’s Accra-based interest group, the Black Star Pearls of Ghana, is working to become a formal chapter while serving communities in Accra and Kumasi. On Earth Day 2025, they planted 108 coconut trees at Aburi Botanical Gardens to honor the organization’s 1908 founding.

by Kandiss Edwards

January 15, 2026

Family Of Georgia Woman Who Died From Negligence During BBL Procedure Awarded $52M

Judge Jon W. Setzer awarded the family of the victim $16 million for pain and suffering and $36 million for wrongful death.

A Georgia jury awarded $52 million in damages to the family of Doris Jordan, a woman who died after undergoing a cosmetic procedure called a Brazilian butt lift (BBL). However, her family will most likely not receive any of the money.

On Dec.9, the jury entered the verdict in Gwinnett County Superior Court. Judge Jon W. Setzer awarded the family of the victim $16 million for pain and suffering and $36 million for wrongful death, KBTX reported. The judgment stems from a December 2019 surgery performed at Sei Bello, a cosmetic surgery clinic in Lawrenceville.

Jordan was a nurse, an Army veteran, and a mother of three. She died one day after the procedure. Court testimony detailed the mother’s cause of death as brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen during surgery.

Moses Kim, attorney for the family, said Jordan’s oxygen supply was compromised as there was no source of oxygen throughout the entire building. Staff members did not realize she was without oxygen during the entirety of the surgery.

“Miss Jordan was not breathing, and when they went to see if she was getting any oxygen through the tubes in her nose, they ran the line and realized the end of the plastic tube wasn’t connected to any oxygen because they didn’t have any oxygen in the facility,” said Kim.

Kim said employees present at the time did not call 911 for approximately 19 minutes after determining Jordan had no pulse and was not breathing. He asserts the clinic was guilty of malpractice before, during, and after the procedure.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

Jordan’s husband, James Jordan, says that the family is unlikely to recover most of the judgment because the clinic was uninsured at the time of the procedure. However, the award is the least of his concerns.

“I want my wife back,” James Jordan, Doris’ husband, told Atlanta News First. “The money doesn’t compensate for what she did for me and our family.”

Sei Bello was dissolved in 2020, according to the Georgia Secretary of State website. John Holmes, the registered owner, failed to meet registration and fee requirements. The physician involved in Jordan’s care, Kanye Willis, settled with the family out of court and remains licensed to practice in the state of Georgia.

The family said that the lawsuit was intended to establish accountability for Doris Jordan’s death and raise awareness about disreputable clinics.

“I just hope people get this and look into it seriously because these pop-up clinics are not all they appear to be on the surface,” James Jordan said.

by Kandiss Edwards

January 15, 2026

LSU Community Is In Shambles Due To AI ‘Cheating’ Allegations

Faculty members and students at LSU say the issue is creating uncertainty around how AI tools should be handled in coursework.

Students at Louisiana State University are navigating a rising number of academic integrity reviews tied to the use of artificial intelligence.

Faculty members and students at LSU say the issue is creating uncertainty around how AI tools should be handled in coursework. LSU’s Student Advocacy and Accountability Board has seen a significant rise in cases of students submitting work flagged as AI-generated. According to WAFB, the volume of cases has overwhelmed the review process, leaving many students waiting weeks for outcomes.

According to WAFB, several students said they were notified that assignments had been marked as AI-written. The use of AI was determined by the detection software instructors used, which is ironic, considering it is often artificial intelligence itself. One student told WAFB she received a failing grade on an assignment after her professor concluded the work was “93% AI written” and forwarded the case to the accountability board.

Students say they chose not to contest the allegations because of concerns about potential academic penalties. Emails reviewed by the station show students expressing uncertainty about how long reviews would take and what consequences could follow. The loss of scholarships, class momentum, and standing are a few concerns.

A student identified as Sarah spoke about the risks of appealing an AI investigation.

“I said that I used AI because one of my scholarships needed my grades, and if I appealed that I didn’t use AI, it would just prolong the process, and I really needed to submit them my grades,” Sarah said.

Andrew Schwarz, an instructor in LSU’s College of Business, told the outlet that the technology used to identify AI-generated content is not definitive.

An AI system cannot determine whether or not something that is generated is AI or not,” Schwarz said.

Professors also pointed to inconsistent guidance across departments. LSU’s online resources advise students to consult instructors before using AI tools. However, the university has not issued a campuswide policy that clearly defines acceptable uses.

The lack of uniform standards has created confusion, particularly when different instructors apply different parameters for AI use. Institutions face a challenge in balancing innovation with academic honesty.

Sip On Success: Black-Owned Kombucha Brands Brewing Big Business On National Kombucha Day

by Ahsan Washington

January 15, 2026

Sip On Success: Black-Owned Kombucha Brands Brewing Big Business On National Kombucha Day

Interest in Kombucha stems from its taste but also its benefits.

The American beverage industry holds National Kombucha Day every Jan. 15, to acknowledge the increasing consumer interest in this fermented tea product. Interest in Kombucha, stems from its taste but also its benefits. Kombucha is hydrating, improves digestion, increases energy, boosts the immune system, promotes joint health and weight loss.

Black entrepreneurs have established socially aware kombucha brands that serve the increasing consumer market for gut health drinks that contain less sugar. These brands have developed into successful businesses that operate both at local and national levels because kombucha health trends continue to grow.

SUM Bucha

Alex North founded SUM Bucha in 2018. Ryan Burkett and Alex Moore contribute to the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company. SUM Bucha produces Yerba-Mate kombucha, which includes flavor options Positively Pineapple and Lavender Lemonade. Its product distribution covers the Southeastern United States region. SUM Bucha works to create flavorful kombucha options that make the drink palatable for new consumers while educating about gut health.

My Soul Brew Kombucha

Alesia Miller established My Soul Brew Kombucha as Wisconsin’s first Black woman-owned kombucha brewer to create small-batch organic kombucha with culturally inspired flavors including Ginger Mango Peach and Blackberry Lemon Mango (BLM). The brand started operations on Feb. 14, 2019, to deliver a healthy substitute for sugary beverages while boosting Black presence in the wellness beverage industry.

Kemboocha

Kemboocha was established by Kemiko Lawrence who is a self-taught kombucha brewer and wellness advocate. The brand offers handcrafted kombucha through its “Goddesses of the Galaxy” flavor line, which features Sun Goddess and Moon Goddess. Kemboocha started official operations in 2018, when Lawrence decided to deliver healthy beverages to her family and local community. The brand sells its products online and through local distribution in Atlanta.

The Cultured Kombucha

The Cultured Kombucha operates as a seasonal small-batch kombucha brand that focuses on developing innovative flavors through the leadership of Black woman entrepreneur Milan Durham. Since its early 2020s beginning, the brand has blended fermentation culture through its dedication to community engagement and artisanal quality.

Replenish Kombucha

Replenish Kombucha is an artisanal kombucha brand that operates from Memphis and Bartlett, Tennessee, and was founded by Angel Jackson. The company sells multiple flavors such as Lavender Love and Hibiscus Berry. Replenish Kombucha started its operations during the early 2020s with the goal of providing kombucha to consumers while teaching them about fermentation and gut health. Replenish Kombucha also provides consumers with at-home brewing kits.

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 15, 2026

Tiffany Burress, Wife Of Ex-NFL Player, Wants To ‘Try Something Different’ With GOP Bid For NJ’s Congressional Seat

Despite being her first run in politics, Burress has already received support from some of the state’s top GOP members, calling her the "candidate who can win."

Tiffany Burress, the wife of former New York Giants star Plaxico Burress, is hoping to “try something different” for northern New Jersey constituents by running for a New Jersey Congressional seat as a Republican.

In her campaign video, posted on X, Burress highlights her career in the public sector as a lawyer who fights for workers and claims Democratic opponent Nellie Pou does what she is told since she was “given” most of the accomplishments of her career. “Doors didn’t just open for me, I busted through them, becoming a successful lawyer, wife, and mother of two,” she said.

“When my party is wrong, I’ll say it and bust down doors to fix it. You won’t get that from Nellie and 50 years of partisan politics.”

https://twitter.com/BurressForNJ/status/2010690725332328518

Burress criticized Pou for being handed the seat of the Garden State’s 9th District without a race in 2024 after Bill Pascrell Jr., who once held the seat, passed away.

Her race entrance could be considered intriguing, since the district, including East Rutherford, where the Giants’ MetLife Stadium complex is located, hasn’t had Republican leadership since Rep. Harold Hollenbeck’s re-election in 1981, according to Fox News. Instead, the area favored Democratic leadership, such as Robert “The Torch” Torricelli, serving from 1983 to 1997, and Pascrell.

The region also sided with the recent winner of Jersey’s governor race, Democrat Mikie Sherrill.

However, Burress has already received support from some of the state’s top GOP members, including Passaic GOP Chair Peter Murphy, Bergen GOP Chair Jack DeLorenzo, and Hudson GOP Chair Jose Arango. In a joint statement, the leaders said, “Tiffany Burress is the candidate who can win this district,” despite this being the first political campaign for the former NFL WAG.

“With her experience, leadership, and connections in our shared communities, Tiffany has what it takes to bring fresh, accountable representation to North Jersey,” said Arango.

But not all Republican leaders are feeling the mom of two. A spokesperson for Rosie Pino, who is also running for the hot-ticketed district seat in the same party, compared a vote for Burress to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg, perhaps alluding to Burress’s husband’s gun mishap in 2008. “Supporting an unknown, untested, out-of-touch candidate who does not reside in the district and changed her party affiliation a few weeks ago just to run for office, would be the political equivalent of shooting ourselves in the leg — dividing the Republican Party and forfeiting the opportunity to hold the critical House Majority,” spokesperson Kennith Gonzalez said.

Seems like the two candidates share switch-ups in common as Pino’s website boldly states she “left the Democratic Party and became a Republican.”

childcare, health sector,social assistance

by Kandiss Edwards

January 15, 2026

Some Gen Z Students Can Barely Read A Sentence, But Kai Cenat Refuses To Be Left Behind

The streamer, who started a daily reading routine, said he wanted to express himself better.

Popular Gen-Z streamer Kai Cenat recently spoke about his desire to grow in regards to literacy at a time when new reports show his generation is falling behind.

Cenat announced to his millions of followers that he has begun a daily reading routine to improve his speaking and overall literacy skills.

The streamer said he wanted to express himself better and wants to prove to his fans that he is dedicated to the work. While reading aloud online, Cenat allowed fans to observe him struggle with and look up words such as “spontaneity” and “dichotomy.”

While Cenat is advocating for himself and his intellectual growth, many Gen Z students are falling behind in higher education.

College educators said they are adapting their teaching methods as many Gen Z students lack proper reading comprehension, according to Fortune. The younger generation is entering campuses with weaker reading skills than previous generations. Professors contend that inadequate literacy is proving detrimental to students’ critical thinking and academic performance.

https://twitter.com/yoxics/status/2011259902938005602

Professors reported that a noticeable number of incoming students struggle with basic comprehension, sometimes finding it difficult to read a single sentence or engage deeply with complex texts.

Nearly half of all Americans did not read a single book in 2025. Reading habits have declined about 40 percent over the last decade. Fortune reports. Gen Z adults aged 18 to 29 read an average of just 5.8 books in 2025.

Some professors told Fortune that traditional approaches to reading assignments may no longer meet students where they are.

Jessica Hooten Wilson, a humanities professor, said she now reads passages aloud during class and discusses lines of text in depth to help students build foundational reading and analytical skills.

The goal, she said, is to help students develop confidence and the ability to think independently after graduation.

Educators are not only modifying instruction but also encouraging students to engage with texts in more interactive ways. Cenat’s willingness to learn and struggle publicly is a selfless act, one that many of his Gen-Z counterparts can learn from.

by Jameelah Mullen

January 15, 2026

Georgia Woman Sentenced For $5 Million Medicaid Fraud

Authorities say she used the identities of thousands of Medicaid recipients to submit bogus claims.

A 63-year-old Georgia woman will serve time in jail after being convicted of defrauding the state’s Medicaid system of $5.4 million.

The Georgia Attorney General’s office announced that Elizabeth Sue Ivester, 63, of Warner Robins, has been convicted on one count of Health Care Fraud and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft.

Prosecutors say Ivester used the ID numbers of nearly 8,000 Medicaid recipients and impersonated a doctor to execute the scheme. Ivester, who owns Liberty Medical, Inc., submitted 77,095 claims for products from Durable Medical Equipment (DME) that were never ordered or delivered.

Ivester entered a guilty plea in the U.S. District Court on Oct. 2, 2025, in the Middle District of Georgia. A judge sentenced her to 10 years on Jan. 8, 2026, with the first seven years to be served in federal prison and the remainder on probation.

The former medical equipment supplier is also ordered to pay $5.4 million in restitution.

Following the conviction, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr sent a message to potential future offenders.

“Let this send a message to anyone who attempts to abuse and exploit our Medicaid program — you will be identified, prosecuted, and forced to pay back every dollar you stole,” Carr said in a statement. “This was a massive scheme to defraud not only Georgia taxpayers but real patients in need of care. It’s unacceptable, it’s illegal, and it won’t be tolerated in our state.”

Ivester’s conviction stems from a nationwide health fraud crackdown that has led to charges against 324 people to date.

In June 2025, prosecutors charged 8 people involved in a complex Medicaid scam in North and South Carolina. The scheme involved extorting $21 million in federal funds by falsely using medical information for children who are quadriplegic, non-verbal, and have other serious disabilities.

Allegedly leading the scam was Donald Calvin Saunders, 62, of Charlotte, who faced charges including six counts of healthcare fraud, one count of unlawfully purchasing beneficiary identification numbers, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“We remain steadfast in protecting the integrity of federal healthcare programs in collaboration with our law enforcement partners,” Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG said in a statement.

by Jameelah Mullen

January 15, 2026

MLK Day Concert Finds New Home After 23-Year Run At The Kennedy Center

The Georgetown University-produced event is moving to another historic venue in Washington, D.C.

Let Freedom Ring!, the annual concert celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr., has been a Kennedy Center tradition for more than two decades, but this year, the event will have a new home.

Concert organizers said they are moving the show to D.C.’s Howard Theatre to save money. But some support the change for reasons unrelated to finances.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, the Kennedy Center’s former artistic director, expressed support for the move, noting that Martin Luther King Jr.’s mission does not align with that of the current presidential administration.

“I would much rather that we all be spared the hypocrisy of celebrating a man who not only fought for justice but also articulated the case for equity perhaps better than anyone in American history—when the official position of this administration is an anti-equity stance,” Joseph, who was abruptly fired from his previous role in March 2025, told NPR.

The termination followed President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, during which he named himself chair and dismissed most of the board of trustees. The president criticized past Kennedy Center events, calling them “woke,” and issued an executive order demanding an end to diversity in cultural programming.

This concert’s move follows a series of cancellations and relocations. The Washington National Opera announced it will relocate its performances from the Kennedy Center, ending a 50‑year run there. Additionally, jazz musician Chuck Redd, who has hosted the Holiday Jazz Jams there since 2006, canceled his Christmas Eve performance after the Trump administration renamed the facility the “Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

Composer Nolan Williams Jr., who has served as Let Freedom Ring‘s music producer since 2003, wrote a song for this year’s event called “Just Like Selma,” inspired by King’s famous quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Rapper and actor Common will headline this year’s show, which will feature the Missionary Kings of Harmony of the United House of Prayer for All People’s Anacostia congregation.

The Let Freedom Ring! concert for MLK Day will take place Monday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m.