NYCHA
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 16, 2025

Former NYC Migrant Shelter Transformed Into Affordable Housing For Low-Income And Homeless

A former migrant shelter in Harlem, NY will now house low-income families and formerly homeless people.

What was once a college dorm, and then a migrant shelter in Harlem, New York, is now being turned into affordable housing for low-income families and the formerly unhoused.

On Monday, the local housing nonprofit Breaking Ground unveiled plans to begin construction on a 19-story high-rise at 1760 Third Ave., converting the building into 435 affordable apartments for low-income individuals and those previously experiencing homelessness, Patch reported. Breaking Ground President and CEO Brenda Rosen announced that out of the 435 units, 261 will be designated for formerly homeless individuals. At the same time, 174 will be reserved for low-income residents earning at or below 60% of the area median income.

“The need for affordable housing for low-income individuals — and obviously for those who are homeless — is dire, and to have the opportunity to use an underutilized site to produce so many units at one time is just a rare and fantastic opportunity,” Rosen said.

Construction will occur primarily inside the building and will begin in early February and finish within 18 to 24 months, making the building fully operational as early as August 2026. The announcement comes six months after Breaking Ground’s $172 million acquisition of the building in late June.

Located in Harlem, just a block from the Upper East Side, between East 97th and 98th streets, the property was first a college dorm for CUNY and then a migrant shelter in June 2023. The transformed apartments need to be refreshed for families and fitted with kitchenettes.

The nonprofit’s renderings showcase the newly remodeled apartments, featuring a sleek, modern design. The apartments will have light-colored floors, silver kitchen appliances, white subway-tile backsplashes, and porcelain floor tiles in the bathrooms. The building will also include amenities such as a community gathering space for activities and workshops, a fitness center, a computer room, a medical suite, and office space for Breaking Ground’s property management team and social services staff.

A $500,000 donation from the Wells Fargo Foundation funded furniture for the units and common areas, as well as the addition of a computer room and fitness center. Applications for the building are expected to open in about a year, with Breaking Ground planning to prioritize applicants who already reside in the neighborhood.

“Quality affordable housing is certainly linked to economic stability, it’s linked to generational wealth, and it’s linked to overall well-being, so that is why the new development in Harlem is so important for New Yorkers,” said Krissy Moore, senior vice president of northeast community relations at Wells Fargo.

“Access to an affordable place to call home is something everyone should have.”

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Trump, ballroom, DC Hillbillies
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 16, 2025

Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Office Denounces Nancy Mace for ‘Threatening Physical Violence’ During House Hearing

Texas Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett's office is calling out South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace's "threatening" behavior during a House hearing.

Texas Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s office is responding to South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace “threatening physical violence” during a House hearing on Tuesday.

Crockett’s spokesperson, Chloe Kessock, condemned Mace on Wednesday for threatening physical violence and using inflammatory language during a tense exchange on Tuesday at the House Oversight Committee. A now-viral moment captured Mace telling Crockett to “take it outside” after Crockett called for the reinstatement of the civil rights subcommittee and criticized Mace’s continued attacks on transgender individuals.

“It’s clear that Rep. Mace was threatening physical violence against Congresswoman Crockett as part of her performative, ridiculous meltdown in the House Oversight Committee room,” Kessock told The Advocate. “Her slur-ridden screed exemplifies exactly why the House Oversight Committee needs to pass Congresswoman Crockett’s amendment to reinstate the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.”

During the hearing, Mace challenged Crockett for calling to reinstate the subcommittee on civil rights. After Mace interrupted her, Crockett replied, “I can see that somebody’s campaign coffers are struggling right now. So [Mace] is gonna keep saying ‘trans, trans, trans, trans’ so that people will feel threatened, and chile, listen —.”

But Mace quickly interjected and began shouting, “I am no child, do not call me a child, I am no child.”

While defending Crockett, Kessock accused Mace of using anti-trans rhetoric to distract from her inability to present meaningful policy solutions.

“Whenever Republicans need to distract the American people from the fact that they have no real policy prescriptions to protect the lives and livelihoods of American women, they run back to their old reliable: demonize trans folk,” Kessock said. “Rep. Mace’s 1990s-era slurs and bathroom fantasies don’t do a thing to protect women — reproductive rights do. But protecting women’s civil rights and liberties fall far below Rep. Mace’s current goal: raising money from the MAGA base and dethroning Marjorie Taylor Greene as MAGA’s most camera-hungry Congresswoman.”

“If Rep. Mace wants to raise money off the back of a qualified Black woman, she can try someone else,” Crockett’s spokesperson added.

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Nancy Leftenant-Colon, army, Netflix, nurse
by Sharelle B. McNair

January 16, 2025

Nancy Leftenant-Colon, The First Black Woman To Serve In The Desegregated U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Dies 

Well done, Mrs. Leftenant-Colon!

The first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps following its desegregation after World War II, Nancy Leftenant-Colon, passed away at 104, VPM reported. 

Leftenant-Colon passed away peacefully on Jan. 8 at the Massapequa Center Rehabilitation and Nursing in Amityville, New York, where she grew up. The history-maker aspired to become a nurse after graduating from Amityville Memorial High School in 1939. She started her career at the Lincoln School for Nurses in the Bronx, New York, the first school in the country to train Black women to become nurses. Her niece, Cheryl Leftenant, said, “Aunt Nancy had a long, blessed life.” 

After briefly working at a local hospital, Leftenant-Colon began her career as a U.S. Army Nurse Corps reservist in January 1945. Her first assignment was to attend to wounded soldiers. Still, in 1946, the nurse was transferred to the 332nd Station Medical Group at Lockbourne Army Air Base in Ohio, where she met flight surgeon and Tuskegee Airman Vance H. Marchbanks Jr.. Together, the team safely delivered a premature baby weighing just close to three pounds and who, due to a lack of sufficient Vitamin K, was expected not to survive. 

A hospital that only accepted white mothers at the time rejected the Black mother of that premature baby, leaving Marchbanks and Leftenant-Colon on their own to save the baby’s life. “I don’t know how I did it, but I did it. I had to help save that baby’s life,” Leftenant-Colon said during a 2023 interview. 

“It had such an effect on me,” she continued, revealing that she received a card from that family decades later. 

The legendary healthcare provider was the daughter of formerly enslaved people, James and Eunice Leftenant, and was one of 12 children born in the small town of Goose Creek, South Carolina, according to NPR. While neither of her parents received an education past the sixth grade, Leftenant-Colon said her parents always instilled the value of education, public service, and hard work within her and her siblings. As a result, the family moved to New York during the Great Migration era, where millions of Black Americans fled north to escape the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South. “My parents were poor, but we were happy,” she once said. 

“My mother and father raised a hell of a family.”

After then-President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order to end segregation in the military in July 1948, Leftenant-Colon jumped at the chance to obtain regular status in the Army Nurse Corps. She applied and was granted. Her career expanded to unknown heights, becoming a flight nurse with the U.S. Air Force in 1952 after the military dismantled the first Black pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Her younger brother, 2nd Lt. Samuel G. Leftenant, was one of the 355 Tuskegee pilots deployed to North Africa and Europe during World War II. It was in the Air Force that she met Reserve Capt. Bayard Colon. The two married, but Colon passed away in 1972.

After retiring from military duties in 1965, she returned to her Amityville hometown to work as a school nurse at her alma mater between 1971 and 1984. Five years later, she served as the first national female president of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. While Leftenant-Colon and her late husband never had any children, she is survived by one sister, Amy, and a slew of nieces and nephews. During one of her final interviews, looking back on her life, Leftenant-Colon said, “It’s been a wonderful life.”

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Remote Work, report
by Kandiss Edwards

January 16, 2025

Hold Tight To Your Remote Position As Work-From-Home Jobs Dwindle

Remote workers are "grandfathered" in their roles. New hires are not so lucky.

Work-from-home opportunities are dwindling as more companies demand employees return to the office. Current remote workers are finding it increasingly challenging to secure new work-from-home positions.

Indeed tracks remote job listings. According to its data, 10.2% of American jobs were remote in 2022, but that figure declined to 8% in 2024.

Julia Pollak, the chief economist at ZipRecruiter, spoke with Business Insider about the decline in remote positions and its implications for current and future employees.

While companies try to keep long-term employees happy, they are becoming less flexible with return-to-office mandates. Some companies have even reversed their return-to-office policies to retain current staff. However, new hires are not benefiting from such “grandfathering” and are subject to new policies requiring physical office presence.

“We know that companies frequently make exceptions to return-to-office mandates for employees to avoid losing them so that policy changes might affect new hires more than incumbent employees,” Pollak said.

Kory Kantenga, head of LinkedIn’s Economic Graph Institute, agrees with Pollak’s assessment. New hires will likely face daily commutes, while current employees may continue to enjoy the benefit of working from home, at least part-time.

“If you already have a job and are grandfathered into this flexible work, you’re maintaining it in many cases,” Kantenga said. “Companies are using those new positions to roll that flexible work back a little bit, but they’re not necessarily rolling it back for the workers who already have it.”

JPMorgan Chase is the latest company to require a five-day return to the office for existing employees. According to Forbes, the announcement was met with backlash from the company’s 300,000 employees. Workers voiced their dissent on the company’s internal messaging system, even suggesting the creation of a union.

In response, the company shut down the message board, citing the large reaction “might overwhelm the moderation team.”

CEO Jamie Dimon argues that remote work stifles creativity and undermines the “apprenticeship model” that fosters growth in large companies. He remains committed to moving forward with the plan.

“Most professionals learn their job through an apprenticeship model, which is almost impossible to replicate in Zoom. Over time, this drawback could dramatically undermine the character and culture you want to promote in your company,” Dimon said.

While company culture and character are not easily quantifiable, productivity is. Studies have shown that remote workers tend to be more productive throughout the workday.

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by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 16, 2025

Women’s Division 1 Basketball Teams Will Be Paid For Playing In NCAA March Madness

Funds for the participating teams will go up incrementally every year.

Women playing in future NCAA March Madness playoff tournaments will now be paid for participating.

The NCAA announced that beginning with the 2025 postseason tournament in the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, teams that make it to March Madness will be compensated for their participation. A vote was taken in Nashville during the NCAA Convention on Jan. 15.

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“This is a historic day for women’s sports, women’s basketball, and the NCAA,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a written statement.

“We have made investing in women’s sports a priority, and today’s vote means our members have the opportunity to do even more on campus to promote and support female athletes. I can’t wait to see all the incredible things they do.”

During the summer of 2024, the funding for the compensation was decided by the NCAA Board of Governors to establish two revenue distribution categories and to increase their value to $25 million over three years. The “units” will be earned with this year’s tournament and distributed starting in 2026. The Women’s Basketball Equal Conference Fund and Women’s Basketball Performance Fund are structured similarly to the Division I men’s basketball tournament.

“Women’s basketball has so much to offer, not just to athletes, but to fans and communities everywhere,” said student-athlete Kennedy Todd-Williams, who plays for Ole Miss and was part of the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.

“As a women’s basketball player, I believe investing in our game is crucial to unlocking its full potential. By creating more opportunities and resources, the NCAA can help elevate women’s basketball to new heights and show the world just how incredible this sport is. Together, we can grow the game and inspire the future of women’s sports.”

The funds will have a value of $15 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year. That amount increases to $20 million for 2026-27 and then in 2027-28, it will go up to $25 million. After the fund increases to $25 million, future funds would grow at the same rate as all other Division I funds, typically around 2.9% each year. Units earned by teams that make the tournament would be paid out to schools’ respective conference offices starting in 2026 on a rolling three-year basis.

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NBA, Jontay Porter, Gambling, Basketball
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 16, 2025

Sixth Person Arrested In Jontay Porter Gambling Scandal, Text Messages Revealed In Court

Shane Hennen was arrested on Sunday, Jan. 13 at an airport in Las Vegas as he was boarding a flight to Panama

The scandal involving former NBA player Jontay Porter has just ensnared another as the sixth person implicated in the scheme was arrested.

According to The Associated Press, Shane Hennen was arrested on Sunday, Jan. 13, at an airport in Las Vegas as he was boarding a flight to Panama. He was released without bail after being arraigned on charges including wire fraud conspiracy. He allegedly placed bets through proxies after other people who were involved in the scheme informed him about Porter’s plans for an NBA game that took place on Jan. 26, 2024. He also was privy to another NBA game on March 20 and informed other people to place bets.

Porter, who was playing for the Toronto Raptors at the time, has already pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing that has been scheduled for May. Among the other four people involved, two have pleaded guilty, another has pleaded not guilty, and the fourth person hasn’t entered a plea. It’s been reported that there may still be others who were a part of the scheme.

While playing in the league, Porter admitted to withdrawing from games, saying he was injured or sick, knowing he informed others of his plans so they could bet on him underperforming. Court documents revealed text messages sent from Porter to his alleged co-conspirators during the time of the crimes.

“Hit unders for the big numbers,” Porter allegedly texted to an alleged conspirator on Jan. 26, 2024.

“No blocks, no steals. I’m going to play first 2-3 minute stints off the bench then when I get subbed out tell them my eye killing me again,” Porter wrote, according to the complaint.

He had scratched an eye during a game on Jan. 22, 2024. He contacted his co-conspirators by text from the arena, yet wasn’t included on the injured list when he played again four days later. Porter played about 4 1/2 minutes in that game before pulling out of the contest, saying he had aggravated the eye problem.

At his game on March 20, 2024, after less than three minutes, he left the game saying he felt sick. His performance in those two games was well below what sportsbooks had anticipated.

While in court in July 2024, Porter stated that he got involved in the scheme to try to clear his gambling debts.

The NBA banned Porter for life.

When Porter is sentenced, he is facing jail time up to 20 years behind bars; prosecutors estimated his sentence to be about 3 1/2 to four years in prison.

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shooting, Howard, homecoming
by Jameelah Mullen

January 16, 2025

Arizona Man Dies By Suicide After Viral Video Shows Him Naked From The Waist Down

The deceased man’s family says the coffee shop is responsible for his death.

Nautica Malone is dead after workers recorded him at a coffee shop drive-thru naked from the waist down. 

The 27–year–old husband and father pulled into the drive-thru at Bikini Beans Coffee in Tempe, Arizona, when an employee noticed he was not wearing pants. According to the employee, Malone was pleasuring himself at the time. The employee alerted her manager, who recorded the incident on her cellphone.

“Sir, you need to leave. Unacceptable,” the woman said in the video. She then instructed her colleagues to call 911. 

The video was posted on social media with a caption warning others to be on the lookout for the then-unidentified man. The viral video sparked outrage from many social media users.

Following the backlash, Malone reportedly drove to a nearby town and used a firearm to shoot himself in the head, according to the Maricopa County medical examiner. 

TMZ reported that on the night of Malone’s death, his family came to the coffee shop and confronted the staff, claiming Malone’s death by suicide was allegedly a direct result of the viral video.

A woman who identified as Malone’s mother took to social media to pay tribute to her son. In the now-deleted post, which was reposted to The Neighborhood Talk,  she also accused the Bikini Beans manager of causing Malone to “take his own life. “

“This woman decided to take things into her own hands and not report what potentially happened to corporate offices. Because of her ignorance, someone chose to harm themselves.” the post read. 

Instagrammers chimed in to defend the Bikini Beans manager. 

“The audacity is astounding. Your son was out here violating others in a deeply harmful and sexual manner, yet you chose to place the blame on someone else for his decision to take his own life. While I am sorry for your loss, the responsibility lies with him—and with you, as well,”   Bearded_King_77 wrote.

Bikini Beans Coffee stated on X on Jan. 14 in response to Nautica Malone’s passing. The chain coffee shop offered condolences to Malone’s family and expressed its commitment to protecting its employees.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual involved during this difficult time. This was an unfortunate and tragic situation. As a company, the safety of our employees is always our top priority,” the company wrote.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988. Counselors are available 24 hours a day to provide free, confidential support.

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Biden, TikTok, 90 day extension,
by Mitti Hicks

January 16, 2025

TikTok Tells U.S. Employees Will Still Have Jobs Despite Ban

The social media platform's future remains uncertain.

As TikTok’s shutdown in the United States looms, the social media platform is telling its U.S. employees they will still have jobs even if the Supreme Court does not intervene to save the company.

“I cannot emphasize enough that your well-being is a top priority, and so most importantly, I want to reinforce that as employees in the US, your employment, pay, and benefits are secure, and our offices will remain open, even if this situation hasn’t been resolved before the January 19 deadline,” a memo to TikTok employees obtained by Reuters, reads.

In December, TikTok’s attorneys asked the Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that would prohibit the short-video social media app from being used in the U.S. if the Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell the company.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), which ultimately grants the government authority to ban foreign-owned apps that threaten national security. Surprisingly, the bill received significant bipartisan support in a deeply divided Congress. Lawmakers worried that the Chinese government could access Americans’ data and use it to surveil Americans and spread misinformation despite the app being banned in China.

TikTok has said that the concerns are meritless and challenges that the ban infringes on Americans’ First Amendment rights.

However, the Supreme Court seemed inclined to uphold the lower court of appeals decision just last week. Shutting down TikTok would impact roughly 170 million Americans who use the popular social media app. President-elect Donald Trump and lawmakers have called for extending the Jan. 19 deadline.

According to NBC News, the Biden administration is considering ways to keep the app going so it doesn’t immediately go dark on Sunday. The law Biden signed in April 2024 gives him authority to grant a one-time 90-day extension if “significant progress” has been made toward the divestment.

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Snoop Dogg, Snoop Dogg, Holiday Halftime Show, nfl
by Kandiss Edwards

January 16, 2025

Snoop Dogg Rumored To Perform At Crypto Ball ‘In Honor Of Trump Inauguration’

The rapper's stance on Trump has softened and he is a longtime advocate for cryptocurrency.

Snoop Dogg is rumored to be performing at Jan. 17’s Crypto Ball in Washington, D.C., according to The New York Post, which will be held to celebrate president-elect Donald Trump.

A flyer for the event reads, “In honor of the inauguration of Donald Trump, the first crypto president.” Trump will be inaugurated on Monday, Jan. 20.

Snoop Dogg hasn’t confirmed his appearance at the event, which costs $2,500 to attend. But Politico reporter Daniel Lipman shared news of the rapper’s appearance on X.

“SNOOP DOGG SCOOP: Snoop Dogg is expected to perform at the inaugural Crypto Ball on Friday night, three people familiar with the planning,” Lipman wrote.

The rapper has been an outspoken advocate for cryptocurrency for years. In 2013, he promoted digital currency by joking that he would accept it as payment for his upcoming album and deliver it via drone.

Snoop’s support for the Crypto Ball is unsurprising, given his longstanding advocacy for the technology. However, fans may be disappointed by his involvement and change of tune regarding Donald Trump.

The Murder Was The Case rapper was once vocal about his disdain for the then-presidential candidate, calling Trump harmful to the Black community. In recent years, Snoop has softened his stance, adopting a more conciliatory approach.

January 2024, in an interview with the Sunday Times, the Olympic ambassador professed his newfound “love and respect” for Trump.

“Donald Trump? He ain’t done nothing wrong to me,” Snoop Dogg told the British outlet. “He has done only great things for me.”

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Shelley Stewart Jr. Named Board Chair Of The Executive Leadership Council
by Stacy Jackson

January 16, 2025

Shelley Stewart Jr. Named Board Chair Of The Executive Leadership Council

Stewart has been an ELC member since 1997.

The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) has elected longtime member Shelley Stewart Jr., as the new Chair of The ELC Board of Directors.

Stewart has been a dedicated member of the distinguished global membership organization since 1997 and moves into the position with over 40 years of career experience as he contributes to The ELC’s mission to foster opportunities for Black executive leadership.

“The Executive Leadership Council has been at the forefront of cultivating inclusive leadership in global corporations for nearly four decades,” said Stewart, managing partner of Bottom Line Advisory, LLC. “It is an honor to step into the role of Chair and collaborate with our members, sponsors, and corporate partners to drive impactful change.”

Michael C. Hyter, president and CEO of The ELC, recognized Stewart for his dynamic leadership and decades of experience.

“We have no doubt that his leadership will help us achieve new milestones in strengthening corporate leadership pipelines, fostering inclusive practices for all, and driving meaningful impact,” Hytner said.

As The ELC continues to represent Black CEOs, C-Suite and senior executives, board members, entrepreneurs, and global thought leaders, Stewart’s strategies to help organizations unlock value will align with the council’s vision to support the growth and development of Black leaders through inclusive practices and environments and prepare them.

Stewart completed a master of business administration degree from the University of New Haven and has fulfilled several senior executive positions with leading organizations, including DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Tyco International, and Raytheon Technologies. His experience spans shaping operations, supply chain strategy, and global procurement.

The Northeastern University alumnus was congratulated by The ELC in October 2024 after he joined the university’s board.

Stewart succeeds Gale V. King, who was named chair of the council in January 2023.

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