A$AP Rocky Heading To Trial In Suspected Shooting Of Former A$AP Mob Member

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 21, 2023

A$AP Rocky Heading To Trial In Suspected Shooting Of Former A$AP Mob Member

Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar stated that A$AP Rocky would have to stand trial for allegedly shooting in the direction of A$AP Relli.

A judge has recently ruled that enough evidence has been presented for A$AP Rocky to go to trial for allegedly firing a weapon at former group member A$AP Relli.

According to The Associated Press, at a preliminary hearing, Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar stated that Rakim Mayers, better known as A$AP Rocky, would have to stand trial. He has been accused of shooting in the direction of his former friend, Terell Ephron, who goes by the moniker A$AP Relli. The incident allegedly took place in 2021 in Hollywood. Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

Rocky is facing up to 24 years if convicted on the charges.

Villar expressed that “the totality of the video and testimony” reveals sufficient evidence for Rocky to go to trial. She also stated that the standard for evidence in a preliminary hearing is much lower than in a regular trial.

His attorney, Joe Tacopina, made a statement related to the decision. “We’re not disappointed, not surprised; we expected to go to trial; we’ve been planning for trial all along. Rocky is going to be vindicated when all this is said and done, without question.”

Last year, prosecutors arrested Rocky after saying that on Nov. 6, 2021, the Harlem-bred lyricist allegedly pointed a gun at Relli. During the confrontation, Rocky allegedly fired it twice toward Relli.

According to TMZ, Relli filed a defamation lawsuit against Rocky and his attorney in September. In the suit, Relli alleges that Tacopina called him a liar, a money grabber, and an extortionist at the direction of Rocky. He said that Tacopina told TMZ and other media outlets that “Rocky didn’t commit a crime. It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false, criminal accusations if Rocky didn’t pay him.”

This matter is taking place about a month after Rocky was hired as a creative director in the partnership between Puma and Formula 1, as reported by USA Today.

football star, Clemson, North Carolina, Diondre Overton

by Stacy Jackson

November 21, 2023

19-Year-Old Man Charged In Connection To Death Of 17-Year-Old Girlfriend

A 17-year-old girl was last seen on a FaceTime call in a “surrender position," before being found dead in Kansas City, Missouri.

A FaceTime call revealed a chilling incident between a 17-year-old girl and her 19-year-old boyfriend that led to the girl’s alleged murder.

On Nov. 12, Amauri Hughes’ body was discovered. A family member received a FaceTime call from the 17-year-old girl showing her “sitting on a couch with her hands in the air, in what was described as a surrender position,” according to the Circuit Court of Jackson County. According to court documents, Tyheem V. Anderson reportedly asked Hughes, “You scared of me?”

A struggle allegedly followed, and then the call dropped. After receiving the call, a relative tracked the location of the girl’s phone, went to the site and called the Grandview Police Department. Hughes was found with “having trauma to her body to include what appeared to be stab wounds, a gunshot wound, bruises, cuts, abrasions and broken teeth,” said Detective Johnathan Cook, who arrived on the scene.

Anderson was arrested Nov. 14th and charged with three criminal felony counts. He was charged with assault in the first degree, armed criminal action and kidnapping, according to the documents.

According to a press release, additional charges are being explored. Anderson has had previous run-ins with the court. A March 2022 case revealed a Jackson County Judge ordered a temporary, turned full order protection request for Anderson’s child and the mother of the child because evidence showed he was a risk to their safety.

The Circuit Court of Jackson County reported that the detective alleged, “a large presence of blood was indicated throughout the residence to include areas on the wall, kitchen floor, a laundry room and hallway,” when the chemical luminol was used, which resulted in a blue glow that reveals blood stains that have been cleaned up. When investigators went through Anderson’s residence, blood was found in different areas of the home. A knife, a spent shell casing, and a human tooth were also found at the scene.

Anderson told police in an interview that he was made aware of Hughes’ death after a family member contacted him. He allegedly described the events that unfolded as an argument over something he saw on the young woman’s phone, which led to him throwing the phone to the ground and breaking it before he called her an Uber to go home. He said he had not seen the woman since the encounter.

According to the report, Anderson denied any physical violence taking place between the pair, and he denied killing the victim.

Hughes, a native of Kansas City, MO, would frequently sneak out of her home to visit her boyfriend.

The Kansas City Star noted that Anderson is due for a bond review hearing in court on Nov. 27. The case is an ongoing investigation.

by Iman Milner

November 21, 2023

Sen. John Kennedy’s Remarks About Vice President Kamala Harris’ ‘IQ’ Viewed As Racist

Sen. John Kennedy stoked flames when he questioned the intelligence of Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview about border control.

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy was in hot water on Nov. 20 after his on-air comments questioned the intelligence of Vice President Kamala Harris. During an interview on Fox News, Kennedy concluded that the American people believe Harris is “not capable” of leading, saying, “When her IQ gets to 75, she should sell,” The Huffington Post reports.

The senator’s remarks were made during a discussion about President Biden’s border policy, which was long opposed by Republican lawmakers who disagreed with his decision to roll back Trump-era policies.

“The American people may be poorer under President Biden, but they’re not stupid,” Kennedy said. “They see an open border, they experience inflation; they see rampant crime… I’m not saying that is fair and accurate. It’s a conclusion that the American people have reached.”

The lawmaker’s words quickly made their rounds on social media, causing many to point out the racist undertones of his declaration surrounding Harris’s leadership as well as her intelligence, The Tampa Free Press reports.

“The hoods are off,” one user commented, referring to the Ku Klux Klan. While another said, “Kennedy is a nasty old racist.” His derogatory remarks on Monday were not the first made about Harris by the 72-year-old GOP senator. “I would say the vice president needs to work on being a little more articulate,” he said in July, according to The Huffington Post. “Some might say that based on her performances, that English is not her first, second, third, or even fourth language.”

📄Ambassador @emoctezumab sends a letter responding to insulting comments made by @SenJohnKennedy about Mexico.

🎥Watch the video here: https://t.co/ZRJQfFBYQN pic.twitter.com/gHljwTA5Kp
— Embassy of Mexico in the U.S. (@EmbamexEUA) May 12, 2023

His alleged attacks on Harris follow a trend of his targeted rhetoric aimed at Black and brown people. “Without the people of America, Mexico, figuratively speaking, would be eating cat food out of a can and living in a tent behind an Outback,” Kennedy said about the relationship between the two countries. His words prompted a response from Esteban Moctezuma, Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S., who called his comments “vulgar and racist” in a statement.

transgender, Adolescents, American College of Pediatricians

by Atiya Jordan

November 21, 2023

Report Shines Light On ‘Epidemic’ Of Violence Against Black Transgender People

The Human Rights Campaign released a report on what they call an “epidemic of violence" against Black transgender people.

In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, an ambitious LGBTQ rights group released an annual report on what they call an “epidemic of violence,” especially against Black transgender women and transgender people of color in the United States.

The Human Rights Campaign is commemorating the lives and mourning the loss of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Since November 2022, at least 33 transgender and gender non-conforming people were fatally shot or killed by other violent means, the report found. To date, 26 deaths have been officially recorded this year, following a devastating total of 41 recorded deaths last year, according to the report.

“The epidemic of violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people is a national embarrassment,” HRC President Kelley Robinson wrote in the report. “Each of these lives taken is a tragedy— the result of a society that demeans and devalues anyone who dares challenge the gender binary.”

In response, HRC declared a State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ people for the first time in its over 40-year history. The move addresses hateful rhetoric and the growing number of anti-LGBTQ bills that aim to place restrictions on the lives of transgender people, including the banning of gender-affirming care.

Furthermore, HRC’s efforts reveal the impact of violent and hateful rhetoric aimed at fatal violence against people of color, who account for the largest group of victims. Since 2013, HRC has been tracking such data.

According to the report, 69% of all victims were Black, compared to 21% of Hispanic people and 9% of white people. Black trans women, who live within intersections of discrimination based on race, being women, and being transgender, particularly, represented 51% of all deaths.

However, HRC noted that “some victims’ deaths may go unreported or misreported, while other victims may not be identified as trans or gender non-conforming.”

In 2021, the Pew Research Center surveyed Black U.S. adults, finding that 46% of Black adults reported that they were extremely or very concerned about discrimination against LGBTQ people. Saying it is too often that Black transgender and non-conforming people “face multiple forms of stigma, which result in lower access to status, power, and resources.”

The rights group is calling for lawmakers to pass the Equality Act and state non-discrimination protection across employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.

President Biden marked Transgender Day of Remembrance with a statement condemning hate and discrimination.

“Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we are reminded that there is more to do [to] meet that promise as we grieve the 26 transgender Americans whose lives were taken this year,” Biden said.

“While each one of these deaths is a tragedy – the true toll of those victimized is likely even higher, with the majority of those targeted being women of color.”

by Derek Major

November 21, 2023

Floyd Mayweather Wanted To Buy A House, Instead He Exposed A Real Estate Tax Scam

Boxer Floyd Mayweather tried to buy a supermansion In Bel-Air, instead he exposed a real estate tax scam.

Boxer Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather thought he had found the house of his dreams when he looked at a 35,000-square-foot, 12-bedroom, 17-bath super mansion tucked high in the hills of Bel-Air allegedly close to a property owned by Jay-Z and Beyonce.

The price of the home was $139 million, and after seeing the property, Mayweather quickly agreed to purchase it from retired emergency room doctor Joseph Englanoff. However, the undefeated boxer later discovered Englanoff was possibly using him as a patsy in what appears to be a complicated tax evasion setup, Los Angeles Magazine reports.

According to the outlet, the super mansion includes a scalable rock wall in the gym, a vodka tasting room, a 44-foot chandelier at its center, a 6,000-square foot nightclub with a crystal-embedded wall, a ventilated cigar humidor, a temperature-regulated wine room, movie theater with custom leather seats, and a pool complete with hydraulic screens.

Mayweather viewed the property in 2021 courtesy of its developer, Englanoff, who named it “La Fin,” French for “The End.”

Initially, Mayweather agreed to a handshake deal to purchase the property from the UCLA doctor; however, when Mayweather’s lawyers received the contract for the sale, they quickly realized the man who beat Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosely, and Canelo Alvarez wouldn’t be purchasing the super mansion. Instead, he’d be buying shares in Ashley Ridge Land LP, a Nevada-based company whose holdings included the mansion and a plot of land outside Las Vegas.

As a result, Mayweather’s lawyers began looking into Englanoff. They quickly realized their client could become an unwitting participant in a possible tax scheme if he went through with the sale. Additionally, not only was Mayweather asked to invest in a company instead of purchasing the property, but Englanoff wanted to be contracted as a paid consultant.

“After careful consideration of various aspects of this transaction, including due diligence, we advise our client not to proceed with this seller,” Rockard “Rocky” Delgadillo told LA Magazine.

Mayweather was forced to let the property go, as he was unwilling to cheat the system for the home. In addition to the alleged shady contract, the boxer’s team was also worried that Englanoff avoided paying his income taxes for years in California by setting up a Nevada residence, which he never, or rarely, lived in.

Englanoff told LA Magazine he and his wife, Gilat, considered moving to Las Vegas in late 2020, saying, “The move was predicated on us both being able to practice medicine in Nevada and as such, we applied for the NV Medical Board in early 2021. At the same time, we registered two vehicles in NV in anticipation of the move, not to avoid paying California taxes.”

Mayweather won 15 titles, which spanned 21 years, finishing with a 50-0-1 record. He was inducted into the 2021 International Boxing Hall of Fame class along with Wladimir Klitschko and Andre Ward.

by Jeffrey McKinney

November 21, 2023

Crucial Tips To Help Increase Your Income And Boost Home Affordability

Saving, investing, erasing debt and adding a side hustle are ways to boost your income and potentially boost home affordability.

New data reveals that lower income is a contributing factor to buying a home and home affordability is harder for Black Americans than other groups of people.

Black respondents reported a median household income of $52,860 last year, versus $74,580 for races overall, according to the 2022 American Community Survey. Hence, the home-price-to-income ratio for Black households is 8.2, much higher than the 2.6 recommended by financial experts. In contrast, the ratio for all households is 5.8. The findings are tied to a new report by Clever Real Estate.

Based on the 2.6 ratio, an affordable home for a Black American household would cost around $137,400. In comparison, the cost of an affordable home for Americans overall would be nearly $194,000.

The home-price-to-income ratio, a measure that evaluates home affordability, has more than doubled to 5.8 from 2.6 as home prices have soared much faster than income over the past two decades.

Jaime Seale, the report’s author, shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE that Black Americans are underrepresented in senior leadership roles and industries with high job growth and wages.

“With less income, buying a house becomes even more of a challenge for Black Americans and prevents them from building generational wealth that can give their families financial stability for years to come.”

To help boost income and promote home affordability, Seale offered several tips. One piece of advice is to start saving, even if it’s only a small amount. Choose a high-yield savings account, like a certificate of deposit, that will pay you interest. Once you build your savings, you can invest in other assets like stocks and real estate to help you make even more money.

Consider investing in the stock market as soon as possible, a great way to earn passive income. Seale explained that when you’re ready to buy a home, you can use the money you made from investments toward a down payment, closing costs, or paying your real estate agent.

Further, pay off your debt. The reason: all the money that was going to those payments can now be applied to your budget. Use it to invest or stash it in a high-yield savings account.

If you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of time, Seale suggests getting a side hustle, working overtime, or finding a higher-paying job as ways to increase your income.

Also, check out this, which offers multiple ways to help elevate your income.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 21, 2023

In New Documentary Derek Chauvin Proclaims Innocence After Pleading Guilty To George Floyd’s Murder

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his appeal of the case with no explanation.

The former police officer who kept his knee on the throat of George Floyd as he lay dying has finally spoken about the killing in a documentary that was just released. In it, he says that he feels “the whole trial, including sentencing, was a sham.”

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin essentially blamed the paramedics for the killing, according to NBC Montana. He made the statements in a documentary titled “The Fall of Minneapolis.” He says Floyd died because there was a delayed response from EMS after they were summoned to the scene.

In the documentary, he says, “The EMS and Minneapolis Fire response was not normal. Normally, both those resources are sent, they arrive in short time, especially on a Code 3 situation. In this case, Minneapolis Fire took 20-plus minutes to arrive, and their station is eight blocks away.”

He uses that excuse to justify keeping his knee on Floyd’s neck. He expressed that the “move” he used was called a “maximal restraint technique that is typically used when a suspect is resisting arrest,” he says. He believes it was not introduced into the trial, which would have exonerated him.

“At the end of the day, the whole trial, including sentencing, was a sham,” Chauvin said.

Chauvin’s attorneys filed a motion to overturn the federal conviction he pled guilty to, according to The StarTribuneF. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected it with no explanation. In the filing, attorneys stated that the former police officer would not have pleaded guilty in the federal case if his former attorney, Eric Nelson, had told Chauvin that a pathologist would have testified that Chauvin wasn’t the reason Floyd died. There was no mention of paramedics in the filing.

Chauvin was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for violating the civil rights of Floyd, who died on May 25, 2020. Chauvin admitted that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck, even after he stopped moving, which resulted in Floyd’s death. He admitted to willfully depriving Floyd of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure, including unreasonable force by a police officer.

Rapper E-40’s Culinary Empire: Music, Spirits, And A Taste Of Success

by Rafael Pena

November 21, 2023

Rapper E-40’s Culinary Empire: Music, Spirits, And A Taste Of Success

Rapper E-40 has seamlessly extended his influence to conquer the realms of food and spirits, boasting complete control over his brand.

Not just a maestro in the music industry, rapper E-40, also known as Earl Stevens, has seamlessly extended his influence to conquer the realms of food and spirits, boasting complete control over his brand. In a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club podcast, E-40 revealed the interconnectedness of his ventures from music to food and beverages, emphasizing the harmony between these diverse realms, AFROTECH reported.

“I’ve always wanted to do it. I got seasonings, sauces, and all kind of stuff finna come. It all comes hand in hand. Music, food, and beverages,” he shared during the interview on The Breakfast Club.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by E40 Mogul 🥂🎩 (@e40)

The legend has ventured into wine with his company, Earl Stevens Selections, and the food brand Goon With The Spoon. A hands-on approach and the absence of external investors have marked his entrepreneurial journey. As the rapper E-40 proudly asserted on The Breakfast Club, “We family-owned. Black-owned business for real from the ground up. I’m talking about no investors. No, nothing.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Earl Stevens Selections Wine🍷 (@earlstevensselections)

According to the outlet, Earl Stevens Selections has grown substantially, expanding its offerings beyond the initial lineup to include more than 15 still and sparkling wine variations. Notably, the portfolio welcomed the piña colada-flavored wine “Piñascato” in September 2023, showcasing E-40’s innovative spirit approach.

‘Goon With The Spoon,’ initially known for its flavored sausages and burritos, has diversified its product line to include an array of ice cream flavors. From Cookie Dough and Bourbon Vanilla to Vanilla Bean, Strawberry, Mint Chocolate, and Salted Caramel, E-40’s food brand has become synonymous with culinary creativity.

In a conversation with AFROTECH, E-40 underscored the importance of complete involvement in his brand and the value of ownership. “I’m there from start to finish, from the beginning to the end. That’s why I always try to be an inspiration to the new and old generation to show, ‘Hey man, this is a route you could take,’” he stated. “When they say Black-owned, I’m the epitome of a Black-owned business. I am the vendor of record. I write the checks. I do it all.”

Marcus Jordan, credit card debt, lawsuit, credit card lawsuit

by Iman Milner

November 21, 2023

Son Of Basketball Legend Michael Jordan Settles Six-Figure Credit Card Debt

Documents obtained by Radar Online show Marcus Jordan, the son of basketball icon Michael, has settled a six-figure credit card debt with American Express.

Marcus Jordan, a possible “air” to the empire of basketball icon Michael Jordan, can breathe a sigh of relief after paying off a six-figure debt with American Express over the summer.

The company initially claimed that Jordan stopped making payments on a $175,000 balance in 2022. American Express filed a lawsuit against the Trophy Room store owner in December 2022, with Jordan agreeing to pay the balance off in $10,000 increments.

The news was originally reported by Radar Online.

Both Jordan and reality star Larsa Pippen, the ex-wife of former Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, often make headlines due to their relationship’s unusual reminder of the golden days of NBA basketball. Pippen has maintained her position that her ex-husband and her boyfriend’s father, two of the league’s most celebrated duos, had no real connection to their family before dating Jordan, Page Six reports.

“I think people really thought that we knew each other our whole lives,” she said on an episode of the pair’s podcast, Separation Anxiety with Larsa Pippen & Marcus Jordan. “Like I threw your fifth birthday or something. I’m like ‘No, by the way’, I never met you before.”

In recent years, details of the strained relationship between the Jordan patriarch and his former right-hand man have shocked sports fans who equated the pair’s on-court chemistry to an idealistic off-court bromance. Following the release of the Netflix docuseries, The Last Dance, tensions flared due to Pippen’s disapproval of how Jordan was portrayed in comparison to his teammates.

“Even in the second episode, which focused for a while on my difficult upbringing and unlikely path to the NBA, the narrative returned to MJ and his determination to win. I was nothing more than a prop,” Pippen said of his own portrayal in the series at the time. “Each episode was the same: Michael on a pedestal, his teammates secondary, smaller, the message no different from when he referred to us back then as his ‘supporting cast’.”

Controversial Megachurch Founder Carlton Pearson Dies At 70

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 21, 2023

Controversial Megachurch Founder Carlton Pearson Dies At 70

The pastor was known for his controversial switch to Universality preachings.

Bishop Carlton Pearson, the controversial founder of an Oklahoma megachurch, has died at 70 from cancer. Pearson was known for his staunch ideological shifts during his ministry.

The preacher founded the Tusla-based High Dimensions Family Church in 1981, rising to popularity for his Pentecostal teachings televised on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, one of two African American pastors at the time to do so. According to NBC News, the church was later renamed New Dimensions, and in 2008, Pearson shifted his sermons to focus on the “gospel of inclusion.” The universalist preachings rejected the notion of hell and also supported gay rights, two beliefs that were not held by his former congregation.

His theological stance led to advocacy, as clergy members who followed him encouraged Congress to pass anti-hate legislation. Due to his unorthodox beliefs, Pearson was labeled a heretic, ostracized by evangelicals, and lost the base of his church members. Becoming a United Church of Christ member, his last sermon at his former megachurch was in September 2008.

His newfound beliefs were displayed in his many books, such as “The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God,” with his additional feature in the “Heretics” episode of Chicago Public Radio’s “This American Life” in 2005. His polarizing story was dramatized in the 2018 Netflix film Come Sunday. Chiwetel Ejiofor played the infamous preacher whose journey led him from conservative Christianity to excommunication.

His public accounts announced his passing on Nov. 20, stating that Pearson “sacrificed everything for a message of unconditional love and acceptance by God.” Pearson, who battled cancer that had returned after 20 years, died surrounded by his family as he continued to spread his message of inclusivity until his final days.

“Carlton’s message and example of unconditional love, though it gained him the moniker of “heretic” by some in the Christian church, had a whole new world opened to him as a result,” explained the post announcing the news. “Non-Christians, as well as Christians who had left the church as a result of church hurts, abuse, hypocrisy, etc., loved the new message of love, healing, and restoration. He leaves a legacy of love through the multiplied thousands of lives he touched during his time on earth and the impartation of grace and mercy he preached and exhibited to everyone he encountered.”