Haitian Gang Traps People Inside Hospital In Port-au-Prince
by Rafael Pena

November 16, 2023

Haitian Gang Traps People Inside Hospital In Port-au-Prince

A dire situation unfolded in Haiti on Nov. 15 as a heavily armed gang besieged Fontaine Hospital Center in Port-au-Prince.

According to the Associated Press, on Nov. 15 a heavily armed gang besieged Fontaine Hospital Center in Port-au-Prince, trapping vulnerable individuals, including women, children, and newborns.

Jose Ulysse, the hospital’s founder and director, urgently sought assistance through social media, highlighting the perilous conditions in a community overwhelmed by escalating gang violence.

Situated amid the Cité Soleil slum is the Fontaine Hospital Center, which has long served as a vital refuge from rampant gang activity. Residents of the area routinely suffer atrocities including rape, assault, and homicide.

Ulysse recounted that the gang members surrounded the hospital, setting homes ablaze in the vicinity and obstructing the exit of those inside. While he initially reported that some gang members had entered the hospital, he later clarified that they did not breach its confines.

Responding to Ulysse’s call, Haiti’s National Police force arrived with three armored trucks to facilitate the evacuation of 40 children and 70 patients to a secure location within the city. The delicate operation included transporting children reliant on oxygen.

“Gangs are in total control of the area,” Ulysse emphasized to the Associated Press, underscoring the security challenges faced by the community. A spokesperson for the National Police was unavailable for immediate comment.

Ulysse attributed the incident to the Brooklyn gang led by Gabriel Jean-Pierre, known as “Ti Gabriel,” who also heads G-Pep, one of two rival coalitions in Haiti. With approximately 200 members, the Brooklyn gang exercises control over specific communities within Cité Soleil, engaging in extortion, goods hijacking, and pervasive violence.

“The G-Pep coalition and its allies strongly reinforced cooperation and diversified their revenues, in particular by committing kidnapping for ransom, which has enabled them to strengthen their fighting capacity,” per a UN report.

The distressing event adds to the mounting challenges faced by Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, with gangs wielding increasing influence and a surge in kidnappings and killings.

Earlier this year, armed gang members infiltrated a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, forcibly seizing a patient from an operating room by fabricating a life-threatening emergency.

6-year-old Dies From Baseball Bat Attack 60 Days After Incident
by Rafael Pena

November 16, 2023

6-year-old Dies From Baseball Bat Attack 60 Days After Incident

Six-year-old Jeremy Diaz, who battled for his life after a vicious attack by a neighbor in September, died Nov. 14.

Six-year-old Jeremy Diaz, who has battled for his life since he was allegedly attacked with a baseball bat by a neighbor, has died.

On Jeremy’s GoFundMe page, his father, Arturo Diaz, said the boy died November 14 after the September 11 attack, The Huffington Post reported.

Jeremy was allegedly assaulted by his adult neighbor, Daniel Logan, who, armed with a baseball bat, forcibly entered the Diaz family’s Texas home. According to the Austin-American Statesman, Logan’s mother, attempting to intervene, also suffered injuries.

Logan’s wife, HuffPo reported, told police she called 911 when she saw her mother-in-law come back home covered in blood and “frantically screamed that Daniel was killing everyone inside.”

Following the assault, the community rallied, launching a GoFundMe to assist Jeremy’s parents with medical expenses. Jeremy’s father regularly updated well-wishers on the platform, sharing his son’s ups and downs.

According to court records, Logan was deemed incompetent to stand trial in October; a mental health evaluation is scheduled for Nov. 28. His attorney, Marc Chavez, emphasized the involvement of mental illness in the case.

“While the allegations sound troubling, we ask everyone to reserve judgment until all the facts come to light, especially while we investigate issues related to serious mental illness,” Chavez told USA Today.

Despite signs of improvement in Jeremy’s vital signs, a sudden and severe “neural storm” occurred Monday night, according to his father’s GoFundMe update. Neurostorming, often seen after traumatic brain injuries, can manifest in heightened heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature regulation issues.

“It was the worst storm we had seen, and it came out of nowhere. It was almost 6 hours of hell on earth―I can only imagine the torture he went through,” Arturo Diaz wrote on the GoFundMe page.

In a heart-wrenching farewell, Diaz expressed the profound pain of covering his son’s face for the last time, witnessing the bookends of Jeremy’s life. No parent, he wrote, should endure the agony of burying their child.

Biden, Student loans, senate, senate republicans, Arab, muslim, questions, visit
by Derek Major

November 16, 2023

Senate Republicans Fall Short In Bid To Stop Biden’s SAVE Student Loan Repayment Plan

Senate Republicans have fallen short in their bid to pass a resolution overturning President Joe Biden’s SAVE student loan plan.

Senate Republicans fell short in their bid to pass a resolution to overturn President Joe Biden’s income-driven plan for addressing student loans, Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE).

The Hill reported all Republicans and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (W.V.) voted in support of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would have discontinued the SAVE plan that went into effect this fall.

However, the 49 votes weren’t enough, as all Democrats except Manchin voted to fight off the latest challenge to the repayment plan, a 50-49 vote. 

Senate Republicans saw the loss coming and did not take it well.

“This is irresponsible. This is deeply unfair,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said before the vote, according to The Hill.

The SAVE Plan is a two-part plan. This fall, borrowers will see a rise in their income exemption for student loan payments from 150% to 225% above the federal poverty guidelines. Borrowers will also not see their unpaid interest grow. Next year, monthly payments from discretionary income will be cut from 10% to 5%, according to the outlet.

In their bid to derail the SAVE plan, Republicans noted the plan will cost taxpayers more than $550 billion, adding that individuals who never attended college and those who have paid off their loans would be picking up the tab for others. 

According to Business Insider, student loan debt is Americans’ fourth-highest debt after mortgages, auto loans, and credit card debt, totaling $1.57 trillion. Millions of Americans with student loan debt were given a break during the COVID-19 pandemic as loan payments were paused and interest rates were set to 0% between March 13, 2020, and Sept. 1, 2023. Additionally, Biden has canceled the student loan debt of nearly 3.6 million Americans, totaling more than $127 billion.

Black-Owned Brewery Set To Open in Chicago Neighborhood
by Rafael Pena

November 16, 2023

Black-Owned Brewery Set To Open in Chicago Neighborhood

In the heart of Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, a new Black-owned brewery is poised to make its mark on the local scene.

In the heart of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, a new Black-owned brewery is poised to make its mark on the local scene when it opens November 30.

Turner Haus Brewery, on 47th Street and Michigan Avenue, is the brainchild of the Turner family. It’s driven by a passion to both serve pints and address community needs, as reported by NBC Chicago.

The Black-owned and family-operated establishment will share its space with Sip and Savor Coffee Shop, creating a hub for socializing and gathering in the neighborhood.

It’s a labor of love.

“We named all of our beers after a matriarch in our families, and we really think about who they were as a person as we’re coming up with a recipe to honor them, so we really put that into the ingredients,” co-owner Blair Aikens told NBC Chicago.

The brewing process becomes a tribute to family matriarchs, with each beer named after a beloved grandmother or figure. “These are people that poured into us, and now we pour pints of them,” Turner explained.

“I look at it as an opportunity because at that point it’s an opportunity for us to get into this community, educate them not only who we are, but beer and craft beer in itself,” he added.

With less than 1% of craft breweries being Black-owned, Turner Haus Brewery seeks to contribute to changing this statistic.

Living in Bronzeville, Turner is committed to reinvesting in the community and has found a supportive partner in Trez Van Pugh III, owner of Sip and Savor Hospitality Group. Van Pugh sees the brewery as a positive force for the community, creating jobs and generating excitement.

The brewery plans to operate Thursday through Sunday, offering a selection of five craft beer options on tap, including a grapefruit lager. Turner hopes the brewery encourages others to invest in the area and expand entertainment options in Bronzeville.

Atlanta Rapper T.I. Appears With Mayor Andre Dickens At Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony For Affordable Housing Development
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 16, 2023

Atlanta Rapper T.I. Appears With Mayor Andre Dickens At Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony For Affordable Housing Development

T.I.'s affordable housing development, Intrada Westside is located on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway

Turning an old shopping center, where his grandmother used to get her groceries, into an affordable apartment complex, Atlanta rapper T.I. was present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place on Nov. 14.

According to WSB-TV, the “Rubber Band Man” lyricist, who talked about the construction of this housing development over two years ago, finally got the chance to show off the site. Along with his wife, Tiny; the mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens; and several groups involved in making this project happen, he helped unveil the housing unit.

The housing development includes 143 apartments and has 25 special units that have been set aside for homeless youth.

“The arts and entertainment industry in this city has been able to collaborate and, I guess, be profitable enough to offer the community so many things that are much needed,” the man born Clifford Harris told the media outlet.

Fox 5 Atlanta reported that the Intrada Westside is located on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.

“When you listen to Tip’s album… he shouts out all the neighborhoods right around here,” Mayor Dickens said.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, T.I. revealed a little tidbit about the location on which unit is built on.

“I’m going to tell y’all a secret. Don’t tell nobody. I got caught stealing from this Kmart,” T.I. said. “I thought that, you know, just to offset the shame that came with that, it would behoove me to invest in the community by acquiring these properties.”

The address for the development is 2174 – 2176 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, and it includes commercial/retail space and community gardens, according to a press release from Atlanta Housing.

T.I. was raised in the Center Hill neighborhood near Bankhead Highway. A few years ago, he launched “Buy Back the Block,” in conjunction with APD-Urban Planning and Management and Dynasty Real Estate Development. The real estate venture buys properties in Tip’s childhood neighborhood and flips them into affordable housing for the community.

Letitia James, Fraud, Trump
by Sharelle Burt

November 16, 2023

You Mad? Trump Calls Out NY Attorney General Letitia James For ‘Smirking’ In Court

New York Attorney General Letitia James has Trump in his feels. HARD.

Former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social social media platform to express his dislike of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ facial expressions.

James sat in on the civil fraud case on Nov. 14. According to Trump, she was “smirking all day long” while his legal team beefed up his defense.

“Racist A.G. Letitia James is smirking all day long from her seat in Court,” Trump wrote. “You have a (Trump-Hating!) Attorney General who’s seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages when not a single penny was lost by these banks, and that’s part of this (Unconstitutional!) Law. You can see from the reaction of A.G. James, every morning from that seat, that she is enjoying this, enjoying it a bit too much.”

https://twitter.com/Democracy1stE/status/1724430361113829798

Spectators who sat in on the trial claim Trump was visibly irritated with James’ presence, who rested her case Nov. 15. As his son Donald Trump, Jr. was set to provide his testimony when courtroom cameras panned to get a glimpse of James looking satisfied.

The now-four-time indicted businessman has attacked James for what he described as unfairly targeting him for politically motivated purposes. Judge Arthur Engoron found the Trump Organization and the leadership team liable for fraud before the trial started. Things have gotten so heated between Trump, James and Engoron that, according to Fox News, the judge had to implement a gag order against the former president after he lashed out against the court publicly.

On Nov. 6, James spoke to the media, saying the defendants’ actions were predictable, but she won’t be silenced.

“He rambled, he hurled insults—but we expected that,” James said. “Mr. Trump obviously can engage in all of these distractions…and engaging in name-calling. But I will not be bullied. I will not be harassed. This case will go on.”

Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, sat in on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures to take jabs at James, accusing her of having political motives behind her Trump attacks.

“Mrs. James wanted a headline. She campaigned on this, remember, before she was even the attorney general,” Habba said. “That’s how she got the attorney general role. She campaigned on Trump, so she had to follow through, and she should really dismiss this case. It’s making her look bad, frankly, and the city needs her attention elsewhere.”

Da Baby, DaBaby
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 16, 2023

Da Baby’s Homophobic Comments At Rolling Loud Forced Him To ‘Sit Down And Self-Reflect’

Da Baby is opening up about the $200 million loss he took after his homophobic rant at Rolling Loud in 2021.

The “Suge” rapper appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast where he was asked if he has any regrets in his career. At first, Da Baby said no until Sharpe reminded him of his infamous Rolling Loud performance that garnered backlash when he made controversial comments about HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community.

Despite losing out on over $100 million, Da Baby revealed, he now sees the incident as a “blessing in disguise.”

“You live and you learn,” he said in a clip captured by The Shade Room, noting how the incident “forced to sit my a** to sit down and self-reflect.”

“I don’t regret anything that I done been through,” he said. “It feels so good to be able say that and mean it. I done probably said that before but I ain’t mean it.”

Despite losing $200 million for his offensive remarks, Da Baby sees the incident as a “blessing in disguise.”

”It’s like ‘Boy I wish I had …$200 million, y’all robbed me.’ I don’t feel like that,” he explained. “I really feel like that’s a blessing in disguise at this point in my life and I just came to that realization in the past two weeks.”

But now the South Carolina native is in a happier space and sees the growth that came out of the scandal.

“I love the space I’m in as a person,” he said.

Da Baby was in the hot seat after performing on the last day of Miami’s Rolling Loud in July 2021. Not only did he bring out Tory Lanez minutes after Megan Thee Stallion performed her set, but he offended many when he closed his performance with bizarre remarks about HIV/AIDS and the gay community, Billboard reports.

“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” he told attendees. “Ladies, if your p—- smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up. Fellas, if you ain’t sucking d— in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up.”

He doubled down on his homophobic rant days later when he took to Twitter to defend his comments.

“My gay fans, they take care of themselves. They ain’t no nasty gay n—as. See what I’m saying? They ain’t no junkies in the street. The hell you talking about, n—as? Then I said if you ain’t sucking d— in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up,” he wrote on Twitter.

“You know what my gay fans did? Put that motherf—ing light up, n—a, ’cause my gay fans ain’t going for that. They got class. They ain’t sucking no d— in no parking lot.”

Well, it looks like Da Baby has had a change of heart.

RELATED CONTENT: St. Louis Rapper Sexyy Red Advocates For Donald Trump’s Return To The Presidency

Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis, glen Davis
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 16, 2023

Former NBA Players Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis And Will Bynum Convicted In NBA Healthcare Fraud Scheme

Former NBA players Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Will Bynum were found guilty of committing healthcare and wire fraud.

Two more former NBA players have been convicted for their role in an attempt to defraud the NBA’s healthcare plan.

According to CBS Sports, former NBA players Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Will Bynum were found guilty on Nov. 15 of healthcare fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to make false statements, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, and wire fraud. The two men are the latest of 18 former NBA players accused of trying to defraud the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams released a statement about the convictions:

“Moments ago, a Manhattan jury convicted former NBA players Ronald Glen Davis and William Bynum of a criminal scheme to defraud the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan. While many of the more than 20 defendants convicted in this case were well-known NBA stars, their conduct was otherwise a typical fraudulent scheme designed to defraud the NBA’s health care plan and net the defendants over $5 million in illicit profits. Today’s conviction exemplifies that despite notoriety or success in sports or any other field, no one is exempt from criminal charges if they engage in fraud.”

The other former players who were arrested and charged in the scheme are Milt Palacio, Antoine Wright, Charles Watson, Darius Miles, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Gregory Smith, Glen Davis, Jamario Moon, Terrence Williams, Alan Anderson, Tony Allen, Shannon Brown, William Bynum, Melvin Ely, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Sebastian Telfair, and Tony Wroten.

Bloomberg reported that Davis and Bynum could each face up to 20 years in prison, but it’s unlikely they get that much time. Terrence Williams, who orchestrated the scam, was sentenced to 10 years in prison earlier this August. He has been imprisoned since November 2022.

Davis, who won an NBA championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics, also played for the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers. Bynum played with the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, and the Celtics.

Draymond Green Suspended For 5 Games After Placing Rudy Gobert In Chokehold
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 16, 2023

Draymond Green Suspended For 5 Games After Placing Rudy Gobert In Chokehold

Draymond Green has been suspended by the NBA for five games due to placing Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during an altercation.

An altercation between the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert resulted in Green being ejected immediately from the NBA game on Nov. 14. The league has suspended the NBA champion for five games due to the actions that took place during that contest.

NBA.com reported that NBA Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced that Green has been suspended five games without pay “for escalating an on-court altercation and forcibly grabbing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.”

The length of Green’s punishment is due to his noteworthy history of “unsportsmanlike acts.”

Green wasn’t the only player penalized for the scuffle. His teammate, Klay Thompson, as well as Timberwolves players Jaden McDaniels and Gobert, were each fined $25,000 for their roles in the incident. At the game, Thompson and McDaniels were given a technical foul and ejected from the matchup, while Green was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2, which led to his ejection.

The Warriors’ starting forward will start his five-game suspension on Nov. 16, when his team goes up against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chase Center.

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, had its share of users posting controversial video clips of the player over the years in the NBA, starting with a mashup “mixtape” of classic moments featuring Green and his “unsportsmanlike acts.”

ESPN reported that Green will lose more than a quarter of a million dollars ($769,970) during his suspension.

Gobert was not pleased that he was fined, saying he was trying to be a peacemaker.

“Every situation is different, but to me, that was more than just a reaction. That was a personal attack,” Gobert said. “Me being fined when I was being a peacemaker, and I chose to keep my hands up while I was being assaulted, it’s shameful. Shameful. And I’m going to appeal that fine.”

This was Green’s second time being thrown out of a game this season. He was ejected from the Nov. 11 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Georgia Election Workers Go After Rudy Giuliani’s Pockets, Seeking $43 Million In Defamation Trial
by Sharelle Burt

November 16, 2023

Georgia Election Workers Go After Rudy Giuliani’s Pockets, Seeking $43 Million In Defamation Trial

Giuliani's legal woes aren't over yet.

Two former Fulton County election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, seek between $15.5 and $43 million in their defamation lawsuit against former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

In new court filings, attorneys for the mother-daughter duo say Giuliani could be called to the stand. A federal judge deemed the former NYC mayor responsible in August 2023 after saying Giuliani gave “only lip service” to agreeing to his legal obligations while trying to label himself as the victim in the case. He has already been ordered to pay the two Georgia women over $230,000 in legal fees.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell described his punishment as necessary, based on Giuliani ignoring his duty as a defendant to submit the information Freeman and Moss requested in their lawsuit.

In a statement, Freeman and Moss said they were “living a nightmare” amid a “wave of hatred and threats” because of Giuliani. “Nothing can restore all we lost, but today’s ruling is yet another neutral finding that has confirmed what we have known all along that there was never any truth to any of the accusations about us and that we did nothing wrong,” the statement read. “We were smeared for purely political reasons, and the people responsible can and should be held accountable.”

It started in December 2021, after the women accused Giuliani of defaming them by falsely claiming they were committing fraud while counting 2020 election ballots at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. According to the lawsuit, the former Trump confidant continued to smear their names by accusing them of pulling names out of suitcases of illegal ballots, as well as other acts of fraud, to change the outcome of the election.

Freeman and Moss’s legal team came up with the amount to include costs correlating to Moss’ loss of work and her “need to secure and relocate from her home.”

Giuliani has a growing list of people he owes. His former attorney, Bob Costello, is suing him for over $1 million for unpaid invoices. Another former business colleague is seeking damages after filing a sexual harassment claim against him. President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is also suing Giuliani, accusing him of mishandling personal data.

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