by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 9, 2023

National Black McDonald’s Operators Association Is Giving Away 2,500 Turkeys To Chicago Veterans And Families

As the holidays are making a strong turn around the corner once again, the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association is back in action to ensure that families are being fed.

According to Fox 32 Chicago, there were many people heading to their local McDonald’s to pick up some food on Nov. 8 in Chicago and Indiana. They weren’t going there for the Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, or the milkshakes, but to get some of the turkeys that a couple of the fast food eateries were giving out to families. They were being doled out for the 32nd annual turkey giveaway for families and veterans, according to the outlet.

People will be able to obtain the turkeys from five McDonald’s stores throughout Chicagoland and northwest Indiana through Veteran’s Day. By the time the giveaways are done, the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association would have given out 2,500 birds to needy families.

The owner of the McDonald’s at 1st Avenue and Lake Street located in Maywood, Brian Graham, stated that this is the first store that was involved in the “Food for the Body and Spirit” initiative. “The people have been so kind and so generous and so thankful for us putting this together,” he said.

The people who came to get the generous helping of turkey, along with some fixings were also gifted with some baked goods from Bimbo Bakeries. And with the cold weather waiting to be unleashed into the area, attendees were also given some winter essentials, like hats and gloves, according to the outlet.

The National Black McDonald’s Operators Association was formed in 1972, four years after Chicago’s own Herman Petty opened his first restaurant, becoming the first Black Owner/Operator of a McDonald’s franchise. According to the website, the organization was founded after operators and store managers needed a place to share ideas, issues, and concerns happening at the time.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 9, 2023

Miami Heat Brings Udonis Haslem Back For Executive Role In Front Office

Retired NBA player, Udonis Haslem is returning in a new role for the Miami Heat as the team’s new vice president of basketball development.

The Miami Heat has brought one of its most popular players back to the team, but in a different capacity. The team’s all-time rebounding leader and three-time NBA champion, Udonis Haslem, who retired this past season, is returning as the team’s new vice president of basketball development.

According to NBA.com, the former power forward/center was hired for the position on Tuesday, Nov. 7. In his new role, Haslem will be working alongside the coaching staff, mentoring players for the team and also those who are assigned to the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, SD. He will also be representing the organization in the community.

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In a notable playing career, he, along with Dwyane Wade, was the only player to play on all three Miami Heat championship teams. This past season, he became the oldest player to appear in the NBA Finals when he did so two days before his 43rd birthday. He also holds the distinction of spending 20 years (his entire career) with the same team. Only two other people have done that: the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant. He was the league’s oldest active player when he laced up his sneakers to play in the NBA for the last time.

In August, the Miami native announced that he is focused on building affordable housing units in his hometown. The new project will provide 200 families with quality homes within the south Florida city.

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Haslem is doing this in collaboration with Magellan, a Miami-based company, to purchase the 6.3-acre site in which the housing units will be located. There is also a plan to have 26 “workforce-priced” townhomes. Construction is slated to start in late 2024.

by Iman Milner

November 9, 2023

Michael Oher Allegedly Received $138K In Proceeds From ‘The Blind Side’ Film Despite Claiming He Never Saw Profits From His Story

Michael Oher, the subject of the 2009 film The Blind Side, allegedly received more than $138,000 from his adoptive parents.

Michael Oher, the subject of the 2009 film The Blind Side, allegedly received more than $138,000 from his adoptive parents, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, despite claims that he never profited from his story, ESPN reported. The claim is the latest in an ongoing dispute between Oher and the Tuohy family, who he alleges used his athletic prowess to sell a “white savior” narrative full of lies in order to make money.

“By agreement between the family members including Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, their children SJ and Collins as well as Michael Oher, the book and movie proceeds were to be split five ways,” said the family’s lawyer, according to ESPN.

The couple also believes that due to spending “tens of thousands of dollars of their own money to support Mr. Oher during his high school and college years,” they did not cheat him out of anything that was owed. The profit paid to Oher was reportedly split up over ten payments between Jan 2007 and April 2023. The sum amount also represents money made from the book of the same title, which predates the movie’s release.

The film grossed over $300 million at the box office, of which the Tuohys were paid $432,000 by Twentieth Century Fox, Alcon Film Fund, and Left Tackle Pictures, ESPN reported. Oher filed a petition in August to end a conservatorship he alleges the Tuohys tricked him into signing a mere three months after his 18th birthday. In his book, When Your Back’s Against The Wall, Oher describes how the film about his life ultimately hurt his football career as well as upended the fantasy of family dreamed up by the Tuohys.

“There has been so much created from The Blind Side that I am grateful for, which is why you might find it as a shock that the experience surrounding the story has also been a large source of some of my deepest hurt and pain over the past 14 years,” he wrote, before going on to reveal that the Tuohys had never formally adopted him as the movie suggested. A lawyer from the family would later clarify that the family’s use of the word “adoption” was meant to be “in the colloquial sense,” according to ESPN.

by Stacy Jackson

November 9, 2023

Shook! Black Women Horror Comic Creators Hit $20K Kickstarter Goal

The follow up to the comic "Shook! A Black Horror Anthology" has an award-winning team of Black women writers and artists.

Black women horror comic creators surpassed a $20,000 Kickstarter goal to fund a follow-up to the comic Shook! A Black Horror Anthology.

The second project, titled Shook Volume Two: Songs of the Dark Sirens, is being edited by Colleen Douglas and will be on shelves in January 2024, according to KPBS. The Kickstarter raised a total of $20,461 with 138 backers, according to the funding site that has branded itself as helping “bring creative projects to life.” The funding period for the second comic was from Oct. 10-Nov. 9, 2023.

Douglas, who has worked in the comic industry for nearly a decade, said about the project, according to KPBS, “It’s kind of paving the way for future possibilities, for storytelling from a Black perspective, Black women telling horror stories. And that’s what makes it so difficult. You’re pioneering. You’re basically paving the road for the rest of the cars to follow.”

Douglas said in a video on the Kickstarter page, “I am looking forward to working with sisters who have been very creative and very interesting in their approach to storytelling.” The editor said the comic will explore travel and “various topics such as stories from our childhood” and “even the quirky, unusual, and interesting perspectives that have been with us for a very long time.”

According to the “Meet the Creators” section on the Kickstarter, site Douglas – who also contributed as a writer – was joined by a host of award-winning Black women who made the project happen. Collaborators include Micheline Hess (writer, artist), Julie Anderson (artist), Alitha Martinez (artist), Rebecca Wanzo (writer), Raeghan Buchanan (writer, artist), Shake MacAudacious (writer), and Tananarive Due (writer).

Marcus H. Roberts, the creator listed under the Kickstarter, said in an update on the campaign page, “Thanks to everyone who believed in us and this project!” He added that backers helped make history possible.

The “Print Only” reward on the Kickstarter page had the most support, with 41 total backers. They will each receive a physical copy of volume two of the horror comic.

The outlet noted that the first of the two comics created a new standard for horror anthologies. Second Sight Publishing and Dark Horse Comics were responsible for the publication and distribution of the first volume, which was successfully funded around the time of the Black Lives Matter protests, according to KPBS.

by Sharelle Burt

November 9, 2023

Hoop Dreams: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Hires Legendary NBA Shooting Coach To Perfect His Jump Shot

Between dropping Billboard charting albums and dating a City Girl, Sean “Diddy” Combs somehow is finding time to stay active.

The Bad Boys Record founder teamed up with NBA shooting coach Chris Matthews to work on his jump shot, Men’s Magazine reports. Nicknamed “Lethal Shooter,” Matthews has an impressive resume to back it up, working with past and present NBA superstars like Anthony Davis, Jaylen Brown, and Dwight Howard. Diddy posted their strenuous workout on Instagram, hoping to improve what he admits as “the worst jump shot a Black man could have.”

“I had a couple of shoulder surgeries,” Diddy said. “No excuses though!”

Even though the video shows the music mogul perfecting his basketball skills, retired NBA players like former New York Knicks player Nate Robinson wasn’t impressed and left comments under the video.

“These n****s never picked up a ball and shot around?” Robinson asked. “Like never?”

Matthews, a high school teammate to two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant, has helped numerous celebrities improve their courtside skills. Rappers like Kanye West, Future, Rick Ross, and Chance the Rapper have hired him. Some of Hollywood’s elite, like Adam Sandler, and rock and roll royalty, including Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, have sought out his training.

It’s amazing that Diddy finds the time to train for hoop dreams. On Nov. 7, he was in London at a charity concert benefiting Sickle Cell Society and Black Minds Matter, according to Billboard. While there, he bought out former Bad Boy artist Shyne and performed hit singles “Bonnie & Shyne” and “Bad Boyz.” Shyne, who traded the mic for a career in politics, was voted into Belize’s House of Representatives in 2020. In 2022, he was re-elected as the leader of the United Democratic Party.

The two artists last performed in 2022 at the BET Awards.

RELATED CONTENT: Diddy And Diageo Continue Their Court Battle

Citibank Demands Customers Go Paperless Or Lose Access To Accounts

by Stacy Jackson

November 9, 2023

Citibank Demands Customers Go Paperless Or Lose Access To Accounts

Citibank's "beta program" is one of many attempts by companies to push customers to opt for digital documents in lieu of paper statements.

Citibank required a number of credit card customers to give up paper statements if they wanted to keep their online accounts.

According to The Daily Mail, Citibank’s new “beta program” ordered customers to opt for digital bank statements. The notice read, “We’re requiring you to authorize a switch to Paperless Statements and Legal Notices to maintain access to your account,” according to a screenshot shared by The Wall Street Journal.

While many might agree that going paperless on a mass scale could be helpful for the environment, the push for digital bank statements did not sit well with consumer advocates. And they want the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to do something about financial institutions requiring paperless correspondence, according to Daily Mail.

Around two-thirds of credit card customers are enrolled in paperless billing as of 2022. The news outlet noted that the current percentage of customers receiving paperless statements has gone up since 2015 by 36%. But the amount of customers who actually opened the statements that were sent as PDFs was only 10% last year, the CFPB reported, according to The Daily Mail.

The independent agency of the U.S. government that is responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector shared that customers are “opting out of reviewing their statements entirely” when they choose to go paperless.

The Ascent, a Motley Fool Service shared some benefits and drawbacks of opting for digital statements. The site pointed out that customers might feel at ease since non-paper billing documents reduce the risk of money and identity theft. Paper statements can be costly for some. Another upside is that it helps some people save money at companies that charge customers for paper statements.

On the downside, the site noted that paper documents might be more fitting for business owners or people in charge of someone else’s account – like an older family member. The Motley Fool tool noted that some companies don’t share statements that are from a year or more ago. Information from paper statements can be saved and referenced later in these instances.

DJ Khaled, Oral Care, Gold-Plated Toothbrush

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 9, 2023

DJ Khaled Reveals Why He Handles His Own Money

The 'We the Best' producer states that he does not trust accountants and money managers.

Shannon Sharpe just released the latest episode of his podcast, Club Shay Shay featuring hip-hop DJ and producer DJ Khaled. In this particular episode, the talented recording artist discussedwhy he has no accountant or money manager and handles all his financial issues on his own.

The “We the Best” label owner tells Sharpe that he doesn’t trust other people with his money and that he is the one who makes sure that everything is paid, including the mortgage, the car note, and even the barber.

“I pay the grass, the car wash man, the guy that’s cutting my hair, the electric bill, the car note, the mortgage. If you pay for everything yourself, you notice you’re paying too much for stuff… ”

Not only does DJ Khaled keep himself on top of his music, business, and production, but, he goes into detail regarding his thought process because paying the bills himself helps him keep more money in his pocket and eliminates the chance of anyone stealing money from under his nose.

“I have a rule. If you pay for everything yourself, you notice you’re paying too much for stuff, right? The balance got to always go like that, so if I touch that, that means it got to be replaced that hour, no more than two weeks, right? Okay, that’s just a rule in my life. Now, if I notice I’m paying so much, if I let somebody else say, oh to pay the bills, you’re not going to notice it in real time because it gives you a harder time to fix it. While I’m paying all these bills traveling, vacation, my mom’s bills, my house bills, you know, shopping, the chef, the kids.”

Although Khaled says he has no problem taking care of everybody around him, he feels the need to make sure that if he knows where his money is going, he can know if he should take some gigs and whatever else that is needed so he can always know how his money is looking without having to hear it from someone else.

“We could talk all this big business manager, and no disrespect to all you beautiful business managers out there, I don’t want to mess up your hustle, but I’ve heard a lot of crazy stories, right, and there’s no way in the world I’m letting somebody have the power to touch the hard work, no way.”

DJ Khaled is definitely about his money – but he is about keeping it as well.

by Sharelle Burt

November 9, 2023

Tim Scott Finally Reveals “Lovely Christian Girl” During 3rd Republican Debate

Tim Scott finally reveals "lovely Christian girl" to the world after the third Republican debates in Miami.

Presidential candidate Tim Scott waited until the end of the third Republican debate to reveal what voters really wanted to see – his girlfriend.

A mystery blond woman appeared at the end of the debates in Miami, and a statement from his campaign admitted that it was his girlfriend, Mindy, USA Today reported. Mindy Noce is a design and renovations manager from Charleston, SC. As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, donors were concerned about the 58-year-old’s love life, which prompted him to reveal he is dating what he described as a “lovely Christian girl.”

During a post-debate interview, Scott said he and Noce have been dating for “about a year or so,” and said she was with him during his campaign launch in early 2023.

It’s standard for candidates to show off their significant others and families on the campaign trail to appeal as personable to voters. As Scott has never been married and has no children, if he were elected president, he would be the first unmarried president in over 139 years, according to The New York Post.

Before Scott made the big reveal, the South Carolina senator made his mark during the debates on Nov. 8, but things got a little heated. During the two-and-half-hour-long program, Scott, along with fellow candidates Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ron DeSantis, battled it out on issues including the ban of TikTok, U.S. aid to Ukraine, abortion, and the crisis in Israel. As Scott barely qualified to participate, USA Today reported he may have missed his mark again.

GOP strategist Rob Stutzman said he was good but not good enough. “He had a good night,” Stutzman said. “But so did the candidates ahead of him.” His faith-based messaging tended to be overshadowed by his competitors. When addressing the U.S. over the war in Israel, Scott said he feels all federal funding towards universities and visas for foreign students should be revoked if they are against Israeli support.

He does have one last shot at standing out for the next RNC debate, scheduled for Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, AL but the qualifications are much stricter. In order to participate, candidates will need 6% support in at least two polls and 80,000 unique donors from 20 or more states.

Ibram X. Kendi’s Center For Antiracist Research Cleared Of Financial Mismanagement Accusations

by Daniel Johnson

November 9, 2023

Ibram X. Kendi’s Center For Antiracist Research Cleared Of Financial Mismanagement Accusations

Kendi is glad to be back to work after a challenging start.

Boston University announced on Nov. 7 that its initial inquiry into Ibram X. Kendi’s Center for Antiracist Research found no evidence of improper management of finances.

According to NBC News, after the university acknowledged the center would be laying off approximately half of its staff and changing its operating model in September, it launched an investigation into the organization’s financial health.

Kendi was hired by the university to helm the CAR in 2020 following his successful 2019 memoir, How To Be An Antiracist. That same year, George Floyd was killed by the Minneapolis Police Department, which brought even more attention to Kendi and his work.

On Nov. 7, Kendi shared his feelings on the investigation with the Associated Press: “Unfortunately, one of the most widely held racist ideas is the idea that Black people can’t manage money or Black people take money. It was those two allegations that were expressed and connected to me that, of course, people didn’t necessarily need evidence to substantiate their belief that that happened because apparently my skin color was enough evidence.”

I'm sure this entire site will be just as loud at his vindication as they were about their accusation. https://t.co/qMFWm0Re0v
— Brandon Bradford (@BrandonLBradfor) November 7, 2023

The CAR has raised $50 million. Thirty million dollars of that was placed into an endowment, according to the university. The CAR promised to create projects and research initiatives, some of which it has delivered on, like The Emancipator, an online newspaper which reimagines the abolitionist newspaper of the same name published in New York and Boston in the 1800s Kendi’s version was founded in April 2022.

Other planned initiatives—a graduate program and an undergrad minor program in antiracist studies as well as a database of antiracist campaigns—have been cancelled.

“What they saw us experiencing was quite normal, even if the coverage around it was was abnormal,” Kendi told NBC News.

pic.twitter.com/xmh6Y04IZx
— Ibram X. Kendi (@ibramxk) November 7, 2023

Former CAR staffers have said Kendi had too much power. If he were given the opportunity to start the center again, he told the Associated Press he would have started it with just a fellowship and the current model. He admitted it was difficult “trying to build a new organization from scratch during a pandemic era while responding to the urgency of the moment.”

Kendi added, “I’ve also learned how steep the learning curve is when you have a startup and you’re in the public life.”

Earl Lewis, a historian and former president of the Andrew Mellon Foundation, agreed that it was not unusual for new research outfits at universities to restructure. “The former provost in me would have actually asked for a document asking, ‘OK, tell me where you want to be in five years,” Lewis told NBC News. “Tell me what you want to try to achieve by 10 years.'”

‘Not For The Faint Of Heart’: The Battle For Supremacy In The Booming U.S. Sports Betting Market

by Derek Major

November 9, 2023

‘Not For The Faint Of Heart’: The Battle For Supremacy In The Booming U.S. Sports Betting Market

FanDuel CEO Amy Howe says online sports betting isn't for everyone as new competition emerges in Disney and Fanatics.

According to the American Gaming Association, since the Supreme Court legalized sports betting nationwide in 2018, more than $220 billion has been wagered at gambling outlets.

The continued growth of sports betting, which is legal in 35 states and Washington, D.C., has given FanDuel and DraftKings a foothold in the industry as they hold more than 80% of the sports betting market, while Caesars and BetMGM are trying to establish themselves.

Now, others are getting into the game.

Disney’s ESPN announced their sportsbook ESPN Bet, and the sports apparel company Fanatics, founded by Michael Rubin, purchased the U.S. operations of PointsBet after a several-year pursuit of an entry to the sports betting market.

FanDuel CEO Amy Howe told CNBC’s Contessa Brewer at the CNBC Global Evolve virtual summit that while she expects to see more “well capitalized, very strong competitors on the field” as the sports betting industry grows, there are reasons why others have failed to get a grip on the industry.

“What we know is you’ve got to have a superior product experience, right? At the end of the day, if your product doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter how great your brand is; you got to have a really phenomenal experience,” Howe, who joined FanDuel from Ticketmaster in 2021, told Brewer. “But at the same time, one of the things that we’re seeing, which is not dissimilar to many ecommerce industries, is that you’ve got to have scale.”

Sports betting in the U.S. has grown significantly in recent years to the point where ESPN and other sports networks are hosting a litany of shows centered around sports betting.

FanDuel has become a titan in sports betting, having secured partnerships with the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NASCAR, as well as numerous teams and even Google, which purchased the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket for $2 billion.

However, the competition is also growing. DraftKings reported a 57% increase in quarterly revenue on Oct. 2. Additionally, The Dallas Cowboys became the first NFL team to partner with a casino and sportsbook.

Howe said getting into sports betting may seem like a lucrative business, but there’s a lot of leg work and money to be spent before revenue starts pouring in.

“In a world like online sports betting, the barriers to entry are high. … You have to be licensed; you have to navigate a very complex regulatory environment. There are significant costs to spend in creating a great product and technology platform. And oh, by the way, you’re spending a lot of money making sure that, again, you can responsibly bring consumers to your platform,” Howe said.

“It’s certainly not for the faint of heart. And if you’re sitting there with a low single-digit share, and you don’t have that scale advantage over time, it just becomes harder to reinvest back into giving what consumers want.”