by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 23, 2023

Diddy Donates $1 Million To Howard University At Homecoming

Sean “Diddy” Combs is this year’s homecoming hero. At Howard University’s 2023 Homecoming, Diddy fulfilled his $1 million pledge to his alma mater with the sizable check at their annual Yardfest concert on Oct. 20.

The media mogul presented the award to Howard’s new president, Dr. Ben Vinson III, while on stage. According to Revolt, Diddy presented the donation by stating how HBCUs “rightfully deserve” the support to help the new generation of Black scholars achieve their academic goals.

“As someone who attended Howard University and values the transformative experience of historically Black colleges, it remains crucial that we strive to protect and uphold their legacy,” shared the 53-year-old.

“This donation to Howard is not just a financial contribution; it’s also a reaffirmation of our commitment to a cultural institution that has touched countless lives. It’s about ensuring that HBCUs continue to receive the support they rightfully deserve.”

Dr. Vinson also expressed the school’s immense gratitude toward the generosity of the entertainer, stating how “tremendously meaningful” this funding is to Howard’s betterment.

In an additional surprise, Diddy performed some of his classic and modern hits, such as “I Need a Girl (Pt. 1)” and “Act Bad” at the star-studded concert, which also featured appearances by Pusha T and Victoria Monet.

This donation comes after Diddy pledged $1 million to both Howard and Jackson State University while accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 BET awards. He presented his check to the Mississippi HBCU at its Cricket MEAC-SWAC Challenge Kickoff back in August.

In a year seemingly dedicated to giving back, Diddy has also invested in a $1 million dollar fund to commemorate Invest Fest in Atlanta, in partnership with “Earn Your Leisure.” The money will go toward his three Capital Preparatory schools across the Northeast region.

For this personal moment of philanthropy, the father of 7 also shared the “full circle moment” to his Instagram, showcasing his impact toward the school he fondly remembers.

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“HBCUs are something that we have to protect,” remarked the alumnus. “They gave birth to me, my resiliency & let me understand my Black excellence! HBCUs introduced me to people all over the world. We have to keep coming home, sowing our seed & investing in all HBCUs!! Love to my alma mater @Howard1867!”

Funeral Home Lied About Green Burials Leaving Nearly 200 Bodies Neglected

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 23, 2023

Funeral Home Lied About Green Burials Leaving Nearly 200 Bodies Neglected

A funeral home in Colorado has been caught in a lie of its green burials for the deceased loved ones of grieving families. Instead of conducting the process, nearly 200 bodies were left in a decayed state as the business fell into financial trouble, only to be discovered by a search warrant on Oct. 4.

Return to Nature Funeral Home, located in the town of Penrose, was caught leaving bodies in a state of neglect, after neighbors to the establishment’s office complained about a smell emerging out of the 2,500-square-foot premises. According to the Associated Press, the business had itself fallen into neglect, being evicted from another property, as well sued by a crematory for unpaid bills.

Although the initial number of bodies recovered was 115, the amount of deceased rose exponentially to 189 as identification continues. The business was supposed to complete green burials, which is the process of using no embalming fluid, as well as cremation for the deceased individuals under the funeral home’s care. While the state of Colorado allows green burials, all bodies must be refrigerated within 24 hours if not buried.

Currently, families are now concerned on whether or not their loved ones’ bodies have been neglected to the point of inhumane condition. The owners, married couple John and Carie Hallford, dodged questions at first regarding updates on the burial processes, with John blaming the “problem” on his taxidermy habit. However, upon law enforcement discovering of the multiple remains, the duo are cooperating with police as the investigation into the unusual matter unfolds.

The ordeal also sheds light on the neglect from Colorado on funeral home qualifications and upkeep, as the state regulators did not inspect the business until nearly a year after its registration expired. With no additional funding allocated to inspections, which are now legal to pursue without the owner’s approval, situations such as these could become more common.

While all the bodies were removed from the grounds by Oct. 13, the Fremont police did announce that a full recovery of their identities could potentially take weeks due to the various methods being utilized, such a fingerprint matching and DNA testing.

Officials from the Fremont Police Department have stated that they are dealing with the identification of bodies and subsequent notification to their families delicately, as they want to ensure all victims are handled correctly.

DJ ENVY, REAL ESTATE, IHEARTRADIO, REPLACEMENT, JOB POSTING

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 23, 2023

Is iHeartMedia Looking For A Replacement For Real-Estate Guru DJ Envy?

iHeartMedia is on the search for a new co-host for “The Breakfast Club” in the wake of Angela Yee’s departure and amid DJ Envy’s real estate scandal.

For months the popular morning show has rotated guest co-hosts to fill in the empty seat Yee left late last year. Fans have been wondering when Charlemagne Tha God and DJ Envy would be joined by an official third co-host.

While the third spot has been empty for most of the year, only now has the show’s parent company, iHeartMedia, posting a job ad looking for a new co-host. A new job posting that surfaced online earlier this month shows the audio company’s search for a “Morning Co-Host.”

“What We Need: Creates, produces and announces topics on the radio and social media including music, entertainment, politics, news, weather, sports, traffic and other topics of interest for National Syndicated Morning show The Breakfast Club,” the posting says.

With the job posting coming as attention on DJ Envy’s real estate scandal heightens, many are wondering if the job ad is a sign of trouble for the radio personality. Vlogger DJ Akademiks sparked a debate when he shared the job posting online on Friday, Oct. 19.

According to iheartmedia website they are looking to hire a new Cohost for the breakfast club. The job reportedly pays between $240k to $330k a year. They have been looking for a third cohost since Angela yee left the show. Would u take the job to work with Charlamagne tha god… pic.twitter.com/rt5NME09bI

— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) October 20, 2023

“Might as well cancel the whole show because DJ Envy will be in jail,” one person wrote.

“Envy about to get roped into charges for that blatant real estate ponzi… 2 jobs open…,” added someone else.

Another person claimed they would apply for the job “As long as Envy doesn’t ask me to invest into property.”

All eyes have been on DJ Envy after his real estate business partner Cesar Pina was arrested on October 18 for his alleged role in a real-estate Ponzi scheme, Variety reports. Pina was charged with wire fraud for how he allegedly “defrauded dozens of people of millions of dollars,” federal prosecutors claim.

Pina flipped houses in New Jersey with Envy and would often appear on “The Breakfast Club” as “Flipping NJ.” On the day of his arrest, iHeartRadio’s New York office, where the “Breakfast Club” is recorded, was raided by federal officials.

Envy has not been charged with anything and claims he had nothing to do with Pina’s alleged real estate fraud. The radio DJ also claims to be a victim himself.

“Oh, I just want to say this on close. I’ve never I’ve never stole anything from anybody. And, I’ll just leave it at that,” DJ Envy said during a live recording of the show.

“I didn’t see a dollar of return. I do nothing but try to uplift people and show people a different way to the business model.”

by Daniel Johnson

October 23, 2023

Marijuana Arrests Are Down From 2022 According To FBI Data

The latest available FBI data indicates that despite a growing movement to legalize or decriminalize marijuana, people are still being arrested for marijuana-related infractions. According to Forbes, 227,108 arrests were made, but this number may be inaccurate because law enforcement agencies often fail to report their data to the FBI.

Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, an organization that advocates for the reform of marijuana laws, told Forbes, “At a time when voters and their elected officials nationwide are re-evaluating state and federal marijuana policies, it is inconceivable that government agencies are unable to produce more explicit data on the estimated costs and scope of marijuana prohibition in America.”

The data does not break down the arrests by race or ethnicity, but a May 2023 working paper from the Center For Health Economics And Policy Studies at San Diego State University suggests that laws that decriminalize cannabis have had a positive effect on the historically racially biased arrests of Black people for marijuana-related offenses. “The magnitudes of our estimated marijuana arrest declines suggest that RML adoption results in approximately 3,800 fewer marijuana arrests per treatment state-year for Black adults and about 12,600 fewer arrests per treatment state-year for White adults.”

Following the introduction of the Senate’s Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Cory Booker, and Senator Ron Wyden in July 2022, the ACLU released a statement, “If you want to know what systemic racism is, look no further than the war on drugs and marijuana enforcement — a Black person is 3.64 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, even though Black and white people use marijuana at similar rates. As a result, people of color unevenly bear the burdens of a marijuana conviction, which persist after the sentence has been served and include bars to securing housing, employment, education, and public benefits.”

The numbers suggest a slight decline from those released in 2022, which is likely a net positive for Black people in America, even given the lack of accurate reporting. According to Forbes, cannabis reform will next appear on the ballot in Ohio, where voters will be allowed to choose if it will be decriminalized in their state.

Andre Iguodala Raises $200M For His Venture Capital Firm

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 23, 2023

Andre Iguodala Raises $200M For His Venture Capital Firm

Andre Iguodala and his venture capital firm are teaming up with his longtime business partner, Rudy Cline-Thomas, an industry veteran who founded Mastry Ventures in 2021. Under their guidance, the venture capital firm has been rebranded as Mosaic General Partnership after successfully raising a $200 million fund, as reported by Inc Magazine.

The fund will focus on providing early-stage funding for enterprise software, fintech, and sports companies. Notably, their past portfolio includes startups that achieved significant success, such as Allbirds, Hims, Coinbase, and Carta. Furthermore, in July, Cline-Thomas and Iguodala ventured into sports ownership as co-owners of the English soccer club Leeds United.

In a recent interview with the New York Times’ Dealbook newsletter, Iguodala shared how his move to the Bay Area in 2013 to join the Warriors was a strategic part of his plan to explore the tech industry.

He explained, “When I initially went out to the Bay Area, it was my intent to have success on and off the court. I thought about how to get access.”

Iguodala is not the first former Warrior to dive into venture capital. Now, with the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant established himself as a significant player in the VC arena during his time with the Warriors. Durant’s company, Thirtyfive Ventures, was co-founded in 2016 with Durant’s agent, Rich Kleiman, and has since made 61 investments in various startups.

In 2019, Thirtyfive Ventures introduced Boardroom, a media network blending sports, entertainment, business, and culture. Additionally, Thirtyfive Ventures owns stakes in rising sports properties like NWSL and e-sports, leveraging opportunities in these sectors.

Through Iguodala’s Mosaic General Partnership organization, his primary attention is directed toward sectors where his expertise can help mitigate risks. His team at Mosaic has cultivated connections over time that hold the potential to unlock opportunities, establish collaborations, and contribute value right from the outset.

by Derek Major

October 23, 2023

The I-9 Form For Employers Has Been Updated And Streamlined, Here’s What To Know

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services updated and streamlined the Form I-9 for new employees earlier this summer and set an Oct. 1 deadline for employers to adopt the form.

The CBIA, a Connecticut business group, reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires employers to complete an in-person inspection of a new hire’s Form I-9 documents. However, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, DHS allowed qualified employees to have their documents virtually inspected.

When DHS announced the end of temporary COVID-19 rules in July 2021, officials also announced plans to allow qualified employers to inspect Form I-9 documents remotely as reported by The CBIA.

DHS published the revised Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification on Aug. 1, 2023. The updated form is more streamlined and moves the preparer/translator certification and re-verification/rehire sections to addendums. However, the alternative remote inspection option is the most notable change to Form I-9.

Under the new option, employers currently enrolled in the E-Verify system can examine an employee’s Form I-9 documents remotely via video conference.

An employer can request a remote inspection of an employee’s documents if they transmit a copy of the Form I-9 they want to present for work authorization; the employer examines copies of Form I-9 documents to ensure they are genuine. The employer then conducts a live video interaction with the employee to ensure the documents are genuine and the documents are the same that an employee previously presented.

Additionally, the employer must keep a clear and legible copy of Form 1-9 in the event of an audit or investigation.

The virtual alternative gives employers more flexibility, specifically to deal with the increase of remote workers, post-pandemic. According to Forbes, 12.7% of full-time workers are currently remote, while nearly 30% of workers, work in a hybrid model in which they are required to work from the office at least once a week.

The E-Verify system, which was implemented in 1996, is operated by DHS, and the Social Security Administration is used to verify the employment eligibility of new employees. The system is currently mandatory in 22 states and for most federal contracts.

Russel, Simmons, hip-hop, evolving, Bali, Lyor. Cohen, 50, years

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 23, 2023

Russell Simmons Says Hip-Hop Is Not Dead, ‘It Is Always Evolving’

If there’s anyone who knows if hip-hop is dead or not, it’s pioneer record executive Russell Simmons.

The Def Jam founder was at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 18 for the Spirit of Life Gala one-time-only version of DJ Cassidy‘s “Pass the Mic Live!” that honored fellow hip-hop mogul and entrepreneur Lyor Cohen.

It was an event Simmons couldn’t miss as he flew from Bali to watch many hip-hop legends, some of whom he discovered and developed at Def Jam, honor an executive who built the start of his music career working on Simmons’ groundbreaking label.

“Lyor is my lifelong friend and partner and I was so proud of him and the work that he’s doing with City of Hope,” Simmons said.

The event was hosted by the cancer research and treatment organization City of Hope and included performances by 36 artists including Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, EPMD, Ja Rule, Swizz Beatz, T.I., and many more.

All of the performers did “really good,” according to Simmons, and proved that no matter how old they get, they “still got it.”

When asked about ongoing music debates claiming that the current state of hip-hop is “trash” compared to earlier years, Simmons shut down that notion.

“It’ll never be how it used to be it’s always evolving,” he said. “It’s always moments where it’s less popular and more.”

The hip-hop mogul recalls his start in the industry back in the late 70s and notes the art form’s evolution over the last 50 years.

“For 50 years it’s been evolving and it goes in moments where it grows and it’s going to keep growing.

As for what can be done to revive hip-hop, Simmons says nothing needs to speed up the evolution that has continued over the last five decades.

“It’s just a moment before it grows again,” he said.

Israeli-Palestinian , Dave Chapelle, Israel, Palestine, gaza, jews, show, audiences, crowd, slaughtering innocent civilians, government

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 23, 2023

Fans Weren’t Feeling Dave Chappelle’s Soapbox On ‘Slaughter Of Innocent’ Palestinians

Dave Chappelle lost some members of his audience over the weekend after tackling a sensitive subject matter: the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The comedian was near the close of his standup show at Boston’s TD Garden on October 19, when he decided to offer his take on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli-Hamas war, The Wall Street Journal reports. After first condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Chappelle prompted some guests to walk out after calling out Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

The Chappelle’s Show star brought up the topic after defending students who have reportedly lost their job offers for showing public support for Palestine.

Attendees say that once an audience member told Chappelle to “shut up,” the comedian dug further into the controversial topic by criticizing the Israeli government for cutting off water supply and essential resources to Gaza and accusing them of killing innocent people.

He also reportedly accused the United States government of aiding “the slaughter of innocent civilians,” TMZ reports.

Chappelle’s take received mixed reviews from the crowd, with some applauding him with cheers of “Free Palestine” to others getting up and leaving. The comedy star reportedly ended his rant on the Israel-Hamas war, saying two wrongs don’t make a right.

“The audience was cheering Chappelle on during his tirade. I was sick. We were sick. I turned to my friends and wife and said, ‘I think it is time to go,'” one guest said, according to Deadline.

“We walked out and met up with many other Jews leaving the show,” added someone else. “Never in my life have I felt so unsafe and so fearful of what I was witnessing.”

Chappelle is no stranger to facing backlash for expressing his views during his comedy shows, including his views on the trans community.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 23, 2023

Bronny James Busts Dance Move On Basketball Court But Isn’t Cleared To Play Yet

Excited basketball fans were happy to see University of Southern Carolina freshman Bronny James hit the court on Oct. 19.

Bronny took to the basketball court, showing off dance moves during the introduction of the Trojans on opening night. But, they will have to wait a little longer to see him playing basketball as he is still recovering from his cardiac arrest.

The crowd roared as the announcer introduced him, and as he came out wearing his No. 6 jersey, he pleased the crowd even more when he did the “Dougie” as he strolled on the basketball court. Across the back of his jersey read James Jr., as he’s named after his future NBA Hall of Fame father, LeBron James, although everyone calls him Bronny.

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Last month, the freshman did not participate in the team’s first official fall practice. He has been recovering after suffering a cardiac arrest on July 24. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where it was revealed that a congenital heart defect was the probable cause of it. The diagnosis was that he is expected to recover fully, allowing him to return to the court, although no timetable has been set.

USC’s coach Andy Enfield told reporters that Bronny is “doing very well.”

“We anticipate him being a precious part of our basketball team,” Enfield said. “But that’ll be all sorted out. He’s the ultimate teammate because he cares about winning, and he has such a personal relationship with all his teammates. When you watch him on the court, and you’re around them, that’s the first thing you notice within five or 10 minutes — and it’s contagious.”

Bronny has yet to play a game but has already impacted the university considerably. Nike released T-shirts with his name and number, and the $30 shirts sold out quickly.

cam newton, process server, kid, proctor, Bentley, child, mistake, girlfriend,

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 23, 2023

Cam Newton Wants That Old Thing Back, Sues Ex For Return Of His Bentley

Cam Newton has resorted to a process server for the return of the 2017 Bentley his ex-girlfriend and mother of his four children allegedly won’t give back.

According to newly discovered court documents, Newton hired a process server who was able to track down his ex Shakia “Kia” Proctor on August 30, Radar Online reports. The server claims to have shown up at an Atlanta home and spoke with a 60-year-old woman who called Kia down after he asked for her.

However, once Kia came to the door, she reportedly acted as if she wasn’t the person the server was looking for. The documents were still given to her and now Newton’s lawsuit for the return of the Bentley is set to proceed.

The NFL star filed the suit earlier this year demanding Proctor return the luxury car. Newton claims he only allowed Proctor to use the Bentley Bentayga while they dated.

“Although the relationship has ended, [Kia] remains in possession of the Car and refuses to return the car,” the suit states.

“In 2019, the relationship ended, and [Kia] moved out of [Newton’s] residence.”

Newton and Proctor dated from 2013 to 2019 and welcomed four children together. At the time of their split, it was rumored that the former NFL quarterback was dating model La Reina Snow, whom he welcomed a child with.

In 2022, Newton opened up about his “embarrassing” cheating scandal that led to the birth of his son Caesar Lorenzo Newton.

“My longtime girlfriend at the time [Proctor], you know, we had a family. And I made a mistake, I hurt her, and I jeopardized our family at that time and I had a child outside of our relationship,” he said.

“And, coming from where I come from, being the person who I am, nobody would ever speak on it because we got a lot of people who are in high powers still make humanistic mistakes, and I can honestly say I made a humanistic mistake.”

But despite the “mistake” on his part, Newton wants the mother of his children to return his Bentley. Shortly after Proctor was served with the suit, she took him to court for $20,000 to cover utility bills.