• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 26, 2024

Dwyane Wade Attends Game Of Newly Acquired Hockey Team

Dwyane Wade took time to see his latest business acquisition in action.

---

Earlier this week, basketball legend and Utah Hockey Club minority owner Dwyane Wade caught his newest team in preseason action.

According to Essentially Sports, Wade and his business partner, Chris Johnson, saw Utah beat the Los Angeles Kings, 3-2, in the team’s first game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

The Utah Hockey Club won their first preseason game on September 22, beating the St. Louis Blues 3-0 in Des Moines, Iowa.

The franchise was previously known as the Arizona Coyotes before the Smith Entertainment Group bought the team. After acquiring the franchise, it was renamed the Utah Hockey Club and moved to Utah.

The team plays in the Central Division in the Western Conference.

Wade joined the ownership group headed by Ryan Smith, chairman of Smith Entertainment Group and governor of the Utah Jazz, in 2021.

In 2023, Wade bought an ownership stake in the WNBA team Chicago Sky and was part of the group when the NHL Board of Governors granted an expansion franchise to Smith this year.

Smith Entertainment Group has a list of properties under its umbrella including Real Salt Lake (MLS), Delta Center, America First Credit Union Field, the Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League), Utah Jazz Gaming (NBA 2K League), Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro), and the Zone Sports Radio Network.

Smith Entertainment Group also announced that the company has launched SEG Media, a new production company. SEG Media will grant access to the Jazz basketball organization through various platforms.

It will provide Jazz fans more access to watch games and to access other team content through a variety of platforms, including over-the-air broadcast television and a paid, subscription-based streaming service, starting with the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.

RELATED CONTENT: Dwyane Wade Admits Taking Several Years To Learn How To Manage Money

• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 26, 2024

Diddy’s Children Speak Out, Deny Late Mom Kim Porter Penned Tell-All Book

Diddy's children are denying their late mom Kim Porter wrote a tell-all book about their father.

---

The children of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kim Porter are speaking out against claims of their late mother penning a scathing tell-all book about their music mogul father before her untimely death.

Four of Diddy’s children, the three children he welcomed with Porter – Christian, 26, and twins Jessie and D’Lila, 17 – and Porter’s eldest son Quincy Brown, whom Diddy raised as his own, took to Instagram on Sept. 25 to post a lengthy statement in response to the “hurtful and false rumors” that their late mother’s alleged tell-all book.

“We have seen so many hurtful and false rumors circulating about our parents, Kim Porter and Sean Combs’ relationship, as well as about our mom’s tragic passing, that we feel the need to speak out,” Quincy, 33, wrote in part.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Quincy (@quincy)

Speaking on behalf of his siblings, Quincy called out the “simply untrue” claims of his mom writing a book, adding that anyone saying they have a manuscript is “misrepresenting themselves.”

“Additionally, please understand that any so-called ‘friend’ speaking on behalf of our mom or her family is not a friend, nor do they have her best interests at heart.”

The statement comes in response to a book released on Amazon earlier this month alleged to be Porter’s memoir written before her 2018 death from pneumonia. Titled KIM’S LOST WORDS: A Journey for Justice, From The Other Side… the book outlines claims that Diddy assaulted Porter during their relationship, which further fueled speculation of foul play surrounding her death.

Chris Todd, whose real name is Todd Christopher Guzze, self-published the book. He claims the memoir is Porter’s and that he obtained it through a flash drive provided by two “music industry” sources,” he told Rolling Stone.

Since the book’s release, Todd confessed that he isn’t certain whether the memoir is authentic.

“If somebody put my feet to the fire and they said, ‘Life or death, is that book real?’ I have to say I don’t know. But it’s real enough to me,” he said.

The statement from the Combs children follows Diddy’s arrest in New York City last week where he was ordered held without bail on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

RELATED CONTENT: Former Vibe Editor Reveals Death Threats By Diddy Over 1997 Cover Dispute

• HBCU

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 26, 2024

Howard University Students Want Improved Lodging As Power Outage Leave Them Without Hot Water

Gotta get it together, Howard...

---

A power outage at Howard University has left some students without air conditioning or hot water just weeks after the fall semester began, WTOP News reports. 

The students at Howard Plaza Towers East experienced a loss of power last week, leaving them in pitch-black hallways.

The residence hall has generators running to enhance power, but the students claim they were told the machines don’t have enough power to guarantee proper air conditioning, hot water, or working elevators. “I’m constantly sweating,” said Amariah Rambo, a sophomore nursing student who lives in the building.

The Washington, D.C.-based HBCU said the generators are providing full power to residence halls.

“No additional generators are needed. The issue with the East Tower air conditioner is related to the control panel, which was affected by the power outage,” a University spokesperson said. “A contractor is on location at the East Tower to restore the system.” 

Rambo said going up and down nine flights of stairs is difficult, especially in the summer-to-fall weather.

“It’s causing a very uncomfortable situation for me.” Asia Moncrief, a sophomore majoring in political science, added. “The fact that I cannot get access to hot water to clean myself the right way, hygienically, is a problem. We’re all confused, and we feel like we’re in the dark.” 

Moncrief said students cannot wash their clothes because the administration claims the generators aren’t powerful enough to use the washers and dryers. The Wi-Fi is also reportedly out.

“We haven’t gotten any accommodations. That’s the main thing that we haven’t seen from the university,” Moncrief said.

Moncrief and Rambo want school leaders to do more than provide cooling stations, fans, staff counseling, and have outside locations for personal hygiene. Providing alternate housing, such as hotels, would be ideal for them.

“My message to Howard University is to just do better,” Rambo said.

East Tower isn’t the only HU housing facility facing difficulty. Residents of Drew Hall have reportedly been dealing with water outages since Sept. 19. The news came just days before Howard was labeled as one of the “big movers” on U.S. News & World Report’s most recent top colleges and universities rankings.  

Managing editor for education, LaMont Jones, linked Howard’s improved ranking to higher graduation rates among low-income students.

RELATED CONTENT: Phylicia Rashad Speaks On Life After Howard As Dean Prepares To Step Down

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

September 26, 2024

Connecticut Sun Addresses Disrespect, Racism From Fever Fans Online

The Connecticut Sun's Alyssa Thomas and head coach Stephanie White addressed the racism from Fever fans following Sunday's playoff game.

---

Following the Connecticut Sun’s victory over the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, Sun players and coaches took to the press room to address the online racism they’ve faced from the Fever fanbase.

“Honestly, I think it’s been a lot of nonsense,” Alyssa Thomas said during a press conference. “I think in my 11-year career, I’ve never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fanbase. It’s unacceptable. There’s no place for it, and we’ve been professional throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things that I’ve been called on social media.” She believes basketball is moving forward in a great direction. However, the Sun forward stated that fans who degrade and spew racist comments at the team aren’t wanted. “We come to play basketball for our job, and it’s fun, but we don’t want to go to work every day and have social media blown up over things like that. It’s uncalled for, and something needs to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans or this league checking. There’s no time for it anymore.”

The press conference followed Sunday’s postseason series face-off that had fans riled up after Sun starter Dijonai Carrington poked Fever guard Caitlin Clark in her right eye after a play in the first quarter. Fever fans accused Carrington of intentionally targeting Clark’s eye and took to social media to wreak havoc on the Sun after they posted their dub. One user called the team “a bunch of thugs.” Under a clip posted to X by The Boston Post, a user called the team “ghetto queens,” while another wrote, “another thug.” Carrington’s girlfriend, Indiana Fever player NaLyssa Smith, says the Sun player has been followed, called “all types” of names, and received death threats.

Stephanie White, head coach for the Connecticut Sun, expressed frustration with the media’s failure to manage social media trolls and challenged public platforms to “do a better job” because allowing trolls to control the narrative is “unacceptable.”

The WNBA released an official statement on X condemning all “racist, derogatory, or threatening comments” targeted at any of the league’s players, teams, or affiliates. The statement revealed the WNBA’s commitment to protect its elite athletes from any “threat-related activity” through security and work with teams and arenas to “take appropriate measures, to include involving law enforcement, as necessary.”

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 26, 2024

Coach Eddie George Shares Updates On Tennessee State University’s Progress

'The progress is certainly not as fast as I would like it to be,” George said. “But sometimes you have to tear down things in order to rebuild it and that’s where we’re at right now.'

---

Tennessee State University football coach Eddie George has already started his fourth year coaching at the school. In a recent interview with News Channel 5 Nashville, he gave an update on how things are progressing at TSU.

The school has experienced several changes since he took over as head coach. A new school board was recently implemented earlier this year after Tennessee State University was overwhelmed with underfunding from the state, multiple audits, housing, and scholarship mismanagement. A new president was brought to the university in June, as Ronald A. Johnson was named interim president.

“It’s been a big challenge both on and off the football field,” George told the media outlet. “Trying to impact the lives of young men while also trying to win games but also trying to change the narrative around Tennessee State as a whole.”

The football team is currently at .500, having split the four games it has played thus far this season. However, the two games in which it was victorious were classics. The Tigers won the John Merritt Classic over Mississippi Valley State and the Southern Heritage Classic against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

“The progress is certainly not as fast as I would like it to be,” George said. “But sometimes you have to tear down things in order to rebuild it and that’s where we’re at right now. It’s going to be down to bare bones in terms of, OK, we’ve got to get the institution (headed) in the right direction, and a byproduct of that will be the athletic department. We’re doing the best we can with the hand that we’re dealt.

Although he has a record of 17-20 as the head coach, he is still vying to take the team back to the playoffs. TSU hasn’t been there in over 10 years, as the last appearance was in 2013. He led the team to its first winning season since 2015 last year.

George thinks that with the recent changes at the university, it will slowly get back on pace and become a football powerhouse in the future.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 26, 2024

Steven Horsford Calls For Censure Over Rep. Clay Higgins ‘Overly Racist’ Comments About Haitians 

At least someone is standing up for the Haitian community.....

---

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) condemned the “overly racist” tweet from Louisiana’s Republican U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins against Haitians and Haitian Americans on the U.S. House floor, Nevada Current reports.  

Higgins commented on an Associated Press story regarding a nonprofit representing Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, and took the time to boast racist remarks about the community, which has been the target of Ohio Senator and GOP vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance during the presidential campaign. “These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters… but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP,” Higgins wrote. 

“All these thugs better get their mind right and their a** out of our country before January 20th.”

The now-deleted tweets caught the attention of Horsford and other Black government officials — including Florida’s Rep. Byron Donalds — who reportedly approached Higgins on the House floor. Shortly after, surrounded by members of the Caucus and fellow Democrats, Horsford called for a vote to censure Higgins when the House returns from recess through the November 2024 elections. “Rep. Higgins used his official account on X to publicly slander, insult, and demean all Haitians and Haitian Americans in an overtly racist post,” Horsford said.

“We have a member who is choosing to use an official platform, and therefore, it is my intention to bring to this body a motion of censure. I move to censor Rep. Clay Higgins for violating rule nine by bringing discredit and disgrace to the House of Representatives.”

However, Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), who oversees the floor for Republicans, told Horsford that the motion couldn’t be carried immediately as the House had already finished voting for the month, according to CNN. Horsford allegedly warned Higgins about censoring. “If you refuse, I will take this to the floor. We will move for a resolution to censure you,” the representative allegedly said. 

Rep. Troy Carter, the only Democrat and Black member of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, slammed Higgins’ post in a statement. “I am appalled by the racist and reprehensible remarks made by Rep. Clay Higgins about the people of Haiti,” he wrote. “We all owe each other better than this, but as elected officials, we should hold ourselves to an even higher standard,” he wrote. 

“We have a solemn responsibility to represent and respect all races of people. Hate-filled rhetoric like this is not just offensive — it is dangerous. It incites division, perpetuates harmful stereotypes, and undermines the core values of our democracy.”

Despite the backlash, Higgins stood by his comments and admitted he would do it again. “It’s all true,” Higgins said. “I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. I’ll say what I want. It’s not a big deal to me. It’s like something stuck to the bottom of my boot. Just scrape it off and move on with my life.”

Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, defended Higgin’s comments. Johnson said Higgins “prayed about it” and regretted them.

RELATED CONTENT: Springfield Community Flocks To Support Haitian Restaurants In Light Of Trump Rumors

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

September 26, 2024

Jordan Chiles’ Team Claims Footage Shows Coach Submitted Inquiry On Time, Requests CAS Reopening

Attorneys say audio and video footage from a documentary crew proves Coach Landi submitted the inquiry within the one-minute requirement.

---

Attorneys representing Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles say the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) decision to strip the Team USA athlete of her bronze medal is due to a “critical factual error,” and a documentary crew has video and audio footage to prove it.

The gymnast’s legal team has requested that the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland reopen CAS’ proceedings and examine the footage that was not “previously considered.” In a statement sent to CNN, the documentary crew’s evidence proves Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, made the inquiry to correct the athlete’s score in time.

“The evidence in question –- footage from a documentary crew that was recording the women’s gymnastics floor finals -– proves that CAS’s prior decision rested on a critical factual error that was compounded by the fact that CAS allowed Chiles less than a day to prepare for her hearing,” attorneys said. “CAS stripped Chiles’s bronze medal based on its conclusion that Chiles’s coach was four seconds late in making a verbal inquiry to correct Chiles’s score, but the new evidence clearly shows that the inquiry was made on time.”

USA Gymnastics (USAG) has also filed to reopen CAS’ proceedings and revealed the organization also has evidence that Landi filed the inquiry “well within 1 minute required by FIG rules.” USAG said CAS “refused to consider” the video and audio footage as evidence, and the organization is asking that the decision regarding Chiles’ final floor routine score at the 2024 Paris Olympics be made based on truth and accuracy. As previously mentioned by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the 23-year-old American gymnast is hopeful that the people in charge will “do the right thing” to resolve the incident.

In August, she took home the bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics floor final after her coach submitted an inquiry regarding her difficulty score, which boosted her to third place above Romanian gymnast Ana Bǎrbosu. Chiles was asked to return her bronze medal after the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee requested to review the scoring, which bumped her back to the fifth place spot. USAG and Chiles’ legal team have been fighting for justice since CAS confirmed it wasn’t willing to reconsider the decision.

RELATED CONTENT: Jordan Chiles Pens Graceful Message Amid Bronze Medal Scandal: ‘People In Control Will Do The Right Thing’

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 26, 2024

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Calls The Federal Indictment Charges Against Him ‘False Based On Lie’ 

Let's see how this pans out....

---

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he is prepared to fight the federal indictment charges against him just days after the home of the NYPD police commissioner was raided in a seemingly heightened corruption investigation, USA Today reports. 

Shortly after the indictment was announced against the mayor on Sept. 25, Adams released a video defending himself and his administration. “My fellow New Yorkers, it is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes. If so, these charges will be entirely false, based on lies,” he said. 

“But they would not be surprising. I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, I would be a target, and a target I became. For months, leaks and rumors have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility.”

The unsealed charges include “corrupting his office and defrauding the public by accepting foreign campaign contributions in exchange for favorable treatment,” according to Law360.com. Adams’ administration has faced federal scrutiny over the past 12 months regarding a separate probe into potential illegal foreign donations from officials in Turkey during Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. Federal prosecutors submitted grand jury subpoenas to City Hall in July 2024 for Adams and his campaign to hand over information related to Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.

The city’s charter states that the “mayor may be removed from office by the governor upon charges.” If he is forced out of office, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would become mayor of the Big Apple, the largest city in the country with close to eight million people.  

Before the charges, the 64-year-old started his day out with a jam-packed schedule. According to ABC News, Adams called into a morning radio show to highlight his administration, discuss the current news cycle, and answer a few questions. While speaking about Marcellus Williams, the Black man who was executed in Missouri in late September 2024, radio host Tarsha Jones switched gears, asking him, “What’s going on over there? I see you cleaning house every time I turn around,” about City Hall’s chief counsel Lisa Zornberg, resigning on Sept. 14.

He also supported the Planning Commission’s approval of his “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal and dubbed Melissa Aviles-Ramos as the next chancellor of the New York City Public Schools System. In the evening, Adams appeared at a reception at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were in attendance.

Under the indictment, Adams would be the first NYC mayor criminally charged while still sitting in office. On social media, critics compare Adams to four-time-indicted former President Donald Trump and disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. “Puff & Eric Adams gotta recreate this picture with the key to their jail cell,” @its_kachi said. 

Government officials, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), used social media to call for Adams’s resignation. “I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez said. 

“The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration. For the good of the city, he should resign.”

State Senator Zellnor Myrie called the indictment a “sad day” for the city and is “especially painful for so many Black New Yorkers who put our hope and faith in this Mayor.”

RELATED CONTENT: Eric Adams Tours NYC’s Black Churches To Heighten Support Amid Federal Investigation

• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 26, 2024

Nationwide Voluntary Recall For LACTAID Milk Due To Potential Almond Allergen Contamination

Although no illnesses have been reported, the recall was initiated after routine maintenance revealed the risk of almond contamination.

---

On Sept. 19, HP Hood LLC initiated a voluntary recall of five SKUs of 96-oz LACTAID Milk due to potential contamination with trace amounts of almond, an allergen not declared on the product label. The recall impacts consumers with almond allergies, who may face severe or life-threatening reactions if they consume the affected products.

Although no illnesses have been reported, the recall was initiated after routine maintenance revealed the risk of almond contamination. The affected products were distributed to retailers and wholesalers between September 5, 2024, and September 18, 2024, in 27 states, including Alabama, Colorado, Florida, New York, Texas, and Virginia.

Details of the Recalled Product:

• Product: 96 oz LACTAID Milk
• Code: 51-4109 P2
• Best By Dates: Listed on the product packaging.
• Distributed to States: AL, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TX, VA, WI, WY.

Consumers are advised to check the top center of the container for the code and Best By Date. If the product matches the recalled SKU, it should be returned to the point of purchase for a full refund or exchange.

HP Hood urges anyone who has purchased the recalled LACTAID Milk to contact Hood Consumer Affairs at 800-242-2423 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM ET).

This recall is being conducted with the knowledge and cooperation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 26, 2024

Autopsy: Fatman Scoop Died from Heart Disease

The hip-hop legend died Aug. 30. He was 56.

---

Fatman Scoop, the recording artist and popular hype-man died from heart disease, according to his autopsy, which was released Sept. 25 by Connecticut’s medical examiner.

Scoop, 56, (real name Isaac Freeman III) was performing at the Green and Gold Party in Hamden, Connecticut, on August 30. when he shouted one of his signature catchphrases and collapsed.

He died later at a local hospital.

The official cause of death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a spokesperson for the Connecticut medical examiner’s office told ABC News. 

The family released a statement on his social media account announcing his death.

“The world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life. Fatman Scoop was known to the world as the undisputed voice of the club. His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity. His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fatman Scoop (@fatmanscoop)

The family hosted a public memorial at the world-famous Apollo Theater Sept. 12 in his hometown of Harlem. The service brought out such hip-hop luminaries as Treach from Naughty By Nature, Kid Capri, Teddy Riley, Busta Rhymes, and Sway Calloway.

Scoop started his journey in the entertainment industry by promoting records for Tommy Boy Records. His popularity among DJs and radio personnel warranted the record label to feature him in promotional ads before he was known for his booming voice and the ability to hype crowds.

He released a record, “Be Faithful,” in 1999, that can still be heard on radio stations and clubs around the world. He was also a featured artist on two songs in 2005, “Lose Control” by Missy Elliott and “It’s Like That” by Mariah Carey.

On the day of Scoop’s death, he released two records, Bingo Players and Disco Fries’ “Our House” and “Let It Go” with Dyce Payso. The last video he appeared in also dropped for the record, “Let It Go.”

RELATED CONTENT: Atlanta City Council Declares ‘Rich Homie Quan Memorial Day’ As Rapper Is Laid To Rest