Barbados, PM Mia Mottley, Re-Election
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 13, 2026

Third Time’s A Charm: Barbados PM Mia Mottley Secures Power With Historic Re-Election Sweep

As Barbados marks 75 years of universal voting rights, Mottley vowed to protect democracy and strengthen the economy.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottle was elected for a third term as part of a historic sweep, with her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) taking all 30 seats in the House of Assembly, The Guardian reports. 

Unseating opposition leader, Ralph Thorne, Mottley’s BLP secured all the available seats after grabbing voter support by building one of the strongest global profiles of any Caribbean leader. 

With Barbados celebrating 75 years of having the right to vote without being property owners, Mottley guaranteed to take care of the island’s democracy and promised to target the economy, the cost of living, and the country’s place on the world stage.

“Our mission first and foremost is to stop poor people from being poor and to remove injustice wherever it exists to create opportunities for people,” she said.

According to Caribbean National Weekly, Mottley, 60, is the second leader in Barbados history to serve over two consecutive terms. Thorne, who was elected in 2022 first as a member of BLP before moving to the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), labeled the results as disappointing but said, “people have spoken, and we respect their voices.” 

Thorne was one of them. He failed to cast a ballot since he was not registered in the district where he was living and competing.

As the Caribbean’s easternmost country and home to roughly 283,000 people, voting officials have highlighted discrepancies in the voting register prior to elections. The head of the Caribbean Community’s electoral observation mission and opposing candidates felt it could push for a delay, but the electoral commission maintained that citizens had enough time to correct any issues and that the process was legitimate.

Mottley took the oath of office during an intimate ceremony attended by President Jeffrey Bostic, family members, and other invited guests Feb. 12. On X, she continued her celebration.

“Today I was sworn in as Prime Minister by President Lt. Col. The Most Hon. Jeffrey Bostic. I accept this mandate with humility, committed to every Bajan. I thank God, the BLP, my constituents, family & the people for your trust,” she wrote. 

“Now is the time to come together as one nation.”

Her leadership seems to be supported worldwide, with well wishes coming from social media users in Nigeria, Uganda, and Liberia.. She thanked her supporters on Facebook, saying she is “fully committed to hono[u]ring it through service and hard work.”

RELATED CONTENT: Barbados Will Be Removing Queen Elizabeth As Its Head Of State

Montell Jordan, Cancer Diagnosis
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 13, 2026

Montell Jordan Feels ‘Fantastic’ After Beating Second Cancer Diagnosis

Jordan reflects on overcoming cancer for the second time in less than two years.

Montell Jordan is celebrating a powerful milestone after defeating cancer for the second time, revealing he received the life-changing news on Christmas Day.

The “This Is How We Do It” singer recently opened up alongside his wife, Kristin Jordan, about overcoming a second battle with prostate cancer, People reports. After initially recovering from stage 1 prostate cancer in early 2024, he was later diagnosed with an “aggressive” stage 2 form and underwent radiation treatment, ultimately receiving the news in December 2025 that he was cancer-free.

“Christmas Day we found out that we are undetected, cancer-free,” Montell, 57, shared. “We’re finally at an all-clear and I feel fantastic.”

“Following the roller coaster ride of becoming a two-time cancer survivor, standing in my home on Christmas Day, surrounded by my kids and my grandkids, to get the call on that morning was surreal,” he added. “It’s almost like it’s still unbelievable that we’re at this place right now, but we’re just super, super grateful.”

Kristin now sees it as “the best Christmas ever.”

After beating cancer twice in under two years, Montell Jordan says he’s focused on keeping it from returning by making major lifestyle changes, including eliminating sugar and dairy, staying consistent with exercise, and leaning on the support of his wife, who has adopted the same healthy habits alongside him.

“Everything that we do, we have to do in tandem and in unison in order for it to last,” she said. “We better take care of these temples that we have because we only get one, right? So for us, those lifestyle changes helped in our journey, but they will help limit us from having other sickness or other issues further down the line.”

After surviving two bouts with cancer, Montell says the journey deepened their bond and fueled their advocacy for early detection. The longtime couple, who married in 1994, are sharing their story in honor of National Marriage Week, observed Feb. 7–14.

“We are not only looking to help preserve family legacy during National Marriage Week, but we’re also trying to help save lives,” Montell said. “Early detection saves lives. That was the thing that we kind of hang our hat on, that this journey isn’t really even about us. I believe if God can get it through us, he’ll get it to us. And so the fight came to us so that we can help save other men’s lives by making them aware.”

“Right. It’s not about us,” Kristin shared. “It’s really about how many people that we can share with and help.”

RELATED CONTENT: Montell Jordan On Track To Be A Prostate Cancer Survivor For A 2nd Time

Kimora Lee Simmons., reality TV, Back In The Fab Lane
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 13, 2026

Kimora Lee Simmons Refuses To Leave $25M Mansion Ex Purchased With Stolen 1MDB Funds

Kimora Lee Simmons is reportedly refusing to vacate a lavish $25 million mansion her estranged husband purchased with stolen funds.

Kimora Lee Simmons is being put on the radar over a lavish $25 million Beverly Hills mansion she’s reportedly refusing to leave, despite her ex-husband’s admission to buying the property with funds stolen from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The former runway model, turned Baby Phat founder and reality TV star, has reportedly lived rent-free in the luxury property for the past five years, according to the New York Post. The Beverly Hills mansion was purchased in 2017 by her estranged husband, disgraced banker Tim Leissner, with funds tied to the $1MDB embezzlement scandal, and court documents allege Simmons has neither paid rent nor made mortgage payments and is refusing to leave the home.

According to Simmons, her estranged husband sold the seven-bedroom estate to real estate brothers David and Simon Reuben through a deal she claims was fraudulent, requiring $67,000 in monthly payments.

The ongoing civil dispute over ownership and liability stems from a distressed refinancing and sale-leaseback arrangement involving the luxury home, which has also appeared on her current reality series, “Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane.”

The mother of five, including son Wolf Lee Leissner, whom she shares with her estranged ex, separated from him in 2022 and remains entangled in an ongoing legal and financial battle. Their split followed revelations that he had falsified a prior divorce before marrying her, and the two are now locked in a dispute over multimillion-dollar shares tied to the 1MDB scandal.

Simmons’ ongoing legal fight over the Beverly Hills mansion is set to reach a key moment at a Feb. 25 trial-setting conference. Meanwhile, her estranged husband reported to a federal prison in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 6 — eight years after pleading guilty in his role in the $4.5 billion 1MDB fraud.

Leissner admitted under oath that he purchased the $25 million home using stolen funds while testifying as a government witness in the Brooklyn trial of his former Goldman Sachs colleague, Roger Ng, who is now serving a 10-year sentence.

Authorities have not accused Simmons of involvement in the scheme, though the property has become a focal point in ongoing civil litigation. The broader 1MDB scandal led several celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, to return luxury gifts tied to the fraud, but Simmons’ residence remains an unresolved outlier at the center of the dispute.

RELATED CONTENT: Shattering Borders: Global Commerce Mavens Converge At AAWEF To Build U.S.-Africa Economic Bridge

Chuck D, healthcare transparency
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 13, 2026

Chuck D Sets The Record Straight After Gene Simmons Questions Hip-Hop’s Rock Hall Cred

"Clearly RAP and some other genres of movement are the ROLL," the Public Enemy frontman said.

Gene Simmons, frontman for the rock and roll band Kiss, stirred the pot when he not only labeled hip-hop “ghetto,” but stated that the popular genre “does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

Those comments led Public Enemy frontman Chuck D to respond that “RAP and some other genres of movement are the ROLL of Rock & Roll” on his social media account after the heavy metal legend appeared on the podcast LegendsNLeaders.

“The fact that, for instance, Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, when they can sell out stadiums and Grandmaster Flash is, right?” Simmons said on the podcast. “Ice Cube and I had a back and forth [about this]. He’s a bright guy, and I respect what he’s done. It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language.”

As his beef may be directly with the Hall for its selection, he still feels that the genre does not belong to be honored.

“And I said in print many times: Hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Nor does opera, symphonies, orchestras. How come the New York Philharmonic doesn’t get in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Because it’s called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!”

Chuck D took to X to share his opinion on the matter, clearly showing Simmons the respect as a musician he deserves, while making the point that although hip-hop is not rock, the genre, along with many others, encompasses the “Roll” aspect of the category. He goes on to say that it “splintered all over the place in the 1960s” and has grown ever since.

“Gene definitely has his opinion and it carries major weight… however it is The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame … not considering it ‘ROCK’ may hold a debatable point but clearly RAP and some other genres of movement are the ‘ROLL’”

Adding to Chuck’s response is the realization that it may be called “Rock & Roll,” but there is no category for “Roll,” even though there is a “Rock” classification in music.

Later, Simmons exclusively spoke to People and doubled down on the use of “ghetto,” claiming it originated with the Jews.

“Let’s cut to the chase. The word ‘ghetto,’ it originated with Jews,” Simmons said. “It was borrowed by African Americans in particular and respectfully, not in a bad way.”

He does admit to rock having its beginnings in Black music.

“Ghetto is a Jewish term … How could you be, when rock is Black music? It’s just a different Black music than hip-hop, which is also Black music. Rock and roll owes everything to Black music, statement of fact, period. All the major forms of American music owe their roots to Black music,” he said.

RELATED CONTENT: KISS Singer Says Hip-Hop Doesn’t Belong In Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: ‘I Don’t Come From The Ghetto’

squatter, Maryland, TikTok,
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 13, 2026

Notorious Squatter Tamieka Goode Moves Back In During 90-Day Sentence Appeal

The saga continues.

In January, a court found Tamieka Goode guilty of trespassing and breaking and entering after being accused of squatting at a multi-million dollar home in Bethesda, MD, and sentenced to a 90 days in jail.

After being released on bond to appeal the sentence, a video has revealed that she has re-entered that $2.3 million house, much to the dismay of her old neighbors, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Or as next-door neighbor Ian Chen, told the media outlet, “Less than two weeks of being incarcerated, Tamieka Goode is back in the house.”

Chen filed charges of trespassing and breaking and entering against Goode, who was allegedly squatting at the home with her partner, Corey Pollard. She was found guilty of the charges Jan. 22.

The house is owned by a local bank.

With court records showing that Goode was released from Montgomery County Prison on Feb. 2 after serving just 11 days, she posted a $5,000 cash appeal bond and retained attorney Alex J. Webster III.

“Miss Goode did her research,” Webster said. “She found out that a certain property was under the control of a certain group and that there was a title issue. Due to the title issue, she was able to assume the property under squatter’s rights.”

After being informed that breaking and entering is illegal, he said there was no evidence that his client had broken into the house.

“I’m not alleging that my client broke in and entered,” Webster said. “There is no evidence to suggest that she was the one.”

This is not Goode’s first run-in with the law. Federal court records reveal that she was found guilty in January 2024 of transporting nearly half a dozen stolen vehicles from Pennsylvania to Maryland.

The crime, which involved multiple people, was a 2019 multi-member scheme in which individuals allegedly used “a sledgehammer … to break a glass door to a Verizon cell phone store.” Approximately 39 cell phones, valued at $22,483, were stolen.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Year Of Terror’ Legal Battle Forces Squatting TikToker Out Of Multi-Million Dollar Maryland Home

Monica Denise Womack
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 13, 2026

Toyota Trailblazer Monica Womack To Share Leadership Lessons At Women Of Power Summit

As a Woman of Power Summit speaker, Womack will spotlight the importance of strategic relationship in business success.

Monica Denise Womack, an esteemed speaker for BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s 2026 Women of Power Summit, is driving strategic growth for a globally renowned car manufacturer.

As a pioneer in manufacturing, Womack serves as general manager of Business & Community Engagement for Toyota Motor North America, Inc. Through her sharp leadership and eye for team operations, Womack has become an integral part of Toyota’s success in its North America division.

Leading the charge for the company’s business and community strategy, she has fostered an elevated work environment, cultivating team-building and success at every turn. An MBA graduate of the USC Marshall School of Business, Womack will bring this insight and expertise as a key speaker during the 20th annual Women of Power Summit.

Womack will co-lead a session, hosted by Toyota, on “Strategic Relationships: The Unspoken Key To Success.” Given her tenure with the company, she will lend her voice to fostering crucial internal and external business partnerships.

Throughout her 26 years at Toyota, Womack has been instrumental in various facets of its strategic operations, including its product planning, financial planning, digital marketing, and dealer meetings. A pioneer in automotive manufacturing operations, she previously worked at Nissan North America in various leadership roles.

As a diverse leader in business management, Womack continues to give back as a pillar of her Dallas-Fort Worth community. She serves as a member of her local chapter of the National Black MBA Association, the National Society of Black Sports Professionals North Texas, and One Community Church – Plano.

As a mentor, she also helps early-career professionals at Toyota and at her alma maters, USC and Providence College. A notable progress-focused professional, Womack’s digital savviness and exemplary resume have made her a trailblazer in this field, with more to share with her growing audience.

Women aspiring to climb the corporate ladder in business operations and digital marketing can also learn firsthand from Womack’s career at the Women of Power Summit. The empowering event begins on March 11 in Las Vegas, with registration still open to witness these conversations in person.

RELATED CONTENT: ICYMI: The 19th Annual Women Of Power Legacy Awards Was A Tribute To Greatness

Nicki Minaj, Trump, gold card,citizenship
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 13, 2026

Think The ‘Barbz’ Can Get The SAVE Act Passed? Nicki Minaj Thinks So

As one of President Donald Trump’s newest fans, the “Pink Friday” rapper felt she needed to do her part to help the country and gave some content as a way to bribe her fans.

New MAGA member Nicki Minaj is rallying what’s left of her Barbz squad to put pressure on U.S. senators to pass the SAVE America Act, which some lawmakers aren’t fans of. 

In an odd video posted on X, Minaj asked her fans for help in securing senators’ support for the SAVE Act, which was voted on Feb. 11 by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. NBC News reports that the bill requires those who want to vote in a federal election to provide an ID to prove U.S. citizenship “in person,” such as a passport or birth certificate. 

As one of President Donald Trump’s newest fans, the “Pink Friday” rapper felt she needed to do her part to help the country and gave some content as a way to bribe her fans.

“Dear Barbz, call your senators, then tweet #SaveAct to let me know you did it. Here’s a little video as a bribe to get you to do it,” she wrote. 

“If you all do it, I’ll let you choose between a new look & Spaces. The choice is yours.”

She was seen reposting messages of support from Republican lawmakers, including Alaska’s Sen. Dan Sullivan, and celebrating when news of the bill’s passage broke, with an image of her saluting in her signature pink.

Minaj’s social media profile has a vastly different look since coming out as a Trump supporter and appearing alongside him and on conservative podcast, The Katie Miller Podcast. Fans will now see “Make America Great Again”-leaning graphics, support from conservative leaders, and back-and-forth banter with Democratic lawmakers. 

But not all leaders are celebrating, as the legislation has drawn backlash. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer has dubbed the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0,” while Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Il) highlighted how the law seemingly takes away voting rights of 69 million women. “The SAVE America Act would require your passport or your birth certificate to match your current name to be able to vote,” she said in a video on X. 

“If y’all got married and changed your name, your birth certificate would not match your current name.”

Minaj had something to say when a social media creator responded to Schumer, saying “the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low-income Americans and people of color.”

The unidentified woman claimed the Democratic leader was lying and “using Black people, going back in the past, provoking emotional manipulation.” 

The Port-of-Spain Trinidad-born rapper jumped in with her two cents.

“BLACK PPL have ID b/c they know their black ass is more likely to be pulled over or stopped in the street!!! STOP using black ppl & married women in your shenanigans and say what you really mean!” she said. 

P.S. STOP WEAPONIZING JIM CROW & the HOLOCAUST in your political theater!!!!! #SaveAct

Keep an eye out for how many Barbz are swayed.

RELATED CONTENT: Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Nicki Minaj And Cites Immigration Issue: ‘I Don’t Do Sellouts’

Kendrick Morales, Spelman College, grades, HBCU, professor
by Kandiss Edwards

February 13, 2026

Spelman Students Sound Alarm About Male Staffer Living Inside Dorm

The Student Government Association issued a statement expressing discomfort at the presence of a man in an all-women's living space.

Students at Spelman College have raised concerns with campus leadership after learning that a male staff member was temporarily housed in an on-campus apartment at the historically all-women’s college.

The Student Government Association issued a detailed statement this week expressing discomfort with the assignment of a male faculty member to housing in one of the residence halls and his use of the on-campus laundry facilities. Spelman confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that the man had been temporarily assigned to the campus unit. However, the situation has since been addressed, with the staff member relocating off-campus.

In addition to concerns about housing, the Student Government Association cited issues related to residence services, specifically water shortages affecting some freshmen residence halls. School officials said clogged sewer lines in Manley Hall and Howard Harreld Hall had temporarily closed restrooms, but those facilities have been cleaned, sanitized, and reopened.

Students told WSB-TV that the combination of housing and facilities problems has contributed to a sense of frustration with campus conditions. One student said some issues feel unique to historically Black colleges and universities and that there is pressure to accept challenges that might not be experienced at other institutions, according to the report.

The housing concerns at Spelman come as other HBCUs have also faced scrutiny over residence hall conditions. At Howard University, students have previously protested dormitory infrastructure problems, including water damage, mold, and maintenance delays, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported.

Howard students staged demonstrations in recent years over living conditions in campus housing, citing flooding, pest concerns, and repair backlogs. University officials acknowledged the complaints at the time. Additionally, the institution’s leadership outlined plans for facility upgrades and capital improvements.

The situation drew national attention and renewed discussion about infrastructure challenges facing some HBCUs and the cost of modernizing aging residence halls.

RELATED CONTENT: Design Essentials Pledges $250K To Spelman College To Support Future Female Chemists And Innovators

James Clyburn, The First Eight, Black History Month
by Black Enterprise

February 13, 2026

James E. Clyburn Breaks Down Black Congressional History In ‘The First Eight’ Conversation

The East Point/College Park Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosting James E. Clyburn for an intimate conversation around his new book, 'The First Eight.'

The East Point/College Park Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is bringing James E. Clyburn, South Carolina’s only Democratic lawmaker, to Atlanta for an intimate conversation around his new book, The First Eight.

Fresh off the November 2025 release of The First Eight, Clyburn, the U.S. representative for South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District, is bringing his revelatory story to Atlanta. On Feb. 15, the South Carolina Congressman will host a live discussion and signing centered on the groundbreaking book, which revisits the legacy of pioneering Black congressmen elected in the aftermath of the Civil War and explores why nearly a century passed before a ninth, Clyburn himself, would take office.

First elected in 1992, James E. Clyburn is now serving his 17th term, representing a district that spans many of South Carolina’s majority-Black communities, including areas around Columbia, Charleston, Beaufort, and much of the state’s Black Belt. Since 2021, he has been the lone Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation and has served as its dean since 2011.

Through his new book and national tour, Clyburn aims to excavate the often overlooked history of Black congressional pioneers.

“Ten years ago, I released my memoir that I called ‘Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black,’” Clyburn told the Greenville Journal upon the book’s release. “Soon after that, some folks came to visit me in my Washington office, and they saw the photos of these eight people on the wall in my conference room. One of them asked who they were and when I explained to them who these eight people were, she said to me that she thought I was the first African American to serve in Congress from South Carolina.”

The book chronicles the lives of trailblazing Black lawmakers who served in Congress during Reconstruction, highlighting figures such as Joseph Hayne Rainey, Robert Smalls, Richard Harvey Cain, Alonzo Jacob Ransier, Thomas Ezekiel Miller, and George Washington Murray — pioneers who represented South Carolina’s districts in the years following the Civil War. Through The First Eight, Clyburn aims to highlight how entrenched racism led to a nearly century-long absence of Black congressional representation in a state with a large Black population.

“I’m hopeful that the reader of this book will see how Jim Crow came into being,” Clyburn said. “After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, he was succeeded in the presidency by Andrew Johnson, (who) was a racist. He was a big sympathizer with the Southern way of life. He started doing stuff to undo what Lincoln had done.”

RELATED CONTENT: Rep. Jim Clyburn Releases Book Detailing Legacy Of ‘The First Eight’ Black Congressman

DHS, Noem, citizenship, ICE
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 13, 2026

State Department Reinstates 30-Year-Old Law Revoking Passports For Owing More Than $100K In Child Support

Data from the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and HHS reveal roughly $621 million in back child support payments have been collected, including nine collections of more than $300,000 since its 1998 establishment.

The Trump Administration is reinstating a 30-year-old law that revokes passports for parents who owe more than $100K in back child support, Fox News reported. 

The move from the State Department will limit parents’ ability to travel outside the country until they are caught up on their paperwork. Under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the federal agency launched the Passport Denial Program to revoke passports for individuals with over $100,000 in assets.

While there are fewer than 500 people in that category, the department is allowing them to enter into a payment plan with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) upon receiving notice. 

Under the same law, passport revocations for those with outstanding child support are allowed if the amount exceeds $2,500; however, the agency only acts when a person applies for a passport, to renew it, or for other services. With passports being valid for ten years, parents with massive back payment issues would be able to keep traveling without interference from the State Department. 

But not anymore. 

In a statement, according to The Travel, the State Department said it is “reviewing options to enforce long-standing law to prevent those owing substantial amounts of child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children” and sent a harsh warning. 

“It is simple: deadbeat parents need to pay their child support arrears.”

The agency is taking things up a notch. A memo from the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) states that parents in this category who are already outside the U.S. will have their passports revoked, barring them from traveling to another country and forcing them to return home to settle their debt. 

Data from the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and HHS revealed roughly $621 million in back child support payments have been collected, including nine collections of more than $300,000 since its 1998 establishment.

With plans to continue, affected parents will be notified by mail if their passport application is denied for failure to pay over $2,500. Still, before that, the state child support agency is known to notify the parent that they are in the Passport Denial Program or that their name is being submitted to OCSS.

RELATED CONTENT: Minding Our Own Business: How Garveyism Imagined Pan-African Identity

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