strike, flight attendants,united airlines, la dodgers, biohazard, Dulles International Airport, vomiting

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 29, 2024

United Airlines Flight Diverted After ‘Biohazard’ Sends Crew Into Vomiting Frenzy

'The crew is vomiting, and passengers all around are asking for masks.'

A United Airlines flight carrying 155 passengers from Houston to Boston was diverted to Virginia after a passenger experienced an unidentified medical emergency and “biohazard” onboard.

On July 28, United Airlines Flight 2477 departed from George Bush Intercontinental Airport shortly after 9:30 a.m. and landed at Washington Dulles International Airport around 1:30 p.m. A tweet from X user The New Area 51 reported a shocking message from air traffic control about the flight’s crew and passengers vomiting following the medical emergency.

United Airlines crew and passengers vomiting due to a “biohazard” from a passenger and flight diverted to Dulles as UA2477 (Boeing 737-800 IAH-BOS) this afternoon.

Big thanks to Bill B. for sharing the audio and @RadarBoxCom for tracking. pic.twitter.com/LOojAnsbZH
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) July 28, 2024

A doctor aboard the flight described the situation to air traffic control: “This is a doctor, and I talked to the crew. It sounds like it’s quite bad back there. It’s still really bad. The crew is vomiting, and passengers all around are asking for masks.”

The doctor recommended diverting to Cleveland, as it was closer, emphasizing the need to land immediately due to the undisclosed biohazard.

United Airlines informed FOXBusiness that the diversion was due to a passenger’s “medical issue.” The airline spokesperson added, “The aircraft is currently undergoing a deep clean, and we are working to get customers on their way to Boston soon.”

After the emergency landing, the flight departed from Virginia at approximately 5:15 p.m. and was expected to arrive at Logan International Airport shortly before 8:00 p.m.

A spokesperson for Dulles International Airport reported that no passengers or crew required medical treatment or transportation to a hospital upon the unscheduled arrival. The specific nature of the “biohazard” remains unclear.

by Shanique Yates

July 29, 2024

Health Experts Warn ‘COVID-19 Never Goes Away’ Amid Rising Summer Cases

CDC and medical experts warn that COVID-19 is here to stay amid rising summer cases taking the U.S. by storm.

In 2020, COVID-19 took the world by storm, and experts are warning that the virus is still very prevalent four years later amid rising summer cases.

As summer is in full swing in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 36 states across the nation have “high” or “very high” COVID rates. “This year’s summer COVID-19 wave is coming earlier than last year, which occurred in late August and early September,” said a spokesperson for the government-led organization.

Initially, the CDC tracked the total number of new COVID-19 cases. Today, it uses indicators like test positivity, emergency department visits, and wastewater surveillance to estimate transmission levels. Since its peak in January, positive COVID-19 rates have been at their highest at 12.6%; however, the death rates concerning the infection remain stable.

“Levels are lower than the peak from this past winter and are at similar levels to the early fall peak in 2023,” said the spokesperson.

Per wastewater data, the American states with the highest rising summer cases currently sit in the West. However, recent spikes have occurred in the Southeast, New England regions, and parts of the Mid-Atlantic.

The “very high” states include the District of Columbia, Alaska, California, Florida, etc. On the contrary, areas with “high” COVID-19 rates include Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and more.

“Unlike influenza, which essentially disappears during the summertime, COVID-19 never goes away,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

He also noted that the rise in summer cases of COVID-19 is occurring “all over the country.”

“(COVID) is up everywhere,” said Schaffner. “It’s not as though you could go to a state and avoid this increase. It’s just that the increase is more prominent in some parts of the country than others.”

In addition to previous strains like Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron, new COVID-19 variants that are contributing to the summer spikes include FLiRT and LB.1. The CDC reports that signs of COVID-19 are congestion or runny nose, cough, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, among other symptoms like fever or chills, new loss of sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath, sore throat, and headache or muscle aches.

by Daniel Johnson

July 29, 2024

New York State Reparations Committee Sets First Meeting

The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies will have approximately a year and a half to produce a final report.

Following New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signing of a bill in December 2023 to establish a commission to study reparations for the descendants of enslaved people and New York’s broader role in the slave trade, the commission will hold its first meeting.

According to Spectrum News, the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies is set to meet on July 30 at the Capitol in Albany to create an outline for their work, which will go on for approximately a year and a half.

After such time, the commission is expected to produce a report directly to the legislature by the close of 2025. The process is similar to California‘s progress with its reparations study earlier this year.

In New York’s case, although slavery was officially abolished in New York in 1827, there were insurance companies based in New York that would insure enslaved people.

The appointed commissioners range from experts at HBCUs to civil rights and poverty experts to faith leaders and more, all appointed by Gov. Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages told Spectrum she is excited by the group’s diversity.

“They all have a unique expertise, which is very exciting to see, that they come from different lenses, whether it’s public, private [or] academia, they all have a unique perspective to bring to the table.”

Solages is the sponsor of the bill that Gov. Hochul signed into law in December 2023, and the New York State budget for 2024 included $5 million for the study, which includes examinations of the impacts of original enslavement, segregation and Jim Crow, and present-day or ongoing racism.

Solages continued, emphasizing her belief in the commission’s ability to produce a report that can provide a starting point to redress the problems created by America’s original sin and its progeny.

“I believe they’re going to come up with a report that really highlights what we can do to really begin this healing process and to talk about how we can take apart these systems that were really created to suppress individuals in New York state,” Solages told Spectrum. “Whether it’s redlining, unfair housing policies, you know, economic practices, there are systems that exist today that we need to dismantle to ensure that we have an equitable and just New York.”

Solages, meanwhile, is hopeful about what the commission can accomplish.

“We’ve been talking about centuries upon centuries of disenfranchisement of Black Americans and so when we convene, it’s going to be historical,” Solages explained to Spectrum. “This is actually a reflection point to say that we are not our past, but our future, and that we can have a better future for all.”

by Daniel Johnson

July 28, 2024

White Supremacists Hurl Racist Slurs At Black Boys In Nashville, Local Lawmakers Call For Action

The children, known for drumming on plastic buckets to earn money, are fixtures in downtown Nashville.

Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. G.A. Hardaway both called on a stronger response to the growing neo-Nazi threat in Nashville after a group of young Black musicians were verbally abused and harassed by white supremacists on July 20.

“White nationalists verbally attacked and tried to intimidate these brilliant, beautiful, powerful young Black boys who were simply trying to play drums, and simply try to enjoy their summer break like any other child,” Jones said per The Tennessean.

He continued, “We know that this is about a deeper systemic issue and about a deeper threat that we’re experiencing in our state and in our city right now, with the increasing rise of white nationalist terror that is targeting our children now.”

The children, 14-year-old Rontarius Wilson, 10-year-old Detonio Wilson, 11-year-old Kamond Williams, and 9-year-old Jaquial Forrest, are fixtures in downtown Nashville for drumming on plastic buckets to earn money.

An emotional Ashton Lee, mother of Forrest said at the news conference that she was heartbroken when she realized they were the boys on the video she saw circulating on social media.

“It wasn’t right,” she said. “I moved to this city, which is supposed to be free. And it happened anyway. It just broke my heart. It makes me feel some type of way, but I tell the boys that all the white people are not the same. They feel like everyone is against them, but they’re not.”

Lee said no other Tennessee lawmakers had reached out to her, which she described as “hurtful.”

According to The Tennessean, Hardaway also said that he is not surprised by the incident and questioned why white supremacists feel so comfortable publicly marching in his state.

Hardaway also turned his attention to his fellow lawmakers. “There is a climate that’s been created by the vitriolic dialogue that’s going on in the political arena in particular and we’ve got to tone it down. Those who support white supremacy: We’re going to call you out.”

Jones created a GoFundMe for the children after the incident, which had raised over $15,000 for the children.

Jones also called out the local police in his GoFundMe write-up, saying the boys “were escorted a block away before being told to walk home by themselves while the neo-Nazis were allowed to continue their verbal attacks against others without consequence.”

He added, “Drumming downtown has been an immense source of joy for these kids, and their parents described them as excited to go and perform for people walking through the city. This joy has been taken by the neo-Nazis whose racist abuse towards these young Black boys has created an unsafe environment. Furthermore, their families share that MNPD has repeatedly threatened to arrest these young boys for performing, and have refused to allow them the space to have Black joy in a downtown that belongs to all Nashvillians.

“We must continue to encourage and uplift them as deserving of space and freedom to have joy. This is about sending a clear message: Protect Black Kids.”

Mary Mason, Philadelphia, radio, on air, podcast, mic

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 28, 2024

Mary Mason, Philadelphia Radio Host And Political Advocate, Dies At 94

Mason dealt with a years-long battle with Alzheimer's disease, a friend said.

Mary Mason, a longtime radio host and political advocate in Philadelphia, has died July 25 at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She was 94.

Mason (real name Beatrice Turner) used her platform to mobilize her listeners for social and political action, becoming an influential voice in local and nationwide politics. During the Civil Rights Movement, she interviewed cultural icons and activists such as Muhammad Ali and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., significantly impacting radio.

Starting in gospel radio, she expanded her reach by creating Mornings with Mary in the 1970s. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the radio program quickly became a fixture in the city’s Black community.

Furthermore, Mason was unafraid to speak out for change. Her efforts included hosting radio telethons for the Rev. Leon Sullivan throughout a 20-year span into the ’90s. She also endorsed Wilson Goode, who became the city’s first Black mayor in 1984.

However, Mason’s health had declined in the past decade. Until her death, Mason stayed in an assisted living facility in her hometown. She also struggled with Alzheimer’s disease, said Thera Martin, her friend and colleague.

Her impact hadn’t diminished.

“Mary Mason allowed a number of Black women to stand on her shoulders in broadcasting,” Martin said in a phone interview with The Inquirer. “And men, too. She made a difference.”

Local leaders also shared their condolences, including Congressman Dwight Evans.

I’m sad to hear of the passing of the legendary Mary Mason, a pioneer for African American women in Philadelphia radio. It’s impossible to overstate her impact and influence! May she Rest in Power. https://t.co/xm7ZiHMQOH
— Congressman Dwight Evans🟧 (@RepDwightEvans) July 26, 2024

“I’m sad to hear of the passing of the legendary Mary Mason, a pioneer for African American women in Philadelphia radio,” wrote Evans. “It’s impossible to overstate her impact and influence! May she Rest in Power.”

Former Congressman Bob Brady emphasized her impact in the political sphere. “Anybody who wanted to be anybody in politics, or in business, had to talk to Mary, and she would make or break people,” Brady told ABC 6. “Nine times out of 10, she was right.”

Besides health troubles, the South Philadelphia native faced issues in her family life. In 2018, her grandson and closest living relative pleaded guilty to felony theft for stealing her life savings.

No cause of death has been revealed.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 28, 2024

Home Aide Caught On Video Beating Elderly Woman With Saucepan

The aide is currently on the run from the New York City Police.

A home aide is currently on the run after she was caught on video allegedly beating an elderly woman with a saucepan.

Relatives of the woman, identified as Dorothy, placed cameras throughout her Harlem, New York, apartment. An aide was brought in to assist the woman, who uses a walker and a oxygen tank. However, on July 21, Dorothy’s granddaughters watched in horror as the healthcare worker assaulted their loved one with the kitchen object.

According to the ABC7, Medflyt at Home Health Care Agency employed the assistant. In the video, she can be heard yelling “you’re pissing me off” to the 95-year-old. After throwing two items in her direction, the employee proceeded to hit Dorothy with the saucepan.

The caretaker continued hurting the woman, bashing her with the pan until she fell on her walker. The assault left Dorothy with multiple bruises and potential blood clots, as well as limited mobility in her arms.

Her granddaughters, who helplessly witnessed the altercation, recalled experiencing the ordeal from afar.

“I felt helpless… it was the worst thing I could have imagined,” explained Michelle Mitchell, one of Dorothy’s granddaughters. “It was so unreal to me, that someone could punch somebody like they were beating them down.”

She added, “It was a nightmare…one of the worst days of my life.”

Racial disparities in elder abuse continue to persist. The Nursing Home Abuse Center confirmed that older Black people are twice as likely to face emotional and psychological abuse. The National Institute of Health also stated the demographic faces more cases of abuse than their white counterparts.

As for the fugitive aide’s employer, Medlyft confirmed its cooperation with police in finding her.

“We’re doing an internal investigation, alongside the New York City Police Department, and are cooperating with authorities,” explained the agency.

Thus far, the NYPD has made no arrests as the aide remains at large.

by Daniel Johnson

July 28, 2024

50 Cent Calls For Removal Of White Judge Captured on Video Threatening To Shoot Black Teens

New York State Supreme Court Justice Erin Gall was captured on police bodycam video from 2022 threatening to shoot a group of Black teens if the police don't.

Rapper and television producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is calling for the removal of a New York State Supreme Court judge who was seen on video threatening to shoot a group of Black teenagers at a high school graduation part.

According to Vibe, the video is from 2022, and depicts Erin Gall, who is white, intimidating a group of Black teenagers and at one point, threatening to shoot them if the police don’t.

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A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent)

The video, which comes from the bodycam of an officer who responded to a reported trespassing at the party in New Hartford, New York, was released earlier in July and has resulted in several calls for Gall to be removed from her position as a state Supreme Court Judge. That includes 50 Cent on Instagram. “This is bad,” he wrote in part.

According to Vibe, Gall tells the teenagers, “You’re not going to find your keys. You got to call an Uber and get off the property. You’re going to get a cop escort home. I’ve done this for a million years. I’m a lawyer. I’m a judge. I know this.”

Here, it turned into a menacing encounter as she made sure to tell the officers that she knew they could shoot the teens without any legal consequences, before saying, “You can shoot them on the property.” If not, Gall said, “I’ll shoot them on the property.”

According to the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle, Gall also insulted the intelligence of the group of Black teenagers: “They don’t look like they’re that smart. They’re not going to business school, that’s for sure.” As the outlet reported, this was intended as a comparison to her son, who was allegedly involved in a fight at the party but was attending business school.

Gall was rebuffed at one point by an officer, who told her, “You can’t shoot somebody for simply going on your property…Do you hear what you’re saying? You’re all white, privileged people with high-power jobs.”

Undaunted, when informed that the officers could potentially face civil rights lawsuits for unlawful arrests, Gall told the officers, “The good part is I’m always on your side. You know I’d take anyone down for you guys. You know that.”

According to the Commission of Judicial Conduct’s report, which recommended that she be removed from her position for her actions, Gall “repeatedly violated the ethical rule prohibiting judges from lending the prestige of their judicial office to advance their own private interests or the interests of others.”

According to Robert H. Tembeckjian, the administrator of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Gall’s behavior is as shocking as anything he has seen in his 40 years of judicial ethics enforcement. The commission’s recommendation will go before the New York State Court of Appeals for a final recommendation.

Tembeckjian continued, “It is utterly unacceptable for a judge to threaten gun violence, exhibit racial prejudice, promise favorable treatment for the police, or disparage a law intended to keep guns away from dangerous people. Any one of these things would undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 28, 2024

Axed NFL Player To Serve 60 Days Of Hard Labor For Animal Cruelty Charges

Isaiah Buggs allegedly left two dogs 'malnourished, emaciated and neglected' while under his ownership.

Former NFL player Isaiah Buggs will take on hard labor in Alabama due to his conviction on animal cruelty charges. After his second arrest for another offense, the Kansas City Chiefs released Buggs from its roster in June.

According to the Associated Press, a Tuscaloosa judge convicted the 27-year-old on two misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. Sentenced to a year of hard labor in the southern state, Buggs will only serve 60 days “pending” his behavior. The rest of the sentencing would be suspended for two years.

Buggs allegedly left two dogs “malnourished, emaciated and neglected” while under his ownership, as revealed in court documents obtained by the New York Post. According to the Tuscaloosa Patch, police found a white pitbull surrounded by feces on Buggs’ porch, while a Rottweiler also sat in a cage. Both animals had no access to food or water, court documents said.

Law enforcement issued arrest warrants against the professional athlete in May. His agent, Trey Robinson, initially called the charges a tactic to get Buggs to close his hookah lounge.

However, another arrest in June for domestic violence and burglary shifted Buggs’ NFL career. He allegedly pushed his child’s mother down a flight of stairs, leading to the Chiefs’ decision. Despite this, Buggs’ attorney called the conviction “confusing” and remains adamant that the case is not over.

“The Buggs situation is confusing and bears explaining, but it has not been concluded yet,” explained the lawyer, Greg Gambril, to WRBC.

The Pittsburgh Steelers originally drafted Buggs in 2019. He played there for three seasons before moving on to the Detroit Lions, who cut him after two seasons. He joined the Chiefs’ practice squad in 2023, recently signing an almost $1.3 million contract with the franchise. The athlete is now a free agent.

The specifics of his hard labor have not been disclosed.

by Mary Spiller

July 28, 2024

Carlee Russell Breaks Silence For First Time After Admitting Kidnapping Hoax

Carlee Russell reflected on her year in a post for her 27th birthday.

The Alabama woman who faked her abduction last year has spoken out for the very first time since her sentencing hearing in March. The 27-year-old Carlee Russell wrote a long caption to reflect on her past year on social media on July 22.

According to PEOPLE, the post was made to celebrate Russell’s birthday. She wrote, “I wasn’t going to make a birthday post but I would be remiss not to publicly acknowledge the goodness God has shown to me. He not only allowed me to see another year but He changed the trajectory of my life from the negative place I was in this time last year.”

She continued, “To those who have been there for me, your kindness and support have meant the world to me. Whether it was a text, call, direct message on social media, post, prayer, thoughtful gift, or words of encouragement, nothing was too little and each helped me to fight to live another day. Thank you sincerely for helping me find the light in the darkest of moments.”

Russell acknowledged that she knows she has a long road ahead of her in the court of public opinion but was, overall, optimistic about her future as she has learned from her experience.

“[As] I step into this next year of life, I am filled with hope and optimism toward continuing to overcome challenges, cherishing those who cherish me, and embracing the future and God’s plan for my life with an open heart and mind,” she finished.

In July 2023, Russell, a nursing student, found herself in the media spotlight after making a false 911 call claiming to see a toddler wandering on the side of a highway in a diaper. When police arrived on the scene to find her gone, it all eventually led to her being declared a missing person. A statewide manhunt searching for her ensued, with both local and federal authorities and community members joining in to look for her. Soon after, though, she revealed that the initial call and her disappearance had been a hoax.

She was sentenced to probation for false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. She received no jail time, although there were requests from the prosecutors, but she was found guilty in October 2023 by a judge in Hoover, Alabama.

Kamala Harris, day of unreasonable conversations, 107 Days, book tour, Trump adminsitration

by Daniel Johnson

July 28, 2024

Kamala Harris’ Campaign Charges Into Florida With ‘100 Days of Action’ To Flip Key Battleground State

Local Democratic Party campaign workers say that they haven't seen this kind of energy and excitement since the Obama campaign.

As Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is now officially 100 days from the general election, it focused its efforts around a “100 days of action” weekend, encompassing Florida, typically a Republican stronghold.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the Harris campaign’s efforts in Florida began in earnest on July 26 to try and flip the state, targeting its estimated 30% of undecided voters using a variety of methods.

Jasmine Burney Clark, the director of the Harris campaign in Florida, told the outlet that they view Florida as a key battleground state and are determined to win.

“We are working for every vote in this state … it’s one we are determined to win,” Clark told the Democrat.

True to her word, Clark and the rest of the Harris campaign got 7,000 campaign volunteers to sign up in Florida during the 72 hours immediately after Harris announced her candidacy for the presidency. Local Democratic Party campaign workers told the outlet that they hadn’t seen this kind of energy and excitement since the Obama campaign.

Jennifer Griffith, the chair of the Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee, told the Democrat that they had to expand their original plans to accommodate anticipated workers.

“I have never seen anything like this. We had to expand to a second shift on Saturday and add two more for Sunday because more people are trying to sign up. The maximum capacity for our office is 55 people.” Griffith said.

The campaign is actively targeting lapsed or no-party voters, who research indicates could potentially be swayed by Harris’s messaging. According to Tara Newsom, the director of St. Petersburg College’s Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement, those voters lean moderate and are primarily interested in economic and education issues and support family planning and reproductive choice, things Trump’s platform lacks emphasis on.

“Harris offers a stark contrast to Trump, who is embracing an ultra-right messaging that sounds like the party of grievances, which makes the optics of Harris much more moderate,” Newsom said.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Harris campaign is also determined not to repeat the mistake of the Clinton campaign and used a similar plan of action in Wisconsin, another state the campaign sees as a battleground state.

At a rally in West Allis on July 23, Harris told the crowd how important she believes Wisconsin will be in determining the next President of the United States of America. “The path to the White House goes through Wisconsin, and we are counting on you right here in Milwaukee.”

Harris officially opened her campaign in Wisconsin, a move that Marquette University political science professor Julia Azari believes is an important distinction between Harris’ campaign and Clinton’s campaign in 2016.

Azari says it is “a direct response to any of the inevitable comparisons with the Hilary Clinton campaign and the big critiques. (Clinton notably did not campaign in Wisconsin) I think it illustrates a likelihood that this will be the tipping point state.”