• Politics

by Daniel Johnson

October 31, 2024

Colin Allred Makes Closing Appeal To Black Voters As Election Day Nears

Allred has been active during the waning days of the campaign.

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Dallas Congressman and United States Senate candidate Colin Allred is making his closing appeal to a voting bloc in Texas that has leaned staunchly Democratic: Black voters.

According to the Texas Tribune, Allred has been active on the campaign trail, making a pair of stops in Houston, the most notable of them alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Houston’s most famous star, Beyoncé.

Allred also stopped at Texas Southern University on Oct. 29, where he was introduced by Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock.

At his appearance at TSU, an HBCU located in the heart of Houston’s historically Black Third Ward, Allred cast his opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz, as an absentee senator who abandoned Texans who were freezing to death in their homes to flee to Cancun.

Allred also positioned Cruz as an ardent supporter of policies that have led to a near-total abortion ban in Texas.

According to ProPublica, the restrictive laws around abortion have led to the deaths of at least two women in Texas as some doctors are afraid to treat miscarriages due to a state law that prohibits them from ending the heartbeat of a fetus.

Samantha Casino, a Texas woman who was essentially forced to give birth to a child whom doctors told her would not live longer than a day due to the laws in Texas, was also present at the rally.

Je’Von Tone, a 22-year-old student at Texas Southern, told the Texas Tribune that he was excited for Allred’s visit and that he was making a play for young, Black voters as well as having Warnock introduce him at the rally.

Allred has also been making more pointed appeals specifically targeted at Black voters. In a recent fundraising text, Allred’s campaign played up the idea that he could be Texas’ first Black senator and argued against racist voter suppression laws in the state.

“Black Americans have long faced far too many obstacles like discrimination and the racist voter suppression laws that Texas Republicans like Ted Cruz have championed,” the message reads.

Cruz has also championed anti-trans policies during his campaign. According to Texas Monthly, the senator’s advertising campaign featuring transphobic advertisements is part of a $65 million push by Republican candidates across the nation.

Although some Republican strategists think Cruz’s fear-mongering will work, some polls have Cruz ahead by only two points, which is within the three-point margin for error in either direction.

Allred’s campaign manager, Paige Hutchinson, said the 41-year-old former football player’s stances against transphobic messaging stem from his belief that there is no room for hatred and discrimination.

RELATED CONTENT: Look Out, Ted Cruz! Former NFL Player Colin Allred Launches Campaign For Republican Senator’s Seat

• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 30, 2024

Beyoncé Files New Motion To Trademark Daughter Blue Ivy’s Name

The quest is now in year 12.

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Beyoncé’s legal team is still hard at work trying to get her older daughter’s name trademarked.

Lawyers for the music superstar recently filed a motion with the federal trademark office to register Blue Ivy Carter’s name as a trademark, Billboard reports. This follows a ruling from earlier this year denying the trademark to prevent confusion with a single-store clothing boutique in Wisconsin that had used the name since before Blue Ivy was born.

The star’s lawyers argue that the ruling should be overturned, because no one would confuse Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter with a Midwest clothing shop.

“Nor would a reasonable consumer encounter the ‘Blue Ivy Carter’ mark and conclude that the famous Carter family had teamed up with a small shop in rural Wisconsin to launch a clothing line.”

The “Halo” singer filed for the trademark through her BGK Trademark Holdings LLC just one week after Blue Ivy’s birth in January 2012. At the time, the famous couple faced public criticism, as many assumed they were planning to commercialize their daughter. However, Jay-Z later clarified that they filed the trademark to protect their child from potential commercial exploitation.

“People wanted to make products based on our child’s name, and you don’t want anybody trying to benefit off your baby’s name,” Jay-Z told Vanity Fair in 2013. “It wasn’t for us to do anything; as you see, we haven’t done anything.”

Twelve years later, the trademark is still pending. This delay follows a legal dispute with Veronica Morales, who owns a lifestyle event planning company named ‘Blue Ivy’ and holds a trademark for it. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office dismissed Morales’s complaints in 2020.

Beyoncé’s attorneys submitted the same trademark registration but encountered a setback in April when a trademark examiner issued a tentative ruling stating that the mark was ‘confusingly similar’ to the name of a Wisconsin clothing store, which has held a trademark for its ‘Blue Ivy’ logo since 2011.

However, Beyoncé’s legal team argues that Blue Ivy Carter is internationally recognized, unlike the Wisconsin clothing store, and should not be barred from trademarking her likeness because of such a small entity.

“Since the moment she was born, she has resided in the American public’s conscience and thus…the consuming public would associate her with a trademark bearing her name,” Beyoncé’s filing states. “The parties each exist and thrive in their own separate worlds and can continue doing so into the future.”

Blue Ivy Carter is gearing up for her vocal acting debut in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, coming to theaters on December 20, as Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala.

RELATED CONTENT: Beyoncé Reportedly Set To Endorse Kamala Harris At Houston Rally Appearance

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 30, 2024

50 Cent Claims Omari Hardwick ‘Overvalues Himself’

The 'Many Men' rapper made the statement after Hardwick previously complained about his pay while playing 'Ghost' on the hit series, 'Power'

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“Power” executive and recording artist 50 Cent recently stated that the former lead actor of his hit TV show, Omari Hardwick, “overvalues himself.”

On a recent episode of The Breakfast Club, the “Get Rich or Die Trying” lyricist spoke on Hardwick’s bitterness toward him after complaining several years ago that he was underpaid while playing “Ghost” on 50’s hit Starz show, “Power.”

“I think he overvalues himself, to be honest with you,” 50 said. “Because, since then, it’s been a long time since he’s been in Power, why are we not excited about the new projects?”

Charlamagne Tha God said he didn’t know if Hardwick had any upcoming projects, to which 50 responded that if he were as big [a star] as he thinks he is, people would have seen more from him after leaving “Power.”

“If there was noise going on, if he was that big of a draw, then we would see noise, we would see new things happening, we’d see you out where you actively in a place where they’re looking for you.”

He confirms that they no longer have a friendship because Hardwick has made it seem like the rapper didn’t take care of him during his time on the TV show; 50 stated they are no longer cool “because you leave it like it’s me not giving you the money.”

He also emphasized that he has helped several people in their careers, including Rotimi, who had a role in the show when he released some material as a recording artist. He stated that although Rotimi owed him money because of what he had put out to help him, he renegotiated his contract so that, based on the changed terms, Rotimi no longer owed him.

He also mentioned that Mount Vernon’s own, Mary J. Blige, was well taken care of when she appeared on another Starz show, “Power Book II: Ghost.”

“Mary will tell you, she got paid a lot of money on the show while she was there the whole time. I made sure that s**t was right.”

RELATED CONTENT: Omari Hardwick Turns the Tables Spotlighting Young Black Man During Award Acceptance Speech

by Kandiss Edwards

October 30, 2024

New Jersey Doctor Sentenced For Allegedly ‘Employing Indentured Servants’

The New Jersey Doctor, Harsha Sahni, broke her oath to 'do no harm."

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Harsha Sahni, a New Jersey doctor, will serve more than two years in prison for harboring illegal immigrants and tax fraud. Sahni was convicted for hiring Indian nationals from 2013 to 2021 to work in her home without paying taxes on their wages, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the State of New Jersey.

Along with the two-year prison sentence, Sahni will have to pay $642,212 in restitution to the victims and up to $200,000 in medical bills.

Sahni is accused of paying the victims less than minimum wage in favor of paying their families in India $600 or less for their services. The victims allegedly worked 15-hour days taking care of Sahni’s home. One victim suffered a brain aneurysm and was denied full medical treatment by Sahni.

The 68-year-old doctor engaged in a conspiracy to ensure the victims did not report their work conditions, akin to indentured servitude.

The victims were subjected to unethical treatment and exploitation of their labor.

According to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, Sahni threatened the workers with arrest and deportation if they mentioned the employment arrangement. Both workers were instructed to say they were the doctor’s family members if ever questioned.

“Sahni caused the victims to believe that they would be arrested and deported if they interacted with law enforcement. Sahni instructed the victims to tell other people that they were related to Sahni, and Sahni used fake names and addresses in furtherance of the conspiracy. From 2013 to 2019, Sahni also failed to pay certain taxes notwithstanding that the victims were Sahni’s household employees.”

Sahni was arrested in Feb. 2023 after being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Newark Field Office.

Due to the charges, the doctor’s medical license was suspended on Aug. 31, 2023.

According to NBC, she “agreed to her temporary license suspension last Wednesday pending the outcome of an administrative action that seeks to revoke her license permanently due to her criminal convictions.”

RELATED CONTENT: Meta Fires Employees For Alleged Meal Voucher Scams

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 30, 2024

Atlanta Woman Arrested After Stealing $60K From Vulnerable Second Chance Renters

An Atlanta woman was arrested for her rental scam that stole nearly $60,000 from vulnerable families.

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A woman from Atlanta was arrested for stealing nearly $60,000 from renters who had been evicted and were searching for new homes.

Angela Denise Hasan, 44, is currently being held in the Clayton County Jail after a warrant was issued for her arrest over a fraudulent business targeting vulnerable renters, WSB-TV reports. As the owner of “Hasan 2nd Chance,” she allegedly operated a scam based on false promises of rental placements and eviction record sealing.

Hasan collected over $59,000 from multiple families who agreed to a “pledge” or fee for services, including clearing rent arrears and securing new homes. Authorities say she would meet her customers on the courthouse steps and convince them of her fraudulent services.

The Clayton County Police Department launched an investigation into Hasan after learning that multiple families were scammed by her “Hasan 2nd Chance” company. Clayton County deputies obtained warrants and arrested Hasan in Fayetteville.

“Hasan even met her victims on courthouse steps to seal the deal, convincing them that in exchange for a ‘pledge’ or fee, she’d wipe out rent arrears and secure them new homes,” the CCSO alert read.

“Unfortunately, the only thing disappearing was their hard-earned money, to the tune of over $59,000.”

“Let this be a reminder, folks: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Stay vigilant, and know that your Sheriff’s Office is here to protect you from scams like these,” a spokesperson for the office added.

Hasan faces seven counts of theft by deception charges. Her first court hearing was Oct. 26, and her preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 2 in Clayton County Magistrate Court.

Authorities are encouraging anyone who thinks they are a victim of Angela Hasan or “Hasan 2nd Chance” to contact the Clayton County Police Department at 770-477-3630.

RELATED CONTENT: National Foundation For Credit Counseling To Combat Housing Insecurity For Black Renters

• Money

by Daniel Johnson

October 30, 2024

Employers Are Lagging To Implement IRS’ 401(K) Student Loan Matching Guidelines

Employers have been reluctant to implement the IRS's guidance because they are concerned about additional complexities.

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The IRS issued guidance on how companies can use 401(k) matching to match an employee’s contribution to their student loan payments, but some employers have been slow to implement this ruling.

According to Bloomberg Law, employers have been reluctant to implement the IRS’ guidance because they are concerned about additional complexities presented by the ruling, even though Fidelity Investments, SoFi Technologies, and Betterment LLC have already offered to create services to provide student loan matching.

Employees are also wary about implementing the new IRS guidelines as they watch how the federal government approaches student loan forgiveness.

However, according to the IRS guidelines, employers are permitted to count the repayments as part of the employee’s deferred retirement, which allows employees who take part in the 401(k) matching program to save for their eventual retirement while they pay off student loan debt.

“The problem is not the student loans; the problem is the cost of education,” Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of the Institute of Student Loan Affairs, told Bloomberg Law. “We can put as many [bandages] and antibiotics on the student loan issue to make things easier for borrowers, and we should continue to do that, but we are treating the wound and not trying to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

As of Sept. 30, Verizon Communications Inc., Chipotle, and Abbott Laboratories are among the companies that have decided to utilize the 401(k) student loan matching program, but there are concerns.

“This guidance is certainly welcome and helpful, but they (employers) want to make sure there’s additional relief available to the extent that there are foot faults; those can be easily corrected,” Gabe Marinaro, a partner at Akerman LLP, told Bloomberg Law.

Barry Salkin, part of Wagner Law Group’s counsel, told the outlet that risk-averse employers don’t really want to add too many elements to their existing 401(k) plans. “Setting up a plan, things can go wrong,” he added, “but I don’t classify it as a high-risk proposition like offering cryptocurrency.”

As it stands currently, the major roadblocks to the widespread adoption of these plans are data collection and verification issues.

“Actually proving that people are making student loan payments, that they’re not falling behind on them or taking options like forbearance and deferment, is something that still needs to be clarified,” financial consultant Raya Reaves, the owner of City Girl Savings, told Bloomberg Law.

In part, data collection has become more difficult because of 2020’s STOP Act, intended to protect data against scams targeting student loan debtors, according to Jantz Hoffman, the chairman of the Certified Student Loan Board of Standards.

“STOP Act data limitations are creating a situation where it’s very difficult for any of these plan administrators to administer a plan that has the matching component to it because the automated way of receiving that data is nonexistent,” Hoffman told Bloomberg Law. “They’re also not going to want to take on the heavy burden of cost, making their employees enroll in a portal and send payments through that to verify because that’s expensive.”

Hoffman also said some employers want to make sure they’re not favoring a small portion of their workforce.

RELATED CONTENT: 401(k) Matching: The ‘Free Money’ Benefit Every Employee Should Know About

• News

by Kandiss Edwards

October 30, 2024

Justice Served: Man Sentenced For Threatening Fani Willis Over Trump Indictment

Arthur Ray Hanson II played a stupid game by threatening Fani Willis. He will now win a stupid prize—jail time.

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Arthur Ray Hanson ll was sentenced to nine months in federal prison this week for threatening Fulton County (GA) District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sherrif Pat Labat. 

The Alabama native also received three years of supervised release and must pay a $7,500 fine.

Hanson pleaded guilty to leaving threatening messages to Willis and Labat after the district attorney’s office filed an indictment against former President Donald Trump for attempting to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. 

Hanson left voicemails in an attempt to intimidate the Fulton County DA’s office. His initial message to Willis referenced the indictment.

“When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder,” he said. 

He also attempted to pressure Labat into withholding Trump’s mugshot. 

“If you take a mug shot of the president and you’re the reason it happened, some bad (expletive)’s gonna happen to you,” Hanson said. 

According to the Associated Press, Hanson initially pleaded not guilty to the charges before changing his mind. 

Threatening the life of any person is a crime. However, Hanson did not view his actions as illegal and allegedly did not anticipate consequences for his action. 

“I made a stupid phone call,” Hanson said. “I didn’t knowingly know I was threatening anybody,” he continued. 

The Georgia election interference case is ongoing. After having six charges thrown out by Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, Willis’s office filed an appeal. The office seeks to reinstate the six charges.

“Three of the six charges are specific to Trump. District Attorney Fani Willis contends the charge of ‘solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer’ is appropriate and applicable to the state’s case. The state takes exception with Judge McAfee’s ruling to throw out the charges.”

The district attorney’s office contends McAfee erred in his initial ruling. McAfee has not ruled whether the state will be allowed to move forward with the charges.

RELATED CONTENT: 50 Cent Reveals He Turned Down $3M To Perform During Trump’s Rally At Madison Square Garden

• HBCU

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 30, 2024

The Mecca! Howard University Expects To Become Only HBCU With Research-1 Status

With the distinction, Howard could receive more research grants, and appeal to more esteemed professors.

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If all goes according to plan, Howard University will soon hold Research-1 (R-1) status, the sole HBCU to obtain this classification.

The labeling is expected to take place this spring. With this distinction, Howard could receive more research grants and appeal to more esteemed professors.

“For HBCUs, in the research that we do, there’s a stated and higher commitment to historically disenfranchised communities,” Bruce Jones, senior vice president for research at Howard, told the Chronicle of Higher Education. “Elevating HBCUs to [R1] status opens the door for them to acquire more resources and do more things in terms of meeting the community mission.”

The HBCU will obtain this status through the new Carnegie Classification requirements. The updates will lessen the number of doctoral productions needed to reach this tier. Now, schools at R-1 status must only award 70 doctoral degrees annually and spend $50 million on research. Howard has exceeded both requirements.

The university once had R-1 status but lost it in 2005 following heightened requirements. Now, with the American Council on Education simplifying the process, the HBCU can regain the accolade.

However, the previous regulations severely limited HBCUs from awarding graduate degrees to its diverse students, most of whom identified as Black.

Systemic racism is a main cause for many HBCUs lacking the foundation to achieve this status. During Jim Crow, many state’s “separate but equal” policies actually favored predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Through this, states allocated more government funding to build out PWI graduate programs. Moreover, states allowed PWIs to replicate programs developed by HBCUs.

“It’s just one of the ways that HBCUs, even though they’re fighting and they’re doing all of the work that they can in order to build out these research programs, are still being discriminated against by states,” Adam Harris, author of The State Must Provide, told the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Given this, Howard hopes to maintain its status and pave the way for other HBCUs to follow suit.

“We’re doing things now to make sure we stay there,” said Jones, “and the only way to do that is really invest and keep your research infrastructure moving forward, to continue to hire top-notch faculty, continue to emphasize research with our students, continue to form partnerships with our HBCUs.”

Howard will also lead an HBCU consortium through its University Affiliated Research Center, as reported by The Hilltop, the college’s newspaper. The $90 million venture will develop tactical autonomy research for the Air Force.

RELATED CONTENT: Kamala Harris Looks To Her Alma Mater, Howard University, For Election Night HQ

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

October 30, 2024

CNN’s Abby Phillip Adresses Viral ‘Racist’ Remark By Pro-Trump Commentator Ryan Girdusky

She handled that very well....

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CNN’s NewsNight host Abby Phillip took some time to address the racist comment made by conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky toward fellow panelist Mehdi Hasan, Adweek reports. 

Things got heated during a segment of the show after Girdusky told Hasan, who is Muslim, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” allegedly about attacks in September 2024 where pagers and walkie-talkies used by hundreds of Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria exploded, claiming the lives of 39 people. His words caused a blowout amongst other panelists, and Phillip said she had to kick Girdusky out of the studio during the commercial break. “I’ve never had to kick people off the show before,” she said. 

“I didn’t expect the fact that it would happen last night. But it was a racist comment, and he said it to someone sitting right in front of him. It just was not appropriate.”

The exchange, which the anchor described as “trying to stop a bullfight in progress,” happened during a conversation regarding the NYC rally for former President Donald Trump on Oct. 27. As the event has been compared to that of a Nazi rally, Hasan told Girdusky that if he wants the comparisons to stop, then “stop doing, stop saying” correlating remarks. Girdusky responded that Hasan had been called an “antisemite more than anyone at this table.”

The book author apologized to Hasan on air but shortly after made a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming it was a joke. “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar-funded media. Apparently, you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for,” he wrote.

According to the Associated Press, Girdusky’s comments resulted in his ban from CNN. The network released a statement saying, “There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air.” Phillip also apologized to her viewers on behalf of the network and acknowledged that she hopes Hasan will be back in the studio. 

Before the commercial break, political commentator and fellow panelist Ashley Allison attempted to bring the conversation back full circle, reminding viewers why the rally held at Madison Square Garden was “disgusting and outrageous.” “I didn’t ever say that Donald Trump was Hitler, but do you know who stood on a stage yesterday and said, ‘I wanna come to the Nazi rally?’” the former National Coalitions director for the Biden-Harris campaign said.

“I don’t have to make up words and call you something. You’re saying it for yourself. And what you just said right there, apologize, but I don’t accept that apology, and you didn’t even say it to me, but that was disgusting.”

RELATED CONTENT: Charlamagne And Anderson Cooper Get In Heated Debate Over CNN’s Coverage Of VP Harris vs. Trump

• Politics

by Mitti Hicks

October 30, 2024

NAACP Chapter Is Prepared To Fight After Virginia State Leaders Purge 1600 Voters From Voting Rolls

According to VA leaders, the people who were purged are allegedly not American citizens

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They don’t call it “October Surprise” for nothing. The term, which describes an unexpected political event or revelation before the presidential election that can influence the election, is playing out in Virginia. Virginia’s NAACP chapter is now responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to reinstate the Commonwealth’s controversial purge of at least 1,610 voters from its voter rolls. 

According to Virginia leaders, the purge removes people who are allegedly not American citizens. It’s illegal for noncitizens to vote in U.S. federal elections. Still, as President Joe Biden and leaders of Virginia’s NAACP chapter point out, some people purged from the rolls are U.S. citizens.

Leaders with Virginia’s Chapter of NAACP say the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate Virginia’s purge is a form of voter suppression.

“There’s an attempt to suppress the vote, to make it harder for people to vote, but also to create a narrative,” Virginia NAACP leaders said on the call. “On top of that, [the move] discourages people to make voters feel like it doesn’t matter that they’re voting.”

Virginia NAACP leaders met with journalists on Wednesday to discuss their readiness to fight back, specifically on Election Day.

The Virginia Chapter of the NAACP says it will have at least 150 volunteer lawyers nationwide and other voting rights advocates working around the country to monitor and immediately respond to potential challenges on Election Day.

What We Know About The 1,600 Voters

Virginia NAACP leaders said in the call that at least 100 of the 1,600 voters purged from voter rolls are from Prince William County. There’s a tight race in Virginia’s 7^th Congressional District between Democrat Eugene Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson.

“Prince William, like many other locales within the Commonwealth who have early voting and specifically Sunday voting, has had turnout in record numbers as compared to previous years,” NAACP leaders said on the call. “One of the concerns is that some of those affected, even the 100 that have been already identified in Prince William [County] or those who may now be subjected to having their names removed now that the Supreme Court has made this decision, will have a negative impact on their ability to vote here.”

What remains unclear at this time is how many of the 1,600 voters identify as communities of color, but the numbers could be revealed later.

“This administration absolutely knew, based upon their previous actions, that some of the people that would be negatively impacted were, in fact, legally registered voters, and they don’t care,” a Virginia NAACP leader stated.

“This won’t sway us,” another NAACP leader said. “We will provide the necessary resources to those affected to make sure that they understand how they can still cast their vote, but also continue to work to get everybody out to the polls. This is a public showing that we control the ballot.”

RELATED CONTENT: The 2024 Election and The Black Vote