Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Trump, ballroom, DC Hillbillies
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 6, 2026

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

Jasmine Crockett calls Nicki Minaj a "sellout" after going full MAGA.

Jasmine Crockett isn’t holding back on her disdain for Nicki Minaj, calling the rapper’s full MAGA turn a “sellout” move.

TMZ caught up with the Texas congresswoman on Feb. 3 and asked for her thoughts on Nicki Minaj, following Donald Trump’s Accounts Summit last month, where she held his hand and called herself his “No.1 fan.” Given Minaj’s Trinidadian immigrant roots and the controversy surrounding Trump’s immigration policies, Crockett labeled the “Moment for Life” rapper a “sellout” to the very community she comes from.

“I just don’t do sellouts, especially in this moment,” Crockett declared. “Things are too serious. There are too many people that are being harmed.”

“And especially with her being an immigrant, then deciding to go and cozy up to this administration that is specifically putting targets on the backs of immigrants and anyone who stands with them … that is wrong, and I don’t even understand how you can play with it and pretend like it’s anything but wrong,” she added.

The U.S. Senate hopeful suggested that Nicki Minaj may be trying to “cozy up” to the President in hopes of securing U.S. citizenship papers or a pardon for a family member. Crockett also took issue with Minaj publicly targeting Don Lemon and calling for his arrest after he covered an anti‑ICE protest at a Minnesota church, a demonstration that led to Lemon and other Black journalists being briefly threatened with arrest last week.

“But going after people like Don Lemon, who I love dearly, is just wrong, like she’s just on the wrong side of history,” she said, urging fans to remember the rapper’s actions in the event she tries to switch sides again in the future.

While the Texas Democrat admits she was once a Nicki Minaj fan, she adds, “I’ve always loved Cardi more.”

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Starbucks, closures, restructuring, tariffs
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 6, 2026

Starbucks Vindicated: Court Strikes Down Missouri’s Targeted Attempt To Criminalize Corporate Inclusion

Starbucks seems to continuous stand strong in their commitment to DEI, knocking out lawsuit after lawsuit amid its policies adopted following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, ⁠a Black man, by a Minneapolis police officer.

Starbucks emerged victorious after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from Missouri alleging that the popular coffee brand of using its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitment to discriminate based on race, gender, and sexual orientation, Yahoo Finance reports.

U.S. District Judge John Ross of St. Louis excused the case after stating the state failed to ‌ provide any evidence that Starbucks discriminated against “even a single Missouri resident” who worked for the company or applied for a job. Favoring the Trump administration’s anti-DEI ideologies, Missouri sought to force Starbucks to end alleged discrimination based on ⁠race, gender, and national origin. 

The suit was filed by former Missouri Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who later left to join the Trump administration as FBI co-deputy director. The state accused the coffee conglomerate of correlating executive pay to ⁠the company’s achievement of racial and ‌gender-based hiring quotas. Additionally, Missouri claimed Starbucks singled out certain groups for additional training and job advancement. 

Starbucks was also accused of employing a quota system to ensure its board of directors had some diversity. Missouri wanted Starbucks to rehire employees, rescind disciplinary actions against employees allegedly affected by discrimination, and pay ‌damages.

Even before President Donald Trump set the tone for DEI initiatives to shut down on the federal level, schools, and the private sector, Bailey had his eyes on terminating diversity for good, targeting “woke” ideologies. 

According to the Missouri Independent, the former attorney general criticized the Business Roundtable, a nationwide association of America’s CEOs working to push a thriving economy, for allegedly having “racist DEI initiatives.”

Proclaiming he would fight “woke political trends and blatant racial discrimination,” he threatened that policies “risk exposing your organizations to substantial liability.”

He once sued tech giant IBM, long known for being a model of inclusivity with a diversity council started in the 1990s, over claims that the company did the most to recruit non-white and female hires, setting another tone adopted by the EEOC, pressuring white employees to come forward with claims of discrimination. 

However, Starbucks seems to continue to stand strong in its commitment to DEI, knocking out lawsuit after lawsuit amid its policies adopted following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, ⁠a Black man, by a Minneapolis police officer. 

A federal judge in Washington, Starbucks’ home base, dismissed a shareholder ‍lawsuit in 2023 that challenged its diversity ⁠policies. The judge argued that the case raised public policy questions for lawmakers and companies — not for the court.

RELATED CONTENT: Former Starbucks Director Files Retaliation Lawsuit After Warning About ‘Maggot’ Machinery

Jackson, Ketanji Brown
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 6, 2026

Sen. Marsha Blackburn Crashes Out Over Ketanji Brown-Jackson’s Grammy Appearance, Urges Investigation 

The sudden backlash comes amid the surge of anti-ICE celebration from several Grammy Award-winning artists

GOP leaders like Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn are bothered that Grammy nominee and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was at the 2026 Grammy Awards. So much so that she wants Chief Justice John Roberts to launch an investigation after claiming she celebrated the anti-ICE rhetoric at the music honors, Fox News reports. 

While admitting it’s not “unheard of or unusual for a Supreme Court justice to attend a public function,” the Senate Judiciary Committee member called for an investigation into whether the Grammy-nominated Justice’s appearance violated the high court’s Code of Conduct. If so, Brown-Jackson would be required to recuse herself from certain cases. “Very rarely—if ever—have justices of our nation’s highest Court been present at an event at which attendees have amplified such far-left rhetoric,” Blackburn continued in her letter.  

“To that end, in the interest of a fair-minded, impartial, and independent federal judiciary, I urge you to initiate an investigation into Justice Jackson’s attendance at this event and if her participation in any way would require recusal from matters that will come before the Court.” 

The sudden backlash comes amid a surge of anti-ICE protests by several Grammy Award-winning artists, including country star Shaboozy and Super Bowl performer Bad Bunny. 

Host Trevor Noah gave the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice a shout-out for her audiobook nomination of “Lovely One: A Memoir.” The crowd erupted in applause, and somehow Blackburn spun it to claim she was clapping for the anti-ICE sentiments.  

And Blackburn seemingly took a random dig at the trans community. “Instead of taking the time to learn what a woman is, Ketanji Brown Jackson was at the Grammy’s applauding anti-ICE rhetoric,” the senator wrote.

“How can Americans trust her to be impartial on the highest court in the land?”

Blackburn compared the Justice’s attendance to Democrats and the media coming for Republican-appointed justices. An example she gave in her letter was when Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Sheldon Whitehouse urged Roberts to make sure conservative Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from the 2020 election and Jan. 6-related cases after his wife faced criticism for putting up a Revolutionary War-era flag at their home.

Other Republican leaders continued to claim Brown-Jackson was clapping for the ICE opposition, like Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Paul Renner. “A Supreme Court Justice who swore an oath to uphold the rule of law, instead cheers for its undoing,” he wrote, according to Newsweek. 

But those who watched the Grammy Awards felt no harm was done. “This clip does not show Justice Brown Jackson applauding ‘Anti-ICE’ rhetoric. The clip shows her smiling and applauding as she is recognized for her Grammy nomination for Best Audio Book. Republican politicians lie like they breathe,” political commentator Micah Erfan said. 

Journalist Carla Marinucci wrote that she “deserved to be in that room” as a nominee. 

Since Blackburn wanted to suggest what the Biden appointee should be doing, social media took the time to remind her of her duties. “Instead of looking into the tens of thousands of Tennessee residents without electricity and heat, you were hosting that skank Kid Rock,” @shroganaw said.

RELATED CONTENT: 3 Key Takeaways From Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Confirmation Hearings

Police Officer, Federal Prison, Jail, Gavel, Court, Susan Lorincz
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 6, 2026

Patrick Mahomes, Sr. Facing Up To 10-Year Prison Sentence For Violating Probation

He was sentenced to 5 years probation for a DWI charge in 2024

Patrick Mahomes Sr., the father of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes Jr., will remain in jail until March after a judge reportedly ordered his imprisonment, citing prosecutors’ claim that he violated the terms of his probation.

According to TMZ, prosecutors say that he has failed to perform the required number of hours of community service, which was supposed to be three hours per month, as well as having a high reading of alcohol on his alcohol-monitoring device on New Year’s Day.

He has been ordered to remain at Smith County Jail in Tyler, Texas, until his next hearing on March 9.

Court records show that the elder Mahomes was booked into Smith County Jail Feb. 3 and is currently being held without bond.

Officials were notified of the reading on his SCRAM alcohol ankle monitor (which samples sweat from the wearer every 30 minutes) on Jan. 1, showing there was alcohol consumption from Mahomes. He did pass urine tests he submitted on Jan. 5 and Jan. 9; they reportedly came back negative for alcohol.

Mahomes was arrested at least three times for DWI (Drinking While Intoxicated), and the last arrest occurred right before his son, Patrick Jr., who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl. He pleaded guilty and was given five years of probation, avoiding a prison sentence of up to a decade behind bars and a fine of up to $10,000.

Now, due to the alleged violations, prosecutors are looking to have him sentenced to 10 years in prison as punishment for his alleged misdeeds.

The New York Post reported that Mahomes Sr. felt remorse in an interview for the ESPN docuseries “The Kingdom” after his son spoke about the 2024 incident. He claimed that it was the “most embarrassing thing I’ve ever been through in my life” seeing that his son had to address his arrest.

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Rep. Jonathan Jackson Prays Trump “Do What Is Right” At Prayer Breakfast
by Kandiss Edwards

February 6, 2026

Rep. Jonathan Jackson Prays Trump “Do What Is Right” At Prayer Breakfast

The Illinois congressman took the opportunity to remind those in the room, specifically Trump, about the core principles of Christianity.

Rep. Jonathan Jackson gave a pointed prayer for Donald Trump during the National Prayer Breakfast while he stood in silence.

On Feb. 5, Trump attended the long-running Washington D.C. event. Jackson took the opportunity to remind those in the room, specifically Trump, about the core principles of Christianity.

Jackson, a Democrat from Illinois, is the son of civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson.

In the name of Jesus, Jackson asked the president to begin to see the nation’s downward trajectory and take courageous action to fix it. He also suggested Trump has a diminished capacity to “do what is right” by praying for his “greater capacity” to do so.

“We pray for the future of this nation that you would lead this president into greater levels of compassion for your namesake. We pray that you will protect him from the iniquities of evil and that you would give him great clarity, courage, and a greater capacity to do what is right.”

Jackson also took the opportunity to reference the upheaval in Minneapolis, as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has killed multiple residents.

“We pray that he would be mindful of the poor and that he would be invested in the alleviation and elevation and suffering happening on farms in the Midwest in the families preparing to bury their loved ones in Minneapolis, reminding him that all Americans are made in the image of God and that none of them are free unless all of us have our freedoms protected,” Jackson said. 

Trump showed no signs of having received the message as he stood by with little acknowledgement of Jackson’s words.

He appeared to bow his head and lightly sway as Jackson spoke. After the prayer concluded, Jackson and Trump shook hands and exchanged a few words.

The National Prayer Breakfast is a long-standing annual gathering that brings together political, religious and civic leaders for prayer and reflection. The event has been held every year since 1953 and typically includes remarks from members of Congress, clergy and invited guests.

At this year’s breakfast, other lawmakers also offered prayers and reflections. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) led a prayer for unity and national healing, though he continues to push for policies that separate Americans. 

The annual breakfast takes place at the beginning of the congressional session and is overseen by the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, a nonprofit that coordinates the event in conjunction with a congressional steering committee. The foundation’s mission is to “foster spiritual fellowship and reflection among leaders.”

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Melania Trump, George Floyd
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 6, 2026

‘Melania’ Pulled From Oregon Movie Theater Over Shady, Yet Funny Promo

Amazon decided to pull the "Melania" film from one Oregon movie theater that used its marquee to mock the first lady.

An Oregon movie theater had its “Melania” screenings pulled after posting jokes on its marquee that mocked the first lady’s documentary release.

The Lake Theater and Cafe in Lake Oswego posted on Instagram just days after the official release of “Melania” to reveal that Amazon executives contacted the theater and requested that it pull the film due to the theater’s sarcastic marquee messages promoting it. The decision came after the theater ran a series of tongue-in-cheek marquee ads for the film, including “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday,” and a quote from The Art of War: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday.”

“Got a call that the higher-ups (i.e., at Amazon) were upset with how our marquee marketed their movie (i.e., Melania), that, per them, Sunday would be its last day here,” the theater captioned a photo of its marquee message following the film being pulled, which read, “Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All Melania showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead.”

The theater said it had already faced backlash from some locals who were not offended by the marquee messages, but were instead upset that the film was being shown in the left-leaning city.

“Also got, before then, countless emails and voicemails and Google / Yelp reviews (Google / Yelp took them down), wondering why the hell we had Melania here, or disdaining our disparaging of her,” the theater’s management wrote. “Now that it’s prematurely over, the plug pulled on us not from public outcry (always listening, thank you) but by some corporate executive (fair enough, sorry AMZN, please don’t cancel my Prime).”

The theater’s manager, Jordan Perry, said the venue sold just $196 in tickets for the film during its single weekend. He admitted he only booked “Melania” as a joke, knowing that locals would be unlikely to support it.

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Kid N' Play, Christopher Reid,
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 6, 2026

Christopher Reid Of Kid ‘N Play Got A New Lease On Life After Receiving A Heart Transplant

"I’m urging all of my fans, all of your loved ones, to get checked out."

Christopher Reid, “Kid” from the legendary hip-hop group Kid ‘N Play, revealed the full story behind his heart transplant surgery

On Good Morning America, Reid told Michael Strahan that he had a heart transplant last year after noticing he was very lethargic and wasn’t feeling his normal self. After going to the emergency room last July, doctors diagnosed him with congestive heart failure.

“Over the last year or so, maybe just starting feeling more fatigued than before, shortness of breath, sleeping more than normal,” the 61-year-old told Strahan.

Since Reid figured it had more to do with him getting older and slowing down, even though he and his partner, Christopher Martin, AKA “Play,” still perform shows around the globe.

After being prescribed medication to help with the condition, three weeks following the visit, his doctor noticed that the drugs weren’t effective.

“He came in very swollen again, and that is a little unusual in somebody who’s been started on treatment, for the swelling to come back that quickly,” Erika Jones, Reid’s cardiologist, said. After Reid’s blood work drew concerns, he was immediately advised to return to the hospital, where he was told his only option was a heart transplant.

More than a week later, he got the phone call after being placed on a waiting list that a heart was available.

“They’re saying, ‘Yeah, we got the heart, and we want to put it in tomorrow night at 10 p.m.,’” Reid said. “We are like, ‘Excuse me?’ But that’s how it is. So the next night, 10 p.m., we go in, and about seven hours later, I have a new heart.”

Kid says he is deeply appreciative of his new lease on life and plans to enjoy the gift he received last summer. He also urges people, specifically people of color, to stay on top of their health.

“A lot of people are walking around with heart disease because they don’t go to the doctor. And you know, traditionally, people of color, we don’t go,” he said. “We don’t go for a lot of reasons. Sometimes we don’t go because we don’t have insurance. A lot of times we don’t go because we don’t want the bad news or we too busy just hustling trying to make it from day to day and we feel we don’t got time or we’ll get over it.

“Well, you might not,” Reid advised. “So I’m urging all of my fans, all of your loved ones, to get checked out.”

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Glorilla, Summer Jam
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 6, 2026

Money Is Allegedly At The Root Of Beef Between GloRilla And Her Sister

A family feud appears to be brewing between GloRilla and her sister, Victoria “Scar Face” Woods, after the platinum-selling rapper was accused of failing to financially support her family since rising to fame.

The rapper’s sister did not mince words during an appearance on TMZ Live on Feb. 5, where she criticized GloRilla and argued that the “TGIF” rapper has a responsibility to support her family financially.

Scar Face said that after the hardships GloRilla and her siblings faced growing up, it’s only fair that the rapper ensure her family is taken care of.

“She got an obligation to share the wealth,” she exclaimed. “We struggled together. Took baths in bottles of water, roaches, all that. Yeah, she obligated.”

Scar Face claims her sister is prioritizing spending on friends over family. While GloRilla has provided some financial support to their parents, Scar Face alleges their mother is still working at FedEx and that their father retired only because he became eligible, not because his award-winning daughter supported his retirement.

“Gloria got y’all believing this fake a–, imaginary a– thing where she retired them. No, she did not,” Scar Face said. “My dad retired because his time was up. She’s supposed to have retired my momma, but she didn’t. My momma is still clocking the clock at FedEx.”

Scar Face said she isn’t asking for an excessive amount, telling the outlet she believes each family member should receive $2,500. Her comments came a day after she took to Facebook to publicly call out her sister, claiming she had to step in and give their parents money to help cover bills.

“I had to give my mom $1,800 on a $2,400 rent cause y’all favorite rapper blocked her!! I’m tired of being quiet,” Scar Face wrote in a post shared online.

GloRilla has not publicly responded to her sister’s claims, but she did share a screenshot of a text exchange with her mother in which the family matriarch thanked the rapper for all she does for the family.

“Really didn’t want to ask you because you already do so much for us,” the text read. “I thank you so very much for all that you do. I don’t take it for granted at all.”

The message continued. “I Really do Love and Appreciate you so very much! God Bless you for your honor, respect, kindness and love shown to me! You’re such a blessing to me. When I become a millionaire, I GOT YOU!! Meanwhile, I’ll prayerfully keep you in God’s hands continually.”

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trump, black pastor
by Mitti Hicks

February 6, 2026

Trump Administration Reclassifies 50,000 Federal Employees—They’re Now Easier to Fire

This rule change will impact about 2% of the federal workforce.

About 50,000 career federal employees will find it easier to be fired and lose their ability to appeal disciplinary actions with the Trump administration’s latest move.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a final rule on Thursday on “Schedule Policy/Career,” allowing the administration to reclassify federal employees as at-will and not provide the same job protections as other positions.

According to the Federal News Network (FNN), reclassified employees will lose long-standing job protections. They will be unable to appeal adverse actions against them—including firings, demotions, or suspensions—to the Merit Systems Board. The OPM said federal employees will also be unable to challenge their reclassifications.

It’s unclear which positions will be impacted. Still, Trump administration officials said the creation of Schedule Policy/Career aims to improve employee accountability and address “performance management challenges” in the federal workforce.

“It will give agencies the practical ability to separate employees who insert partisanship into their official duties, engage in corruption, or otherwise fail to uphold merit principles,” OPM wrote in the final rule.

According to CNN, this rule change will impact about 2% of the federal workforce.

Democratic lawmakers have vowed to push back against the administration’s efforts to overhaul the federal workforce. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is the co-sponsor of the Saving the Civil Service Act. The bill seeks to secure federal job protections permanently.

“They want to convert these positions that right now are based on your qualifications for the job, what you know, your experience, into positions where they can appoint political hacks to do the job.”

Van Hollen continued, “[This] directly undermines the whole idea behind the merit-based civil service. We will fight that.”

The rule changes come after Trump called for changes to the policy previously known as Schedule F. According to FNN, OPM’s final rule rescinds the Biden administration’s 2024 regulations aimed at preventing the resurgence of Schedule F.

The Biden administration’s regulation clarified that “policy-influencing” roles are exclusively political roles and do not apply to career federal employees. Removing that 2024 rule clears a path for agencies to reclassify their employees.

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Bozoma Saint John To Receive Luminary Award At 2026 Women Of Power Summit
by Kandiss Edwards

February 6, 2026

Bozoma Saint John To Receive Luminary Award At 2026 Women Of Power Summit

Saint John will be recognized at the Women of Power Summit Mar. 11-15 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Bozoma “Boz” Saint John is being honored with the Luminary Award at the 2026 BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit. The event takes place Mar. 11-15 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Saint John’s career encompasses multiple roles as a senior marketing executive at some of the world’s most influential companies. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree in English and African American studies, she entered the advertising and fashion sectors before moving into global brand strategy.

The marketing specialists’ earlier roles include leadership positions in advertising and at Ashley Stewart, where she served as vice president of marketing. Her career continued at PepsiCo, where she became head of music and entertainment marketing. In that role, Saint John oversaw partnerships that connected the company’s brands to major artists, live events, and cultural platforms, helping redefine how corporate brands engage with music and popular culture.

Continuing her trend as a diverse businesswoman, in 2017 Saint John was appointed chief brand officer of Uber in 2017, She later transitioned to Endeavor in 2018 as chief marketing officer, overseeing brand strategy for the global entertainment, sports and content company.

In 2020 Saint John returned to streaming platform Netflix as its chief marketing officer, making her the first Black executive to hold a C-suite role at the company.

Beyond corporate leadership, Saint John is the founder and CEO of Eve by Boz, a hair and haircare company designed to celebrate Black women and women of color through culturally grounded products and African-inspired formulations, according to the brand’s official materials. Additionally, she serves on advisory boards, including Girls Who Code and Vital Voices, and co-launched the #ShareTheMicNow initiative to amplify the voices of Black women leaders across social media platforms.

Saint John’s influence has been widely recognized. She has been named the No. 1 most influential chief marketing officer in the world by Forbes, inducted into the American Marketing Association Hall of Fame, the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement and Billboard’s Women in Music Hall of Fame.

Saint John’s receipt of the Luminary Award places her among leaders whose careers have redefined how brands communicate, connect, and lead in a global marketplace. To be in attendance with Saint John and other brilliant Black businesswomen. register for the 2026 Women Of Power Summit here.

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