San Francisco Family Home Set On Fire After Receiving Racist Packages
After receiving two racist packages within the last month, the San Francisco home of Terry Williams was set on fire.
An investigation is underway after the home of a San Francisco Black man, who was recently peppered with racist taunts, was set on fire.
According to The San Francisco Standard, the parents of Terry Williams, who are 79 and 81 years old, were rescued after Williams’ residence was allegedly set on fire on the morning of May 21. The couple was sent to the hospital after firefighters arrived on the scene. San Francisco Fire Capt. Jonathan Baxter said officials responded to the residence just after 11:30 a.m.
The parents were “essentially trapped upstairs,” according to the firefighters. One tried to escape the flames but was “overcome by the heat and smoke” and had to be helped out of the fire. Both are expected to fully recover.
When the fire was set, Williams was talking to the Mayor’s Office about racist incidents that had occurred at his residence when he received a phone call about the fire. The mayor’s chief officer of criminal justice and public safety, James Caldwell, confirmed that Williams received the call in his presence. Caldwell drove Williams to the scene after the notification.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Williams said at the home. “I didn’t even know what happened. I wasn’t here.”
The Standard reported that Williams, a dog walker, received two packages in the last month that included a blackface doll with a noose around its neck with racist slurs written on it. The first one appeared at his front door on April 26; the next arrived on May 5. Police started an investigation to find out who was involved, but no suspect has been identified yet.
“Any investigation—even if there weren’t the issues that are attached to this house—takes [time],” Baxter said. “We’re aware of the items that are attached to the address, but we address every fire the same: with tenacity to find the origin and the cause of the fire.”
A GoFundMe campaign was startedafter the racist packages were delivered to help the family install security cameras on their property. The goal of $100,000 was surpassed, with more than 1,500 people donated.
New Orleans Bounce Group Sues Beyoncé, Big Freedia For Copyright Infringement
Da Showstoppaz claim Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" infringes on the title phrase from their track, "Release a Wiggle."
Beyoncé faces a new lawsuit over hit single, “Break My Soul.” Showstoppaz, a New Orleans-based group, claims Beyoncé infringed their 2002 song, “Release a Wiggle,” for her single, “Break My Soul” by legally sampling Big Freedia’s 2014 song, “Explode.”
Big Freedia, who is legally known as Freddie Ross, is also named in the lawsuit.
Band members Tessa Avie, Keva Bourgeois, Henri Braggs, and Brian Clark filed a complaint in Louisiana federal court on May 22. The now-defunct band alleges that Big Freedia illegally used key lyrics from their song to create “Explode.”
“While Mrs. Carter…and others have received many accolades and substantial profits…Da Showstoppaz has received nothing—no acknowledgment, no credit, no remuneration of any kind,” the group’s attorneys wrote in an email to Billboard. “Any reasonable person listening to ‘Release A Wiggle’ and ‘Explode’ would conclude that the songs are substantially similar.”
Copyright law doesn’t typically doesn’t protect “short, simple phrases,” which means a judge could easily dismiss the case. However, Da Showstoppaz’ lawyers are confident in their case, stating that the band has a copyright to their “distinctive lyrics.”
“The coined term and phrase ‘release a/yo wiggle’ has now become closely synonymous with Big Freedia, thereby contributing to Big Freedia’s fame,” however, Big Freedia did not compose or write the phrase, and Big Freedia never credited Da Showstoppaz as the source, the lawsuit says.
Also named in the suit are Sony Music, Parkwood Entertainment, and Beyoncé’s husband, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, who is credited as a writer on the song.
The plaintiffs claim they first learned about Big Freedia’s “Explode” through Beyoncé’s 2022 single. They claim they tried to contact Beyoncé’s camp but received no response.
“Break My Soul” was the lead single for Beyoncé’s 2022 album, Renaissance. The song, which also samples Robin S.’s “Show Me Love,” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for two weeks.
Judge Rules Teen Charged After Slamming Kaylee Gain’s Head Into Sidewalk Will Not Be Tried As An Adult
The judge's decision follows a testimony from a juvenile officer and teachers who regarded DeClue as an exceptional student.
A St. Louis judge has ruled that 15-year-old Maurnice DeClue, charged after severely beating her classmate, Kaylee Gain, to the point of a coma, will not face charges as an adult.
The judge’s decision ensures the case remains confined to the juvenile justice system. According to The Daily Mail, this comes after testimony from a juvenile officer earlier in May claimed 16-year-old Gain was a persistent bully who tormented DeClue and instigated the March 8 altercation by throwing the first punch.
According to those who know her, DeClue was an exceptional student without any prior behavioral issues. The defense called multiple witnesses, including instructors who taught both girls, who vouched for DeClue’s impeccable conduct and academic prowess. Spanish teacher Richard Bly described her as a “model student” and confirmed her remarkable grades, which enabled her to skip the 7th grade.
At the hearing, DeClue’s mother expressed profound regret over the incident while asserting her daughter acted in justifiable self-defense. “My family, my church, we all prayed for KG [Kaylee Gain]…I think [my daughter] was just defending herself, I don’t think she had any intent or thought this would happen,” she stated, adding “We are very sorry.”
Gain had already been suspended for fighting another student the day before. As previously covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Gain’s father, Clinton Gain, disclosed text messages suggesting the two teens had mutually agreed to the physical altercation stemming from tensions between their respective friend circles at Hazelwood East High School near St. Louis.
Daily Mail stated that Clinton shed light on his daughter’s turbulent upbringing impacted by parental substance abuse and a period of dysfunction between him and her mother, April Nordstrom, offering context that partially aligned with the juvenile officer’s assessment.
The viral video showed DeClue repeatedly slamming Gain’s head into the sidewalk, causing a skull fracture and brain hemorrhaging. During the hearing, Gain’s stepmother revealed that the assault left Gain facing immense challenges, forcing her to reacquire basic abilities like walking and speaking. While grappling with persistent gaps in her memory, the teen has been required to don a custom-fitted protective headgear to shield her injured brain.
Former Netflix Exec Bozoma Saint John Joins ‘The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’
Bozoma Saint John is going from behind the camera to the front as the newest full-time cast member on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
Netflix’s former chief marketing officer Bozoma Saint John is going from behind the camera to the front as the newest full-time cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
On Wednesday, May 22, Bravo announced the official cast for Season 14 with Saint John joining as the newbie with returning housewives Garcelle Beauvais, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards, and Sutton Stracke. Socialite, businesswoman, and sister to Kyle Richards, Kathy Hilton, will return as a “friend of” alongside actress Jennifer Tilly.
Saint John joins the popular reality show after years of working on the executive side of television. She was Netflix’s CMO from 2020 to 2022 and helming the same post at Endeavor prior to joining Netflix. Her resume also includes leadership roles at Pepsi, Uber, and Apple—which she joined when the tech giant acquired Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s Beats Music.
The Connecticut native joins the show on the heels of releasing her memoir, The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss and Survival, where she shares how she started to “live life urgently” following the death of her husband, Peter, from cancer in 2013.
In May 2021, Saint John was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Female Leaders in Africa in the corporate and business industry by Leading Ladies Africa. Saint John grew up living in countries throughout Africa including Ghana, Nairobi, and Kenya, before returning to the states where she’s lived in Connecticut, Washington, D.C., and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The 13th season of RHOBH wrapped in March. While most of the cast over the years have come from the entertainment world, Saint John is the first to come from the industry’s executive side. She is also the second Black full-time housewife on the franchise following Beauvais who joined the show in Season 10 in 2020.
Lawsuit Claims Panera’s Charged Lemonade Led To Teenager’s Cardiac Arrest
The fast food chain faces a fourth lawsuit alleging that its Charged Lemonade led to health problems.
A high school senior went into cardiac arrest in March after he drank Panera Bread’s highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania.
The complaint claims Luke Adams, 18, purchased a large Charged Lemonade on March 9 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Later that evening, Adams went to a movie theater where a friend heard him making “unusual sounds” before he became unresponsive.
Two nurses and a cardiologist were at the theater, where they performed CPR on the teen and used an automated external defibrillator to shock Adams’ heart, which ultimately saved his life.
Dr. Andrew Pogozelski, who treated Adams at Allegheny Health Network’s Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, said that Adams was fortunate to have the medical professionals nearby.
“This was about as unlucky as you can get for this to happen to an 18-year-old, otherwise healthy person—but about as lucky as you can get for people in the movie theater to know what they were doing.” Pogozelski told NBC News.
Medical notes included in the suit state “heavy caffeine intake” was identified as the only potential trigger for his cardiac arrest.
The suit was filed two weeks after Panera announced it was discontinuing the beverage. This is the fourth lawsuit filed against the chain. The caffeinated drink allegedly caused two deaths and permanent health problems for one woman.
Charged Lemonade contained caffeine from both coffee and the stimulant guarana extract. A large Charged Lemonade contained up to 302 milligrams of caffeine, according to Panera Bread. The Food and Drug Administration suggests that a healthy adult can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily.
Allison Childress, Ph.D., RDN, a registered clinical dietitian and associate professor of nutrition sciences at Texas Tech University, said that the speed at which one consumes caffeine can determine how it affects their body.
“Typically, you’re going to drink a cold lemonade with a meal faster than you might sip a cup of coffee, so you can consume a larger amount of caffeine in a shorter period of time,” she told Very Well Health.
Panera Bread has not issued a public response to the lawsuit.
Robinson’s nonprofit, Balanced Nutrition Inc., founded in 2015 in partnership with his wife, Yolanda Hill, has profited from North Carolina taxpayers, receiving nearly $7 million in government funding since 2017. Tax filings and state documents show that the organization has also paid roughly $830,000 in salaries to Hill, Robinson, and other family members.
While claiming public spending has placed generations of Black people in “dependency” and poverty, income from Balanced Nutrition provided the Robinsons with stability after struggling for decades. For years, the family faced several bankruptcies, home foreclosures, and misdemeanor charges for allegedly writing bad checks, which were later dropped.
In his 2022 memoir, Robinson praised the organization’s success for helping his transition into conservative politics from furniture manufacturing.
“Yolanda’s nonprofit was providing a salary for her that was enough to support us,” he wrote. “I either was making speeches or was downtown at my wife’s office, helping her with her work.”
He wrote of juggling his early political activity with Balanced Nutrition, which records indicate paid him about $40,000 in 2018.
“When I ran for office, I stopped doing that. Now, my son does it.”
He often speaks of struggle and redemption while on the campaign trail, garnering support from former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Robinson at a rally in March 2024, often referring to him as “Martin Luther King on steroids.” However, the organization’s finances have continued to be questioned. In March 2024, state regulators launched an investigation after raising red flags regarding financial irregularities — including an unaccounted spending of over $100,000.
If Robinson wins the governor seat over his opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein, in November 2024, he will be responsible for overseeing a state budget of more than $30 billion. However, campaign spokesman Michael Lonergan defended Balance Nutrition’s finances, citing a routine audit that found no “material weaknesses” in the 2021 finances and blamed Democrats for the backlash. “Lt. Gov. Robinson is proud of the work his wife has done to help needy children get nutritious meals,” Lonergan said.
“Democrats are weaponizing bureaucracy against the family of their political opponents.”
Hill shut the organization down in April 2024, citing “some type of vendetta, be it personal or political.”
Nothing has been revealed supporting Hill’s remarks as accurate, but Robinson has upset many people and groups with his seemingly extremist viewpoints. During an appearance at a church in 2021, he spoke against teaching about “transgenderism” in schools. “There’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth,” he said, according to Advocate.
Ahead of the election, the Robinsons are seemingly facing financial troubles again. In early May 2024, the couple took out a line of credit worth $96,000 on their home, according to public lending records.
Inside The Launch Of Yapit, The Social Media App That Pays You
Yapit rewards users to post and engage with content found on the platform.
In a sea of popular social media websites, Yapit seeks to be the difference. The app intends to show one doesn’t have to be an influencer to make money.
Yapit’s CEO, Alvin Merrifield, built a community where one’s engagement immediately builds value. He sees social media as a thriving sphere ready for monetization across all users.
“We use social monetization versus just social media,” Merrifield told Atlanta Daily World. “Social media was created solely as a place for users to connect and share. However, over time, it has become a multibillion-dollar industry and utility for its users. I realized that as the market changed, people are going to want to be able to get more value out of their time spent online. This is what Yapit is truly about: transforming social media so that everyone can benefit from it.”
It works by users gaining profit from their multimedia posts, as well as likes, comments, and shares. Revenue can build up through ads, product placement, and engagement on content. Similar to TikTok Shop, they can also use rewards or points earned toward e-commerce on the site and a ticketing portal for promoted events. Yapit breaks the glass ceiling on payouts typically reserved for influencers to now include everyday users.
“I built Yapit as an ecosystem on a social media framework, with the ability to distribute all forms of content,” explained Merrifield. “And in real-time, content creators and users instantly receive a share of the revenue generated by the platform in their integrated wallet we built in. Content creators get to decide what content they want to share for free or for a fee. And users gain rewards for their engagement. It’s a win-win for all.”
Launching the app within the blooming tech scene in Atlanta, Merrifield also aims to diversify the landscape. According to Wifitalent, white or Asian men account for 90% of tech executive roles. However, Merrifield hopes to inspire others like him to chase their ambition in the field.
He added, “As a minority in tech, I want to share our journey and success from coloring outside the lines to inspire others with an interest in tech that they can do it wherever they are and however they want. The only requirement is to believe in their vision and stay true to themselves.”
The app is currently available to download on the App Store, as its beta stage is well underway. Yapit also has a business division, Yapex, that generates revenue and tailors back-end solutions for companies, feeding directly into its flagship platform.
High School Student Defies Odds, Graduates With Honors: ‘It Taught Me Self-Accountability’
“If you told me five, six or years ago I’m going to be graduating now with the respect and honors I have, I wouldn’t believe you,” he said during an interview.
Luckily, life is filled with second chances, and there’s no exception for one high school student. For Southwest High School senior McKinlee Hall, that moment has come as he reflects on the journey that got him to this point—walking across the stage to receive his diploma with honors in tow.
“If you told me five, six or years ago I’m going to be graduating now with the respect and honors I have, I wouldn’t believe you,” he said during an interview with 13WMAZ.
While preparing to say goodbye to his high school days after serving as an officer and student-athlete, Hall recalls earlier years where, as a product of his environment, he made choices that weren’t always so favorable.
“I was in a single-parent home,” he said. “I only have my mother, and I don’t even know my father.”
Watching his mother battle with substance abuse at a young age hurt Hall, and it wasn’t long before he was having encounters with the law. “I had found myself with a group of friends that got me in trouble,” he added. “So I ended up going to an alternative school.”
As his childhood seemingly slipped away, Hall found himself tackling even more adult responsibilities to support his household, which included helping to take care of his sister. They ultimately moved in with an aunt, but that quickly changed when she relapsed on drugs. By then, Hall was a junior in high school and knew he had to make decisions to turn their lives around.
“It was times like we would go to sleep, you know, no food, and I would have to go and rake yards just to get some money to put on the lights,” Hall recounted. “Seeing what my sister was going through, she was hurt and going through the motions, so it was like, I gotta change for us.”
The pressure was on, so Hall shifted his focus to academics, football, and faith, ultimately closing out hissenior year with a GPA of 3.2.
“It taught me self-accountability. It taught me responsibility,” said Hall, reflecting on how each challenge led tothis moment.
Hall admits that this would not be possible without the support of his friends and teachers at Southwest Hall. He also says that his late grandmother and brother are with him every step of the way.
Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Has ‘No Record’ Of GA State Rep. Angela Moore’s Membership After Speculation From Social Media
Georgia State Rep. Angela Moore is under fire for allegedly pretending to be a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a historically Black sorority, throughout her campaign.
Georgia State Rep. Angela Moore has been reelected to serve her community. However, the politician is under fire for allegedly pretending to be a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a historically Black sorority, throughout her campaign.
In a letter shared by the official Divine Nine organization on May 20, Delta revealed that there are “no records” to confirm Moore’s membership. The news was shared just one day before she won her primary reelection to District 91, News One reported.
“Although Ms. Moore continues to represent herself in various forums as a member of Delta Sigma Theta, there are no records to support her membership,” read the letter penned by the sorority’s southern regional director, Amaris L. Johnson.
Leadership for Delta Sigma Theta made a statement on GA State Rep. Angela Moore: "Although Ms. Moore continues to represent herself in various forums as a member of Delta Sigma Theta; there are no records to support her membership."
“As it relates to the election of the Georgia State Representative District 91, there is only one candidate (Dee Hawkins-Haigler) that is a duly initiated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,” Johnson continued in the letter, noting that they’ve received “numerous emails” questioning Moore’s status within the sorority.
Johnson clarified that the email was not sent to pledge support for any candidate and wished all of the Georgia members of Delta the very best in the past election.
“This email is not an endorsement for any candidate,” said Johnson. “However, I have received numerous emails regarding the membership status of candidate Angela Moore for the aforementioned position.”
While it is unclear when and where Moore misrepresented herself as a member of Delta, social media users did locate a 2021 tweet where she wished a Delta Sigma Theta a “Happy Founders Day.” It was also flagged that this incident occurred within the same year that she was first elected to serve the state of Georgia as a representative.
At this time, her official bio on Georgia’s state website, as well as the information on her reelection site, omits that Moore has any affiliation with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
50 Cent Goes Public With Embezzlement Lawsuit Against Spirits Company
50 Cent isn't taking his foot off Suntory Global Spirits' neck despite their name change from Beam Suntory.
50 Cent isn’t taking his foot off Suntory Global Spirits’ neck despite their name change from Beam Suntory.
The hip-hop mogul (real name Curtis Jackson) has been locked into a legal battle with Beam Suntory, now Suntory Global Spirits, where he accuses them of embezzlement. Amid the ongoing case, 50 Cent is calling out the global alcohol producer for changing the company name amid the fraud allegations he filed against them.
The “In Da Club” rapper took to Instagram on Friday, May 17, to blast the company for seemingly changing its name without rectifying the lawsuit he filed accusing them of being complicit in an embezzlement scheme.
“Changing the company name from Beam Suntory to @SuntoryGlobalSpirits without correcting what was done to my brands @bransoncognac and @lecheminduroi doesn’t fix the problem and lacks honor,” he captioned his post.
“I attempted to resolve the matter, not once, but twice. Now the legal process will play out publicly for everyone to see what really happened and how @SuntoryGlobalSpirits would rather spend millions to protect and conceal criminal conduct instead of doing the right thing.”
50 Cent went on to warn Suntory Global Spirits that he might consider a visit to Washington D.C. to get the Congressional Black Caucus in on the case.
“I never thought being one of the few black owned brands was a factor, but maybe that’s the issue? Ultimately, the consumers will decide where to spend their money,” he added.
“Maybe I need to go to Washington DC and have the @CongressionalBlackCaucus take a closer look? What do you think?”
The “Candy Shop” rapper first filed his lawsuit against Beam Suntory in February 2023 accusing the liquor giant of being involved in an embezzlement scheme that defrauded 50’s Sire Spirits out of millions, People reported. 50’s suit alleges that Sire Spirits overpaid for liquor that Beam Suntory supplied and the company took kickbacks of about $6 million.
“Because these illicit commissions were baked into the price of the product, Sire Spirits overpaid on taxes, overpaid on customs and duties, overpaid on insurance, which are marked towards the value of the product,” Sire Spirits attorney Craig Weiner told FOX 5 NY in a news brief 50 Cent shared to Instagram in March.
Sire Spirits sued Beam and two alleged co-conspirators — Michael and Gina Caruso — on fraud allegations. Sire appealed after a New York State trial court granted Beam’s motion to dismiss the conspiracy to commit fraud and aiding and abetting fraud claims. Now with an official company rebrand, 50 Cent wants to ensure Suntory Global Spirits is held accountable for the fraud he’s accusing them of.
