Killer Mike Praises Rising Hip-Hop Artist Liljitm3n For Buying A Honda Accord Over Squandering His Money
This move has sparked conversations about fiscal responsibility within the hip-hop community.
In a notable departure from the wild spending often associated with the Hip-Hop community, rap icons Killer Mike and Maxo Kream are commending the financial prudence of rising Florida rapper Liljitm3n. On Jan.23, the 21-year-old artist took to Instagram Stories to showcase his latest acquisition — a Honda Accord, which stands in stark contrast to the lavish spending habits prevalent among his peers.
Further reinforcing the significance of Liljitm3n’s choice, Quality Control Music CEO Pierre “P” Thomas and Yella Beezy also applauded the move in their replies, recognizing the long-term practicality of such a decision in an industry known for extravagant displays of wealth.
In contrast, hip-hop luminary Fat Joe recently made headlines for his extravagant purchase—a custom-built Rolls Royce Cullinan. The rapper spent a staggering $750,000 on the luxurious vehicle, allocating an additional $100,000 for the construction of the car’s exterior frame, a process that spanned a month.
Will Castro of Unique Whips: Special Editions was the mastermind behind Fat Joe’s lavish purchase. According to TMZ, Castro is also responsible for crafting two other Rolls Royces for the New York rapper, including an orange and black one the previous year.
Interestingly, Fat Joe’s penchant for luxury vehicles is not new. In 2021, the rapper invested approximately $35,000 in restoring LL Cool J’s 1986 Audi 5000, a vehicle that holds historical significance as one of his first lavish purchases after signing a record deal with Def Jam. Stored at his grandmother’s home for three decades, the vehicle underwent extensive repairs, including new bodywork, a fresh paint job, installation of a custom two-tone black leather interior, and a full engine rebuild.
Still, Liljitm3n’s decision to prioritize financial responsibility over extravagant displays of wealth is setting a refreshing example in an industry often characterized by excess. This move has sparked conversations about fiscal responsibility and challenging the prevailing norms within the hip-hop community.
In Celebration Of Its 15th Year, The BOSS Network Unveils Programs For Black Women Entrepreneurs
When Dr. Cameka Smith founded The BOSS Network in 2009, she sought to address the challenges and needs of Black women founders.
The BOSS (Building Our Successful Sisters) Network, an online enterprise of supportive and empowering Black women in business, is celebrating its 15th year with two programs.
BOSS is bringing back its premier program, The BOSS Impact Fund, which provides grants for Black women entrepreneurs and access to a 1-year mentorship program. according to a press release. The organization has also secured partnerships to offer a new training and mentorship program, “Pathways to Success, to support Black women entrepreneurs in Atlanta.
15 Years And Counting
#InvestInProgress I’m excited to share BOSS has launched an incredible report, in partnership with @SageUSAmerica. Together, we commissioned 40 incredible Black women founders in Atlanta, to discuss the trials and triumphs of SMB’s.
When Dr. Cameka Smith founded The BOSS Network in 2009 she sought to address the challenges and needs of Black women founders. Less than 1% of minority founders receive investment funding for the start of their small business, according to the platform’s website. Now, more than a decade later, Smith boasts a network of over 200,000,. She launched the first BOSS Impact Fund three years ago, investing in 65 Black women founders.
“For the past fifteen years, The BOSS Network has been committed to investing in and equipping Black women entrepreneurs to achieve success in business,” said Smith.
“With Atlanta at the epicenter for Black business, The BOSS Network is excited to partner with Sage and Swoop on this program to not only provide resources, but to also empower them as they go to the next level in their business endeavors.”
THE BOSS Impact Fund
Thanks to a partnership with Sage Foundation, a global organization committed to grant giving and partnership investment with additional funding, The BOSS Impact Fund provides access to capital and entrepreneurial mentorship opportunities. Applications for the collaborative initiative, the Invest in Progress 2024 grant, opened Jan. 22. Twenty-five grants are set to be distributed to Black women founders across the U.S., with seven going directly to Atlanta-based business owners. The program offers $10,000 business grants as well as training, networking, and comprehensive mentorship opportunities with The BOSS Network.
Applications for the Invest in Progress grant are due Feb. 23. Apply here.
The Pathways to Success training and mentorship program was developed and delivered through Sage Foundation, and in partnership with Swoop, a global fintech company specializing in funding solutions for businesses.
It is a solution to the most prominent challenges Black women founders in Atlanta face, which include the lack of access to funding and mentorship and ability to digitally scales business growth. In the program, 150 Atlanta-based Black women entrepreneurs will take on a curated series of “training and roundtables, providing tactical advice to address and overcome financial and capital-raising challenges,” the release read. Participants will also receive one year of training access and a three-year membership to The BOSS Network.
How To Avoid Social Media Mishaps In The Workplace
Maintain consistent messaging and limit your company's chances of facing a public relations nightmare with these social media guidelines.
Originally published Sept. 1, 2016
It’s early Monday morning, but your office is already buzzing. At first, this seems like a good thing—your employees are hitting the ground running to start the week—but your excitement turns to dread when you overhear a conversation:
“Can you believe what Joe from sales tweeted yesterday?”
We’ve all cringed and laughed at articles about social media mishaps, and we’ve sworn that we’ll never be one of those people. But now, Joe from sales is one of those people, and because his Twitter bio says he works for your company, this is now your problem, too.
For the past several years, it’s been a goal of mine to help leaders prevent this from happening at their companies. A key ingredient to doing so is creating a social media policy—precautionary guidelines that help keep your brand from becoming the focal point of Monday morning’s gossip hour.
The goal isn’t to stifle your employees’ personal social media freedom. Rather, it’s to maintain consistent messaging and to limit your company’s chances of facing a public relations nightmare.
When creating your policy, here are five big things to keep in mind:
Don’t assume all of your employees understand social media
The majority of your employees—especially the younger ones—will have a fundamental knowledge of why social media exists, but don’t use that as an excuse not to spell it out for everyone. What one employee doesn’t know could always come back to bite you. Our company is built on the backbone of social media, so you’d expect that most everyone we hire is a social media expert. But even for us, it’s been important to provide education and training on the basics of social. Whether it’s a salesperson who wants to learn about social selling or an engineer who wants to improve his or her presence on LinkedIn, these are important things in today’s social environment, and we feel it’s critical to support our employees in those areas.
Provide a definition of the landscape
Every social media channel is different; what goes viral on one platform could easily flop on a different one. An informal “Hey BFFs, who needs a job and wants to work with me at my awesome company?” might be suitable for Facebook, but that same post probably won’t look so good on a more professional platform like LinkedIn. There is no hard and fast rule as to what goes where; it differs for everyone. Some people prefer to only post job-related content on LinkedIn, whereas others have no problem at all sharing it to Facebook. Our main recommendation is to be authentic and to apply common sense. If you’re posting lots of personal anecdotes on Twitter and not getting any engagement, that’s a good sign your followers don’t care for it. We encourage experimentation and diversification.
Maintain authenticity
The beautiful thing about social media is that every person has the opportunity to broadcast his or her voice. Like I said earlier, your social media policy shouldn’t stifle that ability. Instead, it should help add a personable element to your brand—a face to the name, if you will. My company prides itself on being unique and approachable, so in creating our policy, we wanted our associates’ voices to truly be theirs. We are pretty relaxed when it comes to vocabulary and tone, but not every company can afford to be so lenient in that regard. If you don’t need to hold such a tight rein, loosen your grip a little. Your employees will thank you kindly.
Define “confidentiality”
Not everything that happens within a company’s walls is meant for public consumption. When creating your social media policy, be sure to draw a hard line in the sand as to what can be posted, tweeted, and shared about (and what should be kept under wraps). It should be crystal clear to employees what is and isn’t off-limits. The vast majority of content we produce in our sales and marketing departments is pre-approved and distributed directly to employees in a way that encourages them to share it with their networks. Our employees know that if it’s delivered to them, it’s meant to be shared with the world. If it doesn’t get to them through that workflow, it’s off limits. Having these guidelines in place make confidentiality and compliance a non-issue for us.
Make sure your employees see the value of their voice
Today, peer recommendations are the most effective form of marketing. If your employees have personal social media accounts—and chances are they do—empowering them to share content and spread the good word about your brand is essential. Consumers will almost always take the word of a friend or peer over some anonymous user review (or someone named pixiegurl247, for that matter) on Yelp. I am sure to communicate to my employees that their social presence has directly impacted traffic to our website and blog. In fact, sometimes their posts drive more than 90 percent of our traffic.
Your employees’ voices are potential powerhouses for your company—but only if they know how to properly use them. Your social media policy should provide the exact guidance they need while still allowing them to be themselves.
With a great policy in place, leaders can drive website traffic, boost sales, increase public perception, and prevent their companies from becoming America’s next cringe-worthy headline.
Nikki Haley Doesn’t Like Being ‘Teased Every Day For Being Brown’ After Stating Racism Doesn’t Exist
Haley says she knows 'the hardships, the pain, that come with racism.'
As the race narrows for the GOP presidential candidate, Republican Nikki Haley is giving voters insight into her life – and the racism she experienced. This comes after she declared American has “never been a racist country.”
In a clip from a recent interview, Haley sat down with NBC News reporters to open up about growing up as a brown girl in South Carolina. She claims kids made fun of her on a daily basis as the “only Indian family in our small southern town.”
“I was teased every day for being brown,” Haley said.
“So anyone that wants to question it can go back and look back at what I said on how hard it was to grow up in the Deep South as a brown girl.”
Her explanation comes after she received criticism for claiming she “had Black friends growing up” after her Civil War comments, gaining additional pushback. But Haley doubled down, saying having Black friends is “a source of pride.”
“If you wanna know what it was like growing up, I was disqualified from a beauty pageant cause I wasn’t white or black and they didn’t know where to put me,” she argued.
“So look, I know the hardships, the pain, that come with racism.”
It’s a completely different vibe from a Fox News interview on Jan. 16. When Fox News host Brian Kilmeade asked Haley if she was “involved in a racist party,” the former South Carolina governor responded, “We’re not a racist country, Brian. We’ve never been a racist country.”
Despite the legislation she worked on regarding the Walter Scott case and the Emanuel Nine, many commentators and critics think it’s too late for her to clean up the mess she has made. Republican strategist and CNN commentator Scott Jennings said Haley “hasn’t learned the critical issue of cleaning things up” and suggested Haley should “take the L and move on,” according to Forbes.
Fellow CNN contributor Alyssa Farah Griffin somewhat agreed, saying Haley “did herself no favors” and “kind of put herself back where she was at the beginning of this issue.”
Voters and social media users seem to be on the same side of the analysts. One user said they are sick of her pandering. “When was she ever brown? She isn’t brown now,” the user said. “She’s whiter than Elizabeth Warren. I’m so sick of her pandering.”
When was she ever brown? She isn't brown now. She's whiter than Elizabeth Warren. I'm so sick of her pandering.
Another user thinks this is a ploy to get ahead in the polls. “I don’t believe her. And I think it’s gross that she’s pulling the race card because she’s losing.”
American Airlines Flight Turned Around Due To Extreme Flatulence
An American Airlines flight was left no choice but to turn around before takeoff due to a seriously flatulent passenger.
An American Airlines flight had to turn around due to one flyer’s excessive farting. The gassy aggressor was removed from the flight due to the disruption.
The incident made the rounds on an Austin-based subreddit revealed by People, with passengers on the Jan. 14 trip from Phoenix to the Texas city recounting the ordeal. The passenger, who remains unidentified, became an even greater nuisance to his fellow travelers after he started doing it on purpose the issue.
A Reddit user seated near the man overheard him saying, “You thought that was rude? Well, how about this smell.” He promptly launched a loud fart, to the dismay of those around him. What inspired his original act of rudeness was unclear, but the issue stirred up a bout of gassiness.
“[I don’t know] what provoked that comment, and while kinda funny to overhear, it was uncalled for especially coming from a grown man on an airplane nonetheless,” the passenger shared.
Travelers surrounding him began to respond to the incessantly farty man, who was assumed to use the smell to fight back against another odor looming from a passenger nearby. As the exchange became more heated and smelly, the flight crew was left with no choice but to remedy the issue by deplaning the man.
Fortunately, the ordeal never made it past the runway, allowing the plane set for Austin to return to its gate, where a flight attendant relayed the news to the controversial flyer.
“We get back to the gate and a flight attendant comes back and informs fartman that he will not be staying on this flight,” detailed a Redditor. “He simply replies, ‘I don’t understand,’ and she tells him they’ll talk about it off the plane.”
According to their account, the anonymous farter left without another blow.
“He gets up, grabs his bag and quietly exits the plane. We all breathed a sigh of relief when he was removed, I think most people were on edge about what he may say or do next. The trip was only delayed by 15-30 minutes, so all in all I think American handled it swiftly.”
With the airline refusing to comment publicly on the matter, this case of extreme flatulence may not be one they want to air.
Elon Musk Slammed For Controversial Comments On Diversity In Aviation Programs
Musk asserted that aviation programs at HBCUs will produce less qualified pilots because of diversity programs designed to equal the playing field for Black pilots.
Controversial Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk has once again taken aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion – this time, in aviation programs. He suggested that a catastrophic plane crash might be necessary to end what he referred to as a “crazy policy of diversity and inclusion” in the field.
Expressing concerns about the impact on the qualifications of pilots from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Delaware State University and Texas Southern University, the X/Twitter owner’s remarks prompted a response from Delaware State University President Dr. Tony Allen.
In a letter, Allen calling the allegations “unoriginal in their amplification of antiquated racial tropes” and highlighting the historical contributions of their aviation program. Allen said he felt it was necessary to correct Musk via a letter. Allen also told WBOC, “It took me a little while to think about writing that letter actually because I didn’t want to dignify Mr. Musk’s comments, and then I thought about the history of our aviation program.”
It will take an airplane crashing and killing hundreds of people for them to change this crazy policy of DIE
Willie Brown, of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, (UMES) also spoke to WBOC, and placed emphasis on the collaboration between the two universities. “We want to let Elon Musk know that HBCU aviation programs are here to work together, and we pride ourselves on partnerships,” Brown said.
Allen said that his comments were motivated in part by a desire that students at the university and in the aviation program in particular, understand that the university had their backs, saying, “It’s really about conversation and context, and when I see those things not happening — both talking out of context or not willing to have a conversation — I do see it as my responsibility and the university’s responsibility to speak out,” Allen continued. “I did not want his (Musk’s) comments to reflect poorly on [our students] in any way. I wanted them to know that their university and university president stood behind them.”
According to the Federal Aviation Administration their HBCU Initiative Program and its associated committee was created to help spotlight FAA programs that would benefit students enrolled at HBCUs. Alongside Delaware State University, the other partner institutions are Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University, Langston University, Florida Memorial University, Tuskegee University, Tennessee State University, Texas Southern University, UMES, and Morgan State University.
NAACP National President Derrick Johnson reminded the tech billionaire on Twitter that his sheltering of white supremacist groups and platforms on X/Twitter is much more of a problem than a diverse group of pilots are, writing underneath Musk’s tweet.
“Reminder to Elon Musk: providing a home for the proliferation of hate speech and white supremacist conspiracy theories kills people. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion cultivates a more inclusive society. They are not the same. We are not the same,” Johnson tweeted.
Marc Morial, president/CEO of the National Urban League, addressed the Tesla co-founder via a statement given to NBC News that his company was under investigation due to complaints of racism at Tesla. Morial characterized Musk’s statements as “abhorrent and pathetic” before stating, “Musk’s company not only refused to investigate complaints or take any steps to end the abuse, it viciously retaliated against employees who complained or opposed the abuse.”
Morial added, “The only thing anyone needs to hear from Musk about diversity in the workplace is an apology.”
In addition to Johnson and Morial’s statements, United Airlines released a statement of their own, emphasizing that every pilot they employ must meet the same rigorous requirements. “United is proud to maintain the highest standards in our pilot hiring, training, and safety practices. Every aviator who joins our ranks must meet them. No exceptions.”
In her TED talk, she encourages tuning out the pressure to define yourself by your job title and instead letting your inner voice guide you.
Over a year after taking the famed TED stage in Vancouver, Canada, acclaimed actor and producer Yara Shahidi celebrated the release of her full TED talk, “Let Curiosity Lead,” on social media earlier this week.
The 22-year-old star, known for her breakout roles on ABC’s “Black-ish” and “Grown-ish,” posted on Instagram that speaking at TED was a “bucket list dream” she’s had since age 15, Arab News reported.
Shahidi expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share the stage with thinkers who have impactedher in a social media caption, writing, “I also sit in gratitude to have shared the stage with people who have changed my trajectory and introduced me to new ways of thinking. (Yep, I was that 10-year-old listener, and that 15-year-old that would memorize TED talks for speech and debate competitions, and listen to TED radio hour when in need of inspiration). What a FULL CIRCLE moment to be able to share my passion around the transformative powers of embracing curiosity.”
In the released talk, Shahidi unpacks the power of creativity and how to tap into it. She challenges the cultural focus on expertise over curiosity, stating, “Think about how many times we ask each other the question, ‘What do you do?’ Which is really a proxy in my mind for a much more pressing question – ‘Who are you right now?’ Because what we do is only a fraction of who we are. And this culture of heralding expertise means that our curiosities are often mislabelled as distractions. I would love to think through what we could be missing out on by not actively prioritizing our curiosity.”
Shahidi’s diverse creative pursuits span acting, producing, activism, and fashion. She recently became the face of Jean-Paul Gaultier’s new “Divine” fragrance campaign, a role she calledthe dawn of her “golden era” on social media. Arab News previously noted that the new scent is vegan, cruelty-free, and made from 90% natural origin ingredients.
Shahidi, 22, brings a Gen Z perspective on finding one’s calling and the importance of exploration.
Emory Luminary Jericho Brown Named Chancellor Of Academy Of American Poets
Emory University's Jericho Brown has been appointed to the esteemed Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets.
Emory University’s distinguished Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing, Jericho Brown, has been appointed to the esteemed Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets, according to Emory News Center. The academy, now celebrating its 90th year, has seen over 125 revered poets, such as Elizabeth Bishop, Rita Dove, and Adrienne Rich, serve as chancellors, playing pivotal roles as artistic advisers, poetry ambassadors, and judges for the academy’s significant literary awards.
Brown, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, joins the current 15-member board alongside newly appointed chancellors Diane Seuss and Afaa Michael Weaver. The diverse board comprises influential poets like Natalie Diaz, Joy Harjo, and Tracy K. Smith, all of which bring poetic wisdom and experience to guide the academy’s initiatives.
Tess O’Dwyer, chair of the Academy’s Board of Directors, expressed pride in the diversity of voices within its leadership, stating, “Everything we do as an academy is enhanced by the collective wisdom of our chancellors.” O’Dwyer continued, “We celebrate the contributions these newly elected chancellors have made to poetry, on and beyond the page, across the nation and the world.”
Jericho Brown, whose groundbreaking work includes the Pulitzer Prize-winning collection The Tradition, has introduced innovative poetic forms such as the “duplex.” His literary achievements also include the American Book Award-winning debut, Please, and Anisfield-Wolf Book Award recipient The New Testament.
Acknowledged with prestigious honors like the Whiting Writers’ Award and fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, Brown’s impact on the world of poetry extends beyond his written words. Since joining Emory University’s faculty in 2012, he has directed its acclaimed Creative Writing Program, shaping the next generation of poets. This spring, will serve as the program’s interim director as well as lead an advanced poetry workshop for undergraduates.
Biden Administration Still Grappling With Student Loan Debt Relief Amid Legal Hurdles
The Biden administration is being scrutinized over the potential impact of its student loan debt relief on Black borrowers.
President Joe Biden’s campaign promise of canceling student loan debt outright was thwarted by a June 2023 Supreme Court ruling, and while the administration has been successful at finding alternative routes, the 3.7 million student loan borrowers who have had their student loans forgiven represent only a small fraction of the 44.5 million who currently hold debt.
According to the White House, the administration is still trying to find a way to cancel student loan debt. But there has been resistance from various circles, sparking a debate over which demographics would benefit most from the cancellation.
In 2022, a CNBC article challenged the notion that the administration’s original promise of $10,000 in debt relief would adequately address the needs of Black borrowers. Andre Perry, a scholar-in-residence at American University, stressed to CNBC the necessity of reevaluating the connection between education and wealth to effectively address the specific debt burdens faced by Black borrowers.
“People believe that education predicts for wealth, when it’s actually wealth that predicts for education,” Perry said. “We’re still dealing with the symptoms of discrimination instead of the root causes, and at some point we will have to eliminate it at a structural level for Black borrowers to even start building wealth.”
In December 2023, Education Data analyzed statistics of student loan debt by race and ethnicity. While the report showed differing opinions among legislators regarding the impact of eliminating student loan debt on the wealth gap, the research findings were unequivocal. According to the research, forgiveness of student loans for Black borrowers would lead to a 40% increase in wealth among Black individuals with outstanding student loans. Surveys conducted by The Education Trust in 2021 revealed that Black borrowers on Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans perceived these plans as a perpetual burden.
Despite the Biden administration’s utilization of IDR plans to navigate expected challenges to student loan forgiveness efforts, borrowers interviewed by The Education Trust described such an approach as a “trap” or a “scam” due to the insurmountable nature of their ever-growing balances.
The report noted that the majority of respondents enrolled in IDR plans estimated it would take them 16 years or more to repay their debt, with many expressing doubts about their ability to ever fully repay it. That timeline significantly exceeds the standard student loan repayment period of 10 years. Many interviewees expressed concern over making seemingly endless minimum payments that fail to cover principal and interest, resulting in their overall balance continuing to grow.
It appears that the Biden administration was cognizant of the limitations of PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) and IDR plans, greenlighting $1.7 billion in student loan forgiveness to those enrolled in those plans who had paid for 20 years but had yet to receive any student loan forgiveness. Overall, the administration has forgiven $56.7 billion covering 793,400 PSLF borrowers and $45.7 billion in IDR loans incurred by 930,500 borrowers.
The administration is trying to establish a new process for student debt relief through the Higher Education Act (HEA). That process is expected to be less broad than previous attempts by the administration, in part to avoid legal challenges to the bill. According to The Hill, the focus has been placed on borrowers who entered repayment decades ago; borrowers whose balances are currently greater than the amount they originally owed; borrowers who are eligible for relief under other programs but failed to apply; borrowers under financial hardship; and borrowers who were in programs that didn’t give them financial value. This program was announced in September 2023 and has yet to be finalized.
Pras Michel Of The Fugees Faces Legal Turmoil As Former Attorney’s Tactics Come Under Scrutiny
Pras Michel, founding member of the Fugees, faced intense scrutiny during a hearing aiming to assess the competence of his former attorney.
In a recent courtroom drama, Pras Michel, the Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and founding member of the Fugees, faced intense scrutiny during a hearing aiming to assess the competence of his former attorney, David Kenner, Vulture reports. Held earlier in January before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, the hearing delved into revelations about Kenner’s unconventional legal tactics and raised questions about his dedication to Michel’s defense.
“I did not think he should have been convicted. I hope he is granted the retrial he seeks,” stated Kenner.
Kenner, who’d had a prolific career representing hip-hop luminaries including Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, was criticized for outsourcing the majority of Michel’s casework to a medical malpractice lawyer named Bill Maddix. Shockingly, Maddix, citing the need to be with his adopted pit bulls, insisted on working from home, missing out on crucial trial proceedings. That quirky detail was just one of the revelations during the three-day hearing.
Michel’s new attorneys, from ArentFox Schiff in Washington, D.C., requested a retrial, contending that Kenner’s performance violated Michel’s constitutional right to effective representation. Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s decision to hold this granular hearing suggested she found some merit in their arguments.
Four witnesses, including Kenner himself, testified during the hearing, shedding light on his unorthodox approach and questionable decisions that may have undermined Michel’s defense. Despite Kenner’s past success in high-profile cases, his handling of Michel’s complex legal battle appeared overconfident and improvisational, even self-serving at times.
Michel’s current lead counsel, Peter Zeidenberg, grilled Kenner for over five hours, seeking explanations for his perplexing strategies and decisions. Questions about the delayed filing of motions, the choice of inexperienced lawyers, and the mention of incriminating details during the trial underscored Zeidenberg’s doubts about Kenner’s competence.
The hearing also exposed Kenner’s health issues stemming from a fall in September 2022 that left him with injuries and a doctor’s recommendation to refrain from work. However, Kenner did not tell Michel about the extent of his health challenges.
While the Justice Department argued that Kenner’s lack of success didn’t equate to ineffectiveness, experts observed that the hearing revealed Kenner’s struggles and the serious consequences of them. The judge, who is expected to issue a ruling soon, will decide whether to deny Michel’s motions, grant a retrial, or explore plea-bargain negotiations.
