NFL, Black quarterbacks, coaches, Super Bowl, Wild Card Weekend

by Derek Major

January 12, 2024

Black Quarterbacks, Coaches Highlight NFL Super Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Playoffs begin this weekend with six games between Saturday and Monday with several Black quarterbacks and head coaches.

The games will have five Black quarterbacks: Dallas Cowboys MVP candidate Dak Prescott, talented Houston Texans rookie CJ Stroud, Kansas City superstar and reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, Philadelphia Eagles “Brotherly Shove” recipient Jalen Hurts, and Green Bay Packers’ first-year starter Jordan Love.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback and leading MVP candidate Lamar Jackson will have the weekend off due to being the top seed in the AFC after leading the Ravens to an NFL-best 13-4 record. Miami Dolphins signal caller Tua Tagovailoa is a Hawaiian native born in ʻEwa Beach.

The NFL playoffs will also feature several Black head coaches who have guided their teams to successful seasons.

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin became the first coach in NFL history to start his first 17 years in the league without a single losing season

The Super Bowl-winning coach has kept the injury-riddled Steelers together, turning the hot seat under him ice cold with a season-ending three-game winning streak to make the playoffs. Three quarterbacks have started at least four games for the Steelers this season, including third-stringer Mason Rudolph, who will likely start their playoff game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Houston Texans Coach DeMeco Ryans, who was drafted by the team as a linebacker in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, guided the Texans to a 10-7 record and a wild-card matchup against the Cleveland Browns in his first year in the league.

The coach has been so successful that there are rumors of him leaving the Texans to replace legendary University of Alabama coach Nick Saban, who announced his retirement this week.

The other Black coach this weekend is former New York Jets head coach and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles. The former Morehouse College and Grambling State University defensive coordinator and secondary coach has been on NFL sidelines since 2000 for several teams, including the Cowboys, Browns, and Dolphins. Bowles has been with the Buccaneers since 2019, when he was an assistant under former coach Bruce Arians, who stepped down after last season.

The Buccaneers will host the Eagles Monday night on ESPN in the last game of the Wild Card round.

To check out the weekend’s action, click here.

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 12, 2024

Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Republican Colleague Over Biden Hunter ‘White Privilege’ Comment

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) went viral after calling out her Republican colleague's hypocrisy.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) went viral after calling out her Republican colleague’s hypocrisy over a “white privilege” comment.

It started during a House Oversight Committee when Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) called for Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, to be arrested for contempt of Congress, referring to him as the “epitome of white privilege.”

“You are the epitome of white privilege coming into the Oversight Committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a Congressional subpoena to be deposed,” Mace told Biden, who made a surprise appearance at the hearing.

Crockett took the time to point out how offensive that comment was, coming from a white woman, calling it a “spit in the face.”

“This is something that I just can’t get over. I can’t get over the gentle lady from South Carolina talking about white privilege,” the Democrat replied. “It was a spit in the face, at least of mine as a black woman, for you to talk about what white privilege looks like, especially from that side of the aisle.”

She explained the Republicans’ lack of diversity and highlighted how the Democrats look like America – with all colors and creeds.

“When you look at the Democrats, they actually look like America,” she said. “You see, you want to talk about a two-tier justice system, and this is the only time that y’all have ever referenced it, when this country has a history, when it comes to black and brown folk, of having two separate sets of rules.”

The Republican congresswoman didn’t back down once she had a chance to respond. “I take great pride as a white female Republican to address the inadequacies in our country,” Mace said. “I come from a district where rich and poor is literally Black and white, Black versus white on most days.”

Pointing out that she was once a ranking member of the Civil Rights Subcommittee, Mace reminded the world of what she has done for Black people during her tenure in office.

“I was there with our Black and African American council members trying to get the right thing done,” she added. “And I’ve stood with those Black families because I know the differences that they see day to day in their life. And I try to do the best that I can.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) commented on Mace’s passionate speech, calling it “beautiful.” But pointed out that it didn’t negate that Mace attempted the “elimination of the civil rights subcommittee on this committee,” according to The Independent.

The New York State rep added, “We show up, we give speeches, we give flowery words, but at the end of the day, participate in the structural erosion of the rights and representation of people that are marginalized – women, people of color, people that just need to see their due process and civil liberties protected in this country.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 12, 2024

Alaska Airlines Offers $1,500 To Passengers After Door Panel Blew Off Mid-Flight

Alaska Airlines is attempting to do some damage control after going viral when an airplane door panel blew off mid-flight.

Shocking videos surfaced across social media last week when passengers watched a door panel tear off the left side of an Alaska Airlines jet following takeoff, Reuters reports. Pilots swung into action and quickly turned back to land safely.

Alaska Airlines plane door blows out mid-air, unoccupied seat ejected
https://t.co/EwlltJJinu
— World of Engineering (@engineers_feed) January 6, 2024

The jet’s door panel was later found inside a woman’s front yard in suburban Portland, Oregon.

A photo and video emerged Monday morning showing federal workers inspecting what looks like the plug door of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on the lawn of a suburban yard outside Portland.

Read more: https://t.co/OLsDpXlM25 pic.twitter.com/XQfmuzlRWg
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) January 8, 2024

All 171 passengers and six crew members were safe. However, several passengers did suffer injuries from the jet that had only been in service for eight weeks.

On Thursday, January 11, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an investigation into Boeing due to the incident, NBC News reports.

“This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again,” the FAA said.

The administration will look into whether Boeing “failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations.”

As some sort of solace, Alaska Airlines is offering compensation to passengers who survived the mid-flight emergency.

“Alaska Airlines provided a full refund to each guest on Flight 1282. As an immediate gesture of care, within the first 24 hours, we also provided a $1,500 cash payment to cover any incidental expenses to ensure their immediate needs were taken care of,” the airline told People.

Additionally, the airline offered “24/7 access to mental health resources and counseling sessions, and noted they will “continue to work with them to address their specific needs and concerns.”

However, one passenger doesn’t think that $1,500 is enough and is considering taking legal action against the airline.

“I haven’t fully processed if that payment is enough or not,” passenger Nicholas Hoch, 33, told the Washington Post on Wednesday. “I don’t know how this is going to affect me in the coming weeks and months, you know?”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 12, 2024

MLS Player Aaron Boupendza Faces Up To 5 Years In Prison In Gabon For Alleged Sex Tape

In July 2023, Boupendza signed a contract with FC Cincinnati for $1.1 million.

A Major League Soccer player who recently signed a multi-million dollar deal is in trouble with authorities in Gabon after a sex tape he allegedly appeared in made the rounds.

According to Daily Mail, Aaron Boupendza, a native of Gabon, could find himself in prison for up to five years and also be fined a maximum of 10 million Central African Francs ($17,000), because under Gabonese law, it is illegal for pornographic content to be distributed, according to Senegalese media outlet Senenews.

There have been no comments from Boupendza who plays for FC Cincinnati or the Gabonese football federation.

Article 430 of the Gabonese Penal Code states, “Anyone, who distributes, records, or transmits the image or representation of an adult when this image or this representation is of a pornographic nature is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment and 10,000,000 FCFA fine at most.”

No information has been released about when or where the video was filmed and on the woman seen performing the sexual act with the 27-year-old soccer player.

In July 2023, Boupendza signed a contract with a base salary of $720,000 and a total compensation of $1,127,600, making him the club’s fifth-highest earner for FC Cincinnati. He previously played for Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab. This past season, Boupendza scored 6 goals in 14 games, including the playoffs. He helped The Orange and Blue win a maiden MLS Supporters’ Shield, given to the team with the best regular season record.

The team lost to the eventual MLS champions Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they blew at two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss.

Boupendza has played for various teams professionally since 2017: Al-Shabab, FC Cincinnati, GFC Ajaccio, Gabon, and Hatayspor, according to ESPN.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 12, 2024

Jay-Z Teases Possibility Of Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance In The Future

The hip-hop mogul left the door open to a potential Super Bowl stage takeover.

Will Jay-Z ever perform the halftime show at the Super Bowl? That question was posed to the man responsible for lining up the talent for the yearly halftime performance during the NFL championship game. Jay-Z hasn’t headlined the widely watched event yet, but he doesn’t rule out the possibility of gracing the stage as the main performer sometime in the future, according to Entertainment Tonight.

In a deal with the NFL, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is solely responsible for booking talent for the iconic Super Bowl halftime show. In 2020, Latina powerhouses Jennifer Lopez and Shakira graced the football field, while The Weeknd took to the stage in 2021. In a masterful performance that brought together some of hip-hop’s biggest superstars, Dr. Dre took the lead when he brought Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson.Paak the next year, in 2022. A very pregnant Rihanna shocked the world when she showed her baby bump while performing in front of a worldwide audience in 2023.

This year, one of the greatest crooners and performers of our time, Usher Raymond, will command the area around the 50 yard line. At the premiere of the movie The Book of Clarence, Entertainment Tonight caught up to Jay-Z to discuss the upcoming performance by Usher, who has an upcoming album and tour both dropping after he leaves the stage at the football game.

“I think that he’s going to take his rightful place,” the Streets Is Watching lyricist said when approached by the media outlet. “He’s one of the greatest performers we’ve seen in our time, and I think he’ll take his rightful place.”

But the million dollar question is, will Shawn Corey Carter (Jay-Z’s “government” name) ever perform on a Sunday in February when the Super Bowl is usually played?

He slyly stated, “I don’t know. I thought it would be selfish to pick myself too early.” Still, would he ever step onto the coveted football field? “Maybe one year,” he replied.

RELATED CONTENT: Jay-Z Talks ‘Putting Ourselves’ In The ‘New Testament As We Should Be’ In ‘The Book Of Clarence’ Film

Joan Littlejohn, South Carolina, heater, Glenwood Fowler

by Jameelah Mullen

January 12, 2024

Elderly South Carolina Couple Found Dead In “Extremely Hot” Home

No foul play is suspected, police say.

A Spartanburg, South Carolina, couple was found dead in their home where the temperature of their heater measured over 120 degrees.

The elderly couple has been identified as Joan Littlejohn, 82 and Glenwood Fowler, 84, WSPA news reported.

According to a police report obtained by WHNS, the couple’s family requested a welfare check after not hearing from their parents since Jan 3. Police and medics arrived at the home on Woodview Avenue around 6 p.m. Saturday.

Police said the doors were locked, but they could access the house through an unlocked bedroom window. They found the deceased couple in their bedroom. Fowler was lying in the bed, Littlejohn was sitting in a chair.

When authorities entered, they noticed the home was “extremely hot.”

Medics measured victims’ body temperatures with a device that went up to 106 degrees. Both victims’ temperatures surpassed that reading.

Relatives told police that both the gas and the hot water heater were not working. When they noticed the pilot light wasn’t working, they started “fiddling” with it until the pilot light came on. According to the police report, the inside of the home was more than 120 degrees after being opened and exposed to cold temperatures for 20 minutes.

“Temperatures reached upwards of 800 to 1,000 degrees,” Assistant Chief Brad Hall of the Spartanburg Fire Department told WSPA News.

They authorities entered the basement, where the water heater was located.

“The heater was so hot it looked as if the basement was currently on fire,” the police report read.

When they realized the heater was not on fire, they deactivated it. The temperature of the heater was measured at more than 1000 degrees, according to reports.

Relatives said the couple had multiple health and mobility issues. Fowler recently had hip surgery.

Autopsies were performed on both victims, but the Spartanburg County coroner said further testing is needed to determine the exact causes of death.

fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Fulton county, superior court, judge, affair, wade, Bryant-Yeartie, Georgia DA Fani Willis

by Stacy Jackson

January 12, 2024

Fulton County DA Fani Willis Faces Accusations Ahead Of Appearance At Big Bethel AME’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service

Willis' office was hit with allegations on Jan. 8 that claim prosecutor Nathan Wade used case funds to take vacations with the district attorney.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office was hit with allegations ahead of her appearance on Jan. 14 at the historic Black church’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day service.

Willis, who was thrust into the national spotlight for investigating former President Donald Trump for election interference charges, will address the congregation of Atlanta’s Big Bethel AME Church during its 10 a.m. service to honor Dr. King’s legacy, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Big Bethel AME, established in 1847, is the oldest Black church in Atlanta, the Atlanta History Center notes. The church was founded by enslaved African Americans after they were denied worship with white parishioners at Union Church. The congregation integrated into the African Methodist Episcopal denomination after the Civil War and made its move to 220 Auburn Avenue. According to Big Bethel’s website, Rev. John Foster, Ph. D., is the current Senior Pastor. Beyond Sunday services, the church has hosted the first public school for Black students, shared space with Morris Brown College and welcomed the space for civil rights assemblies.

As the district attorney, who has led the prosecution of Trump and his allies for allegedly seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, prepares for Sunday’s MLK service, her office also faces accusations of financial and romantic misconduct tied to the case.

A Jan. 8 court filing on behalf of defendant and former Trump campaign official Michael Roman claims special prosecutor Nathan Wade improperly used case funds to pay for vacations with Willis, with whom he allegedly has a relationship. Records show Wade has been paid over $650,000 in fees since January 2022, authorized by Willis.

The motion seeks dismissal of charges against Roman and the disqualification of Willis, Wade and the entire DA’s office from moving forward with any persecutions in the Trump investigation. Willis’s office stated they will address the allegations “through appropriate court filings.”

SBA, business, Small Business Administratikon

by Derek Major

January 12, 2024

Small Business Administration’s Growth Accelerator Is Reviving Small Business Research And Development

The SBA will award up to $3 million in the first stage and up to $5.75 million in total for the competition.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced Monday it has opened applications for its annual accelerator competition.

Inc. reported the SBA Growth Accelerator Fund competition brings organizations together to advance small business R&D efforts and compete for cash prizes from $50,000 to $200,000. The competition also allows universities and research organizations to forge partnerships with small businesses.

“The SBA’s 10-year strong Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) strengthens the nation’s innovation ecosystem and builds local partnerships critical to ensuring all of America’s great ideas can thrive through the vast resources available through the federal government,” SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman said in a statement.

The SBA competition consists of two stages. The first stage focuses on organizations with the ability and capacity to build ecosystems for a given business sector and comes with a $50,000 prize. Companies and research organizations that earn cash in stage one qualify for a stage where they can earn another $50,000 to $150,000.

In stage 2, business owners can receive direct assistance from stage one winners. Prize winners from stage 2 can use the earnings for training and mentorship opportunities, or for putting entrepreneurs in touch with new customers and suppliers.

The SBA will award up to $3 million in the first stage and up to $5.75 million for the competition.

“If the SBA doesn’t award the full $3 million allocated in stage one, those unused funds may be awarded in stage two so long as the total amount awarded remains below $5.75 million,” an SBA spokesperson told Inc. “It is possible that other federal agencies may join with SBA to provide additional awards.”

Those who apply must submit their materials by Feb. 16. Winners from stage one will be notified in April, while stage two winners will be notified in September. Those interested in being a judge for the competition can fill out an interest form here.

Rachel Roy, Damon Dash, child support, court, payment

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 12, 2024

Damon Dash Asks Court To Lower Child Support Payments

The entrepreneur claims he only made $5,140 in 2022.

Roc-A-Fella label co-founder Damon Dash has pleaded with a judge to lower the child support payments he pays to his former wife, Rachel Roy.

Dash stated that his current income doesn’t allow him to pay the required amount. According to TMZ Hip Hop, the Harlem-bred entrepreneur asked the judge to lower his monthly payment to $428 a month because of his lack of cash flow. He is currently required to pay Roy $3,000 monthly for the 15-year-old daughter they share. They also have an older daughter. The explanation for his lowered annual salary is that his business ventures are not making any money currently.

He stated in his court filing that he only made $5,140 in income for the 2022. He said his income has reduced immensely since 2020 and hasn’t picked up due to the pandemic. Yet, Roy is disputing his claim. She alleges that he is not fully disclosing income from his businesses, and since he still owns a significant stake in Roc-A-Fella Records, that should supply a substantial stream of income.

The judge has not ruled on his motion yet.

While appearing on The CEO Show with Dr. Taje Moreno last October, he expressed that his recent earnings pale in comparison to when he earned $8 million a year.

“While I’m investing in something else, I might not be making the money and the profit, so I can’t afford to pay out what I was when I was having EBITA [earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization] of $8 million a year,” Dash said on the Oct. 19 episode. “So you can’t judge how much I’m gonna pay out by how much I made 20 years ago.”

Although the cash flow isn’t what it was during the height of the Roc-A-Fella Records era, he stated that he wasn’t ashamed of his current financial status and described himself as a “proud broke,” but that his situation was temporary.

Sara Sidner, breast cancer, mammogram, CNN

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 12, 2024

CNN’s Sara Sidner Reveals Stage 3 Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Pleads With Women To Get Mammograms

We're rooting for you, Sara!

The world got a shock when CNN anchor Sara Sidner revealed her battle with stage 3 breast cancer live on thje air, CBS News reports.

During an episode of CNN News Central on Jan. 8, Sidner, 51, ended her show with both a heartbreaking announcement and an essential message to women worldwide.

“I have never been sick a day of my life. I don’t smoke. I rarely drink,” Sidner said. “Breast cancer does not run in my family. And yet, here I am with stage 3 breast cancer. It is hard to say out loud.” She told viewers she was in her second month of chemotherapy and will undergo radiation and a double mastectomy. Optimistic about her treatment plan, Sidner touched on how stage 3 breast cancer “is not a death sentence anymore for most women.”

https://twitter.com/sarasidnerCNN/status/1744497274892230673

Sidner’s breast cancer journey began in October 2023, when she was covering the Israel-Hamas war in Israel. While she was overseas, doctors alerted her that she needed to get a biopsy after her routine mammogram alarmed her doctors. Sidner told People magazine that receiving the news amid the devastation she was witnessing daily grounded her. “Seeing the kind of suffering going on where I was and seeing people still live through the worst thing that has ever happened to them with grace and kindness, I was blown away by their resilience,” Sidner said.

“In some weird way, it helped me with my own perspective on what I am going to be facing.”

Sidner’s announcement came with some eye-opening statistics. One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer every year. The numbers increase for Black women, as 41% of those battling the disease are more likely to die than white women. Higher death rates from breast cancer among Black women are likely related to greater cases of inflammatory breast cancer, which data shows to be aggressive but less common.

“So to all my sisters, Black and White and Brown out there, please, for the love of God, get your mammograms every single year,” Sidner said.

“Do your self-exams; try to catch it before I do.”

Fortunately there are several new scientific developments for breast cancer detection. A study from the Lancet Oncology journal found that AI can detect breast cancer just as successfully as an experienced radiologist.

After coming to grips with her diagnosis, Sidner decided she wasn’t going to let it define her.

“I just made a decision. I’m like, ‘No, you’re going to live, and you’re going to stop this, and you’re going to do every single thing in your arsenal to survive this,'” she said. “Period. And I have been so much happier in my life since … I mean happier than I was before cancer.”