WILMINGTON, DELAWARE Dec 17 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden was safe on Sunday night after a car collided with a motorcade SUV that was part of the president’s security detail, a Reuters witness said.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden had just left his campaign headquarters when the collision occurred. Jill Biden was also safe following the incident, the witness said.
The Bidens had emerged from the Biden-Harris 2024 headquarters in rainy downtown Wilmington at 8:07 p.m. (0107 GMT) after having a meal with members of his re-election team at the time of the incident, according to the White House press pool report.
Moments after Biden responded to a question from a reporter a silver sedan with Delaware license plates hit what seemed to be a motorcade SUV shielding the motorcade at the intersection across from the entrance of the campaign headquarters, the pool report stated.
Television footage showed secret service agents escorting Biden to his car after the impact.
The silver sedan, which sustained damage to its bumper, was quickly surrounded by security officers after it stopped. Agents cornered the car and pulled weapons on the driver, who held his hands up.
Workplace Discrimination Lawsuits Are Up 50% According To EEOC Data
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 forbids any company with 20 or more employees from discriminating against those who are 40 or older.
In the fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has had to significantly increase its litigation filings to challenge workplace discrimination and ageism.
According to data, the agency has filed 143 new employment discrimination lawsuits, representing an annual increase of more than 50%. Among the filings were 25 systemic lawsuits, nearly twice the number of filings filed in each of the past three fiscal years. The EEOC has also seen 32 non-systemic class suits “seeking relief for multiple harmed parties” and 86 suits seeking relief for individuals. The cases filed by the EEOC challenge workplace discrimination under all of the statutes, including ageism.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 forbids any company with 20 or more employees from discriminating against those 40 or older during any aspect of employment, including recruitment and hiring.
Reports show that Black employees are not exempt from this form of marginalization. For example, former Director of Information Technology Carla Smith alleged she was “systemically forced out” due to her age, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported. The EEOC defines systemic cases as “pattern or practice, policy and/or class cases where the discrimination has a broad impact on an industry, profession, company or geographic location,” as stated in a report. Smith, then 53, claimed that a younger supervisor fired her after she raised concerns about ageism in the workplace, which violates the law. The supervisor later resigned.
“When I took a vacation and I came back, I was told I was being terminated. It was traumatic, to say the least. I feel as if, like I said, I’m just one of millions of middle-aged professionals [who] really just want to do our jobs. I know that the treatment, I feel, was unfair. I also think that treatment was illegal,” Smith told WSB-TV.
Tesla was also under close watch after EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows filed a commissioner’s charge claiming it violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “The electric car company was accused of subjecting Black employees to an unlawful hostile work environment and retaliation for those who complained against it,” BE reported. According to the EEOC’s suit, from at least 2015 to the present day, Black employees at Tesla’s Fremont, California, manufacturing facilities were victims to “racial abuse and pervasive stereotyping” as well as epithets such as variations of the N-word, “monkey,” “boy,” and “black b*tch.”
“Combating systemic harassment in workplaces is a key strategic enforcement priority for the EEOC. Unfortunately, as the lawsuits EEOC has filed this fiscal year show, racial harassment remains a persistent problem in employment. Every employee deserves to have their civil rights respected, and no worker should endure the kind of shameful racial bigotry our investigation revealed,” said Burrows in a written statement.
In order to free up resources, the EEOC announced its launch of E-File for Attorneys, an application which allows attorneys to submit charges of discrimination electronically on behalf of their clients. Attorneys will now be able to immediately upload charges signed by their clients or create a charge for their clients to sign and submit through the EEOC Public Portal.
“We listened to requests from attorneys that we provide them with a streamlined process to submit charges of discrimination on behalf of their clients and found a solution that would also enable the EEOC to better serve the public,” Burrows said.
Kamala Harris To Attend HBCU Celebration Bowl In Atlanta
Her alma mater, Howard University will be playing against Florida A&M University
Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Atlanta this weekend to attend the Cricket Celebration Bowl. Now in its 8th Year, Cricket Celebration Bowl is a postseason game that celebrates HBCU culture.
The vice president will likely be cheering on her alma mater, Howard University, as they square off with Florida A&M University at the Mercedes Benz Stadium.
“We are delighted Vice President Harris will take time out of her busy schedule to support her alma mater. It means a great deal to our administration, coaches and most of all our student-athletes,” Howard University’s Athletic Director Kery Davis said in an interview with Andscape.
FAMU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tiffany Dawn Sykes also spoke to Andscape about Harris’ positive impact on HBCU students.
“Having Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States and an HBCU alumna, attend the Celebration Bowl allows our student-athletes to see that no dream is out of their reach and no goal is unattainable. “
During the game, The Howard alum is expected to sit down for an interview with sportscaster Tiffany Greene, a FAMU alum, and Howard graduate Jay “Sky” Walker.
The Vice President graduated from the prestigious HBCU in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics. In her book, “The Truths We Hold,” Harris said she was inspired to attend Howard University because of Thurgood Marshall, who she describes as one of her heroes.
“So when it came to college, I wanted to get off on the right foot and what better place to do that, I thought, than at Thurgood Marshall’s alma mater?” She wrote.
According to White House officials, Ms. Harris will be attending the game with her husband, First Gentleman Doug Emoff; the couple will watch the game from a private suite.
The game will air live on ABC and will begin at noon.
Financial STDs: 3 Ways To Protect Yourself Before Becoming Financially Intimate
What are financial STDs and why should you be concerned about them?
Originally published Dec. 28, 2017
Financial STDs are spreading at epidemic proportions. And many people either don’t know or don’t care that they are infecting or being infected by others until the damage is done. What are financial STDs and why should you be concerned about them?
Tarra “Madam Money” Jackson is the author of Financial Fornication: Avoid Financial and Credit Dis-Ease. A financial coach and frequent financial contributor on television and radio, Jackson discusses why it is critical to be proactive about dealing with financial STDs before engaging in acts of financial intimacy, including commingling funds and taking on joint financial obligations, with another person.
“In my book Financial Fornication, I define financial STDs as substantially tremendous debt,” she explains. “That’s derived from when we are financially promiscuous with our credit cards, and we have all these financial one-night stands, then we get these financial ‘dis-eases.’ And one of the main financial dis-eases that people get affected and infected with are financial STDs.”
To protect yourself and those you care about against financial STDs, Jackson offers the following advice:
1) Recognize that financial STDs are contagious, and act accordingly.
You may think that your financial past is your business. But once a relationship leads to acts of financial intimacy, your financial health impacts your partner’s, and vice versa. It’s naïve at best to assume there will be no consequences in being less than open and honest about your financial situation before committing to a relationship.
“The problem is that not only do financial STDs affect and infect the person, it affects and infects their household, their ability to go on vacation, their ability to save, their ability to be prepared for emergencies or to get the things that they actually need. That’s why it’s important to understand what financial STDs are and how to avoid them, or how to cure them,” says Jackson.
2) Be open about financial STDs before becoming financially intimate.
Just as it’s important to take precautions before engaging in sexual intimacy, Jackson says it’s critical to protect yourself before committing acts of financial intimacy. In both scenarios, there’s no way to ensure the safety of both partners if you are not both open and honest.
You may be fearful that bringing up your financial challenges might douse the flame of a new romance. However, Jackson warns that financial STDs do far more damage to a relationship when they are hidden and allowed to fester and grow until they become impossible to conceal. Remember, thanks to interest and fees, unaddressed debt issues just get bigger, uglier, and scarier. Better to get out in front of it so you can protect yourselves and each other.
“Just like with normal STDs, we’re getting to a point in society where financial stress almost kills people,” Jackson explains. “It kills us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. So it’s very important to have that conversation early on, so you can cure them or figure out how to manage them appropriately.”
She continues, “Most people go into relationships with the debt, but sometimes they don’t fully disclose all the debt that they have, and by the time the other person realizes how deep they’re into it, their already bound by marriage. So it’s important to have the conversation because there are certain things you can do before you get deep into a relationship. Or, if you’re already deep in the relationship, there are ways to cure financial STDs and to avoid them.”
3) Be as comfortable talking about money as you are talking about sex.
Jackson came up with the concept of financial fornication as an effective way to educate people about the risks and rewards of managing your money properly when she realized that while people avoid talking about their financial issues, they often have no problem discussing the intimate details of their relationships.
“About seven years ago, I was the interim president and CEO of a financial institution in Atlanta, and I had several clients who were local celebrities—reality TV stars, athletes, entertainers, rappers—and they used to come to my credit union to try to get loans to buy things to ‘bling out’ on TV,” Jackson recalls. “When I finally realized who they were and I decided to watch them on TV, I noticed that they always had conversations about who they slept with, who they were in relationships with, what they wanted to get, what they wanted to buy. But nobody wanted to talk about their crappy credit because eight out of 10 of them had ‘colorful’ credit.
“What I realized is that people are more comfortable talking about their relationships than they are talking about their financial situations. So I figured if you tie both of those in, we can giggle a little, we can relate a little, but we can start having that conversation.”
Tiger Woods’ 16-Year-Old Daughter, Sam, Debuts As Caddie At 2023 PNC Championship
Tiger Woods kept it a family affair at the 2023 PNC Championship.
Tiger Woods kept it a family affair at the 2023 PNC Championship. It was expected that Woods and his 14-year-old son Charlie would compete, but his 16-year old daughter, Sam, was a surprise caddie for Tiger, as it marked the first time she has appeared as a caddie for her father.
According to Business Insider, the event was held at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club located in Orlando. The tournament is organized as a pairing, where a former PGA Tour winner teams up with a family member in competition for the tournament prize.
Sam wore an official caddie’s vest with “Woods” on the back and at various points during the round, hugged her father and gave him a fist bump. Sam and Charlie are Woods’ children with his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren; they divorced in 2010 after getting married in 2004. Though Sam is not a golfer, she has been supportive of her father.
When Tiger was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March 2022, it was Sam who delivered a speech, remarking that she saw her father as a fighter, in the wake of the recovery from his 2021 car crash. “We didn’t know if you’d come home with two legs or not,” Sam Woods said. “Now, you’re not only about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’re standing here on your own two feet. This is why you deserve this. You’re a fighter. You’ve defied the odds every time.”
Sam also appreciated that her father made time to support her violin recitals and soccer games even though his schedule was demanding. The praise from his daughter moved Tiger to tears, as he jokingly remarked “Crap, I just lost a bet to [Steve] Stricker that I wouldn’t cry. Thank you, Sam.”
Anticipated Rent Decrease In Multiple U.S. Cities Due to Approaching ‘Oversupply,’ Reveals Real Estate Report
Though this is good news for renters, the housing market in general is still a driver of the current inflation crisis.
Rent is expected to see a bit of a reduction in some cities in 2024 according to a report from The Hill. A survey of 100 cities’ rent prices conducted by Zumper indicated that 55% of those cities have experienced a drop in rent compared to costs from last year. Even though this is a handful of cities, the report nonetheless predicts that rent prices will continue on a down tick for most of the first quarter of 2024. Zumper found that more apartments are being built in cities in various regions.
According to Zumper CEO Anthemos Georgiades, Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City are about to experience a jump in vacancies, which will lead to lower rent prices. “Several cities in the Intermountain region are nearing oversupply. We expect prices in these cities to fall more quickly than the national average,” Georgiades noted.
Texas cities like Dallas and Austin will also experience some measure of rent price relief, due to their insistence on building multi-family unit housing even during the pandemic, as the report reads, “This trend is most pronounced in some of the pandemic’s most popular Zoomtowns, including Phoenix and Austin. Texas cities — especially Austin and Dallas — have been extremely bullish in bringing new multi-family developments to market.”
In the Midwest, where cities were a little less remote work-friendly, rent prices are in a holding pattern but have been attractive for those looking for a slower, more affordable way of life. Likely, this is in reference to East Coast cities like New York, whose rent prices are almost always high due to a lack of space for housing, which puts a premium on any available units. According to the report, the median price of a one-bedroom in the Big Apple is $4,100, while a two-bedroom apartment will generally cost $4,800.
Though this is good news for renters, the housing market in general is still a driver of the current inflation crisis.
NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Hospitalized After Fall
The 76-year-old Abdul-Jabbar enjoyed arguably one of the most prolific basketball careers ever.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the NBA’s great elder statesmen, has been hospitalized following a fall on Dec. 15 that broke his hip. According to NPR, Abdul-Jabbar suffered the fall as he was leaving a concert. His long-time business partner, Deborah Morales, released a statement on Abdul-Jabbar’s Twitter/X profile explaining that the fall was accidental, and that he would be undergoing hip surgery on Dec 16.
“Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip,” Morales said. “He will have surgery today. We are all deeply appreciative of all the support for Kareem, especially from the Los Angeles Fire Department, who assisted Kareem on site and the amazing medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital who are taking great care of Kareem now.”
Medical Statement from Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s longtime Business Partner, Deborah Morales
“Last night while attending a concert , Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip. He will have surgery today. We are all deeply appreciative of all the support for Kareem,…
The 76-year-old Abdul-Jabbar enjoyed arguably one of the most prolific basketball careers ever. Born Lew Alcindor, he guided UCLA to an undefeated season in 1967, one of only seven teams to go undefeated in the regular season. Also, he captured a National Championship in the same season during the NCAA tournament era. According to the NCAA’s website, over the course of his collegiate career, the 7’2″ center won three national championships while only losing two games, a feat that will likely go unmatched. Along with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, he is widely considered one of the greatest college basketball players to ever play. Famously, the NCAA banned players from slam dunking in games in 1967, which many have attributed to the absolute dominance of Abdul-Jabbar’s game. In response to this ban, the center developed his signature move, the Skyhook, which he used to devastating effect. The slam dunk ban lasted ten years, but the timing of the move will forever be linked with Abdul-Jabbar.
Once he entered the NBA in 1969, he led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA title in his second year, and they would not win another title until Giannis Antetokounmpo led them to a finals victory in 2021. In 1971, in his championship season, Abdul-Jabbar informed the world that following his conversion to Islam, he would be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and no longer wished to be called Lew Alcindor.
Muhammad Ali and Abdul-Jabbar enjoyed one of the great friendships in sports, and it was Abdul-Jabbar who would sit at the table flanking the champ alongside Jim Brown and Bill Russell, in what would come to be called the Ali Summit. Though it was Brown who organized the meeting following his retirement from the Cleveland Browns, Abdul-Jabbar, and Russell’s involvement lent more weight to the summit. In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar wrote in Time Magazine that it was witnessing Ali take the principled stand against the United States government that truly inspired him.
Abdul-Jabbar wrote, “Most young people today know Muhammad Ali only as the hunched old man whose body shook ceaselessly from Parkinson’s. But I, and millions of other Americans, Black and white, remember him as the man whose mind and body once shook the world. We have been better off because of it.”
Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1984 as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Many believed his record to be unbreakable, largely because no one other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the kind of consistent, sustained production over a 20-year career that lent itself to compiling points – until LeBron James. James broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record earlier this year, and Abdul-Jabbar was in attendance to witness the historic achievement. Abdul-Jabbar wrote about his feelings about James surpassing his record via a letter posted to his Substack account.
“In the months leading up to LeBron breaking my record, so much was written about how I would feel on the day he sank that record-breaking shot that I had to laugh,” he wrote. “I’d already written several times stating exactly how I felt, so there really wasn’t much to speculate about. It’s as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery, and 39 years later, someone won two billion dollars. How would I feel? Grateful that I won and happy that the next person also won. His winning in no way affects my winning.”
Young Black Voters Hesitant On Biden Reelection Due To Lack Of Palestine Support
Black voters, especially younger ones, are hesitant to support Biden due to the government's lack of action for a ceasefire in Palestine.
Young voters are rethinking their vote for Biden in the 2024 Presidential election due to his lack of support for Palestine. The shift comes amongst a growing trend of Black Americans showcasing their solidarity for the Palestinian people as they are impacted by the Israeli-Hamas War.
Despite calls from many of the younger generation demanding the Biden administration do more to enact a ceasefire and stop the growing violence, the president’s failure to do so has voters hesitant to vote for him again. One 2020 voter, Demetrius Briscoe, spoke to USA Today about how the issue has impacted his vote thus far.
“He’s really putting a stain on his presidency that I don’t think will be easily washed away,” shared Briscoe, who is a senior at Bowie State University, an HBCU in Maryland. “If the Democrats call for a cease-fire it may save the Democratic Party from, I think, a wave of young people not voting for them.’’
Across U.S. cities and college campuses, young voters, especially of color, have vocalized their concerns through protests, urging the government do more to stop the ongoing suffering of the Palestinians. A professor at Howard University believes that this “blind loyalty” to the Democratic party is rightfully being tested.
“Young people are finally seeing the impact of America’s war machine,” shared Kesha Middlemass, who teaches political science at the D.C.-based school. “That’s what students are so fearful of ‒ is this blind loyalty without consideration of the rights of Palestinians to exist?”
The revelation comes as many younger Black Americans have historically, and increasingly, stood in solidarity with Palestine. According to The Associated Press, this demographic is recognizing the Palestinian fight for freedom as similar to their own. In light of the protests against police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, Black Americans are leaning their support away from Israel, which has been backed by the United States since its modern inception.
With more Black people jaded by Biden and the Democratic party, given their inaction on this matter, it spells trouble for an already challenging election year ahead.
Trevor Noah Will Return To Grammys Stage As Host For Fourth Time
Trevor Noah makes history as the most frequent Grammy Host in the award show's history, with this fourth time also being one he is nominated in as well.
Trevor Noah is back for round four. The comedian will return to the Grammys as its host for his fourth ceremony in a row.
The news was revealed on Dec. 14, as the South Africa native confirmed that he will yet again take on music’s biggest night for the February event. Noah shared the news on the most recent episode of his Spotify podcast, What Now? With Trevor Noah, detailing that he’s “excited” to return to the gig.
“I’m hosting the Grammys. I’m excited about that, yeah,” stated the former The Daily Show host. “It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy the Grammys because I get to watch the show in person and then experience and comment on it in person while it’s happening.”
Noah also officially posted on the news in a shared clip with the music streaming platform.
However, this time he returns to the esteemed stage not just as a host, but as a nominee as well. Noah is up for Best Comedy Album for his project, I Wish You Would, his second nomination after earning one in 2020 for his Son of Patricia album. If he wins, he will become the second host ever in Grammys’ history to win the coveted award while hosting the event. The first, according to Billboard, was Kenny Rogers in 1980, winning Best Male Country Vocal performance for “The Gambler” while hosting the ceremony.
As for Noah, he would be the first comedian to hold the incredible accomplishment. He already holds the record for most-frequent Grammys host. The 2024 event will take place on Feb. 4 at the Crypto.com Arena. In another example of Black excellence, SZA leads as the most- nominated artist of the night with her album, S.O.S, with Victoria Monet taking the second spot with seven nods as well.
Black Americans Disproportionately Impacted As Homelessness Rates Soar To Record Highs In 2023
New York accounted for the highest increase in homelessness for the year.
Black Americans are facing more trouble as homelessness rates rise across the country. A new study has revealed that the demographic was disproportionately impacted as homelessness rates reach their highest levels this year.
The annual homelessness assessment report detailed an 12% increase in the unhoused population for 2023, the highest year-to-year spike since the report was enacted in 2007. FOX News confirmed that over half a million people each night are forced to sleep outside or in shelters due to lacking housing, 653,100 individuals to be exact.
These results are especially staggering, as the two-year rise in homelessness from 2020 to 2022 was less than 1%, exposing a considerable shift in the U.S. economy and housing market that helped spike this statistic. The executive director of the U.S. Interagency on Homelessness, Jeff Olivet, confirmed these two factors are major causes for the rise.
“The most significant causes are the shortage of affordable homes and the high cost of housing that have left many Americans living paycheck to paycheck and one crisis away from homelessness,” explained the government official.
As for the Black Americans part of the growing number, they represent 37% of unhoused people. Black families hold an even bigger portion of this population, being exactly half of all families suffering from homelessness.
People of color were the most impacted in several newly-released statistics regarding America’s homelessness rates, as the diverse state of California was marked for having the majority of unhoused people in their state, making up just over half of the homelessness population. The western state is known for Skid Row, a significant homeless encampment with a large majority of Black people within its domain, according to the data by the Los Angeles Homeless Services.
However, New York accounted for the highest increase in homelessness for the year, with a 39.1% jump for this disadvantaged group. It is another state with a high demographic of Black residents, including being 23.1% of New York City’s population, as confirmed by the U.S. Census. As homelessness rises across the nation, its rise amidst the Black U.S. population is disproportionately felt across all aspects.
