• Politics

by Mary Spiller

November 26, 2023

Congresswoman Nikema Williams’ Proposed Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Bill Gains Support

Nikema Williams' bill has already gained four co-sponsors.

---

The Democratic Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams is working tirelessly to close the racial wealth gap. She has proposed the Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act of 2023 to establish a new federal grant program for institutions and historically Black colleges and universities. 

The grant program will supply money to entrepreneurship initiatives at educational institutions that mostly serve minority students. 

Williams’ goal for schools included in the proposed Minority Students Institutions program is to allow them to apply for resource grants of up to $250,000 for student entrepreneurs on their campuses. 

Williams explained, “Too often, Black and Brown entrepreneurs face enormous barriers to accessing the capital needed to launch and sustain businesses. The Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program will help to break down those barriers and ensure that the next generation of minority business owners have a fair shot at the promise of America.”

She added, “Investing in minority-owned businesses is also one path on the journey to close the racial wealth gap. I am proud to advance legislation to continue creating equity in entrepreneurship opportunities for everyone–no matter your ZIP code, no matter your bank account.”

The support for Williams’ new bill is looking promising, and it has, according to Rolling Out, gained even Republican support in addition to three Democrat co-sponsors. They include Democratic Reps. Alma Adams of North Carolina, Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania, Norma Torres of California, and Republican Brian Fitzpatrick.. of Pennsylvania. However, Williams expects strong opposition from the other side of the floor except for Republican co-sponsor Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) 

Fitzpatrick agreed with Williams’ sentiment in a statement. He pointed out, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and allow communities to flourish,” he said. “The bipartisan Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act will empower minority innovators and entrepreneurs to start their own small businesses and I’m proud to join my colleagues on this legislation.”

Williams previously proposed a bill last year similar to the Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act of 2023, but it didn’t gain very much steam amongst even her fellow Democrats.

RELATED CONTENT: This BIPOC Farmer’s Collective Sows More Seeds With California State Grant

• News

by Stacy Jackson

November 26, 2023

Poll Shows Americans Split When It Comes To Ukraine Aid Funds

A poll shows 45% of Americans say the U.S. government is spending too much on Ukraine aid to fight Russian forces.

---

The U.S. population is split into nearly equal halves regarding the country’s spending on Ukraine aid.

According to The Chicago Tribune, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 45% of Americans say the U.S. government is spending too much on Ukraine aid in the war against Russia. The number primarily reflecting the sentiments of Republicans is lower than it was last month in October 2023 (52%).

Precisely 59% of Republicans think the U.S. is overspending when it comes to aid for Ukraine. It reflects a decrease from October 2023, when 69% of Republicans shared the same sentiment. As far as Democrats are concerned, in October, President Biden proposed an emergency spending package — totaling $106 billion in emergency spending — with $61 billion divvied up for the war in Ukraine, the outlet noted.

The president’s request also includes monetary aid for Israel, other priorities in the Indo-Pacific region, and assistance at the southern border to manage migration, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Republicans opposing the Democratic president’s proposal have said that the country would fare better by spending the money on domestic problems like homelessness and healthcare for veterans.

“As President Biden has said, when aggressors don’t pay a price for their aggression, they’ll cause more chaos and death and destruction,” John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, told the White House press briefing on Nov. 20. “They just keep on going, and the cost and the threats to America and to the world will keep rising.”

A smaller percentage of Americans said current spending is where it should be. According to the news outlet, the poll showed 38% or more than one-third of adults in the U.S. think spending is “about right.” Last month, the number was 31%.

About half of the public (48%) endorses providing weapons to Ukraine (57% among Democrats, 42% among Republicans). About 4 in 10 favor sending government funds directly to Ukraine (54% for Democrats, 24% for Republicans). Four in 10 U.S. adults say Ukraine is an ally that shares U.S. interests and values. That view is most common among Democrats (53%), who are much more likely than independents (28%), Republicans (29%), and Americans overall, who see Ukraine as a nation with similar values and needs.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged that America would support Ukraine in its battle against Russian forces for “the long haul.” Austin made the remark on Nov. 20 during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, The Chicago Tribune reported.

The outlet also reported that the Biden administration warned that the availability of funds for aid in Ukraine is decreasing.

RELATED CONTENT: Cardi B Drops Support For Biden After Budget Cuts And Military Aid To Ukraine And Israel

• Business

by Daniel Johnson

November 25, 2023

Rhonda Morrison Carries On The Detroit Family Business, Thriving For Almost Seven Decades

House of Morrison Shoe Repair has been open since 1954.

---

Rhonda Morrison has developed the lessons she picked up from her father as a young woman and is carrying on with the family business. According to the Detroit Free Press, Morrison runs House of Morrison Shoe Repair, which was started by her father, the late Theodore Morrison, in 1954. Morrison’s shop is part of the larger Avenue of Fashion, a section of Detroit encompassing the area between Clarita and 7 Mile Road.

As Morrison told the Detroit Free Press, “In this business corridor, we share a vision of being successful, and what we have figured out is that the best way for us all to be successful is to work together.”

Morrison’s vision includes her functioning as a motherly figure, indicating her willingness to bring others together in times of conflict or confusion. Morrison says it comes from how she was raised, “Where there is confusion, I always try to find a solution. And sometimes all you have to do is just give a big ole hug,” Morrison continued, “That is what’s needed sometimes — just shut out all of that conflict and confusion and bring it to a hug. I do that because I was hugged all of my life growing up.”

Sevyn Jones, who owns Skin Bar VII, one of the establishments in the Avenue of Fashion, says that Morrison’s hugs often have the desired effect that Morrison intends for them, telling the Free Press, “Her (Morrison’s) hugs are infectious,” Jones said. “And if there is a problem, once that hug goes down, the problem is solved because the hug came from the Queen Mother.” 

Jones, who was instrumental in pushing for the activation of the Avenue of Fashion, told the Free Press in 2022 that she sees Morrison as a mentor in their tight-knit community, “I feel that a lot of time people use the word ‘mentor’ loosely, but the Queen Mother has demonstrated a long-term drive and spirit, along with a reality that hard work is required and that there are no shortcuts.”

Theodore Morrison also remains an important part of the fabric of House of Morrison Shoe Repair, according to his other daughter, Claudia Helton. Helton told the Free Press, “We talk about dad every day. He taught us that there is nothing too good for the customer and that you always give the customer the ultimate respect, and that concept has carried us through all different lines of life that we have been in.”

Helton added, “We keep all of our ancestors very close to us, and we have shared what we have learned, which has helped to create a spirit of community in the Avenue of Fashion.” 

RELATED CONTENT: Detroit Black Business Alliance Speaks Out Against City Ordinance That May Affect Black Contractors

• News

by Daniel Johnson

November 25, 2023

Mother of Three And Beloved Texas Cheerleading Coach Murdered, Boyfriend Arrested

Lewis and her mother ran an academy for cheerleaders and dancers.

---

A 24-year-old Jasper, Texas, woman, Rosalin “RoRo” Lewis, was found after allegedly being beaten to death in her apartment on Nov. 18. According to KJAS, her alleged killer, boyfriend William Christian Thomas, is being held at the Jasper County Jail, having been arrested on a murder charge. Thomas’s bond has been set for $1 million, and Police Chief Gerald Hall told KJAS that Thomas confessed to killing Lewis but refrained from giving any other details while they build a case against him.

Lewis and her mother, Schwanda Scott, ran an academy for cheerleaders and dancers, Stunning Stars Cheer and Dance Academy, located in Jasper. The Academy produced several pupils who performed at events in the area and traveled to compete in other competitions. The Academy was scheduled to perform at the Christmas in the Park event in Jasper, but that performance was canceled following Lewis’s murder. 

According to the GoFundMe set up by Scott, all the girls that Lewis trained eventually became a cheerleader for Jasper High School.

Lewis also tragically leaves behind three children, Kaelum, Aria, and Alakai. The family says that the money will go to funeral services and savings for Lewis’s three children. So far, the family has collected $2,880 toward an initial goal of $25,000. The post reads in part, “Any amount donated will go towards unexpected funeral expenses and savings for her children. The family thank you in advance and we truly appreciate the love you have for RoRo.” Funeral services for Lewis will be held on Nov. 25.

RELATED CONTENT: Brother Of Former Lakers Star Michael Cooper Murdered In Park Where They Spent Their Childhood

• Sports

by Daniel Johnson

November 25, 2023

Simone Biles Celebrates Husband Jonathan Owens’ First NFL Touchdown On Thanksgiving Day

Owens said after the game that he had not scored a touchdown since high school.

---

Simone Biles celebrated her husband’s first NFL touchdown on Thanksgiving Day as Jonathan Owens’ Green Bay Packers team ultimately beat the Detroit Lions. Biles celebrated Owens’ success with multiple posts to X as the game unfolded.

According to CNN, Biles has been seen at several Packers games supporting Owens in person. The two married in April when Owens was still a member of Biles’ hometown team, the Houston Texans. 

Owens said after the game that he had not scored a touchdown since high school, which made his scoop and score all the sweeter.

“I didn’t believe it, it didn’t feel like real life at first,” Owens said. “It was my first time being in the end zone since high school. Man, it was a great feeling.”

In response to the touchdown, Biles seemed equally as excited and proud of her husband, writing, “THATS MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY MANS MY MANS MY MANSSSSS.”

In a separate post, after the game, which Owens’ Packers won 29-22, Biles wrote, “A PACKERS WIN BABY!!!!!!!!! happy thanksgiving.”

Since their wedding, Biles and Owens have mostly been a couple communicating over long distances as they pursue their individual careers in sport. Biles indicated her plans to compete in the upcoming Paris Olympics during an interview with the Today show’s Hoda Kotb in September. The 2024 Paris Olympics featured a Thanksgiving Day commercial with Houston rap star Megan Thee Stallion, most likely an attempt to drum up public excitement ahead of the international event. Owens will likely support Biles’ efforts in Paris from afar as he did while she set gymnastics world records at the world championships in Berlin. Owens, like most of the gymnastics world, regards Biles as the GOAT.

In a post to X, he captioned a recent post of Biles’ floor routine with a goat emoji and the word “Elite.”

• Entertainment

by Mary Spiller

November 25, 2023

‘Sister, Sister’ Actress Tia Mowry Celebrates Thanksgiving With Cute Instagram Post Featuring Ex-Husband, Cory Hardrict

Tia Mowry explained in the caption of her post that she was eternally grateful for her family.

---

Tia Mowry celebrated Thanksgiving on Instagram and X with a cute post of her and her family, including her two children and, surprisingly, her ex-husband. She shared the photos on social media on Nov. 24 and expressed how thankful she was for her family.

The 45-year-old Sister, Sister actress posted two family photos of her loved ones from their Thanksgiving Day gathering. The images included her ex-husband, Cory Hardrict, and their daughter, Cairo, 5, and son, Cree, 12, People reported. The pictures show the family hugging and smiling, wearing coordinated earth tones and brown outfits. 

Hardict and Mowry were married from 2008 to 2023.

Tia captioned the post, “We gon be alright,” along with several heart emojis. 

Additionally, she dropped another set of pictures of her family on Instagram and wrote a heartfelt caption about being grateful for her loved ones. 

She wrote, “Embarking on the holiday festivities a bit early this year! There’s something truly special about having the whole family gathered, relishing in the joy of the season. The absence of my sibling is always felt when we’re apart, making these moments together in the same city all the more precious. From shared meals to lively conversations and a spirited game of cornhole, the competitive spirit among us adds an extra layer of fun.”

Tia continued, “Reflecting on these times, I’m filled with gratitude for my family and the enduring memories we’ve created, as well as those yet to come. As we anticipate the upcoming holiday, I extend warm wishes to everyone for a joyous celebration with your loved ones.” She finished by wishing well for those who struggle during the holidays. 

“For those who find this season challenging, sending extra love your way.”

Tia’s twin sister, Tamara, also posted a few photos on her Instagram to celebrate the November holidays. She captioned, “🍁Happy Thanksgiving🍂 from our family to yours ✨ So grateful for these littles ✨ We pray your day is filled with warmth, love, peace, joy, laughter and wonderful memories!”

RELATED CONTENT: Tia Mowry, Cory Hardrict Restrain Romantic Partners From Meeting Children Post-Divorce

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Daniel Johnson

November 25, 2023

‘What If Sam Altman Was A Black Woman’ Debate About Bias In AI Engulfs Twitter

Sam Altman’s ouster from OpenAI was compared to Google's firing of Dr. Timnit Gebru.

---

Following Sam Altman’s ouster from OpenAI and subsequent return to cull the board prompted many, according to Business Insider, to compare Altman’s exit and return to the firing of Dr. Timnit Gebru, former co-lead of Google’s ethical AI team. Gebru’s exit from Google was precipitated by a research paper she coauthored warning the company about racial bias it was building into its AI programming. 

Gebru and several other Black women were profiled in August by Rolling Stone, describing their efforts to warn the technology industry about the dangers artificial intelligence posed.

Gebru, unlike Altman, was not supported by Google employees to the extent that he was supported by OpenAI’s employees who threatened to quit. There was no mass exodus of employees, no threat to destroy the company, and no job at Microsoft for Gebru to seek refuge. Gebru herself weighed in on the debate on X, formerly known as Twitter, in a post, first quoting the title of an article before answering the question it posed: “What If Sam Altman Were A Black Woman? Tech Twitter Weighs In On The OpenAI Debacle.”

Gebru wrote, “I mean the dude who fired me was waxing poetic about the ‘small research community’ and empathy for his colleagues and stuff so we know the answer.”

More analogous to Altman is Kimberly Bryant, the founder of Black Girls Code. Bryant was ousted from the organization by her board in 2022 due to allegations of misconduct, but unlike Altman, she did not receive the outpouring of support he did. Bryant told TechCrunch, “Unlike Atlman, Black women founders rarely enjoy such overwhelming support, and the road to recovery after setbacks can be exceptionally challenging.”

Bryant added, “The absence of a Black or female counterpart for Altman in the tech industry reflects the persistent replication of the ‘successful CEO’ prototype, primarily shaped by the persona of the white male wonderboy.”

Shortly after OpenAI’s countercoup by Altman, OpenAI posted a picture of a workplace party to its official account, which prompted many X users to question the racial makeup of the company. The board has been purged of any semblance of diversity, now composed entirely of white men, which, compared to the company’s mission to create technology that “benefits all of humanity,” creates concern. 

 Dr. Émilie Torres, an AI philosopher/researcher, told Business Insider, “It’s a real shame because these people are mostly obsessed with and preoccupied with these very sci-fi kind of fantasies about how AGI is going to usher in utopia or completely annihilate humanity. Lots of people are getting trampled in the march of so-called progress.”

Black tech workers, however, already feel concerned that AI will be used to replace them, and to them, that fear is not tied to fantasy but to how few of them hold positions in tech. In addition to this, Black people are disproportionately wrongfully arrested due to facial recognition technology in policing, a real-world application of the harms created by artificial intelligence. 

Myashia Hayes, a director at MediaJustice, a racial and economic justice nonprofit, told Business Insider, “It’s unsurprising that Black workers have greater anxiety and fear about being replaced in the workplace by AI than white workers,” Hayes said. “Historically, Black and brown workers tend to be the least protected and therefore most exploited for their labor — and that trend has carried over in the digital age.”

Hayes also said that the government needs to do more to rein in companies and build guardrails to protect people from technology companies.

“It is insufficient to relegate the responsibility of protecting Black workers from the harms of AI to businesses alone,” Hayes said. “We need governments to be bold enough to slow down the rollout of these technologies until the adequate protections and guardrails exist that will protect Black workers and everyone else in our society.”

RELATED CONTENT: OpenAI Employees Call For Board To Resign Amid Termination Of CEO Sam Altman

by Daniel Johnson

November 25, 2023

Houston Medical Center Working On Potential Cancer Breakthrough

The medical community has been working toward attainable vaccines for cancer for the better part of a century.

---

The medical community has been working toward attainable vaccines for cancer for the better part of a century, and according to the Houston Chronicle, a breakthrough appears to be on the cusp. Dr. William Decker, a lead at a Baylor College of Medicine lab currently in multiple trials for cancer vaccines, is hopeful that the future for a cancer vaccine is bright.

Decker told the Chronicle, “I’d say that if I’ve done my job, and others like me have done their jobs, 25 years from now, everybody’s getting a vaccine.”

Although the current vaccines being developed are not cancer vaccines, they are, at least, cancer-related. As the Chronicle reported, the vaccines are designed to shrink tumors and keep cancer from returning. Cancer cells, however, present a different challenge to vaccinating as they work differently from an illness like the flu. According to Dr. Hussein A. Tawbi, deputy chair of the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, cancer cells put out receptors that stop the immune system from doing its job.

Tawbi told the Chronicle, “In a decent proportion of patients, there is always kind of a ‘tug of war’ between the immune system and the tumor,” Tawbi said. “The tumor basically puts up a stop sign.”

However, during the past 20 years, the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors through immunotherapy has created a way around those stop signs, according to Tawbi. The development of mRNA technology, such as the one that led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to other developments such as bioinformatics that have allowed scientists to map the genetic sequence of tumors, has created hope in the scientific community that a vaccine could be around the corner.

Due to its network of hospitals, colloquially known as the Medical Center, Houston is taking center stage in developing medical research around cancer technologies.

Decker used the analogy of a play on Broadway as he told the Chronicle, “If you’re a biomedical scientist or physician, being in the Texas Medical Center is like being an actor in New York City and playing on Broadway. You’d rather be second-from-the-left on Broadway than playing the lead in Kalamazoo.”

MD Anderson Cancer Center, the nation’s foremost cancer hospital, is one of the sites for a Phase 3 trial for an mRNA vaccine being co-developed by Moderna and Merck. The vaccine showed promising results during Phase 2 of its development, where, along with an immunotherapy called Ketruda, the vaccine reduced the risk of re-occurrence or death by 44% in patients who had tumors surgically removed. The treatment also reduced the chance of the cancer spreading to another part of the body by 65%, which, according to Dr. Tawbi, was the result they were hoping for. 

Dr. Tawbi also said that even though the initial results are promising, more work must be done before a vaccine for any cancer is ready. The type of cancer they are currently working with is melanoma, a cancer that the body can more easily recognize. Even with that, Tawbi told the Chronicle, “It is a new approach, and so I think expectations of everything being highly successful on the first run is not necessarily realistic. We may encounter different roadblocks.”

Even so, the research being done in Houston creates hope that a vaccine for cancer will one day become a reality for patients. At a different trial in Seattle, patients indicated that their participation means a lot to them.

Todd Pieper, a 56-year-old from Seattle, described his choice to participate in a clinical trial to NBC Bay Area, saying, “I have nothing to lose and everything to gain, either for me or for other people down the road.”

RELATED CONTENT: Studies Show Opening Death Gap Among Black Childhood Cancer Patients

• News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 25, 2023

Drunk Driver Pleads Guilty To Car Crash That Killed 3, Including 2 Pennsylvania Troopers

Jayana Webb also sparked controversy for her prior tweets stating how great of a drunk driver she was.

---

A drunk driver charged for the March 2022 car crash that killed three people, including two Pennsylvania State Troopers, has pleaded guilty.

Jayana Webb was sentenced to 27-and-a-half to 60 years in prison for the fatal crash that occurred on I-95 South on mile marker 18 in Philadelphia.

The 23-year-old was convicted of three counts of both third-degree murder and homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, as well as one count of driving under the influence, as reported by court records obtained by 6 ABC.

The victims of the crash were law enforcement officers 33-year-old Martin Mack III and 29-year-old Branden Sisca, and 28-year-old Reyes Rivera Oliveras. The state troopers were placing Oliveras in the back of their police vehicle when Webb’s car struck them.

After initially being stopped by the slain troopers, the officers left Webb after receiving word of a pedestrian on the highway, who turned out to be Oliveras. According to authorities, upon the officers leaving the scene, Webb posted to X about the stop: “Why the cop pull me & he say im doing 110 ina 50.” The young woman continued on her dangerous drive, running straight into them 15 minutes later.

Webb’s blood alcohol content was .211%, more than double Pennsylvania’s legal limit of .08%. The records also state that Webb was driving well over the speed limit, around 110 mph.

Weeks before the fatal accident Webb appeared to have posted that she was the “best drunk driver ever,” Fox 29 reported.

District attorney Larry Krasner released a statement following the resolution of the case.

“Today’s conviction of Jayana Webb is a just resolution of one of the most shocking incidents of vehicular violence in recent memory,” he said.

RELATED CONTENT: Nurse Who Killed Several People in Car Crash Charged With Six Counts of Murder

• News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 25, 2023

Ex-Obama Aide Charged With Hate Crime; Islamophobic Rant Caught On Video

Stuart Seldowitz was a National Security Council chief during the Obama Administration.

---

An ex-National Security Council chief, who held the position under former President Barack Obama, has been charged with a hate crime for his Islamophobic rant.

Stuart Seldowitz was charged on Nov. 22 for the viral incidents of him verbally attacking a Halal cart street vendor in New York City.

In the widespread video footage in November, Seldowitz was seen spewing prejudiced comments at Mohamed Hussein, The New York Post reported. The 64-year-old former government employee called Hussein a “terrorist” and asked offensive questions regarding the raping of one’s daughter, even suggesting that Muhammed, the prophet of Islam, committed the act.

Hussein was audibly begging for Seldowitz to leave him alone in one video, as the clips revealed that these were recurring instances. Since being arrested for the hate crime, Seldowitz has been charged on multiple counts, including aggravated harassment and hate crime stalking.

On top of his pending trial, Hussein and his boss are planning to sue the ex-Obama aide for harassment.

“We want to sue him for harassment and hate speech,” shared the food card owner, Islam Moustafa. “I consider this hate speech, not freedom of speech.”

Moustafa continued, sharing how the 24-year-old Hussein is concerned now that he knows of Seldowitz’s background and influence.

“Mohamed’s a little scared, he’s a little worried—especially after finding out this guy used to work for the government,” said his boss. “He’s an ex-government official, he worked for the Obama administration, he’s not a nobody…How does an ex-government official speak about religion and hatred with that much hatred? A normal person wouldn’t do that, but a guy with power and ranking shouldn’t be talking like that to a 24-year-old who keeps begging him to walk away.”

The videos also displayed the former National Security Council South Asia Directorate asking if Hussein had a visa, in addition to threatening to send a picture of the food vendor to “friends in Immigration.”

After confessing to being the man in the videos, Seldowitz expressed remorse over his Islamophobic actions to City & State.

“I regret the whole thing happened and I’m sorry,” he stated. “But you know, in the heat of the moment, I said things that probably I shouldn’t have said.”

RELATED CONTENT: New Policy Bans Chicago Police Officers From Joining Hate or Extremist Groups