Michael Jordan Takes The Stand In High-Stakes NASCAR Antitrust Trial, Says Teams Deserve ‘Fair Treatment’
Jordan is the co-owner of the 23XI Racing team.
Michael Jordan stepped into a Charlotte, North Carolina, federal courtroom Dec. 5 not as an NBA legend, but as a NASCAR team owner fighting what he calls an unfair system. Testifying for an hour in the antitrust case brought by his 23XI Racing team and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, Jordan argued that the stock car racing organization’s current business model leaves teams without true partnership or economic stability. Jordan owns 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin.
Jordan opened his testimony with a simple introduction: “My name is Michael Jeffrey Jordan, and I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina.” He next detailed his lifelong passion for motorsports that began with childhood trips to Talladega Superspeedway. Even today, he told the court, he never misses a race and attends up to a dozen events a year, The New York Times reports.
His testimony centered on why he chose to challenge NASCAR after recent charter negotiations his team participated in broke down. Jordan said team owners have been “browbeaten for so many years” while pushing for structural changes, including permanent charters and improved revenue terms. None of those priorities, he said, were meaningfully addressed.
“I wasn’t afraid” to take legal action, Jordan testified. “It needed to be looked at from a whole different perspective.”
Jordan said he has invested $35 to $40 million into 23XI Racing since launching it with driver Denny Hamlin in 2020. That includes purchasing a charter for $28 million, which has since expired after the team refused to sign a deal they considered unacceptable. He rejected provisions that blocked antitrust challenges and a take-it-or-leave-it structure, he said, undermined teams’ ability to operate sustainably, Fox 8 reports.
His goal, he testified, is for a business model that allows teams and NASCAR to grow together.
“The thing I’m hoping for is you create more of a partnership between two entities,” Jordan said. “If that’s the case, it becomes a more valuable business.”
Jordan also acknowledged that 23XI talked with other teams about the charter terms. He said the goal wasn’t to sway anyone for his own gain, but to make sure every owner understood just how lopsided the economics were.
After Jordan testified, Race Team Association Executive Director Jonathan Marshall took the stand to outline financial models showing NASCAR teams lag behind franchises in leagues like the NBA, NFL, MLB, and MLS. Earlier in the day, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell and Joe Gibbs Racing Co-Owner Heather Gibbs also testified.
The trial began Dec. 1 and is expected to run about two to three weeks.
Supreme Court To Weigh Trump’s Bid To End Birthright Citizenship
The government contends that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment was intended to grant citizenship to freed slaves and their descendants, not to children of illegal immigrants or temporary visitors.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether President Donald Trump can legally restrict birthright citizenship, taking up a contentious issue that could reshape American immigration law. The justices announced on Dec. 5 that they will hear arguments, most likely in April, with a decision expected by the end of June.
Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office in January, declaring that children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants or foreigners on temporary visas would no longer automatically receive citizenship. The administration framed the policy as a measure to curb illegal immigration and “birth tourism,” in which pregnant women travel to the U.S. to secure U.S. citizenship for their children, Politico reports.
The policy, however, was blocked almost immediately by lower courts. Federal judges ruled that the order conflicts with the Constitution’s 14th Amendment and longstanding legal precedent, including the 1898 Supreme Court case “United States v. Wong Kim Ark,” which guarantees citizenship to nearly all individuals born on U.S. soil. Critics argue that no president has the authority to redefine who a citizen is and warn that the policy could create legal chaos, since state and local authorities issue birth certificates without recording parents’ immigration status.
After facing early legal roadblocks, the Trump administration first asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on lower courts’ use of nationwide injunctions, which had blocked the policy nationwide. In June, the Court limited judges’ ability to issue such sweeping orders but didn’t decide on the main issue of birthright citizenship. In September, the administration went back to the high court, this time asking justices to rule directly on whether the executive order itself is constitutional, Reuters reports.
The government contends that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, was intended to grant citizenship to formerly enslaved people and their descendants, not to the children of illegal immigrants or temporary visitors. Lawyers for the states challenging the order, along with immigrant rights groups, claim the policy could undermine equal treatment under the law and overturn over 100 years of established practice, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture.
The case stems from a class-action lawsuit challenging Trump’s order, with lower courts ruling in favor of the plaintiffs and stopping the policy from taking effect nationwide. The Supreme Court’s decision will be crucial, as it could settle the legal question once and for all and impact the lives of thousands of children born in the U.S.
Aunt Allegedly Drowns 6-Year-Old Niece For ‘Looking More Beautiful’ Than Her At Wedding
Hell is too good for her...
In a disturbing culmination of events during a family wedding celebration in Panipat, northern India, a woman identified as Poonam has been arrested and charged with the alleged drowning of her six-year-old niece, Vidhi, on Monday, Dec. 1. Authorities disclosed that the suspect’s alleged motive was driven by acute jealousy over the child’s appearance.
The core parties in this tragedy shared familial connections: the accused’s husband, Naveen, and the victim’s father, Sandeep, are first cousins.
The tragedy unfolded after the victim, Vidhi, abruptly vanished from the wedding celebrations on Monday, Dec. 1, prompting relatives to initiate a frantic, exhaustive search. The formal complaint, lodged by the deceased’s grandfather, states that the incident occurred during a protracted family wedding function that spanned from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 and drew numerous guests, including the accused, according to Superintendent of Police Bhupender Singh. Vidhi’s grandmother, Omwati, tragically discovered the child deceased in a water tub within a nearby storeroom, her head submerged. Vidhi was subsequently rushed to NC Medical College, where she was pronounced dead.
Upon her arrest, Poonam, the child’s paternal aunt, reportedly confessed to the homicide. According to local media and statements from Superintendent of Police Bhupender Singh, the suspect told police, “she didn’t want anyone to look more beautiful” than her at the wedding.
Superintendent Singh detailed the alleged sequence of events, stating the crime was committed when all guests were outside the house. Poonam allegedly followed the child to the terrace, engaged her in conversation, and then submerged her in a plastic tub filled with water outside the storeroom.
“After having her placed in a plastic tub filled with water outside the storeroom, she drowned the child in the tub, then bolted the door from the outside, and came down,” Superintendent Singh said.
During interrogation, Poonam reportedly confessed, “She was irritated by beautiful girls.”
The investigation has subsequently unveiled far more extensive and unsettling allegations. Police revealed that Poonam reportedly confessed to the homicide of three other children, including another niece and her own son, whom she allegedly also drowned.
The family reportedly dismissed these previous deaths as accidental. According to police, Poonam allegedly murdered her sister-in-law’s nine-year-old daughter in 2023 before subsequently killing her own son to “avoid suspicion.”
In August of the current year, she allegedly murdered a young girl in a neighboring town because she was “prettier” than her. Police revealed that the family previously considered these deaths accidental and that Poonam “committed these crimes one after the other.”
The suspect is currently in custody, and the investigation into the veracity and full scope of her alleged crimes is ongoing.
Playwright And ‘Emily In Paris’ Actor Jeremy O. Harris Arrested In Japan For Alleged Drug Smuggling
Customs officers allegedly found 780 milligrams of Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, in his tote bag.
American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris, best known for his record-breaking Tony-nominated play “Slave Play,” was arrested for drug smuggling on Nov. 16, 2025, at Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan, after customs officers allegedly found 780 milligrams of Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, in his tote bag. Harris, 36, had just arrived in Okinawa for sightseeing purposes from the United Kingdom via a layover in Taiwan.
Authorities in Japan immediately detained him on suspicion of violating the country’s strict Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act. On Dec. 4, Okinawa customs officials filed a criminal complaint with the regional prosecutor’s office, marking the formal start of charging procedures, The Guardian reports.
As of now, he remains in custody at a police station in Tomigusuku City in southern Okinawa. Police have declined to confirm whether he has admitted to the allegations, and there is no public word on whether he has retained a lawyer. Japanese authorities said they did not find any other drugs in his luggage and believe the MDMA was for his personal use. Police are still investigating, according to Okinawa Regional Customs spokesperson Tatsunori Fukuda, The Associated Press reports.
Under Japanese law, even small amounts of illicit drugs can lead to serious consequences, potentially several years in prison if convicted.
Harris’s profile had soared in theatre and television. The 2019 production “Slave Play” was once the most Tony-nominated play in Broadway history. It received 10 nominations. Beyond the stage, he has expanded into television and film, appearing in the popular Netflix series “Emily in Paris,” Variety reports. He is also recognized for writing the 2020 film “Zola,” this year’s films “The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick” and “Erupcja,” and for his role as a producer on the second season of HBO’s “Euphoria.” Harris most recently premiered his play “Spirit of the People” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts in July.
Russell Wilson And Ciara List Their Massive $54.9M California Estate, With A Football Field And Recording Studio
If they land a buyer at that price, it would become the most expensive home ever sold in the area.
NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and his R&B recording artist wife, Ciara, have recently listed their California home for $54.9 million.
According to Realtor, the property, which sits atop 9 acres in Rancho Santa Fe, California, has been put up for sale and is listed by Brian Guiltinan of The Guiltinan Group. Based on the asking price, if the couple can get that amount, it would be the highest price a house in that area has sold for. A beachfront compound in the area recently sold for $50 million.
When the Wilsons purchased the estate in 2021, they paid $14.5 million; therefore, the profit they would realize would be almost four times that amount.
The house is located within a small gated community near the Del Mar Country Club. After purchasing the home, the football player had a large equestrian arena on the property converted into a football field. He and his teammates have used it to practice when not at the stadium.
The 30,000-square-foot property is affectionately known as Amor Estate. Amenities for the house include a professional recording studio, where, of course, his wife surely used for her line of work. There is a fitness center with an included sauna and a cold plunge with spa facilities: a club-style game room and a billiards lounge with a full bar. The house has a fireplace and a glam room with a walk-in closet with glass doors.
There is an outdoor pool, a waterslide, a pizza oven, a game pavilion with a candy bar, and a sports court. Guests could make themselves comfortable in the two-bedroom guesthouse, and a 10-car garage was on site.
The couple no longer resides at the residence, as the family moved to the East Coast when Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. They stayed east when the quarterback signed with the New York Giants this season.
Gauff earned $31 million—$23 million of which came off the court through partnerships with brands like New Balance, Baker Tilly, Bose, Head, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, and Chase Bank.
She launched Coco Gauff Enterprises in April with talent firm WME to manage her career, following seven years with Roger Federer’s Team8 agency.
WME holds no ownership stake in the business.
Gauff’s ranking, ahead of fellow WTA top-three players Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, underscores tennis as the only major professional sport where women’s pay closely rivals men’s.
While WTA Tour prize money generally lags behind the ATP, earnings are equal at Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events. Off the court, six women earned $10 million or more from sponsorships, compared with four active men. Tennis players also dominated Sportico’s overall list of 15 highest-paid athletes, with only five coming from other sports.
Other notable mentions include Naomi Osaka, who pulled in $12.5 million in combined salary, prize money, and endorsements, with her prize winnings placing her ahead of Simone Biles, who earned $11 million from endorsements, and Venus Williams at $10 million in endorsements and $219,000 in salary and prize winnings.
Osaka climbed from No. 59 to No. 16 in the WTA rankings in 2025, bouncing back after a quiet 2024 following the birth of her daughter. Her rise included a run to the U.S. Open semifinals. Williams only competed in three events in 2025, but won her first singles match since 2023 and reached the U.S. Open doubles quarterfinals, boosting her prize money to its highest level since 2021.
Olympic champion Biles, still on a break from competitive gymnastics, recently released her fifth Athleta collection and endorses brands including Audemars Piguet, Lilly, and Nulo Pet Food. Her Netflix documentary, Simone Biles Rising, earned an Emmy, and she is partnering with Playmakers Group to launch a new restaurant, Taste of Gold, in her hometown of Houston.
Shop These Black-Owned Fitness And Tech Gems To Gift For The Holiday
BLACK ENTERPRISE Kicks Off ‘12 Days Of Christmas’ Gifts
Black-owned brands need support during the holiday gifting season and beyond to sustain economic growth. BLACK ENTERPRISE’s Black-Owned Holiday Gift Guide presents 10 exceptional companies, on day five, who transform fashion, wellness, audio,and athletic performance through their storytelling, craftsmanship, and purposeful approaches. The global streetwear labels that reimagine retail join tech-forward audio brands which are designed by experts.
Daily Paper
The global fashion label Daily Paper combines African heritage with streetwear elements. The three childhood friends Hussein Suleiman, Jefferson Osei, and Abderrahmane Trabsini, transformed their 2008 creative blog into the Daily Paper brand in 2012. The brand operates globally with a main retail store in the United States and sells products worldwide. The brand provides ready-to-wear collections alongside capsule collections and accessories which showcase African patterns and diaspora narratives. A Daily Paper piece serves as a wearable statement piece with cultural significance that makes an ideal gift for people who appreciate heritage-driven fashion.
The designer watch company SPGBK produces HBCU-inspired watches that feature vibrant colors and bold accessible designs along with collegiate color schemes. The company sells affordable analog and digital watches that feature silicone straps and playful designs. SPGBK has maintained active operations through seasonal releases and special edition school-themed colorways during recent years. SPGBK operates from the U.S. with a North Carolina location while distributing products through online platforms and retail partners. The watches from SPGBK represent an affordable yet stylish choice for graduates, alumni or anyone looking for a playful watch that expresses their identity.
Therabody was established by Dr. Jason Wersland to provide percussive massage guns, recovery technology, and wellness devices which aid in pain relief and performance and self-care. The company started its operations in 2008 before changing its name to Therabody and expanding into a worldwide wellness leader during the 2010s. The U.S.-based company distributes internationally and makes a useful present for athletes and busy professionals who focus on recovery and self-care.
Eastside Golf, a culture-forward golf lifestyle brand, modernizes the sport by blending golf experience and cultural storytelling. The brand, established in 2019, sells streetwear-influenced golf apparel and lifestyle accessories such as polos, hoodies, hats, and accessories. Eastside Golf achieved major cultural prominence by securing athlete and celebrity endorsements along with retail collaborations. Through its nationwide retail locations and recent expansion into airport and physical stores, the brand delivers representation and style both on and off the course to golfers and culture-first dressers.
Blackstock & Weber is a Brooklyn-based label which designer Chris Echevarria founded to make classic men’s footwear with contemporary design elements. Their handcrafted loafers, which include penny, horse-bit and tassel options, combine traditional shoemaking techniques with contemporary design elements. Blackstock & Weber started their journey in the late 2010s to redefine the loafer market. Their Brooklyn-based brand creates durable, fashionable shoes that have a timeless look, which makes them ideal for gift recipients who value quality and sartorial detail.
Powerhandz is an athletic training gear company that was started by Darnell and Danyel Surrency Jones to help multi-sport athletes improve their hand strength and athletic performance. The company sells patented weighted training gloves along with accessories that enhance hand and arm strength, together with speed and coordination. The company operates from the Dallas area while distributing its products worldwide through sports retailers.
BLKBox Fitness, based in the UK, produces gym equipment and fitness products which they market through their commercial and home gym equipment range that includes racks, bars, plates, benches, and accessories. BLKBox gear is a useful gift for home gym builders or serious lifters, but check regional shipping and warranty details before making a purchase.
Soul Nation (SOUL) is as a premium audio brand which partners with artists to create performance-focused designs. Its product range includes true wireless earbuds and headphones that deliver strong bass performance, together with clear sound and extended battery duration, across different model levels. Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, Soul Nation grew its product range and artist partnerships while distributing its models through retail stores and online platforms. The brand caters to listeners who value bass strength and extended battery performance; therefore, it makes a dope gift for people who commute and exercise.
Savant Studios is a creative label and space in Brooklyn where community events are organized and streetwear is sold along with lifestyle pieces. Local designers and artists created the space to serve as a central hub for both local culture and limited-edition streetwear. Savant creates collectible wearable items and cultural gifts, which attract people who appreciate local culture together with limited-edition streetwear.
Dr. Lana “Dr. J” Joseph established JRUMZ as an audio company which produces ear wear designed by audiologists. The brand markets its noise-canceling and high-clarity earbuds and headphones based on their sound quality and hearing health benefits. Through a range of product launches, JRUMZ has established itself as a Black woman-owned audio company in recent years. The U.S.-based brand sells products through online platforms and has established retail partnerships. The JRUMZ brand provides a considerate gift option for audiophiles and performers who want professional-grade sound design.
On Oct. 28, Biles joined seven other women in Madrid to receive an “Icon” award at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year 2025 ceremony.
Biles, 28, was honored not just for her athletic dominance but for her impact as a global advocate for mental health and authenticity.
The awards specifically recognize exceptional women who have inspired younger generations and left indelible marks on their respective fields, transforming their achievements into powerful messages of hope and societal change.
The theme of the evening centered on celebrating women who have turned their dreams into reality, affirming a commitment to the values that drive the pursuit of a more just and inclusive future, Harper’s Bazaar Spain reported.
On Instagram, Biles shared photos from the gala. Dressed in a white sparkling evening gown, she captioned the image “a night celebrating women.”
Biles first captured international attention at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she secured four gold medals and one bronze. She is now the most decorated gymnast of all time, winning a total of 11 Olympic medals as well as multiple national and world honors. However, her influence now stretches far beyond the confines of the gymnastics mat.
Biles has revolutionized the sport through an athletic perspective and a social one. Her openness regarding her personal struggles and decision to prioritize her well-being during international competition offered a new understanding of strength, one that embraces vulnerability.
The ‘Icon’ award recognizes Biles as a woman who transcends borders, emphasizes that her excellence goes beyond her indisputable athletic greatness.
Trump Administration Eliminates Prison Standards That Protect Transgender Inmates
Data from the National Institutes of Health reveal that physical and sexual assault are a part of the prison experience. Approximately 21% of male inmates are physically assaulted during a six-month period.
The Trump administration is eliminating prison standards to protect transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming inmates. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has instructed inspectors to forgo the standards that aim to protect inmates from sexual violence, according to an internal memo first reported by NPR.
The memo comes as the DOJ works on revising federal standards related to the 2003 Rape Elimination Act to align with President Donald Trump’s executive order on “gender ideology extremism.” The executive order only recognizes two sexes: male and female.
On Sept. 4, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the PREA law into effect to eradicate prisoner rape in correctional facilities nationwide. As a result of PREA, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) established the Protecting Inmates and Safeguarding Communities Program in 2004. Funding allowed states to support the efforts in preventing and eliminating prisoner rape between inmates in state and local prisons, jails, and police lockup facilities.
Sexual Violence Inside Prisons
Data from the National Institutes of Health reveal that physical and sexual assault are a part of the prison experience. Approximately 21% of male inmates are physically assaulted during six months.
Inmates who identify as transgender, intersex, or gender-nonconforming are uniquely vulnerable to sexual violence, according to the internal memo.
This latest move from the Trump administration peels back another layer of protection for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those who identify as transgender. In a series of executive orders signed in his first few days in office, Trump eliminated a long-standing federal policy that allowed for incarcerated trans women to be housed in facilities that aligned with their gender identity. He also signed an executive order that banned transgender troops from serving openly in the military.
As a result, the Trump administration rescinded the retirements of United States Air Force and Space Force members who had earned the right after over 15 years of service. Seventeen transgender servicemembers fileda lawsuit, Ireland v. United States, against the Trump administration to receive the benefits they earned.
Williams said his frustration was explicitly aimed at the immediate drying up of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) funding following changes in policy and a shift in the political climate.
He made the clarification while accepting the Shoe of the Year award at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards in New York City on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
He acknowledged that his initial remarks could be easily condensed into a negative soundbite, but he refuted any suggestion that he plans to cease his efforts toward systemic change.
“That’s where the soundbite of me saying I hate politics [came from],” he said in a video from the event. “Which was in response to the DEI support and donations drying up because of new policies.
“So yes, I got frustrated. And the soundbiters, they caught me lacking. But sound bite this…I will never stop fighting. I will never stop raising money to help level the playing field. Never.”
Pharrell Williams responds to the recent controversy surrounding his political comments while accepting the 2025 FNAA 'Shoe Of The Year' award:
“Sound bite this. Since most people don’t like to read or do research anymore, sound bite this. God is the greatest. Sound bite this.… pic.twitter.com/llDF3dK4Sh
Furthermore, the creative director of Louis Vuitton spoke of his humble beginnings in Virginia. “You don’t know what I know and you ain’t seen what I saw. No, you ain’t been where I go. I’m from the mud.”
In his speech, Williams continued with personal stories of his family enduring multiple evictions, utility shut-offs, and having to pump water as a child. He gave his ancestors who arrived in Virginia as enslaved captives their due. He noted the perseverance required to stay on their feet without even having shoes.
“I’m proletariat,” he continued. “In fact, I’m lumpenproletariat. Sound bite this. I had to stay on my feet.”
The fashion icon stressed that his deep connection to the working class and the struggles of Black folks means he is committed to sustained advocacy, regardless of the political environment.
