RAW, City Girls, Yung, Miami, JT, Piñata, album, sales, release
by Mary Spiller

July 15, 2023

City Girls’ JT Launches ‘No Bars Reform’ Initiative For Incarcerated Women

City Girls member JT announced the launch of her “No Bars Reform” initiative on July 14. The website serves as a mainframe for the initiative, providing services to women who were formerly incarcerated. 

A statement on the website reads, “After spending almost two years in a Florida Prison before being released in 2020, JT has vowed to use her voice and platform to help other incarcerated women rehabilitate into society by assisting with resources such as therapy, job placement, social services, and housing.” 

The website includes easy-to-navigate links leading to essential resources for recently released women. The website features links to employment assistance, therapy, substance abuse help, and housing opportunities. 

As reported by Billboard, 30-year-old JT endured her own stint behind bars after being sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for identity theft and fraud charges back in 2018. She was released in March of 2020 and dropped her “JT First Day Out” freestyle in celebration of her release. 

The No Bars Reform project is set to combat the increasing number of incarcerated women since the 1980s. According to the website, “The number of incarcerated women increased by more than 525%, rising from a total of 26,326 in 1980 to 168,449 in 2021. While 2020 saw a substantial downsizing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this trend reversed with a 10% increase in 2021.”

Coinciding with the No Bars Reform launch, the “Act Up” rapper dropped her latest solo song, “No Bars,” on July 14. JT described the track as a “freestyle made in the studio when [she] was having one of those days.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by JT🍒🌸🪐🦋 (@thegirljt)

“At the time, like most of the time, ppl were doubting me and questioning why wasn’t I as visual and vocal as others! Not knowing me personally…I hope this freestyle finds you in a great place and is a start of the respect I deserve in music! No more hiding my love for music, I love music! I love my voice! I love poppin’ my s***. It’s only ME VS. ANXIETY.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 15, 2023

Naomi Osaka Shares First Look At Her Daughter After A ‘Cool Little Intermission’

Naomi Osaka is back on Instagram after welcoming her daughter and sharing an adorable recap of her journey to motherhood.

The tennis champion took to Instagram on July 14 to share the first look at her life as a mom to her newborn daughter Shai.

“Well that was a cool little intermission, now back to your regularly scheduled program 🎾✌🏾💕,” Osaka captioned her post.

The first photo showed the four-time Grand Slam singles champion holding her newborn in her lap while cropping her face from the camera’s view.

Other photos included a candid shot of Osaka looking down at her baby bump prior to giving birth, her lying in her delivery room hospital bed, and a shot from her pink-themed baby shower. Her post comes just days after reports confirmed she welcomed her daughter with rapper Cordae.

Sources told People that both Osaka and her newborn “are doing well.” Over the weekend, her boyfriend revealed the baby’s name while performing at Canada’s Calgary Stampede.

“My daughter Shai was just born a couple days ago, so I dedicate this performance to my baby girl Shai,” he told the crowd after a brief pause.

“Love you, I’m going back home.”

Back in April, Osaka credited her smooth pregnancy journey to the “great support system” she had around her.

“There are several mothers in my life, all at different phases of motherhood. It’s been nice having them share recommendations and tips along the way,” she told People.

Much like her latest Instagram post teasing her return to “regularly scheduled programming,” Osaka dished on her excitement to return to tennis and have her child cheering her on in the stands.

“I can’t wait to have my kid in the stands at tournaments,” she said. “I feel like having them there watching will be extra motivation.”

RELATED CONTENT: Naomi Osaka Smashes Concerns On How Motherhood Will Affect Tennis Career

Strike, writers, studios, pay, wages, deal, launch, writers guild
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 15, 2023

Hollywood Actors Launch Strike After Failed Negotiations With Studios

Thousands of Hollywood stars are joining with the Writers Guild of America members who have been on strike after failed negotiations with film and TV studios.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents more than 160,000 Hollywood performers, voted Thursday to strike after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), NBC News reported.

Film and television productions came to an immediate stop after it was agreed the union would begin their strike at midnight Friday, July 14, and take to the picket lines.

“The strike will begin at midnight tonight, and all of us — union members, leadership and staff — will be out on the picket lines tomorrow morning,” the union’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland confirmed after the vote.

SAG-AFTRA members raise similar concerns as those of the Writers Guild who have been on strike since April, with many Hollywood performers worried about how profits are split amid the current streaming era and the rise of unregulated digital technologies. Actors are seeking higher base pay and protective policies around the use of artificial intelligence, among other demands.

“What’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor, when employers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors that make the machine run,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said.

The actress, best known for starring in the 90s sitcom The Nanny, slammed the “disgusting” response from studio heads during the negotiations process.

“I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us,” Drescher said, as noted by Huff Post.

“I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right, when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs.”

“It is disgusting,” she added. “Shame on them.”

After the strike was announced, actors in the upcoming Oppenheimer film walked out of the UK premiere, The Independent reported. Productions for highly-anticipated films like Deadpool 3, Mission Impossible 8, and Venom 3 came to a complete stop once the strike was launched, via The Hollywood Reporter.

It’s the first time in over 60 years that Hollywood actors are joining screenwriters in an industry-wide strike. The strike is expected to last for months and cause huge losses for the film and television industry.

RELATED CONTENT: Writer’s Strike is Affecting California Economy by Almost $30M per Day

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 15, 2023

Kelly Rowland’s Biggest Interview Mistake Is Spoiling Beyoncé’s Gender Reveal

Kelly Rowland might not have many things she regrets in life. But one regret she certainly has is being the first to reveal the gender of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s first child, Blue Ivy.

Rowland was a guest on the “Yeah, I F**ked That Up” podcast where she was asked to reveal the biggest mistake she’s ever made during an interview. For the Destiny’s Child singer, it was when she let the cat out of the bag on the baby girl her group member was expecting for her first pregnancy.

“Oh my God. When I made a mistake and told the sex of [Beyoncé]’s baby when she was pregnant with Blue,” Rowland said.

“That was the worst moment ever. The worst moment ever.”

The slip-up came so naturally, Rowland didn’t realize she made the gender reveal until afterward.

“It was bad because it was no one’s business,” Rowland recalled.

“I felt terrible because it’s not my news,” she added. “It was honestly the worst. It wasn’t my news to share, and I didn’t mean it like that. The ‘she’ just kind of slipped out.”

Back in 2011, the “Motivation” singer sat down for an interview where she said Jay-Z was “going to buy that little girl every single thing possible,” and noted that the baby would “be spoiled but she will be very well looked after,” TMZ reported.

Considering Beyoncé and Kelly’s history as childhood friends and groupmates, the Carters were able to forgive her slip-up. But that doesn’t mean Rowland isn’t still beating herself up about it.

Meanwhile, Blue Ivy, 11, is stealing the show at Beyoncé‘s Renaissance world tour as a dancer. The middle schooler has acquired her own fan club from her short dance numbers throughout the tour.

https://twitter.com/beyoncegarden/status/1679312912609865728?s=20

Now on the U.S. leg of the tour, Blue Ivy is receiving praise for mastering the dance routine of Beyoncé‘s “Power” number.

RELATED CONTENT: Blue Ivy Happy To See Beyonce Fans Holding Blue Balloons During Her Renaissance Tour Performance

Board of Police, commissioner, Bryan Ferguson, citation, sex worker , misdemeanor
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 15, 2023

Detroit Police Commissioner Resigns After Being Caught In Car With A Sex Worker

A Detroit police commissioner resigned one day after he was caught inside a car with a prostitute and asked deputies to “help me out.”

Detroit Police Commissioner Bryan Ferguson announced his resignation on Thursday, July 13 after was ticketed on Wednesday morning for allegedly having sex with a prostitute inside his truck on the city’s northwest side, Detroit News reported. Not only was Ferguson caught with the prostitute in public, but he reportedly tried to gain favor with the officers who caught him in the act.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the residents of Detroit in police oversight,” the statement said.

“After further consideration of the best interests of my family and the board, I am choosing to resign. Again, I admonish the board and the public to remain focused on the important work of oversight, transparency and accountability.”

Undercover narcotics and morality squad officers spotted Ferguson at about 7 a.m. Wednesday, sitting in his truck in the Happy Homes neighborhood on Detroit’s northwest side. Ferguson and the woman were  exiting the truck when the sheriff’s deputies were issuing the citation.

The former police commissioner reportedly told the deputies that he was on the police board as a way to get out of the citation and asked the officers,

Wayne County Sheriff’s Capt. Jason Bates said Ferguson asked the officers, “Can you help me out?”

Ferguson was given a misdemeanor citation for indecent obscene conduct and had his truck towed. His resignation followed an initial statement that came hours after the incident where he denied any wrongdoing and declared his intention to remain on the board.

“The allegation is untrue and the situation is a big misunderstanding,” he said at the time.

“I do not want this personal matter to become a distraction from the important oversight work this board has to do,” he said.

“For that reason, I am making the decision to step back from the board meetings for a time.”

Bates called out Ferguson for seemingly trying to use his title to get out of the citation.

“A title or position doesn’t make them above the law,” he told Fox 2 Detroit.

RELATED CONTENT: NYPD’s First Black Woman Commissioner Keechant Sewell Resigns After 18 Months

McDonald’s, pastor, french, fries, Dwayne Waden, Theodore
by Mary Spiller

July 15, 2023

McDonald’s Franchise Implements A ‘No-Quit Policy’

A photo has gone viral online showing how McDonald’s is responding to extreme staffing shortages. The image, posted to Instagram on July 13, showed a sign inside a McDonald’s restaurant describing a no-quit policy. The message has sparked a slew of pushback. 

The Instagram post shows a yellow sign tacked to the wall in an unidentified restaurant. The message written across the bottom of the sign allegedly explains the reason for the policy’s implementation. It read, “Because we feel that many situations can be resolved. It is the policy that an employee cannot quit until he or she talks to the Restaurant Manager or Area supervisor.”

The sign also read, “We value you, your growth and your contributions. This is a no-quit restaurant.”

The sign sparked backlash at the restaurant that posted it. Although it has been confirmed that the no-quit policy is an individual restaurant’s implementation, the “at-will employment” law has been brought up surrounding the controversial policy. 

The at-will employment law stipulates that “although management is able to fire an employee at will for any reason besides discrimination, an employer also places no requirements on whether an employee can quit at any moment or not.” This means the no-quit Mcdonald’s goes against all their employees’ rights. 

Folks on social media expressed how ridiculous they thought the policy was.

RELATED CONTENT: Grambling State Receives More Than $17K From McDonald’s ArkLaTx To Support Student Services 

Biden, racial wealth gap, president
by Mary Spiller

July 15, 2023

President Joe Biden’s New SAVE Plan Is In Motion This Summer

According to NPR, President Joe Biden’s new plan, Saving on a Valuable Education, was set in motion following the Supreme Court’s decision to shut down his student loan forgiveness program last month. The July 14 article explained that the SAVE plan will still be able to help those looking for reform in the federal student loan system.

The SAVE plan is an income-based repayment plan with stipulations that can make monthly bills more manageable, reduce the amount that students will have to pay overall, and even could have their debt canceled entirely after making at least 10 years of payment.

The SAVE plan is expensive, but unlike Biden’s rejected plan, this one will continue to help those who borrow now and in the future. Since it’s not a one-time forgiveness program, estimates for the total cost to the government are understandably high. It could cost $138 billion to $361 billion over 10 years. 

Biden’s SAVE repayment has been processed at the Department of Education, which bodes well for how it will fare in the legal system. 

As an income-driven repayment plan, the SAVE plan’s designated payments will be based on individual borrowers’ income and family size without regard for the outstanding debt balance. The algorithm balances the two while also promising a forgiveness component. After making 10 years of the designated payments, the borrower’s remaining balance will be wiped away. In addition to these aspects, as long as the borrowers make minimal monthly payments, the new SAVE plan will stop interest from accruing on their accounts. 

All of the SAVE’s components will be fully in effect by July 2024. It will ultimately phase out the current Revised Pay As You Earn, REPAYE, plan. Those eligible for the program include “student borrowers with federally held loans, including all direct subsidized, unsubsidized and consolidated loans, as well as PLUS graduate loans.”

Cedars-Sinai Investigated Over Maltreatment Of Black Mothers
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 15, 2023

Cedars-Sinai Investigated Over Maltreatment Of Black Mothers

An investigation prompted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will look into maltreatment toward Black mothers giving birth at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The death of Kara Dixon Johnson, who died after hemorrhaging following a C-section, sparked the inquiry. Her widowed husband sued the hospital, ultimately settling with them after alleging its negligence toward her, especially as a Black patient, led to her untimely passing.

After filing his original suit, Johnson filed again in 2022, this time a civil rights lawsuit, on the grounds that his wife was not well taken care of due to her race, leading to another settlement.

Calls of racism within the healthcare system, specifically at the hospital, led the Office of Civil Rights within the DOH to open a federal investigation.

“Specifically, OCR is aware of allegations that Black women are provided a standard of care below what is provided to other women who are not Black when receiving healthcare services related to labor and delivery,” Director Melanie Fontes Rainer shared.

The issue is a federal concern as Cedars-Sinai receives funding from the government for its operations, so the problem lies in whether they are infringing upon federally mandated civil rights laws in their care toward patients of diverse backgrounds.

However, Cedars-Sinai insists it is combating the issues perpetuating Black maternal health disparities. Telling the Los Angeles Times, “Cedars-Sinai clinicians, leaders, and researchers have long been concerned with national disparities in Black maternal health, and we are proud of the work we’ve done (and continue to do) to address these issues in Los Angeles as well as at the state and national levels.”

The work mentioned is holding partnerships with, and financial commitments to, nonprofits dedicated to uplifting Black mothers and their children within the Los Angeles community and conducting clinical studies on ways to improve their health through medical care.

However, the Black maternal mortality rate is still significantly higher than that of other races and more than double the rate for white women. In the state itself, which Cedars-Sinai also partners with, is the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, an organization dedicated to connecting state agencies with health provider institutions and associations to curate solutions to combat issues surrounding pregnancy and giving birth.

Despite its list of efforts, the investigation is still ongoing to ensure that, in practice, the hospital is providing the same standard of care to all, especially when the disproportionate Black maternal mortality rate continues on.

RELATED CONTENT: U.S. Maternal Mortality More Than Doubled Since 1999, Most Deaths Among Black Women

Christopher Eubanks, Georgia, tennis, Wimbledon
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 15, 2023

How Christopher Eubanks Became A Must-Watch Underdog At Wimbledon

The last American player left at Wimbledon’s round was a 6’7″ Atlanta native with an underdog story and a thrilling game. 

Christopher Eubanks 27,, who played at Georgia Tech, was already on the rise, but he proved he belonged on tennis’ biggest stage after beating the top tennis player in the UK and making it to the quarterfinals of the venerable tennis tournament. 

Prior to the tournament, the odds of Eubanks winning Wimbledon were 100 to 1.

“I’ve done a pretty good job of focusing in on each match individually and not really focusing on the magnitude of what’s going on,” the 26-year-old said, according to The New York Times.

Eubanks had nearly given up on his playing career when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived; he was ranked around 200 in the world. However, his renewed dedication to the game prompted him to treat it with full-time consideration and to pay the costs required to make it to elite matches. 

 

After making the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, Eubanks became eligible to play in Wimbledon, where he has surpassed all expectations. That includes the Black community. The Olympic committee confirmed that Eubanks is the first African-American player to make it to the quarterfinals since 1996.

After beating the fifth-ranked player, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, in the round of 16, Eubanks advanced to the round of 8, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev, the world’s third-ranked player in five sets, on July 12, 2023. 

Chris O’Connell, who fell to Eubanks early in Wimbledon, saw the he magic of performance this year.

“He’s riding on confidence and he’s playing some unbelievable tennis,” O’Connell said. 

RELATED CONTENT: Coco Gauff May Soon Be Trained By Venus and Serena Williams  Former Tennis Coach

 

Study To Evaluate Risk Factors For Breast And Prostate Cancers Continues
by Daniel Johnson

July 15, 2023

Study To Evaluate Risk Factors For Breast And Prostate Cancers Continues

While it is known that prostate cancer affects Black men at a higher rate than other populations, the exact cause is unknown.

Genetics has long been posited as a major factor, and according to Dr. Firas Abdollah, the three major causes are genetics, low enrollment in clinical trials, and a lack of access to quality care. Abdollah, a urologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said in a post on the hospital’s site: “However, Black men are usually not well represented in clinical trials. Recruitment is low, so the results of a prostate cancer clinical trial don’t necessarily apply to Black men if they weren’t represented in the clinical trial.”

In 2022, a study dedicated to understanding the genetic drivers of breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers was awarded a $1.65 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation. Sophia George and Camille Ragin lead the research project, seeking participants from 9 countries, including the United States.

The study is exclusive to Black patients who are aged 18-85 with a confirmed pathological cancer diagnosis at any stage. The study claims to be able to control for patients who have a history of cancer diagnosis. George was named the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s first associate director of diversity, equity, and inclusion in 2022. Her research focuses on the study of breast and gynecological cancers among women of the African diaspora and Africa. Ragin was named to the same post at the Fox Chase Center, a hospital affiliated with the University of Temple in the same year. Like George, Ragin’s area of research is concerned with cancer disparities affecting Black populations. Ragin is also the founder of the African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium, an organization dedicated to increasing the study of various risk and outcome factors for people of African descent.

The study is currently in year one of an estimated two-year time frame, it is designed to measure how these cancers mutate in Black patients and one of the study’s major collaborators is Pfizer. In recent years, there has been an increased effort to diversify cancer research, spearheaded by the American Association for Cancer Research. During their annual meeting for 2023, they led sessions focused on cancer disparities featuring an examination of how stress coupled with systemic racism and genetic predisposition can serve to indicate an increased risk of cancer as well as adverse health outcomes. The organization also publishes a yearly report analyzing cancer disparities and progress made on that front as well as highlighting the devastating impact they have on those they affect.

George and Ragin’s study is sorely needed and disparities reach back as far as the 1960s. An academic paper entitled Enrollment Matters: The Reality of Disparity and Pursuit of Equity in Clinical Trials quotes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1966 speech to the Convention of the Medical Committee for Human Rights. This speech essentially laid out the minister’s case that matters of health are where he felt as though the inhuman treatment of Black people existed at its absolute worst. That sentiment is felt in today’s lack of data on why and how many chronic diseases, such as breast and prostate cancers, affect Black people differently than they affect people of other ethnicities. More studies such as this one will undoubtedly help the medical community in any attempts to improve the outcomes for Black or people of African descent in the treatment of these diseases.

 

 

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