Enough Is Enough: President Biden Announces Executive Order Boosting Background Checks With Gun Sales
President Joe Biden is taking a stand on gun background checks.
According to NPR, Biden announced an executive order this week that will potentially boost the number of background checks that are supposed to take place before the purchase of a gun. The announcement was made while Biden visited Monterey Park, California, which made headlines after a mass shooting killed 11 people during Lunar New Year celebrations in January.
To date, there has been more than 100 mass shootings in 2023.
“We remember and mourn today, but I’m here with you today to act,” Biden said. “It’s just common sense to check whether someone is a felon, a domestic abuser before they buy a gun.” According to USA Today, federal law requires individuals in the gun selling industry to be federally licensed, requiring background checks of buyers. Under the order, Attorney General Merrick Garland will use his discretion guaranteeing gun sellers who “willfully violate the law” and others simply unaware of background requirements become compliant.
People who sell guns, ranging from small collections to internet sales, may not know background checks are required. Just last summer, Congress passed new gun safety legislation for the first time in almost 30 years, which redefines who is considered a gun dealer.
Biden has been under tons of pressure to address gun violence, given the growing amount of mass shootings, however, due to a Republican-controlled House proposals to reissue a ban on assault weapons have fallen on deaf ears.
The work still needs to be done as Biden is calling on members of his cabinet to collaborate with law enforcement, health care providers and educators to promote safe ways to prevent shootings.
“We need to provide more mental health support for grief and trauma, and more financial assistance if a family loses the sole breadwinner, or when a small business shuts down due to a lengthy shooting investigation,” Biden said.
Safety measures including passing red-flag laws and encouraging the safe storage of weapons will be issued under this order.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Sold His NBA Championship Rings And Other Memorabilia For $2.8M In Auction
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put four of his NBA championship rings up for auction back in 2019.
According to ESPN, Jabbarr’s four championship rings, and other memorabilia were for auction with the proceeds going to Jabbarr’s Skyhook Foundation in an effort to help kids interested in science, math, engineering, and technology.
Included in the auction was an autographed basketball used during his final game in 1989.
“When it comes to choosing between storing a championship ring or trophy in a room or providing kids with an opportunity to change their lives, the choice is pretty simple. Sell it all,” Jabbar said.
He added: “Looking back on what I have done with my life, instead of gazing at the sparkle of jewels or gold plating celebrating something I did a long time ago, I’d rather look into the delighted face of a child holding their first caterpillar and think about what I might be doing for their future.”
“That’s a history that has no price.”
ESPN also reported some of the championship rings started at $60,000. Game-worn jerseys and trophies were also up for sell to the highest bidder.
“Since my life is still happening and ever-evolving, I am less personally attached to those items than I am to my desire to create new history for myself — and futures for others,” Jabbar said. “Much of the proceeds from my auction will go to support my charity, the Skyhook Foundation, whose mission is to ‘give kids a shot that can’t be blocked. We do this by sending children from economically challenged schools to spend five days in the Angeles National Forest to experience the wonders of nature and learn the basics about science, technology, and engineering.”
Jabbarr won six NBA championships—five with the Lakers and one with the Milwaukee Bucks. He held the NBA scoring title for 39 years until LeBron James broke the record back in February.
Snowfall’s Damson Idris Recalls John Singleton Taking Him to South Central, ‘If You Survive, You’ve Got the Role’
The television drama, Snowfall, is entering its last season. The series focuses on the drug trade during the crack era surrounding a character named Franklin, played by British actor, Damson Idris. He explained to talk show host, Drew Barrymore, the last process he had to take part in to secure his role in the FX drama.
Idris has been gaining critical acclaim for his performance as a young hustler moving “weight” throughout Los Angeles during the 1980s, at the start of the crack era. The series was reportedly inspired by the real-life experiences of the show’s co-creator, the late John Singleton.
Idris told Barrymore the last test he had to face was going to the neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles to experience the environment of the character he was hoping to play. He was told he needed to walk around that part of town, which is known for the dangers of street life. But, not only was he to take a stroll in the hood, but he had to do it in “character.” He couldn’t be Damson, he had to do so as Franklin. He also spoke about Singleton’s mother immediately recognizing that he was definitely not from the neighborhood.
“By audition number eight, Singleton took me to South Central, opened the car door, and said, ‘If you survive, you’ve got the role,’ Idris said. “And it really was an experience. I was walking around South Central, I had to stay in character, so I wasn’t allowed to be British,” Idris, 31, recalled with a laugh. “And, I said to his mother, ‘Oh, how lovely your hair looks today. I’m just going to go and put this in a bin,’ and she goes, ‘John, he ain’t from here, huh?’ Nearly lost the part. But hey, six seasons later, here we are.”
Snowfall, which premiereded in 2017, is currently airing its final season. You can catch it every Wednesday on FX and also view it on Hulu.
What matters the most is that the legacy lasts beyond just now.
DJ Quik Remembers the Time Michael Jackson Made Him Face the Wall at His Studio
DJ Quik made an Off The Wall shocker about the king of pop, Michael Jackson.
During a recent episode of All The Smoke, the legendary West Coast producer remembered the time he almost came face to face with Jackson while both were in the same recording studio. He said he booked a session to record his first single, “Tonight,” at Westlake studio, which was owned by the King of Pop.
While taking a break, he said they were told the Bad singer was coming to the studio to use a different room at the facility.
“They came through, warned everybody that Michael finna come through, and uh, he didn’t want nobody to see him coming through or looking, right” Quik recalled to former NBA players, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. “So everybody chilling, we taking a break from the studio, and these guys come in and they like ‘Hey y’all, um we about to bring somebody through here.’ They didn’t ask us to leave. They asked us to just turn around and face the wall, while they bring the artist through.”
He said he questioned them and asked, “Are y’all serious?” Then he and his boys were asked to turn around and face the wall so Jackson could walk through. He couldn’t believe the request, but they complied and he said when they were facing the wall, he heard MJ’s penny loafers tapping by him, running to the studio. He never saw his face or had the chance to speak with him and was in disbelief they had to face the wall as he walked through.
Quik also said there was another time when Jackson used his studio. He said this time, he wasn’t as “timid as he was” at the first encounter and was “more cool.” He mentioned Jackson may have thought he was a Blood and insinuated Jackson was a Crip.
This Just In: Data Proves Alarming Rise of SIDS Cases in Black Infants During COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic brought on many deaths, however, a new study showed a certain demographic was impacted the most.
NBC Newsreported the rate of SIDS among Black infants increased by 15% during the early days of the pandemic. SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, describes when an infant’s cause of death can’t be definitively explained. In just one year, the rate jumped from over 33 deaths per 100,000 babies born in 2019 to 38.2 in 2020.
According to the CDC journal, Pediatrics, data is not normally broken down by race and ethnicity, however, SID numbers are, explaining the discovery of the increase, something researchers said was surprising as it’s not affecting any other racial or ethnic groups. “We would typically – ideally – look at five years of data in order to see any sort of trend emerging. So, these are very preliminary findings,” study author, Sharyn Parks Brown, said. “But this is something that we’re going to have to continue monitoring,” she further stated.
They have yet to identify a reason for the increase, but they suspect it could have something to do with new guidelines from the National Association of Medical Examiners on how SIDS babies are identified on death certificates. “If the new guidance was followed, this could have led to increased reporting of SIDS,” Parks Brown said. According to the new guidance, finding babies on or close to soft bedding was not enough to qualify deaths as suffocation by accident without proper evidence the children’s airways were blocked.
Under those circumstances, those cases should be classified as SIDS.
So how can these numbers change? Experts say to simply identify safer sleeping partners for babies. Dr. Rebecca Carlin told CNN more than 95% of SID deaths occur due to at least one unsafe sleep risk factor, including the infant sleeping on their stomach, sleeping in a parent’s bed instead of a crib, or tobacco use by the parents.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends very young infants to sleep on their backs until they turn one. They should also sleep in their beds, alone, on firm, flat surfaces with fitted sheets only.
Black-Owned Bakery, Crust By Mack, Is Bringing Culture To Baltimore’s Harbor
Amanda Mack, who runs the Black-family-owned restaurant, Crust by Mack, is bringing her delicious baked goods to Baltimore’s iconic Harborplace.
According to the Baltimore Banner, developer P. David Bramble is looking to bring Black business owners into the Harborplace, an iconic retail space in Baltimore that is being remade.
Bramble, also managing partner and co-founder of MCB Real Estate, decided he wanted to work with Mack after tasting her pastries.
“I knew at some point I wanted her to be part of some of the things we were doing in Baltimore,” Bramble said to the Baltimore Banner. “I wasn’t able to eat the stuff that people love the most. But I’ve had lots of the other stuff. And man, it’s delicious. And it’s mostly sold out when you get there. She’s a natural fit.”
“It was truly the heart of Baltimore. It didn’t matter how much money you had; it was a central point and meeting point for residents to take in all the beauty that Baltimore has to offer,” Mack said of bringing her business to the Harbor.
She added: “Waterfront real estate statistically in Baltimore isn’t for Black-owned small businesses even though Black people make up more than half of these businesses’ consumer base. We are reduced to stands, windows, and carts to sell our products because, systemically, it’s assumed that we can’t handle this type of operation.”
According to the Baltimore Banner, the city’s Harbor was once a major slave trading post.
“This is where we came from,” Mack’s mother, Tiffany Wingate, said. “My heart melted when I found out she was getting a space here because our history is on this water. Where we started does not determine where we end up.”
“Culturally, we were brought here, sold here. The Harbor was one of the ports that our ancestors were brought to and sold. To be on the water and be connected to the ancestors, it’s not just a humbling experience; I want to pay homage to them,” Mack said.
Crust By Mack will also offer entertainment for its guests.
“We’re going to bring music, entertainment, culture, and art. We’re going to bring the culture down to the Inner Harbor,” Mack said.
Beam Appoints Technology Executive Kimberly Morgan as Chief Operations Officer
Beam – the end-to-end platform that streamlines equitable public benefits administration – today announced Kimberly Morgan as Chief Operations Officer to lead the company’s people and processes and advance its mission of bringing dignity to the social safety net. Kimberly brings deep C-suite technology experience, with an emphasis on driving operational excellence by building and empowering great teams. Since 2020, Beam has administered over $200 million to 300,000 families throughout the United States.
“For Beam to truly fulfill our mission of transforming the social safety net and helping governments deliver resources and assistance in a manner that is truly fast, equitable, and effective, we need to continue to represent a second-to-none leadership team that not only lives our passion for this mission, but also has tremendous expertise around both the machinations of government and a track record of building high impact, scalable financial technology,” said David Helene, founder and CEO of Beam. “With a multi-decade career in government, public policy, and fintech, Kimberly brings all of this and then some, and I could not be more excited to welcome her to the Beam team to help us continue to grow rapidly in a way that ensures Beam’s platform is transforming the digital infrastructure of our local and state governments and helping build more equitable communities.”
Outdated and manual processes cost Americans an estimated $117 billion and government agencies an estimated $38.7 billion every year, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. These administrative barriers, including excessive paperwork, complex application forms, and more, hold up billions in social safety net funds from reaching those in need. Building products that work for diverse audiences requires incorporating a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences into development and user testing. Especially with the delivery of public benefits, where products have public policy implications, inclusive teams are vital to generate outcomes tailored to serve our most vulnerable populations.
In her role as COO, Kimberly will help ensure Beam’s platform increases equitable and fast delivery of critical public benefits to those that need them most. The company’s cloud-based software streamlines applications, case management, and distribution for a wide range of programs including rental relief, utility subsidies, emergency cash aid, and more.
“Lived experience is essential to developing products for the public sector. After spending years in financial technology, nonprofit work, and politics, I saw an opportunity to enter the govtech industry and use technology solutions as an avenue to positively impact historically marginalized communities,” said Kimberly Morgan, COO at Beam. “I am thrilled to join the incredible team at Beam and help build a truly inclusive platform for public benefits administration that serves communities of all sizes, demographics, and locations.”
An accountant by trade, Kimberly left a financial management role to work with Representative John Lewis in pursuit of creating people-centered impact. With Representative Lewis, she managed global and domestic delegations for representatives, elected officials, and dignitaries. Notably, she organized the 50th Anniversary pilgrimage to Selma, which was attended by former President Barack Obama.
Following her position working with Congressman Lewis, Kimberly co-founded Ahead Financials Inc. (which was successfully acquired). Kimberly’s leadership across government, finance, inclusion, and technology directly informs her new role at Beam, equipping government agencies with the technology they need to ensure laws, policies, and initiatives are effectively and equitably implemented.
“Beam’s expansion into government is an exciting opportunity for the company to do well by serving the most people,” said Margot Kane, Chief Investment Officer at Spring Point Partners and Beam board member. “The addition of Kimberly to the leadership team ensures Beam will be able to execute with the nuance and sophistication required, and to maximize the impact the company brings into the world as it scales.”
Kimberly’s appointment follows the close of Beam’s company rebrand and $6.4 million Series A led by Potencia Ventures, with participation from Spring Point Partners, American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, Imaginable Futures, Lumina Impact Ventures, Michelson Runway, and Schmidt Futures.
Sweetkiwi Founder Ehime Eigbe Enters the ‘Shark Tank’ with Her Frozen Whipped Dessert
These entrepreneurs were frozen in shock after a shark started biting in the shark tank.
Ehime Eigbe, the owner of frozen whipped Greek yogurt brand Sweetkiwi, recently pitched her low-sugar, low-calorie creation to ABC’sShark Tank investors to secure a $250,000 investment for a 5% stake in her company.
During the episode, aired on March 10, Eigbe and her husband, Michael Akindele, presented the dessert to the investors, but hit a bit of a bumpy road after communicating with each shark. The couple had an offer on the table from Kevin O’Leary, but the shark pulled his offer after getting upset that they weren’t considering his investment.
It wasn’t game over for Sweetkiwi just yet, as Robert Herjavec was still interested in pursuing his investment in the company.
‘What I look for is with people that can land on their feet and adapt,” Herjavec told the couple. “Adaptability is the greatest strength of an entrepreneur. I don’t have a lot of investment in this space, but I love this space, and I want to learn.”
“I’ve been looking to learn with somebody. I’ve been looking to partner with somebody where I can use my capital, my experience with enterprises, and we can build something great,” he continued. There are no two better people that I’m going to put my money into than the two of you.”
Herjavec put a big smile on Eigbe’s face as he predicted the company could be worth $50 million or $100 million.
The couple left the tank with a deal from Herjavec agreeing to a $250,000 investment for a 16% stake in Sweetkiwi.
Eigbe previously shared the story behind her company with BLACK ENTERPRISE, saying she started the company after enduring a battle with fibroids. To implement a healthy lifestyle, she wanted to create a tasty yogurt that could support the body in absorbing proper nutrients.
“Our mission is to change the way consumers experience food by creating food products that are delicious, nutrient-dense, and support the body in absorbing nutrients with a commitment to advocating for safe, sustainable, and equitable food systems within the communities we operate in,” Eigbe shared.
Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Has Checked Into a Counseling Program in Florida
The Memphis Grizzlies’ young superstar, Ja Morant, has been running into a lot of trouble lately and was recently suspended by the NBA team. It was reported that he had checked himself into a counseling program, with no timetable for his return to the basketball court.
ESPN Senior NBA InsiderAdrian Wojnarowski reported the news on his Twitter account.
“Reporting with@ESPN_MacMahon: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has entered a counseling program in Florida and there remains no timetable for his return to active play.”
Reporting with @ESPN_MacMahon: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has entered a counseling program in Florida and there remains no timetable for his return to active play.
There has been no official announcement from the Grizzlies yet, but they released a statement last week on his availability.
“Ja Morant will continue to remain away from the team for at least the next four games.”
That announcement came after Morant was seen earlier this month on his Instagram account showing off and appearing to wave a gun while he was inside a club. After an investigation, Morant was initially suspended for two games.
Various former professional sports players have chastised Morant for his reckless behavior. Sports announcers like Shannon Sharpe (who almost got into fisticuffs with Morant’s father) and Shaquille O’Neal have been vocal regarding his exploits off the court.
Morant is also being sued by a teenager accusing him of allegedly punching a 17-year-old boy during a pickup game at his house last year. He also claimed that Morant flashed a gun at him. A mall security guard accused Morant of threatening him and stated that one of Morant’s friends also shoved him.
The basketball player did release a statement after being suspended and before entering counseling.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis, and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better ways of dealing with my stress and my overall well-being.”
DOJ: Louisville Police Officer Allowed Police Dog to Attack 14-Year-Old Boy
After a two-year investigation, theDepartment of Justice(DOJ) found that the Louisville Police Department violated the civil rights of Black people by using excessive force. Part of that included a cop using a police dog to attack a 14-year-old boy, resulting in the boy being hospitalized, according toInsider.
On March 8, the DOJ released an 86-page report, which included the incident of an officer allowing his canine to attack and gnaw on the boy’s arm.
“The officer was leading his dog to search for a person suspected of a home invasion. After searching for several minutes, the officer saw the teenager lying on the ground, face down in the grass,” the Justice Department wrote in its report. “Immediately after noticing the teen, the officer deployed his dog off-leash—without giving any warning—and ordered the dog to bite the teen at least seven times.”
The report also stated that the boy pleaded for help “while the dog gnawed on his arm,” adding that “at one point, an officer shouted, ‘Stop fighting my dog!’ despite video showing the teen lying still with one arm behind his back and the other arm in the dog’s mouth.”
The boy was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for injuries to his arm and back.
The report stated that the DOJ believes the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government used “excessive force, including unjustified neck restraints and the unreasonable use of police dogs and tasers. Unlawfully executes search warrants without knocking and announcing [and] unlawfully stops, searches, detains, and arrests people during street enforcement activities, including traffic and pedestrian stops.”
That wasn’t the report’s most damning statement.
“The Department of Justice has reasonable cause to believe that the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law,” the report stated.
