Son of Former Miami Dolphins Football Player Back on Trial, Charged with Killing Both Parents
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 9, 2023

Son of Former Miami Dolphins Football Player Back on Trial, Charged with Killing Both Parents

According to ABC News, Antonio “A.J.” Armstrong, Jr., the son of Antonio Armstrong, who played for the Miami Dolphins back in 1995, will be heading to trial for a third time after two trials that ended in hung juries. A.J. has been accused of killing his father and mother, Dawn Armstrong in 2016. They were both killed in their sleep in their residence in Houston.

A 20/20 special from last week, hosted by Matt Gutman, chronicled the case and can now be viewed on Hulu.

“AJ Armstrong has maintained his innocence in his parents’ 2016 deaths but remains charged following two criminal trials that have ended with hung juries,” 20/20 tweeted.

On July 29, 2016, police received a call from then-16-year-old A.J. saying that he heard gunshots coming from his parents’ room. First responders got to the scene and found the Armstrongs in bed with gunshot wounds to their heads.

Their son told police officers that he saw someone in a mask in the home when the crime took place.

“Yeah like I saw him running. Like I saw him running,” A.J. stated he told investigators during the interview.

Investigators did not believe him, as they didn’t find any forced entry or evidence of an intruder inside the house. No alarm went off at the time and it was still armed when first responders arrived at the scene, according to audio from the interview. It was noted that A.J. was the one who disarmed the alarm so that police officers could enter the house, according to court documents.

The now-23-year-old has always and still states that he did not kill his parents. Yet, prosecutors are still trying to tie him to the crime.

“There’s no way possible. I couldn’t even fathom the idea of killing my parents,” A.J. expressed to Gutman in last week’s interview on 20/20.

After the first trial in 2019, jurors were deadlocked and a mistrial was declared. A second trial took place in October 2022 and that jury was also deadlocked, with eight votes to acquit him and four to convict.

Judge Kelli Johnson declared a mistrial.

The Shadow League reported that the next trial will take place next month. Jury selection will start on February 24, with planned testimonies going down on March 20. His grandparents have asked the court to drop the charges.

by Stacy Jackson

January 9, 2023

Tina Knowles-Lawson Showers Granddaughter Blue Ivy With Love in Warmhearted Birthday Post

This was a loving birthday tribute from grandmother to granddaughter.

Tina Knowles-Lawson acknowledged her Grammy-winning granddaughter Blue Ivy Carter with a sentimental message in celebration of the pre-teen’s 11th birthday this past weekend.

According to Today, Knowles-Lawson took to her Instagram a day after Blue Ivy’s birthday to shower her granddaughter with words of love.

In the photo, Blue Ivy is seen posing next to her grandmother on the sand.

“The day that you were born was one of the best days of my life,” Knowles-Lawson’s caption began.

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A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson)

According to the post, Knowles-Lawson, who turned 69 on January 4, prayed that her granddaughter would share the same birthday as her, revealing how she tried to get her daughter Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to give birth a few days earlier to Blue Ivy, who was born on January 7.

“I really wanted you to share my birthday, but like your auntie Solo you decided to come when you were good and damn ready and that was on January 7 three days after my birthday,” she added, acknowledging her younger daughter and Blue Ivy’s auntie, Solange Knowles.

“Knowing you and your personality now, I realize that you needed your own day because you were such a queen and you are so very special! You can sing, dance, play basketball, play volleyball, paint, draw, sculpt, sew, write poetry, write songs, create, act, play the piano. I could go on and on. Because there’s really nothing that you can’t do,” she continued.

“I could not ask for a better granddaughter Ms. Blue Ivy Carter!” she said, expressing how grateful and blessed she is to have her in her life.

She concluded her message by expressing how much she truly loved her granddaughter, before signing it “Grandma T.”

Blue Ivy is the oldest child of celebrity artists Beyoncé and Jay-Z Carter, who tied the knot in 2008. The Carters have also given birth to Blue Ivy’s 5 -year-old twin siblings Sir and Rumi.

10-Year-Old Brain Cancer Survivor and His Dad Create ‘Little Hands’ Basketball Program for Children
by Diamond Jeune

January 9, 2023

10-Year-Old Brain Cancer Survivor and His Dad Create ‘Little Hands’ Basketball Program for Children

Ryan Rasul and his father, Harold Rasul, are making a difference in their community in Ohio by starting a youth basketball program named “Little Hands,” following the 10-year-old’s battle with brain cancer. 

Cleveland’s WKYC reported that Ryan was first diagnosed with ependymoma in 2014 after a tumor was found in his brain. Cedars-Sinai describes ependymoma as a cancerous tumor that “starts in the brain or spinal cord” and can occur in children and adults.  

Those individuals diagnosed with ependymoma can experience various symptoms, depending on where the tumor is found. The list includes seizures, headaches, and mobility issues, to name a few. There are numerous ways to treat ependymoma, such as surgery and radiation therapy.

Following Ryan’s diagnosis, the 5th grader underwent three brain surgeries. Since the operation, Ryan has flourished in his personal life. He also joined forces with his father, using their love for basketball to teach the youth at Citizens Academy Southeast.

On January 7, during an interview with NBC News, Ryan shared what he thought was the best part of being a leader. He said, “My favorite part about being a coach is inspiring other people to pursue their dreams.”

When asked if his story inspired the creation of the program, Ryan explained, “It’s definitely a driving force, and I have to be on my best behavior at all times so [that] I could be a good leader, and the kids could look up to me.”

Further in the discussion, Harold expressed that “it means a lot” to have Ryan following in his footsteps with coaching. He added that this experience would help Ryan understand his purpose and value in life.

When asked how he feels seeing how excited the children are to be a part of the team, Ryan said, “It’s heartwarming. Every time I feel discouraged, or if I feel angry, I just think about those kids that are looking up to me.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

January 9, 2023

NFL Bills Safety Damar Hamlin Released From Hospital, Returns to Buffalo

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been released from a Cincinnati hospital one week after suffering cardiac arrest during an NFL game and has returned to Buffalo, New York, doctors said on Monday.

Doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where Hamlin spent the last week said he traveled well by air and will continue to be monitored by a care team in Buffalo.

“I can confirm he is doing well and this is the beginning of the next stage of his recovery,” Dr. William Knight told reporters.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Lizzo
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 9, 2023

Lizzo Puts On Bikini to Blast ‘Tired’ Trolls Commenting On Her Body Size

Lizzo put on a two-piece bikini to call out the social media trolls who constantly badger her with “tired” comments about her body size.

The Grammy Award-winning singer took to TikTok on Friday to address all the negative body-shaming she sees across social media and how much “delusion” it spreads.

“The discourse around bodies is officially tired,” Lizzo shouted at the camera.

“I’ve seen comments go from, ‘Oh my gosh, I liked you when you were thick. Why did you lose weight?’ ‘Oh my gosh, why did you get a BBL? I liked your body before.’ ‘Oh my gosh, you’re so big. You need to lose weight but for your health’ to ‘Oh my gosh, you’re so little. You need to get a– or titties or something.’ ‘Oh my gosh, why did she get all that work done? It’s too much work.’”

@lizzoFOR THE PPL IN THE BACK🍑♬ original sound – lizzo

Lizzo went on to call out the body shamers for not recognizing the “art” within different body types.

“Are we OK? Do you see the delusion? Do you realize that artists are not here to fit into your beauty standards? Artists are here to make art,” she said.

The “About Damn Time” singer then decided to show off her body while encouraging others to focus on more important things than what someone else looks like.

“And this body is art. I’mma do whatever I want with this body,” Lizzo quipped.

“I wish that comments costed y’all money so we could see how much time we are f—ing wasting on the wrong thing. Can we leave that s— back there please?”

Lizzo remains one of the most vocal and standout advocates for body positivity in the entertainment industry. While covering Vanity Fair in October 2022, Lizzo explained her views on living a healthy lifestyle.

“I lead a very healthy lifestyle — mentally, spiritually, I try to keep everything I put in my body super clean,” she said. “Health is something I prioritize, wherever that leads me physically. Like veganism, people were like, ‘You’re a vegan? What, are you deep frying the lettuce?’ I’m not a vegan to lose weight, I just feel better when I eat plants.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 9, 2023

50 Cent Claims Jay-Z Purposely Left Him Out of Super Bowl Commercial

50 Cent and Jay-Z might’ve both built hip-hop empires, but the two moguls have never been good friends.

50, real name Curtis Jackson, made that clear when he recently insinuated that Hova, real name Shawn Carter, purposely left him out of the commercial for the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show. 50 Cent was among the star-studded lineup for the show as part of Dr. Dre’s headlining set.

The Aftermath creator brought along artists and affiliates he’s helped develop throughout his three-decade career, including Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar. The halftime show was a byproduct of Jay-Z’s multiyear partnership with the NFL he signed in 2019.

But with Jay-Z and 50 Cent feuding for the last two decades, 50 remains convinced that the Roc Nation leader purposely wanted him left out of the commercial promoting the 2022 halftime show. 50 sat down with radio personality Big Boy last week, where he dished on the performance and explained his continued quarrel with Hova.

“I wasn’t in the ad because of….Jay-Z and them was putting it together,” 50 Cent explained. “And I think they still harbor some energy towards me.”

 

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A post shared by Diverse Mentality (@diversementality)

When Big Boy asked if 50 believes he was purposely left out of the Super Bowl ad, 50 claimed that he was initially told that the NFL had issues with him that 50 remains clueless about.

“I don’t know what those issues are,” he said.

The rapper wasn’t done. He explained how Drink Champs host N.O.R.E confided in 50 and told him about Eminem petitioning to have 50 Cent included in the show. That’s when 50 decided to liken Jay-Z to “a gay painter.”

“We’re talking about Basquiat, he [Jay-Z] wants to look like a gay painter,” 50 told a clearly taken aback Big Boy.

50 ended by saying he believes the NFL claims were really a call by Jay-Z to keep him out of the halftime show ad. When asked if he and Jay-Z have spoken about the disagreement, 50 Cent said there was “nothing” for them to discuss.

It’s not the first time 50 Cent has referred to Jay-Z as a “gay painter,” he shared the same sentiments last year when N.O.R.E first revealed his private conversation with Hova, EURWeb reports.

“NORE, Your big homie is running around trying to look like a gay painter. 🎨👨‍🎨LOL,” 50 wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post.

Kenyan LGBTQ Activist Edwin Chiloba Discovered Dead in Metal Box
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 9, 2023

Kenyan LGBTQ Activist Edwin Chiloba Discovered Dead in Metal Box

According to The Associated Press, Edwin Chiloba, known for fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community, was found dead in western Kenya last week. Officials have stated that his body was found stuffed into a metal box.

Chiloba’s body was discovered on Wednesday on a road in Uasin Gishu County.

Police officers said that a motorcycle taxi operator reported that he witnessed the metal box being dumped by a car that had no license plates.

When the police officers opened the box they discovered a decomposing body allegedly dressed in women’s clothes. The body was taken to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and it was determined that it was Chiloba. They are now trying to figure out the cause of death. Police spokesperson Resila Onyango stated that there are no motives for the death.

“We don’t know for now why he was killed that way. Experts are handling the matter,” she said.

The Washington Post reported that a suspect has been arrested. The county commissioner, Eddyson Nyale named 24-year-old Jactone Odhiambo as the suspected killer. He had been seen with Chiloba at several locations.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), which is a nongovernmental organization, stated, “This is a frightening crime but it’s becoming common in Kenya — evidence of a growing epidemic of violence in the country.”

The organization also posted about Chiloba’s death.

“On Tuesday, the body of Edwin Chiloba was found in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu county after he was brutally killed & dumped in the area by unknown assailants.”

A friend of the dead activist, MaryLize Biubwa, who is also co-founder of Queer Republic, an LGBTQ rights group, said that Chiloba had been attacked twice in the past year, once in July and then again in September.

“He was full of life; it’s so sad to think of his life in this way at the moment, because he was a lifegiver,” Biubwa said.

“His fight is not just for him, it’s for everyone who is queer, who is different, who is criminalized by the society we live in. Chiloba could’ve really been any queer person, and that’s the saddest thing.”

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 9, 2023

Roc Nation Cashes In on Cannabis Industry with ‘The Parent Company’ Partnership

It looks like Jay-Z can do more than produce hip-hop greatness. His company, Roc Nation, is working with cannabis industry giant, The Parent Company, restructuring their growing partnership.

The Insider reported that the terms of the agreement will put Jay-Z, Roc Nation, and their affiliates on top. The company will return about 7.1 million common shares of The Parent Company, with the organization saving close to “$33.5 million in top-line costs over an eight-year period.”

“We are excited for the continued growth of The Parent Company and our future together in the cannabis industry,” Jay-Z said in a statement. The Parent Company CEO and chairman Troy Datcher, thanked Roc Nation and the team for their “significant creative contributions.”

The stock has fallen some from its original pricing of $10 after the SPAC who created it went public. It was recently selling for 19 cents a share.

Cannabis brand, Monogram, was also included in the agreement. Ownership of the brand will be moved to an entity under SC Branding and the 53-year-old hip-hop legend. The Parent Company will gain an exclusive and royalty-free license, allowing them to distribute the brand across California over a period of eight years. TPCO will be able to sell current Monogram products, but will have the right to sell future Monogram products in all forms.

Roc Nation CEO, Desiree Perez, believes the partnership puts the company in a “versatile position to address social equity issues” along with creating “better opportunities for multicultural business leaders.”

“Our hope is that we’ll be collectively poised to create comprehensive and longstanding change across the cannabis industry for decades to come.”

They will be starting this sooner than later. Reports show The Parent Company is launching “Brand Success Program,” a 12-week program “to provide minority owned brands with guaranteed shelf space and individualized mentorship by TPCO Sales, Marketing, Retail, and Operational Leaders.”

The program is set to begin mid-January.

by Diamond Jeune

January 9, 2023

Thurgood Marshall Portrait by Black Artist Unveiled by Maryland Lawmakers

Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bill to remove former U.S. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney’s statue from the Capitol and replace it with a figure of the late civil rights attorney and first Black Justice of the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall.

The reason behind Taney’s bust removal, which originally sat at the Old Supreme Court Chamber entrance in Washington D.C., was because the congressional leaders wanted to denounce racism—and the individuals that participated in it—and pay tribute to those who positively impacted America.

Taney’s history of racism stemmed during his time as a leader of the Supreme Court from 1836 to 1864. In 1857, Taney wrote the Dred Scott decision, which ruled against citizenship for Black people and supported slavery. Following the House’s announcement, limited information about Marshall’s statue was released to the general public.

Despite that, another one of Marshall’s tributes made headlines on Jan. 5. According to The Washington Post, a portrait of Marshall was unveiled during a special ceremony in the Maryland Senate building. Black artist Ernest Shaw’s painting showed a young Marshall in 1935 following his win of a “Court of Appeals case” that desegregated the University of Maryland Law School.

Senator William C. Smith Jr. opened during the ceremony by speaking about how monumental this moment was to him and others after seeking to remove a photo of Celcius Calvert, a former governor of Newfoundland, because historians claimed he was a slave owner.

While addressing the positive changes, Smith said, “A lot of people say it’s not a big deal—symbols won’t educate the uneducated or put food on the table or shelter the unsheltered—but we all know the symbols matter a lot because they make public spaces like this more open, and welcoming for everyone.”

He added, “Just think about how impactful a portrait like this will be for someone that has never seen themselves reflected on the walls of the halls of power. A portrait of a young attorney in the midst of his fight for civil rights will serve as a symbol of hope for all who would come to the committee in search of justice.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 9, 2023

‘Right Now I’m Running on Adrenaline’: Al Roker Returns to ‘Today Show’ Months After Health Scare

Lovable weatherman and TV personality Al Roker has returned to the NBC Today studio after a recent health scare.

Last week, Roker walked back on set, smiling as he was greeted by co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.

“I have missed you guys so very much,” he stated to the pair. “You are my second family and it’s just great to be back — and wearing pants! It’s so much fun.”

It was the weatherman’s first appearance in the studio since being hospitalized in November. The 68-year-old returned weeks after he admitted to being in the hospital for blood clots in his legs and lungs. He was absent from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and for the first time in 27 years, viewers didn’t see him and his cheeriness on the television screen.

“The countdown is finally over. Al is back in studio with us for the first time in more than two months!”

https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1611333412278738944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

“My heart is just bursting,” he said. “I’m just so thrilled to see all of you and the crew. Right now I’m running on adrenaline.”

Roker was stricken with COVID-19 in September, and according to Today, he revealed he was dealing with “two complicating things” — blood clots that developed after he contracted the coronavirus and internal bleeding.

He was placed in an intensive care unit, particularly the surgical ICU, he stated.

In a recent segment, Roker’s gastroenterologist, Dr. Felice H. Schnoll-Sussman, spoke about his condition.

“(We) were extraordinarily concerned about Al. Extraordinarily concerned. He had a life-threatening experience. I mean, there’s just no doubt about that.”

Roker had surgery after the medical team responsible for his care discovered that he had two bleeding ulcers. They resectioned his colon, took out his gallbladder, and then had to redo his duodenum, part of the small intestine.

The surgery took seven hours to complete.

“I went into for one operation, I got four free,” Al joked. “I really do feel good. I’m sure I’m going to collapse like a stone after this is over because this is the first work I’ve done. “It’s been a journey.”

He does credit his wife, Deborah Roberts, for helping him through this.

“Thank God for Deborah. She basically shielded me from a lot of this. I had no idea how sick I was. I am a living example of ignorance is bliss. … I was able to put all my energy into just recuperating because I didn’t know how bad off I was.”

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