Naomi Osaka Partners With Mental Health Wellness Brand Hyperice
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 3, 2022

Naomi Osaka Partners With Mental Health Wellness Brand Hyperice

Tennis phenom Naomi Osaka has brought awareness to mental health after admitting that she has struggled with hers. Now she has partnered with a wellness brand to help you with your mental health.

Hyperice, a global high-performance wellness brand, has announced a partnership with Osaka. The collaboration has launched a guided meditation narrated by the four-time Grand Slam singles champion.

“I want to be a voice in helping those who may not be as open when it comes to the topic of mental health,” said Osaka in a written statement. “I hope the meditation I co-developed with Modern Health can inspire those to start a practice of their own as it has helped me so much in my mental health journey. I’m excited to combine my long-time support of Hyperice with my advocacy role at Modern Health to help make mental health practices more accessible and approachable for everyone.”

The narrated meditation “Relax with Naomi” includes the tennis star giving instructions and encouraging users to breathe in concert with gentle high and low tones. It can be obtained in the Core App and was developed by the global workplace mental health platform, Modern Health.

“Our mission is to make excellent mental health care more accessible for people across the globe,” commented Alyson Watson, founder & CEO of Modern Health.

“We are delighted to offer one of our meditations co-created between our clinical experts and our chief community health advocate, Naomi Osaka, to Hyperice users to further that mission and normalize the topic of mental health in communities around the world.”

This is Osaka’s latest business move outside the confines of the tennis court.

In August, the company she started, KINLÒ, incorporated five college student-athletes for her inaugural #GlowOutside campaign. She secured NIL brand partnerships with five college athletes aimed at educating communities of color about the importance of year-round SPF use for melanin-rich skin, according to a press release. 

Those athletes are Deja Kelly, the University of North Carolina (basketball);  Reilyn Turner, UCLA (soccer); Robert Dillingham, University of Kentucky (basketball): Xolani Hodel, Stanford University (beach volleyball); and Ziyah Holman, University of Michigan (track and field).

Kamala Harris, Black Men Vote Pac, Harris Economy, Harris
by Derek Major

November 3, 2022

Vice President Kamala Harris Announces $13 Billion Plan To Combat High Energy Costs From Low Winter Temperatures

Vice President Kamala Harris has announced new steps that the Biden administration will take to help lower energy costs for Americans this winter.

ABC News reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide $4.5 billion in assistance to help with heating costs for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program has helped more than 5 million households across the country with their heating, cooling, and weatherization, according to the White House.

“In addition to covering home heating costs this winter and unpaid utility bills, the program will help families make cost-effective home energy repairs to lower their heating and cooling bills,” the White House said in a release.

The U.S. Department of Energy will reportedly allocate $9 billion in funds from the Inflation Reduction Act to help upgrade more than 1 million homes across the U.S. and decrease their energy bills. The funds will be used for two rebate programs: one for whole-home energy efficiency retrofits and one for highly efficient and electric home appliances.

“In addition to lowering costs, energy-efficient and electric building and appliance upgrades can reduce indoor and local outdoor air pollution, improving health in our communities,” the White House said.

“In addition, they will cut millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year to help tackle climate change.”

Harris discussed the measure during a White House press conference on Wednesday.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), almost half of U.S. households are heated using natural gas and their bills could increase by almost 30% this winter. Heating oil prices will increase by 27% and electricity prices will jump by 10%.

There are a number of factors contributing to the increase in energy costs, including inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine War which is entering its ninth month and shows no signs of slowing down.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting drier than average conditions this winter across the South and wetter than average conditions for the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, Northern Rocky Mountains, and Pacific Northwest.

Oil CEOs are also beginning to caution people about the winter of 2023, which they’re expecting to be much worse.

“We’ve got a difficult winter ahead, and subsequent to that we’ve got a more difficult winter in the year ahead of that, because the production that is available to Europe in the first half of 2023 is considerably less than the production we had available to us in the first half of 2022,” Russell Hardy, CEO of major oil trader Vitol, told CNBC.

“So the consequences of energy shortage and therefore price escalation, all of the things that have been discussed here about the cost of living, the expectation of problems ahead, clearly need to be thought about in that context.”

Meet the 4 Black Women Awarded Up to $50K by PayPal to Economically Empower Their Communities
by Jeffrey McKinney

November 3, 2022

Meet the 4 Black Women Awarded Up to $50K by PayPal to Economically Empower Their Communities

Four Black women have achieved high honors as the winners of an award named after the first woman—and Black woman—to own a bank in the U.S., Maggie Lena Walker.

The Black American women business owners are blazing their own trails as the winners of the second annual Maggie Lena Walker Award. They each received recognition and a cash award of up to $50,000 from fintech giant PayPal Holdings Inc. The accolade celebrates the achievements of women from underrepresented groups in the U.S. who are economically empowering others in their communities and creating a more inclusive world, per a release.

The 2022 PayPal Maggie Lena Walker Award recipients are focused on supporting underserved entrepreneurs, including providing them capital access and boosting their exposure to new customers. Meet the awardees:

(Image: PR Newswire)

Achievement Winner

Connie Evans is the president and CEO of Association for Enterprise Opportunity. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded, representing over 2,600 microbusiness development practitioners working to create economic opportunity for underserved entrepreneurs.

(Image: PR Newswire)

Emerging Leader Winners

Mandy Bowman, founder and CEO of Official Black Wall Street (OBWS), helps consumers find, review, and support Black-owned businesses. Bowman has helped steer $1.7 million into Black-owned businesses.

(Image: PR Newswire)

Alethia Mendez is the division president for Elevating Black Women Entrepreneurs, Grameen America. She was a member of the founding team at Grameen America and has helped reach over 160,000 entrepreneurial women, disbursing $2.6 billion in microloans.

(Image: PR Newswire)

Diamond Walton, founder, Elpida Social Capital LLC, helps clients invest financial and social capital in historically marginalized communities. Along with Elpida Social Capital, she launched the Black Student Debt Freedom Fund (BSDF) in 2020 to help pay off the student loan debt of Black graduates.

The winners were selected out of nearly 40 award nominations. To learn more about them, why their work is important, and how they are making a difference, check this out.

Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal, reflected on the honorees: “Business ownership and wealth building are key to closing the racial wealth gap.”

“This year’s PayPal Maggie Lena Walker Award awardees are providing guidance, capital, and resources to underserved entrepreneurs, continuing Walker’s legacy of uplifting her community through economic opportunity.”

“It is a privilege to recognize and celebrate these incredible women for their commitment and impact.”

‘The Worst Nemesis’: Tony Todd Was Paid $1,000 Per Bee Sting in Original ‘Candyman’ Film
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 3, 2022

‘The Worst Nemesis’: Tony Todd Was Paid $1,000 Per Bee Sting in Original ‘Candyman’ Film

The original Candyman actor, Tony Todd, is opening up about his hefty payout in exchange for sustaining actual bee stings for the cult classic horror film.

It’s been 30 years since Todd, 67, starred in the original Candyman before returning for two sequels in 1995 and 1999. As the horror flick celebrates its 30th anniversary, Todd recalls the gruesome scene from the 1992 film where Todd’s Candyman kisses Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) with a mouth full of live bees.

“The bees were the worst nemesis,” Todd told ET.

“I had a great lawyer at the time and we got paid,” Todd said. “So I didn’t mind it, I’m going like, ‘Bring it on!’ And it only totaled to 27 [stings].”

Todd credits his amazing lawyer, who negotiated a clause in his contract that garnered the screen star $1,000 for every bee sting.

“I had a great lawyer at the time, and we got paid,” he quipped.

He revealed he was stung a total of 27 times, meaning he received an extra $27,000 just for that scene alone.

The bees were also an issue for Madsen, 61, who is extremely allergic to bees, People reports. She recalls there being “paramedics on the set,” just in case, “which didn’t make [her] feel very confident.”

“But the bees that were on me were baby bees, so they can sting, but they said they are less likely to,” the actress shared. “Then you had to sit for a good 20-25 minutes while [the bee wrangler] vacuums them off you.”

The film was reimagined last year by director Nia DaCosta from a screenplay by Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. It was ahead of the reawakening of Candyman that Todd made a special guest appearance when he first opened up about the $1,000 bee stings.

“Everything that’s worth making has to involve some sort of pain. Once I realized it was an important part of who Candyman was, I embraced it. It was like putting on a beautiful coat.”

Wells Fargo Names Kristy Fercho Head Of Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion
by Derek Major

November 3, 2022

Wells Fargo Names Kristy Fercho Head Of Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion

Wells Fargo has named Kristy Fercho, head of its home lending division, as its head of Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion.

Fercho previously served the multinational bank as the head of its home-lending division. In her new role, she will integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into every aspect of the company’s business and deliver marketplace and workplace outcomes.

In a statement, Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said Fercho will excel in the new position.

“Our work on diversity, equity, and inclusion is a long-term commitment, and we will continue to advance it under Kristy’s leadership,” Scharf said.

“Her deep business experience, including her most recent role as head of our Home Lending business, puts her in a unique position to make our DE&I work even more central to how we operate as a company and to drive positive outcomes for our employees and communities.”

Fercho, a USC and St. Joseph’s University alumnus, has been with Wells Fargo since 2020. She previously spent 15 years with Fannie Mae in various roles and eight years at Pepsico as director of human resources.

The Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion head also serves on the board of the Mortgage Bankers Association and is a member of its residential board of governors. Fercho also serves on the boards of the National Urban League and the MBA Open Doors Foundation.

Fercho will succeed Kleber Santos, who was promoted to CEO of Wells Fargo’s Consumer Lending Business in July. Fercho will remain the head of home lending and will fully transition to her new role once a successor is found.

Wells Fargo has been making a push in diversity efforts after being accused of staging fake job interviews for Black and female candidates; civil rights attorney Ben Crump called out the bank for its discriminatory bank practices. Last month, Wells Fargo donated $800,000 to the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. to expand economic empowerment programming for youth and underserved communities and its members.

Cynthia Bailey Reveals The ‘Final Straw’ That Led Her To Divorce Mike Hill
by Stacy Jackson

November 3, 2022

Cynthia Bailey Reveals The ‘Final Straw’ That Led Her To Divorce Mike Hill

This Real Housewives of Atlanta alum may not be interested in a role as a friend of the cast, but she’s definitely into being a friend of her significant other.

Cynthia Bailey opened up about the “final straw” that led to her divorce from Mike Hill during a recent appearance on Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave‘s Two Ts in a Pod podcast.

 

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“I felt like we weren’t friends anymore,” Bailey, 55, said on Monday’s episode. “I felt like it was just going toward we’re just not going to be friends if we didn’t pump the brakes.”

According to People, Bailey revealed that although she currently transitions between having good days and bad days, the friendship factor was important to her, and neither of the two regret their decision to go their separate ways.

“This is not my first rodeo. I think friendship just has to be there in a marriage,” Bailey said. “Like, love is great, but friendship has to be there. I truly want to be with my best friend.”

“I don’t think either one of us regrets our decision to move forward in the way we have decided to move forward,” she added.

Bravo reported that Bailey and Hill are still on good terms. However, they were already experiencing some issues before they reached the last push toward divorce.

“It’s not final yet. We’re still going through the process, so we’re still technically married. For me, there’s still just a lot of respect stuff on my end that I still feel like he’s my husband.”

Bailey attended BravoCon 2022, which kicked off the day after their divorce announcement, and the reality star shared that the three-day event was a much-needed distraction.

“Honestly, BravoCon helped a lot. I love our fans. I didn’t even think about it for three days because I was too damn tired… Tired and drunk, OK?” she told Tamra and Teddi, also crediting her supporters for lifting her up “in a blaze of glory” that weekend. “So that was a welcome, nice distraction from it all.”

Reportedly, Bailey divorced Hill in October after two years of marriage, but she believes the separation was no mistake.

Lena Horne
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 3, 2022

Lena Horne Makes History By Becoming First Black Woman to Have a Broadway Theater Named After Her

Another first has been added to the career of legendary artist Lena Horne.

Actress Lena Horne as Selina Rogers in the 1943 film Stormy Weather. (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images)

According to Broadway Direct, earlier this week, Horne became the first Black woman to have a theater on Broadway named after her. This iconic renaming took place in New York City on November 1.

Three major theater owners, the Shubert Organization, the Nederlander Organization, and Jujamcyn Theaters made a commitment as a part of Black Theatre United’s New Deal for Broadway. Under that deal, the theaters pledged to name one of their venues after a Black artist. The Nederlander Organization took the lead and gathered a list of names of famous Black performers. They picked the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, which is located at 256 West 47th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues.

“We chose Lena Horne because she is such an important part of the fabric of Broadway and of the fabric of Nederlander,” says Christina Selby, Nederlander’s Vice President of Production and Touring in a written statement. “She had very close ties to Jimmy [Nederlander] Sr., because he produced her show at the Nederlander Theatre. This is a family company first and foremost, and we wanted to honor someone who was a part of the family.”

The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams acknowledged the great artist on his Twitter account.

Horne starred in many Broadway productions and got her start in 1934 with a play titled, Dance With Your Gods. The legend also made a mark in Hollywood when she was featured in several movies in the 1940s, such as Stormy Weather and Cabin in the Sky before starring on Broadway again in Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. She was given a Special Tony Award in 1981.

The actress became the first Black woman to be nominated for a Tony Award in 1958. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Jamaica.

Denzel Washington, Gladiator
by Atiya Jordan

November 3, 2022

Catering Staff of Denzel Washington’s ‘Equalizer 3’ Film Busted for Cocaine In Italy

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington is currently shooting his upcoming action thriller, The Equalizer 3, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, but independent caterers were reportedly subject to a drug raid following the sudden death of the head of the film’s catering service.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Italian officials used forced entry to enter hotel rooms belonging to The Equalizer 3 caterers on suspicion that they were in possession of drugs, as reported by Variety.

The surprise raid was prompted by the discovery of several packages of cocaine in the belongings of the deceased head caterer, who died from a heart attack on Monday, Oct. 31.

This inspired further suspicion of illicit substances on the production set.

Il Giornale, an Italian publication, reported that Italian paramilitary police seized 120 grams of cocaine, resulting in two catering staff members being placed on house arrest in the seaside resort of Maiori on alleged drug trafficking charges.

Close sources told Deadline that the men were arrested after a “private gathering” during the country’s All Saints’ religious and public holiday. They were celebrating a day off, as did Italy’s government offices, schools, and many private businesses.

Another employee of the catering company had his driver’s license confiscated after police found him in possession of a small amount of cocaine.

In addition to the hotel, police searched an area of the Maiori’s port, where the film’s production was set up.

Sony Pictures is partnering with Italy’s Eagle Pictures for the film, with local production house Garbo Produzioni handling the physical production, per Variety. Currently in its fourth week of shooting, The Equalizer 3 is taking advantage of Italy’s generous production incentives through Garbo.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer 3 reunites Washington and Dakota Fanning nearly 20 years after they starred together in 2004’s Man On Fire. Italian actress Gaia Scodellaro also stars.

The film will be released on Sept. 1, 2023.

JPMorgan Chase Prepares to Roll Out App That Automates Payments for Renters and Landlords
by Derek Major

November 3, 2022

JPMorgan Chase Prepares to Roll Out App That Automates Payments for Renters and Landlords

JPMorgan Chase is piloting a digital platform called Story for property owners and managers that automates the invoicing and receipt of rent payments.

Story is an all-in-one property management digital solution for renters, managers, and property owners. Not only does the platform allow tenants to pay landlords digitally and directly, but it also allows property managers to throw decades-old software such as Intuit QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel away, according to Sam Yen, chief innovation officer for JPMorgan Chase.

“The vast majority of rent payments are still done through checks,” Yen said, according to CNBC.

“If you talk to residents to this day, they often say ‘The only reason I have a checkbook still is to pay my rent.’ So there are lots of opportunities to provide efficiencies there.”

The COVID-19 pandemic boosted digital payments. Today, digital payment apps, including Apple Pay, Zelle, and Cash App, are used by millions for everything like shopping, dining, paying friends back, and parents giving money to their children.

However, paper checks still rule the landscape when it comes to paying rent. More than 12 million property owners across the U.S. manage smaller portfolios with fewer than 100 units, and as a result, the majority of Americans still pay their rent the same way they did 20 years ago.

Story will “give property owners [and managers] much more visibility across their entire portfolio to see exactly what’s been paid and what hasn’t been paid,” Yen added.

The app is expected to roll out in full force in 2023, and landlords and tenants are not required to be JPMorgan Chase customers to use the app. Story will also offer valuable data and analytics for property owners and managers, including setting rent levels, screening potential tenants, and more.

Yen added that Story would allow renters to automate monthly rent payments, receive notifications from their landlords, and view past payments and lease agreements.

Story is a part of JPMorgan Chase’s move to go beyond home loans to eventually capture “a significant portion” of the $500 million in annual rent payments, according to commercial banking CEO Doug Petno.

The bank has also committed to advancing wealth building in Black communities and increasing the supply of climate-resilient housing for Black and Latino communities.

Pregnant Chicago Woman Allegedly Stabbed Baby’s Father To Death Over Using the Microwave
by Stacy Jackson

November 3, 2022

Pregnant Chicago Woman Allegedly Stabbed Baby’s Father To Death Over Using the Microwave

A pregnant Chicago woman claimed to be defending herself from her violent boyfriend.

Keshia Golden was arrested on October 23 and charged with first-degree murder after allegedly stabbing her boyfriend, Calvin Sidney, during an argument following her baby shower, over who would get to use the microwave to heat food.

According to The Chicago Sun-Times, the fight happened Sunday morning around 3 a.m. after the couple and other relatives returned to her Austin apartment, following the celebration on Saturday night.

Reportedly, prosecutors said the argument escalated over the use of the microwave. Officials stated that 33-year-old Golden, eight months pregnant, knocked a plate out of the hands of Sidney, 29, who shoved her into the counter in retaliation. Sidney’s uncle attempted to separate the two before Sidney went to one of the bedrooms, where Golden allegedly followed with a knife and stabbed him in the leg.

According to prosecutors, Golden dropped the knife and exited the apartment.

“She didn’t mean to kill anyone,” said Golden’s mother, Tarsha Ellis. “She’s broke up about it. She didn’t know you could kill someone by stabbing them in the leg. She just wanted him to leave because he was acting out, and she was worried about hurting the baby. And he wouldn’t go.”

The New York Post reported that Sidney allegedly suffered from a wound to his femoral artery and died at Mount Sinai Hospital. Unaware of her boyfriend’s death, Golden returned to her apartment, where she was arrested.

On Friday, Golden was ordered held on $2 million bail, with an upcoming appearance before a judge that her appointed attorney revealed would be scheduled less than two weeks before her due date.

“To not only force Keshia to give birth in jail but then to immediately take her child away after birth is cruel to the mother and the baby,” Golden’s public defender, Julie Koehler, told The Sun-Times.

“This heartless decision is contrary to Illinois law. All the evidence shows Keshia acted in self-defense. The only person she’s ever shown any violence toward was the man that was beating her.”

Officials revealed that five other accounts of domestic violence reportedly took place between the couple, four incidents in which Golden accused Sidney of allegedly choking, punching, slapping, or pushing her.

“It was just toxic with those two,” Ellis said. “But they loved each other. If he could raise up right now, they wouldn’t have no case because he would never want charges against her.”

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