SYRACUSE,, ALBANY MAYOR, BLACK,Sharon Owens, Dorcey Applyrs

by Sharelle B. McNair

November 5, 2025

Two Black Women Make History As The First Black Mayors of Albany And Syracuse

This election put Syracuse in fourth place of New York’s largest cities to elect a Black mayor and Albany in sixth place.

The state of New York saw several firsts during the Nov. 4 election, including Sharon Owens and Dorcey Applyrs becoming the first Black mayors of Syracuse and Albany, respectively.

Both women secured victories in their respective Democratic races, defeating their opponents. Owens, 62, was elected as Syracuse’s 55th mayor and the first Black mayor in the city’s 177-year history, according to Syracuse.com. With a 40-year career in public service, Owens secured over 73% of the vote, beating Republican Thomas Babilon and independent candidates Alfonso Davis and Tim Rudd.

BREAKING NEWS: Sharon Owens and Dorcey Applyrs were just elected as the first Black mayors of Syracuse and Albany. pic.twitter.com/uY4hRLjFGr
— When We All Vote (@WhenWeAllVote) November 5, 2025

In her victory speech, she spoke to the elders of the community who had waited decades to see someone of her likeness with the opportunity for change.

“To the elders of this community, you who for decades looked to the future of a time when there would be a mayor that looks like you, that comes from your experience, that understands the struggle, that gets the hopes and the aspiration of generations of Syracusans … I’m going to work hard to make you proud,” Owens said to her supporters.

Albany, New York’s capital city, elected Applyrs as the first Black mayor in over 300 years since the town was chartered. She is the fifth mayor elected since 1942, outbeating Republican Rocco Pezzulo with 11,784 votes to his 1,922, according to the Times Union.

In her victory speech after walking out to Jay-Z’s “Run This Town,” Applyrs promised to be a leader who would represent all of Albany. “This is our moment,” she said.

“We earned this moment, and it is an amazing moment.”

The new mayor-elect also has a long history of public service, serving as the Common Council representative for the 1st Ward for six years before being appointed chief city auditor in 2020, and winning the title unopposed in 2021. During her speech, Applyrs thanked those who came before her and were not here to see the fruits of their hard work and sacrifices.

“It’s my turn to do the same — to make sure every young person in this city knows that they belong, that they have a seat at the table, and that they can build a future right here in our city,” she said.

“You don’t have to go anywhere.”

This election put Syracuse in fourth place among New York’s largest cities to elect a Black mayor, and Albany in sixth place.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 5, 2025

Homeland Hero: Shaggy Mobilizes Private Air Fleet To Rush Critical Hurricane Aid To Jamaica

Shaggy organized the use of private planes to deliver relief aid to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Reggae and dancehall star Shaggy quickly joined forces with key organizations to deliver relief aid to his native Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa’s devastation.

Although the Grammy-winning artist was at his second home in Miami when Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on Oct. 28 as a Category 5 storm, the strongest ever to hit the island, he immediately began mobilizing relief efforts, Rolling Stone reports. Anticipating the storm’s impact, Shaggy, real name Orville Richard Burrell, reached out to friends like Florida injury attorney Dan Newlin and the U.S.-based Jamaican charity Food for the Poor, with whom he’s long partnered, to coordinate relief efforts once airports reopened.

“When we realized that it was a Category 5, that we knew there was going to be a lot of destruction,” Shaggy said. “We have survived through [Hurricane] Gilbert, which was a Category 3, and that was devastating as is. So what we decided was to be ahead of the curve. I really couldn’t do as much at that time because the airport wasn’t open.”

Days after the storm, Shaggy shared videos from a small jet packed with water, canned goods, paper towels, and other essentials. Since then, he’s organized four relief flights from the U.S. to Kingston, each carrying much-needed supplies.

“We also have the bay of the plane filled with supplies,” he said in one video. “I’m asking everybody to help and make sure you donate.”

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Partnering with Newlin was an easy decision for Shaggy; the two had collaborated before, and the Kingston native knew Newlin could provide access to private planes. Next came collecting supplies and coordinating with his wife, Rebecca Packer, who was already on the ground in Jamaica and ready to assist.

“We made a list of things we’re going to buy. We made calls. We loaded up the planes and came back down to Jamaica,” Shaggy explained. “As soon as [the airport] opened [on Oct. 30], that very morning, we left. Then once I got here, we got in touch with Sharon Burke from the Solid Agency, and of course, my wife – she was on the ground because she rode the hurricane out [from Kingston]. She was the first actually [to get to] Black River and told us what to expect.”

The “Angel” singer said he’s concentrating his relief efforts in the Black River and St. Elizabeth areas, which suffered severe damage from the storm but haven’t received the same attention as Montego Bay. Shaggy said witnessing the community unite to rebuild and recover is a true testament to the resilience and spirit of Jamaicans.

“One thing about Jamaicans, we’re resilient and we’re all gathering,” he said. “Even going down yesterday, there were people from the neighborhood that were clearing the roads for us and helping us to get in. They all helped us to organize in Black River. The community is also assisting us.”

by Sharelle B. McNair

November 5, 2025

Zohran Mamdani Centers Immigrants And Checks Trump After Defeating Andrew Cuomo In Race For Mayor

With more than 2 million voters turning out to vote, a first in a mayoral election since 1969, Mamdani turned the page on his campaign after securing only 1% in the polls in the beginning stages.

New York City has a new Democratic mayor and his name is Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani defeated Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in the Nov. 4 hot-ticketed mayor’s race.

Mamdani made history by becoming NYC’s youngest mayor at just 34-years-old and the city’s first Muslim mayor, after Cuomo, New York’s former governor, conceded shortly after 9:30 p.m. The mayor-elect spoke proudly in front of supporters cheering him on in Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater and thanking millennials and young New Yorkers like him for believing “that the promise of a better future is not a relic of the past.”

The Queens native touched on the city’s plethora of immigrants as a Ugandan immigrant, giving a shoutout to “Yemeni cab drivers and Mexican abuelas,” according to USA Today, including the delivery drivers, warehouse workers and kitchen employees. “We are breathing in the air of a city that has been reborn,” he said.

He also spoke on another Queens native, President Donald Trump, who openly said that he would withhold federal funding from the Big Apple if Mamdani won. In his speech, Mamdani said his victory is the best way to get back at the person who has betrayed an entire nation. “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” he said, met with thunderous applause.

“…so Donald Trump since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: ‘turn the volume up!’ We will hold back landlords to account because the Donald Trumps of our city have gotten far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks…”

NEW: NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani challenges President Trump in his victory speech:

“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants. And as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”

“So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get… pic.twitter.com/L0tOS5Ddnr
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 5, 2025

The mayor-elect continued his push against the President while appearing on ABC’s Good Morning America, saying that he won’t allow the city to be intimidated by Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard. While Trump claims it’s a safety tactic, Mamdani said he knows the truth. “His threats are inevitable. This has nothing to do with safety, it has to do with intimidation,” he said.

“If it was safety, President Trump would be threatening to deploy the National Guard to the top 10 states of crime, eight out of which are all Republican-led. But because of that party he won’t actually be doing it.”

In victory speech fashion, Mamdani spoke to Cuomo, wishing him “only the best in private life,” but made it clear that it will be the last time he speaks his name. “But let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.”

Following his historic win, the millennial was seen celebrating with supporters in true New York fashion, dancing to Soca music. Social media users in the comments section celebrated with him. “A Muslim immigrant is the Mayor of NYC. I f*cking love it!,” @_xomarj.

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With more than two million voters turning out to vote, a first in a mayoral election since 1969, Mamdani turned the page on his campaign after securing only 1% in the polls in the beginning stages. Despite several of the city’s billionaires donating millions of dollars on ads against him, he continued to campaign on the cost of living and offered proposals toward the low and middle class, including a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments, free public transportation, and universal child care.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 5, 2025

Morgan State Grads Launch Fund.FWD, An AI-Powered App To Help HBCU Students Get Funding

Fund.FWD bridges AI technology and accessible networking to help HBCU thinkers get their ideas off the ground.

Given the systemic funding gap for Black innovators and thinkers, a group of HBCU alums seeks to be the difference.

Hailing from Morgan State University, the innovative group has launched Fund.FWD. The AI-powered app serves as a new way for HBCU entrepreneurs and creatives to connect with industry leaders and bring their ideas to life.

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A post shared by Venture for T.H.E.M. (@venture4them)

The mobile app allows users to source funding opportunities, business coaching, and educational resources all within its database. It aims to connect these change-makers with current leaders in their fields, thus closing the accessibility gap.

The Morgan State graduates developed the app through Venture for THEM, a DMV-based accelerator and social-impact collective. While at the HBCU-founded entrepreneurship accelerator, they developed an idea that bridges traditional networking with AI, providing a curated list of goals, grants, and more aligned with users’ ideas.

The AI model used for Fund.FWD is Venture AI, using hours of data collected from talks and workshops to build guidance for business strategy and proposal development, alongside a Partnership Opportunity Portal, where businesses and accelerators can directly promote their grants for diverse entrepreneurs, Fund.FWD hopes to become a one-stop shop for future and business leaders.

“Fund.FWD is about closing the funding gap for underestimated founders,” said Chief Technology Officer of Venture for THEM, Jeffrey Scruggs, in a press release. “We built a tool that empowers users not just to find opportunities, but to get funded — pairing mentorship, AI, and real-world knowledge from our ecosystem.”

Other key features include its education tab, which offers business panels and workshops with full replays from Venture for THEM events. Fund.FWD’s innovative dashboard also features live updates and social feeds to help users connect further.

“Fund.FWD is more than an app — it’s a bridge between inspiration and opportunity,” said Venture for THEM’s CEO and Co-Founder Kiante Bush. “We’re using technology and community to help founders move from vision to victory.”

Fund.FWD offers two subscriptions, with a premium option for direct support and wider funding opportunities. Backed by partners such as Microsoft, Google, Wells Fargo, and The Newwave Foundation, Venture for THEM has championed the talent and business savviness from HBCUs. Now, its latest endeavor aims to break the barriers that keep diverse innovators from the resources they need to soar.

Fund.FWD is available now, with a 2.0 version planned for 2026.

Theresa Randle, arrest, domestic violence

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 5, 2025

Ex-NBA Player Charged With Felony Theft Over $1,000 In Groceries

Courtney Fortson was accused of multiple thefts at a Lowell grocery store

Former college and NBA player Courtney Fortson has been arrested and charged with stealing more than $1,000 worth of items from a grocery store in Arkansas.

According to KNWA, Fortson, who had stints playing with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets during his brief NBA career, was charged with seven counts of breaking or entering, seven counts of commercial burglary, and one count of theft of property. He was arrested Oct.23.

An investigation was initiated by the Lowell Police Department Oct. 14 after a report was made about a theft at the store. Fortson had allegedly tried to leave the store with a shopping cart full of merchandise without paying for some of the items, according to a store manager. Only three items were allegedly scanned, totalling $4.48.

After being approached and asked to produce a receipt for the merchandise, the former basketball player stated that he had to return to the self-checkout to obtain it.

“However, when the employee began helping another customer, [Fortson] walked outside, got into his car, and left the shopping cart,” according to the affidavit.

After reviewing similar transactions on the credit card Fortson used, it was discovered that there were six other instances in which Fortson had a full cart but scanned only one to three items, leaving the remainder unscanned. He also walked out of the store with the unpaid items in his cart. The other transactions occurred between Sept. 4 and Oct. 6.

The value of the merchandise allegedly stolen by Fortson totaled $1,065.

Fortson is expected back in court Dec. 1 after posting a $10,000 bond.

He played his collegiate career at the University of Arizona from 2008 to 2010.

B87 FM reported that Fortson played overseas in Romania, Russia, Turkey, and China. He also played in the G League with the Reno Bighorns (an affiliate of the Sacramento Kings).

Mayor Andre Dickens, homeless, Atlanta, Homelessness Crisis, unhoused

by Kandiss Edwards

November 5, 2025

Mayor Andre Dickens ‘Got Something To Say’ And Has 4 More Years To Say It After Election Victory

Mayor Andre Dickens will continue guiding the city of Atlanta after winning his reelection on Nov. 4.

Dickens secured more than 50% of the vote in his four-way race. The number of votes in such a crowded race is a testament to the mayor’s favorability and hard work over the past four years. During his acceptance speech posted to social media, Mayor Dickens gave a shoutout to his predecessors, Maynard Jackson, Andrew Young, Shirley Franklin, and Kaseem Reid.

Dickens credited staff, volunteers, and city workers for their contributions to the “group project of Atlanta” during his first term.

“Your hard work and dedication is what this group project is all about,” Dickens said.

The mayor spoke about more than just the issues at home in Georgia. He took a moment to acknowledge the instability residents are facing due to the current government shutdown. Dickens was highly critical of the current administration, condemning its decision to remodel the White House as citizens lost essential benefits such as SNAP. Still, Dickens says that even if the federal government refuses to consider the well-being of its people, cities like Atlanta will.

“Cities are being called upon to fill that gap, and Atlanta is coming together to take care of our people that are in need. When the federal government don’t stand up for the people of Atlanta, the people of Georgia, the people of America—just like we’ve always done, we will.”

While there are no guarantees in politics, Dickens ran his second campaign with a solid track record full of productive resident-centered initiatives. Under his tenure, Atlanta saw a 46% drop in violent crime from 2023 to 2024. More than half of Dickens’s targeted 20,000 affordable-housing units are already under construction or constructed. His housing initiatives for the unhoused have been successful. The mayor partnered with Invest Atlanta to open Azalea Fresh, the city’s first municipal grocery store, and more.

“The city got stabilized during my term, unified during my term, and is on a path that everybody can want to come here to raise a family,” he said.

Indeed, Atlanta has risen in desirability as it climbs the national superlatives lists: “No.1 Smartest City and No. 1 Most Educated City.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 5, 2025

No Limit Rapper Young Bleed Dies At 51 After Suffering Brain Aneurysm

The rapper's eldest son cleared up rumors behind his father's death.

Young Bleed, the famous No Limit Rapper from Baton Rouge, has died at 51.

The rapper, real name Glenn Clifton Jr., rose to fame as part of the Master P-founded No Limit Records. However, Young Bleed’s life took a tragic turn after attending the No Limit Records vs. Cash Money Records Verzuz battle in Las Vegas on Oct. 25.

Following the event celebrating the music and legacy of the Louisiana hip-hop labels, Young Bleed suffered a brain aneurysm at an after-party.

His eldest son, Ty’Gee Ramon Clifton, announced his death happened Nov. 1. He shared on Instagram two days after about the loss of the “biggest legend,” while clearing up rumors surrounding his death.

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A post shared by Ty’Gee Ramon (@ty_gee_ramon)

“As of November First, my dad gained his wings. This is a tough topic for me, not sure how this is gonna go. But I’m here to clear up a lot of things that were said,” said Clifton in the video.

He then explained how his father dealt with high blood pressure, which “spiked” as he attended the Verzuz after-party. The eldest son deemed the death a “natural thing,” amid concerns from the public on what actually happened.

“So my dad, like most as you get his age, had high blood pressure. You know, he take his medicines and, you know, do what he do as a celebrity. So, not much. After his huge celebration of the Verzuz, he went to the after-party, and that’s where, you know, everything kind of spiked. I did want to clear up and let people know because they were thinking that it was deeper than that. But no, it was more of a natural thing that you know, caused this to happen to him.”

Young Bleed’s signature song with fellow collaborator C-Loc, “How Ya Do Dat,” became a new hit after Master P released a remix of the track. The track was released on the 1997 soundtrack of Master P’s film I’m Bout It. The hit song topped Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop album charts, solidifying his legacy as a Baton Rouge rap legend. According to People, Young Bleed released nine studio albums throughout his career, debuting with his ‘My Balls & My Word’ LP in 1998 under Priority Records.

As the family grapples with his unexpected death, Clifton also mentioned a GoFundMe to help take care of burial expenses. As of Nov. 4, it has reached 80% of its $9,000 goal.

While Clifton assured that a greater tribute to the Louisiana rap legend will be released in due time, he also mentioned to keep their family and the memory of Young Bleed lifted up.

“My dad is a great man. I knew he was a great man through the things he’s shown me, but y’all have been giving me memories and moments. And I ask that y’all keep doing that, keep sending me those pictures and those photos and those songs, those videos, and let’s keep his legacy alive.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 5, 2025

Woman’s Gym Membership Allegedly Revoked For Confronting A Trans Woman In A Female Locker Room

A woman allegedly had her membership revoked after confronting a man inside the women's locker room.

A woman is calling for a gym boycott after her membership was allegedly revoked for confronting a transgender woman in the women’s locker room.

Los Angeles-based singer Tish Hyman shared on Instagram that she and several others confronted a man found inside the women’s locker room. Hyman says that following the incident, EOS Fitness, formerly Gold’s Gym, revoked her membership, a move she believes was punishment for speaking out.

Hyman claims this wasn’t the first time the man had been seen inside the women’s locker room and says gym staff repeatedly failed to take action.

“Multiple women and I have repeatedly made written reports on this man for coming into our women’s locker room, harassing us, and the gym staff has done absolutely nothing!!” Hyman wrote on Instagram.

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A post shared by Tish Hyman (@listen2tish)

In the video Hyman shared online, she’s heard confronting the unidentified individual, who was dressed in all black and wearing dangling earrings. At one point, an angry man joined in, repeatedly asking the person who they were before Hyman stepped in.

“Now he knows how to be a man, right? Now he knows how to be a man. Stay outta the women’s locker room! We don’t want it. He needs to have his gym membership revoked for that s–t!” Hyman shouted.

She went on to reference past complaints women in the gym have allegedly made about the man caught in the women’s locker room.

“We already filed reports. No, no, no! You can’t get rid of me for this! I’m a woman, and I have every right not to want a man in the restroom when I’m naked! There are girls naked in there!” Hyman exclaimed.

Despite the commotion, the man is seen returning to the women’s locker room, ignoring Hyman’s protests. Hyman says that although the man was eventually removed from the gym, her membership was also revoked—permanently.

“They removed him—but then they turned around and terminated my membership too, as if I was being punished for speaking up,” she wrote.

In her Instagram post, Hyman noted that the gym had recently undergone renovations and urged the chain to add “trans restrooms.” She also called on others to “take a stand” and join her in the “#BoycottGoldsGym” movement, despite the gym being an EoS Fitness location in California, among the 23 Gold’s Gym locations recently acquired by the company.

RELATED CONTENT: No Gym? No Problem

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 5, 2025

Jake Paul Cancels Exhibition Match Against Gervonta Davis After Domestic Violence Accusations

He calls Davis "an actual walking human piece of garbage."

Jake Paul and his company, Most Valuable Promotions, announced that the exhibition boxing match that was supposed to take place between Paul and Gervonta Davis has been canceled after Davis was hit with a civil lawsuit from his former girlfriend, Courtney Rossel. Paul eviscerated Davis via his social media account after the cancellation.

According to ESPN, the YouTuber-turned-boxer was gearing up to fight the undefeated Davis in Miami at the Kaseya Center, Nov. 14, but nixed the boxing match after Rossel filed her lawsuit against Davis. The WBA lightweight champion was hit with the suit accusing him of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

A report was filed on Nov. 3, with the Miami Gardens Police Department claiming that Davis allegedly assaulted the woman at her place of employment, a gentlemen’s club, Tootsie, where she worked as a VIP cocktail server. The alleged incident occurred in a back room of the club that lacked cameras. She stated that she was dragged through a stairwell, kitchen, and the back exit before being physically assaulted in the parking garage.

She also claims it wasn’t the first time he struck her, stating that during their five-month relationship, she suffered domestic violence several times and alleged that there were at least four previous incidents where he assaulted her.

This news comes less than three months after prosecutors dropped a domestic violence case (Aug. 12) against the boxer after he was arrested in July, when he was accused of striking the mother of his two children during a custody exchange. The misdemeanor battery charge was dismissed after she refused to press charges against the boxer.

The fight cancellation angered Paul, and he did not hold back in a post on his X account. He pointed out the difficulties he encountered leading up to the now-canceled exhibition match, citing unprofessionalism, among other matters. He apologized to the other fighters on the undercard while chastising Davis as a “woman abuser.”

“Gervonta Davis is an actual walking human piece of garbage. Working with him is an absolute nightmare. The unprofessionalism, the bizarre requests, the showing up hours late to shoots. To the numerous arrests, related accusations, and lawsuits. If you support this man you…

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 4, 2025

Paul is looking for someone else to fight on Netflix, where he has a multi-fight deal with the streaming giant.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 4, 2025

NYC Principal Accused of Improperly Using School Funds To Buy Scores of Books Published By Affluent Friends

Aneesha Jacko reportedly bought hundreds of books by Damon Dash's wife, Rachel Horn.

New York City principal Aneesha Jacko is under investigation for allegedly misusing taxpayer funds, including buying hundreds and hundreds of books written by her friends, one of whom is married to a hip-hop icon.

Jacko, the principal at PS 35 Nathaniel Woodhull in Queens, who has been at the school since October 2020, is under investigation, Jason Brooks, a spokesman for the Special Commissioner of Investigation confirmed to the New York Post.

Brooks acknowledged that the office has been exploring complaints about Jacko’s spending for three years. However, “the case is still open, and therefore the SCI cannot comment,” he said.

Sources told the Post that Jacko used school funds to purchase approximately 500 copies of the paperback Dusko Goes to Sea. The book was written by Raquel Horn, the wife of Roc-a-Fella Records cofounder Damon Dash , who was at the school in February. (The book retails for $14.95.)

Three years ago, the school also purchased the first Dusko book, Dusko Goes to Space.

“There’s a budget for them to buy books. So why is it a problem?” Dash asked when he was contacted by the Post.

“I think it’s a racist thing that she’s even being looked at and scrutinized,” he added. “It’s just because she’s a Black woman who has good reading scores for her kids and gets more for her money. She’s trying to help these kids learn how to read.”

Jacko also authorized a $10,000 payment to Poppington LLC, Dash’s apparel company, on March 9, 2022, for T-shirts, according to records reviewed by The Post.

Other purchases are under scrutiny, include a payment of $26,877 to Young Faces Smiling, a non-profit by her friend, A. McClarty. She also bought about 100 copies of her book Reaching for the Stars: 10 Secret Steps to Connecting with Celebrities and Building Your Brand.

Jacko, the Post reports, also ordered 1,285 books by another friend, Brianna Greenspan: 435 copies of Everything is Right About You; 200 copies of I Am the Best Me; and 630 copies of The Miracle Morning Art of Affirmations, a $20 coloring book; and 35 copies in Spanish.

The principal also used school funds to pay Sussman Education Inc., which publishes those books, $61,000 in early 2022, records show.

Officials have stated that Jacko is not accused of any criminal wrongdoing.