Man, Conviction, Racist Threats, Pregnant Black Woman

Jealous Ex-Girlfriend Gets Life Sentence After Traveling Across States To Kill Ex’s New Woman

Despite claims of self defense, a Florida jury found Sakiyna Thompson guilty of first-degree murder.


A New York woman received a life sentence in prison for traveling across the country to get revenge on her ex’s new girlfriend.

Prosecutors allege that Sakiyna Thompson traveled down to South Florida from New York with the intention of killing Kayla Hodgson in July 2022. According to NBC Miami, the 31-year-old woman arrived at Hodgson’s apartment at 5 a.m. to confront her about dating her ex. The issue then escalated as the jealous ex-girlfriend stabbed the 23-year-old unsuspecting woman to death.

Thompson was charged with first-degree murder, for which she was later convicted by a jury this October. A Florida judge then delivered the lifetime sentence to the woman.

Ahead of her sentencing, multiple loved ones of Hodgson spoke about her killing. A cousin referred to Thompson as “wicked” for taking Hodgson’s life, seemingly because the boyfriend moved on.

“What she did was wicked and evil and a person like her, it’s important they never see the light of day again,” said Hodgson’s cousin, Melanie John.

However, Thompson’s defense team previously argued that the ex-girlfriend committed the act in self-defense. They claimed that Hodgson actually struck Thompson first, cutting her stomach while she was pregnant at the time. Thompson stated that she blacked out during the confrontation and did not remember killing the woman. Her team also deemed the fatal stabbing as not premeditated.

Despite this, prosecutors shared that Thompson arrived at the hotel incognito, wearing a hat and a face mask used during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also reportedly used a fake Uber account to get to Hodgson’s place.

However, Hodgson’s family called out Thompson’s story, calling it a “crock of garbage” to evade accountability.

“How about the audacity of you to come up on this stand and waste taxpayer dollars and tell them a crock of garbage to everyone about your blackout reasoning,” said another relative of Hodgson.

After the jury deliberated for one hour on the verdict, they found Thompson guilty of first-degree murder. Now, Hodgson’s family believes that justice has been served on behalf of their slain loved one.

“I feel like I can finally start some type of healing,” said another cousin, Alisha Mitchell. “It will never be the same; we will forever miss her. The way she died, it will never really sit right with us. At least the person responsible is being held accountable.”

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ilhan, Omar, Trump

Trump Tells Ilhan Omar And Somali Americans To ‘Go Back’ As ICE Launches Operation In Twin Cities

Trump unloaded on Rep. Ilhan Omar and Somali Americans as ICE prepares a targeted operation in Minnesota’s Twin Cities.


Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to launch an operation in Minneapolis and St. Paul targeting undocumented Somali immigrants, a government official confirmed to CNN. The announcement coincided with remarks by Donald Trump, who labeled Rep. Ilhan Omar “garbage” and told Somali Americans to “go back to where they came from.”

The President, long criticized for inflammatory remarks about African and immigrant communities, used the end of a Dec. 2 Cabinet meeting to attack Omar and Minnesota’s Somali population following a question related to recent reports that most of Minnesota’s arrests for Covid-related fraud charges were given to people of East African descent.

“I don’t want them in our country. I’ll be honest with you, OK. Somebody will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country. Their country is no good for a reason,” Trump said.

“Their country stinks, and we don’t want them in our country. I can say that about other countries, too,” he added.

After calling Somalia “barely a country,” with “no structure,” Trump directed his attack against Omar, whom he’s targeted for years since her start in Congress in 2019.

“I always watch her,” Trump said of Omar, saying she “hates everybody. And I think she’s an incompetent person. She’s a real terrible person.”

He went on to call her garbage. “Her friends are garbage. These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, ‘Let’s go, come on, let’s make this place great.’ These are people who do nothing but complain.”

“You know, if they came from paradise, and they said, ‘This isn’t paradise,’ but when they come from hell, and they complain and do nothing but b—-, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it,” he added.

Omar’s family escaped Somalia’s civil war and spent years in a Kenyan refugee camp before they immigrated to the United States and ultimately became citizens. Her work in public service led her to Congress, where she has served since 2019. Yet, Trump dismissed the Minnesota Democrat as “garbage.”

The legislator fired back at the President’s latest insult, calling his constant fixation on her “creepy.”

Before the racially charged rant, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who sat near him during the Cabinet meeting, took to social media on Dec. 1, revealing a proposed travel ban against what sources say will be a list of about 30 countries.

“I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” Noem wrote.

After the Cabinet meeting, a federal official confirmed that ICE will launch an operation in Minneapolis and St. Paul targeting undocumented Somali immigrants. Local leaders say they were not informed in advance and have publicly reaffirmed their support for the Somali community.

“To our Somali community, we love you, and we stand with you,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. “Minneapolis is proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the entire country.”

Frey has confirmed that Minneapolis police would not participate in the ICE operation.

Trump’s comments continue a pattern of inflammatory remarks about African and immigrant communities, including calling African nations “s***thole countries” in 2018 and claiming migrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” in 2023. His newest attacks escalate his focus on Somali Americans, especially in Minneapolis, although a recent D.C. shooting he has referenced involved an Afghan suspect with no link to Somalia.

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artificial intelligence, ai, colorado

Look Out! New MIT Study Claims AI Can Replace Trillions In Job Wages For U.S. Workers

The MIT study revealed that AI would end up replacing almost 12% of the workforce.


A new study has revealed that AI could have a trillion-dollar impact on job wages for U.S. workers.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology just released a new study that has workers even more concerned about their future in the age of AI. Its findings confirmed that AI could replace $2.1 trillion in wages in several major job sectors. According to Afrotech, this would amount to 11.7% of the U.S. workforce.

CNBC reports that the study used the Iceberg Index, a “skills-centered measure of workforce exposure in the AI economy,” to arrive at this figure. Created by MIT and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the index has determined the economic impact of the growing AI emphasis on workforce operations.

While the index could not determine exactly when this technology will yield these lost wages, it did analyze skill sets and work at nearly 1,000 roles. The index then determined which jobs and skill sets AI could already overtake. Particularly, the study found that AI’s capabilities would primarily target entry-level work, leaving the professional futures of college graduates in jeopardy.

“AI systems now generate more than a billion lines of code each day, prompting companies to restructure hiring pipelines and reduce demand for entry-level programmers,” explained the researchers, as reported by CBS News. “These observable changes in technology occupations signal a broader reorganization of work that extends beyond software development.”

The study also determined that several major job markets could face further automation, including healthcare. This would primarily affect administrative duties within its operations, but would allow human workers to focus more on patient care. Another major sector of note is the finance industry. The technology would serve both fields by ridding the need for workers to spend large amounts of the workday on documentation.

While AI would greatly reduce the need for additional workers to handle administrative tasks, the study did not see it fully replacing the substantive, people-facing responsibilities that healthcare workers and financial professionals perform.

[F]inancial analysts will not disappear, but AI systems may demonstrate capability across significant portions of document-processing and routine analysis work,” added the researchers. “This reshapes how roles are structured and which skills remain in demand, without necessarily reducing headcount.”

However, this shift would greatly impact Black and Brown workers, who have already been disproportionately impacted by the inclusion of AI in certain operations. According to the Colaberry School of Data Science & Analytics, Black people have already suffered from AI replacement in the customer service industry, with warnings that the growing economic divide could make the job market worse for Black workers.

Some states have already begun researching strategies for implementing AI in their specific sectors while avoiding the complete elimination of jobs. With a seemingly imminent AI-induced workforce reduction, Black people and other workers of color may remain on the front lines for layoffs.

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Marshall Faulk

Southern University Hires NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk As 22nd Football Head Coach

'At every level, somehow, some way, I found a way to find the win, and that's what we're going to do.'


HBCU athletics have been getting a boost with the hiring of former NFL players, and Marshall Faulk is the latest one, as he was just introduced as Southern University’s latest football head coach. He had a simple message at his introduction: “Winners win.”

The school held a press conference on Dec. 1 to introduce the latest coach hired to lead the team on the gridiron. The announcement came two days after the school secured a victory Nov. 29 at the Caesars Superdome, when Southern edged Grambling State, 28-27, in the 52nd annual Bayou Classic.

According to NOLA.com, the NFL Hall of Famer becomes the 22nd man to take the clipboard for the school. As with recent coaching hires like Norfolk State University’s football head coach, Michael Vick, and Delaware State University’s DeSean Jackson, Faulk is a first-time college head coach. He does understand that, as someone who has never led a team as a coach, people will have questions about his ability. When asked about expectations, he responded, “You know, and I know this is my first head coaching job. You can’t give answers to anything like that. You know, it’s like anything else, just wait and see. Time will tell.”

Faulk has to assess his players, hire coaches, and do a number of things to put the team on the right track, but he has high expectations of himself before he can grab a clipboard. Although the football team ended the year with a victory, their record for the past season was a horrid 2-10. So, with an expectation for a better season, he still expects to win some games.

“I also understand to whom much is given, much is expected,” Faulk said. “There’s no fear in me. Winners win. And if you’re a winner, then you win. And at every level, somehow, some way, I found a way to find the win, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

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Coco Jones

Coco Jones To Lift Her Voice And Sing ‘Black National Anthem’ At Superbowl LX

Jones, known for her role in Peacock series Bel-Air, will bring her talent to one of the most watched events in professional sports. 


Grammy-winning singer Coco Jones secured a high-profile performance slot at the upcoming 2026 Super Bowl as the singer of the Black National Anthem, formally known as “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Jones will join a list of celebrated performers as she continues a new yet meaningful tradition established several years ago by the NFL. Jones, known for her role in Peacock’s series Bel-Air, will bring her talent to one of the most-watched events in professional sports. 

In shared posts on Instagram, the NFL announced multiple pre-game performers, including, Charlie Puth, who will perform the National Anthem, and Brandi Carlisle, who will sing “America the Beautiful.”

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A post shared by NFL (@nfl)

The inclusion of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” became a fixture of the Super Bowl pre-game ceremonies in 2021, when Alicia Keys performed a pre-recorded version ahead of Super Bowl LV.

Jones’s selection confirms the continued commitment of the NFL and its partners to recognizing the cultural significance of the performance before the kickoff. Her appearance follows a strong year for the artist, which included a performance at the EBONY Power 100 Gala in 2024.

As an actress, Jones celebrates a bittersweet victory on the Hollywood front. The fourth and final season of Bel-Air was released on Peacock Nov. 24. The singer is saying goodbye to her portrayal of Hilary Banks, a character that ushered the child star into her adult career.

Jones’s performance will take place during the pre-game ceremonies for Super Bowl LX. The highly anticipated game, which also features Bad Bunny as the halftime performer, takes place on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clarita, California. Along with wonderful professional news, Jones is also celebrating her engagement to NBA player Donovan Mitchell. 

RELATED CONTENT: Coco Jones To Perform National Anthem At College Football Playoff National Championship

Terry rozier

Terry Rozier Has $8.2M Tax Lien Released By IRS

The Miami Heat player is allegedly embroiled in an NBA gambling scandal


NBA player Terry Rozier, who is embroiled in the current alleged NBA gambling scandal, received a little good news when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the $8.2 million tax lien that was filed against him.

According to ESPN, this took place less than a week after the Miami Heat player was arrested. Rozier was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

The tax lien against Rozier was issued in November 2023 in Broward County, where he had purchased property in June 2021. The lien, recorded with the Broward County Courthouse in Florida, listed an “unpaid balance of assessment” of $8,218,211.

“Once the accountant clarified the situation with the IRS, Terry was found to owe only $3,000 in unpaid taxes for 2021,” Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, told ESPN in October. “That amount has been taken care of, and we fully expect the defunct lien to be withdrawn in the near future.”

Rozier had been investigated and cleared by the NBA of gambling accusations earlier this year.

“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”

When Rozier was arrested in October, he was accused of sharing information about other NBA players with bettors before games were played.

According to CNN, investigators allege that between December 2022 and March 2024, Rozier tipped people about his availability for games. They cited seven specific games, including one against the New Orleans Pelicans, which sportsbooks had already flagged for irregular activity.

Rozier is scheduled to be back in federal court for arraignment on Dec. 8 in Brooklyn. He states that he is innocent of the charges against him.

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Support Your Girlfriends Pow(H)er Experience And Awards Celebrates Community’s Trailblazers

Support Your Girlfriends Pow(H)er Experience And Awards Celebrates Community’s Trailblazers

The three-day series of programming and empowerment inspired hope and support for its diverse community.


Support Your Girlfriends has ended its seventh annual Pow(H)er Experience and Awards with a celebratory week to remember.

Powered by Tene Nicole Creative Agency, the week furthered Support Your Girlfriends and its mission to uplift and recognize diverse leaders across multiple industries. This year’s series brought together trailblazers, advocates, and innovators dedicated to equity and progress on a global scale.

The culture came out to reconnect at the Pow(H)er Experience and Awards ceremony, both taking place in New York City starting Nov. 19. The week began with a private event at Tiffany & Co., where special speakers led the intimate occasion ahead of the day’s inspiring programming.

The three-day event brought attendees from all fields to explore workshops and panels centered on entrepreneurship, wellness, and advocacy. Highlighted speakers from sectors such as media, business, and tech grounded the conversations, each offering insights into the Support Your Girlfriends community on thriving in an evolving workforce and society.

The experience capped off with the Pow(H)er Experience’s signature Awards event on Nov. 20. Spotlighting men and women figures who have used their platform to advance their respective industries, this year’s ceremony recognized actor Larenz Tate as the 2025 Pow(H)er Man Of The Year, previously covered on BLACK ENTERPRISE. Fellow nominees, such as human rights advocates Erica Ford and Angela Wright, included women who remained “unapologetically HER” in social justice, entrepreneurship, and community sectors.

This year’s Pow(H)er experience felt especially crucial, with Tene Nicole Founder and CEO Nikkia McClain noting the disproportionate layoffs of Black women across the job market. Understanding the importance of staying empowered and connected, this annual Pow(H)er Experience served as a reminder of the impact still felt by and from women of color.

“In light of the economic challenges facing women, since January of this year, over half a million women have lost their jobs,” shared McClain in a press release shared with BE. “Despite these difficulties, Pow(H)er Experience and Awards is our commitment to women, especially women of color, remains absolute. We are continuing to move forward by providing free access to essential tools, resources, and health services, including screenings and testing. We remain dedicated to serving our community with these free resources to ensure they have the support needed not only to survive but to thrive.”

As Support Your Girlfriends continues to elevate its programming to serve its growing community of dynamic professional men and women, its annual experience encourages new leaders to thrive no matter the challenges. Support Your Girlfriends will close out its year of community-focused programming with a Holiday Soiree to help all this season.

RELATED CONTENT: Nikkia McClain’s Pow(H)er Initiative Empowers Black Women To Be Unapologetically Themselves

Mamie Till, Emmett Till

Shonda Rhimes $1.5M Donation To Emmett Till Memorial Aims To Preserve Black History, Honor Racial Justice Efforts

Shonda Rhimes’ $1.5M donation to buy the barn where Emmett Till was lynched highlights her commitment to preserving Black history.


Shonda Rhimes continues her dedication to preserving Emmett Till’s legacy, recently donating $1.5 million to acquire the barn where Till was lynched in 1955. This purchase underscores her larger effort to honor his memory and advance racial justice.

“Through the generosity of writer and producer Shonda Rhimes and the resolve of local residents, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center has purchased and protected the barn near Drew, MS, where Emmett Till was brutally beaten and murdered,” the Emmett Till Interpretive Center announced on Nov. 24. “It will be preserved not merely as a structure, but as sacred ground — a place where truth can live without fear of being forgotten.”

The Center announced the purchase two years after Rhimes partnered with them to preserve sites tied to Till’s murder, including the barn where he was killed. For Rhimes, Till’s death isn’t just a historical injustice—it reflects ongoing racial inequities still felt today.

“It’s not over,” she said in 2023, citing the ongoing racial hatred and violence against the Black community. “Young Black men are still being killed for being young Black men.”

Rhimes was inspired to join the Center’s memorialization project after reading Wright Thompson’s 2021 Atlantic article, “The Barn.” Located deep in the Mississippi Delta, the barn sits just off a rural gravel road. Thompson, a Mississippi native devoted to uncovering his hometown’s hidden history, visited the site numerous times.

“I don’t think I had ever known where it happened, where a child had been tortured and killed,” Rhimes told Good Morning America in 2023. “I couldn’t let it go. I kept thinking about it for weeks afterwards.”

Nearly 70 years after Till’s murder, his death remains a symbol of racial violence in the U.S. Visiting Mississippi from Chicago, 14-year-old Till was accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant Donham. Her husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, brutally beat and shot Till in a barn, later confessing in a magazine interview after being acquitted by an all-white jury.

Donham, who died in 2023, was never arrested. Photographs of Till’s mother mourning over his open casket helped spark the Civil Rights Movement. Rhimes’ purchase of the barn preserves this history at a time when Black history faces censorship, ensuring the story — and its connection to today’s struggles for racial justice — is not forgotten.

“Racism still exists,” she said. “I think it’s important to understand a history like this so that people can make sure that it never happens again.”

The Center announced the barn’s purchase on Nov. 24, which would have been Mamie Till-Mobley’s 104th birthday. The memorial is planned for completion by 2030, marking the 75th anniversary of Till’s murder.

RELATED CONTENT: Marking 70 Years Since The Acquittal Of The White Men Who Lynched Emmett Till

mobile gas

Gas Prices Reach Lowest Average Of Under $3 A Gallon Since Pandemic Era

Gas prices are even cheaper at around $2.75 a gallon in some states.


Despite inflation, layoffs, and other economic woes, Americans can rejoice about one silver lining amid the lulls.

Gasoline prices have reached their lowest average peak of under $3 a gallon since the pandemic year of 2021. The news comes as Americans continue to grapple with a rising cost of living.

The price reached this new low on Dec. 2, hitting an average of $2.998 across the United States. Gas prices have not seen a low like this since May 2021, when the pandemic was still in full swing.

CNN also reported that the year-over-year comparison showed gas at a slightly lower price rate than in 2024. Albeit by only a few cents, last year’s December average held at $3.05 a gallon.

However, gas averages sit even lower in some states across multiple regions. States varying from New Mexico to South Carolina and Colorado are enjoying an average of $2.75 for one gallon.

The low prices may stem from Donald Trump’s policy of deregulating fossil fuel extraction and non-renewable energy production. In his second term, he promised to keep gasoline prices low through these deregulation efforts.

Despite the lower cost at the gas pumps, Americans are still dealing with inflated prices for groceries and other living costs, marking a new affordability crisis in the nation. Inflation remains steady but still relatively high at around 3% as well, according to Nerdwallet.

Another contributing factor to the low cost lies outside of Trump’s own doing, as the rate for barrels of crude oil is significantly lesser than previous years. While barrel costs skyrocketed over Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, they have decreased from $81 to a current rate of $59.

Furthermore, OPEC and the U.S. have both ramped up oil production, making supply outpace demand. If this trend continues, crude oil barrel prices could go even lower, making one’s next trip to the gas station even cheaper.

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Netflix, 50 Cent, Diddy

Diddy Won’t Stop Criticizing The 50 Cent Docuseries ‘Sean Combs, The Reckoning’

Combs’ legal team argues that the documentary relies heavily on “private recordings and personal content that were never cleared for public release.”


Representatives for Sean “Diddy” Combs have denounced the new four-part Netflix documentary, Sean Combs: The Reckoning.

In a statement, lawyers for the Combs have called the project “illegal,” “misleading,” and “a shameful hit piece.” The docuseries, executive-produced by rapper Curtis “50 Cent “Jackson, is scheduled to debut on Dec. 2. According to reports, the docuseries promises an inside look at decades of allegations against Combs for sexual misconduct, abuse, and other criminal activity. 

Sean Combs’ legal team argues that the documentary relies heavily on “private recordings and personal content that were never cleared for public release.” Those recordings reportedly include hotel-room video, internal legal discussions, and other long-archived footage originally meant for a personal, self-authorized project, the Guardian reported.

The statement alleges that Netflix intentionally disregarded consent and context. Furthermore, the complaint states that Jackson’s involvement only perpetuates a personal vendetta.

“It is equally staggering that Netflix handed creative control to Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, a longtime adversary with a personal vendetta,” the statement read. They further alleged that editing choices were designed to present Combs “in the most damaging and dishonest light possible.” 

The trailer dropped recently and features interviews with accusers and footage from Combs’ past — including what is described as a tense call to his lawyers just days before his 2024 arrest. Sources close to the mogul assert that some footage was recorded with the understanding it would remain private or be used for a different purpose.

Despite the backlash, 50 Cent and the production team say the project was legally cleared and aims to let “a broader narrative” emerge. A narrative that includes the stories of alleged victims and gives viewers a fuller account of systemic issues within the music industry. The Get Rich Or Die Trying rapper says he has a duty to speak out against Combs’s actions. In an interview with Good Morning America, Jackson said someone in the hip-hop community should speak out against Diddy’s actions. If not, silence can be interpreted as complicity. 

“If I didn’t say anything, you would have interpreted it as hip-hop is fine with his behaviors. There’s no one else being vocal. . . It would allow the entire culture to register as if they’re for that behavior.”

For those interested in the stories told by victims and bystanders alike, Sean Combs: The Reckoning is now streaming on Netflix.

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