by Keka Araújo

October 9, 2025

Political Firestorm: Trump-Appointed Prosecutor Indicts Rival New York Attorney General Letitia James On Bank Fraud

The timing has fueled widespread speculation that the action is overtly political.

New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Virginia on at least one count of bank fraud, stemming from evidence presented personally by an interim U.S. Attorney with close ties to former President Donald Trump.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of false statements to a financial institution.https://t.co/b03rDSpd4B
— U.S. Attorney EDVA (@EDVAnews) October 9, 2025

The indictment marks a seismic escalation in the highly publicized legal battle between James and Trump, a long-time antagonist of the former president who successfully pursued a massive civil fraud judgment against him in New York. The prosecutor who secured the indictment, Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan, was hand-picked by Trump following the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, who reportedly cited insufficient evidence to pursue charges against James.

U.S. Attorney Halligan formally announced the charges, confirming the federal grand jury returned an actual bill charging the New York Attorney General with Bank Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344) and False Statements to a Financial Institution (18 U.S.C. § 1014). Halligan issued a stern statement alongside the indictment, emphasizing the gravity of the alleged offenses and the impartiality of the justice system.

“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan stated. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

If convicted on these felony counts, James faces maximum statutory penalties of up to 30 years’ imprisonment and up to a $1 million fine per count, in addition to forfeiture. Actual sentences are typically determined based on federal sentencing guidelines.

The move comes shortly after Trump publicly advocated for James to face criminal charges. Governor Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat, immediately denounced the action:

“New Yorkers know @NewYorkStateAG James for her integrity, her independence, and her relentless fight for justice. What we’re seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.”

New Yorkers know @NewYorkStateAG James for her integrity, her independence, and her relentless fight for justice.

What we're seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) October 9, 2025

The timing has fueled widespread speculation that the action is overtly political.

Halligan has demonstrated a pattern of targeting Trump critics. Just last week, she obtained a separate criminal indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, a vocal Trump foe, on charges related to allegedly lying to Congress in 2020. Halligan also personally presented the evidence in Comey’s case, reportedly after career prosecutors expressed reluctance.

James’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has denied the allegations that James falsified bank documents related to a Virginia home to secure a favorable loan rate, an accusation first formalized in a criminal referral by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte in April.

The indictment casts immediate doubt on James’s ability to continue overseeing her department’s legal challenges against Trump, including her recent petition to the state’s highest court to reinstate the full $500 million penalty imposed on Trump’s company in the New York civil fraud case. This development guarantees a period of prolonged political and legal volatility at the highest levels of the U.S. justice system.

Atlanta Massacre, 1906, mural, Le_Petit_Journal

by Kandiss Edwards

October 9, 2025

Mural Commemorating 1906 Atlanta Massacre Bashed By CommunityBllacck History

Residents voiced concern at a public forum Oct. 6 demanding a redesign.

A recently installed mural commemorating the 1906 Atlanta race massacre has sparked backlash from South Atlanta community members, who say its violent depiction and lack of neighborhood consultation do more harm than healing. Residents voiced concern at a public forum on Oct. 6, demanding a redesign.

The mural, painted by local artist Fabian Williams and commissioned by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, stands on a building operated by Focused Community Strategies. The piece portrays Black citizens reconstructing a home. However, an angry white mob is centrally displayed in the piece. A white man appears to be choking a Black man. The imagery is attributed to an early 20th-century French newspaper, Le Petit Journal. At the meeting, members stressed the image exaggerates violence and fails to capture historical nuance, Capital B reported.

At the community meeting moderated by the South Atlanta Civic League, Williams acknowledged his design underwent 19 iterations. He insisted he was ultimately constrained by direction from the commission and building owners.

“Telling the entire story in context changes the way you feel about something when you encounter it. Why did this happen? How did it stop? That’s the story I want to tell, but as someone who was commissioned to tell the story, how this ended was outside my control,” Williams said.

Fabian Williams' mural commemorates 1906 Atlanta race massacre https://t.co/1eaG35TK0I via @RoughDraftATL
— Brian O'Shea (@bposhea) October 3, 2025

Marvin Nesbitt, president of Focused Community Strategies, apologized for the failure in communication with community members, stating, “We dropped the ball.”

Art historian R. Candy Tate, co-chair of the Coalition to Remember the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre, said the mural failed to align with the community’s legacy. She noted that while the Le Petit Journal images are dramatic, they misrepresent what happened in Brownsville.

More than highlighting the violent incident, Tate believes the mural fails to acknowledge the resilience of Black residents who resisted.

“This missed the mark,” she said.

The 1906 Atlanta race massacre involved a four-day wave of racial violence. During that period, multiple attacks on Black neighborhoods, destruction of property, and loss of life were endured by residents. At least 25 community members were confirmed dead, and many are uncounted. Residents at the meeting emphasized the need for a more collaborative approach going forward as they push for changes to the mural’s design and selection process.

NFL, Brother-Sister Duo, Ashley & Trey Smith

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 9, 2025

NFL Loses Another Discrimination Appeal Against Ex-Miami Dolphins Coach Brian Flores

The case will be heard in federal court.

The National Football League’s attempt to move Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit to arbitration, has been denied. The case, now in its third year, must proceed in court.

The ruling was handed down by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Oct. 6.

“Appellants filed a petition for panel rehearing, or, in the alternative, for rehearing en banc. The panel that determined the appeal has considered the request for panel rehearing, and the active members of the Court have considered the request for rehearing en banc. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the petition is denied.”

Flores, the Miami Dolphins’ head coach from 2019 to 2021, sued the NFL for discrimination after he was fired in 2022. He also sued three teams, the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos, and the New York Giants, alleging discrimination based on his firing from Miami and in the interview process with Denver and New York.

The NFL said it would prefer to go to arbitration with league commissioner Roger Goodell as the arbiter. Flores and his legal team, not suprisingly, preferred a neutral party to settle the matter.

In March 2023, Judge Valerie Caproni ruled in favor of Flores, calling the NFL’s “long history of systematic discrimination toward Black players, coaches, and managers are incredibly troubling.”

“Although the clear majority of professional football players are Black, only a tiny percentage of coaches are Black,” she wrote in her decision.

The NFL appealed the ruling, but the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld it, deciding that the league’s constitution’s arbitration provision “contractually provides for no independent arbitral forum, no bilateral dispute resolution, and no procedure.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 9, 2025

Group Black Ad Firm Co-Founder Calls For Removal Of Board, Accuses Company Of Mismanaging Funds

Richelieu Dennis is alleging mismanagement by the Group Black board, including a fellow co-founder, and is calling for the removal of all members.

Richelieu Dennis, co-founder of the Group Black ad firm, has drawn attention to the company after calling for the full board’s removal amid allegations of overspending and mismanagement.

The bombshell allegations came to light on Oct. 6, when Dennis sent a letter to the board demanding the removal of all five members, including Group Black co-founder Bonin Bough, accusing them of financial and structural mismanagement, Business Insider reports. In the letter, Dennis expressed “serious concerns” about the alleged “wrongdoing and breach of fiduciary duty” by the board members.

Citing his 10% stake in the company, Dennis requested a special shareholders’ meeting to vote on removing the board. The move comes more than a year after the entrepreneur and founder of SheaMoisture and Sundial stepped down from the Group Black board in August 2024.

Launched in 2021 in the wake of the George Floyd protests, Group Black was created to channel advertising dollars to Black-owned outlets. In his letter, Dennis accused the firm of making “exorbitant expenditures not reasonably connected to the company’s operations” while neglecting payments to unnamed vendors and business partners. He also claimed that board members hired lawyers in a “wasteful attempt to devise frivolous defenses” over payment disputes and failed to appoint directors capable of properly overseeing the company.

Tensions within Group Black appeared to be mounting following lawsuits from Essence Communications and Afropunk Worldwide in October 2024, alleging that the firm owed them roughly $20 million and misused the funds to benefit the firm and Holler, a messaging startup founded by former CEO Travis Montaque. In recent months, two companies under Dennis’s Sundial Media and Technology Group have also been embroiled in legal disputes with Group Black.

Group Black has responded to Dennis’s allegations, labeling them as “false and defamatory.”

“The allegations in Mr. Dennis’ letter, which the media apparently received the same day he sent it to Group Black, are categorically false and defamatory,” Group Black said in a statement. “The company conducts itself with integrity and will continue to do so. Our focus remains on advancing Group Black’s mission and business on behalf of our team members and shareholders.”

Over the past year, the company has grappled with internal turmoil, including executive departures, most notably Montaque quietly stepping down as CEO in the summer of 2024, as well as several other executives and board members leaving. In September, the group rebranded to Portrait Media Group to reach a broader audience amid corporate pullbacks from DEI commitments.

by Jameelah Mullen

October 9, 2025

City Leaders Offer Relief To Unpaid TSA Workers Amid Government Shutdown In Atlanta

It takes a village.

Atlanta officials are leading the charge to support Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport who are currently working without pay amid the government shutdown.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined forces to launch a program aimed at lightening the financial load for the approximately 1,200 employees working at the world’s busiest airport.

“Republicans shut down the government, leaving thousands of federal employees—including TSA workers at Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest and most efficient airport—without pay, even as they continue to serve the public,” Williams’ office said in a statement.

City officials will provide two meal vouchers per shift to all full-time TSA employees, and part-time employees will also receive a voucher, according to Fox 5 News. Atlanta Employees will also have access to free parking. The program begins Oct. 11.

The outlet also reported that other airport vendors may offer elevated discounts or free meals for TSA staff.

TGI Fridays, which has three restaurants at the airport, announced that it will offer one free meal per day from a “specially curated menu” to TSA and Air Traffic Control employees through Oct. 23.

“TSA and air traffic control workers keep our country moving, and we wanted to do our part to support them. Whether they’re grabbing a meal at one of our airport locations during a shift or sitting down at a neighborhood Fridays® after a long day, we want them to know we appreciate them and we’re here for them,” Ray Blanchette, CEO of TGI Fridays, noted in a press release.

Aaron Barker, who leads the local Association of Federal Employees (AFGE), recalls TSA employees adjusting to cope with the financial strain of the last government shutdown.

“In the past, when we did have the 35-day shutdown, most officers toughed it out,” stated Barker. “They did try to find a way to get to work even if it wasn’t every day, or try to find a way to find a carpool together. Unfortunately, some officers ended up sleeping in their cars at the airport,” Barker told 11 Alive News.

TSA employees will receive a partial paycheck on Oct. 11, but they will not receive any additional pay until the government shutdown ends.

Ohio mom, Michigan, Darren, Dawson, Ohio, tortured closet, social security, Juvenile jails, ex cons for trump

by Jameelah Mullen

October 9, 2025

Trial Begins For 3 Ex-Corrections Officers Accused In Death Of Handcuffed Black Man

If convicted, the former officers could face life in prison.

The murder trial of three former corrections officers charged in the deadly beating of inmate Robert Brooks started earlier this week. Mathew Galliher, Nicholas Kieffer, and David Kingsley face charges of murder and first-degree manslaughter.

Body camera footage partially captured the attack at the Marcy Correctional Facility on Dec. 9, 2024.

In his opening statement, Onondaga County (NY) District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told jurors they would see “massive evidence” that the officers intended to cause harm to Brooks.

Fitzpatrick described the incident to the jurors, accusing the men of pinning Brooks down as they took turns beating him and pepper-spraying him. Brooks was transferred to Marcy from a nearby jail where he had been serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault since 2017.

“They no longer were corrections officers. They were a gang,” Fitzpatrick said in his opening statement.

The videos, which garnered public outrage, show officers beating Brooks in the chest with a shoe, lifting him by the neck, and dropping him.

Defense attorneys said the evidence will demonstrate the officers did not act with malice or “depraved indifference to human life.”

“The prosecution is attempting to tie Nicholas Kieffer to the actions of others, suggesting to you that he is somehow responsible via association,” said his attorney, David Longeretta, ABC News reported.

Galliher’s attorney, Kevin Luibrand, said his client only shackled Brooks to prevent him from kicking, but Galliher didn’t take part in the actions that led to Brooks’ death.

“Mathew Galliher didn’t harm Robert Brooks. He didn’t hit him, he didn’t strike him, he didn’t encourage others to strike him, he didn’t deny him medical care,” Luibrand said as reported by ABC News. “He didn’t do anything that contributed to the death of Robert Brooks.”

Prosecutors charged seven other prison guards in connection with the case. Six of them have accepted plea deals.

If convicted, the three former officers could face in life in prison, according to the (Utica, NY) Observer-Dispatch.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 9, 2025

NCAA May Allow Student-Athletes, Staff Members To Legally Bet On Pro Sports

The Division I Administrative Committee has voted to remove that restriction.

There is currently a prohibition under NCAA rules that prevents college student-athletes and athletics department staff members from betting on pro sports. However, this may change as the Division I Administrative Committee has voted to remove that restriction.

The committee adopted a proposal to lift the restriction in a recent meeting. However, the decision to end the prohibition does not prevent students and staff from sharing information about college competitions with other bettors.

The rule will only go into effect if the Divisions II and III committees also approve the proposal. Both divisions have meetings at the end of October to consider the proposal approved by their Division I counterparts. If both divisions agree to the proposal, the rule change will take place on Nov. 1.

Administrative staff stated that this decision wasn’t made to endorse student-athletes and staff members betting on sports, but to ease the restrictions placed on them and allow them to “engage in betting activities on professional sports.”

“The Administrative Committee was clear in its discussion today that it remains concerned about the risks associated with all forms of sports gambling, but ultimately voted to reduce restrictions on student-athletes in this area to better align with their campus peers,” said Josh Whitman, Illinois athletic director and committee chair, in a written statement. “This change allows the NCAA, the conferences and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee also supports the rule change.

The change was suggested because the NCAA enforcement staff’s caseload involving sports betting has increased, as they investigate violations among staff members that directly affect the integrity of college sports.

by Kandiss Edwards

October 9, 2025

UConn ‘Anti-Black Racism’ Course Is On The Chopping Block Due To Trump Administration Mandates

The university’s legal office advised its senate leaders that the requirement could be deemed illegal under current federal interpretation.

The University of Connecticut (UConn) is considering dropping a requirement that undergraduates complete a one-credit course on anti-Black racism. Leadership at the the university believes the course could be illegal.

As the Trump administration scrutinizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at public institutions, many have eliminated programs and curricula that may be considered DEI. The university’s legal office advised its senate leaders that the requirement could be deemed illegal under current federal interpretation.

At an Oct. 6 Senate meeting, UConn’s general counsel gave senators a memorandum claiming that requiring the Anti-Black Racism could conflict with federal law, according to the UConn Senate Executive Committee Report.

“Following guidance issued by the federal government, It is the opinion of the University General Counsel’s Office that the ABR requirement as originally passed by the University Senate would be considered illegal by the current federal administration,” the report states.

University Senate member Tom Bontly voiced concern during the meeting, CT Insider reported.

“I think it sends a terrible message to our students,” Bontly said. “It sends a terrible message to communities of color at the university and anybody else who is threatened by discrimination, that we will not stand up for them and that we will capitulate to the probable illegal demands of an administration.”

According to CT Insider, multiple senators defended the Anti-Black Racism course.

“I am deeply concerned and deeply worried that we’re entering a slippery slope situation, when next we will be afraid to teach any courses, even if they are an option,” University Senator Beth Ginsberg said.

University Senator Theodore Rasmussen agreed with Ginsberg’s assessment. “I think there’s actually a larger issue at hand here, which is the ability of the University of Connecticut and other educational institutions to develop their own curricula.”

The Senate is seeking several alternatives to eliminating the course. Making the course optional and converting it into multiple justice-themed topics were introduced as solutions. The Senate did not vote on rescinding the requirement but deferred it for further study.

As of this month, the U.S. Anti-Black Racism course is no longer available.

Expert Dee Bowden, Black Women Entrepreneurs

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 9, 2025

Aurora James Says SheaMoisture’s Partnership With Fifteen Percent Pledge Shows That ‘They Get It’

Aurora James is praising SheaMoisture for maintaining its support of Black-owned businesses amid broader corporate shifts on DEI initiatives.

As support for diverse businesses falters amid political attacks on DEI, Aurora James is praising SheaMoisture for standing out as a major company willing to back initiatives led by people of color.

Fresh off SheaMoisture’s announcement of expanding the Dartmouth Fellowship program in partnership with the Fifteen Percent Pledge, James is sharing what the collaboration means for Black entrepreneurs amid corporate pullbacks on DEI and a political climate rolling back prior progress.

“It’s a joy to partner with SheaMoisture, because they get it – diversity is in their DNA,” James told Essence. “This brand has been supporting Black consumers and entrepreneurs since day one.”

Through the partnership, James and the Fifteen Percent Pledge team will help select half of the 20 participants for the SheaMoisture Fellowship at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. Launched in 2015, the fellowship fully funds women entrepreneurs’ attendance, providing access to top-tier business education and networks that can transform the trajectory of their businesses.

This year’s fellowship, with the Pledge’s involvement, guarantees that at least half of the participants are Black-owned businesses, reflecting James’s ongoing mission to push major retailers to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned brands.

“I started the Pledge with a call to action for companies to make long-term, sustained investments in Black founders – because at this point, we all know that writing one check or launching one collaboration is not going to move the needle toward equity,” she said.

Amid a challenging climate for diverse business owners, James remains optimistic, highlighting Pledge supporters who have not only maintained their support for Black-owned businesses but have even strengthened their commitments.

“It’s hard not to feel like we’re backtracking right now,” she said. “But the good news is, our strongest partners at the Pledge – who have always been in it for the right reasons – are doubling down on their commitments to equity. Because they understand it’s a smart business proposition.”

Over the 10-year history of the SheaMoisture Fellowship at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, more than 100 women have participated, achieving an average revenue growth of 14.3% and a 6% increase in profit margins. James is now eager to see that success extend to Black women-owned businesses.

“We really hope to see founders walk away from the Dartmouth experience with tools and lessons to scale their businesses sustainably,” she said. “If these women head home from this experience and create a ripple effect of wealth, innovation, and opportunity in their communities, that’s how we know the work is working.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 9, 2025

‘Assassin’s Creed’ Featuring Formerly Enslaved Person Reportedly Canceled Over Fears of Controversy

Fans of the game are not happy over the development.

A planned Assassin’s Creed game set during Reconstruction, centered on a formerly enslaved person seeking revenge, was reportedly canceled in July 2024.

According to an anonymous group of Ubisoft employees, management in Paris halted development on the post–Civil War-era game, over fears of online backlash following the online reveal of Yasuke, a Black samurai protagonist in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and concerns over the increasingly tense political climate in the United States.

“Too political in a country too unstable, to make it short,” one source told Game File.

The canceled game would have taken the Assassin’s Creed franchise into one of its most modern eras, the American Civil War and the Reconstruction period of the 1860s and 1870s. The story follows a formerly enslaved Black man who heads west to begin a new life before being recruited by the Assassins. His journey leads him back to the South to fight for justice and confront the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.

Employees were reportedly excited about the project and frustrated by its cancellation, viewing Ubisoft’s decision as caving to potential controversy. Fans have voiced their disappointment.

Ubisoft canceled an ‘ASSASSINS CREED’ game set in the post-Civil War era

• Featured a Black Assassin who was formerly a slave

• Players would fight the emerging KKK

• Leadership canceled it after concerns with U.S. political climate & Yasuke backlash

(Source:… pic.twitter.com/PBbXT6ocjY
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 8, 2025

“This is why whenever big companies tell you how valuable their diversity and core beliefs are, you shouldn’t trust them,” one fan tweeted. “As soon as money’s on the line, they’ll abandon everything they believe in to appease the people who don’t even buy their product.”

“I can’t stop thinking about it. About the plethora of ways this could have been this franchise’s actual return to greatness,” another fan wrote. “How it could have deeply mattered and be remembered. This is suppression of dissenting voices. I’m so mad.”

One fan offered some consolation to those eager for a similar storyline, pointing to Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry—a downloadable content (DLC) expansion for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Set in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti) in the mid-18th century, the story follows Adéwalé, a former quartermaster of the Jackdaw, who is shipwrecked in Port-au-Prince and joins the fight to free enslaved people from brutal plantation conditions and slave ships.

“In case people don’t know, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag: Freedom Cry is an amazing DLC featuring a black assassin helping to dismantle slavery in Haiti,” the fan shared. “It’s a short but very compelling story, and I’d recommend it to anyone who would’ve been interested in the cancelled game.”