• News

by Christian Spencer

May 13, 2021

Wild-N-Out Comedian Claims He Was Abused By Wife, Seen Crying On Camera

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Wild-N-Out comedian Billy Sorrells is claiming his wife, Courtney Sorrells, almost killed him, and filmed a video of him crying for help.

As first reported on Dior Wall Street, Billy is seen asking for his phone back from his upset wife inside what appears to be their garage. She demanded her computer back. Seeing Billy record her on the second device, Courtney decided to place her husband in a chokehold. Billy can be heard begging his wife to stop.

“Stop, stop…you’re hurting me, you’re hurting me,” Billy cried.

The Instagram post reported that Billy called the police on his wife seven times. Every time he did, she would walk away. According to the source, that is the reason why she took his phone away.

Related stories: HOW A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REBUILT HER CAREER AFTER LEAVING HER ABUSER

When police did arrive, Billy said Courtney acted like she was the victim. Despite calling the police on claims of domestic violence, Courtney was not arrested nor was there was a filed order of protection.

Billy claimed that he posted the video of his wife assaulting him to prove his innocence, saying that if she retaliated and falsely claimed abuse, “I would have been fired and cancelled  and it would have been on 19 blogs sites.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Billy Sorrells (@billysorrells)

Billy took several pictures from the incident, including a pictures of his filed police report and a selfie claiming his head was injured.The photo shows a man in distress. His permed hair is wild and moistened by what appears to be a combination of blood, sweat, and tears.

Since the incident took place, Billy has discussed it on a 14-minute video on his Instagram. Billy’s comment to accompany the video–“Healing.”

If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or (TTY) 1-800-787-3224. 

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 13, 2021

Derek Chauvin Could Face Longer Prison Sentence in Death of George Floyd

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After being found guilty by a jury of his peers in the police killing of an unarmed Black man, a convicted former police officer has just gotten more bad news.

According to USA Today, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin could face more prison time than expected to face when his sentencing takes place next month for his killing of George Floyd based on a filing by prosecutors to add “aggravating factors” to the expected prison term of Chauvin, a first-time offender.

The previous sentencing guidelines recommend that he receive a sentence of 12½ years for the crime of second-degree murder. With the judge’s recent ruling, Chauvin can face a prison term of up to 30 years in prison.

The judge in the case, Peter Cahill, has ruled that the 45-year-old Chauvin had abused his authority as a police officer when he kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in May 2020. As Floyd laid there, Chauvin did not render medical aid even when it became clear Floyd was in medical distress, Cahill said in a ruling made public Wednesday.

RELATED CONTENT: 4 Disturbing Discoveries From Derek Chauvin’s Trial for George Floyd’s Death

Cahill also found that Chauvin treated Floyd with “particular cruelty” because of the “prolonged nature of the asphyxiation” and because Floyd had made it clear that he was having trouble breathing. Floyd said, “I can’t breathe,” at least 27 times as seen in a mobile phone video of his death. Cahill also cited two more aggravating factors: The crime was committed in the presence of children and with the active participation of at least three other people.

Prosecutors had argued for a fifth aggravating factor, stating that Floyd was “particularly vulnerable” because he was also handcuffed, placed in the prone position, and intoxicated. But Cahill ruled the state had not proven that aspect beyond a reasonable doubt.

According to the New York Daily News, Cahill wrote, “The slow death of George Floyd occurring over approximately six minutes of his positional asphyxia was particularly cruel in that Mr. Floyd was begging for his life and obviously terrified by the knowledge that he was likely to die but during which the Defendant objectively remained indifferent to Mr. Floyd’s pleas.”

• Education

by Andrea Blackstone

May 13, 2021

High School Senior Earns Scholarship, Donates College Savings to Help Other Students

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Joshua Nelson, a senior at St. Charles West High School in Missouri, decided to pay it forward by donating over $1,000 of his college savings to another student after Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) selected Nelson for a SEMO’s President Scholarship.

“The MAC Scholars program seeks to provide opportunities for students to develop and sharpen the skills necessary to succeed in high school and beyond,” MAC’s website information explained.

Nelson is also a member of the varsity basketball team, huddle leader for the Fellow of Christian Athletes, and a member of the National Honor Society, National Society of Black Engineers, and Black Student Union. t Nelson, who wants to pursue a career in optometry, is an active community volunteer.

RELATED CONTENT: Travis Scott Providing More Scholarships to HBCU Students

The City of St. Charles’s School District explained that Nelson was one of five students selected to receive this year’s scholarship this year out of 100 applicants to make it to the interview round. The scholarship is worth approximately $43,000 over four years.

When the 18-year-old nabbed the scholarship, he decided to use his savings to help another student. Over the next few weeks, parents and teachers will help Nelson with his do-gooder mission. KSDK reported that Nelson will also accept applications for this special scholarship.

“I really thought it was important to give back to my community that poured in so much to me,” Nelson told KSDK. “Honestly, it makes me feel on top of the world. The fact that I can just help somebody a little bit makes me feel great and I really want to see other people succeed.”

A donation page has been set up for the Joshua Nelson Leaders In Action Scholarship. Nelson and the MAC leadership team are accepting financial donations to increase scholarships for graduating seniors. Individuals and companies are also encouraged to support youth by donating time, materials, supplies, or even experiences.

• News

by Christian Spencer

May 13, 2021

Dunkin’ Donuts Employee Killed Customer For Calling Him Racial Slur

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A 77-year-old man has died after a heated exchange between him and Black employee at Dunkin Donuts in Tampa, FL.

It only took one punch from 27-year-old Corey Pujols to inadvertently kill the customer, WTVT, a local Fox-affiliate in Tampa.

Pujols was initially charged with battery on May 5, which later got elevated to aggravated manslaughter after the customer died three days, the result of his head bouncing on the hard Dunkin’ Donuts concrete floor.

Police said the victim did not like the lack of service he was receiving and decided to get out of the drive thru and confront the employee. The elderly man and Pujols had an argument. The elderly man used a racial slur. Offended, Pujols dared the rude customer to say that word one more time, which he did. Police did not release the man’s name or the slur he uttered.

Related stories: WHITE WOMAN FIRED FOR BEING RACIST; CALLED NEIGHBOR THE N-WORD, CALLED THE POLICE ON HER

The punch in face the elderly man received was a death blow. By the time first responders arrived, he was bleeding from his ears to his mouth. The man was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where he died two days later from a skull fracture and brain contusions.

The elderly man was a regular at the Dunkin’ Donuts and said to be a veteran, regular customer Junior Chappel told WFLA, an NBC-affiliate in Tampa.

While some may say this was an incident or theorized incident was an act of self defense, a police report concluded that “at no time did the decedent place his hands on defendant or attempt to strike to defendant at any point.”

On May 13, Pujols is set to appear in court.

A Dunkin’ Donuts spokesperson told WFLA that it “was deeply sadden by the incident at one of our franchised restaurants in Tampa Bay, Florida.”

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

May 13, 2021

This Marketing Tool Makes Converting Site Visitors Into Leads Effortlessly

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Creating a website is effortless these days. Any business can put together a decent web page within minutes. But just because you have a website doesn’t mean you can attract leads and convert customers in a snap.  Fortunately, you don’t even have to hire a growth hacker to turn your site into a customer-generating machine. All you need is a subscription to Pushfy.me.

Pushfy is a tool designed to help you boost your conversions and increase your sales by way of notification widgets, social proof, coupon bars, engagement links, and more. Also, it’s one of the easiest ways to grow your customer base, you can snag a subscription for 96 percent off.

Pushfy.me Social Proof & Push Notifications

However, you won’t have to deal with complex codes. It doesn’t require any programming know-how, either. All you need to do is install and set up a single line of Javascript code or pixel. In addition, it does its magic and converts your website visitors into leads, buyers, and subscribers.

After setting it all up, you’ll benefit from the fully automated notifications that are triggered at the right time and place. Your customers will receive a welcome message, discount offer at the shopping cart, reviews at pricing and signup page, and more. Furthermore, the service also provides ways to collect emails without distracting the users, a button bar to promote just about anything, and text feedback to collect better and straightforward insight from your users.

“Excellent. It is a great compliment. Very easy to use and integrate with WordPress you can add any CTA on any page,” said one verified customer. “It can only be described one way and I love the plugin.”

Grow your website and business with a subscription to Pushfy. You can get the lifetime VIP agency plan for only $49.99—97 percent off the usual $2,475. This grants you zero ads, removable branding, custom branding, and unlimited campaigns and notifications.

Prices subject to change.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

May 13, 2021

This Design Tool Creates Beautiful Business Presentations With a Single Click

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Presenting is an art form. After all, you’re essentially telling a story through the facts and figures you want to showcase. While you can always practice your spiel, crafting a stunning presentation doesn’t come super easy. If you don’t have a designer at your disposal or don’t have the know-how to create quality visual content. The good news is you can turn to visual marketing tools to put together slick-looking decks.

Case in point: Slidebean is a presentation platform that makes creating slides and pitch decks a breeze. A lifetime subscription is available now for just $29.99, despite being valued at $480. With easy-to-use templates and AI technology available, this software removes the hassle from crafting epic presentations.

It only takes a single click to take your presentation from drab to fab. All you need to do is key in the content you want to include, and with a click, Slidebean automates a beautiful design. The templates have fill-in-the-blank outlines to serve as your guide and kickstart your presentation workflow. Combined with its AI arrangement, you can wrap up your presentation in a few minutes instead of hours.

Slidebean’s templates are highly customizable. It allows you to go for the look you’re going for thanks to the range of design templates, color palettes, and premium fonts. You can also collaborate online and share your presentations with any mobile device, and you can even control your flow straight from your smartphone without an app. And should you wish to change anything last minute, you can easily edit your finished product with no trouble.

Whether you’re creating a pitch deck, report, or projection slides, Slidebean can help create presentations that make an impact. Tech Crunch even said that the software, “Turns the content in your head into a beautiful presentation.” From personal development, to business development, this tech makes all the difference.

Typically $1,140, you can grab a lifetime subscription on sale for only $49.99. That nets you access to over 100 premium templates, presentation analytics, the option to apply your company’s logo and brand kit to a presentation, include one extra team. member, and priority support.

Prices subject to change.

• Money

by Black Enterprise Shop

May 13, 2021

Never Overpay For Auto Insurance Again

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According to a study, Americans overpay for their auto insurance an astounding $37 billion per year. That clocks in at about an average of $330 per person. Yet many remain loyal to their insurance companies despite dissatisfaction with the high premiums, service, or worse, both. Drivers choose not to bother shopping for other options because, for one, comparing vehicle insurance companies alone can be time-consuming. Not many people are aware that you can switch car insurance at any time and for any reason.

Save Money Each Month

If you think you’re overpaying for your current coverage and wish to look for a better option, you can save yourself the hassle by switching to a provider that offers a no-frills, straightforward process of procuring premiums. Clearcover is an insuretech company that would never make you pay for more than what you need. Also, you can even get a new policy within minutes thanks to their tech-driven application process.

Clearcover operates with the idea that buying insurance should not be convoluted. They provide clear and comprehensive auto insurance, which you can easily get through their intuitive digital platform. Everything from creating an account to checking prices can be done from your smartphone, eliminating the need to speak to multiple representatives just to get a policy that fits your unique needs. You can sign up for a new plan within a few minutes across sixteen states. It’s similar to Lemonade, but for car insurance.

It’s Easy To Save

With Clearcover, everything is as simple as it gets. On top of an easy application process and better prices overall, they’ll also help you understand your coverage, so everything is clear from the jump. No confusing terminology is involved—everything is broken down in plain, simple English.

For existing customers, there’s a mobile app available to review your policy and submit claims. “Clearcover makes getting car insurance a breeze. No talking to agents, waiting for a card to arrive, or getting overcharged because of a bad algorithm,” says satisfied customer J. K.

Their 90% customer satisfaction rating is warranted. While they hope that you would never need them, you can rest assured that there’s a real human on the other side to help you out should you run into trouble. You can always ask for assistance, from the point of application to filing for claims.

With Clearcover, you can get a fast quote and even faster claims. Don’t settle for a subpar insurance policy when you can switch companies at any time with just a few clicks. Check your price today.

• Lifestyle

by Black Enterprise Shop

May 13, 2021

How to Go on Your Dream Vacation Without Breaking the Bank

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This summer, many people are hoping to finally get out and about. If you feel like you haven’t saved up enough money, it’s still possible with  Matt’s Flights.

A one-year subscription is valued at $97, but available for just $29.99. They search for the best flights all day long. Once they land on super cheap and amazing flight deals, you’ll receive them in your email inbox immediately.

You might not know this already, but airlines make mistakes, too. Thousands of flights are priced every day, so it makes sense that the people and computers responsible for setting the prices might glitch and set mistake airfares. If you’re new to this, the prices can be pretty tricky to track, but that’s where Matt’s Flights comes in.

A premium subscription to Matt’s Flights (rated 4.9/5 stars on Facebook) gives you instant access to the best deals based on your departing location. You also get instant access to all the best deals, up to 5 times more than free members. Matt is available around the clock, so you’ve got your own personal, 1-on-1 flight and travel support system. All you have to do is sit back, choose your favorite out of the 3+ deals you’ll get each week. Start planning your dream holiday without breaking the bank.

Sometimes you need to focus on things like work and self improvement, and other times you need to just get out and travel.

Matt is your plug for the cheapest domestic and international flights, and covers more than 60 cities in the US and Canada. You can get a full year’s access to the premium service at 69% off the original price of $97. With a sale price of $29.99. Jump on a good deal as soon as you get one, because airlines may correct them pretty quickly.

Prices subject to change.

• COVID-19

by Derek Major

May 13, 2021

Philadelphia Sets June Date For Full Reopening, Restrictions Will Be Eased Next Week

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Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced in a press conference Tuesday that it will drop its “Safer At Home” coronavirus restrictions on June 11.

The mask mandate will still be enforced but stores, gyms, bars, and restaurants will all be open with limited restrictions. The coronavirus pandemic hit the city hard. Philly, which has a population of about 1.5 million, had nearly 150,000 total coronavirus cases and more than 3,500 deaths. Although the city is gearing up to reopen, Kenney is urging residents to continue being safe.

“We are not yet declaring victory because cases and hospitalizations can rise again at any point if we’re not diligent. I urge everyone to be smart, to continue wearing masks around others, and most importantly, to join the more than half a million fellow Philadelphians who already got their vaccine,” Kenney said according to ABC6.

The rest of Pennsylvania is set to reopen on Memorial Day, but the city of brotherly love will reopen two weeks later as it is the most densely populated city in the state. Additionally, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told NBC Philadelphia the city wanted a little more time to relax rules.

RELATED CONTENT: Mayor Bill de Blasio Targets July 1 for Full Reopening of New York City

“I know the shutdown has been extremely difficult for everyone… everyone has suffered from being separated from others,” Farley said while noting he believes the previous restrictions saved thousands of lives.

Throughout the pandemic, Philadelphia has often delayed relaxing restrictions until after the state has just to be careful.

Many restrictions will begin being relaxed beginning May 21. Restaurants can open indoors at 50% capacity and can be at 75% if they pass certain ventilation qualifiers. The city will also drop its requirement that alcohol must be purchased with food. Offices will be allowed to operate with no density limits, however, mask requirements will stay in effect.

Retail stores, bowling alleys, museums, and libraries will also be allowed to operate without density limits but masking will still be enforced. Gyms and pools will have 75% capacity and indoor exercise classes will be limited to 25 people.

New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have all coordinated their reopening for next week, May 19.

• Women

by Andrea Blackstone

May 13, 2021

Àuda.B, First Black-Owned Nail Polish Brand Sold at Nordstrom

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A vegan, luxury nail lacquer founded by Samara Walker can now be exclusively be purchased via Nordstrom.com, according to Àuda.B’s Instagram account. On Nordstrom’s online store, the polish is described as a ‘vegan-friendly gel-like nail polish that delivers ultra-rich and smooth color to your nails that’s also resistant to chipping.’ The description also said that the nontoxic polish delivers a long-lasting gloss finish to your nails.

According to Àuda.B’s Instagram post, the exclusive partnership with Nordstrom mirrors the company’s vision in increasing accessibility to inclusive beauty globally.

“Àuda.B will be the first Black owned nail brand sold on Nordstrom,” the post also said.

Walker is a Boston-based entrepreneur who founded the beauty tech company which offers health-conscious luxury products for all skin tones. Veg News reported that the gel-like polish in 17 curated colors, along with a top coat and Glam Nail Care Kit, is available at Nordstrom’s.

VegNews reported that Walker said that the partnership is monumental moment for Àuda.B.

“This opportunity allows the multifaceted beauty enthusiast to experience luxury non-toxic nail lacquer with inclusive shade offerings and superior pigments for all skin tones,” Walker said, according to Veg News.

Back in February, Nordstrom announced the expansion of its Inclusive beauty assortment and 12 new Black-founded beauty brands. Àuda.B was included in the company’s roundup.

“Inclusive Beauty has long been a priority at Nordstrom. We began work on this category two years ago and are proud to announce these latest partnerships with new and emerging brands that share values in diversity and truly represent the customers we serve.,” Autumne West, Nordstrom’s National Beauty Director, said.

Walker also revealed that her passion for beauty tech began two years ago, after creating her first beauty brand. According to the entrepreneur, the beauty industry often lacks diversity within marketing and product selections.

“It’s our job to create change, lead a movement, and never be content with the bare minimum,” Walker said on  Àuda.B’s Instagram account. “If there aren’t opportunities for us, let’s create them!”