by Sharelle B. McNair

April 11, 2025

Woman Accused Of Forging $36K Check To Pay Tuition At Tennessee State University

Branch was arrested after she allegedly told the TSU bursar staff that a check from 'Indiana Transport' was mailed for her to stay enrolled but sent to the wrong address

Agents at the Metro Nashville Police Department claim Starr Branch forged a $36,741.07 check to pay tuition at Tennessee State University (TSU), WKRN reports.

Branch, 23, was arrested after she allegedly told the TSU bursar staff that a check from “Indiana Transport” was mailed to the school’s collection agency in order for her to stay enrolled for the 2025 spring semester but was delivered to the wrong address.

Before requesting a hold on her enrollment status to be lifted—which would allow her to stay on campus—Branch allegedly told staff members that a replacement check would be mailed to the correct address.

Weeks passed. The HBCU still had not received the funds, and Indiana Transport notified the bursar’s office that the company never issued or authorized the check. Branch then told officers that her father provided the check but failed to give evidence or contact information for him to support her claims.

The ordeal resulted in Branch being charged with felony worthless check over $10,000 but less than $60,000 and felony forgery over $10,000 and less than $60,000.

Court documents revealed she was booked into jail on a $30,000 bond.

The timing is terrible as TSU is in survival mode. According to Higher Ed Drive, interim President Dwayne Tucker said during a meeting in early February 2025 that the school is on track to run out of money by April or May 2025. The school is leaning on assistance from state lawmakers in hopes of staying afloat and having time to revamp its operations and finances for the long term.

“It’s a fact that we can’t pay our bills,” Tucker said, who added that the school wouldn’t be open without state assistance.

The HBCU faced a number of significant financial crises after missing enrollment targets and operating deficits. The school is projected to have a $46 million deficit by the end of the fiscal year. Identified inefficient processes in financial aid, advising, and enrollment systems added to the struggles.

TSU launched a full scholarship program without a plan to fund it. The scholarship attracted students: 8,198 students for the 2023 fall semester compared to 7,774 in 2018. However, TSU couldn’t afford to maintain those aid levels.

During fiscal 2022, $37 million was paid toward the scholarship using federal pandemic emergency funds. When the funds ran dry, TSU was forced to issue tens of millions of dollars in institutional financial aid, causing a heavy discount on tuition.

Tucker plans to present a five-year turnaround plan to the state legislature, highlighting operations through the first year being financed by removing restrictions on close to $150 million out of $250 million the state previously set aside for the school’s infrastructure.

ambulance, police, South Carolina, James Mack,, false emergency calls

by Kandiss Edwards

April 11, 2025

SOMEONE PLEASE CALL 9-1-1! Man Arrested For Scamming Rides To The Hospital In South Carolina

A South Carolina man is facing charges after deputies say he repeatedly abused the 911 emergency system to get free ambulance rides to the hospital despite having no medical emergencies and leaving without treatment, WCBD reported.

James Mack, 35, of Sumter County, was arrested on April 7 and charged with unlawfully using 911 services after allegedly placing multiple false emergency calls. According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Mack called 911 on several occasions over a two-week span, complaining of various minor medical issues.

Mack was transported by ambulance to Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital in each instance. Deputies said that once Mack arrived, he would either refuse treatment or leave the facility before being seen by hospital staff. Authorities said the repeated misuse of emergency resources strained local EMS and potentially delayed response times for residents experiencing actual medical emergencies.

On April 7, deputies were dispatched to the hospital after being alerted to Mack’s behavior. Officers reportedly observed Mack exiting the hospital shortly after arriving by ambulance. When confronted, he fled the scene and attempted to hide inside the First Presbyterian Church. He was quickly apprehended.

Following confirmation that Mack had received no treatment again, he was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. He was issued a $1,500 surety bond and remained in custody as of Wednesday.

Under South Carolina law, a misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $200 fine.

Authorities urged the public to use 911 responsibly, emphasizing that misuse of emergency systems can have real consequences for responders and the community.

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 11, 2025

Could Amazon Delivery Drivers Be Labeled As The New Emergency Responders?

The goal was to offer a better chance of surviving a heart attack since vans are normally in closer proximity to residences than first responders

Amazon has reportedly experimented with using drivers to be used as emergency responders, Bloomberg News reports.

Testing a program called Project Pulse, delivery vans in Europe were outfitted with defibrillators to determine whether or not drivers would be able to provide faster aid to heart attack victims.

Starting in 2023 in Amsterdam, Amazon said over 100 drivers participated in the experiment where drivers would receive alerts from citizen responder apps and arrive on site where emergency services were already working on victims.

Amazon spokesperson Anneliese Hellwig-Schuster said the project lasted for months, and said the company is “evaluating the feedback and exploring additional opportunities for future programs.”

The target goal was to give everyone, regardless of if they are an Amazon customer or not, a better chance of surviving a heart attack since vans are normally in closer proximity than professional first responders in several residential communities. However, reports show that the company is trying to utilize its consumer base and technological reach in an effort to compete with Walmart in the healthcare space.

In early 2025, Walmart launched same-day pharmacy delivery for 49 states but integrating pharmacy, general merchandise, and grocery into one order.

Amazon feels that with partnerships like Teladoc and other mental health providers, the company can expand its offerings with virtual care and chronic condition management.

“By integrating these services into its larger ecosystem, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and its Health Benefits Connector, Amazon seeks to redefine healthcare access and challenge Walmart’s established position in the industry,” a report said.

AWS has already partnered with General Catalyst to come up with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven healthcare solutions that target personalized care, diagnostics, and improving patient outcomes for more accessible healthcare.

Amazon has been expanding into avenues of assistance outside of healthcare. In early February 2025, the company announced a total of 15 Disaster Relief hubs around the world to assist with relief from natural disasters, according to the company.

The facility hubs are located in disaster-prone areas—the first hub opened in Mexico—and stocked with necessary supplies in order to be ready for immediate delivery. Amazon uses global logistics and technology capabilities to quickly ship donated items to communities affected by natural disasters.

“When a natural disaster strikes, providing immediate relief is critical. Our capabilities in logistics and technology allow us to provide fast and effective assistance,” said Diego Mendez de la Luz, director of Amazon’s operations in Mexico. “With the opening of this new hub in Mexico, our response time to partner with emergency management agencies and relief organizations during natural disasters across the country will be even faster and more efficient.”

by Mitti Hicks

April 11, 2025

House Republicans Approve Bill Aimed To Restrict Power Of Federal Judges

House Republicans passed legislation to prevent federal judges from halting President Donald Trump’s executive orders

House Republicans are growing frustrated with federal district judges issuing nationwide injunctions, so they pass a bill to restrict their power and prevent them from halting President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

The bill, “The No Rogue Ruling Act,” passed 219 to 213, mostly along party lines, according to the New York Times. It would restrict federal judges from issuing opinions and directives with immediate national consequences. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), introduced the bill. House Republicans argue that the federal judiciary is unfairly targeting Trump and his policies.

The bill goes further by creating a new process allowing a random three-judge panel to review multi-state cases against the president.

Speaking on the House floor Wednesday, Issa said the Supreme Court “must reach a majority in order to make something the law of the land, and yet a single district judge believes that they can make the law of the land.”

House Republicans’ latest move comes a back-and-forth between the Trump administration, district judges, and, at times, the Supreme Court.

A report from Congress shows that federal judges have issued at least 17 injunctions from Jan. 20, 2025, through March 27, 2025. However, the report notes that providing a single definitive count of nationwide injunctions is impossible.

In a recent decision, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg temporarily halted the Trump administration’s orders to deport migrants under the Alien Enemies Act. The U.S. Supreme Court stepped in on April 7, and overruled Boasberg’s injunction, allowing the administration to continue deportations of certain immigrants.

The Supreme Court also temporarily overruled the 4th U.S. District Court of Appeals ruling that the Maryland man who was accidentally deported to a high-security prison in El Salvador be returned to the country by 11:59 p.m. Monday.

Democrats argue there is no conspiracy against Trump and that the federal judges who have issued injunctions, appointed by both Democrats and Republicans, are simply doing their jobs.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it will face an uphill battle. Seven Democrats would have to join Republicans. So far, similar bills have not been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the New York Times points out.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 11, 2025

Former Detroit Riverfront CFO Faces Up To 18 Years For ‘Extreme’ Fraud, Money Laundering

The former CFO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is facing decades behind bars for his 'extreme' greed and fraud.

The former CFO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is facing an 18-year prison sentence for crimes federal prosecutors credit to “avarice so extreme that it remains difficult to grasp.”

A sentencing memorandum was filed in court on April 10 against disgraced former executive William Smith, who admitted to wire fraud and money laundering, Detroit Free Press reports. The filing follows his November 2024 guilty plea to one count of each charge after stealing more than $40 million from the Riverfront Conservancy over 11 years ending in 2024.

“This was in no way a crime borne out of desperation or necessity,” federal prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memorandum. “Private jets, suites at NFL games, floor seats at NBA games, over three million dollars in cash transfers to his mistress, luxury vehicles — Smith’s appetites were simply insatiable.”

The sentencing memo highlights how Smith misused Conservancy funds to splurge on a woman he was romantically involved with, including $3.7 million in alleged wire payments to the mistress over 11 years, the purchase of a $63,452 Maserati, and a $100,016 weeklong charter of a private yacht called “The XO of the Sea” for a Mediterranean cruise.

He’s also accused of using stolen nonprofit funds to purchase a yacht, a condo in Mexico, multiple properties in Georgia, Texas, and Michigan, and to charter a private jet for $94,023 in October 2021 for a two-day stay at a boutique hotel in Las Vegas. Other lavish expenses include more than $500,000 on Gucci and Louis Vuitton, over half a million dollars on courtside seats for Detroit Pistons games, $50,000 on jewelry in September 2022, and $45,000 for an October 2021 Detroit Lions game at the L.A. Rams stadium—where he rented a private suite for $29,000.

Federal prosecutors wrote that Smith spent the stolen money “almost exclusively on goods and services for himself, his family, and his personal associates.”

The wire fraud and money laundering charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. Smith is set to be sentenced on April 24.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 11, 2025

Dwight Howard Signs With BIG3 League

'I'm excited to join Ice Cube and the BIG3 – especially right after being inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame.'

N.W.A. Co-Founder Ice Cube has just snared an NBA Hall of Famer to play in the current BIG3 3-on-3 Basketball League season.

Former Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who was recently inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame and will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, will play in the league for the Los Angeles Riot.

“I’m excited to join Ice Cube and the BIG3 –- especially right after being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame,” said Howard in a written statement. “Words can’t describe how grateful I am for these opportunities. I can’t wait to join the LA Riot and try to bring another championship to the city of LA. But, the ultimate goal I have is to help the league go global.”

Ice Cube spoke to the retired NBA player in welcoming Howard to the league’s eighth season, which starts on Saturday, June 14, in Chicago, at the Allstate Arena at 4 p.m. EST. Howard is teaming up with Jordan Crawford, Elijah Stewart, and head coach Nick Young. Young, Crawford, and Stewart took home the BIG3 Championship as the Enemies in 2023. The LA Riot will make their hometown debut at the Intuit Dome on Aug. 9, 2025.

“On behalf of the entire league, I want to be the first one to welcome Dwight Howard to the BIG3,” said Cube. “His legacy speaks for itself, and he still has fun playing the game. We all know that Dwight Howard can do more on the basketball court than he was able to show in the NBA. So, it’s going to be nice to see him open up his game and show his all-around skills on the court in the BIG3.”

Howard became the 13th player enshrined in the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame. The ceremony occurred on March 24, when the Magic played against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Howard joined Orlando Magic Co-Founder Pat Williams (2014), Nick Anderson (2014), Shaquille O’Neal (2015), Rich DeVos (2016), Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway (2017), Jimmy Hewitt (2017), Tracy McGrady (2018), David Steele (2019), Darrell Armstrong (2020), John Gabriel (2022), Brian Hill (2022), and Dennis Scott (2023).

Howard was in the NBA for 18 seasons with the Magic, Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers. He finally won an NBA Championship with the Lakers in 2020. He was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons, named to the All-NBA First Team in five consecutive seasons for eight appearances while being selected for the All-Star Game in eight straight seasons. He also led the league in rebounds for five seasons and blocks in the ’09 and ’10 seasons.

by Kandiss Edwards

April 11, 2025

SZA Shows Support For Sesame Street Amid Attacks On PBS Funding

SZA loves the kids!

Grammy-nominated artist SZA is showing love for Sesame Street and expressing a desire to create peaceful children’s music to fulfill the final albums in her current recording contract.

Despite her packed schedule, SZA said she remains inspired by her appearance on Sesame Street in 2024, a moment she described as a lifelong dream. She performed a song about kindness and gratitude on the show alongside Elmo and other beloved puppets.

The singer took to X, formerly Twitter, to share her thoughts. “To fulfill my last two album requirements, I think I just wanna make peaceful children’s music n get outta here,” she wrote. “Then go be a farmer n donate the produce to underserved communities.”

To fulfill my last 2 album requirements I think I just wanna make peaceful children’s music n get outta here . Then go be a farmer n donate the produce to underserved communities.
— SZA (@sza) January 4, 2025

Her statement follows a series of high-profile appearances, including her Super Bowl performance and releasing a deluxe edition of her album SOS. She is also set to tour with Kendrick Lamar later this year.

On April 10, she reinforced her love for the show and support for its funding with another post on X, urging, “Save Sesame Street!”

sooo are u really doing music for kids?
— acerva sza (@acervasza) April 10, 2025

The Snooze singer’s support for children’s programming comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the show’s parent network, which has been under fire during broader debates about public broadcasting.

The Trump administration has intensified its efforts to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the primary source of government support for PBS and NPR. Despite these attempts, Congress has maintained funding levels, appropriating $535 million for CPB in fiscal year 2025.

Programs like Sesame Street, which has aired on PBS since 1969, became a flashpoint in the debate. Although new episodes of Sesame Street began airing first on HBO in 2016 under a new distribution deal, PBS retained rights to broadcast episodes months later, keeping access free to millions of American households.

SZA’s potential pivot to children’s music marks a departure from her chart-topping R&B catalog, but she says the idea reflects a desire for peace and purpose in her next chapter.

DONATION, karmelo anthony, gofundme, 350,000

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 11, 2025

Fundraiser For Teen Accused Of Stabbing Track Star Raises Over $350K

The fundraiser platform received backlash on social media, calling for the company to stop accepting donations after several GoFundMe campaigns were deleted.

The online fundraiser for Karmelo Anthony, the Texas teen track athlete accused of stabbing competing athlete Austin Metcalf during a track event, has raised close to its $450,000 goal with $353,872 and climbing.

Using the GiveSendGo platform, Anthony’s family chartered the “Help Karmelo Official Fund,” seeking assistance and prayers during “this challenging and difficult time.” In the fundraiser notes, the teen’s family suggests that the narrative surrounding the accused is a lie.

“The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful. As a family of faith, we are deeply grateful for all of your support during this trying period,” the fundraiser reads.

“Your prayers and assistance mean more to us now more than ever.”

Anthony has been in Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond since being accused of the fatal stabbing that took place on April 2. The teen’s lawyer, Deric Walpole, claims his client used self-defense after Metcalf, a junior at Memorial High School, allegedly asked Anthony, running for Centennial High School, to leave Memorial’s pop-up tent during a rain delay. After Anthony allegedly refused, a witness claimed he unzipped a bag and told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.”

Police claim the victim then allegedly “grabbed Anthony to tell him to move and Anthony pulled out … a black knife and stabbed Austin once in the chest.”

The fundraiser platform received massive backlash on social media, calling for the company to stop accepting donations after several GoFundMe campaigns were deleted. However, GiveSendGo’s Co-Founder Heather Wilson defended the decision to keep the fundraiser alive, supporting due process and a fair trial. She compared the outrage to that surrounding Kyle Rittenhouse and Daniel Penny.

“I wanted to share my perspective on the ongoing discussion about whether we should allow fundraising for individuals who’ve been charged with a crime,” Wilson said, according to Fox 4 News.

“We’re now seeing similar outrage from the right as we once did from the left when we allowed campaigns for Kyle Rittenhouse and Daniel Penny. In both of those cases, we upheld the principle that someone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Shouldn’t that same standard apply here as well?”

A number of Anthony’s donors touched on the reason behind their support: They didn’t want the teen’s situation to mimic one from the past. “Mom, hold on. We’re going to get him out,” an anonymous supporter, donating $25, said.

“He ain’t the new Emmett Till 2025.” Another person who donated $100 said she supports it because she would want the same if her Black son was in the same predicament. “I don’t know what happened on that tragic day, but as a mother of a Black son, I would need my people to support me and give my son a fighting chance. To the Anthony family, I stand with you all in the fight for justice or at least a fair chance at it,” the mother wrote.

“All too often, we see them get off while we are held accountable or convicted because we couldn’t afford proper legal counsel. I will be praying.”

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by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 11, 2025

Chicago Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Meets With Family Of Man Whose Knee Cartilage Was Donated For Transplant

The family of Alex Reinhardt met with Ball before his team played the Miami Heat in Chicago

Two years ago, Chicago Bulls player Lonzo Ball received a knee cartilage transplant. On Wednesday, he met the the family of the man who donated the cartilage, the Associated Press reports.

Alex Reinhardt, 20, died in February 2023. Ball met with the late man’s family before the Bulls played the Miami Heat in Chicago.

The guard took photos with the family, who hails from Dakota Duunes, South Dakota, and signed basketball jerseys. Alex’s mother, father, an older and younger brother, and a soon-to-be sister-in-law were present.

During Ball’s first year in Chicago, a knee injury forced him to miss a number of games during the 2021-22 season. In March 2023, after several failed procedures, Ball underwent a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee.

Ball has played in 35 games after missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons since the surgery. Although his knee is fine now, he did miss Wednesday’s game due to a sprained wrist.

Angie Reinhardt, Alex’s mother, explained that the family recently received a call from the donor network that an athlete who received some of her son’s tissue wanted to meet them. After several weeks, they discovered it was Ball. A meeting was arranged after that.

“It’s been extremely emotional,” Angie Reinhardt said. “So much happiness comes with it, too. All of the people that are donor recipients of Alex’s, we’re just blessed. We’ve had mothers from some people that have said things. Now, we get to meet Lonzo. It’s just a blessing to be able to watch people do well with their knees or anything because of Alex. Of course, we wish he was here.

“To be able to keep helping people after his death really feels like a blessing to all of us,” she added.

by Kandiss Edwards

April 11, 2025

The Exonerated 5 Won A Small Victory In Defamation Lawsuit Against Trump

The Exonerated Five won a key battle in federal court in their defamation case against President Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled that Trump’s statements during the Sept. 10, 2024, presidential debate could be interpreted as factual assertions rather than opinions, making them subject to defamation claims.

“The broadcast was liable for its defamatory publication,” the motion stated. “Here, Plaintiffs were not just in the process of being exonerated; their name had been cleared for over twenty years, so Defendant cannot argue that stating they pleaded guilty to crimes is substantially true when the truth is that Plaintiffs are not guilty at all of those crimes.”

During the debate, then-candidate Trump falsely stated that Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise “killed someone,” despite their convictions being vacated in 2002. The five men, known collectively as the Exonerated Five, were cleared of all charges after another individual confessed to the crime and DNA evidence confirmed their innocence.

McCray, Richardson, Salaam, Santana, and Wise filed the lawsuit in October 2024, seeking damages for what they describe as “reputational and emotional harm.” Their suit argues that Trump’s statements, broadcast to an audience of 67 million viewers, perpetuated a false narrative about their case—one initially fueled by Trump decades earlier.

While Trump’s attorneys argue his comments are protected speech under the First Amendment, Judge Beetlestone ruled that because the statements can be proven false by existing records, they are not shielded by constitutional protections. Trump’s legal team has dismissed the allegations.

“This baseless lawsuit is yet another unfounded and meritless attack against President Trump,” said Karin Sweigart, an attorney for Trump, in a statement.

Shanin Specter, lead attorney for the Exonerated Five, welcomed the judge’s decision and said he is prepared for trial.

“We look forward to discovery, trial, and the ultimate vindication of these five fine men,” Specter said.