HBCU Power Move: Meet the Woman Putting Families on the Road to $1M
by Mary Spiller
July 28, 2025
Young Inventor Julian Brown Is Missing After Warning Of Being ‘Under Attack’
The young Atlanta-based inventor made his last post on July 3 after warning his followers that he was concerned for his safety
Julian Brown, a young inventor from metro Atlanta, is known for his groundbreaking work in converting plastic waste into fuel and has reportedly been missing for over two weeks. The 20-something entrepreneur rose to prominence on social media for his invention “Plastoline,” a technology that converts old plastics into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
Just before his disappearance, Brown posted a cryptic message on Instagram, suggesting he was in danger. “Very, very odd stuff is going on,” Brown said in a video.
“I’m certainly under attack.” He added that he couldn’t “go into so much detail” but urged viewers to “have your eyes open.” The video’s caption read: “Something is happening, keep me in your prayers, please SCREEN RECORD THIS.”
View this post on Instagram
Brown, who had garnered 1.3 million followers and 16 million likes on TikTok, was last active online in a post that allegedly included a leaked image of his driver’s license. In the days leading up to his disappearance, he reportedly warned that he was being followed and stalked.
Brown claimed that black helicopters were circling his house at night, and he stated, “I know I don’t have long to live.”
Brown was the founder of NatureJab and a climate fellow with the 776 Foundation. He had previously launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $1 million to build a full-scale version of his microwave pyrolysis system, the machine behind Plastoline. The fundraiser has raised just over $18,000 to date.
Brown’s work attracted the attention of both the public and conspiracy theorists online, many of whom believe he may have been targeted for developing a low-cost, high-impact solution to global waste and fuel challenges.
“Julian Brown has been missing for two weeks. His last post was on July 3, 2025. Before that, he shared concerns about his safety,” another social media user wrote.
“He produced gasoline out of plastic waste and was concerned people will try to stop him,” another user wrote.
Social media users have tagged FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, calling on federal authorities to investigate Brown’s disappearance.
As of now, Brown’s whereabouts are still unknown. No missing person’s report has been filed at this time.
Brown has been passionate about environmental problems since he was a teenager, and spent years experimenting and perfecting a product that could help the planet in the long run. He has always been dedicated to doing so outside of the traditional realms of capitalism and maintaining accessibility by sharing his inventions with people online.
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by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton
July 28, 2025
Deion Sanders Reveals Having Had Bladder Cancer, But Is Now Cancer-Free
The mysterious illness has been disclosed as he prepares for upcoming football season
Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders had been sidelined during the summer with an undisclosed health issue. During a press conference on July 28, he revealed he had bladder cancer, but now he is cancer-free.
According to Yahoo Sports, the NFL Hall of Famer finally discussed what had been keeping him out of public view, as speculation had been running in several different directions since his son assured people via social media that his father was just going through some things and would be fine. In the press conference, Sanders’ doctor, Dr. Janet Kukreja, at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, told the media that the college football coach had his bladder removed after a malignant tumor was discovered earlier this year. She stated that he has been “cured” of the cancer.
Kukreja expressed that the type of cancer Sanders had came with a high recurrence rate, and he decided to go forward with the “curative” option of having the bladder taken out.
BREAKING: Colorado coach Deion Sanders announced he has been battling bladder cancer this offseason. He had successful surgery to remove his bladder and is now cancer free, according to his physicians. pic.twitter.com/3a4k34lxfP
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 28, 2025
During the press conference, he revealed that even his sons were in the dark about what was going on, and he told them it was issues dealing with his foot, so they wouldn’t be more worried than they had to be with both of them (Shedeur and Shilo) beginning their rookie seasons in the NFL.
“There was some scenes you saw, all the bull junk that’s transpired on draft day,” Sanders said. “It wasn’t just that. It was just, I knew as well, I had a surgery coming up. My sons, to this day, don’t know what transpired. I just told them it was something with my foot, because I wanted to give them the focus on making the team and not focused on dad.”
Sanders was referring to having two of his toes amputated on his left foot in 2021 while he was still coaching at Jackson State University. He stated that he’s gone through 14 surgeries since 2021.
He did mention that Colorado fans may witness a portable toilet on the sidelines during the season, as his new bladder was created with parts of his intestines. He assured fans that he will be back on the sidelines for the upcoming season, the first without his two sons on the team.
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by Mary Spiller
July 28, 2025
Master P’s Son Mercy Miller Earns High Praise As He Preps For Sophomore Season At The University Of Houston
Otis Birdsong, a University of Houston hoops legend, believes the young guard has the talent to shine.
Mercy Miller, the son of hip-hop mogul Master P, is heading into his second season with the University of Houston men’s basketball team—and Cougar legend Otis Birdsong is confident the rising sophomore is about to break out.
TMZ Sports caught up with Birdsong, 69, one of five players to have his jersey retired by the Cougars, who didn’t hold back on praise for Miller.
“He’s already something special,” said Birdsong, who added that Miller’s limited playing time as a freshman was just part of the process.
“In Coach [Kelvin] Sampson’s system and culture, you got to wait your turn,” Birdsong explained. “[Miller] had to learn the system, learn the culture. He’s tougher, he wants to be there, he wants to compete for a starting job.”
Added Birdsong, who was an NBA All-Star, “He’s gonna have a hell of a year this year. He’s working hard in the weight room. I’m there, I keep up with him. He’s a great shooter, great scorer, one of the best scorers if not the best scorer on his team.”
As a freshman in the 2024-25 season, Miller played in 22 of Houston’s 38 game, contributing in a limited but meaningful role on one of the nation’s top teams. Though his minutes were modest, his father still found the spotlight. Master P attended Houston’s 69-50 victory over Tennessee in March.
Later that night, the proud father celebrated the moment on social media.
“Proud of you, son, keep making history @mercymiller,” he wrote. “This is your first year playing college basketball, and you and your team are going to the Final Four. Let God keep leading you on the journey and keep working hard.”
Miller, a 6’4″ guard, was a Top 100 national recruit out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where he averaged nearly 30 points a game his senior year.
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by Sharelle B. McNair
July 28, 2025
Employees Label Education Benefits Like Tuition Reimbursement As ‘Life-Changing’
The amount varies as most employers offer assistance reimbursement up to $5,250 per year since that amount equates to being tax-deductible.
While employees struggle with their employers’ lack of pivotal benefits, others are celebrating them for benefits like tuition reimbursement, which has been proven to be a game changer, Associated Press reports.
In addition to the cost of higher education being unattainable for some, education benefits through an employer have been labeled as life-changing for those struggling to get ahead or others seeking a change. “It’s completely changed the course of my life,” Julius Mosley, a worker for telecommunications company Spectrum, said. “It’s truly a blessing to be able to do this.”
Mosley was once working an unfilled job as a truck driver and was looking for a change in order to spend more time at home with his teenage son. He decided to take a job as a customer service representative at Spectrum, which offered job-related courses for free. Once he decided he wanted to take the leadership route, the company paid for Mosley to take a 10-week front-line manager certificate course so he could learn more about managing teams.
To make matters better, the company reimbursed him for the tuition for his bachelor’s degree in leadership and organization studies. Mosley was also promoted to a management position while he took his classes online.
Data from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) revealed that close to half of public and private employers have a tuition reimbursement program for their employees. The amount varies, as most employers offer assistance reimbursement up to $5,250 per year, since that amount equates to being tax-deductible. However, major corporations like Bank of America offer tuition assistance of up to $7,500 annually.
Spectrum, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is one of the companies that gives a little wiggle room. The company also reimburses employees who are earning master’s degrees or enrolled in classes that fall outside of the prepaid program up to $10,000 per year. Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certification Institute, which gives credentials to HR professionals, says reimbursement promises have helped recruit millennial and Gen Z employees. “For companies who are looking to attract Generation Z and millennials, it’s a great way to bring them in because they’re keenly interested in how companies are investing in them and the benefits that are available,” Dufrane said.
Some employees aren’t as lucky, contingent on where they live, all because of Congress. A Republican-favored bill pushed to end college tuition assistance for institutions in Washington, D.C. According to WTOP, the fiscal 2026 Financial Services and Government Appropriations bill wants to cut $20 million in funding for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant.
With attending students being eligible for reimbursement up to $10,000, the grant helps make up part of the difference for D.C. residents who pay out-of-state tuition, as the District doesn’t have a major public university.
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by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton
July 28, 2025
Jeezy Hosts ‘Community Day’ In Celebration Of 20th Anniversary Of ‘Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101’
The rapper plans on having more free events in other cities to help communities.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101” Jeezy (formerly Young Jeez), partnered with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to host “Community Day” in East Point, Georgia, on July 26.
The event was held at Impact Church, where the rapper and the nonprofit offered support to families near the rapper’s hometown. He organized the event through his Street Dreamz Foundation.
The function was free to anyone who wanted to attend.
“When we talk about building real change in our communities, it starts with trust, commitment, and knowing that the people on the ground matter,” said Jeezy in a written statement. “That’s why I’m proud to announce a transformational partnership between Street Dreamz Foundation and LISC—a national leader that has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with local organizations for over four decades.”
The Georgia rapper was also in town for his sold-out symphony orchestra tour stop in Atlanta.
“Community Day” gave over 500 children items they can use for school, while providing comprehensive wellness resources and opportunities for families across Atlanta. Over 25,000 pounds of food were given out. There were also multiple health screening stations for diabetes, blood pressure, and prostate health in addition to educational activities and career exposure opportunities.
“Over the next year, we’re rolling out a series of activations designed to meet people where they are,” Jeezy said. “These aren’t one-off events—they’re building blocks for long-term opportunity, wellbeing, and economic mobility.
“We invite our partners—from brands to funders to local leaders—to walk with us, because this isn’t just a campaign. It’s a movement. And it’s powered by the heart of the community.”
For more information about Jeezy’s nonprofit organization, visit Street Dreamz Foundation.
For more information about LISC, visit lisc.org.
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton
July 28, 2025
Philadelphia Renames Street After Soul Balladeer Teddy Pendergrass
'It's been so many years just thinking about dad and what he meant to the city of Philadelphia,' said Teddy Pendergrass Jr.
A “Love TKO” took place in Pennsylvania over the weekend when the city of Philadelphia renamed a street for legendary soul balladeer, City of Brotherly Love native Teddy Pendergrass.
Pendergrass, who died of respiratory failure in 2010 at the age of 59, has been memorialized on the 400 block of South Broad Street.
Now it’s Teddy Pendergrass Way. The unveiling was July 26.
For so many decades – our City brought that incomparable “Sound of Philadelphia” to so many – and blessed us with a deep and rich musical tradition.
Teddy Pendergrass was an essential part of that Philly Sound – his voice warmed your heart on Summer nights, listening to Teddy… pic.twitter.com/wVcPgAtjCc
— Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (@PhillyMayor) July 28, 2025
“Philadelphia meant everything to Teddy Pendergrass. He was born and raised in Philadelphia and passed on in Philadelphia, so Philadelphia was his heart and soul,” said the singer’s widow, Joan, told The Philly Voice.
The location sits along the Avenue of the Arts, which is close to the former home of Philadelphia International Records.
Pendergrass recorded for the label, first as the lead singer for the group, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, then as a solo artist after leaving the group over a money dispute. He went on to sell several platinum albums as he emerged as the nation’s premier soul singer from the mid-1970s until the late 1980s.
His family gathered for the ceremony at the intersection of Broad and Pine.
“It’s been so many years just thinking about dad and what he meant to the city of Philadelphia,” said Teddy Pendergrass Jr., one of the singer’s three children.
A biopic is planned, which was originally going to feature R&B singer Tyrese Gibson. Tyrese sued Joan Pendergrass over the film rights, but decided to drop the lawsuit last year.
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by Jeroslyn JoVonn
July 28, 2025
Hotel Corporation Ordered To Pay $40M To Survivor Of Sex Trafficking After Turning A Blind Eye
The sex trafficking victim was exploited over 200 times on its property
A Georgia hotel that housed a sex trafficking survivor who was sold over 200 times on its property is being ordered to pay the victim $40 million.
On July 25, the victim, identified only as J.G., was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $30 million in punitive damages by a federal jury, according to The Independent. The verdict, issued under a federal anti-trafficking law, targeted Northbrook Industries, Inc., the owner and operator of the United Inn & Suites in Decatur, where the abuse took place.
At just 16 years old, J.G. was trafficked more than 200 times over 40 days between 2018 and 2019, often in plain sight of hotel staff. The hotel is accused of disregarding obvious red flags, such as dozens of men coming and going from her room and a police alert identifying her as a missing minor.
“Punitive damages aren’t just a message to this hotel; punitive damages are a message and a statement to the hospitality industry,” said the survivor’s attorney, Patrick McDonough. “And what it says is, if you’re going to run one of these hotels, you need to do your due diligence. There’s a lot of great people that run great hotels and who do the right thing…it’s just there’s certain places out there that decide they’re going to put profits over people and in this case, over children.”
During the trial, J.G. recounted the physical abuse and the emotional and psychological trauma she endured. A DeKalb County vice detective testified that, at the time, the United Inn & Suites ranked among the county’s top five commercial sex trafficking hotspots. Despite this, the hotel allegedly neglected to train its staff or implement basic safety measures, something McDonough blasted the hotel for.
“You’ve got to train your staff that you don’t sell condoms to 16-year-olds when they come up to the front desk,” McDonough said. “You need to verify, does this look right, that there’s kids in this room by themselves and 20 men have gone in and out every 30 minutes.”
Attorneys for the hotel denied any wrongdoing and claimed the hotel employees weren’t aware that trafficking was taking place. J.G.’s lawsuit makes history as the first in the country to reach a jury verdict under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which enables survivors to pursue civil damages not only from traffickers and buyers but also from third parties, like hotels, that knowingly benefit from trafficking.
“She was trafficked out of the United Inn & Suites off Memorial Drive in DeKalb County,” said Emma Hetherington, a clinical associate professor at the University of Georgia School of Law and director of the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic. “The claims here under the TVPRA are essentially that the hotel knowingly benefited financially from being in business with the traffickers.”
The survivor also filed suit under Georgia’s negligence law, claiming the hotel failed to maintain a safe environment and ignored clear warning signs.
by Jeroslyn JoVonn
July 28, 2025
Wisconsin Lawmakers Push For Task Force Dedicated To Missing And Murdered Black Women
Wisconsin State Rep. Sheila Stubbs is once again introducing a bill to establish a task force to address the state’s disproportionately high number of missing and murdered Black women.
Wisconsin State Rep. Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison) is pushing forward with a bill to establish a task force focused on missing and murdered Black women and girls.
On July 25, Stubbs stood alongside lawmakers and victims’ families in Madison to advocate for the bill, her third attempt to get it passed, WISN reports. She hopes the task force will gather data and uncover why Black women face higher rates of homicide in Wisconsin.
She introduced the bill in 2022 and then in 2024, where it cleared the Assembly but never got a Senate hearing. And now she’s urging lawmakers to back the measure she co-authored with Milwaukee state Sen. LaTonya Johnson.
“Can you tell these families why their loved ones were not important enough to at least get a hearing?” Stubbs asked. “It is not fair to these victims and these families that they have to continue to wait.”
The bill would establish a 17-member task force, made up of law enforcement, legal experts, nonprofits, and victims, to examine why Black women and girls face disproportionately high rates of violence in Wisconsin. If approved, the bill would allocate about $80,000 in 2026 and roughly $100,000 in 2027 to fund a full-time position in Attorney General Josh Kaul’s office.
Stubbs proposed the bill after a 2020 Columbia University study revealed that Black women in Wisconsin were 20 times more likely to be murdered than their white counterparts. Sheena Scarbrough joined with Stubbs and other lawmakers a year after her 19-year-old daughter, Sade Robinson, was murdered and dismembered by Maxwell Anderson, a white man she had met for a first date.
Last month, Anderson was convicted on all charges in connection with Robinson’s murder, including first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation and concealment of a corpse, and arson. Speaking before lawmakers, Scarbrough said she wished she had access to state resources to help her navigate the criminal justice system and fight for justice for her daughter.
“You know, there weren’t many other supporters during this time. I didn’t really have anyone to guide me through how to even understand what I’m going through,” Scarbrough said.
The bill is currently awaiting committee hearings in both chambers.
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