Quinta Brunson, Temple University — (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 7, 2025

Quinta Brunson Signals End Of ‘Abbott Elementary’ As Cast ‘Would Love To Pursue Other Projects’

Quinta Brunson seemingly teases the end of "Abbott Elementary" in pursuit of other projects.

All good things must come to an end, and the same goes for the beloved Abbott Elementary. The Emmy Award-winning show might be nearing its end, according to show creator Quinta Brunson.

The Golden Globe winner recently told Bustle that she’s “looking forward to moving away” from her role on Abbott Elementary, noting how “very time-consuming” filming the show has been for the cast, who also would “love” to pursue other projects.

“We are so fortunate and blessed to be on a network TV show for five seasons and for people to still be fans,” Brunson explained. “That being said, I have cast members who would love to pursue other projects, and our show is very time-consuming. We shoot about seven months out of the year. That can stop people from being able to do a lot of other things.”

Brunson, who became a household name as the lovable second-grade teacher Janine Teagues, says she’s currently reviewing scripts and waiting for the right TV show or film to land on her desk.

“Right now, I’m receiving scripts and waiting for that moment that feels like, ‘Oh man, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for,’” she said. “’ Abbott’ has been so successful, and I want to use that success to get other people’s projects off the ground.”

The Philadelphia native also hopes to showcase her versatility and avoid being typecast in warm, teacher-like roles similar to her character on Abbott Elementary.

“I’m always interested in playing against type,” she said. “I think that’s any actor’s dream. Right now, my type is ‘Janine’ and ‘teacher.’ I’m looking forward to moving away from that a little bit.”

Quinta Brunson is eager to move on from ‘Abbott Elementary’, calling it a “very time-consuming” series for the cast:

“We are so fortunate and blessed to be on a network TV show for five seasons, and for people to still be fans. That being said, I have cast members who would… pic.twitter.com/3NjztdwpUo
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) July 2, 2025

As for fans’ reactions to the possibility of Abbott ending, most are understanding, though many admit they’re not ready to say goodbye.

“Girl, cuz y’all drop new seasons every month like slow down, but please don’t stop 😭😭,” one fan wrote.

“I’ll miss them, but I’m all for a graceful exit and leaving on a high note,” added someone else.

Angel Reese, Women’s Sports, Togethxr — (Photo: John Mac, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 7, 2025

And Another One: Angel Reese Has History-Making Game, Again

The second-year player became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 650 career points AND 650 career rebounds in only 51 games

Another game, another record shattered by Chicago Sky second-year player Angel Reese as she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 650 career rebounds in a recent loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

According to Anthlon Sports, the Sky center has grabbed over 650 career rebounds in only 51 games, breaking the record of Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles. Charles accomplished the feat in 58 WNBA games back in 2011. Reese also has over 650 career points, becoming the fastest WNBA player to achieve the feat of having both 650 points AND rebounds. This also broke another record set by Charles, who had accomplished the same amount in 58 games.

Angel Reese is the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 650 points and 650 rebounds, doing so in 51 games. @PolymarketHoops pic.twitter.com/jrwdAqQ3IA

— Sports N Stuff (@SportsNStuffx) July 7, 2025

But that’s not all!

Sports Illustrated has reported that for the past five games, Reese has also collected between 16 and 19 rebounds. In the recent loss, a 16-point, 17-rebound effort made her the first player in WNBA history to grab 15 or more rebounds in five straight games.

Angel Reese makes history with five straight 15+ rebound games 🔥

Longest streak in WNBA history 👏 pic.twitter.com/Q1k2aoM7fj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 7, 2025

Reese is having another amazing year, statistically, averaging 17 points, 17.4 rebounds, and five assists over the past few games. For the season, she averages 12.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Currently, she is the only player averaging double-digit rebounds; her closest competitor, A’ja Wilson, averages 9.6 rebounds per game.

It was recently announced that Reese will play in her second All-Star game in as many seasons. The game is scheduled for July 19 and is taking place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be aired live on ABC at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Although Reese is having a year that’s producing many records, it’s not amounting to wins for the Sky as the most recent loss leaves their regular season record at 5–12. The team plays its next contest July 8 when it visits the Washington Mystics.

NYPD, Black teen, mass shooting, false — (Photo: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

by Sharelle B. McNair

July 7, 2025

NY BLM Founders Confront NYPD For Hosting BBQ After Labeling Others As ‘Illegal’

Chivona can be heard telling the officers, seemingly defending themselves, that what they were doing is “unjust.”

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is being called hypocrites for arresting Black people for hosting what they deem “illegal” barbecues and turning around and doing the exact same thing.

A viral video circulating on social media shows Hawk and Chivona Newsome, founders of Black Lives Matter New York, confronting members of the NYPD for arresting Black residents and posting “no illegal BBQ” signs — all while doing the same thing just steps away from a city courthouse. Officers in uniform were seen peacefully grilling hot dogs and playing music, just like other New Yorkers tend to do during the summer months, as the Newsomes approached with one of their signs seen around the city.

The brother and sister duo claimed that members of “New York’s Finest” were violating city ordinances and offered them an opportunity to shut it down before involving the media. Chivona can be heard telling the officers, seemingly defending themselves, that what they were doing is “unjust.” “The saddest thing about it is you’re locking people up; people are coming to jail, have to see this grill out here,” Hawk shouted.

“You realize how f****** insensitive that is? You’re going to lock people up for this, and then you’re doing it when they get here!”

https://twitter.com/TheMelaninPRJCT/status/1941278630824509700

A few days prior, NYPD officers were seen shutting down a barbecue on the streets of New York, physically attempting to move tables that held plates, cups, and cutlery, while attendees worked to keep the event going.

https://twitter.com/NyShittyNews/status/1936577974603571390

According to NYC311, there are strict rules about grilling in the city. Barbecuing is permitted in designated areas only within city parks, and coals must be discarded properly, as propane grills are prohibited. For residential and commercial properties, grills using charcoal, electric, or piped natural gas are permitted — including on an apartment terrace — but only if in compliance with the Fire Code.

The rules also state that residents should report persons barbecuing in a restricted area of a park, beach, or greenway.

As the videos went viral, social media users are celebrating the Newsomes for calling out the police and highlighting that gentrification may be a reason behind why several street barbecues were aggressively shut down, as it is a part of NYC’s culture. “Gentrifiers move in and displace you. Normally, this would never be a problem,” one user wrote.

Another called the founders “great citizens,” saying “NYPD are not above the law.”

Michael Jordan, lawsuit, NASCAR, antitrust — (Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 7, 2025

Michael Jordan Played With Washington Wizards For ‘The Game Of Basketball That I Love’

The six-time NBA champion just wanted to play basketball again

Six NBA Championships, six NBA Finals MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and countless accolades had already been bestowed upon Michael Jordan, but when he returned from a second retirement to play for the Washington Wizards, he did so for the love of the game.

According to The Basketball Network, the NBA Hall of Famer shared the reason he left the Washington Wizards’ executive office to suit up after retiring from the Chicago Bulls two times previously. Arguably, the greatest basketball player had already set his legacy through his legendary playing career. When he announced that, not only was he coming back to play in the league again, he was doing so for the Wizards, who, at the time, were one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Some critics questioned why he would ruin his legacy by coming back, but, as far as Jordan was concerned, this would not tarnish it. However, if he were able to revitalize the franchise on the court and through his play, that would actually create a bigger legacy.

“If I can do it, great. If I can’t, great, that’s great too,” Jordan told reporters when deciding to return. “But you can’t take my six championships away; you can’t take all the things that I’ve done as much as you probably want to. I just want to play the game of basketball that I love. I’m not about the money. I don’t care if I’m paid a single dime; I’ve said that many years.”

Jordan was an NBA executive this time around, but expectations were mixed because it had already been several years since he last played, plus there was no Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, or Steve Kerr around him to complement and complete his game. Nevertheless, he took the court with the same expectation as in previous years to win a championship.

The team attracted more people due to “Air Jordan” lacing up again, but his play and teammates weren’t enough, and he only played two seasons and hung up his sneakers for good this time. Missing the game took him back, but the realism of where he stood at the time made him realize that this time, it was really over.

“I came to Washington because they gave me an opportunity to play here,” Jordan said. “It kind of fits because of where my job was. I’m gonna play the game of basketball.”

American Passport, global assignments — Photo by Vinta Supply Co. | NYC: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-putting-a-passport-on-bag-842961/

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 7, 2025

U.S. Travelers Embrace New Online Passport Renewal System

Americans are happy with the newly launched online passport renewal system.

The results are in, and U.S. travelers are praising the revamped online passport renewal system led by a team of bureaucrats.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs has revamped the online passport renewal system after its initial rollout last September, and 94% of users surveyed have given it positive reviews, The Wall Street Journal reported. Spearheaded by Chief Information Officer Luis Coronado and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Pierce, the updated process has made renewing a U.S. passport significantly more accessible.

Gone are the days of filling out paper forms, attaching checks or money orders, making trips for printed passport photos, and mailing everything in, only to wait weeks or even months for a new passport to arrive. Now, U.S. travelers can complete the entire passport renewal process online, submitting the application from a computer, uploading a photo from a smartphone, and paying with a credit card, no printing or mailing required.

In less than a year since its launch, online passport renewals now make up nearly half of all U.S. passport renewals, according to the State Department. The program’s success even earned the Bureau of Consular Affairs a 2025 Service to America Medal for its efforts.

Ben Cohen of The Wall Street Journal described the new process as “weirdly efficient and unexpectedly refreshing,” a stark contrast to the long, frustrating mail-in system Americans became accustomed to. After testing it himself, Cohen praised the 15-minute application and the quick two-week turnaround, despite being told it could take four to six weeks.

The service launched just as summer 2024 wrapped up, opening to adults renewing a standard 10-year passport that either expired within the past five years or is set to expire within the next year. It’s currently available only to Americans with a U.S. address.

“This is a new service which will allow Americans to pay to upload a photo and to apply completely online, with no need to appear in person or to send documents through the mail,” Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter said, noting that it “will be available 24/7.”

As summer travel ramps up and families start planning for the holidays and winter getaways, those needing a new passport can breathe easier knowing that there’s now a faster, just-as-efficient way to renew without ever leaving home.

RESHAD JONES, MILLIONS, settlement, Merrill Lynch — Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 7, 2025

Former Miami Dolphins Player Reshad Jones Bilked Out Of $2.58M, Woman Arrested

Former financial advisor Isaiah Williams has been implicated in the scheme as well

A woman has been arrested after allegedly helping a former financial advisor to bilk former Miami Dolphins player Reshad Jones out of approximately $2.5 million.

According to Local 10, $2.58 million was stolen from Jones, who played for the Miami Dolphins, over the course of two years by 49-year-old Octavia Monique Graham and his former financial advisor, Isaiah Williams (at the time of the alleged crimes, Williams was an employee at Merrill Lynch). Graham was arrested and charged with two counts of money laundering and one count of first-degree grand theft.

The woman appeared in court on June 27, and after facing a judge, her bond was set at $75,000. She is currently incarcerated at Paul Rein Detention Facility and was scheduled to be arraigned July 7. She was instructed not to contact Jones and Williams. Although Williams is accused of participating in the scheme to channel money from Jones, he has yet to be arrested.

Attorneys for Jones, Chase Carlson of Carlson Law, and Jeff Sonn of Sonn Law Group responded to the alleged crimes committed against their client.

“This is yet another troubling example of a professional athlete being exploited by a wealth management firm he trusted. In this case, the wrongdoer was a Vice President at one of the world’s largest financial institutions — Bank of America’s investment management division, Merrill Lynch. We have filed a lawsuit to hold Merrill Lynch accountable and are working to recover all damages our client has suffered.”

Based on reports from Fort Lauderdale police, Williams, who was Jones’ financial advisor between January 2022 and March 2024, allegedly took advantage of his privileged access to Jones’ bank account. They accuse him of stealing approximately $1.58 million in 133 wire transfers to pay off two of his American Express credit cards.

He also used Jones’ money to embellish his own lifestyle by purchasing first-class airline tickets, paying for hotel stays with multiple women, and spending money at nightclubs and strip venues. He also used the football player’s funds for car rentals, designer clothes, jewelry, and legal fees, as well as to pay for his child support bill.

Williams is also accused of laundering a little over a million dollars from Jones’ account with the assistance of Graham, although the former Dolphins player stated he never met her. Between October 2019 and September 2021, 16 checks totaling about $435,000 were pulled from Graham’s account and deposited into Williams’ Chase bank account.

Additionally, a reported 88 Zelle transfers, totaling approximately $184,000, were made from Graham’s Bank of America account to Williams.

The total amount siphoned from Jones’ account came to approximately $2.58 million, police said.

Confederate flag — (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 7, 2025

Bless Their Hearts: Fragile Confederacy Group Sues Stone Mountain For Daring To Acknowledge Slavery

The confederacy group claims that the exhibit will undermine the mountain's initial purpose and history.

A Confederate group has sued Georgia officials over plans to debut an exhibit focusing on white supremacy, slavery, and segregation at Stone Mountain Park.

The Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans filed the lawsuit July 1, claiming that the state park’s association broke state law with its plans to install the exhibit. Prompted by the racial justice protests of 2020, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association voted in 2021 to develop an exhibit that tells the history behind the infamous mountain. According to the Associated Press, they also removed the Confederate flags once located on the park’s walking grounds, which the Sons also sued about in May.

Stone Mountain has a dark history in Georgia. The state park features the largest Confederate monument in the United States, an enlarged engraving of Confederate generals on its side. The park, a popular hiking destination, also has ties to the Ku Klux Klan’s re-emergence. The same year the carving was created in 1915, commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Ku Klux Klan held a comeback celebration on top of the mountain.

The exhibit aimed to inform visitors of the mountain’s connection to this racist past, while also exposing how the monument contributed to the “Lost Cause” ideology that attempts to romanticize the Confederacy and its white supremacist values. Georgia’s General Assembly approved an $11 million budget to curate the exhibit, which would also highlight a Black community that resided in the area following the Civil War, as well as renovations to the park’s Memorial Hall.

“The interpretive themes developed for Stone Mountain will explore how the collective memory created by Southerners in response to the real and imagined threats to the very foundation of Southern society, the institution of slavery, by westward expansion, a destructive war, and eventual military defeat, was fertile ground for the development of the Lost Cause movement amidst the social and economic disruptions that followed,” the exhibit proposal stated.

The exhibit has yet to open, however, as the new legal challenge hopes to prevent its unveiling. In the filing, the Sons of the Confederate Veterans believe the exhibit will “completely repurpose” Stone Mountain and its purpose in maintaining a specific part of Georgia’s history.

Zohran Mamdani, rental protections, tenant's rights — Photo credit: Bingjiefu He

by Sharelle B. McNair

July 7, 2025

Zohran Mamdani Checked African-American On College App, Now Black NYC Voters Are Dialing Back Support

Mamdani defended his actions saying he had no choice since there is no box that aligns with his ethnicity.

Just days after speaking in front of leaders like Rev. Al Shaprton to garner support in the New York City mayoral race, front runner Zohran Mamdani is receiving backlash for allegedly claiming to be Black on his college application, The New York Post reported.

A bombshell report from The New York Times highlighted claims that the Democratic primary winner checked the “black or African American” and “Asian” boxes on his 2009 application to Columbia University — a time when affirmative action was still plausible. Critics feel the move was Mandani’s attempt to take advantage of the past policy at the Ivy League institution where his father is a professor. Unfortunately, his plan was unsuccessful as his application was denied.

Almost 20 years later and ahead of a major political run, Black voters are calling the identity claim “shameful.”

“I always knew something was off about him,” Maria R. of The Bronx said. “Why are you claiming something that you are not? He could’ve potentially took away an opportunity for someone else.”

“He’s just trying to get over,” another 86-year-old old Harlem resident said. “You can look at him and see he’s not” black. Absolutely not.”

In a viral video of a woman calling him out while walking, Mamdani says he would “never” claim to be African-American while stating to be an Indian, Ugandan New Yorker. When she asked why, the politician claimed that he felt it would be misleading.

A Black woman asked Zohran Mamdani if he identifies as Black or African American and Mamdani replied he would never do that. Turns out he would and did. Circumventing “bourgeois truth” is always justified in the service of socialist revolution. pic.twitter.com/W7K0xdDn5p
— Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson) July 4, 2025

Voters aren’t the only ones that feel a way over the claims. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pulling a move out of President Donald Trump’s book — who demanded proof of ethnicity and U.S. citizen status for former President Barack Obama — demanding Columbia University to release admission records. He called the move “deeply offensive” and “an insult to every student who got into college the right way.” “The African American identity is not a checkbox of convenience. It’s a history, a struggle and a lived experience. For someone to exploit that for personal gain is deeply offensive,” Adams said.

According to The Washington Examiner, Mamdani defended his actions saying he had no choice since there is no box that aligns with his ethnicity. “Most college applications don’t have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,” Mamdani said.

Former New York governor and once popular Democratic candidate, Andrew Cuomo, who Mamdani beat by 12 points, wants an investigation into the matter, pushing a narrative of fraud and said this could “just be the tip of the iceberg.”

Angelique Kidjo — Schorle, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

by Jameelah Mullen

July 7, 2025

Angélique Kidjo Becomes First Black African Honored On Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Kidjo as one of the 2026 Walk of Fame Honorees.

West African singer Angélique Kidjo made history as the first Black African artist to be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Grammy-winning artist from Benin is one of 35 inductees chosen by a committee of industry insiders.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Angelique Kidjo (@angeliquekidjo)

“Thanks to all my fans who brought me here,” Kidjo wrote on Instagram.

Kidjo was born in 1960 in the country then known as Dahomey (now Benin), where she studied music, drama, and dance. She released her debut album, Pretty, in 1981. Two years later, she moved to Paris to escape the civil unrest caused by the country’s then-communist government.

“From the moment the communist regime arrived in Benin, I became aware that the freedom we enjoy can be snatched away in a second,” she told the BBC.

Kidjo moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she released a trilogy of albums: Oremi, Black Ivory Soul, and Oyaya!, which drew inspiration from the music of the Caribbean diaspora and South America. In 2021, the singer was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. She received the Polar Music Prize in 2023, often referred to as the music equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.

The singer also appeared in The Woman King, the story of the real-life female Agojie warriors of the 19th century, starring Viola Davis. “Keep Rising,” Kidjo’s duet with Jessy Wilson, appeared on the movie’s soundtrack.

The singer-songwriter joins 35 artists in the 2026 class of Walk of Fame inductees, which includes Shaquille O’Neal, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, The Clark Sisters, and ABC News anchor Robin Roberts.

After the committee selects recipients for a star, they have two years to schedule their induction ceremonies. Kidjo’s team has yet to announce when the singer will unveil her star on the Walk of Fame.

Diddy, college days, howard — (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 7, 2025

Incarcerated Supporters Gave Diddy A Standing Ovation For ‘Beating’ The Government After Partial Trial Victory

Diddy received a split decision

The attorney for embattled music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs stated that after his client received a split decision, avoiding a potential life sentence, incarcerated folks at the jail where he is being detained gave Diddy a standing ovation for beating the odds of securing what some consider a victory against the federal government.

According to the Associated Press, Marc Agnifilo, lead attorney for the defense team for Diddy during his federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) trial, made the admission during an interview discussing his client’s partial victory. He stated that the inmates, presumably mostly Black, acknowledged the accomplishment of “beating” the government as the acquittal from RICO charges was the best thing that could have happened for incarcerated Black men.

“They all said: ‘We never get to see anyone who beats the government,’” attorney Marc Agnifilo stated to the media outlet.

As much as people are claiming that Diddy won, he still faces jail time of up to 20 years when he is sentenced for the guilty verdict of a Mann Act violation (two counts of transportation for purposes of prostitution). He was acquitted July 2 of federal charges of sex trafficking and operating a criminal enterprise. The not-guilty verdicts saved the former Bad Boy Records CEO from serving a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life.

Diddy’s attorneys requested that he be immediately released until his sentencing; however, Judge Arun Subramanian denied the request, stating that the entertainment mogul will remain imprisoned until he is sentenced later this year.

The 55-year-old entertainment mogul and fashionista has been imprisoned since being arrested and charged in September. After charges were brought against Diddy, he pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Since the accusations were made, he has steadfastly denied being guilty of any of the charges against him.