North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, HBCU,
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 26, 2025

NCAT Launches Program To Boost Enrollment Of Black Men At HBCUs

The program allows Black male students to connect and speak openly about the struggles they face while pursing their degrees.

As the enrollment of Black men at HBCUs continues to decrease, North Carolina A&T University has launched a new program for male students and faculty to support one another and stay in school.

Aggie M.E.N., an acronym for Male Empowerment Network, provides mentorship and events focusing on the well-being of Black men at NCAT. The program is offered to male students at the beginning of these academic journeys and throughout their matriculation.

It aims to address the societal and internal issues that can prevent many Black men from completing their degrees. By engaging Black male youth in tutoring sessions, communal events, and campus activities, they hope to increase graduation rates and sustain a pipeline of enrollment at HBCUs.

While NCAT takes direct action to keep Black young men in higher education, these concerns linger across many institutions. NBC News revealed new statistics confirming that Black men’s enrollment at HBCUs has reached their lowest rates in 50 years. According to the American Institute for Boys and Men, these rates have dropped 25% since 2010.

“This is potentially a crisis for the country as a whole,” said Dr. Richard Reeves, who studied the factors that have led to this jarring statistic.

“If HBCUs can’t be a place where Black men want to go and do better, then that doesn’t bode very well for the entire higher education system.”

However, NCAT’s initiative to address this gap for its current Black male students could help resolve the issue.

Reeves added, “If HBCUs are a crucial ladder for upward economic mobility, and they are, we do see very good evidence that Black students who attend HBCUs will get a boost.”

Since joining, students in Aggie M.E.N. have already begun to see the difference in their educational experience.

“I feel like Aggie M.E.N. put me around a lot of like-minded people and people who have been here before me,” shared Shemi Bukoie, a sophomore at NCAT. “So they’re able to show me what their mistakes [were] and what worked for them, and having that guidance has allowed me to be successful.”

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Marjorie Greene, Democrats, George Floyd,
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 26, 2025

Marjorie Taylor Greene: Federal Workers ‘Do Not Deserve Their Jobs’

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) reminded Greene that her district employs more than 6,008 federal civilian employees.

During a Feb. 25 committee meeting, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) spoke out against federal employees protesting mass firings, claiming they “do not deserve their jobs.” 

In a video circulating on social media, Greene openly suggested that the protesting outside of Capitol Hill and cities nationwide should stop because their jobs aren’t real.

“You can protest all you want outside of departments of this government, you can protest all you want, but the American people disagree with you. You’re protecting the bureaucracy. The bureaucracy is not a business,” the loyal ally of President Donald Trump said. 

“Those are not real jobs producing federal revenue, by the way. They’re consuming taxpayer dollars. Those jobs are paid for by the American tax people, who work real jobs, earn real income, pay federal taxes, and then pay these federal employees. Federal employees do not deserve their jobs. Federal employees do not deserve their paychecks. And these are jobs that can be fired at will.”

Under Trump’s leadership and advisement of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), thousands of federal employees have been given the pink slip as the duo prepares agency leaders for “large-scale reductions in force” and a freeze in trillions of dollars in federal grant funds.

Greene has come under attack for recently purchasing Tesla stock, the electric car owned by Musk, while serving in the committee that oversees DOGE’s work. 

Shortly after her comments went viral, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) deflated Greene’s rhetoric with statistics.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene believes 6,008 of her constituents are unworthy of a job or a paycheck because they work for the federal government,” Escobar wrote on X. “To quote her favorite person: SAD!”

According to the Georgia Sun, as of January 2025, Georgia employed close to 79,686 non-military federal workers.

Of the thousands of federal workers laid off without cause, the White House provided a “deferred resignation” offer in exchange for financial incentives, including months of paid leave for those that chose to leave by Feb. 6. 

Weeks later, data from the Office of Personnel Management revealed that close to 75,000 federal employees, from departments like USAID, the Departments of Education, Labor, and Human Services, Agriculture and Homeland Security, accepted the offer. 

Greene, who, again, in a member of Congress, has a history of bashing the federal government.

In November 2024, during an interview with Fox News, she said America has been “really spoiled for a long time,” claiming that the federal government is one of the worst abusers of wasting America’s tax dollars.

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shooting, Howard, homecoming
by Kandiss Edwards

February 26, 2025

Man, Who Openly Berated Black Women, Allegedly Killed By His White Girlfriend, The Internet Sounds Off

Family members and social media users are speaking out after the deadly shooting of Telvin Osborne.

A white woman from Georgia is facing involuntary manslaughter charges in what investigators are calling a domestic violence incident.

According to police, Hannah Grace Cobb, a white woman, fatally shot the father of her children, Telvin Osborne, 30, who is Black. Cobb insists otherwise. 

On Feb. 23, police answered a distress call to Cobb and Osborne’s home. Osborne was found unresponsive with a bullet wound to his chest. Cobb, 25, claimed that as she was cleaning her gun it misfired and hit Osborne.

“It is reckless to go out and get drunk and then introduce a firearm into an argument. It is reckless to engage in an argument where there’s pushing and shoving going on,” said Sheriff Alfonzo Williams in a press conference.

Williams said there was no indication that the weapon was in the process of being cleaned. 

Family members have shared their takes on social media.

Robert Osborne Williams, who identifies as the victim’s brother, questioned why Cobb was not arrested the night of the shooting. He insinuated that Cobb’s reported reasoning for having the weapon was absurd. 

“Who parties, goes home in the middle of the night, gets drunk, and cleans a gun?”

Mark Stevenson, the deceased’s cousin, suggests Cobb’s relationship with law enforcement is the reason she was not initially arrested.

“Her dad is a cop, and currently, she has not been charged,” Stevenson alleged. “My family is too deep in that area for this to be taken lightly…We are going to get justice one way or another.”

While the family’s position is focused on justice, social media users are hard-pressed to find empathy due to the victim’s online anti-Black rhetoric.

“Both Christian Obumseli and Telvin Osborne bashed Black women online, insulted us, and put us down to uplift white women. Now look.”

Osborne’s anti-Black woman rhetoric is lengthy and well-documented on multiple social media platforms.

Cobb remains in the custody of the Burke County Detention Center.

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Mary Cowser Alexander, , Coca-Cola Ad, Dies
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 26, 2025

Coca-Cola Stands On DEI, Stating It’s ‘Good For Our Business’

The Atlanta-based company has heightened its ambitious DEI goals.

The Coca-Cola Company announced it is keeping diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives alive, saying it’s “good for our business,”

An annual report confirms the beverage giant’s commitment to keeping an inclusive workplace while highlighting the harm that anti-DEI policies can do.

“Our diverse, high-performing global employee base helps drive a culture of inclusion, innovation and growth,” the report read. “We aspire to develop a global workforce with diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds that reflect the broad range of consumers and markets we serve around the world.”

Coca-Cola admitted that a lack of DEI policies would make the company “unable to attract or retain specialized talent or top talent with diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds.”

While staying committed to “providing access to equal opportunities,” the company outlined how such efforts are “critical” to its overall growth and success—unlike other Fortune 500 companies that are dialing back on DEI efforts. 

Shortly after President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, he signed an executive order canceling all DEI initiatives on the federal level, resulting in a domino effect of corporations eliminating their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments. While Coke serves as a federal contractor, providing drinks to the military and several other institutions, Chief Financial Officer John Murphy said the company is “focused on having the best talent around the world,” according to Fortune, when asked if it will adhere to federal changes. 

The company’s website highlights DEI as being “at the heart of our values and our growth strategy.” However, Murphy said, “Of course,” the team will “follow any change in regulations at the national level.” 

The Atlanta-based company has heightened its ambitious DEI goals by identifying ways it will continue. By 2030, Coke plans to have women in 50% of senior leadership roles and guarantee both racial and ethnic representation remain high at all levels of its workforce within the United States. 

Unlike other companies, Coke has continued to support the diverse efforts of diverse groups regardless of legislation passed down from Washington, D.C. Coke joined in on the celebration of Black women by sponsoring the 2024 Essence Fest in New Orleans. During Black History Month 2025, the company uplifted rising Black golf stars from HBCUs at the United Golfers Association (UGA) Invitational in Florida. 

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Frederick Flips Richard, gymnastics, uniform
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 26, 2025

Olympian Frederick ‘Flips’ Richard Yearns To Bring ‘Modern-Day Switch’ To Men’s Gymnastics Apparel

He is working with Turn Gymnastics to debut his own line, 'Frederick Flips'

Olympian gymnast Frederick “Flips” Richard introduced a new gymnastics uniform that he hopes can be “a modern-day switch.”

According to NBC News, Richard is trying to change the look of the uniform that athletes have become accustomed to so they can have one that has a “much more comfortable feel.” The gymnast stated that since the last Olympics, he’s been working with a designer to “find all the pain points that I hate about the uniform” so they can produce a better uniform for gymnasts.

Richard and the designer have partnered with Turn Gymnastics, a gymnastics apparel company, to make the new uniform. He took to social media to explain part of the reason he took on this venture: to change the look of the uniforms gymnasts wear when they are competing.

“I’m making this change for my 10-year-old self who felt awkward in tights and embarrassed to tell people I’m pursuing a “girls” sport. And for every kid who still feels that way today. I’ve made it my goal to change this sport because no young boy should feel these insecurities in a sport as amazing as this one👌🏾
The world and culture [have] changed… Now it’s time for the sport and the uniform to change. Thank you, @turngymnastics, for helping me push gymnastics forward. The new era of men’s gymnastics uniforms is coming…”

The altered look of the uniform replaces the tight unitard and pants that cover a gymnast’s feet. The upper top is a looser-fitting tank top, and the bottom looks more like basketball shorts, which have optional leggings that men can wear in events like a pommel horse when their legs can skim the apparatus.

“It’s pretty simple, but it’s kind of just much more comfortable feel,” he told the media outlet.

Richard said that a website will launch soon, allowing gyms to customize and order uniforms for their teams.

“People in the crowd eventually will get to wear our jerseys, will get to wear our uniforms, which is something you don’t see in gymnastics.”

The gymnast intends to wear the new uniform whenever he competes to showcase the look in front of others watching. Turn Gymnastics will launch the official “Frederick Flips” line when the website debuts. He hopes that the more he wears it and people see it, the more people will be on board with the change.

“My dream is to walk into the L.A. Olympics being able to wear it,” Richard said.

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Donald Trump,judge, DEI, Executive orders
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 26, 2025

White House To Control ‘Limited Press Pool’ That Covers Presidential Events

The White House Correspondents' Association said the move could allow the White House to grant access to sympathetic outlets.

For the first time in over a century, a presidential administration is controlling the White House press outlets allowed access to certain events.

On Feb. 25, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the Trump administration’s new plan for selecting the media outlets that participate in the press “pool,” which covers presidential events and shares content with other news organizations, CNN reports.

“The White House press team in this administration will determine who gets to enjoy the very privileged and limited access in spaces such as Air Force One and the Oval Office,” Leavitt said at a news briefing.

The changes were made to allow “new media” outlets—including streaming services and podcasts—to “share in this awesome responsibility,” Leavitt explained. “Legacy media outlets who have been here for years will still participate in the pool, but new voices are going to be welcomed in as well.”

And the capper: “[By] deciding which outlets make up the limited press pool on a day-to-day basis, the White House will be restoring power back to the American people.”

Previously, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) managed the rotation of pool reporters. The organization slammed the decision, calling it a move that “tears at the independence of a free press.”

The WHCA was founded in 1914 to manage key aspects of daily presidential coverage, including the press “pool.” This group typically consists of a camera crew from one of the five major U.S. networks, a radio correspondent, and a rotating selection of print outlets.

The WHCA has long argued that the pool benefits both the president—by enabling rapid news dissemination—and the broader media, which rely on its reports, photos, videos, and audio. However, when making the announcement, Leavitt said the WHCA would no longer have a “monopoly” on controlling the pool.

When asked about the announcement later in the day, Trump declared that “we’re going to be calling those shots.”

The WHCA said the change could allow the White House to grant access to outlets it deems sympathetic or supportive. The organization also stated that it received no prior notice about the decision before Tuesday’s press briefing.

The unexpected announcement comes as the Associated Press attempts regain access to presidential events after being blocked. Earlier this week, a Trump-appointed federal judge denied AP’s request to immediately reinstate its access to presidential events after the Trump administration barred the agency over a dispute regarding the term “Gulf of America.”

The news agency—relied upon by hundreds of news outlets—argues that the ban is retaliatory and violates First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and the press. As a result, the AP has been unable to access White House press events or travel with the presidential pool on Air Force One.

A hearing is set for March 20.

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Byron Donalds, Trump, Scott Turner
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 26, 2025

Byron Donalds To Run For Florida Governor; Ron DeSantis Is Salty

Trump pushed for Donalds to run for the seat.

After months of speculation, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fl.) went on Fox News with Sean Hannity to announce his next political move — running for governor of Florida, Politico reports.

With President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Donalds made it official after “a lot of prayer.” “After a lot of prayer, a lot of thoughts with my family and my friends, I’m here to announce my candidacy to be the next governor of the great state of Florida,” Donalds said to the conservative talk show host. 

Trump has been pushing for his ally to run for the seat since May 2024 and continued to uplift the GOP congressman in a Truth Social post on Feb. 20, calling Donalds a “highly respected congressman” and a “TOTAL WINNER.” Rumors heightened around his political plans after he began rallying top donors, even hosting a hospitality suite to let supporters know he would be running during a state Republican Party meeting in Orlando in January 2025.  

Representing the congressional district that includes areas such as Naples and Fort Myers, Donalds spoke about his humble beginnings in the Sunshine State with Hannity, stating that he thinks it’s time for Florida to be led into the future. “Sean, we have a wonderful state. I got to Florida when I was 17 years old, off of a Greyhound bus with just a trunk full of clothes,” he said, according to Fox News. 

“And over the rest of my time in Florida, I built a family, I built a career. … I was able to serve four years in a state legislature, four years in Congress. And I think now is the time to now take the mantle and lead our state into the future.”

The three-term House member has been the only person to announce their candidacy for the governor seat, with elections taking place in 2026, hoping to take over for Gov. Ron DeSantis. While the two seemingly worked well together, Donalds fell out with the governor in 2023 after pushing for African American history standards for middle school education to be “adjusted” following DeSantis’s controversial anti-woke agenda. 

On the other hand, DeSantis is pushing for his wife, Casey, to join state leadership as his successor after claiming that he doesn’t feel Donalds has done much in Washington.

“They haven’t done very much yet,” DeSantis said. “They’re not putting his executive orders into place. We’ll see what they do on the spending, but we have such a narrow majority that to be trying to campaign in other places and missing these votes, I think, is not something that’s advisable at all,” he said. 

​​”You got a guy like Byron, he just hasn’t been part of the victories we’ve had in FL. He’s been in other states campaigning.”

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried condemned Donalds’ new endeavors shortly after the announcement, calling him a “dangerous political opportunist who should be nowhere near the governor’s mansion.” She also criticized him for “defending insurrectionists” in reference to the Jan. 6. riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

However, if Donalds is successful, he will become Florida’s first Black governojoining only three other Black leaders elected in U.S. history. 

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Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson, snnow, ice, weather,
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 26, 2025

Atlanta Airport Finds New General Manager As Mayor Strives To Modernize Facility

Ricky Smith previously worked as executive director of the Maryland Aviation Administration.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has named Ricky Smith, previously executive director of the Maryland Aviation Administration, as its new general manager.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Smith will begin his new duties leading the world’s busiest airport on April 2. He will replace the airport’s interim GM, Jan Lennon, who has been in the role since last summer. Lennon will aid in Smith’s transition to leadership as executive deputy general manager.

“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport needs dynamic leadership to drive the continued growth we’ve seen over the past years, and Mr. Smith’s extensive experience will help us reach more milestones in the years to come,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a press release.

Smith oversaw the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and aviation activities across Maryland since 2015. He also chairs the Airport Minority Advisory Council, a trade association that promotes minority participation in the field.

His appointment comes after an eight-month search for a long-term replacement for Bolhram Beaudari, who stepped down as Dickens made key changes to his cabinet mid-term. Finding a suitable leader proved difficult as many believed the initial pay, a little over $300,000, was insufficient.

Smith’s pay remains unknown, but in a statement, Smith said he was” looking forward to working with the very talented and dedicated professionals at the airport and the entire City of Atlanta.”

“We’re trying to get a new general manager that sets the course for the future. This metro area is booming. It’s growing, and the airline industry is dynamic,” Dickens said. “We want somebody that has a lens on cargo being a big part of Atlanta’s future growth, using the airport overnight.”

For constant travelers and subsequent critics of the airport’s issues, Dickens also hopes Smith will tackle long lines at Transportation Security Authority check-ins. .

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Jay
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 26, 2025

Jeezy Sues Longtime Manager, Business Partner For Mishandling Earnings While Withholding Financial Records

Jeezy claims the men misused his earnings to make their own profits.

Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins is suing his longtime manager and business partners, Solomon Fornie and Eddie Bridgeman, over claims the men mishandled his earnings.

TMZ shared details of the legal filing on Feb. 24, noting that Fornie had been part of the “Put On” rapper’s music career for the last decade. Jeezy has tried to sever ties completely upon learning the true nature of their partnership, especially in relation to Bridgeman.

Jeezy and Fornie created Agency 99 to manage the money earned from the trap music pioneer’s career. Soon after, they partnered with Bridgeman’s company, The SaiSai Group, to oversee the finances and ensure Jeezy stayed in good standing. However, Jeezy later discovered that Bridgeman was not a licensed CPA, leading to more revelations on what the men were actually doing with his cash.

According to the legal documents, Jeezy believes the two men used his earnings to support themselves. He has tried to break off his partnership with them since late last year. However, Fornie and Bridgeman have allegedly withheld access to Jeezy’s financial records. Now, the 47-year-old has taken legal steps to obtain them.

While the lawsuit reveals the issues on Jeezy’s team, he had previously hinted at the problems in 2023. While appearing on the “Springhill” podcast that year, the artist spoke on the lessons learned from navigating the music industry.

“…With these people in the music industry, they’re cutthroat anyway. It’s just the nature of the game… But then what I started to understand about having business partners is you gotta trust that they’re gonna at least do what they’re supposed to do,” he shared on the episode. “Like if you’re telling me that you’re gonna be able to market this on a scale that I can’t, I’m gonna believe that you can do that. Now, if you show me you can’t, now I gotta make some other decisions.”

Now, Jeezy wishes to overhaul Agency 99 and start anew with full control over his finances. Despite his estranged team refusing to hand over any paperwork, Jeezy hopes the Georgia courts will force their hand. He is also seeking damages in the lawsuit.

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Young Thug, RICO Trial, YSL, new music
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 26, 2025

Atlanta Judge Orders Jewelry Confiscated During 2022 Raid Of Young Thug’s Home Be Returned

The rapper requested the return of a Rolex Datejust watch; a diamond cross pendant; a necklace with circular and square green jewels; a diamond double-row tennis necklace; and two diamond stud earrings.

Young Thug, who requested that the jewelry, cars, and cash taken away from him after his May 2022 arrest be returned, will get some of those items back.. 

According to XXL, a judge told the state of Georgia that it needed to give the Atlanta rapper back the jewelry that’s currently still in their possession.

Thug wants some of the pieces back, while Rafaello & Company, a jeweler, is claiming other pieces that were taken during the raid. In the judge’s ruling, he ordered the state to turn the jewelry over to the jewelers “to facilitate the agreement reached by Rafaello” and the “Stoner” rapper.

The requested items include a Rolex Datejust watch, a diamond cross pendant, a necklace with circular and square green jewels, a diamond double-row tennis necklace, and two diamond stud earrings.

There has been no word on the release of the $149,426 in cash he claims was taken or the cars—a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2022 Porsche 911, a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS Maybach, and two Mercedes-Benz AMG GTs—that are still in the state’s possession. A Feb. 21 court appearance to discuss the matter was postponed.

It looks like he will have that jewelry to wear when he performs his first live show since his release from prison.

According to Billboard, Young Thug will headline the third day of Belgian music festival Les Ardentes on July 5. The festival’s social media account posted a promotional flyer letting its followers know of Thug’s upcoming show.

“HISTORY. YOUNG THUG IS BACK TO HEADLINE LES ARDENTES!

5TH JULY AT LES ARDENTES. TICKETS ON SALE THIS WEDNESDAY !!🎫”

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Les Ardentes (@lesardentes)

According to the festival’s website, this will be Thug’s first appearance there in eight years. Tickets are on sale now. 

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