50 Cent, ex-girlfriend, instagram, lawsuit

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 30, 2025

50 Cent Responds In Typical Fashion After Being Sued

'Gloria you should know better, chase a different ambulance.'

50 Cent reacted in typical trolling fashion after he was sued.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the popular rapper is being sued by a photographer and social media journalist, Guadelupe De Los Santos, who accuses 50 (real name: Curtis Jackson) and his entourage of assaulting him.

De Los Santos claims that the group of men rode up on him while he was riding a scooter and hit him with the door of an SUV.

The photographer is being represented by notable attorney Gloria Allred.

50 reacted by posting several photos of him and Allred talking and smiling with each other on his social media account. In the first photo he posted, he wrote, “The moment I realized I don’t like lawyers, 😆 Gloria you should know better, chase a different ambulance. 🚑 🏃‍♂️@bransoncognac @lecheminduroi” and reveals a pic of he and Allred smiling at each other.

Then in the second picture, he teases her by writing, “Gloria you’re not gonna get any money from me that way, but if you call me I’ll take you to dinner. LOL 😆 @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent)

The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Jan. 27, claims that De Los Santos was struck by 50 and his entourage after he had taken photos with a cellphone of 50.

“While waiting at the traffic light, [De Los Santos] felt and heard a vehicle pull up from behind him in the far-right lane. It was the SUV containing Defendant Jackson,” the lawsuit reads. “As the SUV approached Plaintiff De Los Santos, the front passenger door suddenly and forcefully opened.

It also states that the photographer “suffered injuries to his lower body on his left side as well as to his torso” and experienced “accompanying pain and emotional distress.”

The lawsuit requests a jury trial and asks 50 to pay legal fees and costs as well as general, compensatory, special, exemplary and/or punitive damages—with interest.

“Mr. Jackson has neither been served with or seen a filed copy of a lawsuit filed by Ms. Allred’s firm,” one of 50’s attorneys told TMZ. “However, if and when such a frivolous claim is filed and served, rest assured that Mr. Jackson’s legal team will swiftly move to dismiss the matter and seek the maximum costs, fees, sanctions and other remedies that are available under law.

Drake, rapper, drake curse, super bowl bets, betting, gambling

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 30, 2025

Universal Music Group Requests Dismissal Of Drake Lawsuit

The label wants the suit to be dismissed based on protective free speech

Universal Music Group (UMG) has taken action against recording artist Drake, requesting that the lawsuit be dismissed based on protected free speech according to the Texas Citizens Participation Act.

According to Chron, the request is in response to Drake filing legal paperwork against UMG in Bexar County, Texas, alleging that the label artificially inflated the numbers for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” recording. In the lawsuit, Drake accuses UMG of artificially inflating the numbers and participating in a pay-per-click scheme to help promote the single with iHeartMedia, the parent company of iHeartRadio, based in San Antonio. The suit also alleges that the two entities intentionally harmed the recording artist’s reputation.

UMG states that the filing of the lawsuit, based on the Texas Citizens Participation Act, “protects it from retaliatory lawsuits that seek to intimidate or silence them on matters of public concern.” The company says that Drake’s petition had been filed under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 202. That allows someone involved in a dispute to request deposition to look into a potential claim before filing an actual lawsuit, which UMG describes as being “designed to intimidate and punish people for exercising their First Amendment rights.” The Rule of Civil procedure is used to better the chance of a party’s litigation success before the lawsuit is filed.

UMG uses the TCPA and alleges that Drake is responsible for providing evidence of the many claims he stated in his petition, including the allegations that UMG paid iHeartMedia in a “pay-to-play scheme” to inflate the song’s radio numbers.

The distribution label is requesting the dismissal of the petition alleging that Drake cannot prove his accusations. It states that the “Thank Me Later” artist is using the petition to shape public opinion with baseless claims and prevent any further action. UMG has discredited the anonymous sources Drake included in the petition. UMG states, “These claims from unnamed, unidentified out-of-court declarants are hearsay and are not admissible as evidence.”

The label is asking for the dismissal of the petition and the holding of all relevant evidence until the court makes a decision. It also asks Drake to pay the costs and attorney fees associated with the petition.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 30, 2025

Stephen A. Smith Pleads With LeBron James To ‘Stop’ Giving Bronny Preferential Treatment

'We love what we’re seeing from him in the G League because that’s where you belong as you hone your skills'

One sports analyst pleads with Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James to “stop” the nepotistic move with his son, Bronny, in having him play in the NBA games when he still needs to improve his basketball skills in the G League.

ESPN firebrand Stephen A. Smith, who rarely minces words, has publicly asked LeBron to “stop this.” The spotlight has been on Bronny due to him being LeBron James Jr., and sports fans saying that the only reason Bronny is on the team is because his father pressured the Lakers to select him with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. His lackluster play in his only year in college at the University of Southern California was underwhelming. Yet, he was given a standard, guaranteed contract when most people felt he didn’t deserve it.

Smith made his plea on a recent episode of “First Take” directly to LeBron in directing his thoughts about how Bronny is getting special treatment simply because of his lineage to the future NBA Hall of Famer.

“I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: stop this. Stop this,” Smith said. “We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad. The first game of the season, opening night, the Griffeys in attendance, a father-son duo playing in an NBA game for the first time, an absolutely, positively incredible story. And then reality sets in.”

He then tells the NBA father that his son should be honing his skills in the G League because he isn’t yet NBA-ready based on his stats (0.3 points per game, 0.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, a 6.3% shooting percentage) and poor performance on the NBA court. He has been playing much better with the South Bay Lakers, scoring a career-high 31 points in a recent G League contest.

“We love what we’re seeing from him in the G League because that’s where you belong as you hone your skills and you get better and you legitimately earn, which I believe he has the potential to do; I am rooting for Bronny James, it would be cruel to root against him. He’s a wonderful kid; I wish him nothing but the best. But he’s LeBron James’ son, and everybody knows what attention that brings.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by REVOLT Sports (@revoltsports)

Corporate Leaders, DEI, Future of Work Town Hall, meeting

by Kandiss Edwards

January 30, 2025

These Major Corporations Refuse To Ditch DEI Initiatives

Costco is joined by Delta and the Cleveland Cavaliers in doubling down on DEI.

The elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs is not the norm for all major corporations.

Big-name businesses like Delta and Costco are retaining its DEI policies. In a conference call earlier this month, Delta Air Lines’ chief legal officer Peter Carter said the airline remains “steadfast in our [DEI] commitments because we think that they are actually critical to our business. Sustainability is about being more efficient in our operations.”

Kevin Clayton, executive vice president and chief equity and impact officer for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, said:

“We believe that everybody in our organization, every person in our community, is part of our diversity, equity, and inclusion story. So, it’s not about any one group. This work is about humanity. We know that our platform is one that can uplift our community—everyone in our community.”

Costco was one of the first companies to publicly announce its continued efforts to create a more equitable workplace. In a board vote, 98% of the members opted to maintain the current practices.

“Our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary,” the company’s board of directors said in a statement.

Beyond the ethical and moral reasons to keep DEI in place, the move is also good business.

According to a 2023 study by McKinsey, companies that actively engage with DEI policies and initiatives perform better financially. Companies with gender-diverse boards are 27% more likely to outperform, and those with ethnically diverse boards are 13% more likely to do so.

The Trump administration has shown no concern over those statistics. The elimination or promotion of DEI at the federal level will not affect the amount of tax money the government receives. There is no financial incentive for the administration to continue the practice.

Implementing DEI is about ethics and morality. The policies ensure that marginalized Americans have an opportunity to engage in the free market without discrimination. Many have already been affected by the attack on these policies, including women of all races, disabled persons, veterans, and the elderly.

Companies and the federal government no longer need to consider qualified minorities and give them the opportunities they deserve. In fact, the White House statement takes a perverse view of denying minorities the chance for equity, invoking the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“Reversing the progress made in the decades since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 toward a colorblind and competence-based workplace, radical DEI has dangerously tainted many of our critical businesses and influential institutions, including the federal government,” a White House spokesperson said.

While the government continues to push the idea of DEI as a “dangerous” and discriminatory practice, companies are seeing through the rhetoric and ensuring that the process of equity is observed and implemented.

American Airlines, TikTok, First Class, Discrimination, passenger,

by Jameelah Mullen

January 30, 2025

No Survivors Expected After American Eagle Jet Collides With Army Helicopter At Reagan National Airport

The passenger jet was carrying 64 people; the Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers on board.

A military helicopter and a commercial plane, collided over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)Airport on Wednesday, January 29.

American Airlines Flight 5342, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, was attempting to land when it collided with the Sikorsky Black Hawk Military helicopter. The commercial aircraft split in half, after it landed in about seven feet of water, NBC Washington reported.

The Bombardier CRJ700 was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines.

“We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” John Donnelly, D.C. fire and EMS chief, said at Jan. 30 press conference.

Donnelly said 27 bodies had already been recovered from the passenger jet.

U.S. and Russian figure skaters and their families were on the jet The athletes were returning from a training camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships over the weekend in Wichita.

“The American Airlines flight coming in to land was in a standard flight pattern as it was coming into DCA, so this was not unusual with a military aircraft flying the river and aircraft landing at DCA,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press conference.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Good Morning America (@goodmorningamerica)

“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft ” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a statement posted on the company’s website.

“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at (800) 679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call (800) 679-8215 directly.”

DCA Airport is scheduled to reopen at 11 a.m. Eastern today.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, American Academy Of Pediatrics , vaccines

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 30, 2025

RFK Jr.’s Absurd And Racist Comments Resurface Amid Confirmation Hearing

Think he will deny those claims?

Past comments made by Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about separate vaccine schedules for Black people resurfaced shortly after his Senate confirmation hearing began, the Washington Post reports.

The controversial claim happened in 2021 and was posted on the website of his anti-vaccine nonprofit, Children’s Health Defense. He promoted separate vaccine schedules for Black people due to better immune systems.

“Now we know that, you know, we should not be giving Black people the same vaccine schedule that’s given to Whites, because their immune system is better than ours,” Kennedy said.

He also made false claims correlated to the autism rates of Black children.

There were approximately 36 times that Kenendy linked vaccines to autism despite having no scientific evidence to support his claims. In over 400 podcast appearances, he referred to vaccines as dangerous, with claims that the risks outweigh the benefits, in addition to misleading remarks about vaccine safety testing in about 114 of those interviews.

Before resigning from his post as chairman of the board and chief legal counsel following his appointment from President Donald Trump, Kennedy alleged vaccines “poisoned an entire generation of American children” and that doctors have “butchered all these children” by giving shots recommended by federal authorities.

Physicians and scientists have sounded the alarm on Kennedy’s claims long before Trump named him as HHS nominee. Physician Stanley Plotkin, known as the “godfather of American vaccine science,” said the statements prove he is not the right person to lead this important department. “Making statements is easy, but if you don’t have the evidence, it’s just baloney,” Plotkin, who created a vaccine against rubella and worked on vaccines for rotavirus and other pathogens, said.

Though many of his comments have proven false, Kennedy calls himself “an expert on vaccines.” Kennedy once refused to back down on any claims. “I’d actually like to see an example of something I’ve ever said on my Instagram, on the Children’s Health Defense, in my book, that’s not true,” the nominee said during an April 2024 interview.

“My book has 2,200 footnotes. I am an expert on vaccines. I’m not a doctor, but I can claim expertise because I have three best-selling books on vaccines.”

That is until he sat before dozens of state Senators — both Democratic and Republican — to potentially be confirmed as the next head of the department on Jan. 29. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) was one of several lawmakers to grill him on past remarks about COVID-19, Lyme disease, and AIDS. Bennet pointed out that Kennedy once said COVID-19 was a “genetically engineered bio-weapon that targets Black and white people but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people,” according to CNN.

When asked about remarks claiming “African AIDS is an entirely different disease from Western AIDS,” the member of the famous political family said he wasn’t sure if he wrote that in his book.

After Kennedy’s statements about suddenly being “pro-vaccine” and admitting that his own children were vaccinated, Bennet said he wasn’t falling for it and believed that Kennedy was peddling “half-truths.”

by Mitti Hicks

January 30, 2025

The Days Of DEI Look Grim, But It Does Have A Future

The DEI industry is expected to push past $24 billion by 2030.

When it comes to the future of DEI, industry experts say the initiative isn’t going away. In fact, it’s expected to grow despite the current anti-DEI movement, according to a Forbes report.

Data from Research and Markets show the DEI industry was estimated at $9.4 billion in 2022. DEI in the future is expected to be worth over $24 billion by 2030.

There has been an increase in pushback from conservative lobbyist groups and Republican leaders, with Meta, Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Ford, Toyota, Stanley Black & Decker, Harley-Davidson, Boeing, Coors, and Jack Daniel’s rolling back their DEI strategies.

Nearly a dozen high-profile companies have not given up on DEI initiatives. Costco, Apple, Cigna, Coca-Cola, Citigroup, John Deere, Progressive, MGM, and PepsiCo have all vocalized their support for DEI. Cisco and JP Morgan Chase have gone a step further and defended their DEI efforts.

Experts from Working Deal said, “An executive order cannot prohibit private employers from engaging in lawful strategies to advance equal opportunity for all under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

However, companies could face some challenges in trying to achieve quotas or mandatory training.

What industry leaders are paying attention to are the benefits of DEI, including costs. According to the Forbes report, exclusion is more costly than DEI. Exclusion shows up in employee attrition, discrimination, equity lawsuits, lower revenues, and profitability.

Even with the pushback from conservatives, DEI is expected to grow and thrive thanks to employee resource groups, allyship programs, and partnerships.

The Forbes report estimates that 90% of organizations have employee resource groups (ERGs), and many companies have kept them despite pushing back on DEI initiatives, including Walmart. Allyship programs and partnerships with community organizations will continue to fill the gap in educating the leadership in companies.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 30, 2025

Too Short’s Big Brother Killed In Botched Robbery Attempt

Wayne Shaw was 61 years old.

The older brother of rapper Too Short (Todd Shaw) was shot and killed in an attempted robbery Wednesday morning in East Oakland.

Oakland Police Department Deputy Chief Frederick Shavies said the suspects rammed a car into a marijuana grow house on 49th Avenue near East 12th Street to get inside.

When Wayne Shaw walked outside the store at around 7 a.m., he was shot multiple times. According to The Mercury News, Shaw, 61, died several hours in Highland Hospital.

In a robbery attempt at a cannabis business, the brother of legend Too Short was shot and killed. pic.twitter.com/y5Yqbm7MiI

— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) January 30, 2025

According to NBC Bay Area, investigators are unsure if Shaw was the intended target or if was a random shooting. No arrests have been made and police are looking for multiple suspects, according to The Mercury News.

“The suspects arrived to the location,” Oakland police Lt. Gloria Beltran said. “They attempted to force their way into the property. While they were attempting their way in, the victim stepped out, was confronted by the suspects. The suspects fired several rounds at the victim.”

The Oakland Police Department asks anyone with information related to the shooting to call (510) 238-3821 or (510) 238-7950. If anyone has access to videos or pictures in connection with the shooting, they can send an email to cidvideos@oaklandca.gov.

Too Short is a beloved hip-hop recording artist who started his recording career in the 1980s after selling cassettes on the streets of East Oakland. He has been a champion of the Bay Area since his inception into the hip-hop world in the late 1980s. The platinum-selling artist, who still records, had a street named after him in East Oakland in late 2022.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 30, 2025

North Carolina A&T Beats Top 5 Teams At Bowling Tournament, Finishes In 3rd Place

The team just completed the Prairie View A&M University Invitational and will participate in the Fyler Invitational hosted by Lewis University.

A woman’s bowling tournament at Prairie View A&M University Invitational at the International Training and Research Center (ITRC) has seen the North Carolina A&T squad emerge victorious over the five top bowling teams in the country on the tournament’s second day.

On the school’s athletic page, it was reported that the team finished third overall when the Prairie View A&M University Invitational ended on Sunday, Jan. 26. The Aggies, based on rankings from the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Coaches’ Poll was the 10th-ranked team in the nation and finished 5-0 on the tournament’s second day of games.

The team had a total pinfall of 14,132, amounting to the highest of the tournament. The women averaged 214.1 pins over 66 games and finished the weekend with a 11-2 record.

When the games started on Jan. 26, in a traditional format game, North Carolina A&T took on the ninth-ranked Maryville and lost when their opponent outscored them 1,066-1,008.

The school opened bracket play against Sam Houston State University (SHSU) and rushed out to a 3-0 lead by out-pinning the Bearkats 707-603. Although SHSU won the fourth game, 228-195, North Carolina A&T defeated the Bearkats with a 205-194 Game 5 win.

The Aggies then went up against the University of South Carolina and took the first contest by a score of 223-194. After South Carolina won Game 2, the Aggies took a 2-1 lead in the series by narrowly out-pinning Jacksonville State 246-244. However, the Gamecocks took the series 4-2 by winning three straight, out-pinning the Aggies over those three games, 688-612. In a shootout, Jacksonville State had a total pinfall of 1,351 to North Carolina A&T’s 1,272.

But senior Maya Avilez, who led the Aggies by posting a 248 total pinfall, is the current Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) bowler of the week. She averaged 234.67 over six games, finishing behind Vanderbilt’s Isabel Allen. She had a total of 1,440 pins for an average of 240.

The Aggies record stands at 49-22 after playing in the invitational and will compete in Lockport, Ill., to participate in the Fyler Invitational hosted by Lewis University.

by Kandiss Edwards

January 30, 2025

Georgia’s Potential Homebuyers Face Skyrocketing Prices

Median home prices in Georgia's 'core counties' have ballooned since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Georgia’s “core counties” have seen a 59% rise in median home prices since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released by the Georgia Multiple Listing Service.

The report compares metro Atlanta’s housing data from 2024 to figures taken before the pandemic. Over the past five years, home prices in Georgia’s core counties—Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale—have surged.

“The median home sale five years ago around Atlanta was about $255,000. Today it’s $405,000, according to Georgia MLS’ tally for 2024,” Urbanize reports.

This increase in home prices mirrors the national median, which stands at $407,500. Despite rising costs, the market remains strong, with home sales hitting a 10-month high in December 2024. However, growth has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Alice Zheng, an economist at Citigroup, said the current growth trend is likely unsustainable. With mortgage rates nearing 7%, many Americans are opting to rent rather than buy, Zheng told Reuters, “we do not expect much further upside for housing demand in the near term.”

While the market may not be ideal for buyers, some are preparing for the right moment. Black Men Buy Houses, a program aimed at helping Black men navigate the home-buying process, is working to bridge the knowledge gap and equip individuals for homeownership.

Created by Kevan and Ayesha Shelton, the initiative seeks to provide resources for Black men who face challenges in securing financing, credit, and down payments.

“Our initiative’s objective is to break down these barriers, enabling more Black men to achieve the dream of homeownership,” said the Sheltons.

While the market remains uncertain, the work of the Sheltons is helping to prepare Black men for future opportunities in homeownership.