Benin, Bronze, Dutch, Netherlands, Nigeria

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 6, 2026

Netherlands To Repatriate ‘Benin Bronzes’ To Nigeria, Returning Artifacts To Rightful Home

The museum will return the items in an agreement with the Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

A Dutch museum will repatriate its portion of the Benin Bronzes to their rightful home in Nigeria.

According to Good News Network, the Museum Volkenkunde will return the 119 artifacts that initially belonged to the old Kingdom of Benin. The kingdom’s origins lie in modern-day Nigeria, not the modern nation of Benin, as the West African nation plans to accept the stolen items back into its rightful ownership.

The British took the famed bronze statues in the 19th century, and the British Museum still holds the majority of them. The hundreds of stolen artifacts became a major point in the issue of looted art, with the items spread across the Western art world. In 2022, Nigeria sent out formal requests to museums to return the stolen items.

Now, the Netherlands’ folk art museum has agreed to return its share of the items to Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments. The commission made a statement about the “good example” set by the Dutch, while hoping that they would influence other nations to follow suit on repatriation.

“We thank the Netherlands for their cooperation and hope this will set a good example for other nations of the world in terms of repatriation of lost or looted antiquities,” Olugible Holloway, the commission’s director, said in a statement obtained by Euro News.

The Dutch culture and education minister also issued a statement about the importance of returning the Benin Bronzes. Calling them “indispensable” to Nigerian history and culture, the government official considered the repatriation an act of global responsibility.

“Cultural heritage is essential for telling and living the history of a country and a community,” Eppo Bruins, the Dutch culture and education minister, said. “The Benin Bronzes are indispensable to Nigeria. It is good that they are going back.”

In the U.S., some of the statues are currently on display at the Smithsonian Institution. However, following Nigeria’s public request, the museum entered a loan agreement to keep nine of these statues on display until the end of 2026.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 6, 2026

U.S. Expands List Of Countries Required To Pay Up To $15,000 Bonds For Visa Applications

The Trump administration has added seven countries, mostly in Africa, to the list required to pay high bonds for U.S. visa applications.

The Trump administration has added seven countries, mostly in Africa, to the growing list of nations whose citizens must post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. visas.

A recent notice on Travel.state.gov shows that the State Department quietly added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to the list, effective Jan. 1, AP News reports. With 13 countries now designated, and all but two in Africa, obtaining a U.S. visa has become significantly harder for many applicants.

Applicants from these countries now face a significant upfront financial requirement before their visa requests can be processed. Bonds range from $5,000 to $15,000, with U.S. officials saying the policy aims to curb visa overstays and boost compliance. Paying the bond does not guarantee approval to enter the country, and in many affected African nations, the maximum bond exceeds average annual incomes.

The move effectively bars students, entrepreneurs, tourists, and families with legitimate travel plans from entering the country, a move that critics argue disproportionately impacts African travelers and restricts access to education, business, and tourism opportunities. The new additions join countries like Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, which were added to the list last August and October.

The State Department says certain exemptions still apply, including for lawful permanent residents, some visa holders, diplomats, and athletes attending major international events. Waivers may also be granted on a case-by-case basis if travel is deemed in the national interest.

The additions to the list reflect the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten U.S. entry requirements, including mandatory in-person interviews for all visa applicants and disclosure of years of social media activity, emails, and detailed information on personal and family travel and living history.

Immigration advocates warn that the expanding bond list signals stricter U.S. immigration policies that hit developing countries, especially in Africa, and could impact education, business, tourism, and diplomatic ties.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 6, 2026

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield To Give New Moms Cash Assistance Through ‘Rx Kids’

Newly sworn-in Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield will support families with newborns through cash assistance as part of the expanding Rx Kids initiative.

Just days into her administration, newly sworn-in Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced that Detroit is now the largest city in the country to join Michigan State University’s Rx Kids initiative.

On Jan. 5, the city of Detroit announced that Sheffield would roll out Rx Kids citywide, aiming to ease financial pressures on families during one of the most critical stages of a child’s development. The program, already active in 20 Michigan communities, provides $1,500 during mid-pregnancy, followed by $500 a month for at least the first six months after birth.

With roughly 8,000 babies born in Detroit each year, Sheffield calls the effort a historic step that could set a new national model for how cities support families when it counts most.

“Detroit has always been a city that leads with heart and courage, and today we are once again setting a national standard by ensuring that every mother has real support, and every baby has a strong start,” Mayor Sheffield said when announcing the program launch at the Franklin Wright Settlements, a human services organization. “I spoke many times during my campaign about a renewed focus on key quality of life supports that directly impact Detroit families. I am proud to say that as Mayor of Detroit, I have fought hard to bring Rx Kids to Detroit, and have made it a priority to launch this transformational program in the first 100 days of my administration.”

Rx Kids targets high-need areas based on child poverty and maternal-infant health, and is open to mothers regardless of income. Participants have praised the program, with early data showing drops in evictions, preterm births, and NICU admissions.

Sheffield sees the program as a critical tool against Detroit’s significantly high poverty rates, which in 2024, had roughly 34% to 34.5% of residents living in poverty, with child poverty even higher at 43% to 51%, about triple the national average.

“Today, we take a step forward in our fight against poverty, and today we affirm that all children deserve a strong start in life and that the health of a city begins with the health of its children,” Mayor Sheffield said. “Too many of our children are entering life’s journey burdened by financial hardship before they even take their first steps. That reality to me is unacceptable, and it demands bold and compassionate action.”

Surrounded by moms and toddlers at the Jan. 5 news conference, Sheffield called Rx Kids a “transformational program” that gives expectant mothers the dignity to decide how to spend the cash, which in other cities has gone toward rent, utilities, diapers, and food. In Detroit, families will also access wraparound services, including utility assistance and tax prep, through partnerships with the United Way and Wayne Metro.

The program is expanding quickly, set to reach 28 Michigan communities by the end of the month. With $250 million allocated in the 2026 state budget, Rx Kids could support tens of thousands more infants in the coming years.

Christian Keyes Accuses Tyler Perry Of Trying To Steal ‘All The Queen’s Men’ And Make It ‘Weird’

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 6, 2026

Christian Keyes Accuses Tyler Perry Of Trying To Steal ‘All The Queen’s Men’ And Make It ‘Weird’

Actor Christian Keyes is calling out Tyler Perry and accusing him of trying to steal his creative credit on the BET+ series "All the Queen's Men."

Actor Christian Keyes is calling out BET and Tyler Perry over their handling of his original series, All the Queen’s Men, which he claims Perry tried to “steal my creative credit.”

As the BET+ series approaches its fifth and final season, Keyes took to Instagram to share his true feelings about the show’s conclusion and the behind-the-scenes conflicts with the billionaire media mogul.

“I’m not mad about not being there no more. Because, I mean, the studio tried to steal my creative credit,” Keyes said in a video captured by The Shade Room.

Noting a recent advertisement he saw the network make for the show, Keyes accused BET of trying to “post my show like that’s y’all show.”

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A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

Keyes originally created All the Queen’s Men based on his book Ladies Night, but says the BET+ drama took a sharp, uncomfortable turn under Tyler Perry and Tyler Perry Studios, with Perry allegedly trying to strip him of creative control.

“It’s you putting the show out there, but you’re also the same studio, Tyler Perry Studios, that removed my creative credit,” Keyes said. “And I had to call a union to have them make you, force TPS to put it back on there.”

Keyes says that after losing full creative control, the series began to feel unfamiliar. His original vision was a gritty, grounded drama exploring power, relationships, and survival within a male strip club empire. By seasons two and three, however, he claims Perry steered the storytelling toward shock value over substance, introducing plotlines he described as “weird” and unnecessary.

“And season two and season three is when All the Queen’s Men got weird, and dudes started getting r-ped with dildos and all that weird sh-t,” Keyes quipped. “Nobody wants to see that sh-t. Put that on your show.”

After having to cede control of the show he created, Keyes called Perry’s leadership “corny,” accusing him of trying to take credit for the series.

“Why try to, you got 16, 17 shows. I got one. Let me have credit,” Keyes said. “My contract says I get credit. Why your corny trying to steal my credit? Because you can’t write like me. Yeah, I wrote the book. And I wrote the show. I wrote the pilot.”

As a result, Keyes says he’s “glad” the show is leaving BET+ and plans to continue the series elsewhere, away from Tyler Perry and the network.

“I’m not sad that my show isn’t there anymore. After season five, it won’t be there anymore,” he said. “I won’t have to deal with that shady, corny kind of leadership over there that would dare.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 6, 2026

Second Georgia Lawmaker Gets Caught Up Over Defrauding Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

Ahead of her indictment, Bennett resigned from her position within the Georgia General Assembly.

Another Georgia lawmaker has been indicted on pandemic fraud charges.

State Rep. Karen Bennett, a Democrat who represents the Stone Mountain area within Metro Atlanta, was indicted Jan. 5 by a federal grand jury for defrauding pandemic unemployment assistance. Bennett allegedly used government payouts she was not legally entitled to for her in-house physical therapy company.

According to WSB-TV, prosecutors argued that Bennett received $13,940 for her business, Metro Therapy Providers, on claims that it could not operate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, further investigation discovered that the company remained open during the global health crisis. The business only shut down for a short while.

Despite continuing to service clients, Bennett allegedly lied on her Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program application. In Georgia, the program provided unemployment benefits for up to 79 weeks for those who could not work due to COVID-19.

CBS News reported that Bennett first submitted her falsified application in April 2020 and continued to receive checks through August. She initially applied for unemployment insurance, yet was denied. She later received assistance through the newly established PUA program, claiming that quarantine restrictions had stunted her work.

In her initial claims, Bennett falsely stated that she received no pay from her business or from her work in the Georgia legislature. While prosecutors claim that Bennett certified she made only $300 one week, she actually brought in roughly $1,200.

She also received payments from a church, totaling over $900 per week. The fraud indictment went beyond claims that she wrongly used the benefits, as the instance also led to one count of falsifying statements.

The news also follows another state representative who was arrested and charged for taking thousands in pandemic unemployment claims. The lawmaker, Covington Rep. Sharon Henderson, reportedly took $17,000 from the PUA program.

Upon her indictment, Bennett was released on a $10,000 bond. Before the indictment, Bennett resigned from her role serving House District 94 in a letter addressed to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, sent Dec. 31.

“It has been a distinct honor to serve the people of Georgia and the constituents of the 94th House District,” Bennett wrote. “I am proud of the work accomplished by the Georgia General Assembly when we came together to advance policies that strengthened our state and improved the lives of all Georgians. Serving in this capacity has truly been a labor of love, and one I will deeply miss.”

If convicted, Bennett may have to return the funds wrongfully earned from the program. If she cannot repay, the authorities could also seek to have property forfeited to repay the debt.

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 6, 2026

Trump Drops New Coins, None with Black People, To Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary

Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges were recommended to be featured on commemorative quarters but were later dumped.

President Donald Trump wants America to remember the past with new coins commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, circulating on Jan. 5—a day before the fifth anniversary of the U.S. Capitol assault—that leave off prominent African-American leaders, NPR reports.

The 2026 semiquincentennial coins, first authorized in 2021, will feature former presidents and slave owners, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, selected by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The idea of another face on the coin is being floated around as well: a $1 coin with Trump’s face, a move associated with monarchies.

https://twitter.com/1776pax/status/1999947462656856291

In the early planning stages, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee recommended five commemorative quarters, featuring civil rights leaders and moments such as Frederick Douglass to celebrate the abolition of slavery, and 6-year-old Ruby Bridges to highlight the civil rights movement and American school desegregation. Another coin would highlight the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

But when the anniversary coin designs were revealed in late December 2025, Douglass, Bridges, and other quarters were nowhere to be found. The Revolutionary War and the Gettysburg Address were recognized instead.

https://twitter.com/AttorneyCrump/status/2003618842593862072

The move erases a story of diversity and inclusion, something the second Trump Administration has focused on since the day one. According to the Washington Post, U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said the Biden administration’s focus on DEI and critical race theory is a thing of the past. “Trump administration is dedicated to fostering prosperity and patriotism.”

The narrative is supported by Kristie McNally, acting director of the U.S. Mint, who, in a statement, said, “The designs on these historic coins depict the story of America’s journey toward a ‘more perfect union,’ and celebrate America’s defining ideals of liberty.”

In an effort to restore “patriotic education,” Trump and his team have made controversial moves to some of the nation’s most protected stations, such as national parks, monuments, and museums, to rid the nation of the true story of America and its hurtful truths.

Targeting African-American history, education departments across the country have dumped certain studies in the classroom. In early 2025, the administration issued an audit of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), claiming that lies were being told within exhibits and that there was too much focus on slavery.

But this isn’t the first time Trump has kept Black leaders from being celebrated. During his first term, Harriet Tubman’s image on the $20 bill was halted after Trump criticized the decision, made by former president Barack Obama, as “pure political correctness.”

“The question was do we focus only on what happened in 1776 and the years around that or do we also talk about everything that has happened since then,” said Lawrence Brown, a retired New York City doctor who served on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee from 2019 to 2024. “To me, the latter is just as important, if not more important, because it gives us answers to the questions of how we maintained that Constitution? How did we maintain our independence?”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

January 6, 2026

COGIC Preacher Uses Sunday Sermon To Drag Pastor Jamal Bryant On His Wife’s Dress

Pastor Bryant has defended his wife and her dress.

Church leaders are adding their two cents in the growing controversy surrounding an evening dress worn by Pastor Jamal Bryant’s wife Karri Turner.

Bishop Patrick Wooden did not mince words in his latest sermon. “So, I guess our objection to a man of the cloth presenting his wife in public looking like a $2 whore,” proclaimed the pastor. “My statement is not about her. My statement is about him. I said he presented his wife, and he said he bought the dress.

“Those are his words, not mine. And there is nothing classy about that. There’s nothing modest about that.”

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Wooden continued, “Because there is such a thing as decency…In public, at an event where everyone will see, I don’t know, of a greater way for a man to demean his wife. And if he doesn’t think that that is demeaning her, there is something wrong with him.”

Wooden is a North Carolina-based “gospel preacher,” who had led the Upper Room Church of God in Christ as senior pastor for over three decades, according to the church website.

Karri wore a lace dress to the UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball Dec. 20. Critics deemed the outfit unbecoming of a pastor’s wife, emphasizing the importance of remaining modest, especially as an example for the church.

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A post shared by DR. KARRI BRYANT, D.Min., M.Div.💕| ATLANTA (@mzkarribaby)

Pastor Bryant, the leader of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, addressed the issue at his New Year’s Eve service. He confirmed he actually bought the dress, calling out the “insecure, jealous, petty, small-minded people” that held a “false barometer of holiness” surrounding his wife’s attire.

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A post shared by Pastor Jamal Bryant (@jamalhbryant)

He added, “I need to set the record straight: I bought the dress! And I like it. I don’t care whether you like it or not; she ain’t married to [you]. She married to me.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 6, 2026

Lawsuit Accuses Donnie McClurkin of Sexually Abusing Young Man Over Several Years

McClurkin's attorney denied the allegations.

In a civil lawsuit filed Jan. 2 in New York, Giuseppe Corletto has accused Grammy-winning gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin of sexual assault and battery under the city’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, NBC News reports.

Corletto claims McClurkin repeatedly assaulted and raped him between 2007 and 2015, and the suit references an 2013 email in which McClurkin appears to acknowledge and apologize for the behavior.

“I am the actual epitome of a desperate dirty ‘old man’…groping a young man who is just looking for a friendship and close platonic [sic] relationship with someone he looks to for help, guidance and spirituality,” the alleged email states. “You don’t have that desire for me, and I shouldn’t have it for you. I forced myself on you.”

Corletto says he first met McClurkin in 2003 after reading the pastor’s autobiography, where McClurkin described God helping him overcome what he called the “curse” of homosexuality. Corletto, then 21, says he was struggling to reconcile his faith and sexuality. He sought spiritual guidance at McClurkin’s Perfecting Faith Church in Long Island, New York.

What began as Corletto’s “very innocent” mentoring soon took a disturbing turn, according to the lawsuit. During “pray the gay away” spiritual sessions, McClurkin allegedly began molesting him, abuse that Corletto said escalated as he worked as McClurkin’s assistant and traveled with him regularly.

According to Corletto, the abuse began in 2007, when McClurkin allegedly forced him into oral and anal sex in a California hotel room. Similar incidents followed over the next two years during trips to Atlantic City and Manhattan, as well as at McClurkin’s Long Island home, according to the lawsuit.

Corletto, according to the lawsuit, “struggled to process these incidents of sexual abuse, as [McClurkin] was both his mentor and employer, making it difficult for him to speak out about the abuse he had suffered.”

“Throughout this period, plaintiff attempted to quit on multiple occasions,” the complaint reads. “Defendant, however, denied plaintiff’s requests, further coercing him to stay by telling plaintiff that his ‘deliverance’ and ‘purpose’ were tied to defendant.”

“He would always compare me to people in the bible like Elisha and Elijah,” Corletto explained, referring to them prophets’ mentor-mentee relationship. “There was a lot of biblical manipulation. I thought I was to blame. I was brainwashed to think that my deliverance was wrapped up in him.”

Corletto quit working for McClurkin in 2008, but claims his former boss continued to pursue him. According to the suit, Corletto became depressed and suicidal after an incident at a Niagara Falls hotel in 2013. He briefly returned to McClurkin’s church before cutting ties for good.

Corletto claims that it wasn’t until last year that he rediscovered an alleged email McClurkin sent after the Niagara Falls encounter, a message Corletto said left him feeling “vindicated,” because it appeared to acknowledge wrongdoing.

“I have no one…and I feel it more than ever…But I was horribly wrong trying to force you into something that you were consistently saying no to,” McClurkin wrote in the email, according to the lawsuit. “I am too old to be like this.”

Greg Lisi, an attorney for McClurkin, called the allegations “categorically false.”

“At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of Mr. Corletto,” Lisi said in a statement. “The claims set forth in the lawsuit grossly mischaracterize their interactions, which occurred over a decade, and some accusations over 2 decades, ago. All these allegations are contradicted by the real facts.”

The suit was filed under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which temporarily extended the window for survivors to bring sexual abuse claims. Although the two-year filing period closed in March 2025, some cases continued under tolling agreements that granted additional time.

Bourbon Street , Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, New Orleans, New Year's Eve,

by Mitti Hicks

January 6, 2026

Data Reveal Violent Crime Was Down In New Orleans Even Before Trump Deployed National Guard

In 2022, New Orleans was considered the country's per-capita "murder capital," with 266 murders. That number was sliced in half to 121 in 2025.

New data shows that violent crime in New Orleans is continuing to decline. Local police officials revealed that violent crime fell for a third year in a row, despite President Donald Trump taking credit for it after ordering National Guard members to patrol the city.

In his latest target against Democratic-led cities, Trump approved sending 350 National Guard members to Louisiana following a deployment request from Republican Gov. Jeff Landry to fight crime. Landry claimed that troops were needed in New Orleans because of “elevated violent crime rates,” despite local officials saying crime has been dropping for years in the city.

As the Associated Press reports, Trump credited the Guard deployment with New Orleans’ drop in violent crime.

“We have crime down to almost nothing already,” the president stated during a news conference. He adds, “I cannot imagine why governors would not want us to help.”

So far, Trump has deployed or attempted to deploy National Guard members to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, Chicago, and Memphis. A Democratic mayor runs each city.

Violent Crime In New Orleans

New data released by New Orleans police shows that since 2022, murders, shootings, armed robberies, and carjackings have significantly decreased city-wide. In 2022, New Orleans was considered the country’s per-capita “murder capital,” with 266 murders. That number was sliced in half to 121 in 2025, which includes the 14 people who were killed in a vehicle-ramming attack on Jan. 1 last year in the French Quarter.

New Orleans police classify murders as criminal homicides. These numbers do not include suspected suicides, accidental deaths, justifiable deaths, or suspected manslaughter.

National Guard troops have only patrolled the historic French Quarter so far. But Anne Kirkpatrick, the current superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, said she would continue to welcome Guard members into crime hot spots beyond this touristy area, since the city’s police force is understaffed. She also welcomes National Guard troops ahead of New Orleans Mardi Gras season, which officially kicks off on Jan. 6.

“If they prevent a crime by their presence, I’m all for the safety of the city, as long as it’s constitutional and ethical,” she added.

Kyrie Irving, Texas, HBCU, Paul Quinn College

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 6, 2026

Kyrie Irving Pays $11K For LaRussell’s Latest Album, ‘Something’s In The Water’

The recording artist is trying to sell 100,000 copies online (and independently) in 30 days.

Recording artist LaRussell has taken an unprecedented approach to selling his latest independent album, Something’s in the Water, by posting on social media that fans can purchase the project at any price as he aims to sell 100,000 units in 30 days.

Several notable people have paid more than $ 1,000, including Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving, who paid $11,001 to cop one.

https://twitter.com/LaRussellGC/status/2006395053153874101

The rapper has been livestreaming over the past week and updating his fans on his progress toward 100,000 units. On his X account, he posted a clip of him speaking to Irving. He called into LaRussell’s livestream and acknowledged that he wanted to help him reach his goal.

“Shout out to LaRussell!”

“You earned it, bro. You deserve it, man.  You work your ass off, so I thought I’d just contribute to what you got going on, and I know you’ll pay it forward, so I ain’t gotta worry about that, man. You’re a great dude, and I know we’re getting to know each other from afar, but, hey, man, it costs nothing to support, but I’m just putting my money where my mouth is, bro, helping out my community, helping out my people, bro. I want to see you reach your goal.”

https://twitter.com/LaRussellGC/status/2008237105097457815

Irving isn’t the only one who paid a premium price for Something’s in the Water. West Coast living icon Snoop Dogg purchased an album for $2,500. LaRussell acknowledged that the “D-O-double G” was a reason he entered the game.

https://twitter.com/LaRussellGC/status/2008267340333350951

Billboard reported that Cedric the Entertainer paid $1,000 for his copy and that, according to a press release, fans can pay as little as $1, with the average album sale being $22.

Anyone interested in buying the album can do so here.