• Celebrity News

by Daniel Johnson

January 4, 2025

Ice T Gets Into Heated Confrontation With New Jersey Cop In Viral Video

As of Jan. 4, the video has been viewed over 2.2 million times, and has created more discussion online about police officers who appear to be on power trips.

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A video from May 2024 depicting rapper Ice-T confronting a New Jersey police officer over a vehicle registration issue has resurfaced and spread like wildfire across the internet.

According to NJ.com, Ice-T, whose real name is Tracy Morrow, was pulled over by the officer for what the Unspoken Crime Murders YouTube channel described as a missing front plate on his Porsche.

Morrow, who ironically, in addition to his rap carer, is also known for playing a police detective in the long-running TV series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” initially attempted to inform the officer that he was on the way to the DMV to renew his registration, which expired in 2021, and his driver’s license, due to a system issue the DMV experienced the day before.

Although the video does not show the location of the DMV, Morrow indicated to the officer that he was only a mile away from the building where both of those issues could be fixed.

After the officer told him that he wasn’t supposed to be driving without either a valid driver’s license or registration, the rapper offered up a solution.

“Why don’t you follow me right to this garage, the DMV is right here. You don’t gotta be that serious about this,” Morrow added. “Well, you can, but you don’t have to.”

To which the officer replied, “Well, this is serious.”

The rapper continued, arguing that the DMV was close enough for him to park his car and walk to it.

“I could park this car right here and walk to the DMV,” Morrow told the officer.

At this point, the officer responds to Morrow by informing him that he plans to tow the rapper and Law and Order actor’s car, to which Morrow pointedly objects.

“You’re not gonna tow my f—— vehicle, let me park my car right here,” Morrow told the officer.

The officer responded by asserting his control of the situation and reminding Morrow to respect him as an officer of the law.

“You’re not gonna move your car, give me the keys right now and I’m gonna tow your vehicle. Try to be more respectful of me, and I’m gonna be more respectful to you,” the officer said.

Morrow relents a bit and gives the officer his keys, but then he gets out of the vehicle and demands his paperwork be returned to him.

“Give me my paperwork, you’re an (unclear expletive). Give me my f—— paperwork, get this on camera,” Morrow said while looking directly into the officer’s body camera.

At this point, Morrow pulls out his phone and begins recording the officer, who then calls dispatch for backup.

A sergeant responded to the call for backup, and Morrow and the officer explained what happened before his arrival on the scene.

The sergeant played the middle ground in the encounter, allowing Morrow to park his vehicle and walk to the DMV as requested. He also allowed the officer to write citations for his observed violations.

Although he tried to talk the officer out of writing up two of the violations, the officer wrote four violations for Morrow.

According to the description of the video posted by Unspoken Crime Murders, “Despite the tense exchange, the actor resolved the issue by paying the fines in full.”

NJ.com attempted to reach representatives for Morrow, but none were successful as of Jan. 3.

As of Jan. 4, the video has been viewed over 2.2 million times and has created more discussion online about police officers who appear to be on power trips.

RELATED CONTENT: Olympic Sprinter Fred Kerley Arrested After Police Confrontation In Miami

• Celebrity News

by Daniel Johnson

January 4, 2025

Nicki Minaj Faces Lawsuit From Tour Manager Alleging Assault, Verbal Abuse, And Emotional Distress

An attorney for Minaj said in a statement to Billboard that the lawsuit is a 'frivolous' matter.

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Brandon Garrett, a former day-to-day manager of Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 tour, sued the rapper in Los Angeles Superior Court on Jan. 3, alleging that she assaulted him as she flew into a rage backstage during the show’s Detroit stop.

According to Billboard, Garrett’s complaint describes an incident in April 2024 in which he was summoned to the rapper’s dressing room backstage at Little Caesars Arena and confronted by Minaj (referred to in the lawsuit by her government name, Onika Maraj) and her former manager, Deb Antney, about allegedly sending another employee to pick up Minaj’s prescription medication in his place.

Per the complaint, “Ms. Antney asked why Mr. Montgomery was picking up prescriptions on behalf of Defendant Maraj,” the complaint reads, referring to Minaj’s birth name.

The complaint continued, “Plaintiff responded that he had Mr. Montgomery pick up a prescription in the past because Defendant Maraj wanted it immediately, but Plaintiff was occupied at the venue with Defendant Maraj in the quick change room during a performance because one of Plaintiff’s job duties was assisting Defendant Maraj with dressing during performances.”

According to Garrett’s depiction of events, Minaj was “visibly upset,” then “angrily screamed,” “Are you f—ing crazy having him pick up my prescription? You have lost your f—ing mind, and if my husband was here, he would knock out your f—king teeth. You’re a dead man walking. You just f—ed up your whole life and you will never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.”

After more yelling and screaming at Garrett, hospitality manager Luke Montgomery, who had gone to pick up the prescriptions, was allegedly berated and screamed at by Minaj. She then demanded to know which prescriptions he had picked up.

The situation allegedly escalated when neither Montgomery nor Garrett could supply this information. According to the lawsuit, after the rapper read cell phone messages between Montgomery and Garrett, she approached Garrett and “got very close to his face” as she kept yelling at him.

The complaint states, “At this point, Defendant Maraj open-handedly struck Plaintiff on the right side of his face, causing his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head,” Garrett also alleges that after this occurred, members of Minaj’s security team “swarmed in close” before Minaj allegedly “struck Plaintiff on his right wrist,” which knocked “the documents in Plaintiff’s hand onto the floor.”

However, despite the complaint, Judd Burstein, an attorney for Minaj, said in a statement to Billboard that he had not been served with a lawsuit, and if the reports, which originated from TMZ, were accurate, the lawsuit is a frivolous matter.

“At this time, no complaint has been served upon Mrs. Petty, and therefore, we are unaware of the specific allegations. However, if the lawsuit is as reported by TMZ, it is completely false and frivolous. We are confident that the matter brought by this ex-assistant will be resolved swiftly in Mrs. Petty’s favor,” Burstein wrote.

Garrett is suing Minaj for intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. He is seeking punitive and exemplary damages, general damages, and other relief.

RELATED CONTENT: Nicki Minaj And Husband Kenneth Petty Must Pay Security Guard $500K

• Celebrity News

by Mary Spiller

January 4, 2025

Ceelo Green Under Fire For Wearing Confederate Flag Hoodie In Instagram Post

Ceelo Green captioned the post "soul" and "rebel."

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Fans of rapper Ceelo Green are expressing their disappointment with the “I’ll Be Around” songwriter. On Jan. 2, Green posted a photo on Instagram of himself donning a Confederate flag hoodie.

He captioned the controversial picture with the hashtags “soul” and “rebel.”

In response to Green’s post, dozens of his fans took to the comment section to give their opinions on his choice of clothing.

The post has since received over 2,000 likes, but commenters were offended by Green’s photo, and they let the “Crazy” artist know exactly what they thought about his insensitive outfit choice.

One commenter wrote, “Love you lo, but you bout to get unfollowed.”

Another fan added, “You could’ve kept this one to yourself, unc.”

The Confederate flag has a long and violent history associated with racism and white supremacy and often stood as an indication of deep South support in the Civil War era.

Another commenter suggested that Green leave controversial pics to other artists like Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

They commented, “Leave this kinda work to Kanye. [You too] cool for this one bro.”

However, others believe there may be a common thread between Green’s latest post and the pictures that preceded it. The former Goodie Mob member posted two others the same day, one showing him draped in the African American flag and another wearing an American flag sweater.

An online user pointed out, “What’s the issue? His last few posts have been flags! We’re so quick to judge! Process it for a minute & keep watching! The Dungeon has always been ahead of its time!!!”

Ceelo Green addressed a few of the comments directly underneath his post. In one where a fan asked him what’s changed between 1998 and now, he responded, “Nothing has changed, unfortunately, and that’s the point.”

• Entertainment

by Daniel Johnson

January 4, 2025

NBA Star Derrick Rose Debuts As Filmmaker With Short Honoring Chicago Roots

'Becoming A Rose' is a film Rose has dedicated to his hometown, Chicago.

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Retired NBA star Derrick Rose will debut as a director on Jan. 4 at the United Center with his short film “Becoming A Rose,” which he has dedicated to his hometown, Chicago. The film, which has a runtime shy of four minutes, was co-directed by the former Chicago Bulls player in collaboration with his shoe sponsor, Adidas.

According to The Athletic, a private screening of the film was held on Jan. 2 before its public debut. Rose donned black sunglasses at the screening because he knew he would become emotional, partly because his son, 12-year-old PJ Rose, narrates the film.

“That’s why I had to wear the glasses, because I knew I was going to get emotional. I can’t explain it. That’s something that you see in movies, or I’m normally on the couch watching somebody get this,” Rose told the outlet.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson marked Jan. 4 as Derrick Rose Day. Although the Bulls’ game against the Knicks, another team Rose played for during his career, is being marketed as “Derrick Rose Night,” the film is about the city that made him.

“I want the city to feel like they can stunt on another city or state and be, like, ‘Look what we got. Look what we made,’” Rose told The Athletic. “Because it’s no way that I could tell my story without telling the city’s story.”

According to Joakim Noah, his former Bulls teammate and friend Rose, whose nickname “Pooh” was given to him by his grandmother, is a rare talent who thrived in the spotlight of leading his hometown team.

“Pooh’s as special as they come. When that crowd (Saturday) is going to chant ‘MVP,’ it’s bigger than just basketball. It’s just beautiful to see how far he’s come. This story is about more than just winning a championship. This is a painful story. This is as soulful as they come. This is a Chicago story,” Noah told the outlet.

Although the film is a coming home of sorts for Derrick Rose, the basketball player, it is also a settling of the learned values of Derrick Rose, a citizen of Chicago.

As he told The Athletic, Rose was determined to use Black and Latinx people from Chicago as opposed to hiring outsiders.

“We could shoot this film, and we could have used everybody from different cities and fly them in, but we used people who were from here. A lot of us were (Black and Brown people) on the set working. That’s where I see us, our team, adapting: giving in different ways, finding unique ways to show gratitude,” Rose said.

He continued, “When you look at the economy and really think practically about what’s going on and how people are hurting, coming back here and just seeing the visual, certain places still look the same. Every year I’m going to come back, it may still look the same. I’m going to say that for the next 10, 20 years The question is going to come up, ‘Who’s going to change it?’ I’ll answer the question: It’s going to be me. It’s going to have to be me or my team to change it. Taking responsibility, taking ownership in it…but doing it smart and doing it the right way by employing people and giving people opportunities.”

Rose concluded, “This is going to represent a Chicago feel, a Chicago way, of presenting ourselves to the world. It’s all intrinsic. It’s all real, and I hope you guys love it.”

RELATED CONTENT: Former NBA Superstar Derrick Rose To Open A Chicago Flower Shop

• News

by Daniel Johnson

January 4, 2025

Trump To Be Sentenced For Hush Money Conviction

Judge signals unconditional discharge, sparing jail time for the convicted felon.

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President-elect Donald Trump is set to be sentenced on Jan. 10, with Judge Juan Merchan granting the option to appear in person or virtually.

On Jan. 3, Judge Merchan upheld Trump’s conviction but indicated he was leaning toward sparing him jail time. He referred to the decision as an “unconditional discharge, ” which would make Trump a felon without affecting his freedom.

Although Trump would be a felon by definition of law, carrying the distinction of being the only felon to occupy the White House in American history, an unconditional discharge reportedly carries virtually no penalty for his conviction.

Trump had faced a potential four-year prison sentence but could still appeal Judge Merchan’s decision to uphold the jury’s verdict. The ruling rejected Trump’s argument that his 2024 presidential election victory should overturn his conviction.

According to Judge Merchan’s ruling, “To dismiss the indictment and set aside the jury verdict would not serve the concerns set forth by the Supreme Court in its handful of cases addressing presidential immunity nor would it serve the rule of law.”

Judge Merchan continued, “On the contrary, such (a) decision would undermine the rule of law in immeasurable ways,” adding in his ruling that “the sanctity of a jury verdict” is “a bedrock principle in our nation’s jurisprudence.”

Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said in a statement that Trump’s sentencing could potentially become a distraction but did not comment on any plans to appeal Judge Merchan’s ruling.

“President Trump must be allowed to continue the presidential transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the witch hunts,” Cheung stated. “There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”

Trump’s lawyers also invoked the Justice Department’s long-standing precedent not to prosecute sitting presidents and the recent Supreme Court ruling granting presidential immunity in their calls to dismiss the jury’s decision. Judge Merchan also addressed their arguments in his Jan. 3 ruling.

“Binding precedent does not provide that an individual, upon becoming president, can retroactively dismiss or vacate prior criminal acts nor does it grant blanket presidential-elect immunity,” Judge Merchan wrote.

The New York Times reported that no other defendant convicted of the same felony as Trump has received an unconditional discharge. All others faced some combination of jail or prison time, probation, conditional discharges, community service, or fines.

RELATED CONTENT: U.S. Court Of Appeals Rejects Trump’s Appeal Of $5M Judgement Against Him

• Legal

by Mary Spiller

January 4, 2025

Olympic Sprinter Fred Kerley Arrested After Police Confrontation In Miami

Kerley has been charged with battery and resisting arrest following the altercation.

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Fred Kerley, a 29-year-old Olympic sprinter, has been arrested and charged with battery following an altercation with Miami Beach Police. According to a local news report, Kerley was tased after allegedly approaching the scene of an active investigation on Jan. 2.

Following his arrest, Kerley was charged with battery on a police officer, corrections officer, or firefighter, resisting an officer without violence, and disorderly conduct.

Miami Beach Police reported that Kerley approached the scene of an active police investigation in Miami near the 100 block of Ninth Street.

The Team USA sprinter told officers he was concerned about his car parked near the investigation site. Authorities explained that Kerley was interfering with the investigation when he approached the crime scene.

Detectives on the scene described the sprinter as becoming increasingly aggressive and repeatedly refusing orders to get back.

Police used a stun gun on Kerley after he denied officers’ request for him to leave the scene.

As seen in the NBC–obtained body camera footage, the officer’s altercation with Kerley ensues after one pushes Kerley in the chest. Several officers on the scene then proceeded to force the sprinter to the ground — while one struck him multiple times.

Kerley’s girlfriend, Cleo Rahman, was reportedly also at the scene when the altercation broke out. She urged officers to stop during the altercation, and she was eventually arrested for resisting arrest as well.

She described, “And they tased him, hit him with the Taser. Look, as soon as he tries to get up. [An officer] pushed my hand out of the way, and when I tried to pull back, they arrested me.”

She continued, “I was literally recording because he’s an athlete, and I didn’t want anything to happen to him, and if something did happen to him, I wanted to make sure that I had the footage.”

After Kerley was tased, officers called for emergency backup.

The Olympic sprinter appeared before Judge Mindy S. Glazer of the Miami-Dade Circuit on Jan. 3.

During the initial hearing, Glazer seemed to express some disappointment at how the Miami Beach Police treated Kerley.
She said, “This could have been handled a different way, and I don’t know if the officers in Miami Beach are busy handling a lot of complicated crime scenes.”

Kerley has won Olympic medals in the men’s 100-meter race for the past two global events. He won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a bronze at last year’s 2024 Paris Games.

RELATED CONTENT: Former Olympic Fencer Ivan Lee Arrested for Sexual Abuse

• Education

by Mary Spiller

January 4, 2025

HBCU Livingstone College Receives $3M Donation

The gift came from an anonymous donor who has been supporting Livingstone throughout the last fiscal year.

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Livingstone College has received a substantial anonymous donation from a long-time donor. The private Christian HBCU in Salisbury, North Carolina, will enter its spring semester with a $3 million boost.

As reported by HBCU Gameday, Livingstone President Dr. Anthony J. Davis announced in a faculty speech, “Over the vacation — over the paid time off — I received notification that Livingstone College will kick off this academic year with another anonymous gift from our anonymous donor to the tune of $3 million.”

He added, “We don’t receive philanthropy at this level because of a president who gets up and makes an eloquent speech. This happens because all of you have been committed to this miracle approach. It’s because of the work that you’re doing, and it’s making us [Livingstone] the fastest-growing HBCU in North Carolina.”

The donation money will be used for renovation projects on Livingstone’s campus, including several residence halls and cafeteria services.

The donation came from a source that has previously supported the HBCU. The college reportedly received $23 million from the donor over the fiscal year, mostly through a $10 million donation in July.

Davis credited the donations partly for Livingstone’s success in the past year. The university has a 13% growth rate and is one of only five private HBCUs in North Carolina.

Davis explained that the impressive growth puts Livingstone in the spotlight now.

He said, “Which means that the world is watching. The world wants to know. — ‘Wait a minute, Livingstone? They’re getting philanthropic contributions like Morehouse and Spelman. We are. It’s because of the work that you’re doing.”

He added, “When we talk about slow control growth, it’s about capacity. We could not function above 1,200 students right now, physically on campus. So right now we’re at 941. We’re almost close to capacity.”

RELATED CONTENT: Livingstone College Gifted Third Anonymous Million-Dollar Donation

• Women

by Kandiss Edwards

January 4, 2025

CDC Awards $1.4M To HIV Research Prevention For Black Women

Cisgender Black women are disproportionately affected by HIV.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded a $1.4 million grant to a University of Albany professor, Melonie Walcott, to research HIV prevention for Black women, the university’s website announced.

Professor Walcott’s study will focus on cisgender women in New York State and will span four years. The project, titled “PrEP-WISE” (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Women in Charge of Sexual Decision-Making and Engagements), will explore the use of the HIV prevention drug PrEP.

“Black women face unique vulnerabilities to HIV, including systemic inequities and socioeconomic challenges, yet they are often overlooked in HIV prevention efforts,” Walcott said. “This study seeks to address those gaps through culturally relevant and community-centered interventions.”

Walcott is assembling a diverse team of prevention experts, faith-based organizations, and community collaborators to help with the research.

The initial phase will involve interviews with 25 women and 10 healthcare providers to examine access to PrEP, barriers to its use, and potential solutions.

Walcott believes the inclusion of multiple demographics will foster more authentic community engagement.

“By involving a variety of stakeholders, our study aims to identify and understand the nuanced challenges that Black women face, including systemic barriers within healthcare systems,” Walcott said.

In addition to working with medical professionals, Walcott plans to conduct community outreach to share life-saving information.

“In addition to reaching out to medical providers, I’m also actively visiting community spaces such as salons, churches, and corner stores to share information about the project,” Walcott said.

Once the study’s first phase is completed, Walcott will begin peer-led intervention sessions. These sessions will address systemic inequalities and educate Black women about sustainable well-being practices.

Proposed topics for the upcoming sessions include:

• Assessing HIV vulnerability: Helping participants evaluate their personal risk, considering environmental and social factors, as well as the risk level of their partner(s).
• Gender norms and power dynamics: Building skills to communicate effectively with health providers and sexual partners about HIV prevention.
• PrEP basics: Combating stigma, understanding the medication, and reducing barriers to its use.
• Financial literacy: Providing tools to enhance financial stability and overall health security.

Walcott’s study is sorely needed as Black people make up “37% of new HIV infections, even though they make up 12% of the population,” according to the CDC. 

RELATED CONTENT: HealthyMD Partners With Pastor Jamal Bryant For Free HIV Screenings At Atlanta’s NewBirth Baptist Church On World AIDS Day

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 4, 2025

Former Nurse Charged With Child Abuse After 3 Premature Babies Sustain Fractures At Virginia Hospital

Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman has been charged with child abuse in the neonatal intensive care unit at a Virginia hospital.

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A former nurse was arrested on Jan. 2 following an investigation into alleged child abuse taking place in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Virginia’s Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.

Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, 26, was arrested and is facing charges of malicious wounding and felony child abuse in connection with a late 2024 incident that left three infants in the NICU with “unexplainable fractures,” according to officials. Strotman was arrested and charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse, which the hospital confirmed occurred in late November or early December, NBC News reports.

Her arrest follows the hospital’s announcement, one week prior, that it was temporarily halting NICU admissions after three babies were discovered with unexplained fractures in late November and early December. Strotman was already placed on paid administrative leave in 2023 after the hospital conducted an internal investigation.

She was determined to be one of two staff persons “found to have had contact with all of the infants in the timeframe identified,” and unlike the other employee, Strotman was “new to the unit and had more direct care responsibilities with the NICU infants.”

According to a statement from HCA, which operates Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, the recent fractures reported in late 2024 resemble incidents involving four other babies at the hospital during the summer of 2023. One of those injured babies, Noah Hackey, suffered a fractured tibia while in the NICU at the hospital in September 2023.

A CPS report cited “level 1 for physical abuse of Noah by an employee by the Henrico Doctor’s Hospital NICU.” After the hospital re-opened Noah’s case and a few others, Strotman was identified as the suspect.

She was taken into custody Thursday and booked at Henrico Jail West early Friday morning. The hospital stated that, out of an abundance of caution, it is no longer accepting new babies into its NICU.

They have also implemented additional security measures, such as installing live-streaming technology and mandating safety training for all caregivers. Police also said they are “re-examining the 2023 and 2024 cases as part of this broader investigation.”

RELATED CONTENT: Long Island Nurse Arrested and Charged After Video Shows Her Violently Slamming Newborn Baby

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 4, 2025

Michigan Governor Signs Law Preventing Landlords From Rejecting Renters Over Source Of Income

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has just signed three Senate bills on Monday, Dec. 30, stating the provisions that can't be used to discriminate based on the tenants' source of income.

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A new law in Michigan prevents landlords from rejecting prospective tenants based on how they receive income, such as housing vouchers, veterans’ benefits, or Social Security.

According to M Live, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has just signed three Senate bills on Dec. 30, stating the provisions that can’t be used to discriminate based on the tenants’ source of income. Senate Bills 205, 206, and 207 state that landlords cannot deny someone a place to rent based on their source of income. That stipulates renters can’t be excluded because they receive Section 8 housing choice vouchers, public assistance, veterans’ benefits, Social Security, supplemental security income, or other retirement programs.

“I am committed to growing access to affordable housing so every Michigander can raise their family in a vibrant community,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a written statement. “That’s why I am proud to sign these commonsense bills that expand affordable housing options and protect Michiganders from housing discrimination.”

The law is in place for landlords who preside over five or more units.

RELATED CONTENT: Michigan Inmates To Vote Upon Prison Release In 2025