• Sports

by Keka Araújo

April 18, 2025

Grit Meets Grown Man: David Yurman Taps NBA Stars Carmelo Anthony And Jaylen Brown For Bold New Chain Campaign

The campaign will be featured on social media and through advertising throughout the year.

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Luxury jeweler David Yurman has announced its latest men’s campaign, featuring NBA legends Carmelo Anthony and Jaylen Brown, to showcase the brand’s signature Curb Chain collection. 

According to a press release, this collaboration builds on a previous campaign featuring prominent NBA players and highlights David Yurman’s dedication to culture and innovation.

Anthony and Brown, known for their achievements on and off the court, embody the passion and individuality central to David Yurman’s men’s line. The campaign, shot by creative director Set Free Richardson, emphasizes the strength and artistry of the Curb Chain collection. 

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Carmelo and Jaylen, two incredible athletes who exemplify leadership, style, and dedication,” said Evan Yurman, President of David Yurman. 

“Their ability to inspire both in the game and in culture makes them the perfect ambassadors for our brand.”

Anthony, a ten-time NBA All-Star and future Hall of Famer, was styled by Khalilah Beavers and is featured in a campaign segment with his son, Kiyan Anthony, discussing life and ambition. 

“I’ve always gravitated to unique pieces that tell a story, and these collections truly reflect that level of artistry and narrative,” Anthony said. 

Brown, a prominent forward for the Boston Celtics and a four-time NBA All-Star, brings his dynamic presence to the David Yurman collaboration. Styled by Wayman & Micah, Brown is captured in a thoughtful moment playing chess with his grandfather, Willie Brown. This scene underscores themes of strategy, intellect, and the wisdom passed down through generations, reflecting Brown’s multifaceted persona.

Beyond his stellar basketball career, which includes leading the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022 and 2024, securing a championship, and winning Finals MVP in the latter, Brown is recognized for his intellectual curiosity and commitment to social impact. His wide-ranging interests include history, philosophy, technology, meditation, and learning Spanish. He has engaged in discussions at prestigious institutions like Harvard University and MIT, showcasing his interests beyond the sport.

Brown is also the founder of his apparel line and foundation, “7uice,” which embodies themes of positive energy and activism. (Red Bull) His dedication to creating opportunities for marginalized youth is evident through his collaborations with the MIT Media Lab, focusing on STEAM education initiatives. In 2024, he launched the Boston XChange, a nonprofit dedicated to building generational wealth and fostering cultural innovation in underserved communities.

“Jewelry is a statement—it’s about energy and presence,” Brown added. “David Yurman’s designs allow me to express myself and show up elegant and timeless.”

The campaign will be featured on social media and through advertising throughout the year.

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• News

by Stacy Jackson

April 18, 2025

Little Caesars Brawl Lands Teen Siblings In Jail With Mother After Police Find Drugs, Alcohol, Guns In Georgia Home

The teens' mother will not being charged in connection to the Little Caesars attack, but faces separate charges related to the police raid

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Sha’nayih Landers, 17, and her older brother Javaris Landers, 19, were arrested alongside their mother, Jasmine Landers, 35, after a brutal attack inside a Little Caesars restaurant led police to raid the family’s Georgia home.

The Landers trio is facing several charges after Sha’nayih allegedly brutally beat a 17-year-old restaurant employee at the Centerville Highway location where both Jasmine and Javaris work.

According to WSBTV, Gwinnett County Police reported that a group of individuals entered the back door of the restaurant to make way for Sha’nayih, who dragged the teenager by her hair and punched and kicked her unconscious. Sha’nayih is also accused of robbing the teen employee.

Surveillance video captured the brutal attack where Javaris allegedly pointed a gun at the victim. The injured teen, who had a swollen face, split lip, and temporary vision loss in one eye, was transported by her mother to a hospital.

The March 2 attack led detectives and officers to the Landers’ home on the evening of April 11. Executing a search warrant at their Silver Hill Court residence, authorities discovered guns, felony amounts of fentanyl, evidence of underage drinking and drug use, dog feces in the house, and an abused dog. The siblings lived at the home with their mother.

An anonymous neighbor who witnessed the police raid saw authorities running toward the house with their shield. “I heard them asking people to come out with their hands up,” the neighbor said.

Although Jasmine Landers will not be charged in connection with the Little Caesars incident, she faces separate felony charges in connection with what police found in her home. Charges for Sha’nayih and Javaris include aggravated assault.

The Landers trio was arrested without bond. Court dates have not been revealed.

RELATED CONTENT: Georgia Little Caesars Threatens To Call ICE On Patrons

• Sports

by Kandiss Edwards

April 18, 2025

Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, 8x Olympian, Smoked Fellow Parents At Son’s School In Old-Fashioned Foot Race

The 8x Olympian added another gold medal to her collection at her son's Sports Day at school.

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Sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce may have wrapped up her Olympic career, but her competitive fire is still burning, this time, on the playground.

The eight-time Olympian gold medalist recently stole the spotlight at her son’s school sports day in Jamaica, where she dominated a parents’ 100-meter dash. Fraser-Pryce, 37, shared video footage of the race on Instagram, showing her effortlessly pulling ahead of the competition. In a lighthearted caption, she joked, “They haven’t banned me yet, so I’m at the line.”

She also posted a photo of her son standing on a mini podium with his gold medal, proudly calling him her “champion boy.”

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This marks the second year in a row Fraser-Pryce has dazzled at her son’s school event. In 2023, she also won the parents’ race, earning widespread praise on social media for her display of athleticism and joyful participation as both a mom and a sports legend.

NBC Sports asked the Olympian why she chose to run the race, and she proudly responded, “Yes, why not? I’m a parent. It’s a parents’ race, so I showed up for the parents’ race. I had to show up.”

The Future For Fraser-Pryce

The proud mom’s appearance at the school event comes after her withdrawal from the 100-meter semi-final at the Paris 2024 Olympics due to a pre-race injury sustained during warm-up. This incident marked an unexpected and quiet end to her fifth and final Olympic Games. ​

In light of this, Fraser-Pryce announced her intention to return to competitive athletics in 2025, aiming to conclude her illustrious career on a high note. She stated she has “unfinished business” following the disappointing end to her Olympic journey. ​

The veteran athlete posted a montage of her career highlights. Footage also shows the powerhouse sprinter training. 

“It’s not about size. It’s not about your age. It’s not about your color. It’s not about any of that. Time will honor your greatness,” she stated.  

Balancing motherhood with elite competition, Fraser-Pryce continues to inspire fans worldwide—not only as a champion on the track but also as a role model at home.​

RELATED CONTENT: Black Girl Magic On The Olympic Stage Highlights Black Iconography At Its Best

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 18, 2025

Michael Ealy Takes On Role Of Malcolm X In Upcoming Prime Video Series, ‘The Greatest’

The actor joins the cast that features Omari Hardwick, Dana Gourrier, and Kai Parham.

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Michael Ealy will play civil rights leader Malcolm X in the Prime Video series The Greatest.

According to Deadline, the actor from Power Book II: Ghost has been cast in a series chronicling Muhammad Ali’s life. This will be Ealy’s first time portraying the leader, although he has done live readings of Malcolm X’s words in the past, including in the documentary, The People Speak. The series is being executive-produced by Michael B. Jordan, known for The Wire.

The announcement also stated that Black and White’s Kai Parham will play the role of Ali’s younger brother, Rudy Clay.

The Greatest is produced by Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, along with executive producer/showrunner Ben Watkins’ Blue Monday Productions, Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, Polygram Entertainment, a Universal Music Group partner, and Grace: A Storytelling Company.

Ealy and Parham join Power’s Omari Hardwick and The United States Vs. Billie Holiday’s Dana Gourrier is in the cast. Hardwick will portray Ali’s father, Cassius “Cash” Clay Sr., and Gourrier will play the role of Ali’s mother, Odessa “Bird” Clay. Snowfall’s Amin Joseph will play Sonny Liston in the series.

When the project was announced, the film’s description said, “The amazing victories and defeats that made Ali a legend, both in and out of the ring, have been well documented. While those landmark events will live in The Greatest, the heartbeat of the story is fueled by all the moments that took place outside of the spotlight. The world remembers an icon, but The Greatest is about a man, a husband, a father, a brother, and a son.”

Ealy recently appeared as the keynote speaker at the ninth annual African American Partnership Leadership Luncheon by the United Way of Greater Atlanta on Feb. 22 at Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium.

He explained to WSB-TV the reason he was involved in the event.

“It’s all about helping the community for me, and when I was asked to do this, it was in learning about what the organization is doing that I was able to say yes,” Ealy said. “I am a believer in the ‘It takes a village’ mentality, so I look at it more as a responsibility, not so much as an achievement. I think you have to one, keep up the good fight, there is no quitting when you get into this kind of work.”

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• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 18, 2025

Kyren Lacy’s ‘Heartbroken’ Parents Open Up After Son’s Suicide While Emphasizing Mental Health

Days before the incident, Lacy showed off his skills to NFL scouts during LSU’s pro day as he was labeled a top prospect for the 2025 draft.

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Kandace Washington and Kenny Lacy, parents of Louisiana State University’s (LSU) wide receiver Kyren Lacy, broke their silence after their son died of apparent suicide. 

In a post on Instagram, the grieving mother said she is “absolutely heartbroken” and to let the world know she is “doing as good” as she can for the moment. “There are no words to fully express the pain our family is feeling right now,” she wrote. “I want to thank each and every one of you who has reached out — through messages, calls, social media, and more. I see your text, your words of love and your offers of support. It means more than I can say.” 

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His mother requested that people keep the family in prayer. Lacy’s father, Kenny, put out a statement on Facebook encouraging parents to pay attention to their children’s mental health, regardless of how young they are, and build a relationship where they feel comfortable confiding in their parents.

“Young parents, start talking to your kids at a very early age and make sure they are confident and comfortable confiding in you. ‘Don’t be cool with “I’m Alright, or I’m good” when you know deep down something isn’t right,’ he wrote. 

“Mental Health is real, and for the most part, it’s invisible. Don’t ignore the signs, even if they may seem small. Our lives have changed forever, and this will never be ok, but God needed my baby more than he needed here. This has to be the biggest pill our families have had to swallow, but I know the love and compassion in our families will get us through. This will never get easier, but we’ll learn to live with it.”

The 24-year-old wide receiver, who was a top prospect for the upcoming 2025 NFL draft, allegedly suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 12 after allegedly evading police officers after a family member called to say he fired a gun. Harris County authorities claim that as officers were pursuing him, Lacy crashed his vehicle. As officers approached the car, they discovered he had died. 

Days before, Lacy showed off his skills to NFL scouts during LSU’s pro day. His football skills, according to the Daily Mail, however, following his death, were being remembered by current and former NFL players, including Dak Prescott, Jayden Daniels, and former LSU star Odell Beckham Jr., who sent condolences online. 

In early 2025, Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, hit-and-run driving with serious injury or death, and reckless operation with accident after a fatal car crash took the life of 78-year-old Herman Hall and injured two others. He was criticized for declaring for the draft two days after being released on a $151,000 bond.

He initially broke his silence on the case on social media, stating, “Trust the process!!

Washington set up a GoFundMe page to “help ease the financial burden as the family navigates the days ahead. With over $30,000 raised, the fundraiser continues to say contributions “will serve as a lasting reminder of how deeply Kyren was loved by all who knew him.”

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• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 18, 2025

Trump Accused of Launching New Scheme To Profit from Tariff War, ‘It Is A Jaw-Dropping Conflict Of Interest’

All eyes are on Donald Trump amid questions over whether he’s launched a venture designed to profit from the very trade war he initiated.

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President Donald Trump is promoting new investment accounts that could potentially enable him to personally benefit from the tariffs he has imposed.

On April 15, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG)—the parent company of Truth Social—announced plans to market a series of actively managed investment accounts designed to support companies aligned with Trump’s agenda. The “America First” accounts, which focus on themes like “Made in America” and “Energy Independence,” have raised concerns, according to independent journalist Judd Legum.

He suggests that Trump’s tariff policies could potentially influence the value of these accounts for personal or political gain.

“TMTG said the new investment accounts would ‘offer investors access to curated, thematic investment strategies rooted in American values and priorities,’” Legum wrote on his Popular Information newsletter.

“Among the themes are ‘Made in America,’ which presumably would focus on companies that would benefit from tariffs on competitors who make goods abroad and import them to the United States.”

However, with themes of “Faith & Values” and “Liberty & Security,” the “Truth Social-branded Separately Managed Accounts” serve as a way for investors to support companies aligned with the president’s agenda, one of the venture’s partners says.

“Made in America is more than just a theme — it’s a declaration of support for businesses essential to our economy, national security, and enduring freedoms,” Jon DuPrau, managing partner at Index Technologies Group, which is collaborating with TMTG on the investment accounts, told Raw Story. “These strategies empower investors to align their portfolios with patriotic and ethical convictions.”

As part of the venture, TMTG plans to invest a portion of its cash reserves into the accounts, allowing the president, who holds a majority stake, to earn a share of the fees generated. The company’s return will depend on both the performance of these assets and the interest drawn from outside investors.

“Trump, as President, will also be able to significantly influence the performance of these assets through tariffs and other policies,” Legum wrote.

“It is a jaw-dropping conflict of interest for actively managed investment accounts to be marketed under the president’s name through a company that is majority-owned by the president.”

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• Money

by Stacy Jackson

April 18, 2025

DOGE’s Big Reveal Of Unemployment Fraud Claims? Federal Investigators Knew About Them Years Ago

The jokes write themselves.

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The Department of Government Efficiency claimed to uncover nearly $400 million in unemployment fraud claims, but it’s reportedly the same data federal investigators discovered years ago.

DOGE announced the $382 million in fake unemployment claims since 2020 in an April 9 post on X, which listed: 24,500 people over 115 years old claimed $59 million in benefits; 28,000 people between 1 and 5 years old claimed $254 million; 9,700 people with birth dates over 15 years in the future claimed $69 million; and someone with a birthday in 2154 claimed $41,000.

The Associated Press reported that DOGE’s findings had previously been uncovered by federal investigators on a larger scale years ago, and the $382 million is only a fraction of what officials were aware of.

Following DOGE’s announcement, President Donald Trump’s Senior Advisor Elon Musk took to X and stated how “crazy” the findings were, so much so that he had to “read it several times before it sank in.”

During a Cabinet meeting last week, Trump said the “numbers are really bad” following U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s report of the alleged unemployment fraud payments, which included claims filed by unborn children.

The U.S. Department of Labor is “committed to recovering your stolen tax dollars,” Chavez-DeRemer wrote in an April 10 post on X. “We will catch these thieves and keep working to root out egregious fraud.”

As “crazy” as the numbers seem, Amy Traub of the National Employment Law Project said DOGE’s findings are not “news to anyone” since they have already been widely reported and several congressional hearings have already addressed the matter.

Michele Evermore, a member of the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Labor, accused DOGE of “trying to spin this narrative of, ‘Oh, government is inefficient, and government is stupid, and they’re catching these things that the government didn’t catch.’”

Both Traub and Evermore question DOGE’s intentions by calling attention to old fraud that has already been marked.

According to the Social Security Act of 1935, individual states have almost complete control over employment systems and how they collect unemployment taxes, implement application processes, and distribute benefits. The COVID pandemic outbreak created a flood of new beneficiaries after Trump signed the COVID unemployment relief into law in March 2020.

The Department of Labor warned state officials that unemployment benefits and programs were at risk of becoming “a target for fraud with significant numbers of imposter claims being filed with stolen or synthetic identities.” Pseudo claims later uncovered records that identified toddlers and centenarians as recipients of funds that totaled around 4,895 unemployment claims filed by individuals over 100 years old between March 2020 and April 2022.

By 2022, the department suspected fraud claims worth over $45 million, totaling far under the Government Accountability Office’s potential estimates of $100 billion to $135 billion.

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• Politics

by Stacy Jackson

April 17, 2025

Trump Considers Deporting Convicted U.S. Citizens To El Salvador Prisons

On Monday, El Salvado president Nayib Bukele said his country is prepared to house convicted U.S. citizens in its prisons

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U.S. citizens are on President Donald Trump’s agenda as the administration considers a proposal to deport convicted Americans to prisons in El Salvador.

“The homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You’ve got to build about five more places,” Trump said to El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, ahead of a press briefing on Monday.

According to NPR, Trump’s statement alluded to the concept of incarcerating convicted U.S. citizens in prison spaces abroad, an idea Bukele suggested El Salvador is prepared to carry out.

“Yeah, we’ve got space,” he said.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is actively exploring whether American deportations to other countries would be legally sound and economical. “We have others we’re negotiating with, too,” Trump said. “If it’s a homegrown criminal, I have no problem. Now, we’re studying the laws right now—Pam is studying. If we can do that, it’s good.”

While Trump ally Elon Musk and other conservatives agree with the concept of detaining U.S. citizens abroad, some legal scholars believe the concept is “unconstitutional” and “illegal.”

“There’s no authority in any U.S. law to deport U.S. citizens and certainly not to imprison them in a foreign country,” said David Bier of the Cato Institute. “The problem of course is [Trump] already has illegally deported hundreds of people by just not giving the courts an opportunity to stop him.”

In February, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) urged the administration discard the proposal’s ideas in a letter addressed to the U.S. State Department.

“It would be a moral and legal travesty for the U.S. government to subject anyone” to the living conditions of Salvadoran prisons, Ossoff wrote, noting that they fail to provide proper sanitation, temperature control, and clean water.

According to Bukele’s February post on X, in exchange for a “relatively low” fee, El Salvador offered to take in convicted U.S. criminals into its Terrorism Confinement Center, a mega-prison located in Tecoluca.

Trump’s response: “I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

El Salvador is already reportedly housing hundreds of people who were transported from the United States to its maximum-security prison in the past weeks due to legal status and gang affiliations.

The United States has challenged legal and constitutional barriers in the past, imprisoning around 80,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Although the American Civil Liberties Union claimed “you may not deport a U.S. citizen, period,” a White House spokeswoman indicated in an April 8 press briefing that Trump is fully considering the idea.

RELATED CONTENT: State Department Discloses Fate Of U.S. Man Wrongfully Deported To El Salvador

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 17, 2025

Detroit Man Arrested For Alleged Sexual Assault Of 3 Women Over 20 Years Ago

The crimes took place on June 9, 1997, Sept. 22, 1997, and Aug. 9, 2004

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A Detroit man has been arrested in connection with three sexual assault cases that took place as early as 1997.

According to The Detroit News, police officers arrested and charged Akida Diaba Dudley after accusing him of sexually assaulting three women between 1997 and 2004. The 51-year-old man was arraigned in the 36th District Court in Detroit, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said. He will remain in jail until his next court hearing, scheduled for April 28, as he was remanded to jail without bond. 

He has been charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. If convicted, he may face a prison sentence of up to life in prison for each of the first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges and up to 15 years for each charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The case was handled by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Sexual Assault Kit Task Force, and he is suspected of assaulting the women on three separate occasions: June 9, 1997, Sept. 22, 1997, and Aug. 9, 2004.

“The sexual assault kits in these cases are from the kits found in a Detroit Police Department evidence storage facility in 2009,” Kim L. Worthy said in a written statement. “As of August 2025, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office will have been continuously doing this work for 16 years. We support our courageous survivors who are willing to come forward and prosecute these cases after waiting for so long for justice.”

The first victim, who was 30 years old at the time, was attacked while she was at a bus stop near Grand River and West Warren Avenue. She was allegedly forced into a vehicle by the suspect.

The second victim was a 16-year-old girl who was standing at a bus stop at the corner of Livernois and Fenkell when she was picked up by the suspect, thinking she had seen up at a motorcycle club. After getting in the car, he asked for sex, she declined, and when she tried to exit the vehicle, she was allegedly attacked.

The third woman, an 18-year-old, was walking in the area of Fenkell and Wyoming when the suspect allegedly drove next to her, brandished a knife, and ended up assaulting her at an unknown location.

RELATED CONTENT: Le’Veon Bell Denies Incestuous Sexual Assault Allegations After Cousin Awarded $36M

• Education

by Jameelah Mullen

April 17, 2025

HBCUs Prepare For The Future As Government Budget Cuts Loom

HBCUs brace themselves amid anti-DEI budget cuts.

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Colleges nationwide are bracing themselves as the Trump administration proposes drastic cuts in federal education funding. Some educational leaders say these cuts may have a catastrophic impact on historically Black colleges and universities, which have caused them to consider their potential budgets without federal funding. 

“We’re at this position where we realize that our ancestors did not rely on federal money in order to get the work done,” said Fatima Brunson,  assistant professor of education at Spelman College, told NBC News.

Historically, Black colleges are disproportionately underfunded compared to predominantly white universities. According to a 2022 Forbes study, HBCUs have experienced underfunding of over $12 billion in the past three decades. Yet, 54% of the revenue of Black colleges comes from federal and state funds. Additionally, over 70% of HBCU students utilize the federally funded Pell Grant to help finance their education.

Valerie Kinloch of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, stated that, while she expected financial setbacks under the Trump administration, she did not anticipate the dismantling of the Education Department or the potential for operating without federal funds. In response, the university launched a $10 million fundraising campaign to offset the potential loss.

Kinloch said that federal budget cuts affect colleges and can have a trickle-down effect on the entire community. For example, the loss of grant funding for health and science research raises public health concerns. In February, the federal government suspended a scholarship program that provided $19 million in agricultural educational funding for students attending HBCUs such as Tuskegee University and Alabama A&M. 

“Considering wildfires in California, bird flu in the poultry industry, and 60% of Alabama’s economy being agriculture, these cuts are unexpected and will have a long-term negative impact on Alabama and the agriculture industry across the country,” Shannon Frank Reeves, vice president of government affairs, told AL.com.

Black colleges contribute billions to local economies and employ approximately 130,000 people nationwide. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 300,000 students attend about 100 HBCUs across the country.

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