Drones, Insurance, Homes, aerial, graphics, insurance companies, claims, denied

by Sharelle B. McNair

December 16, 2024

What In The Drone Is Going On?: ATL Added To The List Of Odd Sightings Along East Coast

This is getting weird.....

Atlanta residents are frightened after mysterious drones were seen flying over the city, adding to the list of sightings in areas along the East Coast.

While federal officials claim no threat to public safety, ATLiens are concerned. Cobb County resident Britain Lockhart said some were flying over his neighborhood, looking like nothing he’d ever seen. “A lot of people are scared and don’t know what’s going on,” Lockhart said.

“What was really weird about them was that they were over 10- to 15-feet wide with flashing lights underneath them, different colors from green to red to blue. It almost looked like it was like a scanning light.”

#drones over Atlanta??
What do YOU think is going on?? pic.twitter.com/28ffFhgx50
— OutspokenSamantha (@Outspoken_Sam) December 16, 2024

In addition to Atlanta, reports of drone sightings have accumulated in states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, and Ohio. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that additional resources, such as personnel and technology, have been sent to Jersey State Police to assist with the sightings.

“There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” Mayorkas said, according to NPR. “It is critical, as we all have said for a number of years, that we need from Congress additional authorities to address the drone situation.”

He claims that the Biden administration remains “vigilant” in its investigations. However, the secretary is calling on Congress to move quickly on expanding the current drone-countering authorities embedded in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018. The legislation, which expires on Dec. 20, enables Homeland Security and the Justice Department to use advanced detection technologies to identify and track drones.

The sightings started on Nov. 18 in New Jersey near Morris County, and Republican Assemblyman Paul Kanitra said there have been sightings every night since. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said drones have lingered over some of New York’s most crucial infrastructure, including Port Liberty, New York, close to the Goethals Bridge, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and Fort Wadsworth, labeled as one of the oldest military installations in the United States.

A drone that came “dangerously close” to Boston’s Logan International Airport resulted in two men being arrested on Dec. 14.
Former FBI supervisory special agent Tom Adams alleged that some of the most recent sightings resulted from copycats flying their drones, since they are getting more national attention. He said some sightings are innocent as the gadgets are popular. “I can tell you from my firsthand experience conducting operations for the FBI, as well as investigations into the suspected sighting of drones at critical infrastructure, it was fairly common for planets, crewed aircraft and even low Earth orbit satellites to be misidentified as drones at night,” Adams said.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 16, 2024

Big Boi Teams Up With Atlanta Organizations To Gift Free Bikes To Local Youth

Big Boi hopes the moment inspires these future leaders to give back once they achieve their goals.

Antwan “Big Boi” Patton of Outkast has teamed up with local organizations to give away free bikes to Atlanta’s youth.

Bear Creek Middle School and Kipp Ways Academy students were given bikes worth $700 for their attendance and good grades. Big Boi’s Big Kids Foundation joined the venture the nonprofit Bear Strong Inc. sparked to gift special rewards.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KIPP Atlanta Schools (@kippatlantaschools)

The former half of OutKast was able to help bring the initiative to life, inspiring students to keep learning despite the hardships they may face. Big Boi hopes the moment inspires these future leaders to do the same once they achieve their goals.

“It’s definitely heartwarming. I love it. I would want somebody to do that in a position like that…When I was younger to have this done for me and I wanted to pay it back,” Big Boi told WSB-TV.

Bear Strong Inc. partnered with the acclaimed Atlanta rapper, Specialized Bicycles, Senoia Bicycle, and 1 Mo Question, Inc. to make it happen. The organization emerged as a way to provide the youth with essential items. Its founder, Courtney Sills, explained the evolving mission to the news outlet.

“Bear Strong started out as my position in the community had been conflict resolution and as I’ve gone into particular communities to resolve some conflict,” shared Sills. “I also noticed that there’s been a lot of kids in need of essential items.”

1 Mo Question’s Dr. Barber also emphasized the impact of this ongoing charity. He explained how the bikes show students that their hard work does not go unnoticed.

“We’re letting good kids know that they are seen and noticed,” explained Dr. Barber in the promotional clip. “This is our fourth year spreading Bike Love. This keeps our kids healthy, [discourages] violence, and gives them something positive to do with their recreational time.”

Big Boi and his fellow communal leaders hope to keep spreading the “Bike Love” as students reach their academic goals.

by Daniel Johnson

December 16, 2024

Benin Grants Citizenship To Descendants Of The Enslaved, Reckons With Role In Slave Trade

Benin is one of the few African countries that is invested in offering citizenship to descendants of the enslaved

Benin’s President, Patrice Talon, passed a law in September 2024 that gives citizenship to those who can trace their lineage to the slave trade, part of an attempt by the country to reckon with their participation in the slave trade.

According to The Associated Press, Benin is one of the few African countries that is invested in offering citizenship to descendants of the enslaved, alongside Ghana, who invited Black Americans to “come home” in 2019 as part of their commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to North America in 1619.

The way the law works is that anyone over the age of 18 who does not already hold African citizenship and can provide proof that an ancestor was deported via the slave trade anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa is eligible to become a citizen of Benin.

In Benin, however, the olive branch carries additional significance because Benin was often a port of departure for many Africans during the slave trade; an estimated 1.5 million enslaved people were sent out from the Bight of Benin, territory that includes present-day Benin, Togo, and part of present-day Nigeria.

https://twitter.com/Liberation_Blk/status/1868300003036524547?s=19

In Ouidah, a town on the coast of Benin, close to one million Africans were forced onto ships and sent to destinations such as the United States, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

The town is also home to the majority of Benin’s memorial sites, like the “Door of No Return” and the “Tree of Forgetfulness.”

Benin’s authorities will accept a variety of materials, including DNA tests, authenticated testimonies, and family records.

One of the websites the country accepts is “Anchoukaj,” which translates to “Affiliation” in Antillean Creole, which was used by Nadege Anelka, a 56-year-old travel agent from the French territory of Martinique, an island in the Caribbean.

According to Anelka, upon her arrival to Benin, the people felt familiar to her.

“A lot of the people reminded me of my grandparents, the way they wore their headscarves, their mannerisms, their mentality,” she told the AP.

Anelka’s sentiments were shared by actor Samuel L. Jackson, and his wife, LaTanya Richardson, who chronicled Jackson’s journey to Benin in the documentary series Enslaved.

As Richardson told The Guardian in 2020, “I see some aspects of their culture that he inhabits naturally in his DNA. He loves the sea – he always did – only to find out that these people [the Benga tribe] were beach people, they were people at the edge of the sea. It’s a joy for me to see him in that setting.”

In order for Anelka’s citizenship to be validated, she will have her application vetted, receive a provisional certificate of nationality, which is valid for three years, and in order to complete the process, she has to stay in Benin at least once within the three years to become a citizen.

Although Anelka doesn’t believe she will become Beninese in the eyes of Benin’s people, she is going through the process mostly to connect to her heritage.

“I know I will never be completely Beninese. I will always be considered a foreigner” Anelka told the AP. “But I am doing this for my ancestors. It’s a way to reclaim my heritage, a way of getting reparation.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 16, 2024

Herschel Walker Strikes Heisman Pose While Graduating From University of Georgia 42 Years Later, ‘It’s Never Too Late’

Herschel Walker struck the iconic Heisman pose to celebrate his college graduation—an achievement 42 years in the making.

Herschel Walker made sure to cut up at his college graduation, which came 42 years after he last attended the University of Georgia.

The NFL star hit the Heisman pose while walking across the stage with his bachelor’s degree in housing management and policy one year after he re-enrolled at the school, AJC reports. The convocation ceremony was special for Walker as it followed his commitment to graduate college despite how long it had been since he left.

He shared how proud his mother was that he decided to return to the University of Georgia to obtain his degree four decades after he left school to pursue a career in the NFL.

“A few weeks ago, she said, ‘I’m so glad you went back to get your degree. You promised me when you left that you were going to get your degree, and I’m so glad you went back to get it,” Walker told Georgia Creative, as cited by 13WMAZ.

His passion for education being an “equalizer” motivated him to return to his alma mater. Walker attended the University of Georgia from 1980 to 1982 and played as a running back for the Bulldogs where he won a Heisman trophy, a national championship, and set rushing records still in the school’s record book today.

“I believe education is an equalizer, and I preached it, and I said, ‘I need to go back and get my degree,'” Walker told the school.

After leaving college early, Walker played in the NFL from 1986 to 1997, earning two Pro Bowl selections and Second-Team All-Pro honors in 1987 and 1988. In 2021, he ran as a Republican for a Senate seat in Georgia but was unsuccessful.

During his campaign, Walker gained the endorsement of then-President Donald Trump, with whom he formed a lasting friendship. In return, Walker appeared at Trump’s rally in Macon just days before the 2024 presidential election.

Now, after obtaining his college degree, Walker is living proof that it’s never too late to finish what you started.

“I think it’s important to have a degree right now because you can play this sport, make a lot of money, but that doesn’t mean you’re gonna have sustainability,” Walker said. “So this degree meant a lot to me right now, making (my mom) proud of me, but also letting all the kids know it’s never too late. Continue to work hard, try and get that degree.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 16, 2024

Arkansas HBCU Wants Aspiring Farmers To Join Its Beginning Training Program

The initiative will host seven monthly workshops on the HBCU's campus to train a future generation of small farmers.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has invited aspiring farmers to join its latest training program. The HBCU will embark on its Beginning Farmers Class in February 2025.

The initiative will host seven monthly workshops on the HBCU’s campus farm to train a future generation of small farmers. It will teach its participants about the essentials of farming, providing hands-on training on how to manage the distinct yet crucial business.

The program’s director, Dr. Henry English, revealed more about what lessons students will undergo in the immersive curriculum.

“Participants will learn about the transplanting of vegetables, germinating seeds, potting containers and media, calibrating sprayers and planters, taking soil fertility and compaction tests, estimating forage and crop yields, and much more,” shared the director, as reported by HBCU Buzz.

The class is part of the Small Farm Program’s approach to addressing systemic barriers for agricultural businesses. According to its website, it aims to assist socially disadvantaged and limited-resource producers. The course itself is a key initiative of the program as it provides holistic support.

The class modules also include sessions ranging from business planning to soils and pest management. It hopes to be a fast-paced course that, upon completion, will grant students a leg up as they begin their farming journeys.

Moreover, it will detail USDA and Cooperative Extension Service resources to help emerging farmers. During the seventh-month venture, the cohort will also embark on field tours of farms. There, they will gain practical knowledge and experience with using farm machinery.

The initiative also aims to help participants get their farms up and running at the end of the program. They will receive guidance in creating customized farm businesses, in addition to conservation plans.

In terms of their financial assistance, graduates will also earn one year of farm managerial credit. This credit can aid in obtaining a Farm Service Agency operating loan.

Recruitment is still ongoing, with those interested in applying encouraged to contact the Small Farm Program.

by Kandiss Edwards

December 16, 2024

Atlanta’s Historic Auburn Avenue Is In The Midst Of Major Revitalization

The area was home to historic businesses and will be again.

The building that housed Atlanta’s first Black-owned bank, located at 229 Auburn Avenue, will be renovated and repurposed, according to the Atlanta Voice. Auburn Avenue will also be seeing an upgrade in the near future.

The building, also the first chartered Black-owned bank in Georgia, will now be a mixed-use building.

229 Auburn Avenue is a landmark in the city of Atlanta. The building’s revival is the result of the Gorman & Co. developer partnering with the Butler Street Community Development Corporation for the Sweet Auburn Grande initiative.

The redevelopment project is part of a larger initiative called Sweet Auburn Grande, a revitalization effort for the block of historic properties, led by developer Gorman & Co in partnership with the Butler Street Community Development Corporation.

Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue was a staple of Black American culture, housing historic Black businesses and institutions. Many of which are well-known:

The Rucker Building

The building is reportedly the first Black-owned office building. The building was erected in 1904.

Bethel AME Church

Established in 1847, Bethel AME stands as the first major African American church in Atlanta.

WERD Atlanta

The first Black radio station to operate in the city of Atlanta.

Morris Brown College/University

Morris Brown is the first HBCU owned and operated by Black Americans in the state of Georgia.

The future of Auburn Avenue

The Sweet Auburn Grand Initiative is not the only organization working to revitalize the area.

Sweet Auburn Works is also making strides in bringing the location back to its former glory. The organization is dedicated to preserving the history of the area. The goal is to uplift local residents and provide economic infusion to the local economy.

The organization’s stated mission is, “To Preserve, Revitalize, and Promote the commercial and cultural legacy of the Sweet Auburn Historic District.”

Sweet Auburn Works unveiled its newest project, Spark: Ignite Sweet Auburn Innovation, at 228 Auburn Avenue. The innovation lab will be used to help small businesses attain “targeted technical assistance, funding, and community support.” The organization is partnering with the SCAD University community service design studio to help bring the revitalization to life.

inflation, credit, Americans, debt, loans, interest, rates, credit score, credit report

by Kandiss Edwards

December 16, 2024

Insider Tips From A Credit Expert: How To Build And Boost Your Credit Score

Credit is king.

While many countries do not have a credit scoring system, in the United States credit is king. Taking care of your credit allows access to loans for big-ticket items such as homes and vehicles. Credit checks are also often required to rent apartments.

You may have a down payment for a home, but without good credit, it will be difficult to find a lender to help finance your purchase or an apartment development willing to grant a lease.

According to a 2023 FICO report, the average credit score in the U.S. stands at 717. While this may seem respectable, given the maximum score is 850, many Americans are slipping into financial habits that could jeopardize their long-term financial health.

Christian Widhalm, CEO at Bloom Credit, recently spoke with The Street about how to help manage your credit.

Making late payments is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to credit. And, missed and late payments are rising due to inflation. In fact, “18% of the population have had a 30-day or worse past-due payment on one or more credit accounts” in 2023, according to FICO. As inflation goes down, prioritizing timely bill payment will greatly assist your score.

“One of the biggest things for a credit score is a positive repayment history,” he continued. “You have to start demonstrating how you are becoming more positive regarding your repayment history, which will take time.”

Repairing credit due to lengthy mismanagement of funds takes patience and consistency. However, Widhalm believes establishing credit can be a much easier process. Having possession of a checking account is the key.

“You can actually report 24 months of your checking account history almost overnight,” he explained. “Because you can establish tradelines on past payments that ultimately can help impact your credit score much more quickly.”

Breonna Taylor,charges, police reform,Louisville

by Daniel Johnson

December 15, 2024

Breonna Taylor Investigation Leads To Police Reform Agreement In Louisville

Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, told the AP that she wanted the city to follow through on its promises this time

The United States Justice Department and the City of Louisville reached an agreement to create reforms for the city’s police department after an investigation into the shooting of Breonna Taylor and the treatment of protestors by the police on Dec. 12, per city officials.

According to The Associated Press, a federal investigation determined that the Louisville police department engaged in a pattern of violating the constitutional rights of and discriminating against Louisville’s Black community.

Louisville’s mayor, Craig Greenburg, indicated that the consent degree “builds upon and accelerates the transformational reform of community policing” and also noted that “significant improvements” have been implemented since Taylor’s death in 2020, including banning the practice of “no-knock” warrants, which led to the death of Taylor.

However, Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, told the AP that she wanted the city to follow through on its promises.

“We have a history of putting things on paper and not moving the needle, so we have to stay on top of the situation and definitely make sure they are doing what they say they are doing,” Palmer said.

Paul Humphrey, the city’s latest police chief seemed a little testy, remarking on Dec. 12 that the Justice Department is “not making decisions for the city of Louisville,” but still applauded the agreement with the feds.

“I believe that having an independent monitor gives us an opportunity to have the excellence of our work confirmed for the community,” Humphrey said. “This has to be more than just words on a page. It is a promise to our officers and our professional staff that we are going to lead them and support them the right way,” Humphrey said.

According to a March 2023 Justice Department report, the Louisville Police Department was found to be discriminatory against Black people in “enforcement activities,” and used excessive force, conducted searches based on invalid warrants, and violated the rights of people who protested the killing of Taylor.

Assistant Attorney General Kirsten Clarke, the leader of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said that the consent decree represents an opportunity to create new opportunities for the department to serve the citizens of Louisville better.

“This conduct harmed community members and undermined public trust in law enforcement that is essential for public safety. This consent decree marks a new day for Louisville.”

Clarke continued, “In the wake of Breonna Taylor’s tragic killing, the people of Louisville fiercely advocated for racial justice, policing reform and accountability. City residents demanded that they receive the constitutional policing that they rightly deserve. Through this consent decree, Louisville and its police department have committed to addressing the violations of the Constitution and federal law we found during our investigation and to making Louisville a place where the police respect everyone’s rights.”

According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the reforms are to be significant, and systemic.

“Nearly five years after Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her own home in the middle of the night by Louisville Metro Police Department officers, the Justice Department has secured an agreement to enact significant, systemic reforms to policing in Louisville,” Garland said in the press release.

He continued, “This agreement addresses the serious violations of federal law that we uncovered during our pattern or practice investigation and puts the city of Louisville and its police department on a path to lasting reform. We are committed to honoring Breonna Taylor through our work to implement the agreement and to make Louisville a better and safer place for all of its residents.”

by Daniel Johnson

December 15, 2024

ABC News Will Pay $15 Million To Settle Trump Defamation Suit

The settlement stemmed from comments made by George Stephanopoulos about Trump.

ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential library on Dec. 14. The settlement stemmed from comments George Stephanopoulos made on a March 10 episode of This Week that Trump had been found civilly liable of the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll. Instead, Trump was found civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation, not rape.

According to The Associated Press, the settlement also required ABC News to post an editor’s note expressing the network’s regret over the statements of Stephanopoulos during the episode in question.

The $15 million will be donated as a “charitable contribution” to the yet-to-be-built Trump presidential library, and has been earmarked for a non-profit organization that is being set up in connection with the library.

The news organization will also pay over $1 million in legal fees to the law firm of Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito.

However, the settlement has received backlash on social media, as many have pointed out that, in substance, Stephanopoulos’ comments are not much different from what U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in his ruling.

ABC pays $15M to Trump for saying exactly what the judge in the E. Jean Carroll case said! Stunning capitulation! pic.twitter.com/PZFtNUjowc
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) December 15, 2024

Why TF would ABC News cave to Trump when George Stephanopoulos spoke the truth.pic.twitter.com/zkyONeWDmB
— anyone_want_chips (@anyonewantchips) December 15, 2024

For all the rape apologists in my mentions, this is why ABC should never have thrown Stephanopoulos under the bus and settled: George was right.
Judge says E. Jean Carroll allegation Trump raped her is ‘substantially true’ in court dismissal. https://t.co/9INlNMO6bM
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) December 15, 2024

Judge Kaplan wrote in his ruling that although the jury determined that Trump did not violate New York’s very narrow, very strict legal definition of rape, that did not mean that Trump did not, in actuality, rape Carroll.

According to Kaplan, the verdict did not mean Caroll’s lawyers “failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed…the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”

According to The New York Times, the settlement by ABC News is likely to embolden Trump or his sycophants to file defamation suits against news outlets who run critical or “aggressive” coverage of them.

The outlet noted that it is typically difficult for public figures like Trump to win defamation lawsuits against media organizations because plaintiffs must be able to prove an outlet knew a statement was false, or acted with a reckless disregard for accuracy in their reporting.

Elizabeth McNamara, a prominent media attorney who represented ABC News and Stephanopoulos, but spoke in her independent capacity, told the outlet that she expects the trend to continue.

“There’s been a pattern and practice for the past couple of years of using defamation litigation as a tactic to harass or test the boundary of case law,” McNamara said.

Bodycam Footage,kids , Stolen Vehicle Chase

by Daniel Johnson

December 15, 2024

Quentin Jackson, Former Harlem Globetrotter, Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison For PPP Loan Fraud

Nearly $4 million in fraudulent PPP funds were awarded to Jackson or individuals he recruited.

Quentin Jackson, a 58-year-old former NC State basketball player and Harlem Globetrotter, was sentenced to a seven-year prison sentence on Dec. 13 after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with obtaining fraudulent proceeds from the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Act (PPP).

According to ABC 11, Jackson had been implicated by the Department of Justice in a scheme principally carried out by Jackson, Edward Whitaker, and Lamont Taylor to obtain fraudulent PPP loans.

According to Special Agent in Charge Donald Eakins of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation in the Charlotte Field Office, “Schemes to fraudulently obtain federal funds meant to provide assistance to small businesses is unacceptable.”

Eakins added, “The defendant took advantage of critical aid programs intended to provide relief for businesses affected during the pandemic by fraudulently applying for and obtaining COVID-19 program funds. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue to pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”

Per the Justice Department’s press release, Jackson worked with others to get fraudulent PPP loans for others in the names of companies which were under Jackson’s control.

Once the monies were obtained, Jackson then cooked the books so it looked like he was making payments to employees, but in reality, he told his “employees” to cash the checks and bring the money back to him.

According to the Justice Department, Jackson also set up a racket for himself where he earned a fee for each fraudulent borrower he recruited to the scheme, eventually recruiting over a dozen individuals to the scheme.

Nearly $4 million in fraudulent PPP funds were awarded to Jackson or individuals he recruited.

U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Michael F. Easley, said in a statement that Jackson’s foul needed appropriate consequences.

“We in the Carolinas idolize our basketball stars, especially the ACC greats who played on Tobacco Road,” Easley said. “As a college point guard and Harlem Globetrotter, Jackson’s crossover was deadly. But he drew a foul when he used his talents and reputation to recruit people into a multi-million-dollar fraud on our nation’s pandemic relief program. This seven-year prison sentence should stand as a warning to anyone who took advantage of our nation’s generosity in a time of need. We are patient, persistent, and willing to use every second on the shot clock.”