Sean Combs, ‘Reckoning’ Doc, Abuse Claims, Slap Story, Janice Combs,

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 16, 2024

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Defense Team Asks Judge To Order Release Of Accusers’ Identities

The attorneys wrote that Combs does not know which of the allegations will be prominently used in the trial given the anonymity.

Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs have asked the judge overseeing his sex trafficking case to order prosecutors to release his accusers’ identities.

ABC News reported that Combs’ defense team sent a letter to a Manhattan federal court judge on Oct. 15. In the letter, they indicated their reasoning for this request was to adequately prepare Combs for trial.

“To the extent Mr. Combs is forced to mount a defense against criminal allegations that the government does not seek to prove at trial, he is entitled to know that,” wrote the lawyers to Judge Arun Subramanian.

The request comes after a slew of additional lawsuits against Combs, with the accusers kept anonymous for protection. Moreover, the male and female plaintiffs are part of a larger cohort. Their lawyer has stated he represents over 100 individuals with allegations against the 54-year-old.

Combs’ attorneys attributed this influx of accusers to his celebrity status. They argue its heightened effect stems from the “publicity” of his settled lawsuit with his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit sparked an onslaught of allegations against the media mogul.

Given the anonymity, the attorneys wrote that Combs did not know which of the allegations would be prominently referenced in the trial. The defense also argued that the magnitude of allegations makes Combs’ case unique. They also deemed many of the cases “outright absurd.”

The lawyers determined his fame “had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a torrent of allegations by unidentified complainants…”

Moreover, his defense noted that the high-profile case’s “hysterical media circus” could stifle Combs’ right to a fair trial.

Combs got caught in a sweeping federal indictment for racketeering and sex trafficking charges, leading to his arrest in September. Following his detainment, the entrepreneur was denied bail, remaining in a Brooklyn, New York jail. His lawyers have also asked a federal appeals court to transfer him to home detention as he prepares for trial.

His trial date remains set for May 5, as Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges.

by Daniel Johnson

October 16, 2024

State Of Texas Claimed to Remove 6,500 Noncitizens From Voter Rolls; Analysis Reveals Only 581 Voters Were

Some Texans, though, were unfairly removed the voter rolls.

According to an investigation from The Texas Tribune, ProPublica, and Votebeat, although Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in August that the state of Texas removed over one million voters from its rolls, including 6,500 noncitizens, those numbers are misleading.

According to numbers from the Texas Secretary of State’s office, there were only 581 non-citizens removed from voter rolls, not 6,500.

Neither Abbott nor Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson wanted to speak on the record to the Tribune, but the outlet did contact some people who are Texas citizens who were unfairly removed from the rolls.

Jakylah Ockleberry, a 21-year-old native Texan, is one of at least nine people the Tribune identified who were either incorrectly described as non-citizens or who were removed because they didn’t respond to letters about their citizenship.

Ockleberry was in the dark about what had happened to her until she was contacted by multiple news organizations and asked pointedly, “How would something like that happen?”

In Travis County, where Ockleberry lives, the error was made by election workers. Instead of marking Ockleberry as a voter who had moved, the workers instead marked her and four other voters as non-citizens.

According to Bruce Elfant, the Travis County tax assessor and voter registrar, after acknowledging the mistakes made by his office to the Tribune, he indicated that the numbers suggested to him that non-citizen voting “is an infinitesimal, small issue.”

However, the messaging from Abbott and other Republican leaders have made it seem like the issue is widespread, even though the initial press release was amended to include the phrase “potential non-citizens.”

“It scared a lot of people. We’ve received a lot of phone calls and emails from people who are concerned that they’re not on the voter rolls,” Elfant said.

Although there are ways for voters to answer questions about their eligibility to vote, sometimes those mechanisms can fail.

According to Trudy Hancock, elections Administrator in Brazos County, “The post office messes up. We get a lot of cards back or mail back that says ‘undeliverable’ and the person will be like, ‘I’ve lived at this address for 20 years and I’ve never moved,’” Hancock said. “So you have to consider that there are outside circumstances that can affect our efforts to reach them.”

According to David Becker, the executive director and founder of The Center for Election Innovation and Research, the arguments from Abbott and his Attorney General Ken Paxton wouldn’t hold up in a court of law.

“Their claims would likely be dismissed until they could come up with something that actually documents how they got to those numbers,” Becker said.

According to CNN, Republican-led states are taking their cues from Donald Trump’s campaign, which has invited scrutiny from the Justice Department since they are potentially in violation of federal law dictating how states manage voter rolls as the election draws closer.

According to Uzoma Nkwonta, an attorney representing the New Georgia Project Action Fund, these attempts from Republicans are part of an effort to undermine future election results.

“There’s always been some litigation about voter rolls and list maintenance. But part of what you’re seeing with this explosion is what appears to be a concerted attempt to generate errors and controversy that can then be used down the road to undermine the election results,” Nkwonta said. “And that’s what makes this environment different. Now you are seeing what appears to be an outright assault on the list maintenance practices, outright assault on voter registration practices.”

Nkwonta concluded, “And when you are this close to an election, that balance tips in favor of the voter to make sure that no one is unlawfully removed because at this point you are often too late to correct errors in registration before the registration cutoffs.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 16, 2024

23andMe’s $30M Settlement Paying Out Up To $10K To Customers Impacted By Data Breach

The data breach occurred in 2023, affecting nearly 7 million of the San Francisco-based company's customers.

A recent data breach at 23andM impacted many of its customers. If eligible, the $30 million settlement may pay victims sizable compensation.

According to Forbes, the settlement has a maximum payout of $10,000, depending on the data breach’s effect on victims. Eligible customers can file between three main types of claims, ranging from extraordinary cases to just statutory cash.

For California, Illinois, Oregon, and Alaska residents, victims in these states can receive a general compensation amount if they receive a notification of the breach. However, the payout will be significantly less than the max, with the check likely around $100.

Those filing health information claims can expect the same compensation. However, they can only acquire this money if their sensitive data is compromised. As for extraordinary claims, they remain reserved for customers who dealt with identity theft or had to pay for security services in light of those issues.

While they may be able to get $10,000 for their troubles, documentation remains crucial to obtaining the checks. Moreover, beyond the wide compensation range, 23andMe will offer all impacted customers three years of security monitoring services.

The data breach occurred in 2023, affecting nearly 7 million of the San Francisco-based company’s customers. Hackers compromised the birth years, ancestry reports, and raw genotypes of those impacted. While 23andMe announced the breach in October, it did not share the full extent of the issue until the following month. It also noted that the leak started months earlier, in April.

Many customers felt that 23andMe failed to fully protect them from such exposure, leading to a lawsuit in early 2024. CNET reported the lawsuit also accused the genetic testing company of not notifying Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish customers that they were targeted specifically. Their information allegedly spread on the dark web.

While the settlement still requires approval, 23andMe intends to provide monetary compensation to its customers for their losses.

“We have executed a settlement agreement for an aggregate cash payment of $30 million to settle all US claims regarding the 2023 credential stuffing security incident,” a 23andMe spokesman told the news outlet. “We continue to believe this settlement is in the best interest of 23andMe customers, and we look forward to finalizing the agreement.”

by Kandiss Edwards

October 16, 2024

Ananda Lewis Says Her Breast Cancer Has Progressed To Stage IV

The former talk show seemed to show regret over her choices of treatment.

Ananda Lewis has revealed that her breast cancer diagnosis has metastasized and is now Stage IV.

Lewis sat down with CNN anchors Sid Sidner and Stephanie Elam who shared their stories to raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Lewis, 51, discussed why she chose to forgo common types of breast cancer treatments, like chemotherapy and mastectomies.

“I need to want to be here,” she said. Lewis opted to couple radiation with homeopathic remedies as her course of treatment. “My plan at first was to get excessive toxins out of my body. I felt like my body is intelligent. I know that to be true. I feel like our bodies are brilliantly made. I decided to keep my tumor and work it out of my body a different way.”

Now that the cancer has spread, the former talk show host admits she has had to grapple with disappointment and anger at her choices.

“I was just like, ‘Fudge man, I really thought I had this.’ I was frustrated, I was a little angry at myself.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stephanie Elam (@stephelamtv)

Lewis revealed her diagnosis in 2020 in an Instagram post. Her goal was to warn the masses about early detection. She cited the desire to remain radiation-free as the reason for her ignoring mammogram screenings.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ananda Lewis (@imanandalewis)

Sidner’s story is the opposite. The 52-year-old CNN anchor participated in the suggested screenings, but she detected cancer while conducting a self-exam. “The American Cancer Society does not recommend [self-exams] anymore but to me, if you can tell, you know your body,” she said.

Sidner, who pursued an aggressive regimen to rid her body of the disease, went public with her diagnosis in Jan. 2024 while on the air.

“Breast cancer does not run in my family, and yet here I am with Stage III breast cancer. It is hard to say out loud,” Sidner said. “I am in my second month of chemo treatments and will do radiation and a double mastectomy. Stage III is not a death sentence anymore for the vast majority of women, but here is the reality that really shocked my system when I started to research more about breast cancer, something I never knew before this diagnosis: If you happen to be a Black woman, you are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than your white counterparts.”

Sidner and Lewis shared their stories to inspire women to take advantage of early detection technology. Catching such an aggressive disease can mean the difference between life and death.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation can help locate health facilities that provide mammograms near you.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 16, 2024

Kendrick Lamar Takes Home 8 BET Hip Hop Awards

The Compton rapper won big in Vegas.

Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar has once again proven that 2024 is his! The lyricist went home with eight awards at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards.

When Lamar named the title of his hit diss record, “Not Like Us,” he wasn’t lying.

The awards show was held in Las Vegas this year and all bets were on him having a big night. His biggest wins were Hip Hop Artist of the Year, Lyricist of the Year, and Song of the Year for the Drake diss track, also winning the Impact Track for the scathing song. He also won Best Hip Hop Video, and Best Collaboration for the song that started perhaps the biggest hip-hop battle, Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” in which he was the featured artist, along with the Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse. The Video Director of the Year was won alongside his partner, Dave Free.

Performers for the night included host Fat Joe, Bossman DLow, and Juicy J. Teyana Taylor and Tyla presented the “I Am Hip Hop” Award to Travis Scott. There was also a tribute for Rich Homie Quan, who died earlier this year.

Here is the complete list of winners for the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards:

I AM HIP HOP HONOREE

TRAVIS SCOTT

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO

KENDRICK LAMAR, “NOT LIKE US”

BEST COLLABORATION

METRO BOOMIN, FUTURE, KENDRICK LAMAR, “LIKE THAT”

BEST DUO OR GROUP

FUTURE & METRO BOOMIN

LYRICIST OF THE YEAR

KENDRICK LAMAR

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

DAVE FREE & KENDRICK LAMAR

SONG OF THE YEAR

KENDRICK LAMAR, “NOT LIKE US”

HIP HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

NICKI MINAJ, PINK FRIDAY 2

HIP HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

KENDRICK LAMAR

BEST LIVE PERFORMER

MISSY ELLIOTT

BEST BREAKTHROUGH HIP HOP ARTIST

SEXYY RED

HUSTLER OF THE YEAR

50 CENT

SWEET 16: BEST FEATURED VERSE

KENDRICK LAMAR, “LIKE THAT” (FUTURE, METRO BOOMIN & KENDRICK LAMAR)

IMPACT TRACK

KENDRICK LAMAR, “NOT LIKE US”

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

THE ALCHEMIST

DJ OF THE YEAR

THE ALCHEMIST

BEST HIP HOP PLATFORM

CLUB SHAY SHAY

BEST INTERNATIONAL FLOW

GHETTS (UK)

Social Security Funding, Solvency,overpayments

by Keka Araújo

October 16, 2024

Social Security Faces Growing Financial Crisis: Overpayments And Future Benefit Cuts Loom

While improper payments represent less than 1% of the total benefits paid out during that period, the $23 billion in uncollected overpayments is a major concern for the SSA.

Social Security, already under significant financial pressure, has a staggering $23 billion in unrecovered overpayments.

Between Fiscal Years (FY) 2015 and 2022, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issued nearly $72 billion in improper payments, most of which were overpayments. This comes as the program faces a looming financial crisis, with its trust funds projected to be depleted by 2035, potentially leading to a 25% reduction in benefits for millions of Americans.

While improper payments represent less than 1% of the total benefits paid out during that period, the $23 billion in uncollected overpayments is a major concern for the SSA, according to its Office of the Inspector General (OIG). These overpayments—often the result of errors or beneficiary misreporting—highlight the agency’s struggle to maintain financial accuracy in its payments.

Since 2002, the OIG has flagged improper payments as a “major management challenge” and made dozens of recommendations for preventing and correcting them. However, despite repeated audits and advice, many of these recommendations remain unimplemented, which has exacerbated the SSA’s ability to recover funds and prevent future overpayments.

According to OIG audits, one of the primary reasons for improper payments is the SSA’s reliance on beneficiaries to self-report changes in their circumstances, such as income or living arrangements, which affect payment amounts. A lack of sufficient controls in the SSA’s automated and manual processes further complicates the issue. The OIG has urged the SSA to obtain more accurate data from external sources, such as other federal agencies and financial institutions, to better assess eligibility and payment amounts.

Despite these ongoing challenges, the SSA has made some progress. In October 2023, the agency began a comprehensive review of its overpayment procedures and is developing new systems to access third-party payroll data. This could reduce improper payments, particularly for beneficiaries who work while receiving benefits.

However, efforts to implement a new debt management product—intended to address several OIG recommendations—were halted in FY 2024 due to a lack of funding. This has left many critical issues unresolved, impeding the ability to recover overpayments effectively.

“Improper payments have been a longstanding challenge for SSA,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Acting Inspector General. “While the Agency has taken actions to address this challenge, it needs to do more.”

With Social Security’s financial future hanging in the balance, addressing improper payments is crucial for the program’s solvency. Preventing and recovering overpayments won’t fully resolve the crisis, but it is a critical step in ensuring that Social Security can continue to provide for millions of Americans who rely on it for their livelihood.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 16, 2024

Doctors Are Switching To A Subscription-Based Model Amid Soaring U.S. Healthcare Costs

As health insurance costs continue to skyrocket, doctors are opting for a new subscription-based model.

Frustrated by rising healthcare costs in the U.S., doctors are turning away from traditional insurance and adopting a subscription-based model for their patients.

Yahoo Finance reported that healthcare providers are starting to oppose a system that seemingly prioritizes profit over quality patient care. As a result, more doctors are embracing Direct Primary Care (DPC), a model that eliminates insurance and lets patients pay physicians directly through consistent monthly or annual fees.

“It’s kind of like Netflix,” Dr. Chris McCarthy, co-founder of Palmetto Proactive in Spartanburg, South Carolina, told Fox Carolina. “You can watch as many shows as you want or no shows. So you can come to the office as often as you need and there is no barrier.”

Under DPC, patients pay a flat monthly fee, usually ranging from $50 to $150, which provides them unlimited access to their primary doctor for services like routine exams, urgent care, and doctor visits—eliminating copays, deductibles, and the high costs associated with traditional healthcare.

“I am convinced that healthcare doesn’t consider the patient,” Dr. Sandra Rosado said. “It is just a business and that is the sad part.”

The model seeks to disrupt the traditional system by eliminating insurance and offering a subscription-based approach that promises an improved healthcare experience. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, DPC reduces financial barriers to routine care, fostering stronger relationships between patients and healthcare providers.

“We will put in stitches if someone cuts their finger, or certain skin conditions, if we can handle it we will take care of skin cancer we will do it,” Dr. McCarthy said.

Some companies, such as Hub City Hospitality in Spartanburg, are adopting DPC as a cost-effective healthcare solution for their employees. Hub City covers 50% of the DPC fee, leaving workers to pay only $28 monthly for coverage, according to Vice President of Human Resources John Trone.

Although DPC presents a hopeful alternative to the traditional insurance-based system, it addresses only a small part of a much larger issue. Health coverage remains a pressing concern for many Americans. A 2022 study found that more than 100 million adults—around 4 in 10—are grappling with debt from medical or dental bills.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 16, 2024

More Black and Latina Women Are Starting To Lead The Biggest Unions In The U.S.

More Black and Latina women are taking up space on the executive level at labor unions.

Although women remain underrepresented in top-tier union leadership roles, a growing number of Black and Latina women are asserting their presence at the executive level.

As more Black and Latina women secure leadership roles in major U.S. unions, their influence led to enhanced family-friendly benefits for union workers, including parental leave, improved healthcare coverage, and stronger protections against sexual harassment, The Philadelphia Enquirer notes.

This leadership change mirrors the demographics of union workers, with about two-thirds of those under union contracts being women and/or people of color, as noted by labor historian Lane Windham from Georgetown University. Furthermore, Black and Latina women are instrumental in fostering labor union growth in the U.S. during a prolonged membership decline.

In 2023, the union membership rate for Black women increased slightly from 10.3% to 10.5%, while the rate for Latinas rose from 8.5% to 8.8%. Despite these gains, these figures still surpass the membership rates of white people and Asian women, whose membership declined during the same period.

As more women and people of color join unions, with Black and Latina leaders at the helm, union members actively advocate for equitable treatment and their fair share in the workplace. These advancements are significant, especially as labor unions face challenges from the Supreme Court and various policy changes.

In June, Gwen Mills made history as the first woman elected president of the hospitality union Unite Here in its 130-year existence. Under Mills’ leadership, the union’s 12,000 members—primarily women and people of color—across six states went on strike to advocate for wage increases, equitable workloads, and more affordable healthcare.

Current examples of diverse union leadership include Becky Pringle, a Black woman at the helm of the National Education Association, the largest union in the nation; Bonnie Castillo, the first Latina to serve as the executive director of National Nurses United; and April Verrett, who became the first Black woman to lead the Service Employees International Union in May. This union reports that approximately 60% of its service workers are people of color, with two-thirds being women.

“If we want to build power on those who are perceived to have the least amount of power, then we’ve got to create space for our people of those identities to be able to lead,” Verrett told the Associated Press.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men continue to have a higher union membership rate than women, with rates of 10.5% and 9.5%, respectively. Additionally, workplace sexual harassment and biases remain prevalent in many settings. However, Lisa Lujano, a journey-level carpenter and member of Carpenters Union Local 13, believes that conditions could improve if more Black and Latina women held leadership roles in unions and were attuned to the needs of their members.

by Daniel Johnson

October 16, 2024

California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Law Banning Plastic Bags

According to the California Public Interest Research Group, the new law is in concert with the spirit of the state's original ban.

Californian Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a law banning all plastic bags in stores.

According to The Associated Press, customers who don’t bring their own bags will be asked if they want a paper bag when the law goes into effect in 2026.

One of the bill’s supporters, Catherine Blakespear, said that a state study showed that people were not recycling their plastic bags. The study showed an increase in plastic bag waste from 8 pounds a year in 2004 to 11 pounds a year in 2021.

According to the California Public Interest Research Group, the new law is in concert with the spirit of the original ban.

“Plastic bags create pollution in our environment and break into microplastics that contaminate our drinking water and threaten our health,” Jenn Engstrom, the group’s director, told the Associated Press. “Californians voted to ban plastic grocery bags in our state almost a decade ago, but the law needed a redo. With the Governor’s signature, California has finally banned plastic bags in grocery checkout lanes once and for all.”

According to the Environment America Research & Policy Center, at least 12 states have enacted some kind of plastic bag ban, while hundreds of cities in 28 states have their own plastic bag bans.

According to Grist, California’s first ban, which allowed the use of thick, purportedly recyclable bags, spawned copycat legislation.

After California’s amended law, at least two other states have introduced legislation to amend their laws while other states looking to ban plastic bags are taking the time to get it right the first time, including fighting Big Plastic.

Jack Egan, the vice chair for the Connecticut chapter of Surfrider, an ocean conservation nonprofit, told Grist that plastic bag waste needs to be dealt with as strictly as possible.

“You need a full ban on this stuff completely,” Egan said. “Otherwise, you’ve got a compromised, hamstrung, hard-to-enforce, easily worked-around ordinance.”

Cedar Sinai, maternal health, pregnant, mom, baby, death, investigation, mothers, Johnson

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 15, 2024

New Study Reveals Higher Rates Of Unscheduled C-Sections Among Black Women

'The findings from the new study are alarming—it is concerning that these disparities exist and are so stark.'

A recent study shows that pregnant Black women are 25% more likely than white women to have cesarean section deliveries.

Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals that from 2008 to 2017, 21% of Black women in New Jersey with unscheduled deliveries had C-sections, compared to 17% of white women in similar circumstances. Researchers suggest that this disparity may be driven more by provider preferences than by the individual needs of the mothers.

The disparity narrowed somewhat when researchers accounted for medical risk factors, sociodemographic characteristics, hospitals, and medical practice groups. However, it disappeared completely when adjusting for the availability of facilities—specifically, when scheduled C-sections were happening at a hospital, the racial gap in unscheduled C-sections between Black and white women nearly vanished.

“What we show is that it’s not likely this disparity is coming from something the physician is seeing that we—the researchers—are not seeing in the medical records,” Adriana Corredor-Waldron, assistant professor of economics, who co-authored the research paper, said.

“Because if Black mothers were truly better candidates for these unscheduled C-sections, we should see the gap persist, whether the operating rooms are busy or not.”

The study examined nearly 1 million births across 68 New Jersey hospitals, with researchers suggesting that implicit racial bias among providers may contribute to the disparity. They also noted that some hospitals might have a “financial incentive” to keep operating rooms occupied.

“The findings from the new study are alarming—it is concerning that these disparities exist and are so stark,” Mark Simon, M.D., chief medical officer at Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG), told Healthline.

“The CDC has released dataTrusted Source that clearly highlights national differences in C-section rates across each state, with New Jersey ranking on the high end,” Simon added. “But this problem is not unique to New Jersey—disparities in maternal mortality, particularly along racial and socioeconomic lines, are also well-documented.”

The rate of cesarean deliveries has risen in the United States in recent years. Many of these procedures are scheduled ahead of time, raising concerns among experts about their medical necessity. Planned and unplanned C-sections now account for approximately one in three births in the U.S., significantly exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended target rate of 10–15%.

As highlighted by the new research, this trend disproportionately affects Black women, although the reasons behind this disparity remain unclear.

“We don’t have the data to go into detail on exactly what it is, whether it’s lack of patience, for example, or if it’s cultural misunderstandings between a physician and a person from a different race. We don’t have good data to answer that,” Corredor-Waldron said.

“What we can say, because we’ve talked with some ob-gyns, is that they think about things like perceived risk,” Corredor-Waldron added. “We’re all reading the (Centers for Disease Control reports) about high infant mortality among Black infants. It might be that the physician thinks, ‘I don’t want any complications. So I’m just going to go ahead and do an emergency C-section.'”