by Daniel Johnson
February 3, 2025
California Signals Rejection Of Trump’s School Choice Executive Order
Liz Sanders, the Director of Communications for the California Department of Education, said in a statement that the order issued by Trump is a violation of federal law
On Jan. 29, Donald Trump issued yet another executive order, his preferred method of bypassing Congress. The issue he was concerned about in this order seems to be school choice, and he titled it “Ending Racial Indoctrination In K-12 Schooling.”
According to The Bay Area Reporter, California state education officials, who have long been pro-public school education, responded by telling Trump the federal government cannot dictate what schools can and cannot teach.
Liz Sanders, the Director of Communications for the California Department of Education, told the outlet in a statement that Trump’s order violates federal law.
“President Trump signed an executive order today that does nothing but require the Secretary of Education to determine what federal education funds can legally be rescinded as a penalty for teaching curricula that President Trump finds objectionable. We can give the Trump Administration that answer right now: nothing,” Sanders stated. “It is against federal law for the White House to dictate what educators can and cannot teach by threatening to defund essential public services for students.”
Sanders continued, “School curriculum should not vacillate back and forth depending on the occupant of the White House, which is why federal law already prohibits the federal government from leveraging grants to mandate specific instructional content in schools.”
Trump’s executive order contains language that advocates eliminating “all federal funding or support for illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools, including based on gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology and protecting parental rights,” taking a page out of the predominantly right-wing arguments in favor of school choice, which critics argue will have the long-term effect of gutting the public education system.
Although California opposes school choice, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has engineered a hostile takeover, purging his party of those opposed to it. He has made it one of his emergency items for the 89th Texas Legislature to pass.
Despite this, individuals like Bob Popinksi, the Senior Director of Policy for Raise Your Hand Texas, oppose Abbott’s plans.
As Popinksi told KCENTV in 2023, “Right now, we’re about $4,000 behind the national average per pupil funding. We’re in the bottom 10. So, before we even think about vouchers, we need to invest in our public schools. In Texas, we have about 300,000 private school students. If you were to multiply that by the $10,000 — that’s a $3 billion program right away. Money going towards private schools that aren’t held accountable for anything under our state’s laws.”
According to a 2021 Forbes op-ed from Raymond Pierce, the President and CEO of the Southern Education Foundation, school choice has its roots in the arguments of segregationists who wanted to ignore Brown v. Board of Education.
“Today, public schools educate a majority of the South’s (and the nation’s) African American students and students from low-income families. Across the board, those schools continue to face funding challenges, in part because of ongoing successful efforts to siphon public education funding into private schools,” Pierce argued.
He continued, “The truth is that voucher and tax credit programs structure choices to promote de facto segregation, contravene constitutional considerations, and threaten to dismantle hard-fought and socially beneficial historical progress. They represent a serious setback for universal free public education and the equality and equity goals it promotes.”
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by Sharelle B. McNair
February 3, 2025
Rep. Jasmine Crockett Opens Up About The Reality Of Elon Musk Getting His Hands On Federal Funding
Does she have a point?
HuffPost reports that Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) reveals how bad things could get if Elon Musk gets his hands on federal funding.
During an interview on MSNBC on Feb. 2, the congresswoman opened up about the curiosity behind Musk’s needs on Capitol Hill. Several lawmakers are curious as to why Musk deserves access to federal funding — something that even elected officials don’t have. “So when you start talking about who should have access to literally the system that controls approximately $6 trillion of our dollars, I don’t really understand,” Crockett said.
“The people that worked in those positions could have only distributed money per the law, so why is it that the DOGE committee would have to have access?”
As one of Trump’s most loyal allies, the tech billionaire has made his way into federal territory, making changes that are not sitting well with elected officials on both the Democratic and Republican sides. At the top of February 2025, Musk and members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were given access to the federal payment system by the Treasury Department, according to ABC News. The access demand allegedly caused a huge rift between Musk and acting Treasury Secretary David Lebryk, who afterward was placed on leave for resisting.
Crockett said there are a number of GOP lawmakers praying for Musk’s downfall. “Can I tell you that Republicans want to see Elon go down?” she told host Alex Witt. “I can. Now, will they come out publicly and say that? No, because they’re concerned about whether or not he’ll spend money in their next elections.”
Crockett has been an open critic of Musk’s position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), still questioning what the agency really does. But now sitting on the newly-created DOGE subcommittee, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Crockett is calling on her Republican colleagues to stand up for what’s right before it’s too late.
“There were Republicans that silently, or in the background, were cheering us on,” Crockett remembered.
“And saying ‘this is wrong.’ Like they knew we had negotiated, and all of a sudden, this guy who’s not elected makes a tweet on Twitter.”
When she was elected to office, the former attorney was banned from practicing law at the risk of biased practices or being lured into payoffs. She called Musk out for being able to work for the government while being the beneficiary of government contracts. “It’s really awful,” she said.
“There is no reason for any political appointee, if you can even call him that, to have this kind of access. There’s none.”
Lawmakers, like the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden, seemingly agree with Crockett. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Wyden said any “politically-motivated meddling” in the payment systems “risks severe damage to our country and the economy.”
“To put it bluntly, these payment systems simply cannot fail, and any politically motivated meddling in them risks severe damage to our country and the economy. I am deeply concerned that following the federal grant and loan freeze earlier this week, these officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programs,” Wyden wrote.
“I can think of no good reason why political operators who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law would need access to these sensitive, mission-critical systems.”
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by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton
February 3, 2025
NBA Player Terry Rozier Being Investigated In Illegal Gambling Scheme
Federal prosecutors are looking to see if the Miami Heat player participated in an illegal sports betting scheme
After the arrest and conviction of former NBA player Jontay Porter due to his ties to illegal betting, federal prosecutors have started another investigation into NBA player Terry Rozier.
According to The Wall Street Journal, prosecutors are investigating whether the Miami Heat player manipulated his play while on the court, similar to Porter, who pled guilty to the charges against him. The government is also investigating whether Porter participated in an illegal sports betting scheme.
An NBA official has confirmed that Rozier has been investigated, although the league did not find that he violated any rules.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
Reportedly, authorities feel that some of the people involved in the Porter situation may have bet a large amount of money against Rozier a year earlier. They may have had inside intel that prompted them to place the bet. With the current investigation, there is speculation that more people may be involved than previously thought.
Rozier has not been charged with a crime or accused of any wrongdoing, and his attorney, Jim Trusty, gave a statement.
“We are aware of the NBA’s 2023 investigation, which determined there was absolutely no wrongdoing by Mr. Rozier, and we are confident that the ongoing government investigation will arrive at the exact same conclusion.”
Eyes were drawn to Rozier after a basketball contest on March 23, 2023, when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets. Suspicion was raised by U.S. Integrity, a firm that works with sports entities, gambling operators, and government agencies to monitor betting markets for suspicious activity. They warned the league that wages were being made for Rozier not meeting particular statistical benchmarks. Due to observations, some of the sportsbooks stopped taking bets on his stats for that game.
U.S. Integrity sent out only three alerts about NBA games during the previous two seasons. Two of the alerts involved Porter, and the third involved Rozier.
After being taken in and admitting his guilt in July 2024, Porter admitted to the scheme because he was trying to clear his gambling debts. When Porter is sentenced later this year, he faces up to 20 years behind bars; prosecutors estimated his sentence to be about 3 1/2 to four years in prison.
There is also speculation that the gambling ring may have ties to college basketball as well.
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by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
February 3, 2025
Internet Blasts Grammys Interviewers Who Dissed Babyface To Fangirl Over New Artist
The internet began to bash the interviewer for her apparent disrespect toward Babyface.
Interviewers for the Associated Press have apologized after seemingly dissing Babyface to speak with another artist while on the Grammys red carpet.
In a video that quickly went viral, two reporters began speaking with the 12-time Grammy winner when one of the women caught the eye of another artist entering the area. Right as Babyface began to answer their question, the reporter immediately cut him off by yelling the name of Chappell Roan, the Best New Artist, as she appeared on the carpet. An popular X user by the name of Chris Evans reposted the footage.
This was absolutely disgusting. @AP pic.twitter.com/ieltaQ3kml
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) February 3, 2025
“This was absolutely disgusting,” said the X user who shared the clip.
Babyface caught wind of the situation, choosing to stop the conversation after clearly being dismissed.
“Go do that,” said the mega-producer and songwriter as the two women said “sorry” for having him leave.
However, the internet erupted to bash the reporters’ apparent rudeness and disrespect to the music giant. Many called the incident “unprofessional” and distasteful to the esteemed Black artist, who the reporters snubbed for an up-and-coming white female artist instead. Other celebrities, including Khloe Kardashian, also bashed the reporter for not paying Babyface his proper respect.
“This is so disrespectful how Babyface was treated in this interview,” explained Kardashian. “Babyface has had such a significant impact on the music industry, in sooo many ways. Its maddening to see a LEGEND not get the respect and attention they deserve. He is a pioneer and deserves so much better than this.”
“Babyface didn’t write and produce the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack for this disrespect #GRAMMYs,” expressed another.
Catching wind of the backlash, AP posted an apology to X. The news publication stated that they apologized to Babyface directly and to viewers.
We are deeply sorry for cutting our interview with Babyface short on our YouTube livestream of the Grammys red carpet. We have apologized to him through his representative and to our viewers on the livestream.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 3, 2025
“We are deeply sorry for cutting our interview with Babyface short on our YouTube livestream of the Grammys red carpet,” explained AP. “We have apologized to him through his representative and to our viewers on the livestream.”
The reporters, while still on the carpet, expressed regrets for their actions as well.
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by Sharelle B. McNair
February 3, 2025
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta Elected To Serve As Democratic National Committee’s Vice Chair
Congratulations, VC Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta!
Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta was elected to serve on the Democratic National Committee as Vice Chair, Temple News reports.
He won the election on Feb. 1, day one of Black History Month 2025, announcing the news on X. “Thank you, Democrats! Last night I was honored to be elected Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee,” he wrote. “Now let’s get to work rebuilding our party: for our future and for our working families!”
Kenyatta will serve next to newly-elected chair Ken Martin, the longtime leader of Minnesota’s Democratic Party organization, and will continue to represent the state’s 181st District. Announcing his candidacy in January 2025, the Temple University alum is preparing to work alongside other vocal advocates and vice chairs, including Artie Blanco, a union and Latino civic engagement advocate from Nevada, and David Hogg, a Parkland High School shooting survivor and gun violence activist from Florida. Kenyatta celebrated their wins, saying they had “inspired him for years.” “My fellow Vice Chairs at Large — @ArtieBlancoSays and @davidhogg111 — have inspired me for years and now we get to be in this fight together for a future that working families deserve!,” he wrote.
Kenyatta first popped on the political scene in 2018, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly and being the youngest, according to Democrats.org. He continued to make history in the years following. In 2022, Kenyatta was named the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color in American history to run for a U.S. Senate seat. The following year, he was appointed by former President Joe Biden to serve as chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans.
During the 2024 general election, Kenyatta secured close to 3.1 million votes, resulting in being the second-highest total vote for any Democrat on the ticket that year.
With leaders like Kenyatta and Martin on board, the new chair, succeeding former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, Martin said it’s time to get back to the fight, sending a message directly to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. “Donald Trump, the Republican Party, this is a new DNC. We are not going to sit back and not take you on when you fail the American people,”
Martin said shortly after his victory: “The role of the party is not just to go out there and build the infrastructure. It’s also to make sure we’re defining them. And we’re out there making sure the American people know what the stakes of not only these coming elections are, but what’s happening in this country.”
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by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton
February 3, 2025
A$AP Rocky Influences Judge To Shut Down Use Of N-Word During Trial
The Harlem rapper asked the court to 'refrain' from using the actual word in court.
A$AP Rocky is on trial for an alleged shooting in Los Angeles, and during court testimony, the N-word has been used throughout the trial. After intervention from the rapper, the judge has instructed that the actual word, n**ga, be replaced by simply saying the “N-word.”
According to Complex, Harlem-raised A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, objected to the word n**ga being said in court as his attorney read back some text messages from former friend and A$AP Mob group member, A$AP Relli, who Rocky is accused of shooting in Los Angeles in 2021. When Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, repeatedly said the word as he was reading from the text messages, his client blurted out to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold, asking that he refrain from using the full word.
The N-word was incessantly mentioned during the trial.
While Tacopina was questioning Relli, the judge interjected and addressed Tacopina and the courtroom about refraining from using the actual word and replacing it with the more politically correct term. The judge did respond by saying, “In the future, and this is for all counsel, if there’s any exhibit or any recording that has the n-word, I want you in court to say ’n-word. I don’t want you to say what it says. It’s the ’n-word’ from now on … That applies to everybody.”
Here is the clip of A$AP Rocky speaking up in trial after repeated use of the n-word by his lawyer and Relli during testimony about text messages, and earlier use by Judge Arnold and Deputy District Attorney John Lewin.
Judge Arnold soon told all counsel to only say “n-word.” pic.twitter.com/LU8bdzTHeo
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 31, 2025
Relli has accused his former friend of firing twice at him in Los Angeles on Nov. 6, 2021, after the two were having a heated dispute on the street. After being arrested for the alleged incident, Rocky pleaded not guilty to the two felony counts related to firing a weapon at the former A$AP Mob group member. Right before the trial started, Rocky reportedly rejected a last-minute plea deal from prosecutors that would have placed him in prison for 180 days. He would have also received a suspended seven-year sentence plus three years of probation. Prosecutors wanted him to enter a guilty plea for one of the two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
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by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
February 3, 2025
Woman Wins $250K After University Of Tennessee Threatened Expulsion For Posting Lyrics From Cardi B’s ‘WAP”
Diei won the money after a court ruled that her social media posts were protected under the First Amendment.
A woman has won $250K after the educational institution she attended threatened to expel her for posting lyrics from Cardi B’s “WAP” to social media.
Kimberly Diei argued that the University of Tennessee violated her First Amendment rights over social media use. In 2020, Diei posted to X, then known as Twitter, with her version of the popular yet provocative song by the rapper. In the post, she asked if she could be on the remix for the chart-topper.
“I ain’t got that WAP he give gwap so that he can get a lick,” read Diei’s post, as reported by USA Today. “He ain’t my pops, but I call him DAD cuz he got that dop ass dick. @iamcardib @theestallion, let me be on the remix, please.”
She continued to use her social media to express herself freely. She also posted a selfie saying, “Spent all this time getting my hair done just for your man to fuck it up.”
The posts caught the attention of her college, which deemed her social media as “crude, “vulgar,” and “sexual.” In response, the former pharmacy student sued the University, with the help of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, in 2021 for their alleged policing of her off-campus and personal activity.
A district court initially dismissed Diei’s lawsuit in August 2023, claiming the First Amendment did not protect her social media posts. However, a new ruling deemed otherwise last September. Diei expressed her elation at confirming her right to public expression because of the lawsuit’s success.
“This ruling confirms what I’ve known all along,” Diei said in a press release from the foundation. “I have a right to express myself in my private life that’s separate from school, and so do my classmates. I enrolled in pharmacy school to learn, not to have my taste in music and my thoughts on culture policed.”
The woman’s attorney, Greg H. Greubel, also shared that UT learned an “important lesson” about respectability politics in academia.
“UT’s pharmacy school learned an important lesson today. There is nothing unprofessional about students expressing love of hip-hop and their sexuality on social media,” asserted Greubel. “Kim has proven something FIRE has said for 25 years: The First Amendment robustly protects students’ rights to have a voice outside of school, even if college administrators don’t like what they have to say.”
Diei remains an unabashed personality on social media, telling her “haters” about her “250,000 reasons to smile.”
“It’s at this time that I want to sincerely extend a shout-out to my haters,” shared the pharmacist. “Please continue to watch my page and get mad at every single post that you see. Though you are still unknown to me at this time because you chose to file anonymous reports.Throwing stones and hiding your hand. I hope my continued success in the future eats you up inside and you think about me every single time you log on.”
The woman added, “Karma will handle you better than I ever could, so please remain anonymous because I do not wish to be tempted. Thank you again for giving me 250,000 reasons to smile.”
With her new funds, Diei told the news outlet she plans to pay off her student loans, invest the money, and take a vacation.
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by Jeroslyn JoVonn
February 3, 2025
West Coast Sees Its First HBCU Battle Of The Bands With Nick Cannon and GloRilla
HBCU pride was on full display at SoFi stadium for the first-ever Honda Battle of the Bands in Los Angeles.
For the 19th year, Honda has supported and amplified HBCU culture with its annual Battle of the Bands showcase. But this year, Honda took the initiative further by hosting it in Los Angeles for the first time.
Six marching bands from historically Black Colleges and Universities were brought out to L.A. to perform at the new and improved SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The HBOB performers did not disappoint as their musical percussion electrified SoFi Stadium in solo sets, stand-offs, and points where they came together to show off their HBCU pride.
From kicking off the show with a unified performance of the Black National Anthem and National Anthem while spelling out “HBCU” with their bodies, to storming the field following their solo sets to cheer on GloRilla who closed out the show, the six bands exemplified Black Excellence from start to finish.
Schools who featured in the 2025 showcase include:
- Alabama A&M University – Marching Maroon and White Band
- Alabama State University – Mighty Marching Hornets
- Hampton University – The Marching Force
- North Carolina A&T University – Blue and Gold Marching Machine
- Southern University – Human Jukebox Marching Band
- University of Arkansas Pine Bluff – Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South
With the coveted showcase coming in the wake of the devastating wildfires in L.A., Honda made sure the event supported the city and the victims affected by the natural disaster.
“It’s a beautiful thing what Honda is doing,” Cannon said in a press conference ahead of the showcase.
“In the midst of the catastrophic fires that this city has experienced to see community come together, even at a time where it’s like, ‘OK, can we party yet? Can we have a good time?’”
He continued. “But to show, yeah, we’re going to have a good time in spirit and celebrate the people that, you know, the first responders. We’re going to continue to feel and emote for the people who have lost loved ones, their possessions, their homes, their businesses. And that’s what this (HBCU) culture has always done in times of hardship is come together and unified. So the fact that we can be a beacon in that setting, in the city, right now that probably matters the most, or needs it the most.”
“The Honda leadership team continues to stress music brings people together and that the city needs this right now,” said Jasmine Cockfield, Project Leader for Honda Battle of The Bands and Honda Campus All-Star Challenge.
In addition to supporting local businesses, the showcase accepted donations and hosted a food drive with local organizations “so the people who are attending the event can donate canned goods and non-perishable items,” Cockfield added. “That just continues to show the spirit of Honda.”
BLACK ENTERPRISE was invited to go even further into the Honda Battle of the Bands experience with test drives of the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, the 2024 Honda Prologue, and MotoCompacto, in addition to touring the American Honda Collection Hall where we saw an exclusive collection of Honda cars, motorcycles, power products, and race machines that work together to tell a story from Honda’s past into the present.
The Honda Civic Hybrid test drives allowed us a chance to enjoy a scenic drive around the lavish Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and see just why this electrified variant of America’s most popular compact car, has been honored with the prestigious 2025 North American Car of the Year award.
The day of test drives and Collection Hall touring also included a special invitation to Honda’s Battle of the Bands VIP Reception where the automotive manufacturer giant shared its continued commitment to HBCUs and their infectious culture.
“I had a student from UAPB come up to me and hug me and say, ‘Thank you, Miss Jasmine. I’ve never been on a plane before. Neither have I ever stayed in a hotel.’ That’s a story, right? That’s Honda’s commitment,” Cockfield shared.
Since 2003, Honda has proudly hosted the Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB), a premier event celebrating the talent and culture of marching bands from HBCUs. The 2025 edition marked its 19th year, continuing its legacy as a platform for HBCU students to showcase their musical artistry and dynamic choreography to a wide audience.
Widely regarded as a blueprint for celebrating HBCU culture, HBOB highlights Honda’s enduring commitment to HBCUs through scholarships, programs, and various initiatives that support student success. After a successful debut in L.A., students and fans are hopeful for another HBOB on the West Coast.
by Mitti Hicks
February 3, 2025
Musk On USAID, ‘Time For It To Die,’ And Trump Agrees
President John F. Kennedy’s administration established USAID in 1961 to alleviate poverty, treat diseases, and respond to natural disasters and famines."
Tech billionaire and unelected official Elon Musk said he believes the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is a “criminal organization” that should die.
Musk, who President Donald Trump appointed to lead the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted his sentiments about the organization and how it’s “time for it to die” on his social platform X.
He added, “With regards to the USAID stuff, I went over it with (the president) in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down,” said Musk.
His comments come as USAID employees were told not to report to work on Monday, My Journal Courier reports. USAID’s website has also been taken down.
With a budget of over $40 billion approved by Congress, USAID is an independent federal agency focusing on long-term socioeconomic development. It is guided by the U.S. State Department and administers civilian foreign aid and development assistance.
USAID Employees Told Not To Return To Work
President Trump reportedly told reporters Sunday that the organization has “been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision.”
Trump’s latest comments come following days of speculation and growing concerns about the agency’s future after its funding was frozen and employees were put on leave.
According to CNN, two top USAID security officials were put on administrative leave Saturday night after refusing to give DOGE members access to the agency’s systems.
So far, at least 60 senior USAID staff members have been placed on leave after being accused of attempting to circumvent Trump’s executive order to freeze foreign aid for 90 days despite no evidence of wrongdoing.
President John F. Kennedy’s administration established USAID in 1961 to alleviate poverty, treat diseases, and respond to natural disasters and famines. The organization also promotes democracy building and development by supporting non-government organizations.
The organization’s fate remains unclear, but the Trump administration’s decision to delete its website and social media accounts signals that its end could be near.
“They have announced no plan and given no rationale — they’re just taking everything down,” Jeremy Konyndyk, who led disaster relief under President Obama, told NPR. He also led disaster relief for COVID and Monkey Pox under Biden with USAID. “They’re trying to do it behind the scenes rather than openly,” adding, so they don’t have to “defend what they’re doing” in public.
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