Republicans muscled President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cut bill through the House on Thursday, the final step necessary to get the bill to his desk by the GOP’s self-imposed deadline of July 4th.

At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.

Democrats united against the legislation, but were powerless to stop it as long as Republicans stayed united. The Senate passed the bill, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. The House passed an earlier iteration of the bill in May with just one vote to spare. It passed the final version 218-214.

Here’s the latest on what’s in the bill and when some of its provisions go into effect.

GOP bill includes reductions for businesses and new tax breaks

Republicans say the bill is crucial because there would be a massive tax increase after December when tax breaks from Trump’s first term expire. The legislation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill, solidifying the tax cuts approved in Trump’s first term.

It temporarily would add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There’s also a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year, a nod to his pledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits.

It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit.

A cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years. It’s a provision important to New York and other high tax states, though the House wanted it to last for 10 years.

There are scores of business-related tax cuts, including allowing businesses to immediately write off 100% of the cost of equipment and research. Proponents say this will boost economic growth.

The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, mainly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House’s version.

GOP bill funds the border wall, deportations and a missile shield

The bill would provide some $350 billion for Trump’s border and national security agenda, including for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for 100,000 migrant detention facility beds, as he aims to fulfill his promise of the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.

Money would go for hiring 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers, as well. The goal is to deport some 1 million people per year.

To help pay for it, immigrants would face various new fees, including when seeking asylum protections.

For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for ship building, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system. The Defense Department would have $1 billion for border security.

Medicaid, SNAP face deep cuts to fund bill’s tax breaks and spending

To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for people below the poverty line.

Republicans argue they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse.

The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 14 and older would have to meet the program’s work requirements.

There’s also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients using Medicaid services.

More than 71 million people rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Most already work, according to analysts.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.

Republicans are looking to have states pick up some of the cost for SNAP benefits. Currently, the federal government funds all benefit costs. Under the bill, states beginning in 2028 will be required to contribute a set percentage of those costs if their payment error rate exceeds 6%. Payment errors include both underpayments and overpayments.

But the Senate bill temporarily delays the start date of that cost-sharing for states with the highest SNAP error rates. Alaska has the highest error rate in the nation at nearly 25%, according to Department of Agriculture data. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had fought for the exception. She was a decisive vote in getting the bill through the Senate.

The ‘big beautiful’ bill slashes clean energy tax credits

Republicans are proposing to dramatically roll back tax breaks designed to boost clean energy projects fueled by renewable sources such as energy and wind. The tax breaks were a central component of President Joe Biden’s 2022 landmark bill focused on addressing climate change and lowering health care costs.

Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden went so far as to call the GOP provisions a “death sentence for America’s wind and solar industries and an inevitable hike in utility bills.”

A tax break for people who buy new or used electric vehicles would expire on Sept. 30 of this year, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law.

Meanwhile, a tax credit for the production of critical materials will be expanded to include metallurgical coal used in steelmaking.

The bill creates ‘Trump Accounts’ — and funds a national hero garden

A number of extra provisions reflect other GOP priorities.

The bill creates a new children’s savings program, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury.

The Senate provided $40 million to establish Trump’s long-sought “National Garden of American Heroes.”

There’s a new excise tax on university endowments and a new tax on remittances, or transfers of money that people in the U.S. send abroad. The tax is equal to 1% of the transfer.

A $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns was eliminated.

One provision bars for one year Medicaid payments to family planning providers that provide abortions, namely Planned Parenthood.

Another section expands the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a hard-fought provision from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for those impacted by nuclear development and testing.

Billions would go for the Artemis moon mission and for the exploration of Mars, while $88 million is earmarked for a pandemic response accountability committee.

Additionally, a provision would increase the nation’s debt limit, by $5 trillion, to allow continued borrowing to pay already accrued bills.

State AI regulations cut from bill after a GOP uproar

The Senate overwhelmingly revolted against a proposal meant to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence. Republican governors across the country asked for the moratorium to be removed and the Senate voted to do so with a resounding 99-1 vote.

A provision was thrown in at the final hours that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for five years, or $50 billion in total. The Senate bill had originally provided $25 billion for the program, but that number was upped to win over holdout GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warning that reduced Medicaid provider taxes would hurt rural hospitals.

The amended bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from China.

Final price tag: GOP bill could add $3.3 trillion to deficit

Altogether, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034.

Or not, depending on how one does the math.

Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost because those breaks are already “current policy.” Republican senators say the Senate Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for the preferred approach.

Under the alternative Senate GOP view, the bill would reduce deficits by almost half a trillion dollars over the coming decade, the CBO said.

Democrats say this is “magic math” that obscures the true costs of the tax breaks. Some nonpartisan groups worried about the country’s fiscal trajectory are siding with Democrats in that regard. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says Senate Republicans were employing an “accounting gimmick that would make Enron executives blush.”

President Donald Trump followers are clear examples of people voting against their own interests. He has most recently persuaded the Senate and House of Representatives to push through his Big Beautiful Bill that will strip millions of Americans, white and Black, of their health care. This is after he gutted the federal workforce, sending thousands of governmental employees (again, both white and Black) packing. What’s shocking is that many of the people he is hurting helped the man get into the White House.

By now it is common knowledge that white Americans are the reason why Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris in 2024. But there is a deeper question we need to be asking that is bigger than why the man who currently sits behind the Resolute Desk is there.

The question is as simple as it is complex. Why are we so deeply polarized in this country along racial lines?

The division runs deep. So deep, in fact, that many fail to realize that we, white and Black folks, have so much in common politically. Especially when it comes to working class white people. If they were to only open their eyes, they would see they have far more in common with Black folks than they do with Trump and people like him.

So how did we get here? Well, unsurprisingly, much of what we are seeing traces back to America’s original sin: slavery and the war between the states that erupted in its wake.

If you ask most white folks in the South about their ethnicity (their cultural identity), they will just tell you they are American. If you ask most in the North, they will identify as American, yes, but also as Irish, Italian or some other ethnicity that traces back to Europe. Why is this important? Because it shows how the political establishment at that time (almost all white men) convinced white people to identify as white above all else. They did that to solidify support against the growing movement to free slaves. But they did not stop there.

After losing the Civil War, political leaders continued to pit white Americans against Black ones.  They convinced all whites, but especially working-class ones, to see Black Americans as their enemy. They told them Black men were animalistic and after their daughters and they persuaded some to see Black women as welfare queens who did not want to work. But Black folks are not without blame in this.

We have always looked suspiciously at white politicians who wanted our vote. But there are an untold number of Black politicians who courted the Black vote and then did not do what’s best for the Black community.

Any time a person threatened to bring together white and Black people politically, they just happened to be killed. That is not to say that this is the reason why Bobby Kennedy, who was building a biracial political coalition, or Fred Hampton, who was politically uniting working-class white and Black people in Chicago, was killed.

So again White and Black people have more in common that we like to admit. We may not all like the same music nor do we season our food the same way. But we would be wise to look past the way political leaders try to divide us. Because none of us are helped by seeing each other as the enemy.

The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the deportation of several immigrants who were put on a flight in May bound for South Sudan, a war-ravaged country where they have no ties.

The decision comes after the court’s conservative majority found that immigration officials can quickly deport people to third countries. The majority halted an order that had allowed immigrants to challenge any removals to countries outside their homeland where they could be in danger.

The court’s latest decision makes clear that the South Sudan flight can complete the trip, weeks after it was detoured to a naval base in Djibouti. There, the migrants who had previously been convicted of serious crimes were held in a converted shipping container.

It reverses findings from federal Judge Brian Murphy in Massachusetts, who said his order on those migrants still stands even after the high court lifted his broader decision.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said federal authorities would complete the trip to South Sudan by the next day.

The Supreme Court majority wrote that their decision on June 23 completely halted Murphy’s ruling and also rendered his decision on the South Sudan flight “unenforceable.” The court did not fully detail its legal reasoning on the underlying case, as is common on its emergency docket.

Two liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, saying the ruling gives the government special treatment. “Other litigants must follow the rules, but the administration has the Supreme Court on speed dial,” Sotomayor wrote. Justice Elena Kagan wrote that while she disagreed with the original order, it does countermand Murphy’s findings on the South Sudan flight.

The eight migrants could face “imprisonment, torture and even death” in South Sudan, where escalating political tensions have threatened to devolve into another civil war.

“We know they’ll face perilous conditions, and potentially immediate detention, upon arrival,” Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, said Thursday.

The push comes amid a sweeping immigration crackdown by Trump’s Republican administration, which has pledged to deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally. The Trump administration has called Murphy’s finding “a lawless act of defiance.”

McLaughlin said the Supreme Court’s intervention is “a win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people.” Attorney General Pam Bondi called Murphy a “rogue district court judge” and said the justices had rebuked him.

Authorities have reached agreements with other countries to house immigrants if authorities can’t quickly send them back to their homelands. The eight men sent to South Sudan in May had been convicted of crimes in the U.S. and had final orders of removal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said.

Murphy, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, didn’t prohibit deportations to third countries. But he found migrants must have a real chance to argue they could be in danger of torture if sent to another country, even if they’ve already exhausted their legal appeals.

The men and their guards have faced rough conditions on the naval base in Djibouti, where authorities detoured the flight after Murphy found the administration had violated his order by failing to allow them a chance to challenge the removal. They have since said they’re afraid of being sent to South Sudan, Realmuto said.

15

After one of the most explosive eliminations in Love Island USA history, the Season 7 girls’ girl rep, Cierra Ortega, has found herself at the center of a very public backlash. In a twist that dumped five islanders in one night, Cierra shocked both fans and fellow islanders when she chose to save Taylor Williams over Andreina Santos, igniting a full-blown Twitter inferno and calling her “girl code” credentials into serious question.

And let’s just say… the internet is not holding back.

“So Girl Code, Girl Code, Girl Code…” Until It Wasn’t

When host Ariana Madix revealed the twist that only one of the bottom six islanders, three guys and three girls, could be saved, fans expected tension. But what they didn’t expect was a move so polarizing that it sparked one of the most brutal draggings of the season.

Despite Andreina having the support of several of the girls in the villa, including Chelley, Amaya, and Huda, Cierra went rogue, standing behind Taylor. And the public immediately clocked it.

“So girl code, girl code, girl code, but Cierra saves Taylor over Andreina? K.” one viewer tweeted, their sarcasm sharper than any recoupling speech.

“Cierra is weird asf get that girl off my screen. She rather save Taylor ass but not Andreina. She insecure asf,” another posted.

“Cierra didn’t stand behind Andreina because Nick was drooling over her the first two days she was in the villa,” someone else speculated, hinting that this was personal.

Five Islanders Eliminated in One Brutal Blow

Season 7, Episode 27, aired Thursday night on Peacock, and it instantly reshaped the entire game. Andreina, Gracyn, Jaden, TJ, Austin, and Taylor were all ranked the lowest in public votes. The remaining cast was told to stand behind only one of them.

The results? Taylor received support from Clarke, Pepe, Nic, Ace, and most controversially, Cierra. Andreina, by contrast, had Chelley, Amaya, and Huda backing her. TJ was supported by Zac and Iris, Austin by Olandria, Gracyn by Elan, and Jaden by Chris and Bryan.

When the votes were counted, Taylor was saved. Everyone else, Andreina, Gracyn, Jaden, TJ, and Austin, was sent packing.

And fans felt that one.

“Cierra you sealed Andreina’s fate,” one person posted bluntly.

“Saving Taylor over Andreina… Cierra ur weird.”

“Cierra standing behind Taylor is very weird?? All your best friends were behind Andreina. Girl what??”

Conspiracy Theories, Betrayals, and a Whole Lotta Shade

The internet didn’t stop at dragging, they started decoding. Fans have begun crafting their own theories about why Cierra chose Taylor over Andreina, and many of them revolve around Nic and Olandria.

“What if I said Cierra voting for Taylor over Andreina was intentional but not genuine?” one user wrote. “Because she feels a type of way about Nic and Olandria exploring their connection. So since she feels betrayed, she’s gonna keep the person there that she knows Olandria hates as a F you.”

“Cierra not only stood to save the man who played in her best friend’s face, but she didn’t vote to save her other friend’s man, or even Andreina… she’s such a BIRD I hate ittttttt.”

Others took aim at her motives, implying the decision was driven by jealousy or insecurity.

“You could’ve chose TJ (your friend’s man) or Andreina (your friend) but chose the man that did your best friend dirty on national TV. Giving male-centered and wanted to go with whoever Nic went with.”

Andreina Fans Strike Back: “Her Man Was Never in That Villa Anyway”

Despite her elimination, Andreina’s fanbase is already manifesting her comeback.

“Cierra weird but honestly Andreina finna have 30 athletes in her DMs,” one user tweeted confidently. “Her man was never in that villa.”

And they might be right. Andreina has been a standout all season, classy, confident, and unproblematic. Her exit may have broken some hearts, but viewers are already predicting a major post-show glow-up.

Love Island’s Most Ruthless Twist Yet

The mass dumping was nothing short of nuclear. The usual “two by two” eliminations were tossed aside in favor of a gladiator-style reckoning. Host Ariana Madix warned of high stakes, but no one expected five islanders to be axed in a single night.

Taylor Williams, backed by five islanders, survived. The rest were eliminated on the spot.

With the finale approaching, this twist has not only altered the villa’s power structure, it’s obliterated it. Formerly strong alliances are now shaky. Friendships are being questioned. Every decision moving forward is about survival.

Will Cierra Survive the Fallout?

The question now is whether Cierra herself will survive this backlash. Her image as a loyal girls’ girl has taken a major hit, and the viewers aren’t forgetting anytime soon.

The villa just got smaller. The drama just got bigger. And Cierra? She may have just become the Season 7 villain by accident or by design.

We’ll find out soon enough.

Next Episode Drops July 4 on Peacock

Catch all the fallout from this season’s most cutthroat elimination on Love Island USA, streaming exclusively on Peacock. Episode 28 promises more romance, more revenge, and maybe, just maybe, a redemption arc.

Or a bigger blow-up. Either way, we’ll be watching.

Related

Disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will be spending his Fourth of July a little differently this year. As we’ve previously reported, on Tuesday (July 2), Diddy was acquitted of three out of the five charges that were brought against him in his eight-week sex trafficking court trial. However, this doesn’t mean that Combs can walk free and pop bottles just yet. Judge Arun Subramanian has denied bail for the “I Need A Girl Rapper” until his sentencing in October, according to The Independent.

The rejection of his bail request surprised the rapper as his “mouth dropped and his eyes widened in disbelief” when Judge Subramanian rejected his bail request, according to CNN entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister.

Now Diddy will have to make do with a less-than-luxurious Fourth of July and will be substituting bottles of champagne for cartons of juice. For his first meal of the day in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, the rapper will receive cereal, fruit, milk, butter, and a breakfast cake, according to Page Six.

Lunchtime might be a bit more exciting with more choices, such as hamburgers, bean burgers, hot dogs, soy dogs, mac and cheese, green beans, and some fruit.

Throughout the day will be holiday activities that the rapper can take part in with the rest of his federal inmates to keep himself entertained, according to PEOPLE. The 55-year-old might be used to glamorous parties, but this year he’ll instead have to choose between a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a soccer match in the recreation yard, a dominos game and of course Spades. If you are Black and don’t know how to play Spades, we might kindly ask you to hand over your Black card.

At the end of the day, the mogul will be able to replenish himself by deciding between baked fish or black beans, buttered noodles, mixed vegetables, wheat bread, and juice, per Page Six.

House Republicans propelled President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage Thursday, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline.

The tight roll call, 218-214, came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to him to sign into law. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York delayed voting by holding the floor for more than eight hours with a record-breaking speech against the bill.

“We have a big job to finish,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “With one big beautiful bill we are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before.”

The outcome delivers a milestone for the president, by his Friday goal, and for his party,. It was a long-shot effort to compile a lengthy list of GOP priorities into what they called his “one big beautiful bill,” an 800-plus page measure. With Democrats unified in opposition, the bill will become a defining measure of Trump’s return to the White House, aided by Republican control of Congress.

Tax breaks and safety net cuts

At its core, the package’s priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in 2017 during Trump’s first term that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. This includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.

There’s also a hefty investment, some $350 billion, in national security and Trump’s deportation agenda and to help develop the “Golden Dome” defensive system over the U.S.

To help offset the lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to the Medicaid health care and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a major rollback of green energy tax credits.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

“This was a generational opportunity to deliver the most comprehensive and consequential set of conservative reforms in modern history, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the House Budget Committee chairman.

Democrats united against ‘ugly bill’

Democrats unified against the bill as a tax giveaway to the rich paid for on the backs of the working class and most vulnerable in society, what they called “trickle down cruelty.” Tensions ran high in the chamber.

Jeffries began the speech at 4:53 a.m. EDT and finished at 1:37 p.m. EDT, 8 hours, 44 minutes later, a record, as he argued against what he called Trump’s “big ugly bill.”

“We’re better than this,” Jeffries said, who used a leader’s prerogative for unlimited debate and read letter after letter from Americans writing about their reliance of the health care programs.

“I never thought that I’d be on the House floor saying that this is a crime scene,” Jeffries said.

“It’s a crime scene, going after the health, and the safety, and the well-being of the American people.”

And as Democrats, he said, “We want no part of it.”

Hauling the package through the Congress has been difficult from the start. Republicans have struggled mightily with the bill nearly every step of the way quarreling in the House and Senate, and often succeeding only by the narrowest of margins: just one vote.

The Senate passed the package days earlier with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie vote. The slim majority in the House left Republicans little room for defections.

Political costs of saying no

Despite their discomfort with various aspects of the sprawling package, in some ways it became too big to fail — in part because Republicans found it difficult to buck Trump.

As Wednesday’s stalled floor action dragged overnight Trump railed against the delays.

“What are the Republicans waiting for???” the president said in a midnight post. “What are you trying to prove???”

Johnson relied heavily on White House Cabinet secretaries, lawyers and others to satisfy skeptical GOP holdouts. Moderate Republicans worried about the severity of cuts while conservatives pressed for steeper reductions. Lawmakers said they were being told the administration could provide executive actions, projects or other provisions in their districts back home.

The alternative was clear. Republicans who staked out opposition to the bill, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, were being warned by Trump’s well-funded political operation. Tillis soon after announced he would not seek reelection.

Rollback of past presidential agendas

In many ways, the package is a repudiation of the agendas of the last two Democratic presidents, a chiseling away at the Medicaid expansion from Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and a pullback of Joe Biden’s climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Democrats have described the bill in dire terms, warning that cuts to Medicaid, which some 80 million Americans rely on, would result in lives lost. Food stamps that help feed more than 40 million people would “rip food from the mouths of hungry children, hungry veterans and hungry seniors,” Jeffries said.

Republicans say the tax breaks will prevent a tax hike on households and grow the economy. They maintain they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse.

The Tax Policy Center, which provides nonpartisan analysis of tax and budget policy, projected the bill would result next year in a $150 tax break for the lowest quintile of Americans, a $1,750 tax cut for the middle quintile and a $10,950 tax cut for the top quintile. That’s compared with what they would face if the 2017 tax cuts expired.

Not all stars are created equal. And in the Black community, we have our own celebrities that we adore and give all the flowers to. Let’s face it, some artists are instantly recognizable to Black folks, while other communities may not have the same connection to their work.

This isn’t a slight to their talent, it just means they’ve made an indelible impact on the culture. These special group of artists are deemed #BlackFamous. We’re saving you the embarrassment of asking for examples and have gathered a list of some of our favorite #BlackFamous artists.

Keith David

Starting off strong, actor Keith David is finally getting the mainstream Hollywood recognition he deserves! He was just announced as a 2025 Hollywood Walk of Fame recipient, and we know exactly why. From his roles in “Greenleaf,” “Barbershop,” “Dead Presidents” and more, David has cemented his legacy– no pun intended— and soon, you can view his legacy with the rest of the Hollywood Stars.

Kyla Pratt

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AkpVOAK5Bi8

At the top of the Black child star list has to be the one and only Kyla Pratt. From “Dr. Dolittle” and “Love & Basketball” all the way to her stellar roles in “One on One” and “The Proud Family,” Pratt was every little Black girl’s hero. And for that, she deserves to be on this list and much more!

Tom Joyner

An entire generation of Black kids grew up riding to school while listening to the “Tom Joyner Morning Show…” and honestly, that’s all that needs to be said. But outside of radio, Joyner’s foundation continues to help young Black students chase their wildest dreams at our historically Black universities and colleges (HBCUs).

Loretta Devine

After rising to stardom in the 1983 Broadway musical “Dreamgirls,” Loretta Devine continued to make a name for herself as every Black person’s favorite Hollywood momma. “Waiting to Exhale” and “Lottery Ticket” are just a few of her other most famous roles, but the list goes on and on…

Tasha Smith

Actress/director Tasha Smith has made a career out of playing the exasperated wife/mother/best friend. However, she brings something different to every role, and we always know we’re going to get something fun.

Leon Robinson

If you’re Gen X, you definitely had a crush on Leon Robinson. From “Cool Runnings,” to “Waiting to Exhale,” he had the ‘90s on lock. And he’s still fine today.

Evelyn “Champagne” King

One of the divas of disco and dance music, Evelyn “Champagne” King has some of biggest party hits of all time. If you put “Love Come Down” on at your barbecue this weekend, clear the dance floor.

Blue Magic

If you’re taking a drive that lasts an hour or more with your father or uncle, Blue Magic “Sideshow” is definitely going to be somewhere on the playlist.

Boris Kodjoe

The popular actor has gained a loyal fanbase with roles in “Station 19,” “Madea’s Family Reunion” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood.” He’s also a lot of fun when he plays against his sex symbol status.

LisaRaye McCoy

After her breakout role in “The Player’s Club,” LisaRaye McCoy carved out a long career by branching out into comedies, thrillers and dramas.

Phyllis Hyman

The late Phyllis Hyman had a voice that captured every emotion that comes with falling in and out of love. She may not have reached mainstream crossover success, but her music still resonates.

Tevin Campbell

It may actually be a law that when “Can We Talk” comes on, Black folks must participate in a sing-a-long. Don’t act like you’ve never belted it out in a supermarket.

Richard T. Jones

Name a TV show and Richard T. Jones has been on it. He’s obviously recognizable to more than just Black audiences, but we’re the ones who know his name and don’t just know him as the guy from that show. We also know that when he appears we’re going to get a rock solid performance that makes us wish he were more than a guest star.

Frankie Beverly

If you’re at a cookout, things have slowed down a little and you want to instantly hype them back up, play Maze featuring Frankie Beverly “Before I Let Go.” It’s the secret to a successful party.

Lynn Whitfield

She’s the disapproving mother, the distant wife, the girlfriend who’s tired of your shit, and the elegant, rich relative who shows up just to look down on you. She’s extraordinary in all these roles and she’s timeless. It’s true, Lynn Whitfield doesn’t age.

Stephanie Mills

If Diana Ross is the Dorothy you’re most familiar with, you’re missing out. Stephanie Mills originated the role in “The Wiz” on Broadway and she still brings the house down with “Home.”

Robin Givens

Robin Givens was thee It Girl of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Her elegance, beauty, brains and swag made her standout from the crowd. If you saw her on The CW’s “Batwoman,” you know she’s still got that same captivating persona. She’s also the epitome of “Black don’t crack.”

Bumper Robinson

If you watched a sitcom in the ‘80s and ‘90s, you definitely saw Bumper Robinson and chances are, you had a crush on him.

Larenz Tate

From “Love Jones” to “Power Book II: Ghost,” it feels like we’ve been watching Larenz Tate put on for the culture our whole lives. This man has told our stories for two generations and is still going strong. Tate never disappoints.

This week, Netflix announced a series of cancellations, including Shonda Rhimes’ latest mystery production, “The Residence.” Starring Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp, the “greatest detective in the world,” the show follows the detective as she investigates a murder during a state dinner at the White House. 

Bringing a quirky, funny take to the genre, the Shondaland production quickly became a hit among viewers. Despite debuting in the second slot for the streaming platform’s “TV Top 10” list and receiving an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, the streaming network ultimately decided to nix the show. 

“Deadline,” which first reported the series cancellation, said the show’s high budget made renewal discussions tough. From its elaborate production design, which included one of the largest re-creations of the White House, to the star-studded cast, “The Residence” was an expensive project. 

While fans will no longer see Detective Cupp, they can find solace in knowing that the series was built as an anthology, so fans weren’t left with any painful cliffhangers. 

If you’ve ever had dreams of living like NBA superstar Michael Jordan, then boy, do we have news for you. Your dreams just got a little closer to actualizing and we’ve got all the details!

According to a brand new listing on Airbnb, fans of Jordan can rent out his former Chicago mansion, a home that’s had quite an interesting real estate journey for awhile now: As we previously told you, Jordan’s Highland Park mansion—arguably one of the most prized pieces of real estate in Chicago—had been on the market for over a decade and finally sold in Dec. 2024 for $9.5 million.

After the mansion got under new management, its owner decided to let fans have their moment and gave them an exclusive experience of the lavish home through a timeshare offer, as we made you aware of earlier this year.

Now, it looks like the home seven bedroom, 17.5 bathroom home has officially entered the Airbnb space for rent and trust us when we say, it’s got A LOT to offer. There is one tiny catch though: you have to stay for at least seven days and the price is pretty steep: About $15,000 a night.

But if you fancy yourself a baller, shot-caller, then keep reading to take a look!

Aerial View of the Property

The 32,000 square feet property boasts an indoor basketball court, putting green, pool, cigar lounge, wine cellar, a 14-car garage and more!

Back View

The sprawling backyard has an greenery peninsula of sorts that’s surrounded by a five-foot-deep pool, multiple patio seating areas and an outdoor kitchen!

Formal Living Room

Nothing says welcome to my not humble abode like this beautifully laid out living room!

Formal Dining Room

It wouldn’t be a luxurious house if it didn’t have a decent sized formal dining room. And don’t even get us started on that amazing table!

Kitchen

The recently renovated kitchen comes complete with a bar, separate coffee station, top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, a hidden fridge and an informal eating area attached.

Informal Living Room

 The informal living room comes with 20-foot ceilings, gas fireplace, sliding glass doors leading into the backyard, a massive television and plenty of seating!

Guest Suite

While we weren’t able to get a shot of the primary suite, the guest suite is the next best thing and comes with plenty of space to turn it into your visitor’s home away from home for a little while!

Wine Cellar

The custom built wine cellar includes stone floors and custom woodwork. The space holds up to 500 bottles in the temperature-controlled area.

Gym

The state-of-the-art home gym features every machine needed to put in a good, championship athlete-level work out.

Movie Room

 As part of the entertainment area, the movie room also shares space with billiards table, wet bars, bathroom, wine cellar cigar lounge and poker tables.

Basketball Court

It wouldn’t be Michael Jordan’s home without a dedicated area for basketball. And that’s exactly what you get in this basketball pavilion that has a seating are, ample parking out front, a full locker room, bathroom and a full-size court.

The Pool Pavilion

The gorgeously decorated pool pavilion has two full baths and two, three-car garages next to it.

Backyard Golf Course

Additional outdoor features include a pond, tennis court and putting green areas where you can enjoy the views or practice your swings—all from the comfort of your own backyard!

Venus Williams is unfortunately part of the thousands of Black women who have experienced neglect within the healthcare system. Recently, the tennis star opened up about the years of pain and grueling symptoms she experienced before doctors finally listened to her concerns. 

In an interview with “Today,” Williams opened up about the crippling pain that would often leave her “laying on the floor in the locker room” before matches and “hugging the toilet,” during her menstrual cycle. 

“It just got too bad, and I couldn’t handle it,” the seven-time tennis Grand Slam champion shared. “I’m sharing now because I was outraged that I didn’t know this was possible. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. No one should have to go through this.”

For years, Williams was led to believe that her symptoms were “normal” by doctors who never explained how large her fibroids were or the intense symptoms they caused, like pain, nausea, and persistent anemia from heavy periods, which led to repeated iron transfusions.

“I live with an autoimmune disease. So I thought maybe it was autoimmune anemia or something like that. But really it was what I was dealing with inside, which was fibroids,” she said, referencing her Sjögren’s syndrome diagnosis, which causes fatigue and swollen joints. 

“One doctor told me [when I was 37] … this is a part of aging. This is normal.” Another told her to get a hysterectomy. “I’ve never been so sad in my life,” she continued. “I had never been running to have kids but I always wanted to have a choice and to have that taken away is just frightening.”

With her symptoms ultimately impacting her ability to perform as an athlete, Williams explained how she “never had enough energy most times to play a real match the way [she] wanted to.”

It was not until she found NYU Langone Health Center for Fibroid Care led by Dr. Taraneh Shirazian, that the tennis star found relief and learned that her fibroids were as big as oranges after undergoing surgery to remove them. 

Fibroids are common noncancerous growths in and around the uterus that disproportionately impact Black women. The National Institute of Health reports that fibroids affect 80% of Black women before they turn 50, compared to 70% of white women in that demographic. And according to Williams’ doctor, Dr. Shirazian, women do not typically get the treatment they need. 

“Women do not get the care that they need for fibroid disease. To me, that’s the part that we should all be thinking about. World-class athlete, superstar. Has access to every doctor, every facility, every option,” the physician explained. “Women know their bodies. They will tell you how they feel. They will explain their symptoms. Really all we [doctors] have to do is listen.”

“I’ve been taking this time to rest and recover and live my life and be, you know, a happy person without fibroids…Hopefully someone will see this interview and say, ‘I can get help. I don’t have to live this way,’” Williams concluded.