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Trump could lose his New York City Sky Scrapers any day now, but best believe this Black athlete has everything secured. Can you imagine living in a mansion not far from the Big Apple? For those in search of a waterfront castle an hour away from Manhattan, Derek Jeter’s Orange County property might be the home for you. — Candace McDuffie
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DALLAS (AP) — Southern Methodist University fired Rob Lanier after two seasons as its coach on Thursday, a day after the Mustangs ended their final season before moving into the basketball-rich Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Mustangs (20-13) lost 101-92 at Indiana State in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Wednesday night. They were 30-35 overall in their two seasons under Lanier, including a 16-20 record in American Athletic Conference games.
“Our focus now turns to finding a new leader as we prepare for the next era of SMU athletics in the ACC,” said Rick Hart, the school’s athletic director.
With SMU, Cal and Stanford all moving to the ACC next season, the league will have 18 basketball teams.
The Mustangs haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2017. That was only their third appearance since their last tourney win in 1988.
“The investments we have made in support of SMU basketball, combined with membership in the country’s preeminent college basketball conference, the value of an SMU degree, our location in the heart of Dallas, Texas, our championship-caliber facilities, the NIL opportunities available to our student-athletes and SMU’s commitment to comprehensive excellence position us to compete alongside the nation’s best programs,” Hart said.
Hart did thank Lanier and his staff for positive contributions to SMU, and said they operated with integrity and in the best interests of the university and its athletes.
Lanier had been Georgia State’s coach for three seasons and was coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022, which was 20 years after he took Siena to the tournament, when SMU hired him. He replaced Tim Jankovich, who retired after six seasons as the Mustangs head coach, and a coaching career of nearly four decades that included stints as an assistant for Hall of Fame coaches Larry Brown and Bill Self.
Jankovich had been promoted to succeed Brown, who in 2015 took the Mustangs to their first NCAA tourney since 1993.
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Disney+ dropped the highly-anticipated trailer for the upcoming season of “Doctor Who,” offering fans a glimpse into the time-traveling escapades of the Fifteenth Doctor portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa and his companion Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.
In the trailer, viewers are treated to a whirlwind journey through time and space aboard the iconic TARDIS, spanning from the groovy ‘60s to the Regency era in England and even glimpses of war-torn futures. Alongside Gatwa and Gibson, the trailer introduces audiences to new characters, including the Duchess portrayed by Indira Varma of “Game of Thrones” fame, and teases the appearance of Callie Cooke from “Henpocalypse!”
Adding to the excitement, the trailer showcases a star-studded lineup of guest stars, including Anita Dobson, Yasmin Finney, Michelle Greenidge, Bonnie Langford, Jinkx Monsoon, Jemma Redgrave, Lenny Rush, and Angela Wynter, promising thrilling encounters and unexpected twists throughout the upcoming season.
Mark your calendars, as the adventure begins on Friday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Disney+ in the U.S. and worldwide (excluding the U.K.), with the release of “The Church on Ruby Road” alongside two all-new episodes. For U.K. fans, the new season will premiere on BBC iPlayer on May 11 at midnight, followed by a broadcast on BBC One later that day, ensuring a simultaneous global launch. Subsequent episodes will drop on Disney+ on Fridays and BBC and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. on Saturdays.
Produced by Bad Wolf in collaboration with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC, “Doctor Who” promises a season filled with thrilling adventures, terrifying foes, and heart-stopping moments, all under the guidance of showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies. Joining Davies in the creative team are executive producers Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter.
Prepare for an unforgettable journey across time and space as the Doctor and Ruby Sunday encounter new friends, face dangerous enemies, and embark on the ultimate quest for truth and adventure.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James is not playing around when it comes to former President Donald Trump. The once powerful real estate mogul is now faced with $464 million judgment — which his attorneys say he is struggling to pay. Now, James is saying pay-up or your properties, including his prized golf course are on the line.
James has reportedly begun the process of of seizing Trump’s bank accounts and properties, including Trump National Golf, according to ABC News. This is hardly the first time; James has warned Trump that she’s serious about collecting the judgement. During an interview with ABC News, James said that her office was prepared to seize the notorious Trump building at 40 Wall Street if that’s what it took to get him to pay up.
“We are prepared to make sure that the judgment is paid to New Yorkers, and yes, I look at 40 Wall Street each and every day,” James said.
The building has served as a symbol of the real estate developer’s power in New York City — where he is now regarded by many as a social pariah. The possibility that it could be seized signals the definitive end of an era for the former New York society darling.
Trump has signaled that he plans to appeal the ruling. However, James has said that she is “very confident” that her case won’t be overturned on appeal.
At this point, there is obviously no love lost between James and Trump, who’ve been battling it out for the last four years. During her interview, James made it clear that Trump’s actions had serious consequences.
“Financial frauds are not victimless crimes. He engaged in this massive amount of fraud. It wasn’t just a simple mistake, a slight oversight; the variations are wildly exaggerated, and the extent of the fraud was staggering,” James told ABC News. “If average New Yorkers went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents.”
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Earlier this month, a federal court delivered yet another blow to government efforts to close the racial equity gap and better serve Black and brown communities.
The latest set back came by a ruling from Judge Mark Pittman that ordered the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to no longer consider race or ethnicity when deploying its services to U.S. small businesses.
“This is not one attack, but it’s a series of attacks on the measures that the federal government has put in place to remedy,” Patrice Willoughby, senior vice president of global policy and impact at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), told theGrio.
Using the same constitutional argument the U.S. Supreme Court used to overturn race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions last year, Pittman, appointed to the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas by former President Donald Trump, said MBDA’s qualification for “disadvantaged” business owners violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
In other words, the judge argued the agency violated the constitutional rights of white business owners.
“While the agency’s work may help alleviate opportunity gaps faced by MBEs (minority business owners), two wrongs do not make a right,” Pittman wrote in his ruling.
Elected officials and advocates are decrying the federal court ruling, blaming a movement led by conservatives and affirmed by Republican-appointed judges that is undoing decades-long efforts to right historic wrongs that have afflicted Black and brown communities. The MBDA ruling, proponents fear, could further exacerbate existing racial disparities in ownership and wealth.
“We should really look at these as the pushback against Black economic progress,” said Willoughby, a former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus. “It’s very clear that, because discrimination continues to exist, these programs are still needed.”
The mission of the Minority Business Development Agency is to promote the growth and competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses. MBDA provides minority business owners access to capital, contracts and consulting services. Ironically, the agency was established by Republican President Richard Nixon in 1969. Under President Joe Biden, a Democrat, it became a permanent agency under federal law that expanded its reach across the country.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told theGrio that Biden is “very proud” of signing into law a permanent government status for MBDA.
“We’ve seen 16 million applications that were started under this administration over the past three years, which is important,” the Biden spokesperson shared. “There was certainly a boost … with minority businesses starting their small businesses.”
Now that MBDA will be required by law to open its programs to white business owners, experts fear it would lead to already existing patterns of implicit or explicit racial bias and further exacerbate the racial wealth gap.
“What you will have is essentially people do business with people they like,” Willoughby explained. “They want to drive visibility for who is able to benefit underground so that there’s no oversight, no regulation, and there’s no assistance more broadly, with respect to DEI.”
Samantha Tweedy, CEO of the Black Economic Alliance, said the judge’s ruling would “result in an MBDA unable to support diverse business owners navigating an economic system that research shows is riddled with racial bias.”
“We know that is the goal of many who seek to claw back the pathways to economic progress open to the Black community,” said Tweedy, who called on Congress and the White House to “step in to protect the vital role of the MBDA.”
To date, “reverse racism” rulings that undo race-specific programs aimed at remedying racial disparities have hit college campuses, businesses, and even Black farmers. Conservative activists have largely filed these cases, including millionaire Edward Blum, who was behind the affirmative action case before the Supreme Court. Blum is also behind a pending lawsuit against the Black female-owned Fearless Fund, arguing that its program designed to boost funding for Black women entrepreneurs is discriminatory against white-owned businesses.
“You remove the legal framework that allows them to challenge discrimination,” Willoughby explained about the growing number of legal challenges against DEI. She said success in courts “emboldens the opponents of equity” and turns back the clock on racial progress.
“Essentially, [they] are trying to return America to what these opponents referred to as the good old days, but really were a white supremacist framework,” noted Willoughby, “which Black businesses and people of color really had very little access to the benefits of this country that other people have enjoyed.”
According to a February 2024 report by the Brookings Institution, while Black businesses saw consecutive growth between 2017 and 2021, the number of Black-owned employer firms remains disproportionate to the number of Blacks living in the United States. In 2021, Black Americans represented only 2.7% of employers despite making up 14.4% of the population. Closing that gap, the report argues, would boost the U.S. economy and create thousands more jobs.
Looking ahead at combating the legal setbacks on DEI-related programs, Willoughby told theGrio that policymakers, researchers and litigants will have to double down on data collection and advocacy. Proponents of DEI programs will have to make “better arguments in the courts” and “firmer justification for the existence of any remedy where race is a linked with disadvantage.”
“It’s going to become a lot more important to collect the data, to document the discrimination, and to prove that the disadvantage is directly linked to race,” she said.
The current legal setbacks also reflect the fact that elections have consequences. In addition to Pittman being appointed to his judgeship by Trump, so were the three Supreme Court justices who joined the majority to strike down race-based affirmative action.
“Now that court, which is hostile to issues involving race and racial remedies, will be in operation for the next decade,” Willoughby said.
“Voting is connected to Black progress,” she added. “Even if you are feeling disconnected, you still have to look at who has your interests at heart and vote with your pocketbook to identify the candidates that are going to shore up your participation in the economic system.”
Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White House Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C.
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Former La Vergne police officer Maegan Hall has reached a settlement of $500,000 in a lawsuit against the city, alleging she was subjected to sexual grooming and exploitation by male colleagues while on duty.
Hall’s lawsuit detailed disturbing allegations, including claims of engaging in sexual activities with multiple fellow officers, including performing oral sex on two officers while on duty and participating in a threesome with an officer and his wife.
According to her lawyer, Wesley Clark, Hall attributed her actions to a troubled marriage and a toxic culture within the police department that failed to support and mentor rookie officers like herself, instead subjecting her to objectification and exploitation.”
The La Vergne Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to authorize the mayor to sign a settlement agreement between the City of La Vergne and former police officer Maegan Hall,” a statement from the city confirmed.
The $500,000 settlement, to be paid by the city’s insurance provider, covers court costs, attorney fees, and other expenses related to the lawsuit, according to the New York Post.
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Coming out as pansexual didn’t just allow Wayne Brady to live his life openly and freely, it also introduced the entertainer to the modern dating world. And he was not ready for the onslaught that hit his DMs. While on the red carpet at the 35th GLAAD Media Awards, he explained how much things have changed for him. – Stephanie Holland Read More
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CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago voters have rejected a one-time real estate tax on properties over $1 million to pay for services for homeless people.
It’s a loss for first-term Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who championed the so-called “mansion tax.”
The proposal would have incrementally raised the city’s real estate transfer tax on properties valued at more than $1 million. Supporters estimated it would have generated $100 million annually for homeless services, including for mental health care. There are roughly 68,000 homeless people in Chicago on any given night.
The measure also pitched lowering the transfer tax on properties under $1 million, which represents the vast majority of home sales in the nation’s third-largest city.
Opponents, including real estate groups, argued the tax unfairly targets commercial properties and business as downtown is still rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic. They initially won their lawsuit targeting the measure on constitutional grounds, but it was overturned by an appeals court. The Illinois Supreme Court declined their motion for an appeal.
Voters in cities including Los Angeles and Santa Fe, New Mexico, have approved similar measures.
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A group of 24 members of Congress, led by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY–14), Rob Menendez (NJ–8), and Adriano Espaillat (NY–13), penned a letter urging the Biden administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ecuadorians residing in the United States. The letter highlights the escalating violence in Ecuador, emphasizing the urgent need for protection for Ecuadorian immigrants.
Ecuador has witnessed a concerning surge in violence over the past couple of years, with a drastic increase in violent deaths between 2022 and 2023. President Daniel Noboa declared the nation to be in an “internal armed conflict,” as armed groups continue to pose threats to various sectors of society, including the press, medical institutions, community leaders, and the public at large.
“While the Biden Administration has extended assistance to the Ecuadorian Government, this does not adequately address the plight of over 450,000 Ecuadorian immigrants residing in the United States,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter.
Additionally, Ecuador has emerged as the second-highest source country for asylum seekers in New York City since 2022, underscoring the pressing need for protective measures.
The letter further emphasizes the challenges faced by Ecuadorian immigrants, many of whom are currently in removal proceedings and face imminent deportation despite fleeing insecurity in their home country. A TPS designation would provide relief to numerous individuals within the Ecuadorian community, allowing families to remain together and granting eligibility for work authorization to support themselves.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and a cohort of representatives from various states joined in co-signing the letter, amplifying the call for action. Their efforts aim to shield Ecuadorian immigrants from deportation to a conflict-ridden zone and ensure their safety and well-being in the United States.
In response to the initiative, several endorsing organizations have voiced their support. New York City Mayor Eric Adams stressed the importance of TPS designation for Ecuadorians, highlighting the valuable contributions they make to local communities. Vicente Mayorga, Immigration Organizer at Make the Road New York, emphasized the necessity of protecting Ecuadorian immigrants from separation and deportation, advocating for permanent protections for all immigrants.
Antonio Arizaga, President of Frente Unido de Inmigrantes Ecuatorianos, expressed gratitude for the congressional support, emphasizing the significant contributions of Ecuadorians to the United States’ development. Similarly, Walther Sinchi, President of Alianza Ecuatoriana, underscored the vital role of TPS in providing Ecuadorians with opportunities for decent work and protection while contributing to the nation’s economy.
The collective efforts of lawmakers and endorsing organizations reflect a unified call to prioritize the safety and well-being of Ecuadorian immigrants, urging swift action from the Biden administration to grant TPS designation and provide essential protections to this vulnerable community.
The full text of the letter can be accessed here.
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As much as we love modern television, one of the elements we miss most from the classics is theme songs. New shows want to use that extra 90 seconds on stories, so you don’t get a catchy intro. However, the best themes never go out of style, so we’re flashing back to the good old days with a round up of our favorite Black TV theme songs.
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