Articles by Madison Gray
Pete Buttigieg addresses low support among Black voters as primary season looms
Democratic presidential candidate South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at a culinary workers union hall Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says his low polling numbers among African American voters have also been experienced by Black candidates themselves when addressing why he doesn’t seem to be connecting with the Black electorate.
Study suggests discrimination causes early aging for Black people
Although the saying “Black don’t crack” is popular, a new study says discrimination could be a cause of premature aging in African Americans. The research, published in the medical journal Health Psychology found that Black people who said they were discriminated against over a 10-year period showed evidence of more rapidly aging cells, The Hill reported. Scientists say that the shortening of DNA sequences called telomeres which prevent chromosomes from deteriorating is behind it all.
Supreme Court clears way for lawsuit in Flint Water Crisis
(Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) The Supreme Court has allowed residents of Flint, Mich., which has been plagued with a tainted water supply for the past several years can move forward with a lawsuit against state and local governmental officials. According to NPR, the officials in both Flint and the state of Michigan have long argued that they should be immune from litigation in the crisis. Lower courts, however, disagreed and the case moved on to the high court.
'Insecure' actor Kendrick Sampson says he's backing Bernie Sanders for president
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has won another celebrity endorsement as the race heads into the competitive primary season, and it’s one that may have more African Americans take notice. Kendrick Sampson, best known for his roles on Issa Rae’s Insecure, The Vampire Diaries and How to Get Away With Murder, announced in a video Friday that he’s backing Sanders because the Vermont Senator’s platform fits with his own activism.
April trial set for Cuba Gooding Jr. in bar groping case
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. arrives at the New York Police Department's Special Victim's Unit, Thursday, June 13, 2019 to face allegations he groped a woman at a city night spot. A 29-year-old woman told police the 51-year-old Gooding grabbed her breast while he was intoxicated around 11:15 p.m. Sunday. Gooding denies the allegations.
California housing crisis: Oakland moms evicted by deputies
Sharena Thomas, left, Carroll Fife, center, Dominique Walker, second from right, and Tolani KIng, right, stand outside a vacant home they took over on Magnolia Street in West Oakland, Calif. (Kate Wolffe/KQED via AP, File) OAKLAND, Calif.
'Year of Return' movement beckons Blacks back to Africa prompting powerful cultural and economic exchange
Cape Coast Castle on the Gulf of Guinea in Cape Coast, Ghana. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Centuries ago, when the first Africans were taken from their native shores to various points in the Western Hemisphere, the overwhelming majority were destined never to see their homes again. In 1619, a slave ship landed at the settlement in Jamestown, Va., which marked what is seen as the beginning of the slave trade in America.
After punching UFC title challenger in the MAGA, Kamaru Usman says it's about being American
Kamaru Usman hits Colby Covington in a mixed martial arts welterweight championship bout at UFC 245, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) While UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington was nursing his broken jaw after his matchup against champion Kamaru Usman, a patriotic moment took place — and it wasn’t the MAGA triumph that Covington had hoped for. “I’ve said it time and time again: I’m more American than him. I am what it means to be an American.
Jordan Peele brings Al Pacino to the small screen for a thriller about Nazi hunters
Jordan Peele (L), Al Pacino (Getty Images) What happens when you team up Jordan Peele, one of the most talked-about Black directors of the past few years, with Al Pacino, one of the greatest actors of all time?
Is Floyd Mayweather hinting at another comeback, or is it just hype?
Boxer Floyd Mayweather looks on from the sidelines of a game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Floyd Mayweather apparently just can’t get enough.
Feds say Chicago drug gang leader tried to graduate from the streets to ISIS
demonstrators chant pro-Islamic State group, slogans as they carry the group's flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. (AP) Federal authorities say the alleged leader of a Chicago area gang known for drug trafficking who appeared before a judge Thursday in a detention hearing, provided material support to terrorist group ISIS.
Reporter jailed after being caught recording trial, against court rules
A television reporter in Arkansas was ordered to serve three days behind bars for violating orders against recording a hearing in a murder case, but released just a few hours after her sentence began. According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Nkiruka Azuka Omeronye, a reporter for Rogers, Ark., station KNWA was found in contempt of court after she admitted to recording the Oct. 7 proceedings in the capital murder case of Mauricio Torres.
Why a Texas man disappeared for three years only to be found dead in his apartment
Ronald Wayne White (WFAA-TV) Doris Stevens was used to getting a call from her son Ronald Wayne White at least twice a month. The U.S. Navy veteran, who worked for a defense contractor and traveled frequently, would often contact his mother from wherever he was in the world. But the last time she spoke with him was in 2016 and when she called him on his birthday the following year, she knew something was wrong. Tragically it turns out White was found in his DeSoto, Tex., apartment last week.
BREAKING: Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years for shooting death of Botham Jean
Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer who was convicted of murdering Botham Jean, her upstairs neighbor who she shot to death when she entered it, thinking it was her apartment and that he was a burglar was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday. The jury of 10 nonwhites and 2 whites came up with the sentence after about 90 minutes of deliberating. They rejected the “sudden passion” defense, which suggested there was a heavy emotional circumstance rather than premeditation.
The Central Park Five: 5 attorneys explain why the prosecution's disgraceful case should be reviewed
As Ava DuVernay‘s Netflix series, When They See Us gains traction and brings back discussion of the Central Park Five case, the focus has mostly been on what happened back then to the five teen boys who were wrongfully convicted of a horrible 1989 rape and systematically railroaded by a crooked criminal justice system that saw five Black scapegoats instead of innocent young men.
The Central Park Five Case: Where the racist cops and prosecutors are now
Back in 1989, the Big Apple was an open, bubbly pot of hell … April 19, 1989 was the height of the crack epidemic and the city was a hotbed of violence. In the first half of the year, 837 murders were reported, as were 1,600 rapes, more than 43,000 robberies and 34,000 assaults, according to The New York Times. By today’s comparison so far in 2019, according to NYPD CompStat data, there have been 103 murders, 706 rapes, 4,400 robberies and 7,400 felony assaults.
The Amazing Life of Nipsey Hussle: 5 Facts you need to know
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 24: Nipsey Hussle performs onstage at Live! Red! Ready! Pre-Show, sponsored by Nissan, at the 2018 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
BREAKING: R. Kelly charged with criminal sexual abuse, report says
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images BREAKING NEWS: R. Kelly, the embattled R&B singer who has been dogged by allegations of sexually abusing underaged girls for years has been charged with 10 counts of criminal sexual abuse, TMZ reported Friday. This story will update…
Surprise! Black Panther Ryan Coogler and wife Zinzi Evans are expecting
As far as whether the couple, who have been together since their college years, is expecting either a boy or a girl, that’s yet to be determined, however, Coogler says he is definitely #TeamGirl all the way. After creating strong female leads to represent the women of Wakanda, Ryan is all for females being the future, pointing out that his earliest desires for a daughter started during his 2013 work on the emotionally-driven Fruitvale Station: “I found I want daughters real, real bad. Like plural.
Tone deaf story by 'Inside Edition' on NYC subway fare jumpers draws critics
A New York city policeman patrols an empty subway station. (Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images) Advocacy organizations and subway riders in New York are pointing a finger at TV’s Inside Edition for a report that outed subway fare beaters, but did not dig deeper into why they might be skipping the fare. The Inside Edition piece pointed out people who jump the turnstile cost New York City $215 million last year.
Michelle Obama's mom asks if she met any 'real stars' at the Grammys
First lady Michelle Obama (L) applauds with her mother Marian Robinson (R) during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rep. Omar apologizes for tweets about support for Israel
Democrat Ilhan Omar, the nation's first Somali-American legislator (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Freshman Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar has “unequivocally” apologized for tweets suggesting that members of Congress support Israel because they are being paid to do so, which drew bipartisan criticism and a rebuke from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Minnesota Democrat said she had no intention of offending anyone, including Jewish Americans.
Philly cop caught on video pummeling Black woman despite her warning about asthma condition
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The video felt familiar even if the people on it were different: a young Black woman being taken to the ground by a Philadelphia police officer, even as she screamed for him to get off of her because of her asthma.
Trump: NFL people thankful he signed criminal justice bill
President Donald Trump listens to a questions as he speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Mississippi for rallies. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump claimed that “a lot of people” from the have been calling and thanking him for signing legislation addressing concerns with the criminal justice system.
White supremacist who sought 'race war' pleads guilty to NYC sword killing
James Jackson, using crutches, is escorted into criminal court, Wednesday Jan. 23, 2019 in New York. Jackson, a white supremacist, pled guilty Wednesday, to killing a black man with a sword as part of a racist plot that prosecutors described as a hate crime. He faces life in prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 13.
Tentative deal reached to end Los Angeles teachers strike
Actor, musician and activist, Steven Van Zandt, center, supports striking teachers on the picket in front of Hamilton High School in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. School administrators urged the union to resume bargaining as tens of thousands of teachers planned to walk picket lines for a third day Wednesday.
Black and Hispanic Youth targeted with overwhelming amount of fast food advertising
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images) If you are young, Black and downing lots of fast food, you are behaving in just the way that fast food companies would like – that’s the take from a new report released Tuesday that shows the largest companies devoted nearly all of their marketing budgets toward drawing in African American and Hispanic youth consumers.
Denver unveils new system for clearing marijuana convictions
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock addresses the media during a news conference in Denver. .AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) DENVER (AP) — Denver on Wednesday became the latest city in the nation to take steps to eliminate low-level marijuana convictions in places where the drug is now legal, acknowledging the barriers that such offenses pose to minority, low-income and other people.
Brazil's Bolsonaro targets minorities on 1st day in office
Supporters display a giant banner with the likeness of Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro, during his inauguration in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.
Shaquille O'Neal's UCLA basketball standout son undergoes heart surgery
Shareef O'Neal (YouTube) Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shareef, underwent heart surgery on Thursday to correct an irregularity that forced him to miss the 2018 UCLA basketball season. As reported by TMZ Sports, the 18-year-old learned about his heart condition during a routine checkup with team doctors earlier this year.
L.A. County seeking ways to reduce number of incarcerated pregnant youth
(Photo: Fotolia/Zffoto) Los Angeles County is exploring various strategies to reduce and end the incarceration of pregnant youth and one way the Board of Supervisors intends to do so is by approving a motion proposed by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and co-authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Improving their care is a matter of reproductive justice,” reads the board motion.
Ciara is taking Future to court over visitation with their son
For years, Ciara and Future have had at times a very messy, ugly, and public feud that followed their breakup. While the open sniping and disrespectful statements from Future has calmed in recent years, the bickering and pettiness surrounding how they deal with their 4-year-old son, Future Jr., has taken its toll on her and she appears to have had enough.
Jury recommends life in prison for man who rammed crowd
James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio poses for a mugshot a (Photo by Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via Getty Images); The silver Dodge Charger driven by James Alex Fields Jr. passes near the Market Street Parking Garage moments after driving into a crowd of counter-protesters on Water Street on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Could growing weed change the fortunes of one African nation?
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Lesotho, one of Africa’s poorest nations, now has a portal for an economic rebound through marijuana. The country was the first on the continent to legalize the process of cultivating and selling medicinal cannabis last year, and now growers are seeing opportunity, the BBC reports.
dennis martinez
Fotolia The sentencing of a New York man who killed his brother has enraged the victim’s family after he was given a 10-year sentence for the crime that he first blamed on imaginary black men, the New York Daily News reports. Dennis Martinez begged the court for mercy after he killed his 36-year-old brother, Jorge Montanez. He asked Bronx Supreme Court Judge Lester Adler to give him “the lowest possible time that you can,” saying that he regrets committing the heinous crime.
Tyrese Gibson gets a partial win against ex-wife in child support case, but there's a catch
(Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images) Tyrese Gibson won a bit of his child support battle against his ex-wife Norma who had been living her best life and running up daycare bills at his expense, TMZ reports.
Michigan's governor-elect quickly lays out plans for her new administration
Michigan Gov.-elect Democrat Gretchen Whitmer is willing to work across the aisle with the Republican-controlled Legislature and offered an encouraging outlook for the next four years in the governor’s mansion, the Detroit Free Press reports. She will also bring to the state capitol the Michigan’s first African American lieutentant governor, Garlin Gilchrist II, a Detroit-born activist, who served as a social media manager for President Obama‘s campaign in 2008.
Not so "epic" wedding photos taken in Congo ignore the country's real plight
A white couple who showed off their wedding photos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year, are dealing with backlash after the viral photos resurfaced have caused a stir, and have not turned out to be not as “epic” as they anticipated.
Pipe bombs aimed at several Trump political targets alarms nation at highly divisive time
Authorities have intercepted several suspicious packages that were sent to left-leaning, centrist or Democratic political figures as well as two media outlets on Wednesday, prompting nationwide alarm in a divisive political climate that some say is the reason for the threats. Crude pipe bombs were addressed to the home addresses of former president Barack Obama, and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Black man blocked by white woman from apartment: She brought firing on herself
READ MORE: Pres. Barack Obama isn’t trying to hear people’s weak excuses for not voting “She did what she did to herself, I really don’t have much to say about her and her work life,” Toles told CBS affiliate KMOV4. Toles had just come home from working late last Friday, and tried to enter his apartment but was blocked by Hilary Thornton (who also uses the name Hillary Brooke Mueller), reports the New York Times, who didn’t believe he belonged there.
Black Men Give Their “Take on America” in Latest PBS Special
In 2015, Baltimore was ground zero for anti-police violence rage against when resident Freddie Gray died in police custody after sustaining several injuries. But the city was no stranger to a focus on what was happening on the street level there. The HBO series The Wire put the city on the map when it came to an intersection of poverty, disfranchisement, the war on drugs and interactions with law enforcement.
Promoter behind Fyre Festival gets jail for the #superfail
Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland who is accused of defrauding investors and attendees out of millions of dollars was sentenced to six years in prison for the disastrous music festival debacle, Vulture reports. READ MORE: 50 Cent inks megadeal with Starz on the strength of ‘Power’ success McFarland, 26, was accused of scamming people out of $26 million and selling bogus tickets. Prosecutors wanted him to serve 20 years behind bars.
BREAKING: Manhattan DA drops part of Weinstein case
Manhattan’s district attorney has dropped part of the criminal case against Harvey Weinstein. The development was announced in court Thursday with Weinstein looking on. A judge agreed to dismiss allegations by one of three accusers in the case, Lucia Evans.
Back-to-back temblors have some Haitians sleeping outside
PORT-DE-PAIX, Haiti (AP) — For some Haitians fearing new aftershocks, the best place to spend the night is under a tree. The one-two punch of a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in northern Haiti on Saturday that destroyed houses and killed at least 12 people followed by a strong 5.2 magnitude aftershock on Sunday has residents worried about returning to their cracked cinderblock homes for fear they will collapse.
No Columbus Day in Columbus: City to honor veterans instead
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The largest city named for Christopher Columbus has called off its observance of the divisive holiday that honors the explorer, making a savvy move to tie the switch to a politically safe demographic: veterans. Ohio’s capital city, population 860,000, will be open for business Monday after observing Columbus Day probably “for as long as it had been in existence,” said Robin Davis, a spokeswoman for Democratic Mayor Andrew Ginther.
In Iowa debut, Booker tells Dems to turn despair into action
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker urged Democrats disappointed by Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to turn their despair into action as he made his national debut in Iowa as a Democratic presidential prospect. Racing from Saturday afternoon’s Senate confirmation vote in Washington, Booker breezed into the Iowa Democratic Party’s top fall fundraiser to try to make a positive impression on roughly 1,000 party activists.
Trump fudges history on black vote, drug cost
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing pivotal November elections, President Donald Trump is misrepresenting the history of African-American voting and exaggerating his influence in boosting income and controlling prescription drug prices. He laments in campaign speeches on behalf of Republican candidates that blacks’ support for Democrats had become “habit,” having voted for them “for 100 years,” and insists his administration’s policies are changing that.
The K2 corner: Why a toxic drug persists in Brooklyn
The scene is strikingly familiar every time it breaks out, like an episode of The Walking Dead. On Saturday in Brooklyn, police received a call about several men lying on the ground, apparently suffering from drug overdoses, and took five of them to the hospital for treatment. In May, dozens of people were found slumped on the streets and sidewalks near the same spot, suffering from overdoses. In an earlier episode, in 2016, authorities put the victim count at 130.
The K2 Corner: Why a Toxic Drug Persists in Brooklyn
Dealers are selling faux marijuana made with unpredictable chemicals, making people sick. The problem is rooted in larger social ills, activists say The scene is strikingly familiar every time it breaks out, like an episode of The Walking Dead. On Saturday in Brooklyn, police received a call about several men lying on the ground, apparently suffering from drug overdoses, and took five of them to the hospital for treatment.
Bey and Jay giving all the feels in her birthday photos from Sardinia
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are giving us the warm and fuzzies by releasing intimate photos from her birthday celebration in Sardinia. Mrs. Carter turned 37 on Tuesday and she and Jay are showing us “Everything is Love” in these images shot in Sardinia, a resort island off the coast of Italy, where the lovebirds are vacationing. One photo shows Jay kissing the crown of Bey’s head as they walk on a pier overlooking the water.
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