AURN News

50 Cent is getting his revenge on his long-time rival Sean 'Diddy' Combs. He just had a bidding war with several streamers to air the docuseries he's producing on Diddy and his sexual assault lawsuits. I'm told 50 has been working on this series since Cassie Ventura first filed her lawsuit against Diddy last year.

I also hear he has paid good money for the folks you will see in the doc to tell their stories about Diddy. Well, Netflix won the bidding war, so I'm sure it's coming to a screen near you very soon. Stay tuned, you know everybody's gonna be watching this one.

SWAT team members raided singer and rapper Sean Kingston's Florida home and arrested his mother. Kingston's 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, was taken into custody on numerous fraud and theft charges. Now, this lawsuit, obtained by a local TV station, reveals a company by the name of Ver Ver Entertainment is accusing Kingston of using his celebrity status to scam companies.

Dennis Card, who is an attorney for Ver Ver and was standing outside of the home during the raid, told a local TV station that Sean puts on a big show.

"This is a rental house, he doesn't even own it. And he lures people using his celebrity into having them release things without having him pay for it and then he simply never pays," said Card.

Well, okay, but my question is, if it's Sean that's scamming people, why did they arrest his mother? Something smells a little bit like dead fish.

The red carpet is always a place for memorable moments. You know I know that one. But Kelly Rowland's made headlines as she appeared to furiously scold a security guard while walking the red carpet earlier this week at Cannes.

The Destiny's Child singer was attending the premiere of the French film "Marcello Mio". When she launched a verbal tirade against this guard. Apparently it had something to do with him being disrespectful in trying to to escort her in or out of the building. Mmm, I don't blame her.

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The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority upheld a Republican-held South Carolina congressional district, rejecting a lower-court ruling that found the district discriminated against Black voters. In dissent, liberal justices warned that the decision insulated states from claims of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. 

The 6-3 decision determined that South Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature acted appropriately during redistricting when it strengthened Rep. Nancy Mace’s hold on the coastal district by moving 30,000 Democratic-leaning Black residents of Charleston out of the district. 

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund criticized the ruling, stating, "The highest court in our land greenlit racial discrimination in South Carolina’s redistricting process."

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Closing arguments are underway in New York in the historic trial of former President Donald Trump, marking the first time a former U.S. president faces criminal charges in court.

Trump's lead attorney, Todd Blanche, started by arguing that the prosecution has not proven Trump's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt concerning falsified business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. The defense insists payments were for legal services, not to silence Daniels.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's team countered, claiming Trump was involved in a long-running conspiracy to influence the election illegally and conceal these payments. The jury of 12 will deliberate on 34 felony charges, which could lead to up to four years in prison if Trump is convicted.

The trial, which began with jury selection on April 15, featured testimony from Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels herself, with a total of 22 witnesses. Judge Juan Merchan will instruct the jury on the relevant laws and deliberation process, which is expected to start as early as Wednesday.

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the allocation of $26 million in funds to support fair housing efforts across the nation. Distributed through its Fair Housing Assistance Program, this noncompetitive funding is designed for state and local fair housing enforcement agencies to bolster investigations into discrimination complaints and conduct educational outreach programs.

Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman emphasized the critical role of partnerships in eradicating housing discrimination, underscoring the agency's commitment to upholding fair housing standards. The $26 million allotment for fiscal year 2024 will benefit 77 enforcement agencies, which will have collectively witnessed a 6 percent rise in case processing over the past year.

These funds will support the enforcement of fair housing laws and safeguard individuals against discrimination to ensure inclusive and just housing opportunities.

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Despite the recent marking of the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued a strong rebuke of the decision, arguing that the court overstepped its authority by banning racial segregation in schools. 

In a concurrence opinion allowing South Carolina to retain a congressional map alleged to discriminate against Black voters, Thomas criticized the Brown ruling for its "boundless view of equitable remedies" and the "extravagant uses of judicial power" to end segregation. He contended that federal courts possess limited power to grant equitable relief and should not invent new remedies.

This stance comes as American public schools are becoming increasingly segregated, disproportionately impacting Black and Latino students who face resource shortages.

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In Louisiana, the State House has passed a controversial bill criminalizing the possession of abortion pills without valid prescriptions, a move that could lead to fines, jail time, or both for those convicted.

The measures, supported by anti-abortion groups, have sparked concern among medical professionals and reproductive rights advocates.

This legislation, if approved, would classify Mifepristone and Mifepristol as controlled substances, despite medical and surgical abortions already being illegal in Louisiana, except in limited cases. 

With medication abortions comprising 63 percent of all terminations last year, the bill's implications are far-reaching. Medical professionals argue against the measure, highlighting the drug's vital roles beyond abortion care, including aiding labor, treating miscarriage, and preventing ulcers. 

Stay tuned as the bill heads back to the Senate for further deliberations.

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(AURN News) - Former President Donald Trump took his campaign to a Democratic stronghold this week, holding a rally in the South Bronx aimed at appealing to Black and Latino voters who have traditionally supported Democrats. In an unconventional move, Trump staged the event in the heart of the nation's poorest urban congressional district. The crowd featured a large number of people of color as the former president made his pitch for why he would better serve their communities than President Joe Biden.

"Our communities, especially poor, minority communities...let's make this clear. When I say poor, I mean, Black, white, Hispanic, Jewish, Asian, all of us are in this together," said Madeline Brame, whose son, Army veteran Sergeant Hason Correa, was murdered in 2018, in an impassioned speech. 

"This is not a Black issue. This is not a white issue... This is a human issue."

Brame was among several Black and Latino speakers Trump featured at the rally as he tried to make inroads with voters of color, who overwhelmingly backed Biden in 2020. Trump also portrayed himself as a champion of low-income Americans of all races.

"How many of you out there are lifelong Democrats who have walked away from the plantation of the Democratic Party and are now voting Republican because of the way that we were neglected and ignored and pushed to the side?" Brame asked the crowd.

Trump lost New York handily in his previous presidential run, but now his campaign is making an aggressive play for Black and Latino supporters, blasting Biden as having failed their communities after decades of Democratic policies.

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In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court issued a decision that reversed a federal trial court's unanimous finding that Congressional District 1 in South Carolina's 2022 map is unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. 

"CD1, as drawn, is racially discriminatory. Black voters were harmed in service of the majority party entrenching itself in power in CD1. To avoid that reality, the majority of the Supreme Court issued a disgraceful decision today."

That was Leah Aden with the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund (LDF) reacting to the decision in Alexander v. South Carolina. The LDF says the ruling disregards historical deference to trial court findings and increases the evidentiary burden for plaintiffs proving racial discrimination in voting.

The decision, they say, is a setback for Black voters, and effectively sanctions racial discrimination in South Carolina's redistricting, undermining Black voters' rights.

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President Joe Biden announced a significant milestone today with the confirmation of the 200th federal judge since he took office. The judges are exceptionally well-qualified and represent the most diverse group ever appointed by a president - 64 percent are women and 62 percent are people of color. 

Coming from varying legal backgrounds, including labor and civil rights law, they are united by their commitment to democracy's core principles: independence, freedom, and liberty. 

Judges play a crucial role, as many are seeing in our society, deciding on issues such as reproductive rights, voting access, workers' rights, and environmental protections. A diverse judiciary is essential for upholding the freedoms of all Americans.

President Biden expressed gratitude to Senate leaders from both parties for advancing these nominations and emphasized his administration's ongoing commitment to nominating individuals who reflect America's communities and uphold impartial justice.

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(AURN News) - In a White House press briefing this week, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre highlighted President Biden's success in appointing a more diverse federal judiciary, an issue of particular importance to the nation's Black community.

"We've confirmed more Black women to circuit courts than all previous presidents combined," Jean-Pierre stated with evident pride. Her remarks underscored the Biden administration's efforts to build a bench that better reflects America's racial makeup after decades of underrepresentation.

“One of the biggest priority of the President is nominating and confirming extraordinarily qualified men and women who are dedicated to our Constitution and who represent the diversity of America. Thanks to his hard work and our partnership with the Senate, we are at 200 judicial confirmations, which is monumental news for the rule of law and the American people,” she said.

The statistics are striking - more than 60% of Biden's judicial nominees have been women, and an equal percentage have been people of color. The Biden administration also made clear their policy priorities in the nomination process.

"These judges will rule on issues critical to fundamental freedoms: reproductive healthcare, the freedom to cast ballots, whether workers have the freedom to unionize, whether children have the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water,” Jean-Pierre said.

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