Current Events
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Tyler Perry pointed out insurance companies’ failure to cover people who lost their homes in the wildfires in Los Angeles on social media.
As firefighters struggle to eradicate the wildfires plaguing Los Angeles since last week, many have pointed out how the insurance companies have opted not to cover those homeowners who’ve lost their homes. Filmmaker Tyler Perry joined those voices, expressing his anger at those companies in a social media post on Sunday (January 12). He began his post on Instagram by detailing one situation from the fires he saw first-hand. “Watching a daughter use a garden hose to try and protect her 90-year-old parents’ home because their insurance was canceled was just gut-wrenching to me,” he began.
The creator behind the popular “Madea” character continued: “Does anyone else find it appalling that insurance companies can take billions of dollars out of communities for years and then, all of a sudden, be allowed to cancel millions of policies for the very people they became rich on? People who have paid premiums all of their lives are left with nothing because of pure greed.”
He ended by declaring his intent to further support the communities affected by the fires. “As I am in the process of trying to figure out what steps to take to do all I can to help as many as I can, I am keeping everyone in my prayers,” Perry said.
The five wildfires that have sprung up, with the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires being the most devastating, have forced the evacuation of over 100,000 from their homes. There are an estimated 1,626 homes in the Pacific Palisades that are without insurance after State Farm General announced it wouldn’t renew 30,000 policies in the state after they expired, blaming inflation and costs related to catastrophe exposure.
Other companies such as Allstate, Tokio Marine America Insurance Co., and the Trans-Pacific Insurance Co. also stopped providing home insurance policies. As other neighborhoods such as the historically Black middle-class community of Altadena are severely affected, the state is working to estimate the costs of the damage, which J.P. Morgan Chase analysts claim could be over $10 billion. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement addressing the homeowner insurance issue that “Californians deserve a reliable insurance market that doesn’t retreat from communities most vulnerable to wildfires and climate change.” There have been no recent comments from his office.
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The wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County in California have devastated homes and misplaced longtime residents as firefighters battle the blazes. The community of Altadena, which has a significant number of Black residents, is suffering from the damages of the wildfires as they forge a path forward.
Several outlets have covered the damage from the wildfires in Altadena and the town of Pasadena, including Pasadena Star-News and CBS News. The Eaton fire has damaged around 4,000 structures according to the Star-News, adding that 18 percent of Altadena’s residents are Black along with 7 percent of Pasadena residents.
“This will (displace) a lot of Black people, said Sheila Foster, who lost homes in both Altadena and Pasadena. “Some of them are elderly, some were barely holding on before the fire, trying to keep their property because it was going down from generation to generation up here.”
As seen in Yahoo! News by way of TheGrio, the Eaton fire is among four blazes which include the Palisades fires, and as seen both burning over 30,000 acres of land and over 10,000 structures total. There is a multinational effort made by firefighters from the north in Canada and to the South in Mexico. This is especially interesting to note considering the aggressive tone towards the named countries from President-elect Donald Trump.
On X, formerly Twitter, some are mentioning the devastation endured by the residents of Altadena and Pasadena, while also noting efforts of spectacular scope are being made to support those displaced by the blazes. Those reactions can be viewed below.
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Photo: Getty
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Kid Cudi is one of the many individuals impacted by Los Angeles wildfires. He has revealed he has evacuated his home and urges anyone in peril to do the same.
As spotted on Rap-Up Magazine Kid Cudi has spoken up amidst the natural disaster that is ravaging Southern California. On Thursday, Jan, 9 he took to Instagram and shared some updates and recommendations. “Hey, guys, [I] had to evacuate my crib. I’m safe [with] my loved ones,” he wrote. “For all the folks who lost their homes [and] people that are dealing with this, my heart hurts for you, and I am praying for us all.” He went to send his regards to any one who lives in the surrounding area. “Hey, guys, [I] had to evacuate my crib. I’m safe [with] my loved ones,” Cudi explained. “For all the folks who lost their homes [and] people that are dealing with this, my heart hurts for you, and I am praying for us all.”
Ok yall. I think my time is done on twitter. If u wanna stay connected to me Ill have my ig, Ill keep yall updated thru my stories but I wont be posting much on there either. Just projects and things I got goin on will be posted by my team. Ive been thinkin, I see too much…
— The Chosen One (@KiDCuDi) December 20, 2024
This is the first time the world has heard from Kid Cudi since late 2024. On Dec. 19 he shared list last post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Ok yall. I think my time is done on twitter. If u wanna stay connected to me I’ll have my ig, I’ll keep yall updated thru my stories but I wont be posting much on there either. Just projects and things I got goin on will be posted by my team. Ive been thinkin, I see too much bullshit on here and life is much cooler being disconnected” the caption read.
According to CNN the Los Angeles wildfires have taken the lives of 11 individuals and have displaced over 100,000 people.
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Source: Earl Gibson III / Getty / DJ Akademiks
Drake’s loudest cheerleader, DJ Akademiks, made bold claims about LeBron James from his gaming chair.
The podcaster and internet personality now alleges that LeBron James stepped out on his long-time wife, Savannah James, and he claims Drake helped him do it.
In a bizarre rant from his streaming room, Akademiks lobbed many unconfirmed allegations against the 4-time NBA champion, accusing him of engaging in “two-man” experiences where the two would engage in sex with the same woman whenever he was in Toronto.
Through his unconfirmed sources in Toronto, Akademiks claims that Drizzy supplied the Los Angeles Laker superstar with so many white women that Dr. Umar would be upset.
Per Complex:
Yo LeBron, I talked to enough whores in Canada. I’ve talked to enough people maybe Drake will keep teasing it let me just tell you what I’ve heard,” said Ak. “Yo LeBron, you and Drake used to go on two-mans ok? You’ve been cheating on your God damned wife. Drake used to facilitate the hoes and basically, essentially you can’t dance to a song about him being a pedophile.He used to supply you with the bitches, I’m sorry my n***a.”
He continued, “If I’m Drake I’ll snitch on you too. Sorry buddy you can’t do that. No. You’ve been living a lie, and everybody been thinking you’re this perfect guy. But when you come to Canada, I know some of the whores. When you come to Canada you come to certain places. ‘I’m supplying you with the white women you love. You don’t even like Black chicks, white women. I’m the guy.’”
Akademiks, who was accused of rape and defamation by an ex-girlfriend, added that Drake and James “all like the same smuts.” He continued that his favorite rapper is taking subliminal shots at Bron because he should have stayed out of Drizzy’s beef with Kendrick Lamar and never attended the Pop Out concern,t knowing Drake knew all of his alleged extramarital affairs.
Dj Akademiks goes off on LeBron James for cheating in his wife with the white girls from Toronto . You should be trying to win a chip with lakers instead of singing the Kendrick Lamar song calling Drake a pedo . He’s stopping yes Julz from exposing you pic.twitter.com/pcAAlKp5aU
— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Chatnigga101) January 11, 2025
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Influencer and media entrepreneur YesJulz, who has been accused of being James’ “sidechick” for years, clapped back at a user on X, formerly Twitter, who accused her of not reading the room. She referenced lines from the “Fighting Irish Freestyle,” where Drake allegedly took shots at the pro-hooper.
“You really think I give af about ya’lls baseless rumors? Bron is my fav player, and I will always celebrate his wins!” she responded.
Social media has also been chiming in, calling Akademiks a snitch and the ultimate Drake glazer.
Akademiks right now pic.twitter.com/PBM4nxEyRX
— Comment King👑 (@RicanBoiKev) January 11, 2025
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You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Kendrick Lamar foresaw it.
2. They damn sure do
5. Hate to see it
6. Jump on a grenade for him too.
12. Hmmmmm
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Source: Variety / Getty / Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss / Allison Holker
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ mother entered the chat after social media and other family members came for Boss’ widow, Allison Holker.
To combat the criticism she is currently facing after revealing her late husband’s alleged battle with drug use, Holker took to her Instagram Stories to explain why she decided to reveal her late husband’s alleged battles with drug addiction.
In a statement, she said she was only doing what she believed Boss would have wanted if that meant helping others. Her statement came after Boss’ mother broke her silence on the matter.
On January 8, Holker responded to the backlash she faced as she promoted her memoir This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light.
“To fans of Stephen and our family and friends, I want to be clear that my only intention in writing the book is to share my own story as well as part of my life with Stephen to help other people,” she wrote in her Instagram Stories. “Just like you, I never really knew what happened, and even as I am trying to put the pieces together I will never really know.”
She continued, “If you decide to read the book, hopefully you’ll see my intention is to celebrate the love and life I shared with Stephen and our three beautiful children, and also the more complex aspects of both of our lives. I hope that by sharing our full story that maybe I can help someone else who might see themselves or a loved one in Stephen.”
Boss’s family and friends, including his brothers and cousin, criticized Holker on social media, and now his mother, Connie Boss Alexander, is breaking her silence on the matter.
Per Blavity:
“Our family is absolutely appalled by the misleading and hurtful claims made about my son, Stephen Boss,” Boss’ mother Connie wrote. “The recent publications spreading untruths about Stephen have crossed every line of decency. As his mother, I will not let these accusations go unanswered. We will not stand by while his name and legacy are tarnished. He doesn’t deserve this, and the kids don’t deserve this.”
She added, “For the last two years, I have remained quiet and away from the public eye to protect my family. My primary focus has been on healing and attempting to remain connected to my grandchildren. But when I read these dreadful claims about my baby, our beloved Stephen, I realized I could not stay silent any longer. Our family will ensure his name and memory are protected, and we are committed to defending his honor.”
We hope this situation works out for all parties involved.
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Source: Fulton County Jail / Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
President-elect Donald Trump was officially sentenced in federal court to an unconditional discharge in New York, after the Supreme Court denied his last-ditch appeal.
On Friday morning (Jan. 10), Donald Trump became the first person to officially be a convicted felon who will serve as president of the United States. The president-elect was sentenced to an unconditional discharge by the U.S. District Court Judge Juan Merchan in New York City, having lost his emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in a decision on Thursday night (Jan. 9). The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to deny Trump’s appeal, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson composing the majority vote.
Trump and his lawyer, Todd Blanche, virtually attended the sentencing from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, reiterated the details of the conviction that Trump received last May in the “hush money” trial. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to hide their affair. Steinglass blasted Trump for his stream of attacks, saying that he deems himself above the law. “This defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the criminal justice system and has placed officers of the court in harm’s way,” Steinglass stated.
Trump was allowed to speak, and as expected, he claimed he was unfairly convicted in a rambling speech for 10 minutes. “This has been a very terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback for the system and New York,” he began. He would go on to say that his winning the presidential election showed the conviction was unjust. “I was treated very, very unfairly, and I thank you very much,” he concluded. Judge Merchan then began to speak, laying out the reasons for his decision citing the “unique and remarkable set of circumstances.”
The judge noted that “Donald Trump the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump the criminal defendant” would not have had the same punishment and reminded him that his upcoming presidential term shielded him from the more serious consequences, which made Trump visibly wince according to reporting from the courtroom. He then issued the sentence of an unconditional discharge, meaning that Trump would not receive jail time or be fined, and wished him “Godspeed” before concluding the hearing.
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Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
Footage of former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump in conversation at the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter set social media buzzing, wondering about what took place.
On Thursday (January 9), the state funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter took place at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. As befitting the occasion, all of the former living presidents were in attendance including President-elect Donald Trump, who sat next to former President Barack Obama in the first two rows at the cathedral. Trump being near Obama caught the attention of many who tuned in to the broadcast of the funeral.
Obama and Trump yucking it up at Carter’s funeral pic.twitter.com/pRI24CnalF
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) January 9, 2025
Observers noted that the two were cordial, with Obama listening to Trump and even cracking a smile here and there. It was a sight, considering the two have been publicly at odds with each other. In last year’s presidential campaign, when Obama was stumping for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, he famously attacked Trump in speeches at her rallies. Others noticed that former First Lady Michelle Obama was not at the service, while former First Lady Melania Trump sat to her husband’s left, visibly in a mood. Representatives for Mrs. Obama sent a statement saying: “Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former president.” They confirmed that she is in Hawai’i on an extended vacation, but did not offer insight on if she would be back to attend Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
The scene had many on social media in heightened conversation, with some belittling Obama for being cordial. Many more praised Obama for being the person deflecting Trump’s attention from everyone else who visibly did not want to speak to him – the most glaring example came as Trump greeted his former Vice President, Mike Pence, and his wife Karen Pence didn’t even move to greet him. Trump had attacked Pence in the hours before the January 6th attack on the Capitol building four years ago, where rioters had planned to hang Pence. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the “Wu-Tang Is For The Children” account noted how former President George W. Bush gave Obama a familial “belly tap” as he passed by to sit down next to him with former First Lady Laura Bush.
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Source: MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images / Getty
Donald Trump attacked California Governor Gavin Newsom, blaming him for the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles and demanding he step down.
As the nation is gripped by scenes of the deadly wildfires plaguing Los Angeles over the past few days, President-elect Donald Trump’s ire is reserved for California Governor Gavin Newsom. In a late-night post on his Truth Social platform, Trump took to his usual tactic of attack in using a derogatory nickname for the governor: “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
In a follow-up post earlier that evening, Trump alleged that Newsom’s policy of protecting the delta smelt, a small fish on the endangered species list, was a cause of restricting water flow. “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” he wrote. Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s director of communications, refuted that claim: “There is no such document as the water restoration declaration, that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need.”
Governor Newsom was asked about Trump’s attack by CNN’s Anderson Cooper in an interview while both were in a neighborhood in the Pacific Palisades area where the fires were being fought. “People are literally fleeing,” Newsom said. “People have lost their lives, kids lost their schools. Families completely torn asunder, churches burned down, and this guy wanted to politicize it. I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say – I won’t.” His office would reiterate that sentiment in a post on X, formerly Twitter, afterward which featured the interview.
Firefighters are combating five infernos in the areas surrounding Los Angeles, fueled by the intense Santa Ana winds which have reached gusts up to 100 miles per hour. Officials have said that so far, five people have died as a result of the fires with the tally expected to rise in the coming days. The Palisades, Eaton, Sunset, Hurst and Lidia fires have consumed over 28,000 acres to date.
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Source: Anadolu / Getty
The United States declared that the rebel forces in Sudan are carrying out genocide and have announced sanctions against its leader.
On Tuesday (Jan. 7), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the nation was imposing economic sanctions on the Sudanese paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemediti. “In December 2023, I concluded that members of the SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and the RSF had committed war crimes. I also determined that members of the RSF and allied Arab militias had committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing,” Blinken said in a statement, adding that the RSF and their allies were responsible for the murders of “men and boys – even infants” in addition to numerous sexual assaults on women during the now 20-month long civil conflict. “Both belligerents bear responsibility for the violence and suffering in Sudan and lack the legitimacy to govern a future peaceful Sudan,” Blinken said.
After reviewing the horrifying information of suffering inside Sudan, I have concluded that members of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan. The United States is committed to pursuing accountability for these atrocities.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 7, 2025
The economic sanctions levied against the RSF target seven businesses based in the United Arab Emirates. Almost all of the businesses are connected to the gold trade, according to reporting by the BBC. Hemediti and the RSF have obtained control of half of the country of Sudan, which includes the lucrative mine in Jebel Abel in North Darfur as well as others along the country’s border with the Central African Republic. The sanctions are also extended to cover Hemediti’s brothers, Algoney and Abdel Rahim, preventing them and their families from entering the United States.
The UAE has strongly denied any involvement in the Sudanese civil war. “The decision… expresses the failure of the [US President Joe] Biden administration to deal with the Sudanese crisis and the double standards it followed [with regards to the crisis],” wrote El-Basha Tbaeq, an adviser to Hemediti in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The news comes months after international bodies such as The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) have recorded the rise of famine throughout the Sudan.
The U.S. State Department’s report concurred, stating that “638,000 Sudanese” were “experiencing the worst famine in Sudan’s recent history, over 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, and tens of thousands dead.” According to the United Nations, 14 million have been displaced and over 24,000 have been killed in the fighting.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Donald Trump has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to block the sentencing for the hush money case before it takes place at the end of the week.
On Wednesday morning (Jan. 8), Donald Trump made an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to block his sentencing in the hush money case in New York City. “This court should enter an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York trial court,” the application from his legal team read, “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the presidency and the operations of the federal government.”
Trump was convicted last May on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, whom Trump had an affair with. The payments were made through Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, in 2016 before his election to the White House later that year. Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday (Jan. 10) before District Court Judge Juan Merchan, 10 days before he is sworn in as president. Merchan has signaled that he may not give Trump any fines or jail time. Still, the sentencing would solidify Trump’s entering office with the dubious distinction of being a convicted felon.
Trump’s defense hinges on the polarizing ruling made by the Supreme Court last June that said that former presidents did have broad immunity for their past actions. His lawyers also argued that his status if fully sentenced would hinder his abilities as president. “In fact, the prospect of imposing sentence on President Trump just before he assumes office as the 47th president raises the specter of other possible restrictions on liberty, such as travel, reporting requirements, registration, probationary requirements, and others — all of which would be constitutionally intolerable under the doctrine of presidential immunity,” they wrote.
The Supreme Court has directed its prosecutors from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to answer the motion by 10 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 9). The previous appeal in New York was denied on Tuesday (Jan. 7), prompting Trump’s lawyers to file an emergency appeal to that state’s highest court and the Supreme Court simultaneously.