Agents of the FBI and IRS raided the two homes and city hall offices of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) amid a scandal and calls from the Republican governor for her to resign, according to a report by the Baltimore Sun.“Today, agents for the FBI and the IRS executed search warrants at the mayor’s homes and offices,” Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said to the Sun. “Now, more than ever, Baltimore city needs strong and responsible leadership. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign.”More pics from FBI raid on City Hall pic.twitter.com/GigEhanBaA— Peter Hermann (@phscoop) April 25, 2019As the scandal around her "Healthy Holly" books continues to engulf the city, some from Pugh's own party are growing wary of the continuing investigation.“This is too much for our city,” Democratic City Councilman Zeke Cohen said. “It puts all of us under a tremendous strain, and again it is not fair either to the people that live here, or the people that work here.”The scandal, stemming from book sales to Kaiser Permanente totaling over $100,000 according to The Hill and a $48 million contract to provide health benefits to city employees awarded by a board Pugh sat on. Since the scandal broke Pugh announced that would be taking a leave of absence for pneumonia treatment."She has been advised by her physicians that she needs to take time to recover and focus on her health. At this time, with the Mayor's health deteriorating, she feels as though she is unable to fulfill her obligations," the office said at the time.Now check these out:Baltimore Mayor Takes 'Leave Of Absence' Amid ScandalPresidential Candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren Wants Hospitals To Pay For Failing To Address Black Maternal MortalityJoe Biden Is Running For President, And Hired Symons Sanders As His Senior...

Updated (April 25, 2019): Blac Chyna alleged admission into law school was all a hoax according to TMZ. Earlier on Thursday, the publication shared Chyna, whose real name is Angela White, shared an acceptance letter with the publication. But Harvard responded to the news by saying no such acceptance occurred. The ploy was pitched to her as a way to better market herself and her brand and was reportedly circulated to other celebrities as well. Original story: Blac Chyna is making academic moves. The social media celebrity and businesswoman will attend Harvard Business School to take her entrepreneurial skills to the next level.  TMZ reports class is in session for Blac Chyna, whose real name is Angela White, beginning May 29. The renowned business school has attracted the likes of other  scelebs such as supermodel Tyra Banks, rapper and actor LL Cool J and mega-producer Swizz Beatz. With a rigorous curriculum, students will learn how to interpret data to improve decision making, recognize and predict trends and learn how to be more analytical when conducting business. The Harvard course is reportedly 40 hours and will start May 29 and end July 24. Tuition is approximately $1,500.  Students can complete their course work at their pace but will be required to meet regular deadlines. Chyna will receive a certificate once the work is completed.The 30-year-old has been in the news for several reasons, but the most recent announcement is by far the most positive. She recently took to Instagram to tell fans she is turning over a new leaf. “Over the last couple of years, you guys have been given a perspective of who I am from the media and people closest to me,” Chyna shared in a message via Instagram. “I’ve been bullied, humiliated, manipulated and discredited as a mom!… Of course, I’m not proud of some of the pain I have caused, and I am working to be the best me.”In the past few months, she was at the center of a skin lightening controversy while still recovering from her breakup with Rob Kardashian. The socialite wants to focus on being a mother to her two children. “Blac Chyna doesn’t define Angela White as a person” she added. “At 30, I am overwhelmed with the blessings I have. Being a mother of two amazing children. I don’t talk on things often, but I promise to give you guys more of me. Angela White perspective.”Now, check these out:  Teenage Girl Tragically Dies After Being Jumped On Her Way Home From School Black Residents Of South Bend Say ‘Ain’t S**t Changed’ Since Pete Buttigieg Has Been Mayor White Man Who Ran Over Interracial Couple With His Car Said He Has 'Disdain' For Mixed Couples...

A police officer in Washington, D.C., is under investigation following a controversial viral video that depicts the authority figure chasing after and handcuffing a 9-year-old boy to the ground.Fox 5 DC reports the police department and the child's mother agree the incident initiated after the adolescent was instructed to stop leaning on a car. He reportedly quipped a smart response to the officer who then chased him in circles around parked vehicles.After catching the child, the officer purportedly wrestled him to the ground and handcuffed him.Approximately six or seven other officers can be seen and heard laughing in the background as the boy cries hysterically and wets his pants. The reaction from the boy prompts residents to question the officer's justification for arrest.The boy was not charged for a crime and was released to a guardian following the incident. The boy's mother, Autumn Drayton, is a law enforcement employee and argues that the interaction should have never happened. His mother was critical of the department for neglecting to contact her following the incident."I was devastated... I was traumatized for my son having to go through that," Drayton said." His use of force was unnecessary. My son was not a threat. He was not committing a crime. He was not harming anyone. It should have never been to that." The child, whose face has been hidden, told the reporter that he was "scared" and "hurt" during the struggle. His mother says she found out about the incident through a family member. She later received the video from a resident on the scene and released it to her local news station.The incident is reportedly the third in the past four months in the D.C. area where the police have violated protocol for adolescent children.On Tuesday, Metropolitan Police Chief Lamar Greene commented on the controversy, stating, “It just depends on whether the officer feels that there is a threat or what situation led up to. We have juveniles that are involved in all sorts of different activities within the city. Certainly, we will get to the bottom of this."Attorney General Karl Racine publicly responded to the case in a statement on Thursday stating that the department's policies regarding minors are now under review, reports WTOP.Racine referred to the video as “obviously concerning” and announced that his office is working with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chief Greene to resolve the issue.“We look forward to working together with MPD and the mayor’s office to ensure District children are treated with the highest level of care and safety,” Racine added.Fox 5 reports the current policy for officers dealing with children under 12 is first to contact the officer's supervisor as well as a representative from the Youth and Family Services division to consult about the most legal and appropriate method to complete the task. Officers have reportedly violated this order in recent months.The arresting officer is currently under criminal investigation.Now, check these out:Kamala Harris Says Convicted Drug Dealers Should Have 'First Dibs' On Legal Marijuana JobsFrankie Beverly Speaks On His Long-Time Friendship With Beyoncé And The Surprise Remake Of Their Classic HitJoe Biden Is Running For President And Hired Symons Sanders As His Senior...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke at the “She the People” presidential forum in Houston and garnered attention when she unveiled a plan to bring down the childbirth mortality rate among Black women."Even after we do the adjustments for income, for education this (problem) is true across the board," Warren said. "This is true for well-educated African American women for wealthy African American women, and the best studies that I've seen put it down to just one thing, prejudice." And that prejudice shows itself in statistics released by the Center for Disease Control that indicate Black women are three to four times as likely to die in childbirth as compared to white women.Black moms in our country are dying from childbirth-related causes 3-4 times more often than white moms. Any meaningful solution to our maternal mortality crisis must address structural racism as a root cause of this problem. My new idea would tackle this crisis head on. pic.twitter.com/1YcaVNTedz— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 24, 2019 Sen. Warren's plan would give bonuses to hospitals where the rate decreases, giving a financial incentive for doctors and nurses to provide for all in their care. "And if they don't," Warren said, moving to the second half of her plan, "then they're going to have money taken away from them. I want to see the hospitals see it as their responsibility to address this problem head-on and make it a first priority. The best way to do that is to use the money to make it happen because we gotta have change and we gotta have change now."Advocates are forcing Black maternal mortality into the conversation. There are important ideas on the table. Here's mine: Hit health care providers in their wallets. Make it unacceptable for providers to tolerate our high rates of moms dying—especially Black moms. #SheThePeople— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 24, 2019Warren is not the only 2020 hopeful to address the issue of Black maternal health, as Sen. Kamala Harris relaunched Black Maternal Health Week to draw attention to the problems facing Black women in pregnancy care. Congress also created the Black Maternal Health Caucus to close racial disparities in care.Now check these out:Kamala Harris Relaunches Black Maternal Health Week To Demand Attention To The Crisis Facing Black MomsRep. Eleanor Holmes Norton Wants To Legalize Marijuana Use In Federal Assisted Housing Units In States Where Weed Is LegalBlack Residents Of South Bend Say ‘Ain’t S**t Changed’ Since Pete Buttigieg Has Been...

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris recently doubled down on her support for the decriminalization of marijuana and spoke about how she would eliminate racial bias in the growing industry.As HuffPost reports, Sen. Harris believes progress begins with federally legalizing the sale of weed and implementing policies that will place previously convicted drug dealers "first in line" for the jobs.Harris made these comments while speaking at the nation's first She the People forum, a network created by and for women of color in politics. The Indian American senator from California reportedly had the most clear stance on the topic.“Apparently a lot of the people who historically were arrested for marijuana sales were young men, young men of color. Isn’t that the irony of it all?" Harris said. "This is one of the fastest-growing money-making industries in our country and the very young men who were trying to make money doing the same thing got criminalized... branded felons for life [and] are excluded from the economic opportunities that are now available because of this new industry.”In states like Washington, California and Colorado where legalization of marijuana has boomed to a billion-dollar industry, convicted marijuana dealers remain banned from growing and selling the plant, even following permittance of recreational use.The former California attorney general advocated for policies that would place these non-violent felons in the position to capitalize off of this economic boost the most. “Some of those young men should be first in line to get the jobs that are available and their felony convictions should not be a barrier for employment in an industry they were a part of before it was an industry," she said. "They were ahead of the curve!”As the marijuana industry continues to grow, there are people of color sitting behind bars for doing the exact same thing. It's time we changed the system. #SheThePeople2020 pic.twitter.com/7KotnCqihx— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 24, 2019 Statistically, Black people have been convicted of marijuana possession at a disproportionate rate four times higher than white persons in America, although both groups consume the drug at equal rates.Speaking on drug abuse, Harris added that the "lack of mental health resources" has contributed to the epidemic, stating that much of it begins as "self-medication."“There are a lot of folks who have been incarcerated who should not be in prison,” she added.Harris was warmly received by the crowd of 1,700 persons, predominantly comprised of women of color.She joined other Democratic 2020 presidential race participants including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro and former Texas senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke for the Texas Southern University event.Now, check these out:Frankie Beverly Speaks On His Long-Time Friendship With Beyoncé And The Surprise Remake Of Their Classic HitTwitter Is Pushing Crayola To Find A Way To Honor Nipsey HussleMetro Boomin Troll Gets More Than He Bargained For When He Questions The Producer's...

R. Kelly has lost a civil suit by default. The Chicago Tribune reports the R&B singer failed to show up in a Cook County circuit court to address sexual misconduct allegations. Judge Moira Johnson entered a default ruling against Kelly on Tuesday after he didn't appear."Robert Sylvester Kelly has failed and refused to file an appearance or answer to the Complaint even though [he is] required to do so," the plaintiff's attorney's wrote in their motion for default judgment.In 1998, the Chocolate Factory artist allegedly met a 16-year-old girl and initiated a sexual relationship with her. According to court documents, Kelly’s manager saw the teenage girl celebrating her birthday at a restaurant. Then, the manager proceeded to give her Kelly's information, but the child's mother discovered the card and tried to prevent Kelly from meeting the girl. However, the victim, only identified as H.W., found the card in her mom’s purse and got in contact with the singer anyway. Starting in June 1998, Kelly and the young lady reportedly had a sexual relationship where he would groom her to be a suitable partner. H.W believed she would get a chance to be in one of his music videos, but that never came to fruition. The two had sexual interactions for approximately a year. Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.“Prior to that time, (H.W.) was unable to link in her mind the acts of childhood sexual abuse by the defendant to her fragile emotional and mental state and her problems stemming from that abuse,” the suit said.NBC News reports H.W. is one of four women named in a criminal case against the 52-year-old. Three of the women were underage when they met Kelly. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, Kelly ignored court summons since the civil suit was filed in February. During that month, Kelly was also on the wrong end of a child support case regarding unpaid debt estimated at $161,000.The beleaguered singer is also financially ruined. Reports claim he is broke with less than a few hundred dollars in the bank.  H.W. is reportedly seeking about $50,000 in damages. She will appear in court next month to detail the alleged abuse she suffered at Kelly's hands. Now, check these out: Teenage Girl Tragically Dies After Being Jumped On Her Way Home From SchoolBlack Residents Of South Bend Say ‘Ain’t S**t Changed’ Since Pete Buttigieg Has Been MayorWhite Man Who Ran Over Interracial Couple With His Car Said He Has 'Disdain' For Mixed...

Over the next few days, your social media feeds will be flooded with prom pictures, graduation photos and college admission reaction videos. While you will undoubtedly see many impressive and happy videos, it'll be hard to find something more exciting than what Antoinette Love has accomplished in New Orleans, Louisiana.Love is a senior at the International High School of New Orleans who is set to graduate this spring. Similar to many other fortunate high school seniors, she'll have a tough time deciding where she'll be attending college next year. However, her decision won't be difficult because she was rejected from her dream school. Her decision will be extremely difficult because she got in practically everywhere. To be specific, this New Orleans high school student was accepted to 115 colleges and universities across the country. The acceptance also came along with a ton of financial assistance. Her mother, Yolanda, told NOLA.com that the first school that accepted her daughter offered $72,000 in scholarships. Unfortunately, none of the schools have offered a full ride as of yet. According to USA Today, she began applying to schools in September and the acceptances began rolling in. While she didn't have time to name all of the 115 colleges and universities she had been accepted to, she did mention that she had been accepted to 50 HBCUs. How did she apply to so many schools? USA Today reports that Love utilized fee waivers from the Common App and the Common Black College Application to shoot her shot at so many schools. Don't think that Love's greatness ends in the classroom. In addition to earning a 3.5 GPA, she takes courses at a local community college and helps look after her four younger siblings. Not to mention, she's also a member of the National Senior Beta Club, the National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society, and Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society at her school.After learning about her accomplishments, her mother was more proud than you could imagine. She told NOLA.com, "We have so much going on in our lives to where this is that one moment where it’s something good and something positive, not only for our family but for the city, too, to show what kind of kids New Orleans has." Love's school echoed her mother's excitement with a Facebook post that read, "The IHSNO community is so proud of you and your accomplishments!"Love is unsure about where she'll go to college, but she has a lot of options and a few more weeks until National College Decision Day on May 1.Now, check these out:What's Better Than One College Student? Two.: Jay-Z Partners With Toyota To Help College Applicants Visit HBCUsHennessy Plans To Donate $10 Million To HBCU Graduate Students Within A 10-Year PeriodHome Depot Is Bringing Home Improvement To Ten HBCU...

Maze's Frankie Beverly recently spoke about his long-time friendship with Beyoncé and how that even didn't prepare him for the "off the chain" remake of their classic song.As Blavity reported, the queen of the Beyhive shocked millennial fans and old school heads alike when she released a remake of their 1981 R&B hit "Before I Let Go" on her surprise live album Homecoming. Billboard reports the original song peaked at No. 13 on the R&B charts. However, most Black families know that the song's impact goes far beyond some chart. The song is a staple among African-American communities in celebration of everything from summertime cookouts to graduations and weddings to this day.The 72-year-old legend who wrote the single for their Live In New Orleans album, told the publication all he knows about the song's recreation, his friendship with Beyoncé that began many moons ago and why he was inspired to write the uptempo breakup song.For starters, in Mrs. Carter-Knowles fashion, Beverly says he was left in the dark about the momentous occasion until about one to two weeks before it was introduced to the rest of the world."She's a great friend of mine but I didn't know she was going to do this," he said. "She kept it quiet until her people called me one day... When they played it, that's when I heard the first draft of it and I was blown away."As far as Beyoncé's impact goes, Beverly says it's a moment he'll never forget."I'm caught off guard, but in a beautiful way...  She's such a sweet person too. Then the way she just released it, it's off the chain," he added, speaking of the highly discreet manner Beyoncé and her Parkwood Entertainment team rolled out her Netflix documentary, live album and subsequent merchandise to follow. "She's done so much, this is one of the high points of my life," the Philadelphia native said who has accumulated 9 gold albums and a significant following of his distinct baritone voice."I feel bigger than ever!" he admitted. "I feel like I have a huge smash out there... Other people have done my songs, but the way she did this was in a class of its own... She's done something that has affected my life. I haven't even spoken to a publication like [Billboard] in quite a while. So it's changed things around for me."The "Happy Feelin's" artist shared that he and the 37-year-old phenom met over 20 years ago in Texas before she became the superstar she is today."I think she was in her teens at the time, if that," Beverly said. "I guess she really liked Maze and the song even then, so her mother brought her to our show at the Houston Rodeo. I met her then for the first time but didn't know much about her."The lead singer, who is currently on tour with his band, also said that the two have worked together several times over the years.Additionally, he opened up about how the lyrics to the popular uptempo summertime song came about: heartbreak."It was about a relationship I was in," said the singer-songwriter-producer. "I was so into the girl, but it just wasn't working out. I was thinking, 'What am I gonna do?' and that thought inspired the song. I was going to try to do all of these things 'before I let go.'""It came out of me pretty good, too," he recalls. "Even the music, it was all a gift from God. Today me and the girl are still close, but we don't see each other like that. But it was a real deal love type of thing."Now, check these out:Beyoncé Blessed Us With A Live Album To Go Along With Her Beychella DocumentaryBeyoncé Just Revamped This Oldie But Goodie, And Everyone’s Ready To Act A Summertime FoolYes, Beyoncé You Can Have All Our Money For Your New 'Homecoming'...

It may be hard to believe, but it's been nearly a month since we first mourned the death of Nipsey Hussle. As Blavity previously reported, the California native was shot and killed in front of his store as he helped a friend get new clothes upon their release from prison.In the wake of his death, fans, friends, family and colleagues alike have poured out their hearts in support of the late community leader and philanthropist. The intersection of Crenshaw and Slauson was renamed Nipsey Square in honor of the Grammy-nominated artist. Rappers YG and ScHoolBoy Q pushed back their albums in honor of the fallen musician. Barack Obama even wrote letter to Nipsey's family. Most notably, thousands of fans and friends gathered at the Staples Center for his memorial service. Going forward, Nick Cannon has pledged to finish Nipsey's documentary on Dr. Sebi and many more are developing community efforts inspired by him. Now it appears that fans have found a new and creative way to honor the late, great rapper.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.On Wednesday, a tweet from Vice's Creators Project resurfaced on Twitter. The 2017 tweet highlighted a campaign from Crayola that encouraged fans to suggest names for their new blue crayon. As one could imagine, Twitter had a field day with this. Fans suggested names such as "Ocean View Blue," "Crenshaw Blue" and "Slauson Boy Blue." However, "Nipsey Blue" was the crowd favorite.Nipsey Blue 💙— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 25, 2019The hood calls this Nipsey Blue , they should too. https://t.co/g5giBz5bB6— Skrizzy (@youngscrap) April 25, 2019Nipsey Blue https://t.co/IIk1tm3vf8— Glasses Malone (@gmalone) April 25, 2019Unfortunately, it appears that Crayola may have already found a name for its blue crayon. According to a report from ABC News, Crayola decided to name its latest crayon, "Bluetiful." That's nice and all, but there's only one name for this crayon. It's "Nipsey Blue." If Twitter calls it "Nipsey Blue," I'm going to call it "Nipsey Blue."Now, check these out: The Los Angeles Intersection Where Nipsey Hussle Died Has Been Renamed In His HonorPoetic Injustice: Why The Loss Of Nipsey Hussle Made The World Stand Still5 Impactful Nipsey Hussle Lyrics To Inspire You As You Run Your Own Life...

These days, the notion of privacy is of the utmost importance in the digital world. Amazon recently came under fire due to their virtual assistant Alexa. While scores of people around the world have purchased Alexas to make their everyday lives more convenient, there are many who believe its microphones could be used to listen in on their lives.Well, it turns out the latter’s concerns aren’t some tinfoil hat conspiracy theory. According to Bloomberg, Amazon has an international network of thousands of eavesdroppers listening to audio secretly recorded by the e-commerce giant’s Echo systems, though the company claims they are listening to and collecting audio files to improve Alexa’s comprehension of human speech patterns.   "We only annotate an extremely small number of interactions from a random set of customers in order to improve the customer experience,” Amazon said in a statement. “We have strict technical and operational safeguards, and have a zero tolerance policy for the abuse of our system. Employees do not have direct access to information that can identify the person or account as part of this workflow."  It would also seem the monitoring of Alexa requests has some benefit for society. According to the Bloomberg report, two employees overheard what they believed to be sexual assault while listening. Though Amazon claims to have imposed a set of procedures for workers to follow when they come across serious situations like that, the two employees based in Romania say they were told: “it wasn’t Amazon’s job to interfere.”Regardless of Amazon’s intent, skeptics are still justified in their reluctance to trust companies that are seemingly surveilling their customer bases. These revelations appear to be a manifestation of official government reports that came out in 2012, concerning everyday devices being used to collect intelligence on American people. That year, then-CIA director David Petraeus, addressed the In-Q-Tel CEO Summit about the Internet of Things (IoT) — a network of physical objects — being used to collect data.Petraeus's words were reinforced four years later when the “Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community” was presented by Harvard University to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Included in the report was testimony by former U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on smart devices in the IoT being used to spy on users.“‘Smart’ devices incorporated into the electric grid, vehicles— including autonomous vehicles — and household appliances, are improving efficiency, energy conservation, and convenience,” Clapper said. “However, security industry analysts have demonstrated many of these new systems can threaten data privacy, data integrity, or continuity of services. In the future, intelligence services might use the IoT for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials.”This is not to say that Amazon is working with the government to spy on customers. In fact, edge providers, a web service for customers, have been the subject of bipartisan scrutiny in D.C. over security issues and data privacy. Government officials from both sides of the aisle have questioned Amazon founder Jeff Bezos about the design and privacy components of Echo devices and their Alexa software. In June, Senators Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and Chris Coons (D-Delaware) wrote to Bezos with concerns.“Recent reports have raised serious questions about how Amazon collects and stores voice data, and what steps are being taken to make sure this information is not shared without consumers’ consent," Coons said.“Since these technologies are so new, it’s unclear how these devices work and what steps are being taken to protect consumers’ privacy," Flake added. "I look forward to working with Amazon and other companies as we continue to explore ways in which these technologies can flourish.”However, there is an imminent threat to those who use Alexa, as well as Google’s Home and Apple’s HomePod. According to ABC Action News I-Team, there is a good chance these devices are recording you even when they are not in use. The investigative team used Amazon’s privacy dashboard to access his Amazon audio data. They discovered that not only had the user’s Alexa requests been recorded, but also dozens of other clips that should not have been recorded. Though the audio clips labeled “Text not available – Audio is not intended for Alexa,” were less than a second in duration and were deemed “undecipherable,” the recording aspect is concerning to many.It is evident these digital assistants are always listening and recording and so companies like Amazon need to be more transparent.As Chicago Tribune writer Leonid Bershidsky wrote: "AI is supposed to be good at pattern recognition and natural language processing. However, it's all but impossible to train a neural network to recognize speech or faces with certainty. Algorithms that have to interact seamlessly with humans need to be constantly retrained to allow for changes in slang, population movements that bring new accents, cultural phenomena, and fashion trends.”In other words, algorithms cannot work without humans constantly manipulating them to keep up with the times, and this manipulation should be more available in communication to consumers. There is some hope. Despite the lack of transparency, you can take steps to protect your privacy on Alexa, though Amazon doesn’t make it simple. The protection measures can be found by going into the Alexa app on your cell phone and clicking on settings. From there, go to Alexa Account, then Alexa Privacy. If you are looking to delete your data, find “Manage Smart Home Devices History” and make it disappear. To do away with voice recordings used to develop the platform, find “Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa” and make it happen.Now, check these out:Self-Driving Cars Aren't Good At Seeing Pedestrians With Dark Skin, According To New Study7 Ways Make Sure That You're Cyber SecureACLU Wants Amazon To Stop 'Powering' Government Surveillance That Can Be Used Against Black Activists And Undocumented...

A Killeen, Texas, barber claims he was teased and assaulted by a man in his workplace because he is trans. Kier Rice told local news outlet KWTX he was attacked by a man because of his gender identity. The man at the center of the incident was the shop's owner, Garfield David Hicks. In a Facebook post, Rice said he was always teased before the fight broke out on April 19. His clients were also ignored and treated differently. "He doesn't greet them,” Rice told KWTX. “It was mainly females- lesbians."Moments before the two men exchanged blows, Hicks was reportedly outraged that Rice was sagging his pants. Hicks allegedly shoved the barber while he was cutting a boy's hair Friday afternoon."His eyes just got real big, and I remember him coming at me,” Rice recalled.Then, according to Rice's interview with the outlet, Hicks put the man in a headlock and punched him repeatedly in the top of the head. However, Hicks claims the fight was not motivated by hate, and he has no issue with trans people. Instead, the fight was over inconsolable differences stemming from text messages. They reportedly exchanged words before  the fight. "Keira and her friends have been texting my phone,” Hicks told KWTX while misgendering the barber.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.In a subsequent Facebook post, Rice shared he suffered several injuries from the incident. He reportedly has a bruised shoulder, three bruised ribs and a concussion. Kièr Rice is Barber and Black Transgender Man in Central Texas he was attacked had to be taken to the hospital with three bruised ribs, a concussion, just trying to survive anything you can give would help him alot! #BlackTransLivesMatter #TrustBlackTransPeople SHARE! pic.twitter.com/D1j41C0pi9— 💋Clarabelle Catlin💋 (@MsClarabelleC) April 25, 2019Support our black trans brother in Texas who was violated at work misnamed and misgendered after he was attacked https://t.co/0piSpv1U3m— BlackTransMedia (@BlackTransMedia) April 25, 2019Police are now involved, and an investigator is looking into the case. Rice believes the attack was a hate crime. He will also hire an attorney to file a civil suit possibly. In the meantime, he will seek employment elsewhere. Now, check these out:  Teenage Girl Tragically Dies After Being Jumped On Her Way Home From School Black Residents Of South Bend Say ‘Ain’t S**t Changed’ Since Pete Buttigieg Has Been Mayor White Man Who Ran Over Interracial Couple With His Car Said He Has 'Disdain' For Mixed...

Florida lawmakers passed a controversial bill in the House which will require ex-felons to repay fines before having their voting rights restored. The Associated Press reports the Republican-led House voted 71-45 Wednesday for the legislation that piggybacks off of a constitutional amendment voted on in November which restores voting rights of former felons with the exception of murderers and felony sex offenders be restored.Amendment 4 will restore felons voting rights "upon completion of all terms of sentence including parole or probation." However, the new bill will require former offenders to pay fines and restitution to the state first. “Today’s partisan vote in the House represented a failure to live up to the bipartisan commitment Florida voters showed with the passage of Amendment 4,” Neil Volz, the political director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, the group that spearheaded passage of the constitutional amendment, said in a statement to HuffPost. A similar bill is currently being decided upon in the Florida Senate. Critics of both bills believe the repayment of fines will only continue to disenfranchise the newly released.As HuffPost notes, the repayment of fines and restitution by order of a judge is part of a sentence. The issue for supporters of the amendment is that it does not allow the state to require fines and fees before ex-offenders can vote. The bill was sponsored by Tampa Republican Rep. James Grant who claims the proposal will not take away the rights of 1.4 million former offenders. He insisted the bill upholds the state's constitution. The Tallahassee Democrat reports Grant believes the former offenders disenfranchised themselves when they committed a crime.  “It absolutely includes fines, fees and court costs,” Grant told media. "This bill does not disenfranchise anyone."Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee, disagrees."If we're going to silence them from voting then why do we expect them to pay ad valorem taxes," said Alexander. "If we think they are not fit to participate in society then why do we let them out of prison."Social justice groups such as the NAACP, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Southern Poverty Law Center want the state's legislature to drop the financial requirements altogether, citing ex-offenders’ ability to pay them. The new measure may become law, but it is dependent on what happens in the Senate. Now, check these out:  Teenage Girl Tragically Dies After Being Jumped On Her Way Home From School Black Residents Of South Bend Say ‘Ain’t S**t Changed’ Since Pete Buttigieg Has Been Mayor White Man Who Ran Over Interracial Couple With His Car Said He Has 'Disdain' For Mixed Couples...