news
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Philly Man Confesses to Shooting 4-Year-Old Daughter After 5-Year-Old Sibling Blamed, Cops Say
A Philadelphia man is facing multiple charges, including third-degree murder, after confessing to accidentally shooting his 4-year-old daughter, who died inside her home in the Kensington neighborhood, Philly.com reports. Other charges filed against Maurice “Stephon” Phillips, 30, early Monday are involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children, possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly…
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12-Year-Old Cousin of Slain Teen Obama Hailed as Hero Fatally Shot
In December, 15-year-old Zaevion Dobson died shielding three friends from gunshots. The Knoxville, Tenn., native and Fulton High School football player was hailed as a hero by President Barack Obama. On Saturday, Zaevion’s 12-year-old cousin, Jajuan Latham, died of a gunshot to the head shortly after he attended a basketball game held to honor his slain…
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Woman Pretending to Be Pregnant Caught Smuggling Cocaine: Report
A 41-year-old mother of three was arrested after she attempted to smuggle 1.72 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria from Dubai, authorities say. According to the Daily Mail, Dorothy Onyekasi was on a flight from Dubai when a screening of passengers was conducted. Onyekasi was arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, after authorities…
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Man Who Shot Md. Firefighter Not Charged
The man who police say shot and killed a Maryland firefighter was not charged in his death and was released from custody Saturday, reports USA Today. Prince George’s County firefighter John Ulmschneider, 39, was shot and killed Friday night while responding to a call in Temple Hills, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C. A second…
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What Does Georgetown University Owe the 272 Slaves Who Saved It?
This week New York Times journalist Rachel Swarns published a formidable piece of journalism on how Georgetown University, one of the country’s most prestigious schools, was saved by the sale of 272 slaves in the early 1800s. Swarns, best known for her book on Michelle Obama’s ancestry, American Tapestry, wrote movingly about the devastating details…
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Watch: President Obama Takes on Steph Curry in Support of My Brother’s Keeper
If the activities from this week are any indication, President Barack Obama plans to really make his My Brother’s Keeper initiative a success before he leaves the White House. The president has been recruiting and using African-American entertainers and athletes to drum up support for the program, which focuses on black male excellence and support, and…
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Empire Co-Stars Marry on Grand Cayman Island
Although it could never happen on the hip-hop-themed juggernaut known as Empire (but then again, this is Empire), actors Grace Gealey and Trai Byers wed on Grand Cayman Island on Thursday. TMZ first reported on the nuptials with fuzzy images from the intimate, private ceremony showing Gealey—who plays the devious Anika Calhoun, aka Boo Boo…
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President Obama Meets With Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli, Nicki Minaj and Alicia Keys at White House
President Barack Obama met privately with a gaggle of socially conscious and/or highly influential rappers and singers Friday at the White House to push for support of his My Brother’s Keeper initiative, dedicated to helping young men and boys of color. The Hill reports that rappers Busta Rhymes, Common, J. Cole, Wale, Ludacris and Chance…
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After Years Facing Deportation, Rapper Slick Rick Becomes US Citizen
Old-school rapper—and longtime Bronx, N.Y., resident—Slick Rick became an American citizen Friday after many years fighting deportation, reports the New York Daily News. Born Ricky Walters in the United Kingdom, Rick came into fame in the 1980s with the iconic hip-hop classic, “La-Di-Da-Di” (later redone by Snoop Dogg) as part of Doug E. Fresh’s…
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DC Mayor Calls for Statehood
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser told lawmakers and city residents Friday that the District deserves representation in Congress, and she called for a citywide vote in November on the issue, reports the Washington Post. “I propose we take another bold step toward democracy in the District of Columbia,” Bowser said at a breakfast meeting in the…