Wendy Williams Guardianship Outrage May Help New York, What Happened At A$AP Rocky’s Gun Trial, MLK’s Family Reacts to Trump Releasing Assassination Files, Kemba Smith Pradia Gets A Second Chance And More

The Root’s most important and viral stories from the week.

Outrage Over Wendy Williams’ Guardianship May Do Some Good in New York

Wendy Williams attends the ceremony honoring her with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame held on October 17, 2019 in Hollywood, California. Photo: Getty Images Michael Tran/FilmMagic

If you’ve been paying any attention the recent news about Wendy Williams and the puzzling intricacies surrounding her longstanding guardianship and financial struggles, then this news will hopefully bring you some levity. – Shanelle Genai Read More

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AI Is the New Civil Rights Frontier: Loren Douglass on Wealth, Politics & Power

President Biden’s Record-Breaking Pardons Gives Kemba Smith Pradia a Second Chance

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – NOVEMBER 12: Kemba Smith and actress Testa Cooper during the premier of Kemba at St. Louis International Film Festival on November 12, 2023 in St Louis, Missouri. Photo: Getty Images Dilip Vishwanat

Former President Joe Biden has officially left the White House to make way for President Donald Trump 2.0 and his administration. But before leaving office, Biden made a host of pardons, setting the record for most pardons and sentence commutations by a president in a single term. – Angela Johnson Read More

Interesting Facts That Happened at A$AP Rocky’s Gun Trial This Week

ASAP Rocky is seen at the Superior Court of Los Angeles on January 22, 2025 in Los Angeles, California Photo: Getty Images DUTCH

Things are revving up for rapper A$AP Rocky and his ongoing criminal trial. The Root previously reported the MC, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is facing serious charges in connection to a 2021 incident in Hollywood where he allegedly shot at a former friend and A$AP mob member. – Phenix S Halley Read More

King Family Reacts to Trump’s Order to Release Files Related to MLK’s Assassination

Dr. Martin Luther King addresses some 2,000 people on the eve of his death. The former founder and Chairman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was slain by an unknown assailant on April 4, 1968. Photo: Getty Images Bettmann

Less than a week into his first term, President Donald Trump has been on a roll signing more than 20 executive orders and actions on Inauguration Day, according to USA today. And he is showing no signs of slowing down, signing a January 23 executive order calling for the release of files connected to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. along with former President John F. Kennedy and former Senator Robert F. Kennedy. However, while Trump says “all will be revealed” when the information is made public, the family of Dr. King says they would like the chance to see the files before they are shared publicly. – Angela Johnson Read More

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