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Jamal Bryant is calling out Rick Ross for being a “pawn” over shopping at Target despite the Black community’s ongoing boycott against the retailer. Bryant called out Ross after he posted videos on social media of himself and his current girlfriend shopping at Target.

As Blavity reported, Bryant—who’s the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church—has been leading the charge for a boycott against Target following the company’s decision to roll back its DEI initiatives to align with President Donald Trump’s mandate. Bryant initiated a 40-day Lent boycott from March 5 to April 20. The boycott became larger than what some may have anticipated, as Target’s stock has dropped and online sales have plummeted. It’s lost over $12 billion in market value. Additionally, CEO Brian Cornell recently stepped down after being in the role for 11 years.

Earlier this week, Ross and his girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, visited Target, where the 49-year-old rapper recorded their outing and shared it via his Instagram Stories.

“What are we here for?” Ross asked his girlfriend while browsing around the store, to which she responded, “We’re [here] for kitchen utensils and looking for kitchen appliances, and then we’re going to head over to the grocery isle.”

The couple had planned to make cinnamon rolls, which is what led them to Target in the first place: “The Cinnabons reeled me in, guys, but as you can see, I’ve been kidnapped,” he said in the clip.

Pastor Jamal Bryant pushes back on Black public figures supporting Target

Bryant came across a post about Ross’ Target run, prompting him to post a video to his Instagram account with a lengthy caption condemning Ross.

“Hey family @richforever … you are an incredibly influential figure for the culture who many aspire to emulate,” Bryant’s caption read. “To that end I thought it important to share with you that the community has been boycotting @target because of their disregard for our value and a disrespect for the dollars we spend. As a businessman you are acutely and intimately aware of community relationships with the consumer.”

He added, “All that we are asking for is rolled out at targetfast.org…. Don’t let them divide us! When we as a whole understand our economic strength and the power of unity, 63 years after the march on Washington , everyday we shouldn’t be hustling ✊🏾🙌🏾….respectfully BE the BOSS not the pawn!”

This isn’t the first time Bryant has had some choice words for celebrities shopping at Target. According to Black News, he criticized Cardi B for doing the same thing back in June. The pastor even publicly confronted the National Baptist Convention Board for accepting $300,000 from the organization in July.

Journalist Roland Martin also criticized the National Baptist Convention Board, tweeting: “$17 BILLION in profit. $2 BILLION promised to Black businesses. Target’s offer to Black church leaders? $300,000 — split 3 ways. That breaks down to $322 per church. They called it ‘partnership.’”

The NAACP has filed a lawsuit against Texas, alleging that the state’s redrawing of its congressional maps is an act of racial gerrymandering. The organization points to a push back against the voting power of Black people in Texas and says it is a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

“We now see just how far extremist leaders are willing to go to push African Americans back toward a time when we were denied full personhood and equal rights,” Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe said in a statement, according to The Guardian. “We call on Texans of every background to recognize the dangers of this moment. Our democracy depends on ensuring that every person is counted fully, valued equally and represented fairly. We are prepared to fight this injustice at every level. Our future depends on it.”

Texas passed a redrawn map that’s expected to increase Republican representation in Congress

Texas Republicans passed the new map on Aug. 23. It’s expected to fill five more congressional seats with Republican representatives. On their end, Democrats are a minority that doesn’t have much power to counter Republicans. 

The NAACP said the goal is to limit representation of Black communities in the state ahead of the midterm elections in 2026: “The state of Texas is only 40% white, but white voters control over 73% of the state’s congressional seats,” NAACP CEO and president Derrick Johnson said. “It’s quite obvious that Texas’s effort to redistrict mid-decade, before next year’s midterm elections, is racially motivated. The state’s intent here is to reduce the members of Congress who represent Black communities, and that, in and of itself, is unconstitutional.”

The League of United Latin American Citizens has also filed a lawsuit, alleging it “eviscerates minorities’ opportunity to elect their candidates of choice in four key areas of the state.”

The Supreme Court will soon vote on some of the tenets of the Voting Rights Act

The court is set to hear an argument of Louisiana v Callais, during which they will decide if the “use of racially identifying voter data to prevent voters of color from being able to select a candidate of their choice is actually an act of racial discrimination,” according to The Guardian.

This means the Supreme Court will vote on whether to uphold a key section of the Voting Rights Act. If they decide not to uphold it, Republican lawmakers will be able to redraw maps to their advantage.

The NAACP urged states like California and New York to “act immediately by redistricting and passing new, lawful and constitutional electoral maps” ahead of the midterms.

Dorothea Celeste Wilson, a weekend news anchor at WAPT in Jackson, Mississippi, unexpectedly died from a heart attack. She was 42.

Wilson had only recently started her new role at WAPT, but in that short time, she made a positive impact on those around her and on her craft.

Current and former news stations speak out following Wilson’s passing

In a statement, the news station shared thoughts and prayers to everyone who adored Wilson, including her friends and loved ones.

“Though Celeste had only been with us a short time, we were already touched by her professionalism, warmth, and dedication to the work of journalism,” the station said. “All of us here at 16 WAPT are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and our thoughts are with Celeste’s family and friends.”

Wilson began her broadcasting career at the CBS affiliate KNOE in Monroe, Louisiana, after earning her master’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, according to WAPT.

I worked with Dorothea (who now goes by Celeste) at @KNOE8. She was new to TV after a career as a flight attendant.I always respected and admired Dorothea for being bold enough to take on such a challenging career later in life.May she rest in peace 🙏https://t.co/1N8KbYvrHr— Tyler Englander (@TylerEnglander) August 27, 2025

She also worked at KARK in Little Rock, Arkansas, as a reporter and anchor for the morning team from October 2023 to August 2024. The station also shared a statement in light of Wilson’s passing.

“Team 20 is saddened by this loss, and our prayers are with her colleagues, friends and family members,” the station said.

TS Madison is sharing her thoughts on Snoop Dogg‘s comments about same-sex couples appearing in movies aimed toward kid audiences. As Blavity reported, Snoop recently came under fire after he saying he is “scared to go to the movies” because of LGBTQ+ representation in children’s films.

“Oh s**t, I didn’t come in for this s**t. I just came to watch the goddamn movie,” Snoop recalled on the It’s Giving podcast hosted by Sara Fontenot.

Unsurprisingly, the 53-year-old rapper was met with an onslaught of criticism from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.

TS Madison criticized Snoop Dogg’s ‘homophobia’

On August 25, TS Madison, one of the most prominent Black trans voices, joined According to TMZ Live, where she questioned Snoop’s views: “Snoop Dogg has historically been an advocate against censoring, and his fame is based on expression,” she said, according to The Grio. “So my question is, Snoop. You have music videos with women dancing and kissing other women, dancing naked. So why is displaying lesbian behavior in your music videos appropriate? And you are afraid to answer the questions from your grandchildren?”

“As a parent, you should also explain to your children that other things exist in the world outside of what you have deemed normal in your own home,” she added. “It’s rooted in a bit of homophobia because you’re never afraid to talk to your kids about having a little boyfriend or a little girlfriend at a certain age,” she continued. “I know that we’ve been conditioned to be able to, like, understand heteronormative activity. We’ve been conditioned because that’s all we see. We’ve always, as queer people, been pushed to the side and swept under. So it is time for us to have these uncomfortable conversations.”

What did Snoop Dogg say about same-sex couples appearing in ‘Lightyear’?

During his appearance on the It’s Giving podcast, Snoop said he was caught off guard when his grandson asked how a woman in Pixar’s Lightyear could have a child with her wife.

“These are kids. We have to show that at this age? They’re going to ask questions. I don’t have the answer,” he said on the podcast.

Snoop’s take quickly stirred criticism online, leading him to be pulled from his upcoming headlining spot at Australia’s AFL Grand Final in September. On top of that, his history with homophobic and transphobic remarks dating back to the 2010s have since resurfaced.

In January, Snoop faced backlash after choosing to perform at the Donald Trump-affiliated Crypto Ball during inauguration week. In addition to losing over 500,000 social media followers, some of his peers like D.L. Hughley expressed their dissapointment.

“The very person who you perform for is doing just that: tearing this country apart, families apart. He’s dismantling DEI and affirmative action and long-set precedents,” Hughley said, per Billboard. “And every time somebody gets into a situation of their own doing, it is always ‘a communal attack’ or ‘a community’s attack.’ I mean, no. People love you, but they dislike what you did. And there’s nothing more loving than that.”

President Donald Trump has taken his feud with the Federal Reserve Board to a new level, announcing that he is firing board member Lisa Cook, the first Black woman appointed to serve as a governor of the nation’s top monetary board. The move comes after the Trump administration accused Cook of mortgage fraud and urged her to resign. Many have seen the accusations as politically motivated, as part of Trump’s policy clashes with the Fed, and Cook has pledged that she will not be “bullied” out of her position.

Trump claims he has fired Fed member Lisa Cook over mortgage allegation

Trump announced on social media Monday evening that he was firing Federal Reserve Board governor Lisa Cook. “I have determined that there is sufficient cause to remove you from your position,” Trump said in the posted letter addressed to Cook. Trump’s letter referred to an accusation made earlier this month by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who was appointed to his position by Trump. Pulte accused Cook of mortgage fraud, alleging that Cook listed two different properties, one in Michigan and one in Georgia, as her primary residence in 2021 in order to get favorable mortgage terms. Pulte said that he was referring Cook to Attorney General Pam Bondi, another Trump appointee who many view as carrying out the president’s agenda rather than acting independently. Pulte denied having partisan motivations behind his accusations but urged Cook to resign. Trump also called for Cook to resign over the allegations.

At the time of the initial accusation, Cook pushed back against the allegations and said that she would address any “legitimate questions” with detailed information about her financial records, but also stated, “I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet.” The Trump administration has made similar mortgage fraud allegations against other political opponents of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff. Cook responded to her reported firing in a statement, saying, “President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will not resign.”

Cook, a prominent economist, caught in Republican feud with Fed

Cook is a prominent economist specializing in international economics, with a focus on Russia’s economy as well as African American economic history. She studied at Spelman College, Oxford University and the University of California, Berkeley, and was a professor at Harvard University and Michigan State University. She was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve on the Federal Reserve Board and was confirmed by a party-line Senate vote, 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Republicans have opposed Cook since her nomination; they have accused her of being “hyper-partisan” and referenced old tweets in the lead-up to her confirmation hearing. Cook’s appointment is scheduled to last until 2038.

Trump has clashed with the Federal Reserve Board, attempting to pressure the board to lower interest rates. Trump and Pulte have repeatedly taken shots at Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell, suggesting that he resign and even hinting that the president might fire Powell. However, the Federal Reserve Board is designed to operate independently of presidential approval. Board members can only be fired for “cause,” which experts say is a high bar to meet. As the Congressional Black Caucus noted in a statement defending Cook, “In the 111-year history of the Federal Reserve, no president has ever attempted to remove a governor of the central bank until now.” The CBC added, “President Trump is attempting to oust Dr. Lisa Cook — the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board — with no credible evidence of wrongdoing.”

Trump has a history of using his authority to go after political opponents, from making mortgage fraud allegations to sending federal troops to Black-governed cities. Now, Cook finds herself fighting for her position against a seemingly political and possibly illegal move by Trump to remove her from her post.

Power Book II: Ghost star Alix Lapri was recently arrested in DeKalb County on multiple charges.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office took Lapri, 28, born Alexus Lapri Geier, into custody on Aug. 18 and charged her with disorderly conduct and cruelty to children in the third degree, WSB-TV reported.

Lapri was booked into the DeKalb County Jail just before 5 p.m. and spent more than 24 hours in jail before being released the following day, according to online jail records.

As of Tuesday, no court records reveal what happened, other than that Lapri’s alleged offenses occurred on Aug. 10.

Her sister was also arrested with those same charges

The actor and singer-songwriter’s sister, Alijsha Lenea Geier, was also arrested and charged the same day with disorderly conduct and third-degree cruelty to children, Hollywood Unlocked reported. Like her sister, she spent the same time in jail before being released the next morning.

On Monday, the sisters responded to the news of their arrest circulating online. Alix posted a two-second video on her Instagram Story, showing her dressed up and walking somewhere, per Hollywood Unlocked.

Meanwhile, Alijsha shared a video of her daughter, Harmony, seated next to Alix as they dined at a restaurant. She then captioned the post with several purple heart emojis and wrote, “4 Lifers.”

‘Power’ castmate calls out critics over Lapri’s child cruelty charge

In a recent post shared by The Shade Room of Alix’s mugshot, actor Michael Rainey Jr., her Power castmate, defended her against those criticizing her over the child cruelty charge.

“On the real though, y’all gotta start reading before commenting. She didn’t hurt any kids. Y’all are hoping that’s the case so bad… That’s crazy. Smh,” he said.

According to Justia, cruelty to children in the third degree in Georgia means someone commits a violent act, like battery or a forcible felony, in front of a child under 18, either allowing them to see or hear it.

Lapri, originally from Kansas, began her career by recording remixes and covers of popular R&B songs from the 1990s and early 2000s. She signed with Crown World Entertainment in 2011 and went on to appear on various mixtapes while also taking acting roles in shows including Reed Between the Lines and Standing Up, according to USA Today.

In 2019, she landed her breakout role as Josefina “Effie” Morales on the Starz original Power series, co-produced by rapper 50 Cent. She later reprised the role in the spinoff series Power Book II: Ghost.

Swatting incidents are on the rise in public spaces such as schools, airports and grocery stores. Although hoaxes for crimes such as active shooter alerts have been happening for years, experts point to a rise in such incidents.

What is swatting?

Swatting refers to false reports of crimes such as bomb threats and active shooter alerts in public spaces like schools, grocery stores, office buildings and airports. They spark heavy law enforcement responses and panic among civilians. 

Swatting started as a hoax among gamers in the 2000s, according to the Anti-Defamation League and as reported by USA Today. There’s not one isolated group conducting these types of hoaxes. Instances of swatting have been conducted by as many individual pranksters as online extremists. 

“It used to be someone would pull the fire alarm because they didn’t want to go to school. Now they swat the school,” Carla Hill, a senior director of investigative research at the Anti-Defamation League, told the news outlet.

Incidents may include false active shooter alerts like the one that occurred at Villanova University on Thursday. Students received instructions to barricade doors due to an active shooter on campus, which sparked mass panic. About 90 minutes after the alert was sent out, the university said it had been a hoax.

Hill also points to a series of swatting incidents in 2023 that targeted at least 25 synagogues in 13 states. The perpetrators were identified after bragging about the exploits online.

Still, according to Hill, “there’s so many ways you can do it without being traceable.”

Swatting incidents have been on the rise in recent years

Although the FBI identified the issue in 2008, the bureau launched a database to report swatting in 2023 as a response to an increase in incidents. Over 800 instances of swatting were recorded at elementary, middle and high schools between January 2023 and June 2024, USA Today reported.

“It’s an enormous problem,” Elizabeth Jaffe, an associate professor at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, said. “One incident is a major problem, so if we’ve got hundreds and thousands, it’s an evolving epidemic.”

Swatting drains law enforcement, fire departments and EMS of their resources as they respond to hoaxes.

“We have to treat each one as real until we know it’s a hoax,” Kelly Smith, a former assistant special agent in charge of the FBI”s Seattle office, said about the issue. “We direct law enforcement resources away from other active investigations, and that causes a significant strain on the resources of both our agency and our local police departments.”

Such incidents also cause harm to civilians who believe their lives are at risk: “It causes trauma for students, parents and communities,” former police chief John DeCarlo told USA Today “While the call itself may be a lie, the panic and trauma it creates are very real.”

Lil Nas X, who was arrested last week after he wandered the streets of Los Angeles in his underwear, is speaking out after being charged with four felonies. As Variety reported, the charges include three counts of battery against a police officer, as well as one count of resisting an executive officer.

Lil Nas X was arraigned in court on Monday morning after he remained detained throughout the weekend. The rapper’s bail, which is now $75,000, was recommended for $300,000 initially.

The Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, pleaded not guilty to attacking officers. His case is scheduled for pretrial on Sept. 15. The judge is also requiring him to attend four Narcotics Anonymous meetings per week, as authorities believe he was under the influence of drugs at the time.

On his Instagram Story on Tuesday Morning, Lil Nas X wrote, per Variety, “Your girl is going to be OK y’all. OK? She’s going to be alright, she’s going to be alright. “S**t. That was f*****g terrifying. That was terrifying! That was a terrifying last four days, but your girl is going to be alright.”

Prior to this, his father told TMZ on Monday, “He’s in good spirits, he’s all right. He’s very remorseful for what happened. But, it can happen to any family — he’s gonna get the help that he needs and just keep him in your prayers. Give him the same grace and mercy that God gives everyone.”

One of his attorneys, Drew Findling, also told The Hollywood Reporter, “He’s never been in trouble for a split second in his existence, we’re not going to let one little event change the trajectory of his amazing life. There’s no way to have a sense of what happened this immediately, but we’re going to look into it and do the right thing,” he continued, “Anybody that has kids, you hear about things like this all the time. Don’t forget, he’s 26 years old. It’s not unusual for something like this to happen, particularly when you have the pressure of being recognized internationally like him.”

Why was Lil Nas X arrested?

Los Angeles police told Variety that they found a nude, incoherent man around 5:50 a.m. and took him into custody. Although they didn’t identify Lil Nas X by name, police said the man was arrested for battery of an officer. According to the Associated Press, police said the 26-year-old charged at officers after he was found walking naked on Ventura Boulevard. He was also suspected of overdosing and taken to a hospital.

Per the Associated Press, the criminal complaint states that Lil Nas X “did unlawfully use force and violence and inflict an injury” on the three officers. TMZ also published footage over the weekend that showed Lil Nas X rapping Nicki Minaj’s “Monster” track while he was fully naked.

Per Variety, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement, “Attacking police officers is more than just a crime against those individuals but a direct threat to public safety. Anyone who assaults law enforcement will face serious consequences, no matter who they are or how famous they may be.”

Lil Nas X faces up to 10 years in prison

On the day before he was arrested, Lil Nas X went to Instagram to post snippets of several songs and some photos of his home from the inside. He also posted a photo of himself wearing the same cowboy boots he wore when he was arrested on Thursday.

According to the Associated Press, Lil Nas X is facing counts that could carry up to a 10-year sentence.

Cashless bail, the legal process that allows some people to be released from jail without posting bail, is now facing opposition from President Donald Trump. Trump signed an executive order on Monday to eliminate cashless bail, saying it’s allowing to be released too easily.

“Somebody kills somebody, they go and don’t worry about it,” Trump told reporters on Monday, according to The New York Times. “No cash. Come back in a couple of months. We’ll give you a trial. You never see the person again.”

What are pros of cashless bail staying in defense of the system?

Advocates of cashless bail say it’s unjust to require bail because the system gives an unfair advantage to people who can afford to pay. The proponents say people who committed less serious crimes should be released without having to post bail. Advocates say that people who are not considered to be threats to the community should be released before their trial regardless of whether they can post bail.

What states have allowed cashless bail?

New Jersey and Alaska became one of the first states to allow cashless bail in the late 2010s. New York also started allowing cashless bail in 2019 following the case of Kalief Browder, who died by suicide after spending three years in jail while waiting for his trial. Browder, who was jailed for three years on Rikers Island after being accused of stealing a backpack, killed himself at his parents’ home.

The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit that compared data from cities that changed their bail laws compared others that didn’t, concluded that bail reform didn’t have a significant effect on crime rates. Per The New York Times, the study concluded that there is “no statistically significant relationship between bail reform and crime rates.”

Despite the data, Trump has ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify jurisdictions that have “substantially eliminated cash bail as a potential condition for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety and order.” Per The Times, Trump threatened to take away “federal funds, including grants and contracts, currently provided to cashless bail jurisdictions.”

Snoop Dogg is opening up about being “scared to go to the movies” because of LGBTQ+ representation in children’s films. According to Complex, the rapper recounted an incident with his grandson while they watched Pixar’s Lightyear that “threw [him] for a loop.”

Snoop said he was uncomfortable when his grandson asked about same-sex relationships

The Doggfather appeared on the It’s Giving podcast, where he talked about marriage, parenting and masculinity. Around 30 minutes into the episode, Snoop shared his experience watching Lightyear with his grandson, who had questions about how the movie’s protagonist, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), had a child with her wife.

“They’re like, ‘She had a baby — with another woman,’” he said. “Well, my grandson, in the middle of the movie is like, ‘Papa Snoop? How she have a baby with a woman? She’s a woman!’”

Snoop recalled how uncomfortable his grandson’s questions made him.

“‘Oh s**t, I didn’t come in for this s**t. I just came to watch the goddamn movie,’ Snoop remembered thinking.

But his grandson kept asking questions.

“‘They just said, she and she had a baby — they’re both women. How does she have a baby?’”

The rapper reflected that the experience “f**ked me up. I’m like, scared to go to the movies. Y’all throwing me in the middle of s**t that I don’t have an answer for.”

Snoop said the questions “threw me for a loop.”

“I’m like, ‘What part of the movie was this?” he continued.

Later, he expounded on his discomfort with LGBTQ+ representation in children’s movies.

“These are kids. We have to show that at this age? They’re going to ask questions. I don’t have the answer,” he said.

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Snoop’s comments have landed him in hot water on social media, with many calling for the removal of the rapper as the headline entertainer at the Australian Football League’s Grand Final on Sept. 27.

I think we’ve gathered that the AFL are hypocrites but it’s even worse when you realise they announced Snoop Dogg as the Grand Final performer AND Izak Rankine used a homophobic slur the same month of Pride Round, this is all so gross https://t.co/2LYwCvU2Co— CHANEL (@chanelferatu) August 19, 2025

It’s not the first time Snoop has caught heat for comments considered homophobic and transphobic. In 2014, folks called him out for using a homophobic slur, and the following year, he was criticized for calling Caitlyn Jenner a “science project.”

‘Lightyear’ received criticism for the kiss between two women while in development

In 2022, as Lightyear was in development, the film’s central same-sex relationship was a point of controversy. A kiss between Hawthorne and her wife was initially cut but put back into the film, a spinoff of Disney’s Toy Story, after Pixar employees claimed Walt Disney Company leadership was censoring “overtly gay affection” in its movies, Variety reported.

The film went on to be banned in the United Arab Emirates and other Muslim countries.

Lightyear star Chris Evans clapped back at the backlash, calling those against the kiss “idiots.”

“Every time there’s been social advancement as we wake up, the American story, the human story is one of constant social awakening and growth and that’s what makes us good,” he told Reuters. “There’s always going to be people who are afraid and unaware and trying to hold on to what was before. But those people die off like dinosaurs. I think the goal is to pay them no mind, march forward and embrace the growth that makes us human.”