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The jury convicted McIntyre on a lesser charge According to NBC News, McIntyre initially faced a capital murder charge, which carries an automatic life sentence without parole. However, the jury instead convicted the 24-year-old rapper of murder, meaning he now […]

Mohsen Mahdawi, a green card holder, was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank, moved to the U.S. in 2014, and has held permanent resident status since 2015. He was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland […]

Lil Nas X posted several clips from a hospital bed on Monday evening. The artist said he’s experiencing temporary paralysis on one side of his face.

“This is me doing a full smile right now by the way,” Lil Nas X said in a video posted on social media. “It’s like what the f***. Bro, I can’t even laugh right, bro. What the f***. Ah! Oh my God.”

What Lil Nas X said in a video he posted on social media

He recorded himself wearing a hospital gown and baseball cap while he showed both sides of his face.

“We normal over here. We get crazy over here,” he added in an Instagram Story, People reported.

He then followed up on his initial posts and said he was “OK,” while asking his fans to “stop being sad,” according to the BBC.

“I’mma look funny for a lil bit but that’s it,” Lil Nas X said, indicating that the condition is only temporary.

Lil Nas X didn’t confirm if his partial face paralysis was caused by Bell’s palsy

Lil Nas X did not disclose what caused the condition. It could be Bell’s Palsy or Ramsay Hunt Syndrome — which are two temporary conditions tied to partial paralysis of the face. Many fans have commented on his posts, suspecting that he may have the latter.

Justin Bieber previously had Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and had to cancel some of his 2022 tour dates. He eventually fully recovered.

Lil Nas X has been promoting his EP titled Days Before Dreamboy, which dropped last month. The eight-track project precedes the drop of his forthcoming studio album. The artist said he has been taking a different approach to making music.

“I wanna be myself more than ever this era. I want to be completely free out there, only doing the things that I wanna do. If I do not want to do it, I’m not doing it,” he told People in March.

“If I don’t want be there, I’m not gonna be there,” Lil Nas X added. “I think it’s more important than ever to really stand in myself and my power and recognize where I’m taking my energy and where I don’t want to take it.”

The fate of a wrongfully deported man to El Salvador hangs in the balance as that country’s president joins President Donald Trump in refusing to allow Kilmar Abrego Garcia to return to the United States after being wrongly deported.

The two leaders appear willing to deny Garcia his liberty and potentially his safety despite having no criminal record and a lack of evidence against him.

President Trump and President Bukele push an unproven ‘terrorist’ narrative to incarcerate the wrongfully deported man

Trump spoke to reporters alongside El Salvador President Nayib Bukele in the first visit by the leader of the Central American country to the White House after the controversial deportation of numerous individuals to El Salvador. During their joint press conference, Bukele was asked about returning Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who lived in Maryland before he was mistakenly deported despite a court order for him to remain in the United States.

Bukele responded to reporters by repeating an unproven accusation against Abrego Garcia: “The question is preposterous. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?”

When asked about the possibility of releasing Garcia within El Salvador, Bukele replied, “We’re not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country.”

COLLINS: Can President Bukele weigh in on this? Do you plan to return Garcia?BUKELE: How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterousTRUMP: These are sick people pic.twitter.com/y2FhtZsAhL— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2025

NBC News reported that Bukele’s comments, cosigned by Trump and members of his administration, repeat unproven accusations made against Abrego Garcia. The Trump administration has repeatedly labeled him a member of the MS-13 gang, based on a judge’s 2019 ruling. However, Abrego Garcia has always denied gang affiliation with MS-13 or any other group; no evidence has been presented to suggest otherwise.

NBC stated court filings show Abrego Garcia has never been charged with a crime in either country. Nevertheless, he is currently being held in El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, a prison accused of subjecting inmates to torture, malnutrition and other human rights abuses, per the outlet.

Law, politics and diplomacy at the heart of Abrego Garcia’s case

Bukele’s comments extend the weeks-long legal and political fight over Abrego Garcia, who fled El Salvador for the United States as a teenager, stating that he had suffered violence and been threatened with death at the hands of gang members. Despite not initially being authorized to enter the United States, a judge in 2019 granted Garcia the right to stay in the U.S., ruling that he would likely face gang violence if he returned to El Salvador. Garcia was living in Maryland with his wife, a U.S. citizen, and their child when ICE arrested him in March. He was then mistakenly deported to El Salvador alongside over 100 Venezuelan gang members deported by the Trump administration under the Alien Enemies Act, a controversial and rarely used law.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court recognized that Abrego Garcia should not have been deported and ruled unanimously that the Trump administration must “facilitate” his return to the United States. Despite the directive, administration officials have pushed various narrow interpretations and false readings of the decision to avoid taking steps to bring Garcia back to the U.S. The administration has also ignored the fact that it’s actively paying the El Salvadoran government to house deportees in its prison, undercutting the argument that the United States has no power to influence that nation’s decisions concerning what to do with Abrego Garcia.

For now, Trump and his Salvadoran counterpart both seem content to keep Abrego Garcia locked away. Meanwhile, the legal and political fight to free Abrego Garcia and return him to the United States continues.

Texas teen Karmelo Anthony, who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his peer Austin Metcalf will be spared the death penalty.

As Blavity reported, the 17-year-old student-athlete (not to be confused with NBA icon Carmelo Anthony) allegedly stabbed Metcalf after he told him to move out from under a tent for his team during a UIL District 11-5A championship track meet in Frisco at Kuykendall Stadium on April 2.

Per reports, the victim bled heavily on the scene in his twin brother’s arm and was pronounced dead upon his arrival at a nearby hospital. When police arrested Anthony, he admitted to committing the crime but claimed it was an act of self-defense. The case quickly attracted nationwide attention, causing heated discourse online about the unknown details that happened during the exchange that led to the loss of life. 

Prosecutors rule out death penalty for Karmelo Anthony

According to People, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis gave an update on the case on April 10. He revealed that Anthony would not be subject to capital punishment if convicted of murder.

“The Supreme Court has said not only can you not seek the death penalty against someone who committed a crime when they’re 17, you can’t even get them life without parole,” Willis stated, citing the landmark Roper v. Simmons ruling from 2005.

“That would not be something we could do even if we wanted to,” he added.

According to WFAA, the Collin County District Attorney’s Office has not yet received the case, as the police investigation remains ongoing. Willis hoped the case would stay in Collin County, emphasizing his desire for residents to determine the outcome.

Judge reduces $1 million bond for Karmelo Anthony

On Monday, Anthony’s new lawyer, Mike Howard, appeared in court to request a reduction in his current $1 million bond to $250,000, Fox 4 News reported. Despite not getting what he originally set out for, the hearing ended with the result his new legal team wanted. Judge Angela Tucker of Collin County’s 199th District Court ruled to lower Anthony’s bond to  $250,000 while imposing strict new conditions if he is released. 

There were multiple things that Judge Tucker took into account when making her decision, including Anthony’s age, lack of past criminal history, citizenship and close ties to the community when setting the new bond amount. 

Anthony was informed that he must wear an ankle monitor and obtain approval before leaving his home if he posts bond. Additionally, he was made aware that violating the guidelines would lead to his immediate return to jail.

Both students’ families attended the bail bond court hearing. Anthony’s parents and several others were in attendance to support him, while Metcalf’s parents, grandfather and aunt were present wearing gold ribbons and No. 11 pins in honor of their relative.  

Anthony’s father testified on the stand, stating that the family currently cannot access the funds that have been raised. He explained that as the family’s sole provider, the intense public attention surrounding the case has caused them to relocate. He mentioned that, between moving expenses and the ongoing responsibility of supporting his wife and four children, they could not meet the $1 million bond requirement. 

Actress Maia Campbell made a name for herself in the ’90s thanks to her talent and natural beauty. She was most known for her role as Tiffany on the hit TV sitcom In The House, which she starred in with LL Cool J.

Campbell’s life took a turn and spiraled out of control when she began using drugs intensively. She’s been very candid about her journey with addiction, which resulted in jail time and losing custody of her daughter. In 2012, she appeared as a guest on OWN’s Iyanla Fix My Life.

Maia Campbell shared a heartwarming Instagram photo

Over the weekend, Campbell posted an Instagram photo of her and celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist Jasyson Glenn. She appeared radiant and refreshed.

The photo was the first Campbell had shared of herself on Instagram since May 2017, causing an outpouring of encouragement from her supporters. 

“So proud of you! The and bounce back is REAL! God is truly amazing,” one fan commented.

“😍😍😍😍 LOOK AT GOD 🙏🏾,” another person added.

“I’m really gonna cry. You’ve literally been in my prayers for years. My first representation of seeing a brownskin girl really make it ❤️this makes my heart so happy to see that forever glow,” someone else wrote.

Maia Campbell says she wants to collaborate with Tyler Perry

Overwhelmed by the public’s love, Campbell followed up with a video to confirm that she was doing well, accompanied by the caption: “Thank you all for the love and support ❤️❤️❤️ more to come.”

“Hey everybody! Thanks for checking in and wondering if I’m okay,” she began. “I’m doing great! I just wanted you to know that.”

She also teased what her futures look like. One of her wishes is to work with Tyler Perry and develop a movie based on her mother Bebe Moore Campbell’s 2005 book, 72 Hour Hold.

“Everybody keeps asking me what I want to do with my career. And honestly, I could say that I really want to get in touch with Tyler Perry and have him produce my mother’s book 72 Hour Hold,” Campbell said. “It was a monumental book for me. It was a New York Times Best Seller, and July is Mental Health Awareness Month, so I’m still on that campaign.”

Campbell ended the video by requesting continued prayers as she aims to stay on a successful path of recovery.

“Keep me up in prayer and thank you for praying for me,” she said. “And I’m going to do my best to keep you guys happy. I’ll see you soon. Bye!”

Sam’s Club has major plans for growth — and it’s aiming high as rivals like Costco continue to grow.

The Walmart-owned retailer hopes to double its membership numbers and sales over the next decade, according to USA Today. Sam’s Club also plans to grow both its physical footprint and digital services to meet the evolving needs of its customers.

CEO Chris Nicholas discussed the company’s strategy Wednesday during Walmart’s Investment Community Meeting. He emphasized the importance of attracting new members and expanding offerings across platforms.

What is Sam’s Club saying about its plans to expand the business?

“This is one of the fastest, most scalable transformations happening in retail today,” Nicholas said in a news release, per USA Today. “We’re investing with intention — in our fleet, our associates and the member experience — to become the world’s best club retailer.”

Sam’s Club has attracted nearly 70 million members by offering essentials like eggs, milk and paper products, The Street reported. Nicholas said the store tends to thrive regardless of economic challenges.

“In times of plenty, we do well. But in tough times, we do really well,” he said, per The Street.

What’s changing about Sam’s Club stores?

The company said it’s “building a pipeline to open approximately 15 new clubs each year over the planning horizon.” In addition to new builds, the company plans to remodel its 600 existing locations over the coming years.

These new stores are expected to look similar to the Grapevine, Texas, location, which reopened in 2024 after tornado damage forced it to close in 2022. Like Grapevine, the new locations will feature a “register-free shopping experience.”

“High-top tables near the showroom and entrance are staffed by member specialists ready to assist anyone new to Scan & Go,” the company said in a December news release.

According to Sam’s Club, customers have embraced the streamlined system, with most opting to use it during its first week of launch.

The retailer said customers will also be able to enjoy online exclusives and use Scan & Go to make purchases for direct-to-home delivery.

On March 14, President Donald Trump reversed a series of executive orders issued by the previous administration, including Executive Order 14026, which raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour and adjusted for yearly inflation for private sector employees working […]