News

The Onion, the Chicago-based satirical news company, won a bid Wednesday in a private bankruptcy auction to acquire conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars and related assets to his media empire, with backing from the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, who are owed compensation due to Jones’ years of dismissing the massacre.

The New York City Council secured a major win for renters by passing legislation to end upfront broker fees, a common burden for those seeking housing across the five boroughs.

Changing the broker-fee landscape in NYC housing

New York City and Boston stand out as the only U.S. cities that require tenants to pay broker fees, even if they have never hired or met the broker. The hefty fee, typically around 15% of the annual rent, is added to the total cost when tenants sign their new lease. This fee goes directly to the broker who listed or showed the property, The City and Gothamist reported.

Councilmember Chi Ossé (D-Brooklyn) speaks during a rally at the steps of City Hall ahead of a City Council meeting on November 13, 2024 in New York City. | Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The bill, which was introduced and sponsored by Chi Ossé, a council member who represents Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights in Brooklyn, will now require the party who hired the broker, usually the landlord or building manager, to cover the broker fees. If tenants choose to employ their own real estate agent to ease the housing search, they are still responsible for paying that fee.

Council member Chi Ossé celebrates the passing of his bill during a City Council meeting at City Hall on November 13, 2024 in New York City. The NYC City Council held a series of votes that included the Fairness in Apartment Rentals Act, which requires whomever hired the real estate broker to pay the fee, essentially freeing renters from paying broker fees. The bill which was sponsored by Council member Ossé, passed by a 42-8 vote | Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The opening ceremony at the 2024 AFROTECH Conference kicked off with high energy, highlighting attendees’ excitement about the educational panels, networking and social mixers, the career fair and more over the next few days.

On Nov. 13, over 35,000 Black people from across the globe, who work in or are pivoting to the tech industry, gathered at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston to jumpstart their AFROTECH Conference experience. As the room filled, registrants were greeted by Will Lucas, AFROTECH’s brand manager and host of Black Tech Green Money, as DJ Stakz curated the good vibes that led to a dance party where there was nothing but high energy in the room.

The ceremony began with the Evan E. Worthing Colts marching band, drumline, and dance team bringing a spirit similar to HBCU homecomings as they played Beyoncé’s 2011 song “Party.” This revved up the crowd, who sang along loudly. Lucas then hopped on stage with actress Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins to welcome everyone before he passed the baton as the Innovation Stage host to his co-host who introduced Morgan DeBaun, Blavity’s founder and CEO.

“This not a regular tech conference as you can already tell,” she told the audience after she stepped on stage in a red pantsuit before doing a roll call to see who was in the room.

Photo: Benjamin Esakof

Photo: Benjamin Esakof