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The Beta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. at Southern University has been expelled after facing hazing allegations. The fraternity came under fire when Southern University student Caleb Wilson died in a hazing incident earlier in February. Per WFAA,, school officials determined that the chapter violated the student code of conduct when its members engaged in hazing.

Who is charged in the death of Caleb Wilson at Southern University?

Caleb McCray, a 23-year-old student, is charged in connection with Wilson’s death, accused of criminal hazing and manslaughter. According to WFAA, witnesses told police that Wilson was one of nine pledges who attended a meeting with Omega Psi Phi fraternity on Feb. 26. The pledges allegedly stood in line and took punches from at least three fraternity members who were wearing boxing gloves. McCray, one of the three members, punched Wilson in the chest four times, witnesses said.

Wilson collapsed and appeared to have a seizure as he urinated on himself, the police affidavit stated. The 20-year-old student, who was taken to the hospital by his peers, had a small bruise on the right side of his chest, the autopsy determined.

What did Omega Psi Phi say about Caleb Wilson’s death?

In a statement released shortly after Wilson’s death, Omega Psi Phi said, “His loss is deeply felt and our hearts go out to his family, friends, and all who were touched by him.”

Ricky L. Lewis, Grand Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., said in the statement that Wilson “was more than a beloved son, grandson, brother, nephew and cousin.”

“He was a scholar, an exceptional member of the Southern University Marching Band, and a passionate and dedicated leader in student life,” Lewis said.

Omega Psi Phi, which was founded in 1911, stood as a historically Black fraternity at Southern University for decades. Now, however, Omega Psi Phi is no longer recognized on campus. The school has revoked the fraternity’s privileges and determined that all of its physical markers, including benches and monuments, will be removed from campus.

Shannon Sharpe has agreed to a settlement with the woman who accused him of rape. The woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, made the announcement on Instagram, saying the parties reached a “mutually agreed upon resolution” after “protracted and respectful negotiations.”

“All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed,” Buzbee’s Instagram statement read. “The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”

What was Shannon Sharpe accused of doing?

Sharpe faced accusations earlier this year when a woman who was identified as Jane Doe came forward with allegations, saying the former NFL star sexually assaulted her several times in 2024 and 2025. The woman said she also faced years of abuse from Sharpe.

In an audio clip that was later released by Buzbee, Sharpe appeared to be threatening the woman, saying he’s going to “f**king choke the s**t out” of her.

Sharpe defended himself in a statement he released on social media, saying the relationship is 100% consensual. He also announced at that time that he’s temporarily stepping away from his job at ESPN.

 “At this junction I am eliciting to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting my time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason,” Sharpe said. “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, friends and colleagues.”

pic.twitter.com/jsVyWA1xbI— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) April 24, 2025

What’s next for Shannon Sharpe?

The case against Shannon Sharpe is now temporarily terminated after the parties agreed to a settlement, Bossip reported. The plaintiff cannot refile the same case in any court.

A white man who allegedly punched a Black child has been sentenced to just under four years in prison. According to The Bellingham Harold, Paul Jonathan Bittner allegedly attacked an 11-year-old boy on June 12, 2024. He was charged with “second-degree assault of a child and commission of a hate crime.”

Bittner initially entered a not guilty plea but decided to plea guilty on July 15. He was found guilty of the two felonies at his court hearing. He was ordered to 41 months behind bars and will spend 18 months in community custody after his time in prison.

“I want to extend heartfelt hope that today brings healing for the victim and their family,” Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund said in a statement, per The Bellingham Harold. “Hate isn’t welcome in Bellingham, and we continue to stand with them and with our community against hate and discrimination.”

Paul Bittner allegedly punched a Black middle schooler during a class field trip

Following a class field trip to the Pickford Film Center, the police report indicated that the boy and his classmates were walking back to their school as a group. As they strolled past the county courthouse, Bittner ended up colliding with the kids and found himself walking directly in front of the boy. While the boy was talking to his white classmate, the 43-year-old man abruptly turned around and hit him in the face with a closed fist—which left him with a chipped tooth. 

After the alleged assault, Bittner reportedly mentioned something about how the boy was speaking to a white person. He also uttered the N-word several times. In the police report, the boy said he believed the altercation was racially motivated.

“Acts of violence against people motivated by any aspect of their identity are intolerable, and our police department carefully investigates each incident so it can be handled with justice,” Bellingham Police Department Chief Rebecca Mertzig wrote in an email on Tuesday. “It was thanks to quick work by our officers and community members that we were able to hold the offender accountable.”

Paul Bittner was initially deemed unfit to stand trial

After Bittner was arrested, he was initially deemed unfit to stand trial and was even committed to Western State Hospital, where he remained for over five months. During his stay, doctors diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type.

Following the verdict and sentencing, the boy’s father, DeVante Blow, is pleased with the outcome: “I’m feeling good. I’m feeling as if justice was served and the community is safer,” he said.

Blow and his family are doing everything they can to ensure that the boy can move forward in a healthy manner, adding that he hopes that Bittner receives the mental health treatment he needs.

“There’s not a number that we wanted thrown at (Bittner),” Blow said. “It was just making sure that ultimately Mr. Bittner and his state of mind were corrected more so than just throwing him to jail. That doesn’t solve the problem, so we need to solve the problem at the core. And I believe we’re headed that way.”

Former MSNBC host Joy Reid is accusing Piers Morgan of luring her onto his podcast to attack her character and record. Ahead of the interview that aired Thursday evening, Reid called out Morgan for launching a prepared attack against her for obsessing over race and particularly Black women.

Reid slams ‘thirsty little troll’ Morgan for interview bait and switch

In Wednesday’s episode of The Joy Reid Show, the host discussed an interview she had recently with Morgan. Reid characterized him as “a rather thirsty little troll, desperate it seems for attention, and not just from Princess Meghan.” Reid explained that she was invited to appear on Morgan’s podcast, Piers Morgan Uncensored.

“Sometimes you do want to talk to people on the right and see if they have interesting things to say,” Reid said of her decision to agree to the interview.

She displayed a screenshot of an email sent by Morgan’s producers, explaining that the two journalists would be engaged in “a free-flowing conversation covering several topics in her wheelhouse, including the Trump administration, Elon Musk establishing a new political party, ICE raids, and news of the day,” as well as Reid’s departure from MSNBC and her new online venture.

Instead, Reid claimed, “Piers used a 45-minute interview to ambush me mainly about his favorite subject: race, specifically why Black people like me talk so much about race, especially when it comes to Donald Trump.”

“A rather thirsty little troll.” Joy Reid rips into Piers Morgan, accuses him of ambushing her with race-baiting interview. pic.twitter.com/40FpNls1Wd— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) July 17, 2025

Reid and Nina Turner call out Morgan for going after Black women

Reid explained that Morgan used her appearance on his podcast to attack her for talking about race, bringing up years-old comments and posts to question Reid about removing books with sexual or LGBTQ content from school libraries.  

“What the right likes to do is fixate on race to accuse Black people of fixating on race,” Reid said about Morgan and other right-leaning figures. She also accused Morgan of attacking and obsessing over Black women, showing a clip explaining how Morgan left his hosting position with the ITV network over his repeated hostile coverage of Meghan Markle.

As Blavity reported, Morgan has a long history of making strange and questionable comments about race. In recent years, Morgan has been criticized for comments he’s made about Markle as well as other figures such as gymnastics champion Simone Biles and reality television figure Omarosa Manigault Newman, who appeared with Morgan on Trump’s The Celebrity Apprentice TV show. Reid was joined on her show by activist and former Ohio Senate member Nina Turner, who appeared on a later segment of the same episode of Morgan’s show and thus witnessed the interview with Reid beforehand.

“It’s wild, and it’s weak,” Turner said of Morgan’s segment with Reid. “I cannot believe this guy is doing this to her,” Turner said, calling the segment, which featured a surprise appearance by an anti-Reid podcaster, “a total set-up.”

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Morgan, meanwhile, has touted the episode, which aired Thursday evening, telling his audience, “Don’t miss Piers Morgan’s explosive interview with fired MSNBC host Joy Reid,” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Reid explained on her show, “I did not walk out on the Piers Morgan interview,” unlike Morgan, who stormed off the set of Good Morning Britain four years ago when confronted about his Meghan Markle comments. Morgan’s audience will receive Reid’s response to his attacks when his show airs, while Reid shares her perspective on the encounter on her show.

Former Rep. William “Bill” Clay Sr., D-Mo., a trailblazing civil rights leader, Missouri’s first Black legislator, and one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, has died. He was 94.

Politico reported that the CBC confirmed Clay’s death, and Chairwoman Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., spoke out about the beloved politician and the critical issues he fought for during his time in Congress.

Yvette Clarke’s statement about Bill Clay Sr.’s death

“A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971, Congressman Clay helped build the CBC into a force for equity and accountability in American Democracy,” Clarke said Thursday in a press statement. “As a member of Congress, he was a fierce defender of labor rights, education and social justice.”

It is with deep respect and profound sadness that we mourn the passing of former Congressman Bill Clay Sr. — a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/s2rDciJnwn— The Black Caucus (@TheBlackCaucus) July 17, 2025

Clay backed several legislations that benefited Black Americans

Clay made history in 1968 as Missouri’s first Black congressman and later co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 alongside former Black lawmakers Louis Stokes, D-Ohio, and Shirley Chisholm, D-N.Y., per Politico. During his 32-year tenure, he served on the Education and Labor Committee, advocating for reforms like the Hatch Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, which former President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993.

After retiring, Clay was succeeded by his son, William Lacy Clay Jr., who represented Missouri’s 1st District until 2021, according to the Black Press USA.

“William Lacy Clay Sr. was a giant—not just for St. Louis, not just for Missouri, but for the entirety of our country,” Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell said, per the Black Press USA. “I counted Mr. Clay as a grand mentor, as a trailblazer, and as a dear friend. But more than that, I carry his example with me every time I walk onto the House Floor. My heart is with his family, with Lacy, and with every person whose life was better because Bill Clay chose to serve.”