News

Urania Wilson, the mother of Caleb Wilson, a Southern University and A&M College student who died due to alleged hazing while pledging, recently graduated from college.

This Mother’s Day weekend was bittersweet for Urania, as one of her stops was at Southern University at New Orleans. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the HBCU, which had commencement ceremonies over the weekend. The outlet posted a video of the moment she graced the stage. In the video, she holds a cutout sign of her late son’s face to honor his life.

Support pours in for Caleb Wilson’s mother after powerful graduation moment

Those in attendance gave her a standing ovation and cheered her on. The general public also rallied behind her in the comments section of post that shared the recording. 

“This is the definition of turning your pain into a purpose, God bless her!” one person wrote on social media.

“She’s coming for y’all Just wait and see… I love that for her ,” another person wrote.

“As someone who just graduated last weekend with this same degree I’m in tears for her!!!! I know Caleb was right there with here walking across that stage!!” someone else wrote.

Arrests made in fatal hazing case as family pushes for legislative reform

In March, news broke that her son Caleb died during the new member intake process of the Greek fraternity Omega Psi Phi. As Blavity reported, those allegedly responsible for his passing are Caleb McCray (23), Kyle Thurman (25) and Isaiah Smith (28). The three men were arrested the following month for the roles they played in the off-campus hazing ritual that led to the 20-year-old’s death. Additionally, the three men were expelled from their chapters of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 

McCray, who allegedly punched Caleb in his chest multiple times, after which the victim appeared to fall and have a seizure, per the arrest warrants, is charged with felony criminal hazing and manslaughter. The latter two are facing prosecution for felony criminal hazing.

According to the Gordie Center, over 100 people have lost their lives due to hazing activities in the United States since January 2000. And 76% of hazing-related deaths were connected to fraternities, per data gathered from Hank Nuwer’s Unofficial Hazing Deaths Database Clearinghouse.

In response to the tragic incident, Caleb’s family has partnered with Louisiana State Rep. Delisha Boyd, the lawmaker behind the Caleb Wilson Act, a bill designed to prevent hazing.

Daniel Phillip was the first witness to testify at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial that began on Monday.

The 41-year-old male escort — who was hired by Diddy and had a relationship with him and then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, testified that he was paid between $700 and $6,000 to engage in sex with Ventura disgraced hip-hop mogul watched.

What we learned about Daniel Phillip’s relationship with Cassie and Diddy

Not only did Phillip claim that the sex sessions would last for hours, he also said that he once overheard Diddy physically assault Ventura in a separate room at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel, Variety reported.

“I could hear what sounded like him slapping her. She was screaming, ‘I’m sorry! I’m sorry!’” Phillip said. Combs told Ventura, “Bitch, when I tell you to come, you come now. Not later.”

When asked why he didn’t intervene in the alleged violence Diddy inflected upon Ventura, he said, “In my mind … if I tried to do something I might lose my life,” he added. “My thoughts were, [Combs] was someone with unlimited power. … My life was at risk.”

As Variety wrote of one part of Phillip’s testimony, “When asked why he continued to meet up with Combs and Ventura, he told the courtroom that he considered Ventura a friend and wanted to ‘check up’ on her. Plus, he feared that if he aggravated Combs, he might be in danger.”

Other revelations that Daniel Phillip shared on the stand

During the first session, Phillip said it took a while before he recognized Diddy since he was wearing a bandana that covered his face from the nose down, according to Variety. It wasn’t until Phillip heard Diddy’s voice that he recognized him.

Phillip alleged that condoms were rarely ever used during his sexual encounters with Ventura. He also recounted a time when Ventura asked him to urinate on her.

“He was always sitting in the corner masturbating,” Phillip said about Combs, per Variety.

On a couple of occasions, Phillip said Diddy videotaped the sessions and had a photo taken of his driver’s license before telling him it was “just for insurance, just in case.”

“I understood it to be he was threatening me,” Phillip said.

As evidence of Diddy’s alleged abuse toward Ventura, prosecutors played footage showing Diddy assaulting Ventura at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles for the jury, which consists of eight men and four women.

Why did Trump grant white South Africans refugee status? Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe sent a letter to members of the church and said that about two weeks ago, the federal government “informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that under the terms of […]

Streamer and left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker said he was detained and underwent a two-hour interrogation conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents as he was traveling back to the U.S. on Sunday. He said he was asked questions about his opinions on President Donald Trump and his public criticism of Israel.

The 33-year-old is known for his political commentary and left-leaning opinions online. He currently boasts nearly three million followers on Twitch and 1.5 million followers on X. Piker is a Turkish-American citizen born in New Jersey.

Hasan Piker says he was interrogated over his political views

Piker said he was led to a private room upon his arrival from Paris at Chicago O’Hare Airport on Sunday. Piker said in a Twitch live stream that he was interviewed for nearly two hours by border agents about his political views. He described the interview as “cordial,” according to The Guardian. 

During the interview, Piker was asked questions focused on his previous public criticism of Israel.

“Do you like Hamas? Like, do you support Hamas? Do you think Hamas is a resistance group?” he said he was asked.

The commentator replied that he was a “pacifist” and wanted “the endless bloodshed to end.”

“I just kept repeating that over and over again,” Piker said, describing the questioning as a violation of his First Amendment rights.

The commentator said his phone and laptop were not searched and that the interview ended shortly after he asked whether he was being detained or free to go.

“The goal here is to put fear into people’s hearts, to have a chilling effect on speech that, like, the government is unafraid of intimidating you,” Piker said. “Does this stop me from saying whatever the f**k I want to say? Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. But the reason why I wanted to talk about it was to give you more insight into what the government is doing, and to speak out against this sort of stuff.”

“I think they did it because they know who the f**k I am, and they wanted to put the fear of God into me,” he added.

The U.S. government said Hasan Piker is ‘lying for likes’

“This is nothing but lying for likes,” Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, according to The Guardian. “Claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless. Our officers are following the law, not agendas.”

“Upon entering the country, this individual was referred for further inspection – a routine, lawful process that occurs daily, and can apply for any traveler,” she added. “Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released.”

Others have called out Piker’s interrogation for being a breach of the right to freedom of speech.

“We are deeply disturbed that CBP is stopping political commentators at the border to interrogate them about First Amendment-protected activities,” Chip Gibbons, the policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent, said. “Such an abuse of power is an affront to press freedom.”

Piker’s detention comes as pro-Palestine student protestors were recently detained. The U.S. government has been cracking down on student protestors in support of Palestine. Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk were arrested and detained after playing a role in campus protests criticizing Israel.

The White House previously said it is “committed to the enforcement of our immigration laws and will take swift action to remove aliens who pose serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States,” according to the BBC.

Tyler Chase Butler, 27, who is Black, was charged with second-degree murder, malicious wounding and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Homeowner fired several shots at the teens According to a news release […]

Millions of Americans are at risk of losing healthcare as House Republicans look to implement the Trump administration’s plan to cut at least $715 billion in healthcare funding, including Medicaid.

Republicans, who continue to face criticism from the public as they aim to dismantle healthcare, insist that the latest move is part of their effort to eliminate “fraud, waste and abuse.”

What are Democrats and Republicans saying about the fight for healthcare?

According to Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, the GOP chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees spending for healthcare, the president is keeping his promise to his supporters.

“Savings like these allow us to use this bill to renew the Trump tax cuts and keep Republicans’ promise to hardworking middle-class families,” Guthrie said, per ABC News.

However, Democrats such as Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey continue to fight to preserve healthcare access.

“In no uncertain terms, millions of Americans will lose their health care coverage,” said Pallone, the top Democrat on the panel. He added, “Hospitals will close, seniors will not be able to access the care they need, and premiums will rise for millions of people if this bill passes.”

What are the changes Republicans are proposing for Medicaid?

The Energy and Commerce Committee is proposing a new guideline that would require people to have at least 80 hours of work, education or service per month to be eligible for Medicaid. The new guideline would also require eligible people to verify their qualifications twice a year, as opposed to once as it has been.

Tory Lanez, who’s serving a 10-year prison sentence over the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, has been stabbed at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, California.

TMZ reported that the 32-year-old rapper was rushed to a hospital in Bakersfield.

Are Tory Lanez’s injuries life-threatening?

As TMZ reported, multiple sources, including law enforcement, confirmed that Lanez was stabbed by another inmate on Monday morning. His injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.

Megan Thee Stallion recently accused Tory Lanez of cyberstalking behind bars

Megan also accused him of paying blogger Milagro Gramz to publicly smear her name. Megan ended up filing a lawsuit against Gramz, who allegedly shared deepfake pornography images of her.

According to Billboard, Judge Cecilia Altonaga denied Gramz’s request dismiss the case in February 2025, stating the following: “Plaintiff’s claims extend far beyond mere negligence — they paint a picture of an intentional campaign to destroy her reputation. That is more than enough to [deny the motion to dismiss].”

The judge’s ruling means that Megan’s can move forward with her case.

In August 2023, Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison

In the summer of 2023, Lanez was found guilty of all three felony counts: assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.

“The jury got it right,” Alex Spiro, Megan’s attorney, told CBS News after the verdict. “I am thankful there is justice for Meg.”

During the high-profile trial, Megan testified that Lanez fired the gun toward her feet and yelled for her to dance while she was exiting an SUV they rode in after leaving a party thrown by Kylie Jenner on July 12, 2020.

In her April 2024 cover story for Women’s Health, Megan reflected on the traumatic experience and how she handled it all in private.

“Before I went onstage, I would be crying half the time because I didn’t want to [perform], but I also didn’t want to upset my fans,” Megan said at the time. “I didn’t want to get [out] from under the covers. I stayed in my room. I would not turn the lights on. I had blackout curtains. I didn’t want to see the sun. I knew I wasn’t myself. It took me a while to acknowledge that I was depressed. But once I started talking to a therapist, I was able to be truthful with myself.”

Patricia Sias Ellis made her dream come true after decades of postponing her studies.

At 79 years old, she graduated from Clayton State University. Ellis, who crossed the stage over the weekend, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. 

After she graduated high school, Ellis put her plans to pursue a higher education on hold. She focused on work and raising a family instead. 

CONGRATS, GRAD! Patricia Sias Ellis, 79, is graduating from Clayton State University, fulfilling a nearly six-decade dream of earning her criminal justice degree. https://t.co/SA5YVappyN— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) May 11, 2025

At 79, Patricia Sias Ellis made her college dream come true

“I always knew I wasn’t finished,” Ellis told 11Alive.

As her son and husband graduated from Morehouse College, her lifelong goal was reignited. Her son suggested Ellis pursued her dream. She enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College before transferring to Clayton State. She started off by taking one or two classes at a time.

“I just kept trudging along,” Ellis said. “Semester after semester, just doing the work.”

At 79, Patricia Sas Ellis proves it’s never too late to finish what you started. After raising a family & battling health challenges, she earned her degree in Criminal Justice from Clayton State. A true light & inspiration. #Graduation2025 https://t.co/UxjvGPMYl9— Clayton State (@ClaytonState) May 10, 2025

“She lights up the room,” Dr. Georj Lewis, the president of Clayton State University, told the news outlet. “When she crosses that stage, everyone is probably going to stand up. Because she’s hard not to know.”

Last year, Ellis underwent surgery after doctors found a 10-pound tumor on her kidney. She kept pursuing her studies. Overall, the graduate keeps a fond memory of her time at the university.

“These experiences I should have had at 19 or 20 years old, they are the same at 79 years old,” she said. “I’ve had the best time.”

“I feel like the Lord is blessing me with the best years of my life,” Ellis added.

1. BRS Analytical Services, LLC announced a voluntary consumer-level recall of several ophthalmic products due to current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) deviations identified by the FDA. Although the specific health risks have not been confirmed, the deviations could result in […]

Family Dollar has announced that it is teaming up with Uber Eats to provide delivery service from about 5,000 locations across the country. With the new partnership, the company said customers will be able to stay home and order various products from their nearby Family Dollar location. The two partners are celebrating the news by providing a 40% discount on Uber Eats orders of $30 or more from Family Dollar.

According to Men’s Journal, the offer is available for a limited time with promo code FAMILY40. Customers can open the Uber Eats app and find the “retail” or “convenience” section to search for Family Dollar items.

“By partnering with Uber Eats, it’s now even easier to access essentials from the comfort of home,” Family Dollar CMO Bonita Price said in a statement, per Men’s Journal. “Expanded access at an incredible value goes a long way in helping our customers save time and do more, especially in underserved communities.”

What is Uber Eats saying about its partnership with Family Dollar?

Uber Eats said in a statement that its partnership with Family Dollar will provide “a convenient and affordable shopping solution.”

“Family Dollar has long been known for providing low-cost, essential items to communities across the country, including many traditionally underserved neighborhoods. Now, through Uber Eats, customers can access Family Dollar’s trusted assortment of value-driven products without leaving home,” the company stated.

What is the latest development on Family Dollar’s economic struggles?

Dollar Tree, which bought Family Dollar for $9 billion in 2015, is now selling the store for $1 billion. Per Men’s Journal, the company is struggling with operational issues and finding it difficult to keep pace with its rivals. Family Dollar plans to close about 1,000 locations in the coming years.