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[WATCH] XXXTentacion Murder Trial Winding Down As Jury Enters Deliberation

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The jury, who have been listening to witness testimonies since Feb. 7 in the murder trial of late-Florida rapper, XXXTentacion, has officially entered deliberation on March 8. Just a few hours in, the Hon. Judge Michael Usan instructed the jurors to return on March 9 at 10:30 a.m. to continue deliberations.

Spilling into two days, March 7-8, of closing arguments all sides presented arguments one last time.  Prosecutor Pascale Achille called the men, Dedrick Williams, Michael Boatwright, and Trayvon Newsom —  “predators” who attacked an unsuspecting XXX.

Achille urged the jury to return with a “guilty” conviction.

She also played cellphone videos of the defendants hours after XXX died and laid out ballistic and cell phone evidence.

“This is who they are,” Achille told the jury while playing videos of the men smiling, dancing, and flashing fistfuls of $100 bills.

“This is their real character,” she continued. “Killers that within 24 hours after shooting the victim dead and stealing $50,000 from him, this is what they do.”

“Look at how happy they look. Look at how excited they look,” she noted as she continued to play the video.

Achille also played surveillance video from the Riva Motorsports and of the men allegedly stashing the Black Dodge Journey SUV she claimed connected the men to the murder.

Boatwright’s attorney, Joseph Kimok presented the final defense closing arguments on March 8. He told jurors that while XXX struggled with his killers before getting shot to death, the DNA found on his body, along with the stolen chain, wasn’t from Boatwright.

Kimok also said the DNA wasn’t Newsome’s,  the accused second gunman or Williams who has been accused of being the getaway driver and ringleader.

“Whoever (XXXTentacion) struggled with is not in this courtroom,” Kimok told the jurors. “The DNA proves that someone not named, Michael Boatwright or Trayvon Newsome participated in this murder.”

Boatwright has been named the alleged shooter that shot the three bullets that killed XXXtentacion.

William’s attorney, Mauricio Padilla  told the jury Allen was a “liar.” Noting that the prosecution’s additional witnesses also contradicted each other. He also said the Broward County Sheriff’s department didn’t look at other possible suspects, namely rap star Drake, who was beefing with XXX at the time of his death.

The post [WATCH] XXXTentacion Murder Trial Winding Down As Jury Enters Deliberation appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] 15-Year-Old Student Shoved By Teacher For Not Reciting Pledge of Allegiance

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The parents of a 9th grader in South Carolina are suing after their daughter was allegedly pushed by a teacher for not saying the Pledge of Allegiance while she was walking to class.

Marissa Barnwell, the student, said during a news conference on Thursday that she was walking quietly to her class at River Bluff High School in Lexington, South Carolina and decided not to stop walking to recite the pledge or a moment of silence.

A teacher at the school allegedly yelled at her, confronted her, and pushed her against a wall nearby.

“I was just in disbelief,” Barnwell said, recalling that she told the teacher “Get your hands off of me.”

Barnwell, who’s 15 years old, was sent to the principal’s office afterward, which she described as humiliating because she thought she was in trouble.

After the meeting, the principal sent Barnwell back to class, but didn’t let her know that the teacher was wrong for accosting her and pushing her into a wall for not stopping to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I was completely and utterly disrespected,” Barnwell said, according to The State newspaper. “No one has apologized, no one has acknowledged my hurt. … The fact that the school is defending that kind of behavior is unimaginable.”

Barnwell’s parents have filed a lawsuit against the River Bluff High School teacher, principal, Lexington School District 1, as well as the South Carolina Education Department in federal court, stating that their daughter’s First Amendment and civil rights were violated.

The South Carolina legislature passed a law over 30 years ago requiring schools in the state to play the Pledge of Allegiance at a certain time each day, but also prohibits punishment for students who refuse to recite the pledge.

Tyler Bailey, the family’s attorney, said that students should be able to exercise their constitutional rights.

“The thing that’s beautiful about America is we have freedoms,” Bailey said. “Students in our schools should feel safe, they should not be feel threatened for exercising their constitutional rights.”

The teacher and principal allegedly involved in the incident are still employed at the school, according to its website.

Thoughts?

The post [WATCH] 15-Year-Old Student Shoved By Teacher For Not Reciting Pledge of Allegiance appeared first on The Source.

J. Prince Denies Reports He Was Arrested For Threatening Offset

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J. Prince is denying claims he was arrested for threatening Offset after Wack 100 allegedly told Clubhouse that the mogul had been taken into custody. 

The alleged accusation about the Houston vet came from Wack on Friday (March 10). A viral audio recording from Clubhouse hears him saying “he has been arrested,” but it doesn’t capture him saying J. Prince or Offset’s name.

A headline attached to the audio did, however, writing: “Wack 100 & His Sources Say J Prince Has Been Arrested By Feds For Threatening Offset & The Remaining Migos Are In Protective Custody.”

When DJ Akademiks reposted the report, Offset commented: “Pussy wtf is this cap ass shit.”

In response, J. Prince took to Instagram from a lounge chair in a location that was quite clearly not prison and denied any such reports.

“Ah man, what has this shit come down to in the world today?” he began. “I can’t believe people play with people[‘s] intelligence — the way they play with people intelligence and intellect. You know, the way they do today, people are telling lies for a living. You know what I mean? They actually lying to y’all for a living. But as you can see, live and in living color, this is what my jail cell look like.”

The post J. Prince Denies Reports He Was Arrested For Threatening Offset appeared first on The Source.

Fivio Foreign Asks For Prayers After Missing Rolling Loud Set To Address Health

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Fivio Foreign asked fans to pray for him, after revealing that complications with his health kept him from performing at this year’s Rolling Loud Concert in California.

The Brooklyn rapper took to Twitter late on Friday night after his scheduled performance on day one of the festival and apologized for missing his set. The fast-rising MC shared this is something he said has never happened in his career.

While he didn’t explain his condition, Fivio explained that he decided to skip Rolling Loud to address ‘what was keeping him from physically being at his best.’

“Apologize to @RollingLoud & everybody who came out to see me I ain’t make it,” he tweeted. “My first time missing a show and I feel so crazy about it but my body dealing w some real issues.. Juss keep me in yah prayers & I’ll hit Tariq up to make it up

Fivio Foreign’s health scare comes days after he shared his thoughts about how the pressures of life can bring on anxiety and depression.

“The reason people deal w depression and trauma and anxiety is cause they tryna take care of the things dat should b taken care of,” he tweeted on February 21, later adding: “I don’t ignore my problems I fix them…”l
Fivio offered some clarification, writing: “Ok lemme resay it for the people dat don’t get it… The folks dat don’t go above and beyond to handle there responsibilities b less depress then us dat do. Don’t worry this mixtape will explain everything..”

The post Fivio Foreign Asks For Prayers After Missing Rolling Loud Set To Address Health appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] Rickey Smiley Attempted To Send Son To Rehab Before Alleged Overdose

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Last month Radio host and comedian Rickey Smiley announced that his oldest son Brandon Smiley had passed away unexpectedly. Now, Smiley is opening up for the first time about the death of his son and how he and his family are coping with this devastating loss.

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In a candid interview with the Today Show, Rickey reveals Brandon’s cause of death. Rickey admits that Brandon struggled with drug abuse and that he died from a suspected accidental overdose.

Smiley, 54, said in Thursday’s interview that his late child’s girlfriend called him after finding Brandon “unresponsive” on Jan. 29.

“She said that, in her words, that he had OD’d,” he shared.

The comedian recalled receiving a second phone call while preparing for a flight to Georgia, this time from his “crying” daughter Taylor, who also let him know about Brandon’s death.

“He used, and it killed him,” he said.

Smiley admitted he was “shocked but not surprised” by the tragedy, explaining that he had “prepared … deep inside” for the possibility as Brandon struggled with addiction for years.

“His mother and I made several attempts to try to send him to get the help that he needed — send him to rehab,” he said.

“We thought that he as doing better. He had just joined the church, and he had just gotten baptized again, probably a month before he passed away.”

Smiley added that he does not “know why” or “how” Brandon became addicted to drugs, as his immediate family members are “all clean and sober.”

“We just assume that if you’re in a good school district or you’re in a gated community or everything is going good that these kids are not doing drugs,” he said. “You don’t have to be in the hood.”

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Brandon is survived by daughter Storm.

Watch the video below.

The post [WATCH] Rickey Smiley Attempted To Send Son To Rehab Before Alleged Overdose appeared first on The Source.

Mother Of Two Dies After Laser Lipo Procedure At Shopping Center

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A 31-year-old mother of two died after she had liposuction at a clinic located in a mall in the eastern Venezuelan city of Cumaná.

Ana Rosa Mavarez fell ill after undergoing the minimally invasive procedure at the Marina Plaza Ambulatory Surgery Unit on Saturday night.

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The clinic is located in a mall in the eastern city of Cumaná

Mavarez, mother to an eight-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy, was rushed to a medical facility, where she was pronounced dead early Sunday morning.
Authorities arrested Dr. Alexander Larrochelle, who reportedly operated on Mavarez, after he visited a local police station to provide a statement Sunday.

Dr. Larrochelle will be held for up to 45 days while investigators go over their findings.

The surgeon performed a lipolaser on Mavarez, her mother, Petra Rivero, told news portal El Pitazo.

Mavarez’s condition continued to decline while Dr. Larrochelle used a laser to break down fat cells and tighten loose skin.

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Ana Rosa Mavarez, a 31-year-old mother-of-two

Petro said her daughter complained about severe pain and was not given medicine to treat the discomfort.

She added that Mavarez had her own lipo pump at the facility to reduce the swelling, but that one of the nurses declined to use it.
Mavarez began convulsing around 10pm and was not intubated until 12:30 am when Dr. Larrochelle showed up at the clinic.

Rivero said that the death certificate showed her daughter’s time of death as 11 pm, and that Dr. Larrochelle and the staff tried to convince the family into thinking that she was still alive.

The family searched all of Cumaná for an ambulance to transport Mavarez to another hospital, but were unable to do so because none of the ambulances were equipped with oxygen.

Mavarez was eventually transferred to a clinic at 4:30 am. Doctors admitted her into the facility without vital signs and confirmed her death.

“I am going to fight for my daughter, because she was not an animal. And just as it happened to my daughter, it has happened to many,” Rivero said. “And it’s going to keep happening if they don’t retaliate with that bum. That’s a butcher shop they have there.”

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Ana Rosa Mavarez leaves behind an 11-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter

Prayers to her family.

The post Mother Of Two Dies After Laser Lipo Procedure At Shopping Center appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] Brutally Beaten Baby Mama Defends NFL Player Zac Stacy Following 6-Month Jail Sentence

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Two years ago former NFL player Zac Stacy was arrested on felony assault charges after his baby mama Kristin Evans leaked a shocking video of him brutally assaulting in front of their child. Yesterday reports revealed that Stacy has been sentenced to 6 months jail time and one year’s probation after accepting a plea deal.

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Zac Stacy abusing his ex-Kristin Evans in front of their baby.
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Social media users were shocked at the sentencing he received for the brutal beating. At the time his ex-girlfriend said the Nov. 13 incident left her with “serious and likely permanent” injuries. She shared, “I was punched, slapped, literally picked up and thrown into my TV and then (he) picked me up and slammed me into my son’s bouncy seat by my throat. This is not the first time he has been violent with me. I am afraid for my safety and for my children’s safety,” Evans said in court, according to the outlet.

More were shocked that his brutalized victim is now coming to his defense.

Evans advocated for mental health treatment rather than prison time on Tuesday, saying it would protect the son she shared with Zac Stacey from further “trauma”

The former St. Louis Rams player reportedly fled the state of Florida after an arrest warrant was issued. A week later, he was arrested upon arrival at the Orlando International Airport and charged with aggravated battery and criminal mischief.

Earlier this month in Orange County, Florida, Stacy, 31, pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal mischief, and as a result of his plea, the battery charges against him were dropped.

“People who are willing to put in work to be better, deserve an opportunity to show that they can be better,” she wrote in the video’s caption.

Evans said that at first, following the attack in 2021, Stacy “showed no signs of remorse and he ran to another state, so I released the videos so he would get arrested.”

In the time since then, however, she said the former NFL running back had made significant improvements to his life.

“He decided to change,” said Evans. “Through cognitive behavioral therapy, he was able to make a significant adjustment in his behavior and communication. And over the last six months, he’s consistently shown an improvement as well as our son enjoying spending time with him.”

Evans added that many people who advocate for harsh sentencing also don’t understand the difficulty that domestic abuse survivors have in trying to balance their safety “with what’s right for our children.”

“I have to speak to this man and exchange a child and co-parent a child with this man for the rest of my life,” Evans said. She also expressed that she “didn’t advocate for jail” because of “the lack of resources, the lack of rehabilitation, the lack of education for mental health, and the psychological effect it may have on our son, having already developed a relationship with his father.”

At the close of her post, she asked for “grace in understanding” that she’s not “being easy” on her ex-boyfriend, but trying to protect her son “from anymore trauma.”

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Watch her explanation below. Thoughts?

The post [WATCH] Brutally Beaten Baby Mama Defends NFL Player Zac Stacy Following 6-Month Jail Sentence appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] Hospital Fires Nurse Caught Slamming Newborn Baby In Viral Video

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A NY Hospital fired a nurse who was caught slamming a crying newborn baby into a bassinet in the NICU.
Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, NY terminated the nurse after a shocking video of the incident went viral.
“It was heartbreaking,” said baby Nikko’s mother, Consuelo Saravia. “I couldn’t stop crying, I couldn’t even sleep.”

2-day-old Nikko was in the Neonatal ICU for observation after receiving antibiotics. First-time father, Fidel Sinclair, went to see his son in the NICU and noticed him crying through a small opening in a curtain over the window.

When he began recording on his cellphone he captured a disturbing sight. A nurse grabbed baby Nikko, turned him around and slammed him face down into the bassinet.

“I don’t know, it just broke me,” said Fidel. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Fidel showed the video to Consuelo, who confronted the nurse.

Consuelo recalled the conversation: “I told her ‘I don’t want you to touch my child. You just slammed him.’ She said ‘Oh no, if you think I mishandled him or anything, I’m sorry.’”

Consuelo showed the video to other nurses and hospital administrators.

Catholic Health, which runs Good Samaritan, told NBC New York that immediate action was taken, including conducting an investigation and firing the individual involved.

“Additionally, we reported the individual to the Department of Health for further review. Keeping our patients safe remains our paramount concern.”

Fidel said he’s thankful he decided to go check on his son when he did.

“If it wasn’t for God who sent me to check on him we would have never seen any of that happen,” he said. “And It would have kept happening overnight not only to him but the other babies, too.”

He added: “I find it messed up that in a room like that they have all the curtains closed.”

Catholic Health defended the use of closed curtains in the NICU windows.

“It is standard procedure to have closed curtains in the neonatal ICU to provide privacy for the patients and their families.”

Suffolk Police say their Special Victims Unit is investigating while Baby Nikko is at home doing fine.

Watch the video below.

The post [WATCH] Hospital Fires Nurse Caught Slamming Newborn Baby In Viral Video appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] Chance The Rapper Honors Black Revolutionaries In Powerful Black History Month Tribute

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Chance The Rapper just released an alternate video for his single “YAH Know” as a celebration of Black revolutionaries who have been trailblazers in history.

The new video opens with a message that reads: “This Black History Month we want to celebrate some of the most important progress we have made as a People. This video highlights some revolutionaries and their revolutions.”

Chance’s project places the spotlight on prominent figures in Black history such as Sarah Elizabeth Ray, Kwame Nkrumah and Nandi Azikiwe alongside Marcus Garvey, Fred Hampton and Mohandas Ghandi.

The video also offers fans the opportunity to unearth even more historical context by incorporating multiple clips from the PBS miniseries History of the Negro People: The New Mood, which first aired in 1965; the 1967 documentary Black Liberation; and The Warren Years: The Great Decisions, a film which examines the 1960s Supreme Court rulings brought on by the Civil Rights Movement.
The video also includes scenes from the Black Star Line Festival, which Chance The Rapper organized with Vic Mensa. 
The two Chicago natives announced the Black Star Line Festival in July 2022, explaining that the event’s name was a tribute to pan-African activist Marcus Garvey’s shipping company.

“Founded in 1919, and operated by Black people, the [Black Star Line] would link America, the Caribbean and Africa, to global shipping and tourism opportunities,” a press release for the festival explained. “The Black Star Line was a symbol of pride, not only for Africans, but also for Black people in all ports of call. After nearly 40 years, the Ghanian government launched their fleet with the same name, in homage to Garvey, and even added a black star to the country’s new flag.”

In addition to the concert at Black Star Square on Friday night, the Black Star Line Festival included a week’s worth of special events and panels, including a fireside chat between Chance The Rapper and Dave Chappelle, who discussed bringing new attention and business to local comedy clubs and his dream of one day living in Ghana, inspired by a conversation with JAY-Z.
Watch the video below.

The post [WATCH] Chance The Rapper Honors Black Revolutionaries In Powerful Black History Month Tribute appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] Rapper Boosie Refuses To Accept Daughter’s Lesbian Lifestyle But Loves Her

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Rapper Boosie Badazz said he refuses to accept his daughter’s lesbian lifestyle. The rapper’s 21-year-old daughter Iviona, a.k.a. Poison Ivi, came out on Instagram, causing Black Twitter to announce her coming out was his “karma.”

Boosie has denounced personal choices made by Dwyane Wade‘s child Zaya Wade and aspiring rapper Lil Nas X.

In an interview with DJ Vlad on VladTV, Boosie said he refused to accept Iviona’s lifestyle because of his religious beliefs.

“Even though it won’t be accepted as far as — because I don’t want nobody in my other family to think it’s okay. But what she does, we’re gonna love her to death. But at the same time, our Southern family has never been that way.

“It’s never been accepted. But at the same time, she’s grown and she can do what the hell she wants. She’s old enough to know what she wants and that’s her.”

Boosie claims that he knew Iviona was “different” growing up, but he learned about her lesbianism on social media.

“I learned of it through social media. Like you, I woke up to it… She never came to me and talked to me about relationships,” he said.

Watch the video below.

The post [WATCH] Rapper Boosie Refuses To Accept Daughter’s Lesbian Lifestyle But Loves Her appeared first on The Source.