Baller Alert Its A Lifestyle

It was reported this week that the DOJ launched an inquiry ‘months ago’ alleging that the NBA has used its weight within sponsors, coaches, players, and referees to discourage them from engaging and/or participating with the basketball league that is owned by Ice Cube and business partner Jeff Kwatinez.  

The NBA season and the Big 3 league do not coincide. NBA players like Jaylen Brown have shown interest in playing in the Big 3 league during the summer. However, in the past, the NBA has enforced certain restrictive regulations to prevent players from participating in the summer league.

While some officials do officiate in other leagues, there are reports that they have faced discouragement from getting involved with the Big 3. The DOJ has started reaching out to NBA team owners to seek clarification on the alleged tampering.

The upcoming Summer of 2024 will be an intriguing time to observe how the NBA responds to these allegations. There appears to be substance to this story, considering the significant number of former NBA players who participate in the Big 3 league, many of whom do not have the best relationship with the NBA. The Big 3 league is a league accepting of everyone, welcoming players that have been removed from the NBA, NBA legends, street ballers, and many others. It has steadily garnered notoriety and popularity, all without significant assistance from the world’s largest basketball league.

As the DOJ investigation finishes, we’ll be sure to report the final results.

“Shaft” star Richard Roundtree lost his battle with pancreatic cancer this week. 

The adored actor is known for his role as Detective John Shaft in the franchise. He also starred in “Roots.” He passed away on Tuesday in his Los Angeles home surrounded by family. This was not the star’s first battle with the disease. In 1993, he was diagnosed with breast cancer, a rare occurrence for men. He underwent a double mastectomy that same year. As a man experiencing breast cancer, Roundtree kept quiet about his diagnosis for years before using his ordeal to raise awareness. 

Roundtree’s career earned him several award nominations from the NAACP Image Awards and the Golden Globes. Following his early success, he appeared on a long list of shows such as “Beverly Hill, 90210” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” It’s unknown when Roundtree received his latest diagnosis, but he’d been working in recent years, appearing in the 2023 comedy “Moving On,” alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. He also appeared in OWN’s “Cherish The Day” last year. 

Tributes have poured in from Roundtree’s acting colleagues. Gabrielle Union said working with the longtime actor on “Being Mary Jane” was a “dream.” Tia Mowry shared a touching tribute to Roundtree, who worked with her on the Netflix series “Family Reunion.” On Instagram, she wrote, “Richard, you have made such a lasting impact on my life. I am forever grateful for your warm energy, your light, your heart, and your incredible wisdom.” Samuel L. Jackson praised his friend, calling him “the prototype” and “best to ever do it.”

Working with Richard Roundtree was a dream. Getting to hang with him & our Being Mary Jane family was always a good ass time with the best stories & laughs. He was ALWAYS the coolest man in the room with the BEST vibes & ppl would literally run over to come see him. He was simply… pic.twitter.com/1N8fHVDsA6

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) October 25, 2023

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The OG. And a lovely man. RIP https://t.co/8dBhaAAibB

— Jeffrey Wright 🥜 (@jfreewright) October 25, 2023

Roundtree was 81 years old. 

A judge has denied Jonathan Majors’ request to dismiss his domestic violence charges, sending him to trial. 

Majors will now stand trial on November 29th for allegedly striking Grace Jabbari back in March. The couple were in New York City during the incident. Jabbari told police that Majors choked her, broke her finger, slapped her in the face, and left her with several bruises and lacerations. However, Majors has long maintained his innocence, claiming that he was actually the victim. His team shared images of Majors with scratches on him and also text messages between him and Jabbari shortly after the incident, where she acknowledged some responsibility. 

During Wednesday’s hearing, Majors’ defense team requested to have specific evidence withheld from the public due to the amount of interest surrounding the case. Even though the “Creed III” star faces misdemeanor charges, he could still spend a year in jail if convicted. Prior to Wednesday’s hearing, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office filed a response claiming that Majors attorney’s had purposefully leaked evidence in an effort to make Jabbari the perpetrator, Variety reports. 

Majors has lost several movie roles and key business associates following his arrest, which his lawyers feel was racially motivated. Jabbari is a white woman from London. They’ve also pointed out that she partied in a nightclub shortly after the alleged attack took place. For these reasons, the defense remains optimistic and is looking forward to presenting their side at trial. 

Got a sweet tooth? Well, head over to Walmart and grab a box of frozen chocolate-covered fruit by Hershey’s and Reese’s.

The candy companies have added a fruity treat to their sweet lineup: chocolate-coated frozen fruit. It’s a Walmart-exclusive offer until 2024. Then the lineup will be on the shelves of other major grocery stores, PEOPLE reported.

The Hershey treats come in four different fruit and chocolate combos, the company confirmed to PEOPLE.

Hershey’s white creme and Milk Chocolate frozen blueberries and Hershey’s white creme and Milk Chocolate frozen raspberries feature two chocolate layers covering the berries.

And it doesn’t stop there. Hershey added a crunch to the mix. The Hershey’s cookies n’ creme frozen strawberries line comes smothered in white creme and chocolate cookie bits. As for the Reese’s option, it comes as frozen fruit banana slices over chocolate and peanut butter.

The frozen goods range from $7 to $8 for an eight oz. bag.

Sergio Brown has officially been charged with murder in the death of his mother, Myrtle. 

The former NFL star has made it back to Illinois after partying in Mexico and fighting authorities who tried to extradite him back to the U.S.

Authorities have now charged Brown with first-degree murder.

Myrtle’s body was found in a creek behind her Maywood home in September with multiple injuries. Her death was ruled a homicide, and Brown, who lived with Myrtle, was nowhere to be found. He would later surface on social media, rambling on Instagram about his mother being away on vacation. 

In addition to first-degree murder, Brown is also being charged with concealing a dead body. Investigators believe he took steps to burn his mother’s clothing and place her body in the water once she was deceased.

It has not yet been revealed what led up to Myrtle’s death. However, neighbors have reported that in the months before his mother’s murder, Brown was seen acting erratically. Brown does have a brother named Nick, but it doesn’t appear he lived at the residence with the two. Nick previously pleaded for his brother to return, though he has not yet commented on Brown’s charges. 

Brown spent six seasons in the NFL, where he played for the New England Patriots, Colts, Jaguars, and Bills. He left football behind in 2016, and little is known about what he has been up to since then. 

In another case of Instagram doing things no one asked for, the company will begin testing a feed that allows users only to view people or brands with a blue check.

The new interface will show Meta Verified users, meaning those who paid the subscription fee for their blue check, and legacy verified users who went through the previous free approval process. Whenever the Instagram logo in the upper left corner of the app is tapped, the new toggle will show up under the “Following” and “Favorites” tabs. 

“We’re testing a way for people to explore their Instagram feed and reels by toggling to only Meta Verified accounts. We’re exploring this as a new control for people and as a way for businesses and creators to get discovered,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed earlier this week.

The timing of the test is interesting, considering that Instagram previously shot down any talks of a verified-only view. It’s unclear exactly why Instagram decided to introduce the new feed. However, much like Twitter, the app may be searching for a way to bring in more revenue, and highlighting verified accounts may motivate others to subscribe to Meta Verified, Tech Crunch points out.

Currently, Meta Verified is $11.99 for the website version and $14.99 for the app. In addition to the famous blue check, being verified helps drive more traffic to a user’s profile. 

It’s still being determined how long the test will go on before Instagram decides to implement it permanently. However, this will likely be dependent upon how many IG consumers actually use it. 

Police say that Jonathan Majors‘ accuser will not face any assault charges before his next court appearance on Wednesday, despite recent reports.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has released a fan favorite, its classic chicken wraps, but this time with a twist.

On Monday, the fast-food chicken chain announced a new menu item that will be a hit amongst cheese lovers. A chicken wrap that has fried chicken tenders inside and filled with Mac and Cheese.

The new menu item includes a blend of three-cheese blend and will become available on Nov. 12, PEOPLE reported.

KFC is also releasing its spicy slaw chicken wrap and classic chicken wrap on Nov. 12. These wraps were placed on the menu in February but are making their return with the new addition.

The classic chicken includes chicken tenders, pickles, and mayonnaise, while the spicy slaw wrap comes with chicken, coleslaw, and spicy sauce.

Customers can order two wraps on the KFC app, on KFC.com, or in stores for $5 when the wraps are released.

Also on Nov. 12, the company is adding a family-sized Colonel’s homestyle brownie to the menu.

Morehouse College has collaborated with Debt Collective to eliminate outstanding debt for 2,777 students from the Fall 2022 term and earlier.

The notable HBCU transferred collections worth nearly $9.7 million to the Rolling Jubilee Fund for $125,000, allowing students to clear unpaid parking tickets, library fines, and unpaid tuition of up to $30,000, “no strings attached.” This enables students to access transcripts, receive diplomas, and pursue graduate education.

“Our nation is defaulting on the promise of education when we burden communities, especially Black HBCU graduates, with crushing amounts of student debt,” said Braxton Brewington, a spokesperson for the Debt Collective.  “This nearly $10M of student debt cancellation will put thousands of Black folks in a better position to be able to save for retirement, purchase a home, or start a small business.  President Biden has yet to make good on his campaign promise to eliminate all student debt held by HBCU graduates.  We’re doing our part, and it’s time Biden does his.  Forty-five million Americans need this relief.”

“We are an organization that grew out of Occupy Wall Street that sort of mimics the labor movement,” Brewington continued.  “Just like workers stand together to organize for better wages or better working conditions, we believe debtors can do the same.”

“The student debt crisis—I think we’re all aware of how significant it is,” Douglas said.  “How disproportionately it harms Black student borrowers.

“After Robert Smith paid off the debt of the entire graduating class in 2019, that led me to think that Morehouse needed to develop some curriculum around debt and democracy,” Douglas continued.” I think the fact that we’re talking about debt with the face value of almost $10 million, I think, just speaks to, you know, how significant the debt crisis at all levels has become.”

Chris Brown says he still struggles with imposter syndrome despite his extensive career, which includes 21 Grammy nominations and millions of record sales.

On Tuesday, Chris took to Instagram to promote his 11:11 album while expressing disbelief about his success and showing gratitude to his fans.

“11th album,” he wrote.  “I still pinch myself and have frequent Spatz of imposter syndrome.  I’m extremely thankful and appreciative of how far I’ve come and the people who got me here.  I continue to strive higher.  MUSIC IS A CHOICE AND I THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ME.”

According to the National Institutes of Health, imposter syndrome is a “behavioral health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals.”

Just recently, the ‘Sensational‘ singer revealed that he was looking for a change of scenery to spark some new creative energy in his life as he suggested his move from Los Angeles.

“LA, it’s been fun,” he wrote.  “Cali will always be my second home, but I think it’s time for me [to] try something different.”

An Atlanta woman is now seeking explanations after her home was demolished while she was away on vacation.

Sarah Hodgson explained the situation in an interview with The Associated Press.

“I am furious,” she said. “I keep waking up thinking, ‘Is this all a joke or something? I’m just in shock.”

Hodgson said she received a call from a concerned neighbor who had noticed the unauthorized demolition of her vacant house in southwest Atlanta. The neighbor asked Hodgson if she hired construction workers to destroy the home, but when Hodgson said “no,” the neighbor responded, “‘Well, there’s someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down.’”

Upon the neighbor’s decision to approach the workers, Hodgson said they told the neighbor to  “shut up and mind her own business.”

Hodgson then proceeded to contact a family member and requested that they visit the property to assess the situation. Once they arrived, the family member questioned the workers’ permit. Following an examination of the permit by a site supervisor, Hodgson revealed that he conceded to the error, acknowledging that they had mistakenly arrived at the wrong address. As a result, the work crew swiftly disassembled their equipment and vacated the premises, leaving the house ruined.

Even though the house had remained boarded up for approximately 15 years, Hodgson emphasized that the lawn was regularly tended to, and all property taxes were up to date. Hodgson further mentioned that the company accountable for the unfortunate incident, You Call It We Haul It, has not contacted her thus far.

“How do people just go up and tear somebody’s property down and then just drive off? Hodgson asked. “How can they think that’s OK? I just wish he could come fix the problem that he caused.”

She also noted that she has filed a police report and spoken with legal professionals regarding the matter.

“It’s just hard to believe someone thinks they have the right to just come and tear something up and walk away from it and didn’t come back and say ‘I’m sorry. What do I need to do to fix this? It was an accident.’ They didn’t give me nothing,” she said.

The parents of Sarah Katz, 21, a University of Pennsylvania student, have filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread after their daughter died following the consumption of its caffeinated lemonade drink.

The legal complaint was filed Monday morning in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and said the company’s drink contains more caffeine than cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined. It also accuses Panera of failing to “appropriately warn consumers about its ingredients.”

Katz had a heart condition called long QT syndrome type 1 and avoided energy drinks at the recommendation of her doctors, according to the filing. 

“We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter,” a spokesperson from Panera said.

Katz bought a Charged Lemonade from a Panera Bread restaurant in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2022. She went into cardiac arrest hours later.

“She was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe,” her roommate and close friend, Victoria Rose Conroy, said. “I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole.”

The Charged Lemonade was “offered side-by-side with all of Panera’s non-caffeinated and/or less caffeinated drinks” and was advertised as a “plant-based and clean” beverage, NBC News reported.

The drink contained more caffeine than the restaurant’s dark roast coffee, according to the wrongful death lawsuit, which added that at 390 milligrams, the large Charged Lemonade has more caffeine than any size of Panera’s dark roast coffee. The claim was proven by the nutrition facts listed on the company’s website.

It also has guarana extract, which is a stimulant, and nearly 30 teaspoons of sugar, the complaint states, adding that the amount is higher than the caffeine found in standard cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined.

Katz had purchased a 30 fluid ounce large cup, the attorney representing her family said.

“I think everyone thinks lemonade is safe. And really, this isn’t lemonade at all. It’s an energy drink that has lemon flavor,” said Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at the Philadelphia-based law firm Kline & Specter, PC. “It should have an adequate warning.”

The lawsuit alleges the Charged Lemonade is “defective in design because it is a dangerous energy drink.”

“These unregulated beverages include no warning of any potentially dangerous effects, even the life-threatening effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and/or brain function,” it says.

“As a brand, we will not do a new drop for the remainder of the year both for our internal e-com and retail as well as wholesale,” Adidas wrote.  “We will not be shipping out any new stock, this direction was given at the board level.”