By Shemeika Rene and Cicely Haire

When it comes to LeBron James, you either love him or hate him. Fans have been eagerly awaiting to find out which side they will stand on.  And now, Lebron James has announced decision to go back to Cleveland via Instagram Friday afternoon.

The four time NBA MVP became a champion in Miami but still called Ohio home. No word yet on contract details.

For the Cavaliers, it’s a chance to rekindle the relationship between the player that fans and the team’s owner Dan Gilbert directed pure venom towards after he left in 2010. Gilbert was one of the first to respond and it appears bygones are bygones.

My 8-year-old: “Daddy, does this mean I can finally wear my Lebron jersey, again?”…Yes it does, son. Yes it does!

— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) July 11, 2014

Welcome Home @kingjames. I am excited for the fans and people of Cleveland and Ohio. No fans and people deserve a winner more than them….. — Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) July 11, 2014

LeBron’s latest moves? Well, he left Las Vegas on Thursday and is heading to Brazil for the World Cup finals.

To be expected, Twitter erupted – and noticeably slowed down for a moment – as reactions came in.

Drinks on me. Congrats Cleveland on Getn the king bac on his throne !! http://t.co/dimHPYAdf5

— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) July 11, 2014

But lebron played this great. MELO will stay in Ny — QTip (@QtipTheAbstract) July 11, 2014

S|o To @KingJames For Returning Back To His Hometown Roots In Cleveland !!!

— Mike Epps (@TheRealMikeEpps) July 11, 2014

YESSSSSSSS!! Couldn’t be happier for my guy @KingJames and the @cavs #Cleveland

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) July 11, 2014

He went home. Simple as that. HOME is your heart. Can’t blame or fault the guy. Congrats & respect @KingJames

— Stuart Scott (@StuartScott) July 11, 2014

To be sure, besides all the hearty kudos, there were plenty of chuckle worthy musings too:

I just got a @KingJames Heat jersey for 85 cents on eBay. Free shipping

— Alonzo Bodden (@AlonzoBodden) July 11, 2014

That awkward moment when a Cleveland fan realizes they have to buy a new LeBron jersey because they burned the last one.

— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) July 11, 2014

miami’s roster looking like NWA after ice cube and dr dre left.

— neil mccauley (@the_blueprint) July 11, 2014

LeBron never left Cleveland he was just on vacation in Miami.

— Crystal (@CrystalBosset) July 11, 2014

Dwyane Wade might as well go to FIFA

— African Dad (@AfricanDad) July 11, 2014

dan gilbert wins. those are three words you can twist to fit whatever larger story you wish to tell, good or bad.

— Bomani Jones (@bomani_jones) July 11, 2014

i just tore my shirt half off & yelled “THE KING IS BACK” in the work lobby.

— neil mccauley (@the_blueprint) July 11, 2014

The #Heat will have press conference to unveil new Medium Sized Three: Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger and Dwyane Wade.

— NOT NBA Tonight (@NOTNBATonight) July 11, 2014

Gabrielle Union tiptoeing around that mansion right now avoiding the sounds of loud cursing & slamming doors — Desus (@desusnice) July 11, 2014

I hate Lebron because he announced this on a Summer Friday, like how DARE you. I am going to the beach.

— Jamilah (@JamilahLemieux) July 11, 2014

 

For the second time in only two weeks, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa bank has been robbed, and this last suspect is a white man wearing blackface, a do-rag, and a slanted baseball cap. Police say the man walked into the Guaranty Bank Branch on Jacolyn Drive Northwest around 10 a.m. Monday. The suspect, whose disguise isn’t fooling police, is still at large.

“It is a good neighborhood, definitely a good side of town to be on,” says resident Dustin Coppess. “Seems like no matter where you’re at anymore, something’s going down.”

So far in 2014, there have been eight bank robberies across Cedar Rapids, more than the last three years combined. The Center for Problem Oriented Policing, a national group of universities, police, and researchers released a report on bank robberies. The report says there are three reasons bank robberies are on the rise: extended bank hours which leads to increased opportunities for robbery, banks are more lucrative, and banks are low risk and quick to rob, considering employees are trained to comply with the robber’s demands.

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s not to be missed! The breathtaking Supermoon will grace the night sky this weekend. The moon will be at its fullest Friday and Saturday nights.

A Supermoon is when the moon is somewhat closer to earth than it typically is, and the effect is magnified when it occurs at the same as a full moon. Supermoons take place every 13 months and 18 days. There will be five Supermoons in 2014. There were two in January (Jan. 1 and Jan. 30), which were new moons. The next will be July 12, Aug. 10, and Sept. 9. Those will be full moons. August’s Supermoon is expected to be the biggest of the year, as the moon will be closest to Earth on that day.

So, where can you get a glimpse of the Supermoon?

If you’re on the West Coast, you can see July’s Supermoon at the precise instant of the full moon, shortly before sunrise on July 12.

For the southern parts of the country, partly cloudy skies are forecast tonight, so it may be harder to see through the clouds.

For New Yorkers, the best time to witness the oversized moon will be Friday at 8:24 p.m. and Saturday at 8:25 p.m.

For Chicagoans, thunderstorms are expected Friday and Saturday evening, dampening any plans to witness the Supermoon.

With Historically Black Colleges and Universities literally hurting for money, survival instincts cut in: who wouldn’t take a $25 million check to stop the hemorrhaging?  That question got a bit more complicated when the nefarious Koch Brothers – typically caricatured as ultra-conservative evil twins on a world domination binge – dropped that stunning amount on a hungry United Negro College Fund desperate for a save.

The UNCF, a longtime reliable fundraising funnel for HBCUs, definitely grit its teeth when accepting the Koch donation, but ends justify the means.  As they apparently did when the Los Angeles-area NAACP was called out for accepting annual donations from the notorious Donald Sterling.

But, HBCUs are between a heavy rock and a hard place these days: on one hand, their very survival threatened by everything from lack of academic and irrelevance to precipitous drops in federal financial aid.  They face competition from mainstream or predominantly White public and private schools because Black students can go anywhere they want now.  Then sudden and draconian Obama administration changes in Parent PLUS loan cut financial lifelines to 28,000 HBCU students who couldn’t meet tuition deadlines – not to mention the schools that, as a result, lost $160 million in cheese (see WashingtonPost graph below).

HBCUs, through its benefactor UNCF, had no choice but to simply grin and bear the source of that $25 million life preserver, the irony – of course – heavy considering the Koch Brothers very active and central role in pursuing political causes, candidates and policies that are not perceived as ideal public policy for Black folks.  But, technically, the UNCF is non-partisan and … well … beggars can’t be choosers.  It’s not like high profile and wealthy African Americans had huddled up in a dramatic emergency session to fill the gap.  Overall, Black financial hands are tied and spread thin in a number of areas as is.

Politics make for strange bedfellows. So do philanthropic donations.  Most non-profits, regardless of cause, are put in tight spots when forced to follow the money – the Koch Brothers are not the first billionaires with sketchy political backgrounds and they won’t be the last.  The UNCF, along with Black college presidents, were probably ready for the public backlash and viral conversation that ensued following a Koch donation.  But, they may not have expected being caught in an ongoing political war between Big Business and Big Labor that’s intensified in recent years.  Labor, still stinging from the Supreme Court’s unfavorable and unanimous ruling on President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (an obscure, but critical federal agency unions could always turn to on critical workplace issues), would be damned if their arch rivals David and Charles Koch would curry favor so easily with what is perhaps their most trusted constituency.

Hence, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (otherwise known as “AFSCME”) – one of the larger public sector unions in the nation – made a move and pulled out of a key partnership with the UNCF.  AFSCME president Lee Saunders went public, cursing what he described as the UNCF’s “profound betrayal of the ideals of the civil rights movement” – a charge not much different from an open “sellout” taunt and sure to trigger years of bad blood between the two organizations and its leaders.

That the UNCF pissed back at AFSCME and still holds on to the check is telling.  A large chunk of AFSCME, along with its current president, is Black with more than a quarter of public sector workers being African American.  Overall, unions represent more than 15 percent of the Black public and private sector workforce.  UNCF doesn’t seem to worried; AFSCME may have officially cut the partnership, but it’s certain many of AFSCME’s Black members are either parents with kids at HBCUs or former HBCU alumni who don’t want their alma maters going extinct.  It’s a delicate rope to walk since AFSCME, among the many labor unions suffering from declining membership, really has to pay attention to its Black customer.

There’s a bit of divide and conquer in the way the Koch Brothers played this.  Perhaps realizing the controversial donation would create a political rift, the Kochs have exploited growing tensions between President Obama and HBCU leaders.  Whether that stirs a larger sense of Black disappointment with Obama himself is a mystery – Black approval ratings for the president, while lower than they’ve been in recent years, are still higher than any other group. HBCU presidents have been vocal in their displeasure with lack of White House support and funding for their plight, including the perception that the Obama administration does more for 2-year community colleges than it does for 4-year Black colleges.

Plus, unions are a major foundation of the Democratic Party’s base, contributing enormous amounts of money to Democratic campaign coffers and partly responsible for the two-term election of Obama. Koch spending in the 2012 elections may have heavily outweighed labor union spending ….

But, AFSCME is among the Top 3 political campaign donors in federal elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics …

Strategically, it could be a play for Republicans if this issue were to sow deep seeds of discontent between labor unions and loyal African American members suddenly forced to choose between their schools and their jobs.  The GOP loathes the influence of labor unions as much as it hates consistent Black voter loyalty to the Democratic Party.  The UNCF flap could potentially cut into a major source of dues funding for major public sector unions like AFSCME (which, incidentally, are barely holding the line against state, city and federal budget cuts that have mauled the Black middle class during the recession).  That could eventually get nasty and Democrats will have to quietly find a way to manage it soon before midterm elections kick in.

CHARLES D. ELLISON is a veteran political strategist and Chief Political Correspondent for UPTOWN Magazine.  He is host of #Uptownhall, Washington Correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune and a frequent contributor to The Root.  He can be reached via Twitter @charlesdellison.

When will celebrities learn that just because of they’ve had a touch of stardom, drunk driving is not their privilege? Even people you wouldn’t expect to be famous drunk drivers, like Anthony Mackie, Kevin Hart, and Miguel, have been busted behind the wheel. But the list is much longer. Check out the celebrities who were busted driving intoxicated.

“Chappelle’s Show” comedian Donnell Rawlings is the most recent famous drunk driving offender, blowing twice the legal limit early Friday morning. He was caught driving the wrong way on a street in New York. Cops have booked him and released him.

Nicole Richie was busted for driving the wrong way on an exit ramp in Los Angeles in 2006. The daughter of singer Lionel Richie was driving under the influence of pot and Vicodin.

“Basketballball Wives: LA” reality star Sundy Carter celebrated a bit too much when she was caught driving under the influence on Memorial Day this year in Los Angeles. Carter posted $10,000 bail and was released.

In November 2013, actor Anthony Mackie was arraigned on two misdemeanor counts of drunken driving in New York. According to the criminal complaint, Mackie reeked of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was slurring his speech. He refused to take a Breathalyzer test.

Embattled former “Scandal” star Columbus Short is not a stranger to police. He was busted for drunk driving in 2008 in Los Angeles, even before the string of arrests and firing from his superstar television role on the ABC Emmy-nominated show.

Actor Omar Gooding, younger brother to Cuba Gooding, Jr., was arrested for drunk driving in August 2013 in Los Angeles.

Singer Miguel was reportedly arrested in August 2013 for drunk driving in Los Angeles, also. The “Adorn” singer was pulled over in his BMW for speeding. He also blew a .10 on the Breathalyzer test. The Grammy nominee was arrested, booked, and later released on $5,000 bail.

Funny man Kevin Hart can also be added to the list of celebrity drunk drivers. The comedian was arrested on suspicion of DUI after narrowly avoiding a collision with a gas tanker on the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles last April. Hart was charged with misdemeanor DUI, and paid a $5,000 bond.

A little faith and some determination go a long way. Two years after doctors urged the mother of toddler Kayden Kinckle to terminate her pregnancy, her faith combined with the 2 year old’s will and determination allowed him to take his first steps.

The video of Kinckle walking for the first time has gone viral, inspiring young and old across the world. Kinckle was born with a birth defect called omphalocele, a condition in which an infant’s organs remains outside of his/her body. He also had a band wrapped around his legs and feet while in the womb, which led to some deformity. After two abdominal surgeries in January, Kinckle’s right foot and leg were amputated.

Today, Kinckle is a determined toddler learning to walk. In this video you can hear him repeating, “I got it,” as he attempts to take his first steps using a walker with little to no assistance.

Seeing Kinckle’s triumph and his ability to push past his setbacks reminds us older folks there’s a lot to learn from the younger generation. Here are several other children who embody grace and wisdom in a variety of circumstances.

“This video proves that racism is taught,” Harris, a comedian, posted on his Facebook page of the little boys and girls of all different races hugging and embracing one another. “These little clips may change the way we think about each other as adults.”

Tracy Morgan has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart following last month’s multi-vehicle crash that killed one and left the comedian in critical condition.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, claims the retail giant was should have known the truck driver, Kevin Roper, had been awake for more than 24 hours. Morgan also believes the driver’s 700-mile commute from his home in Georgia to work in Delaware was “unreasonable” and alleges the he fell asleep at the wheel.

“As a result of Wal-Mart’s gross, reckless, willful, wanton, and intentional conduct, it should be appropriately punished with the imposition of punitive damages,” states the complaint. Comedian Ardley Fuqua and Jeffrey and Krista Millea, all passengers with Morgan, have also been named as plaintiffs.

The accident occurred June 7 as Morgan was returning from a comedy show in Delaware. Authorities said Roper failed to slow for traffic ahead, causing him to swerve at the last minute to avoid the crash and hit the limo bus carrying Morgan and several other passengers.

James “Jimmy Mack” McNair, 62, was killed in the crash. Morgan suffered a broken leg and broken ribs and is currently in a rehabilitation center.

Roper, 35, has pleaded not guilty to death by auto and assault by auto charges. It is noted that he had been on the job approximately 13 1/2 hours at the time of the crash. Federal rules permit truck drivers to work up to 14 hours a day and only allow a maximum of 11 hours behind the wheel.

Photo courtesy of Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America

Morgan seeks a jury trial and punitive and compensatory damages.

A South Florida teen has been sentence to 23 years in prison for the fatal shooting a police dog during a burglary, reports The Palm Beach Post.

Ivins Rosier, 17, was handed his sentence Friday by a Palm Beach County judge after being tried as an adult. Back in May, he was convicted of animal cruelty, armed burglary and shooting into an occupied building. He previously declined a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for 20 years.

Authorities say Rosier, who was 16 at the time, was one of three teens who broke into the home of Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Robert Boody in November 2012. During the incident, a 5-year-old German Shepherd named Drake who lived in the home was shot several times. The retired K-9– who suffered broken limbs, bullet wounds in his head and jaw, massive blood loss and lethal damage to his esophagus– had to be euthanized five days later.

Circuit Judge Robin Rosenberg said she handed down a tough sentence as she was bound by sentencing guidelines. Rosier has a history of criminal behavior which includes juvenile charges of grand theft, battery, lewd and lascivious molestation and false imprisonment.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Jones/The Palm Beach Post

One of Rosier’s co-defendants is still awaiting trial.

Bobby Brown has called it quits on the New Edition tour, citing medical reasons. The decision follows his poor performance in Mississippi earlier this month where he left the stage after huffing and puffing through their set.

The singer’s camp told TMZ Brown had “an intrusive medical procedure” and needed to go under the care of his doctor. His recent medical issues have made it impossible for him to continue on with the tour.

But Brown didn’t make his exit without addressing the fans. He said in a statement: “I apologize to the fans of New Edition. I really wanted to be with my brothers, but presently I am unable to give the fans what they typically expect from New Edition.”

The multi-city tour is running through August and will hit cities such as New Orleans, Washington D.C., Cincinnati, Los Angeles and more.

Photo courtesy of FameFlynet Pictures

Check out Brown’s abrupt exit from the stage during the group’s Mississippi stop earlier this month.

Mission: Marriage is in full effect. Jill Scott, Eve and Regina Hall have been tapped to star in Lifetime’s upcoming original movie With This Ring.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the romantic comedy centers on three best friends who attend a lavish wedding of a fourth on New Year’s Eve and get the itch to be hitched within the next year. They make a vow to hunt down their husbands and set out on a search to find “the one.”

The film is based on the novel “The Vow” from former Essence magazine Editor-in-Chief Angela Burt-Murray that she wrote with Ebony magazine Editor-in-Chief Mitzi Miller and Denene Millner. Tracy Edmonds, Sheila Ducksworth and Gabrielle Union will serve as executive producers while Nzingha Stewart (“The Game”) directs.

Production on With This Ring will begin in August in Cleveland and will debut later this year.

Photos courtesy of Andrew H. Walker/Rommel Demano/Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images North America

Burt-Murray shared the news via Facebook on Saturday:

“Super excited to share the news that my first novel I wrote with Denene Millner and Mitzi Miller is being made into a movie! Starring Jill scott, Eve and Regina Hall the movie based on our book THE VOW will air on Lifetime this year! #thevow #threetimesdope #dropsmic”

By Joane Amay | Photography Ssense

SZA is on the verge of superstardom. The songtress, née Solana Rowe, is the only female artist on Top Dawg Entertainment, the powerhouse indie label behind hip-hop wunderkind Kendrick Lamar, and with a blend of airy funk, ethereal loops and dreamy R&B melodies, SZA’s music—EPs See.SZA.Run and S—has scored buzz aplenty. It’s no surprise that her current offering, Z, debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard R&B/ Hip-Hop chart.

POP IT

Raised by orthodox Muslim parents in affluent Maplewood, N.J., the 23-year-old singer-songwriter wore a hijab (a veil covering the head and chest) for part of her life and says “I wasn’t allowed to listen to the radio or watch TV.” It wasn’t until she received a CD with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LFO and Macy Gray at a classmate’s bat mitzvah that she discovered popular music. Her older half-sister then introduced her to the Wu- Tang Clan, Cash Money and Lil Jon. She was hooked immediately.

SCHOOL DAZE

Originally SZA wanted to work in marketing and advertising, but flunking out of college her freshman year redirected her path. “It hasn’t been easy. I’ve worked random jobs from bartending at a strip club to working at Nike. But I gained a lot of life experience that has prepared me.”

HILL ST. SHOES

SZA wants to follow in the footsteps of a young Lauryn Hill. “She is actually from my hometown,” says the rising star. “I loved what Lauryn represented at the time. She was from the suburbs and sassy but in a way that wasn’t abrasive. She spoke the truth and connected with her audiences while remaining true to herself.”

For some in Atlanta, it’s like taking a step back in time when racism was blatantly rearing its ugly head. Residents in two Atlanta neighborhoods got an unlikely shock when they went to get into their cars. No, it wasn’t a party flyer, instead it was a flyer courtesy of the Ku Klux Klan.

The flyers encourage residents on the flyer by reading, “ Save the Land, Join the Klan.” It goes on further to say “We are a law-abiding Christian organization.” At the top of the flyer, a North Carolina area code number is listed as a contact. WSB-TV in Atlanta reported they called the number and heard the voicemail’s greeting that said, “Remember, if it ain’t white, it ain’t right. White power.”

A KKK grand wizard returned the station’s call and said,  “This is our national flyer drive. God is the author of segregation. He is the one who drew the color line.” The flyers also alert neighbors of the Klan’s neighborhood watch.  George Zimmerman anyone?

The residents in the neighborhood have been tearing the flyers up as soon as they are spotted.

The Klan has been busy, they held an anti-immigration rally in Atlanta in March.

According to the Census Bureau, as of 2010, African Americans made up 54% and Hispanics made up 10.2% of the city’s population.

Last year, a Florida KKK group tried recruiting from a black neighborhood, but didn’t realize their mistake. The KKK group, aided by a North Carolina chapter, blanketed New Smyrna Beach, Florida with fliers that featured a hooded Klansmen and read: “Our race is our nation.” It was an effort to recruit new members, but the KKK group didn’t realize New Smyrna Beach is predominantly Black.

Clearly, the group hasn’t learned their lesson.

He’s going, going, back, back to Cleveland. After weeks of mounting anticipation, dubbed #LebronWatch, two-time NBA Champion LeBron James announced Friday that he will be returning to his home state of Ohio to play for the team that started it all, the Cavaliers. In an article published by Sports Illustrated, James shared the heartfelt reason behind this move.

“Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”

Reactions to the announcement were varied. Some hailed James’ departure from Miami as a sign of maturity, and empathized with his love for his hometown. Others used the opportunity to poke fun at both the Cavalier and Heat fans. Still others took shots at the Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, as well as the players James would be leaving behind, namely Dwyane Wade. Check out the most hilarious LeBron James memes from The Decision 2.0.

Lance Gross and his lady are reportedly engaged and expecting a baby in the fall.

Ladies, bad news, chocolate drop Lance Gross is engaged and has crossed over to the land of unavailable. But, congratulations are in order for the actor and his celebrity stylist boo Rebecca Jefferson, as the two are engaged and expecting their first child. HipHollywood.com reports that a source exclusively revealed that Gross popped the question in Mexico last year.

This isn’t Gross’ first time getting down on bended knee. He was previously engaged to model turned actress Eva Marcille.

According to a source that spoke with HipHollywood.com, the bride-to-be has been staying out of the spotlight because the couple doesn’t want people to know the news right away. However, they were spotted at Benihana last week celebrating Gross’ birthday and Jefferson had a noticeable baby bump.

A fan ran into Jefferson at Pampered Hands nail salon on Melrose Ave., where she confirmed the pregnancy.

Jefferson is allegedly due this fall. So far neither have confirmed or denied the reports but either way, Gross is still off the market.

It’s early in the work week, you’re consumed with a taste for cookout fare and can’t wait for the weekend, so what to do? Roger Mooking has you covered. The musically inclined chef and host of Man Fire Food (Tuesdays at 8pm ET on Cooking Channel) knows all about good eats. Here, he shares two of his favorite quick and easy recipes.  You probably already have the ingredients – or reasonable substitutes – on hand so you can go from hangry to happy in 30 minutes or less.

“Shrimp and Pork go together very naturally and is extremely popular in many cultures all over the world.  Also, the pork in this recipe can easily be replaced with ground Chicken,” shares Mooking.

Shrimp and Pork Tacos with Tomato Salsa and Creamed Avocado
Provided by Roger Mooking

Ingredients

Jay Z and Beyonce are not  just like ever other couple in America – they are two of the most influential artists in music, fashion, and pop culture. They have a happy two-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy; and they are in the midst of a nationwide tour -On The Run. But when this not-so-normal couple turns to what is actually a fairly normal process in America, marriage counseling, rumors go into overdrive about their failing relationship.

It is no secret that since the Jay Z and Solange elevator scandal surfaced that there have been reports on trouble in paradise. Jay Z has been accused of cheating with a number of women from fashion designer, Rachel Roy to singer, Mya. Neither Jay Z or Beyonce have addressed this rumor, but the start of marriage counseling doesn’t exactly silence the murmurs.

The counseling sessions reportedly take place weekly via Skype since the couple is currently on tour. Allegedly, there is no major problem they are working on – but instead have turned to marriage counseling for basic maintenance and upkeep of their marriage in an effort to keep all lines of communication open.

Many everyday people swear by marriage counseling as a way to just get each others thoughts out and build a strong foundation for their partnership. Unfortunately, in this case, the seemingly innocent process makes this power couple look like they’re trying to pick up the broken pieces of a failing union.

Michael Jackson’s extended family to star in new reality show on Reelz.

The Jacksons are making their way back to reality television. No, not those Jacksons, but the part of the family who you rarely hear about — the extended family.

Members of the infamous Jackson family are stepping out of what they call the “Jackson bubble” for an inside look into their lives on a new reality show. The series focuses on Alejandra Jackson and her five children. Who is she might you ask?

Alejandra is the former girlfriend of Randy Jackson, and the two have a daughter and a son together. But Randy wasn’t enough Jackson for Alejandra and she went back to the family for a second helping.

Randy Jackson Jr. is the son of Randy and Alejandra Jackson.

Alejandra’s household is a messy one because her five children are not only siblings — but also cousins! Alejandra had two children with Randy, Genevieve and Randy Jr.

Genevieve Jackson is the daughter of Randy and Alejandra Jackson.

Jermajesty Jackson is the son of Jermaine and Alejandra Jackson.

She, then, married Randy’s older brother Jermaine Jackson, having sons Jaafar and Jermajesty. Donte was adopted by Joe and Katherine Jackson, but Alejandra has been raising him since he was a toddler. But he’s still technically uncle to his “siblings.”

I don’t know about you, but I sure hope all of this is discussed on the show.

Jaafar Jackson is the son of Jermaine and Alejandra Jackson.

Donte Jackson was adopted by Joe and Katherine Jackson, but was raised by Alejandra Jackson.

After Michael’s death five years ago, the family left the Jackson family compound known as Hayvenhurst, in Encino, California, insinuating they were kicked out. The entire drama played out on TMZ, along with child support drama with baby daddy No. 2, Jermaine. Alejandra’s daughter Genevieve reveals they didn’t want things to happen the way they did when they had to move out. Her brother Donte says it was all about politics. At the same time, Genevieve said the family lived under constraints at the Encino house. She reveals they led a very sheltered life inside the compound.

Extended Jackson family to star in new reality show in the fall.

The Jacksons, try as they might, attempt to lead private lives, but why step into the fire of a reality show where all of social media can judge? “People already had a preconceived judgment of us and we weren’t speaking,” Randy Jr. said. “Now we feel comfortable enough to show how we really are.”

The six episode show airing on Reelz will debut November 18.

New medical reports show that electronic devices heavy in nickel content can cause allergic reactions in users. Nickel is one of the most common allergy-inducing metals, and it can be found in many electronic devices from personal tablets to cell phones.  Yup – that means your iPad and Samsung Galaxy might just be giving you the itchies.

Recently, an unidentified 11-year old boy had a rash on his back caused by excessive use of his Apple iPad. The rash was documented as itchy red with scaly patches and was treated by pediatric doctors at a San Diego hospital. Although it was not contagious, the young boy had to miss school because of the uncomfortable health issue.

Doctors were able to test the iPad’s outer coating and found traces of nickel. It is recommended that those who are already aware of their nickel-allergies use a protective case on their electronic devices. The report showed that when the young boy used a case, he was less prone to have an allergic reaction.

Nickel can be found in various electronic devices, so if there is skin irritation – use a protective case. If a doctor is needed for antibiotics or steroids, usage of electronics should be mentioned to your physician.

Apple declined comment on the pending issue.

Being a Black man is certainly its own scrappy badge of honor. But, according to data, it’s forcing quite a few brothers out of a job.

The latest white paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research goes so far as to crush any convention wisdom of Black progress since the Civil Rights Movement.  “Between 1970 and 2010, employment rates fell more than twice as much for black men as for white men; in 2010, more than a third of black men ages 25 to 49 were either unemployed or not in the labor force,” note NBER researchers Derek Neal and Armin Rick.

This graph from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – courtesy of the Center for Economic and Policy Research – pretty much confirms this:

Basically, overall employment was better back in the day than it is now – for an abundant number of reasons we can get into later.  But, strikingly enough, you can extrapolate that as a Black male between the ages of 20-24 in the volatile, just-freshly-desegregated late 1960s you’d actually have near an equal chance (a 77.3% employment rate) at securing a gig as a White guy (a 78.7% employment rate).

Today, that’s clearly not the case: the employment rate for White men (while much lower than it was in 1969) is still over 18 percentage points higher than Black men – barely enjoying an employment rate over 50 percent.

Department of Labor special data show similar trends, especially when comparing Black adult male joblessness against Black youth and adult female joblessness:

Keep in mind some data do not include rates of underemployment among Black males or the number of individuals giving up and dropping out of the work force entirely.  Economist John Williams calls it the “Shadow Unemployment” rate (that no one wants to talk about), illustrating that while the official unemployment rate has fallen to 6%, that’s not having an impact on an alternate rate of 23% which combines unemployment, underemployment and discouraged workers:

You can only imagine how this is hitting African American males.  Against that backdrop is the decreasing number of Americans who identify as middle class, dropping from 53% in 2008 (just before recession hit) to 40% in 2014 (as we’re recovering).  Noticeably, the number identifying as “lower class” is rising, according to Pew:

National policy prescriptions find few pathways to implementation since any mainstream discussion addressing the issue is usually drowned out by resentful and baseless characterizations of racial favoritism: when President Obama launched a relatively tepid My Brother’s Keeper White House initiative, reviews were notably mixed from Blacks and Whites alike.  Many African Americans either felt it didn’t go far enough and others felt it needed to include the sisters, too.  Latinos, which the effort did include almost obligatorily, seemed mum on the issue. And, reflexively, White conservatives treated it like the plague with responses ranging from it being too Black to the ornery FOX cable host Bill O’Reilly using it as a soapbox in his offensively perennial campaign against “gangsta rappers” (folks still use that term?) and bad family planning.

We hear it in our living rooms and we see it pass us by either quietly or noisily in our neighborhoods or where we congregate.  But, the issue of Black male unemployment a crisis of epidemic proportions that continues drawing very little play as the crisis it is.  It reads strong, headlining copy that elicits the type of urgency advocates hope for.  But, that hasn’t translated into a meaningful political or policy response nor has it changed the numbers in any meaningful way.

Democrats, realizing this, are struggling to keep Black voters in the fold and mobilized for an ominous Congressional midterm climate if they decide to stay home. Republicans, in the meantime, are more than happy to keep Black voters home, quick to tease President Obama with the numbers above in an abstract below-the-belt effort to whittle away at Black confidence in their Black president. Ultimately, the issue is not something candidates from either party will dare run on as a major platform, despite the danger of future social unrest, public health and public safety consequences if it persists.

CHARLES D. ELLISON is a veteran political strategist and Chief Political Correspondent for UPTOWN Magazine.  He is also host of #Uptownhall and Washington Correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune.  He can be reached via Twitter @charlesdellison.

Area shoppers at a Katy, Texas strip mall busted the window of a hot car to save two small children who were locked inside.

On Monday, July 13, a little boy and girl was screaming crying when a mob of shoppers heard the screams from inside a black Jeep. Meteorologists reported the temperature reached up to 98 degrees in the Houston suburb. The children’s mother locked the kids in the car while she visited a salon to get her hair cut. Child safety locks prevented the children from escaping.

A Good Samartian used a hammer to bust out the back window to rescue the kids. A woman climbed into the car, grabbing the children.

The mother rushed from inside the salon, apologizing for her admitted “terrible mistake.” She said she only left the kids in the car temporarily.

Police were not called to the scene after the woman pleaded with the rescuers.