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The suicide note was sealed as part of the evidence related to the murder trial of Jeffrey Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.
There’s yet another wrinkle in the sordid saga of Jeffrey Epstein after a federal judge unsealed an alleged suicide note written by Epstein ahead of an unsuccessful suicide attempt in July 2019. 
According to the New York Times, Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, allegedly found the note in a graphic novel after Epstein’s failed suicide attempt. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, ordered the note unsealed at the Times’ request. 
“They investigated me for month – found NOTHING!!! It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! NO FUN – NOT WORTH IT!!” the note reads. 
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This feels less like a suicide note and more like discarded lyrics from Drake’s upcoming album, but I digress. 
The Times notes that while it hasn’t independently verified the document, it does include several phrases that appear multiple times in the emails released through the Epstein files, including “bust out cryin.” Having read a solid chunk of the emails myself, I can say the note shares Epstein’s strange sentence structure and optional use of grammar. 
CNN reports that the note came to light last year after Tartaglione was interviewed by influencer and writer Jessica Reed Kraus. “Jeffrey Epstein tried killing himself when he was in the cell with me. I woke up, I brought him back with CPR. And to prove this point, Jeffrey Epstein wrote a suicide note,” Tartaglione said in the interview. The two briefly shared a cell at a Manhattan federal jail while Epstein awaited trial for child sex trafficking charges, and Tartaglione, a former police officer, was in jail awaiting trial for a quadruple murder related to drug money. 
The circumstances of Jeffrey Epstein’s death have been debated from the moment he died. An unproven conspiracy theory quickly took root that Epstein was actually murdered due to the information he had on high-profile individuals who may have engaged in Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking ring. Security lapses at the jail where Epstein was held only intensified the speculation over how Epstein died. 
Due to the widespread belief that Epstein didn’t kill himself, the Department of Justice was actually happy for once over a document related to Epstein being unsealed. 
“There appears to be a strong public interest in the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death as described in the unsealing motion. That said, because the Government has no knowledge as to … the accuracy of the factual narrative described in the unsealing motion, the Government defers to the court,” the department wrote to Karas on Monday, indicating that it too didn’t know if the letter was legitimate.
You might be wondering why the note wasn’t released along with the millions of documents in the Epstein files. Well, that’s because it wasn’t in the Epstein files. According to AP, Epstein was found on the floor of his cell breathing heavily with a strip of bedsheet around his neck. Epstein told officers that he didn’t try to kill himself and that he believed Tartaglione tried to kill him. The chronology included in the unsealed files reveals that Tartaglione told his lawyers about the note only a few days after the purported suicide attempt. Tartaglione gave the note to his lawyers to protect himself if Epstein accused him of attempted murder. 
Will this do anything to silence the folks who believe Epstein didn’t kill himself? Probably not, especially since no credible agency has been able to verify the letter’s authorship. 
SEE ALSO:
Megyn Kelly Questions Whether Epstein Is A Pedophile

Epstein Emails Released By House Dems Implicate Donald Trump

Federal Judge Unseals What’s Alleged To Be Jeffrey Epstein’s Suicide Note was originally published on newsone.com

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If convicted, Frank Musoke faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud charge and up to five years for each tax evasion count.
Nick Cannon’s former business accountant was indicted on several criminal charges, including tax evasion and wire fraud, after reportedly stealing millions of dollars from the “Wild N’ Out” creator.
Sources familiar with the matter told TMZ that Frank Musoke, a former account manager at a high-end Beverly Hills management and tax firm, had been quietly stealing more than $2 million from Cannon over the past several years.
According to the 8-page indictment, Musoke allegedly used his position managing businesses and financial affairs for high-profile celebrities. Although the indictment did not name Cannon, 45, he is reportedly the victim of the money scheme, per TMZ.
Federal prosecutors said Musoke had access to Cannon’s debit cards and PINs from December 2019 through June 2023. He is accused of withdrawing about $1.7M from ATMs, spending more than $165K on Amazon purchases, nearly $192K on personal travel and accumulating another $160K-plus in various personal expenses.
They also claim that Musoke embezzled over $2 million from Cannon without his knowledge or consent. It is reported that Cannon has been a client of the firm where Musoke worked for nearly 20 years, according to TMZ.
The indictment further states that the firm, referred to as “Company A,” was terminated in July 2023 after it learned the funds were missing.
Musoke is also accused of hiding over $1.7 million in allegedly stolen income on his federal tax returns filed between 2021 and 2023. As a result, he is charged with three counts of tax evasion in addition to five counts of wire fraud, TMZ reported.
Authorities believe Musoke has fled to Uganda, where he reportedly holds dual citizenship with the United States. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud charge and up to five years for each tax evasion count.
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Simone Post’s She Knew She/It/They Would Melt (2026) Courtesy Pinchuk Art Centre
Until 2020, the Pinchuk Art Centre’s presentation during the Venice Biennale vernissage had been an exuberant celebration of artists under 35, accompanied by one of the opening week’s most upscale, premium-invitation parties. But since the outbreak of war in the Kyiv museum’s country, it’s become a very different show— a critical response to the situation that Ukraine has faced since the Russian invasion in February 2022. In June that year, instead of a starry guest list that often featured fancy celebrity figures like Elton John, it was Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky who was the guest of honour.
This year’s exhibition, at the Palazzo Contarini-Polignac overlooking the Grand Canal in Dorsoduro, is the third since the invasion and asks how joy can prevail in the harshest of situations. Still Joy — From Ukraine into the World (9 May-1 August) interweaves work by international artists including Tacita Dean and Julian Charriere with those from Ukraine. It also features testimonials of the country’s soldiers, which pack emotional and political charge.
Through a foundation for veterans run by Svitlana Grytsenko, the arts centre met Hlib Stryzhko. The former marine, who survived a catastrophic explosion and captivity by the Russians, has turned story-gatherer, interviewing combat survivors about how to carry on with life after shocking ordeals. Quotes from these conversations are scattered across the palazzo’s imposing spaces, printed onto glistening pink scrolls by artist Bodhana Kosima. The presentation has a fairytale aesthetic; the content—detailing limb loss, death, and the swampy odour of the rescued—does not.
Stryzhko spoke at the exhibition’s official opening on Thursday (7 May) dressed in his military uniform and blue beret. He relayed the wonder of a strawberry flavoured chocolate offered in his darkest hour. Though Stryzhko’s message is joy, the reality is loss. From the opening footage of dreamy faces at raves in Kyiv by Ukrainian video art duo Malaschuk + Khimey, to Bangladeshi artist Ashfika Rahman’s large-scale sculpture of tiny bells bearing the finger prints of displaced women, the pleasures are fleeting.
They are also personal. In each of Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova’s stunning light box photographs of bombed out interiors, a single pot plant remains in piles of rubble. She rescued each one and, in a symbol of endurance, brought them to the palazzo. (Rahman and Kadyrova are also Pinchuk Future Generation Prize winners in 2024 and 2014 respectively.)
The mix of international and Ukrainian artists is, for Gedlhof, an important part of the message: that both loss and joy are not uniquely Ukrainian. Dutch artist Simone Post’s vast installation of chandeliers—recreating Venetian design in the materials of childhood—seem to talk of a reclaim of guileless pleasure. It’s very pretty and very pink, but it is the deeper complexities of surviving a war that prevail at this impressive show.
Kyiv-based artist Zinaida was in Venice for a site visit when the invasion began and has been unable to return home
Suspended from a crane, the work is meant as a metaphor for the country’s ongoing precarious situation during the war
In the midst of an ongoing war, the PinchukArtCentre’s Future Generation Prize will award $100,000 to one of 21 shortlisted artists

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Artist Dries Verhoeven, who is representing The Netherlands at this year’s Venice Biennale, joined the artists and staff striking on Friday (8 May) Photo: The Art Newspaper
A swathe of countries taking part in the Venice Biennale closed their pavilions today (8 May) as part of a strike in protest against Israel’s participation in the event. The action, organised by the Art Not Genocide Alliance group (ANGA), “rejects both the normalisation of Israel’s presence in cultural spaces and the economies of genocide in culture, while also denouncing the ecosystem of precarious labour that grows around the Biennale event,” according to an ANGA statement.
Around 18 pavilions have been taking part in full or partial closures, including Austria, Lebanon, Slovenia and Egypt. A total of 237 curators, artists and art workers are said to be involved.
Dries Verhoeven, the artist representing the Netherlands this year, stood outside his country’s pavilion this morning, a Palestinian flag and materials relating to the protest hanging on the shuttered door behind him. “We think it’s very undesirable that Israel has been given the chance to artwash themselves with a pavilion in the Arsenale [one of the Biennale’s two main venues], and we want to make that clear,” he tells The Art Newspaper.
“We are very happy to be here, to show our work for all the other days, but we see ourselves a bit as a horse of Troy. We want to discuss the event from the inside out and also to talk to the audience and to tell the audience, please don’t accept this.”
Verhoeven points to the fact that South Africa was barred from participating at the Biennale from the late 1960s to 1993, as a response to its apartheid regime. “I think the way artists and curators and art organisations manifested themselves back then, we should take that as an example.”
Another country taking part in the strike action is Poland, which will be closed from 4pm-7pm. Agnieszka Pindera, the pavilion’s commissioner, says the curators and the two artists spearheading the project “were deeply affected” by the decision to include Israel and Russia among the participants, and “they wanted somehow to provide a release to all of those emotions and take a stand.”
Pindera adds that the team hopes that the strike will contribute towards the Biennale changing its participation rules going forward: “It’s not a sustainable system and we wanted to emphasise that business is not as usual.”
Both Israel and Russia’s inclusion have been the subject of extreme controversy in the run-up to the Biennale. Russia’s show in its Giardini pavilion will close following the previews, amid warnings from the European Union (EU) that the Biennale could be breaching EU sanctions by facilitating Russia’s participation. Films and music are expected to be playing at the pavilion during the closure.
Belgium’s empty pavilion on Friday Photo: The Art Newspaper
Last month, meanwhile, the jury responsible for handing out prizes resigned after it had said it would not consider artists from countries whose leaders are under arrest warrants for crimes against humanity—largely understood to be a reference to Russia and Israel. It followed an open letter in March, organised by ANGA, which was signed by more than 200 Venice Biennale participants, demanding the cancellation of the Israeli pavilion.
Approaches to the strike have varied. At the Arsenale, Hagar Ophir’s multi-sensory installation Living: Gathering in Venice was plunged into darkness as members of the team shut it down temporarily. Japan’s pavilion remains open, but “the participatory and audio elements of the exhibition are suspended”, a spokesperson said. The pavilion had been inviting visitors to pick up and carry an infant doll through the pavilion and surrounding garden.
Several pavilions have been shuttered, with their artists and curators not on site. One of several campaign posters on the floor of the Lebanese pavilion read: “We stand with Palestine because we know by now that the destruction of Palestine is the destruction of the world”.
An ANGA spokesperson explains that the intention is not to end the Biennale, but to encourage it to be “engaged again in thinking about itself as a body that could be an ethical light for its sector“.
They add that another aspect of the strike action, which is backed by the Italian trade unions Associazione Difesa Lavoratori (ADL Cobas), Unione Sindacale di Base and Confederazione Unitaria di Base, concerned working conditions for those in Italy’s culture sector. “Not everybody here is allowed to strike because they are on precarious contracts, for example,” the spokesperson said. “So, we also wanted to highlight the way that labour is often a really big question of the Biennale.”
Armen Agop, who is representing Egypt and closed his pavilion for an hour, takes a philosophical view. The artist, who spoke emotionally about his family’s experience of the Armenian genocide, points to the theme of his exhibition, Silence Pavilion: Between the Tangible and the Intangible, and the importance of “listening to our inner voice, our instinct, our human experience” as a means of finding answers to today’s most important questions. He continues: “People ask if art can change worlds. The way I see it: yes, art can.”
Israel is being represented at the Biennale by the Romanian-born sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, who is based in Haifa. Fainuru previously told The Art Newspaper that “as an artist, I am opposed to cultural boycotts as I believe in the importance of dialogue and exchange, especially in difficult times”. Russia is presenting a programme called The tree is rooted in the sky, featuring performances from figures including Diaki Kone, a Malian DH known as DJ Diaki, and the Russian folk ensemble Toloka.
Organisers for both pavilions were contacted for comment.
In a statement to The Art Newspaper, a spokesperson from the Biennale press office said: “With regard to the news reports circulating in recent days on social media and in the press concerning demonstrations planned in Venice during the pre-opening and opening days of Biennale Arte 2026, La Biennale di Venezia states that these initiatives, as well as any announced strike actions, do not involve the institution’s staff or organisation.
“Furthermore, La Biennale di Venezia underlines that its activities are carried out in full compliance with current regulations and that its relationships with collaborators and suppliers are governed by contracts in accordance with the law. Finally, La Biennale di Venezia reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the orderly running of the event, in a spirit of respect for freedom of expression and pluralism of opinion.”
The vernissage week for the Venice Biennale has been marked by protests that are scheduled to continue this afternoon with a rally on the city’s Via Garibaldi, a thoroughfare near the Arsenale site.
The latest announcements of the key players representing their countries at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
From a Christie’s exhibition to a posthumous display of Mel Ramos, this year numerous explicitly commercial shows signal a shift in attitude
A rally is also planned to take place in the city on the same day, 8 May

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The event brought together local leaders, educators and community figures, including rapper and producer Will.i.am and longtime California Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre returned to their hometown this week to support a major milestone at Centennial High School in Compton, California, the school both artists once attended, according to Complex.
The two hip-hop icons appeared at a groundbreaking ceremony on May 7 marking the start of construction on a new school building that is expected to serve more than 1,000 students. According to officials, the new facility is projected to be completed by 2029.
The event brought together local leaders, educators and community figures, including rapper and producer Will.i.am and longtime California Congresswoman Maxine Waters. School officials described the ceremony as both a celebration of educational investment and a reflection of Compton’s cultural influence.
During the ceremony, Dr. Dre reflected on his connection to Centennial High School and his upbringing in Compton. The legendary producer, whose real name is Andre Young, joked that he attended the school “sometimes” before transferring during his teenage years. Dre attended Centennial during his freshman year in 1979 before eventually leaving school to pursue music.
He also spoke about the importance of giving back to the city that shaped his career.
“Today isn’t just about a new building, it’s about a new promise kept to the city that made me,” Dre said during remarks at the event.
School board president Micah Ali praised both Dre and Kendrick Lamar for remaining connected to their hometown despite their global success. Ali described Dre as one of Compton’s biggest investors and thanked the artists for supporting local education initiatives.
Kendrick Lamar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper and one of Compton’s most recognizable cultural figures, did not deliver lengthy public remarks during the ceremony, but his presence drew significant attention from students and residents attending the event.
The groundbreaking reflects broader efforts within the Compton Unified School District to modernize aging school facilities and expand opportunities for students in the community.
Centennial High School has long been associated with notable athletes, entertainers and community leaders from Compton. Officials said the new building is intended to provide updated classrooms and educational resources for future generations of students.
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Armand Vaillancourt’s 1971 fountain being dismantled on 6 May Photo: Taylor C. Noakes
The effort to dismantle San Francisco’s Vaillancourt Fountain is off to a rocky start, as construction crews accidentally started a fire while disassembling the structure’s cantilevered arms.
“During torch-cutting activity, debris inside the tubes ignited,” a spokesperson for the San Francisco Arts Commission tells The Art Newspaper. “The team responded by continuously spraying water to control and quickly extinguish the fire. There was no major damage.” The spokesperson added that the fountain’s welded steel tubes are being cut by torches and, “as expected, this process produces sparks”.
Work to dismantle the Armand Vaillancourt’s 1971 Brutalist fountain began on Monday (4 May), after the California appeals court denied a request by the local coalition Friends of the Plaza to halt its removal.
“The city spent the last year arguing that the fountain was riddled with asbestos and needed to be removed for safety,” says Jack McCarthy of Friends of the Plaza. “Now it’s being removed without an air-quality permit, in open air without tenting, and a fire has broken out.”
During a site visit on Wednesday (6 May), it did not appear that workers were wearing masks, respirators, hazmat suits or any kind of protective clothing to mitigate exposure to lead or asbestos. In addition, there were no signs warning passersby—including those playing padel at the courts next to the fountain or eating lunch in the plaza—of potential exposure to hazardous materials.
When asked about this, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department says that the asbestos is “encapsulated” and that workers “are not disturbing it”. However, the agency could not explain what “encapsulated” meant in this context, whether the city had sought guidance on whether permits were needed or applied for, nor whether it had considered the need to warn the public of potential exposure.
Vaillancourt Fountain, San Francisco Photo: Wally Gobetz via Flickr
“We’re having a hard time understanding how the city’s claim that they needed to remove the fountain for safety could hold water when they’re currently potentially exposing the public and workers to hazardous materials in this manner,” McCarthy says.
Friends of the Plaza has been working to bring attention to the plight of Vaillancourt Fountain and the surrounding Lawrence Halprin-designed Embarcadero Plaza. Evidence suggests that the Recreation and Park Department had previously tasked the developer BXP with a variety of maintenance responsibilities for both the fountain and plaza in the past five decades.
A lack of proper maintenance appears to have contributed to the failure of the fountain’s pumps, as much as the generally poor state of the plaza. The city and BXP cited those factors as justification for their proposal to redevelop the plaza and remove the fountain. For its part, the city has offered myriad excuses for why the fountain should be removed from the site, despite the protests of citizens who repeatedly asked in public meetings whether a new park might incorporate the fountain in some way. This included arguments that the fountain was a threat to public safety and security, either because of structural instability or the presence of lead and asbestos, and that it attracted people experiencing homelessness.
Though the city initially wanted to demolish the fountain outright, sustained opposition—including from the nonagenarian, Montreal-based artist himself—appeared to change local officials’ mind. In November 2025, the city decided to dismantle the fountain and store it for three years, at an additional cost of approximately $4m. That decision came just days after the city’s planning department determined the fountain was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
“While we are disappointed with the court’s decision to allow the removal of the fountain to begin with, we remain committed to advocating for Vaillancourt Fountain and Embarcadero Plaza,” McCarthy says. “The city has stated their plan is to carefully remove the fountain so it can be studied and evaluated. We will continue to be engaged with the city in all public processes related to the future of the fountain and Embarcadero Plaza.”
Decision comes just days after city planning department determined fountain eligible for National Register of Historic Places designation
The 96-year-old Armand Vaillancourt continues fighting to rescue his public art project from the wrecking ball
Public documents also reveal property developer leading demolition effort was at least partly responsible for fountain and plaza maintenance for nearly 50 years
Skateboarders and Brutalism enthusiasts are among those joining forces to save the Vaillancourt Fountain from urban-renewal obliteration

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Black Teacher Appreciation Day arrives amid the 2026 Teacher Appreciation Week a time to recognize and honor our educators. 

The pioneering historian, educator, and journalist Carter G. Woodson, who gave us what eventually became Black History Month, held an overarching philosophy: education was inseparable from freedom. That philosophy and legacy sit at the heart of this year’s Black Teacher Appreciation Day.
On Thursday, May 7, the Center for Black Educator Development announced that this year’s Black Teacher Appreciation Day, which falls today during Teacher Appreciation Week, centers on Woodson’s legacy, as 2026 also marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. This year’s theme is “Black Resistance and Joy: Celebrating Black Educators and Teaching as a Practice of Freedom.”
“As we mark the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, we must also honor the legacy of Carter G. Woodson and every Black educator who has carried forward that tradition of teaching as freedom,” Micia Mosely, Ph.D., founder and executive director of the Black Teacher Project, said in a statement. “Black educators don’t just teach — they lead the reimagination of education by promoting belonging and creating more inclusive and supportive learning environments.”
This year’s celebration is also about uplifting the critical impact of Black teachers, who remain underrepresented in classrooms nationwide, particularly at a profoundly urgent time when Black history, Critical Race Theory, DEI initiatives, and the autonomy of Black students in the classroom are increasingly under threat. Despite research showing that Black students who have had at least one Black teacher are 38% more likely to feel a genuine sense of belonging in school, recent data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that while 79% of U.S. public school teachers identified as non-Hispanic white, roughly 7% are Black. Meanwhile, Black students make up roughly 15% of the student population.
“Teacher Appreciation Week and Black Teacher Appreciation Day are about more than celebrating the impact of Black educators — they are about taking action to secure the future of the profession,” said Sharif El-Mekki.
While the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education unanimously declared state-sponsored segregation of children in public schools unconstitutional and resulted in the desegregation of U.S. public schools, it resulted in the loss of thousands of Black educators. The National Education Association estimates that more than 100,000 Black teachers and school leaders lost their jobs as Black schools were closed and the newly integrated schools refused to hire them. Experts say it set a precedent that continues to create barriers for the Black teacher career path to this day.
Black Teacher Appreciation Day is a pivotal component of CBED’s broader “We Need Black Teachers” campaign. Launched in 2021, the initiative uplifts Black educators as mentors, leaders, and culture bearers while also calling on institutions to invest more deeply in them.
The organization also announced the 2026 Diverse Teacher Pipeline grant, a $100,000 grant for groups working to launch diverse teacher pipelines in their local communities.
“Through the We Need Black Teachers campaign, we are elevating the urgent need for real investment in Black educators, not just recognition,” El-Mekki continued. “Diversifying and sustaining the teaching workforce is a proven strategy that makes schools stronger and improves outcomes for every student.”
The day is also about recognizing that Black teachers, who often serve as surrogate members of their students’ villages, balance being educators, therapists, family counselors, and cheerleaders amid their own very real lives outside the classroom, all while being chronically underresourced and underserved themselves.
Mimi Woldeyohannes, managing director of external affairs at the CBED, told TheGrio over email how this day is ultimately a way for the community to come together and celebrate the “transformative impact Black educators have had, and continue to have, on classrooms across the globe.” 
“With this year’s theme, ‘Black Resistance and Joy: Celebrating Black Educators and Teaching as a Practice of Freedom,’ as the backdrop of our initiative, we’re encouraging everyone to not only celebrate the daily commitment of our Black teachers, but also the legacy they carry with them,” she continued. “From Carter G. Woodson to today’s classroom leaders, Black educators have always understood that teaching is an act of freedom, resistance, and deep, enduring joy.”
The day, like the larger week it falls within, is also a firm reminder, before the school year officially wraps up, that teachers are people tasked with the extraordinary.
“Black teachers deserve rest, joy, and connection,” Dr. Wenimo Okoya, founder and executive director of Healing Schools Project, said in a release.

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Tyreek Hill is back in court after being accused of fracturing a social media influencer’s leg during a football workout.
Most of the NFL courtroom attention this week has been on Stefon Diggs, who was found not guilty in an assault case involving his former personal chef. But he is not the only star wide receiver whose name is tied to a legal headline right now. Tyreek Hill, the former Miami Dolphins speedster and one of the most electric players of his era, is also in court — this time for a civil lawsuit by social media influencer and model Sophie Hall.
The case centers around an alleged incident from June 2023 at Tyreek Hill’s Southwest Ranches home in South Florida. According to Hall’s lawsuit, she met Hill after buying a ticket for her son to attend his football camp. From there, the two reportedly exchanged messages, and Hill allegedly arranged for Hall to travel to Florida and spend time at his home. What started as a visit eventually turned into a backyard football workout, and that is where Hall says everything went left.
Hall claims she participated in offensive line-style drills with Hill and his trainer, and the lawsuit alleges that things shifted after she allegedly pushed Hill backward during one of the plays. According to the complaint, people watching — including members of Hill’s family — laughed after the moment, and Hall’s side argues that Hill became embarrassed. The lawsuit alleges that on a later play, Hill charged into her “violently and with great force,” causing a fracture to her right leg.
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Hall’s side says the injury was serious. The complaint says she later needed surgery with metal hardware implanted, and Local 10 reported that she claims she still attends weekly physical therapy while dealing with pain and weakness. Hall is suing Hill for claims that include assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. Depending on the cited filing, the damages have been described as up to $50,000 or in the $50,001-to-$75,000 range, but the larger point is that this is a civil case — meaning Hill is being sued for damages, not facing criminal charges in this trial.
Hill’s side has denied wrongdoing and is pushing back hard on Hall’s version of events. In court, Judge David Haimes summarized Hill’s defense, stating that Hill denies causing the injury and argues that Hall was negligent, voluntarily participated in the drills, and assumed the risks inherent in participating in football. Hill’s attorney has also previously argued that Hall’s injury happened because she tripped over a dog during the drills, not because Hill intentionally hurt her.
As of now, the case has officially moved into trial mode. Hill appeared in a Broward County courtroom on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, while jury selection began with nearly 100 potential jurors present. CBS Miami reported that a jury was selected, and NBC6 reported that opening statements were expected Thursday, with the trial estimated to last about two weeks. Hill, 32, was released by the Dolphins in February after four seasons in Miami and remains a free gent, so this courtroom battle is unfolding at a time when his football future is already under a microscope.
So, for anybody just catching up, the simple version is this: Sophie Hall says a friendly football lesson at Tyreek Hill’s home turned violent and left her with a fractured leg that required surgery. Hill says he did not cause her injury and that Hall accepted the risks of participating in the drills. Now, instead of this being just another off-field headline floating around social media, both sides are in front of a Broward County jury, and the next couple of weeks should determine how much weight Hall’s claims — and Hill’s defense — actually carry in court.
RELATED: Stefon Diggs Found Not Guilty Of Assaulting Former Chef, Social Media On Fire

See social media’s reaction to Hill’s trial below.
Tyreek Hill Trial: What We Know So Far About Lawsuit Over Allegedly Breaking Influencer’s Leg was originally published on cassiuslife.com
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Trump targeted Jeffries over his use of the phrase “maximum warfare” during discussions about congressional redistricting strategies.
President Donald Trump, on Thursday, called for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be charged with “inciting violence” following comments Jeffries made about Democratic redistricting efforts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to Politico.
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of promoting dangerous political rhetoric and specifically targeted Jeffries over his use of the phrase “maximum warfare” during discussions about congressional redistricting strategies. Trump’s post included an image of Jeffries speaking at a political event alongside another image tied to the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The president appeared to suggest a connection between Jeffries’ remarks and the shooting incident that occurred several days later, though no evidence has been publicly presented linking the Democratic leader to the attack. Authorities investigating the shooting have not indicated any political figures were involved.
Trump described Jeffries as “Hakeem ‘Low IQ’ Jeffries” in the social media post and argued that Democrats were escalating political tensions nationwide. The comments mark another instance in which Trump has publicly urged legal action against political opponents.
A post shared by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (@repjeffries)
Jeffries responded Thursday on X, formerly Twitter, dismissing Trump’s remarks and criticizing the administration over economic concerns. The New York Democrat referenced rising consumer costs and gas prices while also mentioning the New York Knicks’ playoff run.
The controversy comes amid growing partisan battles over congressional maps across several states. Jeffries recently promoted a Democratic strategy aimed at aggressively countering Republican-led redistricting efforts after Democrats advanced a new congressional map proposal in Virginia. Republicans have characterized the effort as politically motivated.
Trump has repeatedly accused Democrats of encouraging hostile rhetoric following multiple violent incidents in recent years, including the assassination attempts he faced during the 2024 presidential campaign. Democrats, meanwhile, have accused Trump of intensifying political division through his own rhetoric and legal threats against opponents.
The latest exchange highlights the increasingly heated political environment as both parties prepare for the 2026 elections, with redistricting and control of the House of Representatives expected to remain central campaign issues.
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An old family recipe became the kickstarter for one of the sweetest gifts Hudson received.
Jennifer Hudson is known for surprises on her show. On Thursday, she got one of her biggest surprises just in time for Mother’s Day.
While sitting back on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” the EGOT winner was informed by her crew that they had something to gift her. That gift came from her son, David, whose mere presence brought his mother to tears.
The 16-year-old son of Hudson and her former fiancé, David Otunga Jr., presented his mother with a cake.
“David!” Hudson exclaimed, clutching her heart, before the two had a big embrace. “Y’all, this is my baby!”
However, the surprises weren’t done. As she held a bouquet given to her by a crew member, David pointed back to the cake and explained its significance.
“This is your mom’s special recipe, so I made it for Mother’s Day,” he told her. “I know it’s special to you. I love you.”
“Thank you! Give me a hug,” Hudson said, once again pulling him in for a hug. “He said he was coming here today, and I’m like, ‘David ain’t got here.’ And then to hear you come out here, you done baked the cake…”
She then told the audience, “My mother always made this pound cake — our family tradition. So for Mother’s Day, birthdays, all special occasions, she always makes it for me. Thank you, baby.”
David’s gesture is a reminder of how tight-knit he and his mother have become over the years, especially as he approaches adulthood. Recently, Hudson partnered with Credit One Bank to help him understand financial literacy.
“Credit education is not often taught in school,” Hudson said in a press release. “And as a mother and advocate of financial literacy, I believe we need to educate the next generation, especially when it comes to understanding how credit works and the importance of using it wisely.” 
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The singer already has some of the most influential tattoos of all time thanks to her longtime artist, Keith McCurdy. But her newest piece is a sweet reminder of her babies.
When it comes to tattoos, Rihanna might be one of the most influential people on the planet. Whether it’s her tiny gun tattoo on her right side or her iconic Isis sternum tattoo in tribute to her grandmother, the singer and beauty mogul has ensured each piece of art on her body has a bit of meaning.
Her latest work might be the most sentimental of all.
On Friday (May 8), she revealed a new art piece, this one resting on the back of her thigh and the upper part of her calf. Working with her longtime tattoo artist, Keith McCurdy, the singer decided to honor her three children by tattooing one of their doodles on her as a permanent memory.
“Family tats @badgalriri Designed by her babies,” McCurdy’s post caption read.
A post shared by Bang Bang Tattoo (@bangbangnyc)
The history between Rih and McCurdy is well-documented. Even as she got her latest work, she joked about the “pain” she’s endured in his shop. When asked if she was nervous about their latest session, Rih nodded with a sheepish grin.
Rih stepped out at the Met Gala on Monday with her longtime partner A$AP Rocky, with whom she shares her three children, boys Riot, RZA and 8-month-old baby girl Rocki, but her most important moment at the Met wasn’t giving fashion or living up to the night’s theme. Rather, it was her speaking life into “TODAY” co-host Sheinelle Jones.
Jones, holding a microphone with a “TODAY” bedazzled mic flag, was asked the simplest question by Rih: “So what was your day like, today?”
The morning show host, who has dealt with unimaginable grief in the past year with the loss of her husband and grandmother, quickly went from interviewer to interviewee in a role reversal that eventually became the defining moment of the Gala.
“Today was, honestly—hoping that I could meet the moment and catch somebody’s eye contact. So many people, when they’re on the carpet, it’s take, take, take,” Jones told the “ANTI” singer. “My goal was to give back, because I feel like your talent gives to us.”
Rih took the moment to give back to Jones.
“Well, you deserve to be poured into, as well,” she said. “It’s not all about giving into everybody. You deserve to be poured into and you’re beautiful. You’re a Black journalist. And I respect you. I love you for this. And, by the way, your outfit is f-cking fire.”
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The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, in Washington, DC, sits next to the White House Photo: Abovfold via Wikimedia Commons
The US president Donald Trump’s plan to “beautify” the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) by painting its granite exterior white—which White House staff estimate will cost around $7.5m—hit a snag yesterday (7 May) when the project came before the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). In a 1.5-hour session that included impassioned comments from preservationists and the public speaking out against the plan, as well as some probing questions from commission members, the panel approved a motion requesting further details about how paint will impact the historic building, how much continued maintenance would cost, and whether less intrusive and more affordable options to “brighten the building”, like exterior lighting, could be used instead.
Presenting the NCPC’s staff report on the proposal, the urban planner Michael Weil related the history of the EEOB, which underwent a major cleaning and modernisation effort between 2004 and 2012. While stating that agency staff supports the White House proposal to clean, repaint, reseal and restore the building’s façades, Weil said more information is needed to fully evaluate the painting proposal.
“First, we need to understand the project’s potential visual and physical impacts both to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and to the Lafayette Square National Historic Landmark District,” Weil said. He also acknowledged the extensive public interest in the project, including “over 2,000 written comments submitted through our agency website”—the vast majority of them negative.
Ryan Erb, the construction operations manager for the White House Office of Administration (WHOA), then answered questions from commission members, starting with Evan Cash, who also serves on the Council of the District of Columbia. Cash was concerned about not just the cost of painting the entire city-block-sized building white, but the ongoing work to keep it clean and stain-free. “We’re adding essentially a very new, big maintenance piece” to the building’s upkeep, Cash said.
Erb said the WHOA was still gathering information, but that a preliminary estimate for the paint job was $7.5m, and the office hoped it would last for around 25 years. That cost does not include any of the preliminary cleaning and preparation work needed, however, nor does it take into account any later repainting, Erb said. He added that more testing is required to see how the silicate paint actually performs on similar granite sourced from the same quarry in Vinalhaven, Maine, used to build the EEOB.
When it came time for public comments, several speakers presented heartfelt appeals to the NCPC to reject the painting proposal. These were led by Greg and Marion Werkheiser, the founders of Cultural Heritage Partners, who are suing the Trump administration in federal court to block the project. Perhaps the most engaging testimony was provided by Danilo Feliciano, who opened his comments with a Bible verse: “Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed. Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.” Feliciano chose the Psalm for its association with the ancient Hebrew King David, since Eisenhower’s first name at birth was David, not Dwight, as he was later called. “It’s literally a house of David,” Feliciano noted.
Pointing to the outpouring of public comments against the project, Feliciano added his own thoughts that “it just doesn’t seem like common sense to paint a building that’s only been cleaned twice in 150 years because it looks nice in a computer-generated picture. Sure, it might look nice for when the current president leaves office, but give it another ten years or so, and it probably won’t be.”
Feliciano ended with an effective comparison to the 1992 movie Death Becomes Her—in which two women, granted immortality, must spackle and spray-paint their undead but ravaged skin into eternity. “They’re still alive, but broken, a mockery of the beauty they once had,” Feliciano said. “It would be a shame to paint over such a historic structure with magic paint. It’s a temporary fix for a lasting legacy. Could you imagine the Statue of Liberty painted over?”
Because most of the commission’s members are tied to the Trump administration, many voiced their assurance that the project team would do its best to protect the EEOB. But several noted the need for more details as the proposal goes through future stages of review. And when the time came to vote, the commission nearly unanimously approved the NCPC staff report seeking further information, with only the mayoral appointee Arrington Dixon not responding during the roll call. Just moments before, he had briefly appeared on screen in a dentist chair, a bib tied around his chest. “Commissioner Dixon may be unable to speak right now,” NCPC chairman William Scharf noted dryly.
One group called the sudden demolition “a collective loss” while another expressed concern the $300m ballroom that will replace the East Wing “will overwhelm the White House itself”
The commission’s members also opted to forego a later vote on the final stage of the design despite public comments on the project being “overwhelmingly in opposition—over 99%”
The US president has set his sights on transforming the city of Washington, DC, to fit his grandiose aesthetic
A federal judge has rejected attempt by National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt president’s pet construction project

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Lyles became the first Black female mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2017.
Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Vi Lyles has announced she will resign from office next month.
The move came as a surprise, as Lyles just won her reelection six months ago. In a statement, the Democratic leader did not specify why she was leaving her position after five terms as mayor, but said she was ready to spend more time with her family.
“Serving as Charlotte’s mayor has been the honor of my life,” Lyles said in a statement. “I am proud of our record navigating various challenges, strengthening our economy, investing in our neighborhoods, and building a foundation for Charlotte’s continued success during a time of rapid growth. Now, it is time for the next phase of my life, to spend more time with my grandchildren and for someone new to lead us forward.”
Lyles, 73, will not finish out her term, which ends in 2027, and instead will leave office on June 30.
The Columbia, South Carolina, native has worked in Charlotte city government for over 30 years, starting in 2004 as a budget analyst, budget director, and assistant city manager. Before she became the first Black female mayor of Charlotte in 2017, she served on the City Council for two years.
The Democratic Mayor’s Association released a statement in response to Lyle’s announcement, wishing her well in the next chapter of her life.
“Mayor Vi Lyles has been a dedicated leader for Charlotte, helping guide one of America’s fastest-growing cities through a period of significant growth and change,” the statement said. “Her commitment to public service and to the people of Charlotte has left a lasting impact on the city and on mayors across the country. We are grateful for her partnership and years of service, and we wish her the very best in retirement.”

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Critics claim the Trump administration’s approach has unfairly singled out and marginalized the Black population.
D.L. Hughley’s Notes from the GED Section, delivered a blunt message about race, power, and political consequences in America. Speaking with urgency and frustration, Hughley argued that the Trump-era political project was never random and never race-neutral. His central point was clear: the rollback of Black progress has been deliberate, and the damage is now playing out in public view. For listeners tracking politics through the lens of community impact, Hughley’s remarks landed as both critique and caution.

Hughley said the attacks on Black progress are not a matter of perception but policy. He framed the broader political moment as a direct response to the gains Black Americans made over the years, especially during and after the Obama era. In his view, the backlash has been fueled by resentment toward visible Black success, from leadership in government to the cultural pride often summed up as “Black girl magic.” His comments tied political decisions to a deeper discomfort with Black visibility and influence.
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One of Hughley’s most striking claims focused on employment and representation in government. He said prominent Black officials were removed early and that Black workers, especially Black women, have paid a heavy price in the federal workforce. By highlighting job loss alongside leadership shakeups, Hughley connected policy choices to kitchen-table consequences. The message was not just about symbolism. It was about who gets protected, who gets excluded, and how quickly hard-won access can disappear.
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Hughley also pointed to the rollback of anti-discrimination safeguards, including a rule involving federal contractors and segregated bathrooms. He used that example to argue that attacks on civil rights often begin with moves many people overlook. He then widened the frame to voting rights, saying recent battles in states such as Louisiana and Alabama show how fast protections can be weakened. For Black voters, his warning was plain: what gets stripped away in law soon shows up in daily life.
A major thread in Hughley’s commentary was frustration with people who dismissed earlier warnings. He said conversations around Project 2025 and broader conservative plans were brushed off as fearmongering, even as evidence kept building. Hughley compared the current moment to darker chapters in American history, suggesting the scale of racial retrenchment has few modern parallels. His criticism was aimed not only at political architects, but also at voices who downplayed the threat and helped create public confusion.
The most emotional part of Hughley’s segment came when he questioned why some Black voters and public figures helped legitimize forces now tied to voting rights losses and racial setbacks. He challenged arguments that party loyalty, gender bias, celebrity takes, or short-term frustrations justified dangerous political choices. For Hughley, the issue is no longer abstract.

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“[It] goes back to the core element of Donald Trump himself as somebody who sees Black women as the number one target,” Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross tells theGrio.
The Trump administration is continuing to target prominent Black women in government, using the power of the Justice Department and other agencies to investigate or accuse them of criminality or wrongdoing.
Over the past week, the administration has set its target on a state lawmaker who led a major defeat for President Donald Trump, a Federal Reserve governor who has refused to quit after Trump pushed for her removal, and a federal district court judge whom the administration attacked as an “activist” and falsely accused of knowingly releasing an undocumented man who had a criminal arrest warrant.
“[It] goes back to the core element of Donald Trump, himself, as somebody who sees Black women as the number one target,” Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross tells theGrio. She continued, “As someone who wants to humiliate Black women any chance he gets, as someone who does not respect Black women, and as someone who does not believe that Black women deserve to be in positions of leadership or power.”
On Wednesday, the FBI raided the offices and business of Virginia Senate Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas as part of a criminal investigation. Democrats quickly viewed the probe as retaliation against Lucas, who led Virginia’s successful redistricting ballot measure to combat Trump’s nationwide push for statewide Republicans to redraw congressional maps to retain power in Congress next session in 2027.
“You all started it and we f–king finished it,” said Lucas of Virginia’s move to redraw its map to give Democrats five additional seats in the state’s congressional delegation.
The Associated Press reports that the corruption investigation may have been first launched under the Biden administration; however, Senator Lucas suggested the probe and its timing were politically motivated. “What we saw was a clear pattern from this administration: when challenged, they try to intimidate and silence the voices who stand up to them,” Lucas said in a statement released Wednesday evening.
The 82-year-old lawmaker declared, “I am not backing down.”
“I don’t think it’s coincidental,” said Cross, who tells theGrio the criminal investigation appears to be a “coordinated effort” by the administration to use Lucas as an example to others who may challenge the president or his policies.
“If you try it, this is what’s going to happen to you,” Cross said of the message she believes the White House is trying to send.
The same has been said about the Trump Justice Department’s ongoing criminal case against U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., over an incident in which she tried to prevent federal officers from arresting Newark Mayor Ras Baraka during an oversight visit in response to claims of poor treatment of undocumented individuals being held at a federal detention center. McIver, a freshman congresswoman, has maintained her innocence. She previously told theGrio that she believed the Trump administration was trying to make an example out of her.
Federal Reserve Bank Governor Lisa Cook is also back in the Trump administration’s crosshairs after Bill Pulte, Trump’s director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, suggested that she would soon be indicted. Despite Pulte submitting a criminal referral to the DOJ in August 2025 regarding mortgage fraud against Cook, no indictment has been returned.
Pulte submitted a similar DOJ criminal referral for mortgage fraud against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for business fraud. Despite multiple efforts, the federal court, including two grand juries, dismissed the Trump administration’s criminal indictments of James.
Attorneys for Cook have said the accusations against her are baseless and deeply political. President Trump used the allegations to justify firing Cook, resulting in a federal lawsuit now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the powerful Federal Reserve Bank Board of Governors—and who has refused to leave her post—remains on the job until the case is decided.
Cross says part of the administration’s tactic is to hold Black female leaders like Cook to “a level of fear,” even if they know they’re innocent.
“What they do is try to weaken you by putting forth a media narrative that is going to leave in some people’s minds a different taste of you for the majority of America,” she tells theGrio. “This administration is trying to change the image of Black women in leadership, and to tarnish it in some ways, even if there is no criminality proven, because that, in and of itself, is a way to basically knock you down a few pegs.”
The Trump administration also very publicly came after U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose, accusing the Black female judge of releasing an undocumented man from the Dominican Republic who was wanted for murder in his native country. A press release published by the Department of Homeland Security called BuBose, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, an “activist judge.”
As it turns out, the Justice Department never informed Judge DuBose of the man’s criminal history overseas, the New York Times reports. And despite the U.S. attorney assigned to the case admitting fault and trying to get the press release removed, the broadside attack on Judge DuBose remains on the DHS website.
“To be able to create a media narrative that Black leaders, specifically…in the legal realm, are letting go of violent criminals who are also undocumented, who are also immigrants, plays into a narrative that they are trying to sell the American public,” said Cross. “They obviously want to showcase Black people specifically as being lenient to violent crime.”
The Democratic strategist added, “They are doing this on purpose and putting her face on it as part of a larger scare tactic and as part of a larger push out of black leadership, specifically Black female leadership.”

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