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Americans Remember Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. On MLK Day

Sandra Rose
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Americans Remember Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. On MLK Day
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Parades and special events will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day in America on Monday, Jan. 19, as Americans remember the slain civil rights leader.

Government buildings, bank, public parks and schools are closed today. Museums and visitor’s centers are also closed, but the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta is open.

The holiday was signed into law by President Ronald Regan in 1983. It was officially observed as a holiday 3 years later.

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King was born in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929. He was killed by a gunman on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39.

Universal History Archive/Getty Images

Atlantans observed MLK Day with a series of special events over the weekend and today. The sites that make up the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park & Preservation District are open today.

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After several years of renovations, MLK’s Birth Home reopened to the public last year. The Birth Home tour begins at 10:00 am and the last tour is 5:00 pm. The 30-minute tour is conducted every hour (7 days a week).

Prince Williams/FilmMagic

The King Center advises visitors to get there early to avoid the long lines on King Day. Only 10 persons are permitted on one tour. Groups can reserve up to three spaces (30 persons) the day of their tour.

The address is 501 Auburn Avenue, NE., Atlanta, GA 30312. Call 404-331-6922 for information.

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Dr. Bernice King, MLK’s youngest child, called for “urgency” as she announced plans for MLK Day in Atlanta 2 weeks ago.

Dr. King called King Day a “saving grace” as the world is seemingly on the brink of another world war.

“This is not the hour to shrink. This is the hour to rise,” Bernice King said during the annual news conference ahead of the 2026 King holiday observance.

“We are living in a time when violence, displacement and dehumanization are being normalized,” she said, before referring to the ICE shooting of a 37-year-old mother in Minnesota as “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”

“People are anxious, weary, retreating into silos, tribes… and echo chambers because despair has convinced them that hope is naive and community is impossible,” she said.

Former Nickelodeon star’s father speaks out after her hit-and-run death: “Did anyone try to comfort my baby?”

Sandra Rose
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Former Nickelodeon star’s father speaks out after her hit-and-run death: “Did anyone try to comfort my baby?”
Photo of Kianna Underwood
Screengrab

The father of former Nickelodeon child star Kianna Underwood spoke out after she was killed in a hit-and-run at age 33.

Kianna was run over by a motorist who fled the scene in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the early morning hours of Friday, Jan. 16.

A spokesperson for the New York Police Department (NYPD) said in a statement to PEOPLE that Kianna was first struck around 6:40 a.m. by a black 2021 Ford Explorer SUV “operated by an unidentified individual.”

The SUV crossed over the yellow line and was driving “counterflow” to traffic when it hit Kianna, as she crossed the street at a marked crosswalk at Pitkin Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard.

As she lay in the road, Kianna was run over again by a black and gray sedan, the NYPD told PEOPLE. Both drivers left the scene.

No arrests have been made and police have no suspects.

Photo of Kianna Underwood
Getty Images

In a now-deleted post on Saturday, January 17, Kianna’s father wondered if anyone was there to “comfort” his dying daughter.

“So this one time [my partner] Tia Ynvme Taylor and I were in the Catskills and we saw this fox on the road,” he wrote.

“I could tell it had been hit. It was a dangerous curved road and I contemplated moving our car into the middle of the road so it wouldn’t get hit again. But before I could do anything someone came around the corner and didn’t slow down when I started flashing my high beams. So the driver ran over the fox, I remember the horror I felt when I saw that.”

He continued:

“Another driver pulled over and picked the fox up who was still alive and put it on the side of the road. All I can think about is did anyone show my baby that same compassion, as someone ran her over like roadkill. Did anyone try to comfort my baby as she layed [sic] dying in the street alone, or did they just stand around with their phones.”

Other sources online say Kianna was homeless when she died.

Kianna was a child actor who appeared on Season 10 of Nickelodeon’s “All That” and many other TV shows and films, including a minor role in “Death of a Dynasty,” starring Kevin Hart.

Update: April D’s Stage 4 Triple Negative Breast Cancer Story (Video)

Sandra Rose
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Update: April D’s Stage 4 Triple Negative Breast Cancer Story (Video)
Photo of April D. and Tamara Tunie as Anita Dupree
Screengrab

CBS’ daytime soap opera “Beyond the Gates” brings awareness to Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) through Anita Dupree’s storyline.

Some cancer survivors wonder why Anita wasn’t advised to undergo a double mastectomy as a treatment option for triple-negative breast cancer.

A double mastectomy is necessary because TNBC is a very aggressive disease with a high chance of reoccurrence even if chemotherapy shrinks the tumor to nothing.

Cancer tends to reoccur because TNBC spreads faster and has fewer treatment options than other breast cancers.

Photo of Tamara Tunie as Anita Dupree

Actress Tamara Tunie is excellent as matriarch Anita Dupree who is diagnosed with the most aggressive form of breast cancer.

But it’s important to remember that “Beyond the Gates” is just entertainment.

Don’t expect a daytime TV show to educate you about breast cancer. Speak to your doctor or other cancer survivors for the most accurate information. And do your own research to find the treatment option that is best for you.

TNBC is around 15-20% of all breast cancers.

Photo of April Donaldson

Update: I was informed yesterday that April didn’t survive. She passed away on July 31, 2025 at age 46.

April D. underwent a double mastectomy and total hysterectomy after being diagnosed with TNBC at age 40.

April was diagnosed with TNBC after she found 4 lumps along the side of her left breast.

In the video below, courtesy of The Patient Story, April walks the viewer through her experience with TNBC and chemotherapy. She talks about holding off on having the surgeries until she gave birth to her last child.

April tested positive for the BRCA1 gene, which means she had to undergo a double mastectomy plus remove her ovaries and uterus as the first line of treatment.

Just 5 months later, the aggressive cancer returned. April was devastated to learn she has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that spread to her lungs.

Throughout her journey, April has leaned heavily on her faith, grace, and gratitude. She finds joy in her family, and setting future goals.

She wanted to share her story to encourage other cancer patients to have hope and know they can get through this difficult journey.

Waco man caught on Ring camera brutally disciplining child

Sandra Rose
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Waco man caught on Ring camera brutally disciplining child
Photo of Paul Thames
Waco PD, Screengrab

Waco police arrested a Waco, Texas man who brutally beat his 3-year-old son at the Barron Branch Apartments.

The incident was caught on a neighbor’s Ring camera. The neighbor turned the footage over to police after calling 911 on Friday, January 16.

Paul Thames, 29, later turned himself in to police and was charged with injury to a child, a third-degree felony. Thames was booked into the McLennan County Jail on $200,000 bond, according to WECT News.

The boy in the video was evaluated at a local hospital and released.

Waco police described the footage as a “horrendous assault” on a defenseless child by an adult male.

In the footage, Thames is seen hitting the boy at least 4 times with a closed fist. He then lifted the crying boy in the air with one hand and covered his mouth with his other hand. He asked the boy “Are you gonna stop playing?” as he walked away with the child.

The Waco Police Department thanked witnesses and the public for quickly reporting the incident.

Former judge files lawsuit, seeking $50 million from City of Atlanta

Sandra Rose
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Former judge files lawsuit, seeking $50 million from City of Atlanta
Photo of former Douglas County judge Christina Peterson
Fulton County Jail, Douglas COunty

Former Douglas County judge Christina Peterson is suing the City of Atlanta, seeking $50 million in damages.

Peterson’s lawsuit claims she suffered injury as a “direct result” of the city’s actions following her arrest for punching a cop outside the Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge on June 20, 2024.

In her federal lawsuit, Peterson claimed she “suffered physical injury, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of liberty, reputational harm, professional damage and ongoing economic and non-economic losses.”

The Georgia Supreme Court removed Peterson from the bench following her arrest.

Photo may have been deleted
Atlanta Police Department

Peterson denied being under the influence of alcohol and said she only had one glass of wine to drink.

At the time, Peterson claimed the officer drove her around for hours to “cover his tracks” before transporting her to jail.

The lawsuit also claims that even after a felony charge against Peterson was dropped, the “dissemination of misleading arrest materials” further damaged her reputation.

Photo may have been deleted
11Alive News

Peterson was the first Black judge appointed to the bench at Douglas County probate court in 2020. She is no longer a probate judge.

During her term on the bench, Peterson was hit with 50 ethics violations. 20 violations were dismissed by a JQC disciplinary panel. But the 3-person panel recommended that Peterson be removed from the bench.

Police arrest Georgia man who shouted racial slurs at security guard

Sandra Rose
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Police arrest Georgia man who shouted racial slurs at security guard
Photo of Robert Burke
Screengrab

A Gwinnett County, Ga. man who yelled racist slurs at a security guard outside a Social Security Administration office was arrested.

Viral video shows Robert Burke, 65, who is white, shouting racist slurs and berating a Black security guard outside the SSA office in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross on Tuesday, January 14.

Police took Burke into custody on Wednesday after he caused another disturbance at the Courtyard Marriot hotel in Duluth, Ga.

Cell phone video shows Burke threatening to physically harm the security guard before shouting racist slurs and profanity at him.

Burke is heard telling the security guard to “take a shot MF” and saying he would “beat the s–t” out of him.

“I’m a f–king citizen,” Burke yelled, before calling the security guard more racist slurs.

As he walked into the parking lot, he yelled back to the guard “What are you going to do? It’s free speech” before continuing to yell racist slurs and profanity.

In the video, a woman is seen leading young children into the SSA office. She stepped back as Burke sped out of the parking lot.

Employees of the Social Security office told police Burke had caused previous disturbances at that location.

Photo of Robert Burke
Screengrab

A warrant for Burke’s arrest was issued on charges of disorderly conduct on Tuesday.

The next day, police responded to a disturbance at a Marriott hotel in nearby Duluth. When police arrived, they took Burke into custody.

The video below contains profanity and language that may be disturbing to some viewers.

Beyoncé Fangirl Teyana Taylor loves to make Beyoncé proud

Sandra Rose
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Beyoncé Fangirl Teyana Taylor loves to make Beyoncé proud
Photo of Teyana Taylor
MEGA/WENN

Teyana Taylor admitted to being a Beyoncé fangirl. She gushed that Beyoncé sent her a bouquet of white roses after she won her first-ever Golden Globes award for best supporting actress.

MEGA/WENN

Teyana shared an image of the bouquet of white roses in an Instagram stories post.

The card accompanying the roses read:

“Teyana, I’m So Proud Of You. You Deserve It All And Then Some. Keep Beaming In Your Power. May God Continue To Bless You And Yours.

All My Love, B.”

Photo of bouquet of white roses

Teyana was overcome with emotion when she received her flowers. “Love you Bey,” she captioned her post.

MEGA/WENN

“It was so sweet! Oh my God,” Teyana told a reporter for Extra on the red carpet at the New York premiere of Netflix’s “The Rip,” also starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Teyana said Beyonce has supported her career since she was 15. “I just love her.”

She said the love from Bey has been very consistent and she loves that the mother-of-3 is watching her career grow and blossom.

Eric Kowalsky / MEGA

“I love making her proud. She don’t miss a chance to remind me of how proud she is of me, and that means the world to me.”

Teyana cried hot tears when she won her first-ever Golden Globes award for “One Battle After Another” on January 11. She said “I almost didn’t write a speech because I didn’t think I would get this.”

Teyana thanked her children, her parents, and her tribe (“my grounding force”).

She got the chance to meet her idol, actress Julia Roberts who told her to “eat a sandwich” to gain more weight.

@rottentomatoes Teyana Taylor's #GoldenGlobes win reaction and acceptance speech is everything! #onebattleafteranother #teyanataylor #movie #movietok ? original sound – Rotten Tomatoes

Davido Denies Fathering Girl After 5 Negative DNA Tests

Sandra Rose
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Davido Denies Fathering Girl After 5 Negative DNA Tests
Prince Williams/WireImage

Afrobeats icon Davido lashed out at a woman who insists he fathered her baby despite 5 negative DNA tests.

Davido took to X/Twitter to plead his case in a series of tweets.

In one post, he said he went to 5 different hospitals to take DNA tests. He chose 3 hospitals and his accuser chose 2 hospitals.

He said all of the tests came back negative and he is not the father.

Davido agreed to take 5 paternity tests after a girl claimed he was her father and she wanted to meet him.

“After 5 DNA test … she DEY [crazy] .. her and her mom better leave the f–k alone and go find her papa,” he wrote.

In another post on X, Davido said he never met the mom “except when [we] went for the DNA … very stupid behavior. I will soon treat their FK … 5 f–ing hospitals just to be clear. The mom needs to go to jail. I don’t blame the poor girl.”

Davido claimed his father “forced” him to take the tests to prove he’s not the girl’s father.

“You guys don’t know my father… Adeleke’s we don’t play about blood on this side!”

Photo of Davido post

He wrote in another post, “This is the last time I’m speaking on this nonsense.”

Prince Williams/ATLPics.net

Davido and his wife Chioma Rowland are pictured backstage during Davido & Friends Birthday Concert at State Farm Arena on November 21, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Back On the Market: Todd Bridges and Wife, Bettijo Hirschi, Split

Sandra Rose
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Back On the Market: Todd Bridges and Wife, Bettijo Hirschi, Split
Photo Todd Bridges and Bettijo Hirschi
Illustration

Todd Bridges announced that he and his wife Bettijo Hirschi have separated after 3 years of marriage.

Todd, 60, said the breakup was a “difficult decision” and he asked for privacy.

“After much prayer and reflection, my spouse and I have made the difficult decision to separate,” he said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Jan. 14. “This was not an easy choice, and it comes with a heavy heart, but also with love and gratitude for the life we shared.”

He continued:

“I thank God for the time we’ve had together, the lessons we’ve learned, and the family we’ve built. Even in this season of change, I trust He is guiding us both toward healing, peace, and new beginnings.

“I ask for privacy as we navigate this transition and continue to lift my former partner up in prayer, wishing them joy and fulfillment in the chapters ahead.”

Photo Todd Bridges and Bettijo Hirschi
Instagram

The former child actor and Bettijo were married nine months after they first met. They tied the knot at a 55-room mansion on Sept. 21, 2022 in Beverly Hills.

Bettijo is a designer and mother of four who met the “Diff’rent Strokes” actor through a dating app profile.

During an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show in December 2024, Bettijo explained that a friend set up a dating profile for her, and showed it to Todd for “market research.”

Todd was intrigued by Bettijo’s dating profile, and their mutual friend set up a meeting.

Six months later, he dropped to one knee and proposed to Bettijo. They were married a few months after she accepted his proposal.

Their marriage came nearly a decade after Todd split from his first wife, and Bettijo divorced her husband.

Is this the real reason why Mike Tomlin quit as Steelers’ head coach?

Sandra Rose
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Is this the real reason why Mike Tomlin quit as Steelers’ head coach?
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Rumors are swirling that Mike Tomlin abruptly quit as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers because he got a bartender pregnant.

Tomlin shocked the NFL by abruptly resigning as head coach of the Steelers after 19 winning seasons.

According to social media user Will-Howard-Time (@Dwinsgames), Tomlin is no longer the Steelers head coach because he got a 20-year-old woman pregnant. “His family life is in crisis and he broke his personal conduct agreement with the team. He is working to save his marriage.”

There are rumors that the woman welcomed their baby months ago. She allegedly signed an NDA agreement in exchange for $3.5 million in hush money.

Photo of Mike Tomlin, former head coach of the Steelers

The rumors have not been confirmed

The USA Today reported that Tomlin decided to quit, rather than be fired by the Steelers organization.

The Steelers’ organization reportedly allowed Tomlin to coach the team in the NFL playoffs. But the Steelers lost to the Houston Texans by a score of 30-6 in the AFC Wild Card game on Jan. 12.

ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

The next day, Tomlin tendered his resignation. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers reportedly cried in the locker room and said, “I’m sorry” to Tomlin.

As Tomlin left the Steelers locker room for the final time on Monday, he passed by his own words immortalized in silver block letters on the wall: “The Standard … is the Standard.”

The Super Bowl-winning coach leaves with a record of 201 wins and eight division titles.

If the rumors about Tomlin getting a young woman pregnant are true, he is the second Black football head coach to lose his career over infidelity with white women in less than 60 days.

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore lost his job and was detained by police in December over an “inappropriate relationship” with his white female assistant.

Moore was charged with felony home invasion and stalking after he broke into his assistant’s home and threatened to kill himself.

Both Tomlin and Moore are married with children.

Tomlin and his wife, Kiya, his college sweetheart, share three children.

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