This week, several powerful stories made headlines, sparking important discussions about justice, inequality and personal sacrifice. Lawmakers renewed their push for a reparations bill, calling for action on racial justice. In Detroit, a homeless mother’s devastating loss of two children to the cold highlights the ongoing housing crisis in the U.S. Meanwhile, the man behind the Super Bowl halftime protest for Palestine and Sudan, has spoken out about his motives and the fallout from his actions. Here’s everything you might have missed.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Cory Booker Renew Push for Reparations Bill
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced H.R. 40, a bill designed to establish a federal commission that would examine the ongoing impact of slavery and develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people.
The bill has been a focal point in the fight for racial justice and its reintroduction comes amid heightened opposition to DEI initiatives from President Donald Trump’s administration. Pressley condemned those actions in a press release, stating, “What we’re seeing from the Trump administration and their allies in Congress and the courts is a coordinated, years-long effort to dismantle any policy that uplifts Black folks and addresses America’s shameful history of systemic racism. It is anti-Blackness on steroids and we’re not backing down in our pursuit of healing and reparatory justice.”
Booker emphasized the importance of acknowledging historical injustices, adding, “We as a nation have not yet truly acknowledged and grappled with the ways slavery, racism and white supremacy continue to disadvantage African Americans.” He stressed that a thorough study of these issues would help lawmakers address the current racial disparities.
Super Bowl LIX Halftime Performer Opens Up About Protest for Palestine and Sudan Awareness
Zül-Qarnaįn Nantambu, the man who waved a combined Palestinian and Sudanese flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, has spoken out about the controversial act. During a recent interview with Al Jazeera,Nantambu explained that he intended to express support for those suffering in those regions. “I wanted to show solidarity to those afflicted by this and their families and loved ones that they’re being remembered here in America,” he said. Although not of Palestinian or Sudanese descent, Nantambu, a Muslim, called himself a “humanitarian.”
He continued, “I believe I was inspired by a creator, but [Kendrick] was confirmation, seeing him talking about the revolution being televised, him having scenes where the American flag is made in a human formation, him having his own company’s flags flying around, I saw those all as signs for me to incorporate the flag.”
During the performance, Nantambu waved the flag reading “Sudan” and “Gaza” while standing on the back of a black Grand National car before security apprehended him.
The NFL has since issued a statement clarifying that neither Lamar nor the production team knew about the incident beforehand. Nantambu has been permanently banned from NFL games, but he remains unbothered. “The risk of a ban? I was afraid I was gonna get sniped by a Secret Service’s bullet,” he added. “I can watch a football program on the television if I choose to.”
This news follows the release of three more Israeli hostages by Hamas during a weeklong ceasefire as the violent civil warin Sudan continues to escalate.
Detroit Mother Speaks Out After Two Of Her Children Freeze to Death
Tateona Williams, a 29-year-old mother from Detroit experiencing homelessness , is speaking out after two of her children, Darnell, 9, and Amillah, 2, likely froze to death.
The Detroit Police Department said the incident happened on Monday, Feb. 10, on the ninth floor of the Hollywood Casino parking garage. Williams, her four children, her mother, Yvette Goodman, and another child were sheltering in their van as temperatures dropped below 32 degrees.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 11, Interim Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said that before Williams “realized that her 9-year-old son wasn’t breathing,” she had already called a close friend for help because their van had stopped running overnight. Williams told PEOPLE that when she woke up, she saw “stuff coming out” of Darnell’s mouth before rushing him to the hospital. “They really couldn’t do much because I guess it was too late,” she said. Her mother, who initially stayed behind, later realized the 2-year-old wasn’t breathing, and the friend returned to take them to the hospital as well.
Williams told the outlet that she had repeatedly reached out to homeless services for assistance but did not receive help in time. “I kept calling. I called out of state, cities, and different states. I asked Detroit for help,” she said. “And they still would say, when I called, they didn’t have no beds. But it took two [of] my kids to die… for them to want to help.”
Cardi B Reveals Her Uncle Was Deported
Cardi B took to Instagram Live following Super Bowl LXI to express frustration over President Trump’s attendance at the event, revealing that her uncle had been deported. The rapper’s rant detailed how Trump’s presence led to heightened security measures, causing significant delays for attendees—including herself.
“Yo, I was too f**king mad today because, you know, Donald Trump and s**t,” Cardi began. “He was at the Super Bowl today, and they were giving us a hard time. Oh my gosh. The Secret Service was not playing at that motherf**ker. The Secret Service was not playing to get in that motherf**kin stadium. Oh my God,”said the rapper in the video that was later posted to Youtube.
She continued, “This shoe cost me three bands… All ’cause of Trump. Now I like him lesser. Now I like him lesser because you didn’t have to go to no damn Super Bowl. F**king up my shoe.”
Beyond the inconvenience, the “Enough” rapper shared the personal toll of Trump’s immigration policies. “Now he’s gonna have to—well, he definitely ain’t gon’ do that—bring my uncle, grab my uncle to come back because my uncle got deported,” she continued. Since Trump’s inauguration in January, mass deportations have sparked significant controversy. While she did not elaborate on the details, her comments underscore the devastating impact of these policies on families.
Justice Department Orders Charges Dropped Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams
The Justice Department has dismissed corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to the Associated Press.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove has directed New York federal prosecutors to drop the bribery charges against Adams immediately. In a memo, Bove explained that the decision was not based on the strength of the evidence but on concerns that the charges were distracting him from his focus on illegal immigration and violent crime amid the Trump administration’s law-and-order policies.
In September 2024, Adams made history as the first sitting New York City mayor to face federal charges. The 57-page indictment accused him of five criminal counts, including bribery, wire fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations from his 2021 mayoral campaign and his time as Brooklyn borough president in 2014.
His attorney, Alex Spiro, called the decision to drop these charges a vindication, stating, “Now, thankfully, the mayor and New York can put this unfortunate and misguided prosecution behind them.”