Business

Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group Purchases Hawaiian Station KITV

By bigced 1 month ago

Byron Allen‘s Allen Media Group division Allen Media Broadcasting is proud to announce it has

Good Humor and The RZA Collaborate on a New Ice Cream Truck Jingle

By bigced 1 month ago

We know ice cream trucks are one of the joys of summer, but did you

National Museum of African American Music Plans Digital & In-Person Experiences For Fall Roll Out

By bigced 1 month ago

The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) announces that its previously scheduled grand opening

Shondaland Audio and iHeartMedia Release New Original Podcasts and Announce Upcoming Lineup

By bigced 1 month ago

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally, and Shondaland Audio, a division of Shondaland,

Health/Fitness Coach Marci Kenon Expands PLAN To Prevent Diabetes in New York’s Underserved Communities

By bigced 1 month ago

The Preventive Lifestyle Assistance Network (PLAN), founded by Marci Kenon, focuses exclusively on providing the National

Reebok and Khalid Form The Great Khalid Foundation to Mentor Aspiring Artists

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In tandem with the launch of the Classic Leather Legacy, Reebok announces the “Write Your

Felicia Dortch: ‘Learn As Much As you Can About Business’

By bigced 2 months ago

Being a single mother of four is a job in itself, especially in today’s challenging

NBA Launches NBA Foundation to Support Black Communities

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The NBA Board of Governors announced today that it will contribute $300 million in initial

Dallas Austin: ‘My Dream Was to Always Be as Great as Quincy Jones’

By bigced 2 months ago

When you are a Grammy-award winning producer/songwriter/keyboardist/remixer and your credits include the likes of Michael

Brandon T. Jackson Launches KingdomPay, a Black-Owned Social Mobile Banking App

By bigced 2 months ago

The Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with the recent civil unrest, has created a tumultuous climate for

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Purchases the XFL for $15 Million

By bigced 2 months ago

Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners have been selected as the winning bidder

Barbara Bush Foundation Partners with Barbershop Books and Penguin Young Readers

By bigced 2 months ago

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has partnered with Barbershop Books and Penguin Young

Pandora Launches UNINTERRUPTED Radio

By bigced 2 months ago

Pandora is launching UNINTERRUPTED Radio, a brand new and exclusive station that features music selected

California Based Lifestyle & Cannabis Brand, COOKIES, Partners With Rick Ross To Launch ‘COLLINS AVE’

By bigced 2 months ago

COOKIES, the leading international lifestyle and cannabis brand, is pleased to announce the launch of

Legendary Music Executives Announce the Black American Music Association (BAM)

By bigced 2 months ago

Today, an esteemed group of music and entertainment industry leaders, led by Michael Mauldin, Demmette

A 104-page audit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services exposed spending not being used for the purposes the money was earmarked for according to USA Today.
Money that was meant to assist poor residents was used to purchase buy luxury cars, sponsor a college baseball tournament, and encouraged nepotism by hiring family members of a top state official, according to a report from State Auditor Shad White.
The audit, which was released earlier this week, shows how federal welfare grant funds flowed from DHS into two nonprofit groups, which allegedly spent money in inappropriate or questionable ways.
In a written statement, White stated that the report “shows the most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers at the Office of the State Auditor.” He said, “If there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it.”
White said his office will forward the information they found to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the welfare program. White said this could lead to cuts in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) allotments or other sanctions placed on the state.
The audit found these items questionable:
The two nonprofit groups used welfare money to hire lobbyists, often without paperwork describing the work they were supposed to do.
MCEC gave contracts to, and hired, family members of Davis, sometimes making lump-sum payments. The payments and salaries to his nephew and brother-in-law totaled more than $1 million over the past several years, auditors said.
Both nonprofit groups gave welfare money to a trio of wrestlers, Ted DiBiase, Ted DiBiase, Jr., and Brett DiBiase – some of it for work never performed, some for “unreasonable” travel costs.
MCEC paid Victory Sports Foundation with welfare money to run fitness programs, some of which Mississippi legislators and other officials or staffers participated in, free of charge. The trainer who runs Victory said he did not know he received welfare money.
MCEC bought three cars with welfare money, each worth more than $50,000, for New and two sons. Salaries, cellphones, and other expenses were paid using welfare money. The vehicles included a 2018 Nissan Armada, a Chevrolet Silverado, and a Ford F-250. In each case, the vehicle was registered to MCEC, but in each case, auditors said the vehicles were for personal use.
MCEC used welfare money for sports-related purposes, including sponsoring a college baseball tournament and other NCAA events.
MCEC cut a $3,000 check to a bookkeeper of MCEC, though a handwritten note says “$3,000 cash was given to” Davis, the DHS executive director.
MCEC moved $6 million to a private school and organization run by New and bought supplies for the school.