Author: DAMON K JONES

When it comes to politics, there is one constant: accusations of “retaliation” and “weaponization” are thrown around so often that the words lose their meaning. Now, as federal prosecutors investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James for possible civil rights violations and mortgage fraud, a chorus of Democratic attorneys general has rushed to her defense, issuing an open letter condemning the investigation as an abuse of power. The problem is not that James’s defenders are speaking out. The problem is that their defense conveniently ignores the substance of the charges. The Department of Justice has convened a grand jury to…

When it was announced that Reggie Carroll, the Baltimore-born comedian known for elevating the ordinary, had been shot and killed in Mississippi, the pain felt familiar. Once again, we mourn a man whose gift was laughter, taken too soon. Carroll was more than just a comedy club regular. He started on Showtime at the Apollo, brought smiles to The Parkers, and toured nationwide, most recently with Katt Williams’ Heaven on Tour. At 52, Carroll was in his prime—a working-class comedian who built his career the hard way: on the road, stage by stage. He belonged to a generation of comics who turned struggle into…

New York, August 26, 2025 — It was a memorable night for New York baseball as both the Mets and the Yankees scored convincing wins, displaying offensive firepower and clutch pitching that lit up Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. At Citi Field, the Mets crushed the Philadelphia Phillies 13–3, led by a relentless lineup that refused to let scoring opportunities slip away. Luis Torrens drove in five runs, including a three-run homer that opened the game. Mark Vientos added an important two-run double to ignite a fourth-inning rally, while Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor contributed clutch hits. The Mets finished an impressive 11-for-19 with runners in scoring position. Although starter Kodai…

When President Trump signed his executive orders to dismantle cashless bail in Washington, D.C. and across the country, critics immediately cried foul. They called it an attack on criminal justice reform, a return to the “bad old days,” and a rollback of progressive policies. But the truth is far more uncomfortable: this is the inevitable result of the left going too far. Cashless bail was sold as a humane reform. Its purpose was simple—ensure that non-violent offenders, often poor and disproportionately Black or Brown, weren’t trapped in jail for weeks or months simply because they couldn’t afford bail. On paper,…

August 25, 2025 | Black Westchester News An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza has killed at least 15 people, including four journalists, one of whom worked for Reuters. The attack occurred amid a new wave of Israeli military operations and has drawn widespread condemnation from international leaders, press freedom advocates, and humanitarian organizations. Health officials in Gaza say dozens were injured in the strike, many critically, as emergency workers rushed to rescue patients and medical staff trapped under debris. Witnesses described chaotic scenes as medics carried wounded children and journalists scrambled to safety. Among those killed were four members of the press, sparking outrage from global…

For three decades, mainstream hip-hop has been dominated by a formula: glorify violence, sexualize women, promote drug culture, and dress it all up in bass-heavy production. The industry told us this was “the culture,” and many of us went along with it. But now the numbers — not feelings, not nostalgia, not wishful thinking — are telling a different story. According to Luminate’s 2025 midyear report, new R&B and hip-hop releases are down 9.2% in streams year over year, the sharpest decline of any major genre. Meanwhile, catalog music — the classics of the 1990s and 2000s — makes up…

New York State is slashing funding for EmPower+, a program designed to help low- and moderate-income households make critical energy upgrades. Funding will plummet from $220 million in 2025 to just $80 million by 2027, a cut of more than 60%. For families already struggling with rising energy bills, this is more than a budget adjustment—it’s another example of poor policy creating long-term consequences, with Black New Yorkers bearing the brunt. The Ripple Effect of Indian Point’s Closure The seeds of today’s energy crisis were planted in 2021, when the Indian Point Nuclear Plant in Westchester was shut down. Indian Point once supplied about…

When you look at the protests shaking America’s cities, you have to ask a simple question: whose interests are being served? Because in far too many cases, the issues paraded through the streets in Black neighborhoods are not the priorities of the people who actually live there. They are the pet causes of progressive activists, imported from the outside and imposed on communities that never asked for them. Take Washington, D.C. as an example. Black residents have been vocal about wanting safer streets. Many welcomed the presence of additional police after years of shootings, robberies, and carjackings that made daily life unbearable.…

When Senator Ted Cruz recently urged President Trump to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to economist Thomas Sowell, it sparked a conversation long overdue. Sowell, now in his 90s, has spent more than half a century shaping debates on economics, race, education, and culture. If the Medal of Freedom truly exists to honor those who have made “especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural, or other significant public or private endeavors,” then Sowell’s name belongs at the very top of the list. A Life of Scholarship and Impact Born in 1930 in North…

In the world of boxing, rivalries often simmer long after the gloves have been hung up. The latest clash comes from two legends of the sport—Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. What began as a debate about greatness has now escalated into a public back-and-forth, with Jones making a bold challenge: he wants to fight Mayweather in a real sanctioned match, not an exhibition. The tension sparked when Roy Jones Jr., appearing on the All The Smoke Fight podcast in June 2025, compared Mayweather to Sugar Ray Leonard. While praising Floyd’s undefeated career, Jones argued that Leonard in his prime had…