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As loved ones and fans of Muhammad Ali gather to say their final goodbyes during a memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, several television networks will deliver live coverage of the ceremony. TV One, BET, and Bounce TV have announced they all will air Ali’s memorial. News One Now host Roland Martin will cover the funeral from Washington D.C., along with guest panelists who will reflect on Ali’s legacy. “Muhammad Ali was an iconic figure who was an unapologetic Black man and a world figure. We are proud to continue our weeklong coverage since his death by carrying his funeral live on TV One,” said Martin in a statement. “In the past, TV One has broken into coverage to carry the funerals of Coretta Scott King, Dr. Dorothy Height, and the memorial service for the Charleston 9. We believe the homecoming service of ‘The Greatest’ is deserving of such an honor.” During the funeral, actor Will Smith and boxer Lennox Lewis will serve as pallbearers. Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Obama, is slated to deliver a statement. The memorial service will air on TV One at 2 p.m. On Friday evening at 7 p.m. ET, the network will air Muhammad Ali: Fighting Spirit, a documentary that features rare footage of Ali’s battles in the ring and commentary from notable celebrities.  Read more.


Cosby’s Defense Team Claims Hearsay Was Used in Preliminary Hearing

According to court documents, comedian Bill Cosby’s legal team is claiming hearsay evidence was used during a preliminary hearing related to his sexual assault case. The papers, which were filed on Wednesday, assert that prosecutors leaned too much on the allegations made by Andrea Constand; a woman who claims Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her back in 2004. His defense team also claims they deserved the right to cross-examine Constand. “Today, in Commonwealth v. Cosby, Mr. Cosby filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus requesting an order dismissing all charges against him or alternatively ordering a new preliminary hearing at which Mr. Cosby is permitted to confront and cross-examine his accuser,” said Cosby’s team in a statement. “The Commonwealth’s reliance solely upon hearsay evidence to establish the elements of the charged offense, without providing Mr. Cosby an opportunity to confront and cross-examine his accuser, violated Mr. Cosby’s confrontation and due process rights, as provided by the United States and Pennsylvania constitutions. In this case, from its inception, the District Attorney’s office has stretched the rules to the breaking point at the expense of Mr. Cosby’s rights. We look forward to the court righting this wrong by providing the relief requested.” His team is looking to get another preliminary hearing or to have the charges dismissed. Read more.


New Study Shows Racial Pay Gap In The Medical Field

A new study has illustrated racial disparities in the realm of healthcare. A major pay gap exists between White male doctors and physicians of color. According to the data, White male doctors earn an average of $253,042, while Black male doctors earn $188,230. When it comes to women, White doctors earn $163,234 and Black doctors receive on average $152,784 per year. “Our findings are not only disconcerting for Black male doctors, but also highlight the lower incomes of female doctors relative to their male peers,” said Dr. Dan Ly, a physician who worked on the study. “These income differences remained after adjustment for physician specialty, hours worked, practice characteristics, insurance mix, and geography.” Many people in the medical field find these disparities to be alarming. “These findings are deeply concerning,” said Dr. Anupam Jena, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. “If the goal is to achieve equity or to give incentives for the best students to enter medicine, we need to work on closing both the Black-White gap and the gender gap in physician incomes.” Read more.


Filmmaker Files Lawsuit Against Beyoncé over Lemonade

Songstress Beyoncé has been hit with a lawsuit from a filmmaker who claims she incorporated features from his short film into her visual Lemonade album. On Wednesday, Matthew Fulks filed a lawsuit in New York Federal Court which says the trailer from Lemonade has a lot of similarities to his film, Palinoia, which was released in 2014. He claims that scenes like the graffiti-covered walls, dim parking lot, and the “red person with eyes obscured” were all copied from his work. Fulks reportedly sent his film to Columbia Records in hopes of directing a video for the group MS MR and it somehow got into the hands of Bryan Younce, who has worked with Beyoncé on videos in the past. Younce allegedly emailed Fulks last year asking for his information and encouraging him to submit work to be considered for future projects. Production for Lemonade began five months after the alleged exchange and the project aired on HBO on April 23.  Read more.


Administrator Of Prince’s Estate Wants To Turn Paisley Park Into A Tourist Site

Bremer Trust, the temporary administrator of the late legendary singer Prince’s estate, is considering transforming his Paisley Park compound into a tourist site. According to court documents were filed earlier this week, they’d like to offer public tours at the complex. Bremer asked Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide to give them permission to enlist “entertainment” and “monetization” experts to transform the estate into a business. They want the experts to “assist in the development and/or commencement of a new business (and) provide advice and counsel on how to manage public tours of the grounds.” Paisley Park is 55,000 square feet and includes a living area, offices, a stage, and two recording studios. Prince died on April 21 due to an opioid overdose. No charges have been filed in his death, however, there is an ongoing investigation surrounding where he got the narcotics from. Read more.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

NEWS ROUNDUP: TV One To Air Muhammad Ali’s Funeral…AND MORE  was originally published on newsone.com