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In what the White House called a decisive move echoing the core tenet of equal justice under law, President Joe Biden announced a set of substantial clemency actions aimed at addressing glaring disparities within the U.S. criminal justice system. The president, underscoring bipartisan consensus on the need for a fair and unbiased legal framework, declared a series of important measures toward realizing the promise of equal justice in American communities. "I am announcing additional steps I am...
During President Biden's visit to the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce today, he showcased the unprecedented growth of Black small business ownership under his administration. In a press call, top White House officials attributed the surge in Black entrepreneurship, the fastest in 30 years, to Bidenomics, which the president pledged would receive further support through new investments targeting underserved communities. Hero Plumbing, a Black-owned business in Milwaukee dedicated to removing...
On Tuesday, Dec. 5, Vice President Kamala Harris broke the previous record set by John C. Calhoun in the 19th century for the most tie-breaking votes cast in the U.S. Senate. Harris has now cast 32 tie-breaking votes, eclipsing Calhoun's record of 31 during his tenure as vice president from 1825 to 1832. The latest tiebreaker occurred during the confirmation of Loren Alikhan as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia. As vice president, Harris serves as the president of the Senate,...
A Michigan judge has allocated properties owned by the late legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin to her sons based on a 2014 handwritten will discovered between couch cushions. The decision came after a jury in the Detroit area affirmed the document's validity four months ago, despite its somewhat messy appearance. The ruling replaces a prior 2010 handwritten will that had surfaced earlier in the estate proceedings. The judge's ruling outlines that Kecalf Franklin will inherit a property...
Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday announced the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, which the White House says supports the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) theme of "Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All." Its goal is to strengthen women's economic empowerment globally. The initiative contains over $900 million in commitments from governments, private sector companies, foundations, and civil society. The funds will bolster women's economic parti...
Hip-hop power couple T.I. and Tiny celebrated the grand opening of their long-awaited affordable housing complex, The Intrada Westside, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Atlanta. The complex is in the northwest of the city. According to HipHopDX.com, it shows how committed the couple is to community development, and it has personal meaning for T.I. because it was once a grocery store where her grandmother shopped. The Intrada Westside boasts 143 apartments and 25 unique units to house...
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth formally gave the greenlight to overturn the court-martial convictions of 110 Black soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, popularly known as the Buffalo Soldiers. The Army said in a news release that officials made the decision based on a suggestion from the Board for Correction of Military Records and to atone for the unfair treatment of soldiers after the 1917 Houston Riots. "After a thorough review, the Board has found that these Soldiers...
Vice President Kamala Harris, as part of her official visit to the United Kingdom on Wednesday, Nov. 1, announced a series of groundbreaking US initiatives aimed at promoting the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI). The White House claimed that the initiatives demonstrate America's dedication to AI leadership and align with the historic Executive Order that President Biden signed in October. The Biden-Harris Administration has proactively addressed the promises and perils...
The Black Press has gained a powerful ally in the U.S. Senate, promising unwavering support for the historic voice of the African American community. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA), appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to complete the late Senator Dianne Feinstein's term, promises to be a transformative force in the United States Congress. During a Zoom call with publishers from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Sen. Butler expressed her dedication to ensuring the long-term viability...
A coalition of prominent Hollywood figures, including Chris Rock, Diddy, and Tiffany Haddish, have penned an impassioned letter to President Joe Biden, expressing gratitude for his leadership during the Israel-Hamas conflict. The group of Hollywood power players connected to the recently launched website "No Hostage Left Behind" also urged continued attention to the hostages in Gaza in the letter. The letter opened with a note of relief at the recent release of American and Israeli hostages. It...
Law enforcement faces a challenge as more officers resign or retire, and fewer qualified applicants are interested in becoming police officers. A new report from the Justice Department suggests that police agencies should reevaluate their mission, values, culture, and employees to improve their service to communities. In the report titled "Recruitment and Retention for Modern Law Enforcement Agency," DOJ officials concluded that the law enforcement profession needs to update its hiring and...
Preliminary data released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) revealed a notable increase in the number of individuals held in local jails nationwide. As of midyear 2022, the incarcerated population stood at 663,100, marking a 4% surge compared to the previous year's 636,100. This surge is part of a more significant trend that has seen jail admissions rise by 6.6% from July 2021 to June 2022, totaling 7.3 million entries. However, the figure is still 37% lower than ten years prior, when...
President Joe Biden's longstanding push that college "should be a pathway to the middle class rather than a financial burden on families" took a significant step forward this week. The Biden Administration approved an additional 125,000 Americans for $9 billion in debt relief. These measures, achieved through enhancements to income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, along with debt cancellations for those with permanent disabilities, bring the total approved debt relief...
Authorities in Nevada have announced that they have indicted Duane Keith Davis on one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and with intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in the shooting death more than 25 years ago of hip hop icon Tupac Shakur. Davis, whom prosecutors said described himself as a shotcaller, allegedly ordered the rap legend's murder and the attempted murder of Death Row Records mogul Marion "Suge" Knight, who was riding with Shakur along Las Vegas...
Chuck Todd hosted his final episode of "Meet the Press" on NBC, handing the reigns over to White House Correspondent Kristen Welker, who will make history as the first Black person to host the iconic program. Todd announced earlier this year that he would leave the show he has hosted since 2014. He mentioned feeling concerned about this moment in history but reassured by the standards they have set for the show. On his final show, which aired on Sunday, Sept. 10, Todd thanked his viewers and tea...
Coco Gauff has etched her name in tennis history as she clinched the U.S. Open singles title, becoming the youngest player since Serena Williams’ historic victory in 1999 when she was just 17 years old. Gauff’s remarkable triumph came after an intense three-set battle against Aryna Sabalenka, with a final score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Amidst the crowd’s roar and the flashbulbs of countless cameras, Gauff stood on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, her trophy shining brightly, and her victory speec...
DETROIT – Chevrolet and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) have concluded the seventh year of Discover the Unexpected (DTU), a 10-week immersive internship and scholarship program for 10 HBCU students to explore marketing roles focused on Chevrolet's innovative vehicles and community-based journalism with the NNPA. "Chevrolet is proud to continue our collaboration with the NNPA for DTU, providing HBCU students an opportunity to develop career skills while gaining valuable o...
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has acknowledged previously undisclosed travel expenses paid for by billionaire associate Harlan Crow. Thomas's most recent annual financial disclosure report on Thursday included this information. In 2022, Crow facilitated several trips for Thomas, including a May visit to a conservative conference in Dallas. Thomas was a featured speaker at an event held at a venue owned by Crow's real estate firm. Crow also arranged for Thomas' return flight...
Amidst a news cycle that now routinely features wildfires, former president indictments, and extreme weather events, the world is grappling with the resurgence of COVID-19 as a new and concerning variant, BA.2.86, emerges. This variant, informally dubbed "Pirola," has ignited alarm among public health experts due to its substantial spike protein mutations. Dr. Scott Roberts, an infectious diseases specialist at Yale Medicine, warned that Pirola exhibits over 30 spike protein mutations compared...
To bolster Black voter participation and secure a groundbreaking achievement in House leadership, a prominent ally of the Congressional Black Caucus is launching a super PAC with ambitious plans to spend tens of millions of dollars. The newly formed organization, called the Rolling Sea Action Fund, will focus on mobilizing Black voters and aiding Democrats in flipping the House majority. The ultimate goal is to elect the first Black speaker of the House. Niccara Campbell-Wallace, former...
Sixty years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a groundbreaking new report has laid bare the stark truth of ongoing black economic inequality in the United States. Titled "STILL A DREAM: Over 500 Years to Black Economic Equality," the report, co-authored by prominent experts Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chuck Collins, Omar Ocampo, and Sally Sim, and published by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and...
A grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen associates for election fraud, racketeering, and other charges related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump, the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges, has been indicted four times this year for crimes tied to his presidency, perhaps the most divisive four years in American history. Earlier this year, a civil jury found the twice-impeached former...
After a series of delays, legal maneuvers, and tumultuous proceedings that have stirred controversy within and beyond hip-hop, a California judge has sentenced rapper Tory Lanez to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. The sentencing comes after a Los Angeles jury, in December, found Lanez guilty of all three charges linked to the July 2020 shooting in Hollywood Hills. Lanez, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, possession of a loaded...
In a visit to local small businesses in Washington, D.C. on Friday, Aug. 4, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled plans to provide grants to non-profit and community-based organizations as part of the $125 million Capital Readiness Program (CRP). The program seeks to bolster historically underserved entrepreneurs' access to capital, aligning with one of the critical pillars of what the White House has dubbed the Bidenomics economic plan. The CRP, funded through the American Rescue Plan,...
Living relatives of Henrietta Lacks have reached a confidential settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, the multi-billion-dollar biotechnology company that has used regenerative cells taken from Lacks decades ago without her consent. The settlement sets a precedent, potentially leading to complaints seeking compensation and control of Lacks' cells, famously known as "HeLa" cells, the world's first cells capable of replicating outside the human body. Represented jointly by attorney Ben Crump,...