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Ahead of Hearing, CBC Sends Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Strongly Opposing Dreiband Nomination
Today, the Chairman of the 49-member Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.), and the co-chairs of the CBC Task Force on Civil and Voting Rights, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), made public a letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee strongly opposing the nomination of Eric Dreiband to lead the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice.
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Rep. Ron Reynolds & the Texas Legislative Black Caucus Address the Murder of Jordan Edwards
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Virginia Tech marks 10 years since deadly rampage
Ten years after a stunning rampage on the Virginia Tech campus, family and friends of those slain returned to the school in the rolling hills of Blacksburg on Sunday for a Day of Remembrance.
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Adele Proves Being Beyoncé is Anything But a Breeze
There's a lot of things to love about Adele -- not the least of which is her willingness to do on stage what most people would only do in the privacy of their bedroom: their best windswept impersonation of Beyoncé. The Beyhive's most famous member had her Australian concertgoers buzzing over the weekend after she paid tribute to her idol in a brief but delightful moment captured on social media.
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Kandi Burruss, ‘No Scrubs’ Writers Given Credit For Ed Sheeran Song
On the website for performance rights organization ASCAP, Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle aka and Kevin Briggs have been added as co-writers of “Shape of You,” co-written by Sheeran, Steve Mac and John McDaid.
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Mexico Beach Opens Temporary Welcome Center and Shares Post-Hurricane Update
Mexico Beach, a tranquil and serene slice of “old Florida” beloved by so many, was ravaged by Hurricane Michael this past October. Illustrating the community’s resolve and passion for its longtime visitors, many of whom made the community their second home, the Mexico Beach Welcome Center reopened its doors on Dec 4. Located next to the original Welcome Center at the west entrance to Mexico Beach adjacent to the canal, the structure serves as a meeting point for visitors, community members and workers all equally passionate about rebuilding Mexico Beach.
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Most dangerous celeb online is...
If you guessed that a Kardashian-Jenner family member would be the most dangerous celebrity to Google, you are wrong.
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ABBA announces new music
Mamma Mia! ABBA is getting the band back together. The Swedish pop group announced Friday on its official Instagram account that an earlier announced avatar plan of the band, dubbed "Abbatars," helped rekindle the magic.
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Brian Lamb Named One of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America
Brian Lamb, executive vice president, head of wealth and asset management, Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ: FITB), has been named to Savoy Magazine’s 2018 list of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.
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North Carolina Has 6 Black Female Police Chiefs for the 1st Time in State’s History
North Carolina currently has six Black female police chiefs, the first time this has ever happened in state history, according to WRAL. Raleigh’s Cassandra Deck-Brown, Durham’s C.J. Davis, Morrisville’s Patrice Andrews and Fayetteville’s Gina Hawkins, three of the six chiefs, spoke to the station about their unique positions.
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Marine Corps Recruiting Command Transitions to Digital, Telephonic Prospecting
Amid the national emergency caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) is taking steps to protect its recruiters, its applicants, their families and the communities where they live and serve by dramatically limiting face-to-face interactions with the public.
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Colin Kaepernick Pledges $25K Toward Efforts to Keep DACA
Colin Kaepernick has pledged $25,000 toward aid for immigrant youth and efforts to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in place. The news comes in the wake of Donald Trump’s announced end of DACA, leaving the fate of some 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children up to Congress.
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Interim COVID-19 Stimulus This Week, Larger Bill Possible Later
Right now, Members of Congress and the Trump Administration continue to negotiate a $450 billion “interim” COVID-19 bill that could be passed this week. The new bill could provide an additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses and nonprofits (the program ran out of funds last Thursday). House and Senate Democrats are pushing to direct some of the funds to minority-owned and rural businesses, and to add more for hospitals and enhanced COVID-19 testing capacity. The interim bill is smaller than the $2 trillion CARES Act signed in late March. For more, see the New York Times, CNN & Politico.
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Harris County Clerk Resigns Due to Personal Reasons
Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman has issued her letter of resignation to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and members of Commissioners Court, to be effective May 31, 2020.
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Governor Abbott Appoints Joos And Koerner To Texas Veterans Commission
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Kimberlee Joos and Laura Koerner to the Texas Veterans Commission for terms set to expire ON December 31, 2023. The commission serves as the state appointed advocate of Texas veterans as they attempt to secure the benefits rightfully earned in exchange for their service in our nation's armed forces.
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RNC Announces Charlotte as Host City for 2020 Convention
Today, the Republican National Committee (RNC) officially selected Charlotte, North Carolina as host of the 2020 Republican National Convention. RNC committee members voted unanimously to select Charlotte as the 2020 host city.
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National Civil Rights Organization Opposes Efforts to Gut Civil Rights Protections Under the Affordable Care Act
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a comment opposing the Trump Administration’s proposed rule to limit civil rights protections in health care under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
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Harris County Attorney Ryan Wins Approval To Opt Out of Opioid Settlement Negotiation Class
Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan has won Commissioners Court approval to opt out of a group that includes all cities and counties in the United States that have been impacted by the opioid crisis.
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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Introduces H.R. 7332, the Protect American Taxpayers and Secure Border Act
Jackson Lee: “If enacted, the law would prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to construct the border wall. Moreover, it is a comprehensive piece of legislation that ensures that any wall that is build is paid for by Mexico; directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make occur certain procedures that improve training of agents of the United States Custom and Border Patrol; increases the number of immigration judges; and, it directs the Secretary of DHS to take all such measures to ensure that refugees at the southern border are given humanitarian assistance.”
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Spelman College Receives $30M Donation from Trustee Ronda Stryker to Help Fund New Arts Center
Spelman College, the historically Black educational institution for women in Atlanta, has received a $30 million donation from trustee Ronda Stryker and her husband William Johnston, The gift is the largest from a living donor in the 137-year history of the college.
