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Why Don’t You Do Something?

HOUSTON FORWARD TIMES — After the Senate Judiciary panel hearing, U.S. Congressman Al Green (TX-09) released the following statement: “We cannot continue to ignore the ongoing gun violence crisis in the United States. It is ravaging our country causing unimaginable grief to countless families. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020 Texas had the most firearm-related deaths of all 50 states at 4,146 deaths. It needs to stop now. This is why today I am going back to Washington, DC to fight to protect American children and families from deadly mass shootings. It is not enough for elected officials to take a stand. Members of federal and state legislatures need influential people of goodwill across the country to take a public stand as well. Influentials with the power to shape public opinion, such as chambers of commerce, need to make clear where they stand to politicians to help shape political opinion. It is our collective responsibility to embrace solutions which help to save lives. This is about more than politics; it is about the life and death of our children. Influentials of goodwill need to take a public stand against do-nothing politics.”
The post Why Don’t You Do Something? first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 years ago

June 12, 2022

Oakland Post

“You expect us to continue to just forgive and forget over and over again. And what are you doing?”

– Garnell Whitfield Jr., whose 86-year-old mother, Ruth Whitfield, was among the 10 African Americans fatally shot and killed in Buffalo, NY, speaking at Senate Judiciary panel on June 7^th.

Every year, there is a constant back-and-forth argument in this country about gun violence and gun reform, especially after a mass shooting takes place.

The recent and senseless mass shootings that took place in Buffalo, NY, followed by the tragic murders of school children and their teachers in Uvalde, TX, have left the nation gripped with various unbridled emotions. The primary call for something to be done has intensified.

However, politics remain at the forefront of the issue. In this instance, the more things stay the same, the more we don’t see the changes needed to be made to address actions that move us further and further away from the change we desperately need to address it.

It is frustrating to many that their elected leaders continue to ignore the persistent calls for substantive legislation that will effectively address gun violence and mass shootings.

Elected officials in Washington, DC are not listening to the voices of their fellow Americans, and partisan politics continue to be a key driver on the issue.

Let’s look at what the American people are currently saying, to prove that point.

Point of note…there is still a strong difference of opinion amongst Democrats and Republicans on what to do relative to the right to bear arms, gun access, and the type of guns being made accessible; but there is a bipartisan view amongst Americans that want to do something to help curtail incidents like these from occurring again.

According to a recent CBS News Poll, which was conducted from June 1 to June 3, most Americans—regardless of party affiliation—are in favor of stricter gun laws and believe that background checks and a federal “red flag” law could help prevent mass shootings.

The CBS News Poll showed that 81% of the respondents are in favor of background checks on ALL buyers, 72% are in favor of the federal “red flag” law, and 62% are in favor of a nationwide ban on the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle.

Although these numbers appear to be significantly high, we need to break these numbers down a little further based on political affiliation to get the deeper story.

There appears to be closer alignment between Democrats (88%) and Republicans (74%) relative to increased background checks, but not so much on the other two issues.

According to the CBS News Poll, 84% of Democrats support the federal “red flag” law, while 52% of Republicans support it. Strikingly, although 62% of overall Americans that were polled favor a nationwide ban on the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle, 84% of Democrats support it compared to only 31% of Republicans.

Many people are not fully aware what the federal “red flag” law is, but 19 states and Washington, DC currently have “red flag” laws on the books in some shape, form, or fashion.

Texas is NOT one of those states.

The way “red flag” laws work is that in most states, family members or members of law enforcement can petition the court to temporarily remove the firearm(s) from an individual who is deemed a troubled or unstable person. The court then rules on whether that individual is at serious risk of harming themselves or others with a firearm, and then decides to either grant or deny the request of the petitioner(s) to remove the firearm(s) from that individual and ban them from purchasing any new firearms. There are a few other states who allow significant others, school administrators and employees, health professionals, including mental health experts, extended family members, and other individuals. The length of time that the firearm(s) are taken away or that the individual is unable to purchase a firearm can vary, but it could typically last up to a year, and the person can appeal the court’s decision.

Most Americans also believe that mass shootings could be prevented if America really tried, but the belief in what could prevent them varies whether you are a Republican or a Democrat.

The top four things that Democrats believe should be done to prevent mass shootings are:

More Background Checks (74%)
Banning Semi-Automatic Weapons (72%)
More “Red Flag” Laws (70%)
Better Mental Health Screening/Treatment (61%)

The top four things that Republicans believe should be done to prevent mass shootings are:

Better Mental Health Screening/Treatment (60%)
More Police and Armed Guards in Public Places (59%)
More Religion and Faith in People’s Lives (53%)
Allowing More Law-Abiding Citizens to Carry Guns (51%)

Sadly, one of the most startling results that came from the CBS News Poll was the number of people (28%) who believe that mass shootings are “unfortunately something we have to accept as part of a free society.”

God forbid!

This is not something that the families of victims are willing to accept as the norm.

This past Tuesday, June 7^th, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the white supremacist attack that took place on May 14^th at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, NY.

One of the individuals who spoke was Garnell Whitfield Jr., whose 86-year-old mother, Ruth Whitfield, was among the 10 African Americans who were fatally shot and killed in the attack.

Whitfield grilled the senators and challenged them to deal with the white supremacy and domestic terrorism that has dominated this country for years.

“Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?” Whitfield asked the senators on the panel. “Because if there is nothing, then, respectfully, senators, you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others that are willing to lead on this issue. The urgency of the moment demands no less.”

Whitfield pointed out that federal law enforcement has done research and found that white supremacy was the greatest domestic threat and rebuked them because “nothing has been done to mitigate it or eradicate it.”

“White supremacy, it’s a problem, and this young man, though he pulled the trigger, others loaded the gun. Others fed him. Others radicalized him,” Whitfield said, referencing 18-year-old Payton Gendron, who is a self-described white supremacist.

Investigators uncovered that Gendron detailed his plan of attack, visited the Tops Friendly Market several times before the attack, wrote about his racist beliefs and intentions, and posted them online before he drove three hours from his house to go on his racist killing spree, targeting nothing but Black people.

In the video that he recorded from the camera he attached to the semi-automatic weapon he used to carry out his racist carnage, Gendron can be seen pointing his gun at a white man and then apologizing to him once he realized that he was white like him.

“You expect us to continue to just forgive and forget over and over again. And what are you doing?” Whitfield asked the Senate panel. “You’re elected to protect us, to protect our way of life. I ask every one of you to imagine the faces of your mothers as you look at mine and ask yourself, is there nothing that we can do?”

Whitfield delivered one of the most powerful statements to the Senate Judiciary panel as he capsulized the feelings of all African Americans in this country who have to suffer the stinging blow of racist actions, and nothing being done about it.

“But we’re more than hurt. We’re angry. We’re mad as hell because this should’ve never happened,” Whitfield exclaimed. “We’re good citizens, good people. We believe in God, we trust in God. But this wasn’t an act of God, this was an act of a person, and he did not act alone. He was radicalized by white supremacists whose anger and hatred were metastasized like a cancer by people with big microphones in high places, screaming that Black people were going to take away their jobs and opportunities.”

After the Senate Judiciary panel hearing, U.S. Congressman Al Green (TX-09) released the following statement:

“We cannot continue to ignore the ongoing gun violence crisis in the United States. It is ravaging our country causing unimaginable grief to countless families. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020 Texas had the most firearm-related deaths of all 50 states at 4,146 deaths. It needs to stop now. This is why today I am going back to Washington, DC to fight to protect American children and families from deadly mass shootings. It is not enough for elected officials to take a stand. Members of federal and state legislatures need influential people of goodwill across the country to take a public stand as well. Influentials with the power to shape public opinion, such as chambers of commerce, need to make clear where they stand to politicians to help shape political opinion. It is our collective responsibility to embrace solutions which help to save lives. This is about more than politics; it is about the life and death of our children. Influentials of goodwill need to take a public stand against do-nothing politics.”

Among the legislative priorities Congressman Green states he will be supporting are:

Requiring a waiting period prior to the purchase of a weapon with some exceptions
The banning of bump stocks
The repeal of special immunity from liability laws enjoyed by the gun industry
Requiring licensing before the purchase of a firearm with training to include anger management and dispute resolution, as well as safe storage methods
The funding of a national summer youth job program with a dispute resolution and anger management component
Fully funding gun violence prevention research through the CDC
Closing the “gun show loophole” which allows a person to purchase a weapon from an unlicensed seller at a gun show without a background check.

The issue of gun violence and mass shootings is nothing new, but the Forward Times is wanting articles like this to be a thing of the past. Therefore, the Forward Times will continue to remain on the frontline to ensure that something is done at the federal and state levels, regardless of what side of the political pendulum its readers find themselves on. Enough is Enough!

The post Why Don’t You Do Something? appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

The post Why Don’t You Do Something? first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

6 days ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

6 days ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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6 days ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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