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AUTONETWORK: JeffCars.com’s 2020 Volvo Walkaround Preview with the U.S. Chief Designer and Product Strategist

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recently, I caught up with the head of Volvo’s U.S. deign as well as the pricing strategist for the brand. Both executives gave me an overview of the significant changes, pricing updates and the like, as it relates to the Swedish automaker’s 2020 line-up of crossovers, SUVs and wagons. As noted in the video, the premium luxury brand has upped its ante in terms of expanding its performance brand, the Polestar.

Published

6 years ago

October 6, 2019

Oakland Post

Volvo has literally come along way. These lifestyle vehicles are great for cruising around the city or off the beaten path. With today’s Volvos, the styling is so fresh and so tight.

By Jeff Fortson of JeffCars.com

Over the past few years, Volvo has gone from being almost extinct to being a respected small player in the luxury arena.

Recently, I caught up with the head of Volvo’s U.S. deign as well as the pricing strategist for the brand. Both executives gave me an overview of the significant changes, pricing updates and the like, as it relates to the Swedish automaker’s 2020 line-up of crossovers, SUVs and wagons. As noted in the video, the premium luxury brand has upped its ante in terms of expanding its performance brand, the Polestar.

In addition to learning about key attributes of the vehicles from the executives, I also spent time driving several of the new models through the mountains and the picturesque Canadian Rockies both on and off road. Let’s just say with confidence, the V70 Cross Country, with its standard all-wheel drive system, was able to climb with ease to the highest peak restaurant in Canada, Eagle’s Eye. The restaurant with its breath-taking view is seated 7,700 feet above sea level. Thank God, it didn’t rain on the trip up. While the car was up for the test, I’m not quite sure if I was.

And, the XC90, which is the brand’s flagship, literally glided through the hilly Canadian highways, while the XC60 Polestar, I put to the test, while being accompanied by a train racing professional on the landing strip of a rural airport, proved that the performance-oriented crossover, with its four-cylinder engine, could outmatch many of today’s six- and eight-cylinder powered engines.

Volvo has literally come along way. These lifestyle vehicles are great for cruising around the city or off the beaten path. With today’s Volvos, the styling is so fresh and so tight. No matter what type of situation one finds oneself in, buyers no longer have to apologize for sticking with a brand that was only known for its solid safety reputation.

Jeff Fortson is the host of SiriusXM’s Auto Trends with JeffCars.com. The weekly show, which airs Fridays at 12 PM ET, includes one-on-one conversations with today’s pioneers and influencers. For more details on the show, new-car pricing, car reviews and recall updates, cruise over to JeffCars.com.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”