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Biden, Harris Invited to NNPA Convention as Black Press Celebrates 197 Years, Addresses Voter Turnout and Empowering Black Communities

NNPA NEWSWIRE — As the Black Press nears its bicentennial, the NNPA is celebrating its rich legacy and charting a course for its future impact on civic engagement and social justice. “Strengthening voter turnout, supporting families, and enhancing the financial stability of Black businesses are essential steps toward fostering a more inclusive and equitable society,” said NNPA Chair Bobby Henry. “This conference underscores the vital role of informing, educating, and mobilizing communities.”
The post Biden, Harris Invited to NNPA Convention as Black Press Celebrates 197 Years, Addresses Voter Turnout and Empowering Black Communities first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedida

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) will host its annual national convention from June 19 to 22 at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore. The NNPA is the trade association of the more than 250 African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America.

This year’s event, themed “Empowering Black Press, Communities, Families, and Voter Turnout,” marks the Black Press’s 197th anniversary, just three years shy of its bicentennial.

The Black Press was founded in 1827, before slavery ended in America, with the publication of Freedom’s Journal in New York, published by John B. Russwurm and Samuel Cornish. The conglomerate has long championed the cause of African Americans and have been counted on for decades to rally the Black community around specific political candidates. “We wish to plead our own cause, for too long others have spoken for us,” declared Russwurm and Cornish in their inaugural issue.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have received formal invitations to attend the convention, and their participation is highly anticipated by the over 250 Black-owned newspaper and media company owners and their team of editors and journalists who are expected in Baltimore. With the 2024 election looming, Biden’s engagement with the Black Press is critical to his bid for re-election, underscoring the importance of the Black vote.

Reflecting on a pivotal moment from the 1992 NNPA convention in Baltimore, Bob Bogle of the Philadelphia Tribune and Sonny Messiah Jiles of the Houston Defender recalled the fallout when Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton backed out of his scheduled appearance. Black publishers were furious with Clinton’s decision. Bogle, at the time, called it “an affront to the Black Press, and it’s an affront to African Americans everywhere.”

Clinton later realized the gravity of his mistake and made amends by addressing the Black Press collectively. This historical context adds weight to the expectations placed on Biden, as Bogle and Jiles have expressed a similar resolve this year.

NNPA Chair Bobby Henry emphasized the significance of this year’s theme: “Our theme, ‘Empowering the Black Press, Communities, Families, and Voter Turnout,’ is of paramount importance. This conference is a critical platform for addressing the unique challenges and opportunities for political parties to share their messages with the media that serves the population and can make or break elections.”

The convention will feature several high-profile presentations and panels, including a keynote address by Damon Todd Hewitt, President & Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, titled “What is at Stake for African Americans: the 2024 Vote.” Rev. Mark Thompson of NNPA Global will moderate the “Generation Z Voter Issues” panel, featuring current and former HBCU students.

A panel discussion on “From NNPA Intern to Full-Time: How the Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected Program is Fueling the Workforce of the Future,” hosted by General Motors, and a Pfizer-sponsored breakfast on “Using AI Technology to Extend Audience Reach and Ensure Inclusive Voices” are two additional highlights. The Google News Initiative will present “News Consumer Insights” with Chrissey Towle, Google’s Director of News Partnerships.

Rahn Bailey, MD, of LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, Elliott T. Boyce, Sr., retired Director of the New York State Police, and Major Neil Franklin, former Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, will be on a panel Reynolds will host to discuss “The Importance of the 2024 Black Vote and Public Policy.” NNPA Partners and sponsors Reynolds, Pfizer Rare Disease, Google News Initiative, General Motors, American Petroleum Institute, Comcast NBC Universal, Nissan, and AARP.

The NNPA Fund’s annual Merit Awards and gala will occur on Thursday, June 20. On Friday, June 21, the NNPA’s annual black-tie gala will include a tribute to Frankie Beverly. Congressman Kweisi Mfume, U.S. Cabinet Secretary Michael Regan, and Maryland Governor Wesley Moore are scheduled to participate. NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. highlighted the critical nature of this year’s convention. “The NNPA welcomes the upcoming opportunity to convene our 2024 annual national convention in the great city of Baltimore,” Chavis declared.

“This marks the 197th anniversary of the Black Press of America. Baltimore is one of the historic cities where the Black Press continues to triumph in transformational ways. Because democracy and freedom are on the ballot this year, we will also issue a national call to action to get out the vote across America.”

As the Black Press nears its bicentennial, the NNPA is celebrating its rich legacy and charting a course for its future impact on civic engagement and social justice. “Strengthening voter turnout, supporting families, and enhancing the financial stability of Black businesses are essential steps toward fostering a more inclusive and equitable society,” Henry added. “This conference underscores the vital role of informing, educating, and mobilizing communities.”

The NNPA has continued to call for increased advertising support from businesses and governmental agencies to ensure fair and equitable spending with Black-owned media, emphasizing the ongoing economic and social contributions of the Black Press to American society.

The post Biden, Harris Invited to NNPA Convention as Black Press Celebrates 197 Years, Addresses Voter Turnout and Empowering Black Communities 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.

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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.

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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)

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)

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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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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