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Defend, Protect, and Fight for Our Democracy

ABOVE: President Joe Biden addresses the audience at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards (Photo Credit: Kea Taylor/Imagine Photography) Every year, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation hosts their Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), considered to be the nation’s leading policy conference. This year, the ALC returned to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, […]
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ABOVE: President Joe Biden addresses the audience at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards (Photo Credit: Kea Taylor/Imagine Photography)

Every year, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation hosts their Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), considered to be the nation’s leading policy conference.

This year, the ALC returned to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. from September 20th to September 24th, and featured five days of premium programming, and several signature events, including the Day of Healing (formerly the Prayer Breakfast), the National Town Hall, and the sold-out Phoenix Awards black-tie dinner.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both were featured speakers at the annual Phoenix Awards dinner and they honored the work of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the CBCF when it comes to upholding democratic norms and institutions and charting a pathway for progress for Black Americans, while warning attendees that the work they do is more important now than ever before leading up to this pivotal election year.

At this year’s Phoenix Awards dinner, Vice President Kamala Harris was welcomed to a standing ovation as she took to the stage to deliver a powerful message to attendees, warning everyone that there is much at stake ahead of the 2024 Presidential elections.

“As a proud former CBC member, I thank you for your partnership and your leadership,” said Vice President Harris. “The CBC has always been the conscience of our country, a truth teller—truths about where we have been and where we must go. Let us continue to speak truth. Across America, there is a full-on attack on many of the hard-fought, hard-won freedoms that the CBC has achieved.”

Vice President Harris laid the foundation and turned the podium over to President Biden, who followed her with a stirring speech addressing many of the concerns she raised in her speech.

“I chose to run because silence is complicit, and I would not be silent,” said President Biden. Democracy was at stake in 2020, and thank God, because of you, we won. I wish I can say the threat to our democracy ended with our victory in 2020, but it didn’t. Our democracy is still at stake, don’t kid yourself.”

President Biden also challenged Americans to reject racism and those who are determined to spread hate and division in this country.

“Hear this. Hear it clearly,” President Biden said before making a powerful declaration. “I want the entire nation to join me in sending the strongest, clearest, most powerful message possible that political violence in America is never, never, never acceptable in our democracy.”

President Biden stated that those who seek power at all costs are a threat to our democracy and must be stopped.

“I will always defend, protect, and fight for our democracy,” said President Biden.

President Biden also touted his accomplishments and highlighted all the promises made and kept to Black Americans since being elected to office in 2020.

President Biden and Vice President Harris delivered their remarks halfway through the part of the program where the winners of the signature Phoenix Awards were being announced. The Phoenix Awards are given annually to six people who are recognized for serving as leaders and trailblazers for the Black community.

The 2023 Phoenix Awards honorees were MC Lyte, LL Cool J, Karine Jean-Pierre, Mayor Karen Bass, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones.

MC Lyte and LL Cool J were both given the 2023 CBCF Culture Icon Award.

“Thank you to the entire CBC for your dedication to change,” said MC Lyte, who received her award first. “Because you do what you do, and you take care of the heavy lifting in our communities, we in hip-hop get to do what we do and that’s to entertain.”

“In hip-hop culture, we’re not always politically correct but we are always artistically correct, and so this love of this culture and this love of this art wouldn’t be anything without all of your support,” said LL Cool J, upon receiving his award. “I want to commend you on everything that you’re doing to make dreams come true around the country for Black men and Black women like myself, and I’d just encourage you to go after your dreams.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was given the CBCF Annual Legislative Conference Honorary Co-Chairs’ Award.

“I would not be here today if it were not for the generation of barrier-breaking people before me. This is really a truly humbling experience, and I stand on their shoulders,” said Jean-Pierre. “I have learned from their excellence and benefited from their sacrifices, and I am forever grateful to them.”

Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass received the CBCF Chair’s Award.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to leave Congress, but I had to because Black folk in Los Angeles are 8% of our city and 30% of the people on our streets. In Los Angeles, that’s 46,000 people who sleep on the streets every night, and every night five of them don’t wake up,” said Mayor Bass. “But CBC will always be in my heart, and even though I might not be a member of Congress I still consider myself part of the CBC family.”

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8) was honored with the CBC Body Award.

“Thank you for this incredible honor. Since 1971, the CBC has fought for racial justice, social justice, economic justice and to bring the American dream to life in every single zip code,” said Rep. Jeffries. “We will continue to speak up, we will continue to show up, we will continue to stand up until we reach the promised land of liberty and justice for all.”

Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D-TN-52) received the CBC Chair’s Award.

“I’m so honored to be standing in this tradition of good trouble, this legacy of liberation, and this reminder that we are a people of progress. On April 6, I was the youngest Black lawmaker, and my colleague and I were expelled fighting for a nation to protect kids and not guns,” said Rep. Jones. “I’m so humbled to receive this award; not for myself but for the movement of which we are a part.”

Speaking at the event, CBC Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) noted that this year’s caucus is the largest ever, with 58 members, representing 82 million Americans and making up almost one-quarter of the House Democratic Caucus.

The post Defend, Protect, and Fight for Our Democracy appeared first on Forward Times.

The post Defend, Protect, and Fight for Our Democracy 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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