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EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr. Visits With a “Strong Bill Cosby”

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Chavis noted that mainstream media’s coverage of the trial lacked facts, and the racially and politically-charged atmosphere inside and around the Pennsylvania courthouse may have deprived Cosby of a fair trial.

Published

7 years ago

October 1, 2019

Oakland Post

Chavis said Cosby is using his time in prison to help others. (Photo: Pool Photo)

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

On the first anniversary of his imprisonment, Bill Cosby received a visit from Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the renown civil rights leader and lead-member of the famed political prisoner group known as the Wilmington Ten.

Chavis, who is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade organization that represents the Black Press of America, joined Cosby’s longtime crisis manager Andrew Wyatt for a visit with Cosby.

It was Chavis’ third visit with the fallen icon, who has refused to meet or speak with representatives from any other news organization.

The meeting took place at the request of Cosby, who in 2018, received a 3-to-10-year prison sentence following his conviction on charges of aggravated indecent assault.

“We saw a strong Bill Cosby today,” Chavis said.

During the visit, Chavis said he prayed with Cosby and discussed a range of topics from health and family, to his conviction and the pending appeal.

While Chavis said details of what he and Cosby discussed are personal, the visit reminded him of the near decade he and the other members of the Wilmington Ten spent behind bars.

“The conditions inside all prisons in America are architecturally designed and standardly built to breakdown and suppress the spirit and emotions of those in prison,” Chavis stated.

SCI-Phoenix stands behind what Chavis called internationally outlawed, life-threatening razor-sharp barbed wire fences that are fortified by 20-foot electrified concrete walls.

The jail contains 9-feet-by-5-foot solid steel cages.

Asked why it was important that he visit Cosby, Chavis said the issue is more significant than Cosby.

“The Black Press of America maintains a proud tradition of not only exposing the various injustices that are done to Black America but also it is our tradition to be an advocate for those who have been unjustly labeled as outcasts,” Chavis stated.

During the visit, Wyatt and Cosby both praised the Black Press for its coverage of Cosby’s trials.

“Mr. Cosby said that he appreciates that the Black Press was the only African American media at both trials every single day,” Wyatt stated.

“Mr. Cosby never asked for favors, and he only asked that the media would treat him fairly and look at the facts. Thanks to Dr. Chavis who sent his reporter there, Mr. Cosby remains grateful to the Black Press for its fairness,” Wyatt said.

Chavis has long held an interest in the Cosby case.

As a civil rights activist, Chavis was concerned about numerous unconstitutional rulings by the trial judge in the case.

Further, tactics used by prosecutors during jury selection, opening and closing statements, and throughout the trial proved troublesome for most courtroom observers.

Before the start of the second trial last year, one juror who’d just been selected to serve on the panel told other potential jurors, “We can all go home, he’s guilty.”

That should have disqualified the juror, but the trial Judge Steven T. O’Neill rejected defense arguments to remove him.

Another juror admitted that she was friends and neighbors with the court reporter, who serves as an employee to the judge. O’Neill refused to recuse that juror.

One other juror said he had a “personal relationship” with one of the detectives who investigated Cosby, and he too remained on the panel despite defense objections.

Additionally, Assistant District Attorney Stuart Ryan shouted out in court that he was “tired of this black s..t,” which set the tone for the racially-charged trial.

Ryan’s colleague, Kristen Feden, also lashed out at Cosby’s team during jury selection.

Feden said the Cosby team already had their token black juror.

“They already have their one. What more do they want,” Feden stated within earshot of the judge, lawyers, and media.

Chavis noted that mainstream media’s coverage of the trial lacked facts, and the racially and politically-charged atmosphere inside and around the Pennsylvania courthouse may have deprived Cosby of a fair trial.

Cosby is appealing his 3-to-10-year prison sentence.

He’s currently awaiting a ruling from the state Superior Court, which heard oral arguments from Cosby’s attorneys, prosecutors, and the state attorney general in August.

Meanwhile, Chavis said Cosby is using his time in prison to help others.

“As the Wilmington Ten discovered, Bill Cosby is not serving time. He is making time serve the liberation of the minds and consciousness of his fellow inmates through mentorship, spiritual, personal, and collective development sessions,” Chavis stated.

“His spirit, mind, body, and soul are strong and getting stronger each day. The fact that he is blind has not handicapped him or prevented him from maintaining his integrity, self-worth, value, and intellectual genius.”

When asked what makes Cosby a political prisoner, Chavis said the answer is similar to what caused the Wilmington Ten political prisoners.

“The systematic injustice of his racially-motivated and orchestrated charges, trials, conviction, and imprisonment pending his appeal,” Chavis stated.

“I know this from firsthand experience with the unjust incarceration of the Wilmington Ten political prisoner group in North Carolina during the 1970s,” Chavis continued.

“The Wilmington Ten were officially declared political prisoners by Amnesty International and by the United Nations. The Pennsylvania prison that Bill Cosby is now unjustly imprisoned exemplifies the prisons that are designed to break the spirit of those in there,” Chavis said.

“It is important for Black America to know that mass incarceration is not the end. Bill Cosby is showing that you can promote personal and collaborative transformation inter-generationally,” Chavis said.

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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

2 weeks 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

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

admin

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.

Published

2 weeks 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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