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Far-Right Republicans Push for Controversial Spending Cuts Impacting Vulnerable Communities

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The contentious nature of these potential cuts has ignited a fierce political battle on Capitol Hill, with far-right Republicans pushing their agenda even at the risk of a federal government shutdown.
The post Far-Right Republicans Push for Controversial Spending Cuts Impacting Vulnerable Communities first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

September 29, 2023

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In a scathing op-ed, seasoned political strategist and former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile has accused far-right Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives of pursuing drastic and merciless reductions in programs that disproportionately support Black Americans and low-income individuals. Brazile, now a senior advisor at Virginia-based communications firm Purple Strategies, warned that a shutdown would prove devastating and hard to recover for specific populations. With a pointed emphasis on the demographic disparities in poverty rates, Brazile highlighted the staggering contrast in figures: 17.1% of Black American families live below the poverty line. In comparison, only 8.6% of their white and Asian-American counterparts face the same economic hardship. The glaring inequality underpins Brazile’s assertion that the proposed House Republican spending cuts, targeting crucial programs aiding low-income individuals, would inflict severe hardship on Black communities.

In the op-ed published by TheGrio, Brazile also noted that Hispanic families, grappling with a 16.9% poverty rate, and Native Americans, facing an alarming 25% poverty rate, would be profoundly affected by these proposed cuts. The contentious nature of these potential cuts has ignited a fierce political battle on Capitol Hill, with far-right Republicans pushing their agenda even at the risk of a federal government shutdown. The impasse highlights the deep ideological divide within the House, with concerns over the welfare of vulnerable communities at the forefront of the debate. Critics argue that these proposed cuts significantly threaten the social safety net, potentially exacerbating existing disparities in access to essential resources and opportunities. On the other hand, despite the Biden-Harris administration already shaving more than $1 trillion off the national debt, MAGA Republicans and their supporters claim that the cuts are needed to show fiscal restraint and ensure the long-term stability of government finances.

“The Republican MAGA extremists putting vital programs on the chopping block in the House are following the orders of former President Donald Trump,” Brazile asserted. This week, Trump wrote on his social media site that they should make no compromises with mainstream Republicans and Democrats. “UNLESS YOU GET EVERYTHING, SHUT IT DOWN!” Trump wrote on social media. “Whoever is President will be blamed.”

Brazile noted that, in contrast, President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., both urged House Republicans to fund the government to avoid the disastrous impacts of a government shutdown. “Unfortunately, rather than considering themselves public servants, the MAGA House Republicans prioritize serving Trump over their own constituents,” Brazile continued. “Instead of focusing on governing, they are focused on attacking whoever Trump denounces.” Brazile listed several of the social safety net programs that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California), supports to appease extreme MAGA Republicans, including:

Denying food assistance payments to more than 1 million low-income mothers and their children under age 5. This would quite literally take food out of the mouths of babies.
Slashing housing subsidies for poor families by one-third. A rise in homelessness would be inevitable.
Cutting aid that helps poor families pay their home heating bills by more than 70%. The Biden administration won congressional approval a year ago to spend $4.5 billion on the program to aid over 5 million poor families.
An 80% cut in funding for public schools that serve many low-income students. This would make it harder for such students to get a good education that would help them work their way into the middle class and higher.
Cutting over $150 billion annually from programs that help fund childcare, education subsidies, college scholarships, medical research, and hundreds more vital programs.

“It’s outrageous that rather than raising taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations to reduce the federal deficit, House Republicans are demanding that low-income Americans bear the brunt of the burden of deficit reduction,” Brazile concluded.

The post Far-Right Republicans Push for Controversial Spending Cuts Impacting Vulnerable Communities first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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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.

Oakland Post

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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

WATCH HERE

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.”