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Inside the Mind of Russell Vought: Trump’s Enforcer

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Russell Vought wakes each morning with the cold precision of a man who has learned to confuse faith with power. His pen is a weapon, and his calculations are not about progress or prosperity.

Published

7 months ago

October 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Senior National Correspondent, Black Press of America

Russell Vought wakes each morning with the cold precision of a man who has learned to confuse faith with power. His pen is a weapon, and his calculations are not about progress or prosperity. They are about punishment. He has taken the language of government and turned it into a vocabulary of cruelty. Each budget cut is an act of vengeance. Each withheld dollar is a message to the poor, to the vulnerable, to the people who dare to believe that America still belongs to them. Long before his name became a headline, Vought said that federal workers should be “traumatically affected.” He said he wanted them to wake up, dreading their jobs because he saw public service as an enemy of his mission. That mission has now become law. Through his control of the Office of Management and Budget, Vought has used the machinery of government to dismantle everything that serves the public good.

In cities like New York, Baltimore, Boston, and San Francisco, billions of dollars in Army Corps of Engineers projects have been frozen or canceled. He called it efficiency. Others called it sabotage. The agency’s own records show that nearly all its employees were funded through resources that did not expire when the government shut down. Yet Vought ordered them to stop work, punishing communities that did not vote for his president. “The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects,” he wrote online. That was not true. The shutdown did not drain anything. It was a political hit job on Democratic-led cities, a financial assault dressed up as fiscal restraint. Representative Rosa DeLauro said that what Vought is doing is “illegally stealing taxpayer funding in a unilateral, partisan act.” Her statement is not hyperbole. Congressional investigators and federal courts have already found that Vought has tried to impound or cancel money that Congress legally appropriated. He has blocked research funding for disease prevention, canceled grants for public transit, and withheld small business aid meant to keep communities alive. His so-called “pocket rescissions” have defunded law enforcement programs and cut food assistance for families already hanging by a thread.

In Chicago, $2.1 billion in public transit funds were terminated. In New York, $18 billion for rail modernization vanished without warning. These were not economic decisions. They were political punishments. DeLauro said, “It seems each morning, Russ Vought wakes up determined to abuse his authority to the detriment of working-class families, middle-class families, and vulnerable Americans.” Her words describe a man who believes compassion is weakness and that cruelty is proof of strength. Inside Washington, his reach extends far beyond the budget office. Russell Vought is the silent architect of this government. He has fired or forced out more than 200,000 civil servants under the pretext of so-called reductions in force. A court was forced to step in to block his latest round of firings after evidence showed he was using the Trump shutdown as cover for an illegal purge of federal employees. Congressman Joe Neguse called him “the Grim Reaper.” It is a name that fits. For every program that dies under his orders, another piece of the American safety net disappears. These are not faceless numbers. They are people who tested drinking water for toxins, monitored public health during disease outbreaks, and ensured that disaster recovery funds reached those in need. Their dismissal is not the byproduct of bureaucracy. It is the plan. The fewer people protecting the public, the easier it becomes to destroy what remains of democracy.

Vought calls himself a Christian nationalist. He says America was meant to be a Christian nation. But the Christianity he invokes is not about mercy or justice. It is a creed of domination. When he ordered the cancellation of federal diversity training and removed references to systemic racism from government documents, he was not correcting waste. He was rewriting the story of this country. He was erasing the blood, the struggle, and the truth that built the modern American promise. For Black America, his policies are not abstract. They are a direct blow. His freezes and cancellations have wiped out funding for housing, education, and medical research. Over $400 billion in programs that once served as lifelines to low-income and minority communities are now gone. The cuts have dismantled the very protections that generations fought and died to achieve. This is not the government. It is punishment disguised as policy. Vought’s cruelty is not a side effect. It is the design. Even inside Trump’s inner circle, some quietly admit that it is Vought who holds the real power. He writes the orders, drafts the memos, and decides which programs live or die. What the president says in anger, Vought turns into law. What began as a movement to “shrink government” has become a crusade to starve it, to leave nothing but power in the hands of men who look and think like him.

He once said he wanted bureaucrats to wake up in pain. And that pain has spread far beyond the walls of Washington. It reaches into classrooms without textbooks, into homes without heat, and into clinics where the doors have closed for good. This is what happens when one man’s ideology becomes national policy. It is what happens when faith is twisted into a weapon. Russell Vought has taken the name of God and written it across a ledger of suffering. He has mistaken cruelty for conviction. But America has seen this kind of righteousness before. The men who built segregation, the men who burned crosses, and the men who called their hate holy all believed they were saving the nation. They were not. They were destroying it. History does not forget men like this. It writes their names in shame. As one congressional staffer said, “Russell Vought doesn’t just cut budgets. He cuts people out of democracy.” And that is the truest line ever written about him.

Stacy M. Brown

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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

1 month 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

1 month 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

1 month ago

May 3, 2026

admin

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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