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Loyola Marymount University’s TLC Program Strives for Black Excellence

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — While the month of June often brings feelings of joy and fulfillment associated with high school graduations, the month of August can bring with it anxiety and nervousness, as many high school graduates leave home for the first time to attend college. Such feelings of uneasiness can often be intensified for Black students – particularly those who do not attend historically Black colleges and universities – as they adjust to their new surroundings and search for the various services and resources that will assist them in succeeding academically, socially, and emotionally.

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Participants in the TLC Program (Photo by: Loyola Marymount University)

By Los Angeles Sentinel

While the month of June often brings feelings of joy and fulfillment associated with high school graduations, the month of August can bring with it anxiety and nervousness, as many high school graduates leave home for the first time to attend college. Such feelings of uneasiness can often be intensified for Black students – particularly those who do not attend historically Black colleges and universities – as they adjust to their new surroundings and search for the various services and resources that will assist them in succeeding academically, socially, and emotionally.

Since 2000, Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has sought to ease this transition through The Learning Community (TLC), a year-long enrichment program committed to the success of first-year students of African descent. With an intentional focus on cultivating leaders, instilling community consciousness, and promoting academic and co-curricular success, the program assists incoming students in expanding their ethnic and cultural awareness, deepening their understanding of existing programs and resources, and gaining a greater understanding of the University’s mission and traditions.

Congruent with the University’s geographic location, stellar academic reputation, and national reach, TLC has, historically, attracted some of best and brightest students from not only California but several states across the country. This year’s cohort is no different, as states such as Washington D.C., Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York are represented. Additionally, this year’s cohort demonstrates an extreme level of diversity in terms of gender (seventeen females and thirteen males) and area of study (with majors ranging from Business, Liberal Arts, and Engineering to Film Production and Health and Human Science). Moreover, nearly twenty percent are the first in their immediate family to attend college.

Under the leadership of Mr. Henry Ward, LMU’s Senior Director of Ethnic & Intercultural Services, TLC departs from the traditional summer bridge model and prepares incoming students for the rigor of undergraduate academic and extra-curricular life by engaging them in eleven consecutive days of programming that are diverse in nature. Said Ward, “The TLC Program is not designed for students who need supplemental college readiness. It is a strengths-centered, enrichment program designed to develop the gifts and talents of our first-year scholars of African descent and, in so doing, facilitate Black Excellence.”

The program began Saturday, August 10 with Orientation Sessions for both Parents/Guardians as well as Participants, and ended on Wednesday, August 21 with a Celebration Dinner. During the program, participants met and had lunch with high-level University administrators, including the President, Provost, and Senior Vice President of Student Affairs, they connected and developed relationships with faculty, while discussing the steps necessary for academic success. Participants also engaged in an African American Studies course taught by Dr. Brad Eliott Stone, as well as others focused on Holistic Wellness, Financial Literacy, Resume Building, and Spirituality. They also had the opportunity to explore Greater Los Angeles through excursions to several well-known locations, including the Broad Museum, Leimert Park, The Grove, the Annenberg Space for Photography, and the El Capitan Theater, where they viewed The Lion King. Participants also attended services at Faithful Central Bible Church and Oasis Church.

Program participants articulated a great deal of confidence, excitement, and overall gratitude regarding their experience. Natalie Riddick from Vacaville, California shared, “My experience with TLC was one built on support, love, and family. I had the opportunity to be surrounded by other young African-American scholars, who were all uniquely motivated and passionate about their education. My time in the program has made me feel confident and ready to start my college journey because I know I have peers, as well as LMU faculty and staff, who are behind me and rooting for my success.” Similarly, program participant Drew Jenkins from Oswego, Illinois commented, “TLC is the epitome of Black Excellence! I learned what it means to strive for Community Excellence, but also learned a great deal about the role that I must play in that process. The TLC Staff pushed me to be the best version of myself, and I’ll never forget the experience.”

TLC participants will continue to be engaged through a leadership course that meets weekly during the Fall and Spring semesters, and focuses on identity development, community involvement, and social justice. For more information on the program, please contact Program Coordinator, AnaLexicis Bridewell at (310) 258-8754.

This article originally appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel.

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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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