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PRESS ROOM: Amazon Commits an Additional $147 Million to Create and Preserve 1,260 Affordable Homes Primarily with Minority-Led Developers Across and Close to Washington D.C.

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The Amazon Housing Equity Fund has committed to create or preserve more than 10,000 affordable homes across the company’s hometown communities so far. Amazon’s commitment focuses on low-to-moderate income individuals and families, representing first responders, teachers, and service industry employees whose wages haven’t kept pace with escalating rents.
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Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund will support new developments in diverse and historically significant communities of color

ARLINGTON, VA — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced a commitment of $147 million to create and preserve 1,260 affordable housing units in six of Washington D.C.’s eight wards and in nearby Maryland and Virginia communities – primarily in partnership with minority-led organizations.

This is the latest commitment from Amazon’s more than $2 billion Housing Equity Fund, which aims to combat affordable housing challenges and promote equity and inclusion in the communities the company calls home, including Washington state’s Puget Sound region; the Arlington, Virginia/Washington, D.C. region; and Nashville, Tennessee.

This announcement brings Amazon’s total commitment to help create or preserve affordable housing in the Washington, D.C. area to $992 million in support of over 6,200 affordable homes. This total includes Amazon’s marquee investment in Crystal House (which is over and above the $2 billion commitment), its $125 million transit commitment with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Amazon’s Real Estate Developers of Color Accelerator Programinvestments. Of this total, $696 million will be used to create or preserve nearly 3,600 units of affordable housing in partnership with minority-led organizations.

“We’re proud to work with a diverse set of experienced partners to create and preserve much-needed affordable homes that help keep long-term residents in the community while bolstering our diverse and historic neighborhoods,” said Catherine Buell, director of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund. “By working with these diverse development organizations, we can create long-lasting and inclusive affordable housing closer to public transit and other amenities that will improve quality of life for residents while helping ensure families across Washington D.C. are not displaced from their communities.”

Since launching in January 2021, the Amazon Housing Equity Fund has increased the long-term committed multifamily affordable housing stock in Arlington by 22% (based on data provided by Arlington County). These newly announced projects will build on this success and increase access to affordable housing throughout Washington, D.C.

“Working with minority real estate professionals in this way is impactful community development at its core,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Amazon has taken the long view by standing with its partners and eliminating a significant barrier to entry for many real estate developers of color, access to capital. The Amazon Housing Equity Fund has empowered developers in the greater Washington D.C. area to expand opportunities for our neighbors through job creation and community revitalization.”

This announcement aligns with Mayor Bowser’s goal of creating 36,000 new housing units, a third of which will be affordable, by 2025. Each of these commitments will ensure the long-term preservation of affordability (generally 99 years, with limited exception) and makes housing available to individuals and families earning 30-80% of the area median income (AMI). Today’s announcement showcases partnerships with the following organizations:

The Congress Heights Apartments in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Ward 8, which will include the construction of 179 new affordable units for households earning between 30%-80% AMI.  The Apartments will be developed by National Housing Trust (NHT), which works to ensure that privately owned rental housing remains in the affordable housing stock using the tools of real estate development, rehabilitation, finance, and advocacy – all with sustainability in mind.

Carver Terrace Apartments, located in the Carver Langston neighborhood of Ward 5, will include the preservation of 320 affordable units for households earning between 30%-60% AMI.  These apartments will be preserved by Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, a leading owner and developer of mixed-use properties and attainable housing.

The Residences at Benning Road will be the second affordable assisted-living community in Ward 7. This transit-oriented development, located at the former site of an Industrial Bank Branch (one of the first Black owned banks in the region), will create 156 new affordable apartments for households at 60% AMI within one block of the Benning Road Metro station.  The Residences will be developed by Gragg Cardona Partners, a company that has been working for over two decades on revitalizing DC-area neighborhoods by using public/private partnerships to bring about new investments in housing, commercial space, and community facilities.

4111 Kansas Ave NW, a newly constructed residential building (originally designed as condominiums), to create 40 new affordable units for households earning between 50%-80% AMI in Ward 4. With Amazon’s support, the property was purchased by So Others Might Eat (SOME), a nonprofit with comprehensive programs that are designed to help neighbors experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty find pathways out of poverty and achieve long-term stability and success.

325 Vine will be a newly constructed apartment building in Ward 4 and will include 102 affordable units for households earning between 60%-80% AMI and will feature the preservation of two historic homes. The property is located across the street from the Takoma Metro station. SGA Companies is a full-service firm specializing in transit-oriented, multifamily residential and mixed-use retail properties in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

S Street Village will be a new development with 90 units of affordable housing at 60% AMI in Ward 1. The site will be developed by Manna, Inc., a nonprofit affordable housing consultancy and developer committed to helping low-income and moderate-income persons acquire affordable, quality housing across Washington, D.C.,

The Mount Pleasant Preservation Project will consist of the preservation of Richman Towers, Sarbin Towers and Park Marconiin the Mount Pleasant community in Ward 1.  The Project will convert 165 apartments homes into affordable homes for households earning between 40%-80% AMI. Jubilee Housing is a nonprofit housing developer focused on creating affordable homes with onsite and nearby services in thriving communities.

Holmead Place Apartments consists of 100 homes in Ward 1, all of which will be converted in affordable, accessible residential units for households earning between 30%-80% AMI.  Wesley Housing provides safe, quality and affordable housing to across the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

In addition to these projects in Washington D.C., Amazon is providing funding to the following developers to create additional affordable housing in Maryland and Virginia:

A. Wash and Associates, Inc. and Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures (NREUV), are both Black-led real estate development organizations with deep ties to the Washington, D.C. area.  They are collaborating on 210 on the Park, which will be a newly constructed development containing 130 affordable units for households earning between 70%-80% AMI. The apartment complex is located a short distance from the Capitol Heights Metro station in Prince George’s County, Maryland and includes retail space that will offer discounted rates for local and minority businesses.

Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) is a non-profit organization serving the residents of Montgomery County, Maryland and neighboring communities. The organization is committed to housing people, empowering families, and strengthening neighborhoods. Since 1989, MHP’s mission has been to preserve and expand access to quality, affordable housing. MHP is developing Nebel Street, which will be a new construction development containing 163 affordable homes for households earning between 30%-80% AMI.

Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services’ mission is to reduce homelessness, increase community support, and promote self-sufficiency. Good Shepherd Housing has served the housing needs of Northern Virginia families and individuals for more than 40 years. They are acquiring 18 homes in the Colchester Towne Condominiums and will preserve these at 50% AMI in Alexandria, Virginia.

With today’s announcement, the Amazon Housing Equity Fund has committed to create or preserve more than 10,000 affordable homes across the company’s hometown communities so far.  Amazon’s commitment focuses on low-to-moderate income individuals and families, representing first responders, teachers, and service industry employees whose wages haven’t kept pace with escalating rents. To learn more about the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, please visit us here.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

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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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