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REV. EARLE J. FISHER: After #MLK50: #MLK51 – Going in circles

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Here we are, again, musing the question, “Where do we go from here?” And I continue to contend the critical question is, “Where have we gone from there?” The answer is – in circles. #MLK51 looks and feels a lot like just another commemoration.

Published

7 years ago

April 6, 2019

Oakland Post

By Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher, Special to The New Tri-State Defender

I remember the pomp and circumstance of #MLK50. Plenty of lights, cameras, actions, and lofty promises.

A year later the lights have dimmed, cameras disappeared, action has distilled, and promises have been unfulfilled or flat out broken. For instance, President Trump stated, “We rededicate ourselves to a glorious future where every American from every walk of life can live free from fear, liberated from hatred and uplifted by boundless love for their fellow citizens.” Clearly that hasn’t happened. Mayor Strickland highlighted that we had, “too many people getting poor education…living in poverty…and afraid in their own homes because of the violence that is outside.” We still have not come close to resolving these issues.

So many celebrities, clergy, community leaders and everyday citizens have been unable to maintain the fervor of last April’s hope, potential, and festivities.

Here we are, again, musing the question, “Where do we go from here?” And I continue to contend the critical question is, “Where have we gone from there?” The answer is – in circles. #MLK51 looks and feels a lot like just another commemoration.

Poverty rates, educational inequity, contracting and health disparities look eerily similar to 2018 (and in some respects 1968). We have some new faces in political leadership but still haven’t come close to the political revolution (or even reform) many people were promising last spring.

We are living in a hamster’s wheel of social stagnation, chasing the carrot of political opportunism. We claim to have done better, or at least want better, but continue to repeat practices, and return to patterns (or personalities) that compromise our potential for progress.

We can change this trajectory.

As #MLK51 befalls us, we will be best served by employing a few strategies to ensure our movement forward. We should employ:

Assessments – Where are we really? We have had enough disparity studies and heard enough testimonies from the ground for us to adequately assess where we are. We seem to be reluctant to accept or address the complex realities and results. Memphis is both an epicenter for poverty and philanthropy. Until we can embrace and affirm the pain and the possibility of our current condition, we will continue going nowhere fast and serving the public an unhealthy diet of spin, smoke and mirrors.

Audits – Where have we invested our resources? It is past time for some independent, forensic audits at the government level (and non-profits need to be interrogated as well). We also need a robust audit of political engagement. We need to accurately measure the pulse of the city and county to see what people really feel beyond the pageantry and punditry. Let’s not oversimplify how people are experiencing this complex moment in Memphis and Shelby County. These audits should be done independent of governmental manipulation. Done properly, these audits can help us craft more comprehensive and inclusive plans for progress and oversight. We should also audit all of those statements made during #MLK50 and see who has followed through and who was blowing smoke.

Accountability – Who has been responsible for the manufacturing and maintenance of our current condition? Yes, there is blood on everybody’s hands. However, some people are holding weapons of mass destruction via public policy and producing weapons of mass distraction via public media. Equity requires the righteous application of responsibility. We’ve done enough victim blaming. We must apply more weight to those elected and appointed to improve our conditions and less burden on those who creatively express our legitimate discontent with what has and has not happened. We deserve better returns on our investments.

Activism – How can we mobilize more people to ensure equitable progress? Simply, we need more people engaged, informed, and empowered. Until we organize and mobilize a bloc of citizens with the capacity to influence electoral politics and neighborhood sovereignty, our conditions won’t change. It will not matter how many parties we throw or programs we produce. More of us need to be actively involved in the production of power.

One remedy we are is working on is organizing of the Memphis People’s Convention 2019 that will take place in a few weeks. When I mounted the stage at the National Civil Rights Museum for #MLK50 I introduced #UPTheVote901 as our initiative to increase voter turnout and give more political power to more people. The People’s Convention will produce a democratically constructed agenda which will authentically reflect the pulse of the people and the issues deemed important. We also seek to mobilize 2500 people as a voting bloc to ensure increased political engagement and accountability. We hope the convention will garner consensus candidates for the October Municipal elections and provide organizing partners an opportunity to support these candidates consistent with their organizational policies.

I was recently interviewed by Stacy Jacobson of WREG about the imbalance between politics that benefit candidates and corporations but not communities and everyday citizens. As I elaborated on our efforts and philosophies of engagement she commented, “You’re trying to change the entire landscape of Memphis politics.”

She’s right. Because we cannot afford to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That’s insanity.

(The Rev. Earle J. Fisher, Ph.D. is senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Whitehaven, Founder of #UPTheVote901 and the Henry Logan Starks Fellow at Memphis Theological Seminary.)

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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 week 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 week ago

May 3, 2026

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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)

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.

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1 week 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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