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COMMENTARY: Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring; Vote for Our Children

BIRMINGHAM TIMES — It is my hope that it comes to you as no surprise that as superintendent of Birmingham City Schools, I am writing to inform you of, and urge you, to participate in the upcoming special election on Tuesday, Oct. 8, which will determine the future of our children and our community. It is for this reason that I solicit your support in helping to secure our collective vote for our children. It is our vote that will allow for the continuation of the resources needed to sustain our good work in order to continue improving and growing.

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Dr. Lisa Herring

By Dr. Lisa Herring

It is my hope that it comes to you as no surprise that as superintendent of Birmingham City Schools, I am writing to inform you of, and urge you, to participate in the upcoming special election on Tuesday, Oct. 8, which will determine the future of our children and our community. It is for this reason that I solicit your support in helping to secure our collective vote for our children. It is our vote that will allow for the continuation of the resources needed to sustain our good work in order to continue improving and growing.

Birmingham City Schools has made significant progress for our scholars. If we wish to maintain this momentum, we ask you to vote “for” Birmingham City Schools three times on your ballot in support of a renewal of taxation. To be clear, this is not a tax increase. Additionally, this is not a yes/no vote.

We ask you to vote FOR this proposal three times, which will allow us to continue receiving current funding by giving our scholars the best opportunities for success. Your three for votes will help us protect the future of vital areas such as pre-k, technology, and job readiness.

As we reflect on this progress we have made, I want to remind you that our scholars have been positively impacted the most. If we lose these dollars, their futures and the future of our city will be jeopardized.

Help us protect our progress by voting for our children, for our community, and for our future on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Our progress is just beginning.  As we continue to rewrite the narrative of our system, I invite you to join us in the work of using our voice, celebrating our victories and executing the power of our vote. Three solid votes “FOR” our children in Birmingham City Schools.

In May 2017, I humbly accepted the invitation to lead and serve the children, staff and families of Birmingham City Schools as school superintendent. Approximately 28 months have lapsed since the whirlwind of the transition from Louisville, Kentucky to Birmingham, Alabama. In the reflection of the last two plus years, much like one of my favorite authors, Maya Angelou, I often reflect and think to myself, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now!”

As a child of the South (born and raised in Macon, Georgia), Birmingham has taught me so much about the critical importance of leading our children with confidence and empowering our communities with knowledge and support. It is the history of our great city that demands that we are all accountable for the wellness and future of our most valuable asset: our children.

The work of the public school superintendency, particularly in urban schools, is complex to understand and challenging to navigate. However, any standing superintendent should be confident in stating that the scholars we serve and advocate for are worth every effort executed along the way.

In Birmingham City Schools, a committed school board of nine members and I work tirelessly and strategically to improve not only academic performance but also the narrative of our system and the narrative that one day, each of our scholars and their families will tell. What we have learned in the midst of our transition together is that we must maintain a clear message and a strong voice.

It is our voice, our collective voice, that helps all of our constituents understand the critical elements of our work and why we do it. Our strategy has been clear: strive for strong, sustainable leadership, work together, measure our progress and write our own story in order to move away from the struggles of the past and highlight the present success and celebrations of the future. We have worked hard to move away from low performing schools to more schools making academic progress than the city has seen in some years.

Our board unanimously supported a strategic plan that is grounded in four key pillars: Student Success, Team Excellence, Stakeholder Trust, and Effective Systems and Planning. This strategic plan measures our progress annually. Our victory will come in many areas. However, our greatest victory must be seen in the success of the nearly 23,000 scholars we serve.

By design, we have not hesitated to highlight our victories, many of which we have seen and shared over the course of the last two years. Early childhood education provides scholars with a vital foundation for academic success, which is why our district invests heavily in pre-k education. BCS has nearly 50 pre-k classrooms. Research shows that children who participate in pre-K education perform better academically because they are acquiring fundamental skills at an early age. These skills empower them to excel throughout their educational careers. We continue to celebrate our victory in the classroom!

As many people know, technology is a gateway to the future job market. BCS is building leaders by ensuring scholars become proficient in the ever-changing world of technology. Our STEAM practices engage students with science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. We partner with technology companies to provide students with the best opportunities for success. We maintain our focus and our commitment to be victorious through innovation.

As for our scholars who have graduated from the district, the future is looking very bright. The BCS Class of 2019 received $44 million in scholarships. This is a testament to investments BCS is providing toward programs offering scholars hands-on experience in real-world settings in fields such as engineering and health sciences. BCS strives to ensure scholars are equipped for success in college, career and life by empowering students to attain positions in high-paying fields.

Help us protect our progress by voting for our children, for our community, and for our future on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Lisa Herring Ed.D. is Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools. 

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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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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