The James Brown movie "Get on Up" begins today in theaters

*Get On Up website: http://www.getonupmovie.com/
**Get On Up premiere: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-get-on-up-movie-premiere-at-newseum.html

Idris Muhammad, legendary New Orleans drummer, is dead at 74

Idris Muhammad's big hit was "Turn This Mutha Out"

Story by NOLA
Written by David Lee Simmons

Idris Muhammad, whose drumming crossed over several musical styles including funk, jazz, and rhythm and blues, died Tuesday (July 29). He was 74.

Muhammad's death was confirmed by close friend Dan Williams, who got to know Muhammad through Williams' Jazz Journey concert series sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Williams learned of Muhammad's death through family members in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A converted Muslim, Muhammad was immediately buried in accordance with the traditions of Islam, Williams said.

His cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but Williams and other friends noted that Muhammad had been receiving dialysis treatment in New Orleans — where he had returned from New York City to retire back in 2011.

Photo left courtesy CAB Productions New Orleans percussionist Idris Muhammad, in an image from the documentary "Return to Goree"

While he had spent the past two decades working with jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, Muhammad's drumming covered almost every genre of contemporary music, including rock 'n' roll. He toured or recorded with a who's who of big names — Roberta Flack, Grover Washington, George Benson, Sonny Stitt and John Scofield, to name a few. Williams said that Muhammad got his first national touring gig with Sam Cooke before moving on to Jerry Butler, Curtis Mayfield and beyond.

"He was eclectic in terms of his playing," Williams said. "He mixed the New Orleans sound, that sound of the street music, with jazz music and rock 'n' roll, and had all that intertwined," Williams explained. "He tuned his drum to get the sound from the New Orleans street bands, the marching bands, and he'd get that kind of sound that would come from New Orleans. That's why he was so sought after.

"He had the syncopation of New Orleans."

Read more: http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2014/07/idris_muhammad_legendary_new_o.html

We Need to Fight for Equality - Op-Ed by William Spriggs

President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

We Need to Fight for Equality
By William Spriggs

Last week, I had the great honor to receive the Benjamin L. Hooks "Keeper of the Flame" Award from the Labor Committee of the NAACP's Board of Directors. Both the new president, Cornell Brooks, and Lorraine Miller, who served as interim president before him, were present. I felt humbled by the honor.

This is the 105th anniversary of the NAACP. The conference was a constant reminder of the legacy of those who cut a long path in the fight for equality-not just racial equality-in America. But last year, this year and next also mark important 50-year anniversaries of the civil rights movement. Last year was the March for Jobs and Justice, this year was the Civil Rights Act and next year is the Voting Rights Act. But we should not forget that we also are marking the anniversaries of human sacrifice to justice.

Last year, it was the assassination of Medgar Evers and four young girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, who were murdered when the 16th Street Baptist church was bombed in Birmingham, Ala., during church services. This year, it was James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, murdered for registering African American voters in Philadelphia, Miss. Next year, it will be to remember the campaign to register voters in Alabama, the Bloody Sunday attack on marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge and Viola Liuzzo, who was murdered driving marchers for the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.

It is important to note these events occurred when the NAACP was already more than 40 years in the struggle for justice. A solid reminder that this is a long struggle, and it is marked with the blood and sacrifice of many.

The labor luncheon at the NAACP convention is to rededicate the cooperation of two movements with one goal. The labor movement has a long history of struggle as well, fighting for equality and human dignity. Dignity for many begins with dignity at work.

I had a chance to hear from the Rev. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP and a leader of the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina. He coined a new phrase to capture the attack on democracy in North Carolina-"Grand Theft Democracy." Well, it is a grand theft of democracy when the laws being proposed in North Carolina by its reactionary governor and state legislature are considered in full. The hijacking of democracy is not lost on North Carolina voters. Only 18 percent approve of the job the legislators are doing. And, because many voters think Gov. Pat McCory is on the side of the legislators, his approval rating of 39 percent sits far below his 45 percent disapproval rating.

Our nation is engaged in a huge experiment, pitting low-wage states like North Carolina against states that want to make work pay. In 2012, 67.5 percent of working age (older than 15) poor people in North Carolina held a job during the year, including 8% who worked full-time year round.

There are now 23 states with minimum wages higher than the federal minimum wage. So far, this year, in the 13 states that raised their minimum wages on Jan. 1, job growth has been faster than in the states that did not raise their minimum wage.

This is where the agenda of Rev. Barber's civil rights meets labor rights. Only 4.8% of North Carolina's workforce is represented by a union. So there is no voice for workers on the plant floor or in the offices of North Carolina. The one place they can have a voice is in the state legislature, to campaign for decent wages.

Under Ronald Reagan, voting laws were updated in 1984 to make it easier for people with disabilities and older Americans to vote. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993-the Motor Voter Act-insured greater access to voter registration through state agencies interfacing with the public. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 aimed to clean up dysfunctional voting processes exposed by the "hanging chads" of Florida's paper ballots in 2000. And President George W. Bush signed the reauthorization of the 1965 Voting Rights Act after it passed the Senate 98-0.

So, after the continued progress on voting rights that was launched 50 years ago, you have to wonder why politicians would now take great efforts to make it more difficult to vote? Reversing democratic progress to silence the 99 percent only helps 1 percent of Americans. So, we must fight.

Follow Spriggs on Twitter: @WSpriggs. Contact: Amaya Smith-Tune Acting Director, Media Outreach AFL-CIO 202-637-5142

NBA MVP Kevin Durant on playing with the Washington Wizards

Kevin Durant trying out for the USA team in Las Vegas (photo: Getty)

Story by ESPN
Written by Ramona Shelburne

LAS VEGAS -- Kevin Durant made a point not to ask his friend LeBron James any questions. He gets enough of those already. Besides, James answered just about every question asked of him with the letter he penned in Sports Illustrated, in which he explained his decision to leave the Miami Heat and come home to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But Durant did reach out to congratulate James soon after he announced his decision.

"I thought it was well-thought-out. It was classy. It was a great move to do it as a letter," Durant said after a training camp session with USA Basketball on Tuesday. "That was pretty cool. It's funny seeing guys think about more than just basketball for once. He thought about the city where he comes from, about Northeast Ohio and how he can affect so many of the kids just being there playing basketball. I love that. So many guys get criticized for making the decision that's best for them, instead of what's best for everybody else. He's a guy that did that. You gotta respect that. I applauded him, I texted him and told him congratulations on the decision and told him I was happy for him. As a fan of the game, it's going to be pretty cool to see him back in Cleveland."

The two MVPs have developed a close friendship over the years. Durant famously joined James to train in Akron during the lockout in 2011, so he saw James' affection for his hometown firsthand.

Durant also has close ties to his hometown, Seat Pleasant, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. He began his MVP speech this spring with a reference to his home. "I come from a small county outside of Washington, D.C., called P.G. County," he said.

Asked Tuesday if he might make a similar homecoming when he can become a free agent in two years, Durant said that was too far in the future to discuss in a serious way right now.

"I'm going to do what's best for me," Durant said. "It's hard to talk about that right now when I've got two years left in Oklahoma City. I'm just going to focus on that. I'm not going to make a decision based on what anybody else does. I grew up watching the Bullets/Wizards. I grew up taking the train to that arena, all the time, to watch Georgetown, the Bullets, the Washington Mystics. That whole city is a part of me. It's in my blood. I love going back home, seeing my family and playing there, but I love Oklahoma City too."

Still, the speculation is hard to escape. Durant said he went home this summer for a family reunion but didn't go out much. Asked if that was because he's constantly asked about coming back to the D.C. area someday, Durant smiled and laughed.

"Look, we going to put it out on tape," Durant said. "It's been talked about. Everybody's asked me about it every time I go on Instagram or Twitter. All my friends ask me about it. So I'm not going to sit here and act like I'm naïve to the fact that people think about that stuff. But I just tell everybody that I'm here in Oklahoma City, [and] I love it here. Who knows what will happen? I never close the door on anything. But I like where I'm at right now, so I can't answer that question."

Durant has two years remaining on the five-year, $86 million extension he signed with the Thunder in summer 2010. He deliberately committed to five years in Oklahoma City, without any early termination or player options, to demonstrate his commitment to the franchise and appreciation for the city.

Now, though, shorter contracts that allow more flexibility and leverage are in vogue for superstars such as James and Durant. Asked Tuesday why he gave up that flexibility in 2010, Durant said, "To be honest, I just didn't know. I was 21. I didn't know. Obviously, when you sign a deal, you want to have the best options for yourself, the best flexibility for yourself. But I loved Oklahoma City so much I just wanted to dedicate and show them that I'm all about the team."

Russia Sanctions Spread Pain From Putin to Halliburton

Story by Bloomberg
Written by David Wethe and Joe Carroll

U.S. and European Union sanctions against Russia’s Vladimir Putin threaten to shut off some of the world’s largest energy companies from one of the biggest untapped energy troves on the planet.

As violence escalates in eastern Ukraine between government and separatist forces, the EU yesterday sought to punish Russia for its involvement by restricting exports of deep-sea drilling and shale-fracturing technologies. The U.S. followed suit, with President Barack Obama announcing a block on specific goods and technologies exported to the Russian energy sector.

“Because we’re closely coordinating our actions with Europe, the sanctions we’re announcing today will have an even bigger bite,” Obama told reporters yesterday at the White House. “Russia’s energy, financial and defense sectors are feeling the pain.”

The new restrictions, which Obama described as the region’s most significant to date, “will make it more difficult for Russia to develop its oil resources over the long term,” he said.

Russia relies on companies including Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Plc, Halliburton Co. and Schlumberger Ltd. for the latest technology and expertise it needs to develop an estimated $7.58 trillion in oil and natural gas resources that sprawl across nine time zones. Exploration and production companies like Exxon were expected to spend $51.7 billion in Russia this year, according to estimates from Barclays Capital Inc. -- much of which would go to service and equipment companies such as Schlumberger and Halliburton.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-29/energy-companies-gear-up-for-more-pain-in-russia-with-sanctions.html

Chuck Brown Events for Last Album "Beautiful Live"

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Priscilla Clarke

GODFATHER OF GO-GO AND MUSIC LEGEND CHUCK BROWN’S LAST ALBUM, “BEAUTIFUL LIFE” SET TO BE RELEASED ON AUGUST 19, 2014

Many Special Events and Ribbon Cutting of Chuck Brown Memorial Park Scheduled for August 2014 in Tribute to The Godfather of Go-Go

(Washington, D.C.) In honor of the late music legend and Grammy nominated recording artist Chuck Brown, Washington, D.C.’s Mayor Vincent C. Gray proclaimed August 22nd “Chuck Brown Day” in the District of Columbia, which would have been Brown’s 78th birthday. In August 2014, the Mayor will also unveil a memorial to the artist, who died in May of 2012, named Chuck Brown Memorial Park, located in Langdon Park in Northeast Washington D.C., which will include an impressive memorial wall with 11’ tall iconic images of Chuck Brown and will be a third of a football field in length.

Moreover, the Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown’s final album, entitled “Beautiful Life” will be released on August 19th. The new album contains an intro by Doug E. Fresh, collaborations with rapper Wale, R&B diva Faith Evans, R&B star Raheem DeVaughn, local DC icon Sugar Bear, Gospel Singer and winner of BET’s 2009 Sunday’s Best Y’Anna Crawley, as well as three new songs by the Chuck Brown Band featuring his daughter KK, Frank Sirius, and Ms. Yendy. The new album will be available at Best Buy, Walmart, FYE, DTLR, Sports Zone Elite, and other retailers and on iTunes and all digital outlets. Also, attendees of the Spirit Festival on Aug 2 will have an opportunity to make history and appear in the final Chuck Brown music video.
Tour dates of The Chuck Brown Band and special tribute events leading up to the album release, are as follows:

*Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - Chuck Brown Band Performance at Gudelsky Pavilion at Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD. 7:00pm

*Saturday, August 2, 2014 - Summer Spirit Festival and Chuck Brown Music Video Taping at Merriweather Post Pavillon, Columbia MD. (audience/ fans invited to participate in the taping of the music video)

*Friday, August 8, 2014 - Exclusive Advance Album Listening Event at Baby Wale (1124 9th Street NW, Wash., DC) – Invite & Ticket Purchases Only

*Friday, August 15, 2014 - Chuck Brown Band Performance and CD Release Party, Location: Center Stage, Atlanta Georgia

*Tuesday, August 19, 2014- Official Chuck Brown “Beautiful Life” Album Release date

*Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - Screening of Put Your Hands Up! The Tribute Concert to Chuck Brown at U Street Outdoor Movie Series at Harrison Park

*Friday, August 22, 2014 - Chuck Brown Band Performance – Album Release Event and Birthday Show for Chuck Brown

*Friday, August 22, 2014 Official Chuck Brown Day in Washington, D.C.

*August’ 2014 (TBD) - Ribbon Cutting of Chuck Brown Memorial Park

Despite his death, the spirit of the Go-Go Legend, Chuck Brown remains present among countless fans.. Chuck Brown is the founder and creator of Go-Go music, a genre deeply rooted in funk and soul that he developed in the early 70’s and the only form of expressive culture to originate in the District of Columbia. The Chuck Brown Band has continued to perform regularly to full houses in the DMV area, as well as packed shows in Atlanta, GA and Richmond, VA.

To purchase tickets for ticketed special event or for Chuck Brown memorabilia got to; http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/chuckbrown###

Follow the Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown on Facebook and Twitter!
- Website: www.windmeupChuck.com
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chuck-Brown/93060411418?ref=hl
- Twitter https://twitter.com/chuckbrowndc

For more information please contact; Tom Goldfogle, President, Full Circle Entertainment, Inc., Phone 301-879-9811, Email. tom@fullcircleentertainment.net

Media Contact: Priscilla Clarke, Clarke PR, 202-723-2200, priscilla@clarkepr.com

PRISCILLA CLARKE
President
Clarke & Associates, LLC
Tel. 202-723-2200
Email. priscilla@clarkepr.com
Twitter; @pclarkepr

The Five Most Popular Cities in the World to Visit

Bangkok and Singapor, two of the most popular cities (Source: Bloomberg)

Los Angeles Lakers New Coach Byron Scott: "A Return to Lakers' Championship Legacy is Key"

Story by ESPN
Written by Ramona Shelburne

Byron Scott had to wait nearly three months to learn the Los Angeles Lakers had chosen him to be their next head coach.

Then he had to wait a little bit longer for the team to officially announce him as head coach while "we work through some little details" after he and the team agreed in principle on a four-year, $17 million contract Saturday night.

But for the chance to coach the team he won three NBA titles with as a player, he says it will be worth it in the end.

"I'm a little tired tonight," Scott told ESPN.com late Sunday after returning from a trip to the Caribbean. "But I'm extremely excited about the job, extremely excited about the opportunity to bring the purple and gold back up to championship-caliber basketball."

Scott said he's been texting with Lakers star Kobe Bryant throughout the summer and conferring about this season's team. Bryant texted Scott this weekend after news broke that he had accepted the job.

"He told me he was working out with Wesley [Johnson] and Nick [Young]," Scott said. "I told them that sounded great, but they 'better be ready to play some defense.'"

Scott laughed, but he was serious about the message. The Showtime-era Lakers were known for their offense, but they won championships because of their defense. Scott said he intends to bring that edge and discipline to this year's team.

"As a coach you have guys that police each other. This time you really have just Kobe [to do that]," Scott said. "Steve Nash, I love him, he's probably one of the nicest people I've been around. But he's not that ass-kicking type of guy.

"You always need one of those type of guys. In this situation, where it's just Kobe -- who really understands what it means to be a Laker -- and myself, who understands what it means to be a Laker -- you've got two guys coming from two different perspectives, but delivering the same message. That's important. That's important for Swaggy P and Wesley Johnson and Ryan Kelly who need to understand what it means to put that purple and gold on.

"Kobe understands that. It's special when you put that uniform on. You've got to play with that type of pride because you've got a lot of Lakers from the past that are looking at you and wanting you to uphold the Laker brand and the name, and the only way to do that is by winning. Not winning games but winning championships, and that's what we're going to get back to doing."

Just how long it's will take to get back to contending for championships remains to be seen, however. The Lakers have Bryant and Nash -- first-ballot Hall of Famers -- but both are coming off serious injuries in each of the past two seasons.

Beyond that, they have veteran forward Carlos Boozer, point guard Jeremy Lin -- who had one stellar season in New York but two pedestrian years in Houston -- and a group of young players who will try to establish themselves in the NBA.

"I've always been an underdog," Scott said. "Me making it from high school to college and college to the pros, playing with the great players I did and winning championships, I kind of relish this role.

"I relished the role when we were always favored, too. That made us focused every single night because we knew we couldn't take a night off. This role, going in and trying to be a spoiler. It's something we'll enjoy for a little while, and then we'll be back to people chasing us again."

Scott said he's talked with Lakers management about its plan for the future and thinks things can turn around quickly despite the losses of Dwight Howard in 2013 and Pau Gasol this summer.

"It's going to take some time, but I have all the confidence in the world in Mitch [Kupchak] and Jim [Buss]," Scott said of the Lakers' general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations. "I sat down with them a number of times and heard their plan, and I loved it.

"They know what they're doing. We're going to head in the right direction. All I have do is go out there and make sure these guys are held accountable and doing what they're supposed to do. If they do that, we'll give ourselves a chance."

Ageless Gabrielle Union Uses Her Star Power for Good

Gabrielle Union Photo: Elisabeth Caren/Getty Images

Story by Yahoo Beauty
Written by Bobbi Brown

A small town girl from Omaha, Neb., Gabrielle Union is busy these days. The actress, model, and Neutrogena spokesperson is raising three young boys with her fiancé, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, and planning an August wedding to boot. I love that Gabrielle is not only beautiful, but she’s also an incredibly strong woman. Gabrielle has been working to empower other women like herself, who have been victims of sexual assault. Here, Gabrielle reveals how she didn’t feel pretty when she was growing up, why she uses her celebrity to help women rather than talk fluff, and the real reason she looks 25 at 41 (Hint: It has nothing to do with plastic surgery.)

BB: What came first, modeling or acting? How did you get started?

GU: I would use the word modeling with single quotation marks around it. It was L.A. modeling, so you have to take it with a grain of salt! When I was at UCLA, I was office help at a modeling agency as an internship. When my internship ended, they asked if would I consider modeling if some of the bookers were interested. I was still working at the bookstore at UCLA making $6.60 per hour, and I had a full course load, so I was like, “Let’s just see what happens.” On my first go-see I booked Seventeen and Sassy. I shot a bunch of editorials with them without a book, without anything. So then the man I had been interning for was like, “Let’s send you on an audition and just see what happens.” And I booked it! Luckily no one asked me along the way, “Do you know what the hell you are doing?” Because I didn’t. Now I kind of know, but I still feel very green and like an outsider. I am still learning.

BB: You are in fantastic shape. Have you always been athletic and healthy? Have you ever even had a weight issue?

GU: I would say in my community, and in the African American culture, it would have been a weight problem, if I was too small or too skinny. My body type was not the ideal of beauty. So when I post on Instagram, some people are like, “Oooh, you need a sandwich!” You can’t please everybody. But I’ve always been a jock. I played basketball, soccer, softball, and I ran track. I played soccer at Nebraska. And you know just kind of having that as my life since I was 5 years old. Thank God for muscle memory! But I work out, but I am not a “nut” about it. Like I work out mainly, because it is part of my job, but not so much to have the poor tailor have to take in or out my clothes every day.

BB: Did you have any self-esteem issues growing up?

GU: Not about my body, more about being a black child in an all white community. I also felt like the blonde was the ideal of beauty, and if I looked nothing like that, then I must be ugly. I had all of the things that come from having low self-esteem and not getting the kind of attention you want, specifically male attention that you want. I was never really looked upon as being pretty. Every girl wants to hear, “You’re a princess,” and people would be like, “You are funny.” or “What a smart girl Gab is!” I was like, I don’t want to be smart! I want to be pretty!

BB: Well that has changed! When I look at pictures of you, you look like you are under 30 not 41! What is your secret? Is it your genes? Is it something you eat? Tell us!

GU: It is oily skin, which is sort of like a blessing and a curse. I’ve started calling my oily skin embalming fluid. It is sort of preserving what is left of my youth. My mom also has oily skin. She just turned 67, and she only started getting wrinkles in the last couple of years. I have been lucky in that way that my oily skin has kept me sort of youthful looking. Plus I started drinking a gallon of water a day about five,six years ago, and that helps too.

BB: Tell me about your makeup routine when you are not working.

GU: When I am not working, it is kind of nonexistent. With the advent of high definition, makeup is so heavy. When I am not working, I just hope for the best that my skin is clear, blemish-free, and even. Then I rock mascara and lip balm.

BB: You must have paparazzi following you all the time. Can you really just throw on mascara and photograph like you do?

GU: The bigger the sunglasses the better! I won’t go certain places in LA, like a lot of my favorite restaurants even, unless I’ve come from a photo shoot.

BB: That kind of sucks.

GU: Even LAX has turned into a red carpet! So I find the biggest sunglasses I can, I just smile and hope that I haven’t had a breakout that day.

BB: Speaking of skincare you are a spokesperson for Neutrogena. What are some of your favorite products?

GU: Neutrogena’s Pink Grapefruit face wash is my favorite. I use it everyday. I also use their Pink Grapefruit makeup wipe removers. Neutrogena’s Rapid Tone Repair is for when I pick my zits and leave a dark mark. Also, my tried and true Volumizing Mascara in the darkest black. It makes my eyes look awake when I am really zoned out. Right now through June for everyone who buys a Neutrogena product with sunscreen, a sunscreen product is donated to a family in need. Coming from Omaha, kind of a depressed area, you see a lot of families have to make hard decisions about the necessities. Unfortunately we are all at risk for sun damage, which can ultimately lead to skin cancer. I love this initiative because it really kind of fills the gap for a lot of families who can’t afford proper sun protection for their families.

BB: I know it is important for you to be a great role model. You have also done a lot of amazing work to help girls who that have been through some tough things in their lives.

GU: One of the smartest things that I have done in my life has been to stop being afraid to talk about being a sexual assault survivor. I decided to really use my voice to talk about things other than if Freddie Prinze Jr. is cute or what kind of kisser Will Smith is. I try to actually use my voice as something positive. The single most important thing I’ve done as an adult is to tell that story and let people know that no matter what you go through in life, you’re not alone. It does get better. You are not going to stay on the ground. You will be lifted up. You will be uplifted. Hopefully I am one of those women that can help uplift other people who have gone through some crazy s***.

President Obama Weekly Address: Closing Corporate Tax Loopholes

In this week’s address, the President continued his call for our nation to rally around an economic patriotism that says rather than protecting wasteful tax loopholes for a few at the top, we should be investing in things like education and job training that grow the economy for everybody.

President Obama in L.A.: "You Are Why I Ran for President in the First Place"

This afternoon, President Obama addressed an excited and energized crowd under sunny skies at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, included a hackler in the audience. In his remarks, the President said that he was excited to be back in L.A., where he spent a few "good years" in college -- and quickly explained what he was there to talk about.

The James Brown "Get on Up" Movie Premiere at the Newseum in Washington DC

The Washington DC premiere of the James Brown bio-pic "Get on Up" at the Newseum on historic Pennsylvania Avenue, was attended by many in the Media and Congress. One of the photo-op places was in front of the many portraits of James Brown. Here I stand in front of the official poster for the movie. The premiere was crowded and cheered on by the audience at the standing room only Newseum theater. (photo credit: Coka Lani)


The JB Marching band played on the red carpet, and also marched the Premiere attendees into the Newseum theater to see "Get On Up". The guy on the snare drum played with the Famous Flames.

Right before the screening of the movie "Get on Up", their was an interview in front of the movie audience with the (l to r) Director Tate Taylor, Lead Actor Chadwick Boseman, Rev Al Sharpton, and the interviewer Toure'. (photo by Coka Lani)

A closer shot of the interview with the principles (credit: Coka Lani)

While Lead Actor Chadwick Boseman would not get on up and show the audience his JB dance moves, Boseman explains how he captured the voice and singing style of James Brown.

A Washington DC premiere is not complete without a red carpet provided by Comcast Universal, the distributors of the movie "Get on Up". (Photo credit: Coka Lani)

While growing up James Brown was one of my favorite artists. School mates of mine and I would use James Brown songs to dance in Talent shows. I was honored to have interviewed The Godfather of Soul James Brown four times in my broadcast career in LA, San Francisco, and Washington DC. (credit: Coka Lani)


Toure interviews Al Sharpton. Sharpton spoke of his days as a manager of James Brown, and also revealed a few experiences he encountered while living with JB in Augusta Georgia including meeting James Brown's Mother and Father. Sharpton spoke of Brown's strained relationship with both of his parents frequently illustrated in the movie "Get on Up".


I highly recommend "Get on Up" and strongly urge the Academy Award voters to nominated Chadwick Boseman for Best Actor in the 2015 Academy Awards. Boseman was James Brown for the 2 hour movie, performing as good or better than Jaime Fox portrayal of Ray Charles in his Academy Award winning performance in the movie "Ray". The movie is revealing and very entertaining. The concert portions are just long enough for you and your party at a theater near you to "Get on Up" and dance.

One Nation Underemployed - Bridge to Jobs and justice

Be Well & Give Back with Walgreens
by Marc Morial

As we get ready to kick off the 2014 National Urban League Conference in the Queen City, I want to extend a special invitation to get healthy, get fit and give back with our partner Walgreens.

Throughout the conference, our National Urban League and Walgreens Way to Well Health Tour state of the art mobile health clinic will be on-site in the Health Zone & Expo Hall. In addition to providing critical health tests, assessments, and education, Walgreens will be signing up conference visitors for Balance Rewards for healthy choices – a free program that rewards you for doing healthy activities such as running, walking and taking health tests like those we will be offering in the Health Zone.

Bright and early on Saturday morning, we will get up and get grooving during our annual Power Walk. Bring your pedometers or power up your fitness apps, earn some rewards and join us for an invigorating walk by the river

Along with improving your health and wellness, make sure to stop by the Volunteer Zone and give back by helping assemble back to school kits with items donated by Walgreens for underserved children in the Cincinnati community.

We look forward to seeing you in Cincinnati!

Marc H. Morial
President & CEO
National Urban League

L.A.’s one time ‘Boss Radio’ KHJ is sold.

Link to KHJ's HeyDays: http://www.93khj.com/

Story by Inside Radio

Immaculate Heart Radio has struck a $9.75 million deal to buy Spanish-language “La Ranchera” KHJ (930) from Liberman Broadcasting, giving the Catholic broadcaster one of the oldest stations in Los Angeles. The religious broadcaster says KHJ will begin airing its Catholic-targeted format in October, pointing out KHJ’s signal reaches more than 14 million daytime listeners in Southern California.

The deal will leave Liberman with five radio stations and one TV station in the market. It will also give Immaculate Heart Radio a second L.A. station — it already has a pending $6 million deal to buy “Powerful Gospel Radio” KTYM, Inglewood (1460) from Trans America Broadcasting.

Long a part of the L.A. radio dial, KHJ signed on in 1922 with call letters that are said to stand for kindness, happiness and joy. But it’s probably best known for programming consultant Bill Drake’s top 40 “Boss Radio” format. That signed on in April 1965 and featured such well-known personalities as Robert W. Morgan, The Real Don Steele and Charlie Tuna, to name a few.

But by November 1980, new FM rivals took their toll and KHJ flipped to country. Liberman converted KHJ to Spanish in 1989 when it bought the station from Beasley Broadcast Group.

Link to KHJ's HeyDays: http://www.93khj.com/

Best 401(k) Plans: Companies

Link to Top 300 Companies with best 401(k) plans: http://www.bloomberg.com/visual-data/best-and-worst/best-401-k-plans-companies

1. Conoco Phillips
2. Phillip Morris International
3. Amgen
4. Boston Scientific
5. Caterpillar
6. DuPont
7. Mead Johnson Nutrition
8. Visa
9. Abbott Labortories
10. Mcdonalds

Link to Top 300 Companies with best 401(k) plans: http://www.bloomberg.com/visual-data/best-and-worst/best-401-k-plans-companies

President Obama Weekly Address: Equipping Workers with Skills Employers Need Now and for the Future

In this week’s address, the President discussed the importance of ensuring that the economic progress we’ve made is shared by all hardworking Americans. Through his opportunity agenda, the President is focused on creating more jobs, educating more kids, and working to make sure hard work pays off with higher wages and better benefits.

Staten Island's Eric Garner dies after NYPD cop put Eric in an outlawed choke hold - Witnesses on video say Garner just "broke up" a fight

A Staten Island Man dies Thursday after a cop put him in a chokehold and other officers appeared to slam his head against the sidewalk. On-lookers say that 43-year-old Eric Garner's crime was that he broke up a fight. Incident was videotaped. Garner is heard on link to video below crying out in desperation saying, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!" (Credit: New York Daily News)

Link to Video: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/staten-island-man-dies-puts-choke-hold-article-1.1871486

President Obama Speaks on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, Russia and Ukraine, and the Situation in Gaza

President Obama today delivered a statement to the press in the wake of the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 yesterday

Read the Presidents full remarks here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/07/18/statement-president-ukraine

HAVE BLACK GIRLS BEEN OVERLOOKED: Why Are Only 18 Percent of Black Females Proficient in Reading?

Commentary by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu

Why has America and the Black community been silent about this epidemic? We hear so much about the 47 percent dropout rate among Black males, but I believe a 40 percent dropout rate among Black females is outrageous and unacceptable. Black males may be on life support, but Black females are in critical condition.

What are the factors causing so many Black girls to leave school? Could one factor be that only 18 percent of Black girls by eighth grade are proficient in reading? Could another factor be that only 13 percent are proficient in math by eighth grade?

What about the fact that 21 percent of Black girls are retained at least once? How does retention affect the psyche of Black girls? What effect does Black girls' suspension rate of 12 percent have on their dropout rate?

Black girls' pregnancy rate had been considered a factor in their dropout rate. But then in-school and alternative school programs emerged. Are these programs succeeding at helping young Black mothers join the ranks of college students?

Are some schools hostile environments for Black girls?

Do schools like Black girls? Do they respect Black females? Do they understand and appreciate Black female culture?

Do they appreciate Black females' hairstyles?

Do they encourage Black female expression?

Are Black females dropping out or being pushed out?

Why are so many suspended Black females being moved to the juvenile justice system? Black girls should be treated like students, not criminals.

When Black girls encounter hostile, unrewarding school environments, what awaits them if they drop out?

What is their likely short- and long-term future?

Can they access highly paid jobs? How will they acquire skills for jobs?

How will they access housing in safe, multi-functional communities?

What means will they have for establishing their own businesses, accumulating a financial portfolio and building toward their retirement years?

Black females are crying out for help. So much attention is being given to our males while our girls are being overlooked.

Black girls need more Black female teachers. They need all teachers to give them higher expectations. They need schools to treat them fairly. Their suspension and dropout rates are four times greater than those of White girls. Black girls need Black female mentors. They need to be taught the beauty of their history. They need an education that embraces all determined efforts to keep Black girls in school, including: mediation, schools that feature alternative learning styles and STEM careers, all-girl schools that demonstrate high success rates of graduation and college entrance, and a change in school culture. Black females need to be encouraged not to drop out.

These issues and more are discussed in Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu latest book, "Educating Black Girls"

Accusations, blame fly as investigators seek answers in MH17 crash

Story and Videos by CNN
Written by Laura Smith-Spark and Catherine E. Shoichet
Video Link: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/07/18/newday-dnt-robertson-malaysia-plane-crash-ukraine-explainer.cnn-ap.html

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Friday blasted the "terrorists" he blamed for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine a day earlier, with 298 people aboard.

He called on all governments to back the investigation and "to support the Ukrainian government to bring to justice all these bastards who committed this international crime."

Since the Malaysia Airlines jet fell from the sky above eastern Ukraine on Thursday, Russia and Ukraine -- which routinely uses the word "terrorists" to describe pro-Russian separatists -- have traded blame and accusations.

"Terrorists have killed almost 300 persons with one shot," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday. "Among them are women, children, citizens of different countries of the world."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/18/world/europe/ukraine-malaysia-airlines-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Video link: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/07/18/newday-dnt-robertson-malaysia-plane-crash-ukraine-explainer.cnn-ap.html

Malaysia Airlines flight crashes in Ukraine

Story and Video by CNN
Written by Ashley Fantz

A Malaysia Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has crashed in eastern Ukraine, Russian news agency Interfax reported Thursday.

Malaysia Airlines confirmed that it lost contact with Flight 17 and that the plane's last known position was over Ukrainian airspace, the airline said on Twitter.

The aircraft was "shot down" over Ukraine by "terrorists" operating a Buk surface-to-air missile system, according to the Facebook page of Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry. There were 280 passengers killed as well as 15 crew members, Gerashchenko's post reads.

"We do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the Ukraine Armed Forces did not fire at any targets in the sky," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said, according to his website.

The jet is a Boeing 777, according to Interfax. The plane reportedly went down near the border between Russia and Ukraine.

"We are aware of reports on MH17. We're gathering more information," Boeing said on Twitter.

"I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in another tweet.

News of the Malaysian plane comes in the same week that Ukrainian officials said a Russian fighter shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane while the aircraft was in in Ukrainian airspace.

The route the Malaysian plane was on, between Kuala Lumpur and the Netherlands, is a common one, CNN aviation safety consultant Mary Schiavo said Thursday. She said that the plane was flying over a troubled area and that close communication with air traffic controllers would be a key necessity.

In hostile or disputed areas, "any alteration from your course, and you can have a problem," she said.

Russia-Ukraine dispute

Tensions have been high between Ukraine and Russia since street protests forced former pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February. Russia subsequently annexed Ukraine's southeastern Crimea region, and a pro-Russian separatist rebellion has been raging in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions..

Ukrainian forces have been struggling to quell the separatist unrest. Ukraine's government has accused Russia of allowing weapons and military equipment, including tanks, to cross the border illegally into the hands of pro-Russian separatists.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that Russia now has 12,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, as well as some heavy weapons. The troop numbers had fallen to about 1,000 previously from a high of an estimated 40,000 forces earlier this year.

On Thursday, CNN reported that Ukrainian officials said a Russian fighter shot down a Ukrainian jet Wednesday as the jet flew in Ukrainian airspace.

Tensions are high over that incident, separate from the breaking news of the Malaysian flight Thursday.

Airline's troubles

On top of that, the report of a downed Malaysian flight marks the second time this year that Malaysia Airlines has faced an incident involving a plane.

On March 8, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared. That plane had 239 people on board. Searchers have found no trace of 370 or its passengers, despite extensive search efforts.

Flight 370 probably flew into the southern Indian Ocean on autopilot with an unresponsive crew, Australian authorities said last month.

During the early phase of the search for Flight 370, aircraft and ships scoured vast stretches of the surface of the southern Indian Ocean but found no debris.

Pings initially thought to be from the missing plane's flight recorders led to a concentrated underwater search that turned up nothing.

A new underwater search, farther south, will be broadly in an area where planes and vessels had already looked for debris on the surface of the water. It is expected to begin in August.

August of 2011 - Worth a second read: "30 Years Ago Today: The Day the Middle Class Died" A Letter from Michael Moore

Full letter: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2011/08/30-years-ago-today-day-middle-class.html

Below are a few Excerpts from the August 2011 Letter:

....Beginning on this date, 30 years ago, Big Business and the Right Wing decided to "go for it" -- to see if they could actually destroy the Middle Class so that they could become richer themselves.

And they've succeeded!!

On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired every member of the air traffic controllers union (PATCO) who'd defied his order to return to work and declared their union illegal. They had been on strike for just two days...

...In getting rid of every single last one of them and outlawing their union, he sent a clear and strong message: The days of everyone having a comfortable middle class life were over. America, from now on, would be run this way:

* The super-rich will make more, much much more, and the rest of you will scramble for the crumbs that are left.

* Everyone must work! Mom, Dad, the teenagers in the house! Dad, you work a second job! Kids, here's your latch-key! Your parents might be home in time to put you to bed.

* 50 million of you must go without health insurance! And health insurance companies: you go ahead and decide who you want to help -- or not.

* Unions are evil! You will not belong to a union! You do not need an advocate! Shut up and get back to work! No, you can't leave now, we're not done. Your kids can make their own dinner.

* You want to go to college? No problem -- just sign here and be in hock to a bank for the next 20 years!

* What's "a raise"? Get back to work and shut up!

And so it went. But Reagan could not have pulled this off by himself in 1981. He had some big help...

...Link to read the Full Letter from Michael Moore: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2011/08/30-years-ago-today-day-middle-class.html

The History Of R&B Music Film Documentary

A ten part documentary series about Rhythm and Blues music filmed in 18 cities on 4 continents. Directed by 6 time Grammy nominated producer/writer, Kashif

Short Summary

Hello there! I'm guessing you found your way to this page because we have something in common... The love of R&B Music! My name is Kashif. Most likely you have heard some of the hit songs I have written/and or produced for some of the biggest names in music including Whitney Houston, Kenny G., George Benson, Janet Jackson, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Barry white and a host of others.

Over the the past 10 years, i've also become a filmmaker. My clients include Hyundai Motors America, St. Joseph Health System and Casey Family Programs to name a few. Now here I combining two disciplines (music & film) and working on my dream project, directing a ten part documentary series entitled "The History Of R&B Music".

R&B Music came into prominence in the late 1940s with Cab Calloway, The Harlem Hamfats, Count Basie, Louis Jordan and others. "The term Ryhthm & Blues" (R&B) was first coined in 1948 by music journalist turned record producer Jerry Wexler. As time progressed Blues, Doo Wop, funk, Disco, dance, and other forms of R&B music began to develop around the USA. Today it is one of America's greatest art forms and exports and has played catalyst to some of society's most significant advancements.


Promotional Mini-Trailer for the R/B Documentary

What We Have Been Doing

We have spent countless hours traveling to various cities around the United States interviewing artists, their family members, associates and supporters in order to capture the stories behind the music and get an inside look into the lives of some of the most creative musicians/artists and music entrepreneurs to ever walk the planet. In the US alone we are traveling to 15 cities that we call the epicenters of Rhythm & Blues music. Check out the map below.



It does not matter if you are old school or new school because we cover the gamut from 1948 until current with this film series. So if you like Lil Richard, Earth Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang, The Staple Singers, Betty Wright, Barry White, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars, Usher, Al Green, James Brown, Anita Baker and other Rhythm & Blues greats, then you are going to love this film.

Read more: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-history-of-r-b-music

Sony/ATV (ATV owned by the Estate of Michael Jackson) threatens withdrawal from ASCAP, BMI

Story by the Tennessean
Written by Nate Rau
Sony/ATV history: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/search?q=sony%2FATV

Sony/ATV Music Publishing (ATV owned by the Estate of Michael Jackson - http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/search?q=sony%2FATV) will explore withdrawing all of its licensing rights from ASCAP and BMI if federal regulators don't allow for the partial withdrawal of its digital rights from the nation's largest performance rights organizations.

In a letter to its songwriters last week, the publishing giant outlined steps it is taking to withdraw just its digital rights from ASCAP and BMI so that it can strike more favorable licensing deals with companies like Pandora, which offer streaming access to music.

Last year, Sony/ATV tried to withdraw some of its digital performance rights from ASCAP and BMI, but federal judges ruled that Sony/ATV and all publishers must continue all-or-nothing licensing relationships with the performance rights organizations.

Sony/ATV plans to appeal those federal court rulings in order to allow for partial withdrawal of rights. The company also is working with the Department of Justice to revise the consent decrees that govern how BMI and ASCAP operate.

If both of those options fail, then Sony/ATV will consider withdrawing all of its rights, according to last week's letter.

"It is our hope that the DOJ and appeals process will recognize the benefits and fairness produced by partial withdrawl of performance rights," Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier wrote in his July 9 letter. "This would enable us to remove only those rights that we believe we can more efficiently license ourselves (e.g. digital), and keep other rights with ASCP, BMI or others where collective licensing (e.g. for bars, restaurants and venues) makes sense for the writers, publishers and licensees.

"That being said, because the DOJ and legal process is not fully within our control, we may have no alternative but to take all of our rights out of ASCAP and BMI."

For decades, ASCAP and BMI have managed public performance rights for publishing companies by collecting royalty payments and paying songwriters after a song is played on the radio or in a bar. But as technology revolutionized how consumers listen to music, publishing companies have argued that new media companies such as Pandora don't pay fair rates to songwriters and publishers.

Since the federal court rulings, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced that it is reviewing both consent decrees for the first time in decades, giving publishers and songwriters hope that an update to the document would lead to more favorable digital rates.

"Given the resulting requirement that they must consider whether they remain 'all in' or 'all out,' it is understandable that publishers would be reviewing all possible options for their songwriters," BMI Senior Vice President and General Counsel Stuart Rosen said. "It is a shame, however, that major publishers like Sony/ATV would have to leave BMI in order to explore the possibility of free-market negotiations, all because of an antiquated regulatory framework."

Text of Bandier's letter:

Dear Songwriters and Publishers,

I'm reaching out to share some important news with you about our rapidly changing industry and what we're doing about it. As you may recall, last year I wrote to you to announce that Sony/ATV had taken the lead in protecting your rights in the digital space by withdrawing certain digital performance rights from ASCAP and BMI.

There were numerous reasons for this withdrawal. One was that ASCAP and BMI operate under antiquated antitrust consent decrees which dictate how they negotiate and grant licenses. As a result, the performance rights licensing process is often lengthy, expensive and results in artificially deflated rates.

By withdrawing certain rights and entering into direct deals, the process becomes more efficient, less costly and, ultimately, more transparent and beneficial for everyone.Unfortunately, in two legal decisions at the end of last year, the Federal Courts ruled that music publishers could not selectively withdraw public performance rights from ASCAP and BMI. In other words, a publisher had to keep all of these rights (including digital) with the two performing rights societies, or leave altogether.

As a result, all of our performance rights currently remain with ASCAP and BMI.

Like you, we passionately want digital music services to be successful as they provide fantastic new ways for music lovers to listen to music and have the potential to generate significant new revenues for all of us. However, because the current system results in what we believe to be inequitable royalty rates, the amount being paid to songwriters is unacceptably low and in no way reflects the vital contribution you make to the success of these services.

To overcome the challenges of the present legislative and regulatory system, we are aggressively pursuing the following activities:

Working on your behalf with the U.S Department of Justice to revise the consent decrees and allow partial withdrawal of performance rights.
Appealing the rate court decisions so that partial withdrawals are permitted.

Exploring other options, including the potential complete withdrawal of all rights from ASCAP and BMI.

It is our hope that the DOJ and appeals process will recognize the benefits and fairness produced by partial withdrawals of performance rights. This would enable us to remove only those rights that we believe we can more efficiently license ourselves (e.g. digital), and keep other rights with ASCAP, BMI or others where collective licensing (e.g. for bars, restaurants and venues) makes sense for the writers, publishers and licensees.

That being said, because the DOJ and legal process is not fully within our control, we may have no alternative but to take all of our rights out of ASCAP and BMI. We recognize that full withdrawal is a significant step and we are carefully looking at all of the issues associated with this, including speaking with potential partners to assist us.All of us at Sony/ATV take our responsibility as your music publisher very seriously. We know we face some difficult decisions ahead that will impact our business for years to come.

We are optimistic that we will overcome these issues and set the stage for a better future for you, our songwriters. As the streaming market continues to grow rapidly, we are excited about all of the opportunities that lie ahead. We will be sure to keep you updated as important and significant events develop.

Sincerely,

Martin Bandier

Chairman & CEO

Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Killer Whale attacks Great White Shark off Coast of San Francisco

Video by National Geographic - Nature Untamed

Nothing Essential About Essence

Commentary By Raynard Jackson
NNPA Columnist

I wrote a column three years ago titled, “Black Women No Longer Have Their Essence.” My point was that Essence, the pre-eminent magazine for Black women, had become irrelevant and an embarrassment to the Black community.

Unfortunately, Essence has continued its decent into irrelevancy.

For 20 years, Essence has sponsored an annual party during the July 4th holiday known as the Essence Music Festival (EMF). According to their website, the EMF, “known as the party with a purpose, is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States.”

According to media accounts, “…In 2008, for the first time since its 1995 inception, the festival was not produced by the original producer team. Instead, Essence Communications, owner of the festival and the Essence magazine, contracted Rehage Entertainment Inc. A new main stage facelift was designed by production designer Stefan Beese.” Essence Communications and Essence Magazine are no longer Black-owned, they are owned by Time Inc.

Maybe this would explain why EMF contracted with Rehage Entertainment Inc. and Stefan Beese to produce the event and to build a new stage. They couldn’t find a Black firm capable of taking on these contracts? If they need some referrals, I would be glad to send them a list of Black people who could do the job, if they are truly interested in the “empowerment” of the Black community as they claim.

There was also no diversity in the programming. Of their 86 “empowerment” speakers during their various daytime panels, all were media personalities, journalist, or liberal politicians. There were maybe three people who one could argue were businessmen, but that’s a stretch. As far as I can tell, there were no Republicans invited to participate, as though Essence has no Black female Republican readers?

One panel was about the hair texture of Jay Z and Beyoncé’s baby. Yes, you heard me right; Essence had a whole panel to discuss a child’s nappy hair. One news account said, “Essence Magazine recently hosted an Empowerment Beauty of Confidence panel to comment on the backlash [over the child’s hair]. Essence asked Cynthia Bailey, Kim Kimble, Chenoa Maxwell, Tomiko Frasier Hines, Soledad O’Brien and Wendy Raquel Robinson to comment on the backlash.”

There were no empowerment panels on the women who work in the White House for Obama being paid less than their male counterparts; there were no empowerment panels on why Obama never interviewed a Black female lawyer for the two Supreme Court nominations he made to the Court; there were no empowerment panels on the number of Black kids languishing in the foster care system while Obama wants to throw billions of dollars to support children coming to this country illegally.

In essence, Essence’s continued march towards irrelevancy has nothing to do with them being White-owned. They were well down that road before they were sold. One could make the argument that the articles in Essence have become less substantive after Time Inc. assumed leadership, not that substance was ever their hallmark.

How can you talk about “empowerment” without talking about Lynn Hutchings, a State Representative in the Wyoming legislature? She is the first Black female Republican to serve in the state’s history. How can you talk about “empowerment” without talking about J’Tia Taylor, who has a Ph.D in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois; she started college at the age of 15. How can you talk about “empowerment” without talking about Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, the State Department’s Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs? Ambassador Jenkins has a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Virginia, an LL.M. in international and comparative law from the Georgetown University Law Center, an M.P.A. from the State University of New York at Albany, a J.D. from Albany Law School; and a B.A. from Amherst College. She also attended The Hague Academy for International Law.

You have such accomplished women – Democrats and Republicans – yet Essence is talking about the texture of a child’s hair.


Raynard Jackson is President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached through his Web site, www.raynardjackson.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @raynard1223.

Five Highest Paid Baseball Players

Video by Bloomberg

Dwyane Wade's final chapter begins - with LeBron gone, longtime Heat star must find his place in the NBA once again

NBA superstar or often injured running mate. With LeBron James gone, which Dwyane Wade will show up? (photo by Steve Mitchell USA Today)

Story by ESPN
Written by Israel Gutierrez

Let's see if we can summarize Dwyane Wade's four years as LeBron James' teammate into a few paragraphs:

Wade was routinely credited for bringing the Big Three together in 2010, then could've won his second NBA Finals MVP nine months later if he'd had a little more help (he averaged 26.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and shot 54.6 percent from the floor in the six games against Dallas in 2011).

The next season, Wade willingly handed full control of the team to LeBron, then played through pain, but still won his second title.

On the way to his third championship, Wade was labeled a dirty player and unreliable and again played through a problematic knee to do just enough to win a title.

This past season, Wade was on a maintenance program that allowed him to play only 54 games, which quietly annoyed James. Then in a reversal of their first NBA Finals together, Wade couldn't do enough to help LeBron against the San Antonio Spurs, picking an inopportune time to go a combined 7-of-25 for 21 points in Games 4 and 5.

And in his final official act as LeBron's teammate, Wade opted out of his contract in the hopes of keeping LeBron as his teammate. Turns out Wade lost those $42 million guaranteed for nothing.

After changing perceptions of loyalty in the NBA four years ago, LeBron decides, first and foremost, to return to his roots. Story

Yet Wade took the expected high road in wishing James well in his return to Cleveland.

"As a friend and a teammate, I am sad to see my brother LeBron leave to begin a new journey," Wade said in a statement. "We shared something unique and he will always be part of my family. LeBron made the right decision for himself and his family because home is where your heart is.

"As an organization, a community, and as individuals, we achieved the goals we set when we first signed on together. We are champions."

No one said winning championships was easy, but Wade took quite the beating in his four years chasing rings with LeBron, both physically and in the public eye. He's perceived now as being washed up at 32, this despite shooting a career-best 54.5 percent when he did play in the regular season, and 50 percent from the floor in the postseason.

But don't expect Wade to live down to these diminished expectations.

His biggest challenge, of course, will be playing a full season without breaking down, something he hasn't truly been able to do since the 2010-11 season.

Wade, however, spent time this past season picking Ray Allen's brain about how best to extend his career, including nutrition. That would help explain this Instagram post in late June of a healthy meal with the comment "Day 1 of the new challenge," with Allen and James both tagged on the post. At the time, Wade didn't know James would no longer be his teammate. But the challenge of getting leaner and lighter to take pressure off his knees actually takes on more importance now.

Wade will no longer have the luxury of sitting out games knowing the best player in the league would be doing the heavy lifting. He's back in position of being the Miami Heat's most important perimeter player, and his challenge now includes taking on a heavier workload again, potentially playing through more discomfort than he had to last season, and most important, trying to keep the Heat among the elite in the NBA.

When Wade discussed handing full control of the Heat to James in 2012, he spoke plenty about the difficulty of it.

"You've got to be able to talk to your ego and see if your ego is OK with that," he told ESPN.com in 2012. "We all have egos."

There were times over the past couple seasons when Wade lamented not having more opportunities in the offense. But assuming he re-signs with Miami, Wade will once again assume the role as the team's primary scorer and playmaker.

The question is, will Wade's body and his game allow him to pick up anywhere near where he left off in 2010, before he was ever a teammate of James? Can he age gracefully and effectively, like a Kobe Bryant, or will father time shove him off a cliff, more like Allen Iverson experienced?

If you've listened to Wade over the years, he's OK with the idea of reinvention. But that doesn't include just shooting a bunch of jumpers and abandoning the part of his game that made him great.

"When I walk away from the game, I want to walk away playing the game that I want to play," Wade told me last season. "I think every year you make minor adjustments. But it's in my DNA, my attack nature is just in me.

"I could shoot three jump shots in a row, or I can take a couple 3s, but I'm an attacker. When I can't attack anymore and I'm just not doing it, then that's when I've got to give it up."

We know Bosh still has faith in Wade, not only because he agreed to return to Miami, but because Bosh said during the Heat's most recent playoff run that Wade was a 32-year-old in his prime. That may be a bit of a stretch, but Wade will certainly be a 32-year-old with prime responsibilities again.

However much Wade has left, his competitive instincts will drive him next season, because being just another playoff team in the East won't sit well. He now also has the added motivation of being left behind by LeBron. Despite the kind words Wade articulated in that statement, it has to bother him that he gave up significant money to continue his time with James, only to be informed late in the process that LeBron's loyalty to Northeast Ohio would end their run after just four seasons together.

The Heat will restock in the coming weeks, but no matter who takes the floor with Wade on opening night next fall, next season is a referendum on whether Wade and the growing perception that he's in the twilight of his career.

But if Wade can dredge up any anger from being scorned by LeBron James (Udonis Haslem can probably help him with that), and if Pat Riley can put some quality pieces in place, and if a leaner Wade can maintain some bounce on two healthy knees, he'll get the chance to write his own ending.

Fired Opie and Anthony host Anthony Cumia: "I Won’t Apologize"

Story by Inside Radio
Video by Fox News Channel
Link to Cumia's rants that got him fired: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2014/07/opie-anthony-host-fired-for-twitter.html

In a middle of the night appearance on Fox News Channel, for the first time fired Sirius XM Radio personality Anthony Cumia has spoken about the incident that led to his dismissal. “It wasn’t racist,” he told Red Eye host Greg Gutfeld about his Twitter rant viewed by his employer as racially-charged.

The postings attacked an African American woman who whacked him after he snapped several with his smartphone of her walking on the street. Cumia called his firing a “kneejerk reaction” by Sirius XM and says there wasn’t even any “outrage” calling for his head. “I will never apologize for this,” Cumia said. “I didn’t do anything wrong — this is exactly who I am.” Cumia has said he’ll start his own web-based show. Meantime former show partners Gregg Hughes and Jim Norton will return to their show today for the first time since Cumia’s firing. Their contract expires in October.

Watch Cumia interview with Fox News Channel below

Carmelo Anthony re-signs with New York Knicks

Story by thisismelo.com
Announcement by Carmelo Anthony

"My City, My Heart"

"A few years ago I dreamed of coming back to New York City, the place of my birth, and on February 23, 2011 that became a reality. This organization has supported me and in return, I want to stay and build here with this city and my team. At this pivotal juncture in my career, I owed it to myself and my family to explore all of the options available to me. Through it all, my heart never wavered.

During this journey I met with some quality organizations who have amazing talent and leadership. I thank them for their consideration, belief in my talent, and opportunity to imagine the possibilities.

I will always remember this chapter in my life. In the end, I am a New York Knick at heart. I am looking forward to continuing my career in Orange & Blue and to work with Phil Jackson, a champion who builds championship teams. Madison Square Garden is the mecca of basketball and I am surrounded by the greatest fans in the world."

LeBron James: "I'm coming back to Cleveland"

Story by Sports Illustrated
Essay by LeBron James

"Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.

Remember when I was sitting up there at the Boys & Girls Club in 2010? I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently, but I’d still have left. Miami, for me, has been almost like college for other kids. These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.

I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! The hardest thing to leave is what I built with those guys. I’ve talked to some of them and will talk to others. Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life. I also want to thank Micky Arison and Pat Riley for giving me an amazing four years.

I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riles didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true.

I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.

When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.

I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. But I have two boys and my wife, Savannah, is pregnant with a girl. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.

To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom, who can be very tough. The letter from Dan Gilbert, the booing of the Cleveland fans, the jerseys being burned -- seeing all that was hard for them. My emotions were more mixed. It was easy to say, “OK, I don’t want to deal with these people ever again.” But then you think about the other side. What if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react? I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?

I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates.

But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.

In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.

I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home."

Germany wins the 2014 World Cup

Video by ESPN
Story by Gabriele Marcotti

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brasil -- Mario Gotze is not a professional actor, which might explain why his range of expressions is somewhat limited. There's a grin, a broad smile, pain and, presumably, anger too. And then there's the blank, trance-like mask he showed after scoring the goal that made him and 22 other Germans world champions.

His gaze remained fixed as he was enveloped in his teammates' embrace. We don't know what he was thinking. And neither does he.

"In situations like that, you don't really understand what has just happened," he said afterward.


The ESPN FC guys react to Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup Final.

The mask only melted into a smile when Jerome Boateng chest-bumped him and then pushed his ample forehead down into Gotze's, like some kind of instant Vulcan mind-meld.

Maybe that's when he realized what he had done.

It lasted an instant or two, and then the game-face returned. This match had to be closed out. And it was. Germany won their first major trophy in 18 years and became champions of the world for the fourth time, a total that matches Italy and is second only to Brazil, who have five World Cups.

Read more: http://www.espnfc.com/blog/marcotti-musings/62/post/1948897/marcotti-teamwork-pays-off-for-germany

President Obama Weekly Address: Expanding Opportunity – It’s Time for Congressional Republicans to Do Their Part

In this week’s address, the President recapped his visits with folks who have written him letters about their own American stories -- their successes and struggles. While congressional Republicans are blocking meaningful measures that would strengthen the middle class, the President continues looking for ways to grow the economy and expand opportunity for more hardworking Americans.

The President again urged Congress to join him, as they were elected to do, in working on behalf of everyday Americans – including those the President spent time with this week – by investing in our infrastructure to support American jobs, and ensuring that the Highway Trust Fund does not expire.

At least 10 people shot overnight; 82 killed or injured in last week

Story by Chicago Sun-Times

At least 10 people were wounded in shootings throughout the city – mainly on the South Side – Thursday night and Friday morning. Since last Thursday, at least 82 people have been wounded or killed in shootings in Chicago.

The most violent shooting overnight occurred at 12:48 a.m. in the 100 block of East 60th Street in the Washington Park neighborhood. Police said five men -- all in their 20s -- were standing outside when a white vehicle drove by and someone inside opened fire.

A 23-year-old man was shot in the side, a 24-year-old man was shot in the knee and thigh, a 29-year-old man was shot in the hand, another 29-year-old was also shot in the hand, and a man described only as being in his 20s was shot in the foot, according to police. According to Fire Media Affairs, one man was in critical condition and four others were in stable condition.

Another drive-by shooting with multiple victims took place about 3:45 a.m. in the 2600 block of West LeMoyne Street, in the West Town neighborhood.

A 25-year-old man was shot in the arm and leg and a 26-year-old man was shot in the arm. Both men were taken in good condition to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

Other shootings included:

• A 17-year-old male shot in the leg and buttock in the 5000 block of South Woodlawn Avenue about 4:20 a.m. He was taken in “stable” condition to an unidentified hospital, according to police.

• A 32-year-old man was shot while sitting on the rear porch of a building in the 6200 block of South Winchester Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood at 8:10 p.m. He heard gunshots and felt pain, police said. He was taken in “stable” condition to Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound to the side.

• A 20-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the buttocks Thursday night in the Englewood neighborhood. He was standing on the sidewalk in the 5700 block of South Emerald Avenue about 9:15 p.m. when a male approached on foot and fired shots. The victim fled on foot and a friend took him to Saint Bernard Hospital, where he was listed in good condition, police said.

• Earlier Thursday, a man was wounded in a shooting just before 11 a.m. in the South Side Grand Boulevard neighborhood. Police were notified just before 11 a.m. of the shooting in the 4800 block of South Prairie Avenue, according to police News Affairs Officer Jose Estrada.

The victim, a man in his 20s, suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg and was taken to Mercy Hospital in an unknown condition.

From Wednesday night into early Thursday, at least 11 people were wounded by gunfire throughout the city – including a Chicago Police officer and two males shot by police.

The officer was wounded in a shootout with a 15-year-old boy about 8:05 p.m. Wednesday in the 1300 block of West 112th Place, police said.

The plainclothes officers stopped three teenage boys for “suspicious activity,” but a 15-year-old boy fired at the officers and “engaged in a gun battle,” said Police Supt. Garry McCarthy. But at least two residents said the officer shot his gun first.

The gunfire wounded a 35-year-old officer, a 5-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, according to a police statement. The officer returned fire, striking the teen in the side and leg, McCarthy said.

Paramedics took the officer to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg, authorities said. Police detained the other two boys — 15 and 16.

Officers recovered a .380 automatic weapon on the scene, said McCarthy, who added several shots were fired.

In the other police-involved shooting Wednesday night, about 9:45 p.m., a Chicago Police officer shot a male in the 6600 block of South Langley Avenue. The officer approached and attempted to talk with him, but the suspect pulled a handgun and pointed it at the officer, who returned fire.

Other shootings early Thursday included a man and woman who were shot about 1:15 a.m. as they were in a car looking for a parking spot in the 3500 block of West Lawrence Avenue, police said.

The 27-year-old woman was driving a dark blue and white Cadillac and was looking for parking in an alley when a gray Nissan approached, police said. One of two men in the backseat of the Nissan pulled a gun and opened fire, striking a 20-year-old man in the Cadillac in the back of the head.

The woman – who was struck by shrapnel – sped away to escape, police said. Both were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, the man in critical condition and the woman in good condition, police said.

The man and woman both appear to have gang affiliations, but it remained unclear if gang language was exchanged prior to the shots being fired, police said.

Fifteen minutes later, somebody in a passing SUV shot a 21-year-old man standing on the sidewalk in the 7900 block of South Morgan Street, police said. He was shot in the groin and taken to Christ Medical Center.

Emmis Broadcasting CEO Jeff Smulyan: business turns ‘challenging.’

Story by Inside Radio

“There’s no getting around that it was a tough quarter,” Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan told investors yesterday, providing some of the first hard data on the second quarter. But he also said he sees reasons to be hopeful about second half of the year.

Emmis pro forma revenue for the fiscal quarter ending May 31 was flat compared to a year ago. But with Miller Kaplan reporting revenue in those markets was down by more than 5%, Smulyan said that was reason enough to be happy. “This is a challenging time,” he said during a conference call with analysts. “On the other hand, there is some good news on the horizon.” That includes the impending flow of political advertising, as well as an improving economy where retail sales are rising and unemployment rates are on the decline.

COO/CFO Pat Walsh said Emmis sold 1% fewer minutes of advertising during the quarter, but average rates were up 2%. While automotive and health care spending grew, wireless was a “drag” Walsh said, adding, “This category has showed very, very strong growth the past several years but took a step back during the first quarter.”

Overall Emmis revenue did climb to $45 million during the quarter as it fully absorbed urban AC WBLS (107.5) and gospel WLIB (1190) in New York. Smulyan said that market has faced challenges with revenue slipping during the quarter, but he believes it’s been a “very smooth transition” nevertheless. One challenge going forward will be a new competitor as Cumulus Media this week launched an urban AC rival to WBLS with urban AC “Radio 103.9” WNBM.