NBA's Los Angeles Lakers Guard Kobe Bryant will retire at end of 2015-2016 season

Iraq War veteran killed at Planned Parenthood was trying to save others

Story by Yahoo News
Written by Dylan Stableford

An Iraq War veteran was killed in Friday's shootings at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo., while trying to save others, family members said.

Ke'Arre Stewart, a 29-year-old who served in the U.S. Army's Fourth Infantry Division, had stepped outside the clinic to get cellphone service when he was shot, his brother, Leyonte Chandler, told NBC News.

Stewart then ran back inside to try to help others.

"He tried to run back inside the building — well, he did — and tell the other people inside, you know, 'Take cover, get down.' People started taking cover, hiding in bathrooms and whatnot," Chandler said. "I believe that's his military instinct, you know: Leave no soldier behind, leave no civilian behind, just leave no one behind. I don't know where he was at, as far as how many more breaths he had, but he knew. And before his time ran out, I guess that was his main priority: to help and save other lives."

"He was just a standup guy; he would take a bullet for you," Amburh Butler, a lifelong friend, told The Associated Press. "He was the most sincere person I'd ever met."

Chandler added: "People were terrified, people were crying and scared, seeing other people get shot ... I believe my brother put his life on the line to prevent that. That's definitely heroic."

Stewart, a father of two young girls, was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs until 2014, when he was discharged.

Chandler called his brother "a tremendous father, a wonderful father."

Stewart was one of three people killed after the alleged gunman, 57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear, opened fire at the clinic.

Garrett Swasey, a police officer at the University of Colorado's Colorado Springs campus, was killed while responding to the call to assist with an active shooter at the nearby clinic.

Swasey, a 44-year-old married father of two, was a co-pastor at a local evangelical church and a former competitive figure skater who won a national championship as a junior.

"He was literally like a little brother to me," figure skater and Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan said Sunday. "I saw him every day. We trained together."

Jennifer Markovsky, a 36-year-old mother of two, was killed while accompanying a friend to the clinic, her father, John Ah-King, told the Denver Post.

"I miss you, my daughter," he wrote on Facebook. "Life was too short."

Five other officers and four other civilians were wounded in the attack.

Dear is expected to appear in court today.

Sly and the Family Stone trumpeteer Cynthia Robinson passes at age 69

Hanging out after the show with the Legendary members of Sly & The Family Stone Cynthia & Jerry along with another one of their big fans .... Chris Rock ... R.I.P. Cynthia Robinson ... A special part of Music History

NAACP Thanksgiving Message

Giving Thanks in Troubled Times

From the President's Desk:

The past year, our movement has been thankful for many positive developments. The Supreme Court protected the federal subsidies that allowed millions of people to afford health insurance. The Court also struck a blow for fair housing by allowing a broad interpretation of discrimination. We saw the Confederate flag, a powerful symbol of hate and division, brought down and rejected all over the country.

And yet, these remain dire and at times very frightening times. Police shootings of unarmed people of color continue at an alarming rate. Incidents of racism and racial violence roil our nation’s college campuses. The global war on terrorism has hit close to home, turning public opinion against innocent refugees fleeing the same brutality we claim to be fighting.

Our challenge in this sometimes chaotic world is to remain an instrument of peace.

We’ve been seeing one particular quote of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s being shared on social media rather often lately: “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

I see our light growing stronger with every teenager enrolled in our Project Ready programs, gaining the knowledge and wisdom to become our nation’s next generation of leaders. I see it with every struggling family who’s received assistance through our hunger initiative. I see it in the 2,000 new homeowners who received housing counseling and the more than 7,000 who were able to keep their homes through our foreclosure prevention programs.

Educated, healthy and financially stable families are the key to dynamic, enlightened communities. That is the light that will drive out the darkness and the love that will drive out the hate. May God bless you and your families this Thanksgiving and throughout the year.

Marc Morrial
National Urban League President

Stand with the National Action Network in front of the Supreme Court on Dec. 9th!

CALL TO ACTION!
Register to attend at
www.nationalactionnetwork.net

On December 9th, join Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network and allied groups, grassroots leaders, families & friends at the steps in front of the Supreme Court as Justices hear oral arguments in case Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin involving affirmative action.

Make your voice heard in the nation's capital and help give a face to the overwhelming majority of people in the United States who believes in the ongoing importance and legality of affirmative action that levels the field when evaluating applicants for admission in higher education.

Date:
Wednesday, December 9th

Time:
8am - until

Location:
Directly in front of the
Supreme Court
First St NE
Washington, DC 20543

O’Hare, Midway Cancel Hundreds of Flights For Wintry Weather

Story by NBC 5 Chicago

O’Hare and Midway airports on Saturday canceled hundreds of flights as the season’s first snow blanketed the Chicago area.

O’Hare International Airport reported more than 580 flight cancellations and delays of one hour or more as of 4:45 p.m. Midway International Airport canceled more than 190 flights and reported delays of 30 minutes or more.

NBC 5 weather models showed more snow expected for the area throughout Saturday as temperatures fall to below freezing.

The northern suburbs saw as much as a foot of snow overnight with the heaviest band of snow falling in the far northern and northwestern counties. Grayslake saw 16 inches overnight and Capron in Boone County recorded 18.5 inches.

The first accumulating snow fell Friday evening, with precipitation beginning as a rain and snow mix before transitioning to steady snow in the late hours of the night.

The Winter Storm Warning went into effect at 9 p.m. and remained active until 5 p.m. Saturday. In Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, the Winter Storm Warning was extended until 6 p.m. Saturday.

Indy Says Goodbye To Amos Brown

On Saturday, November 14th, Indy said goodbye to our dear Amos Brown - The longtime Indianapolis journalist, known for his popular radio show "Afternoons with Amos" on Radio One-Owned WTLC-AM (1310). A beautiful tribute was published in the Indy Star with a photo gallery.

Photo and Indy Star article: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/11/14/think-he-liked-me-indy-says-goodbye-amos-brown/75774068/

Additionally, Indiana Governor Mike Pence awarded Amos the State’s single highest honor posthumously, the Sachem Award. The Sachem, whose name comes from the Algonquin, is given to leaders who exhibit wisdom, judgment and grace and whose character underscores the importance of moral example. Indeed this is who we knew Amos to be.

As a result of this award, Governor Pence also requested that state facilities lower flags to half-mast in his honor. Amos’ name will be enshrined in the rotunda of the Indiana Statehouse. The above graphic is an outdoor billboard erected in his honor as well.


Amos Brown – rest in peace our dear brother.

U.S. House Votes to Halt Syrian Refugee Resettlement Program

Story by NBC News
Written by Halimah Abdullah and Abigail Williams

Lawmakers in the U.S. House voted Thursday to essentially halt a program aimed at resettling thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing their war-torn homeland — a move that could potentially complicate President Obama's Middle East policy efforts.

Later Thursday, the State Department said it was willing to "work" with Congress on changes to the Visa waiver program that helps bring nearly 20 million people from 38 countries to the U.S. ever year with less stringent screening.

"In light of the Paris attacks, we are certainly mindful that there are certain members of Congress that want to take another look at this," State spokesman John Kirby. "We're aware of some potential legislation coming. We're going to continue to work with members of Congress on that, and any other concern they have."

The House vote on the Syrian resettlement program, passing 289-137, reflects shifting sentiment on an issue where emotions have run deep in the aftermath of a deadly terror in Paris last week which left 129 dead. The House bill would require the FBI to create a background check of any refugee who spent time in Syria or Iraq after March 1, 2011.

The measure also called for the heads of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Intelligence to personally vouch that those admitted aren't a threat, a requirement the White House in its earlier vow to veto the measure called "untenable."

The bill has a veto proof majority and 47 Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the measure. It is unclear if the Senate will take up the measure after they return from Thanksgiving recess.

"It's a security test, not a religious test. This reflects our values. This reflects our responsibilities. And this is urgent," Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters at his press conference on Thursday prior to the vote..

The carnage in Paris sparked worries from a growing chorus of lawmakers on Capitol Hill and more than half of the nation's governors that America could face a similar attack. The Obama administration's plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. in the next fiscal year, opponents say, opens the floodgates to people whose backgrounds have not fully been vetted, are loosely tracked and could have the intent of carrying out terrorist acts on American soil.

So far, none of the terrorists identified in the Paris attack have been Syrian refugees.

The Obama administration went on the defensive about the plan, which the president has said is at the core of American values.

"Slamming the doors in their faces would be a betrayal of our values," Obama said on Monday at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey. Syrian "refugees are the victims of terrorism."

All week in briefings with governors, congressional leaders and members of the media, high ranking Obama administration officials have underscored that those seeking asylum in the U.S. undergo rigorous background screenings from several federal agencies and lengthy in-person interviews with Homeland Security officers.

In the hours leading up to the vote, several House Democrats said they would vote to halt the Obama administration's Syrian refugee resettlement plans and White House Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson were dispatched to quell concerns within the caucus.
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Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-terror-attacks/u-s-house-votes-halt-syrian-refugee-resettlement-program-n466456

Gunmen Take Dozens Hostage at Radisson Hotel in Bamako, Mali

Story by NBC News
Written by Henry Austin and Corky Siemaszko

Grenade-throwing gunmen stormed a hotel packed with foreigners Friday in the former French colony of Mali, killing several people and taking dozens of guests and workers hostage.

Reports of the death toll varied. The Associated Press reported at least 18 bodies had been found so far, while Reuters cited a United Nations official saying 27 were dead.

A U.N. official told NBC News "we just don't know, the hotel hasn't been cleared yet. But we know there are fatalities."

Malian special forces were still battling gunmen holed-up on the top floors of the Radisson Blu hotel, Reuters reported.

But the six American staying in the sprawling pink and cream colored hotel in the capital Bamako got out alive, U.S. defense officials told NBC News.

The deadly drama began around 7 a.m. when invaders shouting "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great" in Arabic, burst inside and opened fire on the guards and quickly took dozens of captives, Mali army commander Modibo Nama Traore told The Associated Press.

In the chaos, many of the guests managed to escape, military officials told the AP. But scores of people fell into their clutches, the AP said.

"The hotel is locked down and there is no possibility to go out or come in," a spokesman for Carlson Rezidor, owners of the hotel, told NBC News.

An al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group claimed credit for the bloody attack, Reuters reported. NBC News could not immediately confirm that.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gunmen-take-170-hostage-radisson-hotel-bamako-mali-n466831

Friends Forever

Video by Android

Terror Ringleader's Paris Death Raises Fear of Intelligence Failures

Story by NBC News
Written by F. Brinley Bruton and Henry Austin

The death in Paris of the suspected terror attack ringleader - a high-profile jihadi - prompted fears Thursday that a major intelligence breakdown may have allowed him to pursue his murderous plot.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, was killed during an explosive raid on an apartment in Saint-Denis, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. His body was riddled with bullet wounds and he was identified by his fingerprints, officials said Thursday as they announced his death.

Confirmation that Abaaoud was in Paris will put pressure on European security services. Until last week's massacre, he was widely assumed to be in Syria.

"This is a major failing," Roland Jaquard, at the International Observatory for Terrorism, told Reuters.

Even before last Friday's attacks, Abaaoud had emerged as Belgium's most notorious jihadist, a zealot so devoted to the cause of holy war that he recruited his 13-year-old brother to join him in Syria.

French officials have linked Abaaoud to at least four out of six foiled attacks this year.

Officer Fatally Shot in Downey Police Parking Lot

Officer Ricky Galvez, 29, a Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and joined the Downey Police Department in 2006 as a police aide, was shot and killed Thursday Nov. 19, 2015. Photo credit: Downey PD

Officer Ricky Galvez, a 29-year-old Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, was seated in his personal car when two attackers approached and opened fire, investigators say

Story by NBC News
Written by Jonathan Lloyd, Adrian Arambulo and Toni Guinyard

An officer was fatally shot Thursday morning when two attackers walked up to his car and opened fire in the Downey Police Department parking lot, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators.

The officer was identified as 29-year-old Ricky Galvez, a Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and joined the police department in 2006 as a police aide. He was hired as an officer in the community southeast of downtown Los Angeles in March 2010.

"One of Downey's finest was shot and killed," said Chief Carl Charles. "He was a tremendous young man. His smile and professionalism were always on display.

"Words cannot express the love we have for Ricky."
_____________________________

Read more: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Officer-Found-Dead-Downey-Police-Parking-Lot-351724001.html

Cummings Responds to Governor Hogan’s Request to Cease Syrian Refugee Resettlement in Maryland

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 17, 2015

Washington, D.C. (November 17, 2015) — Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) issued the following statement in response to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s announcement that he is requesting that federal authorities cease the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Maryland:

“I could not disagree more with Governor Hogan’s request to cease the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Maryland. Turning our backs on refugees fleeing the same senseless violence we witnessed in Paris is not just heartless, it is a betrayal of America’s values. Preserving the safety of Maryland’s residents and providing refuge for Syrians fleeing violence are not mutually exclusive; we can and must do both.”

Uncle Drew - Chapter 4

Video by Pepsi

Belgium launches probe and arrests suspects linked to Paris terrorist attacks

Story by France24

The Belgian prosecutor's office opened an anti-terrorism investigation Saturday into the Paris attacks that killed 129 people following arrests in a Brussels neighbourhood.

The investigations are linked to a car hired in Belgium and subsequently found near the Bataclan concert hall where 89 people were killed by terrorists in Paris on Friday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Several people were arrested in the Molenbeek neighbourhood of Brussels during police raids connected to the Paris attacks, said Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens.

The media reported that at least five people were arrested during the raids, but the number was not officially confirmed.

In an interview with the Belgian public broadcaster RTBF TV station, Greens said the arrests "can be seen in connection with a grey Volkswagen Polo car rented in Belgium" and found near the Bataclan concert hall.

Arrest at border

At a press briefing in the French capital on Saturday evening, Paris prosecutor François Molins said one person who hired the Volkswagen Polo used in the attacks was stopped at the Belgian border. Molins said that the suspect is a French national.
According to Belgian media reports, parking tickets from Molenbeek were found inside the car, which had Belgian number plates.

RTBF earlier reported up to three separate police raids in connection with the Paris attacks. Its website ran a photograph of the police escorting a handcuffed man wearing what appeared to be a black blindfold.

Paris Attacks Kill at Least 129 as France Goes Into Lockdown

Story by Bloomberg
Written by Gregory Viscusi, Helene Fouquet, and Mark Deen

At least 129 people were killed in Paris in Europe’s worst terrorist attacks for more than a decade and France tightened border controls and shut down public venues after gunmen targeted hostages at a rock concert and diners at a restaurant.

President Francois Hollande imposed a state of alert and police advised people to stay indoors. Officials said attacks occurred at seven separate venues, including the stadium. Prosecutors said five of the attackers were killed, and French police said they couldn’t say how many were still at large. BFM television said security forces were still seeking one gunman.

As news of the attacks spread across the French capital, people huddled in quiet shock outside bars and cafes as the streets filled with the sound of sirens. Outside the concert venue, local media showed images of bodies shrouded in white lined up on the streets.

In some of the latest developments:

* Police stormed a Paris theater where hostages were being held at a rock concert; four gunmen were killed. Attackers shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’ according to local media
* A U.S. counterterrorism official said the attack points to enhanced capacity of jihadist groups as the Syrian civil war escalates
* Hollande, who visited venue, told the nation in a televised address that “we must, in these difficult moments, show compassion and solidarity, but we also need to show unity and cool-headedness.”
* France shut down all public venues Saturday, from museums to swimming pools, and police advised Parisians to stay indoors
* Hollande said he’ll skip the G-20 meeting of the world’s biggest economies starting this weekend in Turkey, and will convene his defense cabinet Saturday morning
* An additional 1,500 French troops were deployed in central Paris
* President Barack Obama and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron expressed solidarity and offered any help needed
* American Airlines held up departures to Paris late Friday, ABC TV reported

The slaughter in Paris took place against a backdrop of mounting anxiety in Europe and beyond about jihadist extremism, as refugees from Syria pour into the continent. Seventeen people were killed in January in a rampage by gunmen that started at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine. Two weeks ago, a Russian passenger jet was downed over Sinai by what U.S. and U.K. intelligence says was probably a bomb. On Thursday, suicide bombers killed more than 40 people in Beirut.

U.S. law enforcement officials are concerned that the attacks demonstrate an enhanced capacity by jihadists, an American counterterrorism official said. If Islamic State is found to have carried out the Paris slaughter and the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt two weeks ago, that would signal the group has evolved into a more sophisticated terrorist force that can carry out strikes beyond the Middle East, the official said.

Obama told reporters in Washington that Paris, where he’s due to attend a global climate-change summit in less than three weeks, has witnessed “an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians.” He said the U.S. stands ready to provide any needed assistance to its French ally.

The wave of attacks began earlier Friday when blasts rocked the Stade de France sports arena, where France was playing a soccer game against Germany. Hollande was at the game and was evacuated to the Interior Ministry.

The hostage-taking occurred at the Bataclan theater in the 11th district of Paris, where the U.S. rock band Eagles of Death Metal was performing. There were also shootings outside a restaurant in the 10th district.

As it stands, the death toll would make Friday’s attacks the worst in Europe since the Madrid bombings of March 2004, which killed 191 people.

There’s a strong chance the attacks are related to France’s participation in the fight against extremists in Syria, where it’s joined the U.S.-led campaign, and north Africa, said Thomas M. Sanderson, director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He said Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are the likeliest suspects.

“Long-standing grievances as well as contemporary activity by France makes them a tier-one target,” Sanderson said. “They’re not the primary actor from the air, we are, but they are much more reachable than the U.S. is.”

President Obama Offers a Statement on the Attacks in Paris

Read the President's full remarks:

Good evening, everybody. I just want to make a few brief comments about the attacks across Paris tonight. Once again, we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share.

We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance that the government and the people of France need to respond. France is our oldest ally. The French people have stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States time and again. And we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Paris itself represents the timeless values of human progress. Those who think that they can terrorize the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong. The American people draw strength from the French people’s commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberté and égalité and fraternité are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that we share. And those values are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who perpetrated the crimes this evening.
We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and with nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice, and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people.

We don’t yet know all the details of what has happened. We have been in contact with French officials to communicate our deepest condolences to the families of those who have been killed, to offer our prayers and thoughts to those who have been wounded. We have offered our full support to them. The situation is still unfolding. I’ve chosen not to call President Hollande at this time, because my expectation is that he’s very busy at the moment. I actually, by coincidence, was talking to him earlier today in preparation for the G20 meeting. But I am confident that I’ll be in direct communications with him in the next few days, and we’ll be coordinating in any ways that they think are helpful in the investigation of what’s happened.

This is a heartbreaking situation. And obviously those of us here in the United States know what it’s like. We’ve gone through these kinds of episodes ourselves. And whenever these kinds of attacks happened, we’ve always been able to count on the French people to stand with us. They have been an extraordinary counterterrorism partner, and we intend to be there with them in that same fashion.

I’m sure that in the days ahead we’ll learn more about exactly what happened, and my teams will make sure that we are in communication with the press to provide you accurate information. I don’t want to speculate at this point in terms of who was responsible for this. It appears that there may still be live activity and dangers that are taking place as we speak. And so until we know from French officials that the situation is under control, and we have for more information about it, I don’t want to speculate.

Thank you very much.

Radio One Makes BIG Moves in Columbus, OH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAGIC Moves to 95.5 FM and JOY Returns to 107.1 FM (Silver Spring, MD…November 12, 2015): Radio One announces big news in the growing Columbus, OH market.

As of 12:01 a.m., Thursday, November 12th Magic moves to 95.5 FM and Monday, November 16th at 5:00 p.m. JOY, Columbus’ Inspiration Station is back on 107.1 FM. Radio One entered into a two-station LMA with Wilks Broadcasting Group for 95.5 FM-WZOH and 107.1 FM-WHOK.

An Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire the stations has also been submitted. This expansion doubles the size of the previously two-station urban music cluster in Columbus, OH. The NEW Magic 95.5 FM has a bigger and stronger signal for listeners to enjoy and Columbus can now enjoy Inspiration music at its best on the NEW JOY107.1 FM. JOY left the market in 2011, but after four years of silence will be born again on Monday, November 16th at 5:00 p.m. with your favorite gospel artists and inspirational music.

Eddie Harrell, Regional Vice President & General Manager said, “We’re thrilled about our growth and the ability to serve this community even more. There are great things on the horizon and we encourage our listeners to stay tuned and watch us exceed their expectations.”

We Remember Tony Washington

Story by BlackAmericaWeb
Written by Kelly Harrington

(Silver Spring, MD) Radio One mourns the passing of our friend and colleague, Tony Washington, VP of Advertising Sales for Reach Media.

It is hard to think of Radio One and not think of Tony Washington. He joined Radio One in 1991 when the company had just two radio stations in Washington, DC rising to General Manager of our Washington, DC radio stations and then VP of Advertising Sales.

Tony was as loyal and trusted employee as you could ever want, who always fiercely advocated for and protected Radio One’s share of the advertising pie. We will sorely miss him.

How Much Will San Diego, St. Louis, Oakland Pay to Keep NFL?

Story by Bloomberg
Written by Darrell Preston, Tim Jones, and James Nash

In the 21 years Los Angeles has been without an NFL franchise, plenty of cities have gone into debt to keep their teams from relocating to the second-biggest American media market. Today, delegations from St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland will make their case to the NFL that they should be allowed to do the same.

This is as close as Los Angeles has come to getting a team back, as the owners of three teams have stated their intentions to move. The Chargers and the Raiders have proposed a $1.7 billion stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, which they would share, and Wednesday announced that Robert Iger, CEO of Walt Disney Co., would lead the joint venture. Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who is worth $5.6 billion, in January put forward plans to build an 80,000-seat stadium on land he owns in Inglewood, California.

Whether Los Angeles gets one or two new teams, or none at all, is up to the rest of the NFL owners, who could vote on relocation as soon as January. In general, the NFL prefers teams to stay put, as long as the host cities can craft a generous-enough plan for a new stadium.

Missouri: $388 Million

At Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s request, a statewide task force created a plan for a $1 billion stadium and the redevelopment of 88 acres of blighted property along the Mississippi River. To finance the project, Missouri would issue $135 million in state bonds, St. Louis would issue $66 million in city bonds, and the Rams would get $187 million in tax credits and other incentives, according to state documents.

With $388 million in public funding, the Missouri plan is the most generous of all the cities trying to keep a team, but a group of state legislators is demanding that Nixon take his proposal to the voters, or to the legislature, or else.

“We’re not going to pay on those bonds," said state Senator Rob Schaaf, Republican from St. Joseph, in a phone interview. “They’re going to have to find buyers who are just so gullible to believe we won’t play the game of chicken with them.”

San Diego: $350 Million

The city and county of San Diego have offered $350 million toward a new $1.1 billion stadium near Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers have played since 1967. Both would finance their contributions -- $200 million from the city, $150 million from the county -- with municipal bonds. Standard & Poor’s rates San Diego AA, its third-highest rank. The city still owes $52 million for the team’s current home.

“Our best chance to keep the Chargers from moving to L.A. is to show San Diego’s proposal is real and ready to move forward in 2016," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in an e-mail. "We have a fair and common-sense plan and can break ground on a new stadium as soon as 2017 – if the Chargers work with us in good faith.”

Chargers spokesman Mark Fabiani has said the team will file paperwork with the NFL to relocate to Los Angeles. The Chargers broke off negotiations with San Diego in June after contending that the city had run out of time to conduct a legal environmental review for a new stadium.

Oakland: $0

In Oakland, Mayor Libby Schaaf isn’t proposing public subsidies to build a replacement for the Raiders’ O.co Stadium. Taxpayers in the Oakland area still owe $99 million on the coliseum the Raiders share with the Major Baseball League’s Athletics. Through a spokeswoman, Schaaf (no relation to the Missouri state senator) said the city would pay for infrastructure improvements that would serve a new stadium, but she plans to make a case to team owners that Oakland is still the best place for the team.

"Everything from Oakland’s growing economic momentum and urban vitality to the team’s die-hard regional fan base make it clear that there is no better time for a major league team to be located in, or associated with Oakland," Schaaf said in a Nov. 3 statement.

And the winner is ...

The NFL owners will convene in December to get updates from the various committees focused on L.A. None of the proposals are obvious winners. Sports economist Victor Matheson of College of the Holy Cross said teams outside of major media markets generally want subsidies of up to $500 million, a threshold all the cities in question fail to meet by more than $100 million.

“No one is really wild about coming up with $400 million to $500 million to keep a stadium,” said Matheson. “That’s proving to be very difficult.”

If Los Angeles does finally get a team, NFL owners may lose their strongest leverage.
“Having Los Angeles in play has brought the NFL hundreds of millions of dollars in stadium subsidies,” said Matheson. “If they finally get a team, they will no longer have that bargaining chip.”

Jonathan Butler: How a Grad Student's Hunger Strike Toppled University of Missouri (Mizzou) President

Jonathon Butler speaks out after ending Hunger Strike


University of Missouri president resigns amid racism controversy

Hours after his hunger strike forced the resignation of the University of Missouri's President, graduate student Jonathan Butler appeared on campus in a knit hat and an "I Love My Blackness And Yours" t-shirt and insisted it wasn't about him.

"Please stop focusing on the fact of the Mizzou hunger strike itself," Butler said Monday. "Look at why did we have to get here in the first place. And why the struggle. And why we had to fight the way that we did."

Flanked by fellow campus activists, Butler refused to talk about his health, which had become a source of growing concern on the university's flagship campus in Columbia and prompted a critical swell of support from the school's football team.

Instead, Butler focused on the unsatisfactory response from the university's administration to racial incidents on campus.

"It should not have taken this much," Butler said. "And it is disgusting and vile that we find ourselves in a place that we do."

Despite his efforts to share the credit, the blossoming activist from Omaha has become a national name, and now speaks from a much more powerful position. After announcing his hunger strike a week ago, he received support from around the country and was courted by the national media.

(Jonathan Butler addresses a crowd on Nov. 9, 2015, at the University of Missouri. Jeff Roberson / AP) Since arriving on the campus as an undergraduate in 2008, Butler has become increasingly involved in social movements, in Columbia and beyond. After earning a bachelor's in business administration, he stayed at Mizzou to work toward a master's in education, hoping to become an advocate and "social entrepreneur." He took a role as a leader in a Peace Corps Prep program and founded a philanthropic photography project that aims to combat human trafficking, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Last year, he traveled to Ferguson, Missouri following the shooting of a black man by a white police officer, and was energized by the protests there, he has said. He applied that vigor to his life on campus, which included involvement in a growing movement to protest racism and discrimination. This fall, in response to a series of racial incidents on campus, that movement coalesced into a group that called itself Concerned Student 1950 — named for the year Mizzou enrolled its first black student.

Some members of that group, Butler included, interrupted the annual homecoming parade last month, forcing a red convertible carrying University of Missouri system President Tim Wolfe to come to a stop. Wolfe didn't seem to react, and after the activists spoke and chanted, the car drove off.

That episode was a turning point for Butler, he has said. In response to that experience, and to what activists said was inadequate followup action from Wolfe, Butler began researching his hunger strike.

He consulted his doctor, prayed with his pastor and updated his will. And on the morning of Nov. 2 he announced he would not eat another thing until Wolfe was fired or left office.

Days passed. His body began to break down. News of his hunger strike spread. But Wolfe would not resign, and the university's governing board made no movement to remove him.

Butler began talking as if he might die.

"My body feels like it's on fire," he told the Washington Post on Thursday. But, he added, "it's worth sacrificing something of this grave amount, because I'm already not wanted here. I'm already not treated like I'm a human."

Then, with help from the Mizzou football team, things turned.

Black players, with the backing of their head coach, threw their support behind Butler on Saturday, refusing to practice or play until Wolfe was shown the door.

Suddenly, Butler's quest — and the growing campus protest movement he was part of — became a big national story.

On Sunday, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon demanded the university's Board of Curators governing board to do something. And on Monday morning, Wolfe quit. In his announcement, Wolfe expressed regret that Butler had felt forced "to take immediate action or unusual steps to affect change."

Butler was triumphant.

Ex-Olympian Debi Thomas reveals she's living in bug-infested trailer, broke and unemployed

Fallen Olympic skater Debi Thomas breaks down as she asks life coach Iyanla Vanzant to help turn her life around. (Photo Credit: Oprah)

Story by Sporting News

Debi Thomas' life isn't what it used to be.

The former Olympic figure skater and physician made history when she became the first African-American athlete to win a Winter Games medal when she took home the bronze at the 1988 Olympics. She recently revealed she is now broke, unemployed and living in a bed bug-infested trailer.

"(I feel) frustrated," Thomas said in the emotional episode of "Iyanla: Fix My Life" that aired Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Thomas turned to life coach Iyanla Vanzant after "crippling life challenges" that stemmed from a pair of divorces that financially drained her and forced her to close her medical practice in Virginia. The two-time U.S. national champion is now living in a mobile home in the Appalachian Mountains with her fiancé and his two children. She lost custody of her 13-year-old son.

"Today I meet you in a trailer that’s overcrowded and infested with bed bugs," Vanzant told Thomas in a preview clip. "Are you aware that your life has become unmanageable?"

Thomas started a GoFundMe page in December 2014 with the hopes of raising $10,000, though she managed to collect only $3,763. She additionally laid out a number of prospective projects, one of which included starring in her own reality TV show, to help reach her donation goal.

"This cause has been developed as an emergency fund for Dr. Debi Thomas, her fiancé, Jamie Looney, and their family to restore financial stability after severe sudden financial losses over the past couple of years associated with a combination of financially crippling life challenges," the page read. "This assistance will help cover expenses while they complete their promising projects currently in the works."

Thomas, 48, had earned her medical degree after graduating from Stanford University in 1991 and went on to become an orthopedic surgeon. She claimed her personality clashes led to two lost jobs before she decided to open her own private practice, which she eventually shut down.

The (James) Bond Index

Story by Bloomberg

No one man is James Bond. In the official film series, which has now spanned 53 years and grossed about $6 billion globally, without adjusting for inflation, six actors have played the gentleman spy: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, mostly recently, Daniel Craig. The latest film, released in the U.S. on Friday, could very well be Craig's last time out in the tux.

Who wore it best? It depends how you measure each Bond. Bloomberg Business identified eight traits that typify the immortal British spy and tracked them across all 3,053 minutes and 33 seconds of the 24 James Bond films. Here, the definitive James Bond by the numbers.

Bond, the well-dressed man

Of the 51 hours of Bond films, nearly 18 feature the main character in a suit or tuxedo. (For high-end clothiers like Brioni and Tom Ford, which provided suits for Brosnan and Craig, the films are an opportunity to showcase their brands.) No Bond spent more time dressed up than Connery, who originated the role in the series. He leads all Bonds in total time (5 hours, 16 minutes) and on a per-film basis (45 percent). Connery’s most dapper film is From Russia With Love, in which he spends 72 percent of the movie in a suit.

Bond, the difficult employee

Managing James Bond is not easy. He’s frequently rude, occasionally disobedient, and regularly caught with his pants down. His boss, M, is not shy about reprimanding him. No Bond is scolded more times by M than Craig.

Every Bond frustrates his quartermaster. Over the course of the series, Q has barked at Bond to pay attention nine times and asked him eight times not to damage equipment in the field. In The Living Daylights, Q pleads with Dalton’s Bond to be careful with his Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It explodes 13 1/2 minutes later.

Bond, the gadget enthusiast

Gadgets are a staple of the Bond films. A ski pole contains a hidden gun. A watch holds a laser, magnet, or Geiger counter. Cars carry small arsenals. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond uses more gadgets per film than any of his peers. In Die Another Day, he uses 16 unique gadgets in the field. Eight are related to his car, an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, including tire cleats, missiles, and an invisibility setting that can be activated remotely.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-bond-james-bond/

Radio One Reports Third Quarter Results - Total Revenues Grow 3%

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Radio One, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROIAK and ROIA) today reported its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.

Net revenue was approximately $115.9 million, an increase of 3.3% from the same period in 2014, reflecting greater advertising demand and an increase in affiliate revenue at our cable television segment. Station operating income1 was approximately $42.2 million, an increase of 9.2% from the same period in 2014. The Company reported operating income of approximately $7.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to operating income of $19.6 million for the same period in 2014. Net loss was approximately $18.1 million or $0.38 per share compared to $13.2 million or $0.28 per share, for the same period in 2014.

Alfred C. Liggins, III, Radio One's CEO and President stated, "Continuing strong performances by TV One and Reach Media more than offset the revenue declines from our Radio business. Radio continues to be a challenging business, with the markets in which we operate down 2.2% for the quarter, compared to our –6.6%. We are seeing some signs of stabilization in our Washington DC and Houston clusters, as well as strong performances from Dallas, Philadelphia and St Louis. During the quarter we experienced double-digit ratings growth in 11 of our 15 markets, and our four largest markets showed ratings growth of 15% on average from July to September. This positive ratings momentum should lead to improved monetization in 2016. Fourth quarter core radio advertising revenues, excluding political advertising, are currently pacing (–8.3%) YTY. We remain focused on correcting our underperforming radio clusters, while delivering increased cash-flow through overall cost containment, and revenue growth in the cable television business. I am excited that David Kantor has accepted the role as CEO of our radio platform, including our local stations, network and syndication business. Bringing together all of our radio assets under one leadership structure will enhance our ability to compete and transform our business for the future."

Boeing Dumped From NASA's $3.5 Billion Cargo-Flight Contest

The International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-134 crew member on the space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation (Source: NASA).

Story by Bloomberg
Written by Julie Johnson and Rick Clough

Boeing Co.’s bid to fly cargo to the International Space Station fell short as the company was eliminated from NASA’s $3.5 billion competition, clearing a challenger from a field that also includes Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The National Aeronautics & Space Administration, which had planned to award the work as soon as Thursday, delayed a decision until Jan. 30 at the latest to allow more time for a review of the bidders’ proposals, according to a revised timeline on the agency’s website.

Boeing’s exit further thins the field of contenders for NASA’s second contract with private business to haul supplies to the station, following Lockheed Martin Corp.’s removal earlier this year. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Orbital ATK Inc., the incumbents on the current award, vied for the new flights along with Sierra Nevada Corp.

“Since the agency is in the process of evaluating proposals, we are in a procurement communications blackout,” NASA spokeswoman Tabatha Thompson said. “For that reason, NASA cannot answer questions about this procurement at this time.”

A Boeing spokeswoman, Kelly Kaplan, gave no details beyond saying that the company was no longer a contender. The Chicago-based planemaker, whose spaceflight roots date to the 1950s, had proposed missions with a reusable cargo version of the Starliner capsule being developed for manned NASA orbital missions later this decade.
Still Competing

A spokesman for Orbital, Barron Beneski, said the company is still competing for the contract renewal and continues to haul cargo under the initial award. Orbital’s next mission is scheduled for Dec. 3, he said.

Sierra Nevada spokeswoman Krystal Scordo said the company “was selected to re-open discussions” for the work, while SpaceX spokesman John Taylor said the company won’t comment until NASA makes a final decision.

The contract loss is the second major blow in less than two weeks for Boeing, whose joint bid with Lockheed for the U.S. Air Force’s $80 billion program to build the Long-Range Strike Bomber was passed over after a competition with Northrop Grumman Corp.

Like several other competitors for the cargo contract, Boeing’s proposal relied on rockets with Russian-made engines, a point of concern for some U.S. lawmakers. SpaceX, founded in 2002 by PayPal Inc. co-founder Musk, is the only bidder with a made-in-the-USA entry.
Split Decision

NASA split the initial $3.6 billion cargo-flight contract between SpaceX and Orbital in 2008, two years after Musk’s upstart venture sent its first rocket aloft. The win helped establish SpaceX as a competitor to United Launch Alliance, the Boeing-Lockheed rocket venture whose work includes military missions.

SpaceX has completed six missions under the NASA award, and also plans to restart commercial flights in December. Both SpaceX and Orbital vehicles have been grounded following rocket explosions that left NASA dependent on Russian and Japanese cargo haulers.

The Florida Today newspaper reported earlier Thursday on Boeing’s elimination.

Hal Jackson's 100th birthday - November 3rd, 1915 - RIP

Story by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

November 3, 1915 Harold Baron Jackson, Hall of Fame Radio Personality and Disc Jockey, was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and raised in Washington, D. C.

Jackson began his broadcasting career as the first African American Radio Sports Announcer, broadcasting Howard University and local Negro League baseball games.

In 1939, he became the first African American host at WINX/Washington with “The Bronze Review,” a nightly interview program.

Jackson moved to New York City in 1954 and became the first radio personality to broadcast three daily shows on three different stations. In 1971, he was one of the founders of the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation which acquired WLIB, the first African American owned and operated radio station in New York City.

Jackson was inducted into the National Association of Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame in 1990, the first Non-White Broadcaster inducted, and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995, as the first African-American inductee.

In 2003, he was presented a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and in 2010 was named a “Giant in Broadcasting” by the Library of American Broadcasting.


Jackson died May 23, 2012.

Evanston's 20-year old Model Kaylyn Pryor killed in Englewood (Chicago) shooting

Story by ABC News Chicago
Written by WLS-TV
Photos by Matt Ferguson

A 20-year-old Evanston woman just beginning her career as a model was gunned down while visiting her grandparents on the South Side Monday.

A 15-year-old boy was also wounded in the shooting, which happened at about 6:20 p.m. in the 7300-block of South May Street.

Police said the victims were outside when a vehicle approached and someone inside fired shots.

Kaylyn Pryor of Evanston was hit in the right armpit and transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where she died a short time later.

The boy was shot in the right leg and transported to a local hospital in good condition.

Pryor just won the months-long Mario Tricoci "Make Me a Model" competition in September.

"We are saddened and broken-hearted to learn of the tragic passing of Kaylyn Pryor. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family. This touches every one of us who knew and worked with her. Kaylyn will be remembered for her kind and generous spirit. She truly was beautiful inside and out." Mario Tricoci said in a statement.

Pryor's sister says that their grandparents live in Englewood and that Pryor was leaving their place and walking to the bus stop with a friend when the drive-by shooter fired into a crowd of people.

She was going to her father's home in Evanston to pick up some modeling papers she needed to sign, her sister said.