2017-02-28

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos statement on "Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's)" sparks uproar

Story by ABC News
By Karma Allen

Angry social media users flew into an uproar yesterday evening after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a statement that some said ignored the context under which historically black universities were created.

The statement called 'Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)' “real pioneers when it comes to school choice,” and came shortly after President Donald Trump held a meeting with several HBCU leaders on Monday.

Some social media users said DeVos ignored the history of how Black Americans were denied access to higher education. Meanwhile, others said the statement applauded the segregated Jim Crow education system for giving Black students “more options”...

...Some argued that the statement presents HBCUs as if they were created as a better option to traditionally white universities. The Department of Education lays out on its website that HBCUs were established because “there was no structured higher education system for Black students.”

“At a time when many schools barred their doors to Black Americans, these colleges offered the best, and often the only, opportunity for a higher education," the Department of Education notes on its website.

President Trump has said he will help HBCUs as a part of his so-called New Deal For Black America plan.

Trump is expected to sign an Executive Order on "Historically Black Colleges and Universities" later today.

A Senior White House Official says this move will reposition an existing initiative on HBCUs and allow it to work with all the different Executive Agencies and “serve as a strategic partner to the President’s Urban Agenda,” with the full force of the White House behind it.

However, the Official said the Order should be viewed as more of a framework and “infrastructure” and not a policy roll-out, which will come at a later time.

DeVos is delivering the keynote address Tuesday at an HBCU event at the Library of Congress.
________________________________

Read More:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/02/28/betsy_devos_press_release_praises_segregated_jim_crow_education_system.html

Video Education:
https://www.facebook.com/rolandsmartinfanpage/videos/10154473222082831/

2017-02-25

Former Labor Secretary Thomas Perez elected DNC Chairman, Congressman Keith Ellison appointed Deputy Chair by Perez

Former Labor Secretary Thomas Perez elected DNC Chairman, Congressman Keith Ellison appointed Deputy DNC Chairman by Perez.

Story by NBC News
Written by Alex Seitz-Wald

Perez won in the second round of voting during the 2017 Winter DNC Meeting in Atlanta, earning 235 votes from the 447 DNC members — the voting bloc that decides the chairmanship. Perez was considered the heavy favorite of the Democratic establishment.

Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, the preferred candidate of the Bernie Sanders wing of the party, came in second, earning 200 votes in the second round of votes. Half ballots are given to Democrats voting abroad.

Ellison stated that it was necessary to unite behind Perez for the party to move forward. He was appointed the party's deputy chairman.

Read more:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/dnc-race-tom-perez-becomes-dnc-chair-narrow-election-victory-n725596

Days ago, Ellison suppoters (like Bernie Sanders supporters in the 2016 campaign) felt slighted by the Grand Ol' Democratic establishment:
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58acc9c5e4b03d80af7075b3

Perez becomes DNC Chair:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/dnc-race-tom-perez-becomes-dnc-chair-narrow-election-victory-n725596

British Parliament rejects Donald Trump's State visit

Story by Ynaija.com
Written by Azeez Adeniyi

The UK Parliament has rejected a proposed state visit by US President Donald Trump.

Trump was invited by the Queen after meeting with British Prime Minister, Theresa May shortly after his inauguration.

However, over 1.85 million have signed a petition calling for the visit to be rejected.

Protesters also stormed the street calling for the cancelation of the visit.

The rally, held by the Stop Trump Coalition and campaign group One Day Without Us, drew scores of supporters carrying signs that read, “No to racism; no to Trump”

The House of Commons while deliberating on the petition, voted in support of the petition to cancel the visit

2017-02-24

Al Sharpton, Donnie Simpson, and Kirk Tanter in Washington DC


Kirk Tanter, Al Sharpton, and Donnie Simpson (l to r) in Silver Spring, Maryland USA

Al Sharpton, host of nationally syndicated radio show "Keeping it Real with Al Sharpton", takes a moment - after broadcasting from Radio One affiliate 1450am/95.9fm WOL (heritage flagship station of Radio One) - to take a photo with me (Kirk Tanter) and TV/Radio Broadcast legend Donnie Simpson.

Simpson came out of retirement in 2015, and is now working the afternoon drive time slot at WMMJ "Majic 102.3" and has a TV show on TV One.

"Majic 102.3" (also owned by Radio One) is celebrating 30 years of service to the Washington DC market.

Al Sharpton was in Washingto DC to drum up the beat for his Annual National Action Network Convention happening April 26th through April 29th in New York City at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in New York City.

Sharptons' NAN Convention is rising up to be one of the most notable Conventions in the United States. Recent NAN Conventions have had keynote speakers President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of HUD Ben Carson, President/CEO of Urban One's Alfred Liggins, and there was a major debate a few years ago between Al Sharpton and Fox TV News Talk Show Host Sean Hannity. The concensus was that Al Sharpton won the debate.

White House blocks news organizations from press briefing

Story by CNN Money
Written by Dylan Byers, Sara Murray and Kevin Liptak

CNN and other news outlets were blocked Friday from an off-camera White House press briefing, raising alarm among media organizations and First Amendment watchdogs.

The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, the BBC, Buzzfeed, Daily News, and The Daily Mail were also excluded from the meeting, which is known as a gaggle and is less formal than the televised Q-and-A session in the White House briefing room. The gaggle was held by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

In a brief statement defending the move, administration spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the White House "had the pool there so everyone would be represented and get an update from us today."

The pool usually includes a representative from one television network and one print outlet. In this case, four of the five major television networks -- NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox News -- were invited and attended the meeting, while only CNN was blocked.

And while The New York Times was kept out, conservative media organizations Breitbart News, The Washington Times and One America News Network were also allowed in.
Both CNN and the Times protested the decision.

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/24/media/cnn-blocked-white-house-gaggle/index.html

2017-02-23

Secretary Kelly Issues Implementation Memoranda on Border Security and Interior Enforcement Executive Orders

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Release Date: February 21, 2017

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Today, Secretary John Kelly issued two memoranda to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workforce providing further direction to implement the recent executive orders on border security and enforcement of the immigration laws.

In accordance with the Department’s commitment to be transparent with the American people, and to more effectively implement policies and practices that serve the national interest and protect the homeland, consolidated information regarding DHS operations in relation to the executive orders is available at www.dhs.gov/executive-orders-protecting-homeland.

A. Implementing the President's Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvement Policies

February 20, 2017 memorandum implementing the Executive Order entitled "Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements," issued by the President on January 25, 2017, which establishes the President's policy regarding effective border security and immigration enforcement through faithful execution of the laws of the United States.

Link: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/17_0220_S1_Implementing-the-Presidents-Border-Security-Immigration-Enforcement-Improvement-Policies.pdf

B. Enforcement of the Immigration Laws to Serve the National Interest

February 20, 2017 memorandum implementing the Executive Order entitled "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States," issued by the President on January 25, 2017. It constitutes guidance for all Department personnel regarding the enforcement of the immigration laws of the United States, and is applicable to the activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). As such, it should inform enforcement and removal activities, detention decisions, administrative litigation, budget requests and execution, and strategic planning.

Link: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/17_0220_S1_Enforcement-of-the-Immigration-Laws-to-Serve-the-National-Interest.pdf

2017-02-22

Supreme Court rejects use of 'racial stereotypes' in death penalty cases

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument on October 5 in Buck v. Davis, a Texas case in which Duane Buck was sentenced to death after his own lawyer presented expert testimony from a psychologist who called Buck more likely to commit acts of violence in the future because he is Black.

Story by LA Times
Written by David Savage

Link to Davis and Buck Supreme Court case: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/16pdf/15-8049_f2ah.pdf

The Supreme Court rejected the use of "racial stereotypes" in death penalty cases Wednesday, reopening the case of a black man in Texas who was sentenced to die after his jury was told African Americans are more likely than whites to commit crimes.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said this testimony had no place in a sentencing hearing and "appealed to the racial stereotype that black men are prone to violence."

"Our laws punish people for what they do, not for who they are," the chief justice said in the courtroom.

The 6-2 decision faults Texas authorities for refusing to give a new sentencing hearing to Duane Buck, a Houston man who was convicted of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend and seriously injuring her new boyfriend in 1995.

Buck was found guilty of murder, but when his jury was debating his fate, his court-appointed defense attorney put on the witness stand an expert who cited statistics showing blacks are more likely to commit future crimes than whites.

After hearing this testimony, the jury decided to sentence Buck to death.

Years later, Texas state attorneys set aside the death sentences for six other black defendants whose juries heard similar testimony, but they refused to reopen Buck's case.

In Buck vs. Davis, the high court said that was a mistake. The jury was deciding "the question of life or death," and this is no place for the introduction of a "particularly noxious strain of racial prejudice," Roberts said.

The court sent the case back to judges in Texas to reconsider the death sentence.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, along with Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Thomas said Buck was properly sentenced to die for a brutal murder, and he insisted the court should not have heard the case for procedural reasons. "Having settled on a desired outcome, the court bulldozes procedural obstacles and misapplies settled law to justify it," he wrote.

2017-02-21

Los Angeles Lakers name Earvin "Magic" Johnson President of Basketball Operations; and fire EVP Jim Buss and General Manager (former Washington Bullets player) Mitch Kubchak



Story by NBA

Magic Johnson to run Lakers Basketball Front Office as part of restructuring.

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss announced today that the team has named Earvin "Magic" Johnson as President of Basketball Operations. In addition, General Manager Mitch Kupchak has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately. Furthermore, Jim Buss will no longer hold his role as Lakers Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations.

"Today I took a series of actions I believe will return the Lakers to the heights Dr. Jerry Buss demanded and our fans rightly expect," Jeanie Buss said. "Effective immediately, Earvin Johnson will be in charge of all basketball operations and will report directly to me. Our search for a new General Manager to work with Earvin and Coach Luke Walton is well underway and we hope to announce a new General Manager in short order. Together, Earvin, Luke and our new General Manager will establish the foundation for the next generation of Los Angeles Lakers greatness."

"It's a dream come true to return to the Lakers as President of Basketball Operations working closely with Jeanie Buss and the Buss family," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "Since 1979, I've been a part of the Laker Nation and I'm passionate about this organization. I will do everything I can to build a winning culture on and off the court. We have a great coach in Luke Walton and good young players. We will work tirelessly to return our Los Angeles Lakers to NBA champions."

Jeanie Buss added, "I took these actions today to achieve one goal: Everyone associated with the Lakers will now be pulling in the same direction, the direction established by Earvin and myself. We are determined to get back to competing to win NBA championships again."

Regarding Mitch Kupchak, Jeanie Buss stated, "We are grateful for the many contributions Mitch has made to the Lakers over the years and we wish him all the best."

With regard to fellow owner and brother, Jim Buss, Ms. Buss said, "Jim loves the Lakers. Although he will no longer be responsible for basketball personnel decisions, he is an owner of this team and we share the same goal: returning the Lakers to the level of greatness our father demanded. Our fans deserve no less."

In addition to the changes made within the basketball department, the Lakers also announced they have parted ways with John Black who had been the Lakers Vice President of Public Relations. Chief Operating Officer Tim Harris will immediately begin a search for a replacement. Jeanie Buss added, "We thank John for his many years of service."

For further media inquiries contact Alison Bogli at 310/426-6002 or abogli@la-lakers.com.

Congressman Elijah Cummings(Md) Issues Statement on President Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jennifer Werner
February 21, 2017
(202) 226-5181

Cummings Issues Statement on President
Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan

Link to Trumps/DHS Plan: http://gothamist.com/2017/02/21/homeland_security_deportation.php

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 21, 2017)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement on new Department of Homeland Security memos outlining the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plan:

“I strongly condemn President Trump’s cruel mass deportation plan. For those who held out hope for a compassionate, evidence-based immigration policy, the President’s executive orders on immigration enforcement and these implementation memos confirm their worst fears. These actions represent a terrifying shift in our nation’s immigration policy, and they fly in the face of our most fundamental American values. The President’s actions represent a dangerous approach to immigration that will break up families, incite fear, and threaten the public safety of our communities by driving some of our most vulnerable populations into the shadows. This is an inhumane, irresponsible, and unacceptable approach to immigration enforcement. We must not let mass deportation policies become our new normal.”

2017-02-18

"We are not Thugs, Gang Members, nor Criminals. We are duly elected Congress people": Congressman Correa defends Hispanic Caucus after dismissal from I.C.E. meeting

Story by Yahoo News
Written by Michael Walsh

The White House is denying an Associated Press report that the Trump administration is proposing to assemble as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants. The news comes a day after two members of the congressional Hispanic Caucus were kicked out of a meeting with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement director.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) were outraged after they were barred from a meeting with Thomas Homan, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Thursday, at the request of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the speaker’s staffers asked CHC members to leave the meeting, which was about the execution of President Trump’s controversial immigration policy. The Democrats were seeking clarification about the scope of the reported raids and the arrests of undocumented immigrants.

“We are not thugs. We are not gang members. We are not criminals. We are duly elected U.S. Congress people,” Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., told Yahoo News. “Each one of us represents about 750,000 people. And for them to deny us, essentially, a meeting to clarify policy is an affront to our democratic system … and by the way, most of us don’t have tattoos either.”

Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., told Yahoo News via email that it’s absurd for Republican leadership to dictate the terms of their meetings.

“People in my community have been arrested by ICE and I have been asking for answers for days,” she wrote. “For ICE to agree to a meeting, set a day and time, and then at the last minute cancel it, then turn around and schedule it with Republicans instead is wrong. There was no reason for ICE not to have two meetings — a meeting with the CHC and a meeting with leadership. People in my community are scared to leave their home, they are scared to answer their doors. No one should feel this way.”

Later that day, in a statement that was at times incendiary and sarcastic, Gutiérrez said that not only are Trump’s “mass deportation” executive orders unprecedented, but so are the lengths to which Ryan and Goodlatte will go to control information provided to congressional representatives.

“I expect such dictatorial shenanigans from the Trump administration, but not from competent, compassionate legislators like Speaker Ryan or from legislators like Bob Goodlatte. Do they have earpieces feeding them orders from President Bannon or the others making decisions in the White House?”Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez, D-Ill., asked.

On Feb. 11, Gutiérrez and other Democratic members of Congress requested a meetingwith Homan to discuss recent immigration raids throughout the country. They said that the raids struck fear in immigrant communities, and their constituents requested clarity about ICE’s interpretation of Trump’s executive order and its enforcement methods.

A meeting scheduled for Tuesday was subsequently canceled and rescheduled for Thursday. Gutiérrez lamented the fact that Republicans took control of the meeting and made it invitation-only. Members of the CHC were told that any future requests to speak with ICE officials would need to go through the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee.

AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, told news outlets that the chair of the CHC, Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., had been invited to the meeting.

“The Speaker’s office organized a small bipartisan briefing that was, at the request of [the Department of Homeland Security], limited to members with jurisdictional interests in immigration enforcement,’ Strong said.

2017-02-16

WMAL 630am/105.9fm to carry the NFL's Washington Professional Football Team

Story by DCRTV

WMAL To Carry Washington's NFL Football Team - Cumulus news talker WMAL, 105.9 FM/630 AM, will carry Washington's Pro Football games starting this fall.

Games will continue to be carried on Red Zebra's sports talk ESPN 980, WTEM, which is owned by team owner Dan Snyder. "The broadcasts represent a homecoming of sorts, as Washington will return to the same WMAL airwaves on which the team's broadcasts aired as early as 1942," according to a Washington statement. WMAL carried the team through the early 1990s, when Washington moved to WJFK until 2008.

"In addition to carrying game broadcasts, WMAL will carry an hour of Washingtons' Network pregame show as well as an hour of Washingtons Radio Network postgame programming" on game days, the statement adds.

WTEM is also heard on 92.7 FM and 94.3 FM, in addition to 980 AM. "We are very excited to be partnering with WMAL to provide the Washington fans enhanced coverage of our games," says Terry Bateman, Washington chief marketing officer. "WMAL and the Washington organization have a long history together spanning six decades of the station carrying Washington's games.

We have maintained a strong relationship over the years and now look forward to working together again to provide comprehensive coverage of Washington Professional football for the Washington market." Adds Jake McCann, DC market manager for Cumulus, "We are excited and honored to be working with Washington again. Washington and WMAL were partners during the team's three glorious Super Bowl winning seasons. We look forward to bringing the combined assets of WMAL to this exciting, renewed partnership"...

2017-02-15

National Action Network Convention April 26-29 "Everything is at Stake" - Register -



SAVE THE DATE

Registration is now OPEN to attend National Action Network's 2017 National Convention in New York City.

Wednesday, April 26th - Saturday, April 29th

This year's convention theme is:
"Everything is at Stake"

You only have a few weeks to sign up to attend the largest civil rights convening of the year! Registration to attend the convention is absolutely FREE but you MUST preregister.

Register you, your family, and friends today.
For more information, call us at (877)626-4651, visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net

2017-02-13

Songs by the late Al Jarreau


Story by WTMJ4 Milwaukee - Al Jarreau's home town


Song: We're in this Love Together - Al Jarreau


Song: So Good - Al Jarreau


Song: Moonlighting - Al Jarreau


Commercial Time: Jarreau and Vesta (both legends no longer with us) "Scat" the Big Mac Theme.


Two departed Music Legends: Al Jarreau and Natalie Cole


Song: Roof Garden (Live) - Al Jarreau


Song: L is for Lovers - Al Jarreau


Song: Distracted - Al Jarreau "Lonely, Sad, and So Distracted"


Song: Take Five (Live in 1976) and more - Al Jarreau


Song: Spain - Al Jarreau


Song: Tell me - Al Jarreau


Best of Al Jarreau V1


Love Songs - Al Jarreau


Song: Mornin' - Al Jarreau

2017-02-12

Jazz Legend Al Jarreau Dead at 76 - Just days after being hospitalized for exhaustion, the incomparable vocalist passed away in Los Angeles


Al Jarreau performs during the 62nd edition of the Sanremo Song Festival, in Sanremo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Story by Ebony Magazine
Written by Britni Danielle

The singer’s manager, Joe Gordon, released a statement–which was shared with EBONY by reporter Darlene Hill–about the singer’s death.

Dear friends, family and colleagues,

Al Jarreau passed away this morning, at about 5:30am LA time. He was in the hospital, kept comfortable by Ryan, Susan, and a few of his family and friends.

Ryan and Susan will hold a small, private service at home, for immediate family only. No public service is planned yet, but I will inform you if that changes.

Ryan asks that no flowers or gifts are send to their home or office. Instead, if you are motivated to do so, please make a contribution to the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music, a wonderful organization which supports music opportunities, teachers, and scholarships for students in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin. A donation page is here. Even if you do not plan to contribute, please list that page and give yourself a few minutes to watch a beautiful tribute video that Wisconsin Public Television produced to honor Al when he received his lifetime achievement award in October.



Born and raised in Milwaukee, Jarreau’s unique singing style helped to make him one of jazz’s greatest vocalists. During college, where he received a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Jarreau performed with a local group called The Indigos before moving to San Francisco. There he hooked up with fellow jazz great George Duke to form a trio.

Inspired to pursue music full time, Jarreau moved south to Los Angeles, where he caught the eye of Warner Bros. talent scouts, who signed the singer to a recording contract. In Los Angeles, Jarreau’s career would take off after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album We Got By. In 1977, Jarreau would win his first of seven Grammy Awards for his live album, Look to the Rainbow.

Dubbed “the voice of versatility” by the Chicago Tribune, Jarreau released 16 studio albums, a host of live albums, and several compilations. The consummate performer, Jarreau constantly toured the world, dazzling audiences with his magical voice.

Jarreau passed away at a Los Angeles hospital early Sunday morning. The singer leaves behind his wife, Susan, and his son, Ryan. He was 76

2017-02-10

Stevie Wonder: PROs Squeezing on Indie Radio Owners.

Story by Inside Radio
Photo by Kris Conner

Stevie Wonder isn’t just a legendary musician, he’s also been the owner of urban AC “Radio Free 102.3” KJLH, Los Angeles for the past four decades. And that’s given him a unique perspective on the issue of music copyrights and royalties. Wonder, like all other broadcasters, has faced increased expenses this year as Global Music Rights joined fellow performance rights organizations ASCAP, BMI and SESAC in requiring stations sign a licensing agreement.

“What is happening to independent station owners is that we are facing higher costs to play the music our audience wants to hear, but with no decent explanation of the how and why these higher costs are justified,” Wonder writes in an op-ed in Billboard magazine. “We have societies that lose significant artists to other societies but make no adjustment in the fees they charge to stations for their remaining roster. It almost feels like we are paying for the same thing twice.”

Wonder says GMR and SESAC—the two for-profit entities not governed by the Department of Justice’s consent decrees that keep a lid on ASCAP and BMI—aren’t using a fair and open system to determine how much stations like KJLH pay songwriters. And as a standalone station owner Wonder says he doesn’t have any leverage to negotiate. “We have chaos, unfairness and inequity,” he writes.

As a songwriter himself, Wonder says he wants to make sure he and his brethren are treated fairly by music users but his outreach to the music community pulls from his experience as a radio station owner in urging the industry to find an economic model that works for both artists and broadcasters. “I am not suggesting that any of our performing rights organizations need to fold their tent, but I am concerned that the current state of affairs could lead to an even greater breakdown of fairness and equality among broadcasters that can’t afford ever increasing costs,” Wonder says.

His op-ed comes as the radio industry prepares to sit down and begin negotiating a new SESAC rate with a court-appointed arbitrator and as the Radio Music Licensing Committee remains locked in a pair of antitrust lawsuits with upstart GMR. “To me, this shouldn’t have to be left to a court to decide,” Wonder writes. “We are all in this creative community together, stations and artists, and we should be able to find ways to recognize the vital role we play in each other’s lives to everyone’s mutual benefit. But there needs to be give and take.”

In the meantime, the deadline for signing an interim license has now passed and GMR says many stations have signed interim contracts through Sept. 30 including several of the big operators such as Cumulus Media, CBS Radio, Cox Media Group, Emmis and Saga Communications. Two groups—iHeartMedia and Townsquare Media—earlier signed licensing deals for more than 1,100 stations with GMR.

Beyond copyrights and royalties, Wonder also makes the case for radio’s constant and continued role as an entertainment source. “Radio’s role in music is undeniable,” he writes. “Radio’s influence on the tastes of the masses is almost unmatched in reach and effect, primarily because of the ease and comfort afforded its listeners. And no matter how much current artists embrace new technology and platforms to spread their music, if you ask any one of them, they will still tell you that their biggest kick came from hearing their song on the radio for the first time.”

Trump tweets: "It's a Political decision and we're going to see them in Court"


Federal court upholds Travel Ban Suspension (Video: MSNBC)

Story/Video by NBC News
Written by Peter Alexander and Corky Stemaszko

Still regrouping from a federal appeals court's refusal to reinstate President Trump's controversial ban of nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries, White House lawyers are working on a rewrite of his executive order that could pass legal muster, NBC News has learned.

The work began several days before the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals shot down the White House's bid to lift a temporary restraining order on Trump's plan to bar nationals from Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Iraq and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, a senior administration official told NBC.

Trump's legal team still believes it will be eventually proven correct on the merits of the current executive order, the official said. And they are looking into several options, including continuing the court battle as well as signing a new immigration EO "very soon."

Several sources close to President Trump told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough that White House lawyers and working on language for the executive order that would be able to find favor with the federal courts.

Trump took to Twitter to voice his outrage Thursday minutes after the three-judge panel decided unanimously not to reinstate the ban.

"It's a political decision and we're going to see them in court," Trump told reporters.

The judges also dismissed Justice Department arguments that presidential decisions about immigration policy related to national security are not subject to legal review.

"There is no precedent to support his claimed unreviewability, which runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy," the judges wrote.

The ruling came in response to a ruling by a lower-court judge in Seattle who issued a temporary restraining order last Friday that blocked Trump's so-called "travel ban."

The DOJ argued that Trump had the authority to issue the order and that U.S. District Judge James Robart's restraining order was overly broad and a danger to the public.

The three judges on the panel disagreed.

After Trump's Jan. 27 executive order went into effect there was near immediate chaos at airports as green card holders, students and professors from the targeted countries were detained and barred from entering the country. Critics accused Trump of engineering an unconstitutional "Muslim ban."

Trump insisted it wasn't.

"This is not about religion," he said. "This is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order."

But Trump's argument was undercut by trusted adviser Rudy Giuliani who told Fox News Saturday Night that the president had talked to him about imposing a "Muslim ban" and asked his advice on "the right way to do it legally."

Not one of the Al Qaeda terrorists who launched the 9/11 attacks was from any of the seven countries.

2017-02-09

Federal appeals court refuses to reinstate Trump travel ban

Story by AP
Written by Sudhin Thanawala

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court refused Thursday to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, dealing another legal setback to the new administration's immigration policy.

In a unanimous decision, the panel of three judges from the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block a lower-court ruling that suspended the ban and allowed previously barred travelers to enter the U.S. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is possible.

The court rejected the administration's claim that it did not have the authority to review the president's executive order.

"There is no precedent to support this claimed unreviewability, which runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy," the court said.

The judges noted that the states had raised serious allegations about religious discrimination.

U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order halting the ban last week after Washington state and Minnesota sued. The ban temporarily suspended the nation's refugee program and immigration from countries that have raised terrorism concerns.

Justice Department lawyers appealed to the 9th Circuit, arguing that the president has the constitutional power to restrict entry to the United States and that the courts cannot second-guess his determination that such a step was needed to prevent terrorism.

The states said Trump's travel ban harmed individuals, businesses and universities. Citing Trump's campaign promise to stop Muslims from entering the U.S., they said the ban unconstitutionally blocked entry to people based on religion.

Both sides faced tough questioning during an hour of arguments Tuesday conducted by phone — an unusual step — and broadcast live on cable networks, newspaper websites and social media. It attracted a huge audience.

The judges hammered away at the administration's claim that the ban was motivated by terrorism fears, but they also challenged the states' argument that it targeted Muslims.

"I have trouble understanding why we're supposed to infer religious animus when, in fact, the vast majority of Muslims would not be affected," Judge Richard Clifton, a George W. Bush nominee, asked an attorney representing Washington state and Minnesota.

Only 15 percent of the world's Muslims are affected by the executive order, the judge said, citing his own calculations.

"Has the government pointed to any evidence connecting these countries to terrorism?" Judge Michelle T. Friedland, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, asked the Justice Department attorney.

The lower-court judge temporarily halted the ban after determining that the states were likely to win the case and had shown that the ban would restrict travel by their residents, damage their public universities and reduce their tax base. Robart put the executive order on hold while the lawsuit works its way through the courts.

After that ruling, the State Department quickly said people from the seven countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — with valid visas could travel to the U.S. The decision led to tearful reunions at airports round the country.

The Supreme Court has a vacancy, and there's no chance Trump's nominee, Neil Gorsuch, will be confirmed in time to take part in any consideration of the ban.

The ban was set to expire in 90 days, meaning it could run its course before the court would take up the issue. The administration also could change the order, including changing its scope or duration.

United States Senate confirms Jeff Sessions as United States Attorney General


The Senate on Feb. 8 confirmed Jeff Sessions as the next attorney general. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post)

Story by Washington Post
Written by Ellen Nakashima

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Jeff Sessions as the next attorney general, following a bitter debate in the chamber that saw Republicans formally rebuke Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for the manner in which she criticized her colleague from Alabama.

Sessions, a four-term U.S. senator, was the first senator to endorse Trump in February 2016, and his conservative, populist views have shaped many of the administration’s early policies, including on immigration.


The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Jan. 10. Here are key moments from that hearing. (Video: Sarah Parnass/Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senate-confirms-jeff-sessions-as-attorney-general/2017/02/08/051d58f6-ed72-11e6-9973-c5efb7ccfb0d_story.html?utm_term=.5d4bc5261c75

2017-02-08

Why Tamron Hall Walked Away from Today?: ‘She Wasn’t Going to Settle for Sitting on the Sidelines’


Broadcast Journalist Tamron Hall (left) formerly of the Today Show, and her replacement Megan Kelly (Noam Galai/WireImage; Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty)

Story by People Magazine February 8, 2017
Written by Janine Rubenstein

It’s a new day for journalist Tamron Hall.

Last week, news broke that the ever-bubbly co-anchor was suddenly leaving NBC and the Today show just days after learning she’d be losing her 9 a.m. time slot because of the incoming former Fox News star Megyn Kelly, joining the show in September.

The fallout from the news left many shocked and disappointed, including top brass at the network. “We are disappointed that she has chosen to leave but we wish her all of the best,” NBC said in a joint statement with Hall, who added she was “excited about the next chapter.”

But in this week’s issue of PEOPLE, sources reveal what really went wrong, and why Hall, 46, an accomplished journalist who for a decade had worked her way up through the ranks at NBC, felt compelled to walk away from her dream job.

Only a couple weeks ago, things seemed to be going extremely well for Hall. On top of anchoring gigs at MSNBC Live and Dateline, she’d recently been enjoying added exposure at Today, filling in early mornings during host Savannah Guthrie’s maternity leave and hosting the 9 a.m. hour alongside Al Roker following Billy Bush’s abrupt departure in October amid the election scandal.

“Just a few days before all of this happened, she received an email [from an exec] congratulating the team for being NUMBER ONE,” a source close to Hall tells PEOPLE, noting that the pair had managed to beat ABC’s long-running Live with Kelly in the ratings for several weeks. “Then all of a sudden, it was like it vanished: Megyn Kelly is coming onboard, and who’s going to have to move? Tamron. That’s who.”

But a source close to the situation insists Hall had long been made aware that her current time slot was not set in stone. “The idea that she could have been at all surprised rings totally false. In the brief period of time in which she has been part of the 9 a.m. hour ensemble, the ratings have only shrunk (the recent wins over Kelly Ripa were only because that show has tanked in the last several weeks. And no network is in the business of being the slowest sinking ship).”

The source continues, “Tamron was told many months ago, a long-term commitment could not be made to her regarding the 9 a.m. hour, but she was offered many millions of dollars to remain at Today and the network.” When it comes to her colleagues, the source contends that “The staff is hurt and bewildered, and thinks once again Tamron has put herself above the team.”


Tamron Hall with the Today Team (Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire/Getty)

Multiple sources tell PEOPLE that Hall was equal parts furious, hurt and offended that she was essentially losing her highest profile role to Kelly, with nothing being offered in its place. Hall saw the move as a “demotion” and she wasn’t alone. The National Association of Black Journalists decried NBC’s decision to trade Hall and Roker’s show for the staunch conservative stylings of a high-profile Fox News alum as “whitewashing.” (A rep for the network countered: “NBC News has a long and proven history as an industry leader in newsroom diversity.” The network later agreed to meet with representatives of NABJ to discuss the matter.)

As for Hall’s final decision to move on, “She wasn’t going to settle for sitting on the sidelines,” says the Hall source. In the end, “She basically said thank you, but no thank you,” adds the anchor’s good friend, TV writer-producer Mara Brock Akil, who used Hall as the muse for Gabrielle Union’s career-driven character on the hit BET show Being Mary Jane. “Tamron’s a woman of integrity,” she continues, “and she’s writing her own story.”

Hall’s story has always been one of ambition. Growing up in the small, rural town of Luling, Texas, “I wanted to be Johnny Carson,” she told PEOPLE last March in a revealing sit-down, opening up about her life and family tragedy (Hall’s sister Renate was murdered in 2004). “I was a nosy kid. I was journaling and interviewing neighbors when I was like 4 and 5,” she said.

Later, she found inspiration in the form of Dallas’ first African-American news anchor, Iola Johnson. “It wasn’t until I saw someone that looked like me that made me know I could do it,” she said.

Thus, when Today came calling, making her an official co-anchor in 2014, she was truly honored. “My mother called me and said ‘You know I was reading somewhere that you will be the first black woman to host the Today show ever’… I just started crying,” Hall told PEOPLE. “With all the adversities, there I was accomplishing something beyond anything that I imagined.”

She relished her unique position on the show. “I know it’s rare to have a single black woman on morning TV,” Hall told PEOPLE. “I love my job and the relationship I have with the viewers.” But now, as Hall mulls her next move, the self-proclaimed workaholic is finally getting some time to focus on herself. As her pal Brock Akil says, “She deserves it.”

Coretta Scott King's 1986 letter opposing Jeff Sessions' Nomination for Federal Judge


Coretta Scott King (Photo: Time Magazine)

***************************************************

THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CENTER
449 Auburn Avenue. NE. Attents. Georgia 30312
(404) 524-1956

March 19, 1986

The Honorable Strom Thurmond, Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary

United States Senate
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Re: Nomination of Jefferson B. Sessions
U.S. Judge, Southern/District of
Alabama Hearing, March 13, 1986

Dear Senator Thurmond:

I write to express my sincere opposition to the confirmation of Jefferson B. Sessions as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of Alabama. my professional and personal roots in Alabama are deep and lasting. Anyone who has used the power of his office as United States Attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens should not be elevated to our courts.

Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters. For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship. I regret that a long-standing commitment prevents me from appearing in person to testify against this nominee. However, I have attached a copy of my statement opposing Mr. Sessions' confirmation and I request that my statement as well as this letter be made a part of the hearing record.

I do sincerely urge you to oppose the confirmation of Mr. Sessions.


Sincerely,



Coretta Scott King

cc: The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
United States Senate
308 Senate Hart Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

***************************************************

Statement of Coretta Scott King
on the Nomination of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, III
for the United States District Court
Southern District of Alabama


Senate Judiciary Committee

Thursday, March 13, 1986

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to express my strong opposition to the nomination of Jefferson Sessions for federal district judgeship for the Southern District of Alabama. My longstanding commitment which I shared with my husband, Martin, to protect and enhance the rights of Black Americans, rights which include equal access to the democratic process, compels me to testify today.

Civil rights leaders, including my husband and Albert Turner, have fought long and hard to achieve free and unfettered access to the ballot box. Mr. Sessions has used-the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens in the district he now seeks to serve as a federal judge. This simply cannot be allowed to happen. Mr. Sessions' conduct as U.S. Attorney, from his politically-motivated voting fraud prosecutions to his indifference toward criminal violations of civil rights laws, indicates that he lacks the temperament, fairness and judgment to be a federal judge.

The Voting Rights Act was, and still is, vitally important to the future of democracy in the United States. I was privileged to join Martin and many others during the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights in 1965. Martin was particularly impressed by the determination to get the franchise of blacks in Selma and neighboring Perry County. As he wrote, "Certainly no community in the history of the Negro struggle has responded with the enthusiasm of Selma and her neighboring town of Marion. Where Birmingham depended largely upon students and unemployed adults [to participate in non?violent protest of the denial of the franchise], Selma has involved fully 10 per cent of the Negro population in active demonstrations, and at least half the Negro population of Marion was arrested on one day. Martin was referring of course to a group that included the defendants recently prosecuted for assisting elderly and illiterate blacks to exercise that franchise. In fact, Martin anticipated from the depth of their commitment twenty years ago, that a united political organization would remain in Perry County long after the Other marchers had left. This organization, the Perry County Civic League, started by Mr. Turner, Mr. Hogue, and others, as Martin predicted, continued "to direct the drive for votes and other rights." In the years since the Voting Rights Act was passed, Black Americans in Marion, Selma and elsewhere have made important strides in their struggle to participate actively in the electoral process. The number of Blacks registered to vote in key Southern states has doubled since 1965. This would not have been possible without the Voting Rights Act.

However, Blacks still fall far short of having equal participation in the electoral process. Particularly in the South. efforts continue to be made to deny Blacks access to the polls, even where Blacks constitute the majority of the voters. It has been a long up?hill struggle to keep alive the vital legislation that protects the most fundamental right to vote. A person who has exhibited so much hostility to the enforcement of those laws, and thus, to the exercise of those rights by Black people should not be elevated to the federal bench.

The irony of Mr. Sessions' nomination is that, if confirmed, he will be given life tenure for doing with a federal prosecution what the local sheriffs accomplished twenty years ago with clubs and cattle prods. Twenty years ago, when we marched from Selma to Montgomery, the fear of voting was real, as the broken bones and bloody heads in Selma and Marion bore witness. As my husband wrote at the time, "it was net just a sick imagination that conjured up the vision of a public official. sworn to uphold the law, who forced an inhuman march upon hundreds of Negro children; who ordered the Rev. James Bevel to be chained to his sickbed; who clubbed a Negro woman registrant. and who callously inflicted repeated brutalities and indignities upon nonviolent Negroes peacefully petitioning for their constitutional right to vote."

Free exercise of voting rights is so fundamental to American democracy that we can not tolerate any form of infringement of those rights. Of all the groups who have been disenfranchised in our nation?s history, none has struggled longer or suffered more in the attempt to win the vote than Black citizens. No group has had access to the ballot box denied so persistently and intently. Over the past century, a broad array of schemes have been used in attempts to block the Black vote. The range of techniques developed with the purpose of repressing black voting rights run the gamut from the-straightforward application of brutality against black citizens who tried to vote to such legalized frauds as ?grandfather clause" exclusions and rigged literacy tests.

The actions taken by Mr. Sessions in regard to the 1984 voting fraud prosecutions represent just one more technique used to intimidate Black voters and thus deny them this most precious franchise. The investigations into the absentee voting process were conducted only in the Black Belt counties where blacks had finally achieved political power in the local government. Whites had been using the absentee process to their advantage for years, without incident. Then, when Blacks; realizing its strength, began to use it with success, criminal investigations were begun.

In these investigations, Mr. Sessions, as U.S. Attorney, exhibited an eagerness to bring to trial and convict three leaders of the Perry County Civic League including Albert Turner despite evidence clearly demonstrating their innocence of any wrongdoing. Furthermore, in initiating the case, Mr. Sessions ignored allegations of similar behavior by whites, choosing instead to chill the exercise of the franchise by blacks by his misguided investigation. In fact, Mr. Sessions sought to punish older black civil rights activists, advisers and colleagues of my husband, who had been key figures in the civil rights movement in the 1960's. These were persons who, realizing the potential of the absentee vote among Blacks, had learned to use the process within the bounds of legality and had taught others to do the same. The only sin they committed was being too successful in gaining votes.

The scope and character of the investigations conducted by Mr. Sessions also warrant grave concern. Witnesses were selectively chosen in accordance with the favorability of their testimony to the government's case. Also, the prosecution illegally withheld from the defense critical statements made by witnesses. Witnesses who did testify were pressured and intimidated into submitting the "correct" testimony. Many elderly blacks were visited multiple times by the FBI who then hauled them over 180 miles by bus to a grand jury in Mobile when they could more easily have testified at a grand jury twenty miles away in Selma. These voters, and others, have announced they are now never going to vote again.

I urge you to consider carefully Mr. Sessions' conduct in these matters. Such a review, I believe, raises serious questions about his commitment to the protection of the voting rights of all American citizens and consequently his fair and unbiased judgment regarding;this fundamental right. When the circumstances and facts surrounding the indictments of Al Turner, his wife, Evelyn, and Spencer Hogue are analyzed, it becomes clear that the motivation was political, and the result frightening the wide?scale chill of the exercise of the ballot for blacks, who suffered so much to receive that right in the first place. Therefore, it is my Strongly~held view that the appointment of Jefferson Sessions to the federal bench would irreparably damage the work of my husband, A1 Turner, and countless others who risked their lives and freedom over the past twenty years to ensure equal participation in our democratic system.

The exercise of the franchise is an essential means by which our citizens ensure that those who are governing will be responsible. My husband called it the number one civil right. The denial of access to the ballot box ultimately results in the denial of other fundamental rights. For, it is only when the poor and disadvantaged are empowered that they are able to participate actively in the solutions to their own problems.

We still have a long way to go before we can say that minorities no longer need be concerned about discrimination at the polls. Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian Americans are grossly underrepresented at every level of government in America. If we are going to make our timeless dream of justice through democracy a reality, we must take every possible step to ensure that the spirit and intent of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution is honored.

The federal courts hold a unique position in our constitutional system, ensuring that minorities and other citizens without political power have a forum in.which to vindicate their rights. Because of this unique role, it is essential that the people selected to be federal judges respect the basic tenets of our legal system respect for individual rights and a commitment to equal justice for all. The integrity of the Courts, and thus the rights they protect, can only be maintained if citizens feel confident that those selected as federal judges will be able to judge with fairness others holding differing views.

I do not believe Jefferson Sessions possesses the requisite judgment, competence, and sensitivity to the rights guaranteed by the federal civil rights laws to qualify for appointment to the federal district court. Based on his record, I believe his confirmation would have a devastating effect on not only the judicial system in Alabama, but also on the progress we have made everywhere toward fulfilling my husband's dream that he envisioned over twenty years ago. I therefore urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to deny his confirmation.

I thank you for allowing me to share my views."

Link to Letter of Coretta Scott King denouncing Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, III:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3259988-Scott-King-1986-Letter-and-Testimony-Signed.html#document/p1

Saudi Aramco hires Moelis for historic two trillion dollar flotation

Saudi Aramco is responsible for one-ninth of the world's oil supply (Source: Tom Hanley/Alamy)

Story by The Telegraph
Written by Tim Wallace 

Oil titan Saudi Aramco has reportedly hired investment bank Moelis to work on its stock market flotation, which is set to be the biggest listing in history.

The appointment, which was reported by the Financial Times, is a major coup for New York-based boutique Moelis, which was founded just a decade ago.

It had to fight off stiff competition as dealmakers from around the world were all drawn to the prospect of working on the historic deal.

The appointment also shows that Saudi Aramco is making progress in its preparations for the float.

Government officials hope that the sale of a stake in Saudi Arabia’s national oil company will achieve a valuation of around $2 trillion (£1.6 trillion).

The initial public offering represents an important step in transforming the country’s economic structure, and is expected to pave the way for a wider shakeup of its energy strategy and investment plans.

The country has a plan, called Saudi Vision 2030, to reduce its dependence on oil revenues in the coming years.

One factor driving that strategy is the fall in oil prices in recent years. The price per barrel fell from more than $110 in mid-2014 to below $30 a year ago, before rising back to $55 per barrel currently.

Such large swings have serious implications for the kingdom’s finances, as do technological developments moving the world away from oil consumption and onto renewable and other sources of energy.

Saudi Aramco itself is responsible for one-ninth of the world’s entire oil supply, pumping more than 10m barrels of oil per day.

The company claims proven oil reserves amounting to 261.1 billion barrels, as well as 297.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves. It employs 61,000 staff around the world.

The shares will be listed in Riyadh, but the internal Saudi stock market is too small to absorb the flotation of such an enormous company.

As a result the company is also planning to list its shares in London, New York and Hong Kong  to gain better access to investors and traders from around the world.

2017-02-03

Michael Jackson performs halftime show at the 1993 Super Bowl in Pasadena, California USA; and also a full 1992 Live Concert from Bucharest, Romania


One of the best Super Bowl halftime performaces by the "King of Pop Michael Jackson." The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California hosted the January 31, 1993 Super Bowl. The Super Bowl halftime show ratings featuring Michael Jackson were higher than the Super Bowl football game ratings. James Earl Jones introduced the legend.

Note: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin sneaked out of the locker room to see the Michael Jackson performance.


Live Performance from Bucharest, Romania 1992.

2017-02-02

Entercom-CBS Radio Creates Much Bigger No. 2 in the Biz

Story by Inside Radio

When the blockbuster Entercom-CBS Radio merger closes in the second half of this year, the radio industry will boast a stronger No. 2 group owner in terms of revenue. While the pecking order of radio’s top titans won’t change, the wide gulf between No. 1 and No. 2 will be reduced considerably.

What Entercom CEO David Field calls a “transformative deal” will produce a footprint of 244 stations in 47 markets, including 23 of the top 25 markets. The CBS-fortified Entercom will claim pro forma revenues of $1.67 billion with the lion’s share ($1.22 billion) coming from CBS Radio and the remainder ($455 million) from Entercom. The merger will deliver $493 million in cash flow—$353 million from CBS Radio and $115 million from Entercom. (The remainder will come in the form of $25 million in expected cost synergies.)

“What has emerged is a stronger radio industry,” BIA/Kelsey chief economist Mark Fratrik said. “The combined Entercom-CBS Radio group would be closer to the size of the industry leader—iHeartMedia—which only can foster the radio industry’s ability to compete against its many new competitors.”

In terms of overall share, Entercom-CBS Radio cordoned off 12.6% of over-the-air radio ad dollars, compared to 18.5% for iHeart based on BIA/Kelsey’s 2015 estimates. The creation of a stronger No. 2 competitor against the No. 1 operator may help ease any worries that Department of Justice regulators have about allowing further consolidation in the radio advertising market.

As with any merger, one of the lures is the likelihood of significant cost cuts in the expense side of the ledger. Entercom told investors during a Thursday morning conference call to expect at least the $25 million in annual cost synergies within 12-18 months after the deal closes. The company did not say how many of those will come in the form of job cuts. Field said most of those cuts would come at the corporate level and that the $25 million was a “conservative” estimate.

Spinoffs, too, are unavoidable. To meet FCC local ownership caps, Entercom will need to unload about 15 stations, putting prime radio real estate on the block in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, San Diego and Sacramento. “Swaps are a very likely outcome here,” Field told investors.

With one of the strongest balance sheets in the business, Entercom was able to pull off the mega-deal without over-leveraging its capital structure. Entercom says its deal with CBS Radio will net a “strong and flexible capital structure” with a pro forma leverage of about 4.0X cash flow. That’s below the leverage of Townsquare Media (5.3X) and far below that of Cumulus Media (10.8X) and iHeart (11.0X).

Black History Month is now African American History Month

Story by TMZ

Donald Trump has changed Black History Month to National African American History month.

A senior administration official tells says that after meeting with African American leaders, he believed the consensus was that the term "Black" is outdated, and the more appropriate way to refer to the community is "African American."

The official added, Trump was mindful of the new addition to the Smithsonian ... the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Every U.S. president since 1976 had designated February as Black History Month.

Link to Proclamation: http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/newsdesk/tmz_documents/black-history-month.pdf

Trump administration eases sanctions against Russian intelligence service

Story by CNBC
Written by Jacob Pramuk

The Trump administration on Thursday eased sanctions on companies doing business with a Russian intelligence agency, despite the cyber-related sanctions the Obama administration brought in response to Moscow's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

The Treasury Department said it will allow American companies to make limited transactions with the FSB, the successor to the KGB, if it needs those to get approval to import or distribute information technology products in Russia. The exception will also apply to situations in which companies need to comply with rules administered by the FSB.

The implications of the move were not immediately clear, but the U.S. has made similar moves in the past to help businesses avoid unintended consequences. White House spokesman Sean Spicer called it routine and said it was not a change in policy or easing of the sanctions.

Then-President Barack Obama in December authorized sanctions on individuals it believes were involved in the alleged efforts to meddle in the election. The White House sanctioned nine entities and individuals: two Russian intelligence agencies including the FSB, four officers of its largest intelligence agency, GRU, and three companies that supported GRU's operations.

2017-02-01

Tamron Hall Chooses to Leave NBC News and MSNBC:

Story by Yahoo
Written by Aurelie Corinthios

Tamron Hall is leaving NBC News and MSNBC when her contract expires this month, the network announced Wednesday.

“Yesterday was her last day as an anchor on both networks,” reads a statement from NBC News. “Tamron is an exceptional journalist, we valued and enjoyed her work at Today and MSNBC and hoped that she would decide to stay. We are disappointed that she has chosen to leave, but we wish her all the best.”

“The last ten years have been beyond anything I could have imagined, and I’m grateful,” Hall, 46, said in a statement released via the network. “I’m also very excited about the next chapter. To all my great colleagues, I will miss you and I will be rooting for you.”

A source familiar with the situation tells PEOPLE that Hall was offered a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract to remain with the network but chose to leave.

Hall joined MSNBC and NBC in 2007, and became part of the Today team in 2014 as a co-anchor of Today’s Take, the morning show’s third hour. Hall also anchored MSNBC Live, a daily news program airing at 11:00 a.m. on MSNBC.

The news comes less than a week after PEOPLE learned that Megyn Kelly, who left Fox News last month for a new role at NBC NewsTodayShow, replacing the slot held by Hall and her co-anchor Al Roker. The news came as a surprise to several fans, who took to Twitter tovoice their disappointment.

Kelly will either take over Today’s third hour, or will take over Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb‘s 10:00 a.m. slot. If Kelly, 46, takes over the fourth hour, Gifford, 63, and Kotb, 52, will be bumped up to the 9:00 a.m. slot.

According to the network, Roker will continue host the third hour until the new morning lineup begins this fall.

In addition to her work on the morning show, Hall has also worked to bring awareness to domestic violence, highlighting the issue onDeadline: Crime with Tamron Hall, which airs on Investigation Discovery. She has earned an Edward R. Murrow Award for a story that aired on NBC News, as well as an Emmy in 2010 as a member of NBC News’ live inauguration coverage

Congressman Elijay Cummings (Md.) Statement on Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 1, 2017

Contact: Fabion Seaton (202) 225-4741
Cummings Statement on Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 1, 2017)—Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) issued the following statement on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court:

“Last year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans refused to perform their constitutional duty to advise and consent on President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick Garland. President Trump had an opportunity to unite our nation around a consensus pick like Judge Garland. Instead, he has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch, whose record on the bench puts him outside the legal mainstream.

“Now more than ever, our nation needs an independent Supreme Court that will defend the Constitution—not protect the interest of corporations and the powerful.

“Judge Gorsuch has consistently sided with corporate interests over working families, and he has spoken publicly and often about his contempt for ‘the Left’ and ‘liberals.’ I am not confident that if confirmed, Judge Gorsuch would defend marginalized communities’ right to equal protection. This gives me grave concerns. We cannot allow this to become the new normal.

“Before any vote is held on his confirmation, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to examine Judge Gorsuch’s record extremely carefully to ensure that he will defend the Constitution and working families. The American people deserve nothing less.”