Complete Order Of The 2019 NFL Draft

ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces a pick by the Washington Redskins during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Story by the Team980 Radio Station's Website

2019 NFL DRAFT

ROUND 1

1: Arizona Cardinals

2: San Francisco 49ers

3: New York Jets

4: Oakland Raiders

5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6: New York Giants

7: Jacksonville Jaguars

8: Detroit Lions

9: Buffalo Bills

10: Denver Broncos

11: Cincinnati Bengals

12: Green Bay Packers

13: Miami Dolphins

14: Atlanta Falcons

15: Washington Redskins

16: Carolina Panthers

17: Cleveland Browns

18: Minnesota Vikings

19: Tennessee Titans

20: Pittsburgh Steelers

21: Seattle Seahawks

22: Baltimore Ravens

23: Houston Texans

24: Oakland Raiders from Chicago Bears

25: Philadelphia Eagles

26: Indianapolis Colts

27: Oakland Raiders from Dallas Cowboys

28: Los Angeles Chargers

29: Kansas City Chiefs

30: Green Bay Packers from New Orleans Saints

31: Los Angeles Rams

32: New England Patriots

ROUND 2

2- 1-33 Arizona Cardinals

2- 2-34 Indianapolis Colts from New York Jets

2- 3-35 Oakland Raiders

2- 4-36 San Francisco 49ers

2- 5-37 New York Giants

2- 6-38 Jacksonville Jaguars

2- 7-39 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2- 8-40 Buffalo Bills

2- 9-41 Denver Broncos

2-10-42 Cincinnati Bengals

2-11-43 Detroit Lions

2-12-44 Green Bay Packers

2-13-45 Atlanta Falcons

2-14-46 Washington Redskins

2-15-47 Carolina Panthers

2-16-48 Miami Dolphins

2-17-49 Cleveland Browns

2-18-50 Minnesota Vikings

2-19-51 Tennessee Titans

2-20-52 Pittsburgh Steelers

2-21-53 Philadelphia Eagles from Baltimore Ravens

2-22-54 Houston Texans from Seattle Seahawks

2-23-55 Houston Texans

2-24-56 New England Patriots from Chicago Bears

2-25-57 Philadelphia Eagles

2-26-58 Dallas Cowboys

2-27-59 Indianapolis Colts

2-28-60 Los Angeles Chargers

2-29-61 Kansas City Chiefs

2-30-62 New Orleans Saints

2-31-63 Kansas City Chiefs from Los Angeles Rams

2-31-64 New England Patriots

ROUND 3

3- 1- 65 Arizona Cardinals

3- 2- 66 Oakland Raiders

3- 3- 67 San Francisco 49ers

3- 4- 68 New York Jets

3- 5- 69 Jacksonville Jaguars

3- 6- 70 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3- 7- Choice Forfeited by New York Giants

3- 8- 71 Denver Broncos

3- 9- 72 Cincinnati Bengals

3-10- 73 New England Patriots from Detroit Lions

3-11- 74 Buffalo Bills

3-12- 75 Green Bay Packers

3-13- 76 Washington Redskins

3-14- 77 Carolina Panthers

3-15- 78 Miami Dolphins

3-16- 79 Atlanta Falcons

3-17- 80 Cleveland Browns

3-18- 81 Minnesota Vikings

3-19- 82 Tennessee Titans

3-20- 83 Pittsburgh Steelers

3-21- 84 Seattle Seahawks

3-22- 85 Baltimore Ravens

3-23- 86 Houston Texans

3-24- 87 Chicago Bears

3-25- 88 Detroit Lions from Philadelphia Eagles

3-26- 89 Indianapolis Colts

3-27- 90 Dallas Cowboys

3-28- 91 Los Angeles Chargers

3-29- 92 Kansas City Chiefs

3-30- 93 New York Jets from New Orleans Saints

3-31- 94 Los Angeles Rams

3-32- 95 Cleveland Browns from New England Patriots

3-33- 96 Washington Redskins (Compensatory Selection)

3-34- 97 New England Patriots (Compensatory Selection)

3-35- 98 Jacksonville from Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection)

3-36- 99 Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection)

3-37-100 Carolina Panthers (Compensatory Selection)

3-38-101 New England Patriots (Compensatory Selection)

3-39-102 Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory Selection)

ROUND 4

4- 1-103 Arizona Cardinals

4- 2-104 San Francisco 49ers

4- 3-105 New York Jets

4- 4-106 Oakland Raiders

4- 5-107 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

4- 6-108 New York Giants

4- 7-109 Jacksonville Jaguars

4- 8-110 Cincinnati Bengals

4- 9-111 Detroit Lions

4-10-112 Buffalo Bills

4-11-113 Denver Broncos

4-12-114 Green Bay Packers

4-13-115 Carolina Panthers

4-14-116 Miami Dolphins

4-15-117 Atlanta Falcons

4-16-118 Green Bay Packers from Washington Redskins

4-17-119 Cleveland Browns

4-18-120 Minnesota Vikings

4-19-121 Tennessee Titans

4-20-122 Pittsburgh Steelers

4-21-123 Baltimore Ravens

4-22-124 Seattle Seahawks

4-23-125 Denver Broncos from Houston Texans

4-24-126 Chicago Bears

4-25-127 Philadelphia Eagles

4-26-128 Dallas Cowboys

4-27-129 Indianapolis Colts

4-28-130 Los Angeles Chargers

4-29-131 Buffalo Bills from Kansas City Chiefs

4-30-132 New York Giants from New Orleans Saints

4-31-133 Los Angeles Rams

4-32-134 New England Patriots

4-33-135 Indianapolis Colts (Compensatory Selection)

4-34-136 Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Selection)

4-35-137 Atlanta Falcons (Compensatory Selection)

4-36-138 Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory Selection)

ROUND 5

5- 1-139 Arizona Cardinals

5- 2-140 New York Jets

5- 3-141 Oakland Raiders

5- 4-142 New York Giants from San Francisco 49ers through Detroit Lions

5- 5-143 New York Giants

5- 6-144 Cleveland Browns from Jacksonville Jaguars

5- 7-145 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5- 8-146 Detroit Lions

5- 9-147 Buffalo Bills

5-10-148 Denver Broncos

5-11-149 Cincinnati Bengals

5-12-150 Green Bay Packers

5-13-151 Miami Dolphins

5-14-152 Atlanta Falcons

5-15-153 Washington Redskins

5-16-154 Carolina Panthers

5-17-155 Cleveland Browns

5-18-156 Denver Broncos from Minnesota Vikings

5-19-157 Tennessee Titans

5-20-158 Buffalo Bills from Pittsburgh Steelers through Oakland Raiders

5-21-159 Seattle Seahawks

5-22-160 Baltimore Ravens

5-23-161 Houston Texans

5-24-162 Chicago Bears

5-25-163 Philadelphia Eagles

5-26-164 Indianapolis Colts

5-27-165 Dallas Cowboys

5-28-166 Los Angeles Chargers

5-29-167 Kansas City Chiefs

5-30-168 New Orleans Saints

5-31-169 Los Angeles Rams

5-32-170 Cleveland Browns from New England Patriots

5-33-171 New York Giants (Compensatory Selection)

5-34-172 Atlanta Falcons (Compensatory Selection)

5-35-173 Washington Redskins (Compensatory Selection)

ROUND 6

6- 1-174 Arizona Cardinals

6- 2-175 Pittsburgh Steelers from Oakland Raiders

6- 3-176 San Francisco 49ers

6- 4-177 New Orleans Saints from New York Jets

6- 5-178 Jacksonville Jaguars

6- 6-179 Arizona Cardinals from Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6- 7-180 New York Giants

6- 8-181 Buffalo Bills

6- 9-182 Denver Broncos

6-10-183 Cincinnati Bengals

6-11-184 Detroit Lions

6-12-185 Green Bay Packers

6-13-186 Atlanta Falcons

6-14- Choice Forfeited by Washington Redskins

6-15-187 Carolina Panthers

6-16-188 Miami Dolphins

6-17-189 Cleveland Browns

6-18-190 Minnesota Vikings

6-19-191 Baltimore Ravens from Tennessee Titans

6-20-192 Pittsburgh Steelers

6-21-193 Baltimore Ravens

6-22-194 Green Bay Packers from Seattle Seahawks

6-23-195 Houston Texans

6-24-196 Oakland Raiders from Chicago Bears

6-25-197 Philadelphia Eagles

6-26-198 Cincinnati Bengals from Dallas Cowboys

6-27-199 Indianapolis Colts

6-28-200 Los Angeles Chargers

6-29-201 Kansas City Chiefs

6-30-202 New Orleans Saints

6-31-203 Los Angeles Rams

6-32-204 Detroit Lions from New England Patriots

6-33-205 New England Patriots (Compensatory Selection)

6-34-206 Washington Redskins (Compensatory Selection)

6-35-207 Arizona Cardinals (Compensatory Selection)

6-36- 208 Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory Selection)

6-37-209 Minnesota Vikings (Compensatory Selection)

6-38-210 Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory Selection)

6-39-211 Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory Selection)

6-40-212 San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection)

6-41-213 Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory Selection)

6-42-214 Kansas City Chiefs (Compensatory Selection)

ROUND 7

7- 1-215 Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Arizona Cardinals

7- 2-216 Kansas City Chiefs from San Francisco 49ers

7- 3-217 New York Jets

7- 4-218 Oakland Raiders

7- 5-219 Pittsburgh Steelers from Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7- 6-220 Houston Texans from New York Giants through Denver Broncos

7- 7-221 Cleveland Browns from Jacksonville Jaguars

7- 8-222 Chicago Bears from Denver Broncos through Philadelphia Eagles

7- 9-223 Cincinnati Bengals

7-10-224 Detroit Lions

7-11-225 Buffalo Bills

7-12-226 Green Bay Packers

7-13-227 Washington Redskins

7-14-228 Buffalo Bills from Carolina Panthers

7-15-229 Detroit Lions from Miami Dolphins

7-16-230 Atlanta Falcons

7-17-231 New Orleans Saints from Cleveland Browns

7-18-232 New York Giants from Minnesota Vikings

7-19-233 Tennessee Titans

7-20-234 Miami Dolphins from Pittsburgh Steelers through Cleveland Browns

7-21-235 Oakland Raiders from Seattle Seahawks

7-22-236 Jacksonville Jaguars from Baltimore Ravens

7-23-237 Denver Broncos from Houston Texans

7-24-238 Chicago Bears

7-25-239 New England Patriots from Philadelphia Eagles

7-26-240 Indianapolis Colts

7-27-241 Dallas Cowboys

7-28-242 Los Angeles Chargers

7-29-243 New England Patriots from Kansas City Chiefs through San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns

7-30-244 New Orleans Saints

7-31-245 New York Giants from Los Angeles Rams

7-32-246 New England Patriots

7-33-247 Minnesota Vikings (Compensatory Selection)

7-34-248 Arizona Cardinals (Compensatory Selection)

7-35-249 Arizona Cardinals (Compensatory Selection)

7-36-250 Minnesota Vikings (Compensatory Selection)

7-37-251 Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection)

7-38-252 New England Patriots (Compensatory Selection)

7-39-253 Washington Redskins (Compensatory Selection)

7-40-254 Arizona Cardinals (Compensatory Selection)

Radio One Elevates Kashon Powell to Vice President of Programming

Story by Radio One

Kashon Powell, named the first female Vice President of Programming for Radio One

(Washington, DC – February, 26, 2019) – Tuesday, February 26, 2019, Urban One announced Radio One/Washington, D.C., Operations Manager, Kashon Powell has been named Vice President of Programming. As such, she will be the first woman to hold this position for Urban One.

As Vice President of Programming, Powell will oversee the programming strategies for the D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, markets. In addition, she will continue to manage the six station D.C. cluster; WMMJ-FM, WKYS-FM, WPRS-FM, WYCB-AM, WTEM-AM and WOL-AM, as well as continue programming for WMMJ and syndicated programs, The Russ Parr Morning Show and Love and R&B with John Monds.


Powell began her radio career in 1992 at KBXX-FM in Houston, TX as Research Assistant and worked her way through the ranks to become the first female Program Director for the station. In 2002 she was named Urban Editor for Radio & Records (R&R) in Los Angeles, CA. Powell joined Clear Channel/Philadelphia (now iHeart) in 2004 as Assistant Program Director/Music Director and was soon promoted to Program Director for WUSL-FM and WDAS-FM. She would later move on to serve as iHeart’s Director of Urban Programming for Virginia, which included WOWI-FM, WKSA-FM, and WBTJ-FM. In 2015, Powell joined Radio One/Washington D.C. as Program Director of MAJIC 102.3 and 92.7 and two years later was promoted to Operations Manager of the cluster.


“I’m honored to be entrusted with the programming and content creation of stations with such rich tradition and culture. I’m thrilled to be a part of the brain trust that continues to cultivate content across our numerous programming platforms” said Powell.

CEO of Radio One, David Kantor said, “I’m delighted to have Kashon in this position. Not only has she proved to be an outstanding programmer with the huge success of our Washington cluster but it will be great to have the voice of a woman, our primary demographic, among our senior programmers. I know Kashon’s contributions to the company will be enormous.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About Urban One, Inc.:

Urban One, Inc. (urban1.com), together with its subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in the United States. The Company owns TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television network serving more than 59 million households, offering a broad range of original programming, classic series and movies designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. As one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting companies, Urban One currently owns and/or operates 59 broadcast stations (including HD stations we operate) branded under the tradename “Radio One” in 15 urban markets in the United States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates syndicated programming including the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show and the DL Hughley Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast assets, Urban One owns iOne Digital (ionedigital.com), our wholly owned digital platform serving the African-American community through social content, news, information, and entertainment websites, including its Cassius, Bossip, HipHopWired and MadameNoire digital platforms and brands. We also have invested in a minority ownership interest in MGM National Harbor, a gaming resort located in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Through our national multi-media operations, we provide advertisers with a unique and powerful delivery mechanism to the African-American and urban audiences.

Urban One honors on TV One Thursday Night February 28th. at 8pm

Spike Lee slams 'Green Book' as best picture: 'The ref made a bad call!'

Spike Lee attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball with his Oscar for best adapted screenplay. (Photo11: ROBYN BECK, AFP/Getty Images)

Spike Lee was not pleased with "Green Book" winning best picture.

The "BlacKkKlansman" writer-director was sipping champagne backstage at the Academy Awards, where he won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay. But he had some choice words for "Green Book" which beat his film out for best picture.

"I thought I was court-side at the Garden," he said. "The ref made a bad call.”

Lee has some history here. His 1989 film "Do The Right Thing" was not nominated for best picture the year "Driving Miss Daisy" won the best picture Oscar. The dramedy dealt with a wealthy white woman (Jessica Tandy) learning from her black chauffeur (Morgan Freeman).



Director Peter Farrelly's "Green Book" focuses on a black jazz pianist (played by Mahershala Ali) who hires white driver and bodyguard (Viggo Mortensen) to drive through the deep South. The drama-comedy won three Oscars, including best supporting actor for Ali, best original screenplay and best picture.

“I’m snake-bit. Every time someone’s driving somebody I lose. They changed the seating arrangement," said Lee. "But in ‘89, I didn’t get nominated (for best picture). But this one we did."

The animated Lee gave respect to the diversity in the Oscar show, which saw his first non-honorary Oscar win. He paid respect to April Reign, who started the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag that went viral after 2017's nominations, and former Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who was key to expanding the Academy membership to make it more diverse.

2019 Academy Awards upsets

Story by Daily Mail

It was a night of upsets at The Oscars.

Green Book earned the top honor of the night - Best Picture - with a win over heavy favorite Roma as Olivia Colman beat out Glenn Close and Lady Gaga to win Best Actress.

Colman, 45, earned one of the highest honors a the 91st Annual Academy Awards in acting for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite as she beat out Close, 71, whom many predicted would would reign victorious for her role in The Wife.

The British actress praised Close during her acceptance speech at the gala event held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California on Sunday as she said: 'You've been my idol for so long, and this is not how I wanted it to be. I think you're amazing. I love you very much.'

Receiver Antonio Brown and Pittsburgh Steelers President meet, agree this it's 'time to move on'

Had a great meeting with Mr.Rooney today we discussed a lot of things and we cleared the air on several issues! We both agreed that it is time to move on but I’ll always have appreciation and gratitude towards the Rooney family and @steelers organization! #CallGod #Boomin pic.twitter.com/DEgURchvhW

— Antonio Brown (@AB84) February 19, 2019

Story by ESPN
Written by Jeremy Fowler

PITTSBURGH -- The Antonio Brown trade saga is getting much-needed clarity after the All-Pro receiver met with Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II on Tuesday.

Brown tweeted that both sides "agreed that it is time to move on."

Brown's agent Drew Rosenhaus joined the meeting, as did Steelers GM Kevin Colbert and executive Omar Khan, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The meeting was cordial and "everyone agreed the trade will be for the best," a source told Schefter.

Rooney told reporters last month that he wanted to hear directly from Brown on what went wrong.

Brown, who first requested a trade in late January, tweeted it was a "great meeting" and that he and Rooney "cleared the air on several issues."

Rosenhaus told ESPN's NFL Live that he doesn't have permission to talk to other teams or work on a trade and that the "whole trade effort" is being run by the Steelers.

"They have the ability to talk to other teams right now and find the best deal for them," Rosenhaus told ESPN. "We hope they get a great amount of compensation. We want everybody to win here. it would be great for the Steelers to get what they deem fair compensation for Antonio, and for Antonio to find a new team at this point. And we reap all the positives from that. So that is where it is."

The tweet followed an Instagram video posted by Brown, who said he's not playing without more guaranteed money and reinforced his desire to be traded by the Steelers.

"If your squad out there want to win and your squad want a hungry wide receiver who's the best in the whole world, someone hit my phone," Brown said into his phone camera while working on an elliptical. "Tell them I ain't doing no unguarantees. I ain't even gonna play myself no more for this NFL, you heard."

Brown has no more true guarantees left on his current deal. The five-year, $72.7 million extension he signed in 2017 includes base salaries of $12.625 million, $11.3 million and $12.5 million. Those relatively modest numbers are considered a selling point in a trade. Brown is due a $2.5 million roster bonus on March 17, but the Steelers could avoid payment by trading or releasing him before that date.

NFL contracts can be reworked, so Brown can ask a new team to convert salaried money into guarantees -- a strategy the Steelers used twice with Brown in the past, converting future money into a signing bonus. But teams hold the power since he's under contract. Brown's only true leverage is threatening to hold out.

Rosenhaus told ESPN that "Antonio was clear about what he's looking for" and this is "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for another football team."

Brown turns 31 in July, and the Steelers are making receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster a focal point of the offense. The team would take on $21.12 million in dead money by releasing or trading Brown but would offset that money by saving on his $22.165 million salary-cap figure for 2019.

Brown, who said he'd like to be known as "Mr. Big Chest" from now on, remains unfazed.

"I think I done done everything. What y'all think? What's left for me to do?" Brown said. "Win a Super Bowl? Hey, gotta be the right team for that, right? Who wants smoke? I've got a lot of fuel built up. When this fuel turns to smoke, hope you're in shape, hope you're ready to go the distance. I'm telling you, I'm ready to go 36 rounds, like a heavyweight, ya heard. ...

"If your team got guaranteed money, tell them call me. AB can't do no more unguarantees. So we clear. I want ya'll to be clear and understand something. This is not a game, people. This is not for show; this is not to be cool. This is strictly to inspire you that no one can determine your destination but you."

Sources have maintained that the Steelers will be patient with any deal and will want a high draft pick in return for Brown, who holds an NFL-record six consecutive 100-catch seasons.

Brown has been doing his best to put public pressure on the Steelers, thanking fans for nine years with the team and fielding questions on Twitter. In a question-and-answer session Saturday, Brown said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has an "owner mentality" for calling out players and coaches without repercussion and that coach Mike Tomlin told the team that Brown quit in Week 17 while he was hurt.

Pop, Prince and Black Panthers: the glorious life of Chaka Khan

Story by London, England's "The Guardian"
Written by Alexis Petridis

The self-described ‘alpha chick’ has weathered addiction, dodgy managers and the death of Prince to remain as funky as ever. She describes how she went from gun-toting activist to teetotal vegan.
________________________________

Chaka Khan has a question. “What’s that TV show, where it’s just families sitting down and looking at the TV? Chat Box?” Gogglebox? She claps her hands delightedly. “Gogglebox – oh, I love that! And that quiz programme where the enforcer comes on and it’s like a big black guy, or a big woman.”

Erm, The Chase? With Bradley Walsh? She nods. “So good. I like funny shit.”

It goes without saying that I didn’t expect to end up discussing Bradley Walsh when I arrived to interview Khan, a woman who could call herself the Queen of Funk without much fear of starting an argument. A minute ago, we were talking about her vast influence over modern music, something that is evident from her new album, Hello Happiness, a collaboration with the producers Sarah Ruba and Switch, the latter best known for his work with MIA and Major Lazer. It is audibly the work of people who, as Khan puts it, “made it abundantly clear that they didn’t have to Google me”. Its sound is based on an intricate knowledge of her back catalogue – the vivid funk she recorded with Rufus 40 years ago, the effervescent disco of her early solo albums, the electronic dance-pop of her biggest hits – and given a subtle 21st-century makeover.

Khan was telling me that she was less aware of her influence than she might be, because she doesn’t really listen to music at home, preferring to relax in front of the telly. And now here we are, talking about Gogglebox and The Chase.

It is certainly an unexpected turn of events, but nothing about Khan’s life or career seems straightforward. She was born Yvette Stevens 65 years ago in Hyde Park, a progressive, bohemian, racially mixed “island amid the madness” of 50s and 60s Chicago: “A great city, very rich in terms of the arts, but it’s so racist it’s hard get to the friggin’ arts if you’re black. You have to grow up in a specialised community, which mine was.” Her mother was a strict Catholic, but her father was a beatnik: “My sister and I used to go on his nocturnal excursions by the lake in the park. The weed was thick in the air, the wine bottles were flowing, music was playing – as tight as it was, I had a pretty magical life.”

Her father remarried, to a civil rights activist who encouraged Khan to speak at rallies; by the age of 14, she had been recruited by the Black Panthers. “I was a kid, so they really just had me selling the Panther paper on the corner, barefoot in jeans. I was totally against all the sock hops and shit my school had to offer to keep the natives quiet. We used to call them ‘slave gatherings’. So, I had my combat boots on, my green khaki pants. I didn’t feel in danger – it wasn’t like that. We were doing the right thing. However, when a gun came into my hands, a .38 that I hid in my room … I’m telling you, every moment I had that gun it changed me. I felt physically sick. I threw it away into Botany’s Pond by Chicago University, then I felt better. That finished me with the Panthers.”

Instead, she concentrated on her musical career, singing jingles, performing with a succession of bands in the clubs around Chicago’s Rush Street before landing a gig with a racially mixed funk band called Rufus. “The thing back then was to have a white band with a black chick out front – that was major money, made the club owners interested.” She laughs mordantly. “Another racist phase that passed through Chicago.”

With Khan on vocals, Rufus were an immediate sensation: she had both a hell of a voice and a precocious, raw stage presence. She was 17 years old when they were offered her a record deal, still legally a child. When her mother refused to sign the contract on her behalf, she got married to her boyfriend, lying to her parents that she was pregnant. By the time of their first hit, 1974’s Stevie Wonder-penned Tell Me Something Good, she actually was. “Yeah, everything happened to me like that: bam. And, yeah, it left some scars, created some bad habits. Why wouldn’t it?”

Despite their success – six gold or platinum albums in five years, 25 hit singles on the US R&B chart – Rufus were a highly combustible band. There were endless line-up changes. There were fistfights in the studio, issues with managers. “I had nothing but rip-off artists, until just lately,” she sighs. The atmosphere wasn’t much helped when the record label started billing the band as Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, or by tension between the band members and Khan’s second husband, Richard Holland. “They didn’t want me to have a husband,” she shrugs. “When the band first went on tour, every night, after a gig, they would all do a walk-through of my room to make sure I was by myself. They didn’t care who it was – no one could come and visit me. They were just very possessive of their little diamond.”

Eventually, Khan struck out on her own, scoring an immediate hit with the Ashford & Simpson-penned I’m Every Woman. She kept making albums with Rufus out of “guilt”, although the results were often spectacular, not least 1979’s superlative Masterjam; ironically, their biggest hit together – 1983’s Ain’t Nobody – came after Khan had left for good. Her solo career was soaring. With the producer Arif Mardin, she made a succession of wonderful albums, on which, as she characteristically puts it, “every song’s a motherfucker”. She was prodigiously, intuitively talented – unable to read music, she would nevertheless arrange her own songs, singing the notes she wanted to the horn and string sections – and remarkably adaptable, throwing out albums of jazz standards alongside collaborations with Rick James. Just as Rufus had transitioned seamlessly from funk to disco, so Khan survived the disco backlash with barely a scratch.

But behind the scenes, Khan’s life was going haywire. She ended up locked in battles with her record label. “Assholes,” she says, flatly. “They didn’t know how to work me, what category to put me in. Hell, they didn’t have a clue. I get it – no category. That means do everything – let’s do it all! But, see, that’s too much work for them. I went in one time, they’d hired another A&R, who told me: ‘We need you to sound like Mary J Blige.’ I said: ‘You motherfuckers need to get Mary J Blige then, and leave me alone.’ That’s when I really decided, ‘I’m done.’”

She struggled with addiction – to cocaine, heroin and alcohol – for most of her adult life. Remarkably, it did not seem to interfere with her career: by her own admission, she was “getting fucked up” throughout her commercial peak. “Very good at compartmentalising,” she nods. “All through the 80s, I knew when to abstain, I really did. I had lines of demarcation in my life, and I practised them. And, also, I was very aware of my health; that was important to me. When I was with the Panthers, my girlfriends and I were all into breaking our own bread, taking our herbs, fasting one week out of every month. So there were certain other habits I got that I never did stop. It was the healthy living that brought me through drugs alive, I’m sure of it. I would get massively fucked-up for a couple of weeks and then I’d take, like, a herbal shut-down where I’d stop and just go on plants. So that helped me a lot.”

She says her last bout in rehab – for an addiction to opiate painkillers prescribed after a knee replacement operation – was provoked by the death of Prince in 2016. They were close friends – he wrote her 1984 UK No 1 I Feel For You, and they regularly collaborated. She signed to his NPG label in the late 90s, resulting in the brilliant overlooked album Come 2 My House – although her interactions with him seem to have been as bizarre as everyone else’s. They met when he rang her hotel room in San Francisco, pretending, for reasons best known to himself, to be Sly Stone. “I could have sworn it was Sly; Sly and I were very close. He said: ‘I’m at a studio in Marin County doing this album, do you want to come?’ So I drove for 100 years and get in there and it’s like dark and sterile and very eerie. There’s this little guy with a guitar. I said: ‘Excuse me, where’s Sly?’ and he put his guitar down and said: ‘I’m sorry, that was me.’ ‘Well, who the fuck are you?’ I was truly pissed about this. He told me who he was, I said: ‘OK, nice meeting you, but I’m really pissed now, so goodbye’, and I left.”

She says she had no idea of the extent of the Prince’s own issues with painkillers. “I never, ever got any indication that he was on pills. I knew he was doing certain things, I knew he had a couple of bouts with acid and all that. That’s OK. A one-off here and there, you got the money, you ain’t working. You like acid – go do it. But he was totally against drinking; he’d drink red wine occasionally, not a lot. He starved himself – he wouldn’t eat unless it was this or that; he was very particular. What comes to mind is someone who was very health conscious as opposed to …” Her voice trails off and she shakes her head. “Secrets kill. Secrets kill, and if he hid from me for so many years where he was really at, and I was like his confidante in many ways, you know … It’s hard to keep a secret like that from me. So I learned a lot, you know. I just said: ‘I better go check myself.’ And I’m alive maybe because he’s dead. I went to a doctor and I said, ‘Here’s the deal’, and he told me there are certain pains you’ve just got to live with, that’s part of life.”

These days, she is a teetotal vegan, her only vice the packet of cigarettes on the table in front of her. In recent years she has spent much of her time raising her granddaughter – she won permanent custody after reporting her son and his partner as incapable due to drug addiction – whom she describes as “my best investment”, and whose own lack of musical ambition seems to delight her. “I love it – she’s not interested in my fucking shit. I can’t get her to come to a concert and see me sing all about her – she wouldn’t give a damn. She doesn’t care. She wants to be a doctor. She’s so in the right place.”

And so, Khan says, is she; despite the turbulence of her past, “at 65, I’m still looking forward to shit”, she laughs. Hello Happiness “has put a new spark in my career”. There’s a forthcoming collection of Joni Mitchell covers to think about, as well as her charitable foundation, which works with autistic children and is currently engaged in trying to re-establish the after-school music programme in Minnesota “that Prince went to when he was a kid, where he got a chance to play with older cats all the time. We’re just trying to play forward Prince’s dream – the shit that saved him may save others.”

And she is currently engaged in a battle with the aforementioned assholes at her old label over the rights to her back catalogue. “After 30 years, your shit should automatically return to you, but they’re trying to fight me on that. But not to worry, darling. I’ll be all right. I will be. I’ll be fine.” She lets out a throaty laugh. “You know,” she says, “I’m kind of an alpha chick.”

• Hello Happiness is released on 15 February

U.S. House Majority Whip Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC.) Reacts to President Trump’s National Emergency Declaration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 15, 2019
CONTACT: Hope Derrick, Hope.Derrick@mail.house.gov, 202-226-3210
Ryan Daniels, Ryan.Daniels@mail.house.gov

Clyburn Reacts to President’s National Emergency Declaration

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn issued the following statement today on the President’s national emergency declaration:

“The President’s declaration of a manufactured national emergency in order to erect an ineffective, wasteful, and medieval wall sets a dangerous precedent. All of us who have taken an oath to the Constitution must challenge this egregious abuse of power and uphold the checks and balances that are the foundation of our republic.”

Representative for Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid jointly announce with NFL resolution to collusion grievance

Story by ESPN
Written by Kevin Seifert

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid have reached a settlement with the NFL concerning their collusion grievances against the league, it was announced Friday.

"For the past several months, counsel for Mr. Kaepernick and Mr. Reid have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the NFL," attorney Mark Geragos and the NFL said in a joint statement issued Friday. "As a result of those discussions, the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances. The resolution of this matter is subject to a confidentiality agreement so there will be no further comment by any party."

Kaepernick filed a grievance in October 2017 under the collective bargaining agreement, alleging collusion against signing him to an NFL contract.

The filing, which demanded an arbitration hearing on the matter, said the NFL and its owners "have colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick's leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice and his bringing awareness to peculiar institutions still undermining racial equality in the United States."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, along with several owners and at least two other NFL executives, were selected to be deposed and asked to turn over all cellphone records and emails in relation to Kaepernick's case against the NFL.

Kaepernick drew national attention in 2016 when he knelt during the national anthem before games to protest social injustice. His kneeling led to a movement that has spread throughout the league while also being vilified by some, including President Donald Trump.

Reid was the first player to join Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

Kaepernick has not been with an NFL team since severing his contract with the 49ers in March 2017. Reid, who played for the 49ers from 2013 to 2017, signed with the Panthers before the team's fourth game of the 2018 season and received a three-year deal earlier this week worth more than $22 million.

Kaepernick and Reid faced a difficult challenge to meet the burden of proof for collusion as defined in the league's CBA. The statute makes clear that unemployment alone does not mean collusion occurred.

According to the CBA: "The failure by a club or clubs to negotiate, to submit offer sheets, or to sign contracts with restricted free agents or transition players, or to negotiate, make offers, or sign contracts for the playing services of such players or unrestricted free agents, shall not, by itself or in combination only with evidence about the playing skills of the player(s) not receiving any such offer or contract, satisfy the burden of proof set forth ...."

To prove collusion, according to the CBA, Kaepernick and Reid would have had to show that a "club, its employees or agents" had "entered into an agreement" to restrict or limit whether to offer them a contract.

Kaepernick did not go through the NFL Players Association in filing the grievance but instead hired Geragos, who has represented several high-profile clients, including Michael Jackson, former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield and musician Chris Brown. The NFLPA offered Kaepernick its support and reiterated its readiness to assist him, "as we do all players."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Kaepernick settlement: Happy he got some finality from CNBC.

The NFLPA on Friday said that while it did not know the details of the settlement, it supported the decision by Kaepernick and Reid.

"We continuously supported Colin and Eric from the start of their protests, participated with their lawyers throughout their legal proceedings and were prepared to participate in the upcoming trial in pursuit of both truth and justice for what we believe the NFL and its clubs did to them," the statement said. "We are glad that Eric has earned a job and a new contract, and we continue to hope that Colin gets his opportunity as well."

Last May, the NFLPA filed a grievance against the NFL on Reid's behalf, alleging that team owners and the league, influenced by Trump, colluded to prevent his employment because of his protests.

He continued to kneel last season after signing with the Panthers. It did not become a distraction, and Reid was supported by his teammates, although no other players knelt.

"We always knew he was a solid football player, and he showed it to us,'' coach Ron Rivera told the team website.

Reid started the final 13 games last season, finishing with 73 tackles, 5 passes defensed, 1 interception and 1 sack.

He said he was drug tested seven times this past season. He implied that the tests were not random, as stated in the CBA.

"The NFL released a statement saying I was not targeted, and I believe otherwise,'' Reid has said.

Radio Royalty Battle’s First Salvo In New Congress.

Story by Inside Radio

Familiar battle lines, with some new players, are being drawn in Washington in the decades-old battle over whether radio stations should pay a performance royalty for on-air music use. The effort comes just months after Congress passed a sweeping copyright reform bill that gave the music industry much of what it had sought, raising questions of how intent lawmakers will be on covering similar ground in the new session.

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) is again circulating an anti-royalty resolution, asking members to sign onto the measure and in doing so stating their opposition to a performance royalty on AM/FM radio. With the retirement of Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), Conaway’s new partner across the aisle is Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), who will work to get Democrats onboard what’s become known as the Local Radio Freedom Act. The resolution has not yet been introduced, with the sponsors typically waiting until they have a sizable number of other House members signed on before taking that step. When a similar resolution was introduced two years ago it carried 115 co-sponsors. The list ultimately grew to 228—or 10 more than it takes to block any bill from passing the House.

In a letter sent to members of Congress on Jan. 30, the music-industry backed musicFirst Coalition aimed to undercut the radio industry’s efforts, calling the resolution “misleading and anti-artist” and attacking broadcasters for saying it’s the equivalent of a tax on local radio. “We strongly urge you to support music creators and not cosponsor the Local Radio Freedom Act,” musicFirst told lawmakers. How successful that effort will be isn’t clear. While the previous resolution was more quickly introduced, the start to the current session of Congress was atypically disrupted by the government shutdown.

New Jersey Broadcasters Association president Paul Rotella has fired off his own letter in response to musicFirst. He’s told members of Congress from his state that if a performance royalty is enacted it would force “a majority” of local stations to close. “Localism would be out the window and thousands in New Jersey would lose their jobs,” Rotella wrote. “Much more horrific, the closure of these vital broadcast outlets across America would also decimate our Emergency Alert System (EAS) capabilities and pose a genuine threat to homeland security.”

The 116th Congress has 89 new House members and nine new Senators, which provides both sides an opportunity to make their case. That’s likely to lead to more lobbying in the weeks and months to come. The Texas Association of Broadcasters says it plans to mount “a considerable re-education effort this spring” as a result of seven of the 22 lawmakers who supported radio on the issue leaving office. Other states are planning similar outreach.

For those members of Congress who’ve returned, musicFirst’s message is that the Music Modernization Act, which President Trump signed into law in October, wasn’t a cure-all. “Although the MMA corrected many wrongs and improved an outdated music licensing framework, there is one critical area that it did not touch: big AM/FM radio remains stuck in the past and still does not pay music creators for their work,” it said.

Rotella suggested if Congress were to dig back into the music royalty buffet, it should repeal payola laws and give radio the opportunity to charge labels and artists for the use of their airwaves—and enact a prohibition about labels calling radio programmers for airplay and let the artists figure out how to market their songs. Rotella’s proposal isn’t likely to get far in Congress, but his aim appears to illustrate the promotional value that radio has given to artists and labels since the medium first signed-on. “Our two industries have worked perfectly together for decades,” he said. “This symbiosis evinces the inescapable conclusion that both sides are benefiting.”

With the National Association of Broadcasters and musicFirst still engaged in private negotiations, there’s been less focus on the radio royalty issue during the past year as lawmakers hope the two industries can resolve their differences without congressional intervention. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has been the lead sponsor of the performance royalty proposal during the past several sessions of Congress and, with Democrats taking over the House, he’s become chair of the Judiciary Committee. Nadler, however, has not yet said whether he plans to reintroduce his bill. The focus of the Judiciary Committee has so far been on oversight of the Trump administration.

When the Committee had its organization meeting last month, Nadler said he and Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) have found bipartisan common ground on several issues including on the Music Modernization Act. As he looked forward, Nadler said they were not focused on “other areas” for this session.

Cumulus Sells Six Stations To EMF, Swaps Three With Entercom.

Story by Inside Radio

Cumulus Media will sell six radio stations, including WPLJ New York and WYAY Atlanta, to Educational Media Foundation for $103.5 million in cash. Cumulus has also cut a deal to trade WNSH New York and two stations in Springfield, MA to Entercom in exchange for three stations in Indianapolis.

In the cash deal with EMF, Cumulus is selling hot AC WPLJ (95.5) New York, news/talk “Talk 106.7” WYAY Atlanta, hot AC “Mix 107.3” WRQX, Washington, DC, alternative KFFG (97.7) San Jose, hot AC “102.1 The Sound” WZAT Savannah, and classic rock “The Rebel 105.9” WXTL Syracuse, NY for $103.5 million in cash. The deal includes towers associated with some of the stations, allowing EMF to assume tower leases that generate $5-7 million annually in revenue.

Under the swap with Entercom, Cumulus will receive hot AC “107.9 The Mix” WNTR, sports WXNT (1430) and CHR WZPL (99.5) in Indianapolis. Entercom gets country “Nash-FM” WNSH (94.7) New York and AC WMAS-FM (94.7) and country “98.1 Nash Icon” WHLL in Springfield, MA. As part of the trade, each party will begin a local marketing agreement to program the other party’s stations beginning March 1.

“These transactions are consistent with our portfolio optimization strategy and both deals are accretive,” Cumulus CEO Mary Berner said in a news release. “The Entercom swap significantly bolsters our competitive position in Indianapolis and the EMF transaction generates substantial cash for debt repayment and investment in other business opportunities.”

Added Entercom CEO David Field, “We are excited to add NASH FM 94.7 to our outstanding lineup in New York City and to add WMAS and WHLL to our cluster in Springfield. These additions will enhance our ability to serve our listeners, partners and communities. We are saddened to part ways with our colleagues in Indianapolis, but know that they will be in great hands.”

Cumulus says it hopes to close both deals during the second quarter.N

Read more: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/radio/8498337/cumulus-sells-six-stations-k-love-christian-radio-emf-plj

2019 Grammy Awards Winners and Nominated Losers

Best R&B album

“Sex & Cigarettes,” Toni Braxton
“Good Thing,” Leon Bridges
“Honestly,” Lalah Hathaway
“H.E.R.” H.E.R. *WINNER
“Gumbo Unplugged (Live),” PJ Morton



Best country album

“Unapologetically,” Kelsea Ballerini
“Port Saint Joe,” Brothers Osborne
“Girl Going Nowhere,” Ashley McBryde
“Golden Hour,” Kacey Musgraves *WINNER
“Volume 2,” Chris Stapleton

Album of the year

“Invasion of Privacy,” Cardi B
“By the Way, I Forgive You,” Brandi Carlile
“Scorpion,” Drake
“H.E.R.,” H.E.R.
“Beerbongs & Bentleys,” Post Malone
“Dirty Computer,” Janelle Monae
“Golden Hour,” Kacey Musgraves *WINNER
“Black Panther: The Album,” Featuring Kendrick Lamar



Record of the year

“I Like It,” Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
“This is America,” Childish Gambino *WINNER
“God’s Plan,” Drake
“Shallow,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
“All The Stars,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“Rockstar,” Post Malone feat. 21 Savage
“The Middle,” Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey

Song of the year

“All The Stars,” Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Spears, Al Shuckburgh, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe
“Boo’d Up,” Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai, and Dijon McFarlane
“God’s Plan,” Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron Latour, Matthew Samuels and Noah Shebib.
“In My Blood,” Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes and Geoffrey Warburton
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth
“The Middle,” Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha and Anton Zaslavski
“Shallow,” Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
“This Is America,” Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson *WINNER



Best new artist

Chloe X Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa *WINNER
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith

Best pop solo performance

“Colors,” Beck
“Havana (Live),” Camila Cabello
“God Is A Woman,” Ariana Grande
“Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?),” Lady Gaga *WINNER
“Better Now,” Post Malone

Best pop vocal album

“Camila,” Camila Cabello
“Meaning Of Life,” Kelly Clarkson
“Sweetener,” Ariana Grande *WINNER
“Shawn Mendes,” Shawn Mendes
“Beautiful Trauma,” P!nk
“Reputation,” Taylor Swift



Best pop duo/group performance

“Fall in Line,” Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” Backstreet Boys
“‘S Wonderful,” Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
“Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper *WINNER
“Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
“Say Something,” Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
“The Middle,” Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey




Best rap album

“Invasion Of Privacy,” Cardi B *WINNER
“Swimming,” Mac Miller
“Victory Lap,” Nipsey Hussle
“Daytona,” Pusha T
“Astroworld,” Travis Scott



Best rap song

“God’s Plan,” Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake) *WINNER
“King’s Dead,” Kendrick Duckworth, Samuel Gloade, James Litherland, Johnny McKinzie, Mark Spears, Travis Walton, Nayvadius Wilburn & Michael Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake)
“Lucky You,” R. Fraser, G. Lucas, M. Mathers, M. Samuels & J. Sweet, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Joyner Lucas)
“Sicko Mode,” Khalif Brown, Rogét Chahayed, BryTavious Chambers, Mike Dean, Mirsad Dervic, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Aubrey Graham, John Edward Hawkins, Chauncey Hollis, Jacques Webster, Ozan Yildirim & Cydel Young, songwriters (Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk & Swae Lee)
“Win,” K. Duckworth, A. Hernandez, J. McKinzie, M. Samuels & C. Thompson, songwriters (Jay Rock)



Best country song

“Break Up In The End,” Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
“Dear Hate,” Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
“I Lived It,” Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben Hayslip, songwriters (Blake Shelton)
“Space Cowboy,” Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves) *WINNER
“Tequila,” Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
“When Someone Stops Loving You,” Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)

Best R&B performance

“Long As I Live,” Toni Braxton
“Summer,” The Carters
“Y O Y,” Lalah Hathaway
“Best Part,” H.E.R. featuring Daniel Caesar *WINNER
“First Began,” PJ Morton

COMMENTARY: The State of the Black Union by African-American Republican Raynard Jackson

Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party.

Story by Black Press USA
Commentary by Raynard Jackson

During the month of February in America we celebrate Black History Month. As we celebrate the achievements of Blacks in the making of this great country, I can’t help but think about the state of the Black community in 2019.

The state of our Black union is depressing!

We, as a community, must stop asking others to do for us what we should be doing for ourselves. We have more education than our parents and grandparents; yet have a lower quality of life. We have more opportunities than our parents and grandparents yet have less to show for them.

We have more Blacks in elected political offices than ever before, yet our economic indices in cities run by Blacks are horrible, i.e.: Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Atlanta to name a few.

Hardly a week passes by without a Black person having some deadly encounter with law enforcement.

How did we, in the Black community, get to where it seems to be open season on our people by law enforcement? Yes, racism still exists, but racism is not the cause of the condition of our community.

According to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention, over 70% of Black babies are born to unwed mothers. It is estimated that since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in 1973, that over 16 million Black babies have been murdered — 55 million babies in total.

In New York City every year, more Black babies are aborted than are born. Yes, you heard right. According to their Health Department, between 2012 and 2016, 136,426 Black babies were aborted versus 118,127 babies born. Blacks are the only group in America that have more babies aborted than born!

If Black lives matter, does that include their babies?

The solution to this culture of death in the Black community specifically, and America in general, is very simple. We need to reconstitute the family unit; meaning mother, father and children. These perverted variations of the traditional family unit will not restore our traditional values back to our community or our society.

Study after study has shown that if you graduate high school, get married, and then have children, you are almost guaranteed not to live in poverty.

The traditional family unit is the solution to all the ills facing the Black community and America.

But yet, the media appointed Black leaders and their radical liberal groups spend all of their time promoting homosexuality, amnesty for illegals, and Planned Parenthood.

When have you ever heard the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, or the National Urban League talking about the traditional family unit is key to righting the ship in the Black community?

When Bill Cosby gave his famous “Pound Cake” speech, he was eviscerated by the Black liberal elites.

When have you ever heard Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network, Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, or Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League talk about the family unit; or telling girls to keep their damn legs closed if they cannot financially afford to care for a child?

How did the Black community allow the homosexuals to hijack our fight for Civil Rights? Their issue has absolutely nothing to do with Civil Rights.

How did we allow George Soros, Bill Gates, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Mark Zuckerberg to get media-appointed Blacks to put illegals ahead of their own community? Can you imagine willingly training someone who is going to take your job and agreeing with them that they have a right to take your job.

According to Planned Parenthood’s 2017 annual report, they had total revenue of $1.3 billion, $555 million from the federal government. They made a profit of $77 million. Yes, they get paid to kill.

They also have spent over $38 million in political campaigns between 2012-2016. Yes, they buy Black, Democrat politicians!

To paraphrase Jay-Z, “Blacks folks got 99 problems, but homosexuality, amnesty, and Planned Parenthood should not be one.”

We survived slavery, overcame segregation, and fought discrimination and are still standing.

But, in order to restore the Black community, we must turn away from the media-appointed Black leaders. They have sold us out at every chance.

Just imagine if we put the same amount of energy fighting for our own people and causes like we do for other groups.

Just imagine if we took the energy we put into hating President Donald Trump and Republicans [put it] into getting young girls to stop having babies before marriage; getting Black entertainers and athletes to hire Black C.P.A.s, publicists, lawyers, managers, etc.; getting Black churches to stop caving in to the radical homosexual agenda; and creating more Black entrepreneurs.

We don’t need a law to make any of the above reality; but what we do need is leaders who cannot be bought off by those who have no concern for the Black community.

The state of our union can be brighter, but you can’t have union without “u” “n” “i.”
___________________________________________________________

Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org. You can follow Raynard on Twitter @Raynard1223.

U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD.) on the passing of Hall of Fame Baseball Legend Frank Robinson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 7, 2019
Contact: Andy Eichar (202) 225-4741

Cummings Statement on the Passing of Frank Robinson

Baltimore, MD (February 7, 2019)—Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) issued the following statement on the passing of Frank Robinson:

“I am saddened to learn of the passing of Orioles legend Frank Robinson, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Beyond his astonishing Hall of Fame career, Robinson broke the color barrier as the first African American MLB manager. When Frank Robinson came to Baltimore, he made a good team great. He was one of my heroes – a true role model for me and so many others. I remember the excitement I felt watching his powerful performance on the field. His historic feat in 1966, when he became the first and only player to hit a home run out of Memorial Stadium is a crown jewel in Baltimore’s history. His impact on the game of baseball, the state of Maryland, and, indeed, our country is immeasurable. My prayers are with the Robinson family as they mourn his passing.”

U.S. House Majority Whip Congressman James E. Clyburn Responds to the State of the Union Address

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 5, 2019
CONTACT: Hope Derrick, Hope.Derrick@mail.house.gov, 202-226-3210
Ryan Daniels, Ryan.Daniels@mail.house.gov

Clyburn Responds to the State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn issued the following statement in response to the State of the Union address:

“Tonight, the President spoke to a very different Congress. The U.S. House chamber held a record number of women, African Americans, Hispanics, LGBTQ, and Muslim members of Congress. This diverse Congress reflects this country and its values, and we were sent to Washington after November’s historic election to serve as a check and balance on this President.

“We welcome his words of comity and are hopeful there will be issues like infrastructure, prescription drug costs, and defeating the spread of HIV where we can find common ground. However, as House Democrats, we know the role we were elected to play and, as my faith teaches me, we know we will be judged on our deeds not our words.

“The President’s theme tonight was ‘Choosing Greatness,’ but I question how he defines that term. I believe that America is already great, and, like historian Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in Democracy in America, the country’s greatness ‘lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.’ Democrats stand ready to work with the President when possible, but in strong opposition when necessary, to repair our faults so we may become a more perfect union.”

NBA's Los Angeles Lakers makes another trade offer for New Orleans Pelicans Star Anthony Davis

Story by ESPN
Written by Adrian Wojnarowski

Los Angeles Lakers President Magic Johnson made a more robust bid for New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis on Monday, offering multiple young players, including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, as well as draft picks and salary-cap relief to the Pelicans, league sources told ESPN.

Johnson and Pelicans general manager Dell Demps had multiple conversations on Monday, league sources said.

The details were not immediately clear on the Lakers' latest offer, but it was an attempt to start moving closer to satisfying the several elements that New Orleans would want in a deal for Davis. The Lakers want to strike a deal before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, but it is still unclear whether the Lakers possess the full complement of assets to make New Orleans act before opening up the process to a broader array of teams, players and draft pick possibilities after the season.

Davis, who is seeking a trade, prefers a move to the Lakers, league sources said.

The Pelicans learned on Monday of a new extended list of teams that Davis is willing to stay with long-term upon a trade, including the Milwaukee Bucks and LA Clippers, league sources said. Those teams have yet to make offers for Davis and may not possess the assets to make a trade happen, sources said. The New York Knicks were already on that list, although they were rejected in their offer of a package centered on Kristaps Porzingis before his trade to Dallas, league sources said.

The list doesn't include the Boston Celtics, league sources said. The Celtics are unable to trade for Davis until July 1 as long as Kyrie Irving is on the team's roster. Nevertheless, the Celtics remain determined to acquire Davis after the season and have encouraged the Pelicans to wait until the offseason to engage them on a deal, league sources said.

There appears to be an effort on the part of Davis and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, to facilitate a deal before Thursday's trade deadline, and spare a prolonged stay into the offseason for Davis with the franchise. Davis, who requested a trade a week ago, can't become a free agent until July 2020.

Davis informed the Pelicans that he wouldn't sign a five-year, $239 million supermax contract this summer.

The Lakers and Pelicans are expected to talk again soon, league sources said.
_____________________________________________
Read more: http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25886188/ten-bold-nfl-predictions-2019-season-landing-spot-leveon-foles

Alphabet (Google's parent company) Earnings Rally Could Catapult It Into the Market Value Lead

Story by Bloomberg
Written by Jeran Wittenstein and Gregory Calderone

Alphabet Inc. could be one good earnings report away from becoming the world’s most valuable company.

Options set to expire on Friday are pricing in an implied move of 4.5 percent when the Google parent reports fourth-quarter earnings after markets close on Monday. That would vault Alphabet past Microsoft Corp., the current leader with a market value of $811 billion, according to Bloomberg data. Alphabet had a market value of $789.9 billion, as of 3:12 p.m. in New York.

After lagging Microsoft and Amazon.com Inc. for months, Apple Inc. briefly regained its crown on Monday. Disappointing iPhone sales have weighed on Apple’s shares, causing the company’s market value to plummet more than technology peers. Despite a recent rally fueled by optimism following its fiscal first-quarter earnings report, the stock is down 26 percent from a record high in October. That translates into more than $300 billion in lost market value from a peak of $1.12 trillion.

Alphabet’s implied move is larger than the historical average of 3.5 percent over its last eight earnings reports, and the rallies after earnings have been evenly split with declines. About 10 percent of total open interest is set to expire on Friday and implied volatility is on the higher side at 53 percent, compared with a three-month average of 35 percent.