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☆ New York Democrat who sharply criticizes Israel faces ouster threat
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | Manu Raju | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

By December, he was standing with hunger strikers outside the White House, upping his criticism of the actions in Gaza. Shelley Mayer, a state senator whose district largely overlaps with the congressional district, initially backed Bowman. New York state Sen. Shelley Mayer at a state Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in April 2023, in Albany. Explaining how his response to the Israel-Hamas war fits his district, Bowman cited a poll conducted by his campaign that he claimed showed an overwhelming majority in his district support a permanent ceasefire. The Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) has endorsed Latimer and is expecting to spend to boost him.

Persons: Jamaal Bowman’s, Manu Raju ”, Jamaal Bowman, Israel’s, Israel, Bowman, upping, He’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Shelley Mayer, George Latimer, Sen, Hans Pennink, ” Mayer, “, ”, We’ve, ” Bowman, Rashida Tlaib, Jonathan Jackson, Cori Bush, Nathan Howard, Biden, Chuck Schumer, –, New Yorker, Usamah Andrabi, Jeenah, Latimer, Jimmy Carter, Hakeem Jeffries, Kevin Riley, Riley, Israel doesn’t, ” Latimer, he’s, he’d, ‘, ’ ” Bowman, Amy Paulin, it’s, ” Paulin, Jamaal, Mandel Ngan, Latimer hasn’t, Patrick Dorton, Jeremy Ben, Ami, Ben, ” Ben, Steny Hoyer, Hoyer, ” Hoyer Organizations: CNN, Democrat, United Nations, J, New York Democrats, Democratic, Westchester, Republican, Capitol, Fox News, ”, Reps, House, Iron, Democratic Socialists, America’s, Michigan Rep, Palestinian, Israel, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, New, George Latimer voters, Democrats, Washington Post, House Democratic, Conservative, Getty, Jewish Voters, Empowerment, Black, AIPAC, PAC United Democracy, Democratic Party, ” Maryland Locations: Gaza, Bronx, Westchester County, That’s, New York, Washington, Israel, Washington groaned, George Latimer . New York, Albany, Palestine, Palestinian, York, Palestinian American, ”, White Plains , New York, Yonkers, Rye, Brooklyn, Westchester, Scarsdale, Washington ,, AFP

☆ Golf movies: From cult classics to charming comedies, what happened when the sport got the Hollywood treatment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The plot revolves around a high school student – played by Michael O’Keefe – and his journey to obtain a college scholarship. ‘Happy Gilmore’Arguably one of the most famous sports films of all time, ‘Happy Gilmore’ is an all-time classic. The movie tells the story of the journey of Happy Gilmore – played by Adam Sandler – from failing ice hockey player to golf phenom after discovering his natural gifts on the course. Sandler's character in 'Happy Gilmore' battles to save his grandmother's house as well as adjusting to a new sport in golf. “With ‘Happy Gilmore,’ the funny thing is that there are so many non-golfers who would know what the ‘Happy Gilmore swing’ is or they’ve watched the film,” Boulden told CNN’s Living Golf in 2021.

Persons: –, Michael O’Keefe –, Elihu Smails, Ted Knight, Al Czervik, Rodney Dangerfield, greenskeeper –, Bill Murray –, Chevy Chase, ‘ Caddyshack, ’, Kenny Loggins –, Woods, ‘ Happy Gilmore, Happy Gilmore –, Adam Sandler –, Gilmore, acclimatize, Happy Gilmore, Shooter McGavin, Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Amy Boulden, ” Boulden, it’s, they’ve, Boulden, Happy Gilmore ’, Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, ‘, Costner’s Roy ‘, McAvoy –, Molly Griswold –, Russo –, Griswold, David Simms, Costner, Don Johnson, McAvoy, Eddie Pepperell, caddie, Romeo Posar, Cheech Marin, Posar, Maurice Flitcroft –, Mark Rylance –, Maurice Flitcroft, Mark Rylance, Catana Starks, Starks, Taraji P, Henson, Jason Kempin Organizations: CNN, Bushwood Country, Smails, ESPN, CNN Sport, European, Hollywood, BBC Films, British Film Institute, Tennessee State University, National Black College, Hall of Fame Locations: Texas, British

☆ More than 100 years since the Black Wall Street massacre, Tulsa is creating a haven for entrepreneurs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Overlaid on that picture is the company name, Grier Shoe Shop, and its address — which is part of an area known as Black Wall Street. With these ventures, she's part of a growing class of Black entrepreneurs tapping into Tulsa's history for inspiration and resources for support. He also won a grant from a Black Wall Street organization. The Black Wall Street Mural in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday, June 19, 2020. Greenwood, known as Black Wall Street, was one of the most prosperous African-American enclaves in the U.S. before it was burned down by a white mob in 1921.

Persons: Venita Cooper, Parnia Mazhar, Grier, Silhouette, They've, Cooper, Dominick Ard'is, George Floyd, Ashli Sims, she's, Sims, North Martin Luther King, Edna Martinson, It's, Martinson, LaTanya White, he's, Adesanya, Grant Warner, James Lowry, Lowry, who's, Greenwood, Christopher Creese Organizations: Silhouette, NBC News, Tulsa, Build, Art, NBC, North Martin Luther King Jr, Ku Klux, House, Art Basel, Southwest, Black, Stanford, National Bureau of Economic Research, Creative, CNBC, Harvard Business School, Center for Black Entrepreneurship, Black Economic Alliance Foundation, Boston Consulting, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Greenwood, Tulsa , Oklahoma, TULSA, Tulsa, North, Miami, South, Austin, U.S, PalmPlug, Seattle, America

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell announced Monday he will drop his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in 2024, and will instead make a run at a fellow Democrat — U.S. Rep. Cori Bush. Bell, 48, will oppose Bush in the 2024 Democratic primary for Missouri's 1st Congressional District seat that covers St. Louis and part of St. Louis County. Two years earlier, Bell pulled an equally surprising upset when he unseated Bob McCulloch as St. Louis County prosecutor. On Oct. 11, McCaskill posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story headlined, “St. A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict Wilson, who later resigned.

Persons: — St, Wesley Bell, Sen, Josh Hawley, —, Cori Bush, Bell, Bush, Louis, ” Bell, Michael Brown, William Lacy Clay, Bob McCulloch, Hawley —, I’ve, wasn't, Steve Roberts, Democratic U.S . Sen, Claire McCaskill, McCaskill, Louis ’ Cori Bush, ”, ” McCaskill, Lucas Kunce, Hawley, Ferguson, Darren Wilson, Brown, Critics, McCulloch, Wilson, St Organizations: LOUIS, —, Republican U.S, — U.S . Rep, Democratic, Missouri's, Congressional District, Democrat, Democratic U.S ., Twitter, Louis Post, Dispatch, Democratic Senate, Marine, Ferguson City Council, U.S . Department of Justice, Republican Locations: Louis, St, Louis County, Israel, Ferguson , Missouri, Missouri, Washington, “ St, Ferguson

☆ Black entrepreneurs, business leaders say conservative legal challenges could hinder progress
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Nicquel Terry Ellis Cnn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Trigg-Jones said she applied for funding from grant groups, venture capital funds and investors, but most of them denied her. Late last month, a federal appeals court granted the Alliance’s motion to temporarily block the Fearless Fund from awarding grants exclusively to Black women entrepreneurs. Black business leaders told CNN the lawsuits, if successful, could stand to undo decades of progress toward leveling the playing field for Black and brown people in the workplace and small business sector. According to a 2019 report from American Express, Black women are the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs in the country. Black business owners are turned down for loans at a rate three times higher than White business owners, according to a 2020 analysis of small businesses by Goldman Sachs.

Persons: Cathleen Trigg, Jones, –, you’re, ” Trigg, Edward Blum, Blum, Fearless, ” Blum, “, Goldman Sachs, Arian Simone, ”, AAER “, Rashae Barnes, Barnes, ” Barnes, Kaycea Campbell, ” Campbell, Lenwood Long, —, Long, CNN’s Jaide Timm, Garcia, Isabel Rosales, Tami Luhby Organizations: CNN, Trigg, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Civil, American Express, “, Evals Equity, Pierce College Los Angeles, Federal, Consumer Finances, African American Alliance of Community Development Financial, Black Locations: New York, PitchBook, White

☆ Laphonza Butler’s ascent to the Senate is a key moment for Black LGBTQ representation, advocates say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Chandelis Duster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“It’s about time,” Franco-Clausen, co-chair of the National Black Justice Coalition’s Good Trouble Network, an initiative that aims to advance policies that benefit the Black LGBTQ+ community, told CNN. She is currently the only Black woman serving in the Senate, and the third ever to serve in the chamber. But Franco-Clausen said she hopes the California senator will usher in a new era of representation. Among Democrats, 52 Black women have served in the House and three have served in the Senate. David Johns, the executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, said he believes Butler’s presence in the Senate is reflective of the work of previous Black LGBTQ+ political leaders.

Persons: CNN — Shay Franco, Clausen, Laphonza Butler, Franco, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, “, ” Franco, Coalition’s, Butler, ”, Kamala Harris –, Feinstein, Gavin Newsom, Charles Schumer, Alex Padilla, Tom Williams, Feinstein … Laphonza, “ Sen, Dianne Feinstein’s, ” Butler, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, Hillary Clinton’s, Kamala Harris ’, who’s, Arnulfo De, Arnulfo De La Cruz, “ Laphonza, Laphonza, Shirley Chisholm, Melanie Campbell, David Johns Organizations: CNN, National Black, Network, Senate, San Francisco, of Supervisors, Committee, Senate Intelligence, Inc, Getty, Washington , D.C, Democratic, Congressional Black Caucus, House Democratic, Jackson State University, University of California, Regents, National Children’s Defense, Service Employees International Union, SEIU, Center for American Women, Republican, Victory, National Coalition, Black, National Black Justice Coalition Locations: California, D, Washington ,, Mississippi, Arnulfo De La, Congress

For all the versions of Beyoncé we’ve seen in her career — beauty queen, vixen, scorned women — stand-up comedian might be her most uninhibited. But as much as the Renaissance World Tour is limned with the beauty of aliveness and vitality, it is also preoccupied with mortality. She is deeply aware of the precarity of Black, queer and trans life. The shift between the ecstasy of the concert and the reality of the world was so disconcerting it was almost physically painful. But Beyoncé isn’t the undertaker; she is directing the second-line band at the funeral procession.

Persons: Beyoncé, we’ve, —, “, livin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, O’Shae Sibley, vogueing, Barbara Ann Teer, Albert Einstein Organizations: National Black Theater Locations: York, Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Fla

Renewable energy is more reliable but its promise for the region still remains largely unmet. Most households have depended on gasoline generators for power, but recently the government removed a gasoline subsidy, prompting increased interest in solar power, according to dealers. The Nigerian government has not announced incentives to promote solar energy, such as reducing import taxes on solar equipment as demanded by dealers. “The problem was affordability, but now customers can pay installments over a period of 18 months,” said Tunde Oladipupo, an agent for Sun King, a solar power company. Another example of this shift is the Ford vehicle assembly plant in Silverton, Pretoria, which currently sources over 35% of its electricity from solar power.

Persons: Rashmi Shah, ”, William Ruto, Tunde Oladipupo, Sun King, Monsurat Qadri, ” Qadri, ” Mohammed Ettu, Shah, ” Shah, ___ Adebayo, Magome Organizations: Climate Summit, World Bank, CP Solar’s, Associated Press, Kenyan, Solutions, Ford, South, CP, Kenya Power, Lighting Company, Supersport, AP Locations: NAIROBI, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisii County, Kenya, Africa, Nigeria, Oyo, Lagos, Saharan Africa, South Africa, Stillwater, American, Silverton , Pretoria, Mpumalanga, Kenya —, Abuja, Johannesburg

☆ She Rose From Poverty as China Prospered. Then It Made Her Poor Again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Li Yuan | More About Li Yuan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two years ago, as she walked through a hospital hallway in handcuffs and shackles to get tested for Covid, Sun Junli felt ashamed and defeated. The poor village girl in northwestern China had become a successful businesswoman. In 2018, state-owned banks abruptly stopped lending to her business, a chain of cafe restaurants, and the pandemic destroyed her cash flow. By May 2021, Ms. Sun had lost her restaurants, and she was serving 16 days in detention for owing her employees about $28,000 in wages. “We all came from nothing and worked hard to create wealth,” Ms. Sun said.

Persons: Sun Junli, Sun, Weeks, “, ”, Ms Organizations: Toyota Camry Locations: China, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province

☆ Florida’s New Black History Standards Have Drawn Backlash. Who Wrote Them?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Sarah Mervosh | More About Sarah Mervosh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dr. Wright and six other members who were serving this spring while the standards were being written said they had not been consulted. Few details have been publicly released about how the standards, which lay out concepts that students are expected to learn, were created. Even Mr. DeSantis, who has often embraced his role as a warrior against “woke” ideology in schools, sought to distance himself amid a faltering 2024 presidential campaign. “I wasn’t involved in it,” he told reporters last week. To craft the 216-page document, his Department of Education created a 13-member work group, which drafted the standards from February to May.

Persons: Wright, ” “, ”, Brenda Walker, DeSantis, “, Frances Presley Rice, William Allen, Ronald Reagan Organizations: University of South, of Education, National Black Republican Association, Michigan State, United States Commission, Civil Locations: University of South Florida

☆ NFL looks to give a boost to Black- and minority-owned banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Frank Holland | In Frank-Holland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The league is borrowing $78 million from a syndicate of Black- and minority-owned banks and community development financial institutions. The loan deal will generate "tier 1 capital" for the banks and CDFIs. According to the National Black Bank Foundation, it will boost their lending power by millions through banking fees and interest. "These community banks sometimes have difficulty navigating down economic times. "These banks loan money to people and businesses that need it without being predatory.

Persons: Joe Siclare, Siclare, Ashley Bell, Martin Luther King, Bell, you'll, Dominik Mjartan Organizations: National Football League, National Black Bank Foundation, CNBC, NFL, National Basketball, Atlanta Hawks, Major League Soccer, Black, Bank of America, Silicon Valley Bank, Optus Bank Locations: Silicon, Columbia , South Carolina

☆ Bank of America makes $500 million equity push for minority- and women-led funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bank of America has committed to giving more than $500 million in equity investments to minority- and women-led fund managers to support diverse entrepreneurs, the bank announced Thursday in a press release. The program started in 2020 and so far, more than 150 funds have used the equity to invest in upward of 1,000 companies, collectively controlling $7 billion of capital, Bank of America said. This translates to support for 1,500 diverse entrepreneurs and the employment of more than 21,000 people. Bank of America is also separately working with the National Football League and National Black Bank Foundation to support Black- and minority-owned banks, CNBC's Frank Holland reported. "We're very focused on supporting our fund managers," Nguyen said.

Persons: Nguyen, Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC's Frank Holland Organizations: of America, Bank of America, National Football League, National Black Bank Foundation Locations: Crunchbase

A person who works with the group, American Edge Project, told CNBC that the $34 million was from Facebook. A Meta spokesman declined to comment and referred CNBC to American Edge instead. The person who works with American Edge told CNBC that the $4 million was also entirely from Facebook. American Edge launched a wave of TV and digital ads from late 2020 through 2021, taking on antitrust proposals. American Edge spent over $5 million between TV and digital ads in 2021, according to data from AdImpact.

☆ Why sympathy for the Palestinians among Americans is shifting and at an all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Sympathy toward the Palestinians among US adults is at a new high of 31%, according to Gallup data. Social media is changing the way Americans perceive the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The police used tear gas and fired stun grenades as young Palestinians threw firecrackers back, according to multiple reports. But while the cycles of violence in the long-running conflict between Israelis and Palestinians remain unchanged, the way Americans perceive the conflict is altering. Gallup Poll conducted between conducting the poll between Feb 1-23, 2023.

☆ Dozens of civil rights groups are demanding the company that runs AP classes stand up to Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

30 civil rights groups demanded the College Board stand up to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The College Board is facing criticism over the rollout of the AP African American studies course. Ron DeSantis after the botched rollout of the company's AP African American Studies course. DeSantis initially rejected the AP African American Studies course in January. But according to reporting from The New York Times, the College Board had repeated contact with DeSantis' administration to discuss the AP African American Studies' course curriculum.

☆ Liechtenstein votes resoundingly against banning casinos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Voters in Liechtenstein on Sunday roundly rejected a proposed ban on casinos in a referendum that has polarized the tiny principality and its 40,000 citizens. With six casinos dotted across the country that is a tenth of the size of London, the microstate has been dubbed the "Las Vegas of the Alps" among punters. They argue that the fledgling industry risks tarnishing a national image that the state has worked hard to repair. The country was on an international blacklist of tax havens until it began easing bank secrecy laws more than a decade ago. Reporting by Noele Illien Additional reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Three electricity substations in the Tacoma, Washington, area were attacked Sunday, leaving an as many as 14,000 customers affected, authorities said. The agency estimated the number of homes and businesses affected by the attacks was 14,000 at one point Sunday. In a statement, TPU said, "Two of our substations were deliberately targeted by physical attacks." On Dec. 3, vandals attacked two Duke Energy substations in Moore County, North Carolina, leaving 45,000 customers in the dark for more than three days straight, officials said. Investigators probing the North Carolina attacks were looking at online conspiracy theories to determine whether any played a role, two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told NBC News earlier this month.

☆ Stephen Miller led-group emerges as top legal foe of Biden initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Chandelis Duster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A conservative legal group led by former top Trump aide Stephen Miller has emerged as a frequent opponent to several Biden administration initiatives by mounting court challenges, succeeding in blocking policies they say are examples of reverse discrimination. Miller touts America First Legal as “the long-awaited answer to the (American Civil Liberties Union),” and his group has garnered several legal victories against the Biden administration in the past few weeks and months, most notably on issues of racial discrimination. The lawsuits led to an injunction that blocked the debt relief payments. Several Black farmers and social justice advocates have said Miller’s actions are harmful. “I want to set the record straight – no one is against White farmers in this country,” John Boyd Jr., 57, a fourth-generation farmer who is founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, told CNN.

Cassaundra Brownell, a self-described “serial entrepreneur” from Maryland, was relieved when she found the Justis Connection, a company that links potential clients with Black attorneys. Her case illuminates a point Black lawyers and advocates have been making for some time: Black clients feel that they receive heightened support and more favorable results from Black lawyers than with non-Black legal aid. And unlike Black lawyer associations like the National Conference of Black Lawyers and The National Black Lawyers, which some have relied on to find Black legal representatives in their cities, the Justis Connection specifically works on making those client-attorney connections. “And the thing about a Black attorney is that he or she would be much more relatable to Black clients,” Davidson said. But it’s probably not going to be the same.”However, even with connections being made, a significant problem still exists: There are not enough Black attorneys to address the needs of Black clients.

Therefore, experts say, hiring Black teachers is necessary to address the racial disparities that lead to poor educational outcomes and criminalization for Black children. Furthermore, advocates say that Black students who don’t have Black teachers are less likely to become teachers themselves, so commitments to diversifying the industry must start early on in the classroom. The Black Teacher Project in Oakland, California, works with Black teachers to “reimagine schools as communities of liberated learning,” the Project’s website reads. It also teaches educators how to implement restorative practices in their classrooms and invites them to retreats to foster community among Black teachers. “Therefore, the Black Teacher Project’s motto is ‘Every child deserves a Black teacher.’”

☆ At 49, She’s Running the New York Marathon Faster Than She Ran at 35. (A Lot Faster.)
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Jen Murphy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Erica Stanley-Dottin is proof that we can speed up as we age. At 48, she crossed the finish line of the Berlin Marathon in September in a time of 2 hours, 52 minutes and 5 seconds. That made her one of a handful of U.S.-born African-American women to run 26.2 miles in under three hours, as tracked by the National Black Marathoners Association. Now 49, she wants to clock a 2-hour, 48-minute race at the New York City Marathon on Sunday.

“They broke their promise to Black farmers and other farmers of color,” John Boyd, a plaintiff and the president of the National Black Farmers Association, told NBC News on Wednesday just before he held a press conference on the matter. John Boyd, president of the Black Farmers Association, plants winter wheat in one of his fields in Baskerville, Va., on Jan. 8, 2019. The $4 billion was never delivered to Black farmers and other people of color, however. The new legislation aims to circumvent white farmers’ grievances and create two new funds while nixing the initial relief program. In 1920, there were more than 925,000 Black farmers in the U.S., making up about 14% of the farmer population, according to data analysis by the consulting firm McKinsey.

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