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☆ Harry Belafonte, calypso star and civil rights champion, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Alex Johnson | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Singer Harry Belafonte speaks during a press junket at The Bing Decision Maker Series with the Sing Your Song Cast and Filmmakers on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah. American singer Harry Belafonte performing in a recording studio, circa 1957. By the early 1960s, Belafonte had become a force in the civil rights movement. A crowd of over 10,000 civil rights marchers gathers in the Manhattan Garment Center as Harry Belafonte sings at spiritual at a civil rights rally. A capacity audience of civil rights advocates turned out to watch a glittering array of theater personalities perform.

☆ MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell ordered to pay $5 million to 2020 election fraud data debunker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An arbitration panel ordered MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to pay $5 million within 30 days to a Nevada software developer for proving Lindell was wrong in his claim that certain data was related to the 2020 presidential election and purported voting machine fraud. The panel, in its 23-page ruling issued Wednesday, said that the Robert Zeidman "proved the data Lindell LLC provided, and represented reflected information from the November 2020 election, unequivocally did not reflect November 2020 election data." Zeidman, a software developer, entered the "Prove Mike Wrong Challenge" contest in during a cyber symposium in August 2021. Lindell, who had said he believed the data revealed that China had interefered in the 2020 election in several states, called the ruling "a horrrible decision." "The evidence was from 2020," Lindell said of the data that was the subject of the contest.

☆ When Is The Best Time to Buy a House?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

By Michele LernerAs with much else in real estate, the best time of year to buy a house depends on location, market conditions—and you. “But the best time of year to buy a house depends a lot on the type of buyer.”The spring housing marketTraditionally the housing market’s most active season, spring can be the “best” time of year to buy or the “worst” time of year to buy, depending on your perspective. Best time to buy for: Buyers who hope to move before the holidays or at least before the end of the year. Best time to buy for: Buyers and investors looking for a better deal. “Sometimes it’s the right time to buy a house when you’ve found ‘the one’ that feels right for your family and your circumstances,” Bloch says.

☆ President Biden’s Slander at Selma
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

He seems to have abandoned “ Jim Crow 2.0,” but that was the extent of the nuance in President Biden’s political remarks Sunday in Selma, Ala. He was there to commemorate the anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” the 1965 brutality against a civil-rights march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Calling for the freedom to vote, marchers were met by clubs and tear gas. “The right to vote and to have your vote counted is the threshold of democracy and liberty,” Mr. Biden said. Since the 2020 election, a wave of states and dozens—dozens of anti-voting laws fueled by the Big Lie, and the election deniers now elected to office.”

☆ In Selma, Biden presses for voting rights on 'Bloody Sunday' anniversary
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jeff Mason | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SELMA, Alabama, March 5 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden pressed for the passage of measures to strengthen U.S. voting rights during a visit to Selma, Alabama, on Sunday to commemorate the 58th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," when state troopers beat peaceful protesters marching against discrimination. It also came as his efforts to pass voting rights legislation have stalled in Congress. Coverage of the brutality of that day against the marchers, including John Lewis, a Black civil rights activist who went on to become a U.S. congressman, shocked the nation and helped spark the 1965 Voting Rights Act. DeSantis recently rejected an Advanced Placement high school course in African American studies claiming that it contained a political agenda, drawing criticism from civil rights leaders and educators. In January, Biden spoke at the Atlanta church of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.Biden's visit to Selma follows Vice President Kamala Harris's trip there last year for the anniversary of the march.

☆ Biden to spotlight voting rights, Black voters in 'Bloody Sunday' Selma visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Jeff Mason | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It also is happening with Biden's efforts to pass voting rights legislation stalled in Congress. The president will speak at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where state troopers clubbed and used tear gas against the 1965 voting rights marchers, including John Lewis, a Black civil rights activist who went on to become a U.S. congressman. Coverage of the brutality shocked the nation and helped spark the 1965 Voting Rights Act. "President Biden will talk about the importance of commemorating Bloody Sunday so that history cannot be erased," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday. "He will highlight how the continued fight for voting rights is ... integral to delivering economic justice and civil rights for Black Americans."

☆ Biden Emphasizes Voting Rights on ‘Bloody Sunday’ Visit to Selma, Ala.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tesla’s Ambitious Goals Come With a Big Price TagTesla wants to become the world’s biggest car maker by volume. But at its investor day this week it offered little details on plans for new car models. WSJ Tesla reporter Rebecca Elliot joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what the electric-vehicle maker did say about its future and how investors and analysts are reacting.

☆ Biden’s Selma visit puts spotlight back on voting rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The visit to Selma also is an opportunity for Biden to speak directly to the current generation of civil rights activists. They urged Washington politicians visiting Selma not to sully the memories of the late civil rights activists John Lewis, Hosea Williams and others with empty platitudes. "When voting rights passed after Selma, it didn't just help Black people. We need the president to reframe this: When you block voting rights, you're not just hurting Black people. As a candidate in 2020, Biden promised to pursue sweeping legislation to bolster protection of voting rights.

☆ Inside California's tiny-home takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

For the state with the most dire housing shortage, the move could be a game changer — eventually. As the US grapples with a massive housing shortage, one possible solution is playing out in California right now — and the state may have struck gold. Oregon, Maine, and Nebraska, as well as cities like Miami, have enacted laws similar to California's. There's been opposition to ADUs from homeowners worried about the density of their neighborhoods and sometimes the aesthetics of the structures. Ultimately, the housing shortage could be alleviated, she said.

☆ Here's what's happening with home prices as mortgage rates fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

According to two separate indices existing home prices rose to the highest level in 6 years. Joe Raedle | Getty ImagesThe U.S. housing market cooled off pretty dramatically last year, after mortgage rates more than doubled from historic lows. Now, as demand appears to be coming back into the market, due to a slight drop in mortgage rates, prices are pushing back. But mortgage rates began to fall in December, and prices reacted immediately. Lower mortgage rates are driving the new demand.

☆ On King’s holiday, daughter calls for bold action over words
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Bernice King, who leads The King Center in Atlanta, said leaders — especially politicians — too often cheapen her father’s legacy into a “comfortable and convenient King” offering easy platitudes. The service, organized by the center and held at Ebenezer annually, headlined observances of the 38th federal King holiday. ... A prophetic word calls for an inconvenience because it challenges us to change our hearts, our minds and our behavior,” Bernice King said. At Ebenezer, Warnock, who has led the congregation for 17 years, hailed his predecessor’s role in securing ballot access for Black Americans. But, like Bernice King, the senator warned against a reductive understanding of King.

At least nine are dead and more deaths are expected after more than a dozen tornadoes tore through the Southeastern U.S. on Thursday, according to officials. Seven of the deaths were reported in Autauga County, Alabama, northwest of Montgomery, according to county Emergency Management Agency Director Ernie Baggett. Six of the deaths were reported the day the tornadoes made landfall in the state, and one was reported on Friday. The second fatality in Georgia was a Department of Transportation employee who was responding to storm damage, Governor Brian Kemp said in a news conference Friday. Governor Burt Jones took a helicopter tour of the damage Friday to also assess the damage resulting from tornadoes in the state.

☆ Tornadoes Rip Through Southeast U.S., Killing at Least Seven
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Talal Ansari | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Several people have been killed in Alabama and Georgia as severe storms and tornadoes destroyed homes and uprooted trees across the Southeast U.S.A series of tornadoes ripped through central Alabama on Thursday, killing six, Gov. Kay Ivey said. In Autauga County, Ala., 41 miles northeast of Selma, at least six fatalities were confirmed and an estimated 40 homes were damaged or destroyed by a tornado, according to the Associated Press.

☆ Eight dead, more casualties expected after tornadoes rip through U.S. Southeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows damage after a tornado ripped through Selma, Alabama, U.S. January 12, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Seven deaths have been reported in Alabama's Autauga County, emergency management director Ernie Baggett said on MSNBC. The National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in the central Alabama region on Thursday, according to meteorologist Jessica Laws. On Friday, the weather service said it had dispatched multiple damage survey teams to the field. As many as 50 properties were damaged by the storms in Autauga County, according to the local sheriff's office.

A tornado hit parts of Alabama Thursday, causing "significant damage" in Selma, the city's mayor said. A tornado in Selma, Alabama, on Jan. 12, 2023. ]There have been at least 19 reported tornadoes across the state as a line of violent thunderstorms ripped through the Southeast. Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, Greenville, South Carolina, Knoxville, Tennessee, Lexington, Kentucky, Montgomery, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee could be impacted. In addition to tornadoes, storms could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 75 mph.

☆ One civil rights icon has been overlooked in history books. His family is trying to change that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Claretta-Bellamy-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Claretta Bellamy | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

This was why he believed they made such perfect activists in the civil rights movement. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. kneels in prayer with the Rev. Family photoAfter visiting the courthouse, the Reeses’ tour continues to the Brown Chapel AME. They also hold weekly discussions on a program called “The Lineage Podcast,” where they “fill in certain holes of the civil rights movement.”The Rev. “I always say that I feel honored to even be connected to a part of history that a lot of people are yearning for,” Marvin Reese said.

☆ Home price increases weakened sharply in November, posting the smallest annual gain in 2 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Home prices are falling into a deep winter chill, as higher mortgage rates push more buyers to the sidelines. Prices are now 2.5% below the spring 2022 peak and are expected to continue to move lower this year. CoreLogic's forecast has price movement falling into negative territory by spring before rebounding to about 2% to 3% growth in the fall. Mortgage rates are back on the rise again after a brief reprieve in November and early December. Florida, South Carolina and Georgia saw the highest home price gains in the nation, as buyers continue to flock to the Sun Belt.

☆ Running water scarce in Jackson, Mississippi, after frigid weather
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Other Southern cities unaccustomed to freezing weather were grappling with similar water issues, including Atlanta; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Selma, Alabama. Homes in some parts of the city had no water at all, and officials have set up distribution points for bottled drinking water each day. The U.S. Justice Department in November reached an agreement with Mississippi and the city of Jackson to appoint an interim third-party manager to stabilize the city's drinking water supply. The mayor says fixing the water system will take billions of dollars. The U.S. Congress included $600 million to repair Jackson's water system in a spending bill signed into law last week.

☆ The share of American homes bought with all cash reached the highest level in 8 years as people wary of high mortgage rates and a looming recession turned to hard real-estate assets instead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Higher mortgage rates push people to pay all cash for homes to save on interest, Redfin said. Rising interest rates and persistent inflation increased fears of a recession in 2023. Cleveland saw its share of all-cash offers grow from 32% last year to 42% in October, while Philadelphia's grew from 29% to 37%. Selma Hepp, the interim chief economist at CoreLogic, told Insider in November that mortgage rates could go as low as 5.5% by the end of next year. "For homebuyers, it's good to be aware that you can avoid paying high interest rates by paying in cash," Fairweather said.

☆ 2022 People’s Choice Awards: The winners list
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The fans have spoken about what they found to be the best in movies, television, music and pop culture. “Saturday Night Live” cast member and comedian Kenan Thompson hosted the 2022 People’s Choice Awards from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, which aired on NBC and E! Award-winning actor, producer, screenwriter and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds was honored with the People’s Icon Award, while Emmy and Grammy award-winning performer Lizzo was presented with the People’s Champion Award. Lizzo is seen performing at the Citi Concert Series for the 'Today' show at the Rockefeller Plaza on July 15, 2022 in New York City. Shania Twain performs on stage during the 2022 People's Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on December 6, 2022 in Santa Monica, California.

☆ A housing economist shares estimates of where mortgage rates will be by the end of this year and next — and lists the states that may see the most price corrections.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The majority of forecasters estimate mortgage rates will peak at 6.8 to 6.9%. Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas may see the most price corrections in housing prices. The hawkish approach has significantly increased anticipated mortgage rates for this time of year, she noted. The good news is, there's a low probability that mortgage rates will peak above 7%, she said. So I think that is always the one segment of the housing market one has to be a little bit more cautious about."

When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis this summer, actor Selma Blair seemed to greet me. For a while, I worried that my feelings were spiteful or mean, but my visceral reaction wasn’t about her. For a while, I worried that my feelings were spiteful or mean, but my visceral reaction wasn’t about her. This might have been a very intentional and personal choice — but it reminded me of problematic stereotypes that pressure disabled people to conform to ableist standards. What’s possible for Selma Blair just isn’t possible for some others.

☆ Analysis: 'From Scratch' serves up one of this week's tastiest new shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Three things to watch‘From Scratch’(From left) Eugenio Mastrandrea, Zoe Saldaña, Judith Scott and Keith David in a scene from "From Scratch." Even though I know how it all ends, I’m looking forward to “From Scratch,” which is streaming now. ‘The School for Good and Evil’(From left) Kerry Washington as Professor Dovey and Charlize Theron as Lady Lesso in a scene from "The School for Good and Evil." There are plenty of arbitration shows out there, but this one is definitely in a courtroom of its own. Something to sip on(From left) Selma Blair and her dance partner, Sasha Farber, perform on an episode of "Dancing With the Stars."

☆ Selma Blair leaves 'Dancing With the Stars' citing health concerns related to MS
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Actor Selma Blair left the competition show "Dancing With the Stars" citing health concerns and spun through the ballroom dance floor for one last graceful waltz Monday evening. I can’t go on with the competition," she told her partner Sasha Farber in a rehearsal room in a pre-recorded clip. Selma Blair, center, with the cast of 'Dancing With the Stars". A post on the "Dancing With the Stars" Instagram page praised the dancers Monday night, saying: "Selma Blair & Sasha Farber gave us a memorable night with a beautiful final performance. Blair has co-starred in a number of films and TV shows, including the 2001 hit “Legally Blonde.” She also opened up about her MS diagnosis in the 2021 documentary, "Introducing, Selma Blair."

☆ Selma Blair departs 'Dancing with the Stars' competition over health concerns related to MS
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Megan Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Selma Blair will not continue competing on this season of “Dancing with the Stars” due to health concerns, the actress said Monday night. Blair, who first shared she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, has competed strongly on the series over the past five weeks. I am so, so grateful to be able to do one last gentle dance,” Blair said. Blair shared her experience with the illness in the documentary “Introducing, Selma Blair,” which premiered in select theaters over the weekend. The film shows the actress undergoing stem-cell treatment, including chemotherapy, revealing the toll the treatment has had on Blair’s body.

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