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Tag: United States

  • Gwen Richardson – Black Authors Matter TV Show Celebrates 3rd Annual Awards Show – The US Times

    Today we’d like to introduce you to Gwen Richardson.

    It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?

    Black Authors Matter TV will host its annual awards show on May 16th at 7:00 p.m. CST/8:00 p.m. EST. The show’s viewers and supporters engaged in two rounds of voting for their favorite interviews in fifteen categories. The winners will be announced on the awards show.

    Black Authors Matter TV is a program where we interview people within the book industry every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. CST. Gwen Richardson, a long-time entrepreneur, multi-published author, and two-time NAACP Image Award nominee, is creator, producer and co-host of the show. She is joined by author and marketing expert Dr. Rhonda Lawson.

    Our audience averages about 1K viewers every week. The program is done via Zoom and live-streamed on the National Black Book Festival Facebook page which has 88,000+ followers. The show celebrates its third anniversary in July and, to date, we have interviewed nearly 500 guests, including including talk show host Tamron Hall, CNN analyst Bakari Sellers, and NBA mom Sonya Curry. The show is also available on the top six podcast platforms.

    Sponsors of the awards show include the BET drama based on Carl Weber’s series “The Family Business” and “The Black Hamptons”; Speakers magazine, the monthly, award-winning publication that FEATURES speakers; S.H.E. Publishing LLC, the unique publishing house that helps authors share their stories with the world; Meet the World Image Solutions, Dr. Rhonda Lawson’s marketing and P/R firm; and Gwen Richardson’s five-part book series, Kidz Biz, that teaches children how to be entrepreneurs

    I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?

    My challenges have been reining in my optimism and balancing it with realism; ensuring that all projects contribute to the bottom line and are revenue positive; building the absolute best team based on my budget.

    Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?

    Gwen Richardson has been an author, writer, entrepreneur, and book industry innovator for decades. As an author, she has 14 published books, two of which were nominated for NAACP Image Awards. Her latest children’s book, Boss Women: Seven African-American Women Who Built Their Businesses From the Ground Up, features seven African-American women who started their businesses by themselves or as co-founders with family members.

    Richardson is co-founder of Cushcity.com, which was launched in December 1998 as the world’s largest African-American online retailer. Since then, the company has evolved into a world-class marketer/promoter for authors and publishers. Our company’s longevity speaks volumes. Many companies in the book industry have come and gone; ours has withstood the test of time.

    Richardson is national coordinator for the National Black Book Festival (NBBF), an annual event established by Cushcity.com that celebrates its 16th anniversary in 2023. NBBF is the largest African-American book event in the South.

    What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?

    Success is a journey. It takes years to build a solid reputation and a client base. Your integrity is one of the most important things about you. Guard it at all costs.

    Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?

    Success means achieving the goals you established, and not quitting when the going gets tough.

    What’s next for you?

    I’m building on what has already been started. Black Authors Matter TV and the National Black Book Festival are well-established successes and we want to continuing making them both bigger and better. I also plan to write four or five books within the next two years, adding to my existing total of 14.

    Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?

    For Black Authors Matter TV, visit www.blackauthorsmattertv.com and view the show live on Facebook:

    The National Black Book Festival’s website is www.nationalblackbookfestival.com.
    FB: https://www.facebook.com/nationalblackbookfestival
    IG:

    Personal website: www.gwenrichardson.com
    Facebook:



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  • Crazed Authoritarians Demand X Be Shut Down In UK | The Liberty Beacon


    Crazed Authoritarians Demand X Be Shut Down In UK

    Following in the footsteps of Communist China.

    By Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news

    Mimicking a policy that the west once condemned Communist China for pursuing, authoritarians are now calling for X to be shut down completely in the UK to stop civil unrest.

    After the country was rocked by a series of riots over the past week in response to a 17-year-old son of Rwandan immigrants killing three little girls in Southport, the media and the political class blamed the anger on “misinformation” shared on X.

    In reality, the UK has been a boiling pot of resentment and rage over mass migration for years, with huge numbers continuing to arrive, putting massive strain on the country and making some parts of major towns and cities unrecognizable, despite nobody having ever voted for it.

    However, the disorder is being exploited to grease the skids for mass censorship.

    Cambridge professor Sander van der Linden said the government could “geo-restrict access to a platform if the situation got so bad” and Twitter could also be “banned from the app store for violating policies.”

    Jessica Simor QC also called for the UK government to “pass a short bill closing down Twitter in the UK.”

    Entrepreneur Ana Vilhete also called for Twitter to be temporarily banned in the UK to “limit the spread of inflammatory information.”

    Journalist Paul Mason, a Marxist who once worked for the BBC, demanded the government use the Online Safety Bill (which passed under the excuse of protecting children from harmful content) to “pull the plug” on X.

    Apparently, it’s horrendous for Middle Eastern dictators to shut down and block social media networks during times of civil unrest, as occurred during the Arab Spring, but when the UK does it, it’s fine.

    Whenever there are anti-government protests in China, the Communist regime there also blocks and suspends social media networks, something that was once slammed by western governments as a vicious attack on basic freedom, but a tactic which they now emulate.

    Although the riots are cited as the primary reason for mass censorship, the calls are also being driven by the fact that Elon Musk has challenged the mainstream narrative on the riots and embarrassed Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

    Musk branded Starmer ‘Two Tier Kier’ for pursuing a vigorous crackdown on anti-mass migration demonstrators while turning a blind eye to Muslim mobs who have also rioted and physically attacked innocent people.

    The British political establishment engaged in a collective hissy fit over Musk’s simple question for Starmer and the government when he asked, “Why aren’t all communities protected in Britain?”.

    The X owner also drew attention to a viral video clip of a man being arrested in his own home by police over a Facebook post, asking if it was “Britain or the Soviet Union”.

    The regime is deeply fearful that Musk’s intervention is causing them to lose control of the narrative that the unrest is being fueled by mindless, racist thuggery and not legitimate concerns about the impact of mass migration on working class people in the UK.

    Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

    *********

    (TLB) published this report by Paul Joseph Watson as posted on Modernity.news

    Header featured image (edited) credit: Social Media screen/key board/org.Watson article tease

    Emphasis added by (TLB)

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    Stay tuned tuned…

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    The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)

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  • Conn. man allegedly killed his elderly dad and ripped internal organs from his body

    RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (TCN) — A 31-year-old man has been arrested and faces murder charges after his 83-year-old father was found dead and so badly mutilated that his organs were outside of his body.

    On Saturday, Aug. 3, Ridgefield Police Department officers responded to a home on Powderhorn Drive regarding a domestic incident and found a deceased man inside. Police arrested Steven James Uricchio at the scene on suspicion of murder.

    Connecticut Insider identified the victim as Marc Uricchio. The medical examiner determined his cause of death to be sharp force and blunt force injuries to his head, neck, torso, and other body parts. His manner of death was ruled a homicide.

    Marc Uricchio’s killing reportedly marks the first homicide in the city since 2003.

    A police report cited by Connecticut Insider reportedly says police found a bloody filet knife at the scene, as well as blood on the walls and stairs.

    According to the Danbury News-Times, Steven Uricchio called police and said he hurt his father. He reportedly told the first officers who got to the home that he “murdered him really, really badly.” Officers found Marc Uricchio with severe injuries to his groin and abdomen. Some of his internal organs were reportedly taken out of his body.

    Uricchio was taken into custody, then hospitalized because he said he consumed a quarter of a bottle of Advil. He told doctors he was prescribed medication, but had not taken it “in a month or two.”

    The Danbury News-Times reports Uricchio’s attorney, Willie Dow, told the judge Uricchio was “of a limited nature” and he was “concerned about my client’s mental health.” Dow said Uricchio has a “significant mental health history” and should be on suicide watch.

    Uricchio appeared in court Monday and reportedly did not stand up for parts of his hearing. Photos show him with the top half of his body placed on the table with his head turned to face the wall.

    Uricchio will undergo a competency evaluation. He is currently in custody with bond set at $1.5 million.

    Dow said Marc Uricchio’s killing was a “tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.”

    MORE:

    • Untimely Death – Ridgefield Police Department
    • Murder in Ridgefield of 83-year-old was town’s 1st homicide since 2003: ‘Shocking’ for ‘safe’ town – Connecticut Insider
    • Ridgefield man charged in his dad’s homicide admitted ‘I murdered him,’ police report says – Danbury News-Times

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  • Fact Check: Was Tim Walz right that ‘violent crime was up under Donald Trump’?

    In a viral moment from his introduction as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took a political and personal jab at former President Donald Trump over crime.

    “And make no mistake,” Walz said at the Aug. 6 Philadelphia rally with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. “Violent crime was up under Donald Trump. That’s not even counting the crimes he committed.”

    The last part of Walz’s statement referred to Trump’s May conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records in a scheme to cover up a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

    But what about Walz’s assertion that “violent crime was up under Donald Trump,” which Walz repeated in an Aug. 7 speech in Eau Claire, Wisconsin? The newly minted vice presidential candidate has a point, but it needs some asterisks.

    Violent crime rates during Trump’s presidency

    Four types of crime comprise the FBI’s definition of violent crime: homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The U.S. violent crime rate rose through the 1970s and 1980s, peaking in 1991 and falling since, minus periodic spikes.

    During the first three years of Trump’s presidency, the violent crime rate per 100,000 population — the metric the Harris-Walz campaign pointed us to when we asked for comment — fell each year. It went from 377.7 per 100,0000 in 2017 to 373.4 in 2018 to 363.9 in 2019.

    But in 2020, the violent crime rate spiked to 385.2 per 100,000 people — higher than any previous year under Trump.

    The 2020 spike was especially sharp for murders. In 2020, the number of U.S. murders reported to the FBI increased by 5,795, from 16,619 in 2019 to 22,414 in 2020. 

    In any previous year back to 1961, the number of murders had never increased by more than 2,000 in a year, meaning that 2020’s increase was nearly triple the previous record.

    Even accounting for the 2020 spike, the violent crime rate in Trump’s final year was still lower than it was during the final year of his predecessor, President Barack Obama. In 2016, the violent crime rate was 389.9 per 100,000, or slightly higher than the 2020 rate.

    Another important bit of context: The peak level of violent crime in 2020 represented a far lower rate than existed a few decades ago. 

    In 2020, there were 385.2 violent crimes per 100,000 population. By contrast, the rate never dipped below 500 between 1979 and 2001, and it peaked at 758.2 in 1991.

    Why violent crime increased in 2020

    As we’ve reported, resting blame for the 2020 murder increase solely on Trump ignores how unusual life was in the United States in 2020.

    Starting in March 2020, the nation was hit swiftly and severely by the coronavirus pandemic. It upended the economy, changed collective travel habits, drove many people inside and temporarily left many Americans without jobs and income. Another unusual factor that year was the murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd by police. Floyd’s killing triggered a national outcry and a reckoning on racial issues.

    “I would point to changing attitudes towards policing and police legitimacy as well as police pullbacks in the wake of Floyd’s death as potentially primary factors behind the increase,” Jeff Asher, an analyst with the consulting company AH Datalytics who specializes in crime data, told PolitiFact in June. 

    “There’s evidence that increased carrying of firearms in the months after the pandemic might have acted as an accelerant further inflaming the increase,” Asher said.

    Council on Criminal Justice CEO Adam Gelb has called the 2020 environment “a master class in criminology,” given its sudden onset, its duration and its dramatic impact on people and institutions.

    Most likely, all of these factors combined and fed off one another. It’s “not possible to disentangle each factor from the pandemic,” Asher said.

    During 2021, President Joe Biden’s first year in office, the murder rate remained high; murders climbed by 122 that year compared with 2020. Since then, they have fallen, and while data releases currently lag by more than a year, estimates indicate that the murder rate is on track to return to its prepandemic level for 2023 or 2024.

    Our ruling

    Walz said, “Violent crime was up under Donald Trump.”

    After dropping the first three years of Trump’s presidency, the rise in the violent crime rate in 2020, his final year in office, was big enough to erase those collective decreases.

    However, the violent crime rate in Trump’s final year was still slightly lower than it was during the final year of his predecessor, Obama.

    Experts said it’s wrong to pin the blame for the crime increase solely on Trump. The spike was caused by a confluence of the coronavirus pandemic and the societal upheaval after Floyd was murdered by police. 

    We rate the statement Half True. 



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  • Six People Wounded in Bronx Shooting, Two Fleeing Gunmen SoughtFREEDOMNEWS.TV

    August 07, 2024 BRONX, New York – Six men were wounded during a shooting in the Bronx Wednesday evening, cops said.

    Video by Dakota Santiago ([email protected] to license)

    According to police officials, two gunmen walked through St James park where they left a scooter parked before they continued through the park to then unloaded a barrage of gunfire at a group of people hanging out under scaffolding attached to a nearby building.

    Six men were struck by bullets. Five men in their 20s and one man in his 30s were all shot and suffered various injuries. During a press conference, police said the men did not have life threatening wounds and were shot in the stomach, right hand, torso, right arm, the groin and another shot in the right leg.

    Upon police arrival, officers located two victims still on scene. Two injured men drove away in a vehicle before flagging down EMS and they were transported by Ambulance to an area hospital.

    Two additional victims walked into separate medical facilities, one in Queens and one in the Bronx seeking treatment. All are expected to survive, cops said.

    NYPD Officers and Detectives search for evidence following the multiple shooting.

    The shooting was reported at around 8:15 p.m., near E 191st Street & Morris Avenue in the Fordham Heights neighborhood in the Bronx

    At this time there are no arrests as the two accused gunmen fled on a scooter. The investigation is ongoing.

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  • Producer Daniel Mcausland works with the best artists of international stature – The US Times

     

     

     

    By: Published on: May 19, 2023CARLOS CAMARGO

     

    Renowned executive producer Daniel Mcausland has a great professional career that includes bringing to life projects ranging from music videos throughout Latin America and the United States to advertising campaigns with well-known brands.

    His impeccable work has earned him great recognition such as the “Clio Award” in 2018, winning the “El Dorado” Award and the “El Ojo de Iberoamérica” ​​Festival, these two in 2020 for his dedication and professionalism as producer but also thanks to his career and preparation, he has become the producer that large companies look for to manage projects and put together a whole work plan for a successful term.

    Among his most outstanding works with artists who are known worldwide, are the music videos: “De vuelta pa´ la vuelta” by Daddy Yankee; “Goddess” by Myke Towers, Annuel and Natti Natasha; “It was my fault” by Fran Rozzano with Natti Natasha; “Above me” by Rauw Alejandro feat Darrel; “Detective” by Rauw Alejandro; “She with her forehead” by Carlos Arroyo; among many others.

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  • Harris and Walz: Atop the Democrats’ Wedding Cake | The Liberty Beacon


    By: J. Robert Smith

    On Wednesday, Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris named her running mate. Minnesota governor Tim Walz got the nod over Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s governor. Rumors of Michelle Obama wanting second banana were fanciful. The Obama’s aren’t second anything.

    Walz’s selection is a bit of a surprise. Shapiro would have brought more to the ticket, and Pennsylvania is critical to Harris’ chances this autumn. Donald Trump enjoys a slim lead in the Keystone State. Democrats may figure that they’ll just steal PA from Trump, as happened in 2020. Shapiro may have threatened Kamala’s sense of self. Kamala is said to be insecure, self-doubting, and bullying. In an increasingly volatile world, she’s the perfect choice to helm the ship-of-state.

    Walz is in his second term as Minnesota’s chief executive. Polling showed that Trump was competitive in Minnesota when Biden headed the Democrat ticket. But he’s begun trailing Harris. Minnesota hasn’t voted for a Republican since 1972, when Richard Nixon racked up an historic 49-state victory over George McGovern. Even without Walz, Minnesota should have trended back to Harris. With Walz, if Minnesota isn’t secured, Democrats have huge problems.

    Walz was likely a choice urged on Harris, who dutifully nodded agreement. Harris must appear in charge. However much feminist Kool-Aid Kamala drinks, to be elected president, she must look to have big cojones, like Italian boxer Angela Carini, an authentic woman who had the snot beaten out of her by a testosterone-raging, Algerian trans in 46 seconds. Harris may have bigger cojones than Tim Walz, which matters to a woman with an inferiority complex. His choice was meant to reassure her.

    The same cabal that pulls feeble Joe Biden’s strings is puppeteering Harris. In turn, the cabal’s strings are pulled by the nation’s second black president, Barack Obama. Bill Clinton was our first, if you don’t recall.

    A self-identifying white male was necessary to balance the ticket — not that ying and yang matters much anymore in progressive world. But independents might care. Of course, gender being fluid, it wouldn’t hurt for ninja conservative journalists to ambush Walz to ask the question: “Do you identify as a white male or what?” His on-record response may enlighten.

    Kamala is selling herself as a black female. We know she’s a she because she said so. But Harris is half Indian, too — as in the subcontinent. Not long ago, Kamala wore her Indianness like a Saree, but Democrat political operatives did the math. Millions more black than Indian voters populate America. Keeping blacks on the Democrat plantation is vital. So, Kamala is 100% Southern-dialect black for the purpose of politics. Corporate media propagandists are all-in on the ruse.

    Yet, like Kamala’s over-overlord, Barack Obama, her blackness can’t be traced to a slave plantation in the antebellum South. Harris’ workaround is proclaiming blackness as universal, hence, anyone with a drop of black blood anywhere can identify with the plight of Southern blacks pre-1965. Kamala’s ancestors never knew the sting of pernicious Jim Crow. Her dad hails from Jamaica. Barack’s dad was Kenyan. Soul food for Kamala is jerk chicken. Barack probably tucks into a plate of Nyama Choma occasionally.

    Come on, we know why Josh Shapiro was a no-go. Shapiro is a Jew, and there the Democrat party has a problem. Muslims are a growing faction. Rashida Tlaib is Palestinian by heritage. Ihan Omar is Somalian by birth. Anti-Israel sentiment — read, Jew-hating — among Democrats is making strides. The party is also experiencing generational change. Young, waspy “progressives” are being transformed into Jew haters at leftist indoctrination centers, otherwise called “colleges.” The eruptions of virulent antisemitism on campuses this year are testament.

    Shapiro’s selection would have caused a wider rift with militant Muslim Democrats. Shapiro wouldn’t have played well in Dearborn, Michigan. Dearborn has the highest concentration of Arabs in the U.S. Gaining Pennsylvania but losing Michigan is close to a wash. Democrats need both to win.

    With Shapiro off the board, the troubles between Jews and Muslims can be papered over. That is, unless a regional war erupts in the Middle East. Then those internal tensions begin to flare.

    Democrats aim to unite all stripes around their visceral hate and fear of Trump. Moreover, Democrats’ god above the true God is power. They’re hoping Trump hate and power lust gets the party into the winner’s circle.

    A Shapiro selection would have come with another biggish problem. Harris has a slew of past pronouncements and a record. Both indict her as hard Left, perhaps more than Michael Dukakis — perhaps more like George McGovern. Her leftist positions put her at odds with Shapiro’s centrist approach and Keystone State voters, who don’t like extremes. On the other hand, Walz is in-step with Harris’ edgy progressivism.

    Politically, Walz’s nomination is about Democrats maximizing votes from single women, in particular.

    Walz is attractive to feminized progressives because he’s a feminized progressive. Yet, about half of Minnesota contains real men. A lot of guys there like to hunt and fish and watch football. Walz’s official profile skips his feminist bona fides. It also skips his character imploding after a DUI arrest. It highlights his National Guard service and points out that he “helped” coach the high school football team where he taught social studies.

    But Walz’s political career reveals the true him. Timidity and pandering are the hallmarks of his governorship.

    Steven Shier, writing at the Star Tribune, weighed the pros and cons of selecting Walz for the Democrat ticket. One con speaks volumes about Walz’s makeup. From the article, July 23:

    Minneapolis burning. The GOP will use images of the George Floyd riots to introduce Walz quickly and negatively to a national audience. His controversial record during the riots will also be a ripe topic for media and opposition investigation.

    Like Minneapolis’ feckless mayor Jacob Frey, Walz permitted riots to rage following George Floyd’s death. Like Frey — like Oregon and Washington State Democrats that let Seattle and Portland burn and mayhem ensue — Walz failed to exert manly leadership. Besides, in 2020, civil unrest made for good politics. If Minneapolis had to burn, along with other Democrat-run cities, to create the perception of widespread racial strife and social breakdown under Trump’s watch, so be it.

    Defining Walz isn’t just about his permitting Minneapolis to be ransacked and burned. He’s also pushed a radical feminist agenda.

    Wrote Brooke Migdon for The Hill, August 3:

    Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who’s emerged as a top contender for Vice President Harris’s running mate, helped turn Minnesota into a refuge for LGBTQ Americans, signing laws that shield access to gender-affirming health care and abortion, ban conversion therapy and make it illegal for libraries to ban books solely because they have LGBTQ themes or characters.

    What can we say about a man who protects those who mutilate children’s bodies in the name of “gender-affirming health care?” How about promoting the savagery of no-limits abortion? How about banning counseling for gender dysphoria sufferers? How about safeguarding graphic LGBTQ themed pornography in public libraries and schools?

    For Democrats, the smarter pick was Josh Shapiro, though his selection was far from trouble-free. Walz’s selection pacifies an insecure Kamala. It satisfies radical feminist progressives, though outside of blue states and localities, plays as poorly as a low-testosterone guy in drag at Marine bootcamp. Well, before Lloyd Austin took over, anyway.

    ••••

    The above article (Harris and Walz: Atop the Democrats’ Wedding Cake) was created and published by American Thinker and is republished here under “Fair Use” (see TLB’s disclaimer below) with thanks to author J. Robert Smith and americanthinker.com.

    About the articles Author: J. Robert Smith can be found at Gab @JRobertSmith. He also blogs occasionally at Flyover. He has returned to X, his handle is @JRobertSmith1.

    TLB recommends you visit American Thinker for more great articles and information.

    Image Credit: Graphic (cropped) in Featured Image (top) – AT via Magic Studio

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    Also by this Author:

    Can They Cheat a Dementia Sufferer Back Into the White House?

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    The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)

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    Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.

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    Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.

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  • Houston mother faces murder charge a year after 2-month-old baby dies in hot car

    HOUSTON (TCN) — A mother has been arrested nearly a year after allegedly leaving her 2-month-old son unattended in a hot car for several hours.

    According to an initial press conference from Houston Assistant Chief of Police Yasar Bashir, on Aug. 8, 2023, police received a call from firefighters regarding an unresponsive child on Long Drive. First responders attempted lifesaving measures, but the child, later identified by police as Ethan Rosa Deras, was transported to a hospital and pronounced deceased.

    According to KHOU-TV, authorities allege the baby had been left in the car for around three hours, and his body temperature reached 108 degrees. An autopsy ruled the boy’s death a homicide, and police contacted the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to assist in the case.

    Prosecutors allege the child’s mother, 22-year-old Gabriela Elyzabeth Deras, left her son in the car as she took another child into a health facility. During an interview, Deras reportedly changed her statement multiple times. According to KHOU, she originally said the infant was with his grandmother and she kept the air conditioner on.

    Houston reportedly reached triple-digit temperatures on the day of the baby’s death.

    On Aug. 2, police arrested Deras on a charge of murder.

    Prosecutor Edward Applebaum reportedly said, “Before we even charge a case, we want to be thorough. We want to make sure we have the facts and law on our side, but it also takes a long time to actually have an autopsy done for a child.”

    MORE:

    • UPDATE: Suspect Arrested, Charged in 2023 Child’s Death at 5901 Long Drive – Houston Police Department
    • Assist. Chief Yasar Bashir on Child Death Investigation – Houston Police Department
    • Nearly a year after Houston baby dies in hot car, mother charged with murder – KHOU

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  • Fact Check: Video spreads misinformation about immigrants illegally in the US getting driver’s licenses to vote

    A video shared across social media showed what it said were hundreds of Somalis illegally in the U.S. lined up to get driver’s licenses in south Florida.

    “BREAKING! 100s of illegal migrants in line to get drivers licenses???” read a screengrab of an X post that overlaid the video on Instagram. “Isn’t that all you need to be able to vote? 1955 N Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL.”

    In a voice-over on the video, a man said he’d obtained the video from a friend who was taking her nephew to get his driver’s license in Pompano Beach and was told to return at 6 a.m. only to find this scene. “She said most were Somali illegal immigrants,” the narrator said.

    This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

    The video came from David J. Harris Jr., a conservative commentator, who shared the claim Aug. 2 on his X and TikTok accounts. The voice-over appears to be his —  in a subsequent X post, Harris identified his friend as “Michele” and said that the address in the video, which he said Michele gave him, was inaccurate.

    “She showed up at 6 in the morning to this,” the narrator said, showing a video of Black people waiting in line at a driver’s license office. “Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? She said most were Somali illegal immigrants, a whole lot of military-age men there. And listen they don’t want anybody to film them. They don’t want the public to see this. And all you need to vote is a driver’s license. Kamala (Harris) let these people in.” 

    (Screengrab from Instagram)

    The video is full of misinformation. First, the video was not from a DMV in Pompano Beach (in a subsequent post David J. Harris Jr. said he had posted the wrong address and that the video was from a different location, an address in Lauderdale Lakes near Fort Lauderdale.)

    But the video’s main point  — that immigrants in the U.S. illegally are getting driver’s licenses and therefore can vote — is wrong. Harris’ post drew responses from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spokespeople Bryan Griffin and Christina Pushaw, who sought to debunk its claims.

    Florida doesn’t issue driver’s licenses to immigrants in the U.S. illegally, unlike some states. And people must be U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections. A small number of Democratic-led cities let certain noncitizens vote in municipal elections, but cities in Florida are not among them. Nothing in the video proved that the people in line were Somalis or immigrants illegally in the U.S.

    Harris’ video and his tweet directed viewers to his online store that sells merchandise promoting former President Donald Trump’s campaign.

    We contacted Harris to ask for his evidence and received no reply.

    DMV office in video was featured in news report about long wait times

    Pushaw wrote in an X thread that the video originated from a July 25 WPLG-TV news report about long lines at local DMV offices. The report’s footage didn’t match the video  in Harris’ X post exactly, but it was filmed at the same location. The news report quoted people in line who said they arrived early in the morning and waited for hours to get a driver’s license. The TV report, set in Lauderdale Lakes — a city near Pompano Beach — showed the line of people wrapped around the building’s exterior. It didn’t mention immigrants.

    “For those who don’t know, Florida is a diverse state, and we have American citizens of all races,” Pushaw wrote. “The people waiting for driver licenses & IDs in the video are black AMERICANS. Not Somalians or any type of illegal aliens!”

    There are few Somali immigrants in Florida. Statewide as of 2022, there were about 6,000 people in Florida out of a total population of about 22 million who were foreign-born and spoke Amharic, Somali or other Afro-Asiatic Language, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan source of immigration data.

    “Thanks to laws signed by @GovRonDeSantis, Florida BANS illegal aliens from getting driver licenses and does NOT recognize licenses issued in other states to illegals,” Pushaw wrote. 

    In 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1718, which prohibits people from operating a motor vehicle if their driver’s license comes from another state that provides licenses to immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

    On Aug. 5, PolitiFact went to the Pompano Beach address listed in the video and saw that it is not the location in the video. We found the DMV office on the second story in the mall’s rear. Several dozen people were waiting in line — mostly on an outdoor staircase in 90-degree Fahrenheit weather.

    “It’s just horrible, the one word to describe it is ‘horrible,” said David Thompson, a resident of Boca Raton said about having to stand in line to renew his driver’s license.

    We also visited the DMV location in Lauderdale Lakes on Oakland Boulevard, which was a match for the location in Harris’ video.

    A long line at the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in Pompano Beach, Florida, on Aug. 5, 2024. (PolitiFact/Amy Sherman)

    A Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles spokesperson Molly Best said people must provide proof of legal presence to receive credentials from the agency.

    “Lines in Fort Lauderdale and Miami area offices are the busiest in the state, with the highest number of visitors each day,” Best said. “The department is hiring more examiners to assist and address processing customer requests.”

    Immigrants in Florida with certain documentation such as a green card can get a driver’s license.

    U.S. citizenship is a requirement to vote in federal elections

    Some conservative politicians and some social media influencers, including billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who owns X, have amplified unfounded election-year claims that noncitizen voting is widespread or done at Democrats’ behest.

    In 1996, Congress banned noncitizen voting in federal elections as part of an effort to toughen penalties for people in the country illegally.

    The Broward Supervisor of Elections office told PolitiFact that it had received no evidence that immigrants in Broward are illegally trying to register to vote.

    “You must be a U.S. citizen in order to vote,” said Joe Scott, the elections supervisor in Broward County, which includes Pompano Beach and Lauderdale Lakes. “Having a Florida driver’s license does not make you a U.S. Citizen.”

    Think tanks, academics, courts and journalists have analyzed claims about noncitizen voting for years and have found only sporadic cases that wouldn’t swing federal elections.

    Our ruling

    A video shared on social media claimed to show Somali immigrants in line to get driver’s licenses in Pompano Beach, Florida, and said, “All you need to vote is a driver’s license.”

    The video footage was filmed in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, and captured scenes of long wait times at the DMV, which had been the subject of a local news report from the same location. There is no evidence the people pictured were immigrants in the country illegally, or from Somalia.

    Florida law prohibits immigrants in the U.S. illegally from getting driver’s licenses. And to vote, people must have U.S. citizenship.

    We rate this statement False.

    RELATED: Mike Johnson’s false claim about noncitizens registering to vote at DMV, ‘welfare’ offices



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  • From Basketball Dreams to Entrepreneurial Success with TWOCUPKAII – The US Times

    Ukai Smith, known as the dynamic force behind the brand TWOCUPKAII, has transformed his passion for music and clothing into a thriving business. Growing up in Albany, New York, Ukai’s journey from basketball courts to entrepreneurial success is nothing short of inspiring. With his business hitting $100,000 in sales and a significant deal with Empire Records, Ukai Smith TWOCUPKAII is making waves in the industry.

    The Genesis of TWOCUPKAII

    Ukai Smith’s story began with a deep love for basketball and an even stronger passion for music and clothing. In early 2021, he founded his clothing brand, MME, which quickly gained traction. Midway through the same year, he ventured into music, a move that would eventually lead to his signing with Empire Records in late 2023. By then, his clothing brand had already generated $80,000 in sales, setting the stage for future success.

    Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Milestones

    Building a fanbase from scratch was one of the toughest challenges Ukai faced. However, with perseverance and the right connections, he overcame this hurdle. A key milestone in his journey was signing with Empire Records, which marked a significant shift in his career. This achievement not only boosted his music career but also highlighted his ability to navigate the complexities of the entrepreneurial world.

    The Entrepreneurial Mindset and Future Goals

    Ukai Smith describes his entrepreneurial mindset as hardworking, limitless, and driven by endless determination. His main customers are underground rap fans and teenagers, to whom he provides quality music and fashionable clothing. Looking ahead, Ukai aims to sign a bigger music deal with Empire or Interscope Records and achieve one million dollars in sales from his clothing brand.

    Ukai’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to focus on their journey, as everyone has their own time to shine. His leadership style has evolved to focus more on action and less on complaints, helping him work smarter over the years. He maintains a balanced work-life schedule and actively engages in networking events and social media marketing to grow his brand.

    For more information about Ukai Smith and TWOCUPKAII, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

    Ukai Smith TWOCUPKAII continues to pave the way for other content creators in Albany, demonstrating that with passion, determination, and the right mindset, success is within reach.



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