Month: January 2022

By Dwight Brown, NNPA Newswire Film Critic Need a break from COVID mania and winter melancholia? A dose of pure escapism may help. For 122 minutes this often generic but surprisingly engaging espionage action/thriller may take your mind off your troubles. You’ll suspend disbelief for James Bond and all his improbable stunts. You’re perfectly OK…

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent It could be a while before the music artists find out winners in categories like Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. The Recording Academy and CBS Television have postponed the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Show scheduled for January 31 at…

The term “side hustle” generally refers to a job on the side of a full-time job that brings in supplemental income for the worker. Side hustles often begin as a means to provide extra spending money or cover bills, but some eventually turn into full-fledged businesses. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census…

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus, joined forces with two other legislators to craft a bill that holds gunmakers liable for injuries or death caused by weapons they manufactured. On Jan. 4, Gipson, Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), and Chris Ward (D-San Diego)…

Teaching Truth for Young People Trayce Potter Time moves quickly. It seems like just yesterday I held a newborn in my arms for the first time and wondered about all the possibilities before him. In reality, a little over four years has passed and I am now at the stage of preparing both him and…

As US families stare down the twin barrels of the lingering Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflation, Congress has let expire the Child Tax Credit, a critical source of income which lifted 61 million children out of poverty since its implementation last July. The Child Tax Credit, which expired Dec. 31, 2020, gave direct payments of…

By Brandon Noble I wasn’t nervous about a minor knee surgery. As an NFL football player who’d undergone far more extensive operations before, this procedure seemed completely routine. Little did I know that within 36 hours, I would be lying unconscious on the sofa at my daughter’s second birthday party, my right leg inflamed like…

Special to NNPA Newswire When the Omicron variant started emerging around the country, Registered Nurse Currine Smith flashed back to the despair she felt at the beginning of the pandemic. Now entering the third year of COVID, she describes feeling a sense of dread and anxiety when walking into work. “The scene is quite grim,”…

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand By Congressman James E. Clyburn, House Majority Whip (D-SC) I listened intently this morning as our 46th President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation from Statuary Hall observing the first anniversary of last year’s insurrection. I found myself reflecting upon the attack on Pearl…

By Aldon Thomas Stiles, California Black Media The Monday after Christmas, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shortened its COVID-19 quarantine recommendation by half. That same day, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Twitter that California will follow suit, recommending a five-day isolation period instead of the state’s former guidance of 10 days. “California…

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent A new poll revealed that parents continue to express “legitimate concerns” about violence in schools, increased bullying, and a lack of mental health resources. Alarmingly, the poll released by the National Parents Union found that 59 percent of parents are very or extremely concerned about how…

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media An advocacy group that fights for fair political representation of African Americans in California says it is pleased with the results of the state’s recent redistricting process. Last year, the California Black Census and Redistricting Hub coalition, a.k.a. the Black Hub, led a grassroots initiative to ensure the…

Tanu Henry | California Black Media People who the state of California had a hand in forcing or coercing to undergo vasectomies or get their tubes tied are now eligible for compensation. The payments will come from a $7.5 million state fund. Some of those victims, both men and women, were sterilized without their consent…

By Nsenga K. Burton, NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor In 2021, the box-office did not disappoint with outstanding films on the big screen and streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Apple TV +. Films like Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, Denzel Washington’s A Journal for Jordan, Ridley’s Scott’s House of…

Rhina Ramos “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.” NIV Luke 2:14 The arrival of Jesus is the desire of peace for our hearts and for the earth. It is the gift of heaven to the people waiting for a messiah. That is why…