Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a global voice for the poor, immigrants, and the environment, died Monday at age 88. Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced his death from the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican residence where Francis chose to live instead of the Apostolic Palace. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” said Farrell. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.” Church bells rang across Rome as word spread. The pope had been hospitalized since mid-February with double pneumonia, marking his…
Author: Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Despite owning a residence in New York and a golf course in New Jersey, Donald Trump reportedly spends nearly $800,000 most weekends to travel to his private club in Florida, racking up an estimated $26.1 million in taxpayer costs since 2017. Despite owning a residence in New York and a golf course in New Jersey, Donald Trump reportedly spends nearly $800,000 most weekends to travel to his private club in Florida, racking up an estimated $26.1 million in taxpayer costs since 2017. Based on a 2019 Government Accountability Office report updated by HuffPost, the figure reignites concerns…
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In part two of her appearance on the “Work in Progress” podcast hosted by Sophia Bush, Michelle Obama addressed the online speculation that ramped up earlier this year when Barack Obama appeared alone at several high-profile events Former First Lady Michelle Obama is setting the record straight about her marriage, brushing off rumors of a split from former President Barack Obama and calling out the sexist assumptions that fueled them. In part two of her appearance on the “Work in Progress” podcast hosted by Sophia Bush, Michelle Obama addressed the online speculation that ramped up earlier this…
Since the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, Republicans have worked relentlessly to chip away at protections for voters — particularly Black Americans, other people of color, and women. Those efforts reached a fever pitch after Barack Obama’s historic victories in 2008 and 2012, which sparked what many observers say was the modern white supremacist movement and reignited GOP efforts to suppress the vote. Now, with Donald Trump’s return to the White House and Republicans emboldened by a far-right agenda, the House has passed one of the most aggressive voter suppression bills in decades — the so-called SAVE Act, or…
House Republicans on Thursday approved a budget blueprint that slashes vital programs like Medicaid and child nutrition assistance to help fund an extension of the 2017 Trump tax law. According to a new congressional estimate, this move will cost as much as $5.5 trillion over the next decade when factoring in interest. The plan, backed by House GOP members, would extend tax breaks overwhelmingly benefiting the wealthy and large corporations. Despite claims from Republican senators that the cost would be offset, the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now project a staggering long-term price tag: $4.6 trillion…
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — While Target remains silent on its declining traffic, the contrast with its competitors is glaring. Costco, which maintained its DEI commitments despite political attacks, saw a 5.2% year-over-year increase in foot traffic during the same week Target is losing more than its commitment to equity, it’s losing customers. For the eighth consecutive week, shoppers have turned away from the retail giant following its decision to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program in January. New data from Placer.ai shows store visits during the week of March 17 fell by 5.7% compared to the same time last…
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Obama, meanwhile, broke his silence during an appearance at Hamilton College in New York, offering one of his sharpest public critiques yet of Trump’s second administration. Is the resistance finally taking form? As Kendrick Lamar asked during his powerful Super Bowl performance, “Are we really about to do it?” That question now echoes in the political arena as former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris have entered the public fray, joining voices like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett in confronting President Donald Trump and his administration’s sweeping changes head-on.…
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The U.S. government’s action also appears to signal the impending death of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a landmark trade deal from the Clinton administration President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new tariffs on dozens of nations, including a record-setting 50% reciprocal tariff on the tiny southern African mountain kingdom of Lesotho — the highest levy imposed on any sovereign country by the United States. Trump’s move targets at least 60 countries with duties starting at 10%, with Lesotho and other African nations bearing some of the heaviest hits. The White House said the tariffs…
Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, an Atlanta-based pastor of the New Birth Baptist Church, has reported a robust national turnout for his consumer boycott against Minneapolis-based retail giant Target. The fast-selective-buying campaign, which began during the Lent Season from March 5 to April 17, targets what Bryant describes as the company’s neglect of the Black community. According to Bryant, the boycott has mobilized over 150,000 participants and persuaded over 100 Black vendors to withdraw their products from Target. The movement has led to a $12 drop per share in Target’s stock and a $2 billion decrease in its overall value.…
BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent As the April 15 tax filing deadline approaches, Color of Change Executive Director Portia Allen-Kyle is urging Black taxpayers to be on high alert for deceptive practices and structural pitfalls in the tax system. “The biggest thing we are letting folks know is that there is a free option 70 percent of taxpayers qualify for,” Allen-Kyle said, referring to the IRS’s Direct File program during an appearance on BlackPressUSA.com’s Let It Be Known News morning show. “It cuts out the corporate middleman. You no longer need to go to H&R Block or use TurboTax or hit up…