Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby indicted on federal perjury charge

Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby has been indicated by a federal grand jury on charges of perjury related to a COVID-19 financial hardship withdrawal and a false statement on a loan application.

This comes amid an ongoing federal investigation involving Mosby and her husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, over campaign records.

In March federal prosecutors started investigating the personal business and tax records of the Mosbys. Federal officials subpoenaed the Maryland State Board of Elections seeking business and campaign finance records dating back to 2014.

Federal prosecutors subpoenaed records from Marilyn Mosby’s campaign, along with Nick and Marilyn’s business records.As part of the investigation, federal prosecutors requested tax returns, bank statements and loan documents.

The couple’s lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, issued a statement calling the investigation a “political witch hunt.”

“My clients are progressive change agents, making them unfair targets of unnecessary scrutiny by federal investigators. Nevertheless, I can assure you and the people of Baltimore, they have done nothing illegal, inappropriate or unlawful,” he said.

[SOURCE: WBAL]

12 Year Old Naquan Lindsey is Missing

Authorities are asking for the public’s help to find a 12-year-old New Jersey boy who has been missing since last week.

Naquan Lindsey left his home in Winslow in Camden County on Friday and was due to return on Sunday. The child who was reported missing on Tuesday, is known to visit East Camden, officials said in an earlier statement.

He is 5-foot-4-inches tall, weight about 100 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Camden County Central Communications tip line at 856-783-4900 or Winslow police at 609-567-0700.

Tips can also be sent anonymously to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

Congressional Black Caucus Holds News Conference on Filibuster For Voting Rights

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) held a news conference on voting rights from Capitol Hill. The CBC called on the Senate to change the filibuster rules to allow a vote on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Watch that news conference below:

Chris Dickerson, First Black Mr. America, Dead at 82

Legendary bodybuilder Chris Dickerson, who made history as the first-ever Black Mr. America, died on Dec. 23, 2021 at the age of 82.

Dickerson died at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after struggling with a heart ailment.

Mr. Dickerson, who stood 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 190 pounds, was named Mr. America in 1970 and was one of the first Black men to win the Mr. Universe competition.

Dickerson blazed many trails throughout his career, including becoming Mr. Olympia in 1982. Throughout his lengthy career, Dickerson amassed 50 titles, including wins at International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Grand Prix competitions in multiple states.

He ended his career having won four major titles: Mr. Olympia, Mr. America, Mr. Universe and the Pro Mr. America.

Stacey Abrams thanks Biden for coming to Georgia to speak on voting rights

Talking heads and pundits on the right are trying to make a big deal of Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams not going to President Biden's speech on at voting rights at Morehouse University. Those pundits are trying to make it look like there is a rift between Abrams and Biden.

They are trying this despite Abrams stating that she had a prior engagement to attend.

Abrams does not appear to have an issue with Biden though.

Abrams actually issued a statement Tuesday praising President Biden and Vice President Harris for their speech in Georgia about federal voting rights legislation.

My statement: I thank @POTUS and @VP for returning to Georgia to continue their steadfast advocacy for passage of federal legislation to protect the freedom to vote. They made clear again today that they are committed to restoring the Senate to safeguard our democracy. #gapol🧵

— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) January 12, 2022

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot test positive for Covid-19

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has tested positive for COVID-19, and will be working from home.

Lightfoot announced her diagnosis in a brief statement posted to her Facebook and Twitter pages.

Earlier today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I am experiencing cold-like symptoms but otherwise feel fine which I credit to being vaccinated and boosted. I will continue to work from home while following the CDC guidelines for isolation.

— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) January 11, 2022

Barbie To Release Doll Honoring Journalist And Activist Ida B. Wells

Anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells has been honored by Barbie as one of its “Inspiring Women” dolls, putting the journalist and suffragist in the company of celebrated poet Maya Angelou and civil rights leader Rosa Parks.

“The Barbie Inspiring Women Series pays tribute to pioneering journalist and tireless activist for racial and gender equality, Ida B. Wells.

This collectible Ida B. Wells Barbie doll wears a beautiful blue dress with lace details at the bodice, collar and waist. A Memphis Free Speech newspaper accessory completes her look.

Ida B. Wells Barbie doll is sculpted to her likeness and features articulation for endless posing possibilities and inspired displays.” ~ Barbie

Wells—who hailed from Holly Springs, Mississippi—tapped into the power of journalism to capture the injustices faced by African Americans in the South. Wells led groundbreaking investigative research around white mob violence and the lynching of Black men. She was one of the founders of the NAACP and played an instrumental role in the women’s suffrage movement. Her purpose was rooted in seeking truth and her legacy lives on through generations of journalists and activists.

Zion Rachelle Foster Is Missing!

EASTPOINTE, Mich. – Eastpointe police are searching for a missing girl whose family believes she is being held against her will.

Zion Rachelle Foster, 17, was last seen Tuesday (Jan. 4) at her home in the 22000 block of Melrose Court in Eastpointe, according to authorities.

She is 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 120 pounds, officials said. She was last seen wearing her Detroit Wing Company uniform, they said.

Family members believe Foster is being held against her will. They believe she could possibly be a sex trafficking victim in another state, according to police.

Anyone who has seen Foster or has information on her whereabouts is asked to call Eastpointe police at 586-445-5100.

Symone Sanders to join MSNBC

Esteemed political strategist Symone D. Sanders will join MSNBC to host new programs across cable and streaming, president of MSNBC Rashida Jones announced today.

Beginning this spring, the government and presidential campaign trail alum and celebrated author will host MSNBC on the weekends and Peacock’s The Choice from MSNBC. She will be based in Washington, D.C.

Sanders will bring her expertise, spirited rhetoric and sharp political insight to MSNBC’s multi-platform channels. Her program will explore issues at the intersection of politics, culture and race and break down how decisions made in Washington impact electorates, industries, and communities across the country. She will also interview law and policy makers, top government officials, scholars, and thought leaders.

A native of North Omaha, Nebraska and a recent alum of both the Biden-Harris administration and campaign, Sanders will bring her unique perspectives, midwestern sensibilities and lived experiences to MSNBC viewers with an insider’s take on Washington and the inner-workings of American politics.

Sanders’ announcement comes off the heels of MSNBC’s strategic focus on streaming in 2021 with the launch of The Choice from MSNBC on Peacock, the streaming destination for live, in-depth perspective and news. Sanders’ show will be featured alongside original programming hosted by Zerlina Maxwell, Mehdi Hasan and Ayman Mohyeldin on The Choice from MSNBC.

On cable, MSNBC delivered significant gains in 2021, ending the year as the #2 network across all of cable–dominating CNN for five straight years across total viewers–and finishing as the #1 cable network among African American viewers. Since 2015, MSNBC increased viewership by 160 percent, growing more than CNN and FOX News combined. MSNBC Digital also had its strongest year on record.

Continuing its commitment to impactful journalism and quality original streaming programming, NBCU News Group Chairman Cesar Conde made a significant investment in its streaming platforms, adding hundreds of new jobs and several new live hours of original programming across The Choice, NBC News NOW and TODAY All Day.

Before joining MSNBC, Sanders served as a senior member of the Biden-Harris administration serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris. She was one of the earliest staffers of the Biden presidential campaign and later served as a senior advisor for the Biden-Harris ticket. Sanders first rose to prominence in 2016 as the youngest presidential press secretary on record working for Sen. Bernie Sanders’s then-presidential campaign.

Previously, Sanders was the national chair of the Coalition of Juvenile Justice Emerging Leaders Committee and member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice. There, she worked to raise the profile of young voices in the fight for juvenile justice reform and brought millennial perspectives to policy conversations.

She published her first book, No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America in 2020, which explores finding her authentic voice and recounts stories from her life and those of young revolutionaries who came before her.

Sanders is a former resident fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School and the University of Southern California's Center for the Political Future.

Rep. Maxine Waters: Rep. Matt Gaetz needs to shut up about January 6

While appearing on MSNBC's The Sunday Show, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said the Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) needs to shut up after his ridiculous comments concerning January 6, 2021.

"We're ashamed of nothing. We're proud of the work that we did on January 6 to make legitimate arguments about election integrity," Gaetz said about the GOP on Steve Bannon's radio talk show.

"We're actually going to walk the grounds that patriotic Americans walked from the White House to the Capitol who had no intent of breaking the law or doing violence," added Gaetz>

Watch Rep. Waters response to those comments below:

.@RepMaxineWaters says Rep. Matt Gaetz "needs to shut up" for saying he’s proud of their work on Jan. 6th. #SundayShow pic.twitter.com/5w8YYVqrUD

— The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart (@TheSundayShow) January 9, 2022

12 Black actors nominated for Golden Globe Awards

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced nominees for their annual Golden Globe Awards,. Twelve of those nominated in the acting catergories for both film and televison are Black Or African American. This inlcludes Denzel Washington, Ruth Negga, Issa Rae, Anthony Anderson, and more.

FILM CATEGORIES

Best Actor in a Drama:

Mahershala Ali ("Swan Song")

Will Smith ("King Richard")

Denzel Washington ("The Tragedy of Macbeth")

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama

Aunjanue Ellis ("King Richard")

Ruth Negga ("Passing").

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Actress in a drama

Uzo Aduba, “In Treatment”

Actor in a drama

Billy Porter, “Pose”

Omar Sy, “Lupin”

Actress in a comedy or musical

Issa Rae, “Insecure”

Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish”

Actor in a comedy or musical

Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish”

Actress in a limited/anthology series or TV movie

Cynthia Erivo, “Genius: Aretha”

King Richard recieves 4 Golden Globe nominations

King Richard starring Will Smith as Richard Williams and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association .

The movie follows the life of Richard Williams, the father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams who also served as executive producers on the film. King Richard also stars Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, and Jon Bernthal.

King Richard was nominated in the following categories:

Movies Drama: "King Richard"

Actor in a drama: Will Smith, "King Richard"

Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture.

Supporting actress: Aunjanue Ellis, "King Richard"

Original song: "Be Alive" (from "King Richard")

This is Will Smith's 6th Golden Globes nomination overall and 4th for Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture. The other two nominations were for his work on The Fresh Prince of Bel-aire.

Daniel Robinson is Missing

Daniel Robinson, a Black geologist who was working in Arizona is missing.

Robinson was last seen in June 2021 just outside of Buckeye, Arizona in the area of Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road on June 23.

Authorities asked anyone with information about Robinson’s disappearance to call the Buckeye Police tip line at (623) 349-6411.

After a 24-year-old Black geologist went missing and police delayed a comprehensive search for him, this father dropped everything to find him himself. pic.twitter.com/DkGLeBolEY

— AJ+ (@ajplus) January 8, 2022

Naomi Osaka withdraws from Australian Open due to injury

Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from her semifinal match Saturday at a WTA tournament with an abdominal injury, allowing her opponent Veronika Kudermetova to advance to the final on a walkover.

Osaka released the following statement on her withdrawal via Twitter:

Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break I took. Thank you for all the love this past week ❤️ I’ll try to rest up and I’ll see you soon!

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 8, 2022

Denzel Washington statement on passing of legendary actor Sidney Poitier

Denzel Washington released the following statement paying tribute to his longtime mentor Sidney Poitier after the pioneering actor’s death on Friday at the age of 94:

“It was a privilege to call Sidney Poitier my friend,” Washington said in a statement provided to The Daily Beast. “He was a gentle man and opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years. God bless him and his family.”

Watch Denzel Washington honor Sidney Poitier after he winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 2002.

Barack Obama statement on passing of legendary actor Sidney Poitier

Former U.S. President, Barack Obama released the following statement on the passing of the legendary and Oscar winning actor, Sidney Poiter at the age of 94:

"Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors. Michelle and I send our love to his family and legion of fans."

Rare Toni Morrison short story, Recitatif to be released as a book on Feb. 1, 2022

On February 1, 2022 "Recitatif," written by Morrison in the early 1980s and rarely seen over the following decades will be released as a book.

In this 1983 short story--the only short story Morrison ever wrote--we meet Twyla and Roberta, who have known each other since they were eight years old and spent four months together as roommates in St. Bonaventure shelter. Inseparable then, they lose touch as they grow older, only later to find each other again at a diner, a grocery store, and again at a protest. Seemingly at opposite ends of every problem, and at each other's throats each time they meet, the two women still cannot deny the deep bond their shared experience has forged between them.

Another work of genius by this masterly writer, Recitatif keeps Twyla's and Roberta's races ambiguous throughout the story. Morrison herself described Recitatif, a story which will keep readers thinking and discussing for years to come, as "an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial." We know that one is white and one is Black, but which is which? And who is right about the race of the woman the girls tormented at the orphanage?

A remarkable look into what keeps us together and what keeps us apart, and how perceptions are made tangible by reality, Recitatif is a gift to readers in these changing times.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF RECITATIF

Barack Obama statement on January 6 anniversary of attempted insurrection

Former U.S. President, Barack Obama released the following statement on the 1-year anniversay of the January 6 attempted insurrection:

One year ago, a violent attack on our Capitol made it clear just how fragile the American experiment in democracy really is. And while the broken windows have been repaired and many of the rioters have been brought to justice, the truth is that our democracy is at greater risk today than it was back then.

Although initially rejected by many Republicans, the claims that fanned the flames of violence on January 6th have since been embraced by a sizeable portion of voters and elected officials – many of whom know better. State legislatures across the country have not only made it harder to vote, but some have tried to assert power over core election processes including the ability to certify election results. And those remaining Republican officials and thought leaders who have courageously stood their ground and rejected such anti-democratic efforts have been ostracized, primaried, and driven from the party.

Historically, Americans have been defenders of democracy and freedom around the world – especially when it’s under attack. But we can’t serve that role when leading figures in one of our two major political parties are actively undermining democracy at home. We can’t set an example when our own leaders are willing to fabricate lies and cast doubt on the results of free and fair elections.

Our system of government has never been automatic. If we want our children to grow up in a true democracy – not just one with elections, but one where every voice matters and every vote counts – we need to nurture and protect it. Today, that responsibility falls to all of us. And on this anniversary, nothing is more important.

2022 Negro Leagues Baseball Commemorative Coin Program Helps Support The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Join the United States Mint in commemorating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on civil rights with these commemorative coins honoring Negro Leagues Baseball.

Formed in 1920, the Negro National League was the first successful, organized professional African American baseball league in the U.S. The year 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment formed in response to the barring of black and brown players from competing in the Major Leagues.

Help Support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

The privately funded museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Negro League Baseball in America.

Surcharges in the amount of $35 for each gold coin sold, $10 for each silver dollar sold, and $5 for each clad half dollar are authorized to be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for educational and outreach programs and exhibits.

Pre-order your Negro Leagues Baseball Commemorative Coins here: 2022 Negro Leagues Baseball Commemorative Coin Program

Lawrence N. Brooks, oldest US veteran of WWII dies at 112

Lawrence N. Brooks, the oldest World War II veteran in the U.S. - and believed to be the oldest man in the country - died on Wednesday at the age of 112.