Friday, May 22, 2020

Joe Biden apologizes for 'You Ain't Black' comments

Former Vice President Joe Biden apologized for telling radio host Charlamagne Tha God earlier in the day that if you support President Trump "then you ain’t black. Listen to his apology below:

Prosecutor to dismiss charges against charges against Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor

Saying the case demands more investigation, Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine announced Friday his office will move to dismiss all charges against Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, firing a gun in her apartment and wounding a police officer.

Kenneth Walker, 27, was charged with attempted murder of a police officer and assault in the March 13 incident in which plain-clothes police officers executed a "no-knock" search warrant at Taylor's apartment and fatally shot her.

"I believe that additional investigation is necessary," Wine said.

But Wine said Walker's case could be presented to a grand jury a second time, depending on the results of investigations by the FBI and Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.

Still, Walker's attorney, Rob Eggert, said he was "thrilled" by the dismissal.

"Theoretically, they can bring it back," he said, "but now he is freed from home incarceration and can go on with his life."

Walker had previously been released from jail in March and placed on home incarceration.

Attorneys for Taylor's family, Ben Crump, Sam Aguiar and Lonita Baker, said in a statement that the charges never should have been filed.

"This is a belated victory for justice and a powerful testament to the power of advocacy," they said. “Kenneth Walker and Breonna Taylor did everything right the night police ambushed their home."

[SOURCE: COURIER JOURNAL]

Candice Storey Lee: First African American Athletic Director in the SEC

Vanderbilt University today announced that Candice Storey Lee, a former standout student-athlete and three-time Vanderbilt University graduate, has been named vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director at Vanderbilt after serving in the role on an interim basis since February.

The decision firmly cements Lee’s place in Vanderbilt and college sports history. Lee is Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first African American woman to head a Southeastern Conference athletics program. The appointment places her in the upper echelon of college athletics as one of only five women currently leading a Power Five program.

Candice is perfectly positioned to lead our athletics program to new heights of success on and off the field of play. She has the drive, creativity and perseverance to help elevate our student-athletes and the entire Vanderbilt Athletics program,” said Incoming Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. “The progress that Vanderbilt Athletics has achieved in recent years, and our very high aspirations for the future, are grounded in the university’s commitment both to academic excellence and to preparing our student-athletes to play and win in one of the most, if not the most, competitive conferences in the country. Candice is the living embodiment of these values and aspirations.”

Lee has served as an integral leader at the university and in Athletics for almost 20 years. Prior to becoming interim athletic director, she served as deputy athletic director, a role she was appointed to in 2016.

“We will look back and see this decision as a major turning point for Vanderbilt Athletics and our entire university. Most importantly, Candice leads by example as an alumnus and former athlete—showing our student-athletes that the university’s commitment to ensuring they are successful on and off the field can pay dividends in their lives after Vanderbilt,” said Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente. “Candice hit the ground running after being appointed interim athletic director earlier this year, and I am confident she will continue to deliver the best opportunities possible for our student-athletes.”

As athletic director, Lee will continue to work with the Vanderbilt Athletics leadership team and coaching staff and collaborate directly with the chancellor on implementation of the university’s Strategic Plan for Athletics, which outlines the university’s vision for developing the best student-athlete experience in college athletics.

“I am incredibly honored to lead the Commodores, and I could not have been in this position without the support of the university’s leadership, our dedicated coaches and staff, and all of Commodore Nation,” Lee said. “There are challenges ahead and much uncertainty about what college athletics can and should look like during a pandemic, but I firmly believe that anything is possible if we all work together.

My priority, and the university’s priority, continues to be examining everything we can do to support our student-athletes and ensure their safety and well-being. We also continue to prepare for the future—determining and establishing the conditions our student-athletes need to compete and succeed at Vanderbilt and beyond.”

Lee, who has been nationally recognized as a rising star in college athletics, was named to Sports Business Journal’s “Power Players: College Sports” list in 2019—distinguishing her as one of “the best thinkers, problem-solvers and dealmakers in college sports” and as someone who “will play a distinctly important role in its future.” In 2018, Adidas named Lee to its prestigious “NEXT UP” class, comprising “senior-level administrators, handpicked by some of the most respected athletic directors in the industry, who are believed to be ready to take the next step as athletic directors in their own right.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Vanderbilt and for Candice—someone who has risen through the ranks at the university and with whom I have had the pleasure to work with for a number of years. I think Commodore athletics can only benefit from her leadership,” John Ingram, chair of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust Athletics Committee, said.

Along with her roles as associate vice chancellor and deputy athletic director, Lee has served as the department’s senior woman administrator since 2004. As deputy athletic director, she oversaw the day-to-day operations of the athletics department and also served as the sport administrator for the football and women’s basketball programs. Lee formerly served as a member of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee, is the former chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee and a former chair of the SEC Senior Woman Administrators.

In September 2019, Lee was named a 2019-20 fellow of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association’s Pressnell Executive Leadership Institute. She is a member of the 2012 class of Leadership Nashville, the 2012 Vanderbilt Leadership Academy, the YWCA of Middle Tennessee Board of Directors and the SEC Executive Committee.

As a captain and four-year letter winner for Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball team, Lee graduated with a bachelor of science degree in human and organizational development in 2000. She also received her master’s degree in counseling from Vanderbilt in 2002, and in 2012, Lee earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt in higher education administration.

Lee has been instrumental in Vanderbilt Athletics’ success in proving that excellent academics and excellent athletics can coexist. In 2019, Vanderbilt finished with an overall NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 97, the highest of any SEC program for the fifth straight year. This year, student-athletes also exceeded a 3.0 grade-point average for the 15th straight year. The recently released NCAA Academic Progress Rates for the 2018-19 academic year showed seven of Vanderbilt’s varsity programs earning perfect—and nation-leading—scores.

Since 2007, Vanderbilt’s student-athletes have won five national championships—in baseball (two), women’s bowling (two) and women’s tennis. Vanderbilt also has won over two dozen league titles and tournaments, including the Southeastern Conference baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer and women’s tennis championships; the Southland Conference bowling championship; and the American Lacrosse Conference title. The Vanderbilt football team has played in six bowl games in recent years, breaking a 26-year drought in 2008.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

United Airlines appoints First African American President

United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) today announced that effective May 20, 2020, Brett J. Hart, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, will be appointed President of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. – a continuation of the company's leadership succession plan announced in early December with current CEO Oscar Munoz transitioning to Executive Chair and current President Scott Kirby becoming CEO following the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 20, 2020.

Since joining United in 2010, Hart has taken on a variety of significant strategic responsibilities for the company at critical moments – most notably in October 2015 when he served as interim CEO for six months while Munoz recovered from a heart transplant. Hart's promotion reflects United's commitment to leadership continuity and underscores the value of leveraging Hart's regulatory and strategic expertise, which complement Kirby's strong commercial acumen and industry experience.

"Working closely with Brett over the last 3 years, I have seen first-hand his thoughtful and intellectually rigorous approach to navigating the complex environment in which we operate and effectively implementing our business strategy," Kirby said. "The leadership Brett has shown as we have managed the current crisis reinforces the conclusion I reached last year: Brett is exactly the leader that United needs right now to take on the role of President."

As President of United, Hart will continue to lead the company's public advocacy strategy including the Government Affairs, Corporate Communications, Legal and Community Engagement teams. He will also continue to oversee business-critical functions like the Corporate Real Estate team and manage United's industry leading environmental sustainability efforts. His responsibilities will expand to include managing the Human Resources and Labor Relations teams.

"I am honored and energized as I take on these new responsibilities to lead this incredible team that I am convinced will build United into a thriving industry leader," Hart said. "The path forward will not be easy, but I am confident that Scott and I will continue our partnership to lead United through the extraordinary challenge posed by COVID-19. United's bright future is only possible because of the commitment of the most talented airline professionals in the world who serve United and our customers every single day – and I could not be prouder of them.

Like Munoz and Kirby, Hart will forgo his salary as President. The company will not replace the role of Chief Administrative Officer.

Before joining United, Hart was executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Sara Lee Corporation, where he directed global legal operations for the corporation.

Prior to Sara Lee, Hart was a partner at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal in Chicago. Before that, he served as special assistant to the general counsel at the U.S. Department of Treasury in Washington, D.C.

Hart serves on the Board of Directors for Abbvie. He is also active in several philanthropic organizations, including serving on the boards of the Obama Foundation Inclusion Council, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, University of Chicago, Northwestern Medicine and is Chair of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Board.

Hart received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and English from the University of Michigan and a juris doctorate degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Hart and his wife Dontrey and their three sons, Jonah, Aiden and Matthew reside on Chicago's South Side.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Magic Johnson will give $100 million to fund loans to minority-owned businesses

Magic Johnson announced that EquiTrust Life Insurance Co., of which he owns a majority, is providing $100 million in capital to fund federal loans for minority and women business owners who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

EquiTrust will work with MBE Capital Partners, a lender that specializes in asset-based loans for minority-owned small businesses, to distribute the loans through the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program. The loans are aimed at supporting people of color and women who operate businesses in underserved communities, according to a news release.

"These are incredible businesses, small businesses, that have been the pillar of our community that also employ a lot of black and brown people in our community," Johnson said Sunday on MSNBC. "... We wanted to make sure that minority-owned businesses got small business loans through the PPP program."

"Johnson's EquiTrust is providing critical financial support to underserved communities and businesses that have been traditionally neglected," EquiTrust and MBE Capital Partners said in a joint news release. "These small and diverse businesses often have difficulty developing strong lending relationships with big banks." The goal is to help 100,000 businesses secure resources that will sustain them through the pandemic, MBE Capital CEO Rafael Martinez said on MSNBC.

[SOURCE: CNN]