Donald Trump faces a new hurdle. This time, securing an insurance bond to cover a $464 million judgment in a civil fraud case, and it’s seemingly impossible.
The former president has tried to get 30 different underwriters, but no one is willing to back this bond required at the end of the month. The judgment includes a significant sum against Trump and additional amounts related to his sons Don Jr. and Eric.
Trump’s legal team is now pressuring a New York appeals court for a delay in posting the bond, illustrating how challenging it is to find backing in cash, not property.
Amid the appeals, the real estate mogul’s struggle to meet the bond requirements underscores the financial implications of the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
This unfolds against the backdrop of his recent $91.6 million bond for the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, as his team wonders how he will get relief.
Pioneers are often appreciated but need to be remembered in every genre, and Hip-Hop is no exception. Below are unsung women in Hip-Hop who paved the way for generations.
Oaktown’s 3.5.7.
This Bay Area, California group started as background dancers for MC Hammer but would soon create their lane. Songs like Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, and Juicy Gotcha Krazy became house party classics.
From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lady B was signed to the legendary Sugar Hill Records. The Philly MC’s 1979 debut, To the Beat Ya’ll, became a hit and a Hip Hop catchphrase for decades. She later created her legend as one of the first radio personalities to play rap music on-air in the city.
MC Trouble
An early Hip Hop era West Coast artist out of Los Angeles, California, MC Trouble became the first female rapper to be signed to Motown. The lead single I Wanna Make You Mine ft. The Good Girls debuted as a popular dance jam before her life was cut short by an illness.
After the debut of the album 360 Degrees of Power, the Bronx-born radical artist became more known as an activist than a rapper. Sister Souljah applied her pen skills to create written novels such as the classic The Coldest Winter Ever.
BOSS
Although born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Boss was discovered by West Coast legend DJ Quik, who helped get her signed to Def Jam Records. The album Born Gangstaz delivered successful singles such as Deeper, Progress of Elimination, and Recipe of a Hoe, making an unapologetic mark for street raps. RIP to the original Bo$$ lady of Gangsta Rap.
The 2024 NAACP Image Awards were broadcast on Saturday, March 16, with Queen Latifah as the host.
Usher was honored with the 2024 President’s Award, recognizing individuals for their exceptional achievements and distinguished public service.
In film and television, “Abbott Elementary” was honored as the outstanding comedy series, while “Swarm” received accolades for outstanding limited series. “A Black Lady Sketch Show” was celebrated as the outstanding variety show, and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” claimed the title of outstanding motion picture. Cord Jefferson of “American Fiction” was awarded for outstanding writing in a motion picture, just days after winning an Oscar for adapted screenplay at the Oscars.
In the music categories, Victoria Monét clinched the prize for outstanding new artist, while Megan Thee Stallion won outstanding hip hop/rap song award.
President Biden has announced a comprehensive initiative, including a new executive order aimed at revolutionizing women’s health research and innovation across America.
Rooted in his State of the Union vision, Biden has proposed a transformative $12 billion investment to establish a fund for Women’s Health Research at NIH. This initiative, the first White House initiative on women’s health research, seeks to fundamentally alter the landscape of women’s health research in the U.S. and ensure comprehensive integration and prioritization within the federal research agenda.
It encompasses a broad spectrum of actions, including a $200 million NIH investment for the 2025 fiscal year and the launch of ARPA-H’s Sprint for Women’s Health with a $100 million commitment.
The initiative’s directives include enhancing research across various stages of women’s lives, particularly focusing on midlife health challenges and leveraging AI in health research advancements.
(AURN News) – In observance of National Kidney Month, Black Health Matters and the National Kidney Foundation have united forces to bring the pressing issue of kidney health within the African American community to the forefront. According to the National Kidney Foundation, Black individuals face a staggering fourfold increased risk of developing kidney failure compared to other racial groups. One in three kidney failure patients in the United States is Black.
Nationwide, 33% of adults are susceptible to kidney disease. Diabetes emerges as the primary culprit behind kidney failure, closely followed by high blood pressure, according to the organization.
The data is sobering: more than 42% of Black adults grapple with high blood pressure, a significant contributing factor to kidney dysfunction. There is a critical need for comprehensive outreach initiatives, early detection programs, and culturally sensitive healthcare interventions tailored to the unique needs of the African American community.
We must remember that behind each statistic lies a personal narrative of struggle, resilience, and the unyielding quest for equitable access to quality healthcare. Far too many African Americans in our country are not treated fairly or taken seriously by medical professionals.
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Before the rise of Drill rap, on March 18, 2014, West Coast rapper YG and producer DJ Mustard released the last certified Gangsta rap album, My Krazy Life. The duo set forth to create a work representing themselves as offspring of West Coast legends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, a task where they succeeded and made their legacy.
From the mud
Keenon “YG” Jackson, a Compton, California native, first buzz attempt with the 2010 dance jingle called Toot It and Boot It ft. Ty Dolla Sign. The track was an okay two-step record that gained attention in the Los Angeles (LA) hoods but peaked at number 67 on Billboard. After spending time in jail for a parole violation, YG linked with LA native friend Dijon “DJ Mustard” McFarlane, and the two went on to create a mixtape titled The Real 4 Fingaz, which gained a fanbase across the internet.
The chemistry between YG and DJ Mustard was a lightning-in-a-bottle type of musical magic. The two began to build a growing audience at their performance shows across Los Angeles County that caught the attention of a visiting icon from Atlanta, Georgia. “I actually attended one of his (YG) shows, and I couldn’t believe it,”Jeezy told Revolt. “I just felt like he needed that, you know, that other half, the other link. You know that got that wisdom and the knowledge, and that can help him in the areas he probably doesn’t understand as a new artist.”
Jeezy felt impressed by YG, so the Snowman signed the young Compton rapper to his (Jeezy) label CTE World, which had a distribution deal with Def Jam Recordings. Now, with a Big Homie cosign, YG and DJ Mustard set off together to make a bounce-boogie G-Funk album about their everyday Californian lives.
Another G-Thang
My Krazy Life by YG is an album that plays like a Rated-R documentary into the inner-city hood life of Compton, California. The audio scenery isn’t the palm trees and sunny smiles one sees onscreen, but rather the smirk-faced gang life that’s unpretty to the politically sensitive eye. The horn sounds off with YG yelling, “N***a, N***a, N***a!!! ” on BPT is an unapologetic stand-off record saying, “FU, this is where I’m from!!!”I Just Wanna Party Ft. Schoolboy Q & Jay Rock hit an emotion from the baseline that feels like the three rappers are gearing up for a drive-by. YG is telling you who and why he is by rapping, “Mama ain’t raise no fool. Daddy told me never leave the house without my tool.”
YG also displays crafty yet easy-to-follow lyricism on My Krazy Life. In the song Bicken Back Being Bool, the Piru Blood raps a story replacing Cs with Bs when he rhymes, “Smoking on a bigarette, eating a bowl of bereal.” That commitment is authentic to YG’s world. “it’s a day in the life piece, ya feel me,” YG told Snoop Dogg on GGN.“I’m giving you a part of my story. I’m giving you situations I’ve been through. Showed you how I deal with situations, and giving you the culture, the West Coast, how we living.”
Sons of the Chronic
My Krazy Life is an album that is almost everything Gangsta rap critics warned about in the 1990s. The threat of the then children who would grow up in a world influenced by The Chronic and Doggystyle. A world where women on records are disrespected, and gun violence is praised. Yet, although the criticism is necessary, the artistry of YG and DJ Mustard is the same as their predecessors, where they create music that reflects inner-city American life. That same life combines watch-yo-mouth language, domino/spade games, and gang activity into a cookout music session on display. The imperfections and immaturity are the rawness that makes a guilty pleasure album. YG and DJ Mustard’s contribution uses subject matter that raises the unanswerable chicken or the egg question: Should society blame the music or the social conditions that resemble this Krazy life?
In Atlanta, Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee ruled that District Attorney Fani Willis can only continue overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump if special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who was linked romantically to Willis, steps down.
The decision stems from concerns over the appearance of impropriety rather than a direct conflict of interest regarding Willis’ involvement in the high-profile case against the former president. While not disqualifying her for a conflict of interest, McAfee expressed concerns over her judgment and the credibility of her and Wade’s testimonies about their relationship’s timeline.
The prosecution’s case, one of four criminal indictments against Trump, now faces additional scrutiny due to the personal dynamics. Despite the controversy, the judge emphasized that Willis’ removal was not warranted, suggesting Wade’s withdrawal could mitigate concerns about the prosecution’s integrity.
The ruling highlights the intricate balance between personal conduct and public duty, casting a shadow over the prosecution’s efforts to hold Trump accountable for alleged election interference in Georgia in the 2020 presidential election.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday in a speech on the Senate floor calling for new elections.
“Five months into this conflict, it is clear that Israelis need to take stock of the situation and ask, must we change course? At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023.(Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)
Republicans quickly responded. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Schumer:
“…this is not only highly inappropriate, it’s just plain wrong for an American leader to play such a divisive role in Israeli politics, while our closest ally in the region is in an existential battle for its very survival.”
Schumer, who is the highest-ranking Jewish official, also said his heart is broken with the loss of so many civilian lives in Gaza.
The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants has decided against outright disqualifying Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. However, the judge ruled that either she or prosecutor Nathan Wade must recuse themselves from the case.
In a 23-page ruling, Judge Scott McAfee stated that the defendants failed to prove that the district attorney had a genuine conflict of interest. The co-defendant, Michael Roman, along with several others, initially sought Willis’ disqualification from the election case, citing allegations that she benefited financially from her romantic relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing on the Georgia election interference case, Friday, March, 1, 2024, in Atlanta. A progressive Democrat and a Republican who briefly worked in Donald Trump’s administration entered the Fulton County district attorney’s race Friday, March 8, 2024, as the current officeholder, Willis, awaits a judge’s decision on whether she will be removed from the Georgia election interference case against the former president. (AP Photo/Alex Slitz, Pool, File)Special prosecutor Nathan Wade looks on during a hearing on the Georgia election interference case, Friday, March, 1, 2024, in Atlanta. A progressive Democrat and a Republican who briefly worked in Donald Trump’s administration entered the Fulton County district attorney’s race Friday, March 8, 2024, as the current officeholder, Fani Willis, awaits a judge’s decision on whether she will be removed from the Georgia election interference case against the former president because of a relationship with Wade. (AP Photo/Alex Slitz, Pool, File)
Former President Donald Trump has dismissed the district attorney’s investigation as being politically motivated.
(AURN News) – A stark reality grips the country’s younger generations as they grapple with the out-of-control costs of housing. A recent poll conducted by Harris reveals a disheartening truth: 59% of Gen Z and millennials believe that splitting housing expenses is their sole pathway to tackling the escalating financial burdens. The American dream of homeownership feels increasingly out of reach for young adults, with 67% of millennial renters expressing deep-seated anxieties about ever achieving this milestone.
In a landscape where the median home sales price in January reached a staggering $379,100, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the dream of owning a home is fast fading for many. Compounding this issue is the glaring shortage of affordable housing units nationwide, with the NAR highlighting a deficit of 5.5 million units. In the backdrop of this mounting crisis, unaffordable rents or mortgages loom large, acting as an insurmountable barrier to financial progress for over half of those surveyed in the Harris poll.
In response to the growing crisis, the NAR is urging policymakers to consider tax incentives as a means to help deal with the problem.
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(AURN News) – If you need gas, you may want to fill up sooner rather than later as gas prices continue to increase across the country. According to the American Auto Association (AAA), the national average price of gas now sits at $3.41. A month ago it was $3.25. California is seeing average prices at $4.87 while Texas is sitting at $3.04. But you can expect even more changes. AAA says that oil is crossing $80 a barrel, and warm temperatures are expected to come into play. The summer blend is also expected to increase prices by 10 to 15 cents, AAA says.
It remains to be seen how paying more at the pump will continue to impact the Federal Reserve’s battle against inflation. Last month, the country saw an increase in the Consumer Price Index as inflation continues to creep up.
Among the states with the biggest increases in prices are Texas, with a 10-cent increase in prices, followed by Alaska, Oregon, and Washington D.C.
As we grapple with rising fuel costs, the impact is felt not only at the gas station but also in daily budgets. Families are being forced to make tough decisions about their spending as prices soar.
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