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Christmas Day Giving

Mother Dear’s Community Center is looking for volunteers to deliver food to home-bound seniors and the homeless.

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Are you looking for something meaningful to do on Christmas Day?  Mother Dear’s Community Center is in need of volunteers to pack and deliver dinners to homebound seniors and homeless individuals.  My guest is Carolyn Woodbridge Marshall – Mother Dear’s Community Center

Mother Dear’s Community Center is need of 40 packers and 45 drivers to pack and deliver dinner to homebound seniors and homeless individuals in the DC area on Christmas Day.  To sign up email Carolyn at mdcclove@gmail.com

Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.

Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.

Listen to this mornings segment here:

Medical Monday: Crohn’s Disease

Symptoms and treatment for Crohn’s Disease

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It’s a life-changing disease that some of you may not be familiar with.  Crohn’s disease is an intestinal disease can be severe and painful.  During our  Medical Monday discussion… we’ll talk about the symptoms and treatments.

Resources:

Crohn’s disease advocate Melodie Narain-Blackwell

Dr. Angesom Kibreab, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Howard University Hospital
Melodie Narain-Blackwell, Crohn’s disease patient, Advocate
Joilyn Jackson, Crohn’s disease patient

 

Hundreds of Toys And Gifts Collected For Needy Youth

“We know the holidays can be a tough time for many families. We are honored to be in a position to giveback and provide an avenue where our listeners can lend a helping hand to their neighbors,” said WHUR General Manager Sean Plater.

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Washington, D.C., (December 16, 2019) – 96.3 WHUR FM – the heritage station of the Howard University Radio Network is giving Santa a helping hand this holiday season, hosting its 17th Annual Toy Drive Saturday, December 14th from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Shops at Iverson – 3737 Branch Avenue in Temple Hills, Maryland. Radio Veteran Coka Lani took her show on the road broadcasting from center court, encouraging loyal and caring listeners to drop by and donate a new unwrapped toy for a needy child in the DMV.

Despite the cold rain, dozens of listeners heeded the call, donating over 1,200 toys and gifts like bikes, dolls, computer games, kitchen sets, racecars, footballs, books, and gift cards. The toys were distributed to youth serviced by the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, Shepherd’s Cove Shelter, Bright Beginnings, Sisters4Sisters, and the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center. Each year, the organizations provide WHUR with a list of toys needed for children ranging in age from two to 17-years-old. WHUR added to the list of organizations Women’s Wing, after thieves broke into the organizations truck stealing thousands of dollars in toys.

For nearly two decades, WHUR has responded to the needs of children in the Washington region by hosting a coat drive in October and toy drive in December. “Without WHUR, the holidays would be very bleak for hundreds of children. We are truly thankful that WHUR steps up to the plate every year to make sure the holiday season is joyous for our children,” said Denise McCain, Director of the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center, an organization that helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Listeners who made a donation received a free Maryland Lottery ticket, courtesy of the Maryland Lottery. “We know the holidays can be a tough time for many families. We are honored to be in a position to giveback and provide an avenue where our listeners can lend a helping hand to their neighbors,” said WHUR General Manager Sean Plater.

Fairfax County School Employees Charged With Child Abuse

Students with intellectual disabilities abused in Fairfax County Public School

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(Vienna, VA) — Three Fairfax County public school employees are facing charges after several children with disabilities were allegedly assaulted. Fairfax County police said an investigation found children with intellectual disabilities at Freedom Hill Elementary in Vienna had been assaulted. A grand jury indicted Principal Scott Bloom on a charge of failure to report child abuse. Teacher Clymmera Gastav and her assistant Cecelia Benavides are charged with cruelty and injuries to children and assault and battery.

Racial Bias Death Penalty Case Overturned

Bond granted for Mississippi man tried 6 times in killings

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A Mississippi man whose murder conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court for racial bias is set to be released from custody for the first time in 22 years. A judge on Monday set a $250,000 bond for 49-year-old Curtis Flowers. Circuit Judge Joseph Loper said Flowers would have to wear an electronic monitor while prosecutors decide whether to try him for a seventh time. The U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Flowers’ fourth conviction, citing racial bias in the jury selection. Flowers’ attorney says a person who wants to remain anonymous has posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Flowers’ release.

Small Business Saturday and Holiday Season Shopping

Supporting small businesses during the holiday season

Posted by Harold Fisher
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We all have our favorite restaurants, department stores, even grocery stores.  But did you ever stop to think about the small businesses in your neighborhood? As you’re running around and looking for holiday deals, don’t forget about the small businesses.  Small Business Saturday is the day after Thanksgiving. That’s the official start of the holiday shopping season, but we’re shedding light on what hard working business owners doing during the entire holiday shopping season.

Resources:

Nailbed & Bar

Pro Wash

Tropical Smoothie

Chanel Evans, Owner, Tropical Smoothie of Bowie (not pictured)

Jhavon “J” Kashif, Owner, Nailbed & Bar

 

Lamond Brown, Owner, Pro Wash

Arrest Made In Kidnapping and ATM Thefts In Waldorf

Police are still looking for the victim’s black 2010 Toyota Camry with Maryland license plate number 6BM3802. Anyone with information should call 301-609-6494.

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Last week we told you about the bizarre report by a woman who said she returned home to find a man that she did not know inside of her home robbing her. That victim then said the suspect forced her for some 8 hours to take out money from various ATM’s in the county.

She was found in the middle of the night wandering barefoot on Gardner Road near Accokeek Road at 3:37 a.m. She told police what happened and she was taken to the hospital for a check-up. She was not harmed. Police released an alert for her black four-door Toyota Camry that he left in.

Over the weekend the suspect was apprehended by police. He has been identified as 26-year-old Marc Christopher Brown, Jr of Waldorf. He is now facing first-degree assault and a home invasion charge. Brown who ended his crime spree by ramming her car into the front doors of the AMF Bowling alleyin Waldorf in an attempt to get to the ATM is being held without bail. He is currently being housed in the Charles County Detention Center.

Police are still looking for the victim’s black 2010 Toyota Camry with Maryland license plate number 6BM3802. Anyone with information should call 301-609-6494.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

Dozens Displaced In DC Following Two Apartment Fires

Fire Fighters in the District of Columbia were very busy on Sunday. The had to battle two separate apartment fires that have left more than 30 people without a place to call home.

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Fire Fighters in the District of Columbia were very busy Sunday. The had to battle two separate apartment fires that have left more than 30 people without a place to call home.

The most recent fire happened Sunday night at a six-unit apartment building on Missouri Avenue in Northwest. Crews noticed smoke coming from a second floor apartment at 43 Missouri Avenue. The blaze quickly spread to the attic causing a full evacuation of the building. 11 people were safely escorted out. The American Red Cross has already stepped up to assists the residents. The cause remains under investigation. No one was hurt.

Earlier in the day fire fighters were called to another fire at a senior living center on Banneker Drive in Northeast. Reportedly two people were injured and 23 others were safely evacuated from the Fort Lincoln apartment in the 3400 block of Banneker Drive.

Investigators say the flames were coming from the second floor of the five story residential building. The probe into the cause is ongoing.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

Tackling The Issue of Affordable Housing in The DMV

The “Building On Faith”, free One-Day Conference is this Thursday December 19th.

Posted by Bobby Gailes
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A big conference is coming up later this week bringing together the clergy and developers to tackle the issue of affordable housing in the DMV.  It’s called Building On Faith… Solving the Urban Church Crisis.  My guest is Pastor Orlanda Bego – Activist and Pastor of Center Point Baptist Church

Building On Faith – Free One-Day Conference Solving the Urban Church Crisis is December 19th from 9am to 2pm at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church at 4611 Sheriff Rd, NE. go here:

Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.

Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

Do Men Like Being Chased?

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Join us at midnight tonight as we discuss the dating scene.

Has dating changed drastically in the last 10 / 20 years? There used to be a time when men took the lead when it came to dating. Or, as the older generations used to say, courting! He’d be the one to ask the woman out on a date. He’d plan and pay for the dates. He would buy flowers and other nice things for her. He pursued her.

But is that still the norm? Many men say that women are really aggressive these days and seem to have no problems pursuing them. In many cases, the women are clearly the aggressors. Some women even take the lead when it comes to proposing marriage.

The question tonight is, do men like being chased? It seems that it would be flattering to men, at least, in the beginning. Right? Can it lead to lasting love and solid relationships? What are your thoughts?

Our musical guest tonight is uber talented saxophonist, Skip Pruitt. Skip, who hails from Motown – Detroit, MI, has been a resident of the DMV for quite awhile now. He has played with luminaries including Luther Vandross, Phyllis Hyman, George Duke, Will Downing, Ledisi …and the list really does go on and on!

Skip is one of the most sought after musicians performing today. He’s an international recording artist who is always touring.Fortunately, he belongs to Pillow Talk With Angela tonight! #tunein

Check out Skip Pruitt on 12/29 at Bethesda Blues and Jazz:

Let’s all stay connected @angelastribling @skippruitt @bethesdablues @WHURfm

See you tonight! #pillowtalkwithangela #WHURfm

 

FAME Jazz Ensemble Performs

Posted by Jacquie Gales Webb
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The FAME Jazz Ensemble was in concert in the Terrace Theatre of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Ensemble performed a medley of smooth jazz and holiday favorites.

The FAME Jazz Ensemble’s music director is award-winning saxophonist Langston Hughes II, a 2019 FAME graduate and current freshman at Howard University. The Ensemble will perform at 1pm on Christmas Eve, December 24th, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. WHUR’s Jacquie Gales Webb will introduce the students.

FAME, the Foundation for the Advancement of Music & Education, is a regional nonprofit based in Prince George’s County Maryland.  The Ensemble, a component of the signature FAME Jazz Band Program, was created in 2015 by FAME’s Founder, Ms. A. Toni Lewis. The founding artistic director was Nat Adderley, Jr, former Music Director for Luther Vandross.

The FAME Jazz Band Program provides year-round high caliber music & academic instruction to talented Prince George’s County middle school and high school youth until they graduate from high school. The students perform on major stages around the country and learn the discipline for college and career success. Students participate in music theory, technology and instrumental programs at the University of Maryland School of Music and other performing arts venues. The FAME Jazz Band released its debut CD this year with support from the United Parcel Service (UPS), Pepco, an Exelon company & the Prince George’s County Government.

For more information go to FAMEmusic.org.

 

Rethinking Gender Neutral Toys For Children

Is it time for parents to rethink gender-specific toys and gifts for their children?

Posted by Harold Fisher
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Picking an appropriate gift for your child or someone else’s child is hard enough these days.  What do you buy the boys?  What do you buy the girls?  More and more, those questions are not being asked.  Maybe the girl asks for a play toolkit.  Maybe the boy wants a kitchen set.  If that’s the case… how do you handle those requests?

Resources:

Campbell Psychological Services

Dr. Kimberly Campbell, Clinical Psychologist

Former ‘Skins Running Back Turn Himself In

Portis Surrenders To Federal Authorities In Fraud Indictment

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(Washington, DC) — Former Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis has reportedly surrendered to federal authorities in North Carolina. This comes as Portis is named in an indictment by the Justice Department that accuses ten former NFL players of defrauding the league’s health care program. Portis is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, as well as one count of wire fraud and health care fraud. The health care program was defrauded of more than three-million dollars. Other former Redskins players named in the indictment include Carlos Rogers, Robert McCune and John Eubanks.

House Committee Approves Articles Of Impeachment

The House Judiciary Committee has voted this morning on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

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The House Judiciary Committee has voted this morning on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. One abuse of power and the other obstruction of Congress in the Ukraine scandal. The vote passed along party lines, 23 to 17.

The next step is a debate and final vote by the full house on Wednesday. I think its important to add that lawmakers plan to vote on Tuesday on a spending plan to avert a government shut down after the holiday.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

Massive Fire Engulfed Home In Upper Marlboro

Witnesses say you could see the flames and smoke from Route 4 and 301. Officials say that no one was in the home at the time.

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Fire fighters were called to a massive fire on Connaugh Court in Upper Marlboro. Battling the fire was extremely difficult sources say because there was no near by water source for put out the flames.

Witnesses say you could see the flames and smoke from Route 4 and 301. Officials say that no one was in the home at the time. It’s believed that the fire started in the garage. The investigation is on going.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

It’s All About The Holiday’s

There are some great holiday events taking place this weekend

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WEEKEND HAPS

 

  • Tonight it’s our WHUR “Soul of the Holiday’s Live” with Spur of the Moment, featuring Shanice, Chelsey Green and more at Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club.  Doors open at 6 and the show time is 8pm.  A portion of the proceeds benefits our Food2Feed and our Children’s Toy Drive. 

 

  • The 17thAnnual WHUR Children’s Toy Drive is Saturday, December 14thfrom 12pm to 5pm at the Shops at Iverson in Temple Hills Maryland. Please bring a new unwrapped toy for a child in need.  WHUR’sCoka-Lani will be broadcasting her show live.  whur.com

 

  • You can check out Kenny Lattimore & Regina Belle this Saturday at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, for their “Christmas & Love Tour”, two shows 5pm and 8pm.

 

  • Funny man Sinbad is at Strathmore tonight at 8pm

 

  • Step Afrika’s Magical Musical Holiday Show is at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, running through December 22nd.

 

  • The holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” is playing at Ford’s Theatre, running through January 1st.

 

Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.

Follow me on Facebook and twitterat @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.

 

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

Taking A BIG BREAK From Your Job

Taking a break for mind, body and spirit

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After 11 years at Alfred Street Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley has announced that  he is taking a sabbatical for 3 1/2 months, starting in January and returning in April.  This is a cautionary tale for anyone who is dedicated to a job, career, vocation or family duty.  Sometimes you need to take, a big break.  Do you know when it’s time to do it and how?

Resources:

Alfred Street Baptist Church

The Corporate Alley Cat

Guests:

Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Senior Pastor, Alfred Street Baptist Church
Deborah Owens, Founder, The Corporate Alley Cat

 

What Is Your Type? Or, Do You Have One?

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Tonight at midnight we’re asking: Do you have a certain “type?” Some say no. However, when you look at their past few relationships, there might be a common thread. Do they look similar? Act similar? I didn’t think I had a type but, my friends say that I definitely do. Let’s talk about You tonight. What turns you on most in a potential partner? What are you looking for?

Later tonight, we’ll be joined by beautiful, talented singer, Sylver Logan Sharp! Remember Sylver as one of the lead singers from the group, “Chic?” Well, she’s an amazing independent artist. A proud graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and we love having her on Pillow Talk With Angela. We can’t wait to hear her thoughts on tonight’s topic! She obviously has a type! I’m talking about her talented husband. Keyboardist, Producer, and Musical Director, Daryl Hunt.

Sylver Logan Sharp has an upcoming show at the Public Playhouse, this Saturday, December 14th. www.sylverlogansharp.com

Follow us @angelastribling on all platforms!

Former NFL Players Accused Of Fraud

Several Former Skins Players Charged With Defrauding Healthcare Program

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(Washington, DC) — Several former Redskins players are among ten past NFL players facing charges for allegedly defrauding an NFL health care benefits program. The federal charges name former Skins’ players Clinton Portis, Carlos Rogers, Robert McCune and John Eubanks. The former players are accused of defrauding the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement plan, which was created to help retired players and their families. They’ve been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and health care fraud. They allegedly sought reimbursement for expensive medical equipment they never purchased. The Department of Justice says more than three-point-nine million dollars in false claims were submitted, while about three-point-four million of those claims were paid out.

Drug Dealer In Anne Arundel County Is Found Guilty Of Manslaughter, The First

Prosecutors say cell phone texts show Baker knew how young Klaes as well as his height and weight but he was more concerned about making money than the health or safety of the teen.

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For the first time in Anne Arundel County, a drug deal has been found guilty in the death of a 16-year old boy. This decision is the first of its kind in the county.

Charged was 46-year-old Jason Baker. Wednesday he was handed down an involuntary manslaughter charged for giving fentanyl to Josiah Klaes. Prosecutors say cell phone texts show Baker knew how young Klaes as well as his height and weight but he was more concerned about making money than the health or safety of the teen.

An autopsy conducted by the chief medical examiner found the cause of death to be the result of fentanyl intoxication. Investigators discovered that Baker sold the teen fentanyl instead of heroin which lead to Klaes’ overdose.

Baker faces up to 35 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 13, 2020.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

A Townhouse Fire In White Oak Displaces 15 Adults And Kids

The cause is still under investigation. It is estimated that more than 700,000 worth of damage has been done.

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This morning Montgomery County firefighters responded to a call of a fire in the 11100 block of Columbia Pike near Prelude Drive in White Oak. 85 firefighters responded to the 1 am call.

Officials say that the fire broke out in a second floor of one townhome and then quickly spread to two other townhomes. Ten adults and five kids are now looking for a place to call home. We have no reported injuries at this time.

The cause is still under investigation. It is estimated that more than 700,000 worth of damage has been done.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

It’s Our Season of Giving As We Help Those Less Fortunate

The 17th Annual WHUR Children’s Toy Drive is this Saturday at the Shops at Iverson.

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Getting our youth ready for the holiday season. WHUR is gearing up for its Annual Children’s Toy Drive.  I have the details on how you can help us spread holiday joy.  My guest isCandice Adkins – WHUR’s Public Affairs Assistant

The 17thAnnual WHUR Children’s Toy Drive is Saturday, December 14thfrom 12pm to 5pm at the Shops At Iverson in Temple Hills Maryland.  Please bring a new unwrapped toy for a child in need.  WHUR’s Coka-Lani will be broadcasting her show live.  www.whur.com

 Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.

Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

Your Mate Forgave you for THAT?

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Tonight at midnight we’re talking about forgiveness! As the saying goes: “To err is human. To forgive is divine!” For most of us forgiveness is much easier said than done. Especially when you’re in a heated argument with your significant other. What have you forgiven your mate for? What big blunder have you been forgive for in your relationship? Hope you can join us! Our musical guest is Frank McComb! See you at midnight! xoxo #pillowtalkwithangela

Churches, Economic Development And The Affordable Housing Crisis

Churches could the key to putting a dent in the affordable housing crisis in DC and beyond.

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We all know that trying to find affordable housing in DC is very difficult at best.  Buying or renting for working families is a shockingly expensive undertaking and the prices continue to rise.  Black churches may be the answer to the prayer of those in search of affordable housing through economic development.

Building On Faith Conference Info

Pastor Orlando Jermaine Bego, Senior Pastor Centerpointe Baptist Church, CEO, Bego Enterprise

Omar Karim, Founder & CEO, Bannaker Ventures

School Bus Woes In Prince George’s County

Prince George’s County Public Schools Struggle Amid Bus Driver Shortage

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(Upper Marlboro, MD) — Some Prince George’s County Public School students are waiting more than an hour to catch a bus to school. A report released yesterday revealed the school district is struggling to accurately track how many buses are running behind schedule. Despite many attempts to hire new drivers, the county says they are still in need of nearly a hundred bus drivers. The school district tracks the buses through an app called “Here Comes the Bus” but due to the shortage, last minute changes are often made and not updated on the app. PGCPS Chief Operating Officer Barry Stanton says there’s a possibility the district could reduce the number of bus routes next school year.

Male Victim Fatally Shot In Broad Daylight In Waldorf

Detectives are looking for anyone who may be able to provide additional information about this case to call 301-932-222.

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The Charles County Police Department is investigating a bold killing Tuesday. The unidentified male was discovered outside of a restaurant in the Smallwood Village Shopping Center around 3:15. It’s believed the suspect fled in a gray or silver sedan.

Detectives are looking for anyone who may be able to provide additional information about this case to call 301-932-222. Witnesses can also reach out anonymous by calling Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

Providing Programs and Services To Empower Women and Girls

The YWCA is hosting a recruitment open house December 13th.

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The YWCA is hosting a career education and training center open house.  I have the details on how you can learn about their various programs and services.  My guest is Dana Campbell – Director of Education and Training Programs for the YWCA

 YWCA National Capital Area is hosting a recruitment open house.  Join the fun for information on education education and training Friday, December 13thfrom 10am to 2pm 2302 14thStreet, NW.  More information here:

Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.

Follow me on facebook and twitterat @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

NIH Breast Cancer Study

A new study by the National Institutes of Health raises questions about black hair treatment and breast cancer.

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A new study by the National Institutes of Health has raised a lot of questions about breast cancer, black women and permanent hair dye and hair straightening products.  The results are based on data from 46,709 women enrolled in what is titled the sister study.  Participants all had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer but were cancer-free themselves.  Is this sounding the alarm or just alarmist?

NIH Breast Cancer Study

Guests:

Dr. Tamaro Hudson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Howard University Cancer Center

Keith Harley, Trichologist, Hair & Scalp Specialist

Tonight we’re asking “How Naughty Is Your Pillow Talk?”

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Here’s what we’re talking about tonight at midnight on Pillow Talk With Angela: Some couples are interested in spicing things up, but fall short of ideas. Well, how about adding some role playing? Naughty up your Pillow Talk! It could be awkward at first, so try to be as authentic as possible.

One of the easiest ways to start dirty talking is to simply rehash one of your favorite sexual memories (of the two of you together, to start anyway). Join us tonight as we explore the right things to say, along with the worst naughty talk you’ve had to endure. We’d love to hear all about it.

Comedian Del Harrison adds her comedic twist to the show! So, you know it’s gonna be fun!  #pillowtalkwithangela

Wednesday Could Bring Snow

Cold and snow could be in the offing for the DC metro by December 11th.

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(Washington, DC) — The first snow of the season could fall on the DC area early Wednesday. Rain is expected to give way to snow showers after midnight tonight as arctic air moves over the area. Forecasters say a slushy mix of rain and snow will arrive just in time for the Wednesday morning commute. Most of the area will stay above freezing, as lows will be in the low to mid-30s. Temperatures may fall to the mid to upper 20s by Thursday.

Two Basilica Security Guards Attacked

Guards in critical condition

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(Washington, DC) — A man is in custody after two security guards were injured in an attack at the basilica in Washington, DC. Police say a driver struck a female guard and several vehicles in the parking lot of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast, DC this morning. He then chased a male guard into the Shrine and stabbed him. The suspect barricaded himself inside a home in a nearby neighborhood. He was arrested a short time after. Both victims are said to be in critical condition.

How Procrastinators Can Win At Gift-Giving

Dec. 21 — dubbed Super Saturday because it’s the last Saturday before Christmas — is expected to be the second busiest shopping day, after Black Friday.

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Check the calendar. No, this isn’t a dream. It really is December, and Christmas Day is staring you straight in the face.

Where did the holiday season go? Well, no time to reminisce now.

It’s down to the wire, but there are still methods to save money on your last-minute holiday purchases. Here are four simple ways to do it.

1. JINGLE ALL THE WAY TO THE STORE

You’re not the only one still shopping. In fact, Dec. 21 — dubbed Super Saturday because it’s the last Saturday before Christmas — is expected to be the second busiest shopping day, after Black Friday, according to ShopperTrak data from Sensormatic Solutions.

Your first instinct may be to shop online and avoid the crowded mall. But not so fast, says Christopher Newman, associate professor of marketing at the University of Mississippi.

“Shoppers can increase the chance that they get the right product at the best price by shopping in store, rather than online, just before Christmas,” Newman said in an email.

“This ensures that they aren’t limited to choosing from just the products that could ship in time for the holiday.”

Last-minute online shopping may also carry hefty shipping fees. Dec. 14 is the widely accepted cutoff for Christmas ground shipping this year, according to Rob Garf, vice president of Strategy and Insights for Retail & Consumer Goods at Salesforce.

If you order online after that, you’ll likely have to pay to expedite the shipment.

2. OR BUY ONLINE, PICK UP IN STORE

If you’d rather not shop entirely at the store or entirely online, try shopping online and picking up your items at the store. In fact, buying online and retrieving your purchases from the store is a good option for shoppers, Garf says.

“It gives (consumers) the confidence that the product is going to be there and it’s going to give them the convenience that they can walk right in and pick it up,” Garf says.

He adds that some retailers may even extend an extra coupon or discount to shoppers who elect to buy online and pick up in store. Walmart does this.

This option is also good for retailers. Retailers offering buy online, pick up in store (also known as click and collect) will drive 28% more revenue share across their industry during the five days before Christmas compared with those that don’t, according to the 2019 Salesforce Holiday Insights and Predictions.

Retailers also know shoppers may be tempted to purchase additional items when they show up at the store.

3. PICK PRIVATE-LABEL PRESENTS

Purchase method aside, you also want to consider which items are on your gift list. When you have limited time to shop, it’s wise to narrow down your choices. Instead of sticking to your original plan, consider switching to less expensive presents.

Certain items are known to be cheaper just before Christmas, such as toys or previous-model electronics that didn’t sell well throughout the season.

You can also save money by changing the brands you buy. Consumers can get particularly good deals on a retailer’s own private label, for instance. Think the Kindle and Echo products from Amazon, or the Kirkland Signature line at Costco.

“Private-label products are already generally 15%-20% cheaper than their national brand counterparts, but shoppers can save even more around Christmas,” Newman said.

“Retailers can offer better deals on their private label brands than on national brands because their profit margins are higher on private labels to begin with.”

4. POUNCE ON LIMITED-TIME SALES

The fact that you’ve waited to shop until the final days before Christmas doesn’t surprise retailers. Newman says they know many shoppers delay, so they offer last-minute savings opportunities.

Be on the lookout for these types of promotions. They may be announced in advance, such as seven days of deals leading up to Christmas. Or, they may be spur-of-the-moment “flash sales” that happen without notice.

“Shoppers usually have to be vigilant and proactive in order to act upon last-minute flash sales,” Newman said.

Regularly check your email, social media and retailer websites to locate these if they’re announced.

And whatever you do, remember that now’s the time to start springing into action.

“Consumers are going to wake up from their Thanksgiving hangover and realize they have a really short time to swoop up the deals and make sure the presents get on the doorsteps and under the tree before Christmas,” Garf says.

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Courtney Jespersen is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @courtneynerd.

Learn About A Free Youth Science Academy and Volunteer to Deliver Xmas Dinners. Details Inside Community’s Choice

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Omega Psi Phi

Grab your clubs and join the brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity for their Inaugural Charles Drew Memorial Scholarship Fund Winter Classic December 15th at Top Golf at National Harbor. www.charlesdrewmsf.org

Drinking Drive

Don’t spoil the holidays by drinking and driving. WHUR and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program remind you to designate a sober driver or get a free Lyft ride home. www.wrap.org

WHUR PSAs

Does your non-profit have an event coming up that you want the community to know about. Email Renee Nash at rnash@whur.com at least three weeks prior to your event.

Stand Up to Cancer

Help make every person diagnosed with cancer a long-term survivor. Learn how, visit standuptocancer.org

Duke Ellington

Celebrate the holidays and support talented youth. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts Show Choir invites you to its Motown Christmas December 13th thru 15th. www.ellingtonschool.org.

Christmas Dinner Volunteers

Are you looking to do something meaningful for Christmas? Mother Dear’s Community Center needs 40 packers to package dinners for homebound seniors and homeless individuals. mdcclove@gmail.com

Foreclosure Prevention Help

One call can make all the difference. If you’re facing foreclosure, call the DC Foreclosure Prevention Hotline. 202-262-2255.

Free Science School

The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences is conducting a free 9 week Saturday Science Academy for underserved middle school youth in the DMV. The deadline to apply is December 13th. https://faes.org/events/saturday-science-academy-youth-training-program-ssa-2020

 

 

 

 

Michelle Obama Promotes Girls Education In Vietnam School

“We are gonna shine a light on you and the work that’s going on here … so that there are people around the world, who understand that when you educate a girl, you’ll give them power and a voice and an opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of their families and the lives of their communities,” Obama said.

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LONG AN, Vietnam (AP) — Former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama spoke to students at a school in southern Vietnam while promoting education for girls to help reach their full potential.

Obama, accompanied by actresses Julia Roberts and Lana Condor and “Today Show” co-host Jenna Bush Hager, met on Monday with girls at a high school in Long An province by the Mekong delta, where they listened to the students talk about their schoolwork and challenges.

“We are gonna shine a light on you and the work that’s going on here … so that there are people around the world, who understand that when you educate a girl, you’ll give them power and a voice and an opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of their families and the lives of their communities,” Obama said.

The visitors also joined the students in a life-skills training session where the girls practiced perseverance, critical thinking and negotiating and leadership skills that could ensure the girls are able to advocate for themselves in and out of their classrooms.

Michelle Obama started to work on promoting girls education while her husband was president. She continues the charitable work through the Obama Foundation, with Girls Opportunity Alliance as one of its initiatives.

Last week, she announced that she would donate $500,000 from the sale of her book “Becoming,” to the initiative’s fund.

After her visit to Vietnam, Obama and her husband former President Barack Obama, will speak at a meeting for their foundation in Malaysia that’s set to bring together 200 young leaders across the Asia Pacific region. The couple will also visit Singapore.

Bill Cosby Loses Appeal Of Sexual Assault Conviction

“This decision is a reminder that no one is above the law,” Andrea Constand, the victim in Cosby’s case, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

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Bill Cosby lost his bid to overturn his sexual assault conviction Tuesday, as an appeals court upheld the verdict in the first celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

In its ruling, the Superior Court upheld the right of prosecutors to call other accusers to bolster their case — the same issue that was fought over in pretrial hearings before movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial.

“This decision is a reminder that no one is above the law,” Andrea Constand, the victim in Cosby’s case, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Cosby’s lawyers in his appeal said the suburban Philadelphia judge had improperly allowed the five women to testify at last year’s retrial although he’d let just one woman testify at the first trial in 2017.

But the Superior Court said Pennsylvania law allows the testimony if it shows Cosby had a “signature” pattern of drugging and molesting women.

“Here, the (prior bad act) evidence established appellant’s unique sexual assault playbook,” the court said, noting that “no two events will ever be identical.”

The court went on to say that the similarities were no accident.

“Not only did the (prior bad act) evidence tend to establish a predictable pattern of criminal sexual behavior unique to appellant, it simultaneously tended to undermine any claim that appellant was unaware of or mistaken about victim’s failure to consent to the sexual contact that formed the basis of the aggravated indecent assault charges,” the panel said in its ruling.

Lawyers for Cosby had argued eight issues on appeal, including the judge’s decision to let prosecutors use portions of a deposition he gave in the accuser’s related civil suit. His lawyers also argued that he had a binding promise from a former prosecutor that he would never be charged in the case and could testify freely at a deposition in accuser Andrea Constand’s related lawsuit.

The appeals court rejected those arguments and upheld the judge’s classification of Cosby as a sexually violent predator.

Cosby, 82, can now ask the state Supreme Court to consider his appeal.

The long-married Cosby, once beloved as “America’s Dad” for his TV role as Dr. Cliff Huxtable on the hugely popular sitcom “The Cosby Show,” has acknowledged having sexual contact with a string of younger women, many of whom came to him for career advice and took alcohol or pills he offered them.

After the ruling, Cosby’s spokesman accused the appeals court of failing to properly review the case and repeated longstanding attacks made by Cosby’s wife and others on the court system.

“We’re not shocked because it shows the world that this isn’t about justice, but this is a political scheme to destroy America’s Dad, however they will not stop us and we will prevail in the State Supreme Court,” spokesman Andrew Wyatt said in a statement. “Mr. Cosby remains hopeful and he stands behind his innocence.”

Cosby has been serving a three- to 10-year prison term for the 2004 encounter at his suburban Philadelphia home, which he deemed consensual.

He was arrested a decade later, after a federal judge unsealed portions of the deposition at the request of The Associated Press and new prosecutors reopened the criminal case.

The Superior Court panel, in arguments in Harrisburg in August, asked why Cosby’s lawyers didn’t get a written immunity agreement and have it approved by a judge, instead of relying on an oral promise.

“This is not a low-budget operation we were operating here. They had an unlimited budget,” said Superior Court Judge John T. Bender, who questioned whether any court would have approved the deal.

Judge Steven O’Neill’s decision to let the other accusers testify came after more than 60 women accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. Prosecutors asked to call 19 of them. Superior Court Judge John Bender appeared to agree with O’Neill’s logic in letting some take the stand.

“The reality of it is, he gives them drugs and then he sexually assaults them. And in four out of the five, those were in mentor situations,” Bender said.

Kristen L. Weisenberger, representing Cosby, said one of the women wasn’t even sure she was sexually assaulted. However, prosecutors said, that’s how Cosby planned it.

O’Neill had allowed just one other accuser at Cosby’s first trial in 2017, when the jury deadlocked. Cosby’s lawyers called his later decision to let more women testify arbitrary and prejudicial.

He and his lawyers and agents have suggested that many of the accusers were gold diggers seeking money or fame. He told a news outlet in November that he expects to serve the maximum 10-year sentence if he loses the appeal, because he would never express remorse to the parole board.

Cosby agreed to pay Constand, a former Temple University women’s basketball team manager, about $3.4 million to settle her lawsuit. His insurance company, following his conviction, settled at least nine other defamation lawsuits filed by accusers for undisclosed sums.

Constand, who first went to police about Cosby in 2005, thanked Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele for fighting “tirelessly throughout two trials and the appeals process” for her.

A former professional basketball player turned massage therapist, she is launching a foundation in her native Ontario to help other sexual assault victims with their healing. She is also starting to work with law enforcement groups to help them understand the process that victims go through.

She described herself as “pleased and relieved” the verdict was upheld.

The AP does not typically identify sexual assault victims without their permission, which Constand has granted.

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This story has been updated to correct that the court ruled Tuesday, not Monday.

‘We Must Act;’ Democrats Unveil Trump Impeachment Charges

“He endangers our democracy; he endangers our national security,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the Judiciary chairman announcing the charges before a portrait of George Washington. “Our next election is at risk. … That is why we must act now.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats announced two articles of impeachment Tuesday against President Donald Trump — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — pushing toward historic votes over charges he corrupted the U.S. election process and endangered national security in his dealings with Ukraine.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, flanked by the chairmen of the impeachment inquiry committees, stood at the Capitol for what she called a “solemn act.″ Voting is expected in a matter of days in the Judiciary Committee and by Christmas in the full House. Trump insisted he did npthing wrong and his reelection campaign called it “rank partisnaship.”

“He endangers our democracy; he endangers our national security,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the Judiciary chairman announcing the charges before a portrait of George Washington. “Our next election is at risk. … That is why we must act now.”

Trump tweeted ahead of the announcement that impeaching a president with a record like his would be “sheer Political Madness!”

The outcome, though, appears increasingly set as the House prepares for voting, as it has only three times in history against a U.S. president. Approval of the charges would send them to the Senate in January, where the Republican majority would be unlikely to convict Trump.

Democratic leaders say Trump put his political interests above those of the nation when he asked Ukraine to investigate his rivals, including Democrat Joe Biden, and then withheld $400 million in military aid as the U.S. ally faced an aggressive Russia. They say he then tried obstructed Congress by stonewalling the House investigation.

In drafting the articles of impeachment, Pelosi faced a legal and political challenge of balancing the views of her majority while hitting the Constitution’s bar of “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Some liberal lawmakers wanted more expansive charges encompassing the findings from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Centrist Democrats preferred to keep the impeachment articles more focused on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine. House Democrats have announced two articles of impeachment charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

When asked during a Monday evening event if she had enough votes to impeach the Republican president, Pelosi said she would let House lawmakers vote their conscience.

“On an issue like this, we don’t count the votes. People will just make their voices known on it,” Pelosi said at The Wall Street Journal CEO Council. “I haven’t counted votes, nor will I.”

Trump, who has declined to mount a defense in the actual House hearings, tweeted Tuesday just as the six Democratic House committee chairmen prepared to make their announcement.

“To Impeach a President who has proven through results, including producing perhaps the strongest economy in our country’s history, to have one of the most successful presidencies ever, and most importantly, who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness! #2020Election,” he wrote on Twitter.

The president also spent part of Monday tweeting against the impeachment proceedings. He and his allies have called the process “absurd.”

The next steps emerged in the swiftly moving proceedings as Pelosi convened a meeting of the impeachment committee chairmen at her office in the Capitol late Monday following an acrimonious, nearly 10-hour hearing at the Judiciary Committee, which could vote as soon as this week.

“I think there’s a lot of agreement,” Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the Democratic chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, told reporters as he exited Pelosi’s office. “A lot of us believe that what happened with Ukraine especially is not something we can just close our eyes to.”

At the Judiciary hearing, Democrats said Trump’s push to have Ukraine investigate rival Joe Biden while withholding U.S. military aid ran counter to U.S. policy and benefited Russia as well as himself.

“President Trump’s persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security,” said Dan Goldman, the director of investigations at the House Intelligence Committee, presenting the finding of the panel’s 300-page report of the inquiry.

Republicans rejected not just Goldman’s conclusion of the Ukraine matter; they also questioned his very appearance before the Judiciary panel. In a series of heated exchanges, they said Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, should appear rather than sending his lawyer.

From the White House, Trump tweeted repeatedly, assailing the “Witch Hunt!” and “Do Nothing Democrats.”

In drafting the articles of impeachment, Pelosi is facing a legal and political challenge of balancing the views of her majority while hitting the Constitution’s bar of “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Some liberal lawmakers wanted more expansive charges encompassing the findings from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Centrist Democrats preferred to keep the impeachment articles more focused on Trump’s actions toward Ukraine.

Nadler was blunt as he opened Monday’s hearing, saying, “President Trump put himself before country.”

Trump’s conduct, Nadler said at the end of the daylong hearing, “is clearly impeachable.”

Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, the top Republican on the committee, said Democrats are racing to jam impeachment through on a “clock and a calendar” ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

“They can’t get over the fact that Donald Trump is the president of the United States, and they don’t have a candidate that can beat him,” Collins said.

In one testy exchange, Republican attorney Stephen Castor dismissed the transcript of Trump’s crucial call with Ukraine as “eight ambiguous lines” that did not amount to the president seeking a personal political favor.

Democrats argued vigorously that Trump’s meaning could not have been clearer in seeking political dirt on Biden, his possible opponent in the 2020 election.

The Republicans tried numerous times to halt or slow the proceedings, and the hearing was briefly interrupted early on by a protester shouting, “We voted for Donald Trump!” The protester was escorted from the House hearing room by Capitol Police.

The White House is refusing to participate in the impeachment process. Trump and and his allies acknowledge he likely will be impeached in the Democratic-controlled House, but they also expect acquittal next year in the Senate, where Republicans have the majority.

The president focused Monday on the long-awaited release of the Justice Department report into the 2016 Russia investigation. The inspector general found that the FBI was justified in opening its investigation into ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia and that the FBI did not act with political bias, despite “serious performance failures” up the bureau’s chain of command.

Democrats say Trump abused his power in a July 25 phone call when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a favor in investigating Democrats. That was bribery, they say, since Trump was withholding nearly $400 million in military aid that Ukraine depended on to counter Russian aggression.

Pelosi and Democrats point to what they call a pattern of misconduct by Trump in seeking foreign interference in elections from Mueller’s inquiry of the Russia probe to Ukraine.

In his report, Mueller said he could not determine that Trump’s campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia in the 2016 election. But Mueller said he could not exonerate Trump of obstructing justice in the probe and left it for Congress to determine.

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Associated Press writers Julie Pace, Laurie Kellman, Matthew Daly and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

AAA Concerned About A Plan To Add Distracted Driving Cams In Montgomery County

The big concern for even some on the county council is privacy. Council member Tom Hucker however introduced and supports the move saying that is would improve safety.

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AAA Mid Atlantic is speaking out against a proposal being considered by members of the Montgomery County Council to add distracted driving camera’s to catch violators.

The cameras are similar to red light cameras and it would be used to capture images through a driver’s front window. A police officer and artificial intelligence will identify if an infraction has occurred and a ticket would be mailed out if a violation is found.

The big concern for even some on the county council is privacy. Council member Tom Hucker however introduced and supports the move saying that is would improve safety.

In 2013 state lawmakers made it illegal to use a cell phone while driving. Last year there were more than 38,000 distracted diving-related accidents in the state of Maryland alone.

AAA Mid Atlantic Ragina Ali said, “We’re certainly concerned that it appears that this could be a little more invasive and we’re certainly concerned about the privacy of motorists on our roadways.”

We will be following this story closely.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

Metro Is Looking To Pay Low-Income Residents To Use Them

Mayor Muriel Bowser believes innovative initiatives and investments can make public transportation an option for all DC residents.

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Metro is looking at a possible proposal to pay some low-income residents to use Metro. It’s apart of an effort to create more equity on the transit system. The study will help to determine if more low-income riders will choose to use Metro if the cost is covered.

The District Department of Transportation, Metro and the Lab at DC are working together on this pilot research study. As it stands right now about 48% of low-income riders use Metrobus. Only 18% use rail. There is a considerable cost difference between the two with Metrorail being more.

Mayor Muriel Bowser believes innovative initiatives and investments can make public transportation an option for all DC residents. Bowser says “A strong, sustainable and reliable public transit system keeps our city growing and thriving”. The outcome of the study will help leaders figure out the best ways to give all Washingtonians a fair shot.

The study will be for six to nine months and up to 2,500 randomly selected adult participants will take part. Some will be given free unlimited trips, some will be given discounted trip cars and others will not be given any special concessions to use Metrobus or rail. The purpose, to see how and if it affects ridership among low-income residents. A final vote on the plan is due before Metro’s Board this Thursday. It is expected to be approved.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @taylorthomas963

Jobs Available For The 2020 Census

The NAACP is assisting county residence find and apply for jobs with the 2020 Census

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Prince George’s County NAACP is helping to pave the way for county residents to get hired for the numerous jobs available for the 2020 Census.  My guest is Bob Ross – President of the Prince George’s County Chapter of the NAACP

 Prince George’s County NAACP is helping to pave the way for county residents to get hired for the numerous jobs available for the 2020 Census. If you need help filling out your application or you have not been contacted for a follow up interview, contact the Prince George’s County NAACP at 240-619-5418 or go here:

 Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.

Follow me on facebook and twitterat @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.

 

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

Drunk Driving? What Are Your Rights?

If you are stopped by the police for drunk driving, do you know what you rights are?

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‘Tis the season for holiday cheer and celebration.  But sometimes… there’s too much of that and not enough care taken on the road home.  This is the time of year when we see a lot of drunk drivers.  The police are out in-force looking for those who over-indulge and get behind the wheel.  What are your rights if you end up being one of those people?

Resources:

The Law firm of Greenberg and Bederman

Attorney Andrew Bederman, Managing Attorney, Greenberg & Bederman, LLC

 

Impeachment Hearing Gets Testy

House impeachment hearing gets rancorous as lawyers testify

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Top House lawyers are sparring heatedly with lawmakers and each other over the impeachment case against President Donald Trump in an acrimonious hearing as Democrats prepare formal charges. Democrats insisted that Trump’s push to have Ukraine investigate rival Joe Biden while at the same time withholding U.S. military aid ran counter to U.S. policy and benefited Russia as well as himself. But in one testy exchange Monday, Republican attorney Stephen Castor dismissed the transcript of Trump’s crucial call with Ukraine as “eight ambiguous lines” that did not amount to the president seeking a personal political favor.

Congratulation to our Winner!

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R. Kelly Charged With Paying Bribe Before Marrying Aaliyah

A day later, Kelly, then 27, married Aaliyah in a secret ceremony he arranged at a hotel in Chicago. The marriage was annulled months later because of her age. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors are accusing singer R. Kelly of scheming with others to pay for a fake ID for an unnamed female a day before he married R&B singer Aaliyah, then 15 years old, in a secret ceremony in 1994.

The revised indictment, filed Thursday in New York, accuses Kelly of paying a bribe in exchange for a “fraudulent identification document” for someone identified only as “Jane Doe” on Aug. 30, 1994.

A day later, Kelly, then 27, married Aaliyah in a secret ceremony he arranged at a hotel in Chicago. The marriage was annulled months later because of her age. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.

The U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment about whom the fake ID was meant for, and the indictment didn’t mention the wedding, but a person familiar with the investigation confirmed the “Jane Doe” was Aaliyah. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the new charge and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The new charges mark the first time that Kelly’s brief marriage to Aaliyah has been connected to any of the criminal cases against Kelly.

Kelly’s attorney, Douglas Anton, called the latest charge against his client “ridiculous and absurd.”

The Brooklyn prosecutors had already charged R. Kelly with racketeering, kidnapping, forced labor and sexual exploitation. They alleged he and his employees and assistants picked out women and girls at concerts and groomed them for sexual abuse.

The 52-year-old singer, who is being held without bond, is scheduled to stand trial in federal court in Chicago in April on child pornography and obstruction of justice charges before facing trial in Brooklyn. Kelly, whose given name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was acquitted in 2008 on charges of videotaping himself having sex with a girl who prosecutors allege was as young as 13.

Kelly’s attorneys have long maintained that he was unaware of Aaliyah’s age when they married. The Illinois marriage license used for the wedding said she was 18.

The indictment didn’t identify the person who was paid the bribe in order to get the fake ID, except to say that the person was a public employee.

Aaliyah, whose full name was Aaliyah Dana Haughton, worked with Kelly, who wrote and produced her 1994 debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number.”

Kelly was arrested in February on 10 counts in Illinois of sexually abusing three girls and a woman. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Then on May 30, Cook County prosecutors in Illinois added 11 more sex-related counts involving one of the women who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was underage.

Then in July, in federal court in Chicago, the R&B singer was indicted on charges of child pornography and obstruction of justice, with prosecutors accusing him of paying off potential witnesses in his 2008 trial to get them to change their story.

At the same time, Kelly was indicted in New York with exploiting five victims, identified only as “Jane Does.” According to court papers, they include one he met while she was a radio station intern around 2004 and another at one of his concerts in 2015. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to the original New York charges.

Prosecutors allege Kelly sometimes arranged for some victims to meet him on the road for illegal sex. He had one victim travel in 2017 to a show on Long Island in New York, where he had unprotected sex with her without telling her “he had contracted an infectious venereal disease,” in violation of New York law, they say.

A defense filing said Kelly’s alleged victims were regulars at his shows who made it known they “were dying to be with him.” They only started accusing him of abuse years later when public sentiment shifted in the #MeToo era, his lawyers said.

The accusers “are groupies,” Anton said, following an August court hearing on the charges. “There’s no way around it.”

At the time, his client was merely “leading a touring musician’s life,” he added.

Top Songs Of 2019: Jhené Aiko, Sam Smith, Normani

The top 10 songs of the year by Associated Press Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu

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NEW YORK (AP) — The top 10 songs of the year by Associated Press Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu.

1. Jhené Aiko, “Triggered (freestyle)”: Jhené Aiko brilliantly captures so many emotions in one song on “Triggered (freestyle),” as she rapidly spits out lyrics in a raw way that range from “I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW” to “Sup, you up?” She’s a ball of emotions, but she’s direct and honest, and those lyrics are piercing and appealing, and make for a great song — rather, the song of the year. She’s trying to move on, but she needs closure. She’s saying I hate what you did, but I can’t still be with anyone else intimately yet. She’s angry. And bitter. And hurt. And healing. Overall, she’s human. And she’s a beast of a songwriter.

2. Sam Smith and Normani, “Dancing With a Stranger”: Sam Smith’s recent songs have been a batch of dance-flavored bops, and we need more of it.

3. H.E.R., “Make It Rain — Live at Austin City Limits”: H.E.R. is one of the best live performers of our time, and her rendition of Foy Vance’s “Make It Rain” is heavenly. Her magical guitar playing mixed with her powerful voice — and the voices of her groundbreaking background singers — make this track one of the best of the year.

4. Lewis Capaldi, “Someone You Loved”: The award for the song most likely to make you cry goes to breakthrough singer Lewis Capaldi, who bares it all on “Someone You Loved,” one of the songs we loved all year long.

5. Daddy Yankee and Snow, “Con Calma”: Though the contemporary Latin music world has been dominated by young and emerging acts, Daddy Yankee has continued to shine brightly, and he’s even outshone most of his counterparts. Long after blazing the charts with “Gasolina,” he’s still putting out hits, and this year it was with the anthemic “Con Calma.” And we’re talking about the original version featuring rapper Snow, not the gentrified one with Katy Perry.

6. Kehlani featuring Ty Dolla $ign: Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign are the prom king and queen of R&B thanks to this hella addictive track.

7. Chris Brown featuring Gunna, “Heat”: Chris Brown’s “Indigo” album has 32 tracks, but “Heat” is the hottest.

8. City Girls, “Act Up”: Wake up. Brush teeth. Wash face and body. Listen to “Act Up.” Leave the house feeling untouchable.

9. Rosalía and Ozuna, “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi”: Rosalía. Can. Do. No. Wrong.

10. Normani, “Motivation”: I probably account for 70 million of the 72 million views Normani’s fun, striking and eye-popping “Motivation” has on YouTube. The song and video is just the beginning for this future icon.

Top Albums Of 2019: Ari Lennox And Summer Walker

The top 10 albums of the year by Associated Press Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu

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NEW YORK (AP) — The top 10 albums of the year by Associated Press Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu:

1. Ari Lennox, “Shea Butter Baby”: A message to the Grammy Awards, in the words of pop music philosopher Mariah Carey: “Them chickens is ash and I’m lotion.” Them is the Grammys, and the lotion is Ari Lennox’s “Shea Butter Baby,” a product that’s clearly too expensive for the super-dry Recording Academy. A nomination — or eight — isn’t necessary for any real music fan to realize how outstanding, soulful and poignant Lennox’s debut album is. Every song on the 12-track set is a winner, with Lennox’s voice and tone changing throughout the album, showing her skill, versatility and power. “Shea Butter Baby” feels as good as soaking in a warm bath, with the right candle — scent not too strong, but not too weak — illuminating in the background. It’s hard not to play “BMO,” which echoes Erykah Badu, less than 20 times a day; the title track with J. Cole is classic-sounding; and “Static” beautifully closes the album. Lennox’s “Shea Butter Baby” is the best album of the year, no matter if awards shows think differently, including you, the Soul Train Music Awards.

2. Summer Walker, “Over It”: Summer Walker’s debut album is perfect, as she spits matter-of-fact lyrics over some beats that borrow from classic ’90s R&B hits including Usher, Destiny’s Child and 702. But even when she’s not sampling a song, Walker can hold her own, delivering a flawless album that’s easy to obsess over.

3. Anitta, “Kisses”: This Brazilian singer’s first trilingual album — featuring songs in Portuguese, Spanish and English — is adventurous, from its drop-it-like-it’s-hot opening number “Atención” to the sweet sound of the closing track, “Você Mentiu,” which would make you want to slow dance with your lover. In between are tunes that range from reggaeton trap (“Banana”) to groovy R&B (“Poquito”) to addictive pop (“Get to Know Me”). And while the album is jam-packed with all-star male guests, including Snoop Dogg, Caetano Veloso, Swae Lee, Alesso, Prince Royce, Chris Marshall and more — leading lady Anitta is the true star of the show. You Anitta more Anitta in your life.

4. Buku Abi, “Don’t Call Me”: Buku Abi’s debut EP is a R&B masterpiece, as the singer explores life as a 21-year-old woman navigating in the world of love, dating, sexual freedom, situationships and more over beats produced by her sister Jaah Kelly. Her album echoes SZA and other women brilliantly leading the pack in alternative R&B, and its proof that there’s more to come from the daughter of embattled singer R. Kelly.

5. Rapsody, “Eve”: 2019 was a great year for female rap, as Megan Thee Stallion, City Girls, Kash Doll, Saweetie and more reached new heights at a time that vets in the game like Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, Trina and Yo-Yo put out new music. And then there’s Rapsody. Her epic “Eve” album not only is the best female rap album of the year, it’s simply the best rap album of the year. Her smart and skilled rhymes flow throughout the well-produced album, as each song is named after an iconic woman, from Nina Simone to Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama. After this album, someone needs to make a song called “Rapsody.”

6. Yola, “Walking Through Fire”: Yola’s immense voice is so strong and soothing that it can’t do anything but put a smile in your face. Paired with production from Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, this English singer is a powerhouse on her country-soul debut, “Walking Through Fire.” And that’s just it — the album is pure fire.

7. Ariana Grande, “Thank U, Next”: It’s probably not possible for Ariana Grande to make a bad album. All of her records, including her fifth release, “Thank U, Next,” are a perfect blend of radio-ready pop and R&B, and the songs are anchored by Grande’s booming voice and relatable lyrics. Thank you, Ariana, but when’s that next album coming out?

8. Khalid, “Free Spirit”: Select any song on Khalid’s sophomore album and you’ll hear a hit.

9. Pink Sweat$, “Volume 2”: The Philadelphia-born musician, who has crafted songs for country duo Florida Georgia Line and rapper-singer Tierra Whack, is delightful on “Volume 2,” a set of acoustic, guitar-friendly R&B tracks that must be replayed over and over again.

10. James Blake, “Assume Form”: After years of being the go-to-guy for help on your album, with big-names like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott requesting his services, James Blake calls in the favor on “Assume Form,” and it was a smart move. Blake was already an amazing musician before this album, but opening his studio door to hip-hop producer Metro Boomin, co-producer Dominic Maker and engineer Nathan Boddy only maximized his downbeat electronic sound, with songs like “Mile High,” “Can’t Believe the Way We Flow,” “Barefoot In the Park” with Rosalía and “Into the Red” sounding both contemporary and classic.

Earth, Wind, And Fire Celebrated At Kennedy Center

Earth, Wind and Fire’s segment largely consisted of an extended all-star tribute concert. John Legend, Cynthia Erivo, Ne-Yo and the Jonas Brothers all performed the band’s hits and illusionist David Copperfield recalled how the band recruited him to introduce illusions into their famously flashy stage show.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Actress Sally Field, singer Linda Ronstadt and the disco-funk band Earth Wind and Fire shared the spotlight Sunday night as part of the latest group of recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievement in the arts.

Also in this year’s class were conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and long-running children’s TV show “Sesame Street.”

Sunday’s event featured a genuinely unique event for the Kennedy Center as Big Bird walked the red carpet along with fellow “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie, Abby and Cookie Monster, accompanied by their respective humans.

The massive yellow avian’s appearance held a particular resonance as Caroll Spinney, Big Bird’s original puppeteer, died earlier Sunday at age 85.

“I’m heartbroken that this happened on this particular day,” said Sonia Manzano, who played Maria for decades on “Sesame Street.” “But I’m glad we’re all together.”

As she entered the building, Field, who has won two Academy Awards and three Emmys, reflected on the unique nature of the Kennedy Center Honors medallion.

“It’s not about one performance. It’s not about being the flavor of the month,” she said. “it recognizes artists whose body of work has resonated over the years.”

Once again, the attendance of President Donald Trump was a topic of speculation until the White House said Friday that neither he nor first lady Melania Trump would attend. Trump skipped the past two celebrations; in 2017, multiple recipients threatened to boycott the event if he attended.

Tom Hanks, as the entered the building, pointed out that this annual tension seems unique to the Trump administration.

“We’ve been here for Republican presidents and we’ve been here for Democratic presidents,” he said. “We were all celebrating the arts in America.”

Last year’s ceremony contained very few overt political references. But this year, several signs of the country’s divisive political mood bubbled to the surface. During the annual Saturday night gala dinner for honorees at the State Department, Ronstadt, a longtime liberal activist, reportedly had a testy exchange with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Pompeo introduced Ronstadt by referencing one of her signature hits — “When Will I Be Loved” — and wondered aloud when he would be loved. Ronstadt, according to multiple attendees who posted on social media, responded, “When you stop enabling Donald Trump.”

On Sunday night, Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein noted that half a dozen members of Trump’s Cabinet were in attendance, and the camera focused on Pompeo to polite applause. Then he introduced House Speaker, who received a spontaneous, extended standing ovation.

Each recipient is honored with a personalized presentation that in the past has in included surprise guests. Last year, Cher was shocked to find her friend Cyndi Lauper walking onstage to deliver a tribute; Lauper had told Cher she would be out of town.

Don Henley, who received his own Kennedy Center Honor in 2016 as a member of the Eagles, praised Ronstadt’s “curiosity about multiple music styles” that led her to explore early country-rock, mainstream pop, Broadway and Mexican folk ballads.

“And Linda owned each and every genre she explored,” Henley said.

Carrie Underwood, Aaron Neville, Trisha Yearwood and Flor de Toloache, an all-female mariachi band, performed. No less an authority than Emmylou Harris described Ronstadt’s voice as “the most stunningly beautiful of our generation.”

Ronstadt, who retired from performing in 2011 due to the effects of Parkinson’s disease, wept openly in the honorees box as Harris spoke.

Hanks and Steven Spielberg, both previous Kennedy Center Honorees, paid tribute to Field. Hanks, who memorably played Field’s son in “Forrest Gump,” drew a laugh when he walked onstage by donning a familiar southern accent and drawling, “Hi Momma.”

Maura Tierney recalled working on the television show “ER,” where Fields’ played her unstable mother.

“Watching how she works had a profound effect on me as a human and as an artist,” Tierney said. “Thank you for being one of the most righteous kick-ass women I have ever had the pleasure to work with.”

The co-founders of “Sesame Street,” Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, accepted the honor on behalf of the show, but the presentation included familiar cast members. For starters, Big Bird strolled down the aisle and basically sat in Hanks’ lap. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt had an extended chat with Cookie Monster and the segment ended with a mass rendition of the show’s signature tune, “Sing a Song.”

Tilson Thomas, widely known simply as MTT, was repeatedly praised for pushing musical boundaries while serving as music director of the San Francisco Symphony for the past 24 years.

Lars Ulrich, drummer for the venerable Bay Area metal band Metallica, recalled working on a joint project with Thomas’ orchestra, calling it “one of the most exhilarating and creatively rewarding experiences of my career.”

Actress Debra Winger praised Thomas’ “contagious child-like exuberance” and willingness to forge unusual collaborations.

“Taking his friends to unusual musical places is who Michael is and what he does,” Winger said.

Earth, Wind and Fire’s segment largely consisted of an extended all-star tribute concert. John Legend, Cynthia Erivo, Ne-Yo and the Jonas Brothers all performed the band’s hits and illusionist David Copperfield recalled how the band recruited him to introduce illusions into their famously flashy stage show.

The night ended with a packed stage performing “September” with the entire audience on their feet and Hanks leaping from his seat, arms waving, to lead his whole section in dancing.

The event will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 15.

Sesame Street Puppeteer Caroll Spinney Dies At Age 85

“Caroll was an artistic genius whose kind and loving view of the world helped shape and define Sesame Street from its earliest days in 1969 through five decades, and his legacy here at Sesame Workshop and in the cultural firmament will be unending,” the Sesame Workshop said.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Caroll Spinney, who gave Big Bird his warmth and Oscar the Grouch his growl for nearly 50 years on “Sesame Street,” died Sunday at the age of 85 at his home in Connecticut, according to the Sesame Workshop.

The legendary puppeteer lived for some time with dystonia, which causes involuntary muscle contractions, the Sesame Workshop said in a statement.

Spinney voiced and operated the two major Muppets from their inception in 1969 when he was 36, and performed them almost exclusively into his 80s on the PBS kids’ television show that later moved to HBO. His death comes on the same day that “Sesame Street” is being honored for lifetime achievements in the arts as a Kennedy Center Honors recipient.

“Before I came to ‘Sesame Street,’ I didn’t feel like what I was doing was very important,” Spinney said when he announced his retirement in 2018. “Big Bird helped me find my purpose.”

Through his two characters, Spinney gained huge fame that brought international tours, books, record albums, movie roles, and visits to the White House.

“Caroll was an artistic genius whose kind and loving view of the world helped shape and define Sesame Street from its earliest days in 1969 through five decades, and his legacy here at Sesame Workshop and in the cultural firmament will be unending,” the Sesame Workshop said.

But he never became a household name.

“I may be the most unknown famous person in America,” Spinney said in his 2003 memoir. “It’s the bird that’s famous.”

Spinney gave “Sesame Street” its emotional yin and yang, infusing the 8-foot-2 Big Bird with a childlike sweetness often used to handle sad subjects, and giving the trash can-dwelling Oscar — whose voice Spinney based on a New York cabbie — a streetwise cynicism that masked a tender core.

“I like being miserable. That makes me happy,” Oscar often said. “But I don’t like being happy, so that makes me miserable.”

To colleagues there was no question which character the kindly Spinney resembled.

“Big Bird is him and he is Big Bird,” former “Sesame Street” head writer Norman Stiles said in a 2014 documentary on Spinney.

It wasn’t easy being Big Bird. To play the part, Spinney would strap a TV monitor to his chest as his only eyes to the outside. Then the giant yellow bird body was placed over him. He held his right arm aloft constantly to operate the head, and used his left hand to operate both arms. The bird tended to slouch more as the years took their toll.

In 2015, Spinney switched to just providing the characters’ voices. That year, the longtime PBS show inked a five-year pact with HBO that gave the premium cable channel the right to air new episodes nine months before they air on PBS.

Big Bird’s builder Kermit Love always insisted that his design was a puppet, not a costume. But to many children, he was neither. He was real.

“Eight-year-olds have discovered to their horror that he’s a puppet,” Spinney told The Associated Press in 1987.

Born in 1933 in Waltham, Massachusetts, Spinney had a deeply supportive mother who built him a puppet theater after he bought his first puppet, a monkey, at age 8.

He spent four years in the U.S. Air Force after high school, then returned to Massachusetts and broke into television. He teamed up with fellow puppeteer Judy Valentine for their own daily series, then worked on a Boston version of the clown show “Bozo’s Big Top.” Spinney in this period had three children, Jessica, Melissa and Benjamin, all from his 1960 to 1971 marriage to Janice Spinney. He later married his second wife Debra in 1979, and the two were nearly inseparable for the rest of his life.

It was after a disastrous performance at a puppet festival in Utah that Spinney met Muppet master Jim Henson, who came backstage and told him, “I liked what you were trying to do,” Spinney remembered Henson saying, in his memoir.

Spinney would join the Muppet crew when “Sesame Street” was about to turn them from popular phenomenon into an American institution. Henson brought his signature character, Kermit the Frog, to the show. His right-hand man Frank Oz would become famous via Grover and Cookie Monster. Together they created Ernie and Bert.

But Big Bird would become the show’s biggest star, his name and image synonymous with not just “Sesame Street” but PBS and children’s television. The character was usually used for comedy, but his innocence and questioning was also useful when serious subjects needed addressing. When “Sesame Street” shopkeeper Mr. Hooper died, Big Bird had to get a lesson in accepting death, saying in the memorable 1983 episode that “he’s gotta come back. Who’s gonna take care of the store? Who’s gonna make my birdseed milkshakes, and tell me stories?”

When Henson died suddenly in 1990 at age 53, leaving the Muppet world devastated, Big Bird played the same part in real life. At the funeral, Spinney appeared alone on stage in full Big Bird costume and sang “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green,” Kermit’s signature song.

“It was extraordinarily moving,” Oz said in the Spinney documentary. “It tore people up.”

Spinney said he was crying under the feathers but he got through the song, looking at the sky and saying, “Thank you Kermit,” before walking off.

Sesame Street co-founder Joan Ganz Cooney said Sunday that Spinney, her longtime colleague and friend, “not only gave us Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, he gave so much of himself as well.”

“We at Sesame Workshop mourn his passing and feel an immense gratitude for all he has given to Sesame Street and to children around the world,” she said.

____ This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Caroll Spinney’s first name. It is Caroll, not Carroll.

Golden Globe Snubs And Surprises

“When They See Us,” the searing TV series on the plight of the Central Park Five got no nods despite critical acclaim.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Some Golden Globe nominations seemed like locks: Joaquin Phoenix, Tom Hanks, Adam Driver and Eddie Murphy. But others were shocks, like Lupita Nyong’o not getting a nomination for “Us.” Other notable snubs and surprises:

MEN ONLY

Only men made the best director category: Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite,” Sam Mendes with “1917,” Todd Phillips for “Joker,” Martin Scorsese with “The Irishman” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.” Notable female directors snubbed this year include Greta Gerwig of “Little Women,” Marielle Heller, who directed “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” Lulu Wang of “The Farewell” and Lorene Scafaria of “Hustlers.”

AVA GETS NO LOVE

“When They See Us,” the searing TV series on the plight of the Central Park Five got no nods despite critical acclaim. The four-part Netflix series explores the true story of five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were coerced into confessing to a rape they didn’t commit in 1989. Show creator Ava DuVernay was also snubbed at the Emmys in the directing and writing categories, although Jharrel Jerome won for best lead actor in a limited series.

NO PURRING

Although the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was shown an unfinished cut of Tom Hooper’s film “Cats,” the group chose not to give it any acting, directing or technical nominations. The film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical stars Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson and Taylor Swift. It’s in theaters Dec. 20. The film did earn Taylor Swift and Lloyd Webber nods for writing the song “Beautiful Ghosts.”

GOLDEN SON

Globe voters waded into the thorny family drama “Succession” and gave nominations to the show and to Brian Cox, who plays the powerful patriarch. It also gave a nomination to one of the three actors hoping to succeed Cox’s Logan Roy. Was it the ice queen played by Sarah Snook? The unpredictable, snarky son played by Kieran Culkin? The striving but bumbling son played by Jeremy Strong? In the end, Culkin got the nod for the second successive year.

ANYONE WATCHING?

HBO’s “Watchmen,” an adaptation of one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of all time, was ignored by the Globe voters. The dark superhero tale, which follows a group of masked vigilantes, stars Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Louis Gossett Jr., Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson and Don Johnson. Critics seemed to like it more than “The Morning Show,” which earned three nominations.

YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT ME?

Al Pacino got one. Joe Pesci got one. And director Martin Scorsese got one, of course. But Robert De Niro didn’t get an acting nomination for his work on “The Irishman.” De Niro plays Frank Sheehan, the teamster and mafia figure who claimed right before his death that he was the one who killed Jimmy Hoffa. But don’t worry about De Niro. He already has a Globe for “Raging Bull.”

A SMALLER THRONE

The Golden Globes have been a safe place for HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” That ended this year. The show only picked up one nomination, for actor Kit Harington. Previously, “Game of Thrones” earned nods for best drama in 2012 and every year from 2015-2018. Fans have had mixed love for the final season and some have even asked HBO to remake it.

Complete List Of The Golden Globe Nominations 2019

The Golden Globes are looking more like the Grammy Awards: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Elton John are competing for best original song at the ceremony.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nominations for the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards:

Best motion picture, drama: “The Irishman”; “Marriage Story”; “1917”; “Joker”; “The Two Popes.”

Best motion picture, musical or comedy: “Dolemite Is My Name”; “Jojo Rabbit”; “Knives Out”; “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”; “Rocketman.”

Best foreign language film: “The Farewell”; “Les Misérables”; “Pain and Glory”; “Parasite.”

Best animated motion picture: “Frozen 2”; “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”; “The Lion King”; “Missing Link”; “Toy Story 4.”

Best actress in a motion picture, drama: Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”; Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”; Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”; Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”; Renée Zellweger, “Judy.”

Best actor in a motion picture, drama: Christian Bale, “Ford v Ferrari”; Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”; Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”; Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”; Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes.”

Best actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy: Awkwafina, “The Farewell”; Ana de Armas, “Knives Out”; Beanie Feldstein, “Booksmart”; Emma Thompson, “Late Night”; Cate Blanchett “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.”

Best actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy: Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”; Roman Griffin Davis, “Jojo Rabbit”; Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”; Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”; Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name.”

Best actor in a TV drama: Brian Cox, “Succession”; Kit Harington, “Game of Thrones”; Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot”; Tobias Menzies, “The Crown”; Billy Porter, “Pose”.

Best actress in a TV musical or comedy: Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me”; Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”; Kirsten Dunst, “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”; Natasha Lyonne, “Russian Doll”; Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Fleabag.”

Best comedy or musical TV series: “Barry”: Fleabag”; “The Kominsky Method”; “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”; “The Politician.”

Best drama TV series: “Big Little Lies”; “The Crown”; “Killing Eve”; “The Morning Show”; “Succession.”

Best director: Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”; Sam Mendes, “1917”; Todd Phillips, “Joker”; Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”; Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.”

Best screenplay, motion picture: Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”; Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won, “Parasite”; Anthony McCarten, “The Two Popes”; Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood”; Steven Zaillian, “The Irishman.”

Best original song: “Beautiful Ghosts” from “Cats,” music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Taylor Swift; “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” from “Rocketman,” music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin; “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen 2,” music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez; “Spirit” from “The Lion King,” music and lyrics by Timothy McKenzie, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Beyoncé; “Stand Up” from “Harriet,” music and lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell, Cynthia Erivo.

Best original score: “Alexandre Desplat, ”Little Women”; Hildur Gudnadottir, “Joker”; Randy Newman, “Marriage Story”; Thomas Newman, “1917”; Daniel Pemberton, “Motherless Brooklyn.”

Best supporting actress in a motion picture: Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”; Annette Bening, “The Report”; Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”; Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”; Margot Robbie, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

Best supporting actor in a motion picture: Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”; Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”; Al Pacino, “The Irishman”; Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”; Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

Best limited series or TV movie are: “Catch-22”; “Chernobyl”; “Fosse/Verdon”; “The Loudest Voice”; “Unbelievable.”

Best actor in a TV series, musical or comedy: Ben Platt, “The Politician”; Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”; Bill Hader, “Barry”; Paul Rudd, “Living with Yourself”; Ramy Youssef, “Ramy.”

Best actress in a TV series, drama: Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”; Olivia Colman, “The Crown”; Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”; Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies”; Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show.”

Best actress in a limited series or TV movie: Kaitlyn Dever, “Unbelievable”; Joey King, “The Act”; Helen Mirren, “Catherine the Great”; Merritt Wever, “Unbelievable”; Michelle Williams, “Fosse/Verdon.”

Best actor in a limited series or TV movie: Christopher Abbott, “Catch-22”; Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Spy”; Russell Crowe, “The Loudest Voice”; Jared Harris, “Chernobyl”; Sam Rockwell, “Fosse/Verdon.”

Best supporting actress in series, limited series or TV movie: Patricia Arquette, “The Act”; Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown”; Toni Collette, “Unbelievable”; Meryl Streep, “Big Little Lies”; Emily Watson, “Chernobyl.”

Best supporting actor in a series, limited series or TV movie: Alan Arkin, “The Kominsky Method”; Kieran Culkin, “Succession”; Andrew Scott, “Fleabag”; Stellan Skarsgard, “Chernobyl”; Henry Winkler, “Barry.”

Female Driver Dies Eluding Police

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity has not been released. A passenger in the car was transported to a nearby hospital. That person only received minor injuries.

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Police in College Park have not released the name of the woman who died while trying to flee from a traffic stop in her truck.

Around 12:30 this morning a woman in an SUV was pulled over at the intersection of College Heights Drive and Steed Court. During the stop, the drive suddenly pulled off and sped away. Police followed in pursuit. Within a short period of time, the driver lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a home. The impact was so strong it flipped the vehicle.

The motorist was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity has not been released. A passenger in the car was transported to a nearby hospital. That person only received minor injuries. No one inside of the home was hurt.

The investigation is ongoing.

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