We often invoke the expression “What’s past is prologue” to suggest the continuity of the Black experience from one generation to another. Well, a good example of that occurred recently in the Republican-led Tennessee House when two representatives thrust their fists in defiance after being banished for supporting gun control.
No, Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were not on the victory podium like Tommy Smith and John Carlos were in Mexico during the Olympics, but their action, along with brandishing bullhorns on the state House floor resonated with a similar conviction and determination.
They were joined by a white woman Rep. Gloria Johnson, who was not removed from the House, which drew accusations of racism.
This incident comes in the wake of notable Democratic victories in Wisconsin and Chicago, where Brandon Johnson became the Mayor-elect. The expelled Justin Jones has been reinstated, and there’s a good chance Justin Pearson will also return to his seat after a vote by the Memphis commission.
As we move closer and closer to the 2024 elections—and Biden, who has not announced a rerun, though he has told some friends he will—all of these positive developments should not be ignored by the Democratic National Convention. The other day Biden announced that the convention will be held in Chicago which is another indication of the past is prologue.
In several ways the election date is way down the road, but it will be here sooner than you expect. Either way, the DNC has to take advantage of the energy and political savvy employed in Tennessee and make sure an impetus is given to the increasing number of young citizens poised to enter the political arena.
On April 7, two-time Emmy nominated actor, producer, comedian, pastor, author , and Christian hip-hop artist Kel Mitchell , released his new single “Go Time,” on all digital streaming platforms. “Go Time” is an upbeat and inspirational hip-hop track and anthem for positive self-talk. The new single arrives on the heels of the recent announcement that Mitchell will reprise his iconic role from the ‘90s cult classic film, Good Burger, alongside Kenan Thompson, in a sequel slated to go into production this Spring. Says Mitchell, “Go Time’ is a daily reminder to use your faith and more when God says move!”
Keisha Knight Pulliam gave birth to her second child , a boy, on April 9, which was the “Cosby Show” alum’s 44th birthday, according to various news outlets. Pulliam posted a video on social media from her hospital bed, in which her husband, actor Brad James, was still clad in hospital scrubs. Pulliam, who currently stars on “House Of Payne,” also has a six-year-old daughter, Ella, who she shares with her ex-husband, former NFL player Ed Hartwell. Pulliam met James on the set of the TV movie “Pride and Prejudice: Atlanta” in 2019. The couple got married in September 2022.
The Living Legends Foundation (LLF) Presents its 10th Annual A.D. Washington Scholarship Golf Tournament on April 14 at the Crystal Golf & Country Club in Hampton, Georgia, located in the Greater Atlanta area. Golfers from across the country will compete in a day of golf and networking while supporting the mission of the Living Legends Foundation, which also celebrated its 30th anniversary in October 2022. The proceeds from the golf tournament will benefit the Living Legends Scholarship Program for Black college students at any accredited institution pursuing careers in the music industry, specializing in marketing, communications, distribution, and more -affiliated areas
That was some kind of high-class expensive Easter vacation that Lori Harvey and her boyfriend “Snowfall” star/producer Damson Idris, who is also currently starring on the new “Swarm” series, experienced in the Turks and Caicos Islands, reports the Daily Mail. The hot couple stayed at the luxury resort Amanyara,where two to six-bedroom villas go for over $3,000 per night
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the COVID-19 public health emergency ends in the U.S. next month, you’ll still have access to a multitude of tests but with one big difference: Who pays for them.
For the first time, you may have to pick up some or all of the costs, depending on insurance coverage and whether the tests are done at home or in a doctor’s office.
But there’s still time to get some free tests before the May 11 change, and there could still be free ones available afterward. Some state and local governments may continue to distribute free home tests through clinics, libraries and community centers. And the federal government, for now, is still sending free tests through the U.S. Postal Service to households that haven’t already received two shipments.
And don’t discount those old tests you haven’t used. The expiration date on the package may have been extended. The Food and Drug Administration’s website provides a list to check and see which tests are still good.
Here’s a look at what the end of the government’s emergency declaration on May 11 means for testing:
AT-HOME TESTS
The biggest changes will be for over-the-counter tests, which account for the vast majority of screening in the U.S. today.
Since early 2021, the federal government has required all private insurers to cover up to eight COVID-19 tests per month. That requirement will soon go away. Coverage is also scheduled to lapse for tens of millions of seniors in the federal government’s Medicare program, though some members of Congress are pushing to extend the benefit.
While some private insurers may continue to cover all or some home tests, there will be no longer be a nationwide rule. A two-pack of tests typically costs between $20 and $24.
“What we will see is a hodgepodge of approaches by different insurance companies, which is going to make it difficult for individuals to know what they’re going to be paying,” said Christina Silcox, of the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, which recently issued a report on the outlook for testing.
One exception will be for those enrolled in the government Medicaid program for low-income individuals and families, who will continue to receive free tests until September 2024.
IN-OFFICE TESTS
Americans can also expect to pay more for any COVID-19 tests performed at a hospital, clinic or doctor’s office.
Insurers have been barred from charging copays, or any other cost-sharing fees related to COVID-19 testing. That requirement also ends next month.
While insurers will still cover basic testing costs, some people could face new fees for a portion of the test’s price or for the services of the health professional performing it. Lab tests have typically ranged between $70 and $100 and some of that could be passed along to patients.
COVID-19 vaccines and drugs will remain free because they are not paid for through insurance, but by the federal government. One concern is that uncertainty around testing costs could lead to delays in treatment. Current treatments for high-risk patients, like Paxlovid, generally need to be taken within the first few days of symptoms to be effective.
If people are worried about testing costs, “they may wait a couple days to see if things clear up and miss that five-day treatment window,” Silcox said.
TESTING CAPACITY
The U.S. struggled to build up its test manufacturing capacity during the first two years of the pandemic, with demand waning after each surge. Experts worry that the country could again be caught flat-footed after the federal government stops purchasing tests in bulk.
Only after the U.S. government said it would buy 1 billion tests did production stabilize, reaching a peak of 900 million monthly tests in February 2022.
“Those bulk purchases basically guaranteed the market for test manufacturers,” said Jennifer Kates, a senior vice president with the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
As of September, manufacturers were still producing over 400 million tests per month, far exceeding U.S. testing levels, according to Duke researchers.
Companies including Abbott Labs say they will be able to ramp up test production as needed. But the company declined to discuss specific production targets or how they will be impacted by the end of the health emergency.
Congress has shown little willingness to buy more tests and the Biden administration did not propose new spending in its latest budget.
“That upfront guarantee by the federal government that takes care of testing volatility won’t be there anymore,” Kates said.
TESTING TECHNOLOGY
The hundreds of different COVID-19 tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration over the last three years will remain available after May 11. That’s because the FDA OK’d those products under a separate emergency measure that isn’t affected by the end of the national declaration.
Still, FDA officials have been encouraging test makers to apply for full regulatory approval, which will allow their products to stay on the market indefinitely. Last month, the FDA formally approved the first rapid COVID test.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Republican was scheduled to meet with lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump last year. Her lawsuit claims Trump and his family misled banks and business associates by giving them false information about his net worth and the value of assets such as hotels and golf courses.
Trump and his lawyers have said the Democrat’s lawsuit against him is politically motivated and legally baseless. He and the company have denied doing anything wrong. James declined to answer a question about the planned deposition at a news conference on an unrelated matter Wednesday.
“Anyone in my position not taking the Fifth Amendment would be a fool, an absolute fool,” he said in the session, which was recorded on video and later released publicly. Trump predicted a “renegade” prosecutor would try to make a criminal case out of his answers, if he gave them.
“One statement or answer that is ever so slightly off, just ever so slightly, by accident, by mistake, such as it was a sunny, beautiful day, when actually it was slightly overcast, would be met by law enforcement at a level seldom seen in this country, because I’ve experienced it,” he said.
A trial for the lawsuit is scheduled for October.
It is unclear whether Trump might answer any questions in his second deposition, which will be conducted in private if it takes place as planned.
The NBA playoffs are an unmistakably different animal than the regular season. Teams are preparing for a singular opponent. Scouting is meticulous and centrally focused on eliminating or minimizing opponents’ strengths, and exploiting their weaknesses. Nuanced and evident adjustments are made from game to game.
Ultimately, exceptional players and notable performances determine outcomes of long series. So as of today, discount that the Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers three out of the four times they played each other during the regular season. The teams are evenly matched and their best-of-seven playoff series that begins this Saturday, with Game 1 in Cleveland tipping-off at 6 p.m., could surface as the most compelling of all the Round 1 matchups.
The storyline prominently discussed is the Knicks failing to acquire New York native Donovan Mitchell in a trade last summer, and the Cavaliers ultimately swooping in to obtain the four-time All-Star guard who was 10th in the NBA in scoring in this season at 28.5. But new scenarios will emerge as the series progresses.
The Cavaliers, which were 51-31 in the regular season, are the No. 4 seed in the East. The Knicks, winners of five of the final seven games, ended at 47-35, the franchise’s best record since going 54-28 in the 2012-13 campaign, and entering the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 seed.
The Knicks’ prospects of winning four games over the next roughly two weeks against the Cavaliers will be determined by the performances of All-Star forward Julius Randle and point guard Jalen Brunson has been sensational in the lead role, especially as a first-time, full-time starter this season after leaving the Dallas Mavericks and signing with the Knicks as a free-agent last summer.
Randle, the Knicks’ leading scorer and rebounder at 25.1 and 10 rebounds, respectively, hasn’t played since March 29 after spraining his left ankle at Madison Square Garden against the Miami Heat.
“He did some [at practice]. Making steady progress. Taking it day-to-day,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, non-committal on Randle’s return for Game 1. “So when he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.”
Brunson, posting impressive stats of 24.2 points and 6.2 assists, missed the Knicks’ last three regular season games to rest a sprained right hand. Displaying mental and physical toughness all season, Brunson has declared he’s ready for the postseason. “Good, getting better. I’m able to do whatever I need to do,” he told reporters earlier this week.
It’s well documented that Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid immensely wants to win his first NBA regular season MVP. The 7-foot highly skilled native of Cameroon, who topped the league in scoring this season with a per game average of 33.1 points per game, says any elite player who says it’s not a personal desire or goal is being disingenuous.
“One thing I’ll say is that if people tell you they don’t care about it, they’re lying,” Embiid said recently to journalist Rachel Nichols on the new Showtime series, “Headliners with Rachel Nichols.”
“That’s the best award you can get as a basketball player. It means a lot,” said the 29-year-old future Hall of Famer. “But if I were to win it, it would validate all the work that I put in, that’s why I cared about it, because you put in so much work and if you get that recognition, it just validates that you didn’t waste your time. But like I said, if someone tells you that they don’t care, that’s bulls–t.”
What Embiid has in common with the Denver Nuggets reigning back-to-back MVP, center Nikola Jokic, 28, is neither has won the league’s most coveted prize: an NBA championship. Jokic, the engine of the Nuggets, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, are the other leading candidates for this season’s most valuable player. However, the latter’s resume is much more complete. All basically the same age, Antetokounmpo, 28, is a two-time league MVP (2019, 2020), and NBA champion, and a 2021 Finals MVP. The title and Finals award have already cemented his legacy as a winner.
Same for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Lebron James, a four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP, and four-time league MVP; Stephen Curry, a four-time title winner and last season’s Finals MVP; Kevin Durant, now with the Phoenix Suns, who took home the league MVP as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014, and won two NBA championships and two Finals MVPs with the Warriors; and the Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard, who twice captured a Finals MVP—in 2014 with the San Antonio and in 2019 when he carried the Toronto Raptors.
Even with so much hardware, to whom much is given, much is expected, and each of the aforementioned greats will be under intense scrutiny to take their teams deep into what is a wide open postseason.
Workers went on strike at all three Rutgers University campuses on April 10th: faculty, grad workers, postdocs, and medical researchers are all part of the work stoppage.
Under the banner of #WeROnStrike, some 9,000 Rutgers staff members are petitioning at the schools’ New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden, New Jersey campuses for new labor agreements.
Members of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and the AAUP-BHSNJ say they have been working without a fair contract since June. They are demanding changes like improved job security, access to healthcare coverage for part-time lecturers (PTLs), a 14-week release time for new parents and a child-care subsidy of $5,000 per year, across-the-board salary increases for Camden and Newark campus Arts and Sciences faculty, and more programs to promote diversity and to support faculty working on issues faced by underrepresented students.
The Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union claims in a fact sheet that its members “teach about a third of classes on each campus, including some of the largest core courses in the sciences, humanities, and professional schools” yet “are paid less than a living wage,” “often teach at multiple universities to make ends meet,” “have to be rehired every semester and often don’t know whether their classes will run” and “are not covered by Rutgers health care plans.”
Many of the unions’ proposals for contract changes have so far been rejected by university management. The Associated Press reported on Apr 10th that instead “the university has offered to increase salaries for full-time faculty members, teaching assistants and graduate assistants by 12% by 2025. The university offered an additional 3% lump-sum payment to all the faculty unions that would be paid over the first two years of the new contract.”
The strike at Rutgers, New Jersey’s flagship state university, is a first in the 257-year history of the school. The turmoil caused Gov. Phil Murphy and his administration to join the negotiations so that they could help mediate a resolution. Since Monday, union bargaining teams have been meeting with Rutgers management at the state capital, Trenton.
“We are encouraged by Gov. Murphy’s request and genuinely welcome his leadership,” University Pres. Jonathan Holloway noted in a letter to the school about the situation. “We are hopeful that we can quickly come to a resolution of the remaining outstanding issues.
“The governor also asked me personally to delay taking legal action asking the courts to order strikers back to work. I agreed to the governor’s important request while it appears that progress can be made.
“Obviously,” though Holloway warned, “if there is no movement towards an agreement, we will have no choice but to take legal action to assure the continued academic progress of our students and prevent irreparable harm.”
The Rutgers University webpage claims that, during the strike, the school remains open for business. The website’s top banner states that “The university is open and operating, and classes are proceeding on a normal schedule.”
Meanwhile striking union members are upset about the threats of a court injunction against them. “An open letter signed by more than 1,300 leading scholars and academic workers across the country points out just how disappointing such threats are from a labor and civil rights historian,” Rutgers AAUP-AFT said on April 11th. “Rather than threatening us, we urge President Holloway to demand movement from his negotiators, who have repeatedly said no to our core proposals.”
Holloway, who is Rutgers 21st president, assumed the post on July 1, 2020. According to a report in NJ.com, the new president was awarded a “$1.2 million … compensation package that includes a house, a car and other perks.”
Supporting protestors yelled,“Rutgers is for education, we are not a corporation.”
Union members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Rutgers strike: 94% voted yes for the authorization. But while support for the strike might be real, that does not often mean that workers will show up and take shifts on a picket line. So, to give members other options rather than the standard one of marching back and forth with a picket sign, the unions have been engaging wide interest in their cause by featuring different events during their work stoppage. They have held creative writing and poetry readings, screen printing workshops, and exercise classes. They have hosted live DJ sets and musical performances and conducted drag queen-led marches to bring more interest––and bodies––to the frontlines for their strike effort.As of Amsterdam News press time there was no resolution. Revolting Rutger protestors determined, “RU listening? We are picketing.”
The Brooklyn Nets will face another difficult challenge as they have had to overcome obstacles all season when they play the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round of their best-of-seven playoff series this Saturday at 1p.m. The Nets will be on the road as the No. 6 seed in the East for Games 1 and 2 to begin the postseason while the 76ers will have home court advantage at the Wells Fargo Arena as the No. 3 seed.
The complete Round 1 schedule detailing dates and times will be announced tomorrow. The Nets, which finished the regular season 45-37, and the Sixers, which was 54-28, met four times this season with the Sixers going 4-0. The Nets’ greatest concern is Sixers center Joel Embiid, who is a good bet to win his first career league MVP award. Embiid topped the NBA in scoring at 33.1 points, to go along with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Team defense will be critical in slowing down the 7-foot Embiid, but Nets center Nic Claxton, who has had a strong season on the defensive end, will be the primary defender. The Nets and 76ers’ recent history includes the trade of James Harden for Ben Simmons last September in a deal that so far has been one-sided if it’s based on the production of the two players. The 33-year-old, 6-foot-5 Harden played in 58 games this season averaging 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a league-high 10.7 assists. Simmons, a, 26, a 6-foot-10 point-forward, appeared in just 42 games, the last on Feb. 15, due to knee and back issues. He ended his season averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists.
“Ben will not be joining us the rest of the year and through the playoffs,” said Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn a little over two weeks ago in announcing Simmons was being shut down. “After consulting with our doctors, multiple specialists, he’s just going to begin a rehab program. Our doctors and the specialists feel and think that he’ll have a full recovery so that starts now.”
A trade that has worked out well for the Nets’ present and future was the acquisition of forward Mikal Bridges from the Phoenix Suns. The centerpiece of the deal was Kevin Durant, whose Suns are the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and will meet the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1. Since coming to the Nets at the NBA trade deadline, Bridges has averaged 26.1 points for Brooklyn, roughly nine points above his pre-Nets average of 17.2.
The Philadelphia native is excited to get to play against the team he grew up loving. “I was a huge Sixers fan. I mean, everybody knows that,” said Bridges this week. “Just grew up in Philly and grew up going to all the games in the world.”
Experience Art Lovers’ and publishing collaboration. Our limited edition exclusive collaboration with our visual artist and Harlem World Magazine publisher Danny Tisdale and Harlem World Magazine is led by Atlanta-based art dealer and Harlem World Magazine contributor, Montanette Jones. The photographs were taken in 2003, in Harlem, NY, long before COVID, the images document Harlem’s…
A little over 10 games into the Major League Baseball season, the Yankees and the Mets have had mixed results. The Yankees began a three-game series on Monday versus the Cleveland Guardians with a 3–2 loss. They went into Tuesday night’s game with a record of 6–4 with ace Gerrit Cole on the mound. The 32-year-old righty has been characteristically stingy, boasting a 2–0 record and 0.73 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched before facing the 7–4 Guardians, who were leading the American League Central division.
The Yankees, who have taken all three of their series before meeting the Guardians, winning two of the three against the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Baltimore Orioles, were in Baltimore this past weekend to play an ascending young team. The Orioles have not been to the postseason since 2016, but are on the rise with cornerstone players, led by center fielder Cedrick Mullins, catcher Adley Rutschman, and shortstop Gunner Henderson.
The Yankees lost the opening game by 7–6 but bounced back and won the next two, 4–1 on Saturday and 5–3 on Sunday. Giancarlo Stanton’s third home run of the season powered the Yankees in Game 2 and Aaron Judge’s two solo homers the following day—he had four going into Tuesday’s game—led the charge in the series finale.
On Monday night, the Yankees bats were stifled by Guardians starter Shane Bieber, who went seven innings and gave up just five hits and two earned runs. “I thought we swung the bats well against him. We just obviously couldn’t break through,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
After closing out their series in Cleveland last night (Wednesday), the Yankees will begin a 10-game homestand tonight in the Bronx hosting the Minnesota Twins for four games. The Los Angeles Angels will be at Yankee Stadium next Tuesday through Thursday and the Toronto Blue Jays April 21–23.
The Mets began a three-game series at Citi Field on Monday versus the ultra-talented San Diego Padres, which defeated them in a National League Wildcard matchup last season. The Mets’ No. 1 starter, Max Scherzer, took the mound against the Padres’ five-time MLB All-Star Yu Darvish, looking to redeem himself not only from last October’s playoff performance when he gave up seven earned runs in a 7–1 Game 1 loss to San Diego, but a 9–0 April 4 trouncing by the Milwaukee Brewers in which he was rocked for three homers in three straight at-bats and five earned runs.
Scherzer indeed resembled a three-time Cy Young Award winner on Monday by going five innings and holding the Padres to one hit and zero runs, striking out six in a 5–0 Mets victory. “Thought I was able to avoid the big hit and was able to sequence well enough, and I had all my off-speed pitches going,” said Scherzer.
The Mets were 6–5 before the final game of their series with the Padres yesterday afternoon and will now be in California for the next 10 days as they begin a 10-game road trip tomorrow against the Oakland A’s. Manager Buck Showalter’s crew will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games next Monday through Wednesday and the Giants for four next Thursday through April 23.
