AURN News

Relief is coming to over 43,000 farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners through the Biden-Harris administration's Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, established under the Inflation Reduction Act. The initiative addresses historic discrimination in USDA farm lending programs, providing financial aid to those impacted before January 2021.

Payments range from $3,500 to $500,000, with an average of $82,000 per recipient, benefiting many in the Black farming community.

President Joe Biden stated, "I promised to address this inequity when I became president. Today, that promise has become a reality."

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack added that this effort marks a crucial step in making USDA programs more inclusive and equitable.

The funds will help recipients sustain or start their farming operations, contributing to the economy and ensuring the nation's food security.

To learn more about USDA’s equity work and resources, visit www.usda.gov/equity.

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During a panel discussion at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference, former President Donald Trump made controversial statements questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’s Black heritage, suggesting she only recently “turned Black.”

"She was always of Indian heritage and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black," said Trump.

Trump also challenged the definition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), asking for explanations and expressing skepticism about the concept.

When questioned about the January 6th insurrection, Trump downplayed the violence against officers, indirectly justifying the actions of the rioters and suggesting he might pardon them.

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(AURN News) — The U.S. economy maintained its strong momentum in the second quarter of 2024, with the gross domestic product (GDP) expanding at an annual rate of 2.8 percent, according to data released last Thursday by the Department of Commerce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report highlighted increased consumer spending, private inventory investment, and nonresidential fixed investment as primary drivers of growth.

Consumer spending saw upticks in both services and goods sectors, with notable contributions from health care, housing and utilities, and recreation services. The goods category was bolstered by increased spending on motor vehicles and parts, recreational goods, home furnishings, and energy products.

Personal income for Americans rose by $237.6 billion, while disposable income increased by $186.3 billion, representing a 3.6 percent gain. Personal savings also saw a significant boost, climbing by $720.5 billion during the quarter. However, despite the overall positive economic indicators, inflation remains a concern. The Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate of 2 percent has not yet been achieved, and many Americans are dealing with layoffs and continued high prices. The next GDP data release is scheduled for Aug. 29.

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Civil rights activist Whitney M. Young Jr., born on July 31, 1921, in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky, is best known for expanding the reach of the National Urban League (NUL) and raising unprecedented funds for civil rights efforts.

With a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota, Young volunteered and took leadership roles in the NUL and NAACP. In 1961, he became the executive director of the NUL, significantly growing its membership and forging relationships with high-profile white business and political leaders to secure more jobs for Black Americans and federal aid for inner cities.

Whitney M. Young Jr. died in March 1971 in Nigeria.

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DALLAS (AURN News) — In a major shift from its longstanding open seating policy, Southwest Airlines recently announced it will introduce assigned seating and premium seating options across all flights. The move marks the most significant change in the airline's 50-year history and comes as the carrier grapples with ongoing financial challenges. The Dallas-based company cited evolving customer preferences as the driving force behind the decision. According to Southwest, research indicates that 80 percent of its current customers and 86 percent of potential customers prefer assigned seating. The airline also revealed that open seating is the primary reason customers switch to competitors.

"After listening carefully to Customers and conducting extensive research, Southwest decided it will assign seats and offer premium seating options on all flights. The airline has been known for its unique open seating model for more than 50 years, but preferences have evolved with more Customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred," the airline stated. The company expects these changes to broaden its appeal, attract more passengers, and strengthen its financial performance. In addition to the seating overhaul, Southwest plans to introduce red-eye flights beginning next year. New overnight routes will connect Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix to East Coast destinations such as Baltimore, Orlando, and Nashville.

This strategic shift comes in the wake of a challenging period for Southwest. In 2023, the airline faced a $140 million fine following a disastrous 2022 holiday season that saw 16,900 flight cancellations and left two million travelers stranded.

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Former President Donald Trump is expected to speak today at noon at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) annual convention -- a move that has sparked much backlash and outrage.

AURN spoke with National Newspaper Publishers Association President Dr. Benjamin Chavis, who is asking the organization to rescind the invite. This morning on the radio he had this to say:

"This is an affront to Black America. I think this is not about journalism, and this is not about equivalency, because there is no equivalency between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. I understand Vice President Harris won't be able to make it. But they should never extended an invitation to Donald Trump in the first place. And the way they set up the panel it's a Fox News-controlled panel."

ABC's Rachel Scott and Semafor's Kadia Goba will be moderators for the discussion alongside Fox News’ Harris Faulkner, but many are calling for the event to be canceled and for the president of NABJ to step down from his position.

Protests are happening outside, but as of now, the show still goes on.

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The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) annual convention in Chicago is stirring controversy as former President Donald Trump is set to participate in a question-and-answer session. The session will be moderated by ABC's Rachel Scott, Fox News' Harris Faulkner, and Semafor's Kadia Goba.

NABJ President Ken Lemon emphasized that the event is not an endorsement. "The first thing that you read when we put out that release says it’s not an endorsement," Lemon stated.

The controversy intensified with the resignation of Karen Attiah, a Washington Post columnist and co-chair of the convention. Attiah expressed concerns over Trump's history with Black journalists, such as a past incident where Trump insulted a Black journalist by saying, "What a stupid question, but I watch you a lot, you ask a lot of stupid questions."

Despite the backlash, Lemon defended the decision, saying, "Every presidential election cycle, we invite the presidential candidates and in this case, we have two presumptive nominees. This is a great opportunity for us to vet the candidate right here on our ground."

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On Monday evening, the "White Dudes for Harris" initiative raised over $4 million, drawing more than 190,000 participants and 150,000 new group members.

Organized by Democratic activists unaffiliated with Harris' campaign, the call featured celebrities like Jeff Bridges, Mark Hamill, Bradley Whitford, Josh Gad, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paul Scheer, Lance Bass, and Josh Groban. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and filmmaker J.J. Abrams each pledged to match $50,000 in donations.

This event is part of a broader demographic-focused mobilization for Harris, following President Biden's withdrawal and endorsement, which saw 40,000 people join a "Win With Black Women" call.

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"If they think this is going to make us more quiet, they are wrong. We are not going to, we are not going to stop. We're not going to stop organizing. There's going to be more to come tomorrow."

That was one of the organizers of "White Dudes for Harris," a group that put together a call fundraising and organizing support for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the next president. He's upset because after raising nearly $4 million and having over 190,000 attendees on their call, they found out their accounts on X, formerly Twitter, were suspended by Elon Musk.

"I have seen some of the most racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semitic comments just all over Twitter, and Elon Musk has done nothing. So we get suspended?"

But if they think that's going to shut them down, he had this to say: "And if they think this is going to make us more quiet, they are wrong."

The organization has another call planned for tonight and more in the future.

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In an op-ed published Monday, President Joe Biden asserted that "no one," including Supreme Court justices, is above the law and advocated for term limits and an enforceable ethics code for the high court. Emphasizing his respect for institutional separation of powers, Biden argued that the current state of affairs undermines public confidence in the court.

Later today, at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, Biden is expected to propose a system where the president appoints a justice every two years for an 18-year term and call on Congress to pass binding conduct and ethics rules for justices, including gift disclosures, a ban on public political activity, and mandatory recusal in cases of conflicts of interest.

Biden will also push for a constitutional amendment to limit the broad immunity enjoyed by presidents.

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