AURN News

The first trailer for "Gladiator II" dropped today. This film is the sequel to the 2000 historical epic starring Russell Crowe. The new installment features Denzel Washington, who appears almost unrecognizable in the trailer. Additionally, the cast includes Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal. The long-awaited "Gladiator" sequel, directed once again by Ridley Scott, debuts 24 years after the original historical film premiered.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bad boys of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence got the summer box office rolling, and now Despicable Me 4 handily topped it over the 4th of July weekend. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today kicks off the 75th NATO Summit as leaders gather in Washington, D.C. to show support for Ukraine against Russia. For President Joe Biden, the summit is also about proving he can handle the presidency for another term.

As Europe and North America face the potential return of NATO-critic former President Donald Trump, Biden will emphasize his role in rallying NATO against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The summit is a key moment for Biden to demonstrate his leadership amidst his re-election campaign challenges. The meeting will cover Ukraine's path to NATO membership, strengthening Ukraine's defenses, and Biden's broader climate commitments.

As heads of state from NATO's 32 countries, plus partners from the Pacific and Ukraine, convene, Biden aims to reassure allies and voters of his steadfast leadership.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this day in 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams made history as a pioneering open-heart surgeon. Williams began his medical journey as an apprentice under the esteemed surgeon Dr. Henry Palmer, which paved the way for his admission to the prestigious Chicago Medical School at Northwestern University. After earning his M.D. in 1883, Williams became one of the few Black physicians in Chicago.

Motivated by the plight of a Black woman who was denied entry to nursing school due to her race, Williams co-founded the Provident Hospital and Nursing Training School.

On July 9, 1893, he performed the first open-heart surgery, demonstrating his exceptional medical intuition and surgical prowess. That night, James Cornish arrived at Provident Hospital with a deep stab wound near his heart, setting the stage for Williams’ groundbreaking achievement.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this year's Essence Festival, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at the Global Black Economic Forum and told Americans what's at stake:

"When the United States Supreme Court essentially told this individual, who has been convicted of 34 felonies, that he will be immune from essentially the activity he has told us he is prepared to engage in if he gets back into the White House. Understand what we all know; in 122 days, we each have the power to decide what kind of country we want to live in. Understand what we know; when there has been a full-on intentional attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights. When I talk about the family that raised me, yes, they took me in a stroller as they were marching and shouting for justice, knowing that justice will not be achieved unless we are prepared to march and shout and fight for it."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several Democrats are calling on President Biden to step down in the upcoming election and are discussing his viability after his poor debate against Trump nearly two weeks ago.

But at the Global Black Economic Forum panel at Essence Fest this past weekend, Congresswoman Maxine Waters had this to say:

"Trump has told you who he is. He defined himself. He is a no good, deplorable, lying, despicable human being. And he's talking about if he doesn't win, there's gonna be a bloodbath, there's gonna be violence, there's gonna be a civil war. Do we have to talk about the difference between these two? Now I want to tell you no matter what anybody says, it ain't gonna be no other Democratic candidate. It's gonna be Biden and we better know it."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jaden Smith, born July 8, 1998, celebrates his 26th birthday today. As an actor, musician, and activist, Smith has made significant strides in various fields from a young age.

He gained early fame through roles in films like "The Pursuit of Happyness" alongside his father, Will Smith, and "The Karate Kid."

Beyond acting, Jaden has carved out a niche in the music industry with his unique style, releasing several albums that blend hip-hop, R&B, and experimental sounds. He is also known for his environmental and social activism, championing causes such as sustainable living and access to clean water.

As he enters his mid-20s, Jaden Smith continues to influence and inspire with his creativity, versatility, and commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden is in Madison, Wisconsin today, rallying support and gearing up for a pivotal interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos. The visit is seen as crucial for Biden, who's striving to recover from a shaky debate performance against former President Donald Trump, sparking concerns about his readiness for another term.

The interview, expected to be very rigorous, will air tonight on ABC and could significantly impact his campaign. Biden has been prepping, intensively aware that another slip-up could further dent his public confidence. Amid growing calls from some Democrats for him to step aside, Biden is determined to prove he remains the best candidate to challenge Trump.

The president plans to emphasize his achievements and vision for safeguarding democracy, the economy, and citizens' rights. After Wisconsin, Biden will head to Pennsylvania to continue his campaign efforts.

The outcome of these engagements will be closely watched, as they could either bolster his re-election bid or amplify calls for new leadership within the Democratic Party.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(AURN News) — The U.S. job market showed signs of weakening in June, with the unemployment rate climbing to 4.1 percent, up from 3.6 percent a year ago, according to the latest Labor Department report released Friday morning. The economic downturn has hit Black Americans particularly hard. The Black unemployment rate surged to 6.3 percent, a significant increase from 5.6 percent back in April. This compares to 3.5 percent for White workers and 4.9 percent for Hispanic workers, maintaining the unfortunately long-standing pattern of higher joblessness among African Americans.

Despite the overall rise in unemployment, the economy added 206,000 jobs in June. Wages saw a modest uptick, with average hourly earnings increasing by 10 cents to $35.00. The average workweek held steady at 34.3 hours for the third consecutive month. This latest report raises concerns about the strength of the labor market and could influence future Federal Reserve decisions regarding the fight against inflation. The Federal Reserve’s FOMC minutes recently indicated a long road to recovery when it comes to getting inflation down to the 2 percent target goal.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(AURN News) — The Federal Reserve's recently released minutes from its June Federal Open Market Committee meeting paint a picture of modest progress in the fight against inflation, coupled with a robust stock market and varied credit conditions across different sectors of the economy. The information found in the minutes is extremely important as they provide insight into the decision-making process that has gone into how to deal with the major inflation the country has seen for years now. 

The minutes show that while financial markets have shown some improvement, particularly in equity prices, overall progress in curbing inflation has been limited. "Financial conditions eased modestly over the intermeeting period mainly because of higher equity prices," the minutes stated, noting that conditions have changed little since March but eased notably since last fall.

Stock markets have performed well, with the Fed noting “broad stock price indexes increased substantially, on net, amid a positive investor outlook on corporate profits and economic activity," according to the minutes.

Corporate borrowing remains strong, with the Fed saying that “financing was readily accessible for public corporations and large and middle-market private corporations through capital markets and nonbank lenders." However, the situation differs for average consumers. The minutes reported that “consumer credit remained generally available over the intermeeting period despite some signs of tightening. In the residential mortgage market, access to credit was little changed and continued to depend on borrowers' credit risk attributes.”

Looking ahead, the committee projects that inflation will "decline further in 2025 and 2026," with expectations that both total and core PCE price inflation will approach 2 percent by 2026. Committee members acknowledged the lack of substantial progress in recent months, stating, "After a significant decline in inflation during the second half of 2023, the early part of this year had seen a lack of further progress toward the Committee's 2 percent objective. Participants judged that although inflation remained elevated, there had been modest further progress toward the 2 percent goal in recent months."

The major takeaway from the Fed’s notes is that we may need to brace for continued inflation issues through next year and potentially into 2026.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices