AURN News

Quincy Jones was born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago. With an impressive tally of 28 Grammy Awards, Jones rose to prominence in the 1950s as a trumpeter in Lionel Hampton's band.

His career saw collaborations with music luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and Ella Fitzgerald. As a producer, Jones played a pivotal role in shaping the monumental albums of Michael Jackson, including Off the Wall, Bad, and Thriller, each standing as some of the best-selling records in history.

Beyond his musical achievements, Jones's influence extends into film and television, where he has made significant contributions as a composer and producer.

Happy 91st birthday to Quincy Jones.

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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has activated a new law allowing a state panel to discipline or even oust prosecutors. The move could impact Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ legal actions against former President Donald Trump.

Kemp argues the law targets prosecutors who fail to enforce laws linking it to a national rise in crime. But critics see it as a political maneuver, especially since last year’s attempt to get the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission up and running hit a roadblock when the state Supreme Court expressed concerns about its jurisdiction. Despite this, the new legislation sidesteps the need for Supreme Court approval, raising eyebrows and likely prompting legal challenges.

The new law mandates that district attorneys individually assess each case, barring them from dismissing whole categories of offenses. This is seen as an attempt to limit prosecutorial discretion and to spark debate about its implications on justice and political interference.

Proponents of the law insist it is about ensuring law and order. Opponents argue it’s a veiled attack on Democratic prosecutors like Willis.

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On March 13, 1932, the Atlanta Daily World newspaper commenced its daily publication, marking a significant milestone.

Established by William A. Scott II, a graduate of Morehouse College, the paper initially operated as a semi-weekly publication starting in August 1928. However, it swiftly evolved into the first prosperous Black daily newspaper in the United States.

Covering a wide array of pressing issues, the Daily World fearlessly reported on topics such as lynchings, police brutality, the Scottsboro Boys trial, discrimination within the federal government, and school segregation.

In 1934, William A. Scott II was fatally shot at the age of 32, however, no one was convicted for the crime.

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Under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program, President Joe Biden has announced $3.3 billion in funding initiatives aimed at revitalizing over 130 communities across 41 states and Washington, D.C.

The effort, part of the Investing in America agenda and unveiled in Michigan, is fueled by the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the allocation for projects designed to mend the fabric of neighborhoods torn apart by past infrastructure developments. The initiative is a stride towards enhancing accessibility to vital services like education, healthcare, and employment, and rectifying long-standing disparities in the process.

The plan includes a diverse allocation of 72 planning grants, 52 capital construction grants, and eight regional planning grants.

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(AURN News) – Data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that inflation continues its upward trajectory, maintaining a persistent grip on the nation's financial landscape.

Since October 2023, the consumer price index (CPI) has seen an alarming climb. In that month, the index grew by 0.1%, only to accelerate month by month having now grown by 0.4% in the latest available data from February. Over the past year, the CPI has surged by 3.2%, according to government figures.

Several key sectors felt the pinch of this inflationary surge in February, with shelter costs, airline fares, motor vehicle insurance, apparel, and recreation all marked as experiencing noticeable increases. The overall price of food remained unchanged for the month of February. However, this stability in food prices comes against the backdrop of persistently high overall food prices, which many Americans continue to feel.

The question now is how will the Federal Reserve respond in light of this new data and their target of bringing inflation down to 2%.

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(AURN News) – A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association sheds light on a concerning association between marijuana use and an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke.

The study, a population-based, cross-sectional analysis of data spanning from 2016 to 2020, utilized information gathered from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey in 27 U.S. states and two territories. The results, with an average age of 45.4 years, suggest a direct correlation between frequent marijuana use and heightened cardiovascular issues.

“Cannabis use is associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, with higher odds of events associated with more days of use per month, controlling for demographic factors and tobacco smoking,” the study said. The odds of experiencing these issues escalate with the number of days of marijuana use per month, even after controlling for demographic factors and tobacco smoking.

The study revealed a demographic breakdown of the participants, emphasizing that 60% were White and 11.6% Black. There has been a surge in marijuana use among U.S. adults between 2002 and 2019, skyrocketing from 10.4% to 18%.

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Established on March 12, 1897, in Langston, Oklahoma, Langston University stands as Oklahoma's sole historically Black college or university.

In response to the exclusion of African Americans from higher education institutions in the state, the Black community in Langston rallied together to fund the establishment of an educational institution where their children could receive instruction and thrive.

Originally named the Colored Agricultural and Normal University, the institution's mission encompassed the education of both male and female students in areas such as agriculture, mechanics, and industrial arts. The school opened on September 3, 1898, with just 41 students.

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Special counsel Robert Hur is testifying today before a Republican-led House panel. He was tasked with investigating President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents, but ultimately declined to bring criminal charges.

Hur has said the facts stopped short of finding Biden willfully retained classified material. Hur did note in his previous report, which he is expected to underscore, that there are serious material differences between the Biden case and the Trump case involving classified documents.

His public testimony will be held before the House Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio. According to NBC News, Biden spoke with Robert Hur for over three hours on October 8 and again for over an hour the next day when he faced a number of questions about documents he saw as vice president and how he stored them.

The report concludes with Hur saying Biden is an elderly man with a poor memory and was unable to remember key dates. His assessment of the president's mental fitness will likely be the focus of Hur's testimony.

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Marcia Fudge, the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has announced her resignation, effective March 22, marking the end of an impactful three-year tenure.

Fudge, who has dedicated nearly five decades to public service, leaves behind a legacy of tireless advocacy for equitable housing, having spearheaded initiatives that significantly improved the lives of Americans.

Under her leadership, HUD has made strides in promoting affordable housing, removing financial barriers for homebuyers, and championing the rights of people often overlooked by the system.

Her efforts have led to substantial progress, including helping over 2 million families avoid foreclosure, making it easier for individuals to get loans to buy homes, and enhancing creditworthiness assessments to benefit renters.

Her commitment to justice and equality showed through her work to support more than 2 million units of public and multifamily housing, a significant investment in Black, brown, and disadvantaged businesses in a comprehensive strategy to tackle homelessness and housing discrimination.

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Texas' tough-on-immigration law, which allows local cops to arrest anybody they think crossed the border illegally, is back in the spotlight. The Supreme Court put it on hold due to a handful of lawsuits, but that order expires Wednesday.

"The regulation of immigration is squarely and exclusively within the purview of the federal government," said Adriana Piñon with the ACLU of Texas.

She also said she wants the Supreme Court to hold the status quo and keep the law on hold while their lawsuits play out. The legislation makes illegally crossing the border a Class B misdemeanor. It requires judges to order illegal immigrants to return to Mexico if they are convicted.

"Racial profiling of immigrants has increased. The way people organize their lives on a day-to-day basis is going to be impacted. The law contravenes over 100 years of Supreme Court precedent that holds states cannot enter into this field," said Piñon.

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