Black Californians are owed upward of $800 billion due to decades of discriminatory and racist practices that set back generations -- so say experts in a formal suggestion.
Gov. Gavin Newsom spearheaded efforts, starting in 2020, to determine what African-Americans might stand to receive if Cali decides to pay reparations & this astronomical number is what a group of economists is spitting out.
There's a whole task force dedicated to this issue, BTW ... consisting of state lawmakers focused on 5 key areas -- the taking of property by the government, devaluation of Black-owned businesses, housing discrimination, mass incarceration/over-policing & general health.
Mind you, the economists here considered only 3 of these categories in coming up with the $800B figure -- leaving out property taken and the devaluation of businesses for now -- which means the final estimate could be much higher. In any case, the task force will hear this new total Wednesday and take it under consideration in a scheduled meeting.
Considering there are about 2,537,000 Black residents in California -- based on 2022 U.S. Census numbers -- that would translate to each getting about $315k, more or less. That number could be different, however, based on criteria for who receives reparations.
Those would include being a certain age (18), being a resident of CA for a certain amount of time & being a descendant of an enslaved person and/or freed Black people in the U.S. as of the 19th century ... among other benchmarks, the state of California could set.
Of course, opponents would cite the obvious in pushing back on this -- namely, California was never a slave state. Also, they say taxpayers shouldn't have to foot this kind of bill for practices that were in place a long time ago ... even though Newsom & co. say otherwise.
Now, whether the reparations suggested are actually enacted is a whole other ball game. The task force would need to agree on a final number & then send it over to the state legislature ... where it would have to be drafted into a bill & passed in both chambers. After that, Newsom himself would have to sign it.
Another thing to consider ... this is separate from what SF is mulling -- its own proposed reparations package, which would see Black city residents get as much as $5 mil each.
Dr. Dre's eldest daughter has revealed that she is homeless and living out of a rental car, amid claims that the hip-hop legend is refusing to support her.
LaTanya Young, 38, told the Daily Mail that she works as a delivery driver for DoorDash and Uber Eats, as well as an assembler at a warehouse—but still can't afford an apartment in California.
Young, a single mother of four, said she had reached out her famous father for help, but had not received any money from him in 18 months. She added that she hadn't seen her dad in 18 years and communicated with him through his team.
"My kids are staying with friends—they are not living in the car, it's just me," Young said. "I'm taking odd jobs just to make it now—I got paid $15 an hour as an assembler at the warehouse. I'm trying to keep my head above water. I've been in debt for a while."
Young, who moved to California one month ago after struggling to find work in Nevada, now fears she will lose her vehicle.
"The car is a pretty penny," she said. "It's an SUV that costs $2,300 for three weeks and I only paid for one week. Sooner or later they are going to take the car."
"The wage is higher in California—there was no work in Nevada," she added. "There weren't enough jobs. I have friends and family that will let us come back and forth, but the majority of the time I'm living out of my car."
Young, whose father split from her mother Lisa Johnson when she was five years old, said Dr. Dre's lawyer had told her that she would not receive any financial help because she had spoken to the press about him in the past.
Dr. Dre just filed his answer to his wife’s divorce petition, and he revealed something she didn’t – there’s a prenup.
Dre’s wife, Nicole Young, filed for divorce on June 29, citing irreconcilable differences. She is asking for spousal support and a division of property.
Dre says in his answer, filed by Disso Queen Laura Wasser, that he’s fine paying Nicole spousal support but he says any distribution of property should be governed by their prenuptial agreement.
Nicole made no mention of a prenup in her petition ... and sources connected with her told TMZ there was no prenup. That is not the case.
As for the prenup ... Dre's estimated worth is $800 million.
There are no issues relating to child support or custody ... their 3 kids are all adults.
Dre lists the date of separation as March 27, 2020 ... just weeks after the coronavirus lockdown began.
Dr. Dre and his wife of 24 years are ending their marriage ... she's filed for divorce.
Nicole Young filed the paperwork Monday, citing the usual irreconcilable differences as the reason for her split from the hip-hop mogul.
Dre married Nicole on May 25, 1996, and they have 2 adult children together -- a son named Truice and a daughter named Truly -- so they won't have to deal with child support.
Sources connected to Nicole say there is no prenup. Dre's net worth, according to Forbes, is estimated at $800 million.
Nicole is also seeking spousal support.
She was formerly married to NBA player, Sedale Threatt. Young works as a lawyer and is represented in the divorce by a high-powered celeb attorney, Samantha Spector.
We've reached out to Dr. Dre's rep. He had no comment.
NEW YORK (Associated Press) — The high-octane thriller "Furious 7" maintained speed in its second week, racing away with $60.6 million at North American theaters and bringing its box-office total to a robust $252.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Universal's "Furious 7" more than lapped the competition. The only new wide release of the weekend, the rodeo romance "The Longest Ride," opened with $13.5 million.
That was good enough for third place for the Fox release, which stars Clint Eastwood's son, Scott Eastwood. In second was the DreamWorks animated alien adventure "Home," which pulled in $19 million in its third week of release.
But "Furious 7" continued to dominate the marketplace, dropping only 59 percent from its remarkable $147.2 million debut last weekend. Globally, it has already crossed $800 million in its first two weeks of release, according to Universal.
The weekend international total — an eye-popping $195 million — was boosted by the film premiering in China on Sunday, where it earned an estimated $68.6 million in just one day.
Over 10 days, "Furious 7," which prominently features a tribute to the late actor Paul Walker, has already out-grossed all previous installments of the 14-year-old franchise.
At its current pace, "Furious 7" will likely become the highest grossing film in Universal's history. The studio's "Jurassic Park," from 1993, holds Universal's mark with $1.02 billion worldwide.
It's a summer blockbuster-sized result for "Furious 7," but by opening in April, it has little competition in its way. On a much smaller scale, the critically acclaimed sci-fi film "Ex Machina" drew the year's largest theater average of $62,489 in four theaters.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Furious 7," $60.6 million ($195 million international).
2. "Home," $19 million ($15.2 million international).
3. "The Longest Ride," $13.5 million ($3 million international).
4. "Get Hard," $8.6 million ($1.4 million international).
5. "Cinderella," $7.2 million ($12.6 million international).
6. "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," $6.9 million ($7.9 million international).
7. "Woman in Gold," $5.9 million.
8. "It Follows," $2 million.
9. "Danny Collins," $1.6 million.
10. "While We're Young," $1.4 million.
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Rentrak:
1. "Furious 7," $195 million.
2. "Wolf Warriors," $18 million.
3. "Home," $15.2 million
4. "Cinderella," $12.6 million.
5. "Kingsman: The Secret Service," $9 million.
6. "Let's Get Married," $8.5 million.
7. "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," $7.9 million.
8. "Pourquoi j'ai (pas) mange mon pere," $3.5 million.
9. "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water," $3.2 million.
10. "The Longest Ride," $3 million.
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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
2 Chainz embarks on a special adventure to smoke the most expensive joint in the world. See what happens when the rapper and celebrity medical marijuana consultant Dr. Dina get their hands on rolling papers made of 24K gold, weed so good it costs $800 an ounce, and a ridiculously large pipe.
Former rap superstar MC Hammer is going to have to dig up a large sum of money ASAP to pay the federal government.
The Internal Revenue Service claims the "Too Legit To Quit" hit maker failed to pay his taxes for the years of 1996 and 1997. They've hit him with a $798,033.48 bill. According to TMZ, all money his LLC earns will have to go directly to the U.S. Treasury Department until the debt is paid back in full.
Hammer, real name Stanley Burrell, was a household name in the late 80's and early 90's when he packed arenas from coast to coast with his energetic stage shows, combining catchy songs with incredible dance moves.
BAGHDAD — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paid solemn tribute on Thursday to an “independent, free and sovereign Iraq” and declared the official end to the Iraq war, formally wrapping up the U.S. military’s mission in the country after almost nine years.
“After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real,” Panetta said at a ceremony held under tight security at Baghdad’s international airport. “To be sure, the cost was high — in blood and treasure for the United States, and for the Iraqi people. Those lives were not lost in vain.”
The 1:15 p.m. ceremony (5:15 a.m. in Washington) effectively ended the war two weeks earlier than was necessary under the terms of the security agreement signed by the U.S. and Iraqi governments in 2008, which stipulated that the troops must be gone by Dec. 31.
But commanders decided there was no need to keep troops in Iraq through the Christmas holidays given that talks on maintaining a U.S. presence beyond the deadline had failed. The date of the final ceremony had been kept secret for weeks, so as not to give insurgents or militias an opportunity to stage attacks.
Dignitaries and a small crowd of military personnel in fatigues gathered at a terminal in the Baghdad airport, which until now had been operated by the U.S. military. In the future, it will be overseen by the State Department, which is assuming responsibility for a massive, $6 billion civilian effort to sustain American influence in Iraq beyond the troops’ departure.
The white flag of United States Force-Iraq was carefully folded and put away, and Panetta took the podium.
“No words, no ceremony can provide full tribute to the sacrifices which have brought this day to pass,” the defense secretary said. “I’m reminded of what President Lincoln said in Gettysburg, about a different war, in a different time. His words echo through the years as we pay tribute to the fallen in this war: ‘The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.’ ”
In his speech, Panetta singled out U.S. Ambassador James Jeffrey and Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, for overseeing the rapid withdrawal of 50,000 troops in recent months and the closure of dozens of bases.
But he paid special tribute to the more than 1 million U.S. troops who have served war duty in Iraq since 2003, including about 4,487 who were killed and some 30,000 who were wounded.
“You have done everything your nation has asked you to do and more,” he said. “You came to this ‘Land Between the Rivers’ again and again and again.You did not know whether you’d return to your loved ones.
“You will leave with great pride, lasting pride, secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people begin a new chapter in history free from tyranny and full of hope for prosperity and peace.”
Panetta also paid homage to military families who, “through deployment after deployment after deployment ... withstood the strain, the sacrifice and the heartbreak of watching their loved ones go off to war.”
“Together with the Iraqi people,” he added, “the United States welcomes the next stage in U.S.-Iraqi relations.”
And with that, the U.S. military’s mission was declared over, eight years, eight months and 25 days after it began.
Panetta arrived in Baghdad after a two-day stop to visit troops in Afghanistan. He was making his first visit to Iraq since becoming defense secretary in July, although he also visited the country during his tenure as CIA director and prior to that as a member of the Iraq Study Group, an advisory panel of foreign policy veterans that sought to change the Bush administration’s approach to the war.
In recent days, during visits to Djibouti and Afghanistan, Panetta refrained from declaring victory in Iraq or “mission accomplished,” as the Bush administration did prematurely in 2003. Instead, he has acknowledged divisions and regrets among U.S. lawmakers and the American people in general, while trying to frame Iraq’s future in a guarded sense of optimism.
“In many ways I think we can all take some satisfaction — regardless of whether you are for or against how we got into Iraq, the fact is we can take some satisfaction in the fact that we are now heading them in the right direction,” Panetta told an audience of U.S. diplomats Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
In the end, Panetta described the purpose of the war as an attempt to turn Iraq into a stable, self-governing democracy after decades of dictatorship under Saddam Hussein. During his trip to Afghanistan, he did not name Hussein directly and made no mention of the failed search for weapons of mass destruction, which the Bush administration had cited as justification for the 2003 invasion.
“It’s a mission whose goal was to establish an Iraq that could govern and secure itself,” Panetta said Wednesday. “And we have done that. We are giving Iraq an opportunity to be able to govern itself and to secure itself into the future, and to enjoy, hopefully, the benefits of a democracy.”
“It won’t be easy. There will be challenges. They’ll face the challenges of terrorism. They’ll face the challenges of those that would want to divide that country. They’ll face the challenges, the test of democracy,” he said. “They have the opportunity to be able to do that. And because of the blood that was spilled by Americans, because of the blood that was spilled by Iraqis, they now have that chance.”
Many Iraqis still find it hard to believe that the U.S. troops are actually leaving, after a war in which more than 100,000 Iraqi lives were lost and more than $800 billion was spent by U.S. taxpayers on the military effort and reconstruction. At the war’s peak in 2007, there were 170,000 U.S soldiers in Iraq, although that number had dwindled to 50,000 over the past year.
The withdrawal will have little immediate impact on the lives of most Iraqis. U.S. troops pulled out of the cities in 2009 and halted combat operations a year later. For more than a year, they have been training the Iraqi security forces on military bases, largely out of public sight, although Special Forces have continued to conduct counterterrorism operations.
Many Iraqis were unaware that the departure was imminent, although in recent days, the domestic press has been speculating that it might take place sooner than anticipated.
On Wednesday, thousands of people in the mostly Sunni town of Fallujah, where Marines fought the biggest battle of the war in 2004, took to the streets to celebrate. They burned American and Israeli flags, and carried a banner declaring Fallujah to be “the city of resistance.”
Some residents, nevertheless, expressed misgivings, even as they said they were glad to see the Americans go. Bashar al-Nadeq, 32, said he could not help but be happy because he spent two years in the Camp Bucca prison camp after a cousin to whom he owed money told the U.S. military that he was a terrorist.
But he fears simmering sectarian tensions could erupt in violence once again, and he does not plan to celebrate.
“What’s the point of lighting a candle at the beginning of a tunnel when you know you will be walking in darkness?” he said at his car wash, near the center of the battle-scarred town. “I am happy they are going, but I know my happiness won’t last for long.”
Uncle Sam doesn't forget or forgive. MC Hammer is finding that out the hard way.
Hammer, real name Stanley Burrell, is in deep debt with the U.S. government to the tune of $779,585 according to TMZ. The government has filed a lawsuit against the rapper in an attempt to collect the debt.
Hammer sold more than 50 million records worldwide, mainly during the height of his success in the early 90's. The rapper accumulated massive wealth. He reportedly made then blew as much as $30 million dollars due to bad investments and a $12 million dollar crib he had built for himself. After falling $13 million dollars in debt, Hammer filed for bankruptcy in 1996.
The government says the rapper owes unpaid taxes for the years 1996 and 1997. They are demanding any money he makes from concert appearances go straight to them until the debt is satisfied. Given that Hammer is not exactly a hot name in the streets right now, you would be right to assume it is going to take quite a while for him to repay his debt.
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