#NNPA BlackPress
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Karen Bass Addresses Black Press Following House Vote on Impeachment Inquiry
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “People are very frustrated. People want this administration to go. And let me tell you something. I’m at the top of that list. But we have to do it in the right way. Because if we don’t do it in the right way, we will simply empower him and help him to be re-elected.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
WASHINGTON — October 31, 2019 — Today, by a party line vote of 232-to-196, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives took the historic step of passing a resolution formalizing the parameters of the next phase of the impeachment inquiry. An important move in a process that could eventually lead to the impeachment of President Trump.
Shortly after the resolution was passed, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA), the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, briefed publishers and editors from the Black Press of America during an exclusive conference call with members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
The congresswoman explained to Black Press publishers what has transpired and what to expect going forward.
“I wanted you to know, first and foremost, that we did not vote to impeach the president. We passed a resolution that had five major points,” Bass stated.
“Over the last few months, we have been involved in an impeachment inquiry, and our Republican colleagues had wanted us to vote on an inquiry,” she said.
“What we did today was a vote on an impeachment inquiry, and we voted to continue the depositions and hearings and investigations that have been ongoing.”
Today’s action in the House opens the door for all Americans to hear and see the public presentation of the testimony and evidence against the president.
The vote also provides the president and his legal team the opportunity to present evidence, witnesses and testimony in the president’s favor and to cross-examine anyone who testifies against Trump.
The House Intelligence Committee will continue to hold private meetings on impeachment, but will soon hold public hearings, Bass stated.
“The legislation directs the Judiciary Committee to review the evidence, and, if necessary, to report Articles of Impeachment to the House…” said Bass, “…if and when we get to that point where Articles of Impeachment are introduced in the Judiciary Committee and voted out of the committee.”
“If we take Articles of Impeachment on the floor and vote them off the floor, that will be the beginning of the impeachment process,” Bass continued. “It’s a two-step process, that you can view from an indictment, which is what an impeachment is, and then a trial will take place in the Senate.
“So, that is where we are right now. And I know when I talked to people all over the place, people are so frustrated because it seems like we have been investigating this president forever. But the reality is, Congress only has been investigating the president since March of this year.
“The first two years of his presidency, when Republicans were in charge, they refused to provide any oversight whatsoever. And so, the investigation that took place before that was done by [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller was not a part of a congressional process.
“Now, after the Mueller Report came out in the Judiciary Committee, we spent time looking at the ten examples of obstruction of justice, where we believe that the president violated the law.
“But one of the frustrations of the Mueller process was that he refused to make a definitive statement because he said he couldn’t since the president is not subject to an indictment.
“So, what I think happened was a dramatic change in the situation. We were looking at the president before – what happened in the past.
“When the whistleblower came forward, well, that’s happening right now. Many of us believe this was his attempt actually to be involved in the election next year.
“So, it’s one thing to talk about his past, but it’s a whole other situation to speak about him violating the law presently on an ongoing basis.
“And, if you listen to his public statements, he’s been pretty bold about saying, Yes, he thinks that China should provide dirt on opponents.
“People are very frustrated. People want this administration to go. And let me tell you something. I’m at the top of that list. But we have to do it in the right way. Because if we don’t do it in the right way, we will simply empower him and help him to be reelected.
“And so truthfully, up until the time of the whistleblower, I was of the mind that if we impeach him, there would be no way he’d be tried and convicted in the Senate.
“At this point, I feel like several people around him, especially from the State Department in the Intelligence Community, have had enough and they’re spilling the goods.
“And this is a qualitatively different situation than existed a month ago.
“With his illegal behavior, the president is really providing all of the information we need.
“He goes out in public and says that, you know, he invites the Chinese to investigate his opponents. You know, you’re watching him on live TV say things that one could argue are illegal.
“He is holding back hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign assistance, military assistance to one of our allies who are in the middle of a war. Now you refuse to assist them until they publicly say that they are going to investigate your opponent.
“Then you have him panic and decide that he is going to pull troops away from an ally, another ally, and essentially a slaughter occurred. Those two things together are dramatically different than anything that’s happened before.”
#NNPA BlackPress
Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2
Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0xUKM6U2Lpc&autoplay=0&cc_lang_pref=en&cc_load_policy=0&color=0&controls=1&fs=1&h1=en&loop=0&rel=0
Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive
#NNPA BlackPress
IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire
Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.
His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.
Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.
In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.
The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.
Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.
As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.
Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.
His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.
“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”
Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.
“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”
Sly Stone is survived by three children.
#NNPA BlackPress
PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

By Congressman James E. Clyburn
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.
“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.
“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”
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