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OP-ED: President Trump Proudly Presents His Policies on Criminal Justice Reform

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The FIRST STEP Act upholds one end of the criminal justice bargain to the black community: 90 percent of the prisoners who have been released thus far thanks to the new law are African Americans.

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By Katrina Pierson, Senior Advisor to Trump 2020

When President Trump delivered the keynote address on criminal justice at Benedict College last week in South Carolina, he did an excellent presentation to the audience at that Historically Black College and University (HBCU). President Trump displayed a substantive and compassionate style of leadership that contracted a common misconception about his leadership style.

An extraordinary amount of energy goes towards painting a picture of President Trump as a leader under siege, willing to speak only to steadfast supporters. In reality, Donald Trump has always been able to go before any audience to deliver his message — and unlike some career politicians, his message is always the same no matter where he speaks.

As President, that message naturally begins with his record of policy successes and promises kept. It’s a record he’s justifiably proud of, and that pride is evident whether he’s before a packed stadium of supporters or at a historically black college for a forum that also featured six of his would-be Democrat opponents.

When it comes to criminal justice reform, President Trump’s record is misunderstood as often as his style of public interaction. That’s why when the President delivered remarks detailing “The Conservative Case for Criminal Justice Reform” at Benedict College, he profiled the landmark FIRST STEP Act.

The foremost purpose of the criminal justice system is to protect citizens by punishing and rehabilitating criminals. To that end, the federal government significantly enhanced criminal penalties throughout the 1980s and 1990s, increasing the length of minimum sentences for a variety of crimes and making the conditions of confinement harsher.

Some aspects of that “get tough” strategy were effective, and crime rates began to plummet from the all-time highs reached in the early 1990s because the worst offenders were receiving prison sentences rather than slaps on the wrist.

But some lawmakers took the strategy too far. It culminated in the 1994 omnibus crime bill — written by Joe Biden — that, among other things, created federal “three strikes” laws and restricted prisoners’ ability to get an education behind bars. A growing number of non-violent felons began to see longer sentences, too, especially for drug-related crimes. Even after being released, former inmates found it extraordinarily difficult to get jobs afterwards.

Worst of all, the burden of these policies fell disproportionately on the black community, with a huge percentage of young black men becoming tied up in the criminal justice system.

President Trump determined that these inequities should be corrected without sacrificing the progress we’ve made in combating violent crime. He was right, and he naturally wants all Americans to know it.

Last December, the President signed the FIRST STEP Act, which addressed many of the most glaring issues that made criminal justice unfair for African Americans. The law makes it easier for inmates to earn early-release credits for good behavior, for instance, giving prisoners, especially low-level drug offenders, greater opportunities to rebuild their lives as productive members of society. It also provides the job-training and skills-building they need to succeed when they get out, reducing the likelihood that they’ll return to a life of crime.

In addition, the reforms also included new, fairer sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine possession, bringing the penalties in line with those for powder cocaine. Significantly, this change was applied retroactively, benefiting thousands of unfairly-sentenced prisoners.

President Trump takes great pride in those accomplishments, which explains why he agreed to participate in a forum that any conventional politician would have avoided. With no real competition for the Republican nomination in 2020, the President could have stayed on the sidelines and allowed the Democrat candidates to attack each other. Instead, he chose to present the conservative perspective on criminal justice reform to an audience that would otherwise hear only liberal viewpoints, even though his participation was characteristically met with unjustified attacks by his would-be challengers.

The FIRST STEP Act upholds one end of the criminal justice bargain to the black community: 90 percent of the prisoners who have been released thus far thanks to the new law are African Americans.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been upholding the other end of that bargain by empowering law enforcement to more effectively combat violent crime, which also disproportionately affects the black community. The rate of both violent crime and property crime in the United States has fallen dramatically under this President.

President Trump looks forward to building on these successes.  He has outlined a plan to help provide non-violent offenders with “second chance hiring” by reducing restrictions on federal hiring and incentivizing companies to hire employees with criminal backgrounds.

That’s the message that he took to Benedict College and to Black America. The Democrats went to that same forum with future proposals and plans, while President Trump went with “promises kept” in the form of concrete results improving the lives of all Americans and their families and communities, and in particular for African Americans and their families and communities.

To the inevitable dismay of the Democrat candidates who spoke on the same topic after him, this President has a record that he’ll gladly defend anywhere, any time, and in front of any audience.

Katrina Pierson is a senior adviser for Donald J. Trump for President Inc.

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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

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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

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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.

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Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.
Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

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.

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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.

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By Congressman James E. Clyburn

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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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