Author: SBE Staff

On February 2, 2023, Artist Ruben Rojas and Tequila Mandala Founders Craig Cartozian and Humberto Ibarra celebrated the launch of their limited edition “Love” bottle in time for Valentine’s Day.  Humble the Poet, Ruben Rojas and Mando Fresko attend the launch party for “The Love Bottle” by Ruben Rojas and Mandala Tequila. (Photo by Victoria Sirakova/Getty Images) It all started with one word —Love.  From international murals and luxury athleisure wear to home decor, Ruben Rojas wants the world to realize that love is a verb in every aspect of life.  Dj Nacho and his guest attend the launch party…

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As a Reminder of the Important Role Humor Has Played in Shaping the Black Experience in America, Humor Mill Has Curated a Celebration of the Contributions of Seasoned Comedians and Rising Social Media Stars Who Have Made Comedy a Central Part of Defining Culture and Transforming Entertainment The Inaugural Humor Mill Comedy Awards unveils its distinguished honorees and remarkable nominees for a celebration of the funniest and most talented performers in television, film, and social media Tuesday, February 21 at The Directors Guild of America (DGA). Veteran television writer and producer Ralph Farquhar and world-renowned comedic legend George Wallace blaze the trail as the pioneer recipients of the Icon…

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The political musical chair games continue as termed-out Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer has announced his intention to run for Los Angeles City Council District 10. I know what it's like to struggle.Growing up, I experienced poverty. Saw inequality & injustice firsthand.That's why I went into public service.I’m running for City Council to end City Hall’s corruption & restore trust with the people.Because the people deserve better. pic.twitter.com/q3QeawEqhQ— Reggie Jones-Sawyer (@R_JonesSawyer) February 15, 2023 Are these people not capable of simply getting a real job or going away altogether? This is what “Tio Reggie” was up to when he was protesting in…

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Cerise Castle and Carvell Wallace Recipients of Prestigious 2023 American Mosaic Journalism Prize The Heising-Simons Foundation announced freelance journalists Cerise Castle and Carvell Wallace are the recipients of the 2023 American Mosaic Journalism Prize, which includes an unrestricted cash prize of $100,000 for each winner. This is the largest dollar amount given annually for a journalism prize in the United States. The prize is awarded for excellence in long-form, narrative or deep reporting about underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the United States. It recognizes journalism’s ability to foster understanding and aims to support freelance journalists. The prize is based on confidential…

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By: Samantha Michaels | Mother Jones Monterrious Harris, 22, was sitting in his car outside his cousin’s apartment in Memphis on January 4 when eight men in black hooded sweatshirts and ski masks allegedly approached the vehicle and ordered him out. “I will shoot you!” one of the men said, according to Harris. “I will shoot you!” Harris put his car in reverse and it collided with an obstruction, according to his account. As he got out of the vehicle, he saw that the men were wearing tactical vests, so he put his hands in the air. The men then allegedly grabbed,…

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Prosecutors say David Argudo holds incompatible offices because he also serves on a local water board By: Jason Henry | SCNG The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office can move forward with efforts to remove La Puente Councilmember David Argudo from office because of his overlapping position on a local water district’s board, the state Attorney General’s Office has determined. Attorney General Rob Bonta gave local prosecutors permission on Jan. 26 to sue Argudo for allegedly holding two incompatible offices. If the lawsuit is successful, Argudo would be forced to forfeit his City Council position, as state law indicates an officeholder effectively…

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Holly J. Mitchell has announced her intentions to run for a second term to represent residents in County Supervisorial District 2. My heart belongs to LA County's 2nd District. I am proud of what we have achieved so far and I am committed to continuing this work, together. That’s why I am proud to announce that I will be running for re-election to serve as Supervisor. Join me, here: https://t.co/850GVgYzMP— Holly J. Mitchell (@_HollyJMitchell) February 14, 2023 This follows on the heels of her colleague Kathryn Barger announcing her intentions to run for another term to represent residents in Supervisor…

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By: Michael Mechanic | Mother Jones At first I figured the Republicans would be all over this. I guess I figured wrong. I’m referring to the bombshell working paper that made headlines earlier this week, in which a team of academic and Treasury Department economists found that the IRS audits Black taxpayers at roughly three to five times the rate of non-Black taxpayers. The authors, whose findings were based on an anonymized 2014 dataset consisting of more than 148 million tax returns and 780,000 audits, write that the disparities seem to be driven largely by racial differences in audit rates among taxpayers claiming the Earned Income…

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Court TV announced its hit true-crime series, “Someone They Knew With Tamron Hall,” will return for its second season on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, with the first of 24 new episodes to be seen Sunday nights. Hosted by Daytime Emmy Award-winning TV host, journalist and author Tamron Hall, this true-crime series follows the path from victim to verdict and explores how, when it comes to murder, it is rare for there to be no prior connection between the killer and the deceased. No voice-overs, no reporters and no correspondents, the stories are told from the point of view of the…

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By: Jon Healey | Los Angeles Times Relax, Californians — the Middle Class Tax Refund you received last year will not be subject to federal taxes. The Internal Revenue Service issued long-awaited guidance Friday afternoon, saying it “determined it will not challenge the taxability of payments related to general welfare and disaster relief.” California’s Middle Class Tax Refund falls into that category, the agency said, as do the payments in 16 other states. According to the IRS, you won’t need to report the payment as income on your 2022 return. So recipients can ignore the federal 1099-MISC form sent out last month by…

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