FCC Caps Predatory Prison Phone Rates

today the federal communications commission (fcc) is voting to cap the costs of predatory prison phone calls. their decision will make all calls from prisons and detention centers around the country more affordable for families and their loved ones.

the vote is a major victory for black families and communities of african descent, who already cope with disproportionate incarceration rates, racially oppressive policing, and overly priced phone companies. 

for over a decade advocates have fought to end the phone industry monopolization. families are often forced to choose between food and communication. prison phone companies like global tel link have made billions of dollars charging outrageous prices for inadequate services.

in 2013, over 25,000 color of change members called on the fcc to end predatory prison phone prices for people calling across state boundaries. earlier this month, they hand delivered 65,000 signatures from their members to the fcc to lower those prices.

commissioner mignon clyburn, chairman tom wheeler and commissioner jessica rosenworcel have shown tremendous leadership in holding the fcc accountable. as such, the fcc is now poised to fix what clyburn says is, "the clearest, most egregious case of market failure ever."

nearly three million children in the u.s. have a parent in prison. one of every nine of these kids are black. consistent communication plays a critical role in maintaining family unity, reducing inmate recidivism and working to cultivate successful productive members of society.

        

Minnesota Lynx Win 2015 WNBA Title

the minnesota lynx defeated the indiana fever 69-52 in game five to win the 2015 wnba championship. the lynx captured their third crown in five years. center sylvia fowles, acquired from the chicago sky on july 27, was named the finals mvp. she had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

the last five game series was in 2009. in 2011, the lynx captured their first franchise crown. they lost the following year to the indiana pacers, and beat the atlanta dream in 2013. minnesota now join the houston comets, detroit shock and phoenix mercury as the only teams to win three wnba finals. the comets won the league's first four titles.  

this was the first championship minnesota clinched at home. the raucous crowd at the target center inspired a defensive masterpiece: indiana scored just four points in the second quarter. the lynx forced 21 turnovers and held the fever to 36% field goal shooting. 

lynx coach cheryl reeve later praised veteran all-stars seimone augustus, rebekkah brunson and lindsey whalen for their leadership, resiliency and toughness in overcoming injuries all year. augustus finished with 16 points, and brunson had 10 points and 14 rebounds. 

augustus said, "the way we grinded together, a lot of things happen throughout the season that people don't even know. we kept grinding and working despite everything that we've been through." coach reeve was asked how they persevered. before shedding tears, reeve sarcastically remarked, "it was a piece of cake. i'm just proud." 

Texas Court halts execution of death row inmate

the texas court of criminal appeals on monday halted the execution of an inmate on death row. his lawyers argued he was sentenced based on false testimony from major witnesses. the court stayed the november 3 execution of julius murphy without elaborating on its decision.

murphy, 36, was convicted in 1988 of fatally shooting jason erie in the head during a 1997 robbery. lawyers for murphy asked the court in september to put the execution on hold. they said they have new evidence which shows prosecutors coerced dishonest testimony.

"mr. murphy's conviction and death sentence were procured through prosecutorial misconduct," said catherine stetson, a lawyer for murphy. the office of the texas attorney general was not immediately available for comment. it previously said murphy was properly convicted.

murphy's lawyers said prosecutors relied heavily on the testimony of two witnesses, christina davis and javarrow young. the lawyers said they had sworn statements which show both witnesses were unduly coerced into testimony - and lied about the evidence.

in his new statement, young said one of murphy's co-defendants was the actual shooter. murphy's lawyers said young was threatened with a murder charge if he did not testify against their client. they also said davis was threatened with a conspiracy to commit murder charge if she did not testify.

lawyers for murphy have tried unsuccessfully to halt the execution by arguing he was mentally disabled, and putting him to death would be unlawful. since the u.s. supreme court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, texas has executed 529 inmates - the most of any state in the nation. 

in recent years, texas has instituted various reforms in the judicial process. although some activists believe these measures are woefully inadequate, the initiatives are designed to increase funding for public defenders, and provide greater oversight of prosecutors.  
  

NBA Player Thabo Sefolosha Found Not Guilty in April 2015 NYPD Incident

atlanta hawks guard thabo sefolosha was found not guilty on all charges against him relating to an incident outside of a manhattan night club in april of this year. sefolosha was visibly relieved, but has not decided on whether to file a civil lawsuit against the nypd.

police claimed sefolosha and hawks teammate pero antic were slow to leave the area where they investigated the stabbing of indiana pacers forward chris copeland. sefolosha's lawyers argued he was falsely apprehended. he suffered a broken bone in his right leg - after his arrest.

sefolosha said after the decision on thursday, "i want to assure (jury) this was the right verdict. they were on the right side of truth and justice." nba players association director michele roberts tweeted, "thabo acquitted! justice prevails! thabo had the courage to fight the charges. we are so proud! #notguilty."

the swiss-born defensive specialist has returned to practice. however, sefolosha did experience leg pain late last month. the team is unclear when he'll be ready to play at 100% capacity. the eastern conference finalists' hawks open the regular season against the detroit pistons october 27.

Family of Black Man killed by White Cop reaches $6.5 million settlement with North Charleston

the family of the late walter scott has reached a settlement with the city of north charleston, south carolina for $6.5 million. the north charleston city council approved the decision on thursday night.

scott was fatally shot by former north charleston police officer michael slager on april 4 this year. the unarmed 50-year old scott was reportedly pulled over for a broken brake light, and later was struck in the back after running from the police.

scott is black. slager is white.

slager was charged with murder in the high profile case. state circuit judge clifton newman denied him bond last month. newman said his possible release "would constitute an unreasonable danger to the community."

the city of north charleston faced the possibility of a tedious, polarizing and expensive legal battle with the scott family. but after the announcement of this rare financial agreement - involving a black male and white cop - the lawsuit is now over.

"i'm glad the city and the family were able to reach a settlement without the necessity of a lawsuit," said north charleston mayor keith summey. the mayor praised scott's family amidst their pleas for calm immediately after the national outrage scott's tragic death spurred.

scott's mother, judy scott, told cnn's anderson cooper she "felt forgiveness in my heart, even for the guy that shot and killed my son." anthony scott, walter's brother, said his family will donate portions of the settlement to the ongoing red cross disaster relief efforts. parts of south carolina have recently succumbed to deadly flooding and torrential rains.

scott publicly thanked the small-town city for their big-time compromise on behalf of his brother. scott said, "the city of charleston's actions have ensured that walter did not die in vain. the city sent a message, loud and clear, that this type of reckless behavior will not be tolerated."     

WNBA 2015 Year-End Awards

the wnba year-end awards highlight the outstanding achievements of players, coaches and executives in 2015. listed below are the winners:

most valuable player - elena delle donne, chicago sky
rookie of the year - jewell loyd, seattle storm
defensive player of the year - brittney griner, phoenix mercury
sixth woman of the year - allie quigley, chicago sky
most improved player - kelsey bone, connecticut sun

coach of the year - bill laimbeer, new york liberty
kim perrot sportsmanship - delisha milton-jones, los angeles sparks 

peak performers
scoring - elena delle donne, chicago sky, 23.4 points per game
rebounds - courtney paris - tulsa shock, 9.3 rebounds per game
assists - courtney vandersloot, chicago sky, 5.8 assists per game

all-wnba first team
forward - elena delle donne, chicago sky
forward - maya moore, minnesota lynx
center - tina charles, new york liberty
guard - dewana bonner, phoenix mercury
guard - angel mccoughtry, atlanta dream

all-defensive team
center - brittney griner, phoenix mercury
forward - tamika catchings, indiana fever
forward - nneka ogwumike, los angeles sparks
guard - briann january, indiana fever
guard- angel mccoughtry, atlanta dream

all-rookie team 
jewell loyd, seattle storm
ramu tokashiki, seattle storm
brittany boyd, new york liberty
kiah stokes, new york liberty
natalie achonwa, indiana fever
ana dabovic, los angeles sparks

Flavia Pennetta and Novak Djokovic Win 2015 US Open Singles Titles

flavia pennetta of italy defeated (her best friend and countrywoman) roberta vinci, 7-6, 6-2, to win the 2015 us open singles championship on saturday in new york city. pennetta, seeded #26, captured the first major singles title of her 15-year career. 

pennetta recorded straight-set wins over stosur, kvitova and halep - all ranked ahead of her - to reach the final. "i just tried to play every match i can from the first, tried not to think of the draw and go match by match. i tried to focus on what i had to do when i go on court, and here i am, so i'm really happy," pennetta said afterwards.    

she received a $3.3 million paycheck for her unexpected, yet proudly successful efforts. during her acceptance speech with espn's robin roberts, in a surprising move, pennetta humbly announced her retirement from the sport. she later admitted to making the decision a month ago. pennetta said, "it's the way i'd like to say goodbye to tennis. i couldn't think to finish in a better way."

pennetta, 33, and vinci, 32, are the oldest women to play in a major singles final in the open era. pennetta is the oldest woman to become a major champion for the first time. this was also the first major singles final for each participant, and the first time since 1975 two us open finalists were out of the top 20. ironically, both women were opponents and doubles partners as kids.

world #1 novak djokovic of serbia defeated world #2 roger federer of switzerland 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to win the 2015 us open singles championship on sunday in new york city. djokovic became the eighth man in history to hold 10 major singles crowns. 

his career record against federer is now 21-21, and they are now the only men to win three majors in one year - multiple times. djokovic reached the finals of all four majors this year, losing the french open to stan warwinka, federer's countryman and doubles partner. "it's been an incredible year. next to 2011. all those results and achievements are motivation for me to win more," djokovic said.

djokovic, 28, currently holds a 63-5 record for the year, which is the best on tour. he's been the number one player for most of the last four years. djokovic recently married and became a proud father. but the raucous, pro-federer crowd of nearly 23,000 in arthur ashe stadium clearly wanted his opponent to win his elusive 18th major title.  

but djokovic saved 19 of 23 break points during the rain-delayed and highly-competitive match. he's one major behind bjorn borg and rod laver, and only two behind roy emerson. djokovic is coached by multiple-slam winner boris becker of germany. he cites a gluten-free diet, regular meditation and yoga as keys to his success. he fluently speaks eight languages and is working on two more.   



  

Michael Jordan awarded $8.9 million for unethical Dominick's ad

a federal judge on friday ordered the owners of dominick's to pay michael jordan $8.9 million for using his identity without his permission in an advertisement. 

in 2009, the now defunct supermarket chain used jordan's identity for its rancher's reserve steaks in a special issue of sports illustrated. the ad commemorated his elevation to the nba hall of fame.

lawyers for dominick's owner, safeway, argued they should pay $126, 900. but after deliberating for more than six hours at the end of a week-long trial, the jury decided on an amount closer to what jordan wanted - $10 million.

during the five-year court battle, a judge previously assigned to the case described jordan's demands as "greedy." however before the case went into trial, the court said dominick's was liable for running the ad: the jurors'  lone decision was how much should they pay.

jordan said, "it is my name, and i've worked hard for it for 30-something years, and i'm not just going to let someone take it. it's not the type of court i like to win at, but unfortunately we ended up in this court, and i'm very happy with the result."

Julian Bond Makes Transition at 75

julian bond made his transition saturday night. bond was 75 years old, and he died in fort walton, florida, after a brief illness. he was an activist, educator, humanitarian, organizer, politician and writer. 

bond was a nashville, tennessee native who attended morehouse college. while in school, bond co-founded the student non-violent coordinating committee (sncc). he became their communications director and was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement.

bond served 20 years in the georgia legislature. his anti-war protests were not supported by some of his political colleagues when america fought in vietnam. he was elected to the georgia house of representatives in 1965, but some angry white members - and seven black members - accused him of disloyalty and refused to let him take his seat. 

a unanimous u.s. supreme court ruling in favor of bond confirmed his seat in office. the court said denying him his seat would be a violation of his freedom of speech. generally well-liked and respected, he was not a polarizing figure, but the u.s. role in the war divided americans from all walks of life. 

in 1986, bond ran to represent georgia in the house of representatives. he was defeated by john lewis, a fellow activist and sncc co-founder. later, bond served as the board chairman for the 500,000 member national association for the advancement of colored people (naacp) for 10 years. bond declined to run for (another) one-year term in 2010.

bond would often appear as a commentator on various programs like nbc's today show, or the news hour with jim lehrer on pbs, and the tavis smiley show. bond was an adjunct professor at american university, and was a professor of history at the university of virginia.  

after his death, lewis said their congressional race created "a little schism for awhile" between them, but nothing could weaken their lasting friendship. lewis said bond was "a wonderful writer, a poet. he had a great sense of humor. he could make you laugh until you wanted to cry. but he worked very hard. he was just smart. just smart. brilliant."  

southern poverty law center co-founder morris dees said, "with julian's passing, the country has lost one of its most passionate and eloquent voices for the cause of justice. he advocated not just for african-americans, but for every group, indeed every person subject to oppression and discrimination, because he recognized the common humanity in us all." 

president barack obama said, "julian bond was a hero and, i'm privileged to say, a friend. justice and equality was the mission that spanned his life. julian bond helped change this country for the better. and what better way to be remembered than that."

NYC Taxi Driver Fined $25K for not picking up black family

a yellow taxi driver in new york city must pay $25,000 in fines and compensation for discrimination against a black family. the driver, baqir raza, refused to pick up cynthia jordan and her two daughters outside macy's in midtown, but let two white females into his cab instead.

raza told jordan he was off-duty, locked the doors and then drove 25 feet to pick up the white consumers. office of administrative trials and hearing (oath) judge raymond kramer ruled last week raza must pay $10,000 in compensation to jordan, and a $15,000 civil fine.

jordan, 57, a queens resident and vice president at a stock transfer firm, said, "i'm happy for the judgment. hopefully, someone will hear about this, and it will affect the way taxi drivers pick up fares in new york."

jordan says she routinely faces discrimination when trying to hail a cab. jordan said, "i'm always out with my young daughter trying to grab a cab. there is nothing threatening about us, and you should see how many people drive right past us."

on october 19, 2013, jordan's daughter, chiley holder, saw raza pull his taxi over to let a passenger exit. his on-duty light was on, but raza locked the door when holder tried to open it. raza said he was taking a break and switched his off-duty light on. but he then picked up the white females.

jordan ran up to his cab exclaiming, "are you kidding me? you picked up these two white bitches...instead of me and my family...i'm going to report you. jordan said raza wasn't fazed by her threat. "he said, yeah, go ahead and report me," she recalled.

holder works for the city's 311 system and urged her mother to file a complaint with the taxi and limousine commission (tlc), and the human rights commission. raza paid a $200 fine to the tlc in november, 2013. he plead guilty to a violation for refusing to pick up the jordan family.

however, the city's commission on human rights brought charges against raza at the oath hearing overseen by judge kramer. the commission must still approve kramer's recommendation for the $25,000 in penalties. 

jordan says she hopes the obstinate fines will teach raza a lesson. jordan said, "you don't have impunity to do whatever you do. if you drive a cab, then drive a cab and pick up all fares. that's what you're supposed to do."

 

 

2015 NFL Football Hall of Fame Class

the 53rd class of the national football league hall-of-fame will be honored saturday night in canton, ohio. the celebrated men are jerome bettis, tim brown, charles haley, bill polian, junior seau, will shields, mick tinglehoff and ron wolf.

bettis played 13 seasons with the los angeles/st.louis rams and pittsburgh steelers. he ranks fifth all-time in rushing with 13,662 yards. a six-time pro bowl selection, bettis ("the bus") rushed for 100 yards or more 61 times. 

brown played 16 years with the los angeles/oakland raiders, and one (his final) season with the tampa bay buccaneers. he caught 1,094 career receptions for 14,934 yards and 100 touchdowns. brown also totaled 4,555 yards and four touchdowns and kickoff and punt returns.

haley is the only nfl player to win five super bowl titles. he racked up 100.5 sacks in his 12-year career with the dallas cowboys and san francisco 49ers. haley posted double-digit sack totals in six different seasons.   

polian helped build the 1990s buffalo bills, and launched the expansion carolina panthers in 1995. he led the indianapolis colts to unprecedented success in the 2000s. the colts won super bowl 41 following the 2006 season. he was nfl's executive of the year by the sporting news six times.

seau played 20 nfl seasons with the san diego chargers, miami dolphins and new england patriots. he's regarded as one of the best linebackers in history. seau made first-team all-pro eight teams, was selected to the pro bowl 12 times, and was named defensive player of the year in 1992.

shields played 224 games during his 14-year career with the kansas city chiefs. he never missed a game. shields was named to the all-decade team of the 2000s, selected first-team all-pro three tines, and played in 12 straight pro bowls.  

tinglehoff was signed as a free agent by the minnesota vikings. he earned a starting role as center - as a rookie - and never missed a game during his 17-year career. tinglehoff was a seven-time all-league selection, and was named to six consecutive pro bowls. 

wolf spent 23 years with the los angeles/oakland raiders. those gritty and rugged teams had 17 winning seasons under his budding leadership. wolf later transformed the green bay packers into super bowl champions.  
 
the hall currently limits the number of inductees to eight per year. they adjusted its bylaws in 2014 to give added consideration to contributors like polian and wolf. both men were architects of numerous super bowl teams during their years as general managers.

this year the hall is making an exception to its ceremonial rules, which do not allow for live speeches on behalf of deceased honorees. but sydney seau will speak about her father, who committed suicide in 2012. she and her three brothers will unveil his bust at the enshrinement ceremony.

"our goal is to maintain our policy regarding enshrinement speeches, but also show compassion and understanding," said hall of fame president david baker, in a statement. next year's hall-of-fame class will be determined in february prior to super bowl 50. brett favre and terrell owens are among those eligible in 2016.

 

 

Eric Garner Family Receives $5.9 Million Settlement from NYC

almost one year after he died at the hands of new york city police officers, the family of eric garner accepted a pretrial settlement from the city on monday. garner's estate, which filed a claim against the city in october, 2014 for damages related to his untimely demise, will be paid $5.9 million.

new york city comptroller scott springer's office is charged with settling claims against the city. springer said, "following a judicious review of the claim and facts of this case, my office was able to reach a settlement with the estate of eric garner that is in the best interest of all parties."

cell phone video of garner's death in july, 2014 emerged, fueling conflicts between the nypd and the community. garner, an unarmed 41 year-old black man, was put in an illegal chokehold by a white cop who hasn't been charged with a crime. officers alleged garner was selling loose cigarettes before his fatal encounter.  

"we are all familiar with the events that led to the death of eric garner and the extraordinary impact his passing has had on our city and our nation. it forced us to examine the state of race relations, and the relationship between our police force and the people they serve." and, while the settlement "acknowledges the tragic nature of mr. garner's death, the city has not admitted liability," said springer.

new york city mayor bill de blasio said the anniversary of his death was on his mind, as it was for many other new yorkers. but the mayor said, "i think the important thing is to stay focused on the work of the reform. i think we've come a long way, even in the last year, in terms of bringing police and community together." 








   

President Obama Commutes Prior Sentences of 46 Drug Offenders

president barack obama on monday commuted the prison sentences of 46 drug offenders. the commander-in-chief said the move was part of his larger attempt to reform the criminal justice system, including reducing punishments for non-violent crimes and reviewing sentencing laws.

obama has commuted about 90 sentences - more than any president since lyndon b. johnson. most have been for federal prisoners incarcerated for drug offenses with long sentences mandated under guidelines set in the 1980's. under current sentencing guidelines, most of these individuals would have served their time.

of the 46 people commuted on monday, 13 were serving life sentences. most of these commuted sentences will now end in november, 2015. this is a several month transition period officials said allowed for arrangements to be made in halfway homes and other related facilities.

after they're released, the former prisoners will be supervised by probation officers and subject to conditions set during their original sentencing, which for some includes drug testing. earlier this year, 22 prisoners convicted of drug crimes were granted release. in late 2014, eight criminals were also given commutations.

unlike a presidential pardon, a commutation does not erase a criminal conviction, it only reduces a sentence. obama has granted 64 pardons in his presidency. the white house on monday posted a letter written by obama to each of the 46 men and women granted commutations.

obama wrote, "i am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around. now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity. it will not be easy, and you will confront many who doubt people with criminal records can change. perhaps even you are unsure of how you will adjust to your new circumstances. but remember that you have the capacity to make good choices."

later this week, obama is expected to discuss his plans for more criminal justice reform. on tuesday he travels to philadelphia to speak at the annual naacp convention. on thursday obama will become the first president ever to visit a federal prison, when he tours the el reno facility in oklahoma. "i believe that at its heart, america is a nation for second chances, and i believe these folks deserve their second chance," obama said.





 

Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic Win 2015 Wimbledon Singles Titles

serena williams of the united states defeated garbine muguruza of spain 6-4, 6-4 to win the 2015 wimbledon singles championship. williams now has six career singles titles at the all-england club in london. the historic win on saturday improved her majors finals record to 21-4.

williams became the first player to win four consecutive majors twice; the first time in 2002-03. her unique feat is known as the "serena slam." at 33, she's the oldest to win a major title in the open era - 16 years after her first championship at the u.s. open. the world #1 is one major victory away from tying steffi graf of germany, who has 22 grand slam trophies.

"i've been trying to win four in a row for 12 years, and it hasn't happened. i've had a couple of injuries. you know, it's been an up and down process. i honestly can't say that last year or two years ago or even five years ago i would have thought that i would have won four in a row," williams said.

williams has six titles at the australian open, wimbledon and the u.s. open, and three at the french open. muguruza, 21, upset williams in the second round at roland garros last year. the hard-hitting woman reached her first major final, and will enter the top 10 for the first time in her bright and promising young career.

novak djokovic of serbia beat roger federer of switzerland 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 to win the 2015 wimbledon singles title. the world #1 now has nine major singles victories in his career, including three at the all-england club in london. he defeated federer in five thrilling sets last year.

djokovic won the australian open in january, lost the french open final to stan warwinka of switzerland, and defended his wimbledon title against federer on sunday. djokovic has reached 15 of the last 20 major singles finals - winning eight. his major finals record is 9-8, but he's never won at roland garros.

djokovic later praised coach boris becker, whom he hired in december, 2013. becker has six majors, including three at wimbledon. "it's definitely been a long run since we started working together. it took a while to understand each other. he is german. i'm serbian, so there are significant differences! we managed to find common ground and the right chemistry. this is his trophy as much as mine, he said."   
 
the 28 year-old serb now has a 20-20 career record against federer. last year, federer held serve in 88 of 89 games through the semifinals, but was broken four times by djokovic - the greatest returner in history. this year, federer held serve in 89 of 90 matches before the semis, and was broken by djokovic four times (again) in the finals.





  




   
 

Virginia Governor Removes Barriers to Voters with Felony Convictions

virginia governor terry mcauliffe recently announced individuals with felony convictions no longer have to pay outstanding court costs before they're eligible to have their voting rights restored. mcauliffe also said they will now be able to include that information on their official police record.

"these men and women will still be required to pay their costs and fees, but their court debts will no longer serve as a financial barrier to voting, just as poll taxes did for many years in virginia," said governor mcauliffe.

historically, virginia has been one of the most oppressive states restoring voting rights to felons. their colonial polices disproportionately impact black residents: in 2010, over 20% of the voting-age black population could not vote due to felonies. civil rights history scholar helen gibson says virginia's felony disenfranchisement laws can be "traced back to 19th century attempts to undercut the voting strengths of african-americans."

mcauliffe's administration took steps to streamline the voter restoration process. those steps include reducing the waiting period before applying for people convicted of violent crimes from five years to three. and, removing drug crimes from the list of felony offenses requiring a waiting period.

in his first 17 months in office, governor mcauliffe restored voting rights to over 8,000 people - more than any previous governor in their four-year term. 71% of those people have already registered to vote. the aclu of virginia says they're working hard to place a constitutional amendment for automatic restoration on the 2018 ballot.

  

  

 



  

2015 Rent Guidelines Board Increase

on monday june 29, the new york city rent guidelines board (rgb) voted for a zero percent increase on one-year lease renewals for rent-stabilized apartments. this vote is the first time in 50 years the rgb has approved a rent freeze for one-year lease renewals. 

there are over 1.2 million new yorkers who live in rent-stabilized units. most of these residents' leases will end sometime this year, and they share deep concerns about their future. tonight's historic vote means the following: 

1) if you sign a one-year lease renewal between 10/1/2015 and 9/30/2016, your rent won't increase; 2) if you sign a two-year lease renewal lease between 10/1/2015 and 9/30/2016, your rent will increase two percent; 3) if you're facing harassment from your landlord, call 311 and report it now. 

Warriors Beat Cavs To Win 2015 NBA Title

the golden state warriors on tuesday beat the cleveland cavaliers 105-97 in game six on the road to become the 2015 nba champions. the warriors' first title in franchise history was 40 years ago. golden state forward andre iguodala was named nba finals most valuable player - the first such honored after not starting a regular season game.

iguodala, an 11-year veteran, was taken out of the starting lineup at the beginning of the season in order for harrison barnes to start. although he didn't approve of the decision, iguodala neither privately nor publicly questioned the bold move of warriors' rookie coach steve kerr. moreover, iguodala is known as the team's resident sage.

kerr said, "he had never come off the bench once in his entire career, and he sacrificed to make harrison better, to make our bench better, and that set the tone for our entire season. an all-star, an olympian saying, 'ok, i'll come off the bench? it set the tone for everything we were able to accomplish, so it feels like full-circle to me that andre received the award. couldn't happen to a better person."

the warriors' draymond green finished the game with a triple-double: 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. but he also remembers the naysayers who doubted his pro ability. "i was a second-round pick, and a lot of people said i could never play in this league. too slow, too small, can't shoot well enough, can't defend anybody. what does he do well? he doesn't have a skill. i've got heart, and that's what stands out," green said.     

nba mvp stephen curry was asked what he learned about his first nba finals as the series progressed. curry said, "to block out the noise, that's the biggest thing." about his teammates, iguodala said, "we have a lot of different personalities. draymond's loud. klay's quiet. then we've got everything in between. but the common denominator is guys were like really hungry to show what they could do individually, and then we believed in our team as a group."

golden state fought back from a two-to-one deficit against cleveland. they showed the mental fortitude and physical toughness critics accused them of lacking during the regular season, after their 67-15 league-best record. but they were also down two games to one against memphis and houston in this year's playoffs; they persevered in each series - clinching game six on the road each time. 

despite their youth, the warriors are the first team since the 1991 chicago bulls to win an nba championship without a single player with nba finals experience. golden state matured in front of the entire world. iguodala said, "the first three games, they were bringing the fight to us. we were just reacting. i felt like games 4, 5 and 6, we were proactive. we brought the fight to them."

  

   

  

 

Chicago Blackhawks Win 2015 NHL Stanley Cup

the chicago blackhawks defeated the tampa bay lightning 2-0 in game six to win the 2015 nhl stanley cup title in front of a raucous crowd of 22,424 fans in chicago's united center. the blackhawks' sixth championship in franchise history is their third in the last six years. the emerging dynasty was also victorious in 2010 and 2013.

the hawks' duncan keith was unanimously given the conn smythe trophy as most valuable player. keith scored once and led a dominant defense against a high-powered offense. "it feels so great. you want to keep being a part of these things. you don't get these awards without being on great teams with great players and like i said, i'm just proud to be a part of this group of guys who cares so much and do whatever it takes, keith said."   

chicago's all-star center and captain jonathan toews raised the stanley cup over his head after the thrilling game. toews said, "we won it for each other, for the city. in so many ways, winning a championship like this in our home city, i think it really transcends the sport. everyone wants to be a part of it. it's amazing."

the hawks' all-star left wing patrick kane scored his first (and only) goal of the final in the second period. he also added an assist, helping his team clinch the cup on home ice for the first time since 1938. kane said, "just wanted to play my best game and control the puck as much as possible and try to step up for my team." 

chicago goalie corey crawford, who was pulled from their first-round series against nashville, had 25 saves in his fifth career playoff shutout. this was the first stanley cup for kimmo timonen, who plans to retire. the 40 year-old defenseman was acquired in a trade from philadelphia - after he missed the start of the season due to blood clots in his legs and lungs. the hawks' record in game sixes is 13-1 since the 2009 playoffs.

 

40 Reasons American Jails and Prisons are full of Black and Poor People

the united states department of justice (doj) reports 2.2 million people are currently in our nation's jails and prisons. 4.5 million people are on parole or probation. one of every 35 u.s. adults is in jail, prison, parole or probation. 

most people behind bars are black or poor. here are 40 reasons why...

1)   crime rates have risen and fallen independently of our growing incarceration rates.

2)   black and poor people are targeted by the police, who discriminate against both.

3)   police traffic stops racially target people in cars.

4)   black and latino motorists are likelier to get tickets than white drivers.

5)   once stopped, black and latino drivers are likelier to get searched than white drivers.

6)   traffic tickets are big business.

7)   unpaid traffic tickets lead to jail time.

8)   in schools, black kids are likelier to be referred to the police than other kids.

9)   black kids account for 28% of total juvenile arrests.

10) despite using at the same rate, blacks are 3.7 times likelier to be arrested for possession of marijuana than whites.

11) the u.s. has much tougher drug laws and significantly longer sentences for drug offenses than most other countries.       

12) the bail system penalizes poor people, who remain in jail, presumed to be innocent, awaiting trial, unable to pay to get out of jail.

13) the prison industrial system provides jobs to local, state and federal officials.

14) about 75% of people in jail are for non-violent offenses.

15) criminal bonds take in about $14 billion annually.

16) the rate of mental illness is four to six times higher inside jails than outside.

17) most of the people who need drug treatment in jail don't get it.

18) people who are chemically dependent, mentally ill and/or poor usually remain locked up until their trial dates.

19) poor people normally rely on public defenders, and many facing misdemeanor charges never see a lawyer at all.

20) public defenders are overworked and underfunded when they represent poor people with felony charges.

21) poor people plead guilty not knowing their legal rights.

22) guilty pleas are often coerced by police, leading to wrongful convictions.

23) over 95% of criminal cases are finished by plea bargains.

24) poor people are four times likelier to receive a prison sentence than those who got out on bail.

25) 75% of people imprisoned for drug offenses are black and latino.

26) in new york city, blacks are jailed about 12 times the rate of whites.

27) black males are imprisoned five times the rate of white males.

28) prisons are a lucrative private business.

29) blacks account for almost half of the people serving life sentences.

30) some telephone calls are as high as $12.95 for 15 minutes.

31) 3.9 million people are on probation.

32) 850,000 people are on parole.

33) as many as 100 million people have a criminal record, and over 94 million of those records are online.

34) arrest records and court records are easily accessible online, and 87% of employers conduct background checks.

35) employers are likelier to check the criminal history of black male applicants than white male applicants.

36) 180,000 women are subject to lifetime bans from temporary assistance to needy families because of felony drug convictions.

37) more than 60% of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed one year after being released.

38) the u.s. spends $80 billion on the corrections system annually.

39) jail creates poverty.

40) a criminal record serves as both a direct cause and consequence for poverty.   

    

Reparations for Slave Owners in America

according to the national archives and records administration, the district of columbia emancipation act paved the way to compensate slave owners. they were paid handsomely for their "loyalty to the union," and for the loss of income they incurred by freeing enslaved africans.

on april 16, 1862, president abraham lincoln signed a bill ending slavery in the district of columbia. passage of this historic law came eight and a half months before the commander-in-chief issued his provocative emancipation proclamation.

the act ended what anti-slavery advocates called the "national shame" of slavery in the nation's capitol. it provided for immediate emancipation, compensation to former owners loyal to the union up to $300 for each freed enslaved african, voluntary colonization of former enslaved africans to locations outside the u.s., and payments up to $100 for each person choosing emigration.

over the next nine months, the board of commissioners appointed to administer the act would approve 930 petitions - completely or in part - from former slave owners for the freedom of 2,989 formerly enslaved africans.