2019 Nashville Most Powerful African Americans: Ones to Watch

The Nashville Voice
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2019 Nashville Most Powerful African Americans: Ones to Watch

The four individuals who comprise our “Ones to Watch” list have already made a significant impact in their respective fields but are brimming with so much potential that they could one day possibly surpass the type of power many of their contemporaries exude today.

We opted to highlight these rising stars in an appropriate context that rightly honors their contributions among the work of their peer group.

Zulfat Suara Metro Council At-Large

Zulfat was elected as an at large council member in September 2019. With over 34 thousand votes from a very diverse population (Muslim, Christians, Jews, Black, White, Gay, Straight, Old and Young), she became the first Muslim to be elected to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and the first immigrant elected to an at-large position. She is the first Muslim woman elected in the State of Tennessee and the first Nigerian woman elected to any office in the United States.

Zulfat Suara is originally from Nigeria but came to the U.S. in 1993 and chose to make Tennessee her home when the opportunity for her husband to do a fellowship at Vanderbilt presented itself. She has been active in community service and leadership since she moved here in 1998, all while working full-time as a CPA. Zulfat founded an accounting firm that has worked with county governments in Hardeman, Haywood, Lake, and McNairy counties. She is currently the Assistant Controller of a local university in Nashville.

Michelle Gaskin Brown

Michelle Brown is originally from Nashville TN and she currently services as the Manager of Public Policy at Amazon where she oversees the company’s public policy and advocacy efforts in Tennessee. Prior to that role, Michelle was a leading lobbyist from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce as their Vice President of Policy. Brown was also an attorney at the Tennessee General Assembly for five years.

Michelle earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College in Political Science, cum laude. She graduated from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

She serves as the co-chair of Indiana University Council of Legal Diversity, an At-Large Board Member for CABLE Nashville, a member of the Head’s Young Alumnae Council of The Harpeth Hall School, as a board member for Nashville CARES and the Tennessee YMCA Center for Civic Engagement.

Michelle is a member of the Kappa Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee, the Napier-Looby Bar Association and is active with the Hendersonville Area (TN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

Tequila Johnson

Tequila was recently named the Tennessee State Director for Tom Steyer for President. She also serves as the Vice President at The Equity Alliance. A Nashville-based 501(c)3, The Equity Alliance proactively advocates for African Americans and other communities of color to have a fair and just opportunity at realizing the American dream. The organization seeks to equip citizens with tools and strategies to engage in the civic process and empower them to act on issues affecting their daily lives.

Tequila earned her bachelor’s in psychology and sociology and her master’s in counseling psychology both from Tennessee State University.

Joshua Munday

Joshua Mundy is a native Nashvillian. His forecasting and visionary skill set has developed him into a serial entrepreneur with the ability to think of an idea or need in the community and quickly act to set a goal to meet the need. Joshua Mundy is currently the owner of Music City Cleaners located on Historic Jefferson St. He is also the co-owner of theLab Nashville, a co-working space that provides a space for creatives and entrepreneurs to network and make their dreams a reality.

Joshua is very passionate about entrepreneurship and believes in empowering and mentoring others in the community. He believes we are at our best when we are Learning, Growing, and Winning together.

Nashville Voice’s 2019 Person of the Year

The Nashville Voice
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Nashville Voice’s 2019 Person of the Year

Jerry L. Maynard II│ Nashville Voice Publisher

Ava DuVernay is the Nashville Voice’s 2019 Person of the Year because, at the height of her career, she made the decision to shed light on one of the greatest injustices of our time. Many people who find success stay silent in hopes of not rocking the boat, DuVernay has become bolder in making sure the truth is truly set free. This year she proves that claim with the Netflix mini-series, ‘When They See Us.’ 

Around this Holiday time about 15 years ago, at the age of 32, she decided to take $6,000 and create a 12-minute film short called, ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I wonder if she realized the inspiration, quality, and fame she would bring to not only the Black Culture but the world in the years to come?

DuVernay started her career in the world of journalism. Then because of burnout, she transitions into a successful Public Relations career. She could have continued there and all would be well with the world. However, she would decide to take another gander and enter into the film industry. She goes from that short film to making documentaries. Then, in 2011, she makes her first film narration that caught the eye of Roger Ebert. He would go on to say this is one of the best films he saw around people coming to terms with a loved one that died. But what I am writing is not about her extensive career. I could talk about her Film Distribution Company, AFFRM, that is an article within itself. 

I could talk about movies like ‘Selma’ and ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ I could talk about the powerful documentary, ‘13th’, and DuVernay’s collaboration with Oprah Winfrey’s network, OWN. However,  what I am more concerned with is why at the height of her career, she takes a huge risk to tell the rebellious story of the Central Park Five? 

In a moment of clarity, when the arrest and trial of the Central Park Five took place, I was a sophomore in Bloomington at Indiana University. At the time, it was a campus that was 90% white. Imagine hearing about a wealthy businessman, Donald Trump, spending a gargantuan amount of money to make sure his ad is on the front page of one of the most powerful newspapers in the nation demanding these black teenagers receive the death penalty. 

Imagine watching the news where these young black men are being called monsters, thugs, and a pack of predators. Imagine every major news outlet and every evening newscast participating in a national discussion that rendered an indictment on being young, black, and male. 

Now imagine me and my friends walking to and from our classes and dorms passing young female college students while fitting the profile of the Central Park Five – young, black, and male – and assumed to be guilty by association, more than 2000 miles from New York. The media used a broad brush to characterize all black boys as out of control, over-sexualized, and dangerous to society. We felt the sting of judgment every day.

Once the police determined that the Central Park victim’s boyfriend committed this heinous crime, a whole generation of men felt exonerated but not vindicated. We were all happy for the Central Park Five but the damage to the entire demographic of Americans was done. There was no national retraction, no major news campaign on a corrupt justice system, no apology, no recompense or reparations for the degradation of our dignity. Nothing. DuVernay’s miniseries ‘When They See Us,’ was able to do what the country failed to do 30 years ago, humanize the five men who had the entire nation condemn them for a crime they did not commit. This project was transformative, turning them from the Central Park Five to the Exonerated Five.

Her support and love of these five black men is not always the trendy thing in Hollywood. It takes courage to tell this type of story where these five beautiful black men are still impacted by the trauma of white supremacy and racism. Many in their own community gave up on them or held this painful past, that is not the truth, against them at every corner they turned. 

Ava DuVernay has proven her commitment to honesty in her storytelling and redefining the narrative of the black experience through a Hollywood lens. With the privilege I have to be able to use this platform to spread information and news, Ms. DuVernay resoundingly deserves to be our Person of the Year.

20 things to look forward to in 2020

CNN Newsource
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20 things to look forward to in 2020

By AJ Willingham, CNN

(CNN) — Welcome to the 2020! Other than being a numerically auspicious date that stands at the gateway of a fresh new decade, the year 2020 will probably be like any other year: Full of confusing and depressing events that will make you wish Earth had some sort of eject button.

But, statistically speaking, there must be some good things, too. There may even be several good things! In fact, we’ve counted at least 20 good, interesting or otherwise noteworthy things that will happen in 2020. Mark them in your bullet journal and hold on tight, because this decade is going to be a wild ride.

1. The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo

Everyone loves the Olympics! When else can you and your fellow citizens get genuinely, collectively excited about beach volleyball? The 2020 games will feature five new sports: Karate, baseball/softball, skateboarding, sports climbing and surfing, as well as a mess of new events in already established categories. And in a tech-savvy, culturally rich city like Tokyo, the games are bound to be particularly festive.

2. A medley of new movies

If watching other people running around and being athletic is too taxing for you, rest assured it will be another eventful year at the box office. Do you like superhero deep cuts? Boom: “Wonder Woman 1984.” “Black Widow.” Franchises that refuse to die? Rev up for “Fast and Furious 9” and a new “Fantastic Beasts” movie. Franchises you thought weren’t franchises because it’s been so long but — surprise — now they are apparently? “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar 2” will look great on you. The remake train continues at full speed as well, making stops at “West Side Story” junction and “Mulan” city. Oh, and don’t forget about “Sonic the Hedgehog!” After what those graphic designers went through, it’s basically your civic duty to see it.

3. The elections

Right, so not many well-adjusted people would call elections “fun.” But this isn’t a list of fun things, it’s a list of things to look forward to. And no matter how many ulcers the 2020 Presidential race will give you, it’s still an important time in US history and it will affect us all. So, do your part by getting more political or learning about voting history or just practicing a few deep, democratic breaths in preparation for November. Other than the main event, 11 states will be holding gubernatorial elections this year, so there’s a chance the fabric of our country could change significantly in a very short period. Haha … fun!

4. The Mars 2020 mission

In case the year really does go to hell and you want to launch yourself into space, maybe you can hitch a ride on the new rover headed for Mars in late July or early August. The Mars 2020 rover will join the Curiosity rover on the Red Planet, which hopefully means Curiosity will have a friend to sing Happy Birthday with instead of doing it all alone. Any time scientists get to be rock stars is a time worth celebrating, and the Mars 2020 rover is fully tricked out and ready to roll. It has 23 cameras and two microphones to capture the sounds of the rover landing as well as the haunting, desolate Martian winds that follow.

5. A newly opened Washington Monument

Under normal circumstances, tourists can go up to the top of the 555-foot obelisk at the heart of our nation’s capital and gaze out like kings at the tidy grid of humanity below. However, for almost three years, the Washington Monument has been closed to the public while it gets a new security screening area and elevator system. It seems like a long time, but when it comes to elevators, it’s always good to err on the side of caution. Everything should be back up and running for tourists in September.

6. TV like you’ve never seen it (or paid for it) before

It’s truly the dawn of a new television era. Not only will 2020 see the launch of several new streaming services like HBO Max and Peacock, there will be innumerable new shows, reboots and spinoffs in which to invest your time. “Lizzie McGuire” is getting the reboot treatment on Disney+, “Riverdale” is spawning a spinoff with the CW’s “Katy Keene,” and a “Clueless” reboot is floating around the schedule (Yes, we said reboot. A TV show inspired by the movie ran for a few years in the 1990s). If you’re more dramatically inclined, Stephen King’s “The Outsiders” is sure to please on HBO, and an adaptation of the Lane Moriarty novel “Nine Perfect Strangers” is coming to Hulu. “Westworld” fans, your long wait is over: Season 3 will premiere on HBO in the spring.

7. The opening of the Yahoo! Time capsule

In 2006, Yahoo invited people to place digital artifacts of what life was like in a virtual time capsule. Participants uploaded tens of thousands of videos, pictures, poems, works of art and other submissions of varying value, and the final product was handed over to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, for safekeeping. The plan is to crack open the capsule (digitally, of course) on Yahoo’s 25th birthday, which is in 2020. They better open it carefully: Unsealing that thing may bring forth a whole Pandora’s box full of cat memes and cringey MySpace pics.

8. A total eclipse

Remember how fun the Great American Eclipse was in 2017? Well, there’s a Great South American Eclipse coming next year, and eclipse watchers are making plans to congregate in Argentina and stare up at the cosmic spectacle (while safely bespectacled, of course). The solar eclipse will shade the region in brief darkness on December 14, but there are other fun space things happening right around the same time. The Geminid meteor shower will spangle the sky the night before, and a special alignment of Jupiter and Saturn a week later will complete a rare space nerd trifecta.

9. Historical anniversaries

While 2020 might be a great year to make history, it’s a pretty good year to observe history, as well. There are plenty of interesting historical anniversaries to geek out to, but these are some of the biggest. Go ahead, memorize a few and make your high school history teacher proud.

10. A bevy of new books

Treat yourself to a Kindle shopping spree and pre-order some of 2020’s most-anticipated books. “A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is sure to be a buzzy release. It’s a prequel to the “Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins. Other new releases from well-loved authors: “Writer and Lovers” from Lily King, whose novel “Euphoria” spawned a TV adaptation, and “It’s All Not Downhill From Here” by Terry McMillan of “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” fame. For all of you recovering English majors, pick up “A Long Petal of the Sea” by iconic Chilean author Isabel Allende, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

11. A saturated soccer scene

This is the year the fútbol cosmos finally aligns. The UEFA European Football Championship will go down all around Europe this summer, culminating in a final game at Wembley Stadium in London in July. In South America, the Copa América will take over the continent at the same time. These two major international championships don’t usually fall in the same year (though they did in 2016), but going forward, they’ll happen simultaneously every four years. So, consider 2019’s UEFA championship to be a little extra bonus.

12. A new hope for peanut allergy sufferers

It’s 2020, OK? It’s about time for some medical breakthroughs to help people suffering from frustrating, sometimes extremely serious conditions like peanut allergies. Every year the Cleveland Clinic counts down the most anticipated advances in medical technology for the coming year, and one of the 2020 contenders is a new immunotherapy treatment for peanut allergies that was recently given the go-ahead by the FTC. The treatment, Palforzia, won’t eliminate the allergy altogether, but it will train people’s immune systems to help avoid serious reactions to accidental exposures.

13. An innovative year in Dubai

If you’ve ever thought about taking a trip to Dubai, this might be your year. The glitzy Arabian city will host the 2020 World Expo for half the year. Expo 2020 is like a World’s Fair, with 192 countries showcasing the newest in art, technology, science and countless other spheres. Expo 2020 will center around a huge, specially built indoor-outdoor area between Dubai and the northern border of neighboring Abu Dhabi. Themes of the event will include happiness and environmental stability and, according to the event’s website, you can “meet Gnasher, the sharp-toothed machine of endless consumption.” (It’s a new recycling technology, not an imprisoned eldritch horror.) Sign us up!

The new world’s tallest building is set to open in 2020 in Dubai. It’s called the Jeddah Tower and will overshadow the current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa … also in Dubai.

14. A menagerie of new music

What will the sound of the new decade be? Well, we can start with some of the most-anticipated albums and tours coming our way in 2020. Keep your ears open for Cardi B’s “Tiger Woods,” Lana Del Ray’s “White Hot Forever,” J. Cole’s “The Fall Off,” Ozzy Osbourne’s “Ordinary Man,” The 1975’s “Notes on a Conditional Form,” plus new album releases from Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Haim, The Strokes, Pearl Jam, Justin Bieber, Drake and Lady Gaga.

If you’re looking for your next live music thrill, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Kenny Chesney and Niall Horan are all hitting the road in 2020. Elton John is continuing his farewell tour through 2021, and after having to cancel 2019 tour dates due to injury, Ozzy Osbourne will return to the stage this year. Fans are holding out hope that other huge artists, like Beyoncé, AC/DC, Adele and K-pop mega groups BTS and BlackPink, will announce 2020 tours.

15. The next generation of video game consoles (and new games to play on them)

Video games will continue to take over the cultural mainstream, and they’ll get a huge boost when two new consoles, the PlayStation 5 and the XBox Series X, hit the market in 2020. New video game releases will accompany these next-gen consoles: Halo Infinite and Hellblade 2 for the XBox, and new Call of Duty and Final Fantasy titles for the PS5.

16. The year of the electric truck

The world of brawny haul-ems with whisper-quiet, earth-friendly engines is about to explode. We’ve already met the Tesla Cybertruck, and honestly, it wasn’t the gentlest introduction to the world of electric trucks. Don’t worry, the rest are a bit friendlier. Two startup companies, Lordstown Motors and Rivian, will release models this year. For those with very expensive tastes, the Hummer-like Bollinger B2 will be rolling out with a $125,000 price tag. More popular automakers are giving their trucks an electric upgrade. GM is planning an all-electric truck release, and an electric version of the Ford F-150 — the bestselling car in America — is still on the drawing board but is expected to be a 2021 release.

17. The baseball game of your “Dreams.”

For the record, baseball is NOT a boring sport. But it will be at its least boring on August 13th when the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox meet in the middle of a corn field in Dyersville, Iowa, to play a special “Field of Dreams”-inspired game. The field is even located near the site of the original movie set. Eight thousand lucky fans will get to experience the full rural splendor in person, but there will be all kinds of special programming and events surrounding the game for everyone else to enjoy.

18. The rise of high-speed rail

It is no secret that high-speed rail is the future of land travel, but the concept has been slow to catch on in the US. That may change in 2020. Several high-speed rail systems are due to break ground, and other plans could move forward in big ways. Virgin Trains USA will begin construction in late 2020 on a new $4.8 billion, 170-mile high-speed train line from Victorville, California, to Las Vegas. (Another Virgin Trains line, between Miami and West Palm Beach, is already in operation, and will expand to Orlando in a few years.) A plan for a high-speed line between Houston and Dallas is chugging along, so to speak, and construction could start as early as summer 2020.

Back on the west coast, Microsoft is helping move along a plan for a rail between Seattle and Vancouver. The company, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, shelled out $223,000 in October 2019 to finish an exploratory study into the project by 2020.

19. A bustling Broadway scene

Movie remakes are so last decade. Welcome to 2020, where movies are remade as stage musicals! There are a stunning amount of stage adaptations, some or all of which may see a 2020 premiere on the Great White Way (or somewhere else a little more accessible). If you like romance, watch for takes on “13 Going on 30,” “The Bodyguard,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Some Like It Hot.” “17 Again” and “Magic Mike” and the Archie Comics franchise may get the theater treatment. Ready to get really meta? Another musical in the works is “Bombshell,” which is based on the fictional stage production at the center of the real TV show “Smash.”

20. A new decade

I
f a new year means a new beginning, then what does a decade mean? We have a whole 10 years to shape the trends, events and questionable hairstyle choices that will forever be associated with the 2020’s. We are the makers of our own destiny. Let’s get to it.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

10 great places to spend New Year’s Eve

CNN Newsource
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10 great places to spend New Year’s Eve

By Forrest Brown, CNN

(CNN) — Some of the details may change, but year in and year out, these destinations around the world have a well-deserved reputation for traditionally throwing a great New Year’s Eve shindig.

Be sure to plan early for prime parties and the best viewing areas for fireworks. Some venues charge admission, and tickets sometimes sell out months ahead.

So let the countdown begin. Here are 10 great places where you can travel for a New Year’s Eve you’ll never forget:

1. Sydney

Sydney, Australia, is the first major international city to greet the new year at midnight. The major fireworks display takes place at Sydney Harbour with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge providing a spectacular backdrop.

Islands in the harbor or family-friendly parks on either side offer great views.

A bonus for Sydney: Summer’s just started there, and you can also take advantage of the city’s beaches, including Manly, Bondi and Bronte.

2. Taipei, Taiwan

New Year’s Eve in Taipei, the capital city of the island of Taiwan, is a visual spectacle.

The city’s tallest building, Taipei 101, is the launching pad for an unforgettable fireworks show. Prime spots to take in the event include National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Xinyi Commercial District, which gets quite crowded.

The city also sponsors musical performances leading up to the big event.

And you might want to take the party to one of Taipei’s great nightlife options such as Barcode (110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Songshou Road; + 886 920 168 269).

3. Bangkok

Bangkok often tops roundup lists of Asia’s best nightlife cities. So of course, it’s a natural place to ring in the new year if you like crowds, noise and revelry.

Bangkok’s answer to Times Square, CentralWorld Plaza is one of the main gathering spots for celebrations. Another popular gathering spot is the Asiatique shopping and entertainment area along the Chao Phraya River.

You may want to continue the celebration at one of Bangkok’s stunning bars such as Red Sky or a sky-high restaurant such as Sirocco.

If the revelry becomes too much, get some calming down time at a temple such as Wat Pho with its reclining Buddha.

4. Dubai

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is one of the most attention-grabbing skyscrapers in the world, and it’s only more so at New Year’s Eve.

As 2019 comes to a close, the Burj Khalifa holds the record for world’s tallest building (2,716.5 feet), and throngs gather at the footsteps to welcome a new year with an amazing fireworks show. Not too far away, Burj Plaza is a little quieter and popular with families.

Dubai is building a reputation as a major food destination, so you may wish to indulge in top-tier restaurants such as Cavalli Club Dubai while you’re there.

And if you have shopping in mind, check out Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest.

5. Moscow

Historic Red Square in Moscow provides one of the coldest but also one of the most visually appealing settings for a New Year’s Eve fireworks display.

While you’re there, you may want to see one of the world’s most visited tombs, that of communist leader Vladimir Lenin, or take a tour of Cold War relics from the Soviet era.

If you want to celebrate in truly grand style with Russian flair, the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow may be for you. It’s centrally located and has a rooftop bar.

6. Cape Town

Cape Town is one of the most beautifully situated cities in Africa — and the world. New Year’s Eve fireworks make it all the more spectacular.

If you’re looking for a place with delicious food and a view of the festivities, check out MAReSOL, which specializes in Portuguese cuisine. If you’re in the mood for a party, Cape Point Vineyards is one of many places to consider.

Make the most of your trip by visiting South Africa’s renowned vineyards around Cape Town. (Like Sydney, Cape Town is just entering summer).

7. London

Stately London along the Thames always provides a remarkable backdrop for New Year’s Eve fireworks. Tickets sell out fast for the official staging area, but you may be able to see the fireworks for free from hilltops such as Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath, Greenwich Park and Alexandra Palace.

Another great vantage point is a river cruise on a Clipper boat.

But if “pushing the boat out” is more your style, London Skybar — on the 28th and 29th floors of Millbank Tower — is hosting a 12-hour party with Champagne, DJs, unlimited live food stations and 360-degree views of the London skyline. Tickets are £325 ($426) or £650 ($852) for the VIP experience, which comes with bell boy escorts, dedicated table service, unlimited beer and wine and, from 4 a.m., a Champagne breakfast.

A traditional way to greet the prospect of a new year is to settle down in one of London’s oldest pubs, such as the Old Bell Tavern, serving up adult beverages since 1670.

While there, fans of British royalty may want to visit sites such as Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was born.

8. Rio de Janeiro

If you want to greet a new year with about 2 million other souls in a warm beach resort, head to Rio de Janeiro.

The main gathering at Copacabana Beach traditionally features a variety of musical acts and fireworks.

If you want to party in classic Rio style, pay a visit to Jobi Bar. It’s a social institution in the city, having been open since the 1950s.

Looking for a great view? Swing over to the Vista Chinesa, a small Chinese pagoda perched to provide a fantastic panorama.

9. New York

Times Square in Manhattan. It’s synonymous with New Year’s Eve across the United States. Even if you aren’t there in person, there’s a good chance you’ve watched the famous ball drop on television. (The ball made its debut in 1907 and has been dropped each year since then, except for two years during World War II).

If you don’t feel like jamming into Times Square with around 1 million other folks, here are some other options:

— Head to Grand Army Plaza, which is just off Prospect Park in Brooklyn, for fireworks and fun. You need to arrive early for the best views.

— If you’re 21 or older, try your luck at Resorts World Casino, the only casino in the city limits. Near JFK Airport, it traditionally throws a blow-out NYE party.

— Head to the Throgs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx and welcome 2020 at the annual party at Marina del Rey. $185 per person buys you lobster, Champagne and an unparalleled view of the Manhattan skyline.

10. Las Vegas

Vegas is bright lights year-round, but it goes all out for New Year’s Eve.

The Strip is closed off to vehicles, and pedestrians take over for an unforgettable festival. At midnight, various casinos launch an impressive barrage of fireworks off the roofs of their buildings. You can watch the show from atop the Stratosphere Tower.

Visitors are advised to book hotel rooms early, as prices in Vegas shoot up for the holiday. They’re also cautioned to dress warmly — the desert cools off a lot at night, especially in winter.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

6 Ideas for a New You in the New Year

StatePoint
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6 Ideas for a New You in the New Year

The new year is the perfect time to hit the reset button and get a fresh start. Here are six resolution ideas, plus tools and strategies for accomplishing each:

• Read More: Want to read more but never seem to have an opportunity to curl up with a good book? Downloading audiobooks and listening to them during commutes and workouts can be the perfect way to “read” when you don’t have dedicated time in your day.

• Get Fit: Working out more is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions people make. To get this one to stick, consider tools that will make reaching your goals more fun. The latest additions to the G-SHOCK Women’s lineup of sports watches are a good example of how wearable tech can support fitness goals. The GMAB800 Pro Trainer Watch connects to a phone app, which provides access to a number of health and fitness functions, including a three-axis accelerometer that keeps track of step counts, a timer that lets you create up to 20 combinations of five timers each, memory for up to 200 lap records and more.

• Control Spending: It’s all too easy to spend more than one has or should in any given day, week or month. Use digital apps to create a budget and stick to it. Find one that will actually send you push notifications when you’ve exceeded your limits.

• Make Music: Whether learning to play for the first time or resolving to create your own compositions, new tools can support your efforts. The CT-S300 keyboard from Casio not only connects to an app offering lessons in how to play your favorite songs, but the instrument’s dance music mode lets you create and remix electronic dance music tracks, as well as use the keys to trigger drum loops, basslines, synth parts, effects, transitions and more. Bonus benefits: learning to play keyboard will improve hand-eye coordination and stimulate cognitive brain activity.

• Declutter: The act of decluttering your home is important, however it can seem daunting, making this one resolution that many people make but don’t keep. Rather than assume you need to dedicate an entire day or weekend to tidy up, block out just five to 10 minutes a day to clear out small areas. Before you know it, you’ll start to see some major improvements. You can even make it fun by putting on music and cleaning for three-song segments at a time.

• Hone Your Math Skills: Whether you’re in school and looking to boost your grades or your formal math education is well behind you, it’s never too late to hone your skills. And a great calculator, such as the fx-9860 from Casio, can help you not only become a more efficient mathematician, but one who really understands the concepts behind his or her calculations.

This New Year, don’t get caught in a rut. New tools and fun strategies can help motivate you to try new hobbies, sharpen your skills and improve your life.

Resolving to Start a Business? Website Trends to Consider for 2020

StatePoint
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Resolving to Start a Business? Website Trends to Consider for 2020

Is your New Year’s resolution the big step of starting a business? One of the first things you’ll need to do is build a website. Today a website is not only your brand, but it also provides the tools you need to operate your business, and is the central point for you to communicate with your customers.

Web development platform Wix recently took a look at website creation data for the U.S. in 2019 and found some interesting facts. One significant statistic found is that about 50 percent more websites were built the week after January 1 than the week prior. That means that if you decide to start a business early in 2020, you likely won’t be going it alone.

A key website feature to keep in mind when building your site is live chat. Almost half of sites implement a live chat feature to communicate with current customers and attract potential new customers. In any business, it’s important from the beginning to be responsive to customers, and doing so can be a key differentiator in growing your business.

Tips for the Best Financial You in the New Year

StatePoint
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Tips for the Best Financial You in the New Year

At the same time that Americans are feeling the financial pinch of the holidays, they’re gearing up for 2020, with their top two goals being to save more and increase their credit scores, according to a national consumer survey by Experian.

Almost three out of four consumers surveyed are motivated to improve their finances. To reach their New Year goals, survey respondents say they’ll spend less money to improve their credit score (59%) and pay off credit card debt (58%).

To help get you started, Experian Boost ambassador, actor and financial empowerment activist, Hill Harper is providing these money tips:

• Create a Financial Blueprint: The first step is to create a blueprint identifying your money, saving and investing goals. Examine your priorities and determine how much money you require to meet your basic needs. From there, you should assess what else you need to be happy and how you can use money as a resource to achieve it.

• Assess the Cost of Being You: If your expenses or debt outpace your income, then it’s very difficult to live the best version of your life. Rather than continuously playing catch-up, track your spending to discover new ways to reduce monthly expenses. Apply those savings towards self-investment.

• Understand Smart vs. Dumb Money: Not all dollars spent hold the same value. Knowing the difference between “smart” and “dumb” money is key to building a solid financial foundation, according to Harper, who says that “dumb money” is spending on things like credit card interest or items that lose value quickly, whereas “smart money” is spending on things that pay dividends, like an education or home.

• Control Your Credit Score: A good credit score can help you gain access to capital with better terms at affordable rates. To improve it, pay bills on time and use a resource like Experian Boost, which is a free online tool that allows you to add positive payment history from utility and telecom bills to your Experian credit file, which can increase your score instantly.

• New Year, New You: “We’re starting a new decade and what better opportunity is there to do a complete financial makeover?” says Harper, who recommends many other steps that will set you up for financial success, including building an emergency fund, securing health insurance, avoiding debt for unnecessary purchases and investing wisely.

“No one has a crystal ball, but given lower unemployment rates and low interest rates, 2020 could be a good year to have a plan for growth. A diversified portfolio for this next decade is a good portfolio,” says Harper. More tips from Harper can be found at www.experian.com/education.

While managing finances can seem intimidating, identifying trouble spots is the first step toward conquering your goals.

For Healthier Eating, Grill More in the New Year

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For Healthier Eating, Grill More in the New Year

Planning to follow a trendy diet like keto in 2020 or simply want to eat right? There’s good news — grilling can be a great option for you to kickstart eating healthier in the new year. Indeed, the American Heart Association recommends it.

“Grilling is a year-round way of life, bringing together family and friends,” says Jeff Thiessen, president of Pit Boss Grills. “Luckily, those watching their diets can still get healthy foods with the fun and flavor of a backyard barbecue.”

Use these tips to make healthier meals prepared on the grill:

• Let your spices do the heavy lifting: You can add exciting and bold flavor to any recipe using seasoning mixtures. Spice up foods like veggies or lean meats with seasoned rubs or marinades for amazing flavor without all the calories.

• Eat fresher: Round out recipes by including fresh vegetables. For the best flavor and highest nutritional value, look for locally-grown produce. Vegetables make an excellent addition to any meal as grilled kabobs or chopped up and tossed in your favorite chili.

• Be versatile: A healthy diet is a versatile diet. Look for a grill offering multiple cooking options, including baking, roasting and smoking, such as Pit Boss Grills. Their 8-in-1 versatile grills allow you to do it all with one-of-a-kind hardwood flavor.

• Try it yourself: For a delicious spin on a favorite barbecue classic, try this Healthy Hawaiian Pulled Pork, right from the Pit Boss playbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups aloe leaf juice

• 1 teaspoon coriander, ground

• 2 teaspoons cracked pepper

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• Dash of salt

• 4-6 garlic cloves

• 1 3-inch ginger, fresh

• 1-2 limes

• 4 cups no sodium added chicken bone broth

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 4 teaspoons paprika

• 6-8 pounds pork shoulder/butt

• 1/2 sweet onion

• 2 packets Truvia

• 2 tablespoons Truvia Nectar

Directions:

• Set grill to “smoke.” Once the pot catches, turn the grill up to 300 degrees F. Make sure your flame broiler is closed, you’ll want to use indirect heat.

• Add spices to a bowl. Set aside.

• Grate ginger into a separate “wet ingredients” bowl. Mince garlic cloves and dice onions into the same bowl. Juice limes and add chicken bone broth, aloe leaf juice, Truvia and Truvia Nectar. Mix and set bowl aside.

• Add the oil to your Pit Boss Cast Iron Roasting Pan and coat the bottom and sides. Place pork inside.

• Coat pork with dry rub.

• Pour wet ingredients around the pork. Cover with lid and set on the grill.

• Check every couple hours, basting if needed. When internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F (after 6-8 hours), it should easily start to pull apart. Don’t pull apart the whole shoulder yet.

• Remove roasting pan from grill and set aside for 1 hour. Remove lid to help speed cooling.

• Once cooled, shred pork into a separate bowl, removing fat. If adding marinade for additional flavor, skim fat off the top and discard.

• Pair with fresh grilled veggies, delicious fruit or make tacos or salads, and voila!

To shop grills, as well as find cooking tips, grilling resources and additional recipes, visit pitboss-grills.com.

By following the keys to healthy grilling, you can create guilt-free meals in 2020.

Nancy Pelosi refuses to commit to sending articles of impeachment to Senate

CNN Newsource
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Nancy Pelosi refuses to commit to sending articles of impeachment to Senate

By Haley Byrd, Manu Raju and Phil Mattingly, CNN

(CNN) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not commit on Wednesday to sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate, saying in a post-impeachment-vote news conference, “That would have been our intention, but we’ll see what happens over there.”

Some progressives have urged Democratic leaders to withhold the articles until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, agrees to procedures for the Senate trial that Democrats have called for, as well as agreeing to bring in firsthand witnesses like acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to testify.

Pelosi said Democrats will make the decision “as a group” on when to send the articles to the Senate.

There are procedural concerns behind not sending the articles to the Senate on Wednesday night immediately after the votes. Among them: Democrats can’t send the articles at this time because the Senate would have to take them up Thursday, blocking votes on other measures, including a spending package that must pass before week’s end to avoid a government shutdown.

McConnell has openly sparred with his Democratic counterpart, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, over the format of the Senate trial. Earlier this week, McConnell rejected Schumer’s call for four witnesses to testify.

In the coming days, the House must also name impeachment managers for the Senate’s trial, another step Pelosi was not ready to make Wednesday night.

“We cannot name managers until we see what the process is on the Senate side, and we hope that will be soon,” Pelosi said. “So far we haven’t seen anything that looks fair to us, so hopefully it will be fair.”

McConnell told Republican senators at a policy lunch Tuesday that he will announce the date for the start of the Senate trial by the end of the week, according to sources.

It’s unclear what advantages there would be to withholding the articles of impeachment from a Senate trial. When McConnell was asked this week about the possibility of articles not being sent over, he told reporters, “I’m in no hurry.”

One Republican senator told CNN in a text message, “If the Speaker thinks this magically gives Democrats leverage in the Senate she hasn’t been paying attention to how McConnell operates the last few decades.”

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™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

Trump has been impeached, but he’s still President. What’s next?

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Trump has been impeached, but he’s still President. What’s next?

Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf and Paul LeBlanc, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in a near party-line vote Wednesday. He is still the President.

What comes next is a trial in the Senate early next year that could, but probably won’t, cost him the White House.

So what happens now?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not commit Wednesday night to sending the two articles of impeachment to the Senate.

“That would have been our intention, but we’ll see what happens over there,” the California Democrat signaled at her news conference.

Some progressives have urged Democratic leaders to withhold the articles until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, agrees to procedures for the trial that Democrats have called for, as well as agreeing to bring in firsthand witnesses like acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to testify.

Pelosi said Democrats will make the decision “as a group” on when to send the articles to the Senate. It’s not clear what advantages there might be in holding on to them.

There are procedural concerns, however, behind not sending the articles Wednesday night: The Senate would have to take them up Thursday, and that would shut down action there, which could mess with a must-pass spending bill. The House also has to name impeachment managers for the trial.

“We cannot name managers until we see what the process is on the Senate side, and we hope that will be soon,” Pelosi said. “So far we haven’t seen anything that looks fair to us, so hopefully it will be fair.”

How the historic vote went down

The House exercised its constitutional right to charge Trump with high crimes and misdemeanors through votes on two articles of impeachment that will be familiar, at this point, to most Americans and now headed for the history books:

  • Abuse of power for his effort to withhold taxpayer money from Ukraine and get that country to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden;
  • Obstruction of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with the oversight investigation.

Impeachment math

The abuse of power article passed 230-197 with one lawmaker, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, voting present. One independent supported impeachment and two Democrats opposed both articles of impeachment, along with every Republican. One Democrat split votes, supporting the abuse of power article but not obstruction of Congress.

The obstruction of Congress article passed 229-198 with Gabbard voting present.

Trump’s response

As the vote was conducted, Trump was at a “Merry Christmas” campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, which is the district represented by Rep. Justin Amash, the former Republican-turned-independent who voted to impeach him. Trump delayed his appearance to watch the vote.

“After three years of sinister witch hunts, hoaxes, scams, the House Democrats are trying to nullify the ballots of tens of millions of patriotic Americans,” he said.

Read through CNN’s minute-by-minute reporting.

Trump is fuming

Before Bill Clinton was impeached, he apologized for his behavior, which embarrassed and hurt his wife and teenage daughter as well as myriad others. Trump has shown no contrition at all over actions he thinks weren’t wrong at all.

Impeachment has consumed Trump’s time

The impeachment has consumed his time, between dictating his irate letter to Pelosi, phoning his associates to vent into the wee hours and plotting his defense in a Senate trial, writes CNN’s Kevin Liptak. He has been ranting about impeachment in phone calls with Republican members of Congress over the last several days and nights, according to multiple GOP sources.

History break: What Trump said about Obama

We know that Trump realizes impeachment is a stain on his presidency. CNN’s KFile unearthed a 2014 Fox News appearance in which Trump explained the damage impeachment would do to Obama.

“He would be a mess. He would be thinking about nothing but. It would be a horror show for him. It would be an absolute embarrassment. It would go down on his record permanently.”

The optics

Democrats try to appear somber and sad

When she announced the first article of impeachment had passed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a gesture with her hand, while holding her gavel, as if to cut off celebration.

Pelosi wore black, as if in mourning — a counterpoint to the white she and other Democratic women wore to last winter’s State of the Union. And Democrats went to pains to make clear they were not happy to be impeaching Trump, but instead were sad and undertaking a somber duty.

Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader, said Democrats came slowly to the decision to impeach Trump and ignored other impeachable conduct during and after the Russia investigation. They could not ignore what Trump did in Ukraine, he said.

A day of debate — and face-offs

Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, wove barbs aimed at Democrats and tried to unravel the case against Trump during the course of the day as Rep. Adam Schiff, traded back, defending the impeachment process and attacking the President’s behavior.

What’s the will of the people?

One Republican held a mock moment of silence for the 63 million voters whose voice was being lost, he said, by Democrats ignoring their will.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise drew jeers when he accused Democrats of hating Trump and hating Trump’s 63 million voters. He called the effort against Trump an “impeachment in search of a crime.”

Democrats failed to respond with the argument that in the Constitution the House is supposed to be the closest body to the people of the country — and there was a midterm in 2018 that gave them power.

The case for history

Rep. John Lewis, the Georgia Democrat and Civil Rights icon gave a stirring speech in which he said history will remember this moment and lawmakers need to vote with that view in mind.

“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us, what did you do? What did you do? For some, this vote may be hard, but we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.”

Bottom line: Trump is still the President

History may view the vote one way, but as Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pointed out, in the immediate future Trump will still be President after this effort is over and, almost surely, after a Senate trial.

Gabbard votes present

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii who is running for President, voted present. She has not been supportive of the impeachment effort on the campaign trail. Her unique foreign policy views have made her something of a loner in the Democratic party recently.

Note: She did not qualify for the Democratic debate set to air Thursday night.

Dissent was not tolerated, on either side

The exceptions to the party line vote proved how partisan Trump’s impeachment became.

Rep. Justin Amash, the former Republican from a swing district in Michigan, who was essentially chased from the GOP for his criticism of Trump, spoke on the House floor from the Democratic side of the aisle about his support for impeachment, rooted in Constitutional duty.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the Democrat from a swing district in New Jersey, saw his aides quit when he opposed impeachment this week. He may soon join the GOP, but opposed impeachment as a Democrat, along with moderate Collin Peterson of Minnesota.

Another Democrat, Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who has not said if he’ll be running for reelection, opposed both impeachment articles. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine supported impeaching Trump on abuse of power, but not for obstructing Congress.

‘Weaponized political tool’

If there was a Republican who might have supported impeachment, it was Will Hurd, the retiring moderate from Texas. But he turned against the effort, arguing that while he disagreed with Trump’s foreign policy decisions, he hadn’t seen evidence of impeachable offenses and he disagreed with the way Democrats moved through the impeachment process.

“Today, a dangerous precedent will be set,” he said. “Impeachment becomes a weaponized political tool. We know how this partisan process with this evening, but what happens tomorrow? Can this chamber put down our swords and get back to work for the American people?”

‘The president and his men plot on’

Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who led the impeachment effort in the Intelligence Committee, argued the time is now to act against Trump since, he said, the impeachable behavior continues.

“The president and his men plot on. The danger persists. The risk is real. Our democracy is at peril,” said Schiff. “But we are not without a remedy prescribed by the founders for just these circumstances. Impeachment. The only question is will we use it or have we fallen prey to another evil that the founders forewarned, the excess of factualism, the elevation of party over country.”

What impeachment could mean for Democrats

CNN’s Chris Cillizza argues the trend line in recent weeks suggests the intense focus on impeachment has marginally helped, not hurt Trump. The change in public opinion is slight, yes. And it may well be temporary. But for the moment, it’s the sort of thing that has to make Democrats a little (and maybe more than a little) nervous about the path they have chosen.

Impeachment Watch Podcast: CNN political director David Chalian sat down with Bob Shrum — who was a senior advisor to both Al Gore’s and John Kerry’s presidential bids — to discuss the political fallout of impeachment and how it impacts the 2020 race.

First impeachment backer gets his say and won’t rule out another impeachment

Rep. Al Green of Texas was on the impeachment vanguard. Democrats like Pelosi used to dismiss him on it. Not now. But his spirit was in the speeches of Republicans who said Democrats had been planning this impeachment since the moment they gained the majority.

Green gave a short speech on the House floor.

“If this President is allowed to thwart of efforts of congress with a legitimate impeachment inquiry the president will not only be above the law, he will be beyond justice. We can not allow any person to be beyond justice in this country,” he said.

‘Epitome of inanity’ and more impeachments

Later he said wouldn’t rule out another or more impeachment efforts if, as expected, this one fails in the Senate.

“The President says if he walks out and shoots someone, he will maintain his base of support. If he does that with malice and forethought, he can be impeached. It would be the epitome of inanity to conclude a president can only be impeached once,” Green said.

Given that Pelosi only supported this one after the Ukraine scandal broke, it’s not a good bet there will be more.

Dustup over Russian propaganda

When Rep. Louie Gohmert, the Texas Republican, argued Trump has actually been a backer of Ukraine, Rep. Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, said he was concerned about any member who would “spout Russian propoganda on the House floor.”

Gohmert turned around and yelled something at Nadler while pointing at him, drawing a rebuke for speaking out of order.

Trump, Jesus, the whistleblower and a seriously flawed analogy

Rep. Barry Loudermilk, the Georgia Republican, reminded everyone that Christmas is a week away. And he made a strained religious parallel between the trial of Jesus and the impeachment of Trump and the continued anonymity of the whistleblower.

“When Jesus was falsely accused of treason Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than Democrats afforded this president and this process,” said Loudermilk.

He didn’t mention that Trump has actually accused the whistleblower of treason, which kind of ruins the metaphor.

Here’s the original complaint again.

It’s December, after all

Democrats tried very hard to be solemn and sad on the House floor, but Twitter had other ideas. So Merry Impeachmas was born.

But the folks on Twitter weren’t the only ones invoking the holidays.

Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, wore a loud Ho Ho Ho tie for his floor speech.

What are we doing here?

The President has invited foreign powers to interfere in the US presidential election. Democrats have impeached him for it. Next up is a trial in the Senate to decide whether to remove him from office. It is a crossroads for the American system of government as the President tries to change what’s acceptable for US politicians. This newsletter will focus on this consequential moment in US history.

Keep track of congressional action with CNN’s Impeachment Tracker. See a timeline of events here. And get your full refresher on who’s who in this drama here.

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