If you’re looking for some magic mushrooms, you can “Get Up, Stand Up” and receive them from the family of Bob Marley!

Silo Wellness, a leading global psychedelics company, has announced a collaboration with the family of legendary musician Bob Marley. Marley One is the initial product offering between the two entities and will include a range of mushroom tinctures with unique blends highlighting the brand’s connection to the island of Jamaica. The product line will include species such as cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, and turkey tail that offer a range of unique health and wellness benefits, from immunity and gut health to cognitive function and sleep enhancement. Silo Wellness will launch a psychedelic mushroom product line under the Marley name later this year. Along with the mushroom product line, there will be functional mushroom products including gummies, capsules, and cosmetics.

“We know Bob would be proud of what we’re building with Silo Wellness and the Marley One brand,” said Rita Marley in a written statement. “Our family has always revered the ancient history and transformative potential of nature’s gifts.”

“Today is a significant milestone for our company as we introduce the world to Marley One, a portfolio of branded mushroom products with instant name recognition and global visibility honoring Bob Marley’s legacy and connection to nature and plant-based wellbeing,” said Silo Wellness CEO Douglas K. Gordon in a written statement. “We are building what will become the world’s first global functional and psychedelic mushroom brand, guided by our vision to help people achieve healthier, more fulfilling lives and become the best versions of themselves.”

The Marley One product line includes:

• One Mind: A coffee-flavored blend of lion’s mane and L-theanine designed to improve focus and cognitive function.
• One Flow: A peppermint-flavored blend of cordyceps and ginseng designed to enhance physical endurance and mental function.
• One Harmony: A mango-flavored blend of chaga and ginger designed to stimulate gut health and improve digestion.
• One Body: A berry-flavored blend of turkey tail and astragalus designed to support immune health.
• One Rest: A vanilla-flavored blend of reishi and GABA designed to help reduce tension and stress and improve quality of sleep.

“As a family, we seek to use our platform to inspire positive change, and the launch of the Marley One mushroom brand, in collaboration with a pioneering company like Silo Wellness, allows us to do just that by marrying ancient wisdom with modern science. It’s our wish that these products will empower people to experience oneness with nature and the universe at large – and ultimately, achieve greater self-actualization.” said Cedella Marley, CEO of Bob Marley Group of Companies.

For more information or to purchase Marley One products online, please visit www.marley.one.

• News

by Derek Major

June 28, 2021

Juvenile Lifer Kenneth Maurice Tucker Gets Released After 46 Years Inside

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The Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City announced Kenneth Maurice Tucker, believed to be one of the state’s longest serving “juvenile lifers” has been released.

A Baltimore judge ruled in favor of a post-conviction settlement resulting in his release at the age of 64. Maryland State Attorney Marilyn Mosby agreed to support Tucker’s release after a sentencing review.

Tucker was arrested and charged in 1971 for his role in the death of Rev. Louis Foxwell, a key advocate for the city’s deaf community and the Director of Communications for the Maryland School of the Deaf in Frederick. Foxwell also led the Christ United Methodist Church congregation.

According to CBS Baltimore, Foxwell’s family did not contest Tucker’s release.

Tucker pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and use of a handgun, although it was his co-conspirator that killed Foxwell. Tucker was sentenced to life plus 10 years while his partner was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 55 years. The shooter in the incident was paroled 30 years ago and went on to work for the state.

While incarcerated, Tucker received his GED, and  Associate and Bachelor’s degrees from Coppin State University. He also started several programs where he did his time including reading, writing, and chess clubs.

“Mr. Tucker was sent to prison as a teenager and is coming home a senior citizen,” Tucker’s defense Attorney Sonia Kumar of the ACLU said in a statement. “He has put in many more years than anyone could have expected and he has done the hard work to earn his second chance. It has been our privilege to support his efforts to obtain his freedom.”

Tucker will turn 65 later this month and plans to spend his freedom with his elderly mother as well as mentoring and counseling young Black men in his community from making the same mistakes he did.

• Health and Wellness

by Jeffrey McKinney

June 28, 2021

COVID-19 Still Hurting Many People Trying To Prepare For Retirement, Including Black Americans

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While headway has been made in recent months to combat COVID-19, the pandemic is still taking a toll on Americans saving for their golden years.

A new study by Real Estate Witch reveals the health crisis has drained Americans’ retirement savings and stock investments, leaving baby boomers not ready monetarily for retirement with a short time to catch up.

The report cites COVID-19 has worsened the financial stress, causing a large number of Americans to pull back from their retirement savings. Simultaneously, the outbreak has sped up retirement rates for baby boomers with 3.2 million more retiring in the third quarter of 2020 versus the same time in 2019. That revelation perhaps has been fueled by historic unemployment forcing some people to retire early.

The fresh analysis offers more evidence of how COVID-19 has drastically hurt the U.S. economy in unprecedented ways, including forcing Americans to dig into their retirement nest egg early.

Those are among some disturbing findings that surfaced after some 1,000 non-retired Americans were surveyed. An unsettling discovery: Some 35% of Americans tapped into retirement savings to make ends meet during the pandemic, spending an average of 44% of their retirement. The study was done in late April. Real Estate Witch is a sister site of Clever Real Estate, an education platform for homebuyers, sellers, and investors.

Some of the report’s principal findings include:

• Americans of all ages generally expect to retire around age 66, but 40% of boomers say they have put retirement plans on hold due to the pandemic. And around 2.7 million Americans, mostly affluent and white, report they are looking at retiring early, courtesy of stock market windfalls — another indicator of America’s significant wealth gap.
• The average working American now has $250,813 saved for retirement.
• Baby boomers have an average of $296,064 saved for retirement. But that number falls 36% short of the recommended $465,000 and may not leave enough time for boomers to make up the difference.
• With Social Security expected to end in 2037, millennials are 61% less likely than boomers to expect it to be their main retirement income source. Instead, they plan to save 113% more for retirement than boomers.
• Among the 30% who have investments, the average American sold 43% of their stocks during the pandemic.
• As the stock market rebounded after a crash early in the pandemic, 60% of people who got rid of stocks regretted they did.
• Americans during the pandemic reduced their contributions to retirement funds by about 3% on average, though 65% plan to boost their contributions again once life returns to “normal.”

Another disclosure was people surveyed who dug into their retirement fund said they used between $10,000 and $14,999, yet nearly one in five reported spending over $25,000 from retirement savings.

Clever’s lead researcher Francesca Ortegren shared how the findings could impact African Americans.

Unfortunately, Black Americans tend to have less money saved for retirement and are more likely to struggle financially throughout their retirement years, she told Black Enterprise by email. Ortegren added digging into those savings before retirement can have long-term negative consequences for those who will have a difficult time saving enough for retirement in the first place!

“Taking money from retirement accounts doesn’t just mean you have less in your savings, but that money isn’t able to earn interest, either. So, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword.”

She further stated that starting to save for retirement now is especially important for Black Americans who tend to earn less throughout their working years than White Americans. She also noted, the earlier you start saving, the more you can earn on your investments and you can worry less later on.

Plus, younger Black Americans should consider more risky investments to earn more money for retirement, Ortegren proposed.

She says research suggests that Black Americans tend to have less risky and less diverse retirement portfolios than White Americans. She pointed out risky investments can be worrisome as they tend to be more volatile, but also come with the possibility of larger returns.

“Diversifying assets can mitigate some of that risk by avoiding putting a large sum of money into one risky investment,” she says. “If you happen to lose money on one, you could still be earning a big return on another, for example.”

Red Table Talk—which is a multigenerational Facebook Watch series featuring actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris—won its first Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Informative Talk Show” category. Pinkett Smith’s mother and daughter discuss trendy topics with family and friends on the popular show.

Pinkett Smith’s husband, actor and rapper Will Smith, happily announced news about his family’s big win on his Instagram account.

“RED TABLE TALK WON ITS FIRST EMMY!! Congrats @jadapinkettsmith @gammynorris @willowsmith @ellerakieten @westbrook @facebookwatch. I’ll stop complaining about not having a garage now,” Will wrote.

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Winners of the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards were announced on Friday, June 25 on the CBS Television Network, according to a press release. Honorees were acknowledged through the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS).

“Tonight, we honor the Daytime community for helping us find our way through the turbulence of the pandemic, increased racial unrest and the chaos of the presidential election as America faced one of its most trying years in our history,” Adam Sharp, President & CEO, NATAS, said. “This evening celebrated not only the best programming and performances of this year, but reflected on some of Daytime’s biggest icons that have left an indelible mark on our medium.”

The Red Table Talk ladies expressed gratitude to their fans and CBS’ Daytime Emmys for helping them to achieve excellence.

“Thank you RTT Fam!❣️We are so grateful for your support over the years! Thank you for joining us on this journey💫 We are always striving to make you proud by bringing #RealTalk to the table. ♥️ Thank you @DaytimeEmmys for this honor,” @Redtabletalk posted on Instagram.

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Facebook Watch is becoming a legitimate television network which is proving that the way users watch shows continues to evolve beyond relying on televisions sets to see programs.  In 2017, Facebook rolled out the Watch platform to enable creators ‘find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work.’

Sprite has announced that it is collaborating with three of the hottest names to spotlight three up-and-coming opening acts for this summer’s Live From The Label virtual concert series.

In late July, Sprite will start the virtual concert series in Atlanta, which is the home base of Sprite. The city’s first solo female rapper to go gold and platinum, Latto, will be performing on July 29 via the “Stage 1” bottle. The second show will be taking place on the West Coast on Aug. 12 and will take place on the “Stage 2” bottle. That show will feature multi-platinum-selling songwriter and rapper, Saweetie. The last and final “Stage 3” show’s headliner will be announced later this summer.

“It’s summer, it’s Sprite, it’s hip-hop,” said Aaliyah Shafiq Ely, category lead, sparkling flavors in a written statement. “Music is so instrumental to summer—from festivals to block parties, to tunes blasting from car stereos—and, given the brand’s rich heritage, we wanted to present the best possible version of a summer hip-hop experience we could in these still-uncertain times.”

Interested fans can obtain access to the shows being live-streamed with the purchase of 20-oz. Live From The Label bottles of Sprite or Sprite Zero Sugar. The product will hit shelves nationwide in June. The Sprite bottles will feature QR codes that can be scanned to unlock the tickets to the livestream concerts, replays of previous shows, exclusive merchandise giveaways, and reminders for future shows.

Live From The Label will showcase the headliners performing on the very same stages where the artists got their start. Each show that the artists do will incorporate a unique production theme and include interactive elements, from chat and poll features to customized Sprite emojis.

Live From The Label extends Sprite’s timely, tuned-in support of young Black creatives. “What Sprite does best is use passion points to connect with fans in culturally relevant ways reflective of where they’ve been and what they’ve experienced,” said A.P. Chaney, creative director, sparkling flavors. “We always want to make sure we stay true to our core consumers and the issues on their minds.”

• News

by Andrea Blackstone

June 28, 2021

Vandals Deface George Floyd Statues in New Jersey & New York; Investigations Launched

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Two George Floyd statues have been recently vandalized in New Jersey and New York, not even a week after one of the statues was unveiled to honor Floyd’s life, according to NJ.com.

By Thursday, the Newark Police announced that a Newark police sergeant discovered that the vandalized statue that had been unveiled outside of City Hall in Newark to commemorate Juneteenth was covered with graffiti, black paint, and white words which had been painted on the statue’s torso.

According to NJ.com, the Southern Law Poverty Center determined that the words “refer” to a white supremacist extremist group called the Patriot Front. Newark’s public works department removed the paint. Additionally, an investigation is underway, according to reports.

“This horrible act is the very reason that this statue needs to remain and be upheld. As this is not just about George Floyd, it’s a deliberate effort to push back against and ultimately dismantle systems of hatred, racism, and white supremacy. We celebrate those efforts in Newark, and will continue to do so, despite the ignorance that has reared its ugly head,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement, according to NJ.com.

Another incident also occurred in Brooklyn, N.Y.

ABC7 reported that a Floyd statue located in Brooklyn was also vandalized. Since police said that four men were seen spray-painting the statue and pedestal portion of it in surveillance video, the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is conducting an investigation, according to the report.

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“New York’s new monument to George Floyd, which was unveiled in Brooklyn just this past weekend, on Juneteenth, is more than just a memorial for a father, a son, and a friend — it’s a testament to the grief, anger, and righteous energy that his murder sparked, in our state and across the country. It’s a beacon for all who believe progress is possible, and in our ability to make it happen,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, according to  ABC 7.

“And to the group of neo-Nazis who did this, I want to be absolutely clear: get the hell out of our state.”

It is not yet known if both vandalism incidents are connected, but they did occur before former police officer, Derek Chauvin, was sentenced to over 22 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, NBC New York reported. Another incident of a Breonna Taylor and Floyd mural being defaced was recently reported by WLKY in Louisville, K.Y.

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NEW:

Blue paint now covers many of the faces on this ‘Say Their Names’ mural on West Main Street after it was vandalized around the 1:30 this morning.

George Floyd’s face and Breonna Taylor’s face are almost completely covered in paint. @WLKY pic.twitter.com/fYnimeT11J

— Gladys Bautista WLKY 🏁 (@GladysMBautista) June 28, 2021

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 28, 2021

Black Homeowners In Washington Change Racist Covenant Clauses That Support Servitude

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Black homeowners in Washington state brought attention to the outdated covenant clauses that bar Black people from certain communities unless they are servants.

Black homeowners in several Thurston County communities were aware of racist language in their covenants that excluded residents who aren’t White, King 5 reported.

The illegal and unenforceable practice was deemed unconstitutional decades ago. But somehow was erased from homeowner paperwork in the Washington county.

Michelle Fearing, a homeowner in Thurston County, was completely appalled after she realized what her clause was actually saying. “It was shocking,” Fearing said. “I’m reading it going, ‘Whoa. Wow. That’s crazy.’” Fearing has a Beachcrest community covenant that was written in 1948.

It reads that, “No other than the white race shall be allowed to occupy any residence in this subdivision except servants.”

Fearing is now among 30 Thurston County homeowners who had the racist language omitted from the clauses ahead of the next time a property is sold.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Fearing said.

Thurston County has been busy sending out letters to community members about the clauses drafted in the early 1950s. Auditor Mary Hall instructed her staff to inform the public about the wording and how to have it removed.

“When I got to Washington state I was shocked how white it was. And now I understand why,” Hall said.

In the Stratford Park neighborhood, the clause shares the same racist language.

“No race or nationality other than the Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building on any lot,” the clause reads. The covenant did allow for “domestic servants, of a different race.”

Washington state recently passed House Bill 1335 where students at the University of Washington and Eastern Washington University will review existing deeds and covenants for discriminatory restrictions. In March, Thurston County declared racism as a crisis, The Olympian reported. What’s going on in Thurston County is expected in other counties within the state.

• Technology

by Derek Major

June 28, 2021

Rescue Workers Continue Hoping As Death Toll At Florida Building Collapse Keeps Climbing

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Reuters – Rescue workers pulled a 10th body from the rubble of a collapsed Florida condominium on Monday, as officials vowed to keep searching for any possible survivors five days after the 12-story building fell without warning as residents slept.

Crews were using cranes, dogs and infrared scans as they looked for signs of life amid the ruins, hoping air pockets may have formed underneath the concrete that could be keeping some people alive.

“We’re going to continue and work ceaselessly to exhaust every possible options in our search,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told a news briefing.

The death toll appears certain to rise, and Levine Cava acknowledged the number of casualties is “fluid.” There are 151 people still unaccounted for.

The cause of the collapse at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, near Miami, remains under investigation.

A 2018 engineer’s report found serious concrete deterioration in the underground parking garage as well as major damage in the concrete slab beneath the pool deck. The author, Frank Morabito, wrote the deterioration would “expand exponentially” if it was not repaired in the near future.

But Ross Prieto, then Surfside’s top building official, met residents the following month after reviewing the report and assured them the building was “in very good shape,” according to minutes of the meeting released by the town on Monday.

Reuters was unable to reach Prieto, who is no longer employed by Surfside. He told the Miami Herald newspaper he did not remember getting the report.

The engineer’s report was commissioned in advance of the condo seeking recertification, a required process for buildings that reach 40 years of age. The tower was constructed in 1981. An estimate prepared by Morabito Consultants in 2018 put the cost of repairs at $9.1 million, including electrical, plumbing and work on the facade.

After the meeting, Prieto emailed the town’s manager to say it “went very well. The response was very positive from everyone in the room. All main concerns over their forty year recertification process were addressed.”

Guillermo Olmedillo, Surfside’s town manager in 2018, told Reuters he did not recall hearing about any issues related to the tower based on the engineer’s report.

“The last thing I knew was that everything is OK, reported by the building official,” he said.

Gregg Schlesinger, a lawyer and former general contractor who specializes in construction-failure cases, said it was clear the deficiencies identified in the 2018 report were the main cause of the disaster.

But Donna DiMaggio Berger, a lawyer who works with the condo association, said the issues were typical for older buildings in the area and did not alarm board members, all of whom lived in the tower with their families.

Morabito Consultants was retained by the building in 2020 to prepare a 40-year building repair plan.

The firm said on Saturday that roof repairs were underway at the time of the collapse but concrete restoration had not yet started.

“We are deeply troubled by this building collapse and are working closely with the investigating authorities to understand why the structure failed,” it said.

Levine Cava vowed officials will “get to the bottom” of why the building collapsed but said the priority right now is searching for survivors.

‘TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE’

Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said workers have found voids large enough to keep victims alive.

“Not to say that we have see anyone down there, but we’ve not gotten to the very bottom,” he said.

He said searchers have heard some sounds, such as tapping of scratching, though he acknowledged it could be metal shifting. But he emphasized that there is no set amount of time after which the rescue effort should cease.

The teams include experts sent by Israel and Mexico to assist in the search.

Some relatives of those missing have provided DNA samples to officials, and family members were permitted to pay a private visit to the site by special arrangement on Sunday, Levine Cava said.

The police have identified eight victims, including a couple married for nearly 60 years and a mother whose teenage son is one of the few known survivors.

At a makeshift memorial a block away, tributes to the victims and “missing” posters hung on a chain-link fence, with flowers and children’s toys strewn about.

Given the scores of those still missing, the disaster may end up one of the deadliest non-deliberate structural failures in U.S. history.

Ninety-eight people perished when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., gave way from the weight of snow during a silent movie screening in January 1922. Two interior walkways collapsed into the lobby of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, during a dance party in July 1981, killing 114.

(Additional reporting by Brendan O’Brien, Brad Heath, Peter Szekely and Kanishka Singh; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Alistair Bell)

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 28, 2021

Gwen Berry Felt ‘Set Up’ By Timing Of National Anthem During U.S. Olympic Trials

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Team USA hammer thrower Gwen Berry went viral over the weekend after she was seen seemingly protesting the national anthem.

Berry came in third at Saturday’s U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon. While standing on the podium, Berry turned to the side and put her hands on her waist when the national anthem played. The first and second place competitors faced the flag and placed their right hands over their heart. Toward the end of the “Star Spangled Banner,” Berry put a black T-shirt with the words “Activist Athlete” on her head, CBS News reports.

But Berry feels the timing of the national anthem was a “setup” against her after ESPN noted it was delayed by five minutes from when it was initially scheduled to play.

“I feel like it was a setup, and they did it on purpose,” Berry said. “I was pissed, to be honest.”

She has already vowed to use her platform at the Tokyo Olympics to raise awareness of social injustice in the U.S., People reports.

“They said they were going to play it before we walked out, then they played it when we were out there,” Berry said of the time delay. “But I don’t really want to talk about the anthem because that’s not important. The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has.”

Back in 2019, Berry famously protested during the Pan Am games by raising her fist while on the podium, CBS Sports reports.

“My purpose and my mission is bigger than sports,” Berry said. “I’m here to represent those … who died due to systemic racism. That’s the important part. That’s why I’m going. That’s why I’m here today.”

A spokesperson for the USA Track and Field addressed the scheduled timing of the national anthem.

“[T]he national anthem was scheduled to play at 5:20 p.m. today. We didn’t wait until the athletes were on the podium for the hammer throw awards,” the spokesperson said. “The national anthem is played every day according to a previously published schedule.”

However, for some reason, on Saturday, the national anthem was played at 5:25 pm.

Reuters – Nations should “start dismantling racism,” set up reparations programs and prosecute law enforcement officials for unlawful killings of people of African descent, the U.N. human rights chief said on Monday.

Michelle Bachelet, in a global report sparked by the murder of African American George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, said police use of racial profiling and excessive force is entrenched in much of North America, Europe and Latin America.

Structural racism creates barriers to minorities’ access to jobs, healthcare, housing, education and justice, she said.

“I am calling on all states to stop denying, and start dismantling, racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress,” Bachelet said.

The report called for creating victim compensation programs and national reparations programs, including payments, with input from affected communities.

Jamil Dakwar of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) welcomed the recommendations. “This historic report provides a blueprint for the United States and other countries to begin reckoning with the long history of systemic racism that permeates through policing and other state violence and structural discrimination against Black people,” he said.

Bachelet welcomed a “promising initiative” by U.S. President Joe Biden in signing an executive order in January to address racial inequity.

At least 190 people of African descent have died worldwide at the hands of law enforcement officials in the past decade – most of them in the United States, the report said.

“With the exception of the case of George Floyd, no one was held accountable,” Mona Rishmawi, who supervised the report, told a news conference.

It selected seven “emblematic cases”, including that of Floyd. A judge sentenced former police officer Derek Chauvin on Friday to 22-1/2 years for his murder, video of which galvanized the international Black Lives Matter protest movement.

Other victims include an Afro-Brazilian boy, 14, shot dead in an anti-drug police operation in Sao Paulo in May 2020 and a Frenchman of Malian origin, 24, who died in police custody in July 2016.

“One (Brazilian) mother in particular said to us ‘you always talk about George Floyd. Every day we have a George Floyd here and nobody talks about it’,” Rishmawi said. “We realized that we were only touching the tip of the iceberg.”

Racism is most prevalent in countries linked to the former trade of an estimated 25-30 million Africans for enslavement or colonialism, resulting in large communities of people of African descent in countries such as Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia, France and the United States, the report said.

“There is today a momentous opportunity to achieve a turning point for racial equality and justice,” Bachelet said.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, Editing by William Maclean and Bernadette Baum)