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It’s been about about a month since residents of East Chicago, Indiana, were told they should not drink their tap water without filtering it.

The Environmental Protection Agency said actionable levels of lead had been found in the city’s water supply and warned residents to use certified filters until further notice.

The discovery was yet another setback for a city already dealing with lead and arsenic levels in soil surrounding a Superfund waste site that are so high that Gov. Eric Holcomb declared an emergency disaster.

Advocates say state and city officials aren’t doing enough to keep residents safe from the multiple ways they can be exposed to toxic lead. A coalition that includes the Natural Resources Defense Council, local organizations and East Chicago residents on Thursday issued a petition urging the EPA to launch a comprehensive emergency response to the city’s crisis.

The petition calls for the EPA to “immediately” provide East Chicago residents with free faucet filters and bottled water, and to ensure the filters are installed correctly. The coalition also called for blood testing for children younger than 7, who are at high risk of lead exposure, and expanded water testing for more households than the EPA sampled last year.

“Nobody should be forced to endure contaminated water,” Anjali Waikar, a staff attorney at the NRDC, told HuffPost. “We’re asking for temporary, short-term relief to ensure that people aren’t consuming contaminated water and asking for the agency to provide these basic life necessities until the situation is resolved.” 

Neither EPA nor city officials responded to requests for comment.

The petition arrives at a time of upheaval at the EPA under President Donald Trump. Reports emerged this week that the agency’s budget could be cut as much as 24 percent.  Many programs targeted for cuts could affect cleanup efforts in East Chicago. 

The EPA’s brownfields program could be slashed 44 percent, or $11 million, according to reports, and the agency’s state grant programs for drinking water and lead are listed for 30-percent reductions. EPA compliance and civil enforcement programs could see large cuts, too.

The budget numbers are preliminary and the agency can still contest them. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer this week that he would resist cuts to state grant or infrastructure programs. Pruitt commented elsewhere that he would protect funding for Superfund cleanup.

“We’ll work through the budgeting process to protect those dollars,” Pruitt told the CNN.

Advocates said they want Pruitt’s EPA to move promptly in East Chicago. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that no amount of lead detected in blood can be considered safe, and many East Chicago residents have likely been exposed — through soil, air and now water — for decades. 

As Waikar sees it, East Chicago and other lower-income communities of color are where a slashed EPA budget would be felt the hardest.

Of particular concern to Waikar is a proposed reduction of 78 percent, or $5.2 million, to EPA’s environmental justice program, which helps communities address industry pollution. 

“This situation is an illustration of why the EPA is so important,” Waikar said. “Communities like East Chicago are exactly the types of communities at risk of being impacted by these budget cuts.”

Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, expressed similar concern with the reported slashing of EPA environmental justice funds. He said in a Wednesday statement that the proposal “sent a shameful message: The health of poor Americans is less important than that of the wealthy.” 

The lead crisis in East Chicago recalls the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where the EPA was criticized for intervening too slowly in that city’s lead-contamination problems.

Pruitt said during his Senate confirmation hearing in January that there “should have been a more rapid response” to the Flint crisis. Trump, on the campaign trail, blamed the Flint crisis on “incompetent politicians” and said it “would have never happened if I were president.” 

Debbie Chizewer, a law fellow at Northwestern University’s Environmental Advocacy Clinic who has been assisting East Chicago residents, said the city’s crisis is a chance for Pruitt and the Trump administration to make good on their remarks.

“I hope they recognize that this is an opportunity to show how they’d handle situations differently,” Chizewer said.

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Joseph Erbentraut covers promising innovations and challenges in the areas of food, water, agriculture and our climate. Follow Erbentraut on Twitter at @robojojo. Tips? Email joseph.erbentraut@huffingtonpost.com.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Charlie Wilson has a proven record of overcoming the odds, and his latest album is a testament to his perseverance. 

The 64-year-old R&B-funk veteran landed on the top of the charts in February with the release of his eighth solo album, “In It To Win It.” Featuring collaborations from the likes of Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, Lalah Hathaway, Pitbull and Wiz Khalifa, the project debuted at No. 1 on the R&B Album chart, No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. Adding to Wilson’s list of current achievements, the album’s lead single, “I’m Blessed,” featuring T.I., is currently this year’s fastest-growing single on the Billboard Adult R&B chart.

Wilson, who is also a New York Times best-selling author, is headlining a 30-city “In It To Win It Tour” with special guests Fantasia and Johnny Gill.

The former Gap Band member spoke to The Huffington Post about recording “In It To Win It,” and shared some of his secrets to maintaining relevancy for decades and his thoughts on Bruno Mars recapturing the essence of funk music.

Congratulations on the success of your new album, “In It To Win It.” How does it feel to land chart-topping success at this stage in your career?

It’s what I’ve always wanted. I wanted to make sure that I had a record that would make a statement. I’m excited to have the look of the pop thing going with it. I think that anything that I have on my album has that appeal, and I hope that everybody can look at this record and understand that it’s a special piece. This is a time where people are digitally downloading the one song, and for me to have an album of great records and features, it’s just so beautiful and so fresh, and I’m going for the whole thing. I think it speaks in volumes, what I’m doing. So I’m happy.

How important was it for you to tap a new circle of collaborators, who typically would fall outside of your core adult contemporary demographic? 

I think my fans need to go along with where I’m going. If they gonna connect with me and stay with me, then I need to take them along for this journey that I’m on. I’ve been tapping lightly for so many years, trying to stay loyal to the close fans. But I also have fans that are so very, very young.  And so, I have fans from 10 to 20 and they always tell me, “Uncle Charlie, [the only song we know] is ‘Charlie, Last Name Wilson.’” And I was like, OK, so I need to continue to reach out and make records that all of my fans can understand and love and appreciate.

So I just thought that I would get some of these artists that I know would love and appreciate me now, get them on my record and bring their fans along with me on my journey. And my younger fans can appreciate some of the things that I’m doing this time around. And my older fans can just understand that you gotta stay young and fresh. So I have to keep everybody active, and go on this journey and party like a rock star.

On the album’s title track, you talk about your experiences overcoming racism, homelessness and substance abuse. What prompted you to record the track? 

I thought people needed to hear it. There’s a lot of people still doing the same things I did, even when I was a young man. A lot of people that I still know that was getting high with me when I was in my 20s and 30s, they’re still getting high. I’m like, “Are you serious? You haven’t moved on? You’re still sitting on that same front porch?” That’s not good at all. What baton are you passing, and who are you passing it to? Because if that’s all you’re doing then you’re teaching your kids and your grandkids to be an alcoholic and a dope head. And so, I have to continue to give a message of self-hope and next-level hope. 

People always told me that I was too old to get to where I’m at now. They said I wouldn’t ever do this, and I wouldn’t ever do that. It used to hurt me so much to have people tell me that, but until I did not listen to what they were saying and got up to make a difference and do something about it, I didn’t get to where I wanted until I started believing in myself. I started making No. 1 records. And so, I just wanna continue to inspire people and make them understand, no matter what people say about you ― you could be 30, 40, 50, 60 years old ― you could go do whatever you wanna do and be bossin’ at it. But you gotta believe you can do it.  

So many veteran artists often find challenges appealing to today’s generation of listeners. But yet, you’ve managed to net success while staying true to your core sound. What’s your secret to longevity and remaining relevant in music?

I’m a leader, and I’m not copying anybody. You see everybody out here listening to music and just trying to copy that music. I’m not copying any of that. If you listen to some of the biggest records in the world, you’re gonna hear some Charlie Wilson riffs in it. I’m not trying to make a record for another genre, I’m just making great records and I’m staying fresh. I know what’s out there, but I’m not gonna make a record like that. I’m just gonna make sure that my records stay fresh for the time we’re in. And I make timeless records. I always have.   

In recent years, popular artists like Bruno Mars have landed success with funk-driven singles like [Mark Ronson’s] “Uptown Funk” and “24K Magic.” What are your thoughts on the resurgence of funk music coming full circle to popular music?

It’s great. For him to use “Oops Upside Your Head” as a template for [”Uptown Funk”], I thought it was great. If people like myself or the genre that I came from started making funk records, you know what [listeners] gonna say, right? “It sounds dated.” So, hey, man, sometimes it takes other people to make the record to wake up the funk world. And so it’s great, man. I’m happy and I love Bruno Mars. He’s one of the biggest artists we got out there in the pop world and he’s doing it really well.

I’m glad that he’s funking, and he sounds really, really good. I’ve seen him several times and we’ve talked. He understands the stage. And he’s going hard.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Adrian Peterson is statistically one of the greatest NFL running backs of all time. But this Houston reporter had no idea he was interviewing a legend when he asked Peterson a few questions about road rage.

On Tuesday, Fox 26 reporter John Donnelly approached a regular citizen for a man-on-the-street interview. Peterson kindly answered the reporter’s questions and talked about his past experiences with handling road rage.

As the interview wrapped up, Donnelly asked Peterson, “Your name?”

Peterson naturally replied, “Adrian Peterson.”

“Wait a minute, you’re not…,” Donnelly said.

After an awkward pause, Peterson said, “Yeah.”

The two men then shared a laugh.

Donnelly posted this picture on Facebook after the interview.

Peterson hails from Palestine, Texas, and last year put his home in the area on the market.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Last month, Chance The Rapper requested a meeting with Illinois governor, Bruce Rauner, to discuss a funding bill for Chicago’s Public Schools.

In December, Rauner vetoed a $215 million bill benefiting the city’s school system, claiming Democratic leaders backed out of a deal in favor of a comprehensive pension reform.

On Friday, Chance ― who previously expressed his frustrations with state and city’s dismal education and housing budgets ― had a private 30 minute meeting with Rauner at Chicago’s Thompson Center to help shift the governor’s decision.

But to the rapper’s dismay he was met with “vague answers” from the governor.

“I’m here ‘cause I just want people to do their jobs,” he told The Chicago Tribune after his meeting. “And I did speak with the governor. I asked him about funding CPS with that $215 million that was discussed in May of last year and was vetoed in December over, you know, political arguments and (stuff).”

Despite the outcome, Chance tweeted to his follows:

He also provided a few additional thoughts to reporters:

Rauner went to share with the Chicago Sun-Times his thoughts on the pair using their influence for change moving forward.

“That powerful voice can be a voice for change,” he said. “If we stood together, Chance, I have some power, I have power in some ways, you have great power in other ways. If we stood together, worked together, I think we could get big things done.”

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

“A gender-equal world is a better world for all.”

That’s the tagline ― and truism ― of Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) new women’s empowerment campaign #WeSeeEqual. The campaign’s mission is to spark conversations around gender equality through a series of advertisements. The first spot was released Thursday and falls in line with some of the company’s past “femvertising” campaigns like Secret’s “Stress Test” ads and Always’ “Like A Girl” campaign. 

The short clip shows different shots of people living their lives in ways that push back on stereotypical gender roles. Viewers see a young girl doing a science experiment; a man crying while hugging his daughters; a father changing his baby’s diaper; a working mother coming home to her daughter.

After each shot a sentence flashes on screen to remind viewers that gender roles are meaningless: “Science doesn’t care who studies it,” and “Tears don’t care who cry them.”

The last shot shows a woman from one of Secret’s Stress Test ads hyping herself up to ask her boss for a raise. “Equal pay doesn’t care who demands it,” the screen reads. 

According to a P&G press release, the company hopes the spot will create more conversations about equality: “#WeSeeEqual is our way of sharing our vision and challenging those around us to consider their own gender biases ― conscious or unconscious ― and take steps to correct negative or outdated stereotypes that are weighing us down.” 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

ICYMI: queer women are awesome. 

And on Friday afternoon, a beautiful hashtag reminded the Twitterverse of just that.  

Gay, bisexual and pansexual women tweeted their best selfies with amazing captions accompanied by the hashtag: #IssaGayGirl. 

So in honor of queer girls everywhere, enjoy our tweet roundup below: 

Follow HuffPost’s Queerly Beloved Facebook page for more wonderful content for queer-identifying women. 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Rapper Remy Ma made a dramatic appearance on “The Wendy Williams Show” on Friday ― just six days after the release of the “oh, s**t”-inducing Nicki Minaj diss track titled “shETHER.”

After four minutes of allowing Remy to discuss topics not related to the song, Williams finally cut to the point: “Let’s talk about ‘shETHER.’” 

Remy sat alongside “Plato O Plomo” album collaborator and brotherly figure Fat Joe ― who remained diplomatically silent throughout the majority of the “shETHER” discussion ― and gave a thorough explanation of why the diss track had to be done. 

“It was the behind-the-scenes stuff that you people will never know about,” Remy said. 

The rapper, who was pointedly wearing funeral attire, alleged that Minaj made attempts to prevent her from appearing on red carpets and winning awards and dragged her recent album sales. 

“Just anything that I’m doing to make me look less and make her look better. And I have a problem with that,” Remy said. “When you’re trying to stop my bag, when you’re trying to stop me from taking care of my children, now I have a problem with that.”

“Why you worried about lil’ old me over here? I just came home from prison. I don’t want no problems with nobody,” she continued. 

Remy also pointed out that Minaj has a history of gunning for other female musicians, referencing Lil’ Kim, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus (see: “Miley, what’s good?!”). 

“I feel that it’s weird because she’s been doing this to a lot of females … and no one says anything,” Remy said. 

Less than 24 hours before visiting Wendy’s set, Remy released a second diss track titled “Another One,” which was quickly followed by the trending hashtag #ThatWasTrashRemy. The latest track ― which, thankfully, wasn’t discussed on the show ― made reference to Minaj’s radio silence throughout the “shETHER” ordeal. 

But Remy said she isn’t at all pressed for a response from Onika. 

After addressing the all-black outfit she wore to the show with,  ― “I came dressed appropriately for the services,” she said ― Remy capped off the interview in classic “I know I’m petty, but so what?” fashion with a not-so-subtle shot at Minaj: “My grandmother told me never to speak ill of the dead.”

Watch the full interview with Remy Ma and Fat Joe on “The Wendy Williams Show” below: 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Nine-year-old Brendan O’Brien loves theater, so when he had to choose an icon to honor for a Black History Month project at school, the decision was a no-brainer. 

Brendan is in the fourth grade at the Condon K-8 School in South Boston. For Black History Month in February, all of the students in his class had to do a research project on an influential black figure, past or present. Each child created a presentation and dressed up as their icon of choice for a “wax museum,” in which they would recite a speech about their person’s history.

When Brendan learned of the assignment, he immediately knew who he wanted to be: Tony winner Audra McDonald.

The 9-year-old chose a 1920s-inspired dress, fishnets, heels and a wig inspired by McDonald’s recent role in Broadway’s “Shuffle Along.”

On Feb. 28, the kids put on their “wax museum” exhibit, which featured historical figures like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., sports stars like Jackie Robinson and Michael Jordan, political icons like the Obamas, STEM heroes like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, and of course, a tiny Audra McDonald. 

“Brendan loved that he was able to share with his friends something he is passionate about,” his mom, Nicole, told The Huffington Post. “He told us no one knew who Audra McDonald was. Just as important as her awards and Tony records, Brendan has been inspired by the work she does on behalf of marriage equality and NOH8. He shared that with his classmates.”

Nicole said she loved seeing Brendan’s enthusiasm in sharing his knowledge about McDonald’s life and career. “For a kid like Brendan this kind of project is engaging and makes learning come to life,” she said. “He had quite a crowd.” 

Even Audra McDonald herself loved Brendan’s project. Nicole tweeted a photo of him in his costume, which she retweeted. “I am honored!!!!!” the Broadway star wrote.  

Brendan fell in love with theater when he saw his first show at Boston Children’s Theatre at the age of 4. “He told us that day that he wanted to be on stage,” Nicole said. The little boy attends the summer camp at BCT, has appeared in some of its productions throughout the year and performed with other theater programs as well. 

Last year, Brendan’s friends were able to see him perform in a show and do what he loves, which was an exciting experience for everyone.

“His dream is to perform on Broadway,” Nicole said. “He spends hours learning about shows, actors and actresses and performing at home.”

Brendan “screamed with excitement” when he sawMcDonald’s tweet about his project. “For him that kindness and acknowledgment meant the world,” said Nicole. He also received an autographed photo of the actress from her assistant.

The day of the wax museum was particularly fun for Brendan because he got to wear his costume all day, though he removed the heels during recess. He also loved how much interest his friends showed toward his project.

This sort of experience is typical for Brendan, Nicole explained, noting that his large public school is a place where her son feels loved and supported.

“We love that he has always felt comfortable being who he is in his school,” Nicole said. “He brings a pink lunch box, sits with the girls and likes to braid their hair. For Halloween this year he dressed up as Marilyn Monroe!”

She added, “His school is a wonderfully inclusive place where every child is celebrated. He is authentically himself and is loved for that.”

The O’Briens hope all kids can have that kind of experience some day. Nicole said they’re “thankful every day” for the Condon K-8 School, its administration, faculty and the other families.

Nicole hopes Brendan’s interaction with Audra McDonald reminds others that there are good people in the world

“Small acts of kindness go a long way to supporting and encouraging kids like Brendan who want to be like them when they grow up,” she said. “And having a school and a community that is supportive of all kids is so important.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Source: HuffPost Black Voices

A Nigerian family is going viral for being delightfully extra on an episode of Steve Harvey’s “Family Feud.”

Five siblings of the Obu family charmed Harvey and the audience alike during their pre-game introduction where they share some hilarious banter with Harvey. The best part is when Harvey loses it after asking one of the Obu children about his unique name:

“Your name is Obu? And your last name is Obu?” Harvey asks. “What is your middle name, Obu?”

“It’s Obu.” 

The episode seems to have originally aired in October 2016 according to a Facebook post by the Obu’s opponents, the Jacksons. But their hilarious appearance has now gone viral after resurfacing on the “Family Feud” YouTube  on Feb. 22. 

Watch the video above and try not to smile. 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he would recuse himself from Trump Campaign-related investigations. However, his recusal should not be limited to only investigations involving the Trump Campaign. Under 28 CFR § 45.2, the Attorney General is required to recuse himself from a criminal investigation when he has a “personal or political relationship with any person or organization substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution,” and must also recuse himself from any investigation where his participation would “create an appearance of a conflict of interest likely to affect the public perception of the integrity of the investigation or prosecution.”

Serious allegations of misconduct involving President Trump and his associates occurred subsequent to the presidential election ― including but not limited to communications between General Flynn and the Russian government, potentially improper contact between White House aides and officials within the Justice Department, and misstatements by the Attorney General himself.

Just as importantly, we need to ensure that any investigation involving issues which overlap between the campaign and the Administration are fully and fairly investigated, including what influence the Russian government, Russian intelligence and Russian financial interests may have with regard to Mr. Trump and his Administration, and whether there have been any efforts to cover up the same.

As such, the Attorney General must recuse himself from any and all investigations involving the campaign, the transition, and the Trump Administration. He must obviously step aside from any investigation in which he himself may be a target.

I am not persuaded by the Attorney General’s effort to explain his misstatements to the Senate Judiciary Committee, in response to questions asked verbally by Senator Franken and in writing by Senator Leahy, and it is not at all clear that an after-the-fact clarification to the Committee will resolve this matter. As every Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee wrote, the question of whether or not the Attorney General’s statement constitutes perjury should be reviewed by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

I am troubled by President Trump’s statement that he does not think Attorney General Sessions should recuse himself from any Russia-related investigations. It was wholly inappropriate for the President to discourage the Attorney General or anyone else from recusing themselves from any ongoing criminal investigation―let alone an investigation in which he and members of his Administration are potential suspects. Such statements fly in the face of applicable DOJ guidelines. They also smack of an attempted cover-up.

These events and statements also make abundantly clear, as I and many other Members of Congress have stated previously, that we need an independent, non-partisan commission to review the entire matter.

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— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Source: HuffPost Black Voices