On Tuesday, Senate Republicans — along with some Democrats — defeated a measure to provide $1.3 billion for summer jobs for young people this year and a $1.3 billion extension of enhanced subsidies for poor families with children.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who introduced the amendment along with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), pleaded with her colleagues not to object.

“I have personally heard the stories of these young men and women whose summer jobs changed their lives across the country,” she said. “This amendment will provide $1.3 billion to create up to 500,000 temporary jobs this coming summer. It will invest in critical employment and learning programs that will help not only these young people but the businesses who hire them.” partially jacked via

Secretary Chu discusses the climate change debate.

I was too young to understand what had happened when it did. The news anchorman spoke briefly of a rapper that was shot and killed, and all I could think as a 10 year old kid was, “don’t I know this guy?” When we lost a great rapper, I was more focused on the tooth that I might be losing.

Now, as a 23 year old, I’m thinking, damn, that couldn’t have really happened in my lifetime.” I can’t believe how many years have passed, how many magazine covers have been produced in commemoration of Biggie and Tupac’s rap career or how many songs/movies/documentaries have been composed since their deaths. This is how we mourned. Deep down we really tried to replace the irreplaceable.

What have we learned from the passing of hip hop’s elite? It’s safe to say that words are weapons and are very powerful. We should definitely use them wisely when given the platform to speak to the masses.

But what if it were all a dream? Sit back and reflect on that just for a sec. What if Jay never got as big as he did? Could you imagine a Big track featuring Kanye West?

I appreciate what we got now, but ill never forget what we had.

Love you BIG!

As early as last week, I’ve been getting notified about the early recipients of Census forms. This should be an exciting time for everyone because it’s an opportunity for us all to become civically engaged without leaving the confines of the crib. Honestly, I don’t care how it’s done…you can lay down and complete this form…as long as you STAND UP and BE COUNTED and make sure everyone in your household is accounted for!!!

Below: Highlight and Paste the link in new window or tab to watch Funny A** Census Scene from “The Wash”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTc_Ty8V_ZE

In one of his first appearances since returning to the Center for American Progress, senior fellow Van Jones told attendees of the CAP-Apollo Alliance conference, “Picking a Winner: How to Make the U.S. a Leader in the Clean Energy Economy,” that we now know that the clean energy economy is coming. There are “three key questions that need to be addressed” about the emerging clean energy economy, Jones said, that need to be addressed, but only two already have a “robust policy discussion.

video after the jump. Read the full story

Lots of people hate on Lil Boosie, as he is obviously far from perfect.  But few MCs today are able to capture the pain of urban millennials better than Boosie Boo! Check out the first “8 Bars” of his song “You Don’t Know My Struggle.”  Hopefully, he will you use his art to get his life back together when he gets out of jail. We started off in the backyard,

I’m that boy,

Hate to lose,

if I lose, yo can get bruised,

I’m that hard.

Life starts from a bad memory.

Daddy loved drugs.

Can’t take this from him,

He loved girls.

Went from neighborhood jackas.

To neighborhood stackas

I-10 ridaz,

to I-10 traffickas.

Imagine us in that bottom on that PCP.

Walkin’ to school wit a tool,

who gon’ beef wit me.

Black History Month has come and gone but that is not stopping Detroit emcee and Michigan State University journalism graduate Jashua “JYoung The General” Smith from continuing the celebration. Teaming up with G-Unit’s producer Nick Speed and clothing line sponsor, Dangerous Negro Apparel, JYoung has created Black History Year, a compilation of songs aimed at teaching Black history 365 days a year in a way that is appealing to young people.

“I’ve been studying black history since I was a teenager, and I know firsthand that there’s more than enough information for just 28 days,” said JYoung in a statement to the press. “With Black History Year, I want to educate and entertain for twelve months - and hopefully, even more than that.”

Black History Year, which was named after Dangerous Negro Apparel’s t-shirt campaign, will include a number of installments going in on Black issues such as gentrification, the Black Panthers, the alarming AIDS and HIV epidemic, Haiti, odes to Black comedians and more. The first song on Black History Year’s debut is titled “The Meeting (Malcolm vs. Martin)”, featuring Lansing, Michigan artist, James “P.H.I.L.T.H.Y.” Gardin, which emulates a conversation between the two Black leaders, setting the tone for the tracks that follow.

The project is available for stream and free download on JYoung’s Bandcamp Page (http://jyoungthegeneral.bandcamp.com). Also, follow JYoung on Twitter (http://twitter.com/JYoungS2TS)

A Pittsburgh teenager at the center of a racially charged police brutality investigation celebrated with his family Thursday after a judge dismissed charges from his arrest by officers he says beat him.

“This proves I was telling the truth. I didn’t want people to look at me negatively,” Jordan Miles, 18, said after a contentious hearing in Pittsburgh Municipal Court. “They asked me, ‘Where’s your gun, money and drugs?’ All kinds of thoughts went through my head. I thought I was going to get robbed.”im during an arrest on January 12th, 2010, finally faced Magisterial District Judge Oscar Petite Jr. jacked via the Pittsburgh Tribune

Onehood’s DJ Paradise was on the scene and captured the video above. Check Paradise’s blog here.

Note: This post is a response to DJ Willie Shakes’ post “Speaking of Condoms, Whose Responsibility is it?” . The views of the author are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the League of Young Voters Education Fund.

So an unwanted pregnancy is something that really only affects a woman, and it’s her fault if she didn’t make the guy wear a condom? I’ve heard that argument before, and it’s plain old misogyny.

Saying the woman is responsible for the condom gives men a free pass, when what happens during and after sex is the equal responsibility of both partners. Just because you think it’s “reality” that only a woman’s life is ruined by an unwanted pregnancy doesn’t make it right. If it is reality that men don’t take responsibility for their kids, it’s on you to change that, Shakes, and on all of us.

The argument you’re making is clearly well intended, but it’s based in the belief that a man has no more responsibility for the children he fathers than to send a check every month. It also creates an adversarial dynamic, making women “force” their lovers to be responsible in an interaction that should be tenderly mutual and comfortable for both partners.

Personally, a dude who doesn’t think of getting a condom out himself has a pretty small chance of hooking up with me again. Especially if he calls it a “manxilla”.

The employment rate is low everywhere I go but there are definitely people with jobs that they don’t appreciate as much as they did before they got it. Meaning, they don’t work as hard with that sense of dedication, urgency, or give-a-fuck mentality

Above, a conversation between an 8 year old and an emergency operator that, if you ask me, went too long. This is really sad and disturbing to me as I kept my composure listening to the pain in this little girls voice versus the cold-hearted tone of the 911 dispatcher. The operator got a lil frustrated with this small child who is a girl that obviously can,t handle possibly losing both parents to gun violence.  The childs mother is dying and unavailable to speak or she wouldve dialed 911 herself but the operator still insists on speaking with her. Not to mention her dead father on the floor being aided by the 8 year old’s 6 year old younger sister.

There was no sign of assistance being sent and in fact it seems as if the girl was hung up on. Lets do a better job of doing our job. Damn.

Note to readers: The views of the author are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the League of Young Voters Education Fund.

“We all know condoms are important yet based on all the baby bumps around; people seem to forget the importance of the condom. This morning while looking at pictures of Kim Kardashian I wondered whose responsibility it is to use a condom during sex, the male or the female.

In the heat of the moment, while panties are being tossed on the floor and boxers are being hurled across the room; there is are a few seconds where we have to stop our sexual antics to put on a condom. Sure it doesn’t take long, but why is condom forgot so often. A friend of mine called me complaining about his child support payments. He is sick and tired of giving part of his checks to a no good, sorry ass baby mother. His baby mother isn’t the worst, but she has no job, and depends on his payments in order to live.

I listened to his concerns before telling him, this all could have been avoided if he had put on a condom. He said she didn’t ask me to put one on. What he said was profound in the way a peasant would be profound. I asked him if he had a condom that night, he said yeah. So whose fault is it? I’ve been in the heat of the moment, condom in pocket and almost went raw until the woman said, put a condom on, I got up and 30 seconds later she had the manxilla in her stomach. It was either wear a condom, not have sex or rape her. The later two were not an option.

Being a man I can’t help but think that it’s the woman’s job to make sure that the guy uses protection during sex. One big reason is because she has to carry around the kid in her belly for 9 months, buy a new wardrobe for fat people and all of that. Her life is the one that will be ruined or changed the most by having a child, not his. It’s just the reality of the situation.

My good friend over at Super Happy Ill Time has a completely different outlook on the situation. He said it’s the guy’s job to put on the condom. Chivalrous right? Wrong! He said “Because his penis will be the one to fall off if she’s lying, got nothing to do with chivalry for me.” Valid point.

Every girl I asked this question to, said it was the guy’s job my home girl over at Looseneck.com says the responsibility is mostly the man’s because he knows what fits, what he likes and what won’t break. Another valid point, but if it’s not the woman’s job to say ,“Hey put on a condom” what if she runs into a guy who doesn’t want to wear a rubber is she going to just let him run in it raw because it’s his decision to make?

No one wants to have a tree trunk growing out of or off of his or her private parts, but at the end of the day who is really responsible for using a condom. I say since women have the final say in sex so I believe it’s their job to make sure a condom is used. Key word MAKE SURE, it’s a guys job to wear one.”

Alright, LISTEN. I’m man enough to admit it.

Sometimes I read Fox News.

Mostly for the lolz. And ’cause you and I both know, if you wanna get the scoop on freaky actions perpetrated by the cream of the crazy crop, Fox News is like…the Wal Mart of low, low prices taste.

But the following story - jacked from Fox - isn’t distasteful. It is, however, about extra-small condoms for little Swedish boys whose bodies are telling them yes yes yes and brains are telling them no no no to wrapping that ish up! So you might be offended.

I quote:

A leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland has created extra-small condoms for boys as young as 12 years old, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported.

The condom, called the Hotshot, was produced after family planning groups and the Swiss AIDS Federation campaigned to have the condoms made following several studies that showed adolescent boys were not using proper protection when engaging in intercourse.

Uhh, what?! I’d score this as follows:

Read the full story

Over the last year or so, there have been more and more groups claiming that they work with noncollege youth.  This is sort of bitter sweet for me.  While the need in this community is tremendous and there is more than enough work to go around, the truth is that not all groups are created equal.

Many of the groups claiming to serve noncollege youth have absolutely no business mobilizing poor communities.  But because of their positional power, or because of their relationship to beltway insiders, they often times get resources to do this very tough and often times unrewarding work, when they should be deferring to other organizations.

So, in an effort to clear the air, and serve low income communities, I have a decided to drop this list of the “Top 5 Ways to Know You’re Not Really Working With Noncollege Youth.”

Enjoy.

1 You don’t have a hood or barrio pass!

Let’s keep it real, not every group has what it takes to canvass in low income communities.  There is a real art and science to mobilizing voters in low income neighborhoods. Trust me, you can’t just pop up in a neighborhood and get respect.  You have to earn it.  And word to John Mayer, hood passes aren’t earned easily.

2 You are more about promoting your organization than the community!

Lot’s of groups spend way more of their resources on branding and visibility than mobilizing their constituents.   That works for some constituencies, but to really get folks from noncollege communities to turn out, you have to really be about organizing. Low income communities only respond when they see a real commitment to organizing and local leadership development.  You can’t move folks with a bumper sticker or t-shirt.

3 You skip town when the election is over!

It’s okay, most organizations do it.  Heck, LYVEF has even had to close up a shop or two when money has gotten tight.  But that can’t be your M.O.  Noncollege communities need deep, long term investments.  You can’t get the respect you need to really mobilize people if you are only in town every other year.  Community folks know when organizations aren’t in it for the long haul.

4 Your whole strategy focuses on online work!

Word to the New Organizing Institute, I love online organizers.  But there is no way that you can mobilize noncollege folks if you only use an online strategy.  (Well, unless you are Worldstarhiphop.com.) Low income folks need to be able to look you in your eyes to see if you are legimiate.  Online organizing is a great tactic, but it CANNOT be the end all be all of your strategy.

5 You’re feeling a little intimidated by this article.

It’s ok.  I’m here to help.  As I said above, there is more than enough work to be done in this community.  If you really want to serve low income communities, come holla at me.  I am more than willing to connect you to a group in your city or region that is doing amazing work. Trust me, they exist.

BTW, here’s a link to our Number’s Don’t Lie–Census 2010 mixtape. Check it out, and download it for free!!!

We’re about 2 weeks into our Numbers Dont Lie campaign and i’m sensing viral-bility…lol, I’m sure that’s a word in some country. If you’re somewhere under a rock (and considering the worlds condition, we all will be soon) then you’re excused but I encourage you to give it some download love.

This morning I felt like googling ‘Numbers Dont Lie’  and discovered a plethora of sites and online platforms supporting us. So, I want to send fat shouts to Krysten @BET Centric&HipHopDx, GlobalGrind, 2DopeBoyz, 4080records and anyone else who has contributed  or wants to contribute by dedicating space on their blogs or social networking sites. We, over here @ 99problems.org, greatly appreciate such gestures.

Oh any suggestions/questions/comments??? DONT LIE!!!

Weird story out of Topeka, Kansas (yeah I know none of us are surprised): mayor Bill Bunten, 79, has renamed the city Google, Kansas for a month and yes you are supposed to appreciate that font-color effort, mofos. That was real.

So how’d Google plant a jack into Bill Bunten’s brain? They got him hooked on the juice, baby: fiber optics.

The unusual move comes as several U.S. cities elbow for a spot in Google’s new “Fiber for Communities” program. The Web giant is going to install new Internet connections in unannounced locations, giving those communities Internet speeds 100 times faster than those elsewhere, with data transfer rates faster than 1 gigabit per second.

Yeah! Jeeze, faster than 1 gig a second? Can our puny organic minds even take advantage of that speed? It’s like driving a sports car in NYC…check that dial, got tick marks all the way to 240 while you idle in midtown.

Read the full story

BROOKLYN!

Need a job? How about one with a good wage, flexible schedule, that serves a good cause and includes paid training. Sounds pretty good, right? Too good to be true? Not so much. Turns out Brooklyn is desperate for census workers.

According to Brokelyn.com, a tipster informs them that there aren’t enough people in their database to fill all the jobs that are open.

“…the local office based on Fulton St, which covers the neighborhoods reaching from DUMBO to Clinton Hill & Prospect Heights—Red Hook to Sunset Park (and everything in between) is currently facing a shortage of applicants.”

So get at it, and do it soon. Most jobs are paying $18.75 per hour, part and full-time schedules, evenings and weekends available.

“All people have to do is call 718-360-5150 to schedule to take the test. Or, show up at the Big Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza between 1:30 and 1:45 this Sunday, with two forms of ID (Photo – Passport, License, State ID plus a Social Security Card, or Birth Certificate.) It’s that simple. Due to the shortage, just about any passing score will net a job.”

And while you’re out there doing the job, you’ll learn more about our beloved borough and its rich diversity. Again, from the source:

“I’ve been working for the Census on and off for a while, and it’s an interesting job. I highly recommend it, especially for people who are interested in Brooklyn and people.”

So what are you waiting for?

For more info about the census and why it’s the most important 10 minutes you can spend this month, check our new video.

And don’t forget to get that Numbers Don’t Lie Mixtape from DJ Willie Shakes. Take our census pledge and get your free download here!

See that, giving you free music and job hookups. Who loves you? Pledge today.

It is Saturday January 9th, 2010 and as I prepare to participate in this event, I think to myself how many more of these will I attend? I should be excited because this is an opportunity for me to see all my loved ones and friends I haven’t seen in a long time. We never get to hang out anymore. But there is no happiness today.

This is a home going celebration of one of my lil homies and I’m the DJ. A crew accompanies me with no equipment in hand as we witness the double funeral of Donte Pearson and Don Hamilton who were struck by suspects fleeing police. In the distance, some neighborhoods away, another family prepares for a similar fellowship in memory of Shanica Adkins, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who shared the same cause of death.

Police pursuit deaths are on the rise in my city as Melinda Moore was struck yesterday morning when she stepped into the street in the 2700 block of N. 20th St. According to Police Chief  Edward Flynn, officers pulled over a van they believed to be stolen. The van took off and eventually struck Moore. The van later was located and three people were arrested, but the driver was still at large, Flynn said.

They’ve been singing that same “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime” song forever but as corny as it sounds, the lyrics are true. A crime like this is unfair and as wreckless as texting while driving. As unfortunate of an incident this is, there aren’t too many ways to prevent them. We must make smarter decisions about life and consider those that are effected by our actions.

My prayers go out to the families of them all. But what’s even sadder about this is these are four people that hadn’t even really had the chance to live life to its fullest and they died over something they didn’t have anything to do with. All four victims were  between the ages of 20-23 and they all occurred within the last two months. The individuals responsible are either twice the victims age, which is a shame or the same age and that’s an even more negative aspect to consider.

We can’t keep playing with life, CAN I LIVE??? CAN WE LIVE…PLEASE???

While the Brooklyn team sulks around the office with the news of Guru from Gang Starr’s massive heart attack and subsequent coma at the ridiculously young age of 43 (Moment of Truth was a big high school record for this writer, I totally dated myself), we’re on the lookout for a cheer up.

The new album from the Gorillaz might just do the trick. Check it out, streaming on NPR a full week before its release! “Plastic Beach”, featuring Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Bobby Womack (!!!), De La Soul, Lou Reed and members of The Clash, this is guaranteed to be carrying us through the blossoming spring months and keeping spirits high.

Meanwhile, news coming from Guru’s camp that he’s scheduled to undergo surgery soon, so keep those good vibes coming, with or without help from the Gorillaz crew.

Members of the advocacy group “Rights For Imprisoned People With Psychiatric Disabilities” recently put on an excellent workshop to train the police how to better deal with the mentally handicapped in criminal situations. Their goal was to stop the many fatal confrontations between the police and the mentally handicapped that occur every year.

The only hitch? No one from the NYPD showed up.

To be fair, though, the NYPD is pretty busy. There are children doodling on their desks who must be brought to justice!