Kendrick Lamar’s Schottenstein Center show’s futuristic art-film introduction led into a Stevie Wonder warmness which explored the Diaspora of entertainment, human experience and culture during Kendrick’s complete captivating performance.

A series of dancers entered a catwalk which in flesh form and mimed Lamar’s Big Steppers album namesake.

After the first of a series of large square objects accompanied this waltz, next unveiled the Compton performers’ entrance of rapping from a piano the song “United in Grief” from Kendrick’s newest album which explores the layers of traumas our society inflicts on itself.

Whether it’s racism or basic human mistakes…

Kendrick performed “N95,” “Element,” then “Worldwide Stepper’s.”

I was impressed with the Terry Gilliam-meets-Dave Hammons opulence.

The second I had fallen into field trip to museum zone… Kendrick returned us to the Compton beaches by nailing “Backseat Freestyle” in which the stacked Schott erupted with glee after being seduced with the cerebral build-up.

“Backseat Freestyle” extols Hip Hop celebration of sexual prowess.

Texas and Arizona have begun busing refugees at their border – at a cost of millions – up to a couple liberal Northern cities . . . let’s see how they like it!

Texas, according to Gov. Greg Abbott, “has had to take unprecedented action to keep our communities safe” – you know, from the hordes of rapists or whatever storming across America’s insecure border, which of course is 100 percent the fault of President Joe Biden.

If Columbus, Ohio had a free (almost) daily press, this essay would be published in Columbus Dispatch. But it does not. As many readers are aware, I am banned from the unedited Opinion page of our local USA Today/Gannett outlet because I expressed the truth on its own readers’ comments site. I called the Opinion page “muddled” and “uninformed,” which no one can deny. As a result, the “Opinion and Engagement Editor,” who had published my essays and letters regularly and accepted my advice, summarily banned me from its pages. This contravenes both the First Amendment and USA Today’s own thin Statement of Standards. Neither Dispatch nor USA Today/Gannett cares about that. The Opinion page makes it clear that truthfulness, facts, or clear English expression are not concerns.

Last October, The Free Press asked when, if ever, Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant would discipline Deputy Chief Jennifer Knight for sustained charges of retaliation against Lt. Melissa McFadden.  

Read the complete story here: https://columbusfreepress.com/article/will-chief-bryant-keep-her-promise-and-hold-police-officers-accountable

In the ten months we have been waiting to learn of Knight’s discipline, McFadden has won a federal lawsuit against the city and the Division proving discrimination and retaliation involving other actions taken against her by Knight and others. McFadden will be promoted to Commander on August 19th, an event delayed due to the discrimination proven to the jury in the federal lawsuit. 

And now, Knight has filed her own lawsuit against the City, Chief Bryant, Mayor Andrew Ginther,  two safety directors, and three other city employees. Notably, McFadden is not one of them, even though Knight names her thirty-three times in the complaint her attorney filed on August 5th. 

Israel again preemptively attacked Gaza from August 5 until a ceasefire was brokered by Egypt and the UN effective late on August 7.  The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian territory (OHCHR oPt) confirmed a total of 46 Palestinian fatalities, including 16 children.  Additionally, it has been reported that 360 Palestinians were injured including at least 151 children, 58 women and 19 older persons.  The shelling damaged 1,761 housing units, 450 Palestinians have been internally displaced, and 8,500 people have been impacted by the damages. 

Three days of Israeli bombardment in Gaza killed at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children. Since 2008, Israel has launched four major attacks on the Palestinian territory, killing around 4,000 people – one-quarter of them children.  This doesn’t include Gazans killed and injured by Israeli sniper fire during the Great March of Return (2018-2019).