Zo! of Foreign Exchange Music coming to Minneapolis March 12 at The Pourhouse
March 3 - March 9, 2014
Vol. 41 No. 10 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
President Obama calls on investment in infrastructure By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer The Twin Cities is clearly on the White House’s radar. President Obama has visited the area three times within the past couple of years and touted the business practices of an area restaurateur, Punch Pizza, during his most recent State of the Union address. Vice President Biden was in town a couple of weeks ago and just this past Wednesday the president made a stop at the Union Depot in St. Paul to announce his competition encouraging Congress pass a bill to create jobs and restore infrastructure as part of the president’s Year of Action. The depot was chosen as an example of a previously collapsing entity that is seeing a revival due to a recent restoration. “Because of the work done on this building right here, all toll,
more than 4,000 jobs were created because of this project,” said Obama. “All in all, everybody’s winning.” St. Paul’s Union Depot, which had become seriously dilapidated, received a grand makeover to the tune of a $243 million restoration that was completed in December 2012. The Union Depot restoration received $124.3 million in federal funds. The president said he will ask Congress for $300 billion to update the nation’s roads and railways. The Highway Trust Fund finances federal highway programs but is set to run dry as early as August. According to estimates, the fund needs $100 billion over the next six years just to maintain current spending levels. There is probably no great irony that President Obama
OBAMA TURN TO 5
President Obama during his recent speech in St. Paul at the Union Depot
Harry Colbert, Jr.
Fashion Odds magazine
CELEBRATING
the BEAUTY
of BLACK
Featured women (L-R): Anna Jones, Shatona Kilgore Groves, Coryn Woitel, Sherita Moss, Ashley DuBose, Sonya Goins, Robyn Robinson, Faatemah Ampey, Jasmine Stringer, Ada Johnson, Felica Wright- Palmer and Judy Justin.
By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer The image itself is striking. The image is powerful. The image is beautiful. The image is aesthetically pleasing. The image is bold. The image is serious. The subjects of the image command respect. And, unfortunately, the image is an anomaly in the world
of fashion and fashion periodicals – or any periodicals for that matter, minus an issue or two of Ebony or Essence. The image of 12 area African-American women, stunningly clad in all black outfits appeared in the January/ February issue of Fashion Odds (www.fashionodds.com), an online magazine headquartered in the Twin Cities. The less than
a year old magazine, which has a printed version, first gained serious exposure when it ran an exclusive interview with cultural icon, Lady Gaga. The latest issue has once again placed the magazine in the national spotlight with its pictorial titled, “Back to Black.” The 12 women captured on film vary in age, size and career and each has a unique
and powerful story. Individually, a couple of the women are journalists. A couple are models – one of whom just survived a bout with stage 3 cancer. One is a singer who has been featured on “The Voice.” A few are highranking corporate executives. A few more are entrepreneurs. Collectively, they form an iconic
BEAUTY TURN TO 4
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Paul Robeson: The template for an amazing Black man
Car review: 2014 Toyota Highlander
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