The Best Returning TV Shows of 2014

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The Best Returning TV Shows of 2014

There are more than 60 shows on the three end-of-year lists I’ve come up with — Top 10 Shows, Best New Shows and Best Returning Shows. More than five dozen shows rated shout-outs, and I’ve probably forgotten a few. As I said in the introduction to my Top 10 list, TV’s middle is doing great. That vast territory between the very top tier and the sketchier lower levels is thriving, with all sorts of outlets commissioning all sorts of fare. And when it comes to the moving target that is a television show, I don’t demand perfection (as if anyone could ever satisfactorily define what that is), I just demand engagement, entertainment and …

There are more than 60 shows on the three end-of-year lists I’ve come up with — Top 10 Shows, Best New Shows and Best Returning Shows. More than five dozen shows rated shout-outs, and I’ve probably forgotten a few.

As I said in the introduction to my Top 10 list, TV’s middle is doing great. That vast territory between the very top tier and the sketchier lower levels is thriving, with all sorts of outlets commissioning all sorts of fare. And when it comes to the moving target that is a television show, I don’t demand perfection (as if anyone could ever satisfactorily define what that is), I just demand engagement, entertainment and food for thought, and the 40 shows on this list, whatever their stumbles, provided some mixture of that this year.

I’ve singled out some of the Best Returning Shows for a few thoughts (just because I have a few words I’d like to say about them, not because they’re necessarily more worthy than the shows listed at the end of this post):

“Arrow,” CW: Like a lot of fans, I think the start of the third season has been a bit uneven, but Season 2 was extremely strong and this kinetic, intelligent drama is still quite entertaining and easily the finest superhero show on television.

“Banshee,” Cinemax: I’ve singled out “Arrow” and “The 100” for their fine direction, and this neo-noir is also top-notch in that department. Like those other shows, it handles action very well, but the action is always in service to character moments that carry emotional weight, no matter how strange or extreme the circumstances. There are very few shows that reliably know what they are and what they want to do: “Banshee” is one of them, and it fulfills its creative goals with sly humor, wounded emotion and believable fisticuffs.

“Hannibal,” NBC: One of the most disturbing shows on TV is also one of the most sincere, and that dichotomy injects tension and pathos into almost every scene. It’s hard to watch, but “Hannibal” rarely loses sight of Will Graham’s humanity — and Hannibal Lecter’s fascination with the psychological mechanisms that make that humanity possible. I can’t quite believe that this strange, saturated, menacing, sad fantasia airs on network TV, but the mere existence of “Hannibal” — let alone its strangely effective ingredients — are yet more proof that we live in unpredictable times.

“Homeland,” Showtime: “Homeland” isn’t the consistently great show that it was in its first season and two-thirds of its second, which is why the weak start to Season 4 made me wonder if I’d have to give it up. I haven’t given it up, because the drama upped its game — well, a couple of its games. “Homeland” is now a rotating array of shows, some of which work and some of which don’t. “Homeland” simply doesn’t have the skill set to be a good soap opera, which is why, in recent seasons, it has consistently stumbled when it comes to Carrie Mathison’s personal life. It’s on somewhat firmer ground when it decides to be a somewhat meatier version of “24,” as it was Dec. 7 outing, in which the preposterous and pulpy stuff was offset by some nuanced character moments. When the show is working, it can be a gripping, timely meditation on the ugly, pragmatic and questionable decisions made by individuals on the front lines of a war even they don’t fully understand.

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” ABC: It got good, thank goodness. In its second season, this adventure hour got a lot better at action, it injected the proceedings with much more suspense and it brought some fine supporting actors into the fold. What it lacks in depth it makes up for in efficiency and capability, and though its characters aren’t in the Whedonverse hall of fame, they’re much more engaging this season. A welcome improvement all round.

“Masters of Sex,” Showtime: I was hoping this show would make the kind of leap “The Americans” made between its first and second season, but the Showtime drama was consistently inconsistent throughout its second season. It often wandered away from its core strengths and suffered from pacing and characterization issues (almost everything to do with Masters’ wife was a misfire). Still, the show’s earnest warmth and its compassion for its characters made it worth watching, and the work of Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan was typically transfixing, especially in the terrific “Fight.”

“New Girl,” Fox: I laugh out loud at this show, many times, during almost every episode; it is almost always a balm at the end of a long, tough week. Very occasionally, some jokes veers toward being needlessly cruel or thoughtless, which jars because this is one of the most compassion-driven comedies out there. But in general, the show’s messy, dirty goofiness, its effortlessly funny cast and its game exploration of the difficulties of growing up make it a treat to watch.

“Mad Men,” AMC: I’m still not a fan of the decision to split the seasons in two, in part because AMC has given me twice as long to anticipate missing this show. Few shows are as richly stocked with characters, stories, moments and images worth thinking about and analyzing, and yet “Mad Men” is far from being an antiseptic experiment. This drama is at once warm and coolly rational, empathic and dispassionately observational; it’s witty and even fantastically goofy on occasion. I’m already pre-missing it.

“Scandal,” ABC: This spinning top of a show seemed exhausted by the end of its third season; it floundered in various attempts to sustain its usual energy level. So it was a pleasant surprise to watch the start of Season 4: The drama found a more measured pace — well, measured for “Scandal” — and it found fruitful new avenues to explore, and the continuing greatness of Joe Morton’s performance as Eli Pope is a weekly treat.

More returning shows I watched and appreciated in 2014 (and relevant write-ups from the past year are linked): “The Americans” (written up in Top 10 of 2014 list), “Archer,” “The Bletchley Circle” (RIP), “The Bridge” (RIP), “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Call the Midwife,” “The Comeback,” “Community,” “Defiance,” “Downton Abbey,” “Game of Thrones,” “Girls,” “The Good Wife,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Key & Peele,” “Looking,” “Louie,” “Orange Is the New Black” (written up in Top 10 of 2014 list), “Orphan Black,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Rectify” (written up in Top 10 of 2014 list), “Regular Show,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Suits,” “Supernatural,” “Trophy Wife” (RIP), “Veep,” “Vikings” and “A Young Doctor’s Notebook.”

Ryan McGee and I discussed “Hannibal, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Cosmos” in the most recent Talking TV podcast, which is here, on iTunes and below. On the podcast page, you can find many more discussions of the shows mentioned above.

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The Best Returning TV Shows of 2014

Recent Rash of Exonerations Only the Surface: Many More Remain Wrongfully Imprisoned

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Recent Rash of Exonerations Only the Surface: Many More Remain Wrongfully Imprisoned

Fernando Bermudez. Sami Leka. Jose Morales. Reuben Montalvo. Lazaro Burts. Kareen Bellamy. Anthony Ortiz. Frank Sterling. Roy Brown. Dennis Halstead. John Kogut. Eric Glisson. Jonathan Fleming. Those are the names of 13 men that I personally knew and served time with who were exonerated either during my 16 years in prison or thereafter. Last year there were 91 exonerations. This year there have been 90 thus far. To date there have been 1482 exonerations overall, only 321 of them being DNA related. Since taking office this past January, Brooklyn DA Thompson’s conviction integrity unit has exonerated 11 people. Most experts estimate the percentage of wrongfully convicted prisoners to be 2 to 5% of the inmate population — that is 120,000 people. I…

Fernando Bermudez. Sami Leka. Jose Morales. Reuben Montalvo. Lazaro Burts. Kareen Bellamy. Anthony Ortiz. Frank Sterling. Roy Brown. Dennis Halstead. John Kogut. Eric Glisson. Jonathan Fleming.

Those are the names of 13 men that I personally knew and served time with who were exonerated either during my 16 years in prison or thereafter.

Last year there were 91 exonerations. This year there have been 90 thus far. To date there have been 1482 exonerations overall, only 321 of them being DNA related. Since taking office this past January, Brooklyn DA Thompson’s conviction integrity unit has exonerated 11 people.

Most experts estimate the percentage of wrongfully convicted prisoners to be 2 to 5% of the inmate population — that is 120,000 people. I deem the number to be closer to 15 to 20%.

In either case, what is causing the staggering number of wrongful convictions?

Rogue Law Enforcement. In Brooklyn, disgraced retired detective Scarcella was found to have used the same drug addict as the sole eyewitness in six different murder cases. Various news accounts say as many as 70 homicides he worked on are being reviewed.

Forensic Fraud. In Pennsylvania, forensic scientist, Annie Dhookhan, was sentenced to three to five years in prison and two years of probation after pleading guilty to 27 counts of misleading investigators, filing false reports, and tampering with evidence.

Additionally, forensic scientists are given financial incentives for giving prosecutorial favorable results that lead to conviction in North Carolina, Illinois, Alabama, New Mexico, Kentucky, New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona, California, Missouri, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Prosecutorial Misconduct. Lying to judges and juries about the existence of benefits and in some cases coercion to informants was a regular practice over the span of the 23 year tenure of former Brooklyn DA Hynes, as was withholding of evidence of innocence.

Junk science. For 40 years, FBI experts have testified in court about “bullet lead analysis” a procedure in which bullets found at a crime scene are tested for arsenic, tin, silver, and other contaminants or additives, and the findings were compared to analysis of bullets found in the possession of suspects. These experts claimed to be able to link one bullet to others from the same production run. For at least 20 years, FBI officials knew that there were no scientific underpinnings to this junk science — that in fact, there were no studies shown to determine how significant a “match” was.

Disgraced dog scent expert Preston came into courtrooms in Texas and Florida for over 20 years, stating that he had trained dogs which would bark if, after being given items to smell from a crime, the dog recognized the scent from a suspect’s item. Preston claimed that his dogs could smell human traces years or months after a suspect walked over the ground, on heavily trafficked streets, underwater, and even after hurricanes. He is not the only “expert” in this “field.”

In 2013, it was revealed that in 27 death penalty cases, FBI forensic experts may have exaggerated the scientific conclusions that were drawn from a so-called “match” between hair found at a crime scene and hair from a defendant.

Tire tracks, footprints, and bite marks are also junk science.

I served 16 years in prison, from the ages of 17 to 32, wrongfully convicted of a murder and rape in New York, despite the fact that the DNA never matched. I lost all seven of my appeals, including two of which now US Supreme Court Judge Sotomayor denied on procedural grounds for having been four days late despite my substantive innocence argument. Ultimately I was exonerated because further DNA testing identified the actual perpetrator, who killed another victim 3.5 years later.

Using $1.5 million dollars of compensation I received, I started The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice to exonerate the wrongfully convicted in DNA and non-DNA cases, educate the public, elected officials, and criminal justice professionals on the causes of wrongful conviction and the reforms need to prevent them, and help the exonerated reintegrate. In two years time, we helped exonerate William Lopez, who had served 23.5 years, and helped 4 wrongfully convicted men reintegrate back into society by providing short term housing, which enabled them to pursue further education, and in one case open a business.

This holiday season, while celebrating with friends and family, we hope you’ll take a brief moment to remember all those who remain wrongfully imprisoned.

To learn more about The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice and how you can help, please visit here.

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Recent Rash of Exonerations Only the Surface: Many More Remain Wrongfully Imprisoned

Red, White, and Black: The Story of the Fat Kid in Gym Class

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Coach, I never ran your mile every Monday because I didn’t give a shit. And I didn’t give a shit because I was much too busy dealing with my family and figuring out who I was or wondering why everyone insisted on calling me “Beaver” when I would say how much it hurt me (time and time again), or if I had any real friends. Because I’ve always been on the outside, I’ve had to interpret and analyze life differently than everyone else, so for years I did nothing and allowed all of you to step on me. I would take all of the insults, all of the negativity, all of the …

Coach,

I never ran your mile every Monday because I didn’t give a shit. And I didn’t give a shit because I was much too busy dealing with my family and figuring out who I was or wondering why everyone insisted on calling me “Beaver” when I would say how much it hurt me (time and time again), or if I had any real friends. Because I’ve always been on the outside, I’ve had to interpret and analyze life differently than everyone else, so for years I did nothing and allowed all of you to step on me. I would take all of the insults, all of the negativity, all of the hate that you and my peers would give me and lie awake at night dreaming of the day when everything changed. I would cry myself to sleep most nights, knowing my only comfort was the day I escaped Lancaster’s clutches. That was nine years ago.

I’m 21 now, and I fucking wish that Monday mile was the biggest problem in my life right now, I really do. I wish that I didn’t have to become aware of the blatant racism and classism of our desert community, that white people would stop calling me their “nigga”, that I didn’t have to turn to drugs and alcohol to escape my problems, but most of all I wish my mother didn’t have to resort to prostitution to provide for her family. And I wish she would understand how fucked up I feel about it and that I know she will never admit it. I don’t think I will ever be able to honestly say that I love her, and that crushes me a thousand times more than that fucking mile ever could.

I’m sorry that I couldn’t understand physical fitness sooner and the impact it would have on my life, but I am happy to report that I am now skinny. And not only am I skinny, but athletic, healthy, and damn good-looking. The physical imperfections that plagued me in my early youth have now become my most admirable traits. Those buck teeth everyone loved to point out are now the best set of choppers this side of the Mississippi, and a crucial part to my trademark smile. Every push-up, every squat, every lunge that I ever have done was so that I could reclaim myself from the image and person that I allowed everyone else to create of me. And it worked. I felt healthier, happier, and finally growing into the person I always dreamed of being.

Coach, I wish that our relationship didn’t have to be this way, but like so many other people that have come and gone in my life, I don’t feel remorse for how things ended. Choices were made, and regardless of the reasoning, our lives are now what they are because of it. I wonder what you would have thought if you found out that an endless cycle of incapable and damaging father figures were coming in and out of my life, that I needed literature because it was the one place where I didn’t have to be me, or that I tried to commit suicide only two years later after leaving your class, but then I think back to the days you would look at me and shake your head in contempt at my internal subordination. I could see the disappointment in your eyes behind your stupid sunglasses (that only middle school P.E. teachers wear) and guess that my depression and weakness is just what you would have expected out of me.

If you could only see me now; I’ve partied with basketball stars, mingled with celebrities, and had experiences I never thought possible. I have you to thank partly, because the memories I have of you are a constant reminder for me to never quit on my personal mission in life and what I have to do for me. All because of you… and everyone else that wrote me off. There’s a reason why the nerd becomes successful, why the weirdos become innovators… we internalize everything to prove people like you wrong. And I’m gonna keep fucking doing that until some balding coroner with two kids and a fucked up pension checks off “Deceased” and drives back to the home he will never pay off.

Is everything perfect? No, the stakes in my life have never been higher. The weight of my decisions is physical. My failures are historical, but I am now prepared for them. I’m ready for what the world wants to throw at me because I’ve seen it at its worst, and I kept going. I survived. Nothing can stop me anymore. You laughed at my fruitless physical efforts, they laughed when I said I wanted to become a rapper, but no one is laughing anymore except me.

Sincerely,
The Fat Kid in Gym Class

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Red, White, and Black: The Story of the Fat Kid in Gym Class

5 Of Bill Cosby’s Accusers Speak Out On CNN

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5 Of Bill Cosby’s Accusers Speak Out On CNN

The allegations against Bill Cosby have recently snowballed. More than 20 women have come forward in the past six months accusing the 77-year-old comedian of sexual assaults that occurred over the last four decades. Five of these women spoke to CNN’s Don Lemon and Alisyn Camerota on Dec. 8 to discuss their experiences with Cosby and what they think should happen next.

In the hour-long special “The Cosby Show: A Legend Under Fire” CNN anchors Lemon and Camerota spoke with Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis, Kristina Ruehli, Victoria Valentino and P.J. Masten to address the ongoing allegations against Cosby. Each woman talked about the negative affects their alleged experiences with Cosby have had on their lives, even 30 or 40 years after the incidences occurred.

“We’ve suffered hundreds of years — collectively hundreds of years — of horrible intestinal, emotional strife because of what this man put all of us through, and the hundreds that haven’t come forward yet,” Masten told Lemon in the clip above. “I want him to suffer, suffer like we’ve all suffered, all these years.”

The women appeared in agreement that there are more women who have been assaulted by Cosby who have yet to come forward. When Camerota asked the group of women why they think there are more women out there who have been assaulted by Cosby, Masten — a former Playboy Bunny — responded, “Because I personally know former Bunnies that are frightened, shamed and scared to come forward.”

Valentino, another former Playboy Bunny, added that after she came forward with her allegations, many women (including Masten) reached out to her to tell similar stories of sexual assault by Cosby. Watch the entire exchange below.

In another clip Ruehli describes Cosby’s alleged “MO,” where he supposedly identifies a vulnerable young woman, gets her alone, drugs her, sexually assaults her and then leaves. “He’s a coward, he’s a despicable coward,” Masten added.

During the interview, Camerota asked who out of the women had allegedly been drugged by Cosby and all five women raised their hands. Three said they remembered being drugged. Watch the video below to hear Tarshis’ account of a time Cosby allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her.

Valentino described the effects her alleged experience with Cosby has had on her life. While she doesn’t think about it every day, she said, “It’s like this subliminal soundtrack… It’s always there, just under the surface.” The other four women nodded in agreement.

Below is the list of women who have come forward with allegations about Cosby, dated to the time that the allegations were made public.

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5 Of Bill Cosby’s Accusers Speak Out On CNN

Cornel West Reflects On The ‘Artistic Genius’ Of John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’

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Cornel West Reflects On The ‘Artistic Genius’ Of John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’

Fifty years ago, John Coltrane’s quartet entered the Van Gelder studio and created what many call his greatest work of all time. The four-part suite, which sold 500,000 copies, paid homage to black spirituality and marked a critical juncture in the artist’s struggle with substance abuse. Author Cornel West, Grammy-nominated saxophonist Archie Shepp, poet Stanley Crouch and many more joined HuffPost Live to discuss “A Love Supreme” and how Coltrane hit the undeniable crescendo of his career.

West discussed how Coltrane represented a true “moment” in the black tradition and imagined how the composer would respond to the progression of that tradition today. While West said Coltrane would “turn over in his gave” at the popularity of current “mediocre” music, there one thing the author is sure he would appreciate.

“If you really look at the deep expressions of humanity that [are] being expressed in [the album], Coltrane is a culminating moment,” West said. “He smiles when he looks at Ferguson from the grave. He’d say, ‘Aw, the young people are awakening.’ That’s what he says on the album: ‘This is an expression of my spiritual awakening.'”

Check out the HuffPost Live conversation about Coltrane’s classic album “A Love Supreme” above.

Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live’s morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!

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Cornel West Reflects On The ‘Artistic Genius’ Of John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’

If We’re Having a Real Conversation About Race, Let’s Make Sure It’s the Right One

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Just over a week after thousands took to the streets in protest and outrage following a Ferguson grand jury’s decision not to indict a white police officer for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager, we are faced with the reality that a New York grand jury — tasked with determining whether to hold a white police officer accountable for placing an illegal chokehold on an unarmed black man — reached the same decision: no indictment.

We are faced with the reality of a recent study of federally collected data that found that our young black males are at 21 times greater risk of being shot dead by police than their white counterparts.

We are faced with the reality of our criminalization of poverty, severely anemic political participation, geographically segregated neighborhoods, unprecedented levels of economic and wealth inequality, and a heavily militarized police force entrusted with public safety over communities who are met with not only brutality, but with a justice system that is indifferent, neglectful and even hostile in bringing justice for abuses suffered.

While these realities have forced much of this country into a conversation about race, is the conversation sufficient?

If we having a real conversation then we must have one that examines the deep racial anxiety in this country, an anxiety not only stoked by strategic political manipulation, but by fear of rapidly changing demographics, and a rapidly changing world.

It’s important to note that this fear is highly racial in nature. Numerous studies have shown how racial bias — both implicit and explicit — can have deep and lasting effects on black individuals, especially within the spheres of law enforcement and criminal justice. One study by my friend Jennifer Eberhardt – who was just awarded a Macarthur “genius” grant to continue her groundbreaking work — found that black defendants who have what are considered “stereotypically black” features serve up to eight months longer and receive more death sentences than their white counterparts.

As a recent book by Doug McAdam and Karina Kloos cohesively examines, our “deeply divided” country is facing political and economic divisions that threaten to reverse any advancements made during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s.

More than 50 years after the Kerner Commission issued its report, a serious, bi-partisan effort that examined the underlying issues that gave birth to the movement and unrest of that era, we are still living in a deeply unequal society. No leader today has suggested anything as comprehensive as the Kerner Commission and in today’s polarized political environment, it is extremely unlikely that there will be a politically-led constructive look at the current state of our society.

Brown and Garner are but two names in a long list of black men and women who have perished at the hands of police. These are not personal issues or isolated incidents: they are tragic reflections of a deeply broken system.

But as some have suggested, is the system actually broken? Or is it working just as it is designed? Whether intentional or not, as currently structured, our systems are dehumanizing and containing the racial Other. The long list of people killed at the hands of police were not just failed by individual police officers, they were failed, as I wrote last week, by a systemic failure at all levels.

We must demand that communities have a voice in their own safety and protection. All communities care about safety, including black and brown ones. But we must structure a society where their protection is the priority of local police departments. This is not a radical idea, but part of the bedrock of a truly democratic system. Communities should have agency in terms of reviewing and evaluating the systems that are put in place to protect them. Police should be part of this conversation, too, but they should not dominate the conversation.

While I am supportive of President Obama’s plan to authorize millions for communities to purchase body cameras for police, it’s important to remember that this is only an intervention. After all, Eric Garners’ death was videotaped. So was the brutal beating of Rodney King. Even with visible proof, too many in our society are hesitant to see people of color as deserving of full human concern. And it is not enough to follow the law if the laws do not respect all lives. In fact, laws like Stand Your Ground and Stop and Frisk are deeply problematic.

Although victim-blaming has a storied tradition, parsing apart the differences between the cases of Eric Garner and Michael Brown and trying to determine which victim is more “deserving” of our collective outcry is a detraction from the real questions we should be asking ourselves.

We need to go deeper. I believe we are in the midst of a major transformation, with much of it centered on who we are individually and who we are collectively. Nothing has shaped the convulsive developments of the past six years so much as America’s ongoing struggle with race and the by now familiar tug-of-war between movements, parties, and governmental institutions.

It is important to understand that the continued debasement and dehumanization of all those who are “othered” is not just to the detriment of individual communities, it is unhealthy for the health and well-being of our entire society at large.

What we are witnessing today calls for more than a conversation. It demands a deep transformational movement. Change will happen. We can build and support this movement in one direction over another. Let’s move beyond a conversation into real action.

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If We’re Having a Real Conversation About Race, Let’s Make Sure It’s the Right One

77 Meaningful Gift Ideas To Make The World Merrier

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77 Meaningful Gift Ideas To Make The World Merrier

Gift-giving can be tough when you’re shopping for conscious consumers. There’s your eco-friendly uncle, your globally minded mother-in-law, your bighearted niece — does the perfect gift even exist?

Fret no more.

HuffPost sought out 77 gifts that make the world a better place for every one of your thoughtful loved ones. Click the images to see more:

For Women Who Support Gals


smiling african women

For Conscious Kids


holiday toys for children

For Four-Legged Friends


man dog

For Benevolent Beauties


kiehls

For Your Granola Friends


panda

For Everyone Else


charity water t shirt

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77 Meaningful Gift Ideas To Make The World Merrier

What Will the Brooklyn District Attorney Do to Achieve Justice for Akai Gurley?

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What Will the Brooklyn District Attorney Do to Achieve Justice for Akai Gurley?

Police killings resulting in no accountability have happened one after the other: Eric Garner in July, and Michael Brown in August. In both cases, grand juries convened by prosecutors returned no indictments of the officers involved. Public emotions are heightened, understandably, and rightfully so.

On the heels of those cases, in New York City there is another recent case of a police officer killing an unarmed Black man, which has yet to be resolved. This case has received less media attention, but it is especially egregious.

The ‘Tragic Accident’ of Akai Gurley’s Death at the Hands of a NYPD Patrol Officer

In late November Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old man, was walking in an apartment building stairwell with his girlfriend when a police officer, conducting a vertical patrol of the building, shot and killed him. New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said the shooting was a “tragic accident.” The New York City medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Akai was doing nothing wrong. He was not suspected of a committing a crime.

The incident happened in Brooklyn and is now under investigation by the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.

In 2004 a similar case happened in Brooklyn. Timothy Stansbury, an unarmed teen, also going about the business of life in his apartment building, was shot and killed by a “startled” police officer. Then-District Attorney Charles Hynes convened a grand jury. That panel decided not to indict the police officer based on the evidence prosecutors presented. There was no accountability for the death of Timothy.

But as of January, Brooklyn has a new district attorney, Kenneth Thompson.

After Michael Brown and now Eric Garner, how will Thompson handle the wrongful-death case of Akai Gurley? Like his predecessor, will he convene a grand jury? Or will he charge the police officer? Pass the case to federal prosecutors?

The Reality of Justice and Politics

The district attorney’s office is politically charged. Thompson is a new politician and the newest of the five New York City district attorneys elected to office. Thompson has yet to cut his teeth on a high-profile police-killing case that is local but will be reported on nationally.

Like every other elected official, district attorneys seek and receive support from the general public as well as from special-interest groups like police unions.

Which will Thompson serve? The NYPD and its powerful union, or the people who put him in office based on his 2013 campaign pledge of equal and fair justice for all?

“If I have the honor of serving the people of Brooklyn as District Attorney, I will never forget who sent me there.” That is what Thompson said last year while campaigning for the office he now holds.

Looking Ahead and at the Past

If Thompson decides to charge the police officer in the death of Akai Gurley, or if he convenes a grand jury that indicts the police officer, then the case goes to trial.

For perspective, Bronx County District Attorney Robert Johnson convened a grand jury in the killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Black man, by NYPD officers. The Bronx grand jury in that case returned an indictment. The trial was moved out of the Bronx, to upstate Albany, New York (three hours away from the city). That trial ended in the acquittal of the police officers.

The Bronx district attorney, who has been in office for more than 20 years, was criticized for his handling of that trial. Jurors said they had no choice but to acquit the police officers based on the law and the facts presented to them.

The borough of Brooklyn and the greater city of New York has experienced an overwhelming number of killings of unarmed Black or Latino men and women by police. The tense public atmosphere is not on Thompson’s side.

Let’s see how Thompson handles the wrongful death of Akai Gurley at the hands of a NYPD police officer. Will he buck the trend? Follow the pack?

This blog post, by Sharon Toomer, was originally published on BlackandBrownNews.com.

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What Will the Brooklyn District Attorney Do to Achieve Justice for Akai Gurley?

Year-End Tax Planning Ideas For Big Savings

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Year-End Tax Planning Ideas For Big Savings

With less than a month left in the year, you can easily get a rough idea of how much you will owe in taxes for the 2014 tax year. If your anticipated tax bill is giving you sticker shock, there are a number of investment moves you can take between now and the end of the year to help reduce your tax liability for the 2014 tax year.

  • Boost your 401(k) contributions. If your employer permits you to make extra contributions to your 401(k), put in as much as you can afford. You typically contribute pretax dollars, so the more you invest, the lower your taxable income. Your earnings also grow on a tax-deferred basis. For 2014, you can contribute up to $17,500, or $23,000 if you are 50 or older. (These same limits apply to 403(b) and 457(b) plans.)

  • Contribute to a 529 college savings plan. 529 plan contributions may be tax deductible in your state. When you contribute to a 529 plan, your earnings grow tax-free, provided they are used for qualified higher education expenses. (However, distributions not used for qualified expenses may be subject to income tax and a 10 percent penalty.)

  • Sell your “losers.” If you own investments that have lost value, you can sell them before 2014 ends and use the tax loss to offset some capital gains you may have earned in other investments. If you have zero capital gains, you can use up to $3,000 of your tax losses to offset other ordinary income. And for a loss greater than $3,000, you can “carry over” the excess and deduct it from your taxes in future years. If you still like the investment sold at a loss, you must wait 31 days before repurchasing it to avoid violating IRS “wash sale” rules.

  • Delay selling your “winners.” Capital gains can increase your adjusted gross income — and, consequently, your tax bill. So if you are considering selling an asset that has increased in value, such as a stock, you may want to wait until January so the gain will be realized next year.

  • Be generous. Your cash contributions to qualified charities may be tax deductible. But you might get even bigger tax breaks by donating appreciated assets. Suppose, for example, that you purchased shares of ABC stock for $1,000 and they are now worth $10,000. If you were to give these shares to a qualified charity, and you are in the 28 percent tax bracket, you may get a $2,800 tax deduction, based on the current market value of the donated shares.

  • Postpone purchasing mutual fund shares. Many mutual funds pay capital gains distributions in December. So, if you were to buy shares just before the distribution date, you may get a larger distribution, but you will owe capital gains taxes on the money you invested without receiving much benefit from your investment. To avoid this potential problem, ask for the date of the distribution and consider delaying additional investments until afterward.

In addition to these year-end strategies, you may also want to increase your contributions to your traditional or Roth IRA, although you actually have until April 15 to contribute for the 2014 tax year. You can put in up to $5,500, or $6,500 if you are 50 or older. Traditional IRA contributions may reduce your taxable income for 2014, depending upon your income and whether you or your spouse participates in a plan sponsored by your employer. Roth IRAs will not reduce your current taxable income; however, qualifying distributions in the future may be tax-free.

Implementing one or more of these strategies may help you accomplish two objectives — make progress toward your financial goals while brightening your outlook for the 2014 tax year. That may be a pretty good combination.

RBC Wealth Management is not a tax advisor. All decisions regarding the tax implications of your investments should be made in consultation with your independent tax advisor.

Original link: 

Year-End Tax Planning Ideas For Big Savings

The First Ugandan Transgender Love Story (VIDEO)

Human Rights Fighter
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The First Ugandan Transgender Love Story (VIDEO)

For the past 18 months I’ve been working on a documentary called The Pearl of Africa, which captures a personal story about love, hate and being transgender in one of the world’s most transphobic places, Uganda.

I first met Cleopatra Kambugu in June 2012 when I was introduced to her through friends. I was fascinated by her determination to be the first Ugandan transgender woman accepted for her true gender identity. Despite the hate and violent history in her country, she wanted to humanize trans people.

Since then I’ve followed her life up-close, capturing a love story that will become a feature-length documentary. But today I can give a glimpse into her life through a six-part Web series, which sees her fighting for her right to love, questioning gender expectations and being forced to leave her family behind.

Watch Episode 1 below:

Original article – 

The First Ugandan Transgender Love Story (VIDEO)

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