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Cosby Trial Day 9: Jury Deadlocked in Cosby Sex Trial

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By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor)

NORRISTOWN—At 11:06 Thursday morning and after more than 30 hours of deliberation, the jury in the Bill Cosby sexual assault trial has told the judge they are deadlocked on all three charges against the iconic comedian.

The panel, made up of seven men and five women—including one African-American male and female —had previously asked a half dozen questions, before telling Judge Steven O’Neill that they could not come to a unanimous decision.

Despite the length of time already spent deliberating and a defense motion for a mistrial, O’Neill ordered the exhausted panel to continue to try and reach a verdict. He gave the panel what’s known as an “Allen Charge” or a “Spencer Charge,” in which they are urged to continue as O’Neill reminded them of their responsibility as jurors.

“Do not feel compelled to surrender your honest belief,” said O’Neill.

The comedian is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault stemming from a 2004 incident with former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.

Former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor previously declined to prosecute Cosby after an investigation and a case that Castor called too weak to pursue.

Cosby did pay Constand an undisclosed sum in 2006, two years after the alleged incident, and the two agreed to never to discuss their relationship.

Freddie Allen is the Editor-In-Chief of the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com. Focused on Black people stuff, positively. You should follow Freddie on Twitter and Instagram @freddieallenjr.

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Big Conversations, Big Culture, Big DMV Energy

Catch “Let’s Talk on Win-TV” for big conversations on theater, books, and Black film culture in the DMV! Featuring “Spades the Play,” “DMV Does,” and the American Black Film Festival.

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DMV culture and conversations highlighted by the Washington Informer

🎬 LET’S TALK ON WIN-TV — BIG CONVERSATIONS, BIG CULTURE, BIG DMV ENERGY!
Join us for a dynamic lineup of conversations celebrating theater, community, books, and Black film culture across the DMV!
🎭 SPADES THE PLAY
Jada Ingleton, Content Editor for The Washington Informer, sits down with Marcus Callender, creator of Spades the Play, for a conversation about the inspiration, storytelling, and creative energy behind this exciting production.
📚 DMV DOES — MORE THAN A BOOK CLUB!
Washington Informer Publisher and Let’s Talk host Denise Rolark Barnes talks with Whitney Parker and Jennifer Ward, founders of DMV DOES, about building community through books, meaningful conversations, connection, and shared experiences.
🎥 AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL COMES TO THE DMV!
Washington Informer Lifestyle Reporter Brenda Siler talks with Nicole Friday about the upcoming American Black Film Festival at Union Market, bringing filmmakers, storytellers, creatives, and film lovers together for a celebration of Black cinema.
🔥 Three conversations. Three perspectives. One powerful DMV connection!
Watch Let’s Talk on WIN-TV and catch the conversations that bring Community. Culture. Conversation. Connection. straight to you!
📺 WATCH. SHARE. JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Follow The Washington Informer and subscribe to WashingtonInformerTV for more original programming and conversations from across the DMV.

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Obama Urges Democrats to make AI a Priority

Obama calls for Democrats to prioritize AI. Tune into Black Press USA’s Morning Show for the full breakdown.

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Obama speaks at BlackPressUSATV urging Democrats to prioritize AI development and regulation.

This morning on Black Press USA’s Morning Show, Niele Anderson is joined by co-host guest Mr. Mo’Kelly as they break down the headlines shaping politics, culture, health, and the Black community.

Watch Black Press USA’s Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.

#BlackPressUSA #MorningShow #BlackNews #KarmeloAnthony #VotingRights #USPS #Measles #ColinKaepernick #TargetBoycott #EmmittSmith #BlackMedia #BlackPress

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Obama Urges Democrats to make AI a Priority 📱

Obama is calling on Democrats to prioritize AI. Tune into Black Press USA’s Morning Show for the full breakdown of this and other crucial headlines impacting the Black community.

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This morning on Black Press USA’s Morning Show, Niele Anderson is joined by co-host guest Mr. Mo’Kelly as they break down the headlines shaping politics, culture, health, and the Black community.

Watch Black Press USA’s Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.

#BlackPressUSA #MorningShow #BlackNews #KarmeloAnthony #VotingRights #USPS #Measles #ColinKaepernick #TargetBoycott #EmmittSmith #BlackMedia #BlackPress

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Spades the Play – Marcus Callender

Tune in today at 4 PM for an inside look at Spades the Play! Discussing theater, culture, and community with creator Marcus Callender.

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Marcus Callender performs in Spades the Play, presented by Washington Informer

🔥 DON’T MISS IT! TODAY AT 4 P.M.! 🔥
Get ready for a lively conversation about theater, culture, friendship and community!
Jada Ingleton, Content Editor for The Washington Informer, sits down with Marcus Callendar, creator of Spades the Play, for an inside look at the inspiration, storytelling and creative vision behind this exciting stage production.
🃏 What inspired Spades the Play?
🎭 What stories are being brought to the stage?
🔥 And what can audiences expect?
Tune in TODAY at 4:00 P.M. on WIN-TV!
📲 Watch, share and enjoy the conversation!
The Washington Informer | WIN-TV
Community. Culture. Conversation. Connection.

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Black Press

OP-ED: How Does Your State Rank for Pre-K?

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “Other states should take note: Georgia proves that state-funded preschool with well-qualified teachers, pay parity with K-12, small classes, and strong continuous improvement systems can be scaled as a universal program,” said NIEER director Steve Barnett. “With new initiatives to support quality, Georgia can expect increased enrollment, but leaders should also actively promote increased enrollment.”

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Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA.
Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA.

Georgia’s state-funded pre-k program for 4-year-olds was recently recognized as the largest state-funded preschool program in the nation to meet all 10 quality benchmarks, and the first universal program to do so. Georgia’s recognition is the top finding in the National Institute for Early Education Research’s new 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook. The yearbook provides an annual snapshot of state-funded preschool across the country. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia fund preschool programs.

Only five additional states meet all 10 of NIEER’s research-based benchmarks for quality —Alabama, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi, and Rhode Island—in this year’s report. None of those programs have the reach of Georgia Pre-K. NIEER’s benchmarks measure essential preschool quality indicators, including teacher qualifications, class sizes, early learning standards, and program assessments.

“Other states should take note: Georgia proves that state-funded preschool with well-qualified teachers, pay parity with K-12, small classes, and strong continuous improvement systems can be scaled as a universal program,” said NIEER director Steve Barnett. “With new initiatives to support quality, Georgia can expect increased enrollment, but leaders should also actively promote increased enrollment.”

Nationally, state support for preschool education hit record highs in enrollment and funding in 2024-2025. The pace of growth slowed, however, compared to the prior year, and many states continue to lag behind pre-pandemic enrollment levels. Preschool enrollment increased by 44,000 children nationally, reaching almost 1.8 million, including 37% of U.S. four-year-olds and 9% of three-year-olds. California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri contributed the most to increased enrollment, adding more than 52,000 new seats.

States spent nearly $14.4 billion on preschool in 2024-2025. Including federal and local dollars, total spending was almost $17.7 billion. Three states each spent more than $1 billion last year: California ($4.1 billion), New Jersey ($1.2 billion), and New York ($1 billion). Together, these three states account for 45% of all state preschool spending. Texas adds almost another $1 billion.

Spending increased by $434 million, or 3%, adjusted for inflation. Twenty-eight states increased preschool funding, including Michigan and New Jersey, which each added more than $100 million. “Not only does preschool access vary by which state a child happens to live in, but so does the quality of that preschool experience,” said Allison Friedman-Krauss, lead author of the report. “Only high-quality early care and education programs support children’s development enough to result in lasting academic and other gains that ultimately deliver savings for taxpayers.”

A record six states met all 10 of NIEER’s recommended quality standards, with Alabama doing so for the 20th consecutive year. Georgia joined this list this year after improving its teacher-to-child ratio from 1:11 to 1:10 and lowering maximum class sizes to 20. Several states met 9 of 10 benchmarks, including New Mexico, which is working toward universal access for both three- and four-year-olds. Once New Mexico requires all lead teachers to have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, it will be on par with Georgia in terms of both quality and quantity.

Not all states moved forward. Twenty states enrolled fewer preschoolers in 2024-2025 than the prior year, with enrollment dropping by more than 1,000 children in Arizona, Florida, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Seventeen states spent less on preschool than the prior year, adjusted for inflation, with Arizona, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas seeing the largest percentage declines. Additional information about the State of Preschool Yearbook, including individual state profiles and maps, graphs, and state rankings, can be found at www.nieer.org.

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Headlines and Hot Topics

Join Niele Anderson and Rodney Perry on Black Press USA’s Morning Show as they dissect trending headlines in politics, culture, and the Black community. Get the context and conversation behind the news.

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BlackPressUSA TV discusses current headlines and hot topics.

This morning on Black Press USA’s Morning Show, Niele Anderson is joined by co-host guest Rodney Perry as they break down the headlines shaping politics, culture, health, and the Black community.

Watch Black Press USA’s Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.

#BlackPressUSA #MorningShow #BlackNews #KarmeloAnthony #VotingRights #USPS #Measles #ColinKaepernick #TargetBoycott #EmmittSmith #BlackMedia #BlackPress

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