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Will Donald Trump be criminally prosecuted in 2022? Congress mulls referral08:47

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Barack Obama's first time back in the White House since leaving office has many Democrats reflecting on how he tapped style and substance in his politics. Angie Martinez, who Obama hailed as "The Voice of New York," talks about how hip hop has impacted American culture and politics, including the artform taking center stage at the recent Super Bowl. "There are people that have been overlooked, disenfranchised and didn't have a voice for a really long time," she says on The Beat, "and I think hip hop gave a lot of people voice." The Grammy-nominated Martinez has established herself as an essential stop on rap and pop artists' roads to stardom, which is why she's sat with everyone from 2Pac and Biggie to Drake, Queen Latifah, A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, and Ice Cube. In this in-depth interview with MSNBC anchor and music obsessive Ari Melber, Martinez explores the bias against Black poetry in hip hop; the accomplishments and challenges for women in the industry; and shares the best advice she's received about life. (This is an excerpt from a longer interview.)April 8, 2022

Will Donald Trump be criminally prosecuted in 2022? Congress mulls referral08:47

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Now Playing

Obama's back: Dems eye lessons on the 'politics of cool' and new 'voices for the disenfranchised'07:03

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Obama's back: Dems eye lessons on the 'politics of cool' and new 'voices for the disenfranchised' - MSNBC

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will welcome a former U.S. president and first lady this weekend.

On Sunday, Barack Obama the presidential portrait by Kehinde Wiley, and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama by Amy Sherald, will be unveiled to museum visitors. Organizers expect around 4,000 people to attend on the free-admission opening day, though they admit they may be in for a surprise. A crowd of over 7,000 set an all-time record on March 17, the museums last free-admission day.

They will be ready. The museum is hosting a Sunday Best opening event for the public, with 21 micro-events across campus, including a fashion promenade and band performances.

Images of presidents have graced the walls of MFAH before, including the famous Lansdowne portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. And in 2018, a display of founding fathers coincided with local performances of the musical Hamilton.

The difference between those and the Obama portraits, said MFAH Director Gary Tinterow, is the artwork itself. These are already iconic, he says. And we didnt have to wait 200 years.

When: 1-5 p.m. April 3

Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet

Details: Free; 713-639-7300, mfah.org

When: April 3 through May 30

Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet

Details: Included with general admission; 713-639-7300, mfah.org

Barack Obamas gaze follows visitors as they cross Cullinan Hall inside the MFAH. Its easy to imagine his voice, warm and familiar, booming through the Caroline Wiess Law Building, inviting onlookers to come closer.

Theyre even better in person, Bobbie Nau said at the shows preview. Michelle is stunning though I think I prefer Barack.

The portraits appear side-by-side, somewhere between regal and rock star. The couples posture and facial expressions suggest a statesman-like quality, as is tradition with official state portraits. Their presence is commanding arresting even, yet approachable, too.

They just took my breath away, Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell said after the preview. In that moment, I experienced a joy like none other.

Its rare for an exhibition to contain only two works of art, Tinterow noted. And rarer still for both the subjects and artists to be African-American.

Anita Bateman, MFAH associate curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, compares the artists identity to a leaked secret.

The Obama Portraits Tour is presented by the Smithsonians National Portrait Gallery. When the portraits were first unveiled in 2018, they doubled the National Portrait Gallerys attendance that year, from 1.1 million to 2.1 million.

Wiley and Sherald have since turned their focus to other parts of their practice, declining most interviews and appearances relating to the project. Regardless, The Obama Portraits Tour has only gained traction. Houston was initially the last leg of the exhibitions five-city tour; now two additional stops have recently been added. But Houston is pulling out all the stops, Bateman said.

Sunday Best touches on what this exhibit means for the Black community dressing up and, after church, being in fellowship with each other, Bateman said. People want to feel like the museum is a welcoming place. They want to see themselves represented within the galleries.

Barack Obama and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama arrived with an instruction manual. The artists and their respective studios included specifications for each piece, Bateman said. Neither are fans of white walls. Both included height requirements.

Sherald prefers Michelle to be 15 inches from the ground because it creates a more intimate conversation, Bateman says. She later received studio approval to display the piece a little higher at 23 inches, which better suits the space. Were trying to fill 6,000-square feet here.

Wiley expressed strong feelings about colorless backdrops, so Bateman opted for navy, inspired by Air Force One, mixed with sky blue. It gives a presidential feeling, she says of the shade.

Wiley, a New York City native who earned a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and MFA from the Yale University School of Art, is known for referencing the work of Old Masters in his highly naturalistic paintings of Black subjects.

Flowers within the leafy background each carry special meaning for Barack Obama: white Jasmine for his childhood in Hawaii, African blue lilies to honor his late father who was born in Kenya, and chrysanthemums, the official flower of Chicago, where his political career first blossomed.

The artist portrays Americas first Black president leaning slightly forward in a Federal Revival-style chair, referenicing the time period after the U.S. gained its independence; the detail symbolizes democracy. Barack Obama is notably shown sans neck tie and with a dress shirt unbuttoned; his casual pose is similar to Abraham Lincoln in George Peter Alexander Healys portrait and Elaine de Koonings John F. Kennedy.

Sherald painted the former first ladys skin in gray scale, a technique the artist uses as a nod to W.E.B. Du Bois black and white photographs and to remind viewers of the lack of African-Americans in the history of large-scale painted portraits.

Michelle Obamas penchant for wearing affordable American fashion also plays an important role. She wears a dress plucked from the Milly spring 2017 runway collection. The garments geometric pattern reminded Sherald of Gees Bend, a collective of Black women in Wilcox Country, Ala., who make quilts from discarded clothing.

Sunday Best

The last time MFAH hosted an event similar to Sunday Best was in 2012 for the Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit, a retrospective celebrating the work of a former enslaved person and first African-American painter to gain international acclaim. Women who arrived at the Museum after church wearing their big hats received free admission to the exhibition.

Tinterow said visitors turned up in grand millinery for Picasso Black and White the following year, too. They asked if they could get in free since they wore their hats and I said, Let them through, he recalled.

Bateman is anticipating an impressive showing of headpieces for the 2022 revival of Sunday Best. A fashion parade is scheduled for 3 p.m. Theres Music on the Plaza with Houstons Double Dutch at the Brown Foundation outside of the Glassell School of Art, Texas Southern Universitys the Ocean of Soul Marching Band and readings by Writers in Schools Youth Poets, led by Houston Poet Laureate Outspoken Bean, in the Favrot Auditorium, among dozens of other program offerings.

Without question, the days biggest attraction will be the Obama portraits. A limited number of walk-in tickets have been allotted; remaining access will be admitted by timed-entry with advance reservations.

People idolized the former first lady and president. Theyre the last of what we knew from the pre-pandemic world, Bateman said. Were already nostalgic for them.

amber.elliott@chron.com

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Obama Portraits Tour opens at MFAH, with 'already iconic' works of the former president and first lady - Houston Chronicle

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has resurrected an Obama-era proposal shelved during the Trump administration that would remove Clean Air Act (CAA) liability protections frequently invoked by industrial polluters.

Under the new rule, state and federal operating permits would no longer have the option to make a so-called emergency affirmative defense. This defense allowed sources that exceeded the Clean Air Acts emissions limits to avoid liability by attributing the violation to emergency circumstances.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan signed the rule earlier this week, with a 45-day public comment period to follow.

These provisions, which have never been required elements of state operating permit programs, are being removed because they are inconsistent with the enforcement structure of the CAA and court decisions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the proposed rule states.

The removal of these provisions is consistent with other EPA actions involving affirmative defenses and would harmonize the enforcement and implementation of emission limitations across different CAA programs.

The rule has been in limbo for years after it was originally introduced in 2016 by the Obama administration and later withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018.

The Biden administration in October withdrew Trump-era guidance allowing state governments to create exemptions like those covered by the rule, which environmental groups praised but said should be followed up with the revival of the Obama-era efforts.

The D.C. federal appeals court struck down this dangerous loophole for uncontrolled pollution releases as blatantly illegal in 2014, James Pew, senior attorney and director for federal clean air practice at Earthjustice said in a statement.

Now its essential for Administrator Regan to continue to lead on this issue by ending the equally unlawful loopholes for startup, shutdown and malfunction pollution that remain in many air toxics rules. In particular, Administrator Regan needs to remove them right away from EPAs air toxics rules for the refinery, chemical, and petrochemical sectors, where they are doing serious and continuous harm to neighboring communities, he said.

The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

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EPA revives Obama-era rule removing emergency liability protection for polluters - The Hill

First Published Apr 2, 2022, 2:13 PM IST

Grammy Awards 2022 will be held for the first time in person post-pandemic in Las Vegas on Monday, April 4 (IST).

Image: Getty Images

The music world's most prestigious awards ceremony, Grammy Awards will be held in Las Vegas on Sunday (Monday, 5.30 AM in India). The awards ceremony will be held a week after the dramatic turn of events that took place at Oscars 2022 wherein Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage after the latter cracked a distasteful joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smiths medical condition.

With so much drama at the Oscars 2022, the security at the Grammys will sure be beefed up to avoid any similar incident. Meanwhile, ahead of the big night of the music world, here are five things one must watch out for at the Grammy Awards 2022 which will be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.

Image: Getty Images

Will Olivia Rodrigo register a sweep? Billie Eilish had cleaned up all the four big categories -- Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist, two years ago. This year, viral pop sensation and former Disney channel actress Olivia Rodrigo is looking at a similar chance. Olivia has a total of seven nominations this year, including the top four categories. The 19-year-old singer is competing in the top categories alongside pop stars that include Justin Bieber and Doja Cat who have been leading this years nominations.

ALSO READ:Grammys 2022: Will BTS win the award for Butter?

Image: Getty Images

Kanye Wests antics: Kim Kardashian's estranged husband Kanye West has been in the news for his antics, lately. Kanye had also hit out at Kim, her boyfriend Pete Davidson and Trevor Noah who is hosting the Grammys. The organisers of the awards ceremony had recently dropped Kanye from performing to avoid any onstage interaction between him and Noah. However, it will still be interesting to see if Kanye will be up against some drama at the Grammys or not.

Image: Getty Images

Will Jay Z and Beyonce turn up?One of the most important questions that everyone has on their mind is whether rap mogul Jay Z and his wife Beyonce will deign to show up Sunday in Vegas? This is so because Jay Z was a frontrunner in 2018s Grammy Awards with eight nominations, yet didnt win a single award. This led Jay and Bey to skip the 2019 ceremony. In November 2021 when the nominations were announced, Jay Z created history by becoming the most nominated artist in Grammys history with 83 nominations. Both Jay Z and Beyonce have won many gramophones but never have they won a single Grammy in the top four categories, something that Grammy has been hugely criticized for.

Image: Getty Images

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: All eyes will be on the improbable duo of Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. The duo are riding high on the success of their second duet album Love For Sale; it has earned them six nominations. The album is Bennets careers 61st and final studio album. The 95-year-old Bennett was recently revealed that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. It kept his medication condition under wraps for all these years. Even though Bennett has stopped touring now, everyones hopeful that he will appear with Lady Gaga on Sunday.

ALSO READ:Grammys 2022: Where and when to watch in India, performances and more details

Image: Getty Images

Will Obama win his 3rd Grammy? Former US President Barack Obama has twice won a Grammy award in the Best Spoken Word Album category. This year too, Obama has been nominated in the category that includes audiobooks, poetry, and storytelling. Obamas first Grammy came in the year 2006 and the second in 2008. It will be interesting to see if this is going to be a hat-trick for the former US President or not.

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Grammys 2022: Barack Obamas hat-trick to Kanye Wests antics, 5 things to watch out for - Asianet Newsable

Rajon Rondo, the veteran guard, is known for his clever plays and moves. Rondo has played for 9 teams so far in his career while spending most of his time in Boston for 9 seasons. Though the two-time champion is still highly criticized for his shooting. His career shooting percentage is quite average. Rondo shot 48% from the field and only 24% from distance in his peak season.

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There have been times when Rondo has hit big-time shots and made big-time plays. Rajon once played with a broken arm, after he had dislocated his elbow versus the Heat. In that game, Rondo scored 6 points and dished out 11 dimes. The veteran still gets bashed for his shooting performance. Not only by fans but also by people who are known to run a country.

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Being insulted by fans is one thing, but when the president himself steps up to criticize, it is tough to digest. Rondo was insulted by Obama, not once, but twice. In a fundraising event back in 2011, where the president and Celtics team were invited, Obama decided to ask a somewhat insulting question to one of the players.

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4 months ago

Obama, in the middle of the event, asked Ray Allen, Hey Ray, why dont you teach this kid how to shoot?

This tale was told by Shaquille ONeal. ONeal said, Rondo smiled and went along with all of it, but KG told me he could see it in his eyes. It bothered Rondo. It killed him.

As disrespectful as it may sound, this incident happened during Rondos best run of his career. From 2009 to 2014, Rajon averaged 12 points, 10 assists, and 4 rebounds a game. This was quite demotivating for a young player, though the trash talk didnt end there.

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Recently, during an NBA Cares event back in 2020, Barack Obama had some advice for Frank Vogel. During the event, Obama said to Vogel, I love what youre doing with the Lakers. Great job, but lets talk about that rotation. You need to stop playing Rondo so much and give Caruso more playing time.

Vogel did not just accept the presidents word as he replied, Yeah, I love Rondo, but Ill think about it.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Lakers Guard Demands a Trade? Malik Monks Cryptic Tweet Leaves NBA Fans Delirious

At the time, Rondo was a role player, and he was doing well in his role. But Caruso wasnt as good. What he did have was great potential. Though if they had given Caruso more playing time, that couldve helped him open up his full potential. And Vogel wanted Rondo on the floor to add his veteran presence.

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Bulls Fan Barack Obama Insulted a 2 Time NBA Champion in a Fit of Rage Live on Court - EssentiallySports