Music Legend Roberta Flack Dies at 88,
Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist known for her smooth vocals and intimate style, has died. She was 88. Flack, who revealed in 2022 that ALS had taken away her ability to sing, rose to fame with her 1973 hit “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” which spent five weeks at No. 1 and earned two Grammys, including Record of the Year. Her partnership with Donny Hathaway produced hits like the Grammy-winning “Where Is the Love,” and she continued her success with “Feel Like Makin’ Love” in 1974. Later collaborations with artists like Peabo Bryson and Maxi Priest also produced beloved tracks.
Newsom Appoints Three Black Superior Court Judges; One Black Appellate Judge Confirmed
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently appointed three Black judges to Superior Courts across California, while Judge Charles Smiley, appointed by Newsom in November, was confirmed to the state’s Courts of Appeal. Judge Smiley, an Alameda County Superior Court judge since 2012, will serve in the First Appellate District, Division One, in San Francisco, filling a vacancy left by Justice Sandra L. Margulies. The three new Superior Court judges are James Montgomery Jr. (Los Angeles County), Chandra Reid (San Diego County), and Mark McCannon (San Mateo County), each bringing extensive legal experience to their roles.