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CITIGROUP From page 1A settlement holds Citi accountable and compensates the state’s pension funds that protect the retirement savings of hardworking Californians.” As part of the settlement, Citigroup acknowledged it made serious misrepresentations to the public, including investors, about the mortgage loans it securitized in residential mortgage-backed securities. The resolution also requires Citigroup to provide relief to underwater homeowners, distressed borrowers, and affected communities through a variety of means including financing affordable rental housing developments for low-income families in high-cost areas. The settlement does not absolve Citigroup or its employees from facing any possible criminal charges. An investigation conducted by Attorney General Harris showed that offering documents for the securities failed to accurately disclose the true characteristics of many of the underlying mortgages, and that due diligence to weed out poor quality loans had not been adequately performed. As part of the settlement, Citigroup will provide $2.5 billion in relief to aid consumers across the country, including Californians, in the form of principal forgiveness, loan modifications, donations to housing and legal assistance nonprofits and efforts to reduce blight. $4.5 billion will be paid to settle federal and state civil claims. The settlement related to California’s pension funds arises from the investigation into mortgagebacked securities by Attorney General Harris’s Mortgage Fraud Strike Force, which was formed in May 2011 to comprehensively investigate misconduct in the mortgage industry. The Attorney General’s additional efforts to investigate the mortgage crisis include securing an estimated $20 billion for California in the National Mortgage Settlement and sponsoring the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, a package of laws instituting permanent mortgage-related reforms. In November of last year, Attorney General Harris announced a $300 million settlement with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. over its misrepresentations in residential mortgage-backed securities sold to CalPERS and CalSTRS. For more information on the U.S. DOJ settlement visit: http:// www.justice.gov/ YOUSAFZAI From page 1A make sure that they return safely.” Later, standing beside four visibly delighted children from Chibok, she blew out the candles of a birthday cake. Malala was shot shortly after boarding a school bus in 2009 by Taliban insurgents in Pakistan’s Swat district, an event that turned her into a global symbol of defiance against the militants. Similarly, the abduction of 300 secondary school girls has shone a global spotlight on the atrocities of Boko Haram, whose name means “western education is forbidden”. A social media campaign, #bringbackourgirls, drew support from Angelina Jolie and Michelle Obama. But attention has since waned, and a small but determined group of relatives who hold daily rallies for the girls say they have been intimidated by the government, which has faced a barrage of negative publicity over its handling of the incident. Meeting a group of parents of the abducted girls, Malala said: “Thank you for your great work and for such courage … you are really brave parents.” Some of the parents wiped away tears as she spoke. Later, parents and four of the girls attended the daily rally in the centre of Abuja, sitting in silence as a crowd chanted. One supporter likened the rallies to a “long battle in which we have faced arrest, intimidation and distractions”. “It’s great for Malala to come here and refocus attention on the issue. At the same time, that it took Malala coming to meet our president is an indictment on how Nigeria is handling this crisis,” said Toyin, a supporter in her 20s. Shettima Haruna, whose daughter Margaret was abducted, stood up at the rally and addressed the crowd: “We parents thank you all for standing with us all this while. If not for your support, interest would have died down completely. The only reason this case is till receiving attention is through this group.” Another Chibok resident explained why more of the mothers weren’t there: “Some of the women are so devastated by the events they can’t even cook any more.” Boko Haram’s half-decade battle to impose an Islamic caliphate in Africa’s most populous nation has become increasingly bloody in the last year. Civilians have increasingly been targeted, and last year the insurgents burning dozens of schoolchildren alive in their dorms. Pakistan and Nigeria have some of the highest numbers of children out of school. In Nigeria, girls make up around twothirds of the 10.5 million outside the school system. According to Justin Forsyth of Save the Children, which is working in partnership with the Malala Fund, 50 million children living in conflict situations are denied their right to education. “In countries like Syria, South Sudan and Nigeria, schools are targeted in attacks and often used as military bases. Many of the children I’ve met have told me that one of their top priorities is to return to school,” he said. LIGHT From page 2A missed judge by people, having propaganda and exaggerated twisted stories written about me in the newspaper. Not knowing who to trust, who still believed in me, not knowing who wanted me to make it through? And who wants me to crash hard. These are some of the thoughts everyone gets, when going through a storm, only in adversity do you come to grips with life. Here are three quick lessons I learned. Lesson 1: Materialistic Goals are really over rated. Don’t get me wrong I like nice things too, but the thought of selling everything and starting over was, in a tiny way, liberating. I hear of people that after losing their homes and selling most
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everything feel freedom in a way they had never known. True wealth is what money cannot buy things like health, freedom, a good night sleep, a loving family, and faithful friends. Lesson 2: Angels also exist in Human Form. While passing through the tunnel of my hell and during my fight to bounce back, I had to quickly find out which people truly cared and wanted me to bounce back, and those who wanted me to fall back. The earlier in life, you find out who’s for you and who’s not will give you a greater perspective on how to spend your time, money, energy, and most importantly who to spend it with. The generosity of a few people in my church rocked my world in a way that left me forever changed. I now get the phrase “While you may only be one person in this world, you may be the world to one person”. I revived my belief in humanity. Lesson 3: Miracles Are All Around But You Have To Look For Them. As a pastor I am required to be clear and strong as I lead people and help comfort their soul. You can’t be broken and effective at the same time; I had to “faith it till you make it”. By faithing my strength and even my smile, I slowly felt both again. I witnessed the miracle of Almighty God working through the universe and people that helped me get though my storm. I am still bouncing back in some ways. I have to say that the person I have become. I not only love me, but I now like me, and I am totally okay with everybody else, the way they are, in fact, what makes us all great is our differences, not our sameness. In a crazy way, I have to say, I would not change one thing that has happened to me. God takes what the enemy meant for bad and he turns it into good. Hear Pastor Lonnie Sunday at the Miracle Center, Ventura Ca (805) 644-7722. lonnie100@ msn.com Lonnie G. McCowan is pastor at The Miracle Center of Ventura, in Ventura, CA. He can be contacted through email at lonnie100@msn. com or by visiting www.miraclecenterventura.com. PRIORITIES From page 2A based on your preferences. And now you would prefer to lose those ten pounds! Until it becomes a priority, it won’t happen. You must make a choice to focus on your priority now. Changing your preferences isn’t easy. It’s not like you get to choose between cheese or pepperoni pizza…now you have to choose something other than pizza …something like grilled chicken! And you feel deprived. Feeling deprived may even cause you to forget all about your priorities and indulge in the comfort of that pizza…your preference in the moment. It can become a vicious cycle where none of your needs are met. One of the ways you can become more conscious of your actions is to simply ask yourself this question… What matters most? Perhaps you need to continue to ask… Does this choice serve my best interests? Does it help me to move closer to achieving my goal? What takes precedence? Is it the momentary pleasure of eating the pizza? Or is it the end result of mastering my weight? Is my health and fitness more important than the fondness for the flavor? What choice will make me feel more confident and in control? Preferences and priorities can create difficulties in all aspects of our lives. It becomes a control issue. What is controlling your choices? Your preferences or your priorities? Marriage may be a priority but our preferences may lead us to make choices which jeopardize our marriage. We may desire financial stability and set a priority to save money, but our fondness for fine dining, travel, or designer clothes stops us from doing so. Graduating from college is only accomplished when priorities overcome preferences. Building a successful career requires making conscious choices based on the most important considerations. When faced with a decision between conflicting desires, it is always in your best interest to take the time to consider which decision serves your priority. You can be faced with many appealing opportunities, some of which may be entertaining but send you in the wrong direction. You are creating your life with your thoughts and your actions. Focus your thoughts on your goals and aspirations which propel you forward to success. Make your self and your life a priority. Choose what matters most! You have the power to make the choice right now in the moment. Your life is a series of moments. Each moment gives you the opportunity to focus on the choice which matters most. When you live your life aligned with what is important to you, your priority becomes your preference. It all works together to serve you. You actually get both at the same time. All your needs are met. All your desires are fulfilled. Sweet! PRACTICE From page 2A in order to sharpen our craft. Through many observations, I see that so many people who want overnight fame and success. We live in what is often referred to as a microwave generation – everyone wants things quick and fast. Here is the problem with quick, fast and in a hurry: it doesn’t usually last. You can get fast results, but you may not be able to hold onto them for long. People can take diet pills to lose weight, but in order to have lasting results they should change their eating habits and exercise long term. People like to take risks gambling, so that they can win money quickly. However, having long term employment and investing in things that will bring residual income will continually keep money coming in. Getting something quickly isn’t better than having something lasting. If we look at some of the best athletes, musicians, singers, etc. we find that they have to practice and rehearse a lot. They go over the same things over and over again until they know it like the back of their hand. Doing something repetitively will cause it to become a natural action. It will become like second nature. The people who do very well in school are people who actually put in the time studying. Time, effort and en-
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ergy that are put into practicing will always produce favorable results. Practice, training and rehearsals are a part of every successful person’s lifestyle. Practice makes perfect. You can reap the benefit of someone else’s success, but you will be better off working hard and doing what it takes to produce your own success. You can wait for overnight success or you can choose to work for your success. Not only will working for it better prepare you for it when it comes, but it will also make you more appreciative of it. When you appreciate things you will take better care of them. Like the saying goes “Hard work beats talent…” Be willing to work for it. Exercise your skills and strengthen your abilities. Grow. Get stronger. Be better. Take the time to practice. Rehearse. Nothing will be produced if you don’t do anything! If you really want it, you won’t sit around and miss it. It’s too easy to be lazy and sit around with people who don’t require anything of you. But when you do, you will miss your opportunity to succeed. You work on your craft so that you will get better and move onto higher levels.. Decide to rise above your circumstances. Make a conscious effort to get out there and do your best. Push to win. Keep practicing. Even though you may not see immediate results, if you keep on not only will you see better results, but you will see lasting results. The people that win are the ones who don’t give up. The ones who rise up about the rest are the ones who put in the work. Inez Lanns was born and raised in Ventura County. She currently owns an Internet Marketing & Communications business called Inez Knows. She also writes on her blog on her web site: www.inezknows.com. CI From page 2A test bridges, network with professional engineers, and take field trips to museums, universities and science-related sites. The activities help them gain critical engineering, problem-solving and communication skills they can apply in future studies and careers. “The EDCP program, which promotes a college-going culture and interest in engineering and other STEM disciplines, is a successful example of strong regional collaboration among organizations, businesses, career professionals, K-12, colleges and universities, and the Ventura County P-20 Council. These students are the future of our region and together we are supporting their dreams and building a stronger community for us all,” said CI President Richard R. Rush, who also serves as Chair of the Ventura County P-20 Council. Students in the summer academy are participants in a rigorous, threeyear program at Hueneme High School, designed to stimulate their interest and aptitude in engineering. They apply for the program as ninth graders. CHP From page 3A Patrol Assistant Chief Chris O’Quinn told reporters. “There are events that led up to this. Until all that’s collected and put into perspective we aren’t going to be able to make a determination,” The agency didn’t identify the officer, but says he has been put on paid administrative leave. “The CHP, to justify the beating, (are) saying they were trying to protect her from harm,” Harper said. “With a beating like that no one wants to be protected. She only needed protection from the officer.” Pinnock is in a hospital under an involuntary psychiatric hold. “We are concerned she’s still being involuntarily kept at a facility,” she said. A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer savagely beat an unarmed woman on a freeway onramp July 1 in Los Angeles, California. The assault was captured on video by an onlooker and shared widely on social media. The beating comes amidst a nationwide escalation in police brutality and a push by the state to militarize the domestic police force. In the video, a CHP officer tackles a woman to the ground, forces himself on top of her, and begins punching her repeatedly. The woman tries to protect herself, but the officer begins to target her face directly, landing repeated full-blown punches to her head. The shooter of the video footage, David Diaz, told CBS News that there were at least fifteen punches thrown by the officer, the majority of them hitting the woman’s face while the officer sat on top of her. Diaz remarked that the officer, who he described as a strong and big man, could have easily killed the woman. The woman, whose age and name have not yet been released, was identified by her family as a “great-grandmother.” Though the extent of her injuries is unknown, she is currently in the hospital. The CHP claimed that the officer had been dispatched after receiving a call about a woman who was on the interstate 10 freeway. According to Diaz, the woman had begun to get off the freeway before being tackled and beaten. Assistant Chief of the CHP, Chris O’Quinn, also acknowledged this fact. Diaz told the Associated Press in a phone interview that the woman was walking off the freeway when the officer began shouting at her. According to Diaz, the woman turned away from the officer and walked back onto the edge of the freeway. According to Diaz, the CHP officer “agitated the situation more than helped it.” “He grabs her and she kind of shuns him back - a very natural instinct. Of course he is stronger than her so he grabs her, throws her down.” Diaz continued, “With every punch, it’s bouncing her head off the concrete.” According to other eyewitness reports, the woman “looked terrified... she looked just gone.” The same witness said the woman appeared to be barefoot and was carrying around several bags. Several news sites have suggested that she was homeless. In Los Angeles many homeless people live next to freeway onramps. Attorney and family spokesman Caree Harper held a press conference outside of the hospital where the
woman is receiving treatment. She said, “We want the focus to be what he was doing to her, not what she was doing.” Harper continued, “She was getting beat like an animal. No one should ever be beat like that.” After the repeated punches to her face, an off-duty cop ran up to the scene. The officer then handcuffed the woman. Despite the extensive bashing of the woman’s face, the CHP did not report any injuries whatsoever in their police report. The woman was then taken for a 72-hour mental examination under custody. O’Quinn told a press conference that he could not say why the officer responded in the way he did because it had not yet been evaluated. O’Quinn, however, defended the officer. He stated that the officer was more knowledgeable about freeway conditions than the “citizen.” “The most dangerous thing we face is traffic,” he said, suggesting that the officer was justified in brutalizing the woman for her own good. An investigation into the incident is underway. This police beating comes amid an escalation of violence in the United States from police forces. In May an Atlanta SWAT team critically wounded a one-year-old toddler with a flash grenade. In the same month three police officers killed an unarmed man, who was backing away from them, in a migrant farm worker community in Salinas, California. In April a man was shot to death as he fled from police in Long Beach, California, again, unarmed. Just this past week a police officer in Indiana was caught on video pushing a paraplegic man out of his wheelchair and onto concrete, claiming that the man had driven over his foot. In January of this year the CHP was forced to pay $250,000 in damages to a pregnant woman who was abused by several officers. The woman was pulled over for talking on her cell phone; the police said she was trying to resist arrest in 5-mileper-hour rush hour traffic. Four or five officers forced her, violently, to the ground with guns drawn. She was then kicked and hogtied. All of the involved officers remain on the force. CALIFORNIA From page 3A job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and the Legislature. For more information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com. OBAMA From page 5A congressional gridlock. It’s not yet clear, though, exactly how the department will hold states accountable for all this planning -and ultimately produce changes in classrooms. When asked about this issue at a White House press briefing, Duncan said, “We’ll look at this as a piece of many things.” The department’s initial press release on the effort also did not specify how it will define “effective” teachers. CONTROLLER From page 6A For the 2013-14 fiscal year, revenues came in at $101.6 billion, or $2.1 billion (2.1 percent) more than projected in the Governor’s budget released in January. Personal income taxes totaled $66.2 billion, coming in $1.7 billion above the January estimates (2.6 percent). Corporate taxes totaled $8.5 billion, which was $725 million more than expected (9.3 percent). Retail sales and use taxes came in at $22.2 billion, or $415 million under (1.8 percent) the estimates. Revenues for the month of June totaled $14.8 billion, beating estimates in the 2014-15 Governor’s Budget by $304 million (2.1 percent). Income tax collections for the month of June came in $635 million (7.4 percent) above estimates. Corporate taxes topped estimates by $289 million (13.2 percent). Sales taxes came in short of estimates by $265.8 million (11.6 percent). GORELL From page 6A raised by local residents regarding the Department of Health and Human Services’ program. NBVC is neither a prison, nor a medical quarantine facility, and the local community should be made aware of everything that is being done to minimize the very real public health threat that exists from housing refugees in a busy military facility that is located within an urban area. MORGAN From page 6A of consortium. Krista Millea was eight months pregnant when the accident occurred. The lawsuit seeks actual, compensatory and statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys fees. The plaintiffs have demanded a jury trial. Roper, 35, has pled not guilty to assault and death charges by auto and is free on bond. “We’re praying for the family and friends of the passenger who lost his life in the terrible accident in New Jersey. Our hearts go out to everyone involved, and we hope those who were injured get the care that they need and make a full recovery,” Bill Simon, Wal-Mart CEO, said in a statement on June 7th. “This is a tragedy and we are profoundly sorry that one of our trucks was involved. We are working quickly to understand what happened and are cooperating fully with law enforcement to aid their investigation.” REFORM From page 7A • Restore access to government benefits for certain low-level drug offenders. Paul’s endorsement of the last provision is significant, as a member of a party that has focused on ways to cut down the use of such benefits. Criminal justice reform was central to Booker’s Senate campaign, and Paul has championed the issue while in the Senate. The two also recently teamed up on an amendment barring the Justice Department from spending money to combat medical marijuana in states where it is legal. Last month, Paul also introduced a bill to restore voting rights for people who are in prison for minor drug offenses.
UNION From page 7A compensation for a service and is under the strict, direct control of managers. In the case of the Northwestern players, coaches are the managers and scholarships are a form of compensation. An organization of college presidents filed a friend-of-the-court brief taking strong issue with the regional director’s ruling. “Student-athletes participate for their own benefit; they do not render services for compensation,” said the 1,800 member American Council on Education. They “are not employees and therefore not subject to the National Labor Relations Act.” CONTRACTS From page 8A • You sign a payday loan without fully understanding the terms and end up owing many times the original loan amount. • You buy something on sale and don’t notice the store’s “No returns on sale items” policy. • You click “I agree” to a website’s privacy policy and later realize you’ve given permission to share your personal information. • You buy a two-year cellphone plan, but after the grace period ends, discover that you have spotty reception and it will costs hundreds of dollars to buy your way out. • Ensure that everything you were promised verbally appears in writing. Bottom line: Contracts protect both parties. Just make sure you fully understand all details before signing on the dotted line. INSURANCE From page 9A single and no children). For those who do need it, though, the site also does a good job of explaining the four basic life insurance policies out there -- “Term,” “Term to Age,” “Term ROP (Return of Premium),” and “Universal Life” -- and helps you decide which is right for you. Thus, even before you check the prices, you’ll know, among other things, that: • Term insurance is the least expensive, and a simple rule-of-thumb for choosing among five-year, 10year, 20-year and 30-year durations is to ensure that your youngest child will be covered to age 22. • Declining a medical exam severely limits your options. • To figure how much coverage you really need, total all your debts (including mortgages) and 70 percent of your annual expenses for 20 years. Oh, and here’s a fun fact for anyone who doubts the need for CoverYoo: Esurance.com, which some of you may have tried, is actually owned by none other than Allstate. SCAM From page 11A hold back the expansion of democracy for more than a decade. That became even clearer once it issued the Wheaton College ruling. Given that it is indeed a “fiction” to pretend the ruling was not a politically driven gift to the Christian right, here are some questions to think about: How long will it be before some conservative Christian business owners require their female employees to wear dresses (no slacks, please) down to their ankles? And for all employees to genuflect before crosses set up at entrances to their businesses? And to join them in “prayer sessions” before and after the workday? And to attend only those houses of worship they “approve” of? Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America. PROBLEMS From page 11A our international trade. Evidently, as President Obama reflects on his legacy he has decided to do something – even if it is token. If he needs to make up for lost opportunities, he had better do something fabulous. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Finally, he has called for an African Summit – August 4 - 6. All of us leaped in joy but as the itinerary is being formed there seems to be a lot missing. As opposed to the summits of our competitors, no African head of state will receive a one on one with our president. They will be herded into a room for some “interactive dialogue”. What? They are supposed to come all the way over here for a lecture? The Senate will hold some meetings with them. Cabinet secretaries have been instructed to have some meetings with the contingent. This is insulting. A president is supposed to meet with the other presidents. A cabinet secretary is a subordinate to a president. Finally, I see no item in the itinerary that will afford them a meeting with our Congressional Black Caucus. That seems eerie. Our competitors must be laughing. African presidents are not laughing. Mr. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org Email: halford@nationalbcc.org. SILENCE From page 11A Michael could see the impact these mothers were having on their communities, especially by speaking out against gun violence. He could also see that sharing their stories was helping reduce their own risks of suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, and need for revenge against the people who had taken their family members’ lives, and breaking their silences was even changing them in other ways: “They had a really powerful strength, and they completely changed from ‘high-risk’ people to really powerful people . . . I saw what it did for them . . . and then they started to push me out to the front to the microphone, and I would give little bits of my story, and tell of my siblings that were killed, and eventually wanted to tell more and more because I started to feel what it does for you.” Michael ultimately learned a lesson that he compared to reading Howard Zinn’s beloved classic A People’s History of the United States: “When I even just saw the title of that book and started to think about what ‘people’s history’ means,
that means that all of us have to tell our stories, and that’s ultimately a people’s history — and the more we can encourage that in young people, the more we will have a more complete story.” Michael Patrick MacDonald has helped people share their own stories and see the “possibility of transforming trauma into voice.” Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org. LIMON From page 14A at Limon and mortally wounded him. As the officers fired at Limon, Zepeda, out of ammunition and badly wounded, stood up, raised his empty gun at officers, and assumed a firing stance. Officers subsequently shot and killed him. Following the shooting, Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams requested investigative assistance from several agencies, including the DA’s office, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office. An independent weapons tactics expert from Bellingham, Washington was also hired. It was a lengthy and exhaustive investigation that Totten described as a “great search for truth,” a search he estimates may have cost between one-hundred to two-hundred thousand dollars. Assistant Sheriff Gary Pentis, who headed up his unit’s investigation, described the process. “We searched 10 different locations and did 150 interviews,” he said. “We undertook probably one of the most complicated officer involved shootings that I can recall in my career.” After a year and a half, in which separate investigators sifted through reports, documents, interviews, diagrams, photographs, video recordings, radio transmissions, and onsite scene examinations, the DA’s office concluded that the shootings of Villa and Zepeda and the accidental shooting of Limon were justified within the parameters of California state law because the officers believed they were in danger and their responses were reasonable. Totten concluded that “officers acted in self defense of others and in direct response to the imminent threat to life posed by Zepeda.” George Williams, the independent tactical weapons expert, also concluded in a 54-page report that based on what the officers believed about threats to their safety, the shootings of Zepeda, Villa, and Limon were justified. “Based upon my analysis of each officer’s deadly force decision-making,” Williams wrote, “it is my opinion that each acted in a reasonable manner expected of well-trained California peace officers.” Now that the primary investigation has been completed, the DA has filed multiple felony charges against Hernandez and Villa, including conspiracy and weapons charges and charges for committing these offenses for the benefit and in association with a criminal street gang. Chief Williams said that further investigation of the incident would continue by outside agencies and that the Oxnard Police Department will conduct its own “internal review where we will examine our policies, procedures, and training to determine if any changes are in order.” Williams also announced that she will hold a separate press briefing with the Limon family at some point in the near future. EVENT From page 1B cuisine. All proceeds from Bowl Hop will benefit Project Understanding, a 501(c)(3) charity that provides hope by developing and directing resources for the purpose of transforming lives and community through justice, mercy and compassion. • Bell Arts Factory Acoustic Garden– The host of this year’s ArtWalk Ventura’s street festival, the Bell Arts Factory will host live music, a food court, and Beer & Wine garden. For more information about ArtWalk Ventura, visit http://artwalkventura.org/.
WORD-FINDS, From page 5A
SUDOKU, From page 5A
CROSSWORD COMPANION, From page 5A