Los Angeles News Observer 10.19.23

Rudolph Isley, Founding Member of Isley Brothers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 84 Page A3

The Lookout: What You Should Know About California’s New Gun Laws Page A5

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Volume 38 Number 50

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Justice Department Issues Report to Improve Police Hiring Nationwide

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Law enforcement faces a challenge as more officers resign or retire, and fewer qualified applicants are interested in becoming police officers. A new report from the Justice Department suggests that police agencies should reevaluate their mission, values, culture, and employees to improve their service to communities.

In the report titled “Recruitment and Retention for Modern Law Enforcement Agency,” DOJ officials concluded that the law enforcement profession needs to update its hiring and retention practices.

Officials say that law enforcement agencies can enhance the appeal of policing as a career by implementing the solutions and strategies presented in this publication.

They can also attract candidates, train recruits, show appreciation to employees, prioritize workforce well-being, and build community trust.

“The U.S. Department of Justice, through BJA and the COPS Office, is dedicated to assisting law enforcement agencies in navigating the recruitment and retention crisis and providing support for incorporating these solutions,” DOJ officials stated.

A dwindling number of sworn officers is a persistent issue that police departments all over the country are facing, according to a study by the Police Executive Research Forum in April 2023. A study found that the number of staff in law enforcement agencies in January 2023 was 4.8% lower than three years ago.

The study highlighted that the issue extends beyond recruitment hurdles; it encompasses the retention of existing officers. In 2022, the number of sworn officers hired surged by 35% compared to 2020 and by 5.6% over 2019. Officer resignations in 2022 increased by 47% compared to 2019, according to the police research study.

In the report titled “Recruitment and Retention for Modern Law Enforcement Agency,” DOJ officials concluded that the law enforcement profession needs to update its hiring and retention practices.

The report highlights the alarming decline in law enforcement staffing levels. “The recruitment and retention crisis is the number one issue I hear about from our state, tribal, and local law enforcement partners across the country,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta stated.

The report says that there are many reasons for staffing problems. These include the lasting effects of COVID-19, changes in the job market, increased safety concerns, and growing frustration towards the police.

The report, which Attorney General Merrick Garland commissioned, calls for a multifaceted strategy in response

to these difficulties. It emphasizes the need for police leaders to gain a deeper understanding of their communities while advocating for the modernization and streamlining of hiring practices.

The report emphasized a significant discovery from a meeting of police leaders in April 2023: that negative public opinion significantly affects officers’ morale and job satisfaction. Enhancing law enforcement’s image and highlighting the profession’s virtues are critical to boosting recruitment.

The DOJ report emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and non-traditional skills, like conflict resolution and empathy, for effective policing. It states, “Strong emotional intelligence is linked to fewer cases of excessive force and improved relationships within the community.” Officials emphasized the importance of recruiting candidates with traditional policing knowledge and critical interpersonal skills.

Further, agencies have been advised to implement diversity initiatives and remove barriers hindering inclusivity to build a more inclusive workforce. The DOJ recommended working with community leaders to encourage diverse candidates to consider law enforcement as a career.

The report offers recommendations for improving training and retention once officers are recruited. These include signing bonuses, comprehensive pension plans, and various retirement options. Additionally, addressing limitations on overtime and pension payouts could significantly improve retention rates.

Concerns over work-life balance and wellness, particularly concerning child care and mental health, were also highlighted in the report. The stigma of seeking mental health support within the law enforcement community is a big problem that needs fixing, officials said.

New England Town Considers Accelerating Reparations Timeline in Pioneering Initiative

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Officials in Amherst, Massachusetts, are contemplating accelerating their groundbreaking reparations initiative.

Located in the so-called Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, Amherst established one of the nation’s first reparation funds for Black residents two years ago, and town officials are now deliberating options to expedite the allocation of the $2 million endowment. The Amherst Town Council sought to address historical injustices resulting from slavery and discrimination in 2020 as a response to widespread protests following the tragic death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. Officials said the fund’s inception marked a significant stride towards reconciliation and equity. The proposed funding plan, equivalent to the annual tax revenue generated

from cannabis sales, currently stands at an estimated $200,000 annually. The original strategy entailed a decadelong effort to grow the fund before disbursing up to $100,000 yearly in the town, where the Black population constitutes approximately 6%. The Assembly, which the town manager appointed, now favors a potentially shorter timeline. One proposition suggests allocating $100,000 from cannabis tax revenue annually towards reparations.

Another option is to achieve the $2 million target in four years rather than the initially envisioned 10. “The recommendations we’ve made will begin to make this space one that is more inviting, welcoming, and hospitable for people of African descent,” asserted Amilcar Shabazz, a distinguished member of the Assembly and a professor in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts. Shabazz, who authored

a comprehensive book on reparations, emphasized the transformative potential of the endeavor. Amherst joins a growing roster of American communities, organizations, and institutions committed to providing reparations for Black individuals. The movement spans states like California, cities like Providence, religious denominations including the Episcopal Church, and prestigious colleges such as Georgetown University. Advocates in Amherst have pointed to Evanston, Illinois, which recently became the first U.S. city to implement reparations. Evanston’s program utilizes tax revenues from marijuana sales to provide eligible Black residents with $25,000 housing grants for down payments, repairs, or existing mortgages. California has also made significant strides in the pursuit of reparations, with a task force presenting lawmakers with a report Continued on page A10

Van Ellis, 102-Year-Old Tulsa Race Massacre Survivor, Dies A statement released by the family stated, “Mr. Hughes Van Ellis, 102, passed Mon. Oct. 9th at 11:30 am in Denver, Colorado. A loving family man, he was known as “Uncle Redd.” He was among the three last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the most horrific acts of racist terrorism on American soil. A WWII war veteran, Mr. Ellis, bravely served America, even as he spent a lifetime awaiting atonement related to the Tulsa Race Massacre.

By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor One of only three known survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre has died on October 9 at the age of 102 years old.

Hughes Van Ellis, 102, died in Denver, Colorado on the morning of October 9. Van Ellis was born on Jan.11, 1921. The two last known survivors of the Tulles Race Massacre are now Viola Ford Fletcher, 109 and Lessie Benningfield Randle, 108.

The Greenwood District was a prosperous African American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, often referred to as “Black Wall Street.” It was a thriving business district with a vibrant Black cultural and economic life, home to many Black-owned businesses and residences. On May 31, 1921, a young Black man named Dick Rowland was falsely accused of assaulting a young white woman named Sarah Page in an elevator. The allegation led to Rowland’s arrest and tensions escalated as rumors spread about the incident.

At the time, Hughes Van Ellis was three months old.

Over the years there have been several attempts to earn damage rewards for the destruction of life and property by the white community in Tulsa. None of the challenges have been successful so far.

A statement released by the family stated, “Mr. Hughes Van Ellis, 102, passed Mon. Oct. 9th at 11:30 am in Denver, Colorado. A loving family man, he was known as “Uncle Redd.” He was among the three last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the most

horrific acts of racist terrorism on American soil. A WWII war veteran, Mr. Ellis, bravely served America, even as he spent a lifetime awaiting atonement related to the Tulsa Race Massacre. Mr. Ellis was aware, that survivors, his sister Mrs. Viola Ford Fletcher, 109, Mrs. Lessie Benningfield Randle, 108, and family descendants were recently at our state capitol as part of an interim study focused on 2001 state-commissioned reparation recommendations.

Two days ago, Mr. Ellis, urged us to keep fighting for justice. In the midst of his death, there remains an undying sense of right and wrong. Mr. Ellis was assured we would remain steadfast and we repeated to him his own words, “We Are One” and we lastly expressed our love. The scripture of Jeremiah 6 reads “This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” We celebrate the rare life of Mr. Hughes Van Ellis who still inspires us!”

Funeral details are not yet known. Van Ellis’ funeral ceremony is likely to be another touchpoint around the issue of reparations for the damage done to members of the Black community as a result of systemic racism.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the publisher of Black Virginia News.

She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

Hughes Van Ellis (Photo: JusticeForGreenwood.org )

Take One!

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Leak in LA Council Racism Scandal May Have Come from 2 Ex-labor Employees

LOS ANGELES (AP) –- Police say two former employees of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor are the focus of an investigation into a secret recording of several City Council members and a labor leader that entangled City Hall in a racism scandal.

The aftermath shook public trust in government and led to the resignations of then-Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez and the powerful labor leader. Councilman Kevin de León has resisted calls for his ouster, including from President Joe Biden, and is running for reelection.

The scandal was triggered by a leaked recording of crude, racist comments during a private meeting in 2021 at the labor federation`s headquarters involving Martinez, de León and two others all Latino Democrats in which they plotted to expand their political power at the expense of Black voters during a realignment of council district boundaries.

Rivalries among groups separated by race, geography, partisanship or religion have a long history in Los Angeles and the country. The friction can cross into housing, education and jobs even prisons as well as the spoils of political power.

The former labor federation employees who are under investigation were not identified in a statement by the Los Angeles Police Department late Wednesday.

Detectives are following up on prosecutors’ requests for additional information, according to the statement, which indicated felony eavesdropping charges could be filed.

“A case involving this incident was presented to our office and sent back to law enforcement for further investigation,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney`s Office said in a statement Thursday. “Please note that we cannot confirm the target(s) of the investigation at this time.”

A representative for the labor federation did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Judge Upholds Most Serious Charges in Deadly Arrest of Black Driver Ronald Greene

By JIM MUSTIAN

Associated Press FARMERVILLE, La. (AP) –- A judge delivered a victory Monday to the state prosecution of white Louisiana lawmen in the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene, allowing the most serious charge of negligent homicide to go forward against a trooper captured on body-camera video dragging the Black motorist by his ankle shackles and forcing him to lie facedown in the dirt.

The case had been steeped in uncertainty in recent months after the judge dismissed obstruction charges against two other troopers, leaving three officers still facing charges.

“My heart is lifted by this,`` said Greene`s mother, Mona Hardin. ``We shouldn’t have waited four plus years, but we’re still moving forward.”

Master Trooper Kory York had sought dismissal of the negligent homicide and malfeasance charges against him after prosecutors acknowledged an extraordinary oversight in which they improperly allowed a use-offorce expert to review statements York made during an internal affairs inquiry. Such compelled interviews may be used to discipline officers administratively but are specifically shielded from use in criminal cases.

But Judge Thomas Rogers ruled Monday that the prosecutors` blunder did not taint York`s indictment, and that the use-of-force expert, Seth Stoughton, had drawn his conclusions not from the protected interview but the graphic body-camera footage of Greene`s deadly arrest on a rural roadside outside Monroe.

Stoughton concluded that the troopers used “egregiously disproportionate” force in detaining Greene.

“We don’t need to hear no more –– just show the video,” prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump told reporters outside the Union Parish Courthouse this summer. “The killing of Ronald Greene is just as tragic as the killing of George Floyd, of Ahmaud Arbery, of Tyre Nichols. It is as tragic of a killing by police on a citizen as I have witnessed on video.”

State police initially blamed Greene’s May 10, 2019, death on a car crash at the end a high-speed chase. After officials refused for more than two years to release the body-camera video, the AP obtained and published the footage showing white troopers converging on Greene before he could get out of his car as he wailed: “I’m your brother! I’m scared!”

As Greene moaned and writhed in the dirt, York ordered the heavyset man to “shut up” and “lay on your f------ belly like I told you to!”

One trooper can be seen striking Greene in the head and later boasting, “I beat the ever-living f--out of him.” That trooper, Chris Hollingsworth, was widely considered the most culpable of the half-dozen officers involved, but he died in a high-speed, singlevehicle crash in 2020, hours after he was informed he would be fired for his role in Greene’s arrest.

York’s defense attorney, J. Michael Small, was expected to appeal the ruling. “With all due respect,”he said, “I strongly disagree with the court`s decision.

The stakes could not have been higher for District Attorney John Belton and special prosecutor Hugo Holland, who have faced mounting criticism over their handling of the case. Had Rogers dismissed the charges of negligent homicide and malfeasance in office against York, prosecutors would have been unable to seek a new indictment under Louisiana’s statute of limitations.

The ruling comes amid new calls for the U.S. Justice Department to bring its own indictment against the troopers. Federal prosecutors have been weighing civil rights charges for years amid a grand jury investigation that examined whether Louisiana State Police brass obstructed justice by dragging their feet and protecting the troopers involved in Greene`s arrest.

In a previous ruling, the judge let stand an obstruction of justice charge against Lt. John Clary, the ranking officer during Greene’s arrest who is accused of withholding his body camera footage from investigators. Clary’s 30- minute footage is the only clip showing the moment a handcuffed, bloody Greene moans under the weight of two troopers, twitches and then goes still.

The only other remaining charges are two counts of malfeasance against Chris Harpin, a former Union Parish deputy sheriff who taunted Greene before he stopped breathing: “Yeah, yeah, that s__- hurts, doesn’t it?”

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Los Angeles News Observer

World & Nation

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Bold Measures to Expand Homeownership Opportunities

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent In a concerted effort to bolster homeownership for millions of Americans, the Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled a multi-pronged strategy to increase accessibility, affordability, and support for existing and aspiring homeowners.

For many Americans, owning a home is a cornerstone of their lives and a primary source of wealth. In a news release, the administration said it is determined to break down barriers and ensure the wealth-building potential of homeownership is accessible to all.

The Treasury Department released data showcasing the “significant federal investment” in homeownership under President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda, providing over $12 billion in support. Notably, the White House said the American Rescue Plan’s Homeowner Assistance Fund has aided nearly 400,000 homeowners at risk of foreclosure.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that the Federal Housing Administration’s first-time homebuyer rate is at its highest since 2000, with 1.8 million homeowners benefiting from FHA-backed mortgages, 83.6 percent of whom are first-time buyers.

Additionally, the Department of Agriculture announced that it has made strides, offering over 7,100 direct housing loans in the past fiscal year, benefiting borrowers with an average income of $42,918. The White House said 55 percent of those borrowers were from female-headed households, and 22 percent identified as Black or African American.

Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs said it has assisted 145,480 Veterans in retaining homeownership and avoiding foreclosure in 2023.

Biden has proposed a substantial $16 billion for

For many Americans, owning a home is a cornerstone of their lives and a primary source of wealth. In a news release, the administration said it is determined to break down barriers and ensure the wealth-building potential of homeownership is accessible to all. the Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit, which could lead to the construction or rehabilitation of over 400,000 homes, paving the way for more families to enter the housing market and begin building their wealth. A $10

billion down payment assistance program is on the table, specifically tailored to help first-time homebuyers whose parents do not own a home.

The administration urged Congress to address the

current housing market constraints swiftly.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced the following new measures: 1. Leveraging Accessory Dwelling Units: HUD, through FHA, has implemented a policy allowing prospective borrowers to include rental income from Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in their qualification for FHA-insured mortgages. This move aims to expand access to affordable mortgage credit for a broader range of homebuyers.

2. Empowering Native American Communities: The USDA is allocating $9 million in loans to nine Native American Community Development Institutions, part of an initiative to improve access to homeownership on Tribal Lands.

3. Pilot Program for Community Land Trust Organizations: The USDA will launch a pilot program to assess alternative eligibility criteria for Community Land Trust Organizations under its Section 502 Direct Home Loan Program, potentially increasing access to affordable homeownership opportunities.

4. Streamlining Home Repairs Financing: HUD is actively working on updating the 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program to facilitate the financing of home improvements, allowing homeowners to restore properties to viable use.

5. Strengthening Consumer Protections: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is working on reforms to streamline rules for homeowners facing difficulties in mortgage payments, ensuring timely and effective assistance.

6. Support for Severely Impacted Veterans: In fiscal year 2024, the VA will introduce the VA Servicing Purchase program, offering a long-term solution for Veterans struggling with mortgage payments.

Republicans Consider Unusual Alliance with Democrats to Resolve Speaker Crisis

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent In the midst of an internal civil war, Republicans in Congress are facing a critical juncture that may necessitate an unprecedented alliance with Democrats to elect a new House Speaker. The recent ousting of GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy has left Congress without a Speaker during a pivotal time, prompting Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, to assert that a deal “will have to be done” with Democrats if Republicans cannot reach a consensus on their own.

On Sunday, on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Turner contemplated the possibility of Republicans cooperating with Democrats to select a “mutually acceptable speaker.”

While Turner preferred a Republican solution and endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as a strong candidate, he acknowledged that the path forward might entail crossing party lines.

“I think he’ll be able to get to 217,” Turner affirmed regarding Jordan’s potential support. “If not, we have other

leaders in the House. And certainly, if there is a need if the radical, you know, almost just handful of people in the Republican side … to make it for us unable to be

able to return to general work on the House, then I think obviously, there will be a deal that will have to be done.”

Turner and other Republicans proposed the idea of a

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The recent ousting of GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy has left Congress without a Speaker during a pivotal time, prompting Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, to assert that a deal “will have to be done” with Democrats if Republicans cannot reach a consensus on their own.

Federal Funding to Expire by Mid-November

Understanding the Nation’s Ticking Fiscal Time Clock

By Charlene Crowell, NNPA Newswire Contributor For the second time this year, Congress’ inability to reach consensus on essential fiscal legislation has devolved into largely partisan bickering and literal, last-minute temporary financial band-aids. On September 30, the last day of the 2022-2023 federal fiscal year, a continuing resolution (CR) provided a 45-day reprieve, just in time to meet a midnight deadline that would have resulted in a federal government shutdown.

In signing the stop-gap appropriations measure, President Joe Biden acknowledged its benefit and also reminded the nation of how unnecessary it really was.

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coalition speaker as a strategy to persuade GOP holdouts to support their preferred nominee. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., countered these suggestions on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” emphasizing that there have been no substantive discussions on that prospect. Jeffries added that should such an arrangement be considered, Democrats would insist on rule changes to ensure that bipartisan bills receive due consideration.

“We want to ensure that votes are taken on bills that have substantial Democratic support and substantial Republican support so that the extremists aren’t able to dictate the agenda,” Jeffries asserted.

Supporters of Jordan have employed assertive strategies to secure votes for his speakership bid, recognizing a floor vote as a potent means to exert pressure on centrists or politically vulnerable Republicans. This pivotal vote could occur as early as Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., an initial opponent of Jordan’s bid, reversed his stance, citing constructive conversations about advancing critical bills. “As a result, I have decided to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House on the floor,” Rogers announced.

The historic removal of Speaker McCarthy by a narrow six-vote margin, with a handful of conservatives aligning with Democrats, underscores the depth of the internal strife within the Republican Party. “House Republicans have selected as their nominee to be the speaker of the people’s House the chairman of the chaos caucus, a defender in a dangerous way of dysfunction, and an extremist extraordinaire,” Jeffries said of Jordan. “His focus has been on peddling lies and conspiracy theories and driving division amongst the American people.”

By mid-November, the nation will again face a shutdown at a time when families typically and excitedly finalize preparations for annual Thanksgiving gatherings. (Photo: iStock photo / NNPA)

“This bill ensures that active-duty troops will continue to get paid, travelers will be spared airport delays, millions of women and children will continue to have access to vital nutrition assistance, and so much more,” said President Biden. “But I want to be clear: we should never have been in this position in the first place. Just a few months ago, Speaker McCarthy and I reached a budget agreement to avoid precisely this type of manufactured crisis.”

Readers may recall that in late spring and facing a firstever national debt default, another piece of compromise legislation led to the Fiscal Accountability Act. That eleventh hour maneuver provided a two-year window for the Treasury Department to borrow – as needed – funds to pay the nation’s more than $31 trillion of debt. In return, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), cutbacks on discretionary spending would result in a drop in projected budget deficits of about $4.8 trillion over the next decade, and a savings of $0.5 trillion in interest. But this fiscal compromise requires Congress to return to that deferred problem in January 2025.

Neither of these developments have been wellreceived by the public. Only days before the September 30 fiscal rescue, a consumer poll taken September 19-24 by Monmouth University echoed President Biden’s concerns: 74 percent of respondents disapproved of the job Congress is doing; 68 percent believed the government is on the wrong track; and 64 percent supported compromise to enact a new budget.

“The vast majority of Americans want to avoid a shutdown. The faction who does not want any compromise may represent a small proportion of the public, but they hold outsized influence in the U.S. Capitol,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

By mid-November, the nation will again face a shutdown at a time when families typically and excitedly finalize preparations for annual Thanksgiving gatherings.

If a full federal spending plan for the new 2023-2024 fiscal year that began October 1 is not approved, many will also await learning whether the federal government will be able

to function during a season dedicated to blessings.

As with most budget cut decisions, potentially-affected personnel are understandably anxious. Currently, there are 4.5 million people who are either military or civilian federal employees, according to the CBO. Similarly, agencies that administer programs that respond to vital needs are in a similar dilemma.

For example, the stark rise in requests for disaster relief from flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires caused the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to recently appeal to Congress for an additional $16 billion to serve communities in distress. On September 19, Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator testified before a House subcommittee, alerted lawmakers to the agency’s shrinking ability to keep pace with surging requests.

“On average, we are seeing a disaster declaration every three days,” testified Criswell. “We strive to be vigilant stewards of taxpayer dollars, and we are careful in our projections of how much funding will be required for the Disaster Relief Fund. However, there are times when the number and intensity of disasters outpaces appropriated funds, and we find ourselves in such a moment today.”

Funding for these and other needs now have been added to the traditional conservative calls to cut entitlement programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) more commonly known as food stamps.

As of this spring, 41.9 million people who comprise 22.2 million households were enrolled in SNAP, according to Pew Research.

According to the Department of Education, an estimated 26 million students would be affected by a proposed $4 billion cut in funding schools serving lowincome children. In higher education, Pell Grants that provide a critical source of financial aid for low-to-moderate income college students would be cut by 22 percent, and the maximum award would be lowered to $1,000 – at a time when the cost to attend college continues to soar.

Time will tell whether this Congress will face and respond to America’s real needs. But tens of millions of Americans potentially could be impacted by a federal government closure while the nation is on a ticking fiscal time clock.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Los Angeles News Observer A3

Entertainment

Rudolph Isley, Founding Member of Isley Brothers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 84

By The Associated Press Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the Isley Brothers who helped perform such raw rhythm and blues classics as "Shout`` and "Twist and Shout" and the funky hits "That Lady" and "It`s Your Thing," has died at age 84.

"There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him.

But I know he's in a better place,`` Ronald Isley said in a statement released Thursday by an Isley Brothers publicist.

Further details were not immediately available.

A Cincinnati native, Rudolph Isley began singing

in church with brothers Ronald and O`Kelly (another sibling, Vernon, died at age 13) and was still in his teens when they broke through in the late 1950s with "Shout," a secularized gospel rave that was later immortalized during the toga party scene in "Animal House." The Isleys scored again in the early 1960s with the equally spirited "Twist and Shout," which the Beatles liked so much they used it as the closing song on their debut album and opened with it for their famed 1965 concert at Shea Stadium.

The Isleys` other hits included "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," later covered by Rod Stewart,

and the Grammy-winning "It`s Your Thing." In the 1970s, after younger brother Ernest and Marvin joined the group, they had even greater success with such singles as "That Lady`` and "Fight the Power (Part 1)" and such millionselling albums as "The Heat Is On" and "Go for Your Guns."

Rudolph Isley left the group in 1989, three years after the sudden death of O`Kelly Isley, to become a Christian minister. He was among the Isleys inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

On Offset`s Sophomore Solo Album, `Set It Off,` the Migos Member Says He `Wanted to Bring Rap Back`

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) –- On Friday, Offset released his ambitious second solo album, "Set It Off." In doing so, he also announced a new era.

"My goal changed," the Migos rapper told The Associated Press over Zoom.

It's been four years since Offset released his debut solo album, "Father of 4." "`Father of 4` was giving you the inside of me, but I wasn't really focused on doing solo stuff,`` he says. ``So, for this one, it was just a process of me learning for myself and pushing myself more as an artist."

And specifically, as a soloist. Last year, rumors circled around a second album tentatively titled, "Blame It on Set," that would be released in late 2022, seemingly delayed by the fatal shooting of his Migos bandmate and cousin, Takeoff, late last year.

Offset says some of the songs written in that time made it onto "Set It Off" __ but the title was just gossip. "`Blame It on Set` is just a song. People just, like, ran with that narrative," he says. "I had not put no album name out because during that time I ain't have an album name

figured out, to be honest." He's grateful to have waited to put out his sophomore release.

"Some of the songs I made within them two years is, like, magical," he says. "I feel like with this album you can just ride it through, top to bottom, one to 21. " In that way, he thinks of "Set It Off" as possessing a kind of theatricality.

"Instead of it being a movie, it's a series,`` he says.

And one with a lot of players: His wife, Cardi B, drops bars on two tracks, "Jealousy" and "Freaky." Elsewhere, Latto, Young Naddy, Chlöe, Mango Foo, Don Toliver, Future and Travis Scott feature.

That may very well be the result of a mindset change.

Offset is interested in being a well-rounded entertainer these days, like his hero Michael Jackson. The influence is apparent on the album's cover, where Offset wears a single white glove, and certainly in the MJ parodies throughout the music video for his single, "FAN." But there are other connections, too: MJ left The Jackson 5 to embark on a solo journey, like Offset's work in a world after Migos.

"Creativity __ I wanted to push myself there," Offset says. "And I'm in my Mike bag right now."

He's also acutely aware of the power of strong visuals,

LeVar Burton Will Host National Book Awards Ceremony Replacing Drew Barrymore NEW YORK (AP) –- LeVar Burton will host next month`s National Book Awards ceremony, replacing the original choice, Drew Barrymore, who was dropped because of her decision to resume taping of her show during the writers` strike.

The National Book Foundation, which presents the awards, announced Burton`s selection Friday. Burton, a longtime advocate for reading known for his roles in the TV miniseries "Roots" and in "Star Trek: The Next Generation,`` also hosted the ceremony in 2019.

"It's an honor to return as host of the biggest night

for books, especially in a moment when the freedom to read is at risk and literature both needs and deserves our recognition and support,`` said Burton, who earlier this month served as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, when stores and libraries highlight works that have been challenged or censored.

The National Book Awards will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Nov. 15, when winners will be announced in five competitive categories. Oprah Winfrey will be a guest speaker and poet Rita Dove will receive a lifetime achievement medal.

one of the many things Jackson mastered, and how that extends to content creation in the modern era.

"I don't want to put myself in a box. I would challenge myself __ that's why you see me pulling out choreo, just taking it to the next level of entertainment without being scared of thinking about what people are going to think," he says.

That multimedia approach is also one of the reasons why the video of his interview with social media personality Bobbi Althoff went viral. She`s known for a particularly dry, uninformed, sometimes combative hosting style, which he met with similar humor. He now calls the interaction a "win-win," for both, and for promoting his album.

"People fell in love with my personality and my jokey side," he says of the clip. "We needed that laugh.`` Online shenanigans aside __ On "Set It Off," Offset offers 21 tracks of real rap records __ a change of pace in a genre currently led by a trend of rappers who, well, sing.

"I wanted to bring rap back, not so much melody," he says. "Metro (Boomin) was telling me, 'Hey, bro, people wanna hear you rap, dog. The singing s__- is cool, but people want to hear you, specifically, rap.`" He took the advice to heart.

As for Migos, the familial group that started it all, Offset considers his performance of "Bad and Boujee" with Quavo at the 2023 BET Awards, celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, as "a great way to close that chapter."

He also doesn't consider "Set It Off" to be an homage to his late cousin, either, unlike Quavo's solo record "Rocket Power" released in August. That album featured posthumous verses from Takeoff.

"I'm going hard for him, but this is not a tribute," Offset says. "Me, personally, I don't want to do that because it is reminding me, he's gone."

Though references to Takeoff do appear on a few tracks, like "Say My Grace" with Travis Scott and "Night Vision," where Offset raps, "Thinking 'bout spinnin' bout my brotha Take that s__- been eating me (crazy) / I can't get no peace when I be sleep be seeing."

He pauses: "I'd rather just have his legacy keep going.

Take is that guy, like, I don't want to lean on that."

And on "Set It Off," he doesn't __ instead, Offset reintroduces himself.

A4

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Los Angeles News Observer

Legal Notices

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2023 172091 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: GREEN RANCHO MARKET at 837 N Wilmington Blvd, Wilmington, CA 90744 Mailing: same Articles of Incorporation or Organization Number: 5652189 County: Los Angeles REGISTERED OWNERS(S): JUSTIN GREEN RANCHO MARKET, INC., 837 N Wilmington Blvd, Wilmington, CA 90744 State of Incorporation/Organization: CA The business is conducted by: a Corporation SIGNED: HAITHAM BALLAT, CEO The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: n/a This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: August 8, 2023 DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: Latasha Arterberry Deputy NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM

THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on August 8, 2028 LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER PUB: Aug 31, Sept 7, 14, 21, 2023

111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Stanley Mosk Courthouse PETITION OF: ROBERT SAFARJAN FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: ROBERT SAFARJAN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name ROBERT SAFARJAN Proposed name ROBERT KUDRYASHOV THE COURT ORDERS: that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: November 6, 2023 Time: 9:30 a.m.

Dept: 26 Room: 316 The address of the court is: Same as

noted above.

A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER Date: September 27, 2023 David W. Slayton Executive Officer/Clerk of the Court Petitioner: ROBERT SAFARJAN 609 St Paul Ave, 339 Apt, Los Angeles, CA 90017 Telephone: (562) 850-8493

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days, Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements.

You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at

the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTE: The court has a statutory lien NOTE for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede

pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro.

Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil.

Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Central District The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): J. Scott Ferris (SBN 204307) Laughlin, Falbo, Levy & Moresi LLP One Capitol Mall, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814 Telephone: (818) 638-8200 (818) 479-7548 Date (Fecha): June 11, 2021 Sherri R. Carter Executive Officer/ Clerk of Court (Secretario), by M. Barel, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: SERVED: You are served.

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER PUB: Oct 19, 26, Nov 2, 9, 2023 �������������������������������

�������������������������������

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER 23STCP03557 Superior Court of the State of California, for the county of LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER PUB: Oct 12, 19, 26, Nov 2, 2023 ������������������������������� SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): 21STCV21845 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): DEMANDADO) Charles Edward Foster Jr. and Does 1 to 10 YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): DEMANDANTE) City of Los Angeles NOTICE! You have been sued.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Los Angeles News Observer A5

Features

The Lookout: What You Should Know About California’s New Gun Laws Tanu Henry and Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation enhancing gun safety measures, further solidifying California’s position as a national leader in implementing controls on the use and distribution of firearms.

Joined by Attorney General Rob Bonta, lawmakers, gun safety advocates and gun wound survivors, Newsom

introduced at a press conference several of the gun laws he signed. They included Senate Bill (SB) 2, authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank), which reinforces the state’s public carry regulations; and SB 452, authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), which mandates the use of microstamping on handgun cartridges to help trace guns used in crimes.

SB2 imposes new restrictions for obtaining a concealed-carry weapons (CCW) permit. According

Sacramento, CA - Feb 1, 2023: Governor Gavin Newsom speaking at a Gun Safety Legislation Press Conference. (Photo by Sheila Fitzgerald)

to Portantino’s office, the law ensures licensees are lawabiding citizens over 21 years of age; establishes an appeal process for denied CCW licenses; introduces gun handling, loading, unloading and storage training requirements; and restricts locations where people can legally carry firearms.

When the Legislature passed SB 2, Newsom stated that people are less likely to die from gunshots in California. In 2022 alone, California’s gun death rate was 43% lower than the national average, according to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC). The Giffords Law Center also ranked the state number one in the U.S. for gun safety.

“While radical judges continue to strip away our ability to keep people safe, California will keep fighting -- because gun safety laws work,” Newsom said in a Sept.

26 statement.

Newsom also signed bills introduced by California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) members Mike Gipson (D-Carson), Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles).

AB 1406 (McCarthy) gives the California Department of Justice the authority to postpone firearm delivery if additional time is required to do background checks. AB 1089 (Gipson) adds new regulations and guidelines for the ownership and operation of computer numeric control (CNC) milling machines, commonly used to manufacture “ghost guns.” AB 574 (Jones-Sawyer), which goes into effect in March 2025, requires gun dealers making any sale of a gun – or overseeing the transfer of ownership -- to confirm that both the buyer and seller “confirm possession of every firearm they own or possess.”

AB 28, which is authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) was also on the list of gun legislation Newsom approved. The law enacts a first-in-the-nation effort to raise $160 million annually on the sale of bullets by imposing an 11% excise tax on gun vendors and gun manufacturers across the state. The revenue collected will be used to improve school safety, behavioral health and gun violence intervention.

“How about a little damn accountability,” said Newsom at a press conference. “You’re selling a product, a leading product, a purveyor of death for our kids.”

Gabriel shares the Governor’s perspective. “It’s shameful that gun manufacturers are reaping record profits at the same time that gun violence has become the leading cause of death for kids in the United States,” he said.

AB 455, authored by Assemblymembers Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) and Diane Papan (D-San Mateo), keeps guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous individuals.

Two more public safety laws, Newsom signed deal with limiting ghost guns and the “relinquishment of firearms.”

AB 725, authored by Quirk-Silva and Papan, updates the definition of a firearm to include ghost gun parts.

AB 732, authored by Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), simplifies the process for removing firearms from people who are prohibited from owning them.

The same day Newsom signed the package of gun laws, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), a non-profit focused on advancing gun rights, announced that it filed a complaint challenging some parts of SB 2.

“SB2 restricts where persons with licenses to carry a concealed weapon may legally exercise their constitutional right to wear, carry, or transport firearms. And it does so in ways that are fundamentally inconsistent with the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen,” the complaint states.

Three groups, Orange County Gun Owners, San Diego County Gun Owners, and California Gun Rights Foundation have joined FPC in the lawsuit.

“With Gov. Newsom’s signing of SB2 today, California continues to exhibit its disdain for the rights of Californians, the U.S. Constitution, and the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision,” said Cody J. Wisniewski, FPC Action Foundation’s General Counsel and Vice President of Legal, and FPC’s counsel. “Unfortunately for California, and contrary to Governor Newsom’s misguided statements, the state does not have the power to unilaterally overrule individual rights and constitutional protections.”

Bonta disagrees. He says gun safety laws protect people.

“Addressing gun violence is critical to protecting public safety; we cannot pretend that they are distinct problems,” said Bonta. “In California, we won’t settle for inaction when it comes to saving lives.”

On Oct. 10, Newsom scored another win on gun control. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the California state law that bans guns with high-capacity, detachable magazines can remain in effect while California appeals a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals September ruling that declared that law unconstitutional.

Thirty-Five Firefighters Who Died on Duty Honored During State Memorial Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media The California Fire Foundation hosted its 2023 Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony and Procession Ceremony on Oct. 14 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sacramento.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond attended the event organized to honor 35 firefighters who died in the line of duty. Among the honorees was Ronald Yale Wiley, an African American Deputy Fire Marshal Wiley from Richmond who died on duty in 2007.

The state formally presented a U.S. flag to each of the families of those whose names are being added to the Fighter’s Memorial Wall in Capitol Park on the east side of the State Capitol.\ “We’re recognizing and celebrating the life and times of people who tried to make the world a little bit gentler,” Newsom said of the fallen. “They stood tall because they bent down on one knee to help lift other people up.

People that came from every conceivable walk of life, political background, and different generations. The 35, we memorialize here today -- all with a singular love, and that is a love for public service.”

Nearly a thousand people attended the ceremony.

The procession showcased firefighting apparatus and was marked by the presence of hundreds of active-duty firefighters from all over California, forming a “sea of blue.” Accompanying them were the Pipes and Drums of California Professional Firefighters, honor guards from dozens of fire departments, the families of fallen firefighters from across the state, and various state officials and guests.

The ceremony commenced with a bagpiper playing at the Memorial Wall, a monument built in Sacramento in 2002 to honor the memory, sacrifice and bravery of firefighters who paid the ultimate price while keeping Californians safe. Called “Holding the Line,” the sculpture was created by artist Lawrence Noble and pays tribute to the profession’s spirit of teamwork, focus, and dedication, according to the State of California Capitol Museum.

“When they were called to duty…they came through and they gave as much as anybody is expected to give for their community, their profession, their brothers and sisters, and their state,” said Brian K. Rice, President of

California Professional Firefighters. “This ceremony is a tribute to that selfless dedication, and more than that, a tribute to the families that stood behind these men.”

In 2007, Wiley, a Black firefighter honored at the ceremony, was returning to his office from a meeting in Vallejo when the city-owned vehicle he was driving crashed and burned after an accident on the Carquinez Bridge on I-80. Wiley, 47, was 16 years into the profession when the incident happened, his son Dante Wiley told California Black Media (CBM).

Dante Wiley, who is a Fire Inspector for Richmond’s Fire Department, attended the ceremony with his wife, children, uncle, and other family members. Ronald Wiley’s name is etched in stone alongside more than 1,500 California firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty since California became a state in 1850.

“This was a powerful event,” the younger Wiley said of the ceremony. “I brought my three children out here with me so that they can have a better understanding of who my father was. It’s my first time here in 16 years. I have my lovely wife to thank for that. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here.”

Dante Wiley is a second-generation firefighter, and one of 20 Blacks among 97 firefighters in Richmond. He said his uncle also spent 30 years as a firefighter in Oakland.

Nationwide, the number of Black professional and volunteer firefighters is relatively low. According to Data USA, in 2021, there were 324,149 firefighters in the United States. Of this figure, 4.38% were woman and 95.6% men.

Black firefighters represented 7.4% and Hispanics made up 11.2% as compared to 82.2% of White firefighters.

California has around 35,000 firefighters, Rice said at the ceremony. While the profession is desirable and has many benefits, in many jurisdictions, the workforce does not reflect diversity of the communities they serve. During a 12-year stretch from 1993 to 2005, for example, The San Bernardino City Fire Department (SBCFD) did not hire any Black firefighters.

Now, SBCFD, one of the oldest and largest fire departments in San Bernardino County, has hired a total of 19 Black firefighters, according to Factors Affecting the Hiring of Black Firefighters, a report by James M. Fratus. The late Jimmy Jews broke the color barrier when he became San Bernardino’s first Black firefighter in 1971.

He was the city’s first Black cop before transferring to

SBCFD. In the mid-2010s, the city of Los Angeles launched an investigation into allegations of nepotism, discrimination, and gender bias in its fire department. The city of Sacramento has been hit with lawsuits that allege various incidents of discrimination against Black firefighters between 2018 and 2022.

Dante Wiley says the opportunities are there for the taking. He is actively involved in recruiting efforts.

“I do believe representation matters and so does education,” Wiley said. “When I mean education, I mean outreach. I was fortunate because I saw it every day with my father and, before him, my uncle. A lot of people don’t have that exposure. One of my goals is to get out there and talk to people at high schools, junior colleges, or colleges. Is it for everybody? No. But there are different ways you can go out there and help people. For me, I just want to be a service for my community.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, with State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, left. Newsom was the featured speaker at the California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony. 14, 2023. (CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

The family of Ronald Yale Wiley visits the California Firefighters Memorial Wall to trace his name engraved on monument. Wiley, who died in the line of duty on in 2007, was a Deputy Marshall for Richmond’s Fire Department. Oct. 14, 2023. (CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

Thomas Jay, Fire Battalion Chief for Riverside (Retired) leads the indoor procession at the California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. The event honored 35 firefighters who died in the line of duty. Oct. 14, 2023. (CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey)

A6

Los Angeles News Observer

Features

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Two HBCUs Named Among World’s Top Music Business Schools

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Howard University, the renowned historically Black college in Northwest, D.C., finds itself in esteemed company alongside institutions such as the Abbey Road Institute in London, the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Spain, and the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts in Liverpool, England. These distinguished higher education establishments have earned a spot on Billboard’s prestigious list of the best schools for music business degrees.

Billboard’s selection process, which refrains from ranking the institutions, is based on a comprehensive evaluation that includes executive recommendations, alum feedback, information furnished by each school, and a decade’s worth of reporting on music business programs.

Publishers said the decision not to rank the schools stems from Billboard’s acknowledgment of widespread criticism surrounding conventional college ranking practices.

American University, also located in Northwest, D.C., secured its place on the list, emphasizing Washington’s significance in music education.

Of note, Howard University is one of only two historically Black colleges and universities recognized on the list, the other being Tennessee State University in Nashville.

Howard’s remarkable achievement is underpinned by the establishment of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business in 2021, made possible by a generous $4.9 million donation. Billboard highlights the center’s oneyear fellowship program, which offers invaluable coaching, mentorship, and real-world industry exposure through collaborations with partner organizations. The program is specifically designed to combat the underrepresentation of Black executives and professionals within the music and

The Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts, co-founded by Paul McCartney in 1996. (Photo: Terri Harrison) entertainment sectors.

According to Billboard, one of Howard’s standout

offerings is the course “The History of the American Music Industry: What Isn’t Black Music.” This unique perspective aims to give students a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s roots and evolution.

Billboard’s methodology emphasizes more accessible public colleges and universities, focusing beyond the traditional music capitals of New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville. The publication underscores that attendees of these top music business schools are primed for success in an increasingly intricate music industry landscape.

“The schools listed are selected through executive recommendations, alumni information provided by honorees from our multiple power lists, information requested from each school, and a decade of reporting on these programs,” the Billboard publishers explained.

Notably, the publishers said students could find robust curricula in cities such as Philadelphia, Memphis, and New Orleans, as well as in Syracuse, N.Y.; Kennesaw, Ga.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Cleveland, Miss.

This extensive list encompasses the Valencia, Spain, campus of Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music, the esteemed BRIT School located outside London, LIPA, and the BIMM Institute, the largest provider of contemporary music education in Europe.

“By any measure, the colleges and universities here offer impressive opportunities for students seeking an edge in music-industry careers — running campus record labels, devising business plans, volunteering at top festivals, traveling to major music industry events, and meeting with leading artists and executives,” Billboard affirmed, while also solidifying Howard University’s place among the foremost institutions in the field of music business education.

Hate Crimes Surge in 2022 Leading to an Urgent Call for Unity and Action

Recent attacks in New York and Chicago are stark reminders of the urgent need for increased awareness and action.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released its comprehensive Hate Crime Statistics for 2022, revealing a troubling surge in hate-fueled incidents across the United States. Recent attacks in New York and Chicago are stark reminders of the urgent need for increased awareness and action.

In 2022, the FBI transitioned to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for data collection, representing a significant step towards more accurate reporting. The new data reflects submissions from 13,293 law enforcement agencies employing NIBRS data, covering over 256 million U.S. inhabitants. Additionally, data from 2,431 non-transitioned agencies was accepted, representing 55,441,278 inhabitants, expanding the population coverage to 93.5%.

The Hate Crime Statistics 2022 report reveals that law enforcement agencies reported 11,634 criminal incidents involving 13,337 related offenses motivated by bias towards race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.

In New York, a Sikh man faced a vicious attack aboard an MTA bus in Queens this week. The assailant, allegedly expressing xenophobia, targeted the victim and attempted to remove his turban—a sacred religious symbol—forcibly.

This incident is a stark reminder of the persistent hate

plaguing American society.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, a horrific incident over the weekend resulted in the tragic murder of a six-year-old boy. Wadea Al-Fayoume and his mother fell victim to a brutal attack, with the assailant singling them out due to their Muslim faith. The suspect, Joseph Czuba, now faces charges of murder and hate crimes. This shocking incident highlights the devastating consequences of hate-fueled violence.

In response to the surge in hate crimes, President Biden released a statement condemning the 25 percent increase in antisemitic incidents from 2021 to 2022. He stressed the imperative of unity in speaking out against hate and bigotry, pledging his administration’s dedication to combating antisemitism and Islamophobia.

While there was a positive 38 percent decrease in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans, the overall levels remained stable, underscoring the need for sustained efforts to eradicate hate-fueled violence. Anti-LGBTQI+ hate crimes rose 16 percent, and Muslim and African Americans continue to be overrepresented among victims, Biden said.

“There’s more to do when it comes to ending hatefueled violence,” the president insisted. “That means coming together and speaking out against hate and bigotry in all its forms. All Americans deserve to live their lives with dignity, respect, and safety.

the region. Concurrently, the United States has witnessed a surge in hate crimes, reflecting the heightened tensions and polarized sentiments surrounding the issue. The enduring debate surrounding Israel’s perceived occupation of Palestine continues to be a focal point of discussion, with proponents and critics engaging in a fervent exchange of perspectives. The multifaceted developments underscore the intricate interplay of political, social, and international forces in the ongoing conflict. As the conflict continues to escalate, up to 600 Americans find themselves stranded in Gaza, grappling with dwindling essential supplies and a dire humanitarian situation. The State Department has reported that access to clean water, food, fuel, and medical provisions has become increasingly scarce. In retaliation for Hamas attacks on Israel, the Israeli government has enforced a blockade, leaving Gaza without electricity for several days. The toll of the conflict is stark: over 2,450 casualties and 9,200 injuries have been reported in Gaza, while in Israel, 1,400 individuals have lost their lives and 3,500 have been wounded. Among the casualties are 30 Americans, victims of Hamas’ attack on Israel and the ensuing warfare, according to a State Department spokesperson. Automated emails and ambiguous phone calls from the State Department have hampered efforts to ensure the safety of Palestinian Americans, leaving families uncertain about evacuation prospects. The Rafah crossing, a vital gateway, remains closed, further complicating exit strategies. Additionally, the hub has suffered physical damage from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. At home, protests have intensified as well as hate crimes. In a horrifying incident in Illinois, a 6-year-old boy was tragically stabbed to death, and his mother – both Lebanese – critically wounded in an alleged anti-Muslim hate crime. Joseph Czuba, 71, the landlord, is accused of the brutal attack, which authorities attribute to the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict. President Biden swiftly condemned the attack, categorizing it as a hate crime. Biden has warned Israel sternly, cautioning against an occupation of Gaza during the planned major ground assault in response to the Hamas terror attack. Meanwhile, discussions are underway regarding a potential solidarity visit by Biden to Israel. Israel has announced the evacuation of 28 northern

communities along the Lebanon border amid escalating attacks in the region concurrent with the ongoing conflict against Hamas. This move has raised concerns about the potential for a second war between Israel and Hezbollah, based in Lebanon. Switzerland’s largest political party, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, seeks to bolster its stance of neutrality, even as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East challenge non-alignment. The party aims to collect 100,000 signatures to initiate a vote on enshrining “everlasting” neutrality in the constitution, which could impact sanctions against Russia. Amid escalating tensions, the U.S. reportedly has engaged in back-channel talks with Iran, cautioning against further escalation and potential intervention through Hezbollah. Israel’s emergency government, meanwhile, has mobilized 300,000 reservists in preparation for a major ground offensive. Also, the international community continues to grapple with the potential for the conflict to extend beyond the region. U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urges Israel to minimize civilian casualties to prevent further escalation. In the United States, reactions to the conflict vary, with Black Americans expressing various emotions. Many drew parallels between the struggles of Palestinians and African Americans in their fight against systemic racism, as highlighted through social media campaigns. Through those lenses, many were reminded of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s past comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where he emphasized his belief in “the illegal occupation of Palestine.” In a 2006 PBS-TV interview, Carter discussed his book, “Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid,” regarding the Israeli-Palestine conflict. “This apartheid, which is prevalent throughout the occupied territories, the subjection of the Palestinians to horrible abuse, is caused by a minority of Israelis — we’re not talking about racism, but talking about their desire to acquire, to occupy, to confiscate, and then to colonize Palestinian land,” Carter said. “So, the whole system is designed to separate through a ferocious system Israelis who live on Palestine territory and Palestinians who want to live on their own territory.”

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in Gaza as Conflict Escalates

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The conflict in Israel has triggered a cascade of far-

reaching consequences, resonating globally. The strife has spurred widespread protests in major cities worldwide, with demonstrators advocating for peace and justice in

Concurrently, the United States has witnessed a surge in hate crimes, reflecting the heightened tensions and polarized sentiments surrounding the issue.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Los Angeles News Observer A7

Features

California Black Media Political Playback:

News You Might Have Missed Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media Conservatorship Is Coming to California: Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Transforming California’s Mental Health Care System Californians with relatives suffering from severe mental illness or chronic substance use disorders, including alcoholism, will soon be able to make decisions on their behalf after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 43 into law Oct. 10.

In some instances, conservatorship may be assigned to county health departments, courts or other third parties to temporarily direct the care of affected persons, connect them to treatment or involuntarily detain them.

“California is undertaking a major overhaul of our mental health system,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement. “The mental health crisis affects us all, and people who need the most help have been too often overlooked. We are working to ensure no one falls through the cracks, and that people get the help they need and the respect they deserve.”

Under current law, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (LPS Act), which former Gov. Ronald Reagan signed into law in1967, authorities may serve as conservators for no more than 72 hours.

“The LPS Act was adopted at a time when public policy was essentially to warehouse people that were mentally ill. The Act established strong and important civil liberty protections to ensure individual rights are protected,” said Sen. Susan Eggman (D-Stockton), who authored the bill.

“Like many things that are decades old, it has long been time to make some adjustments to the law to address the realities we are seeing today on our streets.”

While some advocates are applauding the passage of SB 43, some disability rights groups are concerned that authorities may abuse the rights of patients.

SB 43 will take effect Jan. 1, 2024.

Gov. Newsom Signs Sen. Bradford’s SB 51 Which Promotes Diversity in California’s Cannabis Market Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill (SB) 51, which promotes greater diversity in California’s cannabis industry.

The bill is authored by California Legislative Black Caucus vice chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood).

Specifically, SB 51 will allow the California Department of Cannabis Control to issue provisional licenses for local cannabis retail equity applicants.

A provisional license allows applicants to operate

California Governor Gavin Newsom at General Hospital in Los Angeles to sign two major bills for housing and mental health treatment for the homeless. (Photo by Lila Brown CBM)

their business while completing the requirements for an annual license, and eventually become fully licensed participants in the cannabis retail market.

“For California’s legal cannabis market to succeed, it must look like California,” Bradford stated. “Right now, it doesn’t. Time and time again, I hear from community members who are being boxed out of the industry. Equity applicants deserve an opportunity to stand up a business, obtain a license, and participate in the market.”

So far, the legal cannabis industry in California has lacked diversity. A 2017 survey conducted Marijuana Business Daily found that 81% of cannabis business owners and founders in America were White. Hispanic/Latino and Blacks made up only 10% of cannabis business founders.

While Black people make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population, they represent 1.2% to 1.7% of business owners in the cannabis industry, according to Leafly’s Jobs Report of 2021.

In 2018, Bradford introduced SB 1294, the California Cannabis Equity Act. This law facilitates the participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds and underserved communities in California’s legalized cannabis industry.

However, the regulations for an annual license have proven to be a challenge for equity applicants, demonstrating a need for the provisional licensing program authorized by SB 51.

SB 51 will become law on Jan. 1, 2024.

“Equity applicants, who bore the brunt of California’s failed history of cannabis prohibition, are disproportionately impacted by a lack of access to capital and technical support, steep licensing fees, lengthy land-use approvals, environmental requirements, and more,” Newsom said in an Oct. 8 statement.

“While I support the author’s effort to bring temporary relief to equity applicants, this bill does not address the fundamental issues that continue to increase costs and uncertainty for those seeking to participate in the legal market,” Newsom stated.

protected,” Schiff said.

“Nobody should go hungry for using their legal rights to better themselves and better our entire country’s economy,” Porter said.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers represents more than 16,000 union members.

“Our union’s endorsement is in the hands of our members,” said NUHW President Sal Rosselli. “After we get a chance to hear from the candidates, we’ll take a transparent, democratic and informed vote, and the winner will have NUHW’s full support.”

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Launches Statewide Paid Internships Effort as a Crime Prevention Strategy The California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond launched a statewide paid internship effort at a summit he hosted in Sacramento on Oct. 10.

The event explored ways to design paid training and career coaching programs and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow. Amid reports of a spike in crime, including crimes committed by juveniles, the effort’s objectives include helping connect youth to bright futures and helping prevent youth from engaging in crime.

National Union of Healthcare Workers Hosts U.S. Senate Candidate Forum

“We have many young people who need an opportunity to earn and learn, and that is why we are launching a statewide paid internship strategy at a time where the need is very great,” said Thurmond. “We can build a statewide effort where we can serve more students, and we want them to not just put money in their pockets but to learn about a career path that will help them moving forward.”

For more information on the program or to participate, email CAstudentinternships@cde.ca.gov.

The top three Democrats running to become the next U.S. senator to represent California participated in a candidate’s forum at the National Union of Healthcare Workers’ Leadership Conference on Oct. 8, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.

The participants were U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA12), Katie Porter (D-CA-47), and Adam Schiff (D-CA30). They are all running for the Senate seat previously held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and is currently occupied by Sen. Laphonza Butler, who Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed after Feinstein passed away on Sept. 28.

The debate was moderated by Lisa Matthews from The Associated Press. The panelists answered inquiries posed by members of NUHW and a team of journalists.

On this team were Melanie Mason from Politico, Benjamin Oreskes from the Los Angeles Times, and Sandhya Raman from Roll Call.

The candidates responded to 20 questions on topics ranging from healthcare, minimum wage, the current Israel-Hamas war, and the potential of Butler joining the race.

During the forum, all three politicians expressed their disapproval and commented on Gov. Newsom’s decision to veto Senate Bill (SB) 799. The bill would have provided striking workers access to unemployment benefits.

“You get what you paid in,” Lee said of striking workers’ unemployment benefits.

“We need to make sure that the working people are

New California Law Allows Nonprofits with State Grants and Contracts to Get Paid Early Last week, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 590, which authorizes state agencies to advance up to 25% of the total amount of state grants or contracts to nonprofits.

The legislation, unanimously supported by members of both houses of the State Legislature, prioritizes nonprofits serving disadvantaged communities, according to Newsom’s office.

In a statement, CalNonprofits thanked Newsom for signing the bill and Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) for authoring it.

“It strongly impacts the access and ability of nonprofits to partner with the state or successfully pursue grant funding. What on its face may look like a minor technical change, authorizing advance payments to nonprofits signing government contracts is a major equity advancement,” read the CalNonprofits statement.

With upfront funds, nonprofits won’t be forced to float

significant expenses until reimbursed or to take on high interest loans to get new programs going,” the statement continued.

LAO to the Legislature: Establish New Formula for Funding County-Level Corrections Program The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released a report on Oct. 10 recommending that the State Legislature establish a new formula to provide funds to counties through the County Probation Grant Program.

The program was designed to help keep people convicted of felonies out of prison and reduce incarceration costs by supporting county-level community corrections programs.

The program was established by Senate Bill (SB) 678, introduced by former Sen. Mark Leno, who represented San Francisco. It became state law in 2009, To make sure the program is effective and sustainable, the formula the LAO is advising the state to create would base the monies counties receive on state savings and established metrics used to assess the performance of local programs. It would also target funds to specific practices whose success is “evidence based.”

Assemblymember Mike Gipson Hosts Conference to Uplift Women and Build Sisterhood Last week, Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) announced that he held a leadership conference to empower teen girls and young women on Oct. 7 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

“This is our first B.L.U.S.H. Conference,” said Gipson in a video that recapped the conference targeting girls in high school and college undergrads.

The acronym stands for Building Leaders and Uplifting Sisterhood.

“This is super, super important, especially in our society, that young girls and women be reminded who they are,” said Jhala Angelique, V.P. of California At-Risk Youth program and one of the participants.

Addressing the girls at the event, Gipson encouraged them to be role models.

“No matter which community you come out of, whichever community leaders on whose shoulders you stand, you don’t be ashamed. Elevate that community,” said Gipson. “That community helped to make you and shape you to be the person that you are today. You should let everyone know that you are proud.”

Asm. Mike Gipson (D-Carson) (Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey (CBM)

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Thursday, October 19, 2023

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Sports

Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (13) The Walter Camp player of the week- pulls in a touchdown behind the pack of Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) in overtime. at Folsom Field. (Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) was named Walter Camp Defensive National Players of The Week. (Photo: Irish Breakdown on FanNation)

Notre Dame’s Watts and Stanford’s Ayomanor National Award Winners Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. Were named Walter Camp Offensive and Defensive National Players of The week for the week ending October 14 2023.

Ayomanor had 13 catches for 294 yards a single game record and three touchdowns in a 46-43 double overtime win over Colorado.

The BUFFS (4-3,) had a 29-0at halftime deficit to making it the largest comeback in program history.

Before the game the redshirt freshman never totaled more than four catches in a single game or had gone over 100 yards.

“I don’t think anything was different, it’s just like a lot

of things aligned and I ended up getting my opportunities and I capitalized on the opportunities that I got,” Ayomanor said post-game. “I will say though that I had been wearing my brace for the majority of this season and I was not wearing my brace this game so I felt a little bit smoother for sure.”

The game brought in 3.3 million viewers and allowed for an onslaught of new viewership. It was ESPN’s biggest audience for a Friday game since 2018.

“I don’t think anything was different, it’s just like a lot of things aligned and I ended up getting my opportunities and I capitalized on the opportunities that I got,” Ayomanor said. “I will say though that I had been wearing my brace for the majority of this season and I was not wearing my brace this game so I felt a little bit smoother for sure.”

It was the first PAC-12 win for the Cardinal (2-4,1-3 PAC) this season.

On the defensive side Watts had seven tackles, two interceptions a forced fumble and fumble returned for a touchdown in Notre Dame’ s 48-20 win over USC. “(The interception) definitely boosted us,” Watts said. “(It) gave us momentum. We needed some juice. We got some juice. The crowd was live. Defense obviously helped.

Got the offense going as well. Just gave us a good boost that we needed to go for the rest of the game.”

The Irish (6-2) needed this after a tough loss to Louisville last week.

“It’s kind of difficult to say what our full potential will look like because we don’t know what the future holds,” Watts added. “We don’t know how good we can be. We

have to continue working at it, so at the end of the season we can really say, alright, this is the team we are, what we were. Just coming in every day and continue to work, work, work. Not thinking too much about the future or what this team can be. Just working on one day at a time.”

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation (www.waltercamp.org) – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp.

Rams’ offense, led by Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams, wins 26-9 over Cardinals at SoFi Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford was not lighting up the field only completing 8-of-15 pass attempts in the first half. as the got off to a slow start coming away with just two first half field goals Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers were given just three carries for a total of five yards.

To start the second half it was a 17-yard run Williams 6-yard run by Williams 14-yard run by Williams 10-yard run by Williams 6-yard run by Ronnie Rivers 2-yard run

by Rivers 6-yard run by Williams 1-yard loss by Williams In total, the Rams gained 60 yards on those eight run plays, moving the ball methodically down the field. The drive concluded with Stafford hitting Cooper Cupp with a 13-yard touchdown pass.

That ignited the team to a 26-9 win over Arizona in front of 71,202 fans at So-Fi Stadium. The helped run the Rams record to (3-3) The question is what led to the change coming out of the break. Sean McVay shed a little light on the subject after the game when asked what was said to his players in the locker room.

“What would you guess, he Williams was running like a man on a mission,” said McVay .

Even the defense was sparked by the action of Williams who rushed for a career high 158 yards on 20 carries.

“It gave us juice,” said Aaron Donald. “I was on the sideline. It got going and we just go out and do our job on defense.”

Rams defense didn’t allow a single touchdown.

Ernest Jones led all tacklers with 10. The pass rush was

solid all day with quarterback hits (9) and pressures. The secondary held its own collectively recording seven pass breakups, including two from Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon.

It held Arizona to 4 of 12 on third down and 203 yards passing. Defensive end Jonah Williams recorded the first sack of his NFL career The two-year veteran played 29 games before this moment. He was never able to get that initial quarterback sack.

In the first quarter on a third-and-short Williams ran down CARDS QB Josh Dobbs and brought him down for a 13 yard loss..

“It was phenomenal and awesome,” Williams said later. “(Defensive lineman Donald) was supposed to be in there and make the play, but (linebacker) Ernest (Jones) made a really good move in the A-gap, so he opened it up for me. It’s probably the coolest feeling in the world, at least for a D-lineman.”

Now the RAMS have to prep for The Pittsburg Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.

ADD RAMS: The Rams are now shorthanded as afterwards it was learned both Williams and Ronnie Rivers were injured in the team’s win over the Cardinals. and it appears that one of those backs will be out for a significant amount of time. Williams, suffered an ankle injury and is “expected to miss multiple games,” according to a source, but he should be back no later than after the Rams’ Week 10 bye when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Off the field cornerback Derion Kendrick was reportedly arrested for suspicion of illegal gun possession just hours after the team’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. The 23-year-old was stopped in a vehicle for a traffic violation in Hollywood.

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) runs the football against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr. (33) and linebacker Dennis Gardeck (45). (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports© Provided by Ram Digest on FanNation)

Trojans Fall to Irish Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Throughout the nearly 100 years of the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame there have been close games and then there were routs. This year was the ladder, and the Irish came out on top 48-20.

Caleb Williams had his toughest day as a Trojan turning the ball over three times. It was his first time he threw three interceptions in a game.

Notre Dame has picked off opposing quarterbacks once every 36.3 pass attempts during Al Golden’s time as Irish defensive coordinator that includes 20 games. Picking off one pass from the defending Heisman Trophy winner may have made sense since Williams only had one interception all season, but three, that would never be thought of.

“We were able to capitalize off — I’m sure [Williams] would call them mistakes,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “He doesn’t want to throw the ball to our defenders. We were able to capitalize off them, instead of just having [pass breakups] or almost(s). Our guys turned those into takeaways, which were huge for our entire team.”

The Irish (6-2) were coming off of a tough loss 33-20 to Louisville the previous week and were desperate to turn things around.

USC was put in the hole early as each turnover was turned into scores by the Irish.

To compound things the Walter Camp Player of the Year was sacked six times for loss of 44 yards. Before the game, the

MarShawn Lloyd (8) had 46 yards on 8 carries was a bright spot for USC at Notre Dame Saturday.

(Courtesy Photo)

Trojans gave up an average of 1.83 sacks per game, 11 sacks in six games for a total loss of 80 yards. Williams finished the night completing 23 of 37 for 199 yards.

Michael Jackson III was the leader in catches with 6 for 51 yards. MarShawn Lloyd had 46 yards on 8 carries to lead the ground game. Maybe the Trojans could have run the ball more.

The Trojans had more total yards 307 to 250 more first downs 23 to 13 and led in time of possession 34.35 to 25:35. All that showed was the turnovers were more than costly and helped them miss out on opportunities.

Freshman Zachariah Branch had four punt returns for 86 yards including a sixty yarder for a 21.4 average.

Curtis Tacket lead the team in tackles with eight, six of them solo. Calen Bullock had six four solo. The Defense gave up just 260 total offense only 125 passing yards.

“We can’t dwell on it,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley.

“That’s the main thing. We’ve got some big opportunities in front of us right now as a football team. We’re disappointed with the way we played,” he continued. “That’s not representative of what we expect — our expectations, our standard. Just a lot of missed opportunities in that game that, certainly, we regret. We hate that we missed them and weren’t at our best. I think our best would have been good enough.”

The loss dropped USC to 18 in this week’s poll. is still undefeated in the PAC 12 (3-0) and will take on UTAH at the Coliseum it will be the first of four ranked opponents they will take on in the next five weeks.

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Police Blame Some Deaths on ‘Excited Delirium.’

ER Docs Consider Pulling the Plug on the Term.

By Markian Hawryluk and Renuka Rayasam KFF Health News The way Sheldon Haleck’s parents see it, the 38-yearold’s only crime was jaywalking. But that March night in 2015, after Honolulu police found him behaving erratically, they pepper-sprayed him, shocked him with a Taser, and restrained him. Haleck became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital. Before his parents could get from their home in Utah to Hawaii, the former Hawaii Air National Guardsman was taken off life support.

“Nobody’s supposed to die from something like this,” said Haleck’s father, William.

An initial autopsy ruled Haleck’s death a homicide and his family filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against the three officers who tried to remove him from the street. The case should have been “one of the easiest wrongful death cases” to win, said Eric Seitz, an attorney who represented Haleck’s family.

But the officers’ attorneys seized on a largely discredited, four-decade-old diagnostic theory called “excited delirium,” which has been increasingly used over the past 15 years as a legal defense to explain how a person experiencing severe agitation can die suddenly through no fault of the police. “The entire use of that particular theory, I think, is what convinced the jury,” Seitz said.

Haleck’s case is just one legal battle in which the theory of excited delirium exonerated law enforcement despite mounting opposition to the term among most prominent medical groups. The theory has been cited as a defense in the 2020 deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis; Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York; and Angelo Quinto in Antioch, California. It figures in a criminal trial against two police officers involved in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado, now underway. It has allowed defense attorneys to argue that individuals in police custody died not of restraint, not of a Taser shock, but of a medical condition that can lead to sudden death.

But now, the American College of Emergency Physicians will vote at an October meeting on whether to formally disavow its 2009 position paper supporting excited delirium as a diagnosis that helped undergird those court cases. The draft resolution also calls on ACEP to discourage physicians who serve as expert witnesses from promoting the theory in criminal and civil trials.

“It’s junk science,” said Martin Chenevert, an emergency medicine physician at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, who often testifies as an expert witness.

The theory has been used to provide a cover for police misconduct, he said. “It had an agenda.”

Passing the resolution wouldn’t bring Haleck back, but his parents hope it would prevent other families from experiencing their agony. “May that excited delirium die here,” said his mother, Verdell.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering signing into law a bill passed Sept. 12 that would do much of the same in his state.

“If we don’t fully denounce this now, it will be there for the grasping, again,” said Jennifer Brody, a physician with the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, who co-authored a 2021 editorial calling on organized medicine to denounce excited delirium. “Historically, we know what happens: The pendulum swings the other way.”

Most major medical societies, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, don’t recognize excited delirium as a medical condition. This year, the National Association of Medical Examiners rejected excited delirium as a cause of death.

No blood test or other diagnostic test can confirm the

Sheneen McClain, pictured in 2021, stands at the site in Aurora, Colorado, where her son Elijah was restrained, choked, and given a sedative after an encounter with police in 2019. The largely discredited diagnosis of “excited delirium” was cited as a possible cause of Elijah McClain’s death.

(AARON ONTIVEROZ/MEDIANEWS GROUP/THE DENVER POST VIA GETTY IMAGES) syndrome. It’s not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a reference book of mental health conditions, nor does it have its own diagnostic code, a system used by health professionals to identify diseases and disorders.

But the argument’s pervasiveness in excessive-useof-force cases has persisted in large part because of the American College of Emergency Physicians’ 2009 white paper proposing that individuals in a mental health crisis, often under the influence of drugs or alcohol, can exhibit superhuman strength as police try to control them, and then die from the condition.

The ACEP white paper has been cited in cases across the U.S., and lawyers who file police misconduct cases said that courts and judges accept the science without sufficient scrutiny.

ACEP’s position “has done a lot of harm” by justifying first responder tactics that contribute to a person’s death, said Joanna Naples-Mitchell, an attorney who worked on a Physicians for Human Rights review of excited delirium.

The term has also been used in cases in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries, according to the group.

“This is a really important opportunity for ACEP to make things right,” she said of the upcoming vote.

ACEP officials declined KFF Health News requests for an interview.

Starting in the mid-1990s, the leading proponents of excited delirium produced research with funding from Taser International, a maker of stun guns used by police, which later changed its name to Axon. The research purported to show that the technique of prone restraint, in which suspects are lying face down on the ground with the police officer’s weight on top of them, and Taser shocks couldn’t kill someone. That research formed the basis of the white paper, providing an alternative cause of death that defense attorneys could argue in court. Many emergency physicians say the ACEP document never lived up to the group’s standard for clinical guidelines.

Axon officials did not respond to a call or email seeking comment on the white paper or the upcoming ACEP vote. In 2017, Taser officials used the American College of Emergency Physicians’ position on excited delirium as evidence that it is a “universally recognized condition,” according to Reuters.

A recent review published in the journal Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology concluded no scientific evidence exists for the diagnosis, and that the authors of the 2009 white paper engaged in circular reasoning and faulty logic.

“Excited delirium is a proxy for prone-related restraint when there is a death,” said Michael Freeman, an associate professor of forensic medicine at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, who co-authored the review. “You don’t

find that people get ‘excited delirium’ if they haven’t also been restrained.”

Between 2009 and 2019, Florida medical examiners attributed 85 deaths to excited delirium, and at least 62% involved the use of force by law enforcement, according to a January 2020 report in Florida Today. Black and Hispanic people accounted for 56% of 166 deaths in police custody attributed to excited delirium from 2010 to 2020, according to a December 2021 Virginia Law Review article.

This year, ACEP issued a formal statement saying the group no longer recognizes the term “excited delirium” and new guidance to doctors on how to treat individuals presenting with delirium and agitation in what it now calls “hyperactive delirium syndrome.” But the group stopped short of retracting the 2009 white paper. For the past 14 years, ACEP took no steps to withdraw the document or to discourage defense attorneys from using it in court.

Even now, lawyers say, they must continually debunk the theory.

“Excited delirium has continued to come up in every single restraint asphyxia case that my partner and I have handled,” said Julia Sherwin, a California civil rights attorney. “Instead of acknowledging that the person died from the police tactics, they want to point to this alternate theory of deaths.”

Now, plaintiffs’ attorneys say, if ACEP passes the resolution it would be the most meaningful step yet toward keeping the theory out of the courtroom. The resolution calls on ACEP to “clarify its position in writing that the 2009 white paper is inaccurate and outdated,” and to withdraw approval for it.

Despite the theory’s lack of scientific underpinning, backers of the ACEP resolution expect heated debate before the vote scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 7-8.

Emergency physicians often encounter patients with agitation and delirium, they say, and are sympathetic to other first responders who share the challenge of managing such patients. While they have tools like sedation to help them in the emergency room, law enforcement officials must often subdue potentially dangerous individuals without such help.

Most people won’t die as a result of police tactics such as prone restraint or Taser use, but a small fraction do.

“It’s a crappy, crappy situation, when you have someone who’s out of control, who can’t make decisions for himself, and is potentially a threat somewhere,” said Jared Strote, an emergency medicine professor at the University of Washington. “It’s not like they have a sticker on their head that says, ‘Hey, I’m at high risk. If you hold me down, then I could go into sudden cardiac arrest.’”

Nonetheless, sentiment is growing among emergency physicians that the 2009 ACEP white paper has resulted in real harm and injustices, and it’s time to set it aside.

“We’ll be able to close the chapter on it and move forward to recognize explicitly that this was in error,” said Brooks Walsh, an emergency physician from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and a key player in bringing the resolution up for a vote. “We definitely have an ethical responsibility to address mistakes or evolutions in medical thinking.”

Chris Vanderveen, KUSA-TV’s director of special projects, contributed to this report.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Learn more about KFF.

L.A. County Funding Sen. Laphonza Butler Vows for Community Unwavering Support for Organizations to Address the Black Press and Black Rising Food Insecurities Communities As the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate, Butler’s appointment marks a historic moment. Additionally, she’s the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate, following Vice President Kamala Harris. Her appointment represents a significant milestone, and her unwavering commitment to the Black Press and the communities she serves is poised to bring about positive change for years to come.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The Black Press has gained a powerful ally in the U.S. Senate, promising unwavering support for the historic voice of the African American community. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA), appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to complete the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s term, promises to be a transformative force in the United States Congress.

During a Zoom call with publishers from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Sen. Butler expressed her dedication to ensuring the long-term viability of the Black Press. She also pledged to host a delegation of Black newspaper publishers on Capitol Hill to discuss

“Welcome to the newest member of the United States Senate!” Laphonza Butler being sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo: Office of the Vice President of the United States / Wikimedia Commons)

advertising and other opportunities for Black-owned newspapers and media companies, whom candidates and the federal government have done very little business with. “The existence of your outlets is the lifeline to our community,” emphasized Butler during the 30-minute Zoom call. “I appreciate the work you do tirelessly.”

The NNPA is a trade association of more than 240 African American-owned newspapers and media companies in the United States.

As the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate, Butler’s appointment marks a historic moment. Additionally, she’s the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate, following Vice President Kamala Harris. Her appointment represents a significant milestone, and her unwavering commitment to the Black Press and the communities she serves is poised to bring about positive change for years to come.

Butler’s extensive experience as a senior adviser to Harris and her advocacy for women and the working class, position her as a formidable advocate. She has identified crucial issues facing the Senate, including robust support for Ukraine and Israel, particularly in these times of conflict.

She also highlighted the pressing need for a Speaker in the House to prevent government shutdowns.

“I want to make sure that we as a community are talking about the importance and impact of this pending government shutdown and the consequences of a broken Congress, led by a Republican Party that can’t govern themselves and is putting the future of our country in peril as well as our national security,” Butler told the NNPA. The former CEO of EMILY’s List pledged to bridge the gap between the government and the Black Press. “I have spoken directly with the Biden-Harris campaign on several occasions about their commitment to communities of color and engaging directly with the most credible vehicles that speak with them,” Butler remarked.

She remained resolute when addressing concerns about prioritizing Black communities’ issues. “I recognize that not only am I the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, but I also know I’m the most junior. But here’s my commitment: by joining together and building partnerships with Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Raphael Warnock, we can tell a very different story and have a much greater impact,” Butler asserted. “I intend to lead the same way I’ve led my entire life.”

Butler has an established history with the Black Press. Her ties to African American-owned media were demonstrated by her direct request to Los Angeles Sentinel Publisher and NNPA Chair Emeritus Danny Bakewell Sr. to convene a meeting with Black publishers.

Before ending the 30-minute meeting, Butler reiterated her pledge to work to ensure the long-term viability of the Black Press. “The existence of your outlets is the lifeline to our community,” Butler insisted. “I know that my being in this position is an important opportunity. As the only Black woman in the United States Senate, as our Senate and government are taking on issues that are critical to the future of our communities, I wanted to make sure I was in conversation with all of you as I start my tenure in my appointed role, I want to hear what the concerns of your readers are. I want to be a voice and a champion for those issues and for all of you.”

By Alison Frazzini, policy advisor Los Angeles County’s Chief Sustainability Office Food insecurity in Los Angeles County has been steadily rising since 2021 even as our local economy slowly recovers from the impact of COVID. According to a new USC research study, some three in ten households in greater Los Angeles experienced food insecurity this year.

That figure marks a 6 percent increase from 2022.

From a national perspective, on average, 10.2 percent of people in the U.S. experience low food security, however, 19.8 percent of Black Americans experience low food security. To break it down further, 3.8 percent of people in the U.S. experience very low food security, however, 7.9% of Black Americans experience very low food security.

Food insecurity is more than just instances of hunger.

The term refers to an experience that has persistent impacts -- in which residents are unable to live an active, healthy life because they lack access to enough food due to limited money or other resources.

When you consider we live in nation of plenty, where nourishment should be a universal right, it is disappointing that economically disenfranchised communities suffer the most. Food insecurity rates are now actually worse for low-income residents than during the early days of the pandemic. The data show that racial and ethnic inequities have deepened, with Black and Latinx residents more than two times as likely as white residents to have been food insecure.

So, what’s driving this alarming trend?

The recent uptick coincides with rising food prices and the end of a pandemic-era federal boost to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, known as CalFresh benefits in California. Widespread labor stoppages in the entertainment and hotel industries have also cut incomes for many local residents.

Simply put: There’s less money to put food on the

table.

The average monthly CalFresh benefits in L.A. County dropped from $470 per household in December 2022 to $299 in July 2023, as the pandemic-era boost to benefits ended. Nearly 50 percent of households receiving CalFresh benefits in July 2023 were food insecure. That figure marks an increase from December 2022, when 36% of CalFresh households were food insecure.

What can be done?

Funding local communities is the first step towards a more just and equitable food landscape.

The Los Angeles County Office of Sustainability has just launched a grant program that will release nearly $10 million in funding for community efforts to improve food equity. Federal ARP funds will be awarded to nonprofits and other groups looking to expand their capacity for innovative programs like urban agriculture and food waste recovery.

Whether it’s a neighborhood group looking for seed money to start a community garden or a local nonprofit looking to fund a fleet of electric vans to deliver meals to homebound seniors, we want to help.

Applications are being accepted at https:// communitypartners.org/foodequity through Oct. 30. Please share this opportunity with good people doing good work in your community.

By investing in our communities today, we are sowing the seeds for a brighter, more equitable future.

The Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) provides comprehensive policy support and guidance for the Board of Supervisors, County Departments, and the region to make our communities healthier, more equitable, and resilient. In partnership with philanthropic leaders and cross-sector organizations, CSO co-founded the LA County Food Equity Roundtable in 2021.

Continued from page A1 containing over 100 recommendations earlier this year.

The exhaustive 1,100-page report meticulously outlines California’s historical role in perpetuating discrimination against Black residents. Proposed remedies range from formal apologies to financial restitution for descendants of enslaved individuals impacted by discriminatory policing and housing policies. In December 2020, the Amherst Town Council adopted the African Heritage Reparation Assembly, which officials called a pivotal step in affirming the town’s commitment to ending structural racism and achieving racial equity for Black residents. The Assembly’s mandate was to formulate reparations proposals and a

comprehensive Municipal Reparations Plan, encompassing both a reparations fund and a community-wide process of reconciliation and repair. The plan includes eligibility criteria determined and approved by the broader Amherst Black community through a comprehensive census and community feedback process. Additional strategies to combat anti-Black structural and communal racism, such as truth-telling and reconciliation events, will be integrated.

“Collaboration with other groups striving for racial equity in Amherst and engagement with key community stakeholders will be prioritized,” officials stated.

New England Town Considers Accelerating Reparations Timeline in Pioneering Initiative