Prince Georges Afro American Newspaper March 21 2015

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 123 No. 33

MARCH 21, 2015 - MARCH 27, 2015

Apple to Donate Nearly $50 million to HBCUs to Spur STEM

Obama Claims Upper Hand Over Congress By Josh Lederman and Jim Kuhnhenn Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Bolstered by a spate of upbeat economic news, President Barack Obama is claiming the upper hand in the budget fight unfolding in Congress, aiming to exploit recent Republican stumbles to give Democrats an advantage despite their status as a weakened minority. But while Obama retains full use of the bully pulpit, his leverage over matters of government spending may prove limited. The White House has put a spotlight on GOP missteps and infighting in recent weeks, arguing that Republicans who promised to govern effectively are falling down on the job since taking control of Congress earlier this year. Drawing an implicit

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President Obama speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, March 16. Bolstered by a spate of upbeat economic news, Obama is claiming the upper hand in the budget fight unfolding in Congress. contrast, Obama has been playing up his own, unilateral economic steps as a way to show he’s the one setting Washington’s agenda. “We’re going to have a robust debate,” Obama pledged Tuesday shortly after House Republicans released their $3.8 trillion budget. Obama has stood firmly behind his insistence that Republicans increase spending on domestic programs — not just the

Pentagon. “The defining feature of this new Republican majority in Congress is them being on defense responding to the president’s agenda,” Brian Deese, an Obama senior adviser, said in an interview. The current debate is over a budget resolution, a nonbinding measure that doesn’t require Obama’s signature. Typically, Congress uses separate appropriations bills to fund various parts of the

government, which makes it harder for the president to insist that Republicans pass funding for his priorities before he’ll approve funding for theirs. As a result, the White House strategy is not so much designed to negotiate a bargain with Republicans as it is to keep Obama’s underlying economic message at the forefront while Republicans play out their own internal Continued on A5

Photo courtesy of Apple

Students supported by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which focuses on public, historically black colleges and universities. By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO Some of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will soon benefit from a multi-year, multi-million-dollar effort to increase the pipeline of women, minorities, and veterans in the technology industry. Fortune Magazine reports Apple’s gift of nearly $50 million will go to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, in benefit to 47 public HBCUs. The funds will provide scholarships to students majoring in computer science, training for students and faculty, and establish a paid internship program for hiring promising HBCU students at Apple. Apple’s human resources chief Denise Young Smith said the company is partnering with several non-profit organizations to create opportunities for minority candidates to get their first job at Apple. “There is a tremendous upside to [creating opportunities] and we are dogged about the fact that we can’t innovate without being diverse and inclusive,” said Young Smith. Apple’s funding is one of the largest gifts to any HBCU

“…there are some really talented individuals at these [HBCU] schools.” – Johnny Taylor Courtesy photos

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Del. Joseline A. Pena-Melnyk (D-District 21) have all joined the race for the House seat vacated by Edwards.

Edwards’ Seat is Up for Grabs By James Wright Special to the AFRO

The recent decision by Rep. Donna Edwards to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016 has produced a crop of politicians who have declared for her House seat or are considering a run for it. Edwards is running in the April 5,

2016 Democratic primary for the nomination to replace Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). As a result, Edwards, in Congress since 2008, is vacating her Prince George’s-Anne Arundel county-based congressional seat. Two of Prince George’s County’s most well-known political figures, former Prince Continued on A5

advocacy organization, and will be support the most comprehensive training partnership ever conceived in benefit to Black colleges. “Historically, other organizations have provided scholarship dollars or focused on whatever area matters most to them,” said Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “People are at Harvard and MIT looking for their students, but Apple said, there are some really talented individuals at these [HBCU] schools.” Apple’s partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a non-profit that supports students enrolled in public HBCUs, signals direct action in securing talented minority engineers, according to Paul Dorsey, a retired HBCU science instructor. “Black colleges have an abundance of talented and disciplined Continued on A6

Former D.C. Delegate-Civil Rights Icon Fauntroy Sought By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO Family and friends of former D.C. Delegate and Civil Rights icon Walter Fauntroy have grown increasingly concerned following reports that a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest. The warrant, issued by the Prince George’s County sheriff’s office, stems from a $50,000 bounced check Fauntroy allegedly wrote to cover a 2009 Presidential Inauguration

event for Barack Obama. The 82-year-old pastor and former aid to Martin Luther King Jr., alarmed those close to him when he failed to attend the funeral of longtime friend and former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and more recently, neglected to take part in commemoration activities surrounding the 50th anniversary of the SelmaMontgomery March. While Fauntroy’s attorney Art Reynolds Jr. said he believes he may be in any of a number of African

A bench warrant has reportedly been issued for the arrest of Walter Fauntroy.

nations, his interview with WUSA9’s Bruce Johnson suggests he has, in fact, spoken with Fauntroy and advised him legally of his options. Reynolds confirmed that Fauntroy’s passport has been revoked as a result of the warrant. “I have advised him that in the event he comes back into the country, whenever he gets into customs, the bench warrant would pop up on the computers and he would be taken into custody,” Reynolds said.

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According to Johnson, Fauntroy’s mental state and living accommodations are uncertain, as well as any sources of income he has while abroad. Judges generally issue bench warrants for contempt of court or for persons who fail to appear at scheduled hearings. A State Department official said in response to our inquiry on Fauntroy that “due to privacy laws and restrictions, we do not Continued on A6


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