Mizz Mercedez, Comic Book Author/Educator and Rakim, Hip-Hop/Rap Pioneer
Rondo
Photo by Mack Phillips IV
Courtesy: e-ulaw.com
Legacy and liberation: A community call to wealth planning
By Pulane Choane Contributing Writer
When we think of legacy, it’s easy to default to houses or bank accounts. But deeper than dollars, legacy is the stories we pass on, the values we hold, and the tangible roots we grow for future generations. In a community conversation grounded in Minnesota realities, attorney Ivory Umanah and Greater Twin Cities United Way leader Shannon Smith Jones delivered a sobering message: for Black families especially, avoiding conversations about wealth, death, and planning has a generational cost.
“Legacy is a lot,” said Smith Jones, Senior Vice President of Community Impact at United Way. “We’re talking about money, but we’re also talking about what we left behind for our community to build
“Silence always keeps us sick. That silencing or that muting of our story also feels like a tool that has been used against us. When families don’t talk about money, death, or plans, they pass down chaos, not wealth.”
- Shannon Smith Jones-
upon… It is cultural practices, ritual.” For her, legacy isn’t theoretical. It’s lived. Her uncle Dr. Richard Green, was the first Black superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, and later, superintendent of New York
City Public Schools. Her mother, Terryann Pettiford Hunter, was a churchwoman. Her aunt, Gladys Randle,worked at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center.. “There is a way of giving into community… that’s what I
grew up with.”
But what happens when no one plans?
Ivory Umanah has seen it firsthand as an estate attorney. “If you don’t know, you don’t know,” he said. “You assume that if you die, your spouse just gets everything. But legally, it doesn’t work that way.” Without a will or legal plan, assets, like a house, don’t automatically go to family. Instead, they go into probate, a lengthy, expensive court process that can drain thousands from estates,” Umanah said.
In Minnesota, probate court fees can range from $350 to $400 just to start. “You pay attorneys, filing fees, appraisers… and by the end, your kids are selling the home just to pay the court,” said. “This isn’t just about inconvenience; it’s about loss. Financial, emotional, and
President Trump’s budget bill that includes the largest cut to food assistance in history. The bill also threatens health care coverage for over 15 million Americans. “This is a reversal of so much progress we’ve had. Under Biden-Harris, we reduced childhood poverty in half, this rolls that back,” said Jotaka Eaddy, the founder of Win With Black Women. “This bill takes health care away from 16 million Americans,” State of the People founder Angela Rye pointed out. The two were on a marathon State of the People broadcast that featured Black religious, political, and community leaders. The Senate passed Trump’s budget bill with the as-
North Carolina Thom Tillis admits “money isn’t there”
By Lauren Burke Black Press USA By Jonathan Beloff
The foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a new peace agreement on 27 June 2025 under the auspices of the US. The agreement aims to foster long-term peace, and increased economic trade and security. The DRC is one of Africa’s largest nations, with over 110 million people. Rwanda has a population of 14 million. After three decades of war and tensions between the two neighbours since the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the hope is that this agreement will establish the foundations for progress that benefits both nations.
It was the Donald Trump administration’s moment to illustrate the effectiveness of its “transactional” foreign policy, focused on exchanges and short-
term benefits for each actor. Most of the agreement’s details remained undisclosed until its signing. One aspect that’s surfaced was the claim that the DRC abandoned its demand for the removal of
Rwandan soldiers from its territory. The Congolese government, research groups and the UN have accused Rwanda of supplying military aid, including soldiers, to the March 23 Movement (M23), which has
been at war with the government in Kinshasa since 2021. The Rwandan government denies any active involvement but has some sympathies for
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWS-
WIRE — On the Senate floor on June 30, North Carolina
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis spoke against President Trump’s budget bill that will kill health care coverage for 17 million Americans.
Ital-Senate Republicans approved President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill Tuesday on the narrowest of margins, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a tur bulent overnight session. Story on Page 9. Thom Tillis spoke against President Trump’s budget bill that will kill health care coverage for 17 million Americans.
“It is inescapable. This bill will betray the promise Donald Trump made,” Tillis said, referring to the fact that Trump claimed the bill would not make certain cuts to health care. “I’m telling the president that you have been misinformed. Supporting the Senate mark will hurt people who are eligible and qualified for Medicaid,” Tillis said firmly on the Senate floor. Though the bill is likely to pass, a few Republicans who have a majority in Congress are beginning to confront the reality of the numbers and how many people in their districts and states will lose their health care coverage. The budget bill is likely to be voted on this week. North Carolina is among several states, along with Kentucky,
“What do I tell 663,000 people in two years, three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding’s not there anymore, guys?” Sen. Tillis asked the chamber.
6
By By Lauren Burke Black Press USA
Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA.
United States Capitol Washington D.C.
Photo: BlackpressUSA / NNPA.
Republican Thom Tillis
Attorney Ivory S. Umanah
Courtesy LinkedIn
Shannon Smith Jones
Photo courtesy of futuremedianews.com.na
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (center) stands with officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda as they shake hands following a U.S.-brokered peace agreement aimed at easing tensions and promoting stability in the Great Lakes region, during a diplomatic ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Loud,
and
Black: Why Gen Z women see Jasmine Crockett clearly
By Haley Taylor Schlitz, Esq.
Two recent headlines coalesced into a larger moment. One: Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett went viral in a House hearing, raising the deeper question of how Melania Trump qualified for an Einstein visa in the first place. The other: whispers that Crockett has stepped back from party fundraising after being dubbed “not a team player.” These episodes have sparked conversation, but their deeper meaning quietly echoes through American history.
Our nation’s story is often framed around enemies. In every era, someone must be blamed, someone must be feared, someone must be silenced. From the Red Scare to the War on Drugs, from welfare queens to woke college students, America has always had a ready-made villain to maintain the illusion of order. What ties these two stories together is not just who they are
about, but what they reveal. In one moment, Crockett publicly challenged a system that protects privilege. In the other, she encountered the quiet policing of tone and loyalty within her own political circles. Both are reactions to the same thing: a Black woman who refuses to shrink. Whether on the House floor or behind closed doors, her presence unsettles systems that were never built with her in mind. That she is making people uncomfortable is not the problem. It is the point. Today, that villain is increasingly a confident Black woman who dares to speak without seeking permission.
Crockett’s viral moment about Melania Trump was not just a punchline. It was a piercing question about privilege and power. She framed her critique with sharp clarity, pointing out that Melania received what’s known as an “Einstein visa”, typically reserved for those with extraordinary abilities in science, art, or business, and questioned what qualifying achievements the former model brought to the table. Her closing line landed with force: “It doesn’t take an Einstein to see that the math ain’t mathin’ here.” She didn’t challenge the immigration system abstractly.
She challenged its selective enforcement. She pointed out what so many already suspected, that the rules are applied differently
depending on who you are and who you know. That her question was met with ridicule from some and silence from others
speaks volumes. Her critics did not respond with facts. They responded with insults. President Trump called her “low IQ.” Others dismissed her as unserious. Online, the attacks were even uglier, laced with racism and misogyny. Slurs were used. Her appearance was mocked. Her intelligence questioned in ways that had nothing to do with policy and everything to do with prejudice. But Crockett, as she made clear in a recent interview, understood what that meant. You are not attacked like that unless you are effective. You are not insulted unless you have made someone uncomfortable enough to try to diminish you. This is not new. American history is filled with Black women who were called dangerous when they were simply determined. Harriet Tubman. Ida B. Wells. Fannie Lou Hamer. Shirley Chisholm. Barbara Lee. Each time a Black woman used her voice to demand that this nation live up to its ideals, she was branded a threat. Not because she lacked substance, but because her substance cut through pretense.
Crockett’s experience is not just about party politics. It is a mirror held up to a country that still struggles to
respect brilliance when it comes wrapped in a cadence that refuses to bow. When she speaks with precision and fire, she is told she lacks decorum. When she points out hypocrisy, she is told she is not a team player. But whose team are we really asking her to play on? And at what cost?
Gen Z women, and especially young Black women, see what is happening. We are often told to speak up, to lead, to be bold. But when we do, we are told to soften our voices, to lower our eyes, to be less. Crockett is not just showing us how to push back. She is showing us how to lead without losing ourselves. The question is not whether Congresswoman Crockett fits into someone else’s idea of leadership. The question is whether this country is ready to recognize leadership that does not apologize for existing. Leadership that challenges. Leadership that refuses to entertain double standards. We see Jasmine Crockett clearly. And we see what her critics are really afraid of. They are afraid that her courage is contagious. That more of us are watching. That more of us are coming. And that we are not asking for permission.
By Frank Erickson
Writer
Trump is considering letting undocumented migrants who are farm workers the right to stay in the country. Need any more than this to show that this “border crisis” was always a sham, a fantasy? That he’s
Columnist
Photo: Frank Armstrong, Adobe Stock
Community News
Safe Community Camera Program seeks to support safe neighborhoods
Rest in Peace, Speaker Melissa Hortman & Mark Hortman
By Jeremiah Elison, Councilmember Ward 5 Minneapolis
2025 traffic calming projects 24-Hour Narcan vending machine
open to everyone including residents, business owners, and neighborhood or business organizations. You can do it online or if you need help, you can call Minneapolis 311. The deadline to apply for 2026 consideration is August 1st, 2025.
Minneapolis now has a Narcan vending machine on the North Side. This life-saving resource expands access to the drug, naloxone, that reverses opioid overdoses.
Located at Fire Station 14, 2002 Lowry Ave N, Minneapolis, this is the second vending machine in the city. The vending machine: Provides 24-hour access. Contains more than 100 boxes of naloxone, each holding two doses. Is free to community members with no barriers. Fire Station 14 also serves as the city’s safe station. This is a space where people struggling with addiction and substance misuse can connect with resources and support.
Free legal aid clinic in Harrison neighborhood
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has an in-person clinic in the Harrison neighborhood, offering free legal help! Legal Aid handles problems on this civil side (not criminal), including: housing, consumer, immigration, federal tax, public benefits, family law, and disability discrimination. Generally, clients must be Hennepin residents and be either lower income or aged 60+ (regardless of income).
Days/Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Location: Harrison Neighborhood Association (HNA), 1501 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405 Walk-ins welcome/ appointments preferred To schedule an appointment, call 612-352-9778. Residents can also call Legal Aid’s central intake line: 1-877696-6529 or visit www.mylegalaid.org.
Photo:Google Maps Google street view of Upton Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Rebecca Smith KBIA
Legacy
From 3
sometimes cultural.”
Jones sees it too often. “There’s usually somebody that’s pulling from their own wealth to give grandma that service… because there wasn’t insurance, or because we weren’t prepared.” Even when the family believes they own a home, titles might not be transferred. In some cases, she added, “grandma didn’t own the house, and we thought she did.”
But the most painful consequence, they said, is silence. “Silence always keeps us sick,” Smith Jones explained. “That silencing or that muting of our story also feels like a tool that has been used against us. When families don’t talk about money, death, or plans, they pass down chaos, not wealth. ”
Deal
From 3
the Congolese rebel group. Under the June 2025 agreement, each side provided concessions and demands that are perhaps easier said than done. Both countries also want to show the Trump administration their willingness to negotiate and make a deal. This is in the hopes of future deals with the US, which Trump has remained vague on.
The DRC has immense mineral wealth, including gold, diamonds, tungsten, coltan, tin and lithium. These latter minerals are used in computer chips, batteries and other technologies.
The question is whether this latest agreement will lead to peace in the DRC.
The likely answer is no, based on research on instability in the eastern DRC, Rwandan foreign policy and the security and political dynamics between Rwanda
Senate
From 3
care and food assistance away
YouTube (@InsightNewsMN)
Umanah urged families to start with the basics: designate beneficiaries, update deeds, consider transfer-on-death designations. Even a basic life insurance policy can change the future for the next generation. “People think insurance is expensive,” he said. “But insuring a child early locks in that premium. And it can
and the DRC for over 15 years.
This is mainly because key players involved in the crisis were left out of negotiations no provisions are made for enforcement the opportunities for US companies remain questionable given the lack of security in the mining regions.
The roots of the crisis
After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, former genocide perpetrators used the DRC’s vast size as cover to plan attacks on Rwanda. They intended to return to Rwanda to finish the genocide. The consequences led to the First Congo War (1996-1997) and the Second Congo War (1998-2003).
It was during the bloody second war that the DRC was carved up by multiple rebel groups aligned with various nations and political actors. The UN accuses Rwanda and Uganda of carrying out a massive illegal mineral trade. Both nations deny this.
The consequences of the conflict are still felt over
from millions of Americans. All so Donald Trump can give massive tax breaks to his billionaire donors. It’s a gutting betrayal of working-class Americans,” stated Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-
Louisiana, and Arkansas that will be impacted by the cuts. Over the last 48 hours, President Trump attacked Tillis after the
build cash value over time.” Jones shared the story of a church deacon who left his home to his congregation. “The church built a youth center from that,” she said. “That’s helping people do in death what they’ve always done in life.”
It’s not about being wealthy. It’s about being intentional.
20 years later. Despite multiple peace agreements, and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes, an estimated 120 rebel groups remain active in the Congo.
One of them, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), aims to return Rwanda to ethnic division and the genocide. The Rwandan government fears the group’s genocide and hate ideology.
Additionally, the FDLR and other extremist actors such as Wazalendo target the Banyarwanda. This ethnic group, residing primarily in eastern DRC, is historically related to Rwanda. It has been the target of attacks, which have forced tens of thousands of people to flee into Rwanda. These attacks led to the resurrection of the M23. Despite its failures in 2013, the M23 scored major advances in late 2021 in response to attacks on the Banyarwanda. The rebel group led a successful military campaign that occupied large swathes of territory in eastern DRC.
MD) after the bill passed The legislation extends the 2017 tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the rich, it overhauls who is eligible for Medicaid and food stamps, adds paperwork that is
North Carolina Republican announced he would vote against the package. The next day, June 29, Sen. Tillis announced he
“You start the process, and it may seem slow,” Umanah said, “but it’s a process.” He’s seeing a shift: more people now send their children in to meet him. They want to talk. They want to prepare, he said This shift needs to grow. Smith Jones encouraged churches, families, nonprofits, and schools to normalize these conversations. “We have to demystify the myth,” she said. “Talk about what you want to happen when you’re not here anymore.”
Asked why this conversation is important to GTCUW’s work, Smith jones said, “Greater Twin Cities United Way is committed to building a community where all people thrive – including expanding access to the tools and resources essential for financial stability. This conversation plays a vital role in that mission by building
Their success is largely attributed to the Rwandan Defence Forces, despite Kigali denying this claim. Concessions from each nation
The latest peace agreement addresses the security, political and economic interests of both nations.
The specifics are still unavailable. However, several assumptions based on the framework and leaked reports can be made.
The first is that both nations must respect each other’s territorial sovereignty and stop aiding rebel forces. This will include joint security coordination, and working with the existing UN peacekeeping mission. Additionally, Congolese refugees who fled eastern DRC – estimated to be over 80,000 – will be allowed to return. Finally, the two nations will establish mechanisms to foster greater economic integration.
The DRC has also signalled its willingness to attract American investors. DRC’s vast mineral wealth remains largely
likely to reduce program eligibility, and it phases out green energy tax credits. The bill also adds 4.5 trillion to the debt, according to most estimates. Three Republican Senators voted against the bills:
would not seek re-election The announcement sets up an opportunity to pick up a seat in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Tillis spoke on how he conducted his anal-
community, fostering the exchange of knowledge, and empowering individuals to build and pass on their legacy.”
–Planning is a form of love. It is an act of protection, of memory, and of liberation. As Jones put it: “Knowledge is power. And we want to help people participate in a way that is beyond just the dollar.”
Watch the full conversation on Insight News’ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9maXsueHdsw Scan to watch:
underdeveloped. American investment could develop mining that’s safer and extracts larger amounts of minerals than current methods. Kinshasa has also agreed to combat corruption and simplify the tax system.
While most of these incentives would be aimed at mineral extraction companies, they also include private security firms. The Congolese military’s inability to defeat the M23 highlights a problematic security environment that some in the DRC believe can be addressed through foreign intervention. However, these security guarantees are still relatively unknown and face complications that could affect the success of any agreement.
The weaknesses
There are a number of reasons this latest agreement is unlikely to lead to peace.
First, the M23 did not participate in the negotiations. Given that they are the primary military actor in eastern DRC, their commitment to a peace process cannot be guaranteed.
Second, other reb-
Senator Lisa Murkowski (RAK), Senator Rand Paul (RKY), and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). “My hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet,” Sen. Murkowski said after
ysis using a group from the left and a group from the right and government data. Sen. Tillis’ words represented a rare rebuke by a Republican member of the
Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good, and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone. Its vision is a community where all people thrive regardless of income, race, or place. Through partnerships and advocacy, United Way meets urgent needs in the areas of housing, food, education, and economic opportunity, while mobilizing communities and disrupting inequitable systems to drive lasting, systemic change. Learn more at gtcuw.org.
el forces in different parts of the country will feel left out too. They could see this agreement as an opportunity to press for greater concessions from the Congolese government. Third, there are few mechanisms to enforce the agreement. Since the Second Congo War, there have been multiple treaties, agreements and disarmament programmes with little success. The Pretoria Accord between Rwanda and the DRC in 2002 did not lead to long-term peace. The M23’s name is a nod to their anger over a failed 2009 agreement. In 2024, Rwanda and Congo nearly reached an agreement under Angola’s mediation, but Angola stepped down. The process was then taken over by Qatar and later the US. Lastly, American investors may be deterred by the security, regulatory and corruption issues that plague the DRC. Even if the Congolese government promises to address these issues, it lacks the necessary capabilities to fulfil its commitment.
voting for the bill. Though there are members in the Republican House Freedom Caucus who don’t agree with aspects of the legislation, it is likely to pass.
Senate. Only Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has remained consistent in his opposition to Trump’s budget bill. The legislation will balloon the debt by trillions.
Women network for business success
WOMEN IGNITE! will be held on August 20, 2025, at the Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus from 4:30 to 7:30 PM.
Hosted by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-MN) and the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), the annual event connects women entrepreneurs to valuable resources within the community, empowering them to advance their businesses. All women entrepreneurs looking for various resources to help grow their business
The event features community partners, corporations, supplier-diversity representatives and government resource representatives interested in meeting and working with women entrepreneurs. It
provide networking engagement for companies and organizations that provide valuable resources for businesses at all stages and sizes. And it promotes organizations and chambers representing women in business from underserved communities.
WOMEN IGNITE! This year again features an “Ask an Expert” opportunity where entrepreneurs can interact directly with organizations, community partners and resource experts discussing a variety of topics. The event is structured around multiple tables, each hosted by an expert specializing in a particular area. Attendees can join these tables, participate in discussions, ask questions and gain insights directly from those with extensive experience and knowledge as well as other entrepreneurs.
Each table is hosted by a professional who brings knowledge and practical experience in their area of expertise. These hosts are not only knowledgeable but also approachable, ready to share their insights and answer questions.
Attendees can choose tables that align with their interests or needs, with topics ranging from technology and business to health and wellness, ensuring a wide array of subjects to explore.
The event provides an opportunity to build connections with experts and peers, expanding professional networks.
Event sponsors include The Minneapolis Foundation, the University of Minnesota Office for Supplier Diversity. Collaborators include the WBDC (Women’s Business Development Center), the US Small Business Administration, and the MN Department of Administration Office of Equity in Procurement. For more information: 651-201-2402
Credit:
Al McFarlane, host of The Conversation, speaks with Shannon Smith Jones of Hope Community and Ivory Umanah, estate planning attorney, during a recent episode of The Healing Circle focused on preserving Black generational wealth through wills, probate, and community education.
Insight 2 Health
I’m a physician who has looked at hundreds of studies of vaccine safety, and here’s some of what RFK Jr. gets wrong
By Jake Scott Clinical Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University
In the four months since he began serving as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made many public statements about vaccines that have cast doubt on their safety and on the objectivity of long-standing processes established to evaluate them.
Many of these statements are factually incorrect.
For example, in a newscast aired on June 12, 2025, Kennedy told Fox News viewers that 97% of federal vaccine advisers are on the take. In the same interview, he also claimed that children receive 92 mandatory shots. He has also widely claimed that only COVID-19 vaccines, not other vaccines in use by both children and adults, were ever tested against placebos and that “nobody has any idea” how safe routine immunizations are.
As an infectious disease physician who curates an open database of hundreds of controlled vaccine trials involving over 6 million participants, I am intimately familiar with the decades of research on vaccine safety. I believe it is important to correct the record – especially because these statements come from the official who now oversees the agencies charged with protecting Americans’ health.
Do children really receive 92 mandatory shots?
In 1986, the childhood vaccine schedule contained about 11 doses protecting against seven diseases. Today, it includes roughly 50 injections
covering 16 diseases. State school entry laws typically require 30 to 32 shots across 10 to 12 diseases. No state mandates COVID-19 vaccination. Where Kennedy’s “92 mandatory shots” figure comes from is unclear, but the actual number is significantly lower.
From a safety standpoint, the more important question is whether today’s schedule with additional vaccines might be too taxing for children’s immune systems. It isn’t, because as vaccine technology improved over the past several decades, the number of antigens in each vaccine dose is much lower than before.
Antigens are the molecules in vaccines that trigger a response from the immune system, training it to identify the specific pathogen. Some vaccines contain a minute amount of aluminum salt that serves as an adjuvant – a helper ingredient that improves the quality and staying power of the immune response, so each dose can protect with less antigen.
Those 11 doses in 1986 delivered more than 3,000 antigens and 1.5 milligrams of aluminum over 18 years. Today’s complete schedule delivers roughly 165 antigens –which is a 95% reduction – and 5-6 milligrams of aluminum in the same time frame. A single smallpox inoculation in 1900 exposed a child to more antigens than today’s complete series.
Since 1986, the United States has introduced vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, pneumococcal disease, rotavirus and human papillomavirus. Each addition represents a life-saving advance.
The incidence of Haemophilus influenzae type b, a bacterial infection that can cause pneumonia, meningitis and other severe diseases, has dropped by 99% in infants. Pediatric hepatitis infections are down more than 90%, and chickenpox hospitalizations are down about 90%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that vaccinating children born from 1994 to 2023 will avert 508 million illnesses and 1,129,000 premature deaths.
Placebo testing for vaccines
Kennedy has asserted that only COVID-19 vaccines have undergone rigorous safety trials in which they were tested against placebos. This is categorically wrong.
Of the 378 controlled trials in our database, 195 compared volunteers’ response to a vaccine with their response to a placebo. Of those, 159 gave volunteers only a salt water solution or another inert substance. Another 36 gave them just the adjuvant without any viral or bacterial material, as a way to see whether there were side effects from the antigen itself or the injection. Every routine childhood vaccine antigen appears in at least one such study.
More than half of US teens have had at least one cavity, but fluoride programs in schools help prevent them – new research
By Christina Scherrer Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Kennesaw State University
Shillpa Naavaal
Associate Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University
Programs delivering fluoride varnish in schools significantly reduce cavities in children. That is a key finding of our recently published study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Fluoride varnish is a liquid that is applied to the teeth by a trained provider to reduce cavities. It does not require special dental devices and can be applied quickly in various settings.
Our research team found that school fluoride varnish programs, implemented primarily in communities with lower incomes and high cavity risk among children, achieve meaningful rates of student participation and reduced new cavities by 32% in permanent teeth and by 25% in primary –or “baby” – teeth.
We also found that school fluoride varnish programs reduced the progression of small cavities to more severe cavities by 10%. This positive impact held true among school children of various ages in preschool through high school, in rural or urban areas and in communities with and without fluoridated tap water. Fluoride varnish remained effective when delivered by various providers, including dentists, hygienists or trained lay workers.
This research was a large team collaboration on a systematic review, led by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from our universities.
A systematic review is when researchers carefully collect and study all the best available research on a specific topic to figure out what the overall evidence shows.
Ultimately, our conclusions were based on 31 published studies that were reported in 43 peer-reviewed articles involving 60,780 students.
Why is this important?
Although preventable, dental cavities are very common, with well over half of teenagers affected.
Untreated tooth decay can diminish a child’s ability to eat, speak, learn and play, and can negatively affect school attendance and grades.
Reducing tooth decay in youths is a national health objective.
In addition, we believe that since there is a growing movement in the U.S. to remove water fluoridation, other ways of protecting teeth with fluoride, such as toothpaste and varnish, will become more important. About three-quarters of the U.S. population using public water systems has been receiving fluoridated water at levels designed to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. They will be at higher risk for cavities if fluoride is removed from their drinking water.
Fluoride varnish is recommended by the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and others. However, many children don’t receive recommended preventive dental services, including fluoride varnish, at dental visits, with some estimates as low as 18% for children from families in low-income households.
This makes schools an important setting for delivery
of fluoride varnish to increase access. Students typically receive a dental exam, oral health education and supplies, and referrals for dental care. Depending on state regulations, the varnish can be applied by dental and medical professionals or trained lay workers.
Our work led to the recommendation of school fluoride varnish by the Community Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of nationally recognized public health experts that provides evidence-based recommendations on programs and services to protect and improve health in the United States.
What still isn’t known Limited funds are a barrier. We believe that further understanding the ways to reduce the cost of these programs would help to expand them and reach more students.
One key opportunity is relaxing the restrictions on application by health professionals such as medical assistants and registered nurses, which is allowed in some states but not others.
Programs also sometimes struggle to get schools and families fully engaged. More research could help us determine the best ways to increase the percentage of families that return their consent forms and make school fluoride programs easier to run.
Another barrier is that many states only provide insurance reimbursement for these programs through age 6. Thus, increasing the eligibility age served by medical providers can serve more children, increase the number of these programs and protect more children’s teeth from decay – supporting oral and overall health.
parents, clinicians – can report a post-shot problem; the Vaccine Safety Datalink analyzes anonymized electronic health records from large health care systems to spot patterns; and PRISM scans billions of insurance claims in near-real time to confirm or rule out rare safety signals.
The 1954 Salk polio trial, one of the largest clinical trials in medical history, enrolled more than 600,000 children and tested the vaccine by comparing it with a salt water control. Similar trials, which used a substance that has no biological effect as a control, were used to test Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal, rotavirus, influenza and HPV vaccines.
Once an effective vaccine exists, ethics boards require new versions be compared against that licensed standard because withholding proven protection from children would be unethical.
How unknown is the safety of widely used vaccines?
Kennedy has insisted on multiple occasions that “nobody has any idea” about vaccine safety profiles. Of the 378 trials in our database, the vast majority published detailed safety outcomes.
Beyond trials, the U.S. operates the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, the Vaccine Safety Datalink and the PRISM network to monitor hundreds of millions of doses for rare problems. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System works like an open mailbox where anyone – patients,
These systems led health officials to pull the first rotavirus vaccine in 1999 after it was linked to bowel obstruction, and to restrict the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 after rare clotting events. Few drug classes undergo such continuous surveillance and are subject to such swift corrective action when genuine risks emerge.
The conflicts of interest claim
On June 9, Kennedy took the unprecedented step of dissolving vetted members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the expert body that advises the CDC on national vaccine policy. He has claimed repeatedly that the vast majority of serving members of the committee – 97% – had extensive conflicts of interest because of their entanglements with the pharmaceutical industry. Kennedy bases that number on a 2009 federal audit of conflict-of-interest paperwork, but that report looked at 17 CDC advisory committees, not specifically this vaccine committee. And it found no pervasive wrongdoing – 97% of disclosure forms only contained routine paperwork mistakes, such as information in the wrong box or a missing initial, and not hidden financial ties.
Reuters examined data from Open Payments, a government website that discloses health care providers’ re-
lationships with industry, for all 17 voting members of the committee who were dismissed. Six received no more than US$80 from drugmakers over seven years, and four had no payments at all.
The remaining seven members accepted between $4,000 and $55,000 over seven years, mostly for modest consulting or travel. In other words, just 41% of the committee received anything more than pocket change from drugmakers. Committee members must divest vaccine company stock and recuse themselves from votes involving conflicts. A term without a meaning Kennedy has warned that vaccines cause “immune deregulation,” a term that has no basis in immunology. Vaccines train the immune system, and the diseases they prevent are the real threats to immune function. Measles can wipe immune memory, leaving children vulnerable to other infections for years. COVID-19 can trigger multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Chronic hepatitis B can cause immune-mediated organ damage. Preventing these conditions protects people from immune system damage.
Today’s vaccine panel doesn’t just prevent infections; it deters doctor visits and thereby reduces unnecessary prescriptions for “just-in-case” antibiotics. It’s one of the rare places in medicine where physicians like me now do more good with less biological burden than we did 40 years ago.
The evidence is clear and publicly available: Vaccines have dramatically reduced childhood illness, disability and death on a historic scale.
Courtesy: Shutterstock
A child receives a routine immunization at a clinic. Experts say today’s vaccines are safer and contain fewer antigens than those used decades ago.
Self-censorship and the ‘spiral of silence’
By James L. Gibson
Sidney W. Souers Professor of Government, Washington University in St. Louis
For decades, Americans’ trust in one another has been on the decline, according to the most recent General Social Survey.
A major factor in that downshift has been the concurrent rise in the polarization between the two major political parties. Supporters of Republicans and Democrats are far more likely than in the past to view the opposite side with distrust.
That political polarization is so stark that many Americans are now unlikely to have friendly social interactions, live nearby or congregate with people from opposing camps, according to one recent study.
Social scientists often refer to this sort of animosity as “affective polarization,” meaning that people not only hold conflicting views on many or most political issues but also disdain fellow citizens who hold different opinions. Over the past few decades, such affective polarization in the U.S. has become commonplace.
Polarization undermines democracy by making the essential processes of democratic deliberation – discussion, negotiation, compromise and bargaining over public policies – difficult, if not impossible. Because polarization extends so broadly and deeply, some people have become unwilling to express their views until they’ve confirmed they’re speaking with someone who’s like-minded.
I’m a political scientist, and I found that Americans were far less likely to publicly voice their opinions than even during the height of the McCarthy-era Red Scare.
The muting of the American voice
According to a 2022
book written by political scientists Taylor Carlson and Jaime E. Settle, fears about speaking out are grounded in concerns about social sanctions for expressing unwelcome views. And this withholding of views extends across a broad range of social circumstances. In 2022, for instance, I conducted a survey of a representative sample of about 1,500 residents of the U.S. I found that while 45% of the respondents were worried about expressing their views to members of their immediate family, this percentage ballooned to 62% when it came to speaking out publicly in one’s community. Nearly half of those surveyed said they felt less free to speak their minds than they used to.
About three to four times more Americans said they did not feel free to express themselves, compared with the number of those who said so during the McCarthy era.
Censorship in the US and globally
Since that survey, attacks on free speech have in-
creased markedly, especially under the Trump administration.
Issues such as the Israeli war in Gaza, activist campaigns against “wokeism,” and the ever-increasing attempts to penalize people for expressing certain ideas have made it more difficult for people to speak out.
The breadth of self-censorship in the U.S. in recent times is not unprecedented or unique to the U.S. Indeed, research in Germany, Sweden and elsewhere have reported similar increases in self-censorship in the past several years.
How the ‘spiral of a silence’ explains self-censorship In the 1970s, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, a distinguished German political scientist, coined the term the “spiral of silence” to describe how self-censorship arises and what its consequences can be. Informed by research she conducted on the 1965 West German federal election, Noelle-Neumann observed that an individual’s willingness to publicly give their opinion was tied to their perceptions of public opinion on an issue.
The so-called spiral happens when someone expresses a view on a controversial issue and then encounters vigorous criticism from an aggressive minority – perhaps even sharp attacks. A listener can impose costs on the speaker for expressing the view in a num-
ber of ways, including criticism, direct personal attacks and even attempts to “cancel” the speaker through ending friendships or refusing to attend social events such as Thanksgiving or holiday dinners.
This kind of sanction isn’t limited to just social interactions but also when someone is threatened by far bigger institutions, from corporations to the government. The speaker learns from this encounter and decides to keep their mouth shut in the future because the costs of expressing the view are simply too high.
This self-censorship has knock-on effects, as views become less commonly expressed and people are less likely to encounter support from those who hold similar views. People come to believe that they are in the minority, even if they are, in fact, in the majority. This belief then also contributes to the unwillingness to express one’s views.
The opinions of the aggressive minority then become dominant. True public opinion and expressed public opinion diverge. Most importantly, the free-ranging debate so necessary to democratic politics is stifled.
Not all issues are like this, of course – only issues for which a committed and determined minority exists that can impose costs on a particular viewpoint are subject to this spiral. The consequences for democratic deliberation
The tendency toward self-censorship means listeners are deprived of hearing the withheld views. The marketplace of ideas becomes skewed; the choices of buyers in that marketplace are circumscribed. The robust debate so necessary to deliberations in a democracy is squelched as the views of a minority come to be seen as the only “acceptable” political views. No better example of this can be found than in the absence of debate in the contemporary U.S. about the treatment of the Palestinians by the Israelis, whatever outcome such vigorous discussion might produce. Fearful of consequences, many people are withholding their views on Israel – whether Israel has committed war crimes, for instance, or whether Israeli members of government should be sanctioned – because they fear being branded as antisemitic.
Many Americans are also biting their tongues when it comes to DEI, affirmative action and even whether political tolerance is essential for democracy.
But the dominant views are also penalized by this spiral. By not having to face their competitors, they lose the opportunity to check their beliefs and, if confirmed, bolster and strengthen their arguments. Good ideas lose the chance to become better, while bad ideas – such as something as extreme as Holocaust denial – are given space to flourish. The spiral of silence therefore becomes inimical to pluralistic debate, discussion and, ultimately, to democracy itself.
Photo: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik.
Polarization has led many people to feel they’re being silenced
Photo: AP Photo/Nathan Howard.
A supporter of Donald Trump tries to push past demonstrators in Philadelphia on June 30, 2023
Senate passes Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill as Vance breaks 50-50 tie
Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as it’s formally titled, and invested their political capital in delivering on the GOP’s sweep of power in Washington.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans hauled President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of margins, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session.
The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the president’s signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval or collapse. In the end that tally was 50-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
Three Republican senators — Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined all Democrats in voting against it.
“The big not so beautiful bill has passed,” Paul said after the vote.
The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point is not expected to let up. The package now goes back to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.
The outcome is a pivotal moment for president and his party, which have been consumed by the 940-page “One
Trump acknowledged it’s “very complicated stuff,” as he departed the White House for Florida.
“I don’t want to go too crazy with cuts,” he said. “I don’t like cuts.”
What started as a routine but laborious day of amendment voting, in a process called vote-a-rama, spiraled into a round-the-clock slog as Republican leaders were buying time to shore up support.
The droning roll calls in the chamber belied the frenzied action to steady the bill. Grim-faced scenes played out on and off the Senate floor, amid exhaustion.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota was desperately reaching for last-minute agreements between those in his party worried the bill’s reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care, and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts.
The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities. Thune could lose no more than three Republican senators, and two — Tillis, who warned that millions of people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Paul, who opposes raising the debt limit by $5 trillion — had already indicated opposition.
Attention quickly turned to two other key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Collins, who also raised concerns about health care cuts,
as well as a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions.
Murkowski in particular became the subject of the GOP leadership’s attention, as they sat beside her for talks. She was huddled intensely for more than an hour in the back of the chamber with others, scribbling notes on papers.
Then all eyes were on Paul after he returned from a visit to Thune’s office with a stunning offer that could win his vote. He had suggested substantially lowering the bill’s increase in the debt ceiling, according to two people familiar with the private meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said “Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular.”
An analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. The CBO said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.
And on social media, billionaire Elon Musk was again lashing out at Republicans as “the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” for including the $5 trillion debt ceiling in the package, which is needed to allow continued borrowing to pay the bills.
Senators insist on changes Few Republicans appeared fully satisfied as the final package emerged, in either the House or the Senate.
Collins had proposed bolstering the $25 billion proposed rural hospital fund to $50 billion, offset with a higher
tax rate on those earning more than $25 million a year, but her amendment failed.
And Murkowski was trying to secure provisions to spare people in her state from some food stamp cuts, which appeared to be accepted, while she was also working to beef up federal reimbursements to hospitals in Alaska and others states, that did not comply with parliamentary rules.
What’s in the big bill
All told, the Senate bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, according to the latest CBO analysis, making permanent Trump’s 2017 rates, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, including no taxes on tips.
Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for border and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants. Democrats fighting all day and night Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats tried to drag out the process, including with a weekend reading of the full bill.
A few of the Democratic amendments won support from a few Republicans, though almost none passed. More were considered in one of the longer such sessions in modern times. One amendment overwhelmingly approved stripped a provision barring states from regulating artificial intelligence if they receive certain federal funding.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump’s first term are now “current policy” and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits. She said that kind of “magic math” won’t fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books.
The Senate package would roll back billions of dollars in green energy tax credits, which Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide. It would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to Medicaid and food stamps, by imposing work requirements on able-bodied people, including some parents and older Americans, making sign-up eligibility more stringent and changing federal reimbursements to states.
Deadline for Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ trade tariffs is looming
digital trade services, such as Australia’s media bargaining code, and digital service taxes must be removed, along with taxes on the tech giants. On Monday, Canada dropped a new digital service tax on firms such as Google and Meta after Trump suspended trade talks.
US President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on implementing so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on some 180 trading partners ends on July 8. How are countries responding to the threat, and will the tariffs be re-applied from July 9? What the US thinks ‘reciprocal’ means The United States is demanding four things from all trading partners, while offering little in return. So these negotiations are anything but “reciprocal”.
The main demand is to rebalance bilateral goods trade between the US and other countries. Nations with trade surpluses – meaning they export a greater value of goods than they import from the US – will be encouraged to import more from the US and/or export less to it.
The US is also pushing countries to eliminate a range of “non-tariff barriers” that may affect US export competitiveness. These barriers are drawn from the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) March 2025 report and include a variety of perceived “unfair” practices, from value-added taxes (such as the Goods and Services Tax) to biosecurity standards such as those Australia applies to agricultural imports.
In a nod to the “tech bros”, (alleged) restrictions on
Countries must also agree to reduce reliance on inputs from China in any exports to the United States. That means companies that moved manufacturing from China to countries such as Vietnam during President Trump’s first term trade wars will face challenges in sourcing input components from China.
Put together, this is a difficult package for any government to accept without securing something in return. Who holds the cards?
Trump has been fond of saying the United States holds “all the cards” in trade negotiations.
It’s not known precisely how many countries are negotiating bilateral deals with Washington. Between 10 and 18 countries are priority “targets”, or to use an early, colourful phrase, were targeted as the “Dirty 15”.
Category 1 likely comprises many more countries than those in the US’s naughty corner. These countries were saddled with large reciprocal tariffs despite the tariff formula’s evident shortcomings. To paraphrase Trump, these countries don’t hold the cards and have limited negotiating power.
They have no choice but to make concessions. The smarter ones will take the opportunity to make reforms and blame the bully in Washington. Mostly these are developing countries, some with high dependency on the US market, including the poorest such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Lesotho.
To make matters worse, they must keep one eye on China for fear of retribution
in case Beijing perceives any promises to reduce dependence on Chinese inputs would compromise Chinese interests.
Category 2 consists of countries that “hold cards”, or have some degree of leverage. Some, such as Canada, Japan, India and the EU, will secure limited US concessions although they may resort to retaliation to force this outcome. From discussions with our government and academic sources, Japan and India likely won’t retaliate, but Canada has previously and the EU likely will.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initially said he would not negotiate and has repeated US reciprocal tariffs “are not the act of a friend”.
However, the Australian government is wisely looking to bolster its negotiation cards, such as creating a critical minerals strategic reserve.
No doubt policy makers are also reminding the US of their favourable access to Australia’s military infrastructure which could be essential to any
US-China military confrontation.
China is category 3. The Chinese government is determined not to kowtow to Washington as they did in Trump’s first term. The so-called “Phase 1 deal” was signed but instantly forgotten in Beijing.
Beijing has several cards, notably dominance of processed critical minerals and their derivative products, particularly magnets, and the US’s lack of short-term alternative supply options.
After China expanded export controls on rare earths and critical minerals, shortages hit the auto industry around the world and Ford was forced to idle plants. What happens next?
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, suggested on Friday more deals may be signed before July 8. But Trump is likely to undermine and/or negate
them as his transactional whims change.
The British, after announcing their US deal that included relatively favourable automotive and steel export market access, watched in horror as Trump doubled tariffs on steel imports to 50%, and reimposed the 25% tariff on the UK.
The UK government was reminded this US administration cannot be trusted. That is why countries negotiate binding trade treaties governed by domestic and international laws.
Many countries are waiting on the outcomes from various US court battles testing whether the president or Congress should have the power to impose unilateral tariffs. After all, if there is a chance the Supreme Court rules Trump cannot change tariffs by decree, then why negotiate with a serially untrustworthy partner?
The Japanese government, for example, recently announced it is pausing nego-
tiations after the US demanded increased defence spending. ‘I’m going to send letters’ Trump on Sunday suggested he would simply send letters to foreign nations setting a tariff rate. “I’m going to send letters, that’s the end of the trade deal,” he said. That does not bode well for countries negotiating in good faith. It’s likely tariffs will be reimposed and bilateral negotiations will drag on to September or beyond as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
After all, even the US government has limited bandwidth to process so many simultaneous negotiations. Category 2 trading partners will increasingly test their own political limits. And the rest of the world is hoping for a favourable Supreme Court ruling that may, like
By Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Matt Brown Associated Press
Courtesy photo AP News
Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top. The three Republicans opposing the bill were
Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Courtesy photo Reuters
File picture of US President Donald Trump delivering remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, April 2, 2025.
By Peter Draper
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild will play the upcoming season at Grand Casino Arena, after a naming rights deal with the
Casino Arena
Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier
By Doug Feinberg
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier will captain the WNBA All-Star Game next month, the league announced Sunday.
Clark received 1,293,526 votes from fans, while Collier had about 100,000 fewer.
“It’s cool that fans get to be a part of it and have a little impact on the game,” Clark said. “It’s going to be special to do it here in this city. ... Trying to make it the best All-Star that the WNBA has ever had. It’s certainly a cool honor.”
The Indiana Fever star, who is sidelined with a groin strain, is averaging 18.2 points and a career-high 8.9 as-
Julius
sists. She also led the fan voting last season, her rookie year, but
Randle,
Timberwolves finalizing
3-year contract that could reach $100 million, AP source says
By Tim Reynolds AP Basketball Writer
Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a new deal that could keep him with the club through the 2027-28 season, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Sunday.
The final year of the deal will be at Randle’s option and, if it is exercised, could push the total value of the contract to $100 million, the person said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side announced the agree-
ment. ESPN and The Athletic first reported the agreement.
Randle had a $30.9 million player option for next season and could have been an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He averaged 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season, his first with the Timberwolves, and helped the team make the Western Conference finals. Randle was one of the primary pieces in the trade last fall that sent Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota to New York. Randle had spent five seasons with the Knicks before that trade.
A three-time All-Star, Randle has averaged 19 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in 11
seasons with the Timberwolves, Knicks, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal with Randle was the second critical decision for the Timberwolves this offseason, following an agreement Friday with Naz Reid on a reported five-year, $125 million contract after Reid declined his $15 million option.
Reid, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the 202324 season, has played his entire six-year career with the Timberwolves after going undrafted out of LSU. The 25-year-old fan favorite averaged career highs in the 2024-25 season of 27.5 minutes, 14.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
the All-Star format was the U.S.
Olympic team playing against a select group of WNBA stars so no captains were chosen. She learned she was captain in a phone call from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Collier leads the league in scoring at a career-best 24.5 points and is fourth in rebounding at 8.4 per game. Her daughter surprised her wearing a shirt saying “Mama you’re a All-Star,” as she scooted into the locker room with former Lynx great Sylvia Fowles right behind her to let Collier know the news.
“It’s really cool,” Collier said to reporters before warming up for a game Sunday night “I went from never being a starter to captain.”
This will be her fifth All-Star appearance.
Before squaring off in
Indianapolis on July 19, Clark and the Fever will face Collier and the Lynx on Tuesday in the Commissioner’s Cup final.
The 10 starters were selected from across the WNBA without regard to conference affiliation. Current players and a media panel joined fans in selecting the All-Star starters. Fans voting accounted for 50%, while the players vote and the media choices each account for 25%.
The pair will draft their fellow starters from a group that will be revealed on Monday. After the starters are announced, the league’s head coaches will choose the 13 reserves by voting for three guards, five frontcourt players and four from either position. Coaches can’t vote for players from their own teams. The 12 reserves will be revealed next
Sunday.
“Obviously I’m going to try and get my teammates on my team, that’s the goal,” Clark said. “Once they come out with whoever has made it and whoever hasn’t, I’ll get to pick and choose. I don’t know how it works.”
The two All-Star captains will then draft their respective rosters by selecting first from the remaining eight players in the pool of starters and then from the pool of 12 reserves. Clark and Collier also led the initial fan voting,
AP Photo/Paul Battaglia, file
Xcel Energy Center before an NHL hockey game between the Minnesota Wild and the Boston Bruins, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn.
AP Photo/Abbie Parr Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) shoots during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Phoenix Mercury, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Minneapolis.
AP Photo/Abbie Parr
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle stands on the court during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball Western Conference Finals playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis.
Books, Art & Culture
A Peculiar Legacy
Sharing Our Stories
By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor
By Rashid Darden
When I think of legacy, what comes to mind is what has been passed down from our ancestors and history. Legacy is also what we leave for our future generations. What have we learned from the past? How do we apply it to the present and future? How do we heal from generational curses and break the cycle? These and other questions are addressed in Rashid Darden’s latest novel A Peculiar Legacy.
Our story is set in
2022 in a lower middle class Black community of Washington, D.C. known by its residents as Slope. We are introduced to Rahman and Jordan Gaffney-Bruce, a Black gay couple in their 40s and the newest residents of the community. Recently, a murder has been committed: a young man in his 20s named Gino Powell, one of a group of brothas known as the Gang of Four, which includes Peculiar (Peek) Jones, Kevin (Ziggy) Bradford, and Korey Hoffer. Residing in this community are also matriarch Cassandra Lassiter (Miss Sandra) and patriarch Tyrone (Pops) Jones. Each Sunday the community has a service of silent prayer on the site of a burned-down church, speaking only when moved by the Spirit. Gino’s funeral was no exception. As we delve deeper into the history of the Gang of Four
as well as the history of Slope’s residents, family secrets are revealed along with the struggles of each member. As it happens, there is a witness to Gino’s murder. Will that witness speak up, or adhere to the code “Slopes aren’t snitches”? What are the repercussions of the secrets that come to light as a result of the murder? And how will Jordan and Rahman find a place and make a difference in the community?
One of the first aspects that caught my attention is how much the Slope Sunday service resembles a Quaker meeting, though the residents initially deny it when the subject is brought up. Also, the community is multigenerational as well as being inclusive of residents on the LGBTQ spectrum; in addition to Rahman and Jordan, we have Netta (a transwoman), Royce (a lesbian police officer),
Royce’s partner Denise, and Mr. Towers (an openly gay principal of an alternative high school).
The Slope community may have a very low crime rate as compared to the rest of D.C., and its residents have respective issues they have gone through, past or present. Many of the young people want to better themselves; others don’t. At the end of the day, this is a tight-knit, resilient community that comes together in spite of the murder to heal and pass on a legacy.
A Peculiar Legacy is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Old Gold Soul Press, and his website, www.rashiddarden.com.
Thank you, Rashid, for an amazing novel filled with multi-faceted characters that has a reader wanting more!
Who’s the most American? Psychological studies show that many people are biased and think it’s a white English speaker
By Katherine Kinzler Professor of Psychology, University of Chicago
In the U.S. and elsewhere, nationality tends to be defined by a set of legal parameters. This may involve birthplace, parental citizenship or procedures for naturalization.
Yet in many Americans’ minds these objective notions of citizenship are a little fuzzy, as social and developmental psychologists like me have documented. Psychologically, some people may just seem a little more American than others, based on factors such as race, ethnicity or language.
Reinforced by identity politics, this results in different ideas about who is welcome, who is tolerated and who is made to not feel welcome at all. How race affects who belongs
Many people who explicitly endorse egalitarian ideals, such as the notion that all Americans are deserving of the rights of citizenship regardless of race, still implicitly harbor prejudices over who’s “really” American.
In a classic 2005 study, American adults across racial groups were fastest to associate the concept of “American” with white people. White, Black and Asian American adults were asked whether they endorse equality for all citizens. They were then presented with an implicit association test in which participants matched different faces with the categories “American” or “foreign.” They were told that every face was a
U.S. citizen.
White and Asian participants responded most quickly in matching the white faces with “American,” even when they initially expressed egalitarian values. Black Americans implicitly saw Black and white faces as equally American – though they too implicitly viewed Asian faces as being less American.
Similarly, in a 2010 study, several groups of American adults implicitly considered British actress Kate Winslet to be more American than U.S.born Lucy Liu – even though they were aware of their actual nationalities.
Importantly, the development of prejudice can even include feelings that disadvantage one’s own group. This can be seen when Asian Americans who took part in the studies found white faces to be more American than Asian faces. A related 2010 study found that Hispanic participants were also more likely to associate whiteness with “Americanness.”
Language and nationality
These biased views of nationality begin at a young age – and spoken language can often be a primary identifier of who is in which group, as I show in my book “How You Say It.”
Although the U.S. traditionally has not had a national language, many Americans feel that English is critical to being a “true American.” And the president recently released an executive order claiming to designate English as the official language.
In a 2017 study conducted by my research team and led by psychologist Jasmine
DeJesus, we gave children a simple task: After viewing a series of faces that varied in skin color and listening to those people speak, children were asked to guess their nationality. The faces were either white- or Asian-looking and spoke either English or Korean. “Is this person American or Korean?” we asked.
We recruited three groups of children for the study: white American children who spoke only English, children in South Korea who spoke only Korean, and Korean American children who spoke both languages. The ages of the children were either 5-6 or 9-10.
The vast majority of the younger monolingual children identified nationality with language, describing English speakers as American and Korean speakers as Korean – even though both groups were divided equally between people who looked white or Asian.
As for the younger bilingual children, they had parents whose first language was Korean, not English, and who lived in the United States. Yet, just like the monolingual children, they thought that the English speakers, and not the Korean speakers, were the Americans.
As they age, however, children increasingly view racial characteristics as an integral part of nationality. By the age of 9, we found that children were considering the white English speakers to be the most American, compared with Korean speakers who looked white or English speakers who looked Asian.
Interestingly, this im-
pact was more pronounced in the older children we recruited in South Korea.
Deep roots
So it seems that for children and adults alike, assessments of what it means to be American hinge on certain traits that have nothing to do with the actual legal requirements for citizenship. Neither whiteness nor fluency in English is a requirement to become American. And this bias has consequences. Research has found that the degree to which people link whiteness with Americanness is related to their discriminatory behaviors in hiring or questioning others’ loyalty.
That we find these biases in children does not mean they are in any way absolute. We know that children begin to pick up on these types of biased cultural cues and values at a young age. It does mean, however, that these biases have deep roots in our psychology. Understanding that biases exist may make it easier to correct them. So Americans celebrating the Fourth of July perhaps should ponder what it means to be an American – and whether social biases distort your beliefs about who belongs.
AP Photo Who’s the American?
A peculiar legacy by Rashid Darden Book Cover Art
