w inmate ged inciden Cooper’s m’s decision cou Flori t was making ouda Today reports thca Hills famil1985 conviction inld lead to the overtu t. e y th rn A an e u in th k d g il ori ling of a ru their 11-y Enough Of of has the Your Lovtie”es say the o Californiapnotential, some polieatir-old house guest. ral Chino an d agre s. Th cal watcher s say, to de case Both the C ivide alifornia an and more th d nited S past appeals an a dozen lower U tates suprem courts hav . e rejected Ce courts “I take no p ooper’s osition regar nocence at about the h this time,” Newsodming Mr. Cooper’s g terest. N igh-profile case that said in his execu uilt or intiv York Times has drawn Sen. Kamew internatioen order ’ co 2. When you see a photo or ad with the Observer lum alaGet nistby app for free downloading Harthe N ris an ic have all ca1. h o las Kristof, al ind reality T Interactive logo scan over the whole photo with your for Google U itlled from orV The App .S starApple re-testingPlay forensic tech . using curren Kim Kardashian SUL n o tablet or smartphone. lo g y. t, more sen The AStore gorilla suitPHUR, La. (AP) – P CLU and o sitive groups hav th er m attress befboroke into a Louisiaonlice h a deeper in e also urged Califuoman rights and soci ho News ouretl officers arrested haim vestigation rnia state o al justice et into Cooper fficials to la s Gov. Newso sp q u o k o es te m Mel E Serving Kern County unch ’s con m’s tion issu stes in ThSuulphur officers saan by formerorder Friday expandviction. for Over 40 Years w rsday re Je test four ed re m s G ie p co o Moran wal revious dir v. rry Bro stume. They ec lowed analpyieces of crime scenJe w n h ad in son looking received ca king th D ember lls abou into homes to an orange sts to perform DNe evidence. Brownec ’s . E to A stes says M prosecutors wel; and the han re-testing on a tanorder al- bo o p ra ro n ac ran into a hed but w dle and sh dies in the say Cooper T-shirt; h as discover eath Ry In th new u charges incl ed hidingo. investigatseiod in the murders. of a hatchet Joshua Ryen, theen’s home with a total u d of hair frois in g re tr si y, v st n w m o ic m in , f o ti et an 1 g u th m h 4 n al s will lo an 3 e victims’ h s’ d on his th poss sion button Co ands, bloyost and wearinofficer, roat. He w8-year-old son, suffsterab wounds. ing in the San B k at strand tack. In Louisiaes oper’s atto d samplesoan g as tigators pla er s ed n th n rn a, th ar a e ey a e d in sl o in p al n as N er p ly le o h ublic can b son convicatemas gations Co County are survivor of Angeles Co nted at the sceneorman Hile mainta d a green le After Coopers’s o e D do p n th se er .A o m e t n ’s .’s o surprised ab tenced to atst. Exceptio atto o ce. Man three y vestigation unty Superior Couof the crime. A reins inves- al gally stayed in a h jail break, investig out ns are allow racial biaffi y of themrneys are making ab h o li d . ay ators found so say they tired Los ouse next rt judge wil se ed s s like Hallow for religiou do fo , e il- complaints and discriminatio frequently compla out their l oversee th Coo er, 61 een and M It’s unclea in about are handled n in the w e in- family’s station uwnd evidence in theoRr to the victims. hTh , has main ar years. Hispla r if g an M m g ay . o ag en y ta ey Ju p ra en o th ro t. ined his in n has a ladwi Gras st last mon n that tied ’s home and eir cases or secutor Mic For some, G by Gov. N wyers hope the resu th n u C yer w o n , in o h ce d a o ae er o n p th S v. Newsom l over the ing in the case Bernardino help prove ewsom, which cou lts of the re-testice ’s order toerbto the murders. e on socipalressure for makingSelyem, who is Wan is b ei o n h n f g cr ld it g ro th th m e, o u m ad ta rd ei d e ed resigned Wednesday, March 13, 2019 e an k r client’s in ered en D A te California m Volume 45 Number Observer GroupetNewspapers . His insult him. 27 ith dismay. of Southern st- chelle Obama,iaU nocence eanseveral mon p rters ofurders Joshua Ryenwan s targeteddforacist and commen The lone N ,S d finally exths, will thoey the Ryens su ts B . d rm R la In 1985, a rv fa ep ck er iv m . o F sh il M r ir y, ooting victi st axine Water and onerate frie are disappo San Diego on four cou m. s and an uLnady Miinted with Hughes all across nthds and supTh C o o u m n n ts as “U ty o R n f ju n the amed .P murder. At fortunately, ry 26 and an e the time ofconvicted Cooper for justice in over time gitovernor’s decision. state say Los Angeles office,arker, a former depu cord - incluescaped prison inm b ty his arrest, h this case m el se h ie em ea Th v es n d s is o at C th o d D f g e. in o e v tims’ d uy is innoce the FBI’s oper. atters ss an istrict e was His le in Pennsylv g several burgla “Th es d less,” Sic ri and thnegthy criminal re- “Prior DNAAttorney Jason Anle an – did an Bernardire on the eevidence was planntet,” he told the New d not help hes te er Cooper, foiarm ra st so in p n e g icl of a minor sa d, he was stand.” th aimed ou erly named is case. in 1958 framed, thYork Times. ld exoneratat Mr. Cooper sougidh in a statement. What has k per’s guilw e cops lied e him have t, agreed to t.” months onldear Pittsburgh, PenRichard Goodman, ep t a th fe all confirm e case goin deral appel and nsylvania. was born Y et ed g la p During his , he was adopted an te er M an su W ec co r. CoodC as e argum ution and re hen he was urt LAKE FOR ents based six monies and allegiv iew the ca’ssedecision in 2004 toooper alive - is and he spenchildhood, his par d renamed Kevin ations of ev Gov. Newvso o re EST n as en is recoverin w stay his exC t co o it o a ts n h n o ab g fl p p m o er ic le h id o juvenile det o ysically abu ti . gat d part of ad q en m re n u D ’s g ce es sc g after bei,nCalif. (AP) – Offici N d te ti ie ta ec A o n st m n ti is ite s p fi io ab st er c en y se n o o in o ev in o rs d ti n le u to g g id o g presidential u t sc h ro , k p raisin n centers. In sed nail C co th ence. Texas (AP) im ence living ad in–SoDemocratic a mental low another AUSTIN, ck by a poli als uthern Calstru g California Governmes early in the al ooper. Theremethods and storiee in several attack, and to ro ce c u L n ag if te d Californiah. ealth facility in Pen1982, Cooper esca o es u rm rn o o in n e h in r f a ia. ave high ex whose supp of thcandidate Castro isn’t ruling direct payments Beachout e progressJulian ped from three attacker sworn testimony, weapons were use vestinsylvania b th P o e li p O ce o ec rt ra ta O er n iv ti ffi g s on thetopoAfrican-Americans efore movin Duri for thee C legacy slavery –cear stand ountyofReg Thomas M uld have bees who were White. Joshua Ryen said d in the so “DNA testing ons. litical Lefte someo g to tocopopular ister he init gued that nCg his murder trial, e’s petrivals. Heinherit he saw Within should im lve athdecade, single station. the mother andmson built separating him from hisn2020 Hisdidn’t Contrary belief,n he enter or w la h te ially th en p r e o p F an te o R ro eb th F p st ic y se u . e er en ifi . ed rt 1 cu cat dartepeople edcompany killed husb 9. ia Ryen, th case and fi tors succ er coalready that they intoCh a ia nationwide mplicarolling. “If under the Constitution we compensate the business ithwas was there the d in frontoou ng said dunetwork. an nafter esfamily sfully ar nally ensuterely take place ting the He amed M to f ri cG neighboreiCr 10-year-old daughand and wife Doufrom D n p re g ro ia u th “I always had a talent for sales. I went into the sales ir n th secutiHe’s at DNA ev fledgling helped it a success. e sawhy a Romake justicbecause take th their wouldn’t you come campaign g andits ys wh belstart per cam ons’ claims, te ssica an e is servwe hristopher onginand e anproperty, Peg en he gthe iden e forward w gyit toin g to hheights. imal was . “Non,” ed,” who ce b o department and started to be successful pretty early a o Hughes. rPJe ca d u t since taken unimagined w er t t o an n pensate people actually were property,” former o o u te fo m n h t b 1 st ly el rm ig to 1 in it p al. She turn -year-old ger than a h is it proven h ody cl said. er boyfrien check, h g in is ca olice found Animal Cand But even he awe of his mom. d who w bloLiggins othing ed th se wouldlacow enforcement so ousemayor Obama-era Antonio ontrex-San the blo Even thoth desistrin cat. e idence ol office to ansecretary lve crimes,housing oat odiedI marvel yed m u an e g rs at im h kept doubling his earnings from year to year until, “Yeah, herit. gumptionevand her ofearlessness,” ru is ver to theas a violenHe n N t al o sh cr b ew h co o said on Sunday. im ed the bleed ospital, wh ld, he is trea som’s decis to the state. auma. ican Americshe’s only 17 years olderpolice ereofit2020 ion in thst by, his down $150,000. ding ca he said. “You have A tofrremember, butearly ” wastramong suewas was dcanthey20s,ishe the last of a pack thatpulling refullThat e CoopCastro ans,inH1980. iagnosed in Calaifolot y o ispanicI sjoined D er n “I was young making of money. was the r. rn a ca than I am. The business was founded full w K p ia se w ri otentiallydidates voters across atching. H st and other m i to speak at the South by Southwest Festival in K ra u she expects se, a veterin polarizing time this would bee aisgreat career path ifthwe could time in 1985 when we had the one radio station, so I’ve in e oritiIesrealized k p ee o p th li ar in ti e ia Texas, in what amounted to one of the biggest gatherings ca li g 1 v n l 1 h - Conbeyond , tells e n -pou back into th ectrum are tinued where we were.”is focus on fairn spof had a front-row seat on the business journey from almost grow the business e on pag Democratic field yet.e wild afternitd (5-kilogram) catth e Alife, Between his earnings and social 2 he dropped outess andthe M to be the beginning. ju cG re st ic g u ai e ir n e s As Democrats have addressed reparations in the st v is re it n th ed g th at the bcat . “She was very open in making me her business partner of night school. It was only some years later he applied early stages of the ifrace, he seother es it ag candidates discussing on Friday. ain, he’ll bisoare to the Wharton School of Business executive management very early. It’s really a joint journey.” H su e a tax credits and other subsidies, rather than direct payti ck et for jayw Along the way, there’s been little time to admire what master’s program. Despite not being a college graduate, he ments for the labor and legal oppression of slaves and got in on the strength of managing a $25 million a year they’ve done together. their descendants. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would “It wasn’t like we were sitting back watching, going, company and recommendations from the likes of the Rev. put resources such as “Medicare for All” and tuition-free ‘Oh, look at what we did.’ You’re too busy trying to keep Jesse Jackson. “The idea that I had doubled-back and ended up get- college into distressed communities. doing what you’re doing on the right track and figuring Castro tells CNN’s “State of the Union” he doesn’t out how to fix the stuff that’s not working and figuring out ting in an Ivy League business school was exciting to me. It kind of felt like I was beating the system in some way. think that’s the proper argument for reparations if “a big what the next thing is.” My diploma says the same thing everyone else’s diplo- check needs to be written for a whole bunch of other He doesn’t mind her getting most of the pub. “Look, my mother has an amazing story from where ma says. In the end, I feel like I got my ticket punched, my stuff.” Castro stopped short of saying he would push for she came, and she’s always been more of a forefront person. certification, my bona fides.” direct compensation to descendants as president, saying While he took care of business behind the scenes, instead that he would appoint a commissioner or task A lot of people tend to think this woman built this company and she made her son the CEO, but they don’t realize Cathy Hughes made her presence known on air. force that would make recommendations. “My mother was doing the morning show and I was how long I’ve been at the company and that it was really a stabilizing force in the sales department. She did some a joint effort. They tend to think it’s a traditional family things on the air, like lead the Washington Post boycott, business. “But my mother is very good at giving me credit. She which really started to brand her as the voice of the black community. I was able to sell that to mainstream advertisdid it when we were in Omaha.” Last May, Omaha feted Hughes at events celebrating ers. We started to make money. It wasn’t a ton, but we went her life, including naming a street in her honor. Liggins from losing four, five hundred thousand dollars to making a couple hundred thousand dollars.” was content letting his mom have the spotlight. Reaching a more substantial audience came next. “I never spend a bunch of time doing press or correctCompany CEO Alfred Liggins III is an equal “We owned one AM radio station, and FM radio at partner in the journey of this black multimedia ing people because that’s just not who I am. I love our partthat time was really exploding. It was where all the audinership. I’m grateful and happy that people are inspired COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) – The Los Angeles and entertainment enterprise. by her story, our story, and it’s a great story and a great ence was, AM was dying. We set out and put together a Chargers released safety Jahleel Addae, who had started journey. I don’t feel a need to build my own story separate plan to expand into FM radio. I identified an FM we could 59 games over the past six seasons. By Leo Adam Biga afford. Investors worked with my mother and me to figure and apart from hers. The Omaha Star Coach Anthony Lynn said in a statement that Add“But if I get called for an interview and we start talking out how to finance it. It was like a $7.5 million purchase. I ae’s release was tough but had to be made because of salThe oft-told entrepreneurial success narrative of Urthink they needed like 10 different minority-focused, venabout it, I’m happy to lay out what my role was and what ban One founder and chair Cathy Hughes tends to leave ary cap reasons. Addae’s release saves $5 million against ture-capital entities to put up the funding. And we got our out a crucial part of the story: her son and company CEO our relationship is.” the cap with free agency set to begin Wednesday. first FM. Before coming on full time at age 20 in 1985, Liggins Alfred Liggins III is an equal partner in the journey of this Addae started all 16 regular-season games last season “That first year the bank required us to keep it in worked at the station as a sportscaster and weekend talkblack multimedia and entertainment enterprise. and finished fourth on the team with 72 tackles along an adult contemporary format that wasn’t black-targeted show host while a high school teenager. By now, the tale of this single mother’s rise from Omawith one interception and a sack. He moved to free safety “I guess it was cool I worked at a radio station, but because they wanted to have the cash flow. But we didn’t ha dreamer to Washington, D.C. icon is the stuff of leglast year after the Chargers drafted Derwin James in the do that very well and we fell out of the ratings book. We I didn’t really want to do it. I was kind of required to do end. But what gets lost in translation is that her son also like, ‘OK, can we change the format to something we first round. came out of Omaha. He was only 7 when he moved with it. I didn’t really want to be in the radio business at first. I were know?’ So, we changed to an urban adult contemporary his mom to D.C., but he was there long enough to form wanted to be in the record business.” He went to L.A. to live with his stepfather, Dewey and it took off like a rocket.” fond memories of school (Sacred Heart, Mammoth Park), For the first time, the company recorded serious profrecreation (Kellom Pool, Fontenelle Park) and spending Hughes, looking to break into the music biz. its. “I ended up unemployed and my mother suggested time with extended family (his maternal grandparents Hel“Five years later the AM and the FM were doing $10 I come back to D.C., work at the station, go to college at en Jones Woods and William Alfred Woods). For years, he came back annually to visit family. He night and get my act together and figure out what to do million of revenue and $5 million of profitability. We benext, so I did that.” twice lived with his biological father Alfred Liggins II. CORCORAN, Calif. (AP) – A prison inmate in What was then known as Radio One consisted of a Continued on page A5 Corcoran has been found dead, and his cellmate has been named the suspected killer. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the 44-year-old inmate was found dead in his cell during security checks Saturday morning. Department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said officials identified 31-year-old Jaime Osuna as the suspect and placed him in solitary confinement. Osuna was a serving life sentence for the 2011 killing and torture of a Bakersfield woman whose body was much you buy, not buying different things.” By SETH BORENSTEIN found in a motel room. He pleaded guilty to murder to Of 103,000 particle pollution deaths a year, 83,000 avoid the death penalty. WASHINGTON (AP) — African-Americans and can be traced to the activities of people in the United States Hispanics breathe in far more deadly air pollution than The dead inmate has not been identified. He was — not government and not goods exported elsewhere, the serving a life-with-parole sentence after being convicted they are responsible for making, a new study said. study said A study looked at who is exposed to fine particle polin Los Angeles County of second-degree murder with the Several outside experts praised the research. lution — responsible for about 100,000 American deaths use of a firearm. “These findings confirm what most grassroots envia year — and how much different races are responsible for ronmental justice leaders have known for decades, ‘whites the pollution based on their buying, driving and living are dumping their pollution on poor people and people of habits. color’,” said Texas Southern University public affairs proScientists calculate that Hispanics on average breathe fessor Robert Bullard, who was not part of the research. in 63 percent more of the pollution that leads to heart and Bullard, often called the father of environmental justice , is breathing deaths than they make. For African-Americans African-American. the figure is 56 percent, according to a study published Bullard said his and other past research shows that AfMonday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of rican-Americans are 79 percent more likely than whites to Sciences. live where industrial pollution is highest, with people of On the other hand, non-Hispanic whites on average FRESNO, Calif. (AP) – Senior Deshon Taylor color overrepresented near Superfund sites and oil refin- scored are exposed to 17 percent less air pollution than they make. a career-high 37 points, Braxton Huggins scored eries. “Even though minorities are contributing less to the career-high 34 and Fresno State set a Mountain West He said there are far more mostly minority schools aConference overall problem of air pollution, they are affected by it with 23 3-pointers for a 121-81 win within 500 feet of major highways than mostly white over San Joserecord more,” said study co-author Jason Hill, a biosystems enState on Saturday. gineering professor at the University of Minnesota who is more pollution, this study is one of the first to combine schools. The Bulldogs (22-8, 13-5) set a program record with “Being able to quantify the inequity is a key step to- 321-made white. “Is it fair (that) I create more pollution and some- buying habits and exposure into one calculation of ineq3s in a season and set the Save Mart Center ward addressing and reducing inequity,” said Christopher record for most uity, Hill said. body else is disproportionately affected by it?” points in a game. Fresno State shot 23 of Hill and colleagues looked at pollution from high- Frey, a professor of environmental engineering at North This pollution comes from gases from smokestacks, 38 (60.5 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc and Hugtailpipes and other places that then solidify into fine invis- ways, coal-fired power plants, hog farms and other sources. Carolina State University, who is white and not part of the gins set a school record with 10-made 3s in 16 attempts. They then looked in a large scale at who is driving research. ible particles small enough to pass through lungs and into Taylor, also a senior, finished 13 of 14 from the foul line One bright spot is that in recent decades the air has and Noah Blackwell scored 25. bloodstreams. These particles, more than 25 times smaller more, buying more goods and food, spending more on than the width of a human hair, pose the greatest risk to property and using more electricity, then traced those pur- been getting cleaner in general, Hill said. However, his On senior night, Fresno State finished 40-of-62 study stopped in 2015 and EPA data shows an uptick in (64.5) shooting overall. The Bulldogs led 59-40 at halfpeople’s health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chases to end users. “On average whites tend to consume more than mi- fine particle pollution in 2017. But even with the cleaner time and after the break missed just six of 28 shots (78.6) says. While other studies have shown minorities living with norities. It’s because of wealth,” Hill said. “It’s largely how air, it is still inequitable, Hill said. to score 62 points. The Bulldogs have won three straight and eight of their last 11 games. Michael Steadman scored 21 points for the Spartans (4-26, 1-17), Seneca Knight 15 and Noah Baumann 11.
Welcome to Observer Interactive
Deeper Content. Pictures Move. Ads Talk. Live Shopping.
Man in Go Breaks in ril Hides UndHo er
News Observer FREEEE!!
Bakersfield
Alfred Liggins is the Other Half of Urban One’s Success Story
Bobcat Re cover President AftHopeful er Being H it Isn’t Ruling PolicOut e Car Reparations
Chargers Release Starting Safety Jahleel Addae
Inmate Found Dead at Corcoran Prison
Blacks Breathe More Pollution
Fresno St Blitzes San Jose St Setting Multiple Records
Plan to Take Back Rail Money Disastrous By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Leaders of California’s high-speed rail project told the Trump administration Monday its plans to take back $2.5 billion in federal money and withhold another $1 billion earmarked for the project are “disastrous policy” and “legally indefensible.” Terminating the money “would cause massive disruption, dislocation, and waste, damaging the region and endangering the future of high-speed rail in California and elsewhere in the nation,” Brian Kelly, the chief executive for the project, wrote in a letter to Jamie Rennert of the Federal Railroad Administration. Kelly’s letter is in response to a February threat by the U.S. Department of Transportation to withhold a $929 million grant for California’s project to build a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco and possibly take back $2.5 billion in federal money the state has already spent. The grants require California to complete 119 miles of track in the Central Valley and environmental reviews on the full line by 2022. The threat to withhold money was an escalation in the ongoing feud between the Trump administration and California. It’s also yet another headache for the $77 billion project, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. If California were to lose the $3.5 billion, it
likely couldn’t finish the first leg of the project in the Central Valley, Kelly said. “Termination would create uncertainty over the future of a project that has created 2,600 jobs in the Central Valley, a region that has struggled economically, and ultimately may leave that area strewn with unfinished bridges, overpasses and viaducts,” Kelly wrote. Congress and the Obama administration approved the money almost a decade ago. Trump left the project alone during the first two years of his tenure, when former Gov. Jerry Brown led California. Brown was a staunch advocate for the train, shrugging aside its problems to argue it would be transformational for the state. Newsom, though, stated those problems outright during his February State of the State address, when he said the project as planned would cost too much and take too long. He proposed doubling down on the state’s efforts in the Central Valley, extending the 119 miles (192 kilometers) of track already under construction to a 171-mile (275-kilometer) line between Bakersfield and Merced. Newsom said there wasn’t currently a way to build the train between Los Angeles and San Francisco. But he pledged to continue environmental reviews and said he hoped to access private money in the future to finish the full line. “And by the way, I am not interested in sending $3.5
billion in federal funding that was allocated to this project back to Donald Trump,” he said. Trump seized on the comments, arguing the project had failed, and immediately moved to take the money back. His U.S. Department of Transportation argued California had fundamentally changed the project, wasn’t meeting its deadlines and couldn’t complete the Central Valley line by 2022 as required. Kelly challenged those claims in a lengthy response letter, arguing that Newsom was making an even stronger commitment to the Central Valley segment than previous governors had. He argued the federal government wouldn’t have doled out $2.5 billion already if the project weren’t making progress and meeting benchmarks. While at least one monthly spending goal had been missed, he said that wasn’t enough to argue the entire project was doomed to miss its deadline. He also blamed the federal government for slow-walking state requests related to environmental reviews. Kelly invited rail officials to come to California to see the project before making a final decision. “(The Federal Railroad Administration) has received the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s response and is reviewing the information,” according to a Department of Transportation spokesperson.
Man Receives Congrats Telegram 50 years Later ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) – A man who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1969 has finally received a congratulatory telegram from family friends that was sent more than 50 years ago. The Ann Arbor News reports that Robert Fink received the Western Union telegram this year. The telegram originally arrived in 1969 at an Ann Arbor apartment Fink shared with three classmates a day after he’d left to attend graduate school in New York. It ended up in an old filing cabinet now owned by a digital marketing company based in Ann Arbor. Christina Zaske found the telegram in December after removing the bottom drawer to retrieve a piece of paper that had fallen inside. Zaske used the internet to find Fink in suburban Detroit and return the note to him. Fink says the letter has made him reflect on his old connections.