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se rican-Amer o t in han Cooper. ican deathld quadruple The allegeddcuffs and ha New row inmate in ci Cooper’s 1som’s decision could d en Flori t wa making ouda Today reports t Hills famil 985 conviction in lead to the overtu t. y th rn A an e u in th k d g il o ling of a ru their 11-y ri Enough Of of has the Your Lovtie”es say t Californiapnotential, some polieatir-old house guest. ral Chino and a s. The case cal watcher s say, to d Both the C ivide aliforn and more an a dozenia and United States past appeath lo su w p er courts hav re ls. e rejectedmCe courts “I take no p ooper’s osition regar nocence at about the h this time,” Newsodming Mr. Cooper’s g uilt or inigh-profile said in his terest. N ca ex se free 2. When you see a photo or ad with the Observer 1. Get for that hby Yothe as downloading rk Tapp drawn inteecutive order Sen. Kamew im es ’ co rn lu al at m Interactive logo scan over the whole photo with your it from Google Play or The Apple App a io n is H n al in t Nic arri have all ca lled for res -tand reality TV starholas Kristof, U.S.tablet or smartphone. forensic Store technology. esting using curr Kim Kardashian SUL ent, more The ACLU gorilla suitPHUR, La. (AP) – P se n si an ti ve groups hav d other hu mattress befbroke into a Louisiaol man rights e also urged o n a deeper in an Serving Kern County News ouretl officers arrested h ves gation California state o d social justice et into Cooper fficials to la s Gov. Newtiso sp q u o k o for Over 40 Years es te m Mel E unch ’s con m’s tion issu st in ThSuulphu officers saan by formerorder Friday expandviction. w Jeremie es rsday test four ed s G p co o Moran wal re v. stume. They vious direc rry Brown lowed analpyieces of crime scenJe h ad in son looking received ca kin D ember lls a into homes to an orange sts to perform DNe evidence. Brownec ’s . E to A o st es says Mo prosecutors wel; and the han re-testing on a tan rder al- bo p ra ro n ac ran into a hed but w dle and sh dies in the say Cooper T-shirt; as discover eath Ry In th new u charges incl ed investigatseiod in the murders. of a hatchet Joshua Ryen, theen’s home with a total u d of hair frois in g re tr sisting an hoidin y, meth poss victims’ 8-y wound on of 143 stab button Com the victims’ hannd, analysts will look es ea h w si is in ro o g in the San u o son, su throat. He In Louisian n and wearingffia c ffered a slnasds. the al was the old Bernardino tigators plaoper’s attorney No s, blood samples anat strands tack. a, a person in n p ly le h u g County are blic survivor of ations Coo nvicte Angeles Co nted at the scene rman Hile mainta d a green le After Coopers’s per’s attorn not surprise the at- D.A.’s office most. Excecan be sentencedco in g o ja u al f s n il ly ty th in ey b to d . p e v re st S s M ab esti uperior Co ay crime. A re ak thre ar vestigation o an o n ed , e u s ra y in t m ar in ci v o h ak e es al biases an f em freq olidays like al a ho in tigat also urt judge w . ti d discrimth Halloweenlowed for relig uently comg about their ill oversee rethd Los familsay they found eviduse next door to thors found, he il- complaints Cooper, 61 in It at an p ’s la io dM unclear if M e victims. ence in th y’s statio in abou are hand n in the e in, has main years. His g ment. oran has a ardi G tained his For some,nGwagon that tied Coe Ryen’s home and inThey unang prosecutor Miclehd. Just last month,way their cases ort lawy by Gov. Nlawyers hope the re in n o ce d a o ae er o n p th S v. l er ce an pressure fo e Selyem, wh sults of the New ewsom, wh Volume 45 Number Newspapers over the ingObserver Bernardino Wednesday, May 22, 2019 in the case Group the murderCalifornia som’s order oftoSouthern hel37 r o re m p pro o ic n -t ak is h is s. so es in W being met co ti cial media. with dismtoaybroaden DNA te st him. ve their client’s innould take several mong ordered poof the murders Josh His insultgscrude and racist anhdite, resigned - chelle Obama, U ua Ryen an nths, will . The lone su cence and ta rters of the rg mments et ed ,S fo B . d rmer Firstco finally exo Rep. Maxin lack shooti In 1 Lady Minerate they are disappoRyens and Hughesfamily, friends andrvivor n e g W v on four co9u85, a San Diego Co ic at ti er m s . su an in al Th l p te d across the o an unnamed “Unfortunat d with the gov 26 and an nts of murder. At unty jury convicte state say Los Angelmas R. Parker, a form ernor’s dec ely, over tim the time of d Cooper for justice in es office, bel er is d io ep cord - incluescaped prison inm n e u . it ty h th is se is case mat head of the ie ems the vic arrest, he w Th ters FBI’s ti s’ desire “The evis guy is innocenvt,es Cooper. as no Distric in Pennsylv ding several burglaate. His lengthy cr ” he told th iminal re- “Prior DNtAAttorney Jason Anless and less,” San m id ries and the ania – did en ce w as B d er o not help his te er e p n n Cooper, form rape of a m st la so N ar th in n ew n d te e g icl sa d st th aimed ou Y , he was fr and.” case. inor erly named in 1958 ld exoneratat Mr. Cooper sougidh in a statement. amed, theork Times. What has k per’s guilw e him have t, agreed to cops lied 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. dC asive argum ution and re hen he was urt CooLAKE FOR ents ased six monies and iew the ca’ssedecision in 2004 toooper alive - is and he spenchildhood, his par d renamed Kevin Gov. Newvso on conflicti EST ents physica is recoverin w stay hFREKING Cooper. reasonable qualeslegations of evidenbce t a good p it h By KEVIN m is juvenile det o m ex re n D ’s g sc g after bei,nCalif. (AP) – Offic ar N ll d te ti ie t ta y ec A o n st o m n ab ti is if g te s p fi io at ad u 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 struck by u Associated Press t sc h ro , n se co the ethod ence. im k p raisin ence living ad in South centers. In a mental d nail Co low another a polic g California Governmes early in the al s and storiee in several attack, and to ernDonald oper. Threm ro C WASHINGTON (AP) – President Trump u L n ag te d Californiah. ealth facility in Pen1982, Cooper esca es u rm o o in n e h in r f a ia. av w whose supp of the prog Beach Policealiforn e high expec ped from three attacker sworn testimony, eapons were use vestinsylvania b th e O has granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newso re rt ra ta ss O er n iv ti ffi g s d intime ons. a strange blue on the poli e County R e so s who were cer Thomas efore movin Jo Duri the that Vence “DNtold wassaat that A tepolice tical Lefwho egister hebiogWhite. Heshua RItyen eone’s paetflattering g to could have been H paper publisher hasmwritten sting that gued that nCg his murder trial, id hcrew t F shup lve thetruck e sawcab so init ould when thepolitical later teChevrolet is pickup pulled behind them p o p im an o R ro eb F p st ic m y se u . er en ifi . ed raphy of Trump. rt 1 cu ca ed k 9. her compli iaalRyen, their illed husban t darted inially th case anhopped tors succes tely take p thHispanic Chiang saimmediately at they gentlemen d an and two out, fi ca sf n 1 ti d n al 0 la u id n am -y an ll ly ce g y d ear-o dw M the rosecu ed D once Chicago Sun- front ensure just Black’stomedia arring way cGuincluded neighbor C re- empire that DNAaboututhe ire says wthe the ca tions’legedly ice isand making a reference little Maleah’s mpai hristopherld daughter Jessica ifane Doug and Peggy belonging toiana Roper came foprw th h ev e cl en se g an id ai n Times The Daily Telegraph of London. rv en he gwas im . m ed “N s, ce al ,” b ot ocona her former ot nly is it Hughes. Po can help law d was bigger He ut testintheir womut to chec d with physical caught attention. g in th bloody clappearance boyfriend ar thana ahalf lice foundan 11-year-old inal. She turned enforcemoen victed of pfraud and three and rovenin 2007 A nimspent is ca h al o se ouyears th C w w se cat. o th in the bloodie E h o n o d t g e u Vence told police that one of the men hit him on the v tr es so w ld en ev o to tr as lv l id co o o th an e a y ffi en m cr o ed v in prison. ce u an io ce e im d gh Newsom it. rs rushed th at no cost to imal hospit es, tr over to the head, lecausing n ld, htemporary - istobolose ’s decisAfter eb e is treadinconsciousness. the statHouse aum police, buttcrimhim African Am , wheresays secretary Sarah al Sanders a. ioand e.” press n in the CWhite it wBlack g they issue thVence ericans, His ca as dtoiagnolese re regaining consciousness, then told police that he at fu ll C o y o al p o if D er n “has made tremendous contributions to business, and o panics and r. rn a ca K p ia se w ri o votersthemselves tentially po atch sti rause, ing. He and otherthe had been abducted found across the rida veter aria minchildren laand thought.” is kee rizinhistorical pects the K politicapolitical g bshace ex tiesback There have been prayer vigils, balliv- ofCthe g hHispanic 11J.-pTrump: n, tells th l spec ing inorithe truck, thepin two is focus omen ound (5A-kin onti tr k u in In 2018 he published “Donald President nuedwhere m to ar n th e ilogram) ca fa o e ir n w n p il d who confronted Vence and anotheraHispanic s ge A2 suspect, were es af an loon releases, news conferences, comte d t to r M it ju Like No Other.” cGuire visit regains stre stice inside the truck as well. ngth. that ed th if he seesPatrick e Trump has also pardoned Nolan, a former Reb o munity-wide searches in the area where b ca t on Friday it again, he’ This is where the details of what happened to little publican leader of the California State Assembly. ll issue aNolan cket for j. she was staying, but there has still been Maleah get really murky and confusing. has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform tisince Vence states that he had been going in and out of con- he spent more than two years in federal prison during the no sign of missing 4-year-old Maleah sciousness for hours, until around 6 p.m. on the follow- 1990s. Davis. The disappearance of little Maing day – Saturday, May 4, and he then told police that the suspects randomly released him and his son in Sugar leah has members of the Greater HousLand, Texas, which is located over 40 miles away in southton community outraged, as well as ferwest Houston, but kept little Maleah. It was upon gaining consciousness that Vence told police that he mustered up vently searching for answers as to what enough strength to walk with his unharmed 1-year-old son actually happened to her. to Methodist Sugar Land Hospital nearby, where he was treated for minor injuries. By Jeffrey L. Boney It was also at the hospital that Vence reported Maleah NNPA Newswire Contributor missing and the drama really began. The case involving little Maleah Davis has caused a 4-year-old Maleah Davis. Blood was found in home More and more, Vence’s story began to change and PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. (AP) – A somajor stir across the Greater Houston area, as the details of mother’s fiancé. (courtesy photo) unravel, making him a prime suspect in the eyes of law surrounding the case have gone from disturbing to downenforcement officials, relative to the abduction of little Ma- cial media photo showing two Southern California high school students laughing while displaying a prom proposal right heart wrenching. old Derion Vence, told police he was on his way to George leah. There have been prayer vigils, balloon releases, news Bush Intercontinental Airport to pick up Maleah’s mother, After having the silver Nissan Altima with Texas pa- poster containing a racial slur against black people drew a conferences, community-wide searches in the area where Brittany Bowens, who was on her way home on a return per tags that was owned by Bowens reported stolen, sur- stern reaction from their principal Wednesday. “Racist words and racist acts have no place in our she was staying, but there has still been no sign of miss- flight from a funeral in Massachusetts. Vence was driving veillance video later showed the same vehicle Vence had ing 4-year-old Maleah Davis. The disappearance of little in the vehicle with little Maleah and his 1-year-old son. reported stolen being used to drop him off at the same hos- school community,” Palos Verdes High School Principal Allan Tyner said in a statement on the school’s website. Maleah has members of the Greater Houston community Vence was Bowens’ fiancé. pital Vence and his son allegedly walked to. The photo shows a teenage boy and girl holding a outraged, as well as fervently searching for answers as to According to police, Vence told them he heard a popOn Thursday, May 9th, the missing silver Nissan what actually happened to her. ping noise, as if from a flat tire, and decided to pull over on Maxima was found by police in a parking lot in Missouri poster that says she’s a racist but he would give anything if she would go to the prom with him. Highlighted letters in It all began on Friday night, May 3rd, when 26-year- the side of the road to check out the status of the vehicle. Continued on page A5 the text spell out the slur. Tyner wrote that he would meet Wednesday with all students, class by class. “We will review appropriate behavior and how the use of hurtful racial slurs like the one used on this recent picture posted on social media is unacceptable,” he said. “I By ERRIN HAINES WHACK know that this one unfortunate event does not represent gle largest gift to the college. AP National Writer us as a school community.” Smith, who received an honorary doctorate from dropped. We all cried. In the moment it was like a burden A billionaire technology investor and philanthropist The Los Angeles Times reported that the principal says he will provide grants to wipe out the student debt Morehouse during the ceremony, had already announced had been taken off.” said the teens pictured are from Palos Verdes High and His mother, Tina Mitchom, was also shocked. Eight their families have been contacted “to inform them that of the entire graduating class at Morehouse College - an a $1.5 million gift to the school. The pledge to eliminate student debt for the class of 2019 is estimated to be $40 family members, including Mitchom's 76-year-old grand- we are forming a response and anticipate severe conseestimated $40 million. mother, took turns over four years co-signing on the loans quences.” Robert F. Smith, this year's commencement speaker, million. Smith said he expected the recipients to “pay it for- that got him across the finish line. made the announcement Sunday morning while addressTyner did not specify the consequences. “It takes a village,” she said. “It now means he can start ing nearly 400 graduating seniors of the all-male historical- ward” and said he hoped that “every class has the same opThe school was also attempting to find out who took paying it forward and start closing this gap a lot sooner, the photo and who else may have been present. ly black college in Atlanta. Smith is the Founder and CEO portunity going forward.” In the weeks before graduating from Morehouse on giving back to the college and thinking about a succession of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm that invests “At this time, I am asking all teachers and parents in Sunday, 22-year-old finance major Aaron Mitchom drew plan” for his younger siblings. in software, data, and technology-driven companies. our school community to join me in reminding our stuMorehouse College president David A. Thomas said dents that we live in a society that must respect diversity “On behalf of the eight generations of my family that up a spreadsheet to calculate how long it would take him have been in this country, we're gonna put a little fuel in to pay back his $200,000 in student loans _ 25 years at half the gift would have a profound effect on the students' fu- and tolerance. Indeed, this life lesson is critical and is one tures. your bus,” Smith told the graduates. “This is my class, his monthly salary, per his calculations. that school and home must partner to teach,” the princiIn an instant, that number vanished. Mitchom, sitting “Many of my students are interested in going into pal wrote. 2019. And my family is making a grant to eliminate their in the crowd, wept. teaching, for example, but leave with an amount of student student loans.” He added that the response by other students and “I can delete that spreadsheet,” he said in an interview debt that makes that untenable,” Thomas said in an inter- families on social media made clear that the community The announcement elicited stunned looks from faculty and students alike, before the graduates broke into the after the commencement. “I don't have to live off of pea- view. “In some ways, it was a liberation gift for these young does not support the behavior. biggest cheers of the morning. Morehouse said it is the sin- nut butter and jelly sandwiches. I was shocked. My heart men that just opened up their choices.” Palos Verdes Estates is among a cluster of upscale communities overlooking the Pacific Ocean from the Palos Verdes Peninsula at the south end of Los Angeles County. Its population of about 13,500 is more than 73% white and less than 1% black.
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Despite Dreams of Prosperity, Many African Americans
Not Financially Ready to Retire
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent The nation’s leading public interest group providing seniors and others with information that empowers them to choose how they live, AARP, regularly publishes a retirement calculator that individuals and families can use to provide a personalized snapshot of what their financial future might look like. One simply has to answer a few questions about household status, salary and retirement savings (such as an
Unfortunately for most African Americans, even the most sophisticated planning tools lead to the same result: retirement has fast become a pie-inthe-sky dream.
IRA or 401(k)), include information about supplemental retirement income (such as a pension or Social Security), and consider how long they intend to work to generate information that will inform their expected lifestyle as a retiree. The tool is designed to help potential retirees determine the amount of money they’ll need to retire “when – and how – they want.” Unfortunately for most African Americans, even the most sophisticated planning tools lead to the same result: retirement has fast become a pie-in-the-sky dream. “As a whole, Americans are bad savers. But, I believe it’s worse for African American communities because they don’t have access to the right educational opportunities,” said Cory Chapman, the Managing Partner and CEO of EFC Wealth Management. “Being raised by a single mom with three kids, I understand the struggle of just trying to pay the bills and get food on the table. Growing up, saving money was an afterthought and never discussed,” Chapman said. A report published earlier this month demonstrated how African Americans, Latinos and other minorities will have a more difficult time calling it quits than white Americans. The report, published on the financial website The Motley Fool, revealed that the troubling disparity in retirement readiness between white Americans and minorities can be explained largely by income and wealth disparities that persist throughout our lives. “Caucasians didn’t lose as much wealth during the Great Recession and have recovered more of it, so white households now hold close to six times the wealth of African American or Hispanic households,” the report’s authors said. Median earnings for white households recovered from the recession by 2016, but earning levels for both black and Hispanic households remained below 2007 levels. Caucasians now earn close to twice as much as minority households do, according to The Motley Fool. “The African American community is skeptical when it comes to saving,” Chapman said. “Growing up, we were taught by our grandparents that we couldn’t trust banks and we were better off burying money in the backyard,” he said. Understanding how money works is actually getting worse with each new generation – black children aren’t learning basic life skills in school, Chapman continued. “We need to be teaching children about planning
strategies to generate wealth. Retired African American clients that come into my office are still just trying to make ends meet,” Chapman said. “They don’t feel like they can save money when they are trying to put their kids through college and help them buy a home or car. They are forgetting about themselves and their own retirement,” he said. The most recent MassMutual State of the American Family Study found that there are differences in retirement planning among different cultural groups. African Americans fall short on executing life-changing measures such as accumulating wealth, being better prepared for retirement and building up savings. According to the American Family Study, 84 percent of African Americans believe the American Dream means financial security; 78 percent in not living paycheck-to-paycheck; and 77 percent in owning a home. However, based on the study, many African Americans don’t have tangible assets needed to make those goals happen now. The study revealed a disconnect between African Americans’ financial situations and their hope toward the future. Some key findings from the survey: • Outside of retirement accounts, only 37 percent of African Americans own wealth-building products such as stocks and mutual funds. • Only 35 percent believe they are doing a good job of preparing for retirement. • 33 percent have less than one month of funds saved for a crisis and less than 25 percent have amassed more than six months’ of emergency savings. • 58 percent are actively involved in educating their children on finances versus 48 percent of Caucasians. Forty-percent rely on family members for information “The study shows African Americans want to improve their financial situations and are hopeful about the future,” Evan Taylor, African American market director for MassMutual, told Black Enterprise Magazine. “At the same time, it sheds light on the financial struggles and inequities that the African American community continues to battle,” Taylor said. “Those contradictions indicate a need for greater financial education and discipline for the whole family to achieve economic success. In fact, the biggest financial regret expressed by respondents was that they wished they had started saving and investing sooner,” he said.
Celeb Chef Calls Fired Cafeteria Worker a ‘Hero’ CANAAN, N.H. (AP) – The plight of a fired school cafeteria worker in New Hampshire has caught the attention of award-winning chef Jose Andres. Bonnie Kimball was fired by a food supply vendor for Mascoma Valley Regional High School in Canaan on March 28, a day after giving a free lunch to a student who couldn’t pay. The company later offered to re-hire her but she declined . On Friday, Andres tweeted a link to a news story about Kimball, calling her a hero and advertising job openings at his restaurants. Andres, who owns restaurants in Washington, Las Vegas and other cities, is known for his efforts to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. An email requesting comment was sent Sunday to a spokesperson for Andres. A phone message was left and an email was sent to Kimball.
Vermont’s Episcopal Church Elects Black Woman as Bishop Raises first African-American woman into lead BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) _ Vermont’s Episcopal church has for the first time chosen an African-American woman as its bishop.\ The Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown was elected Saturday by representatives of Vermont’s 45 Episcopal congregations. MacVean-Brown will become the first black woman to hold the post in Vermont. She replaces Bishop Thomas Ely, who will be retiring after 18 years as Vermont’s Episcopal bishop. MacVean-Brown currently serves as the interim rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, of Franklin, Indiana. She is planning to move to Vermont with her family in August. Current plans call for her ordination as Vermont bishop on Sept. 28.