Los Angeles News Observer 3.18.21 4C

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George Floyd Civil Lawsuit Settles for 27 Million

Beyonce on Track to Make History, Wins Two Early Grammys

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News Observer Los Angeles

Volume 36 Number 18

Serving Los Angeles County for Over 36 Years

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Boxing Great ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler Dies at 66 By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
 Marvelous Marvin Hagler, who ruled the middleweight boxing division in the 1980s, yet never received the recognition he deserved as an all-time great, has died. Hagler was 66. Before Hagler’s death, former boxer Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns posted on Instagram that the legend had “taken ill.” “A real true warrior,” Hearns wrote. Later, Hagler’s wife appeared to confirm his death in a post to the boxer’s Facebook fan club page. “I am sorry to make a very sad announcement,” Kay Hagler wrote. “Today, unfortunately, my beloved husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New Hampshire. Our family requests that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.” A member of the boxing hall of fame, Hagler had a career record of 63-2 with 52 knockouts – many of them of the devastating variety. He turned pro in 1973 and was arguably the most feared fighter in the 160-pound middleweight division. Although the media and fans showered much love on fighters like Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, and others, Hagler was largely ignored. Even inside the ring, judges appeared to view Hagler with a skewed eye. That was no more apparent than his bouts with Vito Antuofermo. Despite Hagler brutalizing the then-champion in their first bout at the old Boston Garden in 1979, judges declared the lopsided contest a draw. The decision allowed Antuofermo to retain his WBC and WBA Middleweight titles. Antuofermo subsequently lost the titles to Alan Minter, whom Hagler destroyed in a September 1980s bout. In the 1981 rematch with Antuofermo, Hagler punished his foe, scoring a fifth-round TKO. Still, Hearns, Leonard and Duran – each a welterweight that would ultimately move up in weight class to challenge Hagler – were the media darlings and the sport’s favorites. Hagler agreed to a 1983 bout with Duran, who was coming off his infamous “No Mas” loss to Leonard. Duran

FBI Search Field for Two Missing Boys

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – Over 50 FBI agents and Bakersfield police officers searched a field for about two hours to look for two boys who have been missing since December. Law enforcement officials said they searched for 4-year-old Orrin West and 3-year-old Orson West in a field in Bakersfield on Saturday. The field is located just over 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the apartment the boys lived in with their four siblings before they moved to California City in September 2020. An official from the Bakersfield Police Department said law enforcement completed their full search on Saturday. “As far as if any items of evidence of any value were located, I can’t get into specifics,” said police spokesman Sgt. Robert Pair. “I can definitely say that the boys were not located, I think our reaction would have been a lot different if that occurred.” Pair would not explain why officials searched the field. Community search groups had looked for Orrin and Orson in the same field in January, KBAK-TV reported.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Alcatraz, the historic island prison off San Francisco, opened up Monday for a limited number of indoor tours, which had been offlimits for more than a year due to the pandemic. Face masks and social distancing are still required at the island, which once housed Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Ferries to Alcatraz are operating at 25% capacity, carrying about 150 passengers instead of the usual 600. Alcatraz usually hosts up to 5,000 tourists a day. For now, that number will be reduced to about a thousand. A member of the boxing hall of fame, Hagler had a career record of 63-2 with 52 knockouts – many of them of the devastating variety. (Photo: Wikipedia)

went the distance with Hagler, who won the decision, but the media still scolded him. “Hey, how about giving me some credit?” Hagler pleaded after beating Duran. “I beat a legend. I thought I did a good job. I have to give myself a pat on the back.”

The 1983 Ring Fighter of the Year, Hagler had little competition in his division and contenders too afraid to offer up a challenge. Then came the fight that finally earned Hagler the

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Renee Bowen is a professor and Pastor Faculty Fellow at the University of California San Diego. (Courtesy Photo)

Bo Tefu California Black Media Last week, Gov. Newsom appointed former Stockton Mayor Michael D. Tubbs, who is African American, as his Special Advisor for Mobility and Opportunity. In this role, Tubbs becomes one of two African Americans on the governor’s Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) -- a group Newsom has charged to help California recover from the economic downturn the coronavirus pandemic has caused. The other Black gubernatorial advisor is Renee Bowen, an associate professor of economics at the University of California San Diego. Tubbs and Brown are serving along with 11 other experts Newsom says will help offer guidance on how to rebuild a state economy that is more sustainable and inclusive. The CEA team will help to build political will, championing policy changes that aim to promote equitable economic opportunities and fight poverty for all Californians, according to the governor’s office. “As we fight the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and economic insecurity, I am honored to work with the Newsom Administration to bring forward innovative solutions that will lead to inclusive economic recovery for all Californians,” said Tubbs. On Friday, President Biden signed Congressional Democrats’ $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The federal economic package includes $1,400 stimulus checks for individuals nationwide. In his third State of the State Address, Gov. Newsom recapped the state’s plans to Continued on page A2

Your 2021 Stimulus Cash: Differences Between Your Federal and State Checks

Quinci LeGardye California Black Media Direct cash relief is coming to Californians soon. Both the state and federal government have begun issuing stimulus checks to Americans. The American Rescue Plan, which includes the third and largest round of federal COVID-19 stimulus of the pandemic so far, was signed into law by President Biden on March 12. According to several reports direct deposits began hitting peoples’ bank accounts as soon as March 14, with paper checks and pre-paid debit cards expected to follow soon. Low-income Californians can also expect a statespecific Golden State Stimulus check, which will be distributed over the course of 2021. Though both stimulus payments are dispensed automatically, they do have big differences when it comes to qualifications. For the federal stimulus payment, the full $1,400 amount will be distributed to individuals with an adjusted gross income less than $75,000, heads of households earning less than $112,500 and married couples earning less than $150,000. Payments will gradually lower for

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Alcatraz Reopens for Indoor Tours

Two Blacks on Team Advising Gov. Newsom on “Inclusive” Reopening

Former Stockton Mayor Michael D. Tubbs. (Courtesy Photo)

Free!

people earning more than those amounts, with the cutoffs for payments being $80,000 for individuals, $120,000 for heads of households and $160,000 for married couples. This stimulus round will also include an additional $1,400 payment per dependent. Unlike previous rounds, this round will also include payments for dependents age 17 and above. The maximum amount possible is $5,600, for a couple with two adult children. The income thresholds for this federal stimulus round are based on the most recent tax return filed. Like the previous rounds, the money will be automatically distributed to people who have their tax information filed with the IRS. All eligible recipients, including those who don’t typically file taxes, can use the IRS’ “Get My Payment” website to request a payment or check its status. California’s Golden State Stimulus relief package was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Feb. 23. The package includes one-time stimulus payments for Californians 18 years or over who receive the California Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) or file with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). An individual who is claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax

filing is ineligible to receive a payment. The California stimulus payment will be either $600 or $1,200, based on the recipient’s eligibility. Californians who either receive the CalEITC, meaning they make under $30,000 in taxable income along with other qualifications, or file with an ITIN and earn $75,000 or less will receive $600. Californians who meet both of these conditions will receive $1,200. For couples filing jointly, the ITIN requirement will count if at least one person in the couple files with an ITIN. The biggest difference between the Golden State Stimulus and the rounds of federal stimulus checks that have been issued so far is that eligibility in California is based on 2020 tax returns. The payments will be determined by tax returns filed by October 15, 2021, which is the deadline for filers who request an extension on the original Apr. 15 deadline. The payment itself expires on November 15, 2021. The Golden State Stimulus will go out automatically after 2020 tax returns are filed. The $1400 federal stimulus checks are based either on 2019 or 2020 tax returns.

Man Propped Dead Wife on Sofa in Front of Kids ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – A Southern California man who killed his wife propped up her body on a sofa, told their children she was drunk and had them open Christmas presents in front of her body, a prosecutor told jurors at his murder trial. “This Christmas story does not have a happy ending, and unfortunately this is not just a story, it is real life,’’ Heather Brown, senior deputy district attorney in Orange County, said Monday as trial began for William Wallace of Anaheim, the Orange County Register reported. Za’Zell Preston, 26, was taking college classes in hopes of becoming a domestic violence counselor when she was killed in 2011 by a man who already had served jail time for beating her, the paper said. The couple had gone to a neighbor’s Christmas Eve party and a neighbor described hearing an argument later that night, Brown said. Wallace told a member of Preston’s family that “we were drinking and during the argument I tossed her around a bit,’’ the prosecutor said. Brown said the next morning, Wallace dragged his wife’s body from the bedroom to the living room couch, placed sunglasses on her and told the children: “Mommy ruined Christmas, she got drunk and ruined Christmas.’’ Preston was slumped over on the couch when paramedics arrived. She left a newborn son and two daughters, who were then 3 and 8 years old. Wallace’s attorney argued that Preston died from injuries after she drunkenly tripped and fell into a glass table, shattering it. “Mr. Wallace is being accused of something that is not his fault,’’ Heather Moorhead told jurors. “You will hear about a relationship that was full of arguing and yelling, but also a lot of love.’’ Wallace, 39, could face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.

NC School System Apologizes for Racist Hashtags WAXHAW, N.C. (AP) – School officials in North Carolina have apologized after racist hashtags were displayed on a classroom Twitter wall as part of a Civil War assignment for fourth graders. Kimberly Morrison-Hansley, a member of the Union County NAACP chapter, told The Charlotte Observer that the students at the Waxhaw Elementary School were assigned to write tweets and hashtags that people living in North Carolina during the Civil War might have written if Twitter existed during that time period. Students came up with hashtags such as “Slavery for Life,” according to a photo of the Twitter wall in a now-deleted post on the school Facebook page, WJZYTV reported. “@DontStopSlavery,” you may not agree with slavery but I do and I’m honest about it’’ read a post on the Twitter wall. “It should be deeply disturbing to anyone,’’ said Morrison-Hansley, who called the assignment inappropriate for children so young. It also said the school system is developing training sessions for all employees to address diversity, equity and inclusion. “We are committed to working with teachers to discuss best practices for instruction,’’ the statement said. Morrison-Hansley, a former member of the county Board of Education and the first Black woman elected to the board, said the statement is inadequate. She said the superintendent and individual board members should face the public on YouTube and apologize themselves.


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