When Mavis Staples and Levon Helm Met for Some Final Music Page A3
The UCLA Bruins Reach Super Regionals
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News Observer Los Angeles
Volume 37 Number 28
Serving Los Angeles County for Over 37 Years
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
Abortion Rights Activists Swarm National Mall
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington, D.C., and in cities around the country to rally for abortion rights in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The groups at the National Mall and other locations included men, women and children who chanted, sang, and voiced their displeasure over the high court’s draft opinion, and abortion bans and restrictions that have cropped up in many Republican-led states. “Far-right Republicans have hijacked Washington, DC, and we need to elect leaders at the state level who will protect and defend abortion access,” Democratic Attorneys General Association co-chairs Aaron Ford of Nevada, and Kathy Jennings of Delaware wrote in a statement. “As Democratic Attorneys General, we will never back down when it comes to protecting abortion access. We are on the front lines of this fight, and we are already doing the work to defend reproductive health care.” They continued: “The importance of down ballot races this year cannot be overstated. This fight lies squarely in the states, and we need to show up at the ballot box and vote for Democratic Attorneys General who will never let up on the work to safeguard people’s right to abortion.” Carrying signs that read, “Bans off our bodies,” “Abortion is health care,” and “Women are not livestock,” demonstrators indicated that protests would continue until the court changes course. “I think that women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies and their lives. And I don’t think banning abortion will stop abortion. It just makes it unsafe and can cost a woman her life,” Caitlin Loehr told the Associated Press. Loehr, 34, of Washington, wore a black T-shirt with an image of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s “dissent” collar on it and a necklace that spelled out “vote.” Kelley Robinson, executive director of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, counted among the speakers at the National Mall. She declared that abortion rights are under attack. “We are here because these folks are trying to kick us out of the Constitution and take away a Constitutional right we’ve had
The groups at the National Mall and other locations included men, women and children who chanted, sang, and voiced their displeasure over the high court’s draft opinion, and abortion bans and restrictions that have cropped up in many Republican-led states. (Photo: Mark Mahoney / Dream in Color Photography)
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for the last 50 years,” Robinson said. “We are here to show them that we are the majority.”
(Photo: Mark Mahoney / Dream in Color hotography.
California, Federal Gov’t Set Policies
Programs to Arrest Inflation Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media As the costs of goods surge nationwide along with gas prices, Gov. Gavin Newsom is committing $18.1 billion in “inflation relief ” to Californians through the California Blueprint, his mid-year revised budget proposal. The White House is also taking steps to ease the pinch from inflation Americans across the country are experiencing. “Global inflation, the war in Ukraine driving up costs, climate change impacts – everyone is feeling the weight. So, we’re putting $18.1 billion on the table to help lower costs for Californians – tax refunds, [money] for healthcare, rent, utility bills, public transit [and] more,” Newsom tweeted. California’s economy is the largest in the United States and is currently experiencing a budget surplus of close to $100 billion, according to the governor’s office. “Backed by a robust surplus and grounded in our unshakable values, we’re paving the California Way forward to prosperity and progress for all,” said Newsom recently, referring to investments the state is making in financial relief efforts, including an increase to the minimum wage, rental and utility bill assistance, tax refunds, health care subsidies, and more. As Newsom and federal government officials announce relief packages to tackle inflation, they are taking the opportunity to criticize their colleagues across the aisle. “While gridlock persists in Congress and Right-wing fanatics turn statehouses across the country into laboratories of hate and oppression, here in California, we’re putting in the work to grow our economy and implement real,
inclusive policy change to create a brighter future for all,” said Newsom. President Joe Biden also urged Republicans in Congress to cooperate with Democrats on their inflation efforts. “I encourage Congressional Republicans to join us in our efforts to lower prices for families across the country, by making more in America, strengthening our supply chains, and cutting energy and prescription drug costs,” Biden tweeted recently. The federal government’s plan for offsetting the impact of inflation includes giving Medicare the power to negotiate prices for prescription drugs and bringing food prices down in grocery stores by “bringing more competition to those markets,” according to Sameera Fazili, Director of the White House National Economic Council. Fazili told California Black Media (CBM) about some of the unique challenges facing communities of color as the prices of goods and services skyrocket nationwide. One such challenge is childcare, which is essential for many parents of color as they are less likely to work remotely. “Often times, the amount that you spend on childcare may be as much as what you bring in from going to work,” said Fazili. The White House has also received commitments from large internet providers to lower the cost of internet access for lower income households. such as Verizon, for example, has committed to dropping monthly payments for highspeed service by $10. Housing is another challenge for Black Americans,
Fazili told CBM. “We don’t have enough affordable housing in this country,” said Fazili. Fazili said the federal government cannot directly lower or raise the price of gas because gas is traded on the global market. United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm told CBM that the increases in gas prices are due, in part, to U.S. sanctions on Russian oil because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Granholm says since the European Union is following the U.S. with sanctions on Russia, there might be additional challenges around the corner. “We’re going to see more volatility, more increase,” said Granholm. To combat this, the federal government plans to tap into the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the Gulf of Mexico, which Granholm called the “biggest tool we have” against rising gas prices. On the state level, Granholm praised California’s approach to combating these prices. “Some states are providing direct payments to people -I know Gov. Newsom has looked at that – to try to alleviate this huge impact on people’s wallets,” said Granholm. Fazili says she is optimistic. When the economy begins to recover from hardships it is currently experiencing, the financial outlook for Blacks will begin to improve as the equity and relief programs the Biden administration is implementing take effect.
Tell a California College Student to Apply for a $10,000 Stipend Tanu Henry California Black Media California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday and other education advocates around the state are encouraging college students to apply for financial assistance through the Californians for All College Corps program. Over the next two year, 6,500 California students who qualify will receive stipends of $10,000 each year to pay for college expenses. In return, the students will be required to participate in community service projects tackling issues related to climate change, education, food insecurity and more. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in January that the state was investing $146 million in the work service effort that his office says would help low-income students graduate on time and with less debt. Selected students will also receive academic credit for the work they do in their communities. “Students are graduating with crippling debt. This service and career development program helps create a debt-free college pathway while promoting service. If you are willing to serve your community and give back in a meaningful way, we are going to help you pay for college,”
said Fryday. Fryday, who Newsom appointed in 2019 to oversee volunteering, civic engagement and service initiatives in California, was speaking at the launch of the “College Corps” program in Merced earlier this month. Officials from the University of California Merced, California State University Stanislaus, and California State University Fresno joined Fryday at the kickoff event. “This is a win-win-win: Helping to pay for college, gaining valuable work experience, and having a meaningful impact on your community,” Fryday continued. Universities across the state will collaborate with local government, community service organizations and nonprofits to assign students to projects that are priorities in their region. The College Corps program is being launched at a time Newsom is initiating several programs organized to address skyrocketing inflation as Californians recover from economic challenges brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. On May 12, Newsom announced an $18.1 billion package with relief funding in tax refunds, childcare assistance, a minimum wage increase, help with utility
bills, health insurance subsidies, stimulus payments for health care workers, and more. “We enacted the most comprehensive economic stimulus program in the nation last year, getting billions in immediate relief to millions of Californians. But many folks are still struggling, especially with high costs due to inflation, so we’re leveraging this historic surplus to get money back into the pockets of Californians,” said Newsom when he announced the relief package. “This inflation relief package will help offset the higher costs that Californians are facing right now and provide support to those still recovering from the pandemic,” the governor continued. The College Corps program requires students to complete 450 hours of community service over the course of the school year to receive the funding. “The College Corps initiative is not only an important way for California to show that it values the efforts of our students, but also another significant advancement in helping more students complete college without financial stressors that can follow them into their early careers,” said Juan Sánchez Muñoz, University of California Merced Chancellor.
Take One!
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Racist PhotoLeads to Punishment for Florida Students
PALM CITY, Fla. (AP) – A half-dozen Florida students posed for a photo outside a middle school while holding large letters that spelled out a racial slur, school officials said. The school will follow its code of student conduct in responding to the pupils’ action, Martin County School District Superintendent John Millay said in a statement Thursday. He explained that state and federal laws prevent the district from identifying the students or releasing any other specific information about possible punishment. No school personnel were involved, the statement added. ``We are deeply aware of the hurt and pain this photograph has caused our community, especially our Black American residents and students,’’ Millay said. ``This incident is in complete opposition to our values and the ideals that we instill in our students.’’ The photo shows six students standing in a line outside Hidden Oaks Middle School in Palm City, a community located about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach. Each student is holding a large, hand-painted letter, and the students have arranged themselves so that the letters spell out a racial slur. The photo was posted to social media earlier this week, officials said. The district is providing counseling to any students who need it, officials said.
Assistant Chief Gets $162K to Settle Discrimination Lawsuit ST. LOUIS (AP) – The city of St. Louis will pay a St. Louis assistant police chief nearly $162,000 to settle his federal discrimination lawsuit in which he alleged he was passed over for the city’s top police job because he is white. Lt. Col. Lawrence O’Toole will also retire at the end of the week as part of the settlement, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. O’Toole sued in 2020, after he was passed over in 2017 for the position of St. Louis’ police chief. John Hayden, who is black, was chosen as chief in 2018, months after a white former police officer, Jason Stockley, was found not guilty in the 2011 shooting death of a black man following a car chase. That verdict in September 2017 led to protests. O’Toole said in his lawsuit that the city’s public safety director told him, “If Stockley didn’t happen, you would be the police chief.’’ O’Toole’s lawsuit said that statement was proof that he didn’t get the job of chief because of his race, a violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act. O’Toole is set to receive $25,000 for legal fees, more than $76,000 in back pay for retroactive raises he would have expected as police chief, and $60,000 for emotional pain and suffering. His pension also will reflect the salary he would have earned as chief.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Welcome Baby Boy in LA LOS ANGELES (AP) – Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have welcomed a baby boy, according to multiple reports. The couple, who first revealed her pregnancy with a bellybaring Harlem photo shoot in January, became parents May 13 in Los Angeles, said TMZ, the first to report the birth Thursday based on unnamed sources. A representative for Rihanna did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking confirmation. During her pregnancy, Rihanna stunned in designer looks that showed off her growing bump, but her pregnancy wasn’t drama free. The 33-year-old A$AP was arrested April 20 at Los Angeles International Airport in connection with a shooting in Hollywood last year, authorities said. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was accused of firing a handgun at an acquaintance, who sustained a minor injury and later sought medical treatment, police said. People magazine, citing an unnamed source, said A$AP and Rihanna, 34, are home in Los Angeles with the baby, their first. The two went public with their relationship in 2020.
NYC Army Base Renames Robert E. Lee Street for Black Veteran NEW YORK (AP) – A street inside New York City’s sole army base now bears the name of a Black Congressional Medal of Honor recipient rather than a Confederate general. Fort Hamilton changed the road’s name to John Warren Avenue on Friday morning, following a years-old push by local officials to remove Confederate symbols nationwide. The base had previously called the street General Lee Avenue, after Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Lt. John Warren, of Brooklyn, was killed at the age of 22 in 1969 in the Vietnam War when he fell in the direction of a grenade and shielded at least three men from the blast. His Congressional Medal of Honor citation says Williams’ ``ultimate action of sacrifice to save the lives of his men was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.’’ Warren is buried in Long Island National Cemetery, and his Congressional Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to him in 1970. The base will also rename its Stonewall Jackson Drive, which is named after another Confederate general.