Bruins Win Host NCAA Super Regionals
Count Basie Orchestra Director Talks Jazz and Welcomes Back Live Performances
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News Observer Los Angeles
Volume 36 Number 28
Serving Los Angeles County for Over 36 Years
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
Comic Legend Paul Mooney Dies at 79
A genius at standup comedy, Mooney was the opening act for Eddie Murphy’s 1987 feature, “Raw,” a follow-up to Murphy’s wildly popular “Delirious.” (Photo: Paul Mooney at a promotional event for Charlie Murphy to promote his book The Making of a Stand Up Guy in December 2009. / Timothy M. Moore / Wikimedia Commons)
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Senior National Correspondent Paul Mooney, the comedian who wrote episodes of “Sanford and Son,” “Good Times,” and “The Richard Pryor Show,” has died at the age of 79. His publicist, Cassandra Williams, confirmed Mooney’s death and said he died at home in Oakland, California. “Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts … you’re all are the best!... Mooney World... The Godfather of Comedy – ONE MOON MANY STARS!... To all in love with this great man… many thanks,” the family posted on Mooney’s Twitter account Wednesday morning. A genius at standup comedy, Mooney was the opening act for Eddie Murphy’s 1987 feature, “Raw,” a follow-up to Murphy’s wildly popular “Delirious.” He wrote lines for Pryor and appeared several times on the “Dave Chappelle Show.” In 1978, Mooney portrayed Sam Cooke in “The Buddy Holly Story.” Known as the “godfather of comedy,” Mooney was born Paul Gladney in Shreveport, Louisiana. Mostly flying under the radar as a writer for the smashhit television series “Sanford and Son,” starring legendary comedian Redd Foxx, and “Good Times,” starring John Amos and comedian Jimmy “JJ” Walker, Money wrote some of Pryor’s most memorable routines. Those including “Live on the Sunset Strip” and “Is It Something I Said.” He later teamed with the Wayans family to write episodes of the groundbreaking variety show, “In Living Color.” “Paul Mooney. A comedy giant. I recall listening to his RACE album in college and how formative it was,” filmmaker Ava Duvernay wrote on Twitter. “Yeah, the jokes. But more so, the freedom. He spoke freely and fearlessly about feelings and experiences others found difficult to express. May he be truly free now. Rest, sir,” Duvernay concluded.
A Year After George Floyd’s Death,
Police Reform Resistance Manny Otiko California Black Media A year ago this week, the world watched in disbelief the cellphone video that captured Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for more than 9 minutes, leading to the African American man’s horrific death -- and triggering widespread protests and some incidents of rioting around the world. In California, members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) are reflecting on Floyd’s brutal murder, the progress the state and the country have made since it happened and taking stock of their own racial equity and police reform efforts in the Legislature, vowing to never give up their fight for fairness and justice. “One year after the murder of George Floyd, we continue to be met with resistance at any attempt to answer the calls for meaningful police reform,” said Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Gardena), chair of the CLBC. Bradford pointed out that California has always been on the leading edge of progressive change in America, but the state, he says, has been dragging its feet on rooting out some of the negative aspects of law enforcement. “California remains one of four states without a decertification process to hold rogue cops accountable. As a state, we have to remain dedicated to setting the standard in this nation,” he said. “As legislators, we have a moral obligation to answer the calls for comprehensive police reform. We owe that much to George Floyd and all victims of police brutality here in California.” The George Floyd protests were the largest unrest in the United States since the civil rights movement, the
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Kidnapping Suspect Dies After Police Pursuit
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – A kidnapping suspect who died after being hit with a stun gun following a police chase that ended with a highway crash was identified as a 44-year-old Southern California man. The pursuit occurred last Wednesday after police in Bakersfield responded to a report of a kidnapping and sexual assault inside a car, KBAK-TV reported. Police said the victim, a young teen, contacted law enforcement while being held by the suspect. The victim was able to get out of the car in nearby Arvin and told authorities the suspect was under the influence of drugs and possibly armed. Arvin police chased the suspect on local streets and eventually onto Interstate 5, where he crashed multiple times into a concrete divider. After an hour-long SWAT negotiation with the suspect, officers got the man out of the car by deploying a Taser. He appeared to have a medical emergency, became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital, where he died, Bakersfield police said. The Kern County Coroner’s Office identified the suspect as Michael Alvarez, 44, of Bakersfield. His cause of death is under investigation.
Dunkin’ Worker Charged with Manslaughter in Customer’s Death
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Florida prosecutors filed a manslaughter charge Friday against a Dunkin’ store employee accused of fatally punching a 77-year-old customer after the employee said the man repeatedly used a racial slur against him. Tampa police arrested Corey Pujols, 27, earlier this month. The victim, who officials haven’t named, was punched May 4 and died three days later, according to authorities. Pujols told police that the man was “extremely rude’’ the day of the punch and had called him a racial slur. Pujols, who is Black, said he confronted the man about the slur, at which point the 77-year-old repeated it. The slur was not described further by police. A Tampa Police Department report says that after he was punched, the victim fell backward and hit his head on the concrete floor. An autopsy shows the man suffered a skull fracture and brain contusions. According to a statement from the State Attorney’s Office, the victim’s use of racial slurs was highly inflammatory, but inflammatory speech alone does not justify violence. Dunkin’ released a statement saying that the franchisee who owns and operates the restaurant where the attack occurred is fully cooperating with authorities. Pujols is free on $15,000 bond. Attorneys for Pujols didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
San Diego Football Team Sanctioned Over Racist Posts (Photo: By Johnny Silvercloud)
intensity of it heightened by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The world was brought to a standstill as people
sheltered in place at home, away of each other, in the
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Children in the U.S. to Receive Monthly Refundable Child Tax Credit WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service announced today that the first monthly payment of the expanded and newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit (CTC) from the American Rescue Plan will be made on July 15. Roughly 39 million households — covering 88 percent of children in the United States — are slated to begin receiving monthly payments without any further action required. Treasury and the IRS also announced the increased CTC payments, will be made on the 15th of each month, unless the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, allowing families who receive the credit by direct deposit to plan their budgets around receipt of the benefit. Eligible families will receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each child age 6 and above. The American Rescue Plan increased the maximum Child Tax Credit in 2021 to $3,600 for children under the age of 6 and to $3,000 per child for children between ages 6 and 17. The American Rescue Plan is projected to lift more than five million children out of poverty this year, cutting child poverty by more than half. Households covering more than 65 million children will receive the monthly CTC payments through direct deposit, paper check, or debit cards, and Treasury and the IRS are committed to maximizing the use of direct deposit to ensure fast and secure delivery. While most taxpayers will not be required to take any action to receive their payments, Treasury and the IRS will continue outreach efforts with partner organizations over the coming months to make more families aware of their eligibility. Today’s announcement represents the latest collaboration between the Bureau of the Fiscal Service and
Free!
First Payments to Be Made on July 15
SAN DIEGO (AP) – A governing body for high school sports in San Diego has imposed sanctions on a private Catholic high school’s football program whose players were accused of posting racist photos of a rival team from a mostly Latino public high school. The San Diego City Conference placed Cathedral Catholic High’s football coach on a two-game suspension and placed the team on probation for two years after investigating two social media posts, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. On the day Cathedral Catholic and Lincoln High played each other in April, players and coaches at Lincoln High learned a Cathedral player for the private school shared social media posts showing someone wearing a shirt that read “Catholics vs. Convicts III.” Another post showed Cathedral players making a gang sign. The controversy harkened to a controversial slogan in the late 1980s that Notre Dame University students coined for a T-shirt amid a fierce football rivalry with the University of Miami. The rivalry culminated in a 1988 game later spotlighted in a 2016 ESPN documentary called “Catholics vs. Convicts.’’ The San Diego City Conference ordered Cathedral Catholic, whose student body is majority white, to implement a restorative education program. The conference oversees athletic teams in the San Diego Unified School District and some private schools. Five days after the game, Cathedral Catholic issued an apology for the social media photos but declined to say whether the students who wore the T-shirts had been suspended, according to the newspaper. Cathedral Catholic High is a private school in Carmel Valley that enrolls about 1,600 students. The school charges $20,000 in annual tuition, although 35% of its students receive financial aid. Lincoln, a San Diego Unified school, is located in southeastern San Diego and enrolls about 1,400 students; 87% are from low-income families. About 18% of Lincoln students are Black and 71% are Hispanic.
Mike Tyson Doc Since March 12, the IRS has also distributed approximately 165 million Economic Impact Payments with a value of approximately $388 billion as a part of the American Rescue Plan.
the IRS — and between Treasury and the White House American Rescue Plan Implementation Team — to ensure help quickly reaches Americans in need as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 12, the IRS
has also distributed approximately 165 million Economic Impact Payments with a value of approximately $388 billion as a part of the American Rescue Plan.
There are dueling biopic series ahead on Mike Tyson, but for now the boxing great is getting the documentary treatment in a two-part ABC News special airing on consecutive Tuesdays. “Mike Tyson: The Knockout’’ promises to examine his career and life rollercoaster and address “pressing questions about resilience and reinvention.’’ ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap and people in Tyson’s inner circle are among those interviewed in the four-hour documentary, which includes previously unaired Tyson interview footage. The first part airs on ABC Tuesday, part two on June 1 (both nights 8 p.m. EDT).