Beyoncé’s Renaissance Breaks Souls and Records in Historic Debut Page A3
Will Smith’s Apology to Chris Rock and Family for Oscars Slap Page A3
News Observer Los Angeles
Volume 37 Number 38
Serving Los Angeles County for Over 37 Years
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
Basketball Legend Bill Russell Dies at 88
Russell, who won 11 NBA titles as a player and two as a player-coach, died “peacefully” with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, a statement on social media said.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Boston Celtics Legend Bill Russell, one of professional basketball’s greatest players and the sport’s most crowned champion, has died at the age of 88. Russell, who won 11 NBA titles as a player and two as a player-coach, died “peacefully” with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, a statement on social media said. Jeannine said funeral arrangements are pending. “But for all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life. From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar Evans’ assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness, and thoughtful change,” the statement read. It continued: “Bill’s wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded. “And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified, and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last and lasting win for our beloved #6.” President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Freedom
President Barack Obama awards Bill Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. The president recognized Russell not just for his legendary basketball career, but for his work as an activist on and off the court. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
in 2011, and Russell won five NBA Most Valuable Player awards. He made the All-Star team in 12 of the 13 years he played in the league. The prolific big man finished his career in 1969 with Continued on page A4
Inflation Slamming Black America Hard as Families Struggle with Necessities By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Black households are more exposed to inflation fluctuations than their white peers, according to a study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The differences, while not overwhelming, are not trivial either, the study authors wrote. For example, if prices paid by white households increase by 7 percent over a year, calculations by researchers suggest that one may expect them to increase by 7.5 percent for Black families. “In our research, we examine how this informs the trade-off between inflation and unemployment stabilization for White and
Black households,” the study authors explained. “The result implies that when evaluating trade-offs between inflation and unemployment, one ought to keep in mind that the costs of inflation may be borne disproportionately by the more disadvantaged group.” With gas, food, and other prices rising, the authors concluded that necessities such as groceries, electricity, and wireless phone service make up a larger share of Black families’ budgets. The study said that Black households are also spending a more significant portion of their income on goods and services with prices that change more often. The result, according to researchers, isn’t a mystery: “Black
families will suffer the worst effects of rising inflation because they lag behind their White counterparts in income, wealth, financial savings and home ownership.” “Black families, especially those without an employed college graduate, are affected the most by inflation compared with all the other demographics,” said Ellie Walters, the CEO of Findpeoplefaster.com. “Necessities like groceries, accommodation, gas, electricity bills, and phone bills eat up most of their income, leaving them with fewer savings since most of them fall within the low-income groups,” Walters stated. Continued on page A5
Biden Administration Offers ‘Merchant of Death’ in Exchange for Brittney Griner By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent On the day she testified at her trial in Russia, Brittney Griner may have found herself closer to freedom and a return to the United States. Several reports said the United States government has offered to swap the so-called “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout for Griner and another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan. Bout, who’s serving a 25-year federal prison sentence and notorious for his desire to kill Americans, reportedly has been at the top of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wish list. “We communicated a substantial offer that we believe could be successful based on a history of conversations with the Russians,” a senior administration official told CNN. “We communicated that a number of weeks ago, in June.” The unnamed sources told the network that the planned trade received the backing of President Joe Biden after being under discussion since earlier this year. CNN reported that Biden’s support for the swap overrides opposition from the Department of Justice, which is generally against prisoner trades. The families of Whelan, who Russia has held for alleged espionage since 2018, and WNBA star Griner, jailed in Moscow for drug possession since February, have urged the White House to secure their release, including via a prisoner exchange, if necessary, the report stated. During her testimony, Griner told the court that she’s still unsure how cannabis oil ended up in her luggage. She said a doctor recommended cannabis oil for her injuries on the basketball court. “I still don’t understand to this day how they ended up in my Continued on page A4
Several reports said the United States government has offered to swap the so-called “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout for Griner and another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan.
Take One!
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Woman Gets 2 1/2 Years in Police Car Fires Amid Protest
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A woman who pleaded guilty to setting fire to police cars amid the 2020 racial justice protests in Philadelphia has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that since 35-yearold Lore-Elizabeth Blumenthal of Jenkintown has been in custody since her arrest two years ago, she could be released in a matter of months. Blumenthal pleaded guilty to two counts of obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder related to throwing a piece of burning police barrier at a police car. Police used photos from the protest and social media profiles to find Blumenthal, who was wearing a distinctive shirt investigators tracked down on Etsy and had a recognizable tattoo. Blumenthal acknowledged in court Thursday that the fires recklessly put the lives of other demonstrators at risk. She said she had been high on drugs and filled with fear and rage following the death of George Floyd and the economic uncertainty produced by the coronavirus pandemic. “My substance abuse left me feeling utterly self-righteous and impervious to critique,’’ Blumenthal told the judge, the Inquirer reported. “I channeled all of my outrage and grief into the police, and I wish I’d not done that and had had the coping skills and self-de-escalation I do today.’’ U.S. District Judge Barclay Surrick cited Blumenthal’s 25 months behind bars and said he believed she had “learned her lesson,’’ but believed it was important to “deter others from getting involved in this activity.’’ Ayoub Tabri, 25, was sentenced earlier this month to 364 days behind bars -- less time than he had already served in custody, and short enough to avoid triggering deportation proceedings for the Moroccan immigrant. Four other people are awaiting trial or sentencing.
Joe Manganiello Gets Family Mysteries Solved on PBS Show
By BETH HARRIS Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) – Joe Manganiello marveled at the years-old mysteries in his family that were solved through DNA by researchers on PBS’ “Finding Your Roots,’’ including a revelation involving the actor’s paternal grandfather. It was so surprising that host Henry Louis Gates Jr. had to call Manganiello with the news so he wouldn’t find out first during taping. “My family and I had a betting pool of what it is, like what’s so bad that you can’t announce it on the episode?’’ Manganiello told a TV critics meeting Thursday. Gates informed Manganiello that the man the family believed to be the actor’s paternal grandfather really wasn’t. “My grandfather was a Black man of mixed race,’’ said Manganiello, who is white. “That was fascinating.’’ As a result, Gates told him, “You are zero percent genetically related to anyone named Manganiello in the world.’’ Gates didn’t stop there. The show’s research traced back to the actor’s fifth great-grandfather who was a slave who became free before slavery was abolished in Massachusetts, where Manganiello’s father was born outside of Boston. His father’s family came from Italy. Manganiello found out his distant relative joined the Continental Army and fought alongside other Blacks for the colonies against the British in units that were non-segregated. “None of us would have guessed that if we’d had 10 years of guessing,’’ the actor said. “If Manganiello’s not my last name, what is?’’ Another mystery from his mother’s side was solved, too. Manganiello’s maternal great-grandmother was a survivor of the Armenian genocide during World War I in which her husband and seven of her children were killed. She was shot, but played dead and escaped with an eighth child, who later drowned while they traversed the Euphrates River. Manganiello was told his great-grandmother was incarcerated and met a German officer stationed at the camp. He said she became pregnant by the officer, who later returned to Germany without her. The actor’s aunt had a picture of the man, which later got lost. “We had nothing to connect us being German other than this,’’ he said. The show’s researchers found that the actor’s mother and aunt were the children of the half-German baby. “That was a really profound moment for me,’’ he said. Gates said it took nearly a year to uncover the ancestry in part because the Turkish government doesn’t give researchers access to vital records and population documents dating to the Ottoman Empire. Manganiello was filming in Europe last year, and the locals mistook him as being German. “To think that I don’t look like the other people in m family is because I look like the Germans, OK, now that makes sense,’’ he said. “It’s really wild what we uncovered.’’ The 45-year-old actor known for “True Blood’’ and “Magic Mike’’ was born and raised in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He is married to Colombianborn actor Sofia Vergara. The new season of “Finding Your Roots’’ begins Jan. 3. Among those featured are Oscar winners Viola Davis and Julia Roberts, as well as Carol Burnett, political activist Angela Davis and actor Danny Trejo.