LA 8.13.20 4C

News Observer Los Angeles

Volume 35 Number 39

Serving Los Angeles County for Over 35 Years

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Joe Biden Picks Kamala Harris

California’s Political Leaders Praise Biden’s Selection of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris as Running Mate

Harris becomes the first Black woman to be a running mate on a major party’s presidential ticket

Sen. Kamala Harris, who ended her run in December 2019, had some celebrity supporters as well. (Chris Carlson/Associated Press)

Tanu Henry California Black Media Political leaders in California are praising presumptive Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden for tapping California’s junior U.S. Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate.

“Harris selection makes me so optimistic. I am thrilled about the conversations Senator Harris will be having with Americans all around the country over the next 83 days until the presidential election,” said Malia Cohen, a member of California’s Board of Equalization and the highest ranking African American woman constitutional officer in the state.

Cohen says she remembers doing a precinct walk with Harris when she was a campaign worker and the senator was the underdog in her race for San Francisco District Attorney. After Harris beat the odds and convinced San Franciscans to elect her as the city’s DA, Cohen said she had the opportunity to work with her again on several occasions. At the time, Cohen was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

“She’s smart. She thinks on her feet. She has the acumen to be an asset to Joe Biden and complement him to achieve the all the things that he stands for,” said Cohen.

Dezie Wood-Jones, former Vice Mayor of Oakland, is California President of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), a statewide organization committed to getting Black Women involved in the political process. The group also advocates for issues that are priorities for African American women and supports Black women who are political candidates.

Continued on page A3

California Voters Will Decide Whether or Not

Parolees are Allowed to Vote Quinci LeGardye California Black Media In November, Californians will vote on a proposition that could expand voting rights to include parolees.

If passed, Proposition 17, which passed the State Senate as ACA 6 June 24, would amend the state constitution so that any otherwise eligible person who is not currently incarcerated can vote.

The current law in California prohibits previously incarcerated persons from voting while on parole, though they can vote while on probation, county PostRelease Community Supervision and federal supervised release. Allowing parolees to vote would enfranchise over 40,000 Californians currently on parole.

According to Ballotpedia, as of 2020, California is one of three states that require people convicted of felonies to complete their prison and parole sentences to regain their right to vote. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia restore voting rights to people convicted of felonies after they complete their prison term.

Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) introduced the bill in the California Legislature. It was sponsored by the California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of California, and Initiate Justice, an advocacy group focused on ending mass incarceration. The bill was also a priority bill of the California Legislative Black Caucus.

“ACA 6 gives Californians the chance to right a wrong and restore voting rights for a marginalized community and people of color,” McCarty said June 24. “This is good for democracy and good for public safety.”

Parole is the re-entry period after serving a prison term that allows a convicted felon to be released from prison with restrictions. The ballot measure brings up the question of whether the right to vote is a necessary restriction that’s integral to the parole process.

Supporters of Prop 17 argue that previously incarcerated persons contribute to society while on parole, through working and volunteering. They say because of those contributions, parolees should have a say in the legislative process.

“This bill says once you have paid your debts to society and have returned to society to work and pay taxes and contribute, that you should also have the right to voice your opinion about your elected representative,” argued Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles).

Opponents of the ballot measure argue that withholding the right to vote as part of the re-entry process is meant “to incentivize further appropriate behavior.”

Free!

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Free Meals To Be Provided

Free meals for children ages 18 and younger, will be provided from July 13 to August 14, by the FNCF Community Development Corporation.

The meals will be served weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., at First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church (FNCFBC), 1555 West 108th Street, Los Angeles (across the street from Washington Preparatory High School).

The meals are a component of the Summer Food Service Program, sponsored by the California Department of Education’s Nutrition Services Division.

“We understand the value of good nutrition and the role it plays in the development of children,” said Dr. Norman S. Johnson, Sr., Pastor, FNCFBC. “We are pleased to be one of the sites selected to provide food to community residents through this program.”

In accordance with Federal Law and Agricultural Department Policy, FNCF Community Development Corporation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

FNCF Community Development Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Provider.

For further information, please call (323) 756-2541.

Detention Center COVID-19 Tests SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A federal judge Thursday ordered coronavirus testing of everyone held at a California immigration detention center, saying authorities had shown “deliberate indifference to the risk of an outbreak.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has “lost the right to be trusted” that the agency will take safety measures at the Mesa Verde Detention Center in Bakersfield, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the newspaper said.

Mesa Verde is owned by a private ICE contractor and houses 121 men challenging or awaiting deportation proceedings.

At least nine detainees and 14 staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus, Bree Bernwanger of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco told the Chronicle.

Several judges have ordered the release of detainees who may be medically vulnerable to the virus from Mesa Verde and other facilities.

However, emails from ICE officials to the contractor, GEO Group, said the agency wanted to avoid universal testing because it didn’t have room to quarantine all those who might test positive, the Chronicle reported.

The judge said evidence shows that officials “have avoided widespread testing of staff and detainees at the facility, not for lack of tests, but for fear that positive test results would require them to implement safety measures that they apparently felt were not worth the trouble.”

Chhabria issued a temporary restraining order requiring weekly tests of all detainees with methods that provide rapid results. The judge also banned new admissions to Mesa Verde and ordered ICE to set aside a dormitory for people who test positive for COVID-19.

An Aug. 21 hearing was scheduled for the judge to decide whether to extend the order.

17 Drug Traffickers

Election Integrity Project California, a voter roll watchdog group, submitted a letter opposing ACA 6 to the state legislature.

“While on parole, the individual’s liberties, such as movement, association, activities and even ownership of certain items are still heavily restricted and regularly monitored by the system. Any misstep results in immediate re-incarceration. In other words, an individual on parole has not regained the full trust of the society at large, nor the privilege to participate as a full member of that society,” the letter read.

Prop 17 disproportionately affects Black and Brown Californians, who comprise most incarcerated people in the state. According to the Public Policy Institute of California,

Black people make up 26% of parolees. About 6% of the population of California is Black.

“People on parole are our family members, our colleagues, our neighbors, our friends,” said Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena). “They go to work every day. They pay taxes. They do their part to successfully reintegrate themselves back into society, yet the stigma exists for them.”

“The removal of the right to vote is not based in an interest in public safety. Rather, it is rooted in a punitive justice belief system that intentionally attempts to rob marginalized people of their political power,” said Taina Vargas-Edmond, Executive Director of Initiate Justice.

Woods and NFL Part of Voter Registration

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer The National Football League has recently help set up NFL Votes initiatives to create voter activation, registration, and education throughout the country. All this is to encourage league personal, players, and fans to vote.

Recently NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talked to all 32 NFL owners via conference call and the plan was developed in conjunction with the NFLPA It’s something that was also joined in by the Los Angeles Rams Robert Woods. “I will have some things coming up,” said Woods. “I saw one of the teams when they came into training camp.

They had voter registration, I thought that was super cool getting players involved.

Woods attended Serra High in Gardena and played collegiately at USC.

Woods is proud to see his home-town excel in this matter.

“For me being here in Los Angeles it’s just getting our community involved, getting the young people of age registered and be able to vote, to really to be able to make an impact with our youth and the young to make sure our voice is heard. Like I said just to make sure our voice is heard. “ The League has partnered with some non-profits-Rise to Vote, Rock the Vote, and I am a Voter to help get those that arenot registered to register.

They are going to provide educational seminars to players and club personnel the first few weeks of training camp. That will be followed by sessions for league employees and NFL Legends.

“Our goal is to have everyone associated with the NFL to register to vote and vote to inspire others,” said NFL VP of Social Responsibility Anna Isiaacson. “We all have shared the right and obligation to go vote.”

NFL Votes comes after the League has pledged to donate over 250 million dollars over a ten-year period to organizations whose mission is to combat systematic racism. Woods is not only helping the team on the field but involved in the community off the field.

The LA Rams WR Robert Woods grew up in Southern California. (Courtesy Photo)

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) – Seventeen members of an alleged local drug trafficking organization were arrested and accused of importing methamphetamine from Mexico and distributing it in southern California, authorities said.

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies seized 192 pounds (87 kilograms) of methamphetamine, 5 pounds (2 kilograms) of heroin, 500 fentanyl pills, $208,000 in cash and a firearm during the arrests, the Ventura County Star reported. The drugs had a combined value of more than $700,000.

The arrests took place from March to July during a four-month investigation by state and federal authorities.

Those arrested range in age from 20 to 56, and include residents of Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Paula, Bakersfield and Porterville. Some of those arrested have since been released.

Some of those arrested allegedly coordinated drug shipments in Mexico for delivery into the United States, employed people to transport the drugs into Ventura County and then distributed them to local dealers, investigators said.

Investigators identified stash houses, transportation routes and co-conspirators after conducting surveillance, serving search warrants and conducting interviews, authorities said.

The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Ventura County Combined Agency Team, Ventura County sheriff’s office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The case was submitted to the Ventura County district attorney’s office for criminal filing, authorities said.

Botched HS Rail Bridge Project

MADERA, Calif. (AP) – A series of errors by contractors and consultants caused support cables to fail on a massive bridge in central California that’s key to the state’s bullet train project, according to a newspaper report on Monday. Documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times reveal steel supports snapped as a result of neglect, work damage, miscommunications and possible design problems.

The problems triggered an order to stop work on the bridge in Madera County that further delayed the bullet train project that’s already years behind schedule, the Times said.

The bridge is part of a 31-mile (50-kilometer) stretch of construction under contract to Los Angelesbased Tutor Perini Corp. The company declined to answer a series of written questions or make a statement. bHigh-strength steel strands supporting the 636-foot (194-meter) structure began to snap on Oct. 22. A forensic engineering analysis obtained by The Times found that the strands corroded from rainwater that had leaked into the internal structure of the bridge.

The bridge is needed to shuttle vehicles over the future bullet train right of way and existing BNSF freight tracks. Late last year, crews installed temporary steel supports to prevent it from collapsing. The span is part of a planned $20 billion bullet train operation from Merced to Bakersfield.

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World & Nation LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Court Rules in Favor of California: Uber and Lyft Drivers are Employees Quinci LeGardye California Black Media On Aug. 10, a California Superior Court judge ruled that rideshare companies Uber and Lyft must change the classification of their drivers from independent contractors to employees.

The ruling was a major victory for California lawmakers in their yearlong struggle to enforce AB 5, the controversial worker classification bill that went into effect Jan. 1.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman ruled in favor of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s argument that Uber and Lyft are violating AB 5, which says workers can only be considered independent contractors if they perform duties outside the usual course of a company’s business.

“The court has weighed in and agreed: Uber and Lyft need to put a stop to unlawful misclassification of their drivers while our litigation continues,” said Becerra. “While this fight still has a long way to go, we’re pushing ahead to make sure the people of California get the workplace protections they deserve. Our state and workers shouldn’t

have to foot the bill when big businesses try to skip out on their responsibilities. We’re going to keep working to make sure Uber and Lyft play by the rules.”

Schulman paused the injunction for 10 days to give the companies a chance to appeal the decision. Both companies made statements Aug. 9 saying that they will appeal the ruling.

An Uber spokesperson said, “The vast majority of drivers want to work independently, and we’ve already made significant changes to our app to ensure that remains the case under California law. When over 3 million Californians are without a job, our elected leaders should be focused on creating work, not trying to shut down an entire industry during an economic depression.”

“Ultimately, we believe this issue will be decided by California voters and that they will side with drivers,” Lyft said, referring to Prop 22, the upcoming ballot measure.

Voters will decide Nov. 3 if rideshare drivers in California can remain contractors or if they have to become W-2 employees; Becerra, along with the City Attorneys of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, filed their worker

misclassification lawsuit against Uber and Lyft on May 5, followed by the motion for a preliminary injunction on June 24.

“This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard — and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day — to provide for their families,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. “Of course, our fight is not over and we will vigorously pursue this litigation until these workers have the permanent protection they deserve.”

“Misclassification hurts drivers and it puts the burden on taxpayers to pay for benefits that Uber and Lyft should be providing,” said San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera.

“These companies have pocketed millions of dollars by leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. That’s unacceptable. During this global pandemic, it’s even more important for drivers to get access to protections like unemployment insurance. There is no rule that prevents these drivers from continuing to have all of the flexibility they currently enjoy. Being properly classified as an employee doesn’t change that.”

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (Courtesy Photo)

Joe Biden 2020 for President Campaign Commits Ad Dollars to Black-Owned Media

“This is just who [Biden] is as a candidate and person,” Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-La.), co-chair of the Biden campaign, told NNPA Newswire. “He got into politics because of civil rights, and he understands the value that African Americans bring to the country, to the campaign and the electorate.”

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden is ramping up his campaign with a record-setting $280 million advertising buy.

During a telephone call on Wednesday, August 5, with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA),

Biden campaign officials said they will spend $280 million for television ads, print and digital advertising, as well as for social media in the run-up to the General Election on November 3, 2020.

The Biden Campaign will also spend on ad buys with African American-owned media, including the NNPA, TV One and others. Campaign officials said they will continue

to add other media outlets targeting African Americans as the campaign moves forward.

“We are not taking any chances; the Black vote is very important,” a campaign spokesperson said. “We will engage at a much higher level with NNPA and other outlets than we did for the primary. We are trying to reach all Black American voters, and we must reach all of the outlets.”

The campaign has hired Truxton Creative, owned by Terrance Green, an African American media strategist and creative director who was a key contributor in President Barack Obama’s campaigns.

Green has also enlisted the services of Converging Media, a predominately Black-owned media buyer, to aid his company’s efforts.

“This is just who [Biden] is as a candidate and person,” Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-La.), co-chair of the Biden campaign, told NNPA Newswire. “He got into politics because of civil rights, and he understands the value that African Americans bring to the country, to the campaign and the electorate.”

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., NNPA President and CEO, responded, “Black Lives Matter. Black Voters Matter. Today’s announced commitment by the Joe Biden for President Campaign is timely and welcomed news for the Black Press of America. Black-owned media is the most effective approach to mobilizing the largest Black voter turnout in history for the November national elections. The NNPA continues to be the trusted voice of Black America.”

Congressman Richmond continued: “Joe Biden understands the value that the Black Press has always brought, and that is the unvarnished truth directly to Black people in a way they understand it. That is very important, it’s crucial to the survival of those outlets, and we want to reach the people they reach, and we want to support them for who they are and what they mean to society. It’s not a secret that we got here with overwhelming African American support, so this is what we do.”

Biden’s live interview with NNPA President and CEO

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., in South Carolina in February and the subsequent endorsement of Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), help to catapult the campaign.

“I got started in the African American community.

I got involved in the Civil Rights Movement when I was a kid. I helped de-segregate a movie theater, that kind of thing,” Biden told Chavis.

Biden opined that the Black vote would likely determine the next president.

“It’s going to be the determining factor in who the nominee is going to be, and I hope that means who the next president will be,” Biden pronounced.

He added that the Black Press serves a vital role in the political process.’

“The Black Press is the way I did my politics. You go where people are,” he stated. “You walk into a Black barbershop or beauty salon, and your newspaper was there.

It’s who we are. The neighborhood we come from. It’s incredibly important; you’re incredibly important.”

Despite a lack of cash during primary season, Richmond said that Biden still spent money with the Black Press. “We did a buy with the NNPA in the primary when the truth is that everybody reported that we were broke, but we wanted to do it,” Richmond stated.

“We couldn’t do a Bloomberg number at that time, but we did [an ad buy] because it’s who we are,” During the primary, former Democratic Presidential Candidate Michael Bloomberg spent $3.4 million on an ad buy with the NNPA on behalf of the Black Press of America.

“The way you spend your money shows your value.

This is the same person who says he will have the most diverse administration in U.S. history,” Richmond said. “He’s picking a woman as vice president, and he’s committed to having an African American woman on the Supreme Court. That’s just who Joe Biden is, so as much as people try to paint another picture, you can’t because this is who he is.”

Widespread Corruption at the NRA News Observer Los Angeles

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Associated Press, Better Business Bureau, GLAAACC President: Ellen Coley Operations Manager: Jon Coley Editor: James Luckey “It’s clear that the @NRA has been failing to carry out its stated mission for many years, and today, we sent a strong and loud message that no one is above the law,” New York State Attorney General Letticia James. (Courtesy Photo)

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched what many may perceive as a proverbial David v. Goliath battle, filing a suit that seeks to dissolve the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA).

In a news conference held on Thursday, August 6, Attorney General James announced the charges levied against the organization.

The filing alleges illegal conduct and corruption, stating: “…their diversion of millions of dollars away from the charitable mission of the organization for personal use by senior leadership, awarding contracts to the financial gain of close associates and family, and appearing to dole out lucrative no-show contracts to former employees to buy their silence and continued loyalty.”

The State of New York alleges that the organization, its vice-president Wayne LaPierre, former CFO Wilson Phillips, former Chief of Staff and Executive Director of General Operations Joshua Powell, and Corporate Secretary and General Counsel John Frazer failed to manage the NRA’s funds and failed to follow numerous state and federal laws, contributing to the loss of more than $64 million in just three years for the NRA. “The NRA’s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” said James. “The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law.”

James cites numerous examples where the four defendants listed in the complaint “failed to fulfill their fiduciary duty to the NRA.” She alleges that the accused used millions of dollars from NRA reserves funds for personal use, including trips for them and their families to the Bahamas, private jets, expensive meals and other private travel.”

In addition to shuttering the NRA’s doors, Attorney General James said she’s seeking to recoup the millions in lost assets and stop the four defendants from serving on the board of any not-for-profit charitable organization in the state of New York again.

According to the Attorney General’s filing, the four individuals “instituted a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement and negligent oversight at the NRA that was illegal, oppressive, and fraudulent.”

“They overrode and evaded internal controls to allow themselves, their families, favored board members, employees, and vendors to benefit through reimbursed expenses, related party transactions, excess compensation, side deals, and waste of charitable assets without regard to the NRA’s best interests,” James noted.

When board members challenged LaPierre and others over their financial governance and leadership of the NRA, it’s alleged that LaPierre retaliated and turned the board against those who attempted to challenge the illegal behavior.

According to the lawsuit, LaPierre, Phillips, Powell, Frazer and other executives and board members at the NRA allegedly abused their power and illegally diverted or facilitated the diversion of tens of millions of dollars from the NRA. “These funds were in addition to millions of dollars that the four individual defendants were already receiving in grossly excessive salaries and bonuses that were not in line with the best practices and prudent standards for evaluating and determining compensation.”

Leadership at the NRA also failed to assure standard fiscal controls, failed to respond adequately to whistleblowers, affirmatively took steps to conceal the nature and scope of whistleblower concerns from external auditors, and failed to review potential conflicts of interest for employees, according to the complaint.

According to James, the NRA violated various laws,

including the laws governing the NRA’s charitable status, false reporting on annual filings with the IRS, and the OAG’s Charities Bureau.

She further alleged improper expense documentation, improper wage reporting, improper income tax withholding, failure to make required excise tax reporting and payments, payments above reasonable compensation to disqualified persons, and waste of NRA assets in direct violation of New York’s Estates, Powers & Trusts Laws; New York’s Not-for-Profit Corporation Law; the New York Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act; and New York’s Executive Law. “The illegal nature of the four individual defendants’ action also violated multiple rules of the NRA’s bylaws, the NRA’s employee handbook, and the NRA’s policy manual,” James stated.

The NRA’s failure to comply with multiple fiduciary responsibilities and state and federal laws resulted in the NRA’s seeing substantial losses on its balance sheet, the complaint stated.

The organization went from enjoying a surplus of more than $27.8 million in 2015 to a net deficit of more than $36.2 million in 2018 — contributing to a total loss of more than $64 million in just three years.

James said that her office began looking into the NRA in February 2019 and now seeks to dissolve the organization.

She’s asking a federal court judge to order LaPierre, Phillips, Powell, and Frazer to make full restitution of funds they unlawfully profited from along with the salaries earned as employees along with additional penalties. The State of New York is also seeking to recover illegal and unauthorized payments to the four individuals, remove LaPierre and Frazer from the NRA’s leadership (the NRA no longer employs Phillips and Powell), and ensure that none of the four defendants can ever again serve on the board of a charity in New York State.

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The Observer Group Newspapers reserves the right to publish views and opinions that may not necessarily reflect those of the staff and management are soleley the product of the responsible individuals who submit commentaries published in these newspapers. Letters, articles and comments appearing in the Observer Newspapers reflect the opinions of the contributor and do not constitute the opinion or endorsement by The Observer Newspapers or its staff. The Observer Group Newspapers assumes no responsibility for photographs, articles, letters, press releases and unsolicited materials. Decisions as to the editiing and publishing of materials are at the discretion of the Publisher and Editors. All rights are reserved on materials accepted for publication unless otherwise specified.

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Thursday, August 13, 2020

Features

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER A3

NAACP Sues US Education Secretary

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent The coronavirus pandemic has focused the nation’s attention on the essential role public schools play in families and communities’ lives.

The NAACP said it’s also exposed severe racial inequalities that continue to plague the country’s education system and disadvantaged students of color.

Rather than addressing those problems, NAACP President Derrick Johnson declared that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos “exploited the pandemic to promote her personal agenda of funneling taxpayer dollars to private schools and taking resources away from the schools and the students who need it most.”

“We simply can’t let this happen. So, we’re taking her to court,” Johnson announced.

The NAACP formally filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., accusing DeVos of illegally changing the rules for allocating $13.2 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) money to benefit wealthy private k-12 schools.

“Recently, Secretary DeVos issued regulations that would force public school districts to divert federal emergency relief funds from public schools and send them to private schools. By one estimate, over $1 billion would be lost to private schools under the rule,” Johnson declared.

“So, the NAACP filed a lawsuit along with public school families and school districts across the country, challenging this unfair, unequal, and unjust rule. We’ll fight this as hard as it takes – for as long as it takes – to protect our students, schools, and communities.”

The NAACP’s lawsuit suggests that the CARES Act, which was signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, says explicitly that local school departments are to distribute the fund based on the number of Title I, or low-wealth students, in a particular school.

Congress allowed CARES funds to go to institutions that depend on tuition and donations because lawmakers said they recognized that some students from low-income families attend private schools.

The lawsuit claims the share going to private schools should have its basis on the number of Title I students attending those schools.

DeVos did not follow that rule, the NAACP contends, spelling out that hundreds of millions of dollars in CARES Act funds would immediately divert from public schools to affluent private schools.

The controversial education secretary reportedly holds a different interpretation of how local school districts should distribute the money.

Her interim final rule allows sharing the money equally with private schools based on the number of students in those schools, regardless of how many are Title I students.

“The Rule is as immoral as it is illegal,” NAACP lawyers argue.

The NAACP filed the lawsuit on behalf of a group of parents and their children, who are enrolled in economically disadvantaged public schools. The Pasadena, California, Unified School District, and Stamford, Connecticut, School District, joined the NAACP in the lawsuit asking for an injunction to prevent DeVos from immediately instituting her change to the rule.

“In this moment of crushing need for America’s public schools, the Rule directs public school districts to divert desperately needed CARES Act 1 funds to affluent students in private schools or face unlawful limitations on the way that those funds can be spent – both in direct contravention of the Act,” the lawsuit reads. “The Rule harms American children and subverts the will of Congress; it cannot stand.”

If allowed to proceed, the DeVos’ rule would change public schools, including some in which “80, 90 and 99 percent” of the students are from low-income families.

“She’s trying to increase allocation disproportionately for private schools over public schools in the midst of the debate over whether or not schools should reopen.

It’s horrific what she’s doing,” Johnson told ABC News.

“What will happen is you further take money away from children who are financially in need to benefit highwealth children.”

The lawsuit claims the share going to private schools should have its basis on the number of Title I students attending those schools. DeVos did not follow that rule, the NAACP contends, spelling out that hundreds of millions of dollars in CARES Act funds would immediately divert from public schools to affluent private schools.

Vanessa Bryant Calls Foul on Venue Change Motion in Kobe Bryant Trial Joe Biden Picks Kamala Harris as Running Mate Continued from page A1

Kobe Bryant with his daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant at a game between the Lakers and the Mavericks at Staples Center on December 29, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media The civil lawsuit Vanessa Bryant filed in February has yet to be litigated in a courtroom to determine who was at fault when her husband, NBA-hall-of-famer Kobe Bryant, and the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, died in a helicopter crash last January.

But just as the questioning of potential jurors was scheduled to begin, Berge Zobayan, the brother of pilot Ara Zoboyan, who also died in the crash, asked for a change of venue for the trial -- from Los Angeles County to neighboring Orange County.

Mrs. Bryant is calling foul.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna “GiGi” Bryant died in the tragic helicopter crash. Seven other people, counting the pilot, also passed away in the fatal accident that happened on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, a city about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Vanessa Bryant filed a countermotion to Berge Zobayan’s bid, in which he asks for the trial relocation, citing the immense popularity of the former Lakers’ star in Los Angeles County.

“Defendant cannot show that there is any county to which this case may be transferred where the basis for his objection does not exist,” the filing said. “Defendant fails to acknowledge the extent to which Kobe Bryant’s legacy penetrates American culture; there is no county line at which Kobe Bryant’s celebrity suddenly evaporates.”

Mrs. Bryant also points out that her family has lived in Orange County for 20 years.

The deceased Zobayan was the pilot of an Island Express-operated aircraft owned by Island Express Holdings Corp., which is named in the lawsuit. Zobayan allegedly took flight in extreme foggy weather, which investigators say was a factor in the accident.

The helicopter, a Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky S-76B, was traveling from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to Camarillo Airport in Ventura County. The helicopter hit a hillside in Los Angeles County before crashing and bursting into flames.

Neither a flight data recorder nor a cockpit voice recorder was installed in the aircraft. But Berge Zobayan said Vanessa Bryant is not entitled to compensation, putting the onus on Kobe Bryant, and arguing that the basketball player knew, and agreed to, the risks of traveling by helicopter.

Berge Zobayan’s attorneys argue that damages were “directly caused in full, or in part, by the negligence or fault” of Kobe Bryant.

It’s been long reported that Bryant chartered helicopter flights back and forth to games and practice – from near his home in Newport Coast to the Staples Center 51 miles away in El Segundo, where the Lakers played. The day of the crash, Bryant was traveling with his daughter and friends to Thousand Oaks to attend a basketball game at his Mamba Sports Academy.

“The shock of the accident affected all staff, and management decided that service would be suspended until such time as it was deemed appropriate for staff and customers,” Island Express said in a written statement after the crash.

Zobayan’s position for a venue change is due to Kobe Bryant’s “personification” of the city of Los Angeles, Zobayan says, maintaining that it would be difficult to seat an unbiased jury of 12 persons.

There are no special skills or legal knowledge needed to become a juror in California. The state of California only asks that jurors have an open mind, be able to work with prospective peers to make judicial decisions and be impartial.

“In other words, your decisions must not be influenced by personal feelings and bias,” states California’s “Court and Community: Information and Instructions for Responding to Your Jury Summons,” brochure.

“Jury service is the responsibility of all qualified citizens, but also an opportunity for us to participate directly in our system of justice and contribute to our communities,” Hon. Judge Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Justice of California, states in the brochure.

Wherever the Bryant v. Island Express Helicopters et al. case ends up taking place, Vanessa Bryant will allege that the pilot, in a manner not in accordance with accepted standards, flew the aircraft under “instrument flight rules,” the court filing states.

Island Express Helicopters was only regulated to fly under “visual flight rules,” the plaintiffs argue. Those regulations restrict pilots to only operating an aircraft when they can clearly see ahead of them in flight.

“Plaintiffs are confident that the voir dire process will yield twelve citizens from Los Angeles County who — when called upon to serve — will uphold their oaths and render a verdict, ‘according only to the evidence presented [and] the instructions of the court,’” Vanessa Bryant’s court filing states.

The next hearing in the case will be held at Los Angeles Superior Court on August 19.

“It is an excellent, courageous and historic choice and I am proud of the Democratic Party standard bearer Joe Biden on his selection,” Wood-Jones said. “I know she will do an outstanding job.”

Biden picked Harris, 55, who launched her own bid for the presidency in January 2019, from a shortlist of about a half dozen women that included California’s U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37). Bass, who served as Speaker of the California Assembly from 2008 to 2010, praised Harris after the news broke.

“I worked closely with her when I was in Sacramento and she was the District Attorney in San Francisco. I continue to work closely with her here in Washington, D.C., as we push to reform our nation’s policing system,” said Bass. “California is better because of her work as attorney general and stronger because of her work as senator. Now all Americans will benefit from her work as vice president.”

In a text to his supporters, followed shortly by an email, the former Vice President of the United States wrote, “Joe Biden here. Big news: I’ve chosen Kamala Harris as my running mate. Together, with you, we’re going to beat Trump.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom took to Twitter not long after Biden’s announcement.

“Principled. Brilliant. Compassionate. Empathetic.

Honest,” wrote the governor, who will have to appoint someone to replace Harris if Democrats win the presidential election in November. “The Perfect choice for Biden. That’s Kamala Harris.”

In the official statement announcing his selection of Harris, Biden praised the senator’s accomplishments and pointed out that she had worked closely with his son Beau, who died in 2015.

“She’s been a leader on criminal justice and marriage equality,” said Biden, who promised in March that he

would pick a woman as his running mate.

“She has focused like a laser on the racial disparities as a result of the coronavirus,” Biden added.

Harris, who was born in Oakland and spent a part of her childhood in Berkeley, ended her run for President of the United States in December last year.

“Black women and women of color have long been underrepresented in elected office and in November we have an opportunity to change that. Let’s get to work,” Harris tweeted about three hours before Biden’s announcement.

Before she was elected Senator in 2016, Harris served as Attorney General of California for six years, beginning in 2011. Before that, she served as District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011.

Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, lives in Los Angeles with her husband, attorney Douglas Emhoff.

If the Democrats win, Harris will make history as the first Black and Asian woman to be selected as a vice presidential candidate in the United States on a major political party’s presidential ticket.

“Senator Kamala Harris has been an incredible leader and an inspiration for so many of us, and I’m proud to call her a friend and mentor,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed wrote on Facebook.

“I’m thrilled that Vice President Biden had the vision to recognize that Senator Harris can bring the integrity, intelligence, and commitment to justice for all that our country so badly needs during this difficult time,” Breed continued. “I know how much it means to have leaders who reflect the people they represent, and today I’m thinking about all those little girls in this country that will see a strong, principled woman walk into the White House and know that they too can make that same journey someday.”

Harris earned her BA at Howard University in Washington, DC, and her JD at the University of California, Hastings.

A4

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Entertainment

84 Yr Old Bodybuilder Cast in Beyonce Video

A mother, grandmother and retired school secretary, Ernestine Shepherd, 84, holds a Guinness world record for oldest female competitive bodybuilder in the world.

By TATYANA TURNER The Baltimore Sun BALTIMORE (AP) – Baltimore’s Ernestine Shepherd, 84, lives by the mantra: dedicated, determined, disciplined.

These words, emblazoned on all her gym clothing, have fueled her for nearly three decades.

A mother, grandmother and retired school secretary, Shepherd holds a Guinness world record for oldest female competitive bodybuilder in the world. She was named “6pack granny” by Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Now she can add another honor to the list: appearance in a Beyonce production.

Millions have seen Shepherd’s cameo appearance in Beyonce’s hit visual musical album, “Black Is King,” which debuted July 31 on Disney Plus. Shepherd got the role through her longtime trainer and manager, Yohnnie Shambourger.

“One of my contacts knew someone who was organizing ‘Black Is King,”’ Shambourger said. “I wanted to promote Shepherd, and we got an email last year saying Beyonce’s team wanted her to be part of it.”

“It had to be a well kept secret,” Shepherd said of the

production, shot last year. “I was on Cloud Nine.”

She said she and Shambourger’s daughter, Yohnei, flew to Los Angeles in October 2019 for the production of “My Power,” one of the videos in the “Black Is King” music video album.

The song weaves together the rhythms of afrobeats and reggae with lyrics celebrating power, beauty and Blackness.

Shepherd’s appearance is brief. She’s seen flexing her arm muscles while wearing a bright orange athletic T and a beaded, multi-strand necklace.

Shepherd said despite having just a cameo, Beyonce gave her star treatment.

“It was a wonderful, wonderful experience,” she said.

“Beyonce ...made me feel like a queen.”

At the end of the video shoot, Beyonce, who Shepherd described as “breathtakingly beautiful,” walked over to her and thanked her with a warm hug, Shepherd said.

“I felt so honored,” she said. “I went to the ladies room and shed a few tears.”

Shepherd said her moment in the spotlight pays homage to her older sister, who was the inspiration behind her journey in bodybuilding.

When Shepherd was in her mid-50s, her husband, Collin, was planning to host a poolside outing. She and her sister, Velvet Blackwell, went shopping for bathing suits before the party.

Shepherd says the two felt apprehensive about how they looked in the swimwear, so they made a pact to eat healthier and work out. Blackwell, who wanted to be a professional bodybuilder, got into shape more quickly than her sister. Blackwell’s success motivated Shepherd to work harder.

“You’re never too old,” Shepherd said. “You need to be dedicated, determined and disciplined to see the results you want.

Before the two turned 60, Shepherd recalled, her sister became ill.

Blackwell told her sister that she was not feeling well.

She had a headache, a rushing sound in her ears, and had lost vision in one eye. While she was being taken to the hospital, Blackwell laid her head on Shepherd’s lap.

“She reached for my hand and made me pinky promise that I’d continue to do the work we were doing,” Shepherd said.

Blackwell died shortly after from a ruptured aneurysm.

“My sister was no longer here, but I wanted to keep her dream alive,” Shepherd said.

At 71, Shepherd hired Shambourger and told him she wanted to be a competitive bodybuilder. They started a tough daily routine that paid off.

“I competed with women who were younger than me and won every single time,” Shepherd said.

She started weekly community runs in Druid Hill Park that, before COVID-19 hit, attracted about 50 people most weekends.

“Ever since I started this journey, I’ve been able to travel to places I never thought I would,” said Shepherd, adding that California holds a special place in her heart.

The Beyonce project in Los Angeles came just a month after Shepherd’s husband of 63 years passed away. The trip was the first time in weeks that she had ventured away from Baltimore.

Shepherd said being in the video gave her newfound strength.

“I felt like I had the power to smile again,” Shepherd said. “Beyonce has no idea what she’s done for me.”

Peacock Launches 2 Weekly Late-Night Shows LOS ANGELES (AP) – Peacock is launching a pair of weekly late-night comedy series with Larry Wilmore and Amber Ruffin to focus on current events.

“We can't wait to write sketches, songs and jokes about this terrible time we call now!”” Ruffin said in a statement Monday announcing the “The Amber Ruffin Show.”

A writer and performer on NBC's “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Ruffin was among the first African American women to write for a late-night show.

Wilmore is a sitcom creator (“The Bernie Mac Show,” “grown-ish”) who's also known for his on-camera Comedy Central work that included the 2015-16 “The Nightly Show.” His Peacock show is as-yet untitled.

“Apparently there's a lot going on in the world right now and a big election happening soon, so I'm happy to have a place in the conversation,” Wilmore said in a statement.

The shows are set to launch in September, with 11 episodes ordered for Wilmore's series and nine for Ruffin's, Peacock said.

Amber Ruffin

Larry Wilmore

Woods, and His Back, Have Challenging Schedule After PGA

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer Tiger Woods doesn’t know how the strange, compressed schedule will affect him for the rest of the year.

Then again, no one else does, either.

“No one has ever experienced this, having a shutdown during the year,” Woods said as he looked ahead to the FedEx Cup playoffs that will be followed two weeks later by the U.S. Open. “It is very different. This is unlike any other year that we’ve ever experienced in golf.”

Woods shot a 3-under 67 on Sunday in the final round of the PGA Championship to finish the tournament at minus-1 _ 10 strokes behind leader Dustin Johnson as he waited to tee off. Woods will take next week off before the three-week stretch of the playoffs that begin outside of Boston on Aug. 20; the U.S. Open, which was postponed from June, will be two weeks after the tour championship.

Although the schedule is new for everyone, it will be a special challenge for Woods, who at 44 has a balky back and hasn’t played on back-to-back weekends since the President’s Cup in December.

“We’ve been training for that. Trying to get my strength and endurance up to that ability to making sure that I can handle that type of workload,” Woods said.

“We’ll be pushing it hard to make sure that I can stay strong and have the endurance to keep on going.”

Woods struggled at TPC Harding Park for the first three rounds before putting together a solid round on Sunday, when he was already out of contention. He had

five birdies and two bogeys, including a 5 on the par-4 18th hole that left him signing for a 67.

If only it had happened sooner.

“If I would have made a few more putts on Friday early on, and the same thing with Saturday, I felt like I would have been right there with a chance come today,” he said. “It didn’t happen, but I fought hard, and today was more indicative of how I could have played on Friday and Saturday if I would have made a few putts early.”

NICE SHOT Byeong Hun An made the first hole-in-one of the tournament, landing his tee shot on No. 11 about 15 feet from the hole before it bounced a few times and rolled the last three feet.

Usually golfers figure out they landed an ace from the cheering galleries. But with no spectators allowed at TPC Harding Park because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was the scream of a lone volunteer that got the message to An on the tee box 189 yards away.

He belatedly threw up his arms in celebration and had a chuckle with playing partner Sepp Straka.

“Judging by his reaction, it’s got to be,” Straka said.

Tiger Woods was one group ahead of the twosome and had just teed off on No. 12; he missed the commotion while concentrating on his drive. But he had a chance to catch up with An later in the round.

“We got a chance to say congratulations to Ben,” Woods said. “And he owes a round to all of us.”

Tiger Woods

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Sports

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER A5

Big-10, Pac-12 Opt Out

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer The BIG-10 becomes one of the first of the Power 5 conferences to cancel the upcoming football season. According to the Detroit free Press 12 of the 14 school Presidents were in favor of canceling the season. The is the first time in 125 years this takes place.

“The physical and mental health and welfare of our student athletes has been at the center of each decision that we regarding on whether we proceed forward,” said first year Big10 commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement. “As time progressed and after hours of discussion with our BIG-10 Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the BIG-10 Sports Medicine Committee it became abundantly clear that there was to much uncertainty regarding potential medical risk to allow our student athletes to compete this fall. “ Shortly after the announcement the PAC-12 announced it would be cancelling its Fall sports also. According to the Seattle Times PAC-12 Commissioner Larry Scott received a letter from the Medical Advisory Board and University of Utah and Utah Jazz team Physician Dr. David Petron recommending the conference “Stop contact and competitive activities” until the institutions that can meet COVID-19 testing that would allow the result to be had with in a 24 hour period. Also the ability to quarantine positive cases and have adequate health care capacity in the local community.

The BIG-10 and PAC-12 follow the Mountain West Conference, the IVY League and the MAC with postponing fall sports.

BIG 10 Commisioner Kevin Warren talks to reporters Rosemont, Illinois. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo

Woods and Rams Ready for New Season

Robert Woods after one of his 90 catches last season. (Earl Heath Photo)

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It a new year for the Los Angeles Rams and veteran wide receiver Robert Woods. He and the Rams are trying to bounce back from a 9-7 season that wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs. The 2018 squad was second in the NFL when they averaged 32 points a game good enough to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. The former Serra High and USC All-American led the team in receptions with 86 for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2019 he had 90 catches for 1,134 yards and two TD’s.

One thing about Woods is his growth and consistency. Since being drafted in 2013 second round by the Buffalo Bills you can see the stats rise annually. He averaged 52 catches a year with a high of 65 in 2014. His first three seasons with the Rams he had 5,686 and a career high 90 catches in 2019 that included career highs of 13 catches and 173 receiving yards against the Arizona Cardinals.

The departure of Todd Gurley has placed the offensive load on he and Cooper Kupp. The two have quickly become one of the top tandems in the league. In 2017 Kupp caught 62 passes for 869 yards and 5 scores in an injury shortened 2018 eight game season he had 40 catches for six TD’s and in 2019 he and Woods were one-two on the team in receptions 94 and yards 1,161 giving the Rams two 1,000 yards receivers.

“Since he’s come back from his injury he’s come back very

determined and very strong, stronger than before,” said Woods.”

Not only do we want to do what we did last year but be even more dominant in the passing game and running game.”

In this COVID-19 era with gyms and several facilities shutdown the two struggled to find places to workout at times and other times they were evicted and didn’t try using “The RAM Card.” They we part of a group of athletes all around the state trying to get prepped for the season.

“I really tried to bounce around from high school to high school-track to track get some work in before we got kicked off the field. Really just trying to get workouts in trying to utilize the community and find some hills and work on the drive phase to try and break tackles.”

There have been some equipment changes that have occurred. Some players will be wearing shields which stop the passing of droplets but will assist in air flow. “I have seen some of the helmets in there with full face shields. We’ll see how it goes, obviously you’re out there running putting in the work and you want to be able to breathe.”

Another thing that different will be the lack of fans. Being local his parents Robert II and mother Carolyn love watching him play live. This year at least now with no fans allowed who knows how that will effect him and other players.

Robert II and Carolyn Woods shown at the Coliseum.

They may have to put seeing Rams games at the new So Fi stadium on hold. (Earl Heath Photo)

What’s Good in Sports 2020

NBA Awards Winners

By Cameron Buford Whatsgoodinsports.com It’s a well-known fact COVID-19 has severely hampered the 2019-2020 season of the NBA. The NBA was the first professional sports league to shut down due to the Coronavirus, and they have finally resumed their season, over four months later, on the campus of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Since their season restart, they have not recorded one positive test in the over 350 players and personnel that have taken up residence in “the NBA’s bubble of Orlando”.

Because of the uniqueness of the bubble scenario, the play of these final games will not impact the voting of the annual NBA Award nominations. Typically, the MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year Awards account for player’s performance throughout the entirety of the NBA Season, however, the league has announced players should only be considered for these awards based on their performances before the March 11 shut down.

The candidates for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Award are Utah Jazz Center Rudy Gobert, Los Angeles Lakers Center Anthony Davis, and Reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Jazz Center Gobert is a 3-time All-Defensive Team Member and is currently the 2-time defending DPOY. He has averaged 2.0 blocks this season along with being the consistent enforcer in the paint for the Jazz. Gobert is also third in Defensive Win Shares (which is an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to his defense) and third in Defensive Box Plus-Minus (which is a box score estimate of the defensive points per 100 possessions a player contributed above a league-average player, translated to an average team). He is third only behind either of this season’s likely winner Antetokounmpo or Davis.

Lakers Forward Anthony Davis has been named AllDefensive Team Member 3 times as well as been named Block Champion 3 times, though he has never been awarded DPOY; before the season, he committed himself to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Davis finish this campaign with 2.4 blocks on the season; his versatility has also made him a force in the paint for the Lakers. A deeper dive into his season shows he has a Defensive Win Share of 4.5 this season and a 2.6 Defensive Box Plus-Minus, which is the highest of his career.

While both Gobert and Davis have had tremendous seasons, their overall impact on their teams hasn’t matched that of, Antetokounmpo’s. Giannis has shown the ability to guard everyone on the court, from point guards to centers. His Defensive Win Share total was the highest in the league at 5.0, and his 4.1 Defensive Box Plus/Minus was nearly twice as high as anyone else’s number in the league this past season. Once you couple these stats with a Win Share (An estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player) number of 11.1, that is higher than Davis or Gobert and clinches who the league’s 2019-2020 Defensive Player of the Year should be, in my opinion.

The Rookie of the Year Award was pretty simple to decide this season. The Rookie of the Year Award should be a much easier decision this season. While newcomer Zion Williamson came into the league with more hype than LeBron James did his rookie season, due to injuries and/or load management, he didn’t play as many games and wasn’t nearly as impactful as the probable winner Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant. Zion played in 24

games in comparison to Ja Morant’s 65 games. Where Williamson averaged more points and rebounds per game at 22.5 and 6.3 to Morant’s 17.8 and 3.7, Morant averaged more assists per game at 7.2 to 2.1, while nearly doubling Zion’s Win Shares at 3.7 to 2.0 and playing more games throughout the season. Morant is the clear 2019-2020 NBA Rookie of the Year in my book.

Identifying the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year is much more subjective! My initial inkling would be to give the award to last season’s winner, Toronto Raptors Pascal Siakim, for the growth and development we’ve seen from him this season.

Considering all of his numbers are up – points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals – not to mention his team has climbed to number 2 spot in the Eastern Conference, even after having lost Kawhi Leonard the 2020 Finals MVP from last season.

Since that’s never been done before, I’ll focus on Dallas Mavericks’ Point/Forward phenom, Luka Doncic, and New

Orleans Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram are among the front runners for this award, however, here’s why I don’t think it’s much of a competition between the two.

Luka leads in each of the following categories: 24.7 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 7.3 assists per game, 1.1 steals per game, along with leading the Mavericks to the 7th seed in the tough Western Conference. While the pelicans are on the outside looking in on this season’s playoffs, Brandon Ingram’s averaging 16.9 points, 5.1 rebound, and 3.2 assists per game.

Upon looking into the advanced stats, Luka has a 23.3 PER (A measure of per-minute production standardized such that the league average is 15) in comparison to Brandon Ingram’s 13.5 PER. Pair that with a Win Share of 13.7 for Luka vs a 9.6 for Ingram, there’s not a comparison between their seasons.

Further evidence of this mismatch between Doncic and

Ingram is seen in the improvements in their stats from last season to this season; Luka’s stats rose from 21.2 to 29.1 points per game, 7.8 to 9.5 rebounds per game, 6.0 to 8.9 assists per game in addition to a Win Share of 4.9 to 8.8 and a PER of 19.6 to 27.6. Whereas Ingram’s numbers went from 18.2 to 23.8 points, 5.1 to 6.1 rebounds, 3.0 to 4.2 assist per game before mentioning his PER growth of 13.4 to 18.8 and Win Share growth of 2.1 to 5.1 which are solid numbers and quality growth, just not awardwinning compared to Luka’s growth.

This season’s Most Valuable Player Award is certainly a much tighter race. I think Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the leaders in the clubhouse for Leagues Most Valuable Players Award this season, though Luka’s and James Harden’s accomplishments shouldn’t go unrecognized.

Harden is averaging 25.1 points a game, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. His PER is 24.8, though that stat has him in this race is his 134. 7 Win Share total. However, coming into the final week of the season James Harden’s Houston Rockets have 44 total wins vs 51 wins for the Lakers and 55 wins for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Though these are very solid numbers from Harden, they pale in comparison to James’ and Antetokounmpo’s production this season. LeBron is averaging 27.1 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game and 7.4 assists per game in addition to 27.5 PER and a mind-blowing 236.4 Win Share. In comparison to Giannis’ 20.1 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game, and 4.3 assists per game paired with 23.0 PER and 64.4 Win Share. In an unexpected twist, my research leans to LeBron James being named this season’s MVP due to his leadership untouchable 236.4 Win Share.

If there ever is a time for dual awards for the Sixth Man of the Year Award, it should be this season. Clippers’ Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams should be awarded for their production this season becoming the first teammates to win this award.

Where Mike Budenholzer deserves some consideration for The Coach of the Year Award for earning the league’s best record, Frank Vogel should also be considered for having the second-best record in the league and managing the league’s MVP. While I believe Budenholzer and Vogel deserve recognition and have their names thrown in the ring, I believe 2020 Coach of the Year Award belongs Toronto Raptors Nick Nurse for the job he’s done to get his team in the same position they were in last season without the 2019 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and the playoffs dominance he showed before leaving in free agency.

When naming these awards winners, one needs to be objective. As I had Giannis initially for MVP, though while researching the data for this article, it’s fairly clear that LeBron James has earned his 4th MVP Award for his performance that past season. who does have to win these NBA postseason awards?

Let me know if your mind changed after comparing the factual and objective stats provided. Also share your thoughts on which team has the best chance to be named champions this season, reaching out to me on Twitter @whatsgoodnsport or forward your thoughts to info@whatsgoodinsports.com.

Additionally, be sure to subscribe to our weekly “Voice of the Fans Podcast,” as we will be discussing each league’s progression throughout the season. Our podcast can be conveniently be heard on most podcasting platforms; Apple and Google Podcasts including Spotify, TuneIn, and iHeart Radio. As always, Thank You for making our voice, your choice!

Local

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LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Photo from the 2019 Leimert Park Jazz Festival. (Courtesy Photo) Photo from the 2019 Leimert Park Jazz Festival. (Courtesy Photo)

Leimert Park Jazz Festival-Virtual Experience

By Ricky Richardson Contributing Writer (Los Angeles, Ca.)-Health authorities gathered and shared information about the Novel Coronavirus during the early stages of the pandemic. Most of the major global music festivals were postponed out of a sense of caution. The festivals were subsequently cancelled due to the severity of Coronavirus.

Several months later, producers of several festivals offered fans a glimmer of hope when they announced that they were going to showcase their festivals online, virtual festival experience.

Locally, the producer of the Leimert Park Jazz Festival encourages everyone to Save The Date, celebrate jazz, community and the cultural heritage of the historic South Los Angeles neighborhood of Leimert Park-VIRTUALLY! Music aficionados can enjoy the festivities on Facebook Live, at 12:00pm, Saturday, August 29, 2020, for the sizzling, Summer event that is going to be entertaining and fun.

The Leimert Park Jazz Festival is one of LA’s premiere FREE summertime events. In past years, the former Sutro Avenue Summer Soiree was a block party on a resident street in Leimert Park with a jazz stage, wine lounge, community resourse zone, kids zone, health & wellness zone and more.

Now known as the Leimert Park Jazz Festival, the event will take place virtually in 2020 due to the COVID19 global pandemic.

Event organizers hope to be able to bring the community together in 2021 for an in-person celebration in the neighborhood with food, drink, dancing, and lots of wonderful community engagement.

In the meantime, get ready to enjoy an afternoon of great entertainment, interviews, art competition showcase, special

edition festival merchandise, hosted by LeRoy Downs, aka, The Jazzcat.

The stellar line-up of musicians assembled features Munyungo Jackson’s Jungle Jazz, Michael O’Neil & Friends, Sy Smith featuring The Myron McKinley Trio, MFUO (Groove in Swahili) and amazing vocal stylings of Dwight Trible.

For more information visit https://www. leimertparkjazzfestival.com While on the site, RSVP for a chance to win official jazz festival merchandise. Bookmark FB/IG@ Leimertparkjazzfestival.com #Leimertparkjazzfest Don’t leave just yet, continue to browse the site, https:// www.leimertparkjazzfestival.com click and browse the Shop link, to view the cool, jazz merchandise, learn more about the jazz musicians and listen to some of their music.

If that isn’t enough, festival organizers took the guess work out of what to eat. Click on Community Resources link to view a list of participating restaurants and to take advantage of the restaurant promotion. Leimert Park Jazz Festival has partnered with some of the best local restaurants to bring you a 20% discount on orders placed on the day of the festival. Please note that the discount is available on the day of the festival and that orders can be picked up in person. What a deal! Leimert Park Jazz Festival provides the entertainment, you set up the vibe in your home, while you enjoy lunch from one of your favorite local eateries, or this allows one to discover the great cuisine found in Leimert Park.

SAVE THE DATE! August 29, 2020, For more information visit https://www.leimertparkjazzfestival.com

Rep. Waters Amends FY 2021 Spending Bill to Fund Health Priorities and Stop Harmful Trump Administration Rules

Photo from the 2019 Leimert Park Jazz Festival. (Courtesy Photo)

“I am proud that the House adopted my amendments to expand HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and maternal healthcare services and prevent the use of funds to weaken infection control standards in nursing homes, undermine COVID-19 data collection, and interfere with the rule of law in order to benefit the president politically or personally.”

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives adopted six amendments offered by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), the Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, on July 30, 2020, which successfully amended an FY 2021 spending bill to increase funding for critical health priorities – including HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, and maternal healthcare – and to prevent the implementation of harmful Trump administration rules that weaken infection control standards in nursing homes, undermine COVID-19 data collection at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and interfere with the rule of law at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in order to benefit the president politically or personally.

“I am proud that the House adopted my amendments to expand HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and maternal healthcare services and prevent the use of funds to weaken infection control standards in nursing homes, undermine COVID-19 data collection, and interfere with the rule of law in order to benefit the president politically or personally,” said Congresswoman Waters.

The House adopted the following six amendments offered by Congresswoman Waters:[1] • Amendment #304, cosponsored by Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Judy Chu (D-CA), to increase funding by $5 million for HIV/AIDS prevention, screening and treatment in minority communities.

• Amendment #305, cosponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), to increase funding by $5 million for pub-

lic health services for Alzheimer’s patients, their families, and their caregivers.

• Amendment #306, cosponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), to increase funding by $5 million to improve maternal health care for pregnant women and help them safely deliver their babies.

• Amendment #302, cosponsored by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), to prohibit the use of funds to implement a Trump Administration proposed rule that weakens infection prevention standards in nursing homes, which have been hit especially severely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Amendment #303, cosponsored by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), to prohibit the use of funds to require hospitals to report COVID-19 data using a new database that circumvents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and that was developed by Peter Thiel,[2] a mega-donor to President Trump’s 2016 campaign.[3] • Amendment #150 to prohibit the use of funds by the Attorney General to interfere in the duties and responsibilities of the United States attorneys to benefit the president politically or personally.

Congresswoman Waters’ amendments were adopted during floor consideration of H.R. 7617, which provides FY 2021 appropriations for HHS and DOJ, as well as other agencies, and which passed the House of Representatives on July 31, 2020, and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate.

“I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to continue to support these essential health services and retain my amendments in the final spending bill for FY 2021,” said Congresswoman Waters.