“We, as an organization, would hope that every jail would either support a polling location in their facility in partnership with the local Board of Elections and or enable and support absentee voting systems,” Kristen Powers, executive director ofthe Benevolence Farm. This rural North Carolina nonprofit supports formerly incarcerated women by providing housing, employment, and wraparoundBenevolenceservices.Farm also co-operates a Bail Fund that serves individuals incarcerated in the local detention center on low-level bonds of up to $2,000. “Elected officials and the policies they implement affect
Unlock the Vote in American Jails Continued on page A2 Continued on page A2 Continued on page A2
2 Schoolgirls Abducted 8 Years Ago Found #BringBackOurGirls:
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) _ Charlene Curtis, the first Black women’s head basketball coach in the ACC, died Thursday after a battle with cancer, the conference said. She was 67.Curtis was the head coach at Wake Forest from 19972004, after head coaching stops at Radford and Temple,where she also was the first African-American head women’s basketballCurtiscoach.played basketball at Radford shortly after the passage of Title IX in 1972 and become the school’s first 1,000-point scorer, male or female, and a member of its Hall of Fame. She majored in music and joined a Radford women’s basketball team that didn’t offer scholarships at the time. Curtis worked in the ACC league office as the supervisor of officials for women’s basketball for 11 years, retiring in 2019. Along with her ACC job, Curtis spent that time as thecoordinator of women’s basketball officials for the Southern Conference, the Big South and the Colonial Athletic Association.``Charlene was a pioneer in the sport of women’s basketball, but more importantly, she was an amazing individual,’’ said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. ``Her kindness and class resonated throughout her life, and she will be missed by all who were fortunate to know her and her inspiring spirit.’’ A native of Roanoke, Virginia, her early coaching jobs included an assistant at Radford and graduate assistant coach at Virginia in 1981. She worked with Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan and then-assistant Geno Auriemma. Curtis became Radford’s head coach in 1984 at age 29, finishingwith a 121-53 record in six seasons. She also worked two years as an assistant at UConn before being hired at Wake Forest. Curtis is survived by her partner of 24 years, Sharolyn Grant, and her sister and brother-in-law Millicent and Byrl Wright.
Sentencing Project researchers pointed to when after the Cook County jail in Illinois was turned into a polling location, approximately 2,200 people were able to cast their ballot.
According to a White House Fact Sheet, the Department of Health and Human Services has set aside 50,000 doses of vaccine from the Strategic National Stockpile, which enables health departments that host large-scale events could request in addition to their existing allocations and supply.
Monkeypox Hits Black Community Hard
(Photo: Google Images / Flickr)
According to a report from The Sentencing Project, current jail-based voter programs that rely on absentee voting often experience various logistical challenges. Increasingly, advocates and officials recognize that establishing a polling location will improve voter access and turnout far better than jail-based absentee voting initiatives.
“At demonstrations you were the kids’ favorite, the social pup that would place your paws on my chest and want to be the center of attention. At home you stole a place in all of our hearts that will never be filled,’’ Fisher wrote. One of two suspects connected to the reported shooting was taken into custody. The K-9 was not used in the apprehension, officials said. No shooting victim was found.
Necropsy Planned After California K-9 Dies While On Duty
Hollywood Walk of Fame Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Plan To Address Youth Mental Health Page A10
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (A P) _ A necropsy is planned for a K-9 who died last week while on duty for Southern California’s Kern County Sheriff’s Office, officials said. Deputies responded Aug. 18 to a report of a shooting in Lamont, just southeast of Bakersfield, the sheriff’s office said. A deputy and his K-9 partner searched for two suspects in a vineyard and shortly afterward the dog “began showing signs of distress,’’ a sheriff’s office statement said.
Charlene inCoachingCurtis,TrailblazerACC,Diesat67
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Heat advisories remained in effect Thursday in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and adjacent areas but managers of California’s power grid did not repeat the previous day’s call for voluntary conservation of electricity.Widespread triple-digit temperatures were again predicted, along with high humidity, raising the risk of heatrelated illnesses, the National Weather Service said. On Wednesday, the California Independent System Operator asked residents to voluntarily reduce electrical use from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. to avoid stress on the grid that can lead to power failures. A surge of monsoon moisture created extensive cloud cover that kept the day’s high in the low 90s in the Sacramento area, but temperatures soared elsewhere in California’s interior. The Redding airport hit a record 110 degrees (43.3 Celsius), Bakersfield baked at 106 (41.1 Celsius) and Fresno topped out at 105 (40.5 Celsius). In the deserts, Death Valley hit 120 degrees (48.8 Celsius). Cal ISO tweeted later that conservation efforts helped keep the power grid stable.
“The action means that each vial of vaccine can be used for up to five doses since the appropriate dose for intradermal administration is 0.1mL versus 0.5mL required per dose administered subcutaneously,” Administration officialsTheremarked.CDCalso released a “robust set of resources and tools to help jurisdictions train providers and health care professionals on how to administer the vaccine intradermally.”Administration officials said in less than ten days following FDA’s EUA on intradermal administration, some of the country’s largest counties have transitioned completely to intradermal administration of the JYNNEOS
California Heat Persists, But No Call for Power Cutbacks
“The K-9 handler immediately returned to his vehicle and the K-9 was rushed to a local emergency animal hospital where he later passed away,’’ the statement said. The dog, named Hannes, was a two-year-old Belgian Malinois who had been with his handler since March 2021. A necropsy was ordered to determine the cause of death, the sheriff’s office said. The K-9’s handler, Deputy Robert Fisher, wrote in a statement that Hannes was a loyal, fearless public servant who “answered every call without hesitation.’’
Serving Los Angeles County for Over 37 Years Volume 37 Number 41 Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California Thursday, August 25, 2022 Los AngelesLos AngelesNews Observer One!Take
Nipsey Hussle’s Legacy Honored by Star on
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent The Biden-Harris administration on Thursday announced it would increase America’s supply of monkeypox vaccine by making an additional 1.8 million doses of Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine available for ordering beginning Monday, Aug. 22. According to a White House Fact Sheet, the Department of Health and Human Services has set aside 50,000 doses of vaccine from the Strategic National Stockpile, which enables health departments that host large-scale events could request in addition to their existing allocations and supply.
“Since the first case was confirmed in the United States, the Administration has led a whole-of-government response to make tests, vaccines, and treatments more widely available to communities across the country and has worked with the LGBTQI+ community to provide information and resources directly to communities most at risk of contracting the virus,” Administration officials stated.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data from 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, which revealed that African Americans comprise 26 percent of monkeypox cases compared to 12 percent of the population. The CDC noted that Hispanic people accounted for 28 percent of cases while comprising 19 percent of the population.Additionally, CDC officials reported that areas with high numbers of cases that did not submit case reports are more racially and ethnically diverse. “As such, the reported data may understate disparities,” CDC officials “Moreover,noted.theshare of cases among Black people has risen in recent weeks, suggesting widening disparities for this group.”According to the White House, the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered nearly 1 million doses of JYNNEOS vaccine to jurisdictions – the world’s most extensive JYNNEOS MPV vaccine program. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration announced the Emergency Use Authorization of the JYNNEOS vaccine to be administered intradermally in individuals 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk of MPV without compromising the level of immune response achieved or the safety of the vaccine.
By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor NNPA NEWSWIRE — The two abductees were found at a military medical facility. The 276 girls were abducted from their school dormitories April 14, 2014 by notorious Islamic militant group Boko Haram. Fifty-six of the girls were able to get away from their captors by jumping off the transport and running into the bushes, while the others remained in captivity and were forced to convert to Islam and marry their captors. The brazen abduction became an international cause with political leaders, celebrities and activists calling for their safe return. The internet is buzzing with news that two of the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from a Christian school by Boko Haram eight years ago in Chibok, Nigeria, have been found. The BBC is reporting the Nigerian army has found two more of the female students abducted by Boko Haram. Both abductees were found with children and gave birth while in captivity. Other victims of the mass abduction have described being forced to convert to Islam and marry the group’s fighters. The two abductees were found at a military medical facility. The 276 girls were abducted from their school dormitories April 14, 2014 by notorious Islamic militant group Boko Haram. Fifty-six of the girls were able to get away from their captors by jumping off the transport and running into the bushes, while the others remained in captivity and were forced to convert to Islam and marry their captors. The brazen abduction became an
Economist and activist Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, founder of #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Biden Administration Increases Vaccine
“Every year, hundreds of thousands of eligible incarcerated voters are unable to cast their ballot due to misinformation, institutional bureaucracy, and de-prioritization among government officials,” said Durrel Douglas, author of the report, and Jail-based Voting Initiative Organizer with The Sentencing Project.“This [report] provides many case studies that can help advocates increase ballot access for incarcerated voters and help jail officials and lawmakers expand ballot access in jails,” Douglas stated.“Our democracy works best when everyone eligible to votecan make their voice heard.” Researchers observed that the vast majority of those incarcerated are eligible to vote because they are not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction but are incarcerated pretrial or sentenced to a misdemeanor offense. However, incarcerated voters often experience significant barriers to voting because of misinformation, the institutional bureaucracy that varies from one county or city to another, and de-prioritization among government officials, the researchers concluded.They said most states have underdeveloped practices for people incarcerated in prisons and jails to register or access absentee ballots or polling locations. Further, the report noted that many incarcerated residents could not freely communicate via phone or email with election officials to monitor their voter registration or ballot applications.
The authors insisted that voter education for justiceimpacted citizens is often limited and varies across states, resulting in too many Americans being left behind each election season. They said recent reforms and a growing civic infrastructure offer opportunities to strengthen voting access and ensure the franchise for every individual, regardless of incarceration status.
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“We also note that Black owned businesses including the Black Press of America will also have increased opportunities to expand economic development, innovation, advertising, and new workforce advances as a direct result of the Inflation Reduction Act.” 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 lowincome groups,” Walters stated. She said Black families are affected by even the slightest increase in price, and with the rising recession, many might have to live without most of these necessities. “A large number of Black families live paycheck to paycheck and cannot easily escape the constantly increasing wealth gap between them and the other demographics, especially the white,” Walters remarked. “Inflation often makes this dilemma worse, since during inflation, wages are cut, and workers are laid off. These low-income earners, largely made up of Black community members, are trapped by an economic cycle that seems rigged against them.” Ronda Brunson, an expert in financial planning and credit restoration at Project Restore Bmore, agreed that Black households would continue to feel the impact of rising inflation. “Most Black homes with car notes are paying double-digit interest rates, same for credit cards. Yet, we are not conditioned to go for better but to be grateful for whatever approval without contesting,” Brunson asserted. “If I am already paying three times more than you for the same vehicle, then of course, when inflation occurs, I’m going to feel it first.” According to the Brookings Institute, the median wealth of a white household is $188,200, which is 7.8 times more than the average Black household at $24,100. Two years ago, the homeownership rate for white Americans was about 73% compared to 42% for Black Americans.
Biden Administration Increases Vaccine
vaccine for eligible adults, including Los Angeles County, California, and Fulton County, Georgia. The increased availability of vaccine doses has enabled more jurisdictions to offer second doses to eligible individuals.TheJYNNEOS vaccine is administered in two doses, four weeks apart, for maximum protection, White House officialsTheyoffered.saidthe Biden-Harris Administration has also significantly increased the availability and convenience of orthopoxvirus tests, expanding the capacity of tests from 6,000 tests per week to 80,000. Further, the Administration has taken a number of steps to make TPOXX, a treatment for MPV, more accessible to prescribe, and today’s announcements build on thoseHealthactions.and Human Services will also launch a pilot program to provide additional vaccine allocations to state and local health departments in jurisdictions hosting large events that attract gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in the coming weeks and months. The pilot program sets aside 50,000 doses from the Strategic National Stockpile that jurisdictions can request to order on top of their existing vaccine allocations and supply.“The number of additional doses made available to a jurisdiction will be based on the size and nature of the event and the ability to reach attendees at highest risk for MPV,” Administration officials said.
Monkeypox Hits Black Community Hard
#BringBackOurGirls protest in Nigeria.
Two Schoolgirls Abducted 8 Years Ago Found international cause with political leaders, celebrities and activists calling for their safe return. Between 2016 and 2018, three Chibok girls were found or rescued in the Sambisa forest hideout of Boko Haram by the Nigerian military, while 103 were freed following negotiations between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. The freed girls were rehabilitated at a government facility and sent to an American school in Nigeria. Nigerian activist and former World Bank vice-president Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili led the global campaign to free Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram extremists. Ezekwesili started the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and cofounded Transparency, one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to combating government corruption. In 2018, Ezekwesili unsuccessfully ran for president of Nigeria.
Unlock the Vote in American Jails
World & Nation
Black America Benefits From Biden Signing Inflation Reduction Act
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr, NNPA President and CEO, emphasized, “Black America will definitely benefit economically and socially from the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act. “President Biden continues to keep his promise to our families and communities across the nation,” Chavis stated.
The bill represents the most significant climate investment in U.S. history.
A2 Los Angeles News Observer Thursday, August 25, 2022 Adjudicated a Newspaper of General Circulation on July 2, 1991, Los Angeles Superior Court Decree, Case No. BS007262, Government Code 6023. Bulk Mailing Permit 724 Bakersfield, CA 93385 Published every Thursday by The Observer Group Newspa pers of Southern California, Inc. Member: National Newspaper Publishers Assc. Associated Press, Better Business Bureau, GLAAACC President: Ellen Coley CEO: Jon Coley Publisher/ Editor: James Luckey Jr. Operations Manager: James Luckey Credo - The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accounts to every person, regardless of race, color, or creed full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every per son in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as any one is heldTheback.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 prod uct of the responsible individuals who submit commen taries 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 re sponsibility 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. The Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California, Inc.: Los Angeles News Observer, Bakersfield News Observer, The Valley’s News Observer Los Angeles News Observer 6060 Center Drive Floor 10, Los Angeles, CA 90045 Mailing Address: PO Box 2341, Bakersfield, Ca. 93303 Phone (661) 324-9466 FAX (661) Online:Advertising:General324-9472Info:observernews@gmail.comobserveradvertising@gmail.comwww.ognsc.com News ObserverLos Angeles
The Sentencing Project researchers said lawmakers and citizens could work with political candidates to host candidate forums at local jails. During the 2021 election cycle in Michigan, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and the IGNITE – Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education – program cohosted a candidates’ forum for residents at the jail. More than 20 city council candidates attended the “Meet the Candidates’’ town hall, where residents at the prison and candidates discussed ways to improve public education and support reentry programs. According to the Sentencing Project’s report, America’s mass incarceration problem has led to record levels of disenfranchisement.However,researchers found that many justice-impacted residents, including those in pretrial jail detention, incarcerated in certain states on a probation or parole violation, or sentenced for a misdemeanor, are eligible to vote while in jail.
Newswire Senior National Correspondent
(Google Images: 2014)
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By Stacy M. Brown NNPA President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed the historic $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act into law, a major accomplishment for the administration and a Democratic Party that’s now looking with more optimism toward November’s crucial midterm elections. The bill represents the most significant climate investment in U.S. history. It includes strengthening critical provisions of the Affordable Care Act, providing Medicare with authority to negotiate certain prescription drug costs, and administration officials anticipate it will create jobs with family-sustaining wages. Additionally, the law will reduce the national deficit. Biden said new taxes would pay for the bill, including a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and a 1% tax on stock buyback. Overall, it’s projected that the measure would result in the government raking in more than $700 billion over ten years while spending about $430 billion to help reduce carbon emissions and securing the extension of subsidies in the health care law. “This legislation is a game changer. It will create jobs, lower costs, increase U.S. competitiveness, reduce air pollution, and, of course, tackle the climate crisis,” former Vice President Al Gore told The Climate 202. “We have crossed a major threshold, and it’s going to have significant impacts on international climate action,” said Gore, long a crusader of environmental justice and a Nobel Prize winner for climate activism. The new law should primarily assist African American families. According to a study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Black households are more exposed to inflation fluctuations than their white peers. Researchers concluded that if prices paid by white households increase by 7 percent over a year, calculations 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 also spend 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.”
“With the end of felony disenfranchisement in Washington, DC, and the introduction of similar measures to expand voting to all persons with felony convictions in other states, building the infrastructure for democratic participation in local jails not only expands voter access to strengthen our democracy, it can also help guarantee ballot access for all incarcerated citizens in the United States,” the researchers asserted.
incarcerated people every day. Incarcerated people are most proximate to the problem and, thus, should have input on the solution,” Powers wrote in an email. “Furthermore, they are taxpayers, and we firmly believe there should be no taxation without representation for all people in our country.”
“Yet even when the law permits certain individuals to vote while incarcerated, many remain unable to vote because of obstacles to electoral participation, including lack of polling places and an inability to register to vote,” researchers wrote. They noted that individuals in jail are also often reluctant toexercise the franchise due to fear and lack of awareness. Democracy advocates and stakeholders must include incarcerated voters in their democracy initiatives to improve voting in jail practices.
Kobe Bryant’s Widow Says Crash Photos Turned Grief to Horror
``I told him, if you can't bring my babies back, then please secure the area,`` Bryant said. ``I'm concerned about``Didpaparazzi.''thesheriff tell you one of his deputies had already gone to the hill to take close-up pictures of crash victims?'' Li asked.
Accuser’s Mom: R Kelly’s Threats Made Her Fear for Her Life
``I don't think you need to take close-up photos of people to determine how many people are on an aircraft,'' Bryant replied. ``I think he could have just counted.`` Bryant's side rested its case after her testimony, which came on the eighth day of the trial.
A star for late rapper Nipsey Hussle was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on Aug. 15. The ceremony included speeches and remarks from members of the late rapper’s family, including his sister, Samantha Smith (third from right), and his grandmother Margaret Boutte (fourth from right), who accepted the star on behalf of the family. (Photo: Damian Dovarganes/AP)
``I felt like I wanted to run, run down the block and scream,'' she said, her tears turning to sobs and her voice quickening. ``It was like the feeling of wanting to run down a pier and jump into the water. The problem is I can't escape. I can't escape my body.'' During her three hours on the witness stand in a Los Angeles federal court, where she is suing LA County for invasion of privacy over the pictures, Bryant said she had fought to get through both public and private memorials for her loved ones and seven others who were killed Jan. 26, 2020, and thought she was ready to really begin the grieving process about a month later. She was with friends and her surviving daughters, and holding her 7-month-old baby, when she received a call about a Los Angeles Times story on the crash-site photos.
Thursday, August 25, 2022 Los Angeles News Observer A3 Entertainment
Nipsey Hussle’s Legacy Honored by Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
``I bolted out of the house and around to the side so my girls wouldn't see,'' she said. ``I was blindsided again, devastated, hurt. I trusted them. I trusted them not to do theseEvidencethings.'' presented at trial showed that a sheriff's deputy showed a photo of Bryant's body to a bartender as he drank, spurring an official complaint from another man drinking nearby, and that firefighters shared them with each other at an awards banquet. Others shared them with spouses. An attorney for the county said the photos had been taken only because they were essential for assessing the site moments after the crash, and that when LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva learned they were being shared, he demanded they all be deleted. No photos emerged publicly, but Vanessa Bryant said she has constant worry that some still might. ``I live in fear every day of being on social media and these popping up,'' she testified. ``I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up.'' She said the thought keeps her awake at night as she lies next to her 3-year-old and her 5-year-old, and sometimes leads to panic attacks in which she can't breathe. Under cross-examination from J. Mira Hashmall, the lawyer representing LA County at the trial, Bryant testified that she had not received any medical diagnosis of having had panic attacks, or any mental health disorder, nor had she taken any medications for them. She said she had talked to a therapist for about 18 months after the crash, but had not since. ``I feel like sometimes it helps,`` Bryant said, ``but sometimes it's completely draining.`` Hashmall spent much of her 90-minute crossexamination going through the business roles Bryant now plays, including acting as president of her husband's multimedia company, Granity Studios, overseeing the publication of one book he wrote and helping to finish and publish another, heading the foundation started for Kobe and Gianna, and establishing several other companies. Hashmall suggested that Bryant's ability to do all of this meant she was functioning well and was not overcome with fear and anxiety. ``It sounds like on top of everything else you're juggling a business empire,'' Hashmall said at one point. ``For me, it's a labor of love,'' said Bryant, who remained calm and composed during cross-examination. She cried frequently, and laughed occasionally, during the questioning of her attorney Luis Li, who had her describe her life with her ``proud girl-dad'' husband and their``Hedaughters.wasjust such a beautiful and devoted father,'' she said.Bryant chronicled the day of the crash, her anguish, and her frustration at trying to learn whether her husband and daughter were still alive after she initially heard from an assistant that there were five survivors. She described Sheriff Villanueva coming into a room where she waited at Lost Hills sheriff's station and confirming that her husband and daughter had been killed. He asked if there was anything he could do for her.
``No,'' Bryant responded. During cross-examination, Hashmall said the deputy, Doug Johnson, who hiked through tough terrain into the hills in northern Los Angeles County to the crash site and shot the photos that were later shared, was only trying to use them to assess the situation.
``You can understand why he would want the same information you did,'' Hashmall said.
By ANDREW DALTON Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Vanessa Bryant testified Friday that she was only beginning to grieve the loss of her husband, basketball star Kobe Bryant, and their 13-yearold daughter Gianna when she was faced with the fresh horror of learning that sheriff's deputies and firefighters had shot and shared photos of their bodies at the site of the helicopter crash that killed them.
Edward Henderson California Black Media On Aug. 15 on what would have been his 37th birthday, the late Grammy-nominated rapper, entrepreneur and philanthropist Nipsey Hussle’s was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.He is the 11th rapper to have a Walk of Fame star. Hussle’s fans, family and friends from the industry attended the ceremony.“IthinkI speak for the entire city of LA when I say that we’ve known Nip was destined for greatness,” said Lauren London, Hussle’s longtime girlfriend who spoke at the ceremony. “This moment only amplifies that for us. Nip would have been honored by this moment. I think he would want everyone to remember that you can’t get to what’s possible unless you commit to moving forward. It doesn’t mean forgetting where you come from, but it requires acknowledging the reality you were born into and the power you have to change that reality for the better.” Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece HarrisDawson declared Aug. 15, Nipsey Hussle Day in Los Angeles. “Today, on his born day, we finally got him a star on the walk of fame. Rest in Paradise Nip” Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) a guest in attendance at the 30-minute ceremony posted on Twitter. Born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom, Hussle was a Los Angeles native who rose to fame in the mid-2000s. After gaining notoriety locally following the release of a string of mixtapes, his gritty sound and inspirational spirit captivated listener’s imaginations. He became more famous as he sold physical copies of his mixtapes for $100 each, an unheard-of strategy given the music was available digitally for free. This declaration of self-worth caught the attention of his fans and the music industry at large. Jay-Z famously bought 100 copies of the mixtape in a show of respect and Hussle’ssupport.crowning musical achievement was the release of his 2018 album ‘Victory Lap’. The effort received a Best Rap Album Grammy nomination in 2019. In 2020, at the 62nd Grammy Awards, he posthumously earned three more nominations and took home two wins for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance. His impact on the community impact grew with the opening of his Marathon clothing store in the heart of the Crenshaw commercial district. The store gave customers access to exclusive music along with the clothing. Hussle would go on to buy the entire shopping mall that surrounded the Marathon clothing store, in which he invested in STEM technology workspaces and housed other local entrepreneurs. On March 21, 2019, Hussle was killed outside of his Marathon store by Eric Holder who last month was found guilty of first-degree murder. Following his death, there was an outpouring of tributes. People in his community, across California and around the country honored his life with murals, vigils and other remembrances, reflecting the impact Hussle had on California and the hip hop community worldwide. While the Marathon store has closed, the location remains a memorial to Hussle where fans pay daily tribute to his memory. There are plans to open a second store on Melrose Avenue. However, no date has been set for its opening. Writer and sports media personality Justin Tinsley narrated an ESPN 30 for 30 special about Hussle and his close relationship with athletes and the sports world, particularly LA Sports. “That star on the Walk of Fame is symbolic of so much,” said Tinsley. “Nipsey is one of those people who will always be remembered, yes, as an incredible rapper. But even more than that, he was a man who had a vision for himself and his people. He put that into action and the result of which will keep his name alive for generations of Black folk. That’s so beautiful and it’s inspiring that he cared so much to do everything he did. But that star is also symbolic of everything we lost with him to. Everything he was yet to think of. Everything he was supposed to do and accomplish.”Tinsley said he feels the sadness following the senseless murder of Hussle still lingers amongst his supporters but that the joy, pride and motivation he brought to many cannot be forgotten.“Losing Nipsey in the physical sense will never truly make sense. It’s something God — or whomever you pray to — can truly answer. But it’s such a blessing that we were all given the time to be impacted by him whether up close and personal or from afar. And through all the pain that’s still there — and will always be there — that’s how we got to look at it. Grief is a very real emotion. But it shouldn’t be the only one when we talk about NipseyTheHussle.”concept of ‘The Marathon’ was a staple in Hussle’s music. Persevering through obstacles to reach your goal and enduring the pain that inevitably comes when striving for greatness. At the conclusion of London’s Walk of Fame induction speech, she referenced this concept and left a message for everyone visiting Hussle’s“Whenevermonument.you’re in the City of Angels and you see this star, I hope it encourages you to break away from whatever might be holding you back and for you to run your marathon until God says that it is finished,” she said.(Shutterstock Photo)
By MICHAEL TARM AP Legal Affairs Writer CHICAGO (AP) _ A mother whose daughter prosecutors say R. Kelly sexually abused starting when she was 14 told jurors Monday at the singer's federal trial that she lied to a state grand jury 20 years ago, in part because she and her husband felt threatened by Kelly and feared for their lives if they told the truth. The mom, who used the pseudonym, ``Susan,'' in court at the trial in Chicago, described how she, her husband and Kelly were crying when the parents confronted the Grammy-winner at a hotel in the early 2000s about whether he was abusing their daughter. She testified they were startled when Kelly told them, ``You are with us or againstSheus.''said she took those words to mean ``that they were going to harm us if we didn't do what they wanted us to do.'' Among the directives from Kelly and an associate was that they had to lie that their daughter was not in a child pornography video and that they had to leave the country immediately for several weeks, she testified. ``We were very, very frightened,'' she told jurors. She added later that she lied to the grand jury ``because we feared for our lives and we were intimidated.'' She said she also feared for the well-being of her daughter, who warned her parents at the time that she might commit suicide if they refused to do what Kelly asked them to do. Kelly, 55, is on trial in his hometown on charges that include production of child pornography, enticing minor girls for sex and obstruction justice by successfully rigging his 2008 child pornography trial in state court, at which he was acquitted.Kellyisalready staring at a 30-year prison sentence imposed by a federal judge in New York in June for his 2021 convictions on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Susan's daughter, who went by the pseudonym ``Jane,'' was among the prosecution's first witnesses as the trial began last week. Jane told jurors that she also lied to the same grand jury prior to 2008 trial when she said she was not the 14-year-old girl in a video with Kelly. Jane, now 37, told jurors last week that, in fact, she had been sexually abused hundreds of times by Kelly before she had turned at 18. On Monday, in an often contentious crossexamination, Kelly attorney Jennifer Bonjean repeatedly questioned Susan about whether she truly felt her life was in any danger from Kelly or his associates. ``No one actually threatened you, did they?'' Bonjean asked.``Yes, they did,'' Susan answered. Bonjean also asked why, if Susan felt so threatened by Kelly, she and her family continued to mix with Kelly socially for the next 20 years. She answered that Kelly was their sole income for a period, paying her musician husband to work on Kelly recordings. She also said she worried about Jane's welfare if they cut ties with Kelly. The husband, Jane's father, died last year, she told jurors.During her cross, Bonjean highlighted Susan's testimony that she lied to the Illinois grand jury, asking if she was ``telling the truth now.'' Susan said she was. Prosecutors from the Cook County state's attorney's office chose in the mid-2000s to push ahead with charges and to take the case to trial in 2008 despite what they knew was a major hurdle: their inability to call the girl in the video to Aftertestify.acquitting Kelly in the 2008 trial, some jurors told reporters that that they had no choice but to find Kelly not guilty because the girl _ who by then was in her 20s _ did not take the witness stand to confirm it was, in fact, her in theFederalvideo.prosecutors at the current trial played excerpts of that and other videos they say show Kelly when he was around 30 sexually abusing a 14-year-old Jane. Kelly has been trailed for decades by allegations about his sexual behavior. The scrutiny intensified during the (hash)MeToo era and following the 2019 release of the Lifetime television docuseries ``Surviving R. Kelly.''
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2022 166046 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: TCM WELLNESS SPA at 1145 Foothill Blvd., La Verne, Ca. 91750 County: Los Angeles Mailing REGISTEREDSame OWNERS(S): SHAOXIA ZHANG, 1145 Foothill Blvd, La Verne, Ca. 91750 The business is conducted by: an SIGNED:IndividualSHAOXIA ZHANG, Owner The date registrant started to trans act business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 7/2022 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: Jul 26, DEAN2022C.
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LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: A. DeputyGUTIERREZ NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATE MENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATE MENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BE FORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on Jul 26, 2027 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Aug 4, 11, 18, 25, 2022 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE 22VECP00411NUMBER SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFOR NIA-LOS ANGELES 6230 Sylmar Avenue Van Nuys, Ca. 91401 Branch Name: Northwest District PETITION OF: DEAN O’HAYON-FADIDA TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: DEAN O’HAYON-FADIDA for a decree changing names as fol Presentlows: name DEAN O’HAYON-FADIDA Filed a petition with this court Proposed name OSHER O’HAYON THE COURT ORDERS: that all per sons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indi cated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes de scribed above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the pe tition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.
Branch
NOTICE OF HEARING Date: Oct 14, 2022 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: Room:K The address of the court is: Same as noted above. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks pri or to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county LOS ANGELES NEWS OB Date:SERVERAugust 12, 2022 LAWRENCE H. CHO JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT SHERRI R. EXECUTIVECARTEROFFICER/CLERK OF COURT Petitioner: Lynna Oung 12610 Braddock Dr., Apt 218 Los Angeles, Ca. 90066 Phone: (310) 302-7562 E-Mail Address: lynnanoh@gmail.com LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Aug 25, Sept 1, 8, 15, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2022 184265 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: HITIT at 16549 Beaver Road, Adelan to, Ca. REGISTEREDMailingCounty:92301SanBernardinoSameOWNERS(S): HITECH IMAGING TRADE, INC., 16549 Beaver Road, Adelanto, Ca. 92301 The business is conducted by: a SIGNED:CorporationMESROP KHOUDAGOULIAN, CEO The date registrant started to trans act business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 6/2017 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: Aug 19, DEAN2022C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: A. DeputyGARCIA NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATE MENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATE MENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BE FORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on Aug 19, 2027 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Aug 25, Sep 1, 8, 15, 2022 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO: 2022 172856 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: LIMITLESS SKILLS TRAINING at 5552 S Corning Ave, Los Angeles, Ca. County:90056 Los Angeles Mailing: 12700 Inglewood Ave #1577, Hawthorne, Ca. 90250 REGISTERED OWNERS(S): YESENIA KNIGHT 5552 S Corning Ave, Los An geles, Ca. REGISTERED90056OWNERS(S): ERIC KNIGHT 5552 S Corning Ave, Los An geles, Ca. 90056 The business is conducted by: Co SIGNED:partners YESENIA KNIGHT The date registrant started to trans act business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 7/2022 This statement filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on: Aug 4, DEAN2022 C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk By: I. DeputyCORREA NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATE MENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATE MENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BE FORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on Aug 4, 2027 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Aug 25, Sep 1, 8, 15, 2022 By Janell Gore South Kern Sol Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his “Master Plan for Kids Mental Health” on Thursday. The plan is in response to increased depression and suicide rates in CaliforniaAccordingchildren. tothe governor’s office, in a press release in the 2020-21 school year one-third of 7th and 9th graders and one-half of the 11th graders experienced chronicsadness. The release also stated that an estimated one out of 10 kids aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one major depressive episode last year. From 2019 to 2020 suicide rates for ages 10-18 increased by 20%. The increase in depression is nationwide and COVID-19 added several factors to why teens are struggling with mental health at higher rates. According to an analysis earlier this year from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) the following are some of the severe challenges youth faced during the pandemic. More than half (55%) reported they experienced emotional abuse by a parent or other adult in the home, including swearing at, insulting, or putting down the student.11% experienced physical abuse by a parent or other adult in the home, including hitting, beating, kicking, or physically hurting the student. More than a quarter (29%) reported a parent or other adult in their home lost a job. “Mental and behavioral health is one of the greatest challenges of our time. As other states take away resources to support kids’ mental health, California is doubling down with the most significant overhaul of our mental health system in state history,” said Newsom. This plan will invest $4.7 billion into mental health services and will add 40,000 mental health workers. Other investments include: $4.1 billion on a community school strategy to connect kids and families to essential services including health screenings, meals, and more.$5 billion on a Medi-Cal initiative, CalAIM, to better integrate health and behavioral health services for low-income$1.4kids.billion to build a more diverse healthcare workforce that expands our capacity to meet the health needs of Californians, including children and families. “We’re investing billions of dollars to ensure every California child has better access to comprehensive mental health and substance use services. The Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health is premised on a very simple belief: every single kid deserves to have their mental health supported. That’s the California Way – putting our kids first.”
5440 Van Noord Ave. Sherman Oaks, Ca. 91401 Phone: (818)
ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Aug 11, 18, 25, Sept 1, 2022 ORDER
NOTICE OF HEARING Date: SEPT 16, 2022 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: Room:A510 The address of the court is: Same as noted above. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks pri or to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county LOS ANGELES NEWS OB Date:SERVERAugust 2, 2022 VIRGINIA KEENY JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT SHERRI R. EXECUTIVECARTEROFFICER/CLERK OF COURT ERIN Petitioner:DEPUTYMONTAGNADean O’Hayon-Fadida 966-2076 LOS TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFOR NIA-LOS ANGELES Main Santa Monica, Ca. 90401 Name: Santa Monica Court PETITIONhouse OF: LYNNA OUNG TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: LYNNA OUNG for a decree changing names as fol Presentlows: name LYNNA OUNG Filed a petition with this court Proposed name LYNNA NOH THE COURT ORDERS: that all per sons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indi cated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes de scribed above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the pe tition should not be granted if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.
E-Mail Address: osherohayon2@gmail. com Attorney For: Self Represented
A proactive and responsive system of care according to the planVirtualincludes:Platforms to extend mental health assessments and intervention.
TheSuddenPhysicalNeglectGivingSubstanceRecklessWithdrawal Personalityinclude: change behavior abuse awaybelongings ofpersonalappearance pain moodchanges websitestatesthatifanyof the following signs are present call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.Talkingabout death or suicide Seeking methods for self-harm, such as searching online or obtaining a gun Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason tolive
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Intervening early to help with children who are at high risk for mental health and substance use. Increasing the number of school counselors forconvenient and free mental health services for children. Expanding the clinic and treatment capabilities for youngSuicidepeople.prevention and crisis response by creating a 988 suicide crisis line and providing grants for school and community-based responses to youth suicide or attempts. Implement resources for young people with severe and significant symptoms so they can have safe high-quality settings to Healthyheal.Minds for California Kids is a section of the plan dedicated to making sure mental health is affordable, easy to access, de-stigmatized, and ensuring parents have resources to help their children. “As a parent, there’s nothing worse than seeing your child in pain and feeling powerless to help,” said First Partner, Jennifer Siebel. “In California, we take the mental health and wellbeing of our children seriously, and we’re tackling this problem head-on with significant investments in the infrastructure of the state’s mental health system.” Part of the investment is focused on adding 40,000 professionals into the mental health field. This will be done by offering tuition assistance and loan forgiveness for those working in behavioral health. This will also help those looking to go into the mental health field by helping 2,500 high school students interested in mental health careers. 10,000 professionals will be hired to increase the number of school counselors and $20,000 in scholarships will be provided for mental health workers that spend two years working in the schools. For those currently looking for help and resources near you, the Children’s Mental Health Resources Hub provides resources including several support hotlines, CalHOPE, and informational guides on suicide and depression warning signs. Some signs the hub lists for teens may show if they aresuicidal
A4 Los Angeles News Observer Thursday, August 25, 2022
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PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE Legal Notices Features
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For Medically Vulnerable Families, Inflation’s Squeeze Is Inescapable
Goldstein worries about how much more of her parents’ health costs she’ll have to shoulder since they are pensioners on fixed incomes. “What keeps me up at night right now is what’s to come,” she said. “There’s two of them. My parents’ increased need for pads, meds, and other medical support increases as their health declines.” KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that 18 percent of Black adults had invested in, traded, or used a cryptocurrency compared to 13 percent of white adults.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent When considering the current state of the cryptocurrency market, Dr. Tonya Evans couldn’t help but recall the reception banks gave the then-fledgling assets in 2014.“When I think back to 2013 or 2014, the second kind of big crypto was coming on the scene, and banks were really pushing back at the time on discussions surrounding regulating cryptocurrency,” said Evans, a law professor and founder and CEO of Advantage Evans. “Big banks feared [cryptocurrency] would become more legitimate. Back then, banks didn’t have a customer service problem, but now they do, and they realized that they were going to start losing customers if they didn’t shift,” Evans insisted. She noted that banks, especially Deutsche Bank and Bank of America, have begun to give added attention to the cryptocurrency market. “With Bitcoin and Ethereum leading the way, the cryptocurrency market is booming and growing,” Evans stated.She called cryptocurrency a “fast-paced, fast-moving, emerging asset class.” According to Terri Bradford, who researched Black crypto ownership for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, cryptocurrency has gained popularity among African American consumers due to historical context and forwardlooking views of young customers. “Surveys show that Black consumers are more likely than white consumers to own cryptocurrencies,” said Bradford, who penned the research article “The Cryptic Nature of Black Consumer Cryptocurrency Ownership.” Bradford noted a 2021 Pew Research Center survey which found that 18 percent of Black adults had invested in, traded, or used a cryptocurrency compared to 13 percent of white adults. “This difference between Black and white consumers’ cryptocurrency ownership contrasts sharply with other traditional assets,” Bradford asserted. According to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System’s 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, 61 percent of white households owned equity investments compared with 34 percent of Black households – nearly a two-to-one“Unlikemargin.white consumers, Black consumers are, in fact, more likely to own cryptocurrencies than assets such as stocks and mutual funds,” Bradford wrote. “Leveraging the same technology is blockchain,” Bradford“Cryptoexplained.isdigital currency offered on Blockchain while NFTs and others are different ways to leverage that currency.”Shecontinued:“Youngerones are leveraging crypto as we see in research that 50 percent of Black consumers of crypto are millennials and younger, and when you think about the fact that this constituent is digital-native where they spend a lot of time, then we see why it’s having a great influence on the adoption of cryptocurrency.
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“Those are basic things, but that’s like $70 a month between the two of them,” said Goldstein, who works as a speaking coach. “That’s a lot.”
Deborah Lewis fills up her gas tank at a Costco in Lancaster, California, the day before she will drive her daughter 80 miles south to Los Angeles for cancer treatment. Lewis estimates she’s paying $30 more for each fill-up than she did a year ago because of inflation. (Heidi de Marco / KHN)
By Heidi de Marco California Healthline ROSAMOND, Calif. — Deborah Lewis rose from bed before dawn and signed in to her phone so she could begin delivering fast food, coffee, and groceries to residents in this western patch of the Mojave Desert where test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier generations ago. Lewis prayed she would earn $75, just enough to fill the tank of her Kia sedan so she could drive her 8-yearold daughter, Annabelle, 80 miles south to Los Angeles to receive her weekly chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Just a year ago, the same tank of gas would have cost $30 less. After a full shift as a gig worker, the mother had earned close to what she needed. “It took a lot longer than I thought,” she said. High inflation is hitting families across the nation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices in July were up 8.5% from a year earlier, one of the biggest increases in recent decades. The Bureau of Economic Analysis found that consumers are spending the most on housing and utilities, food, and medical care. Overall wages continue to climb, but after adjusting for the rising price of goods and services, workers’ paychecks declined 3.5% over the past year. A recent KFF poll found that 74% of registered voters put inflation, including rising gas prices, at the top of their concerns. For millions of families living with chronic diseases — such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer — or other debilitating conditions, inflation is proving a punishing scourge that could be harmful to their health. Unlike dining out less or buying fewer clothes, many patients don’t have a choice when it comes to paying for medicine, medical supplies, and other ancillary costs. Some must drive long distances to see a specialist, and others must adhere to a strict“Chronicdiet. disease patients are usually on the front lines of seeing a lack of supplies or an increase in out-of-pocket costs,” said Paul Conway, chair of policy and global affairs for the American Association of Kidney Patients. Health care has grown increasingly unaffordable. Half of adults report having difficulty paying their health costs, according to KFF polling. One-third say they or a family member has skipped recommended medical treatment in the past year because of the cost, and one-quarter of adults report rationing pills or leaving prescriptions unfilled. Inflation has squeezed families further by driving up the price of gas and food, as well as medical products such as needles and bed-wetting pads. Health care costs have risen 5.1% since July 2021, and medical commodities — which include prescription and over-the-counter drugs, medical equipment and supplies — are up 3.7%. Inflation is particularly detrimental to the health of low-income patients; studies have found a strong link between poverty and health. According to the California Budget & Policy Center, more than half of California households making $50,000 or less struggle to pay for food, housing, and medical costs. For Deborah Lewis and her husband, Spencer, their concerns about the rising cost of gas have never been about skimping on summer travel or weekend getaways. It’s about making sure they have enough gas to drive Annabelle to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for chemotherapy and other medications delivered through a port in her chest. The family relies on Spencer’s disability check, which he receives because he has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a hereditary disorder that causes him severe joint pain. He also copes with broken discs in his spine and a cyst pushing against his spinal nerves. In January, he stopped working as a pest control technician, shifting more financial responsibilities to his wife. The disability check covers rent and utilities, leaving Deborah’s freelance work to cover gas. They also get $500 a month from Miracles for Kids, which helps families with critically ill children. On a June morning, Deborah packed snacks for the drive ahead as Annabelle, wrapped in her favorite blanket, waited on the couch. Most of her long blond hair has fallen out because of her treatments. The night before, Deborah spent $73.24 to fill up at Costco. Before they left, Deborah learned the couple carried a negative balance in their checking account. “I have so much on my plate,” she said. The family has already delayed health care for one family member: Their dog, a Doberman pinscher named Chief, skipped a vet visit for a mass pushing up his intestines.Politicians are keenly aware of inflation’s leaching effects. In October, most California households will receive “inflation-relief checks” of up to $1,050 to help offset the high cost of gas and other goods under a budget Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in June. The average price of a gallon of gas in California remains above $5, while the national average is about $4. But health experts worry that even with the one-time aid, affordability could become a life-or-death issue for some Californians. For example, the price of insulin can range from $300 to $400 per vial without insurance.
“We’ve seen a number of patients living with diabetes and on a fixed income greatly impacted by rising inflation,” said Matthew Freeby, an endocrinologist and director of the UCLA Gonda Diabetes Center. “Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes typically require multiple prescription medications that may already be costly. Patients have had to choose between day-to-day finances and their lifesaving medications, such as insulin or other treatments.”
Inflation is also a challenge for people who depend on certain foods as part of their health care regimen, especially with food prices up 10.9% in the past year.
Toyan Miller, 60, an integrative nutritional health practitioner from San Dimas, California, has been diagnosed with vasculitis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, two autoimmune diseases that cause inflammation. Miller’s medically tailored diet requires gluten-free, organic food. Miller said she’s dipping into her savings to afford the average of $300 she spends each week on groceries. Last year, she spent about $100 less.
“The avocado mayonnaise price freaked me out,” she said. “It used to be $8. Now, it’s $16.99.”
Thursday, August 25, 2022 Los Angeles News Observer A5 Features
Even those who are healthy may find themselves helping family or friends in need. In the mountainous Los Angeles neighborhood of Laurel Canyon, Shelley Goldstein, 60, helps her parents, both in their 90s, pay for items, such as incontinence products, not covered by health insurance. Goldstein’s father was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a retirement community with his wife, Doris.
Fines are usually the last step. The nearly year and a half that went by before the first fines were issued wasn’t that long, Levin said, considering that both hospitals and regulators faced a learning curve as far as what the files should contain, that hospitals were given time to resolve technological problems and challenges related to posting the pricing information, and that hospitals were stretched thin because of the covid-19 pandemic.Still,the lag triggered impatience. “Some stakeholders have been frustrated by the slow pace of the enforcement,” said Katie Keith, director of the Health Policy and the Law Initiative at Georgetown University Law Center. Even so, “I don’t think it’s fair to say no one is enforcing” the law, Keith said. CMS has “issued monetary penalties against the two hospitals in Georgia, which they don’t do very often, and there have been hundreds of warning letters notifying hospitals that they have to fulfill theirWarningobligations.”letters are a good step but “need to be followed with meaningful enforcement,” said Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health, which represents large employers that offer health insurance and has long sought more easily accessible price information. And with more than 300 warning letters issued, Mitchell expects “there will likely be additional fines because we’re not seeing a readiness to comply.”
“Nobody’s enforcing that law,” Joe alleges in the foreboding commercial, which began running on television and social media in April and is still airing. The ad reflects a desire for accountability as policymakers increasingly view price transparency as a tool to bring down health care costs. And because the law requiring the posting of prices went into effect more than a year ago, we decided to take a look: Is anyone enforcing it? Turns out there is some enforcement, although the process is more complicated and slower-moving than some observers would like.
Some Background on Transparency Under rules that took effect in January 2021, the nation’s more than 6,000 hospitals must post online the rates they’ve negotiated with every insurer for every service, from appendectomies to X-rays, as well as the prices they charge cash-paying patients. The requirement, which the hospital industry unsuccessfully went to court to stop, stems from the Affordable Care Act and an executive order from the Trump administration. Failure to post the required price information can result in fines of $300 a day, recently increased by the Biden administration to as much as $5,500 a day for the largest hospitals. The idea behind the rule is that consumers, including employers who pay a large chunk of the health insurance bills in the U.S., can use the information to shop for less expensive hospital care, which, in turn, might slow spending or reduce prices. At a minimum, the thinking goes, it will help patients know in advance what to expect. In July, even broader rules went into effect for health insurers, which must post almost all the prices they’ve negotiated — not only with hospitals but also with every other kind of medical facility they contract with, as well as doctors.Hospitals have dragged their feet, and compliance is spotty. Studies have found that many hospitals have posted at least some data but that large shares of the facilities have failed to post everything required.
What About Power to the Patients? The website of Power to the Patients, which is behind the ad and a broader campaign about health care costs, refers questions to an associated organization, Patient Rights Advocate. It is a nonprofit started by businessperson Cynthia Fisher, who founded two companies and serves on the board of the Boston Beer Co. According to Fisher, she is also the primary funder of Power to the Patients, which she described as a communications organization that has applied to the IRS for nonprofit charity status. In an interview, she cited no specific sources for the claim that no one is enforcing the law, but Patient Rights Advocate has released two related reports, the most recent of which said only 14.3% of 1,000 hospitals it reviewed had posted all the prices the law requires. She praised both the Trump and Biden administrations for focusing on price transparency, but she said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had not evaluated enough hospitals or moved fast enough to sanction those that have not complied.
Rapper Fat Joe takes on hospital industry executives in an advertisement, contending that many hospitals are disobeying a law that requires them to publicly post the prices they charge cash-paying patients and insurance companies for every service they offer. The ad, paid for by a group called Power to the Patients, states, correctly, that hospitals must list their negotiated prices and asserts that the rule helps patients by making it harder for them to be overcharged. The ad also blames politicians and regulators because the price information is still not necessarily available.
ANSWER: By all doing our part to make water conservation a way of life, every Californian can make a difference. Small actions such as taking shorter showers, running only full loads of laundry and dishwasher cycles, and turning off the faucet when not actively brushing your teeth or shaving can save hundreds of gallons each day. Other ways to make an impact include purchasing waterefficient products such as faucets, toilets, dishwashers, washing machines, sprinklers and shower heads. Visit SaveOurWater.com for more tips and resources on changes you can make now to help stretch the state’s water supply.
ANSWER: In California, most water waste happens outdoors. One leaky sprinkler wastes more than two full bathtubs a day, while watering the lawn just once can usethe same amount of water as 240 toilet flushes. Water can be conserved by continually looking for and fixing leaks, replacing lawns with water-wise, California-native plants, and installing drip irrigation systems and a smart controller to help limit waste. It is critical for all Californians to understand that drought is a collective problem and that we’re all in this together. By staying informed and practicing water saving habits, residents can help make California’s water last. For more information about the drought and to find water conservation tips, visit saveourwater.com.
Rapper Fat Joe Says No One is Making Sure Hospitals Post Their Prices
QUESTION 4: How can the average person make a difference in the drought?
ANSWER: The state is partnering with local water agencies throughout California to ensure that water conservation is not a one-size-fits-all approach and that each region’s drought needs are met. Recently, the California State Water Resources Control Board adopted mandates to combat the extreme drought conditions, including requiring all urban water suppliers to implement actions that lower and limit each household’s water supply by at least 10 to 20 percent and prohibiting the watering of commercial, industrial, and institutional decorative grass or non-functional turf. For specific water conservation regulations in your area and to find more information on rebate programs that help residents cut back on water use, check with your local water agency.
Five Frequently Asked Questions California’sAboutDrought
What About Enforcement? When the ads began running in April, 15 months after the requirement went into effect, regulators had not fined any hospitals. In early June, CMS issued penalty fines of about $1.1 million against two Georgia hospitals — Northside Hospital Atlanta and Northside Hospital Cherokee — that are owned by the same company. Those were the first fines issued under the new rules. As of late July, the agency had sent 368 warning notices to hospitals and issued 188 corrective action plan requests to hospitals that had previously received warning notices but had not yet corrected deficiencies, according to a statement from Dr. Meena Seshamani, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare. “CMS is actively enforcing these rules to ensure people know what a hospital charges for items and services,” Seshamani said in the statement. But enforcement is neither a quick nor an easy proposition. Each step in the process gives both sides time to work out the details, said Ariel Levin, director of coverage policy at the American Hospital Association. The first step is the warning letter, which outlines the suspected violation, such as not having an accessible file on the website or not including negotiated prices or cash rates. Hospitals have 90 days to respond. For example, Levin said, a hospital might explain that its files have some blank spots because it has not negotiated rates for a particular service with a particular insurer. “If CMS deems the response appropriate, the case is closed,” she said. “If CMS wants more information or doesn’t think it’s right, that’s when the corrective action plan comes in.”
Rapper Fat Joe, in a TV ad about hospital price transparency requirements that began running this spring
Does Price Transparency Matter? Power to the Patients has thrown its resources into the campaign — Fisher said the ad “cost millions,” for instance — because they expect price data to unleash more competition in health care. Consumers will “have choice, save money, and make their own health decisions based upon knowing prices,” Fisher said. But that’s not a given, say policy experts, noting that price data alone may not sway patients, who often seek care from providers their doctors recommend and mostly don’t use the shopping tools already available. And until the enormous data files from the hospitals and, more recently, the insurers go from simply being publicly available to being accessible in consumer-friendly formats, they will be difficult for the average patient to use, Keith and other experts“Thissaid.idea that it will unleash a consumer revolution has not yet come to pass,” Keith said. Our HospitalsRulinghave taken their time in posting the required price information. Many still need to provide some, or even all, of what is required. And the enforcement process has proved to be time-intensive and bureaucratic. However, the transparency directive is a first-of-itskind rule, so a learning curve was to be expected, for both hospitals and regulators, as they figured out the types of data required and the format in which the information was to beAlthoughposted. it is correct to say that the enforcement has been slow and spotty, experts maintain that ramping it up takes time. And when the ad first aired this spring, enforcement was especially lackluster. However, the ad continues to run unaltered, even as enforcement efforts have started to show signs of gaining steam. In other words, the statement is partly accurate but leaves out important context. We rate this Half True.
“Nobody’s enforcing that law.”
Sacramento, Calif. – California is in an extreme drought and as regions across the state are enduring these dry summer months, there is a heightened sense of urgency to conserve water. While great progress towards reducing water waste has been made in recent years by embracing water-wise habits, conservation efforts must increase as the state experiences its third consecutive dry year and begins preparations for a fourth. One of the first steps everyone can take is to stay informed. The Save Our Water program is answering some of the most frequently asked questions about the drought to raise awareness and encourage Californians to reduce their water footprint to protect our limited supply and preserve water for future“Theregenerations.arealot of questions regarding California’s drought,” said Maurice Chaney, a spokesperson for Save Our Water. “It’s important for every Californian to stay up to date, spread awareness, and practice some of the most effective ways to limit water waste inside and outside of the home.”QUESTION 1: What is the definition of a drought? ANSWER: A drought is defined as an extended period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. It is caused by a hotter and drier year. As the frequency of hot years increases due to climate change, the chance of having both a hot year and a dry year coinciding increases, leading to longer and more reoccurring droughts.
QUESTION 2: What makes this drought different than past ANSWER:droughts?This year marks the third consecutive dry year with January, February, and March 2022 being the driest months on record dating back over 100 years. Further, the state is now preparing for an anticipated fourth dry year as California’s climate becomes hotter and drier. In response to such extreme conditions, the state is encouraging residents to ramp up their water conservation efforts and is collaborating with local water agencies to spread the word about ways to save water within their communities.QUESTION 3: What measures have been implemented by the state to conserve water?
A6 Los Angeles News Observer Thursday, August 25, 2022 Features
QUESTION 5: What are some of the best ways to reduce water waste outside of the home?
On June 13, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed into law an ordinance restricting the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products. The ordinance is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2023 Last year, a version of the ordinance that exempted menthol cigarettes was opposed by Black council members Mark Ridley-Thomas, Marqueece Harris Dawson and Curren Price. They argued that studies have found Black Americans are the racial/ethnic group most likely to use menthol cigarettes and are 25 times more likely than WhiteAmericans to do so. “Menthol is included in this ban, as it should be,’’ Harris-Dawson said before the June vote on the ban was taken. “It is a flavor just like every other flavor and it would have been extremely disappointing if we had said we’re going to protect people and children from uptake of tobacco, except for the flavor that we know Black people first, and Latinos second, use the most.’’ As of June 16, 2022, the Campaign for TobaccoFree Kids reported that 127 localities in California have passed restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco products. And at least 108 communities restrict the sale of menthol cigarettes, in addition to other flavored tobacco products. In July, California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general in urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to adopt final rules for banning the manufacture and sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars from the U.S. marketplace. “Every day, hundreds of Californians will smoke their first cigarette and start down a dangerous path with devastating health consequences,” Bonta said in written statement. “There is no time to waste. I urge the FDA to quickly finalize proposed regulations banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, which predominantly harm young persons and people of color. Any further delay will only cost additional lives.” The coalition that Bonta joined includes attorney generals from Colorado Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, the District of Columbia and the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the letter to the FDA, the attorneys general coalition highlighted the need to remove these products from the marketplace to protect public health and address the systemic and disproportionate impact of these products on vulnerable minority communities. The FDA action to remove menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars is long overdue and supported by ample scientific evidence and their “popularity in the Black community is not an accident,” the letter stated. They cited research that found menthol cigarettes disproportionately harm the health of vulnerable populations, particularly African Americans. Overwhelming scientific evidence — including the FDA’s own findings and statements — leave no doubt that menthol cigarettes have far-reaching adverse impacts on public health, resulting in more smoking and more deathand disease from tobacco use.
Cal Standards Cigarettes
A recent study, published in Tobacco Control, found that menthol cigarettes “were responsible for 10.1 million extra smokers, 3 million life years lost and 378,000 premature deaths” between 1980 and 2018. Menthol flavoring, which disguises the harsh taste of cigarettes, remains a primary reason why young people initiate and become addicted to smoking — with more than half of all adult smokers aged 18-34 introduced to smoking through menthol cigarettes. Menthol cigarette use is also disproportionately high among LGBTQ+ smokers, smokers with mental health problems, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.InAugust 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 793, a bipartisan effort that eliminated flavored e-cigarettes, including the candy flavors and minty menthol cigarettes, which he said, “lure our kids” into addiction. SB 793, authored by former Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), also prohibits the sales of flavored e-liquids used for vaping. Last year, Newsom called on the FDA to ban menthol cigarettes, stating that it “will be an important step in the right direction.”
“I urge the federal government to follow California’s leadership to protect public health and advance racial equity by moving to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes,” Newsom stated in April 2021. “For decades, Big Tobacco has targeted and profited from Black communities with marketing for minty menthol cigarettes and as a result, smoking-related illnesses are the number one cause of death among Black Americans.” In their letter, the coalition argues that the FDA’s proposed menthol ban is a critical step for advancing health equity and protecting public health and will not significantly increase illicit trade or preempt state or local restrictions.“Removing menthol cigarettes from the U.S. market and prohibiting characterizing flavors in cigars is likely to reduce youth smoking initiation, improve smoking cessation outcomes in adult smokers, advance health equity, and benefit public health. Every year of inaction on these fronts costs thousands of lives and adversely affects the health of the public,” the attorneys general of 23 states and territories stated in a signed letter dated Jan. 22, 2021.\On the November 8 General Election ballot is Proposition 31 a referendum challenging SB 793 and aims to lift the current ban preventing stores from selling flavored e-cigarettes, menthol-flavored e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco products. A YES vote keeps the current ban on flavored tobacco products. A NO vote lifts the ban.
Attorney General Wants FDA
Thursday, August 25, 2022 Los Angeles News Observer A7 Features
Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media
for Menthol
Finalized
(Shutterstock Photo)
Chargers Unable to Rebound from Special Team Miscues on Saturday Night
Olympic Gold medal winner Justine Wong Orantes will be in Long Beach with the Womens National Team Sat Aug 27th.
Outside hitter Dani Drews led all scorers with 19 points on 15 kills, two blocks and two aces against Peru. “It was a very exciting first game for this group,” Drews said. “There was a little of those first-game jitters, which caused us to grind into some ups and downs; but we were able to stay strong as a team and to stay together to end up with the win.” The team previously won Gold at this event in 2017,2018 and 2019.
(Photo Credit: Chargers Wire) Dustin May (Photo: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)
(Photo Credit: LAJournalmag.com)
By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer The U.S Women’s Tokyo Olympic Gold medal winning volleyball team will play in SoCal this weekend. They will take on Turkey at the Pyramid on the campus at Long Beach State Saturday 7:30. “It will feel good to play in front of the family and friends,” said Justine Wong-Orantes of Cypress. “I have a lot of people that have supported me for a long time.” The 26-year-old libero played prep at Los Alamitos High where she helped lead the Griffiths to a CIF Championship. She went on to Nebraska and won a National Championship also. This week the team competed in Hermosillo, Mexico (at press time) they a had win over Peru 3-1 (25-13, 21-25, 2522, 25-17) and Puerto Rico (25-19, 25-16, 25-22) as part of the Pan American Cup. There have been some changes since Tokyo but the heart of the team is still there. and Puerto Rico.
By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer After splitting a four-game series with Milwaukee the Dodgers spent the weekend sweeping Miami in a threegame set at Dodger Stadium. The final game was the worst start of an otherwise sol id season for Miami Marlins ace hurler Sandy Alcantara became victim of a red hot Dodger line-up. The leading con tender for this years Cy Young was chased after a sea son low 3 2/3 innings when he was tagged for Alcantara was tagged with a season-high in runs (six) and hits (10). Alcantara had pitched nine innings four different times and 7 innings in his 24starts this season. Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy both homered as the Dodgers banged out 16 hits in completing the sweep. After trailing 1-0 in the series opener as the Dodgers rallied with runs in the seventh and eighth to defeat the Marlins 2-1. Mookie Betts scored the go ahead run on a Will Smith fielders’ choice. It was their major league-lead ing 34th come-from-behind victory. In game two Dustin may pitched 5 strong innings in his first start since Tommy John surgery, The rangy righthander struck out nine and walked just two while re tiring the final13 batters he faced in a 7-0 win, “We have a lot of great guys on this team and a lot of guys who can pick each other up, so I’m just going to go out and do my thing and not put extra pressure on myself,” May said. “I’ve felt like myself for the last few (rehab) out ings and going into this one it was the same.” The Dodgers scored quick as Trea Turner and Freddy Freeman singled in the first and Will Smith followed with his 18th four-bagger of the year for a 4-0 lead.The team is 85 -36 (at press time) with an 18 game lead over San Diego.
ADD DODGERS: The team announced Max Mun cy sighed a contract extension. The 32-year-old will make 13 million dollars next season with a club option in 2024 for 10 million. “It means everything to me,” said Muncy. There’s no place I’d rather be.” As a team the DODGERS are tops in hitting and have two of the leading hitters in Betts and Freeman. But they also have stolen 78 bases and only been caught 14 times (84% at press time) that puts them 2nd in the Majors behind the Chicago White Sox, 41 of 48 (85%). During last year’s play-off run the ‘men inblue’ stole 16 of 16.
By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer NFL teams will have to trim their rosters down from 80 players to 53 by next week. That means time is running out for guys on the roster bubble. The Rams some tough choices and several rookies have stood out to the coaching staff. Daniel Hardy, a seventh-round pick, was in the back field with newcomer Cobie Durant and probably should have gotten half credit for the sack during the game vs the Texans as they both pressured the QB. Logan Bruss, the team’s third-round pick, started his second preseason game at right guard, even with an injured a knee. “The whole rookie class, we come in and compete,” Durant said. “The rookie class that they brought in, they can depend Anotheron.” stand-out is rookie wide receiver Lance Mc Cutcheon who went undrafted, but he flashed more of his high potential Friday night. After not playing much dur ing the games first two drives, McCutcheon made a rapid impact by recording a 22-yard reception and did it against cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., the third overall pick in the 2022 draft. In the pre-season opener the Montana State product caught a 60 yard pass from Bryce Perkins for a score that energized So-Fi Stadium. “(McCutcheon’s) a very dynamic and athletic player, so he’s only going up,” Hardy said of his former Montana StateDurantteammate. hasplayed mostly as a slot cornerback in prac tice this summer, but he saw a few snaps on the outside against the Texans, a position he primarily played in col lege. Durant said he enjoys playing on the inside because it will help him become an all-around defensive back. “It’s a lot more technical in the inside,” newcomer Du rant said. “I played outside all my life. It’s not bad, I adapt ed to it quickly. Football is football at the end of the day. “ Derion Kendrick and Durant already knew each other before meeting in person after the Rams selected the two cornerbacks in this year’s NFL draft. Kendrick has stood out in camp with his athleticism and tough ball sense. the former Georgia Bulldog had a pass deflection against the Chargers and a fumble recovery and return. versus the Tex ans. The familiarity wasn’t because they’re both from South Carolina and they play the same position. They have a mu tual friend in BJ Davis, a linebacker for South Carolina State, where Durant played. Davis grew up with Kendrick. “My homeboy been talking about Cobie over the years and I finally got to really watch him this past year when they played Clemson,” Kendrick said. The rookie cornerbacks were 90 miles apart for most of their lives in South Carolina and instantly connected in Southern California because of a mutual friend. Now Kendrick and Durant are starting NFL preseason games together. Itwould be a good thing if they could do it daily and year round in LA. That means they both made the squad.
Thursday, August 25, 2022 Los Angeles News Observer A8 Sports
Rookies Trying to Earn Spot with Rams Dodgers Dustin May Returns
With the addition of Mack and Jackson, many Bolts fans expected this team to generate more turnovers than they did last season. Staley likely feels this way, knowing his affinity for what Mack’s ability to get pressure on the opposing quarterback can do and what Jackson's ability to shut down the opponent wide receivers. “No,” Staley said emphatically when asked if was con cerned with the lack of turnovers they generated in their first couple of games. Again, none of their all-pro defenders played in either of their pre-season games. With only one remaining pre-season game the Char gers still have some time to identify their backup running back, their special teams’ gunners, and their tackling in this second of the pre-season. What are your thoughts on the Chargers 2022 pre-season? Let us know your thoughts on these Chargers by reaching out to me on Twitter @_voi ceofthefans, or email me at voiceofthefans@outlook.com.
“I think I was disappointed because that’s not the way we practiced this week. That’s not the way that those guys performed in practice,” a bothered Staley said post-game. “To come out there and play that way, they’re going to learn a lot from that. You need to make sure that you per form or else we’ll find someone else who can.” A couple of things to note; so Bolts fans don’t com pletely lose faith. Because contact during practice has now been collectively bargained in the NFL, so the number of times teams can practice and wear pads has been officially agreed to. So, tackling will be a challenge for the entire league to get used to, in the early weeks of the season and it might be crazy to expect teams to come out of the gate missing“Alltacklesfiverunning backs didn’t do much tonight. I don’t think any of the five of them played very well,” a noticeably frustrated said about their issues getting the running game going. “We’ll have to look at it, but just being out there on the field, I didn’t think any of the five played very well
By Cameron Buford Whatsgoodinsports.com As with last week, many of the starters, for either team didn’t dress or play in this pre-season game. With this un derstanding, Bolts fans, and Chargers coaches, would get another chance to evaluate their young talent on the team, and those players would get a chance to play themselves onto the Comingroster.into this game, Staley wanted to evaluate their running game, overall team tackling, and the special team’s gunner positions. An improved running game can only help this team by taking pressure away from Justin Herbert to be all world this season. Though their tackling has been questionable throughout the pre-season, we need to remember they are not playing their all-pro players like Derwin James, Joey Bosa, and Kahlil Mack. The gunner on special teams will minimize the big plays from the oppo nent’s special teams’ units. Similar to last week, the tackling on this team was less than impressive. It has shown itself in the worst possible ways, on special teams, and in the red zone. Missing tackles in either situation often led to points for the other team. “It was a really poor first half for us, about as poorly as you can play, and that put us behind, overall. I didn’t like the way that that first half felt or looked. It was really in all three phases,” a disappointed Brandon Staley from the po dium after the game. “When you have two turnovers, and you give up two special teams touchdowns, that’s the way the score is going to look.” As their poor tackling and missed assignments per meated the team once again. Missed tackles, and missed assignments by the Chargers special teams, allowed TCU rookie wide receiver KaVontae Turpin to return a punt, and a kick-off, for a touchdown in the first half, to gave the Cowboys an insurmountable lead in this game.
Women’s National Team Play in Long Beach
tonight.”Against the Cowboys on Saturday night the Chargers running backs rushed for 52 yards on 21 carries, that’s just over 2.6 yards per carry. The league average last season was 4.4 yards per carry, and the Chargers averaged 4.3 yards a carry last season. As mentioned, the emergence of one of their young running backs, ideally Isaiah Spiller, will sig nificantly increase the effectiveness of their offense. An intended consequence of adding guys like Jackson, Mack, and Joseph-Day to this defense is that they would seemingly increase their ability to generate more turnovers than they have in previous seasons. Last season the Char gers ranked 22nd in the league with 11 interceptions and they ranked 10th in the league with 11 forced fumbles. They ranked 22nd out of 32 teams in the league in inter ceptions thrown last season and as a team they put the ball on the ground 10 times last season and lost seven of those fumbles to their opponents.
Local A9 Los Angeles News Observer Thursday, August 25, 2022
Black Mayors of Inglewood and Fontana Applaud Millions in Funds Awarded as Part of RAISE Grant Program
On any given day in America, an average of 65 of our mothers, brothers, partners, and friends are taken from us by gun suicide. But tomorrow’s deaths could be prevented. Store your guns safely: locked, unloaded, and away from ammo.
A10 Los Angeles News Observer Thursday, August 25, 2022 Local
City of Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts City of Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren
SHOOTINGS ARE ONES WE DON’T TALK ABOUT
AMERICA’SEndFamilyFire.orgDEADLIEST
Austin Gage California Black Media Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s latest allocation of $2.2 billion from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, eight grants — totaling more than $119 million -- were awarded by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to local governments, transit agencies and a tribal nation to help improve transportation in California. Grants were awarded to the Port of Los AngelesLong Beach ($20 million), Sacramento Area Council of Governments ($5 million), Yuba-Sutter Transit Authority ($15 million), Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation ($1.6 million), City of Fontana ($15 million), City of Inglewood ($15 million), California High-Speed Rail Authority ($25 million), and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ($23 million).The cities of Inglewood and Fontana are beneficiaries of the RAISE program’s goal, “to help urban and rural communities move forward on projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation and make our transportation systems safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable.” With different transportation needs and obstacles, the cities are slated to use the award money for different reasons.In the case of Inglewood, the $15 million will be pushed into the “Inglewood Transit Connector Project” (ITC). The ITC, when fully complete, will consist of an approximately 1.6-mile fully-elevated, automated transit system with three stations to complete a critical gap in the region’s transit system, on segments along Market Street, Manchester Boulevard, and Prairie Avenue. As Inglewood continues to experience increased traffic due to places of interest such as SoFi Stadium, transit systems such as the ITC have been a key piece of the puzzle for the city’s health and growth. Supporters of the project say not only will it serve as a cleaner transportation option compared to personal vehicles, the ITC promises to provide jobs to local workers from the area. The ITC project includes a commitment to a Community Workforce Agreement to hire 35% local residents, 10% disadvantaged workers, and 20% apprentice workers.Inglewood Mayor James Butts applauded RAISE’s transportation award for the ITC and explained the rationale for the project. “The ITC Project will reduce traffic, improve air quality, and it will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors across the region,” said Butts. While Inglewood’s RAISE award money will focus on the ITC transit system, Fontana’s award will feed into the “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire Project”. As described by the DOT, this program will make major complete streets improvements by constructing additional lane capacity, an integrated traffic system, medians with protected left turns, a roundabout, bus turnouts, streetlights, signage, and raised medians, more than 7.5 miles of bike lanes, including more than 2.5 miles of separated bike lanes, a half-mile of multi-use trail, crosswalks, a bridge, and countdown signal heads. Sharing many of the same goals as Inglewood’s ITC, Fontana’s project goals include improved efforts for safety, sustainable environmental factors, economic competitiveness and opportunity, and innovation. DOT experts say the project will help Fontana citizens have easier access to approximately 7,500 job opportunities.
The RAISE award for the “Building A BetterConnected Inland Empire Project” was announced by Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren. “With this RAISE grant provided by the Department of Transportation, we will make our streets and bike lanes safer, better connect our residents to transportation services, and strengthen our local and regional infrastructure for generations to come – all while integrating equity and accessibility. Without a doubt, this $15 million grant will be transformative to Fontana and the Inland Empire and support every single resident living in the region,” Rep. Torres said. Rep. Aguilar said, “I’m proud to partner with Rep. Torres to secure federal funding that meets the City of Fontana’s needs and will continue to raise the quality of life for ourWarrenregion.”was just as excited for PRAISE’s awarded money and the positive impact it will have on the city in general.“This is a historic day for the City of Fontana. The “Building A Better-Connected Inland Empire” project will Inglewood’s ITC and Fontana’s “Building A BetterConnected Inland Empire” fit the criteria of what U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was looking for
RIPAB’s latest report analyzes millions of vehicles and pedestrian stops conducted Between Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020, by 18 law enforcement agencies. All state and local law enforcement agencies will be required to report stop data to the California DOJ by April 1, 2023. About 40 million people live in California, according data from the state’s Department of Finance. 2.25 million African Americans live in the state (about 6.5%). Reporting agencies made over 2.9 million stops during the stop data collection period, with the California Highway Patrol conducting the most stops of any single agency (57.7%). Law enforcement officers searched 18,777 more people perceived as Black than those perceived as WhiteThe law enforcement agencies reporting 2020 RIPA data were the Police Departments serving Bakersfield, Davis, Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose; the Sheriff’s Departments of Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, Sacramento County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County; and the California Highway Patrol. LASD is the largest sheriff’s department in the world with nearly 10,000 deputies serving almost 10 million people. San Francisco has a population of 888,305 with 2,140 sworn officers and San Diego has 1,415 residents and 1,887 sworn officers.
Thursday, August 25, 2022 Los Angeles News Observer A11 Local
“To date, the state has provided the public with an in-depth look into nearly 9 million police stops. This information is critical and these annual reports continue to provide a blueprint for strengthening policing that is grounded in the data and the facts,” Bonta said. RIPAB is a diverse group of 19 members representing the public, law enforcement, and educators. Their charge is to eliminate racial and identity profiling, and improve diversity and racial and identity sensitivity in law enforcement.Ochoasaid the missing RIPA data could have a “significant” effect on people’s lives in terms of litigation, policy change, and potential intervention programs, and implementation of Assembly Bill (AB) 2542, the California Racial Justice Act (CRJA). CRJA prohibits the state from seeking or obtaining a criminal conviction, or from imposing a sentence, based upon race, ethnicity, or national origin. “There should be an acknowledgment of missing data and the direction this missing data is probably (going). It’s just not randomly missing. It’s just missing in a way to suggest that there are more certain things happening than being reported,” Ochoa said. Bill Ayub, Ventura County Sheriff and the California State Sheriff’s Association representative on the Board said there could be many reasons why the absent information was not entered as RIPA data. The report shows that in December 2020 LASD was aware of issues with SACR system data and assured OIG that “steps would be taken” to prevent misreporting of stop data to the DOJ. But a year later, LASD “conceded” that the department was not “in compliance with RIPA requirements” due to the system being outdated. The CAD system was implemented in the 1980s and is running on hardware and software that are no longer supported by the manufacturer. Ayub warned that there should be “a word of caution” when considering the data.
The Los Angeles County Office of the Inspector General (OIG) confirmed data was missing in its June 10 Underreporting of Civilian Stop Data to the California Attorney General report. OIG reported that LASD’s Sheriff’s Automated Contact Reporting System (SACR) which supplies data to RIPA and its Computer Aided Dispatch System (CAD) which tracks patrol-related contacts run independently and do not communicate information. The SACR system underreported observationbased stops by at least 50,731 entries and underreported reasonable-suspicion stops by 8,625 entries. Reasonable suspicion stops are made by deputies when they suspect a person is engaging in criminal activity.
“If you look at arrests by my agency you would see far fewer RIPA entries for arrests than arrests that actually occur. Court-ordered remands, warrants that appear for people that are already in custody, and in-custody incidents that result in arrest are all incidents that would not trigger RIPA reporting,” Ayub told the Board.
RIPAB learned about the LASD missing information about 6 months after it released its fifth annual report that found Blacks or African Americans were searched 2.4 times more than Whites in 2020. Information from agencies reporting data showed law enforcement officers used force against Blacks 2.6 times more than White people.
Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media At its last meeting, the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPAB) discussed the discrepancies in the racial profiling data reported by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD).RIPAB co-chair Melanie P. Ochoa told her board colleagues that there is “sufficient evidence” that data concerning police stops are not being reported by LASD as required by Assembly Bill (AB) 953. Ochoa said that “over 50,000 self-initiated stops” were “not captured as Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) data.” Deputies “failed to report over 18,000 consent searches,” and “over 25,000” or 37% of backseat detentions were not filed. “It’s a big deal,” said Ochoa, a staff attorney for Criminal Justice and Police Practices at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California. “The overall trends may be accurate but it’s really scary how much certain communities are impacted by this.”
AB 953, the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015, requires California law enforcement agencies to report data to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on all vehicle and pedestrian stops, and citizen complaints alleging racial and identity profiling. AB 953 was authored by Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), currently the Secretary of State. On July 1, 2018, the eight largest law enforcement agencies, began collecting stop data and reporting the information to DOJ. According to Attorney General Rob Bonta California is now one of the leaders in the country in collecting and analyzing police traffic stops.
Profiling of AfricanAmericans Is UnderreportedBeing
Board member Lawanda Hawkins, founder of Justice for Murdered Children (JMC) said, “I am concerned that the data received from the biggest (law enforcement) agency in the state is inaccurate. It makes you question all of it. If they are not giving us all the stops…. there’s a problem. And what is the repercussion if they don’t do it?”
A12 Los Angeles News Observer Thursday, August 25, 2022 Local
