Los Angeles News Observer 11.11.21

Music Festival DeathsHeadliner at Deadly Show, Chaos Part of Formula

California Begins Rollout of COVID Shots for Children 5 to 11

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Los Angeles

Volume 36 Number 52

Serving Los Angeles County for Over 36 Years

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Finding Spiritual Shelter from Mental Health Struggles

As one of the some 8 million in the United States who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Gloria Acosta knew she needed comfort even if there is no cure. (Courtesy Jehovah’s Witnesses)

Special to NNPA Newswire Keith Thompson was alone again with his thoughts, and, as usual, it wasn’t good.

Recently divorced, drowning in debt and facing a fourth back surgery for chronic pain, the 48-year-old trucker no longer cared whether he lived or died.

Such mental and emotional distress haunts millions.

A recent government survey showed a doubling since 2019 in the proportion of Americans reporting anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms.

The pandemic increased the number turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and substance abuse.

That’s what Thompson had tried since his teenage years as he battled depression and self-hatred.

Then an unexpected phone call changed everything for the Hebron, Ohio, resident.

Just days before his surgery, Thompson spoke to one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a group known for their public preaching but now pivoting to phone calling and letter writing to share their Bible message during the pandemic.

It was a wake-up call for Thompson.

“I tried it my way for some 40 years, and look where it got me,” he said. “I thought I’d try God’s way for a change.”

After his surgery, Thompson started studying the Bible in earnest.

His instructor became his confidant and mentor, helping him use Bible principles to work through his intense negative feelings.

Thompson then began to help others by sharing in the ministry alongside the Witnesses.

“I got to the point where I felt, ‘I want to be alive,’” he said, “like I had done something worthwhile.”

Amid the pandemic, he became one of Jehovah’s Continued on page A5

A Second Serving of Sip&Sonder at the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall

By Ricky Richardson Contributing Writer (Los Angeles,CA) – The word is out. It is hard to keep a good thing a secret. Residents of Inglewood and surrounding communities has known about the wonderful, Black womenowned Sip & Sonder. The specialty house is about to reach a wider audience by way of a larger platform. Downtown office workers, The Music Center Staff and patrons and visitors now have the opportunity to sip and savor the mindfully-crafted, house-roasted coffees and signature bites and pastries.

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, The Music Center announced a new partnership with two well known Los Angeles establishments as part of its plan to re-imagine dining options on its campus.

On November 5, 2021, the Black-women-owned Sip & Sonder opened its second location as an outpost directly in front of the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, serving its mindfully-crafted, house-roasted coffees and signature bites and pastries.

“When prompted with an opportunity to join The Music Center, we jumped,” said Shanita Nicholas, co-founder of Sip & Sonder. “Our mission is, and always has been, to create a space “For the Community. For the Culture.’ Our tagline highlights our vision for a place where culture is elevated, creativity encouraged, social responsibility championed, and

connections made.

“We are thrilled to partner with an organization as iconic as The Music Center that not only supports those efforts, but also so closely aligns with us in its mission,” added AmandaJane Thomas, co-founder of Sip & Sonder.

Both practicing attorneys who met while working at a law firm, Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas launched Sip & Sonder in 2017 to create a home for all Angelenos and connect community, coffee and culture. Their flagship coffee house and roastery- the first specialty house in Inglewood, California-serves some of the best coffee in L. A. and features a creative studio and multi-purpose event space frequently by entrepreneurs, community groups and everyone-in-between.

During the pandemic, with their doors temporarily closed, Thomas and Nicholas continued to live their mission, launching their “Brewing for Good with Sip & Sonder” campaign. Each Friday, they delivered hot coffee and pastries to frontline workers on the COVID-19 floor of Centinela Hospital.

Friday, November 5, 2021, was the grand opening of Sip & Sonder at The Music Center. Hours of operation are: Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00am-2:00pm. Alongside classic coffee drinks, Sip & Sonder will serve up specialty drinks such as the Cardi Rose, a Rose and Cardamon latte; or its REFRESH line of tonics and spritzers, including a Lavender Expresso

Tonic. Sip & Sonder’s menu aims to push the same creative boundaries it hopes to evoke in its customers.

Beginning this Winter, Carney’s the family-owned restaurant chain known for its iconic train branding and one of the best burgers in L. A. will open its fourth location adjacent to The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, overlooking Grand Avenue. Savor and enjoy the many current favorites, including classic hamburgers, cheeseburgers and piled high chili dogs.

As restaurants and dining locations at The Music Center continue to re-open and enhance offerings for all campus visitors, the performing arts center will be creating opportunities to showcase restaurants, chefs and other food service providers who contribute to L.A.’s vibrant and diverse culinary community. The Music Center and hospitality partner Levy recently announced a collaboration with native Angeleno Chef Ray Garcia to craft a new concept inside the anchor restaurant space at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. Upcoming announcements throughout the rest of 2021 and into 2022 will highlight additional partnerships with home-grown restaurants, a new catering experience for private and social gatherings and more details about the many dining experiences at the full-service restaurants located at The Music Center.

Senate Republicans Again Shoot Down John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Named after the late Congressman John Lewis, the Georgia Democrat who spent his life fighting for civil and equal rights, the bill has overwhelming public support.

Because of the Jim Crow-inspired filibuster rule, Democrats need the party’s 50 Senators and at least 10 Republicans to pass the measure.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Pouring salt on wounded Democrats, Senate Republicans on Wednesday, November 3, again blocked the latest efforts to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The bill aims to quash voter suppression and the repression laws enacted in GOP-led states like Texas and Georgia.

Named after the late Congressman John Lewis, the Georgia Democrat who spent his life fighting for civil and equal rights, the bill has overwhelming public support.

Because of the Jim Crow-inspired filibuster rule, Democrats need the party’s 50 Senators and at least 10 Republicans to pass the measure.

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The measure’s defeat came as Democrats attempted to regroup after the party’s catastrophic loss in the Virginia gubernatorial race. (Photo: Rep. John Lewis, Supreme Court news conference to call for the reversal of President Trump’s travel ban on refugees and immigrants from several Middle East countries. (Photo: Laurie Shaull / Wikimedia Commons)

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Memorial Services Held for Olympic Gymnast

GARY, Ind. (AP) – Olympic gymnast Dianne Durham, who died earlier this year, was remembered Saturday at memorial services in northwest Indiana as a pioneer.

Durham was the first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship. Her victory in the allaround at the 1983 national championships as a teenager was the first by a Black woman in the organization’s history.

She died in February in Chicago following a short illness. She was 52.

Several gymnasts spoke in person, virtually and through written messages at the memorial in Gary, Indiana, including Simone Biles. Mourners remembered Durham not only for athleticism but also her style, kindness and compassion, according to The (Northwest Indiana) Times.

Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton called her the “best competition.”

“You are truly missed. Dianne was about living life to the fullest. That’s what she always did,” Retton wrote, according to the newspaper.

Durham was born in Gary in 1968 and started gymnastics at age 4. She attended schools in Gary and later moved to Texas for training.

After her win, she retired from gymnastics in 1985 and became a coach, including at the University of Illinois Chicago.

University to Dedicate Marker 1st Black Student

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) – Auburn University will honor Harold A. Franklin, the university’s first African American student, with a desegregation marker dedication ceremony.

The ceremony will be held on Thursday at the Ralph Brown Draughon Library where a plaza was recently created to accompany the marker, WSFA-TV reported.

Scheduled to speak at the event are Franklin’s son, Harold Franklin Jr., Auburn University President Jay Gogue, Auburn Board of Trustees member Elizabeth Huntley and Kenneth Kelly, a 1990 Auburn graduate and chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank of Detroit.

The honor comes two months after Franklin’s death.

He was 88.

Franklin integrated Auburn as the university’s first Black student on Jan. 4, 1964. He was a Graduate School enrollee who went on to a successful 27-year career as an educator in higher education after leaving Auburn in 1965. He earned a master’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver and taught history at Alabama State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Tuskegee Institute and Talladega College before retiring in 1992.

Franklin initially was not allowed to defend his thesis at Auburn, a wrong that was righted last February and he participated in fall 2020 commencement exercises.

In 2001, Auburn awarded Franklin with an honorary Doctor of Arts and in 2015 erected the historic marker near the library where he first registered for classes.

White Kansas City Officer on Trial in Black Man’s Death KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A trial began Monday for a Kansas City, Missouri, police officer accused of involuntary manslaughter in a 2019 shooting – the first time that a white officer from the city has been criminally accused of killing a Black man.

Officer Eric J. DeValkenaere also is charged with armed criminal action in the death of Cameron Lamb, 26, who was parking a pickup truck in his backyard when he was shot on Dec. 3, 2019. The killing was often evoked in protests last year against racial injustice in Kansas City.

Prosecutors spent their opening statement outlining allegations that police staged a crime scene and even planted evidence to support their claims that Lamb was armed moments before DeValkenaere shot him, the Kansas City Star reported.

In her opening statement, defense attorney Molly Hastings said the prosecution’s key witness had repeatedly given inconsistent statements and had initially told investigators that Lamb usually kept his gun with him.

Lamb’s killing was among several cases cited by a group of civil rights organizations in a petition urging U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the Kansas City Police Department. The indictment in the case came days after Lamb’s death garnered renewed attention stemming from his family’s meeting with then-President Donald Trump in 2020.

In the past year, prosecutors have brought criminal charges against five white Kansas City police officers for allegedly using excessive force against Black people. DeValkenaere is the only officer charged in an on-duty killing.

Officers investigating a crash reported a red pickup chasing a purple Ford Mustang. A police helicopter located the truck driven by Lamb and followed it to his driveway.

DeValkenaere and another detective, Troy Schwalm, arrived at the home to investigate the crash. Before he was shot, Lamb had his left hand on the truck’s steering wheel and his cellphone in his right hand, prosecutors said.

DeValkenaere said he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at Schwalm. After the shooting, officers found Lamb inside the vehicle with his left arm and head hanging out of the driver’s side window. On the ground near his left hand was a handgun.

Schwalm later told the grand jury that he did not see Lamb with a weapon, prosecutors have said.

Meanwhile, medical records show that Lamb is righthanded and did not have full use of his left hand as a result of an injury sustained four years earlier, prosecutors said.

DeValkenaere’s lawyers have previously said that Lamb pulled a gun with his left hand.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has said DeValkenaere’s conduct during the shooting was “reckless’’ and violated the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. Her office alleged the detectives, who were in plainclothes, did not ask for permission to walk onto the property and did not have a warrant.

Kansas City’s Fraternal Order of Police has denounced the charges and accused Baker of “abusing her authority for political gain.’’

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Los Angeles News Observer

World & Nation

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Police Overhaul Ballot Measure Fails in Minneapolis Residents in Other Cities Also Explore Reforms

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Voters in Minneapolis narrowly defeated a ballot measure to replace their police department.

If passed, the measure would have reformed how policing is done in the city where George Floyd was murdered in 2020.

Needing 51 percent of the vote, Question 2 – as it was known – failed by a 57 percent to 44 percent vote.

An affirmative vote would have created a Department of Public Safety with violence interrupters, social service workers, and mental health professionals accompanying law enforcement on certain calls.

The mayor and the 13-person city council would have oversight of the department.

“I think the vote had more to do with city council than it did police reform,” said Michelle Gross, the president of Citizens United Against Police Brutality.

“Several city council members were voted out [Tuesday], and there wasn’t much clarity on what this would actually mean,” Gross stated.

Al McFarlane, publisher of Insight News, said voters turned out in record numbers.

“This is still a response to the murder of George Floyd,” McFarlane stated.

The most prominent supporter of the measure were groups like Yes 4 Minneapolis, a coalition of more than

100 organizations and businesses including the ACLU of Minnesota, Take Action MN, Showing Up For Racial Justice, and Reclaim The Block.

Organizers for Yes 4 Minneapolis have said the overall goal is to reduce police officers’ role in calls involving homeless individuals, mental health issues, and substance abuse.

“This amendment would create a Department of Public Safety combining public safety functions through a comprehensive public health approach to be determined by the Mayor and Council,” JaNaé Bates, a spokeswoman for Yes 4 Minneapolis, wrote in a statement.

“The department would be led by a commissioner nominated by the mayor and appointed by the Council. The Police Department, and its chief, would be removed from the City Charter. The Public Safety Department could include police officers, but the minimum funding requirement would be eliminated.”

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and Attorney General Keith Ellison, who successfully prosecuted Chauvin, expressed support for the ballot measure.

However, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Gov. Tim Walz, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, all Democrats, publicly opposed the measure.

“Do you want to let go of what you know is not great, but you know it? Or reach for something that’s uncertain because it’s in the future, and we haven’t done it yet? I’m

Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media California is one of many states whose policies helped to shape President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assistant to the President and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice.

The U.S. House of Representatives held a procedural vote last Friday that cleared the way for a full floor vote on

the legislation, which could happen as early as next week.

“California’s values will be on the national stage with the Build Back Better plan. @POTUS is creating good jobs, investing in clean energy to fight climate change, helping families through at-home elder, disability & child care, universal pre-k, & more,” Newsom’s office tweeted about a week before the U.S. House of Representatives voted last Friday night 228 to 206 to approve Biden’s other signature bill, the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

The infrastructure bill and its companion Build Back Better Act are central pieces to the President’s plan to jump start the U.S. economy and put it on the road to recovery after surviving a sharp downturn brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“It’s a once-in-a-generation investment that’s going to create millions of jobs modernizing our infrastructure – our bridges, our roads, our broadband, a whole range of things,” said Biden on Saturday morning, celebrating the passage of the infrastructure bill that he is touting as “bipartisan.”

Thirteen Republican members of the House broke ranks with their party and voted for the bill.

“To turn the climate crisis into an opportunity; and it puts us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st century that we face with China and other large countries and the rest of the world,” Biden said.

Rice held a press conference Nov. 4 during which she discussed the Build Back Better plan and accompanying infrastructure investments. She praised California and other states for policies such as paid family medical leave and universal pre-K as “concepts that we believe are well proven that we want to take national.”

“I think the ideas and initiatives in here have many fathers and mothers,” Rice said in reference to the Build Back Better plan. “This legislation reflects in many ways what we think are the kinds of investments that we know reduce costs for families, that improve outcomes for children and their parents.”

The Build Back Better plan is a framework for investments and programs geared toward leveling the playing field on multiple fronts following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gene Hale, President of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce, praised the passage of the infrastructure plan and says he looks forward to the Build Back Better Act becoming law. But Hale

saying: Let’s have some hope that we can figure this out together as a community. Let’s try something different,” Ellison stated.

The Attorney General pointed to police departments like Newark and Camden, New Jersey, which achieved similar changes to great success.

In his commentary, Ellison noted how the police department in Camden, where more than 90 percent of residents are Black or Hispanic, was disbanded in 2013 and rebuilt despite opposition from police unions and some residents.

“Those communities have said, ‘You know what, let’s reform,’” Ellison told the network. “But the thing about Newark is, Newark did its changes under a federal consent decree. So, I’m saying to the people of Minneapolis, let’s not have the federal government make us reform. Let’s just choose it.”

The goal centered on making long-term policies to reflect “our values of safety, humanity, and dignity, not individual personalities or people,” Yes 4 Minneapolis officials wrote in a fact sheet.

“By voting Yes, you are voting for a funded, accountable, and expanded Department of Public Safety.

This means police are working with qualified professionals, like mental health responders and social workers, to make all our communities safer.”

Minneapolis wasn’t the only city with police reform

Minneapolis wasn’t the only city with police reform on the ballot.

on the ballot.

Voters in Austin, Texas rejected Proposition A, a measure to establish minimum police staffing and increased the number of police officers on duty.

The measure required the city to employ two officers per 1,000 residents.

In Cleveland, Ohio, 94 percent of voters cast their ballot to implement an amendment that will create a civilian-led board and Community Police Commission.

The commission will have the final say on police policies and discipline and require some of the members of the board to be lawyers who have had experience representing victims of police brutality.

In Albany, New York, residents approved a measure to increase the authority of a civilian-led committee to provide oversight of police investigations and complaints.

White House Officials Break Down Pres. Biden’s Build Back Better Plan News Observer Los Angeles

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says, for him and other Black business owners across the country, too many details remain unclear.

“How will Black-owned and minority-owned businesses benefit from trillions of taxpayer money being directed to cities and states?” Hale asked. “What kinds of mechanisms are in place – or will be put in place – to make sure that this money is distributed equitably. We cannot continue to just talk about equitable investments, we have to take concrete steps to make sure these programs reach the people around the country who need them most.”

Hale said Black leaders are organizing to hold the White House and California governor accountable as federal funds get funneled down to states and municipalities.

Some of the items the Build Back Better Act focuses on are climate change, healthcare, and community violence intervention.

During an exclusive interview with California Black Media, White House Senior Advisor for Public Engagement Trey Baker talked about how the Infrastructure Framework will aim to provide access to clean water in struggling communities.

“This is the companion piece of legislation that is going to bring everything from Build Back Better and also an Infrastructure Framework that is going to really go into helping communities to be able to pull all of the lead pipes out of the ground,” Baker said.

The framework’s historic $555 billion investment in combating climate change will be directed toward creating jobs, promoting environmental justice, and establishing a

Civilian Climate Corps.

For African Americans and other minorities, Baker said he believes environmental justice has to be central to climate change initiatives.

“The big deal on climate and environmental justice issues is that we have to be on equal footing with other communities when it comes to the environment and the importance of caring about it in the first place,” Baker said.

Expressing his concerns about the plan, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), has said his fellow Democrats employed “shell games” and “budget gimmicks” to superficially reduce the cost of the framework just to get votes to pass it.

Rice responded by stating specific sections of the legislation she believed contributed to Manchin’s hesitation.

“As he said himself very clearly and publicly, we heard in our process of consultations and negotiations that Sen. Manchin is opposed to including paid family and medical leave in the reconciliation legislation. Now whether he changes his mind or comes to see it differently, we can certainly hope. But its inclusion at this point in the House bill is very consistent with our original desires, our priorities, and what we worked to try to accomplish in our consultations and negotiations with members of the Senate and the House,” Rice said.

The framework addresses healthcare and medical disparities by investing in coverage for the uninsured, hearing coverage, and maternal health for Black women.

“The pandemic laid bare a lot of the disparities that are currently in our communities,” Baker said.

“What the Build Back Better Framework will do is to close the gap with Medicaid coverage so the cost of getting insurance will be less for people,” Baker continued.

Build Back Better will also invest in evidence-based community violence intervention to help reduce gun violence as well as the chances of violent police interactions in Black and Brown communities.

Baker clarified that the initiative is not meant to replace traditional policing, but to add to it.

“One great impact that the community violence intervention program is going to have is helping to take some of the burden off of police in this country. We’re talking about leveraging trusted messengers, we’re talking about having individuals in our communities who can intervene in conflicts, connect people to social help, wellness, and employment services that will reduce the likelihood of violence overall,” Baker said.

The 2021 Elections Proved Real the Connection Republicans are Making with Black Voters

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent During the decisive victories scored by Republicans on Election Day, significant shifts occurred among crucial voting groups, which has only added to the misery of Democrats. Notably, Black voters showed up

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) 324-9472 General Info: observernews@gmail.com Advertising: observeradvertising@gmail.com Online: www.ognsc.com The GOP made significant inroads in capturing the Black vote. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

for Republicans in Virginia and elsewhere. The GOP candidate who defeated heavily favorite Democrat Terry McAuliffe for governor, Glenn Youngkin, garnered 13 percent of the Black vote and did better overall than former President Donald Trump in every county. In Virginia’s Lt. Governor’s race, Republican Winsome Sears (Pictured) earned 17 percent of the Black vote in her victory against Democrat Hala Ayala – both are women of color. While Democrats held on in New Jersey, with Gov. Phil Murphy retaining his seat by winning by a razor-thin margin against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, the GOP still made significant gains in the Garden State. Overall, Republicans flipped four New Jersey counties. While some point out that the electorate in Virginia was older and whiter than last year’s presidential election, many said the inroads the GOP made this year are unmistakable. While Black voters didn’t turn out this month as they did for the 2020 Presidential election, the progress made by Republicans could also be a significant hint for what lies ahead in the 2022 midterm

elections. “Congratulations to all of the Black Republican candidates who made history Tuesday night winning their state-wide and local elections across the country,” RNC National Spokesman Paris Dennard stated. “Republican trailblazer Winsome Sears defied the odds to become the first Black woman elected to serve as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor. On the local level, Black Republicans like A.C. Cordoza (VA-91), Donald Douglas (KY,SD-22), and Jalen Johnson (Albany City Commission-II) highlight the growth and diversity of the GOP at all levels,” noted Denard, who also serves as the RNC’s director of Black Media Affairs. With Youngkin’s victory, Denard noted that Black Virginians have a new governor “that supports school choice and is committed to supporting HBCUs in his budgets.” “The RNC remains committed to expanding our party, supporting our Black Republican leaders, and having meaningful engagement through our RNC Black Community Centers,” Denard wrote.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Entertainment

Los Angeles News Observer A3

Music Festival Deaths-

Travis Scott - For Headliner at Deadly Show, Chaos Part of Popular Formula

At least eight people – between the ages of 14 and 27 – were killed during a crowd surge at the Grammy-nominated rapper’s Astroworld Festival in Houston. A sizable group of the 50,000 in attendance pushed toward the stage at NRG Park as a timer clicked down to start the performance before the chaotic scene began to ignite.

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) – Travis Scott's high-energy performances are known for being chaotic and fun-filled shows with concertgoers encouraged to take part in a raucous nature involving mosh pits, crowd surfing and stage diving. On Friday night, something went wrong.

At least eight people – between the ages of 14 and 27 – were killed during a crowd surge at the Grammynominated rapper's Astroworld Festival in Houston. A sizable group of the 50,000 in attendance pushed toward the stage at NRG Park as a timer clicked down to start the performance before the chaotic scene began to ignite.

People in the crowd reported lots of pushing and shoving during the performances leading up to Scott's set _ which is normal at his shows. He's often encouraged fans to bypass security and rush the stage, but none of those previous situations resulted in fatalities.

“Travis Scott's whole aesthetic is about rebellion,” said HipHopDX editor-in-chief Trent Clark, who has attended several of his performances. “The shows have a lot of raging. With the death of punk rock, hip-hop has indeed adopted and patterned the new generation of mosh pits.

It's not uncommon to see a lot of crowding and raging or complete wild behavior at a Travis Scott show.”

Scott is an eight-time Grammy-nominated rapper who is music's biggest young stars. The Houston-born musician founded his festival in 2018 on the heels of his chart-topping album “Astroworld,” which was led by the infectious song “Sicko Mode.” He also has a 3-year-old daughter with Kylie Jenner, who announced in September that she is pregnant with their second child.

“Travis Scott is legendary in the hip-hop community for his beyond high-energy performances, where he really tries to rile up the crowd,” said Noah Shachtman, editorin-chief at Rolling Stone. “That makes for some really fun shows and made for a couple of scary incidents.”

In a tweet posted Saturday, Scott said he was “absolutely devastated by what took place last night.” He pledged to work “together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”

No matter where the investigation ultimately leads, tragedies like the one at the Astroworld Festival have been happening for a long time. In 1979, 11 people died in a scramble to enter a Cincinnati, Ohio, concert by The Who. At a soccer stadium in England, a human crush in 1989 led to nearly 100 deaths. In 2015, a collision of two crowds at the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia caused more than

2,400 deaths, based on an Associated Press count of media reports and officials' comments.

But with Scott getting into trouble before for the two past shows, Shachtman thinks the rapper will get a “hard second look.”

In 2017, Scott was arrested after he encouraged fans to bypass security and rush the stage, leaving a security guard, a police officer and several others injured during a concert in Arkansas. In a separate incident, he was sentenced to one year of court supervision after pleading guilty to reckless conduct charges stemming from a 2015 incident in Chicago at the Lollapalooza music festival.

At the time, Chicago officials said Scott encouraged fans to vault security barricades. However, no one was injured.

“In terms of energy, he wants the energy he's giving out on stage to be reciprocated from the audience, almost in defiance,” said Julian Kimble, who wrote a concert review on Scott's 2018 Astroworld performance for the Washington Post. He called the rapper one of the most electrifying performers he's seen.

“I've seen him tell people like `Don't listen to security.

Forget security. This is for y'all. This is for the fans,”' he continued. “With regards to last night, that's an example of how things can go wrong. There's a lot of negligence across the board. I don't think there's one bad guy or culprit. It's a sweeping structural failure with what happened.”

Shachtman said he hopes the tragedy will help tweak Scott's approach toward his show. He enjoys the rapper's performances but wants a safer atmosphere where people can still have fun – especially for those eager to find some enjoyment at live shows during the pandemic.

“I would expect that they'll be increased measures to make sure concertgoers can have a great time, but do so without getting killed,” said Shachtman, who grew up on New York hardcore punk rock music. He said that he's no stranger to mosh pits, but he adds that “there's a big difference between a mosh pit, even a giant one, and a lifethreating situation.”

Scott is a scheduled headliner for the Day N Vegas Festival next weekend. But any performance involving Scott could come under some scrutiny for crowd control measures and other safety concerns.

“Concert promoters pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for security at both private and public (events),” Shachtman said. “That's got to be deployed properly. Or else, we're going to see another one of these incidents.”

By ALYSSA BURR MLive.com LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Construction is underway for what owners say is the first Black-owned television and movie studio in Michigan.

Standup comedian and director turned entrepreneur, Amaru, who only goes by one name, said it was a combination of events with the death of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic that inspired him to open Greenwood District Studios, MLive.com reports.

“How can I bring back my job and others some jobs?”

Amaru said. “Hope was the number one thing that came up and doing away with the despair that's happening around, especially with our youth.”

Racial equity and community demand, self motivation and support spurred an increase of many Black-owned

businesses over the course of the pandemic, according to Millie Chu, a business consultant of DEI programs for the Michigan Small Business Center.

“Some were laid off and pursued entrepreneurship out of necessity and some chose to quit their jobs to pursue their dreams,” Chu said. “In all, the pandemic has caused us to take another look at options or what truly matters.

Often that option or dream is owning a business.”

Located in the old Lansing Mall Cinema, the lot sat vacant since the cinema's closing in 2014. As a professional entertainer, Amaru knew the 27,000-square-foot lot would perfectly house what's needed for the film and audio production process, from pre-production to postproduction and everything in between.

“We lucked up and got one building to do everything we want to do,” Amaru said.

While the project has been making steady progress, reutilizing abandoned buildings doesn't come without challenges.

Entering inside what was once the cinema's theaters are now tattered and cut screens, along with shattered glass and broken bottles in the second story of the building.

The studio's small staff and a handful of volunteers have been working, mostly by hand, to remove the debris from the building and restore it with new screens, stages and technical equipment.

Michael Nathan is a producer and director who is part of the team working to turn Greenwood District Studios a reality.

“Good things take time and if you're willing to sacrifice and work for it, it'll happen no matter what,” Nathan said.

Once reconstruction is complete, the building will feature six studios, a state of the art editing bay and office space.

Former Michigan Theater to Become Black-owned Movie Studio

Producer Mike Nate gives a tour of the space and talks about the work he and a team of around 10 people and occasional volunteers have been putting into the building on Thursday Oct. 7, 2021 in Lansing.

A Kalamazoo native, Amaru, 47, has been in the entertainment industry for 25 years. He said his first time getting a taste of the Hollywood experience was working as an aspiring writer in Los Angeles for rapper and actor Master P. He said he was able to make plenty of great connections while out on the west coast, but he was also met with many broken promises.

“As you're in the business, you begin to get tired of waiting,” Amaru said. “Waiting for people to follow through is not what I like to do.”

Although the production space is still being constructed, it's the studio's Funny is Funny comedy club that will give local talent a shot at the spotlight in a way that he wasn't given before.

The comedy club had its grand opening in September.

It has open mic nights on Tuesdays, with professional standup comedians performing on the weekends.

“It may not be about me, it may be about somebody that comes along that I give him an opportunity to blow up,” Amaru said. “It might be somebody that has yet to come that might be that spark.”

Similar to what Black entertainers have done, such as Tyler Perry with his Atlanta production studio, Amaru wants to “buy the block” for Black creatives to be able to explore their craft within their own community.

“To be able to greenlight and say yes to projects and tell our stories when we want to tell our stories without having to wait for someone... we can change the narrative,” Amaru said.

Although he is reaching out to Black entertainers, he has made it clear that Black-owned doesn't mean Black only. He said the studio's TikTok account, which has over 96,000 followers, has garnered a much welcomed international support for the business.

Amaru owner of Michigan's first Black-owned movie studio, Greenwood District Studios stands outside before the comedy show on Thursday Oct. 7, 2021 in Lansing.

The studio may also be helpful in spreading awareness about Black culture to other communities.

The studio is named after the Greenwood District, or “Black Wall Street,” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The district was home to an abundance of Black-owned businesses, but was burned down by a mob of angry white residents in 1921 in what's now known as the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Amaru plans to have images of the Greenwood District displayed throughout the studios and each one of the studios will be named after something that was destroyed in the massacre.

“We wanted to combine the old with the new so that the old would never be forgotten,” Amaru said.

Construction is expected to be fully complete by the end of next year.

A4

Features Los Angeles News Observer

Would You Pressure Your Kid’s Coach to Apologize for Winning by 106-0?

By Kenneth Miller Inglewood Today Coaches push the athletes they train to put their all into mastering the mental and physical aspects of their sport, preparing them to edge out competitors and perform at the height of their abilities.

But there are real-life situations, it seems, when attaining excellence proves to be too much – or maybe just not good enough.

This seems to have been the case Oct. 29 when an impressive shutout victory for Inglewood High School in Los Angeles County ended up turning into a bitter crosstown game of guilt, blame and grievances. That day, Inglewood High football coach and former Cleveland Browns defensive back Mil’Von James led his team to a 106-0 victory over rivals Morningside high.

Since that shellacking, education authorities have blasted James and Inglewood High for being too focused on winning that they failed to exhibit a spirit of compassion and sportsmanship.

The California Interscholastic Federation -Southern Section (CIFSS), the governing body of high school athletics in the state, released a scathing statement regarding the wide margin of the game’s final score.

“The CIF Southern Section expects that all athletic contests are to be conducted under the strictest code of good sportsmanship. “We expect coaches, players, officials, administrators and students to adhere to the Six Pillars of Character – Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship,” CIF-SS fired off in a statement.

“A score of 106-0 does not represent these ideals,” the statement continued. “The CIF-SS condemns, in the strongest terms, results such as these. It is our expectation that the Inglewood administration will work towards putting in place an action plan so that an event such as this does not repeat itself.”

James, 38, said it was not his intention to degrade or demoralize the Morningside High team.

“I apologized for the way things turned out,” James said even though, during the game, he benched his defensive starters after the second quarter and most of his

to being nearly undefeated. During that time, the team has moved from CIF-SS Division 13 to Division 2.

Inglewood Football Coach Mil’Von James (Nick Koza/Photo)

other frontline players in the second half.

But Inglewood continued to run up the score on its hapless opponent.

Anyone who knows James personally would know – and can attest to the fact -- that his intent was never to bring shame to the game that he loves.

Coaches like James who have played college and profootball understand the fierce competitiveness it requires for young people to succeed when pursuing careers as professional athletes. They train their students to be warriors, to dominate their opponents. Varsity sports is the highest level of competition in high school. Today, the advancement of training techniques and year-round coaching and development increases the likelihood that schools with the resources will outperform schools with sports programs that are underfunded or under-supported.

Since he became coach at Inglewood High three seasons ago, James has taken the team from a losing streak

Inglewood student athletes have advantages in coaching and preparation that Morningside and many other schools do not.

James was a star on the football squad at Fremont High School in Los Angeles where he graduated in 2003.

In college, he first played for the UNLV Rebels where he led the nation in passes; before transferring to UCLA and playing for the Bruins from 2003-2005.

After brief stints in the NFL and the Canadian Football League on the roster for the Cleveland Browns and the Vancouver Lions respectively, James began coaching high school football.

He is the founder and director of one of most successful 7 on 7 leagues in the nation, responsible for scores of future and current high school, collegiate and professional players.

Chances are, if you have observed any top football program in California, you have you witnessed his impact on young players, their development and their unmatched leadership skills – on the field and off it.

The Inglewood Unified School District also blasted James and Inglewood High.

“Regarding Inglewood H.S. vs. Morningside H.S. Friday night 10/29 game, we at the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) are saddened beyond words by the events that transpired at the football game Friday between Inglewood and Morningside high schools,” the IUSD stamen read. “We will conduct a full investigation and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that a similar outcome never happens again under an IUSD athletic program.”

High school sports, in many schools, is a training ground for college and pro athletes. Schools that have better resources will always have an edge.

It is unfortunate that this incident has placed a dark cloud over a high school sports program. Inglewood High’s football program should be celebrated for its league championship and undefeated record in a school district that is still in state receivership.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Senate Republicans Again Shoot Down John Lewis Voting Rights Act Continued from page A1

“I will be among those who vote to begin debate on this measure when we have this vote,” Republican Sen. Lisa Markowski of Alaska said.

“I will do so because I strongly support and I believe that Congress should enact a bipartisan, reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.” But her GOP colleagues differ.

“This is a Trojan horse to carry a lot of other provisions that the Democrats had wanted to enact through the earlier voting rights bill that we’ve already considered and rejected,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) stated.

“Clearly they want to change the subject away from how the American people feel about this administration, about the reckless tax and spending bill onto a nonexistent problem with this marching out of the John Lewis voting rights act,” McConnell related, failing to acknowledge that Democrats had attempted to pass the voting rights act since before President Joe Biden won the 2020 election over Donald Trump.

The measure’s defeat came as Democrats attempted to regroup after the party’s catastrophic loss in the Virginia gubernatorial race.

Upstart Glenn Youngkin trounced Democratic incumbent Terry McAuliffe in that race. Also, in New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy continues to hope he holds onto his razor-thin lead against Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Murphy held a 49.9 percent to 49.3 percent lead, with 86 percent of the vote counted.

Unless Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Krysten Sinema of Arizona soften their stand against altering or ridding the filibuster rule, there’s virtually no chance any bill would pass that aims to curb voter suppression.

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont introduced the latest Senate version of the legislation. In addition, Sen. Leahy, Sens. Manchin, Murkowski, and Dick Durbin of Illinois released a compromise version of the John Lewis Voting Rights bill that appeared to gain momentum in the chamber.

However, after the GOP’s Election Night victories, Republicans have little appetite to go through with the bill.

Different Summit, Same Story for the Polluters, Politicians, Privileged and Poor at Global Climate Mtg Louis Wilson Special to California Black Media Partners Global negotiations kicked off this week in Glasgow, Scotland in what John Kerry, President Biden’s climate envoy, described as our ‘last best chance’ to avoid environmental disaster. These talks matter to California – so much so that a delegation of elected and government officials led by Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis made the 5,000mile trip.

The goal is simple: agree to a plan to reduce the emissions that cause dangerous heating. To do that, governments need to end our reliance on fossil fuels, and support less-wealthy nations and communities in their decarbonization process.

We’ve been here 25 times before. The 26th UN Climate Change Conference COP26 is a gathering of over 100 nations in search of a solution to the climate crisis.

Sadly, since the first meeting in Berlin in 1995, global emissions have increased. By almost every measure, the climate crisis is getting worse. That’s visible to Californians in the record wildfires, drought, and extreme weather that has intensified in the past two years.

The science is clear – something needs to change right now, otherwise the climate will change it for us.

The current business-as-usual trajectory is set to make the world somewhere between 4.5 degrees F to 5.4 degrees F hotter than it was before we started burning fossil fuels.

That would mean more droughts, fire, hurricanes, famines, climate refugees, and the list goes on.

So far, Glasgow has heard a lot of talk. President Biden and other world leaders touted two ‘major’ agreements earlier this week. One commits to ending deforestation by 2030, and the other to cut planet-heating methane emissions by 30%. But these aren’t binding. They are promises, an invitation to take leaders at their word. Many of these leaders promised to halve deforestation by 2020 back at a New York summit in 2014, a promise that was quietly broken.

Despite the looming catastrophe, a tour of the COP26 premises makes it very clear that at these talks, nothing has changed. The same old faces are here – the politicians, the polluters, the big companies, and people representing privileged and largely White interests.

Companies sponsoring the talks for a seat at the centre of the action include one of the world’s largest plastic

polluters (Unilever), a bank (NatWest) that has financed billions of dollars’ worth of fossil fuel projects since 2015, and a consumer goods company (Reckitt) whose suppliers included, until very recently, companies tearing down one of the world’s last remaining tropical rainforests in Papua New Guinea.

One of these sponsors, SSE, is currently building a new fossil gas plant, even while hosting a friendly stall touting unproven future technologies that might eventually help reduce emissions. Reckitt, meanwhile, are organizing an official side-event titled ‘Changing Consumer Behaviour’, which appears aimed at deflecting responsibility onto individuals. Presumably, the main recommendation will be to steer clear of their products until they can remove deforestation from their supply chain.

While companies that have had a hand in causing the crisis are overrepresented, notably underrepresented are Indigenous and BIPOC communities, or representatives from the worst affected countries. It is, as many have called it, the richest, Whitest COP ever.

That’s a problem ethically, but it’s also a big problem because clearly, business as usual hasn’t worked. If we want to prevent the worst of what is to come, we need to

focus on the interests of people on the frontlines: those who lost their homes in wildfires this year, or who were forced off their land by agribusinesses, or whose air is being polluted by mining projects. We can no longer prioritize the narrow interests of a very noisy but destructive business community.

This matters for California – the state which has long been a leader in the U.S. on climate action but is suffering the most immediate impacts of the climate crisis right now. If Californians want this state to be liveable for future generations, we need to see through ambitious action at home – but we also need these global negotiations to be a success.

Right now, we’re on track for more warm words, more bold, unmet promises, and more degrees of global heating.

Unless this COP and all future climate summits put the worst affected, most vulnerable communities first, we will continue on this disastrous path which will see California and many other parts of the globe become inhospitable for our descendants within generations.

from the Democratic National Committee asking for contributions. Sometimes they come from Vice President Harris. Sometimes, from President Biden himself.

Occasionally, from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or DNC Chair Jaime Harrison. Not to mention the texts that come from Congressional candidates all over the country, looking for $10, $17, or $27. I don’t know where they get these odd numbers from, nor do I know where they got mine. I suppose someone I donated to, sold their list, and I am likely to be cyber-panhandled indefinitely.

I sometimes contribute to Democratic political candidates, as well as to the Democratic party. I’m not so in the mood to contribute these days because Democrats are so busy fighting each other that they won’t put up an aggressive fight for people’s economic rights. They seem willing to streamline the Biden Build Back Better plan instead of insisting that our human infrastructure – childcare and elder care, school improvement – is as critical as our physical one.

To be sure, politics is the art of compromise. Someone needs to send Mitch McConnell the memo. He does not want to raise the debt ceiling, putting a vote on that off until December. He does not want Biden’s $3.5 trillion infrastructure repair plan. He does not want to guarantee voting rights. And few Republicans are willing to stand up to him, instead of hiding behind party unity, even when they know better.

But I’m not worried about Republicans. I’m angry about the dithering Democrats who can’t seem to get off their rusty duffs and do what they were elected to do. I’m mad at the amount of power that has been ceded to West Virginia’s Joe Manchin and Arizona’s Krysten Sinema, who would cut the Biden proposal by more than half. If Manchin had his way, the Biden plan would be whittled to $1.5 trillion from the initially proposed $3.5 trillion.

Manchin’s colleagues need to invite him to a small room to have an impactful conversation about his role. He also needs to be reminded that many of his constituents in one of our nation’s most impoverished states would benefit mightily from the Biden plan.

While Republicans don’t seem to roll their sleeves up

and get into the trenches, some Democrats behave as if they are sipping tea and munching on scones at an afternoon garden party, a portrait in civility. Dems seem reluctant to call some Republicans the liars, hypocrites, and scalawags that they are. While name-calling can be perceived as uncivil, so can lying, cheating, and stealing. Civility plus the filibuster will get the American people nothing. It is time for Democrats to play hardball.

Younger Democratic members of Congress get hardball. They’ve been playing hardball with the older Democratic establishment, vowing not to vote for beneficial legislation if it does not honor their demands, especially for human infrastructure needs. They’ve dug their heels in and have threatened to withhold votes until their demands are heeded. I like their fighting spirit, but not the likely results.

Are they prepared to walk away with nothing? A pareddown infrastructure bill? No legislation at all?

President Biden and Vice President Harris, along with other members of the Biden-Harris team, need to take this to the people and the streets. Most people support most provisions of the Build Back Better legislation. West Virginians and Arizonans need to get in Manchin and Sinema’s faces and demand flexibility from them. And Republican senators also need to face a deluge of telephone calls, emails and more, demanding that they budge and put some infrastructure money in the economy.

Democrats are imperiling their chances to keep Congress and the Senate in 2022. Their inaction lets indifferent voters know what going out on a limb for Democrats may not have the desired results when we live with politics as usual. The filibuster elevates the minority over the majority and favors predatory capitalism over fairness.

To be sure, the Biden-Harris Administration has been productive in their short nine months in office, with appointments, regulatory corrections, and more. They’ve also committed too many unforced errors and exposed themselves to public ridicule because of the mistakes (Afghanistan, Haiti, and more). And Dems have allowed themselves to be portrayed as weak quislings who won’t fight for people’s rights.

In some ways, Dems are great at fighting, especially when we are fighting each other. Memo to Dems: Fight enemies of progress, not each other. And don’t expect either votes or contributions if you are unwilling to fight for the people who voted for you.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA.

Why Won’t Democrats Fight?

By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Newswire Contributor Not a day goes by that I don’t get a text or three

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA.

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Features

Los Angeles News Observer A5

3 Blacks Among 21 New Staffers on Cal Atty Gen Bonta’s Exec Team Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media California Attorney General Rob Bonta last week announced the appointment of his executive team.

Included are three African American attorneys with a range of administrative and litigation experience in the private and public sectors.

Venus D. Johnson now serves as Chief Deputy Attorney General, Damon M. Brown was named Special Assistant Attorney General, and Amy C. Alley is the Policy Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs.

The trio joins 18 other members of California DOJ’s top personnel who will be setting the standards and determining the direction of the state’s law enforcement apparatus and criminal justice system.

Johnson will oversee the Divisions of Legal Affairs, Law Enforcement, Operations, Policy, and Technology. She will also preside over the Office of Solicitor General Opinion Unit, Equal Employment Rights and Resolution Office, and the Office of Program Oversight and Accountability.

With over 15 years of legal, law enforcement, and criminal justice experience, Johnson has served in senior staff roles in the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, with the City of Oakland, and at the California Department of Justice.

She recently served as Chief Assistant District Attorney for District Attorney Diana Becton, where she managed the overall administration of the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office. Her duties included overseeing the general operations, budget, and personnel decisions of all units within the office and serving as the District Attorney in her absence.

Venus also served as Associate Attorney General in the executive office of Attorney General Kamala D. Harris where she oversaw Harris’ executive team and operated as a senior legal and policy advisor.

“Venus is a dedicated public servant who is committed to the fair and equal administration of justice,” said U.S. Vice President Harris said after selecting Johnson for the Attorney General’s cabinet in 2013.

Prior to this role, Johnson was Deputy Attorney General/Legislative Advocate for California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley.

Johnson earned a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Loyola Marymount University.

Brown will serve as a legal and policy advisor on civil rights. He has over 15 years of experience working with some of the most prestigious private law firms in California where he represented a diverse client base of public agencies and private businesses in a range of civil matters, including labor and employment, class action litigation, and constitutional and civil rights litigation.

Recently, Brown served as the City Attorney for the City of Compton where, as the chief legal officer for the city, he led an office of attorneys and staff responsible for advising Compton City officials on matters pertaining to their offices.

“I resigned as City Attorney on Oct. 15, 2021. Serving the residents of the great City of Compton has been a tremendous honor and I am proud of the accomplishments I was able to achieve during my tenure to protect the

City’s interests, improve the structure and function of local government, and enhance the quality of life for all residents,” Brown stated on his Instagram account Nov. 1.

Brown’s experience includes serving on the State Bar Commission for Judicial Nominees Evaluation, as President of the John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles, Inc., the oldest and largest bar association in California for African American attorneys and judges, and the California Association of Black Lawyers.

Brown earned a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School and he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and African American studies from the University of California Berkeley.

Alley will be a high-level policy advisor in the development and advocacy of legislation. She joins the Attorney General’s Office with 20 years of experience working in the public sector. She was a principal consultant to California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), working on legislation and issues involving public safety, policing, criminal justice, and gender and racial equity.

Prior to that, Alley was a Deputy Attorney General in the Office of Legislative Affairs for former Attorneys General Xavier Becerra and Kamala D. Harris. There, she assisted in the development of legislative priorities for the Attorney General, represented the department before the Legislature, and provided technical assistance and consultation to legislators and staff, committee consultants, and program staff.

Alley also was a Legislative and Communications Director for former Assemblymembers Rob Bonta and Sandre Swanson, after spending several years as a deputy

(Courtesy Photo)

with the Office of Legislative Counsel. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California Davis, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and journalism from California State University Sacramento.

The DOJ has over 4,500 employees who are engaged in a variety of law enforcement and legal services. The department’s main offices are in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland, and Fresno.

Black Trainer Taking Aim at Breeders’ Cup with Modest Filly

By BETH HARRIS into next year's Kentucky Derby. The early favorite is AP Racing Writer 9-5 shot Jack Christopher, trained by Chad Brown and DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) – California Angel ridden by Jose Ortiz. The undefeated colt drew the rail has already beaten the odds before she even runs in the 12-horse field. in the Breeders' Cup. The 2-year-old filly cost just “I didn't really want to be there,” Brown said. $5,500, a drop in the bucket compared to her blue“Hopefully, he breaks clean and gets out there. We'll blooded rivals. She earned her way into the world leave it up to Jose to see if he just lets him roll along or championships with a late-running victory at 17-1 we just play it by ear if someone is hellbent on having odds. the lead.”

Her trainer, George Leonard III, is believed Embattled trainer Bob Baffert has three entries: to be the first Black conditioner with a horse in the 5-2 Corniche, 8-1 Pinehurst and 10-1 Barossa. Baffert Breeders' Cup. is being allowed to compete after he agreed to increased California Angel, by way of Indiana, takes on 13 security and testing standards for his eight horses. The rivals in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf, one of five Hall of Famer has had five positive drug tests in his races Friday that kick off Breeders' Cup weekend at stable in the last year.

Del Mar, the seaside track north of San Diego.

Baffert is seeking a record fifth victory in the “I realize it's phenomenal even being here,” said Juvenile.

Leonard, a Louisiana native who has a 19-horse stable.

“The could be hot, especially with Jack Christopher Indiana Grand is supporting its hometown filly breaking from the rail,” Baffert said. “These are all good by offering the first 200 fans in attendance on Friday horses. It's why there's a championship at stake. The a $20 win wager on her. Owner Chris Walsh is from margin for victory is so small. It's so tough to win these Columbus, Indiana. races.”

Walsh has already turned down several offers to Todd Pletcher will saddle 5-1 shot buy California Angel, a daughter of 2014 Kentucky Commandperformance and 20-1 shot Double Thunder.

Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome. Her Friday's races all featuring 2-year-olds are a prelude name was inspired by her sire as well as Leonard's Trainer George Leonard III, shown Tuesday with the filly California Angel, is making his first Breeders’ Cup to another nine on Saturday, culminating in the $6 habit of calling the filly “Angel.” appearance at age 55 in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tri- million Classic where Knicks Go is the 5-2 early favorite “I have the best horse I've ever touched,” he said. bune) for trainer Brad Cox. The top horses from the U.S., “We think we don't really know her full potential yet.”

Europe and Japan will be running for more than $31 out of races featuring modest purses.

California Angel, at 8-1 odds, drew the far outside California Angel charged from 12th place to million in purses over both days.

“You got to love it because there's plenty other post in the field of 14. win the Grade 2 Jessamine last month at Keeneland, In the other races on Friday: “I have lots of confidence in my horse,” Leonard Leonard's first time in a graded stakes race, the sport's things you can do to make a lot more money,” he said of _ Averly Jane is the 5-2 favorite in the $1 million his chosen profession. “I always feel I never work a day in said. highest level of competition.

Juvenile Turf Sprint His wife and stablehand, Isabel, said, “We always The son of a trainer, he struck out in 1991 and my life when I do what I enjoy.” _ Echo Zulu is the 4-5 favorite in the $2 million Pizza Bianca, owned and bred by celebrity chef come to win. I never pay attention to the odds.” opened his own stable. Unlike most of the high-profile Juvenile Fillies Friday's card is topped by the $2 million Juvenile, trainers and deep-pocketed owners at the Breeders' Cup, Bobby Flay, is the early 5-1 favorite in the Juvenile Fillies _ Ireland-bred Dubawi Legend is the 4-1 favorite in whose winner is tabbed as the horse to watch heading the $1 million Juvenile Turf Leonard stocks his stalls with claimers, horses he buys Turf.

Finding Spiritual Shelter from Mental Health Struggles Continued from page A1

Witnesses and made it his life’s work to reach out to comfort others with the Bible’s message of hope, love, and forgiveness that helped change his life, even studying the Bible with a man dealing with his own addiction and mental health issues.

Thompson’s transformation is no isolated phenomenon. Faith and the support of a congregation have helped many others turn the corner in their recovery.

“While the Bible does not indicate that spirituality cures medical problems, many have derived comfort and strength from what the Bible teaches and the practical guidance it provides,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Hope, support, and positive coping skills aid mental health – whether these are built up by professional or faithbased sources, noted Lawrence Onoda, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist based in Mission Hills, California.

Even those with serious mental health conditions may find some aspects of religious participation help them cope with their symptoms, he said.

As one of the some 8 million in the United States who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Gloria Acosta knew she needed comfort even if there is no

cure.

While an arduous journey towards sobriety through a veterans’ program helped her get stabilized and settled in her own apartment in Los Angeles, her journey stopped short of providing peace of mind.

“There was this constant fear,” recalled the 68-yearold.

“I nailed the windows shut, put extra locks on the door, kept the blinds closed.”

Then one Saturday, a ray of sunshine knocked at her door.

It was Elizabeth, a 12-year-old in yellow ruffles, whose innocence and boundless enthusiasm for the Bible message she was sharing disarmed Acosta.

Acosta started studying the Bible with Elizabeth, accompanied by others in the girl’s congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

After years of fighting for her life on the streets, the faith Acosta was gaining, and the warm support of fellow believers gradually had an emotionally healing effect on her.

“I started feeling safe in my own surroundings,” said Acosta.

“I felt happy, which I had never felt before.”

Since becoming one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in August 2020, she’s removed all the extra locks on her doors.

Warm sunlight floods through her windows as she sits at her desk to join congregation meetings on a virtual platform since the pandemic started.

While her PTSD still causes sleepless nights, she expressed feeling at peace with God and herself. “I don’t have to be all those things that I thought I had to be to survive in life,” she said. “I can just be Gloria.”

The Hardrick family, of Westland, Michigan, also fought through survival mode for years as they struggled with both homelessness and cancer.

They stayed in a claustrophobic hotel room where drug deals and prostitution awaited just outside the door.

Leaving his wife, weak from chemotherapy and radiation treatments, there with his son shrouded Willie Hardrick in overwhelming anxiety every day as he headed to work.

“I was feeling defeated and useless—like I couldn’t do anything for my family,” he said.

Taking the advice of his Bible teacher to pray every day would calm him, though. Hardrick kept up with his

Bible studies and got baptized during the pandemic. While his family eventually found a place to call their own, their anxieties weren’t over.

Hardrick soon got his own diagnosis of cancer spreading through his body.

“The congregation has helped me keep my sanity,” said Hardrick, recalling the meals, rides to the hospital and other practical assistance he received from fellow worshippers.

Even more than that congregation support system, the hope from the Scriptures is what his wife, Angela, said helps her through what can feel like a hopeless situation.

“I remind myself every single day that – no matter how bad things go – I have to look forward to the future: No more sickness, no more homelessness,” she said, referring to Bible teachings about a future free from suffering. “And with a brotherhood and their love that is so strong, you can overcome anything.”

More information on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including resources for coping with mental illness and emotional distress, can be found on their official website, www.jw.org.

Sports

A6

Los Angeles News Observer

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Jones & O’Connell Earn Walter Camp Award

App State’s Steven Jones (6) has one of his three interceptions. (Photo: App State Athletics)

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Aidan O’Connell of Purdue and Steven Jones Jr of Appalachian State were winners of this weeks Walter Camp National Players of the Week.

O’Connell had a monster day throwing for 536 yards while completing 40-of-54 passes for three touchdowns as Purdue defeated third-ranked Michigan State, 40-29. O’Connell’s 536 yards were the third-highest single-game total in Purdue history.

The former walk-on had the second most completions in a game in Purdue History. He also set a record for the most passing yards in a BIG10 game surpassing Drew Brees 522.

“Its not about the stats,” said O’Connell. “There were a lot

of screens and there was one trick play where Jackson ran all over the field. I give Glory to god I am so blessed, I shouldn’t even be in this position.”

The outing also earned him BIG-10 Offensive Player of The Week. With the win, the Boilermakers improved to 6-3, 4-2 in the Big Ten. The fifth year senior from Stevenson High in Lake Grove, Illinois is the sixth Purdue player to earn Walter Camp National Player of the Year honors since 2004, and the first since former running back D.J. Knox (Oct. 20, 2018).

On the Defensive side its Steven Jones Jr. “Mr. Athletic” Jones, tied a school record with three interceptions, and ran back two of them for touchdowns (47 and 34 yards) as Appalachian

Aidan O’Connell of Purdue (15) had a monster day throwing for 536 yards while completing 40-of-54 passes for three touchdowns. (Photo: Purdue Athletics)

State improved to 7-2 (4-1 in Sun Belt Conference) with a 48-14 victory over Arkansas State.

It marks the second week in a row that the senior defensive back from Rockingham, North Carolina has returned a pick for a score. He has returned three interceptions for scores in two weeks.

He and Iowa ‘s are the only player with two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game.

“I just want to make a play,” said Jones. “Make a play execute and do my job.”

Jones, Jr. is the first Appalachian State player to earn Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors.

This is the 18th year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as

its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. Recipients are selected by a panel of national media members and administered by the Foundation.

Walter Camp in known as “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation (www. waltercamp.org, @WalterCampFF) – a New Haven-based allvolunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

Trojans Fighting for Bowl Season

Arizona State running back Rachaad White (3) gets wrapped up by Southern California’s Calen Bullock and Chase Williams (7) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It’s been a tough year for USC football. It appears that week after week the team is in a hole that’s tough to climb out of.

They fell short against Arizona State by 31-16 score in front of 53,926 fans in Tempe. The team hung in there the first two quarters’ only to be down 14-10 at halftime.

The loss dropped them to (4-5, 3-4 PAC-12) and it’s making it tough for them to be bowl eligible. The Trojans visit to Cal this week was postponed. They are home to crosstown rival UCLA and finish up at the Coliseum against a tough BYU team.

A big peace missing of course is Drake London who was the one of nations leading receiver before his season ending his season with a fractured ankle last week. He is still third in the nation with 1,084 receiving yards behind Jerreth Sterns–Western Kentucky (1,276) and leader Devon Thompkins (1,314)–Utah State.

Event hough out of action he still leads the PAC 12 averaging 135 yards per game with Calvin Jackson Jr. (Washington State) behind him with a 74.1 average.

Trojan receivers only had 220 receiving yards as Tahj Washington led the team with 9 catches for 78 yards followed by Gary Bryant Jr. with 6 for 64 yards. Kedon Slovis and Jaxon Dart have been alternating at quarterback as the senior went 16 of 28 for 131 yards and one interception.

Dart was 8 for 19 for 189 yards and the lone TD with a

nine yard scamper in the second quarter that gave the Trojans a 10-7 lead.

Parker Lewis nailed three field goals from 38, 45 and 52 yards out.

Rachaad White led the Sun Devils (6-3,4-2 PAC-12) with 202 on the ground in 28 carries and two TD’s. He became the sixth player in ASU history to go for 200 yards against a conference opponent.

Jayden Daniels completed 11 of 20 for 145 yards with two interceptions. The junior from El Cajon High has completed -67 percent of his passes and has rushed for nearly 500 yards this season.

On the defensive side Freshman Xavion Alford had his first two career interceptions while finishing with two tackles Kanai Mauga led the team in tackles 11 with 10 being solo.. He was followed by Drake Jackson who had 8 while Ralen Goforth chipped in with five.

TROJAN NOTES: The game against CAL was rescheduled for December 4. There were several players and coaches from the Bears squad that are effected by COVID-19. USC needs two wins to be Bowl eligible.

For them not to play would just be a crime,” said Dante Williams USC interim coach. We want to play the game and a forfeit is not the way to go and you want to qualify for a bowl game our whole thing is fighting on competing.”

Rams Pay Tribute to Bruce

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer So-Fi Stadium has been rocking all season as the Los Angeles Rams have an 8-2 record. The team took time recognize Issac Bruce who this past August was enshrined into the Pro football Hall of Fame.

American Airlines Plaza was where Bruce was joined by former teammates and RAM greats Tom Mack, Orlando Pace, Jackie Slater, Eric Dickerson and Former HOF Commissioner David Baker.

There are 354 members of the hall and Bruce became the 32nd Ram to become a member. Baker was there to present him with is ring.

“The game we all love stands on the shoulders of the great ones,” said Baker. Those who wear the yellow jacket are truly the ‘Great ones.’

Bruce, who led the NFL in receiving yards in 1996, helped the Rams reach two Super Bowls — winning one with him scoring the decisive touchdown.

From 1999-2001, the Rams set a team record for points (540, 2000) and accumulated 1,569 points. The team of talented players also led the league all three seasons in total offense, passing yards and passing touchdowns.

“I feel like I’ve had a front row seat his entire career,” said Orlando Pace.

Bruce’s biggest grab came in the title game when he caught a 73-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XXXIV to down the Tennessee Titans 23-16.

He retired as the Rams’ all-time leader in catches (942), receiving yards (14,109) and yards from scrimmage (14,259).

Bruce was an All-Pro in 1999 and four-time Pro Bowl selection.

The 48-year old Bruce is one of fifteen children. And had a real strong up bringing.

“You learn hard work and faith,” Bruce stated. “Those were instilled in us at a young age by my parents, and to just be encouraging. We had each other’s backs when we needed it. To Issac Bruce, Tom Mack, David Baker, Orlando Pace, Jackie Slater, Eric Dickerson, all at American Airlines this date, we are very supportive of each other.”

Plaza at So-Fi Stadium. (Photo: Earl Heath)

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Sports

Los Angeles News Observer A7

Rams Can’t Recover from Tough Start

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer It was a tough start for the Rams as they fell into ad early hole with turnovers and no consistent offense.

Matthew Stafford had a couple of early turnovers and it was tough to come back After Stafford’s horrible first half, the Rams were in too deep a hole to climb out of, and the Titans beat them 28-16 in front of 71,785 fans at SoFi Stadium.

Stafford’s had a pass, intended for receiver Robert Woods at the right sideline, was cut off by safety Kevin Byard and returned 24 yards for the Titans’ second touchdown in 11 seconds.

He also tossed a pass trying to avoid a safety.

“I basically spotted them 14 points,” Stafford said of backto-back interceptions in the second quarter that led to Titans touchdowns. “You can’t do that in the NFL, especially against a good team like that. I’ve got to do a better job, those were on me.”

As big a concern as the loss might by Stafford’s health.

He landed heavily when he stumbled and was hit as he threw a fourth-down incomplete pass late in the game.

“It’s fine. It’ll be all right,” said Stafford, who did stay in the game and later hit Sony Michel with a TD pass in the final minute.

The Rams have been preventing sacks this season, allowed five on this day and bumbled their way with penalties. They had a season high 12 for 115 yards which tells you they all were not in sync.

“I think you go back and you say, ‘All right, we’re not going Tennessee Titans defensive end Jeffery Simmons, left, sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/ to allow one game to define us,” said head coach Sean McVay. Ashley Landis)

“I don’t think that’s reflective of the type of football team we are. We had a rough night. It really seemed like that was kind of the narrative for the night. A lot of those things that occurred are uncharacteristic. I choose to believe that tonight was not a reflection of who we are. We can look at it, correct it, and we’ll keep it moving.”

The defense allowed only 194 yards which would be good even though the Titans(7-2) were missing workhorse running back Derrick Henry.

The Titans are 17-0 since 2015 when they score 20 or more points in the first half.

It was a slow night for the Rams offensively but through out the season Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp have been a solid tandem.

Kupp has been the best receiver in football this season, leading the league in receptions (74), receiving yards (1,019) and touchdown catches (10).

The RedZone has been good for both Woods has scored less than half the touchdowns that Kupp has but he’s had opportunities in the red zone, just as Kupp has. With how frequently the Rams throw the ball in the red zone, Kupp and Woods lead the NFL in red zone targets.

Kupp has been targeted 21 times, with Woods ranking second (16) and Tyler Higbee tied for fourth (13).

Kupp has caught 14 of his 21 red zone targets, scoring nine touchdowns in the red area. Woods has caught nine of his 16 targets with four touchdowns, while Higbee has eight red zone receptions and two touchdowns. They need the entire team to come together as they take on San Francisco next Monday night.

The Bolts Regain their Mojo in Philly

By Cameron Buford whatsgoodinsports.com Coming off two consecutive losses these Chargers would be shorthanded when they take the field against the Eagles in Philadelphia. They would be without some key players on their defense this week. Defensive backs Michael Davis, Alohi Gilman, and Asante Samuel Jr. would all miss Sunday’s game vs. the Eagles. Which forced Defensive Coordinator Renaldo Hill and the defensive coaching staff to be creative with their schemes and coverages against this versatile Eagle’s team.

“It’s such an important point of when you go down a couple of guys, how do you respond? I think that [Secondary Coach] Derrick Ansley, [Assistant Secondary Coach] Tommy Donatell, [Defensive Coordinator] Renaldo [Hill] — that whole group of guys does such a good job of cross-training these guys.” Coach Staley stated on Friday about their changes in the secondary, before flying to Philadelphia. “These guys have game action.

They’ve been in the fire, whether it was in the preseason or this season. I like the way that we have practiced so far this week with that group. I’m confident in those guys as competitors. We’re going to have to do a good job of playing and coaching around them. Those guys are going to be up for the challenge.”

After playing two of the worst games of his young NFL

career, Chargers QB Justin Herbert had a game most Chargers fans would come to expect from him. Hitting 32 of his 38 passes and registering 356 yards passing, with two touchdowns and rushing for a touchdown, is an ideal way to bust out of this slump. This win gives him five comebacks wins in his young career and ties him with Kyler Murray and Cam Newton for the most multiple passing TDs with a rushing TD in their first two seasons in NFL history.

“I think it’s huge for us because we lost a couple of tough games and the film we watched we have to get better than that.” Herbert would say in his post-game press conference. “To come here in such a hostile environment. They’ve got an incredible team on the opposing sideline. It was a tough game and there not going to be easy. None of the games in the NFL are going to be easy and that’s what we’ve figured out in the last couple of weeks.

To battle through all that adversity and come out on the other side, I think is huge for us.”

“Well, it’s the NFL; they’re all tough games. You know it’s going to happen; it’s about how you answer adversity.” Herbert would say in his press conference, after the game, “Like we mentioned all week, it’s about how you answer, and I thought the guys did a great job today, Defense, offense and special teams as well. That’s the NFL, every game is going to be a tough game and

Chargers Weekly-

(Photo: Mike Nowak/Los Angeles Chargers)

you have to have your best, and I felt like we were good today.”

The Chargers’ offense did not allow a sack for the first time since 2019 and totaled 445 net yards, good for the most on the road this season. WR Keenan Allen had 12 catches for 104 receiving yards to register his 30th career 100-yard performance.

On defense, DL Linval Joseph tied for the team lead with a season-high nine tackles. Meanwhile, OLB Joey Bosa reached 4.5 sacks for the season after posting a seven-yard drop on Sunday.

“Our offensive line played a very good football game today; this was a line of scrimmage game, and our offensive line competed at a high level.” Coach Staley said about his team in his postgame press conference. “Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler, Storm Norton, (Michael) Schofield, and Rashawn (Slater), they were outstanding. Our tight ends blocked well today, all four of them!” The fact that the Chargers’ offense did not allow a sack for the first time since 2019, this is evidence of how well they played today.

Neither team would score on their initial drive, though the Chargers drove the ball as far as they could on the Eagle without scoring. It wasn’t until their second drive of the game that both teams got into the endzone. The Chargers would capitalize on the field position they got from their long drive, with a TD pass from Herbert to Stephen Anderson, for his first TD catch of the season.

The Eagles would get on the board with a 4-yard run from Jordan Howard. For his third touchdown of the season.

Each of these teams would exchange touchdown on four consecutive drives before the Chargers closed the game out.

Herbert would connect on a pass to Donald Parham Jr., on an 8-yard touchdown pass just before Hopkins missed the extra point. The Eagles answered with a Kenneth Gainwell one yard touchdown run to take a 17-16 lead in the third quarter.

Los Angeles went ahead 16-10 on Herbert’s 8-yard TD pass to Donald Parham Jr., but Hopkins missed the extra point. The Eagles quickly answered with Kenneth Gainwell running in from the 1 to take a 17-16 lead. Hurts completed 3 of 4 passes on that drive for 63 yards. He was 4 of 9 for 54 yards to that point.

On the following drive, Herbert had an 8-yard Touchdown run and then connected with Jared Cook on the 2-point conversion to make it 24-17. Hurts, lead the Eagles down the field and hit rookie DeVonta Smith on a 28-yard TD pass to tie the game up at 24-24.

“I really liked the way we executed in the run game and in the pass game. I really felt like we had balance today on offense and I felt like that was one of the big keys in the game was keeping, the Eagles defensive, front off-balance ... On that last drive, I thought that was a good example of that. A lot of key plays on that drive.

Everybody touched the ball for us on that drive and I think that makes you tough to defend. Justin Herbert, executed at a really high level today. What we wanted to do was finish that game with the football. We had the big 4th & 1 that we executed and then we split them on a run that really got us in there close.” Coach Staley would say about their final drive that they would kick the game winning field goal.

After thanking his lord and savior, Place Kicker Dustin Hopkins said in his post-game press conference, “Also the O-line, Obviously, I couldn’t do it without them. Then Matt and Ty, the snap and hold were awesome. For guys picking me up when I didn’t do as good as of job earlier, when I should’ve. And just how supportive the guys were. Even without knowing some of them.”

Though the Chargers would give up 176 yards rushing on 39 carries, they only allowed 162 yards passing with a secondary, which was without some key players. Keenan Allen would record his 30th career game with 100-yards receiving and his first double-digit catch game this season to secure this win.

“I feel like everything was fluid, we were just moving down the field. We went 98 yards down the field, no touchdown. Again, we get the ball all-the-way down and score 7 points, then we get the ball 40 yards no touchdown… we were just moving.” Keenan Allen said in his post-game press conference.

You would expect this kind of bounce-back game from a playoff team. With the AFC West open for the taking, these Chargers should have as much claim to winning the division as any team this season. What are your thoughts on the Chargers being able to win this division? Reach out to me on Twitter @whatsgoodnsport or shoot me an email at info@ whatsgoodinsports.com to share your thoughts. I encourage you to forward any suggestions on what topics, angles, or players on this Los Angeles Chargers team you would like to read about this season.

Lastly, be sure to subscribe to our weekly “Voice of the Fans Podcast,” which is available for you on most podcasting platforms; Apple and Google Podcasts, including Spotify, TuneIn, and iHeart Radio. On our Podcast, we have passionate banter about everything NFL while addressing current NBA topics, in addition to discussing multiple issues in and around the world of sports. Thank you, as always, for spending time with me and Making Our Voice, Your Choice!

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Meet and Greet with Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Mel Wilson

By Ricky Richardson Contributing Writer (Los Angeles, CA)- Los Angels Mayoral candidate Mel Wilson teamed up with Goals for Life to present Jobs 4 Life Community Outreach on Saturday, October 30, 2021. The events was held at a small, corner Strip Mall, on Florence Avenue and Gramercy Place.

Attendees had a chance to hear Mel Wilson talk about his “Vision For A Better L.A.,” candy treats for kids in preparation for Halloween and enjoy lunch.

People mingled about the area before the start of the program. This was second outreach program for Businessman Mel Wilson. The first was back in July, when he announced his candidacy for Mayor at a popular shopping center.

The program got under way with Mel Wilson thanking NFL Alumni Goals For Life for their support. Reggie Berry (CHARGERS/Executive Director, NFL Alumni Goals For Life addressed the crowd. Also in attendance were Tyrone Rodgers (SEAHAWKS), NFL Alumni.

Mel Wilson stated “As Mayor of Los Angeles, I will have

the COURAGE TO DO The RIGHT THANG and FIGHT FOR YOU. I’m not fearful-but Faithful.

The audience was reminded of what ails Los Angeles “Poverty is growing, the homeless crisis is getting worse, lack of affordable housing, unsafe neighborhoods, career politicians.” All of the above can be witnessed as you drive around various areas of town- the Eastside, Westside, Harbor, Valley and South Los Angeles.

He went on to say, “Angelenos deserve better, if elected Mayor, together we will fight to make life better, we will fight for

a Better L.A.” JOBS 4 LIFE was highlighted. “There are currently thousands of good paying jobs vacancies. These jobs don’t require a college degree. LAFD, LAPD, DWP, Ports of Los Angeles, METRO. In the private sector, jobs are available at UPS, FEDEX, AMAZON, WALMART, to name a few.

The city’s mayoral primary elections will be held on June 7, 2022. The top two candidates will vie for the Office of Mayor in the city’s general election on November 8, 2022.

Mel Wilson addressing the audience. (Photo: Ricky Richardson)

Tyrone Rodgers (SEAHAWKS, NFL Alumni), Mel Wilson and Reggie Berry (CHARGERS, Executive Director, NFL Alumni Goals for Life). (Photo: Ricky Richardson)

Christine Ahanotu and Marcel Wilson, Information Table. (Photo: Ricky Richardson)

California Begins Rollout of COVID Shots for Children 5 to 11

Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media After a review by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, California has approved the PfizerBioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.

The state has already begun to roll out vaccines, joining forces with about 500 organizations to distribute 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 shots to the estimated 3.2 million kids now eligible to receive them.

According to the California Department of Public Health, there are an estimated 171,000 Black children in that age range.

“The truth is we have lost 72,000 Californians to COVID. We have been looking for a miracle, for solutions, to help us get through this pandemic,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, during a news briefing with ethnic media outlets from across the state.

“The vaccine represents the best form of that ability to address this – to help us get through what has been a

very challenging nearly two years that has claimed way too many Californians’ lives and affected their livelihoods,” he added.

Ghaly addressed the fear of two heart-related reactions – Myocarditis and Pericarditis – doctors have found in adults and teenagers who have taken COVID vaccines. The conditions occur when fluids leak into the heart muscle (Mycarditis) or the lining around the heart (pericarditis) due to the immune system responding to antigens or infections in the body.

“We seldom see these important reactions occur as a result of the vaccines,” Ghaly said. “And when we do, they are often resolving themselves without significant intervention. But, most importantly, the risk of having more serious cardiac consequences from getting infected with COVID are real and well documented for young people.

Ghaly said of the estimated 4,000 children that participated in national trials of the vaccine, there were no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis found.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says vaccinating children is a step in the right direction.

“Vaccines are how we end this pandemic, and they’re how we keep our kids safe – it’s time to get our children the protection they need from this deadly virus, especially as we head into the winter season,” said Newsom.

Despite the governor’s positive outlook, many parents across the country remain hesitant to put their 5-11 kids at the front of the line for the vaccination. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) September study, 24 % of parents say their kids will “definitely not” get the shot; 32 % say they will “wait and see;” and another 34 % say their children will take the shot “right away.”

California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris took to Twitter to back up the governor’s message.

“Kids have been uniquely vulnerable to the disruptions of this pandemic. Now, it’s their turn to join their loved ones in having peace of mind from being protected against COVID-19. Every vaccination is one step closer to putting COVID-19 behind us. Let’s move forward, together,”

Harris said.

The state has designated 4,000 vaccination sites at schools and after-school programs to help administer the vaccines. Parents of schoolchildren and people who live in surrounding communities can also drop by the centers to get their shots.

Newsom also provided an update on the current vaccination rate in California.

“California is leading the nation in vaccinations with 54 million administered and 87 % of the eligible population with at least one dose, and we’re moving swiftly to implement a robust and equitable vaccination program that will cover this newly eligible age group,” he said.

To check eligibility or make an appointment for a COVID shot, visit MyTurn.CA.gov California Black Media’s coverage of COVID-19 is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.

2021 USC Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast

Southern California Apartments Will See TripleDigit Rent Increases Over the Next Two Years While multifamily markets inch toward normalcy with modest rent increases in urban areas, suburban rents will continue to increase at high rates as vacancies remain scarce LOS ANGELES – November 9, 2021 – The 2021 University of Southern California Casden Economics Forecast projects tripledigit dollar rent increases over the next two years for apartment dwellers in each of the region’s five markets with the highest rates of increase occurring in suburban submarkets.

The annual forecast predicts that by the end of the third quarter of 2023, rents will increase over their current levels by $252 in Los Angeles County, $410 in Orange County, $348 in San Diego County, $310 in Ventura County, and $241 in the Inland Empire, which includes San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

These numbers represent rates of increase that tend to get higher the farther one travels from Los Angeles and San Diego. As a result of changes to renter behavior during COVID-19, many submarkets outside of the metros are experiencing vacancy rates at historically low levels.

“COVID-19 caused a large-scale move from central cities to the suburbs that resulted in a sharp rise in apartment vacancies in Downtown LA, Koreatown, and Beverly Hills and historically low vacancies in Rancho Cucamonga, North City San Diego, and Oxnard,” said USC Lusk Center for Real Estate Director

Richard Green, who co-authored the forecast with Eunha Jun, a postdoctoral scholar and research associate with the Lusk Center.

“While vacancies are coming back down in urban areas, the outskirts remain low and supply and will see rents go up at a much higher rate than the cities.”

In general, current vacancy rates telegraph how much rent will go up or down during subsequent periods. Any market with a vacancy rate below 5 percent can anticipate higher rents. Currently, only downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, and Beverly Hills are above 5 percent, but all three submarkets have high absorption rates and can expect more moderate increases in rent.

However, vacancy rates are 1.69 percent in Rancho Cucamonga, 1.86 percent in Oxnard, and 1.56 percent in the San Diego suburb of North City. These historic lows will drive triple-digit rent increases over the next two years.

“The question now becomes whether this historic move from the cities to the outskirts will remain permanent or return to pre-pandemic levels. This will have an impact on the entire region should multifamily construction ramp up,” Green said.

The region’s decrease in population – the result of loss of life during the pandemic, outmigration, and significant restrictions

on international migration to the region – did not drive-up vacancies due at least in part to gentrification. The delivery of new inventory, which COVID-19 delays and high construction costs have slowed, will likely increase in all five regions in the next six months. As a result, vacancy rates are expected to rise in Orange, San Diego, and Ventura counties and remain near their current levels in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.

The annual forecast provided the following outlook for each region:

Los Angeles County 2021 Levels: $2,073 average rent; 3.9 percent vacancy rate 2023 Forecast: $2,325 average rent; 3.9 percent vacancy rate

Orange County 2021 Levels: $2,439 average rent; 2.1 percent vacancy rate 2023 Forecast: $2,849 average rent; 3.7 percent vacancy rate

San Diego County 2021 Levels: $2,144 average rent; 2.5 percent vacancy rate 2023 Forecast: $2,492 average rent; 3.4 percent vacancy rate

Ventura County 2021 Levels: $2,365 average rent; 2.7 percent vacancy rate 2023 Forecast: $2,681 average rent; 4 percent vacancy rate

Inland Empire 2021 Levels: $1,827 average rent; 1.9 percent vacancy rate 2023 Forecast: $2,068 average rent; 1.9 percent vacancy rate The 66-page report was produced by the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate and prepared using data provided by CoStar and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The complete 2021 USC Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast, which contains additional analysis and projections for the dozens of submarkets that comprise the five larger markets in Southern California, was presented to a gathering of industry professionals in Los Angeles on November 9, 2021. The full report will be made available to the public in the weeks ahead at https:// lusk.usc.edu/.