Los Angeles News Observer 11.24.22

Panel Discuss Supreme Court Case Threatening End of Affirmative Action

Los Angeles Los Angeles

Golden State Could have $25 Billion Deficit in 2023-24 Fiscal Year

By McKenzie Jackson California Black Media

California’s government may have a faceoff with a $25 billion budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year as tax revenues decline, according to a report issued by the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO).

Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek said during a Nov. 16 video press briefing that if the predicted downturn happens, it will be the Golden State’s weakest revenue performance since the 2008 to 2009 Great Recession.

“It is not insignificant, but it is also manageable,” Petek said. “We don’t think of this as a budget crisis. We just think of it as a notable budget problem that the legislature will have to confront when it begins that process in January.”

The LAO, the state legislature’s fiscal and policy advisor, details the budget shortfall and suggests ways to avoid it in the 20-page “The 2023-24 Budget: California’s Fiscal Outlook.”

The document is released yearly around this time to help guide California lawmakers as they begin to put together budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year.

Petek said the threat of a national recession and actions by the Federal Reserve played a hand in the report’s outlook, but the predicted numbers are not based on a recession occurring.

“Economic conditions are really weighing on the revenue estimates that are a major influencer of our fiscal output,” Petek said. “With high inflation, with elevated inflation that causes the Fed to have to take action to cool down the economy in its effort to bring down inflation. The longer and the higher inflation remains, the more aggressive

Less spending on large, onetime allocations is one way the state can offset the revenue losses it is expected to experience.

In response to the LAO budget prediction, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said the state has budget resiliency — $37.2 billion in reserves.

“We can and will protect the progress of the recent year’s budgets,” Rendon said. “In particular, the Assembly will protect California’s historic school funding gains, as districts must continue to invest in retaining and recruiting staff to help kids advance and recover from the pandemic.”

State Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said in the past, the dreary budget forecast would have meant program cuts and middle-class tax increases.

“That does not have to be the case this year,” Akins said. “Thanks to our responsible approach, we are confident that we can protect our progress and craft a state budget without ongoing cuts to schools and other core programs or taxing middle class families. The bottom line is simple: we are prepared to hold onto the gains we’ve made and continue where we left off once our economy and revenues rebound.”

Petek recommended that legislators not look to the reserves to solve the budget paucity when they begin formulating the state spending plan in early 2023.

“It would be prudent to try and identify other solutions in the early part of the budget period, and then if and when we have a lot more information about the economic situation — if revenues have deteriorated for

New Jersey Convicts Man of Killing a Man for Being White

FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) – A man has been convicted in the 2018 killing of an emergency medical technician and freelance photographer in New Jersey after authorities said he targeted the victim because of his race.

Jurors in Monmouth County convicted 30-yearold Jamil Hubbard of Sayreville of murder Friday in the May 2018 attack on 56-year-old Jerry Wolkowitz near his Freehold apartment. The violence left Wolkowitz on life support for almost six months before he succumbed to his injuries.

Prosecutors said Hubbard told investigators that he had been sleeping in his car after a fight with his ex-girlfriend, and when he woke up he saw the victim walking nearby and decided to attack him because he was white. He said he probably would have left Wolkowitz alone if he was Black, authorities said.

Authorities said Hubbard punched and kicked Wolkowitz from behind, took his wallet and keys, dragged him into the parking lot and ran him over before fleeing in the victim’s vehicle. The Sayreville man was also convicted of bias intimidation, theft and motor vehicle theft, eluding and a weapons crime. He is scheduled for sentencing March 31.

Defense attorneys argued that Hubbard suffered from serious mental illness, including bipolar disorder, that prevented him from knowing what he was doing or appreciating its wrongfulness, but jurors rejected their plea for an acquittal on insanity grounds.

The Asbury Park Press said Wolkowitz worked as photographer, EMT and ambulance supervisor, and his work often appeared in the Asbury Park Press.

One of the victim’s sisters, Judy Marcus, speaking for the family outside the courtroom, called the case ``a living nightmare for almost five years for all of us.’’ She praised the work of investigators and prosecutors that she said ‘’gave us the ability to go on and end the nightmare.’’

Marcus said the ordeal was particularly difficult because both of their parents were Holocaust survivors and, for two years, while her mother was still alive, the family couldn’t bear to tell her that her son had been murdered, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Maine Nominates 1st Black Woman as House Speaker

``Her nomination is historic and sends a powerful message to Mainers about what’s possible,’’ said current

Speaker Ryan Fecteau, who couldn’t seek

because of term limits.

Talbot Ross said she’s ready to focus on challenges including the rising cost of living, climate change and a lack of access to affordable housing and healthcare.

``Should I receive the support of the full Legislature, I will continue to push for progress in our state and use my position of leadership to work to improve the lives of all Mainers,’’ she said.

Her father, Gerald Talbot, was the founding president of the Portland chapter of the NAACP, and the first Black lawmaker in Maine, elected in 1972. He later served on Maine State Board of Education, and a school in Portland bears his name.

Like her father, Talbot Ross served as president of the Portland NAACP. She was elected in 2016 to the House, where her father served. Her party made her assistant majority leader in the House, becoming the first person of color to serve in leadership in the Maine Legislature.

The nomination, made during a caucus of incoming Democrats at the State House in Augusta, reflects growing diversity in the Legislature where two Somali American women were elected to the House and Sen.elect Jill Duson of Portland will be the first Black woman in the Senate.

Democrats also selected Rep. Maureen ``Mo’’ Terry, of Gorham, to serve as majority leader and Rep. Kristen Cloutier, of Lewiston, to serve as assistant majority leader. Those positions do not require any legislative approval.

Fecteau, of Biddeford, was the first openly gay house speaker in Maine. The full House must vote on his replacement when it convenes Dec. 7.

Work at Obama Presidential Center Construction Site

UC Academics Picket Campuses in the Largest Strike of the Year

Around 48,000 academic workers at all 10 University of California (UC) campuses went on strike Nov.14, shutting down classrooms and research laboratories in the largest employee walkout at any academic institution in history.

The Post-Doctoral scholars, teaching assistants’ and associate instructors, graduate student researchers, and academic researchers are represented by the United Auto Workers union in contract negotiations with the UC system.

Bargaining between the disputing parties has been

ongoing for months, and while UC officials recently called for a third-party mediator to address remaining issues, they are continuing to negotiate without one.

“When I was working in the lab, I worked 50-60 hours per week, and the salary was so low that every month I really had to think about if I would make it through the month,” said Neil Sweeny, President of UAW 5810, which is representing the striking UC employees. “I have two small children and my partner was a full-time student. We lived in campus family housing and we went to the campus foodbank every month to make sure that we had food. This was while my research was bringing in millions of dollars in research funding for the University.”

The workers are demanding better pay and benefits, including wage increases tied to housing costs. Housing costs in California are among the highest in the country, especially in the Los Angeles and San Francisco metropolitan areas.

Aside from UC campuses located in the state’s biggest cities, many of the research university system’s campuses are in parts of the state that have relatively high costs living, like Berkeley, San Diego and the Westside of Los Angeles.

“UC’s pay falls below all their self-identified peer institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale and even public schools like the University of Michigan where living costs are far less” the union said in a press release on

CHICAGO (AP) – Construction has resumed of the Obama Presidential Center, nearly a week after it was halted when a noose was found at the site on Chicago’s South Side, the group building it said Wednesday.

“Over the last several days, all staff and onsite workers have participated in anti-bias training. Additional safety and security measures have also been implemented. Today, we are resuming all construction operations onsite,’’ Lakeside Alliance, a partnership of Black-owned construction companies, said in a statement.

Police are still investigating the Nov. 10 incident. No one has been charged.

Lakeside Alliance has offered a $100,000 reward to help find who was responsible.

The center is expected to open in 2025.

It will sit in Jackson Park, near the Obama family home and where the former president started his political career.

The city will own the center under the terms of a 2018 ordinance approved by the City Council.

The initial cost was projected at $500 million, but documents released by the Obama Foundation last summer showed the cost had climbed to roughly $830 million. Funds are being raised through private donations.

Serving Los Angeles County for Over 37 Years

Students on the picket line in November 16, 2022 (Photo: Maxim Elramsisy |California Black Media)

Maxim Elramsisy California Black Media

the Fed has to be. And the more aggressive the Fed has to be, it really

increases the risk that the economy will fall into a recession. So, that being said, our revenue estimates do not assume a recession.”

California taxes wealthy people more than other states, so most of the revenue decline is because the rich aren’t making as much money as they used to. The report details that California could see deficits between $8 billion to $17 billion in the following years.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives nominated the state’s first African American to serve as speaker, selecting a Portland lawmaker whose father was the first Black member of the Maine Legislature.

Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross was nominated Thursday over another Portlander, Ed Crockett, to lead the chamber. Her selection is all but assured since Democrats control the state House.

House

reelection

World & Nation

Donald Trump Formally Announces 2024 Presidential Candidacy

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Six hundred and seventy-eight days after he inspired arguably the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history and almost single-handedly destroyed American democracy, Donald J. Trump formally announced that he’s running for president. The twice-impeached former president made the announcement ostensibly at the scene of one of his more recent alleged crimes. With a gaggle of American flags hanging in the background and dozens of family members and supporters looking on, Trump declared his 2024 candidacy at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida compound. “Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests and my fellow citizens, America’s comeback starts now,” Trump told his cheering faithful. With Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis seen as the early favorite to win the 2024 GOP nomination, Trump took a bow for “all the promises I’ve kept.” However, most observers have noted that a border wall on the Southern U.S. border never occurred and Mexico, as Trump famously promised, never paid for such a project. While in office, Trump never released his tax returns and a healthcare plan he continually promised that would usurp Obamacare, never happened. In August, authorities searched the Mar-a-Lago residence and reportedly retrieved masses of classified federal documents that he allegedly and illegally removed from the White House after Joe Biden’s resounding victory over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump’s announcement comes even as several investigations continue. Earlier in the day, Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer for the Trump Organization, testified in a criminal tax fraud case that Trump himself “authorized” the scheme. Weisselberg, 75, added that Trump knew compensation for executives included perks such as apartments and luxury cars instead of extra salary. In April of 2021, Weisselberg and the company were both indicted. Authorities haven’t charged Trump with any wrongdoing. In August 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged in a civil suit that Trump and three of his adult children engaged in a decade’s worth of fraud, inflating Trump’s net worth by billions of dollars. “Our investigation uncovered the fact

election in Georgia. According to an October 2022 report from the Brookings Institution, which based its findings on “publicly available evidence,” Trump and his supporters could face several election-related criminal charges in Fulton County. “This is not a game at all,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said earlier this year. “What I am doing is very serious. It’s very important work. And we’re going to do our due diligence and make sure that we look at all aspects of the case.” Meanwhile, the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has also subpoenaed Trump, who has thus far ignored the inquest. Still, committee leaders expect to hand their findings over to the federal prosecutors next month, and Trump could face charges that include inciting a riot and possibly treason. Five people, including two police officers, died during or just after the insurrection, which featured an angry mob of Trump supporters attacking the U.S. Capitol. The mob, many of whom left a Trump rally and heard the then-lame duck president urge them on. Insurrectionists sought out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence in particular, even threatening to hang Pence. Ahead of Trump’s announcement, Rhode Island Democratic Rep. David Cicilline circulated a letter to his caucus urging his colleagues to support legislation barring the former president from running for office. Cicilline cited the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “The language in our Constitution clearly intended to bar insurrectionists from holding high office in the United States,” Cicilline cited in the letter first reported by Politico’s Nicholas Wu. “Given the proof – demonstrated through the January 6 Committee hearings, the 2021 impeachment trial, and other reporting – that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection on January 6 with the intention of overturning the lawful 2020 election results, I have drafted legislation that would prevent Donald Trump from holding public office again.” Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney appeared on national television encouraging his party to move on from Trump. “It’s like the aging pitcher who keeps losing games,” Romney said. “If we want to win, we need a different pitcher on the mount. And I know there are some fans that love him, but it’s time for him to get off the mound.”

Congress Returns to Work as Election Results Remain Unsettled

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By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

As votes continued to pour in from the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats have retained control of the U.S. Senate and still cling to hope that the House will swing in their favor. But whatever happens with the remaining count determining control of the House, the Republican Party’s anticipation of a red wave crashed into a resilient blue wall, even as members return to work. “We are going to try to have as productive a lame-duck session as possible,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DNY) stated. “I’m going to talk to my caucus. I’m going to talk to the Republican leadership and see what we can get done,” Schumer added. There’s much on the agenda before Congress goes into recess on December 16. At the top of the list is funding the government for 2023 and avoiding a shutdown. Democrats also hope to get a bill to President Joe Biden’s desk to strengthen federal election

laws surrounding counting and certifying electoral votes in presidential elections. Many believe such a measure won’t stand a chance in a GOP-controlled House. However, some Republicans are on record agreeing that reform of some kind is required. Congress also must address the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which structures the Pentagon. Additionally, the January 6 committee should release its final report next month, and members must decide what to do about former President Donald Trump’s fight against its subpoena. The committee could move forward in recommending charges, but with the possibility of Republicans wresting control of the House, the investigation could stall or even cease. A party must hold 218 seats to gain a majority in the House. Officials continue to count votes from mail-in ballots in California, Oregon, and Arizona. The GOP won 211 seats to 204 for Democrats as of press time. In a significant victory for Democrats, CNN projected that Marie Perez would defeat

UC Academics Picket Campuses in the Largest Strike of the Year

Thursday.

The UC maintains that “On average, UC rents systemwide are 20-25% below market rates, with some campuses providing even deeper discounts. UC has offered wage increases for all UAW members which would further help them meet their housing needs.”

The aggrieved employees paint a different picture.

“Being a TA pays for tuition but there is no way I can support myself in this city with what they pay,” said Victor E., a PhD. student and Teachers Assistant on strike at UCLA. “With teaching, my own coursework, and my research, there isn’t really any time to pick up another job. This has resulted in me taking out loans just to live and eat here. This shouldn’t be the case. With the amount of work the university gets out of its graduate students, postdocs, and others, a living wage is a small ask… A number one ranked public university should be doing no less and certainly much, much more.”

Another priority for the workers is transportation costs. The cost of gasoline has gone up around the world and according to a statewide survey conducted by The Public Policy Institute of California, an independent and non-partisan research firm, 43% of Californians including half of lower income residents worry every day about the high cost of gasoline and the increasing unaffordability of various modes of transportation.

The union wants UC to cover regional transit passes, and additional subsidies and incentives for taking public transit or bikes to work.

Recently, UC has offered to pay campus fees to extend “existing student-funded transit discounts,” to UAW members.

Although agreements have yet to be announced, on Thursday the UAW reported that “parties made progress

rate of inflation.”

However, they did report progress in some other areas.

“We have reached agreement on a few issues - such as health benefits improvements for Postdocs - which, while important, are not the major ones dividing the parties.”

As final examinations approach for students in the UC system, so does uncertainty. “UAW remains ready to meet for round-the-clock negotiations, but UC has not agreed to schedule sessions for the weekend,” a UAW release said.

“Workers will be back on the strike lines Monday Morning.”

Students, faculty and elected officials are showing support for the strikers. Some professors are cancelling classes, and some students are electing to walk out. California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon tweeted “Academic workers are essential to the success of all of our @UofCalifornia campuses. The UC must continue to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement with the @ UAW.”

Republican Joe Kent, a Donald Trump ally, in Washington state’s GOP-leaning 3rd District. In Colorado’s 3rd District, Trump loyalist Lauren Boebert remains locked in an unexpected battle with Democrat Adam Frisch. If Frisch upsets Boebert, it will increase his party’s long-shot chance of holding the House. Democrats also did surprisingly well in gubernatorial races, winning 23 seats. In potentially the most stunning upset of the 2022 midterms, Republican Kari Lake, a 2020 election denier, trails Democrat Katie Hobbs in the Arizona governor’s race by 34,000 votes. Officials still must count about 290,000 votes before declaring a winner. Also, in Los Angeles, former Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass had widened her lead over developer Rick Caruso in the race for mayor. A Bass victory would make her the first Black woman mayor in the history of Los Angeles.

that Donald Trump and the Trump Organization engaged in significant

fraud to inflate his personal net worth by billions of dollars to enrich himself and cheat the system illegally,” James stated. “Since we filed this sweeping lawsuit last month, Donald Trump and the Trump Organization have continued those same fraudulent practices and taken

measures to evade responsibility. So today, we are seeking an immediate stop to these actions because Mr. Trump should not get to play by different rules.” Last week, reports again surfaced that Trump appeared at “substantial risk” of criminal prosecution over his efforts to overturn the 2020

With a gaggle of American flags hanging in the background and dozens of family members and supporters looking on, Trump declared his 2024 candidacy at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida compound.

Entertainment

Man Charged with Arranging Rapper Young Dolph’s Killing

By ADRIAN SAINZ Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – A man charged with arranging the killing of Young Dolph pleaded not guilty Thursday _ one year after the rapper and record label owner was ambushed and shot to death while buying cookies at a bakery in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Hernandez Govan, 43, made a brief appearance in Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis. He was arrested last week after he was indicted on charges including first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the killing of the rapper, who was 36 when he died. The judge scheduled Govan's next hearing for Dec. 16.

Govan is the third man charged in the Nov. 17, 2021, slaying of Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr. The killing in broad daylight stunned Memphis and shocked the entertainment world. Police said two men exited a white Mercedes-Benz and fired shots into Makeda's Homemade Cookies, which is near the rapper's boyhood home in the Castalia neighborhood. Police released photos taken from surveillance video that captured the shooting, and authorities later found the car abandoned.

Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith Jr., have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges in the shooting and are being held in jail without bond. They are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 20.

In a weekly newsletter, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Govan ``solicited the murder and put it in motion.'' But no evidence has been made public to support that statement, and a suspected motive has not been disclosed. The investigation is ongoing.

``I know that you all are wanting details, you're wanting facts, you're wanting sort of answers to some of these mysteries and things like that,'' prosecutor Paul Hagerman told reporters after Thursday's hearing. ``Even if we knew them, we couldn't tell you. As a matter of ethics and our requirements under the law, we've got to confine ourselves to what's made public.''

Govan's lawyer, Bill Massey, said he was seeking the prosecution's evidence in the case, which Massey said may not go to trial until after next year due to the amount of evidence and the number of defendants.

Known for his depictions of tough street life and his independent approach to the music business, Young Dolph was admired for charitable works in Memphis.

He organized Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, donated thousands of dollars to high schools, and paid rent and covered funeral costs for people in the Castalia Heights neighborhood where he was raised.

His work as a rapper, producer and owner of the independent label ``Paper Route Empire'' took him away from Memphis, but the father of two had returned to the city days before his killing to visit a sick relative and organize a turkey giveaway that took place without him.

After Young Dolph's death, a section of a street near his boyhood home was renamed for him. A private funeral was held and he was honored during a public celebration at FedExForum, the home of the Memphis Grizzles of the NBA and the University of Memphis men's basketball team.

City officials and community activists also pointed to the killing as a symbol of the scourge of gun violence in Memphis. Since the rapper's death, Memphis has seen several other high-profile killings this year, including the shooting of a United Methodist Church pastor during a carjacking in her driveway; the kidnapping and shooting of an elementary school teacher who police said was abducted during an early morning run; and a man's daylong

shooting rampage that was partially livestreamed and led to the death of three people.

Young Dolph's slaying also is one in a string of several killings of prominent hip-hop artists in recent years. His independent approach to the music business drew comparisons to Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was fatally shot in 2019. Other rappers who have lost their lives to gun violence since 2018 include XXXTentacion, Pop Smoke and most recently, Takeoff, who was fatally shot outside a bowling alley after a party in Houston on Nov. 1.

Young Dolph was born in Chicago and moved to Memphis with his parents when he was 2. He released numerous mixtapes, starting with 2008's ``Paper Route Campaign,'' and multiple studio albums, including his 2016 debut ``King of Memphis.'' He also collaborated on other mixtapes and albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, T.I., Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and others.

He had three albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020's ``Rich Slave'' peaking at No. 4. Makeda's, the bakery where he was shot, was boarded up and closed before it reopened in September.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) – Hip hop star Nicki Minaj has teamed up with Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares for the latest addition to the official soundtrack of the World Cup in Qatar.

The single “Tukoh Taka,” with lyrics in English, Spanish and Arabic, was released on Friday, two days ahead of the start of the tournament.

It's the latest in a series of songs by artists from around the world released as part of FIFA's official soundtrack of the 2022 World Cup.

Maluma and Myriam Fares will perform at the opening of the FIFA fan festival in Doha on Saturday.

or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in prop er legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/self help), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you can not pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an at torney, you may want to call an attor ney referral service. If you cannot af ford an attorney, you may be eligible

Legal Notices

for free legal services from a nonprof it legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the Cal ifornia Courts Online Self-Help Cen ter (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin es cuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para pre sentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo prote gen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un for mulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más infor mación en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pa gar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abo gado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requi sitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servi cios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California

Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifor nia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte. ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de aboga dos locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recu peración de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, California 90012

The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandan te, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Law Offices of Jay W. Smith: Jay W. Smith, Esq. Sbn: 150113 and Nancy A. Young, Esq. Sbn: 183328 6644 Valjean Avenue #200 Van Nuys, CA 91406 Telephone: (818) 709-2556 Fax: (818) 709-2513 DATE (Fecha): October 26, 2021 Clerk (Secretario), by G. Villarreal, Deputy (Adjunto) Sherri R. Carter, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court (SEAL) LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (LOJS) PUB: Nov 24, Dec 1, 8, 15,

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF STANISLAUS CASE NUMBER: FL-22-001877 CITATION TO PARENT(S) IN RE THE MATTER OF THE PETI TIONER OF PAUL AND AUTUMN GOSE TO DECLARE BENJAMIN ELIJAH ERWIN, A MINOR TO BE FREE FROM THE CUSTODY AND CONTROL OF ABIGAIL ERWIN AND CARLISLE HAMMOND THE PEO PLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFOR NIA TO: Abigail Erwin (biological moth er) and Carlisle Hammond Jr. (al leged father)

By order of this court, you are hereby advised that you may appear before the Judge presiding in Department 14 of this court on Janu ary 3, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. and January 17, 2023 at 8:31 a.m. then and there to show cause, if any you have, why BENJAMIN ELIJAH ERWIN should not be declared free from your cus tody and control for the purpose of freeing BENJAMIN ELIJAH ERWIN for placement for adoption. The fol lowing information concerns rights and procedures that relate to this proceeding for the termination of custody and control of said minor as set forth in Family Code Section 7860 et seq.:

1.

whether or not he is able to afford counsel. The minor will not be pres ent in the court unless he requests or the court so orders.

2. If a parent of the mi nor appears without counsel and is unable to afford counsel, the court must appoint counsel for the parent, unless the parent knowingly and in telligently waives the right to be rep resented by counsel. The court will not appoint the same counsel to rep resent both the minor and his parent.

3. The court may appoint either the public defender or private counsel. If private counsel is ap pointed, he will receive a reasonable sum for compensation and expens es, the amount of which will be de termined by the court. That amount must be paid by the real parties in interest, but not by the minor, in such proportions as the court believes to be just. If, however, the court finds that any of the real parties’ interest cannot afford counsel, the amount will be paid by the county.

4. The court may continue the proceeding for not more than thirty (30) days as necessary to ap point counsel to become acquainted with the case.

Dated: Nov. 15 2022

Caroline Fierro, Clerk

By: Caroline Fierro Deputy Clerk

LOS ANGELES NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Nov 24, Dec 1, 8, 15, 2022

At the beginning of the proceeding the court will consider whether of not the interests of the minor child require the appointment of counsel. If the court finds that the interests of the minor do require such protection, the court will ap pointment counsel to represent him,

OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATE MENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BE FORE THE EXPIRATION. EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014, THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY FORM. This statement expires on Nov 14, 2027 LOS ANGELES BAY NEWS OBSERVER (E) PUB: Nov 24, Dec 1, 8, 15, 2022

Features

A Bill of Rights for Long-Term Care Residents

By Peter Schurmann Ethnic Media Services

Do residents of long-term care facilities have rights?

The question gained new urgency for elder care advocates in the wake of the Covid pandemic, which led to prolonged quarantines and isolation for residents amidst soaring infection and fatality rates.

Today, advocates worry residents’ basic rights — from proper health care to voting and even when and what to eat — are not being met amid acute staffing shortages.

“Every individual has rights that must be honored and protected,” says Blanca Castro, California’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman, a title Castro says originally comes from the Swedish word for “advocate.”

“Just because you go into a long-term care facility, you are still the same person you were before you entered. You still have a name; you have a family… you still matter,” said Castro.

She spoke during a Nov. 16 media briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services, in partnership with the California Department of Aging and the California Department of Health’s VaccinateAll58 campaign.

More than 400,000 people receive care in long-term care facilities in California annually. Their stays can be a short stint — after a hip replacement or knee surgery — or long-term advanced care for memory-related illnesses or other ailments.

Castro’s office received more than 40,000 complaints last year, ranging from inappropriate discharges to medications not being given. Among the complaints, many had to do with residents not being allowed to see visitors during Covid lockdowns.

‘Dignity & independence’ for patients

“We are social animals,” said Castro. “We need voice, touch, contact. Facilities locked down during Covid, turning residents into prisoners… it did not have to be that way.” An estimated 10,000 people died from Covid in California nursing facilities in 2021. Social isolation contributed to many of those deaths, she stated.

New laws put in place since the start of the pandemic now require care facilities to have infection control plans — which dictate basic procedures like hand washing and mask wearing — that Castro says can help ameliorate the isolation many residents experienced.

Castro, whose office is supported through taxpayer dollars, explained that while not an enforcement agency, one of the state’s more than 700 long-term care ombudsman — along with 35 related programs — will come to communicate with the resident and their family and can refer cases to relevant departments that are tasked with enforcement when necessary.

Dignity and independence are priorities for her office, Castro adds. “The main question we ask is: what do you want? What does resolution look like to you?”

The Nursing Home Reform Act

Hagar Dickman, a staff attorney with the non-profit Justice in Aging, said The Nursing Home Reform Act lays out the full range of rights to which long-term care residents are entitled. Under the Act, facilities are required to provide the highest level of care they are functionally capable of.

“Person centered care guided by what each resident needs and wants,” she said.

The Nursing Home Reform Act, originally passed

in 1987, applies to facilities that accept both Medicare and Medicaid (MediCal in California), which a majority of facilities do. Among the rights it lays out are the right to consultation with residents and family in drafting healthcare plans. “Facilities cannot create care plans without discussing them with residents and their families first,” explained Dickman.

Other rights revolve around daily and otherwise mundane activities that most people outside of care facilities take for granted: waking times, mealtimes, what kind of food one is offered. All of these must be flexible.

But enforcing these rights often falls first to residents and their families: Dickman said they have to be aware that these rights exist. She also pointed to longstanding disparities in who is afforded these rights and who isn’t.

“Black Americans are three times more likely to reside in poor performing facilities,” she said, noting that her work as an advocate begins with that perspective of where the disparities are greatest and who is suffering most by being denied these fundamental rights.

Acute shortage of care workers

Still, while long-term care facilities came under intense scrutiny during the pandemic, Castro was quick to note the difficulties of working in these settings, particularly for staff, many of whom come from communities of color and often receive subpar wages. “It is a challenging job… but people do it because they want to help.”

Castro said California is currently working to improve wages for care facility workers amid an increasingly severe shortage that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

“Understaffing in some of these settings worries me,” said Dr. Anna Chodos, associate professor of medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. She pointed out that during the height of the Covid crisis, data showed that as nursing ratios increased, infections dropped. That became especially apparent once vaccines became available. “We want to keep our eye on ensuring residents’ access to life saving vaccines.”

Staff training was another issue that came up often during the one-hour briefing.

Jerry Kirouac is a long-term care ombudsman based

in Redding, in northern California. “One of the biggest problems we have (in terms of ensuring residents’ rights)… is lack of facility knowledge. It is that training and the quality and consistency going into that training,” he said.

Kirouac spoke from a veterans’ care home in the largely rural city, located about 4 hours north of San Francisco. He was joined by several residents of the home, including Billy Thomas, 79 and a Marine veteran, who said communication was a problem at the facility. “Concerns and complaints don’t reach the administration,” he said.

Linda L., 77 and a Navy veteran, said the center needed to work on conflict resolution, citing an experience with a fellow resident that she said, “got swept under the rug.” Billy Ball, 84, has always voted as a veteran and cares most about that right, which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Patients stressed in an October 5 memo that all facilities must ensure.

Speakers also urged residents and families to form councils, to work together to advocate for their rights. “There is power in numbers,” Dickman said.

The

And among hundreds of county listings are contracts for working with bloodhounds on investigations, transporting bodies from hospitals to crematories and for a vendor to supply 150,000 legal folders.

A key challenge in securing government contracts that CDABP can help with is state and federal laws that bidders be “bonded” — have insurance to protect taxpayers if the contractor can’t finish the work.

“In a commercial or private marketplace, it’s just optional for the owner, but in public construction, it’s not optional, because these are taxpayer dollars,” Merriwether explained.

“When a public agency hires a contractor to build something, there’s a risk.

“If the contractor, let’s say, halfway through the contract, he’s like, ‘forget this, I’m not going to make any money on this job, I’m going to just walk,’ well, now the taxpayers are left hanging and they need some remedies.

“So a bond coming from a bonding company then gets triggered, and the bonding company shows up and says, ‘OK, we bonded this job, we’re now responsible.’

“So the bonding company will bring in a new contractor and complete the work at their expense. If you’re a subcontractor, the bonding company is going to make sure that if you have a legitimate invoice, you’re paid for the work that you did.”

But over the years the CDABP has been running, Merriwether said, “out of 1,100 bond transactions covering $331 million of public construction work, we’ve only had two contractors ever fail to complete their projects.

“That’s where that term came from, that my word is my bond.”

By Mark Hedin Ethnic Media Service

For 25 years, California’s Contractor Development and Bonding Program has been working to expand and diversify the state’s contracting industry.

It’s a win-win.

Taxpayers save money on public projects when a larger pool of qualified bidders compete for government contracts, which go to whichever one offers the lowest price.

And the ability to do those jobs provides security for people who may not have college educations, financing or anything more than their skills — whether as painters, landscapers, electricians and so on — and a willingness to work hard.

Even in times of economic ups and downs, contracting work persists, often planned years before, for completion years later.

But small local, minority, and woman-owned

contractors nonetheless have to overcome many challenges as they develop their businesses.

To help them succeed and grow, CDABP has an array of programs available at no charge, that can take them all the way from completing their contracting license to submitting winning bids for government contracts and partnering with other businesses.

The insurance brokerage Merriwether & Williams, itself a women and minority-owned business, oversees CDABP, forming relationships with clients that can continue for years as their work progresses and business grows.

“Right now, we have a shortage of an adequate number of contracting firms for the level of work being done and being contemplated over the next few years,” Ingrid Merriwether said in an interview with Ethnic Media Services.

“Whenever you have a supply and demand imbalance, it’s going to cost the taxpayers, because contractors can

charge higher prices because there’s just an inadequate number of them in a position to compete.”

“For smaller contractors, minority contractors who haven’t been participating at an adequate level or an equity level, this is an opportunity to address that. The need is there,” she said.

Kathryn Barger, District 5 County Supervisor, recently pointed out, for instance, that Los Angeles has $120 billion worth of projects in the pipeline, such as for the 2028 Olympics and LA Metro transit expansion, funded by Measure M, from 2016.

CDABP can help clients access other policies intended to encourage small and minority business participation in government contracts, too, along with training on estimating jobs, successful contract bidding, obtaining insurance — including by arranging collateral pledges — partnering with other contractors and navigating the diverse requirements of different government agencies.

Government contracting opportunities extend far

Networking events and training programs, such as a recent one on meeting OSHA requirements, can lead to subcontractor relationships with the bigger companies sometimes conducting them.

Merriwether also provides clients with weekly updates on state bidding opportunities.

Workshops on how to successfully submit bids are followed up with document reviews as bids are made, and help getting audits by accounting firms when required.

CDABP can offer start-up contractors all these services for free in part because the state has a mandate to ensure that companies working for the government are reflective of their communities.

“We are advocates for small businesses. It’s our job to make sure you can do business with us,” Keith Compton, director of diversity and economic opportunity for LA Metro said at the event Barger hosted. “We’re very serious about this.”

Those interested in joining CDABP can contact Merriwether & Williams at mwisinfo@imwis.com or by calling (213) 258-3000.

Amid acute staffing shortages made worse by Covid advocates for older adults say more needs to be done to protect the rights of residents in California’s long-term care facilities.

beyond heavy industrial work such as repaving roads or extending subway lines.

Department of Public Works website, for instance, lists thousands of open contracts for needs as varied as graffiti removal, tree-trimming, waste-hauling and advertising signage.

Stopping the Churn: California and Other States Want to Guarantee Medicaid for Kids

By Phil Galewitz California Healthline

Before the covid-19 public health emergency began in 2020, millions of children churned on and off Medicaid each year — an indication that many were losing coverage because of administrative problems, rather than because their family’s income had increased and made them ineligible.

Several Western states, including California, are seeking to change that and weighing new continuousenrollment policies for the youngest Medicaid members. The possibility of changing their decades-old enrollment rules comes as the states weigh the effects of changes brought on by the pandemic.

California lawmakers have approved a proposal for children who qualify for Medicaid to enroll at birth and stay enrolled until age 5, starting in 2025, pending federal approval.

Oregon has already secured approval for a similar policy. In 2023, when the public health emergency is expected to end, Oregon will become the first state to allow children who qualify for Medicaid to enroll at birth and stay enrolled until they turn 6, regardless of changes in their household’s income and without having to reapply.

“This is really a no-brainer in terms of supporting kids,” said Jenifer Wagley, executive director of Our Children Oregon, an advocacy group. She said that keeping kids insured — particularly at the youngest ages, when their bodies and minds are still developing — will ensure they don’t miss important checkups and care because of gaps in coverage.Washington state in July asked the Biden administration for permission to provide continuous coverage to kids until age 6, and a decision is likely in the next few weeks. And New Mexico has sought public comments on a plan to keep kids enrolled until age 6 and is expected to seek federal consent later this year.

Medicaid enrollment nationally is at a record high after the federal government prohibited states from dropping members during the public health emergency unless they died or moved out of state. That rule has helped push the country’s uninsured rate to a record low.

Of the nearly 90 million people on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program — a federal-state program that covers children in households with incomes above Medicaid eligibility — about 41 million are children. In California, nearly 1.2 million children younger than 5 are covered by Medicaid.

The California Department of Health Care Services, which oversees Medi-Cal, estimates the policy change would cost $39.1 million in 2025, assuming a January implementation, and $68 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The state is still weighing when to seek federal approval.

Mike Odeh, senior director of health for the California advocacy group Children Now, hopes the state moves ahead soon. “We would rather see the state pay for kids getting care than paying for paperwork,” he said. Having to reenroll every year, he added, can be a barrier for lowincome families. “We want them healthy and ready for school,” Odeh said.

Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, called states’ moving to longer periods of continuous coverage for children “a silver lining of the pandemic for children.”

She noted that from the fourth quarter of 2020 through the first quarter of 2022, the share of uninsured children in the U.S. fell from 6.7% to 3.7%, largely because of the emergency rule that has blocked states from

dropping Medicaid enrollees.

“States will have to do a lot of outreach about this new policy so that every baby leaves the hospital with health insurance and the parents don’t have to worry about coverage until the child goes to kindergarten,” she said.

If the public health emergency ends next year, nearly 5.3 million children could lose Medicaid coverage, according to a federal analysis that was released in August. About 1.4 million of them would be moved off the rolls because they no longer qualify, but nearly 4 million eligible kids would lose coverage for administrative reasons, such as failing to submit paperwork on time.

Because Medicaid’s household income eligibility thresholds are typically higher for children than adults, kids are less likely to lose coverage because of small changes in income. But children can lose their eligibility if parents fail to renew the coverage each year or don’t respond when a state seeks information to confirm that a family’s income

To address that problem, about half of states give children one year of continuous Medicaid eligibility regardless of changes in their household’s income. That group includes both Republican- and Democrat-controlled states, including some states — such as Alabama and Mississippi — that have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA.

Before moving toward continuous coverage for kids up to age 6, Oregon offered 12 months of continuous eligibility for children. Nonetheless, state Medicaid officials estimate that in 2019, prior to the pandemic’s start, more than 70,000 children younger than 6 — one-third of those enrolled — churned in and out of Medicaid. About 29,000 of those kids had coverage gaps that exceeded six months, state officials told KHN.

Oregon officials estimate that after four years in place, the new enrollment policy will benefit more than 51,000 children in 2027, at a cost of $177 million.

will have access to preventive and primary care services that can reduce the need for treatments related to delays in seeking care.

Oregon provides Medicaid and CHIP coverage to children from families with incomes of up to 300% of the federal poverty level, which is $83,250 for a family of four.

Lori Coyner, Oregon’s senior Medicaid policy adviser, said the change will reduce health inequities because it will help children of color retain coverage and access to care.

In addition to keeping children on Medicaid longer, Oregon won federal approval in October to become the first state to give children 6 years and older and adults two years of continuous eligibility regardless of changes in their household’s income.

Nationally, KFF estimates that about 11% of children enrolled in Medicaid lost their coverage for at least one day in 2019 before having it restored. Washington state also reports 11%.

In California, Medicaid officials estimate that about 64,000 — or 6% — of the enrollees under 5 were dropped from the rolls and then reenrolled in the same year

Odeh believes the state’s churning estimate is too low. He thinks 89,000 children a year are affected. The California legislature included the continuous eligibility provision in the budget approved in June. California would cover children in Medicaid from birth until age 5 starting in 2025 as long as the state can afford it.

Medicaid officials in Washington state said they have long considered giving children continuous eligibility for multiple years. “Families on Medicaid are really busy, and the last thing they can think about is renewing their coverage — and so this gets dropped to the bottom of their priority list,” said Amy Dobbins, section manager of the Office of Medicaid Eligibility and Policy.

She said the covid public health emergency, during which more children have had coverage and received health services, only strengthened the case for continuous eligibility.

Dianne Hasselman, interim executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, predicts that some states may be cautious about following Oregon’s lead. “State legislators might also be concerned about increasing Medicaid program enrollment, particularly during a time when enrollment has already grown significantly,” she said. In addition, lawmakers could be leery of extending coverage to people with other insurance options, such as from a parent’s workplace, she said.

While pleased to see some states keeping children on Medicaid until age 6, Georgetown’s Alker emphasized that Oregon’s new policy will go into effect — at the public health emergency’s end — just as millions of children lose coverage.“States that are inattentive to the needs of children when the public health emergency ends will likely see a massive increase in uninsured children,” Alker said. “So very different outcomes lie ahead.”

has remained low enough to qualify.

Medicaid enrollees generally must report any changes to household income or other criteria that may affect their eligibility during the year, and states must act on these changes. That’s challenging for Medicaid beneficiaries and state agencies because people’s incomes often fluctuate. As a result, enrollees may lose coverage, be forced to switch between Medicaid and subsidized marketplace coverage on the Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges, or experience coverage gaps if the paperwork proves difficult to complete.

“The public health emergency has clearly demonstrated the value of having continuous health insurance, particularly for populations that experience health disparities

This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

Panel Discuss Supreme Court Case Threatening End of Affirmative Action

to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, a nine-member panel established after Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3121, authored by thenAssemblymember Shirley Weber. The task force is investigating the history and costs of slavery in California and is charged with recommending an appropriate remedy for the state to implement.

The online event titled, “The End of Affirmative Action: How SCOTUS Is Coming After BIPOC Students” delved into the impact of banning the consideration of race as a factor during the college admission process.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students would be affected by such a ruling, said panelist Lisa Holder, an attorney and president of Equal Justice Society (EJS). EJS is an Oakland-based nonprofit and civil rights organization that does work geared toward transforming the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social sciences, and the arts.

“(Ending Affirmative Action) essentially, completely upends our ability to level the playing field and remediate for centuries of discrimination and marginalization,” said Holder said. “If you do not have intervention and take affirmative steps to counteract continued systemic racism it’s going to take hundreds of years to repair those gaps. It will not happen by itself.”

Holder is also a member of the California Task Force

Also participating on the End of Affirmative Action panel were Sally Chen, education equity program manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Sarah C. Zearfoss, Senior Assistant Dean for the University of Michigan Law School.

Shilpa Ram -- Senior Staff Attorney for Education Equity, Public Advocates and a board member of the ACS Bay Area Lawyer Chapter -- was the moderator.

On Oct. 31, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) listened to oral arguments in two cases challenging race-conscious student admissions policies used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) to promote creating diverse student populations at their schools.

The case emerged in 2014, when SFFA, a nonprofit advocacy organization opposed to affirmative action, brought an action alleging Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (Title VI).

SFFA argues that Harvard instituted a race-conscious

admissions program that discriminated against AsianAmerican applicants. SFFA also alleges that UNC is violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, by unfairly using race to provide preference to underrepresented minority applicants to the detriment of White and Asian-American applicants.

Chen is a first-generation college graduate from a working-class immigrant family. She is an alumna of Harvard College. She was one of eight students and alumni that gave oral testimony in support of affirmative action in the 2018 federal lawsuit Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard.

“Particularly as these cases were taking advantage of a claim that Asian American students don’t benefit from Affirmative Action or are harmed; we really saw how this was a misrepresentation of our community needs,” Chen said of hers and seven other students’ testimonies. “My testimony really spoke to that direct experience and making clear that Asian American students and communities are in support of affirmative action.”

In 1965, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, requiring all government contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action to expand job opportunities for minorities.

Fifty-seven years later, a decision by SCOTUS could be reached at the end of the current term in late June or early July 2023 banning affirmative action. The decision

would dismantle race-conscious admission policies that overwhelmingly help BIPOC students create a better future for themselves, members of the panel stated.

“Schools take race into account as a factor in admission because that is the single best, most effective way to create a racially diverse class,” Zearfoss said.

Zearfoss directs the University of Michigan Law School Jurist Doctorate (JD) and Master of Law (LLM) admissions and supervises the Office of Financial Aid.

California ended affirmative action policies in 1996 with the passage of Proposition 209.

Prop 209 states that the government and public institutions cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to persons based on race in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

Proposition 16 was a constitutional amendment designed to repeal Prop 209, but the initiative was defeated by voters in 2020. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber introduced the legislation that was the basis for Prop 16 when she was a state Assemblymember for the 79th District.

“When we no longer live in a White supremacist society then we can start thinking about ending these interventions that are necessary to counteract preferences for White people that exist and continue to exist,” Holder said.

example or if there were a recession, we are certainly not saying don’t use the reserves,” he said. “We are saying, keep them on hold and you have them to turn to in that situation if the picture has gone south in May. You have the reserves that we can tap into to really help supplement the other solutions identified earlier in the process.”

Republican Assemblymember Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) said the report is a wakeup call.

“California’s economy is weakening, and now with

persistent inflation, the revenue that is coming into the state of California is coming in way below projection,” Fong said. “As someone who has been on the budget committee for a number of years, we have been warning about this. The ruling party in Sacramento continues to spend and grow government programs without any accountability and the budget is completely unsustainable. We have to refocus on fiscal responsibility.”

LAO’s budget forecast comes on the heels of Gov. Newsom and the Democratic-controlled legislature estimated $97-billion surplus that led to the expansion of Medi-Cal eligibility to all immigrants in 2024, a boost in the earned income tax credit, and free preschool for 4-yearolds.

A relief package, priced at $17 billion, to help families, seniors and low-income Californians and small businesses was also approved in June by lawmakers.

The surplus is gone once a budget is passed, according to the LAO, so the fiscal outlook provided to legislators assumes that current state laws and policies will remain in place.

“We make adjustments for caseloads and things that influence the budget expenditures, but if you keep the same policies what would your budget picture look like?” Petek said. “That is what we are trying to tee up for them as they await the governor’s proposal.”

(Moment / Getty Images)

and have had historical barriers to health care access,” said Elizabeth Gharst, a spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program.

The six-year guarantee will also reduce administrative costs for Oregon, since it won’t have to process some applications each year. And officials hope it will reduce the program’s medical costs, as children who stay on Medicaid

Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

A webinar hosted by ChangeLawyers, American Constitution Society (ACS) Bay Area, and Equal Justice Society was held on Nov. 15 to discuss the possible outcomes of the United States Supreme Court’s pending decision in the case Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard.

Billboard Unveils Annual Hip-Hop/R&B Power Players

Blxst, Tim Hinshaw & SAINt JHN amongst Honorees

By Philtrina Farquharson Contributing Writer

This past week at Academy LA, Billboard celebrated the unveiling of the highly anticipated 2022 Billboard R&B/ Hip-Hop Power Players list. This list was created to honor executives across the genres, spotlighting their influ ence and their strides toward an equitable music industry.

Ahead of the cocktail reception, Grammy® Award-win ning, multi-platinum recording artist Future arrived to hand out the Rookie of the Year Award to up-and-coming rapper Blxst. Grammy Award-winning, chart-topping, and multi-platinum-selling recording artist SZA was also on hand to present the award for Executive of the Year to Tim Hinshaw, Head of Hip-Hop & R&B at Amazon Music.

“He’s a real person, a real good dude from South Cen tral. A guy who grew up in this area and had an opportu nity to elevate and bring us, his supporters to a place like this. It’s a big deal. Tim believes in people and essentially became the guy who is the head of Black music. He’s defi nitely the most prominent figure coming up right now,” said Simon “Cheese” Fobi.

Additionally, Billboard and the Intel® Evo™ platform launched an exclusive NFT collaboration to support the event. Attendees mingled and connected while enjoying Rémy Martin cocktails, including The Rémy Sidecar, The Rémy Ginger, and The Rémy Old Fashioned, made with Rémy Martin XO, signature of the Cellar Master and a unique blend of up to hundreds of eaux de vie.

Following the reception, attendees and fans were in vited to experience Billboard Live: R&B/Hip-Hop, Bill board’s first-ever open-invite concert. Flo Milli opened up the concert and gave the audience a high-energy perfor

mance hyping the crowd up as fans sang word for word. Dynamic-duo City Girls then shut down the stage with their electrifying stage presence representing Miami as they performed some of their biggest hits including “Act Up”, “Rodeo”, and “Where The Bag At”.

Other notable attendees included Nick Cannon, Daylyt, DJ Scheme, Ghazi, Warner Records CEO & Co-Chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck, Epic Records Chair man & CEO Sylvia Rhone, Rolling Loud Co-Found er, and Co-CEO Tariq Cherif, Billboard President Mike Van, Billboard Executive Director of R&B/Hip-Hop Gail Mitchell, Billboard Deputy Director, R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre, and more.

“I represent the Hip-Hop & R&B team on the streaming side at Republic but a part of the large team of great people. We just worked on a lot of great artists this year and a lot of #1 albums and #1 songs, I am just proud to be here to represent the company and my team. It’s beautiful,” said Romel Lherisson, Associate Director of Commerce Hip-Hop & R&B at Republic Records.

Beyond the seasoned veterans in the industry that were honored during this night, the next generation of leaders showed up and were equally recognized, being given their flowers for their contributions thus far to the industry.

“I was over at Tidal for three years building the social channels and now I’m here at Amazon music leading so cial rotation within the Hip-Hop team. I’ve always been passionate about storytelling and music so social is where the road meets the rubber,and so it’s like being front line in terms of storytelling. I am so thankful to be able to make an impact and be acknowledged for my work,” said Mela nie Mercedes, Sr. Social Lead at Amazon Music.

Walter Camp Honors Rattler and Marshall

Rattler

The

Sports

63-

top-

five opponent.  With the win, South Carolina improved to 7-4, 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference.

“I can’t even explain the feeling we all have right now, a game we’ve all been waiting for,” Rattler said. “We knew we had a couple tough losses, we knew this game and ob viously the next one and could change the narrative of the program forever. Tonight, that was one of the best wins ever in college football history.

The Phoenix native (Pinnacle High) is the sixth South Carolina player to earn Walter Camp National Player of Week honors since the award started in 2004, and the first

since defensive Jaycee Horn (Oct. 18, 2020)

Marshall was a dominant force in Navy’s 17-14 victo ry against 20th ranked UCF, recording 10 tackles, includ ing a school record four quarterback sacks.  Marshall also forced one fumble as the Midshipmen improved to 4-7, 4-4 in the American Athletic Conference.

The senior striker from Highland, Maryland is the third Navy player to earn Walter Camp National Player of Week honors since 2004, joining former Midshipmen Shun White (Aug. 30, 2008) and Malcolm Perry (Nov. 12,

2017) as honorees.

Walter Camp is known as “The Father of Ameri can 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 Wal ter Camp Football Foundation (www.waltercamp.org, @ WalterCampFF) – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp.

Elton John Tour Finishes with a Solid Green Note

By Earl HeathContributing Sports Writer

The Yellow Brick Road Tour finished with a big bright shine as the Los Angeles Dodgers made a $1 million do nation to the Elton John AIDS Foundation in honor of Elton John’s final tour in the United States, which culmi nates with three sold out shows at Dodger Stadium over the weekend.

Dodgers Chairman and principal owner, Mark Walter and tennis legend, activist, and Dodgers co-owner, Billie Jean King, joined Elton John on stage to present the dona tion at Saturday’s show.

“Beyond the obvious impact and joy of his music, El ton has been a social leader in fostering LGBTQ accep tance and equality and has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS through the Elton John AIDS Foundation,” said Walter. “We at the Dodg ers share Elton’s commitment to community, equality and service and are pleased to be able to support the work of the foundation. Billie Jean and I thank Elton for all he has achieved and congratulate him on his iconic career.”

The Elton John AIDS Foundation was established in 1992 and is one of the leading independent AIDS organi zations in the world. The Foundation’s mission is simple: an end to the AIDS epidemic. The Elton John AIDS Foun dation is committed to overcome the stigma, discrimina tion and neglect that keeps us from ending AIDS. With the mobilization of our network of generous supporters and partners, we fund local experts across four continents, in cluding North America, to challenge discrimination, pre vent infections and provide treatment as well as influencing governments to end AIDS.

At the final performance John was joined by collabora tors Dua Lipa, Brandi Carlile and Kiki Dee. Other celebri ties in attendance included Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Lizzo, Heidi Klum, Angela Bassett, Jude Law, Billie Jean King, H.E.R., Donatella Versace, Miles Teller, Kirsten Dunst, JoJo Siwa, Connie Britton, Christopher Lloyd, John Stamos, Raven-Symoné and Taron Egerton, who portrayed John in the 2019 biopic “Rocketman.”

“I want to thank the Los Angeles Dodgers for their incredible generosity in making this amazing donation to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.” said the multi-Gram my winner.  “I am thrilled to play my three final shows of my Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in the U.S. at Dodger Stadium, an iconic venue which has meant so much to me and my  Thecareer.” Legendary singer’s connection with the Dodgers has long been public and includes one of his most iconic performances in 1975 when he appeared at Dodger Sta dium in his spangled Elton John Dodgers’ uniform. The stadium was a fitting and poignant place for him to finish his US touring career.

Trojans & Bruins Produce a Classic

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer

We all knew it was going to be a high scoring affair but the Trojan defense walked away heroes in the Rose Bowl as No. 7 USC beat No. 16 UCLA 48-45, earning the Trojans a spot in the Pac-12 championship game un der first year Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley.  “We talk about it all the time. We can’t just have a first-row seat to Caleb Wiliams and Lincoln Riley’s offense,” defensive co ordinator Alex Grinch said. “Our expectations are higher than what we’ve done.… I’m just really proud of the fight. It’s fun to be on the sideline with them. They fight, they scratch, they claw.”

It was a hi-octane, high energy offense on both sides as The Trojans rolled up 649 yards, while UCLA gained 513 yards, 204 on the ground, converted seven of 13 thirddown attempts and their only fourth-down attempt. It turnout to be a classic game in the series.

The Trojan defense was key in getting four turnovers in a game for the second time third season. The first one, a Mekhi Blackmon interception, resulted in a missed field goal.  But USC made the rest count as linebacker Shane Lee intercepted UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robin son, snatching the ball out of midair on the very next drive, it led to a 49-yard Denis Lynch field goal with 14 seconds left in the first half. After being down 14-0 to start the game, the Trojans (10-1, 8-1) had dragged itself back to make it a one-point game.

After UCLA moved the ball down into the red zone to open the third quarter, USC limited the damage to a field goal. It allowed quarterback Caleb Williams to find Jordan Addison for a 35-yard touchdown to give USC its first lead of the game.

On the next drive, defensive tackle Tyrone Taleni strip-sacked Thompson-Robinson and defensive back La

“We knew we needed to make a big play,” Taleni in post game.

On the day Williams completed 32-of-43 for a ca reer-high 470 yards and 2 TDs and rushed for 33 yards on 8 carries with 1 TD. He totaled 503 total yards setting a USC single game record. The previous record was held by Kedon Slovis who had 502 yards versus UCLA in 2019. He’s the apparent leader in the Heisman Race. Through 11 games, Williams has 33 TDs and 3 INTs. He is 250for-385 (.649) for 3,480 yards. He has also rushed for 316 yards on 88 carries with 7 TDs. Williams has accounted for 40 total touchdowns in 11 games at USC. USC’s 5 consec utive games with 40 points or more are the most since the 2003 team had 7 consecutive 40+ point games.   Austin Jones rushed for a season high120 yards and two touchdowns.

Thompson-Robinson’s is the Bruins all-time leader in starts connected on 23 of 38 passes for 309 yards with 3 interceptions.

ADD TROJANS- Three Trojan football players earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for their perfor mances in USC’s 48-45 victory over UCLA. Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams earned Pac-12 Offensive Play er of the Week, redshirt senior offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees earned Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week and junior defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu was named Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week. It is Tuipulotu’s fourth Defensive Lineman of the Week honor, Williams’ second Offensive Player of the Week honor and Vorhees’ first Offensive Lineman of the Week honor. Tuipulotu has also twice been named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week USC will have a big test this week against Notre

Los Angeles Dodgers co-owners Mark Walter and Billie Jean King joined Elton John on stage at Dodger Stadium to present him with a $1 million donation on behalf of the team. (Photo Courtesy of Ben Gibson/Rocket Entertainment)

USC quarterback Caleb Williams (13) runs in for a touchdown against UCLA Saturday,

2022, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

trell McCutchin recovered the ball at the UCLA 9. The Trojans needed two plays before Austin Jones powered into the end zone and made it a 10-point game.

Dame at the Coliseum.

By Earl Heath Contributing Sports Writer Spencer Rattler South Carolina and John Marshall of Navy were named Walter Camps Offensive and Defensive Players of the week for the week ending November 20th.

competed 30-of-37 passes for a career-best 438 yards and set a school record with six touchdown throws as South Carolina defeated fifth-ranked Tennessee,

38.

Redshirt Junior helped the Gamecocks’ put 63 points on the board setting a school record against a

South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler throws for some of his school record 438 yards in a 63-38 win over

Tennessee. (Photo USC Athletics)

John Marshall of Navy (Photo: Capital Gazette)

Brotherhood Crusade Hosted Thanksgiving Grab and Go! Basket Distribution

and food insecurity.

“Giving back to the community is very important to me,” said Betts. “I am very blessed to partner with Brotherhood Crusade and align myself with such an incredible organization that continuously gives back and improves the quality of life for communities of color.”

Brotherhood Crusade would like to acknowledge and thank the additional partners, volunteer groups and donors that helped make the Thanksgiving Grab and Go Basket Distribution a success: AHF; APUU; B-Relyt; Blue Shield of California; Brotherhood Crusade Board Member, Alicia Molezion; Brotherhood Crusade Board Member, Jim Hill; Brotherhood Crusade Corporate Advisory Board Members; Cal State LA; School of Criminal Justice; City of LA, Recreation and Parks; Community Builders Group; Councilmember, Heather Hutt; Langdon Park Capital; Los Angeles Sentinel; Marsh Risk & Insurance Services;

Mothers in Action; PAVA; Rocket Doctor; SEIU 2015; SoCal Gas; St. John’s Well Child & Family; The Hutts Group; and UCLA Health.

To continue the season of giving and gratitude, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and Acts Inspired By Mookie (AIM) has supported the organization with more than $150,000 to support food insecurities and in support of the 54th Annual Pioneer of African American Achievement Award Dinner. The event will honor Betts for his significant impact and contributions to the community. Proceeds from the Achievement Award Dinner will be used to continue to support and grow the many programs that Brotherhood Crusade provides for the youth of South Los Angeles.

To purchase tickets for the event or learn more about Brotherhood Crusade, visit brotherhoodcrusade.org or call Maybelline Saintjulien at 323-846-1649.

LOS ANGELES (November 19, 2022) – Brotherhood Crusade, in partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Acts Inspired By Mookie (AIM), AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson recently hosted a day of giving at their annual Thanksgiving Grab and Go Basket Distribution. Over 1,000 families received free food baskets, holiday toys, and gift cards.

Brotherhood Crusade’s principal mission is to champion equality and equity by removing and/or helping individuals overcome the barriers that discourage their pursuit of success in life and facilitate opportunities for a better quality of life.

“We were able to help over 1,000 families in the community,” said Charisse Bremond Weaver, Brotherhood Crusade, president and CEO.  “We all know how difficult it’s been with inflation negatively impacting our communities, so we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with likeminded organizations that understand meeting the needs of our community, especially during the holidays.”

Dodgers MLB All-Star and the co-founder and president of AIM, Mookie Betts, distributed baskets and interacted with attendees along with over 20 community volunteer groups and donors. Betts’ foundation was established to assist communities facing economic hardship

New President of L.A County Federation of Labor

Yvonne Wheeler was elected the new President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, (LA Fed) Nov. 21. The historic unanimous vote by her peers makes Wheeler the first Black woman to hold the title and makes her one of the most influential people in Los Ange les politics.

The LA Fed, the second largest central labor body in the nation, is a federation of over 300 affiliated union and labor organizations that represent more than 800,000 members. LA Fed is known for fighting for better wages, establishing respect in the workplace and the vast political influence their endorsements hold.

“Yvonne is the best selection and most informed Union leader in the state,” said Danny Bakewell, Exec utive Publisher, LA Sentinel and the Chairman/CEO of Bakewell Media.

She has integrity, understands union leadership and she is one is those rare leaders that the community and the people trust,” Bakewell continued. “She is the perfect person at the perfect time for this role.”

Wheeler’s election comes in the wake of a political scandal involving former LA Fed President Ron Herre ra and three City Council Members – Council President Nury Martinez, Kevin de León, and Gil Cedillo.

A secret recording of Herrera and the City Council members was released in October that featured a conver sation involving crude and racist remarks directed towards African Americans, Jews, Armenians, and other ethnic groups. They also were plotting ways they could use the council’s redistricting power and influence to their advan tage.

Herrera stepped down from his position as president the day after the LA Times released their initial report on the recording. Massive protests and demonstrations fol lowed the release of the report and the audio of the con versation.

The LA Fed’s decision to elect Wheeler shifts atten tion from the scandal and directs focus on its mission of representation and inclusivity for the diverse workers they represent.

“I am honored to be elected to lead during such a crit ical time for workers,” said Wheeler. “In a post-COVID reality, we have to rebound, restabilize and reimagine from the perspective of workers to ensure we are on the right path, and that has to be our priority.”

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Wheeler was serving as the LA Fed’s vice president at the time of her election. Her years of experience as a labor worker, union represen tative, and activist earned her a reputation as a steward of speaking up for the voiceless and demanding fair treatment

from employers.

Wheeler emerged as a labor leader in the late 90s when her advocacy for Black operators at South Central Bell (SBC) prompted her co-workers to elect her to lead the local union. She became president of the Los Angeles Chapter and President of the California State A. Philip Randolph Institute, an AFL-CIO-sponsored group bridging the gap between the African American community and the labor movement through civil rights campaigns, voter registra tion, and job training.

“Yvonne and I grew up in the labor movement.

She is the right person to lead the LA Labor council. She has integrity and she is a true leader who understands how to bring people together from diverse backgrounds. She is fearless and at the same time very humble. She is a natural organizer and a natural leader. She will bring those skills to the labor council and the labor movement will thrive,” said Doug Moore, Executive Director, UDW/ AFSCME, and AFSCME International Vice President.

In 2002, she was recruited by the AFL-CIO as a na tional field representative. Wheeler also co-chair of the L.A. Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride in 2003, champi oning the plight of immigrant workers. Her credits include pivotal L.A.-area campaigns such as the longshore union

lockout, supermarket strike/lockout, and helping to defeat Gov. Schwarzenegger’s 2005 special election initiatives. Wheeler served as an AFL-CIO Senior Field Rep resentative covering all of Southern California. She also served as the California Area Director for AFSC ME Western Region prior to serving in Washington, DC as the Special Assistant to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)

National Secretary-Trea surer. She transferred back to California to reunite with her family in 2014.

“Change is never easy,” Wheeler said. “But it is what we need right now. Our members, our communities rely on us, so we will fight to uplift their voices and build their power to make sure they are never put in this position again. My term as President will not be about what I can do, or what my staff can do, but what we will all do together.”

Chairwoman Waters Presses

Nation’s Regulators on FTX Collapse

Efforts to Protect Communities

significant role in driving resources to Black, brown and low-income communities – who are often left behind by our nation’s major banks.

End modern-day redlining by further strengthen ing and modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and strengthening fair housing and lending en forcement.

On top of that, our financial system is rapidly evolving with new technologies. During this hearing, Committee Democrats, under the leadership of Chairwoman Waters, continued their oversight efforts to ensure that Ameri ca’s banking system is working for all people. Committee Democrats explored a number of issues impacting commu nities, including the regulators’ efforts to:

Work with Congress to ensure that crypto fail ures, like the most recent collapse of FTX, never happen again. *NOTE: The Committee will hold a bipartisan hearing next month to investigate the FTX collapse. *

Promote diversity and inclusion in the banking sys tem, both by ensuring workforce diversity within the agencies and supporting MDIs & CDFIs, which play a

Closely monitor the explosion of megabank mergers and acquisitions to ensure that vulnerable communities are not faced with fewer options at jacked up prices.

Hold repeat offender banks that continue to violate the law and harm consumers accountable for their actions. No more slaps on the wrist.

Take aggressive action against the threat of climate change by ensuring our nation’s financial services institu tions understand their exposure to climate-related risks and have the tools to monitor and manage them.

Keep a close eye on the impact of emerging financial technologies and artificial intelligence, and promote re sponsible innovation while protecting customers and in vestors who are engaging with these products.

Mookie Betts and family (Photo Courtesy: LA Dodgers)

Second from the left, Charisse Bremond Weaver, president and CEO of Brotherhood Crusade stands with Mookie Betts and family, and Nichol Whiteman, CEO of Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (Photo Courtesy: LA Dodgers)

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwom an of the House Committee on Financial Services, con vened a full committee hearing entitled, “Oversight of Prudential Regulators: Ensuring the Safety, Soundness, Di versity, and Accountability of Depository Institutions.” As it stands, America’s workers, small businesses, and commu nities are feeling the impacts of persistent inflation, an on going COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Yvonne Wheeler (Photo credit: Leroy Hamilton)

Edward Henderson

California Black Media