SB American News Week Ending 1/2

Vol. 49 No. 36

December 27, 2018 - January 2, 2019

This publication is a Certified DBE/ SBE / MBE in the State of California CUCP #43264 Metro File #7074 & State of Texas File #802505971 Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or words or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress.

—Fredrick Douglass (1849)

How the partial government shutdown is playing out and what to expect as it continues

Editor in Chief’s Corner Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com Clifton Harris Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News

A black man tried to cash a paycheck. The bank called 911.

P.R. Lockhart

By Clare Foran, CNN

CNN Digital Expansion 2018 Clare Foran Updated 2:44 PM ET, Sun December 23, 2018 Washington (CNN)A partial government shutdown remains in effect after funding expired for roughly a quarter of the federal government when the clock struck midnight on Saturday -and it is not clear when it will end.

Negotiations between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration over the President's demands for a border wall have so far not yielded an agreement, making it likely that the shutdown will continue until after Christmas. It is even possible that it could still be underway when the new Congress starts in early January.

Here's a look at the latest on negotiations and the outlook for the partial shutdown: How long is the shutdown expected to last?

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The President's incoming acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that "it is very possible that the shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress" during an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

The Senate adjourned Saturday afternoon with no deal to re-open the government, and while there will be a pro forma Senate session on Monday, the next actual session is not scheduled until Thursday.

Lawmakers can travel home for Christmas and won't have to worry about being called back to vote until a deal can be reached, but GOP leaders told senators that if there is no deal by Thursday, they would not have to return for that session, sources have told CNN. What are the next possible steps?

There is a remote possibility that a deal could come together sooner, and in the unlikely event

© Cleveland 19 News Paul McCowns was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police cruiser after attempting to cash a check on December 1, 2018.

a deal is reached by Monday, the pro forma session could be used to pass it by unanimous consent or voice vote, something that would only require one senator to be in attendance.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer have said that the new Democraticcontrolled House of Representatives will pass a bill to stop the shutdown if it lasts into the new Congress.

"If President Trump and Republicans choose to continue this Trump Shutdown, the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government in January," the Democratic leaders said in a joint statement after the shutdown started.

Where do negotiations stand between the President and Democrats?

The key sticking point in the spending standoff is President Donald Trump's demand for $5 billion for a border wall. And so far, there is still no agreement to resolve the standoff and re-open the government.

House Republicans passed a spending bill that included an additional $5 billion for the wall last

week, but the legislation is considered dead on arrival in the Senate where Democrats have said they would not support it. Any spending bill needs at least some Democratic votes to pass in the Senate.

Vice President Mike Pence proposed spending $2.5 billion on border security, including the wall, in a stopgap spending bill during meetings on Friday night and Saturday afternoon with Schumer, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Several of the sources said there were policy additions and restrictions included in the proposal to try to bridge the gap. But Democrats said the number and the details tied to it aren't acceptable.

Following the Saturday meeting, a Schumer spokesman said, "The Vice President came in for a discussion and made an offer. Unfortunately, we're still very far apart."

Which parts of the government are affected?

Key parts of the federal government have been impacted by the shutdown, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the Interior Department, the State Department

and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

But just because a federal department is subject to a lapse in funding, that doesn't mean that all of its activities immediately stop.

Typically in the event of a shutdown, some federal employees deemed essential continue to work, but their pay is withheld until the shutdown is over, while other federal employees are placed on furlough, meaning they are effectively put on a leave of absence without pay. Congress can move to order that furloughed employees be paid retroactively after a shutdown is over, though that is not guaranteed.

Some affected departments have put out information to explain how the shutdown will play out.

The Agriculture Department said on Twitter that "we will be providing as many of our core services as we can using existing resources." A press release issued by the department specified that some of the activities that will not stop at least in the short-term include Forest Service law enforcement and emergency and (continued on page 3)

'You Sold Your Country Out': Judge Emmet Sullivan Slams Michael Flynn for His Crimes During a sentencing hearing, Sullivan, a Howard University alum, chastised Trump's former national security adviser for lying to FBI agents.

by Sheryl Estrada

Judge Emmet Sullivan U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan slammed Michael Flynn, a former lieutenant general, who served as President Donald Trump's national security adviser, for lying to federal investigators in their probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and for lobbying for Turkey.

Sullivan is one of the many prominent graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The longest-serving active federal judge on the U.S. District Court in Washington is an alumnus of Howard and Howard Law. "All along you were an unreg-

istered agent of a foreign country while serving as the national security adviser," Sullivan told Flynn in a two-hour court hearing for his crimes, on Tuesday.

"Arguably, that undermines everything that this flag over here stands for.

"Arguably, you sold your country out."

He said he wasn't suggesting Flynn did, in fact, commit treason, but asked prosecutors about the potential crime.

"After looking at the definition of treason, we have no reason to believe he committed treason," prosecutors said.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about his December 2016 conversations in Washington with then-Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, about U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow by the Obama administration, af-

ter Trump's election victory, but before he took office.

"I want to be frank with you, this crime is very serious," Sullivan told Flynn. "Not only did you lie to the FBI, you lied to senior officials in the incoming administration."

"I was aware" that lying to the FBI was a crime, Flynn said, accepting responsibility for his actions.

Sullivan continued to scold him.

"I am not hiding my disgust, my disdain for your criminal offense," he said.

He noted that Flynn had also lied to senior White House officials, who in turn, misled the public.

Sullivan appeared to be ready to sentence Flynn to time and prison, but he gave him the option of a delay, which Flynn (continued on page 6)

Paul McCowns’s story of “banking while black” is the latest instance of 911 being called on people of color for no reason.

Less than a month into a new job, Paul McCowns went to a bank in Brooklyn, Ohio, to cash his first paycheck. But instead of getting his money, he found himself in handcuffs after bank employees called the police.

It’s just the latest incident in a steadily growing list of black people who have been subjected to 911 calls and police intervention over completely innocuous behavior.

On December 1, McCowns, a new employee at an electric company, visited a local Huntington Bank branch. Since he wasn’t a regular customer at the bank, he was asked to present two forms of identification as well as a fingerprint, and he readily offered all three.

But bank employees were still suspicious of the roughly $1,000 check, and after several calls to McCowns’s employer went unanswered, they declined to complete the transaction. McCowns then left the bank, thinking that was the end of it.

Moments later, a police cruiser pulled in front of him. “I get in my truck and the squad car pull in front of me and he says get out the car,” McCowns told Cleveland 19 News this week.

As McCowns prepared to leave the bank, an employee had called 911, telling police that the man tried to cash a fraudulent check that “does not match our records.”

After being handcuffed and placed in the back of the police cruiser, officers contacted the 30year-old man’s employer. “My employer said, ‘Yes he works for me. He just started and yes, my payroll company does pay him that much,’” McCowns said.

Brooklyn police released him and confirmed that there was no fraud. McCowns later cashed the check at another Huntington Bank location. “We accept responsibility for contacting the police as well as our own interactions with Mr. McCowns,” Huntington Bank said in a statement this week. “Anyone who walks into a Huntington branch should

feel welcomed.”

According to the Washington Post, Brooklyn Police Chief Scott Mielke said that there have been close to a dozen cases of police being called out to that Huntington Bank branch since July, all of which resulted in arrests for fraudulent checks. A bank spokesperson confirmed this, saying that the employees who called the police were simply being vigilant.

But McCowns argues that his treatment was the result of racial profiling, in another story of “Living While Black”: high-profile incidents that have dominated headlines this year involving African Americans being viewed with suspicion and subjected to 911 calls for simply existing in public spaces.

Living While Black stories have been in the headlines for months.

They’re still happening.

It’s been eight months since the story of Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, two black men charged with trespassing while waiting inside a Philadelphia Starbucks, sparked an increase in media reports of black people facing 911 calls over minor or completely nonexistent offenses.

Since then, there’s been a seemingly endless stream of stories involving calls to police or 911 on people of color for innocuous activities like babysitting white children, mowing lawns, selling water, eating at Subway, and entering their own apartment buildings.

As Living While Black incidents have attracted national attention, the conversation around them has often focused on why police are being asked to respond to situations where they aren’t really needed.

Earlier this year, Paul Butler, a professor at Georgetown Law and the author of Chokehold: Policing Black Men, told me that unnecessary 911 calls can be especially dangerous by putting black people in unnecessary interactions with law enforcement.

“When the police are called on African Americans, it has a very negative impact on those black people, even if they are not ar(continued on page 2)

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Our Mission: To continuously improve communication between all people of the world.

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Provider of: A voice for the poor, the underserved, those that are marginalized, Positive and edifying news about people, places and businesses. Keep San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties informed about global trends while retaining the consciousness of local events and processes.

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“It’s been a wonderful outpouring of generosity,” said Monique Marshall, who www.SB-American.com works as a data Visit Us Online:

PAGE 2

December 27, 2018

COMMUNITY/EDUCATION/ADVERTISING

From foster care to a free MBA The UCR journey of Brandy Renee Taylor ’13 continues with an inaugural School of Business scholarship Sandra Baltazar Martínez sandrab.martinez@ucr.edu

Studying in South Africa and Learning Who I Am

By Darielis Cruz Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

Darielis Cruz

Brandy Renee Taylor The two-day old baby needed a home. And foster parents.

Soon after she was born, Children and Family Services took Brandy Renee Taylor and her 2year-old sister away from her drug-addicted mother. Her grandmother stepped in, along with the man she had just married six months earlier.

Bill and Dorothy Lockridge, both in their late 50s, parented the girls for nine years, but a family situation drove Children and Family Services into their family’s San Bernardino home, taking the girls into foster care. Both girls were in and out of the system for nearly four years.

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Taylor made it back to her grandparents’ house. Her sister didn’t. In spite of the instability and the constant feelings of abandonment that still haunt her, Taylor graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2013 with the support of UCR's Guardian Scholars Program for foster youth. This fall, Taylor started a master’s in business administration, with a concentration in management and is the inaugural recipient of the UCR School of Business Guardian Scholarship for graduate students.

The scholarship covers tuition and fees, and the difference is subsidized by work-study teaching assistant appointments and a personal loan.

“I have been through a few challenges in my life, but with the support of this school and Guardian Scholars, I have achieved more than I ever thought I would. I’ve had so much love and support,”

said Taylor, referring to UCR’s Guardian Scholars Program, which celebrated its 10thanniversary in November.

The network is designed to support students transitioning from the foster care system into the university. It currently works with 150 students.

Taylor worked as an associate underwriter at a commercial insurance company for five years after graduating from UCR. She quit her job this fall and is now immersed in her MBA studies.

Supporting students such as Taylor in their educational trajectory is important for the mission of the School of Business, said Dean Yunzeng Wang.

“When they told me about Guardian Scholars, I was really touched,” Wang said. “These students have given it all they have to make it here. They are marvelous, and I think we have a responsibility to help them – and in turn help our society.”

At many levels, Wang can relate to Taylor and the other scholars. He grew up in rural Shandong Province, China, too poor to have shoes on his feet. He went off to college wearing his only good clothes, but managed to graduate and become the first in his family with a college degree.

“We are very proud to have Brandy in our program,” Wang said. “She’s a role model for others.”

Taylor is appreciative of the opportunity. She studies into the late hours and commutes from the Los Angeles area. Returning as a 28-year-old student means coming in with greater focus and dedication, although she made the

Dean’s List as an undergrad and graduated with a 3.4 GPA. She accomplished this while commuting to UCR daily from San Bernardino and acting as the fulltime caregiver for the grandparents who raised her and who ensured she grew up to be respectful, kind, and have positive values. They dressed her in Goodwill outfits, put money in her pockets from the loose change they found between the couch cushions, and made her improve her spelling by using a dictionary.

As their caregiver, Taylor quickly learned how to cook, clean, pay bills, and to call a repairman when stuff broke around the house.

During her sophomore year at UCR, she lost both grandparents to pre-existing illnesses. The Guardian Scholars program offered her the emotional support a family would have typically provided during a time of loss.

Leading that support was Tuppett Yates, UCR professor of psychology and executive director of Guardian Scholars. The program is self-sustaining.

“Brandy is a risk-taker. She quieted her well-founded reservations about dangerous people and broken promises, to test the waters of our Guardian Scholars Program,” Yates said. “It is hard to convey the courage it takes for a student with a history of foster care to take those risks, to think about a future when their present is so uncertain, but our students do it each and every day.” Yates said.

Now, back in a graduate program, Taylor has a support system in place. Yates is only a

phone call away, the School of Business is rooting for her success, as are Mary and Terry Schuler, a husband and wife duo who have a profound dedication to their alma mater and Guardian Scholars.

The Schulers encouraged Taylor to apply and walked her through the application process, explaining the financial aid package offered by the School of Business. The couple spent a recent Friday night at the annual Guardian Scholars Christmas dinner celebration – as they did when Taylor was an undergrad. At the dinner, organized by UCR faculty, staff, and community volunteers, students receive Christmas gifts and play white elephant.

“The scholarship from the business school is an incredible gift, but it, too, has required tremendous courage on Brandy’s part,” Yates said. “At the same time, the School of Business has taken its own risk to fund Brandy’s education. In all instances, these are risks with far-reaching benefits, and I look forward to seeing the rewards of this collaborative endeavor in the years to come.”

Taylor is loving the student setting again, noting the resources, labs, trainings, and study groups are all set up to make her cohort succeed. She plans to forge a career in human resources because all people deserve an opportunity to succeed, she said.

“I’m not an incredible person in any way, but I want to be able to tell, to share with people that ‘you can do it, that you have value, and to go for that job,'” Taylor said. “In life, you just have no option but to keep going.”

Staff member at Tuscany Hills Elementary San Bernardino City Unified Employees School suspected of having active Make Hope Happen for the Holidays tuberculosis; testing to be recommended A service of the Communications Department of San Bernardino City Unified School District for some students Riverside University News A staff member at Tuscany Hills Elementary School in Lake Elsinore is suspected of having active tuberculosis, and Riverside County health officials are working with school representatives to identify students and staff who might have been exposed to the illness.

Riverside County health officials will send out letters to the parents or guardians of students who might have been exposed to the illness. The school also will notify staff members who might have been exposed. Parents who receive the letter from Public Health are being advised to have their child tested by their own medical provider or at a local public health clinic. Those who do not receive notification are considered not to be at risk for exposure, and TB testing is not recommended.

Barbara Cole, director of disease control at Riverside University Health System-Public Health, emphasized the risk of transmission is low.

“While the risk of infection is low, it’s important that parents who receive the notification letter get their child tested,” Cole said. “The testing is quick and can provide peace of mind for both parents and children.”

Tuberculosis is a disease spread through the air during prolonged, repeated and close contact with an individual who is infected with active tuberculosis. People can contract TB when breathing air exhaled by someone who is sick with the illness. When left untreated, TB can result in serious complications.

TB is not spread by shaking hands, sharing food or drink, or via bed linens or toilet seats. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. A person with inactive (latent) TB cannot spread it to others.

The staff member is not being identified due to confidentiality requirements.

For more information, call 951.358.5107.

I was born in Moca, a small city in the Dominican Republic, and today I am a 21-year-old junior at Mercy College, in New Jersey.

Thanks to the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, I studied In South Africa last summer, and it was a transformational experience for me. For the very first time, I learned about myself, who I am as a person. Here is my story: When I was five, my father left to get a job in the United States, packing boxes at an Oreos factory in New York City. One of my earliest memories is being under the guava trees, saying goodbye to my father. Every day, he called me and told me about metal bridges that float over the water and white frozen water that fell from the sky and looked like cotton candy. Once a month, we would get care packages with Oreos in them. I would read my favorite book, The Giving Tree, and eat Oreos.

When I was six, my mother, brother and I joined my father in New York City, moving into the back room of a relative's apartment on West 174th Street in Washington Heights, just north of Harlem. I was so happy when I saw The Giving Tree in my classroom. A month later, we moved across the Hudson River to Union City, New Jersey, and lived on an air mattress in another relative's home. We had 3,000 kids in my graduating class at Union City High School and a daycare for teen mothers.

I felt a very special responsibility to my family to make our immigration to the United States a success story. Straight As, National Honor Society, honor roll.

When I went to Cape Town, South Africa, in the summer of 2018, as a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, I was free of the expectations - and pressure - that I had internalized within myself. All of my life, I have been translating for my parents, acting as the middleman if they needed to ask for time off with their boss at work or negotiate the other intricacies of life in America.

Before South Africa, I had never before been so tuned into myself. I went hiking. I sat and talked for hours with the other

Fellows. It felt so much like a time not long before when I had tried skydiving. In South Africa, I felt as if I was flying. Never before had I felt so free.

One day, we sat in a circle and answered the question, "What is your prologue?"

I realized I didn't know who I was. I was always the idea of a perfect daughter. I was just lost in a sea of abyss. Being away, I was able to find myself and find my voice. I wasn't speaking for someone else. I wasn't translating someone else's thoughts. I was speaking for just me. I learned how to become a personal leader to myself. And I realized that I am my ancestor's wildest dream. I also realized there is so much that I can do. I can imagine anything for myself.

When I had gone skydiving in 2016, I realized there are moments when we are flying but our feet are still on the ground. That's what it felt like for me as a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow in Cape Town, South Africa.

Think about where you stand right now.

What if I told you that you could fly?

Ten college students from Minority Serving Institutions across the country will win a prestigious Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship that covers all costs to study in London during the summer of 2019. Any qualified applicants not selected for the Fellowship will still receive a $1500 grant toward select study abroad programs. Applications are due by February 14, 2019, and can be found https:// upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/ form/SV_aWulXpYGxB7Jjff Details of the program and eligibility requirements are https:// upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/ form/SV_aWulXpYGxB7Jjff. The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship is jointly sponsored by the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions and CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange), the oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization in the U.S. that provided students with more than $8 million in scholarships and grants last year alone. Ciee.org/study

A black man tried to cash a paycheck. The bank called 911....continued from page 1 rested, or beat up, or killed,” Butler said. “You’re required to justify your existence and your presence in a white space. It makes you feel like less of a citizen and less of a human being. It’s impossible to overstate the adverse consequences.”

McCowns’s incident is also an example of the struggles of black bank patrons. In November, a black woman named Satara Monroe filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Wells Fargo, arguing that the bank refused to cash her check and accused her of fraud.

In July, a 78-year-old black woman named Barbara Carroll filed a similar suit against Wells

Fargo, saying that she was also accused of fraud and that police were called to the bank over a $140 check. Other stories of black bank customers being confronted by police have received attention in recent years.

After his own “banking while black” incident, McCowns says that he wants an apology from the bank and for a change in how the bank handles customers who don’t have Huntington accounts.

“The person who made that phone call — that manager, that teller — whoever made that phone call, I feel as though they were judging,” he told Cleveland 19 News.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News Staff Samuel Martin Sr.-Founder

SBCUSD Information Technology employees took up a donation to help a family that lost everything in an apartment fire on Sunday.

Employees of the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Information Technology (IT) Department made hope happen for a family that lost everything in a fire over the weekend.

The family, which does not want to be identified, has two children attending SBCUSD schools. All their belongings were destroyed when their San Bernardino apartment caught fire on Sunday.

When IT employees heard

about the family’s loss, they quickly sprang into action to take up a donation, which was presented to them this week. Employees donated a bike, clothing, housewares, backpacks, food, and toiletries to the family of four.

“It’s been a wonderful outpouring of generosity,” said Monique Marshall, who works as a data control clerk. “It’s great to see so much support for this family, especially during the holidays.”

Clifton Harris/Editor in Chief/Investigative Reporter Mary Martin-Harris/Editor Clifton B. Harris/Audio Engineering Editor Legal /Display Advertising & Sales (909) 889-7677 The San Bernardino American News was established May 8,1969. A legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation on September 30, 1971, case number 153913 by the Superior Court, of San Bernardino County. The San Bernardino AMERICAN News, a division of Don Roberto Group, Inc. is published every Thursday by Mary Martin-Harris and Clifton Harris P.O. Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393, Telephone (909)889-7677, Emails: msbamericannews@gmail.com sbamericannews@gmail.com The San Bernardino AMERICAN News subscription rate is $58.00 per year.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN New is committed to serving its readers by presenting news, unbiased and objective, trusting in the mature judgment of the readers and, in so doing strive to achieve a united community.

News releases appearing in the San Bernardino AMERICAN News do not necessarily express the policy nor the opinion of the publishers.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News reserves the right to edit or rewrite all news releases.

Visit Us Online: www.SB-American.com

PAGE 3

December 27, 2018

WORLD GOVERNMENT/BUSINESS/ADVERTISING

Congresswoman Lee Statement on Trump Administration’s Proposed Rule to End SNAP Benefits for 750,000+ Americans Government News

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Lee released the following statement regarding the Trump administration’s proposed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rule that would end food assistance for more than 750,000 Americans: “Let’s be clear: this Trump administration rule is a mean-spirited attempt to prevent hundreds of thousands of struggling Americans from accessing food assistance. This rule will not help anyone find work – it’s designed simply to punish unemployed or underemployed workers for falling on hard times.

“For years, Republicans have used the guise of ‘work require-

ments’ to make life harder for families living on the brink. That was President Trump’s aim in his proposed Farm Bill, which would have led to millions of Americans losing SNAP benefits. Since Republicans failed to enact these cruel proposals into law in the Farm Bill, President Trump is now trying to circumvent Congress through executive action to force this outcome.

“Even before this latest assault, SNAP benefits fall far short of what a family needs to survive. I know this firsthand --- as a young, single mother of two boys, I relied on food assistance as a bridge over troubled waters.

We should be strengthening this vital lifeline for families, not gutting it.

“This plan will only push families further into poverty, and make it that much harder to climb out.

Taking food away from people won’t help them find work – it will only lead to more hunger and more desperation. I will work with my colleagues to fight this immoral proposal. In the richest nation on Earth, no one should be going to bed hungry.”

How the partial government shutdown is playing out and what to expect as it continues...continued from page 1 natural disaster response.

An administration official told CNN prior to the shutdown began that "a majority of DHS activities would continue" if there were a lapse in appropriations.

"For instance, those protecting our borders with the Customs and Border Patrol will continue to do so," the official said.

And despite the fact that the Justice Department will be impacted, special counsel Robert Mueller's office will be able to continue working.

Mueller's office "is funded from a permanent indefinite appropriation and would be unaffected in the event of a shutdown," a Justice Department spokesperson told CNN previously.

How a potential government shutdown could affect holiday plans How a potential government shutdown could affect holiday plans Will the shutdown impact holiday travel?

The Transportation Security Administration will be on the job to screen passengers, and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers will be directing planes.

The FAA released a statement saying that "air traffic control is fully operational and there is no impact to safety or FAA oversight for travelers."

Amtrak, a federally owned corporation rather than a government agency, will be open. Federal Railroad Administration inspectors will also continue to

work.

US Customs and Border Protection checkpoints will remain open for international travelers, and the State Department will also continue processing passports.

How many federal workers will be impacted?

An estimated 800,000 federal employees may be impacted by the partial shutdown, either by having to work during it while their pay is withheld until it ends or by being furloughed.

More than 420,000 government workers are expected to work without pay in a partial shutdown, according to a fact sheet released by the Democratic staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

That estimate includes more than 41,000 federal law enforcement and correctional officers. In addition, more than 380,000 federal employees would be placed on furlough, according to the fact sheet.

Before adjourning on Friday, the Senate passed a bill to ensure federal employees who are furloughed get back pay. It was passed by unanimous consent, but still will need to pass the House. The measure was brought up by Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, who represent Maryland, where many DC-area federal employees live.

CNN's Ted Barrett, Manu Raju, Phil Mattingly, Sophie Tatum, Gregory Wallace and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

Assemblyman Obernolte Responds to DMV’s Lack of Transparency in Using Flawed REAL ID Process State/Government News

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (RHesperia) issued the following statement in response to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) waiting one month to notify Californians that the federal government has rejected the state’s REAL ID residency verification process and has still continued to issue cards that are not compliant: “To date, 2.3 million Californians have already obtained REAL IDs. In November, Homeland Security notified DMV that our REAL ID cards are not compliant with federal law, which clearly states that we are required to have two forms of residency verification. Currently, California has only required one document.

DMV sat on this information for a month while continuing to issue hundreds of thousands of REAL ID cards that they knew

were not compliant. This is outrageous.

“The Department has continued to fail Californians, providing extremely poor service and completely mishandling this issue.

Let’s hope we can work with the federal government to minimize the negative impact on all of those Californians who have already spent countless hours in line to obtain their REAL ID.” Assemblyman Jay Obernolte represents the 33rd Assembly District, which includes the San Bernardino County communities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Big River, Crestline, Fort Irwin, Hesperia, Johnson Valley, Lake Arrowhead, Lenwood, Lucerne Valley, Needles, Oak Hills, Phelan, Running Springs, Silver Lakes, Trona, Twentynine Palms Base, Twin Peaks and Victorville.

Capital One Bank Dealt Severe Blow as Federal Judge States Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Them Will Continue

By Jeffery L. Boney Back in March of this year, the Forward Times wrote an eyeopening article entitled Banking In Houston: The New “Jim Crow” Is There More To Come?, where we highlighted a major federal racial discrimination lawsuit that had been filed against Capital One Bank.

In a stunning ruling against the bank, a federal judge presiding over the high-profile racial discrimination suit by the plaintiffs against Capital One Bank, ruled last week that Capital One Bank’s motion to dismiss all charges would be denied. After granting portions of Capital One Bank’s motion, U.S. District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Alfred Bennett, held that the primary racial discrimination claims against the Bank would not be dismissed and ruled that the case may go forward in the suit.

The ruling serves as a severe blow to Capital One Bank, which has claimed the lawsuit was frivolous.

The lawsuit, which was filed in February 2018 by former Capital One Bank Community Development Banking Senior Vice President of Texas and Louisiana, Laurie Vignaud, along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Houston Branch (“NAACP”) and the League of United Latin American Citizens, District VIII (“LULAC”), alleges that Capital

One Bank violated four federal laws, including the U.S. Constitution, because the bank decided to only close branches in Black and Hispanic communities, according to the suit. The lawsuit also alleges that Capital One Bank engaged in a conscious and deliberate plan to close banks in Black and Latino communities while opening more branches in White communities.

In addition to that, the lawsuit alleges that the Bank has unwittingly used high profile Black personalities, such as Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee and Charles Barkley to advance its program to relegate minority bankers to only debit-card carrying customers and encourage minorities to use Capital One Bank’s high interest credit cards.

Lastly, the lawsuit alleges that Capital One Bank’s CEO, Richard Fairbank, has made comments suggesting that it was okay for the Bank to lose the business of minority customers.

The ruling also allows the racial discrimination and retaliation claims of Vignaud, the former bank executive named as a plaintiff, to go forward. Vignaud, who had been employed with Capital One for nearly 20 years, alleges she was prematurely relieved of her job duties after her repeated complaints about Capital One Bank’s discriminatory practices.

“This is an important first step in a long fight for justice,” said Vignaud. “I am happy with the ruling and look forward to having a jury review more disturbing evidence of modern-day redlining by

Capital One Bank. No bank is above the law.”

Court records also show that the powerful National Community Reinvestment Coalition has asked to join the suit against Capital One. If that request is granted, it would more than likely result in Capital One Bank facing a much larger base of claims relating to its banking practices.

The case is expected to go to trial during the last quarter of 2019 and the Forward Times will continue to follow this case to see what more will happen as a result of this major racial discrimination lawsuit involving one of the country’s top financial institutions. Stay tuned!

This article originally appeared in the Houston Forward Times.

Waters Chosen by House Democrats to Be First Woman and African American to Chair Financial Services Committee Government News floor debate on a harmful Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance on indirect auto lending intended to combat discriminatory practices.

Historic Committee Chairwoman WASHINGTON -- Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) released the following statement after being approved by the Democratic Caucus to serve as the first woman and the first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee: “I am honored to have been selected by my colleagues to be the first Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee in the 116th Congress. Since 1995, I have served as Ranking Member or Chairwoman of every Subcommittee under the Committee’s jurisdiction, taking on important issues on behalf of consumers, investors, and vulnerable populations. As Chairwoman, I will continue to prioritize protecting consumers and investors from abusive financial practices, making sure there are strong safeguards in place to prevent another financial crisis, expanding and supporting affordable housing opportunities, tackling the homelessness crisis, encouraging responsible innovation in financial technology, promoting diversity and inclusion in the financial services sector, conducting appropriate oversight and ensuring that hardworking Americans and small businesses have fair access to the financial system and opportunities to thrive.

I consider it a privilege to hold the Chairwoman’s gavel and look forward to working with my fellow Democrats, Ranking Member McHenry and my colleagues across the aisle on commonsense solutions that benefit hardworking Americans and strengthen our economy.”

Congresswoman Maxine Waters has served as a Member of Congress and the Financial Services Committee since 1991. Throughout her decades of public service, Ranking Member Waters has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor. In her various leadership roles on the House Financial Services Committee, she has fought for the protection of consumers, investors, small businesses and vulnerable populations.

Preventing Another Financial Crisis In 2010, Ranking Member Waters and her Democratic colleagues worked tirelessly to pass the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, landmark legis-

lation to prevent another financial crisis, which created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency dedicated to protecting America’s consumers from financial abuses. Ranking Member Waters was one of 10 Committee Members to be selected to serve as a conferee on the DoddFrank Act. A central driver of the crisis was predatory mortgage lending, which intentionally targeted minority communities with toxic products and resulted in devastating foreclosures across the country and an immense loss of generational wealth. Democrats specifically designed Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Bureau to prevent the harmful practices that caused the financial crisis.

The Consumer Bureau protects consumers from predatory and abusive financial practices in areas such as mortgage loans, private education loans, and payday loans.

Despite Republican efforts to destroy the Consumer Bureau, Ranking Member Waters has fought to make sure it is not impeded from its important work cracking down on industries that have a history of harming consumers, including debt collectors, payday lenders and consumer reporting agencies.

Auntie Maxine This Congress, Ranking Member Waters’ activities as the senior Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee have generated unprecedented public attention as she has consistently and vocally pushed back against a harmful Republican agenda.

While she has always been outspoken in her efforts to protect hardworking Americans and ensure fairness in this country, the era of social media has allowed for her longstanding efforts to be shared with millennials who have dubbed the Ranking Member as “Auntie Maxine.”

During a June 2017 exchange at a hearing with Trump Administration Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Ranking Member Waters repeatedly 'reclaimed her time’ after the Secretary failed to answer questions regarding her request for information about President Trump’s shady financial dealings and pressed him for answers.

During another notable exchange, Ranking Member Waters yielded ‘not one second’ to a Republican Congressman during a May 2018 House

As Chairwoman or Ranking Member of every Subcommittee under the Committee’s jurisdiction since 1995, Ranking Member Waters has always worked to create opportunities, ensure fairness, and protect the economic wellbeing of all Americans.

She has spearheaded efforts on important issues such as housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial crisis, the subprime mortgage meltdown, public housing reinvestment, and affordable flood insurance.

Some of her most notable work includes her efforts to mitigate foreclosures to keep American families in their homes during the housing and economic crisis and the creation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which provides grants to states, local governments and nonprofits to fight foreclosures, home abandonment and blight and to restore neighborhoods.

Through two infusions of funds, the Congresswoman was able to secure $6 billion for the program.

With a Republican Majority in Congress, she has also used creative methods in Committee to push a Democratic message. This Congress, she has twice utilized a rarely used parliamentary maneuver to force historic Democratic hearings on Chairman Jeb Hensarling's harmful Financial Choice Act, which she called the Wrong Choice Act, and the Equifax data breach.

Ranking Member Waters has long advocated for consumers, investors, small businesses and vulnerable populations as illustrated by her extensive legislative history.

This Congress, she has so far introduced the following financial services bills to improve our financial system and the state of hosing in this country.

H.R. 3937, the Megabank Accountability and Consequences Act, which would require regulators to fully exercise their authorities and shut down megabanks that repeatedly harm consumers; H.R. 2076, the Ending Homelessness Act, which would help to ensure that every American has a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home; H.R. 3160, the Public Housing Tenant Protection and Reinvestment Act, which would ensure safe, decent, and affordable housing for the 1.1 million families who rely on public housing; H.R. 3755, the Comprehensive Credit Reporting Reform Act, which

would overhaul our broken system of credit reporting and hold the credit reporting bureaus accountable; H.R. 3936, the National Flood Insurance Program Debt Forgiveness Act, which would forgive the debt of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); H.R. 3519, the Bad Actor Disqualification Act, which would protect investors by preventing the SEC from automatically waiving disqualification for bad actors; H.R. 3357, the Military Consumer Protection Act, which enhances protections for military servicemembers from abusive Wall Street practices by giving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau authority to enforce the Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA); H.R. 6220, the Restoring Fair Housing Protections Eliminated by HUD Act of 2018, which restores several fair housing protections that HUD Secretary Ben Carson has eliminated; H.R. 5555, The FHA Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2018, which would enhance oversight of and compliance with FHA’s loss mitigation requirements in order to help borrowers avoid foreclosures; H.R. 4160, Preventing Foreclosures on Seniors Act of 2017, which would make reforms to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgages for Seniors (HECM) program to help seniors remain in their homes; H.R. 4159, Making FHA More Affordable Act of 2018, which would repeal the requirement that the FHA charge insurance premiums for the life of the loan, and reinstate the FHA’s previous policy of terminating premiums when the outstanding principal balance reaches 78 percent of the original home value; H.R. 6102, the Homeowner Mortgage Servicing Fairness Act of 2018, which would protect homeowners against foreclosure and increase the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) oversight of mortgage servicers that conduct business with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; H.R. 5833: Expanding Housing Opportunities for Foster Youth Act of 2018, which would permanently authorize $200 million annually in appropriations for family unification program (FUP) vouchers, which is estimated to provide a FUP voucher for every foster youth in need of one; H.R. 6972, the Consumers First Act, a bill to block the Trump Administration’s anti-consumer agenda and reverse efforts, led by Mick Mulvaney to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

H.R. 6320, Promoting Transparent Standards for Corporate Insiders Act, which requires the SEC to consider (continued on page 8)

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PAGE 4

December 27, 2018

HEALTH/FITNESS/SENIOR NEWS

COMMENTARY: We Shall Protect Your Healthcare

By Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

The latest attack on vulnerable Americans who need assistance to ensure that they, and their families, have adequate and affordable health insurance comes not from the United States Congress, where the law providing such insurance was challenged more than sixty times by the Republican Party.

This time it comes from a federal judge in North Texas who ruled recently that the law was unconstitutional. Fortunately, the judge’s ruling will be appealed to a higher court where I hope and pray more prudent thinking will prevail. If the judge’s ruling stands, more than 20 million men, women and children will find themselves without health insurance, which should be considered a fundamental right in our country.

As soon as I received notice of the judge’s ruling, I was in contact with my colleagues in Washington, members of the Democratic Party, who will make up the majority in the House of Representatives that will be seated during the first week of January.

One of the reasons that our party experienced such an overwhelming victory in the November congressional elec-

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson tions is we made healthcare a major issue, telling voters that we would protect the Affordable Care Act, and make Improvements to it.

The local judge’s ruling comes in the face of a decision by the United States Supreme Court that the law, signed by President Obama in 2010, was constitutional and national polls showing that the favorability of the Affordable Care Act continues to rise. Even Republicans legislators promised voters that they supported the law during the election.

A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation concluded that more than 70 percent of Ameri-

Moderate or Severe Sleep Apnea Doubles Risk Of Hard-to-Treat Hypertension in African-Americans

By Dallas Post Tribune Staff

African-Americans with moderate or severe sleep apnea are twice as likely to have hard-to-control high blood pressure when their sleep apnea goes untreated, according to a new study funded mainly by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The findings, which researchers say may partially explain why African-Americans suffer hypertension at rates higher than any other group, point to screening and treatment of sleep apnea as another important strategy for keeping uncontrolled high blood pressure at bay.

A common disorder that blocks the upper airways and causes people to stop breathing during sleep, sleep apnea already has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure in whites, but the association in blacks has been largely understudied. This new research demonstrates this link in a large population of African-Americans. The results are scheduled to be published Dec. 10 in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association.

“This is an example of how NHLBI funded research is making important advances to our basic understanding of cardiovascular risk and sleep health,” said Michael Twery, Ph.D., director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at NHLBI. “This report underscores the need for studies to determine whether screening groups at high risk for sleep apnea, such as African-Americans, would facilitate early medical intervention and reduce the risk or severity of heart disease.”

“This study identifies a risk factor for hard-to-control hypertension that until now has gone underrecognized in African-Americans,” said study leader Dayna Johnson, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta.

Johnson added that the disproportionately high rate of uncontrolled hypertension among African-Americans makes the study results even more consequential. A recent NIH-funded study showed that about 75 percent of African-American men and women are likely to develop high blood pressure by age 55, compared to 55 percent of white men and 40 percent of white women of the same age.

Johnson noted that the current findings could provide more of an impetus for African-Americans with the condition to get evaluated for sleep apnea, which also appears to affect them more than it does whites. An estimated 1 in 4 African-Americans in the United States have moderate or severe sleep ap-

nea, but most have not been diagnosed or treated by a doctor, according to a 2018 study led by Johnson when she worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

In the new study, the researchers followed 664 African-Americans with hypertension who were participants in the Jackson Heart Study, the largest investigation of causes of cardiovascular disease in African-Americans.

The researchers tested the participants for obstructive sleep apnea (the most common kind) with a special device used overnight in the home. Researchers classified sleep apnea as unaffected, mild, moderate, or severe based on the number of times a person either partially or completely stopped breathing during sleep. The tests revealed that more than a quarter of the participants had moderate or severe sleep apnea and that the condition had gone undiagnosed in almost all of them—i.e., 94 percent of the cases. The remaining participants had either no sleep apnea, or a milder form of it.

The researchers also took blood pressure measurements and found that 48 percent of the participants had “uncontrolled” high blood pressure, meaning they had the condition even though they took one or two antihypertensive medications. About 14 percent had “resistant” hypertension, meaning they had the condition while on three or more antihypertensive medications. “Resistant” hypertension is more severe than “uncontrolled” and carries a higher risk for heart disease and death, the researchers said.

The researchers then compared measures of sleep apnea to categories of blood pressure control. Study participants with moderate or severe sleep apnea were twice as likely to have resistant hypertension when compared to participants without sleep apnea. Those with severe sleep apnea were 3.5 times as likely to have resistant hypertension compared to participants without sleep apnea.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the researchers found no association between milder forms of sleep apnea and uncontrolled or resistant hypertension.

The results suggest that AfricanAmericans with more severe forms of sleep apnea are at higher risk of having hard-to-treat hypertension, the researchers said. The current study did not explore what proportion of resistant hypertension is attributable to sleep apnea.

The study did not examine the mechanisms by which sleep apnea increases blood pressure. But Susan Redline, M.D., senior physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the study’s senior author, said that earlier studies indicate that untreated sleep apnea can cause blood pressure to surge during sleep and remain high during the day when a patient is (continued in next 2 columns)

cans, Democrats and Republicans, have a favorable opinion of the Affordable Care Act, demonstrating that the legislation had become a significant part of the American fabric. The Affordable Care Act also allows for Medicaid expansion, providing additional people with healthcare.

The holiday season can be a very stressful time for everyone.

Those secure with the knowledge of having healthcare because of the Affordable Care Act do not deserve the extra worry that the judge’s ruling has created.

I want each of you to know that my colleagues and I are

with you, and we will do everything in our power to protect your healthcare. We are consulting with some of the best legal minds in the country who will argue in the next judicial forum or forums on your behalf, and on behalf of equity and fairness. Having you and those you love without healthcare insurance is like leaving a newlyborn infant alone in the midst of a harsh winter storm. We will not allow that. We shall assist you. We shall protect you from the cold!

This article originally appeared in the Dallas Post Tribune.

Moderate or Severe Sleep Apnea Doubles Risk Of Hardto-Treat Hypertension in African-Americans...continued awake. Her earlier research showed that treatment of sleep apnea with continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) lowers blood pressure, especially during the night. CPAP and other breathing devices deliver slight air pressure through a mask and are highly effective for treatment of sleep apnea.

The study was supported by grants from the NHLBI (R01HL110068, 3R01HL110068-03S2; T32HL007901-18, and K01HL138211). Additional NHLBI support included the following: KL2TR001874, R01HL117323, and 5R35HL135818. Other NIH support included funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U54GM115428) through the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The Jackson Heart Study is supported and conducted in collaboration with Jackson State University (HHSN268201300049C and HHSN268201300050C), Tougaloo College (HHSN268201300048C), and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (HHSN268201300046C and HHSN268201300047C) contracts NHLBI and the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities. The study was also supported by additional institutions outside of NIH,

including the American Heart Association. For a more complete funding disclosure, please see the full research article.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

This article originally appeared in the Dallas Post Tribune.

EMT Placed on Unpaid Leave For Making Racist Remarks About Black Patients Health/Fitness News

Alex McNabb, an EMT who made racist remarks to black patients Patrick County, VA — Alex McNabb, an Emergency Medical Technician in Virginia who has made several racist remarks about his Black patients on his neo-Nazi podcast, has been suspended without pay… but not fired!

Black residents in the area say they are worried they might be mistreated if they receive care from such a racist person.

McNabb’s employer, Jeb Stuart Volunteer Rescue Squad, confirmed that he has been placed on unpaid leave since Monday last week as a state investigation is underway regarding the comments he made on the neo-Nazi podcast he regularly co-hosts called “The Daily Shoah.”

On the podcast, McNabb plays the role of “Dr. Narcan,” a racist character who talks about stories and experiences on being an EMT with his neoNazi guests. He calls black patients “dindus,” a slur, and compares black patients to gorillas. In one episode, he said, “It’s hard to find a dindu vein anyway because they’re black.”

In another episode, he reportedly told about stabbing a young black patient with needles, noting his “immense

satisfaction as he terrorized this youngster with a needle and stabbed him thusly in the arm with a large-gauge IV catheter.”

Black residents in the Patrick County area, which is 92 percent white, were expressing their worry that such racism could have cost them or their loved ones their health or even their lives.

Some of them were present during a meeting on December 17 of the Patrick County board of supervisors with local officials, lawyers, and McNabb himself to discuss the consequences he would have to face.

“We think Adolf Hitler is dead. Nah, you cannot kill a demon,” Vietnam veteran Charles Thomas said on the meeting, according to CNN. “Just imagine if you were a black person needing medical help and call the rescue … your chances of dying in that rescue vehicle are greater than if you stay home.”

“I’m mad as hell is bad,” resident and Rev. Daniel Spencer also said. “My hope and my prayer is we can get rid of this individual. You have the power.” (continued in next 2 columns)

Former President Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC Health/Fitness News

Washington, DC — Former U.S. President Barack Obama surprised young patients at Children’s National Hospital in Northwest Washington on Wednesday. He visited the kids and delivered some toys as presents.

“We had a chance to talk to some of the wonderful kids and their families at a time that is obviously tough to folks,” Obama said. “As a dad of two girls, I can only imagine in that situation to have nurses and staff and doctors and people who are caring for them and looking after them and listening to them and just there for them and holding their hand, that is the most important thing there is.

“What a great reminder of what the holiday spirit is supposed to be all about.”

Obama paid a visit to some patients and gave presents such as jigsaw puzzles, toy cars, Hot Wheels sets, glittery nail polish, and other goodies.

He also gave a piece of advice

to other patients, such as a 12year-old patient who will enter high school next year, and said, “Even the cool kids don’t have it all figured out.”

“I know they will be talking about it for years to come,” said Kurt Newman, chief executive and president of Children’s National Health System. “At such a busy time of year, when no one wants to be in the hospital, his natural warmth lifted the spirits of those kids, their parents and of each staff member he met along the way.”

After his one hour and a half visit, Obama thanked the hospital staff for their hard work even on the holidays. He also recorded a video message that would be played on the hospital’s internal TV system for those that he wasn’t able to visit.

In a video posted by the hospital, a delighted crowd of the staff, doctors, and nurses cheered for Obama and thanked him for the surprise visit.

EMT Placed on Unpaid Leave For Making Racist Remarks About Black Patients...continued It wasn’t clear yet if McNabb ever really treat Black patients differently but an investigation by the state and his employer has since been launched.

McNabb denied the allegations, initially claiming that his words are fictional and entertainment, which is protected by the First Amendment.

During the meeting, the chair of the supervisors, Lock Boyce, said he wanted JEB Stuart to fire McNabb immediately. He told McNabb at the meeting, “I ran rescue around here for over 10 years — everyone that I ran rescue squad with was a compassionate human being. You have sullied that reputation.”

Boyce warned that JEB Stuart will not receive funding until they terminate McNabb, but no other supervisor supported him. They only passed a motion stating that the county condemns acts of hate and white supremacy.

Wren Williams, the lawyer for JEB Stuart, argued that the county should wait for the result of the state investigation before deciding to defund what he

called an important source of emergency help in the county. He said, “Now that Mr. McNabb has been placed on unpaid leave, we know that he cannot harm any individuals under our care.”

The meeting eventually became more heated as Boyce talked to McNabb. “‘Dr. Narcan terrorized that youngster with a needle and stabbed him in the arm’ using an improper needle size.

Did you say that? Do you make that up? Do you think that’s funny?” Boyce asked.

“I think it’s funny,” McNabb said. “My audience thinks it’s funny.”

“I don’t find any of these things entertaining,” Boyce said, eventually wrapping up the argument with, “I am sorry that the county board of supervisors didn’t bring all of the pressure that they could bring to bear to fire Mr. McNabb. I think he should never been hired. And once his views were known he should have been fired immediately.”

6 Tips To Help Those In Recovery Avoid Alcohol During The Holidays Health/Fitness News

The holidays are a time for family and friends to gather and share laughs, memories – and perhaps a drink or two. But for people recovering from an addiction, all that alcohol often present at special events can be worrisome.

“Holiday parties are when many alcoholics fall off the wagon,” says John Collopy, author of the book The Reward of Knowing (www.johncollopy.com), which relates his own struggles with addiction.

“There just seems to be alcohol everywhere, sometimes even at the office. It can be very difficult, especially for people who have only recently stopped drinking.”

Although Collopy has been sober for many years, he knows that the holidays are a gateway to his past life.

He used alcohol to help him deal with memories of a troubled childhood with a dysfunctional family and abusive father. When he became an adult, he quickly became dependent on alcohol to get through the day, plus he had anger management issues.

“Every day for an alcoholic is a challenge, but over the holidays it can be overwhelming,” says Collopy, who today is a successful real estate broker. “People don’t realize when they offer drinks to people over the holidays how difficult it is for some people to say no. Real alcoholics know they can never have just one.”

For those who want to stay sober during the holidays, here are a few tips from Alcoholics Anonymous and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: 1. Skip any drinking occasions you are nervous about. If you are really

concerned about an event, just ask yourself if you really need to go. But you don’t have to just sit home. Take your family out and look at the holiday lights or find another activity that gets you in the holiday mood without alcohol.

2. Leave early. If you know you will be tempted to drink at a party, plan in advance to tell people when you arrive that you only stopped by briefly, and have somewhere else you need to be.

3. Go with a sober friend. There is safety in numbers, and you can help each other should you be tempted to drink.

4. Carry around a soft drink. If you already have a drink in your hand, people are less likely to ask you if you want a drink.

5. Avoid known risks. If you know your brother is a heavy drinker, for example, stay away from him. If you know the same party last year was full of excessive drinking, just stay home.

6. Create new traditions. It can be a downer if you have to skip all the holiday fun. So come up with some of your own. Buy a new board game, go look at the holiday decorations or host your own small non-alcoholic party with sober friends.

It has been many years since Collopy was an alcoholic, but he says the rewards of his life now are much better than any drink he ever took.

“Once you’re sober, you can allow yourself to begin to dream about life again, the way you did when you were a kid,” he says. “That doesn’t mean those dreams are going to be easy to achieve, but at least you can look at them and say, ‘I’ve got a shot.’ ”

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PAGE 5 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20180013143 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 11/16/2018 Began Transacting Business: N/A Filing Expires On: 11/16/2023 Business is Conducted By: A Corporation Fictitious Business Name(s): POPBAR RANCHO CUCAMONGA Business Address: 8443 HAVEN AVENUE, UNIT 141 RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA 91730 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Mailing Address: 13275 JOSHUA AVENUE CHINO, CA 91710 Registrant(s)Address: DIPPIN POPS CORP. 13275 JOSHUA AVENUE CHINO, CA 91710 A1#: C4208364 State: CA Signature/Officer Title: Pranav Kumar P. Patel, CEO

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20180014013 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 12/11/2018 Began Transacting Business: 11/02/2006 Filing Expires On: 12/11/2023 Business is Conducted By: An Individual Fictitious Business Name(s): LAST CALL INSURANCE SERVICES Business Address: 621 E. MAIN ST. BARSTOW, CA 92311 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Registrant(s)Address: JULIE FUENTES 621 E. MAIN ST. BARSTOW, CA 92311 Signature/Officer Title: Julie Fuentes, Owner

BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT 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 BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper December 13, 20, 27, 2018, January 3, 2019.

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BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT 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 BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper December 6, 13, 20, 27, 2018.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FBN Number: 20180013557 Filing Type: FBN Filing Date Filed: 11/30/2018 Began Transacting Business:N/A Filing Expires On: 11/30/2023 Business is Conducted By: An Individual Fictitious Business Name(s): B & A BEAUTY SALON Business Address: 14592 PALMDALE ROAD SUITE 5 VICTORVILLE, CA 92392 County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Mailing AddressL 8819 MAPLE AVE. HESPERIA, CA 92345 Registrant(s)Address: JUANA M. ROSALES 8819 MAPLE AVE. HESPERIA, CA 92345 Signature/Officer Title: Juana M. Rosales, Owner

BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT 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 BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published In The San Bernardino American Newspaper December 6, 13, 20, 27, 2018.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20180013747 Date Filed: 12/04/2018 Filing Expires On: 12/04/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): DRIVE NOW AUTO CENTER County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 333 SO. WATERMAN AVE. SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92408 Name of Individual Registrant: Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: DRIVE NOW AUTO CENTER INC. State of Inc./Org./

December 27, 2018

LEGALS/CLASSIFIEDS/NEWS Reg.: CA Inc./Org./Reg. No.: C4215267 Residence Street Address: 333 SO. WATERMAN AVE. SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92408 This business is/was conducted by: A Corporation Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A George R. Hajjar, CFO, declares that all information in this statement is true and correct.

NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORT IN THE STATEMENT 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 BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper December 13, 20, 27, 2018, January 3, 2019.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20180013203 Date Filed: 11/19/2018 Filing Expires On: 11/19/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): INLAND VALLEY VETERINARY SPECIALISTS County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 10 W. 7TH ST. UPLAND, CA 91786 Name of Individual Registrant: Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: PETVET CARE CENTERS (CALIFORNIA), INC.State of Inc./Org./Reg.: DE Inc./Org./Reg. No.: Residence Street Address: ONE GORHAM ISLAND, SUITE 300 WESTPORT, CT. 06880 Name of Individual Registrant: Residence Street Address: This business is/was conducted by: A Corporation Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: N/A Signature/Title of Person Signing: Adeline Park, Vice President

BY SIGNING, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).

NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT 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 BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper December 6, 13, 20, 27, 2018.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT ABANDONMENT 20180012986 Date Filed: 11/14/2018 Filing Expires On: 11/14/2023 County of Current Filing: SAN BERNARDINO Date of Current Filing: 10/01/2018 File No.: 20180004764 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): FAMILY HOMESTYLE CAFE County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 24735 REDLANDS BLVD. STE. F LOMA LINDA, CA 92354 Name of Individual Registrant: Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: JIH CORPORATION State of Inc./Org./Reg.: CA Inc./ Org./Reg. No.: C3378385 Residence Street Address: 24735 REDLANDS BLVD. STE. F LOMA LINDA, CA 92354 This business is/was conducted by: A Corporation Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 2/14/2012 Maribel Santana Alvarez, CFO, declares that all information in this statement is true and correct.

NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORT IN THE STATEMENT 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 BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper December 13, 20, 27, 2018, January 3, 2019.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CIVDS 1831243 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: MICHEL RABI filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: a. MICHEL RABI to Proposed name: MICHAEL RABI THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 1/16/19 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: S16 Superior Court of California, County Of San Bernardino San Bernardino District CivilDivision 247 West Third St. San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 A Copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: The San Bernardino American Newspaper P.O. Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393 Date: December 5, 2018 Michael A. Sachs Judge Of The Superior Court Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper December 13, 20, 27, 2018, January 3, 2019.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CIVVS 1800682 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: ANTHONY BROWN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: a. ANTHONY BROWN to Proposed name: ANTHONY DAVID-LEE ROBINSON THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition

without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 1/18/19 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: V15 Superior Court of California, County Of San Bernardino 14455 Civic Dr. Victorville, CA 92392 Victorville Branch A Copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: The San Bernardino American Newspaper P.O. Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393 Date: November 29, 2018 Judge Of The Superior Court Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper December 13, 20, 27, 2018, January 3, 2019.

SUMMONS SUPPLEMENTAL SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL. DEMANDADO): IVAN DERKACH, an individual; OLJA SENKOVETS aka VOLHA SENKOVETS, an individual; MDMANAGEMENT, INC., a California corporation; OLATOKUNBO MORENIKE AYOOLA-ARCHIE, an individual; DOCMED EVALUATION SERVICES, INC., a California corporation; NABIL BAIG, an individual; and DOES 1 through 20, inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDADO EL DEMANDANTE): GINNY FERNANDEZ, on behalf of the Estate of HECTOR RENE FERNANDEZ, an individual; MEDICALEVAL CORP., a California corporation NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without you being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff.

A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper 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 SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot 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 attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (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 dias, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la informacion a continuacion.

Tiene 30 DIAS CALENDARIO despues de que le entreguen esta citacion y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefonica no lo protegen. 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 formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y mas informacion en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/ espanol/), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede mas cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentacion, pida al secretario de la corte que le de un formulario de exencion de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podra quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin mas advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remision a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniendose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley la corte tiene derecho a reclamar los coutas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperacion de $10,000 o mas de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesion 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.

CASE NUMBER: CIVDS 1604624 (Numero del Caso) The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y direccion de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO 247 WEST THIRD ST. SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la direccion y el numero de telefono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): William L. Buus; Schiffer & Buus, APC; 959 So. Coast Dr.; Ste. 385, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (949) 825-6140 Date: August 1, 2018 (Fecha) (Secretario)Clerk, by Samantha Neubauer, Deputy (Adjunto) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper December 27, 2018, January 3, 10, 17, 2019.

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL. DEMANDADO): DEBORAH LYNN MCLAUGHLIN; and DOES 1 through 10, inclusive YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDADO EL DEMANDANTE): FIDENCIA GONZALEZ SALDIVAR NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without you being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff.

A letter or phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper 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 SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot 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 attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If

you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (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 dias, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la informacion a continuacion.

Tiene 30 DIAS CALENDARIO despues de que le entreguen esta citacion y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefonica no lo protegen. 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 formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y mas informacion en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/ espanol/), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede mas cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentacion, pida al secretario de la corte que le de un formulario de exencion de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podra quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin mas advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remision a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniendose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley la corte tiene derecho a reclamar los coutas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperacion de $10,000 o mas de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesion 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.

CASE NUMBER: CIVDS 1803707 (Numero del Caso) The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y direccion de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO 247 WEST 3RD ST.SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la direccion y el numero de telefono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): MORTEZA AGHAVALI, ESQ., 200 SANDPOINTE AVE., SUITE 515, SANTA ANA, CA 92707 Date: February 15, 2018 (Fecha) (Secretario)Clerk, by Jessica Garcez, Deputy (Adjunto) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper December 6, 13, 20, 27, 2018.

PETITION/PROBATE

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE (Probate-Decedents’ Estates) NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: MARY

REED Case Number: PROPS 1800710 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of : MARY REED A Petition for Probate has been filed by: CHARLES REED in the Superior Court of California, County of: SAN BERNARDINO The Petition for Probate requests that CHARLES REED be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action).

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why, the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: January 16, 2019 Time:8:30 a.m.

Dept: S-35p SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, County Of San Bernardino, 247 West Third Street San Bernardino, CA 92415-0212 San Bernardino Justice Center Probate Dept.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250.

A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Petitioner: Charles Reed 780 Medical Center Drive San Bernardino, CA 92411 (909)884-6186 Published in The San Bernardino American Newspaper December 20, 27, 2018, January 3, 2019.

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FRA Awards More Than $46 Million for PTC Implementation 11 projects in 10 states receive funding in second round of FY 2018 PTC grants WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today awarded $46,301,702 in grant funding for 11 projects in 10 states to assist with deploying positive train control (PTC) systems. This marks the second selection of PTC systems deployment projects under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act and via the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, collectively totaling $250 million in funding.

“These $46 million in grants will speed up the deployment of Positive Train Control systems, a key element in strengthening safety for both passenger and freight railroads,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said. “Each recipient will be held accountable for achieving specific, measurable outcomes.”

The CRISI Program was authorized by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act to provide funding to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger rail and freight rail transportation systems. The FY 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $592,547,000 for the CRISI Program, with $250,000,000 to be made available for PTC system deployment. On August 24, 2018, FRA announced $203.7 million in grant awards for PTC implementation to 28 projects in 15 states.

“These grants not only help railroads continue to make progress implementing positive train control, but they also show that we’re steadfast in our commitment to make investments in passenger rail and rural communities,” said FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory.

In this second round of FY 2018 PTC CRISI grants, 100 percent of the funds will benefit passenger rail, with about 31 percent – or $14 million – benefiting rural projects. The CRISI grant program directs much-needed critical investment – at least 25 percent of available funds – to rural America.

The awards will fund many aspects of PTC system implementation for intercity passenger or commuter rail and freight rail transportation, including back office PTC systems; wayside, communications, and onboard PTC system equipment; personnel training; PTC system testing; and interoperability.

In 2008, Congress mandated implementation of PTC systems on the main lines of Class I railroads and entities providing regularly scheduled intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation over which hazardous materials are transported, or over which intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation is regularly provided. In October 2015, Congress extended the original PTC system implementation deadline from December 31, 2015, to December 31, 2018. In addition, Congress requires FRA to approve a railroad’s request for an “alternative schedule” with a deadline for full implementation beyond December 31, 2018, but not later than December 31, 2020, if the railroad demonstrates it has met the congressionally mandated criteria for an alternative schedule.

FRA awarded grants in the approximate amounts below to the following programs and entities: • AK – GPS Precision Upgrade for PTC (Up to $2,530,618) Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) o For this rural project, ARRC will procure a platform with software to improve the accuracy and functionality of the global positioning system (GPS) in ARRC’s locomotives and on-track equipment, and implement the vital functions for its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS).

• CA – PTC Configuration Management and Office Segment Failover (Up to $3,976,560) Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain) o To implement Caltrain’s I-ETMS PTC system, this grant will fund the completion of a Caltrain PTC Configuration Management (CM) Plan and PTC Data Management Procedure; development of a CM tool that generates an audit trail for changes to configuration data and CM training on the configuration control and CM process; completion of the backup central control facility (BCCF) and Central Control Facility Failover Design and Test Plan; and completion of the design, test results, and as-built system for an Emergency Operation Center at the existing BCCF in Menlo Park, Calif.

• CA – Leveraging PTC to Increase Capacity and Reduce Headways and Alternative Vendor Analysis (Up to $3,150,000) Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA or Metrolink) o This project will include a study for leveraging PTC to increase capacity and reduce headways, software development, PTC component upgrades, and/or corridor infrastructure upgrades to support the future implementation of Higher Reliability and Capacity Train Control (HRCTC) along Metrolink’s congested Orange County Line from Los Angeles Union Station to Oceanside, Calif.

• CO – PTC Installation for the Amtrak Southwest Chief on BNSF Railway Through Colorado and Kansas (Up to $9,157,600) Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) o This rural project from CDOT, in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and BNSF, includes the design, installation, and testing of I-ETMS PTC wayside technology on approximately 179 miles of a predominantly single-track route between Dodge City, Kan., and Las Animas, Colo.

• IL – PTC Kits and Spare Parts for 24 Additional Locomotives at Metra (Up to $2,058,163) Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority (Metra) o The project includes purchasing and installing onboard I-ETMS PTC equipment on Metra’s 24 recently purchased locomotives.

• MA – MBTA PTC Implementation (Up to $7,548,335) Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) o This project on the Needham Branch, Franklin Branch, and Worcester Line, includes two components: 1) Testing of Automatic Train Control (ATC), where the previously installed PTC/ATC equipment on each line is already wired, and the software is loaded, connected to the signal system, and activated. The testing is intended to confirm the equipment functions as designed and is ready for testing with a test train. 2) “Completion of Commissioning for the ATC Lines,” where final acceptance testing is performed, including interoperability and ATC system testing.

• NC – NCDOT Rolling Stock PTC Commissioning (Up to $584,080) North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) o The project includes installing, testing, commissioning, and certifying I-ETMS PTC onboard technology on three NCDOT locomotives for operation in the Piedmont intercity passenger rail service, which operates between Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C. • NJ – PTC Installation on Multilevel Cab Cars (Up to $6,542,353) New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT) o This project will install and test Advanced Speed Enforcement System II (ASES II) PTC onboard equipment on 33 new NJT multilevel cab cars for deployment along the Northeast Corridor, Montclair-Boonton, and Morris & Essex Lines in New Jersey.

• NM – New Mexico Rail Runner Express PTC/Wi-Fi Integration Project (Up to $2,496,842) Rio Metro Regional Transit District (Rio Metro) o This rural project will restore the New Mexico Rail Runner Express (NMRX) system’s Wi-Fi network from an end-of-life, proprietary WiMAX system to a cross-compatible Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system, providing a redundant path of communication for its I-ETMS PTC system. The project will install 26 towers along the 96 miles of the NMRX system between Belen, N.M. and Santa Fe, N.M., including approximately 74 miles of the Albuquerque Subdivision and 22 miles of the Santa Fe Subdivision. Nine NMRX cab cars, 13 coach cars, and 15 NMRX stations will be equipped with the Wi-Fi technology necessary for its PTC system.

• NY – MTA Metro-North Railroad PTC Communications Testing (Up to $2,300,000) NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) o This project will involve PTC system testing to measure communications system performance to predict, identify, and replicate communications issues affecting MTA’s Metro-North Railroad’s operations, as well as develop and validate mitigation approaches to address communications challenges along the Northeast Corridor.

• TX – Capital Metro E-ATC PTC Wayside Installation Project (Up to $5,957,151) Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) o This project includes the design, installation, and verification of the Enhanced Automatic Train Control PTC wayside system on the new tracks along Capital Metro’s Red Line in the cities of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, and the surrounding Texas communities. The new project spans a 21-mile section along the Red Line on Capital Metro’s commuter rail corridor.

More information about PTC systems can be found at the following links: https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0358 and https:// www.fra.dot.gov/ptc.

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PAGE 6

Unexpected For-Profit

LEGAL ADVERTISING/ LOCAL/NATIONAL NEWS on the Possible Deportation of College Closures Come Before Christmas Statement Vietnam War Refugees...continued

The Season’s ‘Ho, ho, ho’ turns into “No, no, no’

By Charlene Crowell December 19, 2018

In the midst of holiday festivities, many people wrap themselves up warmly. After all, winter time is supposed to be cold.

But this year, just a week before Christmas, there are people who were dealing with the aftermath of something far colder than the weather: college closures with no advance notice and a promise of more information at a date yet to be determined.

On the afternoon of December 17, Vatterott College told its students and staff by email to gather their belongings and leave the campuses no later than 4:00pm that day. The for-profit college had struggled for more than a year with financial stability as well as a more recent loss of accreditation.

“All Vatterott schools and locations will closely completely and immediately effective today”, advised students and staff alike.

With 15 campuses scattered across the states of Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee, an estimated 2,300 students were given next to no helpful information. Answers to questions as to whether studies would be able to transfer to other institutions, how or when students could secure their own student records, were deferred and referred to a web site “in the coming days”.

For its 950 employees, Vatterott sent a similar letter. Staff would be paid through December 17 or the last day worked. Further, their health insurance ended with their employment. Any keys or passes held, were to be returned to the campus director that day – again by 4:00pm.

Today, the average student loan

balance among baccalaureate graduates is $34,000. But for those who attend for-profit colleges, the cost can be even higher.

For Kaylin Reeves, a Vatterott student interviewed by St. Louis’ Fox2News, publicly shared her reactions. “We are out $38,000, we are out an education…Most of us took times out of our lives and sacrificed our time with our kids to be here, to better ourselves to pretty much be told, ‘You’re screwed’.”

Monica Williams, another stranded Vatterott student remarked, “My time. I can’t get that back. I worked hard for this you know? It’s not fair.”

“Another overcharging, underperforming for-profit college has closed its doors,” noted Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. “It’s the second major chain in just the last three weeks to abruptly close.

And it won’t be the last.”

The ‘other’ for-profit institution Sen. Durbin referenced was Virginia College, another for-profit

'You Sold Your Country Out': Judge Emmet Sullivan Slams Michael Flynn for His Crimes...continued from page 1 chose.

Prosecutors working under Special Counsel Robert Mueller had requested Sullivan delay sentencing until Flynn finishes assisting in an investigation.

Mueller is leading the investigation into possible collusion between Trump's campaign team and Russia ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Sullivan, age 71, was first appointed to the local D.C. Superior Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. President George H.W. Bush then named him to the D.C. appeals court. President Bill Clinton later appointed him to the federal bench.

"In a quarter-century on the bench, Sullivan has routinely

drawn high-profile cases, among them the Justice Department's mishandled prosecution of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and the government's successful challenge in 2016 to Staples' proposed takeover of Office Depot," according to The National Law Journal.

In August, Sullivan made national headlines after he learned a mother and daughter had been deported while their asylum case was pending before him.

Sullivan ordered the government "to turn that plane around either now or when it lands." He said: "Turn that plane around and bring those people back to the United States."

Rural America has waited too long for farm bill

By Anna Johnson, annaj@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs The compromise farm bill secures several victories for conservation, beginning farmers, and rural communities, while failing to cap payments to the largest farms or secure stable long-term funding for working lands conservation.

We are pleased that Congress maintained the Conservation Stewardship Program in the final bill, and included policy changes to strengthen the program.

Changes include increased support for cover crops, resourceconserving crop rotations, and advanced grazing management.

We are disappointed that Congress did not fix provisions that drive farm consolidation and funnel taxpayer dollars to the largest operations. The existing payment limitation of $125,000 can now be multiplied not only via spouse and immediate family members, but now by nephews, nieces, and first cousins. This will effectively allow mega farms to continue to collect unlimited payments and perpetuate misuse of taxpayer dollars.

December 27, 2018

Several valuable programs for beginning, socially-disadvantaged and veteran farmers; valueadded agriculture; and local foods are combined into two new programs that will permanently preserve their functions: the Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program, and the Local Agricultural Marketing Program.

In addition, Congress increased funding for the Conservation Reserve Program - Transition Incentive Program to $50 million. This program does important work to facilitate beginning, socially-disadvantaged, and veteran farmers to access land. We appreciate these investments in beginning farmers and rural communities.

Another program that stimulates rural small businesses development, the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, was reauthorized but, unfortunately, not funded. This program’s support for loan funding and technical assistance to ru(continued in next 2 columns)

college that closed on December 5. With 75 campuses across the nation, the Southeast was where the majority of Virginia College’s campuses were located across the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Students were enrolled in studies that included cosmetology, culinary arts, and medical or dental assistant programs.

Both Vatterott and Virginia College closures followed on the heels of their lost accreditation just a day earlier.

What bothers me the most about these latest for-profit closures is that they sound so similar to earlier college closures like Corinthian College, ITT Tech, and others. The students targeted – no, preyed upon – continue to be from low-income families, older adults returning to school to better provide for their families, veterans seeking to make a successful transition from military to civilian life.

And one more unifying trait between these institutions: People of color, usually Black or Latino, were disproportionately affected.

Low-income students eligible for the maximum federal student aid like a combination of a Pell Grant and a loan, and/or veterans with GI benefits, can lead to taxpayers funding nearly all of forprofit college tuition and other enrollment costs.

Across the country, few forprofit students seldom learn until it is too late that fewer than 30 percent of for-profit students graduate six years following their enrollment.

As long as I can remember, Black people were told and taught that education was the barrier to break through to earn entry into the middle class. Yet the continuing spate of for-profit college closures has led to a disturbing pattern of Blacks and Latinos winding up with no degree, no skills, and certainly no jobs that pay enough for their loans and accruing interest to be repaid.

The Obama Administration designed rules like the Borrower Defense to Repayment Rule as a financial remedy for students who were promised but failed to receive a college education with marketable skills and higher earnings. Others, like Gainful Employment were meant to rein in abusive schools before they could harm students. With Secretary Betsy DeVos heading the Department of Education, both rules have been undermined.

For these latest closures to take place just a week before Christmas, delivers a range of reactions that are polar opposites to the holiday season’s joy and goodwill.

Instead of the seasonal refrain of ‘Ho, ho, ho’, these consumers – former employees and students alike are likely shaking their heads and repeating, ‘No, no, no’.

nist regime, hundreds of thousands of refugees narrowly escaped to the United States. They sought protection, refuge, but most importantly freedom. Republican President Gerald R. Ford welcomed Vietnamese refugees from Communism. Yet that same year, in his first term as Governor, Jerry Brown and the Democrats fought to keep refugees out of California. Many of those refugees now call Orange County their home.

The Vietnamese community has made an incredible contribution to California and to Orange County. Our friends in the community for a long time have entrusted the Republican Party with their support because they recognize that our principles are their principles. Principles of freedom and opportunity in stark contrast to the totalitarian communist ideas they fled. Not only has the Republican Party supported and partnered with the Vietnamese community, but we also worked tirelessly to support Vietnamese American elected officials from former State Senator Janet Nguyen and Assemblymember Tyler Diep to Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do and Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen.

I am proud to see our Vietnamese American elected officials like

Assemblymember Diep, Supervisor Do, and Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen begin immediate outreach to the Trump administration to advocate on behalf of this important community.

As Republicans, we understand that national security comes first, so if someone has broken the trust and privilege of being in the United States by being a violent criminal, then the administration must take action to protect our communities. However, this is not the case with the vast majority of our Vietnamese refugees in Orange County that came before 1995 with the permission of the United States government. As a party we take great pride in our Vietnamese Community. They have embraced the American values of hard work, individualism, and patriotism. We are better as a party and country because of the integration of Vietnamese refugees in America.

We understand the need for tough conversations, as decades old policies are reviewed in today's context but we also look forward to being an advocate for the Vietnamese refugee community in Orange County and providing the administration with clear perspective from here at home where our communities are most affected by any policy change.”

Trump: Patrick Shanahan to become acting secretary of defense Jan. 1

By Daniel Uria

Rural America has waited too long for farm bill ...continued ral entrepreneurs will not continue unless Congress acts separately to restore its funding, which we encourage them to do.

In the next five years, Congress has a responsibility to keep fund-

ing strong for conservation and rural microenterprise development, and boldly address policies and incentives that reward only the largest farms and drive farm consolidation.

ACLU and The Leadership Conference Praise Senate Passage of FIRST STEP Act Local/National News

WASHINGTON — The Senate tonight passed a revised version of the FIRST STEP Act by a margin of 87-12. It is expected to pass quickly in the House of Representatives in the coming days.

Jesselyn McCurdy, deputy director of the Washington Legislative Office at the American Civil Liberties Union, had the following reaction: “The FIRST STEP Act is by no means perfect. But we are in the midst of a mass incarceration crisis, and the time to act is now.”

“We applaud the bipartisan group of senators who were willing to listen to advocates and include important sentencing reforms that will grant thousands of currently incarcerated people a second chance.”

“People’s lives are at stake.

We’re delighted to see common sense prevail and the FIRST STEP Act move closer to the finish line.”

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, had the following response:

“The Senate’s bipartisan vote to pass the FIRST STEP Act is an important, but modest step forward for justice and human dignity. But it is not the end of our fight. This bipartisan bill offers some important improvements to the current federal system, but it falls short of providing the meaningful change that is required, as we explained in a letter to the Senate. More work will be needed as we push for transformational change that will end mass incarceration in America."

“We applaud our coalition members for their tireless work to ensure that the final bill included the vital sentencing provisions that improved the bill, Senators Durbin, Booker, Harris, Lee, and Grassley for their leadership, and the many formerly incarcerated allies and advocates who remind us that this work has real-world impact.”

More information about the ACLU’s position on the FIRST STEP Act can be found here: https://www.aclu.org/blog/ smart-justice/mass-incarceration/ how-first-step-act-moves-criminal-justice-reform-forward

Statement on the Possible Deportation of Vietnam War Refugees Local/National News

ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Hon. Fred M. Whitaker, Chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, released the following statement in response to the announcement of possible deportation of Vietnam War refugees: “Orange County is home to one of the largest communities of Viet-

namese Americans in the United States. Like many I was concerned over the news that the Trump administration may move to deport certain refugees of the Vietnam War. In 1975, when South Vietnam and Cambodia fell to the commu(continued in next 2 columns)

President Donald Trump announced Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan will step into the role of Secretary of Defense to replace Jim Mattis on Jan. 1. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI | License Photo Dec. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Patrick Shanahan will take on the role of acting secretary of defense at the start of the new year.

Trump wrote on Twitter that Shanahan, who had been serving as current Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' deputy, will step into the role on Jan. 1, two months earlier than Mattis was scheduled to depart after submitting his resignation to the White House Thursday.

"Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!" Trump wrote.

Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Rob Manning issued a statement regarding the secretary of defense position without addressing the the change, the Washington Post reported.

"The secretary of defense serves at the pleasure of the president," Manning said. "The department remains focused on national security."

Mattis wrote in his resignation letter that he would depart the office on Feb. 28, citing disagreements about how the United States should be involved in in-

ternational issues including withdrawing troops from Syria.

"You have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," he wrote.

Trump commented on the situation in Syria on Saturday, following the announcement of Mattis' departure.

"If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media.

Crazy!" he wrote on Twitter.

Shanahan worked as an executive for Boeing for decades prior to joining the Trump administration and oversaw the audit as well as its development of a new missile defense policy.

Read more: https:// www.upi.com/Top_News/US/ 2018/12/23/Trump-PatrickShanahan-to-become-acting-secretary-of-defense-Jan-1/ 7081545587330/#ixzz5aZ9FRdxw

Second Black and First Afro-Latino to Lead CA Department of Education

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media Assemblymember Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) pulled off a hard-fought victory defeating CEO of Green Dot Public Schools Marshall Tuck in the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction. The results were officially certified by the Secretary of State’s Office on Friday, Dec. 14.

According to a press release from Thurmond’s campaign, he overcame an 86,000-vote deficit on Election Day to win.

“I want to thank the voters of California for electing me to serve the 6 million students of California, I intend to be a champion of public schools and a Superintendent for all California students,” said Thurmond in a press release.

“I ran for superintendent of Public Instruction to deliver to all Californians the promise that public education delivered to me – that (continued on page 8)

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Page 7

December 27, 2018

LIFESTYLE NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT/RELIGION

Lifehouse Theater Presents The World Premiere Musical “Prodigal Son” Lifestyle/Entertainment News

“Don’t Let Another Year Come and Go and You Find Yourself in the Same Position!” By: Lou Yeboah

Lou Yeboah I tell you, if you are going to

Jaylen Baham plays the misguided Bobby in LifeHouse Theater’s original musical “Prodigal Son” (January 5 - 27, 2019). [photo by Elizabeth Ekema-Nardella]

The Jazz Singer (Sarah Ayotte) relates the tale of the Prodigal Son in LifeHouse Theater’s original musical “Prodigal Son” (January 5 - 27, 2019). [photo by Elizabeth Ekema-Nardella]

LifeHouse Theater’s 25th silver anniversary season continues in the New Year with the world-premiere musical, “Prodigal Son.” This new musical features a fresh new take on the biblical parable as the story of the Prodigal Son unfolds against the backdrop of a 1930’s jazz club. This timeless lesson of love and forgiveness shines with a relevance that breaks through modern despair with inspirational joy.

“Prodigal Son” is a unique theatrical experience at the LifeHouse Theater as it will be the first at the theater to feature all music performed by a live 3-piece combo.

“With our 25th season, we wanted to bring different surprises for our guests,” commented LifeHouse founder and president Wayne R. Scott. “Having live music at the theater makes what is already an incredible story even more of an experience.”

Performances begin Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 7:00 PM and will continue on weekends through January 27, 2019. Per-

formances are Fridays at 7:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:00 PM (except opening weekend) and 7:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. In addition to the weekend performances, there will be a special weekday performance on Thursday, January 24 at 7:00 PM. The performances on Friday, January 18 will also feature an interpreted presentation for the deaf.

Regular advance ticket prices for each production are $20 or $26 for adults and $10 or $13 for children ages 3-11 (no children under 3 are admitted) and can be purchased over the phone with a Visa or MasterCard by calling (909) 335-3037. Tickets are available online at boxoffice.lifehousetheater.com.

Checks can also be mailed to LifeHouse, provided reservations are made far enough in advance.

Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office, which is open Fridays from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM and one hour prior to performance times on the weekends.

Tickets are $2 more the day of the performance. Group rates are

Janet Jackson And Randy Jackson Reportedly Sued By Former Tour Manager Claiming He Is Owed $300,000

By Jamai Harris

(Photo Credit: PR Photos)

Janet Jackson and her brother Randy Jackson are reportedly being sued by their former tour manager who is claiming they still owe him thousands.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, Danny O’ Donovan claims Janet and Randy hired him back in 2016 to be the tour manager for Janet’s “State of the World Tour.” He says the Jackson’s agreed to pay him $25,000 per month, and he worked for 17 months.

He reportedly says that he was getting paid for the first five months. However, payments reportedly stopped after that point.

O’ Donovan says he fulfilled his role as road manager for the remaining 12 months, so he’s now suing for the remaining $300,000 he is owed.

Janet Jackson nor Randy Jackson have commented on this matter.

Hold Up, Beyonce Did Not Release New Music

By MESFIN FEKADU,AP

(Photo by AP)

There’s no more juice in Beyonce’s lemonade jar: The singer did not release new music though two albums featuring old Beyonce songs hit streaming services Thursday.

Under the name Queen Carter, the albums “Have Your Way” and “Back Up, Rewind” appeared on Spotify and Apple Music, featuring demos, previously released songs and unreleased tracks by Beyonce. Hours later, they were removed.

The 10-track “Have Your Way”

included songs like “After All Is Said and Done,” Beyonce’s duet with Marc Nelson from the “Best Man” soundtrack, released in 1999; “Hollywood,” a song with Jay-Z from his 2006 album, “Kingdom Come”; and “Hey Goldmember” from the soundtrack for 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” which starred Beyonce. It also featured “Crazy Feelings,” the singer’s collaboration with Missy Elliott from (continued in next 2 columns)

The Father (David Critchlow) hands over an inheritance to his youngest son Bobby (Jaylen Baham) over the objection of his eldest son William (Chris Coon) in LifeHouse Theater’s original musical “Prodigal Son” (January 5 - 27, 2019). [photo by Elizabeth Ekema-Nardella]

Bobby (Jaylen Baham) flashes his inheritance money as he leaves behind his Father (David Critchlow) and older brother William (Chris Coon) in LifeHouse Theater’s original musical “Prodigal Son” (January 5 - 27, 2019). [photo by Elizabeth Ekema-Nardella]

available for groups of ten or more. Guests are encouraged to reserve seats early as performances do sell out.

“Prodigal Son” is written and directed by veteran playwright, actor and director Jordan Beck.

Beck is also the playwright behind the popular “Peter Pan: A New Musical” at LifeHouse Theater. Music is by Zach Marsh with additional music by Adam Tune. Assistant director Taylor Joseph, choreographer Chelsea Nicole Lapp and music director Travis Solesbee join Beck on production staff. Costumes are by Machir Lakofka.

The musicians are led by Solesbee on piano with Turner Blatchley on Bass and Quentin Purviance on drums.

“Prodigal Son” features Jaylen Baham and Ryan Watson alternating as Bobby, the prodigal son, along with Chris Coon as his older brother William and David Critchlow as the Father. Also featured are Maddison Rickard as Jenny and Don Hudson as Sam. Sarah Ayotte, Sarah Horn and Sandra Rice will alternate in the

role of the Jazz Singer. The talented four-person ensemble is comprised of Emily Crowley, Ashtin Loya, Christopher Nevarez, and Haley Rubin.

LifeHouse Theater’s 25th silver anniversary season continues in 2019 with the return of the wildly popular “Phantom of the Opera” (February 9 - March 17, 2019), followed by “Pilgrim’s Progress” (March 30 - April 28, 2019), “Treasure Island” (May 11 - June 9, 2019), Disney’s “Mary Poppins” (June 22 - July 21, 2019), “Les Miserablès: A New Drama” (August 3 - September 1, 2019) and “Cinderella” (September 14 - October 20, 2019). Money-saving pro-rated season passes are now on sale at the LifeHouse Theater Box Office.

The theater is located at 1135 N. Church St. in Redlands, next to the Redlands Christian School.

Free parking is available in back of the theater. More information is available by visiting the theater website at www.lifehousetheater.com. For more information, please call (909) 335-3037.

Hold Up, Beyonce Did Not Release New Music...continued the rapper’s sophomore album, 1999’s “Da Real World”; and “Fever,” a cover of the ’50’s hit used in an ad for Beyonce’s perfume and for the soundtrack for “The Fighting Temptations,” another film Beyonce appeared in.

“Back Up, Rewind,” featured 11 tracks including “Keep Giving Your Love to Me,” from the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack, released in 2003, and “What It’s Gonna Be,” a Beyonce bonus track from 2003.

The stand-alone song, “Control,” also appeared on streaming

services.

Representatives for Beyonce, Apple Music and Spotify didn’t immediately return emails seeking comment.

Beyonce’s last three albums were released in surprise form: her self-titled album came out in 2013; “Lemonade” followed in 2016; and “Everything is Love,” her collaborative album with Jay-Z where the couple is billed as The Carters, was released earlier this year.

Jay-Z Is ‘Attempting’ To Talk Travis Scott Out Of Performing At Super Bowl Halftime Show NY Magee, EURWeb.com

Photo by Michael FilmMagic)

N. Todaro/

We previously reported that the Super Bowl was having trouble finding acts who will play with its feature attraction, Maroon 5, for the halftime show.

According to numerous reports, artists are reluctant to take part in the 13-minute production because of the controversy concerning blacklisted former footballer Colin Kaepernick and the NFL’s stance on a player’s right to protest.

But TMZ confirmed yesterday that Travis Scott has been added to the small lineup of stars who will perform during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Feb. 3. There are rumors that Cardi B and Big Boi have agreed to perform as well.

Travis Scott will reportedly perform at the Super Bowl with Maroon 5: https://trib.al/1OSPiSA Meanwhile, Jermaine Dupri is

hosting a concert series at Centennial Olympic Park on Super Bowl weekend. The music icon, along with Maroon 5, and Travis Scott are receiving heavy backlash on social media from fans who say they are sellouts for performing at sport’s biggest event of the year.

When rapper Meek Mill read about Scott’s decision on Complex.com, he tweeted: “For what????” in response “He don’t need that he on fire already! Stay strong in this sh*t!”

Meek added on Twitter.

He don’t need that he on fire already! Stay strong in this shit!

And Variety reports that JAY-Z is “attempting to talk Scott out of performing.”

Meanwhile, Dupri defended his decision to head the committee that oversees the music events leading up to the Super Bowl. He also said artists should “use their platform” to do “more than boycotts.”

“But it seems really interesting that [in the music industry] so many people will boycott something one year and then the next year they’re buddy-buddy with the thing that they boycotted,” he said.

experience the relationship Christ wants for you and that you desire, there are some things that need to change.

If you are going to have the life in Christ you want and the life He wants you to have, there are some things that need to change. I tell you, change is in the atmosphere. We are in a season of change, and the question is not “will there be change?” but will it be for the better or will it be for the worse?” you must decide. I am writing to you with a word in my Spirit [change]. God said this is a season of change, major change. He said tell my people change is coming; major shifts are going to be taking place. God said: to prophesy change so that you can participate and cooperate with him in the process. So is there anybody ready for a change? Is there anybody sick and tired of being sick and tired? Is there anybody fed up with their present situation? Because I want you to know that we serve the God of turnarounds. For the Bible is a book of turnarounds, from Genesis to Revelations we see God turning things around. Don’t let another year come and go, and you find yourself in the same position. There are blessings that are yours by design, commanded blessings. God has divinely ordered them for you, but you are not going to get them until you are in position. I tell you that there are some things that you have to change!

You know, one of the worst-case scenarios in the Bible is in the book of [Ezekiel chapter 37] - the Valley of Dry Bones. It

looked hopeless, impossible, beyond the point of no return. But when the man of God started prophesying to those bones something started happening, things started changing. The situation started turning around.

Bones started coming together, and they didn’t just come together but every bone found its matching bone. And when the prophet finished prophesying, in the very same place where there was nothing but dry bones there stood a mighty army fully equipped and fully empowered to fight. I tell you, something’s getting ready to change. 2019 is a new season: it’s a season of new beginnings, new connections, new anointing, new fire, new jobs, and promotions, new avenues of income, new joy, new friends, new confidence, new strength, and new health. Is there anybody ready to step out of the old into the new? If so, activate your faith right now and take a step, a prophetic symbol of moving into the new. For [Isaiah 43:18-19] says, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old, behold I will do a new thing [now it shall spring forth].”

This Scripture tells us that God is doing something fresh and new, but the condition and requirement for receiving the new is to let go of the old [mentally, emotionally, and spiritually].

I hear the Spirit of God saying it’s time for a change.

The discomfort, the agitation, the frustration, is your spirit telling you [it’s time for a change]. The spiritual atmosphere is very ripe for something new.

Don’t let another year come and go and you find yourself in the same position.

Witness For Justice #924

The Promise of Hope That We May Be One Roberto Ochoa Program Associate for Congregations of Color Six siblings and their significant others gathered together, weary and full of anxious anticipation.

Events beyond their control the past few years had challenged and sometimes threatened to fracture the deep-rooted love between them.

In addition to their divided loyalties for NFL teams (how is it possible for a family born in the same city not to share the same team loyalty?), they held diverse political views: siblings to the “right”- “to the “left” and to the “center”, sometimes mirroring the vitriolic discourse of the news cycle online and television, in their shouting, finger-pointing, and heated debating. Six siblings and their significant others wondered how this holiday gathering will fare. They were anxious indeed.

The Six, descendants of an undocumented immigrant, disagreed on methods of border security but all shook their heads in disbelief regarding the separation of children from their parents, even as they debated who was responsible for these tragic narratives.

Six siblings and their significant others gathered in the Christian tradition of the promise of peaceweary and battered by the chaos of a world that demands winners and losers in the most self-serving and violent of ways.

They gathered in all their diversity and disagreement determined to stand in that promise of love for one another and for mutual hope for themselves if not the

world.

The Six and their significant others approached the table willing to be open and vulnerable and to allow love to guide them in the hope that they come together as one united family. They broke bread and drank, laughed and touched one another. They shared their lives, the ups and the downs. They talked and more importantly listened to one another, seeking common ground with the love rooted in the connectedness as family. They experienced a glimpse of the Kin-dom of God, which for a brief moment allowed them to shed their weariness, their defensiveness, their bitterness, and their disappointments in one another. For the moment, they embraced each other in the fullness of their love and felt hope.

The promise of hope and peace is not only a Christian one, but is a promise shared by many. A desire rooted in the promise and love which proclaims that all are created in the image of the Divine.

Justice for all is rooted in that promise of hope, love, and peace that calls us to action as God requires us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

In this season of new beginnings, may families gather, with love and kindness as witnesses to the justice of a loving Divine Presence which allows us to face tomorrow with the hope that we may be one as family in peace and love.

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PAGE 8

December 27, 2018

NEWS/ AD VER TISING ADVER VERTISING

Court Says Justice Ginsburg Up And Second Black and First Afro-Latino to Lead CA Department of Education...continued from page 6 Working After Surgery Ginsburg underwent surgery Friday to remove two malignant growths in her left lung.

AP News

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is up and working as she recuperates from cancer surgery.

A spokeswoman for the court, Kathy Arberg, also says that Ginsburg remained in New York at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Sunday. No information has been released on when Ginsburg might return home.

Ginsburg underwent surgery Friday to remove two malignant growths in her left lung. Doctors say there is no evidence of any remaining disease.

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner BREAKING: Justice Ruth

Bader Ginsburg underwent a pulmonary lobectomy in NYC today to remove two nodules from her lung, which were determined to be malignant. "Post-surgery, there was no evidence of any remaining disease," the court's public information office reports.

4,253 9:21 AM - Dec 21, 2018 2,573 people are talking about this Now 85, the justice has been treated for cancer two other times.

Last month she cracked three ribs in a fall at the court.

The court next meets on Jan. 7.

Despite her health problems, Ginsburg has never missed arguments.

Waters Chosen by House Democrats to Be First Woman and African American to Chair Financial Services Committee...continued from page 3 certain types of amendments to Rule 10b5-1 to ensure that corporate insiders are not able to indirectly engage in illegal insider trading through changes to their trading plans; H.Res.895, Recognizing the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and the contributions of Lawrence Parks and Timothy Simons; H.Res.886, a resolution that affirms the Brooke Rule, which ensures that families receiving federal housing assistance do not pay more than 30 percent of their adjusted income on rent, and remains a widely recognized standard for affordability of rental housing; and H.Res.442, Of inquiry directing the Secretary of the Treasury to provide certain documents in the Secretary's possession to the House of Representatives relating to President Trump's financial connections to Russia, certain illegal financial schemes, and related information.

She has also co-led several bipartisan measures this Congress, including H.R. 6139, a bill to require the

Securities and Exchange Commission to carry out a study to evaluate the issues affecting the provision of and reliance upon investment research into small issuers; S. 488, the JOBS and Investor Confidence Act of 2018 (JOBS Act 3.0), a package of strong capitalformation legislation to help America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs and to protect investors; and H.R. 3110, the Financial Stability Oversight Council Insurance Member Continuity Act, a bill to extend the term of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) independent member with insurance expertise, which became law.

Additionally, in previous Congresses, the Congresswoman has played a key role in major bipartisan legislation that eventually became law, including the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, the Community Lender Regulatory Relief Act and the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act.

New Mother Sexually Harassed at Mojave Desert Military Base ACLU and Legal Aid at Work Sue on Behalf of Employee Who Asked for Lactation Room Local /National News

BARSTOW – When Jennifer Atkinson returned to work at a military base in the Mojave Desert after parental leave, she asked for a private room to pump breastmilk. It’s her right under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which says employers have to provide a room for that purpose. But she didn’t get one for several weeks, forcing her to pump in the bathroom and her car. When she was finally given a room, it was strummed with garbage, smelled, and had cockroaches. It had no working air conditioning.

Making matters far worse was a near-daily onslaught of sexual harassment in the form of crude remarks from male co-workers and supervisors, including, “Can I get milk with my coffee?” and “You do one and I’ll do the other.”

Atkinson’s complaints about the harassment to supervisors went unanswered, and eventually, she lost her job.

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundations of Southern and Northern California, the non-profit Legal Aid at Work, and the law firm of Alexander Krakow + Glick LLP filed a lawsuit on Atkinson’s behalf, charg-

ing that her former employers acted in violation of the American with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Fair Labor Standards Act. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Riverside, names as defendants AECOM, Inc. and the U.S. Navy, which were Atkinson’s joint employers when she first requested a lactation room. Also named is Pacific Architects and Engineers, a contractor that took over AECOM’s work at the military facility.

“No one should have to endure this kind of abuse in the workplace,” said Aditi Fruitwala, Staff Attorney with the ACLU SoCal. “Subjecting a coworker – or even worse, a subordinate – to egregious comments about her breast size and milk production is not only a gross display of objectification and disrespect, it’s also illegal.”

Atkinson began working as a supply technician for AECOM, a global provider of technical and management support services, and jointly the Navy in 2014 at (continued in last 2 columns)

all students, no matter their background and no matter their challenges, can succeed with a great public education.”

Thurmond, who is the second African-American and first AfroLatino to hold the position, describes his heritage in an Op-ed in Latino Edge Magazineexplaining his background as “one of blended cultures and traditions.” His mother’s parents were born in Colombia and Jamaica and raised their seven children in Panama.

Thurmond’s grandparents on his father’s side were the descendants of African slaves who were brought to America and settled in Mississippi and Detroit, Michigan.

Challenges Lie Ahead Thurmond, a former social worker, has a background working in public education having served on a school board before being elected to the State Assembly.

In a previous interview with California Black Media he said that one of his goals is to increase the number of minority teachers and reduce the number of students of color who are suspended or diagnosed with behavior disorders.

In his quest, Thurmond can look to the work of Wilson Riles, the first African-American elected as state superintendent in 1970. It was a shock victory that was deemed impossible at the time. Wiles, who started his educational journey in a one-room school in Louisiana, served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II before becoming an educator. He served three terms as superintendent and was the first African-American elected to a statewide office in California.

The Wilson C. Riles Middle School in Roseville is named after him.

Dr. Shirley Thornton, a retired educator and a member of The Center for Excellence, got to know Riles when she worked in San Francisco. She described him as a “warm educator” and a “sensitive man.”

“He cared about kids who were marginalized,” said Thornton.

She said Riles’ biggest success was with the Title I program and making sure all children received a decent education.

“He kept education at the forefront of the state,” said Thornton.

Different Year, Same Problems Thornton said that many of the problems that California faced in the pre-Riles era are still present.

Many children are still marginalized by the public education system and are not getting a decent education, she said.

Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Education Trust—West interim coexecutive director, said the state still suffers from unequal funding in the education field.

In a recent press release, she said, “We cannot continue to be complacent with a system that provides more counselors, more computer science courses, and more A-G courses for affluent schools than schools in lower-income communities - to name just a few of the injustices impacting California students.”

Vernon M. Billy, CEO and executive director of the California School Boards Association, said in an interview with CBM earlier this year that the real problem is making sure students who need the most help get the right support. In an EdSource editorial published in January, Billy took issue

New Jersey Referee Suspended After Forcing Black Wrestler To Have Haircut Alan Maloney reportedly told Andrew Johnson of Buena Regional High School he could either cut off his dreadlocks or forfeit a match.

Reuters

with the California School Dashboard, a tool that was designed to produce a report card on schools.

“In order to uphold California’s tradition of innovation and our responsibility to the state’s 6.2 million public school students, we must do better. That begins with refining the California School Dashboard to increase its focus on equity. Prioritizing equity would mean being upfront about how many schools need assistance and making equity more prominent on the dashboard display — possibly by placing the names of student groups on the top level of the dashboard or by creating an equity rating for each indicator,” said Billy.

Another issue facing Thurmond is trying to effect change at more than 1,000 school districts in California where each district has its own superintendent. Thornton also worries about how much independence Thurmond shows as SPI, since is supported by the powerful California Teacher Association . A Sacramento Bee report shows CTA spent about $16 million to help support Thurmond’s campaign.

According to education experts, Thurmond will face several other complex issues as the state’s chief education officer.

Thurmond also says he wants to set up a pilot program to recruit more minority teachers, at a time during a statewide teaching shortage, and many school districts continue to struggle with recruiting teachers of color.

Thornton says teacher pay may be a big issue here.as it is difficult to attract teachers to the industry when the pay lags behind other professions. She said this is an issue in her community of Marin County, where teacher sala-

ries are not enough to afford local housing.

A particularly vexing problem facing Thurmond is the fact that sources tell CBM they feel the state is still underfunding schools. Although California increased school funding, education advocated argue it still lags behind when you factor in inflation, unfunded mandates and a deal that was struck several years ago when school districts, teachers and the state all agreed to pay more to reduce its unfunded pension liability. According to a Cal Matters news story in July, districts took on the greatest share of those new costs, agreeing to increase payments from 8 percent of their payroll in 2013 to 19 percent by 2020.

Thurmond will have to balance a host of complex issues and news headlines are already appearing that more school districts are facing financial pressure due to rising pension and administrative costs.

Currently Inglewood Unified School District is under state receivership, Sacramento Unified School District superintendent said last week if they don’t make cuts soon they would run out of cash in 2019 and on Friday Superintendent Adam Clark of Vallejo Unified School District sent a newsletters that said, VUSD is facing a $22 million structural deficit. And that In order to address this deficit, the governing board is faced with extremely difficult decisions in order to balance their budget.

As state superintendent, Thurmond will have to address many of these issues and somehow get everyone on the same page. Thurman will be sworn in January 7, 9:00 a.m. at the Department of Education.

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New Mother Sexually Harassed at Mojave Desert Military Base...continued

(Reuters) A New Jersey high school referee was suspended after a video showed a black wrestler being forced to have his hair cut when told he would have to forfeit a match if he refused, according to state athletic officials on Saturday.

The video, which was uploaded on Twitter on Thursday by a reporter from SNJ Today newspaper, showed Andrew Johnson of Buena Regional High School in Buena, New Jersey, getting his dreadlocks hairstyle cut off by a school official. Moments later, Johnson, who is black, won his match against his opponent.

A referee named Alan Maloney, who is white, apparently had ordered Johnson to cut off his hair, according to local media reports.

The clip went viral on Friday, with many social media users condemning the school for allowing Maloney to make the order, calling it racist and discriminatory.

“Deeply disturbed that Andrew Johnson, a student at Buena Regional H.S., was forced to choose between keeping his dreadlocks and competing in a wrestling tournament,” wrote New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a democrat, on Twitter. “No student should have to needlessly choose between his or her identity & playing sports.”

Larry White, the executive director of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Associa-

tion (NJSIAA), said the incident would be investigated by the New Jersey Civil Rights division and the referee would not be assigned to future high school wrestling events in New Jersey until the review is complete.

“NJSIAA can confirm that those groups that assign high school wrestling referees in New Jersey will not assign the referee in question until this matter has been thoroughly reviewed,” White said in a statement on Saturday. “This will help to avoid disruption of events for student athletes.”

A representative from the New Jersey Civil Rights division did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jordan Burroughs, an Olympic champion wrestler, commended Johnson on Twitter for cutting his hair to win the match for his team, but expressed his anger over the referee’s order, calling it sickening, racist and an abuse of power.

Maloney had come under fire in 2016 after he was accused of using a racial slur against a black referee, according to the Courier Post newspaper. Maloney told the paper that he did not remember using the word.

Maloney could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish)

the Yermo annex of the Marine Corps Logistics Base near Barstow. During that time, AECOM was contracted to rebuild armored vehicles for the Navy.

She gave birth to her daughter in October 2016 and decided to breastfeed her baby because of well documented health benefits for the newborn, including a lower risk of SIDS, asthma, and infections. Her request for a private room was backed by federal law that says employers must provide “a place other than a bathroom that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.”

“As the U.S. Office of Women’s Health states, ‘breastfeeding saves lives, money, and time,‘“ said attorney Katherine Wutchiett of Legal Aid at Work.

“When accommodations are not provided, new parents find themselves having to choose between giving up their income and not caring for their baby’s health in the way that they wanted. No one should have to make that choice.”

Atkinson was given a woefully substandard, infested, communal room in March 2017. And although the Fair Labor Standards Act says employees must be allowed break time “each time such employee has need to express the milk,” Atkinson had to wait for the room to be cleared and was sometimes told to come back later. The only response to her objections to the room was a small desk fan — hardly enough to deal with the problems.

Harassment was incessant, with one supervisor in particular making comments that included: “I’ll help if you need me to, I don’t mind” and “Let me buy you lunch.

You just have to bring the milk.”

Another supervisor made similar comments, at one point asking for “milk for my donut.”

Atkinson began to panic every time she needed to pump. Stress caused her volume of milk to dwindle, leaving her with an inadequate supply to feed her child.

She was devastated. But even after she stopped pumping at work, the harassment didn’t cease. In early June, she took a medical leave, receiving treatment for high blood pressure, anxiety, and similar symptoms.

In May 2018, while she was still on medical disability leave, AECOM’s contract with the Navy ended. Typically, replacement contractors offer employment reinstatement to the previous staff.

The employer who took over the work, Pacific Architects and Engineers, indeed rehired the vast majority of employees. But made no such offer to Atkinson.

Atkinson believes that the loss of her job was due to her request for a lactation space, her filing reports of harassment, and her medical leave.

“A mother should not be subjected to infantile, intolerant acts of harassment because she had the audacity of choosing to give the best care for her infant daughter by breast feeding,” said Bernard Alexander, an attorney with Alexander Krakow + Glick LLP. “Both public and private employers have a legal obligation to maintain a harassment free environment. Here, Navy and AECOM supervisors helped create and encourage this environment of lactation harassment, which is just another form of gender discrimination.”

The lawsuit asks that because the actions against her were intentional, malicious, and done with reckless disregard to her rights under the law, she should receive compensation.

Read the lawsuit here: https:// www.aclusocal.org/sites/default/ files/aclu_socal_20181218_ atkinson_complaint.pdf