Vol. 50 No. 47
March 12, 2020 -March 18, 2020
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)
CDC Removes Data on Number of People Tested for Coronavirus from Website as Infection Numbers Spike By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor
A number of states in the U.S. are reporting new cases. On March 3rd, the government ramped up testing in Washington State after the death of six people. There are now more than 100 confirmed cases in 15 states in the U.S. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) On March 2, the Center of Disease Control abruptly postponed a press briefing on COVID-19, also known as coronavirus. Later in the day it was discovered that the CDC removed the number of people being tested from a page on their website with other coronavirus information. CDC spokesperson Ben Haynes informed reporters that the briefing had been pushed back but did not provide an explanation as to why. Confusion surrounding the Trump Administration’s handling of what could become a major pandemic in the U.S. has many medical experts concerned. Currently the Administration is
treating coronavirus as a political question rather than a medical public policy challenge. There have been more than 89,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world and over 3,000 deaths. The vast majority of cases have been in China where over 45,000 have been diagnosed. The illness is typically mild, featuring a cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Similar to the flu, people with underlying conditions and those who are elderly are at greatest risk. A number of states in the U.S. are reporting new cases. On March 3rd, the government ramped up testing in Washington State after the death of six people.
There are now more than 100 confirmed cases in 15 states in the U.S. The first confirmed case of the coronavirus in New York City was announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo on March 2nd. The case was a 39-year-old health care worker with mild respiratory symptoms who had recently returned from Iran. In February, eight people from New York City were declared free of the virus after being tested by the Centers for Disease Control. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city had over 1,000 hospital beds available for coronavirus patients. He also announced plans and actions people could take if they
suspected they were infected. On February 25th, the National Institutes of Health announced the first clinical trials for a coronavirus cure. “This is the first clinical trial in the United States to evaluate an experimental treatment for COVID-19, the respiratory disease first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China,” the NIH website states. Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist for NNPA and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is also a political strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke
San Bernardino School District Honored For Energy Savings Educational News
Cenergistic presents the Energy Excellence Award to the SBCUSD Board of Education San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is celebrating a 44 percent reduction in Districtwide energy consumption, which earned it a prestigious Energy Excellence Award from Cenergistic. The Energy Excellence Award is given to Cenergistic clients who have reached noteworthy financial savings from an energy program. Under this partnership,
31 percent of expected costs were avoided, 71 District buildings achieved ENERGY STAR® certification and the SBCUSD program created a significant environmental impact. The energy consumption avoided equates to each of the 14.5 million cars in California foregoing an 18mile trip. Cenergistic officially presented the award to the SBCUSD Board
of Education during the March 3 Board meeting. “When we first partnered with Cenergistic back in 2012, we were mostly hoping to control rising utility costs,” said Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden. “By having Cenergistic on board, they’ve been able to provide us with the support we need for energy management.” To find savings, SBCUSD
personnel work closely with Cenergistic engineers, experts, and the Energy Specialists to audit and optimize energy-using systems across the organization to achieve peak efficiency. The energy specialists track energy consumption at all campuses through state-of-the-art smart technology to identify and correct areas that need immediate attention. “We commend San Bernardino’s administration and staff members for their commitment to the success of the energy program,” said Randy Hoff, vice chairman of Cenergistic. “Reaching this level of savings has had a significant impact on the District, and I am extremely pleased to present SBCUSD with our Energy Excellence Award.” Cenergistic is a nationwide sustainability company. Since 1986, the company has helped 1,450 school districts, health care facilities, and government agencies find more than $5.6 billion in electricity, natural gas, and water savings by applying its advanced software platform. For more information, visit https:// cenergistic.com/.
Publisher’s Corner Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News
Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com
Clifton Harris Editor in Chief
Wrongfully convicted man who spent 23 years in prison will receive $1.5 million By Dawn Onley
Lamonte McIntyre learned Monday he will receive $1.5 million for a wrongful conviction that resulted in him spending 23 years in a Kansas prison. McIntyre was wrongly convicted of the 1994 murders of Donald Ewing and Doniel Quinn and sentenced to life in prison when he was just 17 years old. McIntyre was exonerated in October 2017 and freed from prison. Last year, he filed a lawsuit against the state of Kansas under a statute involving mistaken convictions. The law, which was passed in 2018, now allows prisoners who were wrongfully convicted to sue the state and seek monetary damages. Along with the $1.5 million settlement, McIntyre will also receive two years of state health care benefits, counseling and a tuition wavier to pursue a college degree. His conviction, arrest and any DNA profile record information will also be expunged, according to CNN. “Today, Lamonte McIntyre has been declared, finally and conclusively, a completely innocent man,” Cheryl A. Pilate, McIntyre’s lawyer, told CNN.
“That long-overdue recognition, along with the statutory payment and other benefits, will help lighten a bit the heavy load he has carried.” “In this case, our office worked diligently to obtain and review all available evidence, including evidence identified but not provided in the earlier judicial proceedings,” Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt released in a statement. “We were ultimately able to resolve all issues, satisfy all of the statute’s requirements, and agree to this outcome so Mr. McIntyre can receive the benefits to which he is entitled by law because of his mistaken conviction.” After he was exonerated in 2017, McIntyre co-founded the nonprofit, Miracle of Innocence, that helps others who are wrongfully incarcerated. McIntyre also co-owns Headlines Barber Academy in Kansas City. In an interview with CNN affiliate KMBC last year, McIntyre said: “I’m not angry. I’m frustrated because I don’t like to see this kind of injustice happen to nobody.”
Rep. Torres Urges Better Coordination to Avoid Exporting Needed Medical Supplies Heated Exchange with Export-Import Bank Chair Highlights Head-InSand Mentality as Coronavirus Spreads State/Government News
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) implored Export-Import Bank Chair, Kimberly Reed, to avoid supporting exports of critically needed medical supplies like hand sanitizer and face masks to China as coronavirus spreads across the United States. In a tense exchange during an oversight hearing in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Torres inquired about a message sent by the U.S. Commerce Department highlighting ways exporters can send medical supplies to China. Reed responded that her priority is to facilitate exports over protecting the American public: “Ex-Im comes in with those very
important tools, to help our exporters be successful, and we have supported in the past, medical equipment.” Torres followed up by asking if the Commerce Department and Export-Import Bank coordinated with the U.S. Coronavirus Taskforce to make sure they don’t draw down on supplies that are not available to U.S. citizens. Reed once again prioritized exports over protecting Americans: “I’ve communicated with all key parts of our administration that we stand ready to be helpful in any way. We need to have applications come into us, and we will promptly review any (continued on page 6)