SB American News Week Ending 11/27

Vol. 50 No. 31

November 21, 2019 - November 27, 2019

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)

Byron Allen, Comcast to Square Off in Supreme Court on Racial Discrimination Case

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON Business Editor Byron Allen’s racial discrimination case against Comcast Corp. on Wednesday heads to the Supreme Court, where justices will consider Comcast’s argument that the case should hinge on two words: “but for.”

Allen filed a $20 billion lawsuit against Comcast in February 2015, arguing that the nation’s largest cable operator was discriminating against his company, Entertainment Studios, by refusing to carry its seven lifestyle cable channels. Comcast maintained the decision was made strictly on business grounds because of the lack of audience demand for Allen’s channels.

Allen asserts that Comcast’s actions over a decade violated a post-Civil War statute designed to ensure that African Americans had the same rights to “make and enforce contracts” as white Americans. The lawsuit further accuses the NAACP and Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and other civil rights figures of conspiring with Comcast to “whitewash Comcast’s discriminatory business practices” by supporting the company’s 2011 acquisition of NBCUniversal, among other allegations.

Comcast has vehemently denied that race played a part in its decision making. Allen’s suit details allegations that Comcast strung Entertainment Studios along with suggestions of how to make the channels more likely to secure carriage, only to reverse course later. The original complaint also cites allegations that Comcast executives made racially charged statements during the course of Allen’s dealings with the company.

Allen’s case was dismissed by three lower courts. In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, ruling that it only needed to demonstrate that race was a factor in Comcast’s decision-making on Entertainment Studios’ channels, not the sole reason for declining to carry the channels.

Comcast’s petition to the Supreme Court focuses on the precedent involving section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which bars discrimination on the basis of race, color and ethnicity when making and enforcing contracts. In the past, Comcast argues, the courts have evaluated Section 1981 claims on the

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

Ahead of Supreme Court Oral Arguments, Rep. Waters Leads House in Affirming the Civil Rights Act of 1866 & its Section 1981 NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Since their inception, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and Section 1981 of the Act have made it unlawful for any citizen to be denied equal rights and equitable treatment on the basis of race; protected people of color from discrimination when forming business contracts; and provided a legal pathway for those who have been racially discriminated against to seek justice.”

By Congresswoman Maxine Waters

(Pictured: Byron Allen) CREDIT: KATIE JONES/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK standard that “but for” a person’s race or ethnicity, a contract would have been executed. Comcast argues that the Ninth Circuit erred in interpreting Section 1981 as allowing a claim if race is only one factor in the reasoning.

“Applying the proper but-for causation standard, there is no doubt that Plaintiffs’ allegations are inadequate to state a plausible Section 1981 claim,” Comcast wrote in August in seeking the Supreme Court’s review.

“Comcast adamantly denies that it has engaged in any racial discrimination at any time, but even taking the allegations of the complaint at face value, Plaintiffs have not remotely pleaded a valid claim.”

Miguel Estrada of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher will argue the case on behalf of Comcast. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law and Louis “Skip” Miller of Miller Barondess will argue for Entertainment Studios and the National Association of African American Owned Media, an organization started by Allen.

Entertainment Studios also has a case pending against Charter Communications, which is not part of Wednesday’s hearing. A similar lawsuit against AT&T was settled in late 2015 with an agreement to add Entertainment Studios’ channels to DirecTV. Allen’s quest has raised thorny questions about bias, access and diversity efforts across the industry. Allen’s detractors say he has opportunistically targeted major distributors for lawsuits at key moments when the media

giants were seeking federal approval for megabucks mergers, such as AT&T’s 2015 acquisition of DirecTV and Comcast and Charter’s pursuit of Time Warner Cable.

Allen maintains that he was denied carriage by Comcast even as the company added a host of other channels to its lineup. Allen argues that litigation is needed for Entertainment Studios to gain access to the documents and information it needs to prove race was a factor. Allen’s legal filings dispute Comcast’s argument on the but-for causation test.

“A plaintiff need only submit evidence that raises an inference of discrimination; it is enough to allege and present a prima facie case that race was a motivating factor in the refusal to contract,” Allen wrote in a September filing to the high court. “Once a plaintiff does that, the burden shifts to the defendant to submit evidence that it was motivated by raceneutral reasons. Only then is a plaintiff required to negate those reasons.”

Industry watchers say that even with the Ninth Circuit’s decision, Allen’s case still has to clear a high bar.

“It will be a difficult case to win,” said Erik Gordon, assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “Allen will have to prove that Comcast would have made enough money carrying his channels but decided not to because of race. That will not be easy, especially if Comcast has a business analysis that shows a

business reason it declined to carry his channels.”

Allen’s case has spurred interest on Capitol Hill. On Nov. 8, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) sent a letter to Comcast chairmanCEO Brian Roberts asserting his view that Comcast needs to be “broken up” in part because of its long-running dispute with Allen.

“In pursuing this case to the Supreme Court of the United States, Comcast is putting corporate profits ahead of public interest, and is employing a scorched earth policy to defend a corporate business decision,” Rush wrote.

In a comment on the letter, Comcast cited its business relationships with African American-led media outfits such as Oprah Winfrey’s OWN and Sean Combs’ Revolt TV. It also defended its right to challenge Allen’s allegations against Rush’s assertion that the company was trying to dismantle civil rights laws.

“We believe that the civil rights laws are an essential tool for protecting the rights of African Americans and other diverse communities,” Comcast said in a statement. “We have been forced to appeal this decision to defend against a meritless $20 billion claim, but have kept our argument narrowly focused. We are not seeking to roll back any civil rights laws — all we are asking is that section 1981 in our case be interpreted the same way it has been for decades across the country.”

Don’t Miscount Us: Black Leaders Rev Up Push for 2020 Census By Charlene Muhammad | California Black Media African-American leaders across the country – and around California - are pulling out all the stops this time. They say Blacks cannot afford to be undercounted in the US 2020 Census.

During the last census in 2010, field reps undercounted African Americans across the United States by more than an estimated 800,000 people.

The data census workers collect is used to determine how over $800 billion in federal, state and local money for programs like Medicaid, Head Start, WIC, SNAP, Community Block Grants, Title 1, and more, is distributed among communities throughout the nation.

The federal

Publisher’s Corner

government also uses that information to decide how many United States representatives each state is allotted in Congress.

“There are certain zip codes and certain populations that are hard to count,” said Cassandra Jennings, president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League. “Those groups include Blacks, Latinos, Asians, the youth, elderly and renters.”

Jennings also serves as a subcommittee chair for California’s Census 2020 Hard to Count Campaign, tasked with making sure there is full participation among Californians.

In Sacramento County where Jennings lives, she is working

with 50 partners to develop culturally sensitive outreach methods for targeting Blacks.

Trusted messengers in the community, Jennings says, like community based groups and African-American media, including Black-owned radio stations, newspapers and magazines, will help the Urban League get the word out.

Last month, African-American leaders around the country convened a ‘Tele-Townhall’ titled “Make Black Count.” Civil rights leaders, activists, journalists, members of the clergy and concerned citizens joined the conversation via teleconference to get a better sense of ways they

can encourage people of African descent living in the United States to participate in the upcoming census.

The National Urban League (NUL), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCR) and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) hosted the town hall, held on Oct. 22.

Stacey Abrams, who ran for governor of Georgia last November, joined Marc H. Morial, president of NUL, the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of NAN, and Melanie Campbell, president of (continued on page 8)

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the first day of oral arguments in the Supreme Court case Comcast Corp. V. National Association of African American-Owned Media (NAAOM), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) led her colleagues in introducing a resolution that affirms the vital role that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 – particularly Section 1981 of the Act – has played in prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity when making and enforcing business contracts.

Should Comcast Corporation, the plaintiffs in the case, prevail at the Supreme Court, it will be nearly impossible for entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators of color who have been victims of racial discrimination to bring forth lawsuits and have their rights protected and enforced in a court of law.

Congresswoman Waters’ resolution that makes clear that the U.S. Congress strongly opposes this, and any other attack, on equal rights protections for people of color and marginalized groups under the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

“More than a century after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, it is absolutely outrageous that one of the largest media companies in the world would have the audacity to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments in a case that undermines this vital law,” said Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

“Nearly ten years ago when Comcast sought to merge with NBC Universal, both companies were forced, under pressure from my efforts in Congress and the FCC, to commit to credible diversity and inclusion initiatives as a condition for the merger.

Today, they are seeking to effectively destroy one of our nation’s oldest civil rights statutes dating back to Reconstruction. In doing so, Comcast is opening the flood gates to discrimination in business contracts with no legal remedy or recourse. Those of us who know our history, understand all too well the harmful impact this could have on future generations of entrepreneurs and creators of color. I am proud to lead my colleagues in a resolution that makes clear that any and all assaults on civil rights protections for Americans – particularly people of color and

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee other marginalized groups – will not be tolerated by the U.S. Congress.”

In the aftermath of the Civil War, African Americans suffered through a tumultuous integration.

They were systematically and routinely subject to laws, such as the Black Codes, which were designed to restrict African American’s freedom and keep formerly enslaved persons from thriving in society. In response, Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

Since their inception, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and Section 1981 of the Act have made it unlawful for any citizen to be denied equal rights and equitable treatment on the basis of race; protected people of color from discrimination when forming business contracts; and provided a legal pathway for those who have been racially discriminated against to seek justice.

Congresswoman Waters’ resolution is supported by Reps.

Karen Bass (CA-37), Andre Carson (IN-7), Yvette Clarke (NY9), Danny Davis (IL-7), Al Green (TX-9), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX18), Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Bennie Thompson (MS-2), and acknowledges the history and significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and Section 1981 of the Act, and their integral role as a key pillar of civil rights jurisprudence.

Throughout her career in public service, Congresswoman Waters has been a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in the media. Her years-long efforts during the Comcast-NBC Universal merger review – which included holding congressional hearings, urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to extend the public comment period, filing comments on behalf of independent minority producers, directors, and writers, and leading the congressional efforts to ensure that the terms of the merger included voluntary commitments and proposals for (continued on page 6)

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PAGE 2

November 21, 2019

COMMUNITY/EDUCATION/ADVERTISING

Can These Powerful Black Leaders Join Forces to Close the Achievement Gap for Black Children?

Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

When California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced the English language arts and math results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) test last month, we found out that African-American students’ scores lagged behind the much higher marks their White, Asian and Hispanic peers obtained.

Statewide, just over 40 percent of all public school students met or exceeded standards in math and 51 percent were proficient in English.

Of those numbers, only 21 percent of African-American students were proficient in math, compared with 74 percent of Asian-American students, 54 percent of White students, and 29 percent of Hispanic students.

In English, only 33 percent of African-American students were proficient. Compare that with 77 percent of Asian-American students, 64 percent of White students, and 41 percent of Hispanic students.

Five years ago, California adopted the CAASPP assessment tests. Each year since then, our African-American student scores have ranked at the bottom of the results of all racial subgroups in the state.

During that time, the achievement gap between Black students and their White and Asian peers has seen only marginal improvement, while getting wider between our children and their Hispanic

counterparts.

The achievement gap between African-American and White students was first acknowledged over fifty years ago in a 1966 federal government study called the Coleman Report. The United States Congress commissioned the report after it passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Since then, education researchers and practitioners have been hard at work trying to identify the causes and propose what can be done to address it.

Despite decades of education reform efforts and billions of dollars spent in federal, state and local funding, the achievement gap persists.

Ronald Edmonds, the late Harvard education researcher, said 40 years ago, “We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that.

Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.”

To Edmonds and education experts like him, closing the achievement gap is absolutely solvable. The fact that little progress has been made to narrow it can be attributed more to the absence of political will than to any lack of social science research on the problem.

The social factors that contribute to the achievement gap and the actions necessary to close it have been well studied, but public policymakers tend to

avoid or overlook the data and recommendations that could cost them any political capital.

For example, in 2013 California revamped education funding to provide extra money for school districts with large numbers of “high-needs” students, mostly kids from poor families or foster children and “English-learners.”

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) pushed expenditure decisions down from the state to local school districts because Gov. Jerry Brown and the legislature believed that those closest to the day-to-day operation of schools were best suited to identify what their students needed and would work best for them.

However, this has proven to not be the case, particularly when it comes to the performance of Black students in California.

When the California Department of Education first introduced the new public education finance system in 2013, some lawmakers warned that the LCFF did not provide mechanisms to adequately track how local school officials would spend funds. Gov. Brown and groups representing school districts shot down attempts by legislators like Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) to address that concern.

This month, California State Auditor Elaine Howle announced that her office’s recent examination of LCFF spending found that the system lacked sufficient oversight and accounting controls, confirming

Weber’s reservations. Realizing that there has been very little progress toward closing the achievement gap despite the state having redirected billions of dollars to help solve it, may finally force lawmakers to now consider passing the kind of legislation Weber initially proposed.

Edmonds, who was African American, made the observation that progress toward resolving the achievement gap might not happen as quickly as it could because of how White policymakers viewed the issue.

He did not question their sincerity about solving it, but was concerned about how they would approach it given biases they might have.

The former dean of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, Andy Porter, who is white, validated Edmonds’ concerns when he made this statement, “I would like to see the achievement gap closed, but not at the expense of my kids. I think everybody feels that way.”

It is hard to assess how much the attitude Porter expressed, and the unstated biases of others like him, may have stalled progress toward closing the achievement gap, or if they have had any effect at all. But, in California right now, there is a unique opportunity if leaders in Education grow the political will to develop effective policy toward closing the achievement gap for AfricanAmerican students in our state, even if attitudes like Porter’s continue to exist within – and wield influence on - our education system.

Today our key Education Leaders in California are African American. They are Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, President of the State Board of Education; E. Toby Boyd, President, California Teachers Association; Margaret Fortune, Board Chair, California Charter School Association; and Emma Turner, President, California School Board Association.

We need these leaders to come together to propose a functioning system that will guide those working hard to achieve results for African-American students in our state. Working with legislators like Dr. Weber, we will begin to close the achievement gap.

“There has never been a time in the life of the American public school when we have not known all we needed to in order to teach all those whom we chose to teach.” – Ronald Edmonds

BLACKPRESSDiscovery Education and Business Leaders Launch Unique STEM Initiative

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent

The initiative will scale up over five years, and it's expected to reach 10 million students by 2025 with support from various corporate partners.

(Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, content, and professional development for K-12 classrooms nationwide, has announced the creation of a STEM Careers Coalition.

Officials said the initiative will help educators develop a pipeline of students who are interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields.

It will also provide no-cost resources to students and educators, including virtual field trips, digital instructional assets, and career exploration videos.

Discovery Education officials said these resources would help

students build foundational STEM knowledge and develop critical thinking 21st-century skills for college and career success.

“Last week we launched a critical initiative about future careers, a conduit through which students can see the work of the future, and a set of resources that bring relevancy to learning and broaden our understanding of and engagement with STEM,” stated Marla Wilson, the Senior Director of the Coalition.

“Solutions to local, national, or global challenges are best addressed with a collaborative community of companies,

industries, and non-profits,” Wilson added.

“This world of work is most effective when the individuals contributing to and leading this evolution represent the diversity of our communities and the richness of multiple perspectives.

We are excited to work with our anchor partners to intentionally focus on girls and students of color, as we move to provide equity and access and de-mystify STEM,” she stated.

The initiative launched at the Carnegie Institution for Science, where former astronaut Leland Melvin joined a panel discussion that included leaders in education, industry, and government.

Members of the newly formed Coalition includes key anchor partners like the American Petroleum Institute (API), Chevron, The Manufacturing Institute, Boeing, Microsoft, and Best Buy. Each of those companies has provided initial seed funding and support to power the initiative’s launch.

The initiative would take place in a phased approach that includes a pilot year.

The approach should help measure the program’s

effectiveness and strategically developed ways to scale, Discovery officials stated.

The initiative will scale up over five years, and it’s expected to reach 10 million students by 2025 with support from various corporate partners.

Among the components of the STEM Coalition’s work is a direct investment in schools by providing K-12 STEM career resources, STEM Connect access, and professional development for under-resourced schools.

The Coalition will implement employee engagement through mobilizing the current STEM workforce at scale to inspire and connect with future employees through engaging classroom experiences.

Coalition members will also underwrite Discovery Education STEM Connect in local communities identified by the partners.

Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges for Engineering, STEM Connect is an interdisciplinary resource that (continued on page 3)

Peace and Strength

By Angela Sailor My daughter's name is Alamni.

It means "the one who brings peace." She is in her second year at the United States Military Academy, the first in our family to join the ranks of the Long Gray Line.

As her name suggests, her dream of becoming a West Point cadet was not based on a desire to fight. Her motivation was simple patriotism: to serve her country-to stand in defense of her fellow Americans, as the cadet oath goes, "support the Constitution of the United States, and bear true allegiance...."

What first sparked her interest in military service was her sixth grade American History Day Project. Her topic: the Tuskegee Airmen. Alamni was inspired by the heroics of the Red Tails and their against-all-odds achievements, which helped pave the way for full integration of the U.S. military. She was particularly fascinated by their commander, Benjamin Davis Jr., who went on to become the Air Force's first African-American brigadier general. (Davis had a great role model; his father was the first African-American to reach the rank of Army Brigadier General.)

Davis Jr. had another admirer, too. Bill Clinton. In 1998, when presenting him with his fourth star, President Clinton characterized Davis as "living proof that a person can overcome adversity and discrimination, achieve great things, turn skeptics into believers; and through example and perseverance, one person can bring truly amazing change."

At West Point, my daughter is following the trail blazed by the Davises and many other great leaders who have achieved great things in the military. She is in the process of learning to transform her vulnerabilities into strengths and developing her leadership abilities. I hope that one day she, too, will achieve great things and bring amazing change.

Naturally, as a mother, I am always concerned about her and her fellow cadets. If they are called to war, I want the confidence of knowing they will have the equipment they need to do the job; that their troops will have the training they need to succeed; that they will have the full backing of our political leadership.

Today I am not as confident.

There is all too much reason for me have concerns. According to recently released 2020 Index of Military Strength, today's U.S. military is "only marginally able to meet the demands of defending America's vital national interests."

While the Army's combat readiness levels are rated higher than all other services, it is still struggling to rebuild its end strength-deteriorated by almost two decades of near continuous use, combined with inadequate funding for most of the last decade.

Today's army is low on

Angela Sailor manpower. It now has only 31 Brigade Combat Teams-down from 45 just eight years ago. As the National Defense Strategy Commission warned Congress last year: "Simply put, the United States needs a larger force than it has today if it is to meet the objectives of the [National Security] Strategy."

It also is ill-equipped for the modern battlefield. The Army is using equipment designed primarily in the 1970s, fielded in the '80s and then only incrementally upgraded since then. The Index labels it "a modernization gap."

As the mother of a cadet, I pray that none of our sons and daughters have to go into combat. But if they do, I don't want them going into "a fair fight." I want them going in with the troops, the training and the equipment needed to make them the prohibitive favorites-and to win with minimal casualties.

To get those kinds of odds, America has a lot of rebuilding to do. Overall, the Index rates the Army as being in better shape than the Navy and Marines, and arguably better off than the Air Force.

But rebuilding won't come cheap-and it will required a sustained commitment from our political leaders to make it happen. Will rebuilding be worth the cost? I certainly think so-and not just because it may be my daughter's life that's on the line.

The main reason for rebuilding America's military, for making it the prohibitive favorite against all of our foes, is that a strong military is our greatest hope for peace. We all know so well that President Reagan's strategy of "peace through strength" won the Cold War. No sane person picks a fight with a reigning world champion in his prime. But when the champ lets himself get out of shape, when he's perceived as weakened and getting weaker, it encourages challengerssometimes several challengers-to come forward.

Alamni wants nothing more than to live up to her name, to be "the one who brings peace." It's the hope-and the mission-of all those proudly wearing the uniform of our nation. But it is up to our leaders-and, ultimately, all of us-to make sure they have what they need to do the job.

A Heritage Foundation vice president, Angela Sailor directs the research and education programs of the think tank's Edwin J. Feulner Institute.

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

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PAGE 3

November 21, 2019

WORLD GOVERNMENT/BUSINESS/ADVERTISING

OP-ED: How heavy a burden does a person of color alleging discrimination have to carry to have his day in court?

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The United States Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether a plaintiff who alleges race discrimination pursuant to 42 USC 1981 may have his or her day in court if he or she can show that racial discrimination was a factor, even among others, in a defendant’s refusal to do business.

By Falen O. Cox, Esq., Founding Partner, Cox, Rodman, and Middleton

The case, Comcast Corp. v.

National Association of African American Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, is, on the surface, a case about procedural issues. Beneath the surface it is about the ease or complexity a plaintiff may face when raising claims of racial discrimination under 42 US 1981.

Even though it has reached the United States Supreme Court, procedurally, the lawsuit is in the beginning stages, and the Supreme Court will be deciding whether the plaintiffs (Byron Allen company) may move forward in the legal process to have its “day in court” before a jury, or whether its suit should be dismissed before it reaches a jury or the investigatory process that we lawyers call “discovery.”

During the discovery process each side has an opportunity to ask questions of the other and compel answers, to request documents, and to question potential witnesses. This process is “investigative” and allows the plaintiff to gather the information necessary to present his or her case to a jury, and the defendant the ability to form any defenses he or she may have.

For example, if a plaintiff sues a defendant for rear-ending her at a red light, during the discovery process the plaintiff can ask the defendant whether he was texting at the time of the accident — if he was, the plaintiff can use that to show that the defendant was negligent.

On the other hand, if the plaintiff claims that she has back pain as a result of the collision, the defendant can ask if she has ever had back problems before. If she had been seeing a doctor about back pain prior to the collision,

the defendant may be able to show that her back pain was not a result of the collision. However, if the court dismisses a case before the discovery process begins, the case is over, and these “discoveries” are never made.

In short, whether a case makes it to the discovery process, depends on whether the case is allowed to move forward after the plaintiff files a complaint. As common practice, defendants usually file a motion for summary judgement, asking the court to dismiss the plaintiff’s complaint prior to discovery and prior to any decision on the merits of the plaintiff’s claim along with its answer to the plaintiff ’s complaint. It is a procedural tactic to prevent the lawsuit from moving further than the written complaint.

There are valid reasons for motions for summary judgement (dismissal). It is designed to make sure that frivolous claims do not overwhelm the court system and to ensure that the court’s limited resources and time are spent on legitimate claims. Additionally, defending a lawsuit can be time consuming and extremely costly for a defendant. A defendant should not have to spend thousands (or in this case probably hundreds of thousands) on legal fees and lost productivity to defend a frivolous claim. The motion for summary judgement acts as a gatekeeper to the legal system.

In this case, the National Association of African-American Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, Inc. (the “Plaintiffs”) filed suit against Comcast, Time-Warner Cable, the former FCC Commissioner, the

BLACKPRESSDiscovery Education and Business Leaders Launch Unique STEM Initiative...continued from page 2 enhances the core curriculum.

It helps students build valuable problem-solving skills as they develop and apply solutions to critical real-world challenges.

Rooted in authoritative research, users become part of a global student laboratory to share data and collaborate with others around the world, officials stated.

“We really see ourselves as problem solvers, and we’re trying to tackle the world’s greatest energy challenges. Meeting the growing demand for energy around the world and producing building blocks that we need to manufacture everyday products and to fuel the economy,” stated Rebecca Winkel, an Economic Advisor of Regulatory and Economic Policy at API. “It’s a big job, and we’re trying to do that smarter, safer, better, and more effectively every day.

We know that to continue this work, we need a talented workforce. And we have quite a large workforce gap that we see coming,” Winkel stated.

She continued: “There will be millions of job opportunities that we will need to fill in this industry over the next two decades. And so, to be able to continue solving the problems and facing the challenges that we face, we need to make sure that the next generation is as prepared as possible. Investing in education at the earliest stages is necessary to make this happen.

“Diversity, equity and access are key. We want to make sure that we are providing resources to schools that are traditionally under-resourced and making sure that girls and students of color, in particular, can have access to it.”

In addition to Melvin, guests at the launch included those identified as individuals invested in preparing the next generation of solution seekers and leveraging the power of technology to close the awareness gap.

“The STEM Careers Coalition will connect classrooms to careers at an unprecedented scale, said Lori McFarling, President of Corporate Partnerships, Discovery Education.

“We believe that through direct investment in schools with a focus on equity of access, engagement of Coalition member employees, and exposure to digitally immersive STEM career experiences, more students will have the opportunity to envision their future in STEM and emerge as the STEM leaders of the future to fill the ever-growing careers pipeline,” McFarling stated.

Over time, the efforts of the Coalition are expected to result in increased awareness as it relates to STEM and STEM careers, stated Wilson, the Senior Director of the Coalition.

“Through the generosity of the Coalition partners, students will have access to an array of STEMfocused resources, such as virtual field trips, digital instructional assets, career exploration videos, and more,” Wilson stated.

For businesses and organizations interested in learning more about joining the STEM Careers Coalition and school districts interested in learning more about the scholarship process, please visit https://stemcareerscoalition.org

NAACP, the National Urban League, the National Action Network, and Reverend Al Sharpton alleging that Comcast and the others conspired together to deny it a contract to carry its network/television shows because it is a 100% black-owned company. (Editor’s note: NAN, NUL, and NAACP each are no longer party to the lawsuit).

However, the Court dismissed the suits against everyone except Comcast and Time-Warner for lack of personal jurisdiction, and the plaintiffs abandoned its argument of conspiracy.

At issue now, and before the United States Supreme Court, is whether Comcast, in refusing to contract with the Plaintiff, is in violation of 42 USC 1981. More specifically, whether a plaintiff who alleges discrimination in violation of 42 USC 1981 must allege that racial discrimination was the but for cause of the refusal to contract: “But for the plaintiff’s race, Comcast would have contracted with the plaintiff,” or whether the plaintiff may allege that race was a motivating factor in Comcast’s refusal to contract.

Even though there may have been other reasons that Comcast did not contract with Plaintiffs, the fact that it is a black company was a motivating factor. For context, 42 USC 1981 was enacted in 1886 during Reconstruction (after slavery) and reads: “All persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall have the same right in every State and Territory to make and enforce contracts, to sue, be parties, give evidence, and to the full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of persons and property as is enjoyed by white citizens, and shall be subject to like punishment, pains, penalties, taxes, licenses, and exactions of every kind, and to no other.”

The District Court, which acts as a trial court in the federal court system, dismissed the Plaintiff’s complaint three times for failure to state a claim for which relief can be granted. It held that the Plaintiff’s complaint failed to show that, but for racial

discrimination, Comcast would have contracted with Plaintiff, and that Plaintiff failed to allege that other companies that Comcast did in fact contract with were similarly situated to Plaintiff.

However, Plaintiff appealed the District Court’s decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which reversed the District Court’s rulings and held that Plaintiff could move forward with its lawsuit. It denied Comcast’s motion for rehearing. Comcast filed a petition for certiorari in the United States Supreme Court, which was granted.

Comcast argues that Plaintiff’s lawsuit should be dismissed because it alleges that Plaintiff’s complaint was insufficient and that it did not allege “but for” causation or refute what Comcast alleges are legitimate business considerations for its refusal to contract with Plaintiff.

Comcast argues that it did not extend a contract to Plaintiff’s as a result of legitimate business practices, e.g.: that it did not have the bandwidth necessary, that it had a preference for sports and news programming, and that there was a lack of demand for Plaintiff’s programming. As a result, Comcast argues that Plaintiffs have failed to show that Comcast would have contracted with them but for Plaintiff’s race.

Comcast points out that it had, within the same time period, considered contracting with ESN; that it had in fact contracted with “Aspire” led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Revolt TV led by Sean “Diddy” Combs, which it claims has majority or substantial African-American ownership.

Additionally, Comcast alleges that it has carried two 100% blackowned networks, African Channel and Black Family Channel.

Lastly, Comcast argues that Plaintiff ’s case should be dismissed because Plaintiff has failed to show that it was similarly situated to the white-owned channels that it did contract with.

The reasoning there is that apples must be compared to apples. For instance, if there is a whiteowned channel with tremendous interest that is within Comcast’s

preferred programming, then the fact that Comcast contracted with that network as opposed to Plaintiff’s — which Comcast alleges does not have interest and is not its preferred programing — is not a result of race discrimination, but instead is Comcast simply choosing the best content for its company.

On the other hand, Plaintiffs allege that it has attempted to contract with Comcast for approximately 8 years and has repeatedly been passed over for white-owned companies despite Comcast’s assurances that its channels were “good enough” and that it was on a “short list.”

Additionally, Plaintiff offered its Justice.TV network to Comcast for free and without licensing fees. Comcast declined. As it relates to the lack of bandwidth that Comcast claims is a reason for its refusal to contract, Plaintiff notes that Comcast carries every channel (more than 500) that its competitors carry, except for Plaintiff’s.

Plaintiff’s channels are currently carried on Verizon, FIOS, AT&T, U-Verse, Direct TV, Sudden Link, RCN, Century Link, and many others. Additionally, despite its refusal to contract with Plaintiff as a result of its alleged bandwidth scarcity, Comcast has launched more than 80 lesser known white-owned channels.

Plaintiff alleges that during the 8 years that it attempted to contract with Comcast, Comcast directed it to gain field support within the Comcast corporation, once that support had been gained, Plaintiffs were told that field support was no longer a factor.

Next, Plaintiffs were told that it needed Division Support only to be told by the Divisions that it deferred to corporate.

Plaintiffs allege that it spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in marketing and travel to gather support that was deemed necessary, but once achieved, was no longer sufficient.

Most explicit, is Plaintiff’s claim that a Comcast Executive stated, “We’re not trying to create anymore Bob Johnsons.” Bob Johnson is the founder and former owner of B.E.T. which was sold

to Viacom for a reported $3 billion.

Plaintiffs allege that Comcast’s refusal to contract, in addition to being motivated by race alone, is also motivated by its desire not to have its networks (and the white-owned networks that it carries) be required to compete with Plaintiff’s networks, which are black-owned.

The United States Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether a plaintiff who alleges race discrimination pursuant to 42 USC 1981 may have his or her day in court if he or she can show that racial discrimination was a factor, even among others, in a defendant’s refusal to do business. If so, the plaintiff will be able to move forward through the legal process — and most importantly, through the discovery process — to investigate his or her claim and obtain the evidence necessary (if it exists) to put the question before a jury.

On the other hand, if the Court rules instead that a plaintiff must allege that, but for racial discrimination, the defendant would have contracted with him or her, a plaintiff looking to have his or her day in court will need much stronger evidence, and will be required to disprove any other reason given by the defendant for its refusal to contract without the benefit of discovery.

For example, if a defendant denies discrimination and instead says that it refused to contract because of limited resources without the benefit of discovery, the plaintiff may never learn that the defendant doubled its spending with white-owned companies within that same time period. To the contrary, this is information that the plaintiff might learn through the discovery process if his or her case is allowed to proceed.

This case, like so many other recent cases, will test the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the strength of civil rights law.

Falen O. Cox is the founding partner and director of operations at the Savannah, Ga.-based law firm of Cox, Rodman and Middleton.

Côte d’Ivoire Joins World Bank COMMENTARY: What Do the 2019 Group’s Scaling Solar Program to Elections Mean for 2020?

Develop Clean Energy NNPA NEWSWIRE — While Democrats scored some gains, the Business News

Washington D.C., November 15, 2019 – The World Bank Group, through its Scaling Solar program, and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire have signed an agreement to help Côte d’Ivoire develop its supply of affordable, reliable clean energy and reach its goal of generating at least 42 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2030.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, signed the agreement with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to help the country, one of West Africa’s largest economies, develop 60 megawatts of grid-connected solar power through two publicprivate partnership (PPP) projects, which will power thousands of homes and businesses in the country.

Abdourahmane Cissé, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energy, said, “Developing and diversifying our energy supply is a top priority for Côte d’Ivoire as we grow our economy and increase the number of countries to which we export electricity. In accordance with our COP21 climate change commitments, Scaling Solar will help us tap our abundant solar resources and bring clean power to the people of Côte d’Ivoire, especially those in rural areas.”

Aliou Maiga, IFC Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said, “Scaling Solar has set a new standard for developing solar power in Africa while consistently reducing its

costs. The World Bank Group program will help Côte d’Ivoire diversify its sources of power generation, opening up new markets for clean energy production and distribution, and bringing clean, affordable energy to the largest economy in the West Africa Economic and Monetary zone”.

Under the agreement with Côte d’Ivoire, Scaling Solar will support the development, tendering, and financing of two utility projects in the country, which has West Africa’s third largest electrical system with an installed generation capacity of 2,200 megawatts (MW).

The planned utility-scale solar photovoltaic installations will complement other planned solar projects to help Côte d’Ivoire achieve its goal of generating 400 megawatts of solar power by 2030, contributing to climate change mitigation.

Côte d’Ivoire joins Zambia, Senegal, Togo, Madagascar, and Uzbekistan as members of the Scaling Solar program, which provides a package of transaction structuring advice, project documents, risk management products, finance, and insurance to support solar energy projects.

Scaling Solar is supported by USAID’s Power Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, and the Infrastructure Development Collaboration Partnership Fund (DevCo). For more information, please visit www.scalingsolar.org.

Mississippi governor’s mansion is still in Republican hands. Mississippi has the largest concentration of Black people – 39 percent – of any state, but African Americans remain underrepresented among elected officials in Mississippi.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, media contributor and educator. Her latest project MALVEAUX! On UDCTV is available on youtube.com. For booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com

By Dr. Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor If the 2019 elections are any indication, Republicans need to worry about their viability come 2020. In Virginia, Democrats have majorities in both its upper and lower houses. With a Democratic governor, Virginia has an unprecedented opportunity to shape public policy, especially around gun control, a key concern for many. In West Virginia, the candidate backed by 45 lost.

Many will say it is because of the Republican governor, Matt Bevin, was extremely unpopular. If so why was 45 propping him up? He must have thought he had a prayer.

45 notwithstanding, Bevin’s Democratic opponent, Attorney General Andy Beshear, scored a very narrow victory, getting 49.2

percent of the vote, compared to Bevin’s 48.8. Just five thousand votes separate the two men, but a narrow win is still a victory, and 45 has egg on his face. Usually, when 45 shows up and takes it over the line, the base is supposed to get fired up. Not this time.

While Democrats scored some gains, the Mississippi governor’s mansion is still in Republican hands. Mississippi has the largest concentration of Black people – 39 percent – of any state, but African Americans remain underrepresented among elected officials in Mississippi. Is it voter turnout? An inability to forge a progressive coalition? Or, are race matters so hardwired in Mississippi that Republicans will always prevail?

Speaking of other race matters, the affirmative action ballot measure that appeared on the Washington state ballot failed, which is disappointing news for those who think that we have not yet met diversity goals.

Washington state was one of the first to ban affirmative action in 1998 (California’s anti-affirmative action Proposition 209 also passed that year). After California and Washington, other states followed, including Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Arizona, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma.

Although the affirmative action measure – Referendum 88 – lost (continued on page 6)

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November 21, 2019

HEALTH/FITNESS/SENIOR NEWS

Obesity among Black women outrageously high NNPA NEWSWIRE — African American women are reportedly more susceptible to being overweight or obese than any other race. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health has reported that roughly four out of five African American women are either overweight or suffering from obesity. This statistic has a lot to do with the long-standing history of the African American culture, socioeconomic status, stress, and dietary habits that have been passed down from one generation to another.

By Darcie Ortique, OW Contributor

Today, there is still a disproportionate ratio between the height of most African American women and their weight which is how body mass index is measured. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) Betty Busby, 55, has struggled with her weight since high school.

“It’s in my genes to be chubby, and I have always thanked God that I have a man that loves my shape,” she said. “He still thinks I’m sexy with my small waistline, big hips and thighs. I will be forever grateful for that.”

However, Busby’s significant other has been upset—and sometimes frustrated—with her recent drop in weight and size of her hips. “I’m attempting to improve my health by dieting and exercising,” Busby explained. She is under a diet regimen and is taking medication for high cholesterol and hypertension after feeling the pain of extra lower-body weight. “I sometimes get annoyed because he is constantly [overseeing] my meals and complains about the difference in hip size.”

Living with harassment

constant

In addition to health issues, Busby said her shape has caused problems in shopping for clothing that smaller women can typically buy off-the-rack. Men are often verbally assertive with unsolicited comments and reactions to well-endowed women.

“As a young adult, I had to learn to live with the harassment,” she said. “Butt slaps were really offensive. I just hated when a guy would not back down with coming up to me in a public place.

I asked one guy why he was so persistent, and he responded with: ‘I’m afraid if I go home

without your number, I’ll never meet someone like you again.’”

Busby also said the work world can be a tricky environment, particularly if you encounter a female superior with different [smaller] physical attributes than you. “Males will move boxes for you, open doors and pay special attention to you,” said Busby who is employed by the Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services.

African American women are reportedly more susceptible to being overweight or obese than any other race. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health has reported that roughly four out of five African American women are either overweight or suffering from obesity. This statistic has a lot to do with the long-standing history of the African American culture, socioeconomic status, stress, and dietary habits that have been passed down from one generation to another.

my air wet.’” For some, there’s a trade-off between preserving heat-required hairstyles and physical fitness and research suggests that misplaced vanity is at the root of the problem.

To the contrary, African American men and the media have also supported plus-size and curvy women, which have made many overweight African American women feel comfortable in their skin.

The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a poll to get the perspective directly from the source. According to The Washington Post, the poll revealed that “although Black women are [generally] heavier than their White counterparts, they report having appreciably higher levels of self-esteem. That figure was 66 percent among Black women considered by government standards overweight or obese.”

Research like this also suggests that, as a culture, the majority of African American women see no harm in being too vain to take accountability for their health.

The 1992 hit, ‘Baby Got Back,’ by Sir Mix-a-Lot, highlighted the fact that many Black men embrace fullfigured black women, despite contrary beliefs: “ I want em’ real thick and juicy so find that juicy double Mix-aLot’s in trouble,” The old-school rapper went on to say, “So Cosmo says you’re fat, Well I ain’t down with that ‘Cause your waist is small and your curves are kickin.’”

‘Baby Got Back’

Cultural standards and barriers Some will argue that there are a number of cultural barriers (fashionability, family responsibilities, stressful lifestyle) that may also challenge or prevent many African American women from exercising regularly.

United States Surgeon General Regina Benjamin stated in an interview for the Chicago Tribune, “Oftentimes you get women saying, ‘I can’t exercise today because of my hair or get

Covered California was off to the Races with J.R. Todd at the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Finals in Pomona

Songs like this and others inspired Black women to love the skin they’re in and to be proud of their “thickness” because men appreciate rolls, curves and big bottoms.

For years, many R&B, Hip Hop & Rap musicians have typecasted the women they have in their music videos. And more often than not, the video vixens usually have a small waist, thick hips, thighs and a big butt. Black women who aren’t “thick” or “curvy” are going to great

measures to achieve this look.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that ‘cosmetic augmentation among black people increased 56 percent between 2005 and 2013 and is still rising.”

Richard White, M.D. physician, specializing in internal medicine and research at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., has studied the correlation between health literacy and the effect is has on chronic health disease and obesity in underserved communities. “It’s really going to require the African-American community to come together as a unit to really say, ‘you know what? this is our health as a community, this is something that we’re going to take the initiative and interest to improve ourselves and not necessarily rely on outside or external forces to try and make it happen for us,” White said. He encourages his African American patients to take a personal inventory of their lives and take accountability for the foods they are consuming and the decisions they make regarding physical activity.

The lure of fatty food “I think that we can create in our community a mentality that this is something that we don’t have to accept,” he added. “We have the collective energy as a community and as a culture to push back and to really make changes.”

In most African American gatherings and celebrations, food is the highlight of the event and often sought out as the most important. The problem is that calorie-dense foods that are rich in flavor—but lack vital nutrients—are usually presented as a way of fellowship with little to no portion control.

“The thing that I really feel passionate about is empowering, particularly our African-American community to really understand the influences that have been propagated from across the culture that have led to poor health outcomes,” White said.

“There’s a social injustice that’s (continued on page 6)

A Matter of Life and Death: Group to Pull Plug on Life-Saving Aid It Gives to Nearly 4,000 California Dialysis Patients

Health/Fitness News

Ana B. Ibarra | Special to California Black Media Partners

Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, helped warm up Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car with J.R. Todd, defending NHRA Funny Car Champion to raise awareness that Open Enrollment is underway and there is new financial help to buy health insurance.

Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, and J.R. Todd, defending NHRA Funny Car Champion, preparing for the NHRA Finals. Lee and Todd are raising awareness about open enrollment and the importance of staying healthy and the new California laws that lower health care costs for Californians.

Pomona, Calif. – Covered California partnered with Kalitta Motorsports and J.R. Todd, the first African American and NHRA Funny Car champion, at the NHRA season finals at the Pomona Auto Club Raceway, to raise awareness about health care coverage options in California.

Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, was on hand spreading the message that Covered California wants to make sure consumers are aware they are in their corner providing affordable, quality healthcare coverage.

There is more financial help available than ever, but those are not the only changes including early a million Californians will qualify for financial assistance to get coverage during open enrollment, middle-income individuals and families who make between $50,000 and $150,000 annually are eligible for help for the first time and California also restored the individual mandate, which lowered the cost of coverage, by requiring most people to get covered or pay a penalty.

Russell Desmond received a letter a few weeks ago from the American Kidney Fund (AKF) that he said felt like “a smack on the face.”

The organization informed Desmond, who has kidney failure and needs dialysis three times a week, that it will no longer help him pay for his private health insurance plan - to the tune of about $800 a month.

“I am depressed about the whole situation,” said the 58-yearold Sacramento resident. “I have no clue what I’m going to do.”

Desmond has Medicare, but it doesn’t cover the entire cost of his care. So, with assistance from AKF, he pays for a private plan to cover the difference.

Now, the fund, which helps about 3,700 Californians pay their premiums and out-of-pocket costs, is threatening to pull out of California because of a new state law that is expected to cut into the dialysis industry’s profits - leaving patients like Desmond scrambling.

The letter portrayed the fund as helpless. “We are heartbroken at this outcome,” it read. “Ending assistance in California is the last thing we want to do.”

But supporters of the new law are calling the threat a scare tactic.

State Assemblyman Jim Wood (DHealdsburg), the author of AB290, said there is nothing in the measure that prohibits the fund from continuing to provide financial assistance to patients.

“AKF has simply made a

conscious decision, without merit, to leave the state despite the many accommodations I made by amending the bill in the Senate to ensure that it can continue to operate in California,” Wood said in a written statement.

What’s behind this dispute, critics of AKF Say, is the tight relationship between the fund and the companies that provide dialysis, which filters the blood of people whose kidneys are no longer doing the job.

People on dialysis usually qualify for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older, and those with kidney failure and certain disabilities. If they’re low income, they may also qualify for Medicaid, which is called MediCal in California.

But dialysis companies can get higher reimbursements from private insurers than from public coverage. And one way to keep dialysis patients on private insurance is by giving them financial assistance from AKF, which helps nearly 75,000 lowincome dialysis patients across the country.

The fund gets most of its money from DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care, the two largest dialysis companies in the country.

The fund does not disclose its donors, but an independent audit of its finances conducted by the accounting firm CliftonLarsenAllen, LLP, reveals that 82 percent of its funding in (continued in next 2 columns)

A Matter of Life and Death: Group to Pull Plug on Life-Saving Aid It Gives to Nearly 4,000 California Dialysis Patients...continued 2018 - nearly $250 million - came from two companies.

Insurance plans, consumer advocacy groups and unions have accused AKF of helping dialysis providers steer patients into private insurance plans in exchange for donations from the dialysis industry. Wood said his bill is intended to discourage that practice.

AKF CEO LaVarne Burton denied the accusations and said her group plays no role in patients’ coverage choices.

Starting in 2022, the new law will limit the private-insurance reimbursement rate that dialysis companies receive for patients who get assistance from groups such as AKF to the rate that Medicare pays. The rate change won’t apply to patients who are currently receiving assistance as long as they keep the same health plans. The bill will also address a similar dynamic in drug treatment programs.

To determine which patients receive financial aid, the law will require third-party groups to disclose patients’ names to health insurers starting July 1, 2020.

These disclosure requirements are spurring AKF’s decision to leave, Burton said. She argues that they conflict with federal rules and violate patient privacy.

“AKF has no choice but to leave or seek legal relief,” Burton said.

In mid-October, the fund started sending letters to its financial aid recipients in California warning of its departure. And Nov. 1, it joined two dialysis patients in filing suit against the state, asking a U.S. District Court to rule the law unconstitutional.

Gov. Gavin Newsom cautioned against such actions when he signed the bill, and urged “both opponents and supporters to put patients first.”

But as the threats and legal battle play out, patients are caught “squarely in the middle,” said Bonnie Burns, a consultant with California Health Advocates, a Medicare advocacy group.

Their options may be limited, she said. Those who don’t work won’t have access to employersponsored coverage to make up the difference. And in California, Medicare recipients under age 65 are not eligible to purchase supplemental insurance known as Medigap.

The state Department of Managed Health Care offers a fact sheet for affected patients, directing them to programs such as Covered California and MediCal. Paige Hosler, vice president of insurance management at DaVita, said insurance counselors and social workers at the company’s clinics are working with patients to find other options. “We will continue to treat all patients, regardless of insurance status,” she said.

Hosler noted that some patients may qualify for DaVita’s charity care program.

Dialysis companies have been at the center of recent legislative and ballot-box battles, and have spent big to defend their bottom lines. Last year, they poured a record-breaking $111 million into a campaign to defeat Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that would have capped their profits. The measure failed.

The industry also spent about $2.5 million in California on lobbying and campaign contributions in the first half of this year to oppose Wood’s measure.

Desmond said he understands why lawmakers targeted the dialysis industry but can’t fathom why they did so at the expense of patients.

Desmond was laid off from his job as a computer programmer in Massachusetts in 2009 and moved to California to join his brother. One year later, he was diagnosed with kidney failure.

He lives off his Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, which come to about $2,000 a month after his Medicare premiums are deducted. Medicare pays for 80 percent of his care.

He also qualifies for Medi-Cal coverage that comes with high out-of-pocket costs, so he relies instead on a private Aetna insurance plan to cover the remaining 20 percent. The American Kidney Fund has been paying the premiums for his private plan since 2015.

“What they did is take away our life raft and left us to drown,” he said of lawmakers.

Brian Carroll, 40, of Sacramento, has been on dialysis for five years. He moved back in with his parents in 2016 because, he said, dialysis left him too weak to work.

“I am now completely depending on other people,” Carroll said. AKF pays the $270 monthly premium for his private insurance plan that covers what Medicare doesn’t.

“That’s an entire month of groceries and gas for me,” he said.

Carroll said he supported Proposition 8, even though dialysis companies argued that it would force them to cut back services and shut down clinics.

In this current situation, he’s not sure whom to blame - the lawmakers, who passed the law with no back-up plan for patients, or the fund, which is essentially holding patients hostage.

“What I do know is that you can’t just leave dialysis patients like this,” Carroll said. “It’s cruel.”

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News (KHN), which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Senate Drug Plan Brings Death and Taxes

By Stacy Washington The Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act would stall future drug development and deprive Americans of lifesaving cures -all without reducing patients' outof-pocket costs.

The bill would alter Medicare Part D, the federal prescription drug benefit for seniors and people with disabilities. Today, 45 million Americans receive drug coverage from Part D. Part D is a free market success story. Instead of administering the benefit directly, Uncle Sam subsidizes private insurers who sell plans to beneficiaries. Since these insurers compete for customers, they have every incentive to keep costs low. Part D cost nearly $350 billion less over its first 10 years than originally estimated.

Unfortunately, the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act would upend this tried and true structure.

The bill's most egregious penalty might be the 20 percent tax it would impose on manufacturers for some drugs sold in Part D. The package would cost biopharmaceutical firms $55 billion over the next 10 years.

This massive tax would save the government money, but it wouldn't do much for patients -98 percent of Medicare beneficiaries won't see a reduction in their pharmacy bills.

Some could even face increased out-of-pocket costs.

Over time, this bill would harm patients by making it harder to fund drug research.

It takes $2.6 billion on average for researchers to bring one new treatment to market. Scientists rely on the revenue from successful drugs to fund future research projects.

The myriad taxes in the bill would impede manufacturers' ability to earn back development costs. That would make it difficult for firms to attract the investment they need to research new treatments. Without that funding, scientists would have to abandon the roughly 4,500 drugs currently being developed for cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases in the United States.

The package wouldn't just hurt patients. The pharmaceutical sector supports close to 5 million (continued on page 8)

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November 21, 2019

LEGALS/CLASSIFIEDS/NEWS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20190012804 Date Filed: 10/30/2019 Filing Expires On: 10/30/2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): ALLENDALE MANAGEMENT County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 8780 19TH ST. #162 ALTA LOMA, CA 91701 Name of Individual Registrant: JASON TORRES Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: State of Inc./Org./Reg.: Inc./Org./Reg. No.: Residence Street Address: 8780 19TH ST. #162 ALTA LOMA, CA 91701 This business is/was conducted by: An Individual Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: September 01, 2019 Jason Torres, Owner, 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 November 14, 21, 28, December 5, 2019.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20190013084 Date Filed: 11/07/2019 Filing Expires On: 11/07/2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): STORAGE MAX SELF STORAGE County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 8363 FOOTHILL BLVD. RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA 91730 Mailing Address: 2042 BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE, SUITE 100 IRVINE, CA 92612 Name of Individual Registrant: Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: JM TRUST State of Inc./Org./Reg.: CA Inc./Org./Reg. No.: Residence Street Address: 2042 BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE, SUITE 100 IRVINE, CA 92612 This business is/was conducted by: A Limited Partnership Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: November 4, 2016 John Minar, Trustee of General Partner of Bear Gulch Properties, LP, 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 November 14, 21, 28, December 5, 2019.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20190012602 Date Filed: 10/25/2019 Filing Expires On: 10/25/2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): JORNEL TRANSPORTATION County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 380 N. LINDEN AVE. #2802 RIALTO, CA 92376 Mailing Address: 380 N. LINDEN AVE. #2802 RIALTO, CA 92376 Name of Individual Registrant: NELCY FUENTES BARRERA Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: State of Inc./Org./Reg.: Inc./Org./Reg. No.: Residence Street Address: 380 N. LINDEN AVE. #2802 RIALTO, CA 92376 This business is/was conducted by: An Individual Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: October 25, 2019 Nelcy Fuentes Barrera, Owner, 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 October 31, November 7, 14, 21, 2019.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20190012595 Date Filed: 10/25/2019 Filing Expires On: 10/25/2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): A1 AUTO County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 363 W. 6TH ST. #4 SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92401 Mailing Address: Name of Individual Registrant: RAZA RIZVI Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: State of Inc./Org./Reg.: Inc./Org./Reg. No.: Residence Street Address: 5285 DELLA AVE. ALTA LOMA, CA 91701 This business is/was conducted by: An Individual Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: Not Applicable Raza Rizvi, Owner, 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 November 21, 28, December 5, 12, 2019.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20190012197 Date Filed: 10/16/2019 Filing Expires On: 10/16/2024 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): JRL MAINTENANCE County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 32798 RICHMOND DR. ARROWBEAR, CA 92382 Mailing Address: PO BOX 1132 RUNNING SPRINGS, CA 92382 Name of Individual Registrant: JAMES R. LONGLEY Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: State of Inc./Org./Reg.: Inc./Org./Reg. No.:

Residence Street Address: 32798 RICHMOND DR. RUNNING SPRINGS, CA 92382 This business is/was conducted by: An Individual Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: October 16, 2019 James Longley, Owner, 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 October 31, Correction November 7, 14, 21, 2019.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CIVDS 1933675 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: ARLEEN ANN PLOEHN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: a.

HOPE RENEE LUCERO to Proposed name: HOPE RENEE PLOEHN-LUCERO 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: December 18, 2019 Time:8:30 a.m.

Dept: S17 Superior Court Of California County Of San Bernardino San Bernardino District-Civil Division 247 West Third Street San Bernardino, CA 92415 San Bernardino County Civil Division 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 06, 2019 Lynn M. Poncin Judge Of The Superior Court Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper November 21, 28, December 5, 12, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CIVDS 1932458 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: IVEK RODRIGO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: a.

ANUTHMI MITHARA PELAWASIGE to Proposed name: ANUTHMI MITHARA WAAS 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:12/19/19 Time:8:30 a.m. Dept: S17 Superior Court Of California County Of San Bernardino San Bernardino District-Civil Division 247 W. 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92415 San Bernardino District 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: October 31, 2019 Lynn M. Poncin Judge Of The Superior Court Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper November 14, 21, 28, December 5, 2019

SUMMONS

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS1911189 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): CHRISTINA G RUIZ YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your 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 Self-Help 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 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación 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 telefónica 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 más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los 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 poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Shiv Samtani, Esq., (Bar #320822), 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/8425850 (File No. 560943) DATE (Fecha): APR 05 2019 Clerk (Secretario), by Elisabeth Martinez, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant.

11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 11/28/19 CNS-3309988# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS1905667 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): LEAH SANDERS YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your 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 Self-Help 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 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación 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 telefónica 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 más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los 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 poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar

las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third St, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Shiv Samtani., (Bar #320822), 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/842-5850 (File No. 560312) DATE (Fecha): FEB 25 2019 Clerk (Secretario), by Daniela Vargas, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant 10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21/19 CNS-3308437# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS1914350 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): ROY TRIPLETT YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your 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 Self-Help 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 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación 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 telefónica 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 más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los 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 poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Shiv Samtani, (Bar #320822), 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/842-5850 (File No. 554836) DATE (Fecha): MAY 07 2019 Clerk (Secretario), by Daniela Vargas, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant.

10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21/19 CNS-3308424# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): 19STLC03151 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): DYLAN LEE GENE SAMPSEL YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL

DEMANDANTE): STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your 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 Self-Help 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 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación 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 telefónica 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 más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los 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 poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Michael D. Schoeck, Esq. Bar #277945, 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/842-5850 (File No. 284879) DATE (Fecha): 04/02/2019 Sherri R. Carter Executive Officer / Clerk of Court (Secretario), by Diana Diaz, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant.

11/21, 11/28, 12/5, 12/12/19 CNS-3314382# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVDS1803186 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): LUIS ARTURO CIFUENTES YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): NATIONAL UNITY INSURANCE COMPANY NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your 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 Self-Help 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 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación 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 telefónica 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 más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los 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 poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 West Third St, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): REESE LAW GROUP, Jenny R. Louro, Esq. Bar #306535, 3168 Lionshead Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92010; 760/8425850 (File No. 282477) DATE (Fecha): FEB 07 2018 Clerk (Secretario), by SARBRINA JAMISON, Deputy (Adjunto) (SEAL) NOTICE TO THE PERSON SERVED: You are served 1. as an individual defendant.

11/21, 11/28, 12/5, 12/12/19 CNS-3294467# THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN

PETITION/PROBATE

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE (Probate-Decedents’ Estates) Notice Of Petition to Administer Estate Of: JUDY JANE RENDLEMAN Case Number: PROPS 1901091 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: JUDY JANE

RENDLEMAN A Petition for Probate has been filed by: ROBERT RENDLEMAN II in the Superior Court of California, County of: SAN BERNARDINO The Petition for Probate requests that ROBERT RENDLEMAN II 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: December 12, 2019 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept:: S35 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, 247 WEST THIRD STREET SAN BERNARDINO JUSTICE CENTER - PROBATE DIVISION SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415-0212 SAN BERNARDINO MAIN/CENTRAL 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 personal 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.

Attorney for Petitioner:GUAY P. WILSON 14 N. EIGHTH STREET, (P.O. BOX 166) REDLANDS, CA 92373 Telephone: (909)793-2044 Published in The San Bernardino American Newspaper November 21, 28, December 5, 2019.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO

FBN publications are

In re: MARTINEZ FAMILY TRUST created August 25, 2006 by LEOPOLDO M. MARTINEZ, Decedent.

$40

NOTICE TO CREDITORS (PROB C § 19050) Notice is hereby given to the creditors and contingent creditors of the above-named decedent that all persons having claims against the decedent are required to file them with the Superior Court, at San Bernardino, and mail or deliver a copy to Gloria Rendon, as trustee of the trust dated August 25, 2006, of which the Decedent was the Settlor, at 3435 Lan Franco Street, Los Angeles, California, within the later of 4 months after date of first publication of notice to creditors or, if notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, 30 days after the date this notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, or you must petition to file a late claim as provided in Probate Code § 19103. A claim form may be obtained from the court clerk. For your protection, you are encouraged to file your claim by certified mail, with return receipt requested.

Submission Deadline For Legal Publications & News Releases Is Mondays by 5pm Please Email To: msbamericannews@gmail.com

GLORIA RENDON, as Trustee of the MARTINEZ FAMILY TRUST, under Declaration of Trust dated August 25, 2006 7462 Cypress Avenue, Fontana, CA 92336 Published in The San Bernardino American Newspaper November 21, 28, Decem ber 5, 2019.

go to sb-american.com

to submit your legal

HFT Files Federal Lawsuit over Proposed State Takeover of School District Educational News HOUSTON—The Houston Federation of Teachers filed a federal lawsuit in Austin today, stating the proposed state takeover of the Houston Independent School District is unconstitutional under U.S. and Texas law because it disenfranchises and discriminates against people based on race and national origin.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Education Commissioner Mike Morath claim the state takeover of the entire Houston school district, which earned an 88 (out of 100) academic accountability rating, was triggered due to one chronically failing school, Wheatley High School, which is attended by predominantly black and brown students.

The takeover decision was made just days after voters elected new school board members in Houston, who would not be able to take their seats under the takeover, effectively silencing the democratic electoral process.

“The state’s action to take over the HISD is flagrantly unconstitutional and has nothing to do with giving kids a strong public education,” said Zeph Capo, president of HFT and Texas AFT. “Gov. Abbott and Education Commissioner Mike Morath will do just about anything to give private charter operators a chance to get their hands on our schools—even violate the state and U.S. constitutions. We can’t allow our government officials to unconstitutionally marginalize black and brown children, deny them their right to a quality public education, or defy the voice of voters who have just elected new school board members,” he said.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Austin.

The suit, which seeks injunctive relief, alleges that the proposed takeover violates the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution because it disenfranchises minority voters and discriminates against the plaintiffs (three educators, one of whom is a parent of children in the district) on the basis of race and national origin and deprives people, no matter their race, color or ethnicity, of participating in the political process or electing representatives of their own choice. Further, the suit states the proposed takeover violates Texas’ Equal Rights Amendment, which states: “Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, race, color, creed or national origin.”

The educator plaintiffs explained why they are participating in the lawsuit: Jackie Anderson, a special education teacher at Ortiz Middle School, said the takeover would erase citizens’ legitimate votes.

“Growing up, my parents instilled the value of civic responsibility.

I voted for the first time with my mother. I was taught the value of my vote. Voting is something that you have an obligation to do.

Everyone’s vote should count. My choice should be respected. To say that it doesn’t matter is a violation of my right as a citizen,” Anderson said.

Maxie Hollingsworth, a math teacher at Red Elementary and parent of HISD students, said her experience growing up in Little Rock, Ark., cemented her strong feelings about the sanctity of voting rights. “I was raised with the idea of the importance of equitable education and every person’s right to vote. It offends me to my core that people of privilege and power truly don’t care about communities of color and poor people. This takeover is a very targeted and intentional process and amounts to illegal disenfranchisement. It would take away my vote and everyone else’s who voted in the school board election. I can’t look at myself in the mirror and say this is OK. It’s not OK,” Hollingsworth said.

She added that she believes a takeover would result in fewer resources available to students and a greater turnover of educators.

“All the progress HISD has made will all be for naught,” Hollingsworth said.

Daniel Santos, a social studies teacher at Navarro Middle School, said he became a naturalized citizen in 2008, when he voted for the first time in his life. “Through voting, I am holding policymakers accountable and making sure that minorities are not disenfranchised.

I view the takeover of our recently elected school board as unconstitutional. It's a serious violation of my civil rights that prevents me as a citizen from holding our policymakers accountable,” Santos said.

Following a state takeover, Santos predicted, “We will see marketbased reforms that have failed to improve student achievement in other cities. We cannot let that happen.”

The HFT believes the state’s clear goal is to convert Houston’s public schools to privately operated charter schools, which the previously elected Houston school board had refused to do.

However, Capo noted, several Houston charter schools are doing worse than Wheatley but are still being allowed to continue operating and are not being singled out in the takeover. Morath is justifying the takeover using a rule he enacted in 2018 that allows the Texas Education Agency to downgrade a school’s rating if it did not pass three of four measures, even if it would have passed otherwise.

Wheatley had a passing 63 grade, or a D, but was curved down to a 59, or an F. “The real shame is that the focus is on a scheme to charterize the district, not to get Wheatley the resources it needs to improve student achievement. Experience shows that charters do not produce the improvements their supporters claim,” Capo said.

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PAGE 6

November 21, 2019

LEGALS/ LOCAL/NATIONAL NEWS

Giddings receives AFRIMMA’s Leadership Award NNPA NEWSWIRE — Before a packed venue of over 2,000, from various African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Tanzania, Liberia, Kenya, Cameroon, Somalia, and Zambia, the applause was explosive as Ms. Giddings walked from her front row seat and climbed the stairs to the stage, to accept her prestigious award.

Ms. Helen Giddings (Standing) Left to Right: Ifeoma Obiagwu; Helen Giddings (AFRIMMA Transformational Leadership Award Recipient); Anderson Obiagwu (CEO, Big A Entertainment and Founder of AFRIMMA Awards); and Regina Onyeibe (City of Dallas, Africa Liaison).

Photo Credits: Earnestine Cole

By Earnestine Cole, ITWPA Reporter, Special to Texas Metro News Helen Giddings, a former 26-year member of the Texas House of Representatives, received a Transformational Leadership Award, at the 6th Annual AFRIMMA Music Awards, held at The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. Her recognition at AFRIMMA, an all Africa Music Awards, was a culmination of her many years of dedicated and insightful work in South Africa.

In June 2007, Ms. Giddings, was appointed as Honorary Counsel of South Africa in Texas.

She was fortunate to meet and build a lasting friendship with the late South African President Nelson Mandela and worked closely with him and members of his cabinet, during her 26 visits to South Africa. A video shown at the event, chronicled Giddings’ work in South Africa, which included her leading a Texas Delegation to the country that was approved by Governor George W. Bush.

The video started out with these words: “While some are elected to lead, a special breed become leaders through actions, that inspire others to do more and become more, Representative Helen Giddings, a lifelong resident of Dallas County is a leader extraordinaire. She has a strong commitment to building meaningful and enduring

relationships between the United States and Africa.”

In the video, Ms. Giddings was heralded as being vocal and active in the reaffirmation and revitalization of Africa. Accolades for her work in South Africa were numerous including her: commitment to actively work to help South Africa transform its political miracle into a sustainably democratic, economic and social model for all of Africa to adopt; leading legislation to lift Texas Sanctions against South Africa; being a passionate advocate for education by arranging the collection and shipment of over 200,000 textbooks for distribution to South African school children; and having an interest in the arts; hosting a 92-member all male choir from South Africa, for a month-long concert tour in America.

“I can’t think of a finer example of Transformational Leadership, than Ms. Helen Giddings, former State Representative for District 109, representing those on the south side for 13 terms,” said Regina Onyeibe, Africa Liaison for the City of Dallas, in her introduction of Ms. Giddings.

“She is responsible for my first trip as the City of Dallas’ Africa Liaison to South Africa. Ms. Giddings is a leader. She stands up for women and children’s

rights. This lady is so deserving of this award.”

Before a packed venue of over 2,000, from various African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Tanzania, Liberia, Kenya, Cameroon, Somalia, and Zambia, the applause was explosive as Ms. Giddings walked from her front row seat and climbed the stairs to the stage, to accept her prestigious award.

“In AFRIMMA, we love to support people on this side that recognizes that Africa is a place that needs their support”, said Ifeoma Obiagwu, of Big A Entertainment. “Ms. Giddings has done a lot for Africa and we just want to recognize and thank her for seeing something good. The children’s lives have been impacted. We appreciate what she has done.” In her eloquent acceptance speech, Giddings did not disappoint the crowd at the AFRIMMA Music Awards.

“Good Evening, brothers and sisters and welcome to Dallas,” she said. “We want to thank AFRIMMA for bringing Africa to Dallas.

It is so good to see you all here and to share the incredible music of Africa. Africa is the birthplace of civilization. And so if it is the birthplace of civilization, then it’s the birthplace of art and music.

Thank you for bringing your incredible music here. You and I share the same ancestors and nothing can ever change that.

We are the descendants of kings and queens. And we carry that on through the music we make.”

Poison Ivy, the Music DJ for the Dallas Mavericks Games, was the Mistress of Ceremony for the Africa Music Awards. A native of Kenya, Poison Ivy, won the award for the “Best African DJ, USA.” Comedian Basket Mouth, from Nigeria brought never-ending laughter. He is the Chris Rock of Africa and performs to sold-out crowds. Rema, a 19-year-old Rapper from Nigeria, won the “Video of the Year Award.” Rema was excited about meeting Ms. Giddings and talked to her about his desire to have his music played in America. Beth Huddleston, Protocol Officer for the City of Dallas, witnessed the excitement and positive influence that the AFRIMMA Music Awards, had on the massive crowd gathered at The Bomb Factory. “Thank you AFRIMMA for bringing such beauty, creativity, power, energy and healing forces to our great city,” said Ms. Huddleston in her Greeting. We are so grateful for you. What a fantastic venue and what a fantastic program for our great city.”

Obesity among Black women outrageously Obesity among Black women outrageously high...continued from page 4 high...continued being propagated towards us as a community.”

Researchers speculate whether this may be the first generation to not outlive their parents, considering the alarming numbers of obese children, who later become obese adults. There is a psychological approach to preventing obesity and it is the responsibility of the parent(s) to have candid discussions about what children should put into their bodies and what foods are important to consume in moderation.

Deciding to eat healthy The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office conducted a study in 2015 that revealed African American women were 60 percent more likely to be obese than nonHispanic White women. Today, there is still a disproportionate ratio between the height of most African American women and their weight which is how body mass index is measured.

“If you look at a lot of those commercials for fast food industries, you will see they’re specifically targeting African American communities and it’s sad, but it’s something that we as a culture, have sort of allowed to happen,” White explained.

“These industries are multibillion-dollar industries for a reason because we continue to give them our dollars.”

Most fast food commercials feature African American women promoting greasy, fattening foods that are high in cholesterol and lead to diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.

Percell Keeling is a distance runner and owner of Simply

Wholesome, a full-service health food store and restaurant in Los Angeles. Keeling works alongside health professionals to help provide insight for the community on eating healthy and helping to increase life expectancy.

“We have nutritionists onsite… A lot of individuals will come in and ask about certain problems they might have,” Keeling said. “What’s interesting to me is that a lot of individuals will come in after they’ve exhausted everything from the doctor.”

Keeling and his team sell fresh foods and natural, holistic products. Consumers have a variety of organic foods to choose from at Simply Wholesome.

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or a meat-eater, Simply Wholesome provides a tasty, Caribbean twist to healthy eating.

Keeling recalls recognizing the need for exposure and resources for natural foods when he first opened his business. “It costs money to eat well, unfortunately,” he said. “The system is kind of set up like that now… A lot of times most people are a product of their environment, even if it is on a subconscious basis.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women had the highest percentage of fast food consumption at 42.9 percent versus 36.3 percent of White women and 35.8 percent of Latino females. In addition to proper nutrition, exercise is a key component to combat obesity and other cardiovascular complications. The U.S. National Library of Medicine reported only (continued in next 2 columns)

36 percent of adult African American women achieve the national physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity.

Regular exercise key to weight loss Jonathan Denzel Sergent is a certified elite personal trainer, nutrition specialist, licensed massage therapist and a selfdefense coach in Los Angeles.

He works with a variety of female body shapes. “My target audience is women of all shapes, sizes and workout history (beginner, intermediate, advanced),” Sergent said.

With six years of experience as a all-in-one fitness expert, Sergent opened his own business, Denzell’s Gazelle s’s — an initiative designed to empower women to live healthy lifestyles.

“My aim is to help women identify their goals, design a fitness program that fits their needs, guide them through every exercise, every 45- 60- or 80minute workout and have them feeling refreshed after a free, 30minute massage,” Sergent said.

Unlike many fitness experts, Sergent takes a realistic approach to coaching women and helping them to reach their individual goals.

He offers free consultations to those seeking a change in lifestyle and recommends seeking professional expertise on how to manage weight loss. “You need an outside look into your dietary needs,” Sergent said.

“Foods that work for some people may not work for you.”

Despite the cultural standards and familiarity of “plus size” African American women—and the accompanying labels such as “plump,” “thick,” “heavyset,” “healthy,” etc.—there are dire health consequences for this segment of the population if their weight continues to increase.

These include the onset of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bone damage, and a declining self-esteem in a world that can unfairly place a premium on a slim and svelte physical appearance.

Contact Johnathan Denzel Sergent at denzelsgazells.com

Ahead of Supreme Court Oral Arguments, Rep. Waters Leads House in Affirming the Civil Rights Act of 1866 & its Section 1981...continued from page 1 media diversity – led to the creation of four independently minority-owned channels: Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt, Magic Johnson’s Aspire, Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey, and Constantino “Said” Schwarz’s BabyFirst Americas television networks.

As a result of her legislative efforts and commitment to media diversity and inclusion,

Congresswoman Waters has been recognized by many of the nation’s leading media organizations and coalitions for journalists and communities of color, including the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC).

Survey Shows Nearly All U.S. Consumers Plan Majority of Holiday Shopping Online By BlackPressUSA Three Quarters Are “Excited” When Brands Send Deals in Emails SAN FRANCISCO — November 19, 2019 — Leanplum, the leading multi-channel engagement platform, today announced the results of a new study* that shows consumers are shunning brick-and-mortar stores this holiday season with over 95 percent choosing to buy half or more of their gifts online.

Younger Americans (Millennials and Gen Zs) are leading the online shopping trend and over 16 percent are “only” shopping online this holiday season.

As shopping online and via mobile devices quickly becomes the new norm, personalized communication becomes even more crucial to brand success.

With 80 percent of respondents reporting that they shop on their mobile phones, brands need solutions that enable them to reach their customers at appropriate touchpoints. Brands must successfully connect the right way and at the right time with their customers.

Three-quarters of shoppers find it helpful to receive emails from retailers regarding deals and promotions. Interestingly, 74 percent of those surveyed said they were “excited” to receive notifications from retailers about offers/sales. After receiving a notification from a brand about a deal, almost 70 percent said they would check out the offer and probably purchase the item.

However, 75 percent of respondents said generic messages from retailers annoy or bother them. Consumers have a preference for when and how they would like to receive messages from retailers. It is imperative retailers communicate with their consumers regularly regarding topics that are useful to them and

Gone are the days of coupon clipping, instead consumers prefer to receive discounts and deals from brands via email. In fact, two-thirds of respondents reported they open emails from brands they believed contained product deals or sales. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) in the form that they are most comfortable engaging with, to ensure consumer satisfaction and retention.

“Personalizing customer experience and communication is the cornerstone of everything we do at Afterpay,” said Frazer Adnam, CRM marketing director at Afterpay, a Leanplum customer.

“Christmas is a key trading period for Afterpay and the retail sector, so it’s imperative we deliver a world-class personalization experience to our customers and make trading seamless.”

Across all income levels, consumers reported sales as the primary reason they opened notifications from brands and retailers. Surprisingly, even respondents who earn $150,000 or more annually, stated they are most excited to receive push notifications from retailers regarding sales.

Gone are the days of coupon clipping, instead consumers prefer to receive discounts and deals from brands via email. In fact, two-thirds of respondents reported they open emails from brands they believed contained product deals or sales.

When asked about favorite (continued on page 8)

COMMENTARY: What Do the 2019 Elections Mean for 2020?...continued from page 3 very narrowly, it still failed. That means that state agencies can’t openly recruit diverse candidates, and contracting agencies can’t make special efforts to reach out to those who are underrepresented. And since the anti-affirmative action measure passed in 1998, the numbers of minority and women-owned businesses have dropped in the state. That’s a step backward!

One of the reasons Referendum 88 failed was because a group of Chinese immigrants was among those who campaigned to defeat the affirmative action measure.

Former governor Gary Locke, an Asian American man who describes himself as a product of affirmative action, fought for the referendum. But the majority of voters rejected the measure. So much for the “people of color” coalition.

Still, it is interesting that a recent Gallup poll showed that a majority of white people in this country narrowly favor affirmative action, with 65 percent advocating affirmative action for women and 61 percent supporting affirmative action for minorities. These levels of support are the highest since Gallup began polling on this issue. Perhaps the recent focus on the wealth gap has sensitized some people to inequality. In any case, as positive as the poll was, it didn’t translate to the vote.

The affirmative action loss is bad news because it may signal other states to avoid proaffirmative action referenda.

Further, the loss confirms that

many are satisfied with the lack of diversity that is commonplace in politics, the workplace, and elsewhere. And, given the composition of this Supreme Court, challenges to affirmative action that come before them are likely to weaken efforts to encourage diversity in employment, contracting, and education. Several of the justices have already openly opined that race should matter less. Their overturning of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is evidence of their race myopia. It is as if these judges are oblivious to the persistence of racism. It is as if they ignore the headlines about the police shootings of Black men. It is as if the wealth gap means nothing to them.

So, what do we learn from the last elections? Democrats have a chance to defeat some Republicans and may yet prevail in the 2020 elections. But race remains a divisive factor in our country. And unfortunately, we have a President who will use race divisiveness to his advantage.

Count on the 2020 election to be as contentious as the 2016 election was, but hopefully with different results.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, media contributor and educator. Her latest project MALVEAUX! On UDCTV is available on youtube.com. For booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com

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Page 7

November 21, 2019

LIFESTYLE NEWS/ADVERTISING/RELIGION Shows Nearly All U.S. Consumers Plan Briefs: Gov. Newsom Nominates First Black Survey Majority of Holiday Shopping on First District Court of Appeal, and More Online...continued from page 6

California Black Woman to Serve News for You By CBM Staff

worked as a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She also worked in private practice also as a counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, an international law firm based in San Francisco.

In public service, she worked as an assistant district attorney

ceremony of its new board during the California Democratic Party (CDP) annual convention, which took place in Long Beach this year from Nov. 15 – Nov. 17.

California U.S. Congresswomen Maxine Waters (D-CA43) and Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) spoke at the event attended by hundreds of Black California Democrats and supporters. Other special guests included U.S.

recording secretary, and Cecile Nunley, treasurer.

On Gun Violence, Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson says “Enough is Enough” During the California Democratic Convention in Long Beach, Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Los Angeles) led a

Teri L. Jackson

Taisha Brown

Kendra Lewis

Lorrie Brown

Cecile Nunley

Congratulations, Judge Teri L. Jackson! Gov. Newsom Makes (Black) History With Nomination of First African-American Woman to State’s First District Court of Appeal Today, Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Judge Teri L. Jackson associate justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Three, in San Francisco.

If confirmed, Jackson, 63, a Democrat from San Mateo, will be the first African-American woman in the history of the state to serve on the court. The only other African-American woman to serve on a California appellate court bench was Justice Arleigh Woods who was a justice on the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Southern California. Former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Woods, who is now retired, in 1980 during his first governorship.

“Gov. Newsom has a commitment to diversity and this is one more piece of evidence,” said Alice Huffman, president of the NAACP California-Hawaii Conference, responding to Jackson’s nomination.

In 2002, Jackson made history, too. Gov. Gray Davis appointed her to the San Francisco County Superior Court that year, making her the first Black woman to serve on that court.

As an educator, Jackson has

in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office from 1984 to 1997. Before that, she was a deputy district attorney in the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office from 1981 to 1984.

Jackson, a graduate of Georgetown University law Center in Washington, D.C., will earn an annual salary of $244,700, if confirmed, according to the governor’s office.

Her nomination is subject to review by the State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. The Commission on Judicial Appointments will also have to vet and confirm her nomination.

It’s a Woman’s World: Black Democrats Swear In All-Woman Executive Team Black women, one of the most loyal and energized voting blocs in the Democratic Party, may not be getting their due yet at the national level. But if what’s happening in California with Black women Democrats, at all levels, is a sign in the tea leaves of what’s to come, then brace yourselves for a beautiful blue world of Black Women in politics.

Four Black women took control of the California Democratic Party African American Caucus (CDPAAC) this past weekend.

The group held the swearing-in

Presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Tom Steyer.

Another well-known Black woman and politician, state Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), spoke to the audience in the crowded room at the swearingin, too.

Then, Diane Becton, judge and former trial lawyer, and first Black women to be elected District Attorney in Contra Costa County in 2018, performed the swearingin ceremony.

“Already the African American caucus is changing this party,” said Taisha Brown, the new chair of the CDPAAC at the event.

“We also got the Children’s caucus to declare racism a public health issue for our children. We are also working with the legislative Black caucus to turn this in to legislation.”

All the African-American presidential hopefuls attended the CDP convention, including the late comer to the race, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. California junior U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, the state’s highest ranking Black woman Democrat, and Sen. Cory Booker (DNew Jersey) were also there, as well as the other leading presidential candidates.

The other officers installed on the CDPAAC board are Kendra Lewis, vice chair, Lorrie Brown,

rally to “End Gun Violence” outside the convention Center.

Thanksgiving is by far the leading day for U.S. home cooking fires More than three times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day as on a typical day of the year Lifestyle News

November 18, 2019 -- More than three times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day as on a typical day of the year.

That’s according to the latest U.S. Home Cooking Fires report recently released by the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA), which shows that there were 1,600 reported home cooking fires on Thanksgiving in 2017, reflecting a 238 percent increase over the daily average.

Unattended cooking was the leading cause of these fires.

“With people preparing multiple dishes, often with lots of guests and other distractions in and around the kitchen, it’s easy to see why the number of home cooking fires increases so dramatically,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy.

“Fortunately, the vast majority of cooking fires are highly preventable with a little added awareness, and by taking simple steps to minimize those risks.”

According to the NFPA report, cooking is the leading cause of home fires year-round, accounting for almost half of all US home fires (49 percent) and reported home fire injuries (45 percent). Cooking is the secondleading cause of home fire deaths, accounting for 22 percent of all fire deaths. The report also shows that less progress has been made in reducing deaths from home cooking fires than deaths from most other fire causes. There were more cooking fire deaths in 2013-2017 than in 1980–1984, despite total home fire deaths falling by

46 percent over the period.

Following are tips and recommendations from NFPA for cooking safely this Thanksgiving: Never leave the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop. Some types of cooking, especially those that involve frying or sautéing with oil, need continuous attention.

When cooking a turkey, stay in your home and check on it regularly.

Make use of timers to keep track of cooking times, particularly for foods that require longer cook times.

Keep things that can catch fire like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, and towels at least three feet away from the cooking area.

Avoid long sleeves and hanging fabrics that could come in contact with a heat source.

Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool for a long time. Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on the fire.

For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. Only open the door once you’re confident the fire is completely out, standing to the side as you do. If you have any doubts or concerns, contact the fire department for assistance.

Keep children at least three feet (continued in next 2 columns)

A solemn mood attended the event which took place in the wake of last week’s deadly school shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita County during which a 16-year-old student killed two of his schoolmates.

During the last legislative session, Gipson sponsored a bill, AB 879, to close a legal loophole he says was responsible for “Ghost Guns,” weapons anyone in California could buy online without a background check and assemble at home.

He says, too often, those firearms ended up in the hands of criminals.

Gov. Newsom signed the bill into law last month.

Investigation Finds California Cops With Criminal Convictions Still on the Job A group of USA Today Network publications in California launched an investigation into how California deals with cops who commit crimes.

After six months, they made a few interesting findings. There have been about 630 current and former cops in California who have been convicted on a range of counts, from domestic violence and animal cruelty to reckless

NFPA recommends grocery stores, food retailers, and restaurants that sell deep-fried turkey.

For more information, visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/ freeaccess.

“ Ain’t No Maybes, Ifs Ands Or Buts About It...!”

By: Lou Yeboah

Lou Yeboah People will disappoint you! It’s a life lesson to realize, and the sooner you realize it the better off you will be. Believe me, I speak from experience. It hurts when people let you down; but its inevitable. It’s going to happen and its going to happen more times than you desire in your lifetime. There’s just no way around this. Why? Because the Bible’s uniform message is that failure and disappointment are an inevitable part of the human experience.

Yes, the Bible gives us a deep dose of reality. Failure and disappointment are on just about every page. No matter where we open our Bibles, we find failure and disappointment: Adam and Eve [Genesis 3], Cain and Abel [Genesis 4], Noah and his sons [Genesis 9], Abraham and Sarah [Genesis 16], Lot and his daughters (Gen. 19), Jacob and Esau [Genesis 27], Joseph and his brothers [Genesis 37], Nadab and Abihu [Leviticus 10], Aaron

shopping apps, the Amazon app dominated with 82 percent of the vote. Walmart was a very distant second with five percent of the vote, followed by second-hand marketplaces (eBay/Poshmark/ ThredUp) at four percent and Target at three percent.

Consumers had opinions about how brands communicate with them as well. Sweden’s H&M handily beat out other brands with 19 percent of the vote. Urban Outfitters (12 percent), Asos (four percent), Zara (four percent) and Brandy Melville (two percent) rounded out the top five best brands at communicating with consumers.

“As shopping habits shift online and away from brick-andmortar stores, brands must adjust to communicate with their customers via mobile,” said Momchil Kyurkchiev, CEO and co-founder of Leanplum.

“Through our research, we see that it’s important that brands provide a personalized experience for each customer. At Leanplum, our core mission is to enable our customers to consistently deliver relevant, timely and personalized communications to their end users.”

Other interesting statistics include: Nearly half (46 percent) of respondents said that they’ve bought a product because it was shown in an app or sent in an email

Over half (52 percent) of Millennials and Gen Zs will shop on Cyber Monday and Black Friday compared to just over a third of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers About two-thirds of respondents that make $150,000 or more annually plan to do most of their holiday shopping online this year Download the complete survey report for additional tips and insights.

About Leanplum Leanplum, the leading multichannel engagement platform helps forward-looking brands like Tinder and Tesco meet the realtime needs of their customers. By transforming data into an understanding of users’ needs and wants, our platform delivers unified experiences that are timely, tested and relevant — building customer loyalty that fuels business growth.

Founded in San Francisco, Leanplum has offices across North America, Europe and Asia, and has received more than $98 million in funding from leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms. Leanplum has also been recognized as Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For and Entrepreneur’s Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America. Download the media kit and learn more at www.leanplum.com. *Leanplum surveyed 1,000 online shoppers in the United States, October 2019.

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.

Witness For Justice #969

What if Your Dreams Were Ripped Away?

Rev. Noel Andersen UCC & CWS Grassroots Coordinator for Immigrants' Rights in Washington, D.C.

(continued on page 8)

Thanksgiving is by far the leading day for U.S. home cooking fires...continued away from the stove. Kids should also stay away from hot foods and liquids, as steam or splash from these items could cause severe burns.

In addition, NFPA strongly discourages the use of turkey fryers, as these can lead to severe burns, injuries, and property damage. For a safe alternative,

NNPA NEWSWIRE — As shopping online and via mobile devices quickly becomes the new norm, personalized communication becomes even more crucial to brand success. With 80 percent of respondents reporting that they shop on their mobile phones, brands need solutions that enable them to reach their customers at appropriate touchpoints.

Brands must successfully connect the right way and at the right time with their customers.

and Miriam Numbers 12], Israel and Canaan [Numbers 14], Moses and the rock [Numbers 20], Samson and Delilah Judges 16], Samuel and his sons [1 Samuel 8], David and Bathsheba [2 Samuel 11], Solomon and his harem [1 Kings 11]. And on and on it goes, right into the New Testament, where we find disciple after disciple and church after church marked by failure and disappointment.

There is only one place where you can put your hope and it will never be disappointed, and that is when you put your hope in God. If you put your hope in people, people will disappoint you. If you put your hope in the church, the church will disappoint you. But if you put your hope in God, God will never disappoint you.

Isaiah 31:1 - Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because [they are] many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! Psalms 118:8 - [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Trust in God rather than in Men!

Imagine if the life you have built through hard work was stripped away. You can no longer drive to work, because you have lost your ability to have a driver’s license. You can no longer work to support your family, because you have lost your work permit. After years of living with a government promise of relief from deportation as long as you follow the rules, there is a renewed fear of being ripped apart from your family and taken to a country you’ve never known.

This is the situation that over 700,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals could face right now, as the 2012 policy faces a Supreme Court decision in the coming months.

Flor, from the Centreville Immigration Forum, an organization that was cofounded by Wellspring UCC, commented to UCC News, “DACA is of great importance in my life, I have had many opportunities, such as a good job, the opportunity to continue college. If DACA ends all my dreams will be destroyed.”

On September 5th, 2017, the Trump administration terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, no longer allowing new DACA applications, claiming that DACA is not legal.

This is not about rule of law but about a white nationalist agenda, and we cannot allow it to continue. Rule of law arguments are no longer substantive if the law is fundamentally immoral and oppressive. In Dr. Martin Luther King’s words, “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

This administration at every

point is trying to limit immigration and to terminate successful legal programs, such as the Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure Whatever happens in the Supreme Court with DACA will also impact the litigation of TPS and DED, because the termination of these programs have also been blocked by federal courts citing racial animus from the administration.

The UCC along with the Interfaith Immigration Coalition has for years written letters, made statements, issued comments and alerts, joined Amicus briefs, engaged in national actions, and supported grassroots actions in solidarity with DACA recipients and the DACA program.

In recent months we have called for swift passage of the bipartisan Dream and Promise Act, a unified and stand-alone legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for all Dreamers as well as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, which has passed the U.S. House of Representatives but has not moved in the U.S. Senate.

As the highest court in the land determines the fate of so many lives, the UCC has a calling to the love of neighbor, and we cannot stand idly by as families are separated by deportation or as the dreams of our community members are stolen. Together with partner organizations, the UCC is also taking action to stop funding to the ICE and Border Patrol’s deportation machine, to stop the constant attacks on the immigrant community through cutting the purse strings.

Visit Us Online: www.SB-American.com

PAGE 8

November 21, 2019

NEWS/ AD VER TISING ADVER VERTISING

Roger Stone the Fifth Criminal in Trump’s Corruption Ring NNPA NEWSWIRE — Instead of someone in the Republican Party acknowledging that there is corruption in the White House, they blame the judges and court system for doing their job. Thirty minutes after the jury delivered its verdict on Roger Stone, the president was upset, and tweeted his displeasure that his longtime friend was caught breaking the law on 7 counts.

By Roger Caldwell, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Roger Jason Stone Jr., aka Roger Stone, is a long-time political operative. This caricature of Roger Stone is an original Photoshop painting. (Illustration: DonkeyHotey / Wikimedia Commons It is time for America to be honest with itself and admit that President Donald Trump is breaking the law. When Trump talks about draining the swamp, he is really talking about his leadership ring.

“Five of Trump’s lieutenants, Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, and now Roger Stone, have all pleaded guilty or have been convicted of a crime.

The stench of corruption is all around Donald Trump, and this week’s ruling reminds us just how important and need of Congress’ impeachment inquiry is,” says Terrie Rizzo, Chairwomen of the Florida Democratic Party.

Truth and integrity are rare commodities in President Trump’s inner circle, his administration, and the Republican Party. When someone in Trump’s inner circle is convicted of breaking a law, Republicans refuses to say anything, and act like it did not happen.

Instead of someone in the Republican Party acknowledging that there is corruption in the White House,

they blame the judges and court system for doing their job.

Thirty minutes after the jury delivered its verdict on Roger Stone, the president was upset, and tweeted his displeasure that his longtime friend was caught breaking the law on 7 counts.

It is crazy to think that the president is mad with Roger Stone being found guilty of five counts of lying to Congress, one of witness tampering, and one of obstructing a congressional committee proceeding.

It appears that the Trump administration is the mafia, and our president is the godfather.

The members of the Republican Party seem to have no comment, on Trump’s campaign team breaking the law. All around the world, the different countries are watching America’s corruption starting with the head – who is President Donald Trump and his associates.

America has reached the point of insanity, and everyone is comfortable with lying, and what will the Republicans do.

The American people have a right to know the truth, and the impeachment is exposing the

corruption and the lawlessness with our president, and his administration.

“Robert Mueller is coming for me,” Stone wrote before asserting that his name was next on what he called Mueller’s “hit list” of targets. Stone denied any wrongdoing and said he faced legal peril simply because he had advised Trump for several decades.

It is amazing that Roger Stone in 2016 thought he had not broken any laws, even though he lied to the Congress. He claimed that Mueller ’s investigation was a witch hunt, and he “may frame Stone on some bogus charge.”

During the campaign, Stone had confirmed that he exchanged messages with “Guccifer2.0” which was a front for Russian intelligence operatives. These Russian intelligence operatives stole and leaked emails from senior Democrats, throwing the party and election into turmoil at the height of the 2016 campaign.

Stone also claimed to have communicated with Julian Assange, owner of Wiki-Leaks,

who published the Democratic emails.

With this new information and conviction, it is obvious that prosecutors are still working on Trump’s Russian corruption with the 2016 election. Rick Gates’ testimony in Stone’s trial proved that Trump had welcomed the release of hacked documents in the 2016 election.

“Gates testified he had witnessed Trump take an evening phone call from Stone as they rode to New York’s LaGuardia Airport from Trump Tower in late July 2016. Stone and Trump apparently discussed Wiki-Leaks’ planned release of hacked Democratic emails,” says Katelyn Polantz – reporter of CNN Politics. They thought these stolen emails was a gift.

In written answers to questions to Mueller, Trump does not remember taking a call from Roger Stone and talking about hacked information from Wiki-Leaks. Stone sentencing is scheduled for February 6, 2020. Back in 2016, Stone stated that he had not broken any laws, and Mueller ’s investigation was a witch hunt.

But in November 2019, Roger Stone has been convicted, and the investigation was more than a witch hunt. He may turn state or federal evidence to receive a shorter sentence, based on what he knows. Why is Trump’s corruption ring, still supporting their boss – President Donald Trump?

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

Senate Drug Plan Brings Death and Taxes...continued from page 4 jobs and contributes more than $1 trillion in economic output each year. Nearly half of drug firms said that reductions in R&D could lead to layoffs and facility closures.

The Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act would cripple the life sciences sector and do

nothing to help patients afford their medicines. Talk about a loselose.

Stacy Washington is a decorated Air Force Veteran, an Emmy nominated TV personality, and the host of the nationally syndicated radio program "Stacy on the Right."

California Black Briefs: Gov. Newsom Nominates First Black Woman to Serve on First District Court of Appeal, and More News for You...continued from page 7 driving and manslaughter.

More than 80 of them are still on the job.

What is not particularly interesting about this story is that there are more than 100,000 cops in California. So 80 is a really, really small percentage.

We’re not defending “dirty” cops who commit crimes, and worst, get to keep their jobs, but it seems there needs to be deeper investigations into why there are any cops at all on the job who have criminal convictions. We will be following this story.

Meanwhile, the whistle-blowing publications have now created a database you can use to see if a cop you know, or know of, has caught a charge in the

past.

Because Almost Doesn’t Count: NAACP Wants Every Black Person in California to Participate in Next Year’s Census Beginning next week, from Nov. 24 through Dec 15, the California-Hawaii NAACP Conference is planning to lead a push across the state called “Black Recruitment Week” organized to recruit African Americans in California for Census 2020 jobs.

The civil rights group’s 56 branches across the state will host the events.

Times and locations will be announced on the state NAACP’s website.

San Bernardino NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet NAACP San Bernardino Branch Freedom Fund Banquet Friday, November 22, 2019 Arrowhead Country Club, 3433 Parkside Drive, San Bernardino 92404 5:30PM Social Hour and 6:30PM Dinner.

Theme “Education is Our Passport to the Future”.

Honorees are Margaret Hill, Pioneer Education, Margaret Fortune, Innovative Education and Eva Tillman, Rising Star Education.

Invited guest speaker is State Superintendent of Public Schools Tony Thurmond. Contact for Tickets 909-300- 5160 or SBNAACP1062@GMAIL.COM donation $100.00.

Don’t Miscount Us: Black Leaders Rev Up Push for 2020 Census...continued from page 1 NCBCP, among others, to lead the discussion.

“The Census is important because it is the foundation for all reapportionment - drawing of lines for council seats in cities, county commissions, juries, state legislatures, certainly for members of Congress, and in those communities which elect judges from districts, it also impacts that,” said Morial.

Morial challenged the ‘Teletownhall’ participants to do all that they can to make sure everyone is fully counted and to hold the US Census Bureau accountable to conduct a full and complete count.

In California, African Americans, in large numbers, mainly live in about ten of the state’s 58 counties. In those regions, the majority of Blacks reside in tracts that the United States Census Bureau has designated hard to count, according to California Black Media’s “Counting Black California” report.

So, in Los Angeles, Alameda, San Bernardino and Sacramento counties, for example, local governments are funneling California census money to support the work Jennings and others are doing to mobilize participation among Blacks and other hard-to-count groups. So far, California has invested about $187.3 million into achieving an

accurate account of state residents in the 2020 Census.

From March 20-22 next year, Sacramento County census outreach groups, for instance, will hold a “Black Count” public awareness weekend. It will feature a blitz of activities targeting more than 14,000 Blacks in the county, including “popups” at approximately 20 churches in the capital city area to provide volunteer training. There will also be special programs aimed at getting the information to young people.

Similar efforts are being planned in counties across California.

To effectively reach AfricanAmerican communities in California, Jennings said, census outreach workers will have to focus on educating people about why the census is important to them. They will also have to explain that every member of each household must be counted, including all children and grandchildren - even if they are not listed on the lease.

During the 2010 census, 10 percent of the estimated 4 million children in the United States that census workers did not count lived in California, according to the California Complete Count Office.

Last week, the California-Hawaii NAACP Conference announced a plan to sign up African Americans across California for

census jobs. The effort called “Black Recruitment Week” will be led by the civil rights group’s local branches and will be held from Nov. 24-26. The state NAACP will announce the dates, times and locations of the hiring events on its website.

Special attention would have to be given to aging adults, too, Jennings said, because some of them are isolated from social networks and lack access to computers, smartphones, radios and even television.

For some African Americans, it’s a matter of trust, Jennings added. “It’s important for people to know their information won’t be ‘out there’ or compromised, and if they are concerned about information being reported to landlords, for instance, rest easy, it won’t.”

The U.S. constitution mandates the federal government to count every resident of the United States every 10 years. Next year’s census will officially kickoff in April.

“The way the count will work is: Beginning March 12, Census 2020 will mail a unique user ID to most U.S. households,” Morial told participants of the ‘Teletownhall.’ “This will allow heads of households to complete the form online, or by mail, or by phone, ahead of Census Day, which is April ,1 2020.