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
exact amount
injustice
wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or with both. The limits
He is survived by his wife Pamela, four children, two stepchildren, and eight grandchildren.
By Shanelle GenaiThe Root is sad to report that actor, EGOT winner and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte has died at age 96. On Tuesday, a rep for Belafonte confirmed that the legendary singera pssed away due to congestive heart failure at his New York home.
Last year, America mourned the tragic suicides of two Black men who were celebrated for their exceptional talents and renowned for their achievements in the entertainment world and their links to Hollywood. The first was Stephen "tWitch" Boss, a co-executive producer and guest DJ on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. The second was Ian Alexander Jr., who was the son of Academy Award-winning actress Regina King.
Away from national headlines, tens of thousands of families across the United States are grieving over loved ones who took their own lives – with men outnumbering women four to one as states across the country – including California – report alarming suicide rates every year.
Among Black Americans, suicide is having a unique impact on Black men.
This fact is well-known to Etienne Maurice, the founder and CEO of WalkGood LA, a community wellness-focused organization based in Los Angeles and led by Black and Brown individuals.
"When I was going through my psychosis and I was manic, I did have suicidal thoughts. I never thought I was going to actually commit to doing it, but the thought was scary enough," Maurice told California Black Media (CBM) at his Black men’s healing circle event in Los Angeles, titled YouGood.
The high-profile suicides deaths of Boss and Alexander and the rising suicide rate among Black men – while tragic and unsettling – are not surprising to Jamal Averett, an actor and attendee at YouGood, who told CBM many Black men are “screaming inside.”
Data from the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, indicates that the suicide rate for Black individuals in California rose by 31.1% between 2010 and 2019, a substantial increase when compared to other ethnic groups.
"I think in order for us to really get those rates down, we have to build community with other Black men," Averett said.
YouGood brought in 181 Black men to participate in guided yoga, meditation, journaling and exercises designed to encourage expressing their feelings.
One of the goals of the event was to challenge the stigma of emotional vulnerability among Black men.
"Growing up, we're always taught to hold it in. Just be tough," Averett said.
The organizers stated that another significant objective of this monthly event is to create a safe and supportive community for Black men, who have been conditioned to exhibit stoicism from a young age, to initiate the process of healing from the historical and daily traumas they have experienced.
Maurice explained how traumas, left unchecked, can take hold of someone's life and spiral out of their control.
"I'd be in bed and be arguing with my mom, because I didn't want to get out of bed," Maurice said, sharing memories of interactions with his mother, the actress Sheryl Lee Ralph of Moesha and Abbott Elementary fame. "And I didn't know why because I wasn't that person -- my mom never raised me to be that person, and she didn't know me to be that person. So, it can be frustrating on all levels."
Maurice noted that there
is evidence that his inability to express his inner turmoil is something that some other Black men who have struggled with suicidal ideation have experienced.
"I didn't even have a language for mental health. I think what drove me to that point was not having control," Maurice said.
Rodrego A. Byerly is the President and CEO of EVITARUS, California’s only Black-owned-and-led public opinion and market research firm. He echoed Maurice’s point.
"There are a number of contributing factors I would point to, first and foremost a need for greater education and resources at our fingertips for how to cope with stress in all of its forms in life," Byerly said.
What makes this crisis unusual and alarming is that the suicide rates for non-Hispanic White people decreased by 4.5% between 2019 and 2020, while the rate for non-Hispanic Black people increased by 4% according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
Shakari Byerly, Managing Partner and Principal Researcher at EVITARUS, pointed to racism and social unrest as a potential explanation for this phenomenon.
"Everyday discrimination is associated with higher rates of depressive symptoms, and also what's called suicide ideation, which are thoughts or contemplations of suicide," Ms. Byerly said. "I think also the fact that depression and anxiety are gateways to suicide ideation as well."
Dr. Kristee Haggins, Executive Director of Safe Black Space, said that while disproportionate violence targeting Black people
is not a new occurrence, the level of exposure to incidents of antiBlack violence has increased.
"There's this heightened view again, because it was splashed all across the media," Haggins explained.
Maurice told CBM that repeated, highly publicized murders of Black men –specifically the murder of Ahmaud Arbery – is what inspired him to build his organization, stating that he started WalkGood to "fight for Black lives."
The Black transgender community is also witnessing a surge in suicidal rates and this population has also been subjected to heightened levels of violence and hate crimes.
Rhonda Smith, Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, statewide organization committed to promoting health equity for African Americans and Black Immigrants, advises those struggling with suicidal ideation to reach out to people close to them, utilize resources in the community, such as churches, and call 988 if they are experiencing a crisis.
Smith – as well as Maurice and Averett – assured those who are dealing with depression and desperation that although you might feel otherwise, you are not alone.
For suicide prevention resources in your community and to learn more about the subject visit this page on the California State Senate website.
California Black Media’s coverage of Mental Health in California is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.
Born in 1927's Harlem, and raised in Jamaica for a portion of his life, Belafonte would evolve into an influential figure within both the arts and civil rights space in America. He broke barriers as one of the first Black leading men in Hollywood in the 1950s-1960s, often going up for roles alongside his acting contemporary and fellow barrier-breaker Sidney Poitier. Belafonte went on to star in films such as The Award Story, Island in the Sun, Odds Against Tomorrow, and perhaps most notably, Carmen Jones (costarring Dorothy Dandridge), which received critical acclaim.
Belafonte also garnered acclaim on the musical front, where he became instrumental in bringing the music of Africa and Calypso music to the forefront of American media. For his efforts, he earned the first gold record in history after selling over 1 million LP’s for his 1956 album “Calypso,” which remained on the Billboard Top Pop Album charts for 31 weeks. In 1985, he alongside his manager along with manager Ken Kragen, directed the USA for Africa project which spawned the popular single, “We Are the World.”
As prominent as he was in the entertainment space, he was just as significant when
it came to the fight for civil rights for African-Americans. A close confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and financial backer of many important social movements, Belafonte was a key organizer for the historic 1963 March on Washington, which was supported and attended by fellow giants in the arts and humanitarian spaces such as his eventual best friend Poitier, James Baldwin, Diahann Carrol, Sammy Davis Jr., Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and many others. Over his illustrious life and career, he was awarded many honors including but not limited to a Kennedy Center Honors for excellence in the performing arts; the Nelson Mandela Courage Award and the National Medal of Arts from the President Clinton; the NAACP’s prestigious Spingarn Medal; and Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, the highest award bestowed by the French government.
In 2022, Belafonte was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and awarded the Early Influence Award, which is given to artists whose music and performance style have directly influenced, inspired, and evolved rock & roll and music impacting youth culture. Belafonte is survived by his wife Pamela, four children, two stepchildren, and eight grandchildren. The Root continues to send its love, support, thoughts and prayers to all who knew and love Harry Belafonte.
BY SAMEEA KAMAL
Every other week, the 21 members of the Problem Solvers Caucus gather for lunch to hear presentations on different
policies. This session, they’re focusing on clean energy and homelessness — issues they say continued on page 3
off guard.
make informed financial decisions.
Financial illiteracy is harming California’s students.
The issue of young people being unprepared for adulthood is often attributed to a lack of financial literacy. However, we believe that the root of the problem lies in the fact that many adults in California are themselves financially illiterate and therefore unable to impart this knowledge to the younger generation.
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) has introduced legislation to address this problem, Assembly Bill (AB) 984. The bill aims to correct this travesty by mandating that instruction on personal finance be integrated into California’s K-12 public schools. AB 984 has the full support of California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, among many others.
The bill is currently under review in the Assembly Education Committee.
Being financially literate is a crucial skill that everyone should have. It involves understanding and managing personal finances effectively, including skills such as budgeting, saving, investing, managing debt, and comprehending financial products like loans, credit cards, and insurance.
Sadly, many people lack financial literacy. A study
conducted by the National Financial Educators Council found that only 24% of American adults have a basic understanding of financial literacy. This lack of knowledge can result in poor financial decisions, leading to debt, and financial instability. Financial literacy is especially critical for young people. High school students are often illprepared to manage their finances when they enter college or the workforce. Many students take on student loan debt without fully understanding the long-term implications of their borrowing. This lack of knowledge can have lasting consequences, including difficulty repaying loans, damaged credit scores, and limited access to credit in the future.
As a lecturer on the subject, I have had the opportunity to stay connected with many of my former students through social media after they graduated. It’s not uncommon for me to offer them comfort when they discover that a salary close to $100,000 doesn’t stretch as far as they anticipated after accounting for taxes and living expenses. This is without even factoring in the weight of student debt, which cannot be eliminated through bankruptcy and can impact their credit for many years.
Unfortunately, this is a harsh reality that catches many students
According to a recent study conducted by SmartAsset, a person would need to net over $84,000 in annual salary to live “comfortably” in the San Francisco Bay Area. They would need to net $80,000 to live in San Diego or Chula Vista, and almost $77,000 to live comfortably in the Greater Los Angeles area. Those markets would require a person to earn a “pre-tax” annual salary of more than $100,000, which for a recent college graduate, is near impossible.
Financial illiteracy can have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the individual. When people make uniformed financial decisions, it can have a domino effect on the economy.
For example, during the 2008 financial crisis, many people lost their homes due to subprime mortgages, which were offered. This triggered a recession that impacted the economy on a larger scale.
To address this issue, financial literacy education should be a priority in K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities. Students should learn about budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt. They should also learn about financial products such as credit cards, loans, and insurance. Additionally, they should be taught how to protect their identity and avoid fraud.
Promoting financial literacy education should not be confined to the classroom. Employers can also play a role in educating their employees about managing their finances. Companies can sponsor financial education programs, including workshops and seminars. Additionally, employers can offer access to financial advisors and other resources to help their employees
We hope the California Legislature will adopt AB 984 and forward it to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.
AB 984 will go a long way in correcting this pervasive problem.
About the Authors
Mark T. Harris, Esq. is a Continuing Lecturer, Management and Business Economics at the University of California, Merced Tatiana Howell is a junior majoring in Student, Sociology & Management and Business Economics at the University of California, Merced
Mr. Harris served as the Undersecretary for Business, Transportation and Housing under Governor Gray Davis and Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Commerce, under The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton. Currently, Professor Harris is on the faculty at the University of California, Merced, where he works alongside his student Ms. Tatiana Howell, who just completed a semester working at the Export-Import Bank in Washington, D.C.
Kindergarten students from across San Bernardino and Highland participated in the KinderCaminata events in March and April, as part of a nationwide initiative that aims to promote college going among young children and their families.
Students dressed in matching, colorful t-shirts visited San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) where they were welcomed by students and staff alike. The students were accompanied by their teachers, parents, and college leaders, all of whom were there to show their support. By the time
KinderCaminata finishes in April, close to 2,000 San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) kindergartners will have visited the campus, said Director of Elementary Instruction Amy Coker.
The KinderCaminata is an important event that highlights the importance of early education in a child's life. Studies have shown that children who attend kindergarten are more likely to succeed academically and socially than those who do not.
By participating in this event, SBCUSD students are sending a strong, early message that they are committed to learning and that they understand the importance of education, Coker said.
“Our kindergarten students had a blast participating in the KinderCaminata," Coker said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to show their enthusiasm for learning and to get the community involved in promoting the importance of college. We believe that early education is critical to a child's success and we are committed to providing our students with the best possible start in life.”
SACRAMENTO—State
Superintendent of Public
Instruction Tony Thurmond was recently given an award for Excellence in Leadership by one of the state’s premier financial literacy organizations, the California Council on Economic Education. Thurmond championed financial literacy during his time as a legislator and previously established a nonprofit program for helping at-risk youth develop their entrepreneurial skills called CEO Youth. Thurmond is now working to have personal finance included as a California high school graduation requirement.
After encountering political difficulties on legislation he sponsored to require that schools teach personal finance (Assembly Bill 984), Thurmond has shifted his focus to getting a ballot measure passed that would require schools to teach personal finance. Thurmond is partnering with Next Gen Personal Finance to launch the ballot measure campaign.
Thurmond and Next Gen Personal Finance are embarking on a listening tour to get input from school leaders about how to successfully implement a personal finance graduation requirement. Thurmond intends
to host a personal finance convening in May that will show school districts how to implement personal finance courses partially through utilizing resources that were provided to schools to support financial literacy. Thurmond and other advocates are hoping to leverage the more than $3.6 billion allocated to schools in 2022 to support financial literacy to help schools begin laying the foundation for providing personal finance classes in schools while efforts to get a ballot measure passed are underway.
“Personal finance is a powerful
by: Vivian Chow
Police found over 300 pounds of methamphetamine and 90,000 fentanyl pills during massive drug busts in San Bernardino this week.
On Wednesday, San Bernardino officers along with a SWAT team served a search warrant at an undisclosed location where 305 pounds of meth were discovered. The drug’s total street value is estimated at $4 million, authorities said “You’d think these crooks would avoid @SanBernardinoPD,” said SBPD Chief Darren Goodman in a Tweet. “Our Narcotics Unit keeps fighting the battle to keep these dangerous drugs out of our community.”. On Friday, officers conducted a traffic stop on a driver with a suspended license. Inside the suspect’s vehicle, police found 40,000 fentanyl pills. After serving a search warrant
Police find 90,000 fentanyl pills, eight kilos of powdered fentanyl and a stolen firearm in a massive drug bust. (San Bernardino Police Department.)
at the suspect’s home, police found an additional 50,000 fentanyl pills along with eight kilos of powered fentanyl and a stolen firearm. “Yes, another significant fentanyl bust,” said Goodman. “Clearly, these criminals are undeterred. Who could blame them when the
monetary reward is so high, and the criminal consequence in California is so low? We won’t stop, even if it’s arresting the same crooks repeatedly.” No suspect information was provided for the meth bust. The suspect in the fentanyl bust was arrested on multiple felony charges.
A new website launched by the state on Earth Day steers electric car buyers to thousands in savings, along with other incentives that make going green more affordable.
By Mark HedinWith climateaction.ca.gov, a new website unveiled on Earth Day, California is extending its global environmental leadership, providing guidance on making environmentally conscious green choices in cars, homes and habits, without breaking the bank.
When it comes to things like buying low-emission cars, installing solar panels or replacing lawns with droughtresistant plants, “perception of cost can be a deterrent,” Lys Mendez, of the state Air Resources Board, said at an ethnic media press briefing called by the governor’s office on April 21 to announce the website’s launch.
Climateaction.ca.gov is intended as a “one-stop shop” to direct people to legitimate cost incentives – subsidies, loans, rebates and discounts – from trusted sources.
“It’s a government website,” explained Daniel Villasenor, Gov. Newsom’s deputy press secretary, who hosted the briefing.
“The idea is that it’s telling you right off the bat what is the benefit, how to see if you’re eligible and how to start that process at the correct website. We’re trying to just show all the programs that are available in California and provide information on federal tax credits.”
Depending on people’s income levels, where they live, and what programs they pursue, the programs detailed on the new website can save them tens of thousands of dollars.
In one scenario, a car buyer could save almost $25,000 on a
car that never needs gas.
Given that “some communities face disproportionate burdens from pollution,” Mendez said, “we’re trying to put our money where our mouth is, because that’s going to be very central to this transition.”
The state had earlier in the day announced reaching the milestone of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles (battery electric, plugin hybrid or hybrid electric cars) purchased in California since then-Gov. Jerry Brown, in 2012, set that as a goal for 2025.
“No other state in the nation is doing more to accelerate climate action than California,” Villasenor said. Of the zeroemission vehicles (ZEVs) sold nationwide this year, 40% were purchased in the Golden State, although that’s only 21% of the new cars Californians have bought so far in 2023.
Making green more affordable
The new climateaction.ca.gov site offers thorough details on the almost-dizzying variety of incentive programs available around the state.
The state’s Clean Vehicle Rebates Project offers, for instance, $4,500 for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, $2,000 for a battery electric vehicle and $1,000 for a plug-in hybrid. And if you qualify as low-income, the program goes further: $3,000, $5,500 and an additional $5,500, respectively.
On top of that, the Clean Cars for All program offers up to $9,500 in some instances (such as the Bay Area and the South Coast air quality management districts) for people willing to “retire” older cars – and funds available to fix ones that fail smog tests.
Through the driveclean.ca.gov site that the new website links to, there are specifics on more than 70 California programs. Besides the Clean Cars for All incentives, these range from qualifying for a “car pool lane” sticker even if a solo driver to getting reimbursed for installing a charging station (Sonoma).
More than 30 of those incentives are related to increasing the number of
The Sun PUBLISHED: April 24, 2023 at 11:01 a.m.
charging stations around the state (currently about 87,000) either through cheaper rates for the electricity used, or other subsidies for installing a home charging station ranging from $150 in Azusa (Los Angeles County) to $3,000 in Marin County and Anaheim.
The site also has links to the federal $7,500 National Vehicle Incentive programs, which currently only support purchases of 11 models of new fuel-cell or plug-in electric cars, but many more if they’re leased.
Villasenor explained that by “stacking” the federal $7,500 tax credit, $7,500 from the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, and up to $9,500 from Clean Cars for All, it’s possible to reach a $24,500 discount on a car that won’t cost you a dime at the fuel pump.
Then there’s the state’s Clean Vehicle Assistance Program that provides grants and financing for low-income families buying new or used ZEVs. This program, aimed particularly at hard-hit communities, also includes money for charging stations, and its grants don’t need to be repaid.
Targeting water & energy savings
But the state’s climate change programs also extend to water and energy-saving efforts, also detailed on the climateaction. ca.gov site.
Leuwan Tesfai, of the state Public Utilities Commission, turned to the home energy programs detailed on the site, such as money-saving and
continued on page 4
Wearing matching white hard hats and orange safety vests, San Bernardino city leaders took turns Monday morning, April 24, with sledgehammers to kick off the demolition of Carousel Mall.
Mayor Helen Tran took the first whack at an empty concrete planter decorated with the mall’s iconic carousel horse before City Councilman Fred Shorett and
other officials took their own swings at it with ceremonial sledgehammers.
The mall, which has been closed more than five years, will be demolished systematically over the next several weeks, officials have said, as the city continues to work on plans to redevelop the 43-acre site.
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Receives Award for Economic Education and Doubles Down on Campaign to Promote Personal Finance Education...continued from page 2
educational tool that can do so much for students, including helping them avoid debt and learn topics such as algebra in a more engaging way,” Thurmond said. “Through our partnership with Next Gen Personal Finance, we have been able to make a great start on this effort. We are providing grants to school districts to add staff who can incorporate personal finance into school curricula and providing paid professional development to help teachers learn more about personal finance efforts.”
Thurmond also plans to get input from students on how to expand personal finance and education efforts in the state. Thurmond intends to host panels with students who participate in economics competitions through the California Council on Economic Education and with students he meets on his listening tour.
Although 18 states have a personal finance graduation requirement, research shows there is tremendous opportunity
and great interest to build beyond the 27 percent of California students who have access to an elective course in personal finance. According to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted this month, 85 percent of Californians think all high school students should be guaranteed to take a basic course in personal finance, and 88 percent believe it is very important for high school students to at least be taught this subject.
“There is no stronger advocate for financial education in the state of California than State Superintendent Tony Thurmond,” said Tim Ranzetta, co-founder of Next Gen Personal Finance. “I am confident that his leadership will make a guaranteed personal finance course a reality for all California high schoolers soon.”
Anyone interested in participating in efforts to bring a personal finance requirement to California should contact the Superintendent’s Initiatives team at SuperintendentInitiatives@ cde.ca.gov.
Across the aisle: Can bipartisan caucuses change the California Legislature?... continued from page 1
impact every legislative district in California.
Inspired by a similar group in Congress, the caucus is an experiment — made up of both Democrats and Republicans, Assemblymembers and state senators — with the goal of creating a “neutral space” that puts policy before politics.
Launched in 2021 by thenAssemblymembers Adam Gray, a Democrat from Merced, and Jordan Cunningham, a Republican from San Luis Obispo, and Chad Mayes, the only independent legislator last session, the caucus includes equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, as well as proportional Assembly and Senate representation, according to Sen. Josh Newman, a cochairperson and Democrat from Brea.
That structure — different from even other bipartisan caucuses — is designed to make it truly impartial. One condition of membership: No one can actively work against another member’s bill.
While it has a fundraising arm, the Problem Solvers’ focus is not on supporting causes or candidates, but on bringing in more “smart people,” Newman said.
Those presentations have already helped Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua think more about the fiscal impact of bills, said the Democrat from Stockton and another of the four cochairpersons.
“You think of a bill — of what it does, and it may be really, really good,” he said. “But … it opens up my eyes more to look not just at the bill, but spend a lot more time on the fiscal part — like what is the cost of the bill? … Is it coming out of the general fund? Is it going to be a tax? So it really brings more awareness.”
Despite the policy focus, the caucus also has its political benefits. Sen. Scott Wilk, a caucus member from Lancaster who finished two years as Senate
Republican leader in December, sees it as a way for Republicans to stay in the game.
“Based on the policy that’s coming out of the Legislature, it’s pretty clear the progressives are getting their way,” he said. “So what can I do to be relevant and positively affect the lives of 40 million Californians? I think the best — the only — hope is the Problem Solvers.”
It’s not the only caucus trying to make a difference in the Legislature. These alliances of lawmakers, who form along issues or identities, are a way to gather support for their own bills and present a united front on shared interests, including proposals that cater to different demographic groups.
On their own, the caucuses don’t enact laws. But some do have influence over what gets prioritized and passed. Lawmakers say the caucuses help them form relationships and decide on issues, even changing their minds.
“Caucuses can be pretty influential. One of the reasons is they can help set the agenda,” said Christian Grose, director of USC’s Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. “They have an ability to bring things up in sort of complementary times with the leadership, sometimes in conflict with the leadership. It’s a way to percolate ideas.”
The benefits of membership
Besides the four party caucuses, there are 16 official caucuses listed on the Assembly and Senate websites. In the Assembly, for a caucus to formally exist, it must be recognized by the speaker. In the Senate, they don’t require recognition by the president pro tem.
While the number of caucuses hasn’t changed dramatically, veteran lobbyist Chris Micheli said that as the ranks of some caucuses have grown, so has their power. The now 12-member
Legislative Black Caucus was the first, established in 1967, followed by the now 35-member Latino Caucus in 1973. There’s also a Women’s Caucus (now with a record 50 members), an LGBTQ Caucus (12 legislators), a Rural Caucus, a Mental Health Caucus (15 members), even an Aviation Caucus (21 members). Some caucuses meet every two weeks. Some haven’t met for years, but still take in new members. Some have died out, while others exist in name only, once their active members term out.
Lawmakers say caucuses help them understand which bills are important. Caucuses have their own staff, which, for larger caucuses, outnumber each legislator’s staff and can help members weed through the thousands of bills each session. Caucuses can also be beneficial in helping to grow the ranks of a particular group. The California Legislative Black Caucus, for example, runs a leadership training program to increase representation at all levels of state government. The Legislative Native American Caucus formed in 2021 after the election of Assemblymember James Ramos, a Democrat from Highland, as the first and only Native American legislator, to amplify issues important to tribes across California.
At their meeting last week at a restaurant near the Capitol, the 56-member caucus discussed plans for a series of events in May to raise awareness about missing and murdered indigenous women, including a select committee hearing to talk about concerns with a federal law that addresses criminal activity jurisdiction on tribal lands.
In a statement, Ramos said that the caucus informs legislators and the public “about Native American issues, culture and tribal-related legislation.”
continued on page 4
NEW YORK (AP) —
be off the table. Meanwhile the Senate will hold hearings and may call Thomas himself to testify. That is an important step. I would add that two other steps are absolutely essential right now: a Justice Department investigation and Supreme Court reform including an enforceable code of ethics.
Longtime CNN host Don Lemon is out at the cable news network a little over two months after apologizing to viewers for onair comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, CNN announced Monday.
It’s been over 30 years since Justice Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court seat once held by the great Thurgood Marshall, and it’s safe to say that his reputation for unethical behavior – which was poor to start with – has only gotten worse.
What are we supposed to think about a justice’s career that started with allegations of sexual harassment, moved on to extreme coziness with conservative political donors, then multiple instances of questionable gifts and payments to himself and his wife, and now revelations that years of free trips and perks lavished on him by right-wing billionaire Harlan Crow went unreported -- despite laws that clearly say they should be? Even after the news of Crow’s largesse first broke, it got worse: Crow had also bought Thomas’s mother’s house in Savannah, a helpful real estate deal that Thomas never reported, either.
We could think that Thomas either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about the ethical standards expected of a Supreme Court justice, or the laws that apply to him as a public employee. But Thomas is a graduate of Yale Law School. Ignorance is not a believable defense here. So we have to conclude that Thomas just doesn’t care about the rules, or thinks that he can ignore them.
That’s not the kind of person who belongs on the Supreme Court. If he wanted to do the decent and honorable thing, Thomas would admit his wrongdoing and resign. Calls for him to resign are coming from pro-democracy groups including the one I lead, top media outlets, and members of Congress.
But Thomas doesn’t have a history of doing the decent and honorable thing. So that means others will have to hold him accountable. The question is how.
There are plenty of calls for impeachment, but with a Republican-controlled House the option would appear to
The Justice Department has clear grounds to investigate Thomas under a federal disclosure law that applies to government officials including Supreme Court justices. The law authorizes DOJ to pursue both civil penalties and criminal fines from government officials who fail to report gifts as legally required.
Thomas has claimed that the generosity he received from Harlan Crow was just “personal hospitality” – not subject to reporting. Even if some of that were true, some perks, like free use of Crow’s private jet for Thomas’s personal travel, and the real estate transaction in Georgia are, according to most ethics experts, clearly in a different category.
The Justice Department can give a definitive answer as to whether Thomas’s actions were not only unsavory, unethical, improper and all the rest – but also absolutely illegal. And it can call for imposition of a monetary fine. Even more important than the cash fine would be the impetus a finding of guilt would give to any effort to remove Thomas.
And then, to help ensure that trust in the Court isn’t further eroded by scandal after scandal, we need to have Supreme Court reform. That means an enforceable code of ethics specifically for the Court, written to address the full range of ethical questions that could ever apply to justices’ behavior. In the longer term we should also have Supreme Court expansion, to counteract the far-right capture of the Court that was achieved by totally unethical means. But that is a larger conversation.
It has been painful to watch Thomas’s corrupt behavior and its effect on the Supreme Court. This is especially true given the historic significance of the seat he occupies. We need judges on all our courts – not just the highest -- who act with humility and who understand the impact of their decisions on everyday Americans. Courts really do make a difference in the lives of everyday people. They should be led by trustworthy, fair-minded judges who value equality and justice, uphold the Constitution, and protect civil and human rights for all Americans.
That’s not Clarence Thomas.
continued from page 3
climate-impact-reducing tips and links to programs through utilities San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and PG&E. Among them are some that will pay people to reduce their energy use during certain times of the day amid “heat events.”
Others provide financing for energy efficiency upgrades including insulation and new appliances and home weatherization.
Among the programs particularly targeting lowincome communities such as tribal communities and others impacted by pollution, the Disadvantaged Communities Green Tariff Program offers clean energy discounts.
“As you know, we set the example for the nation and in many instances for the world through our ambitious climate goals and our efforts to tackle some of the toughest environmental challenges,” said
“CNN and Don have parted ways,” CNN chair Chris Licht said in a memo to staff that was also posted on the network’s communications Twitter account. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
CNN did not provide a public explanation for Lemon’s departure. But on the “CNN This Morning” co-host’s own Twitter account, Lemon contended the news came as a surprise to him and characterized it as a firing. He had appeared on his show that morning.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he wrote in a statement posted shortly after 12 p.m. Eastern. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”
In mid-February, Lemon caused an uproar when, during
a discussion on “CNN This Morning” with co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins about the ages of politicians, he said that the 51-year-old Haley was not “in her prime.” A woman, he said, was considered in her prime “in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”
Harlow challenged Lemon, trying to clarify what he was referencing: “I think we need to qualify. Are you talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking about prime for being president?”
“Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,” Lemon responded. He brought up the subject again an hour later, and was rebutted by commentator Audie Cornish.
Lemon issued a statement saying he regretted his “inartful and irrelevant” comments, which Haley herself called the comments sexist and used to fundraise. He was subsequently absent from the show for three days, returning the following week with a tweeted apology but no mention of the episode on air.
Licht told staffers in a memo at the time that Lemon would undergo “formal training,” but did not specify what that would entail. Licht added that it was important to him that the network “balances accountability with … fostering a culture in which people can own, learn and grow from their mistakes.”
Across the aisle: Can bipartisan caucuses change the California Legislature?...continued from page 3
By sponsoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Week and California Indian Cultural Awareness Day, the caucus “increases the visibility and knowledge about the diversity of California’s tribes,” he added.
The Native American Caucus is among several that are bipartisan and include Republican members. Others are bipartisan according to their bylaws, but only have Democratic members.
Still, caucuses give Republicans, who are vastly outnumbered in the Legislature, another avenue for influence. Otherwise, they can usually only get their way when enough moderate Democrats join them, as happened last week when Assembly Republicans forced a special hearing on Thursday on bills to address the fentanyl crisis.
But GOP influence depends on the caucus. In the Legislative Women’s Caucus, for example, the eight Republicans are even more outnumbered by 42 Democrats, compared to the overall partisan breakdown among women in the Legislature.
Evan Low — they make every effort to be bipartisan. He’s made it a priority to work across the aisle,” she said. “He understands that we don’t always can’t get along. But you know, when we can, we do.”
Bipartisan caucuses offer a benefit for supermajority Democrats, as well, giving them a chance to tout working across the aisle, since caucuses can serve as branding tools to voters and donors.
That could prove beneficial in a political environment where despite the partisan extremes, most Californians report being politically in the “middle-of-theroad,” according to a February survey by the Public Policy Institute of California.
According to Newman, the number of legislative districts that are solidly Democratic or Republican leads to a “kind of maximalism on both sides.”
“I would argue that’s not all good, nor is it actually what the average Californian wants,” he said.
booted her off the Business and Professions Committee. While she’ll still get to vote yes or no on bills out of the committee on the Assembly floor, she won’t get as much of a chance to shape them.
There are also unofficial caucuses within parties — notably moderate Democrats who have aligned along shared pro-business outlooks to defeat or water down bills.
“What can I do to be relevant and positively affect the lives of 40 million Californians? I think the best — the only — hope is the Problem Solvers.”
On the Republicans’ side, their smaller Assembly and Senate caucuses are active and united on bill votes and priorities. Most recently, for example, Senate Republicans came together to issue a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission about their concerns with a “fixed-charge” electricity price proposal.
Sarah Anderson, a political science professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said the power of a caucus, other than its size, depends on how polarized the parties are, and how close the votes might be on a particular measure.
“If the caucus can come together to make collective demands on their own party, then that is potentially still powerful.”
Making their own rules
Caucuses aren’t subject to the same open meeting and public record laws as other state and local public bodies. They are also permitted to meet in closed session if they’re all members of the same party.
But even some that are bipartisan aren’t open to the public, such as the Problem Solvers Caucus. That gives lawmakers a space to have “frank conversation,” Wilk said.
There are also no standard rules on membership. That’s why the Latino Caucus, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, came under fire once again for not allowing Republican lawmakers to join.
Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, a Corona Democrat and caucus chairperson, told the Sacramento Bee that the caucus advocates for “the nearly 16 million Latinos in California,” and would “continue as our founding memberships’ precedent set forth.”
That’s permitted, since each caucus has its own bylaws and enforcement. There are also no overarching rules on how caucuses can spend their money, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission.
In fact, there are some perks: Caucuses typically have nonprofit arms, and while California law caps the amount donors can contribute to politicians’ campaigns, donations to these nonprofit foundations are unlimited and have fewer disclosure requirements.
As a CalMatters investigation found, much of the money comes from corporations and labor unions with business before the Legislature. The cash is typically spent on events or on trips that might provide access to lawmakers from specific interests.
In 2022, the second biggest sponsor of legislators’ travel was the Legislative Jewish Caucus, which spent about $231,000 (about one fifth of all spending on sponsored trips that year) to take 14 legislators to Israel. The Latino Caucus ranked fifth with about $25,000, according to a CalMatters analysis of financial disclosure forms filed by legislators. In 2021, the Problem Solvers Caucus Foundation ranked third in travel spending, with nearly $23,000.
CalMatters data journalist Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this report.
The month brings attention to the dangers of distracted driving and empower people to put their safety first
ELK GROVE, Calif. — April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are encouraging people to do their part to help reduce traffic crashes, pedestrian injuries and roadway fatalities by paying attention on the road.
Yana Garcia, state secretary of environmental protection, who described no-cost rooftop solar installation for homeowners, solar credits for renters and rebates for replacing lawns with drought-tolerant plants.
“We have lots of different programs available, more than just those listed here,” Villasenor said, adding there is an expectation these programs will continue to expand.
“These are the programs that we felt are some of the more popular ones that we’re constantly getting questions on. We wanted to get this off the ground and launched on Earth Week.”
The site currently employs Google’s 120-some languages of computer-generated translations, but that will also be upgraded, with the currently in-the-works Spanish version coming soon.
That means on issues such as abortion rights, which the Women’s Caucus has prioritized since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe decision last June, there isn’t always universal agreement. Most recently, caucus leaders joined Gov. Gavin Newsom for an event last week vowing that they were prepared for any abortion pill ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court (which on Friday preserved access to abortion medication for now, until a full appeal).
Sen. Janet Nguyen, a Republican from Huntington Beach and the Senate’s Minority Caucus chairperson, said she doesn’t always agree with the positions taken by the Women’s Caucus, including on abortion. But she sees value in the opportunity to make women’s issues prominent.
Nguyen has been able to find more allies on her bills in the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus.
“I’ve found that the AAPI caucus — especially under the leadership of the current chair,
But Assemblymember Alex Lee, who is also vice-chairperson of the 30-member Progressive Caucus, says its influence is a reflection of a “deeper blue” state. “More people care about universal healthcare, education, housing — things that are very economically sort of equal,” he said.
What about partisan caucuses?
The identity and interestbased groups are distinct from the better-known party caucuses, which wield far more power, especially for Democrats, who hold supermajorities in both the Assembly and Senate.
Just ask Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains.
Last month, the Democrat who represents oil-dependent Bakersfield was the sole Assemblymember of her party to vote against a bill to amp up oversight of the industry and to potentially cap profits. While some other moderate Democrats abstained from voting, Bains celebrated her dissent, tweeting with #StandAlone.
Soon after, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, the leader of the Democratic caucus,
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of fatal and nonfatal car crashes in the United States and is defined as doing any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the road. That includes, but is not limited to, eating, grooming, operating a navigation system, talking on a cell phone, using a cell phone app, texting or anything that can endanger the driver, passengers and others on the road.
This form of reckless driving isn’t just risky for motorists, it can be deadly for every nearby driver, pedestrian, bicyclist and highway worker. In 2020, a person was killed in a crash involving distracted driving on California roads about every three days. Nationally, 3,142 people were killed in vehicle crashes where distraction was a factor, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This comprised 8.1% of all traffic fatalities in 2020 and a 0.7% increase from 3,119 fatalities in 2019. Also in 2020, 10.6% of victims in distraction-involved fatalities were Black.
One of the biggest causes of
distracted driving is cell phone usage. In California, it is illegal to use a cell phone or similar electronic communication device while holding it in your hand. You can only use it in a handsfree manner, such as speaker phone or voice commands. Any driver under the age of 18 is prohibited from using a cell phone for any reason. OTS and Caltrans remind all drivers to Get Off Your Apps and focus on the road. Simple tips to consider to avoid distracted driving include:
Do not engage cell phones: Texting or using your cell phone can divert a driver’s attention from the road. Silence your phone before you get on the road.
If you need your cell phone, be responsible: If you must answer a call, text or attend a video conference, pull over to a safe location and park your car to use your phone.
Fallen objects: If something falls on the floor, leave it until you can safely retrieve the item or pull over to a safe parking spot before trying to reach it.
National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an ideal time to shine a light on the importance of prioritizing safer behaviors on the road to protect our children, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and co-workers. Our roads are safer when they are distraction-free.
To learn more about ways to stay safe while on the road, visit www.gosafelyca.org.
(***1/2)
It’s not the same as it was. This retelling of 18th century French violinist-composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ life is steeped in history but rocked with a modern imagination.
Screenwriter Stefani Robinson’s (Atlanta) research and ingenuity resurrects Bologne (Kelvin Harris Jr.) as a European superstar, given the honorary title Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
Queen Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) confers him an officer of the King’s Guard and welcomes the mixed-race artist into her court.
It’s quite an ascension for a Creole child born in 1745 on the Caribbean isle of Guadalupe. Son of a teen slave named Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo) and a white French plantation owner. Joseph, as a boy (Reuben Anderson) and violin virtuoso, is torn from his mother, brought to France by his father and left at the La Boëssière Academy. There he studies music, math, literature, and fencing with the sons of white aristocrats. None if it is easy. Emotionally, psychologically and physically he’s abused.
Years later, Joseph Bologne is a champion fencer who stabs his competitors and pierces their egos. He also plays the violin like it’s an extension of his being and is so sure of himself he challenges Mozart to a violin
duel. In a crowded concert hall, his virtuosity embarrasses Wolfgang Amadeus. That success and being embraced by the Queen give him confidence but not security. He flirts with high society but is stymied by France’s Code Noir, a set of laws regarding slavery that hinder Black people from gaining status or class.
Competing to be the head of the Paris Opera exacerbates Joseph’s very weighted struggles. When his mother comes to stay and the proletariats rebel against the Queen’s iron grip, he finds his bearings. The immigrants and workers edging towards liberty inspire him. Nanon helps him see the errors of his superficial lux life after he buys her expensive made-to-order clothes: “All the money you paid for those dresses could have fed the whole city.”
Robinson’s blend of fact and fiction with hints of today’s racial/identity issues are thoughtful. The composer’s works were banned by Napoleon and details about him are skimpy, compared to a Mozart, so fabrication is necessary and useful. Her intellectual and emotional grasp of injustices in today’s world and what must have been unfairness in 18th century Europe seem perceptive and intuitive. Indignities and life ironies are seen and also heard in profound dialogue. As Joseph fathoms the complexities of
marriage, he states his paradox: “Can’t marry a white woman of my class, and if I marry a black woman, I will lose my class.”
The Chevalier/Mozart faceoff never happened. It’s just one of many melodramatic devices designed to draw today’s audience into the complex world Bologne encountered and thrived in, until he didn’t. His friend and advocate Philippe (Alex Fitzalan) is an activist, a love affair with the chanteuse Marie-Josephine de Comarieu (Samara Weaving) blossoms, powerplays with her jealous husband Marquise De Montalembert (Marton Csokas) hint at danger and being trolled by a lecherous, vindictive prima donna (Minnie Driver) leads to sabotage. These subplots and characters fill out the violinist’s story.
Emmy Award-winning director Stephen Williams (Watchman) uses Robinson’s script as if it’s a sketch for an oil painting. He adds color, movement, details and style, recreating 18th century Paris/Versailles as vividly as any artist could. Shonda Rhimes popular Netflix series Bridgerton set the precedent for historic multiculturally-cast dramas. So, what’s on view feels natural.
Under Williams guidance the visuals are flawless, evocative and beautiful. Costume designer Oliver Garcia (The Favourite) uses tones, patterns and textures impeccably on clothes that are natty and so French. Salons, concert halls and boudoirs feign places where the rich and snooty congregate (production designer Karen Murphy, A Star is Born), nothing looks out of place (set decorator Lotty Sanna) and the spectrum of colors aptly recreate the pveriod’s aesthetics (art director Gemma Randall). As your eyes peruse France, the camera (Jess Hall, Brideshead Revisited) is perfectly placed, from a distance or up close. During opera or symphony
scenes, performances and audience reactions are neatly clipped together making the footage fresh and kinetic (editor John Axelrad, The Lost City of Z), not staid and stodgy. Between Robinson’s use of spicey language (f—k), William’s vibrant direction, the populous rebellion and the rhythmic pacing the film starts with a zest and maintains a quixotic feel for 1h 47m.
Harris does a great job displaying the angst and bravery of a man straddling two worlds. Understated for the most part but ready to roar, when necessary.
E.g., when he confronts the deceptive Marie Antoinette: “Your people are starving in the streets! You are a traitor, a fraud!”
Adekoluejo as his knowing mom, Weaving the lover, Boynton the shallow Queen and Csokas as a belligerent officer are all as wonderful or disdainful as they should be.
The violin is the scene stealer. Legato, staccato, solo or flanked by other instruments. Its sounds are wondrous as it performs the composer’s music (updated by Michael Abels) or the entrancing score by Kris Bowers (Green Book, King Richard), especially in the final concert (Violin Concerto No. 9). Its only competition is a cello that moans during Joseph and Marie-Josephine’s first kiss scene. Musically, it will be hard for audiences to distinguish what once was and what’s new.
Chevalier is a fitting coda for an artist who deserved a biofilm. In this world, it’s enough. Framing a story, the same as it was or should have been, it’s enough.
In theaters April 21st. Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=-LtCIImfSCk Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.
local residents. But the students also sell the food — including their own brand of honey — to businesses and restaurants, raising money for school supplies and scholarships.
CNN talked with Joyner about his work and the impact it’s had on his life. He was even nominated as a 2015 CNN Hero. It’s hard to believe that something so great started with death.
By Lou K. ColemanWith what’s going on in healthcare, there are many things up in the air, especially when it comes to the health of African Americans. But instead of waiting to see what Congress or the government is going to do, some are taking their health in their own hands and coming together Just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, there’s a little town of Conetoe — population 300 and predominately African American. The town is surrounded by farmland, but the nearest grocery store is 10 miles away, making it one of the country’s many “food deserts,” where fresh, nutritious food is not readily available.
“The cause of the funerals was was poor access to healthcare and poor access to affordable healthy food.” That’s where Rev. Richard
Joyner, a local pastor, stepped in and stepped up.
So Joyner started a community garden and enlisted local children to help him care for it. Today, his nonprofit, the Conetoe Family Life Center, manages more than 20 plots of land, including one 25-acre site.
“Diabetes, high blood pressure — when we first got started, we counted 30 funerals in one year,” Joyner said. “I couldn’t ignore it because I was spending more time in funerals than anything else.” This community garden directly impacts both the food desert issue and the death of his members.
More than 80 young people help Joyner plan, plant, and harvest nearly 50,000 pounds of fresh food a year. Much of
is given
“I was literally exhausted from the funerals, and I was asking God, ‘What are we going to do?’ And I really heard a voice saying, ‘Look around you.’ I looked around and… But there was a little pause from Joyner where he wasn’t really sure this was the calling that God gave him because of one minor glitch: Joyner didn’t like farming.
“Now, I didn’t like farming, and I almost paused and said, ‘Is there anybody else up there I can talk to?’ But it was almost like my eyes opened up, and so that’s what we started doing.”
“I didn’t have a good experience with the soil growing up. My family, we were sharecroppers. We grew up eating from the garden. But it was more of a process of pain. I can literally see this guy getting
Playing among us in real life and ain’t nobody paying attention. Everybody just doing their own thang. Well let me put you on game, before you get your head took off by these cats.
The “Sneak Attack Platoons” [Satan and his minions] is going to lead you into strange pastures where smiling faces will greet you, but in reality, they are awaiting an opportunity to cut your throat and kill you. That’s right! The “Sneak Attach Platoons [Satan and His Minion] wants to destroy and kill you and all of your off springs. So Wake Up and Grid your Loins, [in preparation] because if you don’t you are going to be destroyed. For there is no shame in their game. I tell you the Truth, the Whole Truth and nothing but the Truth, so help me God!
The Sneak Attach Platoons are out to get you! It's Crunch Time! Crunch time for all human race to Wake Up! The world is telling us what the Bible warned was coming – Prepare for Armageddon! For we are heading for the climax event in this world, the Battle of Armageddon, which the Bible warned was going to take place in the very end times, and the WORLD IS NOW EVEN WARNING of this impending war. "Prepare for Armageddon: China's warning to the worldA message from President Xi Jinping that is getting louder by the day.
Awake from your slumber and grid your loins! A treacherous time is before us. War and the nations gathering for more war. Economic woes, massive inflation, crime on all sides, wickedness everywhere, natural disasters, famine, etc., etc. We are living in a time like no other before us, and yet just as in the days of Noah and Lot, people continue to 'eat and drink' and live as if nothing is going to happen. Wake up! Your salvation draweth nigh!
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WITNESS FOR JUSTICE #1148
My Holy Week musings about change and transformation included thoughts about the change of season—from winter to spring—and encompassed familiar themes of lilies and new life emerging after the winter. Except, I was in South America, where the season was changing from summer to fall. I adjusted my thinking on these familiar and well-used Easter themes associated with the coming of spring and signs of new life we use during Easter. I noted for the first time the assumptions in these references and the ways in which the experiences of millions were excluded in the narratives used, even in hymns sung around the world. Inherent in the assumptions was a privileging of a particular part of the world and the experiences of a particular people.
layered stories in our churches and communities.
Author Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie warned of The Danger of a Single Story, noting that hearing only one story about another person or country heightens the risk of misunderstanding. We live with the danger of a single story—limitations to our thinking amplified by being closed to the experiences of others. The single story produces and reinforces stereotypes. A single story is always present among us as an obstacle to the justice we seek in the world. We must be willing to hear the stories of those who are around us and expand our consciousness, emancipating ourselves from mental slavery.
out of this pickup truck, telling my father that he didn’t make any money for the year. It was so painful to watch my father be oppressed, to watch him walk away with nothing. That’s why I did not like the land.”
“When I came back to the land, I had to deal with my anger. And I’m still coming through that process. But for me, working in the garden has been a healing place. This has given me the opportunity to appreciate what my father took pride in teaching me about the fields. At this point now, I like the garden. It’s a place we can play. It’s a place where we can produce. And it’s a place where we can live.”
From children to adults, they all learn how to cook the food in a nutritious way, helping each family eat healthier at home. As a result, many people are now reaping the benefits of Joyner’s ideas. Emergency room visits are down, and the community as a whole is healthier.
Joyner also feels the efforts are bearing fruit in a way that’s far beyond just monetary and health.
“Growing food calls us to work together,” he said. “By nourishing plants, you’re nourishing community. It’s one and the same.”
There is diversity among us that is reflected in various ways, including religion, age, gender, race, sexual identification, heritage, culture, and geography. The history of the UCC is one that fosters great pride in the “firsts” accomplished by this denomination and their rootedness in justice. And yet, we have more work to do in honoring our commitments to seek a just world for all.
My experience was a reminder that colonization and its legacies of discrimination and marginalization of people wear many masks. Efforts to decolonize the church must address the multiplicity of diversities present yet excluded among us. These efforts must also bring truth to overturning years of devaluing and decrying the differences we experience in others. Easter imagery is one of many remnants of colonization present in the church. Our commitments to decolonize the church must be grounded in the truth of where the images of our hymnody and symbols associated with our spiritual truths come from and why these images persist. These commitments must be willing to eradicate these symbols and include the multiply
Colonization and patriarchy are the products of single stories, as are the myriad social ills we see in the world around us which place people on the margins of society and trample their human rights and dignity. Adichie notes: “The consequence of a single story is this: It robs people of their dignity.” My Easter reflection was impacted by the countries I visited, places where the changes of the season were different from where I currently live. Easter for me is no longer only about the change in season from winter to spring. The transformation present in the season is also about spring changing to summer, and as a child of the Caribbean I was reminded that Easter in Jamaica was experienced in the context of no obvious season change. Easter was about the changes in the flora, the shifts in the breezes, the presence of rain. I was reminded there is more than one way to experience the joys of living and more symbols besides those of the global north that speak to the power of the resurrection, the possibilities of transformation, and the joy of God’s love.
is
Karen Georgia A. Thompson the Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries & Operations and Co-Executive for Global Ministries for the United Church of Christ.It’s A Shame - The Sneak Attach Platoons –[Satan and His Minions]!
ruled mifepristone availability must remain untouched in the 17 Democrat-led states and District of Columbia that were part of the case.
Bonta said Tuesday the state’s decision was “intentional” and “deliberate” to stay in the good graces of the FDA rather than “suing the federal government.”
“We believe there need to be states that collaborate with the federal government,” Bonta said.
Medication abortion is still legal in California and across the U.S.
A preliminary U.S. Supreme Court order today preserves the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s two-decadeold approval of the abortion pill mifepristone until the full merits of the case are heard by the high court.
“The U.S. Supreme Court is right to take this action to protect access to medication abortion,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “For now, the Court has followed science, data, and the law rather than an extreme and out of touch political agenda.”
Ahead of the Supreme Court’s highly anticipated decision, California Democratic lawmakers and members of the state’s Future of Abortion Council gathered Tuesday to reaffirm the state’s commitment to protecting abortion rights.
“We want folks to know that we’re here, and we remain steadfast in our determination to respond appropriately,” Newsom said during the press conference.
Backed by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senate pro Tempore Toni Atkins, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Legislative Women’s Caucus Chair Sen. Nancy Skinner and other top Democrats, Newsom announced his intention to introduce legislation that would blunt any future legal action in California. Newsom intends to introduce legislation protecting pharmacists who dispense abortion pills and shoring up the state’s supply chain of the drugs but was unable to offer specifics Tuesday.
In a joint statement, Legislative Women’s Caucus leaders Skinner and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry commended the Supreme Court’s stay.
“(Mifepristone) should remain legal and accessible, and we will continue to fight any court action that seeks to cut off access to this proven and safe medication,” the statement said.
The Supreme Court’s oneparagraph order is a positive signal for the FDA and mifepristone manufacturers, Stanford University law professor Henry Greely said. In considering a stay, the court must weigh four different criteria: the likelihood defendants will win an appeal, the likelihood defendants will be irreparably harmed if the stay is denied, the balance of harm caused to others, and the
public’s interest.
“To grant a stay you are supposed to find all of the elements,” Greely said.
Greely was one of 20 FDA legal scholars to sign an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to grant a broad stay of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision last week to reinstate significant restrictions on the use of mifepristone pending a full court hearing. The order, however, falls far short of indicating what the high court thinks of the case merits, Greely said.
“We know the Supreme Court is not enamored of abortion. This is not a pro-abortion court. That would count in favor of the plaintiffs here, but the conservatives of the court are also concerned about broad overreaching district court opinions,” he said. “But predicting what the Supreme Court will do is about as useful as betting on horses.”
Today’s preliminary order halts a lightning round of conflicting rulings that has played out in the lower courts over the past two weeks, allowing mifepristone to stay on the market unrestricted. The Fifth Court has already scheduled a first hearing for the case on May 17.
In a statement, Attorney General Bonta underscored the state’s commitment to fighting legal challenges to abortion and offered words of encouragement.
“I am hopeful that this decision is an indication that better days are ahead for our country,” Bonta said.
California lawmakers, however, will be hard pressed to prevent the original Texas federal court decision from impacting abortion access and providers in the state if it eventually stands. The Texas court case that precipitated the Supreme Court’s order challenges the authority of the FDA to approve pharmaceutical drugs for market: It’s a challenge that reaches across state lines regardless of party politics.
“The reality is we’re not immune,” Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California President Jodi Hicks said.
The recent court decisions have clearly disrupted California’s carefully laid plans to protect abortion rights, with officials scrambling behind the scenes to prepare and react. The state did not join a separate lawsuit out of the Eastern District of Washington state in which a federal judge
Representatives from the Washington state and Oregon attorneys general offices, who are leading the case, declined to confirm whether California was asked to join the lawsuit. Several FDA legal scholars, however, questioned why California did not join the litigation, which seeks to permanently remove “excessively burdensome regulation” that includes additional documentation and certification requirements for doctors and pharmacies to prescribe the drug.
“Much to my chagrin, California and New York are not in that lawsuit. I’m dying to know why,” said Jennifer Olivia, co-director of the UC College of Law, San Francisco consortium of law, science and health policy.
“Sometimes a state decides not to join the lawsuit because the risk could be the ruling could make the current situation worse, but there really wasn’t a risk of that happening here.”
“Thank god it’s preserving access while this moves through the courts.”DR.
Today’s Supreme Court order also avoids creating a conflict with the Washington state ruling, which for one week ordered the FDA to do the opposite of what the Texas ruling ordered.
Bonta, who has signed briefs defending the FDA in the Texas case, said he believes the “best pathway to defend the FDA’s” authority is through the Texas case.
Olivia, who also signed the FDA legal scholars amicus brief, said the result of the Supreme Court order is the “best-case scenario” for abortion advocates.
Dr. Jennifer Kerns, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at UC San Francisco, said the Supreme Court’s decision to maintain broad access to mifepristone was “a huge relief.”
“I’m shocked, really shocked. All of the different messaging threads that I’m on with people at work, people are speechless,” Kerns said. “Thank god it’s preserving access while this moves through the courts.”
Hours before the decision, patients visiting the clinic for abortion medication expressed worry about what might have happened if they had come in a
couple days later, Kerns said. The order gives abortion providers a glimmer of hope, Kerns said, but everyone is still acutely aware of how tenuous abortion access remains.
“We all still think if this makes it up to the Supreme Court, that this is not going to go in our favor, but at least there is enough thought that for now maybe there wasn’t enough legal grounding to support this latest attack on abortion,” Kerns said.
In anticipation of a ruling restricting mifepristone distribution and use, a number of states have also stockpiled the drug to circumvent a law that prevents interstate shipping. But the ruling leaves a gray area about whether pharmacists can dispense pills already on hand. Newsom previously announced a state stockpile of as many as 2 million misoprostol pills with 250,000 doses currently on hand.
Mifepristone, the drug locked in court battles, blocks the pregnancy hormone progesterone, while misoprostol causes the uterus to empty. Misoprostol can be used safely alone to end a pregnancy, but the medical standard of care for the past two decades has been to use both drugs together for both abortions and miscarriages.
The state Legislature is considering more than two dozen abortion bills this session, most of which strengthen privacy protections.
Julia Spiegel, deputy legal affairs secretary for Newsom, said the state intentionally stockpiled misoprostol instead of mifepristone because its legality is not in question. Lawmakers wanted to ensure medication abortion remained accessible “no matter what is happening in the courts” in the event that a rush by other states to purchase misoprostol causes shortages, Spiegel said.
On Tuesday, Newsom told reporters California also has an “ample supply” of mifepristone. A spokesperson later clarified pharmacies across the state have enough mifepristone on hand to meet demand but there is no stockpile.
The state Legislature is considering more than two dozen abortion bills this session, most of which strengthen privacy protections for medical records and abortion providers and prohibit state law enforcement from sharing information with states opposed to abortion. The Future of Abortion Council, a political powerhouse of reproductive rights advocates and lawmakers, is supporting 17 of this session’s bills.
Last year, the Legislature approved 16 abortion bills, including language for a ballot measure enshrining the right to an abortion in the state constitution, which two-thirds of voters passed last November.
You'd never believe these foods are zero calories. You can eat them all day and not gain weight...
Asparagus- Zero calorie food
if it only exists to hold the water it contains. What you’ll typically see is celery with peanut butter or cream-based fillings inside of it, and you’ll want to avoid those if you are keeping track of calories, as they can swing it back the other way quite quickly. Total calories per 100g serving: 16
9. Apricots
Packed with beta-carotene, apricots can help fight cancer and heart disease as well as protect your eyesight. Eating three or more daily servings of fruit rich in vitamins A, C, and E and carotenoids like beta-carotene may lower your risk of macular degeneration, the dominant cause of age-related vision loss. When participants in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology ate this much fruit, they were 36 percent less likely to suffer from the disease compared to those who consumed 1.5 servings or less of fruit daily.
8. Watermelon This summertime fruit is loaded with citrulline, an amino acid that the body converts to arginine, and arginine may aid weight loss. Researchers found that obese mice that were fed arginine supplements burned more fat and gained more lean muscle than those that did not receive them, according to a Journal of Nutrition study.
7. Summer Squash
All squashes are full of vitamins and belly-filling fiber. But summer squash has one advantage: you can eat more of it without gaining weight. In fact, you can have two times more summer squash than winter squash for the same number of calories.
6. Turnip
The turnip sometimes takes a backseat to more popular root vegetables, like carrots and potatoes, but its nutritional benefits shouldn’t be overlooked. The root contains cancer-fighting
glucosinolates and is a good source of fiber, calcium, and potassium.
5. Tomatoes
The lycopene in tomatoes can protect against prostate cancer and help keep skin looking young by eliminating free radicals that build up when you’re exposed to ultraviolet rays. Tip: Cooking tomatoes spikes levels of lycopene and makes it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients, according to a Cornell University study.
4. Cauliflower
Counting your carbs? Try boiling, mashing, and seasoning cauliflower to get a mashed potato substitute that tastes almost like the real thing. A half-cup of boiled cauliflower contains only 14 calories, but nearly half your daily recommended intake of vitamin C.
3. Red Chili Peppers
Add a little spice to your cooking and slim down while you’re at it. Capsaicin, the compound that gives red chili peppers their kick, has been shown to help your body burn more calories. Plus, research shows that we tend to eat smaller portions of spicy foods because of the heat.
2. Mushrooms
Whether you sauté them or eat them raw, mushrooms are an often-overlooked superfood. Dutch researchers found that when you digest mushrooms, your body produces cancerfighting, immunity-boosting metabolites.
1. Red Bell Pepper
Any way you slice it, red bell peppers are a great source of nutrients. A medium-sized pepper delivers 250 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C, 75 percent of your daily vitamin A needs, and 10 percent of your fiber goals. Chop them up and pair them with hummus for a healthy snack.
NEW YORK (AP) —
The longstanding racial gap in U.S. stroke death rates widened dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, government researchers said Thursday.
Stroke death rates increased for both Black and white adults in 2020 and 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. But the difference between the two groups grew about 22%, compared with the five years before the pandemic.
“Any health inequity that existed before seems to have been made larger during the pandemic,” said Dr. Bart Demaerschalk, a stroke researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix who was not involved in the new study. “This is another example of that.”
During a stroke, something blocks or reduces blood flow to part of the brain or a blood vessel in the brain bursts. It can result in brain damage or longterm disability and is the nation’s fifth leading cause of death.
100,000 before the pandemic to about 113. The white rate rose from about about 70 per 100,000 to 75. The difference between those two measures rose from 31 to 38, a 22% increase.
The paper joins a growing number of studies that detected a disproportionately large increase in minority stroke death rates since the pandemic began.
What drove the increases?
Doctors say COVID-19 infection can raise the risk of stroke. This mainly happens in severe COVID-19 illness, and the problem is worse in people that already have partially blocked blood vessels because of other conditions.
Patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a history of smoking seemed to be at highest risk, according to a study led by Demaerschalk that was published last year.
But the virus probably wasn’t the only factor, Demaerschalk said.
The whole thinking behind “zero-calorie foods” is that they contain fewer calories than the body uses to break them down. But just because they have very few calories doesn’t mean they have to have very little taste. The following foods are big on taste
and have such a slight caloric load they won’t put a dent in your daily total.
Zero Calorie Foods That You Must Add to Your Diet
13. Cucumbers Cucumbers contain so much water in them that it’s not surprising that they’re low in calories. That’s why cucumbers make a great adornment to most salads, especially when the salad is full of other low-cal veggies. You can eat until you feel full, while keeping your total number of calories to a minimum.
Combine this sort of eating with a more active lifestyle, and you start to tip the scales in your
favor, literally and figuratively. Plus it’s only 16 calories per serving.
Kelp- Zero Calorie Food
12. Kelp
Ok, I know what you’re thinking. No need to turn your nose up on sea vegetables. Kelp is loaded with vitamin K, which helps keep bones strong, along with a natural fiber called alginate, which may help block fat absorption, according to research from Newcastle University in the UK. For only 6 calories per 4-ounce serving, try mixing Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles into salads, soups, and stir-fries.
11. Asparagus A half-cup of cooked asparagus will set you back only 20 calories. Plus, you’ll get hefty doses of vitamins K and A, and B vitamins such as folic acid. Since B vitamins play a role in breaking down sugars and starches, eating asparagus may help regulate blood sugar and fend off type 2 diabetes.
10. Celery Celery is another food that is filled with water. The stringy nature of celery makes it seem as
Until about a decade ago, the U.S. stroke death rate was falling because of improved treatment and reduced smoking rates. The decline halted in 2013 at about 70 per 100,000 adults 35 and older. Experts think increases in obesity and related conditions finally offset some of things that had been driving stroke deaths down.
It climbed the last few years, rising to nearly 77 in 2021.
Black Americans have long had a higher stroke death rate than their white counterparts, a gap that was fairly steady for decades.
In 2021, according to the new study, the Black stroke death rate rate for Americans aged 35 and older rose from about 101 per
Obesity may have worsened, he said. People probably saw their doctors less often. And many were reluctant to go to a hospital when stroke symptoms developed — especially in the early days of the pandemic, when fear of catching the new virus may have surpassed concerns about stroke symptoms, he added.
“Time is absolutely of the essence” in treating strokes, Demaerschalk said.
So people were less likely to get medical care at the same time the risk of stroke was rising. And that “mismatch” may have been more pronounced for some Black people, because of lack of access of medical care and risk factors for COVID-19 and stroke, he said.___
While California has achieved one of the lowest tobacco use rates in the nation, we still remain Big Tobacco’s largest market in the US. Roughly 12 billion cigarettes out of the six trillion made annually worldwide are sold in California. So, what happens to these products after they’ve been sold?
Unsurprisingly, Big Tobacco claims no responsibility for the tobacco pollution its products generate. They desperately want us to believe that cigarette butts and vapes found on the ground are simply a litter problem caused by the people who use their products, and the solution is as simple as ashcans and beach cleanups.
Because Big Tobacco intentionally and aggressively targets low-income communities and communities of color, a higher number of stores in these areas sell tobacco than in other places. And the more stores that sell tobacco, the higher the level of tobacco pollutionexposure for residents. Tobacco waste particularly builds up around where these products are sold and used.
impacts can last for decades after tobacco products have been sold.
“My dad worked in the fields when he came from Mexico. He has that instinct of … working alongside the land, and I think that’s why I was so inclined towards environmentalism, because it’s really a part of us,” said Alma Leonar-Sanchez, a student intern from the environmental nonprofit Watsonville Wetlands Watch. “When I think about how we are so often targeted [by Big Tobacco], I think, ‘Who is really to blame?’ My dad is a heavy smoker … I think about how it’s not his fault. We are constantly, perpetually under stress and trauma in this society. I don’t blame him.”
“When I think about how we are so often targeted [by Big Tobacco], I think, ‘Who is really to blame?’ My dad is a heavy smoker… I think about how it’s not his fault. We are constantly, perpetually under stress and trauma in this society. I don’t blame him.”
As more research reveals how Big Tobacco pollutes our environment with its toxic products, it becomes a more urgent and serious community threat. All Californians are harmed by tobacco pollution — whether they use tobacco or not — much like toxic secondhand smoke exposure. And many of those most impacted can’t control the environment they live in, like children, who are especially vulnerable to exposure. Tobacco pollution is associated with elevated levels of lead in children’s blood. It may also load certain neighborhoods with unacceptably high levels of nicotine, benzene, and heavy metals. And these devastating
Research also shows that tobacco pollution builds up around high schools at different levels depending on the socio-economic makeup of the students at the school. There are a higher number of vape shops closer to schools in communities with more Asian and African American/Black students. Vapes have all the same environmental problems as cigarette butts — plastic pollution and toxic chemicals leaking into the environment — plus, because they’re electronic devices, they leave behind electronic waste, which is notoriously difficult and costly to dispose of.
Communities of color and low-income communities bear an unreasonable burden of health impacts from pollution of all kinds — from substandard housing containing lead and asbestos to industrial pollution and air pollution. Tobacco waste adds to already unacceptable levels of pollution. Bottom line: No one, and no place, is safe from Big Tobacco.