SB American News Week Ending 5/15

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Commentary: University Leaders Grapple with Balancing Safety and Free Speech Amid Pro-Palestine Protests on Campuses

Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

In recent weeks, California's mostly tranquil college quads have erupted into epicenters of pro-Palestine and anti-Israel activism. At Stanford’s White Plaza, dozens of tents have sprung up, while UCLA’s Royce Hall was tagged with the graffiti message “Free Gaza”. Students are demanding divestment from companies linked to Israel and calling for a U.S. governmentbrokered ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict.

A Groundswell of Support, But Tensions Rise

This wave of protests and student encampments reflects a surge of support for Palestinian civilians in Gaza which has ignited tensions on campuses. As the protesters try to stand their ground, daily disruptions to campus routines including affecting graduation ceremonies, clashes involving students with and against non-student agitators, trespassing, and acts of vandalism underscore the issue’s complexity and its profound impact on university communities.

Balancing Act for University Leaders

The student protests have posed a formidable challenge for administrators who must balance respecting free speech and the right to protest with maintaining safe and stable conditions on campus for students to pursue their studies, while also ensuring staff can perform their jobs effectively.

These challenges require university leaders to tread carefully to navigate the tensions and uphold core university values. Their decisions shape not only campus life but also the broader discourse on democracy and civil rights.

A New Era of Activism

While echoing the spirit of past student movements, today’s student protests differ from those of the 1960s and 1970s, which focused on broader social and political affairs, encompassing issues like civil rights, the Vietnam War, and campus culture. These protests align more with the 1980s’ anti-apartheid protests, sharing a focus on specific global issues, collective action for institutional change, and campusbased activism.

A key difference is today’s use of social media as an organizing tool.

Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram enable rapid mobilization but can inadvertently create echo chambers, where students encounter information that reinforces their existing beliefs. This fosters a more polarized environment compared to the reliance on traditional campus newspapers, mainstream media coverage and political pamphlets and leaflets of the past.

The Challenge of Antisemitism

The current wave of protests risk tipping into intolerance by conflating criticism of Israel with prejudice against Jewish students. Universities face a delicate challenge: creating an environment where proPalestinian and pro-Israeli voices can be heard, while maintaining respect and ensuring that rising antisemitism does not take hold.

Historically, Jewish students have been at the forefront of social justice movements, marching alongside Black students for civil rights and LGBTQ+ students for equal rights. However, today some Jewish students feel a lack of similar support from student groups advocating for the Palestinian cause. As a result, some report feeling intimidated and unsafe on campus.

Universities must cultivate an atmosphere of inclusivity and intersectionality, ensuring students from all backgrounds can advocate for their beliefs. Open dialogue and mutual respect are essential to avoid marginalizing any group or cause.

From Civil Disobedience to Increased Police Presence

The increased reliance on law enforcement to manage student protests today is a stark contrast to the 60s and 70s, when administrators often tolerated

civil disobedience. Universities today seem quicker to call in police to disperse encampments or quell disruptions, raising concerns about the potential for police using excessive force on students and the chilling effect it may have on free speech.

History reminds us of tragedies like the Kent State shootings in 1970, where National Guard troops opened fire on unarmed students protesting the Vietnam War, leaving four dead and nine wounded. Days later, at Jackson State, police shot two dead and injured twelve during a racial injustice protest by Black students exercising their First Amendment right to assemble.

These tragedies highlight the dangers of using excessive force against student protestors.

Police force should be a last resort against student protestors. Universities must prioritize deescalation, while ensuring that police maintain peace when necessary.

Examples Across California Campuses: From Peaceful to Disruptive

UC Berkeley reflects the broader nationwide movement, with students camped out in Sproul Plaza demanding divestment from Israel and creation of a Palestinian studies program.

Similar protests have sprung up at Stanford, San Francisco State University, Occidental, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside with varying degrees of disruption and administrative responses. At Sonoma State University, protests have been relatively subdued, with campus police taking a hands-off approach.

The situation at the University of Southern California (USC) reached a boiling point, with arrests, the cancellation of a pro-Palestinian valedictorian's

speech, and ultimately, the university cancelling its main commencement ceremony.

UCLA witnessed a convergence of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups, leading to confrontations that escalated to violence. Following a night of clashes prolonged due to delayed police intervention, classes were cancelled, and ultimately police were called in to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protesters’ unlawful encampment.

A Call for Open Discussion and Understanding

These student protests highlight growing activism on campuses and underscore the complex challenges university leaders face when managing passionate student demonstrations and navigating pressure from lawmakers and alumni.

Universities have a unique opportunity and a responsibility to their students to create forums for open discussion, foster empathy, understanding, and peaceful protest in a world brimming with conflict.

About the Author

Joe W. Bowers Jr. is a contributing editor to California Black Media. He is a graduate of Stanford University.

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

NAN Gathering Plans to Bring Drug Discount Concerns to Federal Reps

NAN State Leadership 340B Committee: Georgia – Rev. Ron Sailor, President, Minnesota – Ms. Tay Elhindi, President, Massachusetts – Dr. B. T. Smith, President, Michigan – Dr. Charles Williams, President, Connecticut – Rev. Boise Kimber, President,Illinois – Ms. Monet S. Wilson, President.

National Action Network (NAN) News

Recently at the National Action Network (NAN) Leadership and Awards Breakfast, Chairman Reverend Al Sharpton brought together NAN Board Members, State Chapter Chairs, senior staff, and community activists to discuss our increasing concern around the 340B Drug Discount Program.

Reverend Sharpton framed the issue for the audience and asked these leaders to work with likeminded groups and community leaders to help bring more attention to this issue at the federal level. When it came to me what was going on with a lot of hospitals and what was happening with putting profits over patients –to me that’s a civil rights issue. That is why we got involved.

I agreed to do a town hall on 340B, we did it and tried to create a climate. What NAN is about is climate setting. We come out of the Martin Luther King tradition. Dr. Martin Luther King never voted on legislation in Congress, he set a climate for the Senate and the Congress. In rural communities, hospitals are closing. As a health care issue, this is something that will go beyond party lines. This impacts all communities, but particularly our communities. Together we agreed to work closely with the Black Women’s Health Imperative, Southern Christian Leadership Policy Council, Frederick Douglass

Foundation, Douglass Leadership Institute, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Newspaper Publishers Association, and others to champion necessary federal reforms to ensure that 340B provides material help to underserved communities. We need to account for where the dollars are going so that the program is accountable to patients in need. We will be the voice of our vulnerable communities.

We look forward to engaging our local communities and our federal representatives. In 2005, the program’s annual sales were $3.9 billion dollars. Last year they were $54 billion. The program can be improved where we would see massive upgrades and investments in our community health systems. Congress and the Administration have work to do and we will be reliable partners to help develop meaningful reform.

As NAN State Chairs and leaders, we look forward to the work ahead. Like any civil right issue, we will not rest until we ensure that every underserved community can receive the full benefits of this program. Working together with Congressional and State officials we can ensure that a well-intended program has the required accountability to stop any bad actors from putting PROFITS OVER PATIENTS.

Burrell Communications Group announces agency restructuring Legacy agency hires and promotes an all-star group of leaders to shepherd the new direction of Burrell, and to power its future

CHICAGO, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Burrell Communications Group, one of the world's most highly regarded Black-owned advertising agencies, has announced the appointment and promotion of several senior-level executives to complete its long anticipated restructuring, and its growing leadership roster. The group will work together to seamlessly create centers of brilliance around core disciplines and improve agency operations, while strategically guiding Burrell's evolution as it moves confidently through its first year with CEO Tara DeVeaux at the helm. The new Burrell Communications Group senior leadership team. Committed to a spirit of boundless creativity and strategic and executional rigor

Photo credit: © 2024, by Dimitre Photography, courtesy BURRELL

Pictured are (front row, from left) Tuwisha Rogers, CEO Tara DeVeaux, Ailine Tan and Vicki Bolton, along with (back row) Donna Hodge, Mike Mitchell, Khari Streeter, Stephen French and Leslie Alexander.

Medi-Cal Expands Services to Provide More Help to Unhoused

Californians Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The

and the provision of street medicine: mobile units that bring care to unhoused individuals.

To be eligible, individuals must be enrolled in the MediCal Managed Care Plan and are currently experiencing or deemed at risk of homelessness.

Medi-Cal covers the cost of clinical care and other approved healthcare expenses for people with limited income and resources.

“Our unhoused population have inadequate access to shelters, lack of food and care,” said Glenn Tsang, Policy Advisor for the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). “They tend to have extensive medical and behavioral health needs that are difficult to address in an unstable living environment. What Do

To help address this, enhanced care management tends to build consistent connections to medical care, behavioral health care and housing stabilization services.” Tsang was speaking at a news briefing focused on Medi-Cal expansion hosted by Ethnic Media Services.

According to the DHCS, new services Medi-Cal is offering to unhoused Californians and other state residents experiencing housing instability are:

· Lead Care Managers will assist members to build relationships with members and direct them to the services they need most. There are 14 housing services under the community support program with 6 of them directly focused on the unhoused population, according to the DHCS.

· Housing transition navigation services guide individuals through the process of identifying stable housing. It aids with housing searches, applications, contacting landlords, and housing deposits for security deposits and

other upfront costs,

· Housing sustaining services help members maintain their new residence with landlord mediation, budgeting assistance and connections to other community services.

· Short term post hospitalization and recuperative care offers housing options for individuals who have just been discharged from the hospital without a home to go to to recover.

· Day habilitation programs assist with daily living activities like using transit systems to help unhoused individuals get to where they need to go.

· Transitional rent is currently not covered by Medi-Cal. However, an application is available to access this program. It will potentially cover up to 6 months of rent for people transitioning from hospitals and jails to help prevent common pathways to homelessness.

· Street medicine programs will provide direct medical assistance to individuals living on the street. This alleviates barriers to care associated with transportation to hospitals and healthcare providers by bringing care directly to members.

One key element of the new initiative is that the care provided to members will come from community-based organizations.

Amber Middleton, Director of the Hope Program at the Shasta Community Health Center, spoke at the EMS virtual news briefing about how organizations like hers plan to integrate those services for the unhoused community.

“Our goal is to make sure there are access points in all areas where there might be someone who needs care. The whole focus is going to the population and not waiting for things to get so bad that they’re having to seek out services. This is a great example of how breaking down barriers can prevent future issues. We have enhanced care management case managers who go out to build relationships and engagement with the community.”

Middleton also spoke about some of the trust barriers that can form within the unhoused community when accepting health services in her county and beyond. Police raids on encampments create constant movement and fear among individuals who feel law enforcement and may not understand them or have their best interests at heart.

“Many folks who live in the unsheltered community have suffered microaggressions, racism and outright discrimination. Because of this, there is a lack of trust of systems across the board. One of the ways we work on that is engagement and working with them at the place they will meet us at,” Middleton added.

As of Jan 1, 2024, adults aged 26-40 qualify for full-scope medical care through the program regardless of their immigration status. As Medi-Cal continues to expand their services visit the DCHS Website to learn more about what is provided and how individuals can get involved.

Vote-by-mail ballots for the June 4, 2024, Temecula Valley Unified School District, Trustee Area 4, Special Recall Election on the way to voters

Education News

The Riverside County Registrar of Voters Office have sent approximately 21,600 vote-bymail ballots for the June 4, 2024, Temecula Valley Unified School District, Trustee Area 4, Special Recall Election, to the U.S. Postal Service today.

Submission Deadline:

To ensure inclusion in the final tally, completed vote-by-mail ballots must be received at the Registrar of Voters office or vote centers no later than the close of polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, June 4, 2024. Alternatively, ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than seven days afterward, with a deadline of June 11, 2024.

Return Options:

Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned through the postal service.

Voters who return their ballot by mail are not required to include postage on the return envelope.

Ballots can also be placed in secure official blue vote-bymail drop-off boxes situated in, Trustee Area 4, within the City of Temecula. Additionally, two secure 24-hour drop boxes are accessible at the Registrar’s office, 2720 Gateway Drive in Riverside, for added convenience.

For ballot drop-box and vote center locations including hours of operation, please visit the registrar’s website at www. voteinfo.net.

Early voting at the Registrar of Voters office begins on May 6, 2024, and continues Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The registrar’s office will be open to voters on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Eligibility and Registration

Information:

To register or update your address, please submit a voter registration application by May 20, 2024. Verify your eligibility and register conveniently online at registertovote.ca.gov. Alternatively, you can request a paper application by calling (951) 486-7200.

NNPA NEWSWIRE — If you always do things for your child, and always tell them what to do, they will not be able to make their own decisions and learn how to be independent. One good rule of thumb for parents of toddlers: whenever possible, avoid doing things for your child that they can do on their own.

By Kristen J. Amundson

At this time of year, many preschool parents are worrying about whether their child will be ready for kindergarten. What are the things their child should learn? Do they need to make alphabet flash cards? Invest in worksheets so kids can practice math. I talked with kindergarten teachers to find out what they think kids need to know to be kindergarten-ready. You may be surprised: Readiness for school, teachers say, does not mean that your child will have mastered all the kindergarten skills on Day One. Instead, it means that your child will take pleasure in learning how to do things on their own.

One kindergarten teacher said to me, “I can teach kids their ABCs. I can’t teach them —at least not very efficiently—to help them get along with others and to understand that they aren’t going to get their own way all the time in school.” If you always do things for your child, and always tell them what to do, they will not be able to make their own decisions and learn how to be independent. One good rule of thumb for parents of toddlers: whenever possible, avoid doing things for your child that they can do on their own.

Kindergarteners are expected to take responsibility for their belongings. They put their lunch box in the right place. They hang up their coat. During the day, they use the restroom and wash their hands by themselves. In the cafeteria, children must put the straw in their juice box or open the milk carton. They must get the foil on top of the applesauce.

“The whole first month in the cafeteria, we’re helping children learn to open things,” one teacher said. “They’re always surprised that ketchup packages have a little line that shows you where to tear to get the ketchup out.”

So, teach your child how to do those things before the first day of school.

Let your toddler eat (and accept that mealtime will be messy and s-l-o-w, at least at first). Let young children choose what they want to wear—and relax if they choose to wear the polka-dot shirt with the checked pants. Encourage them to use

the crayons they want to use in their coloring book and do not be surprised if you see a purple horse or a red elephant. Follow the rule that teachers use when they are teaching a new skill:

First, I do. Then we do. Then you do.

Whether it’s shoe tying or making a sandwich, start by showing your child what to do. Then practice the same skill together, working side by side. Finally, let your child do it alone, first while you watch and then independently. And let me just say one word here about shoes—the bane of every kindergarten teacher. Shoelaces do not stay tied. “They drag on the floor. They drag across the restroom floor. They go into kids’ mouths,” a kindergarten teacher told me. “They need my help retying them. If I have 25 students, that’s 50 feet. And at 30 seconds per shoe tie, that’s 25 minutes a day I’m not teaching them letters or numbers or how to get along with others,” she said. That doesn’t mean children have to be able to tie their shoes before they start kindergarten. “Just put them in different shoes,” the teacher wisely advised. And really, just reread that part about shoelaces that have dragged on the kindergarten restroom floor ending up in the child’s mouth. You’ll probably keep your kid in Velcro shoes until they’re 20. Kristen J. Amundson is a former teacher, school board chair, state legislator, and CEO of a national education organization. This column is excerpted from her book 81 Questions for Parents: Helping Your Kids Succeed in School, published by Rowman & Littlefield. It is also available on Amazon.

81 Questions for Parents by Kristen J. Amundson Book cover

COMMENTARY: Wake Up, Black Voters. Don’t Let Trump’s Lies Fool You

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN — There is data that shows that the Democratic candidate for president over the last five presidential elections since 2000 has averaged 90% of the Black vote with an average of only 8% for the GOP candidate. In addition, the overwhelming concern of most Black voters continues to be race and racism with a particular aversion to the reprehensible and duplicitous Trump who has shown repeatedly that he is an instigator of racial hate. Any relationship he has with Black voters has been deceptive and disingenuous.

By Donald M Suggs | Word in Black | St. Louis American

The fact that exit polls showed that Donald Trump received 9% of the Black vote in 2016, the highest number since George Bush in 2000, and then won 12% in the presidential race in 2020 should be a cause for concern.

Moreover, some recent polls surprisingly showed that if the presidential election were held today, 17% of Black voters say they would vote for Trump, and even more troubling, 20% say they would vote for someone other than either Trump or President Biden.

Black voters have been the largest and most loyal voting bloc for Democrats for years, but there has been a shift in the number of Black voters who consider themselves Democrats. That trend could be explained partially by a number of younger Black voters with no direct experience with the civil rights movement. They have scant knowledge and no direct personal memory. They feel disappointed with Democrats and the Biden administration and seem willing to consider Trump despite his blatant and toxic racial baggage.

This disconnection with the Democratic party is felt most strongly with some young Black males, many in critical battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina where Democrats need every vote. Most of these states have large concentrations of Black voters in their urban areas. This is a special issue in potentially close races like this one because the Electoral College gives Republicans a massive advantage in federal elections. This system allows them to govern with a minority of the popular vote.

However, there is also data that shows that the Democratic candidate for president over the last five presidential elections since 2000 has averaged 90% of the Black vote with an average of only 8% for the GOP candidate. In addition, the overwhelming concern of most Black voters continues to be race and racism, with a particular aversion to the reprehensible and duplicitous

Trump, who has repeatedly shown that he is an instigator of racial hate. Any relationship he has with Black voters has been deceptive and disingenuous.

Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of Black voters cannot be bamboozled or deceived because we know the record of his stance on healthcare with his recent attacks on Obamacare, opposition to greater diversity in the workplace and efforts to restrict our voting rights as well as his racist, conspiracist “birther campaign” that sought to undermine the then-president, Barack Obama.

Still, we can’t simply ignore the reports that Trump is possibly making inroads with Black voters while Biden is losing support from us. Granted polls have been shown not to be reliable predictors of what Black voters will do. Actually, our biggest worry should probably be third-party voting (third party presidential candidates have no chance of winning. This is a binary election and only a Democrat or Republican can win) and potential voter apathy, despite the high stakes in this contest to determine whether Donald Trump is elected again.

Clay Cane, a Sirius XM radio host, rightly said that the 2024 presidential election is not just a choice between the lesser of two evils but this is an election to see if we can stop Trump and his pernicious plans to institute a future dictatorship to carry out his vile policies. A Trump victory would be a grave threat to the well-being of Black Americans for certain.

In any case, the Democratic party must recognize the seriousness of the disenchantment of many Black voters who don’t feel motivated to make it to the polls and campaign more directly and intentionally in our community. Furthermore, we ourselves must make an unprecedented and determined push to get to the polls in greater numbers to help stop this monstrous man and his MAGA minions from regaining control of the White House.

U.S. Department of Education Launches Next Phase of FAFSA Support Strategy to Boost Completion Rate Among High School Students

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today announced additional steps to support students and their families with the Better FAFSA. The Department is launching a multi-million-dollar program as part of the FAFSA Student Support Strategy to help school districts, state, nonprofits and other public and private organizations with efforts to

boost FAFSA completion. Since the new 2024–25 FAFSA form became available on Dec. 30, more than 8.95 million forms have been successfully submitted.

The FAFSA Student Support Strategy funds will help grow capacity for organizations to expand the availability

U.S. Department of Education Launches Next Phase of FAFSA Support Strategy to Boost Completion Rate Among High School Students ...continued of advisers, counselors, and coaches to support students and contributors through the FAFSA applications, including during extended hours through evenings, weekends, and the summer weeks. It will also facilitate FAFSA submission clinics, including through partnerships with schools and districts, and provide transportation support as needed. Additionally, these funds will provide communication supports to help organizations communicate with parents and students via text, phone calls, and videoconferences, in multiple languages as needed, to help them complete their forms.

The FAFSA Student Support Strategy aims to continue increasing the number of high school students who complete a 2024-25 FAFSA and enroll in college, particularly first-time college students and students of color. This investment builds on the Department’s efforts to help students, families, and institutions through the 2024-25 FAFSA application cycle, in addition to the College Support Strategy, the FAFSA Fast Break campaign, and direct communication efforts with institutions and stakeholders

via the FAFSA Fast News blog.

Over the past few months, the Department has sent approximately 70 million emails to students encouraging them to complete the Better FAFSA form, as well as engaged with hundreds of superintendents and principals to help drive submission efforts, garnering over 200 commitments from companies, non-profits, and community organizations to help boost FAFSA submissions. Last week, the Department kickedoff a series of regional and local media engagement in media markets across the country to drive awareness and increase completion rates, targeting states with the largest high school senior FAFSA submission gaps.

“We are determined to close the FAFSA completion gap,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten. “The funding we’re announcing today will support states, districts, and community-based groups build capacity and leverage their power to ensure that every student who needs help paying for college turns in their FAFSA form.”

The program will provide up to $50 million for grantees

RETIRED COUPLE

Burrell Communications Group announces agency restructuring... continued from page 1

share and integrate best practices among client teams, maximize cross-departmental collaboration and identify ongoing staff training and development opportunities.

Burrell's department leads include: Leslie Alexander, Director of Project Management; Vicki Bolton, Senior Vice President and Head of Account Management; Stephen French, Head of Strategy; Donna Hodge, Head of Media Services; Mike Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer; Tuwisha Rogers, Vice President and Director of Brand Development; Khari Streeter, Chief Creative Officer and Ailine Tan, Senior Vice President of Operations.

"I am truly excited and inspired by these individuals and their strong track-records of career success and accomplishment," states DeVeaux. "The Burrell culture has always been rooted in its people, and in carefully building the new leadership team, I purposefully selected executives who are the absolute best in their respective areas of focus, who always play to win, and are energized by the challenge of leading a legacy agency into its prosperous next chapter. Our entire staff, along with our clients, are thrilled by the selection of this dream team."

ABOUT BURRELL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP: Burrell Communications Group was founded in 1971 by renowned ad man Tom Burrell, who led the company for 33 years.

Today, Burrell Communications Group is the largest U.S. Blackowned agency specializing in understanding and speaking to today's market, one that is more diverse and more multicultural than ever before in our country's history. The agency boasts a roster of premiere, blue-chip clients that lead in their respective categories, including McDonald's, Toyota, Comcast, Fidelity, Coca-Cola, Unilever and the American Red Cross. For more information, visit burrell.com.

Update: New Locations For Brightline West Field Investigation

Work

In Southern California And Nevada

LAS VEGAS (May 6, 2024)

– Brightline West announces updates to field investigation work in Southern California and Nevada within the proposed rail corridor within Interstate 15 right-of-way.

Field investigation work includes geotechnical borings and samplings, utility potholing and land surveying. Work will take place primarily during daytime hours, with some work at night to minimize disruption to traffic. In some instances, short term closures of freeway shoulders will be required. All work will be done in compliance with applicable environmental regulations and in coordination with Caltrans and the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Updated project areas are listed below. Motorists should proceed with extra caution through work zones and adhere to posted detour signs, speed limits and other signage.

California

I-15 Baker Blvd Road to Field Road

Daytime borings scheduled in the drainage ditches near northbound and southbound exterior shoulders of I-15, Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 10, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I-15 Ranchero Road to Oak Hill Road

Night closure scheduled on the northbound exterior lane at Ranchero Road, Thursday, May 9, 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

Night closure scheduled on the southbound on-ramp exterior shoulder at Oak Hill Road, Thursday, May 9, 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

9, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Note: Dates and times are subject to change. These operations are weather dependent.

Fearlessness.

This is what it takes to take on Alzheimer’s.

It’s not easy to accept that memory loss that disrupts daily life could be a sign of Alzheimer’s. Or that nearly two-thirds of people diagnosed are women, including Black women.

But there are steps you can take to reduce your risk, like monitoring Type 2 diabetes and lowering blood pressure.

Because you have what it takes to take on Alzheimer’s.

Talk to your health care provider about signs, screening and early detection.

Donald Trump and Kanye West meeting in October 2018. Official White House photo.

9,

Governor Newsom Honors Fallen California Peace Officers at Memorial Ceremony

State News

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today joined local, state, and law enforcement leaders in honoring fallen California peace officers at the annual California Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony.

Governor Newsom honors fallen California peace officers at memorial ceremony

WHAT GOVERNOR

NEWSOM SAID: “These officers served with resilience and resolve, prioritizing the needs of others above their own. They exemplified courage in its purest form. We honor them by remembering their names and by drawing strength in our own lives from how they lived.”

The memorial ceremony on Monday included a procession for law enforcement vehicles, a Walk of Honor for department representatives, and an Enrollment Ceremony, where the names of newly enrolled officers were formally added to the Memorial Monument. The following fallen officers were recognized:

Distant Past

Detective Donald A. Mason, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, EOW: 1959

Recent Past and Current Year

Officer Philip T. Sudario, Los Angeles Police Department, EOW: 2021

Sergeant Patricia Elena Guillen, Los Angeles Police Department, EOW: 2021

Sergeant Anthony Ray White, Los Angeles Police Department, EOW: 2021

Deputy Darnell Andrew Calhoun, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, EOW: 2023

Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr., Selma Police Department, EOW: 2023

Deputy Ryan M. Clinkunbroomer, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, EOW: 2023

Global Transportation and Freight Company to Pay $7.9 Million for Environmental Violations in

Multiple California Counties

State/Lifestyle News

SAN BERNARDINO

COUNTY, Calif. – The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has resolved a civil suit against XPO, Inc. and XPO Logistics, a global transportation and logistics company that provides supply chain solutions to businesses in various industries. XPO leased, owned or operated several facilities in San Bernardino County, and other counties in California where violations were found.

This case began with a referral to the San Bernardino District Attorney from San Bernardino County Fire, Hazardous Materials Section regarding underground fuel tank violations.

The settlement was entered in conjunction with twenty District Attorney’s offices and one City Attorney office from around the state and requires, among other things, for XPO to maintain a California Environmental Compliance Manager to ensure that the California XPO locations comply with California Law relating to Underground Storage Tanks, Hazardous Waste, Hazardous Materials and Above Ground Storage Tanks.

XPO’s corporate office and environmental compliance group were extremely cooperative with the District Attorneys throughout the investigation and settlement process. This Stipulated Final Judgment shall be in place for a minimum of five years.

“Hazardous material, storage and waste are a routine component of many business operations,” said Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho. “By joining other District Attorney offices in the state, we can ensure large businesses take the necessary precautions to protect the environment and the safety of our communities.”

“The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office places

Officer Tuan Q. Le, Oakland Police Department, EOW: 2023

This solemn ceremony incorporates many law enforcement traditions, including

a riderless horse presentation, the folding of the flag of the United States, releasing of doves, and concludes with a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps.

This Older Californians Month, Start the Conversation with Your Family to Connect with California’s Aging Resources

Enhanced Aging Resource Guide from the California Department of Aging Connects Older Adults, Adults with Disabilities, and Family Caregivers with a Variety of Resources Available in the State

State/Health /Lifestyle News

SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom proclaimed May as Older Californians Month and this year’s theme of connection highlights the importance that social engagement and meaningful relationships have on our health and well-being. In support, the California Department of Aging (CDA) launched the "Start the Conversation" campaign to encourage and support connections, helping older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and loved ones connect with the wide variety of aging services offered in California. The enhanced Aging in California Resource Guide, in print and online this month, provides Californians a starting point to connect with information and support.

a priority on environmental laws that keep our communities safe, especially those involving the underground storage tanks owned by XPO Inc.,” stated District Attorney Ron Freitas.

“The resolution of the civil suit is only possible because XPO Inc. paid substantial penalties and restitution, has taken necessary steps to improve compliance, and enhanced their standard operating procedures for underground storage tanks. This commitment not only addresses past concerns but also establishes a positive example of environmental responsibility going forward. Since taking office, we’ve partnered on over $60 million dollars in EPU settlements. The one location in Stockton included in this suit is 5475 S Airport Way, Stockton, CA 95206.”

“The successful prosecution of this case highlights the importance of compliance with underground storage tank and other environmental laws,” said San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson. “We are thankful XPO demonstrated a serious commitment to ongoing compliance, and made modifications to their operating procedures, improving compliance with environmental laws throughout the state. “ As part of the settlement, XPO is ordered to pay civil penalties for their Underground Storage Tank, Above Ground Storage Tank, Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials violations. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office will receive a total of $1,030,000.00 in cost recovery and civil penalties pursuant to the judgment; San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, Office of the Fire Marshall, Hazardous Materials Section will receive a total of $528,000.

U.S. Department of Education Launches Next Phase of FAFSA Support Strategy to Boost Completion Rate Among High School Students ...continued from page 3 and will be implemented by ECMC to support organizations with demonstrated experience expanding college access and enrollment. The funding will be prioritized for organizations currently working with schools and districts, and those that have deep ties with students and families which have the reach and capacity to help decrease barriers and increase FAFSA submissions.

The Department continues to create and share resources for schools, students, families, and institutions of higher education to ensure they have the tools and information they need to receive

and award financial aid. More information can be found at Ed.gov/better-FAFSA.

This announcement comes as the Department has made significant progress to address known issues with the 2024-25 FAFSA form and transmitted the Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) from more than 8.95 million applications to schools, states, and designated scholarship organizations. Most four-year institutions are now sending student aid offers, including the vast majority of schools with upcoming admissions deadlines.

"Older Californians offer so much to our state, and California offers a variety of resources to support this growing population," said CDA Director Susan DeMarois. "The theme of connection is an excellent reminder for us all to reach out and connect with the older adults in our lives. Maintaining social connections benefits everyone by supporting health and wellbeing, avoiding social isolation and loneliness, and much more.”

WHAT CALIFORNIA’S AGING RESOURCE GUIDE

OFFERS: California’s free online Aging Resource Guide shares information about a variety of programs and services available to older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers. California provides a range of programs, services, and resources to support older adults, but they aren’t all widely known. Some highlights from the guide include:

• Health Insurance Counseling –Volunteer counselors provide free, personalized, and confidential information about various types of insurance. • Caregiver Support – Information, counseling, and respite are available to help family members who provide care for older loved ones. • Information on Elder Abuse – Learn about common types of abuse, signs to watch for, and how to report abuse to local authorities and the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. • Reducing Social Isolation – The free Friendship Line is available 24 hours a day to support those who may need a friendly conversation: 888-670-1360. START THE CONVERSATION: California’s Aging Resource Guide is available at aging. ca.gov/aging_resources.

“There is an undeniable connection between the health of older adults, the resources California and our local partners provide, and the support of families, friends, and caregivers,” said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, and the combination with Older Californians Month reinforces how important support and connection are, especially for our older Californians, to help them continue leading healthy, happy lives.” WHY CONNECTION IS CRITICAL: Starting the conversation goes beyond just planning logistics. Social isolation and loneliness are associated with higher risks for health problems like heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline. Talking openly with your loved ones about your aging preferences and concerns is a powerful way to strengthen your connection. These conversations can pave the way for a more supported and collaborative aging experience.

Navigating Crohn’s: Tips for Assessing Your Symptoms and Treatment

Health News

Living with Crohn’s disease means navigating a journey of ups and downs, with symptoms that can vary in frequency and severity. Understanding your symptoms and treatment is crucial for managing the condition effectively. Here are the questions you should be asking yourself to help you along the way:

1. Assessing Your Symptoms

What symptoms should I pay attention to?

Some common symptoms of Crohn’s disease include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and blood in the stool. Additionally, you may experience symptoms outside of the digestive tract, such as joint pain, skin rashes, or eye inflammation. It’s important to monitor these symptoms and report any changes to your healthcare provider.

How frequent and severe are my symptoms?

Keep a symptom diary to track the frequency and severity of your symptoms. This can help

you and your healthcare team identify patterns and make informed decisions about your treatment.

Have they progressed while on current treatment?

If you notice that your symptoms are worsening or changing despite your current treatment, it may be time to reassess your treatment plan with your healthcare provider.

2. Understanding Remission What is remission, and am I in it?

Remission in Crohn’s disease means that your symptoms are significantly reduced or completely absent. It’s important to work with your healthcare provider to determine if you are in remission and how long you can stay in it.

How can I tell if I am in remission?

Signs of remission may include the absence of symptoms or a significant reduction in their frequency and severity.

Your healthcare provider may also use imaging tests, such as a colonoscopy or MRI, to assess the inflammation in your digestive tract and determine if you are in remission.

How long can I stay in remission?

The duration of remission can vary from person to person. It’s essential to follow your treatment plan and attend regular check-ups to monitor your condition and prevent relapses.

3. Assessing Your Treatment

Why is it important to assess my treatment and identify unresolved symptoms?

Assessing your treatment helps ensure that it is still effective in managing your symptoms. Identifying unresolved symptoms can indicate the need for a change in treatment or additional support.

How do I know if my treatment is still working?

Regularly reviewing your symptoms and discussing them with your healthcare provider can help you determine if your treatment is still effective. Be open and honest about any changes or concerns you may have.

What are signs that my treatment isn’t working?

If you experience persistent or worsening symptoms, new

symptoms, frequent flare-ups, or complications such as strictures or fistulas, it may indicate that your current treatment is not effective. It’s crucial to discuss these changes with your healthcare provider to explore alternative treatment options.

Can conventional treatments like steroids be a long-term solution for managing my symptoms?

While steroids can be effective in managing symptoms in the short term, they are not typically recommended for long-term use due to their potential side effects. Your healthcare provider can help you explore other treatment options that may be more suitable for long-term management.

When to See a Doctor

If you experience new or worsening symptoms, persistent abdominal pain, fever, significant weight loss, or signs of dehydration, it’s important to seek medical attention promptly. These symptoms may indicate a flare-up or complications that require immediate treatment. By staying vigilant about your symptoms, treatment, and overall health, you can better manage your Crohn’s disease and make informed decisions about your care. Remember to communicate openly with your healthcare provider and seek support from loved ones and support groups. Together, you can navigate the challenges of Crohn’s disease and improve your quality of life.

Black Flint students haven’t caught up

By Aziah Siid Word In Black

April 25 marked exactly 10 years since a tragic story of environmental and racial injustice began in Flint, Mich. An unelected bureaucrat decided that saving $5 million over two years was worth risking the health and futures of thousands of children in the majority-Black city. The city’s drinking water supply was switched from the reliable Lake Huron to the toxic Flint River, releasing a torrent of lead and poisoning a generation.

Due to the crisis, health researchers found blood lead levels in Flint’s children doubled from roughly 2.5 percent to 5 percent. Under CDC guidelines, even minuscule detectable levels of lead in blood are associated with difficulties in learning, developmental delays and behavioral issues.

And now a new study published in “Science Advances” by a team of researchers from Princeton University and the University of Michigan finds that the seemingly benign decision to switch the city’s water source — and the lead poisoning that accompanied it — triggered an academic setback for a generation of Flint schoolchildren.

Analyzing standardized test scores from 2007 to 2019, researchers found that, after the crisis, students lost the equivalent of five months of learning progress in math — and they hadn’t recovered by 2019. They wrote, however, that they “did not observe a significant detectable effect on reading achievement in our main analysis.”

But that’s just what can be quantified on standardized tests.

One former Flint public school teacher, reflecting on her classroom experience, believes the literacy rate among the city’s schoolchildren may have plunged drastically — motivation for her to create a nonprofit organization to help them catch up.

“One of the big things we dealt with was the declining literacy rates due to the water crisis,” says Danielle Green, who taught for two decades and is CEO of EMPOWER The People, an organization she founded to help Flint’s youth.

“I think the literacy rates dropped 75 percent” since the crisis, she says.

Black students left behind

To be clear, there were problems in Flint’s schools before the water crisis made headlines.

A decade ago, in 2014, roughly 56 percent of Flint’s population was Black and 37 percent was White, but four schools had fewer than 10 percent White

(Courtesy of Word In Black)

water crisis began showing up in the classroom — and not just among children exposed to lead in water at home. Math scores plunged, particularly among boys, and the city’s school system saw an 8 percent increase in the number of students referred for special education.

Green, the former Flint teacher, was working at Durant-TuuriMott Elementary School as a classroom teacher and saw what was happening to her students in real time, long before academic studies caught up to them. She recalls a meeting in which the Flint school board waved away concerns about lead pipes in her school’s water system.

students — meeting the threshold of “intensely segregated,” according to UCLA’s Civil Rights Project.

“It tells me about an exodus of the White population,” retired principal Willa Hawkins said at the time.

A 2017 report on the Flint Water Crisis from the Michigan Civil Rights Commission found that in Flint, “White students’ needs were almost always addressed first, including placement in the newer and better schools, while all but a very few black students were denied access to programs that would open the door to higher education and greater opportunity.”

In addition to experiencing these harms related to racial and educational segregation, just over 42 percent of Black people in Flint were living in poverty in 2014.

Poverty had a disproportionately negative impact on the Black community in Flint, particularly for children.

Previous studies have shown that children from low-income households nationwide typically struggle in the classroom compared to their more affluent peers, due to factors ranging from hunger to homelessness. And schools in poorer neighborhoods are usually under-resourced compared to schools in wealthier districts.

But the water crisis made a bad situation in Flint even worse.

People complained about the look, foul smell, and taste of the water, but city officials repeatedly assured them it was safe. As the crisis wore on, however, adults and children using water from the tap began coming down with strange rashes and other illnesses. Detailed tests on the water found it had been contaminated with dangerous levels of bacteria and lead from aging pipes in the city’s water system.

“In light of what high levels of lead can do to our children’s cognitive and emotional wellbeing, we clearly need a longterm solution to ensure our children have access to clean, safe drinking water,” thenFlint Community Schools Superintendent Bilal Tawwab said in fall 2015.

Outraged residents demanded action, but the city, state, and federal governments were at odds on how to proceed and who was to blame.

‘How did we get so lucky?’

Meanwhile, the effects of the

“I remember asking about the pipe, and they said that our pipes did not need to be replaced in the school, and I said, ‘Why?’” Green says. “How did we get so lucky? So everything around us, everything in front of us, in the back of us to the left, and to the right of us needs to be replaced, but we don’t?’

In 2020, Flint’s public school system saw more than 1 in 4 kids receive special education services, as previously reported by Word In Black. The overdiagnosis of Black students for special education is real, but there’s no safe amount of lead to consume.

Lead exposure in early childhood is associated with a host of negative outcomes aside from the decline in scores, including “increased anxiety, increased behavioral problems, decreased executive functioning, decreased academic achievement, decreased brain volume, higher rates of criminal offending, and decreased social mobility,” according to the Science Advances study.

“While lead exposure in Flint children increased modestly on average, some children were exposed to high lead levels,” the authors wrote. “We find decreases in math achievement and increases in special needs classification, even among children living in homes with copper (rather than lead) water service lines.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, “Low socioeconomic status students and younger students experienced the largest effects on math achievement, and boys experienced the largest effects on special needs classification,” according to the study. “Our results point toward the broad negative effects of the crisis on children and suggest that existing estimates may substantially underestimate the overall societal cost of the crisis.”

Teachers called child protective services

Beyond the academic toll she saw, Green also witnessed the horror of students suffering from the health effects of consuming the toxic water.

“I would do one-on-ones with children, and I would start to see a lack of hair, bald spots, patches,” Green says.

In addition, teachers themselves sometimes ignored what was going on with their students. Green notes that many of the teachers who worked at her school and others in the city didn’t live in Flint.

“A lot of the educators are not Flint teachers,” she says. So, while the city’s children quite literally had their futures poisoned, the very educators entrusted with their care and development proved unwilling to help — and sometimes made things worse.

“They didn’t concern themselves with as much as I think they needed to,” Green says. “So it was to the point where there were conversations being had on calling child protective services on parents because they weren’t bathing their children.”

All children living in Flint

Researchers also found that children who weren’t directly exposed to the contaminated water, whose homes didn’t have contaminated pipes, still face academic challenges. They study authors wrote that the Flint Water Crisis “affected all children living in Flint, not only those children who experienced elevated lead exposure (just as the COVID-19 pandemic affected children who never contracted the virus).”

That may be due “to the psychosocial impacts of a child experiencing a crisis or may have operated through other non-lead pathways.”

In other words, a constant backdrop of racial trauma and upheaval, of scared parents and oblivious teachers failing to grasp the crisis. The anxiety of watching friends get sick while adults debate what to do. The fraying of communal trust and the looming threat of invisible toxins casting a shadow on their lives.

Or maybe the children understood the racial subtext of a predominantly Black city being poisoned by its own government, sacrificed in the name of austerity. The realization that their lives had so little value to those in power. A new generational scar tissue forming over the open wound of structural racism.

And it was all preventable.

Hey Super Girl

Green now devotes her time to “things to make sure children fall in love with reading” and boost their self-esteem. Over the past few years, she developed several children’s book series—”Sky’s the Limit” for little boys and the “Hey Girl” collection, with titles like “Hey Pretty Girl,” “Hey Smart Girl,” and “Hey Super Girl.”

Green says she wants Flint’s kids to be able to say, “Oh, that looks like me, I can relate to this.” And she wanted them to know there’s still hope in the world and they can change Flint for the better. In “Super Girl,” Green says “the main character name is Michaela, and it’s about a little girl who helps with the water crisis.”

But her heart still breaks over what’s happened in Flint, and she’s still angry at the willingness to let children get sick and suffer.

“I’m not sure what the angle on any of those things was,” Green says, “where people just decided we’re not gonna get these babies’ pipes replaced or clean water.”

This article was originally published by Word in Black.

L E G A L S C L A S S I F I E D S G O H E R E

School District is requesting sealed proposals for:

Apple Products Repair Services RFP # 106-2024

Award will be for one year with option to renew for four additional one-year terms.

Bid documents may be electronically downloaded by registering at District Bid Manager: https://cloud. astihosted.com/CVUSD/dbm/Vendor/Ven_Default.asp

Sealed proposals must be received prior to 2:00 p.m. on May 23, 2024, at the District’s Superintendent’s office located at: 87-225 Church St. Thermal, CA 92274. Sealed proposals will be opened at, or after, the time indicated, and will publicly be read aloud. Any proposal submitted after the specified date and time shall be deemed nonresponsive and returned to the bidder unopened.

Any claim by a bidder of error in its bid must be made in compliance with Public Contract Code Section 5100 et. seq.

All proposals shall be on the form provided by the District. Each proposal must conform and be responsive to all pertinent proposal documents.

Award will be made to a firm that best meets the needs of the District. A scoring system will be used to determine the award.

The Board reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularity in any proposal received.

Published: May 2, 2024 and May 9, 2024.

Submission Deadline is MONDAYS by 5pm & 12 noon TUESDAYS if holiday falls on Monday Email Press Releases to: mary@sb-american.com

Submit legals to website: sb-american.com

When the water crisis emerged, public-school students in the majorityBlack city fell behind their peers. No one knows how they’ll catch up. (Photo: Unsplash/Zoe VandeWater)

The Fall Guy

By Dwight Brown Film Critic for DwightBrownInk.com and NNPA News Wire

Telling someone “You have nothing between your ears,” isn’t a compliment. Telling a filmmaker and screenwriter “You have nothing between the action scenes,” also isn’t a compliment. Read on…

The trailers for The Fall Guy look exciting and certainly the premise has great potential. The stuntman Cole Seavers (Ryan Gosling, Barbie) is on hiatus after a precarious fall stunt goes awry and his body and ego are injured. He’s called back into duty by the conniving producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso), whose leading man, Hollywood superstar and egomaniac Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bullet Train), has gone missing from her new movie set. Meyer tempts Cole back into the business by saying he’s been requested by the film’s first-time director Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer), who happens to be Cole’s ex-lover. The naïve stuntman is being deceived. Before the filming of the vastly bloated sci-fi film Metalstorm is completed, his life will be in more jeopardy than any glorified stand-in should ever endure. Nice setup.

The potential for an aweinspiring action/comedy/drama is immense. Movie fans who like to wallow in nostalgia will remember the 1980s TV series, The Fall Guy, which starred Lee Majors. Action film aficionados will be tempted by some of director David Leitch’s filmography, e.g., his very accomplished and dementedly violent Atomic Blonde and Bullet Train. Or some may question his credentials, e.g., the very vapid and hollow Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Dobbs and Shaw. Add to the iffy factor that screenwriter Drew Pearce wrote Dobbs and Shaw and developed this TV inspired premise into the movie’s script/blueprint, and this is where the weak links pile up.

The action scenes, directed by Leitch and filmed by cinematographer Jonathan Sela, are not in question—but are not out-of-this-world superb. They look very Hollywood. Not sinister, like those in Bullet Train. Not gorgeously and profoundly crafted like those in John Wick Chapter 4 by the ingenious stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski. This film’s PG-13 rating pretty much tells you that none of the action will be particularly grotesque, violent or over the edge. Scenes with speedboat chases, car chases, Cole jumping on helicopters, daring falls, etc. are standard issue. Glamorous at times. Cheesy at times, too. In fact, one

long scene with a truck speeding down streets dragging what looks like a dumpster, features Gosling fighting an assailant. Even if you were wearing sunglasses, smeared with Vaseline, you could still discern the telltale green screen effects.

The lack of mind-blowing, innovative movement, fights and escapes puts unnecessary pressure on the plotline, which binds the action scenes together. This is where the shallow script’s weaknesses become an obvious liability. The talky, unimpressive dialogue is usually insipid and never hysterical. Jody to the puppy-dog eyed Cole: “You are literally the last person on earth I want to see.” The romance withers and doesn’t give the two main characters a deep connection. The laughs, which are few and too subtle, don’t appear for at least 30 minutes after opening credits. Wish the wackiness of the characters was wackier. The humor more laughuntil-you’re-hoarse hilarious. Finding the missing leading man is the one solid plot device that should provide forward momentum. But it never provides the consistent push and pull that it could.

So many elements just don’t’ gel, or gel enough to take your focus off the actors trying to convince you that their characters are worth the effort. Also winking, nodding and talking to the screen is a weak, strained device. Ditto the split screen images. Even frenzied pacing (editor Elisabet Ronaldsdóttir), a bombastic musical score (Dominick Lewis) and dazzling costumes (Sarah Evelyn) can’t compensate. It’s enough to make target audiences wish they’d just strung the best, most kinetic parts of the film together, skipped the fluff and turned 2h 2 min of floundering storytelling into a 90-minute movie of almost nothing but non-stop action. Gosling took what could have been a demeaning role, Ken in Barbie, and turned it into the funniest male performance of 2023. He can make a comic mountain out of a molehill and turn water into wine. He is animated in this film, whiny, brave and vindictive. But this time when he puts his own spin on Cole, he’s performing without a net. You can see the quirky tricks and ticks for what they are. His Cole Seavers facade is seethrough. Blunt has her sweetness. Waddingham chews up the scenery like she’s overacting in a Broadway farce. Taylor-Johnson is smarmy enough to hate, which is a good sign. Other supporting cast members, from Stephanie Hsu as Ryder’s assistant to

Winston Duke as Cole’s buddy, are fine in a production that flails. It's easy to want more out of a project that had so many possibilities. In the shadow of John Wick: Chapter 4 and even Monkey Man, action films now must match a high standard. Even comedy action films can’t coast. And if action scenes don’t exceed expectations, what’s inbetween the fights, battles and car chases has even more pressure to succeed. The script and direction fail a project that should have been more fun and almost bullet

proof. On the bright side, parents can take tweens and teens to this movie and not be worried that they’ll see something that’ll scare them for life. Someone needed to supply a heftier story, with all the goods that would flesh out the time in between all the mayhem. Someone with something between his ears. That didn’t happen.

Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=j7jPnwVGdZ8 Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.

“Let the Reader Understand!”

By Lou K. Coleman

Lou K. Coleman

God’s warnings are meant for our good. [2 Timothy 3:16]. God never tells us to do something without a reason. If God gives us a warning in Scripture, [Matthew 24:15] it is there for our good. For God’s Word is our keeper, the watcher of our souls; and when a danger is approaching, it rings the alarum and gives us warning. So, consider the message and understand the vision. [Daniel 9:33].

Jesus has been detailing the destruction, devastation, and hardship that all of us will face soon and very soon. Unprecedented wrath and devastation. A time of suffering and despair, so please take heed; for he has told us all things beforehand. [Mark 13:23]. He said when you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand.

Jesus did not give these instructions for us to speculate about the future. He gave them that we might be armed and ready. I tell you, wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; at the head of the noisy streets, she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings. How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you, my teachings. Understand that My warnings are meant for your good. [2 Timothy 3:16]. Take Heed! If you do not, I will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes youwhen calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. For then you will call Me but I will not answer; you will look for Me but will not find Me, since you hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. Since you would not accept My advice and spurned My rebuke, you will eat the fruit of your ways and be filled with the fruit of your schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill you, and the complacency of fools will destroy you; but whoever listens to Me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." [Proverbs 1:20–33]. Let the reader understand. The End is Near!

Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD

Honoring Queer Bodies & Committing to LGBTQIA+ Justice Rachael Ward

“Everyone deserves care that honors the dignity and sovereignty of our bodies and our kin.” - Susan Raffo, Liberated to the Bone

“For it was you who formed me…You knit me together…I am fearfully and wonderfully made... my frame was not hidden from you…intricately woven in the depths of the earth…”

- Excerpts of Psalm 139: 1315, NRSVU

Pride month begins in June and my queer body rejoices in celebrating my queer ancestors, those present in the work today and all of my co-conspirators who walk with me.

What continues to become evident to me is how vital it is to remember our bodies in this work of justice, ministry, being human and showing up for one another.

proactive response, now more than ever, needs to be love OUT LOUD.

Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD is a campaign faithfully supporting the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of LGBTQIA+ siblings by equipping faith communities with resources and tools for just action and care. GSJM launches this campaign intentionally in Pride Month to honor, center, and celebrate the personhood of queer siblings.

This campaign features: Advocacy 101 webinars Quarterly Toolkit Releases Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD T-Shirt supporting churches desiring to start a Discretionary Fund for LGBTQIA+ care

Temporary Lane Closure Westbound Bear Valley Road Between Monte Vista & Bellflower

WHAT: Temporary Moving Lane Closure for Potholing Operation

WHEN: May 7, 8, 13, & 16 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day

WHERE: Westbound Bear Valley Road from Monte Vista Road to Bellflower Street

DESCRIPTION: On May 7, 8, 13, and 16, portions of westbound Bear Valley Road between Monte Vista Road and Bellflower Street will be closed while Public Works Crews conduct road work. This closure will be in place from approximately 8 a.m. to 3

p.m. each day during this road maintenance project.

To maintain traffic flow, flaggers will be on the scene directing traffic to pass intermittently from the west and east.

Delays are expected. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes and to avoid the area if possible. Those who must travel in the vicinity are advised to use extreme caution and to obey all posted traffic signs, devices, and personnel.

Questions can be directed to (760) 955-5158.

As this year’s election cycle creates higher amounts of harmful anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, I believe in the work of honoring our bodies with soft space and mirroring our kinship to one another. I believe in running barefoot along the soil of creation to remember how God called us in to tend to one another. I believe in showing up to one another and choosing love. And I believe in the power of remembering God’s love and intention in creating each of us.

If God’s ask of us is to care for creation and Christ’s share for us is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, then beginning with love can be our foundation. This is why Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries is beginning our new campaign Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD. In the vast sea of our uniqueness, our commonality and thread to one another is within the love God created us through and we harbor within us.

LGBTQIA+ siblings know intimately the nature of being deemed an outcast. And, the clarion call for LGBTQIA+ advocacy is reverberating from state capitol rotundas, dinner tables, city streets, and church pews. With more than 547 antiLGBTQIA+ bills in this year’s (2024) legislative session, our

Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD Worship & Organizing Our first toolkit release features Communal Care for Trans & Non-Binary siblings and within the introduction we start with Psalm 139. To begin the journey of communal care for LGBTQIA+ siblings, we must remember that each of us harbors the Imago Dei within and it is together we tend to one another and help mirror love OUT LOUD for who God calls us to be and continues to form us into being. Psalm 139 reverberates a wisdom of remembrance for all bodies and how God took intricate time creating each of us. May we remember that we are children of God and Creator makes no mistakes in our unique formation and so let’s show up bearing witness to one another and choosing love. Even in the dim lit moments, I deeply believe our collective liberation and freedom is infinitely possible. I find this belief within scripture and our living bodies scriptures which offer evidence of resilience, remembrance, active justice, love, tenderness and care. Let’s write new stories together. Narratives that showcase hope, love, and Pride for who God created you to be and who we are and can be together.

1. Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy

2. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy

3. Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy

4. Winston Duke costars in The Fall Guy

5. Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy

NICOTINE BRAIN POISON

Nicotine is addictive, but it’s also a neurotoxin that can plague the teen brain with anxiety, irritability, and impulsivity. Learn how you can help stop the tobacco industry from using vapes to addict the next generation.