Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance those of whom they suppress. —Fredrick
Douglass(1849)
Roughly 900,000 veterans with illnesses or lasting injuries from their service in the U.S. military have experienced the positive benefits of the PACT Act, signed into law in Aug. 2022. Credit: (Photo by Sir Manuel on Unsplash)
President Joe Biden recently announced that due to the PACT Act, nearly 900 thousand veterans and survivors who were exposed to toxins while serving in the U.S. military have received disability benefits over the last two years.
In Aug. 2022, Biden signed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act into law, which has provided benefits for more than 888,000 veterans and survivors who sustained injuries and illnesses while serving in the U.S.
Despite Black people comprising nearly 14 percent of the U.S. population, they own just about 3 percent of the country’s businesses. In comparison, White entrepreneurs own 85 percent of companies–even though their share of the population is about 60 percent.
Nevertheless, according to a Pew Research Center analysis, Black businesses are on the rise– and they’re making more money. The center reported that there were 161,031 Blackowned businesses in the U.S. as of 2021, up from 124,004 in 2017. During this time period, Black business owners revenue grew from nearly $127.9 billion to $183.3 billion, a 43 percent increase.
Anne-Marie Knight, executive director for the Black Business Alliance (BBA), said this progress is limited.
“The state of Black business is fluctuating. There’s been growth in Black business over the years, and in particular, growth in Black woman-owned businesses,” said Knight. “But, we are still not succeeding in certain areas.”
“Though the spotlight has been shone on capital issues, and we’re starting to address them, we still have a long way to go,” said Knight. “We’re still at the 1 percent mark for venture capital funds.”
As far as who can step in to reduce these divides, Knight urged the Black community to look inward. According to the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility, AfricanAmerican buying power is expected to hit $1.7 trillion by 2030.
Knight thinks Black people should prioritize spending with businesses from their community. Black businesses should view each other as allies rather than competitors.
In a White House statement obtained by the AFRO Pres. Biden stated, “our nation has a sacred obligation to properly prepare and equip the troops we send into harm’s way and to care for them and their families when they return home.”
“Sometimes military service can result in increased health risks for our veterans, and some injuries and illnesses like asthma, cancer and others can take years to manifest,” he added.
Veterans sometimes run into challenges connecting their injuries and illnesses to their time
The legislation was named after Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, a combat medic who passed away from a rare form of lung cancer.
served, therefore the president signed the PACT Act into law to help veterans establish a direct connection between the two.
“The PACT Act eliminated these barriers and ensures veterans get the care and service they deserve,” said Biden.
White House Domestic Policy
Advisor Neera Tanden and Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Denis McDonough recently held a press call to discuss the president’s bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
Tanden told reporters, the
statute is “the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years.”
“We owe them a debt that we can never repay,” she said. “Since taking office President Biden has enacted 30 bipartisan bills to better support veterans.”
The president is also working on other key legislation that supports veterans in every area of their lives, such as helping veterans find employment, ending homelessness and protection for veterans to prevent them from becoming victims of scams.
More than 100,000 sign petition for Justices Alito and Thomas to bow out in Capitol attack cases
By
twice-impeached and four-times indicted Trump’s false claims of election fraud, was displayed outside Alito’s home in January 2021. The flag appeared outside the Alito residence in Alexandria, Virginia, on Jan. 17, just days after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. Alito told the Times that the flag was “briefly placed” there by his wife during a disagreement with neighbors.
The revelation has again raised concerns about Alito’s impartiality as the Supreme Court considers two significant cases: one addressing charges against the Jan. 6 rioters and another determining whether Trump can claim immunity from prosecution on election interference charges. Justice Thomas also faces scrutiny for his involvement in cases related
to the 2020 election, particularly because his wife, Ginni Thomas, contacted Trump officials and lawmakers, urging them to overturn the election results.
MoveOn’s petition argues that Alito must be held accountable for what they describe as a breach of ethics. “He must recuse himself immediately or be removed by Chief Justice John Roberts, and the Senate Judiciary Committee must swiftly investigate and take action on conflicts of interest,” the petition states.
Rahna Epting, MoveOn’s political action executive director, emphasized the need for immediate action to restore public trust in the Supreme Court. “The only way to begin
Knight has led the BBA since 2020, bringing years of experience in consulting and entrepreneurship. The Connecticut-based organization works to empower, promote, and grow small and medium Black small businesses by providing education, funding and capacitybuilding.
“We don’t have enough small Black businesses that have employees and are successful to be able to make that big of a difference for our economic wealth,” said Knight. “Our businesses are primarily in the service space. We’re salon owners or in retail or restaurants, we’re not in some of these highyield business areas, which are better for building wealth.”
After the 2020 murder of George Floyd and subsequent racial reckoning, a number of U.S. companies made racial equity promises that included commitments to closing the racial wealth gap. A main component of these pledges was expanding capital access for Black and Brown businesses.
“These systems haven’t worked for us for hundreds of years. They’re not designed to work for us. Part of what we can do is take control of our actions,” said Knight. “We can agree to network amongst ourselves, support each other, build our businesses by doing business with each other first and spend our money with Black-owned businesses first.”
As entrepreneurship is considered a common path for wealth creation, Knight said it can help to close the racial wealth divide. She also thinks running a business has become more than a means of supporting a family for Black people. It’s a way to create lasting impact in their communities.
“Having stable and growing Black-owned businesses is a solution for our community,” said Knight. “If we’re going to close that gap, we have to increase not just the number of Black-owned businesses but their capacity to grow six- to seven-figure businesses in their communities.”
Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member.
Knight thinks these actions have helped, but funding remains sparse.
ABIS Annual Champions & Legends Fundraising Weekend May 31 – June 1 at MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino
ABIS News
What: The Advancement of Blacks In Sports (ABIS) will hold its annual Champions & Legends Fundraising Weekend at the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino from May 31 to June 2. This three-day event will honor a distinguished list of special guests during its Champions & Legends Gala. In addition to the gala, the weekend will be filled with festivities and workshops aimed at supporting ABIS’ mission to amplify Black representation in collegiate and professional sports. Through
advocacy, education, and community engagement, ABIS strives to create a more inclusive and equitable sports industry.
Where: MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino, 101 MGM National Ave, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
When: May 31- June 2, 2024; See below for the schedule of events for media opportunities and press coverage.
A Pacific High School Dual Enrollment student celebrates during the school’s commencement ceremony in 2023.
WHAT: San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD) Pacific High School expects to graduate 270 students in the Class of 2024, with nearly half successfully completing a Career-Technical Education (CTE) Pathway and 34% completing at least one college course while in high school.
WHO: Interview Opportunities (5:15–5:45 p.m.):
Alexia Leon, Class of 2024 graduate, is the Citrus Belt Area Athletic Directors Association (CBAADA) Senior Female Athlete of the Year from Pacific High. She was a fivestar athlete while maintaining a 4.0 G.P.A. and serving as ASB President. She was the captain of the volleyball team and competed in cross country, soccer, softball and track & field. She was the Mountain Valley League girls’ soccer Offensive MVP, leading her team to a CIF Southern Section Quarterfinal appearance. Leon also completed an Administration of Justice Certificate (12 college courses) at San Bernardino Valley College through Pacific’s Dual Enrollment program.
William Nuñez exemplifies the Pirate spirit and code of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity and Ownership. Despite working to help support his family, he participated in ASB and was a leader in Pacific’s Student Stand Together leadership group. He completed all his graduation and college admission requirements with an overall, weighted 4.13 G.P.A.. He also successfully completed nine college courses through Pacific’s Dual Enrollment Program, is a Top 10 scholar, earned a Bronze Academic Medal for seven consecutive semesters earning a 3.5 or above G.P.A., is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for Educational Excellence, is a Seal of Biliteracy candidate, completed the business pathway and is a Golden State Seal Merit Diploma recipient. Antonio Vieyra Vazquez, an English learner and member of the Class of 2024, is the CBAADA Senior Male Athlete of the Year from Pacific High. He earned First Team AllLeague Honors in Water Polo and was the Mountain Valley League Champion in the Boys’ 200 Medley Relay, Boys’ 200 Individual Medley, Boys’ 500, and Boys’ 200 Free Relay. He
of the Year by the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education. The environmental education staff pictured in RCRCD’s new “Habitat Space” includes Diana Ruiz, Erin Snyder, Jennifer Iyer, Michele Felix-Derbarmdiker (left to
The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District has been recognized as the 2024 Organization of the Year by the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE), Ten Strands, and the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI): https://aeoe.org/news/13358474 .
One-hundred guests celebrated the award, along with the career of retiring Public Affairs Manager Diana Ruiz on Sunday, May 19. Ruiz started her career nearly 50 years ago as one of the first female conservationists with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The statewide award celebrates the innovative educational projects and programs that Ruiz planned and coordinated over several decades at the District, including the LandUse Learning Center demonstration garden of sustainable practices; the award-winning Fresh and Local food and farm guide and the Environmental Learning Resources guide; the 2016 Riverside Green Festival; and the 2019 Mayor’s Monarch Challenge and Pollinator Festival. “Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District does incredible work in their community and the surrounding region,” said Estrella Risinger, Executive Director AEOE. “I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know several members of their team through involvement with the Environmental Education Collaborative and their participation in AEOE’s Environmental Educator Certification Program. Their dedication and commitment to providing engaging, relevant, and high-quality programming is evident.”
RCRCD is a local government agency that helps conserve the natural resources (soil, water, native plants, and wildlife) of areas within western Riverside and San Bernardino counties in inland Southern California. The District provides technical advice to land users, coordinates habitat conservation projects, and conducts conservation educational programs for all. RCRCD empowers our community to be stewards (caretakers) of natural resources and fosters stewardship by providing a variety of free environmental education programs, volunteer opportunities, participatory science projects, tours/field trips, and community engagement for all ages. RCRCD manages a native plant nursery for habitat restoration projects and numerous educational programs, including three sites, plus localized publications in English and Spanish. The District developed a one-of-akind demonstration garden of sustainable practices for the three main land uses of Southern California. The LandUse Learning Center near downtown
will graduate with the California State Seal of Biliteracy and a 3.5 G.P.A.
Dr. Natalie Raymundo, Pacific High School Principal
Visual Opportunities:
Graduates from the secondoldest high school in San Bernardino will receive their diploma in purple caps and gowns
Valedictorian Jocelyn Andrea
Gutierrez Vasquez will speak during the ceremony
Salutatorians Maria De La Luz
De Casas and Kimberly FacioCamacho will speak during the ceremony
124 Linked-Learning CTE
Pathway completers will each wear a stole unique to their career pathway
91 Dual Enrollment students will wear a special cord
78 students will wear a SBCUSD Dual Enrollment stole
WHEN:
Thursday, May 30, 2024
Commencement begins at 6 p.m.
WHERE:
San Bernardino Valley College
Football Stadium
701 South Mt. Vernon Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92410
WHY:
Pacific High is the home of the Pirates and the second-oldest high school in San Bernardino.
Pacific’s Class of 2024 includes:
124 Linked-Learning CTE Pathway completers:
52 Business Management Pathway graduates 25 Adobe Pathway graduates 17 Project Lead the Way Biomedical Science Academy graduates (Gold-Certified
Pathway)
15 Art Pathway graduates 11 Transportation Pathway graduates
4 Hospitality Pathway graduates
The successful completion of 350 college courses
91 Dual Enrollment students earned a cord for successfully completing at least one college course while in high school
78 earned the SBCUSD Dual Enrollment stole for earning 40 high school credits in college credit courses
ON-SITE MEDIA CONTACT:
MaryRone Goodwin Director of Communications/ Community Relations San Bernardino City Unified School District (909) 991-4310
About San Bernardino City Unified School District: The San Bernardino City Unified School District is California’s eighth-largest school district and is dedicated to providing a high-quality education that prepares students for college, career and life. With a focus on equity, excellence and empowerment, the District serves a diverse student population in the San Bernardino and Highland communities. For more information about SBCUSD, visit www.sbcusd.com and follow the District @SBCityUSD on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Note: This is a ticketed event. Members of the media are invited to attend all or part of the event without a ticket but must RSVP to the SBCUSD Communications/Community Relations Department at (909) 381-1250 by May 29 at 2 p.m.
Ryan Mayeda (AEOE Board President), Jennifer Iyer (RCRCD Resource Educator), Diana Ruiz, and Estrella
(AEOE Executive Director) at the Statewide Conference for Environmental and Outdoor Education May 4, 2024 in
Riverside is an educational tool that includes handicap accessible trails, interpretive signs, fun plant and animal treasure hunts, community science backpacks, plant IDs with plant lists, and more: https://www.rcrcd.org/ files/80c9e10c5/llcflyer2023.pdf.
The District has developed many localized conservation publications including two books: Wildflowers and Important Native Plants of the Inland Empire and Backyard Birds of the Inland Empire (recognized with a national award in 2002). For more information about RCRCD’s extensive environmental education programs, please see the Education Programs Summary at https:// www.rcrcd.org/files/846e03041/2023+education+program+summary+web. pdf.
Another innovative project is RCRCD’s Monarch Recovery Program that includes the creation of a 2-acre Monarch habitat at its Agricultural Greenbelt Facility in Riverside. For a summary of Monarch programs and related awards from 2019 – 2022, please see https://www.rcrcd.org/files/cc88913ce/ City+Council+Mayor%27s+Monarch+Challenage+Implementation+Report pdf .
This statewide award follows a national honor in February for District Manager Shelli Lamb, who received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Conservation Districts: https://www.nacdnet.org/ newsroom/nacd-honors-national-award-winners-at-78th-annual-meeting/
The Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen environmental education in California by connecting providers, building professional expertise, and championing environmental literacy and outdoor learning. As the professional association for environmental and outdoor education in California, AEOE serves as a force multiplier, convening programs and practitioners across the state to share best practices, learn from one another, and advance the field of environmental and outdoor education. Information: http://aeoe.org . Ten Strands is a California–based nonprofit established in 2012. Their mission is to strengthen the partnerships and strategies that will bring climate and environmental literacy to all of California’s TK–12 students. They operate with a small, diverse, and nimble staff and strategic partners
Statewide Award for Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District...continued throughout the state. Ten Strands utilizes the largest and most diverse institution in California—the public school system—to impact 58 county offices of education, more than 1,000 school districts, approximately 10,000 individual schools, over 300,000 teachers, and 5.8 million children. For more information, visit http://tenstrands.org . The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from a leadership council to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students. For more information, visit http://ca-eli.org .
The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD) is a local government agency that works to conserve the natural resources of areas within western Riverside and San Bernardino counties in Southern California. The District provides resource management assistance to private and public land users, coordinates habitat conservation projects, and conducts free education programs about the stewardship of natural resources at its three educational sites: the LandUse Learning Center (LLC) in Riverside, the Sycamore Creek Interpretive Center (SCIC) in the Temescal Valley, and the Greenbelt Monarch Habitat in Riverside. Information: RCRCD.org.
ABIS Annual Champions & Legends Fundraising Weekend May 31 – June 1 at MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino...continued from page 1
Who: Gary Charles, CEO & Founder of ABIS Sashi Brown, President of the Baltimore Ravens Paxton Baker, Minority Owner of the Washington Nationals Benjamin Crump, Trial Lawyer for Justice Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, President of PLC Detroit Spencer Haywood, NBA Hall of Fame Yolanda ‘Lonnie’ Ali, Wife of Muhammad Ali & Philanthropist Warrick Scott, CEO & Founder, The Wendell Scott Foundation Beverly Kearney, SixTime NCAA Championships Coach The 1982 Cheyney State Lady Wolves, The first and only HBCU women’s basketball team to compete in the NCAA Division 1 Final Four Championship 2023 Howard University Swim Team, 2023 Northeast Conference Men’s Swimming & Diving Champions, and only HBCU with a swim program
Photos/Interviews: Opportunities available with all honorees and special guests Schedule of Events
Friday, May 31 ABIS Welcome & Introductions: 1:30pm – 2pm ABIS Professional Development Sessions l –Keynote Speaker, Congressman James E. Clyburn: 2pm – 5pm ABIS Screening –Documentary: The Game That Changed College Basketball: 5:30pm – 6:30pm ABIS VIP Welcome Reception & Entertainment: 7pm ABIS Welcome Party & Entertainment: DJ Windy City, Preforming Live: The Legendary “JUNKYARD” Band, Special Appearance by Rodney “Red” Grant, D.C. City Council AtLarge Candidate: 8pm – 11:30pm Saturday, June 1 ABIS Self-Care Saturday: 6:30am – 7:30am ABIS Professional Development Session ll & Continental Breakfast – Keynote Speaker, Craig A. Thompson Chairman, Maryland Stadium Authority: 9am – 2pm ABIS Champions & Legends Red Carpet: 5:30pm – 6:30pm ABIS Champions & Legends Awards Gala: 7pm – 9:30pm
Sunday, June 2 ABIS Jazz Brunch & Mimosas: 11am – 1pm
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People California-Hawaii State Conference (NAACP Cal/Hi State Conference) hosted its annual “Legislative Day” at the State Capitol and Capitol Annex Swing Space on May 20.
The day of activities is organized to inspire members to participate in the political process at the state level.
“NAACP CA-HI Day at the Capitol provides a platform for our branch members and youth leaders across California to partake in dynamic, collaborative sessions and dialogues with our state legislators who directly impact policy impacting communities of color,” said Rick Callender, President of the NAACP Cal-Hi State Conference.
NAACP members attending the day-long event came from over 50 branches all over the state, including areas of the state with the highest Black populations: Los Angeles, Oakland, San Bernardino, Stockton, San Jose, San Diego, San Francisco and Stockton.
Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) spoke on behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus during the morning session. He explained the importance of the oldest civil rights organization, how it is essential to the Black community, and its effect on the legislative process.
“Let me just simply say that I appreciate each and every one of you because America would not be America if it wasn’t for
the NAACP,” Gipson said. “I am grateful for the NAACP. Though there are only 12 members of the California Legislative Black Caucus, we would not be where we are today if it weren’t for you.”
The NAACP Cal-Hi State Conference advocates for legislative and policy reforms in areas critical to improving the lives of African Americans and all people who have been historically marginalized or underserved during legislative proceedings.
Representatives of Cal-Hi State Conference discussed six reparations and environmental justice priority bills it supports this legislative season at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in downtown Sacramento before the attendees visited the State Capitol in the afternoon to engage lawmakers.
The six bills are: Assembly Bill (AB) 1827, Low-Water User Protection Act; AB 3089, Formal Apology for Chattel Slavery; Senate Bill (SB) 1050, Racially Motivated Eminent Domain; SB 1403, California American Freedmen Affairs Agency; AB 1567, Climate Resilience Bond Bills; and SB 867, a measure that proposes to fund projects that reduced fire risk and protects wetlands, waterways, coastal resources, and fish and wildlife populations.
Teneicia Herring, Cal-Hi State Conference’s Government Relations Specialist, and Carolyn Veal Hunter, the Cal-Hi Political Action chairperson, provided an overview of each bill, detailed
Disaggregated Data is America’s Super Power: It’s Crucial to be Counted
By Sunita SohrabjiNew federal standards for data collection could reflect the true diversity of the US.
Disaggregated data could play a major role in resolving the US’s health care inequities, revealing information about diverse populations that have not previously been counted. Standards for federal data collection have not changed since 1997. But in a monumental move, the Office of Management and Budget March 28 announced new standards for data collection, to be implemented by the Census Bureau and other federal agencies. Most significantly, changes in
reclassification allows Middle Easterners and North Africans to be identified as a racial category, a move the MENA community has fought for for several years.
Granular Data
The new standards — which will be implemented over 5 years — require federal agencies to use one combined question for race and ethnicity. Respondents can select multiple options on
how a bill becomes law and explained the role of a lobbyists.
CLBC members, Assemblymembers Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) and Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) served as guest speakers at the orientation held at the Sheraton Hotel. After that, Callender led the large group, marching three blocks to the State Capitol and nearby Swing Space.
The spacious Capitol Annex Swing Space is a temporary home for legislators and staff while the 73-year-old State Capitol undergoes a $1.2 billion facelift. It is located at 1021 O Street in Sacramento.
“We made it where we were going to have an impact,” Callender said of members of the NAACP meeting with lawmakers. “We made sure that they understand what is important to us.” Calendar, Cal-Hi State
Conference’s Second Vice President Zephanii SmithEisenstat, and State Director Lujuana Bivens accompanied the NAACCP members to the Swing Space to meet and discuss bills with legislators and legislative staff.
“This (was) a jammed-packed week for the legislators as they were processing bills (in the Assembly and Senate),” Herring said. “The fact that they were taking their time to meet with us, we asked everyone to be respectful of their time.”
On Monday, June 10, the NAACP Cal-Hi State Conference will hold its 12th Annual Legacy Hall of Fame celebration honoring our 2024 inductees, Civil Rights icon Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, and film actor Danny Glover.
The event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sacramento.
Deadline Approaching in California for SBA Working Capital Loans Due to Tropical Storm Hilary
SACRAMENTO, Calif. –Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration, today reminded California small businesses of the June 24, 2024, deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury caused by Tropical Storm Hilary in Riverside County that occurred Aug. 19 – 21, 2023.
According to Sánchez, small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. “Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the applicant suffered any property damage,” Sánchez said. These low-interest federal
disaster loans are available in Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties in California; and La Paz County in Arizona.
Interest rates are 4 percent for businesses and 2.375 percent for private nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement. Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA. gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@ sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Se Acerca la Fecha Límite en California para Solicitar Préstamos de Capital Circulante de la SBA Debido a la Tormenta Tropical Hilary
Government/Business News
SACRAMENTO, Calif.
deserve better,” Epting said.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has also urged Alito to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election and the Capitol attack. “Flying an upside-down American flag—a symbol of the so-called ‘Stop the Steal’ movement—clearly creates the appearance of bias,” Durbin said in a statement.
In response to growing public pressure, the Supreme Court adopted a code of ethics in November last year, following reports of undisclosed luxury trips and gifts received by some justices, including Thomas and Alito. However, the code lacks enforcement mechanisms, prompting continued calls for stronger accountability.
More than 100,000 sign petition for Justices Alito and Thomas to bow out in Capitol attack cases... continued from page 1 to restore any trust in the Supreme Court—and to ensure any semblance of a fair hearing on Trump’s baseless immunity claims—is for Justices Alito and Thomas to recuse themselves, or be removed by Chief Justice Roberts,” Epting said. He criticized Chief Justice John Roberts for failing to address these “conflicts of interest,” contributing to the Supreme Court’s lowest public approval ratings ever. “Justice Roberts’ failure to act—and allow these conflicts to go unchecked, has put the Supreme Court at its lowest public approval ever, with the public losing trust in the institution’s integrity and seeing it as the tool of a partisan rightwing agenda that it is,” Epting added.
The petition also calls for the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the alleged conflicts of interest and consider impeachment if necessary. “Our country and our democracy
“The Court is in an ethical crisis of its own making, and Justice Alito and the rest of the Court should be doing everything in their power to regain public trust,” Durbin said.
– Francisco Sánchez Jr., administrador asociado de la Oficina de Recuperación y Resiliencia ante Desastres (ODR&R, por sus siglas en inglés) de la Agencia Federal de Pequeños Negocios (SBA, por sus siglas en inglés), les recordó hoy a los pequeños negocios de California la fecha límite del 24 de junio de 2024 para solicitar préstamos de desastre por daños económicos (EIDL, por sus siglas en inglés) causados por la Tormenta Tropical Hilary en el condado de Riverside que ocurrió del 19 al 21 de agosto de 2023.
Según Sánchez, pequeños negocios, pequeñas cooperativas agrícolas, pequeños negocios involucrados en acuacultura y la mayoría de las organizaciones privadas sin fines de lucro de todos tamaños pueden solicitar préstamos de desastre por daños económicos hasta de $2 millones de dólares para ayudarles a cubrir necesidades de capital circulante causadas por el desastre. “Se puede utilizar los préstamos de desastre por daños económicos para cubrir deudas existentes, pagar nómina, cuentas por pagar y otras necesidades financieras que no pueden ser cubiertas debido al resultado directo del desastre. Estos préstamos están disponibles independientemente de si el negocio sufrió algún daño físico en la propiedad,” afirmó Sánchez. Estos préstamos federales para desastres a bajos intereses están
disponibles en los condados de Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino y San Diego en California; y el condado de La Paz en Arizona. Las tasas de interés de los préstamos pueden ser tan bajas como 4 por ciento para negocios y 2.375 por ciento para organizaciones privadas sin fines de lucro por plazos de hasta 30 años. Los montos y términos de los préstamos los establece la SBA y se basan en las condiciones financieras de cada solicitante. Los intereses no comienzan a acumularse hasta 12 meses después de la fecha del desembolso inicial del préstamo para desastres. El pago del préstamo para desastres de la SBA comienza 12 meses después de la fecha del primer desembolso.
Los interesados pueden recibir información adicional sobre asistencia por desastre y descargar la solicitud de préstamo en SBA.gov/disaster. También pueden comunicarse al Centro de Servicio a Clientes para Asistencia de Desastres de la SBA marcando (800) 659-2955 o enviando un correo electrónico a disastercustomerservice@ sba.gov para obtener más información. Las personas con discapacidades auditivas o del habla, favor de marcar 7-1-1 para tener acceso al servicio de retransmisión de telecomunicaciones.
Michelle Anderson, Director of Operations, National Road Safety Foundation
Candace Lightner, Founder, We Save Lives
Cookouts. Beach trips. Baseball games. Summer is almost here, a season everyone loves. But in a town in Connecticut, this July will be a solemn time for the family and friends of a 15-year-old girl who was killed one year ago when the young driver of a car she was in was distracted. She was a gifted, beautiful student. Most importantly, she is more than a statistic and our hearts go out to her family and friends. But sadly, her death adds to the tragic consequences of distracted driving that affects everyone. Her death, as a young Black teen, highlights a disturbing truth: Research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that fatality rates per 100 million miles traveled are systematically higher for Black and Hispanic Americans for all modes of transportation. Federal data shows that 225 teens (ages 15 to 19) were killed in distractionaffected crashes in 2021. We also know that distracted driving (including texting while driving) is blamed for 58% of
crashes involving teen drivers. We can prevent more deaths by making the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day the “100 Safest Days of Summer.” This is our time to remain vigilant and provide teens with every safety tip that we know will keep them alive. Sometimes, it takes a little extra courage to remind our independenceseeking teens that too many passengers are dangerous, that their cell phones should be turned off while driving and that other distractions can be just as deadly. We need to explain that impaired driving is not only dangerous but also a crime that can result in truly life-altering consequences.
Parents should remember these tips to give teens the best chance at staying alive:
Never serve alcohol or other drugs at parties. Not only is it dangerous, but in some states, parents can be held liable for underage drinking if a party-goer crashes on the way home.
A flood destroyed the city’s water infrastructure in 2022, but there were known problems for years prior — and they could have been fixed.
by Willy Blackmore
When Michael Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, went to Jackson, Mississippi, in 2021, he was supposed to visit a school. But when he went to Wilkins Elementary on a Monday afternoon, there were no kids around — water pressure issues led the schools to switch over to remote learning, and later in the day, a boil notice was issued too.
During his tour of the building, Regan was shown how, due to low water pressure, the toilets in the bathrooms couldn’t even be flushed.
Regan was in Jackson to tout the Biden Administration’s justpassed $1.2 trillion infrastructure act, which included nearly half a billion dollars for Mississippi to spend on water infrastructure — investment that Regan was seeing first-hand that Jackson, in particular, desperately needed.
“I’m excited to be here. I’d be more excited if the halls were filled with children. But this is the reason I’m here,” Regan said, according to the Mississippi Free Press. During his visit, Regan talked about the need for investment in Jackson’s deteriorating water system, including the kind of direct federal support from the EPA
that was standard until the 1980s.
“We’re going to look at what is working from our existing program infrastructure so that we can get the money out as quickly as is possible,” Regan told the Free Press in response to a question about the possibility of returning to that kind of direct support instead of funding infrastructure through loans that impoverished cities like Jackson often struggle to pay back.
“But all of the money won’t go through the traditional means. Some resources would have to go through new programming to be sure that we tackle those legacy issues.”
Regan appeared to be clear on the state of Jackson’s water system and the need for increased and even novel investment in order to modernize it. But the EPA itself actually gave Mississippi a thumbs up for its distribution of federal funds over the year prior. In a report, the agency said there were “no findings” that the state hadn’t unfairly distributed federal funds — and the EPA said this just days before a series of storms took Jackson’s water system from a failing one to a failed one, causing a full-blown crisis in the 80% Black city.
The “no findings” report is one of many revelations about the lead-up to the 2022 Jackson water crisis included in a new report from the Project on Government Oversight that makes the case that if the EPA had been a more effective watchdog, it could have compelled Mississippi to invest in Jackson’s water system before it failed so catastrophically.
“Years of financial oversight reports show no warnings from
Lead by example by eliminating distractions behind the wheel and always driving soberly. According to the National Safety Council, a recent survey reported that 91% of parents who use their cell phones do it in front of their teens knowing that they are “one of their teens’ primary driving teachers.”
Urge your teens to call you if they are ever in a potentially bad driving situation. Let them know you will pick them up without repercussions, no questions asked. If your child is afraid, they’ll “get in trouble” if you see them under the influence, wouldn’t they be more likely to drive impaired or get in a car with someone who is?
If your teen is learning to drive, practice with them frequently, be patient and positive, and always demonstrate safe driving habits when you drive. They will follow your example. Consider employing a professional for this often high-stress rite of passage. Ask them to add
#BUTNOTWHILEDRIVINGto their mobile device signature and teach them how to use “Focus” or “Do Not Disturb.”
Ask them to keep you informed of where they’re going, and with whom and to call you if their plans change; it can save a lot of grief and worry.
Empower them to show courage and decline a ride from a friend who has been drinking, taking drugs, speeding, or tends to drive distracted. Saying “no thanks” may make the difference between life and death. Encourage them to take care of their passengers and promise to keep them safe.
Encourage them to sign the Courage to Intervene Unfortunately, there exists the commonly misguided notion that someone else will do the right thing, that someone else will speak up, that someone else will have the Courage to Intervene. Teens can also help ensure that they and their friends stay alive to enjoy summer by pledging to practice responsible and safe driving habits, whether they’re the driver or passenger, with the “I PROMise Pledge.”
And, of course, talk early and often about speed limits, seatbelts, basic highway safety laws and tips on what to do if a tire goes flat and how to safely pull over in an emergency. Unfortunately, our young drivers are more likely to underestimate dangerous situations or not recognize potentially hazardous situations than older drivers. Life is too precious to waste it on a cell phone conversation drink or using drugs before driving. Together, we can make the time from now until Labor Day the 100 Safest Days of Summer.
The risk of (H5N1) bird flu to people in the U.S. is currently low, but CDC is preparing for the possibility of increased risk to human health
In April 2024, avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection was detected in a U.S. farm worker in Texas during an ongoing multistate outbreak in dairy cows. As of May 22, more than 350 people with exposure to dairy cows and/or infected raw (unpasteurized) cow's milk have been monitored, and on May 22, 2024, a second human A(H5) case with conjunctivitis was reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. This most recent human A(H5) case was identified through daily monitoring of farm workers. Though currently circulating A(H5N1) viruses do not have the ability to easily spread to and between people, it is possible that influenza A(H5N1) viruses could change in ways that allow them to easily infect people and to efficiently spread between people, potentially causing a pandemic. Thus, comprehensive worldwide surveillance and investigation of every novel influenza A virus case in humans is essential to prepare for any developments that increase the risk to human health. While CDC considers the current health risk to the U.S. public to be low, efforts are underway to enhance influenza surveillance activities through the spring and summer. Those efforts include increasing the number of influenza A-positive test specimens
available for further testing; continuing surveillance for laboratory-confirmed influenzaassociated hospitalizations; and encouraging clinicians to consider influenza A(H5N1) when evaluating patients who present with conjunctivitis or respiratory illness following a relevant exposure, such as attending an agricultural fair. People with exposure to infected animals or contaminated materials, including unpasteurized (raw) cow milk, are at greater risk for A(H5N1) virus infection and should take recommended precautions, including wearing personal protective equipment, selfmonitoring for illness symptoms, and, if symptomatic, seeking prompt medical evaluation for influenza testing and antiviral treatment if indicated. As the federal human health lead on this response, CDC is conducting enhanced surveillance; planning epidemiologic investigations; evaluating existing laboratory tests, vaccines, and antiviral treatments for A(H5N1); and supporting states in monitoring exposed persons for infection. Link: bit.ly/mm7321e1 Related: Health Alert Network (HAN) - 00506 | Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus: Identification of Human Infection and Recommendations for Investigations and Response (cdc.gov) Contact: CDC Media Relations (media@cdc.gov; 404-639-3286)
Disaggregated Data is America’s Super Power: It’s Crucial to be Counted...continued from page 3 how they identify. Advocates say the granular data will also help determine the allocation of federal funds, and could impact redistricting.
Federal agencies can opt out if they are able to justify that the new process for data collection is too difficult. Hardware and software is largely outdated at many agencies, and may lead to delays in implementing the new standards. Federal agencies will initially have 18 months to develop their structures for collecting data.
Dr. Gail Christopher. (All videos created by Nina Mohan)
“When it comes to the health and viability of our democracy, we simply must have systems in place that count for the lived experiences of our diverse population. And that’s why this moment in time, is in many ways, a racial reckoning in this country,” said Dr. Gail Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems.
Structural Racism
Changes in data collection will attempt to address the structural racism embedded within so many systems in the US including health care, said Christopher. “This is the first step in terms of what has to be done to transform our data systems and to disaggregate our data so that it is a more accurate representation of our superpower, our diverse communities.”
“We all benefit when our resources are allocated in ways that will give everyone an opportunity to truly thrive,” she said.
Christopher spoke at a May 17 Ethnic Media Services news briefing, organized in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,
a philanthropic organization dedicated to promoting health equity. Other speakers at the briefing advocated for the importance of accurate data collection, in part, by sharing their own rich narratives.
Model Minority Myth
Tina Kauh, senior program officer within the ResearchEvaluation-Learning Unit of RWJF, spoke of her Korean American parents, who immigrated to the US in the 1970s, and owned a corner shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“They worked 14 or 15 hour days, seven days a week. The well-known model minority myth would claim people like my parents were thriving because they were such ‘hard workers.’ But I saw firsthand how the challenges that they faced impacted their social, emotional, and physical health and wellbeing.”
Her parents’ experience was shared by many other AAPI families, but there were few narratives about their struggles, said Kauh. As a researcher, she said, it was nearly impossible to find funding to study the health and well-being of Asian Americans, because data did not exist.
‘So Little Data’
Though Asian Americans currently constitute 6% of the population, less than 1% of National Institutes of Health funding is directed towards studying Asian health. Kauh said that, as a funder now, she often finds it difficult to justify funding for Asian American research. “There is so little data to demonstrate why it is necessary.”
“With the changes recently made by the OMB, we now have an exciting opportunity to
improve how race and ethnicity data are collected, analyzed, reported, and disseminated to advance health equity. This is a key step that will better reflect the nation’s diversity and lead to more equitable distribution of resources,” said Kauh. She hoped that the new standards would be adopted by public and private agencies outside of the federal government.
Invisible in the Data
Meeta Anand.
Born of a Haitian mother and an Indian father, Meeta Anand, senior program director of Census and Data Equity at The Leadership Conference Education Fund, had no box to check on forms as she was growing up. “There was no such thing as multi-select. There was no opportunity to truly reflect who I was. And so I hung out in that famous ‘other’ box.”
She noted that organizations have some concerns about a single combined question. “But what’s great about this is that you can check Asian and Black. You can check Asian and Hispanic. You can check two different ethnicities within Hispanic.”
“As we start seeing more Meetas come into the US, and more people from different backgrounds meeting in our country and having their own children, we continue to see diversification. We need to allow people to see themselves in the form,” said Anand.
The Leadership Conference will be scrutinizing federal agencies who opt out, said Anand. “’It’s too hard to change our systems’ should not be an acceptable answer.”
Mixed Race Latinos
Juan Rosa.
In the 2020 Census, 35% of
Latinos in 2020 marked that they were of some other race, and 8% of all respondents left that question actually blank, said Juan Rosa, national director of Civic Engagement at the NALEO Educational Fund. “27 million out of 63 million that were counted in the census did not see themselves reflected in those race categories. So for us, it’s very important for the community to allow itself to self-respond in the way that their houses are actually composed.”
Rosa was born in the Dominican Republic, but identifies as Black, as do many in his community. A pivotal moment in recognizing his identity came in the fall of 2020, when he had a lung infection not related to Covid.
“I went into my neighborhood doctor just to check. And it’s an African-American doctor with African-American nurses. I’m having a lot of trouble walking at this point, let alone filling out a questionnaire. A nurse walked me through it and was filling it out herself.”
“When it came to ask about race, the nurse automatically filled out Black for me. And out of all the things that I remember from that time, aside from being in the hospital for 10 days afterward, was that nurse and the vindication and the acknowledgement and the visibility that I got at one of the lowest points of my life,” said Rosa. “So I have a very personal relationship to the work that we do.”
Over the next few years, NALEO will also be monitoring how the Census Bureau implements the new OMB standards, with a focus on how Afro-Latinos like himself will be represented by the new forms, said Rosa.
A Howard University student renouncing her membership in Delta Sigma Theta, reopened the debate over whether Black Greek Letter Organizations are cults.
By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word in Black
Choosing which sorority or fraternity to pledge is a decision often made before college students arrive on campus — usually based on chosen occupation, what your friends may be doing, and which group offers the most prestige for their future. And, of course, if legacy plays a part, it’s really decided.
Every now and then, however, the issue arises as to whether the values of the Divine Nine — historically Black fraternities and sororities — are in sync with students’ personal Christian values.
Such was the case on May 20 when Howard University rising senior Zora Sanders posted an open letter to Instagram that said she was renouncing her membership in one of these Black Greek Letter Organizations.
“I am a Spring 2024 Initiate of Alpha Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. I am writing this letter to inform Nationals that I have officially renounced and denounced membership in this organization,” Sanders wrote.
Sanders said that she’d done her due diligence in researching her chosen sorority, but “despite all the research and information I had gathered, I was not aware of the specific requirements.” She then detailed what she now considers to be ritual parts of the Delta initiation that she felt betrayed her faith.
“In order to become a member, I had to make a pledge, swear an oath of allegiance, and perform a ritual ceremony that involved kneeling/bowing at an altar,” Sanders wrote. Ultimately, she concluded
the process of crossing over to become a Delta involved “idolatry, a sin that costs eternal life.”
Going public in this manner sparked a firestorm of reactions across social media platforms, with many folks upset that Sanders denounced her membership in the Alpha chapter — the first chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. Folks pointed out that she may have taken the spot of another woman who wanted to be in the sorority. Other folks were upset that Sanders shared private information about the initiation process in a public forum. But most of all, folks took issue with the insinuation that BGLOs are in some way cultish or satanic.
Dr. Karsonya (Kaye) Whitehead, host of WEAA’s “Today with Dr. Kaye” show in Baltimore, has been a Delta since 1989. She finds Sanders’ assertion surprising and thinks it’s just TikTok fodder, where everything is done publicly for likes and monetization.
“I am a Christian, a pastor’s kid, and a Delta. I am what people call a crib Baptist, in that I was stuffed with the word when I was in the crib. There has never been a moment when I felt that my faith conflicted with my sorority values,” Whitehead says.
“We pray together, attend church together, and lift each up,” Whitehead says of her fellow Deltas. “We have a large number of members active in their local churches — from deaconesses to pastors to ministers to bishops to prayer warriors.”
Poet, theologian, and educator Ajanaé Dawkins, a fourth-generation member
of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was once “deep in a toxic religious space that almost convinced” her to denounce her membership.
“Theologies that isolate you, demonize the world around you, & demand allegiance to God through public performance creep slowly.”
Dawkins wrote that initially, her membership in AKA wasn’t an issue in her faith community. But the idea of denouncing her membership “was introduced slowly until one day it was being demanded in altar calls.”
And in an op-ed he wrote in February, Rev. Keith Magee, chair and professor of practice in social justice at Newcastle University noted that “some Christians have denounced their BGLOs, publicly attacking them for being ‘idolatrous’ in their use of symbolic Greek letters and for causing members to put loyalty to their organization above loyalty to their faith.”
Magee is convinced “that through the story of Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and soon-to-come return, the message He is sending us, in His wisdom, is one of love. I try to embody that message in everything I do.”
He also said he’s “a proud member of two Black fraternities, Kappa Alpha Psi (one of the Divine Nine collegiate BGLOs) and Sigma Pi Phi (for professionals).
Kappa was founded by 10 principled Christian men.
With Kappa, I was younger when I crossed and not
quite as knowledgeable as I am now about my faith. Nevertheless, at no point in my life have I ever entered into an unorthodox, uninformed, or ungodly alliance with a Greek deity. Nor have I ever sworn an oath that would in any way hinder, absolve, or negate my Christian beliefs.”
The Rev. Dr. Danielle L. Brown, senior pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, encouraged some of the upset commenters on social media to leave Sanders alone. She also raised the issue of whether denouncing has become a trendy thing to do.
“Unfortunately she represents a generation where social media is an idol,” Brown wrote in a comment on Instagram about Sanders. “Denouncing is the latest trend. If this was done out of a new found desire to represent the Lord loudly, let’s just pray it goes beyond this one post. Nothing else on this page suggests such devotion, so perhaps it’s new.”
Brown also wondered if what Sanders “considers idolatry extends beyond an organization. Ultimately, her money, her choice, and wasted time.”
And, as Dawkins warned folks on X, “If you’re a Black woman or Black queer person being swept up by neo-conservative/ harmful theologies, you aren’t the first or last. Avoid echo chambers. Question everything. Learn the difference between man made shame & the voice of God.”
This article was originally published by WordinBlack. com.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett plans to trademark the phrase ‘bleach blonde bad-built butch body’
By Ashlee Banks Special to the AFRO
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, has filed a trademark application to own the rights to the phrase “bleach blonde badbuilt butch body.”
“Well I know people just think I play a lawyer on TV, but I am one in real life with a background in business,” Crockett told the AFRO.
“The demand to buy merchandise is so high that I don’t want people buying shirts from other people. Instead I’m taking this very bad moment and turning it into an opportunity for good,” she added.
Crockett has decided to let her campaign handle the trademark and the distribution of clothing that will soon sport the phrase “bleach blonde bad-built butch body.”
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, plans to trademark the viral comeback phrase she lobbed at U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., during a testy committee exchange.
(Courtesy photo/ official portrait)
The Texas lawmaker hopes the proceeds will help her secure her Congressional seat and “give money to other people and hopefully minimize voices like Marjorie Taylor Greene.” Crockett’s move comes days after she hurled the alliterative insult at Congresswoman Greene, a Republican from Georgia, during a House Oversight Committee hearing last week.
The lawmakers were slated to vote on whether to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for his refusal to turn over recordings of an interview between President
Joe Biden and special counsel
Robert Hur.
Greene initiated the viral moment and said to Crockett:
“I don’t think you know what you’re here for…. I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”
Despite calls from Democratic committee members for Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., to address Greene’s misconduct, Comer decided to excuse the Georgia lawmaker’s behavior.
Later during the hearing, Crockett wanted clarification on the rules of conduct and asked Comer, “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blonde bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?”
After clips of the hearing went viral on social media, some called Crockett “ghetto” and “unfit” to serve as a member of Congress.
In an interview with the AFRO, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said that he disagrees with critics.
“If running your mouth is going to be a prerequisite, well there are many of my colleagues who need to go,” said Donalds. He added, “They were in the getting at each other. You move on.”
Crockett told the AFRO, “These are people who would never support me in the first place and they look for any excuse to call me that. That’s just their racism shining through.”
The Texas lawmaker added that “anyone who has something to say about me and has nothing to say about Marjorie Taylor Greene is less than sincere.”
Update: New Locations For Brightline West Field Investigation Work In Southern California And Nevada
City/World
LAS VEGAS (May 28, 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 Point of Entry to Halloran Road Nighttime borings and closures
Update: New Locations For Brightline West Field Investigation Work In Southern California And Nevada... continued
operations are weather dependent.
About Brightline West
Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America – offering a guestfirst experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road by connecting city pairs and congested corridors that are too short to fly and too long to drive. Brightline West will connect Las Vegas and Southern California with the first true high-speed passenger rail system in the nation. The 218mile, all-electric rail service will include a flagship station in Las
Vegas, with additional stations in Victor Valley and Rancho Cucamonga. At speeds up to 200 miles per hour, trains will take passengers from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in about two hours, twice as fast as the normal drive time. Brightline is currently operating its first passenger rail system connecting Central and South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.
For more information, visit www.brightlinewest.com and follow on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook.
County Fire Deploys New Fire Suppression Bulldozer, Bolstering Wildfire Response Capabilities
City/World News
SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTY, CA – The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD) is deploying a new bulldozer and trailer specifically designed for fire suppression, enhancing the District's capability to combat wildfires and ensure the safety of the communities within San Bernardino County. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians awarded County Fire a grant in the amount of $725,000 toward purchase of this new firefighting apparatus.
The fire bulldozer and trailer will play a critical role in the District's wildland fuel mitigation efforts, infrastructure hardening, and enhanced response capacity to wildland fire incidents. This proactive measure is part of SBCFPD’s ongoing strategy to mitigate the impact of large catastrophic fires, which pose a significant threat to the wildland urban interface areas surrounding the communities served by the Fire District.
"This generous contribution from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is not just a donation; it's a commitment to the safety and well-being of all residents in San Bernardino County,” stated Fire Chief Dan Munsey. “The addition of the fire bulldozer and trailer will significantly bolster our firefighting efforts, allowing us to protect our communities from the threat of wildfires. We are profoundly thankful for this partnership, which enhances our ability to serve and safeguard our county."
scheduled on Friday, May 31, 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
I-15 Oak Hill Road to Foot Hill Blvd.
Daytime boring scheduled on the southbound Foot Hill offramp, Wednesday, May 29, 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Daytime boring scheduled in the Devore interchange gore area, Thursday, May 30, 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Night closures are planned in the center median and shoulders, Tuesday, May 28, through Thursday, May 30, 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
Nevada
I-15 median north of Primm, Nevada (milepost 5-12.5)
Geotechnical boring and survey work from Tuesday, May 28 to Friday, May 31, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Note: Dates and times are subject to change. These
The deployment is a step forward in the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District's commitment to utilizing state-ofthe-art technology and equipment to enhance wildfire preparedness and response. With the ability to access and clear vegetation in challenging terrains, this addition significantly boosts the district's
operational effectiveness. It also demonstrates the SBCFPD's dedication to innovation in firefighting techniques, ensuring that the firefighters are equipped with the tools necessary to manage and mitigate the risks associated with wildfires effectively. This commitment to advanced firefighting capabilities is part of a broader strategy to ensure the highest level of protection for the communities and natural landscapes of San Bernardino County, reflecting the district's proactive approach to emergency management and community safety.
"Lands across the County are home to vegetation and other natural resources that provided food, medicines, tools, and building materials to our ancestors and to our Serrano culture today," said Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. "Fuel mitigation will help to ensure that Native plants and natural resources have a healthy environment for growth while helping to protect our Inland Empire communities and cultural resources from wildfires. This equipment will aid the San Bernardino County Fire Department in their proactive and responsive efforts."
This funding signifies a pivotal advancement in the fire protection services available to over 60 communities and unincorporated areas spanning more than 20,160 square miles.
The addition of this essential equipment is a testament to the collaborative spirit and mutual support between the SBCFPD and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, aimed at fostering a safer and more wildfire ready community.
For more information about the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District and its services, please visit sbcfire.org.
USDA Publishes Request for Information to Support Next Steps in Implementing the Growing Climate Solutions Act
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking information from the public on protocols that may be considered for inclusion in a new Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program, the main program of the Growing Climate Solutions Act. The input is being collected through a Request for Information and will be considered in the preparation of a proposed rule to establish the program.
USDA Publishes Request for Information to Support Next Steps in Implementing the Growing Climate Solutions Act...continued
revenue streams for producers and achieve greenhouse gas reductions from the agriculture and forest sectors,” Vilsack said.
“However, a variety of barriers have hindered agriculture’s participation in voluntary carbon markets and we are seeking to change that by establishing a new Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and ThirdParty Verifier Program.”
The program is authorized under the Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA), part of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. As part of USDA’s implementation of the GCSA, in October 2023 the Department published A General Assessment of the Role of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. Carbon Markets (PDF, 1.7 MB), a comprehensive look at current market activity, barriers to participation, and opportunities to improve access to highintegrity carbon markets for farmers, ranchers, and private
The Jackson Water Crisis Could Have Been Avoided... continued from page 4
the EPA to Mississippi regarding massive, unmet infrastructure needs in Jackson and failures by the state to adequately fund improvements with available federal money,” according to the report.
If everyone seemed to know that Jackson’s water system was on the verge of failing, why did it take a natural disaster — a foot of rain fell on parts of the state, causing the Pearl River to flood, inundating the Jackson water plant and making it completely inoperable — for any money to be funneled to the city?
Jackson, with its tax base that is both shrinking and poor, couldn’t take on loans to modernize the system, which would have cost $1 billion. And the state of Mississippi didn’t make it any easier for Jackson to get any infrastructure funding, according to the report.
“Jackson originally was awarded 82 percent less loan subsidy per capita when compared to all other disadvantaged communities,” between 2015 and 2022, according to an EPA inspector general report quoted by POGO. As with its civil rights investigations under Title XI, the EPA is often reluctant to be critical in its review of state’s investments of federal funds. “States don’t like us to write findings,” is how Johnnie Purify, Jr., who works in the agency’s regional office that’s in charge of Mississippi, put it to POGO. Rather than alienating states by being a highly critical federal partner, the EPA goes easier on local governments with its oversight capacity in the hopes that states will remain willing to work hand-in-hand with the agency rather than developing the kind of adversarial relationship that now exists between Louisiana and the EPA. After the 48-day crisis, which left some parts of Jackson without any water at all for periods of time, the city finally received $600 million — not loans — to fix its system.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the release of the Request for Information at an event at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC this morning entitled, “Advancing a LowCarbon American Economy Through High-Integrity Voluntary Carbon Markets and Industrial Strategy.”
“High-integrity voluntary carbon markets offer a promising tool to create new
gratuita en los 50 estados. Patriotic Hearts ofrece programas para ayudar a los veteranos a encontrar trabajo o iniciar su propio negocio. Llama ahora: 1-855-408-7368 (24/7) (Cal-SCAN)
Thursday, May 30, 2024
INLAND EMPIRE/HIGH DESERT/ ENTERTAINMENT/RELIGION
Last week, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) shared the results of its California vs Hate campaign, including its online reporting tool and telephone hotline, one year after their launch.
The California Vs Hate digital platform is the state’s first-ever multilingual resource to tackle the surge in hate incidents.
Approximately 1,020 acts of hate crimes were reported through the online tool and hotline, according to data provided by the University of California Berkeley’s Possibility Lab to CRD.
CRD Director Kevin Kish, state officials, media outlets, and community partners from across the state came together to mark the initiative’s first anniversary at a news conference held at the California Secretary of State Office in Sacramento on May 20.
“This work is only just beginning, but it would not be possible without the advocacy of our community partners and the foresight of our state’s Administration and Legislature,” Kish stated. “With CA vs Hate, we’re doing our part to ensure that when people report they get support.”
CA vs Hate was launched in May 2023 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to offer a safe, anonymous reporting option for victims and witnesses of hate acts. The initiative was a response to a nationwide increase in hate crimes.
In its first year, CA vs Hate had 2,118 inquires from members
of the public seeking assistance and directed people to resources, regardless of whether a report was tied to an act of hate.
The most frequently reported reasons cited were discriminatory treatment (18.4%), verbal harassment (16.7%), and derogatory names or slurs (16.7%). Additionally, most of the hate incidents were reported as residential (29.9%), workplace (9.7%), and in public facilities (9.1%).
Ca vs Hate received 1,020 actual hate incident reports based on the information provided by the individual reporting the act. Of those reports, about four out of six people agreed to follow up for care coordination services, including direct and ongoing support accessing legal aid or counseling.
Nearly 80% of California’s counties were represented in the data, including all 10 of the state’s most populated counties.
The CA vs Hate staff reviewed 560 reports, revealing the primary motivations for bias were race and ethnicity (35.1%), gender identity (15.1%), and sexual orientation (10.8%).
Anti-Black (26.8%), antiLatino (15.4%), and anti-Asian (14.3%) bias were the most cited reasons for reports related to race and ethnicity, CRD states.
As reported hate crimes have risen in recent years, California has led the charge in responding through increased grant funding, innovative programs, and expansive outreach efforts across state government in
USDA Publishes Request for Information to Support Next Steps in Implementing the Growing Climate Solutions Act...continued from page 6 forest landowners.
Establishing the new Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and ThirdParty Verifier Program is the next step in implementing the GCSA. The new program would facilitate better technical assistance by providing a list of qualified technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers who work with producers to generate credible carbon credits, enabling USDA to share trusted information and reduce market confusion. USDA would also list widely accepted voluntary carbon credit protocols designed to ensure consistency, reliability, effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency.
“By adopting science-based practices to reduce emissions or sequester carbon on their land, farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners can access a new income stream through carbon credit sales while also combatting climate change,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt.
“USDA is now seeking to gather information about the protocols used in carbon credit markets as we work to best support the agricultural industry’s participation in carbon credit programs. Public input will be invaluable as we develop the structure of these new resources.”
USDA’s Request for Information will publish in the
collaboration with communitybased organizations.
These partnerships — whether through the Stop the Hate Program or Ethnic Media Outreach Grants — are critical to CA vs Hate’s success, according to CRD. As CA vs Hate continues to grow, the program is launching new initiatives and building on existing efforts aimed at enhancing the hotline and online platform’s statewide support network and improving access for all of California’s diverse communities.
A year ago, CRD released preliminary data of a total of 180 acts of hate reported through the resource one month after CA vs Hate was launched. Out of the incidents, 102 were reported over the phone, while 78 were made via the online portal.
“I’m going to highlight that this program is new, and the data should not be treated as representative of all acts of hate in our state,” Kish said. “We have more work to do to reach Californians that might be targeted to earn the trust necessary for people to feel they can pick up the phone and contact the government. We’re not resting on our laurels.”
Kish also announced that CRD is kicking off CA vs Hate’s firstever billboard campaign to raise awareness about the hotline and a partnership with UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab to enhance data collection and analysis.
In addition, CRD has recently formed a partnership with California Black Media (CBM). This collaboration aims to bolster engagement within communities that are most often the targets of hate, utilizing the federal JabaraHeyer NO HATE Act grant to ensure these communities have access to resources.
“The support from the California Department of Civil Rights coupled with the California State Library Ethnic Media Grants have strategic, and what I like to say, smart use of federal and state resources that have helped us advance our common goal of reporting and reducing hate crimes in our communities,” said CBM Executive Director Regina
Federal Register on May 29, 2024 and is seeking feedback on provisions of the GCSA including:
Options for interpreting and applying criteria used to evaluate protocols that are designed to ensure consistency, reliability, effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency.
Information pertaining to specific protocols to be evaluated for inclusion in the program.
Qualifications needed by covered entities who provide technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners.
Qualifications needed by covered entities who serve as third party verifiers of processes described in protocols for voluntary environmental credit markets.
Interested parties may submit comments during the 30-day public comment period at www. regulations.gov.
Following this request for information USDA will also seek industry participation in an advisory committee to further inform the development of this and related programs. For more information about the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and ThirdParty Verifier Program, visit www.ams.usda.gov/services/
Brown-Wilson.
California has increased its grant funding, created innovative programs, and expanded outreach efforts across state government, working in collaboration with community-based organizations.
The partnerships -- whether through the Stop the Hate Program or Ethnic Media Outreach Grants -- are “crucial and important parts of California’s comprehensive approach to combating hating,” Kish said.
Ethnic media platforms have also been a key component of strengthening the hotline’s statewide support network and improving access to resources for all of California’s diverse communities. CRD Deputy Director Becky Monroe added that ethnic media’s role of communicating with communities through radio, print, and online technology is essential because underserved communities see them as “trusted messengers.”
“We are proud to work with ethnic media because we know that in the past, we have not done justice to those stories. You all do justice to those stories,” Monroe said. “Through this partnership, we are able to effectively reach the communities we want to reach.”
* How To Report A Hate Crime:
CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NOHATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time.
Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline. For individuals who want to report a hate crime to law enforcement immediately or who are in imminent danger, please call 911.
For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate. org.
USDA Publishes Request for Information to Support Next Steps in Implementing the Growing Climate Solutions Act...continued
GCSA or contact Sasha Strohm, Program Manager, at sasha. strohm@usda.gov or 202-7205705.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the BidenHarris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in
all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
California Could End Donor and Legacy Preferences in College Admissions
The California Assembly approved a bill that bans admissions based on legacy ties and donor preferences at colleges and universities statewide with a 55-0 vote on May 21. Assemblymember Phil
California Could End Donor and Legacy Preferences in College Admissions...continued
number of prominent universities around the U.S. consider legacy and affiliation with donors in the admissions process. At Stanford University, over 13% of admitted students have connections to alumni or donors. More than 14% of newly admitted students at the University of Southern California have similar ties.
If the Legislature approves AB 1780 and Gov. Newsom signs it into law, the state will impose
a civil fine equal to the amount of CalGrants the university or college received in the previous year. "If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field," Ting said. California is set to join Maryland, Colorado, and Virginia in banning legacy and donor admissions at public and private institutions if the law gets approved.
“The Depth of Foolishness!”By Lou K. Coleman
Planning for the future without planning for one’s eternal future. How crazy is that! Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
[James 4:14]. You can’t assume that you will even be alive one minute from now. Planning for the future without planning for one’s eternal future. The depth of foolishness! Man boasts that he is ultimately in control of his life and future. Man says that he is “Master of his fate” the “Captain of his soul.” Lies, all lies! So many people today have become hoodwinked into believing that they are actually in control of their own lives and destinies. They believe that if they just work hard enough, look good enough, position themselves in the right places, or posture themselves in the right ways, that all of their dreams will come true. We hear it all the time our cultural clichés: “I can do anything if I set my mind to it!”
“Where there is a will, there is a way!” “You just have to follow your heart!” “It’s my life, I can live it however I want!” All of these lines initially sound good and right, but they are the lies of the devil. How much control do you think you have over your life? Are you unconquerable? Do you think that you are the master
of your own fate and the captain of your own soul? Contrary to the belief that we are all the masters of our own fate and captains of our own souls, the doctrine of the sovereignty of God affirms that the Lord rules over all. All things belong to His kingdom and are under His dominion. Nothing is plainer and express in Scripture than both His reign and the extent of it [Psalm 93:1-2; Psalm 97:12; Psalm 99:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalms 103:19; Nehemiah 9:6]. How easy it is for us human beings to be deceived into thinking that we are in control of our own lives. But no worries, God has ways of showing us that he is sovereign, and we are not! He uses many life circumstances to humble us and remind us that we are not in control.
Humble yourselves,” writes Peter, “under the mighty hand of God” [1 Peter 5:6]. For pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall [1Corinthians 10:12]. As [Ephesians 5:15-16] says—the wise man lives life carefully, not carelessly, for these days are evil. Every breath that you take, and all your ways is a gift from God— [Daniel 5:23]. For it is the Lord who gives to all life, breath, and all things” [Acts 17:25]. For in Him we live and move and have our being” [Acts 17:28]. Don’t get it twisted! Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; [Ephesians 4:18]. The Depth of Foolishness! Repent- Jesus is Coming Quickly!
Anissa Glaser-Bacon
During the last weeks of April and early weeks of May, it felt as if our college campuses—most visibly at Columbia University but also elsewhere—were filled with activists, police, and violence. Demonstrations were attended by supporters and disrupted by police in the name of public safety. The New York City mayor warns of a “movement to radicalize young people” run by “professionals at radicalizing our children.” The responses resulted in an escalation of events that included the takeover of a building on the Columbia campus. Some in the community have called for the National Guard to be sent in.
Ting (D- San Francisco) and Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas) co-authored Assembly Bill (AB) 1780, which will now be considered by the State Senate for approval.
Ting said he introduced the bill in response to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned race considerations for college admissions.
"If you work hard, get good grades, and have a well-rounded background, your spot should not be taken by someone else just because their family can write a big check or is a graduate of that school," Ting said.
It is well documented that a
For those of us who live in Ohio, these calls ring eerily familiar. On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard killed four student protesters and wounded nine others. Although I had not yet been born when this event happened, it has left an indelible mark on Ohio, on Kent State University (a short drive from the National Setting of the UCC and from where I live), and indeed upon all who yearn for peace. With all this in mind, it then came to my attention that in the weeks before this anniversary a Kent State student group brought Kyle Rittenhouse (the shooter acquitted of murder in shootings during civil unrest in Kenosha, WI in 2020) as a public speaker
to the Kent State campus. Out of concern, I reached out to United Christian Ministries on campus at Kent State to ask about the feeling on campus and to offer support. Collar and clergy shirt in hand, I was ready to go! However, in what could only have been divine providence, at the same time the lecture was going on, the ministry had a successful interfaith event with the campus Hillel organization and the Muslim Student’s Association. Through all of this I am left with a feeling of thankfulness for the UCC chaplains on campuses as they try to minister to an interfaith group of students that may not even be speaking to each other, who are trying to simply finish their semesters and also acting and calling for justice. I am thankful to those UCC educators who are teaching classes in the middle of crisis and making space for just and civil conversations. I am thankful to our local church pastors who have entered campuses to assist students, educators, chaplains, and administrators in finding some grounding in the middle of this work. Most importantly, I am thankful for the way God has witnessed to all of us that justice is not just possible, but probable, even if it comes tomorrow, a year from now, or ten years from now.
For many working in the early childhood field, we understand the need to offer our youngest children nurturing and caring environments that stimulate learning and healthy development. The neuroscience of brain development helps us understand why. In the first year of life, 1 million neural connections are made in the brain every minute. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are most critical to brain development and social-emotional well-being.
Ninety-five percent of brain development happens in the first five years of a child’s life.
Neuroplasticity is greatest in our younger years, so our ability to scaffold our brain toward resiliency starts early and has a lasting impact. But many things can get in the way of optimal development for young children. Abuse, racism, and poverty can cause stress and trauma. Being bullied in school or elsewhere can create significant challenges and undermine a sense of belonging. The lack of caring adults in these circumstances can leave children feeling unsafe and insecure. Living through a global pandemic or under the constant threat of racial or school violence can compound the stress response in children.
When a child experiences stressful things, especially over a prolonged period, there is great danger that the stress can register in the brain and body as trauma. When this happens, it has an extremely negative impact. The trauma scars reshape a child’s
Kali Thorne Ladd, Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Institute
brain. It disrupts the foundations of memory, decision-making, and emotional stability. Later in life, these traumatic wounds can fuel the fires of addiction and mental illness and cast shadows over the path of learning and growth. Trauma disrupts everything. But there is one important research and data point that offers hope. When children experience hard things, the one thing that can help them overcome trauma and develop resiliency is love.
Loving, caring relationships are the most important factor in building sturdy brain architecture and turning stress into resiliency. This is game-changing. It’s something we can all understand. Each one of us is wired for love. We all need it, and children have the greatest opportunity to thrive when immersed in it.
But what does this mean for people and organizations in the early childhood field? For teachers, policymakers and advocates? For leaders of organizations or our local, state, and federal government?
It means we have a moral imperative to create the best possible conditions for learning, love and growth for our youngest children. The good news is that we have plenty of examples and efforts to build from. Now we simply need the commitment to act in the best interest of our children.
Here are some next steps:
Visualize an ecosystem of love, care, and learning for children that begins before they are born and is designed to help them grow and thrive.
Prioritize giving all children access to loving, caring adults inside and outside of the home, understanding that love is not just nice to have, it’s an essential need.
Create dedicated funding streams for the expansion of early childhood programs and services at local, state, and federal levels.
Ensure public access to quality preschool programs that promote early learning
and health development while simultaneously strengthening the supply of childcare and the needs of working parents and families. Ensure that policymaking at all levels centers on young children and their families, including housing, healthcare, behavioral health, law enforcement, economic development, and education.
Now, it can be overwhelming to think about changing these complex systems. But there is a way to simplify things and for each of us to commit to doing what’s right for children in our world today, right now. Reach into your soul and heart and imagine your power to give the gift of love and resiliency to a child. Maybe it’s a child you know, a classroom you’re familiar with, a community or church that is part of your life. When you look inside, know that you can be an ambassador for love, an ambassador for helping children thrive in a community of love. It takes a lot of love to heal the world, but only takes a little to help a child know they belong, that they are cared for and safe, that they are loved and that they can heal. When we do that, we can change the world with one act of love followed by another, and another.
Kali Thorne Ladd leads the Children’s Institute, which leverages research, practice, policy, and advocacy to shift systems toward justice for families so that all of Oregon’s children, prenatal to grade 5, have access to opportunity.
101 North
20 January
Former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s legal team, under the direction of public defender James Wyda, vehemently opposed the imposition of a prison sentence and argued for a lesser punishment than the potential 40 years that are still on the table. “‘Just’ punishment does not mandate, or always include a prison sentence,” Wyda demanded.
Arguing against jail time for his client, Wyda invoked a central theme that Mosby and her supporters have repeatedly emphasized since her indictment in January 2022 – the assertion that she was criminally investigated and prosecuted because she is a Black woman and a trailblazing prosecutor.
“Ms. Mosby was accessing retirement funds that, though held in trust, were derived from her own income, as was the money used to fund the $5,000 gift letter,” Wyda insisted. “She did not defraud taxpayers, government agencies, or others to access someone else’s money.” Prosecutors, however, are pushing for a starkly different outcome, urging U.S. Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby, who is Black and a nominee of President Joe Biden, to impose at least a 20-month prison sentence for Mosby’s felony
convictions. In their memo, prosecutors Sean Delaney and Aron Zelinsky portrayed Mosby as a lawbreaker who continues to show no remorse and as a liar who deceitfully acted in her own self-interest during the COVID pandemic.
Mosby’s convictions stem from allegations related to documents she signed to purchase two Florida vacation properties, one at Kissimmee and the other in Longboat Key.
Despite Mosby’s insistence that she did nothing wrong by withdrawing money from her city retirement account to finance the properties, jurors found her guilty of two counts of perjury for claiming to have suffered a COVID-related financial loss to withdraw money early and without penalty from her retirement account. Additionally, she was convicted of mortgage fraud for submitting a false gift letter as part of a mortgage application to buy the Longboat Key property.
Prosecutors have also moved to seize the Florida property.
Supporters of Mosby, including thousands of individuals and civil rights organizations, have rallied behind her, urging Biden to pardon her. “The only thing Marilyn Mosby is guilty of is the desire to provide her family with a better life,” NAACP
President Derrick Johnson asserted. “The sad reality is, as Black women take their rightful places in positions of power, dark forces seek to tear down both their progress and that of our community.”
Numerous people have signed online petitions and written letters to the President claiming that the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice wrongfully convicted Mosby and subjected her to political persecution. Quoting law professor Sherrilyn Ifill, who submitted a statement to the court on Mosby’s behalf, Wyda added, “Given her stature and
notable contributions as a public servant, [prison time] will send yet another devastating message about the nature of our justice system and its uncompromising and harsh application to people of color.”
Despite former Baltimore NAACP head Doc Cheatham urging Johnson to “stay out” of Mosby’s situation because he doesn’t view it as a civil rights issue, Johnson continued to call on Biden for a pardon.
“It is a miscarriage of justice and an example of the last administration’s misuse of authority,” Johnson declared.
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Starting a business is a challenging task that requires a certain optimism, imagination, and perseverance. If you’re looking to start your own business, here are some important initial steps to consider: Know the business in and out. Whether you want to sell homemade sauces, open a place that serves coffee or offer Artificial Intelligence services, you should know your product or service, the market you have and the competitors. Briefly
to focus on your idea, see the path ahead and communicate it to potential investors. Agile startups only need the description of the proposal, what is needed, finances and potential clients.
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Assess the need for financing and look for it. The business plan you created will help you.
Many entrepreneurs initially use their personal credit card to fund a business, but there are actually business credit cards, like Chase’s Ink Business Cash Card, that can help meet your needs while earning rewards like cash back on business purchases. If you’re looking to obtain a business loan, you can work with a bank or through the Small Business Administration. Alternatively, there may be public and foundation subsidies where you can do crowdfunding.
Determine the legal structure and register your company. This affects your tax obligations and legal liability. Some options
include sole proprietorship, or Unipersonal Company — one owner is responsible for the debts; partnership –if there are more than two people; corporation — to separate personal responsibility from that of the business; LLC — or Limited Liability (the most common). Seek legal assistance to determine what structure is best for you and your business. Register with the IRS. Consider whether you should have an employer identifier number among other things to keep tax obligations separate. For more information and tips on how to start and manage a business, visit chase.com/ business.
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and simply describe what your business consists of, what need or market it serves and who your potential clients are.
Create a Business Plan. A guide or roadmap focused on your business idea, the market and how you plan to reach your objectives, will not only help you open and face the challenges that exist in a business but also maintain it. Additionally, it will allow you
House Democrats aim to restore balance and fairness to the U.S. Supreme Court
By Ashlee Banks Special to the AFROU.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, (D-Ga-4) and other members of Congress have launched the “Court Reform Now Task Force” to restore balance and fairness to the U.S. Supreme Court.
U.S. Reps. Johnson stated that he, Jasmine Crockett, (D-Texas-30), Madeleine Dean, (D-Pa-4), and Jamie Raskin (DMd.), launched this task force to bring “awareness, educate members and staff and elevate debate around key pieces of court reform legislation to fix and rebalance the court.”
The House Democrats aim to introduce multiple pieces of legislation. The Judiciary Act would expand the number of justices appointed to the bench.
The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act (SCERT) aims to require the court to adopt a binding code of ethics and transparency. Finally, the TERM Act would limit the number of years that justices can serve. At this time, justices serve lifetime appointments.
“We need to unpack this court,” Johnson told the AFRO.
“This court is poised to do major damage to our freedom and liberty with rulings that are pending as we speak.”
“We have to rebalance the court to take the edge off of this extremism that exists,” said Johnson, adding that the country needs to eliminate lifetime appointments “so that we have a system where the justices” are held accountable for their actions.
This task force has come as the court’s credibility has been called into question in recent months.
In April 2023, it was revealed that Chief Justice John Robert’s wife raked in millions of dollars after assisting high-ranking lawyers who later brought their
cases before the Supreme Court justices.
In April 2023, Justice Clarence Thomas came under fire for neglecting to disclose lavish gifts he received from Harlan Crow, a wealthy GOP donor over the course of his tenure as a Supreme Court justice. Most recently Justice Samuel Alito faced scrutiny after pictures surfaced showing an American flag flying upside-down at his residence in Alexandria, VA. days before President Joe Biden’s inauguration in Jan. 2021. The upside-down flag is a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement which has been widely used by former President Donald Trump supporters after the Republican leader lost his bid for the oval office to Biden.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, (R-Fla-19) told the AFRO that the U.S. Supreme Court does not need to adopt a code of ethics. Donalds then went on to address the Justice Alito flag incident, stating, “First of all didn’t do it, his wife did it.”
“The flag upside is a sign of duress. That’s what it mostly means,” said Donalds. “The court should not be investigated or adopt a code of ethics.” Despite some opposition from Republican colleagues, Johnson and other House Democrats aim to introduce the court reform legislation this session and are hopeful that they will gain bipartisan support to pass the statutes into law.