SB American News Week Ending 10/19

October

2022 Thursday Edition

Council Members Martinez and de León

Attract the Ire of The Black Community

Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr.| California Black Media

A leaked audio recording of a meeting between Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, Council Members Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo and L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera revealed that a number of racially insensitive comments were made.

The revelations have forced the four Latino leaders to make public apologies as calls from the Black community for them to resign their positions increases.

Councilman Mike Bonin’s son was referred to by Martinez as “ese changuito,” which means little monkey, and “su negrito,” which is a derogatory term for a Black person. Bonin is White and his son is Black.

Bonin is calling for Martinez to be removed as president of the city council and for her and de León to resign.

“We are appalled, angry, and absolutely disgusted that Nury Martinez attacked our son with horrific racist slurs, and talked about her desire to physically harm him,” Bonin wrote in a statement with his partner Sean Arian. “It’s vile, abhorrent, and utterly disgraceful. The City Council needs to remove her as Council President immediately, and she needs to resign from office. Any parent reading her comments will know she is unfit for public office.”

The racially insensitive comments and uncomplimentary remarks about their city council colleagues were made during an October 2021 meeting convened to discuss the redrawing of council district boundaries to reflect the 2020 U.S. Census.

Martinez’s comment about Bonin’s son were directed at his behavior during a Dr. Martin

Luther King Day Parade in 2017. She claimed his son nearly caused a float she was on during the parade to tip over and said that someone need to “parent that kid.”

“They’re raising him like a little white kid,” Martinez said. “I was like, ‘this kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner and then I'll bring him back.’”

All of the participants in the meeting have issued public apologies.

“In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry,” Martinez stated.

“The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color," the statement said. “My work speaks for itself. I’ve worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.” Martinez also said.

De León who called Bonin the council’s "fourth Black member", was also caught saying “Mike Bonin won’t (expletive) ever say peep about Latinos. He’ll never say a (expletive) word about us.”

“There were comments made in the context of this meeting that are wholly inappropriate; and I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private. I've reached out to that colleague personally," de León stated in his apology.

Cedillo said, “While I did not engage in the conversation in question, I was present at times during this meeting last year....

Clearly, I should have intervened.”

Herrera in his statement said, "I didn't step up to stop them and I will have to bear the burden of that cross moving forward."

The three current Black city council members, Curren Price, Heather Hutt, and Marquees Harris Dawson, issued a joint statement about the recording that said, “This is a dark day for LA politics for African Americans, the LGBTQ+community, Indigenous people and Angelenos who have put their faith and trust in local government......The actions of our colleagues should not be tolerated and a vapid tongue has no place in City Hall. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever”

Karen Bass who’s been endorsed by Martinez for LA mayor responded to the recording by stating “Let me be clear about what was on those tapes: appalling, anti-Black racism.... All those in the room must be held accountable, and I’ve spent the day speaking with Black and Latino leaders about how to ensure this does not divide our city.”

Bass’ opponent, Rick Caruso’s statement on the racially charged comments said, “Everyone involved in this should be held accountable.” Caruso has been endorsed by Cedillo.

Jasmyne A. Cannick, who has worked as a political spokesperson and is a City Hall veteran tweeted, “I’m watching how long it’s taking all of our allies to disavow their comments and call for their resignation. I told y’all Los Angeles was an anti-Black city.”

The California-Hawaii (CA/HI) State Conference of the NAACP and the Los Angeles Branch of the NAACP are calling for the

immediate resignation of Martinez, Cedillo, de León, and Herrera.

“This kind of overt racism has no place in political discourse,” said Rick L. Callender, President of the CA/HI State Conference of the NAACP.

“We will not sit idly by and allow our elected representatives to engage in these kinds of disgusting and racist behaviors,” said Latricia Mitchell, President of the Los Angeles Branch of the NAACP.

Both the NAACP State Conference and the LA Branch are asking for the City of Los Angeles to investigate, how far the racial animus has impacted hiring and other decisions of the City Council.

Story Update:

Nury Martinez, resigned as Los Angeles City Council president

Her resignation is effective immediately. However, she will remain a member of the council. She is up for reelection in 2024.

Martinez represents the city’s 6th district, which includes Hollywood, Panorama City and other parts of the San Fernando Valley.

Martinez said in her statement announcing her resignation as president that, “Going forward, reconciliation will be my priority. I have already reached out to many of my Black colleagues and other Black leaders to express my regret in order for us to heal. I ask for forgiveness from my colleagues and from the residents of this city that I love so much. In the end, it is not my apologies that matter most; it will be the actions I take from this day forward. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to make amends.”

Professor John Banzhaf Answers: “Can former president Trump be allowed to run for president again?”

by Larry Buford

Over the years I have had the privilege of reprinting for publication many informative and insightful articles written by our distinguished interviewee today, John F. Banzhaf III, B.S.E.E., J.D., Sc.D.

John Banzhaf is a professor of public interest law emeritus at the George Washington University Law School. Although best known for founding a renowned anti-smoking advocacy group, his public interest successes in the field of government include helping to obtain special prosecutors for former president Richard Nixon and suing former vice president Spiro Agnew to get back the money he took in bribes. He also helped reform laws related to voting and copyrights; and filed ethical complaints against former congressman Barney Frank and vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro. Most recently, he filed a formal complaint accusing former president Donald Trump of violating at least three laws. This triggered the current criminal investigation of Trump in Georgia.

Today’s Q & A topic is a question many voters have been asking: “Can former president Trump be allowed to run for president again?” Amid all the blaring personal and political allegations he is facing, it would seem no way he could, but here’s Mr. Banzhaf’s take on it:

Q. How can a former president who (allegedly knowingly) made election fraud accusations, refused to publicly concede defeat of the 2020 election, and refused a peaceful transfer of power, even be qualified to run for office again?

A. The U.S. Constitution sets forth the very minimal standards or requirements for someone to be president – at least 35 years old, and a natural born citizen who has lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years – and therefore to be qualified for the office. It’s clear that not even the Congress, through legislation, can add to those requirements. Thus, even assuming that Trump was found guilty of various criminal charges, he could still run for and serve as president.

The argument would be that the voters get to choose the president (albeit through the clumsy Electoral College), and they can consider the extent to which even the most reprehensible acts should disqualify someone. This is true in general, which is why people have run for office even while sitting in a jail cell after having been convicted of a crime.

John Banzhaf III

However, the Constitution –Section 3 of the 14th Amendment – provides: “No person … shall hold any [state or federal] office, who, having previously taken an oath, as [a state or federal officer] to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” If someone has taken the oath of office – whether or not that person is currently in office – and later “engage[s] in insurrection or rebellion,” that person is constitutionally prohibited from holding any state or federal office in the present or future. While the law regarding that section is far from clear, it has been held, in at least one case, that an office seeker was disqualified for engaging in insurrection or rebellion. If Trump is convicted on such a charge, it would be up to the authorities to decide whether he would be disqualified from holding any federal office in the future.

Q. Given Trump’s financial crisis alone, could that prevent or disqualify him from obtaining a Top Secret clearance from the DOJ for being “at risk” for compromise? And what about illegally removing classified documents from the White House and storing them improperly in his private home? How can he be trusted to run for Office of the President again?

A. The law seems clear that a president may declassify even the most secret of documents (although probably not just by thinking about it). It also appears that he can award himself whatever security clearance he wishes, despite any prior misdeeds, either directly or by ordering subordinates to award him the clearance. As president, he probably has the right to see any document, regardless of its classification, and/or his lack of a security clearance.

Q. Why is the former president, under multiple investigations, being allowed to mislead his followers and create chaos in the election process?

A. The First Amendment, history, and well-established custom say that no one can NOT allow (i.e., disallow) a president,

Photo: Screenshot Jasmine A. Cannick Facebook page ( L to R ) City council members Nury Martinez, Kevin de Leon,Gil Cedillo and Ron Herrera Los Angeles County Labor Federation

Young Men And Women Of San Bernardino High Prove They Are Role Models During Mr. And Miss Cardinal City Pageant

Register Now for the SBVC Campus and Community Meeting...continued

share ideas and feedback on how SBVC might best support our students and community moving forward.

Register now to share your thoughts, knowledge, and expertise with us as we work together to make Valley the best it can be for our students and

our community! (You may also copy and paste the registration link into your browser: https:// sbccdir.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/ form/SV_5iqsULpGAkoULKm

In partnership,

Joanna

Social Lites, Inc. Live Music Concert

Bridging the Gap Awards Celebration and Fundraising Gala!...continued

legacy driven impacts in service to Inland Empire communities.

The Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. has announced it will be honoring City of Fontana's very own Mayor Acquanetta Warren for her Achievements in Civic Leadership. "We are thrilled and looking forward to honoring Mayor Warren, a pillar in the community that leverages collaboration, inclusiveness, innovation and civic engagement to address issues and foster change,” said Executive Director Melanee Stovall.

will go toward the purchase of a van equipped to transport the foundation’s disabled champions to and from medical appointments, social outings, and more." said Executive Assistant Denise Loiacano. “We encourage you to participate in this trailblazing opportunity to support an underserved and unrecognized community,” she said.

On Saturday, September 24, Michael Torres was crowned Mr. Cardinal City and Anne Martinez was crowned Miss Cardinal City during the combined pageant held at Sturges Center for the Fine Arts.

The Mr. and Miss Cardinal City pageant is the brainchild of Bilingual School Outreach Worker

Jaime Rios, who wanted to bring positive attention to both San Bernardino High School (SBHS) and the entire San Bernardino community. He also wanted to build confidence and inspire positive values in the young men and women of SBHS, home of the Cardinals, which is why the focus of the entire process is on academics, social skills, and community service.

“Every one of the contestants, no matter how they placed, proved they are fit to represent Cardinal City and have demonstrated they are role models for the students and adults in our community,” Rios said. “These students dedicated more than 40 hours to practicing for the pageant and 25 hours of community service in addition to their school work, after-school clubs, sports, music, and a host of other activities.”

Other big winners were Jamie Lusung, who was crowned Teen International Beauty 2022–2023, and Raven Solar, who was crowned Miss International Beauty 2022–2023. Both will be part of Miss Cardinal City’s court. Jasmine Toolan was awarded a full scholarship, excluding the cost of equipment, to attend the JA School of Hairdressing in Corona to pursue her dream of becoming a cosmetologist or aesthetician. Karina Roldan was awarded a $3,000 scholarship from Dr. Sam Nguyen’s SAM Foundation and also earned recognition for being the contestant with the highest GPA at 4.89.

Rounding out the Miss Cardinal City Court are first runner-up Rachelle Hutto and second runner-up Anitzia Garcia. The Mr. Cardinal City Court includes first runner-up Freddy Martias and second runner-up Anthony Arias. Other award winners included Mr. Photogenic Freddy Matias, Miss Photogenic Anne Martinez, People’s Choice Award winners Michael Torres and Jamie Lusung, and Director’s Award winners Jasmine Toolan and Rachelle Hutto.

Mr. and Miss Cardinal City and their Courts will represent Cardinal City, which is an official chartered city that encompasses the SBHS campus and all of its current students and staff, at various inperson and virtual functions.

Miss International Beauty and Teen International Beauty are owned by Ms. America Pageant Inc. and are registered federal trademarks. Both titles focus on using the exhilaration of pageantry to teach women and girls important life skills, encourage involvement in community service, and use their Crown for a Purpose, while shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Louise Madlin founded Miss International Beauty in 1970, and Susan Irvine founded the Teen International Pageant in 2020. The titles are donated to the Miss Cardinal Pageant to give more students the ability to be out and serve in their community.

Miss International Beauty and Teen International Beauty are eligible for scholarships based on meeting required appearances and volunteer work during their reign.

Mr. and Miss Cardinal City are eligible for college scholarships when they graduate from SBHS. To donate to the Cardinal Scholarship fund, contact Communications/ Community Relations secretary Susan Zavala at (909) 381-1250.

Register Now for the SBVC Campus and Community Meeting

Dear SBVC Community Member,

Last spring, San Bernardino Valley College embarked on a yearlong process to create our Educational Master Plan. Educational Master Plans (EMPs) in higher education serve as strategic roadmaps to advance student success, guide institutional and program development, plan for emerging needs, and allocate resources over the course of the next 5 years. Valley’s EMP will work in tandem with the District’s Strategic Plan, along with several other initiatives, including but not limited to Guided Pathways and

our Student Equity Plan.

This year’s Campus and Community Meeting (October 26th from 4 to 6 PM via Zoom) will focus on our EMP process. We will share SBVC’s revised mission, vision, and value statements, as well as pertinent data points and information regarding the work of the SBVC EMP Steering Committee thus far. Attendees will have the opportunity to work in small interest groups, each with a focus on one of the College’s primary strategic directions, to

The Social Lites Inc. a 5013c is proud to present “one of our own” Inland Empire’s newest rising star “Myles Prower Davis” during a Live Musical Concert on Sunday, Dec. 4th at his home church, the beautiful Life Changing Ministries in San Bernardino.

Davis is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and entertainer based in Los Angeles was born and raised in the Inland Empire. At the age of 7 he received his early Classical and Jazz musical training through the Redlands Unified School District as well as through the University of Redlands, School of Music.

Throughout his early years he began performing for various clubs, social events and organizations in the I.E. including several youth symphonies across the So. Calif. Area. At age 11, he had his Symphony Debut with the Bellflower Symphony Association with Maestro Joseph R. Taylor.

He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with his degree in Composition and Clarinet performance although his true love was Classic Jazz.

Upon graduating, his jazz became prominent as he was a featured performer with the Disneyland Resort, including the Disneyland band and Pixarmonic Orchestra and was performing with a multitude of So Calif. Jazz and Big Bands.

Myles has composed half time field shows for area High Schools as well as he has arrangement

credits which include music for SeaWorld San Diego, the Fresh Rhythm Band and LALA Brass. He composed original music for the “HBO Perry Mason series” and has performed in Washington D.C., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and in Toyko, Japan. You can find Myles traveling to different So Calif. venues every weekend and he just appeared on “The Late Late Show with James Cordon” which featured Cedrick the Entertainer. He is scheduled to perform at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas for The Great Gatsby Party this weekend. Currently he is employed with the Audiomachine company in LA, which creates music for major movie trailers and national commercials where he has had numerous additional releases.

During this 1st Time Ever Social Lites sponsored Concert, Myles will perform his Original Compositions, Classical, Christian and Jazz music to delight every attendee. Tickets sales are happening now with General Admission $35.00, VIP $40.00 and Children 6 to 12 yrs old is $10.00.

Proceeds will go toward the Social Lites Scholarship Fund where we have awarded approx. 2.5 million dollars over the past 55+ years to college bound underserved youth in our area. Please call Marlene Davis at (909) 709-5502 or Sheri Lewis (909) 320-0799 for more information. This is a concert you will NOT want to miss!

Bridging the Gap Awards Celebration and Fundraising Gala!

Community News

Fontana, CA, October 10, 2022-

The Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. to host its Bridging the Gap Awards Celebration and Fundraising Gala, emceed by Squeaky Clean Comedian Mel Austin, on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 6:30p.m. This historic event will be held at the beautiful Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Community Center in Fontana. The Inland Empire's most

influential business, political, faithbased and community leaders are expected to be in attendance, as the nonprofit draws attention to the disease of epilepsy during its nationally recognized month and celebrates the exceptional work and achievements of its most dedicated supporters, individuals and organizations who have made

Additional honorees include; Kimberly Anthony-Morrow, recipient of the Bridging the Gap in Academic Achievement Award, Sheri Bogh, recipient of the Bridging the Gap Community Hero Award, Alton L. Garrett Jr., recipient of the Founders Choice Award, Nykauni Tademy, recipient of the Bridging the Gap Community Empowerment Award and Miles Levin, recipient of the Bridging the Gap in Media Excellence Award. “We are bursting with excitement to celebrate the tremendous work that each of our honorees contributes to bridging the gap in providing our communities with a better way of life,” added Ms. Stovall.

The Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. is a California 501(c)3 nonprofit public benefit corporation founded to support individuals and families who suffer from epilepsy and other seizure related disorders. Helping those, they call champions, to live a sustainable life through participation of essential supportive programs and services.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, "epilepsy affects 1 out of every 26 individuals; 3.4 million people nationwide, more than 65 million people globally, and 150,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States each year."

The proceeds of the fundraiser

The Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. has been recognized by San Bernardino County 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., Riverside County 5th District Supervisor Jeff Hewitt, Mayor of Fontana Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Rialto Deborah Robertson, 64th District Assemblymember Mike Gipson, 47th District Assemblymember and Majority Leader Eloise Reyes Gomez, and 36th District Congressman Raul Ruiz; for the work they are doing to raise awareness of epilepsy and other seizure related disorders and for supporting those suffering.

For tickets, sponsorship, and advertising visit www. legacybridgesfoundation.org/ galaregistration or call (951)3740933 for more information.

Unable to attend, make a contribution today at www.givebutter.com/ LegacyBridgesFoundationDonations to support the foundation's efforts to support the epilepsy and seizure disorder community. All contributions are fully tax deductible.

Respectfully,

Melanee A. Stovall, MBA Executive Director Legacy Bridges Foundation, Inc. - Nonprofit of the Year Honoree! 951-374-0933 www.legacybridgesfoundation. org

Statement by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Executive Director, National Collaborative for Health Equity Food Insecurity Must Become A National Priority

By Dr. Gail C. Christopher

residents with diets dominated by unhealthy foods. These corporate investment decisions fuel chronic conditions like obesity that increases the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer, which lead to poor health outcomes and premature deaths. In total, more than 19 million people live in the food deserts.

WASHINGTON, DC - “The National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE) applauds President Biden for hosting the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health last week, the first in more than 50 years. The administration provided a much-needed platform for these critical issues that are too often overlooked by families, public officials, and community leaders. We ask the administration to continue pursuing food security. The federal government must place more emphasis on food security – both reducing hunger and eliminating the ‘food deserts’ that plague urban communities of color, where fresh, healthy food is not conveniently available.

“For decades, the private sector has chosen not to significantly invest in grocery stores in urban communities of color, leaving

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that before the worst of the pandemic roughly 35 million Americans, including more than 5 million children, were unable to meet their food needs or know where their next meal was coming from. Further, Blacks and Hispanics are affected disproportionately, with 19.1 % of Black households and 15.6 % of Hispanic households experiencing food insecurity, compared to only 7.9% of White households.

“It is a problem that cannot be ignored any longer.

“Three organizations, NCHE, the Texas Health Institute and Virginia Commonwealth University tracked food security and other indicators of health during a massive data gathering initiative known as the HOPE Initiative. The program provides interactive data to help states and the nation move beyond measuring continued on page 3

Newly crowned Miss Cardinal City Anne Martinez and Mr. Cardinal City Michael Torres at the September 24 pageant. (Photo by Steven Moore and provided courtesy of SBCUSD)

Dr. Gail C. Christopher

As The Midterms Approach, Fake News Kicks Into HIGH Gear

By Peter White

As the midterms approach, voters are being bombarded with disinformation in multiple languages.

People who are addicted to fake news get it from sources they trust.

Trouble is, people who produce it know they are lying.

“This information has always existed,” says Vanessa Cárdenas, deputy director of America’s Voice and a policy expert on political disinformation. During an Ethnic Media Services press call last week, Cárdenas said that there’s a lot more fake news out there and it spreads quickly.

“What’s different is the way in which we are consuming information has changed, and that has created this monster that we are not able to control, and many times the platforms are not able to control,” she said.

News that misleads reaches millions via Facebook and Twitter. When Fox News peddles conspiracy theories, they play to an audience that wants to believe the message regardless of whether it is true or not.

Cárdenas said false narratives about immigration, crime, and the economy are flourishing on Fox News and its viewers see them repeated constantly as the midterm elections approach. She said the Right has created an echo chamber that reinforces and amplifies negative stereotypes about immigrants or repeats the “big lie” that Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

“We see that candidates, Republican candidates, are taking a lot of these themes and are using them in their ads.

America’s Voice has been tracking TV ads for campaigns across the country and we see hundreds and hundreds of ads. We see hundreds and hundreds of emails that come from these campaigns touching on these themes,” Cárdenas said.

Disinformation creates a feedback loop that amplifies false messages to voters and politicians use them to win elections.

“It’s a political tactic. There’s no policy substance. It’s not a factual conversation. It’s not a solutionoriented conversation. It’s all about giving red meat to their base,” she said.

Added to the slew of misinformation are a raft of newly enacted restrictive voting laws. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, after the 2020 election 21 states passed 42 restrictive voting laws.

Mekela Panditharatne with the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program noted these laws “target or disproportionately impact

Latino and Black voters. And we found that newly registered voters are most likely to be Latino,” she said.

Many of these new voters are being bombarded with misinformation on Spanishlanguage platforms.

Spanish radio is the news media of choice for Latinos in states like Florida and Texas. Factchequeado, a Spanish fact-checking platform, calls out fake news in Spanish language news media by using WhatsApp, a cross-platform instant messaging service popular among Latino/a communities.

Factchequeado started in April with support from the Google News Initiative and is modeled after two similar operations, Maldita.es in Spain and Chequeado in Argentina. It has 30 large and small media partners who collaborate as fake news watchdogs.

“We are seeing a lot of disinformation similar to the past election,” says Factchequeado Managing Editor Tamoa Calzadilla, former director of fact checking at Univision, the largest

Spanish language TV network in the U.S.

Allegations of fraud in the 2020 election are common, along with other false narratives directed at Latino/a communities. Calzadilla cited one fake story circulating on radio stations in Florida that claimed the Internal Revenue Service bought ammunition to attack people in their homes and steal their money.

Two other false narratives circulating widely in Spanishspeaking communities are “the border crisis” and race replacement theory that says U.S. immigration authorities are letting “illegals” come into the country to replace whites.

Calzadilla said that both parties spin the news but the tidal wave of disinformation about crime and especially immigration, comes from conservatives. When radio announcers call undocumented immigrants “illegals” they are making a political statement and spreading a false narrative, too.

The hard truth is that the country is polarized and hungry for news that both influences their opinions and reinforces what they already believe. Immigration is a top issue with Latinos right now and ideologues are exploiting it.

Some Latinos see Dreamers and new asylum seekers as immigrants just like themselves. Others with legal status, or waiting for it, see new arrivals as cheaters trying to continued on page 4

Food Insecurity Must Become A National Priority...continued from page 2 disparities to spurring action toward achieving health equity.

“The HOPE researchers confirmed the disturbing lack of food security but also explained what it would take to fix the nation’s food security problem. In Texas 4.3 million people needed to achieve food security to reach HOPE’s 97% threshold, in Arizona the number was 930,150 residents and in Mississippi it was 803,839 people.

“We know the task is arduous. But all of America, including our public, private and non-profit sectors, must show the resolve to improve food security so every American enjoys healthier life outcomes. Food security can have a positive impact on our society by boosting economic productivity, creating better educational outcomes, and preventing avoidable health care costs from nutrition-related health issues. Together, America can make it happen.”

About NCHE

Founded in 2014, NCHE established to promote health equity through action, leadership, inclusion, and collaboration. We work to create environments that foster the best possible health outcomes for all populations, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or nativity. NCHE also works to improve conditions for health and wellbeing, including those related to housing, education, income and wealth and the physical and social environment. Further, it is imperative that we address historic and contemporary structural, institutional, and interpersonal racism, which fuels inequities in our society.

Professor John Banzhaf Answers: “Can former president Trump be allowed to run for president again?”...continued from page 1

or a candidate for other public office, to mislead people and create confusion, except if he is under oath and subject to penalties for perjury. Otherwise, we would have a judge or other government official deciding whether a political statement is misleading.

In short, a president is not like a pitchman for soap. The latter’s claims are subject to review, and to requirements of verifiable truth, by the FTC or others. But no agency, even including the Federal Election Commission, can review and censor the statements of a candidate for public office.

We thank you Professor Banzhaf for your law-based and constitutional-informed responses.

People, democracy is the ship that holds America together. We see the signs that we’re on course for a shipwreck, and unless we use the power of our vote to change course, we are doomed for a catastrophe of titanic proportion.

RETIRED COUPLE

V.I.P.

JOHN F. BANZHAF III, B.S.E.E., J.D., Sc.D. Professor of Public Interest Law Emeritus George Washington University Law School

“The Man Behind the Ban on Cigarette Commercials”

FAMRI Dr. William Cahan Distinguished Professor Fellow, World Technology Network

Founder, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)

Inventor of the “Banzhaf Index” (202) 994-7229 // (703) 5278418

http://banzhaf.net/ jbanzhaf3ATgmail.com @ profbanzhaf

Larry Buford is a Los Angelesbased contributing writer. Author of “Things Are Gettin’ Outta Hand” and “Book To The Future” (Amazon). Email: LBuford8101@ hotmail.com

Press releases and legals Submission Deadline MONDAYS by 5pm Press Releases can be emailed to: mary@sb-american Submit legals on website: sb-american.com

Zelle Fraud Is Rising. And Banks Aren’t Coming to the Rescue

By Analysis by Allison Morrow and CNN Business | The Atlanta Voice

— make transferring money to your friend who just paid for dinner easy and free and fast.

It’s kind of crazy to remember how anyone moved money among friends before the advent of payment apps. Did I actually carry cash with me?

Zelle, the popular payment app, is under fire for how it handles (or rather, doesn’t handle) fraud and scams that have exploded on the platform in recent years.

The New York Times called Zelle out in two reports earlier this year. That grabbed the attention of US senators, who pressed the CEOs of the nation’s large banks that own the platform in hearings last month and began an investigation into the service.

Here’s the deal: On Monday, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office said its investigation into Zelle showed that fraud and theft are not only rampant but getting worse. And once people report fraudulent transactions, banks are reimbursing only a small fraction of the swindled customers.

“Big banks own and profit from Zelle but are failing to make their customers whole for both authorized and unauthorized fraudulent activity on the platform, despite their claims that it is safe,” Warren’s office wrote.

Key things to know:

Zelle (rhymes with “tell”) was created in 2017 as the banking industry’s answer to Venmo and Cash App.

The fintech companies behind those apps were doing what big banks had failed to do for decades

So the big banks got together and created Zelle, which was lame and almost no one used it till around 2020, when digital payments took off in response to the pandemic.

Zelle is now by far the largest peer-to-peer payment system in America. Last year, according to Zelle, transactions totaled $490 billion, up 59% from the year before. (PayPal-owned Venmo, its closest rival, handled $230 billion.)

The service is operated by Early Warning Systems, a fintech company owned by seven of the US’s largest banks.

Naturally, where the internet and money collide is where scammers get to work.

Zelle’s size and accessibility — it’s built right into participating banks’ apps — make it the “preferred tool of fraudsters and other bad actors,” according to the report from Warren’s office.

Among the investigation’s key findings, which corroborate anecdotal evidence reported by the Times:

Banks are not repaying 90% of cases in which customers were tricked into making payments on Zelle.

An estimated $440 million was lost by Zelle users through frauds and scams in 2021. But banks “appear not to have provided sufficient recourse to their customers.”

“Authorized” vs “Unauthorized:” Under a federal rule known as Regulation E, banks are technically only liable to cover fraudulent activity when it involves “unauthorized” transactions. Say, when someone steals your credit

Till Debuts at 2022 New York Film Festival

by Dwight Brown NNPA

“Hardly a moment goes by when I don’t think about Emmett and the lessons a son can teach a mother.” Quoted from Mamie Till-Mobley.

Emmett Till, a black teen, was murdered by racists in Money, Mississippi on April 28th in 1955.

Writer/director Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency) and cowriters Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp (doc filmmaker of the award-winning The Untold Story of Emmett Till) recount this brutal crime largely from the mother’s point of view. A mom whose quest for accountability and justice sparked a new age in the civil rights movement. A crusade that became a blueprint for

other Black moms forced into the same situation by heinous acts of violence. Till-Mobley passed away in 2003, but her fighting spirit lives on in this very enlightening and deeply emotional bio/drama.

In 1955, Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler, The Harder They Fall), a young single-mom and widow, has a very respected office job with the Air Force in Chicago. With great trepidation and egged on by her mother Alma (Whoopi Goldberg), she sends her 14-yearold son Emmett (Jalyn Hall, Bruiser) South to Mississippi for the summer to stay with relatives.

Before his departure, Mamie dutifully and prophetically warns her affable son that he must

tone down his vibrant behavior, recognize the evils of racism and be on his guard. Hanging with his cousins outside a grocery store, Emmett whistles at and offends Carol Bryant (Haley Bennett), a white woman whose family owns the shop. Several nights later, Bryant’s irate husband, his half-brother and others barged into the Emmett’s granduncle’s house, abduct, mutilate and shoot the vulnerable boy dead.

News of the teen’s disappearance and subsequent killing reaches Chicago. Mamie’s worst fears turn into agony and grief. She’s shocked into action, seeking the truth, accountability and a reckoning. Courageously she stands up to southern racism during her son’s killers’ trial: “Hate is like a virus in the blood of Mississippi.”

Meticulously, with the refined brushstrokes of an artist, the wisdom of a shaman and the spirit of a fighter, Chukwu retells Mamie’s history-making story. Feelings of sadness, anger and ultimately inspiration emerge in ways that will enlighten and move audiences. Ingeniously, as her illuminating bio/crime/drama

IN MEMORIAM: Jazz Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, 81

By Post Staff

Jazz saxophonist Farrell ‘Pharoah’ Sanders, a pioneer of ‘spiritual’ jazz who lived in Oakland for a time before gaining renown in New York with John Coane’s band in the 1960s, passed away in Los Angeles on Sept. 24, 2022. He was 81.

“We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away,” family representatives tweeted Saturday morning. “He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.”

Tributes like this from on YouTube by nbaccess were seen on social media.

“Pharoah was like John Coane. So soft and tempered in the daily life and human interactions but incredibly powerful and soulful when he blown this horn…he was a truly Spiritual Man, just as John. Ornette Coleman famously said that Pharoah is probably ‘the best tenor saxophonist in the world.’ I don’t think we will hear such kind of artists for a long, long time… RIP Pharoah. Your music is your true essence and will never die!”

“My beautiful friend passed away this morning. I am so lucky to have known this man, and we are all blessed to have his art stay with us forever. Thank you, Pharoah,” said San Shepard, whose stage name is Floating Points.

“A visionary amongst visionaries. Pharaoh forever.”

Thurston Moore Tweeted.

Born in Little Rock, Ark., on Oct. 13, 1940, Sanders showed early aptitude for music, playing several instruments including

drums and clarinet before he settled on the tenor sax in high school.

“I was always trying to figure out what I wanted to do as a career. What I really wanted to do was play the saxophone — that was one of the instruments that I really loved,” Sanders told The New Yorker. “I would rent the school saxophone. You could rent it every day if you wanted to. It wasn’t a great horn. It was sort of beat-up and out of condition.”

Nevertheless, Sanders played in Little Rock’s Black clubs and sometimes from behind curtains at white venues in the segregated city. At 19, he moved to Oakland and attended Oakland City College while collaborating with local jazz greats including Dewey Redman and Sonny Simmons.

“I never owned a saxophone until I finished high school and went to Oakland, California. I had a clarinet, and so I traded that for a new silver tenor saxophone, and that got me started playing the tenor.”

John Handy encouraged his talent, advising him to move to New York, which he did in 1961.

There Sanders was often homeless, pawning his horn and sleeping on the subways before he recorded his first album in 1964.

He eventually got the attention of John Coane and joined his band in 1965.

According to Sanders’ web site, “(Coane and Sanders) music represents a near total desertion of traditional jazz concepts, like swing and functional harmony, in favor of a teeming, irregularly structured, organic mixture of sound for sound’s sake.”

“Sanders has consistently had bands that could not only create a lyrical near-mystical Afro-Eastern world,” wrote one champion, the late poet-critic Amiri Baraka, “but [also] sweat hot fire music in continuing display of the socalled ‘energy music’ of the ‘60s.”

Exploring spiritual jazz — which Coane had begun to do before his death in 1967 — Sanders would go on to play with, Alice Coane, Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra. It was Sun Ra who supposedly suggested Sanders change his given name from ‘Farrell’ to ‘Pharoah.’

In 1969, Sanders recorded the album “Karma,” featuring “The Creator Has a Master Plan.”

It was his most renowned work, but Sanders was comfortable moving in and out of genres. He earned a Grammy for his 1987 album with the pianist McCoy Tyner called “Blues for Coane.”

A decade earlier, he recorded with singer Phyllis Hyman in what could be called the pop 1977 album “Love Will Find a Way.”

Sanders would go on to lead and collaborate with jazz musicians here and abroad, record and tour through the 1990s.

A composition by British electronic music producer Floating Points prompted Sanders to seek out a collaboration in the 2010s. The album, “Promises,” was recorded with the London Symphony orchestra in 2019 and released in 2021 to positive reviews.

It was his first album in ten years and his last.

Services for Sanders have not yet been announced.

Sources for this story include The Guardian, YouTube, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, People magazine, National Public Radio, Facebook and Pharoah Sanders’ website.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Jazz Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, 81 first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

confronts treacherous bigotry, the film becomes more and more riveting. Wisely, the violence surrounding Till’s horrific death is kept off camera and never exploited.

The family life is endearing, the courtroom drama intense (a la To Kill a Mockingbird) and the smart strategies used to keep this tragedy in the public eye are on view. When Till-Mobley demands an open casket so the world will see what they did to her baby, her savvy becomes awe-inspiring. You feel the misery, but you also see an indomitable spirit put into action.

The footage is eye-catching, and the sounds pierce through the crises. Every color (art directors Carlton Lee Jr, Christopher Tandon), thread (costume designer Marci Rodgers), set (production designer Curt Beech) and prop (Cassaundra Marie) works to reproduce the times and locations. The proceedings are captured in luminescent cinematography (Bobby Bukowski, The Messenger) and intensified by a pulsating score with evocative acapella

As The Midterms Approach, Fake News Kicks Into HIGH Gear...continued from page 3

jump the queue.

While both parties are responsible for the current dysfunction in our immigration system, Republicans are putting all the blame on President Biden and the Democrats, a strategy that appears to be working as reporting shows GOP gains among Latino/a voters since 2020.

Disinformation is also prevalent within the Chinese-speaking community, says Rong Xiaoqing, a reporter for the Chinese-language Sing Tao Daily in New York who monitors Chinese social networks.

“The most popular one among Chinese is WeChat,” Xiaoqing said, adding a lot of these discussions happen in private groups, making them difficult to trace.

While the Chinese government censors WeChat, its intrusion into messaging around COVID was “relatively clean,” Xiaoqing explained. “It’s in the Chinese government’s interest to vaccinate people and to fight against COVID-19.”

Misinformation related to U.S. politics is another story. “Its running rampant on WeChat because it is in the Chinese government’s interest to portray that the US and its democracy has been collapsing,” she said.

There is also overlap on WeChat with narratives being pedaled in Spanish.

“The Biden administration is issuing a temporary green card to illegal immigrants. That’s their exact words, illegal immigrants,” Xiaoqing noted. “What they are actually referring to is an ID card that Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to issue to immigrants coming to the border in order to help them quickly access their file and book immigration related hearings.”

For those Chinese immigrants applying for green cards via the official process, it’s a message that can resonate. “When they see that… someone is getting it before me via a shortcut, they will not be happy.”

Earlier this year the non-profit Chinese for Affirmative Action launched the fact checking website Piyaoba.

“They do index fact checking in Chinese. Not only will they tell you ‘Oh, here’s a piece of misinformation that’s circulating on Chinese language social media platforms’, but they also dig into the arrangement of the message and its evolution through the years,” Xiaoqing said.

Zelle Fraud Is Rising. And Banks Aren’t Coming to the Rescue...continued from page 3

card and makes purchases without your permission. But if someone persuades you to send them $500 through a phishing scam, banks consider that “authorized” and won’t reimburse those funds.

BUT… The bank data reviewed by Warren’s office suggest even the bulk of unauthorized cases are going unpaid. For example: PNC Bank indicated that its customers reported 10,683 cases of unauthorized payments totaling over $10.6 million. It refunded only 1,495 cases, totaling $1.46 million.

Zelle sought to downplay the report and didn’t specifically address Warren’s allegations Monday. In a statement, the company said: “Tens of millions of consumers use Zelle without incident, with more than 99.9% of payments completed without any report of fraud or scam,” adding that the proportion of fraud and scams has steadily decreased as its user numbers have climbed.

The Bank Policy Institute, a

banking industry group, also disputed Warren’s findings and claimed that Zelle’s rivals Venmo and CashApp receive more reports of disputed transactions.

“Zelle is the safest peer-to-peer network,” it said in a statement Monday. “For any real discussion of online fraud, the focus belongs elsewhere.”

BOTTOM LINE

It’s kind of crazy to remember how anyone moved money among friends before the advent of payment apps. Did I actually carry cash with me? On the first every month did I take my little checkbook out and literally write out my portion of the rent on a magic slip of paper and then just hand it to my roommates? Wild. It would not surprise me if the original idea for a payments app came from a restaurant server who was fed up with splitting bills unevenly across eight different

cards.

But that’s the pre-internet world Regulation E was made for. It’s a 1978 rule that only got a 21st century electronic payments update by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau late last year. It wasn’t made for the world of instant payments, and could hardly have envisioned how easy the internet would make it to swindle people out of their money.

Warren’s report on Zelle could add pressure on regulators including the CFPB to update its guidance.

“Given this uncertain landscape and the banks’ abdication of responsibility, regulatory clarity is needed to further protect Zelle users,” researchers wrote in the report, noting that the CFPB has regulatory authority over peer-topeer platforms including Zelle.

The post Zelle fraud is rising. And banks aren’t coming to the rescue appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

C L A S S I F I E D S

AUTOS WANTED/LUXURY

MISCELLANEOUS

“Ain’t No Need of You Crying Now!”

By: Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

You were given plenty of times to repent, but you refuse to! Your behavior is just like Esau’s was. God said, “Esau, I begged you. I’m giving my Son to die for you. I love you. I’ll forgive every sin. I’ll make you, My child. Please, Esau.” And Esau said, “No, over and over again.”

Then one day, God said, “Okay, Esau, I’ve had enough. I’m fed up.” And God, in His mercy, turned that mercy to wrath and God’s long-suffering was turned to indignation and God’s forgiveness was turned to vengeance. Then Esau came and said, “Oh, God, I’m ready to get saved now.” And God said, “It’s too late!” “But, God, said Esau, You are merciful.” “No longer.” “But, God, you are longsuffering.” “I’m fed up.” “But, God, forgive me.” “No.” “Please forgive me.” Tears of remorse flowed down his cheeks and God said, “No, Esau. You said no for the last time. I’m fed up with you.” Stop your crying, you were given plenty of chances to repent but you refused. So ain’t no need of you crying now. It’s too late for repentance. [Hebrews 12:16-17].

Even though Esau begged with bitter tears., it was too late! This verse is a sobering reminder that there are times when it is too late to reverse the damage done by our decisions. Many people, having heard all their lives about the grace and mercy of God, take

His grace for granted. They decide on courses and actions which they know are contrary to God’s will, but figure that “God will forgive me anyway” and plunge foolishly into their rebellious way. They assume there will be no lasting damage once they are forgiven. These people exhibit the spirit of Esau — and unfortunately may well discover his end as well. Don’t make that mistake. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise, iniquity will be your ruin. [Ezekiel 18:30].

Like the foolish virgins who were unprepared at the bridegroom’s arrival, sometimes it is too late to cry, “Open to us” [Matthew 25:1-13]. Like the rich man who was sorry once he was in torment, it was too late for him to repent and warn his brethren [Luke 16:19-31]. This kind of regret comes too late.

The message is as relevant today as it was in the first century and as it was in the days of the patriarchs. If you live with little regard for spiritual things, you will regret it — eventually. But that regret will come too late unless you heed the lesson about Esau. Now is the time to be concerned, or you soon may be lifting up your eyes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, shedding tears too late.

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord: they would none of my counsel: They despise all my reproof. Therefore, shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” [Proverbs 1:25,26,28-31].

WITNESS FOR JUSTICE #1120

Everyone Is Worthy

Edith Rasell

There is a deep difference in worldview that divides families, political parties, and society. No, not on the issues we are often hotly debating, but on something much more fundamental. Who has a right to thrive: everyone, or just the worthy?

Some people believe each of us needs to earn all we have. Work hard and play by the rules and you are rewarded with material success: you have earned it and deserve it. But if you make bad choices and fail to do what is expected, then you likely will not do well. But it’s your own fault. You do not deserve to thrive. Sometimes, if people do all the right things and still come up short, we might help them. But often not the unworthy others.

There is another view—a biblical view—that we seldom explicitly articulate. For Jesus, everyone (and today we might add, all species) is worthy, inherently deserving of their needed share of the material resources given to us by God. Jesus came that all might have abundant life (John 10:10)—not just abundant spiritual life, but abundant material life as well.

Jesus told his followers to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and heal the sick. Jesus cared about the whole person. And he did not say to care only for deserving people. Everyone was worthy, including Lazarus, the poor man who spent his days outside the gate of a rich man’s home (Luke 16:19–31). Jesus doesn’t say why Lazarus was

poor, whether he was disabled, could not find work, or had made bad choices. He just says he was poor. No judgment. Lazarus was a human being. He was worthy. He had needs that the rich man was obligated to meet.

In the United States, people have certain rights under the law; for example, free speech and the right of citizens to vote. When these rights are obstructed, we go to court to seek their protection and fulfillment. With few exceptions, these rights are not earned and available only to the deserving. Rather, they are inherent in our personhood. But people in the United States do not have economic human rights to necessities such as food, health care, or housing. We fail to follow Jesus’s mandate to provide to everyone the material resources they need for abundant life.

The right of all people to receive the things they need, without preconditions, could be realized if we made a statutory commitment to recognize, respect, protect, and fulfill economic human rights. (See the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, articles 23–26.) Without such an explicit and enforceable national commitment, many of our neighbors will continue to live in poverty. They will not have abundant life. Over the last forty years, despite a near tripling of the GDP adjusted for inflation, we

Everyone Is Worthy...continued

have not eliminated poverty. Tens of millions flounder with unmet material needs while most of the nation’s economic gains flow to people who already have plenty.

Economic growth in a nation that lacks a firm commitment to equity leads to greater inequality and exacerbates environmental destruction. It fails to help those who need it most.

All we have comes from God. Surely God’s intention is for God’s resources to be used to ensure

abundant life for all God’s people and creatures. A just society is one that recognizes and fulfills economic human rights. For people who love God and their neighbors, this is an important public policy goal.

Edith Rasell is the former UCC Minister for Economic Justice and the author of The Way of Abundance: Economic Justice in Scripture and Society (Fortress Press, 2022).

COMMENTARY: The Cruelty of Exploiting Vulnerable People for Political Advantage...continued

told lies about where they were going and given brochures with false information about help that would be waiting for them. Even worse, they may have unknowingly threatened their asylum claims by making it likely that they would miss court appointments scheduled far from where they had been flown.

DeSantis and his henchmen hadn’t contacted government officials or nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts. It was a photo op. It was definitely political. And it was possibly illegal. The sheriff in Bexar County, Texas, has opened a criminal investigation into the false pretenses under which people were lured onto the planes. A lawsuit has been filed on the migrants’ behalf.

highlighted that history. A group of segregationists organized “Reverse Freedom Rides” in 1962 as retaliation for the Freedom Rides that carried civil rights activists throughout the South in 1961. According to the Post, “The plot was organized by white supremacist Citizens’ Councils in Arkansas, who bought radio ads and made fliers advertising the ‘opportunity’ to African Americans.” One Arkansas woman and nine of her children were dropped off on Cape Cod near the Kennedy family’s compound because she had been falsely told that Kennedy was going to greet them.

Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?

Oakland, CA – October 11, 2022 – BuyBlack.org launches its Shopify-powered ecommerce marketplace of vetted and curated Black-owned businesses to drive $100 million in new revenue to Black-owned businesses. “At BuyBlack.org, we’re always looking for innovative ways to help our members increase awareness and revenue. The BuyBlack.org Marketplace is a versatile new way to put Black-owned businesses in front of everyday consumers, and companies that are looking to support Black-owned businesses, “ says David Derryck, CEO of BuyBlack.org. The Marketplace makes it easy for consumers to shop and for companies to purchase gift cards for employee rewards, anniversary gifts, customer appreciation, survey incentives, contests and more.

Consumers and corporations alike have to work too hard to purchase from Black-owned businesses. They rely on “featured” brands on large platforms (Amazon, Etsy, DoorDash), wordof-mouth referrals, fragmented localized lists, Black history month or Juneteenth. In short, one has to overcome significant friction to purchase from Black-owned businesses by visiting numerous websites and/or apps. BuyBlack. org removes that friction by aggregating these various sources

into a single, searchable business directory accessible from any device. BuyBlack.org is extending its directory functionality so that people are not only able to discover businesses but are also able to purchase from them. “We have spent the last year developing the largest directory of Blackowned businesses and now we are leveraging our more than 50,000 directory listings to bring vetted and curated merchants directly to consumers,” says Derryck.

BuyBlack.org’s goal is to generate $100 million in revenue for businesses in the marketplace to address revenue disparity between Black-owned and nonBlack businesses.

About BuyBlack.org

Buyblack.org is the largest online directory of Black-owned businesses in the US with over 50,000 listings that are fully searchable by keyword, category and geolocation. BuyBlack.org leverages its directory to drive traffic and revenue to Black-owned businesses, provide business intelligence to its members and regularly publish reports about the state of black businesses to inform and influence entrepreneurs and business owners, lenders, policymakers and local communities about where to invest.

COMMENTARY: The Cruelty of Exploiting Vulnerable People for Political Advantage

By Ben Jealous

There is always a new low for Trump Republicans. And that is pretty frightening.

Take the latest exercise in lawlessness, dishonesty, and cruelty from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. He chartered a plane to send dozens of mostly Venezuelan asylum seekers from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, an island community off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. He clearly was gleeful about the idea of sticking it to liberals and gloating about it on right-wing media.

It wasn’t even an original idea. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had already been putting migrants on buses to cities like Wash., D.C., where they have been dropped off in front of Fox News and outside

the Vice President’s residence—a giveaway that the purpose is publicity.

The news of the DeSantis flight made it clear that he was exploiting vulnerable people for his own political advantage. And the more we learn, the worse it gets.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of people deceived into taking the flight says the migrants were approached in San Antonio by people pretending to offer humanitarian assistance. They were promised that jobs, housing, and other assistance were waiting for them if they were willing to get on a plane.

None of it was true. These vulnerable people were reportedly continued in next 2 columns

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed DeSantis for “alerting Fox News and not city or state officials about a plan to abandon children fleeing communism,” calling it “a cruel, premeditated political stunt.”

Of course, it’s not the first time that dishonorable politicians have exploited vulnerable people. In fact, racist white southerners who were resisting segregation in the early 1960s did almost the same thing to Black Americans 60 years ago.

The Washington Post recently

Last year, journalist Adam Serwer published a book called “The Cruelty is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump’s America.” Serwer has made the point that Trump is a symptom, not the cause, of a cruel streak in American politics. There is a long history of backlash against progress, going back to the postReconstruction period in which white supremacists used violence to reverse the enfranchisement of Black people.

DeSantis’s scheme to deceive, manipulate, and harm vulnerable

Till Debuts at 2022 New York Film Festival ...continued from page 4 voices (Abel Korzeniowski). All scenes and sequences are carefully assembled into an increasingly intense string of images (editor Ron Pantane).

The accomplished cast includes Frankie Faison as grandad, Sean Patrick Thomas as Mamie’s future husband Gene Mobley and John Douglas Thompson in the pivotal role as the uncle who must live with haunting regrets. Goldberg, as Grandma Alma Carthan, takes a very understated approach to her characterization, making the matriarch even more believable.

Jalyn Hall’s interpretation of Emmett is so vibrant and likable it makes the teen’s tragic death even more devastating.

Deadwyler’s angst-filled and gutsy performance pulls you into Mamie’s full range of emotions. Happy protective mother. Fearful parent. Enraged guardian. Fierce advocate. When Emmett’s casket is taken off a train, she cries and moans in ways so primal it will

touch your soul. At a funeral home, when Mamie views her son’s body, touches his mangled corpse and screams in pain it will break your heart. Deadwyler’s display of sorrow is so deep and expressive it deserves an Oscar® Award.

Sometimes the love between a mother and son is so strong it doesn’t die, even after death. That’s what audiences will see here. That’s what they will take away. A love and strength that endures.

Opening in theaters October 14th, with wide distribution October 28th.

Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=rkQi6GBwmSA

For more information about the New York Film Festival go to: https://www.filmlinc.org/ nyff2022/

Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.

Clifton Harris /Editor in Chief Investigative Reporter sbamericannews@gmail.com

Mary Martin-Harris / Editor

/Display Advertising (909) 889-7677

B. Harris / Audio Engineering Editor

Banner Advertising (909) 889-7677

The San Bernardino American News was established May 6, 1969.

A legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation on September 30, 1971, case number 15313 by the Superior Court of San Bernardino County.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News subscription rate is $59.00 per year.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News is committed to serving its

and

the

strive to achieve a united

News releases appearing in the San Bernardino AMERICAN News

not necessarily express the policy nor the opinion of the publishers.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News reserves the right to edit or rewrite all news releases.

BuyBlack.org launches ecommerce marketplace to drive $100 million in new revenue to Black-owned businesses

Yes, Spreading Kindness Could Make You Healthier

By Alexa Spencer | Word In Black | Sacramento Observer

(WIB) – The early years of the pandemic triggered an increase in anxiety and depression worldwide and rates of drug overdose also rose significantly. But at a time when mental illness and disease affect so many, spreading love through random acts of kindness may help change how we think and feel.

Pastors Reggie and London Royal of Chicagoland-based Lifeline Church say chaos isn’t new, and now is the perfect time to “peek through…with the love of God.”

That’s why they’re challenging people to perform random acts of kindness as part of National Love People Day.

“Today is the day that we need [love] the most with what’s been going on in our country, in our nation, our world,” says London, who serves at the church alongside her husband.

Lifeline started the national holiday five years ago, but the church has been pouring out love onto their local Chicago community for nearly a decade.

They’ve gifted single mothers and members of their congregation with new cars and home makeovers, paid off members’ rent

and utilities, and they’ve surprised people outside of the church too.

“We’ll just show up at a gas station and giveaway gas for a couple hours. We go into laundromats and spend some time just paying for washers and dryers,” says Reggie.

Random acts of kindness such as these have the power to change a person’s life for the better — to even rescue someone from a crisis or restore hope — but they also have a positive impact on the person who’s giving.

What Are the Health Benefits of Spreading Kindness?

Regardless of how a good deed is done, it could yield big health benefits to the giver — like less stress and more energy.

According to Dr. Christine Carter, executive director at the University of California at Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center, volunteering can lead to a longer life.

In the center’s magazine, she wrote “people 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying early. And that’s after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise,

gender, habits like smoking, marital status, and many more.”

Additionally, Carter says caring for others supports total wellbeing.

“Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease,” she wrote.

Research shows that acts of kindness, like paying for a stranger’s meal or coffee, also aids against mental illness.

Performing the act increases the production of serotonin, a chemical in the body that causes relaxation and is often used in antidepressants.

According to research conducted by the University of British Columbia, sharing kindness can be therapeutic to people living with anxiety disorders too.

Doing a kind gesture for another person can protect the mind and body, but simply witnessing the act is enough to activate the production of oxytocin. Known as the “love hormone,” oxytocin is responsible for lowering blood pressure and boosting self-esteem.

How to Get Involved in the Kindness Movement

A simple way to spread kindness is by starting with neighbors,

friends, and family. The National Love People Day campaign encourages participants to host a dinner or game night with loved ones.

The team also suggests showing kindness to first responders — firefighters, police officers, and medical professionals in your community.

In the week leading up to the official Sept. 30 day of service, the Royals and their church members surprised a local police station with donuts. London says the officers “didn’t expect that” and were taken aback by the gesture.

“People don’t expect to receive compassion or receive consideration or receive love,” she says. “But that’s why we’re doing it.”

Other ways to show kindness include visiting a senior citizen or helping them with an errand, volunteering with an organization, or supporting a cause.

Outside of the National Love People Day, the Royals care for adopted children and write letters to men who are incarcerated.

In a time where people are often “canceled” or rejected because of their choices, Reggie says “on a human level, we all want to be loved. We all want to be embraced and accepted. We all want a second chance when we mess up.”

To the world, London says “love everybody.”

“Sometimes we figure there are prerequisites to loving somebody. You have to be this, or you have to have done this or not do this. If you’re human, you deserve love.”

The post Yes, Spreading Kindness Could Make You Healthier appeared first on The Sacramento Observer.

COMMENTARY: Vote ‘No’ on Props 26 & 27: Both Are Bad for California

By James. E. Vann

Propositions 26 and 27 on the November ballot appear to be related, but their differences are substantial, and both are exceedingly harmful.

Proposition 26 would result in vast expansion of gambling methods within American Indian lands, with a new extension to California racetracks.

Proposition 27 would result in vast expansion of present gaming methods beyond Indian lands, with no limitations, and would add the authorization of ‘online’ gambling.

In respect for Native sovereignty, voters previously supported the establishment of Indian gaming. However, neither of the current measures have significant Indian support.

Proposition 26

This measure, somewhat related but unlike Proposition 27, was initiated by a small group of leaders of the largest tribes. Their motivation is their personal enrichment, not from either

demand or need. The currently authorized program of permitted gaming methods at Indigenous casino sites is constitutionally limited. Proposition 26 would remove the present restrictions and permit unlimited gambling methods and selections at casino sites and at California racetracks.

Methods would include wagering on sports events, like horse racing, sports teams, auto racing, boxing, wrestling, and a host of events broadcast into casino platforms.

The institution of Indigenous casinos has been a needed boon and supplement to mandated federal and state financial assistance that is perennially insufficient. The result of tribal-sponsored gaming – currently earning hundreds of millions annually — has brought tremendous uplift in the political, economic, health, and social life of Indian tribes and peoples.

Casino profits are shared with non-casino tribes and these efforts, though lagging, are continuing and constantly improving.

While Indian casinos are thriving and producing admirable widespread improvements, tribal leaders of some of the largest casinos initiated Proposition 26 with the goal of slyly piggybacking on the possible success of Proposition 27, solely due to greed, not need for new, unlimited revenue. VOTE ‘NO.’

Proposition 27

Proposition 27 was qualified for the ballot by deceptive propaganda. Paid signature collectors told signers that “this new measure will raise money to end homelessness in California.” Proposition 27 was not initiated, nor promoted by California Indian tribes, but by outof-state corporations that sought to take advantage of the universal desire of California voters to end homelessness together with the compassion of state voters to lift up the plight of California’s Native peoples from the violent repression of the past.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 correctly acknowledged the sovereignty of Indigenous people and the right of tribes to operate gambling casinos on tribal land. This Act has successfully improved the quality of life for Indian tribes and produces millions in revenues that is shared among both casino and non-casino tribes, which bureaucratic federal and state government financial assistance

could never replicate.

Proposition 27 would astronomically expand to unlimited types of gambling well beyond being confined to casinos on Indian land to online phenomena available to everyone, including minors with a cell phone, or varieties of digital devices. Arguments for the measure blatantly lie in many ways:

That revenue from online gaming will uplift poorer, noncasino Indian tribes. Impartial analysis shows that at least 90% of revenue from the expansion will go into the pockets of the out-ofstate carpetbaggers who wrote the measure specifically for their selfish enrichment;

That revenue from the measure will end homelessness. Besides there being little revenue to allocate, voters need only to recall that the “selling point” years ago for approving the California State Lottery was the promise that lottery revenue “would forever end the problem of funding education throughout the state;”

That minors will not be able to gamble online. No procedures are indicated that will weed out anyone with a digital device from online access.

Additionally, because Blacks, people of color, and those of lower income are lured in larger numbers to games of chance with the hope of improving their financial status, Proposition 27 would aggravate

COMMENTARY: Vote ‘No’ on Props 26 & 27: Both Are Bad for California...continued

economic inequality and insecurity. The availability of unlimited online gaming opportunities will provide increased attractions that will further worsen the already weak financial condition of marginalized people.

Practically all California Indian Council tribes oppose Proposition 27 as a boondoggle that will proliferate gambling throughout California life and institutions degrading the lifestyles of minors and the elderly.

Through this new, deceptive measure, the sponsoring outof-state corporations will realize uncountable wealth with practically nothing positive

accruing to California, its residents, or its many intractable issues.

VOTE “NO.”

James E. Vann is a former architect and advocate for social justice housing. He is also a cofounder of the Oakland Tenants Union (OTU) and Coalition of Advocates for Lake Merritt (CALM).

The post COMMENTARY: Vote ‘No’ on Props 26 & 27: Both Are Bad for California first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

Covered California Supports the Biden Administration’s Proposal to Expand Affordable Coverage to More Californians by Fixing the So-Called “Family Glitch”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman commended President Joe Biden’s administration for finalizing the proposed fix to the “Family Glitch,” an issue that had prevented millions of Americans with unaffordable employer health insurance from getting marketplace coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

“Covered California supports this proposed rule change, which will build on the Affordable Care Act’s vision and intent to expand access to affordable health insurance, by opening the door of coverage to millions of Americans.

This is a new era for the Affordable Care Act, as Covered California prepares to enter its 10th open enrollment period, with increased financial help available for those who need coverage as well as our 1.7 million enrollees.

With renewal beginning Oct. 18 and open enrollment starting Nov. 1, we look forward to spending the next four months getting every

Californian covered.”

The “Family Glitch” has been used to describe an issue where – even though employer-based health coverage was considered affordable for the employee, but not their family members – the family members were nonetheless ineligible for financial help through the Affordable Care Act. The Biden administration proposed a fix in April and the Treasury Department is finalizing it now.

The proposed rule means those Americans, including almost 400,000 people in California, can take advantage of the upcoming open-enrollment period to explore their options for 2023 Marketplace coverage with 13 name-brand insurance companies throughout the state.

Consumers can get free and confidential help to compare their options by calling Covered California’s service center at (800) 300-1506, or through a Covered California licensed insurance agent or certified enroller.

LaSalle Clinics Urge Women to Get Screened During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

"Women should not take chances. Every woman should get an annual breast cancer screening and because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to schedule an exam," said LaSalle Medical Associates CEO Dr. Arteaga.

an annual breast cancer screening and because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to schedule an exam," said LaSalle Medical Associates CEO Dr. Albert Arteaga.

REDLANDS, CALIF. LaSalle Medical Associates encourages women to come in for breast cancer screening during October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. " October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer.," said the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network says mammograms should start at 40 for women at average risk, but before40 for women with a higher risk profile, such as a genetic mutation, family history, a benign breast disease diagnosis, or radiation therapy to the chest at a young age.

"Women should not take chances. Every woman should get

Dr. Arteaga himself lost a younger sister to breast cancer when she was in her 40s. "There were three of us," said Dr. Arteaga. "Our youngest sister never opened up to tell either me or her older sister—both of us being doctors— that she had a lump on her breast. Later we learned that she kept making excuses about it, 'I bumped myself' or 'It's just a bruise' and she basically ignored it for over six months.

"She was in her early 40s and unfortunately, the disease spreads more rapidly in younger women than it does in women who are past menopause, due to female hormones that promote growth. Our family had no history of cancer, and she was otherwise

Research Finds Black Californians Prioritize Health, While System Fails to Prioritize Black Californians

Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

important or very important to increase Black representation among health care leadership and in the healthcare workforce. The majority in each age group said that it was at least somewhat important to have a Black or African American Doctor. According to data released by the American Medical Association, 10% of medical school matriculants in 2021 self-identified as Black, or a combination of Black and Asian, Hispanic, or White.

Black community health care advocates. They believe that there should be accountability for providing equitable care using financial and accreditation incentives, and through additional training to providers.

More than 80% of the survey respondents said that they are very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their main source of healthcare. Satisfaction rates were inversely related to age.

Reaching New Heights Foundation Hosts Stand Down Outreach Event for Veterans and Homeless in San Bernardino

Non-Profit Organization Takes Action to Combat Homeless Crisis in San Bernardino and Support Local Veterans

State/Political News

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.

The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) has released a study that found Black Californians are highly engaged with their health care, are active in advocating for their health and have strong and clear opinions about how the healthcare system can be improved.

“I think it’s surprising because of the pervasive myths about noncompliance among black patients” said Shakari Byerly, managing partner of EVITARUS, a Los Angeles based Black-owned public opinion research firm who designed, conducted and analyzed the research. “The fact is that our traditional foods may not be as healthy. While that may have some degree of anecdotal resonance, what we're seeing broadly is that people are working very hard.”

The study was staged in three different phases intended to get varying levels of insight from different cohorts of Black Californians.

Phase one consisted of hourlong interviews with 100 individuals to understand their views on health, perceptions of discrimination, and their vision for an ideal healthcare system.

In Phase Two, the researchers conducted 18 segmented focus groups to explore structural issues in the health care system.

In Phase Three, 3,325 Black Californians were surveyed to determine how well the findings in phases one and two captured and represented the views of the general population of Black Californians.

The data that was collected showed that 90% of Black Californians say that they have health insurance coverage, and 92% of respondents said that they have seen a doctor or healthcare provider in the last year. Most people reported putting “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of effort into getting screenings and preventative care, tracking health indicators like blood pressure and cholesterol, and working to maintain a healthy weight. Four out of five reported focusing “a great deal” or “quite a bit” on mental health.

One in three Black Californians and nearly half (47%) of Black women say they experienced inadequate treatment for pain by their health care provider. “We've heard story after story of Black women in particular, talking about not being believed, having their pain and agony inadequately treated,” Byerly said.

Nearly one in three Black Californians was found to be treated unfairly by a healthcare provider because of their race or ethnicity, and more than one in four Black Californians avoid care due to concerns that they will be treated unfairly or with disrespect. Unfair experiences are most common among Black Californians with mental health conditions, disabilities, identifying as LGBTQIA+, and women.

The study found that Black Californians have clear opinions on how to improve the health care system. Strong majorities (75%<) expressed that it is extremely

continued in next 2 columns

COMMENTARY: The Cruelty of Exploiting Vulnerable People for Political Advantage... continued from page 6

people seeking asylum in our country is evidence that the cruelty wielded by Trump and embraced by so many of his followers will continue to poison our politics if Trump or DeSantis or someone of their ilk is the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.

Recognizing this truth is important to understanding the work we have ahead of us. We must also recognize that the cruelty in our past and our present is not our whole story.

Our story also includes good people in Hyannis in the 1960s and in Martha’s Vineyard this year who responded by mobilizing to welcome and support the arrivals. It includes the people of all colors and faiths who have repeatedly built movements to expand civil rights and promote human dignity, and who have given their time and

treasure to elect political leaders who appeal to our national ideals rather than trash them.

We should be outraged at the cruelty displayed by some of our leaders. Let us also be motivated, and optimistic, that we can outorganize and overcome them.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

A New York Times best-selling author, his next book “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free”will be published by Harper Collins in December 2022.

The post COMMENTARY: The Cruelty of Exploiting Vulnerable People for Political Advantage first appeared on Post News Group.

This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

“There needs to be additional support. Financial support. Upfront financial support, for those who want to be doctors. In nursing there's also a need for financial support, but there's also not a standard for advising people about the most efficient, most successful pathways to nursing careers… That’s a problem that can be corrected,” CHCF senior program officer Katherine Haynes told California Black Media. “There is another issue and this has to do with the environment in which physicians and nurses practice… just as patients experience racism, providers experience racism, and they experience it from their peers, from their supervisors from patients…building practices of reporting those instances of racist treatment need to be made more robust so that a system is created in which providers of color can do their best work for patients. That means having zero tolerance for racist behavior in our healthcare institution.”

The survey indicated that Black Californians believe that there should be an expansion of community-based education to teach about how to access health care options and an increase of

“When you look at elders 65 and older, and really 75+, they are the sickest, yet, they appeared most satisfied with their care… that satisfaction is in contrast to younger people who tend to go to urgent care or emergency rooms for care” said Haynes. “I suspect… that it comes from familiarity, having relationships and knowing how to use the system.”

The CHCF study showed that Black Californians go to great lengths to prioritize their health, but the health care system fails to prioritize them.

Haynes recommended one solution. “You can report it to your health plan. You can return it to the state licensing board. You can contact the Department of Managed Health Care, which oversees health plans and to the Office of the Patient Advocate. Those are those your rights,” said Haynes. “I will tell you that if you file a grievance versus a complaint, it poses legal liability and so those things that rise to that, or look like they might rise to that, are much more likely to get a response from a health care system.”

You can read the whole report here. https://www.chcf.org/ wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ ListeningBlackCalifornians.pdf

Submission Deadline for Press releases & Legal Advertising 5 pm Monday

Please email to : mary@sb-american.com

LaSalle Clinics Urge Women to Get Screened During Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

continued from page 7

healthy. But at the age of 48 years, six months, and 28 days she died.

"Once she was diagnosed, she was a good patient and followed her doctors' orders and participated fully in her treatment. The cancer metastasized to her brain, and she was able to beat that. But in the end, it spread to her liver, and that was the end."

When asked what he would say to women about this tragic disease, Dr. Arteaga said, "Stop living in denial! At the first sign of a lump, make an appointment to see your physician. And make it a habit to get screened every October when breast cancer awareness month comes around, which is a good way to remember it's time for a routine mammogram."

LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc., clinics accept Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Molina, Care 1st, Health Net, and Inland Empire Health Plan coverage, as well as Medicare Medi-Cal and cash.

For more information or to make an appointment call the office closest to you: Fontana (909) 823-4454; San Bernardino 17th Street (909) 887-6494; San Bernardino Mt. Vernon Ave. (909) 884-9091; Rialto (855) 349-6019; and Hesperia (760) 947-2161.

—Reaching New Heights Foundation (RNHF), a nonprofit veteran organization, is hosting a Veterans Stand Down and Homeless Resource Event on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino.

The one-day event is designed to support Inland Empire veterans and to provide much-needed resources to the area’s homeless population.

On average, there are 960 veterans a year who are homeless in San Bernardino. The 2020 San Bernardino Homeless Count Survey shows the homeless count in 2020 increased 19.9% over 2019. RNHF is hoping the Veteran Stand Down event will be a way to take action against the extensive homeless issue that has been referred to as a “human services crisis.”

“We believe in making a difference so we’re bringing over sixty different service providers to one place. We are asking that the providers not just hand out information, but provide on-site services,” said RNHF Founder and CEO Sgt. Major (Ret.) Gregory Coker. “Normally it would take a veteran or a homeless individual several months to receive this kind of service we’re providing in one day.”

In the military, a stand down is an opportunity to pause and regroup to help those in need. With this Veterans Stand Down event, two underserved and at-risk populations—veterans and the

homeless—will be able to regroup with access to an abundance of resources.

“Veterans will receive surplus clothing, access to medical and dental service, counseling and more. The homeless will receive free food, clothing, haircuts, medical checkups, and showers, said Coker. “We want to give our homeless and veterans a hand up, not a handout.”

RNHF is collaborating with local city, county, state, and federal organizations to host the event.

Key supporters include San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs, VA Loma Linda Veteran Health

Care System, Salvation Army, United Way, Goodwill, IEHP, Molina Healthcare, San Manuel Casino and Volunteers for Veterans Foundation.

After the event, RNHF is committed to following up on the success of all individuals who register to receive help and will provide 6 -12 months of additional support.

EVENT DETAILS:

October 12, 2022

Perris Hill Park

1135 E. Highland Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92408 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Event Website: standdownvet. com

Research Finds Black Californians Prioritize Health, While System Fails to Prioritize Black Californians... continued