"If
Lyndon B. Johnson
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.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Across the nation, more than 15 million mail-in and early in-person votes have already been cast. Among these early votes, 46% come from registered Democrats, 36% from Republicans, and 18% from other parties. The early voting push comes as Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign encourages Democratic voters to take advantage of mail-in and early voting to lock in ballots well before Election Day, countering the traditionally lower early voting rates among Democratic voters in past elections. Despite initially criticizing early voting, the twice-impeached former President Donald Trump’s campaign has urged Republicans to vote early, apparently recognizing its critical role in battleground states.
By Stacy M. Brown
With the 2024 presidential election just two weeks away, early voting is surging nationwide as both parties make their final push to secure crucial ballots. Early voting data has begun to shed light on which states might see the most significant shifts— and, in some cases, repeat the razor-thin margins of 2020. While Independent and other voters are mostly excluded from the figures, pollsters warn that party affiliation doesn’t necessarily determine who early voters are casting their ballots for.
National Early Voting Trends: Key Battlegrounds in Focus
Across the nation, more than 15 million mail-in and early in-person votes have already been cast. Among these early votes, 46% come from registered Democrats, 36% from Republicans, and 18% from other parties. The early voting push comes as Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign encourages Democratic voters to take advantage of mail-in and early voting to lock in ballots well before Election Day, countering the traditionally lower early voting rates among Democratic voters in past elections. Despite initially criticizing early voting, the twiceimpeached former President Donald Trump’s campaign has urged Republicans to vote early, apparently recognizing its critical
role in battleground states.
In Georgia, where Biden narrowly defeated Trump in 2020, early voting has seen 1,691,298 ballots cast so far. The partisan split is tight, with 49% from Republicans and 46% from Democrats, reflecting how crucial the state remains in the 2024 contest.
Wisconsin, another battleground where Biden edged out Trump in 2020, has seen 326,124 early votes, with Democrats accounting for 40% and Republicans just 19%. In
Michigan, where Biden won by a margin of 50.6% to 47.8% in the last election, 1,031,654 early votes have been cast, with 54% from Democrats and 36% from Republicans.
Pennsylvania, pivotal in Biden’s 2020 victory, has already seen 921,720 early votes, with 64% from Democrats and 27% from Republicans. Nevada, another state that helped seal Biden’s win in 2020, has logged 247,738 early votes, with a breakdown of 40% Democrats, 35% Republicans, and 25% from
other voters.
The Toss-Up Nature of the 2024 Election Polling data, including a Washington Post-Schar School survey, shows that Harris and Trump are locked in a dead heat, with each receiving 47% support from registered voters. Among likely voters, Harris holds a slight 1-point lead at 49%, compared to Trump’s 48%. This trend mirrors the tight electoral battles seen in
these battleground states, where margins of victory could come down to just a few thousand votes, as they did in 2020.
“I think this election will break at the end,” veteran Democratic strategist James Carville stated. “Someone will carry the swing states, and that will decide it,” Carville said, adding, “Whoever breaks those states 5-2 or 6-1 will not only take the presidency; they’ll likely do well in the House and Senate too.”
The Shadow of Project 2025
While much of the focus is on the election itself, the looming influence of Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation initiative to reshape the federal government, has garnered attention. The initiative, which has strong ties to Trump’s first administration, is conservative in ideology. Despite Trump’s claims that he has no connection to the project, analysis has revealed that well over half of the 307 authors and contributors to the “Mandate for Leadership,” the document guiding Project 2025, served in Trump’s administration or during his campaign.
The policy proposals outlined in Project 2025 aim to overhaul key aspects of the federal government, including dramatically reshaping regulatory frameworks, reducing the size of government, and reversing many policies implemented by the Biden administration. Critics have pointed out that the project could significantly alter how federal agencies operate, and its influence could expand should Trump return to the White House.
“This race is a long way from decided,” added Carville, who noted he has “a feeling” Harris will win. “But one thing’s clear— whoever breaks those states is going to take the presidency.”
By Michael A. Grant
he lost, the closeness of the count in a number of battleground states allowed him to convince his followers that he had, in fact, won the election. Therefore, this time around, Trump should be defeated by such an overwhelming number of votes cast that there will be little room for any plausible dispute about who won the election. Governing with a divided and suspicious electorate undermines the legitimate authority of candidates who won in a free and fair election. So what are the persuasive arguments in favor of a Harris / Walz candidacy?
Well, to begin, let’s start with the economic plan being advanced by Harris. Even the business community is lining up behind her plans to strengthen the U.S. economy. In a recent Wall Street Journal poll (conducted October 4th – 8th), 68 percent of respondents said they thought inflation would rise under a
second Trump term compared to a Harris plan. In the same Wall Street Journal article, 65 percent of economist said they saw Trump’s policies adding more to the nation’s deficits compared to Harris’ policy agenda. Also, 45 percent to 37 percent of economists expect economic output to expand faster under Harris.
Harris is also considering tax breaks for large companies that share profits with their workers. She wants to jumpstart her economic opportunity for Americas proposal with the following:
$25,000 for down-payment assistance for first time home purchases;
$50,000 for small businesses;
$6,000 child tax credit.
Building on the work of the Biden-Harris Administration, she intends to continue growing the number of infrastructure jobs and
employment opportunities in the “Green economy.” Job training is also a critical component of her plans to reach out to those left behind during the ongoing tech revolution.
There is a string of powerful reasons that Harris-Walz must aim for 100,000,000 votes to win:
Kamala Harris wants a Justice Department that is used to protect all Americans and not for retribution or revenge against the president’s adversaries.
Kamala Harris wants women to control their own bodies and not have governmental invasion of the womb. One of America’s most cherished ideals is freedom which is also one of the most galvanizing themes of her candidacy.
Harris wants an immigration policy that defines the best in the American tradition, policies that secure the border in an orderly
and systematic fashion but it is also humane and respects the dignity of all human beings. Finally, Harris wants to bring Americans together. She has reached out to Republicans and Independents in an effort to unify a very polarized country. She knows that the wisdom in sacred scripture is instructive: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Her aspirations are quintessentially American. Her policy pronouncements are inclusive. She is ready to be president for all Americans. For these and other reasons, setting a goal for 100,000,000 votes just makes good sense!
Michael A Grant, J.D., president emeritus of the National Bankers Association and former assistant professor of political science at Morgan State University, is a columnist with the Trice Edney News Wire.
Readers can learn about the deadlines to request and return absentee
reading, and wading through confusing information is an important part of a
spearheaded the project. “By reading through state
depending upon the state.”
By BlackPressUSA.com
NNPA NEWSWIRE – An estimated 41 million Gen Z voters can vote in the general election on November 5. With college students comprising a critical voting bloc for the 2024 General Election, Hampton journalism students have produced an Absentee Voting Guide, available at Absentee Voter Guide. The Absentee Voter Guide features an interactive map detailing how voters can mail their ballots across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Readers can learn about the deadlines to request and return absentee ballots and the qualifications for voting by mail.
“Researching, critical reading, and wading through confusing
information is an important part of a journalist’s job,” said Professor Devika Koppikar, who spearheaded the project. “By reading through state election board websites, students learned how voting can be both easy or challenging, depending upon the state.”
Hampton Journalism students learned that in their assigned state, unhoused or displaced people have several voting options, while other states present confusing websites with broken links, creating voting barriers. Those voting barriers discourage citizens from participating in democracy, and this guide will help encourage them to participate in the election
process.
To complete the guide, 52 students in the sophomore-level course “Reporting and Writing Across Platforms” were each assigned a state. Students combed through each state’s election website and called to clarify any discrepancies about absentee voting. Then the students sent their drafts to the editing team from the senior-level “Content Editing” course, who corrected their work.
Finally, four journalism students from the university’s Honors College designed the booklet and interactive map to fulfill a project requirement. “Journalism and democracy
are tightly intertwined. For that reason, it’s important to get students involved in learning to research, report, and write about the basics of our election system,” said Professor Koppikar, who previously worked as a press secretary to two Members of the U.S. Congress.
“We are very proud of the excellent work Professor Koppikar and her students have done to produce such a firstrate Absentee Voters Guide,” said Julia A. Wilson, dean of the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. “We hope the Guide will serve as a useful tool and encourage everyone to vote.”
By Quintessa Williams Word in Black
It’s no longer a surprising revelation that Black girls are disciplined at disproportionately high rates compared to their peers of other racial backgrounds.
However, new data from two women’s advocacy organizations and the federal government has further shed light on this persistent trend. Black girls, who make up just 15 percent of public school students, are far more likely than White girls to be suspended for behavior issues — and face exclusionary expulsion and corporal punishment as early as preschool.
Studies show that due to adultification, Black girls are often punished at a rate higher than their White counterparts in the classroom. Credit: AI photo generated by Fotor AI A 2024 report from the National Black Women’s Justice Institute found that Black K-12 girls represented more than three times their enrollment share in transfers and corporal punishment and more than double their share in expulsions. This data has been bolstered by a new report from the Government Accountability Office, which found that in the 2017-2018 school year, Black girls accounted for nearly half of all exclusionary discipline cases — including 45 percent of out-of-school suspensions, 37 percent of in-school suspensions, and 43 percent of expulsions.
This disparity also echoes the findings from the National Women’s Law Journal and Ed Trust, which reported that in the 2015-2016 school year, Black girls were five times more likely than their White peers to be suspended. In addition, the report also found that as early as preschool, Black girls made up 20 percent of the female enrollment but accounted for 53 percent of out-of-school suspensions.
Bayliss Fiddiman, senior director of educational equity at NWLC, tells Word In Black that the new findings illustrate the uphill battle Black girls face in school.
“These disparities have existed for years, but the GAO report is a stark reminder that little has changed,” she said. “The data reinforced what we already knew as a problem — Black girls are subject to harsher disciplinary actions for behaviors that are often perceived through the lens of bias, such as defiance or disruption.”
Adultification and colorism contribute to the disparity
The GAO identified that the disproportionate discipline of Black girls is due to a range of factors, including poverty levels, disabilities, and the presence of school resource officers. However, racial bias — particularly via adultification
Shown here, a bar graph chart showing the exclusionary discipline rates where Black girls faced 5.2 times the rate of out-of-school suspension, 4.4 times the rate of expulsion, and 4 times the rate of arrests in school for behaviors such as defiance, disrespect and disruption, according to data from the Government Accountability Office. Credit: Graph courtesy of Government Accountability Office via Word in Black
and colorism — plays the most significant role.
“Teachers and school staff often perceive Black girls as older and more mature than they are, which means they are seen as more ‘responsible’ for their actions and are punished more severely than their peers,” says Dr. Sydney McKinney, executive director of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute. “This bias manifests in labeling typical teenage behavior as ‘disrespect’ or ‘disruption,’ and Black girls often bear the brunt of these stereotypes.”
Fiddiman also elaborated on the colorism factor: “Black girls with darker skin are undoubtedly more likely to be punished than those with lighter skin,” she says. “It’s an unfortunate extension of the racial bias that permeates school discipline systems.”
Black girl discipline is a national public crisis
The discipline crisis among Black K-12 girls spans every state in the U.S. McKinney pointed to the long-standing trends in exclusionary discipline data from the 2024 NBWJI report. “Our data from 2011 to 2018 shows
San Bernardino City Unified Honors No Kid Hungry With Outstanding Community Partner Award
The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Board of Education is proud to announce that it has awarded the Outstanding Community Partner Award to No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger and reducing food scarcity.
This award, presented at the Board’s Oct. 22 meeting, recognizes No Kid Hungry’s exceptional efforts in supporting SBCUSD’s students and families with access to nutritious meals.
Through its innovative programs and partnerships, No Kid Hungry has played a critical role in ensuring that children in the San Bernardino community have access to the meals they need to thrive, both inside and outside of the classroom. Their work has significantly reduced food insecurity, helping thousands of students stay focused and succeed academically.
“The impact No Kid Hungry has had on our students and families is profound,” said SBCUSD Superintendent Mauricio Arellano. “Their commitment to ending childhood hunger aligns perfectly with
our mission to provide every child with the resources they need to succeed. This award is a testament to their invaluable partnership.”
No Kid Hungry’s initiatives have supported SBCUSD in expanding access to meals, particularly Breakfast in the Classroom. By working closely with local schools and communities, they’ve ensured that children receive the healthy meals they need year-round.
“We are honored to partner with SBCUSD in the fight against childhood hunger,” said Daisy Munguia, Associate Director, No Kid Hungry California. “Together, we are making a tangible difference in the lives of students, ensuring that hunger is not a barrier to their education. Our partnership to bring Breakfast in the Classroom to San Bernardino City schools continues to have a significant impact on students’ health, wellbeing, and their readiness to come to school and learn.” For more information on No Kid Hungry and SBCUSD’s ongoing efforts to reduce food insecurity, please contact Laura Rice at Lrice@strength.org.
consistent overrepresentation of Black girls in nearly every category of discipline—whether it’s suspensions, expulsions, or referrals to law enforcement,” she says. “This consistency over time is perhaps the most alarming aspect. It’s clear that little progress has been made despite awareness of the issue.”
The over-punishment of Black girls in schools is not a recent phenomenon but part of a broader historical trend of excessive discipline rooted in racial and gender biases. That includes corporal punishment in the classroom.
In Arkansas, for example, an 8-year-old Black girl was paddled for refusing to do her schoolwork.
The administrator involved later acknowledged the harm caused by such punishment, especially when disproportionately applied to Black students
A 2019 report by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the UCLA Center for Civil Rights Remedies later found that Black girls like the 8-year-old are paddled at three times the rate of White girls.
This article was originally published by Word in Black.
Tanu Henry | California Black Media
Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw -an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” -- on Oct. 19.
At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023. The system enables Californians to easily report hate crimes and hate incidents.
“Held in the heart of south Los Angeles on Crenshaw Blvd, over half a million people attend the one-day event that brings out the best our community has to offer,” said Brandon Brooks, Stop the Hate project director at California Black Media.
“The festival promotes local businesses as well as it brings out local and statewide resources to assist community members, Brooks continued. “The day has proven to be a great opportunity to speak to people directly and provide information to combat hate crimes and incidents.”
During the event, Brooks said he, James Williams, Community Based Organization Manger for California Vs. Hate and Leah Brown-Goodloe from CBM informed and shared literature
with tens of thousands of festivalgoers about the state’s Stop the Hate resources.
CBM’s Stop the Hate outreach was held at the beginning of United Against Hate Week (UAHW), a commemoration held annually across the country to recognize the fight against all forms of hate.
UAHW was first launched in 2018 by elected leaders, staff, and community groups from 13 cities in the Bay Area who organized a “United Against Hate” poster campaign responding to White supremacists marching in Northern California streets in the aftermath of Charlottesville riots.
In 2018, Los Angeles County, LAvsHate, a campaign that provided anti-hate crime information and resources to report hate incidents and hate crimes.
According to CRD director Kevin Kish, the L.A. initiative provided a model for the state’s program.
Today, UAHW has grown into a national movement with events organized across the country to mark the day.
This year, across the state counties and cities acted and held events to mark UAHW, including the launch of a branded UAHW wrap installed on buses by the Santa Clara County Valley
Transit Authority.
Not in Our Town, a Northern California-based anti-hate movement, highlighted 131 events across 92 cities.
“Not only were there public gatherings, but also powerful panel discussions, training sessions, and cultural events promoting unity, understanding, and solidarity. These efforts collectively reflect the growing awareness and action against hate in our neighborhoods,” the Not in Our Town statement read.
In June, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report. It included data and resources supporting the state’s ongoing efforts to eliminate crimes and incidents motivated by racial and other biases.
According to the report, hate crimes in California decreased by 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023.
However, incidents and crimes against Black Californians remained higher than average with 518 reported cases in 2023. The next highest reporting of bias events was 199 Anti-Hispanic or Latino incidents.
When it comes to reported hate crimes, we know that Black Californians are the most targeted group for hate and discrimination in our state,” said Williams. “The California Civil Rights Department wants people to know that we are committed to reaching the Black community through outreach events and campaigns, including our firstever billboard campaign, forging new partnerships, or increasing awareness about the hotline and available resources to historically hard-to-reach and underserved Californians.”
The Taste of Soul festival was created by Bakewell Media CEO and executive publisher Danny Bakewell Sr. He said Taste of Soul was created to highlight the positive aspects of African
American life and “to encourage the enjoyment, respect and appreciation of our community and each other in an atmosphere of respect, peace, pride and pleasure.”
Brooks, who is from Los Angeles, said he was honored to participate in the event and provide a service to the community, which includes many of his friends and family.
“The event is always a beautiful experience to see family and friends enjoying food, music and resources,” said Brooks. Williams said he wants to remind all Californians that there is “support when you report!”
“No matter your background or where you come from, if you’ve been targeted for hate, you can get help accessing legal, financial, mental health, and other services by calling 833-8-NO-HATE or by going to CAvsHate.org,” Williams added.
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-NO-
HATE, 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.
By Araceli Martinez
The unveiling of a mural honoring the legacy of Nagi Daifallah, who death at the hands of local law enforcement propelled the fight for farm worker rights.
POPLAR, Calif. – More than 50 years after the murder of Yemeni farm worker Nagi Daifallah, a diverse gathering of Poplar residents came together on a recent weekend to honor the organizer’s memory, and to demand justice for his killing.
Organizers also unveiled a mural inspired by the slain activist, whose death helped propel the fight for farm worker rights.
The Oct. 20 gathering drew hundreds and reflected the rich diversity of this small, mostly agricultural community in California’s Central Valley.
Mexican, Filipino, Yemeni and Indigenous residents marched from the Larry Itliong Resource Center — named for the celebrated Filipino civil rights leader — to the newly named Nagi Daifallh Unity Park.
“Today is the culmination of years of reflection on the work of our predecessors, especially Nagi Daifallah,” said Arturo Rodríguez León, director of the Poplar Community Services District, a position roughly akin
to mayor.
Mari Pérez Ruiz (at podium) with the Central Valley Empowerment Alliance alongside Arturo Rodríguez León (L), director of the Poplar Community Services District during the unveiling of a mural honoring the legacy of slain Yemeni farmworker Nagi Daifallah. (Credit: Araceli Martínez)
Situated on the site of a former United Farm Workers (UFW) branch office, residents pushed for and eventually succeeded in winning the Poplar City Council’s approval for the park’s renaming in honor of Daifallah.
“It was here where the first fields were organized under contract with César Chávez and Larry Itliong,” noted Rodríguez, adding that local white ranchers opposed to the organizing efforts quickly turned to violence in an attempt to suppress the movement.
“That is when the Arab community united with Filipinos and Mexicans to protect themselves and combat racism. The police didn’t come to help. The following year they killed Nagi,” he said. Not all in the community have embraced the mural.
A campaign to remove it is currently underway, led by the Pleasant View Elementary School District and Lower Tule River Irrigation District, which have accused city officials of misappropriating funds designated for the park and have opened a Grand Jury investigation.
“The ranchers who opposed the (UFW) and continue to oppress the community are the same ones who do not want the mural,” said Rodríguez.
A bridge between communities
A diverse crowd marched from the Larry Itliong Resource Center to the newly named Nagi Daifallh Unity Park for the mural unveiling. (Credit: Araceli Martínez)
Daifallah died at age 24 on the morning of August 15, 1973. He was among a group of picketers outside the Smokehouse Cafe in Lamont, California, some 70 miles south of Poplar, when a group of three Kern County sheriff’s deputies arrived.
Sheriff’s Deputy Gilbert Cooper targeted picket captain Frank Quintana and attempted to arrest him for allegedly disturbing the peace.
Quintana and the picketers fled, and when Daifallah began to run, Cooper caught up with him and hit him on the head with a metal flashlight, causing him to fall to the ground. The officers then dragged his unconscious body to their vehicle and refused to help him even as blood flowed from his head.
Daifallah died later that day.
An immigrant from Yemen, Daifallah taught himself English and Spanish. He worked as a translator and was a key gobetween for Arabic- and Spanishspeaking farm workers looking to join the strike.
In 1975, two years after his death, the state of California
Edward
Henderson | California Black Media
(CBM) – Proposition 2 would authorize the state to issue $10 billion in bonds with $8.5 billion dedicated to elementary and secondary educational facilities and $1.5 billion for community college facilities.
If approved, the proposition will make changes to the formula used to determine the amount each district is required to contribute to be eligible to receive state funding from the bond revenue. It would also require the state government to cover between 50 and 55% of construction project costs and 60 and 65% of modernization project costs.
Supporters argue that the money is critical for making safety improvements in schools, as well as modernizing science labs, performing arts spaces and kindergarten classrooms. School districts in lower-income areas have no other way to pay for these improvements.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 38% of students attend schools that don’t meet the state’s minimum safety standards. The research shows that schools with sub-standard facilities tend to have students with lower attendance rates, lower morale and lower overall academic performance.
Education adopted a Resolution on October 22 to support Los Angeles Unified’s Measure US, and State Propositions 2 and 4.” Rebeca Andrade, superintendent of Salinas City Elementary District in Monterey County is also on record supporting Prop 2. “This money is badly needed. We don’t have the money to make the basic, structural repairs that are needed at every one of our schools. Students need safe spaces to learn if they’re going to reach their full potential.”
Opponents argue that the state should include school repairs in its regular budget instead of putting the burden on taxpayers. Opponents also argue that the proposition would not directly impact students. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is on record as one of the organizations opposing the proposition.
passed the Agricultural Labor Relations Act, which finally granted farm workers collective bargaining rights.
Pushing for justice
Saqr Alrafai is a licensed chiropractor with offices in nearby Visalia. An immigrant from Yemen, he said he learned about Daifallah from the farm workers who are his patients.
“I started investigating, looking for any information that could lead not only to his legacy, but how his legacy impacted different communities,” said Alrafai, who along with several others met with California State Attorney General Rob Bonta the day prior to the march seeking justice for Daifallah’s killing.
“We had a meeting with the Attorney General, and we brought the family of Nagi… they expressed how devastated they were back home after he died,” noted Alrafai, who said the group submitted a formal request for Bonta to open an investigation to determine if “justice was served our not.”
Many of the gains in farm worker rights have come because of the sacrifice of individuals like Daifallah, Alrafai stressed. “It’s really important that we teach our kids, teach the next generations about those impacts.”
Ahmed Almori is 72 and knew Daifallah personally, the two having once shared a room in one of the modest farm worker quarters that to this day many
California Black Media spoke with a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spokesperson on why she believes it should be a YES vote on Prop 2. “Los Angeles Unified has $80 billion in identified unfunded school facility needs and over 60% of its school buildings are over 50 years old. If Proposition 2 is approved by voters, LAUSD anticipates applying for and receiving between $600 million and $700 million,” the Spokesperson said. “Measure US, Los Angeles Unified’s Local Public Schools Safety and Upgrades Measure on the November ballotwould provide $9 billion to upgrade Los Angeles public schools for safety and 21st century student learning and college and career preparedness.
The average annual cost to property owners is estimated at 2.5 cents per $100 of assessed (not market) property value. The Los Angeles Unified Board of
“Proposition 2 is $10 billion of bonds, new state debt, to pay for school facilities. It is almost certain to result in higher property tax bills, because school districts must provide a ‘local match’ of funds in order to receive money from the Prop. 2 state bonds. That will lead to districts issuing new local school bonds, which are paid for by adding new charges to property tax bills,” said Jarvis. Opponents also have voiced concerns about what they view as an inequitable distribution of funds. They believe that lowerincome school districts should receive a greater share of the state’s sliding scale for matching funds.
“Enrollment is declining in both K-12 district schools and community colleges and the declines are projected to continue. But Proposition 2 commits California to pay an estimated $18 billion, including interest, for school buildings that may not even be necessary. Vote no on proposition 2.”
A “yes” vote gives approval to the state to issue $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities.
A “no” vote will prohibit the state from issuing $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities.
FCC Examines Data Caps as Chair Rosenworcel Highlights Consumer Frustrations
The FCC’s inquiry will also address whether data caps deter consumers from using data-intensive applications and services. Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has initiated an inquiry into the use of data caps and other usage-based billing practices by wired and wireless broadband providers. This inquiry seeks to evaluate the impact of these practices on consumers and competition despite dissent from two Republican commissioners who question the FCC’s authority in this area.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel acknowledged consumer frustration with data caps, noting that nearly 3,000 individuals have filed complaints over the past year. “We are listening,” Rosenworcel stated. “Today, we start an inquiry into the state of data caps. We want to shine a light on what they mean for internet service for consumers across the country.”
As part of the inquiry, the FCC said it would explore data caps on fixed and mobile broadband services, focusing on how they impact consumer access and competition. The Commission will also examine how ISPs measure data usage, enforce usage policies, and handle unused data in plans with data caps. Additionally, the inquiry continued on page 4
By D.G. Mawn, MA, JD and Stephanie E. Myers, Ph.D.
In 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johson said, "A challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities and our states, in our homes and in our hearts, to eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved country." President Johnson made this important statement when he signed the historic 1964 Civil Rights Act. And, while sixty years later we have made enormous progress in eliminating injustice in our beloved country, there is still lots more work to do. For America to be a more perfect union, all citizens must participate fully in the electoral process as well as full participation in social and civic life. This means that we must all do our part to assure that any barriers to full participation related to race, sex, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability are removed. Going forward, we must be on guard to assure that legislation is not enacted that could result in destroying the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Instead, we should consider actions that will further the reach of the Civil Rights Act, to ensure equity for all people.
One opportunity to strengthen implementation of the Civil Rights Act is the mandate in Section 10 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Section 10 signifies the federal government’s willingness to offer strong support for communitybased problem solving and peacebuilding. To this end, the Act establishes and resources two efforts, both of which are designed to include community voices often marginalized or left out entirely.
First, we need to strengthen and protect the Community Relations Service (CRS) in the U.S. Department of Justice. President Johnson talked in detail about the importance of the CRS for reconciliation and voluntary compliance with laws that enforce nondiscriminatory polices at accommodations, transportation, and voting. CRS needs consistency in leadership and insist that the current Acting Director Mr., Justin Lock, be immediately presented to the U.S. Senate for confirmation.
Second, Section 10 in the Civil Rights Act started the infrastructure of community-based mediation in the U.S. by enlarging dispute mechanisms that prioritize a role for communities in resolving their own disputes. President Richard Nison supported the establishment of locally-led infrastructure for community dispute resolution that was meant to work in tandem with CRS.
This mechanism focuses on facilitating the development of “Community Mediation Centers” (CMCs) that are throughout the country and work to resolve community-based conflicts. We know from experience that resolving conflicts requires
collective response and is not a oneperson or one-entity responsibility.
Today, we must fight to maintain the nearly 500 CMCs that serve 500 distinctive communities across North America. And, the majority of those centers are members of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM), a national non-profit organization dedicated to conflict resolution.
Grassroots CMCs offer support on the ground in real time to those in conflict and are bridges between federal action and local disruptions, disturbances, and disputes. CMCs stand for and with community members and operate as barometers reflecting changes in the political, economic, communication, and social conditions, as well as opinions of the people about conflict and dispute resolution.
President Johnson said, “Every time we fought for rights in this country, we've made rights more expansive for other people. I think that's one of the greatest legacies of the Civil Rights Act because when you look at it, you're saying that this country belongs to everybody. And if it's going to belong to everybody, everybody should have equal protection.”
The existence of communityled, federally supported dispute resolution is essential. This collaboration is a key dynamic that has appeared and disappeared over the decades. When only federal action is taken through the CRS, it can lead to short-term fixes that only involve individuals and agencies adjacent to the harm. Instead, broad and deep reach is needed creating long-lasting results and regenerative possibilities that requires the involvement of the CMCs.
We need a stronger collaboration between CMCs and CRS offices to help communities create longlasting permanent steps toward the beloved community that we are working towards. We want all Americans to be seen, heard, and to feel connections to one another. Let’s come together to fight to strengthen and protect the Civil Rights Act and confirm the appointment of Mr. Justin Lock, Acting Director of the CMS. This will strengthen our communities and national impact on issues justice, engagement and peace.
D.G. Mawn, M.A., JD, is President of the National Association for Community Mediation, a national hub for the community mediation movement initiated by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. seeking justice, social cohesion and peace.
Stephanie Myers, Ph.D. is National Co-Chair of Black Women for Positive Change, a global organization dedicated to “Changing the Culture of Violence in America, and the World.”
By Dr. Jack Feltz and Dr. Michael Hagg
Most people over a certain age are familiar with going in for a colonoscopy, a routine method of screening for and preventing colon cancer. What they might not know is that the cost of the procedure can vary wildly depending on where they get it done.
The problem is that Medicare -- the taxpayer-funded health insurer for Americans 65 and above -- pays hospitals significantly more for common procedures than it pays physicians in private practices or ambulatory surgery centers. This discrepancy contributes to the swelling cost of health care
Thursday, October 31, 2024
serves some 66 million older Americans. Multiply the price of millions of procedures by two or more, and the cost to the federal government adds up.
This system of unequal payments has other negative impacts, too. For example, it requires Medicare to keep seniors' monthly premiums higher than they need to be. MedPAC estimated that switching to siteneutral payments -- in which the federal government pays the same for procedures no matter where they're performed -- would have saved Medicare beneficiaries $1.5 billion in 2021.
And since private insurers use Medicare reimbursements as the basis for their own payments, premiums for their beneficiaries are higher than they need to be as well. The insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield estimates that site-neutral reforms would save people with private insurance $117 billion a year in premiums.
The double standard has encouraged hospitals to gobble up freestanding clinics and small practices so that they can charge Medicare more, according to MedPAC. As soon as a hospital completes an acquisition, it starts billing for the clinic's services at the hospital rate -- without even making changes that might justify a higher price.
Ultimately, this consolidation leaves patients with fewer options
to choose from when deciding on providers. And if all the health facilities in a community end up owned by the same hospital or health system, then there's no competition to drive better quality or pricing for patients.
The solution is for Medicare to establish site-neutral payments. Such reforms would disincentivize large hospital groups from buying up independent outpatient clinics or the surgery centers where doctors in private practice perform procedures.
In the bigger picture, siteneutral payments would decrease overall healthcare spending. According to the American Action Forum, adopting them would save Medicare $153 billion over 10 years and the healthcare system as a whole $672 billion.
It makes little sense to pay hospitals many times more than physicians for equivalent work. Implementing site-neutral payments would make patients, taxpayers, and the healthcare system as a whole much better off.
Dr. Jack Feltz is an OB/GYN and Federal Health Policy Chair for the American Independent Medical Practice Association. Dr. Michael Hagg is a urologist and President of the Pennsylvania Independent Physician Practice Association.
FCC Examines Data Caps as Chair Rosenworcel Highlights Consumer Frustrations...continued from page 3
will assess recent trends in household data consumption and the data needs for various services like video streaming, online gaming, telemedicine, and home security systems. “Lastly, we ask about our legal authority to take action regarding data caps,” the FCC explained. The Commission has set a comment deadline of November 14, 2024, with replies due by December 2, 2024.
While some broadband providers suspended data caps during the COVID-19 pandemic, companies like Comcast, Cox Communications, Cable One, and Mediacom Communications continue to enforce them. Charter Communications, which was barred from implementing data caps for seven years under merger conditions, has refrained from reintroducing them since the restriction expired last May.
Rosenworcel highlighted how data caps affect consumers’ daily lives, citing complaints such as one from a mother in Arizona who described the stress of frequently exceeding data limits. “The mental toll of constantly thinking about how much you use a service that is essential for modern life is real,” she remarked.
The NCTA—The Internet & Television Association defended usage-based billing, arguing that it provides flexibility in a competitive market. “Today’s competitive internet marketplace offers consumers a wide range
in our country. It's also compelled hospitals to acquire physician practices in increasing numbers. That saps competition, results in higher prices, and leaves patients with fewer options.
Medicare pays more to hospitals for a long list of procedures. In addition to cancer screenings, these include x-rays, chemotherapy infusions, and heart-imaging procedures like echocardiograms and nuclear cardiology, as well as followup appointments.
The current system is good for hospitals' bottom lines. But it's bad for everyone else. Medicare
of service choices, including wired and wireless technologies, a range of speed tiers and innovative features, and flexible pricing options, such as usagebased billing,” the NCTA stated. “This market-driven flexibility benefits consumers. Those who use less data can choose lowercost options reflecting commonsense economics. Instead of launching a proceeding that needlessly questions the accepted, pro-consumer benefits of more competitive options, the FCC should return its focus to clearing the real obstacles that impede our national drive to bring internet to all.”
Commissioner Brendan Carr strongly opposed the inquiry, cautioning that regulating data caps equates to rate regulation, which he argues the FCC lacks the authority to impose.
Commissioner Nathan Simington also dissented, comparing the issue to regulating coffee refills, warning that limiting usagebased billing could reduce consumer choice and drive costs.
The FCC’s inquiry will also address whether data caps deter consumers from using data-intensive applications and services. The goal, Rosenworcel said, is to ensure that consumers’ concerns are heard. “We are going to identify what is happening now and what we can do next,” the commissioner stated. “We are going to make sure that the consumers writing to us are heard. So, let’s get to it.”
WITNESS FOR JUSTICE Issue #1227
by Elizabeth Dilley
A just world for all includes an equal voice in the ballot box. Perhaps you remember the problem of gerrymandering from your high school civics class. Gerrymandering happens when one political party draws electoral maps that seek to dilute the voting power of another political party.
And because political power and racism have always been intimately entwined in the
some desired candidates, but it also produced situations where only those districts represented the influence of minoritized populations – thus diluting their power in neighboring districts. Every state has had gerrymandered maps, though some states have attempted to develop fair, equitable, and sensible electoral maps. But only one state has gerrymandering on the ballot this November. Ohio has a long and storied history of gerrymandering issues, with all major political parties attempting to create district maps that favor their interests. In 2022, the Republican supermajority in the Ohio Statehouse drew up seven different maps that were all declared unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court (who nonetheless allowed one of those maps to be used for redistricting purposes going forward).
Issue 1 on Ohio’s ballot proposes to create a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission to shape impartial, sensible, and equitable districts throughout the state.
Spearheaded by an organization called Citizens Not Politicians, the proposal explicitly bars politicians, lobbyists, and political party officials from
joining this commission. While both sides of the Issue 1 debate claim that their efforts will stop gerrymandering in the state, a Yes will make substantive changes to the state redistricting process, while a No vote will continue to allow the political party in power to consolidate their power through election maps. And although this issue currently only impacts Ohio, other states are paying attention to the ballot measure as a potential model for future attempts to prevent (or consolidate) gerrymandering. Why does this issue matter for people of faith? While the Bible reminds us that God is on the side of the oppressed, the injured, and the powerless, the Bible also calls us to create a just world where all people have agency. It is not enough for “us” to speak for “them,” but for all of us to have a voice and to be empowered to use it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Rev. Elizabeth Dilley serves as the Minister and Team Leader for the Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization (MESA) team in the national setting of the United Church of Christ.
United States, gerrymandering also dilutes the voting power of people of color. That was supposed to be averted by the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which prevented states from dividing minoritized populations across multiple districts to thwart the election of their preferred candidates. While the creation of “majority minority” districts helped to ensure the election of
“You
By
Do you think judgment will never fall? If you do, then this I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer in the futility of your mind, being darkened in your understanding excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in you because of the hardness of your heart [Ephesians 4:17-21]. Judgment is as sure as Death and the Rapture. Read the Book of Revelation, God’s Book of Judgment, and find out for yourself what’s in store for those who are not ready for the Second Coming of Christ. For Thus Saith the Lord, My Spirit will not always strive with man. I will turn you into darkness, and I will never shine My light upon your path again. I am reaching out daily to you, seeking to draw you into My arms and to breathe upon you My love, grace and strength, but your mind is occupied with other things. You don’t have the desire to draw nigh nor to hear what I am saying to you, because the devil has your attention, that you can’t even hear me. I call and call, but there is no answer – and then when you do answer, you are so drowsy you don’t know what the Spirit is saying. I tell you; one day, My Spirit will just say, sleep on. But now My Spirit cries to you, “Awake! Awake!” while there is yet still time! Open thine eyes and know that I keep My word of Judgment just as I keep My word of Salvation and Deliverance. Don’t let the enemy deceive you. Don’t let him deceive you in anything that I have said to you. You who have
neglected your souls salvation. Believe Me when I say, you will be cast into Hell if you don’t repent, into a lake of fire from which there is no escape. I the Lord thy God have foretold many things, and all will be fulfilled –My word shall not return void! They refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen, so the Lord said, “I’ve had enough, blow the trumpet [Revelation Chapter 8].
I have for a very long time held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once [Isaiah 42:14]. There was no doubt in Zephaniah's mind that God had had enough. His people bowed down to other gods and no longer turned to the Lord in prayer nor did they seek his help. They blindly walked their own selfish and greedy path and, in their arrogance, thought God would sit quietly by and do nothing. They were wrong! "Listen, the cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter… that day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish… [Zephaniah 1:1415]. For there is no shortage of fire and brimstone to be found in the Bible. [Revelation 21:8]. It’s clear from the opening pages of Genesis that there is a wrath of God, which abides on every ungodly man. For it is written, “God is angry with the wicked every day.” [Psalms 7:11]. What does this mean for us? It serves to remind us that we need to take the words of the Lord to heart. What He says will happen, will happen. What He promises, He will do. Do not trifle with your salvation. Be like the wise virgins in [Matthew 25] and prepare, because I tell you like a tidal wave, judgment is heading towards us.
by Dwight Brown
Film
Critic
for DwightBrownInk.com and NNPA News Wire (****)
If you told this twisted story at a cocktail party, everyone would be entranced. They’d listen attentively, right up until the end with the big reveal. That’s when they’d drop their martini glasses, gasp and laugh at how providence has bigger plans for humanity than conniving men could ever fathom.
British writer Robert Harris started this yarn in 2016 with the release of his novel Conclave. A taut thriller/suspense/mystery set in the Vatican. The pope has died and the cardinals who surround him gather to elect a new leader of the Catholic faith. It won’t be a simple vote. Power, corruption, greed and betrayal are in the mix. God help everyone. Or at least smack the devious plotters down.
Now, this riveting film adaption raises the stakes, concocting an extraordinary drama/thriller worthy of Academy awards for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Direction and countless acting awards. That’s because director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) pool their thoughtful, cunning and superb skills and the result is an incisive religious parable about those who connive. A cautionary tale for scammers and schemers.
The Holy Father (Bruno Novelli) has passed. His body lays in his chambers on pure white bedding. Hands and arms cross his chest. His spirit must be hovering around the room and aghast as what it sees. Over-ambitious cardinals view the pontiff. Out of respect, curiosity and in grief. Also, eager to campaign to be the next pope. At the late father’s command, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List) will organize the voting and election. However, a power struggle has already begun within the conclave. Lawrence, who is the dean of the group, is pushed by the liberal cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), his friend, to thwart the efforts of the racist, Italian nationalist Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) from Venice, who could set the Vatican back 50 years. The devious Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) of Montreal would set his mother afire to win the post, so imagine the machinations he’s got in mind for his competitors. Shockingly, as the first voting takes place, Nigerian Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati, The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) becomes a contender. At the last minute the Latino Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) joins the quorum of sneaks, saboteurs, do-gooders and holy men. Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), head of the nuns, bears witness. She knows all the secrets as accusations are made and character assassinations hurled: “You lack the courage to be pope!”
Viewers may think they know where this narrative and its characters are headed, but the story, screenplay, direction and cast will take them on wild goose chases. Down the wrong paths, to dead ends and finally to a moment not even the most seasoned mystery book reader could guess. Berger is the guide on this religious journey that is full of more lies, upheavals, stonewalling and gamesmanship than an afternoon’s worth of soap operas. There is no wrinkle in Berger’s game. No fault in his intuition. His directing skills are flawless, and he tells this tale better than anyone could imagine.
Berger’s efforts are helped tremendously by all those who set the time and majestic place: Chambers and rooms (production designer Suzie Davis, Saltburn), props (set decorator Cynthia Sleiter), lavish robes (costume designer Lisy Christi, All Quiet on the Western Front), deep red colors (art director Roberta Federico), devine music (Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front) and exquisitely captivating lighting and composition (cinematographer Stéphanie Fontaine, Jackie). The atmosphere and artifacts trap viewers’ attention pulling them into a sequestered place, the Sistine Chapel, where a few will decide who will lead a billion people of their faith.
The characters that author Harris conceived, and screenwriter Straughn embellished are brought alive by a stunningly talented group of actors who make the participants in this ritual seem as vital to humanity as world leaders at the U.N. Yet as petty as the folks at a local PTA. Fiennes is Lawrence, the unwilling referee pushed into guiding the flock—of vultures. His performance is believable, bewildered and resigned. Tremblay’s impervious swagger can be traced to Lithgow’s shrewd interpretation of a cardinal with Machiavellian maneuvers usually reserved for villains. Bellini’s incessant tinkering is annoying because Tucci knows how to play him like a raven who squawks. There’s a stateliness to Adeyemi due to Msamati’s handling of a fated character. While Rossellini plays Agnes like a soothsayer and Diehz astutely keeps his interloper persona veiled.
You don’t have to be Catholic or religious to see the genius of this film. Even if you’ve viewed other papal movies, you won’t be ready for this one. There’s no precursor. Nothing will prepare you for the final moment. That’s’ when audiences will collectively gasp and say, “I didn’t see that coming!” Seductive mystery/thrillers have that effect. This one does.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/JX9jasdi3ic Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.
¡AVISO! Lo han demandado. Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación. Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia. Hay otros requisitos legales. Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www.sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales. AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso. CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): CIVSB 2225784
The name and address of the court is (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): SAN BERNARDINO JUSTICE CENTER 247 W. Third St. San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210
The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Fernando D. Vargas, Esq., SBN129284 Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas 8647 Haven Ave., Ste. 200 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (909) 982-0707 DATE (Fecha): Mar 21, 2023 Clerk of Court (Secretario),
FLETCHER V ARIN VARTANIAN, et al 1st CAUSE OF ACTION-General Negligence
ATTACHMENT TO: Complaint
GN-1 Plaintiff: KAREN ELAINE FREENY-FLETCHER alleges that defendant: ARIN VARTANIAN, TELMA GRAGOSYAN, THE VILLAS AT TERRA VISTA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, and Does 1 to 50 was the legal (proximate) cause of damages to plaintiff. By the following acts or omissions to act, defendant negligently caused the damage to plaintiff.
on: September 15, 2021 at: THE VILLAS AT TERRA VISTA: 7667 Haven Ave Apt. A Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION (Negligence against all Defendants)
16. Plaintiff, KAREN ELAINE FREENY-FLETCHER, incorporates by reference the allegations contained in paragraphs 1 through 15 of the complaint and each and every part thereof with the same force and effect as though set forth at length herein.
17. Plaintiff is informed and believes, and thereon alleges that on September 15, 2021, defendant, ARIN VARTANIAN, TELMA GRAGOSYAN, THE VILLAS AT TERRA VISTA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONM and DOEA 1 through 50, Inclusive were owners and operators of a condominium complex known as THE VILLAS AT TERRA VISTA condominiums located at 7667 Haven Ave Apt. A, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.
18. Plaintiff is informed and believes, and thereon alleges that on September 15, 2021, defendant, ARIN VARTANIAN, TELMA GRAGOSYAN, THE VILLAS AT TERRA VISTA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, AND does T1 THROUGH 50, Inclusive were the property management companies that were responsible for maintaining, controlling and managing the THE VILLAS AT TERRA VISTA condominiums located at 7667 Haven Ave Apt. A, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION (Negligence against all
28. PLAINTIFF, KAREN ELAINE FREENY-FLETCHER has incurred medical treatment costs. Furthermore, the full amount of all such damages is not known at this time and therefore is subject to proof at trial. SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION (Premises Liability against all Defendants)
29. Plaintiff, KAREN ELAINE FREENY-FLETCHER, incorporates by reference the allegations contained in paragraphs 1 through 28 of the complaint and each and every part thereof with the same force and effect as though set forth at length herein.
30. At all relevant
Thursday, October 31, 2024
by Breanna Reeves
Southern California Kaiser Permanente mental health care workers launched an open-ended strike on Oct. 21, demanding that Kaiser address the shortage of mental health workers, increase wages to cover the cost of living increase and restore pensions. (Image courtesy of NUHW/ Facebook)
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health workers launched an open-ended strike on Monday, demanding that Kaiser address the mental health crisis and shortage of mental health professionals.
More than 2,400 mental health therapists, psychologists, social workers and psychiatric nurses who are represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) made the decision to strike after Kaiser and the union failed to come to an agreement on contract proposals.
The NUHW contract expired on Oct. 30. According to the NUHW, Kaiser staffs an estimated one therapist for every 3,000 members in Southern California compared to one therapist for every 2,000 members in Northern California.
“However, Kaiser management has refused to extend those gains to Southern California, creating in essence a two-tiered mental
health system where patients in Northern California have better access to care and mental health professionals have more time to meet the needs of their patients,” read a statement from the NUHW released on Monday.
The NUHW stated their demands in the press release, requesting an increase in patient care time, raises for cost of living, and restoring pensions for mental health professionals hired after 2014.
Kaiser released a statement following the launch of the strike and accused the NUHW of “slow-walking the negotiation process.”
“Today’s strike is entirely unnecessary, and unfortunately not surprising. NUHW leaders have been threatening to strike since before we began bargaining in July,” the Kaiser statement read. “The union isn’t calling for more time to care for patients. It is demanding more money for therapists to spend less time
seeing patients.”
The union addressed Kaiser’s claim that increasing patient care time could result in a full-time therapist spending 40% of their work week not seeing patients, calling it “false” as therapists in Northern California are afforded seven hours per week and “that has not been the case in Southern California.”
Roughly 2,400 Kaiser Permanente mental health care workers launched an open-ended strike on Oct. 21 after the union and Kaiser failed to come to an agreement regarding contract proposals that would address staff shortages and patient care times. (Image courtesy of NUHW/ Facebook)
“Everything we’re proposing in negotiations, Kaiser is already providing to the vast majority of its workforce,” said Adriana Webb, a medical social worker with Kaiser who specializes in serving patients with HIV, in the NUHW statement. “If Kaiser is serious about transforming its mental health care system, it has to start by ending the inequities that harm us and our patients.”
The open-ended strike could last for weeks, as it did in 2022, when mental health therapists in Northern California striked for 10 weeks. The monthslong strike resulted in Kaiser increasing staffing and extending time for patient care duties such as responding to patient calls and developing treatment plans.
According to the NUHW picket schedule, strikes will take place across dozens of Kaiser hospital locations, from Bakersfield to Downey to
Riverside and Fontana, down to San Diego.
In previous years, Kaiser has been fined for its failure to provide patients with timely access to care and last year, they were fined $50 million — the largest fine in California history for violating mental health laws.
According to the settlement agreement, Kaiser acknowledged “that it lacks sufficient behavioral health providers in its Medical Groups and external contracted provider networks.”
A 4 page letter announcing plans for a open ended strike by the National Union of Healthcare Workers written by NUHW Research Director Fred Seavey.
(Courtesy of the National Union of Healthcare Workers)
“In an effort to address the deficiencies identified herein, the Plan represented to the Department that it has made significant strides and improvements in expanding its behavioral health network. Nevertheless, this is an area that requires significant review and continued improvement,” according to the agreement.
“Kaiser says all the right things when it comes to mental health care, but its actions tell a different story,” stated Josh Garcia, a psychologist for Kaiser in San Diego, in the press release.. “Unless we strike, our coworkers are going to keep leaving and our patients are going to keep struggling in an underfunded, understaffed system that doesn’t meet their needs.”
While the strike continues, Kaiser stated that they have
continued in next 2 columns
Southern California Kaiser Mental Health Workers Launch Open-ended Strike...continued
“comprehensive plans in place to minimize potential disruptions.” Kaiser noted that roughly 60% of our patients who are receiving mental health and addiction medicine services currently receive their care from external providers who are not participating in the strike. Kaiser accused NUHW of “putting pickets before patients.”
Prior to the strike, the union penned a letter to the head of
California’s Department of Managed Health Care, urging them to monitor Kaiser and ensure they follow state law to avoid what happened in 2022 when Kaiser “illegally canceled” more than 111,000 individual and group therapy appointments during the 10-week strike by Northern California therapists. Black Voice News will continue to follow this story.
Supervisors Spiegel and Washington Announce Riverside County’s Continued Participation in Operation Green Light for Veterans with Ceremony - November 5, 2024
National /World News
Riverside, CA – In support of veterans across the nation, Supervisors Karen Spiegel and Chuck Washington are proud to announce Riverside County’s return of Operation Green Light for Veterans. The event will feature a ceremonial lighting on Tuesday, November 5, at 5:00 p.m. in front of the County Administration Center Building, located at 4080 Lemon St., Riverside, CA 92502.
For the third consecutive year, Riverside County will join over 3,000 counties nationwide by illuminating the County Administration Building in green from November 5 through November 11 as a tribute to our veterans, with a special focus on Veterans Day, November 11. This initiative, led by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO), shines a light on veterans’ service and promotes awareness of the resources available to them in Riverside County.
“This green light is a small
but meaningful way of showing our veterans that they are valued and remembered,” says Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel.
“By lighting up our building, we’re reminding our community of the sacrifices veterans have made and affirming our commitment to support them long after their service.”
"As a veteran, this cause is deeply personal to me. The green light symbolizes our enduring respect and gratitude for those who served," says Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington. "This is a gesture that reminds us of the sacrifices made by veterans and our ongoing commitment to honoring their legacy."
The ceremony welcomes veterans, community members, local dignitaries, and media representatives to attend. Attendees will experience the light switch ceremony and hear from community leaders about the importance of Operation Green Light and its impact on Riverside County’s veteran community.
Here are some things that might tip you off to a problem:
You get a notification that your email address or phone number changed. Or that your password was reset. But you didn’t make those changes.
You get a message that someone tried to log in, or did log in, and it wasn’t you.
You can’t log in to your account.
If you believe
your personal
Remembering Nagi Daifallah, Whose Death Propelled the Fight for Farm Worker Rights...continued from page 3
farm workers rely on for shelter.
He described Daifallah as a hardworking man who liked to bring people together.
“When he met César Chávez, he was very surprised with what he had started and wanted to join that group and expand it,” said Almori, who recalled falling into a deep depression after Daifallah’s death.
“It brings back memories,” said Almori, gazing at the crowd around him, and maybe “some justice.”
A ‘catalyst for change’
Artist Carlos Pérez David, part of the team that worked on the mural’s original design. (Credit: Araceli Martínez)
Mexican cowboys — charros — on horseback, Filipina women dressed in traditional attire, and young Indigenous people singing and playing drums were among those gathered Sunday. Members of the Yemeni community were also on hand as a young African American woman performed the U.S. national anthem.
Mari Pérez Ruiz with the Central Valley Empowerment Alliance noted the mural depicts the colorful diversity of the community.
“We decided we didn’t just want a pretty mural,” she said, but a painting where the community could see itself.
“That’s how we grow,” she continued, adding, “The
experience of Yemeni farm workers was erased. The story of our Filipino experience was also erased. It is important for us to bring those stories back.”
More than $250,000 was raised to pay for the mural and overall park project.
“Our responsibility is to make sure we protect it,” said Alrafai, “including from those now running for office who have said that the first thing they will do once they are elected is to remove the mural.”
Artist Carlos Pérez David, part of the team that worked on the original design, said he felt honored to do the mural.
“This is part of my life,” he
work in the fields.”
The mural is the first of its kinds in Tulare County.
“We hear a lot about César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, and they did a lot of work, but they didn’t do it alone,” said Ruiz. “Nagi played an instrumental role.”
Araceli Martínez reports for the Spanish language newspaper La Opinión in Los Angeles. She produced this story for EMS as part of our Stop the Hate initiative, with funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California
Thursday, October 31, 2024 THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN
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by Tashi McQueen AFRO Political Writer
Project 2025 is an extensive plan crafted by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, to provide the next conservative president with the resources and policies needed to vastly restructure the federal government.
“This extreme proposal is designed to roll back progress, unravel justice, equality and fairness, and erode the most foundational ideals of our democracy,” said Janai Nelson, president of the Legal Defense Fund, in a statement. “These disturbing and egregious measures include aims to severely diminish Black political power, threaten and subjugate Black communities within the criminal legal system and undermine every person’s right to quality education and reproductive health care.”
“More than ever, it is paramount to the future of our multiracial, multiethnic democracy to advance an affirmative vision of justice and equality that serves everyone,” Nelson continued.
CBCF was founded in 1976 as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research and educational institute.” Their fact sheet outlines how proposed policies could impact criminal justice, the economy and more, potentially widening educational gaps and worsening economic inequalities for Black
Americans.
According to the CBCF, when it comes to civil rights, “Project 2025 seeks to dismantle the civil rights divisions of the Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which investigate workplace and housing discrimination.”
“It would also prevent the Department of Justice from investigating voter suppression and election subversion, which would remove a crucial layer of oversight that safeguards every American’s right to vote,” reads the report. In addition, if implemented, “Project 2025
seeks to outlaw diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in federal agencies and ban what it calls ‘anti-White indoctrination,’ including critical race theory and affirmative action.”
“If successful, these changes would strip away career and educational opportunities for people of color, further reducing resources for Black communities that have long faced systemic barriers,” warns the organization.
When it comes to criminal justice, CBCF leadership warns that “while most criminal justice reforms currently occur at the state and local levels,
When our rights are on the line we fight and when they’re on the ballot we vote, because we’re not going back.
The economy is on the ballot.
Health care is on the ballot.
Criminal justice reform is on the ballot.
Reproductive freedom is on the ballot.
Environmental justice is on the ballot. The right to vote is on the ballot.
If we do our part and show up to the polls, we will make history (again)!
Let’s vote for progress and the future we deserve. Vote for the leader who’s been fighting for us for years.
Election Day is November 5th. Vote for Kamala Harris.
Project 2025 advocates for a larger federal role in law enforcement, with potential negative implications for Black communities.”
“Motivated by a mandate to ‘restore law and order,’ Project 2025 targets progressive prosecutors and empowers the federal government to bring charges against individuals it believes local jurisdictions have wrongfully allowed to evade responsibility for their conduct,” reads the report. “The plan also includes increasing police funding and reducing support for community-based alternatives, such as mental health responders. These programs, which dispatch unarmed responders to address mental health crises and homelessness, have been successful in diffusing policecitizen conflicts in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.”
Aside from reducing resources that have been proven to help the community, “Project 2025 calls for the increased use of the death penalty and stricter federal sentences for drug possession,” according to information released by the CBCF. “These directives would empower the federal government to enforce inequitable laws that contribute to the overrepresentation of Black citizens in the criminal legal system.”
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