Caribbean American Weekly - Issue 114

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ISSUE 114 VOLUME 20

January 14, 2021

SERVING THE CARIBBEAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES!

What Impeachment Means for Trump, Biden and America

BY ANTHONY ZURCHER NORTH AMERICA REPORTER BBC WORLD NEWS

Message from CARICOM Chairman ....5

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xactly one week after security forces with guns drawn defended the House of Representatives against an angry mob, legislators gathered in the same chamber to impeach the president that mob supported.

It marked the first time in the 231-year history of the United States that a presiEditorial credit: Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com

Recovering America’s Battered Democracy & Authority ....3

continued on page 16

Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy By Giving Back to Your Community

BY KAVI DOLASIA DOGO NEWS

C Hon. Martin Luther King Jr Photo: Creative Commons

elebrated annually on the third Monday of January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day honors the life and legacy of one of the most influential leaders of the American civil rights movement.

Designated a national day of service by the US Congress, the federal holiday encourages citizens to help realize the Baptist minister's vision continued on page 4

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ISLAND FOCUS: HAITI Caribbean Consulates Anguilla 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200 Antigua & Barbuda 305 East 47th Street, Suite 6A New York, N.Y. 10020 Tel: 212-541-4117 The Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-421-6420 Barbados 820 Second Avenue, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-551-4325 Belize 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-593-0999 Dominica 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400H New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-949-0853 Dominican Republic 1500 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-599-8478 Grenada 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1101 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-599-0301 Guyana 308 West 38th Street New York, N.Y. 10018 Tel: 212-947-5119 Haiti 815 Second Avenue,6th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-697-9767 Jamaica 767 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-935-9000 Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-838-6887 Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200 Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 20th Floor New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-840-2450 St. Kitts & Nevis 414 East 75th Street, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10021 Tel: 212-535-5521 St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor New York, N.Y. 10007 Tel: 212-697-9360 St. Maarten 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 800-786-2278 St. Vincent & The Grenadines 801 Second Avenue, 21st Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-687-4981 Trinidad & Tobago 125 Maiden Lane, 4th Floor New York, N.Y. 10038 Tel: 212-682-7272 For more Consulate information go to www.cawnyc.com/directory

2

A Decade After the Earthquake, Haiti Still Struggles to Recover

BY JEAN-FRANÇOIS SAVARD, EMMANUEL SAEL & J OSEPH JR CLORMEUS THE CONVERSATION

Editorial credit: arindambanerjee / Shutterstock.com

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ore than 300,000 people were killed, several hundred thousand were injured and nearly 1.5 million were left homeless when magnitude 7 earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010.

On that day, the workspace that my colleague Joseph Jr Clorméus, who coauthored this article, usually occupied at the Ministry of National Education completely collapsed. He witnessed an apocalyptic spectacle: colleagues had lost their lives while others were having limbs amputated to escape certain death under the rubble. Outside, corpses littered the streets of the capital while the horrifying spectacle of blood mixed with concrete and dust offered itself to the desolate gaze of a traumatized population.

Ten years later, Haiti hasn’t recovered from this disaster, despite billions of dollars being spent in the country.

Two main factors explain, in our view, the magnitude of this tragedy: the weakness of Haitian public institutions and the disorganization of international aid, particularly from NGOs. The weakness of the Haitian state Haiti is vulnerable to earthquakes.

Historically, they have been managed by the military, which played an important role in both national development and natural disaster management. But the speedy dismantling of the national army under Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s presidency did not allow for the transfer of the army’s natural disaster management skills to other civilian public institutions.

Indeed, a great deal of know-how disappeared. Despite the presence of several government bodies that had tried to develop skills in relation to earthquakes, no reliable operational body was able to manage the institutional vacuum left by the army. Today, Haiti remains very vulnerable to natural disasters on its territory.

The succession of unstable governments over the past four decades hasn’t helped either. These have significantly weakened the central administration, which then had little capacity to manage and control the country’s territory.

For example, Port-au-Prince, a city originally designed for 3,000 people, was home to almost a million. Ten years later, we can only note that nothing has really changed in this respect. The Haitian state has shown itself incapable of decentralizing and developing its rural environment, which is experiencing an exodus year after year.

The capital and its surroundings are overpopulated and there are no real urban planning policies to impose standards and counter the anarchic constructions that proliferate the city. In this context, any major earthquake could only lead to the

disastrous consequences that the country has experienced.

Another problem: in 2010, the Haitian public administration, far from havingbeen reformed, was mainly concerned with collecting taxes on property without any real control over the territory.

The combination of overcrowding, chaotic urban development without a regional development policy, a flagrant lack of resources to intervene on its territory and the skills of its staff has meant that the Haitian public administration has never been able to anticipate the impacts of an earthquake.

Disorganized international aid The weakness of the Haiti’s public administration is compounded by the disorganization of international aid.

Following a decree adopted in 1989 (which amended Article 13 of the 1982 law governing NGOs), responsibility for the co-ordination and supervision of NGO activities on the territory of the Republic of Haiti was entrusted to the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE).

In the aftermath of the earthquake, many studies reported on the presence of thousands of NGOs in the country. However, on its official list, the MPCE recognized barely 300 of them. It can therefore be concluded that the majority of these NGOs were operating in near obscurity.

Several studies have also shown, and we’ve seen on the ground, that the international community’s assistance deployed immediately after the earthquake failed to meet a humanitarian challenge of such magnitude. There was no co-ordination in the interventions of friendly countries in order to optimize the efforts on behalf of the victims. There was great humanitarian disorganization and even a failure on the part of the international community, which had to improvise ineffectively to co-manage a disaster.

With a presence on the ground as early as 2012, we’ve observed that the majority of NGOs arrived in Haiti not to respond to a need expressed by the Haitian government, but rather to serve their own interests, as Dr. Joanne Liu, former president of Médecins Sans Frontières, reports.

There was no co-ordination between them, nor was there any co-ordination with the government. Furthermore, although UN forces deployed with MINUSTAH were present in Haiti, the

forces were fragmented and operated under often incompatible models and values. Aid was inefficient, even harmful.

The scandal of the reintroduction of cholera in Haiti underscores this reality.

Post-earthquake Despite the fact that billions of dollars had been spent in the country, according to international reports, five years after the disaster, debris was still lying in the streets, thousands of people were still living in refugee camps and the majority of public buildings had not been rebuilt.

All of this testifies to the serious difficulties of co-ordination on the ground.

A decade later, the challenges are still immense for Haiti since it must develop construction policies that fit into a certain vision of urban planning. It must also rebuild the archives of public institutions that have been damaged or have disappeared, and it must help post-earthquake generations learn from the past, develop and implement an emergency plan for natural disasters, and design and implement policies and spaces adapted for people with disabilities.

Today, international development practices are seen to be based on a wealth accumulation perspective, giving priority to private sector interests. Canada’s initiatives to direct its aid to the development of the mining sector and free-trade zones in Haiti are evidence of this.

What’s more, Canada’s decision to freeze funding for new projects in Haiti raises several questions: why leave Haiti in such a difficult position? Is the decision intended to make the Haitian state face up to its responsibilities or simply to take the Canadian government off the hook for the failure of international aid in that country? Is this an admission of powerlessness in the face of the profound institutional weaknesses in Haiti?

As we look back at Jan. 12, 2010, we raise a question as troubling as it is fundamental: Has the Haitian government and the international community really learned any lessons from the earthquake?l Jean-François Savard is a Professeur agrégé, École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP). Emmanuel Sael is a Doctorant en administration publique, École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP) Joseph Jr Clormeus is a Doctorate candidate in public administration, École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP)

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3

THOUGHTS

Recovering America’s Battered Democracy and Authority

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

President Trump depicted in a US flag during riots of Pro-Trump supporters complaining about voter fraud in american elections. Washington, Jan. 06, 2021 Editorial credit: Alex Gakos / Shutterstock.com

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ecent events in Washington, the revered capital of the United States of America, have shaken the moral authority of that country to lecture, threaten and coerce other countries in the name of democracy, rule of law and human rights.

The disgraceful scenes of Americans storming their own sacred Capitol Building — the long-claimed sanctuary for democracy — was bad enough, but what preceded it was worse. Republican Congresspersons, who do know better, wilfully and shamelessly tried to overturn the will of the American people to change their government through a democratic process that was confirmed by state and federal courts and by the U.S. Federal Supreme Court.

Shockingly, a sitting President of the United States, Donald Trump, openly encouraged a mob to be lawless and to attack the bastion of the country’s lawmaking body in a determined attempt to carry out a Coup d’etat.

The mob— nothing less than terrorists —were intent upon overturning the results of a legitimate Presidential election in which both the popular vote and the votes of the Electoral College confirmed that Joseph Biden Jr had been elected as President of the United States.

In the course of it, within the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill, blood was shed. Not the proverbial blood resulting from heated debate and bruised egos, but real blood as Americans shot at Americans and a woman was killed.

When similar events occurred in other parts of the world, especially developing countries, except those countries where the U.S. government favors the regimes in power, the U.S. has been swift to act with threats, sanctions, condemnation and by promoting censure in bodies such as the Organization of American States (OAS). Other governments that hang-on to the coat tails of the U.S. have been quick to support its actions.

Yet, even as the horrors at Capitol Hill were unfolding live on television screens worldwide, the OAS Secretary-General was silent until pushed publicly to speak —event then his statement lacked the

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usual castigation that he has used in relation to countries within and outside the Organization. Hangers-on governments also issued tame statements – none of them belled the cat by calling the name of the person solely responsible for bringing the U.S. to this sorry pass in the eyes of the international community.

It took the leader of the minority NDP in Canada, Jagmeet Singh, to publicly identify the culprit. In a tweet, Singh declared, “The horror unfolding in Washington is frightening and it was incited by Donald Trump. He can end it now but refuses to. Democracy must not be intimidated. The violence must end.”

On the same day, the Miami Herald interviewed me for a story entitled, “Across Latin America and in Miami, storming of U.S. Capitol recalls chaos at home”. The focus was on the parallels between the assault on democracy and the rule of law in the U.S. and the U.S action in Guyana during five months in 2020 when the U.S. government acted to end the stealing of the government against the will of the electorate in the March 2020 general and regional elections. I reproduce below a section of the Miami Herald story.

“What’s happening in the United States is a complete violation of every democratic norm and also of the rule of law (by Donald Trump and elements of the Republican Party) in a flagrant attempt to remain in power,” Sanders said. “Had that occurred in any developing country, indeed in any country of the world, the United States would have been the first to roundly condemn those people, to apply sanctions against those countries and to take action in the name of human rights, democracy and civil rights. “

Last year, Sanders noted, the Trump administration issued visa sanctions against members of the Guyana government when the country’s then-president David Granger refused to accept the outcome of the South American nation’s presidential elections and used the court system to try and overturn the vote.

“The circumstances are almost identical,” he said. “The United States government applied sanctions, applied threats and claimed democracy was at risk and demanded adherence by parties in Guyana, all of which were right.

“I think all of those things were necessary, but you cannot apply it to other countries and not apply it to yourself. If you apply a double standard, you lose the authority to tell anybody anything when they do wrong.”

That is the consequence of Donald Trump’s rejection of the will of the majority of the American people that he should not return to the White House. It is also a consequence of the demeaning of the sanctity and authority of the U.S. Congress that he organiZed and promoted for his selfish ends. And it is a consequence of the ready acquiescence of Republicans in Congress and of hangeron governments, including in the Caribbean, who remained silent, and complicit, as Trump’s government forced its will in bodies such as the OAS, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Trade Organization and elsewhere, eroding international law, norms and practices.

Thankfully, the institutions of democracy and the rule of law remained strong and resilient in the U.S. itself. Were it not for the belief and commitment of

Contributors Jennine Estes Erin Telesford Janet Howard Mary Campbell Tarsha Gibbons Travis Morales Email info@myiqinc.com Telephone 718-771-0988 Website www.cawnyc.com Americans themselves — including, in the end, Vice President Mike Pence — America and the world would have been facing an unstable and disastrous future today.

The world was brought to the brink of disaster on January 6 – a date described by senate minority leader, Democrat, Chuck Schumer, as “as one of the darkest days in recent American history”.

It is to be hoped that Americans have learned a salutary lesson for democracy and the rule of law in their own country, and about the importance of retaining and nurturing respect, not fear, globally.

Hopefully, hangers on governments around the world, will also have learned that standing up for principle is far more valuable than alliances with bullies with feet of clay.l Sir Ronald Sanders is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and the Organisation of American States.

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CIVIL RIGHTS

Celebrate MLK/ continued from page 1 of a “beloved community” by bridging racial and ethnic barriers, addressing social issues, and volunteering to improve their communities.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) grew up in a world where black and white people led disparate lives. They dined at different restaurants, attended different schools, and even sat separately in specially marked areas when traveling on buses and trains. The young boy believed segregation was a way of life across the country until he went to work in the tobacco fields of Hartford, Connecticut, in the summer of 1944. In a letter to his father, the then 15-year-old MLK said, "After we passed Washington, there was no discrimination at all. The white people here are very nice. We go to any place we want to and sit anywhere we want to.”

MLK returned to Atlanta to pursue an undergraduate degree in sociology at Morehouse College. In 1954, the now ordained minister had to decide between becoming the pastor of a church in the progressive northern states of New York or Massachusetts, or accepting a similar position in Montgomery, Alabama, where segregation was alive. Not afraid to take on a challenge, the clergyman and his wife, Coretta King, opted for the latter.

As the church leader, MLK convinced his mostly black congregation to register

to vote and join the NAACP, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. His pursuit for racial equality began in December 1955 after civil rights activist Rosa Parks was arrested for not vacating her bus seat for a white passenger. Upset at the injustice, MLK led the charge to convince the city's African American residents to avoid public buses. Despite having no other mode of transport to get to work, the locals joined the cause — not for a day or month, but an entire year! As news of the boycott spread, African American residents from the other Southern States joined in, resulting in the first-ever concerted effort to fight racial discrimination. In 1956, the activists won their first battle when the United States Supreme Court ruled segregation on public transportation illegal.

Buoyed by the success, MLK began to travel across the country, urging citizens to fight against existing segregation policies by staging peaceful sit-ins, boycotts, and marches. The activist became famous for his inspiring speeches, the most memorable one of which was delivered in 1963.

The events leading to the oft-quoted 'I Have A Dream' address began in June 1963, when President John F. Kennedy asked the US Congress to approve a bill giving all Americans equal access to public places. To persuade government officials to sign it into law, civil rights leaders encouraged citizens to stage a peaceful rally in Washington, DC. Over 200,000 residents from across the coun-

try heeded their call and arrived at the capital on August 28, 1963, to participate in what later became known as the March on Washington. It was here that MLK, standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, revealed his dream of living in a country where everyone was treated equally.

The July 2, 1964, Civil Rights Act was the first significant victory in the activist’s mission to achieve equality for all Americans. The August 6, 1965, Voting Rights Act, allowing African Americans to exercise their right to vote in US elections, was another step in the right direction. The April 11, 1968, Fair Housing Act, prohibiting racial discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of property was the final victory, assuring equal rights across the country.

Unfortunately, MLK was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968,

and never experienced life in a segregation-free America.

The clergyman-turned-activist's courage and efforts have allowed all Americans — regardless of race, color, gender, religion, or national origin — to pursue their dreams. It is now up to all of us, both young and old, to protect MLK's precious legacy by standing up to societal injustices and helping those in need, especially during these difficult times.

This January 18, 2021, create your own legacy by helping community members impacted by the pandemic — not just for a single day, but on an ongoing basis.l

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Resources: History.com, Wikipedia. org, nationalservice.org

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CARIBBEAN SPECIAL REPORT

New Year Statement by the Incoming Chairman of CARICOM

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he Caribbean Community (CARICOM) enters this New Year 2021 with renewed hope for emerging from the darkness of the past year. The promising light at the end of the tunnel provided by the vaccine for COVID-19 provides the possibility of relief from the health and socio-economic challenges posed by the pandemic.

The Community has signed on to the COVAX Facility and looks forward to receiving its quota as soon as it becomes available in the New Year. However, it will not be an immediate panacea for the ills brought upon us by the virus.

The relatively successful management of the health aspects of COVID-19 by the concerted effort of all arms of the Community–Member States, Institutions and the citizens – demonstrated without a doubt that the answer to COVID is CARICOM! In the recovery phase, we must employ the same collective, coordinated and focused actions that allowed us to control the spread of the virus. Chief among these is the discipline to maintain the protocols that help to avoid being contaminated. The less strain we put on the health systems will directly benefit the

Incoming Chairman of CARICOM, the Hon. Dr Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago

economic and financial situation.

Even as we vigorously pursue the possibilities of support from the International Financial Institutions and other avenues, we must look at making full use of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) as our principal

means of recovery. It is that confidence in ourselves and our institutions, our intellectual capacity and creativity, and the platform we have laid which will lead us on the path to recovery. Pursuing the plans to advance the CSME that may have been side-lined by the urgent needs of the past year must be a priority to help propel us out of the negative socio-economic outlook that has been forecast.

Harnessing all of our resources, human, natural and financial, to lead this recovery process will be a clear signal of our maturity as an integration unit approaching its 50th anniversary. The example has been set time and again in adversity.

That is the approach that we must adopt across the board to transform our Community post COVID and beyond.

Let this be the year that we make CARICOM work for us, as we build back better and construct the resilient society that will provide a safe, prosperous and viable Community for all of us. We have the tools to do it. 2021 must be the Year of CARICOM. As Chairman of the Caribbean Community, I wish you all a Happy New Year and please stay safe.l

Haitian Independence Day

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or the hundreds of thousands of Haitian-Americans living in the United States, Jan. 1st signifies a day of celebration that goes beyond New Year's celebrations. On that date in 1804, Haiti became the first country in the globe to successfully end slavery through a rebellion and achieve it’s own independent democratic government.

To mark the day, Haitians shake off their New Year's Eve hangover to watch the parades in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The day is marked with fireworks, dancing and renditions of the national anthem, which honors Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the hero of the revolution.

A New Year's Day tradition in Haiti is 'soup joumou' pumpkin soup. The story is that slaves in Haiti were forbidden from drinking soup joumou as it was a delicacy reserved for their colonial masters. It's said that Dessalines' wife, Marie-Claire Heureuse Felicite, declared that on this day no Haitian should be denied a traditional bowl of joumou.

Drinking the soup on 1st January to mark the country's liberation has become a symbol of freedom.l

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6

IN THE NEWS

New COVID ‘Super Strains’ Could Disrupt Life Again

BY BRENDA GOODMAN, MA WEBMD WORLD NEWS

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an 06, 2021: After 10 months of masks, social distancing, virtual school, fear for vulnerable loved ones, and loneliness, this is the news no one wanted to hear: The virus that causes COVID-19 has changed —once again — in ways that make it more contagious.

At least one new “super strain” of the virus is already in the U.S. Another highly contagious strain from South Africa could be on its way. As bad as things are now, experts believe these new strains are not responsible for the spike in cases seen in many states as people fall ill after holiday travel.

The strains are about 50% more contagious than the virus that has been most widely circulating in the United States, though it doesn’t seem to be more fatal for any one person who catches it.

While that may seem reassuring, it could be disastrous on a wider scale. One public health expert believes the virus is changing itself to adapt and infect more people.

Another, Adam Kucharski, PhD, an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who

specializes in the math of infectious disease outbreaks, says the math shows the infectious strain will be more deadly.

Kucharski recently compared how many people would die after 10,000 new infections over the course of a month.

With the current situation, with a virus that sees each patient infect an average of 1.1 others and kills .08% of everyone it infects, you’d predict 129 deaths over a month of spread. With a virus that’s 50% more deadly, you would expect to see about 193 deaths over a month of spread.

With a virus that’s 50% more contagious, you end up with 978 more deaths over a month of spread — or five times as many

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deaths.

This means that unless the U.S. adjusts its response to the pandemic, and adjusts quickly, hospitalizations and deaths could reach terrifying peaks in this country over the next few weeks as the variant strains cause a new wave of infections here.

More Infections, More Deaths Ashish Jha, MD, dean of the Brown School of Public Health, projected on Tuesday that as the new strains take hold in the U.S., they could cause an additional 10 million new infections by the end of February and as many as 150,000 more deaths.

“Without aggressive action to limit the spread of the virus, bolster health care systems around the country, and accelerate vaccine administration, Los Angeles offers a preview of what many communities are likely to experience over the coming months,” he said in a news release.

Hospitals in Los Angeles are severely constrained. On Monday, Los Angeles EMS crews were told to conserve oxygen, because of a shortage of portable oxygen tanks, and not to transport some patients to crowded hospitals if they could not restore their pulse.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, predicted Sunday on Face the Nation that the new strain would be responsible for the majority of new infections in this country by March.

“It’s a big deal for a world that’s already stretched trying to keep in control the old variant,” said Marc Lipsitch, PhD, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in a call with reporters on Tuesday.

“If we don’t change our control measures, once it becomes common, it will accelerate transmission considerably,” he said.

Tracing, Testing, Vaccinating Lipsitch believes contact tracing efforts in the U.S. — which have been overwhelmed in many places by community spread of the virus — should pivot to focus just on breaking the chains of transmission caused by the new variants.

News of the variants has come as the administration of new vaccines has lagged in the U.S., further raising the worry that these strains will get a

foothold before people can be protected against them.

Already, one new “super strain” of the virus is driving an alarming surge of COVID cases in Great Britain. On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson —who had resisted tougher control measures for weeks — reluctantly ordered strict new lockdown measures in that country, following close behind similar moves in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Defending his actions against the economic harm they would cause, he said he had no choice but to lock down again as new cases threatened to overwhelm hospitals.

Once again, most children will stay home for school, and people have been asked not to leave home except to do a very limited number of essential tasks, like seeking health care or going grocery shopping.

A new report from Imperial College London found that a greater proportion of children were infected with the new strain, compared to the older version of the virus. It’s not clear yet if its mutations make it better at infecting children, or if younger people were just more likely to be exposed to it because kids have continued to go to school there, even as many adults have stayed home.

Seven States and Countng One of the new super strains —t he socalled U.K. variant — has been detected in six U.S. states, according to the CDC: Colorado, California, Georgia, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania. One other state is still looking into cases and hasn’t made an announcement, according to Greg Armstrong, MD, director of advanced molecular detection at the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Armstrong thinks fewer than one in 200 COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are currently caused by mutated UK strain, but there’s some uncertainty around that number because the U.S. has done a limited number of gene tests on samples of the SARS-CoV2 virus.

His estimates are based on results from commercial testing companies Illumina and Helix, which have partnered with the CDC to look for the variant as they process COVID tests. Helix screened more than 2 million COVID tests for signs of the variant. They forwarded 158 samples to Illumina for further testing.

Of those, 51 were positive for the UK variant.According to the companies, as of Jan. 6, 54 cases of the UK variant had been identified in the U.S. Many people infected with the new variant have no history of travel, which suggests it is already being passed person-to-person in some areas.l This is an excerpt of the article. Read the full story at www.cawnyc.com

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NYC, masks and social distancing are working!

WHAT’S NEXT

IN THE COVID-19 FIGHT? NOW, WE ALL NEED TO GET TESTED OFTEN, even with no symptoms, to keep reducing the spread.

TO FIND EASY AND SAFE TESTING AT NO COST TO YOU,

VISIT NYC.GOV/COVIDTEST OR CALL 212-COVID19

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8

JOBS & RECESSION

Why You Should Become a Real Estate Agent Now Texas real estate schools have seen 11,900 students graduate in 2020 alone!

Nationwide, Kaplan offers a wide variety of courses that make it easy for you to study with their flexible schedules.

If you are collecting unemployment from your previous job and have enough to sustain yourself while you’re training, now is the perfect time.

BY AGENT ADVICE KAPLAN REAL ESTATE EDUCATION

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eal estate is just about the safest investment you can make. It’s imperishable and almost always increases in value. Because real estate is such a valuable asset, many people use it as a vehicle to build wealth. Some do this by investing in properties, while others sell properties as an agent.

With new developments in technology and in the world at large, now is a great time to start a career as a real estate agent. Read on to find out why.

Real Estate Business May Be Changing for the Better Not many of us can think of 2020 without thinking about the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic took the year by storm. It affected every aspect of our lives, and real estate is no exception.

You might assume that the coronavirus had an adverse effect on the real estate market, and to some extent, this is true.

However, the effects weren’t as devastating in real estate as some would think.

Many people lost their jobs, putting them in no position to buy new homes.

But as demand went down, prices and insurance rates also decreased. As a result, individuals became tempted to buy. In fact, more than 1 in 5 Americans moved, or know someone who has moved during the pandemic.

This trend became even more prevalent when the world started to reopen and people began returning to work. The economy is not fully recovered yet, but it is expected that the housing market will continue to improve as more people start

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working again. This could make for a real estate boom once the pandemic is over.

Virtual Opportunities are Bigger Than Ever The COVID-19 pandemic opened doors for buying and selling homes virtually.

During summer 2020, virtual home tours boomed. Even though certain areas have allowed for open houses to resume at limited capacity, virtual home tours still remain very popular. Experts in the industry say the trend is here to stay.

With people avoiding face-to-face contact, many transactions are being conducted almost entirely via video conferences, texts, and emails. As a result, agents are able to make a living without leaving the comfort of their own home.

The virus has changed the face of real estate by improving processes for showing homes and closing deals without the need to commute. The new developments have made for more convenient buying and selling procedures that will be beneficial for years to come.

Less Competition for Real Estate Agents As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many real estate agents quit the real estate business or decided to sit on the sidelines. They were uncertain about the future and didn’t want to invest money in advertising for fear of a crash months or a year down the road.

As a result, those who have stepped away are providing more opportunity to real estate agents who are sticking with it. If you are just starting out in the business, you have less to lose. You can focus on building instead of holding back.

It’s Time for a Career Change Many people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. They may be looking to get into a new career field.

Real estate is an industry anyone can get into. All you need is the dedication to learn, pass your classes, and work hard.

Across the country, people are taking advantage of newly found downtime during the pandemic, and investing the time in starting a new career. For example,

Online Courses Make it Easy Today, many companies offer real estate classes online. This makes it easy for prospective real estate agents to get their licenses.

Different states have different requirements for prelicensing education, but it’s based on hours of time. The amount required is broken down into classes that run for a set amount of time.

If your requirements include a four hour course and you are taking in-person classes, you will need to stay for the full duration. On the other hand, if you are taking the classes online and are a fast learner, you may be able to get through the classes sooner, cutting back on your overall time. The time needed will further be reduced, considering you won’t have to commute to a class.

Online classes also tend to be less expensive than in-person courses, and eliminating commuting expenses will help to this end as well.

It’s a Great Career Here are some reasons why real estate is a great career, no matter what year it may be: People always need a home: No matter how the economy fares, people always need a roof over their heads. They always need a place to live and a place to work. Therefore, there is always a demand for real estate and a need for real estate agents.

Flexible scheduling: When you work in real estate, you have to be open to accommodating your client’s schedule, but ultimately, you can set a schedule that works for you.

You’re your own boss: As a real estate agent, you have no one to answer to but yourself. You also never have to worry about getting fired.

You can make a lot of money: With houses costing anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, there are plenty of opportunities to make money.

And the harder you work, the more you stand to make.

If you are looking for a new line of work, becoming a realtor is a great choice. It’s easy to get started, the potential is amazing, and the pandemic and updated technology have opened more doors than you might realize. Will you be taking the plunge?l

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9

EDUCATION

De Blasio’s Push to Vaccinate NYC Public School Staff Off to a Slow Start State officials determine when various groups are eligible for vaccines, and educators are not listed in the first phase of the rollout, which focuses on groups such as nursing home residents and staff and frontline medical personnel.

State officials have previously listed teachers in the second phase of vaccine distribution, but it’s unclear when that will start.

Another question is whether the city will be able to spin up its vaccine infrastructure fast enough to begin reaching teachers this month.

BY ALEX ZIMMERMAN, CHALKBEAT VIA THE CITY

M

ayor Bill de Blasio wants teachers and other school staff to begin receiving coronavirus vaccines this month, he said Monday.

“I want in the month of January — in the next few weeks — I want to see us start to vaccinate educators and school staff,” de Blasio said. “We need to reach many more people quickly, urgently, and it can be done.”

The mayor, however, does not have the power to make that happen on his own since state officials determine the order of the vaccination rollout — and the city has struggled to quickly deliver the vaccines it currently has on hand.

Vaccinating teachers may allow the city to offer more opportunities for in-person instruction. Only students in grades preK through five and those with the most complex disabilities are currently attending in-person classes.

Targeting school staff could also help quell educators’ concerns about teaching in person — especially as coronavirus infection rates have risen significantly in recent weeks, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Mayor De Blasio Editorial credit: a katz / Shutterstock.com

no longer plans to impose systemwide closures if the city’s seven day coronavirus positivity rate exceeded 9% On Monday, he backed away from the threshold he announced this summer, and instead said local districts can determine whether they keep school buildings open.

But the state might be the final arbiter as to whether New York City teachers can begin getting vaccinated this month.

‘Bureaucratic Snarls’ Faulted So far, the city is off to a slow start and has only administered about a quarter of the vaccines it has been allocated, which drew ire from state officials, though de Blasio vowed to quickly ramp up the city’s vaccination efforts.

Union officials have also expressed some skepticism over the mayor’s prediction that vaccines will enable many more students to return to classrooms this spring. “I don’t think it’s around the corner,” UFT chief Michael Mulgrew told the New York Times last month.

But vaccinating school staff was para-

mount, he believes.

“The real answer for New York is making the vaccine immediately available to all school personnel,” he said in a statement on Monday. “We can’t let bureaucratic snarls and procedural delays endanger the safety of students, school staff and their families.”

City officials said Monday the city would open 250 vaccine sites by the end of the month, up from 125. They are using shuttered high school buildings as vaccine hubs, launching this Sunday at the Bushwick Educational Campus in Brooklyn, Hillcrest High School in Queens, and the South Bronx Educational Campus, de Blasio said.

The mayor has offered no timeline on reopening high school buildings to students. Middle schools remain remoteonly as well with no timeline for reopening buildings.

“We were working on that plan,” de Blasio said. “But job one is to get this vaccination effort going and to fight back this immediate wave we’re having with the coronavirus.”l This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education.

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HOUSING

10

NYCHA Falsely Certified This Brooklyn Child’s Apartment Lead-Free. Now He Has Lead Poisoning — and He’s Not Alone

BY GREG B. SMITH, THE CITY

“When people make mistakes and then cover those mistakes up with lies upon lies, that’s when people get really hurt,” said Sherron Paige, whose 7year-old son, Kyan, has grown up in a lead-tainted apartment in the Red Hook Houses.

A

t least 19 children contracted lead poisoning while living in public housing apartments that NYCHA supervisors falsely claimed had been properly cleaned of lead paint, according to the city Department of Investigation (DOI).

The day in July 2017 the doctor called Sherron Paige to tell her that her son, Kyan, had registered an alarming level of lead in his blood, the child was just 4 years old.

At the time, Paige had no way of knowing her son had become a very young victim of alleged deception by a city official.

The New York City Housing Authority(NYCHA) previously certified that the Brooklyn apartment where Kyan had lived since birth had been cleaned of lead paint. A licensed NYCHA supervisor signed off on the job, THE CITY has

Red Hook Houses resident Sherron Paige and her son, Kyan. Courtesy of Sherron PaigeN

learned.

That supervisor, however, had never been to the apartment in Red Hook Houses and never reviewed the inspection reports, according to the city Department of Investigation and sources familiar with the matter.

He’d simply signed paperwork certifying that an apartment he’d never seen was lead-free — exempting NYCHA from having to inspect the unit going for-

ward as required by local law and federal regulations, according to the records and the sources.

The consequences became clear once Kyan’s doctor notified the city Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) that the child had registered a blood-lead level of 12 micrograms per deciliter — far above the cutoff of 5 micrograms deemed unsafe by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DOHMH inspectors visited the apartment to check for the presence of lead paint following Kyan’s diagnosis. Using a handheld X-ray-like device known as an XRF analyzer, they discovered lead throughout the apartment NYCHA had declared safe, records reviewed by THE CITY show.

Elevated blood-lead levels are known to hamper the cognitive development of young children. Paige noted Kyan’s speech development was behind his age group and he has displayed behavioral issues.

“Sometimes people make mistakes and bad things happen. That’s life,” Paige told THE CITY. “But when people make mistakes and then cover those mistakes up with lies upon lies, that’s when people get really hurt. And that’s when people should pay the highest price.”

Barbara Brancaccio, a NYCHA spokesperson, declined to discuss NYCHA’s handling of lead paint inspections in the family’s apartment, stating, “Apartment specific information is not public. Additionally, this apartment is involved in pending litigation and NYCHA cannot comment.”

NYCHA Lies Hurt Kids Over the last five years, evidence has surfaced of young NYCHA residents with dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Year after year, NYCHA management deflected blame and downplayed the scope of the crisis.

Probes by the city Department of Investigation and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney revealed the authority failed to

perform required lead paint inspections for years — and lied about it to federal authorities.

Last month, DOI found for the first time fraudulent actions by NYCHA personnel occurred in apartments where children were exposed to toxic lead paint.

DOI revealed the duplicity behind NYCHA’s push to exempt apartments like Kyan’s from lead inspection: top managers had for years used false signatures to obtain exemptions. Investigators determined this deceit occurred in at least 323 apartments, and they believed many more were affected.

And actual harm was done: DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said her investigators cross-referenced health and other records, and found that 19 children living in 18 of the 323 exempted apartments became lead poisoned.

Garnett and NYCHA declined to share the identities of those children. But THE CITY has learned that Kyan was one of them.

THE CITY also learned that two years ago, NYCHA was twice warned that the exemption program had serious problems, yet did little to address them.

Records reviewed and interviews conducted by THE CITY found: •In March 2018, while the false-signature scheme was underway, a NYCHA manager insisted to a Brooklyn tenant that her apartment had been officially deemed free of lead. State health inspectors later discovered lead paint inside the apartment.

•In August 2018, DOI privately warned NYCHA to retest all its exempted apartments, disclosing that investigators had discovered problems with the program during an ongoing probe. NYCHA declined to do so.

•Only now is NYCHA going back and retesting the 323 apartments DOI falsely identified as eligible for exemption.

Preliminary test results have already uncleared lead paint in five apartments NYCHA previously declared “cleared” of the toxin, THE CITY has learned.

For an apartment to make the exemption list, a NYCHA supervisor who holds a certificate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must inspect the unit and certify that it was properly cleaned of lead paint.

For years, two top managers of NYCHA’s lead paint unit forced supervisors with the required EPA training to sign off on apartments they had never actually visited, according to DOI. continued on page 11

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11

HOUSING NYCHA Falsely Certified/ continued from page 10 “Our findings determined that between 2013 through 2018, for all of the exemptions obtained through abatement, there was no EPA-certified supervisor as is required by federal law,” Diane Struzzi, a DOI spokesperson, wrote in response to THE CITY’s questions.

“The total number of exemptions by abatement obtained during this period is likely greater than 323, but poor record keeping by NYCHA meant DOI could not determine the total number of exemptions obtained through abatement with certainty,” she added.

A History of Red Flags All of this occurred while alarm bells were ringing all over about NYCHA’s failure to follow the law on lead paint inspections across its portfolio of 175,00 public housing apartments.

Lead paint was officially banned nationally in 1978. About 135,000 NYCHA apartments were built before that and likely are tainted by lead paint.

Local law requires all New York City landlords, including NYCHA, to inspect each apartment with a young child every year, while the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) requires annual lead paint inspections of all public housing units — regardless of whether children live there.

NYCHA simply stopped performing all the required inspections in 2012, and continued an aggressive campaign to exempt hundreds of units from these required inspections.

But by March 2016, news reports had raised questions about NYCHA’s lead paint program and revealed the existence of an investigation by the Manhattan U.S. attorney.

In response, Mayor Bill de Blasio assured reporters that NYCHA had “a very aggressive inspection and abatement program,” claiming, “Any time we find a problem we abate it.”

Weeks later, the mayor privately learned this was not true.

NYCHA managers told him that for years the authority had not, in fact, been performing the required inspections. De Blasio opted to keep that damning revelation secret from tenants and the taxpaying public.

That changed in November 2017 when the mayor was forced to acknowledge this failure when DOI released a report revealing what he already knew: NYCHA had been lying about its lead paint inspection practices for years.

Despite the release of DOI’s 2017 report, the false signature scheme to get apartments exempted went on as if nothing had happened, DOI officials confirmed to THE CITY. In March 2018, state health officials launched random inspections of NYCHA apartments after Gov. Andrew Cuomo began criticizing living conditions in public housing. Soon the state discovered lead paint in 23 units — including three that had been exempted from inspection after being deemed “lead free” by NYCHA. A “cleaned” apartment at the Berry

Houses in Staten Island registered a level of 72 micrograms of lead per square foot.

That’s well above the level of 40 deemed acceptable by the EPA. The state also found lead paint at another exempted apartment in the Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The unit housed young children, court papers show.

‘Recklessly False Assurances’ In a lawsuit filed in 2018 by the Citywide Council of Presidents, a group of NYCHA tenant leaders, Ingersoll resident Devon Hunt — worried that her children had been exposed to lead — recounted how she’d tried in vain to get authority workers to check her apartment.

NYCHA managers, she said, told her that there would be no inspection because the authority had already determined there was no lead in her home.

Records show NYCHA obtained exemption from annual inspection in 2005 for Hunt’s entire building after some units were tested for lead. When state inspectors showed up, they found lead paint throughout Hunt’s apartment, the lawsuit alleged.

“Because of NYCHA’s failure to conduct legally required lead inspections, and its decision to ignore her valid complaints and provide her with recklessly false assurances, Ms. Hunt’s young children have been exposed to toxic lead for the past several years without her knowledge,” the suit read.

Soon after the state Department of Health turned over its findings to NYCHA, another red flag about the exemption program popped up.

The warning came shortly after the Manhattan U.S. Attorney filed a report in June 2018 detailing years of failure by NYCHA to provide its 400,000 tenants with safe and healthy living conditions.

NYCHA ultimately agreed to remedy all the problems uncovered by prosecutors under the watchful eye of a federal monitor.

In his report, the U.S. Attorney did not refer to the exemption program.

But in August 2018, in a letter to thenNYCHA Chair Stanley Brezenoff , Ralph Iannuzzi, the DOI inspector general overseeing NYCHA, privately warned that his investigators had uncovered “serious issues” with NYCHA’s lead paint program “that require immediate action.”

Iannuzzi suggested that Brezenoff order the retesting of all exempted apartments.

At the time, DOI had already discovered false signatures in 323 exempted units. But because the investigation was ongoing, Iannuzzi did not provide NYCHA with the detailed list.

confirmed they were free of lead.

In a statement to THE CITY last week, DOI’s Struzzi wrote, “The abatement itself was deficient due to not having an EPA-certified supervisor on site” and noted that improperly done tests can give misleading results.

“So in our view, the negative dust-wipe tests immediately after the abatement was not sufficient to ensure future safety, given the lack of an EPA-certified supervisor on the original abatement,” wrote Struzzi.

Iannuzzi also implied there were questions about whether EPA-certified lead supervisors were actually overseeing these jobs. He suggested that NYCHA “accurately input the name” of the supervisor overseeing exemption jobs in its paperwork and “re-submit revised forms.”

In a November 2018 letter to Iannuzzi obtained by THE CITY, Brezenoff revealed that the housing authority was aware of the issue, writing that, “NYCHA is actively developing methods to effectively track supervisor presence at job sites.”

On Dec. 10, DOI made clear why it had made these suggestions: an EPA-certified lead paint supervisor had come forward as a whistleblower to say he’d been forced to sign off on dozens of lead paint inspections in which he’d played no role.

DOI found two other supervisors had done the same thing in at least 323 apartments. Two top managers of the lead unit

have since been terminated, although no criminal charges have been brought.

‘There’s a Reckoning Coming’ In mid-June 2018, DOI raided a lead paint unit office at the Jacob Riis Houses in the Lower East Side. Investigators walked out with boxes of records and computer hard drives, and they began interviewing the unit’s staff. The falsesignature scam suddenly stopped, DOI officials say.

In response to DOI’s latest report, NYCHA two weeks ago reversed course and began retesting the apartments investigators had advised be checked in 2018.

Almost immediately, the NYCHA officials turned up five apartments certified as free of lead that preliminary testing shows still contain lead paint, THE CITY has learned.

As for Sherron Paige and Kyan, late last year NYCHA settled a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Paige with a $25,000 payment. Meanwhile, a state case filed on behalf of Kyan by her attorney Corey Stern remains active in Manhattan Supreme Court.

“I’m praying for those who did this to my family, and all of the other families, because there’s a reckoning coming,” Paige said.l

This story was published on January 11, 2021 by THE CITY.

A Whistleblower Emerges NYCHA officials took a pass. In a November 2018 response to Iannuzzi, NYCHA noted that the city Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) had to approve all exemptions from lead inspections and required a dust swipe showing a negative result.

Responding to DOI, NYCHA swore to HPD that each apartment had been properly cleaned — and that dust swipes had

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FAMILY MATTERS

12

Gaming Has Benefits and Perils – Parents Can Help Kids by Playing With Them

BY KATIE HEADRICK TAYLOR THE CONVERSATION

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s the pandemic forced many Americans to hunker down at home, the video game industry saw record spending and profits in 2020.

Interacting with other people through gaming became, for some players, essential for social connection.

As an education researcher and professor of digital literacy, I study the education benefits and perils of digital gaming.

These range from providing opportunities for collaborative problem-solving to displaying content that perpetuates racism and sexism.

Connection and collaboration Digital games can provide a forum for a diverse group of people to come together.

That’s especially important now, while our physical locations are restricted.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, undergraduates have shared with me the vital importance of digital games for their social connection.

Digital games also encourage various forms of participation in a group activity.

Some people in the digital space may be lurkers, for example, and simply watch the action. Others comment and ask questions via text or audio. Still others play, moving along the action of the game.

Families, too, can use digital games to set up collaborative endeavors within the home where each family member participates in their own way. For instance, a child doesn’t need to actively play the game in order to meaningfully participate and develop problem-solving, communication and spatial reasoning skills.

Observation is a crucial first step for learning how to fully participate in any activity, and digital games are no exception. Caregivers who look closely will see that children who appear to be merely observing a game are also asking questions, strategizing and hypothesizing, or posing “what-ifs.”

Minecraft, a game in which players build protective enclosures against monster attacks, encourages collaborative problem-solving either in person or online. Playing with another gamer means having more resources to build with and more strategies to employ, since

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different players bring different expertise.

Like Minecraft, online games that run on mobile technologies, such as tablets, allow family members to play next to each other at home or while they’re on the move. This allows caregivers to understand and supplement the quality of children’s gameplay by participating in the game. They no longer worry about the quantity of screen time from an outsider perspective.

Meaningful conversations In-game caregivers can also help young gamers consider how women and people of color are represented – or not represented – on screen.

Families can discuss, for example, how characters like Mario of Super Mario Bros. or Link of Zelda are represented.

Why are these men saving women? Why are the women portrayed as princesses?

Where are the characters of color? Are they antagonists?

Ignoring these problematic representations further enables sexism and racism in the real world. For example, racist and sexist imagery and storylines can turn girls and people of color away from gaming, making them less likely to become game designers themselves.

In Minecraft, creating one’s avatar is an opportunity to consider how children want to present themselves in the game and what messages they convey to other gamers through their “skins.”

In October, U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota amassed more than 4 million viewers while playing the video game Among Us together on Twitch, the popular livestreaming platform for gamers.

Beyond getting out the vote, OcasioCortez and Omar used the platform to educate potential voters about health care issues and fossil fuel dependence. They used the game’s ship as a problematic example of oil consumption.

But the range of responses OcasioCortez and Omar received online, from enthusiastic to vitriolic, also reminds caregivers that children need knowledgeable companions with them in digital spaces.

As in real-world learning environments like classrooms and science labs, digital games offer valuable learning opportunities while also perpetuating racism and sexism. Newcomers are not left alone to learn and navigate problematic issues in classrooms or labs, and they don’t have to be in digital spaces either.l Katie Headrick Taylor is an Associate Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development, University of Washington

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FAMILY MATTERS

13

Building Children’s Emotional Resilience Amid Uncertainty

F

or parents facing uncertain school schedules, new ways of working and concerns about the health and safety of their families, life in a pandemic is stressful enough. Add in the potential for children to feel overwhelmed or unable to cope with the unfamiliar and many families feel they are in no-win situations.

Keeping children home can help minimize potential exposure to COVID-19, but limits their contact with friends and teachers. On the other hand, sending kids to a center or school to learn and socialize with others can lead to concerns about exposure to COVID-19.

Parents can breathe easier knowing that child care programs with proper safety practices in place do not spread COVID19, according to a Yale University study that surveyed 57,000 providers nationwide.

“Families have much to consider when it comes to making a decision about what is best for them,” said Dr. Elanna Yalow, chief academic officer of KinderCare Learning Centers. “Fortunately, their fears quickly turn to relief once they see our health and safety protocols, the success we have had keeping our children

and staff safe and how excited their children are to be with friends and classmates. Once you move past the difficult decision, the rewards are profound.”

When it comes to selecting the best option for your family, keep these considerations in mind: Putting safety first. When considering a center or school, make sure it’s not only following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health department guidelines when it comes to masks and social distancing, but look for additional safety measures such as restricted access to classrooms, health screenings upon entry, handwashing throughout the

day and frequent cleaning and sanitizing.

Knowing the steps teachers and staff take to keep children safe can help confirm you’re making the best choice for your family.

The social and emotional benefits to returning to school or child care.

According to a ParentsTogether study, nearly half of parents surveyed said their child is struggling with mental health or behavioral problems because of the pandemic. Children typically thrive with social stimulation and outlets for strong emotions, two things that are challenging for many families to offer right now.

School can provide children with a safe

place to continue their social, emotional and academic development, enhanced by the opportunity for social interaction with people outside of their immediate families.

“When COVID first started, my sweet, carefree child was upset and frustrated with life,” said Kristine Hall, a parent of an 8-year-old who attends KinderCare.

“As we prepared for third grade, it became clear we needed an ally in navigating this new abnormal. After enrolling in a KinderCare center, Connor now has friends to talk about and activities and crafts to show me. He feels normal again.”

Making the transition easier. “Routines can be comforting to children,” Dr. Yalow said. “Just think about how excited they are to rejoin their friends and teachers after a typical summer break.

We have seen that enthusiasm magnified this year as children have returned to our programs.”

Once children settle into a more typical routine, parents can feel a sense of relief seeing them engaged in learning and interacting with their peers and teachers.

When it comes to sending your child to school or a child care program during the pandemic, every family has to make the decision that feels best for it. When you’re ready, there are safe and engaging programs available for your child.

(Family Features)l

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IMMIGRATION

14

The United States Needs a New Approach to Visas and Immigration Benefits

BY WALTER EWING

T

he Biden administration faces a fundamental challenge in reforming the U.S. immigration system: making the United States more welcoming to immigrants.

Part of this effort will involve overturning Trump-era bans on visa categories and immigration from certain parts of the world. But it will also involve reimagining how immigration benefits are provided to noncitizens already in the United States. Applicants for visas and immigration benefits must be treated with dignity and respect—not simply as potential security threats to be vetted.

Reversing Exclusionary Policies The new administration must take immediate action to rescind the presidential proclamations and executive orders targeting the foreign-born, including the ban on people from several Muslimmajority and African countries. It must also reverse the ban on certain immigrant

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and nonimmigrant worker visas (i.e., H1B visas for highly skilled professionals, L-1 visas for intra-company transfers, and J-1 visas for exchange visitors).

President Biden must also revoke Trump administration policies that make it harder for people with fewer resources to immigrate to the United States. These policies include: •Banning immigrants from entering the country unless they can prove they will be covered by private health insurance within 30 days of entry.

•Harsh “public charge” guidelines that block people from immigrating to the United States or obtaining a green card while already inside the country if it’s deemed they are likely to use government benefits at any point in the future.

•Proposed regulations that would make it much more difficult for U.S. citizens and permanent residents—especially those experiencing financial hardship— to sponsor family members for green cards.

•Exorbitant new fees for specific immigration applications.

Proposed regulations that limit the time most students and exchange visitors could stay in the United States should also be rescinded.

Without rolling back these policies, families will remain separated by an expensive and restrictive system. Businesses will not have the workers they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.

Unjustified Restrictions on Visas and Employment Many of these restrictions use COVID19 and the fragile condition of the U.S. economy as an excuse to create longerterm bars to entry into the United States.

Those restrictions that disproportionately impact people living outside of Northern and Western Europe—such as the Muslim ban—are grounded in racism and white supremacy.

Because of arbitrary numerical limits on employment-based immigration, some individuals must wait a significant period of time to apply for adjustment of

status (in the U.S.) or an immigrant visa (abroad) even after an employer’s petition is approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Others cannot access the immigration system because there are more petitions than visas available each year.

To help address these backlogs in visa processing, the U.S. government should end the practice of counting family members toward the cap on visa numbers and recapture any unused visas from previous years. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should also create a parole program for family members waiting for an immigrant visa outside the United States who can show that a longterm separation is a hardship.

Changing How the Government Provides Immigration Benefits Creating a more welcoming nation will involve drastically changing business as usual at USCIS—the agency within DHS that is responsible for administering our system of legal immigration.

USCIS was created as an agency distinct from its enforcement counterparts so that it could focus on the administration of benefits. But it has moved away from its mission in recent years by taking an aggressive enforcement posture.

The agency has diverted considerable resources to rooting out alleged fraud, making itself less efficient and ultimately leading to a financial crisis largely of its own making.

Its decision making has become inconsistent and unreliable. USCIS has shown disdain for high-skilled workers trying to come to the United States, especially through the H-1B visa category. And it has implemented changes that price many people out of our immigration system, including by rejecting bona fide requests for fee waivers.

USCIS has also repeatedly attempted to divert funds and personnel to other agencies for immigration enforcement purposes despite its growing backlog of cases and ballooning processing times.

Noncitizens are now paying more than ever for lesser quality service.

Obstacles to routine and efficient immi-

gration processing must be reversed, including any unnecessary scrutiny or extreme vetting that delays the adjudication and granting of immigration benefits. Any restrictions imposed by DHS due to the impact of COVID-19 should be thoroughly examined and only be kept in place where essential to public health based on objective facts and science.

A New Approach to National Unity At a deeper level, the Biden administration must adopt a far less adversarial view of immigrants and immigration than the Trump administration.

The next administration should establish a White House Council for National Unity staffed by a team of bipartisan leaders who could gather public and private partners to promote social cohesion through programs and activities that bridge racial, ethnic, religious, and political boundaries. It would pursue national service programs, volunteer efforts, and other initiatives that would advance the public good and promote a renewed sense of connectedness. This Council would look after the country’s unity the way the Economic Council looks after the country’s prosperity.

We must return to our tradition of being a welcoming country for visitors and immigrants. Our system is outdated and needs to be modernized to meet the needs of the 21st century. While we await legislative change, the U.S. government should not allow unfair and unnecessary obstacles to the processing of immigration applications, petitions, and benefits to continue. We need to have a well-functioning and apolitical bureaucracy that does not malign newcomers and use public health as a pretext for restricting access to being able to visit or remain in the United States. l Walter A. Ewing, Ph.D., is an Editor and Writer at the American Immigration Council.

Walter has authored numerous reports for the Council, including The Criminalization of Immigration in the United States (co-written in 2015 with Daniel Martínez and Rubén Rumbaut), which received considerable press attention.

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IMMIGRATION

15

Court Blocks One of Trump’s Final Efforts to Keep Out Refugees

BY MELISSA CRUZ IMMIGRATION IMPACT

T

he Trump administration’s latest effort to prevent refugee resettlement in the United States was halted after a federal court ruled that the president’s order allowing state and localities to refuse to take in refugees is illegal.

The January 8 ruling puts a stop to one of President Trump’s most blatant attacks on the country’s refugee resettlement program. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the order—which would have required resettlement agencies to get written permission from every state, city, and town in the country before refugees could be resettled there—violated the Refugee Act of 1980.

The recent ruling and a previous injunction on the order affirms the importance of refugee resettlement in the United States.

Forty-two Democratic and Republican governors had already rejected the order, reiterating their commitment to hosting refugees. Over 100 local elected officials around the country had done the same.

Only Governor Greg Abbott of Texas

New York, New York. - January 29, 2017: People participating in the protest march against President Trump's new immigration laws in Manhattan in 2017 in New York City.Editorial credit: Christopher Penler / Shutterstock.com

said his state would opt-out of participating in the U.S. refugee resettlement program—a decision that will now be moot given the recent court order.

The Trump administration’s attacks on refugee resettlement and the back-andforth in courts have highlighted the vulnerable nature of our refugee resettlement program, and the long-term consequences of changes made by the Trump administration.

It will be up the Biden administration to end this patchwork approach and

restore the country’s longstanding commitment to refugees.

When President-elect Biden enters office, the refugee cap—which determines how many refugees can resettle in the United States per year—will be the lowest in the program’s history.

The Trump administration set the cap for fiscal year 2021 to just 15,000 refugees. Prior administrations—both Democratic and Republican—averaged approximately 95,000 refugees per year.

In the last full fiscal year of the Obama

administration, the country resettled nearly 85,000 refugees.

Biden is expected to reverse many of the devastating changes Trump made to resettlement efforts in recent years. He plans to increase the refugee cap to 125,000 people and raise it as global needs change.

His administration will also need to increase support to local refugee resettlement groups and NGOs in the United States, along the U.S.-Mexico border, and in Central America.

The U.S. refugee program is a critical pillar of our national response to migration crises around the world. Reviving the program enables the U.S. government to manage refugee flows in an orderly and safe manner while preserving our ability to offer humanitarian protection.

Our longstanding commitment to being a place of refuge—supported across party lines—cannot and should not end with the Trump administration’s dismantling of the program. Under the Biden administration, our country should recommit to its reputation as a beacon to people “yearning to breathe free.” l

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HOT TOPIC

16

Impeachment/ continued from page 1 dent has been impeached twice in his term. For a president who likes to boast about the historic successes of his presidency, it is an ignominious ending to his time in office.

The single article of impeachment accuses the president of inciting the riot that broke out at the US Capitol after he spoke to a crowd of thousands at a proTrump rally near the White House on Wednesday morning. It will now be forwarded to the US Senate, where the 100member body will once again sit as a jury presided over by the chief justice of the US Supreme Court.

The outcome of that trial, which will not begin until after Joe Biden's inauguration, is very much in doubt. At this point, however, the political implications for the House's action can begin to be assessed.

Republicans broke ranks with the president Just over a year ago, the House of Representatives impeached Trump the first time without a single Republican vote. This time around, 10 members of his own party broke ranks to support the resolution — and more condemned his words and actions on the day of the capitol riot.

Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the chamber and the daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney, was the most notable defection.

"There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution," she wrote in a statement that was frequently quoted by Democrats during the impeachment debate.

Already there is word that some Republicans in the Senate are open to voting to convict the president of the charges. The New York Times reported on Tuesday night that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was "pleased" that Trump was on the verge of being impeached and hoped that the process would allow the party to make a clean break with a president.

He has since said he will reserve judgement until the trial is concluded — but such reports from the senator's usually tight-lipped office do not materialize out of thin air. Battle lines within the party, even tentative ones, are being drawn.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-CA.: “We know that the President of the United States incited this insurrection – this armed rebellion – against our American democracy.

He must go.”

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

The split in the House on Wednesday sets up a choice for Republicans in the days ahead. On one hand is continued allegiance to the president's brand of politics — one that created a new coalition of voters that delivered the White House and Congress in 2016 but lost both in 2020.

On the other is an uncertain future — but one free from the president's unique brand of heat and rhetoric.

Democrats impeached Trump — and Trumpism In the hours after last week's riot, Democrats grappled with how best to respond to — and punish — the president for instigating an attack that, in their view, not only threatened US democracy but also put their lives at risk.

In the end, they decided making Trump a twice-impeached president, despite coming in the final week of his presidency, was their most effective move.

Democrats on Wednesday were not just impeaching Donald J. Trump, however.

They were indicting Trumpism as a whole. The impeachment article specifically referenced the months that Trump spent attacking and undermining November's general election. And during debate in the House of Representatives, they attacked Trump's behavior over the course of his presidency and went after Republicans in Congress who echoed the president's rhetoric.

There may be Republicans who want to move on from Trump and Trumpism, but it's clear at least some Democrats in Congress will try to tie the president — and last week's riot — around the neck of the entire Republican Party.

President Trump is down — but not yet out Imagine, for a moment, an alternate course of history over the past few months.

Donald Trump, instead of vociferously challenging his election defeat, quietly conceded in November. The Republicans would probably have won at least one of the run-off elections in Georgia and would still control the Senate. Trump, instead of facing a very real threat from Republicans eager to bury him, would be a kingmaker for the party.

Another presidential run in 2024 would be a very real possibility.

Instead, Trump is on the ropes. He's been silenced from social media, including his beloved Twitter account. Even if he is not prohibited from running for office by a Senate conviction, his power and influence within the Republican Party has been dented.

Public opinion polling, as well as his vocal defenders in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, suggest the president still has a significant well of support within his party. But the past weeks will embolden his adversaries, who sense an opportunity to deliver a lasting knockout to the president while he's down.

He's at greater risk now than ever before.

For five years, Trump has been proving critics and prognosticators who penned his political epitaph wrong. He's survived scandals and controversies that would take down most other politicians.

This time, at long last, could be different.

A Senate trial is awkward for Biden Upon taking the oath of office, President-

elect Biden will have to contend with a pandemic that is claiming the lives of more than 4,000 Americans a day and an economy that is once again worsening.

Now he'll have to do so while a Senate grapples with the impeachment trial of his predecessor.

Republicans warned on Wednesday that impeachment would further inflame and divide Americans at a time when the nation needs to heal. It would, they say, make Biden's promise to unify the nation all the harder.

That may end up being the case, although Democrats have been quick to counter that talk of healing rings hollow after Republicans waged a lengthy campaign to undermine the legitimacy of Biden's election.

The impeachment trial, however, presents some very real practical challenges for Biden in the early days of his presidency. A Senate preoccupied with the process of passing judgement on Trump is one that will be unable to focus on enacting Biden's ambitious first-100-day agenda. It is also one that may not be able to quickly confirm Biden's administration appointees, limiting his ability to successfully manage the sprawling apparatus of the federal government.

Biden has asked whether the Senate could conduct a part-time trial of Trump, working on confirmations and legislation when it is not sitting as a jury for the expresident.

There's no guarantees that Republicans or the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian will go along with that plan, however.

The first 100 days are a pivotal time for any new president — a moment when his or her political influence is at its highest.

At least some of Biden's power will be drained away by this particular fight.l

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MONEY MATTERS

17

Five Signs You Should Consider Filing for Bankruptcy wise receive, your assets may be seized and you could even be arrested and serve time in jail.

BY MARY CAMPBELL 311BANKRUPTCY.COM

W

ikepedia defines bankruptcy as follows: Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor.

Filing for personal bankruptcy is almost always a last resort. Most people would do everything possible to avoid taking this step. Indeed, there are good reasons that bankruptcy should be approached with great trepidation. Certain debts such as student debts and child support obligations - are not discharged in bankruptcy. Also, there are specific negative consequences related to this financial status - including the fact that a bankruptcy filing remains on your credit record for ten years.

Yet there are situations where bankruptcy is the best option available for an individual. Here are five signs that you should consider filing for personal bankruptcy:

5. Sued for non-payment of debt. This is the stage before the scenario involving wage garnishment described above. Such lawsuits can result also in other unpleasant financial consequences - the imposition of a levy on a bank account, or the seizure of certain types of personal property (such as a car or a house).

1. Prolonged unemployment. If you are unemployed and have exhausted both your jobless benefits and your savings, managing your financial obligations becomes exceedingly difficult. If you also have poor employment prospects, your options are few.

2. Mortgage approaching foreclosure.

While it may be safe to ignore certain debts in the short term, a mortgage is not in that category! A mortgage foreclosure involves not only a huge financial blow but also the loss of your home. In this context, bankruptcy may be a lesser evil.

3. Wages being garnished. If you are employed but non-payment of certain kinds of debt has led to a portion of your wages being garnished (legally deducted from your paycheck and eventually paid to the creditor), your ability to strategically manage your debt is limited.

4. Unpaid back taxes. This is the scenario where you owe the IRS taxes from previous years but are unable to pay. If the non-payment is prolonged, the consequences become very scary. You could forfeit a tax refund that you would other-

Before making a final decision about bankruptcy filing, it is advisable to receive credit counseling (other than the mandatory session). Such counseling can sometimes lead to viable long-term solutions. Credit counselors generally advise debtors to refinance loans, consolidate credit card balances, and/or negotiate with creditors. These practices require considerable financial discipline and involve significant personal sacrifices, maybe preferable to filing for bankruptcy. However, most situations demand filing for bankruptcy. Before making an decision, consult with a bankruptcy attorney to discuss the best options for your individual situation.l

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Filing a Chapter 7, 11 or 13 bankruptcy may be your only choice!!!

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Vybz Kartel Dominates British-Jamaican, Gwendolyn Osborne, as Most Viewed YouTube Makes Acting Debut Artist in Jamaica In “Wonder Woman”

BY STAFF WRITER, JAMAICANS.COM

BY STEPANIE K, JAMAICANS.COM

T

he former British-Jamaican “Price is Right” model Gwendolyn Osborne, 41, is making her debut as an actress in the Patty Jenkins’ film “Wonder Woman 1984,” which stars Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. According to an interview with Yahoo Canada, Osborne described her role in the film as portraying an Amazon character that is “really strong” and “extremely athletic.”

Osborne was asked to be in the film by Jenkins, who was the director and executive producer on a TNT television network miniseries entitled “I Am the Night,” which was adapted from a memoir by Fauna Hodel, a close friend of Osborne’s mother. Hodel, who died in 2017, served as a mentor to Osborne, telling her to believe in herself. Jenkins approached her at Hodel’s funeral to ask if she would be in the Wonder Woman film.

Osborne says the request was “like a gift” from Hodel “to let me know to believe in myself, to know that I can do it, that I can conquer any fear I have in my life.” She went on to note that she did conquer some fears during the shooting of the film. She said getting the film role was a “pinnacle point” in her life as, at the time, she was unhappy in her marriage and trying to decide what to do in her career. In preparation for “Wonder Woman 1984” Osborne went back to acting class, “worked out like crazy,” and accustomed herself to the idea of being away from her children for a time. She said that her three children are very excited to see her performing stunts in the movie.

Before the film, Osborne was a role model in her own life and paved the way for women by being the first pregnant model on “The Price Is Right” ad then returning to her role after her children were born. She credits the show’s host Drew Carey for making that possible as he set a new standard of acceptance and

V Photo Source: Gwendolyn Osborne Instagram

empowerment for women. In remembering her time at the television program, Osborne expressed a regret that the models did not have many opportunities to “grow as personalities” or have much interaction with fans. She also said, however, that with Carey coming on as the host, her chances to perform and express her creative side expanded. “It wasn’t just about beauty and a pretty dress. I loved that,” Osborne said. “We were able to use that as time went by and the producers changed, and Drew Carey came in.”

Osbourne said she would like to work with Patti Jenkins again, as well as with Shonda Rhimes. Ideally, she would like to have a regular television role in the future.

Osborne was born in Bath, Somerset, England. Her mother is Jamaican, and her father is British. She married retired NBA player Kenny Smith, now a basketball analyst on TNT, in 2006. Osborne appeared on “The Price Is Right” for 12 years before announcing in 2017 that she was leaving to pursue other interests.l

ybz Kartel, who was born Adidja Azim Palmer in Kingston in 1976, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist who is also a composer, record producer, and entrepreneur. In 2020, he was the most-viewed artist in Jamaica on YouTube, attracting some 6.27 million views.

He has been cited by Rolling Stone magazine for attaining “folk-hero status” in Jamaica for his provocative songs and public personality. During his career, he has recorded on the Vice, Mixpack Records, and Greensleeves Records labels, collaborated with hip-hop and R&B artists like Major Lazer, Rihanna,

and Jay Z, and been credited with inspiring the dance hall vibes in the work of Western artists like Drake. Kartel received a sentence of life in prison in 2014 in connection with the murder of associate Clive “Lizard” Williams. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves 35 years of his sentence. In spite of his incarceration, he continues to release new music and provided more than 50 new songs in 2016 alone.

Kartel has been featured on more than 900 riddims/rhythms from various producers worldwide throughout his career.

In 2005 he was named Stone Love’s 30th-anniversary Deejay of the Year, and in 2008, Kartel received a Caribbean Urban Music Award. In 2009, he was named Male DJ of the Year at the Entertainment and Media Excellence (EME) Awards. He also received the EME Lyricist/Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year (for “Romping Shop” featuring Spice) in the same year.

In addition to Kartel, who holds the top spot with over 6.2 million views, these are the artists who also gained millions of YouTube views in Jamaica in 2020.l

Follow me on Instagram: @tarshastyles Follow me on Facebook: TGImageandStyle Contact me: tgimageandstyle@gmail.com

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20

IN MEMORIAM

Literary Legend Eric Jerome Dickey

E

ric Jerome Dickey (1961-2021) was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and attended the University of Memphis (the former Memphis State), where he earned his degree in Computer System Technology. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in engineering.

After landing a job in the aerospace industry as a software developer, Eric Jerome Dickey's artistic talents surfaced, inspiring him to become an actor and a stand-up comedian. Yet Eric quickly found out that writing was something he could do and do well. From creative writing classes to avidly consuming the works of his favorite authors, Eric Jerome Dickey began to shape a writing career of his own. Having written several scripts for his personal comedy act, he started writing poetry and short stories.

"The film work gave me insight into character development, the acting classes helped me understand motivation...All of it goes hand in hand," Eric explains. He joined the IBWA (International Black Writers and Artists), participated in their development workshops, and became a recipient of the IBWA SEED Scholarship to attend UCLA's Creative Writing classes. In 1994 his first published short story, "Thirteen," appeared in the IBWA's River Crossing: Voices of the Diaspora-

An Anthology of the International Black Experience. A second short story, "Days Gone By," was published in the magazine A Place to Enter.

With those successes behind him, Eric Jerome Dickey decided to fine-tune some of his earlier work and developed a screenplay called "Cappuccino."

"Cappuccino" was directed and produced

by Craig Ross, Jr. and appeared in coffee houses around the Los Angeles area. In February 1998, "Cappuccino" made its local debut during the Pan African Film Festival at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles.

Short stories, though, didn't seem to fulfill Eric Jerome Dickey's creative yearnings. Eric says, "I'd set out to do a tenpage story and it would go on for three hundred pages." So Eric kept writing and reading and sending out query letters for his novels for almost three years until he finally got an agent. "Then a door opened," Eric says. "And I put my foot in before they could close it." And that door has remained opened, as Eric Jerome Dickey's novels have placed him on the map as one of the best writers of contemporary urban fiction.

Eric Jerome Dickey's book signing tours for Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game took him from coast to

AFTER YOU HAVE A LUNG REMOVED, TAKE SHORT BREATHS.

Eric Jerome Dickey was an American author. He wrote several crime novels involving grifters, ex cons, and assassins, the latter novels having more diverse settings, moving from Los Angeles to the United Kingdom to the West Indies, each having an international cast of characters. He died in Los Angeles on Jan. 3 after a long illness, his longtime publicist confirmed. Photo: Joseph Jones Photography

coast and helped propel each of these novels to #1 on the "Blackboard Bestsellers List." Cheaters was named "Blackboard Book of the Year" in 2000.

In June 2000, Eric Jerome Dickey celebrated the French publication of Milk in My Coffee (Cafe Noisette) by embarking on a book tour to Paris. Soon after, Milk in My Coffee became a bestseller in France. Eric Jerome Dickey's novels, Chasing Destiny, Liar's Game, Between Lovers, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, Drive Me Crazy, Genevieve, Naughty or Nice, Sleeping with Strangers, Waking with Enemies, and Pleasure have all earned him success of a spot on The New York Times bestseller list. Liar's Game, Thieves' Paradise, The Other Woman, and Genevieve have also given Dickey the added distinction of being nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, he was honored with the awards for Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of the Year (Male) at the 2006 African American Literary Award Show.

In 2008, Eric was nominated for Storyteller of the Year at the 1st annual ESSENCE Literary Awards. In January

2001, Eric Jerome Dickey was a contributor to New American Library's anthology Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, also a Blackboard Bestseller. He also had a story entitled “Fish Sanwich” appear in the anthology Mothers and Sons. In June 2002, Dickey contributed to Black Silk: A Collection of African American Erotica (Warner Books) as well as to Riots Beneath the Baobab (published by International Black Writers and Artists of Los Angeles in April 2002). His books have held steady positions on regional bestseller lists and have been featured in many publications, including ESSENCE, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. Dickey's last novel, Pleasure, held true to form and landed on bestseller lists for The New York Times, USA Today, and ESSENCE. Eric Jerome Dickey is also the author of a six-issue miniseries of comic books for Marvel Enterprises featuring Storm (X-Men) and the Black Panther. His novel Naughty or Nice has been optioned

by Lionsgate Films.l —www.ericjeromedickey.com/

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

21

When She Makes More "There are so few women that make a lot of money that sometimes they're shamed for it, and sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more to others in the same position that may be a male movie star may not be expected," she added. "But I do think gender norms have changed quite a bit since that moment in 2000 or something."

Several studies were conducted to understand the concept.

BY LINDA N, 311DIVORCE.COM

T

he state of employment in the United States of America's PreCOVID 19 is a far cry from what it has become in over ten months.

According to a report by Amara Omeokwe in the Wall Street Journal (2020), in early 2020, women constituted more than half the workforce, with over 40% as breadwinners. Unfortunately, since the global pandemic, all this gain became derailed, a situation the world bank reportedly described as one similar to the Great Depression of the early 1930s. The pandemic triggered a huge economic crisis characterized by workers' furloughing, small business closures, massive job loss, and colossal unemployment claims.

Despite all these, there are fewer jobs, which positions women to remain breadwinners, especially if their partners lost their job during the crisis. Here is Leon and Natalia Haines's story, who, for most of the five years of their marriage, Mrs. Haines has been the primary breadwinner. Barely out of college, she started a career in I.T. Mr. Haines took a less direct path, first working as a salesperson, then moving on to a job as a media expert, and there were months-on-end when he couldn't contribute financially. During

such periods, Natalia created a stable financial base for the family, sprinkled with days of frustrations and inexplicable passive-aggressive behavior from both parties.

Sometimes, women have jobs that enable them to earn more than their partners. In a recent report by the Business Insider, findings from analyzing a 2018 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey revealed that women earn more than men in specialized occupations like proofreaders, health social workers, automotive body repair and technical services. A famous comedian once joked about making more money than her husband as a stand-up comedian. She shared that her mother became concerned that her husband will leave her out of fear. She responded that "only

men who don't like free money would leave a woman because she earns more than him." While this line of joke evokes laughter or sometimes dismissal at a gathering, in private, it is a topic that creates a lot of tension in the family. It can play a significant role in influencing a relationship's health status because of who earns more links to the broader topic of gender dynamics and inequality.

Another celebrity recalled feeling bewildered when she experienced first-hand the disparaging feelings that accompany such comments. In a recent statement, popular actress and producer Reese Witherspoon recalled an incident at the 2002 Oscars when her now ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe, made a seemingly joke about her 'earning more than he did' during their presentation of an award.

Case Study Over the years, when women earn more, specific challenges arise, resulting in failed relationships, divorce, etc. It is worth mentioning that theoretical evidence on how marital relationships affect financial inequalities remain ambivalent.

A 2015 study by the University of Chicago reported more significant strife and likelihood to break up between opposite-sex couples. The study also revealed a pattern of over-compensation where women earn more than their partners.

These higher-earning women took on more housework as a form of salve to their partner's ego for financial status. In the podcast interview, Reese Witherspoon confirmed that women like her who have achieved financial success face additional obstacle bothering on continued on page 22

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

22

When She Makes More/ continued from page 21 shame, with higher expectations to give, do, and be more in many ways than males in a similar position.

In a 2015 study carried out by two researchers and detailed in a report by the Census Bureau, Close M. M-C and Heggeness M.L used the term 'manningup or womaning down' to describe the conscious or unconscious decision by couples in an opposite-sex relationship', to report earning more and earning less.

The men reported an average of 2.9% increase, and the woman said a lesser earning average of 1.5% to the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers concluded that social norms affect the perception of their desirability. In an article by the New York Times, a Harvard sociology professor, Alexandra Killewald, revealed that certain beliefs about gender roles and earnings have remained over time the notion that men are providers, while the idea that women are homemakers have become less popular over time.

According to the report findings 2017 Pew Research Center survey, almost a third of women living with or married to a man contribute to part of their earnings.

The same study revealed that most of the respondents said it is essential for a man to support his family, while they did not have the same expectation of the female.

Experts in the field, such as financial advisers and therapists like Dr. Dawn Delavallade, a physician, author, and therapist, who wrote the book – She

makes More, inside the mind of female breadwinners, propose ways to manage this new phenomenon among Americans.

For a new concept, relevant resources are essential to help women in similar circumstances navigate this emerging trail, which results in high divorce rates, resentment, heartbreak, mistrust.

Suggestions for management include: 1. Managing expectations: Address financial assumptions and roles in all relationships between couples by presenting, discussing, and agreeing.

Otherwise, it becomes the elephant in the room and causes unimaginable problems.

However, when approached, expect some level of discomfort to address the issue regardless.

2. Share responsibilities: Relationships where couples share all aspects of duties' fairly' are more healthy and less prone to a break-up. In a New York Times report, Associate Professor in Kansas State

University, Sonya Britt-Lutter, recommended in her program, making a list of duties and assigning responsibilities, discuss possible changes and scenarios (risks and assumptions) and review annually to accommodate needs and changes.

3. Share goals but retain some level of independence: Agree on primary financial goals that both parties will contribute towards and allow each other to maintain some finances that each person can use as they deem appropriate without questioning from the partner. That way, both parties feel heard, and resentment does not build over time. A few experts recommend that couples decide on a dollar threshold that requires both parties' input before spending. Research shows that regardless of who the breadwinner is, making financial decisions without a partner's input often results in conflicts.

Beyond these necessary steps, couples must seek the services of experts who specializes in working with breadwin-

ners, helping them manage their relationships through the process of soul-searching, understanding their partners' needs, and dealing with toxic behavior that destroys their relationships.

If all fails, consider Witherspoon's advice about a story about how her daughter once came home from second grade in tears over a comment about money. Witherspoon said Ava felt "so embarrassed" at the time when classmates brought up the fact that her mother was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.

"I said, 'Don't ever feel ashamed of a woman making money.' There are women all over this world who don't have an opportunity or education or the ability to make money," said Witherspoon, who is also mom to 8-yearold son Tennessee with husband, Jim Toth. "And the more women who make more money will give more money away, will take care of their societies, will take care of their communities, will do more with that money. So don't ever feel bad about your mom making money, and don't ever feel bad if you make money, and don't feel embarrassed or ashamed if it's more than your partner." "[I have] an interesting relationship with the word power," she continued. "I just hope in my lifetime, I can help more women make more money. Financial stability is freedom."

Go get yours, woman!l

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GENERATIONS

23

Novel Gene Loci Tied to Risk of Alzheimer’s in African Americans

T

he molecular pathways that cause Alzheimer’s disease appear to be similar in African Americans and non-Hispanic whites, but there are differences in some of the genetic loci within these pathways, according to recent results from a large genome-wide association study (GWAS). The research, funded in part by NIA, identified several novel DNA regions, or loci, unique to African Americans with Alzheimer’s disease. While many of the genes within these loci differed from those found in studies of Alzheimer’s risk in nonHispanic white individuals, their functions and biological pathways overlapped. An exception was the pathway for kidney system development. This suggests a new avenue for researchers to explore to understand Alzheimer’s disease risk in African Americans. The findings were published in JAMA Neurology.

Alzheimer’s disease risk in African Americans is nearly twice that of nonHispanic whites. Despite this disparity, most large, genetic studies on Alzheimer’s risk have been conducted on non-Hispanic white individuals. To learn about genetic factors linked to Alzheimer’s risk in African Americans, researchers at the University of Miami and Columbia University conducted a

large GWAS using data sets from multiple studies. GWAS is a research approach that connects DNA differences, called genetic variants, in a group of people with a certain disease. In this study, the researchers analyzed genetic data from multiple studies to compare the DNA sequences from more than 8,000 African Americans, with and without Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers found that the main biological pathways linked to Alzheimer’s risk in African Americans largely overlapped with those in nonHispanic white individuals, but there were several disease-associated genetic loci in these pathways that differed. This suggests that these overall pathways, including those responsible for immune response, intracellular transport, nervous system development, and fat metabolism, are not ethnic-specific and are important in understanding Alzheimer’s disease risk across ethnic groups. But differences in the genetic loci in these pathways could prove to be additional targets for further investigation into ethnic difference in risk. The researchers also found a link between kidney system development and Alzheimer’s risk in African Americans, suggesting another novel disease mechanism to explore to better

understand unique differences in disease risk between ethnic groups. African Americans are three times more likely to experience kidney failure than nonHispanic whites. They are also more likely to have both dementia and kidney disease. Additional research to understand this connection will be important for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease for African Americans.

The researchers also sought to determine whether the Alzheimer’s risk genes were connected to the physical changes seen in Alzheimer’s brains, specifically the presence of amyloid plaque and tau tangles. They compared gene expression, or the amount of protein made by each of the identified Alzheimer’s risk genes,

with the amount of amyloid plaque or tau tangles in autopsied brains. Only four of the risk genes were linked to higher levels of amyloid plaque and one with increased tau tangles.

This study provides new insights about the biological pathways and genetic factors that contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s in African Americans, and more importantly shows how the genetic loci can differ significantly between ethnic groups. Understanding these differences is essential to develop effective treatments for African Americans and to understand the biology underlying observed health disparities.l — The National Institute on Aging

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TAKING CARE OF YOU

24

Reduce Stress: How to Relieve Pressure Before You POP

BY JENNINE ESTES, MFT

S

tress and anxiety can come in many forms and can be difficult to deal with on a daily basis. You may notice them impacting how you work, the way you parent, or even the way you communicate in your relationship.

Imagine a balloon that is empty. When the balloon gets inflated with air, it begins to get bigger and bigger. If you don’t let out the air, it will explode.

Without any air, it lacks a certain “balloon-ness.” This is a great example of how our emotions are necessary but also require calibration. Too little and we feel lethargic, apathetic, and depressed. Too much and we feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and ready to explode! Our “emotional balloon” equates to emotional storage so it is important to learn how to reduce stress and manage what is taking up space in our lives.

Some people know how to release the air over time to prevent the balloon from overflowing and popping. These people emote to friends, family, and their partner when things bother them and use communication and other healthy outlets

as methods to reduce stress. Other people will continue to put their emotions into this balloon, and it will fill up and occasionally pop. These people might be afraid to appear vulnerable or just not know exactly how to express the way they are feeling when something comes up. When your emotional balloon pops, so to speak, it can come out in many ways. Emotional outbursts can manifest as crying, anger/violence, irritability, headaches, changes in sleep, reactivity, anxiety, and much more. Each person is different, so the way that your emotions spring up can be very different from your partner’s, or even your family.

Focus on letting out some air before the balloon pops. Here are some real ways to reduce stress: •Speak up when something is wrong.

It’s important to communicate as something comes up that bothers you, rather than letting things build. Speak to the people involved in a non-attacking way but be honest. Try the communication sandwich: Say what’s working, what isn’t, and follow it up with something positive. For example, “Honey, I appreciate all the extra hours you are putting in

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ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

at work. It means a lot that you are focused on contributing to our finances.

I’m sure you’re exhausted but working late the last week has put some extra pressure on me to take care of the kids and cook all the meals, plus I’m getting behind at work. Is there a way we can balance things out? I want you to know I notice all your hard work, but I am also drowning a bit over here and it would mean a lot to have your support.”

•Communicate your stress level and how you can be supported. Even if you are not mad at a particular person, and you feel like you are simply overwhelmed by responsibilities or circumstances, it is important to let people into what is going on! A good vent session may let at least a little air out of your maxed out balloon. Letting others know what is going on in your emotional world can be vulnerable, but it is essential if you want those you care about to be able to understand and empathize. It doesn’t have to be incredibly complicated, either.

Articulate what you need in the conversation as well. If you’re not looking for input but just a vent session, say so!

“Hey, I just need to vent for a bit; I’m not looking for advice or anything, but I need to let off some steam.” This can provide relief from the feeling that you will be judged, or someone will add something to your exhausting list. Then share what’s happening: “Things at work have been overloading me lately and I just feel like I’m not getting enough done or if something is done, it’s the wrong way. Mostly, I am maxed out.” If there is another way, they can support you (in addition to the vent sesh), particularly if they are your partner, include that as well: “It would help me out if you could [take over dinners/pick up the kids/rub my shoulders/run this errand].” Make sure to thank your listener for tuning in and caring about you!

•Delegate. Even if you are single, not everything has to be your responsibility.

Maybe you need to say “no” to a few social engagements or extra projects. You

control the pace of your life by how much you let on to your to do list so start clearing it off by assigning things to others. That may mean re-working your budget to hire a dog walker or housecleaner or trying a grocery delivery service.

•Write. Writing can be therapeutic and help reduce stress, so start keeping a journal as a way to let off some steam.

Pen and paper are ideal because it requires you to slow down and process plus it brings into play the calming effects of cross-lateral movement.

However, anything helps. Get some of the negativity or confusion out, whether that is writing or typing or even voice recording. Maybe today’s stress is next month’s blog post or next year’s book — vent and re-purpose. Win, win.

•Get real. You can’t do it all and you’re fooling yourself if you think you can.

There are certainly seasons of life where we have to be “on” for a while, but those times should come with a deadline, not only for your mental sanity but also for your physical health. Prolonged seasons of stress seriously alter your body and brain chemistry so utilize the above tips to reduce stress as quickly as possible to support your health.

Finally, give yourself a break! If you want to reduce stress, you probably need to take a step back. Take a nap. Take a bath. Take a walk. Give yourself some breathing room to gather yourself before diving into another round of to-dos.

Sometimes a little space is what we need to bring clarity. If you find yourself still drowning in overload or your anxiety can’t be managed, bring in some outside help! Relieve some of the emotional pressure before you pop!l Jennine is a Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego, CA. Certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. She writes relationship and self-growth advice for her column, Relationships in the Raw. Creator of #BeingLOVEDIs campaign.

MFC#47653 Reprinted with the kind permission of Estes Therapy.

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TAKING CARE OF YOU

25

How to Outsmart Your COVID-19 Fears and Boost Your Mood in 2021

BY SHARON AUSTIN THE CONVERSATION

A

fter a year of toxic stress ignited by so much fear and uncertainty, now is a good time to reset, pay attention to your mental health and develop some healthy ways to manage the pressures going forward.

Brain science has led to some drug-free techniques that you can put to use right now.

I am health psychologist who developed a method that harnesses our riproaring emotions to rapidly switch off stress and activate positive emotions instead. This technique from emotional brain training is not perfect for everyone, but it can help many people break free of stress when they get stuck on negative thoughts.

Why the stress response is so hard to turn off Three key things make it hard to turn off stress-activated negative emotions: •First, our genes make us worrywarts.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors survived by assuming every rustle in the grasses

was a lurking hungry lion, not harmless birds hunting for seeds. We’re essentially programmed to be hyperaware of threats, and our brains rapidly launch stress chemicals and negative emotions in response.

•Second, the chemical cascade of stress hormones in the brain associated with negative emotions impairs cognitive flexibility, goal-directed behavior and self-control.

•Third, our tendency to avoid dealing with negative emotions puts people in a perpetual cycle of ignoring unpleasant feelings, which amplifies stress and the risk of emotional health problems.

Traditional approaches for coping with

stress were based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on modifying patterns of thinking and behavior. It was developed before our modern understanding of stress overload.

Researchers at New York University discovered a paradox: Although cognitive methods were effective in low-stress situations, they were less effective when dealing with the high stress of modern life.

Emotional brain training works with these high-stress emotions in an effort to tame them, releasing negative emotions as the first of two steps in preventing stress overload.

Step 1: Release negative emotions The only negative emotion in the brain that supports taking action rather than avoidance and passivity is anger.

Studies have shown that the suppression of anger is associated with depression and that suppressing anger doesn’t reduce the emotion. Healthy release of anger instead has been found to reduce other stress-related health risks.

Our technique is to switch off stress overload by using a controlled burst of anger to help the brain exert better emotional control and allow emotions to flow rather than become chronic and toxic.

After that first short burst, other feelings can flow, starting with sadness to grieve the loss of safety, then fear and regret, or what we would do differently next time.

You can talk yourself through the stages. To experiment with the process, use these simple phrases to express the negative feelings and release your stress: “I feel angry that …”; “I feel sad that … ”; “I feel afraid that …”; and “I feel guilty that …” continued on page 30

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TAKING CARE OF YOU

26

Why It's Still Important to Get Your Flu Shot

A

s our country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of the pandemic will become more complicated by increasing cases of the flu, making more people ill and putting further strain on the U.S. health care system.

Pediatric epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist Dr. Emily Godbout from Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU offers five crucial reasons everyone should get a flu shot this year.

1. Flu shots help reduce serious respiratory illness While some people who get vaccinated may still contract influenza, the flu shot typically prevents about 70 of 100 people who receive it from developing a moderate to severe flu infection. So even though the vaccine might not completely prevent the flu, it can help keep you from getting sick enough that you have to go to the hospital.

"Reducing the overall burden of respiratory illnesses is really important to help protect vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease," said Godbout, "And it also helps lessen the resulting burden on our health care system, which is crucial throughout the COVID-19 pandemic."

Godbout said that while practices people follow to help guard against COVID-

19, such as handwashing, social distancing and wearing masks, will probably help decrease the spread of influenza, the flu shot is still the single most effective way to reduce the spread of the flu.

2. Flu shots are safe "The flu shot is very safe and effective at helping prevent severe disease and hospitalization," Godbout said. "I know people might have reservations about coming into the doctor's office, but I can assure everyone that our providers are really vigilant about taking appropriate precautions to make sure everyone is safe."

The doctor also pointed out that patients will not contract influenza from the vaccine. "The virus is inactivated," she said, "so it can't actually cause the flu infection after you get the shot."

Flu shots are recommended for anyone six months old and older.

3. Flu shots are updated every year "The U.S. flu vaccine is reviewed every single year and updated to match circulating flu viruses," said Godbout. "The flu vaccine can typically protect against three or four different viruses. Since the virus changes from year to year, immunization or natural infection from the previous year is not protective."

She also said that our antibody response — what helps us fight the virus — can decrease over time, so a yearly dose will help boost the antibody response before the start of the influenza season.

4. Influenza and COVID-19 share some overlapping symptoms It's important to know that some symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza are similar. If you have symptoms you are concerned about, it's best to call your health care provider right away. You may need to be tested for both the flu and COVID-19 to be certain what is causing you to be sick, so your doctor can recommend the best course of treatment.

While having the flu shot doesn't mean you can't get the flu, as discussed above, a vaccination will at least lessen the

severity of your symptoms — giving you and your loved ones peace of mind.

Reducing the spread of flu cases overall, by getting vaccinated, will help cut down on the number of seriously ill patients that clinics and hospitals need to diagnose and treat, which will help everyone get through the winter season more easily.

5. A flu shot protects you throughout the season Now is a good time to get vaccinated. It takes a couple of weeks for antibodies to develop in your body, but the vaccination will continue to protect you throughout the worst months of the flu season.

Godbout said, "We will continue to offer the flu shot throughout the fall and winter." (BPT)l

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Make a resolution to learn more.

Every New Year, you make a list of things you will do to stay healthy so you can feel your best.

But, did you realize that feeling your best includes seeing your best too? January is Glaucoma Awareness Month – the perfect time to spread the word about the disease. So, this year, add learning about glaucoma to your list! Your eyes will thank you for it.

1. Glaucoma can cause vision loss and blindness, which can’t be reversed.

Glaucoma causes fluid to build up in your eye, causing pressure that can damage the optic nerve, which transfers visual images to your brain.

But, you can save your vision with early detection and treatment.

2. There are no early symptoms. Glaucoma often has no early warning signs. No pain. No discomfort. No blurry vision. Only advanced glaucoma will affect your vision. Don’t wait for symptoms to visit your eye doctor!

3. In the United States, half the people who have glaucoma don’t know they do. Nearly 3 million Americans have glaucoma. Half don’t know it. Lack of awareness and the absence of symptoms are preventing people from detecting the disease early. You can change that! Find out if you have glaucoma.

4. Some people are at higher risk than others.

African Americans over 40, adults over 60 – especially Hispanics/Latinos, and people with a family history of glaucoma are at higher risk, making early detection especially important.

Are you at higher risk? Talk to your family about glaucoma.

5. There is only one way to know if you have glaucoma. Getting a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to find out if you have glaucoma. During the exam, an eye care professional places drops in your eyes to widen the pupils and looks for signs of the disease in the optic nerve.

Now that you’ve got the facts about glaucoma, make a resolution for healthier vision. Schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam today! And encourage your friends and loved ones to do the same.

To learn more about glaucoma, visit www.nei.nih.gov/glaucoma.

To learn more, visit www.nei.nih.gov/glaucoma The National Eye Institute (NEI) leads the federal government’s research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and address the special needs of people with vision loss. For more information, visit www.nei.nih.gov.

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28

CONVERSATIONS

Far-right Activists on Social Media Telegraphed Violence Weeks in Advance of the Attack on the US Capitol Trump posted on Dec. 18. “Big protest in D.C. on Jan. 6. Be there, will be wild!” he wrote. His instructions were taken seriously by mainstream supporters andfar-right extremists alike.

Stymied repeatedly in their efforts to overturn the election, Trump supporters and right-wing extremists searched for another avenue to reverse election results. For Trump and his supporters, Jan. 6 became a desperate, last-ditch effort. As social media posts showed, this desperation led them to express the righteousness of using violence to force Congress to act in their favor.

BY ALEX NEWHOUSE THE CONVERSATION

W

hen a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and stopped Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the nation’s next president, it was scary – and fatal for at least five people.

The attack on the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 was shocking, but no one following right-wing activity on social media should have been surprised. The attempt by President Donald Trump’s far-right supporters to violently stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote and formalizing Joe Biden’s election victory was consistent with their openly expressed hopes and plans.

As a researcher of far-right extremism, I monitor right-wing social media communities. For weeks in advance, I watched as groups across the right-wing spectrum declared their intentions. On Facebook, Twitter, Parler and other platforms, influencers, politicians, activists and ordinary people focused on Jan. 6 as their final opportunity to prevent what they claimed was corruption on a monumental scale.

Washington, D.C. | U.S.A. - Jan 6th, 2021: Trump Initiated Riots at the Capitol: QAnon Shaman, Jake Angeli.

Editorial credit: Johnny Silvercloud / Shutterstock.com

To most of these activists, there was no possible resolution other than Trump emerging victorious. In the open, they discussed how they were preparing to force Congress and Vice President Mike Pence to nullify the election results and declare Trump the victor.

The buildup Since the election in November, Trump and his allies had spread baseless conspiracy theories alleging that Democrats, some Republicans and the “deep state”

had committed widespread voter fraud to elect Biden. In this myth, Trump had won the election in a landslide, and only corrupt politicians stood in the way of his victory. These conspiracy theories sparked fury in all corners of the rightwing ecosystem, and the certification process for the Electoral College votes became a symbol of both corruption and opportunity.

Conservative groups began organizing for a large-scale protest in Washington, D.C., following a tweet from President

26 Court Street, Suite 701, Downtown Brooklyn

Out in the open In the days preceding the events of Jan. 6, right-wing social media communities frequently discussed preparations, travel plans and hopes for the demonstrations.

Across Twitter and Facebook, people began speaking of Jan. 6 in near-mystical terms. By surveying social media data from mid-December to Jan. 5, I discovered thousands of posts referring to the planned protests as if they were a coming revolution.

In some circles, the event became synonymous with a final battle – the moment when all of the supposed crimes of Democrats would be laid bare, and when ordinary Americans would take back the government. “On January 6, we find out whether we still have a constitutional republic,” one user wrote on Twitter on New Year’s Eve. “If not, the revolution begins. I’d rather fight and die than live in a socialist society. Pretty sure 80 million Americans feel the same way.”

Specific references to storming the Capitol also appeared, although infrequently. As one Twitter user put it, “Roberts is the Corrupt-in-chief. January 6. We need to storm Congress and @SCOTUS and arrest Roberts, McConnell, Pelosi, Schumer, McCarthy just to begin the swamp’s draining! #RobertsCorruptInChief.”

More frequently, QAnon adherents zeroed in on Jan. 6 as the beginning of a chain of events that would lead to apocalyptic cleansing they refer to as “The Storm.” Some even believed that The Storm would arrive during the demonstration itself, and that Trump would, far beyond any reasonable expectation, arrest members of the Democratic and global elite for treason while also winning the election.

Although posts on Facebook and Twitter hinted that more than just protests were possible, nowhere was the coming violence as obvious as on Parler.

The site, which has attracted millions of new conservative users in the past year, has positioned itself as a bastion for right-wing conspiracy theories and continued on page 30

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30

CONVERSATIONS Far-right Activits on Social Media/continued from page 28 organizing efforts. From my research, hundreds of Parler users expressed their sincere belief, and even desire, that the demonstrations would spark a physical battle, revolution or civil war.

“We are ready to fight back and we want blood,” a Parler post from Dec. 28 declared. “The president need to do some thing if Jan. 6 is the day then we are ready.” Another user stated, “January 6 will either be our saving grace or we will have another civil war that should end very quickly!! Either way Trump will be our POTUS!! Anything less is unacceptable!!”

Using tools that allow me to monitor large-scale social media data, I found evidence that right-wing activists had been explicit and open with their intentions for the Jan. 6 demonstrations since at least mid-December. I have no doubt that the demonstration was specifically designed to force Congress to overturn the election. Although the act of storming the Capitol may not have been planned, the demonstrators had prepared for weeks to use at least the threat of physical violence to intimidate Congress and Pence during the certification process.

A pattern of planning and calls for violence The profound transparency with which

How to Outsmart Your COVID19 Fears and Boost Your Mood in 2021/continued from page 25

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

right-wing activists planned their demonstrations indicates both that extreme, anti-democratic thought has become normalized on Parler, and that Twitter and Facebook still struggle to moderate open calls to violence. This is not the first time.

Right-wing activists have made a habit of organizing in the open and galvanizing supporters to express their desire for violent confrontation.

Far-right activists have also engaged in online fundraising, including while livestreaming the attack on the Capitol building.

Since the attack, I’ve observed users on Parler, Facebook and Twitter simultaneously celebrating the occupiers and spreading unfounded, dangerous conspiracy theories that the instigators of the violence were actually antifascists and

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leftists. On Parler, many users have turned on Pence, and calls for the execution of politicians have increased.

Law enforcement and intelligence services should learn from what happened and the apparent lack of preparedness on the part of Capitol police, because this is likely to happen again. It’s impossible to know what will happen next. However, the communities that caused the events of Jan. 6 organized for it openly on social media – and they show every intention of acting again.l

Alex Newhouse is the Research Lead, Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, Middlebury Institute of International Studies

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Step 2. Express positive emotions After releasing negative emotions, positive emotions can naturally arise.

Express these feelings using the same approach: “I feel grateful that …”; “I feel happy that …”; “I feel secure that …”; and “I feel proud that …”

Your mindset can quickly change, a phenomenon that has many potential explanations. One explanation is that in positive states, your brain’s neural circuits that store memories from when you were in the same positive state in the past can be spontaneously activated. Another is that the switch from negative to positive emotions quiets your sympathetic nervous system – which triggers the fight-or-flight response – and activates the parasympathetic system, which acts more like a brake on strong emotions.

Here’s what the whole stress relief process might look like like for me right now: •I feel angry that we’re all isolated and I can’t see my new grandson Henry.

•I hate it that everything is so messed up!

I HATE THAT!!!

•I feel sad that I am alone right now.

•I feel afraid that this will never end.

•I feel guilty that I am complaining! I am lucky to be alive and have shelter and love in my life.

Then the positive: •I feel grateful that my daughter-in-law sends me photos of Henry.

•I feel happy that my husband and I laughed together this morning.

•I feel secure that this will eventually pass.

•I feel proud that I am doing the best I can to cope.

After a daunting year, and with more challenges ahead in 2021, upgrading your approach to emotions can be a drugfree mood booster. Our COVID-19 fears need not consume us. We can outsmart the brain’s fear response and find moments that sparkle with promise.l

Laurel Mellin Laurel Mellin is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Family & Community Medicine and Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco

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Your work is essential!

Protect yourself & others from flu and COVID-19 this fall and winter:

MASK UP

LATHER UP

SLEEVE UP

Wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth.

And keep your distance (at least 6 feet) from others when you can.

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever.

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season.

A flu vaccine can protect you, your loved ones, and your co-workers from flu.

You can also protect those around you by staying home if you are sick.

CS319348D

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The lawyer you hire, does make a difference!

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