Vol. 51 No. 3
May 7, 2020 -May 13, 2020
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or words or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress. —Fredrick Douglass (1849)
Coalition of Civil Rights Leaders Support CBC in Protecting Black Health By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
A primary focus of the CBC remains to target insurance companies that have disproportionately neglected the needs of African Americans while also providing below standard care WASHINGTON, D.C., May 3, 2020 – National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., National Action Network (NAN) Founder Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and the Black Women’s Health Imperative, are up in arms because they say too many Washington politicians are protecting insurance company profits over health care for African Americans. Collectively, they argue that too often, insurance companies refuse to cover emergency services, and either patients are forced to pay bills they cannot afford, or hospitals are shuttering. Congress claims to be tackling this challenge, but until the Congressional Black Caucus got involved, Congress focused only on protecting insurer profits, not people, according to the coalition. Chavis, Sharpton, and others are throwing their support behind the CBC. They’re asking that others also support the CBC. Led by Chair Karen Bass (DCalif.), the 55-member CBC has worked almost non-stop in
fighting for health equity in the African American community. The CBC works to protect and expand voting rights, comprehensive criminal justice reform, building a more inclusive economy, and ensuring access to quality and affordable healthcare. A primary focus of the CBC remains to target insurance companies that have disproportionately neglected the needs of African Americans while also providing below standard care. “This outrageous situation benefits one group and one group alone: powerful insurance executives, who have managed to get off the financial hook for such bills, even as insurers shrink insurance coverage networks to wring more and more profits out of the system,” Chavis has stated. He and the other leaders have continued to express strong opposition to any legislation that would give insurers more control over health care prices. In their continued push for health equality, the group is working to ensure that insurance companies expand their networks and cover more emergency services. This will maintain access to care
in hard-hit Black communities. “The status quo means hospitals in our communities close first,” the group noted in a statement. “We cannot let this happen. Together, we can ensure that the old way of doing business – putting insurance company
profits over people – STOPS.” They continued: “Join us and support the CBC. Help us work to make sure Congress passes a bill that keeps us healthy and alive by allowing insurance networks to grow and cover lifesaving services.”
Charles Hardy Thomas, Well Known Business Man and Community Leader, Passes Community News
Charles Hardy Thomas Charles Hardy Thomas was born August 10, 1935 in Humble, a small town in Texas, where he was raised with his sibling. In 1943, Charles’ parents moved to California and settled in Marin City and later moved to Sacramento where they resided in Oak Park. Charles attended grade school and graduated from McClatchy High School. Charles pursued higher education at American River Junior College, Sacramento, CA; Shorter College, Little Rock Arkansas; University of Oregon and the University of Alabama where he received a certificate and a degree
in Small Business Management, Business Law, Engineering and Honorary Doctorate of Human Services. Charles was very kind and generous to those around him. He was passionate about his travels around the world, but he specifically enjoyed Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas. He relished playing dominoes, cards and entertaining guests at his home. Charles also loved attending concerts and sporting events such as football and basketball. Charles lived his life to the fullest and had compassion for others that never ceased. Over the years, he worked with a wide variety of community leaders, urban cities, interfaith and community based and civil rights organizations. Charles believed that more needed to be done for the black youth in our communities. He provided scholarships and supported the advancement of academic achievement through the African American churches. He believed that the success of children was based on our ability to
teach, train, develop and educate them and to understand how to manage a business in a competitive environment. Charles loved politics and played an active role in various campaigns. Prior to venturing into the real estate business, Charles worked at McClellan A.F.B. In 1964, Charles relocated to Southern California where he continued his real estate development, construction and property management. He was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing & Development for building the largest housing development in the greater Los Angeles area. Charles’ real estate endeavors included shopping centers, community centers, pharmacies and senior citizen housing complexes, and syndicated housing. Charles planned, developed, and completed the Delaware Historical Project in Berkeley, CA and he built the Martin Luther King Plaza shopping center in Oakland, California. Mr. Thomas’ business ventures were broad in scope. He was the
first minority to own a Burger King franchise and owned several Famous Amos Cookie franchises. He had ownership of various corporations and took an active role as Chairman of the Board of Directors and President. Over the years, Charles worshipped as a member of Joseph Basilica in Alameda, California. He enjoyed being in the house of the lord. Charles passed away on April 20, 2020. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Queen Esther and Louis Thomas; Brothers, Samuel and Louis Thomas, Jr, and great granddaughter, Paige Thomas. Charles leaves behind his loving wife of 22 years, Teresa Tse Thomas, and 3 sons: Michael ( Beverly) Thomas, Steven( Terrietta) Thomas, Andre Thomas, and one daughter, Monisha Thomas; 6 grandchildren: Charisse Thomas, Shawana Thomas, Mashawn Thomas, Stephen Thomas and Stephon Thomas, and Andriana Thomas, 7 great grandchildren and a host of family and friends.
Publisher’s Corner Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News
Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com
Clifton Harris Editor in Chief
As Trump Approvals Sink During COVID19 Crisis Democrats Look to Take the U.S. Senate Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor As the coronavirus devastates the economy, businesses lose millions, prompting over 25 million Americans to file for unemployment. The Republican Party, now controlling the White House and the U.S. Senate, is in danger of losing control of it all. The first shot across the Republican bow arrived from Virginia in 2017, when three Democrats were elected statewide. The next year in 2018, Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2019, Democrats took a Governorship in Kentucky, a red state, and took control of the Virginia legislature for the first time in two decades — another sign that Trump’s polarizing time in office was hurting the GOP brand. The U.S. Senate was seen as out of play in terms of Democrats taking over. But now, with the coronavirus crisis turning the economy and the culture upside down, it’s even more in play than anyone previously predicted. Republican Susan Collins is way down in the polls in Maine. Democrat Jamie Harrison is raising more money than incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham in the red state of South Carolina. In North Carolina, Republican incumbent Thom Tillis is in a tossup race in a traditionally red state. In Colorado, Republican moderate Cory Gardner is in trouble against his Democratic opponent, former Governor John Hickenlooper. Suddenly, the U.S. Senate is within reach of team blue and Republicans are in danger of losing the Senate. Only Democrat Doug Jones in Alabama is in danger of losing his seat.
The U.S. Senate was seen as out of play in terms of Democrats taking over. But now, with the coronavirus crisis turning the economy and the culture upside down, it’s even more in play than anyone previously predicted. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA
The White House attempted to assist Gardner by helping Colorado with valuable PPE supplies for the COVID-19 crisis. The bottom line is that President Trump is likely to be a major target of blame for a pandemic that was known about around the world — including by his closest advisors — but ignored by a President who refuses to read his intelligence briefing or listen to advisors. The Senate is currently 53 Republicans and 45 Democrats. What’s at stake is who decides judgeships for decades to come and who controls budgets and tax policy for years. The story of how the coronavirus is likely to turn election results upside down just as it has turned lives upside down. There is no what that over 1 million Americans can be impacted by a global pandemic and that not be the case. Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist for NNPA and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is also a political strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke
CAIR-LA Welcomes Arrest of Man Accused of Hate Crime Against Asian-Americans LA County News
(LOS ANGELES, CA - 5/4/2020) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today welcomed the arrest of a man accused of a raciallymotivated hate crime Sunday night. According to Pasadena Now, Maurice Cornelius Spears, 36, was arrested after on suspicion of battery and a hate crime after allegedly throwing two energy drink cans at a group of Asian American victims near the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. Neither container struck any of the victims, but the liquid was sprayed on them. Spears began yelling racial slurs at the group, prompting them to call the police. READ: Local Man Arrested for Hate Crime Against AsianAmericans https://www.pasadenanow.com/ main/local-man-arrested-for-hatecrime-against-asian-americans/ According to the Pasadena Police Department, this was possibly the first hate crime which has occurred during the pandemic, although there have been a number of other incidents without specific allegations rising
to the level that could lead to an arrest. In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said: “We are grateful no one was injured in this incident and appreciate the quick and professional response of the Riverside Police Department. It has been a long-standing tactic of bigots to blame ‘the other’ – in this case, casting a spotlight of hatred on Asian-Americans. “COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus. It doesn’t have a race, religion, nationality or political ideology. “As hated of marginalized minorities has increased over the past four years, we have warned against the danger of how normalizing hate speech can lead to hate threats and hate attacks. We stand with our sisters and brothers of Asian heritage and condemn the bigotry and hatred that has stemmed from this pandemic.” Ayloush urged community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIRLA's Civil Rights Department at 714-776-1177 or by filing a report at: https://bit.ly/2L9Ezsw.
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PAGE 2
May 7, 2020
COMMUNITY/EDUCATION/NATIONWIDE
Disasters have shut down California colleges in the past: Here’s how they fared By Felicia Mello, CalMatters and Charlotte West, The Hechinger Report
Torres Announces Housing Relief Funds for Inland Empire...continued Rep. Torres released the following statement: “The funds I’m announcing today will help more Inland Empire residents put a roof overhead in the midst of this pandemic,” Rep. Torres said. “Our local housing authorities help make the dream of a home a reality for vulnerable residents and families every single day. As someone who once lost a house to a fire, the urgency in helping struggling families find
Students deliver a produce donation to the basic needs center at Chico State University on February 12, 2020. The hunger relief organization Feeding America brought food to the center weekly in the aftermath of the Camp Fire. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMattersPhoto
Officials at Butte College gathered one fall Wednesday in 2018 for a tabletop exercise in disaster planning. As California’s fire seasons had become more deadly, utilities were threatening to shut off power as a way of preventing downed lines from igniting blazes. Other catastrophes, such as school shootings, were also on officials’ minds. Administrators at the rural community college wanted to be prepared. They mapped out potential scenarios: What if they had to close the campus? How would they continue classes? They had no idea they’d be putting those plans into action the very next day, when they’d be facing the most destructive blaze in California history. Even before the coronavirus brought a halt to in-person classes nationwide this spring, some colleges and universities had confronted climate-linked natural disasters with the same dramatic effects. And while there’s been endless speculation during this pandemic about what might happen to students whose educations are being abruptly disrupted, these colleges offer real-life examples of the impact of campus shutdowns. The fires, hurricanes, floods and other emergencies that have been occurring with increasing frequency not only pose threats to lives and homes; at some colleges temporarily shut down by these disasters, they have decreased enrollment, slowed students’ progress toward graduation and deprived faculty and staff of income when they needed it most. Many of those same universities and colleges also became lifelines for students and for their larger communities after the disasters. When it comes to crises that
can bring a campus to a halt, said Marvin Pratt, director of environmental health and safety at California State University, Chico, which was closed for two weeks by the Camp Fire, “All of us have learned that no one is immune.” “We all lost something” The morning after Butte College’s training exercise, Andy Suleski, the school’s vice president of administration, was heading down Highway 99 to the campus. The wind had picked up, and he checked his phone messages to see if a power shut-off was on the way. Then he saw the giant plume of smoke. By the time Suleski reached the college’s parking lot and climbed out of his car, ashes were raining down. It was the first day of the Camp Fire, which would kill 85 people in the town of Paradise and its surrounding communities and displace thousands more. It closed the Butte College campus for more than two weeks, and cost the school nearly $6.5 million, officials say. “It didn’t matter if you lived in a shack or a mansion, we all lost something,” said Dayna Collett, a student who also works in the college’s student success center, and whose home was destroyed. Nearly a quarter of Butte College students reported experiencing homelessness at some point before the fires, and more than 800 more faced displacement afterward. Staff from the college’s basic needs center set up shop in parking lots, distributing laptops, gas gift cards and information about mental health counseling. The college let students drop classes without financial penalties. “It all coalesced into one big question: What do our students need right now to finish the semester and stay in school?” said Dawn Blackhorse, a student success specialist at the college.
:Mackenzie Bryan, a communications major at Butte College, sits for a portrait in the college library. After losing her family’s home in the fire, Bryan made a video interviewing her classmates about their own experiences of loss. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMattersPhoto
Community/Education News
Visually appealing and modern: New design is current, relevant and beautiful User-driven: Information designed around CTA member feedback Interactive: Take action on issues you care about, get the latest news, share on social, view galleries, watch videos, etc. The Design The design reflects the diversity of CTA members and what public education advocacy looks like. The design is clean, modern and accessible. Everything from the vibrant color gradients, to the bold fonts, to the creative icons, layers and geometric textures is thought-out and intentional.
The new CTA.org is: NEW FEATURES Faster: Load times and getting updates to you Easier to navigate: Revamped navigation brings the information you need, closer Mobile-responsive: Works across all your devices and meeting accessibility standards
Take Action CTA members and supporters can now easily "Take Action" on
(continued in next 2 columns)
Governor issues Report Card on state’s progress in fighting COVID19
Stage 2 allows gradual reopening of lower-risk workplaces with adaptations including bookstores, clothing stores, florists and sporting goods stores, with modifications Governor also announces new framework to allow counties to move more quickly through Stage 2 if they attest that they meet the state’s readiness criteria State announces accelerated action to secure contact tracing capacity Butte College President Samia Yaqub. “One of the things that we learned is to find a way to help faculty and staff employees immediately, and a very tangible way to do that is to make sure that theycontinue to get paid,” she says. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMattersPhoto 4:The campus of California State University, Chico, which was closed for two weeks by the Camp Fire. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters At colleges like Butte, where some students are already struggling to afford such things as food, housing and health care, a shutdown only magnifies that challenge. In the wake of the 2017 Tubbs Fire in California’s wine country, a Santa Rosa Junior College poll revealed how many students were suffering from stress and needed mental health services, said President Frank Chong. “When you’re going through that type of trauma, you don’t think there’s anybody else in that situation, or that nobody cares,” Chong said. Sending the survey, he said, was also a way for the college to say, “We care about you. Tell us how we can help.” After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Houston Community College dispersed more than $7 million in federal financial aid to students earlier than they normally would have received it, said Sharday Campbell, communications coordinator for the financial aid office. Despite such efforts, many students at campuses that were temporarily closed dropped out, something administrators fear will happen again now as the pan-
Throughout the website, this “Take Action” area will be available on every page. Easily share on social media to spread the word. Chapter Search
BURLINGAME – After months of hard work, dedication and member input, CTA is proud to launch its new and improved website. The new website provides great user experience with a faster, easier-to-navigate, mobile-friendly, visually appealing and interactive space that reflects the power and beauty of the union. “Today’s launch is a huge milestone for our union. After hearing from our members and staff, our final product is a testament to the thoughtful work and courageous leadership in public education. We are proud to stand united, and we look forward to brighter days ahead with a tool that will help us remain stronger together,” said CTA President E. Toby Boyd.
Governor Newsom Provides Update on California’s Progress Toward Stage 2 Reopening
Governor’s Report Card indicates California will be prepared to move into the early phase of Stage 2 of reopening this Friday, May 8
demic affects earnings and makes people want to stick closer to home. Butte has seen its enrollment drop by 12 percent since the fire, according to college president Samia Yaqub, while the Tubbs Fire contributed to a 6 percent enrollment drop at Santa Rosa. Enrollment doesn’t always drop off after a shutdown; at Chico State and California State University, Sonoma, it held steady in the wake of wildfires. But when it does fall, the effect can be dramatic: After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, undergraduate enrollment declined from nearly 188,000 to 170,000, according to the island’s higher education agency, with many students leaving for the mainland and others dropping out altogether. The University of Puerto Rico’s 11 campuses faced $132 million in structural damage. And as government funding also fell, tuition doubled. A long recovery Unlike with recent floods and wildfires, the effects of the coronavirus aren’t limited to a (continued on page 5)
California’s Educators Launch Redesigned California’s Educators Launch Redesigned Website to Enhance Experience & Connect Educators with Website to Enhance Experience & Connect Schools & Communities...continued Educators with Schools & Communities the issues they care about. State-of-the-art functionality, sleek design; CTA.ORG live Friday, May Day
a home is personal to me. I’m thrilled to announce these CARES Act funds, because I know about all of the good that will come from them.” Since Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27th, Rep. Torres has announced more than $75 million in emergency relief for Inland Empire residents, businesses and community organizations.
Now, searching for a local chapter, Regional Resource Center and Service Center Council is easier than ever. Simply type in the name of the school district and get search results. Stay Informed A new "Stay Informed" area provides an option for allies and supporters to get connected with
CTA and receive the latest news and opportunities for education advocacy. Today’s launch is the first of three phases. Phase 2 of the website will be completed in Summer 2020, which consists of integrating other web properties for a seamless user experience. Phase 3 of the website will be completed in Fall 2020, which consists of personalization and targeted content. For news and media, bookmark this page.
VIDEO: Click here to get an overview of the new, sleek design.
Torres Announces Housing Relief Funds for Inland Empire Community News POMONA – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, today announced more than $1.7 million in new funding for local housing agencies. The funds, which are authorized as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, will help prevent, prepare and respond to housing needs throughout the Inland
Empire during the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing Authority of the City of Pomona $218,714.00 Housing Authority of San Bernardino $1,509,828.00 Total $1,728,542.00 (continued in next 2 columns)
Community Education News
SACRAMENTO – As the state continues implementation of the four-stage framework to allow Californians to gradually reopen some lower-risk businesses and public spaces while continuing to preserve public health, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that based on the state’s progress in meeting metrics tied to indicators, the state can begin to move into Stage 2 of modifying the stay at home order this Friday, May 8, with guidelines released Thursday, May 7. The Governor released a Report Card showing how the state has made progress in fighting COVID-19 in a number of categories such as stabilized hospitalization and ICU numbers and acquiring PPE. “Millions of Californians answered the call to stay home and thanks to them, we are in a position to begin moving into our next stage of modifying our stay at home order,” said Governor Newsom. “But make no mistake – this virus isn’t gone. It’s still dangerous and poses a significant public health risk. As we move into the next stage of reopening, we will do so with updated guidance to help qualifying businesses make modifications needed to lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure to customers and workers. Californians should prepare now for that second stage of reopening.” State Report Card The Governor also issued a state “Report Card” for how the state is doing in meeting key measures for moving into Stage 2. California is on track on the following statewide metrics: Stability of Hospitalizations Personal Protective Equipment Inventory Health Care Surge Capacity Testing Capacity Contact Tracing Capability Public Health Guidance in Place California Department of Public Health Director and state Public Health Officer Dr. Sonia Angell presented on the state’s Report Card today to underscore the data driving the move into the next stage. What’s in Early Stage 2 Later this week the state will release public health guidance for certain Stage 2 sectors including some retail, manufacturing, and logistics businesses, which will mandate modifications that lower the risk of transmission. Businesses and employers in those sectors will be able to reopen as soon as Friday – if they can meet the guidelines provided by the state. Not all Stage 2 businesses will be able to open Friday with modifications. Some examples of businesses that can open with modifications include bookstores, clothing stores, florists and sporting goods
stores. Other Stage 2 sectors, such as offices and dine-in restaurants, will be part of a later Stage 2 opening. The announcement for Friday does not include offices, seated dining at restaurants, shopping malls or schools. As the Governor noted last week, the state is working with school districts and the California education community to determine how best and safely to reopen. That continues to be the case – this May 8 announcement does not move up this timeline. While the state will be moving from Stage 1 to Stage 2, counties can choose to continue more restrictive measures in place based on their local conditions, and the state expects some counties to keep their more robust stay at home orders in place beyond May 8. Regional Variation The Governor also announced today that while the state is moving into Stage 2 together, counties can move more quickly through Stage 2, if they attest that they meet the state’s readiness criteria. Counties must create and submit a readiness plan which the state will make publicly available. The Governor signed an executive order today directing the State Public Health Officer to establish criteria to determine whether and how, in light of local conditions, local health officers may implement public health measures less restrictive than the statewide public health directives. Counties must meet criteria including demonstrating they have a low prevalence of COVID-19, that they meet testing and contact tracing criteria, that their health care system is prepared in case they see a sudden rise in cases, and that they have plans in place to protect vulnerable populations. The state will outline these criteria in the coming days. The text of the Governor’s executive order can be found here and a copy can be found here. Contact Tracing Contact tracing enables the state to suppress the spread of the virus to avoid outbreaks and allows us to maintain our health care capacity and confidently modify the stay at home order. To work toward these goals, the Governor announced a partnership with the University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Los Angeles to immediately begin training workers for a landmark contact tracing program that will help contain the ongoing COVID19 pandemic while the state looks to modify the stay at home order. The partnership will include a virtual training academy for contact tracers. The first 20-hour training will begin Wednesday, May 6 with the goal of training 20,000 individuals in two months.
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May 7, 2020
COMMUNITY/ GOVERNMENT/BUSINESS/ADVERTISING
Restaurants in America Hard Hit by COVID-19 Face Uphill Battle to Return to Normal By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor
Late on May 1st it was learned that 1,165 Georgians have died due to the outbreak. In the past 24 hours (as of this writing), the Georgia Department of Public Health has recorded 33 COVID-19 deaths for a total of 26,000 infected. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) “There’s a lot of fear, will tourists come back, will people come out? Are the employees going to want to come back to work? How are we going to convince everybody it’s safe and healthy to eat in a restaurant again?” This is what Melissa Fleischut, president of the New York State Restaurant Association, told a reporter last month. The devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been particularly divesting to the restaurant and service industry. One estimate proclaimed that 40 percent of restaurants in New York are unlikely to reopen after the pandemic is over. But even after it ends, there is fear that business won’t be the same until some months after cities officially reopen. Over 660,000 people employed in restaurants in New York state alone have been furloughed. They are part of the over 30 million people in the U.S. who have likely filed for unemployment since the middle of March. According to reservation app OpenTable, reservations in Seattle were down 31 percent by March 3 right as the coronavirus was reported to have caused a fatality in the city. San Francisco saw a 24 percent decline. Soon after the drop was close to 50 percent. Social distancing rules are a huge challenge to the restaurant industry in a way that is likely to
impact revenue for some time to come. Though Georgia Governor Brian Kemp re-opened much of the state last week, over 120 restaurants in Atlanta are refusing to open their dining rooms until they believe it’s safe. Prominent Georgia chefs have formed the “#GAHospitalityTogether” initiative. The group includes award-winning chefs Ford Fry, Anne Quatrano, Hugh Acheson and Mashama Bailey. Late on May 1st it was learned that 1,165 Georgians have died due to the outbreak. In the past 24 hours (as of this writing), the Georgia Department of Public Health has recorded 33 COVID19 deaths for a total of 26,000 infected. For African American businesses that are cash strapped the challenge is even tougher. A majority of Black-owned businesses have only one employee and many are contractors. Many elected officials and civil rights groups are focused on Black owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist for NNPA and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is also a political strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke
Wells Fargo Awards $10,000 Grant for Workforce Training and Development Program Business News
San Bernardino, CA (May 4,2020): Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy (YVYLA) is pleased to announce receipt of a $10,000 grant from the Wells Fargo 2020 Grants Program. Funds from this grant will be for our Workforce Training and Development Center located inside the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County in San Bernardino CA. As one of the nation's leading logistics hubs, San Bernardino County is experiencing significant job growth as distribution centers and warehouses for such giants as Amazon, FedEx Ground, Toyota Motor Corporation and Lineage Logistics advertise hundreds of jobs each week. Many of these job opportunities are going unfilled due to the lack of trained and experienced workers. Through collaboration with the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC), Board of State and Community Corrections, Wells Fargo and other community
partners YVYLA's Workforce Training and Development Center will help fill the local workforce skills gap by providing hands-on training and experience in supply chain logistics. Participants in the Workforce Training and Development Program will learn the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, costeffective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, production of finished goods and related information from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of meeting customer requirements - also known as Logistics and Operations. To support YVYLA's Workforce Training and Development Program, CAPSBC is providing forklifts, classroom and warehouse space to house the training center. Industry experts will provide on-site instruction at the training center located at the CAPSBC (continued in next 2 columns)
Wells Fargo Awards $10,000 Grant for Workforce Training and Development Program...continued
Without More Help, Black-Owned Businesses Might Not Survive the Pandemic...continued
headquarters. Curriculum will include an in-depth study of global supply chain logistics, the logistics environment, material handling equipment, quality control principles, as well as safe material handling and equipment operation. Students will also participate in pre-employment workshops on work communications, resume writing, interviewing techniques, selfmarketing, leadership and team building, and financial literacy. Terrance Stone, CEO and founder of Young Visionaries
lenders with borrowers in need of working capital. State governments can also authorize one-to-one matches for philanthropic funding to expand the pool of available capital. Second, credit enhancement programs should also be used to support place-based investment, with a priority on housing and infrastructure in low-income areas. For example, officials can increase loan guarantees to support construction of housing for individuals earning from 80 percent to 200 percent of the local average median income, or offer special collateral guarantees for minority-owned businesses with revenues under $5 million to invest in long-term assets. Third, place-based investments should emphasize environmental quality in low-income and minority communities through special support for projects with higher air and water quality
Youth Leadership Academy, states, "It is the purpose of YVYLA's Workforce Training and Development Program to move the unemployed into well-paying jobs by preparing individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to become Certified Logistics Technicians," says Stone. "With the help of our partners and funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation, we can improve the lives of many in San Bernardino County while improving the local economy as well," he adds.
Workers of Color Are Disproportionately at Risk of Serious Complications From the Coronavirus Government News Washington, D.C. — As governors around the country begin to reopen their economies, a new analysis from the Center for American Progress finds that workers of color are more likely than their white counterparts to have serious underlying medical conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19. The analysis finds that at least 28 percent of people of color between the ages of 18 and 64— more than 21 million people in total—have a condition that could put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19; it also shows that women are more likely than men to have at least one of these conditions. Already, such health disparities, which are a product of structural racism rather than individual choices or behavior, have contributed to stark inequities in COVID-19 outcomes. “Much has been written about the risks of returning to work too soon, but little has been written about who, disproportionately, is
assuming those risks,” said Connor Maxwell, senior policy analyst for Race and Ethnicity Policy at the Center for American Progress. “Housing segregation, environmental racism, economic exclusion, and inadequate access to health care contribute to stark racial disparities in serious underlying medical conditions. These disparities put people of color, especially women of color, at a higher risk if they contract COVID-19. Instead of forcing people to choose between putting food on the table and staying safe from this potentially deadly disease, lawmakers should pursue science-based approaches to reopening businesses while working to eliminate health disparities in their communities.” For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Ricardo Rauseo at rrauseo@americanprogress.org. To find the latest CAP resources on the coronavirus, visit our coronavirus resource page.
Without More Help, Black-Owned Businesses Might Not Survive the Pandemic By Eugene Cornelius Jr. (TriceEdneyWire.com) - Black communities in the United States not only represent a disproportionate share of casualties from coronavirus, but they have also been deeply affected by the economic impact of the disease. Longstanding racial discrimination in economic and housing policy has increased their risk for exposure to the virus, as well as the resulting financial crisis. The economic effects of the pandemic on Black communities can be explained by several factors. Almost half of Blackowned businesses are in industries - such as administrative and support services, health care and social assistance and retail that are bearing the brunt of this pandemic. These industries not only pose a health risk because of the interaction between workers and customers, but they are also especially vulnerable to lower consumer demand due to social distancing measures. Over 90 percent of small businesses in majority Black communities hold cash reserves of fewer than 14 days, so they are more likely to run out of operating funds when customers stay at home. And the most recently available Federal Reserve data shows that Black business owners are denied loans at twice the rate of white owners, so they are more likely to have trouble finding capital to survive the pandemic. In the face of large-scale shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 crisis, there is a clear need for policies to support small business. But the spending programs passed by Congress thus far have ignored the challenges of capital access facing Black-owned firms. During the first round of funding provided for small businesses, borrowers seeking Paycheck Protection Program loans were required to work with banks already participating in the US Small Business Administration's (SBA) primary loan program, thereby excluding firms that worked with smaller community banks. Moreover, Congress allocated just $10 million to the Minority Business
Eugene Cornelius Jr. Development Agency. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, these conditions may have prevented 95 percent of Black-owned businesses from receiving loans. The second round of small business funding assistance specifically set aside $60 billion for community banks and credit unions that are traditionally a key source of capital for minorityowned firms. However, the measure did not stipulate that minority-owned businesses would have priority access to those funds. Addressing these short-term lending gaps is crucial to ensuring that Black-owned businesses will stay in business long enough to survive the pandemic. But we must also plan for a long-term recovery that emphasizes inclusion. This will require us to remove historic inequities through targeted support for Black-owned businesses and Black workers. We can begin by taking three key steps: First, federal and state governments should enact robust credit enhancement programs for minority borrowers. These programs provide incentives for banks to lend to businesses in low- and middle-income areas, allowing more firms to remain open and refrain from laying off workers. In states with existing loan programs that provide credit enhancement, treasury officials should make loans more flexible, easier to access and increase loan guarantees. In others, where credit enhancement programs do not yet exist, treasury officials should create loss reserve funds and collateral support mechanisms, as well as a marketplace to pair pre-qualified (continued in next 2 columns)
standards -including the remediation of outdated water infrastructure. Using federal and state loan guarantees to fund these investments will simultaneously support improvements to the health of minority populations and reduce their vulnerability to future health crises. As we look beyond the pandemic, these steps are crucial for ensuring the American dream is within reach of minorities across the country. By addressing fundamental inequities in our economic system, we can begin to pave a new avenue toward a more prosperous future. Eugene Cornelius Jr. is senior director for the Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics. He previously served as a senior official in the U.S. Small Business Administration. This commentary first appeared on CNN.com.
State of California Department of Transportation COMMUTER ALERT May 4, 2020 Full Closure on US Route 395 at State Route 58 (Kramer Junction) SB Community News SAN BERNARDINO – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in partnership with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad, will be closing US Route 395 (US-395) at Kramer Junction for five days to allow BNSF workers to replace concrete panels, rails and re-ballast the tracks crossing US-395 immediately north of the intersection of State Route 58 (SR58). The railroad work is a portion of the completion work for the Kramer Junction project which began in late 2017 to realign Old State Route 58 to the new expressway east and west of “Four Corners” in San Bernardino County. The full closure on US-395 will begin on Sunday, May 17 at 5:00 a.m. and continue through Thursday, May 21st at 5:00 p.m. at Kramer Junction. A 10-mile detour will be in place for traffic on US-395. Northbound US-395 traffic will be diverted from US-395 westward onto Old State Route 58 (Old SR-58) to Twenty Mule Team Road. At the intersection of Twenty Mule Team Road and Old SR-58, westbound motorists will make a left turn onto Twenty Mule Team Road, continue to Boron Road making a right turn to head north to the new section of SR58, then head east on SR-58 back to US-395.
Southbound US-395 traffic will be diverted from US-395 westward onto the new section of SR-58, exit Boron Road and turn left, travel south on Boron Road to Twenty Mule Team Road, then turn left to head east back to US-395. SR-58 will remain open in both directions on the new alignment to bypass the closure. Motorists are advised to use SR-58 west from I-15 as an alternate route to avoid delays (DETOUR MAP ATTACHED). Changeable message signs and detour signage will be in place to alert motorists to use alternate routes to avoid delays. Remember to reduce your speed in the work zone. Be advised, weather conditions may affect this operation. Know before you go! To stay on top of roadwork in the Inland Empire go to Caltrans District 8 and sign up for commuter alerts. Follow us for the latest information on Facebook and Twitter. To assist in planning your commute, view live traffic conditions using QuickMap and planned lane closures. For those with sensory disabilities requiring alternate formats (i.e. Braille, large print, sign language interpreter, etc.) and those needing information in a language other than English, please contact Kimberly Cherry at 909-383-6290 or TTY 711 by May 18, 2020.
The Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Holds Public Teleconference State/Government News The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement announces that a public teleconference of the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (ACBFR) will be held to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on beginning farmers and ranchers. The public conference call will be held on May 19, 2020 at 2:00 4:00 EDT. To listen to the discussion, call toll-free 866-8167252 and use conference ID 6188761. To share written public comments for the committee’s consideration, email ACBeginningFarmersandRanchers@usda.gov. Written comments must be received by May 18, 2020. For more information, see the Federal Register Notice.
Authorized by Congress in 1992, the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers advises the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on ways to develop programs to provide coordinated assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers while maximizing new farming and ranching opportunities. The committee also works to enhance and expand federal-state partnerships to provide financing for beginning farmers and ranchers. Learn more about this advisory committee at the OPPE website. For further information, contact Maria Goldberg, USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, at Maria.goldberg@usda.gov or at 202-720-6350.
The San Bernardino AMERICAN News Staff Samuel Martin Sr.-Founder Clifton Harris/Editor in Chief/Investigative Reporter Mary Martin-Harris/Editor Clifton B. Harris/Audio Engineering Editor Legal /Display Advertising & Sales (909) 889-7677 The San Bernardino American News was established May 8,1969. A legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation on September 30, 1971, case number 153913 by the Superior Court, of San Bernardino County. The San Bernardino AMERICAN News, a division of Don Roberto Group, Inc. is published every Thursday by Mary Martin-Harris and Clifton Harris P.O. Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393, Telephone (909)889-7677, Emails: msbamericannews@gmail.com sbamericannews@gmail.com The San Bernardino AMERICAN News subscription rate is $58.00 per year. The San Bernardino AMERICAN New is committed to serving its readers by presenting news, unbiased and objective, trusting in the mature judgment of the readers and, in so doing strive to achieve a united community. News releases appearing in the San Bernardino AMERICAN News do not necessarily express the policy nor the opinion of the publishers. The San Bernardino AMERICAN News reserves the right to edit or rewrite all news releases.
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May 7, 2020
HEALTH/FITNESS/SENIOR NEWS
COVID Exposes How Blacks are in Danger in Medical Facilities: Why Family Advocates are Needed By Annette M. Alston
My mother prays every day that my father who has been in and out of the hospital over the past few years, won't have to suddenly go into the hospital during this COVID-19 pandemic. We know that when and if he does, he will likely die because my mother, who has always been my father's first responder, won't be able to be with him when he goes in. My mother has saved my father's life on more than one occasion. Once, when my father was told that he could go home from the hospital while he was still bleeding from the rectum. "It's probably diverticulitis acting up. He can go home." My father was ready, but Mom told the doctor he wasn't leaving until he could tell her why he was bleeding and the bleeding had stopped. "I have no way of giving you a transfusion at home if you need it," she told my father. Another time was when he was overdosed in a rehab facility. Fortunately, Mom decided to drop by the nursing home before attending another errand. My father was despondent when she arrived and my mother realized what had happened before the nurse did and demanded that they call the ambulance immediately. He was slipping away.
COVID-19 is shining light on a health care system that has always lacked adequate oversight. The New Jersey Department of Health just released its first wave of selfreported COVID-19 totals. There are more than 18,000 cases throughout the state's long-term care facilities with an 18% fatality rate. Aside from my family's personal experience and startling statistics, historically, Black people collectively, have never had reason to fully trust America's health care system. Statistics prove that Black people are dying from the coronavirus in disproportionate numbers to white people. Seventy percent of those who contract COVID-19 nation-wide and die of it are Black. The US Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading experts on infectious diseases, both tried to explain the disparity was due to a number of factors that Black people have historically died from in disproportionate numbers to white people. "Underlying health issues like heart disease, diabetes, lung disease." Adams goes on to term it as part of the legacy of growing up poor and black in
The JDRF - Beyond Type 1 Alliance Releases Recommendations for People with Diabetes During COVID-19 Pandemic The recommendations are supported by 50 international organizations working together to curb the spread of COVID-19 and protect those most vulnerable. Health/Fitness News
April 28, 2020 – Today, two of the world’s leading diabetes organizations released guidance on high-impact COVID-19 prevention recommendations for people with diabetes. The JDRFBeyond Type 1 Alliance brought together leaders of the global diabetes community to develop recommendations to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus and to keep people safe. The suggested guidelines are endorsed by the American Diabetes Association, Harvard Medical School and The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) and can be found at coronavirusdiabetes.org. Members of the diabetes community are among the most vulnerable to severe complications and death caused by the coronavirus. While not everyone with diabetes — Type 1 or Type 2 — has the same level of risk, the recommendations target broad changes in behavior from everyone in the diabetes community to protect those who are the most at risk. “With the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus adding new challenges, fears and uncertainties, it’s critical to provide people with diabetes and their loved ones with these recommendations from some of the most trusted medical professionals in our field,” CEOs Aaron Kowalski and Thom Scher of the JDRF-Beyond Type 1 Alliance said in a joint statement. “Together, we can tap into the power of the global diabetes community to help curb the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.” Kowalski is President and CEO of JDRF and Scher is President and CEO of Beyond Type 1. An estimated 463 million adults live with diabetes worldwide and to reach this vast community, a global digital campaign has been launched with the help of 50
partner organizations around the world. Sharing partners include the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES), Arogya World, Asociación DiaVida, Asociación Mexicana de Diabetes, the Brazilian Diabetes Society, Canada Pediatric Society, Carb DM, The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Children With Diabetes, The diaTribe Foundation, College Diabetes Network, Connected In Motion, CUI.D.AR Argentina, Diabète Québec, Diabetes Action Canada, Diabetes Canada, Diabetes Education & Camping Association (DECA), Diabetes Hope Foundation, Diabetes Online Community (dedoc), Diabetes Sports Project, Diabetes Youth Families, DiabetesDE, DiabetesSisters, Diabetes Strong, Diabetes India Youth In Action (DIYA), Endocrine Society, Federación de Asociaciones de Diabetes de Canarias, FHADIMAC, Fondazione Italiana Diabete, Fundación Aprendiendo a Vivir con Diabetes (FUVIDA), Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, I Challenge Diabetes, International Diabetes Federation, International Diabetes Federation Europe, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, Life For A Child, Maggiore Hospital, Marjorie’s Fund, Federación Mexicana de Diabetes, A.C., National Association of School Nurses (NASN), National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council (NDVLC), the NCD Alliance, Riding On Insulin (ROI), Samatvan Centre, T1D Exchange, Taking Control Of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), The Human Trial, Tidepool, and We Are Diabetes. The website and campaign materials are now available in Spanish and English, with an ongoing goal of translation into (continued in next 2 columns)
America. Other experts speak to the issue of Blacks having more exposure in forward-facing jobs that are less valued and have less protection. The multitude of factors stems from disparities that are tied to racism. Racism that goes back to the treatment and experimentation of enslaved Blacks to Tuskegee experiments on Black men to see how their bodies reacted to syphilis to eugenics experimentation on Black and poor communities. African-Americans know life or death hang on the issue of advocacy in a system that has never given African-Americans reason to trust it. This documented history, documented racism runs in tandem with generations of family stories and today's statistics. Please excuse Black people if they are a bit paranoid about going into a hospital or nursing home facility by themselves without anyone else in there with them. It's not just about comfort. It's about making sure the rules in this tandem race are followed. It's about accountability -a necessary check and balance. Two nurses I know personally, good nurses that are doing all they can in two hospitals in Northern New Jersey. One of the nurses works out of two hospitals - one in a large urban area and another in a suburb. They both expressed major concerns about the kind of care patients were receiving. Hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of patients they are servicing, the uncertainties of treatments, and the always rising death toll. Both nurses have expressed the need for someone else to be there with loved ones. One of the nurses was seriously concerned about the use of Do Not Resuscitate orders by doctors. She said doctors were concerned about
the escaping air that would put them at risk of contamination. Some nurses and doctors have spoken out and have lost their jobs or have been moved to other locations. Others have remained silent for fear of their jobs. Either this is viewed, it is clear an advocate outside of the system is necessary. Everyone is at risk in the midst of this pandemic, no matter the racial makeup. However, African-Americans know that whatever the risk, theirs is going to be greater because the tandem race has no finish line in sight. The need for safety and the importance of PPE for health care workers can't be overstated. However, it's time to consider loved ones as first responders as well because, in actuality, they are. They are likely the ones who got the patient to the hospital. They can usually answer questions about the patients' health when the patient cannot. They can sit with the patient and care for their immediate needs when the nurses and doctors cannot or cannot right away. My mother did this often for my father and the nurses I saw appeared to appreciate it. These advocates are first responders as well and should be treated as such and the appropriate PPE needs to be given them. Not the whole family - just one member or friend. Just one advocate that will help balance the scales of a system that is too often fraught with injustice. Just one can make all the difference between life or death. And for Black people who are looking for the tandem race finish line, it's the only answer. Annette M. Alston is a historian, award-winning journalist and author of Harriet Tubman for Beginners. She is a retired Newark Public Schools teacher and activist.
The JDRF - Beyond Type 1 Alliance Releases Recommendations for People with Diabetes During COVID-19 Pandemic...continued as many languages as possible. Along with the list of recommendations, coronavirusdiabetes.org includes a variety of other articles, downloadable graphics, videos and links to additional resources provided by JDRF, Beyond Type 1, and other partners. Organizations and companies looking to help in the effort can reach out to coronavirus@beyondtype1.org. The JDRF-Beyond Type 1 Alliance, established in 2019, is an innovative partnership designed to amplify each
organization’s strengths and provide greater support for those impacted by T1D. The Alliance combines the power of JDRF, the leading global organization funding T1D research, and Beyond Type 1, the organization with the largest online community of any diabetes nonprofit. The work of the Alliance centers around three core pillars: community programs, advocacy, and communications + education. Find more information about the Alliance here.https:// www.jdrf.org/beyondtype1/
What Does Hepatitis Do To The Body? Health/Fitness News
Hepatitis C is among the many diseases disproportionately affecting the African American community. The disease, targeting the liver, can turn into a serious health problem over time – resulting in liver damage and liver cancer. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C but there are treatments available. After diagnosis, in the early stages, patients may not have any symptoms, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, about 15 to 25 percent of people living with the hepatitis C virus will only develop an acute version of the disease. Meaning, the virus is cleared from the body without causing any liver damage. Others, though, could eventually experience severe symptoms one to three months after exposure. Joint pain is one early symptom, including inflammation and pain in the joints and muscles. This can be a sign that the immune system is working to fight off the virus. Other early symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive issues. Some
people may also experience jaundice – a yellowing of the skin and eyes. This is a result of bilirubin, a greenish pigment found in the bile, not being removed properly from the body. These symptoms can escalate to more chronic problems. A large number of people eventually develop chronic hepatitis C. Over the years, the liver will suffer severe damage and the gallbladder can become inflamed, resulting in pain and gallstones. One solution is to have the gallbladder removed. People living with hepatitis C also are at risk for type-2 diabetes. The liver slowly resists insulin and produces too much glucose. The body has difficulty absorbing the blood sugar and builds up in the bloodstream, resulting in type-2 diabetes.Another condition linked to hepatitis C is hypothyroidism, which means an underactive thyroid. This can cause fatigue and weight gain. Or, the thyroid can become overactive, meaning hyperthyroidism, which causes weight loss and weakness. The brain becomes affected by hepatitis C. About 50 percent of people living with hepatitis C report “brain fog” symptoms. It’s possible that anyone living with hepatitis C could also experience dry mouth, itchy skin, bruising and bleeding, non-Hodgkin’s (continued in last 2 columns)
What Does Hepatitis Do To The Body?...continued lymphoma and cryoglobulinemia, a condition that causes skin, joint and kidney inflammation. As hepatitis C progresses, it can lead to long-term liver damage. Cirrhosis of the liver happens when the liver is scarred and loses its functionality. Between 5 and 20 percent of people living with hepatitis C
develop cirrhosis over a 20 to 30year period. Liver cancer is another longterm effect. Between 1 and 5 percent of people with hepatitis C develop liver cancer. There’s also a risk of liver failure, which is when the liver completely stops working. A liver transplant is the only treatment.
After Seeing Michael Jordan’s Eyes, Some Fans Are Concerned About His Health Health News
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images The Last Dance is the latest in ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series, which goes deep into some of the most important moments in sports. In this particular documentary miniseries, ESPN follows the Chicago Bulls during their 19971998 season–the last season that the GOAT, Michael Jordan, played with the Bulls and the last time they won a championship. The series features neverbefore-seen footage from that season and new in-depth interviews with Michael and a number of old teammates, players, coaches, and more. Besides being a riveting documentary about things you never knew were going on behind the scenes of an all-star team, many fans are commenting on how Michael Jordan looks now. During the series, the camera cuts back and forth to presentday Jordan with one-on-one interviews. Besides the language, some fans can’t get over how yellow Jordan’s eyes look now. The white of Jordan’s eyes, called the “sclera”, have turned yellow for the most part. They are clearly visible and the majority of his eyes are visibly yellowish leaving many to be concerned about the champion’s health. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, in the eyes of a normal patient, the sclera is white in color and the palpebral conjunctiva (the thin, clear tissue that covers the eye and lines the inside of your eyelid) appears pink. When a patient walks inside the Emergency Room and presents yellow eyes and nail beds, it may be automatically associated with liver or blood problems. But this is not always the case for folks that have a lot of melanin (aka “Black people”). The color of the sclera of Africans may range from yellow to muddy brown. This is normal and a benign condition commonly seen in our race and is often mistaken as jaundice. Many mid- to dark-skinned races like Filipinos and AfricanAmericans and some others, have large deposits of subconjunctival fat. This contains high levels of carotene that gives it a yellowish tint that often mimics jaundice. The fatty deposits grow to be denser as the distance from the cornea increases. Besides alcoholism, there is also a long list ofconditions wherein jaundiced sclera can be found like: Subconjunctival Hemorrhage When the blood vessels around the conjunctiva break, blood leaks out and settles between the conjunctiva and the sclera. If the leak is small, a part of your eye may look a bit discolored, sometimes yellow or a little red. A subconjunctival hemorrhage often appears as a bright red pool of blood in your eye. The condition usually causes no pain or vision changes, but occasionally causes minor itching of the eye. A scratchy sensation may sometimes be felt upon blinking. A subconjunctival hemorrhage, or eye bleed, can be caused by the following: Trauma Hard coughing
Hard sneezing Vomiting Heavy lifting Forceful hand rubbing of the eye Constipation Various eye infections Hyperbilirubinemia Hyperbilirubinemia refers to increased levels of bilirubin. Bilirubin is produced when the liver breaks down old red blood cells. Bilirubin is then removed from the body through the stool (feces) and gives stool its normal brown color. When an abnormally high number of red blood cells is broken down, bilirubin can build up quickly in the body. Liver disease can also cause bilirubin levels to be abnormally high. Too much bilirubin is one cause of jaundice. Leptospirosis Leptospirosis is an infection caused by a bacteria called Leptospira genus. People with this infection often developsignificant yellowing of the eyes. This infection shows up more in warmer climates and places where a person has exposure to water that has been contaminated by animal urine. So what does this all mean? Even though people on social media are speculating about Jordan’s eyes, this doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Jordan has never come out publicly about any health issues, but he has been very vocal with his words and his money in helping others. Just last year, Jordan opened the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic in his home state of North Carolina. An emotional Jordan unveiled the first of two medical clinics he and his family funded in Charlotte, N.C., that provides care to underprivileged members of the community. The NBA Hall-of-Famer and Hornets owner was on hand for the grand opening of the $7 million Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic. Associated Press’ Steve Reed reported that Jordan teared up when talking about the new $7 million family medical clinic project and said “this is just the beginning.” “This is a very emotional thing for me to be able to give back to a community that has supported me over the years,” he continued. The clinic, located in a lowerincome section of the city, provides vital access to primary and preventive care to individuals in the community, including those who are uninsured or underinsured. The 6,800-square-foot facility is equipped with 12 exam rooms, an X-ray room and a physical therapy space. In addition to that,a full-time social worker is on staff to provide social support services to patients. Citizens will have access to social works, oral health practitioners, physical therapists and behavioral health experts in addition to primary health care services at the new clinic. Numbers are well on their way of surpassing the projections that the clinics will provide care to at least 35,000 adults and children over the next five years.
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May 7, 2020
LEGALS/CLASSIFIEDS/NEWS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 20200003799 Date Filed: 04/03/2020 Filing Expires On: 04/03/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME (as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.): COUNT IT ALL JOI County of Principal Place of Business: SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY Street Address of Principal Place of Business: 1505 N. MIRAMONTE AVE. ONTARIO, CA 91764-1830 Mailing Address: 7643 WELLINGTON PLACE RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA 91730 Name of Individual Registrant: JOI NICHOLS Name of corporation or limited liability company as shown in the Articles of Inc./Org./Reg.: State of Inc./Org./Reg.: Inc./Org./Reg. No.: Residence Street Address: 1505 N. MIRAMONTE AVE. ONTARIO, CA 91764 This business is/was conducted by: An Individual Registrant has commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 01/01/2020 Joi Nichols, Owner, declares that all information in this statement is true and correct. NOTICE - IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920. WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORT IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET. SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.) Published in the San Bernardino American Newspaper April 16, 23, 30, May 7, 2020.
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NOTICE INVITING BIDS
National News NOTICE INVITING BIDS
PROJECT No. 804 0014 SUNNYMEAD - FLAMING ARROW DRIVE STORM DRAIN (SUNNYMEAD MDP LINE M-11 EXTENSION) IN THE CITY OF MORENO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA Bids shall be received electronically only on the City of Moreno Valley Vendor Portal through PlanetBids. Bid deadline is prior to 5:00 p.m., June 4, 2020. The link to register to become a prospective bidder and electronically bid on this project can be found at the following address: http://www.planetbids.com/ portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=24660. Contract Documents (including Project Standard Specifications, Special Provisions, and Project Plans) may be obtained by downloading electronically from the City of Moreno Valley Vendor Portal through the PlanetBids link listed above. The Contract Documents must be purchased online. Cost per set is $75.00. All fees listed are nonrefundable. The Contract Documents cannot be purchased or mailed from City Hall. For additional information regarding the Contract Documents, please call the Department of Public Works, Capital Projects Division at 951.413.3130. All Requests for Information (RFI’s) must be submitted via the City of Moreno Valley Vendor Portal through PlanetBids. The RFI deadline is prior to 5:00 p.m., May 28, 2020. Any RFI received after the date and time specified herein will not be considered. Description of project/location: This linear storm drain project alignment extends from the east terminus of Saint Christopher Lane east of Perris Boulevard to the south across four private parcels within acquired storm drain easements to Sweet Grass Drive, east from the west terminus of Sweet Grass Drive to Flaming Arrow Drive within the center of the Sweet Grass Drive roadway, and south from the Flaming Arrow Drive / Sweet Grass Drive intersection within Flaming Arrow Drive to just north of Bay Avenue, in the City of Moreno Valley, California. This project involves the construction of an approximately 1,200-foot long, 24-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) storm drain that will flow from the eastern terminus of Saint Christopher Lane south along the alignment described above where it will connect with the existing 42-inch RCP Sunnymead Master Drainage Plan (MDP) Line M11 within Flaming Arrow Drive, just north of Bay Avenue. A 48-inch corrugated metal pipe (CMP) riser with openings and a grate will be constructed at the upstream terminus of the proposed RCP storm drain The project includes various utility relocations, including electrical, cable, telephone, sewer, and water. An 8” water main near the intersection of Sweet Grass Drive and Flaming Arrow Drive will be relocated. All work must be completed within the Contract Time of One Hundred Twenty (120) Working Days for the Base Bid plus Additive Alternative Bid No. 1 from the date of authorization specified in the Notice to Proceed to Fulfill Preconstruction Requirements, except as adjusted by subsequent Contract Change Orders.
Dated: May 5, 2020
Email: msbamericannews@gmail.com
Native people severely undercounted in COVID-19 cases
Published in The San Bernardino American Newspaper May 7, 2020.
Urban Indian Health Institute releases best practices to address problem Seattle, WA—Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) today released best practices for methods to collect, analyze, and present public health data on American Indian and Alaska Native populations. The recommendations come amid growing acknowledgment that Native peoples with COVID-19 are being severely undercounted. “We have already missed the opportunity to get an accurate count of COVID-19 cases in our Native communities during this current wave of the pandemic,” said Abigail Echo-Hawk, Director of UIHI. “We are releasing this today in the hopes that we can get a fuller picture of this virus, and other health data, moving forward.” The problems with data collection have led to the invisibility of health conditions in the Native populations. “Native peoples are a small population because of genocide and colonization,” said Echo-Hawk. “The elimination of our people from public health data is a further erasure of our experience.” The best practices include recommendations for policymakers, public health officials, medical examiners, coroners, and funeral homes. One best practice is a policy that requires the collection of race and ethnicity data, as well as enforcement mechanisms for agencies that do not comply with this mandate. UIHI also says that, where racial information is collected, American Indian/Alaska Native should be included as a stand-alone category to eliminate the confusion associated with an “other” category of race in data collection. UIHI says current standard data collection are omitting or misclassifying American Indian and Alaska Native populations, both urban and rural. “We cannot have a complete picture of the impacts on Native people without accurate and complete data,” said Echo-Hawk. “Jurisdictions must act immediately to address these inequities. In the middle of a global pandemic, we have no time to waste.” Link to UIHI’s Best Practices for American Indian and Alaska Native Data Collection.
STIMULUS PAYMENT INFORMATION FOR GENERAL RELIEF CUSTOMERS LA County News
Attention General Relief (GR) customers! Please complete the online IRS Non-Filer tool at www.irs.gov/ nonfilereip to receive your federal Economic Impact Payment without any negative impact on your GR or CalFresh benefits. Just a reminder that Stimulus payments will not count against property limits for GR eligibility purposes. If you are experiencing homelessness and do not have a permanent mailing address, you can use a DPSS district office location as your mailing address by calling the Customer Service Center at 1-866-613-3777.
California could protect stimulus checks from debt collectors. Will Newsom act? By Jackie Botts, CalMatters Californians have begun to see money appear in their bank accounts: $1,200 for single people and an extra $500 for each kid. But for Californians with consumer debt, that money could just as quickly vanish. The payments, part of the $2.2 trillion national coronavirus response package or CARES Act prohibits federal and state governments from intercepting the payments, except to collect child support debt. But the bill is notably silent on private debt collectors and banks, leaving people vulnerable to garnishments. Consumer advocates say this defeats the purpose of cash relief meant to help the most financially unstable stay afloat. And while other states have stepped in to protect the stimulus checks from debt collectors, California has not. “That’s not why they’re being issued, to settle old debt,” said Ted Mermin who leads the California Low-Income Consumer Coalition. “They’re being issued to put food on the table and keep the lights on.” Consumer advocates want Gov. Gavin Newsom to put an immediate halt to most debt collection and new debt collection lawsuits. An executive order would protect the stimulus payments and “preserve the economic lives of millions of California residents,” theywrote. Debt collectors say they won’t stand in the way. Cindy Yaklin, vice president of the California Association of Collectors, says her group is only opposed to a moratorium on all collection activities, which would stymie the industry. The governor’s office did not respond to multiple questions about whether creditors should be allowed to take stimulus checks. In response to requests for comment, the governor’s office referred CalMatters to an executiveordersigned Thursday allowing stimulus checks for anyone late on child support payments to be sent to the custodial parent first before the government can apply the money to old child support debt. Still, other elected officials are pushing for action.Attorneys general in 25 states, including California, and14 U.S. senatorsled by California Sen. Kamala Harris sent letters urging the U.S. Treasury to designate the relief payments as exempt from garnishment. “These emergency funds are meant to help our families and communities, not to line the pockets of debt collectors,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in an email to CalMatters. Hundreds of thousands potentially at risk About one in four Californians have some debt in collections, according to anUrban Institute analysisof records from a major, unnamed credit bureau. Banks are first in line to take the stimulus payment from people withnegative balances in their account, though many major banks have vowed not to. Next are private debt collectors who have won a debt collection lawsuit in court. With a court judgment, they can ask the county sheriff’s department to file a lien on a person’s house, garnish their wages or order a bank to freeze all non-exempt funds in a person’s bank account on a certain day. Knowing that the stimulus checks have started to arrive, debt collectors may opt to levy bank accounts over the coming weeks, said Sharon Djemal, director of the Consumer Justice Practice at the East Bay Community Law Center. Each year, approximately 110,000 bank levies are served in California, according to the centers estimate based on 2014-2016 county data. The state could step in Already several other states have shielded the stimulus checks fromdebt collection. Last Monday, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey issuedguidancesaying that the payments “are exempt from seizure of garnishment by creditors under Massachusetts law” that bars debt collectors from collecting public benefits. Attorneys general inOhioandNew Yorkdid the same. While California does not have a similar law that could be applied to the stimulus payments, Mermin said that Becerra could threaten collectors on the grounds that seizing the payments is unfair or a violation of due process, as aWest Virginia courtruled recently. (continued in last 2 columns)
California could protect stimulus checks from debt collectors. Will Newsom act?...continued California’s Judicial Council could also exercise theiremergency powers to ban the practice, Mermin said. A spokesperson said the Judicial Council and California’s Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye could not comment on the matter. Newsom could follow the lead of the governors inIllinoisandWashington, who temporarily suspended state laws allowing sheriffs to issue wage levy and bank garnishment last week. At the very least, the governor could “issue an executive order defining the stimulus payment as an exempt government benefit” that cannot be levied, Mermin said. A new state law,SB 616, protects the first $1,724 dollars in bank accounts from being garnished. It would shield at least some of the stimulus check from being scooped up by debt collectors —but won’t go into effect until Sept. 1. Theoretically,the Legislature could pass emergency legislation to move up that timeline. But that requires a two-thirds vote and the legislative session is largely on pause due to the pandemic. What to do if this happens to you? Djemal urged anyone who notices that money in their bank account has been frozen after receiving their stimulus check to immediately seek help. Account holders can file an exemption and argue the money is necessary for basic expenses. Under a section of SB 616 that is already in effect, the money will be released back to the consumer if the debt collector doesn’t contest that claim. Or try to stay one step ahead. “We encourage anyone that does owe consumer debt, as soon as that money hits your bank account, please take it out,” said Jessica Bartholow, policy advocate at the Western Center on Law and Poverty. Jackie Botts is a reporter with CalMatters. This article is part ofThe California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequity and economic survival in California.
Disasters have shut down California colleges in the past: Here’s how they fared...continued from page 2 particular geographic area. But like those localized disasters, the pandemic is projected to leave colleges strapped for cash, with demand for all kinds of services skyrocketing as endowment earnings plummet and state budgets are likely to be cut. Perhaps the closest recent parallel to the pandemic is Hurricane Katrina, which affected more than 50,000 college students, damaging and closing campuses in the southeastern U.S. during the fall semester of 2005. Seventy-four percent of New Orleans college students reported that their academic performance had declined, and 36 percent withdrew from classes. Enrollment at some community colleges fell to less than half of pre-Katrina levels. Students who had to move frequently or work full-time to support themselves and their families were less likely to come back to school. The hurricane cost New Orleans colleges and universities an estimated $1.5 billion in building repairs, lost tuition and payroll expenses. University officials often think of bouncing back from a disaster like the Camp Fire in terms of weeks or months, said Megan Kurtz, a community liaison at Chico State. In reality, she said, “this is a 15- or 20-year recovery.” A year and a half after the fire, oak trees and grass have again turned the hill behind Butte College’s main campus, once barren and sooty, a healthy green. But even as more students’ living situations have stabilized, some say they are just now beginning to cope with trauma they had previously bottled up. Communication studies major Mackenzie Bryan lost her home in the fire, bouncing from hotel to hotel for four months. Today she lives with her family in a condo and is getting ready to transfer to a four-year college. “I can talk about [the fire] openly,” Bryan said, “but I haven’t fully processed it yet. Now it’s more dealing with it psychologically than physically.” The college has filled a previously empty position for a fulltime mental health counselor, and plans to hire a second one soon. While many campus health centers focus on short-term counseling, limiting students to a handful of visits, Butte is experimenting with a special 12-week program designed to address posttraumatic stress disorder . It’s not the only campus to ramp up its mental health services in the wake of a disruption. At Sonoma State, demand for counseling grew by more than 50 percent in fall 2017, the semester the Tubbs Fire closed the campus for a week; the university called in therapists from other Cal State campuses to help. Even though enrollment has declined at Butte, demand for basic needs services continues to
grow, something that is also likely to happen in the wake of the pandemic. About 250 students visited the campus basic needs resource center each week before the fire; by the beginning of 2020, more than 1,000 were doing so, and the campus had added a basic needs satellite location. Catherine Osby, a single mother of two studying art and psychology, said she was stopping by the satellite pantry — which offered fresh vegetables, snacks and a place to study — two to three times a week early this semester. “It helps a lot to know this is here, in case me and my kids are running out of food stamps,” she said. Outside help — in this case, donations of food and supplies that used to come in by the truckload — eventually trails off, however. “Now that people are just getting back on their feet, there’s nothing to help them,” Collett said. “It’s heartbreaking and it’s scary.” Many of the same circumstances that disrupt students’ lives during a disaster affect faculty and staff, too. With the Camp Fire raging, Butte College president Yaqub put employees, including hourly workers, on paid leave. “One of the things that we learned is to find a way to help faculty and staff employees immediately, and a very tangible way to do that is to make sure that they continue to get paid,” Yaqub said. Other colleges navigating emergencies have taken similar steps. After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Houston Community College created a new class of leave that faculty and staff could use for errands such as meeting with flood insurance adjusters. Most recently, the University of California has given workers, including students, affected by coronavirus closures several additional weeks of paid leave. Campuses have also provided support to their wider communities. During and after the California wildfires and Hurricane Harvey, colleges organized food pantries and clothing drives. Butte College staff helped students’ relatives and other community members fill out applications for Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, assistance. At Santa Rosa Junior College, students in the culinary program prepared meals for local residents and first responders. Houston Community College distributed 150,000 pounds of food to the community when Harvey hit, used one of its warehouses to shelter about 500 refugees and has since inventoried its buildings to see which could be used as distribution centers for food and supplies in future disasters, college administrators (continued on page 7)
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May 7, 2020
ENTERTAINMENT/RELIGION/LOCAL/NATIONAL NEWS
Katherine Jackson At 90: Music. Motherhood & Legacy Entertainment News
(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) Born Kattie B. Screws, Katherine Jackson gave birth to more than one superstar. The incredibly humble great-greatgrandmother gave birth and raised 10 kids, Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, LaToya, Marlon, Brandon (Marlon’s twin who died shortly after birth), Michael, Randy and Janet. Now 90, Katherine became more famous after her son Michael’s death than she had ever been. She received roughly half her son’s estate in his will and acted as guardian to his three young children immediately after his death, a role her nephew T.J. Jackson has shared in recent years. In 1984. Michael dedicated his legendary 1982 album Thriller to her. Janet Jackson did the same following the release of her 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814. In
1985, acknowledging what was then a positive impact on her children’s successful music careers, national urban magazine Essence honored her as “Mother of the Year”. “My mother nourished me with the most extravagant love imaginable, my father, my incredible father, drove me to be the best that I can,” Janet said. “My siblings set an incredibly high standard for artistic excellence that we got from our parents…” So what’s the story behind this incredible, Black woman? What made her the woman and matriarch she is today? As a child, Jackson wanted to become an actress or country singer, but that dream was never realized. But with music still in her heart, Jackson joined the local high school band. In 1947,
With COVID-19 Shining a Light on African-American Medical Care, Vision Films is Proud to Present 'The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital' Available on DVD and VOD on May 12, 2020 Lifestyle News
of treatment. Homer G. Phillips Hospital was of utmost importance from its opening in 1937 to its dramatic closure in 1979, which incited riots in its neighborhood of “The Ville.” Synopsis
LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2020 (Newswire.com) - COVID-19 has hit the United States harder than any other health crisis ever before, and it has become impossible to ignore the fact that the African-American community has been particularly vulnerable. The disparity between the medical treatment that this community receives, as opposed to others, has never been more evident than it has been during this time and is a major cause for concern. Vision Films, in association with Flatcat-Productions, LLC, and Tunnel Vizion Films, Inc., is proud to present The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital, the ground-breaking documentary that captures the long, important battle that African-Americans have fought to receive quality medical treatment and training. This timely film not only tells the astonishing history of the first allblack hospital in St. Louis but also recognizes and celebrates the achievements of the brave healthcare workers who were among the first black physicians and nurses to be medically trained in the United States. Directed by Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford, The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital explores the role the hospital played in being one of the first institutions in the country to treat African-Americans in a safe, hygienic and sterile environment. The opening of the hospital meant that African-Americans in the community were no longer without medical care or resorting to illegal and dangerous methods
Boasting the largest number of black doctors and nurses in the world, Homer G.Phillips Hospital opened its doors in 1937 during a time in history when America still had segregated medical facilities. Through first-hand accounts, witness the controversial history of the hospital’s medical training and how it continues to affect the lives of its practitioners, patients, and community. While its founder attorney Homer G. Phillips was mysteriously killed, the hospital in his name thrived during the most turbulent of segregated times, allowing so many people of color to achieve greatness for the benefit of humankind. The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital will be available on May 12, 2020, on digital for an SRP of $4.99 $9.99 from platforms including iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, Xbox, Amazon, and FandangoNow, as well as cable affiliates everywhere and to buy on DVD for $12.99 online at all major retailers. Trailer: https://youtu.be/ tAf8hzVJRlM Website: https:// www.thecolorofmedicine.com/ For more information, or to request an interview or screener for review: Nicole Price For Vision Films nicole@EPECmediagroup.com +1-424--335-4734 For the official press release, please click here.https:// www.newswire.com/news/withcovid-19-shining-a-light-onafrican-american-medical-carevision-21135986
Katherine met Joseph Jackson, who was also living in East Chicago at the time. Joseph obtained an annulment of an earlier marriage and began dating Katherine. After a year-long courtship, they married on November 5, 1949. “I just had a feeling that he would be my husband,” she said of her late husband. “The first time I saw him, I fell in love with him — he doesn’t know this…really, he was so nice…” In January 1950, Joe and Katherine moved into a twobedroom house at 2300 Jackson St. in Gary. During the couple’s early years in Gary, they sang together, with Joe playing guitar at home while Joe worked in a steel mill in Gary. It was from 1950 until 1966 that Jackson gave birth to 10 children, including twins Marlon and Brandon, with Brandon who died a few hours after birth. Early on, Jackson began designing the group’s costumes, was a part of The Jacksons’ management team and was the backbone of the family while trying to keep everyone together. “When you have learned God’s secret of trusting, you will see that…… a life yielded up to His working is one of rest and power,” explains Jackson. “People don’t want to know the truth. Don’t go to war no more. Steady peace because peace is all we need.” When Michael died, the whole world felt the loss, but not quite the loss a mother feels when you lose your child. “He felt that people wanted him gone, wanted him dead. He would always say that,” Katherine told
Dateline in 2010, speaking about her son’s final days in a rare interview. “And, for him to say that, he must have known something. It’s just some of the mean, evil, vicious people didn’t want him around for some reason. They’re greedy. That’s what it is. Don’t take that out. They are greedy.” “Beyond our hardships, our family loved Michael dearly,” confessed Katherine. “And each of us shares a special bond with him. Through our memories, we will always cherish Michael.” In 1990, Jackson released her autobiography My Family, The Jacksons, which documented her early years and her relationship with her husband and their children, eight of whom wrote salutes to their mother in the book’s foreword. She detailed that her husband on more than a few occasions had committed adultery. She decided to file for divorce on March 9, 1973 at the Los Angeles County clerk, but chose to rescind the divorce papers. The following year, Joh’Vonnie Jackson, Joe’s daughter with another woman named Cheryl Terrell, was born on August 30, 1974. This led Joe and Cheryl to a 25-year affair while raising their daughter Joh’Vonnie. Jackson attempted once again to divorce her husband in or around 1982, but again was persuaded to drop the action. As a result, Katherine and Joe remained officially married, but separated until his death in 2018. As she continues on in life, she continues to live a modest life at home and manage the estate of Michael Jackson.
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TO SUSCRIBE CALL US TODAY @ 909-889-7677 Email: msbamericannews@gmail.com Website: SB-American.com “The Day of Grace is Coming to its End Repent and Live, Says the Lord This is the Final Call!” By: Lou Yeboah
Lou Yeboah
“Seventy sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place,” before judgment come to the earth like never before. [Daniel 9:24-27]. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. “For I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.” [Genesis 6:13; 17]. But, “for my own name’s sake, I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise, I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely. [Isaiah 48:9]. Repent and return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing, for this is the Final Call. [Joel 2:12-13]. “This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: Vision of Locusts- He was preparing a swarm of locusts..., I cried out, Sovereign Lord, forgive, How can [insert your name]
stand? [He\she] is so small.” So the Lord relented. This will not happen," the Lord said. “Then the Sovereign Lord showed me: Vision of FireThe Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, I beg you stop! How can [insert your name] stand? [He/she] is so small.” So the Lord relented. "This will not happen either," the Sovereign Lord said. “Then, He showed me: Vision of the Plumb LineThe Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb-line in His hand. And the Lord asked me, "What do you see...? "A plumb-line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumbline among my people...; I will spare them no longer... [Amos 7: 1-9]. The passage message. God bears long, but he will not bear always with a provoking people. If God’s word and his warnings are not heeded, then God will judge and punish without any reprieve. You see, ever since the Great Flood in [Genesis 7], God has given mankind invitation after invitation to escape the Final Judgment. First it was through the Old Testament prophets—but the world didn’t listen. Next it was through the words of Jesus Christ—but the world (continued in next 2 columns)
“The Day of Grace is Coming to its End Repent and Live, Says the Lord This is the Final Call!”...continued still didn’t listen. Finally, it was through the Apostle John’s vision in Revelation. The question is: Are you listening? God’s grace is for a limited time, not forever. God always gives Grace for a period as he did in the days of Noah. In that day he gave a period of 120 years for people to repent their ways. After that Grace period ended, God visited his judgment upon the people of the earth through the flood during which everything perished except Noah and his family of eight persons. Where was God’s Grace when the floods came and all the people died? God’s grace had ended. “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” [Genesis 6:3]. In Judah, God sent Jeremiah to preach for about 30 years to the people of Israel to repent until the Babylonian captivity. When Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem in 598 BC hundreds of thousands of people of God’s chosen nation were destroyed and the rest that were not killed was taken faraway into captivity in Babylon. Where
was the Grace of God during the time? It had expired. In 70 AD almost 30 years after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Jewish nation still refused to accept that Jesus was truly the Son of God after the preaching of His disciples. In 70 AD Rome attacked Jerusalem and destroyed the City and Temple the second time and killed over 1 million of God’s chosen people. Where was the Grace of God at the time?? It had expired. If God didn’t spare His own people from His wrath due to their unbelief, unrepentant heart and turning back to Him, what will happen to us when the Grace period expires? Jesus Christ himself declared, there is coming a time of trouble such as there has never been since there was a nation on earth according to Matthew 24. God’s grace will soon expire. [Revelation 14]. Let us learn a lesson from the fig tree. “...And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hearth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” [Revelation 22:13-17].
Witness for Justice #993
Advocate in Place Michael Neuroth Policy Advocate for International Issues This week, the world passed a grim threshold. Over 3 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide, and 1/3 of those reported are here in the U.S. The past few months have brought much grief and anxiety. Most of us know people whose lives or livelihoods have been deeply impacted, and many have ourselves been sick or have lost loved ones to the virus or have lost income. The collective grief weighing on us is heavy. Our lives, our work, our world is forever changed. Some see a “silver lining” in this crisis. I am not one of them. What I perceive is a gray, ugly cloud devastating our communities, exacerbating inequalities, and exposing the failure of our policies to prepare for this and other threats to the common good. While I don’t assume a silver lining to the pandemic, I pray we can all still find hope and inspiration. We can draw from the example of people persisting in the face of this storm. Certainly frontline doctors, nurses, and direct service providers are foremost examples of courage. I am inspired also to see how teachers, social workers, and food service providers are shifting their work and services online in creative ways. The ministry of the Church has changed too. Pastors have found ways to lead worship and offer pastoral care using new tools and methods. Funerals, weddings, and ordinations continue to take place. Even “coffee hour” has moved into online chat rooms to build connection and community. New resources and webinars in support of local church ministry are available on ucc.org, thanks to collaborative efforts of UCC staff across the denomination. The prophetic ministry of the church, too, has adapted and is changing due to COVID-19.
The UCC’s Justice and Peace Action Network (or “JPANet,” our e-advocacy platform) has grown significantly in the past several weeks as record numbers of advocates have sent messages to Congress on issues related to the Coronavirus. Hundreds of letters have been written in support of vulnerable populations in the COVID-19 stimulus bills, in support of the World Health Organization (WHO), to demand a fair census count, to condemn racism against Asian-Americans, and to demand the lifting of sanctions against Iran and Venezuela – just to name a few issues. National gatherings and advocacy trainings like Ecumenical Advocacy Days have been moved online to raise issues with congressional offices. Each week, webinars, videos, sign-on letters, and online resources are being released by the UCC and partner organizations on a myriad of justice issues related to COVID19. Public witness has continued in the form of car and bike “marches,” highlighting “people power” amidst social distancing. I may not be one to point to the “silver lining” in moments like this, but I do notice a light at the end of the tunnel. That light is not based on the belief that this crisis will end, although I know it will. The light piercing into this tunnel is the ray of hope emerging from the work and witness of those “advocating in place” in this time – the illumination that comes as structural inequality is revealed and called out, and as impacted communities are highlighted and given voice. Let us watch for and be the rays of hope for each other. Let us create and share creative ways to “advocate in place” together. Let us keep working for the “Just World for All” that we want to emerge when this crisis ends.
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May 7, 2020
LIFESTYLE NEWS/ADVERTISING
Newsom’s promise to immediately feed seniors hasn’t yet delivered By Jackie Botts, CalMatters
Food bank volunteer Emogene Thomas, 68, arranges cans on a table at Teamsters 315 Hall in Martinez on March 19, 2020. The food bank serves seniors but had about half regular the number of visitors due to coronavirus concerns. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters Last week Gov. Newsom announced that eligible seniors throughout California could immediately get three free restaurant meals per day delivered to their door.Yet a week later, not a single meal has been delivered, and tens of thousands of Californians who have tried to sign up have been left disappointed, confused and maybe even hungry.During his press conference last Friday, Newsom said counties and cities were ready, but in reality, most were caught off-guard: Most didn’t know that such a program was under consideration. Now they are scrambling to identify restaurants and eligible seniors before federal funding runs out on May 10.It’s the latest example of how Newsom has announced an ambitious coronavirus response plan before details were hammered out and, in this case, even before the agencies recruited to carry it out were notified.Under thegovernor’s plan, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse 75% of the cost of the meals, which would cost up to $66 per person for three meals per day. The state will cover another 18.75%. That leaves about six cents out of every dollar to be paid by cities and counties.Of California’s 5.7 million seniors, about 2.4 million might qualify for the program, according toUCLA’s California Health Interview Survey. If half of them enrolled, the total federal, state and local costs could reach more than two billion dollars per month.To be eligible for the free meals, seniors 65 and older have to meet certain income qualifications, and people between 60 and 65 also qualify if they are at high risk or provide proof they were exposed.Cities contacted by CalMatters, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, declined to say when they will be able to start the deliveries to seniors.Cashstrapped cities and counties In cash-strapped cities and counties, officials said they are reluctant to sign up without knowing how soon they’ll be reimbursed and whether funding will last past May 10.Mariposa County Human Services
Department Director Chevon Kothari learned about the program for the first time while watching Newsom’s press conference a week ago. Now her county, on track to burn through 70% of budget reserves by July with hotel and sales tax revenue from Yosemite Valley ground to a halt, is leaning against offering the meals to seniors. At least two other rural counties are in the same situation, Kothari said.“This may be a really good thing for communities who can afford to front the costs and risk notgetting that reimbursement, but for communities who don’t have the wiggle room to part with those funds, it could be too much risk,” said Kothari. She added that her agency is meeting the food needs of seniors in other ways.If a city or county has, for instance, 10,000 seniors participating, the local government’s portion of the cost of the meals would exceed $1.2 million per month.Los Angeles County has about 712,000 seniors who may be eligible for the free meals. So it’s portion could be $88 million per month. For the state and federal government, that cost could reach $1.3 billion per month.Some representatives of cities and counties across the state, who learned about the program at the same time as their residents, expressed frustration that Newsomsaddled local governments with immediately delivering on his big promises to hungry seniors, but provided little guidance.But they were hesitant to publicly criticize the governor in light of their cries for help from the state to address looming budget deficits driven by the epidemic that have already led to employee furloughs.One representative from a statewide association of local agencies called this Newsom’s “modus operandi” during the coronavirus pandemic.“There’s these great ideas about starting different initiatives whether it be this program or others, and it seems like the governor always announced it before it probably should be talked about or before the details are worked out,” said the representative, who asked not to be identified because the
organization wanted to stay in the administration’s good graces. ‘Absolutely a good thing’However, state and county leaders commended Newsom for paying attention to the need for food assistance among vulnerable seniors who fall through the cracks of other programs.“It’s absolutely a good thing,” said Frank Mecca, executive director of the County Welfare Directors Association. “We expect to engage post haste with the administration about the specifics for launching.”During his Facebook Live announcement, Newsom said “this program goes into effect immediately,” and he urged seniors to call 211 to sign up.And they took him up on it. Operators at Interface Children and Family Services, which fields 211 calls from 40 counties that cover almost half of Californians, said more than 7,000 people called right after Newsom’s announcement —a spike from the weekly average of 10,000 calls.“We were telling them we didn’t have further information,” said Kelly Brown, director of the call center. “That’s what we’re continuing to do now.”Brown said that only Monterey and Sonoma counties have a sign-up process in place.A win-win-win, Newsom saysHere’s how the meal program is supposed to work:Local governments pay restaurants up to $66 to cook and deliver three nutritious meals per day to seniors 65 years and older who can’t currently prepare or obtain meals. People between the ages of 60 and 65 also qualify if they are considered high risk because of health conditions or have beenexposed to the virus.They also must live alone or with another qualifying senior. They can’t already receive other federal nutrition programs like food stamps or Meals on Wheels, and they must earn less than $74,940 for a household of one or $101,460 fora household of two.“Even if it’s hundreds of thousands that take advantage of this, just in weeks you’ll see millions and millions of meals part of this program,” Newsom said. Newsom touted it as a win-winwin, sending much-needed dollars to struggling restaurants, filling an urgent need to feed people scared to leave their homes and generating tax revenue for cities.Newsom said he expected that the sales tax that the cities will collect from the meals will “should more than offset the local costs.”Restaurants are eager to jump on board, said Jot Condie, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association.“As soon as the governor announced this creative new program, we received a flood of emails and phone calls from restaurateurs wanting to takepart,” Condie said.Several large cities expressed enthusiasm. San Francisco has already contracted with a food
truck network to cook 10,000 meals for people under medical quarantine and has begun to recruit more restaurants, said a spokeswoman. The Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services said it is “ramping up quickly.”Funding questions could be dealbreakerNewsom called the program “a real opportunity for rural California as well.”But small and rural counties facing precipitous drops in revenue may find it difficult to muster even the 6% costs, let alone fronting 100% and waiting to be reimbursed, said Paul Smith, vice president of governmental affairs for Rural County Representatives of California.After several recent disasters in Mariposa, Kothari said she’s learned that FEMA often takes 12 to 24 months to reimburse, if at all.“If you don’t document (spending) just in the way they (FEMA) need it documented... you could risk not getting that back,” Kothari said. That’s not a risk many localities can take, she said, especially given the administrative burden for counties with small staff and vulnerable residents so spread out that they might live an hour away from the nearest restaurant.Asked about the timeline for reimbursement and the local costs, Newsom acknowledged that the program could be “anxiety inducing” for cities and counties. But, he said, as “a former mayor, it would have been music to my ears to hear a program costing about 6 cents” for every dollar. Expedited reimbursement for half of the federal funding may be available upfront for localities that apply for it, said Governor’s Office of Emergency Services spokesman Brian Ferguson.“If we can put food in the belly of even one vulnerable person, it’s something worth doing,” Ferguson said.Another red flag for some localities: the meal program funding will expire soon unless FEMA grants an extension.According to astate document for local officials, the funding runs out on May 10, “unless the public health need ends sooner or an extension is granted by FEMA.... While it is anticipated that, upon successful program execution, the State will request an extension, there is no guarantee it will be granted.”Newsom did not respond to a CalMatters’ question at his Wednesday press conference about the May 10 deadline.“By the time I get this set up and start to provide services and socialize it with my community... is the program going to come to an end?” Kothari asked.Jackie Botts is a reporterwith CalMatters. This article is part ofThe California Divide, acollaboration among newsrooms examining income inequity and economic survival in California.
Judges agree former San Bernardino County DA deleted emails and texts in bad faith Attorney for Rancho Cucamonga developer sought electronic data as evidence in civil litigation Stephen Larson, the defense attorney for Colonies Partners co-managing partner Jeff Burum, speaks during public comments at the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. Colonies Partners, the Rancho Cucamonga developer embroiled in years of litigation with San Bernardino County including this year’s failed public corruption prosecution, wants the Board of Supervisors to restore $45.2 million the partnership spent to successfully defend itself in both civil and criminal court. The amount includes $32 million in legal fees and $13.4 million in lost profits on hasty land sales made to help defray legal costs. (Stan Lim, San Bernardino Sun/SCNG) By JOE NELSON | jnelson@scng.com | San Bernardino Sun PUBLISHED: April 21, 2020 at 3:48 p.m. | UPDATED: April 21, 2020 at 7:51 p.m. Former San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos acted in bad faith when he deleted text messages and emails sought by attorneys representing Rancho Cucamonga developer Colonies Partners and its managing partner in federal lawsuits, a judge has ruled. In a March 27 ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal accepted the Feb. 27 findings from U.S. Magistrate Judge Shashi H. Kewalramani, who concluded Ramos had a duty to preserve emails and text messages sought by attorneys representing Colonies Partners and its co-managing partner, Jeffrey Burum. Bernal ordered the county to
pay attorney fees to the law firm Larson O’Brien LLP in Los Angeles. Attorney Stephen G. Larson, a partner at the firm who is representing Colonies and Burum in the litigation, filed a motion with the court in November 2019 seeking sanctions against Ramos and the county and dismissal of the case. Larson O’Brien is seeking $42,589 in attorney fees for the preparation and filing of that motion. Bernal concurred with Kewalramani that the jury will receive an instruction that it may presume that Ramos’ deleted emails and texts messages were “unfavorable to the plaintiffs,” meaning they would have painted
Burum and Colonies in a bad light. In his report, Kewalramani found that the county should have ensured Ramos preserved the text messages from his personal cell phone and emails from his two campaign accounts. Ramos claimed he did not know he was obligated to save his text messages or emails. Kewalramani found that excuse unacceptable. “Ramos, with the assistance of his experienced counsel, had a duty to preserve his emails and text messages following the commencement of the litigation. Instead, Ramos deleted text messages and closed his campaign account and is now claiming he had no idea he was
required to preserve such ESI (electronically stored information),” Kewalramani said in his ruling. “Ignorance of this obligation of preservation, especially from sophisticated parties who have the assistance of experienced counsel, is not persuasive to this Magistrate Judge.” The county did not object to Kewalramani’s findings, Larson said. Attorneys representing Ramos and the county declined to comment for this story. According to Larson’s motion, Ramos and the county became aware of anticipated litigation in (continued in next 2 columns)
Judges agree former San Bernardino County DA deleted emails and texts in bad faith...continued October 2017. Colonies filed its lawsuit against the county in March 2018 seeking $80 million in damages, and Burum filed his lawsuit a month later seeking $50 million in damages. Ramos deleted the emails and text messages sometime after July 2018. “Based on the timing and circumstances of the text message and email deletions, the Court infers bad intent from Defendants’ actions,” Kewalramani said in his report and recommendation to the court. Ramos, according to Larson, used his elected office as a “political machine” to attack his political adversaries, while the county looked the other way and enabled the activity. “It is shocking that any lawyer, particularly one serving as District Attorney, would act in ‘bad faith’ and destroy evidence relevant to on-going litigation,” Larson said in a statement Tuesday. “I cannot describe the outrage felt by Jeff Burum, the Colonies, and the others who have been subjected to Mike Ramos’ political persecution over this past decade, now only to
discover that he destroyed evidence of his nefarious conduct.” Colonies and Burum filed separate lawsuits against the county following a nearly decade-long, ill-fated public corruption case in which the District Attorney’s and state Attorney General’s offices accused Burum of conspiring with three former county officials to fix a $102 million legal settlement, in Colonies’ favor, to settle longstanding litigation over a flood control dispute in exchange for political favors and bribes. Burum and the other three defendants — former county Supervisor Paul Biane; Mark Kirk, former chief of staff for former county Supervisor Gary Ovitt; and former Assistant Assessor Jim Erwin — maintained their innocence from the beginning and maintained the prosecution was politically motivated. The cases ended in the summer of 2017 with Burum, Biane and Kirk acquitted on all counts and prosecutors dropping the case against Erwin.
Disasters have shut down California colleges in the past: Here’s how they fared...continued from page 5 said. Universities in California and around the country have offered empty residence halls to emergency personnel and set up temporary medical facilities for coronavirus patients. It’s increasingly common for colleges and universities to provide such services to neighbors after a disaster, said Wendy Walsh, higher education program manager for FEMA. “These universities, there’s not a wall around them,” she said. “They’re part of the community.” Butte College officials said lending the campus to emergency responders was the one thing that saved it from the Camp Fire. The flames had licked all the way up to the staff parking lot, Suleski said. Fire crews using the campus as a command center beat them back. Now, “if we ever get an opportunity to serve as a staging site, we’re the first ones to put our hands up,” he said. Building a resilient campus The demands of this new disaster-rife era have led more and more colleges to focus on the idea of the resilient campus — one that can anticipate, prepare for and respond to disasters. In 2017, the nonprofit National Council for Science and the Environment launched a network of universities to share disaster-related research and compare notes on recovery efforts. More than 170 universities participated in an inaugural conference in November 2019, according to the council’s executive director, Michelle Wyman. They’re also building an online platform that will allow researchers to communicate with each other and with local and federal emergency management agencies in real time as disasters unfold. Research conducted by some universities in the network has changed the course of local disasters. After the Tubbs Fire devastated California’s wine country, a system of fire surveillance cameras designed in part by researchers at Sonoma State helped firefighters monitor a subsequent wildfire, the Kincade Fire. A Chico State anthropologist led a team of student and staff researchers to identify the remains of residents who had perished in the Camp Fire. Many universities have now pivoted most lab research to focus on studying the coronavirus. Colleges and universities are also adapting their curricula to the new normal, developing training programs that can provide workers to help with rebuilding — and jobs for disaster survivors. Butte College trained 2,000 debris removal workers, Yaqub said, many of whom had lost their jobs and homes in the fires. The college also launched six-month certificate programs in construction, refrigeration and heating, ventilation and air conditioning
to meet local building demands. At Chico State, social work students are learning how to help families develop disaster plans. The university has even started a forest therapy program that trains teachers and mental health providers how to help traumatized residents heal through immersion in natural environments. Similar training programs are already being planned for people who have lost their jobs in the pandemic lockdowns. The coronavirus era The coronavirus pandemic has put all colleges’ emergency plans to the test, reminding them that “it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when,” said Joyce Lopes, director of the emergency operations center at Sonoma State. In just the last three years, that university has weathered two wildfires, power outages that closed the campus for several days and a closure due to smoke from a fire elsewhere. Administrators have learned that they need to train at least three people for each key disaster management role, Lopes said. That way, employees can work in shifts to avoid burnout. “These are often things that go on the back burner,” she said. “Now people understand why we need to make time to do it.” While it’s too soon to tell how the pandemic will affect the futures of today’s college students, a survey just after campuses were closed by the coronavirus found that 17 percent lacked reliable and safe housing, 28 percent did not have access to healthy food and 75 percent had higher levels of anxiety, depression and stress. More than half had been laid off from their jobs or had hours significantly cut back. If there’s a silver lining to this catastrophe-prone era, it’s that disasters focus students’ attention on social problems such as climate change and inequality, said Chong, the Santa Rosa Junior College president. “I see this is an opportunity for our students to see how to make a difference, and challenge them to address some of these issues in a way that we weren’t successful in doing in our previous generation.” This story was produced by CalMatters and The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. This story and other higher education coverage are supported by the College Futures Foundation. This story was produced by CalMatters and The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. This story and other higher education coverage are supported by the College Futures Foundation.
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