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VOL. 52, NO. 47 • SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Death Bell Rings for America’s ‘Dreamers’
Hurricane Harvey: The Fallout and the Aftermath
Trump Rescinds DACA while Passing its Future to Congress for a Vote
Congress Set to Vote on $150B Relief Fund By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
The devastation has been surveyed, the havoc wreaked and now, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, lawmakers and officials will have to determine just how much money the government will allocate to both the cleanup and rebuild efforts. Texas Democratic U.S. Reps. Al Green, Sheila Jackson Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson and Marc Veasey each have estimated as much as $150 billion will be necessary for recovery, including roughly $10 billion right away for storm-ravaged Houston. Each said they were happy with the response the disaster, which is responsible for untold injuries and deaths. "I am proud of my state's response in the face of one of our nation's worst natural disasters," Veasey said. "While recovery efforts will last for years, it is important that we provide those affected by Hurricane Harvey with immediate assistance." The nationwide coordination between FEMA, the National Guard, and local first responders has been impressive as search and rescue missions continue, Veasey said, noting that Congress has a responsibility to provide the necessary support
President Donald Trump kept one of his campaign this week, rescinding Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA], dismantling the program that protected young undocumented immigrants numbering close to 800,000, evoking fears that they may soon face deportation to native countries that hold few memories for them. The decision, announced by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, indicates that DACA will officially end in
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5 Hundreds of protesters marched along Pennsylvania Ave. on Tues., Sept. 5 protesting Trump's decision to rescind DACA. /Photo by Roy Lewis
MD Rep. Anthony Brown to Sponsor Bill on Hate Crimes By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Rep. Anthony Brown told a nearly standing-room-only audience Thursday, Aug. 31 at the University of Maryland in College Park he will sponsor legislation for colleges to target hate crimes. The Maryland Democrat, leading a discussion at the school on race, politics and reconciliation, said one recommendation would require college officials to report any form of speech from left- and right-wing groups that arouses violence. "The middle is where America is,"
he said. "Passing a law won't change the systemic problem, but it will give universities and colleges tools and incentives to push back." Brown, who represents Maryland's 4th Congressional District, may introduce the proposed legislation this month when Congress returns from recess, saying officials must clearly define what's acceptable language. He said if colleges don't follow specific guidelines to report hate crimes to local law enforcement agencies, then federal money would be withheld. However, he said some colleges and universities in need
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Florida Prepares for Massive Hurricane By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer With Americans still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Harvey just weeks ago, another monster storm threatens islands throughout the Caribbean as well as the entire state of Florida. As of Wednesday morning, Sept. 6, Hurricane Irma continued to draw closer to Florida as a whopping Category 5 storm. Gov. Rick Scott urged residents to evacuate in parts of the Sunshine State, including the most southern-portion of the state, the Florida Keys. A Category 5 equates to it being the highest possible on the hurricane scale. Packing winds of
185 mph, Irma could go down as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever recorded. It threatens to even dwarf Harvey which recently walloped Texas, displacing tens of thousands of residents and causing upwards of $200 billion in damages. Scott, on Wednesday, declared a State of Emergency effective 7 a.m. Meanwhile, stores reported running out of essential supplies like water, batteries and hardware. “Please get your medications now,” Scott said at a news conference Wednesday. “Obey members of the National Guard and other officials and evacuate immediately. Don't wait; this storm is going to cause severe damage."
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