Center Section Vol. 58, No. 2 • October 27 - November 2, 2022
October 2022. Volume 8. Issue 10.
Don't Miss This Month's WI Bridge
Pushing for the District
WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022
Advocates and Elected Officials Clash on Revised D.C. Criminal Code
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5 Demonstrators hold a casket symbolic of all the lives lost in their community due to environmental racism. The rally started at Freedom Plaza and headed to the White House part of the People vs. Fossil Fuels Campaign on Oct. 25, demanding a cessation of fossil fuel projects. (Marckell Williams/The Washington Informer)
The D.C. Council Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety is gearing up for a vote on the Revised Criminal Code Act. If passed when the committee meets on Wednesday, this legislation will update the District’s more-than-a-century old criminal code. Much to the chagrin of racial justice advocates, committee members have since taken out portions of legislation authored by the District’s independent Criminal Code Reform Commission (CCRC), including a provision that eliminates mandatory minimums for criminal offenses. Other parts of the Revised Criminal Code Act on the chopping block include those that secure jury trials for misdemeanors and reduce the District’s most extreme penalties. D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), chair of the D.C. Council Committee on the Judiciary, introduced an amendment extending the wait
CODE Page 47
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Amid Court Battle, Biden Administration Encourages Borrowers to Apply for Debt Relief
A new report reveals that approximately 51% of Black voters say they are more motivated to vote this year compared to previous elections. That motivation counts primarily because of a desire to elect Democrats or keep Republicans out of power, as well as a general willingness to change, according to an extensive survey jointly conducted by the nonprofit KFF and Allen Media Group. The two organizations collaborated to take the temperature of Black voters ahead of the all-important Nov. 8 midterm elections. The researchers concluded that the mood of Black voters currently is tempered by age, economy, and racism. While large shares across groups express increased motivation this
For the time being, a legal battle between the Biden administration and six conservative states has paused a recently launched student loan forgiveness program. Even so, administration officials remain adamant about encouraging Americans from different walks to submit applications online. On Monday evening, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona attempted to lay to rest any notion that some segments of the population wouldn’t be able to benefit from the Biden administration’s latest advancement in student loan debt relief.
New Poll Reveals Black Voters Mood is Tempered by Age, Economy, and Racism
BLACK VOTERS Page 40
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5 More Black voters say they are motivated to vote this year, particularly those 50 and older and those who approve of President Biden, survey results show. /Tony Webster via wikimedia commons
DEBT RELIEF Page 40
BEE Page 12 Area Celebrating 58 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers ThroughoutSPELLING The Metropolitan