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Dignitaries, families, first responders mark 9/11 anniversary See Page B1

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

VOLUME 26 NO. 37

A HIP-HOP TRIBUTE Florida Courier founder Charles W. Cherry, Sr., and wife Julia are the subjects of an extended play CD by Atlanta-based rapper Jawz Of Life.

on a Friday night. We’d shoot pool and play music. I started freestyling off an instrumental that came on. One of my friends looked at me and said, ‘Man, you need to take this serious.’ I was like, ‘Word? Really?’ “So I went home and made a cassette demo tape and gave it to a friend of mine who was starting his own independent label. I stayed with him about a year before he realized there was only so much he could do for my career, so he moved me over to Blue Maze Entertainment.”

BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

The CD cover of Jawz of Life’s eight-song project features Charles W. Cherry, Sr. leading a 1969 protest march to Cape Kennedy with Dr. Ralph David Abernathy.

Puerto Rico vs. Trump President slammed for calling storm response ‘successful’

ATLANTA – The incentive to finish came in a dream. “I was laying in bed the day before Dr. (Martin Luther) King’s birthday this year. I saw Uncle Charles’s face. I took that as, ‘You gotta finish this project.’ “I went to my prayer room, started listening to instrumentals, and started writing. It took me about a month to complete… it came so naturally. I already knew where I wanted to go.” The Atlanta based hip-hop artist known professionally as Jawz of Life was talking about completing an entire musical album about the life of Florida Courier founder Charles W. Cherry, Sr.,

Critical success

Charles W. & Julia T. Cherry and his wife Julia. The two are Jawz’s aunt and uncle.

Atlanta music scene Born and raised in Decatur (a suburb of Atlanta), Jawz of Life attended Alcorn State University on a baseball scholarship. After returning home, he got a job and played local semipro baseball a couple of years. “I was in a friend’s basement

His first album was called ‘First Breath,’ released in 2001. It was a hit, with music critic Alex Remington calling it “a modern classic.” “It’s hard to miss just how unusual (Jawz of Life) is, and how few rappers there are like him in the mainstream,” Remington wrote in 2009. “Jawz’s faith is apparent in the absence of the macho bull and gangsta pretension of other mainstream rap.…It’s a See TRIBUTE, Page A2

HURRICANE FLORENCE / 2018

Preparing for the worst

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

ORLANDO – Puerto Rican activists in Central Florida were outraged Tuesday over President Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office calling the federal response to Hurricane Maria “incredibly successful.” “Tell that to the 3,000 people who died,” said Jose Rodriguez, the priest in charge at the Episcopal Church of Jesus of Nazareth in Azalea Park. “Tell that to the millions of people without power. Tell that to the 44 people huddled in hotel rooms today in Central Florida wondering if they’ll be homeless Saturday morning.”

‘One of the best’ Trump, speaking about preparations for Hurricane Florence as it barrels down on North and South Carolina, said his administration’s response to the September 2017 storm, which the Puerto Rico government said last month was responsible for 2,975 See TRUMP, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

CHUCK LIDDY/RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER/TNS

The bread shelves at the Woodcroft Food Lion were empty on Monday in Durham, N.C. Residents of North and South Carolina stripped grocery shelves and emptied supplies of gasoline as Hurricane Florence approached from the Atlantic Ocean.

DeSantis resigns from Congress FLORIDA | A6

New York’s Nia Franklin wins Miss America competition BY STACY M. BROWN NNPA NEWSWIRE CONTRIBUTOR

Plenty of questions about Texas shooting Trump caught laughing about Niger ambush

ALSO INSIDE

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The genius, intelligence, beauty and spirit of Black women, which continues to transform the world, shined brightly again Sunday as New York’s Nia Franklin became the first Miss America in the postswimsuit era. “It took a lot of perseverance

to get here,” Franklin, the freshlycrowned beauty queen, said after her win. “I want to thank my beautiful family, my mom and my dad, who is a survivor of cancer.”

N.C. native An opera singer, Franklin is a native of Winston-Salem, North See FRANKLIN, Page A2

TWITTER PHOTO COURTESY OF MISS AMERICA PAGEANT

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 GUEST COMMENTARY: JARRETT CARTER SR.: RANKINGS SHOULDN’T OVERSHADOW HBCU RESULTS | A5

FOCUS

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 a success God help us all.” “He’s really something, this man,” said Jimmy Torres Velez, head of Boricua Vota, a voter outreach group. He called the president “an idiot.” “This man is living in his own reality,” he said. Torres Velez blamed much of the situation on the island today on the Trump administration’s “lack of preparation and the lack of heart, of having empathy, for the suffering of the people of Puerto Rico. … He should be impeached just for his lack of empathy.”

Attacking again Trump did not address the higher death toll and damage assessments than his administration initially issued. And on Wednesday morning, he added San Juan Mayor Cruz to his blame game. He again repeated his self-given grades for Florida and Texas, adding his administration “did an unappreciated great job in Puerto Rico, even though an inaccessible island with very poor electricity and a totally incompetent Mayor of San Juan.”

Dems respond

CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

In this picture taken four months after the devastation of Hurricane Maria last year, a third of the population of Puerto Rico was still without power.

TRUMP from A1 deaths and resulted in thousands of evacuees to Central Florida, was “one of the best jobs that’s ever been done.” “I think that Puerto Rico was an incredible unsung success,” Trump said in a CBS News transcript, comparing the situation there with Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida. “Texas, we have been given A pluses for, Florida, we have been given A pluses for. I think in a way the best job we did was (in) Puerto Rico, but nobody would understand that.” Trump said the response was “the hardest one by far … because of the island nature” and the fact supplies had to be shipped in.

‘Very hard’ “The problem with Puerto Rico is that their electric grid and generating plan was dead before the storms ever hit,” Trump said. “It was a very hard thing to do because of the fact they had no electric before the storm hit, it was dead, as you probably know. So we’ve gotten a lot of reception for what we did in Puerto Rico. “It was in very bad shape, it was in bankruptcy, it had no money,” Trump said. “When the storm hit they had no electricity.” Despite Trump’s assertion, the island’s electrical grid was fully functional before Maria made landfall, although it remains more than $9 billion in debt.

president went on his fact-challenged tirade. “No relationship between a colony and the federal government can ever be called ‘successful’ because Puerto Ricans lack certain inalienable rights enjoyed by our fellow Americans in the states,” Rossello said in a statement. “The historical relationship between Puerto Rico and Washington is unfair and un-American. It is certainly not a successful relationship.” Rossello’s Trump rebuke came as he also announced that he will campaign for political candidates who support statehood for Puerto Rico, including Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Americans in North and South Carolina about to face a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. They should be the main focus right now.” Cuomo, who has been butting heads with Trump at an increasing rate in recent weeks, also excoriated the president after his latest remarks and brought attention to the hundreds of Puerto Ricans who are still without power or even homeless as a result of Maria. “Instead of patting himself on the back over this utter failure,” Cuomo said, “President Trump should do something useful and push his fellow Washington Republicans to deliver the aid package Puerto Rico still desperately needs to recover and rebuild.”

Couldn’t stay silent

Focus on Florence

‘God help us’

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello took aim at Trump on Tuesday. Rossello has typically avoided confrontations with Trump, but couldn’t sit back after the

Soto called Trump’s comments “obviously disgraceful and wholly inaccurate.” But, he said, “we need to come together as a nation to help out

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz was stunned by Trump’s choice of words. “Success?” she tweeted. “If he thinks the death of 3,000 people is

TRIBUTE from A1 hint of what rap could be. It’s something that rap could use a lot more of.”

Making moves Jawz is a second-generation member of Atlanta’s Dungeon Family music organization, which includes Cee Lo Green, Outkast, Goodie Mob and others. He has collaborated with hip-hop pioneers like No Malice (Clipse), Sadat X (Brand Nubian), DMC (Run-DMC), T-Mo and Khujo Goodie (Goodie Mob), Witchdoctor (The Dungeon Family), Diamond D (DITC), DJ Hurricane (Beastie Boys) and many others. His newest album is “Hungry Kids Can’t Eat Moon Rocks.” The nostalgic, documentary-style project is based on his experience during childhood and young adulthood visiting the Cherry’s home in Daytona Beach.

Activist and entrepreneur Cherry, Sr. was a decorated Korean Conflict veteran, a Bethune-Cookman College educator, a real estate broker, and a newspaper and radio station owner who served four full terms as a Daytona Beach city commissioner. As one of the state’s few African-American bail bondsman, he worked to get civil rights protestors – including fellow Morehouse College graduate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – released from Florida jails in the 1960s. He also served several terms as president of the Volusia County-Daytona Beach Branch of the NAACP, as president of the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches, and as a member of the NAACP’s national board. He launched Daytona Beach’s Westside Rapper newspaper in 1969, which was succeeded by the Daytona Times in 1978. In 1989, he established the Florida Courier in Fort Pierce. That same year, the Cherry family purchased WPUL-AM 1590, a Daytona Beach-area radio station. By 2001, the family’s media business expanded to become Tama Broadcasting, Inc., then Florida’s largest privately-owned African-American media group, which owned or operated 11 radio stations across three states. Cherry, Sr. died in 2004. In 2006, the family, led by Julia, his wife of 52 years, relaunched the Florida Courier as a statewide newspaper.

‘HUNGRY KIDS CAN’T EAT MOON ROCKS’ By JAWZ OF LIFE

1. Hungry Kids Can’t Eat Moon Rocks featuring Christopher Lion 2. Westside Rapper 3. Daytona Times 4. Me Too (Yeah) 5. Dreams To Reality (Interlude) 6. 623 Orange Ave. 7. Aunt Julia 8. Someday featuring Tone Jonez 9. Dreams To Reality featuring Tone Jonez You can download or stream the album at www.JawzOfLife.com. You can also hear it via iTunes, Google Play, Amazon.com or YouTube. Connect with JawzOfLife on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Read more about the life of Charles W. Cherry, Sr. at www.flcourier.com; click on “Tribute to Our Founder.”

‘King and queen’ “I’ve always considered Uncle Charles and Aunt Julia to be the king and queen of our family,” Jawz told the Florida Courier. “There is so much that can be said about the examples that they have set for their children and the rest of the family. “When he died, I remember seeing that picture with the sign, ‘Hungry Kids Can’t Eat Moon Rocks.’ It stuck with me, even though I didn’t know what it meant. I just knew I wanted to honor him in a special way.” The result? An album with eight songs, all related to the Cherry elders.

‘Back and forth’ The album’s lead single, “Westside Rap-

per,” is named after Cherry, Sr.’s first newspaper. The video was directed by awardwinning filmmaker William Feagins, Jr., “I travel back and forth from Atlanta to Los Angeles,” said Jawz. “People were wondering whether I was a ‘westside rapper’ from LA or from the South.” The title track, “Hungry Kids Can’t Eat Moon Rocks,” features Jawz’s 13-year-old son Christopher Lion. “It explains what Uncle Charles was talking about in a more contemporary way,” Jawz explained. “The government is spending billions of dollars pulled away from social programs. What are today’s ‘moon rocks’? And it’s ironic that the album dropped on Aug.10, the same day Donald Trump spoke about setting up a military Space Force.” ‘“Daytona Times’ gives a quick bio and an explanation of the newspaper. “Me Too, Yeah” is a fun track to show some diversity and relate to the youth. It shows that what’s going on today in hip-hop, I can do it, too.”

Bomb shelter One track entitled “623 Orange Avenue” is about the home that Cherry, Sr., built as a bomb shelter to protect the family from racist violence. It was built three years after NAACP state president Harry and Harriet Moore were killed by a bomb blast in Mims, just 40 miles south of Daytona Beach. “Walking through the house was like walking through a museum of the things he had done. As a kid, I knew he had a lot of trophies and I figured they all meant something. “It was a big house on the corner. It was the only house like that. You can’t show me another like it, and it happened to be where my family lived. I had to do one for the house.”

‘The matriarch’ Jawz says the track named “Aunt Julia” is self-explanatory. “She’s the queen, the matriarch…Uncle Charles’ wife and one of the biggest and sweetest spirits I’ll ever know. Still beautiful and active at 90 years old. When I heard the beat – it’s an old-time, Baptist church beat – that’s Aunt Julia right there. “‘Someday’ is Uncle Charles’s song. Someday we’ll be together and we’ll discuss who he was. It’s a hope song. “I close it out with ‘Dreams To Reality.’ Uncle Charles had to have a vision before the newspapers and the radio stations. He had to see those things, and he brought them to reality. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

House Minority Whip Steny B. Hoyer called Trump’s remarks “offensive.” “He ought to apologize, and Congress ought to investigate what went wrong with the Trump administration’s response and identify steps to ensure it does not happen again,” Hoyer said in a statement. “With another storm now threatening our country, I pray that the president and his team are not taking the same approach they did last year in preparing to meet this challenge.” The call for a congressional probe offers a preview of life in Washington should Democrats take control of one or both chambers in November’s midterm elections. Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., told CNN “there would have been riots in the streets” had the Trump administration’s Puerto Rico response happened in the continental United States rather than the island territory.

John T. Bennett of CQ-Roll Call; Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel; and Chris Sommerfeldt of the New York Daily News (TNS) all contributed to this report.

FRANKLIN from A1 Carolina and earned her master’s degree in music composition from UNC School of the Arts, according to her biography as reported by CNN. She moved to New York after being accepted at the Kenan Fellow program at Lincoln Center Education in Manhattan. During the competition, Franklin described how music helped her find her identity. “I grew up at a predominately Caucasian school and there was only five percent minority, and I felt out of place so much because of the color of my skin,” Franklin said. “But growing up, I found my love of arts, and through music that helped me to feel positive about myself and about who I was.” Her win set Twitter and all of social media ablaze.

‘Smart and talented’ “Congratulations to our new Miss America,” radio and television personality Donnie Simpson said. “Nia Franklin…(is) obviously very smart, very talented and absolutely stunning. I’m so proud.” Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association – the trade organization that represents 220 African American-owned newspapers across the country – said Franklin’s win is just another statement on the outstanding achievements of Black women today. “The NNPA Congratulates 2018 Miss America, Nia Franklin. The genius, intelligence, beauty and spirit of Black women impact and transform the world,” Chavis tweeted. Franklin, who plans to advocate for the arts during her tenure as Miss America, told reporters that she was also happy that the swimsuit competition – which had been part of the overall contest throughout its 92-year history – had been discontinued. “I’m happy I didn’t have to wear a swimsuit,” she said. “I’m more than just that.”

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

FLORIDA

JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

Ron DeSantis, the Republican nominee for Florida governor, delivers remarks at a unity rally at the Ace Café in downtown Orlando on Sept. 6. He’s joined by Gov. Rick Scott, right, and CFO Jimmy Patronis.

DeSantis resigns from Congress to focus on race Republican nominee gives up House seat to fully campaign against Gillum BY GRAY ROHRER ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

TALLAHASSEE – U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis resigned from Congress on Monday to concentrate on his campaign for governor against Andrew Gillum, his Democratic opponent. “As the Republican nominee for Governor of Florida, it is clear to me that I will likely miss the vast majority of our remaining session days for this Con-

gress,” he said in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday. “Under these circumstances, it would be inappropriate to accept a salary.” The resignation is effective immediately, but DeSantis also asked for his pay to be canceled retroactive to Sept. 1. DeSantis missed some votes in Congress while campaigning last week. If Ryan isn’t able to cancel his pay for that week, the money will be donated to charity, a campaign spokesman said.

North Florida rep DeSantis, R-Fla., was first elected to his North Florida district in 2012 as a tea party conservative.

He briefly ran for U.S. Senate in 2016 before quitting the race when incumbent Marco Rubio changed his mind about giving up his seat after he was defeated in the presidential primary by Donald Trump. He won the GOP primary for governor against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam last month.

Racism charges In the general election, he faces Gillum, mayor of Tallahassee, who surged to a win in the Democratic primary over four other candidates in the final weeks. The two-week-old general election has seen DeSantis face

down charges of racism while Gillum’s campaign explains an ongoing FBI investigation into the city of Tallahassee. During a Fox News interview after the primary, DeSantis said voters shouldn’t “monkey around” with the success of GOP rule in Florida, a comment viewed as a racist allusion to Gillum, the first African-American nominee for governor of the major parties in Florida.

More scrutiny On Monday, The Washington Post reported on DeSantis’ appearances in recent years at David Horowitz Freedom Center conferences, organized by

Telemundo to host Nelson, Scott debate next month NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Little more than a month before their showdown for a U.S. Senate seat, Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson and Republican Gov. Rick Scott will square off Oct. 2 in a debate hosted by Telemundo, the campaigns announced. The hour-long event in Miami will be moderated by Telemundo 51 political reporter Marilys Llanos and WTVJ NBC 6 anchor Jackie Nespral. The debate will be broadcast on Telemundo stations in Miami, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach.

More forums

RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

Markeith Loyd attends a status court hearing on March 20, 2017 in Orlando.

Judge denies request to take death penalty off table for accused cop killer BY JEFF WEINER ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

ORLANDO – A judge denied a request from defense lawyers for Markeith Loyd on Tuesday, seeking to prevent prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against the accused killer. After Loyd’s arrest in the killings of Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton and Sade Dixon, Loyd’s preg-

Lt. Debra Clayton

nant ex-girlfriend, Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala filed notice in March 2017 indicating she would not seek to have Loyd executed if convicted. Ayala was later removed from the case by Gov. Rick Scott due to her announcement that her office would not seek the death penalty in any cases. State Attorney Brad King of Ocala took over.

‘Rational decision’ King has opted to pursue Loyd’s execution. On Tuesday, Loyd’s lawyers argued for Ayala’s original decision to be reinstated. “I think it’s wrong for the governor’s office to step in and say they don’t’ agree with a sitting state attorney, a duly elected state attorney’s opinions and pick somebody else,” said defense attorney Teodoro Marrero. “… Her decision was a rational decision. It wasn’t an unsupportable decision on her part.” Lauten, however, said his hands were tied by the August 2017 decision by the Florida Supreme Court that upheld Scott’s authority to take the cases away from Ayala. He rejected the request.

Nelson’s campaign said it is reviewing other possible candidate forums, including one that would be hosted by CNN in mid-October. Scott’s campaign has said it has agreed to forums that would be held by CNN and by the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute and Jacksonville TV station WJXT. Nelson and Scott are running in the Nov. 6 general election, with the outcome of the race possibly helping decide control of the U.S. Senate.

State apologizes for SunPass problems NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Florida transportation officials last week offered an apology to motorists who were frustrated and faced financial prob-

a conservative activist who has espoused racist views. DeSantis said he was “honored” to speak at the event in 2015 and said he “admired” Horowitz. The report drew condemnation from liberal groups backing Gillum, which see DeSantis’ resignation as an attempt to distract from the story. “This desperate stunt will not change the subject from Ron DeSantis’ racist comments and affiliations with hate groups,” said Zach Hudson, spokesman for American Bridge, a political committee supporting liberal causes. “Abandoning his post won’t save Ron DeSantis.”

lems because of a project involving the SunPass toll-collection system. At the start of a Florida Transportation Commission meeting on Sept. 6, Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Dew said motorists should not have endured the issues that arose from the $287 million project, which took longer than planned and created a processing backlog of several hundred million toll collections. “This is not what they expect. This is not what they deserve,” Dew said. “This is not what SunPass is supposed to do. And they had to endure a lot of complications over the course of the summer.”

Contractor penalized Dew reiterated that the state has assessed nearly $800,000 in penalties against contractor Conduent State & Local Solutions and has requested Florida’s chief inspector general to investigate Conduent’s management of the project. Conduent did not have a representative at the Transportation Commission meeting to discuss the issue. Commissioner Ken Wright said the panel wants access to any findings, starting with the contract-selection process. “I think everybody deserves at the end of this, somebody who is out $200, deserves to know that the department has taken this approach and it’s going to be looking at every aspect,” Wright said.

Issues remain The state has agreed to cover overdraft expenses of SunPass customers because of delays in processing toll charges. The upgrades involving the SunPass Centralized Customer Service System were supposed to last about a week and be completed June 11. Instead, parts of the system were down for a month and issues remain, including customer access to the SunPass website and mobile application.

EDITORIAL

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

The plot against Donald Trump Donald Trump presents many contradictions. He is the both the embodiment of White American nationalism and the mortal enemy of one wing of the ruling elite. He is a racist and therefore a threat to Black people. But he is also hated by forces who are the enemies of all humanity. It is extraordinary that the New York Times would publish an anonymous opinion editorial allegedly written by a highranking administration official. The editorial attacks Trump for “amorality,” but supports conservative public policy, neoliberalism, and imperialism.

All the same It is a rehash of press reports and books which all say the same thing. Trump is erratic, impulsive, stupid, incompetent, and volatile. His staff limit his access to information and work to undermine him. All of the subterfuge is said to be in service to the republic and for the good of the people. The public don’t know the identity of the author or if a person or person at the New York Times wrote it themselves. Even if the Times is being truthful about authorship of the commentary, its decision to publish must be questioned. It is suspicious in the extreme that Bob Woodward’s new Trump administration exposé entitled “Fear,” was published the same week and that Barack Obama returned to the public spotlight repeating charges of “cozying up to Russia.” Nor should other countries be exempt from suspicion in the plot.

MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

The Woodward book and New York Times op-ed coincided with British government’s dubious announcement that the wouldbe assassins of former spy Sergei Skripal were identified. The antiRussian drumbeat is an essential part of the tale being spun.

Unique treatment Trump has been subjected to treatment never before directed at a sitting president. Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced indictments in the case against Trump as a summit with the Russian president was about to take place. That summit ended with Trump being called a traitor because he denied the collusion allegations lodged against him. Trump is indeed dangerous, but not for the reasons we are told. He is dangerous for being an unquestioning supporter of Israel who cuts off life-saving aid to Palestinians. He is dangerous for accelerating every racist impulse seen in U.S. public policy decisions. He is dangerous for separating immigrant children from their parents in his zeal to keep America as White as possible. The attacks from elite media and foreign governments will not stop because the charges of collusion with the Russian government have so far come up empty. Robert Mueller has identi-

Will FBI, DOJ give Gillum a ‘Hillary Pass’? Political oddsmakers in Washington, D.C., and Florida are probably taking bets on whether the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) will give Florida’s Black Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a Hillary Clinton pass in the current FBI investigation into corruption in his city. Gillum has said he is not a target of the investigation and the FBI won’t comment – at least not yet.

No worries If he wasn’t a target before his upset victory, you can bet that he sure won’t be now. He really has nothing to worry about! Remember how higher-ups at the FBI and DOJ gave Hillary Clinton a pass because she was Hillary Clinton and assumed to be the next president versus a hated Donald Trump? Well, Gillum could be the first Black governor of Florida. Does anyone think that deep state remnants of Obama’s politized

CLARENCE V. MCKEE, ESQ. GUEST COLUMNIST

FBI and DOJ would do anything to interfere with that becoming a reality? Is it a stretch to assume that the “get Trump and his supporters” odorous stench from the sewage of the Washington political swamp – including the Robert S. Mueller probe – has been inhaled by U.S. attorneys and FBI field offices around the country?

Two examples Just ask Rep. Chris Collins, RN.Y., and Rep. Duncan Hunter, RCalif., both Trump supporters – who were recently indicted. Collins was indicted for insider trading. He ended his re-election bid just three days later. The Wall Street Journal correctly editorialized, “Whether or not Mr. Collins is convict-

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 321 Miss America competition becomes puritanically politically correct – According to the Associated Press, when the pageant deleted the swimsuit competition for the first time in its 98-year history, it lost one million TV viewers compared to last year (though it’s noteworthy that viewership has been steadily declining for years.) Why no more skin? Because Miss America’s new leader, former Miss America and Fox News talking head Gretchen Carlson,

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

fought successfully to dump the swimsuits and replace them “with onstage interviews where contestants talked about President Trump, the NFL player pro-

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE

fied Russians who will never face charges in an American court as the colluders, but hasn’t connected them with any Trump campaign or administration officials. Associates like Paul Manafort are guilty of being common criminals and former lawyer Michael Cohen paid off women who had relationships with Trump. George Papadopoulos, said to be a lynchpin in the Russiagate investigation, was sentenced to just 14 days in jail for lying to federal agents about having met non-Russians. A Russian woman is charged with the minor offense of failing to register as a foreign agent, and yet is being held without bail. The lack of smokinggun verdicts means that Mueller must always muddy the water with phony revelations. If not, independent assessments may emerge and ruin the trope that evil Trump and evil Putin are in league together.

Not about Blacks The aggressive anti-Trump propaganda war is not being waged because of any concern for Black American human rights. The Democrats who ginned up Russiagate had every opportunity to support the needs of their most loyal constituency. Instead, they peacefully co-exist with Republicans as part of the permanent government. If Trump cheated in the 2016 election, he did so the old-fashioned way – by stealing Black votes without complaint or protest from Democrats. No Russians are needed to thwart the tiny bit of democracy we have left. Black people cannot align themselves with Trump, but ed, prosecutors have succeeded in killing his political career and maybe helping Democrats gain a seat in Congress.” Hunter was indicted for misuse of campaign funds. A spokesman said the action was “purely political.” Prior to the indictment, his attorney had written to U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein – the de facto attorney general – saying that two of the prosecutors in the case had attended a Hillary Clinton fundraiser, and to “bring charges so close to the election would effectively deliver a ‘solidly Republican’ House seat into Democratic hands.” President Trump tweeted his displeasure over the timing of the indictments before the midterm elections. He let it be known that he was upset with Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the action.

WOLVERTON, BATTLE GROUND, WA

would be extremely foolish to choose the neoliberal imperialists and their friends in the media. The enemy of one’s enemy is not necessarily a friend. Sometimes that force is an enemy, too. United States intelligence agencies are never friends, even if former Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency directors put their weight behind a Trump takedown. Prosecutors like Mueller practice some of the worst injustices in this country and must always be kept on our own adversary list.

Larger effort The anonymous New York Times commentary is part of a much larger effort to keep Trump on a short leash. He was never trusted because he spoke of thwarting the trade deals and regime change plots which every American president supports. Should he balk at attacking Syria, he risks being impeached. One never knows what Trump really wants or thinks. But his ert Mueller sympathizers would do anything to hurt the chances of Democrat Gillum to defeat Trump devotee Ron DeSantis in his quest to become governor of Florida in an election just over 60 days away? Does anyone think that this DOJ and FBI would indict a Black Democrat candidate for governor of Florida this close to an election – unlike what they did with the two Republican candidates noted above – and thereby help Trump surrogate DeSantis become Governor of Florida? No way! Gillum has nothing to worry about. Rosenstein’s DOJ and FBI won’t permit it! Unfortunately, a two-tiered justice system is alive and well in the United States.

Media is complicit

So, what does all of this mean for the FBI and U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida’s investigation of corruption by Gillum friends and cohorts? Will DOJ and FBI headquarters in Washington say “Cool it – leave Gillum alone. Hillary didn’t make history but Gillum could”? Does anyone really believe that Rob Rosenstein’s DOJ and Rob-

Putting the FBI and DOJ aside, Gillum has another ally in his campaign to become governor – the media. If he were a White or Black Republican, you can be sure that the full force of Florida and national media would be knocking at the doors of the FBI and DOJ asking about the “investigation.” They would put on their investigative journalist hats and do some digging into Tallahassee corruption themselves. They

tests and other topics,” according to the AP. The irony is overwhelming. Carlson was one of the politically conservative, stereotypic former homecoming queen/beauty pageant-type, blond-haired, blueeyed, short-skirted female “eye candy” that has made Fox the most popular cable network on TV since its inception. Carlson’s political analytical skills were at a junior high level when she was on the air – Rachel Maddow, she ain’t. How did Carlson’s Fox career end? By settling a sexual harassment lawsuit against the network for $20 million. From there, she “took her talents” to Atlantic City, N.J. and the Miss America

pageant – where she proceeded to make it into a glorified job interview without evening gowns, goofy state costumes or bikinis. SAD! I’m now a male senior citizen. Maybe I just don’t get it. Can’t women be smart, socially conscious – and FINE? Seems to me that Miss America is going backwards and “body-shaming” smart women who obviously can’t look gorgeous and answer a question about politics or current events at the same time. We Americans have voted with our eyeballs. We weren’t watching the skinless pageant this year. And if I wanted to watch smart (mostly White) women get interviewed or answer questions

They’ll do nothing

Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher

Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.

CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that Americans can best lead the world away from racism and national antagonism when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person. The Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief...that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.

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Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (1928-2004), Founder Julia T. Cherry, Senior Managing Member, Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Cassandra CherryKittles, Charles W. Cherry II, Managing Members

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presidency now depends on toeing the establishment party line. Likewise, the establishment depends on depriving him of legitimacy. It is a cynical ploy which has nothing to do with the needs of the average person in the United States. But we the people are never the issue when the rulers hatch their plots and their plans. Anonymous whispering campaigns against presidents – even ones we don’t support – aren’t in our interests. There can be no mistake. The coup plotters in Washington and New York are not and can never be considered our allies, even if Trump is their target.

Margaret Kimberley is a cofounder of BlackAgendaReport.com, and writes a weekly column there. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport.com. would be asking tough questions about trips with lobbyists and FBI informants at the heart of the ongoing investigation. Thus far, the media is giving Gillum mostly hands-off treatment with few questions on the impact his 40 percent corporate tax increase and the legalization of marijuana, to name just two of his proposals, would have on the state. Questions regarding the impact of his policies on Florida’s family tourist industry – which he would probably sacrifice to unlimited outside casino gambling interests and dollars – are not and probably won’t be raised by Florida’s media. Why? The major media, like the hate-Trump Washington establishment, want Gillum to become governor. With the FBI, DOJ, and major media on Gillum’s side, Ron DeSantis is in for the fight of his political life.

Clarence V. McKee is a government, political and media relations consultant and president of McKee Communications, Inc., as well as a Newsmax.com contributor. This article originally appeared on Newsmax.com. on TV, I’d tune in to MSNBC or Fox…or I’d watch “Jeopardy.” (If I wanted to watch dumb people answer questions on TV, I’d watch “Family Feud” or “Wheel of Fortune”…) “Cooley High” – One of my favorite movies of all times, I watched it again last night on the Turner Classic Movies channel. As usual, I cried at the end when Cochise is buried; G.C. Cameron’s version (NOT Boyz II Men’s) of “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” swells, then Preach runs off into his destiny to the Four Tops’ “Reach Out (I’ll Be There).” That’s entertainment!

Me? ccherry2@gmail.com.

Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com. Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, or log on to www.flcourier.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

Serena’s upset with umpire overshadowed Naomi’s upset of her From the New York Post, September 8, 2018: “Naomi Osaka beat her idol, 6-2, 6-4, to win her first Grand Slam title. But all anybody will remember was Williams’ emotional outburst on the court, where she got hit with a game violation in the second set [for, cumulatively, receiving coaching, demanding the umpire apologize to her, breaking her racket, and calling the umpire a thief].” Truth be told, when I saw Williams melting down midway through the second set, I had flashbacks from her epic meltdown at this same tournament in 2009, under eerily similar circumstances.

Not the first time Back then, getting a foot fault triggered a volcanic eruption at a lowly lineswoman, during which she infamously threatened to “take this f---ing ball and shove it down your f---ing throat.” I commented in “Serena Snaps … at US Open,” September 15, 2009. I was so braced for a repeat that I immediately began texting an old friend to commiserate. (He is easily the biggest Williams fan on the planet.) Except that Serena was more serene this time. What’s more, she had a legitimate complaint. The chair umpire should not have penalized her a whole, hardfought game, especially at such a critical point in the match. Not to mention that men routinely say and do far worse. And umpires hardly ever give them a warning, let alone penalize them a whole game – a point Williams pleaded to the tournament referee to no avail. #DoubleStandard! Mind you, I was convinced Williams was toast even before her

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

Despite still visibly seething with anger and fighting back tears when the trophy ceremony began, she coached her fans, who composed 99 percent of crowd, to stop booing and give Osaka her due. “emotional outburst.” Osaka was outplaying her that much throughout the match. Indeed, I suspect even Williams knew she was losing it before she lost it.

Played into haters’ hands This was hardly her finest hour on the court. Calling the umpire a thief – no matter how justified her outrage – was plainly ill-advised. Not least because it provided fodder for detractors who would like to dismiss her as a lucky, androgynous thug, instead of hailing her as the Greatest Of All Time and a good role model for young girls everywhere. You know, you can take

Minority business programs: How many are fake? Since I was in high school, my conscience was about bettering the lives of fellow African-Americans. As a teenager, I would work at housing construction sites. Spotting drywall and clean up were my niche. At the same time, I would recruit my friends and relatives. Most of the guys would lay around during the summer, but I convinced them to make that extra change. Construction bosses loved it because they would pay us less than normal wages, even though we could do the work equally as well as grown men.

Taking their jobs In retrospect, I would wonder how many husbands and fathers we were keeping from making income. That part I regret. We were cheating, or as they say now, “fronting.” When I turned 18 and began being recruited by college football coaches, I requested summer work. That was no problem. I was soon contacted by a manag-

HARRY C. ALFORD GUEST COLUMNIST

er for the California Department of Transportation – CALTRANS. He introduced my cousin and me to a union official, who quickly got us union cards. Presto! We were in the highway construction union making good wages. Here we were again “fronting” as union labor. When it was time for me to go to the University of Wisconsin, I requested a transfer to the Madison, Wisc., union hall. Instantly I received membership and began working the next summer in housing construction in the Madison area. In reflection, I guess we were blocking hard-working family men from making their deserved income. All we wanted was extra cash for clothes, car and chicks. It was nice living at the expense of

US News rankings shouldn’t overshadow HBCU results Several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are claiming new spots on the controversial list of the nation’s best institutions as ranked by the US News and World Report. The annual list, which humbles Ivy League schools, frustrates significant research Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) and boxes out most HBCUs from a reasonable measurement of their missions and value to higher education, made headlines recently for adding a metric of social mobility to their formula of indexing college performance. Now, a school which has some commitment to educating the poor has a chance for that effort to be reflected in the countdown of the most well-resourced and admissions-exclusive schools in the country.

EDITORIAL VISUAL VIEWPOINT: COLIN KAEPERNICK GETS NIKE CONTRACT

the girl out of the ghetto, but… Except that Williams soon redeemed herself (for this and all previous outbursts). Because despite still visibly seething with anger and fighting back tears when the trophy ceremony began, she coached her fans, who composed 99 percent of crowd, to stop booing and give Osaka her due. They obliged. Unfortunately, the deed was done. Never before in the history of sports has a winner looked so crestfallen and unappreciated. And neither Serena’s comforting hug nor the winner’s check (for $3.8 million) did anything to lift Osaka’s fretful countenance.

Too much This should have been the happiest day of her life. Yet it must have been dispiriting enough that she had just upset her childhood idol on the biggest stage in tennis. Incited by that idol’s meltdown, the crowd was now treating her like a villain, which was clearly too much for the 20-year-old Osaka to properly process. Meanwhile, it could not have been lost on Williams that this was the second time, since returning from maternity leave, she squandered an ideal opportunity to pad her record-setting 23 Grand Slam titles. She knows she’s on the cusp of such opportunities becoming few and far between. I suspect this realization fueled her outburst. Nonetheless, as I wrote after she squandered that first opportunity, Williams shows none of the resignation Tiger Woods does these days. He seems perfectly content to play on his laurels, reveling in praise based solely on the fading hope that he will go all the way in the next tournament and finally

PAT BAGLEY, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, UT

recapture old glory. By contrast, she seems as determined as ever to win. She proved as much during her post-match interview, saying she’s going to study tapes of this match to pick up on some new tricks the young Osaka showed her.

Staying power? That said, one has to wonder if Naomi Osaka is the second coming of Serena Williams who will dominate the game for the next decade or more, or if she’s just another wannabe like Sloane Stephens, who will fade away after a Grand Slam or two. I’d love to watch Naomi surpass Serena as holder of the most titles in the modern era. Incidentally, it’s interesting that this biracial player is the first Japanese man or woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. But like I did, you’re probably wondering why she uses her Japanese mother’s last name instead of her Haitian father’s, whose name is Leonard Francois. Things that make you go “Hmmmm,” no?

After all, Osaka has lived in the United States since she was three years old, and holds dual US-Japanese citizenship. And reports are that her father has been as much a guiding force and paternal presence in her life as Serena’s was in hers. Well, it turns out her father chalks this up to nothing more than common sense: • In homogeneous Japan, a biracial child stands a much better chance in life if she at least has a Japanese name; • In competitive America, a tennis player stands a much better chance of securing funding for training if she competes under the flag of a less competitive country like Japan. This even though, like so many foreign athletes, she trains exclusively in America. Game. Set. Match. The Osakas!

Anthony L. Hall is a native of The Bahamas with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com.

My office would clean the false some deserving family. Fronting reports up and punish the perpeis fraud and it is evil. trators. Most notably, we had the largest prime contractor, Huber, A great job Twenty-five years, later I got Hunt and Nichols, banned from into the minority business devel- state contracting for five years. opment arena. I became deputy That set the example. So that 6.2 commissioner for minority busi- percent level that I referred to was ness development for the state of real and verified. You had other Indiana. The job was tailor-made agencies such as the cities, school systems and major corporations for my background. I had Fortune 100 experience in infested with these false numbers sales management with Procter & via the use of fronting. Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and the Sara Lee Corporation. Also, I Fraud still exists served as a first lieutenant in the False claims of “minority busiUS Army’s Finance Branch. ness” is still alive today. I can deMy job was to assist minority tect it at the federal and state level businesses in winning contracts and, most apparently, at the mafrom the Department of Admin- jor corporation level. Agencies istration for the state of Indiana. such as the Small Business AdImmediately, I excelled at the job. ministration, National Minority I took the minority business per- Supplier Development Council, centage from 0.6 percent for state states, counties, cities and major procurement to 6.2 percent with- corporations are infested with a in 18 months. certain amount of fronting activIn verifying the numbers, I ity. quickly noticed a high amount of Bonafide and qualified firms false reporting of minority busi- are being denied equal opportuness activity. Many of the agen- nity because of the out-of-concies would send in false participa- trol evil activity. Many entities tion numbers. Most were duped will stress proper certification by prime contractors who would processes to prevent such activilie about the minority participa- ty. Well, you can find the certifition. It didn’t take long before cation process can be fraudulent I noticed there were majority- itself via bribes and false reportowned subcontractors who were ing. There are scandals popping portraying themselves as minor- up throughout the nation. ity. My auditing showed that 40 So when you read about minorpercent of the incoming numbers ity participation being reported were false. by governments and private cor-

porations please remember that fraud does exist more times than not. I have found it in the federal 8(a) program and the programs of some of our major cities – Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. – just to name a few. These agencies are under pressure to produce impressive numbers. Many of them will cut corners or be deceived by those reporting their performance to them.

but those who never look for Howard’s value outside of the rankings cannot see the university as an anchor of culture and training for the entire African Diaspora. It doesn’t reflect Howard opening a new healthcare center in an economically underserved section of Washington DC, or that the university yields more applications to medical school from AfricanAmericans than any other campus in the country. People can’t see that KSU in two years has looked to launch oncampus research centers examining the intersections of race and education, and educational attainment, in America’s heartland. The most recent, the Center for Research on the Eradication of Educational Disparities (CREED) will give the HBCU community additional clout to present as a sector of expertise on how the nation’s poor remain underserved, and how governance and economic can converge to reverse the trends. The list doesn’t detail Spelman as a top producer of Black women earning internships and career training in foreign affairs, North Carolina A&T as the nation’s largest historically Black institution with more than $64 million in sponsored research conducted by

a mostly minority faculty body, or NCCU researchers developing patents for cardiovascular disease tests, or FAMU launching an international conference to discuss the global water access crisis.

nation according to the listings, and officials attribute its success to improving resources for faculty, strategic enrollment planning, and workforce development pairing in academic programs. Spelman College took this year’s title as the top HBCU, leading a pack of private institutions in the top ten with North Carolina A&T State University, Florida A&M University, North Carolina Central University and Delaware State JARRETT University as the sole public instiCARTER SR. tutions in the top ten list. All of these schools benefit from GUEST COMMENTARY a slightly more contextual interpretation of US News’ historic Real accomplishments ranking formula, with less weight The list – while borderline racist given to six-year graduation rates and recently denounced by an HB- and more importance given to Pell CU chancellor – does give schools grant graduates. a chance to share the best parts of their efforts to boost educational Real work attainment and its outcomes with But what is overshadowed in a the world. And many HBCUs have list like this is the legitimate work shared great headlines. At Howard University, the 89th- each of these campuses puts in ranked school in the nation and not just to make an arbitrary list up 21 spots from the previous year, of schools which favors uber-rich officials promoted their efforts to elite private schools; it is the work boost retention, limit post-gradu- of developing programs, retaining ate debt burden and default rates, faculty, expanding research and generating economic impact for and time-to-completion goals. Kentucky State University is now students and communities alike. the 12-ranked public HBCU in the Howard is ranked for metrics,

Blocking qualified firms There will be cities like Chicago that will claim set-asides for minority-owned firms that will range in the 23 - 30 percent levels. The reality is they are infested with false reporting through the activity of front companies and outright fraud. They want to please the public, but much of it is smoke and mirrors. Just like we would block good construction workers from receiving quality work, these front companies are blocking bonafide firms from receiving the good work that was intended for them. I pray that someday we will clean this up. America deserves better.

Harry C. Alford is the cofounder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Contact him via www.nationalbcc.org.

Don’t get credit This is the work of improving and saving lives which all colleges do, but for which HBCUs never receive credit because their work is done primarily by and for people of color. And when our best work is ignored, and the rare occasion when it can be acknowledged is glossed over in favor of biased statistical analysis, it underscores the systems and cultures which make HBCUs less than desirable destinations for donors, for corporate partnerships, and most of all, for the nation’s talented Black students and faculty. Rankings are good but institutional results are better. Thank God HBCUs specialize in achieving the latter, even when the world around us is misled to believe institutional success is best reflected in the context-deprived former.

Jarrett L. Carter, Sr. is publisher of HBCU Digest (www.hbcudigest.com).

TOJ A6

NATION

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

TOM FOX/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS

Brandt Jean, brother of Botham Jean, hugs his sister Allisa Findley during a press conference on Monday. He was joined by his mother, Allison Jean (left), and attorney Benjamin Crump (second from right). Their attorney Lee Merritt (right) speaks to the media.

Plenty of questions about Texas shooting Dallas officer who shot man in his apartment charged BY NICHOLE MANNA FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM/TNS

DALLAS – Botham Jean’s family said they’re relieved that the Dallas police officer who killed Jean will face charges — but they still have unanswered questions. Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson said Monday that the case involving Officer Amber Guyger, 30, is now in the DA’s hands and that it will be up to the grand jury to decide if it’s a manslaughter or murder case. The timeline on a grand jury hearing isn’t known yet. “Trust me, we will present to the grand jury everything that we can possibly present to them,” Johnson said at a news conference. She declined to release any evidence or facts about what happened, saying she will not compromise the investigation.

‘Unjustified shootings’ Johnson said her office had a “spirited debate” with the Texas Rangers. She would not elab-

Amber Greyer

Botham Jean

orate on what that conversation entailed. U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey released a statement on the shooting Monday saying he joined the Dallas community in mourning “the senseless and tragic death of Botham “Bo” Jean. As I’ve said all too recently,” Veasey said, “there is a systematic failure in our criminal justice system to prosecute the unjustified shootings of black men and boys in this country. I’m deeply troubled that the Texas Rangers delayed issuing an arrest warrant for the suspect, who is a Dallas police officer, for so long.”

Homicide charge Guyger was arrested on a manslaughter charge on Sept. 9. But

that could change. She told Dallas police that when she got off of work on Thursday, Sept. 6, she went to the wrong apartment, thinking it was her own, and shot Jean, 26. The Dallas County medical examiner ruled Jean’s death a homicide by a gunshot wound to his chest. An hour after her arrest, Guyger posted a $300,000 bond and left the Kaufman County Jail.

St. Lucia response Attorneys for Jean’s family called a news conference later Monday morning regarding the charges. Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of St. Lucia was with the family and said there was a sadness looming over the sudden loss of life. The prime minister said he has seen a family in pain because they’ve lost a son and brother and also because they’ve been forced to sit and wait for justice. He said he was encouraged by word from the district attorney that the DA’s office is still investigating and gathering evidence to present to the grand jury.

‘Cries for justice’ Family attorney Lee Merritt said he wasn’t satisfied that it took three days to put Guyger in handcuffs. She was able to go home to her bed afterward, he said. “This city has to share in our cries for justice,” Merritt said. Dallas police policy is that officers have to remove their body cameras before leaving after a shift, he said. But he said he doesn’t view it as an off-duty shooting because she was still in uniform at the time and used her service weapon.

‘What went wrong?’ He said there are questions lingering and that the district attorney hasn’t told him or the family anything they didn’t already know, such as why Guyger didn’t know she was on the wrong floor of the apartment building where she lived or why she didn’t notice the red carpet that Jean’s mother bought him outside his door — it wouldn’t have been outside hers. “Why was she so quick to rely on deadly force?” he asked. “What went wrong in her training?” There’s a narrative floating around that when Guyger got to the door late Thursday night, it was closed but unlocked and that when she opened it, the lights were out and there was a silhouette of a man. She thought it was a burglar and shot him, the narrative goes. Merritt said he had heard that account but that the DA hasn’t

Trump, aides caught on tape laughing about Niger ambush BY CHRIS SOMMERFELDT NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/TNS

President Donald Trump drew laughs from some of his aides as he joked about what a “rough business” terrorism is while discussing an ambush in Niger that left four U.S. soldiers dead last year, according to Sgt. La David a covert recording Johnson released Monday. Trump made the comments during a closeddoor meeting at the White House in the wake of the Oct. 4, 2017, attack on the U.S. special forces, who were advising local troops fighting Islamic extremists in the African nation. Former White House communications aide Omarosa Manigault Newman secretly recorded the conversation and provided a

Crump joins case Merritt was joined by co-counsel Benjamin L. Crump, who told the gathering, “We don’t want to keep losing children to people meant to protect us.” At a news conference Sunday night, Crump lamented: “Black people have been killed by police in some of the most arbitrary ways in America. Blacks have been killed for ‘driving while Black’ in their automobiles, ‘walking while Black’ in their neighborhoods and now ‘living while Black’ in their own apartment. “Each time it is more shocking than before,” he said. “This crime was not only a shock for the Jean family, but also one that continues to astonish most sensible Americans.”

Dating rumors denied At the news conference on Monday, Jean’s mother, Allison Jean, thanked the community and the world for standing with her family. She said her No. 1 concern now is that she just wants to know what happened. In the days leading up to Guyger’s arrest, rumors swirled around the Internet that Jean and Guyger knew each other and had been dating. Merritt denied those rumors multiple times. He also called for more transparency in the case to stop rumors like that from forming, and to give the family answers.

light on what his views are on U.S. military involvement in Africa. “You know, it’s a rough business,” he can be heard saying on the recording. “They’re rough too, they want to kill us. We’ve let the military do what they have to do. And whether you call it rules of engagement or any way you want to say it, but we’ve let them do.”

tape of it to MSNBC on Monday afternoon.

Controversial call

‘A rough business’ The president can be heard on the tape telling his aides the U.S. and Nigerien troops “got attacked by 50 real fighters,” who he claimed were in Africa because the American military had chased them out of the Middle East. “So it’s a rough business. I wouldn’t, I don’t think I’d want to be a terrorist right now,” Trump said, prompting guffaws from the staffers in the room. “It’s not a good life. … The reason they’re there is because we forced them out, and it’s not nearly as many, it’s not nearly as intense, but it’s pretty intense, you see that happening. So that’s that.” Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was present for the meeting, did not return a request for comment.

confirmed to him that that was what happened.

MATIAS J. OCNER/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Myeshia Johnson is presented with the U.S. flag that was draped over the casket of her husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, during his burial service at Fred Hunter’s Hollywood Memorial Gardens in Hollywood on Oct. 21, 2017.

Ambush blame The ambush, which also left four Nigerien soldiers dead, has been shrouded in controversy since U.S. special forces in Africa are only supposed to advise and assist local troops from behind the front lines.

The Pentagon has blamed the bloody ambush on “individual, organizational, and institutional failures,” but has yet to fault any particular individual or strategic decision. During the private White House chat, Trump shed some

Trump infamously inflamed the ambush controversy further after he was accused of forgetting the name of one of the fallen soldiers while on a condolence call with his widow. “I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband’s name, and that’s what hurt me the most, because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country, why can’t you remember his name?” Myeshia Johnson, the wife of late Army Sgt. La David Johnson, told ABC News weeks after his death. Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Florida Democrat who was with Myeshia Johnson during the condolence call, also accused Trump of telling the widow that her husband “knew what he was getting into.” Trump denies ever making the comments.

IFE/FAITH Earlier start date for ‘Rel’ show See page B5

SEPT. 14 – SEPT. 20, 2018

SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE

Simple meals, bold flavors See page B6

SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA

WWW.FLCOURIER.COM

SECTION

JOSE A. IGLESIAS/EL NUEVO HERALD/TNS

David Cajuso, third from right, of the Miami Beach Fire Department salutes the flag as he watches it being lowered to half-staff during a ceremony in Miami Beach on Tuesday at the Miami Beach Fire Station 2.

MOMENTS OF SILENCE

Dignitaries, families, first responders mark the anniversary of 9/11 attacks. BY NOAH GOLDBERG AND LARRY MCSHANE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/TNS

EW YORK – It was another Tuesday morning in September, this one beneath grey skies, as the loved ones of the 2,753 New York victims of 9/11 marked the 17th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. Thousands of relatives, survivors and first responders filled ground zero for the somber annual ceremony marking the deadliest attack ever on U.S. soil. The sounds of drums and bagpipes filled the air when the service began at 8:42 a.m. followed by a moment of silence four minutes later to mark the moment when the first plane struck the North Tower. A second moment of silence was observed at 9:04 a.m., the time when the second plane struck the South Tower.

Political statement

AL DIAZ/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Firefighters and police attend the 9/11 Ceremony of Remembrance at Tropical Park, hosted by the Miami-Dade Police Department and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, on Tuesday. New York Yankees players stand next to first responders while observing a moment of silence during a 9/11 tribute before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday.

Fond recollections Most of the readers instead offered fond recollections of their loved ones. The younger brother of Luiz Jiminez Jr. — a 25-year-old Queens man killed while working at Marsh & McLennan — paid homage to his sibling. “The greatest brother of all time,” said Jimmy Jiminez. “We still miss you.” The passage of time brought some to the microphone who never met their lost relatives: Children and grandchildren unborn when the buildings collapsed, killing their loved ones. Even after 17 years, the recitation of the victims’ names remained powerful and moving as the crowd listened intently during the one-byone commemoration of the 9/11 dead.

CARLOS GONZALEZ/ MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/TNS

Even after 17 years, the recitation of the victims’ names remained powerful and moving as the crowd listened intently during the one-by-one commemoration of the 9/11 dead.

The annual recitation of the victims’ names, typically a straightforward part of the service, went suddenly off-script when the son of 9/11 victim Frances Haros called for an end to the politicization of the terror attacks. “One more thing if I may … This year network commentators said the president’s performance in Helsinki was a traitorous act as was 9/11,” said Nicholas Haros. “And last week a senator attacked a Supreme Court nominee and called him a racist for comments after 9/11. Stop. Stop. Please. Stop using the bones and ashes of our loved ones as props for your political theater. “Their lives and sacrifices are worth so much more. Let’s not trivialize them or us. It hurts.”

Pools, flags, T-shirts

YANG CHENGLIN/XINHUA/ZUMA PRESS/TNS

President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony held at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.

During the moments of silence, the sounds of the water flowing in the memorial’s two reflecting pools wafted through the damp morning air. An assortment of politicians, including Mayors Rudolph Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and Bill De Blasio, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, joined the mourners on the hallowed 16-acre stretch of Lower Manhattan. The event began with an NYPD contingent carrying an American flag through a crowd where many held photos and signs recalling their lost family members. Others wore T-shirts See MEMORIALS, Page B2

EVENTS

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Boca Raton: The Bethune-Cookman University football team plays Florida Atlantic University on Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. Tallahassee: The Florida A&M Rattlers’ football team faces Jackson State at 5 p.m. on Sept. 15 at Bragg Stadium. West Palm Beach: Edward Waters College’s football team vs. Keiser University at noon on Sept. 29. Tampa: The 15th Anniversary Freestyle Explosion is Sept. 15 at Tampa’s Amalie Arena. Performers: Stevie B, Lisa Lisa, Exposé, Taylor Dayne, TKA and George Lamond Hollywood: The Off Color Comedy Tour stops at Hollywood’s Hard Rock Live on Oct. 6. Performers include Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Tommy Davidson and David Alan Grier. Jacksonville: A Masquerade Extravaganza with actor Tony Grant as a special guest is set for Sept. 15 at the Ramada Inn Mandarin. It’s fundraiser for the October Soul Food Festival. More info: 904-576-2592

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

STOJ

JUNIOR CARNIVAL

The Miami Carnival season starts Sept. 29 with the Junior Carnival. Panorama is Oct. 5 and J’ouvert is Oct. 6. The parade of bands and concert is Oct. 7 at the MiamiDade County Fairgrounds. Details: www. miamibrowardcarnival. com.

FUTURE

Miramar: The White Party featuring Frankie Beverly and the Isley Brothers is set for Sept. 29 at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheatre.

Nicki Minaj’s concert featuring Future is Oct. 19 at AmericanAirlinesArena and Oct. 20 at Orlando’s Amway Center.

Miami Beach: Sting & Shaggy’s 44/876 tour stops at The Fillmore Miami Beach on Sept. 15. Orlando: The 15th Annual Caribbean Health Summit is Sept. 18 at the Central Florida Fair & Exposition Park hosted by the Center for Multicultural Wellness and Prevention Inc. Website: www.cmwp.org. Miami: Nick Cannon will present “Wild ‘N Out Live’’ at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sept. 14 and Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Sept. 16. Orlando: Tamia’s Passion Like Fire Tour stops at the House of Blues Orlando on Oct. 11. St. Petersburg: Tickets are on sale for a concert featuring Trick Daddy and Trina on Oct. 5 at Jannus Live.

ANSLEM DOUGLAS

The Stars of Trinidad and Tobago concert is Oct. 6 at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater. Performers include Blaxx, Anslem Douglas and the Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra.

Book tells how Florida White supremacist had change of heart, mind BY DR. GLENN C. ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Don Black was one of the first individuals to appear on “Hate. Com,’’ a 2000 HBO documentary. His Stormfront website, the narrator indicated, had established him as “the godfather of hate on the net.” The documentary also featured Derek Black, Don’s 11-year-old son, and the godson of David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Wearing a baseball cap adorned with a Confederate flag, Derek declared, “non-whites do not have the same values, ideals and beliefs that I have.” As a teenager, Derek Black became a White supremacist rock star. Host of DerekBlack.com, kids.stormfront.org, and his own radio show, he was elected a committeeman in Palm Beach County, Florida. He was counting on Republicans to stake out a claim as American’s White Party, Derek told his supporters: “We can infiltrate. We can take the country back.”

One man’s odyssey Home-schooled by Don and Chloe Black, Derek got straight A’s in a local community college. In 2010, Florida’s honors college accepted him as a transfer student. At New College in Sarasota, Derek began to question his views. In 2013, he publicly disavowed the White nationalist movement. In “Rising Out of Hatred,’’ Eli Saslow, a staff writer for the Washington Post, draws on hundreds of hours of interviews with Derek, Don Black and dozens

MEMORIAL from B1 bearing the names or likenesses of their victims.

Making it personal Edwin Morales came to honor his cousin Ruben Correa, an FDNY Engine 74 member who died helping people escape from the Marriott Hotel at the

BOOK REVIEW

Review of “Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist’’ by By Eli Saslow. Doubleday. 304 pages. $26.95 of their associates, friends and family members to tell the story of one person’s odyssey from the far-right fringe to the political mainstream. The book also illuminates Americans’ deeply entrenched differences over race, ethnicity and immigration.

Cultural lesson Saslow attributes Derek’s change of mind and heart to his intellectual curiosity and encounters with his fellow students. A voracious reader, Derek discovered that Europe had lagged behind the Islamic world in the Middle Ages. Emphasizing their superior religion and culture, Europeans did not think of themselves as White. In the United States, Derek also learned, structures of White supremacy remain very much in place.

Welcomed, challenged At New College, a bastion of liberalism and, some would say, political correctness, Derek was welcomed and challenged, at times by the same people. A native of Peru, Juan befriended him on orientation day. Matthew, an Orthodox Jew, in-

Trade Center site. “When the South Tower collapsed on the hotel, at that moment my cousin was killed,” said Morales, a National Guard reservist who arrived in full uniform. “They never found my cousin, so he is here with us right now.” Morales clutched a handmade, framed sign dedicated to his cousin and sent to him by a Pennsylvania student. The youngster chose Correa as his hero for a school project, then turned the sign over the late

vited him to a Shabbat dinner. Allison refuted his ideas about racial science, psychology, affirmative action, and social justice with dozens of data-laden studies. Attacking Derek was not productive, she told herself and her fellow students: “participate in diversity talks, be upset, and give a damn….talk about it, shed apathy, get involved, but do it constructively.” In time, the friendship between Allison and Derek became a romantic relationship.

Writer traces family’s quest for elusive dream of freedom

Moving narrative

When refugees of Liberia’s civil war began arriving in Minnesota in the 1990s, they encountered the typical challenges of new immigrants, along with some unexpected resentment from U.S.born Blacks. Minneapolis writer Shannon Gibney’s new novel, “Dream Country,” traces the roots of this conflict, following five generations of one family from a Virginia plantation to Liberia’s founding by freed slaves to a reverse migration 150 years later during the country’s brutal civil war. The story opens in Brooklyn CenShannon ter, where 16-yearGibney old Kollie is navigating adolescent turbulence as he tries to find his footing between cultures.

Saslow’s narrative is empathetic and often moving. He reminds us, for example, that as Derek thought and felt his way out of White supremacy, he had to deal with the disappointment, anger and ostracism of loving parents and relatives. He also had to balance his desire for anonymity (and an academic career as a medievalist) with an obligation, born of guilt and shame, to make amends for the damage he had caused.

Not typical That Derek has done so, with courage and compassion, serves as a reminder that he is not a typical White nationalist. He decided, after all, to attend liberal New College, to be open to new experiences, ideas, and intimate relationships with people he had believed were beneath him. And so, as we approach a pivotal moment for our country, with White nationalism and the alt-right exploding into mainstream politics, and Stormfront’s traffic tripling to 300,000 daily page views, it is not certain, alas, that Allison’s admirable approach will lead many true believers to rise out of hatred. Absent an alternative, however, it seems equally clear that we should keep trying.

Dr. Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He wrote this review for the Florida Courier.

firefighter’s family.

Never identified Morales’ tale of a death without a body was no anomaly among the mourners. Roughly 1,100 of the victims were never identified from the remains recovered at ground zero. The overcast morning stood in contrast to the Tuesday morning of the attack, when the skies were a bright blue as two hijacked planes slammed into the 110-story buildings. As the fog lifted during this

“Dream Country,’’ published by Dutton is 335 pages, $17.99. BY TRISHA COLLOPY STAR TRIBUNE

Too ‘jungle’ At his large public high school, he’s harassed by Black students for being too “jungle.” At home, his parents work long hours at menial jobs and expect him to be a dutiful son. He sees the school’s White security guard brutally beat a Black student, while later letting Kollie off with a wink.

Sent back home When these tensions boil over in a school fight that leads to Kollie’s suspension, his parents decide to send him back to Monrovia to keep him away from bad influences at home.

year’s event, the 1,176-foot One World Trade slowly appeared above the site. The ceremony also paid tribute to those killed in the Pentagon, aboard Flight 93 and in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

‘Send the ladybugs’ Lynn Downey, the daughter of legendary FDNY Deputy Chief Ray Downey, sent along greetings from the firefighter’s five children and 15 grandchildren to their missing patriarch.

The narrative loops back in time to Liberia in 1926, where Togar, a member of the Bassa ethnic group, is fleeing from agents of the country’s Liberico-American rulers, who want to force him to work on a plantation off the West African coast.

Full circle A deeper jump in time folds in the story of Yasmine, a freed slave who escapes the antebellum South with her children for what she hopes is a better life in the new colony of Liberia. The novel comes full circle with Kollie’s father, Ujay, who falls in love with a “privileged indigenous” woman in Monrovia, even as he puts his faith and ideals in a revolution that will spark two decades of civil war.

Knitting history “Dream Country” is an ambitious novel, tackling colonialism, slavery and racist violence across centuries, and the way that an oppressed group – such as freed slaves – can replicate that oppression in a new environment. Gibney’s linked stories and movement across time echo other historic epics, such as Yaa Gyasi’s “Homegoing,” that also attempt to knit a diasporic history on both sides of the Atlantic slave trade.

Big questions The challenge of this loosely linked form is that just as readers become invested in one character, the story jumps to another. Some of these jumps feel abrupt, abandoning characters deep into their narrative arc. But that frustration is balanced by sometimes hilarious encounters with minor characters, such as an old man Ujay tries to brush off before a date at a tea house. In the end, “Dream Country” asks big questions and exposes new histories as it digs into the complexities of what Gibney calls “the ongoing, spiraling history of the African-African American encounter.” As one character says, the dreamer is always part of the dream.

Downey, a 39-year veteran of the NYPD, died eight days before his 64th birthday. “Continue to send the ladybugs as a reminder that you are always with us,” she said. “May the 343 firefighters, the police officers and all innocent victims of that day rest in peace.” The rebuilding on the site of the terror attacks continues, with a new stop on the No. 1 train opening this past weekend and the 80-story 3 World Trade Center skyscraper opening this past June.

SEPTEMBER 14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

9 / 11 REMEMBRANCE

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

STOJ

FBI agents still dying from 9/11 toxins 15 have died from cancers linked to exposure during investigation, cleanup BY DEL QUENTIN WILBER LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

WASHINGTON – FBI agent Dave LeValley was driving to work in Manhattan when he saw the first jetliner strike the World Trade Center on a bright September morning 17 years ago. He quickly parked his car and sprinted to the scene, where he scoured for evidence and helped survivors while dodging falling debris and bodies. When the first tower collapsed, he dove into a bodega, escaping with his life. What he couldn’t outrun: the toxic cloud of dust. “We saw him a couple of hours later, and he looked like a snowman, covered head to toe in that stuff,” said Gregory W. Ehrie, a fellow FBI agent who spent several weeks with LeValley digging in the rubble.

Rash of deaths LeValley, who joined the FBI in 1996 and rose to lead the bureau’s Atlanta office, was diagnosed in 2008 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He died in May, age 53, from a different form of cancer that had metastasized to his brain. FBI officials and health experts say both were likely caused by carcinogenic fumes and dust after the Sept. 11 attacks. In all, 15 FBI agents have died from cancers linked to toxic exposure during the investigation and cleanup, the FBI says. Three of them, including LeValley, have died since March — a rash of deaths that has reopened traumas of the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history and sparked fresh anxieties. “It’s like bin Laden is still reaching out from the grave,” said FBI agent Thomas O’Connor, who is president of the FBI Agents Association, a service and advocacy group for active and former agents. “It affects us all in serious ways. People are dying, others are sick. Those that are not yet sick wonder: Is that headache, is it really cancer? Is that sore hip really cancer?”

Many more illnesses The 15 agents’ deaths, which the FBI says occurred in the performance of their duties, are only a tiny part of a much larger tragedy. More than 7,500 emergency responders, recovery and cleanup workers, and volunteers at the

GARY FRIEDMAN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

The facade of one of the towers of the World Trade Center lies in ruins as workmen work in the early morning hours on Sept. 14, 2001. three Sept. 11 crash sites have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer, according to the World Trade Center Health Program, which is administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York City officials say that more than 300 firefighters and police officers already have succumbed to cancers and other diseases related to the attacks.

Inappropriate gear Alongside police and firefighters, FBI agents combed the rubble for victims and clues at the crash sites — the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Scores of agents also spent 12-hour shifts sorting debris in warehouses and at the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island. Most did not wear appropriate safety gear because agencies did not understand the danger in the poisons unleashed by burning jet fuel and other hazardous material, according to O’Connor, who heads the FBI agents’ association. More than a dozen current and former agents who responded to the crash sites now have cancer, he added.

Stress every day O’Connor’s organization has urged agents to sign up for the federal health program, which provides medical monitoring and treatment to more than 71,000 former responders and 16,000 other survivors. He began to weep as he described watching his wife, Jean — also an FBI agent, who had rushed to the crash site at the Pentagon — open an envelope containing her test results. She got good news — she was just fine. “You have no idea the stress this causes,” O’Connor said, “every day.”

Selfless acts FBI Director Christopher Wray has eulogized the three agents who died this year and said the deaths have profoundly affected him and his agency. “It breaks my heart even more to see more victims, which is what they are, they’re victims of the 9/11 attacks in a different way,” Wray said in a statement, adding he spoke to LeValley and another agent, Brian Crews, before each died. “The thing that really jumps out to me about the three agents whose memorial services I’ve

been to is how just utterly selfless these people were,” Wray said. “They were extraordinary people.”

More benefits The FBI and the agents’ association are working with the Department of Labor to declare the deaths and illnesses of agents who responded to Sept. 11 a result of performance of their duties. That designation would make the victims’ families eligible for more federal benefits than the FBI provides by itself. The Labor Department has so far determined that five FBI agents’ deaths were caused by their exposure to Sept. 11 toxins, according to the agents’ group. The FBI and the agents’ association are seeking the same designation — and benefits — for the other 10 who died. A Labor Department spokesman declined comment on specific cases, citing agency guidelines.

More research Doctors and experts caution that more research is needed to draw conclusive links between specific diseases and exposure to Sept. 11 sites.

Fund for victims could run out of money BY NOAH GOLDBERG AND THOMAS TRACY NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/TNS

NEW YORK – The flood of people coming down with illnesses stemming from the toxic dust kicked up by the 9/11 terror attacks has been so great that the $7.3 billion dedicated to sufferers could run out before everyone has been helped, the Daily News has learned. The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, which is responsible for providing financial assistance to those suffering from illnesses caused by Ground Zero contaminants, is already showing signs of strain. “We do periodic assessments of our data,” VCF Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya told the Daily News. The assessments, she said, create projections that will determine if the fund will be able to help everyone before it expires on Dec. 18, 2020. “Looking at the data more recently, I’m starting to get a little concerned,” she said.

Advocates concerned Bhattacharyya wouldn’t say if the fund is running out of money. She said the VCF plans to publish its updated projections in the next few weeks “and maybe seek some public comment on changes that will have to be made regarding our policies and procedures.” Survivor advocates are concerned that, as the money peters out, those who file for compensa-

In 2017, about 371 families did so in the same time frame. And these numbers could con-

“Most (first responders) just rushed down there and were not protected from the toxins in the air or the dust cloud. They were literally eating and breathing this material. There were known carcinogens in the air.” FBI agent Scott McDonough breathed in those toxins for weeks. A member of an FBI helicopter crew, he was dispatched to New York and spent several weeks leaning out of a helicopter to take close-up photos of debris. “We flew through the dust,” he said. “It stuck to you. In your nose. In your lungs.”

‘Getting worse’

Jump in claims

‘Long latency periods’

‘Known carcinogens’

were either first responders or were in the trade union, or victims, survivors or volunteers,” former “Daily Show” host and 9/11-survivor advocate John Stewart told the Daily News. “I mean, this is an outrageous number.”

tion from now until the end will get less money than those who filed earlier with the same problems. “I’m pretty confident that they will run out of money,” said 9/11 advocate John Feal. “But I don’t think people should be concerned right now. I bet my one kidney that we will get the VCF extended.”

Sources with knowledge of the VCF’s money woes said that a bill to extend the fund could be brought to Congress as early as next month. Through Aug. 31, the VCF has reviewed 38,502 compensation claims from 9/11 illness sufferers this year — a nearly 28 percent jump over the 30,081 claims it took in last year over the same period. Of the 38,502, about 20,000 claims already have been approved with payouts that can range up to $200,000, depending on the illness. The VCF has also seen a 94 percent jump in “deceased claims” — requests for compensation by estates or family members of a 9/11 survivor who has already succumbed to illness. As of the end of August, 720 families have sought some form of financial compensation this year.

Several studies, including two published this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, have concluded that emergency teams and other rescue workers at the World Trade Center faced an increased risk of cancer. “We are now seeing a new wave of cancers coming in,” said Dr. Michael Crane, who runs a treatment and monitoring center financed by the federal health program at Mount Sinai Health System in New York.

ALBIN LOHR-JONES/SIPA/TNS

The name of a victim of the 9/11 attacks is seen adorned an American flag on the perimeter of a reflecting pool at a Sept. 11, 2017 ceremony commemorating the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center site. tinue to rise in the next few years, Bhattacharyya said. “There are diseases with long latency periods,” she said. “Mesothelioma is one that is talked about often, and you won’t even see it for 15 or 20 years. We won’t see those claims for a while.” According to the website Asbestos.com, an estimated 400 tons of asbestos — the microscopic fibers that cause mesothelioma — was used in the construction of the World Trade Center. All of it was released into the air when the buildings were pulverized into dust.

About $3 billion left A source with knowledge of the assessment procedure said the VCF still has more than $3 billion in funding left to distribute, so any

concerns Bhattacharyya might have are not imminent. “We’re required by statute to periodically reassess our policies and procedures to make sure we are prioritizing the claimants with the most debilitating conditions,” the source said. “Her concerns are part of the periodic reassessment process that was built into the statute. It’s part of what the statute requires VCF to do.”

‘Outrageous number’ As of June, 88,484 first responders and survivors have registered with the World Trade Center Health Program. Of that number, roughly 10,000 have some form of cancer that has been certified by the program. “(That’s) 10,000 people that

So many survivors have been coming through the door that the program has opened a new clinic on Franklin Street in Lower Manhattan that will see an estimated 750 patients a month. According to the best estimates, 90,000 first responders showed up at the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the attack. An additional 400,000 survivors lived and worked in the area at the time. Of that number, about 55,000 first responders and fewer than 20,000 survivors have registered with the World Trade Center Health Program — meaning thousands more could be signing up in the next few years. “The numbers are real,” said Feal. “This is not getting better. It’s getting worse.”

Deaths every day Feal estimates that someone dies of a 9/11-related illness an average of every 2.7 days. Neither the VCF nor the World Trade Center Health Program keeps records on how many people have died of a 9/11-related illness, but Feal says the number is close to 2,100. By the 20th anniversary of 9/11, more people will have died of an illness stemming from Ground Zero than the 2,700 who died at the Twin Towers that day. “More people will have cancer,” he said. “More people will have died, and that pains me.”

STOJ

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Moonves wanted to destroy Jackson’s career after Nipplegate BY PETER SPLENDORIO NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/TNS

Les Moonves long held a grudge against Janet Jackson following the infamous Nipplegate scandal at the 2004 Super Bowl and wanted there to be hell to pay, according to a new report. Moonves — the CEO of CBS Corp. who was recently accused of sexual misconduct — didn’t

believe it was an accident when Justin Timberlake removed a piece of Jackson’s costume, exposing her right breast, during their halftime performance, and he was embarrassed the incident took place on his airwaves, HuffPost reported, citing sources. He never believed Jackson was remorseful enough after the incident and was unhappy she didn’t issue the type of apology to him that Timberlake — who was al-

legedly moved to tears when he said sorry — apparently did, according to the website.

Both banned Timberlake was allowed to perform at the Grammys, which also aired on CBS, after his apology, even though Moonves had initially banned both him and Jackson from doing so following the Super Bowl. The Grammys took place a

week after the Super Bowl that year. Jackson had an album come out the following month, and Moonves reportedly instructed every Viacom entity — including MTV and VH1 — not to play Jackson’s music. Multiple CBS insiders told Huffpost that they believed Moonves’ stance on Jackson after the Super Bowl impacted the way the general public viewed her following the scandal.

Moonves out Both Timberlake and Jackson have said the Super Bowl incident was a wardrobe malfunction. Moonves was also reportedly irate when he learned Jack-

B5 son had landed a book contract with the CBSowned Simon & Schuster in 2011. CBS declined to comment on the report. Moonves was Les accused of sexual Moonves misconduct by six women in a report by The New Yorker published in July. Four of the women accused Moonves of forcible touching or kissing, while all six said their careers were negatively impacted after they rejected an advance from him. (He resigned his CBS position on Sunday.)

More exposure Being in front of an audience feels natural to Howery because most of the Chicago native’s early years were spent working in comedy clubs. He made a few TV appearances, including “Last Comic Standing,” but the past few years have given Howery a lot more exposure between the two seasons of “The Carmichael Show” and his work in the popular horror film “Get Out.” In a similar way to how Jerry Seinfeld and Carmichael adapted their routine to a TV series, Howery will do the same. Those who have seen his stand-up will hear him talk about some familiar topics such as deadbeat dads, his views on pastrami, gangs, politics and the unnerving nature of dating a woman who wears “loose boots.”

Serious moments

FOX/TNS

‘Rel’ stars Lil Rel Howery, best known for his role in “The Carmichael Show’’ and the “Get Out’’ movie.

‘Rel’ gets early jump on fall TV season BY RICK BENTLEY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

LOS ANGELES – The 20182019 network television season will generally start the third week of September. It is the beginning of a period of hope, chaos, success and failure that will continue for about a month. During those few weeks, the networks will look to draw viewers back to returning shows and get as much attention as possible for new series. Fox has only two new original programs starting in the fall with “The Cool Kids” and “Rel.” The

network is also adding “Last Man Standing,” the Tim Allen comedy that has been off the air for a year since being canceled by ABC. To make sure “Rel” gets attention before the flood of new shows launch, the network will air the comedy starring Lil Rel Howery (“The Carmichael Show”) immediately following the “NFL on Fox” doubleheader Sunday. The second episode will air Sept. 30 in its regular 9:30 p.m. time slot.

husband on the West Side of Chicago whose perfect life falls apart when he learns his wife has been having an affair with his barber. After his wife and children move to Cleveland, Rel looks to rebuild his life. Howery and Jarrod Carmichael, an executive producer on “Rel,” talked long before “The Carmichael Show” ended regarding what Howery’s stand-up would look like if presented as a multi-camera TV comedy.

Life falls apart

‘Easy transition’

The first episode has Howery playing a hardworking father and

Once NBC canceled Carmichael’s show, Howery was avail-

FLORIDA’S

finest

able to take on a series that would give him the opportunity he wanted. “What I love about the multicam live studio audience feel, it kind of feels the same,” Howery said. “It’s been an easy transition. I think, for a stand-up comic, to be honest with you, sitcoms are, to me, the easiest way to translate your material into a television show, because you still have the same feel.” Howery loves the instant feedback he gets when filming the show in front of an audience. If there are elements of the script that aren’t getting laughs on the night the show is taped, then Howery knows it won’t get any laughs from the viewers sitting in their homes.

One other element Howery’s bringing from his time on “The Carmichael Show” is the willingness to mix in dramatic moments when it fits the story. The TV comedies Howery liked the most when he was younger often slipped in serious moments. He specifically mentions an episode of the Michael J. Fox comedy “Family Ties,” where Alex’s friend got killed by a drunk driver. “I love stuff like that,” Howery says. “And throughout the season, you are going to see different moments like that. We’ve got an episode that, right now, it’s more or less almost really dedicated to my mom, who passed away in ’09, and it’s going to be very the way I want to do it is very beautiful. The bottom line for Howery — whether it be comedy or drama in “Rel” — is to be as honest as possible. He’s getting some help, as the cast also includes Jessica “Jess Hilarious” Moore, Jordan L. Jones and Sinbad.

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier.com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.

Thousands of Caribbean culture lovers converge on South Florida every year before and during the Columbus Day weekend to attend the annual Miami Broward Carnival, a series of concerts, pageants, parades, and competitions. On Carnival Day, “mas” (masquerade) bands of thousands of revelers dance and march behind 18-wheel tractor-trailer trucks with booming sound systems from morning until nightfall while competing for honors. Here are some of the “Finest” we’ve seen over the years. Click on www.flcourier to see hundreds of pictures from previous Carnivals. Go to www.miamibrowardcarnival.com for more information on Carnival events in South Florida. CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER

FOOD

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

STOJ

Simplify and savor dinner

WITH BOLD FLAVORS FROM FAMILY FEATURES

A busy day doesn’t have to come between you and your favorite people at mealtime. With a little creativity and a simple ingredient like olive oil, you can set the table with flavorful meals and surround yourself with the company of friends and family, enjoying the experience together. There’s no need to get complicated when you have quality ingredients like olive oil to add some extra zest. You can have flavor at the ready with Olive Oil Ice Cubes, for example. Add fresh herbs from your garden to an ice cube tray then fill with smooth, light and flavorful olive oil and freeze. Whenever you need to get the flavor sizzling, simply toss a cube into the pan. Create a nearly effortless dressing with olive oil for a recipe like Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Berries and Pecans. White fish fillets like cod also pair well with an olive oil-based pesto, which can help ensure you’re prepared for any stressful day that dares to challenge your time around the table, allowing you to enjoy life’s pure moments. Olive oil even adds flavor to sweet and succulent desserts, such as ChocolatePumpkin Cake. When the minutes start to slip away, capture them back with recipes that use olive oil to create meals you can feel good about while savoring the company of those around you. Make every moment count and find more simple, enjoyable recipes at Bertolli. com. ARUGULA SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE, BERRIES AND PECANS Prep time: 15 minutes Servings: 1-2 7 cups arugula 2 ounces goat cheese 1/2 cup pecans, toasted 1 cup mixed berries (such as blackberries or strawberries) Dressing: 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1tablespoon finely minced shallots 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil In bowl, toss arugula, goat cheese, pecans and mixed berries. To make dressing: In bowl, mix lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt and olive oil. Add dressing to salad for serving.

OLIVE OIL CUBES Assorted herbs ice cube trays Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil Break up herbs by hand. Add herbs to trays. Fill trays with olive oil and gently set in freezer; allow to solidify. When cooking, use cubes for added flavor.

WHITE FISH FILLETS WITH PESTO Total time: 15 minutes Servings: 2 Fish: 2 cod fillets (about 7 ounces each) salt, to taste Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to taste Red Pesto: 1 bunch basil 2 tablespoons cashews 1 1/6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil water To prepare fish: Rub both sides of fillets with salt and olive oil while heating saucepan. Sear fillets meat-side first followed by skin-side. Heat oven to 350 F. To make Red Pesto: Puree basil, cashews, Parmesan cheese and olive oil while adding small amount of water. Add additional olive oil as necessary, ensuring sauce is thick enough to cover fish. Place fish in oven tray, cover with Red Pesto and bake 5 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-PUMPKIN CAKE Total time: 20 minutes 2 eggs 8 1/3tablespoons sugar 8 1/3tablespoonsBertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil 8 1/3tablespoons flour 1teaspoon cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 1/3 tablespoons pumpkin 1/4 teaspoon baking powder Heat oven to 350 F. Mix eggs with sugar thoroughly and beat until bubbles form. Slowly add in olive oil while continuing to stir mixture. Add flour, cocoa powder, salt, pumpkin and baking powder; using whisk, mix well. Pour into cake mold lined with baking paper and bake 15 minutes. Let cool and remove cake from mold.