Florida Courier, January 26, 2018

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JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

VOLUME 26 NO. 4

‘WE WERE BAMBOOZLED’ That’s the summary of a lawsuit filed by Bethune-Cookman University against three of its former top administrators, including its ex-president and ex-chief financial officer.

Download B-CU’s lawsuit at flcourier.com

BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF

DAYTONA BEACH – Hush money. Conspiracy. Bribery.

In a 164-page lawsuit that reads like a true crime short story, Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) has sued three of its top former administrators; the developer of what the lawsuit calls “The Ill-Conceived Dormitory Project” that may cost the school more than $300 million; and a consultant who helped bring the disastrous deal together.

Former B-CU President Dr. Edison Jackson; Chief Financial Officer Emmanuel Gonsalves; vice president of Institutional Advancement Dr. Hakim Dr. Edison Lucas; MarylandJackson based real estate developer Darnell Dailey; and Orlando-based consultant Mark Glover were all personally sued in the court action filed Monday in Volusia County’s Seventh Judicial Circuit.

The lawsuit does not ask for a

specific amount from the defendants. However, given the circumstances, money damages to B-CU could run easily into the tens of millions.

The ‘Jackson Triad’ In a section entitled “Background Allegations,” the legal action essentially washes some of Jackson’s proverbial dirty laundry in public, including previous allegations of financial mismanagement levied at him during his previous tenure as a college president.

“Dating back to approximately the 2000s, Defendants Jackson, Lucas and Gonsalves (sometimes collectively the ‘Jackson Triad’) were all employed by Medgar Evers College” located in New York City, it begins.

See B-CU, Page A2

CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER

The controversy over a dormitory building project that is projected to cost Bethune-Cookman University more than $300 million has hit a new milestone.

HURRICANE IRMA

Still recovering in the Keys

Restoration on the ballot Floridians to decide ex-felons’ rights

BY DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – More than 1.5 million Floridians now unable to participate in elections would automatically have their voting rights restored, under a proposed constitutional amendment that will go before voters in November.

The “Voting Restoration Amendment,” which was approved Tuesday to appear on the ballot as Amendment 4, would automatically restore voting rights to felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation and paid restitution. Murderers and sex offenders would be excluded.

“Voters took matters in their own hands to ensure that their fellow Floridians, family members and friends who’ve made past mistakes, served their time and paid their debts to society are given a second chance and the opportunity to earn back their ability to vote,” Desmond Meade, chairman of the political committee, said in a prepared statement.

If approved by 60 percent of voters, as required for all constitutional amendments, the change would bring Florida in line with nearly every other state in the nation.

Jim Crow holdover CHARLES TRAINOR JR./MIAMI HERALD/TNS

A recreational vehicle remained sunk in a canal in Marathon in the Florida Keys on Jan. 18, more than four months after Hurricane Irma ravaged the middle keys in September 2017.

The restoration of felons’ rights has long been controversial in Florida, with critics of the state’s process comparing it to post-Civil War Jim Crow policies designed to keep See RIGHTS, Page A2

Jamaica on high alert for gang violence

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES MIAMI HERALD / TNS

Jamaica’s national security minister told the country’s lawmakers that a heightened state of alert sparked by warring violent gangs in St. James Parish is “going very well,” and has led to the arrest of a Florida man wanted on multiple sexual offenses involving minors.

National Security Minister Robert Montague did not provide details in the arrest of Peter Marley, 51, the Florida man.

But Montague said he was among

ALSO INSIDE

197 people detained since the state of emergency went into effect last week for Western Jamaica after an uptick in gun violence. That led the United States, Canada and Great Britain to issue travel warnings to their citizens.

‘Tell us’ “We asked for and are getting unprecedented support from the public,” Montague said in Parliament as he defended the deployment of soldiers and additional police officers on the streets. “We ask that members of the public continue to flood us with information. Tell us where the guns are!

Tell us where the gunmen, lotto scammers and criminals are.”

However, Montague warned that the state of emergency is “not a panacea” for Jamaica’s spiraling crime problems.

Thousands dead Last year, Jamaica welcomed more than 3.8 million cruise and overnight

visitors in 2016. It also logged 1,616 killings and 1,469 shootings. More than 330 people were murdered in St. James Parish alone.

Normally criticized by the population, the state of emergency, enacted

by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, has been welcomed by most Jamaicans. It is a procedural matter that allows the government to deploy the army and beef up police presence in certain geographical areas. It also allows security forces to stop individuals and conduct searches and arrests without a warrant.

So far, the alert is only confined to St. James and its communities, which include Montego Bay, a site that national security adviser Maj. Gen. Antony Anderson called “a very secured environment” that continues to receive tourists who are going about their normal business.

“We understand the challenges and the perception,” he said. “But it’s safe for our visitors and for our citizens.”

SNAPSHOTS NATION | A6

Cosby telling jokes in public again

FLORIDA | A3

Company donates $45 million to Step Up For Students

HEALTH | B3

Innocent gunshot victims face lifelong issues

ADOPTIONS | A3

A home for Ashanti

COMMENTARY: A. PETER BAILEY: CANCELLATION OF MARTIN’S SHOW SIGN OF BLACK POWERLESSNESS | A4 COMMENTARY: DR. WILMER LEON: WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU WHO THEY ARE, BELIEVE THEM | A5

A2

FOCUS

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Blame B-CU’s trustees for financial crisis Bethune-Cookman University Interim President Hubert Grimes announced that the university has filed a lawsuit against former President Edison Jackson, former Institutional Advancement VicePresident Hakim Lucas, and several parties involved with the damaging deal that gained national attention and preceded Jackson’s August 2016 resignation: As many of you will recall from the 2012-2013 timeframe, a shortage of student housing – coupled with safety concerns for certain students living off-campus – created the need for a larger dormitory on campus. To address these issues, we set out to find the best options possible, given our financial circumstances and lack of business credit.

An internal committee was formed to analyze prospective bids for the project. This committee’s ultimate recommendation to the Board of Trustees was based upon a set of representations made by one of the bidders, Quantum (including its related entities). Based on the representations and assurances of Quantum, the committee suggested retaining Quantum as the developer of the project. That recommendation was then passed along to the University’s Board of Trustees.

However, the information then

JL CARTER SR. HBCU DIGEST

presented to the Board of Trustees was very different than – and far less favorable than – what was presented to the initial screening committee.

Following a review of the different and conflicting representations made by Quantum and its representatives to the Board of Trustees, the proposed deal was nevertheless approved, and the dormitory was ultimately constructed.

Additionally, the terms of the transaction proved to be incredibly unfavorable to B-CU. According to the construction company that actually built the dormitory, the project cost $59.2 million. However, BCU paid $85 million for the facility; further, if this deal were to continue through its stated maturity, the cost – including interest and other payments – would reach a staggering $306 million.

Such an arrangement could cripple this institution. Obviously, something was very wrong.

No cash or credit First, it’s clear that the school

had no business building a dorm in the first place. Even in the face of increased enrollment, the school didn’t have the cash or the credit to ensure an affordable bill for a contract spread out over decades.

Despite having evidence from the beginning that something was wrong, including direct opposition from a board member, B-CU trustees agreed with near unanimity to proceed with construction and unfavorable repayment terms anyway.

Getting out of the contract will require the school to pay massive legal fees, to be subject to legal discovery, media leaks and to engage in public court proceedings which, in the best of circumstances, will reveal staggering executive naïveté or massive corruption in the worst of them.

Staying in the contract and keeping the school open will require students to foot the bill, or to suffer the impact of cuts to academics and personnel in order to meet the monthly payment.

Either scenario could cause alumni to reject supporting the school, donors to back away and students to keep away, putting even more of a financial drain on the campus and its chances for a clean accreditation reaffirmation in 2020.

Trustees to blame It all falls at the feet of B-CU trustees, who even if they can present a compelling other side of the story, remain the fiduciaries of the university and its busi-

ness dealings.

Even if they were swindled by former administrators and the construction company, it’s their job to maintain a membership which can avoid being swindled, can hire a president who isn’t in the business of swindling, and can raise the capital to be able to deal with a worst-case scenario.

Indeed, this is a worst-case scenario because it speaks to many of the stereotypes so many HBCU students, graduates and opponents hold about Black college leadership; that our greatest challenge isn’t deficiencies in race relations or resources, but in our own integrity and business acumen.

Even worse, the story and its impact on HBCU stereotype threat extends well past Daytona Beach. Dr. Hakim J. Lucas is the sitting president of Virginia Union University, a school which has in recent years dealt with its own financial hardships and controversies.

Even if he is not involved in or has knowledge of any wrongdoing associated with this fiasco, his name merely being mentioned is enough to stir leaders and stakeholders from Daytona Beach to Richmond over this story.

Too many people believe that our leaders are either stealing money, or don’t know how to make it; and that if they are guilty of either charge, then no one should be eager to sign up for what they are selling.

Today, it should be hard for anyone to believe in BethuneCookman University as a worthy

source for investment. The same board members who greenlit this destructive construction project appear to remain in authority, and we don’t know who opposes them because they still serve with the offenders. And all of them continue to serve in silence.

Petrock silent In recent years, Board Chairman Joe Petrock has rarely missed an opportunity to have his name, his words or his picture integrated fully with the strategic leadership of the university. Now you can hardly find any public appearance from him, or word of explanation on this historically bad transaction.

Even with self-imposed changes on an inept board and financial shifting to pay its bills, the school will now find its permanent presidential search more difficult, its development prospects more complicated, and its public trust eroded.

B-CU is a long way from the $1.50 it took Mary McLeod Bethune to establish its foundation.

It is amazing to imagine that her leadership and that amount of money may in the future be remembered among the school’s stronger eras of fiscal management.

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

RIGHTS from A1 Blacks from casting ballots.

Meade, a convicted felon and law-school graduate who struggled for years to have his rights restored, spearheaded the campaign, largely bankrolled by the American Civil Liberties Union and other big donors.

Black state legislators have tried repeatedly to change state law to allow the automatic restoration of rights. But the Republican-dominated Legislature either quashed or ignored the efforts.

Millions restored The change would apply to people who complete their sentences in the future as well an estimated 1.5 million Floridians, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, which helped get the Florida initiative on the ballot.

“The voting requirement (for passage) is 60 percent, but there’s a lot of popular support from all types of Floridians who believe in the idea of second chances and who recognize that this current policy makes Florida an extreme outlier,” Myrna Perez, director of the Voting Rights and Elections Project at the Brennan Center, told The News Service of Florida in an interview Tuesday.

Dysfunctional process Critics of the current system say the application process is lengthy, cumbersome and imposes unreasonable burdens on

Myrna Perez

Rick Scott

Pam Bondi

Adam Putnam

Jimmy Patronis

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Floridians have a chance to bring the state in line with most of the country by automatically restoring ex-offenders’ voting rights after their criminal sentences are completed. felons – including travel to Tallahassee to appear before the Board of Executive Clemency, comprised of Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.

Meade, for example, originally applied to have his rights restored in 2006, but he got caught up in a backlog of thousands of others eager to take advantage of changes authorized by former Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabi-

B-CU from A1 “Jackson was the President of Medgar Evers from approximately 1989 to 2009. Lucas held numerous high-ranking positions at Medgar Evers from approximately 2002 to 2009, and, during much of that time reported directly to Jackson. Gonsalves also held various high-ranking positions at Medgar Evers during the 2000s, and also directly reported to Jackson.

“Shortly after Jackson left Medgar Evers in 2010, numerous questions arose concerning irregularities in the school’s finances.

An internal audit of Medgar Evers confirmed that significant funds had been improperly pilfered from the school during Jackson’s tenure as President. These financial improprieties occurred because Jackson created, or permitted, an environment consisting of loose organizational and financial management policies,” the lawsuit states.

Interestingly, none of these allegations came to light publicly before Jackson was appointed as B-CU’s interim president in March 2012, or in 2013 when he became its full-time president.

Desmond Meade

Dr. Hakim Lucas

Emmanuel Gonsalves

B-CU finances targeted?

The lawsuit alleges that Jackson brought Lucas and Gonsalves with him to B-CU and eventually placed them into two of the most powerful positions in the school’s administration, where the three purportedly proceeded to rob BCU blind by pushing a dormitory deal that was “pre-cooked” from its inception.

According to lawsuit, once “The Jackson Triad was reunited in Daytona Beach – fully intact…the stage was set for the school to suffer through unprecedented financial and managerial improprieties that were engineered, promoted, condoned or permitted to occur

by Jackson, Lucas and Gonsalves.”

This was done, according to the lawsuit, by the Jackson Triad secretly aligning with Dailey the developer and his associated legal entities “to pursue a purported ‘approval’ by B-CU of the

net that made restoration easier.

By the time Meade’s application was examined, he was no longer eligible for the quasi-automatic restoration of civil rights, which include the right to vote.

By then, the new system instituted in 2011 had taken effect.

Meade, originally convicted of drug crimes and, later, of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm, received a letter the same year the 2011 changes went into effect telling him he had to wait at least another year to peti-

proposed dormitory project at a highly inflated price.

“The supposed ‘price’ of the dormitory project – announced to be $72 million during the ‘approval’ process, but which was actually and secretly $84 million all along – was grossly excessive on its face, and tens of millions of dollars more costly than a project of this nature properly would have run,” the lawsuit claims.

“The same or substantially similar amenities could have been constructed for a fraction of the amount ultimately charged to BCU by Dailey and his affiliates.

The current appraised value of the dormitory is for less than the amounts charged to B-CU.” The legal action alleges violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, civil remedies for criminal practices, breach of fiduciary duty and conspiracy to commit breach of fiduciary duty; constructive fraud and conspiracy to commit constructive fraud; and breach of promissory note.

Trusting, ignorant trustees According to the lawsuit, in October 2014, Gonsalves presented to B-CU’s Board of Trustees an overview of the proposed dormitory project prepared and provided by Dailey as “a cheerleader piece... for the purpose of affirma-

tion to have his rights restored – more than five years after he had first applied.

Focus on system He said he abandoned his effort and instead focused on revamping the system, pointing out that some people have waited more than a decade just for a hearing to have their rights restored.

Meade earned a law degree from Florida International Uni-

versity in 2014 but is unable to apply for a license to practice law until he has his rights restored.

After the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments about the petition last year, Meade called the inability to vote “a cloak of shame.”

tively misleading the balance of B-CU’s leadership about the true (and very unfavorable) terms of the proposed deal.”

When the overview was presented, “B-CU officials completely trusted Gonsalves (and Lucas and Jackson), and had no idea, and no reason to believe, that Gonsalves (or Lucas and Jackson) had secretly “switched teams” and was/were actually promoting the interests of Dailey and his affiliates,” it alleges.

“Because much of the misconduct had been secretly carried out by senior leaders of B-CU, B-CU as an organization – staffed by a new executive team after the departures of the Jackson Triad – did not immediately realize or discover the magnitude of the predecessors’ misconduct. To this date, certain of the finite details of the Defendants’ misconduct remain to be established through discovery.”

The lawsuit does not mention that some alumni and board trustees had hard questions about the dorm deal as far back as 20142015, as has been reported in multiple Florida Courier stories.

Some demanded a forensic audit to uncover the fraudulent activity B-CU now alleges. By almost a unanimous vote, B-CU trustees refused to authorize the audit or any further internal investigation.

Hush money, rush job B-CU now also alleges that Lucas and Gonsalves, with Jackson’s knowledge, “secretly and improperly authorized and gave certain ‘hush bonuses’ to various employees of B-CU who became privy to various aspects of the dormitory project.

“These hush bonuses were provided for the specific purpose of obtaining the cooperation and silence of the recipients, and to discourage them from interfering with the completion of the ill-advised dormitory project,” it states.

No current or former B-CU employees were named in the lawsuit as receiving such illicit payments.

B-CU also accuses the Jackson Triad of fast-tracking the dorm project for a nefarious purpose.

“Jackson improperly allowed construction of the dormitory project to begin before it had actually been ‘approved by B-CU (even though such “approval” was always uninformed, defective, and without legal effect),” the legal complaint states.

“The rush to begin construction was intended to make it difficult, from a practical and public relations perspective, to then “stop” a project that Jackson, Lucas and Gonsalves knew full-well was not properly authorized and which never should have begun.”

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

FLORIDA

A3 ship Program for financially disadvantaged schoolchildren.

The program is funded with tax-credited donations and allows parents and schoolchildren to choose between a K-12 scholarship that helps with private school tuition and fees, or one that assists with transportation costs to out-of-county public schools.

“Thanks to the support and generosity of our donors, Step Up For Students is helping parents find the best learning environment for their children that they otherwise couldn’t afford,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students. “On behalf of our Step Up families, we thank Breakthru Beverage for its continued commitment and generosity.”

A grateful principal

Eric Pfeil, executive vice president of Breakthru Beverage Florida shakes the hand of Pentab Academy fourth-grader Taneisha Micelus, while Principal Barbara Sharpe looks on at the school in Miami. The girl was presenting Pfeil with thank-you notes from Step Up For Students scholars during an event celebrating Breakthru’s $45 million donation.

Company donates $45 million to Step Up For Students Beverage distributor providing scholarships for lower-income families around state FORT LAUDERDALE – Breakthru Beverage Florida, one of the largest distributors of wines,

spirits and non-alcoholic beverages in the state, announced today it is donating $45 million to the Step Up For Students Scholarship Program.

The company’s donation will fund more than 6,880 K-12 scholarships for lower-income Florida schoolchildren for the current

school year.

Since 2011, Breakthru Beverage Florida has contributed more than $254 million, providing more than 45,600 scholarships.

“Communities thrive when we all do our part and work together. Breakthru Beverage is proud to support Step Up For Students

and give Florida students an opportunity to reach their highest potential,” said Eric Pfeil, executive vice president of Breakthru Beverage Florida. “We’re confident these students will aim high and will be future leaders in our community. We look forward to a long relationship with Step Up For Students.”

Assists K-12 students This is the seventh consecutive year Breakthru Beverage Florida has contributed to the nonprofit organization that administers the Florida Tax Credit Scholar-

The announcement was made recently at Pentab Academy in Miami, which serves prekindergarten through eighth-grade students. More than half of its 260 students use Step Up For Students scholarships.

“At Pentab Academy, our goal is to educate the whole child – academically, emotionally and spiritually. Many of our families could not afford a private school education for their children without the help of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and Step Up For Students,” said Barbara Sharpe, Pentab Academy principal. “We are grateful to Breakthru Beverage Florida for being a leader and giving back to our community.”

For the 2017-18 school year, Step Up For Students is serving more than 100,000 students throughout Florida with tuition scholarships valued at up to $6,343 per student for kindergarten through fifth grade, $6,631 for sixth through eighth grade, and $6,920 for ninth through 12th grade.

More than 1,700 private schools participate in the scholarship program statewide.

For more information, visit www.StepUpForStudents.org.

CHILDREN’S BOARD OF TAMPA BAY HEART GALLERY PHOTO BY JONATHAN RIDGELY

ADOPTIONS

A home for Ashanti COURTESY OF VISTRA COMMUNICATIONS

Brian Butler, Vistra Communications’ president and CEO, holds the scissors for the 2017 ribbon cutting at the company’s new location in Lutz as his family and employees look on. The company has 70 employees.

Black-owned public relations firm buys marketing company Vistra Communications, a Blackowned public relations and marketing agency in Hillsborough County, has acquired Marketing Associates USA, a Tampa-based marketing, promotional and branding agency that specializes in a broad range of services for major corporations and federal government agencies.

The agreement between Vistra and Marketing Associates provides an immediate enhancement of creative, branding, traditional and experiential marketing services to the Vistra portfolio.

“The combination of Vistra with Marketing Associates provides our clients an amazing suite of communications and marketing services uniquely designed to help them reach their goals,” said Brian Butler, president and CEO of Vistra. “This acquisition is part of our long-term strategy of growing our large corporate client portfolio, while extending our government services.”

Enhances both businesses The acquisition of Marketing Associates enhances the ability for Vistra to leverage its SBA 8(a) Certified and ServiceDisabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) credentials with large corporations and federal government contracts.

“The Vistra Communications acquisition further enhances Marketing Associates’ portfolio of services, capabilities and offerings for its clients including na-

tional corporations and nonprofit organizations,” said Jeff Darrey, CEO and founder of Marketing Associates USA. “Our business values are closely aligned with those of Vistra, further supporting the new relationship.”

Jeff Darrey

Effective this month

Marketing Associates USA will leverage Vistra’s existing infrastructure to provide marketing strategies and capabilities to clients.

The integration of both companies became effective on Jan. 2, which was the 40th-year anniversary of the founding of Marketing Associates by Darrey.

Marketing Associates USA has become Marketing Associates – A Division of Vistra. The entire Marketing Associates staff also became Vistra team members.

Vistra’s headquarters is located at 18315 N. US Highway 41, Lutz. The company has 70 employees.

Charitable work Butler and Darrey were originally introduced to discuss their shared interest in Trinity Cafe, a not-for-profit restaurant that has unconditionally served more than 1.3 million meals to the homeless and those in need in an environment of

love, care, dignity and respect.

Butler has been a strong supporter, encouraging Vistra team members to volunteer at Trinity Cafe. Darrey is the board chair of Trinity and founding director.

Their mutual interest in service work and charitable passions led to extensive business discussions.

Top Tampa company Butler founded Vistra in 2007 after a successful U.S. Army career.

Vistra was honored as the 2016 Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year in the 21-50 employee category. He also was a 2016 finalist for Outstanding Small Business Leader of the Year.

The annual award distinguishes the exemplary leaders of business enterprises that have a tremendous impact on the Tampa community.

CEO’s experience Butler has more than 25 years of military and civilian experience. He also served as spokesperson for an Army Secretary and on the communications team for a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He has also worked in the Washington, D.C. office of FleishmanHillard International Communications.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Hampton University, Master in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master in National Security Strategy from the National War College, National Defense University.

For more information about Vistra Communications, call 813-961-4700 or visit www.ConsultVistra.com.

One Church One Child of Florida is reaching out to families and individuals in communities across the state in efforts to help find permanent homes for children.

More than 700 children are in need of a family to call their own; many of them are minorities.

Churches also are asked to partner with One Church One Child in sharing information with congregations and extending Watch-Care Ministries to children. The Rev. Beverly Hills Lane, state president for One Church One Child of Florida and vice president President for National One Church One Child, is challenging fellow pastors to get involved and encouraging families to open their hearts and homes to children in foster care.

This monthly series features children located in communities around the state; they have no family identified to adopt them.

Meet Ashanti, 15 Ashanti is one of the many children in Florida waiting for a permanent home.

She has many obstacles to overcome every day. And every day, for all of her 15 years, she has tackled these obstacles with strength and tenacity – and a big smile.

She loves interactive toys and being talked to, listening to music and watching television. Welcoming Ashanti into your family will be different than other 15-year old girls, but having this sweet soul in your life is an indescribable joy.

She carries with her warmth and serenity, and she deserves the love and consistency of a forever family. Ashanti will do best in a nurturing, supportive home able to care for her medical needs.

For more information about becoming an adoptive or foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, contact the following: for SunCoast Region, LaKay Fayson; Northeast Region, Shauntai Arrington, Southeast Region, Cora Perry; Northwest, Central and Southern, Paulette Glover at 888283-0886 or info@ococfl.org.

The website for One Church One Child of Florida is www.ococfl.org.

EDITORIAL

A4

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Jeff Bezos, the American oligarch Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has a net worth of $105 billion and is the richest man in the world.

But he is not just the richest man at this moment in history.

He is the richest person who has ever lived. As of 2017, he and seven other billionaires had a collective net worth equal to that of the poorest 3.6 billion people on earth.

While pundits and politicians go on breathlessly about oligarchs in Russia, they seldom take a look at the wealthiest in their own backyard and the control they exert over the lives of millions of people.

When Amazon announced it would choose a site for its new headquarters, cities across the country began a furious race to the bottom. Amazon is not alone in the thievery department. Major corporations like Walmart always request and receive public property and public funds in order to do business.

For the wealthiest Some 235 cities have put themselves in the running for this dubious venture. Chicago is willing to give Amazon $1.3 billion in payroll taxes that prospective employees would ordinarily pay that city. If Chicago wins this booby prize, Amazon employees would pay taxes to their employer and not to the government.

MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT

This is truly cutting out the middle man and makes real the rule of, by, and for the wealthiest.

The potential for public outrage isn’t lost on unprincipled politicians. Some cities now refuse to reveal how much they plan to give away. The news to date is disheartening, with Boston offering $75 million while Houston is willing to part with $268 million. Amazon says it will hire 50,000 people, but their business model already pays employees so little that many of them qualify for public assistance.

The United States is as much of an oligarchy as countries it usually disparages, but it is far more dishonest about its true nature.

All talk of democracy is a lie. The rich get richer by an additional $1 trillion in 2017, and wield more and more power over the lives of everyone else.

Media control The Bezos juggernaut is not restricted to theft of public money. He is also the sole owner of the Washington Post, one of the most influential newspapers in

Behind the Black unemployment rate When the unemployment rate dropped and economic conditions improved under the leadership of President Barack Obama, No. 45 derided the gains as “fake news.”

He suggested that the monthly Employment Situation (www.bls. gov) reports of the Bureau of Labor Statistics were inaccurate and “made up.” These are the monthly reports that detail employment statistics, including unemployment rates.

Now that No. 45 is in charge, he can’t crow often enough about the statistics that he described as “phony” just 18 months ago.

We have heard No. 45 and his surrogates crowing that “the Black unemployment rate is lower than it has ever been.” And with a Black unemployment rate of 6.8 percent, they are right that the rate is at its lowest since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started disaggregating data to report unemployment by race.

JULIANNE MALVEAUX TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

No credit for Trump Is this something worth crowing about? Does No. 45 deserve to get credit for it? The answer to both questions is a resounding “no.”

First of all, the 6.8 percent unemployment rate African-Americans experienced was exactly TWICE the White unemployment rate of 3.4 percent. Suppose that White men had an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent. Would No. 45 and his minions be celebrating if Whites had the same employment situation as AfricanAmericans? Celebrating the 6.8 percent rate without speaking of the inequality it is based on is like celebrating the inequality.

Cancellation of Martin’s show is sign of Black powerlessness When first hearing about TVOne’s cancellation of Roland Martin’s show for “budgetary” reasons, my immediate reaction was, “Bull crap.”

I am convinced that his show was cancelled because some advertisers and some Trumpets were outraged because of Roland’s Afrocentric perspective when reporting and interpreting news.

Valuable source Though I didn’t always agree with Roland’s positions on certain issues, for the past five years his thought-provoking, informative, meaningful show was a valuable source of information on what is happening in this country.

He introduced his audienc-

A. PETER BAILEY TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

es to knowledgeable Black folks with expertise in the arenas of economics, education, culture, politics, etc., who are never seen or heard on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, CBS, NBC or ABC. And he did it with an honest swagger that Black commentators on those networks had no opportunity to match.

White advertisers and political Trumpets were unable to deal with that kind of honest Black assertiveness. So they

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: MINNIE MOUSE

the country. The newspaper is an organ of the ruling elite. He also has a $600 million contract to provide the Central Intelligence Agency with cloud computing services.

The Washington Post was the force behind Propaganda or Not, an effort to destroy left-wing voices like those at Black Agenda Report. Under the guise of fighting Russia and so-called fake news, the Bezos-owned Post began the censorship campaign that has put the left’s presence on the Internet in such jeopardy.

Politicians outdo one another giving away public resources to the richest man on the planet who also owns a major newspaper and services the surveillance state. If it can be said that any one person rules the world, Bezos would be obvious choice.

No one in Chicago, Boston, Houston or any of the other cities giving away the store ever voted for Jeff Bezos. All talk of democracy is a sham as long as the richest people take from the rest of humanity.

Party doesn’t matter The effort to make government an irrelevance is thoroughly bipartisan. Republicans and Democrats alike are willing to turn over government coffers to Bezos and his ilk, and the rights of the people be damned.

Secondly, the unemployment rate is an imperfect measure of the employment situation. The employment-population ratio is a far more accurate way of measuring how fully employed a population is. It measures the percentage of people who are employed.

While 69 percent of White men are employed, just 63 percent of Black men are employed. The numbers for women are closer, with Black women actually working MORE than White women, with an employment-population ratio of 59 percent for Black women and 55 percent for White women).

Real numbers The employment-population ratio and labor force participation rates show racial disparities among men that are alarming.

Differences in the employmentpopulation ratio suggest that some African-Americans have stopped looking for work because they don’t think they can find it.

When the Black unemployment rate is adjusted to reflect these realities, it is closer to 10 percent than to the 6.8 percent No. 45 and his team are crowing out.

Furthermore, the 45th presithreatened to create “budgetary” problems for TV-One. Which brings me to a second reaction when hearing about the cancellation: “This is what happens to a group of people who resolutely refuse to organize a comprehensive national movement that will promote and protect their economic, cultural and political interests in this group-oriented society.”

Living in denial For the past half-century, we, as a group of people, have acted as though we no longer live in a country in which White supremacy/racism is the dominant ideology. White people may disagree among themselves about many things. But one thing that most of them agree upon is that they should be in control of the United States of America. This is still true despite the election and re-election of President Barack Obama.

Too many of us rejoice over symbolic individual achievements such as the first Back president of this or that major

DAVE GRANLUND, POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

Whoever wins this tarnished brass ring ought to be consigned to political defeat. The mayor, aldermen, city council members or whoever else brings disaster to their locality should be punished for aiding and abetting the theft.

Cynical or afraid If these cities can give to the richest man who ever lived, they can surely use public money to help their residents right now.

But they will never do that because they are all bought off and compromised. They are either cynical or afraid to go against the real rulers of the country.

Bezos may look like the villain in a James Bond movie, but there is nothing funny about him. In a

dent inherited an economy that was improving. Falling unemployment rates are a result of the Obama expansion. An economic expansion will naturally move unemployment rates downward, no matter who is the president.

While No. 45 can only legitimately claim stock market gains for the last two months – as his regressive tax bill has handsomely rewarded corporate interests – stock market gains in the first month of this year might also be considered a result of the Obama expansion.

Will No. 45 take credit for the stagnant wages that plague all workers, but especially AfricanAmerican workers? While unemployment rates have dropped, wages have not risen by very much (less than 2 percent last year).

Sure, some workers got tax billrelated bonuses, and Walmart will raise their wages for some workers to $11 an hour. Most workers are stuck making the same amount of money they made three years ago.

What about disparities?

corporation, institution, club or organization. When I express disdain about what these symbolic individual accomplishments do for us as a group of people, I am accused of being “stuck in the 1960s.”

I accept this accusation before reminding the accuser that most firsts haven’t halted the killing of unarmed Black males by police officers, the rising incidents of overt White supremacy on numerous White college campuses, the disgusting way that too many Whites portray Michelle Obama on the Internet or the respectability given to known members of the Ku Klux Klan by Trump and his Trumpets.

have become basically profiling for television.

What is difficult is to organize an ongoing movement that would have made it impossible for TV-One to have cancelled Roland’s show. TV-One would have let the organization know who was doing the threatening and it could have warned the threateners that messing with that would inspire national boycotts of whatever they were advertising to sell to us.

Our most potent weapon against such incidents in this money-driven country is our collective economic resources.

If we don’t effectively use those resources in our war for equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, we are basically blowing smoke.

TV events These are the consequences of our refusal to organize a national movement to promote and protect our interests. Impulsive marches and protest demonstrations while chanting “No Justice, No Peace,” to counter the above manifestations of White supremacy do not a movement make. Many of these actions

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.

Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry, Human Resources

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

Whites? The average White family has a $65,000 income, compared to just $39,000 for African-Americans. The average African-American household has just $17,000 in wealth, compared to $171,000 for Whites.

When No. 45 crows about a 6.8 percent unemployment rate for African-Americans, he normalizes the fact that African-Americans should have a higher unemployment rate than Whites. And when he talks unemployment out of context and ignores income and wealth disparities, he is suggesting that the current conditions of African-Americans are something to celebrate.

If this president were really interested in the economic status of African-Americans he would have produced a different tax bill, ceased his attacks on healthcare, and directed his secretary of education to stop attacking public education and HBCUs. But No. 45 isn’t interested in the economic status of African-Americans. He is interested in bragging about data he once dismissed as “phony.”

Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer.

Dr. Glenn W. Cherry, Sales Manager

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Margaret Kimberley is a cofounder of BlackAgendaReport.com, and writes a weekly column there. Contact her at Margaret.Kimberley@BlackAgendaReport.com.

Does No. 45 take credit for income and wealth differences between African-Americans and

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.

Bezos-run world, every worker will be impoverished, every level of government will subsidize corporations, and anyone who speaks out will be discredited and under surveillance.

The last thing any city needs is a new Amazon headquarters. We need an end to billionaire rule in this country and around the world. That will be the salvation of the people, not more sweat shops run by wealthy people who steal from everyone else.

Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela van Emmerik, Creative Director Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Penny Dickerson, Staff Writer Duane Fernandez Sr., Kim Gibson, Photojournalists

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A. Peter Bailey’s latest book is “Witnessing Brother Malcolm X, the Master Teacher.”

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JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

EDITORIAL

When someone tells you who they are, believe them President Donald Trump has once again made it very clear he is a racist.

Before he decided to insult Haitians and immigrants from African countries he efficiently targeted Mexican’s and African Americans in the same Tweet, “Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by Blacks and Hispanics...”

He’s one of Trump’s most infamous forays into bigotry: “When Mexico sends it people, they’re not sending their best...They’re bringing drugs...They’re rapists.”

Fits the definition The late Dr. Francis Cress Welsing defined racism/White Supremacy as, “The local and global power system structured and maintained by persons who classify themselves as White...This system consists of patterns of perception...thought, speech, action and emotional response...” Trump’s historic patters of thought expressed through his words, actions and policies fit this definition to a “t”.

Donald Trump is also a sexual predator. “You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful – I just start kissing them...I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it…Grab ’em by the p---y. You can do anything.”

Donald Trump is a liar. According to The New York Times, after admitting that the voice on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape was his, “Mr. Trump told a Republican senator that he wanted to investigate the recording that had him boasting about grabbing women’s genitals. ‘We don’t think that was my voice...”

America, the international global hegemon, the waning empire,

DR. WILMER J. LEON III GUEST COLUMNIST

finds itself dealing with the reality that its president has once again inferred that he sees Europeans as superior and people of color as inferior: “...the United States should instead bring more people from countries like Norway.”

Racist language He sees people of color as “other.” It is an “us vs. them” binary world. Racist rhetoric is the language of racists.

This “Trumpian” mindset is not new. During World War II, President Roosevelt was asked why Italian-Americans were not being interned like Japanese-Americans.

He replied, “I don’t care about the Italians...They are a lot of opera singers...”

The Japanese-Americans were “other”; Italian-Americans being of European descent were like him.

Even though Italian- and GermanAmericans did suffer indignities, they were never interned and mistreated like Japanese-Americans.

Many pundits and analysts are outraged about his “shithole country” reference. However, few are asking the more fundamental question: What made these countries “shitholes” (and not to say that they really are)? The answer: American foreign policy and European settler colonialism.

Haiti struggles to this day simply because after the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), it was the first Black republic in the world to overthrow a European power.

Why do Blacks allow mainstream media to choose their leaders?

I am fond of saying, “Weak people take strong positions on weak issues.”

There is no better example of this than the embarrassing behavior of the weak Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the National Urban League (NUL).

These groups have all feigned righteous indignation about the alleged negative comments made

by President Trump about Haiti, Africa, and El Salvador.

Yes, our president can be extremely hyperbolic at times. But the essence of what he said was very true. Those countries, including many in Africa, are basket cases.

RAYNARD JACKSON NNPA COLUMNIST

his comments, a symbolic gesture that must have kept Trump awake all night.

Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP called Trump a “racist.” Wow. I am sure that Trump is going to change his ways now.

Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the NUL, said that “President Trump’s crude comments further reveal the repugnant racial motivations behind his administration’s immigration policies.” Trump must be shaking in Empty symbolism So, all of the aforementioned his boots. radical liberal groups ran over their mothers to get to a news camera to What about our issues? denounce the president for his alI challenge my readers to find leged statement. With all the is- any issue directly related to Black sues facing the Black community, Americans that these groups have CBC members joined other Dem- put so much political and emoocrats to attempt to pass a resolu- tional capital in. It seems that tion through the US House of Rep- these media-appointed Black resentatives to censure Trump for leaders care more about those in

Constitutional revisions must be made with caution One of the first things you learn in any American History class is the fundamental importance of our nation’s constitution. This founding document has laid the groundwork for how the United States operates to this day, from the rights to which we are entitled as citizens to the role of government in our lives.

My career path took me to positions as a Florida Supreme Court justice and a federal appeals court chief judge, and I simply could not have gotten there without the rights enshrined in the constitution.

Similar purpose Equally important is Florida’s state constitution. The Florida Constitution operates similarly to

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: DONALD TRUMP, YEAR 2

America and France never want Haiti to be the shining example of successful liberation and freedom that it should be. People should be asking the Clinton Foundation what happened to the $13 billion in aid that went to Haiti after the earthquake.

Mineral- and resource-rich African countries such as Zimbabwe and Congo will never be allowed to organically develop. They will always be oppressed by America and European forces, because these colonists and neo-colonialists will never allow the strategic minerals held in these countries to be controlled by Africans.

No outrage Another question: Where is the outrage from Republican leadership? Trump and his base did not develop in a vacuum. Senators McConnell, Graham, et. al’s failure to condemn Trump’s “shithole” comment is consistent. They were conspicuously silent in 2010 when Tea Party members spat on Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and called Rep. John Lewis a “nigger” and Rep. Barney Frank a “faggot.”

Their inability to condemn Trump is not necessarily because they agree with him (even though I think they probably do). It’s because they are afraid. They fear what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called “the White backlash” and what Dr. Ronald Walters called “the politics of resentment.” They fear the well-financed echo chambers like the Tea Party and the Freedom Caucus.

The ethnic demographics of America are changing, striking fear in the hearts of many White Americans. When Trump discusses “protecting the American worker” and bringing in highly-educatthe country illegally, homosexuals, or other groups that have no connection to America than they do the very people they claim to represent.

Juxtapose their reactions to Trump’s alleged comments to their relative silence on the murder of Laquan McDonald in Chicago in 2014. He was murdered by Chicago police. They claimed that it was in self-defense, but the actual video revealed that the police lied and that McDonald posed no threat to the policemen.

Former Democratic congressman and Obama’s first chief of staff and Chicago mayor at the time of the police murder, Rahm Emanuel refused to release the video until after his campaign for re-election in 2015 (which he ultimately won).

Emanuel has proven his total disdain for Blacks with his actions, not his rhetoric. Chicago is one of the most dangerous and violent cities in America. Where was the CBC’s outrage at this? Why was there no attempt to censure Emanuel? Why are they not marching through the streets of Chicago?

The NAACP and the UL have not convened a meeting or massive demonstration against Emanuel to denounce him as a racist. Oh, I forgot, he is a Democrat. Therefore, he can’t be racist.

Not necessarily ‘leaders’ Just because you are the head of an organization doesn’t mean you are a leader. Can you name me the leaders of the White community?

But I digress.

put from the Florida residents about changes to our constitution. Awareness about this, participation and voting are key to protecting our democratic process.

The commission is composed of individuals appointed by the governor, the House speaker, the Senate president, and the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, along with the Florida attorney general.

JOSEPH Members can develop their HATCHETT, own proposals and have reviewed ESQ. hundreds of ideas submitted by Floridians suggesting changGUEST COLUMNIST es they would like to see made, from the use of tax dollars to gun our nation’s constitution, outlin- rights. The commission’s proing the structure of our govern- posed amendments go directly to ment and our freedoms. a statewide ballot next November.

But the Florida Constitution has one very significant differ- Powerful group ence: Every 20 years, a 37-memThis is a significant amount ber Constitution Revision Com- of power placed in the hands of mission is convened to conduct a small group of Floridians, and thorough review of the state char- their decisions and actions can ter to determine what changes make a substantive impact on the may be best for our state. state.

Starting in February, the comThe Florida Constitution can mission will travel the state, hold- be amended in more ways than ing public hearings to gather in- any other state’s constitution,

A5

PATRICK CHAPPATTE, LE TEMPS, SWITZERLAND

ed, wealthier “English speakers” with “higher job skills,” he’s speaking to White people about White people.

According to CNN, “The president’s ‘shithole’ remark is being received much differently inside of the White House than it is outside of it. Though this might enrage Washington, staffers predict the comment will resonate with his base, much like his attacks on NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem did not alienate it.”

Clear lines As we approach the 2018 midterm elections, the ideological lines are becoming clearer. Just when the good people of Alabama dispatched the alleged pedophile Roy Moore, Arizonians will now be faced with the anti-immigrant, racial profiler and birther Joe Arpaio and his bid for the US Senate.

These midterms will be a true litmus test. Will the bigotry and hatred of Trump’s base continue to carry the day, wreak havoc on our system of justice and control the Republican Party? Or will people of good conscience and goodMembers of the CBC opposed the short-term Republican-sponsored spending bill because that bill didn’t include a long-term fix for President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, even though this move would have devastating effects on the Black community, the same group they claim to represent.

Can you name me one issue that was of specific urgency to the Black community that the CBC has ever shut down the government for?

Name me one member of the CBC that has a bill passed in his name. Name me one member of the CBC that has his name attached to a bill that became law, i.e. Sarbanes-Oxley, or the Hyde Amendment.

Why ‘moral’ now?

To the NAACP and the UL: Why is amnesty for illegals a “moral” imperative, but the high crime rate in the Black community isn’t?

Why wasn’t the double-digit Black unemployment rate under eight years of Obama a “moral” imperative?

Remember the famous quote from former chair of the CBC and congressman from Mo., Emanuel Cleaver from September 2011: “If Obama were White, we’d be marching on the White House.”

This remark was made in regard to Obama doing nothing to reduce the Black unemployment rate, which was around 17 percent at the time.

will come to the polls in record numbers to reject Trump’s politics of racism and hate in an effort to truly Make America Great Again instead of Making America White again?

People have been apologizing for Trump since he announced his candidacy, saying, “he’s not a politician” and “it will just take time for him to grow into being presidential.” This is the same guy who was sued by the Department of Justice in 1973 for housing discrimination. He had his employees secretly mark the applications of minorities with codes, such as “No. 9” and “C” for “colored,” according to government accounts filed in federal court.

When someone tells you who they are, believe them, then act on what they tell you.

Dr. Wilmer Leon is producer/ host of the nationally broadcast call-in talk radio program “Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon,” on SiriusXM Satellite radio channel 126. Contact him via www.wilmerleon.com.

Why do these media-appointed leaders make everyone else’s issues their issue? When have you heard the illegals speaking out against the high unemployment rate in the Black community or discrimination in college admissions?

When have you seen the homosexual community speak out against housing discrimination towards Blacks or lack of access to capital for Black business owners?

Please tell me Can anyone explain to me why these radical Black liberal groups are ignoring the needs of their own community to focus on the issue of those who have absolutely no connection to our community?

Your first obligation as a parent is to take care of your own family. Period. Do you really think Michael Jordan gave a damn about Magic Johnson getting injured during a game in which they were playing against each other? Hell, no.

So why are we fighting everyone else’s battles at the expense of our own community?

Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered Super PAC established to get more Blacks, especially entrepreneurs, involved in the Republican Party. For more information, visit www.bafbf.org.

which is a double-edged sword.

It means that necessary changes can be made as needed, but it also means it can be comparatively easy for provisions to be added to the constitution that do not truly belong there. With our constitution wide-open in the revision process, it is vital that each amendment be considered with caution.

As a long-time judge, I see the separation and balance of powers as the most essential part of our democratic form of government.

Without it, one branch of government could attempt to run roughshod over the other two, destroying the balance that our nation holds so dear.

The judiciary is the lone nonpolitical branch under our system, and was built to be fair and impartial. If amendments are added to our constitution that do not uphold that standard, it will unduly tip our delicate balance.

Amendments should be timeless; if they concern topics that will be out of date or irrelevant in the future, they don’t belong in the constitution. If they set specific policy, apply only to a small number of Floridians, or will create more problems than they fix, they have no place in the constitution.

I urge Floridians to amend the Florida Constitution only with caution. Our democratic form of government is rooted in the delicate balance of powers, and to upset that balance would be detrimental to Florida and Floridians on many levels.

In November 2018, when it comes time to vote, take a moment to consider the ramifications of each amendment you vote on. It could have a direct impact on you, and the people and things that matter to you, for years to come.

Apply these tests

Joseph Hatchett was the first Black man elected to the Florida Supreme Court. For more information, go to protectfldemocracy.org.

When Florida’s voters consider the amendments that eventually are placed on the ballot, they should apply several tests to each.

NATION

TOJ A6

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Cosby gives first public performance in years Amid sexual assault allegations, the actor and comedian tells jokes at Philly club

BY JEREMY ROEBUCK PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS

PHILADELPHIA – Bill Cosby joked about his blindness, scatted along with a jazz band, and even played the drums Monday in his first public performance since abuse allegations from dozens of women put his career on hold two years ago.

The one thing he didn’t mention? His upcoming sexual assault trial.

During the hour he spent on stage at La Rose Jazz Club in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, the 80-year-old entertainer appeared to have put his legal problems out of mind.

“This is a great moment for me,” he said.

“All my life, I worried what the world would do without …” he paused for a moment, then said, “my drumming.”

Blindness jokes Cosby arrived to a packed house just after 6:30 p.m., wearing a gray sweatshirt embroidered in rainbow-colored letters with the phrase “Hello Friend” — the same one he appeared to have worn Sunday in a series of photos posted on his Twitter feed.

He drew laughs from the largely older crowd with tales of growing up poor in North Philadelphia’s Richard Allen housing project and jokes about the travails of life since losing much of his sight several years ago.

“When you see a blind person walking towards a pole or something, and you speak perfect English, there’s a word called ‘Stop!’ he said. “Not, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.’ … Why is it these grown people can’t talk?”

Cane nearby He did it all perched atop a bar stool, clutching his cane and seated inexplicably next to a jar

TOM GRALISH/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS

Bill Cosby has dinner with childhood friend Ed Ford, right, at Ristorante La Veranda in Philadelphia on Jan. 10. Blvd. On Monday, he told jokes at the city’s La Rose Jazz Club. of peaches.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked a 11-year-old boy he invited to the stage at one point. “And what do I do?”

The boy responded: “You used to be a comedian?”

Face frozen in mock exasperation, Cosby dismissed him. “I used to be a comedian? You can sit down now,” he joked.

Jokes amid scandal Spectators — including several whom Cosby greeted as old friends — swarmed up to him afterward for selfies.

Few seemed concerned with the accusations that have dogged him since 2014 from dozens of women who allege he assaulted them in incidents dating back decades.

The scandal forced Cosby in 2014 to cancel tour dates as networks axed plans for TV specials and pulled reruns of “The Cosby Show” off their schedules. Dozens of schools across the country revoked honorary degrees they had granted him.

Retrial in April Andrea Constand — the first of Cosby’s accusers to come forward, nearly 13 years ago — is the only accuser whose allegations have resulted in criminal charges.

In June, a jury failed to reach a verdict on her claims that he drugged and assaulted her in 2004 at his Cheltenham home, setting up the retrial scheduled to begin in April in Norristown.

Since then, Cosby has large-

‘I just go’

ly shunned the limelight aside from court appearances over the last year. But in recent days, he has shown signs of attempting to mount a comeback.

Asked Monday whether his more active schedule was part of a public relations campaign in advance of his retrial in Montgomery County, Cosby scoffed.

“I have never really called upon media to show up someplace,” he said, hours after his publicist issued a news release about his performance Monday. “I just go.

When I feel like it, I go.”

Back onstage in his native Philadelphia, Cosby seemed to draw energy from his fans and appeared livelier than he had in months.

His spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, offered an explanation: “This is his life.”

More appearances His performance Monday was the latest in a series of public appearances in and around his hometown this month, including a drop-in dinner Jan. 10 at La Veranda Ristorante in Penn’s Landing — a meal his publicity machine made sure to alert reporters about beforehand.

Over the weekend, he stopped off at a Lawndale barbershop and a bakery in Jenkintown, and tweeted videos of himself cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles and chatting with patrons at each location.

Money Trump’s lawyer allegedly paid porn star broke election laws

BY ERIN DURKIN NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/TNS

A good-government group filed complaints against President Donald Trump’s campaign, charging his lawyer’s payment of hush money to a porn star who allegedly had an affair with Trump broke election laws.

Common Cause lodged the complaints with the Department of Justice and the Federal Election Commission Monday.

The group says the reported $130,000 payment by Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels constituted an in-kind contribution to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign — which the campaign failed to report as election law requires.

“The American people expect and deserve transparency when it comes to mon-

ey spent to influence elections and those requirements are not optional no matter how embarrassing the reason behind the expense,” said Common Cause president Karen Hobert Flynn.

Cohen denies it The Wall Street Journal first reported that the X-rated actress, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, got the money a month before the 2016 election as part of an agreement to keep quiet about her sexual relationship with Trump, who was married to third wife Melania at the time.

Cohen has vehemently denied paying hush money to Clifford and says reports about the affair are “completely false.” He also circulated a letter denying an affair that he claims is signed by the actress.

In the FEC complaint, Common Cause charges the money should have been reported as an in-kind contribution to Trump’s campaign and as an expenditure to Clifford because the purpose of the payment was to influence the presidential election.

They also say that if the money came from the Trump Organization — the president’s private company — then it was an illegal corporate contribution to a presidential campaign.

JOHN GIBBINS/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/TNS

The six contractors constructing eight prototype border wall sections in San Diego’s Otay Mesa finished their entries ahead of a news conference announcing the completion of the prototypes on Oct. 26, 2017.

No visit by president scheduled to see wall prototypes

BY NOAH BIERMAN TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU/TNS

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has discussed traveling to San Diego to see border wall prototypes, and White House officials are known to have been discussing plans for a possible trip, but a Trump administration official said

Monday that there is still nothing in that regard on Trump’s short-term schedule “as of now.”

The official requested anonymity to discuss the internal schedule, which is updated often and usually not made public until days or hours before Trump makes a public appearance.

Trump plans to deliver the State of the Union address to Congress on Jan. 30, and is likely to talk about his signature campaign promise, the border wall. Presidents traditionally travel after those speeches to promote their agendas.

for preK–12 students with financial or special needs learn more at

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Eight prototypes Trump said in December that he might be visiting the prototypes soon, and local officials have moved to prevent public protests in the area.

Contractors built eight wall prototypes in the fall, at a cost of $300,000 to $500,000 each, and military and law enforcement personnel have been testing them.

If Trump does travel to see the prototypes, it would be his first visit to California since taking office. Not since Dwight D. Eisenhower has a president gone so long without visiting the state.

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The second annual Epcot International Festival of the Arts continues through Feb. 19. There’s plenty to do for the young and the young at heart.

BY LISA ROGERS CHERRY FLORIDA COURIER

S

o much simultaneous and stimulating excitement was taking place at the Epcot International Festival of Arts that a guest might not know what to do first.

Upon entering Epcot, your eyes feast on the beautiful displays and delightful activities such as the Art Walk, Art Defying Gravity and Chalk Art. The second annual Epcot International Festival of the Arts began on Jan. 12 and runs through Feb. 19. It’s a trifecta of visual, performing and culinary arts. Open daily, there is a schedule of events and workshops that offers something for everyone.

Guests are cordially invited to learn artistic techniques from the pros in a classroom setting.

Hands-on participation seemed to be the name of the game.

Both young and the young at heart were painting wall murals, completing paint by numbers pieces, and doing creative chalk drawings along the walkways. Some individuals were designing their own T-shirt masterpieces in celebration of the festival.

Art &

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is a cultural celebration of art, food and entertainment.

ADVENTURE

Thrills and deals Whether you are up for “Soarin’ Around the World,” seeking the thrill on the Test Track or investigating the Circle of Life, there are a myriad of rides and adventures that are available at Epcot.

In addition to all of this, Epcot’s Festival of the Arts will feature beautiful artwork from around the world that is reasonably available for purchase.

Everything from Disney posters to African masks and artifacts, to Moroccan jewelry and cultural garb, and framed Mexican folk art.

No matter the country, there was something appealing to the many visitors from across the world. The guests were snapping lots of pictures at every turn, especially in the Installations around the World Showcase, which represents 11 countries.

International flavors The smell of the delicacies of various countries including Epcot’s rendition of Mexico and Italy quickly caught my attention around lunchtime.

In Mexico, a young lady from Naples named Hannah was meticulously enjoying the “Tacos de Puerco,” which consisted of two corn tortillas with slowroasted pork shoulder, marinated in an ancho paste and served with a sweet plantain puree garnished with pea tendrils.

In Italy, I noticed a couple who shared that they had traveled to the park from Brazil were partaking in the Involtini di Salmone al Basilico, Piso Venere, and Salsa Romesco, which the server explained translates to basil-scented salmon roulade with purple rice and a Romesco sauce.

Ratatouille and more

Jenn Gambatese, who starred in “Tarzan’’ on Broadway, performs at Epcot.

There are so many appetizing meals to select from that park-goers could spend all day feasting between the attractions, rides and entertainment.

For lunch, I was adventurous and tried the seared corvine (a white fish which tastes similar to sea bass) with braised ratatouille and lemon-thyme beurre blanc.

Of course, I wanted to taste the ratatouille simply because of the Disney movie, “Ratatouille.’’ The blend of onions, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers were absolutely divine.

The meals were all aesthetically appealing.

Statues and real stars

Gourmet delights Walking around the park and participating in the artistic activities can really work up your appetite. You can’t help but smell the gourmet delights throughout the park.

For breakfast, one of the favorites of park-goers was the tasty Deconstructed Breakfast, which included a Twinings

Spiced Apple Chai Tea shake garnished with maple syrup, a waffle crisp and candied bacon.

The combination of the flavors blended well together and made for a filling first meal of the day. Another mouthwatering breakfast treat is the Deconstructed BLT with crispy pork belly, tomato jam and a soft poached egg. The guests filled the restaurants in the various countries along the way.

LISA ROGERS CHERRY/FLORIDA COURIER

This is one of the creative items available for breakfast.

CHAYLA CHERRY/FLORIDA COURIER

Charles W. Cherry III adds his touch to a paint-bynumber mural.

The Epcot Living Statues were a favorite of the picture takers.

The real-life statues come to life right before your very eyes.

One new feature is the Art Defying Gravity act where a couple seems to perform mindblowing body-bending contortions with ease.

One of the most exciting performances at Epcot was the Disney on Broadway Series held in the America Gardens Theater.

We witnessed Kevin Massey See FESTIVAL, Page B2

EVENTS AND BOOKS

B2

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

STOJ

BLACK VIOLIN

The Black Violin will perform at 4 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall.

Clearwater: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church will celebrate diversity at its 10 a.m. service on Jan. 28. Attendees are invited to wear cultural garments or ethnic fashions. A luncheon will follow at 11. Location: 407 S. Saturn Ave. Miami: Black opera singers will perform Jan. 27 at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. The 7 p.m. show will feature Kyaunnee Richardson, Angel Refusé, Rohan Smith and Isis Roberts. Tickets: $20. Details: www. ahcacmiami.org Tampa: The Colorectal Cancer Alliance will present its Tampa Undy RunWalk at Al Lopez Park on Feb. 3 starting at 9 a.m. More information: undyrunwalk.org

MARY WILSON

Ponte Vedra: Mavis Staples takes the stage of the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on Feb. 25 for an 8 p.m. show.

The singer will be at the Ritz Theatre in Jacksonville on Feb. 3 and Feb. 24 for the Legendary Ladies of Motown show at The Peabody in Daytona Beach.

Tampa: The Florida State Fair returns to the Florida State Fairgrounds from Feb. 8-19. Full list of entertainment, attractions and events, visit floridastatefair.com.

St. Petersburg: Wyclef Jean will be at Jannus Live on Feb. 18 for a 7 p.m. show.

Hollywood: Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman tour stops at Hard Rock Live on Feb. 19 and Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Feb. 21.

Tampa: Rema Ma featuring 6ix9ine, Jacquees, Ball Greezy and Mike Smiff will perform Feb. 23 at the USF Sun Dome.

Punta Gorda: The Ultimate Motown Experience is Feb. 27 at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center.

Tampa: The Platinum Comedy Tour is Feb. 17 at the USF Sun Dome with Mike Epps, DeRay Davis and Don “DC” Curry.

Hollywood: Talk-show host Trevor Noah will be at Hard Rock Live on Jan. 26 for a 10:30 p.m. show.

Miami: Rapper Tyler the Creator performs Feb. 12 at the James. L. Knight Center.

DAVID BANNER

The Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities continues through Jan. 28. Highlights of the weekend will be a Zapp Band concert in Eatonville and An Evening with David Banner at UCF’s Darden Auditorium. Full schedule: zorafestival.org

Fort Lauderdale: The Robert Cray Band performs Feb. 20 at the Parker Playhouse and the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on Feb. 21.

Miami: Ja Rule, Ashanti, Fat Joe, Trina and Piles are scheduled Feb. 22 at the James L. Knight Center for an 8 p.m. show.

Orlando: The Reggae Love Fest takes place Feb. 11 at Hard Rock Live Orlando featuring Tarrus Riley, Dean Fraser and the Blak Soil Band.

Viera: Catch The Wailers on Feb. 11 at the Space Coast Daily Park.

Showtime: 3 p.m.

New book lays out Supreme Court’s stance on slavery DR. GLENN C. ALTSCHULER SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

In February 1865, during a debate over an appropriation to fund a bust of Roger Taney, U.S. Senator Charles Sumner asked, “What is the office of Chief Justice, if it has been used to betray Human Rights?”

Declaring that the author of the infamous Dred Scott decision had served “none other than the Slave Power,” degrading the judiciary and the age, Sumner suggested that instead of a statue a “vacant space” should be left in the courtroom: “Let it speak in warning to all who would betray liberty.”

‘Friends of slavery’ Paul Finkelman, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, agrees.

Indeed, in “Supreme Injustice,’’ Finkelman argues that John Marshall, Taney’s predecessor as Chief Justice, and Joseph Story, the most influential Associate Justice of the Court in the first half of the 19th century, were also “constant friends of slavery and almost never friends of liberty.”

Even when statutes, precedents and state court decisions gave them plenty of room to provide due process for fugitive slaves, suppress the African slave trade, and prevent bondage from spreading to federal territories, these men upheld “the peculiar institution” in ruling after ruling.

Repetitious summaries Perhaps because the book originated as a series of lectures, “Supreme Injustice’’ is noticeably and often annoyingly repetitious.

Facts (Justice Marshall owned 150 slaves in 1830), claims (the

BOOK REVIEW Review of “Supreme Injustice: Slavery in the Nation’s Highest Court’’ by Paul Finkelman. Harvard University Press.

287 pages, $35.

Josefa Segunda decision could have been cited as a precedent on the law of privateers) and summaries of cases (Prig v. Pennsylvania; Dred Scott v. Sandford) appear again and again and again, often using the same words.

Important questions Moreover, some of Finkelman’s contentions are not adequately supported by evidence.

Did Article I and Article IV of the U.S. Constitution “guarantee” federal aid to suppress slave rebellions? Does “the paucity of debate” over the Fugitive Slave clause at the Constitutional Convention indicate that northern and southern delegates deemed it “relatively unimportant”?

By approving the decision of a trial court to strike a juror because he opposed slavery, was Marshall “in effect” establishing an unconstitutional religious test?

Strong indictment Nonetheless, “Supreme Injustice’’ is a powerful and often persuasive indictment of Marshall, Story, and Taney. Drawing

Daytona Beach: The Legendary Ladies of Motown show is 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 24 at The Peabody. Performers: Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

Fort Lauderdale: The free opening reception of the 15th annual African Presence Art Exhibition is Feb. 8, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Nova University.

RSVP by calling 954-262-5357 or online at www.nova.edu/blackhistory.

St. Petersburg: First Unity Spiritual Campus is hosting Bishop Carlton Pearson on Feb. 11 as the guest speaker at the 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. services. Address: 460 46th Ave. N.

Plantation: Judah Worship Word Ministries International is hosting a 7:30 p.m. nightly revival Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at 4441 W. Sunrise Blvd.

Speaker: Pastor Bertrand Bailey Jr. of Mount Pleasant, Texas.

Miami Gardens: The Fifth Black Heritage Festival is Feb. 17 noon to 4 p.m. at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex. Vendors: Call 305-474-3011. Sponsors: Call 305-914-9070.

Overtown: The fourth annual “Walk Together Children’’ walking tour is 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 17 starting at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 301 NW Ninth St. More informa-

tion: Call 305-633-3583 or e-mail glwillingham@hotmail.com.

Fort Lauderdale: The Fort Lauderdale Community Center will present its fourth annual Black Empowerment Summit Feb. 8-15 and Feb. 22 at Dillard High School’s Recital Hall from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. More information: www. flccenter.org Miami Gardens: Jazz in the Gardens returns March 17-18 at Hard Rock Stadium. Performers will include Anita Baker, Smokey Robinson, Chaka Khan, Fantasia and Joe. Full lineup: www.jazzinthegardens. com

on census data, Finkelman demonstrates that Marshall routinely bought and sold slaves.

Unable to transcend his social class, Marshall did not apply to slavery the flexible and creative jurisprudence he exhibited on other controversial issues.

Abandoning his usually expansive reading of congressional authority, for example, the Chief Justice accepted an argument that a law banning importations of slaves did not apply when a territory did not explicitly adopt it.

In a blistering critique of Prig v.

Pennsylvania, Finkelman shows that in striking down personal liberty laws (and claiming that no state “could in any way qualify, regulate or control” the right of slave owners to recover their property), Story left northern officials powerless to prevent the kidnapping of free blacks as well as former slaves, subordinating their fate (and his own hostility to slavery) to his “dream of strengthening federal laws.”

Timely reminder Finally, Finkelman makes a compelling case that slavery “lurked behind” Taney’s oftpraised decisions giving states greater control over their economies. In opinions lacking “any sort of theoretical mooring,” which flitted back and forth from states’ rights to federal supremacy, Taney was interested only in protecting the South.

“Supreme Injustice,’’ then, serves as a timely reminder that even our most distinguished justices set aside consistent applications of constitutional principles to get the result they wanted.

Finkelman reminds us as well that the Supreme Court has the power to play a pivotal role in “helping create and nurture” a culture of hostility to – or harmony with – the principle of liberty and justice for all.

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.

CHAYLA CHERRY/FLORIDA COURIER

The Matsuriza drummers perform using the traditional taiko drum.

FESTIVAL from B1 and Jenn Gambatese, who both starred in “Tarzan’’ on Broadway as Tarzan and Jane, capture the audience’s undivided attention.

Kissy Simmons, a Floral City native and graduate of the University of South Florida, who starred as Nala in “The Lion King’’ on Broadway is scheduled to perform Jan. 26-20 and Feb. 2-5. Joining her will be Alton Fitzgerald White, who is Broadway’s longest-running King Mufasa in “The Lion King.’’

Each week there will be new acts featured.

Treat yourself The festival offers many artfilled performances to thoroughly enjoy, with an abundance of artful finds that can be purchased and even more delicious, artistic dishes to savor with a Disney twist.

If you haven’t gone, I’d highly recommend that you take a day or two to treat yourself to an assortment of sensory sensations.

Your eyes, ears, and taste buds will thank you.

For more information on the festival, visit https://disneyworld. disney.go.com.

STOJ

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

HEALTH

B3

Innocent gunshot victims face lifelong issues More youth dealing with physical and emotional trauma after being caught in crossfire.

BY BLYTHE BERNHARD AND JESSE BOGAN ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

ST. LOUIS – The bullets came for a young mother doing laundry with her toddler playing nearby. A 6-year-old boy in the backseat of a car on his way to football practice. And a 2-yearold boy sitting on his father’s lap.

Each faces a lifetime of physical and psychological therapy to try to recover from gunshot wounds. For every death from gun violence, many more are injured and permanently scarred when shots ring out. By one tally, more than 81,000 Americans survive gunshots every year.

There were 193 gun homicides in St. Louis in 2017, the highest in more than two decades. But police counted 2,439 reports of one or more people shot or fired at in the city through November 2017, considered first-degree aggravated assaults with a gun. That’s up from 2,132 in all of 2016.

Steady increase

LAURIE SKRYIVAN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

Nurse intern Megan McGee, left, and physical therapist Amy Kauzlarich use a hoist to move 25-year-old gunshot victim Tamara Collier back into her bed after her morning therapy sessions on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, at the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis in the Central West End.

Bullets rip into bodies on a straight trajectory, but often bounce around once inside, tearing through vital organs and smashing bones. Many victims wind up paralyzed or brain damaged.

At the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, where patients spend at least 15 hours a week in physical, occupational and other therapies, the number of gunshot victims has increased in the past five years.

“It used to be maybe a couple at a time,” said Tracie Lee-Lambert, director of admissions. “Now we have three, four, five or six at a time.”

Patients range from a teenager involved in a fight that got out of control to an elderly person shot while sitting on the front porch.

ever,” Keller said.

‘Intervene early’

Lifelong injuries Many, such as Tamara Collier, have spinal cord injuries that require lifelong attention and support. On Sept. 1, a bullet zinged through the back door while Collier, now 25, was doing laundry in her mother’s home. She is now paralyzed.

The lifelong health care costs of a spinal cord injury to a 25-yearold can range from $1.6 million to $4.7 million, depending on the severity of the injury, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.

“A lot of the folks, because they are young, may or may not have insurance,” Lee-Lambert said.

“They may have to end up on state-supported care.”

Did nothing wrong The number of children in-

ROBERT COHEN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

Markel Taylor, 6, looks toward his paralyzed arm as physical therapist Jackie Patterson stretches the muscles of his right foot at St. Louis Children’s Hospital on Jan. 4. He was shot in the head while riding to football practice with his mother’s boyfriend on Sept. 12. jured by gunfire and treated in trauma units at St. Louis and Cardinal Glennon children’s hospitals increased from 105 in 2015 to 146 last year.

“We’re seeing a lot more of those types of stories where people are just firing into cars or houses and the kid happens to be in the car or the house at the time,” said Dr. Martin Keller, trauma medical director at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “It’s such

a life-changer for many of these kids, and they did nothing wrong.”

At least eight children ages 9 months to 14 years old were struck by bullets shot into cars or homes in the St. Louis area last year.

Very young victims Markel Taylor, 6, was shot in the head Sept. 12 near O’Fallon Park.

In October, a 2-year-old sitting on his father’s lap was shot and criti-

cally injured when someone fired into a car in East St. Louis. The child’s father was killed.

Already this year, an 8-year-old girl was shot in the leg while sleeping in her North County home.

Most gunshot victims who arrive at the hospital with a heartbeat will survive, Keller said. But those with spinal cord or brain injuries face lifelong disabilities on top of psychological trauma.

“Their life is now changed for-

People struck by bullets that fly into their homes or cars also suffer post-traumatic stress disorder because those safe places have been violated, said Margie Batek, a social worker who developed the Victims of Violence program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Through the program, social workers team up with injured children and their families to work on anger management, coping skills and improving their safety.

“I firmly believe after many years of being in the ER, and seeing children come in first for assault, then stabbings, then gunshots, that today’s victim is tomorrow’s perpetrator,” Batek said.

“If we don’t intervene early when their very first visits are happening, we will continue to see them come back and the violence will escalate.”

$100-billion problem Gun violence costs the U.S. more than $100 billion a year, according to some estimates that include medical care plus the indirect impact of lost wages, closed businesses, lowered property values and other factors.

Taxpayers pick up a lot of that through government-funded health care and taxes that pay for law enforcement and the criminal justice system, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Study examines how weight gain changes the entire body

BY LISA M. KRIEGER MERCURY NEWS/TNS

Weight gain isn’t just a number on your bathroom scale.

A new Stanford University study has found that the entire body undergoes changes for the worse when people pack on the pounds.

Even just a modest weight gain of about six pounds causes bacterial populations to change, immune responses to shift and changes in the molecular pathways associated with heart disease, researchers found.

“Your body is responding to a very stressful event,” said lead researcher Michael Snyder, a professor of genetics at Stanford.

But here’s the good news: When the weight is lost, the body’s systems return to their natural, healthier state.

About the study A paper describing the study was published in last week’s issue of the journal Cell Systems.

“The whole body is engaging,” Snyder said. Weight gain “is a systemic disease, not just affecting your fat, but affecting your whole body. And luckily, it reverses when you lose it.”

The team studied 23 people with body mass indexes of between 25 and 35 kilograms per square meter. A BMI of 25 is on the high-end of normal; a BMI of

with weight gain, the researchers found.

For instance, populations of a bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila, which is known to protect against insulin resistance, shot up. This is a trend that could help understand the underlying dynamics that lead to diabetes.

Secondly, there was a change in the body’s immune responses.

Inflammation flared more in normal people than in those with extra pounds, they found.

With weight gain, “inflammation was a little impaired,” Snyder said. “The immune system is a bit crippled.”

more than 40 roughly equates to morbid obesity.

About half of the people were insulin-resistant or at risk of diabetes. The other half were insulin-sensitive or able to process insulin normally.

Biological changes From blood samples, they pooled millions of pieces of information from participants’ transcriptome, a collection of molecules that reveal patterns of DNA expression; the proteome, the complete set of proteins that are produced; the microbiome, the microbes that keep us alive; and the genome, or genetic blueprint.

Then participants received a high-calorie diet — about 1,000 extra calories per day for men, 750 for women — and after 30 days they had, on average, tacked on six pounds.

“It’s not unlike what a lot of us have just done over the Christmas holiday,” Snyder said. “This is not outside the realm of what normally goes on.”

And with weight gain — moderate though it was — the participant’s underlying biological profiles shifted too.

“The goal was to characterize what happens during weight gain and loss at a level that no one has ever done before,” Snyder said.

Team contributors The team also wanted to study

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Researcher’s advice: Don’t gain the weight. Keep it off through exercise and eating the right food. the underlying molecular shifts in people at risk of diabetes.

“Most studies look at just one little part of something. It’s like making a jigsaw puzzle by just looking at the edge pieces,” he said. “We are trying to look at the entire puzzle, putting all the pieces together, which lets us see things much better.”

The 17-member Stanford research team included experts with Stanford Bio-X, the Stanford Child Health Research Institute, the Stanford Cancer Institute, the Stanford Neurosciences Institute and the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. Researchers at the

Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Yale University, the Royal Institute of Technology, the Chalmers Institute of Technology, the University of Gothenburg and Uppsala University also contributed to the work.

Microbiome shift Their analysis revealed a shift in the body’s microbiome, the vast army of microbes that protect us against germs, breaks down food to release energy, produce vitamins and perform other tasks.

Microbial species changed

Impact on heart Finally, the molecular pathways associated with heart disease were activated.

There was a shift in gene expression associated with increased risk for a type of heart failure called dilated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart cannot pump blood efficiently to the rest of the body.

This might explain, indirectly, why the risk of heart attack climbs with added weight, said Snyder. While the activated pathway is not causing heart issues, “it is a signal of what’s going on.”

Snyder’s advice: “Don’t gain the weight. Exercise, and the food you eat, are absolutely critical.”

SPORTS

B4

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

STOJ

BRIAN PETERSON/MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/TNS

From left, Alexandra Raisman, Madison Kocian, Lauren Hernandez, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas celebrate on the medal stand on Aug. 9, 2016, at the Rio Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The U.S. women’s squad captured the gold medal in the team competition.

Gymnastics leaders resign as victims speak out Scores of athletes tell their stories at sentencing hearing for doctor

BY DAVID WHARTON LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

USA Gymnastics, struggling through a massive sexual abuse

scandal, announced Monday that three board members have tendered their resignations.

Chairman Paul Parilla, vice chairman Jay Binder and treasurer Bitsy Kelley left amid persistent accusations that their organization did not do enough to protect young gymnasts who were molested by former U.S. team doctor Larry Nassar.

“We believe this step will al-

low us to more effectively move forward in implementing change within our organization,” said Kerry Perry, the new president and CEO of USA Gymnastics.

100-plus victims The announcement coincided with scores of athletes coming forward to tell their stories in a Lansing, Mich., courtroom where

ways to promote the game in the city. The idea originated from the NFL Events team, which first approached UCF with the opportunity, said NFL spokesman Kamran Mumtaz.

The mission of the Pro Bowl is to promote the sport on all levels from youth to pros and NFL representatives wanted a stronger college presence surrounding the event this year.

So the timing could not have been better for UCF’s perfect football season, opening the door for the timely recognition.

University of Central Florida quarterback Mckenzie Milton (10) runs the ball, looking to evade South Florida safety Tajee Fullwood (13) at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando on Nov. 24, 2017.

Focus on season

JACOB LANGSTON/ ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

NFL to honor undefeated UCF football team during Pro Bowl

BY SHANNON GREEN ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

The NFL plans to recognize the University of Central Florida’s 13-0 undefeated football season during the 2018 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium Sunday.

Nassar awaited sentencing.

On Wednesday, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison.

The marathon hearing stretched into a second week with Judge Rosemarie Aquilina making time for any victims who want to speak to the court.

Well over 100 athletes have said that Nassar molested them over a period of years. That number includes Olympic gymnasts such as Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney.

Nassar, who served as an official doctor for Michigan State and the national gymnastics team, has pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct at his current trial. He

Players have been invited to walk out on the field for a celebration after the first quarter.

“When we thought about UCF and the amazing season they had going undefeated and their bowl game win, we thought there was really no better way, especially in the city of Orlando, to do some-

Headed to Super Bowl LII Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan celebrates after stopping Minnesota Vikings running back Latavius Murray during the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Eagles defeated the Vikings on Jan. 21 in the NFC Championship game 38-7 The Eagles will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, who beat the Jacksonville Jaquars 24-20 for the AFC title.

The 52nd Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

DAVID MAIALETTI/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS

thing for that college celebration of football than to honor the UCF team in stadium on Sunday,” said Matt Shapiro, director of events strategy for the NFL.

Weeks of talks NFL representatives and UCF had been in talks for weeks about

While the NFL is saluting the Knights, they won’t be introduced as national champions.

“I think we’re going to focus on their undefeated season,” Shapiro said. “I don’t know that we’re going to get into the business of labeling them national champions. But we’re just excited to honor them and celebrate them.”

Several UCF players are expected to attend the Pro Bowl.

Former players Shaquem Griffin, Tre’Quan Smith and Jordan Akins, however, are unlikely to make an appearance. They will compete in the Senior Bowl this weekend in Alabama.

Sunday will likely mark the team’s final moment celebrating last season’s success as players and the new coaching staff, led

by Josh Heupel, shift their attention toward the 2018 season.

has also pleaded guilty to other counts and has been sentenced to 60 years in prison in a separate child pornography case.

Ranch ties severed Last week, USA Gymnastics severed its relationship with the famed Karolyi Ranch, which had long served as a national training center but had also been among the sites where Nassar was accused of sexual abuse.

“As the board identifies its next chair and fills the vacant board positions, we remain focused on working every day to ensure that our culture, policies and actions reflect our commitment to those we serve,” Perry said.

Snoop Dogg

Colin Kaepernick

Snoop Dogg donates $35,000 to Kaepernick’s #MillionDollarPledge

BY NICOLE HYATT EURWEB.COM

Snoop Dogg has donated at total of $35,000 to Colin Kaepernick’s #MillionDollarPledge, with all funds going to the Dallas-based group Mothers Against Police Brutality.

In 2016, Kaepernick announced, “I will donate one million dollars plus all the proceeds of my jersey sales from the 2016 season to organizations working in oppressed communities, 100k a month for 10 months.”

So far, donations have gone out to more than 40 different organizations.

On Jan. 17, Kaepernick announced that he and 10 friends would be donating the last $100,000 over the next 10 days, which he helmed the #10for10 campaign.

Shoutout to Snoop “#10for10 @snoopdogg donated MORE MONEY 2 my #MillionDollarPledge!” Kaepernick posted n Twitter on Monday. “He loves the work Mothers Against Police Brutality is doing so much, he donated another $15k. Now they’re getting a total of $35k!

Thank you Snoop 4 recognizing the good work they do!”

“It’s important to identify people doing good work in the community to help break the cycle and the systemic oppression that we are facing everyday,” he continued on Twitter. As of press time, the total amount of donations stands at $940,000.

STOJ

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

B5

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

O’Neal gets a ‘Fun’ title with Carnival Cruise Line val Horizon, a sister ship to Carnival Vista, due in April.

Horizon will make its way to Miami by September for seven-night Caribbean cruises.

BY RICHARD TRIBOU ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS

Shaquille O’Neal has joined the Carnival Cruise Line team as its CFO, but he isn’t the Chief Financial Officer.

No, the F, stands for “Fun,” and Carnival has produced a series of videos showing the former Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers star in his new role at the cruise line.

One has line President Christine Duffy explaining what she likes about what Shaq brings to the office.

“Mr. O’Neal is perfect for the job. His unparalleled passion and his unique business acumen are a tremendous asset,” she says in the video before it shows clips of Shaq demanding of a colleague, “I need those numbers by 5 o’clock today” and then leading a game of Duck, Duck, Goose in the boardroom.

Later he tells Duffy, “I turned the conference room into a ball pit. Marco Polo in 15.”

More antics An email O’Neal mentions in the video, shaq@ carnival.com, actually works, although at this point he is out of the office.

“Thank you for your email, kind sir, madame, or

More to come

LUIS SINCO/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is all smiles after the unveiling of his statue outside Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2017. O’Neal has joined the Carnival Cruise Line team as its “Chief Fun Officer.” cat walking across the keyboard. I’m currently out of the office quality testing waterslides. For anything urgent, you can reach my by sky-writer (if I’m in your general area), and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.”

A second video has the NBA Hall of Famer and current TNT commenta-

tor giving a tour of Carnival Vista while in port in Miami.

The highlight is the boom operator smacking Shaq’s hand away as he tries to eat a French fry while at Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint on board, and then later Shaq smacks away a basketball on the ship’s SportSquare court saying,

“No time for basketball.”

100-plus ships The cruise line does actually have a traditional CFO, as in Chief Financial Officer. That’s CFO Jim Heaney as well as parent company, Carnival Corp.’s CFO David Bernstein.

Carnival Corp. is the

parent company to several cruise lines with more than 100 ships in its portfolio. Those lines include Carnival, but also Princess Cruises, Holland America, Cunard Line, Costa and Seabourne among others.

Carnival Cruise Line makes the largest portion of its fleet, though, with 25 ships in service and Carni-

In a news release, Duffy and O’Neal had more to say: “We are very excited to have Shaq as part of the Carnival team! He will serve as a great partner ensuring everyone knows all about our one-of-a-kind brand of fun,” said Duffy.

“We’re confident that his embodiment of our brand values will inspire America to Choose Fun and discover the authentic, participatory and social atmosphere that Carnival offers.”

“In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to choose fun, especially when everyone is busy with work, family, and life in general,” says O’Neal.

“So, I’m honored to be appointed the Chief Fun Officer at Carnival — a company that lives and breathes fun.”

The line promises the videos today are the beginning of O’Neal’s role that will also include live interaction through social media and other promotions.

‘This is Us’ wins first SAG award The cast of the TV series “This is Us” is shown on stage at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on Jan. 21.

The NBC series won its first SAG award for ensemble in a drama series.

Sterling K. Brown, who plays Randall Pearson in “This is Us,’’ took home the award for best lead actor in a TV drama.

The Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture went to “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.’’

For more information on the winners, visit www.sagawards.org.

ROBERT GAUTHIER/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

FOOD

B6

JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2018

S

BAY SCALLOP, BABY KALE AND CORN SALAD WITH TART CHERRY GRANOLA Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 45 minutes Yield: 1 salad

This recipe for Bay Scallop, Baby Kale and Corn Salad with Tart Cherry Granola is packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients.

HELP FIGHT INFLAMMATION WITH FOOD FROM FAMILY FEATURES

On top of being tasty, certain foods contain specific nutrients and natural compounds that may help fight inflammation, a condition linked to arthritis and gout. With that in mind, try heading to the fridge or pantry the next time you feel joint pain, swelling or stiff knees.

Colorful fruits and vegetables, including ruby red tart cherries and dark leafy greens like spinach and kale, are among the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods, along with oily fish (salmon,

sardines and scallops), nuts, seeds and whole grains. Ingredients such as ginger, turmeric and olive oil may also help combat inflammation.

Benefits of cherries For an inflammation-fighting boost, Montmorency tart cherries contain the “highest anti-inflammatory content of any food,” according to research conducted at Oregon Health & Science University.

Results show that cherry intake can help reduce blood levels of gout-causing

uric acid and reduce the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis. Research also shows that Montmorency tart cherry juice can reduce post-exercise inflammation and muscle pain.

Pain reliever “For decades, people with arthritis and gout have consumed tart cherry juice for pain relief. Now there’s scientific evidence to back up this popular folklore remedy,” said registered dietitian Michelle Babb, author of “Anti-Inflammatory Eating Made Easy.”

“Since Montmorency tart cherries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins, a potent type of flavonoid, they can offer a natural way to help ease the pain related to arthritis and gout.”

To help fight inflammation with food, try this recipe for Bay Scallop, Baby Kale and Corn Salad with Tart Cherry Granola, which is packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Learn more about the research on Montmorency tart cherries and inflammation, and find more recipes, at choosecherries.com.

This is Sunday Dinner. It’s when we all come together to enjoy really good food. And each other.

Get recipes at publix.com/sunday-dinners.

Savory Granola 1/3 cup oats 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons buckwheat groats 2 tablespoons pepitas 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard Salt Pepper ¼ cup dried Montmorency tart cherries Dressing 1 shallot, minced 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons dried Montmorency tart cherries 2 tablespoons Montmorency tart cherry juice 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon honey Salt Pepper Salad 10 ounces baby kale 1 grilled ear of corn, kernels sliced off 1 cup sprouts (alfalfa or microgreens) 1/2 tablespoon butter

8 ounces’ bay scallops, patted dry To make the granola: Heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat.

In large bowl, combine oats, walnuts, sunflower seeds, buckwheat groats and pepitas. In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper.

Pour wet ingredients into large bowl and toss until well combined.

Spread mixture onto baking sheet in single layer and bake 18-20 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until granola starts to turn golden brown and crispy around edges.

Remove from oven, add cherries, toss to combine, spread into single layer and let cool.

To make the dressing: In food processor, process shallot, olive oil, cherries, cherry juice, mustard, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until smooth.

To make the salad: Place kale, corn kernels and sprouts in large bowl; set aside.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Once hot, add scallops and cook until golden and starting to caramelize on one side. Flip and repeat on other side.

Add scallops to large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss until well combined.

Break up granola into small pieces and add to salad bowl.

Toss lightly before serving.

Source: Cherry Marketing Institute