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OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
VOLUME 26 NO. 40
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WILL ‘FRAT BOY’ BE CONFIRMED? Questions swirl about the sufficiency of the FBI report into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh the GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee wants to keep secret. COMPILED FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS
WASHINGTON ‒ The White House and Senate braced Thursday morning ‒ after the Florida Courier’s Wednesday night press time ‒ for the much-anticipated release of the FBI’s report on sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, with Republicans and Democrats already fighting over whether the investigation was adequate. GOP leaders received the FBI report late Wednesday, which allowed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to start the clock for a preliminary confirmation vote on Friday under Senate rules. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were given appointment slots on Thursday to review the report in private.
Still uncertain Kavanaugh’s fate remains unclear because three GOP Republicans are undecided: Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of
Alaska. Several Democrats are also said to be wavering. McConnell needs at least two of three undecided Republicans, assuming all Senate Democrats oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination. Kavanaugh was initially set to face a Senate vote earlier this week, but the three Republicans abruptly joined Democrats on Friday in demanding an FBI inquiry into allegations by California professor Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when both were in high school in 1982. He has denied the allegations.
Limited timeframe President Donald Trump gave the FBI a week to investigate the matter and said publicly that the law enforcement agency had free rein. But Democrats accused the administration of restricting the probe behind the scenes. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on Wednesday criticized the FBI for not speaking with either Kavanaugh or Ford.
WIN MCNAMEE/ POOL/ ZUMA PRESS/TNS
Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Sept. 27 during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. She also complained that the FBI did not talk to witnesses identified by Deborah Ramirez, who also accused Kavanaugh of assault in the 1980s. The lack of interviews raises “serious
concerns that this is not a credible investigation and begs the question: What other restrictions has the White House placed on the FBI?” Feinstein said. “Last week’s See KAVANAUGH, Page A2
Florida deadline: Tuesday
MIAMI CARNIVAL 2018
And the winner is…
Many Blacks still not registered FROM THE TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
Three African-Americans are running for governor. Democrats are in a dogged race to win majority of the U.S. House and Senate in the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Crucial legislation affecting African-Americans – including the Voting Rights Act, police reforms, gun control, mass incarceration and anti-poverty measures – are at stake.
Millions may not vote Yet, an estimated nearly 8 million African-Americans across the U.S. this year were not registered to vote, according to a report distributed by Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee. That’s 14 percent of the total 51 million Americans who are not registered to vote. This is the reason that major civil rights and voter education organizations are engaged in a full court press See VOTE, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS The 2018 Miami Carnival got underway last weekend with the Junior Carnival masquerade band competition. Wassi Babes won this year’s contest with their theme called “Caribbean Sweets,” followed by Natural Disasters in second place and Royalty Kids in third place. Grownups will get their chances to shine this weekend with activities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
FLORIDA | A3
FAMU among HBCUs in Google program
Black Americans are top fast-food eaters BY KAREN KAPLAN LOS ANGELES TIMES / TNS
KENT NISHIMURA/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
More than 1 in 3 Americans eat fast food on any given day, according to a new report. Nearly half of men eat fast food for lunch.
ALSO INSIDE
If you’re an adult in America, there’s a better than 1 in 3 chance that you’ll eat fast food today ‒ if you haven’t already. New survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 36.6 percent of us eat some kind of fast food on any given day. That includes 37.9 percent of men and 35.4 percent of women, according to a report published Wednesday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The data show that the popularity of fast food varies by racial and ethnic group. Its
biggest fans are African-Americans, 42.4 percent of whom ate it on a typical day. It was the least enticing to Asian-Americans, though 30.6 percent of them ate it on a typical day as well. In between were Whites (37.8 percent) and Latinos (36.5 percent).
All day long
NATION | A6
Cosby’s sentence highlights aging prison population
On a typical day, 22.7 percent of Americans get their breakfast from a fast-food outlet. At lunchtime, 43.7 percent of Americans pick up a quick meal, and 42 percent do the same for dinner. Another 22.8 percent get a snack from a fast-food joint. See FAST FOOD, Page A2
BUSINESS | B2
Sky-high costs for SpaceX plans
COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: CLARENCE V. MCKEE: DEMS DON’T CARE ABOUT PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE | A5
FOCUS
A2
OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
Call me a ‘write or die’ guy People around the world have been enjoying my economic and political commentary for over 40 years. The Gantt Report style has been imitated, but TGR will never be duplicated! If you don’t know, it is hard to write opinion columns every week for decades and make them read differently, even when world economic and political activities and actions pretty much remain the same.
Going back home Friends and fake friends on the Internet have been celebrating my “retirement” and my decision to leave the state of Florida and to return to my Atlanta, Georgia hometown. I’m retiring from Florida, what I call “Southern Babylon.” In Florida, they don’t recognize
Bills to pay LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT
Black activists, Black trailblazers, Black freedom fighters and the brave Black men and women that stand up and speak out about the treatment of African -Americans until they are gone, almost gone, or dead in their graves! Knowledge in Florida is pretty much worthless. If you have history to share, wisdom to share and truth to share, no one wants to pay you for it. You can’t get a teaching job. You can’t get a media job. You can’t get a government job.
God’s messengers have bills, too. I only know two or three newspapers in the United States that will not publish TGR if it comes to them freely. But no newspaper or magazine will pay a fair price for it, even though the column generates and increases readership. Anyway, TGR has always pointed out devils and beasts in Black communities (or people that do devilish things and act in animalistic ways). TGR was first to talk about beast bankers, modern-day colonizers and the sometimes backward Black leadership. As soon as I sell my house and five acres of land, I’m out of the so-called Sunshine State. But before I go, I want to remind you that I’ve been saying for years
that everything is about the money! It’s not about candidates, politics or political parties. It is not about appointments and confirmations. Black people are treated badly because of exploitation, ethnic robbery, misdirection and selfproclaimed community leaders that will sell you out for a bowl of white rice and white acre peas!
Told you so Recently the New York Times published a great investigation story about the president’s finances that parroted in detail what was written in The Gantt Report, weeks ago, months ago and years ago. According to the New York Times story written by David Barstow, Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, President Donald Trump is a political liar and an alleged financial crook. Go and read the story for yourself.
Lost opportunity When I leave Florida, the people will know it and the people will feel it. I could have trained the next generation of worldclass journalists, broadcasters and media owners. But the media devils and their Negro puppets wanted nothing to do with that. Hopefully, my final book in the “Beast Trilogy” called “The Light is the Truth” will be available before Black History Month 2019. I’m a “write or die” guy, so I’ll still write columns for the newspapers and magazines around the world that feel The Gantt Report has some value!
Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. “Like” The Gantt Report page on Facebook. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants. net.
FAST FOOD from A1
Nearly half of American men ‒ 48.3 percent ‒ eat fast food for lunch on any given day. That’s significantly more than the 39.1 percent of women who do the same. On the other hand, about 1 in 4 women (25.7 percent) treat themselves to a fast-food snack on a typical day, compared with 1 in 5 men (19.5 percent).
More money, more food
TONY PUGH/MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU/TNS
Autumn Sanders, right, and Zaria Lumsden, both students at Hampton University in Hampton, Va., headed to the polls on November 7, 2017, to vote in the Virginia governor’s race.
VOTE – a state of emergency – for voter registration before the deadlines from state to state.
on National Voter Registration Day Sept. 25. But there’s still time for most prospective voters across the U. S. to register and vote on Nov. 6. State deadlines vary. But most deadlines are at least 22 days before the election – in person, by mail and on line. Some are as few as seven days.
Crucial election year
Contact info
from A1
“Our lives are on the ballot this year so it is absolutely crucial that African-Americans as a whole participate in these midterm elections at rates that reflect our true voting power,” said NAACP President/CEO Derrick Johnson. “We’re urging everyone to use their power to register and mobilize new voters and get involved in one of the most important elections in our nation’s history.” That was Johnson’s statement
KAVANAUGH from A1
hearing is no substitute for FBI interviews, especially when you consider the tenor of Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony.” The White House hasn’t said what, if any, restrictions were placed on the FBI probe. Ford’s lawyers confirmed as of Wednesday afternoon that she had not been contacted by the FBI.
Limited access Once the report ‒ which is typically confidential ‒ is given to the Senate, all senators will be able to access it in a secure room. Two Senate staff members say the current plan is to have separate times for Democrats and Republicans. There is debate on Capitol Hill as to whether all or some of the report should be made public. A key part of Flake’s drive to push for an FBI probe was to have a more transparent public process. Other Republicans have voiced similar concern. “I’m of the view that whatever could be made public should be, but that would be well outside the normal way these things are treated,” said Sen. Roy Bunt, R-Mo. McConnell said Tuesday
The following are phone numbers and websites that prospective voters and voter registrars should know: • Perhaps the most comprehensive website for state by state voter information is Vote.org. This website not only tells people how to register to vote in their states; but it allows users to click on their states to see voter registration deadlines, the locations of their voting precincts, and other crucial information.
that the report should not become public. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats sent a letter on Wednesday to Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the committee, calling for “bipartisan ground rules” for how the FBI report can be discussed, expressing concern that there will be an effort to “publicly mischaracterize or selectively leak” its contents.
‘Never a whiff’ The Democrats pointed to a Tuesday tweet from the committee’s Republican staff saying that there was “never a whiff of ANY issue” involving alcohol abuse or sexual misbehavior in six previous FBI background checks on Kavanaugh. “While we are limited in what we can say about this background investigation in a public setting, we are compelled to state for the record that there is information” in the tweet “that is not accurate,” the Democrats wrote in their letter without providing details. Republicans called the Democrats’ letter “baseless innuendo.” The temperature around the nomination rose Tuesday evening after Trump mocked Ford, a Palo Alto University professor, during a campaign rally. He mimicked her dramatic testimo-
• Election Protection Hotline: (866) 687-8683 or (866) OURVOTE. This number is staffed with lawyers and other voting experts to field any questions people might have about voting, problems voting, or problems registering to vote before, during and after election day. General information on voting, such as how to become a poll worker, can be found at the U. S. Election Assistance Commission - EAC.gov. • Nationalvoterregistrationday.org also has a state-by-state guide to voter registration.
Reasons to vote Voting activists have hoped that Black voters will automatically mobilize to act because of racial insults, divisive rhetoric and conservative, anti-progressive appointments by President Donald Trump.
ny last week, emphasizing her inability to remember certain details and suggesting she drank more than she claimed.
‘I don’t know’ “What neighborhood was it in? ‘I don’t know.’ Where’s the house? ‘I don’t know. Upstairs. Downstairs. I don’t know. But I had one beer, that’s the only thing I remember,’” Trump said, as the Mississippi audience laughed and applauded. All three undecided Republicans condemned Trump’s remarks. Flake called them “appalling,” while Murkowski said it was “unacceptable” and Collins called the president’s actions “wrong.” The White House insisted Trump was merely restating facts, although Ford had conclusively said the assault happened upstairs and remembered many other details vividly. Asked if Trump was worried that his comments would jeopardize votes for swing Republican senators, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said no.
Handful of interviews The FBI’s supplemental investigation began Sept. 28 after an official request from the Senate Judiciary Committee and an or-
Those appointments include Attorney General Jeff Sessions who has been busy overturning police reforms; and the embattled Supreme Court candidate Brett Kavanaugh, who at least 100 civil rights groups have vehemently opposed because of critical civil and human rights at stake as well as affirmative action and anti-discrimination policies. “The most important player in this year’s election is the individual,” said Jamal Watkins, NAACP vice president of Civic Engagement. “Our recent poll showed a majority of voters of color and nearly all Black women felt disrespected by President Trump. People of color also believed this president has set back race relations and these numbers will play a role in both how and why they’ll vote in the midterm elections.”
der from the White House. Agents spoke with Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh’s who Ford said was in the room when she was assaulted. He had previously submitted a statement denying the incident but had resisted appearing before the committee. Also interviewed was Tim Gaudette, a high school classmate of Kavanaugh. According to Kavanaugh’s 1982 calendar, he hosted a party that included several people that Ford identified as being present on the night she was assaulted. Agents were also apparently willing to let the statements made under the penalty of perjury by Ford and Kavanaugh to the committee to stand without further questioning.
Graham’s plan Sen. Lindsey Graham has a Plan B if the Senate fails to confirm Kavanaugh. In an interview with Fox News Monday night, the South Carolina Republican all but dared his red-state Democratic colleagues to vote against Kavanaugh. “What would I do? I would renominate him, and I would take this case to the American people and I’d ask voters in Indiana, in Missouri, in North Dakota and other places where Trump won ‒ saying who he would nominate if
The conventional wisdom about fast food is that people eat it when they can’t afford something better, due to a lack of money or a lack of time. But the report reveals that this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, the more money someone has, the more likely he or she is to partake of fast food on any given day. Among those whose family income was less than or equal to 130 percent of the federal poverty line (which was set at $11,770 for a single person or $24,250 for a family of four in 2016), 31.7 percent ate fast food on a typical day. Among middle-income families (whose income was between 130 percent and 350 percent of the poverty line), 36.4 percent ate fast food on a typical day. And among high-income families (those with incomes above 350 percent of the poverty line), 42 percent dined on fast food on a typical day. Our taste for fast food seems to diminish with age. Peak fastfood consumption occurs in our 20s and 30s ‒ 44.9 percent of survey-takers in this age group ate fast food on a typical day. In middle age, that figure drops to 37.7 percent. And after we turn 60, only 24.1 percent of us rely on fast food for at least one of our daily meals or snacks. The data in the study came from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the years 2013 through 2016.
he got to be president ‒ and see if the voters want to appeal the verdict of their senator,” Graham said. Democrats are up for re-election in the three states Graham mentioned in his Fox interview. Trump won by an average margin of 22 points in Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota. Sens. Joe Donnelly, Claire McCaskill, and Heidi Heitkamp are defending seats in those states, respectively.
Will be confirmed Graham does not think an electoral referendum on Kavanaugh’s confirmation will be necessary, however. “I don’t think we’re going to find anything new from this supplemental FBI investigation to take Jeff from yes to no,” he said, referring to Flake. “I think Senator Murkowski and Senator Collins want to make sure the FBI did their homework to check the committee’s work, that our work was good. I think that’s what this is all about,” he said.
Griffin Connolly of CQ-Roll Call; Jennifer Haberkorn, Sarah D. Wire and Chris Megarians of the Los Angeles Times / TNS all contributed to this report.
OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
FLORIDA
A3 Tech Exchange is a component of Google’s committed to building a more diverse Google – one that reflects the people who use its products. “That’s why, as part of our strategy to do so, we are continuing to hire and invest in young Black and Latinx talent,” Brown said in an announcement. This fall, Google welcomed 65 rising juniors and five faculty members from 11 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) as a part of the program.
Howard was first
COURTESY OF FAMU
FAMU Professor Clement Allen and students Tabia Cannon, Cornelius Cook, Christopher Griffin, Jonathan McKinley and Garrett Tolbert attend a kickoff event for the tech program at Google last month.
FAMU among HBCUs in Google’s tech program Students, professor will spend a year in Silicon Valley SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
TALLAHASSEE – Five Florida A&M University (FAMU) students and one professor have been selected for Google’s Tech Exchange Program. Each of the students is pursuing computer science degrees in
FAMU’s College of Science and Technology and will spend a year gaining hands-on training and experience at Google. The selected students are Tabia Cannon, Cornelius Cook, Christopher Griffin, Jonathan McKinley and Garrett Tolbert. FAMU Computer and Information Sciences Professor Clement Allen was selected to accompany the students and offer courses to all students enrolled in the program.
‘Wealth of talent’ The yearlong residency includes 15 course credit hours (with up to three credit hours focused on FAMU’s online courses). The courses are offered by leading professors and Google engineers. All credits earned will count toward the completion of their degrees. Throughout the year, students will take a selection of applied computer science courses, including machine learning, product management, computational
theory and database systems. “A wealth of talent exists within the student population at Florida A&M University. For generations, our faculty has nurtured, refined and developed that talent and prepared our graduates to lead in areas of critical need, including STEM,” said Dr. Larry Robinson, FAMU’s president. “This unique partnership with Google will enable us to jointly prepare the next generation of innovators and bring muchneeded diversity into the technology domain. Google and the customers they serve will realize long-term benefits from this partnership.”
Investing in minorities Danielle Brown, vice president of Employee Engagement and chief diversity and inclusion officer at Google, said that
Tech Exchange was inspired by a successful previous partnership between Howard University and Google titled “Howard West.” This year, Google has extended its tech community to not only FAMU but also California State University-Dominguez Hills, Morgan State University, New Mexico State University, Prairie View A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, Dillard University, the University of Texas-El Paso, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, and Spelman College. Howard will continue its initiative as a member of the Tech Exchange Program as well.
Great exposure All of the professors teaching courses at Google’s campus come from HBCUs or HSIs. “This unique and exceptional program is invaluable to our students. Exposure to the tech environment not only allows our students to see their curriculum in practice, but it also exposes them to the culture of tech giants such as Google. This will contribute greatly to their success and leadership growth within the tech industry, which is in dire need of diversity,” said Dr. Sonya Stephens, associate dean of FAMU’s College of Science and Technology.
ADOPTIONS
A home for Joshua
Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students, speaks at De La Salle Academy in Fort Myers.
Fundraising begins for scholarships for bullying victims SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
safe. Through this program, children who are being bullied or harassed will be able to access a safe learning environment,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students. “We are grateful to the state legislature for creating this program to protect these children, and we’re honored to be the program administrator.” Parent Jennifer Cotrell said about the Hope Scholarship. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. An awesome idea.’’
One Church One Child of Florida is reaching out to families and individuals in local communities across the state in efforts to help share the truth that Joshua and over 700 more children are waiting for a permanent home and/or mentor. Many are minorities. Churches 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 of National One Church One Child, is challenging fellow pastors to get involved and encourage families to open their hearts and homes to children in foster care. This series features children located in communities across Florida. They have no family identified to adopt them.
Meet Joshua, 11 Joshua is a sweet soul with a silly sense of humor. He’s wicked smart, does great in school (with all advanced classes) and can build amazing Lego creations from his imagination.
If he could have any superpower he’d want to be able to change himself into an animal, specifically a cheetah so that – in the event of an emergency – he could “carry all the babies on his back and run them to safety.” This year, Joshua learned that “everything is made out of atoms,” and he hopes to one day be famous for his intelligence. With such an active, inquisitive mind, it does Joshua good to see new places and try new things. He would like to be part of a family that’s on-the-go and involved in their community. Despite all that Joshua has endured, he keeps a genuine smile on his face and an openness in his heart. He deserves to be part of an active, engaging twoparent home that can advocate for his education, support his dreams, and encourage him to shoot for the stars. For more information about Joshua and other children in foster care available for adoption, or if you would like to become a foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, contact LaKay Fayson, recruitment coordinator for One Church One Child of Florida’s SunCoast Region, at 813-740-0210 or lakay_fayson@ococfl.org. The website for One Church One Child of Florida is www.ococfl.org.
Personal story
Fundraising officially began Monday for the first state-supported scholarship in America aimed at helping K-12 students victimized by bullying. The Hope Scholarship gives parents of eligible students the opportunity to find a safer learning environment among private schools participating in the program. It also allows parents to transfer their child to another K-12 public school with available capacity within the school district, or to receive funding to transport the student to a public school in another school district.
Her daughter, Paige, was bullied in her prior school because of her learning disability. “There is nothing worse than a kid who doesn’t want to go to school because of how they are treated there,” said Cottrell. Paige now attends De LaSalle Academy with help from another type of educational choice scholarship, the Gardiner Scholarship for students with special needs. Qualifying incidents for the Hope Scholarship include bullying, assault, battery, harassment, hazing, kidnapping, physical attack, robbery, threats or intimidation, sexual offenses, and fighting at school.
Fort Myers kick off
46,000 impacted
The scholarship was created by the Florida Legislature last spring, signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, and will be administered by Step Up For Students, a Florida nonprofit. It will be funded by purchasers of motor vehicles who can now designate up to $105 of sales taxes on those purchases to Step Up. Representatives from Step Up and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, who sponsored the Hope legislation, were on hand Monday to kick off the program at De LaSalle Academy of Fort Myers, a school for students with special needs that will be participating in the Hope program. “We’re excited to launch the Hope Scholarship program today. Children can’t learn when they don’t feel
According to state data, more than 46,000 Florida students in the 2016-17 school year were subjected to bullying, violence or harassment in their district school. So far, more than 220 private schools have signed up to participate in the program, and more than 1,700 parents have put their names on an interest list. The Hope Scholarship value depends on grade levels: $6,519 for grades K-5, $6,815 for grades 6-8, and $7,111 for grades 9-12. According to Florida TaxWatch, per-pupil spending averaged $10,308 for students in Florida school districts in 2015-16. The transportation scholarship is worth up to $750. For more information, visit www.StepUpForStudents. org.
COURTESY OF CSALLUSTIO PHOTOGRAPHY
EDITORIAL
A4
OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
There’s no substitute for the truth Jesus said to individuals who trusted and believed in him: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Mark 8: 32). Thus, understanding the spiritual meaning of this scripture, we must realize that God does not want us to be set free from him, but made free in his spirit through love and service to others. We must acknowledge that fair exchange is no robbery, and therefore as Americans, we must: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:” (Philippians 2: 5-6). Christian right-wing evangelicals, Republican National Committee (RNC) officials, and Donald Trump “groupies,” know this: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8: 28).
Judges the righteous Why is it that some Christians do not understand that God hates “racism” by his own words of inspiration? “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalms 7: 11). Racism is spiritual wickedness because it is an abomination to God. In fact, it is compounding sin on top of sin. Yes, all lives matter, therefore, “Blacks Lives Matter.” It’s just a matter of time before “The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.” (Proverbs 14: 11). Truth does not need a support or collaboration system. Truth stands by itself, because GOD is GOD all by Himself. Although individuals can write almost perfect governing documents like the preamble and articles of the Constitution, there are still ambiguities in their writings as well as inability to live up to the spiritualprinciples (laws) written therein.
BOBBY E. MILLS GUEST COLUMNIST
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8: 1-4).
Believe God Truth operates on primal-spiritual-kinetic energy, not borrowed energy. Don’t believe me, but believe the word of God, because: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24: 35). Christian right-wing evangelicals, RNC officials, Trump groupies as well as all Americans must understand that we should: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightfully dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2: 15). Truth stands even though individuals have not sanctified themselves in the Truth: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17: 17). Spiritually-Inquiring-minds need to know the truth, but truth can only be discovered through the investigation of empirically-based facts, not through emotional-political speculation. Legitimate news organizations employ skilled professionals, not political hacks. Hence, le-
Time for AfricanAmericans to come home One of the best-kept secrets among African-Americans is how much our brothers and sisters in Africa enthusiastically would love for us to “Come home.” Such was the case most recently in Nigeria as delegations of African-Americans traveled to lle-Ife, Nigeria, the ancestral home of the Yoruba culture and tradition, for the 2018 Olojo Festival, September 28-October 2, 2018. I was pleased to be joined on this unique and meaningful pilgrimage to Nigeria by Claudette Perry of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA); Jeffery Boney, Texas city councilman and contributing writer for the NNPA; Tish Bazil, author and photographer; and Gary Foster, videographer and social media visionary. We were invited to attend the
DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. GUEST COLUMNIST
Olojo Festival by His Imperial Majesty The Ooni of Ife, who is the global leader of Yoruba and king of the Osun State in Nigeria. Ile-Ife is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back thousands of years. Yes, Africa is very rich with oil, gold, diamonds, uranium, titanium, platinum and other precious stones and metals. Africa’s richest resource, however, is its human resource in the context of thousands of years of culture, language and tradition. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation with over 190 million people.
Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 323 Brett Kavanaugh ‒ The fix is in. The FBI “investigation” is a sham. The head of the FBI, Christopher Wray, and the No. 2 at the Justice Department, Rod Rosenstein, are conservative Republican lawyers and close Kavanaugh friends. The so-called three Republican “undecideds,” Collins, Flake and Murkowski, have checked the box by hearing Dr. Ford’s public testi-
QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER
CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER
mony and then by ‘forcing’ King Don Trump to authorize the halfassed FBI follow-up.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: THE FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL RACE
gitimate news organizations are cornerstones of America’s democratic processes. Demonic forces that seek to spiritually undermine democracy places America in harm’s way. Hence, without a free press, democracy dies, because: “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” (Psalm 68: 11).
Checks the facts The “word” in this context simply means TRUTH. In a democratic society, the press must be viewed as a fact-checking institution that not only holds themselves accountable, but governmental leadership officials at every level as well. The truth will make you free. If individuals are not careful, lies will enslave individuals to “alternative facts” and/or alternative realities which in turn will destroy them. For after all is said and done: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him; and without him was not anything made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1: 1-5). Having a “love affair” with lies is a dangerous proposition for personal living or nation-building, because Truth creates and a lie destroys. The Truth stirs and creates spiritual tension in an individual’s conscience, and therefore the soul is restless until it finds the truth (God), because God is LOVE: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1: 6-7).
But from what we witnessed firsthand during the five days while we were in Ile-Ife, it was the culture that has had and will continue to have the greatest impact on unifying Nigerians and all people of African descent throughout the Diaspora. The Olojo Festival was one of most authentic and impactful cultural festivals that we had ever seen. We saw vibrantly displayed cultural genius in native language, traditional dress, dance, spirituality, pageantry and food.
Real ‘Wakanda’ In fact, we experienced a real-life “Wakanda” celebration of the sanctity, diversity, and cultural wealth of Africa in the ancient sacred city of Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The Yoruba language and cultural manifestations were so evident at the Olojo Festival that we were all moved to tears of insatiable joy and passionate responses. In preparation for this year’s Olojo Festival, H.I.M. The Ooni Of Ife stated, “We are set for a legacy project that will uplift one of
Expect the Republicans to all fall in line and vote Kavanaugh in, probably with the help of two petrified Democratic senatorial incumbents, Heitkamp and Manchin. White male privilege, indeed… FBI and Supreme Court damaged ‒ Consciously “woke” Black folks already knew the FBI was politicized if not from birth, then at least during the J. Edgar Hoover era, particularly when the organization loosed itself via its notorious COINTELPRO operation on Black organizations during the 1960s and ‘70s. Average people still think that both the FBI and the Supreme Court are the last of the ‘trust-
BILL DAY, TALLAHASSEE, FL
Humble ourselves
Eternal soul
God is seeking to save America from itself by beseeching each American to humble themselves in his sight, and he will lift America up, because: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7: 14). America, remember this: “For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,” (Exodus 20: 5). Hence, God demands that: “All things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14: 40). If only every American could spiritually reconcile the statement of Rodney King after being brutally beaten by police officers during the LA (Watts) Riots – “Can’t we all just get along?” –with this spiritual scriptural verse: “The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22: 2). Hence, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: Keep thyself pure.” (1 Timothy 5: 22). For after all, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9: 27).
Most assuredly, the soul belongs to God and the devil is “going to and fro” seeking to destroy bodies. Therefore God told the devil you cannot touch Job’s soul, but you can have your way with his body. The body came from dirt and it shall return to dirt: “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.” Job experienced life one day at a time, and of course, without complete answers to all of life’s questions. Moreover, this is why King David could declare: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” (Psalm 24: 1-4). Truth transcends the categories of understanding time, space, class and number, because truth is eternal.
the oldest cities in the world and put it on the global tourist map.” I certainly plan to let all our NNPA member publishers and media company owners know about this historic city and awe-inspiring annual festival. We should start planning now for next year’s festival. In truth, African-Americans have so many issues that are impacting our quality of life. Some may ask, “Why should we focus on Nigeria and other nations in Africa?” The answer to that question is quite factual. African-Americans have a history that did not begin or end in slavery in the United States. Our ancestry in Africa needs to be better known, appreciated and embraced. We must travel back to our ancestral homelands. We must reconnect with who we really are without the trappings and ornaments of White supremacy.
our grandchildren should be told the truth about our African past, present and future. It is our responsibility and opportunity to reconnect to Africa beyond sentimentalities. It is time to develop joint economic development ventures. Our Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) should teach African languages and culture as a prerequisite for graduation. We should hold our family reunions in Africa. The NNPA will take trade delegations to Nigeria and to other African nations. The African Press Association will become a member of the NNPA. We know that there will always be challenges both at home and abroad. The point here is that African leaders such as H.I.M. The Ooni of Ife are calling for all of us to “Come home.”
Tell them the truth We are an African people. That is more than a Pan-African slogan from the 1960s. Our children and
worthy’ governmental entities. Expect that to change if Kavanaugh is confirmed. People will eventually figure out that the FBI was pimped by Trump and the GOP to promote a White “frat boy” to the single most powerful lifetime job in the American governmental system. Where are the FBI resignations of Wray and other FBI leadership who refused to go along with this scam? And why hasn’t a Supreme Court justice who knows the damage this is doing to the institution’s waning credibility spoken out? Voter registration ‒ Blacks aren’t registering at the rates expected. Why not? Because Dem-
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.
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ocrats are WEAK and CHEAP. When they were in charge, they didn’t “take care of the base.” So the average non-registered but eligible Black voter looks at the Obama years, asks “What did Democrats do for me?” then answers, “Not much. They didn’t even fight for me.” I live in Daytona. If the state Dems spent any money on Black voter registration drives on the eastern end of the critical I-4 voting corridor, I sure missed it. Too busy spending money soliciting that elusive, precious White male vote, I guess…
Me? ccherry2@gmail.com.
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OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
Democrats don’t care about presumption of innocence As a Black American, I have a particular sensitivity to the importance of the concept of the presumption of innocence and due process of law. Few millennials and modern journalists know of the famous Emmett Till murder case in Mississippi in the 1950s. It was one of the first major national civil rights murder cases. Emmett Till was a 14-year-old Black boy visiting Mississippi from Chicago. He was beaten beyond recognition, shot, tied with barbed wire, and thrown into Mississippi’s Tallahatchie River. Why? Because of an accusation – a mere accusation – that he flirted with a White woman. Till was only one of the more well-known of the many thousands of Blacks in the old American South who were tortured, castrated, burned alive, or lynched based only on an accusation of flirtation or sexual assault – they were presumed guilty. There was no presumption of innocence and no requirement of due process! With this despicable history as backdrop, it is more than disgusting to see Democrats in the United States Senate trample the basic principle of presumption of innocence and apply the Old South standard of presumption of guilt once applied to Blacks to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. For Kavanaugh, just as was the case for Black males in the Old South, there is no presumption of innocence and no requirement of due process by his enemies. Yesterday, Blacks’ enemies were Democrat segregationists and their shock troops in the Ku Klux Klan. Today, Kavanaugh’s enemies
CLARENCE V. MCKEE, ESQ. GUEST COLUMNIST
Today, Democrats and the left are participating in a “high-tech lynching” of Kavanaugh because he is a conservative, has ideas different from the liberal Democratic establishment, and does not “kowtow” to the old liberal order. denying him due process and the presumption of innocence are progressive and liberal White Democrats and their friends on the left who disrupted confirmation hearings and forced Senator Ted Cruz and his wife from a Washington, D.C., restaurant. They assume that Kavanaugh is guilty in the face of an accusation by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused him of sexual assault 36 years ago. And whom are some of these liberal Democrats who wish to return to the “pre-
The Kavanaugh hearings are a farce Now that it’s too late to prevent a total right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court, the Democrats pretend to be the party of opposition. The Supreme Court nomination process is often reduced to drama and its importance reduced to irrelevancy. That is the way Democrats like Barack Obama and John Kerry acted when they were senators. They declined to use their power to filibuster and scuttle the right-wing nominations they claimed were so antithetical to their beliefs. But thanks to them and other Democrats the Supreme Court is now firmly in the hands of Republican ideologues and protestations about Brett Kavanaugh are little more than kabuki theater. The Kavanaugh nomination has as its backdrop accusations of sexual assault going back decades. This important issue is now treated as an opportunity for Democratic Party grandstanding. Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez let the cat out of the bag himself. When
MARGARET KIMBERLEY BLACK AGENDA REPORT
pressed by a reporter, he admitted that the DNC wouldn’t withhold assistance to Democratic Party senators who voted to confirm Kavanaugh. If Democrats cared about the Supreme Court, they would have done a better job of protecting their Senate majority and the presidency itself. Instead, they hope to eke out victories while neglecting the issues that the masses of Democrats want them to advance. Democratic Party corruption is at the root of the Republican control of the Senate and the courts. All of their deal making has come back to haunt them and the rest of the country. The Republicans have also outdone themselves in providing theatrics. They send attack dogs
So much hate, so little tolerance Political rivalry is as much a part of Americana as red, white and blue. We expect it and cheer on whatever side we support. Throughout the history of our great nation, elections would bring much debate and comparisons as to whose side or positions would be best for the future of our nation. I remember fearing the thought of Barry Goldwater becoming our nation’s president. I thought he was a maniac – a civil rights-hating racist and a war monger. Not too long after that 1964 election cycle, I would be depending on Senator Goldwater to save my future. We were in Army basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. From there we would go to Infantry Officer Candidate School in Ft. Benning, Georgia. President Nixon decided that we were going to withdraw from Vietnam and, thus, the Army
HARRY C. ALFORD GUEST COLUMNIST
needed to reduce its manpower. They determined to stop us from going to Officer School and renege on our contracts with the U.S. Army. It seemed like we were destined to be screwed. However, one of our compatriot’s mother worked for Senator Goldwater. He called his mother about the betrayal and she quipped, “I will tell Uncle Barry about this.” The next day, our contracts were back in force. Barry Goldwater had compassion for us and stepped up to protect us. He wasn’t that evil fire-breathing mongrel I thought him to be. That experience taught me to
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VISUAL VIEWPOINT: THE FBI INVESTIGATES BRETT KAVANAUGH
sumed guilty” standard that was applied to Blacks in the old Democrat South? Judiciary Committee member Senator Richard Blumenthal, DConn., “I believe Dr. Ford.” Judiciary Committee member Senator Kamala Harris, D-Ca., a former attorney general of California, who is Black: “I believe her.” Judiciary Committee member Senator Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii: “Not only do women like Dr. Ford, who bravely comes forward, need to be heard, but they need to be believed.” Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., “It is Judge Kavanaugh…who I think now bears the burden of disproving these allegations.” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, DN.Y., “I believe her. Her story is credible.” No mention of getting the facts. No mention of Judge Kavanaugh deserving due process. All they want is to get Kavanaugh. Under the Democrats’ new nodue-process standard, any accusation of sexual assault by a woman will be an education and career death sentence for fathers, husband, and sons throughout the nation in all professions. And now liberals are salivating over two more Democrat “Hail Mary” uncorroborated allegations against Kavanaugh – Deborah Ramirez accusing Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a dorm party at Yale; and, a third, Julie Swetnick, a client of Stormy Daniels’ attorney and Trump hater Michael Avenatti, who alleges he was present at a 1982 party where she was drugged and raped. Both allegations are suspicious with coincidental timing. The New York Times refused to print
the Ramirez story and the most recent revelation has an “Avenatti” taint with neither specifics nor names. This all seems like the weaponizing and politicizing of sexual assault. It would be interesting to learn to whom these accusers and associates are politically and financially connected. The liberal atmosphere has become so shameless and vile that comedian Jimmy Kimmel thinks it is acceptable to make a crude and lewd joke about Kavanaugh being castrated. The entire process has been made a travesty and circus by Senate Democrats and their allies on the left. Are there no Democrats in the United States Senate with a sense of decency unwilling to sit by while their colleagues attempt to destroy a man’s career, life, and family? Apparently not. In his confirmation hearings in 1991, then Supreme Court nominee, and now Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, described the attacks on him as “…a hightech lynching for uppity Blacks who in any way deign to think for
themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas, and it is a message that unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you…” Today, Democrats and the left are participating in a “high-tech lynching” of Kavanaugh because he is a conservative, has ideas different from the liberal Democratic establishment, and does not “kowtow” to the old liberal order. As Thomas said: “I think something is dreadfully wrong with this country when any person, any person in this free country would be subjected to this… This is a circus. It’s a national disgrace.” Judge Kavanaugh and his family must feel the same way.
like Lindsey Graham to make their base happy, but then send Jeff Flake to play good cop and request a flimsy FBI investigation. Democrats routinely keep leftists in line by invoking the federal judiciary. Anyone who wants peace, a protected social safety net or anything else the Democrats don’t care about is told to think about the Supreme Court and keep voting for the party that never fights for them. Democrats are the cause of most of our problems. Fingerpointing about lifetime appointments is just another ruse to silence anyone who is paying attention to their treachery. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris get lots of face time and burnish their faux progressive credentials in regard to the sexual assault claims. Booker even made a show of releasing supposedly confidential documents which weren’t confidential because they were made public at his request. But Kavanaugh’s role in protecting the Bush administration torture regime has taken a back seat. The Democrats don’t ask because they don’t care. Or rather they care about upholding the Democrats’ role as partners in the duopoly, including as Obama famously said, “torturing folks.” Kavanaugh says that the bulk data collection of every Amer-
ican’s phone calls, emails and texts is “entirely consistent” with the Constitution. He also believes that the president is kinglike, with no obligation to heed Congress or the courts. This “doctrine of the unitary executive” is at least as dangerous as the possibility that he engaged in an attempted rape. But right-wing legal doctrines do not garner ratings or cries of outrage. They ought to, and as the opposition the Democrats ought to be exposing attempts to take away the few rights we have left. The Kavanaugh circus is proof that neither party is concerned about constitutional protections. When Kavanaugh helped George W. Bush legalize torture, the Democrats were silent. They took a dive then and they are continuing their tradition of going along to get along. Meanwhile the so-called “resistance” performs pathetic grandstanding of their own, which continues the worst of Washington’s evildoing. They may tell women to black out their social media profiles, or walk off their jobs or take part in some other symbolic act. If they were at all serious they would protest all of the rotten institutions, including the Democrats who put the federal judiciary securely in Republican hands. If Kavanaugh didn’t exist, the Democrats would have to invent
him. He is the perfect target for their faux outrage and creates a smokescreen for their people to rally against without asking hard questions about how their party has been brought to irrelevance. In the end, this Supreme Court vacancy will be filled by some dreadful right-winger. If the Republicans were smarter, they would have put forward a bland individual who they could confirm without raising much public attention. For now they are committed to Kavanaugh and Democrats are committed to making noise and acting for the cameras. As Tom Perez admitted, some of them won’t even have to do that. The right-wing Democratsin-name-only can do openly what the rest of them do with pretense. Two years after their electoral debacle Democratic Party gaslighting has succeeded in silencing millions of people who ought to oppose them as much as they oppose the Republicans. Kavanaugh’s tearful testimony was not the only phony show in Washington.
understand that American politics should be restrained from hatred. There should be tolerance of other views. We should choose our political sides, debate and then elect the winner. Whoever that winner is becomes our leader for a set period and will be re-elected (or not) depending on performance. We move on regardless of the outcomes. We win some; we lose some; but life goes on under the sweetness of democracy and the guarantee of freedom and individual rights. Sadly since the latest federal election, something has happened. The political sides have become intolerant of each other. The Democratic Party seems to be hurt from the 2016 election. They were so sure of victory that defeat is not being accepted. In more peaceful times, we would all say, “If you don’t like it, deal with it at the next election.” That patience does not seem to be tolerable any more. Democratic Party members are becoming venomous in their attitudes, so anti-Trump to the point of resistance, obstruction and hatred of anything that supports our current administration. “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is real.
Families are being broken up or becoming dysfunctional because of the last election. The current Supreme Court nominee selection process is a great example of this. No matter who President Trump selects for nomination, Democrats in Congress will oppose the appointment. Brett Kavanaugh seems to have an impeccable record since becoming a judge. His 300-plus judicial decisions are mainstream and illustrate good jurisprudence. However, he is a Trump nominee and must be stopped by any means necessary, according congressional Democrats. Just about every trick –ethical, unethical or illegal – is being tried. One example is encouraging a mentally challenged individual to place a formal complaint of sexual assault against nominee Kavanaugh, an alleged act that happened over 36 years ago. She requested discretion about the handling of this. What did they do? They leaked her accusation to the national press and paraded her on national television and gave her a questionable legal representative. They have put an “accuser” who
needs medical help and privacy in a position of traumatic exposure. You must feel sorry for her. If that is not enough, they have two more “accusers” who claim either sexual indiscretion or downright gang rape. They are trying to paint a sleezy, criminal picture on a human being who has played by the rules and has lived a great, impressive American life. Hopefully, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will settle this matter soon. Kavanaugh has already successfully completed six previous FBI investigations covering the same period of time. However, it would not be surprising if they try some more shenanigans to stop this nomination from going through. The Democratic Congress is going through a mental crisis at the expense of our normal political process. I hope this will straighten itself out through the next election. Dear Lord, may our voters and elected officials come to their senses and end this hatred and intolerance.
JOHN COLE, THE SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE, PA
Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns. He is a former co-owner of WTVT-TV in Tampa and former president of the Florida Association of Broadcasters.
Margaret Kimberley’s Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well at http://freedomrider. blogspot.com.
Mr. Alford is the co-founder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (www.nationalbcc.org)
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OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
Cosby’s sentence highlights aging prison population Over the last 25 years, state corrections’ spending grew by 674 percent and the costs are mainly spent on incarcerating the elderly. BY FREDERICK H. LOWE TRICE EDNEY NEWSWIRE
Bill Cosby’s sentence of three to 10 years after being convicted on three counts of sexual assault spotlights the growing number of elderly housed in the nation’s state and federal prisons. Cosby, who is 81 and legally blind, was escorted by police on Sept. 24 from the Norristown, Pennsylvania, courthouse to begin serving his prison sentence at SCI Phoenix, a new state prison near Philadelphia, where the staff will assess his physical and medical needs. “The day has come,” Judge Steven O’Neill told Cosby before sentencing him. “Your time has come.” Cosby was convicted of the 2004 drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand, a former Temple University women’s basketball coach,
JOSE F. MORENO/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS
Bill Cosby is escorted by police in handcuffs as he exits the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Norristown, Pa., on Sept. 26, 208.
Cost of incarceration Cosby’s sentence spotlights the nation’s aging prison population. In 2013, there were 131,500 prisoners aged 55 or older. The nation’s total state-prison population is approximately 1.57 million. Over the last 25 years, state
US stops visas to same-sex partners of foreign diplomats unless married BY TRACY WILKINSON LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
WASHINGTON – The State Department has stopped issuing visas to the same-sex partners of foreign diplomats sent to the United States or the United Nations in New York unless they are legally married, officials said Tuesday. The shift, which began Monday but was announced Tuesday, is likely to make it difficult for some diplomats to bring their partners to postings in the United States because few countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East recognize or allow same-sex marriages. The State Department said waivers would be granted in hardship cases. It said the change would affect about 105 couples or families now in the United States, including 55 that work for the United Nations or other international organizations. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has pushed for religious freedom to be paramount among human rights that the United States advocates overseas, a shift from previous administrations.
Activists balk Some activists worry that religious liberty is often used to deny rights to gay, lesbian and other non-heterosexual people. David Stacy, government affairs director for the Human Rights Council, which advocates for gay rights, said the State Department decision was “unnecessary, mean-spirited and unacceptable.” “This is an unconscionable, needless attack on some LGBTQ diplomats from around the world,” Stacy added.
corrections’ spending grew by 674 percent and the costs are mainly spent on incarcerating the elderly. Those costs are much higher than for younger inmates, according to several studies. “It costs $34,135 per year to house an average prisoner but it
costs $68,270 per year to house a prisoner 50 and older.
‘Old age homes’ Elderly prisoners face several challenges including hearing loss, dementia, cardiac disease,
high blood pressure, and mobility issues. Prisons also must be retrofit spaces to accommodate the elderly, including installing ramps, shower handles and hiring nurses to care for the elderly. “Prisons were never designed
to be geriatric facilities,” reports Human Rights Watch. “Yet U.S. corrections officials now operate old age homes behind bars.”
This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the NorthStarNewsToday.com.
Matter of ‘parity’ State Department officials defended the move, saying it was a matter of “parity” because under the new policy, U.S. diplomats in same-sex relationships also had to be married in order to receive benefits and be posted abroad together. “The purpose of the policy is to promote the equal treatment of all family members and couples,” a State Department official said, briefing reporters anonymously in keeping with department protocols. “This is certainly not an attack,” another State Department official said. “It is not meant to be punitive. It is a recognition and a codification of the fact that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States.”
Reverses Clinton order The new policy reverses an order by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who required all domestic partners of foreign diplomats or U.N. envoys to be given visas. The State Department became increasingly receptive to gay members on its staff and LGBT rights around the world. A special LGBT envoy was appointed under the Obama administration, but the Trump administration has not filled that slot. Same-sex marriage is legal in the United States, one of about 25 countries that grant marriage equality, according to activist groups.
‘Insidious impact’ In countries where gay sex violates the law, or gays are openly persecuted, same-sex couples obviously cannot marry before traveling to the United States. The State Department said they could marry after they arrive, but that would require the non-diplomatic partner to obtain a separate travel visa to enter the United States. “This will have an insidious impact on same-sex couples from countries that ban samesex marriage or only offer civil unions,” said Akshaya Kumar, deputy U.N. director at Human Rights Watch.
PETE MAROVICH/ABACA PRESS/TNS
President Donald Trump calls on a reporter for a question after delivering remarks on the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) at the White House on Monday.
Trump praises the revamped NAFTA deal President calls it ‘a historic win’ for workers BY DON LEE AND JIM PUZZANGHERA LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Monday lauded the new trade deal with Canada and Mexico as the most important ever for the U.S. and “a historic win” for American farmers, manufacturers and auto workers. “Once approved by Congress, this new deal will be the most modern, up-to-date and balanced trade agreement in the history of our country, with the most advanced protections for workers ever developed,” Trump said during a news conference at the White House, flanked by top administration officials. U.S. negotiators and their Canadian counterparts came to terms on a deal late Sept. 30, beating a midnight procedural deadline to try to save the North American Free Trade Agreement.
A new name OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/TNS
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listens to President Donald Trump speak during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
Trump has blasted NAFTA, which took effect in 1994, as a horrible trade deal — “perhaps the worst trade deal ever made,” he repeated on Monday — and
renegotiating it was a pillar of his 2016 campaign. Trump said Monday was a new day for trade relations among the three North American nations, a point he highlighted by declaring that the acronym NAFTA was dead. The new deal will be called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. “USMCA. Has a good ring to it,” he said.
Tariffs remain Trump noted that the agreement covers $1.2 trillion in annual trade. Despite the Sept. 30 breakthrough that added Canada to a renegotiated agreement the U.S. and Mexico already had struck, the pact does not resolve all the trade tensions among the three nations. Trump said Monday that tariffs the U.S. has placed on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico will remain in place “until such time as we can do something different,” such as quotas, “so that our industry is protected.”
Auto rules Administration officials said the new deal revised rules on auto manufacturing and worker rights, as well as added updated or new provisions on digital trade, financial services and oth-
er areas of commerce that were not major factors when the pact was ratified under the Clinton administration. Auto rules were a key part of the deal. NAFTA currently requires that 62.5 percent of the content of cars be produced in North America to qualify for tariff-free trade among the three nations.
Raising the rule U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had sought to raise that threshold to 80 percent and establish a new requirement that 50 percent of the vehicle’s contents be sourced in the United States for zero-tariff treatment. Those moves were intended to curb offshoring to Mexico and increase auto investment and production in the United States. In the end, the parties settled on raising the North American rule of origin for autos to 75 percent. And they agreed to a novel scheme that 40 percent to 45 percent of the content of cars must be produced by workers making at least $16 an hour, which Trump officials hope will shift more production and jobs to the U.S. “We are requiring a large portion of every car to be made by high-wage workers, which will greatly reduce foreign outsourcing, which was a tremendous problem, and means more auto parts and automobiles will be manufactured inside the United States,” Trump said Monday. “We will be manufacturing many more cars.”
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President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30.
Beyond the midterms Here’s the outlook if Democrats win big in November BY LESLEY CLARK MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
MICHAEL NIGRO/PACIFIC PRESS/ZUMA PRESS/TNS
Democrats, even those who backed a bid to impeach or censure after Trump blamed “both sides” for deadly violence stemming from a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last year, say they would need to establish a case for Trump’s removal. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with James Comey, then director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on Jan. 22, 2017. Dems want to investigate the firing of Comey. ANDREW HARRER/POOL SIPA USA/TNS
The decision to separate migrant families at the border also is on the Dems’ list of issues with the Trump administration. MARCUS SANTOS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/ TNS
WASHINGTON – Democrats want to examine President Donald Trump’s tax returns. There’s talk of launching an independent commission into his administration’s handling of the hurricane that wracked Puerto Rico. Progressive activists are ready to start impeachment proceedings. Get ready. If Democrats take control of a congressional chamber in the November election, expect a flood of hearings, investigations, probes and special commissions starting in January. Democrats on two government watchdog House panels say Republicans have stifled and blocked nearly 75 lines of inquiry into various Trump policies and issues. Democratic members of Congress are already at the starting gate, ready to pounce. “What we want is to be a check on this “There ought to president, rather than a rubber stamp,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. be a requirement Democrats need a net gain of 23 seats to for full financial win the House and two to control the Senate. Independent analysts say both goals disclosure, are reachable. including the most Investigating could be easy. Tossing Trump out of office will be nearly imposrecent five years of sible. And reversing policy could be tough, tax returns, for the since it usually takes 60 votes to overcome filibusters and Democrats are highly unpresident and vice likely to even approach that sort of number. president.This is Here’s a look at some of the methods essential if citizens Democrats are ready to employ.
can be confident that decisions are being made in the public interest, rather than in the president’s personal interest.”
IMPEACHMENT
“It will start with hearings around all of those pieces, Trump’s Cabinet, corruption,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which could consider impeachment proceedings. She said Democratic committee members have kept track of more than two dozen issues they’d like to investigate, including the administration’s family separation policy and the firing of FBI Director James House Democratic Comey. Whip Steny Hoyer “What we want to say is, ‘Look we should have this information.’ We will see of Maryland where it all leads,” Jayapal said. “I’m one of the people who believe we should be having a debate on impeachment, but that’s a political act. We have to build that case.” Democratic leaders have sought to tamp down calls to impeach Trump, but it remains popular among the Democratic base. And Trump has urged the threat to rally his supporters. “If it does happen, it’s your fault, because you didn’t go out to vote, OK?” the president warned supporters at a campaign rally in Montana last week. Democrats, even those who backed a bid to impeach or censure after Trump blamed “both sides” for deadly violence stemming from a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last year, say they would need to establish a case for Trump’s removal. See MIDTERMS, Page B2
EVENTS
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FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Miami: Nicki Minaj’s tour featuring Future stops Oct. 19 at AmericanAirlinesArena and Oct. 20 at Orlando’s Amway Center.
Lake Wales: Edward Waters College’s football team faces Warner University on Oct. 6. Game time: 1:30 p.m. More info: www.ewctigerpride.com
Miramar: The Stars of Trinidad and Tobago concert is Oct. 6 at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater. Performers include Blaxx, Anslem Douglas and the Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra.
Tampa: The West Tampa CRA will host a free Unity Tampa Historical and Cultural Festival on Oct.13 at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vendor info: Call 813-274-7427 or e-mail Malcolm.Kiner@ Tampagov.net.work Miami Gardens: The Color of Cancer Walk and Resource Fair is Oct. 6 at Rolling Oaks Park, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Register at colorsofcancermiamigardens. eventbrite.com. Tallahassee: Florida A&M’s homecoming game is 4 p.m. Oct. 6. The Rattlers face Norfolk State. Jacksonville: The “LIL AF Tour’’ hosted by Martin Lawrence stops at the Veterans Memorial Arena and Orlando’s Amway Center on Oct. 6. Tampa: The Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival continues through Oct. 13 at the Tampa Theatre. Details: tiglff.com
Hollywood: The Off Color Comedy Tour stops at Hollywood’s Hard Rock Live on Oct. 6. Performers include Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Tommy Davidson and David Alan Grier.
OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
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JULIEN BELIVE
The Miami Carnival season continues with the parade of bands and concert on Oct. 7 at the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds. Performers include Julien Believe, Kes De Band, Patrice Roberts. Details: www. miamibrowardcarnival. com
MARSHA AMBROSIUS
Catch Maxwell on Oct. 16 at Dr. Phillips Center or Oct. 17 at Hollywood’s Hard Rock Live with Marsha Ambrosius.
Orlando: The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival continues through Nov. 12. Kenny G and Billy Ocean are among the October “Eat to the Beat’’ performers.
B-CU HOMECOMING
Bethune-Cookman’s homecoming football game is 4 p.m. Oct. 6 against Mississippi Valley State. ROMEO T. GUZMAN/
Miramar: The White Party featuring Frankie Beverly and the Isley Brothers is set for Sept. 29 at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheatre.
BCUATHLETICS.COM
Orlando: Tamia’s Passion Like Fire Tour stops at the House of Blues Orlando on Oct. 11. Orlando: Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M will meet in the annual Florida Classic on Nov. 17 at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. Details: FloridaClassic.org
Trayvon Martin Foundation to present teen summit SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
The Trayvon Martin Foundation in partnership with the Miami Dolphins and in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools will present the Stay Woke 2018 Teen Summit on Thursday, Oct. 25, at Miami-Dade College’s Lehman Theatre, 11380 NW 27th Avenue, Miami. The youth summit is an annual educational affair that showcases youth participants and covers a range of topics including bullying, conflict resolution, gun violence and voter education. It will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Supported by Dolphins The event allows youth to strategize in engaging activities with honest and in-
formative discussion pertaining to violence in our schools and neighborhoods and will feature an open conversation on ideas and plans of action designed to empower youth and curtail violence. The Stay Woke event is supported by the Miami Dolphins, which selected The Trayvon Martin Foundation as a 20182019 Football Unites grant recipient. Created in November 2017 by Owner Stephen Ross and Dolphins players, these grants provide funds for South Floridabased groups to strengthen and expand their impact around community engagement, education and justice reform.
Foundation’s purpose Founded by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, parents of the late Trayvon Martin, the Trayvon Martin Foundation is a social justice organization committed to ending senseless gun violence. It was established to create awareness of how violent crime impacts the families of the victims, and to provide support and advocacy for those families in response to the murder of Trayvon Martin.
Orlando Magic to celebrate 30 years with ‘Classic Nights’ SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
In celebration of the Orlando Magic’s 30th anniversary season, the team has announced “Classic Nights” for 14 home games this season. Classic Nights will tip off on Wednesday, Oct. 17, when the Magic host the Miami Heat. In addition to Magic players donning Classic Edition uniforms, the night will feature a throwback experience showcasing the team’s rich history over the past 30 years. Each classic night will immerse fans in three decades of Magic history with unique entertainment, music, ‘fan cams’ and videos both in-arena and
MIDTERMS CENSURE
INVESTIGATE If they are in the majority, Democrats will have subpoena
Special home games The Magic’s Classic Nights are Oct. 17 vs. Miami, Oct. 19 vs. Charlotte, Nov. 7 vs. Detroit, Nov. 9 vs. Washington, Nov. 17 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Dec. 7 vs. Indiana, Dec. 23 vs. Miami, Jan. 13 vs. Houston, Feb. 7 vs. Minnesota, Feb. 14 vs. Charlotte, Feb. 22 vs. Chicago, March 14 vs. Cleveland, April 3 vs. New York Knicks and April 5 vs. Atlanta. To tip off the season-long festivities, the Magic recently unveiled its commemorative 30th anniversary logo and throwback Nike Classic Edition jersey. Fans can also visit a special 30th anniversary webpage at www.orlandomagic.com/30th-anniversary for more information and updates. Over the past 30 years, the team has seen five division championships, seven 50-plus win seasons, two Eastern Conference titles and two NBA Finals appearances.
The Trump administration’s handling of Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico, would likely face a probe by Democrats. The Trumps are shown at Muniz Air National Guard Base in Carolina, Puerto Rico on Oct. 3, 2017, almost two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island.
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While an article of impeachment would need only a House majority, actually tossing Trump out of office would need a twothirds Senate majority. And that is likely to be unattainable. That’s why some House Democrats are looking at formally censuring Trump, as they sought to do after Trump’s remarks about Charlottesville. With that tactic, Democrats would be emulating Republicans who frequently filed censure resolutions against President Barack Obama and members of his administration. Most went nowhere, but the Republican-controlled House of Representatives in 2012 voted to censure then-Attorney General Eric Holder for his role in the botched Fast and Furious guntracking operation into Mexico. There were also efforts in the late 1990s to censure Bill Clinton over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. In the 2000s, Democrats tried to censure President George W. Bush for authorizing a no-warrant domestic surveillance program. One president has been formally censured: President Andrew Jackson was admonished by the Senate in 1834 for refusing to turn over documents that lawmakers had requested. Once censured, though, the president remains in office, his official power undiminished.
through the team’s social media.
CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
power and there’s a long list of areas they want to probe, notably looking at whether Trump has violated the little known emoluments clause of the Constitution involving doing business with foreign governments. “Subpoenas provide access to documents and information that are not available right now,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrats in the House have already called for at least 50 inquiries, said Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the House’s chief government watchdog panel. “We’re going to demand accountability,” Cummings said. His lines of inquiry would include what he sees as the administration’s deference to the states on voting rights, its decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census and the administra-
tion’s ethics. Cummings cited Scott Pruitt, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency who resigned in July after multiple controversies over lavish spending, including the installation of a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office. “How did we allow that to happen? A telephone booth?” Cummings asked. “We need to make sure there are barriers in place to prevent abuses of the system.” Other areas likely to face probes: The administration’s handling of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico, as well as the decision to separate migrant families at the border. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., has called for a 9/11-style independent commission to look into the federal response in Puerto Rico.
POLICY Tops for some Democrats would be rolling back Trump administration policy, including
countering Republican efforts to dismantle the Obama-era Affordable Care Act and pushing legislation to make it more difficult for Trump to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. “There’s a punch list of work we’ll have to do immediately to try and undo Trump’s sabotage campaign” against the Affordable Care Act, Murphy said. Foremost could be stopping Trump administration judicial nominees. Murphy also said Democrats would also likely look to push gun control legislation and “shore up” international alliances. He said he also wants Congress to look at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department, “where it seems like the big polluters have an awful lot of say.” One big roadblock: The 60 votes typically needed to stop a Senate filibuster. Democrats are unlikely to have anywhere near that sort of majority next year.
TRUMP TAXES Democrats have been calling for Trump to release his federal income tax returns since he became a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Since Trump took office, Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., has pressed for the release of Trump’s tax returns, including asking the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means to invoke Section 6103 of the tax code to obtain Trump’s tax returns. That section of the Internal Revenue Code permits three congressional committees to obtain otherwise private tax information from the IRS. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland has outlined a package of oversight and anticorruption measures he says he’d launch if Democrats took control of the House. They would include strengthening ethics standards for members of Congress, including banning them from serving on corporate boards. He’d also look to increase transparency by making members of Congress’ financial disclosures easier to find and requiring greater disclosures of campaign contributors, including a penalty for certain political action committees that fail to identify their donors. “There ought to be a requirement for full financial disclosure, including the most recent five years of tax returns, for the president and vice president,” Hoyer said. “This is essential if citizens can be confident that decisions are being made in the public interest, rather than in the president’s personal interest.”
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OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
via thousands of tiny satellites. In March, the Federal Communications Commission approved SpaceX’s application to provide broadband internet access through Starlink. SpaceX has said the constellation would provide households and small businesses with internet service at “fiber-like speeds,” and launched the first two demonstration satellites in February. If tests of the satellites and ground equipment are successful, SpaceX could start launching operational satellites as early as next year and reach full capacity by 2024. That could put Starlink in competition with BFR for company resources, analysts said.
This is a rendering of SpaceX’s BFR rocket and spaceship system, which is intended to take passengers around the moon and eventually to Mars. CHRISTINA HOUSE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/ TNS
SpaceX cites big plans for rocket SpaceX has a growing list of future destinations for its Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) rocket and spaceship system — most recently, a trip around the moon with a paying passenger on board. But funding for its development is far from secured. Satellite launches and NASA missions to the International Space Station are stable revenue streams for the Hawthorne company, possibly approaching $2 billion annually. But they aren’t necessarily going to put a major dent in the estimated $5-billion BFR development cost. And there are questions about whether SpaceX’s proposed satellite broadband business will be operating and turning a profit by 2023, when BFR is scheduled to take Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon.
the wild-card — and potentially most lucrative — funding stream outlined last month by SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk. “It’s almost like a crowdfunding model, a very small, elite crowd,” said Bill Ostrove, aerospace and defense analyst at market research firm Forecast International. “They’re paying for a little bit of development in return for those early flights.” Analysts say the fledgling space tourism industry does show signs of demand. And it has the advantage of upfront payments. A 2012 report from a market research firm then known as Tauri Group found that about 8,000 high-net-worth individuals from around the world were “sufficiently interested and have spending patterns likely to result in the purchase of a suborbital flight,” similar to the minutes-long moments of weightlessness currently sold by Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin.
Sign of demand
Suborbital trips
BY SAMANTHA MASUNAGA LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
That leaves space tourism as
BUSINESS
Blue Origin, which has con-
A distraction? ducted several tests of its New Shepard crew capsule and rocket system, has not yet publicly released its ticket prices. Founder Jeff Bezos recently said the company would take people to space “this coming year.” Virgin Galactic charges $250,000 for a seat on its SpaceShipTwo vehicle, which is undergoing flight tests. Both companies plan to take tourists to suborbital space. A four- to five-day trip around the moon, like the one Maezawa committed to, would probably cost a lot more. In 2012, an executive from space tourism firm Space Adventures advertised a $150-million price tag for a seat on a lunar flyby mission with a Russian launch vehicle that was intended to launch last year but never did. Maezawa declined to say how much he paid for the SpaceX lunar flyby, noting only that he had submitted a down payment. Musk described Maezawa’s deposit as “significant” and said the overall payment will “actually have a material effect on paying for the cost of development of BFR.”
Broadband plans These incremental cash payments are a contrast to the large expected upfront investment for SpaceX’s proposed Starlink constellation, which is intended to provide global broadband service
The constellation “wouldn’t be able to generate positive cash flows until sometime after” it becomes operational, said Tim Farrar, president of consulting firm TMF Associates in Menlo Park, Calif., who has counted satellite operator Intelsat and manufacturer SSL as clients. “Starlink could be viewed as something of a distraction from pursuing the BFR plan,” he said. Musk seems bullish on Starlink. On Sept. 18 he tweeted that Maezawa’s moon flyby would be livestreamed in high-definition virtual reality via the satellite system, which he said “should be active by then.” But in March, after the company received FCC approval of its broadband application, company President Gwynne Shotwell noted in a statement that SpaceX still had “much to do with this complex undertaking.”
Ballooning costs Other companies’ satellite broadband plans have run into hurdles. In 2015, Arlington, Virginiabased OneWeb said its goal was to build 900 small satellites at a per-unit cost of $500,000 and estimated that development, launch and operations of its constellation would cost about $3 billion, according to reports at the time. But recently, there has been
B3 speculation that both costs ballooned past initial estimates. Earlier this month, a OneWeb executive declined to disclose whether the per-unit and total production costs had changed, according to trade publication SpaceNews. OneWeb said earlier it was “months away” from its first launch of 10 satellites. The company did not have an immediate response to a request for comment.
Upcoming flights Analysts say the most reliable sources of funding for SpaceX’s BFR are the company’s satellite launches for commercial and military customers, as well as NASA contracts to deliver cargo and crew to the space station. SpaceX was awarded a contract of up to $2.6 billion to carry NASA astronauts to the space station for six missions. The first flight without crew of the company’s Crew Dragon capsule is set for later this year, with a crewed flight scheduled for April. The company has already flown 15 cargo missions for NASA.
Missions this year In total, the company has netted $7.7 billion in NASA awards for both cargo and crew activities, according to a NASA Office of Inspector General audit released in April. Last year, SpaceX launched 18 missions, and has launched 16 so far this year. Last month, the company netted a contract with Japanese lunar exploration firm Ispace to launch a lunar orbiter on a Falcon 9 rocket in mid-2020, followed by lunar rovers in mid-2021. The value of the contract was not disclosed. SpaceX advertises launches on its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket at a starting price of $62 million, though flights on a reused first stage can be cheaper. SpaceX is now regularly landing its first-stage boosters back on Earth, and has turned them around for re-flight in as little as just over two months’ time.
HEALTH
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Why cancer clinical trials need more Blacks Disparity means patients aren’t getting early access to potentially lifeextending drugs. BY MARIE MCCULLOUGH PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS
For decades, African-Americans have been underrepresented in the clinical studies that lead to approval of new cancer drugs. The reasons for this well-known problem are many. But an analysis of data recently made available by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows that it may not be getting better — not even in trials of drugs for cancers that disproportionately affect African-Americans. ProPublica, the nonprofit investigative news site, found that in trials for 24 of the 31 cancer drugs approved in 2015, fewer than 5 percent of patients were Black, even though more than 13 percent of the U.S. population is Black.
Lack of access The analysis, co-published with Boston-based health news site STAT, cited the example of Ninlaro, approved in 2015 for the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Of 722 patients in the pivotal trial, only 13 — 1.8 percent — were Black. Yet Black people are twice as likely as Whites to be diagnosed with the blood cancer. This persistent disparity means that Black patients aren’t getting early access to potentially life-extending drugs, and possible differences in their responses to drugs are going unstudied, according to experts quoted in ProPublica’s analysis. “Not enough attention is given to this problem,” said Kevin Kelly, an oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, who has spent 30 years conducting clinical cancer trials. “There are several clear causes, and a lot of causes we don’t know.”
Finding solutions Among the recognized barriers: logistical challenges of getting to a trial site, financial limitations, and distrust of the medical community rooted in in-
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
A doctor draws blood from a patient in the Tuskegee syphilis study, which helped create lingering distrust of clinical trials. famous historical experiments such as the Tuskegee syphilis study, in which Black men were left untreated for decades so scientists could observe the course of the disease. But with concerted efforts, many barriers can be broken down, Kelly said. That’s why big clinical trial networks, which coordinate studies at academic medical centers, have higher minority enrollment rates than industry-sponsored trials. At Jefferson, for example, about 19 percent of trial partici-
pants are minorities — a fraction that is reasonably close to reflecting the city’s 25 percent minority population, Kelly said.
Pre-screening for studies All new Jefferson cancer patients are pre-screened to see whether they are eligible for any studies, so the idea of participation can be discussed early in treatment. “We monitor the sex and racial balance in trials and make sure we are targeting minorities,” Kelly said, adding that educating
The weightmanagement company Weight Watchers now will be known as WW and is focusing on members’ overall wellness, not just weight.
people on the clinical trial process is key. Fox Chase Cancer Center has several programs dedicated to educating minority groups about the complexities of trials, including the informed consent process and the ethics review board that approves the study protocol, said Evelyn Gonzalez, director of the office of community outreach.
Community ambassadors In addition to a bilingual speakers’ bureau that provides
Boy Scout neckerchief slides prompts health concerns
WW/TNS
BY SARA MAGALIO DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS
Why it matters that Weight Watchers’ pivoting toward wellness BY ALISON BOWEN CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
Forget watching your weight. Think bigger. Weight Watchers announced recently that it’s rebranding to make those W’s stand instead for Wellness that Works. In a statement from the company, now known as WW, President Mindy Grossman said it wants to build on its reputation as a weightmanagement program. “No matter what your goal is — to lose weight, eat healthier, move more, develop a positive mindset or all of the above — we will deliver science-based solutions,” she said. Oprah Winfrey, an investor in the company who has appeared in commercials promoting it, added that she believes the new impact could go “far beyond a number on the scale.”
Lifestyle change But does it really matter that the company is switching its focus, at least within its promotional materials, from the scale to overall wellness?
Northwestern Memorial Hospital dietitian Bethany Doerfler said she finds the switch encouraging. It will model the conversations she has with her patients — which are about not simply avoiding one food or focusing on one thing, but instead focusing on their overall health beyond weight. “I think it’s fabulous,” she said. “I personally like my patients to think about their whole mindbody connection when they’re making a lifestyle change, not just what they’re eating, but their sleep, their stress levels, their exercise regimen.”
Important questions Changing the name to focus away from weight sways a person’s focus away from simply dieting. “People can’t do everything perfectly all at once, but I do think we need to get away from this idea of dieting at any cost,” she said. When she sees patients, she asks things like: How much stress are you under? How much sleep are you getting? Not every question needs to be about how many
cheeseburgers a person ate. “We’re not just looking at what people are eating. We’re looking at how they’re eating, and how you eat also means you have to consider psychological wellness, exercise and sleep.”
Exercise points Doerfler was also encouraged by the company’s move toward rewarding behaviors other than food — for example, the new WellnessWins program rewards members for tracking meals or activities; they can also now get points for exercise. And the rebranding encourages use of meditation apps like Headspace, a new partner. A wellness journey that begins by thinking about health holistically can create changes that last longer than something anchored around a food pattern, Doerfler added. “Sustainable weight change requires a lifestyle change,” she said. “And it’s difficult to create a lifestyle change if you’re only focused on one element, which is calories in or calories out or weight loss at any cost.”
A recall has been issued for Boy Scout uniform neckerchief slides because of health concerns over their lead content, according to a recall report. As a result, the Irving, Texas-based Boy Scouts of America will have to replace about 110,000 of the metal slides, worn by gradeschoolers as they progress through the Cub Scout ranks. The notice released last week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that the colored enamel on the slides contains an amount of lead that violates a federal ban.
free cancer information sessions to community groups, Fox Chase has a new community ambassador program. So far, it has trained 18 lay people to lead educational sessions at churches and social organizations. “I would say the primary barrier to participation is a general lack of awareness that clinical trials are even an option,” Gonzalez said. “Because of the media, the words clinical trial are not foreign. But there is still a lot of mistrust and misconceptions.”
Sold this year The slides, made in China, were sold between February and August of this year. Lead is toxic if ingested, especially by young children. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the side effects of lead poisoning can include abdominal pain or loss of appetite, vomiting, seizures, developmental delays and learning and speech problems. So far, no incidents or injuries have been reported.
Replace immediately Consumers are advised to immediately take the slides away from children and return them to a Boy Scouts distributor or store for a free replacement. The slides were made in four styles, “red wolf, green bear, orange lion and blue Webelos,” according to the recall, and have P.O. numbers 200228276, 20023175, 200233281 or 200236630, which are printed on a white label attached to the back of the item. The Scouting Organization has about 2.3 million youth members, ages 7 to 21. The Boy Scouts of America National Service Center is based in Irving.
TNS
A recall has been issued for Boy Scout uniform neckerchief slides because of health concerns over their lead content.
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FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
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SUNDANCE INSTITUTE/TNS
Anthony Ramos and John David Washington star in “Monsters and Men.’’
‘Monsters and Men’ examines aftermath of police shooting BY JUSTIN CHANG LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
The triptych of stories that unspool in “Monsters and Men,” a somber and strikingly assured debut feature written and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, are set in motion by an eternally, distressingly topical premise: the shooting of an unarmed Black civilian by a White cop. The victim is Darius Larson, aka Big D (Samel Edwards), a resident of Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, whose encounter with the police one evening swiftly escalates into an episode of pointless, nightmarish fatality. An eyewitness video of the shooting eventually surfaces online, but Green pointedly doesn’t let us see it, as though reluctant to sensationalize his own narrative.
Three reactions Instead he shows how his three principal characters — three men whose paths almost but don’t quite cross — react to the video when they watch it in private, allowing us see the fear, indignation and heartache play out in their faces. He also acknowledges that his characters, by dint of their unique experience and perspective, will each see a different contour of the tragedy. What those perspectives add
REVIEW up to is something both sobering and breathtaking.
Moving narrative Unfolding in smoothly linear fashion, “Monsters and Men” is what you might call a pass-thebaton narrative, in which the dramatic focus shifts steadily from one character to the next. The result, while fragmented by design, is a politically astute, emotionally layered examination of a violent death and its lingering psychic residue. It’s about how the aftermath of a tragedy spirals outward into a community, sending tendrils of shock, anger and anxiety into the lives of even those hovering on the periphery.
Like real life The echoes of actual headlines are unmistakable and sometimes deliberate. Big D, a large man who sells cigarettes outside a corner deli, was inspired by Eric Garner, the Staten Island resident who died in 2014 after being placed in a chokehold by police. An off-screen plot point references that same year’s deadly shootings of two New York cops, while another narrative seems to anticipate, more abstractly, the highly visible activism of Colin
FLORIDA’S
finest
Kaepernick. Casual, unremarkable microaggressions involving Black men and White cops — license checks, incidents of stop-and-frisk — feel as germane to the scenery as the sun-dappled greenery and brownstone buildings.
Distinct quality But the power of the movie emerges less from any carefully engineered real-world parallels than from the rich dramatic life that spills into the frame around them. Green, a filmmaker of Puerto Rican and African American descent, brings a distinct quality of observation to a narrative that otherwise might have seemed airless and schematic. The director of photography, Patrick Scola, employs an active handheld camera that sometimes trails the characters from behind and sometimes frames them from afar, but always seems to be drawing them, with almost metaphysical force, toward moments of clarity and reckoning.
Life interrupted “Monsters and Men” feels both meditative and always on the move. The early scenes usher us into the cluttered, happy home life of Manny (Anthony Ramos), a young Latino with a wife (Jasmine
Cephas Jones, Ramos’ “Hamilton” costar) and a young daughter, plus a new job in the lobby of a sleek Manhattan office building. Manny is hanging out with some friends in Bed-Stuy when he witnesses Big D’s confrontation with police, and it is he who films the subsequent shooting on his phone, an incident that seems to play out with both ghastly suddenness and slow-motion inevitability.
Protests, consequences Unable to shake what he’s witnessed, especially after two cops later approach him and warn him not to get involved, Manny follows the angry pangs of conscience and posts the video online. (Whether the cops involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras is never explored.) The release of the footage ignites a wave of protests and carries some especially harsh consequences for Manny. But before we can learn what those consequences are, Green whisks us away to another thread, this one following Dennis (John David Washington), an African-American cop who works in the same precinct.
Conflicted cop Dennis, who has a wife (Nicole Beharie) and child of his own, emerges as the most compelling of the movie’s three protagonists, partly on the strength of a silently seething performance from Washington, even better here than in his higher-profile turn as a conflicted cop in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.” As in that movie, Washington must investigate the tricky mid-
dle ground where the quandaries of being a Black man and being a police officer converge.
Political awakening The third and youngest protagonist in “Monsters and Men” is a quiet, sensitive high-school student named Zyrick (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who’s close to securing a college baseball scholarship. But while his father (Rob Morgan) urges him to stay focused and keep his eyes on the prize, he can’t help but be distracted, first by the heightened police presence in his neighborhood and then by the emergence of the video of Big D’s shooting. You could argue that there’s something a bit facile about Zyrick’s political awakening, one of a few moments in which the movie runs the risk of reducing its supporting characters to their talking points. But there is something irreducibly powerful about the three men that Green puts before us and the quiet helplessness, verging on emotional and moral paralysis, that grips each of them in turn.
Silent, powerful For all that, “Monsters and Men” isn’t an overly dour or deterministic film, and it recognizes that silence, though often used to shield acts of cowardice and complicity, can also be a powerful and eloquent language of protest. The final shot is thrilling in the way it embraces optimism while rejecting sentimentality, and it fittingly ends with the camera still in motion, as though inviting the audience to complete the gesture. The movie passes the baton to us.
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Thousands of Caribbean culture lovers converge on South Florida every year before and during the Columbus Day weekend to attend the annual Miami Broward Carnival, a series of concerts, pageants, parades, and competitions. On Carnival Day, “mas” (masquerade) bands of thousands of revelers dance and march behind 18-wheel tractor-trailer trucks with booming sound systems from morning until nightfall while competing for honors. Here are some of the “Finest” we’ve seen over the years. Click on www.flcourier to see hundreds of pictures from previous Carnivals. Go to www. miamibrowardcarnival.com for more information on Carnival events in South Florida. CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER
FOOD
B6
OCTOBER 5 – OCTOBER 11 , 2018
STOJ
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
One of the best-kept chef secrets to hosting the most memorable at-home parties is keeping the food simple and adding small details to make it special. After all, a host who isn’t hard at work in the kitchen is a host who can spend more time with guests. One way to make every minute in the kitchen count and provide crowd-pleasing food is by using wholesome, quality core ingredients like olive oil, fresh bread, cheese and artisan chocolate to create flavorful dishes that are easy to prepare, and leave you with more time to enjoy what matters most: moments with the ones you love. When it comes to cooking, focus on the essentials and the highlights of each dish. Building recipes around quality ingredients, such as Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, makes it easy to create showstopping dishes time and time again. Planning ahead is key to entertaining, but when it comes to cooking, make things quick and easy with a little help from powerhouse ingredients that lend themselves well to a variety of flavors and preparations. In keeping things simple, use olive oil to add a little extra zest and create dishes that pop off the plate, like this recipe for Beet Hummus. Or if you’re looking for something comforting and wholesome, indulge in this creamy Tomato Soup with Olive Oil Croutons. For a larger event, try Mushroom Carpaccio and Creamed Spinach Au Gratin, which can leave a lasting impression on your guests. To top it all off, go for this Bitter Chocolate and Pistachio Cream Dessert for a perfect way to end a meal. Make every moment count and find more simple recipes at Bertolli.com. TOMATO SOUP WITH HOMEMADE OLIVE OIL CROUTONS Prep time: 10 minutes 4 tomatoes 3 grilled red bell peppers in oil 1 shallot 1/2 cup Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for brushing on bread 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 clove garlic 10 basil leaves salt, to taste pepper, to taste
4 slices crusty bread Cut small cross in bottom of tomatoes and submerge in boiling water 30 seconds. Let tomatoes cool in ice water 30 seconds then remove skins. In blender, blend tomatoes, red bell peppers, shallot, extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper, to taste, until mixture is smooth. Add mixture to large pot and heat, stirring frequently. Cut bread slices, brush with olive oil and grill 2 minutes per side over medium-high heat until visible grill marks have formed.
Simple yet stunning Set the menu for easy entertaining MUSHROOM CARPACCIO AND CREAMED SPINACH AU GRATIN Prep time: 15 minutes Mushroom Carpaccio: 2 1/4 cups cremini mushrooms Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil salt, to taste Creamed Spinach: 2 1/4cups spinach 1/2 cup heavy cream salt pepper Parmesan cheese To make Mushroom Carpaccio: Heat oven to 400 F. Clean mushrooms and cut into thin slivers. Season with olive oil and salt. Set aside. To make Creamed Spinach: Boil spinach 2 minutes, strain and place it into saucepan, over cream. Cook 5 minutes. In blender, puree mixture and pour over Mushroom Carpaccio. Grate Parmesan cheese over entire dish; bake 5 minutes.
HEALTHY BEET HUMMUS Prep time: 15 minutes 3 beets salt, to taste Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 cups canned chickpeas 2 tablespoons sesame seed paste or tahini
Heat oven to 375 F. Peel beets and boil until soft; season with salt and olive oil. Puree beets with chickpeas and sesame seed paste until a uniform paste forms. Transfer to oven-safe serving dish. Bake 10 minutes and serve.
BITTER CHOCOLATE AND PISTACHIO CREAM DESSERT Prep time: 15 minutes 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon, sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for pistachio cream 4 ounces dark chocolate 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachios In saucepan, combine condensed milk and sugar; cook over low heat, stirring until mixture takes on toasted color. Add olive oil and dark chocolate; continue to stir until fully combined. Line 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spread mixture into pan. Refrigerate until fully set. To make pistachio cream: Blend pistachios and olive oil until smooth paste forms. Remove dessert from pan and cut into slices. Serve with pistachio cream on top.