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A look back at some notable Blacks who died in 2013 Page B1
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JANUARY 3 – JANUARY 9, 2014
VOLUME 22 NO. 1
OUR TOP 10 STORIES The Florida Courier staff chose the top 10 of the hundreds of stories our newspaper staff reviewed, covered or wrote during 2013. Factors considered include newsworthiness, relevance, uniqueness, familiarity of the issue, the intensity of statewide interest, emotional impact, and whether there is a uniquely ‘Black’ perspective.
1
Trayvon Martin’s death and aftermath: African-Americans and people of goodwill throughout the nation were stunned by the July 13 “not guilty” verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old high school student, on Feb. 26, 2012. Since then, Zimmerman has remained in the public eye. He has been detained twice by police, on suspicion of threatening his wife and then his girlfriend with a gun. In the first instance, he was not arrested. In the second case, his girlfriend dropped the charges. Last week, he sold an oil painting he created of an American flag for more than $100,000 on eBay. The Dream Defenders, a youthful group of political activists, held a 31-day sit-in inside the Capitol from July 16 to Aug. 15 in response to Zim-
merman’s acquittal. The group continued to push the Florida Legislature to repeal the state’s “Stand Your Ground” laws, but to no avail thus far.
2013
The Dream Defenders kept pressure on law enforcement and legislators.
2
Florida rejects billions for Obamacare: The Affordable Care Act, “Obamacare,” called for expanding Medicaid to people in Florida whose incomes are up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Also it says the federal government would pay all of the expansion costs for the first three years and gradually reduce its share to 90 percent in 2020. That would have led to Washington spending more than $50 billion in Florida over 10 years. In one of Gov. Rick Scott’s most dramatic See 2013, Page A2
Judge rules against drug-test program
2014 / A NEW YEAR
Scriven scoffs at state’s evidence BY DARA KAM NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
BAI XUE/XINHUA/ZUMA PRESS/MCT
Glad to be in the land of the living In this file photo, people watched fireworks as part of New Year’s Eve celebrations at the riverside of Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia as 2013 began.
A federal judge has ruled that a 2011 law requiring welfare applicants to undergo drug tests is unconstitutional, striking a blow to Gov. Rick Scott’s administration over the controversial tests. Scott quickly said he would appeal U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven’s Tuesday ruling, the latest defeat for the governor in a drawn-out battle over drug testing some of the state’s poorest residents. Scriven ruled that the urine tests violate the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. In a harshly worded, 30-page opinion, Scriven concluded that “there is no set of circumstances under which the warrantless, suspicionless drug testing at issue in this case could be constitutionally applied.”
Protects poor kids? Scott, who used the man-
Florida chases New York in population count more than 230,000 from last year and 750,000 more than in the 2010 census count, according to MonFlorida will have to wait an- day’s figures. The numbers are esother year, but is narrowing in on timated as of July 1 and do not reNew York’s spot as the third most flect growth at the county or mupopulous state in the nation. nicipal level. According to estimates released by U.S. Census Bureau on Monday, Scott takes credit Florida trails New York by fewer Gov. Rick Scott credited the than 100,000 residents, cutting the population increase on his ecoEmpire State’s edge by more than half since last year. It’s a matter of nomic policies and efforts to atwhen, not if, the Sunshine State tract new businesses to the state, will slide into the top-three tier be- trailing New York by just 98,267 residents. hind California and Texas. “Florida is on a roll,” Scott said “Based on Census Bureau estiin a statement on Monday. “Cutmates, Florida will probably pass New York within the next year,” ting taxes and reducing red tape said Stan Smith, Program Direc- on businesses is a great catalyst tor of the University of Florida’s for economic opportunity and job Bureau of Economic and Business creation.” Many experts consider Florida’s Research. Florida is now home to an es- climate and the lack of a state pertimated 19,552,860 residents, up sonal income tax the peak attrac-
BY JIM TURNER NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
ALSO INSIDE
tions for migrants of all ages.
Can’t keep up With an estimated 19,651,127 residents, New York hasn’t been able to keep up with Florida’s pace of growth. New York gained about 75,000 residents in the past year, less than a third of Florida’s increase. And while New York City continues to attract newcomers, regions of upstate New York have seen stagnant and declining population numbers. Florida’s population boost brings with it the potential for a larger tax base but also comes with an increased demand for services, such as roads and schools, and resources including water and land. One benefit of Florida’s current pace of growth could be additional representation in Congress, Smith said.
“The ranking itself doesn’t mean much, other than the likely shift in congressional seats following the 2020 census,” he said. Due to population changes reflected by the 2010 census, Florida picked up two seats while New York lost two.
See JUDGE, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3
FAMU moves ahead with presidential search NATION | A6
Growth dispersed Monday’s estimate put the U.S. population at 316.1 million as of July 1, with states in the South and West growing faster than the rest of the country. West Virginia and Maine were the only states to have projected declines in population from 2012 to 2013, while Maine and Rhode Island are the only states currently home to fewer people than when the 2010 census was taken.
COMMENTARY: ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ.: What if we all celebrated Kwanzaa? | A4 COMMENTARY: GEORGE CURRY: SENATORS EXERT ‘SILENT VETO’ OVER POTENTIAL | A5
Civil rights nominee has ‘Sesame Street’ background HEALTH | B3 OBIT | B2
Lose weight with simple changes
Ricky Lawson dies at 59