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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
VOLUME 25 NO. 15
SLIPPING AND SLIDING Bethune-Cookman University’s credit rating has been on a downward trajectory for years and a recent laudatory press release of Jackson’s performances raises as many questions as it attempts to answer. BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF
DAYTONA BEACH – In an “Administrative Spotlight” email sent to Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) stakeholders last week, the school’s president seemed to take a victory lap. The email, titled as “President Jackson Strengthens B-CU’s Financial Outlook,” stated the following: “President Edison O.
Jackson, in leading B-CU’s ascension to greatness, continues the implementation of his strategic vision that will ultimately lead to rightsizing the University instituting operational excellence at every level.”
New top administrators The email advised readers of the appointment of two new key administrative leaders, Dr. Albert
Mosley as chief operating officer (COO) and Angela Poole as chief financial officer (CFO). “Over the past few months, the new COO, along with the CFO and other members of the President’s executive leadership team, have been engaged in a creative and strategic process aimed at curbing expenditures and maximizing potential See B-CU, Page A2
CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER
Years after construction of this dormitory on Bethune-Cookman University’s campus was funded, questions are still being asked about the details of its financing.
‘YOU THE JURY’ / FOX NETWORK
Crump on national television
Ayala sues Scott over removal from cases BY DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Central Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala is suing Gov. Rick Scott in federal and state courts over her removal from nearly two dozen death-penalty cases, including the high-profile case of accused cop-killer Markeith Loyd. Ayala filed lawsuits Tuesday in federal court and the Florida Supreme Court challenging Scott’s authority to strip her office from handling the cases, arguing that prosecutors have broad discretion in deciding whether to seek death for defendants Aramis accused of first-deAyala gree murder. The state challenge accused Scott “unnecessarily and precipitously” creating confusion regarding criminal prosecutions, and of doing so “just to score political points.”
Cites research
COURTESY OF FOX
Attorney Benjamin Crump, a partner in the Black-owned, Tallahassee-based law firm of Parks and Crump, is one of a group of real lawyers arguing actual cases before millions of TV and online “jury members” who will decide the final verdict of each case. The hour-long show, “You the Jury,” airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on Fox.
Ayala earned the wrath of Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Republican lawmakers after the newly elected state attorney announced last month she would not seek the death penalty for Loyd or any other defendants accused of capital crimes during her tenure in office. Loyd is accused in the slaying of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and the execution-style killing See AYALA, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3
HEALTH | B3
State trying to deal with opioid epidemic
Watch your diet to ward off Alzheimer’s How to fight spring allergens
PERSONAL FINANCE | B4
Some tips for late tax filers
ALSO INSIDE
FOOD | B6
An Easterinspired brunch
HUD chief gets stuck in Miami housing development elevator BY RENE RODRIGUEZ MIAMI HERALD / TNS
MIAMI – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson’s twoday visit to Miami – his third stop on a national lis-
tening tour – started with a big glitch. Carson, Miami-Dade County Public Housing Director Michael Liu and five other people got stuck inside an elevator Wednesday on the way down from
Ben Carson
Alonzo Mourning
a visit to the rooftop of the Courtside Family Apartments in Overtown. Miami Heat basketball legend Alonzo Mourning, whose nonprofit AM Af-
fordable Housing co-developed the complex with Miami’s Housing Trust Group, waited anxiously in the building’s lobby while Miami-Dade fire rescue labored to pry open the elevator’s jammed doors. Mourning was scheduled to greet Carson on his arrival to the location at 8 a.m. and join him on a tour of the $22.8 million facility, which opened in September. But Mourning was 15 minutes late, so Liu started the tour without him, playSee STUCK, Page A2
COMMENTARY: DAVID A. LOVE: AFRICANS, OTHER BLACK IMMIGRANTS ARE BEING QUIETLY DEPORTED | A4 COMMENTARY: GLEN FORD: MLK AND OBAMA ARE TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED LEGACIES | A5
FOCUS
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
Keep your eyes open as America prepares for war One of the greatest signs that there is a chance of a war is the preparation for a war! Historically, when Western or other nations want to invade, attack or colonize a nation that is less formidable than they are, a military war is preceded by a war of words. Africa, it was said, needed to be invaded and colonized to bring “civilization” to the nations on the continent. Other nations in past years were attacked to bring about “democracy,”
Various rationales Today, military activity is authorized on foreign soils “to send a message,” “for national security,” “for humanitarian reasons,” or “to stabilize the region”! But the best reason, according to political and hawkish military pundits, is to bring about “regime change” or to replace recognized leaders of countries that disagree with modern-day invaders, attackers and colonizers!
LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT
Strategic geographical confines and abundant natural resources place many nations right in the crosshairs of bombs, missiles and weapons of mass destruction. No one ever bombs a desert, a swamp or a volcano. Only a mistake or a misfire would cause a bomb to hit a gold mine, a diamond mine, or a rare earth mineral facility.
What is it good for? Wars are always good for nothing but enriching defense contractors, arms dealers and thieves. And I’ve never seen a regime change that didn’t turn out worse than what the status quo was.
Iraq, Libya and some other countries were terrorist-free until some political smartass suggested that those countries have a regime change. Former President Barack Obama didn’t start ISIS. ISIS was formed by people that had relatives die and suffer and lost much of what they had when war was raged on Iraq under false pretenses of “weapons of mass destruction” and collaboration in the bombing of the World Trade Center. Former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein and the terroristic members of Al Qaeda hated each other, but the people that wanted war depicted them as cohorts. People are now calling or regime change in Syria. Well, Syria’s leader Bashir alAssad has been accused of brutally killing his own countrymen. He is accused of using chemical weapons on innocent Syrians.
Fighting terrorists Assad said on day one that his
government was fighting against rebels, terrorists and combatants that were being armed and financed in part by US taxpayer dollars. Both ISIS and Al Qaeda are in Syria fighting against the Syrian government. But news reports want you to believe that every single person that has died in Syria is a woman or a baby or an innocent civilian.
You tell me What would any government do, including yours, if rebels were formed, financed and encouraged by foreigners to topple the existing government? I think they would oppose the rebels and use any tool necessary to squash a rebellion. All countries that have invaded Syria claim to be there to fight terrorists. But their focus now is off the terrorists. The countries that you love have joined the terrorists to topple the so-called Assad regime. Whatever you believe is going
AYALA of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton. Ayala, who unseated former State Attorney Jeff Ashton last year in the circuit made up of Orange and Osceola counties, said she based her decision on research that shows the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime, is racially discriminatory, is costly, leaves the families of victims in limbo for too long, and is imposed on innocent people too often – arguments she reiterated in Tuesday’s court filings.
Another case
100 experts agree Ayala filed the court challenges Tuesday after a circuit judge refused to put the Loyd case on
B-CU from A1
sources of revenue,” it stated.
High turnover What the email didn’t mention is that Poole was the fourth CFO at the school in less than two years. The email went on to downplay a December 2016 credit rating decrease that affects the school’s ability to get reasonablypriced loans. “A recent initiative of the University includes focusing on its Fitch Rating. In December of 2016, the University experienced a slight downgrade of its bond rating A- to BBB. Principally, the change in rating was due to a lack of communication and a delay in providing operating information to Fitch Ratings.” Actually, the “slight downgrade” was just the latest of a series of decreases that may make some of B-CU’s larger creditors nervous.
About Fitch Fitch Ratings, Inc. is a credit rating agency that evaluated the creditworthiness of companies and institutions, including colleges and universities. But instead of numerical scores used in evaluating the ability of individuals to pay loans, Fitch uses letters, pluses and minuses. A rating of AA+ is considered
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.
torney if a prosecutor is disqualified from the case or if “for any other good and sufficient reason, the Governor determines that the ends of justice would be best served.” But Austin argued, the state law goes back to the early 1900s, before state attorneys were elected. Since the Constitution was changed in 1972 to require the election of state attorneys, the Supreme Court “has never suggested” that the state law gives a governor authority to remove an elected state attorney from a case “where the attorney is ethically and competently able to proceed,” Austin argued. “When Ayala exercised her prosecutorial discretion and decided that she would not seek the death penalty, she was acting entirely within her authority. That entirely legal act cannot possibly constitute ‘a good and sufficient reason’ for replacement. Nothing in Florida law requires Ayala to seek the death penalty, even when statutory aggravators are present, so the suggestion that her charging policy is grounds for replacing her is meritless,” Austin wrote in the 35-page state court petition.
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Hours after Ayala’s announcement last month, Scott reassigned the Loyd case to Ocala-area prosecutor Brad King, an outspoken proponent of the death penalty. Scott later issued an executive order putting King in charge of 21 other death-penalty cases handled by Ayala’s 9th Judicial Circuit office. Last week, Scott reassigned another death-penalty case, involving convicted killer Dane Abdool, to King, who is also named as a defendant in the lawsuits filed Tuesday. “It bothers me,” Scott told reporters Tuesday when asked about Ayala’s legal challenges. “I think every citizen deserves a state attorney who is going to prosecute the cases. So, I want to thank Brad King for taking on the cases, but I am going to continue to review cases and make sure that we always think about the victim.”
on, vet your beliefs by getting information from all sides. Hear a variety of the Syrian people. Listen to opposing news sources like Al Jazeera. Or if you so desire, trust and rubber-stamp the reporters that forwarded to you the lies about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The best time to bomb or invade a country is when you want to distract the people and turn their focus from the criminals in their government to the alleged criminals in foreign governments. The devil is tricky! War is inevitable when you see a country making warlike moves and preparing for war!
Sparked racial tension RED HUBER/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS
Orange/Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala, asked for Markeith Loyd’s case to pause on March 20 while she researched if Gov. Rick Scott had the authority to pull her off after she announced she wouldn’t be seeking the death penalty. hold while the state attorney pursued legal action challenging Scott’s authority to reassign the cases, something more than 100 law professors and legal experts, along with Ayala’s lawyer, maintain the governor lacks. In the federal case filed in the Middle District of Florida, Ayala’s lawyer Roy Austin argued that Scott’s ouster of Ayala from the cases “due to a disagreement over her prosecutorial discretion,
and based on incorrect characterizations of her decision” is a violation of the 14th Amendment right to due process. Scott’s reassignment of the cases to King also violated the rights of voters who elected Ayala to represent them, Austin argued. Austin asked the federal court to delay a ruling in the lawsuit while the state court case proceeds.
Old state law
the best. It goes down from there: AA, AA−, A+, A, A−, BBB+, BBB, BBB−, BB, and so on. As recently as September 2014, B-CU had an A+ rating. By December 2014, the rating was downgraded two notches to A-, and another two notches as of December 2016 to BBB.
Losing money?
ments (even in preliminary or draft form), fall 2016 enrollment figures, or detailed information about occupancy in the new dormitories or other campus housing.” As a result, Fitch put B-CU on a type of reporting ‘probation,’ including the threat of downgrading its rating even more, until the proper financial information was submitted. B-CU eventually suppled the requested information as was acknowledged by Fitch in a subsequent letter dated Jan. 27, 2017. “B-CU has now provided the information cited in Fitch’s last rating action (audited fiscal 2016 financial statements, fall 2016 enrollment, and housing occupancy data),” the January letter reads. “…B-CU’s management team is working with Fitch to complete a full rating review including a management meeting
Here’s why The reasons for the downgrade were listed in a strongly worded report from Fitch dated Dec. 21, 2016. “The downgrade to ‘BBB’ reflects weaker-than-expected fiscal 2015 financial results. The June 30, 2015 audit (released in June 2016), shows that B-CU failed to meet projections of breakeven operations in fiscal 2015. In addition, an unexpected 5.3% enrollment decline in fall 2015 reflects increased volatility in B-CU’s student demand,” the report stated. “A high level of turnover in the chief financial officer (CFO) position over the last 24 months raises concerns about the adequacy of B-CU’s governance and management practices and internal controls. B-CU has spoken with Fitch but has not provided adequate financial and operating information for fiscal 2016 and fall 2016, respectively.” Fitch’s concerns mirror those of at least three former B-CU trustees, two of whom have sued the university because of its governance and management practices, as has been previously reported by the Florida Courier.
In two subparagraphs titled FISCAL 2015 RESULTS WEAKER THAN EXPECTED and ENROLLMENT CONCERNS, Fitch questions the school’s financial status. “B-CU’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015 were completed and released in June 2016. Fitch had expected a return at least to breakeven performance based on higher fall 2014 enrollment and discussions with management. However, the fiscal 2015 statements showed a continued operating deficit of at least 1.2% (as reported). “Based on information from B-CU’s website, headcount enrollment fell by about 5.3% in fall 2015 to 3,831. Fitch had expected generally stable enrollment and continued healthy demand, which are necessary to maintain budgetary balance and to afford its large dormitory capital lease payments starting in fiscal 2017.”
Management criticized Fitch also identified what it considered to be managerial insufficiencies at the university. “Lack of continuity in financial management is evidenced by an inability to produce timely financial information, comply fully with its public disclosure requirements as covenanted with the sale of the 2010 bonds and provide timely responses to Fitch’s requests for information. Specifically, B-CU has not provided fiscal 2016 financial state-
In that lawsuit, Austin, an attorney with the Washington, D.C.based Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis law firm, requested the Supreme Court put a hold on the 23 cases reassigned to King until justices rule on the issue. In reassigning the cases to King, Scott relied on a Florida law that gives the governor the authority to transfer a case to another state at-
STUCK from A1
ing a game of foosball with Carson in the building’s rec room and showing him the facility’s beautiful basketball court. Mourning arrived just as Carson and Liu had squeezed into an elevator, along with other HUD officials, to check out the roof. But when the el-
The controversy over Scott’s removal of Ayala, the state’s first Black elected state attorney, has sparked racial tension and sharpened the spotlight on Florida’s embattled death penalty, which has been on hold for more than a year as a result of federal and state court rulings. National groups, including the NAACP, have backed Ayala, while Central Florida Republican House members have repeatedly urged Scott to remove Ayala from office, accusing the prosecutor of failing to do her job.
News Service of Florida Assignment Manager Tom Urban contributed to this story.
and site visit.” Such was the reason for Jackson’s self-congratulatory email, though admittedly there is still work to do. “…President Jackson and his executive leadership team have been diligently working to strategically position the University so that curbing expenditures and maximizing revenue become the norm, and not simply a situatioknal (sic) response,” its last Edison O. paragraph states. Jackson Still, questions about B-CU’s management, governance, and financial stability remain. You can read the Fitch reports at www.flcourier.com.
evator descended safely to the ground floor, the doors jammed. Carson took the incident in good spirits, smiling as he emerged from the elevator. Mourning apologized profusely. Carson then left for his second stop of the day at Collins Park Apartments in Allapattah. As he arrived at Collins Park, he was led into another elevator. “Do we have the key?” Carson asked.
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
FLORIDA
A3
‘Panama Papers’ project wins Pulitzer Prize BY FRANCO ORDONEZ TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – The McClatchy Washington Bureau, the Miami Herald and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting on Monday for a penetrating investigation into an international tax haven that hid billions for dictators, politicians and tax cheats. Miami Herald editorial cartoonist Jim Morin, whose social and political commentary has charmed and exasperated followers for more than 40 years, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartoons. The “Panama Papers” project involved an unprecedented collaboration of 100 media outlets. Journalists in 80 countries worked together to investigate 11.5 million files leaked from inside Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-headquartered law firm that specialized in building offshore companies.
Team members The McClatchy Washington Bureau and the Miami Herald, a McClatchy newspaper, won the Pulitzer award for explanatory reporting along with other media outlets, including Fusion and Germany-based Suddeutsche Zeitung, as part of the ICIJ team that connected shell companies to Syria’s civil war, the pillaging of Africa’s natural resources and associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin who hid as much as $2 billion in assets. McClatchy Washington Bureau reporters Kevin G. Hall and Tim Johnson and Bureau Chief Cheryl Carpenter led the team in Washington, which also included former McClatchy reporter Marisa Taylor and former Bureau Chief James Asher. The Miami Herald team was led by reporters Nicholas Nehamas and Jim Wyss and editor Casey Frank. McClatchy Video Lab senior motion graphics producer Sohail Al-Jamea and video journalist Ali Rizvi produced a motion graphic video illustrating the complex
EMILY MICHOT/MIAMI HERALD/TNS
Investigative reporter Nick Nehamas, center, is surrounded by fellow reporters Monique Madan, Lance Dixon, Chabeli Herrera and Joey Flechas on Monday. Nehamas was part of the staff covering the Panama Papers, the international investigation that exposed how crooks and millionaires use the secret world of offshore companies that won the Miami Herald one of two Pulitzer Prizes. world of offshore banks and corporations. “We couldn’t be more proud,” said Craig Forman, McClatchy president and CEO. “At the Miami Herald, in our Washington bureau and elsewhere among the 30 newsrooms that make McClatchy, we have dedicated ourselves to the kind of enterprise and ingenuity reflected in these projects, and we are grateful to the Pulitzer Board for honoring us with not one but two prizes.”
22nd for Herald McClatchy has won more than 50 Pulitzers in its 160-year history. This is the Miami Herald’s 22nd Pulitzer, including a previous award for Morin. “We are honored to be a part of this unprecedented collaboration and help to peel back the layers of these secret havens,” said Aminda Marques Gonza-
lez, executive editor of the Miami Herald. “This represents just a sample of the incredible work that was done.” Morin also won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1996. He was a finalist for the award in 1977 and 1990. Fueled by social and political upheavals during the early 1970s, Morin began publishing political cartoons for The Daily Orange at Syracuse University where he was a student. He joined the Miami Herald in 1978 and his work is syndicated internationally by MorinToons Syndicate. “There will always be politicians who behave badly, boneheaded legislative proposals, victories to celebrate, challenges to confront and tragedy — natural and manmade,” said Nancy Ancrum, Miami Herald’s editorial page editor. “He responds to them all with fearlessness when necessary, and compassion
OxyContin, an opioid, is shown in 80 mg pills. The CDC said the death rate from synthetic opioids other than methadone increased 72.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, reported 3,228 deaths by overdose in Florida in 2015, the most recent year for statewide numbers. TNS
Florida looks for answers on the opioid epidemic BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Facing pressure to address drug overdoses across the state, Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi rolled out plans Tuesday for a series of workshops and gave support for legislation focused on opioids and drug abuse. The announcement came as officials from Central and South Florida have been clamoring for a public-health emergency declaration on the raging epidemic. Flanked by law-enforcement officials in the hallway outside their Capitol offices, Scott and
Bondi outlined an effort that also includes working with a pair of pharmaceutical companies – Adapt Pharma and Amphastar – to lower the cost of overdosetreatment medicine for first responders and local governments. “We’re hearing from people all over the state with their ideas,” Scott said. “The goal with this is to try to organize those ideas to see if we can find out exactly some things we can do to have an impact.”
sion, said the crisis is not specific to Florida and “no short-term fix is going to help this problem.” Sen. Jeff Clemens, a Lake Worth Democrat who watched the press conference, said “more immediate solutions” are needed. He also questioned why a public-health declaration couldn’t be issued, similar to Scott’s order last year regarding the mosquito-borne Zika virus or the governor’s 2011 effort against “pill mills.” “Earlier today, we declared a state of emergency for wildfires in the state of Florida that have killed exactly zero,” Clemens said. “I think we need to pay attention to an epidemic that has caused the death of thousands in the past several years.”
‘No short-term fix’
3,228 deaths
Bondi, who has been named to serve on President Donald Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commis-
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said the death rate from synthet-
Bar exam passage rate under 58 percent Less than 58 percent of the people who took the Florida Bar exam for the first time in February passed the test, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners reported Monday. Students from the University of Miami’s law school had the highest passage rate with 80.6 percent, followed by a 78.9 percent passage rate by law students from Florida International University. Other major law schools and passage
rates included the University of Florida (66.7 percent), Florida State University (59.1 percent), Florida A&M University (46.2 percent), Nova Southeastern University (55 percent) and Stetson University (51.3 percent). Students from non-Florida law schools had a 41.3 percent passage rate. The Florida Bar exam, which is considered one of the tougher legal tests in the country, is given twice a year, with more students taking the exam in the summer. – The News Service of Florida
when called for.”
Thousands of stories Since the Panama Papers broke in early April 2016, the ICIJ has published more than 4,700 news stories based on the leaks that include 40 years of records, including emails, financial spreadsheets, passport information and corporate records. Connections of world leaders to the shell game led to protests on every continent except Antarctica. Iceland’s prime minister resigned, as did Spain’s minister for industry, energy and tourism and Armenia’s major general for justice. In the wake of the reports, at least 79 nations have announced inquiries or investigations, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The United States updated rules to require the financial industry to identify the real ic opioids other than methadone increased 72.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, reported 3,228 deaths by overdose in Florida in 2015, the most recent year for statewide numbers. While not all the deaths were tied to the opioids targeted Tuesday, a year earlier the federal agency posted 2,634 overdose deaths in the state. Officials from Palm Beach and Martin counties have requested the public-health emergency declaration to heighten awareness to the situation and to advance state general-revenue money in anticipation of $52 million that Florida is scheduled to receive this fall from the federal government to combat the epidemic. “There are lots of people that are going to die between now and the time DCF (the Department of Children and Families) starts holding these forums in our communities,” Clemens said. “I’m excited that two of our Cabinet members are now talking about the problem. But there is so much more that can be done.”
Workshops coming Bondi said emergency declarations regarding Zika, hurricanes and one issued earlier on Tuesday for wildfires, are “short-term” situations. “This is a national, ongoing, long-term epidemic, that’s why we’re going to tackle this from a national level,” Bondi said. Scott has directed Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll, state Surgeon General Celeste Philip and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to hold a series of workshops to gather input on the crisis from local leaders, law enforcement, health directors,
Judge to speak at Tampa law school's commencement WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus will host its spring commencement ceremony on April 15 at the University of South Florida’s School of Music in Tampa. During the ceremony, Judge Barbara Twine Thomas of Hillsborough County’s 13th Judicial Circuit Juvenile Division will provide the keynote. Chosen by his classmates, Ricardeau Lucceus will present the valedictory remarks.
owners of companies. An estimated $135 billion in value has been lost by nearly 400 publicly traded companies linked to the Panama Papers.
Constitution panel sets hearings The Florida Constitution Revision Commission on Tuesday announced that it plans to continue holding a series of public hearings across the state during the coming month. The commission, which will recommend proposed constitutional amendments for the November 2018 ballot, will hold a hearing April 26 in Alachua County; April 27 in Duval County; May 3 in Bay County; May 10 in Lee County; and May 17 in Hillsborough County. The times and locations of the hearings were not immediately released Tuesday. treatment providers and community members. “We’re going to see what we can learn,” Scott said. Scott said workshops will be held in Palm Beach, Manatee, Duval and Orange counties. No timeline was given about when recommendations would be made. “We’re going to get the workshops done as quickly as possible,” Scott said.
Proposed legislation Bondi said there is also an educational component to their effort. “Kids don’t get it. Twentysomething’s don’t get it. A lot of adults don’t get it,” Bondi said. “If you take one of these pills, you could be addicted for life or drop dead, because you don’t know what is in them.” Bondi and Scott pointed to two pieces of legislation that they are behind. One measure (SB 477) would add the synthetic drugs fentanyl, carfentanil and several others to Florida’s drug trafficking statute. The proposal would give state prosecutors the ability to seek stronger sentences against drug traffickers selling those drugs. The second measure (SB 788), sponsored in the Senate by Clemens, is intended to regulate “sober homes” by cracking down on deceptive marketing practices used to attract people to the “recovery residences.” Bondi said the goal is to close uncertified “sober homes.” “They’re going around the country marketing themselves as, `Bring your child down here, bring your loved one down here, and we’re going to cure you, we’re going to help you,’ “ Bondi said. “What they’re doing is further addicting them to drugs.”
Before joining the bench, Thomas was an attorney in private practice and has served as past president for the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers, George Edgecomb Bar Association and the Hillsborough County Bar FoundaJudge tion. She earned her underBarbara Twine graduate degree from the Thomas University of South Florida and her J.D. from the University of Florida.
EDITORIAL
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
Africans, other Black immigrants are being quietly deported While the immigration debate in the U.S. is often framed in terms of undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America on the one hand and the infamous Muslim travel ban on the other, the issue is more complicated. As the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency conducts its sweeps on immigrant communities, African people are among those who are being detained and deported. While deportations were in no short supply under the Obama administration, these deportations are expected to soar under Trump, whose immigration ban on six Muslim nations includes three African nations – Libya, Somalia and Sudan. Trump also is clamping down on refugees and asylum seekers.
More raids According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, in 2015, ICE deported 1,293 African immigrants. Since the 2016 election, the ICE raids on Black immigrant communities have intensified. For example, in January, 86 men and women were deported to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, after being detained and imprisoned, as Africanews. com reported. In November, 108 immigrants were deported to Ghana and 20 people also were deported to Liberia, while 53 others were processed for deportation. Earlier this month, ICE deported 130 people to Senegal, six times the number recorded by the agency in its 2016 report. There are 2.5 million African immigrants in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center. When including the Caribbean,
DAVID A. LOVE GUEST COMMENTARY
Latin America and other regions, there are as many as five million Black immigrants in America. People from Africa experienced the fastest growth rate of the immigrant groups coming to the U.S., 41 percent between 2000 and 2013. In its “State of Black Immigrants 2016” report, co-authored with the New York University School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) found that Black immigrants are much more likely to be deported due to a criminal conviction than nationals from other regions of the world. More than one out of five noncitizens facing deportation on criminal grounds is Black.
Issue ignored Tia Oso, national organizer for BAJI whose organization works on advocacy, education and direct action on issues impacting Black immigrants and African-Americans, said there is not nearly enough coverage of what is happening regarding the deportations. The biggest issue with the executive order as far as Black immigrants are concerned, Oso noted, is that fully one-third of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers are African. “So, to have a ban on refugee resettlement here – a ban on Somalia, Libya and Sudan – is 100 percent to reduce the number of immigrants from these coun-
Assad responds to Trump’s ‘pinprick’ strike According to a Reuters published on April 7, “Syrian warplanes took off from an air base which was hit by US cruise missiles on Friday [April 10], and carried out air strikes on rebelheld areas in the eastern Homs countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.” Only God knows what ‘message’ Donald Trump thought he was sending with his pinprick strikes. But Syria’s president, Bashar el-Assad, responded with the universally-recognized middle finger. He even mocked Trump’s fecklessness by bombing more of the same innocent victims Trump claims are now his responsibility to protect.
What’s the plan? Meanwhile, Trump spent most of his time between golf swings last week tweeting fatuous explanations for Assad’s defiant response. Whereas he should’ve been trying to figure out what move to make now to
ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST
save face – for himself and the United States. And, in doing so, he would have done well to remember this fleeting bit of intelligence and be guided by it: What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? – Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Aug. 29, 2013 Speaking of more debt, each of the cruise missiles Trump launched in his vainglorious attack cost $1 million. So that’s $60 million, plus millions more in operational costs, down the drain. Trump’s strikes were aimed more at lifting his poll numbers than destroying Assad’s military
How America is becoming like Russia As I ponder this Russian operation in the U.S., I wonder if we are becoming more like Russia without even knowing it. Dissent isn’t tolerated. In both countries, the central government wants to control every aspect of life and the means of production, i.e., business. Like in the old communist days, no dissent, government control, and central planning are the themes of the day.
Forced to kneel If you believe that a boy born
RAYNARD JACKSON NNPA COLUMNIST
with male genitalia should go to the boys' bathroom, you are hateful. If you hold to the ‘radical’ notion that homosexuality is morally wrong, you are forced to kneel before the altar of political correctness until you recant.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: TRUMP’S ‘TOMAHAWK STILTS’
tries, who are Black Africans, from coming to the U.S.” she said. “We have families who are being split up, family members being stuck in limbo in the refugee camps. These people have already been approved, already vetted and assigned to be resettled in the U.S.” Oso said these policies are designed to reduce to the number of Black and brown people.
Targeted deportations Not all immigrants are treated equally or being targeted by immigration agents. For example, there are approximately 50,000 undocumented Irish immigrants in the U.S., as CNN reported, yet they are not facing the threat of police raids and deportations. “If this was about immigration, then the undocumented Irish and European folks would be a part of the roundups,” Oso said. “The people being deported are from Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. So, this is about keeping America White, not making America great.” She also said that “the roots of the anti-immigration movement are directly rooted to White nationalism and the White Citizens Councils, and are related to maintaining the White power structure in narrowly defining who is American and is free to live in the country.” The BAJI report emphasized that “Black people are far more likely than any other population to be arrested, convicted and imprisoned in the U.S. criminal enforcement system – the system upon which immigration enforcement increasingly relies.” Immigrants, in particular, are exposed to more risks when they arsenal. Sure enough, reports are that he got a little bounce, which he’s exploiting (while it lasts) for all it’s worth. Thus, for this self-aggrandizing schmuck, it was all money well spent. And speaking of hypocrisy, Trump is just the most obnoxious among far too many Republican politicians and right-wing pundits who condemned Barack Obama for proposing missile strikes after Assad perpetrated that infamous chemical attack in 2013. Yet, to a person, these same politicians and pundits are hailing Trump (and Trump is hailing himself ) for doing what Obama merely proposed. Incidentally, I am profoundly stupefied that putative liberal Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s “GPS,” joined this hailing frenzy. Specifically, he proclaimed that “Trump became president” by bombing Syria. But “Fareed’s Take” is especially stupefying because he went on, almost in the same breath, to concede that this bombing seems unhinged from any coherent strategy to deal with the Syrian crisis.
Second thoughts Sure enough, we’re already In both countries, the government controls how private companies operate through onerous regulations. Some lawmakers want to mandate how much small businesses pay their employees, what products or services you can make or provide, the type of bathrooms you must provide, and how much profit they will allow you to make via the tax code. In both countries, the government plans your life from cradle to grave. In America, half of all births are paid for by the government through Medicaid. If you can’t financially afford to have a child, then keep your legs closed! The very people who benefit from the largess of our government have the gall to get angry when Republicans want to man-
ADAM ZYGLIS, THE BUFFALO NEWS
are stopped by law enforcement for minor offenses, and when they are arrested the local police share fingerprint data with immigration authorities. “When the police decide to take on the duties of federal immigration enforcement, they often use these stops to question people about their immigration status and to turn immigrants over to ICE,” the report added. Immigrants also are susceptible to guilty pleas that could result in removal proceedings, with a criminal conviction resulting in possible detention and deportation.
Agents used elsewhere Another issue that the public is not paying attention to, Oso noted, is the increase in the number of ICE and border patrol agents in the Trump budget. These law enforcement agents cooperate and are used in jurisdictional task forces. In April 2015, an unarmed hearing inevitable second thoughts from those who were hailing Trump as a latter-day Constantine the Great. And Turkey, America’s most reliable ally in the Muslim world, is leading this hangover chorus (in the voice of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who told the Associated Press, “If this intervention is limited only to an air base, if it does not continue and if we don’t remove the regime from heading Syria, then this would remain a cosmetic intervention.” Calling it a “cosmetic intervention” – for a man for whom image is everything – is probably quite flattering. Meanwhile, in the midst of this focus on Syria, Trump convened and ended his overhyped summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping as if it were nothing more than a playa inviting his side piece over for a late-night booty call. Why no press conference, for example? Am I the only one who noticed this? Especially given that he made a show of holding one after hosting British Prime Minister Theresa May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin date working in exchange for receiving government benefits.
Dealing drugs Our government has become our drug dealer. The government knows we are hooked on the drug of government dependency. They seek to manipulate and control us. So the more the government is involved in our lives, the more control they have, and the more they will attempt to dictate our values by promoting constructs like homosexuality, transsexual entitlements, and secularism. Russia is run by a pseudo-autocrat, Vladimir Putin. No one views Russian elections as free and fair. Though Russia isn’t the cause of distrust of our own gov-
Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher
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Black man named Terrence Kellum, 20, was shot to death in his Detroit home by a Black ICE agent who was a member of a multi-agency fugitive task force operation called the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team (DFAT). As ThinkProgress reported, officers were attempting to serve an armed robbery warrant at the Kellum household when the shooting took place. “African-American folks would say this has nothing to do with us, we are not immigrants,” Oso said. “[But] Increased surveillance can be weaponized and used against Black people.”
David A. Love (@davidalove on Twitter) writes about justice, race and politics. This article previously appeared in the Atlanta Black Star and Portside. Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response. Trudeau, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Jordanian King Abdullah, and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
Nothing from China Things must not have gone down too well between Trump an Xi. Specifically, the purported master of the “Art of the Deal” clearly negotiated nothing worth mentioning on hotbutton issues like bilateral trade, North Korea, or Taiwan. Only this explains Xi slinking back to China in the middle of the night last week. It also explains why he probably rolled his eyes when he heard Trump bragging about their “outstanding” friendship; you know, just as a woman might if she heard her minuteman lover bragging about their terrific sex life.
Anthony L. Hall is a Bahamian native with an international law practice in Washington, D.C. Read his columns and daily weblog at www. theipinionsjournal.com. Click on this commentary at www. flcourier.com to write your own response. ernment, Putin put that distrust on steroids. So, President Trump’s recently submitted budget proposal is on point. If you believe in freedom and liberty, you can’t argue with the intent of his budget to shrink the size and power of the government in our daily lives. The only way to begin to restore faith in government institutions is by decreasing their influence over us. Isn’t it amazing that the last two, great economic periods in our country were under Presidents Reagan and Clinton? They both presided over White Houses that were focused on shrinking the size of government.
Click on this commentary at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
MLK and Obama: Two diametrically opposed legacies Editor’s note – The following is an edited version of remarks delivered by Glen Ford at a panel discussion on April 3 organized by World Beyond War at New York University. When we invoke the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is usually in the context of “civil rights” and “human rights.” Today, it is in the context of peace. I like to think of Dr. King’s work as part of the civilizational project of humanity; that is, how human beings construct a world in which they can coexist and thrive in the bosom of nature. Civilization is not just about technology, it is not just about wealth and the accumulation of surplus. It’s about what people collectively do with that surplus. It’s about justice.
Building civilization
GLEN FORD BLACK AGENDA REPORT
For two generations, Black movement politics was smothered by the hegemonic power of the Democratic Party, whose
The Black Radical Tradition is about justice; it is a civilizationbuilding tradition. Justice is the measure of civilization, and there can be no peace without it. Of necessity, the Black Radical Tradition speaks to the broad sweep of human historical development. There is nothing narrow or parochial about it. And sometimes, the Black Radical Tradition finds that perfect voice, at the pivotal time. On April 4, 1967, that was Dr. King’s voice, when he told his audience at Riverside Church that their country was “the greatest purveyor of violence” on Earth, and that there was a damnable system in place that had created this nightmare, and that righteous men and women had no choice but to oppose it. Dr. King spoke of the Triple Evils: racism, militarism and materialism – meaning, in contemporary society, capitalism. The sum total of these evils is U.S. imperialism, the global system that was committing the violence he came to that church to oppose; the system of capitalism as it actually exists, that is headquartered in the United States, and whose violence is the greatest obstacle to the construction of a humane civilization.
tentacles strangled
Dead in a year
find a home in one of
When Dr. King said that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” he was expressing confidence that humanity would throw off – overthrow – these evil systems. That did not sit well with the captains of imperialism, and Dr. King was dead exactly one year later. But that did not silence the voices of Black anti-imperialism. Those voices, including Dr. King’s own, had gotten even louder and more defiant after the assassination of Malcolm X three years earlier. SNCC, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, which some folks thought of as the children of Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, were agitating against the war and the draft years before King. They had taken up the anti-imperialist ban-
the militancy out of virtually every Black civic organization. The churches, the fraternities, the sororities – all behave like annexes of the Democratic Party. They invoke Dr. King’s name, and use the word “justice” a lot – and the word “peace” every so often – but justice and peace cannot possibly the two parties of war. ner in the years after the exile of W.E.B. Dubois and the erasure of Paul Robeson from public life – men who were giants of anti-imperialism. When Dr. King was shot down, there erupted the greatest wave of Black rebellion in the history of the United States. That rebellion fueled the explosive growth of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, whose appeal was so compelling that its chapter infrastructure could not absorb the tens of thousands of Black youth that wanted to join. It was a revolutionary Black nationalism that was profoundly anti-imperialist –proudly and loudly socialist – a movement deter-
Decision to bomb Syria was dangerous, deceptive Fifty-nine cruise missiles. When Donald Trump ordered the attack on Syria, he made an impetuous decision, turning his previous commitment to stay out of the Syrian civil war and focus on ISIS on its head. He ordered the attack on a sovereign nation without seeking sanction from the United Nations or the US Congress. For this, he received lavish praise from the media and bipartisan congressional support. He’ll undoubtedly enjoy a boost in the polls.
Powerful image Military force is called “strong power.” Ordering an attack turns the president into the commander in chief and gives him an image of decisiveness and power. Yet the unleashing of cruise missiles against Syria is both dangerous and deceptive. If Trump has decided to commit to regime change in Syria, it is dangerous. Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is backed by both Russia and Iran, and Assad’s forces are the leading opposition to ISIS, the terrorist gang that Trump is already com-
REV. JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE
mitted to destroying. If the cruise missiles are simply a punitive gesture, a one-off strike to punish Assad for allegedly using chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war, it is deceptive. The missile attack will have done little but raise false hopes among Assad’s opponents. One day later, Assad’s air force launched attacks from the airbase that was hit, against the same town that was allegedly bombed with chemical weapons. Last year, the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs – in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan. The only thing that the new bombing in Syria does is to get Trump and the US deeper into the Syrian civil war, even as Trump appears to be escalating US activity in Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq.
EDITORIAL
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VISUAL VIEWPOINT: OBAMA, TRUMP, AND ‘RED LINES’
mined to join with a world that was up in arms against the empire. It was Malcolm’s child – out to avenge Dr. King.
Must be destroyed Therefore, it had to be crushed by the massive repressive forces of the State, in a dirty war that reached its most savage peak in 1969 with a merciless campaign of political imprisonment and assassination, including the murder of Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark by Chicago police and the FBI. The Party was driven into retreat, back to its founding turf in Oakland, Cal. However, the decisive blow to the Black movement for self-determination and against U.S. imperialism was delivered by forces internal to the Black community. It came from a class that had not been concerned about justice in any civilizational sense, but only about getting rid of Jim Crow – American apartheid – so that they could also walk the halls of the empire and live the corporate life. Their vehicle – the only one that was open to this Black aspiring class – was the Democratic Party, because the other party was busy transforming itself into the White Man’s Party. With very few exceptions, this was a class for itself, consumed by a mission of “representationalism.” They wanted no part in social transformation; they wanted only to be represented in the upper echelons of corporate, governmental and symbolic media power. Their agenda was solely concerned with their own upward mobility. They were not about justice or peace.
DARYL CAGLE, CAGLECARTOONS.COM
use the word “justice” a lot – and the word “peace” every so often – but justice and peace cannot possibly find a home in one of the two parties of war.
Alive or crushed?
of how the Black Misleadership Class would react to having a Black Democrat in the White House. Their agenda is to stick as close to Power as possible, and to celebrate Blacks being represented in the halls of power, even if that person is engaged in crimes against humanity and crimes against peace. So the Black Misleadership Class did not surprise us in terms of their behavior under President Obama.
Here are two examples – founding members of this new, Black Misleadership Class: • Carl Stokes, the first Black big city mayor, elected in Cleveland, 1967. The first thing he did was to appoint a Black retired general as police chief, and the first thing the general did was to arm the cops with hollow-point bullets. • Maynard Jackson, the first Black mayor of Atlanta, elected in 1973. Four years later, he fired 1,000 striking sanitation workers – the same folks that Dr. King had gone to Memphis to support nine years earlier – and died trying. The rise of a selfish, servile, corporate ass-kissing Black class, combined with murderous application of state power, snuffed out the Black Liberation Movement, which was anti-imperialist at the core. There was a brief resurgence of Black “movement” politics with the campaign against South African apartheid. For two generations, Black movement politics was smothered by the hegemonic power of the Democratic Party, whose tentacles strangled the militancy out of virtually every Black civic organization. The churches, the fraternities, the sororities – all behave like annexes of the Democratic Party. They invoke Dr. King’s name, and
The question: Does two generations without a real peace and social justice movement in Black America mean that the Black Radical Tradition has been crushed? Have Black people, the historically most left-leaning constituency in the United States, shed their antiimperialism and embraced war? The most definitive answer came in a Zogby poll conducted in February 2003. It was only a few weeks before George Bush crossed into Iraq. The Zogby poll asked a straightforward question: “Would you support an invasion of Iraq if it resulted in the death of thousands of Iraqi civilians?” A super-majority of White males said, “Hell yes, let’s get it on.” A bare majority of White females felt the same way. Sixteen percent of Hispanic Americans said they would invade, even if it meant killing thousands of civilians. However, only seven percent of Blacks agreed with that statement – meaning only a marginal segment of Black America had any willingness to kill Iraqi men, women and children. This shows that the Black worldview is worlds apart from that of most White men and women. It’s also very strong evidence that Black people remain anti-imperialist, despite two generations without a movement that was loudly and proudly and defiantly anti-imperialist. Then came the First Black President: Barack Obama. We at Black Agenda Report feared, correctly, that a pro-war, Black Democratic president would have a profound effect on Black political behavior. We were very anxious about the rise of this guy who we knew would be a war president. We worried about the effect that his presence in the Oval Office would have on the Black worldview. We expected, and got, the worst. We feared that Black people, for the first time in history, might begin to identify with US national power if one of their number was the personification of that power. That is a very heady brew for a people who had been rendered invisible for most of their sojourn in North America. There was never any question
No plan
If Trump has decided to commit to regime
Founding members
During the campaign, Trump expressed his scorn for regime change and denounced the foreign policy elite for engaging in wars without ever “winning.” Now, he appears to be doubling down on those same wars without any plan for victory. Bombs – strong power – are in fact simply destructive. They build nothing. In Syria, the human catastrophe from the civil war is unspeakable. Roughly half of the 22 million residents of Syria have been driven from their homes, including an estimated 6 million internally displaced and some 5 million refugees whose flight has created an ugly right-wing reaction across Europe. Half a million have died. Another 2 million have been wounded. More bombs aren’t a sign of strength; they are an expression of violent futility.
Different response The horrible pictures of babies dying from poisonous gas might have sparked a different response. The US could have gone to the U.N. with proof that the Assad regime had sponsored the attack, calling for a cooperative international effort to rid Syria of those weapons. Trump might have dispatched his emissary to Russia to demand that it join in fulfilling the promise it made to former President Obama to rid Syria of chemical weapons. The outside powers
CBC with Obama In 2002, when Bush asked for war powers permission to attack Iraq, only four members of the Congressional Black Caucus went along with him. But by June of 2011, when the United States and NATO were doing their regime change mission in Libya, more than half of the CBC – 24 members –gave their full permission to Obama’s continued bombing of Libya. And 31 of the 40 or so voting members of the CBC opted to continue spending money on the Libyan operation. That number includes John Lewis, who tries to cloak himself in all the vestments of Dr. Martin Luther King. He also voted to continue funding for that war – AFRICOM’s first war on Africa, what Keith Ellison called “a blow for freedom and self-determination.” But what about the masses of Black people? There was some disturbing evidence of the effect that Barack Obama’s presence in the White House was having on Black people’s historical, bedrock antiimperialism. In August 2013, Obama threatened to launch airstrikes against Syria. Polls showed that 40 percent of Black Americans would have supported such an airstrike, compared to only 38 percent of Whites and a smaller percentage of Hispanic Americans. This was the first poll in the history of polling in which more Black people were for a warlike action than White people. Obama had his effect. The First Black President has left us with a deep and lingering problem. Even out of office, he packs a weaponized legacy.
Glen Ford is executive editor of BlackAgendaReport.com. Email him at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
change in Syria, it is dangerous. Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is backed by both Russia and Iran, and Assad’s forces are the leading opposition to ISIS, the terrorist gang that Trump is already committed to destroying. ists and helped create failed states where they can spawn. What will it take for this country to learn the limits of military force, the weakness of “strong power”? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., got it right when he taught us this: “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. “Returning violence for violence Continual war multiplies violence, adding deeper The US has been at war in the darkness to a night already devoid Middle East continually since of stars. Darkness cannot drive out 2001. In the name of creating de- darkness: only light can do that.” mocracy and security, we have created chaos and spread violence. In The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is the name of fighting terrorism, we president and CEO of the Rainhave generated ever more terror- bow/PUSH Coalition. feeding the violence in Syria – the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Russia – might have convened in an effort to bring the violence to a halt, or at least to agree to stop fueling it with weapons and forces. The children’s deaths might have served to generate a global demand for an end to the violence. Instead, it triggered a quick recourse to bombs to “send a message,” ensuring only that the violence will continue, that more Syrian children will be killed, and that the US will find itself enmeshed even more deeply in yet another war.
NATION
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
ERIN HOOLEY/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
Pastor Fred Kinsey of Unity Lutheran Church marks a cross of ashes mixed with purple glitter on the forehead of a commuter for Ash Wednesday, the glitter a sign of support for the LGBTQ community, outside the CTA Red Line Berwyn stop on March 1 in Chicago. Ash Wednesday was the first day of Lent for Christians.
Civil Rights Act ruling for LGBTQ raises questions of law’s intent BY KURTIS LEE LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
The decision last week by a federal appeals court that said the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ employees from workplace discrimination raises questions about the intent of the law passed more than five decades ago as the struggle for racial equality gripped the nation. In a ruling — the first of its kind — the U.S. 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
decided on April 4 that the act protects LGBTQ people from discrimination by employers. The decision came after the court threw out a finding last year by three of its judges who ruled that the law doesn’t cover sexual orientation bias. The case originated from a lawsuit by an Indiana teacher alleging that a community college didn’t hire her full time because she is a lesbian. Many law experts expect the issue to be placed before the Supreme Court at some point.
Bishop’s opposition Although advocates of LGBTQ rights lauded the ruling as a needed step to curb discrimination, some such as Bishop Garland R. Hunt said on April 5 it’s an “atrocity to the AfricanAmerican lives lost to pass the Civil Rights Act.” For Hunt, the ruling is an affront to the Civil Rights Act, which he said was meant to undo the ramifications of slavery and Jim Crow laws — inequality, poverty, lack of education, to name a few. “Blacks have been killed
and discriminated against solely because of our skin color,” said Hunt, who is the head pastor at the Father’s House, a predominantly African-American church in the Atlanta suburbs.
Focus on race In recent years, Hunt, along with many Black pastors, have been outspoken in their views that LGBTQ rights are not civil rights. Hunt says that while the Civil Rights Act outlaws discrimination based on
race, color, religion and sex, it should not benefit gays and lesbians. “It seems some are trying to make the efforts for gay rights similar to the struggles minorities faced in the effort for equality,” he said. “Really, this should be about racial discrimination.” For some African-Americans such as Hunt, whose Christian views have led him to oppose same-sex marriage, the progress of LGBTQ rights has caused concern that the struggles of Blacks who endured Jim Crow laws will be overlooked. In 2012, when President Barack Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage, many in African-American churches nationwide did not agree with his views on the issue. Many polls showed that Black voters — who overwhelmingly supported Obama — viewed same-sex marriage differently than he did.
Morial supports ruling Still, not everyone views the ruling the same. Some say that discrimination is discrimination and must be banned in workplaces nationwide. Marc Morial, chief operating officer of the National Urban League, among the nation’s largest civil rights organizations, lauded the decision. “It’s the correct ruling in the fight for civil rights for all,” Morial said. “These protections need to be granted to everyone — regardless of race, religion or sex.” Morial said the “foundation of the Civil Rights Act was race, but it’s always been much more broader as well.”
Different struggles Even though the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015, other legal protections, including housing and employment, have not been across the board for LGBTQ people. Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for the equal rights of LGBTQ people, lauded the ruling and said that “everyone recognizes and understands that experiences of African-Americans in the country are different from the LGBTQ community.” “Both groups have faced discrimination,” she said. “We should not compare the two struggles. No one should face discrimination.” Greg Nevins, who argued the case before the 7th Circuit, said the focus must be on Title VII of the act, which prohibits workplace discrimination. “Of course there are different historical factors,” Nevins said. “This ruling says that gays and lesbians are covered.”
Sticking with view Still, there are those with the views of Bishop Gilbert Thompson, founder of Jubilee Christian Church in Boston. He agrees with Hunt in that gays and lesbians should not be afforded protections under the Civil Rights Act. “I don’t think anyone should face discrimination — let that be clear,” he said. “But in my view I don’t think gays and lesbians should be lumped in with civil rights, I just don’t. … In a workplace, you shouldn’t be forcing your sexual orientation anyway. Whereas if you’re Black or a woman, that’s something you can’t hide or put to the side. It’s who you are and for all to see.”
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
Choreographer taking ‘Citizen’ to Miami See page B2
SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE
A busy time for ‘Black-ish’ star See page B5
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Black legislators discuss issues, then shake their tail feathers to raise money for scholarships BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF
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1 right: Robert Runcie, Kimberly Moore, Hazelle Rogers and Rocky Hannah discuss the state of Florida’s public schools.
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TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Conference of Black State Legislators Foundation and the Florida Legislative Black Caucus staged their 24th Annual State of Black Florida conference, featuring issue-heavy seminars and climaxed by its semi-formal Annual Scholarship Gala. On April 6, a seminar, “Bridge Building – Law Enforcement in the Black Community” was moderated by Daryl Daniels, youth programs director for the Derrick Brooks Charities. Guest panelists included Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, Central Florida Urban League President/ CEO Glenn Gilzean, and Florida A&M University student Soladeen Hamilton. Later that afternoon, Florida Courier Publisher Charles W. Cherry II moderated a gubernatorial symposium entitled, “The Future of Black Florida.” All announced gubernatorial candidates to date, including former congresswoman Gwen Graham, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Richard Corcoran, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillam, and Attorney Chris King were invited. Only King appeared. On Friday, April 7, Kimberly Moore, vice president for workforce development at Tallahassee Community College, moderated another panel discussion, “The Future of Public Education in Florida.” Panel guests included Robert Runcie, superintendent of the Broward County Public Schools; Rocky Hannah, superintendent of Leon County Public Schools, and Hazelle Rogers, mayor of Lauderdale Lakes (Broward County). This year’s conference ended with the Scholarship Gala, featuring a VIP reception and a banquet and dance featuring a dynamic live band, Tallahassee Nights Live.
See more pictures at www.flcourier.com.
Two gala at-
5 tendees cut
loose on the dance floor, “House Party”-style. PHOTOS BY CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER
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CALENDAR
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
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FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Miami: On Call Mechanics is hosting a free car care clinic for women on April 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terrace. Information: 786529-7188 or ocmechanics@gmail.com. Jacksonville: Miles Jay Live: The Heart & Soul Concert is April 22 at the Ritz Theatre.
BETTY WRIGHT
Tickets are on sale for a Betty Wright concert on July 22 at the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville.
WYCLEF JEAN
Kaya Fest: The Marley Brothers & More is April 22 at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater in Miami. The show, which will feature Stephen and his brothers, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Big Sean, starts at 1 p.m.
DRU HILL The Tampa Spring Jam is April 21 at the USF Sun Dome featuring Guy, Teddy Riley, Dru Hill, Silk and Doug E. Fresh.
Movement workshops On Monday, April 17, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a movement workshop with Wilson and Yemen Brown – a member of his company – will be hosted by the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center (AHCAC), 6161 NW 22nd Ave, Miami. For information and to RSVP, contact Anita Hope, AHCAC dance coordinator, at 786-385-2353. On April 18 from 10 a.m. to noon, a second move-
Orlando: Flo Rida and guest DJ Nasty are scheduled April 21 at the CFE Arena. Miami Gardens: A Community Beautification Block Party is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 15 at Norwood Park, 19401 NW 14th Ave. Details: 786-873-0526 or 786-279-1261.
Tampa: Big Sean’s I Decided Tour stops at The Ritz Ybor on April 19 for an 8 p.m. show. Performers include Madeintyo and DJ Mo Beatz. Miami: Chris Brown’s Party Tour stops at the AmericanAirlines Arena on April 12, Tampa’s Amalie Arena on April 16 and Jacksonville’s Veterans Memorial Arena on April 18. Fort Lauderdale: Tower of Power performs April 20 at the Parker Playhouse. The show is at 8 p.m. Overtown: Walk A Mile with A Child is 8:30 a.m. April 22 at Gibson Park, 401 NW 12th St. The program raises awareness about the importance of physical activity and highlights Overtown. Register at www.jwbms.org/about-us/ walk-a-mile/.
Clearwater: Tickets are on sale for a John Legend show May 13 at Coachman Park.
Tampa: Catch Chris Rock on April 14 at the Straz in Tampa and the Dr. Phillips Center on April 16 in Orlando.
Miami Beach: The M.E. Tour featuring Marsha Ambrosius and Eric Benet stops at the Fillmore Miami Beach on April 21.
Jacksonville: Tickets are on sale for a June 28 show featuring Diana Ross at Daily’s Place.
ment workshop will be hosted by the dance department at Miami-Dade College Kendall Campus, 11011 SW 104th Street, Miami. This workshop, also with Wilson and Brown, will be held at Room G303, (Gym building, third floor dance studio). Phone Michelle Murray at 305-237-2426 for more information and to RSVP. On April 22 at 2 p.m., the HistoryMiami Museum will host a panel discussion on “Citizen’’ in the
South Building of the Museum at 101 West Flagler Street in Miami. The panel, developed in partnership with HistoryMiami, will be moderated by Dr. Wallis Tinnie, and will include Dr. Jafari Allen, Augusto Soledade, Cristina Favretto and Wilson. This event is free and open to the public. Tickets for the evening performances are available by calling 305-324-4337 or online at www.tigertail.org.
The Fist & Heel Performance Group will perform April 21 and 22 in Miami.
New York choreographer taking ‘Citizen’ to Miami Reggie Wilson’s “Citizen,’’ by his Fist & Heel Performance Group, will be presented in Miami on April 21 and 22. The dance group, founded in 1989 by the noted New York Citybased choreographer, draws from the cultures of Africans in the Americas and combines them with post-modern elements and his own personal movement style to create what Wilson calls “post-African/Neo-HooDoo Modern dances.” In “Citizen,’’ Wilson asks, “What does it mean to belong?” and “What does it mean to not want to belong?” These are core
Easter expected to bring record spending SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER
The Florida Retail Federation (FRF), the state’s premier trade association, says Floridians will increase their Easter spending to record levels this year, with the per person average expected to top $152, up four percent from 2016. The total expected to be spent nationally is $18.4 billion, up six percent from last year’s record of $17.3 billion and the highest in survey history. “With Easter falling almost an entire month later
Reggie Wilson is a noted New York-based choreographer. questions of Wilson’s investigations for this evening-length dance work. The April 21 and 22 performances are at 8:30 p.m. at the Miami Dade Coun-
ty Auditorium, 2901 West Flagler Street, Miami. General admission is $25 with $50 VIP tickets and $20 tickets for artists, students and seniors.
than last year, that means warmer weather and more people in the mood to spend money to celebrate,” said FRF President/CEO R. Scott Shalley. “This is great news for Sunshine State retailers, and with more consumers spending more money, we expect stores to be busy in the days leading up to Easter.”
sumers planning to buy clothing is up from 45 percent last year and is the highest level in a decade while the $3.3 billion expected to be spent is up 9 percent from last year.
What they’ll buy According to the survey, which was conducted by FRF’s national partners at the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend $5.8 billion on food (purchased by 87 percent of shoppers), $3.3 billion on clothing (50 percent), $2.9 billion on gifts (61 percent), $2.6 billion on candy (89 percent), $1.2 billion on flowers (39 percent), $1.1 billion on decorations (43 percent) and $788 million on greeting cards (48 percent). The 50 percent of con-
Church, family time Consumers plan to celebrate Easter in several different ways: 61 percent will visit family and friends, 57 percent will cook a holiday meal, 52 percent will go to church and 17 percent will go to a restaurant. Children will have plenty to look forward to after the Easter Bunny arrives: 35 percent of consumers will have an Easter egg hunt and 16 percent will open gifts. In addition, some consumers will celebrate with more leisurely activities: 43 percent will watch TV, 10 percent will shop online and 9 percent will head to the movies or shop in a store.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL FILM/ONE RACE FILMS PRODUCTION AN F. GARY GRAY FILM VIN DIESEL DWAYNE JOHNSON JASON STATHAM “THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS” MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ TYRESE GIBSON MUSIC CHRIS ‘LUDACRIS’ BRIDGES WITH KURT RUSSELL AND CHARLIZE THERON BY BRIAN TYLER EXECUTIVE BASED ON PRODUCERS AMANDA LEWIS SAMANTHA VINCENT CHRIS MORGAN CHARACTERS CREATED BY GARY SCOTT THOMPSON DIRECTED PRODUCED WRITTEN BY NEAL H. MORITZ p.g.a. VIN DIESEL MICHAEL FOTTRELL BY F. GARY GRAY BY CHRIS MORGAN A UNIVERSAL PICTURE © 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IMAX® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
STOJ
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
HEALTH
B3 to middle age should have a doctor check their B12 levels,” Morris said. A deficiency of this vitamin can lead to confusion and memory problems, while folate deficiency is associated with cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and nuts oils, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are highly concentrated in the brain, where they are incorporated in cell membranes and play a role in the transmission of signals between cells. “A primary focus has to be maintaining healthy” blood vessels in the brain, Greenwood said. “So, heart health recommendations are similar in many ways to brain health recommendations, with this exception: The brain has higher levels of Omega-3s than any other tissue in the body, making adequate levels even more essential.” Other studies point to calcium, zinc and vitamins A, C and D as having a positive impact on the brain, though findings are sometimes inconsistent.
Foods to avoid
DREAMSTIME/TNS
What people eat appears to have an effect on brain cells and how they function.
Think before you eat to help ward off Alzheimer’s A poor diet can increase the risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, which in turn can end up compromising an individual’s cognitive function. BY JUDITY GRAHAM KAISER HEALTH NEWS/TNS
Diets designed to boost brain health, targeted largely at older adults, are a new, noteworthy development in the field of nutrition. The latest version is the Canadian Brain Health Food Guide, created by scientists in Toronto. Another, the MIND diet, comes from experts at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Both diets draw from a growing body of research suggesting that certain nutrients — mostly found in plant-based foods, whole grains, beans, nuts, vegetable oils
and fish — help protect cells in the brain while fighting harmful inflammation and oxidation. Both have yielded preliminary, promising results in observational studies.
Clinical trials next The Canadian version — similar to the Mediterranean diet but adapted to Western eating habits — is associated with a 36 percent reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The MIND diet — a hybrid of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) — lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s by 53 percent. Researchers responsible for both regimens will study them further in rigorous clinical trials being launched this year. Still, the diets differ in several respects, reflecting varying interpretations of research regarding nutrition’s impact on the aging brain.
Servings difference A few examples: The MIND diet recommends two servings of vegetables every day; the Canadian diet recommends five. The Canadian diet suggests that fish or seafood be eaten three times a week; the MIND diet says once is enough.
The MIND diet calls for at least three servings of whole grains a day; the Canadian diet doesn’t make a specific recommendation. The Canadian diet calls for four servings of fruit each day; the MIND diet says that five halfcup portions of berries a week is all that is needed. We asked Carol Greenwood, a professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto and a key force behind the Canadian diet, and Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center and originator of the MIND diet, to elaborate on research findings about nutrition and aging and their implications for older adults.
Nutrition and the brain It’s not yet well understood precisely how nutrition affects the brains of older adults. Most studies done to date have been in animals or younger adults. What is clear: A poor diet can increase the risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, which in turn can end up compromising an individual’s cognitive function. The corollary: A good diet that reduces the risk of chronic illness is beneficial to the brain. Also, what people eat appears
to have an effect on brain cells and how they function. “I don’t think we know enough yet to say that nutrients in themselves support neurogenesis (the growth of neurons) and synaptogenesis (the growth of neural connections),” Greenwood said. “But pathways that are needed for these processes can be supported or impaired by someone’s nutritional status.”
Essential nutrients “Several nutrients have been shown to have biological mechanisms related to neuropathology in the brain,” Morris said. On that list is Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant found in oils, nuts, seeds, whole grains and leafy green vegetables, which is associated with slower cognitive decline, a lower risk of dementia, and reduced accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins — a key culprit in Alzheimer’s disease. “The brain is a site of great metabolic activity,” Morris said. “It uses an enormous amount of energy and in doing so generates a high level of free radical molecules, which are unstable and destructive. Vitamin E snatches up those free radicals and protects the brain from injury.”
B12, Omega-3 Also on her list is vitamin B12 — found in animal products such as meat, eggs, cheese and fish — and vitamin B9 (folate), found in green leafy vegetables, grains, nuts and beans. Because aging affects stomach acids that facilitate the absorption of B12, “everyone who gets
For the most part, the Canadian and MIND diets concur on foods to be avoided or limited to once-a-week servings, especially saturated fats found in pastries, sweets, butter, red meat and fried and processed foods. As for dairy products, “there’s no evidence one way or another. If you like your yogurt, keep eating it,” Morris said. Greenwood adds a caveat: Make sure you consume low-fat dairy products as opposed to whole-fat versions.
Other helpful diets Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that both the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet have a positive impact on various aspects of cognition, although neither was created specifically for that purpose. “At the end of the day, our [Canadian] diet, the MIND diet, the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet are not that different; they’re all likely to be helpful,” Greenwood said.
The pattern counts Studies promoting the cognitive benefits of drinking tea or eating blueberries have garnered headlines recently. But a focus on individual foods is misguided, both experts suggested. What matters instead is dietary patterns and how components of various foods interact to promote brain health. The bottom line: Concentrate on eating an assortment of foods that are good for you. “As long as people are eating a healthful diet, they shouldn’t have to worry about individual nutrients,” Greenwood said. KHN’s coverage related to aging and improving care of older adults is supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation and its coverage of aging and long-term care issues is supported by The SCAN Foundation.
Take a mindful approach to fighting spring allergens FAMILY FEATURES
in your hair or on your skin.
While springtime means blooming flowers, warmer temperatures and more time spent outdoors, it also means allergies and pollen. Tackling dust mite matter, tree pollen and animal dander is completely different from protecting your home against the winter flu and requires a new regimen of preparation and cleaning. Take on spring allergens by refreshing your home with these simple practices, and help get your family ready to enjoy the warmer months.
Freshen fabrics
Prep for bed Allergens don’t go to bed when you do; they can continue to irritate even while you’re sleeping, causing a restless slumber. To help ensure allergens and pollens aren’t tracked into bedrooms, leave a laundry basket in the hall and have family members remove their clothing before entering their rooms. A quick rinse in a warm shower before bed can help you relax and wind down while also washing away any unwanted pollens still stuck
Clothing, towels and bed linens – items you come in contact with multiple times a day – can trap pollens, dust mite matter, allergens and dander. It’s important to not only rinse these items but to use a detergent that removes allergens and is gentle on skin, like all free clear liquid and mightypacs laundry detergent for sensitive skin. The liquid detergent removes 99 percent of everyday and seasonal allergens, including the top spring allergens: tree and grass pollen, and is the No. 1 recommended detergent brand by dermatologists, allergists and pediatricians for sensitive skin. To view the full line of laundry products, visit allfreeclear.com.
Ingredients matter Taking preventative measures against spring allergens can start in a surprising place: the refrigerator. While most people think about treating allergens in their homes and on their clothes, they tend to forget that a good diet is
also a good defense. Avoiding aged, pickled or fermented foods like blue cheese and kimchi with naturally occurring histamines can help prevent coughing, sneezing and itching triggered by spring allergens. Instead, look to boost your meals with ingredients found in the Mediterranean Diet, such as fresh fruits and vegetables like apples and broccoli as well as nuts and fatty fishes that have essential vitamins and nutrients known to fight allergy symptoms.
Give pets a makeover Your furry friend may be one of the biggest culprits for sneaking allergens and pollen into the house, so this season make sure to give pets twice-a-week baths to wash out dander and pollen. Remember to also wash pet beds and chew toys that are thrown around the yard to help prevent allergens from being transported into and throughout your home. With these four steps to help protect your home and family against spring allergens, you can start enjoying a healthy, clean spring.
GETTY IMAGES
To help ensure allergens and pollens aren’t tracked into bedrooms, leave a laundry basket in the hall and have family members remove their clothing before entering their rooms.
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PERSONAL FINANCE
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
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Some tax tips for the last-minute filer If you don’t pay the taxes you owe by April 18, you’ll pay penalties and interest. BY SUSAN TOMPOR DETROIT FREE PRESS/TNS
It’s April and you haven’t filed your income tax returns yet? People have a million reasons to procrastinate and, in some cases, run up against the tax filing deadline, which is April 18 this year. “They are the same people who waited until the night before it was due to write their term paper,” said Joseph DeGennaro, tax director for Doeren Mayhew in Troy, Mich. He noted that 40 percent of all the 1040s that his firm will complete this year will be done in the first two weeks of April. Sometimes, people are afraid they’ll see a very big number for how much they owe in taxes. Sometimes, they’re waiting for paperwork relating to some more complicated investments. “Many of my clients come in late. In fact, too many,” said George W. Smith, a Southfield, Mich.-based accountant. He estimated that up to 35 percent of returns that his firm prepares are completed in April. He noted that about 15 percent of his clients seek extensions every year.
Remember big events Here are some tips if you’ve yet to complete that tax return. Don’t forget about big events in your life that took place in 2016. Did you buy a house in 2016? Did you retire and begin collecting Social Security? Did you have a baby? Many events can trigger different tax rules and paperwork. Give yourself extra time to find exactly what you’ll need. When you file your taxes for the first time after buying a home, for example, take time to find your closing or settlement statement, called the HUD-1. Additional expenses that you pay at closing — including prepaid interest or points — may be tax-deductible, if they’re not already included on your Form 1098 that reports home mortgage interest, said Lisa Greene-Lewis, a TurboTax tax expert.
Review donations If you itemize deductions, review donations for 2016. “If you donated to places like Salvation Army, Purple Heart, Goodwill and the Vets, use a guide that will help you estimate the value you can claim rather than the $50 per bag that many
ALGERINA PERNA/BALTIMORE SUN/TNS
April Bradley is shown with her sons Tayveon and Dominic earlier this year in front of their new home. With the help from Baltimore CASH Campaign, a financial literacy nonprofit, she saved enough with her tax refund and other refunds and savings to purchase a home outright. people tell me the donation was worth,” said Frank St. Onge, enrolled agent for Total Financial Planning in Brighton, Mich. St. Onge said that in some cases you could underestimate the value of what you donated. See sites such as salvationarmyusa. org for a donation value guide. The donated value of a woman’s sweater, for example, could range from $3.75 to $15, depending on quality, according to the Salvation Army guide. Take a picture of what you’re donating during the year, as a reminder of what you gave and for possible evidence if you’re audited. St. Onge said. Get donation receipts.
Beware of scams Watch out for an e-Services scam. During a last-minute rush, it could be easy to fall prey to an email that claims to be from Internal Revenue Service e-Services. The IRS noticed a surge of one e-Services scam targeting tax professionals in late March. The real IRS e-Services program offers Web-based tools to complete certain transactions online with the IRS. Scam subject lines including warnings like “e-Service account is Blocked” and “24Hrs to Block Your Account.” The goal is to trick someone in-
to opening a link or attachment so ID thieves can steal user credentials. The best bet is to go directly to irs.gov/eservices if you sense a problem.
File an extension Do you think you need an extension? See Form 4868. You can get an automatic six-month extension to file your tax return by filing Form 4868 electronically. But remember, if you don’t pay the taxes you owe taxes by April 18, you’ll pay penalties and interest. What do you do if you owe money? Make sure to file your tax return by April 18 or request an extension, even if you cannot pay all of what you owe on time, said Marshall Hunt, certified public accountant and director of tax policy for the Accounting Aid Society’s tax assistance program in metro Detroit. That way, you avoid steep penalties for filing late, Hunt said.
Filing penalties In general, he said, the IRS penalty for late filing is 5 percent a month up to a total of 25 percent of the unpaid tax. However, there is a minimum penalty that ends up being the smaller of $205 or 100 percent of the unpaid tax
if the return is more than 60 days late. Important point: If there is a refund or no balance due, the penalties will not apply. The penalty for late payment is less than for late filing — 0.5 percent a month, up to 25 percent of the unpaid tax. If an extension is filed and 90 percent of the tax liability is paid with the extension, this penalty won’t apply during the extension period if the balance is paid with the return. Interest applies to any unpaid tax.
Figure payments early When it comes to paying your taxes, make sure to pay as much as you can as early as you can. You may be able to get a low-cost loan. Or pay by credit card. But pay attention to the fees and the interest rates associated with a loan. If you think you need only a few months to pay the bill in full, check into an IRS program that offers an extra 60 days to 120 days to make a payment in full. A brief additional amount of time to pay can be requested through the Online Payment Agreement application or by calling 800-829-1040. If you need more than 120 days, you might be able to sign up via the IRS website for a monthly installment plan as long as you pay your tax debt in full. You might qualify for an online
installment agreement if you owe $50,000 or less in combined tax, penalties and interest, and filed all required returns. See payment options at irs. gov/payments.
Offer in Compromise An Offer in Compromise program exists for tax filers who have severe financial problems. But the IRS announced that the agency would return any newly filed Offer in Compromise application received on or after March 27 if you didn’t file all required tax returns. An Offer in Compromise taxpayers to settle a tax debt for less than what’s owed. But Cari Weston, director of taxation for the American Institute of CPAs, warns that the Offer in Compromise is granted only to those in very desperate situations. “It has high hurdles to be reached,” she said. In some cases, consumers have been taken by unscrupulous outfits that charge high upfront fees but aren’t able to help consumers get such a settlement.
Susan Tompor is the personal finance columnist for the Detroit Free Press. She can be reached at stompor@freepress. com.
7 companies that help with bad-credit car loans BY MICHAEL KEENAN GOBANKINGRATES.COM TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
ment or a guaranteed fixed income like Social Security payments.
You might be worried that you won’t be able to get a car loan with a bad credit score — which is 579 or lower, according to FICO. But options for bad credit auto financing are available. If you decide not to buy new, shop around to find the best used-car loan rates — a small change in rates can make a difference on an average monthly car payment. In addition, talk to lenders about your credit score. If you can show that your score is low because of something like a sudden illness or divorce — rather than a history of poor financial decisions — they might consider you a more favorable credit risk. Explore getting a car loan with one of these seven lenders or companies that match you with loans. Once you know how to get a car loan with bad credit, you’ll be on the road in no time.
MyAutoloan.com
Auto Credit Express Auto Credit Express doesn’t actually make loans; rather, it matches you with dealers and lenders across the country. Once you know which dealers will work with you, you can find a car that fits your budget. Auto Credit Express doesn’t have a minimum credit score requirement or maximum loan amount — it determines those factors individually. In general, however, you must earn at least $1,500 in gross income per month from full-time employ-
MyAutoloan.com uses your application information to search for appropriate lenders in its database. Before you commit, you can take advantage of the company’s interest rate estimator to find your range of rates, which depends on the car you’re buying, your credit score and where you live. To apply, you must live in the contiguous 48 states and have a minimum monthly income of $1,800 and no open bankruptcies. In addition, the car you buy can’t have more than 100,000 miles on it and must not be more than eight years old. Last, you are required to borrow or refinance at least $8,000.
RoadLoans RoadLoans issues loans for car financing and refinancing. You can apply online before you go to the dealership and you’ll get a decision within 30 seconds, according to the company. When you receive a decision, it includes information about any restrictions on the car you can purchase. If you get a better offer elsewhere, you have the option to go with that lender.
LightStream LightStream’s car financing terms range from 24 to 84 months and your interest rate depends on your credit score and the amount you’re borrowing. Loans range from as little as
TNS
Got bad credit but need a car? Shop around to find the best used car rates. $5,000 up to $100,000, and you might qualify for no down payment. In addition, you won’t pay any fees or prepayment penalties on a LightStream loan.
CarFinance.com Consumers with all types of credit can apply at CarFinance. com, which offers loan terms of up to 72 months. The maximum you can borrow depends on your income and the type of car you want to buy. If you apply during business hours, you can expect a response within 30 minutes. If you’re declined, you’ll be told why. CarFinance.com also offers guaranteed auto protection insurance — which you can add to your loan amount — that covers the amount your loan exceeds the
value of your car.
Springboardauto.com SpringboardAuto.com advertises loans from $7,000 to $45,000 for people with less-than-perfect credit. You can apply online within 60 seconds and receive an instant decision without affecting your credit score. The company also allows you to refinance an existing car loan at a lower interest rate. To apply, you need to provide your full name, address, income information and details on the car you’re looking to purchase or refinance.
Capital One Capital One enables you to search more than 12,000 dealers to find a car and get real-time
APR and monthly payment information. To prequalify, you must choose a car that is 10 years old or newer, with fewer than 120,000 miles. To get a loan you need to have $1,500 or $1,800 in monthly income — the amount depends on your credit — and you can finance between $4,000 and $40,000 for up to 72 months. Your prequalification from Capital One is good for 30 days, so you have time to shop around. GoBankingRates.com is a leading portal for personal finance news and features, offering visitors the latest information on everything from interest rates to strategies on saving money, managing a budget and getting out of debt.
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APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
Meet some of
FLORIDA’S
finest
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
B5
Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
Thousands of Caribbean culture lovers converge on South Florida every year on 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 tractortrailer 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. Go to www.miamibrowardcarnival.com for information on this year’s Carnival. CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER
news. So I feel like they sabotaged it. And I think that’s why a lot of Black people stopped watching TBS.”
‘Make it happen’
KELSEY MCNEAL/ABC
Deon Cole, a former writer on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” plays Charlie on “Blackish.” He also can be seen in “Angie Tribeca’’ on TBS. Cole also appears in the “Barbershop’’ movies.
‘Black-ish’ star Deon Cole has lots of irons in the comedy fire BY NINA METZ CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
When I caught up with comedian and “Black-ish” co-star Deon Cole recently, he was in Arlington, Texas, for a stand-up gig. I couldn’t hear him clearly at first. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he explained, “I got you on speaker because I’m trying to iron my clothes.” Multitasking is what drives his career these days. The South Side Chicago native told me he has tattoos of both the Chicago flag and the Chicago seal, one on each arm. He co-stars on another television show, the TBS police comedy “Angie Tribeca,” which re turned for its third season 9:30 p.m. Monday. That, plus occasional appearances on “Conan” (where he was a staff writer for five years) mean his schedule is busy.
‘Black Box’ tweets
Not ‘White’ enough
But recently, an older project has been on his mind. Over the past few weeks, Cole has been tweeting clips from his shortlived late-night comedy show from 2013 (also on TBS) called “Deon Cole’s Black Box,” which offered commentary on the week’s news — not unlike what John Oliver is doing on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight.” “I’m not mad at John at all, that’s just how the progression of television goes,” said Cole. But it’s not lost on him that right now, Trevor Noah of “The Daily Show” is currently the only Black person to host a high profile late-night comedy show on a major network. “And it’s crazy how they only want that one perspective,” he told me. “It’s nuts that (the networks) only give that one perspective, too. It makes no sense.”
I asked if he was hoping to generate interest in a reboot, or something like it. “Yeah! It’s one of those shows that should still be on the air, but I was around some of the whitest execs you ever want to see and that never even believed in me and kind of sabotaged the show. It cost $250,000 per episode, it cost nothing to do. And the numbers were close to what Conan was doing. “But the execs at the time — and none of them are there anymore — they were basically like, ‘This isn’t white enough for TBS.’ They made a promo that was a clip of a woman smashing watermelon (on her body) and I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I wasn’t doing a show that was about videos of guys getting kicked in the nuts — I was dealing with topical stuff, using clips from CNN and dealing with stories in the
There’s a segment from the old show that follows Cole back to Chicago. He’s in search of a haircut from a non-Black barber or hairstylist. At each location, they balk. It’s not a new observation, but it does underscore certain microaggressions and just how willing businesses are to write off an entire segment of the population — for reasons that Cole leaves the audience to deduce. Watching that, I wondered if Cole had considered pitching a new show based in Chicago. The city has become a flash point, from the White House on down, but most people doing the talking do not live here, nor do they have knowledge of the city beyond the headlines. There is also a deep pool of comedy writers based here. “Somebody call me and we can make it happen!” he said. “A show like that is so needed right now. The old clips that I’m tweeting, they’re just as relevant today as they were four years ago. My partner on that was a big Chicago head named Doug Karo, and Doug’s a White guy. Cool as hell, but me and him are like yin and yang. When it came to issues, there was friction and that’s what made it work.”
School fights I asked Cole about growing up in Chicago. Originally from the Roseland neighborhood, he moved to south suburban Dolton at 14. “My mother moved me there because she didn’t want me to join a gang and have fights. But the crazy thing is that when I moved out there, I ended up fighting more than if I were in a gang because it was all White people out there and we were fighting every day just for racial equality. “Just fighting these White kids so I could to go to school. It was crazy. “But, I wouldn’t have it no other way,” he said, “because I found some cool White kids and they introduced me to stuff I never knew about that’s still in my life today, like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones and in return I introduced them to hip-hop and Run-DMC.”
Straight outta Dolton He and Jane Lynch are the two famous people to come out of Dolton, I observed. “Yeah, Jane Lynch! You know who else is from Dolton? (Former NFL quarterback) Donovan McNabb, and (comedian) DeRay Davis — we all used to live in a four-block radius from each other.” He said he hadn’t considered being a comedian until he was out of high school and a friend bet him $50 to go on stage and do a set. “And 24 years later …” he said, laughing. A stand-out role on ABC’s “Black-ish” has raised his profile significantly, playing Charlie, who works alongside Dre (Anthony Anderson) at the ad firm and a guy who tends to arrive at ridiculous conclusions whenever topical issues are debated around the conference room table.
‘Barris on steroids’ The character is supposedly based on show creator Kenya Barris. How is that possible, I asked? There’s no way a buffoon like Charlie could achieve Barris’ level of success. “OK, so: I’m Kenya Barris on steroids,” Cole said. “Kenya is the awkwardly thinking guy that makes valid points, and that’s who Charlie is — except Charlie is a wreck and his life is in shambles. On that show, when Dre is with his family, he’s the crazy one; when he’s in the office, he’s the sane one — we’re crazy.” On “Angie Tribeca” Cole’s primary co-star is a German shepherd. “I actually love that dog,” he said. “When they want the dog to lick on us — this is going to sound weird but (the trainer) puts this, we call it ‘meat juice’ on us. “It looks like it comes in a deodorant bottle; you open the cap and rub it on yourself with the roll-on ball and then the dog comes over and licks the skin right off your face, it’s that delicious.” As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked how the ironing had progressed and he laughed. “I hope it looks good. Sometimes I can put together some masterpieces and sometimes I just put together disasters. I’ll know when I walk out the door.”
B6
FOOD
APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2017
TOJ
BABY CHICK CUPCAKES Prep time: 30 minutes Servings: 24 1 package (12 ounces) white confectionary coating wafers 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 2 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract 1 box (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme 1 teaspoon Sunflower color from McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors 2 tablespoons milk, plus additional (optional) 48 unfrosted mini yellow cupcakes, baked in white paper liners sprinkles (optional) additional McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors (optional) To make broken egg shell pieces: melt coating wafers as directed on package. Spread on large foil-lined baking sheet to 1/4-inch thickness. Refrigerate about 10 minutes, or until firm. Break into small, irregular pieces. Set aside. In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in confec tioners’ sugar, beating until well blended after each addition, frequently scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Beat in marshmallow creme until well blended. In small bowl, stir food color into milk until dissolved. Add colored milk to frosting; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in additional milk, as needed, to reach desired consistency. To decorate cupcakes: spoon frosting into large pastry bag fitted with large round tip. Pipe two dollops of frosting on top of each other to form baby chick. If desired, insert sprinkles into face for eyes and beak. Or tint any remaining frosting with food colors to pipe out eyes and beak. Place coating wafer pieces around bottom of baby chick to resemble broken egg shell.
Sweet ideas for a bright, seasonal spread FROM FAMILY FEATURES
Spring is blooming on your Easter table. From yellow chick cupcakes to blueberry French-toast casseroles, there are plenty of ways to wow your brunch guests with simple seasonal recipes. “Between hiding eggs and preparing baskets, you may be tempted to fall back on brunch basics like pancakes and scrambled eggs, but that’s no fun,” McCormick Executive Chef Kevan Vetter said. “With simple pantry staples – like food color – and a little planning the night before, you can enjoy a fun and tasty holiday brunch.” These simple tips from Vetter can help you transform a boring brunch into a colorful Easter feast. • Waffle art is a fun way to get kids (and adults) involved during breakfast time. Try tinting the waffle batter orange by using McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors. Cut them into wedges hot out of the iron and pipe green frosting for the stems to create these Carrot-Shaped Waffles. • Making French toast for a crowd can be a hassle. Instead, make a sweet breakfast casserole the night before to pop in the oven Easter morning. Add fresh, sweet-tart blueberries to celebrate spring. • Rather than splurging on designer cupcakes, just pipe yellow marshmallow creme on mini cupcakes for a baby chick then decorate with sprinkles for the nose and cut up wafers to look like a hatching egg. For more recipes and tips, check out McCormick.com and visit McCormick Spice on Facebook and Pinterest. OVERNIGHT LEMON BLUEBERRY MUFFIN CASSEROLE Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Servings: 12 Streusel Topping: 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup flour 2 teaspoons McCormick Cinnamon, Ground 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into chunks Casserole: 6 eggs 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, milk, divided 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, granulated sugar, divided 1 teaspoon McCormick Cinnamon, Ground 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes nonstick cooking spray 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon McCormick Pure Lemon Extract 2 cups blueberries, divided To make Streusel Topping: In medium bowl, mix together
brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cover. Set aside until ready to assemble in the morning. To make Casserole: In large bowl, mix together eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon with wire whisk until well blended. Add bread cubes; toss gently to coat. Pour evenly into 13-by-9-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, remaining milk and sugar, and lemon extract until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup blueberries. Spread evenly on top of bread cubes. Top with remaining blueberries. Cover. Refrigerate overnight. Heat oven to 350 F. Remove casserole from refrigerator. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Cut butter into Streusel Topping mixture with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
CARROT-SHAPED WAFFLES Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 6 Nonstick cooking spray 2 cups all-purpose waffle and baking mix 1 1/3cups milk 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract, divided 1 1/4 teaspoons Sunflower color from McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors, divided 1 teaspoon Berry color from McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors 1/2 teaspoon Sky Blue color from McCormick Color from Nature Food Colors 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar Heat round waffle iron. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix together waffle mix, milk, egg, oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon each sunflower and berry colors until blended. Let batter stand 5 minutes to allow color to fully develop. Pour about 1/3 cup batter onto center of waffle iron. Close lid. Cook about 3 minutes, or until no longer steaming. Carefully remove waffle. Repeat with remaining batter. Cut each waffle into 8 triangles. Set aside. In another medium bowl, stir sky blue color and remaining sunflower color into cream. Add confectioners’ sugar and remaining vanilla; beat with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon into re-sealable plastic bag. Cut piece off one bottom corner. To decorate and serve waffles, place waffle triangles onto serving plates and pipe green colored cream on wide side of each triangle to resemble carrot tops.