Florida Courier - September 29, 2017

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Another Katrina-like disaster?

See Page B1

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VOLUME 25 NO. 39

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SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

WHERE’S THE HELP? More than one week after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, residents are still trying to get the basics of food, water, gas, and money from banks.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republicans and Democrats have a clear message for President Donald Trump: Puerto Rico is now a humanitarian crisis.

Large portions of the U.S. territory are without power and basic services more than one week after Hurricane Maria swept over

the island as a Category 4 hurricane.

Politicians who have spent time on the ground in Puerto Rico since the storm, like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez, are urging the Trump administration to take every action available to help more than 3 million U.S. citizens.

See HELP, Page A2

CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

For many in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria’s aftermath has been even more harrowing than the storm itself.

Democrats warned – again Blacks unenthused by party

BY ALEX ROARTY MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU / TNS

WASHINGTON – A new study suggests that Democrats can re-energize African-American voters even if President Barack Obama isn’t on the party’s ticket. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.

The study, conducted by AFLCIO affiliate Working America, analyzed why the Black turnout in Ohio plummeted between 2012 and 2016, when election participation among African-American adults slipped from 72 percent to 62 percent.

The drop – not just in Ohio but nationwide – was partially responsible for Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump, especially in upper Midwest battlegrounds, such as Wisconsin and Michigan.

VERNON BRYANT/THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS

NFL PROTESTS

Athletes won’t just ‘shut up and play’ Dallas Cowboys players and staff, including owner Jerry Jones and Head Coach Jason Garrett, all took a knee before the singing of the national anthem prior to the start of the Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 25. Read commentaries about the NFL vs. Donald Trump on Pages A2, A4 and A5.

Dems ‘doomed’?

“If Black voter turnout remains depressed in 2018, it will doom Democrats’ chances in Ohio’s upcoming elections for the U.S. Senate, governor and state legislature,” the study said.

In findings released Tuesday, the study showed that only 8 percent of African-Americans interviewed in the state thought Obama’s absence explained the lack of enthusiasm; 46 percent blamed a dislike of both See DEMS, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Keys in hurry to open to tourists

SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA COURIER

Scott wants $50 mil for opioid fight

Here’s a Q&A with Jessy Schuster, who will be one of more than 15,000 revelers participating in next week’s annual Miami Broward Carnival, a series of concerts, pageants, parades, and competitions.

How to you prepare to “play mas” for Miami Broward Carnival? Six months in advance. I picked costumes, then changed my mind four times and finally committed to one. Then I pick my accessories (shoes, stockings if any, body paint, jewelry, bronzer etc.). Then I pick a makeup artists, reserve my spot, and two months before Carnival, I hit the gym! Jogging, yoga, eating healthier, etc.

CULTURE | B3

Digital billboards are watching us

ALSO INSIDE

How do you prepare for Miami Broward Carnival?

See CARNIVAL, Page A2

COURTESY OF HARRIS PUBLIC RELATIONS

Jessy Schuster, a TV host, producer, and journalist, shows off one of her Carnival costumes.

GUEST COMMENTARY: PAUL STREET: WHITE AMERICA LOVES ITS ‘GOOD NEGROES’ | A5 COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A5

FOCUS

A2

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

Protest against evil, wherever it’s found I have been a victim of police brutality, false arrest, excessive and wrongful prosecution, and a variety of other injustices in my life.

I learned about the importance of protesting about injustice at a very early age. I learned that dissent, disagreement and honorable and peaceful disobedience is a right and not a privilege.

A pleasant sight It felt good to see athletes, musicians and even some children initiate increased protests recently after President Donald Trump’s divisive comments about protests inspired by quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decisions to kneel during the playing of National Football League games.

I don’t care how you protest on your job, at your school, at your church, in your community or

LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

in your life, but you must protest and you must resist evil in government, in politics, in the court system, in the judicial system and everywhere else that evil comments and actions exist!

Personally, I don’t march. I don’t kneel down and I don’t bow down. But that is just me, and my way to protest may not be the best way for you.

I resist and I, when necessary, rebel!

A real concern What bothers me right now is

not patriotism, not the flag and not the national anthem.

I am protesting the way the United States government is handling the plights of Black and Hispanic residents in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who have no homes, no shelter, no power, little food and very little water after the islands were devastated

by Hurricane Maria!

Are the islanders being ignored and mistreated because of their skin color and ancestry?

If the islands were heavily inhabited by White supremacists and neo-Nazis, would more planes be sent there instead of to the airspace near North Korea?

Know your history Many of the readers and supporters of The Gantt Report are people of color, and they should have some idea how they got where they are.

Black people had to protest, and in many cases rebel, to stop slavery. They had to protest to get the right to work, to vote, to get educations, to ride public transportation and even to sit and eat

at White-owned lunch counters.

You have to protest!

People that don’t protest usually don’t teach their children to protest. They also demean, disparage and disrespect people in the community that do stand up, speak out and take part in protests.

Run to protesters But oh, when they get fired, when they can’t vote, when they get brutalized or they get mistreated, they want to run to the protestors. They run to the NAACP. They run to SCLC. They run to the Nation of Islam. They run to the United Nations or the World Court. They run to Black media outlets. They will even run to you and me.

“Lucius,” they ask, “They won’t let me play football. Can you write an article about that for me?

Well, is there something else good people can do beside kneel down and use a fake name on social media to post something in secret? Yes!

DEMS

somewhat or very concerned about their personal economic future, while just 33 percent said they were somewhat or very confident about it.

Clinton and Trump.

“Even people who liked and voted for Clinton said there were flaws with the candidate and her campaign,” the study said.

Some of the assessments of Clinton were blunt: The study recounted one Columbus resident who said, “the air goes right out the room” every time Clinton speaks.

Worried about money

from A1

Focus group discussions

TOM GRALISH/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/TNS

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was introduced by then-President Obama on Nov. 7, 2016 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pa.

The analysis from Working America did not rely on a traditional poll or focus group.

Instead, canvassers conducted “front-porch focus groups” with middle- and low-income African-American households in Columbus and Whitehall, Ohio, from June 19 to June 30. The interviews included men and women who did and didn’t vote.

Its conclusions were not uniformly pessimistic: It surmises, in fact, that Democrats can replicate previous turnout highs through aggressive voter outreach and bold economic policies.

But reinvigorating this voter bloc first requires Democrats to shake its deep economic pessimism. Nearly half of Black voters said they were

HELP from A1

Critical necessities Among the most urgent priorities were food and water deliveries for isolated, storm-pounded rural communities and distribution of diesel for generators to power vital services such as hospital equipment and sanitation systems.

About 97 percent of the island’s residents still lacked power Wednesday, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said, and about half remain without running water.

“Our conventional method to respond to a storm requires the federal government to kind of plug in with the existing emergency response … and work through them to distribute aid,” Rubio said. “That model probably won’t work as well, in fact I don’t think it will work on the situation in Puerto Rico.”

Days from Florida Rubio said it takes five days for supplies to reach Puerto Rico by barge from Miami and seven days from Jacksonville, making it tough to get much-needed medical supplies and aid there quickly.

Puerto Rico is 1,000 miles from Miami, while countries like the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are closer.

But the Trump administration has not waived a U.S. law that would allow foreign vessels to assist in Puerto Rico’s relief effort.

The Jones Act, a law that requires the delivery of goods between U.S. ports to be done

by U.S.-owned and -operated ships, was waived in Texas af-

Rep. Nydia Velazquez

Sen. Marco Rubio

ter Hurricane Harvey and in Florida after Hurricane Irma to allow for more efficient fuel delivery.

“That is critical, particularly for fuel,” Rossello said to CNN, adding that he expects the Trump administration to eventually waive the law.

“We’re limited by the transportation logistics, but at some point, of course, getting fuel into the island is going to be critical so that we can have the major functions of telecoms, hospitals, water, to be running appropriately.”

Money over lives?

Trump said he’s thinking about rescinding the Jones Act in Puerto Rico, but he will take into consideration the interests of the U.S. shipping industry.

“We’re thinking about that, but we have a lot of shippers and a lot of people who work in the shipping industry who don’t want the Jones Act lifted,” Trump said. “And we have a lot of ships out there right now.”

The Department of Homeland Security, under pressure from lawmakers like Velazquez and Arizona Sen. John McCain to waive the act, said it is not “legally allowed to waive the Jones Act to make goods cheaper.”

Sen. John McCain

DHS officials, who declined to speak on the record, said that the Jones Act is waived “in the interest of national defense” and that the Department of Defense usually makes the recommendation based on requests from U.S. shipping interests.

Clock is ticking Velazquez, along with three other Puerto Rican members of Congress, submitted a request to waive the act on Monday. DHS officials said the request from Congress was “not normal” but that it was being evaluated.

The officials declined to say when they would decide on the request, but no decision had come by the Florida Courier’s press time late Wednesday night.

“The challenge remains that if we have a barge leaving tomorrow with a significant amount of aid on it, it will not be there for five to six days,” Rubio said. “Every day that goes by in some of these areas that do not have electricity or communications, the situation grows graver.”

Not so fast Yet DHS officials downplayed the need for additional vessels in Puerto Rico, arguing that the biggest

The outlook is even more dire when asked about the broader Black community: 60 percent of respondents said they were worried about its economic future. Just 22 percent said they were confident.

“The conversations we had with working-class AfricanAmerican voters in central Ohio are a wake-up call for Democrats,” the study said.

“Nearly a decade after the 2008 recession, many Black voters say they’re still struggling economically.”

More alarmingly for Democrats is nearly half of these voters, 48 percent, said it didn’t make a difference to their economic well-being if a Republican or Democrat was in office.

Trump strongly disliked Still, Democratic lawmakers and candidates have an opening to reach Black voters.

Only 34 percent of them identify with the “resistance,” the name many liberal activists have given their movement to oppose Trump and GOP lawmakers. But 26 percent of them have taken a political action since the election.

And 84 percent of Afri-

challenge facing the island is distributing goods from San Juan to outlying areas.

“The most significant challenges facing Puerto Rico today is travel within the island, not getting goods to the island,” a DHS official said.

“The real challenges happen on the island itself.”

Rubio said the territory’s existing damage from Hurricane Irma before Maria hit the island, combined with an ongoing fiscal crisis that rendered Puerto Rico’s power utility essentially bankrupt earlier this year, makes it harder to restore basic services.

“The emergency issue before us today is not money in the next 24 to 48 hours,” Rubio said. “The emergency issue today is capacity to deliver and distribute aid to the places that need it the most in Puerto Rico.”

Rubio is in favor of waiving the Jones Act, but stressed that loosening maritime law won’t solely solve Puerto Rico’s logistical problems.

“There are still a lot of logistical challenges in Puerto Rico,” Rubio said. “I hope we don’t see Katrina-like images.”

The White House announced plans for Trump to visit the ravaged island next Tuesday, although the extent of planned presidential interaction with local people was not yet clear.

Trump generally is most comfortable visiting places where he is likely to be warmly received.

Alex Daugherty and Franco Ordonez of the McClatchy Washington Bureau and Molly HennessyFiske of the Los Angeles Times / TNS contributed to this report.

Take some actions Why not call for a recall of any devils in politics that call Black mothers’ dogs and those that want to take healthcare coverage from America’s poorest citizens? You don’t have to wait for Republicans in Congress to file impeachment bills. You can work for a recall right now.

You can petition to recall sheetwearing coneheads that bomb churches and burn crosses.

You can also boycott businesses that support government devils if you can do without your smartphones, leased cars, luxury handbags and red-bottomed shoes!

You can teach your children to fight for what is right!

The main thing you can do is unite, protest and resist!

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.

can-Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance in office – 64 percent strongly disapprove of it.

The study argues that Democrats must make face-toface contact with these voters to encourage them to vote in the next election. Even among those who haven’t voted in any of the last four elections, more than half pledged to participate in 2018 after being interviewed.

Time to ‘show up’ “If Democrats hope to reach Black voters before 2018, they need to show up in AfricanAmerican communities, listen to their pressing problems and fight to solve them – long before they’re asking for someone’s vote in November,” the study said.

In its recommendations, the study highlighted what it said was the need for a bold economic agenda.

“Progressive politicians can distinguish themselves by fighting for a bold economic agenda that honestly addresses the deep anxieties of working-class voters of all races. Incremental solutions focused on narrow segments of the population are not compelling to workers worried about losing their jobs at any moment and experiencing community level distress,” it said.

“We must fight harder to win economic security for all working-class Americans.”

CARNIVAL from A1

Do you have any special makeup tips that you can suggest to stay fresh for the day? You need to use primer, and once your makeup is done, you need to have that spray that makes it last all day. If you really want to have memorable pictures and don’t know how to do your own makeup, hire a makeup artist. It is less stress and the result is flawless. If you already invested in a costume, adding an extra cost for professional makeup is a must.

What is in your bag that you take with you on Miami Broward Carnival Day? I don’t carry a bag. I mastered the “Play mas light!” way. Everything I need is in my boots.

Phone, cash money, and lipstick for touchup. The band I choose has everything onsite, so I don’t want to have to worry about losing anything. I usually also take a cab, Lyft or Uber so I don’t carry my keys, either.

Who are you playing mas with? Revel Nation. I fell in love with their costumes when they started in 2015. Their themes are original and the quality and attention to details reminds me of Trinidad Carnival.

What are some tips to help you enjoy Miami Broward Carnival 2017? (1) Hydrate!

Drink water between your liquor of choice.

The sun is brutal and only water will make you last all day. (2) Wear comfortable shoes.

You have to be able to enjoy your whole day without limping or having to sit down every 30 minutes. (3) Get there early. It goes by so fast…You want to take time to take pictures, then truly enjoy the road. (4) Don’t leave before the stage. That is such a fun part. You have two minutes to let loose and showcase the work designers put into your costumes.

Show it off.

Last one is for the men! Play mas and dance! Don’t just stand there and wait for a woman to approach you. Show off your skills and have fun with it. Men who play mas get to dance with women who play mas. The ratio is insane. Eight women for one man! Why be a bystander and try to storm bands when you can enjoy yourself all day without worries?

Go to www.miamibrowardcarnival.com for information on this year’s Carnival.

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

FLORIDA

A3 statement Tuesday saying Scott and Bondi should sue pharmaceutical companies.

“It’s a public health crisis, it’s a family crisis, it’s a human crisis, it’s even an economic crisis,” Graham, a former congresswoman from Tallahassee. “And the current state government is failing to do all it can to address it – in this case, holding the powerful prescription drug companies accountable for their role in creating this crisis.”

Scott’s office did not release detailed proposals Tuesday, but it said the $50 million would include money for such programs as substance-abuse treatment, counseling and recovery services. Lawmakers will consider the proposal during the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January.

Database checks

GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE

On Sept. 25, Governor Rick Scott visited the Miami Police Department to thank first responders and law enforcement for their commitment to Florida families. Last week, Scott announced that Florida’s law enforcement officers, first responders and utility workers will be able to enjoy license-free freshwater and saltwater fishing through June 30, 2018 and offered a free day-pass to all Florida State Parks through October 2018 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Governor to propose $50 million for opioid fight

BY JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders signaled Tuesday that addressing Florida’s deadly opioid epidemic will be a high-profile issue during the 2018 session, with Scott saying he will propose spending $50 million on programs such as drug treatment.

Scott appeared Tuesday morning in Manatee County and was scheduled to appear later in Palm Beach County – two areas hard hit by opioid abuse – to announce that he will include the $50 million in his proposed 20182019 budget and push for other changes such as prescription limits for pain medication.

“As I travel the state, I have met many families who are dealing with the heartache of drug addic-

tion,” Scott said in a statement released by his office after the Manatee County event. “Growing up, my own family dealt with the struggle of substance abuse and I know firsthand how this painful issue causes families to worry and pray for help and healing.”

Thousands of overdoses Scott’s office also issued statements from Senate President Joe Negron, House Speaker Rich-

ard Corcoran and Attorney General Pam Bondi expressing support for addressing the opioid issue. Another powerful lawmaker, Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, met last month with Palm Beach County officials to work on the issue.

Abuse of prescription painkillers and drugs such as heroin and the synthetic opioid fentanyl have led to thousands of overdoses in recent years in Florida, with Democrats arguing that Republican state leaders have not been aggressive enough in tackling the problem.

‘Public health crisis’ Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham issued a

The changes Scott will seek in state law include placing a threeday limit on prescriptions for opioids, though the prescriptions could be up to seven days under some conditions. Corcoran’s office said the limit would apply to initial prescriptions of drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin.

Also, in part, Scott wants to require doctors to check a state prescription-drug database before writing prescriptions for pain medications. The database was created to try to help prevent addicts from going to multiple doctors and pharmacies to get prescriptions filled for dangerous drugs. Doctors are not currently required to check the database.

Corcoran’s office said doctors would be required to use the database when writing a prescription for the first time and then at least every 90 days.

“We’ve all seen the heartbreaking images of parents passed out in a car while their kids sit in the backseat,” Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, said in a prepared statement. “It is shocking but it is avoidable. This proposal goes directly at the source of the addiction –the initial prescription – and places serious restrictions on providers.”

Florida Keys in a hurry to reopen to tourists Tourism accounts for more than 50 percent of the jobs in Monroe County and 60 percent of the money spent in the area.

BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASEE – Florida Keys tourism officials said Monday they will meet Gov. Rick Scott’s Oct. 1 deadline to reopen to visitors after Hurricane Irma pounded Monroe County.

The announcement, which came shortly before the governor was scheduled to meet with Monroe County officials in Marathon, followed the first cruise ship docking Sunday in the Port of Key West.

However, as recovery efforts continue in parts of Marathon and the Lower Keys, not everything is expected to be open when tourists can again travel the 42 bridges of U.S. 1 through the Keys.

“We know we have a long way to go before the Keys fully recover,” Monroe County Mayor George Neugent said in a statement posted online. “But because tourism is our top economic engine and many of our residents’ livelihoods depend on it, we also know that we need to begin asking visitors to return.”

‘Call ahead’ Tourism accounts for more than 50 percent of the jobs in Monroe County and 60 percent of the money spent in the Keys, totaling about $120 million a year in sales taxes for the state, according to the county’s Tourist Development Council.

On Sept. 21, tourism officials appeared less optimistic about meeting Scott’s deadline, suggesting the reopening may not occur until at least Oct. 20, with the start of the annual Fantasy Fest.

AL DIAZ/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Eric Ward, the bartender at Key Largo’s Snappers, inspects the damage from Hurricane Irma at the popular restaurant on Sept. 12.

Motorists making the drive are advised to proceed with extra care in the Lower Keys and Marathon to “avoid hindering restoration activities” and because of “significant debris piles.”

“While Key Largo and Key West were least impacted by the Category 4 storm, not all lodging, including RV resorts and other tourism facilities throughout the Keys, are operating on a normal basis,” a release from the Keys tourism council said.

“Potential visitors should call ahead to ensure hotels and their favorite attractions are open.

Some hotels are accommodating displaced residents under a Federal Emergency Management Agency program.”

governments have struggled with contractors and subcontractors on debris removal.

Hurricane Irma made initial landfall Sept. 10 at Cudjoe Key, less than 30 miles northeast of Key West. It then made a second landfall in Collier County before traveling up the peninsula.

“If we have another hurricane, if all that debris is out there, that’s going to be dangerous,” Scott said after Monday’s meeting. “That’s going to be dangerous for people, but it’s also going to be dangerous for our buildings and especially for our power systems.

And we’re a tourist state. One of every six jobs in the state is tied to tourism, so we have to get the debris up.”

‘Dangerous’ debris

Still curfews, closures

The announcement also came as Scott directed 400 members of the Florida National Guard to help with debris removal in Monroe County. The state and local

The meeting focused on debris removal, housing options available through FEMA and state displaced worker programs.

Cellular service is said to be

working well throughout the Keys. But water and electricity were still being restored Monday to areas from Key Largo through Marathon, and cable television and internet services lag throughout the Keys.

Nighttime curfews remain in place from Islamorada to Marathon and for the Big Pine Key area to just north of Shark Key. Most state parks in Monroe County remained closed Monday. The Florida Park Service said San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park in Islamorada and the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail are open for day use.

Dry Tortugas National Park, a cluster of seven islands almost 70 miles west of Key West, reopened Monday. However, ferry operation from Key West isn’t expected to be available until Oct. 28.

Festivals still on The tourism announcement

noted that a number of events have been postponed or canceled. But Key Largo’s Humphrey Bogart Film Festival, Marathon’s Stone Crab Eating Contest and Key West’s Fantasy Fest, all slated for mid- to late-October, will take place as planned.

The state’s tourism-marketing agency, Visit Florida, which latched onto Scott’s Oct. 1 goal, has rolled out a $4 million to $5 million post-hurricane marketing plan that will include a component focused on the Keys “once our partners there have indicated they are ready to welcome visitors back.”

“I think that’s both to help the Keys and the rest of the state as well,” Scott said Monday of the marketing plan.

The state, which before Irma was on pace to top last year’s 113 million visitors, has not calculated the hurricane’s potential economic impact on the tourism industry.

EDITORIAL

A4

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

To kneel or not to kneel is not the question The question is whether kneeling during the national anthem does anything to combat police brutality or advance the cause of racial justice. It. Does. Not. I challenge anyone to cite a case that demonstrates otherwise.

And this issue is fraught enough without propagating the canard about a player’s right to protest. Only fools are questioning or challenging that right. Only a wannabe dictator like Donald Trump would call for any player who kneels to be fired.

Standing together Unsurprisingly, Trump’s demand incited expressions of solidarity from athletes and owners in all major sports. Trump’s divisive and misleading tweets are corrupting the positive cultural influence sports have always played in America, much as they are corrupting the positive political influence the presidency has always played.

Trump has become so toxic that members of his own presidential councils and advisory groups are abandoning him, like rats from a sinking ship. The abandonment began, ironically enough, with fellow CEOs resigning en masse from his Manufacturing Jobs Council. They did so to protest his failure to categorically condemn White supremacists in the wake of the violence they caused in Charlottesville.

That led to members of his Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum following suit, which led to members of his Committee on the Arts and Humanities, National Infrastructure Advisory Council, Cybersecurity Council, and others all doing the same.

Honorees like legendary TV producer Norman Lear and dancer/choreographer Carmen de Lavallade boycotted the White House reception for this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, which is usually held under the president’s auspices

No surprise Given all the above, it was hardly surprising that Nation-

ANTHONY L. HALL, ESQ. FLORIDA COURIER COLUMNIST

This latest Trumpian distraction is not about disrespecting the flag.

It’s about respecting the Constitution, for which Trump continually shows ignorant disrespect and utter contempt.

Arguably, he is more unpatriotic than the kneeling NFL players he wants to blacklist. al Football League players “sat out, knelt and linked arms during pre-game national anthems played across the country and in London… hours after US President Donald Trump called on fans to boycott teams that do not discipline players who protest,” according to Reuters.

Note that Trump whipped tens of thousands of supporters into a frenzy at a rally in Alabama on Friday. Specifically, he derided the (Black) NFL players who kneel during the anthem as “sons of bitches,” and called on the owners of teams they play for to fire them.

In other words, Trump thinks Blacks who kneel during the national anthem are sons of bitches, but Whites who march to the tune of racist and anti-Semitic chants are “some very fine people.”

Anyway, here’s to the own-

Should I watch ‘Vietnam’ or ‘Game of Thrones’ again?

I’ll get around to seeing Ken Burns’s latest documentary series “Vietnam” sometime soon.

It will be kind of a chore, because I’ve already heard that it declares the war in Vietnam a “tragic mistake” based on “misunderstanding” of something or somebodies by other somebodies.

The war in Vietnam was not a tragic mistake. It was a vast and heinous crime, a crime wave really, lasting three decades from 1945 to 1975. During the last third of that time alone, more than 3 million people lost their lives.

Long fight The bloodletting began at the end of World War II. Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese Communists led the fight against the Japanese occupation forces and cooperated with American and Allied war aims.

The Vietnamese fully expected American support for their inde pendence from France after the war. Instead, the American and British forces sent to Vietnam to accept the Japanese surrender re-installed the French colonial regime.

BRUCE A. DIXON BLACK AGENDA REPORT

The Vietnamese fought a bloody nine-year war against a French colonial army entirely provisioned and supplied by the United States. When the Viets surrounded and defeated the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, President Eisenhower offered France nuclear weapons, but the French declined.

Convinced that “Uncle Ho,” as the Vietnamese called him, and his party would win the 1956 elections, the US created a brutal puppet government in the southern half of Vietnam to cancel the election and “request” American military aid against so-called invaders from so-called North Vietnam.

Millions killed In the final decade of the long Vietnamese war, more than half a million American troops were

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: NFL’S RESPONSE TO TRUMP

ers for giving Trump the middle finger. Not even one heeded his presidential demand to fire players for kneeling. On the contrary, several of them made a point of going down to the field to stand in solidarity with kneeling players.

Players more powerful There was also no sign that fans heeded his clarion call to boycott games. Their refusal to do so, coupled with the owners’ refusal to fire kneeling players, demonstrated that when it comes to the lure of professional sports, the players have far more pull than this president.

That said, I resent the way media outlets continually help this reckless “dotard,” as he was called by North Korea, dominate public debate. While focusing on the many crazy things Trump says, media outlets are not covering the many important things he’s failing to do, despite it being patently obvious that, in almost every case, he says crazy things to detract media attention from his shortcomings.

For example, Trump must feel like P.T. Barnum as he watches the media focus on his silly fight with NFL players over the flag.

Because this means they are not covering his serious fight with North Korea over nuclear weapons.

More to the point, they are detracting from his failure to tame North Korea as he famously promised. This failure is exposing Trump as a blowhard who barks like a dog but has no bite.

They are also detracting from his failure to replace and repeal Obamacare, which exposes Trump as a hopelessly incompetent leader who can’t even get his own political party to support the primary objective of his presidency.

Act of defiance Still, it speaks volumes that players knelt not to protest racial injustice, but to defy Trump.

But for Trump, the act of players kneeling would have remained just a footnote in the annals of NFL history – along with the player who started it, Colin Kae-

deployed, more bombs were dropped than in all of World War II, and millions of civilians – mostly Vietnamese – perished.

It’s the final decade of the 30-year bloodbath that most now think of as the American war in Vietnam, Vietnam the mistake, Vietnam the tragic misunderstanding. Only it wasn’t a mistake, and certainly not a misunderstanding.

The Vietnamese and other colonial subjects had been insisting on their independence for decades. Ho Chi Minh showed up at Versailles back in 1919 when the terms of the treaty ending World War I were being drafted.

Ho demanded independence for the African and Asian colonies of France, Britain and other European powers.

The Vietnamese knew from the very beginning what they wanted to do with their lives and resources in their country. The so-called misunderstanding was that the American political and military establishment – and five American presidents over 30 years – imagined they could torture, bomb, invade and slaughter their way to some other outcome. Ultimately, they could not.

No mistake Fifty-eight thousand Americans and 3 million Asians perished. Three million dead is not a mere mistake. It’s a gigantic crime, after the world wars, one of the 20th century’s greatest.

Crimes ought at least to be ac-

DAVE GRANLUND, POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

pernick. That’s why I stand by what I wrote in “Delusional Kaepernick Standing Up by Kneeling Down During National Anthem,” August 30, 2016: [T]his protest smacks of grandstanding. And it’s only slightly less lazy and misguided than people who think (re)tweeting slogans about injustice is tantamount to fighting for justice.

Of course, Rosa Parks and the ‘Greensboro Four’ famously showed the meaningful way to stand up by sitting down for racial justice. …

The point is that there are many ways Kaepernick can stand up for his cause without showing wanton disrespect for the pride so many people have in the American flag. I urge him to find another way.

Yet I’m all too mindful of the public pressure to support kneeling during the anthem as a form of protest. The fascistic intolerance of ignorant trolls ape the very racism they are purportedly fighting. But this too is hardly surprising.

Polls show that most of them think the First Amendment only guarantees freedom of speech to people who agree with them.

This explains why they make no distinction between protesting against White supremacists who hate them, and White liberals who have done (and are doing) more for racial justice than they ever will.

Nonsensical protest Just last week, their misguided

knowledged and owned up to, if not punished.

Ken Burns is not at all about that. At best, he seems to be about a species of healing and reconciliation that limits itself to Americans agreeing with and forgiving their trespasses against each other, and dutiful acknowledgements of the valor of fighters on both sides.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Burns ignores or buys into the discredited lie propagated by our country’s war propaganda industry that unaccounted-for Americans prisoners were somehow left behind and missing at the end of the Vietnam war. They were not. But the little black flag and ceremonies for the imagined “missing” in Vietnam are standard now, four decades after the war’s end.

My experience I didn’t go to Vietnam. Vietnam came to me, or tried to. I was lucky enough to live in a big city, Chicago, and to connect with the antiwar movement, which included Black soldiers and Marines returning from Vietnam.

Some of them frankly confessed to taking part in all sorts of atrocities and war crimes. We took them from high school to high school in 1967 to repeat those confessions, and to tell other young Black people like us it was an unjust war we had a duty to resist.

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activism humbled former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

DACA supporters rabidly heckled her at a news conference. They willfully refused to let her explain the progressive steps she and her Democratic colleagues are taking to advance their cause. Their protest made no sense to anyone who knows anything about the politics of this issue, or the legislative process required to resolve it.

There’s no denying that Trump has a galvanizing effect on people protesting all manner of injustice. But I cannot overstate the orchestrated nature of his provocation. Trust me, this birther-inchief knew exactly what he was doing when he spewed more hatred at those who protested against White supremacists in Charlottesville than at the White supremacists themselves.

I shall end as I began: by noting that this latest Trumpian distraction is not about disrespecting the flag. It’s about respecting the Constitution, for which Trump continually shows ignorant disrespect and utter contempt. Arguably, he is more unpatriotic than the kneeling NFL players he wants to blacklist.

Hope springs eternal that his supporters will bear this in mind if he survives to stand for re-election.

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

papers at the armed forces induction center on Van Buren Street and refusing to be drafted like Muhammad Ali. But by then, so many young people were resisting the war that Uncle Sam’s draftee army became useless.

Lesson learned In that era, there were not enough cells to lock us all up, and many White Americans were declaring themselves ready for revolution (or something like it).

American policymakers learned that part of their lesson well.

They ended the draft, and most White antiwar protesters went home.

Noam Chomsky has it exactly right when he declares that Vietnam was not a mistake or tragic error. It was an example that said to the world, “THIS is what you get when you defy the wishes of the American ruling elite.”

You get bombs, you get rivers of blood and you get your country’s economic potential set back half a century.

Seen that way, Vietnam wasn’t some tragedy America blundered into by mistake. It was an example. And a crime.

For that reason, it’s going to be a chore and a bore at best to sit through Burns’s documentary.

Maybe I’ll just watch “Game of Thrones” again instead.

Bruce Dixon is managing editor of BlackAgendaReport. com. Contact him at bruce.dixon@blackagendareport.com.

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SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

White America loves its ‘good Negroes’ White America, for the most part, makes a critical distinction between “good” and “bad” Black Americans – and a related distinction between “good” and “bad” Black behavior. It goes way back.

During the 1960s, for example, Muhammad Ali was a “good Negro” when he seemed to be just a happy-go-lucky, wisecracking Olympic gold medal winner named Cassius Clay. Most Whites still approved of Clay when he defeated the “bad Negro” Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion. Liston struck most Whites as an urban thug.

But when Clay became Ali, a proud Black nationalist who refused induction to help the White U.S. imperialists kill brownskinned peasants in Vietnam, he became a “bad Negro.” White America preferred non-militant Black fighters like Floyd Paterson and Joe Frazier to the magnificent Black nationalist Muhammad Ali. The great Black Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown was a “good Negro” as long as he was setting new records while staying silent politically on and off the gridiron. Brown lost his luster in White America one year after he left football and called the Muhammad Ali Summit, bringing some of the nation’s top Black athletes to Cleveland to voice support for Ali’s refusal to be drafted.

Among the courageous sportsmen who came in for White criticism for attending Brown’s 1967 summit were Boston Celtics great Bill Russell and future NBA superstar Lew Alcindor, who would later change his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Millions of White Americans cheered as they watched U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos take the gold and bronze medals in the 200 meters at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. But when Smith and Carlos raised their fists in Black Power salutes on the medals podium, it was a great scandal in White America.

Not just about sports The great Black actor and singer Paul Robeson was a hit with White audiences playing Othello on Broadway during World War II. Whites cheered him then as they had in Rutgers University’s football stadium during his All-American college football career. But Robeson was shunned and blacklisted because of his anti-racist and other leftist political views after the war.

The obedient Black race accommodator Booker T. Washington was invited to dine at the White House with Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. No president ever offered an invitation to Washington’s Black rival and critic, the great W.E.B. DuBois, who founded the NAACP and advocated militant Black challenges to White supremacism.

Harry Belafonte was just peachy-keen with White America when he was seen as the handsome, happy go-lucky singer of Caribbean folk tunes like “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)”. His Caucasian stock fell when his left worldview was reflected in his eloquent advocacy of, and financial support for, the struggle for Black equality during the 1960s.

While widely reviled across the White South, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was seen by many Whites as the nice liberal, Christian, and moderate “good Negro” alternative to the ultimate “bad Negro” – the brilliant and angry Black nationalist Malcolm X – during the early 1960s.

But King’s reputation with much of moderate and liberal White America fell when his own radicalism became more evident

PAUL STREET GUEST COMMENTARY

as he moved from dismantling Southern Jim Crow to confronting what he called “the triple evils that are interrelated” – racism, poverty/class inequality, and imperial militarism – in the urban North and across the nation.

A Black woman dedicated to the struggle against racial and class oppression and imperial war could never become a media personality beloved by tens of millions of Whites. That could only happen to a White-accommodating Black woman like Oprah Winfrey, who built a remarkable fortune on the soothing of White egos and on the embrace and advance of mass consumerism and the White New Age culture of narcissism.

Other Black women who have achieved great personal ‘success’ because they have been willing to dutifully serve White power include Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser to the blithering imperialist President George W. Bush; Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a key assistant to the openly racist White nationalist Donald Trump going back to the days of “Celebrity Apprentice”; and Donna Brazile, a longstanding henchwoman for the racist White Clinton family and other right-wing corporate Democrats.

Clarence Thomas, Colin Powel, Eric Holder, and Barack Obama are shining male examples of Black political operatives who moved up by obediently serving White and imperial power.

Even Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. deserves mention here. By the middle 1990s, he was running cover for the racist White Southerner Bill Clinton, the cold-blooded murderer of the young mentally disabled Black Death Row inmate Ricky Ray Rector.

President Clinton collaborated with racist White Republicans like Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay to kick millions of poor Black women and children off public assistance and to advance racist mass incarceration and the racist police state with his vicious “three strikes” crime bill.

During his time shuffling for the Clintons, Jackson (as Elaine Brown noted in her brilliant 2003 book, “The Condemnation of Little B”) visited a prison to lecture Black inmates on their own supposed personal responsibility for the great American racist lockdown.

Look at Hollywood The dutiful “good Black” who knows his place and avoids revolutionary politics while helping Whites get by and feel better about themselves is a disturbing Hollywood staple. Some examples: • “The Green Mile” (where Michael Clarke Duncan played John Coffey, a massive Black Death Row inmate who miraculously restored the physical and spiritual health of a White prison warden played by Tom Hanks); • The “racist fantasy buddy flick” (in the words of Kirsten West-Savali), “Driving Miss Daisy” (Morgan Freeman played a dutiful Black driver who sassily befriended and boosted the ego of his White lady employer in the Jim Crow South); • An Unfinished Life” (where Freeman served as the oneman Black life-adjunct to a bitter White rancher played by Robert Redford);

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 305 GOP inmates now run the Republican asylum – I’m loving what I see in the Grand Old Party these days.

This week, Alabama’s Republican voters anointed ‘Judge’ Roy Moore – a gun-toting, radical Christian fundamentalist who doesn’t understand the federal Constitution and should have flunked out of law school – as their favored Senate candidate, despite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spending millions of dollars to defeat Moore.

McConnell, whose implacable

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

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Day One opposition to Barack Obama helped birth the GOP’s Frankenstein monster, the Tea Party, is now Democrat Nancy Pelosi’s political brother from

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VISUAL VIEWPOINT: DONALD TRUMP AND NFL PLAYERS

• “The Shawshank Redemption” (where Freeman was prison pal, escape partner, and psychological support for a wrongfully convicted White banker played

by Tim Robbins); • “Million Dollar Baby” (good old Morgan Freeman as trainer of a White female boxer played by Hillary Swank); • “Mr. Church” (Eddie Murphy is hired by a single White woman dying of cancer to raise her little girl and ends up giving the rest of his life to being the narcissistic daughter’s de facto father). It shares the same White director as “Driving Miss Daisy.”

‘Readily accepted’ As the Black commentator Kirsten West-Savali wrote in a properly biting review of “Mr. Church” on The Root last year: “White Hollywood is nothing if not a microcosm of White America, a place where shucking and jiving, bucking and jumping, ‘Yes, suh; no, ma’am’ Negroes are more readily accepted than their revolutionary counterparts. This country has a fetish with subservient Black men that translates into adoration on-screen…

“This is about liberal White fantasies of saving Black people from themselves even as White people are served and saved by those very same Black people. It is also in keeping with the constant barrage of imagery that reinforces the power dynamic that Black people are a perpetual servant class with conditional access to society.

“Rule No. 1: Appear as nonthreatening as possible. This is what springs from the minds of White creatives far too often – the idea of Black men as invisible men used for protection, under no assumptions or expectations of equity.”

Notice the repeated reference to Morgan Freeman in the above filmography.

In “Lean On Me” (1989), Freeman played Joe Clarke, the Black New Jersey high school principal who won White praise by using a baseball bat to whip inner-city Black students into personally responsible shape with the “only language they understand – brute force.”

Punching down That’s the other side of the coin of obediently serving White masters in the formula for Black success: punching down on lesser and improperly socialized members of your own race. That’s Rev. Jackson ripping on Black inmates while running interference for the mass-incarcerationist Clintons.

Now Freeman has doubled down on his service to White power by appearing in a short video put out by the preposterous White ‘liberal’ neocon and neo-McCarthyite “Committee to Investigate Russia.” In this ridiculous message, Freeman plays along with the Clinton Democrats’ blaming of the racist “Goldwater Girl” Hillary Clinton’s defeat by Donald Trump on “Russian interference,” not her depressing and demobilizing racial, socioeconomic, and imperial conservatism.

JOEP BERTRAMS, THE NETHERLANDS

As president, Obama was careful not to push sensitive White racial buttons. He knew those buttons were already depressed and activated by the simple fact of his technically Black identity.

President Obama steered respectfully clear of specifically Black issues and spoke in consistently colorblind words – this while protecting the power and wealth of White Wall Street overlords and advancing the White imperial project around the world, with a special new level of expansion into Black Africa.

Along the way, Obama kept alive the longstanding Blackbourgeois and White-pleasing, neo-Urban League habit of lecturing poor and working-class Blacks (“Cousin Pookie” and the rest) on how to be more respectable and White.

He hectored Black Americans on their need to think and act in personally responsible and culturally appropriate, Caucasiancomforting ways so that they could avail themselves of all the great “opportunity” supposedly afforded by America’s purportedly color-blind capitalist system – a system that candidate Obama absurdly described in his deeply conservative 2006 campaign book “The Audacity of Hope” (its title crassly stolen from the forsaken Rev. Wright) as the source of “a prosperity that’s unmatched in human history.”

Back to sports

Barack Obama and his handlers understood White America’s “good Black, bad Black” distinction very well. They made sure to sell Obama as “Black but not like Jesse.”

Obama played by the White supremacist rules. He callously threw his classically “bad Black” preacher – the angry anti-racist and anti-imperialist pulpit master, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright – under the bus on his path to power.

Behold the hot White ugliness of the openly racist President Donald Trump’s recent statements on the National Football League (NFL). Trump went off against Black professional football players, then railed against some of the NFL’s mild efforts to curb deadly concussions – this despite the overwhelming evidence that the sport is producing a generation of men with chronic brain injuries.

Here’s what I posted on socalled social media: Black males are like 6% of the U.S. and 70% of the NFL rosters.

The big plantation Boss and open racist and White-nationalist Donald Trump wants them to STFU and the league to drop any concerns it might have been forced to have about the brain damage that all too naturally and obviously results from repeated high-speed collisions on the nation’s holy gridirons.

Much of the White-nationalist NFL’s disproportionately affluent and very disproportionately White (I’m guessing 85% plus in the stands) and Trumpian (prefascist) fan base froths along. Basically they want their good Black athletes to just blood-sport eachother to death without complaint.

“Entertain us and shut up. This is your role. Hike! Oooh, did you

another mother. ‘Bama Republicans hate McConnell as much (or more) than they hate Pelosi!

Excellent! The GOP deserves the coming intraparty beatdown it’s giving itself, and it’s just the beginning.

Rather than expanding the party to youth and non-Whites as recommended in a national 2012 post-election “autopsy” that’s now on the trash heap, Republicans sold their collective souls to control all three branches of government. I’ve often said that sometimes when you get what you pray for, it’s nothing nice...

Democrats should be renamed the “Junior Varsity” Party – A front page article this week reiterates what we already know: that Dems won’t spend campaign money on Black folks, their most

loyal voting base – with predictably disastrous results. As if you need another example, Democrats are dithering and waffling about whether to spend money in Alabama – a state that is almost 30 percent Black – to win the Senate seat against Moore. You can’t win if all you want to do is sit on the bench crying and whining…

Is King Don’s Katrina moment coming? Damage among various Caribbean islands is so vast that only the military can handle it, and they should be tasked with the primary mission of getting water and food to the people, then getting power back on line – with FEMA in a supporting role. In the interim, FEMA should “rent” every available cruise ship and evacuate the elderly, pregnant women, and

Obama on list

see that hit? Wow. Hit him again harder, harder… Here come the stretchers…okay get that son of a bitch [Trump’s actual term for Black players who kneel to protest the murderous U.S. racist police state] off the field and a new one in. Let’s go.”

Basically they want racist dog and cock-fighting. How badly Trump wanted to insert the word “Black” before “son of a bitch” into his Alabama football rant! If anything, the applause he got would have been amplified if he had.

The militantly and viciously White president and his fellow White nationalist Amerikaner football fans want the players to be “good Blacks,” the types who just obediently damage themselves while dutifully serving the White majority and their direct White masters.

Colin Kaepernick, a highly skilled quarterback who has been blacklisted by the White nationalist NFL’s owners, is another in a long line of public Black personalities who crossed the line from “good” and entertaining Black to “bad Black” when he dared to make a modest public statement against racism – in his case against the murder of Black people by White police officers across the U.S.

Let them play Personally, I say screw the orange-tinted beast and the NFL’s racist White fans. Let them suit up and go bash each other’s White nationalist brains out in the stadium parking lots. These privileged Caucasian Coliseum crowds belong in giant re-education camps with posters of Frantz Fanon, W.E.B DuBois, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X staring down on them while they manufacture wind turbines and solar panels from sunup to sundown.

Their big planet-cooking and mind-numbing SUVs and flat screen televisions should be seized from coliseum parking lots and suburban McMansions to be melted down and recycled into water, wind, and solar technology.

The task of guarding them and directing their efforts on behalf of livable ecology could be a big “exoffender reentry jobs program” for millions of Black Americans previously marked for life with newly expunged felony records by the “New Jim Crow.”

That would be some change I could really believe in.

Paul Street’s latest book is “They Rule: The 1% v. Democracy.” This essay appeared previously, under a different title, on Counterpunch and was reprinted by Black Agenda Report. children to South Florida.

The U.S. has a 1,000-bed military hospital ship, the “Comfort,” that King Don just ordered sent to Puerto Rico, but it won’t arrive till late next week. He was too busy tweeting about those “SOB” NFL’ers, I guess, to send it any earlier.

And I heard FEMA Director Brock Long say on the Weather Channel that FEMA is “supporting Americans in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.” Everyone who lives on those islands ain’t American. Will they get help? Or does “America first” apply there, too?

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SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

Nursing home’s voicemails deleted by Scott’s office

BY CAITLIN OSTROFF MIAMI HERALD/TNS

MIAMI – Voicemails left on Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s cellphone by employees of the Hollywood nursing home where 11 died in the post-Hurricane Irma heat have been deleted, according to the governor’s office.

Scott gave out his number to nursing homes and assisted living facilities ahead of the hurricane so administrators could report concerns, according to a timeline released by Scott’s office.

In the days following Irma, the staff at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills called four times. But the messages they left the governor weren’t kept, as first reported by CBS4’s Jim DeFede.

‘Not retained’ “The voicemails were not retained because the information from each voicemail was collected by the governor’s staff and given to the proper agency for handling. Every call was returned,” Lauren Schenone, a spokeswoman for Scott, said in a statement on Sept. 24.

The calls would have provided critical evidence for what the nursing home told the governor’s office, which has repeatedly said wasn’t told residents there were in danger.

Short-term value So why weren’t the voicemails kept?

Scott’s office cited them as “transitory messages,” which can be deleted after they become obsolete or lose administrative value.

According to state law, transitory messages have short-term value. Examples include announcements of office events, such as holiday parties or group lunches.

Scott’s office forwarded the content of the messages left by the nursing home to the Agency for Health Care Administration and the De-

JOHN MCCALL/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL/TNS

Police surround the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, which had no air conditioning after Hurricane Irma knocked out power, on Sept. 13 in Hollywood. Eleven deaths have been blamed on the incident. partment of Health.

Lost AC Sept. 10

109.9 degrees

Timeline of calls

The nursing home, across from Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, lost air conditioning at some point on Sept. 10 after the hurricane sideswiped South Florida.

Most of the nursing home had power, but a blown transformer crippled the AC. Nursing home employees reported having partial power to state health officials, and said they were using spot coolers and fans to keep people cool.

The nursing home didn’t report that resident safety was at risk, according to the governor’s office.

But by 7 a.m. Sept. 13, a tragedy was unfolding.

Most of the elderly residents of the nursing home had been evacuated and at least five were already dead, some with body temperatures as high as 109.9 degrees. By the end of the day, eight were dead, and the death toll has since grown to 11.

On Sept. 20, state health administrators halted new admissions to the nursing home, which has a history of poor inspections by state regulators.

On Sept. 21, Scott suspended Medicaid payments to the facility.

A criminal investigation into the deaths is ongoing.

That inquiry will have to do without the voicemails left on the

According to a timeline released by the governor’s office, the first call was received by Scott’s aides at 7:35 p.m. Sept. 11.

The chief of staff for the Department of Health returned the call about two hours later, asking administrator Natasha Anderson to call 911 if she believed patients were at risk.

The last call to Scott’s cellphone from the rehabilitation center, according to the governor’s timeline, was received by aides at 12:50 p.m. Sept. 12. Those calls were returned by state healthcare administrators later that day.

governor’s phone line.

Public concern Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, said even if Scott’s office was allowed to delete the voicemails, she doesn’t see why it would.

She considers the records a matter of public concern.

“Why not just keep it? It’s bothersome to say the least,” she said.

“Right now, we’re in a he said, she said.”

Miami Herald staff writer Daniel Chang contributed to this report.

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Milagros Moreno Ayala, 59, didn’t have anywhere to go or a way to get to a shelter on Sept. 19. She lived in Loiza, an area just outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

ANOTHER KATRINA-LIKE DISASTER? Lawmakers warn Trump that Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands aftermath could become like that after 2005 hurricane

BY WILLIAM DOUGLAS AND ALEX DAUGHERTY MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU/TNS

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s response to the hurricanes that ravaged Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands could become a Hurricane Katrina-like political disaster if he does not respond to the storms’ aftermath more decisively, congressional lawmakers from both parties warned Tuesday.

“I’m concerned about human suffering and potential loss of life if aid doesn’t reach the places it needs to reach quickly enough,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who spent Monday in San Juan with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello. “I hope that we don’t see Katrina-like images.”

Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., one of five Puerto Ricans in Congress, warned Trump that “If you don’t take this crisis seriously, this is going to be your Katrina.”

CARL JUSTE/MIAMI HERALD/TNS

Genesis Lozada, 20, stands in front of her family home in water above her ankles as many wait for the return of normalcy. Residents of the beach town of Loiza, Puerto Rico, who received heavy flooding and wind damage, have no power and no running water.

Remember Bush’s response President George W. Bush’s response to Katrina, which devastated parts of Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005, was criticized as initially weak and insensitive.

Bush did a flyover in Air Force One to survey

the damage rather than land, a move that he described in 2010 as a “huge mistake.”

When Bush did visit the area, he praised the much-maligned performance of then-FEMA Secretary Michael Brown.

“Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job,” Bush said as water and provisions were in short supply for New Orleans survivors of the storm.

Dire message On Tuesday, lawmakers delivered the dire message to the White House following a Monday night tweet by Trump in which he spoke about the devastation in Puerto Rico but also mentioned the island’s debt crisis.

“Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble,” the president wrote.

Rubio declined to comment on Trump’s tweets that were critical of Puerto Rico’s financial situation.

“You guys will cover that. I’m focused on getting relief there,” Rubio said.

Maria a test Other Republicans were reluctant to publicly draw comparisons to Trump’s handling of the Caribbean hurricanes to Bush, though they said the response to Hurricane Maria is a test for the current White House and GOP. “It’s a mark on us” if Republicans don’t treat Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands the same as Texas and Florida, said Rep. Mark Walker, R, N.C. “The administration’s approval rating’s jump in the last couple of weeks have been because of how well this administration and Congress have handled some of the natural disasters we’ve seen,” said Walker, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee.

“You would hate to lose ground on that for that good work because we didn’t follow through on Puerto Rico.”

‘Beyond catastrophic’ “To say that I’m exceedingly concerned about Puerto Rico would be an understatement,” added Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. “This has been beyond catastrophic,” said DiazBalart, whose South Florida district includes portions of Naples that are still recovering from Hurricane Irma.

Diaz-Balart said the federal response in Puerto See DISASTER, Page B2

CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

A line of people wrap around the Banco Popular in San Juan on Sept. 25 as people are desperate to get cash.

BOOKS

B2

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

STOJ

WMU-Cooley professors discuss free speech in public schools, universities More than 100 students attended a Constitution Day event on Western Michigan University (WMU)-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus to participate in a discussion on free speech in public schools and universities on Sept. 25. The discussion was led by WMU-Cooley professors Renalia DuBose and Brendan Beery.

The professors addressed various First Amendment rights regarding public K-12 schools and higher education settings, including the rights of students to assemble or to not pledge the flag. They also discussed the rights of outsiders who want to use school facilities or speak on school campuses.

“We must realize that First Amendment rights are not absolute in an educational environment based on rulings by the United States Supreme Court,” said DuBose. “The primary purpose of public education is the education of students, and their learning environment must be protected, especially from ‘substantial disturbance and material interference.’”

About the speakers Before becoming a member of the faculty at WMU-Cooley, DuBose was an adjunct professor at St. Leo University, the University of South Florida and Hillsborough County Community College.

DISASTER from Page 1

Rico so far has been “aggressive” but that a large military presence will be required and that Congress will need to pass another multibillion-dollar relief package “relatively soon.”

More money Republican leaders in the House and Senate stressed Tuesday that the hurricane-scarred U.S. territories will receive the same amount of attention and levels of recovery funding as Texas and Flor-

Students listen as WMU-Cooley Law School professors Renalia DuBose and Brendan Beery talk about free speech at the Tampa Bay campus.

Left: DuBose and Beery have extensive experience in law.

DuBose also served as the assistant superintendent for administration for Pasco County Public Schools. She teaches Contracts I and II, Personal and Professional Responsibility, Education Law and Employment Law. Beery joined the WMU-Cooley

ida, which were severely damaged by hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters that money from a $15 billion aid bill that Congress passed to help victims of Harvey and Irma can be used for Puerto Rico recovery efforts.

“And I also want the people of Puerto Rico to know that they’re going to get the kind of support and the aid that Texas and Florida have enjoyed,” he said.

Long process Ryan echoed a vow made Monday by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, chairman of the powerful House Ap-

faculty in 2002 after working with the law school as an adjunct professor Beery has taught Introduction to Law, Research & Writing, Advanced Writing, Constitutional Law I & II, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Interviewing & Counseling.

propriations Committee, on help for the U.S. territories.

“The challenges they face are tremendous,” he said. “But they should be reassured that they are entitled to equal treatment under the law and the appropriations committee and House leadership will assure that every step of the way.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday that the recovery effort in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands “is certainly not going to be easy” and “It’s not going to be quick.”

“But we’re here to do our part,” he added.

The 2017 Energy Water Food Nexus International Summit hosted by Florida A&M University and the City of Orlando has been rescheduled to Oct. 19-20 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando Airport.

The original date was Sept.

20-22 at the Hilton Orlando.

The change was made because of Hurricane Irma.

This new science enterprise, launched by FAMU’s School of the Environment in 2015, will unite international thought leaders, researchers, policymakers, corporations and student-scholars in finding innovative and sustainable solutions to the global energy, water and food crisis.

Workshops, expo The summit will include international speakers, panel discussions, workshops, eco-tours, a tech expo, a student gathering and gala.

Mayor Buddy Dyer believes Orlando will serve as the perfect hub for finding transformative solutions for the environment.

“The City of Orlando is working to become one of the most sustainable cities in America, and we are committed to building partnerships and sharing resources that foster positive environmental change,” Dyer said.

Expanding awareness Dr. Larry Robinson, FAMU’s interim president, said hosting the summit is just one example of the university’s dedication to expanding sustainability research and awareness.

“As a research institution with expertise in renewable energy, water quality and food science, we will lead the charge on the nexus approach by breaking silos to spark creative collaborations and accelerate innovation, while training a future generation of problem solvers,” Robinson said.

Global impact According to FAMU’s School of the Environment Dean Victor Ibeanusi, Ph.D., the solutions found at the Energy Water Food Nexus will not only have lasting impacts on the health of citizens worldwide, but also the global economy.

“The developing world lacks access to clean energy, safe drinking water and food security, putting the global economy in jeopardy of stagnation,” said Ibeanusi, summit chair.

“By providing increased access to these Dr. Victor basic needs, the Ibeanusi global economy stands to grow exponentially, diffusing innovations and sustainable practices across borders.”

For more information about the summit or to register, visitfamuenergywaterfoodnexus.org.

CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

This is just one example of the devastation caused by hurricane Maria, shown on Sept. 25. Residents are still trying to get the basics of food, water and gas. Much of the damage done was to electrical wires, fallen trees and flattened vegetation, in addition to home wooden roofs torn off.

FC

FLORIDA COURIER

Above is EWC’s 2017-2018 football team with their coaches.

FLORIDA’S ONLY BLACK STATEWIDE NEWSPAPER More than 182,000 readers weekly

B-CU and EWC have games in Florida this weekend

WWW.FLCOURIER.COM Ranked by Google as Florida’s #1 Black newspaper website

Bethune-Cookman University faces Savannah State at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, in Daytona Beach. More info: BCUathletics.com Edward Waters College (EWC) will play Ava Maria College in Naples on Saturday. The game starts at noon. More info: EWCTigerPride.com

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Energy Water Food Nexus summit moved to October

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S

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

CULTURE

puting, roadside sensors or cameras and pinpoint advertising.

Libraries about cars One of them is Synaps Labs.

Its co-founder and chief executive, Alex Pustov, said the company installs roadside cameras roughly 600 to 650 feet in front of electronic billboards. The cameras feed images of oncoming cars through a cellular signal to a computer.

Packed in the computer’s memory are some 2,000 different images of each of 1,600 makes and models of cars, he said.

“Initially, it was labor intensive. We needed to collect millions of images,” Pustov said. “We manually created libraries of car makes and models.”

Perfect target

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

An interactive billboard on Interstate 88 near Eola Road in Aurora, Ill., touts the Chevy Malibu on April 14, 2016. The sign uses vehicle recognition technology to identify competing sedans and display ads aimed at their drivers.

Smart billboards making snap judgments on drivers

BY TIM JOHNSON MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU/ TNS

WASHINGTON – Here is what’s around the corner: Smart digital billboards will detect the make, model and year of oncoming vehicles and project ads tailored to the motorist.

Roadside cameras will read license plates, and powerful computers will make snap judgments based on likely home address, age, race and income level to pitch products or services through the billboards.

Once ads flash up on roadside digital screens, the sales pitch may not stop. Any mobile phones in a passing vehicle may light up with a reinforcing mes-

sage linked to the ad.

Already here A series of factors are reshaping the quintessential experience of the road trip or job commute. Smart billboards are already here, gracing the sides of bus shelters, urban interstates and pedestrian walkways.

And as the digital billboards grow in size and number — rotating ads, customizing them to passing traffic and earning far more income — old-fashioned billboards face an existential moment.

Throw in artificial intelligence and powerful computers, and the roadside experience is on the cusp of change. Digital electronic billboards actually stare at us — and make judgments about who

we are and how we might spend our money.

Vehicle matters A big unknown: the impact of self-driving automobiles on both old-style “dumb” billboards and their smarter progeny.

“Often your car is a proxy for demographics. We get several ad agencies who say, I want to advertise to affluent men over $100,000 (in annual salary) with XYZ education. Often driving a BMW or an Audi is a proxy for that,” said Kevin Foreman, general manager of geoanalytics at INRIX, a Kirkland, Wash., company that gathers and sells real-time traffic information.

To determine make, model and year of cars onT:10” the road, start-up companies marry powerful com-

It only takes a second or so to transmit and digest the image and channel back a targeted ad that a driver would see for eight or nine seconds, Pustov said.

When multiple lanes are filled with traffic, the computer can determine broad groups of targets, say, owners of older automobiles, and flash ads accordingly.

“Most car companies want to advertise to seven- to 12-yearold cars. They don’t want to advertise to a 1- to 2-year-old car,” Foreman said. “Ford spending money on you when you’ve just bought a new Ford is lousy. But me, I have a 12-year-old Ford. I’m a great candidate.”

‘Out of home’ Smart billboards can also target motorists on the highway or pedestrians passing bus shelters by picking up cellular or mobile signatures, Wi-Fi signals or even beaconing given off by certain apps.

The billboard sector, or what the industry prefers to call “out of home” advertising, comprises $7.5 billion of the $185 billion annual U.S. advertising market, said Andrew R. Sriubas, chief commercial officer at OUTFRONT Media, one of the nation’s big three outdoor advertisers.

‘What you are’ Industry experts are cautious to note that the data harvesting is anonymous, hoping not to evoke the creepy billboards of the 2002

B3 movie Minority Report in which a protagonist finds signage addressed to him directly.

“It doesn’t have to know who you are. It needs to know what you are. It says I see phone ID 453ABCD. I happen to know that phone number is associated with a millennial Hispanic female, therefore send it this ad,” Sriubas said.

GPS tracking Moreover, the data industry collects vast information about the whereabouts of mobile users by the apps on their smart phones, which share global positioning system, or GPS, signals every 15 seconds.

“When you click ‘I allow’ on your favorite mobile app, if they’re a partner of ours … you most likely are anonymously sending us your GPS point heading,” Foreman said.

That is partly why INRIX says it can anonymously track the GPS signals of over 300 million drivers in 65 countries. Moreover, one in four cars coming onto the road today emit their own GPS signals.

‘Detects gaits’ Smart billboards can consider other factors for targeting such as time of day, weather conditions and upcoming events. A digital sign catering to pedestrians can also make judgments.

“It can detect gaits. So it understands male versus female, it understands kids versus adults,” Sriubas said. “There’s a bunch of very sophisticated algorithms that it can understand.”

Using that data, he added, “I know you’re male or female. I know you’re within a certain age category, 30 to 40. I know that you live in this location and you work in that location.”

Jaguar campaign Smart ads for cars may riff off the seasonal weather or time of day.

“For a Jaguar campaign that we did,” Pustov said, referring to a smart campaign in his native Moscow, “when it was snowing they were showing a Jaguar ad that demonstrated the car is very comfortable in the snow.”

When weather was better and little traffic was on the road, “they were saying it’s a very powerful car.”

If you’ve been affected

by Hurricane Irma, Wells Fargo can help.

We are offering relief for Wells Fargo customers by: • Reversing certain fees—such as late fees—for our lending products, including credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, and lines of credit.

• Waiving Wells Fargo fees for customers using non-Wells Fargo ATMs. • For Credit Card customers, providing payment relief and suppressing any negative credit bureau reporting for 90 days.

For Wells Fargo Auto Loan customers, Mortgage and Home Equity customers, and Retail Small Business customers, we are providing additional relief support like payment relief and waiving late fees.

Visit wellsfargo.com/relief to get more details.

If you need any kind of assistance, call us at 1-800-TO-WELLS (1-800-869-3557) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

© 2017 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC.

TOJ

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

CULTURE

B3 $7.5 billion of the $185 billion annual U.S. advertising market, said Andrew R. Sriubas, chief commercial officer at OUTFRONT Media, one of the nation’s big three outdoor advertisers.

‘What you are’ Industry experts are cautious to note that the data harvesting is anonymous, hoping not to evoke the creepy billboards of the 2002 movie Minority Report in which a protagonist finds signage addressed to him directly.

“It doesn’t have to know who you are. It needs to know what you are. It says I see phone ID 453ABCD. I happen to know that phone number is associated with a millennial Hispanic female, therefore send it this ad,” Sriubas said.

GPS tracking

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

An interactive billboard on Interstate 88 near Eola Road in Aurora, Ill., touts the Chevy Malibu on April 14, 2016. The sign uses vehicle recognition technology to identify competing sedans and display ads aimed at their drivers.

Smart billboards making snap judgments on drivers

BY TIM JOHNSON MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU/ TNS

WASHINGTON – Here is what’s around the corner: Smart digital billboards will detect the make, model and year of oncoming vehicles and project ads tailored to the motorist.

Roadside cameras will read license plates, and powerful computers will make snap judgments based on likely home address, age, race and income level to pitch products or services through the billboards.

Once ads flash up on roadside digital screens, the sales pitch may not stop. Any mobile phones in a passing vehicle may light up with a reinforcing message linked to the ad.

Already here A series of factors are reshaping the quintessential experi-

ence of the road trip or job commute. Smart billboards are already here, gracing the sides of bus shelters, urban interstates and pedestrian walkways.

And as the digital billboards grow in size and number — rotating ads, customizing them to passing traffic and earning far more income — old-fashioned billboards face an existential moment.

Throw in artificial intelligence and powerful computers, and the roadside experience is on the cusp of change. Digital electronic billboards actually stare at us — and make judgments about who we are and how we might spend our money.

Vehicle matters A big unknown: the impact of self-driving automobiles on both old-style “dumb” billboards and their smarter progeny.

“Often your car is a proxy for demographics. We get several ad agencies who say, I want to

advertise to affluent men over $100,000 (in annual salary) with XYZ education. Often driving a BMW or an Audi is a proxy for that,” said Kevin Foreman, general manager of geoanalytics at INRIX, a Kirkland, Wash., company that gathers and sells real-time traffic information.

To determine make, model and year of cars on the road, start-up companies marry powerful computing, roadside sensors or cameras and pinpoint advertising.

Libraries about cars One of them is Synaps Labs.

Its co-founder and chief executive, Alex Pustov, said the company installs roadside cameras roughly 600 to 650 feet in front of electronic billboards. The cameras feed images of oncoming cars through a cellular signal to a computer.

Packed in the computer’s memory are some 2,000 different images of each of 1,600 makes and models of cars, he said.

“Initially, it was labor intensive. We needed to collect millions of images,” Pustov said. “We manually created libraries of car makes and models.”

Perfect target It only takes a second or so to transmit and digest the image and channel back a targeted ad that a driver would see for eight or nine seconds, Pustov said.

When multiple lanes are filled with traffic, the computer can determine broad groups of targets, say, owners of older automobiles, and flash ads accordingly.

“Most car companies want to advertise to seven- to 12-yearold cars. They don’t want to advertise to a 1- to 2-year-old car,” Foreman said. “Ford spending money on you when you’ve just bought a new Ford is lousy. But me, I have a 12-year-old Ford. I’m a great candidate.”

‘Out of home’ Smart billboards can also target motorists on the highway or pedestrians passing bus shelters by picking up cellular or mobile signatures, Wi-Fi signals or even beaconing given off by certain apps.

The billboard sector, or what the industry prefers to call “out of home” advertising, comprises

Moreover, the data industry collects vast information about the whereabouts of mobile users by the apps on their smart phones, which share global positioning system, or GPS, signals every 15 seconds.

“When you click ‘I allow’ on your favorite mobile app, if they’re a partner of ours … you most likely are anonymously sending us your GPS point heading,” Foreman said.

That is partly why INRIX says it can anonymously track the GPS signals of over 300 million drivers in 65 countries. Moreover, one in four cars coming onto the road today emit their own GPS signals.

‘Detects gaits’ Smart billboards can consider other factors for targeting such as time of day, weather conditions and upcoming events. A digital sign catering to pedestrians can also make judgments.

“It can detect gaits. So it understands male versus female, it understands kids versus adults,” Sriubas said. “There’s a bunch of very sophisticated algorithms that it can understand.”

Using that data, he added, “I know you’re male or female. I know you’re within a certain age category, 30 to 40. I know that you live in this location and you work in that location.”

Jaguar campaign Smart ads for cars may riff off the seasonal weather or time of day.

“For a Jaguar campaign that we did,” Pustov said, referring to a smart campaign in his native Moscow, “when it was snowing they were showing a Jaguar ad that demonstrated the car is very comfortable in the snow.”

When weather was better and little traffic was on the road, “they were saying it’s a very powerful car.”

Fast facts about coffee Friday, Sept. 29, is National Coffee Day. Who drinks the most? Older people.

Percentage of people, by age, who reported having consumed a coffee beverage within the past day: Ages 13-18, 37 percent; ages 18-24, 50 percent; ages 25-39, 63 percent; ages 40-59, 64 percent; and ages 60+, 68 percent.

Daily "gourmet" coffee consumption, by age: Ages 13-18, 29 percent; ages 18-24, 39 percent; ages 25-39, 50 percent; ages 4059, 39 percent; and ages 60+, 34 percent.

This year, 2017, showed the largest one-year increase in pastday espresso beverage consumption in history, from 18 to 24 percent.

IRFAN KHAN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Many food words, including Sriracha, have been added to the Merriam-Websters online dictionary.

Srirachi and IPA among 250 words added to online dictionary DETROIT FREE PRESS/TNS

DREAMSTIME/TNS

If you’re a foodie, you probably know food lingo. Srirachi and IPA are standards in your vocabulary. But now Merriam Webster, the Springfield, Mass., company known for print and online dictionary sources, is making them official.

Among the 250 new words and definitions added to Merriam-Webster.com, several are food-related.

Here’s a selection of those be-

ing added and their definitions: Bibimbap: a Korean dish of rice with cooked vegetables, usually meat, and often a raw or fried egg.

California roll: a type of sushi roll containing avocado, cucumber, and cooked crabmeat or imitation crabmeat with a wrapping of seaweed and rice.

Callery pear: a deciduous tree (Pyrus calleryana) of the rose family that has upright branches forming a conical crown, heartshaped glossy leaves with finely serrated margins, showy clus-

ters of white flowers, and small, bitter, brownish round fruits.

Choux pastry: a very light, egg-based dough used to make pastries (such as cream puffs and éclairs).

Cordon bleu: stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese (like chicken cordon bleu), Cross contamination: inadvertent transfer of bacteria or other contaminants from one surface, substance, etc., to another especially because of unsanitary handling procedures.

Farmers market: a market

at which local farmers sell their agricultural products directly to consumers.

Froyo: frozen yogurt.

IPA: a pale ale made with extra hops.

Saigon cinnamon: the dried, aromatic bark of a Vietnamese tree (Cinnamomum loureirii) that yields a sweet and spicy cassia sold as cinnamon.

Sriracha: a pungent sauce that is made from hot peppers pureed with usually garlic, sugar, salt and vinegar and that is typically used as a condiment.

B4

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

YOUR DOLLARS ARE

HARD AT WORK

Even a small donation can make a big difference

SupportHurricaneRelief.org

STOJ

STOJ

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

finest

B5

Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest?

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

Thousands of Caribbean culture lovers converge on South Florida every year 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 tractor-trailer trucks with booming sound systems from morning until nightfall while competing for honors.

Here are some of the “Finest” we’ve seen over the years. Go to www. miamibrowardcarnival. com for information on this year’s Carnival.

CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER

Why Sparks had scripture on hand during anthem EURWEB.COM

Jordin Sparks didn’t take a knee while singing the national anthem at Monday night’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, but she did have Bible verses strategically visible on her hand that made it clear where she stands on the issue.

Scribbled on the back of her hand gripping the mic was “Prov. 31: 8-9.”

From the Book of Proverbs, the vers- Jordin es read, “Speak up for Sparks those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Lamar leads Forbes summit EURWEB.COM

ROBERT GAUTHIER/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

The creators allegedly have been in talks with Lionel Ritchie. He’s shown above performing at last years Grammy Awards.

Diversity of judges reportedly an issue for ‘Idol’ reboot EURWEB.COM

ABC and the producers of “American Idol” are reportedly at odds about the racial makeup of its still-unsettled judging panel.

So far, only Katy Perry has been confirmed for the rebooted show (for a reported $25 million payday). And according to TMZ, Luke Bryan is close to signing a contract to sit beside her.

At issue, the website reports is the third judge. Sources connected to the production tell us Fremantle wants Charlie

Puth, but ABC believes there must be racial diversity on the panel.

Ritchie on list?

TMZ has this to say: We’re told the network continues to have its eye on Lionel Richie, who has been in play for several months.

So far, we’re told there’s a standoff, but someone’s gotta blink because they’re almost ready to begin filming with the judges.

“And this is interesting … we’re told

Fremantle has taken a meeting with Troy Carter, a super manager of performers like John Legend, Nelly, Meghan Trainor, Miguel and Lady Gaga.

TMZ continued, “He’s also one of the initial, big investors in Spotify. We’re told one of the reasons Carter may be appealing … if ABC wins on the diversity issue, Carter wouldn’t come with as big a price tag as Lionel, and the budget is almost blown.

Getting paid Regarding that blown budget, returning host Ryan Seacrest is reportedly being paid $10 to $15 million.

Also, the sticking point with Richie’s team is reportedly asking around $10 million, which is double what the show is willing to pay, according to TMZ.

Kendrick Lamar will be Forbes’ keynote speaker at their fourth annual Forbes Under 30 Summit, reports Billboard.

The four-day event will take place at Boston’s City Hall Plaza and feature addresses by young artists, entrepreneurs and activists, including Skylar Grey, Tyler Oakley and DeRay Mckesson.

Lamar’s keynote, which will include a conversation with Forbes Senior Editor Media Kendrick and Entertainment Zack Lamar O’Malley Greenburg, will take place on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.

“Kendrick Lamar is the voice of the under-30 generation, and we can’t wait to hear more from him,’’ Greenburg stated. “Not only does he write and record groundbreaking songs, but he also embodies the same sort of spirit, drive and thoughtful passion of his peers across science, tech, the arts and beyond.

Forbes is honored to host him in Boston.”

FOOD

B6

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2017

Flavor infusion

FAMILY FEATURES

When your taste buds can’t settle on just one flavor, a fusion dish may be just the answer. Fusion dishes combine some of the best ethnic culinary traditions from around the world, and Asian influences are among the most popular building blocks for fusion cuisine.

One secret to achieving great fusion dishes is the use of cooking wines. For many chefs and home cooks alike, cooking wine is a go-to cooking essential because it can be used in everyday meals. With its versatile array of uses, an option like Holland House®, a line of flavor-enhancing, premium cooking wines, can boost any dish with one of five flavors including Marsala, Sherry, White, Red and White with Lemon.

In addition to these featured dishes, you can find more quick tips for boosting the flavor of your everyday meals on the label of each bottle and explore more recipes at HollandHouseFlavors.com.

SIZZLING ASIAN VEGETABLE FRIED RICE WITH SAVORY WHITE WINE GLAZE Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 8 minutes Servings: 4-6, about 1 cup per portion 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic 1/2 cup fresh chopped yellow onions 1 cup fresh small white mushrooms, quartered 1/2 cup chopped fresh carrots 1/2 cup chopped fresh zucchini 1/2 cup chopped fresh red bell peppers 1/2 cup chopped fresh yellow bell peppers 3 cups cold, cooked, long-grain white rice 1/2 cup Holland House White Cooking Wine

2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1/2 cup fresh green onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Heat heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil, garlic and onions. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Add mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, red bell peppers and yellow bell peppers; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add rice; stir-fry 3 minutes.

Add cooking wine; stir-fry 2 minutes, or until dry. Add oyster sauce; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in green onions, sesame oil and black pepper.

Transfer to dish or bowl and serve.

Tip: To turn into a main course, add cooked beef, chicken or pork and serve topped with a fried egg.

We gladly accept Publix, manufacturer, and even select competitor coupons.

(See store for details.) Browse our latest deals and coupons at publix.com/savingstyle.

S

SWEET AND SPICY KOREAN-CHINESE FUSION CAULIFLOWER BITES Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 4, about 1 1/2 cups per portion 6 cups fresh cauliflower florets 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup Holland House Sherry Cooking Wine 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon white vinegar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small fresh yellow onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic 1 tablespoon Korean-style chili flakes 1/4 cup chopped fresh green onions 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds Heat oven to 400 F. In large bowl, toss cauliflower, sesame oil and salt until well coated. Arrange on nonstick baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.

In small bowl, whisk cooking wine, honey, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch until well blended; set aside.

In large, nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add yellow onions and garlic; cook 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring frequently.Remove from heat. Stir in chili flakes and wine mixture.

Return pan to stove and adjust to medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring 1-2 minutes, or until thickened. Add cooked cauliflower; stir gently to coat.

Transfer cauliflower to serving dish. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Tips: The sauce mixture can also be used on chicken wings or grilled pork chops. In place of Korean-style chili flakes, use 1 teaspoon regular crushed red pepper flakes or 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper.

LETTUCE-WRAPPED KOREAN SHORT RIBS Prep time: 10 minutes, plus marinating Cook time: 4 minutes Servings: 4, about 6 ounces (precooked) per portion 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, divided 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced, boneless beef short ribs 1 cup Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine 6 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1/4 cup roasted garlic paste 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 head fresh romaine lettuce, separated into large leaves 1/2 cup sliced fresh red radishes 1/2 cup shredded fresh carrots dipping sauce In small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons brown sugar, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Sprinkle evenly over short rib slices, gently rubbing into both sides. Place in re-sealable plastic bag.

In bowl, whisk cooking wine, sesame oil, garlic paste, soy sauce and remaining brown sugar. Pour half of mixture into bag with meat and add 1/4 cup green onions. To marinate, refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.

In small saucepan, whisk remaining wine mixture and cornstarch until smooth. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook 1 minute, or until thickened, stirring constantly. Set aside until cool. Stir in 2 tablespoons green onions.

Heat grill to medium-high.

Remove ribs from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Discard marinade. Grill 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Cut ribs into 1-inch pieces.

Serve with remaining green onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots and warm dipping sauce.

Tips: For fusion tacos, substitute corn or flour tortillas for lettuce leaves. In place of garlic paste, 2 tablespoons minced garlic can be substituted.