August 2, 2018
VOL. 31, No. 77
LeBron James: CLIPPERS ARENA: A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR INGLEWOOD I Promise School in Akron, Ohio
By MIKE LAYTON, Op-ed
By Francis Taylor, Asst. Editor
On Monday, LeBron James, the three-time NBA champion, opened his I Promise School in Akron, Ohio. In November 2017, the LeBron James Family Foundation approached the Akron school board about assisting in the creation of a school designed to help at-risk kids who are lagging behind in their studies and struggling at home. The I Promise School is a joint venture between the foundation and Akron Public Schools. The school board oversaw the creation of the curriculum and ensured the school would meet educational standards, while James served as the primary donor to help shape the outsidethe-classroom goals of the school. The school will operate with a longer-than-normal school year, with a focus on accelerated learning to bring kids up to speed who otherwise might be lagging. In addition, there is a focus on combating factors outside of the classroom
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The California economy is booming at a record pace. The State’s unemployment rate is at an historic low of 4.2 percent, with investments in technology, health care, transportation and construction projects helping lead the way. But the Golden State’s success has been uneven. The economic wave of prosperity missed some of California’s most vulnerable populations, leaving some of the most diverse and socio-economically disadvantaged communities behind. Today, we have a unique and historic opportunity to revitalize Inglewood – creating thousands of quality jobs and improving local services in the process. The City of Inglewood is one of those communities. I know, I was born there, and over the past few decades I had to watch this once-thriving area fall into decline. Located in the shadows of the Los Angeles glitz and glamour, Inglewood has been plagued with high unemployment and growing poverty while private investment and economic opportunity for residents seemed scarce. According to American Community Survey (ACS) statistics, the average unemployment rate in the area rose to 11.3 percent, with nearly 30 percent of the children there growing up in poverty. We must do better. We can do better. Today, we have a unique and historic opportunity to revitalize Inglewood – creating thousands of quality jobs and improving local services in the process. The LA Clippers want to build a state-of-the-art basketball arena and entertainment complex in the heart of Inglewood.
The privately financed project will include a new practice facility and corporate headquarters for the Clippers organization, along with public basketball courts, open community spaces and retail opportunities. This innovative community-focused project is designed to complement the ongoing construction of an NFL stadium, which would make Inglewood the site of one of the largest privately financed construction projects in the country. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in Inglewood. The development project will help train skilled laborers while creating quality jobs with valuable health and welfare benefits. These are exactly the kind of jobs we need to lift people out of poverty and into the middle class, while developing long-lasting career opportunities. That’s why labor is strongly behind AB 987, legislation by Assembly member Sydney Kamlager-Dove, which will help ensure the Inglewood arena project can move forward. AB 987 will help speed up legal review of the LA Clippers arena project, giving Inglewood the same opportunity afforded to sports franchises in more affluent areas like San Francisco, downtown Los
Angeles and Sacramento. Specifically, AB 987 will pave the way to: –Create an estimated 10,000 construction jobs in the City of Inglewood and surrounding region. –Generate more than 1,000 permanent jobs for ongoing arena operations. –Hire and train local residents. The
Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with the City of Inglewood includes a “local hire” goal, which will help ensure the local labor force is able to work in the community where they live. The Southern California Pipe Trades Council is proud to stand shoulder-toshoulder with the people of Inglewood to support this project and support AB987. With 100 percent private financing and a strong commitment to the local community, this project is a slam dunk for the region.
TRUMP CALLS ON SESSIONS TO STOP MUELLER PROBE By Yahoo News
Mueller, a registered Republican, recently charged 12 Russian intelligence officials in connection with the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee’s computer server — bringing the total number of individual indictments to 32. Five people, including former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and ex-campaign aide George Papadopoulos, have pleaded guilty to charges and are cooperating with Mueller. Trump has frequently taken his frustration with Mueller’s ongoing investigation out on Sessions, who recused himself from the probe in March 2017 after it was revealed he had had
undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador. According to the New York Times, Trump asked Sessions to reverse his decision during a March 2017 meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort — a confrontation that is being investigated by Mueller as part of a potential obstruction case. The president now says he regrets picking Sessions as the nation’s top law enforcement officer. “The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax continues, all because Jeff Sessions didn’t tell me he was going to recuse himself,” Trump tweeted in June. “I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives
ruined.” The president has been attacking Mueller and denouncing his investigation for months. But Wednesday’s tweet
marks the first time he directly called on Sessions to shutter Mueller’s probe. Trump’s call also comes as his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort is standing trial in Alexandria, Va., on
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