“Today I’m proud to announce that I am running for city council to represent our community — where my family put down roots two generations ago, where I grew up and went to school, and where I am proud to raise my daughter.,” he said.
“This community is where I’ve organized youth events, registered voters, and worked with the police department and public safety groups to foster meaningful relationships that strengthen our foundation,” Wilson said.
“North Minneapolis has given me more than I could ever return. However, I am driven to ensure that the residents of Ward 5 receive what
they rightfully deserve: safety, opportunity, affordability, and thriving, vibrant communities.” Ward 5 consists of the Harrison, Jordan, Sumner-Glenwood, Willard-Hay, Near North, Hawthorne, and North Loop neighborhoods.
Wilson says he will bring his extensive experience in community engagement and his proven ability to create meaningful change to the service of Ward 5 residents and businesses.
He said he stands ready to bring his passion and experience to the Minneapolis City Council with a commitment to “creating a safer, more equitable, and more vibrant Ward 5—a place where
every resident can prosper.”
Wilson serves on the board of the Unity Community Mediation Team, (UCMT) working closely with Minneapolis Police Department leadership to enhance police accountability and improve policing practices. That work included overseeing and supporting the implementation of a mentorship program through the Police Community Relationship Council, designed to help new officers, cadets, and Community Service Officers (CSOs) build stronger connections with the neighborhoods they serve and gain a deeper understanding of the communities they protect.
Wilson has also
served on the Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County and chaired the Young People’s Task Force of UCMT. In the statement announcing his candidacy, Wilson said under his leadership, the Young People’s Task Force spearheaded initiatives supporting children and families, including transformative events like Fishing for Freedom, A Day on the Farm, the Back to School Backpack Drive, and the Holiday Toy Drive. In addition Wilson said he has advocated for youth rights by supporting the passage of legislation to protect juvenile DNA (HF3063).
By Haley Taylor Schlitz, Esq.
The glow of Christmas lights has always had a way of pulling me back into my favorite memories.
As a little girl, I remember the magic of sitting under our Christmas tree, the ornaments sparkling in the soft light, feeling a sense of comfort and belonging that only the holidays could bring. The sound of laughter as my family decorated the tree together, the smell of cinnamon wafting through the house, and the warmth of being surrounded by love made it my favorite time of year. This week, as I walked past houses glowing with twinkling lights, those memories came rushing back, reminding me that even in difficult times, the holidays offer us a chance to reconnect with joy and resilience. As I reflected on those memories, I couldn’t help but think about what Christmas truly represents beyond the lights and ornaments. It is a story of resilience, hope, and the triumph of light over darkness.
It’s the story of a child born in a manger, a humble beginning that forever changed the world. And in that story, we find lessons that speak directly to the Black experience and our community’s journey through history.
The political weaponization of the justice system has become a dangerous norm. Marilyn Mosby, former Baltimore State’s Attorney, represents a troubling example of how blurred the lines between justice and politics have become. President Biden has a moral and constitutional obligation to address this by granting Mosby a presidential pardon, ensuring that the principles of fairness and equality under the law remain intact.
Mosby, a trailblazing prosecutor, made national headlines in 2015 for her bold decision to charge six officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray, an unarmed Black man whose death in police custody sparked widespread protests. Her pursuit of accountability was lauded by many as a necessary step toward justice in a system riddled with racial bias. Her zealous advocacy brought significant reforms to the criminal justice system, including implementing police body-worn cameras, decriminalizing marijuana, securing exonerations for the wrongfully convicted, and ending prosecutions for lowlevel offenses. However, her actions as a prosecutor also made her a target of the entrenched stalwarts of the status quo.
Mosby’s indictment on charges of perjury and making false statements related to COVID-19 financial relief programs has raised serious questions. The charges allege that Mosby improperly accessed funds from her own retirement account under the CARES Act and made misleading statements on mortgage applications for two Florida properties. While public officials should be held to high ethical standards, the context and vigor of her prosecution—amidst a sea of similar cases involving far less scrutiny—raises questions about selective prosecution and suggests something far more insidious. These charges seem
This year has been heavy. The post-election season has left many feeling uncertain about the future, frustrated by ongoing battles for justice, and weary from economic struggles that make it harder for families to experience the joy this season should bring. But if we look deeper, Christmas reminds us that joy does not come from material wealth or the absence of hardship. Joy comes from faith, from community, and from the knowledge that even in our struggles, we can find strength.
As a Black Gen Z woman, I often reflect on how my generation is tasked with carrying the torch of progress forward. We face the weight of a fight for civil and human rights that we all hoped was settled, threats to our democracy, and an economic system that feels increasingly stacked against us. Yet, when I look at the elders who have fought tirelessly for civil rights and at the young people showing up to protest, vote, and speak truth to power, I see the spirit of Christmas alive in us. That spirit is one of determination, love, and unyielding hope.
In the story of Christ’s birth, we find a divine reminder that greatness often emerges from the humblest places. Our ancestors knew this truth intimately. They carried it with them from the fields of the south to the northern cities during the Great Migration, from the pulpit to the picket line. They built lives out of scraps, communities out of displacement, and
movements out of oppression. And they found joy, not because life was easy, but because they refused to let life’s hardships extinguish their light.
This brings to mind the powerful words of the spiritual “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” a song that has been sung for generations in Black churches and homes. Its lyrics remind us of the profound truth of the nativity, that Christ was born into a world of hardship, uncertainty, and oppression. Down in a lowly manger, under the shadow of empire and amidst the cries of the oppressed, Jesus entered humanity’s struggle.
This birth was not marked by wealth or grandeur but by humility and resilience. It reflects a God who does not stand apart from suffering but steps into it, offering hope to all. The nativity carries powerful symbolism for our present times. Just as the shepherds feared and trembled at the angel’s message, we, too, live in a world colliding with forces of hate, disregard for humanity, and injustice. Yet, like those shepherds, we are called to go forth with courage and proclaim the good news. Christ’s birth is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, light shines through. It’s a call to embrace our shared humanity, to stand against oppression, and to find hope in the promise of redemption.
For those of us who identify as Christians, the birth of Christ is a reminder of God’s love and the resilience of the
less about justice and more about punishing a prominent Black woman who dared to challenge systems of power. The pattern is disturbingly familiar. Across the nation, progressive prosecutors—especially Black women and other people of color advocating for criminal justice reform—face heightened scrutiny from political adversaries and segments of the justice system resistant to change. Cases like those of Marilyn Mosby and Kim Gardner illustrate how dissenting voices can be silenced through legal means, turning the scales of justice into tools of political retribution. This trend, which gained momentum during the Trump administration’s Department of Justice, often involves aggressive investigations and prosecutorial overreach, disproportionately targeting Black officials and reform advocates to maintain the status quo. The prosecution against State’s Attorney Mosby has been driven by malicious personal, political, and even racial animus on the part of the prosecutors including
human spirit. For those of other faiths or who do not follow a faith tradition, the Christmas season offers an invitation to reflect on the values that unite us: compassion, generosity, and hope. This season, let us also think about the future we are building. Christmas is not just a celebration; it’s a call to action. Just as the shepherds and wise men followed the star, we too must follow the light of justice, equity, and love. In our churches, mosques, and synagogues, in our schools and workplaces, in our art and activism, we
can carry forward the spirit of this season into the new year.
To my fellow Gen Z readers, I want you to know that your voice matters. Your dreams matter. And your actions today are shaping the foundation of the world we will build together in the years to come. Remember, the first Christmas was not about grand gestures or worldly power. It was about the power of belief, the promise of hope, and the strength of community. In that same spirit, we must believe in our ability to create change, hope for a brighter future, and stand together as we face what’s to come.
So let this Christmas be a reminder of what we’re capable of. The shepherds,
notably, the former assistant US attorney Leo Wise, who has handled numerous highprofile criminal prosecutions against Black elected officials— including against Mosby, former Mayor Catherine Pugh, US Representatives Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters.
Unbelievably, Leo Wise personally donated to both of Mosby’s opponents in her successful 2018 reelection campaign and further demonstrated his animus by leaking details of a secret grand jury investigation to the media, seemingly to harass and embarrass her. This controversy must be viewed within the broader historical context of how reformist Black leaders, from the civil rights era to today, face heightened scrutiny and resistance from the ruling class—a pattern that cannot be ignored.
Critics will argue that a pardon is condoning Mosby’s alleged actions. However, pardons have historically been used to address miscarriages of justice and restore balance when prosecutions are tainted by bias or overreach. Just as Biden
called out selective prosecution in the case of his son – a case also prosecuted by Leo Wise – Biden can use this pardon to reaffirm the principle that our justice system must be blind to race, gender, and political ideology. Marilyn Mosby’s story is more than a personal tragedy—it is a microcosm of the broader fight for justice reform and equality in America. By granting her a pardon, President Biden will strike a blow against the politicization of justice and for accountability within the DOJ. As CEO of the
By Simon Burris
National Newspaper Publishers Association, I, and our 230 Black-owned newspapers and media companies, insist that President Biden issue a pardon for Marilyn Mosby, just as he intervened on behalf of his son, Hunter, for the same reasons. Marilyn Mosby has paid a steep price for her convictions, yet she remains a champion for justice and a hero in our community. Be clear, whether police pull you over tonight in Baltimore or Boulder, your interaction with law enforcement will likely
be recorded by an officer’s body-worn camera and that layer of protection is largely thanks to Marilyn’s leadership. It’s time to define The Honorable Marilyn Mosby’s legacy by her contributions to justice reform, not by a politically driven-prosecution. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer of The Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV Network, can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. President and CEO, NNPA Photo
Puzzle Master
A judge has granted permission to lawyers for Derek Chauvin to have samples from George Floyd examined as part of the former Minneapolis police officer’s efforts to challenge his conviction on a federal civil rights charge stemming from Floyd’s death in 2020.
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson agreed in an order Monday to let the defense examine Floyd’s heart tissue and fluid samples to test a theory that Floyd died of a heart condition aggravated by a rare tumor, not — as prosecutors
contend — from asphyxiation caused by the white officer pressing his knee on the Black man’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes despite Floyd’s dying cries of, “I can’t breathe.”
Floyd’s death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism.
Chauvin was convicted in state court on murder charges in 2021 and pleaded guilty later that year in federal court to violating Floyd’s civil rights. His federal defender for his appeal attempt, Robert Meyers, argued in his request that Chauvin’s original attorney, Eric Nelson, failed to inform his client that an
outside pathologist not directly involved in the case, Dr. William Schaetzel, of Topeka, Kansas, had contacted Nelson before Chauvin entered his plea and offered an unsolicited theory that Chauvin did not cause Floyd’s death. Chauvin claims that amounted to “ineffective assistance counsel” and is seeking a new trial, saying he would not have pleaded guilty if he had known about the pathologist.
But federal prosecutors have argued in court filings that Nelson made a reasonable “tactical decision” not to explore an untested opinion “offered by someone holding himself out as an
expert.” They pointed out that Nelson consulted with other medical experts in preparation for Chauvin’s cases, including one who testified in state court, but that the jury in that case rejected Chauvin’s medical defense. They also noted that the legal barriers to succeeding on a claim of ineffective counsel are very high. Nelson declined to comment Tuesday. Chauvin is serving his 20-year federal civil rights and 22 1/2-year state murder sentences concurrently at a federal prison in Texas. The U.S. Supreme Court last year rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction.
Minneapolis Police are investigating the shooting death of a teenager.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed outside of his residence last week.. At approximately 7:13 p.m. on Monday, December 16, officers from the 3rd Precinct responded to a shooting on the 1100 Block of 25 St E and found the juvenile boy with multiple gunshot wounds inside the residence.
Officers attempted immediate medical care including a chest seal and CPR. Despite all lifesaving efforts, the 17-year-old boy died inside the residence.
Preliminary information indicates that the injured juvenile was outside his residence with others when shots were fired. He ran inside his residence and collapsed.
As Trump and Republicans prepare to negotiate new tax cuts in 2025, it’s worth gleaning lessons from the president-elect’s
rst
of cuts. The 2017 cuts were the most extensive revision to the Internal Revenue Code since the Ronald Reagan administration. The changes it imposed
from the tax that corporations pay on their foreign income to limits on the deductions individuals can take for their state and local tax payments. Trump promised middle-class benefits at the time, but in practice more than 80% of the cuts went to corporations, tax partnerships and high-net-worth individuals.
The cost to the U.S. deficit was huge a total increase of US$1.9 trillion from 2018 to 2028, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. The tax advantage to the middle class was small. Advantages for Black Americans were smaller still. As a scholar of race and U.S. income taxation, I have analyzed the impact of Trump’s tax cuts. I found that the law has disadvantaged middleincome, low-income and Black taxpayers in several ways.
Cuts worsened disparities These results are not new. They were present nearly 30 years ago when my colleague William Whitford and I used
LL Cool J, a hip-hop pioneer whose career spans nearly four decades, recently reflected on his profound impact on music, fashion, and entertainment. Speaking on Apple Music’s “Le Code,” the artist expressed confidence that history will recognize his contributions as foundational to the culture.
“I think that one day people are going to wake up and realize LL Cool J is the most important rapper that ever existed,” he said, referring to himself by the stage name that stands for “Ladies Love Cool James.”
Born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, New York, LL grew up in Queens and adopted
his moniker as a teenager. In 1984, he became one of the first artists signed to Def Jam Records, a fledgling label cofounded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. His debut single, “I Need a Beat,” sold over 100,000 copies, signaling the start of a career defined by groundbreaking achievements. His debut album, “Radio,” released in 1985, went platinum and featured hits like “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells,” cementing LL’s place in hip-hop’s early canon.
LL Cool J recently detailed how he introduced key elements to hip-hop culture.
“They’re going to look and say, ‘Wow, this is the guy that introduced all the ice, the jewelry, and the champagne,’” he said. He also credited himself with pioneering hip-hop ballads, pointing to his 1987 hit “I Need Love” and popularizing the now-ubiquitous term G.O.A.T.
the back cover of “Radio,”
(Greatest of All Time). “When it comes to Def Jam, they’re going to say, ‘Wow, this is the first artist that was on the label.’” His influence extended to fashion, where LL helped launch iconic trends shaping hip-hop aesthetics.
“Another act of gun violence and another juvenile shot dead,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
“This senseless act of gun violence has destroyed another young life and left another family with a life of grief. We are asking anyone in the community with information to help our investigators by providing any information they have about this incident. We all must work together to end this level of violence in our neighborhoods.”
MPD Forensic Scientists responded to process the scene and collect evidence. Homicide investigators responded and began their investigation to determine the sequence of events that led up to the shooting. There have been no arrests.
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center (PWCC) is thrilled to announce the appointment of David Hunter II as its new Executive Director, effective January 6, 2025. David’s leadership marks an exciting chapter for PWCC and a significant milestone for the North Minneapolis community. A proud North Minneapolis native and former participant in PWCC programs, David brings a deeply personal connection to the organization’s mission. Growing up in the neighborhood, David attended Bethune Elementary School and built a legacy of community engagement that he now brings full circle in his new role. His appointment is not just a homecoming—it’s a testament to his unwavering commitment to transformation, hope, and empowerment for the community he calls home. David joins PWCC
By Beverly Moran Professor Emerita of Law, Vanderbilt University
By Steve Karnowski Associated Press
Police Chief Brian O’Hara
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
President Donald Trump arrives at the White House after passing the Tax Cut and Jobs Act on Dec. 20, 2017.
Wikipedia
George Floyd
Retailers that make it harder to return stuff face backlash from their customers
By Huseyn Abdulla Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management, University of Tennessee
In 2018, L.L. Bean ended its century-old “lifetime” return policy, limiting returns to one year after purchase and requiring receipts. The demise of this popular policy sparked backlash, with several customers filing lawsuits.
It also inspired my team of operations management researchers to study how customers respond when retailers make their return policies more strict. Our key finding: Whether they often or rarely return products they’ve purchased, consumers object – unless those retailers explain why.
I work with a groupof researchers examining product return policies and how they affect consumers and retailers.
As we explained in an article published in the Journal of Operations Management, we designed experiments to study whether and why return policy restrictions irk customers. We also wanted to understand what retailers can do to minimize backlash after making it harder for customers to return stuff
We conducted three
experiments in which we presented scenarios to 1,500 U.S. consumers who played the role of loyal customers of a fictional retailer. We examined their reactions to the fictional retailer’s return policy restrictions, such as charging a 15% restocking fee and limiting open-ended return windows to 365, 180 and 30 days.
Participants became less willing to buy anything from the fictional retailer after it restricted its long-standing lenient return policy. They also said they would become less willing to recommend the retailer to others.
This occurred because the customers began to distrust the retailer and its ability to offer a high-quality service. The backlash was stronger when the restriction was more severe. Even those consumers who said they usually don’t return any products often reacted negatively.
When the fictional retailer announced its new, harsher return policy using official communication channels and provided a rationale, there was less backlash. Consumers found the changes more justified if the retailer highlighted increased “return abuse,” in which customers return products they’ve already used, or the high cost of processing returns.
You might presume that making it harder and more costly to return stuff could drive some shoppers away. Our research shows that the concern is valid and explains why. It also shows how communicating return policy changes directly with customers can help prevent or reduce backlash against retailers.
Why it matters Americans returned products worth an estimated US$890 billion to retailers in 2024. Processing a single item typically costs $21 to $46. Most of this merchandise ends up in landfills.
The rise of e-commerce and other technological changes have contributed to this trend.
Another factor is the ease with which consumers may return stuff long after making a purchase and get a full refund.
Many other retailers besides L.L. Bean have done away with their long-standing lenient return policies. Over the past decade, for example, Macy’s, a department store chain, and Kohl’s, a big-box clothing store chain, have shortened the time frames for returns.
Macy’s restricted
its open-ended return window to one year in 2016, further winnowed it to 180 days in 2017, then to 90 days in 2019. It then stopped accepting returns after 30 days in 2023. Kohl’s didn’t have any time limit on returns it would accept until 2019. Then it imposed a 180day limit. Others, such as fastfashion giants Zara and H&M, now charge their customers fees when they return merchandise. However, research shows that customers value no-questions-asked return policies and see them as a sign of high-quality service. And when these arrangements
become the industry standard, customers can get angry if retailers fail to meet it. Interestingly, most retailers that restricted their policies didn’t tell customers directly. Instead, they quietly updated the new policies on websites, store displays and receipts. Although not drawing attention to bad news might appear prudent – as most customers wouldn’t notice the changes that way – dozens of threads on Reddit about these changes suggest that this isn’t always true.
What still isn’t known We focused on restrictions on refunds and how long after a purchase customers could return merchandise. Other restrictions, such as retailers making heavily discounted items ineligible for returns, could also be worth investigating. The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. Huseyn Abdulla does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization
Eden Prairie resident Jasper Hanke hoped to ride the Southwest light rail extension, now dubbed the Green Line extension, to get to classes at the University of Minnesota.
But Hanke, a senior environmental sciences student who expects to graduate this summer, likely won’t have the chance, at least for school. “With the delay, I’m probably not gonna use it too much,” Hanke said as he waited for a ride home inside Southwest Station in Eden Prairie, the final stop of the light rail line and a hub for SouthWest Transit buses.
When the Metropolitan Council first broke ground on the Hennepin County-planned project in 2018, the agency planned to open the line in 2023. Amid problems with building a tunnel in the Kenilworth corridor, the project’s opening day was delayed to 2027, with a final cost of $2.86 billion to be settled at a Dec. 11 Met Council meeting. The agency also faces scrutiny from the state Legislature regarding its finances and ability to rein in contractors, with a report expected to be finished this winter. And, the agency faces a federal lawsuit brought by one of their engineers. A trial is anticipated to begin next September.
Louis Park west to SouthWest Station is mostly complete. The overhead wires are up, the fencing is in, and the signals are waiting to be tested. Most of the trains purchased for the extension are running today on the Blue Line. And Metro Transit Route 17 buses began serving the Blake Road light rail station on Dec. 7, primarily so their drivers can use a new restroom while on breaks. All that appears to remain are the installation of Go-To card readers and ticket vending machines, which were ordered in August.
Despite the challenges, much of the line from Belt Line Boulevard in St.
So why won’t Metro Transit, the agency that runs the region’s transit system under the Met Council, at least open the St. Louis Park to Eden Prairie segment to the riding public? It’s because there is no place along the line to maintain the trains.
“Light rail vehicles require access to the existing maintenance facilities in Minneapolis or St. Paul, as there is no maintenance facility being constructed as part of the Green Line Extension project,” spokesperson Drew Kerr said in an email.
The agency initially reduced the size of the operations and maintenance facility to be built in Hopkins adjacent Shady Oak Road station as part of a 2015 costcutting move. In 2018, officials instead decided to expand the existing Blue Line maintenance facility in Minneapolis to handle the vehicles needed for
the Green Line extension. The expansion was built in 2020. Part of the Hopkins site will now be home to a $14 million facility housing equipment to maintain the extension’s infrastructure.
Metro Transit also can’t start testing on the line until it is completely built. “The entire alignment must complete – detailed testing, system integration and safety verifications –before revenue operations can commence,” Kerr added.
If Metro Transit opened the completed Green Line extension segment in and west of St. Louis Park, Ben Bradford would ride it to work at a restaurant in St. Louis Park. “I feel like the train would be a lot faster than the bus,” Bradford said as he rode the 612, a bus route paralleling the Green Line extension on Excelsior Boulevard. Other transit agencies
in the nation building light rail projects have been able to open parts of their lines in spite of construction affecting a crucial segment. In Washington state, for example, Sound Transit is building a $4 billion, 18-mile light rail line called the East Link to connect downtown Seattle with the region’s eastern suburbs, home to Microsoft.
Sound Transit delayed the opening of the entire East Link line from mid2023 to 2025 after it directed its construction contractor to rebuild faulty track-supporting concrete plinths on a viaduct leading to the floating bridge crossing Puget Sound. However, after pressure from local elected officials and tech executives, as well as studies by its staff, the Sound Transit board decided to open the completed segment in the eastern suburbs, dubbed the East Link Starter Line, earlier
this year. What sets the East Link Starter Line apart from the completed Green Line extension segment is the East Link Starter Line is directly connected to an operations and maintenance facility along the line, which was built to support the extension. In Los Angeles, construction of a light-rail subway under downtown necessitated a two-plus-year split of the Metro L Line, which connected east Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley suburbs into two. One segment, running within East L.A., does not have a maintenance facility. The agency parked the trains running on that segment in a tunnel or at Atlantic station, the eastern end of the segment. Every month, trains needing maintenance were trucked to a facility on the segment serving the San Gabriel Valley. In the Twin Cities, Kerr said Metro Transit has more work to do to prepare for the line’s opening in 2027. Construction of the longdelayed Kenilworth tunnel is 95% complete, Kerr said, and workers have begun erecting overhead wires and installing communications
U.S. Census Bureau data to show that Black taxpayers paid more federal taxes than white taxpayers with the same income.
In large part that’s because the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow and structural racism keeps Black people from owning homes.
The federal income tax is full of advantages for home ownership that many Black taxpayers are unable to reach. These benefits include the ability to deduct home mortgage interest and local property taxes, and the right to avoid taxes on up to $500,000 of profit on the sale of a home.
It’s harder for middleclass Black people to get a mortgage than it is for lowincome white people. This is true even when Black Americans with high credit scores are compared with white Americans with low credit scores.
When Black people do get mortgages, they are charged higher rates than their white counterparts.
Trump did not create these problems. But instead of closing these income and race disparities, his 2017 tax cuts made them worse.
Black taxpayers paid higher taxes than white taxpayers who matched them in income, employment, marriage and other significant factors. Broken promises, broken trust
Fairness is an article of faith in American tax policy. A fair tax structure means that those earning similar incomes should pay similar taxes and stipulates that taxes should not increase income or wealth disparities.
Trump’s tax cuts contradict both principles.
Proponents of Trump’s cuts argued the
Hunter II
From 3
with over 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience. Most recently, he served as Center Director for Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge in Rochester, where he led recovery programs and guided teams focused on holistic growth. He also served as a Chaplain, providing spiritual and emotional support to individuals and families. Prior to that, David worked as a
LL Cool J
From 3
corporate rate cut would trickle down to all Americans. This is a foundational belief of “supply side” economics, a philosophy that President Ronald Reagan made popular in the 1980s.
From the Reagan administration on, every tax cut for the rich has skewed to the wealthy.
Just like prior “trickle down” plans, Trump’s corporate tax cuts did not produce higher wages or increased household income. Instead, corporations used their extra cash to pay dividends to their shareholders and bonuses to their executives.
Over that same period, the bottom 90% of wage earners saw no gains in their real wages. Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO, a labor group, estimates that 51% of the corporate tax cuts went to business owners and 10% went to the top five highestpaid senior executives in each company. Fully 38% went to the top 10% of wage earners.
In other words, the income gap between wealthy Americans and everyone else has gotten much wider under Trump’s tax regime.
Stock market inequality
Trump’s tax cuts also increased income and wealth disparities by race because those corporate tax savings have gone primarily to wealthy shareholders rather than spreading throughout the population.
The reasons are simple. In the U.S., shareholders are mostly corporations, pension funds and wealthy individuals. And wealthy people in the U.S. are almost invariably white.
Sixty-six percent of white families own stocks, while less than 40% of Black families and less than 30% of Hispanic families do.
Even when comparing Black and white families with the same income, the race gap in stock ownership remains.
These disparities stem from the same historical disadvantages that result in lower Black homeownership
Counselor at the Salvation Army ARC in Minneapolis, where he connected individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction with resources to rebuild their lives.
Beyond his professional roles, David is an active advocate for social justice and reintegration. As a Board Member for the Second Chance Coalition and R3 Collaborative, he has championed initiatives to promote equity, collaboration, and opportunity for individuals reentering society.
“David’s unique ability to meet people where
that,” LL said. “Everyone was wearing Adidas and Puma. I put the Jordans on.” In the 1990s, he also played a pivotal role in popularizing FUBU (For Us, By Us), a clothing line that became a cultural phenomenon. “When they talk about FUBU, they’ll say, ‘Yo, this guy introduced the idea of putting clothing lines into the culture,’” LL said. He also brought Kangol hats into hip-hop fashion, further solidifying his influence. While LL Cool J revolutionized music and style, he also excelled in acting. His film roles include “Any Given Sunday,” “Halloween H2O,” and “In Too Deep.” Since 2009, he has starred on CBS’s
size-fits-all approach to advancing DEI initiatives. The common goal is to create spaces within an institution where everyone feels valued and respected and can thrive.
rates. Until the Civil War, virtually no Black person could own property or enter into a contract. After the Civil War, Black codes – laws that specifically controlled and oppressed Black people –forced free Black Americans to work as farmers or servants.
State prohibitions on Black people owning property, and public and private theft of Black-owned land, kept Black Americans from accumulating wealth.
Trump did not create these problems. But instead of closing these income and race disparities, his 2017 tax cuts made them worse.
Black taxpayers paid higher taxes than white taxpayers who matched them in income, employment, marriage and other significant factors.
Broken promises, broken trust
Fairness is an article of faith in American tax policy. A fair tax structure means that those earning similar incomes should pay similar taxes and stipulates that taxes should not increase income or wealth disparities.
Trump’s tax cuts contradict both principles.
Proponents of Trump’s cuts argued the corporate rate cut would trickle down to all Americans. This is a foundational belief of “supply side” economics, a philosophy that President Ronald Reagan made popular in the 1980s.
From the Reagan administration on, every tax cut for the rich has skewed to the wealthy.
Just like prior “trickle down” plans, Trump’s corporate tax cuts did not produce higher wages or increased household income. Instead, corporations used their extra cash to pay dividends to their shareholders and bonuses to their executives.
Over that same period, the bottom 90% of wage earners saw no gains in their real wages. Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO, a labor group, estimates that 51%
they are—paired with his servant leadership approach— makes him the ideal leader to guide PWCC into its next century of service,” said Scott Morris, PWCC Board Chair. “His empathy, understanding, and passion for our mission inspire hope and possibility for our entire community.”
David’s leadership philosophy is rooted in empowering others through active listening, mentorship, and collaboration. He has extensive experience developing strategies and programs that drive organizational growth,
NCIS: Los Angeles, one of television’s most enduring dramas. Balancing his acting career with music, he released chart-topping albums such as “Mama Said Knock You Out” (1990), which earned him his first Grammy Award, and “Mr. Smith” (1995), featuring hits like “Hey Lover” and “Doin’ It.” His recent album, “The Frequencies of Real Creative Energy” (The FORCE), was inspired by
of the corporate tax cuts went to business owners and 10% went to the top five highestpaid senior executives in each company. Fully 38% went to the top 10% of wage earners. In other words, the income gap between wealthy Americans and everyone else has gotten much wider under Trump’s tax regime.
Stock market inequality Trump’s tax cuts also increased income and wealth disparities by race because those corporate tax savings have gone primarily to wealthy shareholders rather than spreading throughout the population.
The reasons are simple. In the U.S., shareholders are mostly corporations, pension funds and wealthy individuals. And wealthy people in the U.S. are almost invariably white.
Sixty-six percent of white families own stocks, while less than 40% of Black families and less than 30% of Hispanic families do. Even when comparing Black and white families with the same income, the race gap in stock ownership remains.
These disparities stem from the same historical disadvantages that result in lower Black homeownership rates. Until the Civil War, virtually no Black person could own property or enter into a contract. After the Civil War, Black codes – laws that specifically controlled and oppressed Black people –forced free Black Americans to work as farmers or servants.
State prohibitions on Black people owning property, and public and private theft of Black-owned land, kept Black Americans from accumulating wealth.
Health care hit
That said, the Trump tax cuts hurt lowincome taxpayers of all races. One way they did so was by abolishing the individual mandate requiring all
managing budgets, and cultivating relationships with diverse stakeholders. His expertise in public relations and fundraising has consistently surpassed annual goals, ensuring sustainable support for the communities he serves.
With his deep ties to North Minneapolis, David brings personal experience and cultural understanding to his work, fostering a shared vision of transformation and empowerment.
David is a devoted husband to his wife, Melissa, and a proud father of four.
a dream involving A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg. “He came to me in a dream, and I decided to pivot and collaborate with Q-Tip,” LL explained, emphasizing the spiritual connection that shaped the project. Despite his accomplishments, LL Cool J stopped short of declaring himself the greatest rapper ever. “There are too many rappers who have done too
Americans to have basic health insurance. The Affordable Care Act, passed under President Barack Obama, launched new, government-subsidized health plans and penalized people for not having health insurance.
Department of the Treasury data shows almost 50 million Americans were covered by the Affordable Care Act since 2014. After the individual mandate was revoked, between 3 million and 13 million fewer people purchased health insurance in 2020.
Ending the mandate triggered a large drop in health insurance coverage, and research shows it was primarily lower-income people who stopped buying subsidized insurance from the Obamacare exchanges. These are the same people who are the most vulnerable to financial disaster from unpaid medical bills.
Going without insurance hurt all low-income Americans. But studies suggest the drop in Black Americans’ coverage under Trump’s plan outpaced that of white Americans. The rate of uninsured Black Americans rose from 10.7% in 2016 to 11.5% in 2018, following the mandate’s repeal.
The consumer price index conundrum
The Trump tax cuts also altered how the Internal Revenue Service calculates inflation adjustments for over 60 different provisions. These include the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit – both of which provide cash to low-wage workers – and the wages that must pay Social Security taxes.
Previously, the IRS used the consumer price index for urban consumers, which tracks rising prices by comparing the cost of the same goods as they rise or fall, to calculate inflation. The government then used that inflation number to adjust Social Security payments and earned income tax credit eligibility.
His dedication to family and community underscores his belief in creating a better world for future generations.
PWCC’s board, leadership, and staff warmly welcome David Hunter II to the Phyllis Wheatley family and look forward to the positive change and growth his leadership will bring to the community.
About Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center has been a cornerstone of the North Minneapolis community for
many important things for me to claim that I’m the one,” he said. “There’s a kid out there who feels Tupac changed their life or that Biggie’s music defined an era. I respect that.”
It used the same figure to set the amount of income that is taxed at a given rate. The Trump tax cuts ordered the IRS to calculate inflation adjustments using the chained consumer price index for urban consumers instead. The difference between these two indexes is that the second one assumes people substitute cheaper goods as prices rise. For example, the chained consumer price index assumes shoppers will buy pork instead of beef if beef prices go up, easing the impact of inflation on a family’s overall grocery prices. The IRS makes smaller inflation adjustments based on that assumption. But low-income neighborhoods have less access to the kind of budget-friendly options envisioned by the chained consumer price index. And since even middle-class Black people are more likely than poor white people to live in lowincome neighborhoods, Black taxpayers have been hit harder by rising prices. What cost $1 in 2018 now costs $1.26. That’s a painful hike that Black families are less able to avoid. The imminent expiration of the Trump tax cuts gives the upcoming GOPled Congress the opportunity to undertake a thorough reevaluation of their effects. By prioritizing policies that address the well-known disparities exacerbated by these recent tax changes, lawmakers can work toward a fairer tax system that helps all Americans. Beverly Moran does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
100 years, providing programs and services that empower individuals and families. From early childhood education to youth development and family support, PWCC continues to uplift and transform lives in pursuit of equity, opportunity, and empowerment for all. In 2024, PWCC celebrated its centennial year of service to the North Minneapolis community. Our mission: We create pathways for individuals to discover their strengths and take control of their futures. www.phylliswheatley. org
LL Cool J’s career has earned a host of accolades, including a Kennedy Center Honor—the first awarded to a rapper—and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I hope you’re inspired by me because I’m absolutely inspired by you,” he stated. As LL Cool J continues to thrive across music, acting, and business, his influence on hip-hop and culture remains undeniable. “Being the first to do so many things in hip-hop has to put me in the G.O.A.T. conversation,” he said. “But ultimately, I’ll let history decide.”
increasingly using the term “diversity hire” as an insult. As a scholar focused on gender and exclusion, I recognize that these attacks are often rooted in anti-Black racism. For example, despite Kamala Harris’ achievements as vice president and California attorney general, some Republicans targeted her as a “DEI hire” during her recent presidential run. And after the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore in March 2024, Utah State Representative Phil Lyman blamed Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor, for prioritizing DEI over security.
The DEI backlash has hit corporate America, too. Companies like spiritsmaker Brown-Forman and the farm equipment manufacturer John Deere have reversed the DEI commitments they made following the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a white police officer. I believe all these attacks, both political and corporate, promote a distorted and incomplete story about DEI.
The empirical evidence is clear There is no one-
A 2020 Gallup poll found that 24% of Black and Latino employees have experienced discrimination at work, compared with 15% of white employees.
DEI efforts to identify and solve such issues include surveys, employee interviews and comparing practices across different organizations. They also entail assessments of systems, policies and research, and developing initiatives to address areas that need improvement.
Employee and student surveys, for example, can measure the sense of belonging within an organization and help leaders identify areas in need of improvement.
Evidence suggests that successfully implementing DEI is central to professional and societal well-being and success in a multicultural society.
Recent research by the author Melinda Epler, for example, shows a clear connection between employees’ sense of safety, belonging and satisfaction and how much their employer prioritizes DEI. Scientists also find that diversity is key to creative, productive and efficient scientific teams. And other research indicates that employees are more innovative and work
harder when teams are made up of people with different experiences. This is why many employers value employees who can solve problems while working with people who have diverse backgrounds in terms of race, gender, religion, age and other factors. The outcome can be lucrative for companies: On U.S. and global executive staffs, studies show, efforts to improve DEI result in increased profits. Companies with at least one woman on their board, for example, financially outperform those with only men on their boards.
Diversity standards Despite the many ways leaders of an organization can work to cultivate an inclusive and respectful culture, DEI critics tend to portray this work in simplistic terms. For example, two Stanford University academics misrepresented DEI efforts recently. In an August 2024 op-ed in The New York Times, they presented DEI as mainly consisting of one-time trainings that divide groups into oppressors and the oppressed. Narrowly defining DEI in such simplistic ways ignores the bridge-building involved in DEI efforts and makes it easier to repeat the single story that DEI has failed. In her 2009 TED Talk on the danger of the “single story,” novelist Chimamanda Adichie said
single stories, or narratives that only present one perspective, are based on stereotypes and incomplete information. They result in false assumptions and generalizations.
“To create a single story is to show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again,” Adichie said. “And that is what they become.”
Adichie’s warnings about the single story sheds light on the effects of attacks on DEI. Reducing DEI to simplistic “us vs. them” approaches or to a focus on “oppressor vs. oppressed” misses much of the work.
Yet the more societal problems Republicans in power blame DEI for – from racism to inflation – the more believable the story of DEI failure becomes. The absence of quick, easy solutions for historical racial and socioeconomic inequities are presented as further proof of DEI’s failure.
Teaching a fuller story DEI is not easy to do well. But as a DEI practitioner and scholar, I find working to create inclusive spaces through curiosity, learning and dialogue can be transformative. The more institutions do to support welcoming, supportive spaces – where people’s differences are respected – the healthier and more successful everyone is as individuals and organizations.
In 2022, my team in the Office of Transformational
and Inclusive Excellence developed a Religious Observances and Inclusive Scheduling calendar. We did so to recognize religious pluralism in our university community. We followed up with educational posters in 2023. The next year, we launched an educational video series featuring students discussing their religious practices. We partnered with the university’s communications office and athletics office to create and show these videos at university athletic events, such as football and basketball games.
In January 2024, the office I lead at Miami University partnered with several other departments to launch what we called a Constructive Dialogue Initiative. The goal of this new project is to provide all students with concrete skills and opportunities to communicate across social and cultural differences and to decrease polarization.
Students first engage with short online modules from the Constructive Dialogue Institute. They then apply strategies learned online to facilitate inperson, peer-to-peer dialogues.
Our pilot program showed very positive results. Among the nearly 100 student leaders who participated, 78% felt less polarized. This work is important for universities, where research shows retention and graduation rates are tied to students’ sense of belonging.
Collaboration and communication across differences are central to successful DEI efforts. This is why we launched the DEI in Leadership Certificate in 2022. That same year, the project won an international Telly Award, which recognizes excellence in video. Those who have participated in the certificate have included leaders and employees in the health, legal, human resources, criminal justice and nonprofit sectors across the U.S. The narrow, single story of DEI failure promoted by critics makes it very difficult to recognize the value of these efforts. Simplistic single stories can be appealing. They do not reflect reality, though. The fuller story presents a much more useful way to advance shared goals — as a society that is deserving of systems in which everyone can be included and valued. M. Cristina Alcalde does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Democracy
By Frank Erickson
ABC/Disney’s bad presidential precedent
By Chuck Hobbs
Last week, ABC News, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, settled a defamation claim brought on behalf of Donald Trump—a suit that alleged that George Stephanopolous, the longtime host of the network’s This Week news show, acted with “actual malice” last March by saying on air that Trump was found “civilly liable” of “raping” journalist E. Jean Carroll.
Now, if you are reading this and thinking, “well, isn’t that what happened,” hyper technically speaking, no, the jury heard testimony from Ms. Carroll that Trump used his hands to push her against a wall, remove her underwear,
and force his penis inside of her until she was able to “knee him” and “get away,” but instead of finding the former president liable for rape, the jury found Trump “responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse” and “defamation” before awarding damages in the amount of $5 million. (AP report, May 9, 2023).
When I first read that ABC chose not to defend Stephanopolous’ legally slight rhetorical error and settle at this early stage for $15 million and a donation to the Trump presidential library, cognizant that the Disney Corporation earns hundreds of billions in profits each year, I immediately concluded that such was akin to the company “kissing the ring” of “Godfather Don Trumpleone,” or in an a reference to the HBO Game of Thrones series, “bending the knee” to the once and future king of the West Wing.
Ordinarily, major corporations like Disney
usually fight these type of claims because they have LONG money and legions of lawyers that can tie such cases up in litigation for decades! But ABC capitulated not because Mr. Stephanopolous acted with “actual malice,” the legal standard that’s been
around since the early days of British Common Law which requires proof that the declarant (Stephanopolous) acted with conscious disregard to the truth.” No, I believe that ABC caved to protect its bottom line—which is to make money for its corporate shareholders!
You see, with Mr. Trump promising to file suits against news corporations and individual journalists that he believes are “defaming” him— all the while attacking federal broadcast licensing rights for those news organizations who dare oppose his will, it’s far easier for said corporations to make peace and retain access to the administration than to find that they are banished to the “Island of Misfit Toys,” as popularized in Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer!
A second reason that ABC quickly waved the white flag of surrender was first espoused by conservative radio host (and former lawyer)
Erick Erickson, who opined last week that the “$15 million settlement is not the cost of doing business. It is avoiding discovery.” For those unaware, the “Discovery” phase in any legal case is where the opposing parties exchange information by issuing subpoenas for records, taking depositions and propounding interrogatories, and by demanding admissions that could be used at mediation (in civil cases) or during trial (in both civil and criminal cases). By settling now, ABC (and Disney) will not have to hand over emails, documents, text message logs, or anything that could lead to further litigation—or impact its financial bottom line. So while I can understand the legal bases behind ABC’s settlement, I also can (and do) lament the problems that I have with the corporate media model in the modern world; lest we forget that when the Constitution was ratified in 1787 and established as its very first amendment a free press, most newspapers and pamphlets were very small in scope and catered to a local crowd—and few journalists or publishers earned extreme wealth from their trade. But as time passed by and the corporate model arose in print and later broadcast journalism, the age-old charge for “fair and balanced” reporting has, for some, become a secondary consideration to ensuring that advertising dollars which keep shareholders happy and journalists earning a living don’t dry up! And with the entire media profession undergoing massive changes in the 21st Century, some of which includes a “Back to the Future” model if you will that now finds journalists laid off or leaving major news organizations to create podcasts and blogs on fora like Substack, I sense that we will find that those with the courage to call out the lies and misdeeds from the incoming administration will be relied upon far more by the rational reading public than the major corporate types who are seeking to curry favor with Trump and his minions. Indeed, when I saw that usual MSNBC Trump critics Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski traveled to Mar-ALago last month to re-establish ties with Trump, such was a mere harbinger of more major media deference to come—and the potential normalization of Trump’s abnormal penchant to lie, distort, and hyperbolize matters great and small when it furthers his ends. Like many of you, I learned way back in elementary school that you can’t run from (or bargain with) a bully— you have to stand up and defend yourself against their aggression! Sadly, the ABC/ Disney honchos who authorized this settlement remind me of the kids who used to immediately hand their lunch money or tray over to the school bully! Which is somewhat odd,
Hobb servation Point
Trump and Stephanopolous circa 2020
University of Minnesota Gophers secure bowl bid
Sports Editor
By Leahjean M. Denley, MBA
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers will play in a bowl game this season, despite finishing the regular season with a 5-7 record. While their performance on the field may not have traditionally earned a postseason spot, unique circumstances and NCAA rules have given the Gophers a chance to extend their season.
Minnesota’s bowl eligibility comes as a result of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) tiebreaker. The NCAA allows teams with a 5-7 record to participate in bowl games if there are not enough 6-6
or better teams to fill all the available slots. In such cases, teams are selected based on their APR, a measure of athletes’ academic success and retention.
The Golden Gophers, known for strong academic performance among their student-athletes, ranked high enough to secure a spot.
This marks the second time in recent history that Minnesota has benefited from the APR rule, showcasing the importance of balancing academics with athletics. The bid also underscores the expanding nature of college football’s postseason. With over 40 bowl games now on the schedule, the need to fill slots often creates opportunities for teams with sub-.500 records.
Critics of the system argue that bowl bids should be reserved for teams with winning records, citing concerns about
diluting the prestige of the postseason. However, for the Gophers, this is a chance for redemption and an opportunity to reward players for their hard
work throughout the season. In a recent press conference, Head Coach, PJ Fleck stated, “We’re thrilled to be headed to the Duke’s
Mayo Bowl in Charlotte and represent the Big Ten against a great Virginia Tech team in the Queen City. We’re grateful to Duke’s Mayo for the invitation and to executive director Danny Morrison and everyone at the Charlotte Sports Foundation. We’re looking forward to experiencing the pageantry of the bowl and the warm hospitality of Charlotte. I know Gopher fans are excited to watch their team compete, and our guys will be ready to play in January.”
Despite the excitement of the bid, the Gophers face a significant challenge heading into their bowl game. Starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has entered the transfer portal and will not play in the postseason. This leaves the team to rely on a backup quarterback in one of the most critical games of the
year. While this presents an opportunity for younger players to step up, it adds another layer of uncertainty to the Gophers’ already unconventional path to the postseason.
Financially, the bowl bid offers substantial value. Payouts from bowl games support scholarships, facilities, and non-revenue sports. Additionally, the opportunity to showcase the team on a national stage can help with recruiting efforts, even in the absence of their starting quarterback. Minnesota’s inclusion in a bowl game demonstrates the complex intersection of performance, academics, and postseason logistics in college football. Whether they rise to the occasion on the field remains to be seen, but their bid highlights the evolving nature of the sport’s postseason landscape.
College football quest for championship intesi
By Leahjean M. Denley, MBA Sports Editor
The stage is set, and the excitement is electric as college football’s most thrilling time of the year is upon us! Bowl season kicks off with marquee matchups showcasing the best teams in the nation, culminating in the College Football Playoff tournament. The quest for the championship intensifies as powerhouse programs and underdog contenders battle for glory on the sport’s biggest stage. Get ready for unforgettable moments, stunning plays, and the crowning of the ultimate champion!
Here’s a listing of the college football bowl games in order by date and time:
December 14
Cricket Celebration
Bowl: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State, Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Noon, ABC Salute to Veterans Bowl: South Alabama vs. Western Michigan, Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama), 9 p.m., ESPN
December 17
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: Memphis vs. West Virginia, Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas), 9 p.m., ESPN
December 18
Boca Raton Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. James Madison, FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida), 5:30 p.m., ESPN Art of Sport LA Bowl: Cal vs. UNLV, SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California), 9 p.m.,
By
Justin Jefferson raced across the back of the end zone, leaped to catch the pass from Sam Darnold and launched into his latest touchdown celebration after an early score for the Minnesota Vikings.
He finished the dance with a special tribute to one of his greatest inspirations, Randy Moss.
“We love you Randy!” Jefferson shouted toward the ESPN camera as he formed the shape of a heart with his fingers in front of his chest, showing the national television audience how the Vikings and their fans feel about the Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who started his spectacular and sometimes-bumpy career with Minnesota in 1998.
Moss revealed last week his diagnosis of cancer in his bile duct that was removed with a six-hour surgery and kept him hospitalized for six days. He has taken a leave from his job as an ESPN studio analyst
ESPN
December 19
R+L Carriers
New Orleans Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston, Caesars Superdome (New Orleans), 7 p.m., ESPN2
December 20 StaffDNA Cure Bowl: Ohio vs. Jacksonville State, Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), Noon, ESPN
Union Home
Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Tulane vs. Florida, Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
December 23
Myrtle Beach Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA, Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina), 11 a.m., ESPN Famous Idaho
Hawai’i Bowl: South Florida vs. San José State, Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu), 8 p.m., ESPN
December 26
GameAbove Sports Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Toledo, Ford Field (Detroit), 2 p.m., ESPN
Rate Bowl: Rutgers vs. Kansas State, Chase Field (Phoenix), 5:30 p.m., ESPN
68 Ventures Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green, Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama), 9 p.m., ESPN
but has vowed to return to the screen as soon as he can.
The Vikings invited former wide receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed — who with Moss made up the “Three Deep” trio that fueled a 15-1 regular season record in 1998 before a crushing overtime loss in the NFC championship game — to serve as honorary captains for the game on Monday night against Chicago. Carter and Reed held up a replica Moss jersey as they walked to midfield for the pregame coin flip. Moss chimed in on social media to return the love, accompanied by a clever hashtag: “Let’s Moss Cancer.” The “You got Mossed!” meme has been a recurring bit on ESPN’s analysis programming to highlight a receiver burning a defender like Moss did for the Vikings, Raiders, Patriots and others over 14 seasons in the NFL while racking up four AllPro selections and 156 receiving touchdowns to rank second alltime.
“Grateful for what he has done for this game and what he has done for me as a kid just watching him,” Jefferson said
December 27
DirecTV Holiday
Bowl: Syracuse vs. Washington State, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA, 8 p.m., FOX
Armed Forces Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Navy, Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas), Noon, ESPN
AutoZone Liberty
Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Arkansas, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee), 7 p.m.,
ESPN SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Texas A&M vs. USC, Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), 10:30 p.m., ESPN
December 28
Wasabi Fenway
Bowl: UConn vs. North Carolina, Fenway Park (Boston), 11 a.m., ESPN
Bad Boy Mowers
Pinstripe Bowl: Boston College vs. Nebraska, Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York), Noon, ABC
Isleta New
Mexico Bowl: Louisiana vs. TCU, University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico), 2:15 p.m., ESPN
PopTarts Bowl: Iowa
State vs. Miami, Camping
World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), 3:30 p.m., ABC
Snoop Dogg
Arizona Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. Colorado State, Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona), 4:30 p.m., CW Network Go Bowling Military
Bowl: East Carolina vs. NC State, Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis,
Maryland), 5:45 p.m., ESPN Valero Alamo Bowl: BYU vs. Colorado, Alamodome (San Antonio), 7:30 p.m., ABC Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Marshall vs. Army, Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana), 9:15 p.m., ESPN
December 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl: Iowa vs. Missouri, Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee), 2:30 p.m., ESPN
December 31
ReliaQuest Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan, Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida), Noon, ESPN Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Louisville vs. Washington, Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas), 2 p.m., CBS CheezIt Citrus Bowl: South Carolina vs. Illinois, Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), 3 p.m., ABC Kinder’s Texas Bowl: Baylor vs. LSU, NRG Stadium (Houston), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
January 2
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Duke vs. Ole Miss, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida), 7:30 p.m., ESPN
January 3
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: North Texas vs. Texas State, Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas), 4 p.m., ESPN Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech, Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina), 7:30 p.m., ESPN
January 4
Bahamas Bowl pres. by Atlantis Resorts: Buffalo vs. Liberty, Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas), 11 a.m., ESPN2 For the 2024 season, the 12 team College Football Playoff National Championship will be held on Monday, January 20, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. The following is a list of the matchups leading to the championship game: First Round (Dec. 20-21, 2024) No. 10 Indiana vs.
after Minnesota’s 30-12 victory over Chicago, wearing a Moss jersey during his postgame interview in the locker room.
“Being a fan of him, always got to show love to him.” Jefferson, who was a college teammate of Moss’ son
Thaddeus at LSU, said he sent a text message to Moss recently to wish him well after the cancer news came out.
“I
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) runs from Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (1) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Minneapolis.
Dave Campbell AP Pro Football Writer
Rondo Dayz and Broken Robots
By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor
RONDO DAYZ & BROKEN ROBOTS
By Mizz Mercedez
Yes, I own it. As a Baby Boomer, I was one of those kids who collected comic books back in the day. I remember my collections of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Flash, and the Justice League of America. Much as I enjoyed them in a world of fantasy, as an adult, there was
one pesky fly in the ointment— none of the characters looked like me, unlike today when you have Black Panther.
That being said, I present to you the newest comic creations by our own Mizz Mercedez—Rondo Dayz and Broken Robots.
Dedicated to Floyd Smaller, Rondo Dayz honors the history of St. Paul’s Rondo community. During a class discussion, Mizz Mercedez’s students are upset about what happened to so many families that lived in Rondo prior to the construction of I-94. In response to their questions, she teleports them back to 1957 and the start of Trumpet Newspaper and the Backyard Circus. From there, our Mizz Mercedez takes her class forward to different points in time, spotlighting the Who’s
Who in Rondo and significant events affecting the community, leading up to the first Rondo Dayz celebration in 1983. The first paragraph of this comic book is both powerful and sets the tone: “The elders in your life will have keys to the future! Be sure to listen, their stories will show you the way!”
Where Rondo Dayz highlights the richness of our history, Broken Robots takes us into a not-so-distant future, one where students at the Rondo School of Arts are absorbed in social media, technology, and the ubiquitous cell phones. This book shows us what happens when schoolwork suffers and students have allowed digital technology to control their minds, leading to bad choices in their interactions with and treatment of others, not to mention “Detention!”
I appreciate Mizz Mercedez’s ways of engaging the reader, both entertaining and teaching simultaneously. Indeed, her comic books appeal to adults as well as children. Even as a Baby Boomer, I learned more about the history of the Rondo community while remembering facets of it as well. In Broken Robots, I give her a hat tip for illustrating the dangers of overdependence on technology in our daily lives, when it is not used wisely.
Rondo Dayz and Broken Robots are available through her website, mizzmercedez.com.
Thank you, Mizz Mercedez, for your love for and pride in the community, and for carrying our history forward in your creative, engaging way. Looking forward to your next installments!
Insight 2 Health
The safest states to retire
By Arthur Bretschneider
As violent crime against seniors has risen by 331% over the past ten years, Baby Boomers across the country are facing the question about where to spend their golden years.
As the U.S. population ages, ensuring the safety and well-being of older adults becomes increasingly important. When choosing a retirement destination, factors like crime rates, healthcare access, and infrastructure play a crucial role in determining a senior’s quality of life.
With families increasingly spread across the country, choosing a retirement destination that prioritizes safety becomes even more crucial. Older adults can no longer rely solely on proximity to family for support and safety. By selecting a safe and secure community, families can have peace of mind knowing their loved ones are well-cared for, regardless of distance.
Crime against America’s seniors has skyrocketed over the past decade, as violent crime rates have increased by 331% and property crime rates up 79% between 2013 and 2023, according to Seniorly’s analysis of FBI data.
Though it seems unthinkable to most, the elder abuse problem has gotten so serious in America that doctors called it a “growing epidemic” in Time Magazine earlier this year.
To identify the safest states to retire, Seniorly used a holistic approach to the idea of safety, and analyzed the most recent federal data across seven categories: public safety,
healthcare, falls, road safety, money lost to scams, violent crimes and property crimes.
The most recent data shows 41,400 seniors died from falls in 2023, about 8,500 were involved in deadly car crashes, and seniors lost a record $3.4 billion to scams, forcing many to sell their homes.
We also factor in public services that keep people safe – police and hospitals. Across the U.S., there are nearly 65,000 police and sheriff’s patrol officers and an average of 15.4 hospital beds for every 1,000 seniors enrolled in Medicare, the health insurance program for older adults.
Needless to say, there’s a lot for people to consider when deciding where to retire and live out their golden years – so to make it easier, Seniorly analyzed each of these categories across the all 50 states and D.C. to determine where older adults are safest.
Here’s what we found:
New Jersey is the Safest State: Boasting low rates of crime against older people, fewer fatalities from falls and car accidents, and a healthy police presence, the Garden State came out on top.
Top 10 States
Span East Coast: Regardless of whether they were in the North (New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut) or the South (Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama) - East Coast states dominated the top 10. Seniors there were less likely to be scammed, and most of these states also had much lower violent crime rates against older adults and fewer fatal falls.
Worst States
Concentrated Out West: Whether they were Mountain states (Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and Montana) or the Pacific states (Washington and Oregon) - the western region made up most of the bottom 10 states. California was a notable exception, ranking 15th overall.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better: The country’s five biggest states spanned the rankings, but mostly landed among the top half in the overall ranking: New York (No. 2) , Pennsylvania (No. 7), California (No. 15), Florida (No. 20), Texas (No. 29).
Best States
Coming in first, the safest state to retire is New Jersey. It was boosted by its low rates of property and violent crimes against seniors (523.2 and 33.9 per 100k, respectively), as well as low rates of fall-related deaths among older adults (35.4 per 100k) and seniors involved in fatal traffic accidents (11.5 per 100k drivers).
Next up are neighboring New York, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Nebraska. While these states may have big differences in terms of culture and lifestyle, they all landed among the top five safest states due to their strong police presences, low levels of elder fraud, and availability of hospital beds. For example, No. 3 Mississippi and No. 4 Louisiana had the lowest rates of elder fraud in the U.S., with a respective 60.9 and 67.2 complainants ages 60+ per 100k seniors. They also had among the highest rates of police officers per elderly population.
Meanwhile, No. 5 Nebraska had one of the lowest rates of violent crime against seniors, with just 35.5 incidents per 100k, and No. 2 New York was more accident-proof than most states, with 49.4 fall-related deaths per 100k and just 8.1 older adults involved in fatal car crashes per 100k drivers.
Worst States
There is certainly a geographical pattern when it comes to the most dangerous states for seniors to retire. Colorado ranked as the least safe state, with high levels of elder fraud (223.1 cases per 100k) as well as rates of seniortargeted property crime (1,724.5 per 100k) and violent crime (133.8 per 100k).
Rounding out the bottom five are fellow Western states Nevada, Washington, Oregon, and New Mexico. Most of these states had very high property crime rates, with older adults more likely to be a victim in No. 49 Washington than any other state in the U.S. (1,875.6 crimes against seniors per 100k).
Meanwhile, older adults were more likely to be scammed in No. 50 Nevada than almost anywhere else (240.8 complainants per 100k adults ages 60+), and No. 48 Oregon had fewer police officers than any other state (581 per 100k older adults).
Oregon, Washington, and No. 47 New Mexico also lacked access to health care for older adults, with just 8.9, 9.4, and 11.2 hospital beds available per 1,000 Medicare patients, respectively.
Best and Worst by Category
While some states stand out as the best and worst overall, others excel in only one or two categories. Check out the best and worst states for each data point.
Conclusion As the U.S. population ages, ensuring the safety and well-being of older adults and loved ones is a priority for millions of people across the country. The safest states for seniors to retire offer a combination of low crime rates, access to health care and law enforcement services, and good infrastructure that makes falls and traffic accidents less dangerous. While no state is perfect, understanding these dynamics can help seniors make informed decisions about where to spend their golden years.
Methodology
We used the most recent federal data for seven metrics to determine the safest states for older adults to retire. We used a Z-score distribution to scale each metric relative to the mean across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and capped outliers at +/-3. We multiplied Z-scores by -1 when a higher score was negatively associated with being above the national average, for example having more violent crime. A state’s overall ranking was calculated using its average Z-score across the seven metrics. Here’s a closer look at the metrics we used:
Scams: Fraud complainants ages 60+ per 100k older adults, 2023 (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
