Insight ::: 05.08.2023

Dave Campbell AP Pro Football Writer

Jordan Addison could hardly have found a better place to break into the NFL than Minnesota, with Justin Jefferson in place to learn from.

The Vikings selected the USC wide receiver with the 23rd overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving their superstar a viable sidekick after the jettisoning of veteran Adam Thielen — and passing on a top quarterback prospect who tumbled down the board.

Addison was the fourth consecutive wide receiver taken after none went in the first 19 slots, following Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Ngjiba (Seahawks), TCU’s Quentin Johnston (Chargers) and Boston College’s Zay Flowers (Ravens). Addison a pre-draft visits with the Vikings, and by all accounts they hit it off

Wolves

By Dave Campbell AP Sports Writer

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a big move last summer — in more ways than one — to build off a breakthrough season, and the end result was a small impact in the NBA playoffs this spring.

Injury absences were a major hindrance, but a return to fully healthy roster is entirely possible. The integration of top acquisition Rudy Gobert in a 7-footer pair with KarlAnthony Towns was limited and clunky, but more time together for a talent-rich if awkwardly constructed lineup can only help.

The most pertinent question, then, might be about maturity. Can the Timberwolves cultivate enough good habits

By Alexandra Digby

seek

offseason

growth after struggles with maturity

to be a legitimate Western Conference contender and not just a one-round-and-done team?

“Our emotional control was really disappointing at times this year. It wasn’t just the young guys, too, which is even more disappointing,” general manager Tim Connelly said Thursday. “So I think that’s going to be a huge focus of this offseason, not just relative to acquiring new faces, but how do the guys who are here be a bit more mature when things don’t go their way.”

The most publicized moment, of course, was in the April 9 game against New Orleans when Jaden McDaniels broke his hand by punching a wall out of frustration and Gobert took a swing at teammate Kyle Anderson during an argument in a timeout. Anthony

Edwards also found some trouble Tuesday for swinging a folding chair on his way off the court following the seriesending loss in Denver. His outburst allegedly caused minor injuries to two arena employees. “We have to address some of this, some of the behaviors, for sure. A lot of it I think comes from a good place. They’re competitive. I don’t think they’re malicious or petulant or necessarily just trying to act out to be acting out,” coach Chris Finch said. “We have a lot of guys who have not necessarily won a lot in their career as young players, so handling failures as they come and the stakes are a little higher also exposes some flash points for us. They’re all growth opportunities, for sure.” The Wolves also led the league in ejections (nine),

tied for the most fouled-out players (15) and had the secondhighest total of personal fouls (1,768), according to Sportradar data.

Perhaps more implicating was the 9-15 record against the bottom four teams in each conference: Washington, Orlando, Charlotte and Detroit in the East; and Utah, Portland, Houston and San Antonio in the West. Continuing a trend that cost them their playoff series last year against Memphis, the Wolves lost 18 games in which they had a lead of 10-plus points.

“We’re not where we should be, where we need to be yet in terms of winning habits,” Gobert said. “I think we can get there. I think we will get there, but those things take time and

“They told me if I fall to them, they were going to make sure they grabbed me,” Addison said on a video conference call from the draft with reporters in Minnesota. His confidence stood out, but so did his desire.

“You feel a hungry player that wants to be great,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.

Addison, K.J. Osborn and tight end T.J. Hockenson will be counted on to keep Vikings

opponents honest without tilting the coverages so much toward Jefferson, who led the NFL with 128 receptions and 1,809 yards and won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022. “We want to make people pay for that,” O’Connell said. With uncertainty beyond this year at quarterback with Kirk Cousins on an expiring contract, the Vikings passed on Kentucky’s Will Levis, who was widely expected to be gone in the first half of the first round. Three of the first

Harry Belafonte: Principled, passionate arts, rights visionary

also provide the impetus for policymakers and regulators to address a systemic problem that has plagued the banking industry from the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s to the financial crisis of 2008 to the recent turmoil following SVB’s demise: incentive structures that encourage excessive risk-taking.

First Republic Bank became the second-biggest bank failure in U.S. history after the lender was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and sold to JPMorgan Chase on May 1, 2023. First Republic is the latest victim of the panic that has roiled small and midsize banks since the failure of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023.

The collapse of SVB and now First Republic underscores how the impact of risky decisions at one bank can quickly spread into the broader financial system. It should

The Federal Reserve’s top regulator seems to agree. On April 28, the central bank’s vice chair for supervision delivered a stinging report on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, blaming its failures on its weak risk management, as well as supervisory missteps.

We are professors of economics who study and teach the history of financial crises. In each of the financial upheavals since the 1980s, the common denominator was risk. Banks provided incentives that encouraged executives to take big risks to boost profits, with few consequences if their bets turned bad. In other words, all carrot and no stick.

One question we are

grappling with now is what can be done to keep history from repeating itself and threatening the banking system, economy and jobs of everyday people.

S&L crisis sets the stage

The precursor to the banking crises of the 21st century was the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s.

The so-called S&L crisis, like the collapse of SVB, began in a rapidly changing

interest rate environment. Savings and loan banks, also known as thrifts, provided home loans at attractive interest rates. When the Federal Reserve under Chairman Paul Volcker aggressively raised rates in the late 1970s to fight raging inflation, S&Ls were suddenly earning less on fixedrate mortgages while having to pay higher interest to attract

Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the passing of Harry Belafonte, a 2010 recipient of the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award — the civil rights community’s highest honor:

“Legendary civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte lived his passion and his principles for freedom. He once said, ‘You can cage the singer but not the song.’ He meant freedom’s song. And he never stopped fighting for our freedom from racism in all its forms with a selflessness built on a love of humankind rarely matched in one so prized for his talent and his beauty.

“I was fortunate to meet Mr. Belafonte at a time in my life when I needed to hear his words. What he told me, and what I saw in his enduring fight against systemic injustices, reinspired me.

“Beyond his tremendous success and leadership in the arts, Belafonte dedicated his life to the civil rights movement and Black liberation, and he has been a friend to our civil and human rights coalition for decades. He was a confidant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., helped organize the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, financed numerous voter registration drives, and raised funds to free imprisoned civil rights protesters —

including bailing Dr. King out of Birmingham City Jail during the 1963 Birmingham campaign. He also became a cultural advisor to the Peace Corps under President John F. Kennedy and was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987. His commitment to human rights, including his outspoken opposition to apartheid and his longstanding advocacy for the people of Haiti, was unwavering.

“We are not only deeply indebted to Harry Belafonte for his decades of work fighting for the rights of all of us and for a just, multiracial democracy. We are also empowered by his leadership that never faltered and his legacy that lives on. The Leadership Conference mourns our loss of a civil rights giant as we send him home with a profound gratitude for his fire and friendship, his courage, and his lifelong dedication to the movement. Rest in power.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 230 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

Anthony

Recent banking crises are rooted in a system that rewards excessive risk-taking – as First Republic’s failure shows

For this Black mom, Ralph Yarl could have been her son

By Kia Breaux

On April 13, the nightmare that I’d worried about ever since we moved into our neighborhood came true.

That was the day that I learned 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot after mistakenly ringing a doorbell at the wrong house while trying to pick up his younger brothers from a playdate. And even as I anguished over what happened to him, one thing kept echoing in my mind:

It could have been my child.

John, my older son, is 17 and attends the same high school as Ralph. It’s common for me to ask John to pick up his 14-year-old brother Jaden from various extracurricular activities. I’ve been cautious about what I ask John to do and where I ask him to go.

I don’t know what might happen if he crosses paths with someone who feels threatened by the color of his skin.

That’s because the suburbs of Kansas City north of the Missouri River have long held a reputation of not being the most welcoming to Black families. While I’ve adjusted to the awkward stares and subtle racism, I’ve always had a nagging fear that something bad could happen if my sons ventured too far from home without me.

I became painfully aware that John shared that fear shortly after Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down by white men while jogging through a Georgia neighborhood in 2020.

Like Arbery, John liked to jog through the neighborhood. Now, however, he was asking me to trail him in my car as he jogged through ours.

I felt like I’d failed as a mother. I had done everything I could to make him feel safe and protected,

Timberwolves

From 3

discipline.”

THE EXPERIMENT CONTINUES

The experiment of playing Towns as a stretch power forward with Gobert, a threetime NBA Defensive Player of the Year, at center barely got going. Towns missed most of

but he was afraid to run past the familiar, well-manicured lawns in the only neighborhood he’s ever known as home.

I knew there would be challenges when we moved in as one of the only Black families in the subdivision in 2005. But I figured the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks. Besides, you can’t run or hide from racism.

My ex-husband and I bought our home when John was just six weeks old — three years before Staley High School opened — because we wanted our children to receive a quality education. Our realtor touted plans for the state-ofthe-art high school campus as a selling point. We loved the layout of the home on a half acre of land, and the sprawling backyard was perfect for the Irish setter we had at the time.

Some neighbors welcomed us with housewarming gifts of flowers and baked goods. Later, we were told that one family sold their house shortly after we moved in because they didn’t want to live near Black people. At a party at a neighbor’s house not long after that, a guest wondered out loud why Black people would want to live in a predominantly white neighborhood. “Wouldn’t they feel more comfortable living around their own people?”

Then there was the time I sent my then-husband to return a casserole dish a neighbor left at my house after a party. The former neighbor, whom we’d known for years at that point, opened the door and yelled, “We don’t want any. Go Away,” and slammed the door. She didn’t take the time to make out the face on the other side of the door. She just saw Black. She apologized profusely when she realized what she had done.

It touched John from very early on, too. He was in kindergarten when I had to

training camp recovering from a throat infection that had him hospitalized on bed rest. Then he severely strained his calf muscle and missed 52 games.

“They’re both really incredibly good basketball players,” Finch said. “With the skill level that KAT has, for sure, there’s no reason basketballwise that it shouldn’t work.”

Gobert and Towns will gobble up $77 million against the salary cap next season, which makes finding room for backup center Naz Reid a

confront some of the realities of raising a Black child in this predominantly white suburb. Silly me. I thought I’d have more time to prepare.

We were home one evening when I overheard John yell at the TV during a game of Wii boxing. “Take that, you jigaboo!” He could tell by my face that the word was more than a casual insult aimed at his virtual opponent. It took a while for me to coax out of him that a white kid at school had called him that name.

How do you explain to a 5-year-old why someone would call him that? I fumbled through it just as I’ve learned to fumble through raising my Black sons in an environment where their skin is considered by some to be a weapon.

These things happen.

You block them out and you move on, but the subtle tension remains. No one wants to talk about it. Eventually you become numb. You avoid certain situations. It’s like walking on eggshells to avoid a landmine.

It becomes exhausting to try to shield my sons from the ugliness I know exists. John is dating now. If he plans to ask a white girl out, I always ask:

“Do her parents know you are Black? Are they OK with it?”

When I heard what happened to Ralph, I cried. I haven’t slept well since, because it could have easily been John who was shot in the head after mistakenly going to NE 115th Street instead of NE 115th Terrace to pick up his brother.

Ralph’s mistake was an innocent one. In my neighborhood, address mixups happen all the time. Many houses are numbered identically, and sometimes the only difference in a street address is “terrace” versus “street” or “northwest” versus “northeast.”

We recently had a string of unexpected visits. Just

priority. Reid’s presence in the playoffs was dearly missed due to a broken wrist, and he will be an unrestricted free agent after a breakout year.

NEXT IN LINE Edwards will be eligible for a maximum-value contract extension this summer, a five-year deal worth more than $200 million that Connelly said the Wolves would offer as soon as the negotiation period begins on June 30. McDaniels, who came from the same 2020 draft

From 3 3

Kia Breaux watches her sons John, 17, right, and Jaden, 14, play a game in front of their home in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, April 21, 2023. The recent shooting of Black teenager Ralph Yarl by an 84-year-old white man when Yarl mistakenly went to the wrong address in a nearby neighborhood, has shaken many Black residents in the predominantly white region of the city.

after dawn one morning, we were awakened to men we didn’t hire inspecting tree damage in our backyard after a storm. A few days later, workers for a lawncare company let themselves into our backyard to treat it for grubs.

The most troubling incident came when a man we didn’t know rang our doorbell in the middle of the day.

My husband and I, both working from home, couldn’t answer right away. By the time we got to the door, the man was in our backyard and fumbling around our back door. When my husband confronted him, he told us he was a contractor sent to measure our door for a replacement. We hadn’t ordered a door.

So it’s easy for me to see how mistakes happen. But it never occurred to me to grab my firearm and shoot these unexpected visitors. That simply isn’t the first option in the world that I’m working so hard to create for my family.

Since Ralph’s

class as the first overall pick Edwards, made major strides in his third season as well and is the team’s best perimeter defender.

“They’re going to be tied to the hip and they’re going to be as important to this team as anybody else is obviously,” Connelly said. “Both are excited about their long-term future here, and the minute we’re allowed to, those guys are going to have really, really nice offers with a lot of money in their inbox.”

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four picks — Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson — were quarterbacks, but clearly the Vikings — and other teams — didn’t consider Levis on that level. The Vikings have predicted a stronger season for Cousins in the second year of O’Connell’s system and consistently praised him — but only to the point of expressing confidence in him for 2023. Beyond this year, all bets are

ff. Bringing in Addison sure can’t hurt Cousins in his attempt to lead the Vikings to a second straight NFC North title and in his push for a new contract — whether with the Vikings or not. The 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner for the nation’s top wide receiver at Pittsburgh, Addison transferred to USC for his final college season. He had 59 catches for 875 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022 for the Trojans. In two years with the Panthers, Addison had 2,259 receiving yards. He pointed to his successful transition to USC as evidence he can quickly learn O’Connell’s pass-friendly system.

shooting, I’ve had a lot of friends check on us. My best friend, who lives in St. Louis, pointed out that Ralph looks a lot like Jaden, my younger son. I’d noticed the resemblance, too. I cried again.

I don’t regret moving here. My sons have outstanding teachers and coaches. They’ve excelled academically and developed valuable friendships with a diverse group of young people. I’ve met some of my closest friends in this neighborhood.

Yet as a Black woman in America, I rise each day knowing that I will invariably face small indignities tossed my way by white people who mistakenly believe they’re entitled to dismiss me because of my race.

I haven’t been called the “N-word,” nor have I been physically accosted. Racism in this part of the city is far more subtle, and if you’re not acutely aware of what to look for, it blows right past you.

I won’t say I’m

STAYING PUT?

Connelly is the 10th boss of basketball operations, including interims, the Timberwolves have had in the last 15 years. After his first season, there’s already a question about his status because of the opening created when Washington fired general manager Tommy Sheppard. Connelly interviewed for the Wizards job four years ago before deciding to remain with Denver. The Baltimore native also broke into the NBA

“He gets his playmakers the ball,” Addison said. “They’re never in one spot.” Addison is only 6 feet and 175 pounds, one of the drawbacks of his profile, but he’s a polished route-runner who consistently gets open despite not having elite speed. He ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, just the 21st-ranked time among wide receivers. But “he’s one of those guys that typically gets the first blade of grass,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said.

The Vikings drafted a quarterback in the first round only four times in their first 62 seasons: Tommy Kramer

photo/Charlie Riedel

used to misguided attempts to marginalize my presence, because I won’t accept being treated like I’m less than anyone else. But when it happens, I’m rarely surprised. And I’ll also admit: It’s tiring for my family to have to go out of its way to make white people feel comfortable with our Blackness. We can’t peel off our skin; not that we would if we could. Everyone wants to proclaim, “I don’t see color,” when, in fact, that’s the first thing that they see when they see my sons. It’s hard to miss the only Black kid on the baseball diamond. But on the playing field, at least, my boys generally get the benefit of the doubt that Ralph Yarl wasn’t given on that fateful night earlier this month.

Longtime Associated Press journalist Kia Breaux is currently Midwest regional sales director for the AP, based in Kansas City.

with the nearby Wizards as an intern who worked his way up to become a scout. Connelly spent eight seasons with the Nuggets. “I’m pretty committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves right now,” Connelly said. “I’m just worried about how we can get out of the first round.”

AP NBA: https:// apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

(1977), Daunte Culpepper (1999), Christian Ponder (2011) and Teddy Bridgewater (2014). Fran Tarkenton was the 29th overall pick in their inaugural season in 1961, but that was a third-rounder. Culpepper (11) and Ponder (12) are the only quarterbacks the Vikings have ever drafted in the top 26 picks. The only team with fewer in that range is New Orleans, which took Archie Manning No. 1 overall in 1971 and has never drafted another quarterback in the top 74. All the other teams who have only drafted two quarterbacks in the top 26 entered the NFL much later than the Vikings: Houston (2002), Baltimore (1996), Carolina (1995), Seattle (1976).

After the departure of several key veteran players — Thielen and linebacker Eric Kendricks were released for salary cap space and cornerback Patrick Peterson and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson free agents signed elsewhere for bigger contracts — the Vikings need some instant impact from this draft class. That’s a taller task starting with only five picks, and no second-rounder.

Last year, in their first draft under Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings traded the 12th overall pick to Detroit and moved all the way down to No. 32 to net two additional second-day selections. The Lions took wide receiver Jameson Williams, a tantalizing prospect whose ACL rehabilitation limited his rookie season. The Vikings went with safety Lewis Cine, who broke his leg on special teams in Week 4 and played a total of two snaps on defense before his injury.

Addison, assuming he stays healthy, is destined for a far bigger role.

“This guy’s consistently open,” AdofoMensah said. “He can make plays with the ball in his hand.”

2 Health

Extra COVID-19 booster now open to some high-risk Americans

By Lauran Neergaard AP Medical Writer

Older Americans and people with weak immune systems can get an extra COVID-19 booster dose this spring.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday signed off on a more flexible booster schedule for people who remain at the highest risk from COVID-19 — giving them the choice of a second “bivalent” Pfizer or Moderna booster, the most up-to-date formula.

the outdated original shots. Here are some things to know:

WHO NEEDS A BOOSTER?

Anyone who’s gotten their original vaccinations but hasn’t had an updated booster yet can still get one. Only 42% of Americans 65 and older — and just 20% of all adults — have gotten one of those updated boosters since September.

WHO CAN GET A SECOND UPDATED BOOSTER?

them?” he said. “They don’t do any good just sitting on a shelf.”

WILL YOUNGER, HEALTHIER PEOPLE GET A FALL DOSE?

initial COVID-19 shots and 4.5% of those younger than 2. Far fewer got an updated booster. The FDA’s new rules mean tots under 5 who’ve never been vaccinated can get the most up-to-date formula –two Moderna shots or three of the Pfizer-BioNTech version. Unvaccinated 5-year-olds can get two Moderna doses or a single Pfizer shot. And tots already fully or partially vaccinated may get a bivalent shot or two depending on their vaccination history.

People 65 or older who already had one Pfizer or Moderna updated booster can roll up their sleeves again as long as it’s been at least four months since that last shot.

WHAT ABOUT THE NOVAVAX VACCINE?

“Many in the population are experiencing vaccine fatigue but there is a subset who are eager to receive additional doses,” CDC’s Dr. Sara Oliver told an agency advisory panel that expressed support for the change.

The move came a day after the Food and Drug Administration took steps to make coronavirus vaccinations simpler for everyone. From now on, anyone getting a Pfizer or Moderna dose — whether it’s a booster or their firstever vaccination — will get an updated version rather than

FRB

From 3

To help the teetering banks, the federal government deregulated the thrift industry, allowing S&Ls to expand beyond home loans to commercial real estate. S&L executives were often paid based on the size of their institutions’ assets, and they aggressively lent to commercial real estate projects, taking on riskier loans to grow

The schedule is a little different for people with weak immune systems. Most can choose a second Pfizer or Moderna updated booster at least two months after their first. Under the latest FDA and CDC guidelines, they also could get additional doses if and when their physician decides they need one.

WHY THE EXTRA LEEWAY?

Older adults continue

their loan portfolios quickly.

In the late 1980s, the commercial real estate boom turned bust. S&Ls, burdened by bad loans, failed in droves, requiring the federal government take over banks and delinquent commercial properties and sell the assets to recover money paid to insured depositors. Ultimately, the bailout cost taxpayers more than $100 billion.

Short-term incentives

The 2008 crisis is another obvious example of incentive structures that encourage risky strategies.

to have the highest rates of hospitalization from COVID-19, even as cases have declined. But a frail 85-year-old may want another booster right away while a robust 65-year-old may not see the need — or might instead time another shot for peak protection ahead of a summer vacation or other special event.

CDC officials stressed there’s even more variety among immune-compromised patients, from people with only mild impairment to those trying to

At all levels of mortgage financing – from Main Street lenders to Wall Street investment firms – executives prospered by taking excessive risks and passing them to someone else. Lenders passed mortgages made to people who could not afford them onto Wall Street firms, which in turn bundled those into securities to sell to investors. It all came crashing down when the housing bubble burst, followed by a wave of foreclosures.

Incentives rewarded short-term performance, and executives responded by taking bigger risks for immediate gains.

replenish immunity that grueling cancer treatment knocked out.

The changes put the U.S. in line with Britain and Canada, which also are offering certain vulnerable populations a spring shot. It’s a reasonable choice, Dr. Matthew Laurens, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said before the announcement.

Stay tuned. The FDA will hold a public meeting in June to consider if the vaccine recipe needs more adjusting to better match the latest coronavirus strains — just like it adjusts flu vaccines every year. And part of that discussion will be whether younger, healthier people also need a booster. The updated Pfizer and Moderna shots being used now target the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron versions, which have been replaced by an ever-changing list of omicron descendants. Still, while protection against mild infections is short-lived, those updated doses continue to do a good job fighting severe disease and death even against the newest variants.

TOTS ARE LEAST LIKELY TO BE VACCINATED YET

“We do have vaccines that are available to protect against these severe consequences, so why not use

At the Wall Street investment banks Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, profits grew as the firms bundled increasingly risky loans into mortgage-backed securities to sell, buy and hold. As foreclosures spread, the value of these securities plummeted, and Bear Stearns collapsed in early 2008, providing the spark of the financial crisis. Lehman failed in September of that year, paralyzing the global financial system and plunging the U.S. economy into the worst recession since the Great Depression. Executives at the banks, however, had already

CDC’s advisers were dismayed at how few of the youngest children are vaccinated. Just 6% of 2- to 4-year-olds have gotten their

cashed in, and none were held accountable. Researchers at Harvard University estimated that top executive teams at Bear Stearns and Lehman pocketed a combined $2.4 billion in cash bonuses and stock sales from 2000 to 2008.

A familiar ring

That brings us back to Silicon Valley Bank.

Executives tied up the bank’s assets in long-term Treasury and mortgage-backed securities, failing to protect against rising interest rates that would undermine the value of these assets. The interest rate

risk was particularly acute for SVB, since a large share of depositors were startups, whose finances depend on investors’ access to cheap money.

Novavax makes a more traditional type of COVID-19 vaccine, and its original formula remains available for people who don’t want the Pfizer or Moderna option. Novavax also is getting ready in case FDA urges a fall update, by manufacturing several additional formulas. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. depositors. At one point, their losses topped US$100 billion.

When the Fed began raising interest rates last year, SVB was doubly exposed. As startups’ fundraising slowed, they withdrew money, which required SVB to sell longterm holdings at a loss to cover the withdrawals. When the extent of SVB’s losses became known, depositors lost trust, spurring a run that ended with SVB’s collapse.

FRB 8

Anyone who’s gotten their original vaccinations but hasn’t had an updated booster yet can still get one.

U17 AFCON - Algeria vs Somalia 2-0: A tactical breakdown Sports

By: Tamir Hussein

Algeria U17 National Team: Algeria has a very decorated and seasoned national team from the senior side all the way down to their U-17 team. In the past, Algeria gloated over its numerous achievements ranging from invitational and regional trophies to an AFCON title in 90’, silver medal in 80’ and bronze medal in 84’ and 88’. Their youth teams have a U-20 AFCON in 79’ followed by 3 bronze medals in 81’,83’ and 89’.

Their senior team won the AFCON in 2019, the FIFA Arab Cup in 2021, finished in 2nd in the more recent African Nations Championship in 2022 and lastly went through on the round of 16 in the 2014 World Cup. Algeria’s U-17 side is also very successful having won the UNAF Tournament 4 times and just recently winning the U-17 Arab Cup in 2022.

Algeria has international football experience, history and culture in not only the U-17 competitions but all over the board. Their manager, known for playing a 4-4-2 and 4-2-22 throughout the Arab cup, relies on proper wing play, width in pressing, strength in the midfield, and having forwards who can do it all with their pressing, able to drop deep and run in behind.

Other than the transitions from out of possession play, Algeria demonstrated quality decision making and strength conditioning of their players. Their young but seasoned players delivered a more polished style of play, a credit to the European academies where they trained.

Here is the Algeria Desert Foxes formation and the academies that produced these players.

Starters:

Defense: GK - Mastias

Hammache, Age:16, Academy:CF Montreal (MLS, D1 USA)

RB - Yakoub Gassi,

Age:17, Academy: Academie

SBA FAF (Algerian Youth Academy)

CB - Abdelhak Ben

Idder, Age:16, Academy:

Paradou AC (Algerian Ligue 1, D1 Algeria)

CB - Rami

Bouaouiche, Age:16, Academy:

Academie SBA FAF (Algerian

Youth Academy)

LB - Fadi Ben Abdelkader, Age:16, Academy: Academie SBA FAF (Algerian Youth Academy)

Midfield:

RM - Zyed Beltaief,

Age:16, Academy: AC Ajaccio (Ligue 1, D1 France)

CM - Younes Benali,

Age:16, Academy: FC Nantes (Ligue 1, D1 France)

CM - Youcef Belkaid,

Age:16, Academy: Paradou AC (Algerian Ligue 1, D1 Algeria)

LM - Yanis Ferhat

Delaveau, Age:16, Academy: AS Nancy (Championnat National, D3 France)

Forwards:

CF - Moslem Anatouf,

Age:16, Academy: Academie

SBA FAF (Algerian Youth

Academy)

CF - Shain Chetioui,

Age:16, Academy: AC Le Havre (Ligue 2, D2 France)

Subs:

Defense:

GK - Tarek Hamadi,

Age:16, Academy: Paradou AC (Algerian Ligue 1, D1 Algeria)

DEF - Faiz Amem,

Age:16, Academy: Academie

SBA FAF (Algerian Youth Academy) DEF - Nadir Yakoubi, Age:16, Academy: Academie

SBA FAF (Algerian Youth Academy)

DEF - Hocine Adem

Arous, Age:16, Academy: AJ

Auxerre (Ligue 1, D1 France)

Midfield:

CM - Amine Galou, Age:17, Academy: Paradou AC (Algerian Ligue 1, D1 Algeria)

MID - Ala Eddine Limane, Age:16, Academy: Academie

SBA FAF (Algerian Youth Academy)

Attack:

ATT - Mohammed Abdelmoudjib, Age:16, Academy: Hércules CF (Segunda Federación–Group 3, D4 Spain)

ATT - Issam Yazid, Age:16, Academy: CR

Belouizdad (Algerian Ligue 1, D1 Algeria)

ATT - Djibril Helies Bahlouli, Age:16, Academy: OL Lyon (Ligue 1, D1 France)

ATT - Mohamed Ali Saleh Ziad, Age:17, Academy: Zamalek SC (Egyptian Premier League, D1 Egypt)

The Desert Foxes Approach: The Algerians had a unique and narrow formation only drifting to the wings on occasion. They weren’t as creative in the final third but with the ball in the midfield they were given more reign on how to play to buy time to send balls up top to the forwards. In the first 10 minutes Algeria established the tempo by taking the ball and playing it through their backline. They weren’t challenged by any press, by any physicality from the Somalia Ocean Stars and would break lines with one pass. With no pressing from the Somalis, the midfield lines were broken with only one pass. Somalia failed to anticipate, to intercept the ball or scan. Such lack of awareness from Somalia gave Algeria free reign to make book moves. Once Algeria gained possession in the midfield, they utilized their physicality

and technical ability and were expressive in beating their defenders. The idea is once you break, you send the ball forward. Algeria maintained possession by having a deep lying midfield pair and creating a flat four above the box, having the two centerbacks and the goalkeeper in the box until they breached the midfield. The shape they operated in possession was a 2-4-2-2 and out of possession they would quickly rotate into 4-2-4 in the press and have the wide midfielder and on occasion the strikers drop back to cover the midfield making a 4-4-2. In the moments where Somalia was in Algeria’s final third they had nine people in and around their box with their number nine, Moslem Anatouf, at the halfway line.

Algeria made opportunities and maintained dominance throughout the match.

Somalia, despite having 53% possession, didn’t possess the ball as a unit. Every moment they had the ball they were pressured with Algeria’s physicality and proper pressing lines. They had possession, but they didn’t utilize it entirely. Algeria played rigid, very by the book football with limited moments of freedom while relying on clean passing, strength, and decent decision making.

When Algeria scored their first goal, Somalia began to be on their toes and pressed more. Regardless of that adaptation, the benefit of experience and excellent training at high quality academies played a role into Algeria’s success by simply getting more reps to be able to make smarter decisions. Whenever the Desert Foxes were in wide positions, they went about business in three ways. One, a creative dribble, Zyed Beltaief was a clear example of this for Algeria. Two, a back pass to the full backs to then reset possession. And finally they would put their back to the defender and look

for a set piece opportunity. Their set pieces were planned out and organized, ironically enough designed to exploit the back post despite them scoring a set piece from the front post.

The Algeria Desert Foxes were simply stronger and if it weren’t for Abdikadir Ali Mohamed in at goal it would have been ugly for Somalia. The frustration he expressed throughout the game was justified.

Somalia U17 National Team: Somalia does not have any rich history in international competitions. In fact, they have no history in any qualified tournament ever. Our U-17 side nearly won the U-17 CECAFA Cup in 2018 but fell short to Tanzania in a 2-0 defeat. Other than that, our senior team never got out of the CECAFA cup group stages. The goal with Somalia right now is, like Algeria, to be able to connect to the diaspora and help the players in Somalia to gain exposure abroad, to get opportunities to show off their talents.

Somalia Roster: The Somali players are very young. With the loss of their starboy Abdihafid, it has been difficult for them to play the kind of football that brought them to this stage. Somalia operates in a very defensive shape that is the 4-4-2 and in this shape they try to control the tempo in the midfield and utilize short passes to create opportunities in the channels to then be able to make chances. The glaring flaw in this is that Somalia players are severely undersized. By contrast, the Algerian playstyle is physical and has 2 DMs sitting deep on the press.

In my opinion this approach was forced and didn’t cater to the strengths of the roster. I believe the attempt was to concentrate the more technical players, Abdirahman Bahur and Yasiin Abdirahman, in the midfield. When out of possession Somalia

played a 5-3-2 but it wasn’t compact. Generally, when you play a disciplined defensive style the core tennant to any of those systems is compact and tight defending, almost like building a wall. Somalia’s defenders were clinical in the 1v1 situations, chasing their runners in the channels. Abdikadir Ali’s miraculous saves also played a huge role in making the leaky defensive structure look bearable. Contrary to most football principles, I believe Somalia’s trying to play possession football ultimately played into the hands of the Algerians and amplified the football Algeria played rather than worsening it or making it difficult. Somalia very obviously has the players that perform, apparent in numerous glimpses of skill from players like Abdiasis Bahur, Yasiin Abdirahman and even the cameo from Idriis Aden. But the style that they are forced to play takes time and a lot of preparation and maturity which Somalia does not have. When Somalia was most threatening they were running at defenders on the wings and cutting in for layoffs and getting corners. If the Ocean Stars play counter-attacking football in a compact 3-5-2, they would not only solve the leaky defense errors but they would get to play to the strengths of their personnel.

Favorite Players of the Game: LB - Fadi Ben Abdelkader (Algeria) RM - Zyed Beltaief (Algeria) CF - Shain Chetioui (Algeria) RM - Abdiasis Abdirahman Bahur (Somalia) CM - Yasiin Abdirahman Abdelqadir (Somalia)

GK - Abdikadir Ali Mohamed (Somalia) LB - Khalid Ahmad (Somalia)

The Master’s Plan

By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor

THE MASTER’S PLAN

By Dwayne Vernon

When reading about the history of slavery as a novel, it’s always good to have the perspective of different authors, in particular those who are African American and have borne the legacy of it. To that end, I came across this jewel of a novel by Dwayne Vernon: The Master’s Plan. As one who writes historical fiction, Vernon’s novel caught my attention and held it.

Set in Maryland in 1852, this story centers around three main characters. Sabel and Jacob are slaves in their early 30s. Sabel is a field hand, who witnessed the death of his parents at the hands of white patrollers. Jacob is a house servant, the biracial product of the rape of his mother by the plantation’s white master, before she was sent away. The third character is Abigale, enduring the pain of having her husband and children sold, the family she desperately wants back. The draconian environment and the sheer oppression of the times has spurred Sabel’s determination to run away for good. Jacob’s ability to read and write, considered dangerous if discovered by white overseers, patrollers, and plantation owners, is a major asset in their plans. Over the course of time, Sabel and Jacob fall in love. Abigale becomes their close friend and comrade-in-arms in their bid for freedom; the goal, to cross over into Canada.

In certain ways, this is a romantic thriller given the perilous times for African

Americans and the danger that lurked around every corner. Indeed, there were plenty of plot twists as simple plans became more complex while Sabel, Jacob, and Abigale navigated the Underground Railroad. A couple of reminders stood out for me in this story: 1) there were many whites who opposed slavery and actively participated as stations on the Underground Railroad and 2) LGBT relationships are nothing new in the course of history, and they existed among slaves.

Looking back from the 21st century, I wonder if I could have

survived and endured what they did.

Yes, there is a happilyever-after, and a spiritual component that plays out in the lives of the main characters, and Vernon applies his expertise with storytelling to put you in the action.

The Master’s Plan is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Thank you, Dwayne, for your powerful voice at the writer’s table. When we change the narrative, we change the perception.

For executives, however, there was little downside in discounting or even ignoring the risk of rising rates. The cash bonus of SVB CEO Greg Becker more than doubled to $3 million in 2021 from $1.4 million in 2017, lifting his total earnings to $10 million, up 60% from four years earlier. Becker also sold nearly $30 million in stock over

the past two years, including some $3.6 million in the days leading up to his bank’s failure. The impact of the failure was not contained to SVB. Share prices of many midsize banks tumbled. Another American bank, Signature, collapsed days after SVB did.

First Republic survived the initial panic in March after it was rescued by a consortium of major banks led by JPMorgan Chase, but the damage was already done. First Republic recently reported that depositors withdrew more than

$100 billion in the six weeks following SVB’s collapse, and on May 1, the FDIC seized control of the bank and engineered a sale to JPMorgan Chase. The crisis isn’t over yet. Banks had over $620 billion in unrealized losses at the end of 2022, largely due to rapidly rising interest rates.

The big picture

So, what’s to be done?

We believe the bipartisan bill recently filed in Congress, the Failed Bank Executives Clawback, would be

a good start. In the event of a bank failure, the legislation would empower regulators to claw back compensation received by bank executives in the five-year period preceding the failure. Clawbacks, however, kick in only after the fact.

To prevent risky behavior, regulators could require executive compensation to prioritize long-term performance over short-term gains. And new rules could restrict the ability of bank executives to take the money and run, including requiring executives to hold

substantial portions of their stock and options until they retire.

The Fed’s new report on what led to SVB’s failure points in this direction. The 102-page report recommends new limits on executive compensation, saying leaders “were not compensated to manage the bank’s risk,” as well as stronger stress-testing and higher liquidity requirements.

to happen if banks and bank executives consider the interest of the entire banking system, not just themselves, their institutions and shareholders.

This article was updated on May 1, 2023, with details of the FDIC’s seizure of First Republic Bank and its sale to JPMorgan Chase. This article is

2. That the Governor hold his appointed State Commissioners and the state departments they lead accountable for measurable and reportable processes and strategies to eliminate disparities that exist in and that are supported by policies and procedures of state governance.

3. That the Minnesota Legislature prioritize intentional solution making that can occur when Legislators, Committee Chairs and Committees engage Minnesota’s Black community at the table of decision.

1. Business and Economic Development

been denied equal opportunities for wealth accumulation. The median Black household’s wealth ($9,000) is nearly one-fifteenth that of non-Black households ($134,520). The article states that 90% of new businesses among all races do not receive any outside investors. Most people use the equity in their homes to start their firms. This is a huge disadvantage to Black folks in Minnesota because of the home ownership gap. Further, the report stated that minority owned businesses experience higher loan denial probabilities and pay higher interest rates than white-owned businesses even after controlling for differences in credit-worthiness,

and other factors. Limited access to investment capital in its many forms is inextricably linked to systemic discrimination in lending, housing, and employment. It cripples Black business development.

2. Employment Invest now in creating employment opportunities for the Black community

In an article published by the Urban Institute, the issue of Black employment was addressed.

It stated that, “while many are heralding the drop in the national Black male unemployment rate, which recently fell below 10 percent for the first time in seven years, joblessness remains much higher in many poor African American communities. It stated that for many low-income Black men, finding and keeping work is a constant struggle, never far from their minds. Black job applicants might not even make it into the queue if they have had an encounter with the criminal justice system. Helping Black folks secure steady employment at decent wages will require resources to break down the institutional barriers that separate people from decent job opportunities and to enable Black people to build the skills needed for well-paying jobs

3. Public Safety Invest now in Public Safety in the Black community.

Public safety exists to protect citizens, organizations, and communities by preventing them from being in danger and guarding their well-being. Abraham Maslow defined safety in his famous “Hierarchy of Human Needs“. He said that to function as a society public safety is needed. He said this safety goes beyond just physical safety but also safety when it comes to health, money, possessions, and family. Less we forget, there’s an Emotional Impact on Public Safety. When folks feel unsafe, it could have major effects on individuals, their loved ones, and the community they live in. Violence has been way to prevalent in the inner cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Playgrounds are unsafe, the streets are unsafe, and the shopping malls are unsafe.

4. Housing

Invest now in multiple housing options for the Black community to close the home ownership gap.

Multiple housing options are an important part of any community. It provides a safe and affordable place for people to live and can help reduce poverty and homelessness. However, there are many challenges associated with providing low-income housing, such as limited resources, high demand, and the need to ensure that the housing is safe and secure. Minneapolis has one of the widest homeownership gaps in the country between whites and Blacks.

5. Education Invest now in ensuring that our Black students are educated at the same level as White students. Dr. Sinclair Grey lll stated that education is without a doubt crucial to the success of our students competing for jobs. Quality education that enforces and reinforces math, science, writing, and cognitive thinking will separate those who desire a prosperous future from those who are simply content with getting by. Yet, in Minnesota, reading test scores for Black students are over 20 points below state average and math test scores are 20 points below state average. Minnesota ranks 50th in the nation for Black students who graduate on time. Minnesota has one of the worst college-readiness gaps in the nation by race and ethnicity – only 25% of Black students are prepared for college. Thus, Black students who attend college must take significantly more remedial courses than their peers as their starting point.

6. Health & Wellness

Invest now in efforts that will impact the health and wellness of the Black community. The Black community is faced with escalating social, economic, and life-style problems, which threaten the life and well-being of current and future generations of Black people in crisis proportion. The rising number of deaths due to heart disease and stroke, homicide and accidents related to substance abuse, AIDS, cancer, and infant mortality are among the leading culprits. They interfere with prospects of longevity and contribute to joblessness, poverty, and homelessness and further complicate the crisis in the Black community. The magnitude of the problems dictates the need for support from the Minnesota State Legislature.

7. Policy Each member of the legislature, regardless of political affiliation, is involved in setting public policy. These policies should reflect the will of the people and is carried out by those elected to vote. Because of conflicting interests and capacities, some policies have disenfranchised the Black community. There is therefore a need for coherence of interest/capacities in an attempt to pass policies that reflect the needs of the Black community.

Today Black folks are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to live below the poverty line. Additionally, the typical Black household earns just 63 cents for every dollar a typical white household earns, and African American workers are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as white workers.

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 24/7 Wall St. created an index to measure socioeconomic disparities between Black and white Americans to identify the worst states for Black Americans. High on the list of cities that have extremely troubling disparities is Minneapolis-St. Paul. Minnesota’s urban core boast these disturbing rates:

• Black population: 290,210 (8.2% of total)

• Black median income: $36,127 (44.0% of white income)

• Unemployment: 9.2% (Black); 3.2% (white)

• Homeownership rate: 25.2% (Black); 75.5% (white)

• Black poverty rate of 28.3% in the metro area, 5.9% (white)

• Black medium household earn $36,127 a year — the median income among white area households is $82,118.

The profound racial wealth gaps for Blacks in Minnesota is structural, as they are across the United States. Structural racism is inherent in intersecting and overlapping institutions, policies, practices, ideas, and behaviors that give resources, rights, and power to white people while denying them to others. The roots of racial wealth gaps can be traced back centuries through racialized public and private policies and practices, which fueled economic boosts to white families that allowed for intergenerational wealth transfers and created barriers to Black families. Past discrimination and injustices accumulate and build across generations, making it hard for communities that have been harmed to catch up. As one example, the losses from unpaid wages and lost inheritances to Black descendants is estimated at around $20 trillion today. The NAACP Twin Cities 2019 Economic Inclusion Plan states: “There are two Minnesota’s, one white, one Black – separate and unequal.”

Data from the 2019 Prosperity Now Scorecard shows that 40% of Americans are liquid asset poor—meaning they do not have enough in savings to make ends meet at the poverty level for three months ($6,275 for a family of four in 2018). This problem is even more stark when disaggregated by race.

31.7% of white households are liquid-asset poor compared to over 62% of Black households.

Recent trends in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties are moving in the wrong direction. The share of Black families who own a home has declined from 31 percent in 2000 to 21 percent in 2018. The racial homeownership gap in the Twin Cities is the highest in the nation and has only widened over the past two decades, especially in neighborhoods where investors have acquired hundreds of single-family homes to now use as rentals, according to a June 2021 report from the Urban Institute.