Love and Dignity Supporters Praise SCOTUS Ruling p. 6 Special Election Spawns Recall Effort Against Carson City Clerk p. 5 Aftershock Series Shines Light on Urban Revolts from 1965 to ‘92 p. 11 New LB Gastropub Turns Heads p. 12
The Future of Health Care
Misty Copeland:
The Unlikely Dream
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By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
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[See Copeland, page 2]
[See Health, page 4]
July 9 - 22, 2015
Misty Copeland was named principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. Photo by Nisian Hughes.
The Local Publication You Actually Read
merican Ballet Theatre ballerina, Misty Copeland, reached a new milestone this past month when she was named principal dancer at the storied national dance company. When Random Lengths last interviewed the emerging icon in 2011, she was in the middle of Prince’s “21 Nite Stand” tour at the Forum. She had landed commercial contracts with ProActiv and Blackberry and was making regular rounds at late-night talk shows such as Lopez Tonight and the Tavis Smiley show. Never shy about talking about her humble beginnings being raised by a single mother, Copeland has often said a girl like her isn’t supposed to be where she is today. Care and nurturing by people and institutions made it possible, along with a belief in herself. “You have to believe that you’re good enough…that you’re worthy and know that it’s not easy,” Copeland said. “You have to put in the work, but you also have to allow yourself to dream.” Copeland’s reply reminded me of a 1995 ABC News clip in which sports correspondent John McKenzie asked tennis legend Venus Williams if she could beat a particular top-ranked player. Without hesitation, Venus said she could. But McKenzie asked again with a degree of doubt. Venus’ father Richard then backed him down, stating “She already told you what it was going to be.”
n June 25, the Supreme Court handed down its opinion in King v. Burwell, striking down the last sweeping legal challenge to Obamacare. The decision preserves its functioning in dozens of states that had let the federal government set up their exchanges. According to Gallup, the percentage of uninsured Americans had dropped to 11.9 percent in the first quarter of 2015, from 18 percent before Obamacare went into effect. But millions of Americans would have lost their tax credits—and most of them their health insurance as well—if the court had ruled the other way. A January 2015 study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation projected that 8.2 million people would lose their insurance, and premiums would have increased by 35 percent. But the court’s decisive 6-3 decision appeared to finally end the lengthy GOP legal efforts to overturn the law. Yet, Republicans remained determined to continue fighting the law—though they’ve never come close to crafting a viable alternative. Jeb Bush wrote that he was “disappointed” by the decision, “But this decision is not the end of the fight against Obamacare.” Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tweeted, “Today’s #SCOTUScare ruling means Republicans must redouble their efforts to repeal and replace this destructive and costly law.” And, Rand Paul promised, “As president, I would make it my mission to repeal it, and propose real solutions for our healthcare system.” None of the GOP candidates referenced anything specific. More importantly, the decision still left one central question unresolved: How and when is America going to join the rest of the developed world in providing universal health care coverage for all of its citizens, as a right, not a privilege? This was the point driven home by Sen. Bernie Sanders in a letter sent out by his
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