Saturday, September 17, 2016
Weekly Address: It’s Time for Republicans in Congress To Do Their Jobs
In this week's address, President Obama called on Republicans in
Congress to do their jobs. With Congress back in session there is a lot
of business that needs to get done, including funding the fight against
Zika, providing resources to help the flood victims in Louisiana, and
giving Supreme Court nominee Chief Judge Merrick Garland the courtesy of
a fair hearing and a vote.
President Obama Holds National Security Council Meeting on the Counter ISIL Campaign
On September 16, President Obama convened his National Security Council to discuss the global
campaign we are leading to degrade and destroy ISIL. The President
was briefed on multiple advances against ISIL that the Coalition has
enabled across the battlefield in both Iraq and Syria, noting that the
Iraqis have now reclaimed over 50 percent of the territory once
controlled by ISIL, while our partners across northern
Syria have essentially closed off ISIL's access to the Syrian border
with Turkey and the outside world. The President directed his team to
continue close coordination with all of our partners in the Counter ISIL
fight as we build on this momentum to plan operations
to further pressure ISIL. The President expressed deep concern that,
despite decreased violence across the country, the Syrian regime
continues to block the flow of critical humanitarian aid. The President
emphasized that the United States will not proceed
with the next steps in the arrangement with Russia until we see seven
continuous days of reduced violence and sustained humanitarian access.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
First Lady Michelle Obama Campaign Remarks in Fairfax, Virginia
First Lady Michelle Obama hit the campaign trail for Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a rally in Fairfax, Virginia.
She urged the audience to register and vote for the former Secretary of
State who she said inspires her and has the qualifications and
resiliency to do the job.
Click here for the full article.
Source: C-SPAN
Donald Trump Campaign Rally in Miami, Florida
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a
campaign rally in Miami, Florida. RNC Chair Reince Priebus and Rudy
Giuliani make introductory remarks.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Black Man Who Adopted Three White Boys: “Family is Deeper Than Skin Color”
With a disproportionate number of black children in foster care and in need of adoption, one
would think that a Black man looking to adopt a child would adopt a Black child. For Barry Farmer, however, the choice was much deeper than
skin color.
Farmer says his decision to adopt three white brothers was about love
more than race. Still, the Black father does get weird looks when he
walks around with his white sons.
“I didn’t expect one kid, let alone three,” said the Richmond,
Virginia father. “When someone calls you dad, you’re like, ‘who me?’ I
just like taking care of children.”
Farmer says he became a foster parent 8 years ago because he believes every child needs a family.
“In this day in time when it comes to family, and seeing color or
seeing unity and belonging, and that’s what I was hoping to accomplish
with my family anyway,” Farmer said. “When I have them now I can’t
imagine them anywhere else, and it’s a typical family. We may not look
alike, but it’s a typical family. I just want them to be someone that I
can be proud of and they can be proud of and that’s all it takes.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: Your Black World News
Labor Leaders Condemn de Blasio for 'Callously Overlooking' Construction Deaths
A chorus of construction industry union leaders blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday for what they called his inappropriate response to a Crain's report that the city's count of construction deaths excluded a third of fatalities last year.
Crain's
learned that six of the 17 construction deaths in New York last year
escaped the city’s official count. "If any other industry experienced 17
deaths in one year, there would be swift and meaningful action taken to
protect life," Joseph Azzopardi, secretary treasurer of District
Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, said
in a statement.
"Once
again, this administration picks the statistics that fit their false
narrative of being a progressive leader," said Bobby Bonanza, business
manager of the Mason Tenders District Council. “Deaths are deaths —
count them."
Click here for the full article.
Source: Crain's (New York Business)
'Blockbusting' Probe an Important Step in Rockland: Editorial
Community Divide Deepens Over Accounts That Homeowners
Are Being Harassed to Sell to Meet Orthodox Demands
Are Being Harassed to Sell to Meet Orthodox Demands
It's good news that the New York Department of State plans
to hold a hearing on Sept. 21 to probe whether Rockland homeowners are
being pressured to sell and get out. Accusations and denials have
further fomented the divide that stirs resentment toward Ramapo's
growing ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
State legislators have
called for the hearings — which could be the first step in establishing
state-enforced protections, like a zone where real estate agents can't
solicit sales. It's time to get the state's perspective on what's going
on in Rockland.
The public hearing takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 21 at Rockland Community College's Cultural Arts Theater.
Click here for the full article.
Source: lohud (The Journal News) and The Empire Report
State Senator to SUNY: Prospective Students Must Disclose Felony Convictions
By Bethany Bump
Senate Republicans are looking to reverse a recent decision by the State University of New York not to ask prospective students whether they were convicted of a felony.
Sen. Cathy Young, a Republican from Western New York, has introduced a
bill that would require the state’s public colleges to ask applicants
for admission whether they were ever convicted of a felony. The
legislation is a direct response to an announcement earlier this week from the SUNY Board of Trustees that they would no longer ask the question.
Click here for the full article.
Source: timesunion.com
Cuomo: Trump Has Been 'Effective' at Harnessing Voter Unrest
ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday passed on another chance to
criticize Donald Trump, telling reporters the Republican presidential
candidate has been “effective” in harnessing voter unrest.
Cuomo, a Democrat, was asked about his relationship with Trump after
the real estate mogul said during a Thursday radio interview that he and
the governor “get along very well.”
The comments were included in a New York Post article
that, citing an anonymous source, said some Democrats were “chirping”
about Cuomo’s friendly interactions with The Donald at last Sunday’s
ceremony commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks.
“I know Donald Trump. I know him as a New Yorker I’ve known him for
many years. I saw him at the 9/11 ceremony … that memorial service is a
solemn occasion. You have many family members there, you are literally
on sacred ground, as far as I’m concerned, so that is not the time to
play politics,” Cuomo told reporters after an event in Queens. “I’m the
governor of the State of New York. Anyone who comes to 9/11 and that
site, I thank them for coming, I thank them for their attendance, I
thank them for joining with New Yorkers and remembering those we lost,
and it’s not about politics.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: Politico
Syracuse University Removed Whitman Dean Kenneth Kavajecz After Prostitution Arrest
By
Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse University removed the dean of the Martin J.
Whitman School of Management after he was arrested for patronizing a
prostitute in the town of Salina.
Kenneth Kavajecz, 51, of West Jefferson Street, Syracuse, was removed
as dean Wednesday and placed on administrative leave from his faculty
position "until further notice," Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele
Wheatly announced.
The university did not release any more details of his removal. But
Kavajecz's name surfaced today in connection with a prostitution sting
by the Onondaga County sheriff's office.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Syracuse.com (via The Empire Report)
Cuomo Administration Orders Climate Test for Big Oil’s Plan for Tar Sands on the Hudson
Albany - On September 16, 2016, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
sent a letter
to Global Companies informing them that the permit the company is
seeking to heat crude oil at
their Port of Albany facility will be put through a full environmental
review. Some of the items the state is requiring the company to submit
information on include addressing the concerns of residents at Ezra
Prentice Homes, a housing development located
in close proximity to the facility.
These concerns include air and
noise pollution, alarming levels of benzene in the air near the Port,
and the facility’s impact on climate change, which is already negatively
affecting New York communities.
“Big oil just got another strong sign
from Governor Cuomo that New York is moving away from the dirty and
dangerous fuels of the past and heading toward a future powered by 100%
clean, renewable energy. Not only will Global
Companies have to address the toxic air pollution from crude oil, it is
also going to have to pass New York’s ‘climate test’ before they are
given the green light to move tar sands oil down the Hudson River. And
since it’s a test that cannot be passed, the
letter today should represent the end of the line for this
ill-conceived proposal," said Peter Iwanowicz, executive director for Environmental Advocates of New York.
Friday, September 16, 2016
President Obama Remarks on Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal
President Obama urged congress to take up and pass the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. He also addressed questions about his
birthplace. His remarks came after a meeting with business leaders and
state officials.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Hillary Clinton Remarks at Black Women's Agenda Symposium
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivered remarks at the Black Women’s Agenda 39th Annual Symposium.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
White House Briefing
Spokesman Josh Earnest fields questions from reporters on a range of
issues, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. He’s also
joined by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D) and Governor John Kasich (R-OH),
who advocate for passage of the deal.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Defense Department POW/MIA Ceremony
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter hosts the Defense Department’s National
POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Pentagon. Texas Republican Senator John
Cornyn, and retired U.S. Navy Captain and former POW Gerald Coffee also
deliver remarks.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Trailblazers in Black History: Bernie Custis
Bernie Custis is a former American and Canadian football player
who went on to a distinguished coaching career. He is known for being
the first black professional quarterback in the modern era and first in
professional Canadian football, starting for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1951.
Custis was a star quarterback at Syracuse University
in 1948, 1949 and 1950, setting numerous Syracuse records that would
last for decades.
Custis was recruited by Coach Reaves Baysinger, who
was replaced by Ben Schwartzwalder
after a 1–8 season. He played the first two seasons of the Coach
Schwartzwalder's 25-year tenure at Syracuse. The team went 4–5 in 1949
and 5–5 in 1950.
Additional information is available here.
Saving Our Youth: The Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention
The Commission's vision is to develop a more strategic, coordinated, and
collaborative effort between the City, law enforcement agencies, social
service providers, and the general public with the objective of
significantly curtailing gang involvement, and its negative impact, in
the City of San Diego.
Additional information is available here.
Source: SanDiego.gov
37 Years in Solitary Confinement and Even the State Can’t Explain Why
By Christopher Moraff
FRACKVILLE, Pennsylvania — Arthur Johnson has spent the past 37 of his 64 years alive in solitary confinement.
Over a span of four decades, he’s been shuttled from one correctional institution to another—often without notice, like a protagonist in a Kafka novel. Until very recently, his home of three years was the Restricted Housing Unit at the State Correctional Institution at Frackville, Pennsylvania.
He’s now in restricted housing at neighboring SCI Coal Township, where he is forced to spend 23 hours a day in a 7-by-10-foot cell with a light that never turns off. He suffers from crippling insomnia and is permitted to take just three, 10-minute showers each week.
Every time he leaves his cell—including the five trips he makes each week for one hour of exercise in an enclosed yard—he is required to undergo a strip search before he can go back inside. He exercises alone, the same way he eats every one of his meals.
By Johnson’s telling, he hasn’t shaken another person’s hand since Jimmy Carter was president. His attorney calls this a blatant violation of his civil rights.
“No court is going to take away the right of prison officials to use solitary confinement for a period of days or even months,” Bret Grote of the Abolitionist Law Center told The Daily Beast. “But how long is too long or too dangerous? Wherever that line may be drawn, we are way over it here.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
North Dakota vs. Amy Goodman: Journalism is Not a Crime
By Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan
Last Thursday, an arrest warrant was issued under the header “North
Dakota versus Amy Goodman.” The charge was for criminal trespass. The
actual crime? Journalism. We went to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation
to cover the growing opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Global attention has become focused on the struggle since Labor Day
weekend, after pipeline guards unleashed attack dogs and pepper spray on
Native American protesters. On that Saturday, at least six bulldozers
were carving up the land along the pipeline route, where archeological
and sacred sites had been discovered by the tribe. The Dakota Access
Pipeline company obtained the locations of these sites just the day
before, in a court filing made by the tribe. Many feel that the company
razed the area, destroying the sites, before an injunction could be
issued to study them.
Scores of people, mostly Native American, raced to the scene,
demanding the bulldozers leave. The guards pepper-sprayed, punched and
tackled the land defenders. Attack dogs were unleashed, biting at least
six people and one horse.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Democracy Now!
No Criminal Justice Reform From Congress Before Election
In a huge disappointment to advocates,
legislation to reform components of the criminal justice system will not
come before the House adjourns this month as previously planned,
according to two sources who have worked closely on the effort.
The House's lack of action means opportunities
are quickly dwindling on an issue that advocates had high hopes of
passing this year.
"It's disappointing, but given the political
climate it's not surprising," Mark Holden, chairman of the board of the
Koch-backed Freedom Partners, a group who has been working to advance
criminal justice reform, said.
Click here for the full article.
Brain Cancer Is Now the Leading Cancer Killer of Kids
Brain cancer now kills more children than any other type of cancer, according to new federal data.
But this new stat comes with at least one
potential silver lining: Brain tumors are not becoming more common in
kids. And leukemia, the previous No. 1 pediatric cancer killer, is now
much less deadly than before, the National Center for Health Statistics
found.
In fact, the overall death rate from cancer fell by 20 percent among children and teens between 1999 and 2014, the NCHS found.
Click here for the full article.
'I'm a Prisoner and My Crime is That I'm a Saudi Woman'
Saudi
Arabia's guardianship system means that men have the power to make a
range of critical decisions on a woman's behalf. Now, some Saudi women
are using social media to push back.
Source: CNN
North Korea's 'Saturday Night Live' Takes on Obama
North Korea aired their own rendition of "Saturday Night Live," taking on President Obama in one of the skits.
Source: CNN
Aleppo Residents Get a Break During Ceasefire
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports from inside Aleppo as the Syrian city gets a respite from the fierce battle there.
Source: CNN
Edgar Motobato Claims to Have Been Hitman for Duterte
Edgar Motobato claims to have killed at least 50 people under direct orders of Rodrigo Duterte. CNN's Ivan Watson reports.
Source: CNN
Rev. Al Sharpton Responds to Trump's Claim That They Have a 'Good' Relationship
(New York, NY) ― National Action Network
Founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton today issued the following
response to Donald Trump’s assertion on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that the two
have a “good” relationship:
“Donald Trump has gone from calling me a ‘con man’
to asserting that we have a ‘good’ relationship. I don’t know how he
reached this conclusion – especially since I haven’t talked to him in
nearly two years and that conversation resulted
in an argument about racially prejudiced and divisive comments he was
making.
It is not only untrue, but beside the
point. I first started marching against Donald Trump during the Central
Park 5 case in the 1980s. Unfortunately his racist rhetoric has
continued to this day. The things he has said and
done throughout his campaign, including suggesting that the President
wasn’t born in the United States, are despicable. I will not stoop to
his level, throwing insults around and calling people names, but I will
also not sit by and let him make comments about
a fabricated friendship.”
Source: Mercury
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Donald Trump’s Efforts to Connect with Black Voters Are Pushing Them Away
By Les Payne
A black Methodist minister gave Donald Trump the “Apollo hook” Wednesday, when he went off message in Michigan.
“I invited you here to thank us for what we’ve done [with
the dirty-water crisis] in Flint, not give a political speech,” said the
Rev. Faith Timmons.
“OK, that’s good,” said the duly chastised GOP presidential candidate
like a rejected performer in the old talent shows at the Apollo
Theater.
Showcasing his “black outreach” for the second time in
Michigan, Trump has generally avoided African-Americans that know him
best: the 2 million-plus living in New York City. During an earlier
visit in Detroit, Trump was guided by the gifted hands of the
slow-tongued Dr. Ben Carson, who seemed as clueless about the real
intent of the “black outreach” campaign as he was about the location of
his luggage.
A major Harlem church was recently contacted for a Sunday Trump visit
but the pastor laughed so uncontrollably that the black campaign
official hung up the phone. The Baptist minister rejected Trump as a
Trojan horse all hollowed out as a threat to Harlem and the country’s
best interest.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Newsday
Les Payne is a former Newsday editor and columnist and a contributor
to TheRoot.com. He is completing a biography on Malcolm X due to be
published next year.
Investigators Aren’t Finding Guns When Chicago Cops Claim Suspects Were Armed
Chicago police officers routinely justify shootings by claiming a suspect was armed. A Chicago Tribune
report, however, found that at least 14 times since 2010 when an
officer shot someone and claimed the person had a gun, no gun was ever
found.
Police killings in Chicago have cost the city millions of dollars and
resulted in loss of life for the city’s residents. According to the
Tribune, the city has paid out at least 15 million dollars to plaintiffs
in officer-related shootings.
There is also a human toll as well: “Those shootings, in which police said the victim had a gun but one was never found, resulted in seven deaths. …”
Click here for the full article.
Source: Your Black World News
White House Summit on Computer Science for All
The White House Summit on Computer Science for All will celebrate
progress and announce new commitments towards President Obama's bold
initiative to empower a generation of American students with the
computer science skills they need to thrive in a digital economy. CS for
All builds on efforts already being led by parents, teachers, school
districts, states, and private sector leaders from across the country.
Hillary Clinton Departure from White Plains, New York
Donald Trump and Mike Pence at the New York Economic Club
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump outlines his economic
plan at the Economic Club of New York in New York City. He is introduced
by his running mate, Gov. Mike Pence.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
House Speaker Weekly Briefing
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) talked about the Republican agenda in the
House, including negotiations to continue funding the government past
the September 30 deadline.
Click here for the full article.
Source: C-SPAN
Minority Leader Weekly Briefing
During her weekly news conference, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA) said Republican leaders should include funding to combat Zika
virus, improve water infrastructure in Flint, Michigan, as well as other
domestic issues in any upcoming proposal to keep the government funded.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Trailblazers in Black History: 1st South Carolina Volunteers
The First South Carolina Volunteers was a Union Army regiment during the American Civil War. It was composed of escaped slaves from South Carolina and Florida. It was one of the first black regiments in the Union Army.
The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, whose exploits are memorialized in the film Glory, was formed afterwards and drew from free Nortthern Blacks.
Department of the South staff officer James D. Fessenden
was heavily involved in efforts to recruit volunteers for the 1st South
Carolina. Although it saw some combat, the regiment was not involved in
any of the war's major battles. Its first commander was Thomas Wentworth Higginson who was—as were all the other officers—white.
Additional information is available here.
Source: Wikipedia
Black Doctors Call on Obama to Ban Menthol Tobacco Products
African-American doctors are calling on President Barack Obama to
ban sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes, which government data show are
heavily preferred among black smokers.
The African-American Tobacco Control Leadership
Council, a nonprofit anti-smoking advocacy group, launched a public
campaign this week asking Obama to direct the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration to remove all so-called mentholated tobacco products from
the marketplace.
The FDA found in 2013 that menthol cigarettes likely pose a greater public health risk than regular cigarettes, especially among African-Americans, but it stopped short of recommending a ban.
A letter detailing the new request was delivered to the president
last month, Dr. Phillip Gardiner, the council's co-chairman, said
Wednesday.
"The punchline here about menthol is it allows the poisons in tobacco cigarettes to go down easier," Gardiner said in an interview with NBC Washington.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Tyree King, 13, Fatally Shot by Police in Columbus, Ohio
Police in Columbus, Ohio, were investigating how a 13-year-old boy
wanted for questioning Wednesday night in an armed robbery ended up
fatally shot by an officer.
The child — later identified by Columbus police
as Tyree King — had "pulled a gun from his waistband" when officers
attempted to take him and another male into custody, the Columbus
Division of Police said in a statement. As the encounter unfolded, an
officer shot King "multiple times."
The weapon recovered from the scene was
determined to be a BB gun with an attached laser sight, Columbus Police
Chief Kim Jacobs said at news conference Thursday morning. She showed a
replica image of that BB gun.
"Our officers carry a gun that looks practically
identical to this weapon," said Jacobs, adding, "It turns out not to be
a firearm, but as you can see, it looks like a firearm that can kill
you."
Click here for the full article.
First Read: Clinton Is Back on the Trail — and Not a Moment Too Soon for Dems
First Read is a morning briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC
Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why
they matter.
Clinton returns to the trail -- and not a moment too soon for Democrats
After missing three days of campaigning and
fundraising to recover from pneumonia, Hillary Clinton is back on the
trail. And her return is not a moment too soon for Democrats, with
Donald Trump continuing to gain ground in the polls -- if not overtaking
her in some key battleground states. The latest national polls still
show Clinton leading Trump: Quinnipiac has her up five points among likely voters, while the New York Times/CBS poll has her ahead by just two in a head-to-head matchup. But two polls yesterday (via CNN and Bloomberg) found Trump leading in Ohio, and another survey (via CNN)
showed Trump up in Florida. Bottom line: The political winds are
currently at Trump's back, and Team Clinton should be worried. The state
of the race now puts so much more pressure on the first debate (and
less margin for error). A campaign can always overreact to news like
this, but you also don't want to underreact.
Click here for the full article.
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