Saturday, August 10, 2019

From The G-Man: 'The Best of Enemies' Gets Five Press Passes!


The Best of Enemies is the film of the year. 

From The G-Man predicts the film will get Oscar nominations for "Best Picture", "Best Actor" (Sam Rockwell) and "Best Actress" (Taraji P. Henson). You heard it here, first! 

Ms. Henson, you are a treasure to the acting and Black community. Your performance was nothing short of brilliant. 

Ladies and gentlemen, if you want to see movie-making at its finest, you're urged to watch his film. You'll be glad you did.

Friday, August 9, 2019

A Song for America: 'Get Together' by The Youngbloods



May compassion, diplomacy, love and understanding engulf this nation as we head toward the 2020 presidential election...and every day thereafter. 

G-Man

American Airman Brought Home 52 Years After He Was Shot Down in Combat Over Vietnam


This report was published on YouTube on August 8.

Global News: Born in Texas in 1931, Roy Abner Knight Jr. was the sixth of eight children. He joined the U.S. Air Force just days after his 17th birthday. He started off as a clerk and typist at various locations in Southeast Asia, but eventually attended officer candidate school in the U.S. By 1953, he was a commissioned officer, and in 1957, he began flight training in Texas. 

He shipped overseas in January 1967, reporting to the 602nd Fighter Squadron (Commando) at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. He flew combat missions almost every day until he was shot down on May 19, 1967. His obit states that he was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart and six air medals. 

But his final honour would involve his own family. On this day, his son Bryan — that five-year-old son who had waved goodbye to him when he left for overseas in 1967 — is now a captain with Southwest Airlines, and was the pilot brought home his father home 52 years after that goodbye.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Representative Elijah Cummings: We Must Stand United and Demand Change


This report was originally broadcast on August 7. 

C-SPAN: In a previously scheduled appearance at the National Press Club, Baltimore Representative Elijah Cummings speaks about the recent back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. He expresses sympathy to the victims' families and to those injured in the gun attacks, and he says that it's time for the country to say that "enough is enough." Representative Cummings also calls for an end to the current political rhetoric and appeals for unity to get things done for the country. "Those in the highest levels of the government must stop invoking fear, using racist language and encouraging reprehensible behavior. It only creates more division among us and severely limits our ability to work together for the common good... We must stand united and demand change," he says.

Facebook Loses Facial Recognition Appeal, Must Face Privacy Class Action


A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected Facebook Inc's effort to undo a class action lawsuit claiming that it illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent.

Click here for the report.

Source: Reuters

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Concert Pianist Dedicates Performance to El Paso and Dayton Shooting Victims and Their Families


Richard Alston is a pianist who has garnered international praise for his passion, technical skill, charismatic personality and innovation.

A native of East Orange, New Jersey, Alston received his first lessons from Dorothy Early. By the age of eight, he was playing organ and piano for the First Baptist Church in Vaux Hall, New Jersey. He continued his studies with Sylvia Rabinof and received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, where he studied with Irwin Freundlich and Josef Raieff.

Alston was later awarded the prestigious Maria Guerra Judelson Scholarship in piano and returned to Juilliard to obtain his Master’s degree. As a teenager, he captivated audiences through his solo recitals, concerto appearances with orchestras, live opera performance, radio and television broadcasts and CD recordings.

Recently, he captured the attention of the music world, educators, and college and university students by exposing the monumental contributions made by composers of African descent, particularly in the area of classical music. Alston not only performs the works of these composers, who remain unknown to many in the U.S. and abroad, he gives lectures, special presentations and master classes under the heading “Classically Black: Composers of African Descent”.

In the wake of the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the acclaimed musician decided to dedicate his recent performance at Trinity United Presbyterian Church to those who perished and their families. Alston serves as Minister of Music at the facility.

In an email statement to From The G-Man, Alston said, "I posted my performance of Consolation No. 3, by Franz Liszt, because I felt that in this time of pain, anguish and heartbreak, a quiet and calm melody would soothe the soul."
 
Click here to view the performance.

Alston is the recipient of several awards, which include the “Award for Excellence” from the New Jersey Education Association; “Community Leaders Fostering Change in Education Award” from the New Jersey Unit of the National Association of Negro Business and Women’s Clubs, Inc.; “Achievement Award” from the National Association of Negro Women; “Musician of the Year” from the National Association of Negro Musicians Inc., Newark, (NJ) Chapter; and a special proclamation from the Office of the Mayor of the City of East Orange (NJ). He has also been honored by the Historical Society of East Orange, NJ Inc.

Photo and video source: Richard C. Alston

Petition Launched to Fully Restore the Voting Rights Act


The following statement was submitted by Nancy Abudu, Deputy Legal Director, Voting Rights, for the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

August 6, marked 54 years since the Voting Rights Act (VRA) was signed into law. Combined with the passage of the Civil Rights Act the year prior, these groundbreaking and, at the time, radical pieces of legislation were the result of decades of struggle for civil rights and the deaths of many, including Jimmie Lee Jackson

On this anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, we are calling for it to be restored to its full strength. Click here to sign our petition.

In the six years since the Supreme Court decision in Shelby v. Holder, we have witnessed a slew of disingenuous Voter ID laws, voter roll purges, laws eliminating early voting, diminished access to the ballot, and electoral maps drawn specifically to dilute the voting power of minority groups or to hurt the chances of a specific political party.  

And this isn’t just impacting the Black community here in the Deep South. These anti-democratic laws, passed by conservative lawmakers, target people with disabilities, people of lesser economic means, the elderly, and all communities of color.

All of the voting rights advocacy the SPLC’s Voting Rights team engages in – fighting for fair and enhanced access to the ballot, taking on gerrymandering, and cleaning up local election administration from the federal level down to the precinct level – is guided by the principle that our democracy can only be made whole again when we restore the Voting Rights Act to its full strength.

Reform will not be easy. Republicans control the statehouses here in the South. And let’s not forget Mitch McConnell’s relentless obstruction of pro-democracy and election security measures in the U.S. Senate. 

We hope you'll join our effort by signing the petition.

Tiffany Cabán Concedes Queens D.A. Race, Dashing Progressives’ Hopes

 
Melinda Katz wins the Democratic nomination by 55 votes after a recount erases her opponent’s slim election night lead.

Click here for the report.

Source: The New York Times

2 Officials Who Were Both Adopted Clash Over an Adoption Law


Adoption law in New York may be changed to give more rights to birth parents, even when adoptive parents object.

Click here for the report.

Source: The New York Times

Cuomo Calls on Democratic Presidential Candidates to Endorse 'Make America Safer Pledge'


Governor Andrew Cuomo today called on the Democratic presidential candidates to endorse the "Make America Safer Pledge," a 4-point plan to keep Americans safe from gun violence. Immediately following the horrific mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio earlier this week, Governor Cuomo condemned President Trump and urged the U.S. Congress to follow New York's lead and pass significant gun safety measures. Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York has passed the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, including the SAFE Act in 2013 which keeps guns out of the hands of convicted felons and individuals with a mental illness, ensures private gun sales are subject to a background check, bans high-capacity magazines and assault weapons, and toughens criminal penalties for illegal gun use. 

Click here for the full announcement.

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo 

Search Underway for New York Architects and Artists to Develop Hurricane Maria Memorial

 
On August 6, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the New York State Hurricane Maria Memorial Commission has begun its search for the architects and artists who will design and execute a Hurricane Maria memorial honoring the victims and survivors of Hurricane Maria and the resilience of the Puerto Rican community. Governor Cuomo announced this monument and established this commission on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria's landfall in September 2017. 

"Hurricane Maria claimed thousands of lives and destroyed countless homes in Puerto Rico, yet the resilience of the Puerto Rican community has shown the world anything can be overcome when we all stand together in solidarity," Governor Cuomo said. "We want this spirit of strength and community to be reflected in the Hurricane Maria Memorial, and we look forward to seeing how the experts capture it in their designs." 

Click here for the full announcement. 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo 

Governor Cuomo Signs Brianna's Law to Strengthen Boater Safety


This video was published on YouTube on August 6. 

Copiague, NY - Governor Andrew Cuomo signs legislation (S.5685/A.4853.A) - or Brianna's Law - to phase in requirements that all operators of motorized watercraft must complete a state-approved boating safety course.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Toni Morrison, Nobel Laureate, Dies at 88

 
C-SPAN: Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison has died. She was 88.

Professor Morrison won a Pulitzer Prize and was the first black American woman to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. She was a professor of humanities at Princeton University.

Her books include: Sula, Song of Solomon, Beloved, The Bluest Eye, Paradise, Tar Baby, Jazz, and Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination.

In this 2001 In Depth appearance, she discussed her writings, her life, and the craft of writing.

Click here for the full interview. 

Trump Dismisses Trade War Fears; China Warns of Market Chaos

 
Trump dismissed concerns over a protracted trade war with China, as Beijing said that Washington's decision to label it a currency manipulator would lead to chaos in financial markets.

Click here for the report.

Source: Reuters

Kellyanne Conway Comments to Reporters at the White House


Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway speaks with reporters in the White House driveway. 

This video may not play on certain browsers. Click here if you experience problems.

Monday, August 5, 2019

The Trump Administration Is Using the Full Power of the U.S. Surveillance State Against Whistleblowers


Government whistleblowers are increasingly being charged under laws such as the Espionage Act, but they aren’t spies.

Click here for the report.

Source: The Intercept_

3 Journalists Killed in Mexico in Less Than a Week


Mexico, considered one of the most dangerous countries to be a journalist, has witnessed 10 such deaths this year.

Click here for the report.

Source: Al Jazeera

New York State Adopts New Regulations to Expand and Improve Crisis Management Services


The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) today announced the adoption of regulatory amendments that will allow for an expansion of the state’s crisis response system while emphasizing person-centered recovery and rehabilitation in the community.  

Updates and revisions to 14 NYCRR Part 589 create three Crisis Residential Programs categories: Residential Crisis Support, Intensive Crisis Residence, and Children’s Crisis Residence.

“Crisis residences give an individual the opportunity to deal with his or her crisis in a setting that values personal choice, informed decision-making, respect for patient rights and the opportunity to make connections with community supports and safety planning,” said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner, Dr. Ann Sullivan. “OMH has been working extensively with county leadership statewide to develop the shared vision of a coordinated behavioral health crisis management system available to all New Yorkers, regardless of ability to pay. These regulatory amendments bring that vision closer to reality.”

Crisis residential programs are part of an expanding community-based continuum of care. They are designed to provide voluntary, short-term interventions to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The goal is to address the cause of each crisis and help these individuals to return to their communities. 

“For people in crisis, safe, temporary housing can reduce stress while the underlying crisis condition is addressed, ultimately improving long-term health and wellness,” said New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. “Investments in social determinants of health, like housing programs, have a profound impact on people’s ability to stay connected with their health care services and can lead to significant reductions in hospitalizations and Medicaid expenditures.”

Crisis Residential programs are available to all New Yorkers, including children and adults, regardless of the ability to pay.  They are an integral part of a larger crisis management system and continuum of crisis services.  This system will integrate existing crisis infrastructure with newly available resources in managed care, Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) and Value Based Payments (VBP).

The goals of a crisis management system are to: maintain people safely in the community; reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations; reduce risk of future crises; and coordinate information sharing among clinicians, patients and involved family members/ identified supports to reflect patient preferences.

Source: OMH

BOSS Panel: Meet Harlem's Finest Business Leaders

Click on the flier to increase its size.

Click here for details on the free event. 

Source: ImageNation