Girls for Gender Equity: We’re Fighting Back Against School Pushout!

 

The following statement was submitted by Ashley C. Sawyer, Director of Policy, Girls for Gender Equity (GGE). 

Across the country, Black girls are prevented from achieving their educational goals because of their specific experiences with the school-to-prison pipeline, also known as school pushout.  Every day, GGE engages in research, policy advocacy, and organizing to keep Black girls safe, protect their dignity, and affirm their brilliance. Today is no exception!

GGE is fighting pushout by:
 

Increasing Oversight of Dress Code Policies: Today, New York City Council Member Brad Lander  is introducing a bill to increase the oversight and transparency of dress code policies across New York City schools, and calling on the DOE to implement an inclusive dress code policy. This bill goes hand in hand with our new research on school dress code policies, where we found overwhelmingly explicit prohibitions of feminized dress, and harsh, escalating punishments for students who are out of compliance.  Young people should never be denied classroom instruction time, publicly humiliated, or disciplined for the way that they look or for their body types. Read full coverage of our research and today's bill introduction in Chalkbeat!

Curtailing Investments in School Police: Mayor De Blasio just introduced his preliminary budget plan which calls for yet another increase to the School Safety Division, increasing the City's investment in school police, and far outweighing commitments to restorative justice, teacher training and other student support. Our recent analysis of NYPD interventions in New York City schools shows that school policing disproportionally targets Black girls.

Mapping Violent Police Interactions Experienced by Black Girls: In 2015, a young Black girl was thrown from her desk in Spring Valley, South Carolina and brutally beaten by a police officer. The violence she experienced continues to happen to Black girls and non-binary youth across the United States. Today, we're launching a new project mapping incidents where Black girls are harmed, violently arrested, or assaulted by police.
 

Do you know of an incident that has not been captured? If so, please email schoolgirlsdeserve@ggenyc.org and tell us about it!

Pete Buttigieg Skipped South Bend Meetings on Police Oversight

Attended Campaign Fundraisers Across the Country Instead

The Intercept_: Amid widespread criticism of policing in South Bend, Indiana, following the June 2019 shooting of Eric Logan, a 54-year-old black resident, then-Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s administration established a series of public meetings with the Board of Public Safety, the disciplinary body overseeing the police department. While Buttigieg said his administration was taking “steps that were empowering for residents,” the presidential candidate attended only one of those eight meetings, traveling across the country for fundraisers, speaking engagements, and campaign events instead.

Click here for the report.

Senate Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump

Remembering Jim Lehrer

PBS NewsHour: PBS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer, a giant in journalism known for his tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Thursday, at the age of 85.

Judy Woodruff Remembers Longtime NewsHour Anchor Jim Lehrer

From The G-Man and The G-Man Interviews salute the legacy and life of Mr. Jim Lehrer. May he forever rest in peace. 

Ousted Grammy CEO Speaks Out in 1st Interview Since Explosive Lawsuit

Russia's Duma Unanimously Approves Putin's Constitution Shake-Up

Lebanon 'Seeks $4-5 Billion' in Foreign Loans Amid Financial Crisis

UN's Guterres to Al Jazeera: Libya is 'Playground' for Foreign Forces

International Court of Justice Orders Myanmar to Protect Rohingya

Coronavirus Outbreak: WHO Officials Say 'Too Early' to Declare International Public Health Emergency

Justin Trudeau Says USMCA a 'Top Priority' in Remarks to Liberal Caucus

  

This coverage was presented in French and English.

Why Jihadists Are Thriving in West Africa

Governor Cuomo Announces Legislation for E-Bike and Scooter Safety Measures

The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo: Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced legislation in the FY 2021 Executive Budget to establish comprehensive safety measures for the use of lower speed motorized bicycles, or e-bikes, and scooters and to give local governments the right to set additional regulations. This legislation addresses the concern that e-bike and scooter users, primarily delivery drivers, have been subject to unfair restrictions on these bicycles, while ensuring strong statewide measures for the safety of riders, pedestrians and drivers.

Campaign Launched to Make Sure Every New Yorker is Counted in the Upcoming Census

The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo: Governor Andrew Cuomo today kicked off the State's campaign to make sure every New Yorker is counted in the upcoming 2020 Census. The Governor today hosted the State's first Census Conference to raise awareness about the Census and engage advocates, community-based organizations, community leaders and local officials to ensure a complete count.

The Conference consisted of breakout sessions featuring administration officials to help answer questions from these key stakeholders about a variety of topics, including how to participate in the application process for potential funding that will flow through counties; how communities can coordinate efforts and use resources the State has made available; how to reach at-risk and hard-to-count communities; what leadership and messaging tactics to use to ensure a complete count; and how to achieve a complete count by improving digital literacy and opening up places for individuals to fill their Census online.

The Census Conference follows the recent formation of the Governor's Census Council, which is being co-chaired by Martin Luther King III, Lucy Liu and Lin-Manuel Miranda to lead the State charge to ensure every New Yorker is counted in the upcoming 2020 census. 

Eric Adams Talks Gentrification Controversial Comments

Jumaane Williams Makes First State of the People Address

She’s 91 and Is Being Kicked Out of Her Apartment

 

The New York Times: Dozens of residents of an independent living community in Manhattan — some as old as 99 — are being forced out of the homes they thought they’d die in.

Click here for the report. 

NYC Transit President Andy Byford Resigns After Two Years at Helm

 

The New York Daily News: Byford’s departure comes months after he issued — and later rescinded — a letter of resignation, which included a long list of complaints including his problems with “gubernatorial interference," MTA sources told the Daily News.

Click here for the report. 

Watchdog Files FEC Complaint Against Pro-Sanders Group

WASHINGTON (AP) — The watchdog group Common Cause filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, alleging that Our Revolution, a political nonprofit organization founded by Bernie Sanders, violated campaign finance law by accepting donations in excess of federal limits while boosting his White House ambitions.

Click here for the full report. 

Source: Associated Press

U.S. Drinking Water Widely Contaminated with 'Forever Chemicals': Environment Watchdog

 
Click here for the report. 

Source: Reuters

Criminalizing Reporting: Glenn Greenwald Faces Cybercrime Complaint After Exposing Scandal in Brazil

Senate Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump (Full Coverage)

Fallout Over Unused Hurricane Aid in Puerto Rico Continues

Trump Downplays Concussion-like Injuries in Iraq Attack

Philippines Residents Refuse to Leave Volcano Danger Zones

Iran Seeks to Resolve Tensions with Saudi Arabia

Libya War Costing $77 Million in Oil Revenue Per Day

Macron Israel Trip an 'Opportunity to Look at Wider Issues'

Guantanamo Tribunal: Creator of CIA Torture Techniques Testifies

Saudi Arabia Denies Involvement in Hacking of Amazon Boss' Phone

Is Canada on Losing End of CETA Free Trade Agreement with EU?

Here's What We Know About the New Coronavirus

Legislation to Make the Fracking Ban Permanent Included in Cuomo's Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget

'Avengers' Star Mark Ruffalo Praises the Governor's Measure

Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced legislation in the FY 2021 Executive Budget to make New York's fracking ban permanent. The measure would restrict the Department of Environmental Conservation from approving permits that would authorize an applicant to drill, deepen, plug back or convert wells that use high-volume hydraulic fracturing as a means to complete or recomplete a well, protecting the health of New Yorkers and ensuring permanently that our environment is not harmed by this practice. This bill reflects an important step forward toward achieving New York's clean energy economy goals.

"New York's leadership on hydraulic fracturing continues to protect the environment and public health, including the drinking water of millions of people, and we must make it permanent once and for all," Governor Cuomo said. "In the five years since fracking was banned, we have proven that it was in fact, not the only economic option for the Southern Tier. The region has since become a hotbed for clean energy and economic development investment through programs like 76West and Southern Tier Soaring, creating new good-quality jobs that pave the way for further growth."

High-volume hydraulic fracturing utilizes a well stimulation technique that greatly increased the ability to extract natural gas from very tight rock. High-volume hydraulic fracturing, which is often used in conjunction with horizontal drilling, raises significant, adverse impacts. In 2014, a review by the NYS Department of Health found significant uncertainties about health, including increased water and air pollution, and the adequacy of mitigation measures to protect public health. Given the red flags raised by existing research and absent conclusive studies that disprove health concerns, DOH recommended that the activity should not proceed in New York State. The Department of Environmental Conservation officially prohibited the practice in 2015, concluding a comprehensive seven-year review process that examined potential environmental and health impacts associated with high-volume hydraulic fracturing. New York's was the first ban by a state with significant natural gas resources.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Governor Cuomo has detailed the biggest and boldest environmental agenda in the nation, and the permanent ban of hydrofracking is a critical part in ensuring the protection of water quality, transitioning from fossil fuels, and continuing our role as a climate leader. "

Actor and Environmental Advocate Mark Ruffalo said, "I join with environmentalists, health experts, and New Yorkers everywhere in applauding Governor Cuomo for including legislation in the budget to make the fracking ban permanent law. The science overwhelmingly shows that fracking is disastrous for drinking water, public health, and climate change. Permanently banning fracking is what real environmental and climate leadership looks like."

In 2017, Governor Cuomo along with the Governors of Delaware and Pennsylvania, comprising a majority of the Delaware River Basin Commission, announced that they voted in favor of a resolution put forward by the commission to issue draft regulations to permanently ban hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas in the Delaware River Basin. This action further protected the public health of communities in New York and a precious water supply for more than 15 million people. 

In the wake of the ban, the clean energy ecosystem in the Southern Tier has grown rapidly over the last five years, fueled by a variety of programs and resources. New companies have sprouted in the Southern Tier with innovations in a wide variety of clean energy sectors, supporting over 4,100 jobs as of 2017. Examples of this industry density include the success of 76West Clean Energy Competition, new business like Imperium3, Sungeel, and Micatu locating in the ST, and the most recent spotlight on the region's clean energy expertise with the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Binghamton University's Stan Whittingham. These efforts have been bolstered by Southern Tier Soaring, the URI-winning strategic plan developed by the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council.
 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

SUNY Student Assembly Response to Governor Cuomo's Proposed Executive Budget

The following statement was provided by Trustee and SUNY Student Assembly President Austin Ostro. 

“SUNY Students are pleased to see increased investment in public higher education front and center in Governor Cuomo’s executive budget proposal.

We applaud the dramatic increase in spending on capital infrastructure projects proposed in the Governor’s budget. Increased support for capital would allow our campuses to renovate existing spaces, and construct new living and learning environments for students, faculty, and staff.

Our students are also very pleased to see increased funding proposed for Open Educational Resources at SUNY. This support will help alleviate the burden high textbook costs create for many students. We urge the legislature to act on the Governor’s proposal.

We also support the Governor’s plan to raise the maximum income threshold for the Excelsior Scholarship to $150,000. Many regions of our state have high costs of living, and we believe the new threshold will allow more middle class families to access the scholarship.

While we await final details on the Governor’s budget - the Student Assembly remains committed to seeing increased direct state operating support for SUNY - which will ease the financial burden placed on students through increasing tuition and fees. We also remain firmly committed to all of SUNY’s opportunity programs, which open the door to a higher education to thousands of students each year. It essential that funding for opportunity programs be protected and strengthened.

The SUNY Student Assembly looks forward to engaging with legislators, including through our legislative action day on February 27th, on the budget issues most important to our 1.4 million students. SUNY is the economic engine of our state - returning $8.17 in economic development for every $1.00 of public investment. Properly funding public higher education must be a priority this session for all involved in the budget process.”

About the SUNY Student Assembly: The Student Assembly of the State University of New York (SUNY SA) is the recognized student government organization representing the nearly 1.4 million students of the State University of New York. Comprised of student leaders elected by their peers from across SUNY’s 64 campuses, SUNY SA is committed to empowering students throughout the state, and ensuring the representation of its members on the state and national level, as well as throughout the SUNY system.

Source: SUNY SA

Family Loses Thousands in Fake Publishers Clearing House Scam

NYPD Officer with 9/11-Related Cancer Continues to Work from Home

This report was published on YouTube on January 21.

PIX11 Sits Down with the Acting President and CEO of Planned Parenthood

This report was published on YouTube on January 21.

LeBron James Surprises Harlem Teens With Citi Bike Memberships

 

James delighted dozens of teenagers when he made the unannounced visit to the YMCA on West 135th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Junior Boulevard. The appearance was preceded by a video made by Lyft featuring a voice over from James, but the kids didn't know the all-time NBA great was in the building.unce a new partnership between his company Uninterrupted and Lyft to provide free Citi Bike memberships for teenagers.

Click here for the report.

Source: MSN

Rutgers University Names Its First Black President in 253-Year History

Jonathan Holloway most recently served as Northwestern University's provost.

Click here for the report.

Source: NBC News  

From The G-Man and The G-Man Interviews congratulation Mr. Holloway on his monumental achievement. 

Governor Cuomo Outlines Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget: Making Progress Happen

Netflix, NBC, ABC Lead in Depictions of Wrongful Actions by People of Color in Crime Dramas, Study Finds

 
Click here for the report.. 

Source: Variety

CDC Confirms First U.S. Case of China Coronavirus

 
Click here for the report.

Source: Reuters

Brazil Prosecutors Charge The Intercept's Greenwald with Hacking

 
Click here for the report.

Source: Reuters

Trump and Lynching: An Historical Comparative Analysis

 
By Steven Jonas

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President . . . is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about anyone else."

                                    Theodore Roosevelt, Editorial in The Kansas City Star May 7, 1918

 
At the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC is an extensive collection of photos from the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz. The photos show these extermination camp guards "on break," in 1944 at the height of the camp's mass murdering campaign, having picnic lunches, engaging in choral singing, playing with their dogs, gathering for smiling group photos, and smoking cigarettes. (This was so even though at Hitler's behest in the 1930's, the Nazis had instituted the world's first comprehensive anti-smoking campaign, in Germany. And there you thought that all German armed forces members always followed orders.) They even decorated Christmas trees (after all, the slogan "Gott mit Uns" was on their belt buckles). And all this time, thousands of Jews and other nationalities were being gassed and burned at the camp every day. Talk about the banality of evil.  

Among the reactions to the contents of the exhibit was expressed by The New York Times columnist Roger Cohen ("Down Time from Murder," NYT, 9-24-07): how could those Germans go about their daily lives and laugh on breaks and retreats? Oh those "just awful" Germans. "How unique they were." Oh really?

Funny, but I was reminded of the set of photographs taken over many decades, some of which were actually made into picture postcards sent through the US mails, of public lynchings in the U.S. South. (You can see an extensive collection of them here.) People, other than the victims, laughing, smiling, kids playing, (no link necessary for this one) having lunch, and acting as if a lynching was a celebratory spectacle. How could that happen? And how indeed, only the Germans did that later on during the Holocaust. And then I also thought of those smiling photos of the guards at Abu Ghraib, Iraq. Just ordinary folks, having fun while brutalizing Iraqi prisoners. And then, we have the reports of the for-fun shootings of Iraqi civilians by Blackwater mercenaries in Iraq and the ongoing horror of Guantanamo. 

Click here for the full article. 

Source: OpEdNews

The Galli-'Christianity Today' Controversy

By Steven Jonas

A recent editorial by the retiring Editor-in-Chief of the Right-Wing Evangelical journal Christianity Today, Mark Galli, has caused quite an uproar, both among the Evangelical Right and some liberal commentators as well.

Before dealing with that controversy, let's briefly take a look at "Evangelical Christianity." It is a movement within Protestantism that is trans-denominational, encompassing, among others, Methodism, Baptism, Pentecostalism, and several different independent branches of Evangelicalism itself. In the United States, about a quarter of the population consider themselves Evangelicals. Not all of them adhere to the Evangelical Right, which is the noisy branch. In fact they are so noisy, and presently so intimately connected to the Trumpites and the Trumpublican(©) Party, there is no way of knowing just how many Evangelicals are Rightists.

In any case, common to the Evangelical doctrine is the concept of salvation by grace, the importance of the processes of conversion/being "born again," and the importance of the (English) Bible as representing the "inerrant word of God." Now the latter would be of only theological significance if Right Evangelism in particular did not want to use their interpretation of what that "Word" is to determine major elements of the law that apply to all of us, as for example, in the matters of abortion rights and the civil rights of the LGBTQ community.

Dealing with this subject for the moment, it is my understanding that not all elements of Evangelicalism refer to the same Bible as the one that is "inerrant" (and that understanding, if true, certainly undermines the concept of "inerrancy:" which one, exactly, is it[?]). But the common one bearing that appellation is the King James version. 

Click here for the full article. 

Source: OpEdNews

Trump's Impeachment Trial in the Senate (Full Coverage)

PBS NewsHour: The Senate reconvenes today for the Republican-led trial of President Donald Trump, who last year became the third president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. 

Seven Democrats have been named as managers to prosecute the House’s case, including Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York. White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump’s personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, are expected to take the lead in arguing the president’s case. 

Click here for additional information. 

Axios Analysis: 'Trump Effect' Motivates Media Companies to Back Off Political Coverage

Three Rockets Hit Near U.S. Embassy in Iraq

Asia Steps Up Defences as China Confirms Sixth Coronavirus Death

Thai Court Finds Opposition Party Not Guilty of Sedition Charge

Libya's Youth Suffer from War and Lack of Opportunities

West Africa Piracy: Regional Navies Work to Curb Maritime Crime

Chaos at Guatemala-Mexico Border as Caravan Tries to Advance

EU Citizens Must Now Apply Online to Legally Stay in UK

Top Huawei Executive's Extradition Hearing Begins in Canada

Over 120 Journalists Crowdsource Corruption Investigation

FRANCE 24 English: Angola's ex-President's daughter Isabel dos Santos has been accused of massive corruption and graft due to her father's influence and position as head of state in Angola for almost 40 years. She denies the allegations but a collaborative effort by over 120 journalists has stalked the evidence very high indeed.

Justin Trudeau Talks Iran, China, and New NAFTA Ratification

The address was presented in French and English.

Greta Thunberg Hosts World Economic Forum Debate on 'Averting a Climate Apocalypse' (Full Coverage)

Global News: Four young climate activists, including Greta Thunberg, scolded the elites gathered at the World Economic Forum for not doing enough to deal with the climate emergency and warned them that time was running out, during a panel discussion called "averting a climate apocalypse." 

At a panel in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the four said Tuesday that they hoped their generation had found its voice and can work with those in power to bring about the necessary change to limit climate change.

Bonus Report: Trump Rejects 'Predictions of Apocalypse,' Praises U.S. Economy at WEF

Chuck Schumer Speaks to Reporters as Trump Impeachment Trial to Begin

Coverage begins at the 8:45 mark.

Eric Adams Under Fire for Gentrification Comments During MLK Day Speech

‘I Was Wrong,’ Bloomberg Says. But This Policy Still Haunts Him.

 

The New York Times: After defending the stop-and-frisk policing tactic, the former mayor apologized. But black voters in the Democratic presidential race may not forgive him.

Click here for the report. 

NYC Educators Push for Teacher Diversity in City Schools

 
Click here for the report. 

Source: The New York Daily News

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words

MLK Jr.’s Children, Grandchild Read His American Dream Speech

When the Revolution Was Televised

 
Martin Luther King Jr. was a master television producer, but the networks had a narrow view of what the black struggle for equality could look like.

Click here for the article. 

Source: Pocket

News Closeup: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

 Click here for video.

Southern Poverty Law Center: Dr. King’s Words Inspire Us to Act

By Karen Baynes-Dunning, Interim President, SPLC

Nearly 52 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “The Other America” speech in a high school gym in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

He spoke of the need to acknowledge “that America is still a racist country.”

“[W]e will never solve the problem of racism until there is a recognition of the fact that racism still stands at the center of so much of our nation and we must see racism for what it is,” he told the crowd that day in March 1968, just weeks before his assassination. “It is a myth of an inferior people.”

Today, while our nation’s challenges have evolved, the fundamental problems of racial, social and economic injustice remain. That’s why so much of what King said resonates just as much now as it did decades ago.

I believe that once again we must feel the urgency to act, to work together to achieve “the destiny of America” that King spoke about. The fact is, so much of the progress we’ve made since King delivered his speech is in real danger. We’re seeing a surge of white nationalism that is not only producing deadly terror attacks but is injecting a dangerous toxin into our nation’s political bloodstream.

We’re seeing the Trump administration rip apart health care and nutrition programs for the poor; imprison nonwhite asylum-seekers by the thousands; promote discrimination against people of color, the LGBTQ community, and Muslims; and so much more – all while the president himself invokes the language of dictators and thumbs his nose at the very institutions and principles of our democracy.

At the same time, our criminal justice system continues to destroy the lives of people of color and millions struggle to feed their families as the rich get more tax cuts. And, our ability to force change through the ballot box is undercut by gerrymandering, voter suppression and a political system that’s deeply polarized.

It’s no wonder that many people across the country, particularly those facing hardship and adversity, are deluged by feelings of despair. Many families have suffered from the opioid crisis and other forms of addiction, and now the child suicide rate is rising.

These challenges can seem like a mountain that is simply unscalable. But, as King said in his speech, we can climb that mountain “by working with determination and realizing that power must be shared.”

Acting with boldness and intention, we can get closer to what King sought – a world where love triumphs over fear and hate, where reconciliation is the alternative to violence and war, where human decency and compassion reign over hunger, poverty and homelessness.

We must raise our voices. We must activate and mobilize. We must be unflappable and resilient. And we must be unwavering in our commitment.

As America remembers King with a day of service on Monday, let each of us consider what we can do to make a difference – whether it’s in the political realm or, perhaps, in the life of someone who needs a hand.

And most of all, let us have faith that, together, we can create the extraordinary future that King envisioned. As he said on that day in 1968, “[O]ur goal is freedom and I believe that we’re going to get there.

“It’s going to be more difficult from here on in, but I believe we’re going to get there, because however much she strays away from it, the goal of America is freedom and our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America.”

New York State's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Observance

 
Click here for coverage of the event. 

Source: New York State Office of General Services

A Look Back at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Historic Address at Queens College

 
Click here for the article.

Source: QNS

Celebrate Martin Luther King With These New York City Events

 
Click here for listing. 

Source: Patch