Sweeping Layoffs! Conditions in America Have Only Just Begun to Change

Anger, chaos, and confusion take hold. The insight:

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The long-term impacts are likely to be significant and far-reaching.

For Corporate America, it all started long before Trump's Executive Order (EO).

Corporate America began laying off employees in large numbers in January 2024. Major companies across various sectors announced job cuts. Levi Strauss & Co. reduced its workforce by 10-15%. Discord also cut 15% of its staff, while Amazon's Audible division laid off 5% of its employees. Additionally, Unity implemented a substantial cut, laying off 25% of its workforce. On the other hand, BlackRock reduced 3% of its global workforce.

The trend continued throughout the year, with companies like IBM, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Tesla announcing layoffs in subsequent months. By August 2024, 384 tech companies had laid off more than 124,000 (one hundred and twenty-four thousand) employees. 

These layoffs were part of a broader trend that affected various industries, including tech, media, finance, manufacturing, and retail.

Then came Trump's executive order three weeks after his inauguration in January 2025, impacting all federal government agencies.

In the wake of Trump’s Executive Order that began on Thursday before Valentine's Day— workers across the country responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration‘s aggressive effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections.

This initiative is being overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Elon Musk leads.

As part of this effort, mass layoffs are taking place, primarily targeting probationary employees across various federal agencies—a major shift in federal employment practices, with the goals of reducing government spending and increasing operational efficiency.

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POLITICO

Mass Layoffs, court challenges, and Buyouts: Making Sense of Trump’s Plans to shrink the federal workforce

READ

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The layoffs are part of an initiative move by Trump and a team led by Elon Musk to transform the federal government, which employs around 2.3 million individuals.

The administration earlier moved to cut funding for USAID and WHO and reduced funding for organizations that assist Americans in enrolling in Obamacare and for diversity initiatives at the Department of Education.

Officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have announced plans to reduce the agency's workforce by 50%, according to a HUD staff member with direct knowledge of the situation and a union leader who has communicated with other staff.

Kansas Farmers are now trying to save USAID

Kansas Farmers are now trying to save USAID. pic.twitter.com/PkPjmJZ8qJ

— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) February 15, 2025

In a sign of the chaos surrounding the firings, federal workers are warning of a 'fascist danger' as they protest Elon Musk's DOGE.

The Insight: Check out the Live Layoffs on the Public Records notification website.

The WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide at least 60 days of advance written notice before a plant closing or mass layoff that affects 50 or more employees. Keep in mind that not all layoffs or plant closures require WARN notices. The requirements for issuing WARN notices can vary by state.

Bookmark the website for future reference.

Change the 'State' and the 'Year' from the drop down to see if your company /job is at risk. Take note of the 'Notice Date.'

The impact of these cuts is already being felt across the nation. Communities that heavily rely on federal employment are experiencing economic shifts, which are affecting local businesses and housing markets.

The latest HUD housing report just dropped, and the numbers are alarming. More than 5.89 million renters are behind on rent, while 4.87 million homeowners are struggling with mortgage payments.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency's plans, and cuts could happen as soon as next week.

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While much of the administration’s attention was focused on disrupting bureaucracy in Washington, the broad-based effort to slash the government workforce was impacting a far wider swath of workers.

Demonstrations against the mass firing are expected to ramp up with Congress on recess.

Theo Edwards for YAME Digital

Let's Talk About Kemi Badenoch, the New Conservative Leader

The UK’s then-Secretary of State for Business and Trade, President of the Board of Trade, and Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch arrives for a cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London, on March 19, 2024 [File: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP]

Kemi Badenoch, the 44-year-old former software engineer, and Trade Minister ascended to the leadership of the UK Conservative Party—the first Black woman to lead a major British political party—comes at the end of a protracted contest triggered by the worst electoral defeat in the party’s history in July of 2024.

Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke was born in January 1980 in a relatively affluent suburb of London, as the daughter of a Nigerian doctor. Her mother was in the UK for medical treatment at the time. Badenoch spent much of her childhood in Nigeria and the United States, where her mother, a professor of physiology at the University of Lagos, frequently traveled for lecture tours.

Enough! Let's talk about Kemi Badenoch, the new Conservative Leader on the repercussions of slavery.

Op-ed: opinions, perspectives

The rhetoric: The commentator's use of the same English they taught us to take down the British-Nigerian Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch on the repercussions of slavery. A female 'House Nigger', an 'Uncle Tom' married to a White!

USPS’ Long-awaited New Mail Truck Makes Its Debut to Rave Reviews From Carriers

“You can tell that (the designers) didn’t have an appearance in mind,” postal worker Avis Stonum said. The Postal Service’s new delivery vehicles aren’t going to win a beauty contest.

Associated Press | September 12, 2024 at 1:44 AM

The Postal Service’s new delivery vehicles aren’t going to win a beauty contest.

They’re tall and ungainly. The windshields are vast. Their hoods resemble a duck bill. Their bumpers are enormous.

“You can tell that (the designers) didn’t have appearance in mind,” postal worker Avis Stonum said.

The Postal Service’s new delivery vehicles aren’t going to win a beauty contest. AP

Odd appearance aside, the first handful of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles that rolled onto postal routes in August in Athens are getting rave reviews from letter carriers accustomed to cantankerous older vehicles that lack modern safety features and are prone to breaking down — and even catching fire.

Within a few years of the initial rollout, the fleet will have expanded to 60,000, most of them electric models, serving as the Postal Service’s primary delivery truck from Maine to Hawaii.

Once fully deployed, they’ll represent one of the most visible signs of the agency’s 10-year, $40 billion transformation led by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who’s also renovating aging facilities, overhauling the processing and transportation network, and instituting other changes.

The current postal vehicles — the Grumman Long Life Vehicle, dating to 1987 — have made good on their name, outlasting their projected 25-year lifespan. But they’re well overdue for replacement.

Noisy and fuel-inefficient (9 mpg), the Grummans are costly to maintain.

They’re scalding hot in the summer, with only an old-school electric fan to circulate air.

The current postal vehicles — the Grumman Long Life Vehicle, dating to 1987 — have made good on their name, outlasting their projected 25-year lifespan. But they’re well overdue for replacement. AP

They’re have mirrors mounted on them that when perfectly aligned allow the driver to see around the vehicle, but the mirrors constantly get knocked out of alignment. Alarmingly, nearly 100 of the vehicles caught fire last year, imperiling carriers and mail alike.

The new trucks are being built with comfort, safety and utility in mind, by Oshkosh Defense in South Carolina.

Even tall postal carriers can stand up without bonking their heads and walk from front to back to retrieve packages.

For safety, they have airbags, 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitoring, collision sensors and anti-lock brakes — all of which are missing on the Grummans.

The new trucks are being built with comfort, safety and utility in mind, by Oshkosh Defense in South Carolina. AP

The new trucks also have a feature that became common in most cars more than six decades ago — air conditioning.

And that’s key for drivers in the Deep South, the desert Southwest, and other areas with scorching summers.

“I promise you, it felt like heaven blowing in my face,” Stonum said of her first experience working in an air-conditioned truck.

Richard Burton, another driver, said he appreciates the larger payload area, which can accommodate bigger packages and the fact that he can stand up and doesn’t have to crouch, helping him avoid back pain. The old trucks also had a habit of breaking down in traffic, he added.

Brian Renfroe, president of the National Letter Carriers Association, said union members are enthusiastic about the new vehicles, just as they were when the Grummans marked a leap forward from the previous vehicles, old-school Jeeps.

He credited DeJoy with bringing a sense of urgency to get them into production.

“We’re excited now to be at the point where they’re starting to hit the streets,” Renfroe said.

The process got off to a rocky start.

Environmentalists were outraged when DeJoy announced that 90% of the next-gen vehicles in the first order would be gas-powered.

Lawsuits were filed demanding that the Postal Service further electrify its fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles to reduce tailpipe emissions.

The new trucks also have a feature that became common in most cars more than six decades ago — air conditioning. AP

“Everybody went nuts,” DeJoy said.

The problem, Dejoy said, wasn’t that he didn’t want electric vehicles. Rather, the expense of the vehicles, compounded by the costs of installing thousands of charging stations and upgrading electrical service, made them unaffordable at a time when the agency was reporting big operating deficits every quarter.

He found a way to further boost the number of electric vehicles when he met with President Joe Biden’s top environmental adviser, John Podesta.

That led to a deal in which the government provided $3 billion to the Postal Service, with part of it earmarked for electric charging stations.

In December 2022, DeJoy announced that the Postal Service was buying 106,000 vehicles through 2028. That included 60,000 next-gen vehicles, 45,000 of them electric models, along with 21,000 other electric vehicles. He pledged to go all-electric for new purchases starting in 2026.

“With the climate crisis at our doorsteps, electrifying the US government’s largest fleet will deliver the progress we’ve been waiting for,” said Katherine García of the Sierra Club, which sued the Postal Service before its decision to boost the volume of electric vehicle purchases.

Between the electric vehicles, reduced tailpipe emissions from optimized mail routes, and other changes, the agency anticipates cutting carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, DeJoy said. The route revisions will also save money.

This summer the Postal Service’s environmental battles came full circle as the White House honored it with a Presidential Federal Sustainability Award, marking the end of “an interesting journey,” DeJoy said.

USPS delivery driver Richard Burton stands in front of the postal service’s brand new mail truck in Athens, Ga. on Sept. 5, 2024. AP

The honor is a signal of the agency’s ability to work through complex problems, be they operational, financial, technical, political or of a public policy nature, he said.

“It comes from forging forward,” he said. “Keep moving.”

Violent Race Riot in the UK: The Root Cause

The riots have been fueled by underlying Islamophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments

By Theo Edwards For YAME

The recent anti-immigration protests in the UK have led to riots, with far-right groups targeting hotels housing asylum-seekers and mosques. This violence has been fueled by underlying Islamophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the violence as ‘far-right thuggery’ and has vowed that the rioters will face the full force of the law.

Citizens are using social media to express their concerns about the racial unrest in the UK.

Riots broke out during anti-immigration protests across Britain, with far-right groups attacking hotels housing asylum-seekers and mosques.

On July 29, three girls aged between six and nine were killed during an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event for children in the seaside town of Southport, in northern England. In Rotherham, in the north of England, a hotel housing migrants was attacked, with windows smashed and a large garbage container set ablaze outside. Many of those involved describe themselves as patriots who claim that record levels of illegal and legal immigration undermine British society.

Unemployed Jason Oldacre blames immigrants for his criminal past.

The riots have been fueled by underlying Islamophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has labeled the violence as the result of "far-right thuggery." High-profile anti-immigration and anti-Muslim activists such as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, have promoted the protests online and have been accused by politicians and the media of spreading misinformation to inflame tensions. Robinson has accused the media of lying about him. 

To quell the disorder, Starmer has announced that rioters will face the full force of the law.

An African speaks from the heart!

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“UK Riots: The Brutal Truth About British Culture”

— Shahid Bolsen of Middle Nation /The Final Word!

Shahid Bolsen delivers a powerful and unflinching critique of British culture and society, exposing the deep-seated racism, violence, and hatred that has been perpetuated for centuries. He argues that the recent riots and attacks in the UK are not an aberration, but rather a manifestation of the true nature of British culture. With unflinching honesty, Brother Shahid challenges the notion that British society is civilized and tolerant, and instead reveals a history of brutality, oppression, and exploitation. This is a must-watch for anyone seeking to understand the root causes of social unrest in the UK and the need for radical change.

RELATED: Colonialism and imperialism

READ The motivations behind British colonial expansion and the effects that imperialism had on both colonized and colonizing nations—understanding the British Empire's quest for global dominance.

In the colonies, indigenous peoples were often displaced, exploited, and discriminated against. What are your thoughts on this? "The effects that imperialism had on both colonized and colonizing nations." Feel free to join the conversation by posting your comment! We encourage readers across the political spectrum to participate. We hold Space for everyone on YAME— yame[dot]space. You can post comments anonymously/as a guest.

The Convicted Contender: Felon in the Oval Office

His eligibility to visit these countries would be limited

By Theo Edwards

As a convicted felon, Trump’s ability to visit some nation-states, including Canada and the UK, would be restricted due to their strict policies on individuals with criminal records. It is uncertain whether he would be allowed to visit these countries unless he is granted special permission if he were to win the presidential election in November while still being a felon.

READ: 'Honest Don:' Really Smart, Very Stable Genius Has Become the First U.S. President Convicted of a Felony

Regardless of your political affiliations, imagine this scenario: The sitting president of the United States of America is unable to fulfill all of his international duties and obligations because he is not permitted to travel to certain countries.

This could severely affect his ability to carry out his presidential responsibilities, since developing and nurturing international relations is a significant part of any president's responsibilities, this would be an unfortunate and surreal situation.

For example, in the case of Israel, Trump once retweeted someone who referred to him as the "King of Israel" and boasted about moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. However, his status as a felon may now prevent him from visiting the nation.

According to the Canadian government's tourist hub, individuals with a felony conviction on their record, including US citizens and permanent residents, may be barred from entering Canada. Canada also has the authority to refuse entry to individuals who have been arrested or accused of a felony crime, even if they have not been convicted.

World Population Review data:

Numerous countries worldwide enforce rigorous regulations for individuals with felony convictions, going as far as denying them entry visas. This strict stance is crucial for safeguarding national security.

The list of countries that are likely to deny entry to Trump and other individuals with a felony conviction.

The list includes the United States’ very important strategic allies (an asterisk ‘*’).

• Argentina: Denied upon entry

• Australia: Denied upon entry (*)

• Brazil: Denied if discovered

• Cambodia: Denied if discovered

• Canada: Denied upon entry (*)

• Chile: Denied if discovered

• China: Denied upon entry

• Cuba: Denied upon entry

• Dominican Republic: Denied if discovered

• Egypt: Denied if discovered (*)

• Ethiopia: Denied if discovered

• Hong Kong: Denied if discovered

• India: Denied upon entry

• Indonesia: Denied if discovered

• Iran: Denied upon entry

• Ireland: Denied if discovered

• Israel: Denied upon entry (*)

• Japan: Denied upon entry (*)

• Kenya: Denied upon entry

• Macau: Denied upon entry

• Malaysia: Denied if discovered

• Mexico: Denied if discovered (*)

• Morocco: Denied if discovered

• Nepal: Denied if discovered

• New Zealand: Denied upon entry

• Peru: Denied if discovered

• Philippines: Denied if discovered (*)

• Singapore: Denied if discovered

• South Africa: Denied upon entry

• South Korea: Denied if discovered (*)

• Taiwan: Denied upon entry (*)

• Tanzania: Denied if discovered

• Tunisia: Denied if discovered

• Turkey: Denied if discovered

• Ukraine: Denied if discovered (*)

• United Arab Emirates: Denied if discovered (*)

• United Kingdom: Denied upon entry (*)

UPDATE: JUNE 3, 2024

“Stephen recaps the drama that followed the jury’s verdict in Donald Trump’s election interference trial, the former president claimed he never used the phrase ‘lock her up’ about Hillary Clinton.”

— #Colbert #Monologue #Comedy

In a Fox News interview, how insane liar this guy claimed he never said "lock her up" about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, although people were chanting "lock her up." He stated, "I didn't say, 'Lock her up,' but the people would all say, 'Lock her up, lock her up.'"

An incredulous Colbert fired back: that was your whole campaign! Stop it, we remember. We were there.

Trump was also asked in the same interview about his upcoming sentencing and the possibility of jail after he was found guilty on all 34 charges in his criminal hush money trial.

"I think it would be tough for The Public to take," Trump said.

Colbert proceeded to play clips of Trump demanding Clinton to be locked up, prompting the audience to chant 'Lock him up fervently.'

Video Courtesy: CBS Late Show

Must watch: Pastor goes after 'Little Man' Trump ulterior motive

Video Courtesy

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Feel free to join the conversation by posting your comment! We encourage readers across the political spectrum to participate. We hold Space for everyone on YAME. yame [dot] space.

Sheinbaum Makes History as First Woman Elected to Lead Mexico

FILE - Mexico City's Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum speaks to the press regarding the spread of the new coronavirus, as Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stands behind during his daily news conference at the presidential palace in Mexico City, March 19, 2020. Sheinbaum has praised Lopez Obrador profusely and said little that the president hasn't said himself. She is, however, expected by many observers to be less combative or at least more selective in picking her fights. (AP Photo/ Fernando Llano, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Natalie Kitroeff | Mon, June 3, 2024 at 7:34 AM EDT·7 min read

MEXICO CITY — Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, won her nation’s elections Sunday in a landslide victory that brought a double milestone: She became the first woman, and the first Jewish person, to be elected president of Mexico.

Early results indicated that Sheinbaum, 61, prevailed in what the authorities called the largest election in Mexico’s history, with the highest number of voters taking part and the most seats up for grabs.

It was a landmark vote that saw not one, but two, women vying to lead one of the hemisphere’s biggest nations. And it will put a Jewish leader at the helm of one of the world’s largest predominantly Catholic countries.

Sheinbaum, a leftist, campaigned on a vow to continue the legacy of Mexico’s current president and her mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which delighted their party’s base — and raised alarm among detractors. The election was seen by many as a referendum on his leadership, and her victory was a clear vote of confidence in López Obrador and the party he started.

López Obrador has completely reshaped Mexican politics. During his tenure, millions of Mexicans were lifted out of poverty and the minimum wage doubled. But he has also been a deeply polarizing president, criticized for failing to control rampant cartel violence, for hobbling the nation’s health system, and for persistently undercutting democratic institutions.

Still, López Obrador remains widely popular and his enduring appeal propelled his chosen successor. And for all the challenges facing the country, the opposition was unable to persuade Mexicans that their candidate was a better option.

“We love her, we want her to work like Obrador,” Gloria Maria Rodríguez, 78, from Tabasco, said of Sheinbaum. “We want a president like Obrador.”

Sheinbaum won with at least 58% of the vote, according to preliminary results, while her closest competitor, Xóchitl Gálvez, an entrepreneur and former senator on a ticket with a coalition of opposition parties, had at least 26.6%.

If early returns hold, Sheinbaum will have captured a broader share of the vote than any candidate in decades.

Speaking to supporters early Monday, Sheinbaum vowed to work on behalf of all Mexicans, reaffirmed her party’s commitment to democracy, and celebrated her groundbreaking ascension to the nation’s highest office.

“For the first time in 200 years of the republic, I will become the first female president of Mexico,” she said. “And as I have said on other occasions, I do not arrive alone. We all arrived, with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our ancestors, our mothers, our daughters, and our granddaughters.”

Sheinbaum said she received calls from Gálvez and the third-place candidate, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, to congratulate her on the victory. Shortly after Sheinbaum’s speech, Gálvez told supporters that the early returns were “not favorable to my candidacy,” and “irreversible,” noting that she had just communicated with Sheinbaum.

Gálvez had said in an interview days before the vote Sunday that “an anti-system vote” against López Obrador could help propel her to victory. In reality, it appeared that many Mexicans still associate the parties backing her with a system they see as inept and corrupt.

“Xóchitl Gálvez has been unable to represent change because the parties backing her embody the establishment,” said Carlos Bravo Regidor, a political analyst based in Mexico City. “Most Mexicans want a continuity of the change brought by López Obrador.”

Many voters seemed to endorse Sheinbaum as an agent of institutionalizing the changes brought about by her mentor. “We need to bring about more change to the country,” said Evelyn Román, 21, a chemical engineering student in Mexico City who supports Sheinbaum. “We did notice the progress in these six years.”

Sheinbaum’s experience is ample: She has a doctorate in energy engineering, participated in a United Nations panel of climate scientists awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, and governed the capital, one of the largest cities in the hemisphere.

Known as a demanding boss with a reserved demeanor, Sheinbaum has risen through the ranks by aligning herself completely with López Obrador, who built an entire political party around his outsize personality. During the campaign, she backed many of his most contentious policies, including a slate of constitutional changes that critics say would severely undermine democratic checks and balances.

As a result, the president-elect battled the perception among many Mexicans that she would be little more than a pawn of her mentor.

“There’s this idea, because a lot of columnists say it, that I don’t have a personality,” Sheinbaum complained to reporters earlier this year. “That President Andrés Manuel López Obrador tells me what to do, that when I get to the presidency, he’s going to be calling me on the phone every day.”

Even with the broad mandate voters granted her, she faces significant challenges when she takes office in October.

López Obrador benefited “from the invincible popularity that comes from being a very charismatic leader — something that Claudia is not,” said Paula Sofía Vásquez, a political analyst based in Mexico City.

Cartel violence continues to torment the country, displacing people en masse and fueling one of the deadliest campaign cycles in recent Mexican history, with more than 36 people vying for public office killed since last summer.

Carlos Ortiz, 57, a municipal official working for the Iztapalapa borough in Mexico City, said that such bloodshed compelled him to vote against Sheinbaum.

“I want everything to change,” Ortiz said, recalling the dozens of aspirants for public office killed in recent months. “I don’t want a country on fire anymore.”

López Obrador has directed government attention to addressing the drivers of crime instead of waging war on the criminal groups, a strategy he called “hugs not bullets.” Homicides declined modestly but remain near record levels, and reports of missing people have spiked. Insecurity was a top concern for voters.

Sheinbaum has said she would continue his focus on social causes of the violence, while also working to lower rates of impunity and building up the national guard.

On the economy, the opportunities are clear: Mexico is now the largest trading partner of the United States, benefiting from a recent shift in manufacturing away from China. The currency is so strong it’s been labeled the “super peso.”

But there are also problems simmering. The federal deficit ballooned to around 6% this year, and Pemex, the national oil company, is operating under a mountain of debt, straining public finances.

“The fiscal risk we’re facing at the moment is something we haven’t seen for decades,” said Mariana Campos, director of Mexico Evaluates, a public policy research group.

It’s unclear how Sheinbaum would make good on a range of campaign promises — from building public schools and new health clinics to expanding social welfare programs — given the current state of public finances.

“The problem I see is that a lot of proposals are oriented toward spending and there is nowhere to get the money from,” said Vásquez.

Another challenge involves the broad new responsibilities granted to the armed forces, which have been tasked with running ports and airports, running an airline, and building a railroad through the Mayan jungle. Sheinbaum has said “there is no militarization” of the country while suggesting she’s open to reevaluating the military’s involvement in public enterprises.

Beyond the domestic strains, Sheinbaum’s destiny will be intertwined with the outcome of the presidential election in the United States.

A reelection victory for President Joe Biden would provide continuity, but a return of Donald Trump to the White House would likely be far less predictable. Trump’s plans to round up people living in the country illegally on a vast scale and deport them to their home countries could target millions of Mexicans living in the United States. He has already threatened to slap 100% tariffs on Chinese cars made in Mexico.

Then there’s the festering issue of fentanyl, which cartels produce in Mexico using chemicals imported from China, the U.S. government says. Trump has suggested taking military action to combat the fentanyl trade.

Sheinbaum has said Mexico would have “good relations” with either Trump or Biden as president, and her campaign team has said it will continue to work to contain the flow of migrants.

But handling such pressure from Washington, even in the form of incendiary campaign rhetoric, could prove complicated.

Voters expressed faith in Sheinbaum’s ability to deal with such challenges. Daniela Mendoza, 40, a psychologist who lives in Villahermosa, in Tabasco state, said she had long supported López Obrador, including during his previously unsuccessful bids to win the presidency.

Pleased with his social welfare programs, Mendoza voted for Sheinbaum.

“Claudia follows that line, perhaps with better ideas,” Mendoza said. “And having the first woman president in the country is an accomplishment.”

c.2024 The New York Times Company

'Honest Don:' Really Smart, Very Stable Genius Has Become the First U.S. President Convicted of a Felony

Guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records

May 30, 2024

Uh, Oh, Donald: a.k.a., 'Honest Don.' Really Smart, very stable genius, has become the first former or sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a felony.

In a historic decision, a 12-person Manhattan jury found the former president guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to disguise a hush money payment made to adult film actress (porn star ‘ashawo’) Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

READ: Bill Barr, Attorney General during the Trump administration in a CBS interview with Robert Costa on Sunday, June 18, 2023, unload on his former boss: ‘…He’s like a 9-year-old — a defiant 9-year-old kid who’s always pushing the glass toward the edge of the table, defying his parents to stop him from doing it.’

The jury's verdict sheet: The complete verdict sheet filled out by the jury, indicating the verdicts on each of the 34 felony counts against Trump.

READ: Mug Shots in Trump's Georgia Case

Sentencing is July 11 at 10 a.m. ET. The judge will then decide whether the former president’s punishment will include prison time, fines, probation, or a combination of those.

Cohen's testimony about paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to buy her silence about an alleged extramarital affair with Trump was at the center of the prosecution's case.

Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney turned key trial witness in the case against him, responded to the jury's guilty verdict.

“Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters.”

— Michael Cohen

By Theo Edwards for YAME

This is a developing story. Please refresh here for updates.

UPDATE: Friday, May 31, 2024 at 4:30 PM EDT

“Biden Declares Trump Verdict a Victory for the Rule of Law.”

— WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden

The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed,” Biden said in a televised statement from the White House.

He emphasized that it was a state case, not a federal case brought by his administration and that Trump had every chance to defend himself.

“It was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you, like millions of Americans who’ve served on juries,” he said of the case. “This jury was chosen the same way every jury in America is chosen. There’s a process that Donald Trump’s attorney was part of. The jury heard five weeks of evidence, five weeks. After careful deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict. They found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts.”

“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” Biden said. “Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it literally is the cornerstone of America. Our justice system, the justice system, should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. As simple as that. That’s America. That’s who we are.”

The president’s decision to directly address the trial's outcome was a major strategic shift.

'Reckless' for Trump to call Hush-money trial rigged: Joe Biden

See the Mug Shots in Trump's Georgia Case

Meadows, Giuliani, Powell, Ellis, Chesebro and others

Defendants who have been booked on charges connected with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia

"It is not a comfortable feeling — especially when you've done nothing wrong," said Trump, whose 2024 Republican presidential campaign quickly began selling merchandise featuring his mugshot to raise money.

Donald Trump

The former president was booked Thursday night and released on a $200,000 bond.

Charges: Thirteen counts — three of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer; two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; two of false statements and writings; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit to impersonating a public officer.

Image: Former President Donald Trump was booked at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta on Aug. 24, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Mark Meadows

The former Trump White House chief of staff was booked Thursday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Two counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; and one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer.

Mark Meadows. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Rudy Giuliani

The former Trump attorney was booked Wednesday and released on a $150,000 bond.

Charges: Thirteen counts — three of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; three of false statements; two of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents.

Rudy Giuliani. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Jeanna Ellis

The attorney who advised Trump during his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results was booked Wednesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Two counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer.

Booking photo of Jenna Ellis released on Aug. 23, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)ce.

Kenneth Chesebro

The lawyer associated with Trump's campaign who came up with the legal theory behind the so-called fake electors scheme was booked Wednesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer.

Kenneth Chesebro. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Sidney Powell

The former member of Trump's legal team was booked Wednesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy.

Booking photo of Sidney Powell released on Aug. 23, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Ray Smith

The attorney who represented Trump in 2020 election lawsuits in Georgia was booked Wednesday and released on a $50,000 bond.

Charges: Twelve counts — three of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer; two of false statements; two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating public officer.

Ray Smith. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

David Shafer

The former Georgia state senator, allegedly a fake GOP elector, was booked Wednesday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Eight counts — three of false statements; two of forgery in the first degree; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of impersonating a public officer; one of criminal attempt to commit filing false documents.

David Shafer. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Cathy Latham

The former Coffee County GOP chair was booked Wednesday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Eleven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of impersonating a public officer; one of forgery in the first degree; one of false statements; one of criminal attempt to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass.

Cathy Latham. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

John Eastman

The former Trump-allied attorney was booked Tuesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Nine counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer.

John Eastman mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 22, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Scott Hall

The 2020 Fulton County GOP poll watcher was booked Tuesday and released on a $10,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy.

Scott Hall mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 22, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Harrison Floyd

The former leader of Black Voices for Trump was booked Thursday. No bond agreement has been set.

Charges: Three counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of influencing witnesses; and one of conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings.

Harrison Floyd. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Jeffrey Clark

The former Trump Justice Department official was booked early Friday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Two counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; and one of criminal attempt to commit false statements.

Michael Roman

The former Trump staffer was booked early Friday and released on a $50,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer.

Robert Cheeley

The Atlanta attorney was booked early Friday on a $50,000 bond.

Charges: Ten counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; one of false statements; one of perjury.

Shawn Still

The alleged fake GOP elector was booked early Friday and released on a $10,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of forgery in the first degree; two of false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of criminal attempt to commit filing false documents; one of impersonating a public officer.

The following defendants have not yet surrendered

Stephen Lee

The Lutheran pastor from Illinois is expected to be booked by noon Friday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Five counts — two of criminal attempt to commit influencing witnesses; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of influencing witnesses; one of conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements.

Trevian Kutti

The former publicist for Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is expected to be booked by noon Friday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Three counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of influencing witnesses; and one of conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements.

Misty Hampton

The former Coffee County elections director is expected to be booked by noon Friday and released on a $10,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass.

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"It was always going to end this way, wasn’t it?" wrote Sykes, a frequent critic of the former president and the party that elected him. "If you elect a serial liar and conman, a narcissist, bully, wannabe mobster, with the vocabulary of an emotionally insecure 9-year-old, you can’t really be shocked at how it turned out, can you?"

Bill Barr Ramps Up His Showdown With ‘Troubled Man’ Trump in Stunning CBS Interview

He is Like ‘A Defiant 9-Year-Old’ kid who’s always pushing the glass toward the edge of the table

Bill Barr, former Attorney General

Bill Barr, Attorney General during the Trump administration in a CBS interview with Robert Costa on Sunday, June 18, 2023, unload on his former boss.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr has been the talk of the political world for the past week — after his stunning proclamation that former President Donald Trump is “toast” if half of the 37-count indictment against him is true. Now, after a week of personal insults from the former president, Barr is fighting back with an utterly brutal assessment of his old boss.

In a stunning CBS interview on Sunday with Robert Costa, Barr doubled down on his opinion that Trump has only himself to blame for his current predicament.

Bill Barr, Attorney General during the Trump administration in a CBS interview with Robert Costa on Sunday, June 18, 2023, unload on his former boss.

‘This is not a circumstance where he’s the victim or this is government overreach,’ Barr said. 

‘He is a consummate narcissist, and he constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk and the conservative and Republican agenda at risk,’ he said. 

Asked if he believes Trump lied to the Justice Department, Barr said, ‘Yes, I do.’

He then added this jaw-dropping postscript:

‘He will always put his interests and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else, including the country’s interests. There’s no question about it. This is a perfect example of that. He’s like a 9-year-old — a defiant 9-year-old kid who’s always pushing the glass toward the edge of the table, defying his parents to stop him from doing it. It’s a means of self-assertion and exerting his dominance over other people. And he’s a very petty individual who will always put his interests ahead of the country’s, and the personal gratification of his ego. But our country can’t be a therapy session for a troubled man like this.’

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The Department of Justice made history on Friday, June 9, 2023, unsealing a 37-count indictment against former President Donald Trump related to his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.

No other president has ever faced federal charges, let alone the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted (an aide, Walt Nauta, was also charged with helping Trump conceal records).

Justice Department Indictment of Donald Trump

Key takeaways

Friday, June 9, 2023, at 5:02 PM EDT - yahoo /news

Alexander Nazaryan _Senior White House correspondent for Yahoo News based in Washington, D.C.

Statement of Special Counsel Jack Smith

The Department of Justice made history on Friday, unsealing a 37-count indictment against former President Donald Trump related to his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.

No other president has ever faced federal charges, let alone the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted (an aide, Walt Nauta, was also charged with helping Trump conceal records).

Trump’s first court appearance in the case is scheduled for Tuesday in Miami; a trial could begin as he is in the midst of his third presidential run. Trump currently leads the Republican field by a wide margin.

The 49-page indictment was prepared by special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed last year by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Smith had made no public statements until a press conference Friday, at which he accused Trump of “felony violations of our national security laws, as well as participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice."

Here’s what you need to know about his indictment.

National security risk

Former President Donald Trump announces he is running for president at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

When he left the White House in 2021, Trump took boxes of sensitive documents with him to Mar-a-Lago, his South Florida golf resort and residence. Those documents should have been turned over to the National Archives.

Trump’s seeming inability or refusal to grasp the necessity of protecting classified information is at the heart of Smith’s case, as the indictment makes clear:

“The classified documents TRUMP stored in his boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.

“The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods,” it continued.

Careless storage and disclosure

This image, contained in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of records on Dec. 7, 2021, in a storage room at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. (Justice Department via AP)

Smith’s indictment is all the more damning because it includes photographs of the boxes in question stacked in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom, or on a ballroom stage.

In one photograph, documents are seen spilling out of a box that has fallen over. What appears to be a clothes rack and guitar case loom in the background.

Trump also discussed classified materials with visitors. Smith obtained a recording of Trump talking with a visitor to his Bedminster, N.J., golf club:

TRUMP showed and described a “plan of attack” that TRUMP said was prepared for him by the Department of Defense and a senior military official. TRUMP told the individuals that the plan was “highly confidential” and “secret.” TRUMP also said, “As president, I could have declassified it, and, “Now I can't, you know, but this is still a secret.”

That recording undercuts claims that Trump did not know the documents in his possession were secret. On the contrary, he seemed to revel in that very fact.

Effort to conceal

This image, contained in the indictment against Trump, shows boxes of records stored in the Lake Room at Mar-a-Lago. (Justice Department via AP)

According to the indictment, Trump tried to avoid having to turn over records even after the FBI issued a subpoena.

“Wouldn’t it be better,” he asked one of his attorneys in 2022, “if we just told them we don’t have anything here?”

Trump’s supporters have argued that his behavior was not materially different from that of other officials, including President Biden, who have been less than scrupulous in handling classified documents.

Smith, however, argued that a malicious intent was at work: “The purpose of the conspiracy was for TRUMP to keep classified documents he has taken with him from the White House and to hide and conceal them from a federal grand jury.”

Read more from our partners: How Trump’s Classified Documents Case Differs From Those Of Clinton, Biden, And Pence

What comes around...

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at an event in Barcelona on June 2. (Photo By David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images)

During his 2016 campaign, Trump assailed his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, who had sent some 33,000 emails from a private email server during her time as Secretary of State in the Obama administration.

The emails inspired elaborate conspiracy theories but also seemed at the time to legitimate long-standing concerns about Clinton’s trustworthiness.

Trump promised a more competent, professional regime. “In my administration, I'm going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information,” he said at an August 2016 rally. “No one will be above the law.”

In the indictment, however, Trump praised the Clinton staff member he credited with deleting Clinton’s emails.

Read more from Yahoo News: Who is Jack Smith, the special counsel who secured an indictment against Trump?

A speedy trial?

Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to reporters Friday in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

“My office will seek a speedy trial in this matter, consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused,” Smith said at Friday’s press conference.

For now, the case has been assigned to Florida district judge Aileen Cannon, whom Trump nominated to the federal bench in 2020. Some legal observers say she should recuse herself, but it is not clear that she has any intention of doing so.

That trial could begin as Trump tries to cement his position as the Republican nominee for president in next year’s election.

Read more from Yahoo News: Why critics are upset that Judge Aileen Cannon will preside over Trump's new criminal trial

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'I made it here': Australia's first parliamentarian from the South Sudanese community sworn in

The nation’s first South Sudanese-Australian MP has been sworn into Western Australia’s parliament

Source: Aaron Fernandes/SBS News

The first South Sudanese Australian elected to an Australian parliament was on Monday sworn in to Western Australia’s Legislative Council.

Ayor Makur Chuot arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2005 after spending 10 years in an UNHCR refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya.

She hopes her election to parliament will inspire other migrant women to consider a career in politics.

“When I came to Perth I couldn’t speak much English. A girl that arrived with her sister and a carry-on bag, a plastic bag. We came here with nothing, not even one dollar,” she told SBS News.

Banana Republic Blues

The MAGA crowd

I never thought I would be comparing Washington DC to the Green Zone in Baghdad; however, the MAGA crowd brought us to the brink of a very un-American insurrection. Trump stormtroopers aimed was to overturn the will of the American people and, in true Jim Crow fashion, tried to disenfranchise African Americans and other minorities.

The world citadel of democracy was brought low by a rogue’s gallery of white supremacists’, conspiracy theory nuts, and slavish devotees of the cult of Trump.

Trump, his children, and staff celebrate as their supporters wreaked havoc and assault on America's Democracy.

In Pictures: Trump' Stormtroopers

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January 6, 2021 will forever be remembered as a day of infamy. You do not have to be Nostradamus to know what was going to happen next.

I kept my literary powder-dry on the outcome of the election. Like an exhausted boxer in the last round, waited for Trumps' spurious clowns to reach their logical conclusion and bow to the inevitable.

The fresh promise of a New year had barely ushered in when Donald J Trump and his merry band of ‘stormtroopers’ attempted to shred the Constitution in a failed de facto coup -so much for law and order.

There is plenty of blame to go around, and Trump is not the only one with blood on his hands.

The catalyst for the Capitol insurrection was based; on a web of hate, disinformation, and misguided racial animus. Social media and political toadies like Jim Jordan, Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley -helped spread venom into the body politics. Furthermore, acolytes like Rudy Giuliani, Roger Stone, and Rush Limbaugh perpetuate the Myth of a stolen election. Grumpy ‘Moscow’ Mitch McConnell, William Barr exchanged their morality and patriotic duty for political power.

The communal ties that bind our nation have been torn a shred by a megalomaniacal faux tyrant, political poseur, and a mean-spirited dilettante.

Trumps' primary legacy is a nation ravaged by disease, economic devastation, and increased racial animosity. Therefore impeachment seems to be a 'fitting coda' to His four-year reign of terror and endless scandals.

Globally the image of America as a shining bastion of democracy has been shattered.

There have been a few profiles-in-courage on the Republican side: Senator Mitt Romney and Congresswoman Liz Cheney deserve praise for their commitment to truth and honor.

The future of the GOP cloudy on the horizon; a fratricidal civil war is looming between traditional conservatives and Trump-republicans. One can only hope, for the sake of our democracy, the better angels prevail over those who live in the alternative universe of hate and deception.

Hopefully, Joe Biden offers America a chance to reset. He will need all his political acumen to raise the American phoenix from the ashes.

America is a divided nation- One of the most disappointing aspects of the 2020 election despite some disastrous policies and chaotic reign, 74 million Americans still voted for the continuation of Trumps' strange brew of political Theatre.

Trump abrogated every oath he took to protect us from all enemies: foreign or domestic. He left an indelible dark stain on the psyche of our nation.

Trumps' Insurrection

A major tenet of American democracy is the peaceful transition of power, this sacrosanct principle Trump sought to overturn in a demonic attempt to retain the White House.

With a failure to concedes election, Trump unleashed a motley crew of domestic terrorists on the nation without regard for life or liberty.

Rather than suppressing voter turnout, we need a new Republican party that competes for everyone's vote.

Time to choose country over party, virulent ideology, and political opportunism. We have stared into the abyss and seen the enemy within. Political philosopher, Edmund Burke: '...all that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to stand by and do nothing.' After the events at the Capitol, doing nothing no longer seems to be a viable option.

And Black History for All

America’s redemption will come when it truly comes to terms with its troubled past

As an African American, there are vast areas of our history that I was not aware of. But do not worry, I knew the significance of Juneteenth, and no, Trump did not enlighten me on the matter.

While in high school during Black History, we learned about the usual suspects, and we skated through the Civil War. And I drew anxious gazes from classmates and teachers alike at the thorny issue of slavery. As we watched a plethora of slave-related movies, some of my fellow African American students crouched in embarrassment.

A handful of Black History classes added to my sliver of knowledge in college. The adage that if we do not learn from past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them in the future. Today, we are at a critical inflection point as the issues of systemic racism threaten to engulf a divided nation. Slavery, violence, and prejudice against minorities are the virulent dark stains on the American tapestry - a litany of broken promises and deadly intent.

1921 Greenwood, Oklahoma: The site of the worst massacres in US history. Greenwood dubbed the Black Wall Street, was a mecca of black prosperity until jealous whites burned it to the ground and slaughtered town residents by the hundreds. Attacks were even launched from the skies as privately owned planes strafed the terrified community below with incendiary devices. Over 10,000 residents were made homeless, and the black lives and prosperity were decimated.

Photos

Justice was denied to the people of Greenwood, nobody was ever prosecuted, and insurance companies failed to honor their obligations to compensate for devastated property and business owners. Today Greenwood is a hollow shell of its former self. Over the decades, infrastructural and commercial development has bypassed the and unemployment rates for minorities remain high.

“This our history. 401-year odyssey encompasses tragedy, triumph, and the indomitable spirit of a battle-scarred people.”

The multicultural hordes on the streets are demanding an end to systemic racism. America's redemption will come when it truly comes to terms with its troubled past. And strive for that elusive, more perfect union.

The euphoria of Obama’s presidency and the potential of a post-racial society seems to have dimmed in the obsidian shadow of Trump's dark American vision.

We can do better and must do better, the people demand it.

For the wider society, learning about black history and being enlightened by it is crucially important in the quest for empathy and mutual understanding. We live in momentous times with a real chance to reset and end systemic racism.

If the chains of the nation's painful past, are broken, then surely we will all be “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.”

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“Black History Month”

— February

The artist stitches together Black history one portrait at a time.

A former art school teacher, Bisa Butler, used the art of quilt making to stitch together the African American experience and celebrate Black life in America.

#NorahO'Donnell, #CBSnews, #BlackHistoryMonth, #BisaButlerArt, #BisaButler

Video Credited: CBS News

She transformed their stories onto fabric one portrait at a time.

Black And Blue

A fragile existence

Black In America

Photos/Illustrations by Betsy Kiel

Floyd, Taylor, Martin, King, and Arbery. These are just a few names in the tragic landscape of police brutality and vigilante justice.

After experiencing an episode of unconscious racial bias in the workplace, a colleague remarked so to voice. “Racism never sleeps.”

As an African American male, my interactions with law enforcement have been fraught with stress and a hint of menace. One night while walking home from work, I came within a hair-trigger of being yet another statistic of police over-reaction —Castile, Gray, and McDonald.

Guns were drawn, as I was mistakenly identified as being one of the usual suspects —Garner, Brown, Scott, and Rice.

I had a visceral reaction to the horrific murder of George Floyd. It was the ultimate grotesque perversion of justice and symbolized the painful systematic institutionalized racism endured by African Americans for over 400 years. In addition, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic deadly disproportionate impact on people of color allied to high unemployment and you had the perfect explosive ingredients for the social upheaval that followed.

The chickens of our nations ‘original sin,’ slavery, are finally coming home to roost. Decades of inequality in the realms of justice, health, education, and economic opportunity have left many bereft of hope and close to the edge.

We are now at a historic inflection point as a multicultural American coalition demands an end to racial injustice. This clarion call for change is now a global phenomenon, it would seem that change is at hand.

Central to this idea of seismic change is the issue of Police reform, which has to happen. Accountability and transparency need to be central tenets of any progressive moves to change the negative image many people have of law enforcement. Police union's intransigence ferocious defense of its members has meant that the successful prosecution of rogue cops is extremely rare, therefore, communities of color literally have a license to kill.

Police cannot be allowed to police themselves, and, for the public to have faith in the system, there must be independent oversight.

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We need a paradigm in our approach to law enforcement in which police are seen less like an occupying army, but a more highly integrated community-based partner.

Last, bloated police budgets have added to the increased militarism of police departments nationwide. This trend was on full display as police dispatched peaceful protesters with brutal efficiency past Floyd’s death. With crumbling infrastructure, homelessness, chronic underinvestment in human capital, and a myriad of other social ills, perhaps it is time to change priorities and reallocate tax dollars.

The warrior psyche of law enforcement needs to evolve. It leads to the notion we are less than human and need to be policed over aggressively. Deadly chokeholds and the lack of transparency over officers' disciplinary records are positive metrics of change that need to be instituted.

The winds of change, are blowing as evidenced by the multicultural hordes who marched for George Floyd. Our shared humanity unites us, and we look forward to the day when black lives are truly valued, and the specter of police violence exiled to the distant past.

Prof. Yankah Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The honor signifies high reward

By Benson Afful

Ghana’s Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, has been elected to the membership of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AMACAD).

A letter, jointly signed by the Chair of the Board, Nancy C. Andrews and the President, David W. Oxtoby, and addressed to the Minister of State, announced his election to the Academy and welcomed him as a member.

The honor signifies the high reward in which you are held by leaders in your field and members throughout the nation.

With his election, Prof. Yankah, joins the company of notable members, from the founders, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Bowdoin to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Maria Mitchell, and Alexander Graham Bell. Other distinguished members include John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Margaret Mead. International members include Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. Founded in 1780, the Academy is dedicated to honoring excellence and leadership, working across disciplines and divides, and advancing the common good.

AMACAD’s current members represent today’s innovative thinkers in every field and profession, including more than two hundred and fifty Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.

The Induction weekend scheduled for October 9-11, 2020, pending guidance from US public health officials.

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Actions The U.S. Took To Address FGM/C In Its Foreign Policy

FGM: The Hot Button Topic

By J Reynold Weeks: Credit Source:

In 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a unanimous resolution condemning FGM/C as a human rights violation. The resolution condemning FGM/C was co-sponsored by 28 members of Congress and calls for “coordinated efforts to eliminate the harmful practice.”

Two reports by the U.S. GAO from 2016 found the U.S. efforts to end the practice lacking and in need of significant improvement both in the U.S. and abroad. Despite the clear recommendations outlined in those reports, very little has changed since they were issued. The United States presently has only one program explicitly dedicated to ending FGM/C through foreign assistance. A three-year program in Kenya due to expire in 2021. US$5 million for the U.N. joint international program focused on eliminating FGM/C. Supports 17 countries, and led to national laws banning the practice in 13 of those countries, and 12 have appropriated funds from their respective national budgets to specifically address FGM/C through investigation, prosecution, intervention, prevention, and care services.

The United States government has issued several policy statements and recommendations.

• In 2017, the USAID guidance on Female GENITAL Mutilation/Cutting was released

• In 2016, the State Department launched the US Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls, which included specific goals and objectives to ensure adolescent girls were able to reduce their risks and vulnerability

• The State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues has worked closely with high prevalence countries such as the Gambia and Egypt on partnerships with local leaders and community outreach to combat the practice via legal reforms, public education and awareness campaigns

• The 2016 US Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally defined FGM/C as a form of gender-based violence but did not recommend specific actions to address the practice

• Although the State Department includes information on FGM/C in their annual Human Rights Country Reports, under the Trump Administration, reporting on women’s rights issues has been curtailed in countries that generate asylum petitions, and have the greatest levels of gender inequality. As a result, reporting on FGM/C appears to be less robust since 2018, the first year for which the Trump administration was responsible for country reports

While the U.S. has a federal law prohibiting transporting minors abroad for FGM/C in a practice already described as “vacation cutting,” a 2016 GAO report noted that existing efforts to raise awareness on this issue need improvement. Currently, there are very few investigations and prosecution of FGM/C, in part due to the confusion over reporting requirements.

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Female Genital Mutilation

FGM: The Hot Button Topic

By J Reynold Weeks: Credit Source:

Acknowledgments: Dr. Nina Smart, the United Nations, recognized Ambassador and Representative, FGM/C. Policymakers and researchers.

Growing up in West Africa, it did not seem to be of importance to me when young girls mostly in their teens with distinguished colorings on their faces and other parts of their bodies were paraded bare-breasted if there were any to be bared, in the streets of my village.

As I grew older, I became curious. Was it to satisfy the social norms that seek to suppress the girls’ sexual desires or expressions? Was it a religious ritual, or was it a cultural practice in my country alone?

Every year, there are about 3 million girls forced to undergo a procedure to remove or modify their genitalia to fulfill social norms which look to suppress women’s sexual desire and expression. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) as: 'all procedures involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injuries to the female organs.' The practice has no known health benefits. Moreover, it most frequently occurs to girls from infancy to age 15. Adult women are also at risk.

Approximately 200 million girls and women alive today have survived FGM/C, and an estimated 3 million girls are at risk of FGM/C each year according to the group Equality Now.

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Although 43 countries globally have banned the practice, it still occurs at a very high rate in at least 30 countries where it is measured. Mainly in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. While now considered to be both child abuse and a violation of girls’ and women’s human rights, FGM/C is a deeply entrenched practice with roots in inequitable gender norms.

Despite my youthful misconceptions to the contrary, FGM/C not rooted in any religious or theological tradition. This practice is not limited to any one country, region, religion, or culture.

Frequently FGM/C is tied to cultural traditions and norms related to perceived purity and family honor around virginity and girls’ sexuality. Since these beliefs are rooted in cultural norms, immediate change is difficult even in countries where strong laws and or policies exist.

Infection, obstetric fistula, excessive bleeding, difficulties related to menstruation, sexual problems, infertility, cysts, scarring, increased risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth in some cases death, believed to be negative health consequences. Many survivors of FGM/C experience physical trauma, pain, and complications, which can lead to psychological harm such as post-traumatic stress, flashbacks, fear, anxiety, and depression. Research also suggests that in countries or communities where FGM/C is prevalent, individual girls who do not undergo the process are at risk for trauma and isolation as a result of social stigmas stemming from their non-conformity.

As such, it is clear that programs that seek to outlaw FGM/C or change individual behavior without addressing the root causes and social norms may do more harm than good.

"Actions The U.S. Took To address FGMC/C in its Foreign Policy," will be the next publication.

Life On Mars

Strange days indeed!

By The Editorial Board

We are in the eye of the storm. The world enmeshed in an insidious and invisible foe that threatens our very existence.

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has markedly changed our lives. We exist in a miasmic twilight zone whereby tragic news drips into our eyes daily via our Tv sets and social media.

New phrases such as “Social Distancing,’ and ‘Flattening the curve’ have become part of our everyday lexicon. Family and friends laid off. Many don’t know how the bills are going to be paid. Schools out for the foreseeable future and kids with access struggle to make use of online instructions.

Communication, travel, and our retail habits all been significantly altered during the crisis.

The few times ventured out for the basics, I was disappointed. Hoarders and panic shoppers had stripped the shelves. Wholesale shopping clubs Costco and BJs, city dinners are virtual ghost towns. The surreal nature of the pandemic upends our daily lives. Strange days indeed!

We hope our elected officials get it together and lead by example. We see incredible acts of kindness, courage, and resourcefulness on a far local and global scale. The crisis will batter and bruised us, but it will not break us. Girded by our common humanity, we emerge stronger and prepared for the next storm.

Coronavirus vs The Administration

Silent Nemesis

By Angela Brooks

Mar-a-Lago - What In The Diary

Wow! I sure made a mess of this Coronavirus thing. I tried to blame it on the Democrats, Obama, and the media but nobody believes my excuses anymore.

I was around people exposed to the virus, and like a Muppet, I shook hands with all of them. Everybody knows I’m a 74-year-old and a germaphobe. So scared! Anytime I open my mouth, the stock market crashes. Melania locked me out of our bedroom, she said, she was following ‘social distancing.’

The travel ban bugs me. I never thought I would have to keep white people out of America. People love my daily briefings. Doctors are amazed by my medical knowledge.

Everyone wants something, and I am not an Amazon shipping clerk! The media so nasty and mean. Note to Bloomberg: You can cheat in an election, but you can’t buy one. What a waste of “beautiful money.” Stay tuned!

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vs. The Administration

The Coronavirus pandemic in the US has put into stark and tragic perspective, the frailties of the Administration. The Chinese government, undoubtedly, bears a great responsibility for the initial spread of the virus. There's ample evidence; however, the administration played Nero while Corona scorched the planet.

They ignored intelligence reports in January and derided the coming storm as a hoax. In their haste to dismantle all things Obama the White House, office that dealt with global pandemics, axed. Additionally, severe budget cuts blunted the effectiveness of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With the event of hundreds of dead and exploding numbers of those who potentially infected, Trump's abject lack of understanding of how government works is truly scary.

If the American public was waiting for a Churchillian profile of leadership, they have been sorely disappointed so far. There's been a litany of cringe-worthy moments as Trump stumbles through daily briefings. The President battled the press. Stated misinformation, and stoke confusion. Health expert; Dr. Anthony Fauci, often walks back, Trump's sunny optimism.

Indeed, Trump abrogated all responsibility for the crisis yet gives himself a perfect score (ten out of ten) for his handling of the situation.

The reality: the economy in freefall, major cities and states, on lockdown, and yet the federal response remains unfocused. Real leadership has been shown at local and state levels with New York, California, and Oregon leading the way.

The pandemic revealed structural frailties in our government healthcare and economic systems. Our 'President Emperor' exposed as having no clothes.

The indomitable spirit of the American people seeing examples of compassion and true humanity exhibit others. We will survive this, not because of Trump but despite him.

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A Fractures Mosaic

As we pursue racial and economic equality, the 'ADOS' needs to realize 'United We Stand, Divided We Fall.'

By Theo Edwards and Ola George

Black people as a whole are a complex myriad of cultures and a beautiful array of colors. Many, of course, the descendants of former slaves. For many, the bitter legacy and the enduring struggle for civil rights and equality have been over time an unceasing quest.

American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) a term to specifically distinguish African Americans of slave descent. Coined by Yvette Carnell, and Lawyer Antonio Moore describes people whose ancestors were slaves in the USA before the Civil War.

I hail from a secondary group of black people, known collectively as the Diaspora. Migrating from the Caribbean, Africa, and virtually all parts of the globe, the Diaspora has been hugely influential in the making of this unique American tapestry.

I was happily basking in my blackness until I read an article about the African Descendents Of Slavery (ADOS). This group's world view is bent on the philosophy that the Diaspora has detracted from the development of blacks in the US. According to the ADOS, any economic, social or educational benefits only be the purview of “pure” blacks.

As a group, blacks have never been monolithic in their political thinking. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had competing ideologies in the nineteenth century. Additionally 'Malcolm X and his separatist stance was a stark contrast to the likes of Martin Luther King (MLK) integration vision.

ADOS Wants Reparations—But at the Cost of Black Unity. While I Will Concede

Down The Rabbit Hole that as a relative newcomer from the Diaspora, I should not be part of any reparations settlement if that ever comes to pass.

However, I find the rest of the argument fatuous, divisive, and quite frankly, hurtful. The ADOS perspective diminishes the struggles and successes of those of us who came here to seek a better life. We arrived here we should be, united by our common heritage and cultural bonds. As we pursue racial and economic equality, the 'ADOS' needs to realize 'United We Stand, Divided We Fall.'