UN Top Court Says Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories is Illegal
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel should stop settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and end its "illegal" occupation of those areas and the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.
By Raffi Berg, BBC News, London
The result could have consequences for Israel over its occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza
It also says Israel should end all settlement activity there, in the landmark case.
By Raffi Berg, BBC News, LondonThe UN's top court has said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is against international law, in a landmark opinion.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel should stop settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and end its "illegal" occupation of those areas and the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.
The court's advisory opinion is not legally binding but still carries significant political weight. It marks the first time the ICJ has delivered a position on the legality of the 57-year occupation.
The ICJ, based at The Hague in the Netherlands, has been examining the issue since the beginning of last year, at the request of the UN General Assembly.
The court was specifically asked to give its view on Israel's policies and practices towards the Palestinians, and on the legal status of the occupation.
Delivering the court's findings, ICJ President Nawaf Salam said it had found that "Israel's... continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal."
"The State of Israel is under the obligation to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible," he said.
The court also said Israel should evacuate all of its settlers and pay reparations to Palestinians for damages caused by the occupation.
Israel has built about 160 settlements housing some 700,000 Jews in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967. The court said the settlements were illegal. Israel has consistently disputed that they are against international law.
Israel also claims sovereignty over the whole of Jerusalem, which it considers its indivisible capital - something which is not accepted by the vast majority of the international community.
Change Begins Now, Starmer says
Change begins now, Starmer says - as Labour wins a historic landslide. Sir Keir Starmer enters Downing Street as Labour's first prime minister in 14 years after a landslide victory at the general election.
As Labour wins a historic landslide
July 5, 2024 (UK)
Sir Keir Starmer enters Downing Street as Labour's first prime minister in 14 years after a landslide victory at the general election.
The Labour leader has become the UK's new prime minister - securing the 326 seats required for a majority in the House of Commons - putting an end to 14 years of Conservative rule.
He said "My government will serve you, politics can be a force for good", as he addressed the nation from Downing Street for the first time as prime minister.
"Our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal, and a return of politics to public service," he said.
"Our work is urgent and we begin it today."
Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat moments before Labour surpassed the target number of seats needed for victory, declaring at his election count: "The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory."
Later, as he resigned as leader of the Conservative Party - signaling a Tory leadership race - Mr. Sunak said it had been an honor to serve as the country's prime minister and he had "given this job my all."
Earlier, a gleaming Sir Keir told a crowd of supporters: "We did it, you campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived, change begins now."
He added the UK is once again experiencing the "sunlight of hope".
"The sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day. Shining once again on a country with an opportunity after 14 years to get its future back."
With 648 seats out of 650 seats declared by Friday lunchtime, Labour will be forming the next government with a majority of at least 170.
Read more:
Uneasy voters hand Labour 'loveless landslide'
Labour have won - but what happens next?
The results have seen the nation firmly turn its back on the Tories.
Speaking after he held on to his seat, a solemn-looking Mr Sunak said his party had faced a "difficult night" and he took full responsibility for the results.
He said: "The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight... and I take responsibility for the loss.
"To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight... I am sorry."
Other key moments from a dramatic night of results include:
Several Tory cabinet ministers lost seats to Labour, including Liz Truss, Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt;
Others fell victim to the Lib Dem plan to "smash" the Tory Blue Wall, like Alex Chalk and Gillian Keegan;
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held on to his seat as an independent;
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won a Commons seat at his eighth attempt;
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer defeated shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central;
Labour's shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth lost his seat to an independent;
Senior Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his seat to Labour.
Read more:
Who is your local MP now?
Tory big beasts who lost their seats
Houdini Hunt's great escape
The results mean a Labour prime minister in Number 10 for the first time since 2010 and the Conservatives facing a fight over the future direction of the party.
Already senior figures have been weighing in on what went wrong.
Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said the Conservatives had taken a "battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it".
Warning against a shift to the right she said the party's renewal would not be achieved "by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves, but being guided by the people of our country".
"Our values must be the people's," she added.
Keir Starmer embraces Victoria at a watch party at Tate Modern. Pic: PA
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, seen as a leadership contender on the right, blamed the result on the Conservative's "not keeping our promises".
And Mr Shapps hit out at the Tory "soap opera" which had turned off voters, as he warned his party against going "off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition".
The Tories faced a battering not only from Labour, but from the Lib Dems and Reform UK too.
Nigel Farage. Pic: Nigel Farage/Reform/X
The success of Reform UK saw Nigel Farage win in Clacton - his eighth attempt at entering parliament - alongside former Tory Lee Anderson, who won his seat of Ashfield, Rupert Lowe, who took Great Yarmouth for the party, while former party leader Richard Tice won in Boston and Skegness.
It came after a swathe of Reform candidates took second place in Labour seats, pushing the Tories into third or even fourth place.
Mr. Farage said there is now a "massive gap on the center-right of British politics and my job is to fill it".
He added it is not just the Tories he would be taking on: "We're coming for Labour."
Read more:
Meet Victoria, Sir Keir Starmer's wife
Who won the popular vote?
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey hailed the results for his party as "exceptional".
The Lib Dems won their highest number of seats since the party was founded - securing at least 70.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey. Pic: PA
When polls closed on Thursday night, the exit poll by Ipsos UK for Sky News, the BBC and ITV News suggested the Lib Dems would win 61 seats - up from 11 - more than five times the number they secured at the last election in 2019.
They secured a number of gains from the Tories - including in Wells & Mendip Hills, Dorking & Horley, Wimbledon, Yeovil, Hampshire North East and Norfolk North.
They also took the constituencies of two of the four former Conservative prime ministers from the last 14 years - Lord Cameron in Witney and Lady May in Maidenhead.
In Wales, the Tories were wiped out, while in Scotland Labour were rampant.
It was a torrid night for the SNP, who were down to just nine MPs by Friday morning.
That is down from 48 at the last election, resulting in the Lib Dems overtaking them as the third-largest party.
In a sign that Sir Keir's landslide may not have been driven by overwhelming public enthusiasm, turnout at the election was on course to be the lowest for more than 20 years.
After all but two results had been declared, the turnout figure stood at 59.85%, the lowest turnout at a general election since 2001.
Faye Brown | Political reporter @fayebrownSky | Friday 5 July 2024 12:57, UKRelated
Miatta Fahnbulleh, the 44-year-old British economist, born in Liberia with matrilineal ties to Sierra Leone, was elected as the new Member of Parliament for Peckham in the UK general election on July 4, 2024. She secured 22,813 votes in what is considered a safe Labour seat.
Fahnbulleh takes over from former Labour MP Harriet Harman, who had represented the area for many years.
Education: BA from Lincoln College, Oxford; MA and Ph.D. in Economic Development from London School of Economics. Prospective Parliamentary Candidate: Labour Party's candidate for Camberwell and Peckham in the UK.
The election result was part of a broader Labour success in Southwark, where the party secured all five constituencies that overlap with the borough.
JP Hitting The Nail. Interesting take on the Tories!
No surprise, the Labour landslide. The comment from a Conservative MP. ‘Frankly, I feel disgusted about how a Conservative Prime Minister can treat decent people who have sacrificed so much with such contempt.
Harvard Profs Argue Biden Admin Well-positioned to Give 'Reparations' to Black Americans
This article makes it clear that the norm, precedent, and federal expertise are in place to make reparatory compensation a reality for black Americans—now. Cited Native American reserve lands as a compensatory program that would be comparable to the process of reparations for black Americans who were descendants of slaves.
Professors Linda J. Bilmes and Cornell William Brooks are both from Harvard University.
June 21, 2024
This article makes it clear that the norm, precedent, and federal expertise are in place to make reparatory compensation a reality for black Americans—now.
A Harvard paper has made the argument that the Biden administration has the "precedent" as well as the "expertise" to implement reparations for black Americans in the United States who are descendants of slaves.
Academics Linda J. Bilmes and Cornell William Brooks, both professors at Harvard, wrote the paper on how models for reparations would be done in the US based on other programs and wrote about the implications of reparations. Bilmes and Brooks claim that the federal government, “already has the norm, precedent, expertise, and resources to provide reparations to black Americans.”
Adding in the paper, the academics cited how President Joe Biden "pledged to cover all uninsured deposits, assuring Americans that 'no losses will be borne by the taxpayers'" when the Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in March 2023. The authors from Harvard wrote that this was a sign that the federal government already has "arrangements to help pay for the wide system of reparatory compensation."
They also cited Native American reserve lands as a compensatory program that would be comparable to the process of reparations for black Americans who are descendants of slaves. Other programs listed included payments to Jews from the Holocaust and Japanese who were put into internment camps during World War II. "US laws and rules governing compensation programs show that Congress has long sought to provide some measure of restitution, compensation, and rehabilitation to those who have suffered harms that are largely beyond their control," the paper said.
The authors claimed that many of the problems today facing the black community can be traced back to slavery, and cited the year 1619 as the starting point, perhaps in reference to the 1619 Project from Nicole Hannah Jones.
In the paper's conclusion, it was recommended to the Executive and Legislative branches of the US to "convene a national commission to study and propose a scheme of federal reparations, authorized by an Executive Order or federal legislation." This would "use the breadth, variety, and diversity of reparatory compensation programs to develop a reparations program that addresses the full range of racial harms, including specifically the racial wealth gap."
It concludes, "This article makes it clear that the norm, precedent, and federal expertise are in place to make reparatory compensation a reality for black Americans—now."
Footnote: Professors Linda J. Bilmes and Cornell William Brooks are both from Harvard University.By Thomas Stevenson For AMERICAN NEWS Jun 21, 2024 / thepostmillennial.com
Drug Money Laundering, How it Works, According to a Former Undercover Agent
A government agent investigating drug money laundering, Mazur went undercover for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service intelligence division, and the Customs Service.
Robert Mazur
In a Video for Business Insider
A government agent investigating drug money laundering, Mazur went undercover for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service intelligence division, and the Customs Service.
In a video for Business Insider, Robert Mazur tells the full story of his time as a government agent investigating drug money laundering. Mazur went undercover for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service intelligence division, and the Customs Service.
In Operation C-Chase, Mazur successfully infiltrated the Medellín cartel by posing as a wealthy, mob-connected businessman named Robert Musella. He established connections with Pablo Escobar's lawyer Gonzalo Mora and Escobar's trafficker Roberto Alcaino. At the height of its power, the cartel is estimated to have supplied over 80% of all cocaine shipped to the US, around 15 tons a day.
In Operation Promo, Mazur posed as an Italian American businessman named Robert Baldasare to expose money-laundering networks associated with the Cali cartel.
The Cali cartel is estimated to have produced 80% of the world's cocaine supply. It was controlled by Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, Pacho Herrera, and José Santacruz Londoño.
Mazur is the author of ‘The Infiltrator,’ which became a New York Times bestseller and spawned a 2016 film of the same title, starring Bryan Cranston (as Mazur), John Leguizamo, and Diane Kruger.
Robert Mazur, the special agent behind ‘The Infiltrator.’ Today, Mazur speaks and consults on the issues of money laundering, drug trafficking, and corruption around the world through his company, KYC Solutions.
An Active U.S. Serviceman Dies After Setting Self on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy to Protest War in Gaza
An active-duty U.S. Air Force member, later identified as Aaron Bushnell, who live-streamed himself protesting the Israel-Hamas war by setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC on Sunday, February 25, 2024, is dead, a U.S. official confirmed.
While streaming himself live on Twitch, he stated that he ‘will no longer be complicit in genocide’ before dousing himself in accelerant and setting himself ablaze around 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Which he described as a 'genocide'
Updated: February 26,2024
In apparent protest of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
An active-duty U.S. Air Force member, later identified as Aaron Bushnell, who live-streamed himself protesting the Israel-Hamas war by setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC on Sunday, February 25, 2024, is dead, a U.S. official confirmed.
While streaming himself live on Twitch, he stated that he ‘will no longer be complicit in genocide’ before dousing himself in accelerant and setting himself ablaze around 1 PM on Sunday. As he became engulfed in flames, Bushnell repeatedly yelled 'Free Palestine' before falling to the ground.
Emergency response vehicles near the Embassy of Israel in Washington on Feb. 25, 2024. Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identified the deceased demonstrator in a statement to TIME on Monday as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell, whose identity and death were first reported on social media by independent journalist Talia Jane.
Bushnell, who was wearing fatigues on Sunday in Washington, was a DevOps engineer based in San Antonio, Texas, according to his LinkedIn profile.
DC Fire and EMS initially said in a post on X on Sunday that it transported an adult male in critical condition to an area hospital after being dispatched at 12:58 p.m. to an incident outside the Israeli embassy, where it found the fire had already been extinguished by U.S. Secret Service members on the scene. Secret Service spokesperson Joe Routh told TIME in a statement that officers of its uniformed division responded to what appeared as “an individual that was experiencing a possible medical/mental health emergency.”
Embassy spokesperson Tal Naim told media outlets that no embassy personnel were injured. MPD told TIME that it is working with the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to investigate the incident. MPD said in an earlier post on X that it also investigated a suspicious vehicle near the scene but that no hazardous materials were found.
Spokespersons for the U.S. Air Force confirmed to CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post that the man who set himself on fire, prior to his public identification, was an active-duty airman. Defense Department policy states that service members on active duty should “not engage in partisan political activity.” Military regulations also prohibit wearing the uniform during “unofficial public speeches, interviews, picket lines, marches, rallies or any public demonstration which may imply sanction or endorsement by [the Defense Department] or the Military Service.”
Bushnell reportedly sent a message to media outlets before his self-immolation. “Today, I am planning to engage in an extreme act of protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people,” he warned.
On Facebook Sunday morning, he also wrote: “Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’ The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.” The post included a link to a live stream of his protest on the web-broadcasting platform Twitch, which took down the video for violations of its community guidelines and terms of service.
“I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest,” the airman repeated, in footage reviewed by TIME, as he walked toward the driveway of the Israeli embassy. “But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.”
After Bushnell doused himself with liquid and reached for his lighter, unidentified law enforcement or security officers could be heard asking him, “Can I help you?” After setting himself aflame, Bushnell repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine.”
Protests have grown worldwide against Israel’s military actions in Gaza as well as against U.S. support for Israel since war broke out after the Oct. 7 assault from Palestinian militant group Hamas that Israeli officials claim killed about 1,200 people. Gaza’s health ministry, overseen by Hamas, has said that Israel’s bombardment of the enclave has in turn killed some 30,000 people.
Israel’s diplomatic outposts have become sustained sites of demonstration against the war in the Middle East, and it is not the first time someone has set their body ablaze outside one.
Self-immolation has a long history as a form of protest, gaining particular prominence during the Vietnam War and in Tunisia during the Arab Spring.
In December, an unidentified person with a Palestinian flag was left in critical condition after they lit themself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta.
Credit Source: Reported by CHAD DE GUZMAN. Chad de Guzman is a reporter for TIME, based in Singapore. He covers the Asia-Pacific region and global overnight news.
“RAW VIDEO! Viewer discretion is advised.”
An active-duty U.S. Air Force member, later identified as Aaron Bushnell, live-streamed himself protesting the Israel-Hamas war by setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
Credit Source:
“U.S. Veterans burn their uniforms at Aaron Bushnell’s vigil.”
The Cost of Applying for the U.S. Citizenship is About to Increase
The changes are a fraction of the fee increases sought by the Trump administration before a federal judge scrapped them. Still, immigration attorneys say immigration costs almost always trend higher, so those who want to naturalize for less should consider applying before April 1, 2024.
The price of getting a 'green card' — the first step to citizenship — will jump, too
Department of Homeland Security — RIN 1615-AC68
This final rule is effective April 1, 2024
The changes are a fraction of the fee increases sought by the Trump administration before a federal judge scrapped them. Still, immigration attorneys say immigration costs almost always trend higher, so those who want to naturalize for less should consider applying before April 1, 2024.
On April 1, the cost of the application to naturalize will increase to about 19 percent. The price hike is significant. According to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, more than 9 million legal permanent residents in the United States are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship but haven’t done so yet.
The price of getting a 'green card' — the first step to citizenship — will jump, too.
In summary, that 'green card' packet requires at least four different forms for most applicants, and certain fees are waived when submitted together under the current guidelines. After April 1, the price of pursuing legal permanent residency will jump from $1,760 to $3,005.
U.S. Citizenship Cost
The costs vary. The naturalization application form, called N-400, currently costs $640 when filing a paper application or $725, including the fingerprint fee, called 'biometrics.' On April 1, the cost of both jumps to $760.
See the Department of Homeland Security Services — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes. And other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements.
Department of Homeland Security Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes
The cost increase may be less than USCIS' previous attempt to boost fees, but it can still be a burden for families when more than one family member wants to naturalize and each individual has to pay a separate application fee.
Monday, February 19, 2024, at 5:13 AM Est. EDT - Source: yahoo /news
Protests against Queen Elizabeth Day of Mourning demand abolishment of the monarchy
Thousands of protesters have marched the streets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra in opposition to the National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth and "racist colonial imperialism."
Published 22 September 2022 at 3:27pm, updated 22 September 2022 at 5:01pm. By Tanisha Stanton, Alexis Moran, Cameron Gooley, Ricky Kirby. Source: NITV
While Australia's parliament house held a memorial service, thousands across the country hit the streets to take a stand against colonisation.
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Aboriginal activist Wayne Wharton and WAR protesters burn an Australian flag in Brisbane. Source: AAP / Russell Freeman
Thousands of protesters have marched the streets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra in opposition to the National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth and "racist colonial imperialism."
The Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) organized a National Day of Protest in response to the government's swift action to declare the one-off public holiday.
While at Canberra's Parliament House, the likes of politicians and ambassadors gathered to commemorate Queen Elizabeth, others were hitting the pavement to stand against the day.
Brisbane's organized rally began at 11:00 am, the same time which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encouraged Australians to take part in a minute's silence for Queen Elizabeth.
Protest organizer and Gomeroi/Kooma woman Ruby Wharton said the lead-up to the public holiday felt similar to Invasion Day, on January 26.
“We've been yelling for a day of mourning and demanding one for the last 200 years.”
"[Australians] need to ask themselves why our Head of State doesn't even come from this country. And how the head of state got to this country, that's through murder, through pillaging, through [the] dispossession of lands and First Nations people and that's a continuing, ongoing project," she told NITV News.
Published 22 September 2022 at 3:27 pm, updated 22 September 2022 at 5:01 pm. By Tanisha Stanton, Alexis Moran, Cameron Gooley, Ricky Kirby. Source: NITV
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Supreme Court rules against immigrants with temporary status
The designation applies to people who come from countries ravaged by war or disaster. It protects them from deportation and allows them to work legally. There are 400,000 people from 12 countries with TPS status.
WASHINGTON (AP)
MARK SHERMAN; Mon, Jun 07, 2021
Summary
WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Monday that thousands of people living in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons are ineligible to apply to become permanent residents.
Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the court that federal immigration law prohibits people who entered the country illegally and now have Temporary Protected Status from seeking “green cards” to remain in the country permanently.
The designation applies to people who come from countries ravaged by war or disaster. It protects them from deportation and allows them to work legally. There are 400,000 people from 12 countries with TPS status.
The outcome in a case involving a couple from El Salvador who have been in the U.S. since the early 1990s turned on whether people who entered the country illegally and were given humanitarian protections were ever “admitted” into the United States under immigration law.
Kagan wrote that they were not. “The TPS program gives foreign nationals nonimmigrant status, but it does not admit them. So the conferral of TPS does not make an unlawful entrant...eligible” for a green card, she wrote.
The House of Representatives already has passed legislation that would make it possible for TPS recipients to become permanent residents, Kagan noted. The bill faces uncertain prospects in the Senate.
The case pitted the Biden administration against immigrant groups that argued many people who came to the U.S. for humanitarian reasons have lived in the country for many years, given birth to American citizens and put down roots in the U.S.
In 2001, the U.S. gave Salvadoran migrants legal protection to remain in the U.S. after a series of earthquakes in their home country.
People from 11 other countries are similarly protected. They are: Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
Monday’s decision does not affect immigrants with TPS who initially entered the U.S. legally and then, say, overstayed their visa, Kagan noted. Because those people were legally admitted to the country and later were given humanitarian protections, they can seek to become permanent residents.
How to vote early, safely and by mail in all 50 states
If you want to vote early because you’re worried about the health risks of standing in line on Election Day, but you’re also worried that the U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver a mail-in ballot in time to be counted, what should you do?
Source: Yahoo News • August 19, 2020
If you want to vote early because you’re worried about the health risks of standing in line on Election Day, but you’re also worried that the U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver a mail-in ballot in time to be counted, what should you do?
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy attempted to reassure Americans Tuesday about the USPS, announcing that he is not going to make any changes before the election that might hamper or slow mail delivery. But he has come under intense scrutiny for his political donations to President Trump, his announced changes to mail delivery and Postal Service leadership, and his potential financial conflicts of interest inside the mail and package delivery industry.
CREDIT SOURCE: This post is from Yahoo News • August 19, 2020. To read the rest of the article, click here.
Dear Friends
Photo credit: LA Times
While many countries have stemmed the tide and turned the corner on COVID-19, the United States, is a vortex of death and economic depression.
What is a public health issue has become heavily politicized, we cannot even agree on the life-preserving measures of wearing a simple cloth-mask.
The truth is self-evident
Today, in America, it’s all gone to hell, and the agent provocateur of this ‘American carnage’ is Donald J. Trump.
The U.S Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showed in the extraordinary second quarter, April through June of 2020, skid to an annualized rate of 32.9%. A historically poor showing in at least 145 years. That 32.9% percent represents the loss of a third of the economy.
With 157,000 deaths (still counting), California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Michigan, intensifying outbreaks have forced authorities to dial back their reopening plans and restrict business activity once again.
It must be exhausting with millions of infected and the lack of cohesive national strategy, America has become a global laughing stock.
The United States of America is now one giant cage where none of us can leave because no other countries will allow us in.
While many countries have stemmed the tide and turned the corner on COVID-19, the United States, is a vortex of death and economic depression. The truth is self-evident.
The patchwork quilt of state, local, and federal directives has left the general public bemused and bewildered.
What is a public health issue has become heavily politicized, we cannot even agree on the life-preserving measures of wearing a simple cloth-mask.
Not only the CDC, bullied into compliance with the White House, water down guidelines.
As I watch the deadly havoc visited on states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona, my thoughts wander to my dislike of craven politicians sacrificed public health to curry presidential favor.
Each of us has the moral obligation to stand up, speak up, and speak out ~ John Lewis.
Faced with a national emergency our country and leadership have reacted with one accord and vision.
These politicians knew better. A measure of how far we fall as a nation, and a scathing indictment the damage Trump has done to America as a union. Trump despises expertise. Even gone as far as to attempt to smear public health officials …a government that traffics in conspiracy theories, untruth, and unproven wonder cures.
Dear friends abroad, you don’t even want us to visit you right now you bare no blame, after all, we’re number one for all the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, I hold out hope for a better tomorrow and until I will day-dream of Paris and exotic locales.
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change
Photo by Xena Goldman
Barack Obama: How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change.
The article first published from Medium | Equality.
A statement about the protests throughout the United States about police brutality and George Floyd's murder. The lack of police accountability. He offered valuable resources on how to use this moment.
Latest
Photo by Xena Goldman
Barack Obama: How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change.
A statement about the protests throughout the United States about police brutality and George Floyd's murder. The lack of police accountability. He offered valuable resources on how to use this moment.
As millions of people across the country take to the streets and raise their voices in response to the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, many people have reached out asking how we can sustain momentum to bring about real change.
Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering.
First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States. The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood.
The article first published from Medium | Equality. To read the rest of the article, click here.
African Immigrants in the United States of America
A Four-Part Series – The Conclusion
Public charge is a test applied when an immigrant applies for a green card or entry into the United States. In California, for example, the counties and state offices do not call ICE. They only use the information to enroll you or your family member in a benefit.
The
Dilemmas of the New Public Charge Rule - Part IV
A Four-Part Series – The Conclusion
Key Points
People not affected not have to get off public benefits because the public charge will not apply to them.
While the new rule about public charge, most immigrants are 'NOT' impacted; refugees, U and T visa applicants, and immigrants applying for VAWA, DACA, TPS, etc. as described in parts one through three.
The new rule only affects those applying for a green card through a family member petition. If applying for asylum or asylee benefits, this will not apply to them, U visa adjustments, etc.
The new rule does not change who is eligible for benefits.
If you are worried that the public charge rule might apply to your situation, get legal help from a trusted attorney or accredited representative at a non-profit organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I Be Deported If I Use Public Benefits?
Public charge is a test applied when an immigrant applies for a green card or entry into the United States. In California, for example, the counties and state offices do not call ICE. They only use the information to enroll you or your family member in a benefit.
An Attorney Told Me That I Should Disenroll Myself Or My Children From Public Benefits, To Apply For A Green Card. Is This True?
Under current rules at immigration in the U.S., the only public benefits that would make a person a public charge are cash assistance and long term institutionalization care. People applying for other types of immigration status, including asylum, visas for a victim of a crime, domestic violence, and naturalization, are not affected by the public charge. People applying for other types of immigration status, including asylum, visas for a victim of a crime, domestic violence, and naturalization, are not affected by the public charge. However, if a person is applying at an American consulate for a visa, the rules are strict. The person should consult a trusted legal representative for advice.
Will, I Be Considered A Public Charge If I Use WIC?
No! Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is not a consideration.
Will, I Have Problems If My Children Use, Medi-Cal?
No! USCIS will not consider benefits received by family members when deciding if a person is a public charge, as long as it is not the sole source of income for the family. Children’s use of Medi-Cal is exempt.
Will I Get Deported If I Go To The Emergency Room Or Use Emergency Medi-Cal?
No! This type of emergency service is not considered under public charge.
I’m Pregnant And Not A U.S. Citizen. Will I Have Problems With Immigration If I Use Medi-Cal?
The new rule will look at the use of Medicaid but does not include Medicaid for pregnant women or children under 21. In California, people who are not applying for a green card through a family member do not have to worry about being a public charge.
I Was Injured On The Job And Receiving Payments From My Employer because I Can’t Work. Will This Create Problems For Me If I Apply For A Green Card Or To Become A Citizen?
No! Benefits that a person earns through their jobs, such as worker’s compensation or unemployment benefits, don’t count against the person in a public charge test.
Will I Have Problems, If I Get Help From A Domestic Violence Shelter, A Food Pantry, Church, Mosque, or Synagogue?
No! Services available to the community as a whole or without an income requirement will not make someone a public charge.
Things To Remember
If you and your family members already have green cards: Public Charge and any changes to it has NO impact on you.
If you are applying for or have one of the following statuses – U.S. Citizenship or TPS, U or T Visa, Asylum or Refugee status, or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Public Charge test does NOT apply to some immigrants listed here. Benefits received while you are in this status will not be counted against you in the future, even if you apply for a green card on another basis.
If your family plans to apply for a green card or visa outside the United States: U.S. consular offices abroad use different rules in making their decisions. Talk with an expert for advice in your case before making any decisions in dealing with the ever-changing U.S. immigration policies on Public Charge.
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African Immigrants in the United States of America
Part III
The Trump administration recently announced it will be harder for some people to receive certain visas or a green card through a family member if they use Medi-Cal, SNAP, and subsidized housing. The change to the ‘Public Charge’ is what we are discussing. Not everyone needs to worry about the new public charge rule.
The Dilemmas of the New Public Charge Rule - Part III
A Four-Part Series
Five Things To Know About Public charge
The Trump administration recently announced it will be harder for some people to receive certain visas or a green card through a family member if they use Medi-Cal, SNAP, and subsidized housing. The change to the ‘Public Charge’ is what we are discussing. Not everyone needs to worry about the new public charge rule.
If you are a Green Card holder (lawful permanent resident)
Generally, people who already have a green card are not affected by 'public charge.'
There is no public charge test to renew a green card.
Green card holders cannot be deported simply for using public benefits. Very difficult for the government to deport a green card holder being a ‘public charge.’
This public charge rule could apply if a permanent resident leaves the United States for more than 180 days during one trip. The government can ask questions to see if the person is a ‘public charge’ upon returning to the U.S. Green cardholders need to speak to a trusted immigration attorney or an accredited representative before they embark on a trip that will keep them out of the U.S. for more than 180 days.
There is no public charge test to apply for citizenship. However, an immigration official might ask you questions about receiving public benefits to figure out if you received benefits when you were not eligible for it. Warning: You should review your public benefits history with a trusted legal representative before applying for citizenship.
IF YOU ARE UNDOCUMENTED
Each state has its rules. The State of California does not tell Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when you sign up for a public benefit.
If you are not eligible to apply for a green card now, there is no reason to give up the needed benefits.
The public charge test only affects some people who are applying for a green card through a family sponsor or petition or applying for certain temporary visas abroad. The new changes to public charge only affect applications filed in the U.S. on or after October 15, 2019.
Some immigrants do not have to worry about a public charge test. These people can use public benefits without problems because the public charge doesn’t apply to them. These people include:
Refugees, asylees, and people applying for asylum
People applying for a U visa (victims of crime), T visa (victims of trafficking), VAWA (certain victims of domestic violence), and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected)
People applying for a green card based on already having a U visa, T visa, VAWA, asylum, or refugee status
People renewing TPS or DACA
Anyone who wants to submit an immigration application should work with a trusted immigration attorney, an accredited representative, to prepare a strong application.
IF YOU WANT TO SPONSOR A FAMILY MEMBER TO COME TO THE U.S.
There is no public test to naturalize. You can become a U.S. citizen even if you have used benefits or need a fee waiver for your application. There is no public charge test to renew a green card.
You can sponsor a family member and still use public benefits.
If you are sponsoring your family member and do not have enough income to support your family member, you can add a second (“joint”) sponsor who has enough income to support the family member. Important: Review your family member’s financial documentation with a trusted immigration attorney, or accredited representative, to prepare a strong application, and decide whether joint sponsor needed.
If a family member is going to a visa interview inside the U.S., only your family member’s use of certain benefits can be counted against them.
On the other hand, if your family member is going to a visa interview outside the U.S. at a consulate, your use of benefits might show that you cannot financially support your family member. In this case, a joint sponsor might be needed. Talk with a trusted attorney or accredited representative to help prepare the case.
The final article 'Dilemmas of the New Public Charge Rule - Part IV' will be in the next publication.
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African Immigrants in the United States of America
Part II
The rule also considers that all use of cash aid, including not just Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and SSI but also any state or local cash assistance program, could make an individual inadmissible under the public charge ground.
The
Dilemmas of the New Public Charge Rule - Part II
A Four-Part Series
What’s In The New Rule?
While the test for whether someone is likely at any time to become a public charge will still be prospective as required by the statute, the new rule redefines the definition of a public charge. Instead of assessing whether an applicant is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for income support, the new rule defines a public charge as a person who receives any number of public benefits for more than an aggregate of 12 months over 36 months period. Each benefit used, counts toward the 12-month calculation. If the applicant receives two different benefits in one month, it counts as two-months use of benefits.
The rule expands the list of publicly-funded programs that immigration officers may consider when deciding whether someone is likely to become a public charge. Under the new rule, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps), 'Section-8' housing assistance, and federally subsidized housing will be used as evidence that a green card or visa applicant, is inadmissible under the public charge ground.
The rule also considers that all use of cash aid, including not just Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and SSI but also any state or local cash assistance program, could make an individual inadmissible under the public charge ground.
Benefits received by family members of the immigrant will still not be considered in the public charge determination. Additionally, Medicaid received by applicants while under age 21 or while pregnant is not considered. Also, the rule does not change long-standing policies that allow immigrants to access emergency medical care and disaster relief without public charge repercussions.
It is very important to remember that prior receipt of benefits is only one factor in the public charge determination. The new rule sets out criteria for considering several factors in assessing the likelihood that a person will need more than 12 months of public assistance in aggregate over 36 months in the future. The rule also elaborates on criteria for considering financial status, family size, age, education, skills, and employment, among others.
The rule allows immigration officers to consider English proficiency (positive), or lack of English proficiency (negative), medical conditions and availability of private health insurance, and past use of immigration fee waivers. The rule requires immigrants to attach a Declaration of Self-Sufficiency when applying for a green card in addition to the many forms already required.
The rule creates “heavily weighted negative factors” and a couple of “heavily weighted positive factors.”
It is a heavily weighted negative factor to receive more than 12 months of public benefits in the aggregate over the 36 months before applying for adjustment or admission. Heavily weighted positive factors include having a household income of at least 250% of the federal poverty level ($64,375 for a family of 4) and having private health insurance. It is not clear to me how an officer should decide a case that has a heavily weighted factor or both heavily weighted negative and positive factors.
Bonds are possible where an immigration officer finds inadmissibility based on public charge. Bonds will be highly discretionary. The new rule says that heavily weighted negative factors in a case will generally make an applicant ineligible for a bond.
'Dilemmas of the New Public Charge Rule - Part III' will be in the next publication.
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African Immigrants in the United States of America
A Four-Part Series
About 2.1 million Africans migrated to the United States of America in 2018, according to official records. This number increases to 4.2 million when those from the Caribbean nations, included.
The Dilemmas of the New Public Charge Rule - Part I
A Four-Part Series
About 2.1 million Africans migrated to the United States of America in 2018, according to official records. This number increases to 4.2 million when those from the Caribbean nations, included.
Top countries of origin for African immigrants were Nigeria 221,000 (14 percent); Ethiopia 164,000 (10 percent); Egypt 143,000 (9 percent); Ghana 121,000 (8 percent). Altogether constituting 41 percent. Four States have more than 100,000 African born immigrants: New York has 164,000; California 155,000; Texas 134,000 and Maryland 120,000.
Approximately 68,000 African born immigrants reside in the Greater Los Angeles area. For the past; 10 years, those who recently immigrated are predominantly refugees. About 27 percent. Those who escaped civil wars and ethnic conflicts in their various countries of origin.
What is Public Charge?
A public charge has historically been a person dependent on the government for financial and material support.
With the new rule, it now becomes a test to determine if someone applying for permanent residence through a relative or a visa to enter the United States is likely to depend on public benefits in the future.
On August 14, 2019, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule related to public charge in the Federal Register. The Public Charge rule which, was to take effect as of October 15, 2019, became enforced after the US Supreme Court on January 27, 2020, lifted a nationwide injunction barring implementation.
The new rule will mainly impact those seeking permanent residence (green card) status through family member petitions, or, for a visa to enter the United States. No other types of immigration cases impacted. It is advisable immigrants consult with immigration experts who understand the public charge rule, to learn whether the public charge applies to them or their families. Many categories of immigrants are exempt from public charge.
Public Charge Exemptions
Refugees and Asylees
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) a special way for minors currently in the US to adjust their status and become permanent residents.
U Visa – Set aside for victims of crimes and their immediate family members.
VAWA self-petitioners –Violence Against Women Act
T Visa – These are visas for victims of human trafficking
DACA applicants – Deferred action for childhood arrivals. However, if they later apply for a green card through a family member, they will have to go through a public charge test.
TPS applicants – Temporary Protected Status: designated countries
Most legal permanent residents - unless you travel outside of the US for more than 180 days.
US citizens
Others – Amerasians; Afghan and Iraqi military translators; certain Cuban and Haitian adjustment applicants; certain Nicaraguans; and Central Americans under NACARA- The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act passed in 1997; Soviet and Southeast Asian Lautenberg parolees.
A Few Important Points Regarding the Public Charge
The new rule interprets a provision of the immigration and Nationality Act (INA) about inadmissibility. The inadmissibility ground at issue... a person is inadmissible if they are likely to become a public charge. INA 212(a)(4) applies to individuals seeking admission into the United States or applying for adjustment of status. The provision of the law does not apply to all immigrants, as stated.
Public Charge and this rule do not apply in the naturalization process, through which lawful permanent residents apply to become United States citizens.
What Is The Current Law?
Currently, immigration officers decide public charge by evaluating whether an applicant for a green card or an individual seeking to enter the United States on certain visas is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for support. Primary dependence refers to reliance on cash-aid for income support or long term care paid for by the government.
To decide whether an individual is a public charge, immigration officers rely on multiple factors specified in the INA. They must also rely on the “affidavit of support,” which is a contract signed by the immigrant’s sponsor, indicating that the sponsor will financially support the immigrant. This affidavit of support offers strong evidence that the immigrant will not become primarily dependent on the government.
Under existing policy, immigration officers also consider whether an immigrant applying for a green card or admission to the United States has used cash aid such as “Welfare” or “SSI” (Supplemental Security Income) or long-term institutionalized care in the past. Immigrants who have used this form of assistance will have to show that it is not likely they will need these resources for support in the future.
The use of publicly-funded health care, nutrition, and housing programs are not currently considered negative factors for purposes of public charge. Beginning October 15th, 2019, according to the new rule, some of these benefits will be considered in the public charge determination. It must be noted that this is a drastic change from the longstanding policy.
Also, the new rule will apply only to adjustment of status applications postmarked on or after October 15th, 2019. It will not affect pending applications postmarked before that date.
Individuals seeking to enter the United States apply at consulates abroad. At these consulates, the officers use what is referred to as the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) as guidance on how to make decisions.
'Dilemmas of the New Public Charge Rule - Part II' will be in the next publication.
Long Live the King
As the impeachment debacle reached its inevitable climax, it was clear that the Rule of Law was under siege.
By Anonymous
Our Republic is dead
By Anonymous
As the impeachment debacle reached its inevitable climax, it was clear that the Rule of Law was under siege.
Despite undisputed facts, a blockade of important witnesses and a paper-thin defense, the Republican-controlled Senate, acquitted the President. Incredibly, Mitt Romney was the lone dissent crying out for principle and integrity. Indeed, the fact that Romney was so virulently attacked by his erstwhile colleagues showed how far our democracy has fallen. Republicans writ large has abrogated their principles and constitutional responsibilities in pursuit of unbridled power.
The party’s slavish devotion to the cult of Trump is mystifying. A corrosive agent on our democracy, he has subverted the Justice Department, runs a shadow foreign policy, and damaged American credibility abroad.
Susan Collins, the Republican Senator from Maine naively reiterated that impeachment would have a sobering effect on Trump. Yes, I am still laughing.
Invariably Trump has been emboldened by his acquittal sought to punish political enemies, and purge non-Trump acolytes from government, and trying to lighten jail sentences for his allies; convicted felons Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. These swirling currents in play, the American public could be forgiven for being impacted by a heavy dose of cynicism in light of today’s political state. However, now is not the time for apathy. America in the past has negotiated rough political terrain, and clearly, an engaged electorate is the key to restoring a nation's enduring faith in democracy.
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A Rock And A Hard Place
In this year's presidential election, the immigration issues, and the horrific treatment of migrants will be central. Our collective psyche indelibly scarred by the horrific images of migrant children in cages, family separation, and the intolerable conditions at the southern border. Caught in this transnational vortex are many African migrants whose plight has been largely ignored by the mainstream media.
By Angela Brooks
With a philosophy of maximum cruelty
By Angela Brooks
In this year's presidential election, the immigration issues, and the horrific treatment of migrants will be central. Our collective psyche indelibly scarred by the horrific images of migrant children in cages, family separation, and the intolerable conditions at the southern border. Caught in this transnational vortex are many African migrants whose plight has been largely ignored by the mainstream media.
African migrants hoping to reach the US
Cutting off much-needed aid to countries in Central America and Africa has only magnified the problem. If the Trump administration thought its actions would stem the migrant tide allied with the philosophy of maximum cruelty, it has proven to be inept and chaotic. These refugees fled their home nations for a myriad of reasons, including war, poverty, and economic opportunity. However, the reality for many has been a nightmare. Instead of reaching American utopia, their dreams have stalled as detainees in Mexican migrant camps.
The squalid conditions have engendered new threats against African migrants trying to survive a hostile environment.
Apart from the language barrier, migrants face overt racism, violence, and threats from human traffickers.
In late 2019, a California Representative Karen Bass led a delegation to the Mexican border, where she highlighted the plight of this downtrodden class. We can only hope that the congresswoman’s fierce activism changes the narrative of the public perception of this crisis.
UK-Africa Investment Summit
The British Prime Minister, in his opening address, called for an increased renewed partnership between the UK and Africa. He referred to Africa as a booming continent with staggering levels of growth. Prime Minister Johnson said, “look around the world today, and you will swiftly see that the UK is not only the obvious partner of choice, we’re also very much the partner of today, of tomorrow, and decades to come.”
British Prime Minister Calls For Bigger Investments In Africa
This year's UK-Africa Investment Summit, which started Monday 20th January 2020, is a first of its kind hosted by Britain's newly elected government. The opening ceremony witnessed by dignitaries and delegates from 16 African countries includes British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, and Prince Harry, among others.
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, UK; several African presidents
The British Prime Minister, in his opening address, called for an increased renewed partnership between the UK and Africa. He referred to Africa as a booming continent with staggering levels of growth. Prime Minister Johnson said, "look around the world today, and you will swiftly see that the UK is not only the obvious partner of choice, we're also very much the partner of today, of tomorrow, and decades to come."
African Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina made a public announcement at the gathering of a new $80 million World Bank, and DFID infrastructure financing partnership. According to Adesina, the continent's $68-$108 billion infrastructure investment gap per year is massive, but it depends on how one looks at it. The 'risks' in Africa exaggerated. It is lower than in Latin America. Yet funds are not channeled into Africa. There are $8 trillion of assets under management in London, but only 1 percent invested in Africa.
A press release issued by the African Development Bank noted that the Bank President urged investors to look to Africa and recalled the achievements of the Africa Investment Forum ...a game-changing initiative led by the African Development Bank, and key partners, to accelerate investment in the continent.
The unique multi-sector platform designed to advance bank deals to financial closure. At the 2019 Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, deals valued $40.1 billion secured investment interest.
President Kenyatta rang the opening bell at the London Stock Exchange (LSE) to mark the launch of Kenya's first green bond at the LSE. Emphasized innovative sustainable investments in energy infrastructure. We all must think out of the box in terms of energy to ensure we produce more green energy. 'This first-ever sovereign green bond of $41.45 million will be used to build environmentally-friendly student accommodation in Kenya.'
The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo, of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh el Ghazouani, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, and Secretary of State for International Development, MP Alok Sharma, addressed a plenary panel discussion on "Sustainable Finance and Infrastructure' Unlocking the City of London and UK financial services for growth in Africa.
About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (https://www.AfDB.org/) is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a reception for the UK-African Investment Summit on behalf of The Queen.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20, 2020: Photo by Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images
(Back row/left) Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Tunisia, Sabri Bachtobji, Minister of Economy and Industry for Mauritius Sheikh El Kebir Moulaye Taher, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonen Hassen, Minister of State for Economic Development in Angola Manuel Nunes Junior, Minister of Finance in Algeria Abderrahmane Raouya, President of World Bank David R Malpass, UN Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary Vera Songwe, IMF Director African Department Abebe Aemro Selassie, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development President Suma Chakrabati, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Ayodesji Adesina,
(Middle row/left) President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, President of Senegal Macky Sall, President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, Foreign Minister of Nigeria Geoffrey Onyeama, President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi, Prime Minister of Morocco Saad Dine El Otmani, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, President of Malawi Peter Mutharika, President of Kenya Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, South Africa Foreign Minister Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor,
(Front row/left) President of Guinea Alpha Conde, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, President of Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo and President of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara pose for a group photograph during a reception to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit at Buckingham Palace on January 20, 2020, in London, England.
The Ghosts of Paradise
Homelessness is a national epidemic, a national shame, and a perfect metaphor for our throwaway society. Affluent enclaves not excluded from the issue as suburbia, beaches, parks, and commercial hubs fall prey to the problem. They linger in every space encampments, and we slide past them uncomfortable in our shallow existence.
By Angela Brooks
Seeking human kindness
By Angela Brooks
Walking through urban landscapes, one can’t escape the zombies. These creatures shuffle down sidewalks, sometimes in various states of mental distress. Some push grocery carts packed with the detritus of their nightmarish existence. Others talk to invisible friends. They move to various locations in search of food and shelter. They linger in every space encampments, and we slide past them uncomfortable in our shallow existence.
The Changing Face of Homelessness
Homelessness is a national epidemic, a national shame, and a perfect metaphor for our throwaway society.
There are various reasons for this blight. Mental illness, addiction, poverty, and a lack of affordable housing are all contributing factors. Besides, the number of our heroic veterans who end up on the streets is equally quite disturbing.
Affluent enclaves are not excluded from the issue as; suburbia, beaches, parks, and commercial hubs fall prey to the problem. As we draw closer to the holiday season, thoughts about the less fortunate seem to resonate more strongly. Indeed, most of us know we are one paycheck away from oblivion.
Government and local agencies must do more to ensure the welfare of all citizens. Affordable housing, living wages, and mental healthcare are all viable solutions as opposed to the criminalization of the down-and-out.
In this election cycle, we hear very little from Presidential candidates on the issue perhaps if the zombies could give donations to campaigns, they would be the quite undead, no more.
The Edge Of Darkness
We have a President who is entirely too comfortable trotting out racist tropes while pandering to a white nationalist agenda. People of color have become the designated villains. Immigrants, legal or not, is now the ‘Other,” not American. Baltimore and other racially diverse cities have derisively labeled, “infested.”
By Jose` Manuel Guzman
We have seen mass carnage in California, Texas, and Ohio roared xenophobic hatred
By Jose` Manuel Guzman
One of the proudest days of my life was the day I became an American citizen. I pledged allegiance to my newly adopted homeland, and, with a multitude of others, I basked in the shared reflective glory of that beautiful day. In my mind's eye, that memory would remain forever untarnished.
Enter Donald J. Trump.
We have a President who is entirely too comfortable trotting out racist tropes while pandering to a white nationalist agenda. People of color have become the designated villains. Immigrants, legal or not, is now the ‘Other,” not American. Baltimore and other racially diverse cities have derisively labeled, “infested.”
Four congressional women of color have been the target of Trump's race-baiting venom. The reference of America; Love it or leave it and “Send her back,” about one of the congresswomen who were not US-born. Minories and refugees dehumanized as evidenced by their often brutally harsh treatment at the southern border.
Immigrants are the lifeblood of America, as we are stronger because of diversity. The day I became a US citizen, I was keenly aware of the collective joy in the room, and, the prospect of new opportunities.
Trump has betrayed the idealism that is truly exceptional. The racist vitriol being injected in American body politics has real consequences. Minorities and people of color are uneasy as hate crimes increase. Kids and adult is being told, “to go back to your country.”
In her memoir, ”Becoming” former First Lady Michelle Obama is unforgiving in the fact that TRUMPS WILD “Birther” rhetoric placed the lives of her family in mortal danger. The unvarnished bigotry of Trump is a clarion call to those who would commit acts of violence in his name.
Racism and fear cynically being exploited for political gain. However, in this scenario, the soul of the nation becomes collateral damage. Unbridled hate will unravel the unique American mosaic, for most of us, 2020 can’t come soon enough. Shame on the political toadies, and societal leaders, who complicit in Trump's racism by nature of their deafening silence. America will survive this current maelstrom with renewed hope for all its people.
In the past weeks, we have seen mass carnage in California, Texas, and Ohio roared xenophobic hatred. Trump has to know his words have consequences, but in a strange twist of fate, he might very well unite the country he sought to rip apart.
RELATED TOPIC
Amoral, Erratic, Incompetent, Systematic undermining and acted in ways, Verbal incontinence