WSSN Stories

Bill Russell: Legend Date Announcement

BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND releases globally on Netflix on February 8 and tells the remarkable life and legacy of an NBA superstar and civil rights icon. Made in collaboration with Russell’s estate, this two-part film from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power) features one of Bill’s final interviews before his passing in 2022 as well as interviews with Steph Curry, Chris Paul, “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.

Off the court, Russell was a force in the fight for human rights — marching with Martin Luther King Jr., leading boycotts in the NBA over racist practices and speaking out against segregation — efforts which earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In the clip below (posted on Netflix’s Strong Black Lead IG and Twitter), Bill Russell shares why he chose not to go on-stage with Martin Luther King Jr. at 1963’s March on Washington.

Download: Online Clip | Social Clip | Broadcast Clip | Image

FILM DETAILS:

BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND

RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2023

DIRECTOR: Sam Pollard

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Larry Gordon, Ross Greenburg, Mike Richardson, Charles Rosenzweig

NARRATOR: Corey Stoll | BILL RUSSELL EXCERPTS READ BY: Jeffrey Wright

The definitive documentary about the life and legacy of NBA legend and civil rights icon Bill Russell from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI).  The film features exclusive interviews with Bill before his passing in 2022 as well as access to his sprawling personal archives. From the humblest of beginnings, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to championships — two back-to-back NCAA titles, a Gold Medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and 11 championship titles in his thirteen-year career as a Boston Celtic (his last two as the first Black Head Coach in NBA history).  Features interviews with family and friends as well as Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.

 

Brittney Griner Life Story Told in New Comic Book, Out This Week

TidalWave Comics is proud to announce the addition of a comic book focusing on Brittney Griner to its popular “Female Force” series. “Female Force: Brittney Griner” will be released this week.

“Female Force: Brittney Griner” written by Michael Frizell, with art by Martin Gimenez. This 22-page comic book is available digitally and in print and can be found on multiple platforms such as Amazon. The book will be available in softcover and hardcover.

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner told ESPN, “Don’t worry about what other people are going to say, because they’re always going to say something, but if you’re just true to yourself, let that shine through. Don’t hide who you really are.” Despite personal challenges, her meteoric rise in the WNBA after a storied college hoops career inspires many. But her detainment in Russia for carrying less than a gram of cannabis oil in a vape cartridge through an airport has overshadowed her achievements. Read her inspirational story in this latest installment of “Female Force”.

“We started working on this script before the incident in Russia. My initial approach was to explore her history to show her growth as an athlete and person. I’ve found Brittney’s story fascinating despite not knowing much about the WNBA before I started the research. I hope readers will walk away understanding the person behind the headlines,” said writer Michael Frizell.

“This story is about an athlete who overcame obstacles to become a significant player in the WNBA – not about politics. We started working on this story about four years ago to diversify the line, as we’ve featured several male athletes in past issues. Her development as an athlete, and her struggle with coming to terms with being a gay, black woman, first at a religious college and then in the national spotlight, are the focus of this issue. Since we have 24-pages to tell the story, we used that focus to inform what should be included and what we’d have to leave out. For example, as her story developed, we thought we should add two pages about her arrest in Russia. However, as the artist finished the interiors, a deal was struck with Russian authorities, so we rewrote those two pages to ensure our information was accurate,” said publisher Darren G. Davis “She has an amazing personal story, and we wanted to tell more stories about women in sports. She just happened to be the first. We have plans for women in soccer (football) and more.”

The “Female Force” imprint features prominent and influential authors, business executives, entertainers, journalists, politicians, and activists. The latest biography comic book joins TidalWave’s ever-growing library of more than 200 comic book biographies. — Previous titles have profiled other inspirational women such as Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Gloria Steinem, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey and more.

The biographical comic series has drawn a firestorm of media attention, including features on “The Today Show” CNN, MSNBC, and Sports Illustrated, and in TIME and People magazines.

TidalWave Comics’ vast catalog of titles can also be downloaded digitally from Kindle, iTunes, EPIC!, ComiXology, Global Comics, Google Play, Overdrive, Library Pass, Biblioboard, Nook, Kobo and wherever eBooks are sold.

To download a five-page preview plus the covers for your use in your publication, please credit: TidalWave Productions. Click here for the images: bit.ly/3ZDNdq1

“Biblical End-Times Prophecy Unfolding Right Before Our Eyes!”

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Do you see the Globalist Agenda, the Global Reset, the Beast System Emerging? Do you see it? The stage is being set for FINAL events but yet again, every seeing but never perceiving, every hearing but never understanding. [Mark 4:12].

Listen, all end-time events that we need to know have been prophesied and record in Scripture for our knowledge and understanding. If we are watchful, we can follow the trend of events recorded in the Bible that are unfolding before our very eyes. Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! Because I tell you, the Mark of the Beast is ALREADY HERE, and things are about to be off the chain. And if you think what’s been happening over the past year, or two or three has been chaos and crazy, prepare for it to get a whole lot crazier and, I ‘m not saying that to induce fear and to instill fear. I’m saying that to prepare you, so it doesn’t catch you off guard. None of this is to induce fear, but to let you know and to make it very, very clear, all hell is about to break loose. Because Biblical End-times Prophecy Unfolding Right Before Our Eyes!

But despite these dark days of doom and gloom that will consume everything we have ever known, there still is an even greater hope for an escape to safety.  The Bible doesn’t just predict the coming horrible events with no purpose—it tells us what is to come to get us to realize that we need an escape route which can save us. This is a call for you to be alert! Eyes wide open. Study each of the end time events – World War 3; the Sixth Trumpet war – [Revelation 9]. The New World Order; the combined kings of the earth in the Last days; – [Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 13 and 17]. The Confirmation of the Covenant; the signing of a seven-year peace agreement; – [Daniel 9:27].  Rise of the Antichrist and False Prophet to power; – [Daniel 2, 7-12, Revelation 13 and 17]. Jewish temple rebuilt and the Third Temple – [Daniel 9 and 11, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Matthew 24:15, Revelation 11].

Signs of the Time – [Matthew 24:3-51, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, Luke 17:26-33, Matthew 24:37-39]. Rapture of the Church [1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:20-21]. Great Tribulation [Matthew 24:21]. Second Coming of Christ – [Revelation 19:11-18, Matthew 24:30], and the Millennium— the 1,000 Year Reign of Jesus Christ on this Earth [Revelation 20:6, Isaiah 65:20–22, Isaiah 11:6-10].

I tell you, it’s time to wake from your slumber. Bible prophecy is unfolding before our very eyes, and things are speeding up very quickly. Heed the signs. Heed the warnings. Give your life to Jesus today… for we truly are in the end times.

 

Two SDSU Professors Ranked Nationally Among Most Influential Education Scholars

By Michael Klitzing

The names J. Luke Wood and Frank Harris III have been inextricably linked for more than a decade. The San Diego State University professors have been fruitful collaborators on research into racial equity in education since 2011 — work they have amplified as co-founders of SDSU’s Community College Equity Assessment Lab.

Now, the duo shares another notable distinction. On Jan. 5, Wood and Harris both appeared in the 2023 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings: 200 U.S. university-based scholars who shape educational practice and policy. The list represents the top 1% of influential education scholars in the nation from a field of over 20,000.

“The people who are on that list are the best in the country in our field — the most well-known, the most widely-cited, the folks’ legislatures and politicians are consulting for advice,” said Harris, a professor in postsecondary educational leadership who also serves as interim associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion in the College of Education.

“I just appreciate being listed among those folks — including Luke.”

Wood ranked No. 48 and Harris No. 163 on the list, compiled annually by Education Week. This ranking uses metrics such as book publishing, article citations and mentions in the media and Congressional Record. In the Curriculum, Instruction and Administration subfield, Wood was ranked No. 10 in the nation.

While 64 universities had at least one ranked scholar, SDSU is one of 32 universities nationwide, and only six in California, with multiple faculty members recognized.

“One of the things that I think we both recognized early on was that you can publish something, but it doesn’t mean that a lot of people are going to see it, and it doesn’t mean that it’s going to impact practice,” said Wood, Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Education at SDSU. “We’ve been able to publish some really good work, but we also do a lot of webinars and policy work to help people tangibly apply it to change lives. I think that we recognize that you have to have that combination. And I think that’s part of why the rankings were where they were for us.”

Wood is also the university’s vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity and chief diversity officer.

In the past year, Harris and Wood have led programming on racial equity for the Association of Community College Trustees and the Community College League of California.

Their research as part of the Black Minds Matter Coalition also inspired a new California law, which went into effect this month, protecting foster youth in suspension and expulsion proceedings. AB 740 was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2022.

They also recently conducted a popular webinar series on racelighting, a phenomenon in which people of color are systematically manipulated into second-guessing their own lived experiences with racism. They collaborated with their partners — San Diego College of Continuing Education president Tina King and SDSU assistant professor Idara Essien — to create a lesson plan on the subject.

“I think it’s important that your work is not just sitting on the shelf,” Harris said. “It’s actually having an impact on what people do and how they serve students and teach students.”

 

10 MLK Quotes Promoting Equal Rights, Unity, and a Multicultural America

By Jaivon Grant | California Black Media

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. was more than a social activist who, through his strong advocacy and rare brilliance, became America’s most celebrated symbol of racial justice and social progress. He was a symbol of unity, hope, and peace for people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

He was a gifted student, who enrolled in Atlanta’s Morehouse College at the age of 15, to study medicine and law.

But MLK had no intention of following the path others imagined for him, instead becoming a pastor.

Morehouse president Dr. Benjamin Mays, a strong advocate for racial equality and a renowned theologian, inspired him to join the ministry.

As we celebrate MLK Day — on what would have been his 94th birthday — it’s important to acknowledge what the inspirational civil rights leader did for communities across the United States who face(d) racial discrimination – even today.

Here are 10 quotes from across MLK’s life that represent what he stood for.

1. “I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed… that all men are created equal.”

This quote is culled from perhaps his most memorable speech, delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963. While highlighting the racial injustices that Black Americans faced, MLK reminded the marchers that Jim Crow discrimination had ended legally — but not in practice. It had been nearly a century since the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, but Black Americans were far from being “free,” he proffered.

King advised that those leading the charge on civil rights not let “bitterness and hatred” let their movement “degenerate into physical violence.” He encouraged his followers not to see their White supporters as enemies because Americans from all backgrounds and races need to act in solidarity.

2. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

This is MLK’s call-to-action to take an active role against injustices that are faced in society. Being passive and hoping for the best is no way to fight a problem that will cause exponential damage to the unity that so many civil rights activists have fought to achieve today and onward.

3. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

Every positive contribution — big or small — counts in the fight towards achieving equality. It’s easy to notice the bigger aspects of an object or idea and miss the smaller pieces that comprise them.

4. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

It takes true mental fortitude to establish trust with a perceived enemy. MLK was encouraging us to look past the negative things that people have done to us. It’s important to consider that even friends commit acts that you do not condone. Friendships are built on acceptance and succeed because of forgiveness between two parties. It is a nearly impossible feat without love in one’s heart.

5. “If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.”

Constantly seeking revenge will inevitably lead to an endless downward spiral of destruction for all who are involved in that dynamic. Within the same speech, King noted that “violence ends by defeating itself.” Rather than destroying enemies, we should give them perspective and understanding.

6. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere… Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

When one offense is overlooked somewhere else in the world, it makes it possible for many other injustices to be swept under the rug — especially the ones that affect us directly. For example, it should not take losing a loved one to an act of violence for us to care about everyone’s right to living in a safe community.

7. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

This quote speaks for itself. Perseverance is tested through hardship, not times of peace — and this applies to all aspects of life. Will you be in the trenches when confronted by adversity?

8. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”

King often spoke of having love in one’s heart. In his sermon –mirroring the light-driving-out-darkness metaphor — the civil rights icon expressed that only love could drive out hate. Loving your enemies is the only way to close the rift that separates (and in this case segregates) different racial and ethnic communities.

9. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Disappointment does not last forever. Eventually, it ends. Despite challenges one faces, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel — when hope is in the heart.

10. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

No matter how you do it, continue to grow and move towards progress. King preached that non-violence can be achieved. He encouraged his followers, and those who looked up to him, to not give up — press on, no matter how impossible the goal may seem. A little progress is better than none at all.

This California Black Media feature was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

 

How Visiting Green Spaces May Help Improve Health Of Urban Residents


By Stephen Beech

Visiting a park or communal gardens three or four times a week really is an antidote to ill health for people who live in cities, according to a new study. Researchers found lower use of drugs for depression, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and asthma among urban residents who often visit green spaces – regardless of their income or level of education. ESB PROFESSIONAL/SWNS TALKER

Visiting a park or communal gardens three or four times a week really is an antidote to ill health for people who live in cities, according to a new study.

Researchers found lower use of drugs for depression, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and asthma among urban residents who often visit green spaces – regardless of their income or level of education.

A Finnish team said that the frequency of visits to urban green spaces rather than the amount or views of them from home might be key to lower use of certain prescription meds.

Previous studies have suggested that exposure to natural environments is good for health and well-being, but the evidence is inconsistent.

The Finnish team wanted to find out if the amount of residential green and blue space (bodies of water), frequency of green space visits, and views of green and blue spaces from home might be separately associated with the use of certain prescription meds.

They chose prescription meds as a proxy for ill health and those for anxiety and insomnia, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma, in particular, because they are used to treating common and potentially serious health issues.

They drew on the responses of 16,000 randomly selected residents of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. The three cities make up the largest urban area in Finland.

The survey gathered information on how city dwellers, aged at least 25, experience residential green and blue spaces within a one-kilometer radius of home.

Participants were also asked to report their use of prescribed meds – drugs for anxiety, insomnia, and depression, collectively known as psychotropic drugs; high blood pressure and asthma drugs – if applicable, for periods ranging from within the past week up to more than a year ago or never.

They were also asked how often they spent time, or exercised outdoors, in green spaces, during May and September, with options ranging from never to five or more times a week.

And they were asked whether they could see green or blue spaces from any of their windows at home, and if so, how often they took in those views, with options ranging from seldom to often.

Green spaces were defined as forests, gardens, parks, castle parks, cemeteries, zoos, herbaceous vegetation associations such as natural grassland and moors, and wetlands. Blue spaces were defined as the sea, lakes, and rivers.

Potentially influential factors – including outdoor air pollution and noise, and household income and educational attainment – were also considered.

A general view shows Central Park and the Manhattan skyline from the One Vanderbilt viewing deck in New York City on January 16, 2023. The survey gathered information on how city dwellers, aged at least 25, experience residential green and blue spaces within a one-kilometer radius of home. ED JONES/SWNS TALKER

The final analysis included around 6,000 participants who provided complete information.

The findings, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed that the amount of residential green and blue spaces, or views of them from home, weren’t associated with the use of prescription meds for mental health, insomnia, high blood pressure or asthma.

But the frequency of green space visits was. Compared with less than one weekly visit, visiting three or four times weekly was associated with 33 percent lower odds of using mental health meds, 36 percent lower odds of using blood pressure meds, and 26 percent lower odds of using asthma meds.

The equivalent figures for visiting at least five times a week were 22 percent, 41 percent and 24 percent lower, respectively.

Senior researcher Dr. Anu Turunen said: “These observed associations were weakened when weight was factored in, particularly for asthma meds, as obesity is a known risk factor for asthma.

“The effects of visiting green spaces were also stronger among those reporting the lowest annual household income. But overall, the associations found didn’t depend on household income and educational attainment.”

She said Finland has a high level of forest cover, while Finnish cities are relatively green, making it easy for those willing to use green spaces to access them with minimal effort.

However, Turunen, of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, added: “Mounting scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of nature exposure is likely to increase the supply of high quality green spaces in urban environments and promote their active use.

“This might be one way to improve health and welfare in cities.”

 

Produced in association with SWNS Talker.

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‘Instagram Makes People Depressed’: Elon Musk Doubles Down On Criticism Of Social Media Platforms


By Chris Katje

Elon Musk arrives to the 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022, in New York City. Musk has expressed his reservations about Instagram before. JAMES DEVANEY/BENZINGA

The owner of one of the largest social media platforms in the world shared his latest criticism of a rival platform. Could the comments keep people from the rival platform or have them avoiding social media all together? 

One of the biggest news stories of 2022 for the financial world was the $44-billion purchase of Twitter by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Musk had been a fan of Twitter for years, using the platform as his social media outlet of choice to share his thoughts, memes and also important updates and commentary from Tesla and SpaceX.

One platform Musk has not been a fan of is Instagram, a photo and video based social media platform owned by Meta Platforms.

“Instagram makes people depressed & Twitter makes people angry. Which is better?” Musk recently tweeted.

The comments by Musk prompted huge reactions from his large base of followers.

One user replied with “LinkedIn makes people depressed, not Insta.” Musk responded to the comment with a fire emoji.

Musk said on the podcast that Instagram can make people seem better-looking and happier “than they really are.” He added that seeing attractive and happy people on social media can make people think, “I’m not that good-looking, and I’m not that happy. So I must suck.”

Twitter user @WallStreetSilv replied with “Twitter doesn’t make me angry. It makes me laugh all day long.”

Musk replied that Twitter does make him laugh a lot.

Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus responded that “Instagram is for narcissists, Reddit is for assimilating into hive mind of idiots, Facebook is for old people, Twitter is for crazy masochists.”

The comments from Musk about Instagram were not his first takes against the social media platform.

A general view of the audience during Avril Lavigne concert with smartphones at Espaco Unimed on September 7, 2022, in São Paulo, Brazil. People often post on Instagram on concerts they attend to communicate with their followers including friends and family. MAURICIO SANTANA/BENZINGA

In 2018, Musk said Instagram could be a place where “people look like they have a much better life tan they really do” while appearing on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.

Musk said that people on Instagram might look better and appear happier “than they really are.”

Musk expressed his distaste for both Instagram and Facebook during an interview with the Tesla Silicon Valley Owner’s Club in 2022. Musk took down company pages for both Tesla and SpaceX on Facebook.

“It’s not a political statement and I didn’t do this because someone dared me to do it. Just don’t like Facebook. Gives me the willies. Sorry,” Musk previously said.

Musk admitted during the interview that he has a secret Instagram account, also known as a “finsta.”

Musk said he previously had a public Instagram account, but found himself taking a lot of selfies as a result.

“Instagram, man — it’s a thirst trap, you know,” Musk said.

Musk said he found himself questioning why he took so many selfies and was hunting for likes on Instagram.

Instead, Musk prefers Twitter where he can get across “whatever message I’m trying to get across.”

“I only need one means of communicating.”

On Twitter, Musk also recently responded to a post showing a 2021 study that found people’s social circles have shrunk significantly over the last 30 years, which could be due to the rise of social media.

“Maybe we should spend less time on social media,” Musk replied to the post. The comment from Musk prompted many responses, including those questioning the comments from the new owner and CEO of Twitter.

“You just dropped $44 billy on a social media company maybe give it a few years before taking that stance,” user StockTalkWeekly replied.

The latest comments about Instagram from Musk could create distance between several of the social media platforms and also see fans of Musk and Tesla spending less time on Instagram and more time on Twitter.

 

Produced in association with Benzinga.

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Ilhan Omar To Be Booted From House Foreign Affairs Committee, Kevin McCarthy Says


By JNS Reporter

US House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, speaks during his weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on October 28, 2021. McCarthy has previously argued that Omar should be stripped of her committee seat for her history of antisemitic comments. JIM WATSON/JNS

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday repeated his promise to block vocal critic of Israel Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In an interview with Punchbowl News, McCarthy said that he would also prevent Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from assuming their assignments in the House Intelligence Committee. 

“Swalwell can’t get a security clearance in the private sector. I’m not going to give him a government clearance,” McCarthy said. “Schiff has lied too many times to the American public. He should not be on Intel.” 

McCarthy has previously argued that Omar should be stripped of her committee seat for her history of antisemitic comments. 

“Look at Congresswoman Omar, Her antisemitic comments that have gone forward. We’re not going to allow her to be on Foreign Affairs,” McCarthy previously vowed during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” 

Speaker McCarthy confirms that Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Ilhan Omar are getting kicked off the Intel and Foreign Affairs Committees. Promises made. Promises kept!” Rep. Troy Nehls, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted on Tuesday according to ABC News.

McCarthy has long pledged to oust the three, citing objections to their behavior and the precedent of the previous House removing committee assignments for Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona.

Omar’s antisemitic and anti-Israel comments include when she accused the Jewish state of having “hypnotized the world,” accused Jews of buying control of Congress, called Israel an “apartheid state” and likened Israel to the Taliban and Hamas terrorist groups. 

U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks to members of the media outside a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees at the U.S. Capitol on October 28, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured are (L-R) Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA). Schiff & Swalwell aren’t expected to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee with McCarthy as Speaker. MARK WILSON/JNS

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) supported McCarthy’s repeated promise to remove Omar from the committee. 

“ZOA applauds Speaker Kevin McCarthy for following through on his commitment,” ZOA National President Morton Klein said in a statement. “Jew-hatred and unwarranted Israel-bashing are dangerous not just to Israel, but to the United States. They undermine the safety of American Jews in the streets of our cities and on college campuses, and they corrode the fabric of our society.” 

Klein went on to say that Omar’s removal sends a powerful message that antisemitism will not be tolerated and urged McCarthy to take the same action against Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) “as punishment for her bigotry as well.” 

McCarthy’s pledge to remove Omar has previously been applauded by other pro-Israel groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, B’nai B’rith International and the Republican Jewish Coalition.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was asked during a press conference on Tuesday what the process would be for stripping Democratic members of their assignments and said no one had yet been assigned to committees. But he suggested removals were a new standard first set by Democrats.

“As we see what comes out, the Democrats set a precedent that we urged them strongly not to go down last Congress,” Scalise said.

“They decided that they were going to break the precedent that had been in place for over 200 years and remove members of the opposing party that our party selected to be on committees,” he continued. “And so that was a practice they set and so, obviously, we’re going to be looking very closely at who they appoint. They haven’t appointed anybody yet to committees, but we’re gonna see if they do.”

Rep. Pete Aguilar, the chair of the House Democratic caucus, on Tuesday declined to elaborate on next steps should Schiff and Swalwell be blocked or booted by Republicans from the intelligence panel.

“We will send the names of the individuals who this caucus supports and are qualified to serve on committees,” Aguilar told reporters. “What the speaker does beyond that is something that we will handle … but it isn’t anything we’re going to get in today.”

 

Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate.

(Additional reporting provided by Alberto Arellano)

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Tony Thurmond Starts Second Term as State Addresses Educational Inequity

By Max Elramsisy | California Black Media

State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office to begin his second term on Jan. 7 at a ceremony conducted at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles.

Thurmond oversees the education of 6 million PreK-12 students in over one thousand public school districts across California.

Although SPI is a non-partisan office, Thurmond drew support from many of the state’s top Democrats in his bid for re-election, including from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and several members of the California Legislative Black Caucus. He was also endorsed by unions across the state, including the California Federation of Teachers and California Teachers Association.

United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona performed the ceremonial swearing in of Thurmond, who then reflected on his path to the office. The son of a Panamanian immigrant mother and Vietnam veteran father, who did not return to his family after the war – Thurmond and his brother were raised by their cousin and relied on public assistance programs and public schools to make it out of poverty.

“I am standing on the shoulders of those relatives who struggle and sacrifice so that we could have a better life,” Thurmond said after he was sworn in. “It was the sacrifices of teachers and classified staff and childcare workers and school administrators who make it possible for me to stand here today as your public servant fighting for 6 million students in the great state of California.”

Thurmond’s first term coincided with one of the most tumultuous periods in California’s history — a time, he says, that brought with it many unforeseen challenges.

“We all watched it together. The lives lost and impacted and disrupted by the pandemic,” Thurmond said before pointing out other cultural, social and political developments the country endured as the COVID-19 crisis intensified.

“The killing of George Floyd, fighting hate against the Asian American Pacific Islander community, racism targeted directly to African American families, anti-Semitism, the mistreatment of Latino families, immigrant families, we have seen so much hate all in such a short period of time that we would move into a pandemic and find out that, in a state with all the wealth that we have in California, that a million students could be without a computer,” Thurmond added. “That is the most important thing that they needed to be connected in those early days through remote learning.”

Thurmond says his administration stepped up to address challenges presented by the pandemic.

“We know that the impact this has had clearly affected student proficiency levels where they are now compared to where they were a few years before the pandemic and of course, a deep, deep impact on the mental health of our students and our families,” he said.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in depression and anxiety and hospitalizations for children and it has been difficult for them,” Thurmond continued. “But our children are more than the sum of their circumstances. They’ve demonstrated their resiliency, and they’re on the path to recovery, and we’re going to help them with that because we just secured enough money to recruit 10,000 counselors for our schools in the state of California.”

The addition of counselors is good news for teachers across the state seeking resources to help their students recover and develop in areas outside of academics where school also plays a crucial role for many students. “I was very excited when superintendent Thurman said that there would be 10,000 counselors coming to the school sites because we need that. The emotional health of our students, that is important, that is very important,” said elementary school math teacher and California Teacher of the Year award recipient Bridgette Donald-Blue to California Black Media.

The SPI does not have any legislative role. But Thurmond, who served in the California State Assembly for two terms, sponsored or endorsed several legislative initiatives that may have a profound effect on the future of education in California and the role that schools play to meet the social and emotional needs of students to provide a positive learning environment.

Thurmond says, beginning in the 2022–23 school year, the California Universal School Meal Program will help all students to reach their full academic potential by providing a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch at no charge for all children each school day regardless of individual eligibility.

Thurmond also has initiatives to combat inequities in the school system including universal preschool for 4-year-olds regardless of background, race, zip code, immigration status, or income level. He also launched the Black Student Achievement Taskforce to help quantify the impacts systemic and institutional racism have had on Black students in California.

Thurmond points out that he sponsored legislation to increase funding to the lowest performing students, ban suspension and expulsions in preschools, and secured $90 million for suspensions and chronic absenteeism programming.

“I know the impacts of what happens when our students don’t learn to read by third grade. Sadly, they end up dropping out in many cases and in the criminal justice system, and we’re going to change the narrative and flip the script. We’re going to educate, not incarcerate our kids.” Thurmond repeated a pledge for today’s kindergarteners to be able to read by third grade,” he said.

Recently, some education advocates pointed out that there has been a reported wave of retirements and disincentives that have led to an unprecedented teacher shortage across the nation. In response, Thurmond says he is creating new incentives to draw qualified people into the school system to help students, especially those who are of color.

“We’re offering scholarships for anyone who wants to become a teacher. $20,000,” Thurmond told California Black Media. “I sponsored a bill, HB 520, that was focused on how we get more male educators of color. And that bill turned into funding in the state budget. That now means our residency programs can be used to help have male educators of color as part of the beneficiaries of that program.”

“I Warned You!”

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

I’ve tried to get you to listen. I sent many people to you, just like I sent prophets to the people of Israel and Judah to warn them of their apostasy and impending judgment, and just like them, you too wouldn’t listen. ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ [Isaiah 6:9]. This is the broken heart of God. This is love disappointed and wounded. This is God experiencing a deep, piercing sorrow over His loved and lost creation.

Listen, things are not what they seem. The world is headed towards the “Abomination that causes Desolation.” The current crisis that is going on right now in the world is developing a scenario that is going to bring into FULL FORCE, SOON AND VERY SOON, the One World Government, One World Religion, and One-World Economic System, the Mark of the Beast, which is already in effect and which when in full force will be a time of incredible darkness that will descend on the world. [Revelation 13: 1-18]. I tell you; it is imperative that you understand the prophecies and remain aware of future events.

As Pope Francis said in a wide-ranging conversation with the editors of European Jesuit publications on May 19, referring to Russia’s attack against Ukraine, “World War III” has been declared. “The world is at war,” he said. This is something that should give us PAUSE FOR THOUGHT. The danger is that we only see this, which is monstrous, and WE DO NOT SEE THE WHOLE DRAMA UNFOLDING behind this war.

Not only that Pope Francis, who stated World War III has already begun, made another chilling comment when in early December he stated: “While the world starves, burns, and descends further into chaos, we should realize that this year’s Christmas celebrations, for those who choose to celebrate, IT MAY BE THEIR LAST. By this time next year, the world will likely be UNRECOGNIZABLE.”

I’ve warned you. The New World Order is about to launch into full swing and the world is going to be turned UPSIDE DOWN as the result! Prepare yourself and loved ones for what is coming. Know and understand the prophecies, so that you will not be deceived!

For, then I heard another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” [Revelation 14:9].

They were warned, they did not listen and then it happened.