WSSN Stories

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

A year ago, K-12 education was closed across California as part of an effort to mitigate the spread of the COVID -19 virus.

At that time, it was assumed that children could be a primary driver of the virus like they are Influenza A. It took a few months, but health officials determined that COVID -19 is not a pediatric driven pandemic.

Young kids can get the virus, but they are not significant transmitters. Most experience mild or no symptoms and while some might have to be hospitalized, death is rare for children. Children under 15 have a lower risk of dying from COVID-19 than dying from the flu or suicide. A side effect of the virus is a serious and rare illness called multisystem inflammatory syndrome or MIS-C, which can be fatal or cause lasting heart damage.

In states where schools have restarted in person classes, data show levels of transmission of the virus is much lower than in the surrounding community when strict safety protocols developed by public health officials have been adopted. The safety protocols include universal masking, basic hand hygiene, classroom ventilation, maintaining increased physical distance, and contact tracing.

While guidelines for the safe opening of schools have been available for months from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the 58 California county health departments, according to federal data California has lagged other states in offering in-person instruction to students. 18 % of California schools offer in-person learning compared to all schools in Florida and 62 % in Connecticut. Schools in California have not been able to open while their county was in the most restrictive purple tier indicating high case rates of COVID-19.

Many school districts including Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified have recently announced plans to make in-person instruction available to students who want it. President Biden has been pushing for all K-8 schools to open by May 1 which is the 100th day of his administration. As part of the push to safely reopen schools the Biden administration is allocating about $125 Billion for K-12 education as part of the American Rescue Plan.

In an effort to salvage what’s left of this academic year and prepare for the 2021-22 school year, the Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 86 and Governor Newsom signed it, offering a $2 Billion COVID-19 safety fund for school districts in the red tier to share if they manage to offer in-person instruction for grades K-6 and at least one middle or high school grade by April 1. For those that can’t, they will lose 1 percent of the incentive every day they are not open through mid-May.

Newsom said when he signed AB 86, “There is nothing more foundational to an equitable society than getting our kids safely back into classrooms. Our kids are missing too may rites of passage – field trips, proms, and graduations.”

Students and parents are anxious for schools to safely open for in-person instruction. The term “learning loss” has become synonymous with distance learning which was only intended to be used by school districts for a short period of time. For many students, the year that they have been shut up at home has not only taken a toll on their academic progress but affected their mental health and society may be reckoning with the fallout for many years to come.

In general, Black and Latino children have struggled more academically than their Asian and White peers. Keeping up with schoolwork has been complicated by not having access to technology and reliable internet. Concentrating on studies has been more difficult when they live in communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

For many families remote learning created a childcare crisis, forcing some parents to leave their jobs. Many parents became frustrated with balancing jobs and supervising their children’s lessons.

The power to restart in-class instruction is vested in local school boards. It’s their responsibility to develop a plan for the safe opening of their schools relying on direction from the governor and Legislature and following safety protocols provided by the CDC and state and local public health directives.

The willingness of parents to send their kids back to the classroom varies based on their experience dealing with Covid-19 which is related to race, ethnicity and income. White and wealthier families that are frustrated with remote learning and as a group has been least affected by the virus are demanding resumption of in person instruction. They trust that their school district can safely reopen.

Black and Latino parents while wanting their children to return to school have experienced the inequitable impact of Covid-19 and are concerned about exposing their children to the virus in a school setting and bringing it home. While these parents understand their children are not faring well academically and mentally with distance learning they are not willing to risk their safety.

Contributing to the unease that Black and Latino parents have about school reopening classrooms has been their children’s teachers expressing their hesitancy to returning to school without all teachers and staff having the opportunity to be vaccinated. Studies show that transmission in schools appears to be primarily from teacher to teacher, then from teacher to student, but almost never from student to teacher. So vaccinating teachers is important to everyone’s school safety.

While the stance that the teachers took may have delayed in-school learning, Newsom decided that 10 % of vaccines a week would be reserved for teachers and other school staff. Although AB 86 and CDC guidelines have not included vaccinating teachers in the strategy for safe school reopening, school districts have included it as part of their teacher union agreements. In addition, regular testing of students and staff is another strategy being adopted by school districts to detect virus on campus before it can spread.

While zero risk of COVID-19 infection is not possible, results from hundreds of school districts opened across the county and the world show virtually no communal spread of the virus, if safety

protocols are followed. By listening to the concerns expressed by teachers, school districts have made in-person instruction safer for students and given parents more confidence to send their kids back to school.

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About the Author

Joe W. Bowers Jr. is an advocate for education opportunities for all and the education writer for CBM. He is a former corporate engineer and business executive and is a graduate of Stanford University.

By UnitedHealthcare of California

As more individuals across the U.S. become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there is still widespread confusion about how to secure and prepare for an appointment. With eligibility requirements and sign-up processes differing by state and county, it can be difficult to keep track of current information.

Below are answers to common questions related to COVID-19 vaccines and access, as well as tips and tools for ensuring a smooth vaccination process.

What proactive steps can individuals take to access vaccines?

COVID-19 vaccine availability changes quickly. If you’re eligible to get the vaccine, you’re encouraged to take early steps to secure an appointment or get your name on a local vaccination list.

Here are a few ways to stay on top of the latest news and vaccine availability:

• Stay informed on the latest vaccine information from the CDC
• Visit state or local health department websites to see when it’s your turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine and find information on vaccination providers
• Sign up for e-alerts from your state to get regular updates
• Keep up with their local news for information on where vaccines may be available in their area
• Ask your doctor or local pharmacy about vaccine availability
  • Be mindful of scams and remember that you should not pay to be put on a vaccination list

Once eligible, how can individuals go about finding available vaccine appointments?

UnitedHealthcare has developed an online COVID-19 vaccine resource locator tool, available in English and Spanish for free to the general public. This tool aggregates available public information directly from state and country public health websites, and from the retail pharmacies currently distributing COVID-19 vaccines.

• The site includes all states and territories through a zip-code level search and is updated twice daily.
• It aggregates local and state health department links, as well as external links to retail pharmacies with local scheduling capabilities. Future content will likely include health systems and federally qualified health centers.

What do you need to bring to your vaccine appointment?

• You should be prepared to show your photo ID, such as a driver’s license, to show proof of age. You might also need proof of residency. Your health department website or vaccination provider may also have a list of required documents. 
• Medicare plan members:
  • You will need your red, white and blue Medicare card because Medicare is paying for the member’s vaccine in 2021. If you don’t have your Medicare card, you can find it by logging into your Social Security account. More information on your Medicare card can be found on the CMS site.
  • If you receive the vaccine at a regular provider visit, you will also need your health insurance member ID card.  

• For people with non-Medicare health plans, you will need to show your health insurance member ID card.

Remember to wear your face mask and physically distance at your appointment. Additional information on preparing for a vaccination appointment can be found on the CDC website.

When should you plan on getting a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?

People will need to get both doses within 3-4 weeks to get the protection indicated by the manufacturer. You should make sure both of the doses received are from the same manufacturer and that the second dose is as close to the recommended timing as possible. Follow the vaccination instructions from the manufacturer:

• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine: Requires 2 doses, given 3 weeks apart
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine: Requires 2 doses, given 1 month apart
• Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine: Requires no second dose

The easiest course of action is to schedule both doses at the same time to meet these time frames and get protection from COVID-19. The vaccination provider should assist you with scheduling the second dose when you receive your first dose. You can also sign up for free text messaging through the CDC’s VaxText to a get a reminder about your second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

By Isabella Bloom for Ethnic Media Services and The Richmond Pulse

Jie Wang owns three rental properties in Oakland. Her whole family relies on income from tenants paying their rent.

Many have lost their jobs during the pandemic. Eviction moratoriums protect tenants who can’t pay part or all of their rent. But small housing providers like Wang still have mortgages, utilities and other expenses. A lack of government support puts pressure on them to sell their properties.

“Nobody can escape from this coronavirus,” Wang said. “I have a very good relationship with all my tenants. I try to help them.”

Wang spoke on a recent panel hosted by Ethnic Media Services along with other housing rights advocates and researchers. The panel discussed the risk of treating all landlords the same.

The word “landlord” stirs up connotations of large real estate corporations, wealthy enough to maintain their properties through the pandemic. However, small landlords, often referred to as mom-and-pop landlords, have been hit hard by losses in income due to tenants who have been at least partially unable to pay their rent during the pandemic.

According to the Urban Institute, individual investors like Wang rather than large conglomerates own more than 75 percent of one-to-four-unit rental properties. In addition, mom-and-pop landlords of color are more likely to own duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.

Their rent rates tend to be cheaper, so they’re also more likely to draw minority tenants.

Maeve Brown is the executive director and founder of Housing and Economic Rights Advocates, a statewide nonprofit law office that provides free legal services to low- and moderate-income Californians. She works with many people of color who have never had any training on how to manage their properties and consistently charge below-market rent rates.

“Another key part of the story here is our failure to appreciate what small landlords are actually providing — our failure systemically to recognize that they really are affordable housing providers,” Brown said. “If localities and our state government actually recognized the truth of that, that should have an impact on the policy choices that they make.”

Mom-and-pop landlords often are also more connected to their communities and tenants.

John Wong, the founding chairman of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, has lived in San Francisco for nearly 67 years and been a realtor for over 40. In the briefing, he described the relationships he’s experienced and witnessed between mom-and-pop landlords and their tenants.

“I talk about this spectrum of housing providers because I think it speaks to our response to COVID,” Wong said.

He added that mom-and-pop landlords tend to know their tenants personally.

“The relationships have typically been very, very amicable,” he said.

Rent relief programs like the $2 trillion CARES Act have primarily benefited larger, wealthier real estate corporations, leaving behind mom-and-pop landlords.

“The policy choices that the state has made have just made no distinction between large landlords and small landlords,” Brown said. “State policy choices have squarely placed the burden of nonpayment of rent on the shoulders of small landlords — of small, affordable housing providers.”

The danger with placing that burden on mom-and-pop housing providers is that it pressures them into selling their properties to investors and real estate conglomerates. The result is that California will lose more and more of its affordable housing.

“If they lose their property, they’re probably going to lose it to an investor who will charge as much money as the market can possibly bear,” Brown said.

Landlords of color are also more likely to have a mortgage and lower income, so the pressure to sell during the pandemic is higher, according to Urban Institute.

There may be new hope for mom-and-pop landlords and their tenants in the form of a new rental assistance program, but it comes with a caveat.

The new California rental relief program intended to help the state’s most vulnerable renters and landlords opened March 15. The program, which comes from Senate Bill 91, extends the eviction moratorium to June 30 and draws from $2.6 billion in federal funds for rent relief.

“The SB 91 moratorium and the state rental assistance program, in my opinion, is the most important thing to have for smaller mom-and-pop housing providers,” Wong said.

Tenants and landlords both have to fill out certain parts of the online application, available on the California state website Housing is Key.

The first group of eligible renters are those with greatest need — households making 50% or less of the area’s median income, or anyone who has been unemployed for at least 90 days.

The next group includes households making 80% or below the area’s median income. Undocumented tenants are also eligible.

Data from Urban Institute shows that, throughout the U.S., less than a third of tenants and less than half of landlords are aware of federal rental assistance programs. This is why John Wong aims to spread information about rental assistance programs to mom-and-pop landlords, especially those who may be linguistically isolated.

“I personally have a heavy focus on making sure that individuals who have English as not their primary language have access to information that these funds are available,” Wong said.

The way the rent relief works is 80% of a tenant’s rent owed between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, will be paid directly to the landlord, so long as the landlord agrees to forgive the remaining 20% of the back rent.

But this new rental assistance program doesn’t distinguish between small and corporate landlords. For mom-and-pop landlords like Jie Wang, absorbing the remaining 20% of unpaid rent can be a crippling blow after a year of unpaid rent.

“I’m open to the low-income renter,” Jie Wang said. “As long as I can survive, I will receive all the tools to help me and to survive this very difficult situation.”

Empire News Network

LOS ANGELES, CA—- Metrolink announced the appointment of Ilyssa DeCasperis as Chief People Officer of the regional passenger railroad that services six Southern California counties. DeCasperis was selected after a national recruitment.

DeCasperis brings more than 32 years of legal experience and 20 years in HR management to the position, including a deep background in healthcare. As Metrolink’s Chief People Officer, DeCasperis will lead strategies and processes to build and retain team members and will serve as the agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer.   

“We are excited to welcome Ilyssa to the team as she brings a fresh perspective to address the changing workplace as our region emerges from the coronavirus lockdowns,” said Metrolink CEO Stephanie Wiggins.  “Her skill and perspective will contribute greatly to the growth of our organization and help continue to develop our most treasured asset: our employees.”

She recently held the position of Vice President of Human Resources at Doctors Hospital in Riverside, where among other responsibilities, she developed and implemented employee experience strategies. Prior to that, she spent two years at New York City MTA in labor relations.

“I am excited to join an organization truly committed to upholding a standard of excellence for employees and customers,” DeCasperis said. “I look forward to aligning with the business strategy and goals of the agency and helping build out key areas for strategic growth including talent acquisition, performance management, and learning and development, with an eye toward diversity and inclusion.”

In addition to her transportation experience, DeCasperis also represented medical schools, healthcare facilities and school districts as a labor negotiator.

Eddie Griffin reflects on a year of COVID, social distancing, and social justice with the live presentation of his new ‘docucomedy’ special, Laughin’ Through Your Mask, premiering Thursday, April 1, 2021 as a sneak peek for fans ahead of its launch on the iTunes and Amazon streaming platforms on Tuesday, April 20.

The acting and comedy legend, who took his successful Las Vegas stand-up show on the road despite a multitude of risks and touring inconveniences during an unprecedented worldwide pandemic, shares his personal experiences of how the events of 2020 impacted his career.

Griffin also delivers razor-sharp, unapologetic observations about nerve-touching subjects of today’s current events, as the special was filmed exactly one day after the storming of the United States Capitol and violent attack against the 117th United States Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

Griffin, who shot to fame with memorable film and TV roles such as Undercover Brother Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, John Q, Scary Movie 3, A Star is Born and Malcolm & Eddie, has built a millions-strong fan following through the power of his stand-up shows, attracting record audiences through touring, his residency at Las Vegas’ Sayers Club, and stand-up specials including You Can Tell ‘Em I Said It, Undeniable, and E-Niggma.

Tickets for the world premiere of Laughin’ Through Your Mask are on sale now for $9.99 exclusively at laughinthroughyourmask.com; watch the official trailer at YouTube.com.  

Become a Griffin Insider and get the latest updates at EddieGriffin.com and through Twitter @eddiegriffincom.

SANTA MONICA, CA—- The Calvary Baptist Church of Santa Monica partners with GUARDaHEART Foundation Partners to present No-Cost COVID-19 Antibody Testing for the Community on March 31 through April 2, 2021(Wednesday- Friday) from 9AM to 4PM at The Calvary Baptist Church located at 1502 20th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404.

There are three Ways to Register for the No Cost COVID-19 Antibody Test in Santa Monica at:

1. GUARDaHEART Foundation website www.GuardaHeart.org

2. Registration Link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/1daf38073da34d758a930e7722c6df8f

3. Walk-ins are welcome on the day of the event, but please be prepared to wait.

More Information:

The SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test being provided has a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99.6%.The test being provided is one of the most reliable antibody tests available and far more reliable than many other tests being provided. 

Antibody testing is recommended for asymptomatic individuals, asymptomatic individuals who think they may have had COVID-19 in the past or those who were infected with the virus or anyone who has completed their second dose of the vaccine within the last 2-4 weeks. 

The COVID-19 Serology Antibody Testing is a blood drawn test. Individuals with health insurance are required to bring insurance cards for testing (Testing is covered under the CARES Act to individuals with or without insurance; health insurances are required to pay under the CARES Act).  All patients will have their temperature taken before their appointment.  

Douglas S. Harrington M.D., Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, and the American Society of Clinical Pathology, an expert in laboratory diagnostic testing. Dr. Harrington is also the Chairman of the GUARDaHEART Foundation 501(c)3 and can talk about the difference between a COVID-19 swab test vs SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test, including other topics on the SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody test and the correlation of heart disease and the coronavirus.

Organizations interested in partnering with GUARDaHEART can contact Yvette Morales at (949) 244-9769 or at YMoralesY@YM-PR.com

About GUARDaHEART Foundation

GUARDaHEART Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that provides education to the community, corporations, Native American organizations, unions, and individuals to promote heart disease awareness, detection, and prevention. Our mission is to empower communities through preventative action and to reduce the risk of heart disease worldwide. “LEARN. DETECT. PREVENT.” Website: www.guardaheart.org

GUARDaHEART is the organizer of the community events and all tests provided are performed by two CLIA Certified Laboratories.

About Calvary Baptist Church of Santa Monica

On August 10, 1920, the Calvary Baptist Church Santa Monica California held its first church service and has been a beacon in the Santa Monica community ever since. For over 100 years, Calvary has sought to serve an ever-evolving community and has been involved in the ongoing fight for civil rights for all who have been oppressed, even sponsoring a visit from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1961. To this day Calvary continues a walk-in love and faith to serve the Santa Monica community and beyond. The church motto underscores the unconditional, deliberate, embracing reminder that we are all partakers of God’s love. One Love! One Faith! One Family! One Calvary!  www.calvarysantamonica.org

Story reported by By Michael “Ice-Blue” Harris

Rolling Out magazine recently reported that Nischelle Turner has made history after being named the new co-host of “Entertainment Tonight.” Turner is the first Black woman to lead the show and will host alongside Kevin Frazier. The momentous occasion also marks the first time two African Americans have taken the lead together.

“It means everything to me. Make no mistake about it. I believe and have always believed that I was the best person for the job, but it was never lost on me that it was also bigger than just me. I would be representing an underserved group of people who are finally getting a moment in the spotlight — and a well-deserved moment,” Turner explained to Variety.

Turner also joins a small group of women who have co-hosted the entertainment news show. Mary Hart anchored from 1982-2011 and Nancy O’Dell held the coveted spot from 2011 to 2019.

“Nischelle can do it all. She can go from a heartfelt conversation with Oscar winner Viola Davis about the impact of Cicely Tyson to singing karaoke on a balcony with Jimmy Fallon. She is warm, thoughtful and full of energy. Celebrities respect her skills as a seasoned journalist, and our audience has taken notice of her fun chemistry with Kevin [Frazier]. There is no one more deserving to lead ‘ET’ in our history-making 40th season and beyond,” added ET executive producer Eric Johnson to Variety.

Turner believes America is ready for the change.

“If I’m being honest. there was always a thought in the back of my head, ‘Is the audience in America ready for two Black hosts up there together?’ And the answer that America gave us was ‘Yes.’ We have a genuine chemistry. We both care deeply for each other. We both trust each other, fully and completely to have one another’s back when I’m on that stage. You can’t manufacture that,” she said.

Turner’s career spans more than 20 years and she’s won four Daytime Emmys as an “ET” correspondent and weekend co-host since joining the show in 2014.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), the chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, and Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) added language with some teeth to Senate Bill (SB) 2, the “Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021.”

The amendments to the police reform bill, first introduced in December last year in the California Assembly, are designed to increase standards of accountability for law enforcement officers. They include a statewide process to revoke the certification of a peace officer convicted of violating a person’s civil rights or engaging in other misconduct on the job.

“If last summer’s nationwide protests and calls for police reform have shown us anything, it’s that Californians want more than just a superficial change,” said Bradford. “If many professionals licensed in the state of California can have their certification revoked for committing serious misconduct or abusing their authority, then why not police officers?”

Ross, after whom the bill is named, was a 25-year-old African American who a Gardena police officer shot two times and killed on April 11, 2018.

According to the police report, Michael Robbins, the officer who fatally shot Ross was the last officer to arrive on the scene. Yet, he was the only officer who perceived a threat sufficient to discharge a weapon. Ross was unarmed and running from officers when he was shot. He died at the scene.

Although he was involved in prior shootings, Robbins was cleared of wrongdoing in the incident.

“It is critical that California’s police officers meet the highest standards of conduct and have the trust of our communities,” said Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), co-author of SB 2.

“The vast majority of officers want to do what’s required to build and keep trust with the communities they serve. I’m proud to co-author SB 2 by Senator Steven Bradford which would bring us closer to achieving that goal.”

California is one of only five states in the nation that does not have the authority to decertify law enforcement officers who have committed serious misconduct.

“On April 11, 2018 my son, Kenneth Ross, Jr. was murdered by a Gardena police officer who shot three other people in previous incidents,” Fouzia Almarou, Ross’ mother said.

“If Officer Michael Robbins had been decertified after the first shooting, Kenneth would likely still be here, with his son, his siblings, and me,” she continued. “I’m going to fight with everything in me to get this bill passed so this doesn’t happen to anybody else.”

Other states, such as Florida and Georgia, have led the nation in police officer decertification by inquiring into misconduct without regard to convictions for certain offenses.

The recent amendments to SB 2 are similar to Senate Bill (SB) 73, which Bradford also introduced last year. That legislation died in committee last November.

Sponsors and supporters of SB 2 say this time they hope the Legislature passes the police reform provisions they have drafted to strengthen the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act. The 1998 bill authored by California State Assemblyman Tom Bane created legal avenues for victims of police shootings to seek compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and civil penalties.

The state’s primary civil rights law that protects Californians against police abuse, the Bane Act has been undercut by bad court decisions, said Carl Douglas, President of Douglas-Hicks Law, and Consumer Attorneys of California Board Member. Once among the most robust laws protecting civil rights in the nation, Douglas says the Bane Act no longer serves as an effective check against police brutality.

It no longer alerts municipalities of harmful policing practices, gives innocent victims of police brutality an effective civil recourse for justice and accountability or holds police accountable to act in good faith, he said.

In California, racial or ethnic minorities account for 3 out 4 people killed by police. And, over the last decade over 1,100 Californians were killed by police officers, according to California Department of Justice data. In 2017 alone, 172 Californians died as a result of police use of force.

The amendments to SB 2 include: strengthening the Bane Act by stripping some of the procedural barriers that afford police officers immunity; changing the composition of the public safety advisory boards to include another member of the public and removing a law enforcement officer; allowing the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to retroactively review certain misconduct related to deadly use of force, sexual assault, or dishonesty for the purpose of decertification.

“The legal standard in California should be that no one — not even police officers — has immunity from the consequences of violating someone’s civil rights,” Douglas said during the virtual news conference. “Bad court rulings have given police a blank check for misconduct without consequence. As long as we are unable to hold officers accountable, our communities will continue to suffer from no recourse to justice. SB 2 will finally end immunity for officer misconduct, and it will ensure officers who use illegal force can’t re-offend.”

SB 2 is sponsored by a coalition of community organizations including Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, ACLU of California, Anti-Police-Terror Project, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, California Families United 4 Justice, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, PolicyLink, STOP Coalition, and Youth Justice Coalition.

“California is a national leader in many efforts, but in this one, we are dangerously behind the curve,” Bradford said. “Californians are urging us to pass meaningful and systemic reform that will improve the relationship between police and the communities they serve for generations to come. Like so many people in our state, I look forward to working with Pro Tem Atkins, our co-authors, and all stakeholders to have this bill signed into law.