By Eric Tucker, Matthew Lee and Zeke Miller

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a high-profile prisoner exchange, as the U.S. released notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout but failed to win freedom for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.

The deal, the second in eight months amid tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, secured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad and achieved a top policy goal for President Joe Biden. But it carried what U.S. officials described as a heavy price.

“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” Biden said from the White House, where he was accompanied by Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and administration officials.

Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and subsequent transfer to a penal colony. Griner, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there last February for bringing less than a gram of cannabis oil in vape cartridges into the country.

Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star, whose arrest in February made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout had been flown home.

Biden spoke with Griner who was at an airport in Abu-Dhabi after she was greeted by U.S. officials. She was expected to be back in the U.S. within 24 hours, Biden said. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling but declined to go into specifics citing privacy concerns.

Both Russian and U.S. officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations, with Biden saying in November that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were completed. A top Russian official said last week that a deal was possible before year’s end.

Even so, the fact that the deal was a one-for-one swap was a surprise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their their determination to bring home both Griner and Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.

“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said. “We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release.”

U.S. officials said they did not see an immediate path to bringing about Whelan’s release, saying Russia has treated his case differently because of the “sham espionage” charges against him. Still, they said they believe communications channels with the Russians remain open for negotiations for his freedom to continue — though it was not yet clear what cost would need to be paid to secure it.

“We didn’t want to lose the opportunity today to secure the release of one of them,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Whelan’s brother David said in a statement he was “ so glad” for Griner’s release but also disappointed for his family. He credited the White House with giving the Whelan family advance notice and said he did not fault officials for making the deal.

“The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen,” he said.

In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.

Bout, whose deeds were featured in a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans. Biden issued an executive grant of clemency to free the arms dealer from a federal prison in Illinois to effect the prisoner swap.

The exchange was carried out despite deteriorating relations between the powers prompted by Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Over the summer, the imprisonment of Americans produced a rare diplomatic opening, yielding the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow — a phone call between Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — in more than five months.

In an extraordinary move during otherwise secret negotiations, Blinken revealed publicly in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia for Griner and Whelan. Though he did not specify the terms, people familiar with it said the U.S. had offered Bout.

Such a public overture drew a chiding rebuke from the Russians, who said they preferred to resolve such cases in private, and carried the risk of weakening the U.S. government’s negotiating hand for this and future deals by making the administration appear too desperate. But the announcement was also meant to communicate to the public that Biden was doing what he could and to ensure pressure on the Russians.

Besides the efforts of U.S. officials, the release also followed months of back channel negotiations involving Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage talks, and his top deputy, Mickey Bergman.

Griner was arrested at the Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty in July, though still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said their presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing.

Before being sentenced on Aug. 4 and receiving a punishment her lawyers said was out of line for the offense, an emotional Griner apologized “for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them.” She added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”

Her supporters had largely stayed quiet for weeks after her arrest, but that approach changed in May once the State Department designated her as unlawfully detained. A separate trade, Marine veteran Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot convicted in the U.S. in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, spurred hope that additional such exchanges could be in the works.

Whelan has been held in Russia since December 2018. The U.S. government also classified him as wrongfully detained. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.

Whelan was not included in the Reed prisoner swap, escalating pressure on the Biden administration to ensure that any deal that brought home Griner also included him.

Inland Valley News coverage of local news in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers across California.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Civil rights attorney Pamela Price made history when she was elected Alameda County’s first African American District Attorney (D.A.).

Price joins two other Black women, Contra Costa County D.A. Diana Becton and San Francisco D.A. Brooke Jenkins holding the same office in their Bay Area counties.

Price is the fifth Black woman to be elected District Attorney in California. Former D.A.’s on the list are Vice President Kamala Harris who was San Francisco’s D.A. from 2004 to 2010 and Jackie Lacey who was Los Angeles County D.A. for two terms from 2012 to 2020. She lost a bid for a third term.

“We knew this election was going to be an exclamation point in history for Alameda County,” Price said in a written statement. “The D.A.’s office has been an untouched tower of legacy appointed and unchallenged District Attorneys. For the last ten years, the D.A.’s office has stood in the way of the progressive reforms ushered in by our California legislature and endorsed by Alameda County voters.”

Price defeated another Black candidate, Terry Wiley, a 32-year veteran of the Alameda D.A.’s office and its third-highest ranking member as a chief deputy D.A.

The California Legislative Black Caucus submitted Becton’s and Wiley’s names as possible replacements for the state’s Attorney General position when Xavier Becerra resigned to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services in Pres. Joe Biden’s administration.

“I congratulate Pamela Price on becoming Alameda County’s first-ever African American district attorney,” Wiley said after conceding to Price. “I look forward to working with Pamela in her transition to district attorney.”

Price is a product of the Ohio juvenile justice and foster care systems. She graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1978 and from U.C. Berkeley School of Law earning a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Arts degree in Jurisprudence and Social Policy in 1982. She was admitted to the California bar in 1983.

Price is proposing to take a progressive approach to dealing with the criminal justice system. She intends to end racial disparity in prosecutions, terminate mass incarceration of Black and Brown people, and ban the practice of charging youth as adults.

“My administration will begin an era of change that ultimately will make us stronger and safer,” Price said in a Nov. 18 Twitter post.

In 2017, Becton became the 25th D.A. for Contra Costa County after being appointed by the Board of Supervisors. She was elected D.A. in June 2018 and re-elected in June 2022. Before her appointment Becton was a judge in Contra Costa County for 22 years, where she was elected as Presiding Judge.

In April 2021, Becton charged white Danville police officer and sheriff’s deputy Andrew Hall for an on-duty killing. Hall was convicted by a jury for assault with a firearm, deadlocking on a charge of voluntary manslaughter. He is serving six years in prison for shooting a mentally ill man during a slow-car chase.

“(We) must continue to hold anyone who harms communities accountable – even if they are in elected office or wear a badge – because that is what real safety demands,” Becton said in a written statement in June 2022.

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed appointed Jenkins to replace the former D.A. Chesa Boudin following the recall election on June 7, 2022. Jenkins campaigned for the D.A. position decided on Nov. 8 and defeated former police commissioner John Hamasaki on a ranked-choice voting system.

Jenkins served as an Assistant DA in the San Francisco DA’s Office from 2014 to 2021, where she worked her way up, serving in the Misdemeanor and Felonies Units before working as the office’s Hate Crimes Prosecutor. She was later promoted to the Sexual Assault Unit and eventually the Homicide Unit.

Jenkins resigned from the San Francisco DA’s Office in October 2021, because she disagreed with Boudin’s lenient policies.

Jenkins said after her appointment in June that she would “do everything” in her power to navigate a progressive platform of reform while instituting a strict policy of accountability and reform. After the election, she doubled down on her office’s objectives.

“Together, we proved that San Franciscans want accountability and smart reforms in and for our criminal justice system,” Jenkins stated in a Nov. 9 Twitter post. “Together, we proved that we will lead with our city’s progressive values and advance public safety in all of its forms.”

By Alton Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

In November, Associate Justice Kelli Evans became the third Black Associate Justice on the California Supreme Court. Black justices now make up half of the Associate Justices on the state’s High Court.

The state Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. It reviews decisions by the six state Courts of Appeal, decisions by the Public Utilities Commission, and cases that result in a death sentence.

Evans, 54, is the first openly lesbian female Justice to serve on the bench of the court. She was nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom in August and approved this month after a unanimous vote by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

“Throughout her career, Judge Evans has been widely recognized for her intellectual curiosity, diligence, work ethic, humility, and integrity,” the commission’s report reads.

“From all this, the commission concluded that Judge Evans will make an outstanding Associate Justice and found her to be well qualified for the California Supreme Court,” the report continues.

Evans is a graduate of Stanford University and UC Davis Law School. She is a former ACLU staff attorney, worked as a senior trial attorney in the US Dept of Justice Civil Rights Division and represented clients in civil rights litigation at the law firm Relmen & Associates. In addition, she worked in the California Attorney General’s office, for the State Bar of California, and was Newsom’s chief deputy legal affairs secretary before becoming an Alameda County Superior Court judge.

Anthony Rendon (D-Lakeside), Speaker of the California State Assembly, called Evans’ approval “excellent news for California’s Supreme Court” in a Tweet.

During a conversation with Newsom in a video posted by Newsom’s office, Evans spoke about her 28-year career.

“I’ve been really privileged to have an incredibly diverse and rewarding legal career, having had the opportunity to impact people’s lives for the better,” Evans said.

Newsom praised Evans’ appointment by tweeting, “Judge Kelli Evans has dedicated her life to promoting equality and justice through her work. Her broad experience in law and policy will serve her well as an Associate Justice on California’s Supreme Court.”

Evans is joining two Black colleagues already on the court – Associate Justice Leondra R. Kruger and Associate Justice Martin J. Jenkins.

Associate Justice Leondra R. Kruger, 46, was nominated by Gov. Jerry Brown and confirmed and sworn in on January 5, 2015. She was the second Black woman to be appointed to the California Supreme Court.

Kruger, a native of Southern California, was born in Glendale and raised in Pasadena.

Kruger attended Harvard College before attending Yale Law School and asserts that “My approach reflects the fact that we operate in a system of precedent,” she said in a 2018 Los Angeles Times interview.

“I aim to perform my job in a way that enhances the predictability and stability of the law and public confidence and trust in the work of the courts,” she continued.

From 2007 to 2013, Kruger worked in the US Department of Justice as an Assistant to the Solicitor General and as Acting Deputy Solicitor General. While there, she argued 12 cases before the United States Supreme Court representing the federal government.

In private practice, Kruger specialized in appellate and Supreme Court litigation. This year, she was on the short list to be appointed to the US Supreme Court by Pres. Joe Biden to replace Justice Stephen Breyer when he retired.

Associate Justice Martin J. Jenkins, 69, was the first openly gay California Supreme Court Justice.

Jenkins earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Santa Clara University. Before entering the University of San Francisco (USF) Law school, he played football for the Seattle Seahawks.

Justice Jenkins previously served as a trial judge on the Oakland Municipal and Alameda County Superior Courts. He was a federal district judge for the Northern District of California appointed by President William J. Clinton in 1997. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him to the California Court of Appeals. Preceding his appointment to the Supreme Court he was Senior Judicial Appointments Advisor to Newsom.

“Justice Jenkins is widely respected among lawyers and jurists, active in his Oakland community and his faith, and is a decent man to his core,” Newsom stated when he announced Jenkins’s confirmation. “As a critical member of my senior leadership team, I’ve seen firsthand that Justice Jenkins possesses brilliance and humility in equal measure. The people of California could not ask for a better jurist or kinder person to take on this important responsibility.”

Jenkins was unanimously confirmed to the Supreme Court on Nov. 10, 2020.

At his confirmation, when asked by the Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye why he wanted to serve on the Supreme Court, Jenkins said, “I felt I could do good work, that I had a voice to add to the discussion that might be absent, not better, just different and ultimately being a man of faith, I felt this was a calling and never once have I refused the call of service.”

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? | California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom has not yet endorsed a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, but former President Barack Obama did 10 days before the General Election on Nov. 8.

Citing her “proven leadership, integrity, and record of getting things done,” Obama’s endorsement of Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-13) for mayor of Los Angeles can be seen on a video released by her campaign.

Bass was an early supporter of Obama’s presidential run and campaigned for him in 2007.

“I am asking Los Angeles to vote for Karen Bass for mayor. I know Karen. She was with me in supporting my campaign from the beginning, and Karen Bass will deliver results,” Obama stated when making his endorsement official. “Make no mistake, there is only one proven pro-choice Democrat in this race. Karen has always been on the right side of the issues we care so deeply about.”

President Obama’s support of Bass follows endorsements from President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Alex Padilla, Sen. Bernie Sanders and more than 250 other endorsements from community leaders, labor unions and elected officials since the June primary.

Bass is the only candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party and Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project Los Angeles County Action Fund. Her leadership has also earned her the endorsements of the Los Angeles Times and La Opinión.

“I am humbled and honored to have the support of President Barack Obama,” Bass said in a letter. “President Obama brought us faith in our government and hope for the future of our country. It is impossible to overstate the impact of his work leading this country for eight scandal-free years advancing social and economic justice in the nation and the world.”

While Gov. Newsom has yet to endorse a candidate running for mayor of Los Angeles, he has endorsed other state and local Democrats running for office.

Statewide, Newsom is endorsing Dr. Shirley Weber, California’s first Black Secretary of State. In a local Los Angeles race, he is endorsing Black educator and community organizer Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) who is running for State Senate District 28 against fellow Democrat and Black civil rights attorney Cheryl C. Turner.

Bass is in a tight race with billionaire and Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso.

Responding to a question on Fox 11’s “The Issue Is” show, Newsom said “I have deep respect for the both of them and have not gotten involved in this race.”

Newsom’s political advisers, a firm called Bearstar Strategies, are also chief consultants for the Caruso’s campaign.

In the 2018 gubernatorial primary, Bass endorsed former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa over Newsom. But, August 2021, Bass, members of the group calling itself Women Against the Recall (WAR), and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-37), held a news conference to openly support Newsom in the recall election held Sept. 14, 2021.

The Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC (BWOPA-PAC), California Black Women’s Collective PAC and Black women leaders throughout the state called out Gov. Newsom’s reluctance in declaring support for Bass.

“He stated that he supports Black Women, but his administration doesn’t demonstrate that he wants us at his decision-making table.  He selectively supports Black women candidates even when they have overwhelming support from the party leaders and our community like in the case of Congressmember Bass,” the coalition said in a “open letter” in October.

Bass is running to be the first Black woman mayor of the second-largest city in the country. She stated that “President Obama’s support underscores the contrast in this race and inspires” her campaign.  She has stated her plans are to solve homelessness, make the city of Los Angeles safer, and create affordable housing.

“She has devoted her life to serving her community, from working in the emergency room to saving California from a budget crisis to delivering relief during the COVID pandemic as a member of Congress,” Obama stated.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

The California Hawaii Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hosted elected officials, activists, organizers, faith leaders, and entertainers at its 35th Annual State Convention held in Los Angeles from Oct. 21 through Oct. 23.

Workshops and discussions were held that covered pressing issues confronting African American and other communities of color in California and Hawaii.

Activities included “Stop the Hate” and discrimination training, a Health Forum, a Reparations Townhall, an economic development panel discussion, workshops for youth and college-aged members, an environmental justice workshop and the Annual Gwen Moore Utilities Workshop.

The convention highlight was a fireside chat featuring Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin, NAACP California Hawaii President Rick Callender Esq., and the Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University Los Angeles, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, on Saturday night.

For the last two weeks, the LA city council has been embroiled in a scandal centered around the release of a recorded conversation involving former City Council President, Nury Martinez, and City Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo and former LA County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera made disparaging comments about several groups including Blacks, Mexicans, LGPTQIA+, as well as several individuals, including Bonin, who is White, and his adopted son Jacob, who is Black

“The attitude that they had of contempt and racism did not surprise me,” Bonin said.  “This was about the three of them holding power…They said, because I voted with Marqueece [Harris-Dawson], Curren [Price Jr.] and my other colleagues, I was the fourth Black member… They went after the organization that Karen Bass founded, The Community Coalition, which is based on a Black-Brown coalition. They went after KIWA, the Korean Immigrant Worker Association, which is based on multiracial collaboration. They were against the idea of people working together, their whole thing was about divide. Their whole thing was for them to win. Somebody else had to lose.”

Martinez and Herrera resigned within days after the meeting tape was leaked, but despite public outrage and pressure from across the political spectrum, including Pres. Joe Biden, Cedillo and De León are refusing to step down.

“One of the things that I think we should be actually calling for is the official censure of these offending council members, and we need to take away their pay,” said Callender.  “If they want to sit there, if they want to do something, they should do it without receiving any money… They refused to resign, refused to pay them… They took Mark Ridley-Thomas’ pay the exact same way.”

“We’re literally looking at every possible thing,” said Bonin. “There is no one on the council who wants them there.”

The President awards dinner honored the activism and achievements of high preforming members and NAACP branches. Honorees included D’Adrea Davie of Stockton, a real estate agent and advocate for building generational wealth, and Yusef Miller of San Diego, a leader of Racial Justice Coalition. Jeanette Ellis-Royston of Pomona, an appointee of the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, was also honored for her volunteer work. The Butte County, Hayward and San Francisco NAACP branches were honored for their advocacy and programming.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump gave the keynote address at a youth-focuseddinner Friday night. Crump has a national reputation as an advocate for social justice and is known for his representation of clients like the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Jacob Blake, and Daunte Wright. The Rev. Al Sharpton calls him “Black America’s Attorney General.”

The NAACP was founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country. The NAACP is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. There are over 2,200 units and branches across the nation with over 2 million activists. Its mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

More information about the NAACP California State Conference is available at www.CAHINAACP.org.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

Last week, a recording anonymously posted on the social media site Reddit rocked the Los Angeles City Council.  On the recording, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Hererra, City Council President Nury Martinez (District 6), and City Council members Kevin de León (District 14) and Gilbert Cedillo (District 1) can be heard discussing redistricting using crass terms and divisive, racist language.

Martinez, speaking about Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, said “F*** that guy, he’s with the Blacks.” She also used derogatory language to describe the 2-year-old Black adopted son of Councilmember Mike Bonin, who is White.

“This kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner, I’ll bring him right back,” Martinez said in the recording.

Since the recording of the October 2021 closed door meeting was leaked, leaders across the political and social spectrum, including Pres. Joe Biden and Sen. Alex Padilla have called for the resignation of all four people heard on the tape.

Herrera resigned on Monday. Martinez took a leave of absence on Tuesday, Oct. 11, before the regular scheduled City Council meeting, then resigned on Wednesday. De Leon and Cedillo appeared at the Tuesday meeting, but after drawing the ire of the agitated public, they withdrew from the chamber.

When the meeting finally started, one by one, members of the public, including Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), who was adopted, delivered impassioned speeches demanding the resignation of the three councilmembers.

The Council meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Friday were cancelled because protesters have promised to return to disrupt proceedings until DeLeon and Cedillo resign.

On Friday, Assemblymember Bryan told California Black Media (CBM) “I’m inspired by the solidarity we’ve seen across communities, across race, class, geography and even political boundaries. We’ve got city elected officials, state elected officials, county elected officials all the way up to the Senator for California, Sen. Padilla and the President of the United States have not only chosen to engage in this conversation, but to call for justice in these resignations, call for accountability in his resignation.

“I’m inspired by that, and I think it shows a lot of potential for the future,” he continued. “But I’m also a little bit frustrated and still kind of healing from the fact that de Leon and Cedillo have refused to accept accountability, and the idea that they would show up to that council meeting [Tuesday] I think was a display of complete disregard for the people and a bit of arrogance quite frankly.”

Council member Bonin tested positive for COVID, so next week’s Tuesday and Wednesday meetings will be held in an online format.

Acting Council President Mitch O’Farrell’s (District 13) office said in a statement to CBM, “It would not be appropriate for Council members De Leónand Cedillo to attend regardless of the meeting format. Their failure to resign cannot indefinitely interfere with the council’s ability to conduct the people’s business. They need to do the right thing and resign.”

In addition to the outrage about the racist comments in the conversation, the release of the tapes has drawn scrutiny to the redistricting process itself.  California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Wednesday that the California Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Process.

“It seems like it’s way too political process here in the city of Los Angeles and it should be more independent and as Chair of the Assembly Elections Committee, it’s something that I want to look at, to see if there’s a role for the state to increase the fairness and the efficacy and the impartiality of this process,” Bryan told CBM.

A spokesperson for O’Farrell told CBM, “Councilmember O’Farrell has introduced a major charter reform measure, that would go before the voters, with the intention of expanding the number of city council districts, thereby increasing representation. If that were to pass, there would be an associated special redistricting that would need to take place.

On Tuesday’s Council agenda is an item about forming an independent redistricting commission for the city. O’Farrell is very eager to discuss and vote on this item.”

“De León’s and Cedillo’s refusal to resign is another deep wound they’re inflicting on us all. Let Los Angeles heal. Resign today,” Bonin tweeted.

City Councilmembers De León and Cedilla did not respond to CBM’s requests for comments.

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? | California Black Media

Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC (BWOPA-PAC), California Black Women’s Collective PAC and Black women leaders throughout the state are calling out Gov. Gavin Newsom for not endorsing Congressmember Karen Bass (D-CA-37) for Los Angeles Mayor.

The individuals and organizations said in a letter that they had “watched Governor Newsom issue his support to local and statewide candidates for this upcoming November general election,” but he has not indicated he would be supporting Bass.

“Black Women went all in to support Governor Newsom during the recall with Congressmember Bass leading the way.  We showed up and came out while other groups stayed home. We also led the charge to pull together our allies that rallied counterparts throughout California for Women Against the Recall.  And yet…we haven’t seen much change in his actions,” the Oct. 16 letter stated.

In August 2021, Bass, members of the group calling itself Women Against the Recall (WAR), and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-37), held a news conference to openly support Newsom in the recall election held Sept. 14, 2021.

Newsom survived the political action and many Black women in the state are asking him to acknowledge their assistance.

“He stated that he supports Black Women, but his administration doesn’t demonstrate that he wants us at his decision-making table.  He selectively supports Black women candidates even when they have overwhelming support from the party leaders and our community like in the case of Congressmember Bass,” the coalition stated.

Gov. Newsom has not endorsed any candidate running for mayor of Los Angeles in the November election, but he recently lent support to a Democrat running for State Senator.

On Oct. 8, Angelique Ashby announced in a written statement that Newsom endorsed her candidacy for State Senate District 8. Ashby currently represents Sacramento City Council District 1 and serves as Vice Mayor of the City of Sacramento.

“Angelique will be the first woman elected to the State Senate from the Sacramento region in more than two decades; she’ll bring years of experience advocating for women – especially their right to privacy, the ability to make their own healthcare decisions and the fundamental right to an abortion,” Newsom said in a statement released by Ashby. “We need Angelique’s energy, perspective, and results-driven leadership in the State Senate. Please join me in supporting her.”

Senate District 8 includes the cities of Sacramento and Elk Grove, and most of Sacramento County. She is facing former California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) for the seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento). Pan is leaving the office due to term limits.

“Governor Newsom has been on the frontlines of many righteous fights,” said Ashby. “I look forward to fighting alongside him in the Capitol. It is an honor to earn the support of someone who shares the same passion I have for serving our communities,” Ashby said.

Others who have endorsed Ashby include the California Democratic Legislative Women’s Caucus and State Senators Dr. Pan, Steve Glazer, Bob Hertzberg, Sydney Kamlager, and Susan Rubio. On the Assembly side of the house, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Cristina Garcia, Blanca Rubio, and Jim Cooper are endorsing her.

Educator and community organizer Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) is a Black candidate running for Senate District 28 against fellow Democrat and Black civil rights attorney Cheryl C. Turner.

Smallwood-Cuevas says that, “Newsom has made his call on this race.” He is endorsing her.

But Newsom has been quiet on the Democrat versus Democrat Los Angeles mayoral race. Bass, who is running to be the first Black Woman Mayor of the second largest city in the country, was endorsed by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in an Aug. 2 joint statement.

Bass is facing billionaire and Republican-turned-Democrat Rick Caruso in a runoff election in November.

As the mayoral race gets closer to the election, some Bass supporters are baffled by Newsom’s reluctance to announce an endorsement in her favor.

A poll released by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) conducted in September had Bass ahead of Caruso 34% to 31%. Bass was leading her adversary by 12% during the summer.

The California Black Women’s Collective, Black Women Organized for Political Action, Los Angeles African American Women’s Political Action Committee, and allies inked an “open letter” stating their allegiance to U.S. Congressmember Karen Bass and all Black women.

The Black women’s groups released the letter of support after Bass’ Baldwin Vista home was broken into in mid-September. Two people have been arrested, but the incident raised concerns about Bass’ safety, they say.

“Black women are more likely to be victims of crimes than our female counterparts, according to The Status of Black Women in the United States report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research,” the open letter stated. “Protecting ourselves is a matter of survival. Yet, when we are the victim of crimes, our calls for help are often ignored and even questioned by those who are charged with protecting and serving the community.”

Considering their support for Newsom in the past, the Black women’s organizations stated in their letter that choosing Bass “should be an easy choice” for the governor. They also said that it is “unacceptable to ask for our support but then turn your back on us when it matters the most.”

“(Bass) has demonstrated that she is the best one who will focus on bringing the state’s largest city together and move it forward for everyone,” the letter stated. “Which side of history do you want to be on, Governor?”

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

The NAACP commissioned the leading millennial and minority-owned public opinion research company HIT Strategies to analyze Black voter engagement and explore trends and devise strategies to reach voters on the issues that they care about. They found that Black voters are far from being a monolith – though they have many similarities.

However, critical nuances contribute to creating diverging trends among Black voters, particularly when researchers factor in sex and age.

The 2020 election cycle had historic turnout among people of color. HIT Strategies found that 14% of Black voters, 31% of Latino voters, and 39% of Asian American or Pacific Islander voters were new voters. Joe Biden did worse with all three of these demographics than Hillary Clinton did in 2016, though he did significantly better with White seniors, White men, and White college-educated voters.

The Democratic Party had one of the most diverse tickets ever. Candidates of color like Stacy Abrams and Raphael Warnock are supported by significantly different coalitions from Joe Biden. They may not do as well with White voters, thus it is imperative to increase their support among Black voters to succeed, according to the report.

Gender Gap

The research showed that the “Trump Bump,” where Donald Trump’s support increased among Black men voters, affected down ballot elections as well.  Tom Tillis (R-NC), who beat Cal Cunningham by just 95,000 votes, would have lost if Black men were voting for Cunningham at the same rate as Black women.  Though the Trump bump is not unique among Black men, since polls find men are generally more conservative than women, it was unique because they voted Democratic during Barack Obama’s election. In order for Democrats to succeed, they will need to reach voting Black men at the same rate as former President Obama did.

Pain – Power – Progress

In 2020, among Black voters polled in Georgia, 73% said that they felt extremely powerful and 71% turned out to vote.  HIT Strategies determined there was a direct correlation between perceived political power and voter participation. Astonishingly, in 2022 this perception of power has dropped by almost 30%.  If this leads to an equivalent decline in Black voter participation, in any state, HIT Strategies believe that it is likely that the candidates at the top of the ticket are much less likely to succeed. From these results, the NAACP found that in order to increase political participation, they must make Black voters feel powerful, knowing that if they feel powerful that they will not waste that power.

Understanding that Black voters are not a monolith, the research group conducted a combination of high propensity surveys and low propensity focus groups in different battleground states where Black voters could be the margin of difference for a winning candidate.  The goal of the high propensity surveys was to see how voters’ views changed over time, while the focus groups allowed researchers to dive more into the nuances of people’s views.

They found that, consistent with other groups, Black voters were deeply concerned about the economy, probably driven by anxieties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The voters also expressed that they want solutions for gun violence – encompassing mass shootings and gang violence.

“They do not want a gun violence reaction that lends to further mass incarceration, but they do want to see more sophisticated reforms and more aggressive regulation, that is not just criminalizing those that are perpetrating this violence but preventing the violence from happening in the first place,” Terrance Woodburry, CEO and founder of HIT Strategies said.  “Just like the economy, they are not separating gun violence from racism.”

The Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade caused abortion access to surge as an issue, especially among Black voters under 50 years old. “There is no gender gap in support for abortion, it is constant across all young Black voters,” Woodbury said.

The Generational Gap

 HIT Strategies uncovered a potentially threatening generation gap as they conducted their research.

“Young Black voters are extremely cynical, extremely frustrated — not just with Democrats, not just with Republicans, not even just with politics,” Woodbury said. “They are cynical towards institutions that they feel like have failed them.”

“When Black voters were asked if their lives had improved since Joe Biden was elected, 73% said that their lives had not improved, including 21% who said that their lives had gotten worse.  When young Black voters were isolated, 28% said their lives had gotten worse. That’s where the erosion happens, both the erosion in turnout and the erosion of support for these candidates,” said Woodbury.

Though these same voters felt empowered in 2020, many of them don’t think that there has been enough progress.  The critical challenge in future elections is “activating those young people, keeping them engaged in the process and making them feel that their votes are powerful enough to make a difference,” Woodbury concluded.

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

The COVID-19 virus was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. To date, over 90 million cases have been recorded and more than 1 million Americans have died from the disease. After more than two years, COVID-19 doesn’t look like it’s going away.

President Joe Biden’s positive test last month for the disease illustrates that COVID-19’s transmissibility is an ongoing and persistent problem.

Biden, who was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid, isolated himself for 5 days and returned to work after testing negative. Then, a few days later, he tested positive again and went back into isolation until he tested negative about a week ago.

Because the President is vaccinated, he suffered mild symptoms. However, the rebound positivity he’s experienced shows more needs to be done to eliminate coronavirus.

While vaccines and past infections have enabled the U.S. population to develop what is described as substantial COVID-19 immunity and those who get sick have a number of effective treatments options, cases of people being infected with new mutations of COVID-19 continue to be reported.

Dr. Ben Neuman, professor of Biology and chief virologist of the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University, has studied the coronavirus and found that it’s constantly changing. That is a major reason people continue to be infected with the disease, he says.

During a recent Ethnic Media Services COVID-19 panel discussion with other medical scientists and researchers, Neuman said that people vaccinated against previous variations of the virus are not fully protected against the new variations. According to him, immunity to the current versions of the virus depends on how recently someone had been vaccinated.

“We are still vaccinating against the 2019 virus, and it is now late 2022. We have a problem……This is a virus that will continue changing,” he said.

Infections caused by Omicron sub variants have been reported to be not as dangerous as ones caused by earlier coronavirus strains, but they appear to be more transmissible.

If Neuman’s predictions are correct, by the time a vaccine is developed to fight the BA.5 subvariant, which is currently responsible for 85.5 % of infections in the US, there will already be a new subvariant spreading the disease.

Neuman added that it is still important to protect yourself with masks and by washing your hands. While he has been vaccinated, he recently tested positive for the coronavirus while after being on an airline and failing to adhere to proper masking protocol.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, who specializes in treating infectious diseases, stressed the importance of continuing to follow preventative measures when he spoke during the panel discussion.

Chin-Hong pointed out that one problem with implementing a mask mandate is political will. He cited the example of Los Angeles County, which recently considered reintroducing a mask mandate because of rising infection numbers, but cancelled implementation when cases declined. Had the mandate been
imposed, the County sheriff said they would not enforce it which would have been problematic.

Unfortunately, the mask issue has become a political problem and few politicians want to take it on and risk the wrath of voters.

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville discussed how prevalent the disease is and how strict adherence to preventative measures does not assure protection against mutations of the coronavirus.

Schaffner and his wife tested positive despite being fully vaccinated and were treated with Paxlovid and, unlike Biden, they did not experience a rebound occurrence of the virus.

Chin-Hong said the pandemic will eventually end. But that will only happen when we create the conditions where there are no new host bodies to develop variations of the coronavirus.

Currently, about 400 people are dying every day from COVID-19. That averages out to more than 100,000 deaths every year.

“Right now, we have too many deaths,” he said. “We shouldn’t accept that.”

Chin-Hong also predicted that in the future we might see an annual COVID-19 shot to ward off the disease.

Schaffner agreed and said that we should learn to manage the disease with vaccinations, medications and preventive measures.

“COVID will be with us for the foreseeable future,” he said.

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

The COVID-19 virus was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. To date, over 90 million cases have been recorded and more than 1 million Americans have died from the disease. After more than two years, COVID-19 doesn’t look like it’s going away.

President Joe Biden’s positive test last month for the disease illustrates that COVID-19’s transmissibility is an ongoing and persistent problem.

Biden, who was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid, isolated himself for 5 days and returned to work after testing negative. Then, a few days later, he tested positive again and went back into isolation until he tested negative about a week ago.

Because the President is vaccinated, he suffered mild symptoms. However, the rebound positivity he’s experienced shows more needs to be done to eliminate coronavirus.

While vaccines and past infections have enabled the U.S. population to develop what is described as substantial COVID-19 immunity and those who get sick have a number of effective treatments options, cases of people being infected with new mutations of COVID-19 continue to be reported.

Dr. Ben Neuman, professor of Biology and chief virologist of the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University, has studied the coronavirus and found that it’s constantly changing. That is a major reason people continue to be infected with the disease, he says.

During a recent Ethnic Media Services COVID-19 panel discussion with other medical scientists and researchers, Neuman said that people vaccinated against previous variations of the virus are not fully protected against the new variations. According to him, immunity to the current versions of the virus depends on how recently someone had been vaccinated.

“We are still vaccinating against the 2019 virus, and it is now late 2022. We have a problem……This is a virus that will continue changing,” he said.

Infections caused by Omicron sub variants have been reported to be not as dangerous as ones caused by earlier coronavirus strains, but they appear to be more transmissible.

If Neuman’s predictions are correct, by the time a vaccine is developed to fight the BA.5 subvariant, which is currently responsible for 85.5 % of infections in the US, there will already be a new subvariant spreading the disease.

Neuman added that it is still important to protect yourself with masks and by washing your hands. While he has been vaccinated, he recently tested positive for the coronavirus while after being on an airline and failing to adhere to proper masking protocol.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, who specializes in treating infectious diseases, stressed the importance of continuing to follow preventative measures when he spoke during the panel discussion.

Chin-Hong pointed out that one problem with implementing a mask mandate is political will. He cited the example of Los Angeles County, which recently considered reintroducing a mask mandate because of rising infection numbers, but cancelled implementation when cases declined. Had the mandate been
imposed, the County sheriff said they would not enforce it which would have been problematic.

Unfortunately, the mask issue has become a political problem and few politicians want to take it on and risk the wrath of voters.

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville discussed how prevalent the disease is and how strict adherence to preventative measures does not assure protection against mutations of the coronavirus.

Schaffner and his wife tested positive despite being fully vaccinated and were treated with Paxlovid and, unlike Biden, they did not experience a rebound occurrence of the virus.

Chin-Hong said the pandemic will eventually end. But that will only happen when we create the conditions where there are no new host bodies to develop variations of the coronavirus.

Currently, about 400 people are dying every day from COVID-19. That averages out to more than 100,000 deaths every year.

“Right now, we have too many deaths,” he said. “We shouldn’t accept that.”

Chin-Hong also predicted that in the future we might see an annual COVID-19 shot to ward off the disease.

Schaffner agreed and said that we should learn to manage the disease with vaccinations, medications and preventive measures.

“COVID will be with us for the foreseeable future,” he said.