Ahead of June Jobs Report, Congressman James Clyburn (SC) and Economists Highlight Long-Term Impact of Pandemic on Jobs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2020

Contact:
Kirsten Allen: (510) 913-1837

*For Planning Purposes Only*
Ahead of June Jobs Report, Clyburn and Economists Highlight Long-Term Impact of Pandemic on Jobs


Washington, D.C. (June 30, 2020) — Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at 2:30 p.m., Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, and three renowned economists will hold a press call to discuss the forthcoming jobs report and the need for strong federal action to address the ongoing jobs crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Chairman Clyburn will also address the Trump Administration’s unsupported assertions about the economy and its refusal, despite four decades of bipartisan precedent, to provide Congress with basic economic projections.

On June 18, Chairman Clyburn sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Acting Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Tomas Philipson, and Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought, demanding the release of key unemployment and economic projections to help Congress seek solutions to help struggling Americans and prevent further economic damage.

At a Select Subcommittee hearing the same day, witnesses testified that economic recovery will not happen until the federal government enacts a comprehensive plan to contain the pandemic and open the economy in a safe, sustainable way. They also testified that the failure to continue federal support for the unemployed over the next several months would cause even more harm to our nation’s economy.

WHAT:

Press Call on the Unemployment Crisis

WHEN:

2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 1, 2020

WHO:

Rep. James E. Clyburn
Chairman, Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis

William E. Spriggs, PhD
Chief Economist, AFL-CIO
Professor, Howard University Department of Economics

Jason Furman, PhD
Professor, Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy, Harvard University

Wendy Edelberg, PhD
Director, The Hamilton Project, and Senior Fellow in Economic Studies
The Brookings Institution

RSVP:

Please RSVP to Kirsten.allen@mail.house.gov. Conference line will be provided upon RSVP.

My Mother's last breath was taken Ten(10) Years Ago this week on June 23, 2010

Mom with Dad wedding photo 1958

Hi Mom. It's been Ten (10) years this week since you took your last breath on Earth - June 23rd, 2010.

Your prized Grandchildren are doing fine, and you now have 4 new Great-Grandchildren since you departed.

I am doing fine in Maryland, and strongly feel I made the right decision to come here for Me and the Generations to follow. I know you and Family in LA questioned the move, but it was best with more opportunities for all. Family questioned you leaving Chicago with me when I was 5 years old, but it worked out too.

I miss you waaaaaay tooo much!


Mom with Dad and their Parents at wedding in 1958

Say hello to all my Grandparents for me. You all looked good in your wedding photos here. Your sister, Maiden of honor, my Aunt Barbara is with you now - transitioning last year in June also. I am sure you two are talking Chicago politics. Make sure she gets acclimated in heaven.

I miss your voice evenings.

Thank you for your unconditional love, investing in me, and showing me the ropes for survival. Rest in Heaven.

Love you always...from your oldest son Kirk.

Stacey Abrams "Our Time is Now"

Interview with Stacey Abrams by Andrea Mitchell

Video by Commonwealth Club and MSNBC

Since narrowly losing Georgia’s closest gubernatorial race in more than 50 years, Stacey Abrams has been on a crusade to ensure voting access to everyone in America. A recognized expert on fair voting and civic engagement, Abrams provides a chilling account of how the right to vote and the principle of democracy have been and continue to be under attack.

In her new book, Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America, Abrams offers her blueprint to end voter suppression, empower citizens and ensure the most popular candidates win. The book also makes a compelling argument for the importance of robust voter protections, an elevation of identity politics, engagement in the census and a return to moral international leadership.

Join us for a discussion with one of the Democratic Party’s most popular leaders as she discusses the path ahead and the work she believes needs to be done to ensure a better America for all.

Speakers:

Stacey Abrams
Founder, Fair Fight Action and Fair Fight 2020; Author, Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America; Twitter @staceyabrams

In Conversation with Dan Pfeiffer
Co Host, “Pod Save America”; Twitter@danpfeiffer

Reach Media’s D.L. Hughley Passes Out On Stage, Tests Positive For COVID-19

Story by Inside Radio
Photo left: DL Hughley

Reach Media syndicated host and comedian D.L. Hughley, who collapsed while on stage at a Nashville comedy club over the weekend, says he has tested positive for COVID-19.

News outlets broadcast a fan-shot video of Hughley slumping while sitting on a stool as his manager rushed to catch him just as he started falling toward the floor.

Hughley’s publicist said the 57-year-old was suffering from exhaustion and had been travelling during the week. Hughley took to Twitter to tell fans of his positive diagnosis, after not suffering any of the symptoms that have been commonly associated with the illness.

“I was what they call asymptomatic,” Hughley said in the post. “I didn't have flu-like symptoms, I didn't have shortness of breath, I didn't have difficulty breathing, I didn't have a cough, I didn't have a low-grade fever. I still don't have a fever. I didn't have a loss of smell or taste, apparently, I just lost consciousness… So, in addition to all the other stuff you have to look out for if you pass out in the middle of a show, onstage, you probably need to get tested.”

After being discharged from the hospital, Hughley said he would self-quarantine in his Nashville hospital. Hughley hosts a nationally-syndicated afternoon program for Reach Media. It’s unclear whether he will continue with the program during the 14-day quarantine.

Singer Stevie Wonder Speaks on Juneteenth and Voting Suppression

Stevie Wonder: "The Universe is watching Us."

Edison: Share Of Radio Listening Taking Place Online Hit 10% In May.

Story by Inside Radio

The percentage of AM/FM radio listening taking place online hit double digits for the first time in May 2020, amidst disruptions to media consumption caused by COVID-19. According to the latest Share of Ear update from Edison Research, 10% of AM/FM radio listening among Americans aged 13+ came from streams last month while 90% occurred on a traditional radio receiver.

The average for 2020 in total so far is 9% of listening to AM/FM audio sources coming from streams.

Edison has been tracking the split between over the air and online radio listening since it debuted the Share Of Ear report in 2014. The data shows the portion gradually creeping up from just 5% of listening in 2014 to 7% in 2015, before hitting 8% in 2017 and staying there for three years until reaching 9% this year.

“Adoption of radio station streams continues to be slow,” said Laura Ivey, Director of Research at Edison Research. “While it remains an area of opportunity for broadcasters, to date most people in the U.S. listen over the air when they are listening to AM/FM radio content.”

The numbers combine music and spoken-word listening. Edison’s quarterly Share Of Ear reports show “listening via streaming is higher for spoken-word radio stations such as news, public radio, talk and sports,” said Ivey, “while listening via streaming is lower for music radio stations.”

As Inside Radio reported Friday, AM/FM radio remains the nation’s leading audio platform with a 43% share of time spent with audio among persons 18+, despite the coronavirus. The latest report shows AM/FM radio is 11 times bigger than ad-supported Pandora, which grabbed a 4% share of ear, and 22 times larger than ad-supported Spotify (3%).

Comedian Dave Chappelle's Wisdom (Rare Footage)

United States Senator Ben Cardin (MD.) Statement on Increased Transparency in Paycheck Protection Program

For Immediate Release:
June 20, 2020

Contact:
Fabion Seaton (202) 880-4217

Cardin Statement on Increased Transparency in Paycheck Protection Program

(Washington, D.C.)—U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of the Treasury announced that SBA will begin to disclose data on the recipients of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans:

“From the beginning of this economic crisis, Congress has been working to ensure that the implementation of PPP meets the standard of transparency the American people deserve. I am pleased that the Trump Administration reversed course from its initial refusal to disclose this data following calls for transparency from me, Chairman Rubio, and our Democratic and Republican colleagues. As Congress begins to consider the best way to continue supporting small businesses in the weeks and months to come, this data will help ensure that we are able to get capital as quickly as possible to the small businesses that need it most.”

On April 17, Cardin and Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), and Ron Wyden (Ore.) sent a letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urging the officials to provide American taxpayers with data on how small business relief funds are being distributed.

On May 5, Senate Republicans blocked legislation introduced by Cardin, Shaheen, Schumer and Democratic Senators Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), and Jack Reed (R.I.) that would require SBA to provide Congress and the public with timely, detailed data on the agency’s COVID-19 small business relief programs.

On June 12, Cardin criticized the Administration’s refusal to provide any data on who is receiving PPP loans to Congress or the public.

Conscious Music

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come


Curtis Mayfield - We're A Winner


Nina Simone - Baltimore


Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces of a Man


James Brown - Say it loud I'm Black and I'm Proud


Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit


Donny Hathaway - The Ghetto


The Impressions - Choice of Colors


Jay-Z - Story of OJ


Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam


Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues


Gil Scott-Heron - We Almost Lost Detroit


Isleys - Freedom


Les McCann & Eddie Harris - Compared to What


Curtis Mayfield - Keep on Pushing


Bill Withers - I can't write left-handed


Gil Scott-Heron - H2O Watergate Blues

Don Morgan’s Brigade Sailaway: An Urban One Stock Shed

Story by RBR.com
Written by Adam Jacobson

In a major move by one of the nation’s key hedge funds with investments in publicly traded radio companies, Brigade Capital Management‘s Cayman Islands-based leveraged capital structures fund has sold off all of its shares in the nation’s foremost media entity superserving African American consumers.

The result? Urban One’s Class A and Class D shares each experienced explosive growth in Monday’s trading on Wall Street.

According to SEC filings made public Monday (6/15), Brigade — led by Donald E. Morgan III — on June 11 disposed of some 3,938,161 Class D shares in Urban One.

Those are the shares traded under the “UONEK” symbol, and not the Class A “UONE” shares which on Monday were exploding in value (see below for more).

The sale price was $0.762 per share, the documents reveal. It’s a $3,000,879 payout for Brigade.

With the transaction, Brigade has liquidated all of its shares held in the parent of Radio One, TVOne, Cleo and the national radio arm Reach Media, in addition to the owner of the MGM National Harbor Resort & Casino outside of Washington, D.C.

Brigade’s stake in Urban One was significant. By comparison, Dimension Fund Advisors LP at the end of 2019 reported beneficial ownership of 2,226,721 Class D shares, representing 5.76% percent of shares in that class.

The sale of Brigade’s shares in Urban One follows two smaller dispositions seen in May. On May 8, some 800 shares were sold at a price of $0.793 per share. Then, on May 11, some 4,260 shares were sold, at a price of $0.809 per share.

At present, Renaissance Technologies LLC is the top shareholder of Urban One’s Class A shares, representing a 5.92% stake in the company. With respect to mutual funds, the biggest holder by far of UONE shares — representing a 42.97% stake in the company — is the Zazove Convertible Securities Fund.

Along with BlackRock and Vanguard Group, these were the main institutional investors in Urban One.

Why did Brigade sell its stake in Urban One? That’s not immediately clear. RBR+TVBR did not immediately hear from CFO Peter Thompson after sending him a request for comment via e-mail.

BEHIND BRIGADE

Brigade Capital Management specializes in credit investment strategies and was founded in 2006 by Morgan. “The firm employs a multi-strategy, multi-asset class investment approach to credit investing, focused on companies with leveraged balance sheets,” it explains on its website.

These companies of late have included Cumulus Media. As RBR+TVBR reported in July 2018, Brigade engaged in a rapid acquisition of Cumulus shares before becoming a full-fledged member of the “Ad-Hoc Cross-Holder Committee” — the group comprised of holders of $2.025 million in term loans and 7.75% senior notes due May 2019 that objected to Cumulus’ restructuring plan.

As of February 2020, Brigade’s stake in Cumulus comprised 1,977,012 shares, representing 12.7% of the company’s stock. It had been the No. 2 holder of shares as of Sept. 29, 2019, with 15.21% of the company’s stock, or 2,366,939 shares.

Then, there is iHeartMedia, the nation’s No. 1 owner of radio stations.

The largest stake in iHeartMedia is held by Brigade Capital, which on June 8 filed a Form SC 13G with the SEC noting it holds 5.01% of Class A iHeart shares.

This gives Brigade shared dispositive power of 3,009,259 shares.

Brigade on September 30, 2019 reported holding $20.5 million worth of IHRT stock.

THE POST-BRIGADE SHARE SURGE

With word of Brigade’s sell-off of Urban One shares, both UONE and UONEK took off like a rocket on the Nasdaq GlobalSelect exchange. As of 2:45pm Eastern, UONEK was at $1.17, up 33% from Friday and at its highest value since March 20.

Volume was impacted by the Brigade sale, with others clamoring for shares.

For the Class A Urban One stock, activity was so brisk that it was nearly impossible to provide a fixed price as of 2:49pm Eastern. That said, shares were up between an incredible 183%-190% from Friday.

At Monday’s Closing Bell, UONE was up 255.4%, to $6.54.

Volume was at an astonishing 24.36 million shares.

And, this was down from a price of $6.66 seen at 11:44pm, with shares taking off just 30 minutes beforehand.

The Closing Bell value is historic, as it has not been since July 2007 that UONE had such a high value (it was previously under a different ticker symbol, as the company was known as Radio One).

As RBR+TVBR went to press, two Wall Street observers took notice of Urban One’s meteoric rise. While indirectly noted, the Black Lives Matter movement could result in economic benefits for Urban One, as advertisers gain motivation to use its media platforms to reach African American consumers.

Dave Chappelle Releases New Special Called 8:46 to Commemorate George Floyd

Story by TV Guide
Written by Amanda Bell

Dave Chappelle dropped a new stand-up special on Netflix's YouTube channel on Friday called 8:46. The name is to commemorate George Floyd, a black man who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. His death has been a centerpiece of worldwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against racism and white supremacy.

While there are some comedic moments in the mini-special, which was filmed in Beavercreek, Ohio, using social distancing measures and masks provided to the live audience, Chappelle did not mince words when he talked about the pervasiveness of violence against Black Americans. "We're not desperate for heroes in the Black community," Chappelle said, discussing Floyd and other Black victims of police brutality, including Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and Philando Castile. He also mentioned John Crawford, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Beavercreek in 2014. "[Anyone] that survives this nightmare is my goddamn hero."

Chappelle, who encourages viewers to support the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit organization that is working to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality, also explained he has been purposefully absent amid the protests out of respect for the power of the protesters.

"I want to shout-out all the young people who have had the courage to go out and do all of this amazing work protesting. I am very proud of you. You kids are excellent drivers, and I am comfortable in the backseat of the car," Chappelle said, later adding, "Ask me, do you want to see a celebrity right now? Do we give a f--- what Ja Rule thinks? Does it matter about celebrities? No, this is the streets talking for themselves. They don't need me right now."

However, Chappelle said he didn't want his silence to be seen as complicity and thus detailed his thoughts about what happened to Floyd. Mentioning that he once feared for his life during an earthquake that lasted less than a minute, he contrasted that with the terror Floyd must have experienced throughout that fateful 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

"This man kneeled on a man's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Can you imagine that? This kid thought he was going to die, he knew he was going to die. He called for his mother. He called for his dead mother," Chappelle said. "When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die. People watched it. People filmed it. And for some reason, that I still don't understand, all these f---ing police had their hands in their pockets. Who are you talking to? What are you signifying? That you can kneel on a man's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and feel like you wouldn't get the wrath of God? That's what is happening right now. It's not for a single cop. It's for all of them. All of it."

Throughout the 27-minute special, Chappelle also spoke about his familial history with racial justice efforts, as his great-grandfather, William David Chappelle, who was born a slave, led a Black delegation to the White House to meet with President Woodrow Wilson after a lynching in South Carolina.

"These things are not old. This is not a long time ago. This is today," Chappelle said.

Black lives matter. Text DEMANDS to 55156 to sign Color of Change's petition to reform policing, and visit blacklivesmatters.carrd.co for more ways to donate, sign petitions, and protest safely.

Why So Many Blacks Will Never Believe the Palmdale and Victorville Hangings are Suicides

Story by Hutchinson Report
Written by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

The instant both Malcolm Harsch and Robert Fuller’s bodies were found hanging from trees in Victorville and Palmdale, California, many Blacks did not hesitate in calling their deaths, “a lynching.” There was not a shred of proof that either man met with foul play. Investigators unsurprisingly concluded that their deaths were suicides. Though the FBI and the California Attorney General, and local investigators vowed to continue to probe the causes off their deaths, there was little reason to think that the official verdict on how the men died would change; namely death at their own hands.

However, many African Americans, let alone the families of Fuller and Harsch, would never accept their official verdict of how they died, and with good reason. Fuller and Harsch died in two areas of Southern California that have been repeated targets of past probes by the FBI, Justice Department, and various local law enforcement agencies, not to mention countless complaints from Black residents in the area, of racially motivated hate crimes.

Several studies have found that the Antelope Valley where Fuller died had the highest overall rate of hate crimes for several years. The sheriff’s departments in both areas were tasked with the two hanging investigations. They have been the frequent targets of piles of complaints of misconduct, abuse, and excessive force by Blacks. Their badly tainted reputation made any finding they came up with about the cause of their deaths immediately suspect. Their quick ruling of suicide by both men seemed to fit the pattern of wanting to quickly close the books on deaths that that can only inflame racial doubts and suspicions.

But the far greater reason why many Blacks no matter how much evidence officials put forth to brand their deaths suicides will never believe it is the brutal and ugly history of lynching. According to official NAACP figures, between 1890 and 1960, 5,200 blacks were burned, shot, or mutilated by lynch mobs. The horrid death toll is almost certainly higher, since in many cases sheriffs and local officials didn’t deem the murders significant enough to report. This is not just past ancient history. In the past two decades there have been other cases where young Black males have been found in various parts of the country dangling from trees. In every case, their deaths have been ruled suicides. And in every case the same doubts and disbelief were raised about the cause of death and charges were made that they were lynch victims.

That’s not all. For more than a century of this gruesome business, despite repeated efforts by the NAACP and other civil rights organizations, local, state, and federal officials refused to lift a legislative finger to stop the killings.

Every president from Theodore Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy refused to draft or vigorously support a federal law to end lynching. Nearly every attorney general refused to push for indictments against public officials or law enforcement officers complicit in lynch murders. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover successfully manipulated Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Kennedy to steer the FBI away from direct investigation of lynching’s. The Department of Justice seldom forced Hoover to conduct such investigations.

Presidents, attorneys general, and federal officials wailed that their hands were tied, because it was the job of the states to prosecute the lynch murderers. But the states refused. Fewer than 1 percent of the murderers were ever tried in state courts. Rather than risk alienating politically powerful Southern state officials and jeopardizing votes and legislative support, the feds rationalized their hands-off policy toward lynching with a narrow and rigid interpretation of the federalist doctrine of separation of state and national power.

This was a face-saving political cop-out. In many cases a bevy of Southern sheriffs, mayors, and municipal and state officials openly aided and abetted the lynch mobs.

By contrast, the White House and Congress did not bat an eye in passing and enforcing legislation that widened the jurisdiction and broadened the power of the FBI and the Justice Department to prosecute crimes such as bank robbery, kidnapping, illegal weapons violations and carjacking. Congress and the White House made few claims that these laws violated states’ rights or infringed on the Constitution.

The often-legal blind eye states and the federal government have taken toward lynching is not part of America’s long, but by gone shameful past that has no relevance to the present. The official record still stands that despite the proclaimed national revulsion about America’s hideous lynch history, there is still no federal law on the books that makes lynching a federal hate crime. The Federal anti-lynching bill passed by the House remains tied up in the Senate with no clear time frame for eventual passage. Again, America has no official anti-lynching law on the federal books more than one hundred years after the first lynching’s were recorded.

So, does anyone then wonder why many Blacks will never ever believe that Fuller and Harsch killed themselves?

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is the author of Why Black Lives Do Matter (Middle Passage Press) He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network

Wednesday: House Judiciary Committee to Markup "Justice in Policing Act"

Wednesday: House Judiciary Committee to Markup Justice in Policing Act

Legislation supported by 227 Representatives, 36 Senators

**Media RSVP Required**

Stay informed and connected: Judiciary.House.Gov / @HouseJudiciary

MEDIA ADVISORY
CONTACTS: Shadawn Reddick-Smith, 202-225-3951
Daniel Schwarz, 202-225-5635

Washington, D.C. – On June 17, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET, the House Judiciary Committee will markup the Justice in Policing Act, the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, end racial profiling, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias to help save lives. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-CA), Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 on June 8, 2020. The legislation has 227 cosponsors in the House and 36 cosponsors in the Senate.

On June 10, 2020, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine the crisis of racial profiling, police brutality and lost trust between police departments and the communities they serve.

Date: June 17, 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m. ET

Location: Congressional Auditorium
U.S. Capitol Visitors Center
Washington, D.C.

Livestream: The markup will stream live: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVvv3JRCVQAl6ovogDum4hA

Media Guidance: Congressionally-credentialed members of the media wishing to attend the markup should RSVP to their respective gallery by 6 p.m. on June 16, 2020. Editorial presence will be limited due to social distancing requirements. Questions about coverage should be directed to respective congressional media galleries.

Daily print reporters should RSVP to dailypressgallery@mail.house.gov.
Periodical reporters should RSVP to Periodical.press@mail.house.gov.
Press photographers should RSVP to Press_photo@saa.senate.gov.

There is a mandatory TV pool. Contact the House Radio-TV Gallery 202-225-5214 or radiotv@mail.house.gov for additional details.

NOTE: The Committee on the Judiciary is following guidelines developed in consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician (OAP) and the House Sergeant at Arms. The OAP recommends all individuals maintain 6-foot social distance spacing as much as practicable when in the Capitol Complex. Additionally, on the advice of the OAP, the use of a face covering is recommended for all attendees of this proceeding. The general public will not be allowed to attend in person, however, the markup will be streamed live.

Background:

On June 2, 2020, Chair Bass and Chairman Nadler convened a briefing with national advocacy organizations for House Judiciary Committee Democratic Members and congressional staff. There were representatives from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Urban League, Obama Administration U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Center for Policing Equity. Nearly 100 participants, including Members of Congress, staff, and advocates, joined the virtual briefing.

On May 28, 2020, all House Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice to demand they investigate the prosecutors involved in the case of Ahmaud Arbery and open investigations into the police departments involved with the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. The letter is available here: https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2020-05-28_letter_to_ag_barr_and_aag_drieband_in_response_to_recent_murders_of_ahmaud_arbery_breonna_taylor_george_floyd.pdf?utm_campaign=2830-519

Federal law prohibits any governmental authority from engaging in a “pattern or practice” of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives persons of their constitutional rights. This federal statute also authorizes the Attorney General to initiate a civil action to obtain appropriate equitable or declaratory relief to eliminate such a pattern or practice.

In the wake of high-profile applications of fatal force by police against unarmed African American men in Ferguson, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Chicago, the Justice Department investigated policing practices in those cities and uncovered rampant abuses of constitutional rights and civil liberties. During the Obama Administration, the Justice Department negotiated consent decree agreements with the police departments in all four cities. Following President Trump’s election and his appointment of Jefferson B. Sessions as Attorney General, the Justice Department abruptly changed its interpretation of its statutory role to eliminate patterns and practices of unconstitutional conduct in local police departments.

In May 2019, Chairman Nadler, Chair Bass and several House Judiciary Committee Democrats sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice seeking information about actions it was taking to reduce police-involved violence, including its use of consent decrees and pattern and practice investigations. To date, there has been no substantive response. On September 19, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to address unconstitutional conduct by state and local law enforcement officials.

Families Challenge Suicide in Deaths of Black Men Found Hanging From Trees

Story by NY Times
Written by Sandra E. Garcia

The families of two black men who were found hanged from trees in Southern California are asking authorities to further investigate their deaths.

The family of Robert L. Fuller, 24, disputed authorities’ initial pronouncement that he died by suicide. The family of Malcolm Harsch, 38, is worried his death will also be ruled a suicide.

Harsch was found at 7 a.m. on May 31 near a homeless encampment in Victorville, California, where bystanders told authorities he was living. There were no indications of foul play but the investigation was continuing, according to a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department.

The Victorville Fire Department found bystanders performing CPR on Harsch when it arrived at the scene, according to Sue Jones, the public information officer of the city of Victorville. Firefighters took over and tried to restore Harsch’s heartbeat, but they stopped after 20 minutes.

“We grieve for Malcolm’s family and extend our deepest condolences,” Jones said. “Malcolm Harsch’s life mattered.”

Harsch’s relatives were told by the coroner’s office that his autopsy was completed, said Harmonie Harsch, Malcolm Harsch’s sister, but they were not informed of the cause of death.

“We are really just trying to get more answers as to what happened,” Harmonie Harsch, 29, said in an interview Sunday. “My brother was so loving, not only to his family but even strangers. It is not like him.”

Malcolm Harsch moved to California 14 years ago from Ohio, Harmonie Harsch said.

“He loved doing tattoos, he was very artistic,” she added.

Harmonie Harsch said she was conducting her own investigation into her brother’s death.

“It has been stressful,” she said. “It doesn’t sound right.”

Around 50 miles west of Victorville, in Palmdale, California, Fuller’s family questioned authorities’ pronouncement that his death was considered a suicide.

At a rally for Fuller on Saturday, Diamond Alexander, his sister, said through tears that the initial resolution on her brother’s death “did not make sense.”

“Everything that they’ve been telling us has not been right,” she said, according to video of the rally in Palmdale. “We’ve been hearing one thing. Then we hear another. And we just want to know the truth.”

A passerby discovered Fuller’s body hanging from a tree in Poncitlán Square, across from Palmdale City Hall, at around 3:39 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Though the investigation was continuing, authorities noted in their news release that “Mr. Fuller, tragically, committed suicide.” Fuller’s autopsy has not been completed, authorities said.

“My brother was not suicidal,” Alexander said. “He wasn’t.”

The men’s deaths have struck a chord with people in northern Los Angeles County and across the nation as many have protested against racism and police brutality for over two weeks, in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

A petition demanding for a full investigation into Fuller’s death had over 215,000 signatures as of Sunday afternoon.

At a news conference held by officials at Palmdale City Hall on Friday, residents made it clear that they did not trust that local authorities would properly investigate Fuller’s death. They demanded an independent review and transparency.

“Why was it right here in public, in front of City Hall, next to a church, in front of a library?” one woman said. “Why was it like that? Who would do that? No black man would hang himself in public like that.”

Statement of Philonise Floyd for Hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability

Live Stream above of the House Judiciary Committee hearing examining the crisis of racial profiling, police brutality and lost trust between police departments and the communities they serve

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 10, 2020

CONTACTS: Shadawn Reddick-Smith, 202-225-3951
Daniel Schwarz, 202-225-5635

Washington, D.C. –Today, Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020, delivered the following testimony before the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing examining the crisis of racial profiling, police brutality and lost trust between police departments and the communities they serve:

"Thank you for the invitation to be here today to talk about my big brother, George. The world knows him as George, but I called him Perry. Yesterday, we laid him to rest. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’m the big brother now. So it was my job to comfort our brothers and sisters, Perry’s kids, and everyone who loved him. And that’s a lot of people. I have to be the strong one now, because it’s what George would have done.

"And me being the big brother now is why I’m here today. To do what Perry always did for us – to take care of the family and others. I couldn’t take care of George the day he was killed, but maybe by speaking with you today, I can help make sure that his death isn’t in vain. To make sure that he is more than another face on a t-shirt. More than another name on a list that won’t stop growing.

"George always made sacrifices for his family. And he made sacrifices for complete strangers. He gave the little that he had to help others. He was our gentle giant. I was reminded of that when I watched the video of his murder. He was mild mannered; he didn’t fight back. He listened to the officers. He called them ‘sir.’ The men who took his life, who suffocated him for eight minutes and 46 seconds. He still called them ‘sir’ as he begged for his life.

"I can’t tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch something like that. When you watch your big brother, who you’ve looked up to your whole life, die. Die begging for your mom.

"I’m tired. I’m tired of the pain I’m feeling now and I’m tired of the pain I feel every time another black person is killed for no reason. I’m here today to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired.

"George’s calls for help were ignored. Please listen to the call I’m making to you now, to the calls of our family, and to the calls ringing out in the streets across the world. People of all backgrounds, genders and race have come together to demand change. Honor them, honor George, and make the necessary changes that make law enforcement the solution – and not the problem. Hold them accountable when they do something wrong. Teach them what it means to treat people with empathy and respect. Teach them what necessary force is. Teach them that deadly force should be used rarely and only when life is at risk.

"George wasn’t hurting anyone that day. He didn’t deserve to die over twenty dollars. I am asking you, is that what a black man’s life is worth? Twenty dollars? This is 2020. Enough is enough. The people marching in the streets are telling you enough is enough. Be the leaders that this country, this world, needs. Do the right thing.

"The people elected you to speak for them, to make positive change. George’s name means something. You have the opportunity here to make your names mean something, too.

"If his death ends up changing the world for the better. And I think it will. I think it has. Then he died as he lived. It is on you to make sure his death isn’t in vain.

"I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to Perry while he was here. I was robbed of that. But, I know he’s looking down on us now. Perry, look at what you did, big brother. You’re changing the world. Thank you for everything. For taking care of us when you were on Earth, and for taking care of all of us now. I hope you found mama and can rest in peace and power."
_____________________________________________________________
Statement by Philonise Floyed PDF Link: https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/philonise_floyd_statement.pdf?utm_campaign=2945-519
Live Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxaShkaGrLY

FCC Already Working To Make Radio Ownership More Diverse, Pai Says

Story by Inside Radio

From protests on the streets to members of Congress taking a knee in the U.S. Capitol, racial justice issues have exploded into the headlines and have become front of mind in company boardrooms and state houses nationwide. At the Federal Communications Commission, the nexus between diversity and media ownership was drawn by Commissioner Geoffrey Stark who in recent days has advocated for policymakers to “do more” to include black people and other communities of color.

Ajit Pai said making his agency’s policies more inclusive has been a focus since he became the chairman of the FCC three years ago. “Having traveled everywhere from poor communities of the Delta of Mississippi all the way to Alaska villages above the Arctic Circle, it was important to me that our policies here reflect and are informed by the concerns of diverse communities that make up the American fabric,” he said Tuesday. Pai told Inside Radio it’s a prime reason why he pushed for a radio incubator program in the most recently completed quadrennial media ownership review. “It had been talked about for over two decades prior to my chairman. We actually got it done,” he said.

But the incubator program is now in limbo in clear frustration to Pai, after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit last September blocked media rule changes from taking effect. The ruling blocked the incubator program too after Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) and National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) sued to block the rules dictating how established broadcasters could use the waivers they receive as a reward for participating. “A very unfortunate aspect of that decision was essentially vitiating the incubator program which would have helped many minorities get into the broadcast business,” Pai said.

In April the FCC and the National Association of Broadcasters petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court asking it overturn the appeals court decision. A decision on whether to hear the case isn’t expected until later this year. “Could we do more? Yes, I think we could,” said Pai. But until what he called the “roadblock” that the Third Circuit has put up is dealt with, Pai said there are only so many options open to the FCC.

Commissioner Michael O’Rielly had lobbied for the radio incubator program to be expanded to television as well as radio, a suggestion that ultimately failed to secure enough support as other commissioners wanted to wait and see how well a radio incubator would work before creating a TV-focused program. “At some point we’ll have to see if a standalone effort might be able to survive court review,” said O’Rielly, although he isn’t optimistic that tact will be successful. “Every single item that we even remotely talked about that touched on media ownership has had the Third Circuit vacuum it in,” he said.

As the court battle moves forward, diversity advocates still have a direct line into the FCC. When he assumed the chairmanship in 2017, Pai reconstituted the Advisory Committee for Diversity and Digital Empowerment which had been allowed to disband under former Chair Tom Wheeler. Last year Pai chartered the group for another two-year term. Unlike some Washington groups, the Diversity Advisory Committee has had several results inside the FCC, including playing a pivotal role during the recent formation of the radio incubator program.

“My goal is to make sure every American has an opportunity to participate in the broadcast business, which historically has been a great springboard for minorities who want to enter the communications industry,” said Pai.

O’Rielly said like a lot of Americans he is listening and learning while absorbing the changes that are happening in society, often times through the prism of what world his own two young children will live in. But as he prepares for a Senate confirmation hearing – possibly as soon as next week – O’Rielly said he believes the FCC has a lot to be proud of. “If you compare this Commission to past ones, we’ve been much more aggressive to try to bring more opportunities to new entrants, which includes small businesses and minority and women-owned organizations,” he said.

One answer is helping new technology to get off the ground, which O’Rielly noted often times have lower barriers to entry than traditional formats like radio or TV as well as profit margins that are bigger. “We live in a world where broadcast ownership is not as important as it once was,” he said.

FCC Building Closed Through June

In a first, the Commission’s monthly meeting was held using video conferencing on Tuesday as the agency remains mostly in work-from-home mode for a third month. “We anticipate that we will continue to telework at least through the end of June,” Pai told reporters. He has had phone calls with all the bureaus and offices inside the agency about ways to potentially reopen in preparation of the date when staff will be able to return to the Portals building. “Their safety and health is always going to be my top priority,” said Pai. “That is the prism by which we are evaluating how we are going to take the next steps in terms of opening the building.” He credited the FCC staff for keeping the agency humming along during the closure and high speed broadband connectivity for allowing teleworking to happen.

Pointer Sisters - Yes We Can Can...............RIP Bonnie Pointer

Presidential Candidate former Senator and Vice-President Joe Biden on NAACP Virtual Interview Wednesday June 10th 8pm eastern

Join the conversation with Vice President Joe Biden and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH). They will discuss the global public health crisis and incidents of hate crimes, which have laid bare the disparities and systemic racism present throughout our nation. The conversation will be moderated by Journalist Ed Gordon, and will provide an opportunity for audience questions.

Rev. Al Sharpton Announces National March at George Floyd’s Funeral

Rev. Sharpton announce the August 28th March on Washington

Story by National Action Network

Sharpton Announces National March at George Floyd’s Funeral

During his eulogy at the memorial for George Floyd—the unarmed Black man who was killed by police—Reverend Al Sharpton announced plans for a historic march in Washington, D.C. to call attention to criminal justice reform and an end to racial profiling and the systemic mistreatment of African-Americans and other minoritized groups.

The march comes in the wake of the killing of Mr. Floyd and a litany of other race-based killings of Black men and women throughout the country including Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. National Action Network has been working with the families to secure justice in all of these cases.

The march will take place on August 28, 2020 the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, which was led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was on that hot summer day in 1963 that the world heard Dr. King’s famous, “I Have a Dream” speech.

As political leaders, celebrities and activists from across the country gathered to mourn the life of Mr. Floyd on Thursday, Reverend Sharpton announced that Martin Luther King III—the eldest son of the civil rights icon—would serve as a co-convener of the August march.

“That’s where your father stood, in the shadows of the Lincoln Memorial and said, ‘I Have a Dream,'” Reverend Sharpton told Martin III, who attended the memorial service with his wife Andrea and their daughter Yolanda.

The march—which has already made national headlines—will be a powerful protest gathering, aimed at ushering in a new era of civil rights — one that focuses on police and criminal justice accountability. Reverend Sharpton said that the tactics of the march will acknowledge and operate within the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who used civil disobedience and protests marches to fight back against the vicious legacy of white supremacy.

“We’re going back this Aug. 28 to restore and recommit this dream,” Reverend Sharpton said. “To stand up, because just like at one era we had to fight slavery, another era we had to fight Jim Crow, another era we dealt with voting rights. This is the era to deal policing and criminal justice.”

Reverend Sharpton pointed to legislative and policy issues that National Action Network, working in concert with other civil rights groups including the NAACP, National Urban League, the Black Woman’s Round Table, and others, will advocate for leading up to the 2020 presidential election and beyond. Amongst these issues are plans to push for full police background checks as well as the use of consent decrees, which will allow the U.S. Justice Department to audit and take over police departments that have demonstrated a history of misconduct.

Classic Rock And Classic Hits Heat Up In May PPMs.

Story by Inside Radio

Day One of Nielsen’s May 2020 PPM ratings show news and news/talk stations still dominating in Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta. But classic rock and classic hits are heating up for another battle for the Format of Summer, with Philly’s WMGK and Atlanta’s WSRV posting record-breaking shares, while KRTH takes first in L.A. and KGLK ties for first in Houston.

In New York, Spanish Broadcasting System tropical WSKQ remains first, adding a share month over month (6.5-7.7-8.7). The station posted the second-largest share in New York PPM history. Only WLTW had a higher number, according to ratings historian Chris Huff. WSKQ’s cume was up 20% from April to May (1,341,300-1,622,200). Entercom classic hits WCBS-FM moves from fourth to second (6.2-5.3-5.8) with a 16% increase in cume (1,602,700-1,861,800). iHeartMedia AC WLTW drops a rank (6.7-6.1-5.7) but registers a 16% increase in cume. Classic rock sister WAXQ is fourth (4.0-5.3-4.9) with a cume increase of 24%. Entercom news WINS drops from third to fifth (4.7-5.7-4.9) and also loses cume (-7%).

iHeartMedia talk KFI Los Angeles moves from first to second (4.2-5.5-4.6), but enjoys a slight bump in cume (+2%). Moving from second to first is Entercom classic hits KRTH (5.2-5.2-5.6). KRTH also leads the market in cume, rising 17% (1,605,700-1,891,300) month-over-month. iHeartMedia hot AC KBIG is third (4.4.-4.1-4.5) thanks to a 25% boost in cume, followed by Entercom soft AC KTWV (4.9-4.5-4.3), with cume up 19%. iHeartMedia AC KOST drops from third to fifth (5.1-4.5-4.2) but regains some of its cume, which rises 15% from April.

News remains tops in Chicago as Entercom’s WBBM sits at No. 1 again in May (7.7-8.4-7.0), but sees a 2% dip in cume. Remaining in second, while flat, is Hubbard classic rock WDRV (5.1-6.4-6.4). “The Drive” enjoys a 10% rise in cume (884,400-980,300). Nexstar talk WGN is tied for third (4.5-5.6-5.2), while also experiencing a 2% decline in cume. Joining WGN in third place is iHeartMedia AC WLIT-FM, advancing 4.3-3.7-5.2 and urban AC sister WVAZ (5.3-5.0-5.2). Cume at WLIT is up 27%, while WVAZ posts an 8% increase month-over-month.

News stations continue to dominate the San Francisco ratings, as public radio outlet KQED-FM takes the top spot (8.1-9.9-8.7), swapping positions with Entercom news KCBS (9.9-9.9-8.5). Bucking the trend, KQED-FM cume was flat month-over-month, while KCBS was up 2%. iHeartMedia soft AC KISQ remains in third (4.5-5.1-5.2), growing cume by 22% (577,500-710,000), followed by urban contemporary sister KMEL (4.0-3.5-3.9) and Bonneville AC KOIT (4.4-4.0-3.9). KMEL’s cume was up 18%, while KOIT saw a whopping 30% surge.

The top two stations in Dallas swap positions as iHeartMedia CHR KHKS adds more than a share (6.0-5.3-6.6) to wrangle first place from Salem Media Group contemporary Christian KLTY (7.0-6.7-6.0). KHKS’ cume was up 27% (903,600-1,156,200), while KLTY expands 12% from April. Classic rock and classic hits traditionally do better in the warm weather months and it’s already heating up in Texas as iHeartMedia classic rock KZPS ascends to third and tacks on a share-and-a-half, month-over-month (3.8-3.9-5.1) along with a 33% cume increase. It is followed by Entercom classic hits KLUV (5.1-4.1-5.0), which boasts a 22% cume increase.

Further south in Houston, Cox Media Group classic rock KGLK (5.8-7.0-7.0) moves up a rank into a first-place tie with Univision regional Mexican KLTN (6.7-8.4-7.0). KGLK’s cume has increased 24% since April, while KLTN was relatively flat, with a 0.4% uptick. Radio One urban AC KMJQ moves up a rank to third (5.8-6.2-6.5), followed by iHeartMedia AC KODA (6.2-5.5-6.2) and news/talk sister KTRH (4.6-6.3-6.0). KMJQ’s cume was up 13%, while KODA saw a 26% increase since April and KTRH was up 1.4% month-over-month.

Like San Francisco, Atlanta is another market where news and news/talk stations traditionally perform well. That holds true with the new May 2020 numbers as Cox Media Group news/talk WSB-WSBB-FM remains in first (12.9-13.9-11.1) and amplifies cume by 24% (564,300-700,400). The rest of the Atlanta Top 5 remain unchanged with urban AC sister WALR-FM (5.9-9.3-8.4) in second, followed by classic hits cluster mate WSRV (6.4-7.4-8.0), Entercom urban contemporary WVEE (6.4-6.0-6.9) and Radio One urban AC WAMJ (4.8-4.8-4.7). Each station saw double-digit cume improvements, while WSRV’s share was its largest in the PPM era.

iHeartMedia urban AC WDAS-FM remains first (6.3-9.2-8.9) in Philadelphia, while Beasley Media Group classic rock WMGK – posting its largest share in PPM history, according to Huff – holds onto second, rising 7.3-7.3-8.0. WMGK’s cume is up 25% month-over-month (585,700-733,300). Rock sister WMMR moves from fourth to third (7.0-6.8-7.3); followed by Entercom sports WIP-FM (5.7-5.6-5.9), which boosts cume by 17%. Entercom news KYW Philadelphia falls from a second-place tie in April to fifth in May (6.6-7.3-5.8), thanks to a 5% month-over-month drop in cume.

Nielsen’s May 2020 PPM survey covers the period from April 23 to May 20. All shares quoted are for Persons 6+, Monday-Sunday 6am-Midnight. – Jay Gleason

Chair Bass, Senators Booker and Harris, and Chair Nadler Introduce "The Justice in Policing Act of 2020" - Transformative legislation supported by 166 Representatives, 35 Senators

Chair Bass, Senators Booker and Harris, and Chair Nadler Introduce The Justice in Policing Act of 2020

Full text of the legislation is available here: https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/justice_in_policing_act_of_2020.pdf

A section-by-section summary of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 is available here: https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/justice_in_policing_act_of_2020_section_by_section.pdf

A fact sheet on the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 is available here: https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fact_sheet_justice_in_policing_act_of_2020.pdf

Legislation supported by 166 Representatives, 35 Senators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2020

Contacts: Toyin Awesu (Congressional Black Caucus), 202-710-0659
Kristin Lynch (Booker), 202-597-4071
Meaghan Lynch (Harris), 202-280-8542
Shadawn Reddick-Smith (Nadler), 202-225-3951
Daniel Schwarz (Nadler), 202-225-5635

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-CA), Senators Corey Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement and build trust between law enforcement and our communities.

Chair Bass: "What we are witnessing is the birth of a new movement in our country with thousands coming together in every state marching to demand a change that ends police brutality, holds police officers accountable, and calls for transparency. For over 100 years, Black communities in America have sadly been marching against police abuse and calling for the police to protect and serve them as they do others. Today we unveil the Justice in Policing Act, which will establish a bold transformative vision of policing in America. Never again should the world be subjected to witnessing what we saw on the streets in Minnesota with George Floyd."

Senator Booker: “America has a serious and deadly problem when it comes to the discriminatory and excessive policing of communities of color - and that policing exists within a system that time and again refuses to hold police accountable for their brutality. For too long, this has been accepted as a cruel reality of being black in this country. We are forced to figure out how to keep ourselves safe from law enforcement and we are viewed as a threat to be protected against instead of people worth protecting. And for too long, Congress has failed to act. That ends today with the landmark Justice in Policing Act which, for the first time in history, will take a comprehensive approach to ending police brutality. On the back-end, the bill fixes our federal laws so law enforcement officers are held accountable for egregious misconduct and police abuses are better tracked and reported. And on the front-end, the bill improves police practices and training to prevent these injustices from happening in the first place.”

Senator Harris: "America’s sidewalks are stained with Black blood. In the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s murders, we must ask ourselves: how many more times must our families and our communities be put through the trauma of an unarmed Black man or woman’s killing at the hands of the very police who are sworn to protect and serve them? As a career prosecutor and former Attorney General of California, I know that real public safety requires community trust and police accountability. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this historic legislation that will get our country on a path forward."

Chair Nadler: "We have heard the terrifying words ‘I can’t breathe’ from George Floyd, Eric Garner, and the millions of Americans in the streets calling out for change. For every incident of excessive force that makes headlines, the ugly truth is that there are countless others that we never hear about. This is a systemic problem that requires a comprehensive solution. I am proud to work in lockstep with the Congressional Black Caucus to craft the Justice in Policing Act. This bold, transformative legislation will finally ban chokeholds at the federal level and incentivize states to do the same, it will help end racial profiling, get weapons of war off our streets, hold police accountable, increase transparency and require and encourage greater use of body cameras. It does all of this while ensuring that our law enforcement agencies adhere to the very highest standards in training, hiring and de-escalation strategies to address systemic racism and bias to change the culture of law enforcement in America and ultimately save lives. I hope to take up this legislation in the House Judiciary Committee in the coming weeks."

The Justice in Policing Act of 2020:

Prohibits federal, state, and local law enforcement from racial, religious and discriminatory profiling, and mandates training on racial, religious, and discriminatory profiling for all law enforcement.

Bans chokeholds, carotid holds and no-knock warrants at the federal level and limits the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement.
Mandates the use of dashboard cameras and body cameras for federal offices and requires state and local law enforcement to use existing federal funds to ensure the use of police body cameras.

Establishes a National Police Misconduct Registry to prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave on agency from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability.

Amends federal criminal statute from “willfulness” to a “recklessness” standard to successfully identify and prosecute police misconduct.

Reforms qualified immunity so that individuals are not barred from recovering damages when police violate their constitutional rights.

Establishes public safety innovation grants for community-based organizations to create local commissions and task forces to help communities to re-imagine and develop concrete, just and equitable public safety approaches.

Creates law enforcement development and training programs to develop best practices and requires the creation of law enforcement accreditation standard recommendations based on President Obama’s Taskforce on 21st Century policing.

Requires state and local law enforcement agencies to report use of force data, disaggregated by race, sex, disability, religion, age.

Improves the use of pattern and practice investigations at the federal level by granting the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division subpoena power and creates a grant program for state attorneys general to develop authority to conduct independent investigations into problematic police departments.

Establishes a Department of Justice task force to coordinate the investigation, prosecution and enforcement efforts of federal, state and local governments in cases related to law enforcement misconduct.

In addition to Bass and Nadler, co-sponsors of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 in the House of Representatives are Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Alma Adams (D-NC), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Collin Allred (D-TX), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Ami Bera (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Anthony G. Brown (D-MD), Julia Brownley (D-CA), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), J. Luis Correa (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Susan Davis (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Val B. Demings (D-FL), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), Sylvia R. García, (D-TX), Al Green (D-TX), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Deb Haaland (D-NM), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Denny Heck (D-WA), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Bill Keating (D-MA) Mike Kelly (D-PA), Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Dan Kildee (D-MI), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Annie Kuster (D-NH), Jim Langevin (D-RI), Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI), Al Lawson (D-FL), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), A. Donald McEachin (D-VA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Scott Peters (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Stacey E. Plaskett (D-V.I.), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), David E. Price (D-NC), Jamie Raskin, (D-MD), Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL), Bobby Scott (D-VA), David Scott (D-GA), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Adam Smith (D-WA), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Norma Torres (D-CA), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Trone (D-MD), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Filemon Vela (D-TX), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

In addition to Booker and Harris, co-sponsors of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 in the Senate are Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Udall (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 has the support of a broad coalition of civil rights organizations including: Demand Progress, Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Action Network, National African American Clergy Network, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), Black Millennial Convention, and the National Urban League.

"The National African American Clergy Network supports the Justice in Policing Bill. It affirms sacred scripture that everyone is created in the image of God and deserves to be protected by police sworn to value and safeguard all lives. Failure by police to uphold this sacred trust with Black Americans lives, requires systemic changes in policing nationwide," said Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Dr. T. DeWitt Smith, Jr., Co-Conveners, The National African American Clergy Network (NAACN).

"It's time to close the chapter on a dark era of unchecked police violence in our country that has wreaked havoc on African American families across the country. The Justice in Policing Act is historic and long overdue legislation that will put our country on a path to reform. This Act is responsive to many of the urgent demands being pressed for by our communities and by the people protesting for racial justice and equity across our nation. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law commends the Congressional Black Caucus for their leadership on policing reform and this critical legislation, including Chair Karen Bass, Senator Cory Booker and Senator Kamala Harris," said Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

"Sometimes difficult circumstances present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring about historic change," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "The brutal actions of police in George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, along with botched execution of a no-knock warrant that killed Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and the brazen vigilante execution of Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, Georgia, have pushed the nation to the tipping point."

"For the past four-plus centuries, Black people have continuously been made to endure unfair, unjust, and inhumane treatment in this country. We have been made to believe in that if we worked hard, never complained, and accepted what the world offered that would be enough. What the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others have taught us is that obedience will never be enough; liberty and justice for all applies to everyone but us; and by us, we mean Black Americans, African Americans, Afro-Americans, or plainly put, Black people," said Waikinya J.S.Clanton, MBA Black Millennial Convention.

Professor Angela Davis speaks for the first time since being detained; plus her first interview with Tony Brown following Prof. Davis' acquittal; and lastly Angela Davis speaks at the University of New England on "Freedom is a Constant Struggle"

Marin County Courthouse Incident 1970

On August 7th, 1970, seventeen year old Jonathan Jackson kidnapped Superior Court Judge Harold Haley from the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, California. The kidnapping was meant as a tool to negotiate the freedom of the Soledad Brothers, a trio of African-American inmates (George Jackson, Fleeta Drumgo, and John Clutchette) who were charged with the murder of a prison guard at Soledad Prison in California. George Jackson also happened to be the real brother of Jonathan Jackson.

Jackson, heavily armed, took over the courtroom in Marin County, arming the defendants and taking Judge Haley, the prosecutor, and three female jurors hostage. In a firefight that broke out as they attempted to leave the scene, Judge Haley, the defendants, and Jonathan Jackson were killed. In the ensuing investigation, it was discovered that the shotgun used to kill Judge Haley had been purchased by Angela Davis a few days prior to the event. Furthermore, it was discovered that Davis was in collusion with one of the Soledad Brothers.

Angela Davis is an activist and academic born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Brandeis University, her Masters from the University of California San Diego, and her PhD at Humboldt University in East Berlin. Davis rose to prominence in the 1960’s as a leader of the Communist Party USA with close relationships to the Black Panther Party and considerable involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Her involvement with the Communist Party led to her be fired from her job as a professor at the University of California Los Angeles.

After Davis was implicated in the murder of Judge Haley and a warrant was issued for her arrest, she went into hiding. A manhunt began for Davis and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover placed her on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitive List, making her the third woman and 309th individual to be placed on that list.


Black Journal Interview with Angela Davis (1972)

Angela Davis makes her first national television appearance in an exclusive interview with Tony Brown, following her recent acquittal of charges of kidnapping, murder and conspiracy after the San Rafael courtroom shootout.


On January 25, 2019 the University of New England hosted a lecture from world-renowned political activist, academic and author Angela Davis as part of its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Davis presented “Freedom is a Constant Struggle” .

UNE Director of Intercultural Student Engagement Erica Rousseau, M.A., said that hosting Davis holds special meaning to her. “This is very personal for me,” she explained. “Growing up and learning about heroes like Harriet Tubman and Angela Davis, I knew that black women can change the world, and so I knew that I could too. Bringing Angela Davis to campus is a significant event in my life, and I know that seeing her in person and hearing her speak will be a momentous event in the lives of our students and our community members.”

The event prompted UNE President James Herbert, Ph.D., to contemplate the commitment of the university’s precursor institutions (St. Francis College and Westbrook Seminary) to welcoming Franco-Americans and women, respectively, at times when immigrants and women were often absent in higher education. He noted that Davis’ lecture presents an opportunity to reflect on the university’s historic devotion to inclusion and its dedication to a future of diversity and fairness. “Angela Davis’ visit to UNE reminds us of our remarkable institutional history -- a history of including those who are excluded and championing those who are shunned,” he said. “We are also reminded of our aspirations and what we seek to be – a university that instills in every single one of our students the drive and ability to advocate for equality and justice. It is a great privilege to host such a pivotal figure in the history of American activism.”

Through her activism and scholarship over the last decades, Davis has been deeply involved in our nation’s quest for social justice. Her work as an educator – both at the university level and in the larger public sphere – has always emphasized the importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial, and gender justice.

Davis is the author of nine books and has lectured throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. In recent years a persistent theme of her work has been the range of social problems associated with incarceration and the generalized criminalization of those communities that are most affected by poverty and racial discrimination. She draws upon her own experiences in the early 1970s as a person who spent eighteen months in jail and on trial, after being placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted List.” Davis has also conducted extensive research on numerous issues related to race, gender and imprisonment. Her most recent book is Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement.

Davis’ teaching career has taken her to San Francisco State University, Mills College, and UC Berkeley. She also has taught at UCLA, Vassar, the Claremont Colleges and Stanford University. She spent the last fifteen years at the University of California, Santa Cruz where she is now Distinguished Professor Emerita of History of Consciousness, an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, and of Feminist Studies.

Civil Rights Leaders Demand Demilitarizing the L.A. Sheriff's Department

June 8, 2020

The Call for demilitarizing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Immediate Release

Contact:
Pedro Baez
602-790-0053

Press Advisory:

Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable Vice President Pedro Baez and other civil rights leaders demanded that the L.A. County Board of Supervisors reprioritize its funding of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. The Sheriffs's Department even with cuts far and away is still the biggest funded county agency. It receives more than 10 percent of the overall county"s $35 billion annual budget. This while the poor and communities of color are mistreated and in many instances lose their life at the hands of what many critics call the “LA Militia.” The defunding should be aimed at eliminating the Dept's paramilitary use of heavy weapons, vehicles, and paramilitary type training that has resulted inn multiple abuses and killings of civilians with no accountability and punishment.

“In recent years the LA Sheriff’s Dept has become not a law enforcement agency, but instead has portrayed itself as military deployment force bent on keeping the citizens of LA County in fear, says Pedro Baez, Vice President Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, "It’s time that the Sheriff’s Dept. be demilitarized and its budget cut and see those funds go towards community improvement, reducing poverty and much needed reforms.”

The Call for demilitarizing the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept was endorsed by:

Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable
President Earl Ofari Hutchinson

J.C. Penney store closings list released: Is your local store facing liquidation in bankruptcy?

Story by USA TODAY
Written by Nathan Bomey

J.C. Penney on Thursday revealed its initial list of proposed stores to be closed permanently as the company tries to stabilize its finances under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. (Scroll down to see the full list.)

The department store chain, the largest company to file for bankruptcy protection so far during the coronavirus pandemic, had already said it would close 242 locations for good, leaving about 600 open. But it had not yet revealed which locations were poised for liquidation.

In a bankruptcy court filing Thursday, the company listed the first 154 locations to close.

Bankruptcy Judge David Jones is expected to hold a hearing on June 11 to consider the proposal. Assuming he signs off, going-out-of-business sales could begin immediately. They are expected to last 10 to 16 weeks.

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“While closing stores is always an extremely difficult decision, our store optimization strategy is vital to ensuring we emerge from both Chapter 11 and the COVID-19 pandemic as a stronger retailer with greater financial flexibility to allow us to continue serving our loyal customers for decades to come,” J.C. Penney CEO Jill Soltau said in a statement.

J.C. Penney store closing sales to begin: 242 permanent store closures planned in bankruptcy

Liquidation sales have changed: Going-out-of-business sales different because of COVID-19

The closures include nine in California, nine in Ohio, eight in Indiana, eight in Florida, seven in Georgia, seven in New York, seven in Texas, six in Kentucky, six in Oklahoma, six in South Carolina, six in Tennessee.

The announcement comes as J.C. Penney is gradually reopening stores that have been temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company said nearly 500 had reopened as of Thursday.

Here's the initial list of J.C. Penney stores that are permanently closing: https://www.yahoo.com/news/j-c-penney-store-closings-222814028.html

Health Experts Decry Disparate Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak on Communities of Color

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2020

Contact:
Kirsten Allen: (202) 934-0210

Health Experts Decry Disparate Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak on Communities of Color
Briefers Call for Racial Equity in Testing, Treatment, and Investment

Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2020)— Yesterday, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, chaired by House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, held a briefing on how structural inequities have led to disproportionate coronavirus infections and deaths in African American, Latino, and Native American communities.

Chairman Clyburn began the briefing by acknowledging the citizens who are coming together to protest racial injustices in response to the death of George Floyd:
“[T]hese protests are about more than the treatment of African Americans at the hands of the police. They are also about the systemic racial inequities that have festered in our society for years and are now magnified by the coronavirus crisis. This racial inequity is particularly stark in health care, and has been laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic.”

Briefers included Dr. Uché Blackstock, CEO of Advancing Health Equity; Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore Health Commissioner; Dr. Eva Galvez of Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center; Fawn Sharp, President of the National Congress of American Indians; and Avik Roy, President of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.

The briefers explained that communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus due to longstanding racial inequities in healthcare, jobs, and housing, and they warned that these communities were also likely to be harmed if the country reopens too soon. The briefers urged the federal government to protect minority communities through robust testing and tracing, by addressing preexisting racial disparities, and by producing more complete racial data on the impact of the coronavirus.

On the day of the Select Subcommittee’s briefing, the Trump Administration finally issued guidance to adhere to the CARES Act mandate to collect coronavirus testing data by race and ethnicity. This guidance will go into effect starting on August 1. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/covid-19-laboratory-data-reporting-guidance.pdf

Briefers provided the following additional information:

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated structural racism and inequality.

• Dr. Blackstock said, “Structural racism, through social and economic policies that disadvantage Black people, has placed Black Americans at risk for illness and death. It has been the key driving force behind the factors that determine an individual’s and communities’ health outcomes.”

• Dr. Galvez said that her Latino patients, including farmworkers, are disproportionately testing positive for coronavirus. She explained that these patients are often essential workers who “work in crews or groups standing side by side in rows or on factory lines,” often without any protective equipment, and that these workers often lack “unemployment benefits, vacation or paid sick leave.” She noted that Latino communities are vulnerable due to a “[l]ack of access to appropriate housing and health care, food insecurity and unsafe working environments.” https://coronavirus.house.gov/news/press-releases/frontline-heroes-demand-federal-action-keep-them-safe-during-coronavirus-crisis

The federal government must take strong action to protect communities of color.
• Echoing other bipartisan health experts and mayors who previously appeared before the Select Subcommittee, Dr. Wen explained that to combat coronavirus, “[w]e know that we need testing, contact tracing, quarantining, isolation,” as well as treatment. She emphasized that these services must be accessible to minority communities and “reach people where they are.”

• Describing the American Indian community, Ms. Sharp said, “Long before the pandemic hit this country, we were already in a crisis.” She explained: “[W]hat we’ve found is that not only do we have an inability to protect ourselves during this pandemic, but … every sector of the funding that we receive from the federal government is chronically underfunded, whether that’s law enforcement, health care, education. Every part of our public life is deeply impacted.”

Rushing to reopen without a national strategy would cause further disparate harm.
• Dr. Wen explained that states have not met the White House criteria to reopen safely, noting: “[M]any public health experts, including myself, have argued that no state has met these criteria. Many states have not met the criteria for consistent decline in the number of cases, but no state has met the capabilities—the widespread testing, for example—that we need. And that’s because we need national leadership, a national strategy to get there.”

• Dr. Blackstock warned, “[I]f we rush to reopening, we’re going to get into the same predicament that we got into in the beginning, and it may even be worse. And the people that are going to be the most disproportionately impacted, are the same communities. Black communities and other communities of color are going to see even more devastation.”

The Trump Administration must provide racial data so resources can be equitably distributed.
• Dr. Blackstock observed: “The federal Administration’s response to the data collection has been quite anemic. Even the data we have from the CDC is incredibly incomplete. We need the full data to get the full picture of the degree of devastation to these communities of color. Without the data, we don’t know how [many] resources these communities need. That’s why we really need every state and locality to disclose, not only hospitalizations and death, but we also need to know testing. We’ve seen that Black Americans are less likely to be tested, and then when they go the hospital, they’re more likely to be admitted.”