Larry Irving is the first African American inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame

Larry Irving was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame on Friday, becoming the first African American to be inducted into the group since its founding in 2012.

Irving produced the first empirical study proving the existence of the “Digital Divide.” This groundbreaking research sparked global efforts to begin bridging the divide and continues to be widely cited today by those studying Internet access around the world.

As the assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) during the Clinton Administration, Irving helped establish some of the earliest and most foundational U.S. domestic and international Internet policies, including those supporting universal Internet access, private investment, competition, open access and “light touch” regulation.

As part of this work, in 1993, he initiated hearings across the U.S. to identify opportunities and obstacles affecting development of the nascent Internet.

He subsequently commissioned a comprehensive Census Bureau survey that quantified for the first time the U.S. communities and populations that didn’t have Internet access, and diagnosed some of the causes. This research was documented in a seminal series of reports he co-authored, Falling Through the Net.

This research showed that Americans most at-risk for access inequity were communities that couldn’t afford to fall further behind, including the following: rural; low-income; single parents; the elderly; ESL speakers; and others who were otherwise economically or educationally disadvantaged, or geographically distant.

Irving's data helped provide support for legislative initiatives such as the E-Rate program and, in conjunction with NTIA's Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP), it also demonstrated the growing importance of the Internet for all communities. TIIAP connected schools, libraries, hospitals and other public access institutions where at-risk communities could access the web for free.

But Irving didn’t stop at connectivity. He understood that access alone wouldn’t help at-risk communities realize the Internet’s full potential: the NTIA also made provisions to provide hardware and training for Internet usage, and support the creation of digital content relevant to those communities.

Irving ensured that the data sets, which set the international standard for researching connectivity, were open to the public, and encouraged exploration of them by academics and researchers.

His work ultimately ignited global concern about the Digital Divide phenomenon, leading to international regulatory and legislative reforms and programs to promote Internet growth.

White students hold black girl down and cut her dreadlocks

Police in Northern Virginia are investigating after a 12-year-old African-American girl said three white classmates pinned her down and cut her dreadlocks. The 6th grade girl says the boys held her down on the playground of the private Christian school in Springfield during recess this week. She says they called her dreadlocks "nappy" and "ugly."

Cory Booker Introduces Legislation to Increase Teacher Compensation

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation that would put more money back in the pockets of educators and help diversify the teaching workforce. The compensation of educators in 30 states across the country is below a family living wage and after adjusting for cost of living, teacher salaries declined in New Jersey and 38 other states from 2010 to 2016. Future teachers are heavily influenced by teacher pay when considering whether to become teachers or not, making it increasingly difficult to attract and retain effective, diverse candidates. This legislation would make educators eligible for at least $1,000 tax credits and as much as $11,500.

Through refundable tax credits, the Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators (RAISE) Act will help boost the compensation of early childhood, elementary, and secondary school teachers. Depending on the level of poverty in their school, public school teachers would be eligible for a tax credit up to $10,000. The bill would also double the educator tax credit, which teachers can use to offset the cost of school supplies.

“America’s teachers are constantly being asked to do more and more without any significant increase in their compensation, and often at their own expense,” Booker said. “Educators are the unsung heroes of our society, but they cannot feed their families or pay their bills with heroism—they need and deserve our support. This legislation would allow us to use the federal tax code to put more resources back in teachers’ pockets and help attract diverse candidates to the noble profession.”

Diversifying the teaching workforce and increasing teacher compensation are top priorities for Booker. Earlier this Congress, he introduced the STRIVE Act, which would overhaul the student loan forgiveness program by providing incremental loan forgiveness each year to public school teachers in low-income schools.

Specifically, the RAISE Act would: 

• Create a refundable $10,000 tax credit for public elementary and secondary teachers in high poverty public schools.
  • Public elementary and secondary school teachers in schools serving 75 percent or more students in poverty are eligible for the full tax credit. The value of the tax credit declines by percentage point for teachers between 74 percent and 50 percent poverty.

• Create a refundable $10,000 tax credit for early childhood educators with a bachelor’s degree and an $8,000 credit for those with an associate’s degree in high poverty early childhood centers.
  • Early childhood educators in centers serving 75 percent or more students eligible for the Child Care and Development Block Grant or the child and adult care food program are eligible for the full tax credit. The value of the tax credit declines by percentage point for early childhood educators in centers with between 74 percent and 50 percent poverty.

• Provide all teachers, regardless of the level of poverty in the school in which they teach, with a $500 refundable tax credit.
• Increase the educator tax credit—a credit specifically to offset the cost of school supplies—from $250 to $500 and as much as $1,500 for educators in the highest need schools.

During my classroom years back-to-school shopping meant scouring the school supplies sales for the best bargains that I could afford to pass along to my students,” Donna M. Chiera, President of American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, said. “Today, I see dedicated educators reaching into their own pockets to make sure their students have what they need when parents are unable to send them properly equipped and our schools are starving because educational funding is lacking. Teachers stand up for their students when the system has failed and this legislation assists in mitigating the financial strain on teachers. This investment is a strong first step in the journey of funding the educational future of our nation and I thank Senator Booker for introducing and championing it.”

“The RAISE Act recognizes what we have known for too long--educators are underpaid for the work they do and the value they bring to our students, our schools and our nation,” Marie Blistan, President of New Jersey Education Association, said. “In a time where educators dig into their own pockets to buy school supplies and to help students and struggling families, we must do more to attract and retain talented educators.  We applaud Senator Booker for bringing attention to this problem and for offering a crucial first step towards finding a solution.”

“We are pleased to see this bill include support for early childhood educators, who currently earn less than $15 per hour, despite the critical role they play in young children’s development,” Simon Workman, Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress said. “This tax credit will help lift the early childhood workforce – made up predominantly of women – out of poverty, ensuring that they can support their own families while providing the high-quality early childhood education that working families rely on.”

Harris Demands Inspector General Investigate Any State Department Officials Working with Rudy Giuliani

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Thursday sent a letter to Steve Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State, demanding he investigate whether any Department of State officials enabled Rudy Giuliani to advance political activities on behalf of President Trump, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Ambassador Kurt Volker, and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.

“The August 12, 2019 complaint by an Intelligence Community whistleblower details the multiple efforts by President Trump and Mr. Giuliani to pressure Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless claims about former Vice President Joe Biden and the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee,” wrote Harris. “These efforts are an attempt to discredit a potential opponent and improve the President’s prospects for re-election—and a threat to the integrity of our democratic government.”

Harris continued, “To help ensure that the foreign relations of the United States are carried out in good faith, I request that you investigate these and other circumstances described in the complaint and preserve all relevant records. I am particularly concerned that Department officials might have been aware of or aided Mr. Giuliani in violation of law or regulations against engaging in partisan political activities.”

The full letter is available here or below:

September 26, 2019

The Honorable Steve Linick

Inspector General

U.S. Department of State

Office of the Inspector General

SA-39

1700 North Moore Street

Arlington, VA 22209

Dear Inspector General Linick:

In light of recent revelations that the President of the United States pressured a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election, I write to request that you open an investigation into whether any Department of State officials, including Secretary of State Pompeo, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Ambassador Kurt Volker, and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, worked with President Trump’s close associate and personal lawyer Mr. Rudy Giuliani in violation of restrictions on engaging in partisan political activities.

The August 12, 2019 complaint by an Intelligence Community whistleblower details the multiple efforts by President Trump and Mr. Giuliani to pressure Ukrainian officials to investigate baseless claims about former Vice President Joe Biden and the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee. These efforts are an attempt to discredit a potential opponent and improve the President’s prospects for re-election—and a threat to the integrity of our democratic government.

The complaint references a number of U.S. officials, including at least two Department officials. One day after President Trump repeatedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work with Mr. Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr to investigate Vice President Biden and the hack of the DNC, Ambassadors Volker and Sondland met with President Zelensky and other officials to advise “how to ‘navigate’ the demands [President Trump] had made.” Ambassadors Volker and Sondland also reportedly spoke with Mr. Giuliani “in an attempt to ‘contain the damage’ to U.S. national security.” Additionally, the allegations in the complaint suggest that the decision by senior Department officials to remove former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie L. Yovanovitch from her post in Kyiv may have been informed by partisan political objectives, a decision Mr. Giuliani later said was “because she was part of the efforts against the President.”

To help ensure that the foreign relations of the United States are carried out in good faith, I request that you investigate these and other circumstances described in the complaint and preserve all relevant records. I am particularly concerned that Department officials might have been aware of or aided Mr. Giuliani in violation of law or regulations against engaging in partisan political activities. I request your initial response by Thursday, October 3, 2019.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. It is critical that Americans trust that their government acts in their best interest, not the interest of any one candidate.

Sincerely,

Rep. Maxine Waters Statement on the Formal Impeachment Inquiry of Donald J. Trump

WASHINGTON – Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43) issued the following statement on the formal impeachment inquiry of Donald J. Trump:

“I am supportive of the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who has united the Democratic Caucus and has formalized an impeachment inquiry of the current President of the United States. Donald Trump has admitted to abusing the power of the presidency by asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation into his political opponent in order to get dirt that the Trump campaign could exploit in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This action within itself -- where the president is seeking the cooperation and assistance of a foreign government in uncovering dirt on his opponent -- is unlawful, unconstitutional, and unpatriotic. I am elated that the Congress of the United States will move forward in an expedited manner to investigate and impeach this president.

“When you couple this latest action with all that we know about the president, his history, and the way in which he has conducted himself while in office, there is more than enough evidence for the Congress of the United States to launch an impeachment inquiry into this president. Despite the fact that U.S. intelligence community unequivocally concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, this president has shown a brazen support and deference for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin and has continued to undermine and outright deny the validity of the U.S. intelligence community’s findings. Special Counsel Robert Mueller identified at least 10 instances of obstruction of justice by the president of the United States during the 2016 presidential campaign and through the course of the Russia investigation, and he furthered the scope of what we know about collusion and coordination between the Trump campaign, Trump’s allies, and the Kremlin in their efforts to undermine our election systems on Trump’s behalf. This president orchestrated hush money payments in order to silence his mistresses with the aid of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who pled guilty and is serving jail time for these acts, which are potential felony violations of campaign finance laws. He and his children have sought out opportunities to enrich themselves during his tenure as president. He is under investigation for accepting payments from foreign governments and officials that have stayed at his hotels and golf properties in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibits elected officials from personally profiting from payments from foreign governments and officials that have stayed at his hotels and golf properties. This president has been documented by the Washington Post for having lied more than 12,000 times since taking office. Unlike any other president in modern history, Trump has refused to release his tax returns to the American people. These, and a host of other actions, are further evidence of his disgraceful and contemptible actions as the president of the United States.

“I’m beyond pleased that a strong majority of my Democratic colleagues have joined us in the effort to hold accountable and impeach the most unlawful and unpatriotic man to ever occupy the White House. As I have stated time and time again, Donald Trump is a dangerous and dishonorable man. He has no respect for our democracy, our Constitution, or the rule of law. It is past time that Congress fulfills its Constitutional duty to impeach him. I am elated that it appears that day is upon us.”