Monday, November 25, 2019

Human remains in Alabama believed to be those of missing college student Aniah Blanchard

Skeletal remains found in Alabama on Monday are believed to be those of Aniah Haley Blanchard, the teenage stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris. Blanchard was last seen outside a convenience story on Oct. 23.

The remains were found at approximately 10:45 a.m. in a wooded area in Mason County, near Shorter, Alabama, authorities said.

The district attorney in Lee County, Brandon Hughes, told NBC News that his office had "good reason to believe they are that" of Blanchard.

Blanchard, 19, a student at Southern Union College, was last seen in Auburn, Alabama. Her damaged car was recovered two days after her disappearance about 60 miles away in Montgomery, Alabama.

Authorities had initially said they did not suspect Blanchard was the victim of foul play, but changed their position after the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences examined evidence from her 2017 Honda CR-V.

Police have arrested Antwain Fisher, 35, and Ibraheem Yazeed, 29 on first-degree kidnapping charges in the disappearance of Blanchard.

[SOURCE: NBC NEWS]

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Congreswoman Lucy McBath's letter to her deceased son, Jordan Davis

Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA 6th District) has written a letter to her deceased son, Jordan Davis who was shot and killed in 2012 following an argument at a gas station in Florida about loud music.

Read her heart breaking and at the same time uplifting message to continue the fight against gun violence to her son below.

From Lucy McBath:

Today marks seven years after my son, Jordan, was shot for playing his music.

This is always the hardest day of the year for me. So this year, I want to share a letter I wrote to my son.

Dear Jordan:

Seven years ago today, it was Black Friday in 2012. I was relaxing with our family at home after Thanksgiving.

That afternoon, you were headed to the mall to buy presents for your friends.

You and your friends were at a gas station, putting gas into your car.

Without warning, a man confronted you and opened fire. He shot 10 rounds into the car, and sped away.

I didn’t get to hug and kiss you goodbye. You were 17 years old. My heart is still broken.

In the aftermath of your death, I did not know how to deal with my grief.

I prayed for guidance to find a new path forward.

Then, I knew what I had to do. I knew what WE had to do.

We would fight to make sure no other families would have to suffer this pain.

Jordan, I want you to know I am working to carry out your legacy.

We thought you would one day fight for change -- and now, together, we are carrying out that vision.

Seven years later, you still inspire me every single day. I miss you. I love you so much.

- Mom

RIP Sheriff Big John Williams

Authorities say an Alabama sheriff has been fatally shot while answering a call at a convenience store.

Sheriff “Big John” Williams of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office was killed Saturday night. Authorities say the shooting happened about 8:15 p.m. and that investigators were headed to an area near a convenience store.

"I'm saddened to hear about Sheriff Big John Williams, who was tragically killed this evening in the line of duty," Governor Kay Ivey tweeted Saturday night. "Through his service to our country in the United States Marine Corps and his many years working in law enforcement, he dedicated his life to keeping other people safe. He will be remembered as a consummate professional and pillar of his community. I offer my prayers and deepest sympathies to his family and to the men and women of the Lowndes County Sheriff's Department.

Williams who grew up in Lowndes County started volunteering in 1978 as a reserve deputy under then Sheriff John Hulett.

From 1984 through 1987, Williams worked for the Hayneville Police Department until he began working full time with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. He not only worked full time with the Sheriff’s Office, but continued his employment with Hayneville Police Department.

From 1987 to 1990, Williams served as a deputy. In 1990, he was appointed by Sheriff John Hulett to chief deputy and served in this capacity until leaving the department in 2009.

In 2010, he successfully ran for sheriff and was reelected again in 2014 was once again elected.

Williams leaves behind a wife and two adult children – a son and a daughter.

The suspect in the shooting, William Chase Johnson has been taken into custody.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Sean Combs upset with Comcast over Byron Allen US Supreme Court case

In the Byron Allen vs. Comcast case, Comcast has been using Sean Combs channel, Revolt as an example of inclusion when it comes to carrying African American cable stations. Unfortunately for Comcast, Sean Combs has released a statement which clearly states that he sees the inclusion situation differently. He also believes that Comcast has taken an approach that can weaken civil rights protections. Read his statement below.

My name and my network, REVOLT, have been mentioned recently by Comcast in reference to the Comcast/Byron Allen US Supreme Court case as an example of Comcast’s inclusive practices with respect to African American owned cable networks. While it is true that we are in business with Comcast, it is not accurate to use my name or my network as an example of inclusion. I do not want my name to be used inaccurately so I must speak my truth. I also want to make clear that this case is now about much more than cable distribution. It’s about the civil rights of millions of African Americans and other minorities.

First, it’s important that people really understand what’s at stake. In its efforts to get the lawsuit filed by Byron Allen dismissed, Comcast has taken a legal approach that could weaken fundamental civil rights protections. I have a problem with this. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 section 1981 was designed to ensure Black people are able to do business in this country and not be denied because of race. Comcast is arguing that this law only applies if racial discrimination is the only factor that leads to a refusal to do business, which would be extremely hard to prove. If they are successful, it will become much harder for any victim of discrimination to seek justice in court. By taking this stance in the Supreme Court, Comcast has put its legal tactics ahead of the rights of millions of Americans to be heard. This is not OK.

Above anything else, my goal has always been to achieve true economic inclusion for Black people. How can Comcast suggest that it champions diversity and inclusion if it attacks the laws that provide the foundation for economic inclusion? What good are any of their efforts if they are fighting to make it harder for victims of discrimination to be heard in court? Comcast has made this about much more than Byron Allen, and now the civil rights of my children and my community are at stake. To be clear, anything that makes it harder to fight against discrimination is wrong. Comcast is choosing to be on the wrong side of history.

On REVOLT, I can only share the truth of my experience. Starting an independent cable network is incredibly difficult and capital intensive. The start we received from Comcast, which was a condition of the United States government approval for Comcast to acquire NBCUniversal, was important, but it is not the level of support needed to build a successful African American owned network. Not even close. Since that launch our relationship has not grown, and REVOLT is still not carried by Comcast in the most affordable packages nor is REVOLT available in all of the markets that would enable us to serve our target audience. Comcast spends billions of dollars on content networks every year, but just a few million go to African American owned networks like REVOLT. That is unacceptable.

Supporting diversity and economic inclusion requires a real partnership. The only way Black owned networks grow and thrive is with meaningful and consistent economic support. Otherwise they are set up to fail. REVOLT has never been in a position to truly compete on a fair playing field because it has not received the economic and distribution support necessary for real economic inclusion. Our relationship with Comcast is the illusion of economic inclusion.

Rather than using this case to diminish the civil rights protections of millions of Americans, Comcast should use this as an opportunity to listen to a community it relies on and, above all, do better.

Kamala Harris, Maxine Waters Introduce Bill to Address the Affordable Housing Crisis

Amid shortage of affordable housing options, Sen. Harris and Rep. Waters’ legislation proposes over $100 billion investment in affordable housing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, on Thursday introduced the Housing is Infrastructure Act, comprehensive legislation to confront the nation’s affordable housing crisis, including public housing and low- and mixed-income housing through infrastructure investments.

“Too many Americans are fighting tooth and nail to keep a roof over their heads as our nation continues to face a housing affordability and homelessness crisis,” said Senator Harris. “It will take a comprehensive and serious investment to confront this issue head on, and the Housing is Infrastructure Act is our best chance to get it done. I am proud to work with Chairwoman Waters on this bill, which would empower our local communities to make affordable housing available for all. Housing is a human right, and we must act now to tackle the affordable housing crisis and ensure everyone has a safe and accessible home.”

“We are in the midst of a housing affordability crisis across the country, caused in part by the lack of affordable and available rental units, rising rents, gentrification, and dilapidated public housing,” said Chairwoman Waters. “For example, 10,000 units of public housing are lost each year as a result of disinvestment, and it would take $70 billion to address the capital needs. I convened a House Financial Services Committee hearing in April to assess the infrastructure needs of America’s housing stock, and today, I have introduced the Housing is Infrastructure Act of 2019. Studies have shown that neglecting our housing infrastructure will only hurt our economy, so I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to make the necessary investments in rural, suburban and urban housing markets, and ensure all future conversations around infrastructure investments include affordable housing.”

For the last generation, while most Americans have not seen their real earnings rise significantly, the cost of living has continued to rise. Housing costs in particular have strained the budgets of working families, depriving them of the security and dignity that comes with stable living conditions. Housing is a human right—yet affordable housing remains out of reach for too many.The housing shortage is a primary driver of the affordable housing crisis. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there is a housing shortage of 7.2 million rental housing units affordable to low-income families. Additionally, America’s public housing system, which houses 2.6 million Americans, is also in need of investment to repair essentials like roofs and elevators. The public housing capital fund has a need of $70 billion to rehabilitate these homes. As a result of this disinvestment, there are around 10,000 units lost each year.

The Housing is Infrastructure Act will tackle America’s affordable housing crisis head on by investing over $100 billion in the construction of new affordable housing units, maintenance of existing subsidized housing, and support for rural housing through infrastructure investments.

Specifically, the bill makes the following investments to construct new affordable housing:

$70 billion to the Public Housing Capital Fund, which will aid in building, modernizing, and rehabilitating public housing;

$6 billion dedicated to building housing for elderly households, persons with disabilities, and Native Americans living on tribal lands;

$5 billion to the National Housing Trust Fund for the construction of hundreds of thousands of new rental units that would be affordable for the lowest income households;

$1 billion to the Rural Multi-Family Preservation and Revitalization Demonstration program of the Rural Housing Service, which is estimated to fully address the backlog of capital needs for the Section 515 and 514 rural housing stock;

$10 billion to expand Community Development Block Grant funding set-aside to incentivize states and cities to eliminate impact fees and responsibly streamline the process for development of new affordable housing;

$2.5 billion for the Capital Magnet Fund, which will help fund hundreds of thousands of affordable housing solutions for low-income families; and $5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program, which will help build and rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership for low-income families.

The bill also sets procurement and hiring goals for women- and minority-owned businesses, including developers and construction owners. Additionally, the bill prioritizes water and energy efficiency projects and other strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from public housing infrastructure.

The Housing is Infrastructure Act follows the Ending Homelessness Act, legislation introduced by Harris and Waters earlier this year to invest over $13 billion in mandatory emergency relief funding to critical federal housing programs, including construction of new affordable housing units, to address the shortage of affordable housing and combat homelessness. Harris also introduced the Rent Relief Act to create a new, refundable tax credit for renters paying more than 30 percent of their income in rent and utilities. The Housing is Infrastructure Act addresses another aspect of the housing and homelessness crisis – the lack of housing infrastructure.

The Housing is Infrastructure Act is supported by the Capital Magnet Fund Coalition, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, Council of State Community Development Agencies, Enterprise Community Partners, LeadingAge, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, National Apartment Association, National Association of Counties, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, National Community Development Association, National Housing Conference, National Housing Trust, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Multifamily Housing Council, Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, and Up for Growth Action.

“On behalf of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, I applaud Senator Harris and Chairwoman Waters for introducing legislation to make robust infrastructure investments in affordable housing solutions, including the National Housing Trust Fund and resources to repair our nation’s public housing stock,” stated Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “The connection between affordable homes and infrastructure is clear: like roads and bridges, affordable homes are a long-term asset that helps communities and the lowest-income families thrive. It is critical that any infrastructure package includes significant resources to build and preserve homes affordable to our nation’s poorest seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and other individuals.”

For full bill text, click https://www.harris.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Housing%20is%20Infrastructure%20Act.pdf.