The Greene County Democrat

Author: greenecodemocratcom

  • Newswire : Helene “close to a worst-case scenario”for western North Carolina

     

    A view of the damaged area at Asheville along with the western part of North-Carolina is devastated by the heavy rains and flooding after Hurricane Helene in Asheville on September 30, 2024 / Credit: Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images

    By: Li Cohen, CBS News

    Hurricane Helene has proved to be disastrous for Appalachia, as massive amounts of precipitation from the storm caused rampant flooding that has devastated several towns and killed dozens of people. On Monday, the North Carolina State Climate Office provided a picture of how the “monster storm” was nearly a “worst-case scenario for western North Carolina.”

    “Torrential rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Helene capped off three days of extreme, unrelenting precipitation, which left catastrophic flooding and unimaginable damage in our Mountains and southern Foothills,” a post from the office says. “… the full extent of this event will take years to document – not to mention, to recover from.”

    A historic and deadly storm

    CBS News has confirmed that at least 131 people across several states were killed by Helene. Buncombe County alone has reported at least 40 deaths, including a 7-year-old who was swept away by floodwaters with his grandparents.

    While hundreds of people were able to be rescued, there have been even more requests for welfare checks. And given the severity of the damage, the climate office said that suggests “the death toll is likely to climb as hard-hit areas are finally accessed in the coming days.”

    “Sadly, our state’s long-running benchmark for deaths during a tropical event – approximately 80 during the mountain region’s July 1916 flood – could be in jeopardy from this storm that has already broken plenty of other records,” the climate office said, adding that the 1916 event was the area’s flood of record for more than a century — a title that “now belongs to Helene instead.”

    Several rivers surpassed their highest-ever crests by several feet, including the Swannanoa River, which saw “the worst flood along the river since North Carolina became a state,” the office said.

    Here’s how the climatologists said it happened.

    North Carolina was saturated with rain before Helene hit

    As Helene became a Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico — more than 500 miles and 30 hours away from where it would eventually make landfall in Florida — western North Carolina was already seeing rain. The climate office says that Helene’s outskirts were feeding tropical moisture to slow-moving storms that had formed along a stalled cold front.

    By midnight on Thursday — roughly an hour after Helene’s landfall 10 miles north of Steinhatchee, Florida — Asheville Airport in North Carolina had already seen more than 4 inches of rain. That downpour continued before Helene’s outer bands even moved in. By Thursday night, Yancey County, which sits just south of Erwin, Tennessee, where floodwaters became so bad that people were trapped on the roof of a hospital, had seen more than 9 inches of rain.

    Water was already beginning to inundate cities, “all while the heaviest rain from Helene was just beginning to fall,” the climate office said. The more than 300 miles of tropical storm-force winds Helene produced only amplified the situation, pushing more moisture up mountains.
    “The storm’s impacts were especially long-lasting because of its massive size. It developed in a high-humidity environment over the warm Gulf of Mexico, which let it grow and strengthen unimpeded,” the office said. “…From the start of the precursor frontal showers on Wednesday evening to the heart of Helene moving through on Friday morning, it was one of the most incredible and impactful weather events our state has ever seen.”
    Record rain brings reports of “biblical devastation”

    From Wednesday to Friday, the office said that there were more than 8 inches of rain across the western North Carolina mountains, with some areas seeing a foot or more. The highest rainfall total was in Busick, with a three-day total of 31.33 inches — more than 2.5 feet.

    At least a dozen weather stations recorded their wettest three-day periods on record, the office said. Asheville Regional Airport lost communications on Friday morning after Helene’s landfall, but had already reported just under 14 inches of rain. That amount, the office said, was “nearly three months’ worth of precipitation … in less than three days.”

    All of that rain caused rivers to flood, landslides and mudslides, leading to rescues across several counties.

    In Buncombe County, home to Asheville, Emergency Services Assistant Director Ryan Cole told the Citizen-Times that “catastrophic devastation” didn’t accurately describe the impact the deluge had.

    “It would go a little bit further and say we have biblical devastation through the county,” Cole said. “We’ve had biblical flooding here and it has been extremely significant.”
    The newspaper quoted county manager Avril Pinder as saying, “this is looking to be Buncombe County’s own Hurricane Katrina.”

    .The winds, which surpassed hurricane speeds in some places, contributed to widespread power outages. Millions were left without power across several states because of Helene, and as of Tuesday morning, hundreds of thousands remain without electricity in North Carolina alone.

    “The rapid intensification of Helene over the Gulf, the amount of moisture available in its surrounding environment, and its manifestation as locally heavy – and in some cases, historically unheard of – rainfall amounts are all known side effects of a warmer atmosphere,” the office said.

    Last year was already the warmest humans had ever recorded and 2024 has seen countless heat records. The continued use of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that are trapping heat within the atmosphere, increasing average temperatures that fuel extreme weather events like Helene.

  • Newswire : Breaking barriers: Ovarian Cancer Study expanded to Africa

    Nurse working on cancer study

    By Stacy M. Brown
    NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers Dr. Sophia George and Dr. Matthew Schlumbrecht are leading an ambitious study focused on ovarian cancer treatment for women of African descent. Their work, based at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, aims to address a critical gap in cancer research: the underrepresentation of Black women in clinical trials, specifically for the drug niraparib.

    George, a molecular geneticist, and Schlumbrecht, a gynecologic oncologist, have expanded their research beyond the U.S. and the Caribbean to Africa. In July, they launched the study in Nigeria, giving them access to data from a population often overlooked in cancer research. According to the University of Miami, their goal is to understand how women of African ancestry metabolize drugs like niraparib, a PARP inhibitor that has transformed treatment for certain ovarian cancer patients.

    While niraparib has proven effective, Black women made up only 1.6% of participants in the drug’s pivotal PRIMA study. George and Schlumbrecht’s new study is specifically designed to address this gap by enrolling women of African descent.
    “We know from other drugs that how women of African ancestry metabolize drugs can differ from those of European ancestry,” Dr. Schlumbrecht explained in a news release. “The data we gain will allow us to confirm appropriate dosing, counsel patients on side effects, lobby for government coverage, and ultimately expand access to this life-saving treatment.”

    The study’s significance has already drawn national attention. The White House highlighted it as part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which seeks to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years.

    “This recognition underscores the importance of our work,” said George. “We are increasing our ability to successfully identify and treat women of all backgrounds with ovarian cancer.”

    George and Schlumbrecht said they plan to enroll patients from the U.S., the Caribbean, and Nigeria over the next three years, tracking their progress through ancillary studies on tumor DNA biomarkers and patient quality of life. The researchers will also explore homologous recombination deficiency profiles to assess whether the drug works as expected at the molecular level.

    A key part of the study involves understanding the variability among Black women. “Not all Black women are the same,” Schlumbrecht noted. “By including participants from the U.S., Nigeria, and the Bahamas, we are gaining insights that will inform clinical practice globally.”

    Their work in Nigeria is rooted in a long-standing collaboration with Nigerian medical professionals. Schlumbrecht has made five trips to the country, mentoring local researchers, teaching surgical techniques, and co-leading tumor boards with Nigerian oncologists. These partnerships have been instrumental in establishing the study at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria.

    “The clinical trial is truly a team effort,” said Schlumbrecht. “This is an example of how we can eliminate ovarian cancer disparities when we work together across borders.”
    As the study progresses, the researchers said they hope to provide critical data on drug safety and effectiveness and advance global efforts to reduce health inequities and improve outcomes for women of African descent.
     

     

  • Newswire : Biden-Harris Administration unveils major new steps to curb gun violence and save lives;Executive Order targets emerging firearm threats and enhances school safety

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Writer


    President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced sweeping new measures to combat gun violence in America today, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s ongoing efforts to reduce firearm-related deaths. Central to this initiative is a new Executive Order that directs federal agencies to address the rising threats posed by machinegun conversion devices and 3D-printed firearms and to improve the effectiveness of school-based active shooter drills.

    The White House said the steps build on the administration’s already extensive record in gun violence prevention. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris administration said it has worked to address the alarming spike in violent crime left by the previous administration.

    The American Rescue Plan allocated over $15 billion to law enforcement and public safety strategies, focusing on community violence interventions. In June 2022, Biden signed the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which the White House called the most significant gun violence prevention law passed in nearly three decades. A year later, the administration established the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a ground-breaking program under Vice President Harris’ direction.

    The administration said this decisive leadership has had tangible results: in 2023, the U.S. witnessed the sharpest decline homicide rates in recent history, a trend that has only accelerated into 2024. From January to June of this year, homicides fell another 17%, while mass shootings declined by 20%, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

    As the administration celebrates the first anniversary of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Biden and Harris – the Democratic presidential nominee, said they are once again raising the bar with additional actions designed to save lives.

    Combating the Latest Firearms Threats

    A central focus of the new Executive Order is the fight against emerging firearms technologies. Two specific threats are highlighted: machinegun conversion devices and 3D-printed, unserialized firearms—both of which are increasingly found at crime scenes across the country. Machinegun conversion devices, which can turn a semi-automatic firearm into an illegal automatic weapon, have surged by 570% between 2017 and 2021, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). These devices, often 3D-printed for less than a dollar, can fire up to 20 bullets in a single second, posing an unprecedented threat.

    Unserialized firearms, commonly known as “ghost guns,” also present an evolving danger. Produced through 3D printing and undetectable by standard security measures, these firearms are often used for gun trafficking and other illegal activities. Officials noted that law enforcement cannot trace them, making criminal investigations harder and communities less safe.

    Biden and Harris announced they are forming an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force in response. The Task Force will evaluate the federal government’s ability to detect and intercept these weapons and will submit a report within 90 days outlining what additional resources or authorities are necessary to stop this growing threat.

    Enhancing School Safety

    In the wake of numerous school shootings, the administration announced further steps to protect America’s students. The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Education and other top officials to improve active shooter drills in schools. While many schools have already conducted these drills, concerns about the psychological impact on students, teachers, and parents have emerged. The administration is committed to ensuring these drills are effective without causing trauma.

    Over the next 110 days, federal agencies will collaborate to create guidance for schools that will make drills safer and more developmentally appropriate while also accommodating people with disabilities and language needs.

    Expanding on Life-Saving Initiatives

    Beyond the Executive Order, the administration announced steps to promote firearm safety, improve background checks, and fund community violence interventions:

    Safe Gun Storage and Red Flag Laws: The Department of Education is launching a new tool for schools to promote safe gun storage, while the Department of Justice is awarding $135 million to states for implementing “red flag” laws, which temporarily remove firearms from individuals in crisis.
    Community Violence Interventions: An additional $85 million will go toward community violence intervention programs, a key part of the administration’s strategy to prevent gun violence before it happens.

    Background Check Improvements: New model legislation will be available for states to address legal gaps that prevent juvenile records from being shared during firearm background checks, a requirement under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
    Gun Violence Data: The ATF and FBI will release updated data on gun violence trends, including details on ghost guns and firearm trafficking.

    Addressing the Trauma of Gun Violence

    The toll of gun violence extends beyond the immediate victims, affecting entire communities. This fall, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will roll out new resources to support survivors of gun violence and their families. From best practices for trauma recovery to toolkits for educators and community leaders, the White House said these initiatives aim to help communities heal from the devastating effects of firearm violence.

    Looking Ahead

    Biden and Harris said they’ve continued to call on Congress to pass comprehensive gun safety legislation, including a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks, and the repeal of legal immunity for gun manufacturers.

    “These actions are saving lives, but we cannot do it alone. Congress must step up,” Biden stated. “Every day, we delay, more lives are at risk.”
     

  • OnMed Wellness Center opens at Boligee Complex

    Partners from Auburn University, the Greene County Extension Service, the University of West  Alabama, Town of Boligee Mayor and City Council, Greene County Commission  and OnMed  Representatives at the grand opening of wellness center.

    Through the collaboration of Auburn University, the Greene County Extension Office, City of Boligee and Greene County Commission, the grand opening of the OnMed Wellness Center at the Boligee Complex (former Paramount High School) was held September 22, 2024.
    Boligee Mayor Hattie Samuels and City Council, Commissioner Roshanda Summerville of District 5# and Greene County Extension Coordinator, Doug Fulghum with OnMed and Auburn University gathered to initiate a wide variety of health and wellness services to the community.
    The OnMed Care Station is available to community members for convenient access to affordable primary care, including diagnosis, referral, prescription, and treatment options.
    As a land grant university dedicated to improving the lives of people throughout Alabama, Auburn University is proud to launch its Rural Health Project. Auburn University faculty, staff and students will be participating in community events and through the Center to provide services including medication management support, education for self-care of chronic conditions, exercise and nutrition programs, COVID-19 vaccines and testing along with speech, language, and hearing evaluations.
    OnMed was founded on the commitment to make quality affordable healthcare accessible to all. The company was born out of an innovative spirit and belief that it could create a more effective way for people to receive care, including getting the medications they need quickly. The goal is to create a patient experience that maintained clinical standards and protocols to provide a highly personalized empathy-based clinician-patient connection.
    The OnMed Virtual Care Platform utilizes a broad range of diagnostic and interactive technologies to ensure a highly efficient and effective experience, but does not sacrifice the real-life dynamics of a traditional brick and mortar clinic setting.
    Beyond designing a new Primary Care model and patient experience with the OnMed platform, we also envisioned a new professional opportunity for clinicians to practice medicine and serve patients without the normal constraints or requirements of working inside hospitals or clinics. Going forward, OnMed will continue to expand the breadth of care provided and clinical needs addressed through new technologies and services, along with our on going commitment to deliver the best patient experience possible.
    Walk-ins always welcome. Walk out with what you need. No appointment needed, just enter and press START. Our OnMed clinicians will join you immediately via our interactive screen to introduce themselves and walk you through your entire appointment. Your visit will be private, safe and secure and the OnMed Care Station room will automatically clean and sanitize itself after you leave for the next patient.

    Meds in Minutes: OnMed’s proprietary robotic dispensary system allows our clinicians to provide you with the necessary OTC or prescription medications at the time of your visit.
    Your Vitals Matter: OnMed’s care visit includes real-time measurements of your key vitals for an accurate diagnosis and treatment experience. Your key health metrics are displayed instantly on the screen.
    Clean: The OnMed Care Station is carefully sanitized using UV lighting
    Private: Privacy when in use with LCD glass that is fogged completely when activated
    Accessible: Services available to anyone, anywhere, including rural and remote areas
    Affordable: Works with major insurance and only a fraction of the cost of a traditional doctor’s office visit
    Secure: HIPAA compliant transfer and storage of all patient data using advanced encryption technology
    Convenient: Open 5 days a week 8-4 hours and no appointment needed

  • Eutaw City Council hears citizen complaints about water quality in Boligee

    The Eutaw City Council met for its regular fourth Tuesday monthly meeting. All council members were present. The Council handled mostly routine business. In the public comment period, at the end of the meeting, several residents of Boligee complained about the quality of water they are receiving in Boligee.

    The residents who were complaining about the water felt they did not get adequate answers to their questions and wanted the Eutaw City Council to schedule a “town hall meeting” where residents could express their concerns and get better responses. Several members of the Council said they would consider the request for a town hall meeting in the future. They also said that residents could attend their work session meetings and raise questions in more detail.

    The Council for the second time, tabled a motion to increase the salaries of the mayor and councilmembers. These increases would not go into effect until after the next municipal election for those persons elected at the next municipal election in August 2025. Mayor Latasha Johnson stated that she is opposed to these raises until the council approves raises for employees. These decisions will be made as part of the next fiscal year budget, which begins on October 1, 2024.

    Several projects were listed in the ‘old business’ section of the agenda, which are projects to clean vacant lots and remove unstable buildings, old cars and other problems. The areas listed were: Ditch between Edwards Drive and Roebuck Avenue, Burned house on Banks Avenue, Holes in the road by Mrs. Bessie Harris’ house, House on O’Neal Street next to Mollie Rowe’s house, and House on 3rd Avenue.

    Mayor Johnson said that the city was implementing a new ordinance, wherein, if the homeowners do not clean up these vacant lots, the city can do the clean-up and charge the property owners for the cost. The city has acquired the proper and necessary stickers and a police person, with a car, trained to act in accordance with the new ordinance. The Mayor said she would report on progress at these sites in future meetings.

    In other business, the Council acted on the following:

    • Approved registration, travel and per diem for Councilwoman Suzette Powell to attend the AARC Training Conference in Huntsville on October 6-9, 2024.
    •Approved registration, travel and per diem costs for Assistant Police Chief William Smith to attend a Command Leadership Institute in Huntsville on October 21-25,2024.

    • Received financial reports on City bank accounts in Merchants and Farmers Bank through August 31, 2024, from Financial Advisor Ralph Liverman. These reports will be used to prepare a budget for the coming fiscal year. Liverman plans to visit in early October to help prepare the budget in consultation with the Mayor and Councilmembers.

    • Received a letter on the new Alabama Municipal Official Training Act which requires the mayor and councilmembers to receive a minimum of 40 hours training in their first year of service and at least 5 hours of training every year thereafter.

    • Approved payment of outstanding bills.

    Mayor Johnson in her report said that she could not do her job, “without God, the Council, the staff and the residents of the City of Eutaw”.

    After adjournment, the Council opened for public comments and questions. Several Boligee residents asked about the safety of drinking water from the municipal system since it was often brown in color and seemed dirty to them. Iris Sermon asked about the Boligee sewage system,
    which was still spilling sewage on the ground at pumping stations.

    Delores Smith, a Lock 7 resident complained about land taken for eminent domain for the airport. She reported that the City was selling her land and wanted to get her land back since it had not been used for the airport. The Mayor said that she did not know about the sale of this land but would check with the Eutaw Airport Authority about the situation.

    Mayor Johnson indicated that she would try to schedule a meeting, with the city engineer present, to discuss the status and progress of the City of Eutaw – Boligee water and sewer improvement project. At this meeting, they would try to answer resident’s questions and concerns about the project.

  • Newswire : Some African countries will kill elephants and other animals to provide food for people starving because of drought

    Drought map showing lack of rainfall in southern Africa

    By: BlackmansStreet today

    Southern African countries Zimbabwe and Namibia have announced plans to slaughter hundreds of wild elephants and other animals to feed citizens who are starving because of the severe drought that began in 2024.
     
    Zimbabwe said Monday it would allow the killing of 200 elephants so that their meat can be distributed among needy communities. In Namibia the killing of more than 700 wild animals — including 83 elephants — is underway as part of a plan announced three weeks ago, reported the Associated Press.

    Tinashe Farawo, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said permits would be issued in needy communities to hunt elephants and that the agency also would kill some of the overall allotment of 200 animals.

    “We will start culling as soon as we have finished issuing out permits,” Farawo said.

    The elephants will be taken from an area where the population has become unsustainable, Farawo said. The hunting will take place in areas such as Hwange National Park in the country’s arid western region, where there has been increasing competition between humans and wildlife for food and water as rising temperatures make the resources more scarce.

    Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia are among the countries in Southern Africa most affected by malnutrition caused by the drought.

    In early June, the United Nations World Food Programme highlighted the dire effects of the drought, particularly on communities already vulnerable to food shortages.

    “Rural communities we have met on the ground tell us they have never seen anything like this. They are extremely worried about their future,” said Reena Ghelani, the UN climate crisis coordinator for the El Nino response.

    Southern Africa saw its driest February in 100 years, the UN reported. The area received only 20 percent of the usual rainfall. 

  • Newswire : Justice Department opens civil rights investigation Into Rankin County Sheriff’s Department

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into Rankin County, Mississippi, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD). The probe will determine whether the RCSD engages in unconstitutional practices, including excessive force, unlawful stops, and racially discriminatory policing. Rankin County, which has a population of about 160,000, is located 30 minutes east of Jackson, the state capital.

    The investigation follows the highly publicized case involving the so-called “Goon Squad,” a group of five former Rankin County deputies convicted for the brutal assault of two Black men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, in January 2023. Those deputies were sentenced to federal prison, but the Justice Department is now examining whether the issues within the department are more widespread.

    “We are launching this investigation to examine serious allegations that the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department systematically violates people’s constitutional rights through excessive use of force, unlawful stops and arrests, and discriminatory policing,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

    The investigation will scrutinize the RCSD’s use of force, including deadly force, and evaluate whether officers have engaged in unlawful searches, stops, and arrests in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The Justice Department will also assess claims of discriminatory policing practices that could violate the 14th Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the Safe Streets Act.

    Rankin County officials have pledged their cooperation with the investigation. The DOJ said it would review the sheriff department’s policies, training, and oversight systems. Investigators will gather information by meeting with community members, law enforcement officers, and department leadership.

    Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division referenced the Goon Squad case in remarks about the investigation, stating, “Although the Goon Squad deputies are now serving time, we have received numerous reports that their actions were part of a broader pattern of misconduct that persists within the sheriff’s department.”

    Officials said the investigation is being conducted under the authority of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which allows the Justice Department to address law enforcement misconduct through civil litigation. This marks the 12th such investigation into law enforcement practices opened by the Justice Department during the Biden administration. Recent investigations into departments in Phoenix and Louisville have led to significant reforms.

    “The pursuit of justice is not just about punishing individual officers; it’s about ensuring that the culture of policing reflects the values of our Constitution,” Garland said. “No community should live in fear of those sworn to protect them.”

  • Newswire : New report exposes tax system’s role in widening racial wealth gap, calls for urgent reforms 

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

     

    Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, and Americans for Tax Fairness released a damning report Thursday exposing the deep racial inequities entrenched in the U.S. tax system.

    The issue brief “How Tax Fairness Can Promote Racial Equity,” written by Color of Change Managing Director Portia Allen-Kyle and Americans for Tax Fairness Executive Director David Kass, exposes the systemic flaws in tax policy that have widened the racial wealth gap and prevented economic mobility for Black, brown, and Indigenous communities.

    The report urgently calls for sweeping reforms to stop the flow of tax benefits to the wealthiest Americans — who are overwhelmingly white — while offering concrete solutions to make the tax code work for everyone, not just the top 1%.

    “An equitable tax system does two things,” Allen-Kyle asserted. “It narrows the racial wealth gap from the bottom up and spurs economic mobility for Black, brown, and Indigenous individuals and families. Our current tax code fails on both accounts. It’s a prime example of how so-called ‘colorblind’ systems actively prevent Black families from building generational wealth and economic security.”

    Tax Code Deepens Racial Disparities, Experts Say

    The brief pulls no punches in describing how current tax policies disproportionately benefit wealthy white families, further deepening racial inequalities. By giving preferential treatment to wealth over work, the system locks in economic advantages for white households while leaving communities of color to bear the brunt of these inequities.

    “Our tax system is not only failing to address racial wealth inequality, it’s exacerbating it,” Kass warns in the report. “We privilege wealth over work, fail to adequately tax our richest households and corporations, and allow inherited fortunes to compound unchecked by taxation. This perpetuates a legacy of racial inequality.”

    The racial wealth gap has exploded in recent years, with the median wealth gap between Black and white households jumping from $172,000 in 2019 to over $214,000 in 2022. Economic crises such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic further entrenched these divides, benefiting the already wealthy, while leaving Black, brown and Indigenous communities further behind.

    The Racial Wealth Gap and Homeownership

    Homeownership, long touted as a primary means of building wealth in America, has failed to deliver for Black families. The report points to factors such as biased home appraisals and a regressive property tax system as key reasons why Black homeowners have been unable to accumulate wealth at the same rate as their white counterparts.

    As the brief notes, with critical provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) set to expire, now is a pivotal moment for tax reform. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform our tax system to address racial inequality,” the report states, comparing recent monumental legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Three Key Reforms to Tackle Racial Inequity

    The report lays out three central reforms aimed at curbing the wealth concentration among the ultra-rich and dismantling the racial inequities baked into the tax code:

    Taxing Wealth Fairly: The report calls for equalizing the tax rates on wealth and work. Currently, capital gains — profits from investments — are taxed at a far lower rate than wages earned by working people, a disparity that overwhelmingly benefits white households. The vast majority of capital gains income flows to white families, who comprise only two-thirds of taxpayers but receive 92% of the benefits from lower tax rates on investment income.

    Strengthening the Estate Tax: The estate tax, which is supposed to curb the accumulation of dynastic wealth, has been weakened over time, allowing large fortunes — primarily held by white families — to grow even larger across generations. The report calls for stronger enforcement of the estate tax to prevent the further entrenchment of wealth and power within a small, overwhelmingly white elite.


    Targeting Tax Deductions to Benefit Lower-Income Households: Deductions for mortgage interest, college savings, and retirement accounts disproportionately benefit wealthier, predominantly white households. In order to prevent lower-income and minority households from falling behind due to policies that are currently biased in favor of the wealthy, the brief advocates for restructuring these deductions.

    Biden-Harris Administration and Senate Proposals for Change

    Both the Biden-Harris administration and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden have proposed addressing the racial wealth gap. The Billionaire Minimum Income Tax (BMIT) and the Billionaire Income Tax (BIT) would ensure that the wealthiest Americans — who often go years without paying taxes — contribute their fair share. These proposals would raise over $500 billion in revenue over the next decade, which could be reinvested in healthcare, education, and housing for communities of color.

    As the report points out, our current tax system is skewed in favor of the ultrawealthy. It allows the rich to avoid paying taxes on the increased value of their investments unless they sell them. They often borrow against these growing fortunes, further delaying taxation, which allows white billionaires to accumulate vast wealth while paying a fraction of what working families pay in taxes.

    A Call for Urgent Action

    The message from Color of Change and Americans for Tax Fairness is clear: America’s tax system is broken, and without immediate reforms, the racial wealth gap will continue to widen.
    “Addressing the insidious racial preferences in our tax code is one of the most direct ways we can not only help Black communities grow here and now but for generations to come,” Allen-Kyle concludes.

  • Newswire : Birmingham 5 Points South mass shooting: $100,000 reward offered; 2 victims had faced murder charges

    Crime scene in Birmingham, AL

    By Carol Robinson, AL.com

     

    As the search continues for the gunmen sought in the weekend mass shooting in Birmingham’s Five Points South that killed four and wounded 17 others, authorities on Monday announced reward money of up to $100,000 offered by the FBI and Crime Stoppers.

    Police Chief Scott Thurmond said investigators are still working on the theory that the barrage of automatic gunfire was a “hit” — a murder-for-hire targeting at least one of the men killed in the shooting.

    Two of the victims, Carlos De’Juan McCain, 27, and Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr., 26, both were charged in past Birmingham homicides. McCain was acquitted of murder and attempted murder in 2017 in the shooting death of 15-year-old Kelvon Julius, who police said was killed in retaliation for another shooting in 2015. A young woman was also wounded in the gunfire that killed Kelvon. Kelvon’s slaying happened June 4, 2016, on 12th Street South. A second suspect pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

    Patterson was previously charged with murder in the 2021 shooting of 20-year-old Dentarius Maurice Jackson, who was gunned down at the gas pumps at the Chevron on First Ave. North. In 2022, the murder charge against Patterson was dismissed at the request of prosecutors citing “death, unavailability, and non-cooperation of witnesses.”
    Court records show no criminal histories for the other two people killed – Anitra Hollomon, 21, and Tahj Booker, 27.

    Thurmond said he would not yet identify who investigators believe was the targeted victim in Saturday’s mass shooting, and said police are still trying to determine whether a second victim was also targeted. “There could be multiple motives for the one individual we believe was targeted. Others could have been targeted,’’ Thurmond said. “We’re still looking into that.”

    “Some of the individuals killed have extensive criminal histories and because of that, there’s often motivation from others, and there’s people willing to pay to have them killed,’’ the chief said.

    Thurmond, Mayor Randall Woodfin and other law enforcement officials held a news conference Monday to update the investigation and announce the reward. FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples announced the reward for information on arrest and conviction. Frank Barefield of Crime Stoppers said its reward is for information leading to the identity of the suspects and is the largest ever offered by them.

    The previous record was $25,000 after the abuduction of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney. The 3-year-old was abducted from a birthday party in 2019 and later found murdered. Two people were arrested and convicted.

  • For November 5th election – October 21st is last day to register; Absentee Ballot mail applications are due by October 29th

    Today we are less than seven weeks from the November 5, 2024 General Election, when we will vote for the 47th President f the United States, a Vice-President and all the 435 members of the U. S. House of Representatives. One third of the states will be electing a U. S. Senator.

    The Presidential race between Kamala Harris, current Vice- President, and Donald J. Trump, former President, has attracted a lot of attention but there is a long ballot of state and local officials to also vote for on Nov. 5th.

    Monday, October 21, 2024, is the last day to register to vote in the November 5th General Election. In Alabama, registration ends 14 days before an election. You have more than 30 days to register, if you will be 18 years or older on election day. You can also change your precinct and place to vote if you have moved since the last election.

    As of August 2024, there are total of 3,768,164 registered voters in Alabama, a nearly a 60,000 person increase from 2020. In Greene County, we have 6,800 people registered voters. More may be added by election day.

    If you were previously incarcerated and lost your voting rights, for a crime that was not of moral turpitude, you may be able to get your voting rights restored. There are several organizations in the state that specialize in restoring voting rights google and contact them if you need help with this process.

    According to Greene County Circuit Clerk, Veronica Morton-Jones, “You can submit an application for an absentee ballot, for the November 5th General Election, now until October 29th for a mail in ballot. We have had our ballots since September 12, 2024, so we are ready for people who want to vote absentee.”

    You are eligible for an absentee ballot, if you are out of the county on election day; if you are disabled or unable to get to the polls on election day; if you have to work beyond the polling hours; and if you are out of town for employment or studying (college students) reasons, you are eligible to vote an absentee ballot.

    Jones said, “If you need an absentee ballot, you can call my office at 205-372-3598, to request a ballot and we will mail it to you. If you mail in your request for an absentee ballot, you can only mail one request in an envelope. The request for a mail-in ballot must also be accompanied by a copy of your voter’s photo identification. Your request must reach us by October 29th. Since the mails are slow, I urge you to send your absentee ballot requests now so they will not be made late by the postal service.”

    Jones also indicated that you can walk into her office in the William McKinley Branch Courthouse and request an absentee ballot because you will not be in the county on election day and vote right then. This is a way for voters to select a convenient time for them to vote if they will be away or have difficulty getting to the polls o election day. The deadline for walk-in absentee voters is October 31, 2024.

    If you vote absentee be sure to follow the instructions on the return envelope. You must sign your ballot and have the signatures of two witnesses or a notary to certify your signature. If you walk in to vote at the Circuit Clerk’s office, all of the personnel are notaries and can certify your signature on the ballot.

    There is a new law passed in Alabama that makes it more difficult to help your relatives, friends and neighbors to vote absentee. You cannot accept funds for work in helping people to apply for and vote absentee – this will be considered “ballot harvesting” and subject to criminal penalties. You cannot collect numerous ballots and mail them in the same envelope. Each ballot must be sent in an individual envelope signed by the voter and witnessed.