By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced new proposed regulations to expand student debt relief, potentially impacting around 8 million borrowers facing financial hardship. The proposal, introduced by the U.S. Department of Education, would allow the Secretary of Education to forgive loans in cases where borrowers are unlikely to repay due to severe hardship or where continued collection costs are deemed unjustified.
“For far too long, our broken student loan system has made it too hard for borrowers experiencing heartbreaking and financially devastating hardships to access relief, and it’s not right,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. The proposed rules, developed through a negotiated rulemaking session in early 2024, outline two pathways for relief: automatic loan forgiveness based on predictive data for at-risk borrowers and an application-based process for those with persistent financial struggles. If finalized, the new rules would ensure lasting support for some of the most financially vulnerable Americans, including many Pell Grant recipients.
This new initiative comes as the Biden-Harris Administration continues to press forward with efforts to alleviate student debt despite significant opposition from MAGA Republicans and setbacks imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court. In previous moves to support students and families, the Administration secured a $900 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award—the largest in a decade—and established protections against career programs that leave graduates with unsustainable debt.
In addition to these efforts, nearly 5 million borrowers have already received debt relief through various targeted programs. The measures include $74 billion for over a million borrowers under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), up from just 7,000 approvals at the start of the Biden Administration; $56.5 billion for over 1.4 million borrowers under income-driven repayment plans, which addressed past administrative issues and improper forbearance practices; $28.7 billion for more than 1.6 million borrowers who attended schools that engaged in fraudulent practices or abruptly closed; and $16.2 billion for close to 572,000 borrowers with permanent disabilities.
The Department of Education’s new proposal aims to provide two types of pathways to relief. The first would enable automatic forgiveness for borrowers identified through data-driven assessments as likely to default within the next two years. The second, an application-based option, would evaluate individual cases where hardship remains unaddressed by other repayment options.
The Department plans to publish these regulations in the Federal Register in the coming weeks and open a 30-day comment period on Regulations.gov. The Department aims to finalize the regulations in 2025, broadening debt relief options and providing vital support for millions of student borrowers.
“President Biden, Vice President Harris, and I will not stop fighting to deliver student debt relief and create a fairer, more just, and more affordable student loan system for all borrowers,” Cardona stated.
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Journal-isms
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining among Black male voters and Donald Trump’s appeal is declining, the NAACP said Monday, unveiling fresh survey information just days before election day Nov. 5.
The nation’s oldest civil rights organization attributed whatever success the Republican former president has had with Black men to misinformation and disinformation on social media, which has usurped both broadcast and cable television as media of choice for younger Black voters, as well as a decline in civics education in the nation’s schools. Those who favored Trump were also the least likely to vote, they said.
At a midday press briefing, NAACP President Derrick Johnson also faulted the news media for focusing too much on “side issues, when there is a clear and present danger that should be addressed head on.” Trump supporters are seeking to create a “Jan. 6 reality,” he said.
The organization found that from August to October, Black men under 50 decreased their likelihood to vote for Trump (27-21%) and increased their likelihood to vote for Harris (51-59%). The number of Black people who are certain Trump voters has declined by 11 percent since a September survey, while support for Harris has risen by 6 percent, the survey found.
“Black men are the least Trump male voters in America,” said Joshua Doss, senior pollster and political strategist at HIT Strategies, which conducted the polling for the NAACP, yet media coverage has been “a little misleading,” with the exaggerations “popping up in focus groups.”
NAACP officers and HIT pollsters also said they were heartened by results showing that discussion of health issues was resonating with Black men and that more than half said they planned to vote in down-ballot races, indicating that their perception of the value of “community power” was on the rise.
“The concept of voter apathy is declining” among those surveyed, said Phaedra Jackson, vice president of unit advocacy and effectiveness at the NAACP, perhaps a natural consequence of the truism that more people pay attention to the election after Labor Day.
Johnson called the misinformation and disinformation on social media the biggest obstacle to getting African Americans to cast ballots, saying media consumption habits were generational. The median age for African Americans is 32.
The difference between the broadcast media and cable, favored by previous generations, said Johnson, is that “You have social media without any guard rails.” And “you have a whole generation who never had civics making bad choices, including not to vote.”
The NAACP is meeting the change in media habits by “meeting people where they are” — through digital media — but Johnson also said “the biggest hurdle now is an education hurdle.”
The get-out-the-vote drive is operating on many fronts, including the courts. The officials pointed to a victory this month in Nebraska, where a state Supreme Court ruled that state election officials must comply with a law allowing former felons to vote immediately after they complete their sentences instead of waiting two years.
“To date, NAACP’s $20 million civic engagement program has reached over 60 million Americans through canvassing, digital outreach, community outreach, and digital, print & radio ads,” the organization added.
“The NAACP has successfully ended Georgia’s Hand Count rule, prevented the disenfranchisement of thousands of WA voters, and halted Alabama’s ‘Purge Program’ through coordinated litigation.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee Monday announced “a first-ever seven-figure ‘I Will Vote’ ad campaign targeting Black voters through ads in 55 Black publications and on 48 Black radio stations across the country. The historic ad campaign will feature radio spots from Kerry Washington, LeToya Luckett-Coles, John Legend, and Stevie Wonder,” it said.
“This strategic investment comes on the heels of several paid ad campaigns launched by the DNC and the Harris-Walz campaign aimed at turning out and mobilizing Black voters – a critical voting bloc this election. The DNC’s ‘I Will Vote’ campaign directs voters to the DNC’s most complete, accurate, and up-to-date national coverage of polling places and voter education information all in one place to empower Black communities with the information they need to exercise their right to vote in this critical election cycle.”
In another development, BET Media Group announced Monday it will premiere the ‘BET Black Men’s Summit,’ hosted by comedian, actor, and radio host D.L. Hughley. Airing on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 10 PM ET/9 PM CT and streaming on BET+, BET.com, and across the BET social media platforms.”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
With just one week to Election Day and over 51 million ballots already cast, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris delivered a historic closing argument before an enthusiastic crowd estimated at over 75,000 at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Initially planned as an intimate gathering of around 8,000, the rally quickly transformed into a record-breaking show of support, highlighting Harris’s momentum in the final days of her campaign as she aims to become the first woman, and first Black woman, to serve as President of the United States.
At 7:37 p.m. EST, Harris took the stage to a thunderous, rockstar-like reception, complete with red and blue lights strobing and a standing ovation that roared on. “Good Evening America!” Harris greeted the crowd. “Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives,” she said, as chants of “Kamala, Kamala” echoed through the crowd.
“One week from today, you will have a chance to make a decision that directly affects your lives, the lives of your family, and the future of this country. It will probably be the most important vote you’ve ever cast,” she continued. “It’s more than just a choice between two parties and two different candidates. It’s about a choice of whether you have a country of freedom, or one ruled by division.”
Harris drew a sharp contrast between herself and her opponent, former President Donald Trump, who held his farewell rally at Madison Square Garden two days prior, a gathering that featured racially charged rhetoric. Standing at the same Ellipse where Trump, on January 6, 2021, encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol, Harris recalled that tragic day.
“We know who Donald Trump is. He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the U.S. Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election — an election that he knew he lost,” Harris said during her 30-minute speech. “Americans died as a result; 140 law enforcement officers were injured.” The crowd’s response was electric as Harris continued, “While Donald Trump sat in the White House watching as the violence unfolded, he was told the mob wanted to kill his own vice president, and he responded with two words: ‘so what.’ That’s who Donald Trump is. He wants you to give him another four years.” In an unflinching critique, Harris called Trump “unstable, obsessed with revenge, and out for unchecked power,” and warned that a Trump administration would mean more division, chaos, and retribution. “Donald Trump wants to avoid his problems. He intends to use the U.S. military against Americans who simply disagree with him,” Harris charged. “He’s not focused on making your life better. He’s consumed by grievance.”
Harris emphasized her dedication to uniting the country, saying her focus was on “common ground and common-sense solutions.” She pledged to be president for all Americans, a theme underscored by banners reading “Freedom” and “USA” that adorned the event space. “I am not looking to score political points; I am looking to make progress,” she asserted. “Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail.” Harris assured the crowd, “We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms. It’s time to turn the page on the drama, conflict, fear, and division.”
The atmosphere, likened to a festival with loudspeakers blaring upbeat music and flags distributed to attendees, deeply moved Southeast D.C. resident Fatimah Glasnow, who arrived five hours early to secure her spot. “The feeling here is hope, love, and peace,” Glasnow said. “An America where we can all thrive, regardless of our race or gender. I needed this kind of energy in my life.” She expressed confidence in Harris’s promises, particularly on issues of social and maternal justice. “She’s advocated for social justice and, really, justice itself.”
For Harris, the event carried personal significance, serving as a moment to explain what drives her as a leader. “There’s something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that, frankly, just gets to me,” she shared. “I don’t like it. It’s what my mother instilled in me — a drive to hold accountable those who use their wealth or power to take advantage of others.”
Addressing the fall of Roe v. Wade, Harris assured the crowd that she would fight to restore the reproductive rights she argued Trump and his Supreme Court appointees had taken away. “I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court justices took away from the women of America,” she declared, reiterating her commitment to preserving and expanding civil rights.
Capitol Hill resident Leander Davis, a social services worker, said Harris’s words resonated deeply. “She’s all of us,” Davis said. “She’s been criticized, ostracized, demonized, and called all sorts of names, yet she hasn’t stopped fighting for what’s right. When she’s president, we will all be better off.”
Harris emphasized that her campaign was about more than just policy changes; it was about ensuring fairness and justice for every American. “If you give me the chance to fight on your behalf, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way,” she promised, highlighting her experience as a prosecutor who fought against cartels, banks, and for-profit colleges.
Harris’s electrifying rally at the Ellipse, with its powerful visuals of American flags and banners of unity, drew a clear contrast with Trump’s rhetoric. “If elected, Donald Trump would walk into that office,” Harris said, gesturing toward the White House, “with an enemies list. When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list.” She stressed that her administration would prioritize solutions to lower costs, support working families, and restore a sense of unity and purpose.
Harris emphasized that, despite her time serving under President Joe Biden, her presidency would take a different course because of the unique difficulties that America is currently facing. “I have been honored to serve as Joe Biden’s vice president,” she said. “But I will bring my own experiences and ideas to the Oval Office. My presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different.”
The vice president also tackled the political lightning rod of immigration. “Politicians have got to stop treating immigration as an issue to scare up votes in an election, – and instead treat it as the serious challenge that it is,” Harris said, “that we must finally come together to solve.”
“I will work with Democrats and Republicans to sign into law the border security bill that Donald Trump killed,” she demanded.
Harris said while she will focus on prosecuting cartels and transnational gangs, “we must acknowledge we are a nation of immigrants.”“And I will work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hardworking immigrants, like farmworkers and our laborers.”
At the close of her speech, Harris delivered a final rallying cry. “America, for too long, we have been consumed with division, chaos, and mutual distrust. But it doesn’t have to be this way,” she asserted. “It is time for a new generation of leadership in America, and I am ready to offer that leadership as the next President of the United States.”
She said she “grew up as a child of the civil rights movement, my parents would take me to marches in a stroller where crowds of people of all races, faiths and walks of life came together to fight for the ideals of freedom and opportunity. I’ve lived the promise of America.”
School board members receive Certificates of Completion from the Alabama Association of School Boards in recognition of successfully completing all School Board Governance Improvement Act training requirements for 2023-2024. L to R: Board members Robert Davis, Carrie Dancy, Board President Leo Branch, Vice President Veronica Richardson, Board member Brandon Merriweather and Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones.
The Greene County Board of Education met in regular session, Monday, October 21, 2024 with all board members present. The board’s preliminary activities included roll call, welcome to visitors and approval of the various minutes including called meetings for Budget Hearings I and II; September 16 regular meeting and September 20 called meeting. Superintendent t Dr, Corey Jones report began with the statement that there were no COVID cases reported at the schools since the last board meeting. He also gave positive news updates on student and community activities at each district school including guest speakers, PTA meetings, students participation in WOW activities as well as students visits to various HBCU’s ( Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in Alabama. He noted that similar visits are scheduled for HBCU’s in Mississippi. The board approved the following personnel service items recommended by Superintendent Jones. * Additional Service Contracts 2024 – 2025 for the following employees at Greene County High School: (Separate Contract): Zaddrick Smith, Assistant Football Coach; Lorissa Holder, Assistant Girls Basketball Coach; Quentin Walton, Baseball Coach. * Stipend in amount of $1,500 for services rendered, attendance/participation in the Black Belt STEM Institute Program and implementing the program at Greene County High School and Robert Brown Middle School for the following teachers: (Funding: UWA Black Belt STEM Institute): Krystal Flantroy – GCHS; Nashondra Ruffin – RBMS. * Greene County School District After-School Tutorial Program 2024-2025 for the following at a rate of $30 per hour for teachers, $25 per hour for aids, and $22 per hour for bus drivers (2 hours per day): Eutaw Primary School – Shelia Tillman – Kindergarten; Ms. Pamela Pasteur – 1st Grade; Montoya Binion – 2nd Grade; Keisha Williams – 3rd Grade – Accountability Grade Level; LaShaun Henley – 3rd Grade – Accountability Grade Level; Gwendolyn Webb – Aide; Carla Durrett – Lead Teacher/Coach. Robert Brown Middle School – Demetris Lyles – 4th Grade and 5th Grade; Ashley Binion Lilly– 4th Grade and 5th Grade; Naomi Cyrus – 6th – 8th Grade; Felecia Smith – Lead Teacher/Coach; Raven Bryant – Special Services. Greene County High School – Janice Askew – Lead Teacher; Drenda Morton – Aide; Tura Edwards – English/Science; Tameshia Porter – Reading/English; Angela Harkness – Special Services; Dutchess Jones – Math; Patricia Maiden – History. * Permission to pay the following for any approved College and Career Readiness (CCR) activities for fiscal year 2024-2025. May include after-hours Career Readiness Indicators (CRI) study sessions, ACT Prep workshops, college/industry visits, etc.: Paula Calligan, Tomora Morris, Shamyra Jones, LaMonica Little, Patricia Rhone, Tamika Thompson, Angela White, Tweila Morris, Teresa Atkins, Andrea Perry, Tura Edwards, Tamesha Porter, Janice Askew, Jaqueline Raby, Kirin Greene. * TEAMS Contracts 2024 – 25 for the following: Funding: ALSDE: Dutchess Jones – GCHS, Math (1 Year Contract); Dena Jordan – RBMS, Math (1 Year Contract); Krystal Flantroy – GCHS, Science (1 Year Contract); Lorissa Holder – GCHS, Science(1 Year Contract); Nashondra Ruffin – RBMS. Science (1 Year Contract); Talicia Williams – RBMS, Math (1 Year Contract); Kaneeda Coleman – GCHS, Math (Year 3, Expires June 30, 2027). The administrative items approved by the board included the following. * MOA between Greene County Board of Education and Alabama A&M University Graduation Social Work Program to host social work internships. * Contract between the Greene County Board of Education and Druid City Basketball Official Association for basketball officials for the 2024 – 2025 school year at GCHS. * Contract between the Greene County Board of Education and West Central Officials Association for football officials for the 2024 – 2025 school year at RBMS. * 2.5% raise for support staff, effective October 1, 2024. * Updated support staff salary schedule to reflect 2.5% increase. * Out of state and overnight field trip request for Ms. Lamonica Little and select students to travel and participate in a Mississippi HBCU College Tour on November 13 – 14, 2024 (CCR Grant Funds). * Contract between Greene County Board of Education and Zachary Rutledge to do Welding Enrichment on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month (CCR Grant Funds). * Lowest bid submitted by W.H. Thomas Oil for gas and diesel for the 2024 – 2025 school year. * Lowest bid submitted by Pruett Oil Company for motor oil products for the 2024 – 2025 school year. * Retention bonus for bus drivers in the amount of $1,500 to remain a bus driver for the school district for a period of two years. * Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll. Mental Health Coordinator salary in the amount of $40,000. The Financial Snapshot for the previous month was not presented at this meeting since the CSFO and the financial team are preparing the financial closeout reports for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024.
Mayor Latasha Johnson presents certificate of completion for City Clerk’s training over a four-year period at the University of Alabama, to Joe Powell, Assistant City Clerk. Shekelvia Spencer, City Clerk, earned a similar certificate but she was not able to attend the meeting.
The Eutaw City Council met on Tuesday October 22, 2024, for the third meeting this month and completed consideration of issues posed in the prior meetings on October 8 and 15, 2024. All Council members were present.
The Council heard a report from Craig Williams, Thompson Engineering of Tuscaloosa about outstanding projects. The concrete work for Streetscape is nearing completion for sidewalks and universal access around the old Courthouse Square. The final landscaping phase, where trees and shrubs will be planted is yet to come.
Williams said the project cost was $1 million paid to the contractor and a matching $270,000 for 20% matching and design and engineering cost. There was an agreement between the County Commission, Industrial Development Authority and the City to share in the matching. The GCIDA did contribute $80,000 but the County Commission said it could not find authority in its minutes to pay a share of the matching costs. This left the City of Eutaw to bear an additional part of the cost.
Williams also reported that the Rebuild Alabama Project to repave 3 miles of the Lower Gainesville Road has been awarded and signed by S. T. Bunn, prime contractor. The State will pay $316,672 for the project, in a lump sum up front payment. The City will be responsible for the remaining matching and engineering cost of $113,000 for this project. This project will be started in November and be finished by the end of the year.
The Eutaw City Council approved Resolution No. 2024-28 which allows the City of Eutaw to borrow up to $300,000, from Merchants and Farmers Bank, for the completion of the Streetscape and Lower Gainesville Road projects. The resolution allows the City to pledge revenues from its Four Cent and Seven Cent Gas Tax Accounts for a period of up to 24 months, as security for the loan.
With this loan, the city will be able to satisfy its financial matching obligations for these two important projects. The City had planned to use the gas tax funds, for matching, to make these and other improvements to roads and bridges in the city, so these resources will still be committed to this purpose. The City may need to schedule additional road improvement work, based on funds available in the gas tax funds, taking into account the loan repayment. The City Council approved Ordinance No. 2024-7 which raises garbage collection rates from $15.00 to $18.00 for residential customers and $18.00 to $21.00 for small businesses. These rate increases go into effect immediately and will be reflected in the next water and sewer bills for the month of October. The Council already approved an increase in water and sewer rates to cover the costs of these city services.
The Council also adopted Draft No. 3 of the City of Eutaw Budget for 2024-2025 fiscal year which began October 1, 2024. This draft reflects the new water, sewer and garbage rates, which should cover the cost of these services and not reflect a deficit, as in previous earlier versions of the budget for the current fiscal year. Other smaller changes were made to the General Fund in this third version of the budget, prepared by Ralph Liverman, Financial Advisor.
In other business, the Eutaw City Council:
• Approved Resolution No. 2024-29 establishing a credit card policy • Approved a statement limiting overtime hours to 2 or 3 hours weekly, for employees, unless there is a disaster that requires more work time. • Approved use of the R. H. Young Community Center Gym, at no cost, for the Greene County Childrens Policy Council, for a public purpose. Approved $1,380 for installation of a K-9 kennel for the police dog. Approved $4,800 yearly software subscription for the Eutaw Police Department for Code Enforcement Case Management, which is required by state regulations. Approved reimbursements to city employees for supplies they purchased, based on receipts submitted Approved $300 for meals, parking and other travel expenses for Mayor Latasha Johnson to attend Annual Neighborhood Community Leadership Institute in Baltimore, Maryland on October 31 to November 3, 2024 Raised questions about and did not approve a contract submitted by Eagle Internet for use of the city’s water tower for wireless high-speed internet. Approved payment of bills.
In her mayor’s report, Latasha Johnson asked for a moment of silence for the victims and survivors of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Month. The Mayor also announced a citywide celebration for all children of Halloween on October 31, 2024, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the RH Young Community Center. This will be a safe way to do “trick or treating”.
The Greene County Association of Volunteer FireFighters Departments (AVFD) held its 9th Annual Volunteer FireFighters’ Banquet and Awards program, Friday, October 18, 2024 at the Robert Young Community Center (The former Carver High School). Mrs. Mary R. McInnis served at mistress of order, greeting was presented by Mr. Hodges Smith, President of Greene County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments, Mr. Billy Doss President of the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Department, Garria Spencer, Vice Chairman of the Greene County Commission and Mayor of Eutaw Latasha Johnson. Mr. James Morrow was selected as Distinguished Fire Fighter of the Year for 2024 and presented with a plaque by Hodges Smith, President of the Greene County AVFD.
Morrow was recognized for Exceptional Courage and Dedicated Service to the Citizens of Greene County. 1st place went to Mr. Lester Cotton Eutaw Volunteer Fire Department, 2rd place, Mr. Keith Young, Dollarhide Volunteer Fire Department, receiving 3nd place was Henry Harkness, Union Volunteer Fire Department. Sharon Warren received the Presidential Award. Ms. Severe Strode of Lower Gainesville Road Volunteer Fire Department presented a Memorial Tribute with Hodges Smith, ringing the bell in honor of fallen firefighters. Fallen firefighters included: Mr. Willie Mack Nickson- Lower Gainesville Road VFD, Mr. Bobby James Davis -Dollarhide VFD, Mrs. Rosie Mae Smith- Knoxville VFD, Mr. Roy D. Jines-Forkland VFD, Mr. James C. Lashley, Jr.- Eutaw VFD and Mrs. Barbara Dukes- Clinton VFD. Featured speaker for the occasion was Comedian Lamar Pullom (LP) of Tuscaloosa, AL with an ensemble featuring Mr. Marvin Turner, Ms. Lauren Smith, Felecia Smith and Mrs. Eddie Mae Brown. Each of the 14 Volunteer Firefighters Departments received a Good Standing Membership Award. The planning committee for the program including Geraldine Walton Chairperson, Hodges Smith, Bennie Abrams, Iris Sermon, Mollie Gaines and Willie Mae Austin would like to thank all supporters and sponsors of this event. “All Ready to Fight the Fight.”
Valdimir Putin of Russia with Prime Minister Modi of India
By Rédaction Africanews
The leaders of South Africa, India and China arrived on Tuesday for the Brics summit of emerging economies.
The meeting will see president Vladimir Putin host more than 20 heads of state. It’s a move that subverts expectations that Russia’s war in Ukraine, western sanctions and an international arrest warrant would isolate Russia on the world stage. The meeting has been dubbed by the Kremlin as one of the “largest-scale foreign policy events ever” in Russia.
Commonly referred to as a counterbalance to the Western World, the BRICS alliance initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Egypt, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have since joined, and according to Russian officials, 30 nations also want to be included or pursue stronger bonds with the club. Some of these countries will be at the summit.
Together, the BRICS countries account for around 28 percent of the global economy. Share
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Vice President Kamala Harris raised concerns about Donald Trump’s ongoing racist rhetoric during a virtual town hall with radio host Charlamagne tha God, suggesting the former president intends to use fear as a tool to target minority communities. Harris responded to a voter from Georgia who feared Trump would use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to detain people of color. “Bobby,” the voter, expressed worry that Trump would “put anyone that doesn’t look white in camps.”
“You’ve hit on a really important point and expressed it, I think, so well,” Harris said. “He is running full-time on a campaign that is about instilling fear. Not about hope, not about optimism, not about the future, but about fear.”
Harris went on to criticize Trump’s claims that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating their pets. She also accused him of sabotaging a bipartisan border security bill that would have added border agents and targeted fentanyl trafficking. “He would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem,” Harris stated.
Democratic strategist James Carville earlier voiced his concerns, comparing Trump’s tactics to those of Nazi Germany. Speaking on MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki, Carville warned that Trump’s planned rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27 was reminiscent of a pro-Nazi event held there in 1939. During that rally, which drew 20,000 supporters, swastikas were displayed alongside a portrait of George Washington, while speakers promoted anti-Semitic views.
Carville cautioned Americans about the dangers of another Trump presidency: “They’re telling you they’re doing all of this. This is not something we’re making up. They have promised military round-up.” He emphasized the Harris campaign’s need to clarify the severe threats Trump could pose.
Trump recently stated on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures that he might deploy the National Guard or military forces to prevent “radical left lunatics” from causing unrest on Election Day. “It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, the National Guard, or if really necessary, the military,” he said.
Others have echoed Carville’s concerns. In June, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow questioned whether camps under a Trump administration would be limited to migrants, saying, “What convinces you that these massive camps he’s planning are only for migrants?”
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal has called on Madison Square Garden to cancel Trump’s rally, stating, “Allowing Trump to hold an event at MSG is equivalent to the infamous Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939.” He urged the venue to “keep our city safe.”
With three weeks until Election Day, Carville made his final plea: “Pay attention to them right now, please. They’re telling you.”
By: Mary Claire Wooten, Alabama Political Reporters
Lilly Ledbetter, a notable women’s equality activist, died on Saturday at 86. According to her family, Ledbetter died of respiratory failure.
Ledbetter worked at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Gadsden for 19 years before receiving an anonymous note and discovering that her male counterparts with similar experience and seniority were paid as much as $2,000 more monthly for their work. She had worked there from 1979 until her retirement in 1998.
She successfully sued Goodyear, receiving back pay and the cost of compensatory and punitive damages. Still, the judgment was reversed on appeal by the Eleventh Circuit since she had not filed within the 180-day window.
The lawsuit eventually reached the Supreme Court in 2007, which ruled against her. The Supreme Court upheld the appeal court ruling that Ledbetter had not filed the suit within the 180-day window. As a result, Ledbetter never collected any kind of settlement from Goodyear. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote, “once again, the ball is in Congress’s court.” This ignited activist groups, who saw the court’s decision as a setback for women and civil rights
In 2009, the 111th United States Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to make filing pay discrimination claims easier. It was the first bill then-President Barack Obama signed into law after taking office in 2009.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act allows workers to file a complaint 180 days after the last pay violation and not only 180 days after the initial pay disparity.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The five men wrongfully convicted in the 1989 Central Park assault case, known as the “Exonerated Five,” have filed a defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump after he made false statements during a September 10, 2024, presidential debate. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Pennsylvania, claims that the 34-times convicted Trump falsely asserted they had “pleaded guilty” to the crime and falsely stated they “killed a person ultimately” during the assault, claims that have widely been debunked.
Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam—who spent years in prison before their 2002 exoneration—accuse Trump of defaming them, painting them in a false light, and intentionally inflicting emotional distress by continuing to spread falsehoods about their case. The lawsuit references Trump’s debate comments, which were broadcast to millions of viewers, as particularly harmful given the ongoing efforts by the men to rebuild their lives after their wrongful convictions.
While Trump has lashed out at the innocent men, the twice-impeached former president is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of 34 felony charges in New York. A civil jury also found Trump guilty of sexually assaulting a journalist, and a judge levied a verdict of nearly $500 million against the Republican presidential nominee for committing massive business fraud.
The court filing provides a detailed account of Trump’s decades-long association with the case, beginning in 1989 when he famously took out full-page ads in New York City newspapers calling for the death penalty in response to the arrests of the five teens. The lawsuit notes that, despite the exoneration of the five men based on DNA evidence and the confession of the actual perpetrator, Matias Reyes, Trump has continued to make inflammatory and false remarks about their guilt.
“Plaintiffs never pled guilty to any crime and were subsequently cleared of all wrongdoing. Further, the victims of the Central Park assaults were not killed,” the lawsuit states, pointing to the fact that the actual perpetrator’s confession and DNA evidence absolved the men of all charges. The lawsuit also notes that Trump’s remarks were made negligently, with knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard for the truth.
The men, now in their 50s, have since become advocates and public figures, working to address the injustice they suffered. Yusef Salaam, a New York City Council member, was present at the September 10 debate and later confronted Trump in person. When Salaam introduced himself, Trump reportedly waved him off, saying, “Ah, you’re on my side then,” to which Salaam replied, “No, no, no, I’m not on your side.”
The lawsuit asks for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages with a focus on the emotional harm and damage to Trump’s reputation that his repeated lies have caused. “These statements have caused the plaintiffs serious reputational damage and severe emotional distress, especially given their wrongful convictions and efforts to move past this chapter of their lives,” the filing states.
In 2002, the men were exonerated after DNA evidence linked Reyes, a serial rapist, to the assault on a female jogger in Central Park. Their convictions were vacated, and the City of New York ultimately paid the men a $41 million settlement in 2014. Despite these facts, Trump has maintained his stance.
“Trump’s statements were false and defamatory in numerous respects,” the lawsuit asserts. “The exoneration of the plaintiffs is a matter of public record, yet Trump’s continued public statements attempt to rewrite history and cast doubt on their innocence.”
The lawsuit also draws attention to Trump’s previous statements, including a 1989 ad in which he called for the death penalty and a 2013 tweet where Trump referred to the exoneration as a “one-sided piece of garbage” and continued to imply their guilt. Despite overwhelming evidence proving their innocence, Trump’s remarks have perpetuated misinformation, resulting in ongoing harm to the plaintiffs, the filing states.
