Greene County Democrat

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  • Newswire : Senators demand Special Counsel to investigate Justice Clarence Thomas over undisclosed gifts and financial omissions

    Justice Clarence Thomas


    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA National Coresspondent


    In an unprecedented attempt to uphold judicial integrity, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) have urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for potential violations of ethics, false statements, and tax laws. The request follows recent revelations by the Justice and his wealthy benefactors of undisclosed gifts and financial omissions.
    In a letter sent last week and released on Tuesday, July 9, Whitehouse and Wyden, who chair the Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, and the Senate Finance Committee, respectively, pointed to solid evidence of wrongdoing. “The evidence assembled thus far plainly suggests that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations of federal ethics and false-statement laws and raises significant questions about whether he and his wealthy benefactors have complied with their federal tax obligations,” the senators wrote.

    They stressed the need for a thorough investigation into Thomas’s financial disclosures and his relationship with his benefactors, emphasizing that “no government official should be above the law.”

    The senators’ letter specifically calls for an investigation into Thomas’s failure to disclose more than $267,000 in forgiven debt used to purchase a luxury motorcoach. Wyden’s Senate Finance Committee discovered the omission, which raises concerns about whether Thomas declared the forgiven debt as income on his tax returns. Despite repeated opportunities to clarify this, the senators asserted that Thomas’s counsel had not provided satisfactory explanations.
    The letter also outlined numerous undisclosed gifts from billionaire benefactors, including private jet travel, yacht trips, country club memberships, sports tickets, and significant financial support for Thomas’s family. According to Whitehouse and Wyden, these gifts, which Thomas should have reported under the Ethics in Government Act, suggest a pattern of omission that warrants further investigation.
    In addition to these worries, a January letter written by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and other lawmakers highlighted potential conflicts of interest involving Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Thomas. The letter urged Justice Thomas to recuse himself from cases involving the 2020 election due to Ginni Thomas’s public support for Trump’s attempts to overturn the election results and her participation in the “Stop the Steal” rally before the Capitol attack. The lawmakers argued that her actions and financial interests align with Trump’s, potentially compromising Justice Thomas’s impartiality.

    The January letter also highlighted the fluctuating value of Ginni Thomas’s consulting firm, Liberty Consulting, which saw significant increases during Trump’s presidency. “The value of Ms. Thomas’s consulting firm skyrocketed from only ‘up to $15,000’ before Mr. Trump was elected to ‘between $100,000 and $250,000’ during his presidency, and then fell again to ‘between $15,001 and $50,000’ the year Mr. Trump lost the White House,” the letter stated, suggesting a direct financial benefit tied to Trump’s political success.
    Whitehouse and Wyden said their letter underscores the importance of transparency and accountability. They urge appointing a special counsel to investigate potential criminal violations by Justice Thomas and his benefactors. They cited previous Department of Justice prosecutions of other officials for less serious disclosure violations, emphasizing the need for consistent enforcement of ethics laws.
    “We, therefore, request that you appoint a Special Counsel authorized to investigate potential criminal violations by Justice Thomas under the disclosure, false statement, and tax laws; pursue leads of related criminal violations by donors, lenders, and intermediate corporate entities; and determine whether any such loans and gifts were provided pursuant to a coordinated enterprise or plan,” the senators concluded.
    “Presented with opportunities to resolve questions about his conduct, Justice Thomas has maintained a suspicious silence,” the senators added.

  • Newswire : Undeterred, Black Democrats staunchly defend Biden amid calls for him to drop out of race

    President Biden meeting with Congressional Black Caucus in the Oval Office in February 2024

    Editors at NewsOne

    
Black voices are conspicuously missing among the growing voices of prominent House Democrats calling for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race following an unfortunate debate against Donald Trump nearly two weeks ago.
    In fact, Black Democrats are the ones who are most staunchly defending Biden, 81, and urging Party unity amid mainstream media reports amplifying that possibility more than the calls for Trump to also drop out of the race after being convicted of 34 felonies.
    On Monday, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) held a call with Biden to express their confidence as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. “None of the members who attended the virtual meeting expressed any doubts to the president about his electability or said he should step aside,” the New York Times reported. Also on Monday, CBC Chair and Nevada Rep. Steve Horsford said in a statement that “Biden is the nominee.”
    That came one day after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hosted a similar call with fellow House Democrats to help convince them to keep supporting Biden’s candidacy. Jeffries told the Times that he “has not changed” his opinion about Biden’s candidacy.
    “I made clear publicly, the day after the debate, that I support President Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket,” Jeffries said.
    Over the weekend, longtime California Congresswoman Maxine Waters displayed the type of loyalty to Biden and the Democratic Party that has become emblematic of Black voters for decades.
    “I don’t care what anybody says — it ain’t going to be no other Democratic candidate,” Waters told attendees at the Essence Fest in New Orleans this past weekend. “It’s going to be Biden.”
    South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, largely seen as Biden’s closest adviser who is Black, has also spoken in no uncertain terms about the president’s reelection bid.
    Beyond Congress, Black Democratic leaders like former President Barack Obama and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus have expressed their support for Biden to remain in the race.
    That same kind of ardent defense contrasts with at least nine House Democrats — all of whom are not Black — reportedly calling for Biden to step aside. Washington State Rep. Adam Smith said on Monday that Biden should drop out “as soon as possible” and that “there would be a huge sigh of relief amongst just about every Democrat in the House” if he did so.
    Biden, for his part, has been adamant about remaining in the race.
    The unwavering support from Black lawmakers for the president comes as a new poll found that Vice President Kamala Harris would fare better in an election against Trump than Biden. The poll also found that other politicians whose names have been floated as potential candidates replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket – Govs. Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom – would lose against Trump. Whitmer has said she wouldn’t run.
    On the flip side, calls have grown for Harris to be the Democratic nominee in the aftermath of the debate late last month.
    Reuters, citing “seven senior sources at the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee with knowledge of current discussions on the topic,” reported last week that Harris, 59, is the “top alternative” presidential candidate if Biden steps aside.
    Former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Julián Castro, who served in President Barack Obama’s administration with Biden, also called on the president to allow a “stronger Democratic candidate” to run for the Party’s nomination.
    “Defeating Donald Trump is too important for Democrats to do nothing,” Castro posted last week in a thread on X, formerly Twitter. “With the understanding that the stakes are so high, President Biden should make the difficult decision to withdraw from the race.” Castro added that now is the time to act, noting that “Time is running out.”
    Castro floated Harris’ name as a possible replacement who he said has “a better chance of winning” against Donald Trump than Biden. That same sentiment was also expressed by Michael Arceneaux, whose new op-ed for NewsOne makes the case for Harris to be the nominee.
    “Biden can spend the next week pleading his case. But if he fails, he should reconsider being the bridge candidate he promised to be and step aside for his running mate,” Arceneaux wrote.
    Concerns remain about Biden’s candidacy regardless, with longtime Democratic strategist James Carville predicting that the president will drop out of the race “Whether he is ready to admit it or not.” Carville recommended in a New York Times op-ed for Democrats to have “a plan” in place when that happens.

  • Sketches #1932: by Hank Sanders – A Relay for Freedom

    A relay for freedom. We love relay races. We love the 4×100-meter race where each of four runners carry the baton for 100 meters for a total of 400 meters. Each runner plays his/her part. Each of the first three runners hand off the baton to the next runner. If the hand off is not performed correctly, it delays the next runner and results in defeat. The final runner is called the anchor. He/she carries the baton across the finish line but the victory belongs not just to her but to the team. There are similar races in the 4×200 and 4×400. Each carrier must be fast and strong. Each hands off the baton to the next runner until the anchor crosses the finish line. It is a team victory. No one feels that they must carry the baton all the way to obtain victory. A relay for freedom.
    I wonder if we should have a political relay. A political relay is even more important when freedom is at stake. We need a relay for freedom because liberty is at stake. The freedom of a diverse citizenry is at stake. The constitution is at stake. Ultimately democracy in this country and maybe the world over is at stake. So much of freedom as we know it is at stake. A relay for freedom.
    I wonder about a relay for the current and the next presidency of the United States. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have carried the weights of the baton of democracy under vicious attack for nearly four years. The weight is getting heavier and heavier. I wonder if there’s an opportunity for the runners to shift position. I wonder if there’s an opportunity for new runners to take turns in carrying the baton of the presidency. A relay for freedom.
    I greatly appreciate the tremendous leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris. They had to take on an incumbent President of these United States of America who was determined to hang on to the power of the presidency at all costs. That president initiated and fueled an insurrection to maintain the presidency by force. More than sixty judges ruled that the election was not stolen. In spite of all the court ruling against him he has continued the “stop the steal” lie to this day, insisting that he was wrongly deprived of the presidency. A relay for freedom.
    When President Biden and Vice President Harris commenced serving on January 20, 20221, they were met with a worldwide COVID Pandemic that killed more than one million persons just in the United States of America. More lives loss in this country than in any other country in the world, including China and India, each of which has four times the population of the U.S. The economy of the U.S. was busted because businesses were closed. Schools were closed. Governmental offices were closed. It was a terrible time made so much more terrible by the destructive leadership of then President Trump. A relay for freedom.
    President Biden and Vice President Harris are gallantly carrying the baton of economic recovery. They have provided 15 million jobs. They beat back inflation. They caused schools and other governmental entities to open again. They vaccinated tens of millions. They passed legislation that is rebuilding the country’s infrastructure. They reduced the stifling student loan debt. They reduced undocumented persons entering into this country. They fought off a rising tide of isms – sexism, racism. They tackled a threatening global weather change. They fought to protect voting rights and reduce gun violence. And there is so much more. A relay for freedom.
    The anti-democracy forces have been so determined that they commenced attacking President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris immediately after the election even before they were sworn into office. They attacked President Biden through his vice president because she is female and of color. They have been relentless for nearly four years. Lies told over and over in the media, on social media and otherwise take deep roots and are resistant to even waves of truth and reasons. A relay for freedom.
    A relay allows each of us to carry the baton for freedom as fast and far as we can. Then we pass it to the next runner in the race. President Biden and Vice President Harris are carrying the baton of freedom far and fast, and I salute them. I am not at all suggesting that Biden and Harris be pushed out of the highest leadership positions. I could not and would not ever push either out. They have contributed and are contributing too much. Besides, I still believe President Biden and Vice President Harris can win. I am just lifting the opportunities that exist in a relay for freedom. A relay for freedom.
    I wonder whether a unique application of the relay for freedom will help save this country. I wonder what happens if President Biden and Vice President Harris pass the baton in the reelection campaign for the presidency. I wonder about President Biden passing the presidency and allowing Vice President Harris to complete the final six months of the term. He helped her to become the very first very first female vice president in more than 200 years. He can help bring about the very first female President in more than 200 years. I wonder if she would voluntarily not pursue the presidency or vice presidency in 2024. I wonder if history would say President Biden not only saved the country but advanced civilization throughout the world. Both would go down in history. A relay for freedom.
    I wonder about a new two-person team of political warriors to carry the baton in the next relay for freedom. They would be fresh and fast. I wonder if President Biden and Vice President Harris could contribute greatly to the selection of these two warriors to avoid confusion and to unify the forces of freedom. Of course, they would need to agree. Such a move would increase the opportunities to win the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate by margins sufficient to govern effectively. I wonder if the new House and Senate would be in position to stem the destructive tide of the current Supreme Court. A relay for freedom.
    The likely Republican nominee for President still refuses to accept the 2020 election results and all court findings; promoted an insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol; has been impeached twice; has been convicted in a criminal court of law on 34 counts, has been found liable for sexual assault, rape and fraud; and promotes falsehoods and lies again and again. This nation cannot afford another term with former President Trump.
    The old folks have a saying: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Sometimes we are given something that we do not see as a gift. We may in fact see it as a curse. So, we examine and examine and examine it. We look the gift horse in the mouth. This moment that we are in may well be a gift if we are just willing to unwrap it. A relay for freedom.

    EPILOGUE – Every crisis contains seeds of opportunity. This may or may not be a crisis, but the seeds of opportunity are embedded. Can we look beyond the moment and see the opportunities? Relay for freedom.

  • Greene County PARA scheduled to reorganize under appropriate State Statue

    The Greene County Commission held a called meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, to discuss the status of Park and Recreation Authority (PARA). According to Commission Chairperson, Corey Cockrell, the Commission recently requested that the PARA Board take on the operation/supervision of the county’s golf course named for the late Dr. Robert Brown. In the course of the research of the official status of PARA, County Attorney Mark Parnell discovered that the Greene County PARA had two sets of Articles of Incorporation filed with the State of Alabama (2007 and 2018) and both were filed under the wrong State Statue. There were also different board members listed with each set of Articles filed.
    Seemingly, the Articles filed in 2018 were an attempt to alter the number of PARA board members. The current PARA Board Chairperson, W. Scott Smith, stated that it was difficult to conduct PARA affairs due to the board not having a quorum present at meetings.
    Attorney Parnell explained that the situation can be remedied. New Articles of Incorporation under the appropriate State Statue can be filed and the number of board members will be determined by the State Statue. “ There are particular steps to follow, including the resignation of current PARA board members and new appointments by the Commission in keeping with State Statue,” Parnell stated. He noted that the current board members may be considered for reappointment. Attorney Parnell indicated that he would prepare the process that must be followed and present the same to the County Commission and the PARA board and staff.
    The Commissioners and PARA personnel were in agreement with this.
    Commissioner Cockrell also stated that the PARA operations would be relocated to the Robert Brown Golf Course. “The county has sufficient property at the golf course site to put up the facilities PARA needs for its operations and activities. There is no need for PARA to be paying rent at other sites,” Cockrell said. He noted that the current facilities at the golf course will be upgraded and expanded. There was not a timeline set for when the move would occur.
    Commissioner Garria Spencer reminded everyone that there are great park facilities throughout the county. He recommended that PARA arrange to utilize these for its outdoor recreational activities.
    The Greene County PARA is supported by a .5 ad valorem millage. According to county records, PARA has received $91,000 since the start of the current fiscal year.

  • Newswire : Simone Biles will lead the women’s gymnastics team at the Olympics

    By BlackmansStreet Today


    Simone Biles, the reigning world gymnastic champion, will lead American women gymnasts to compete in the Olympic Games after placing first in the all around competition at the 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics Trials on Sunday in Minneapolis.
    The opening ceremony for the XXXIII Olympiad is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. ET on July 26 though soccer and rugby events kick off on July 24.
    Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medalist finished in Minneapolis with an overall score of 117.225. Suni Lee came in second with a score of 111.675, and Jordan Chiles finished third with a score of 111.425.
    Lee, Chiles, Jade Carey, and 16 year old Hezly Rivera will join Biles on the US women’s gymnastics team in Paris next month. Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong were named the traveling replacement athletes.
    The 27 year-old Biles, who became the most decorated gymnast ever at last year’s world championships, clinched an automatic spot on the team after placing first.

  • Tuskegee Cooperative Extension and FOCGE Credit Union holds Financial Literary Workshop

    Presenters L to R:  Sheanell Edwards, TUCEP Youth Development Agent; Joyce Pham, FOGCE Federal Credit Union Manager

    On June 27, 2024, Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program (TUCEP) in conjunction with Federation of Greene County Employees Federal Credit Union (FOGCE) held a financial literacy workshop at R.H Young Community Center. This workshop was held for the citizens of Greene County and surrounding areas. The TUCEP officers are Sheanell Edwards, Youth development/4H Agent and Tameka King, Family and Consumer Science Agent. Approximately 30 individuals attended the workshop.
    Sheanell Edwards (TUCEP Youth Development/4H Agent) presented on Identity Theft and Fraud. Unfortunately, many have fallen into the hands of scammers. We need to know ways to protect ourselves from scammers. Ms. Edwards gave some great tips on prevention and what to look for. A few ways to protect yourself are to not give your personal information over the phone (especially if you did not make the call), through social media, emails or text messages. The TUCEP Greene County office is located in the Robert Young Community Center, 720 Greensboro St. in Eutaw, AL. Contact number is 205-372-2107
    Joyce Pham (FOGCE Manager) explained the various services provided at FOGCE Federal Credit Union. FOCGE offers different types of loans such as auto, educational and consumer. A few people gave testimonies from their experiences with FOGCE. Mrs. Pham encouraged everyone to become a member. Shen explained that the credit union is operated by the members who elect the board and credit committee members and make policy. The credit union, located at 112 Prairie Ave., Eutaw, AL, is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Contact number: 205-372-9025.

  • Newswire : Honoring Tamir Rice on his 22nd Birthday

    Demonstrator holding sign for Tamir Rice

    By Anoa Changa, NewsOne

    On Nov. 22, 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was snatched away from his family after a Cleveland Police officer killed him. But instead of focusing on the violent acts of unaccountable police officers, NewsOne joins his family and loved ones in honoring Tamir on his birthday during the tenth year of his life in remembrance.

    Tamir would have been 22 years old on Tuesday. And while he will unfortunately never grow into adulthood, his family has honored the legacy and possibility of what his future should have been.

    That includes activism and awareness from his mother, Samaria Rice, who has consistently and faithfully kept her son’s name alive. As such, Samaria Rice invited members of her Cleveland community to join her on Tuesday to celebrate her son’s life. Samaria Rice also encouraged people to support the Tamir Rice Foundation.

    Rice’s family has continued to support advocacy efforts addressing police reform and violence.

    The Department of Justice declined to pursue charges in Tamir’s killing. Samaria challenged the decision. Her efforts were also supported by a letter from dozens of legal scholars firmly suggesting the agency reevaluate its statutory interpretation in regards to charging police for violating people’s civil rights under the color of law.

    In 2022, the Rice family dedicated a butterfly garden at Cudell Park on the site where Tamir was killed near a gazebo. “This butterfly garden was created by Tamir’s community, who helped to turn it into something beautiful for better memories going forward, for the park, the Rice Family and the community,” reads a marker at the site.

    During the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the butterfly garden, Samaria spoke of the pain she endured losing her young son. “As his mother, the pain is so real. I will be in pain for the rest of my life. With my pain, I was able to turn it into power by being Tamir’s voice and seeing the vision for our community by being in service to the people, especially our youth, me and my family struggled daily, but through the grace of God, we’re taking one day at a time and living the best that we can.

    This butterfly memorial is very important to me and my family. This is the last memory I have of my son playing in the park, as children should be able to play in parks in America.”

    Last year, Samaria Rice announced that she was moving the Tamir Rice Foundation away from Cleveland. “I’m not getting any support out of Cleveland from anywhere,” Samaria Rice told Spectrum News at the time. “So, I just think the best thing is to maybe take it to Chicago, where the gazebo is.”

     

     

  • Newswire : Supreme Court overturns Chevron: major blow to consumer protections and regulatory power

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA


    In a ruling that should make all Americans stop saying what the Supreme Court, those in power, or individuals seeking office and the presidency can’t do, the high court issued what could be a devastating ruling on the so-called Chevron decision.

    The decision could lead to skyrocketing phone bills, soaring healthcare costs, and dismantling regulations on safe food and consumer protections that have been in place for decades. The Supreme Court has consigned to history the 1984 ruling known as Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, potentially jeopardizing the safety and rights of consumers and the environment.

    In a 6-3 decision, the conservative majority of the court dealt another blow to the power of federal agencies. In writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts declared, “Chevron is overruled. Courts must exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority.” Liberal Justice Elena Kagan, in her dissent, warned that a “longstanding precedent at the crux of administrative governance thus falls victim to a bald assertion of judicial authority.”

    At the time of its decision, Chevron was a victory for the Reagan administration’s deregulatory agenda, granting judges the ability to defer to federal agencies in interpreting ambiguous statutes. The flexibility allowed Democratic and Republican presidents to implement new regulations across various issues. However, many Republicans have increasingly criticized Chevron, arguing it gives too much power to agency bureaucrats.
    Environmental activists and other groups on the left have defended Chevron for its ability to address issues like climate change.

    The case that led to this ruling involved a challenge to a federal regulation requiring fishing vessel operators to fund data collection for fishery conservation and management. The National Marine Fisheries Service, which oversees ocean resources, issued a rule in 2020 mandating vessel operators pay up to $710 a day for independent observers to monitor operations. Small owner-operators argued this cost was burdensome, challenging the service’s authority under the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The lower courts had ruled in favor of the federal government.

    The Trump administration has supported a campaign by the conservative justices to limit the power of federal agencies, and this decision is the most recent in that series. The court’s conservative majority, including three Trump appointees—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—has repeatedly struck down agency actions lacking explicit congressional authorization, following the “major questions doctrine.”

    Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal sounded the alarm in a NBC News interview, stating, “The Supreme Court has done an extraordinary thing, an extraordinarily dangerous thing. Most government regulation in this country is not done by Congress. It’s done by administrative agencies… What the Supreme Court did today by a 6–3 vote is overturned Chevron. That is going to make it much more difficult to regulate businesses, to protect consumers, to protect the environment, and to protect our healthcare.”

    Katyal emphasized the sweeping impact of the ruling, noting that regulations by agencies like the EPA, FDA, and FCC, which influence everything from environmental standards to food safety and phone bill costs, will now face greater challenges. He warned, “This decision… is going to change government as we know it.”

    The political dynamic behind the ruling reflects the decreasing productivity of Congress due to partisan divides, leading to a greater reliance on agency rules to achieve regulatory goals, particularly by Democratic presidents. The 1984 Chevron precedent, which called for judicial deference to federal agency interpretations of ambiguous laws, has been a target of conservatives and business interests for years.

    With the ruling, the Supreme Court has dramatically shifted the landscape of American governance, with opponents arguing that it potentially jeopardizes decades of consumer and environmental protections and ushered in a new era of regulatory challenges.
     

     

  • Newswire : Despite criticism of his debate performance, support for Biden remains strong among Black leaders

    President Biden with VP Kamala Harris and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson

    By Hamil Harris

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – President Joe Biden and the First Lady spent Sunday at Camp David with their grandchildren after his debate performance. At the same time, the media and a growing chorus of Democrats speculate on the 81-year-old leaders’ future.

    But Sen. Rafael Warnock (D-Ga.) sounded more like a preacher than a politician Sunday on Meet the Press as he defended Biden on a Sunday when the Atlanta Constitution joined several major news outlets to call for Biden not to run for re-election after his June 27 CNN debate performance was admittedly poor.

     “As a pastor, there have been more than a few Sundays that I wished I had preached a better sermon,” Warnock said. “After the sermon, it was my job to embody the message.”

    Warnock continued, “To show up for the people that I serve, and that is what Joe Biden has done his entire life,” Warnock said in an interview with NBC’s Laura Jarrett. “Over the last four years, he has been showing up for the American People…Joe Biden has demonstrated over the last four years the character and metal of the man that he is. He is a life of public service baptized in sorrow. As for Trump How do you stand and lie every 90 seconds?”

    The most vital voices calling for Biden not to run for re-election come from media outlets and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. At the same time, progressives and African-American leaders remain committed to the President.

    Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Sunday on Face the Nation that he didn’t see President Biden getting out of the race despite his poor performance.

      “I got a chance to see the President challenged; I have seen in him in times of trial,” said Moore, referring to the crisis when a ship collided into a Baltimore bridge, and he called Biden at 3:30 am.  “But when we get knocked down, we get back up.”

    Political operative Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the New Birth Baptist Church, said, ‘I’d rather have Joe Biden in a wheelchair than Donald Trump on both of his feet. There is too much focus on personality when it should be on policy.”

    Bryant said he and Rev. Freddi Haynes held a conference call with 100 black preachers last weekend to sure up support for Biden. “As quiet as it is kept, Joe Biden did more to advance the Black community than Barack Obama.”

    Melanie Campbell, President of the National Coalition of Black Voter Participation, a non-partisan organization, said talk of Biden leaving the race is premature.   “The people voted for these two nominees. There is too much cynicism in this country. More seats are on the ballot than just who will be in the White House.”

    President Obama tweeted after the debate, “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.”

    Obama tweeted, “Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight – and someone who lies through his teeth for his benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.
    ”
    A more forceful Biden spoke in North Carolina the day after the debate, where he acknowledged that his debate performance didn’t go well. But he also said to wild applause, “I know when you get knocked down, you get back up!”

  • Newswire : U.S. Supreme Court gives immunity to Trump’s alleged criminal acts

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    On Monday, July 1, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump has immunity for some of his conduct during his presidency in his federal election interference case. However, other actions may not be protected. This decision adds another layer of complexity to the potential trial proceedings.

    In a closely watched case exploring the boundaries of presidential power, the justices voted 6-3 along ideological lines to reject Trump’s sweeping immunity claim. The ruling means that charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results will not be dismissed outright. However, the court indicated that actions closely tied to his presidential duties are off-limits to prosecutors.

    Trump has already been convicted on 34 felony charges related to a hush-money scheme to conceal an extramarital affair with an adult film star while Melania Trump was pregnant.

    Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, emphasized the need for lower courts to examine further which actions Trump can be prosecuted for. Specifically, the court determined that Trump’s interactions with Justice Department officials and Vice President Mike Pence in the lead-up to the January 6 Capitol attack by his supporters are considered core presidential powers and thus immune from prosecution.

    “The president is not above the law,” Roberts wrote. “But Congress may not criminalize the president’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the executive branch under the Constitution.”
    The ruling leaves the future of the case uncertain, requiring further proceedings before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. Judge Chutkan will now review other alleged conduct by Trump, including his communications with state election officials, private parties, and members of the public, to determine if they qualify as official acts.

    The court’s liberal justices dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor arguing that the ruling undermines a fundamental constitutional principle that no individual is above the law. “Trump will now be insulated from criminal prosecution. In every use of official power, the President is now a king, above the law,” said Sotomayor.

    Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a strongly worded dissent, accused the conservative majority of creating a dangerous precedent by establishing a new model of presidential accountability that grants undue immunity to the highest office.

    “With that understanding of how our system of accountability for criminal acts ordinarily functions, it becomes much easier to see that the majority’s ruling in this case breaks new and dangerous ground,” Jackson wrote.

    “Departing from the traditional model of individual accountability, the majority has concocted something entirely different: A Presidential accountability model that creates immunity — an exemption from criminal law — applicable only to the most powerful official in our Government,” she added.

    Justice Jackson further warned of the broader implications of the ruling, suggesting that even a hypothetical president who commits grave crimes, such as ordering assassinations of political rivals or instigating a coup, could potentially claim immunity under the new model.

    Trump, who faces about 50 other charges related to the 2020 election, has openly discussed executing his rivals.