Greene County Democrat

Category: General News

  • With support from USDA, Southern Farmers Financial Association launches to help farmers access capital to begin and grow small farming operations

    Participants in SFFI Press Conference
    Front Row: L to R:  Farmer, Ben Burkett,  Farmer, Calvin King, Cornelius Blanding, Shirley Sherrod, Dr. Dewayne Goldman (USDA), Cornelius Keys, Zack Duchenaux(USDA). 

    ATLANTA, Ga., Oct. 31, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and partners announced the launch of the Southern Farmers Financial Association (SFFA), a new cooperatively-owned institution created to increase access to capital for its member-owners to begin farming or strengthen existing small farming operations and agriculture-based businesses in high poverty areas in the Southeast.

    The organization is supported with $20 million in initial funding from President Biden and Vice President Harris’s Inflation Reduction Act, which will be used to leverage private sector capital, recruit full-time staff, and begin outreach and lending efforts. The proposed service area of the SFFA is 12 states I the Southeast.

    The impetus for the creation of this new small farm financial institution grew out of a discussion on the use of the ‘ ci pres’ funds, remaining unused funds in the Pigford II Black Farmers Discrimination lawsuit. There is still $8 million left in these funds, which are subject to the decision of Judge Friedman, Federal District Judge who presided over this case.

    A committee of Black and small farmer advocates continued pushing to use these and other funds to create a financial institution responsive to small and Black farmers. This committee was headed by Cornelius Blanding, current Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. Calvin King, President of the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation and Shirley Sherrod, leader of New Communities and the Southwest Georgia Project, worked with Cornelius to develop this new financial institution for small and Back farmers.

    The Southern Farmers Financial Association will be managed by Cornelius Blanding, acting chief executive officer; Shirley Sherrod, acting secretary; and Calvin King, acting treasurer, until a board is formed, and initial hires are made. Each of these individuals brings lifelong expertise and personal experience with farming, farm finance, and helping rural, smallholder farmers maintain farm operations in the face of challenging financial situations.

    “The launch of the Southern Farmers Financial Association furthers the Biden-Harris USDA’s vision to keep farmers farming, support rural economies by making it viable for small farms to stay in operation, and make USDA’s programs more accessible and inclusive for everyone who wants to participate in agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This new organization will provide a vital bridge to those who may benefit from a different model of outreach, support, and farm lending.”

    Farming is a capital-intensive business. It can be difficult to begin or stay in farming without the financial foundation that comes with generational farm operations, and smaller farms are especially vulnerable to the financial blows that come with natural disasters, lost markets, or other sudden impacts. Under a cooperative agreement with USDA, the SFFA will improve land access by creating access to capital and technical assistance for farmers and other producers who have historically faced challenges getting the financing they need so their farms can grow and thrive.

    On Thursday in Atlanta, at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, USDA representatives and SFFA interim leadership gathered with stakeholders and farmers who would potentially receive funding from their new financial institution.

    Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, who has spearheaded many changes at USDA to improve the farm lending process, applauded the organization’s launch. “As a child of the 1980’s farm crisis, I have seen firsthand the challenges farmers can have accessing capital, and the very difficult impacts that creates for individuals, families, and communities that stand to benefit from strong farming operations. I am excited to see these partners come together and reach farmers in a way that USDA recognizes we may not be able to.”

    “Every farmer needs affordable financing. Farmers must have reliable and consistent access to capital to be successful,” said USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dr. Basil Gooden. “For too long, access to capital has been out of reach for small farmers in the southeast region.”

    Support from the USDA will help bring other partners to the table so that SFFA can obtain strategic certifications and raise additional sources of capital. Examples include working with organizations like the Farm Credit system and Co-Bank to obtain Other Financial Institution (OFI) status, or working with the US Department of Treasury, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund to become a CDFI, and continued engagement with USDA so that the institution can become a guaranteed lender with the Farm Services Agency.

    “Supporting southern farmers is essential to supporting rural economies in communities across the south,” added Shirley Sherrod, acting secretary of the SFFA.
    “The SFFA and USDA are building up the toolset southern farmers can use to support their family farms and pass them on to the next generations,” said Cornelius Blanding, acting Chief Executive Officer.

    “This agreement will open up new opportunities for historically underserved southern farmers to sustain and grow their businesses,” said Calvin King, SFFA acting treasurer.

    The SFFA will build on several steps USDA has taken under the Biden-Harris Administration to expand access to capital, keep farmers farming, and make its programs more accessible and equitable… This includes the work of the USDA Equity Commission, an Heirs Property Relending Program, to help families with heirs property issues, programs to help 1890 Land Grant Colleges and their students, and other measures.

    For more information about these efforts and more, visit USDA.gov/equity.
    USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

    The Greene County Democrat will continue to follow progress toward the creation, operation and implementation of the programs of the SFFA financial institution going forward.

  • Palace bingo facility will host simulcast racing

    Racing Commission awards operating license for pari-mutual wagering and simulcast racing

    The Greene County Racing Commission has awarded a six year operating license to Five Star Investment Company, LLC to conduct parimutuel wagering with authorization to conduct Greyhound Simulcasting and Historical Horse Racing Gaming. According to the Racing commission, only one application was submitted. The license is awarded for six years at a fee of $10,000 per year.
    The licensee will contribute 4% of revenues to the Racing Commission towards its operations and to distribute to designated entities as previously prescribed by Alabama Legislative Action. These entities include Greene County Hospital Board, Greene County Board of Education, Greene County Commission, incorporated municipalities, law enforcement, ambulance service and maintenance, other designated community organizations and programs.
    The new licensee will conduct simulcasting gaming at the Palace Gaming facility in Knoxville. Reportedly, the Racing Commission’s offices will also be located at the Palace.
    The previous license for Pare-Mutuel Wagering, Greyhound Simulcasting and Historical Horse Racing Gaming had been held by Greenetrack, Inc. and operated at its gaming facility. According to Mr. Luther Winn, former Greenetrack, Inc. CEO and President, the 
Greenetrack facilities on Greene County Road 208 and all properties, once in Greenetrack’s name, have been confiscated by the State of Alabama. The Greenetrack Gaming facility, previously co-owned by Greenetrack stockholders and the Greene County government is currently co-owned by the State of Alabama and Greene County government.
    It should be noted that the electronic bingo gaming which the State of Alabama deemed illegal at Greenetrack and precipitated its closing is the same electronic bingo gaming currently operating at other facilities in Greene County.

  • County approves agreement for additional employees for Sheriff Department

    The Greene County Commission held its monthly meeting October 15, 2024, with all commissioners present. A key decision was the approval of the Budget Supplement Agreement between the Commission and Sheriff Jonathan Benison. The agreement establishes the terms under which the County will supplement the budget for the Sheriff’s Department and jail facility for additional employees not covered in the county’s 2024-2025 budget for the Sheriff’s Department.
    The County’s approved budget for the Sheriff’s Department this fiscal year is $1,564,926. The salaries and benefits for the additional employees hired by the Sheriff, and not included in this approved budget, will be remitted in advance to the County. The Agreement states the following: “ As long as the Sheriff provides the funds…to supplement the (Sheriff’s) budget, the County is willing to add said personnel to the County’s payroll for salaries and other benefits and to process other expenditures as the Sheriff remits to the County as being necessary….”
    The Agreement further states: “The Sheriff agrees to provide the County, in advance, a payment equal to three months of pay, benefits and other expenditures, as more particularly set forth for the additional employees.” The County agrees to add the additional employees for the Sheriff Department and pay them in the same manner and frequency as other county employees when the Base Amount Reserve of $47,979 is received from the Sheriff.
    It is also noted in the Agreement that the County does not have a role in setting the salaries of the additional employees and if the Base Reserve is not maintained, the County will not be able to continue to employ the additional employees.
    As an additional consideration of this Agreement, the Sheriff agrees to pay the County 
$75,000 per month for the County to use in any way the commissioners deem.
    This Agreement is in effect October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
    In other business the commission acted on the following agenda items:
    * Approved bids for the 2024-2025 as presented by the Engineer’s office.
    * Approved the CDBG Grant for sum of $83,665.36.
    * Approved purchasing three CD’s with Chemical Bank of Birmingham at the proposed rates: $500,000 and $125,000 for one yer at 4.13%; $500,000 for two years at 3.89%.
    * Denied Water Authority Board’s request for pay increase.
    * Approved resolution regarding December 2024 Recognition and Appreciation Program.
    * Approved Commissioners joining and attending the Black County Officials Retreat October 24-27, 2024.
    Approved travel for Assistant Engineer to Orange Beach.
    Approved finance report and payment of claims.
    The financial report, as of September 2024, presented by CFO Macaroy Underwood, indicated the following: Accounts payable – $420.168.06; Payroll transfer – $293,638.09; Fiduciary – $59,938.25; Electronic claims – $71,057.55. Bank balances are as follows: Citizen Trust unrestricted – $2,736,855.22, restricted -$3,766,262.51. Merchant & Farmers unrestricted –
    $3,080,651.52. In vestments totaled $771,363.41.

  • ANSA endorses: Harris-Walz, Terri Sewell, Shomari Figures, Greg Griffin, and Tanya Chestnut for statewide offices in November election

    PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 6: Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear on stage together during a campaign event at Girard College on August 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris ended weeks of speculation about who her running mate would be, selecting the 60 year old midwestern governor over other candidates. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

     

    The Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) held its Fall Convention at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Montgomery on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Delegates from ANSC county chapters met to consider the candidates and issues in the upcoming November election.

    For endorsements, the ANSC recessed its meeting and went into session as the Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA) the ‘sister” or parallel organization that deals with partisan political choices.

    The ANSA endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice- President of the United States; Terri Sewell for Alabama 7th Congressional District; Shomari Figures for Alabama 2nd. Congressional District; Greg Griffin for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; Tanya Chestnut for Alabama State School Board, District 5; and Collins Petttaway for District 4 Circuit Judge, which overlaps several districts. All are Democratic candidates. Local county chapters will endorse for more local election contests.

    Several of the candidates endorsed by ANSA appeared at the meeting and made statements and answered voter questions. Shomari Figures, the Democratic candidate for the newly redistricted 2nd Congressional District was present. His new district stretches across the state from Russell, Bullock, Macon and Barber counties on the east to Washington and Mobile counties on the western side of Alabama. The new boundaries of the 2nd CD were decided in litigation which went to the U. S. Supreme Court, three times in the last five years.

    Shomari Figures, who is the son of Michael Figures (a founder of ANSC) and Vivian Figures (both Alabama State Senators) said, “ We cannot let this election slip. Even though I have been outspent on TV by 9 to 1, we must win this race, to show if given a chance that Black people will rise to the occasion and utilize the district that the courts created.”

    Figures said that his attention would be focused on healthcare in the district and the expansion of Medicaid coverage, under the Affordable Care Act, to those without insurance coverage. He said, “Four hospitals serving my district have closed or reduced services due to declining patient revenues. Bullock County Hospital and Grove Hill Hospital have changed to only Emergency Health Centers, Monroe County has ended maternal care and other services, and Thomasville has suspended operations. There is a real crisis in rural health care in my district, that actually could be alleviated if the Republican Governor and Legislative leaders agreed to Medicaid expansion.”

    The ANSA also endorsed Congresswoman Terri Sewell, incumbent seven term Congresswoman representing the 7th Congressional District, which includes Greene County. ANSA also endorsed Tanya Chestnut for the District 5 Alabama State School Board, which includes Sumter and other Black Belt counties

    Montgomery Circuit Judge, Greg Griffin, said he felt that Black people need to serve on the appellate courts of our state, which is why he is running for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary but now is running statewide against the right-wing Republican incumbent, Tom Parker.

    The ANSC meeting also had a panel explaining the problems which will arise from Project 2025, the 925-page comprehensive plan of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, for implementation if Donald Trump is elected President for a second term. The panel spoke to the implications of Project 2025 to devastate the Federal workforce, abolish the Department of Education and its programs for low-income students, including reduced cost meals, HeadStart and Title 1 funding. Project 2025 is a plan to revive the Comstock Act which will place a national ban on abortion, curtail birth control and limit IVF treatments.

    Donald Trump has tried to disassociate himself from Project 2025, but 140 former staff members worked on its detailed implementation guideline. Other former Trump staffers are collecting resumes of loyal Trump workers to be used to replace fired civil service employees, to run the government within the new guidelines.

    Congressman Troy Carter traveled from New Orleans, Louisiana to be the ANSC luncheon speaker. Carter praised ANSC for its history of civic participation and involving Black voters in the electoral process. Of Shomari Figures, he said, “You can’t hope him in or pray him in, but you must vote him and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz into office.”

  • Newswire : Conflict-induced famine, hunger deaths likely in Gaza, Sudan in months: UN

    By: Al Jazerra News Service


    The Palestinian territory, Sudan and South Sudan, as well as Mali and Haiti, have been identified as the top five places most likely to see deadly hunger levels in the coming months, according to a new report by United Nations food agencies.

    The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme said in a joint report on Thursday that “acute food insecurity is set to increase in both magnitude and severity” across 22 countries and territories.

    The Rome-based UN agencies warned that the spread of conflict, particularly in the Middle East – coupled with climate and economic stressors – was pushing millions of people to the brink.

    The report spotlighted the regional fallout from Israel’s war in Gaza, with Lebanon also engulfed in conflict, and warned that the La Nina weather pattern could affect the climate through March next year, threatening fragile food systems in already vulnerable regions.
    “Without immediate humanitarian efforts and concerted international action to address severe access constraints and advocate for the de-escalation of conflict and insecurity, further starvation and loss of life are likely” in those spots, it found.

    Of “very high concern” are Nigeria, Chad, Yemen, Mozambique, Myanmar, Syria and Lebanon, it said. In those countries, conflict was either a key driver of hunger, or a contributor.

    With its focus on the most severe and worsening countries, the UN agencies said the report did not “represent all countries/territories experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity”.

    The agencies said 2024 marked the second year of declining funding for humanitarian assistance, while 12 appeals faced funding shortfalls of more than 75 percent, including for Ethiopia, Yemen, Syria and Myanmar.


    Gaza

    A surge in hostilities in the Gaza Strip has raised concerns that the “worst case scenario” of famine will materialize, said the report.

    It estimated that 41 percent of the population, or 876,000 people, will face “emergency” levels of hunger from November until the end of April.
    Nearly 16 percent, or 345,000 people, will experience the most serious “catastrophic” levels.

    As of mid-October, 1.9 million people in Gaza have been displaced, the report said.

    Sudan
    In Sudan, hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict will face famine in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur, predicted the report.

    In South Sudan, the number of people facing starvation and death is projected to have nearly doubled in the four months between April and July 2024 compared with the same period last year.

    But those numbers are expected to worsen from next May with the lean season between harvests.

    More than a million people have been affected by severe flooding this month in South Sudan, found the report, a chronically unstable country plagued by violence and economic stagnation.

    Haiti and Mali

    The ongoing unrest in Haiti due to gang violence, together with an economic crisis and hurricane activity means that critical levels of hunger are likely to worsen in the impoverished Caribbean state, the agencies said.

    Escalating conflict in Mali, where the UN withdrew its peacekeeping mission in 2023, will likely worsen already critical levels.Armed groups are imposing blockades on towns and roads, impeding humanitarian aid, the agencies said.

    The direct and indirect effects of conflict on food insecurity are vast, found the report, going well beyond the destruction of livestock and crops.

    Conflict forces people to flee their homes, “disrupting livelihoods and income, limiting market access, and resulting in price fluctuations and erratic food production and consumption”, the report said.

    In regions of high concern, extreme weather caused by the possible recurrence of La Nina – a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that can trigger heavy downpours or worsen droughts and heatwaves – could exacerbate hunger conditions, said the report.

  • Newswire : Legendary producer Quincy Jones dies at 91; Leaving a monumental legacy in music and culture

    By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Quincy Jones, the record producer, arranger, and cultural trailblazer whose influence spanned more than seven decades, has died at 91. His publicist, Arnold Robinson, confirmed his death in a statement, noting that Jones died peacefully at his home in Bel Air. The statement did not specify the cause.

    Known for producing Michael Jackson’s landmark albums, “Thriller” and “Bad,” Jones’s career far exceeded even those iconic works.

    Jones transformed genres, introduced new styles, and championed Black artistry in a largely segregated industry. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2013, called him a “Jack of All Trades” but noted that Jones “excelled at every role he took on.” His contributions as a record producer, arranger, composer, and performer reflect a boundless curiosity that kept him at the cutting edge of music across generations.

    His presence shaped countless albums, film scores, and even social movements, making him a bridge between jazz, R&B, pop, and hip-hop and between Black and white audiences.
    Jones began as a jazz trumpeter, arranging for bands like Count Basie’s and becoming a respected composer in his own right. His compositions for films, including The Pawnbroker and The Color Purple, displayed his extraordinary range, mixing classical, jazz, funk, and Afro-Cuban influences. His television scores, such as those for Sanford and Son and Ironside, brought Black music to mainstream audiences, shaping a generation’s auditory landscape.

    The three Jackson albums Jones produced — Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad — stand among his most famous works. The albums broke sales records and redefined the global pop music industry, bridging racial divides and setting new standards for production. But Jones’s career had already reached milestones before those records. He had become the first Black vice president at Mercury Records in 1964 and had garnered critical acclaim for his arrangement of Count Basie’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Over time, he received 28 Grammy Awards from 80 nominations, a record surpassed only by a few.

    Born in Chicago on March 14, 1933, Quincy Delight Jones Jr. faced a childhood filled with challenges and resilience. According to his official biography, Jones was primarily raised by his father, a carpenter, after his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenic disorder. Moving to Seattle in his early teens, he honed his craft in a music scene as diverse as his musical inclinations. By 15, Jones had already earned a spot in Lionel Hampton’s band, launching a career that would take him across the globe and into the company of jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Charles, who would become a lifelong friend and collaborator.

    Jones’s time as a jazz bandleader and arranger in the 1950s established his name in elite music circles, but his ambitions led him into film and television scoring, where he created iconic soundtracks. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Jones’s music could be heard in theaters and living rooms, with scores for films like In Cold Blood and The Deadly Affair and contributions to Alex Haley’s Roots, the celebrated mini-series. His soundtrack for The Color Purple in 1985, adapted from Alice Walker’s novel, remains a cultural milestone.

    In 1985, Jones united more than 40 of the world’s biggest music stars for the charity single “We Are the World,” raising awareness and funds for famine relief in Africa. The project’s success further cemented his reputation as a visionary capable of bridging divides for a greater cause. His label, Qwest, produced a roster as diverse as his interests, featuring artists from George Benson to the experimental jazz saxophonist Sonny Simmons.

    Through the 1990s and 2000s, Jones expanded his reach beyond music, producing television hits like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the magazine Vibe. In his later years, he remained active, working on projects that celebrated his love for jazz and hip-hop alike. In 2022, he collaborated with The Weeknd on Dawn FM, delivering a spoken monologue reflecting his decades of life and artistry. His work became a rich tapestry, woven with threads from every major genre and cultural moment in modern American history.
    “He always is soaring ahead and doesn’t like to look backwards,” Oprah Winfrey said of him during his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

    Jones leaves behind seven children: Jolie, Kidada, Kenya, Martina, Rachel, Rashida, and Quincy III in addition to his brother Richard, sisters Margie Jay and Theresa Frank.

     

  • Newswire: ACA Marketplace enrollment opens with expanded options and subsidies

    President Obama signs the Affordable Care Act

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

     

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace opens its 2025 enrollment season, offering millions the opportunity to secure or adjust health insurance plans. This year’s opening enrollment is vital, particularly if Donald Trump is re-elected. The twice-impeached former president and MAGA Republicans have vowed to repeal the healthcare law, which would deprive an estimated 40 million Americans of coverage. Under Trump’s plan, millions of individuals with pre-existing conditions would also lose health insurance.

    In 2024, approximately 4.2 million Floridians enrolled in an ACA health plan, marking a more than 200% increase from 2020, according to White House data. Florida, one of 10 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid, is seeing around 823,000 residents lose Medicaid coverage.

    More than 418,000 Michigan residents signed up for new health plans through HealthCare.gov—a nearly 30% increase over 2023. In Wisconsin, over 250,000 residents secured ACA coverage, as state officials reported. Meanwhile, 1.26 million Georgia residents enrolled, reflecting a 206% rise from 2020, with about 96% receiving an advanced premium tax credit to help cover premiums.

    Maryland also saw a 33% increase in Black enrollees and a 30% increase in Hispanic enrollees. In Virginia, 389,568 residents enrolled, marking a 67% increase since 2020, with 88% receiving advanced premium tax credits to help cover costs. Meanwhile, 11,910 District of Columbia residents enrolled, although enrollment has decreased by 26% since 2020 — about 22% of D.C. enrollees qualified for advanced premium tax credits.

    With increased enrollment nationwide, this year’s Marketplace offers more options than ever. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), consumers can choose from a broader array of plans, with benchmark silver plans averaging a 4% premium increase and bronze plans up by 5%. However, enhanced subsidies introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) continue to make coverage affordable, capping monthly premiums at a percentage of income. Most enrollees on HealthCare.gov can find plans for under $10 per month, despite unsubsidized premiums reaching $497 for a 40-year-old on a benchmark silver plan. KFF researchers noted that some states, like Vermont, Alaska, and North Dakota, face double-digit premium hikes, while others, like Louisiana, see decreases in low-cost plans.

    Under the Biden-Harris administration, the ACA Marketplace has expanded to include more insurers, with an average of 9.6 participating insurers per state, allowing 97% of Healthcare.gov users to choose from at least three insurers. The range of options includes silver and bronze plans tailored to meet different healthcare needs. Silver plans, which serve as the basis for subsidy calculations, offer a balance of coverage and cost, while bronze plans provide lower premiums but higher deductibles.

    Federal funding has also been allocated to ensure continued support for enrollees. The Biden-Harris administration committed $100 million to the Navigator program, providing more resources to help Americans understand and select the best health plan.

    Enhanced subsidies—initially introduced under the American Rescue Plan Act and extended by the IRA—are set to expire at the end of 2025 unless renewed by Congress. Without renewal, millions would face premium hikes in 2026, with costs doubling in some cases. A young family of four in Pennsylvania earning $125,000 would see an annual increase of $6,448, while a 45-year-old in Wisconsin with a $60,000 income would experience a $1,354 hike.

    DACA recipients are eligible for ACA coverage for the first time, with subsidies that help reduce costs. Effective November 1, this new eligibility offers a special enrollment window for an estimated 100,000 DACA recipients despite ongoing litigation. Additionally, states like California and New Mexico are leveraging federal tax credits to reduce deductibles, enhancing affordability for those with lower incomes.

    KFF found that further safeguards and protections accompany this year’s enrollment. Stricter fraud protections require brokers to secure consent before making plan changes and respond to complaints about unauthorized plan modifications. Non-ACA-compliant short-term plans are now limited to four months and must display clear disclaimers noting they lack comprehensive health coverage. Similarly, fixed indemnity plans, which pay a set amount for specific medical events but lack ACA protections, now carry required disclaimers.

    New network adequacy standards for federal Marketplace plans also ensure timely access to care. Wait times are capped in 2025 at ten business days for behavioral health, 15 days for primary care, and 30 days for non-urgent specialty care. Compliance will be monitored through “secret shoppers” surveys to verify access.

    Health officials said the ACA Marketplace’s enrollment success reflects expanded access under the Biden-Harris administration. However, political opposition from Trump and MAGA Republicans threatens these gains.

    To register for health insurance for 2025, visit www.Healthcare.gov.

     

  • Newswire : Closing arguments: Harris seeks a unified America while Trump’s final rally descends into bigotry and chaos

    U. S. Capitol being split

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    As Election Day draws closer, the divide between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump has become a chasm. With the help of well-known supporters like Beyoncé, Usher, and Bruce Springsteen who gathered in cities across the country to support her inclusive platform, Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has spent the final days of her campaign calling for unity among Americans.

    Meanwhile, Trump, the Republican nominee, took the stage at Madison Square Garden, delivering a closing pitch that unleashed xenophobic, racially charged rhetoric, painting an America under siege and promising a wave of mass deportations starting on Day 1.

    Beyoncé joined Harris onstage in Houston, stating, “I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m here as a mother.” Springsteen spoke to Harris’s core values, noting, “She believes in the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power.” The entertainers championed a vision that they argue will protect democracy, safeguard freedoms, and promote unity—a vision starkly opposed to Trump’s divisive tirade at the World’s Most Famous Arena, where just blocks away, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges this year and only a few miles from the court that held him responsible for sexual assault.

    His civil conviction on massive business fraud also occurred across town from The Garden.
    Trump’s rally, marketed as a historic comeback, was instead a showcase of his campaign’s unrestrained hostility. He anchored his speech on his promise of a massive deportation program, calling the country “occupied” by immigrants—a message reminiscent of historical demagogues. Outside, the Democrats made their own statements, projecting the messages “Trump is Unhinged” and “Trump Praised Hitler” across the storied arena’s exterior.

    Before Trump even reached the podium, his supporters stoked racial hatred and fear. Former congressional candidate David Rem attacked Harris, calling her “the antichrist” and “the devil” while waving a cross. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe plunged into outright racism, referring to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” and demeaning Latinos with, “These Latinos, they love making babies, too.” Radio host Sid Rosenberg went further, railing against migrants living in New York and declaring, “You got homeless and veterans—Americans—sleeping on their own feces on a bench in Central Park. But the f**king illegals, they get whatever they want, don’t they?”

    Trump’s speech bristled with falsehoods and conspiracy-laden claims. Echoing his 2016 rhetoric, he argued that migrants are to blame for economic woes, pushing the narrative that his leadership alone could restore prosperity. “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” he asked, promising to end inflation and “bring back the American dream” despite his previous term’s failure. His speech underscored the extremist shift that defines his campaign—a willingness to blame society’s ills on the most vulnerable, in line with far-right leaders who have exploited fear and division throughout history.

    Harris’s final rally, scheduled for Tuesday, will occur on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., a deliberate echo of the January 6, 2021, insurrection that Trump incited.

    Harris’s campaign has drawn strength from powerful allies who recognize the stakes. Reflecting on Trump’s divisive legacy, Tyler Perry said, “In this Donald Trump America, there is no dream that looks like me.” Bruce Springsteen declared, “There is only one candidate in this election who holds those principles dear: Kamala Harris… Trump is running to be an American tyrant. He does not understand this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American.”

    Samuel L. Jackson, standing firmly behind Harris, reminded audiences, “She’s running on a proven track record of fighting for the people… of taking on the toughest fights.”

  • Newswire : South Carolina to build state’s first individual monument honoring an African American

    Robert Smalls’ gravesite in Beaufort, S. C.

    By The Associated Press

    BEAUFORT, S.C. — South Carolina is preparing to put up its first individual statue for an African American on its Statehouse lawn, honoring a man who put on Confederate clothes in order to steal a slaveholder’s ship and sail his family and a dozen others to freedom during the Civil War.

    But Robert Smalls isn’t just being honored for his audacious escape. He spent a decade in the U.S. House, helped rewrite South Carolina’s constitution to allow Black men equality after the Civil War and then put up a valiant but doomed fight when racists returned to power and eliminated nearly all of the gains Smalls fought for.
    Rep. Jermaine Johnson can’t wait to bring his children to the Statehouse to finally see someone who is Black like them being honored. “The man has done so many great things, it’s just a travesty he has not been honored until now. Heck, it’s also a travesty there isn’t some big Hollywood movie out there about his life,” said Johnson, a Democrat from a district just a few miles from the Statehouse.

    The idea for a statue to Smalls has been percolating for years. But there was always quiet opposition preventing a bill from getting a hearing. That changed in 2024 as the proposal made it unanimously through the state House and Senate on the back of Republican Rep. Brandon Cox of Goose Creek.

    “South Carolina is a great state. We’ve got a lot of history, good and bad. This is our good history,” Cox said.

    What will the Robert Smalls memorial look like?

    The bill created a special committee that has until Jan. 15 to come up with a design, a location on the Statehouse lawn and the money to pay for whatever memorial they choose.
    But supporters face a challenging question: What best honors Smalls?

    If it’s just one statue, is it best to honor the steel-nerved ship pilot who waited for all the white crew to leave, then mimicked hand signals and whistle toots to get through Confederate checkpoints, while hoping Confederate soldiers didn’t notice a Black man under the hat in the pale moonlight in May 1862?

    Or would a more fitting tribute to Smalls be to recognize the statesman who served in the South Carolina House and Senate and the U.S. House after the Civil War? Smalls bought his master’s house in Beaufort in part with money made for turning the Confederate ship over to Union forces, then allowed the man’s penniless wife to live there when she was widowed.

    Or is the elder Smalls who fought for education for all and to keep the gains African Americans made during the Civil War the man most worth publicly memorializing? Smalls would see a new constitution in 1895 wipe out African Americans’ right to vote. He was fired from his federal customs collector job in 1913 when then President Woodrow Wilson purged a large number of Black men out of government jobs.

    Or would it be best to combine them all in some way? That’s how Republican Rep. Chip Campsen, an occasional ship pilot himself, sees honoring one of his favorite South Carolinians.

    “The best way to sum up Robert Smalls’ life is it was a fight for freedom as a slave, as a pilot and as a statesman,” Campsen said. Location, location, location

    Then there is the matter of location. While South Carolina has a monument with multiple panels honoring the struggle of African Americans from their journey on slave ships through today, it doesn’t honor an individual Black man or women among the two dozen monuments scattered around the Statehouse.

    At least six different monuments honor people like Dr. J. Marion Sims, who some consider the father of modern gynecology but who underpinned his research operating without anesthesia on enslaved women and girls. There are several honoring Confederates who fought to protect slavery in the state that started the Civil War and hangs a marble copy of the Articles of Secession in the lobby between its House and Senate chambers.

    The dubious list includes “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman, a governor and U.S. senator who bragged about how he led groups of whites who killed Black men trying to vote during the election of 1876 which led to the end of Reconstruction, the return of all-white rule and the collapse of everything for which Smalls had worked. None of that is on the plaque for Tillman’s statue.
    Some supporters have suggested Smalls’ statue could stand nearby and be taller and more prominent than Tillman’s to give Smalls a triumph some 130 years in the making.

    Once design and location are determined, organizers hope raising the money gets easier with a concept in mind. “We have to get the narrative right,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said. “This is going to tell a story. I think it is important that we tell that the right way to honor him and to honor South Carolina. I think it’s really cool.”

    Robert Smalls’ monumental life

    Robert Smalls was born in 1839 in Beaufort and died in 1915 in his hometown a free, but somewhat forgotten man who lived a life unimaginable to a woman holding her son born into slavery. Supporters now have a chance to make sure he never fades into obscurity.

    “Robert Smalls writes a new future for this county that in the moment no one can see is happening,” said Chris Barr, the Chief of Interpretation for the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park in Beaufort as he stood beside the a bust of Smalls near his grave in his hometown.

    Driving a Confederate boat to freedom is what captures the most attention in that remarkable life, Barr said. “If you’re an enslaved person working on one of these boats around the Charleston Harbor like Robert Smalls, you’ve got the tools, you’ve got the talent, you’ve got the boat and you know how to drive it,” Barr said “And you can literally see freedom floating in the form of the United States Navy just a few miles offshore. All you need is an opportunity.”

     

  • U.S. Reps. Sewell, Crockett and former AG Eric Holder campaign for Figures in AL-2 race

    Congresswoman Jasmin Crockett and Terri Sewell of Alabama

    By Jacob Holmes, Alabama Political Reporters

    U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, was joined by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Sunday in Montgomery to urge women voters to support Shomari Figures in the race for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District.

    The congressmembers were joined by attorney Tamika Reed, wife of Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, and Kalisha Figures, wife of Shomari Figures, to round out the “Women for Figures” panel at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church.

    After a legal battle over the percentage of Black citizens in the district, a federal court redrew the map to give Black voters a better opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. This has created the only competitive congressional race in the state between Figures and the Republican nominee Caroleene Dobson.

    Crockett urged that if Kamala Harris wins the presidency, she will need Democratic control of the House and Senate to bring her policies to reality.

    “I need better co-workers,” Crockett said. “I need people that actually want to work for the people. Right now, this has been the most unproductive Congress in the history of Congress.”
    Sewell emphasized the roles of Montgomery and Selma in the Civil Rights movement and said the new district needs to help continue that trend of making progress.
    “It’s high time that we get more representation, fairer representation in Alabama, in Congress,” Sewell said. “So I am thrilled I didn’t have to be bludgeoned on a bridge. I just had to give up Montgomery County for progress, and progress we will have if you go to the polls.”

    The panel emphasized the future of abortion rights. The U.S. Supreme Court rolled back a federal right to abortion access in its landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health in a major victory for Republicans.

    ”You don’t have to be pro-choice,” Crockett said. “You can do whatever you want to with your uterus or the fact you don’t even have one. We’re not asking you to agree.”

    Kalisha Figures said childbirth is scary and noted the travel times to hospitals that deliver babies for rural Alabamians.
    “I have three times given birth,” she said. “It is scary, on face value, if you are healthy and well. It is scary. So to not have access to that care, to have to drive 60, 90 minutes in labor to get care, these are the issues we’re talking about when we talk about the state of women, right in Alabama, in this district.”

    Former AG Eric Holder also visits Alabama to campaign for Shomari Figures

    Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder arrived in Mobile to bolster Shomari Figures’ campaign for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. Holder, known nationally for his advocacy on voting rights and redistricting fairness, emphasized the importance of this election in the broader movement to protect democracy and ensure equitable representation.

    Holder’s support for Figures underscores the high stakes of this congressional race, which has garnered attention for its potential impact on state and national redistricting debates. As the first African American U.S. Attorney General, Holder has been a pivotal voice against gerrymandering through his work with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), where he has actively campaigned to secure fair elections across the nation. His presence in Alabama signals the importance of securing fair representation in regions where voting rights have been an ongoing battle.

    The day’s events began at 2:50 p.m. with a press conference at Figures’ campaign headquarters on Government Street. Holder then visited Great Day Latte on S. Conception Street, showcasing support for local businesses. The evening continues with Holder joining Figures at a campaign phone bank back at headquarters before a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at 6 p.m. at Big Zion A.M.E. Zion Church on S. Bayou Street. This rally will be a key event as Holder and Figures emphasize their shared commitment to a just political system that champions voting rights.

    Holder’s visit comes at a time when Alabamians are increasingly engaged in discussions around voting rights and political representation. His alignment with Figures not only strengthens the candidate’s platform but also reinforces the national focus on the significance of fair elections and civil rights advocacy.