By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into Rankin County, Mississippi, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD). The probe will determine whether the RCSD engages in unconstitutional practices, including excessive force, unlawful stops, and racially discriminatory policing. Rankin County, which has a population of about 160,000, is located 30 minutes east of Jackson, the state capital.
The investigation follows the highly publicized case involving the so-called “Goon Squad,” a group of five former Rankin County deputies convicted for the brutal assault of two Black men, Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, in January 2023. Those deputies were sentenced to federal prison, but the Justice Department is now examining whether the issues within the department are more widespread.
“We are launching this investigation to examine serious allegations that the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department systematically violates people’s constitutional rights through excessive use of force, unlawful stops and arrests, and discriminatory policing,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
The investigation will scrutinize the RCSD’s use of force, including deadly force, and evaluate whether officers have engaged in unlawful searches, stops, and arrests in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The Justice Department will also assess claims of discriminatory policing practices that could violate the 14th Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the Safe Streets Act.
Rankin County officials have pledged their cooperation with the investigation. The DOJ said it would review the sheriff department’s policies, training, and oversight systems. Investigators will gather information by meeting with community members, law enforcement officers, and department leadership.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division referenced the Goon Squad case in remarks about the investigation, stating, “Although the Goon Squad deputies are now serving time, we have received numerous reports that their actions were part of a broader pattern of misconduct that persists within the sheriff’s department.”
Officials said the investigation is being conducted under the authority of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which allows the Justice Department to address law enforcement misconduct through civil litigation. This marks the 12th such investigation into law enforcement practices opened by the Justice Department during the Biden administration. Recent investigations into departments in Phoenix and Louisville have led to significant reforms.
“The pursuit of justice is not just about punishing individual officers; it’s about ensuring that the culture of policing reflects the values of our Constitution,” Garland said. “No community should live in fear of those sworn to protect them.”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, and Americans for Tax Fairness released a damning report Thursday exposing the deep racial inequities entrenched in the U.S. tax system.
The issue brief “How Tax Fairness Can Promote Racial Equity,” written by Color of Change Managing Director Portia Allen-Kyle and Americans for Tax Fairness Executive Director David Kass, exposes the systemic flaws in tax policy that have widened the racial wealth gap and prevented economic mobility for Black, brown, and Indigenous communities.
The report urgently calls for sweeping reforms to stop the flow of tax benefits to the wealthiest Americans — who are overwhelmingly white — while offering concrete solutions to make the tax code work for everyone, not just the top 1%.
“An equitable tax system does two things,” Allen-Kyle asserted. “It narrows the racial wealth gap from the bottom up and spurs economic mobility for Black, brown, and Indigenous individuals and families. Our current tax code fails on both accounts. It’s a prime example of how so-called ‘colorblind’ systems actively prevent Black families from building generational wealth and economic security.”
Tax Code Deepens Racial Disparities, Experts Say
The brief pulls no punches in describing how current tax policies disproportionately benefit wealthy white families, further deepening racial inequalities. By giving preferential treatment to wealth over work, the system locks in economic advantages for white households while leaving communities of color to bear the brunt of these inequities.
“Our tax system is not only failing to address racial wealth inequality, it’s exacerbating it,” Kass warns in the report. “We privilege wealth over work, fail to adequately tax our richest households and corporations, and allow inherited fortunes to compound unchecked by taxation. This perpetuates a legacy of racial inequality.”
The racial wealth gap has exploded in recent years, with the median wealth gap between Black and white households jumping from $172,000 in 2019 to over $214,000 in 2022. Economic crises such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic further entrenched these divides, benefiting the already wealthy, while leaving Black, brown and Indigenous communities further behind.
The Racial Wealth Gap and Homeownership
Homeownership, long touted as a primary means of building wealth in America, has failed to deliver for Black families. The report points to factors such as biased home appraisals and a regressive property tax system as key reasons why Black homeowners have been unable to accumulate wealth at the same rate as their white counterparts.
As the brief notes, with critical provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) set to expire, now is a pivotal moment for tax reform. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform our tax system to address racial inequality,” the report states, comparing recent monumental legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Three Key Reforms to Tackle Racial Inequity
The report lays out three central reforms aimed at curbing the wealth concentration among the ultra-rich and dismantling the racial inequities baked into the tax code:
Taxing Wealth Fairly: The report calls for equalizing the tax rates on wealth and work. Currently, capital gains — profits from investments — are taxed at a far lower rate than wages earned by working people, a disparity that overwhelmingly benefits white households. The vast majority of capital gains income flows to white families, who comprise only two-thirds of taxpayers but receive 92% of the benefits from lower tax rates on investment income.
Strengthening the Estate Tax: The estate tax, which is supposed to curb the accumulation of dynastic wealth, has been weakened over time, allowing large fortunes — primarily held by white families — to grow even larger across generations. The report calls for stronger enforcement of the estate tax to prevent the further entrenchment of wealth and power within a small, overwhelmingly white elite.
Targeting Tax Deductions to Benefit Lower-Income Households: Deductions for mortgage interest, college savings, and retirement accounts disproportionately benefit wealthier, predominantly white households. In order to prevent lower-income and minority households from falling behind due to policies that are currently biased in favor of the wealthy, the brief advocates for restructuring these deductions.
Biden-Harris Administration and Senate Proposals for Change
Both the Biden-Harris administration and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden have proposed addressing the racial wealth gap. The Billionaire Minimum Income Tax (BMIT) and the Billionaire Income Tax (BIT) would ensure that the wealthiest Americans — who often go years without paying taxes — contribute their fair share. These proposals would raise over $500 billion in revenue over the next decade, which could be reinvested in healthcare, education, and housing for communities of color.
As the report points out, our current tax system is skewed in favor of the ultrawealthy. It allows the rich to avoid paying taxes on the increased value of their investments unless they sell them. They often borrow against these growing fortunes, further delaying taxation, which allows white billionaires to accumulate vast wealth while paying a fraction of what working families pay in taxes.
A Call for Urgent Action
The message from Color of Change and Americans for Tax Fairness is clear: America’s tax system is broken, and without immediate reforms, the racial wealth gap will continue to widen. “Addressing the insidious racial preferences in our tax code is one of the most direct ways we can not only help Black communities grow here and now but for generations to come,” Allen-Kyle concludes.
As the search continues for the gunmen sought in the weekend mass shooting in Birmingham’s Five Points South that killed four and wounded 17 others, authorities on Monday announced reward money of up to $100,000 offered by the FBI and Crime Stoppers.
Police Chief Scott Thurmond said investigators are still working on the theory that the barrage of automatic gunfire was a “hit” — a murder-for-hire targeting at least one of the men killed in the shooting.
Two of the victims, Carlos De’Juan McCain, 27, and Roderick Lynn Patterson Jr., 26, both were charged in past Birmingham homicides. McCain was acquitted of murder and attempted murder in 2017 in the shooting death of 15-year-old Kelvon Julius, who police said was killed in retaliation for another shooting in 2015. A young woman was also wounded in the gunfire that killed Kelvon. Kelvon’s slaying happened June 4, 2016, on 12th Street South. A second suspect pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Patterson was previously charged with murder in the 2021 shooting of 20-year-old Dentarius Maurice Jackson, who was gunned down at the gas pumps at the Chevron on First Ave. North. In 2022, the murder charge against Patterson was dismissed at the request of prosecutors citing “death, unavailability, and non-cooperation of witnesses.” Court records show no criminal histories for the other two people killed – Anitra Hollomon, 21, and Tahj Booker, 27.
Thurmond said he would not yet identify who investigators believe was the targeted victim in Saturday’s mass shooting, and said police are still trying to determine whether a second victim was also targeted. “There could be multiple motives for the one individual we believe was targeted. Others could have been targeted,’’ Thurmond said. “We’re still looking into that.”
“Some of the individuals killed have extensive criminal histories and because of that, there’s often motivation from others, and there’s people willing to pay to have them killed,’’ the chief said.
Thurmond, Mayor Randall Woodfin and other law enforcement officials held a news conference Monday to update the investigation and announce the reward. FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples announced the reward for information on arrest and conviction. Frank Barefield of Crime Stoppers said its reward is for information leading to the identity of the suspects and is the largest ever offered by them.
The previous record was $25,000 after the abuduction of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney. The 3-year-old was abducted from a birthday party in 2019 and later found murdered. Two people were arrested and convicted.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Haiti to demonstrate American backing for an international initiative aimed at reducing gang-related violence in the Caribbean country. On September 5, 2024, Blinken landed in Port-au-Prince, where he presented a fresh round of assistance to refugees and met with interim prime minister Garry Conille.
Blinken informed reporters, “At this critical moment, we do need more funding, we do need more personnel to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission.” Since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021, gangs have taken control of large areas of Haiti. Eighty percent of Port-au-Prince, the capital, is included in this estimate. Amidst its crisis of legitimacy, the Haitian government has found it difficult to retake power and preserve calm. The violence in Haiti has spread to ten departments, and the interim administration there widened the country’s state of emergency just one day before Blinken’s arrival.
Before, the Ouest department—which includes Port-au-Prince—was the only territory covered by the state of emergency. However, a spokesman for Prime Minister Conille claimed that the enlarged emergency designation is a reflection of gang conflicts occurring in departments such as Artibonite, which is a sizable area that grows rice.
The United Nations estimates that in 2024, the violence will have pushed a record 578,074 people from their homes, making it the world’s greatest internal displacement disaster due to crime. An estimated 2,500 people lost their lives or were injured in the ongoing conflict in only the first quarter of 2024.
However, to support Haiti’s law enforcement, the Kenyan government dispatched 200 police personnel in June. Out of an anticipated 1,000 Kenyan policemen, a second wave of 200 came the next month. Nevertheless, Blinken cautioned that the Kenyan military might not be sufficient to stem the flow of gang-related violence on their own.
He has publicly asked whether a UN peacekeeping force is necessary, as have other US officials. However, it is a contentious idea in Haiti, where on their most recent deployment, UN forces caused a fatal cholera outbreak.
Between 2010 and 2019, the illness claimed the lives of around 10,000 individuals. Many in the country view international troops with caution due to the lengthy history of foreign intervention. The priority, according to Blinken during his visit, was to make sure the international community was ready to help the Kenyan soldiers going forward, who had arrived as part of a mission known as the Multinational Security Help Mission.
Last October, the operation was authorized for a one-year duration. The UN should get together again and decide on an extension, according to Blinken. “The mission itself needs to be renewed,” he noted. “That’s what we’re working on right now. But we also want something that’s reliable, that’s sustainable, and we’ll look at every option to do that. A UN peacekeeping mission is one option.”
The US has provided the most financial assistance for the project, with a $360 million pledge from President Joe Biden’s administration.
Recent news of an extra $45 million in humanitarian relief for Haiti was released. During his visit, Blinken again emphasized the need to have a stable, democratically elected administration. He urged Haitian authorities to organize fresh general elections for the next year. “That is the critical next step,” he noted. “We want to make sure Haiti is back on a clear democratic track.” Previous to the killing of President Moise, Haiti had not had federal elections. Its most recent democratically elected authorities reached the end of their terms in January 2023, and there was nobody to take their place.
At that moment, the late Moise nominated former prime minister Ariel Henry to lead the cabinet soon before his passing. However, because Henry was an unelected official and hence not very popular, local gangs took advantage of this mistrust of the government to further their own agendas and become more powerful.
In the end, Henry resigned in April, which made way for the formation of a transitional council entrusted with restoring democratic standards. “Much remains to be done, and we’re determined to continue,” Blinken noted. “It’s starting to move.”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The Biden-Harris administration’s mission to strengthen educational equity and economic opportunity was on full display again as the White House announced an additional $1.3 billion in federal investments for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The new funding brings the administration’s total investment in HBCUs to an unprecedented $17 billion since Fiscal Year 2021, setting a new record and further displaying the administration’s commitment to institutions that have long served as beacons of opportunity and excellence for Black Americans.
Though representing only 3% of all U.S. colleges and universities, HBCUs play a crucial role in fostering economic mobility. According to White House officials, HBCUs enroll twice as many Pell Grant-eligible low—and middle-income students as non-HBCU institutions, producing a significant percentage of Black professionals in critical fields—40% of engineers, 50% of teachers, 70% of doctors and dentists, and 80% of judges. Officials touted Vice President Kamala Harris, an alumna of Howard University, as an example of these institutions’ profound impact on shaping national leadership.
A White House fact sheet highlighted how HBCUs are not just educational powerhouses but also drivers of economic growth. Research by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) shows that HBCUs help more than five times as many students move from the bottom 40% to the top 60% of U.S. households compared to Ivy League and other elite non-HBCU institutions. Further, a report from the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) links HBCU enrollment with higher graduation rates and increased household incomes, affirming their role in advancing social and economic equity.
Economically, according to the UNCF, HBCUs contribute $16.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy, generate over 136,000 jobs, and produce $146 billion in lifetime earnings for their graduates. The administration’s investments aim to amplify this impact, particularly by enhancing HBCUs’ research and development (R&D) capacities in STEM fields.
The new $1.3 billion investment includes $188 million in competitive grants for R&D capacity building and $1.1 billion in funding to support students directly through need-based grants and programs like Pell Grants. According to the fact sheet, this action builds on a series of initiatives launched to expand HBCUs’ influence and capabilities, including: Innovation in Defense: The Department of Defense created the first-ever HBCU-led University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). Howard University, leading a $90 million program over five years, focuses on advancing autonomous technologies for Air Force missions.
Bridging the Digital Divide: The Department of Commerce’s Connecting-Minority-Communities program funds 43 HBCUs to secure high-speed internet, equipment, and IT personnel, directly addressing the digital divide. Leading in Clean Energy: The Department of Energy’s $7.75 million HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize is designed to enhance STEM education and inspire future leaders in clean energy fields.
Diversity in Agriculture: The Department of Agriculture’s $262.5 million investment supports 33 projects to train over 20,000 future food and agricultural leaders, emphasizing diversity in the agricultural sector.
Officials said that the unprecedented support for HBCUs reflects the administration’s broader agenda to promote educational excellence and equity. Reestablishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs further signifies this commitment, they said. Further, according to the fact sheet, the administration’s diversity is a testament to this focus, with many HBCU graduates, including Harris, holding key roles.
The new funding coincides with Forbes magazine’s recent ranking of HBCUs. Forbes named Howard University the number one HBCU. It was ranked 273rd among the top 500 colleges and universities, ahead of Spelman, Morehouse, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), North Carolina A&T, and Hampton University. The rankings showcase HBCUs’ ability to produce high-earning, influential graduates from diverse economic backgrounds, often with lower student debt.
Numerous advocacy groups Friday filed a lawsuit on behalf of Alabamians they say have been unfairly targeted by the state’s illegal voter purge. The Southern Poverty Law Center, Campaign Legal Center and Fair Elections center filed the suit Friday on behalf of four individuals as well as the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the Alabama NAACP and the League of Women Voters of Alabama.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a letter the advocacy organizations sent to notify Secretary of State Wes Allen that Alabama’s voter purge program, which purges naturalized U.S. citizens from the state’s voter rolls shortly before the 2024 election, violates the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
“Last month, the SPLC and our partners put the Secretary of State on notice for announcing plans to systemically purge individuals on the voter rolls who are naturalized citizens within the 90-day period stipulated by the NVRA,” said Jess Unger, senior staff attorney for voting rights at Southern Poverty Law Center. “Today, we are suing to end this discriminatory program that’s in clear violation of the NVRA – and to protect the rights of thousands of eligible voters that the state of Alabama is trying to silence. No matter what barrier is put in place, we will work to ensure every voice in Alabama is heard.” The purge announced by Allen would remove 3,251 individuals from the voter roll because they, at some point, had been issued a noncitizen identification number. Allen admitted in his announcement that such an individual could have become a naturalized citizen and eligible voter since being issued that ID.
“No American citizen should be denied their freedom to vote, and all Americans have the same freedom to vote regardless of where they were born. Instead of protecting Americans’ freedom to vote in the November election, Alabama is shamefully intimidating naturalized citizens and illegally purging qualified Americans from voter rolls,” said Bruce V. Spiva, senior vice president of CLC. “Our local election officials work hard to make sure only American citizens can vote. In practice, voter purges like what we are seeing in Alabama target naturalized citizens and prevent qualified Americans from exercising their right to vote. Our democracy works best when every American can participate without fear, and CLC will continue to fight for Americans’ freedom to vote.” Allen has made election security a staple of his platform as secretary of state, focusing particularly on the prevention of undocumented immigrants from voting. His office was recently involved in the arrest of one such individual; however, they used identity theft to perpetrate the crime and were not themselves on the voter roll.
“It is a foundational principle of our country that every citizen, regardless of where they come from, has a voice in our democracy,” said Michelle Kanter Cohen, policy director and senior counsel at Fair Elections Center. “What’s more, this is the time for election officials to be reaching out and encouraging new voters to participate, instead of engaging in last-minute election-eve attempts to make it harder to vote for naturalized citizens who have worked so hard for their opportunity to have a say.”
“Secretary Allen’s actions are not making our elections any safer; instead, they are inactivating lawfully registered voters from the rolls and unnecessarily causing fear and intimidation,” said Kathy Jones, president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama. “Alabama voters need to know that the League is here to fight for them and is committed to ensuring all voters have the opportunity and accurate information to exercise their right to vote.”
“The Alabama NAACP is again dismayed by the Alabama Secretary of State efforts to disenfranchise voters. We know that this is a nationwide effort to provide excuses for certain candidates to use if they lose the elections on November 5. We are committed to doing all that we can to ensure that every voter votes and that every vote is counted despite what obstacles are put in our path,” said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP.
At its regular meeting on September 9, 2024, the Greene County Commission reviewed and passed a number of routine business items.
The Commission approved the extension and renewal of a variety of contracts, including the Alabama Department of Youth Service, for dealing with detention of youth offenders; the ACCA Workmen’s Compensation Self Insurance Fund; and the CIMS contract for soft wear at $750 a month for the
Greene County Highway Department.
The Commission also approved the 2025 Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday for February 21-23, 2025, which exempts certain needed item from taxation for that designated weekend.
The Commission also approved several requests from the Greene County Highway Department:
• Agreed to purchase a new garbage truck for $268,394, based on a budgetary plan for trading in used equipment for new vehicles;
• Clean up scrap and garbage on County Road 210, outside of Boligee;
• Approved advertising for an Assistant Superintendent; and
• Approved travel for the County Engineer to attend the Alabama Road Safety Conference on October 15-17, 2024, in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The Commission accepted the low bid of $105,020 from Just Rite Heating and Cooling, for HVAC units at the County Courthouse. The Commission also accepted the low bid of $32,500, from M & H Construction Company for replacement of doors at the Eutaw Activity Center.
The Commission received and accepted a report from CFO Mac Underwood on the financial status of the Commission as of August 31, 2024, the eleventh month of the fiscal year. The Commission has $2,848,852 in unrestricted funds and $3,676,857 in restricted funds deposited with Citizens Trust Bank. In Merchants and Farmers Bank, the Commission has $3,088,151 in unrestricted bingo funds and $1,723,584 in restricted funds. The total unrestricted funds are $5,937,004 and $ 5,400,442 in restricted funds. The Commission also has $899,569 in bond sinking funds.
For the month of August, the Commission spent a total of $803,667 and an additional $71,057 in electronic claims. All the departmental budgets are in line with the budget as of August 31, 2024.
A separate report was presented on the use of American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding given to the County, showing $67,790 in unexpended funds.
On the report there is a note that the E-911 Board requested additional operating funds and that the Greene County Industrial Development Authority requested funds for building renovations. All the ARPA funds must be obligated by the end of this calendar year.
SPECIAL TO THE TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE FROM ETHNIC MEDIA SERVICES
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – A group of civil rights organizations announced Sept. 5 they are challenging a lawsuit by the Republican Party, which seeks to deem 225,000 registered voters in North Carolina ineligible to vote.
The lawsuit impacts any voter in North Carolina who does not have a Social Security number and a driver’s license — or other DMV document — on file with the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE).
Election officials note that this could be a fault of human error, and that such documents were not required before 2005, when the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) took effect.In its lawsuit filed Aug. 23, the RNC stated that the NCSBE allowed over a quarter million people to register to vote with registration forms that failed to collect required identification information. The RNC deemed it a violation of HAVA.
“Because of these errors, the North Carolina voter rolls are potentially replete with ineligible voters — including possible non-citizens — all of whom are now registered to vote,” declared the RNC in its lawsuit. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a press statement: “The NCSBE has once again failed in its mandate to keep non-citizens off the voter rolls, fueling distrust and jeopardizing our elections. We are committed to the basic principle – and commonsense law – that only Americans decide American elections.”
Voting by undocumented immigrants is extremely rare, reports the Brennan Center. In a survey of 23.5 million ballots, the organization found only 30 fraudulent votes, just 0.0001 percent of the votes cast. The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, also reports that non-citizens do not vote in detectable numbers. Non-citizens who attempt to vote can be criminally prosecuted and deemed ineligible for citizenship.
Motion to Intervene
The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, along with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Southern Coalition for Social Justice filed a motion to intervene Sept. 4, on behalf of the North Carolina NAACP, and Sailor Jones, associate director of Common Cause, North Carolina, who is directly affected by the RNC lawsuit. The NAACP notes that Black voters would be disproportionately impacted, should the RNC’s lawsuit prevail.
In an interview with Ethnic Media Services, Jones said he has voted in North Carolina for decades. But he re-registered to vote on July 8, 2022, after changing residences. Neither his social security number or his driver’s license show up in voter files, thus he would be deemed ineligible to vote, should the RNC prevail. Jones said he provided his driver’s license when voting in the 2024 primary election, and has provided his Social Security number to election officials in the past.
The RNC’s ‘Desperate Move’
“Now I am one of hundreds of thousands eligible North Carolina voters whom extremists want to deny their freedom to cast a ballot just days before voting begins in our state,” he said, characterizing the lawsuit as a “desperate move.”
The East Carolina University Center for Survey Research released a poll Sept. 3, which showed Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump in a one-point lead against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Presidential candidate. Dr. Peter Francia, Director of the East Carolina University Center for Survey Research said in an interview with CBS17 that the razor-thin lead was well within the 3 point margin of error.
Jones said he expects more North Carolinians coming to the polls to rebuke the Republican Party’s extreme policies, including restricting abortion access, new cuts to public education, and penalties for publicly protesting.
American Basketball Player Ineligible to Vote
“While these extremists may have wanted North Carolina voters to be discouraged by this latest political ploy, they forgot we live in a state known for breaking voting records regardless of the barriers in place,” he said.
Jones provided to EMS the full list of a quarter million people who would be deemed ineligible to vote. (The list can be searched by downloading the spreadsheet. While the list has over 750,000 names, only those missing both a driver’s license and a Social Security number would be potentially ineligible to vote). Jones noted that one of his favorite basketball players, University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, is on the list. “When you mess with college basketball in North Carolina, you mess with all of us,” said Jones. Bacot, 24, was born in Richmond, Virginia; he is Black.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has not commented on the lawsuit. It does encourage people to check its database to see if they are still actively registered to vote. People who are listed as inactive can re-register up to 30 days prior to the election. For voters who lack a Social Security number or driver’s license, North Carolinians can submit a photo ID, along with a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows a name and address.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
James Earl Jones, the legendary actor whose deep, resonant voice became synonymous with some of the most iconic characters in film history, passed away today at his home in Dutchess County, New York. He was 93.
His representatives at Independent Artist Group first confirmed the actor’s death to Deadline. Over a remarkable career that spanned six decades, Jones earned an indelible place in both Hollywood and Broadway. He became one of only a few entertainers to achieve the prestigious EGOT, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
Best known to many as the commanding voice behind Darth Vader in Star Wars, Jones brought depth and gravitas to the villainous character, making him one of cinema’s most unforgettable antagonists. He reprised the role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), further cementing his legacy in the galaxy far, far away.
Born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones’s contributions to the arts extended far beyond Star Wars. He voiced the beloved character Mufasa in Disney’s animated classic The Lion King (1994) and again in the 2019 live-action remake. His unmistakable voice was also a signature of CNN’s “This is CNN” campaign.
Jones’s acting career began on the stage and in film with his breakout role in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (1964). His powerful on-screen presence led to roles in a variety of acclaimed films including Conan the Barbarian (1982), Coming to America (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and The Sandlot (1990). He earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Jack Jefferson in The Great White Hope (1970), a role that also won him his first Tony Award.
On Broadway, Jones was a force to be reckoned with. He earned four Tony nominations and took home two wins for The Great White Hope in 1969 and August Wilson’s Fences in 1987. His contribution to the stage was celebrated with a Special Tony Award in 2017.
Jones’s talents were equally recognized on television, where he won two Primetime Emmys in 1991 for Gabriel’s Fire and Heat Wave. His voice and presence on-screen were magnetic, a testament to his versatility as an actor who could excel in drama, comedy, and everything in between.
A recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002, Jones’s lifetime of achievements earned him accolades from SAG-AFTRA and the National Board of Review and a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording in 1977.
by Charlene Crowell, Center for Responsible Lending
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – As consumers struggle to cope with mounting debt, a new economic report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York includes an unprecedented glimmer of hope. Although debt for mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and more increased by billions of dollars in the second quarter of 2024, student loan debt decreased by $10 billion.
According to the New York Fed, borrowers ages 40-49 and ages 18-29 benefited the most from the reduction in student loan debt.
In a separate and recent independent finding, 57 percent of Black Americans hold more than $25,000 in student loan debt compared to 47 percent of Americans overall, according to The Motley Fool’s analysis of student debt by geography, age and race. Black women have an average of $41,466 in undergraduate student loan debt one year after graduation, more than any other group and $10,000 more than men.
This same analysis found that Washington, DC residents carried the highest average federal student loan debt balance, with $54,146 outstanding per borrower. Americans holding high levels of student debt lived in many of the nation’s most populous states – including California, Texas, and Florida.
The Fed’s recent finding may be connected to actions taken by the Biden administration to rein in unsustainable debt held by people who sought higher education as a way to secure a better quality of life. This decline is even more noteworthy in light of a series of legal roadblocks to loan forgiveness. In response to these legal challenges, the Education Department on August 1 began emailing all borrowers of an approaching August 30 deadline to contact their loan service to decline future financial relief. Borrowers preferring to be considered for future relief proposed by pending departmental regulations should not respond.
If approved as drafted, the new rules would benefit over 30 million borrowers, including those who have already been approved for debt cancellation over the past three years.
“These latest steps will mark the next milestone in our efforts to help millions of borrowers who’ve been buried under a mountain of student loan interest, or who took on debt to pay for college programs that left them worse off financially, those who have been paying their loans for twenty or more years, and many others,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
The draft rules would benefit borrowers with either partial or full forgiveness in the following categories:
Borrowers who owe more now than they did at the start of repayment. This category is expected to largely benefit nearly 23 million borrowers, the majority of whom are Pell Grant recipients.
Borrowers who have been in repayment for decades. Borrowers of both undergraduate and graduate loans who began repayment on or before July 1, 2000 would qualify for relief in this category.
Borrowers who are otherwise eligible for loan forgiveness but have not yet applied. If a borrower hasn’t successfully enrolled in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan but would be eligible for immediate forgiveness, they would be eligible for relief. Borrowers who would be eligible for closed school discharge or other types of forgiveness opportunities but haven’t successfully applied would also be eligible for this relief.
Borrowers who enrolled in low-financial value programs. If a borrower attended an institution that failed to provide sufficient financial value, or that failed one of the Department’s accountability standards for institutions, those borrowers would also be eligible for debt relief.
Most importantly, if the rules become approved as drafted, no related application or actions would be required from eligible borrowers — so long as they did not opt out of the relief by the August 30 deadline.
“The regulations would deliver on unfulfilled promises made by the federal government to student loan borrowers over decades and offer remedies for a dysfunctional system that has often created a financial burden, rather than economic mobility, for student borrowers pursuing a better future,” stated the Center for American Progress in an August 7 web article. “Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration also introduced income limits and caps on relief to ensure the borrowers who can afford to pay the full amount of their debts do so.”
“The Center for American Progress estimates the interest waiver provisions would deliver relief to roughly 6 million Black borrowers, or 23 percent of the estimated number of borrowers receiving relief, as well as 4 million Hispanic or Latino borrowers (16 percent) and 13.5 million white borrowers (53 percent).”
These pending regulations would further expand the $168.5 billion in financial relief that the Biden Administration has already provided to borrowers:
$69.2 billion for 946,000 borrowers through fixes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
$51 billion for more than 1 million borrowers through administrative adjustments to IDR payment counts. These adjustments have brought borrowers closer to forgiveness and addressed longstanding concerns with the misuse of forbearance by loan services.
$28.7 billion for more than 1.6 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.
$14.1 billion for more than 548,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability.
$5.5 billion for 414,000 borrowers through the SAVE Plan.
More information for borrowers about this debt relief is available at StudentAid.gov/debt-relief.
Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.
