The Greene County Democrat

Category: Newswire

  • Newswire: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin treated for prostate cancer, severe infection: Pentagon

    Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin

    By: Rebecca Piccioto and Dan Mangan, CNBC

    Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized on Jan. 1 for complications following surgery nearly two weeks earlier to treat prostate cancer, doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center revealed Tuesday.
    The disclosure of Austin’s diagnosis and cause of his hospitalization came amid controversy over the Pentagon’s failure for days to inform the White House or the public that the Defense secretary had been admitted to Walter Reed, where he ended up in the intensive care unit.
    Pentagon officials also failed for two days last week to notify Austin’s second-in-command that he had transferred authority to her while he was in the ICU, and while she was in Puerto Rico.
    President Joe Biden only learned Austin’s prostate cancer diagnosis on Tuesday morning, three days after speaking with Austin on the phone, the White House said.
    Hours later Tuesday, the Walter Reed doctors issued their public statement, which is just the latest in a series of surprising disclosures about the Defense chief’s health since Friday.
    Austin is sixth in the line of presidential succession and is an essential player in the United States national security apparatus. His previously secret hospitalization came as the U.S. was weighing and executing several major national security measures, including military strikes in the Middle East.
    Members of Congress were stunned last Friday to learn from a public Pentagon statement that Austin had both had elective surgery, and later hospitalized on Jan. 1 without them being informed at the time. Biden was informed of the hospitalization on Thursday.
    Shortly before Austin’s diagnosis was publicly released Tuesday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Reed said, “This lack of disclosure must never happen again.”
    “He is taking responsibility for the situation, but this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department,” said Reed, D-Rhode Island.
    The Republican-led House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday opened a formal inquiry into Austin’s secret hospitalizations, saying it had “grave concerns about the handling of your absence and hospitalization.”
    “With wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own Deputy did not understand the nature of your condition is patently unacceptable,” committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Alabama.
    The panel asked Austin for information about any medical sedation or anesthesia he received last week, any orders given to “inform or not inform any other person of your hospitalization or medical condition,” and a detailed account of his transfer of duties to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
    The statement Tuesday from Walter Reed came from Dr. John Maddox, trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research of the Murtha Cancer Center.
    The statement said that Austin, as part of his “routinely recommended health screen, “has undergone prostate specific antigen surveillance.”
    “Changes in his laboratory evaluation in early December 2023 identified prostate cancer which required treatment,” the doctors said in their statement.
    Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men, occurring at a rate of 1 in every 8 men, and at a rate of 1 in every 6 Black men, the statement noted.
    “On December 22, 2023, after consultation with his medical team, [Austin] was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer.”
    Austin was “under general anesthesia during this procedure,” the doctors said. “Secretary Austin recovered uneventfully from his surgery and returned home the next morning.  His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent. ”
    But on Jan. 1, the doctors said, Austin was re-admitted to the Bethesda, Maryland, hospital after experiencing complications from the surgery, “including nausea and severe abdominal, hip and leg pain.”
    “Initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection,” the statement said.
    On Jan. 2, Austin was transferred to Walter Reed’s ICU “for close monitoring and a higher level of care,” the doctors said.
    Biden was not told that Austin was in the hospital until two days after his admission to the ICU.
    “He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process,” the doctors said. “During this stay, Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia.”
    Austin is no longer in the ICU but remains at Walter Reed.
    The new statement is not likely to put an end to questions about Austin’s failure to disclose his condition or hospitalization, which had led to calls for his resignation by some lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Austin and Biden so far have resisted those calls.
    White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said that the president maintains “complete confidence” in his defense secretary.
    But on Tuesday, Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients sent a memo to all members of the president’s Cabinet, which includes Austin, notifying them that the White House is conducting a review of protocols by departments for the delegation of authority by Cabinet members.
    Zeints directed all Cabinet members to instruct their agencies to submit their existing protocols to the White House, according to the memo, which was obtained by NBC News.
    In the meantime, Zients wrote, Cabinet agencies “must ensure” that they notify the White House and the chief of staff “in the event of a delegation of authority or potential delegation.”

  • Newswire: UNICEF: Children in Gaza Strip facing malnutrition and disease

    Palestinian children in Gaza Strip

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday that after almost three months of war in Gaza, malnutrition and disease are creating a deadly cycle that threatens over 1.1 million children.
    A total of 90% of the 1.1 million young people in the region are not fully supplied with nutrients, according to a UNICEF survey conducted on December 26.
    “Children in the Gaza Strip face a deadly triple threat to their lives, as cases of diseases rise, nutrition plummets and the escalation in hostilities approaches its fourteenth week,” UNICEF said.
    Israel has been waging war against the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip for almost three months now.
    The number of Palestinians killed has risen to 22,600, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority. The war was triggered by the October 7 massacre carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other groups in Israel. Around 1,200 people were killed.
    “Children in Gaza are caught in a nightmare that worsens with every passing day,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director.
    The report said that cases of diarrhea in children under 5 years of age rose from 48,000 to 71,000 in just one week starting December 17, equivalent to 3,200 new cases of diarrhea per day.
    It added that displaced children and their families are unable to maintain the necessary hygiene levels needed to prevent disease, given the alarming lack of safe water and sanitation.
    The report affirmed that prolonged diarrhea put children at high risk of death.
    “The futures of thousands more children in Gaza hang in the balance. The world cannot stand by and watch. The violence and the suffering of children must stop,” Russell said.

  • Newswire: Opposition seeks rerun of Congo election, calling returns flawed

    President Felix Tshisekedi

    Jan. 1, 2024 (GIN) – Preliminary election results announced in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa have sparked demands by members of the opposition for a rerun.

    According to the country’s election commission, Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi handily won reelection with more than 70% of the vote, crushing the runner-ups by a wide majority.

    Some 18 million people or 40% of the population voted. Massive logistical problems put the validity of the outcome into question.
    About two-thirds of polling stations opened late, while 30% of voting machines did not work on the first day of the vote, according to an observer group.

    Millions of people waited for hours before they were able to vote, while some gave up and went home.

    The results will be sent to the constitutional court for confirmation, said election chief Denis Kadima. He acknowledged some irregularities but insisted that the results reflected the will of the Congolese people.

    On Sunday, nine opposition candidates, including Denis Mukwege, Martin Fayulu and Moises Katumbi signed a declaration rejecting what they termed a “sham” election and called for a rerun.

    “We call on our people to take to the streets en masse after the proclamation of the electoral fraud,” they said in a joint statement.

    “We categorically reject the sham election … and its results.”
    The army has been deployed in various parts of the capital, Kinshasa, to prevent any unrest, while Mr Tshisekedi’s supporters have taken to the streets to celebrate.

    The head of the election commission said the opposition candidates wanted a new election because “they know they lost… they are bad losers”.

    Meanwhile, Mr Tshisekedi repeatedly lashed out at Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who he accuses of backing the M23 rebel group which has seized territory in the east of the country. Rwanda has repeatedly denied the charges.

    In his last election rally, Mr Tshisekedi vowed to declare war on Rwanda, although observers dismissed this as rhetoric aimed at whipping up nationalist sentiment.

  • Newswire : Claudine Gay cites ‘racial animus’ as Harvard’s 1st Black President resigns

    Harvard President Claudine Gay

    By: Bilal G. Morris, Newsone

    Harvard’s first Black President, Claudine Gay, resigned Tuesday afternoon after claims of plagiarism and backlash from a congressional hearing. During the hearing, she discussed the university’s code of conduct policy about hate speech centered around Jews.
    In her resignation letter, Gay said it was an honor to hold the position and seemed saddened by the decision. 
    “It is a singular honor to be a member of this university, which has been my home and my inspiration for most of my professional career, Gay wrote. “My deep sense of connection to Harvard and its people has made it all the more painful to witness the tensions and divisions that have riven our community in recent months, weakening the bonds of trust and reciprocity that should be our sources of strength and support in times of crisis.”
    Gay also talked about the stress of her character being attacked, citing “racial animus” during her tenure as President. 
    “Amidst all of this, it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor—two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am—and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus,” she wrote.
    Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network condemned the attacks on Gay and pushed back against hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, who called on her to resign, calling her a DEI hire.
    “President Gay’s resignation is about more than a person or a single incident. This is an attack on every Black woman in this country who’s put a crack in the glass ceiling, said Sharpton. “It’s an assault on the health, strength, and future of diversity, equity, and inclusion – at a time when Corporate America is trying to back out of billions of dollars in commitments. Most of all, this was the result of Bill Ackman’s relentless campaign against President Gay, not because of her leadership or credentials but because he felt she was a DEI hire.”
    Sharpton also announced a picket outside Ackman’s office on Thursday to protest his campaign against Gay.
    “The National Action Network will show Ackman that his attacks on DEI, President Gay, and Black Americans have consequences,” said Sharpton. 
    “This Thursday, our team will picket outside of his office so New Yorkers, his investors, and Corporate America can see Bill Ackman for who he is. If he doesn’t think Black Americans belong in the C-Suite, the Ivy League, or any other hallowed halls, we’ll make ourselves at home outside his office.”
    Dr. Claudine Gay began working at the university in 2006 as a government professor and became an educator of African and African American Studies the following year.
    The university appointed her as a Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government in 2015, and she served as Dean of Social Science from then until 2018.
    Gay has also worked closely with Harvard’s previous president, Lawrence S. Bacow, for the past five years.
    According to the Harvard Gazette, Dr. Alan Garber, Harvard’s chief academic officer, will serve as interim presiden

  • Newswire: Gunfire erupts in Colorado Supreme Court break-in following controversial Trump ballot decision

    Insurrectionist mob attacks U. S. Capitol on January 6, 2021

    By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    In the early hours of Tuesday, January 2, police arrested an individual for entering the Colorado Supreme Court building and discharging a firearm within the premises, according to an official news release from the Colorado State Patrol.
    The break-in and shooting come about two weeks after a 4-3 ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, resulting in the removal of former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot. The court’s decision was grounded in interpreting the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban,” deeming Trump ineligible to hold office.
    The incident unfolded between 1:15 a.m. and 3 a.m., concluding with the unnamed suspect surrendering to law enforcement. Authorities didn’t report any injuries from the shooting, but the incident underscored the continued violence engulfing American politics.
    Recent statements by President Joe Biden highlighted his concerns about Trump’s embrace of political violence. Biden, preparing for a potential 2024 rematch against the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president, emphasized Trump’s threat to democracy, which hit a low point with his challenges to election integrity and pursuit of political opponents.
    “He’s threatened to use the U.S. military on the streets of America,” Biden said during a recent fundraiser in Bethesda, Maryland. “Once again, he embraces political violence instead of rejecting it. We can’t let this happen.”
    Further, data analysis indicates a significant increase in threats against public officials nationwide, with 83% of Americans expressing concern about political violence. This rise is mainly associated with Trump’s fervent supporters, contributing to a climate where challenging the former president carries political and personal risks for elected officials.
    The threats have increased as Trump’s legal problems worsen. In 2023, the former president was slapped with four indictments and 91 felony charges, many of them stemming from his alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.
    Additionally, a civil jury found Trump responsible for sexually assaulting a writer, and a judge ordered him to pay $5 million. In a separate civil business fraud trial in New York, a judge found that Trump and his company committed widespread fraud. He is currently weighing whether to levy fines of as much as $250 million against Trump and prohibit the Trump Organization from doing business in the Empire State.
    Threats against members of Congress have escalated over recent years, reaching about 9,700 in 2021. The trend persists as the calendar turns to 2024, with ongoing concerns and increased security expenditures among candidates for the House and Senate.
    According to a recent Navigator poll, most Americans are concerned about political violence, with 85% saying they are worried about its future. Democrats exhibit a higher level of concern than Republicans, associating terms like “January 6,” “Trump,” and “white supremacy” with political violence, researchers found. Republicans are perceived as more likely to use political violence, with differing opinions among independents.

    “Some of the recent increase in American violence (both political and otherwise) might be attributable to the pandemic. But the spike in threats began well before COVID-19,” Vox’s senior correspondent, Zack Beauchamp, wrote. “Something else is going on—something that’s raising the temperature of American politics, making people feel more angry, afraid, and like they need to take political matters into their own hands.”
    That “something,” Beauchamp stated, is Donald Trump. “No figure in American politics commands Trump’s devoted following; no figure is as capable of heightening the stakes of American politics to the breaking point,” Beauchamp concluded.

  • Newswire : Biden touts huge investments in Black America, but campaign still lagging in African American support

    President Biden signs anti-lynching legislation, with many Black Congressional Caucus members participating

    By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    As the 2024 presidential election race kicks into high gear, President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is facing a stall among African Americans, coupled with concerns over the campaign’s perceived neglect of the Black Press of America—the community’s trusted voice for nearly two centuries. Despite those reservations, the White House is eager to showcase the unprecedented accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration, particularly in economic growth and equity.
    “The data shows that the historic public investments that make up the Biden-Harris Administration’s economic agenda in critical sectors for future growth, resiliency, and security are beginning to come to fruition,” White House officials stated in a blog, adding that, nevertheless, there is more work to do to lower costs for American families and ensure Americans feel the benefit of continued real wage growth, a strong labor market, and declining inflation.

    In the blog post titled “Ten Charts That Explain the U.S. Economy in 2023,” the White House underscored historic gains for women and Black workers, noting that the administration’s economic agenda is beginning to yield positive results. However, amidst the achievements, there remains acknowledgment of the ongoing work required to lower costs for American families and ensure the widespread benefits of economic growth, labor market strength, and declining inflation.

    The blog detailed key economic indicators, including surpassing the private consensus for real economic growth in 2023 and the positive impact on consumer spending. The Inflation Reduction Act was highlighted as a significant factor in the historic manufacturing boom, leading to record levels of real private manufacturing construction investment.
    Job gains in 2023 continued robustly, contributing to 14.1 million jobs added under the Biden administration through November. The unemployment rate, maintaining a streak below 4% for 22 months, achieved a milestone not seen in over 50 years.
    The administration indicated a downward trend, along with real wage growth and a decrease in wage inequality, despite a peak in inflation in the summer of 2022. Historic union activity in 2023 was cited as a reason for optimism, contributing to the highest rate of prime-age women participating in the labor force since 1948.
    African Americans’ worries, however, continue to grow because of what they perceive to be the Biden campaign’s underinvestment in the Black Press of America. The influential media conglomerate, which the National Newspaper Publishers Association represents, has served as the community’s most trusted voice for nearly two centuries, and its omission from the campaign strategy hasn’t helped to quell questions about the administration’s commitment to addressing the specific needs and concerns of African Americans.
    Still, Biden’s commitment to supporting Black entrepreneurs was emphasized in the blog, highlighting significant investments, including nearly $70 billion in federal contracts awarded to small, disadvantaged businesses in FY 2022. Additionally, $12 billion was allocated to community lenders to expand access to capital and resources for often sidelined entrepreneurs.
    The U.S. Department of Treasury estimated that those investments in community lenders would result in a $50 billion increase in lending to Latino communities and nearly $80 billion to Black communities over the next decade. The administration earmarked another $10 billion for states, tribes, and territories to launch and expand capital access programs for approximately 100,000 small businesses.
    As the re-election campaign unfolds and despite historic achievements for the Black community, the Biden administration still faces the challenge of addressing the concerns within the African American community, particularly the perceived neglect of the Black Press of America. Balancing economic achievements with community-specific outreach will be crucial in securing support from this vital demographic.

  • Newswire: The jobless rate for Blacks drops

    By: Frederick H. Lowe

    Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from BlackMansStreet.Today
    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – The jobless rate for Blacks dropped, but not far enough to catch up with other ethnic groups.
    The August jobless rate for Black men fell to 5.0 percent compared to the seasonally adjusted average in August 2022 to 6.0 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    The unemployment rate for Black women was a seasonal adjusted 4.7 percent in August compared with 5.9 percent in August 2022.
    Employment continued to trend up in health care, leisure and hospitality, social assistance, and construction. Employment in transportation and warehousing declined.
    The unemployment rate for Blacks compared with Whites, Hispanics, and women was much higher.
    The jobless rate for Whites is 3.4 percent, and for Asians is 3.1 percent; the rates for both groups rose in August. The unemployment rate for Hispanic men is 4.3 percent and 4.4 percent for Hispanic women.
    The jobless rate for adult women stands at 3.2 percent, for teenagers, 12.2 percent, for Blacks, 5.0 percent, and for Hispanics the rate it was 4.9 percent and 4.3 and 4.4 percent for Hispanic women.

  • Newswire : Angola quits OPEC over lower production quotas

    By: Africanews

    Angola announced Thursday that it’s leaving the OPEC oil producers cartel, coming after it battled with the group over lower production quotas this year.
    Diamantino de Azevedo, the African nation’s oil minister, said Angola “does not gain anything by remaining in the organization,” according to state news agency Angop. The country joined OPEC in 2007.
    Disagreements over lower oil quotas for some African countries, including Angola, led to an usual days long delay to OPEC’s November meeting, where the group, along with allied producers led by Russia, decide how much oil to send to the world.
    At the meeting, Angola’s production level was dropped to 1.11 million barrels per month after an assessment by the three independent sources, the organization said.
    OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, has been trying to bolster oil prices that have fallen in recent months over concerns about too much crude circulating in a weakening global economy, which could weigh on the thirst for oil for travel and industry.
    The lower prices have been a good thing for U.S. drivers, who have been able to fill their gas tanks for less money in recent months but have hurt the bottom line of OPEC oil producers. The price of U.S. benchmark crude has fallen 8% this year.
    Oil prices have gotten a boost in recent days as Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated attacks on ships in the Red Sea and companies have diverted vessels from traveling through the area, where huge amounts of the world’s energy supplies transit between the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
    While losing Angola, OPEC announced at its meeting last month that it was bringing Brazil into the fold, a major oil producer that has been producing record amounts of crude this year, according to the International Energy Agency.
    An OPEC spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

     

     

     

     

  • Newswire: Largest US credit union scrutinized over significant gaps between approval rates for White and Black borrowers

    Camp Lemonnier celebrated the opening of the first Navy Federal Credit Union ATM on the African continent at a ribbon cutting ceremony Oct. 31. Pictured left to right, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Tony Kurta, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa commander; Shawn Parham, ITT; Muhammed Elam, Petroland Construction; Larry Wood, regional manager for Navy Federal Credit Union; Navy Capt. Bill Finn, commanding officer; Navy Lt. Soon No; Mirra Brown, NEX and George Baker, Public Works cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the first Navy Federal ATM on the African continent.

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire

     

    Navy Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in the United States, is under fire for exhibiting the most substantial racial disparities in mortgage approval rates among major lenders. The disparities, reaching new heights in 2022, underscored a pronounced contrast in approval rates for white and Black borrowers.

    Recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data indicated that Navy Federal approved over 75% of white applicants for new conventional home purchase mortgages in 2022. In stark contrast, the approval rate for Black borrowers applying for the same type of loan was less than 50%. The nearly 29-percentage-point gap in approval rates at Navy Federal stands out as the widest among the top 50 lenders originating the most mortgage loans last year.
    Even when considering similar incomes and debt-to-income ratios, the racial disparity persisted. Navy Federal approved a higher percentage of applications from white borrowers earning less than $62,000 annually than Black borrowers earning $140,000 or more.
    A detailed statistical analysis conducted by CNN revealed that Black applicants to Navy Federal were more than twice as likely to be denied compared to white applicants, even when multiple variables, including income, debt-to-income ratio, property value, down payment percentage, and neighborhood characteristics, were identical.
    Navy Federal, initially founded in 1933 to serve Navy employees and now open to all armed forces members, Department of Defense personnel, veterans, and their relatives, boasts about 13 million members and holds over $165 billion in assets. Last year, the credit union rejected approximately 3,700 Black applicants for home purchase mortgages, potentially impeding their path to homeownership, notably as interest rates spiked.
    Bill Pearson, a spokesperson for Navy Federal, defended the credit union’s lending practices. “Navy Federal Credit Union is committed to equal and equitable lending practices and strict adherence to all fair lending laws,” Pearson stated. However, experts in mortgage lending and advocates for fair housing express concerns about the institution’s practices, emphasizing that the racial gaps in approval rates raise questions about Navy Federal’s commitment to fairness.
    The widening gap in homeownership rates between white and Black Americans, exemplified by Navy Federal’s 2022 approval rates of 77.1% for White applicants, 55.8% for Latino applicants, and 48.5% for Black applicants, mirrors a broader national issue. In comparison, other major lenders like Wells Fargo, US Bank, and Bank of America exhibit smaller racial approval rate gaps.
    CNN reported that advocates have urged lenders to improve automated underwriting systems to reduce racial disparities in decision-making. Some experts pointed out that Navy Federal’s unique member base may have different financial characteristics than large banks, potentially influencing the observed racial differences.
    While federal regulators review banks’ lending under the Community Reinvestment Act, the network reported that credit unions like Navy Federal are not subject to the same scrutiny. Calls for legal revisions to ensure credit unions adhere to similar rules as banks have continued.
    Sara Pratt, a lawyer at Relman Colfax, noted that racial disparities in mortgage lending may also be linked to loan officers assisting white borrowers more than Black ones. Despite having no evidence of such practices at Navy Federal, Pratt emphasized that the approval rate gaps demand explanations from the lender.
    Federal law stipulates that lenders can be in violation of fair lending rules without intentional racism, as a “disparate impact” on minorities can lead to discrimination claims. This is not the first time Navy Federal has faced scrutiny over racial disparities, as a previous analysis in 2019 indicated significant gaps. This trend appears to have only intensified since then.

  • Newswire : New York will set up a commission to consider reparations for slavery

    NY Governor Kathy Hochul signing reparations legislation

    By The Associated Press
    New York state will create a commission tasked with considering reparations to address the persistent, harmful effects of slavery in the state, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday.
    It comes at a time when many states and towns throughout the United States attempt to figure out how to best reckon with the country’s dark past, and follows in the footsteps of similar task forces in California and Illinois.
    “In New York, we like to think we’re on the right side of this. Slavery was a product of the South, the Confederacy,” Hochul, a Democrat, said at the bill signing ceremony in New York City. “What is hard to embrace is the fact that our state also flourished from that slavery. It’s not a beautiful story, but indeed it is the truth.”
    Under the law, which was passed by state lawmakers in June, the study commission will examine the extent to which the federal and state government supported the institution of slavery. It will also look at how New York, which fully abolished slavery by 1827, engaged in the transfer of enslaved Africans and the ongoing effects of the institution on Black New Yorkers today.
    “The battle for civil rights was not below the Mason–Dixon line. The largest port of slave trade was in Charleston, South Carolina and Wall Street, New York,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke at the signing ceremony. “So this today starts a process of taking the veil off of northern inequality and saying we must repair the damage and it can be an example for this nation.”
    The nine-member commission will be required to deliver a report a year after its first meeting. Its recommendations could potentially include monetary compensation but would be non-binding. Its findings are intended to spur policy changes and lead to programs and projects that attempt to remedy the negative effects of slavery on Black New Yorkers.
    The idea of using public money to compensate the descendants of enslaved people is almost certain to draw a backlash from some, including some white people who don’t believe they should have to pay for the sins of long-ago ancestors, and other ethnic groups that weren’t involved in the slave trade.
    Sharpton said he expected Hochul to pay a political price for convening the commission.
    “I want to give credit to this governor for having the audacity and courage to do what others wouldn’t do. And I know she had to wrestle with it. And I know her political advisors told her it’s too risky,” the famed civil rights activist said. “But she did it because it’s right.”
    Hochul and other state lawmakers emphasized at the ceremony that the process will help open up conversations about what reparations could look like.
    The governor and the legislative leaders of the state Assembly and Senate will each appoint three qualified members to the commission. They have 90 days to make their picks.
    “This is not just about who we’re going to write a check to, and what the amount is,” said Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, the first Black person to hold the position.
    “It begins the conversation with one recognizing the issues that affected Black people and descendants of slaves in this state,” he said.
    State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt said in a statement that he believes New York’s recommendations will come at an “astronomical cost” to all New Yorkers.
    “The reparations of slavery were paid with the blood and lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans who fought to end slavery during the Civil War,” he said. He added that it’s unrealistic for states to meet the potentially expensive price tag that could come with cash reparations.
    California in 2020 became the first state to create a reparations task force. The group handed its two-year report to state lawmakers in June, who then introduced a bill that would create an agency to carry out some of the panel’s more-than 100 recommendations, including helping families with genealogical research. But turning those proposals into policies could be difficult, given the state is facing a heavy budget deficit.
    Other states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, have considered studying reparations, but none have yet passed legislation. A Chicago suburb in Evanston, Illinois, became the first city to make reparations available to Black residents through a $10 million housing project in 2021.
    The U.S. Congress apologized to African-Americans for slavery in 2009, but a federal proposal to create a commission studying reparations has long stalled.