The Greene County Democrat

Category: World News

  • Newswire : Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire soon − study shows they made income inequality worse and especially hurt Black Americans

    It’s harder for middle-class Black people to get a mortgage than it is for low-income white people. MoMo Productions/Getty Images

    By: Beverly Moran, Vanderbilt University
    First Published: 19 December 2024 , The Skanner

    The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a set of tax cuts Donald Trump signed into law during his first term as president, will expire on Dec. 31, 2024. As Trump and Republicans prepare to negotiate new tax cuts in 2025, it’s worth gleaning lessons from the president-elect’s first set of cuts.

    The 2017 cuts were the most extensive revision to the Internal Revenue Code since the Ronald Reagan administration. The changes it imposed range from the tax that corporations pay on their foreign income to limits on the deductions individuals can take for their state and local tax payments.

    Trump promised middle-class benefits at the time, but in practice more than 80% of the cuts went to corporations, tax partnerships and high-net-worth individuals. The cost to the U.S. deficit was huge − a total increase of US$1.9 trillion from 2018 to 2028, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. The tax advantage to the middle class was small.

    Advantages for Black Americans were smaller still. As a scholar of race and U.S. income taxation, I have analyzed the impact of Trump’s tax cuts. I found that the law has disadvantaged middle-income, low-income and Black taxpayers in several ways.

    Cuts worsened disparities

    These results are not new. They were present nearly 30 years ago when my colleague William Whitford and I used U.S. Census Bureau data to show that Black taxpayers paid more federal taxes than white taxpayers with the same income. In large part that’s because the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow and structural racism keeps Black people from owning homes.

    The federal income tax is full of advantages for home ownership that many Black taxpayers are unable to reach. These benefits include the ability to deduct home mortgage interest and local property taxes, and the right to avoid taxes on up to $500,000 of profit on the sale of a home.

    It’s harder for middle-class Black people to get a mortgage than it is for low-income white people. This is true even when Black Americans with high credit scores are compared with white Americans with low credit scores. When Black people do get mortgages, they are charged higher rates than their white counterparts.

    Trump did not create these problems. But instead of closing these income and race disparities, his 2017 tax cuts made them worse .Black taxpayers paid higher taxes than white taxpayers who matched them in income, employment, marriage and other significant factors.

    Broken promises, broken trust

    Fairness is an article of faith in American tax policy. A fair tax structure means that those earning similar incomes should pay similar taxes and stipulates that taxes should not increase income or wealth disparities. Trump’s tax cuts contradict both principles.
    Proponents of Trump’s cuts argued the corporate rate cut would trickle down to all Americans. This is a foundational belief of “supply side” economics, a philosophy that President Ronald Reagan made popular in the 1980s.
    From the Reagan administration on, every tax cut for the rich has skewed to the wealthy.
    Just like prior “trickle down” plans, Trump’s corporate tax cuts did not produce higher wages or increased household income. Instead, corporations used their extra cash to pay dividends to their shareholders and bonuses to their executives.

    Over that same period, the bottom 90% of wage earners saw no gains in their real wages. Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO, a labor group, estimates that 51% of the corporate tax cuts went to business owners and 10% went to the top five highest-paid senior executives in each company. Fully 38% went to the top 10% of wage earners.

    In other words, the income gap between wealthy Americans and everyone else has gotten much wider under Trump’s tax regime.

    Stock market inequality

    Trump’s tax cuts also increased income and wealth disparities by race because those corporate tax savings have gone primarily to wealthy shareholders rather than spreading throughout the population.

    The reasons are simple. In the U.S., shareholders are mostly corporations, pension funds and wealthy individuals. And wealthy people in the U.S. are almost invariably white.
    Sixty-six percent of white families own stocks, while less than 40% of Black families and less than 30% of Hispanic families do. Even when comparing Black and white families with the same income, the race gap in stock ownership remains.

    These disparities stem from the same historical disadvantages that result in lower Black homeownership rates. Until the Civil War, virtually no Black person could own property or enter into a contract. After the Civil War, Black codes – laws that specifically controlled and oppressed Black people – forced free Black Americans to work as farmers or servants.
    State prohibitions on Black people owning property, and public and private theft of Black-owned land, kept Black Americans from accumulating wealth.

    Health care hit

    That said, the Trump tax cuts hurt low-income taxpayers of all races.
    One way they did so was by abolishing the individual mandate requiring all Americans to have basic health insurance. The Affordable Care Act, passed under President Barack Obama, launched new, government-subsidized health plans and penalized people for not having health insurance.

    Department of the Treasury data shows almost 50 million Americans were covered by the Affordable Care Act since 2014. After the individual mandate was revoked, between 3 million and 13 million fewer people purchased health insurance in 2020.
    Ending the mandate triggered a large drop in health insurance coverage, and research shows it was primarily lower-income people who stopped buying subsidized insurance from the Obamacare exchanges. These are the same people who are the most vulnerable to financial disaster from unpaid medical bills.

    Going without insurance hurt all low-income Americans. But studies suggest the drop in Black Americans’ coverage under Trump’s plan outpaced that of white Americans. The rate of uninsured Black Americans rose from 10.7% in 2016 to 11.5% in 2018, following the mandate’s repeal.

    The consumer price index conundrum

    The Trump tax cuts also altered how the Internal Revenue Service calculates inflation adjustments for over 60 different provisions. These include the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit – both of which provide cash to low-wage workers – and the wages that must pay Social Security taxes.

    Previously, the IRS used the consumer price index for urban consumers, which tracks rising prices by comparing the cost of the same goods as they rise or fall, to calculate inflation. The government then used that inflation number to adjust Social Security payments and earned income tax credit eligibility. It used the same figure to set the amount of income that is taxed at a given rate.

    The Trump tax cuts ordered the IRS to calculate inflation adjustments using the chained consumer price index for urban consumers instead. The difference between these two indexes is that the second one assumes people substitute cheaper goods as prices rise. For example, the chained consumer price index assumes shoppers will buy pork instead of beef if beef prices go up, easing the impact of inflation on a family’s overall grocery prices.
    The IRS makes smaller inflation adjustments based on that assumption. But low-income neighborhoods have less access to the kind of budget-friendly options envisioned by the chained consumer price index.

    And since even middle-class Black people are more likely than poor white people to live in low-income neighborhoods, Black taxpayers have been hit harder by rising prices.
    What cost $1 in 2018 now costs $1.26. That’s a painful hike that Black families are less able to avoid.

    The imminent expiration of the Trump tax cuts gives the upcoming GOP-led Congress the opportunity to undertake a thorough reevaluation of their effects. By prioritizing policies that address the well-known disparities exacerbated by these recent tax changes, lawmakers can work toward a fairer tax system that helps all Americans.

  • Board approves local mentors for Alabama Teacher Mentor Program

    School Board receives report on State Report Card results for 2023

    At the School Board’s regular session, held Monday, December 16, 2024, Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones presented the Greene County Schools 2023 State Report Card results, which indicated overall growth across the system. The District advanced from 68 to 72 to an overall C score. Eutaw Primary advanced in academic growth from 77 to 81, an overall B score; Robert Brown Middle advanced from 50 to 64 , a D score; Greene County High academic growth dropped from 66 to 65, a D score. Jones stated that the particulars of the report card results indicated that all schools made significant increases in proficiency. “ We still have very much to improve,” he said.
    Dr. Jones noted that all grades at RBMS are assessment grades, utilizing the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program; At GCHS the11th grade is the assessment grade, utilizing the ACT testing.
    In his report, Superintendent Jones gave positive news for each school citing scholar recognition, teacher/administrator achievements and school events schedule.
    The Greene County Board of Education approved a listing of mentors with a stipend schedule for the school year 2024-2025. Stipends for the following to serve as mentors will be $600 per semester, according to the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP) guidelines: Montoya Binion – Eutaw Primary School; Vanessa Bryant – Robert Brown Middle School; Annie Howard – Robert Brown Middle School; Nashondra Ruffin-Brown – Robert Brown Middle School; Rodney Wesley – Greene County High School.
    According to the ATMP guidelines, the Alabama Legislature provides the line-item funding for the ATMP annually. The ATMP provides LEAs with the structure to implement high-quality support to all new teachers in all schools, focusing on improving teacher effectiveness and reducing the rate of attrition and teacher turnover. The ATMP provides training and technical assistance to LEAs upon request. Also, the ATMP disseminates surveys to mentors and mentees to gather perception data used to determine program effectiveness. The Alabama State Teacher Mentor Program (ATMP) is in the Office of Teaching and Leading Division of the Alabama State Department of Education.
    During the 2023-2024 school year, the ATMP partnered with Cognia, a non-profit, to make programmatic improvements to the ongoing work of the ATMP. The program updates go into full implementation at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year.
    The board also approved the following personnel items:
    Samon Sanders, Mental Health Coordinator to serve as Mental Health Coordinator and Truancy Officer to be paid as a first-year teacher.
    Adjustments to Additional Services Salary Schedule, effective the beginning of each contract.
    The administrative items recommended by Superintendent Jones and approved by the board are as follows:
    MOA between the Greene County Board of Education and The University of Alabama at Birmingham for Robert Brown Middle and Greene County High School to participate in the Alabama Rural Learning Accelerator Program.
    Contract between Greene County Board and Chante Myles-Rice to provide ACT Prep tutoring Services in Math for 10th graders (Funding Source: CCR Grant.)
    Quote from Allianz Solutions to provide English Only ACT Prep for 11th graders Jan – March 2025 (Funding Source: CCR Grant).
    Quote from Singleton & Associates to provide Strategic Planning Sessions Consulting Services in the amount of $1,500 (Funding Source: CCR Grant).
    Travel for Board member Robert Davis to travel to 2025 COSSBA National Conference in Atlanta, GA on March 20 – 23, 2024.
    Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll.
    Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO.
    Sale of metal pieces from the damaged canopy at RBMS that occurred November 14, 2024.
    Travel for Greene County High School Varsity Boys team and coaches to attend Biloxi High School 8th Annual Lady Indians Holiday Classic in Biloxi, MS on December 27-28, 2024.
    The CSFO, Marquita Lennon presented the following Financial Snapshot as of November 30, 2024. Operating Reserves included the following: 6.11 months combined general fund reserve; 5.58 months cash reserve; all bank accounts have been reconciled. General Fund bank balance totaled $6,125,411.96 – (reconciles to the summary cash report); Accounts Payable Check Register totaled $290,243.71; Payroll Register totaled $940.084.26; Combined Ending Fund Balance totaled $6,707.617.30. Local Revenue Sources: Property Taxes – $256,339.87; Sales Taxes- $120.619.78; Other Taxes – $22,287.39. Total Local Revenue – $399,247.04. CSFO Lennon noted that the monthly stipend from Amendment 743 had not been received.

     

     

     

     

     

  • DHR reports 15,000 cases of food stamp EBT card fraud statewide; Some cases in Greene County

    The Alabama Department of Resources reports over 15,000 cases of fraud with EBT cards, between October 1 and December 20, 2024, held by SNAP (Food Stamp) recipients across the state. Hackers are using cloning, skimming and phishing to illegally get the card numbers and pins of low-income recipients.

    More than 25 cases of this fraud have been reported to Greene County law enforcement officials. One SNAP recipient told the Democrat that she had $300 placed on her card by DHR, earlier this month, but when she went to the grocery store, scammers had taken all but $3 of her needed food stamp benefits.

    In its official statement, Alabama DHR says the fraud “is non-client fraud, unless the client is sharing their card or pin number with anyone. We continue to accept and process households’ replacement requests through each county office and can reimburse funds stolen through December 20, 2024.” DHR does not give any timeframe that the funds will be reimbursed, which leaves many families without resources for food at this holiday time.

    DHR also recommends that recipients who feel their EBT card has been compromised or notice unexplained use of benefits, should immediately:

    Change your EBT card PIN number immediately to prevent further theft.

    Call or visit your local county DHR office to report your benefits stolen.

    Complete and submit a Reimbursement Request Affidavit and supporting documentation.

    Among the documents required is a police report where the card
    holder reports the theft to local law enforcement. The recipient must also supply their card and pin number, as well as a form of identification like a driver’s license.

     

    The Democrat will continue to follow this story in future newspapers. We welcome statements from recipients involved in this situation.

  • Newswire: Why are Black Santas Important?

    By Shannon Dawson, NBC News

    The question of whether we should have a Black Santa is a powerful one, as it touches on issues of representation, cultural identity, and historical context. In recent years, there has been a significant push by Black parents and communities to introduce and normalize the idea of a Black Santa, especially for children.

    The idea is not just about providing an alternative version of the holiday figure but also about ensuring that children from all backgrounds can see themselves reflected in the stories, myths, and celebrations that shape their world.

    The Historical Context

    Santa Claus, as we know him today, is rooted in a long history that includes elements from various cultures, including the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas and the popularized imagery created by artists like Thomas Nast in the 19th century. Nast’s depictions in Harper’s Weekly, starting in 1863, helped cement the modern image of Santa: a chubby, jolly man with a white beard who delivers gifts to children around the world. The image became closely associated with the holiday, continuing to be iconic even after Christmas was declared a federal holiday in 1870.

    However, this image of Santa Claus as a bearded white man became ingrained in mainstream culture, and for generations, children from communities of color were largely left out of that representation. Santa Claus became another symbol of the broader issue of racial representation in American culture. For many children, seeing Santa as only white reinforced the idea that their culture, identity, and presence were secondary or invisible in the grand narratives that define American life.

    For Black parents, the push for a Black Santa is an effort to counteract that invisibility. Representation is important for self-esteem, especially for children. Studies have shown that when children of color see people who look like them in positive, empowering roles—whether in books, movies, or even holiday traditions—it can enhance their sense of self-worth and their belief in what is possible for them.

    In a December 2023 article for The EveryMom, author and journalist Daizha Rioland reflected on the power of Black Santa. She shared how seeing a Black Santa figurine in her grandmother’s living room—something she described as “rare” during her own childhood—filled her with joy. Inspired by that experience, Rioland expressed her desire to ensure her children could share in that same sense of joy and representation.

    “Seeing a Black Santa was rare during my childhood, but I could always count on that one decor item to remind me that Santa didn’t have to be pale as snow, with blue eyes and rosy cheeks,” she penned. “ In fact, it was one of the few decor items that made me feel like Santa Claus might actually see me, know me, and stop by my house on Christmas Eve.
    ”
    Rioland added, ‘When I became a mom three years ago, I knew that even though diversity, representation, and inclusion were on the rise, I had a mission—no, a duty—to show my daughters that Black Santa Claus is the real deal and he’s everywhere in our household. From the mugs to the plates to the pillows we buy for Christmas, there will only be pictures of Black Santas in all their shades and ranges to show my daughters that their skin is beautiful here and in the North Pole.”

    Erin Carpenter, founder of Nude Barre, told NBC News in 2023 that she feels fortunate her daughter attends the Harlem School of the Arts in New York City, where holiday programming highlights Black Santas, giving her the ability to see herself in the famous holiday character. 

    “We’ve been fortunate to have pretty easy access,” she said. “I’m hoping that I can curate more experiences for my children that don’t feel so labored,” the entrepreneur added. “Look, we’ve come a long way in the world, but there’s still a lot more work to do.”

  • Newswire : RFK Jr.’s Vaccine War threatens to resurrect the ghosts of Jim Crow Medicine

    Black doctor giving a patient a vaccination

    By Stacy M. Brown, Senior National Correspondent

    In the looming shadow of a second Trump administration, the battle over vaccines and public health policy is being revived with unsettling vigor. Public health leaders, particularly those in African American communities who recall the long, painful history of medical neglect and systemic racism, are alarmed by the campaign to revoke approval of life-saving vaccines, including the polio vaccine.

    This modern war on vaccines is led by figures like Aaron Siri, a lawyer closely associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial choice for health secretary. It threatens to unravel decades of hard-fought progress that began when Black Americans demanded equitable treatment in the fight against polio.

    The disease’s history remains linked to race and segregation, as the healthcare system once viewed polio as a “white problem.” Healthcare facilities, segregated and led by racist medical standards, advanced the misinformation that African Americans were immune to polio.Because of that, polio cases in Black Americans were not properly diagnosed.

    The Myth of Polio as a “White Disease”

    In the early 20th century, polio was perceived as a disease that primarily affected white children, transcending class lines. According to research by the National Library of Medicine, medical experts of the era, such as George Draper, propagated theories of racial susceptibility, claiming that “primitive” Black bodies were impervious to polio while “delicate” White bodies were vulnerable. The lack of data perpetuated those myths, and Black communities were deprived of doctors who could appropriately diagnose polio’s early symptoms.

    The consequences of this neglect proved dire. Black families faced a segregated healthcare system where few hospitals would admit Black polio patients and fewer still would employ Black doctors and nurses. The Tuskegee Institute’s polio center, founded in 1941 with funding from the March of Dimes, was one of the few facilities dedicated to treating Black polio victims. However, with only 36 beds, it was unable to adequately address the national crisis.

    Roosevelt, Warm Springs, and Political Embarrassment

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a polio survivor, founded the Warm Springs Rehabilitation Center in Georgia in the 1920s. Despite Roosevelt’s progressive image, Warm Springs maintained a Whites-only policy. Black patients were denied admission, even as they contributed to fundraising efforts for the center through the annual Birthday Ball campaigns. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” had been exposed for its racial injustices.

    Faced with mounting pressure from civil rights activists and the political embarrassment of segregation, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) announced a major grant to establish the Tuskegee Infantile Paralysis Center in 1941, which treated Black polio sufferers and trained African American doctors.

    The Fight for Integration and Health Equity

    In the 1940s and, later, the 1950s, a shift occurred with the civil rights movement. Black leaders like Dr. John Chenault and Charles Hudson Bynum, the NFIP’s director of interracial activities, fought to dismantle the myth of polio’s racial exclusivity. Bynum’s advocacy included Black children in the historic 1954 Salk vaccine trials. According to Scientific American, the HeLa cells—taken without consent from Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman—played a crucial role in developing the vaccine, cultivated in a makeshift lab at the Tuskegee Institute.

    Still, segregation persisted. Black children who received the Salk vaccine in Montgomery, Alabama, had to wait on the lawns of white schools because they weren’t allowed to use the facilities inside. At Warm Springs, Black patients were only grudgingly admitted in the late 1940s, and even then, they faced segregated accommodations and second-class care
    .
    Vaccine Rollbacks: A Chilling Threat

    Spearheaded by Kennedy, the anti-vaccine movement has returned and is threatening the fight for equal healthcare. Aaron Siri’s attempts to take back approval for the polio vaccine, which has saved millions of lives and kept millions from becoming paralyzed or dying, are a scary reminder of how easily progress can be lost. Kennedy’s appointment as health secretary and Siri’s influence point to a risky change in public health policy that could disproportionately hurt communities of color.

    Experts in public health caution that weakening vaccines will allow avoidable outbreaks to occur. Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert, described Siri’s legal strategies as a way to “hobble” agencies like the FDA, drowning them in litigation to prevent them from protecting public health. “This is a way to hobble a public health agency,” Gostin said in a published interview. “You can just drown them in paperwork so they can’t do their work.”

    Lessons from Polio: Vigilance Against Medical Racism

    The history of polio—from Warm Springs’ segregation to the overlooked contributions of Black scientists—offers a stark lesson in the dangers of medical racism and the need for constant vigilance. “Our racial disparities and health disparities were not invented in the past 10 years, and very often, they have been deliberately ignored,” historian Naomi Rogers, a tenured Associate Professor in the Program for the History of Science and Medicine at Yale University, offered in a Carleton College white paper.

    Black communities today are suddenly faced with the same access, trust, and institutional neglect issues that hampered previous anti-polio efforts. Experts said the reversal of vaccines threatens to repeat historical injustices, endangering millions of lives and damaging decades of civil rights progress.

    Those with political power are pushing the myth that vaccines are hazardous, recalling the pseudoscientific racism that claimed Black bodies were immune to polio. Civil rights leaders asserted that the stakes are significant, and history requires lawmakers to acknowledge the accomplishments of those who battled for equity and protect the public health victories they secured.
    “When the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccines were available, people of color had less access to information and routine clinical care, which resulted in a big gap in vaccinations administered to whites compared to African Americans,” researchers at Carleton College wrote.

  • Newswire : At Angola Museum: President Biden calls slavery ‘Our Nation’s Original Sin’

    Angola Slavery Museum

    Special to the Trice Edney News-wire from Blackmansstreet.com

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – President Joe Biden described slavery as “our nation’s original sin — original sin — one that haunted America and casts a long shadow ever since,” during a speech before officials of the National Slavery Museum in Belas, Angola.

    Estimates of the number of slaves shipped from Angola range from 2 million to 6 million. Most were shipped to America.
    “From the bloody Civil War that nearly tore my nation apart to the long battle with Jim Crow into the 1960s for the civil rights and voting rights movement — which got me involved in public life — during which American cities were burned, to the still unfinished reckoning with racial injustice in my country today,” President Biden said.

    President Biden spoke because Angola played a significant role as one of the primary sources of enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade, with estimates suggesting that nearly half of all enslaved Africans sent to the Americas originated from Angolan ports, primarily due to the Portuguese colonial control of the region and their heavy involvement in the slave trade; making Luanda, Angola, the capital, a major slave-trading hub. 

    Some estimates say that 45% of enslaved Africans sent to the Americas came from Angola. Historians believe that Angola was the largest source of slaves for the Americas by the 19th century from 1760 to 1860.

    The period was crucial in the history of the slave trade because it marked a significant expansion of slavery in the American South, primarily due to the rise of cotton production, which relied heavily on enslaved labor, leading to a large increase in the domestic slave trade within the United States even after the international slave trade was outlawed in 1808; this period also saw growing abolitionist movements fighting against the institution of slavery. 

    The first enslaved Africans to arrive in the U.S. came from Angola, landing at Point Comfort, Virginia in 1619. 

  • Newswire : Trump’s DOJ pick ignites alarm among Black leaders: ‘Civil rights enforcement will be under attack from within’

    Harmeet Dhillon

    By Gerren Kieth Gaynor, The Grio

    Civil rights leaders are decrying President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon, and the implications for Black communities and other marginalized groups.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate as assistant attorney general of the civil rights office, Dhillon, a conservative attorney, will have the authority to enforce — or not — federal statutes related to discrimination based on race, sex, disability, religion, or national origin. 

    Given Trump’s pronouncements, Project 2025‘s proposals, and Dhillon’s legal record, the Civil Rights Division will likely abandon its tradition of combating racial bias and instead use the federal office to defend civil liberties and freedom of speech on behalf of conservatives.

    “With the selection of Harmeet Dhillon — who has shown more interest in divisiveness rather than defending constitutional rights — the incoming administration has made clear that civil rights enforcement will be under attack from within,” said Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

    Dhillon, who served in leadership roles in the California Republican Party and Republican National Committee, has dedicated her career to conservative legal issues through her legal firm and nonprofit, Center for American Liberty.
    Wiley said that Dhillon, who legally advised Trump’s failed 2020 campaign and defended his false claims of voter fraud, has worked to “restrict” voting access, which has been a major concern for Black voters amid a flurry of racial gerrymandering cases over the years, rather than “fighting to expand voting access.” 

    “Instead of defending election results and demonstrating concern for free and fair elections, for example, she helped fuel the big lie in many forms, challenging election results on several occasions based on misrepresentations and outright lies,” said Wiley.

    Jamarr Brown, executive director of Color of Change PAC, told theGrio that Dhillon’s nomination is “keeping with the theme of Donald Trump,” which is to hire individuals who will be “loyal to him.” Selecting Dhillon, he said, shows the president-elect has “no regard for what the true purpose of the Department of Justice is, particularly the Civil Rights Division.”

    “These loyalists are going to implement Trump’s agenda – the Project 2025 agenda – which is also about ‘law and order,’” said Brown. He continued, “It’s going to eliminate DEI programs. It’s Under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, the first woman and Black woman to hold the office, the DOJ Civil Rights Division has steadily filed lawsuits challenging voting rights laws it says discriminate against Black and brown voters. The division also launched federal investigations of police departments accused of racial bias and brutality; and prosecuted individuals charged for committing violent crimes, including the 2022 mass shooting of 10 Black Americans at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York.

    Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson told theGrio he believes the fight to protect civil rights in this country is headed for a “rough ride”

    Citing the Trump administration’s hostility to racial equity, the congressman told theGrio, “This country got to be great because we gave everyone an opportunity to participate. This country is great because that participation allowed us to get to be number one in the world.”

    He added, “And when we choose an alternate road that doesn’t involve everyone in this country, then that greatness that we have enjoyed is at risk.”

  • Newswire : Biden grants largest single-day clemency in modern history, offering second chances to nearly 1500 individuals

    President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

     President Joe Biden announced the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history, commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals and pardoning 39 others convicted of non-violent crimes. Officials said the move reflects the administration’s dedication to criminal justice reform and the belief that individuals who have shown rehabilitation deserve the opportunity to fully reintegrate into society.

    The commutations apply to individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic under the CARES Act. The individuals have spent at least a year demonstrating their commitment to rebuilding their lives, securing employment, advancing their education, and supporting their families. The White House said the 39 pardoned individuals, many of whom were convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, are now contributing members of their communities, working as veterans, healthcare professionals, teachers, and advocates.

    Biden’s actions include individuals such as:

    Nina Simona Allen of Harvest, Alabama, is a 49-year-old woman who, after a non-violent conviction in her 20s, earned a post-baccalaureate degree and two master’s degrees. She works in education and volunteers at a soup kitchen and nursing home.
    Kelsie Lynn Becklin of Falcon Heights, Minnesota, a 38-year-old woman who completed a Ph.D. and mentors formerly incarcerated individuals pursuing higher education.
    Duran Arthur Brown of Cleveland, Ohio, a 44-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who works in education and is described as caring and compassionate.
    Norman O’Neal Brown of Washington, D.C., a 56-year-old man whose sentence for non-violent drug offenses was commuted by President Obama in 2015. He now works with non-profits focused on rehabilitation and reentry.
    Rosetta Jean Davis of Colville, Washington, is a 60-year-old woman who works as a peer supporter for those struggling with substance abuse.
    Michael Gary Pelletier of Augusta, Maine, a 67-year-old Coast Guard veteran who participated in more than 790 search-and-rescue operations and volunteers to support wounded veterans.
    In addition to these commutations and pardons, the White House noted that Biden is the first president to issue categorical pardons for individuals convicted of simple marijuana use and possession. He also pardoned former LGBTQI+ service members who were punished due to their sexual orientation. “The President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms,” White House officials stated.

    Biden’s clemency actions address sentencing disparities, particularly for non-violent drug offenses. Many of the individuals receiving commutations today would have received shorter sentences under current laws. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden insisted. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.”

    Those granted clemency come from diverse backgrounds, including military veterans, healthcare workers, addiction counselors, and community volunteers:

    Arthur Lawrence Byrd of Clinton, Maryland, a 58-year-old equipment operator who contributes to his church’s coat drive and food pantry.
    Stevoni Wells Doyle of Santaquin, Utah, is a 47-year-old licensed substance use disorder counselor who fosters animals and serves her community.
    Gregory S. Ekman of Fountain Valley, California, is a 58-year-old Air Force veteran who volunteers with youth groups and his local church.
    Emily Good Nelson of Indianapolis, Indiana, is a 39-year-old woman who completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees and works in healthcare while volunteering in addiction recovery programs.
    Nathaniel David Reed III of San Antonio, Texas, a 46-year-old Air Force veteran who achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and mentors fellow airmen.

    Biden signaled that more clemency actions could follow. “I will take more steps in the weeks ahead. My administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances.”
     

  • Commission reviews changes necessary to comply with State Examiners audit requirements

    The Greene County Commission met in regular session Monday, December 11, 2024 with all commissioners present and Chairman Garria Spencer presiding. The welcome was given by Commissioner Corey Cockrell and the invocation was led by Commissioner Allen Turner. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved by the body.
    The commission opened discussion of findings of the recent state compliance audit conducted by the State of Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts on the Greene County Commission, for the period October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021. The audit report presented the results of an examination of the Commission and a review of the Commission’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations of the State of Alabama in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts under the authority of the Code of Alabama 1975, Section 41-5A-12. The report was filed November 29, 2024.
    The Findings indicated that the Commission did not have policies and procedures in place regarding the following: to ensure all financial information was accurately recorded; to ensure capital assets were properly valued and reported in the financial records; to ensure beer tax collections were properly distributed; to ensure beer tax collections were properly distributed. The Commission did not maintain all documentation for bid and public works projects.
    In the exit conference the commission clarified that it responded to all requests relative to a state compliance audit, seemingly a financial audit was conducted by the state. The financial information submitted by the commission was not in the format required by the state examiners. CSFO Mac Underwood assured the commission that, going forward, all state audits will be responded to as financial audits.
    The commission indicated that a formula has been put in place to have packets on all bids and related financial information prepared in format required by examiners.
    In other business, the commission acted on the following:
    Approved the 2025 Holiday Schedule.
    Approved the Water Authority’s request for rental of equipment.
    Approved essential workers pay for employees.
    Approved the 2025 CIMS Agreement.
    Approved ratifying landfill well repair.
    Approved work on driveway on County Road 148, authorizing Chairman Spencer to sign documents.
    Approved travel for Assist. Engineer to attend ACCA Legislative Conference, Dec.11-12, 2024.
    Tabled City of Eutaw’s request regarding Street Scape Grant.
    Approved extending vacation time to April 2025.

  • Chamber of Commerce and City of Eutaw sponsor annual Christmas Parade

    The Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Eutaw held the annual Christmas Parade for Greene County, Thursday, December 5, 2024. Greene County District Judge Lillie Jones Osborne served as Grand Marshal. Judge Osborne is the first female and African American female to serve as District Judge of Greene County, Alabama. She was appointed District Judge in 1999 by then Alabama Governor Don Siegelman to complete a term held by her late husband, Richard Osborne. Through re-elections she has held that position for the past 25 years.

    This year’s Christmas Parade theme, Festival of Lights, featured a variety of decorated trees on the Old Courthouse Square, sponsored by various local businesses and organizations. Many businesses also decorated their storefronts lifting the Spirit of Christmas.

    Other parade participants riding on beautifully decorated floats and vehicles, or walking in unison, included elected and appointed officials, representatives of churches, non-profit organizations, businesses, housing authorities, local school band, fire departments, ambulance service, and Debutantes sponsored by the Greene County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and more.

    Even Santa rode in the local parade. The children enjoyed all the candy thrown from the floats.

    An exceptionally large crowd was out to view the festivities and purchase snacks from the vendors.

    The lighting of the Christmas Tree on the Thomas Gilmore Courthouse Square followed the parade. Many gathered to view this special event.