Greene County Democrat

Category: World News

  • Newswire: Kenyan troops sign pact to fight gang violence in Haiti backed by U. S. funding

    Kenyan Troops

    Oct. 2, 2023 (GIN) – After months of fruitless efforts to control spiraling gang violence in Haiti, a framework for defense cooperation has been signed by the United States and Kenya aimed at creating a multinational force to quash the violence that has brutally taken so many lives.
     
    Such a deployment had been stalled for months because no country would agree to lead such a perilous mission.
     
    This week, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Kenya’s Defense Minister Aden Duale signed the accord authored by the U.S. and Ecuador at a meeting in Nairobi that will guide the countries defense relations for the next five years.
     
    They are expected to be working behind the scenes to build support for the plan among the Security Council’s 15 members and in the wider international community.
     
    Washington will supply “robust financial and logistical assistance” in the amount of $100 million to the proposed deployment.
     
    “Signing the framework for defense cooperation between our two countries today reinforces the importance of our strategic partnership with Kenya,” Austin said following the meeting.
     
    On Monday, Duale said his country was ready to deploy to Haiti and cited Kenya’s “very long history of global peacekeeping” in Kosovo, neighboring Somalia and Congo.
     
    For now, Kenya is expected to be the largest contributor with 1,000 police officers and troops. At least a dozen nations have now come forward to help tackle the gang violence engulfing the country.
     
    Besides The Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, at least a dozen nations offering to join the effort to fight gang violence. Others countries stepping up are Italy, Spain, Mongolia, Senegal, Belize, Suriname, Guatemala and Peru.
     
    Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols was surprised at the numerous offers of support coming from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. “People were saying, ‘Hey, we’re in, we’re going to support; we are going to provide troops, we’re going to provide police, we’re going to provide money,’ ” he recalled.
     
    Haitian Americans and Haitians at home, however, are split on whether a Kenya-led intervention is a good idea, said Macollvie Neel, executive editor of Brooklyn-based Haitian Times, speaking with the online publication Semafor.
     
    Many in the diaspora remember the sexual abuse and devastating cholera outbreak that accompanied foreign forces in past decades but they also said ongoing bloodshed in their country leaves them with few other options. 
     
    Also, perhaps worrying, the international force would not be a UN force, so if deployed, Kenyan police would be in charge rather than answer to a UN force commander as they would be required to do in a UN peacekeeping mission.
     
    Still, cellphone repairman Jerthro Antoine, speaking to Al Jazeera news, said Kenya’s police can’t come soon enough. He said he dreams of strolling along one of Haiti’s beaches but the violence has gotten so bad that even walking on the street is a risk.
     
    “I feel trapped in my home. Any foreign force in support of Haitian police is more than welcome,” Antoine said. “The Haitian people need it, we need a break and to have a life again.”
     
    The mission is awaiting the U.N. Security Council’s formal approval to go forward but has already received support from the U.N. and U.S.
     

  • Newswire: Twenty-Seven years later: suspect arrested in murder of Tupac Shakur 

    Tupac Shakur

    By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

    Twenty-seven years after the death of one of the most noted rappers in history of the genre, a man has been arrested for the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur.
    As the years have gone by some suspects have come into the news while others have passed away. On September 29, 2023, a man named Duane Keith Davis was arrested in Las Vegas and charged in connection with the murder of Shakur.
    The rapper and actor was killed on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas, at the age of 25, after being shot four times. He died less than a week later at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Since then, Shakur’s death has lingered on as a mystery that has never been brought to a conclusion.
    Davis is a member of the California-based gang known as The South Side Compton Crips and was a childhood friend of N.W.A. member Eazy-E. During the early ’90s, Davis built a friendly relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. Rumors that someone would be charged in Shakur’s death have swirled for years with no arrests made.
    Tupac’s life was short but marked by artistic achievement in music and acting. His family moved to Baltimore and he attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz, and ballet. In the late 1980s, Tupac moved to California, where he joined the hip-hop group Digital Underground as a backup dancer and rapper. He gained recognition for his skills and charisma on stage.
    In addition to his storied music career, Shakur pursued acting and appeared in films such as “Juice” (1992), “Poetic Justice” (1993), “Above the Rim” (1994), and “Gridlock’d” (1997). He received praise for his acting talent.
    Tupac Shakur was born in East Harlem to Afeni Shakur, a former Black Panther, and Billy Garland. He was given the name Lesane Parish Crooks at birth but later changed it to Tupac Amaru Shakur after he was inspired by the 18th-century Peruvian revolutionary Túpac Amaru II.

  • Newswire: Claudine Gay assumes historic role as Harvard University’s first Black President

    Claudine Gay

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    Harvard University now has its first Black president, Claudine Gay, who already has made her mark in the institution’s history. Gay also stands as only the second woman to helm the university since its founding in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
During her inaugural address, Gay articulated her vision for the Ivy League institution, acknowledging the weight and honor of this groundbreaking appointment. “I stand before you today humbled by the prospect of leading Harvard,” remarked Gay amidst a rainy inauguration ceremony last Friday.
    “Emboldened by the trust you have placed in me and energized by your own commitment to this singular institution and to the common cause of higher education.” The new president went on to emphasize Harvard’s historical role as an agent of change, stating, “The courage of this University — our resolve, against all odds — to question the world as it is and imagine and make a better one: It is what Harvard was made to do,” she exclaimed.
    Harvard Corporation, the university’s main governing body, chose Gay after an extensive search process. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who attended Harvard, praised Gay’s presidency in a speech. She called it a “truly historic” moment and expressed her admiration and support.
    Gay earned her Ph.D. in government from Harvard in 1998 and joined the faculty in 2006. She previously held the distinguished position of Edgerley Family Dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and is recognized as an expert in political behavior. She also serves as the founding chair of the Inequality in America Initiative which was launched in 2017 to examine social and economic inequalities.

    Outgoing president Lawrence Bacow characterized her as “a person of bedrock integrity,” according to CNN. Bacow also expressed confidence in Gay’s “moral compass,” which he said remains essential for guiding the prestigious university. He praised the search committee for choosing Gay and predicted a bright future under her leadership.

  • Newswire : California Governor Gavin Newsom names Laphonza Butler to U. S. Senate

    By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

    Laphonza Butler will fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Dianne Feinstein. The groundbreaking Senator died on September 29.
    Newsom’s decision was not on the political radar screen of most prognosticators. He placed no requirement on the appointment to preclude Butler from running for the seat at the end of the term.
    With the selection of Butler, the decision of California’s Governor will not include any of the currently announced candidates for U.S. Senate in 2024 in California. Those current candidates include veteran members of Congress Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.
    “As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington, D.C.,” wrote Gov. Newsom in a statement released on the evening of October 1 announcing Butler’s appointment.
    Butler was sworn-in to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, by Vice President Kamala Harris, who previously served as a Senator from the state of California.
    Butler has been serving as the President of EMILY’s List. The fundraising platform supports and funds women candidates and amplifies issues that disproportionately impact women. EMILY’s List was founded in 1985 by Ellen Malcolm and founding members Barbara Boxer, Ann Richards, Anne Wexler, and Donna Shalala. From 1985 through 2008, EMILY’s List raised over $240 million for political candidates.
    The move by Newsom could assist him if he should run for higher office in 2024 or 2028. Newsom has been rumored to be on a short list of Democratic candidates who could run for President if for some reason Biden or Harris are not options. But Newsom was recently asked about running for President and switched topics to the policies that he believed the party should be focused on.
    Laphonza Butler will be yet another addition to the Congressional Black Caucus which is now on the brink of having 60 members for the first time in history. Though the current membership of the Congressional Black Caucus is 58, one more Black member is all but certain to enter Congress in Rhode Island after the resignation in May of Congressman David Cicilline. Former Biden White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Deputy Director Gabe Amo won the Democratic nomination for Cicilline’s seat. The election is on November 7.
    Butler will be the only Black woman in the Senate. But Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester is expected to win the Senate seat vacated by Senator Tom Carper. Carper announced he would not run for re-election in 2024 and Rochester announced shortly afterwards that she would run for Carper’s seat.
    “Throughout her career, Laphonza Butler has been a strong voice for working families, LGBTQ rights, and a champion for increasing women’s representation in politics. I’m honored to welcome her to the United States Senate. Governor Newsom’s swift action ensures that Californians maintain full representation in the Senate as we navigate a narrow Democratic majority. I look forward to working together to deliver for the people of California,” wrote California U.S. Senator Alex Padilla in a statement.
    Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the publisher of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

  • Newswire : Alabama gets one step closer to Congressional map changes and two majority-Black voting districts

    By Bilal G. Morris, NewsOne
    Alabama residents are one step closer to finally getting two majority-Black voting Congressional districts, something Republicans have fought against for decades.
    According to AP, this week, a three-judge panel will likely approve new congressional districts in the state after the Supreme Court allowed the drawing of a new congressional map in the state, which would give greater representation to Black voters.
    The court is expected to hear details on three proposed plans for new congressional maps, which were created by Richard Allen, a court-appointed special master, to be used in the 2024 elections.  Each proposal under discussion will create a second district with majority-Black voters.
    The Alabama attorney general’s office has said they reject all three proposals, but last week justices rejected the state’s emergency request to keep Republican-drawn lines, which was also rejected by a lower court over the summer.
    In June, a three-judge panel ruled that the state’s plan with one majority-Black district out of seven violated the U.S. Voting Rights Act.
    Last week, an Alabama court-appointed special master submitted proposals for congressional districts that would create greater representation for Black voters.
    According to AP, court-appointed special master Richard Allen wrote and submitted three proposals that would create a second majority-Black district in Alabama. The proposals follow the court’s direct instruction to give Black voters in the state an ample opportunity to elect a candidate who represents them, something Alabama Republicans, in the Legislature failed to do numerous times over the summer.
    The proposals specifically plan to change the boundaries of Congressional District 2, giving Black voters between 48.5% to 50.1% of the voting-age population. The GOP redistricting plan only raised the Black voting-age population to 39.9%, which did not give Black voters anything close to a majority.
    “The proposals show a serious consideration of the need to remedy the violation found by the court,” said Kareem Crayton, a redistricting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.
    “There will be more to review as we get access to the block files supporting these recommended maps, but what’s clear is that the Special Master did what the state had to date simply refused to do: take the directives of the local court seriously. Each proposal appears to create two districts that are either majority Black or close to it.”
    Allen, who is a former chief deputy for several previous Republican Alabama attorney generals, said his proposals were not drawn based on race, but rather give Black voters “an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.”
    “A performance analysis in this case should demonstrate that the Black-preferred candidate often would win an election in the subject district,” Allen wrote.
    In July, Alabama Republicans rejected instructions from the U.S. Supreme Court to redraw congressional districts and create a second majority-Black district in the state.
    Instead, Alabama lawmakers proposed a redistricting map that would barely increase the percentage of Black voters in the 2nd Congressional District, testing the court’s directive of creating an entirely new district.
    The instruction the panel of judges gave Alabama legislators was simple: Create a second Black congressional district “or an additional district in which Black voters otherwise have an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.” Instead, Republicans in Alabama, which has seven congressional districts in all, maintained the Black district it already had and increased the number of Black voters in another district from 30% to 40%.
    In September, federal judges blocked the republican lawmakers’ proposed map, opting to draft its own using a court-appointed special master.
    “We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature—faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district—responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district,” the judges wrote. “The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The 2023 Plan plainly fails to do so.”

  • USDA extends application deadline for Discrimination Financial Assistance Program to January 13, 2024

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the deadline for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program to January 13, 2024, to give eligible farmers, ranchers and forest landowners more time to apply for assistance. The original deadline was October 31, 2023.
    This deadline extension is responsive to feedback from potential applicants, nongovernmental program administrators and community-based organizations working closely with USDA to inform and assist eligible individuals. The new deadline will allow more time to reach and help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners through direct, no-cost technical assistance and training sessions. The extension will also ensure everyone has adequate time to apply, including producers whose harvest season falls during the original application period.
    “USDA knows it must earn the trust of the farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who are eligible for this program. That makes transparency in the administration of the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program crucial,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “In that spirit, after receiving feedback from organizations that have been supporting producers throughout the application process, we have made the decision to extend the deadline. We believe this is the appropriate action to take to ensure all eligible individuals wishing to apply are adequately informed about the program and have the opportunity to receive any necessary assistance.”
    Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF , a cooperator organization that has been assisting with outreach and technical assistance on DFAP applications, said “ We are pleased that USDA has extended the deadline to January 13, 2024. This will give us a chance to reach the hundreds of farmers who have contacted our offices across the South seeking assistance in filling out their DFAP applications. We will be able to devote time to planning and preparing quality applications for each farmer instead of rushing to meet the October deadline.”
    This program delivers on Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides financial assistance for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. Congress provided a total of $2.2 billion for this program. The amount of money awarded to individuals through this program will depend on the number of eligible applicants and the consequences of the discrimination. Eligible individuals have the option to apply online or by submitting paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to local program offices. Applicants are not required to retain an attorney and should take precautions to protect themselves from potential scams.
    In addition to the application deadline change, the deadline to request records from USDA’s Farm Service Agency for use in applications has been extended to Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. The application process was designed so that FSA records are not required, though relevant records may be attached to an application as additional evidence if they are available.
    To learn more about the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program or receive assistance in English or Spanish, visit www.22007apply.gov, email info@22007apply.gov or contact the national call center at 1-800-721-0970 from 8 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. PT, every day except federal holidays. If you use sign language to communicate, you can use the 711 relay service to call. You may also email or contact the national call center if you have a disability and need another accommodation. Information about the program, resources, recent office openings and local events across the country is also available through a weekly e-newsletter.
    Persons interested in contacting the Federation of Southern Cooperatives for technical assistance in filling out applications may call : 1-888-533-3271 or contact: 22007dfap@federation.coop to schedule an appointment for technical assistance in the application process.

  • Newswire: U. S. Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s bid to use congressional map with just one majority-Black district

     Alabama voter holds up a voting sticker issued at the polls

    By Lawrence Hurley, NBC News


    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed a defeat to Alabama Republicans for the second time in three months, rejecting their latest attempt to use a congressional map that includes only one majority-Black district.
    The court in two related applications refused emergency requests from Republican state officials to block lower court rulings that invalidated the new map. Lower court proceedings to approve a new map are still ongoing. Today, a Special Master chosen by the appellate court, delivered three maps, with two majority Black voting age population districts, before the Supreme Court ruling.
    The decision was in line with the Supreme Court ruling against the state in June that reaffirmed a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act in rejecting the state’s first effort to draw congressional district boundaries.
    There were no noted dissenting votes and the court did not explain its reasoning.
    “Alabama’s open defiance of the Voting Rights Act stops today,” said Abha Khanna, a lawyer who helped challenge the maps. She expressed hope that the decision might “prompt Alabama to rethink their dogged resistance to providing equal political opportunities to Black Alabamians.”
    Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, doubled down on the state’s approach, saying in a statement Tuesday that both maps the state has drawn should have been upheld.
    “It is now clear that none of the maps proposed by Republican supermajorities had any chance of success. Treating voters as individuals would not do. Instead, our elected representatives and our voters must apparently be reduced to skin color alone,” he said.
    “We will comply with the district court’s preliminary injunction order, while building our case for the 2023 map, which has yet to receive a full hearing. We are confident that the Voting Rights Act does not require, and the Constitution does not allow, “separate but equal” congressional districts,” AG Marshall concluded.
    The Supreme Court’s earlier ruling forced the state back to the drawing board. But the new map — like the previous one — includes only one district where Black voters are likely to be able to elect a candidate of their choosing. Alabama has seven congressional districts, and 27% of the state’s population is Black.
    The new map was thrown out in two different lower court rulings, with the judges saying an additional minority-Black district was required, in line with the Supreme Court’s June ruling.
    “We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature — faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district — responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district,” one of the court rulings said.
    A new map with a second majority-Black district could help Democrats in their bid to win control of the House of Representatives in next year’s election, with Black people in the state more likely to vote Democratic. There are currently six Republicans and one Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation.
    The two consolidated cases arose from litigation over the congressional district map the Republican-controlled Legislature drew after the 2020 census. The challengers, including individual voters and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, said the map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Black voters.
    Lower court judges have now repeatedly ruled that under existing law plaintiffs had shown that Alabama’s Black population was both large enough and sufficiently compact for there to be a second majority-Black district.
    Two conservatives — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh — joined the three liberal justices in the majority in the Supreme Court ruling in June.
    But the court did leave open future challenges to the law, with Kavanaugh writing in a separate opinion that his vote did not rule out challenges to Section 2 based on whether there is a time when the 1965 law’s authorization of considering race in redistricting is no longer justified.
    Marshall seized upon Kavanaugh’s pronouncements in his request to block the lower court rulings. He also cited the court’s decision in June to end the consideration of race in college admissions as an example of why a remedy for historical race discrimination that may have once been lawful and justified is no longer appropriate.

  • Newswire : Kamala Harris stands strong against racist attacks, affirms readiness to lead

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    In the face of a sustained Republican campaign to stoke fears among white voters, Vice President Kamala Harris remains resolute, highlighting her trailblazing achievements and defending her legacy against racially charged attacks.
    Prominent figures within the Republican Party have continued the GOP’s attempt to cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s ability to complete a potential second term, equating a vote for him with a de facto endorsement of Harris as president. Former South Carolina Governor and GOP Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley asserted, “A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris,” while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, positioning himself as a contender for the 2024 presidential race, labeled Harris as “impeachment insurance.”
    “They feel the need to attack because they’re scared that we will win based on the merit of the work that Joe Biden and I, and our administration, has done,” Harris responded. She further emphasized the historic barriers she has shattered throughout her career, including being the first woman district attorney in San Francisco and the first Black woman to serve as California’s attorney general.
    When questioned about her readiness to assume the highest office, if necessary, Harris affirmed her preparedness while expressing confidence in Biden’s leadership. “Joe Biden is going to be fine. Let me tell you something: I work with Joe Biden every day,” she told CBS News. “The work that our administration has accomplished under Joe Biden’s leadership is transformative.”

  • Newswire: Coco Gauff, 19, makes history: youngest U.S. Open Champion since Serena Williams in 1999

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire

    Coco Gauff has etched her name in tennis history as she clinched the U.S. Open singles title, becoming the youngest player, at 19, since Serena Williams’ historic victory in 1999 when she was just 17 years old. Gauff’s remarkable triumph came after an intense three-set battle against Aryna Sabalenka, with a final score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
    Amidst the crowd’s roar and the flashbulbs of countless cameras, Gauff stood on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, her trophy shining brightly, and her victory speech filled with a sense of readiness for the fame that will undoubtedly come her way. “I’m ready,” Gauff proclaimed, her youthful confidence evident. “I embrace it. I know how to keep my peace but also embrace all of this around me.”
    As Gauff accepted her winner’s check of $3 million, she took a moment to graciously thank tennis legend Billie Jean King, who stood alongside her on the stage. King is a long time advocate for equal treatment and payment of female athletes in all sports. The gesture highlighted Gauff’s perspective, humor, and charm that has set the stage for American sports’ next global superstar.
    “She is so humble,” said Pere Riba, Gauff’s coach, in the post-match interview. “Her work ethic is so strong, so professional, and she has very good manners. Put all of that together, and she will only get better. She can handle it all.”
    Gauff has long been earmarked as one of tennis’ next superstars. Her maturity on and off the court, intelligence, and ability to articulate herself have endeared her to the American public and the global tennis community.
    Even prominent figures in the political arena couldn’t contain their excitement. President Joe Biden took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to congratulate the young champion. “Congrats to U.S. Open Champion Coco Gauff,” he tweeted. “You electrified Arthur Ashe stadium and the entire nation – the first of more to come and proof that anything is possible if you never give up and always believe. You’ve made America so proud.”
    Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who cheered Gauff during her first-round match against Laura Siegmund, also extended congratulations. “We couldn’t be prouder of you on and off the court – and we know the best is yet to come,” Barack Obama wrote. The former First Lady paid tribute to Gauff’s “hard work and grit” and shared a cherished photo of their meeting after that memorable first-round match.
    
Former President Bill Clinton joined the chorus of praise, describing Gauff’s victory as “incredible” and expressing optimism for the future of American tennis. Serena Williams, whom Gauff credits for inspiring her dreams, shared her excitement on Instagram, writing, “Ahhhhh!!!! Amazing!!!!”
    Gauff reflected proudly on her victory. “My dad took me to this tournament, sitting right there, watching Venus and Serena compete, so it’s really incredible to be here on this stage,” she stated.

  • Newswire: University of Alabama condemns fans’ use of racist, homophobic slurs in viral video from Texas game

    By: Wilton Jackson, Sports Illustrated

    Alabama fans were overheard shouting racist and homophobic slurs at three Texas players in a viral video filmed during the Crimson Tide’s 34-24 loss to the Longhorns on Saturday night.

    Fans behind the Texas sideline at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., yelled homophobic and racist language at Longhorns defensive backs Jelani McDonald and X’Avion Brice as well as running back Quintrevion Wisner.
    Among the slurs that can be heard on the video are Alabama fans calling the Texas players –“faggots” and advising them “to go back to the projects”.
    In the wake of the video’s circulation on social media, Alabama released a statement to The Austin American-Statesman, saying the university does not condone the behavior and that such behavior “will not be tolerated” in its venues.
    “We are disgusted by reports of vile language and inappropriate behavior Saturday night,” the statement read, per Danny Davis of The American-Statesman. “It’s not representative of UA and our values. We expect all attendees to act with class and respect towards others. Fans are strongly encouraged to report issues to our security resources on-site. Game day and delayed reports are appropriately addressed, and anyone found to be in violation of our rules and expectations will be promptly removed and may be banned from future events.