By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
In a decision that could significantly impact the 2024 race for the White House, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, overseeing the election interference case against former President Donald Trump, has scheduled the trial to commence on March 4, 2024. The date falls during the Republican presidential primaries and just one day before Super Tuesday. Chutkan considered arguments presented by both Trump’s legal team and federal prosecutors regarding the optimal trial timing. Special counsel Jack Smith proposed an earlier start in January, with jury selection beginning in December. Trump’s legal representatives countered by advocating for a postponement until April 2026, following the 2024 presidential election. Judge Chutkan asserted on Monday, addressing the opposing proposals, “These proposals are obviously very far apart. Neither of them is acceptable.” Chutkan emphasized that the trial’s scheduling must prioritize the fair and prompt administration of justice. She noted that the trial schedule wouldn’t be altered based on the professional obligations of another defendant, even if that defendant happened to be a professional athlete. Trump’s legal team argued that proceeding to trial in the upcoming year would infringe upon the former president’s rights, citing the extensive volume of discovery materials that federal prosecutors have submitted. The four-time indicted, twice impeached ex-president’s lawyer, John Lauro asserted that, “This is a request for a show trial, not a speedy trial. Mr. Trump is not above the law, but he is not below the law.” Following Chutkan’s ruling, Lauro insisted that Trump’s defense team would not be adequately prepared to represent their client given the set trial date. Earlier, Chutkan deemed the special counsel’s proposed timeline too immediate, but called Trump’s suggested timeline of 2026 unreasonable. “Discovery in 2023 is not sitting in a warehouse with boxes of paper looking at every single page,” Chutkan remarked. Meanwhile, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee announced that the arraignment for Trump and his co-defendants in the Georgia election case is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on September 6. Trump faces charges of felony racketeering and various conspiracy counts, part of a comprehensive investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the battleground state. Trump and his co-defendants, including his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, will be arraigned as part of this high-stakes legal proceeding. The sweeping indictment encompasses 41 counts and involves individuals such as Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff, lawyers John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, and former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark. All defendants are charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act, among other alleged offenses.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Sixty years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a groundbreaking new report has laid bare the stark truth of ongoing black economic inequality in the United States. Titled “STILL A DREAM: Over 500 Years to Black Economic Equality,” the report, co-authored by prominent experts Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chuck Collins, Omar Ocampo, and Sally Sim, and published by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), underscores the enduring disparities faced by Black Americans and highlights the pressing need for concerted action to address these disparities. “Sixty years ago, Dr. King observed that America has defaulted on this promissory note to Black citizens,” stated Chuck Collins, an IPS senior scholar who directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good in Washington, DC. “Six decades later, despite incremental progress on some fronts, the check of opportunity has still come back with insufficient funds.” Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chief of Race, Wealth, and Community for NCRC, lamented, “It is deeply troubling that, sixty years after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Black economic equality remains nothing more than a dream for most Black Americans.” “The revelation that it would take more than 500 additional years to close the economic gap for black Americans is a stark reminder of the systemic inequities that persist,” Asante-Muhammad asserted. Sally Sim, a senior organizer, and project specialist at NCRC, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “The sobering projection and findings of our report sixty years after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom reinforce that the dream for economic equality for Black Americans remains unfulfilled,” Sim stated. “On this historic anniversary, let us turn this report into a catalyst for meaningful action towards comprehensive solutions and public support for policies and initiatives that promote black economic equality.” Some key findings from the comprehensive report were that, despite modest advancements made by African Americans since the 1960s, including reduced poverty rates, increased high school attainment, and lower unemployment rates, income disparities between Black and white Americans have only slightly improved. The report exposes that in 2021, African Americans earn 62 cents to every dollar earned by white families. The report’s authors said, at this rate, achieving income parity would take an astonishing 513 years. Further, the wealth gap between Black and non-Black Americans has experienced only marginal growth, with African Americans possessing 18 cents for every dollar of non-Black wealth in 2019. If this pace continues, it will take approximately 780 years for Black wealth to match non-Black wealth. Median household income for African Americans has shown minimal growth, growing just 0.36% since the turn of the century. Strikingly, it remained lower than white median family income in 1963. Even after over six decades, the Black-white homeownership divide persists. Black homeownership has grown from 38% in 1960 to 44% in 2021, while white homeownership surged from 64% in 1960 to 74% in 2021. The report outlined a series of recommendations to combat black economic inequality: 1. Advocate for full employment and guaranteed jobs to ensure equal economic opportunities for all. 2. Enact a substantial land and homeownership program to address the enduring homeownership gap between Black and white Americans. 3. Commit to individual asset building, including financial education, asset matching programs, and supportive policies, to facilitate access to wealth-building opportunities for Black Americans. 4. Implement policies to reduce dynastic concentrations of wealth and power, tackling the structural barriers that impede economic progress for Black Americans. 5. Explore targeted reparations to address historical injustices and provide meaningful redress for the economic disparities Black Americans face. The authors noted that, as the nation reflects on King’s enduring vision for equality and justice, the report serves as a sobering reminder that pursuing Black economic equality remains an unmet challenge in America.
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Ethnic Media Services
By Sunita Sohrabji
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – The US is experiencing a summer swell of infections, though hospitalization rates remain relatively stable. Three eminent experts conclude that Covid-19 will continue to pose a health threat over many years, as it continues its evolution. But updated vaccines are expected to mitigate the severity of infections. Covid-19 cases are rising once again, possibly fueled by the emergence of the EG.5 variant. Hospitalization rates jumped by 12.5% nationwide in July, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This uptick comes even as the public health emergency has ended, taking with it free testing and therapeutics. And Covid fatigue has set in. People no longer wear masks in public, and a study has determined that the majority of Americans will forego new boosters, which will be available this fall. At an Aug. 11 panel discussion organized by Ethnic Media Services, three eminent Covid experts examined the rise in cases, the new variant, and the new monovalent vaccine which will be available this fall. Panelists included: ● Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Associate Dean for Regional Campuses, University of California, San Francisco and Medical Educator, specializing in treating infectious diseases ● Dr. Benjamin Neuman, Professor of Biology and Chief Virologist, Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University ● Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine What are the origins of the EG.5 variant? Does it differ substantially from its predecessors? Dr. Neuman: EG.5 is one of the variants that’s spreading the fastest right now. It is a child of a thing called XBB 1.9. Basically, it’s another version of Omicron. And everything that is circulating in the world right now has about 100 to 110 differences from the original version. This variant is spreading because it has a lot of changes at the receptor binding site that is the target of most of the vaccines and of some of the most useful parts of the immune system. Will the new vaccines recognize the new variant and be effective against it? Dr. Neuman: When the target changes, you have to change your aim. It has been over a year since we have had an updated version of the vaccine. It’s coming slowly, but uptake has not been great. The total uptake in the US for the bivalent vaccine is only 17%. The formulation of the new booster is supposed to be a monovalent against the XBB variant. From the studies that we have now, it looks like new variants like EG.5 are close enough that a vaccine against XBB seems to work against it pretty well. So I think it’s a good move, and I wish they’d hurry up to release it. Hospitalization rates remain relatively stable despite the summer surge of infections. Do you expect that hospitalization rates are going to rise at some point? Dr. Chin-Hong: There has been a slight uptick in hospitalizations, not a tsunami, not even a surge. The way I think about it is a swell. It’s kind of like a general wave coming. It doesn’t overwhelm you. You don’t get submerged into it, but you kind of ride it until it goes to the shore. So if you look at California, for example, one year ago, we had about 4700 people hospitalized at one point. And right now we have about 890 people hospitalized. So in perspective, it’s nothing compared to even one year ago when it was 4700. Paxlovid and Remdesivir are currently the only therapeutics we have in our arsenal to battle. But they are problematic. Dr. Schaffner: We know that if you administer Paxlovid — particularly to people at high risk — very shortly after they are infected, we can reduce their risk of developing severe disease. But Paxlovid has limitations, as any therapy does. There are drug interactions. So if you’re taking certain medications, you have to be careful about taking Paxlovid. Or you may not be able to get it if you have kidney failure. Remdesivir we now use very quickly once the patient is admitted to the hospital. But wouldn’t it be better if we had more therapeutic agents aimed at keeping people out of the hospital? Minority populations and low-income communities have always been at a higher risk for hospitalization and death from Covid. With the end of the Public Health Emergency, how can we ensure that everyone gets the tests, vaccines, and therapeutics they need to stay healthy? Dr. Chin-Hong: Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen a lot of disparities, including and particularly amongst the African American communities, both in terms of who is dying first of all and who is being hospitalized. But then we began to address some of the root causes, which were related to access to testing and related to probably a lot of structural racism. Of course, politics played a role, but even after the new administration, those disparities still persisted. I think one silver lining was that vaccinations increased uptake in all communities, probably given the advocacy of a lot of grassroots organizations and community-based organizations. So what is still free, after the Public Health Emergency ended May 11? Vaccines are still free. There’s a bridge program that’s going to probably come into effect nationally that allows people — without demonstrating ability to pay — to get them at least until the end of the year in California, and probably extended with a national bridge program. And then if you have insurance or MediCal or MediCare, people are obligated to give you the vaccine for free without a copay because of the Affordable Care Act.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
In what activist Sherrilyn Ifill called a crisis in which everyone needs to start treating it as such, more stunning revelations have surfaced over lavish gifts accepted and not previously disclosed by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Now, Democratic lawmakers are taking to social media to demand Thomas step down. The calls for his resignation come after another shocking investigative report by ProPublica. The exposé, released on Thursday, Aug. 10, delves into undisclosed luxury vacations and gifts Thomas received from affluent individuals. The revelation has again ignited a firestorm of outrage and ethical concerns. “Justice Thomas has brought shame upon himself and the United States Supreme Court with his acceptance of massive, repeated, and undisclosed gifts,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) tweeted on the social media platform now known as X. “No government official, elected or unelected, could ethically or legally accept gifts of that scale. He should resign immediately.” The damning ProPublica report exposed that Justice Thomas received a minimum of 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, numerous VIP passes to sporting events, and two lavish resort stays, all financed by billionaire backers, during his tenure on the bench. The report argued that Justice Thomas may have violated legal requirements by failing to disclose these extravagant travels and luxury engagements. ProPublica reported that Thomas, typically “perched in the skybox at sporting events, had at least two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast. “This accounting of Thomas’ travel, revealed for the first time here from an array of previously unavailable information, is the fullest to date of the generosity that has regularly afforded Thomas a lifestyle far beyond what his income could provide. And it is almost certainly an undercount,” the report asserted. ProPublica continued: “While some of the hospitality, such as stays in personal homes, may not have required disclosure, Thomas appears to have violated the law by failing to disclose flights, yacht cruises, and expensive sports tickets, according to ethics experts.” Politico noted that at least four other House Democrats also called for Thomas’ resignation, including Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Bill Pascrell (D-N.J), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), and Hank Johnson (D-Ga.). “Unprecedented. Stunning. Disgusting. The height of hypocrisy to wear the robes of a #SCOTUS and take undisclosed gifts from billionaires who benefit from your decisions,” Jayapal posted on X. “Resign.” Democrats in the Senate have attempted to push legislation that would reform the Supreme Court’s ethical guidelines to increase transparency. That bill passed committee but is unlikely to get through a full Senate. “I said it would get worse; it will keep getting worse,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who helped spearhead the bill, said on X in response to the report. “The latest ProPublica revelation of unreported lavish gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas makes it clear: these are not merely ethical lapses,” Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin wrote on X. “This is a shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires.” Perhaps even more significant, the pattern exposes consistent violations of judicial norms, experts, including seven current and former federal judges appointed by both parties, told ProPublica. Earlier this year, ProPublica revealed Texas real estate billionaire Harlan Crow’s generosity toward Thomas, including vacations, private jet flights, gifts, the purchase of his mother’s house in Georgia, and tuition payments. The new report said the New York Times also noted revelations about wealthy business people Thomas met through the Horatio Alger Association, an exclusive nonprofit.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis , surrounded by staff, speaks during a news conference on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
By; Jake Johnson, Common Dreams
A grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 others on Monday for taking part in a sprawling “criminal enterprise” aimed at overturning the 2020 presidential election results in the state. The 98-page indictment, which includes a total of 41 counts, marks the fourth time Trump has been charged in a criminal investigation since April. The indictment states that Trump and the other defendants—including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump’s former personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani—”refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.” Trump, Giuliani, Meadows, and more than a dozen others “constituted a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in various related criminal activities including, but not limited to, false statements and writings, impersonating a public officer, forgery, filing false documents, influencing witnesses, computer theft, computer trespass, computer invasion of privacy, conspiracy to defraud the state, acts involving theft, and perjury.” The former president faces 13 charges under the Georgia indictment, including soliciting a public officer to violate their oath and breaching the state’s Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Georgia’s RICO law carries up to 20 years in prison for those convicted. The indictment—the product of a sweeping investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis—cites Trump’s early December phone call to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, during which the former president “solicited, requested, and importuned Kemp to call a special session of the Georgia General Assembly.” “This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy,” the indictment reads. Willis launched the election interference investigation after an audio recording obtained by The Washington Post revealed that Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and said he wants “to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.” During a press conference, Willis said arrest warrants have been issued for those charged in the indictment, including Trump, who is running for president again in 2024. “I am giving the defendants the opportunity to voluntarily surrender no later than noon on Friday, the 25th day of August 2023,” said Willis. Christina Harvey, executive director of the advocacy group Stand Up America, said in a statement that “the evidence of Trump’s criminal conduct is overwhelming” and “holding the former president and his co-conspirators accountable is vital to protect our democracy and freedom to vote in future elections.” “At the heart of this indictment are Trump’s concerted efforts to overturn the will of Georgia voters, Trump’s attempts to deliberately spread disinformation, pressure Georgia officials to violate their oaths of office, and unlawfully change the outcome of the election in his favor demonstrate his deep-seated contempt for the law, the American people, and our democracy,” said Harvey.
Washington — Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges stemming from his efforts to remain in power after he lost the 2020 presidential election, adding to the former president’s ongoing legal troubles as he mounts a third bid for the White House. According to the indictment handed up Tuesday by a federal grand jury, Trump faces four charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. Special counsel Jack Smith, in announcing the charges Tuesday, called what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, an “unprecedented assault” on democracy. “It was fueled by lies: Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government — the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” The indictment says of Trump that despite having lost, he “was determined to remain in power.” So, for over two months after the election, Trump “spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won,” the indictment states, and adds, “These claims were false, and the defendant knew they were false,” but “repeated and widely disseminated them anyway.” Six unnamed co-conspirators are alleged by the indictment to have been “enlisted” to assist Trump in “his criminal efforts to overturn” the election “and retain power.” Trump and his co-conspirators allegedly “pushed officials to ignore the popular vote” and “organized fraudulent slates of electors” in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to the indictment. The indictment accuses Trump and his co-conspirators of using “knowingly false claims of election fraud” in organizing the fraudulent slates of electors. Prosecutors allege Trump and his co-conspirators also attempted to use the power of the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” and attempted to enlist then-Vice President Mike Pence to use his ceremonial role in affirming the electoral vote count on Jan. 6 to “fraudulently alter the election results.” The indictment also alleges Trump repeatedly pressured Pence to fraudulently reject or return Mr. Biden’s electoral votes. Trump will be arraigned on Thursday at 4:00 in Federal District Court in Washington, D. C.
Photo:Dr. ML King Jr. Nipsie Russell, Tony Bennett and Harry Belafonte at Selma-to-Montgomery March; Tony Bennett
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Tony Bennett,the legendary singer whose smooth vocals and timeless classics captured the hearts of millions, died at 96 in his hometown of New York. Although renowned for his musical achievements, his tireless work in civil rights advocacy has left an indelible mark on history. Bennett’s journey into activism began early in his life. Drafted into the Army as a teen in 1944 during World War II, he served on the front lines in Europe, witnessing the horrors of war and its devastating impact on human lives. “The first time I saw a dead German, that’s when I became a pacifist,” Bennett revealed in an earlier interview with Howard Stern. “Every war is insane, no matter where it is or what it’s about. Fighting is the lowest form of human behavior. No human being should have to go to war, especially an eighteen-year-old boy.” His time in the military exposed him to the grim reality of racial segregation within the U.S. Armed Forces. After being caught consorting with a Black soldier, Bennett was spat upon by a higher-ranking Army official, who assigned him the unenviable task of digging up the corpses of dead military members. He said the encounter motivated him to speak out for civil rights. In 1965, Bennett took part in the historic 50-mile Selma to Montgomery marches, standing alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to demand equality and justice for all. “The mood was anger,” singer and activist Harry Belafonte said in an interview he and Bennett did in 2013. “The mood was rebellious on the part of the movement, on the part of the civil rights crowd, and the question is: What do we do in the face of this kind of rage and this kind of mayhem? And there was just… the bottom line was that we will go back as often as necessary.”
To rally the crowd during the march, Bennett performed “Just In Time” on a makeshift stage constructed from dozens of empty coffins, a powerful symbol of the lives lost in the struggle for civil rights. “I didn’t want to do it, but then Harry Belafonte told me what went down,” Bennett recalled. “How some blacks were burned, had gasoline thrown on them. When I heard that, I said, ‘I’ll go with you,’” he said. Bennett remained dedicated to championing humanitarian causes and advocating for equality throughout his life. He was an outspoken ally of various social issues, using his platform to bring attention to pressing global challenges, including the plight of refugees. Bennett also refused to perform in South Africa during the Apartheid era, and later received the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees Humanitarian Award for his unwavering commitment to humanitarian work. Additionally, his contributions to civil rights earned him a place of honor as an inductee into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. Beyond his activism, Bennett was a prolific musician with an impressive discography that spanned over 70 albums, earning him 19 performance Grammy awards. His rendition of “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” became a timeless classic, earning him a legion of devoted fans, including fellow artists like Frank Sinatra and Lady Gaga. A Kennedy Center Honoree and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, Bennett is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Johanna and Antonia, sons Danny and Dae. He also had nine grandchildren.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
President Joe Biden signed a proclamation on Tuesday, July 25, establishing a national monument honoring Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black teenager whose tragic lynching in 1955 ignited a nationwide outcry against racial injustice and discrimination. Named the “Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument,” the historic memorial will span three sites in Illinois and Mississippi, symbolizing locations that played a central role in Till’s heartbreaking story. “The new monument will protect places that tell the story of Emmett Till’s too-short life and racially motivated murder, the unjust acquittal of his murderers, and the activism of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who courageously brought the world’s attention to the brutal injustices and racism of the time, catalyzing the civil rights movement,” White House officials explained. The three sites that will be part of the monument are the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where Till’s mother held an open-casket funeral to display her son’s brutalized body; Graball Landing in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, believed to be the location where Till’s body was retrieved from the Tallahatchie River; and the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where Till’s murderers were acquitted. Till’s tragic story unfolded in August 1955 while visiting relatives in Mississippi. Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, two white men, allegedly kidnapped, brutally beat, and lynched him for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The men’s trial, which occurred before an all-white jury, ended in their acquittal, sparking outrage and disbelief nationwide. However, in a later interview with Look Magazine, Bryant and Milam admitted their responsibility for Till’s heinous murder, revealing the justice system’s deeply flawed and biased nature during that era. As Till’s story continued to gain national attention, the brave actions of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, became a driving force behind the Civil Rights Movement. She insisted that her son’s casket remain open during the funeral, allowing the world to witness the brutality of racial violence and the stark realities of America’s rampant racism. Photographs of Till’s battered and mutilated body were published in Jet Magazine, impacting the collective consciousness, and mobilizing people across the nation to fight against racial injustice. Earlier this year, Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman whose false accusation against Till triggered the events leading to his lynching, died at the age of 88. Donham passed away in Westlake, Louisiana, while receiving hospice care, according to a death record from the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office. President Biden’s decision to establish the national monument is seen as crucial to acknowledging and preserving the painful history of racial violence in the United States. By commemorating Emmett Till’s life and the legacy of his courageous mother, the monument will serve as a reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those who fought for civil rights, and it will stand as a beacon of hope and a call to action against ongoing injustices. Administration officials said the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument will symbolize resilience, progress, and the enduring fight for a more equitable society.
African migrants in crowded boat July 17, 2023 (GIN) – A memorandum of understanding was signed this week between the European Union and Tunisia to combat irregular migration that has lead most recently to the deaths of 29 migrants from impoverished or war-torn countries seeking a better life in Europe.
The memorandum calls for a “strategic and comprehensive partnership” that will also boost economic ties between the bloc and the North African country, which lies on a major route for migrants and refugees travelling to Europe.
The document, signed by European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on one side and Tunisian President Kais Saied on the other. It comes as the number of migrants and refugees departing from Tunisia and trying to reach Europe has significantly increased in recent months.
The Tunisian leader described “inhuman migration”, which he blamed on criminal networks.
After a visit last month by the three European leaders, a financial package was approved that includes a 10-million euro ($11 million) program to boost exchanges of students and 65 million euros ($73 million) in EU funding to modernize Tunisian schools.
Both sides also agreed to cooperate on border management. Von der Leyen pledged 100 million euros ($112 million) for those efforts – a figure she had already announced on the leaders’ previous visit.
Meanwhile, as of Friday, the Italian interior ministry counted more than 75,000 migrants who had arrived by boat on the Italian coast since the beginning of the year compared to about 31,900 in the same period last year.
Yasmine Akrimi, a researcher at the Brussels International Center, criticized the memorandum as an attempt at “reshaping African mobility”.
The EU has been trying to achieve this deal for decades, Akrimi said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “Italy wants to consider Tunisia as what they call a safe third country – meaning that everyone who passes through Tunisia can eventually be relocated back to Tunisia.”
Are migrants being used as political pawns? asked the host of the podcast Inside Story . “Kais Saied hoped to clinch a one-billion-dollar EU bailout. And in return, stem the rising migration to Europe.”
Joseph and Helen Fields, organic vegetable farmers in South Carolina
On Friday, July 7, 2023, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the application process for Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides $2.2 billion in financial assistance for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, who have experienced discrimination in USDA’s farm lending programs prior to January 1, 2021. IRA Section 22007 is not a lawsuit. There is no fee to apply or to receive assistance in applying.
According to USDA, “Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by USDA in its farm loan programs prior to January 1, 2021, and/or are currently debtors with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt, that were the subject of USDA discrimination that occurred prior to January 1, 2021, are eligible for this program. To apply, borrowers have the option to apply via the e-filing portal at 22007apply.gov or submit paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to the program’s local offices. The application process will be open from July 7, 2023, to October 31, 2023.”
Eight trusted community-based organizations are serving as cooperators with USDA and third-party administrators to implement this long-awaited financial assistance program and to assist farmers and ranchers who have faced discrimination in prior farm loan processes. Those cooperators are:
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF); including its member state associations, like the Alabama State Association of Cooperatives Rural Coalition (RC) Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP) Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG) National Young Farmers Coalition (Young Farmers) Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) National AgrAbility Project (NAP)
The cooperators will be working together to reach and help farmers and ranchers through direct technical assistance and training sessions. All technical assistance will be free, and there is no charge to file the application.
The payments for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program have not been determined yet. Secretary Vilsack said the payment “cannot fully compensate farmers for past harms but are meant as financial assistance to farmers to help in land retention and to continue farming operations.” There is no minimum payment of $50,000, as there was in prior lawsuits and administrative settlements. The payments will be based on the number of approved applications received and the severity of discrimination experienced and documented by the farmers. A maximum payment of $500,000 was fixed in the legislation that passed Congress.
Eligibility and Documentation are key to the 22007 Application Process
“We want farmers to understand the issues of eligibility,” said John Zippert, retired Director of Programs at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and current Rural Coalition Board Chair. “If you feel you have been discriminated against while seeking a USDA farm loan, or that you were not treated well in the servicing of your loan, you may be eligible. You must show with evidence: copies of letters from USDA loan agencies, USDA receipts for service, land deeds or leases, farm business statements, notarized declarations by neighbors, not family members, that you tried to apply or applied for a USDA Farm Service Agency loan.” The team of cooperating groups stand ready to help you review your eligibility for this process and prepare and present the evidence you will need to make the strongest possible claim.
“This is an acknowledgement by USDA of the injustice that Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color have long suffered,” noted Savi Horne, Director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project. “This process is the best we have right now, and we must make it work for the farmers who have suffered at the hands of the USDA, those whose operations have been hobbled because of a long history of racism and racial exclusion. Our goal is to give them a fighting chance to be the viable producers they are capable of becoming, if given a level playing field.”
“Farmers with disabilities are routinely assumed unable to farm, leading to discrimination at all levels of the farming industry. Loan processes are no exception,” said Bill Field of AgrAbility. “Our mission over the years has been to increase access for disabled farmers to all programs available to farmers. We know that disabled farmers and ranchers have been discriminated against, and we are committed to supporting them in making the best possible case for this financial assistance.”
“For the past 15 years the Farmer Veteran Coalition has served our national membership of 40,000 members in their transition from military service to agricultural production. Our farmers are underserved beginning producers who may be part of socially disadvantaged communities. We are honored to be asked to partner with the USDA in their effort to ensure America’s Veterans impacted by discrimination are aware of this process and will have the opportunity to submit their application for consideration,” says Executive Director of FVC Jeanette Lombardo. “While racial discrimination against Black farmers, indigenous farmers and other farmers of color are the primary issues of focus. Persons who were discriminated against because of sex, gender, religion, national origin, disability, farm size and other factors are eligible to make their case on the forty (40) page detailed application, “said Zippert. The Rural Coalition also urges eligible farmers and ranchers not to fall victim to some lawyers and other groups spreading misleading information about this process, pressuring people to sign retainer agreements that legally bind them to share a portion of any award. Filling out the 22007 application is free, and there is no charge for assistance by the Cooperators listed here. For more information, please read the USDA fact sheet about the program timeline and ways to protect against possible scams., on the Section 22007 website.
Assistance with Applying It is important that the financial assistance application submitted by farmers is properly filled out. The cooperators identified here have been designated and trained to provide farmers with technical assistance in the application process. Neither designated cooperators nor the USDA will make the decision regarding who is awarded financial assistance. The financial assistance will be decided and awarded exclusively by the designated administrators. Borrowers have the option to apply via the e-filing portal at 22007apply.gov or submit paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to the program’s local offices between July 7 to October 31, 2023. Applications will be reviewed in November and December, with payments reaching recipients soon thereafter. The application process is not on a first come, first served, basis. All applications received or postmarked before the October 31 deadline will be considered. Vendors, selected by USDA in a procurement process handled by career staff, are operating four regional hubs and also providing technical assistance and working closely with these and other community-based organizations to conduct outreach using digital and grassroots strategies, to ensure potential applicants are informed about the program and have the opportunity to apply. These hubs are operating a network of brick-and-mortar program offices and will conduct extensive outreach about the program. Windsor Group serves farmers in the eastern regions of the U.S. and Analytic Acquisitions serves the western regions. A national administrator, Midtown Group, is responsible for program oversight and integrity, and will lead a national call-center (1-800-721-0970), operate the application website – 22007apply.gov, which is now open – and review and process applications and payments. All vendors have experience in professional services, supporting government contracts, and complex program operations.
If you believe you may be eligible for IRA Section 22007, please reach out to any of the contacts at the bottom of this press release, for more information and assistance.
Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund: Tandelyn Daniel, tandelyndirectorcommembership@gmail.com or Dañia Davy daniadavy@federation.coop Rural Coalition: Rel Brender, rel@ruralco.org or Lorette Picciano, lpicciano@ruralco.org Intertribal Agriculture Council: Abi Fain, abi@indianag.org Farmers Legal Action Group: Stephen Carpenter, scarpenter@flag.org or Scott Carlson, scarlson@flaginc.org North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project: Savi Horne, savi@landloss.org National Young Farmers Coalition: David Howard, david@youngfarmers.org or Ebonee Stevenson, ebonee@youngfarmers.org Farmer Veteran Coalition: Jeanette Lombardo, Jeanette@farmvetco.org National AgrAbility Project: Bill Field, field@purdue.edu
