WSSN Stories

By BoTefu | California Black Media

In an unexpected alliance, Kamilah Moore, who served as the chair of California’s Reparations Task Force, joined forces with Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli (R-Corona) to advance reparations efforts in the state.

Although Essayli has expressed his opposition to taxpayer-funded reparations, he has introduced a bill to establish the California American Freedmen Agency, which would provide genealogy services to identify Californians who are descendants of enslaved African Americans.

Moore, who chaired California’s historic reparations task force, has endorsed the bill, calling it a crucial step forward.

“I stand in strong support,” said Moore. “As former chairperson, I’m going to support any piece of legislation from any legislator that speaks to the task force’s report.”

The proposal closely mirrors a measure introduced last year by former Democratic State Senator Steven Bradford, Senate Bill(SB) 1403, which did not advance to the floor of the Assembly for a vote during the last legislative session.

Advocates outraged about the bill’s failure blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) for the bill’s failure.

Essayli claims Democratic lawmakers told him Newsom wanted to avoid the issue due to national political concerns. Newsom’s office declined to comment on the claim.

The CLBC has recently proposed a separate initiative that would allocate $6 million for a two-year genealogy study before launching a Bureau for Descendants of American Slaves. However, Moore argues that the task force has already conducted sufficient research and that the focus should now be on implementation.

The state has allocated $12 million in the 2024-25 budget for reparations-related initiatives. Last year, the Legislature issued a formal apology to the descendants of people, which includes a $500,000 memorial plaque.

Essayli emphasized that his bill would not require new funding, as the existing budget could support the Freedmen Affairs Agency.

“I think a lot of people have a misconception that there is an effort to hand out checks to all Black Americans. That’s not true, it’s also not constitutional. So, this bill is very narrow,” said Essayli.

“We are the party that fought to abolish slavery, we were founded to abolish slavery, we fought a civil war. Our first President was Lincoln. This was a natural constituency group for the Republican party,” he said.

Wail! For there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. [Proverbs 14:12].

Man can’t even begin to compare. The essence of God: Sovereign, Almighty, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Infinite, Eternal, and Immortal, to mention only a few. No list of adjectives could ever adequately picture the immenseness of God. Because he is God, no words or thoughts of mortal men and women could ever compass his greatness. He is far bigger than we imagine, His presence fills the universe, He is more powerful than we know, wiser than all the wisdom of the wisest men and women, His love is beyond human understanding, His grace has no limits, His holiness is infinite, and His ways are past finding out. He is the one true God. He has no beginning and no end. He created all things, and all things exist by His divine power. Our best efforts fall so far short of his divine reality that we flatter ourselves to think that we truly understand him at all.

It is against that backdrop that we must consider the meaning of verses such as “The secret things belong to the Lord our God” [Deuteronomy 29:29] and “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts” [Isaiah 55:9].

With such a lack of knowledge that we have about how this world works, why do we ever think that we know better than the Lord? Satan lied to Eve when he tempted her to disobey God. He said, “Ye shall be as Gods.” [Genesis 3:5]. Since that day, man decided that he wanted to be god and that he wanted to create a “New World Order” without God.

As far back as the Tower of Babel, mankind has dreamed of a one-world government. Mankind, commanded by God to diversify over the face of the earth, chose, instead, to remain together in one place, in defiance of their Creator’s desire. Yet, it was not then God’s will that humanity be united in one location under one human government, and He intervened to scatter humanity across the earth by dividing the languages of man [Genesis 11:1-8], but now the globalists are attempting to undo what the Lord did. They want to rebuild a type of Babel.

The nerve of man, thinking they know better than God. Wail!

Unfortunately for us, that time and what seemed so unbelievably futuristic at one point is now becoming a reality ?our cashless society, microchips and digitized tracking systems…all evidence that the stage is setting itself just as it was prophesized in the Book of Revelation. The Mark of the Beast: One World Government, One World Religion, One World Economic. [Revelation 13:16-18].

Today, the United Nations has a World Constitution, a World Currency, a World Income Tax, a World Military Force, a Global Identification Number and what they call a Global Ethic – which is the code for a future World Religion. The coalition has also created the World Bank, the World Health Organizations, the International Criminal Court, and the International Court of Justice.

Not to mention that some world leaders think they are so smart they mask their intentions of uniting in a one-world government by using phrases like Global Management, the Rule of World Law; Collective Sovereignty, the Interdependence of Nations, a Global Village, and Collective Security which is nothing more than catch words for a one-world agenda. I tell you, the nerve of man thinking he knows better than God.

As Elon Musk said at the 2023 World Government Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates remotely via video call.

I know this is called the “World Government Summit,” but I think we should be a little bit concerned about actually becoming too much of a single world government,” Musk said. Musk referenced the fall of Rome, which took place in the 5th century, as an example of civilizational collapse. Musk explained, “While Rome was falling, Islam was rising, so you had a caliphate doing well while Rome was doing terribly. And that ended up being a source of preservation of knowledge and many scientific advancements.”

“So, I think we need to be a little conscious of being too much of a single civilization because if we are too much of a single civilization, then the whole thing may collapse,” he continued. I’m obviously not suggesting war or anything like that. But I think we want to be a little wary of actually cooperating too much,” Musk concluded. “It sounds a little odd, but we want to have some amount of civilizational diversity so that if something does go wrong with some part of civilization then the whole thing doesn’t just collapse and humanity keeps moving forward.”

Musk later quipped on Twitter that the World Government Summit “seemed like the right venue” to spread the message.

“If I may say, we want to avoid creating a civilizational risk by having — frankly, this might sound a little odd — too much cooperation between governments,” the Tesla CEO continued.

Elon Musk is absolutely correct. If man insist on having a one-world government, it will be the final chapter of human history!

Although God has allowed divisions in language, geography, culture, etc., to keep man from uniting as one, the Bible teaches that God will allow evil to form a global government for three and one-half years during the second half of the tribulation for the purpose of God’s global judgment just prior to the second coming of Christ and the establishment of His global rule for 1,000 years upon earth.

We need to pray, “Your Kingdom come” for the defeat of Satan and the powers of evil because the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis under the rule by the Antichrist. [Revelation 20:10].

So, “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” [Mark 4:23].

For the first time in history, every biblical prophecy leading up to the arrival of the New World Order has been fulfilled. What has not been accomplished militarily is being achieved through international trade agreements, illegal immigration, and the influence of a secular media that has become a partner in Satan’s deception. This will be the time of the tribulation. However, their deceptive scheme will not achieve their desired goal, but rather it will bring about more disorder, destruction, and death.

Wail!

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The California Surgeon General’s Office has launched a new questionnaire that they believe will help reduce the state’s maternal mortality rate by 50% by December 2026 as part of its Strong Start and Beyond movement.

The Preconception Medical Assessment or PreMA is comprised of eight yes or no questions that can help potential mothers understand how their current health status and history affect a future pregnancy. The Office plans to provide digital links and physical PDFs of the questionnaire and distribute them among women living in communities designated as “high risk.”

“We know that over 85% of maternal deaths in California can be prevented,” said California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos during an Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) digital press conference.

“Moms don’t have to die. Our sisters, our mothers, the wives, they don’t have to die. We can save their lives by simply alerting people to the fact that their current health could impact the pregnancy and postpartum.”

Question topics include heart health, high blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory issues, drug use and history of surgery.

Once a woman answers the questions, there are general recommendations for care at the bottom of the questionnaire based on the number of ‘yes’ responses they give. Also, at the bottom of the quiz, there are links to resources where people can get information on medical care, housing and other programs providing aid to new mothers.

Additionally, 62% of maternal deaths occur after the baby has been delivered. PreMA can also be effective to monitor health conditions between pregnancies as well to help lower this number.

“There were so many times when I cared for patients and I had to tell them, ‘you’re going to be needing more medical care, or you’re a higher risk pregnancy because of the chronic medical condition that was present before you became pregnant.’ And inevitably, the words that always came out of the people that I cared for was, ‘I wish I would have known. I wish I would have known that there was something that I could have done to improve the outlook for my pregnancy.’”

Black women in the U. S. are more than twice as likely as white women to die due to complications related to maternity and the birthing process, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For Black women in California, the risk of death due to pregnancy complications is four to six times higher than any other ethnic group, according to data from the California Health Care Foundation.

Licensed Doula Ithiopia McKinney is an example of one of those women. McKinney, said at the time of her pregnancy she did not qualify for insurance. According to McKinney, she had to utilize the services of an emergency room. During a visit she found out that there was a bleeding from her placenta caused by high blood pressure.

“If it was something that was caught beforehand, I would have been able to take the necessary steps to fix it with medical care,” said McKinney. “And I would not have had anxiety during my pregnancy. They were even talking about it might be possible that I had to stay in the hospital. I was put on bed rest, but I really couldn’t be on bed rest because I was an immigrant trying to work.”

A Black immigrant, McKinney’s struggles are common for women of color in the United States.

Black women in California experience pregnancy-related maternal mortality rates that are three to four times higher than other women.

“A tool like PreMA would give us the information that we would need before we even think about getting pregnant. Every time you empower a woman, and in terms of their reproductive health, it leads to better outcomes. And so that is one of the reasons why me personally, we started the mobile health planning. No woman would not have that prenatal care that I, unfortunately, had.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — “It is with profound sadness that I share the news of my father’s passing. During this time, my family and I respectfully request privacy as we grieve the loss of our beloved father, grandfather, husband, and extraordinary family patriarch—a man whose strength, wisdom, and love touched so many lives.

Above all, my father was a man of deep faith, and his unwavering belief in God guided every aspect of his life. He instilled in me the importance of faith, integrity, and service, demonstrating what it truly means to lead with purpose and compassion. As both a daughter and a business leader, I am forever grateful for his mentorship, guidance, and the powerful example he set in both family life and professional excellence. He showed me what it meant to lead with integrity, to balance entrepreneurship with parenthood, and to create lasting positive change in our community.

His guiding presence and inspirational spirit will be forever missed. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and care extended to our family from his NBA family, the Louisville community, and beyond.”— Eden Bridgeman, EBONY CEO

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media 

As California continues to face a severe housing crisis, only 17 % of households can afford to purchase the median-priced single-family home, which is less than half the national average, according to a report by the California Association of Realtors.

Two state legislators, champions of affordable housing, would like that number to increase as Californians experience even higher costs of living post-pandemic.

On Feb. 18, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 736 and Senate Bill (SB) 417, legislation that would place a bond measure on the June 2026 California primary ballot to provide $10 billion to the state’s affordable housing programs.

“All of our communities need it. That’s the reality,” Wicks told California Black Media (CBM) about the state’s need for housing that costs no more than 30% of a household’s gross income. “You see demand in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Everywhere across the state has been hit hard by the housing crisis but a majority of these funds will go to multifamily housing.”

The two bond proposals share the same name, the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026. If the measures pass out of the Assembly and Senate — and voters approve the ballot proposal — they will provide 35,000 affordable homes and rental housing units while assisting 13,000 extremely low-income and homeless families, Wicks said.

In addition, bond funds would be set aside for farmworkers and tribal housing. They would also preserve and rehabilitate tens of thousands of homes and provide supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.

“Affordable housing providers have made steady progress toward building more of the housing lower-income Californians need, but there is much more work to do,” Cabaldon stated. “The housing crisis has only been exacerbated in areas impacted by wildfires — disasters that have destroyed homes, tightened rental markets and made it even harder for every community across the state to access the workers, materials, and funding needed to build affordable housing. One of the most important ways California can respond is through a substantial new housing bond.”

Wicks said that 65% of low-income renters in the state are rent-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income toward housing, which leaves them with meager resources for necessities such as food, transportation, educational supplies, and health care.

Wicks and Calbadon’s office shared that the reason for California’s housing crisis is the critical gap between housing supply and demand. According to the Statewide Housing Plan, prices in the state continue to climb. In August 2021, the statewide median sales price of a single-family home landed a new record — $827,940.

The Statewide Housing Plan estimates that California needs approximately 300,000 new housing units annually, including 125,000 affordable units for lower-income households. From 2014 to 2023, the state has produced approximately 13,000 affordable units per year.

“We’re 3.5 million homes shy of where we need to be as a state,” Wicks shared with CBM. “And we need about 1 million affordable units.”

Lack of homeownership has hit Black Californians hard in the last several years, according to various reports. Data from 2019 revealed that 41% of Black families in California owned their homes compared to 68% of White families, according to the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), a 1.5% dip from 1960.

Established in 1975, CalHFA supports the needs of low-and moderate-income renters and homebuyers by providing financing and programs that lead to equity. It is a self-sustained state agency that doesn’t rely on taxpayers’ funding but regularly manages an assortment of state and federal resources on behalf of California.

Since CalHFA’s report was released six years ago, Black homeownership in California has declined much further. According to a Jan. 8, 2025 report by the Othering and Belonging Institute(OBI), minority groups, specifically Black households, have faced lower homeownership rates compared to the state level, highlighting disturbing disparities.

The OBI at the University of California at Berkeley convenes researchers, organizers, stakeholders, communicators, and policymakers to identify and eradicate obstacles to creating an inclusive society.

All racial groups, OBI reported, saw homeownership rates increase, except for Black households, compared to 50 years ago.

Black people residing in California began to dwindle by 2020, but also the percentage of those who own a house dropped from 40% to 35%, OBI presented. The Black community consisted of 5.7% (2,237,044) of California’s total population in 2020, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

“The drop in the homeownership rate of Black households results in what housing advocates and economists call a ‘racial homeownership gap’ between the share of White households that own homes and the share of Black households that own homes,” OBI’s report stated.

Wicks said the state has previously used similar voter-approved bonds to fund the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing to help increase homeownership across the state.

California’s last housing bond, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2018 authorized $3 billion for various affordable housing programs. These funds were fully allocated by the end of 2024.

AB 736 and SB 417 have the support of members throughout the Legislature, Wicks said. As of Feb. 28, 32 lawmakers signed on as co-authors, which Wicks says, “Is a really good start.”

The two bills should move through the Assembly and Senate concurrently this year to ensure members of both houses have an opportunity to shape final bond proposals. Wicks is adamant that the state leaders will understand “loud and clear” the value and seriousness of the bills.

“We have an audience of three — the speaker (Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas), pro temp (Senate president pro tem Mike McGuire), and Gov. Gavin Newsom,” Wicks said. “I am confident we can get the votes on the bills but how these bonds come together is we build with the grassroots movement within the legislature to pressure our leadership. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

By Jasmyne Cannick

To all of the Black journalists who were too dark, wore their hair too nappy or were too plus-size to get hired for television news — we see you.

To all the Black journalists who didn’t have the luxury of J-school — or college at all — who never got that big media break and have been dismissed by those who did — I see you. Your work is just as real, just as necessary, and just as powerful.

To my Black journalists out here doing the work without the backing of a major media machine — watching others get the paycheck, take the credit, collect the awards, and bask in the spotlight, all because you passed along a tip, knowing the story mattered more than your byline — thank you. You deserved better. You still do.

To all my Black journalists who had to pivot to PR or comms because news media wouldn’t hire you — and because, shocker, you actually needed to make a living — while still knowing how to string a sentence together without relying on ChatGPT? We see you. And we know who really has the range.

To the Black journalists who are made to feel like they’re not “real” journalists because they’re not working full-time in a newsroom — miss me with that nonsense. Journalism isn’t just about who signs your checks or what fancy title is on your LinkedIn. It’s about the work. The reporting. The storytelling. The impact.

Whether you’re freelancing, juggling gigs, running your own platform, or working in another industry while still doing the work, you are still a journalist. Your voice still matters. Your stories still shape narratives. And let’s be real — half of these so-called “real” journalists are just repackaging work that independent Black journalists broke first. So keep doing what you do. The industry may not always recognize you, but the people do.

To all the Black journalists who got tired of waiting for a seat at the table and decided to build their own — who launched platforms, built loyal followings, and proved that you don’t need a major outlet’s stamp of approval to tell the stories that matter — this is for you. You refused to be silenced, overlooked, or forced to play by rules that were never meant for you in the first place. You made your own lane, and whether they acknowledge it or not, the industry is watching — and taking notes.

To all the Black journalists who weren’t “corporate news” enough to get hired by a major outlet but somehow stay on speed dial for their reporters, editors, and producers — because they need your contacts, your story ideas, your relationships to make their jobs (and their careers) easier — yeah, I’d say we see you, but let’s be real, we don’t. You do the work, they take the credit. Just know this — I know exactly how that game goes. Personal experience is a hell of a teacher.

To all the Black journalists who put everything on the line to stand on truth, to tell the stories that make people uncomfortable, to challenge power even when it comes at a cost — you are the backbone of this industry, whether they acknowledge it or not.

You don’t just report the news — you expose what they’d rather keep hidden. You ask the questions they’re too afraid to ask. You amplify voices they’d rather silence. And in a world where truth is constantly under attack, your work isn’t just important — it’s essential.

They’ll call you biased, difficult, radical — anything to discredit you — because they know the power of your words, your reporting, your storytelling. But keep pushing. Keep writing. Keep telling the stories that matter. Because history won’t remember the ones who played it safe. It will remember the ones who told the truth, no matter the cost.

And finally, a thank you to the Black, non-corporate-owned media — the ones who know what it’s like to be dismissed, overlooked, and underestimated — who saw us, valued us, and gave us space when mainstream outlets wouldn’t. You’ve been holding it down, telling our stories our way, long before it was trendy. We see you. We appreciate you. And we owe you.

Among her many hats she proudly wears, Jasmyne Cannick is an award-winning journalist. Find her at iamjasmyne.com.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

It is taking so long to acquire licenses for concealed carry guns in California that some Black and Latino state residents are beginning to suspect the delays are rooted in racial bias or political foot-dragging.

The average wait time for a concealed carry gun license in California can be up to six months or more. This is a significantly longer wait compared to other states that may process licenses within timeframes that span a week to a few months.

Julio Amayo, who works for Los Angeles County training canines, recently applied for a license and was told there would be a 16-to-20 month wait just for the initial interview to see if he qualifies for the license.

“It’s a protection thing. I grew up in South Central Los Angeles back in the ‘90s. It was not uncommon to just go to sleep with gunfire, nightly, or have a helicopter circle your house if something was going on in the neighborhood,” Amayo said. “It’s just a safety thing for me. If these people are walking around with guns and are able to use them for whatever reason, I should be legally able to carry it to protect myself and my family.”

Amayo is not alone.

Black Californians who spoke with California Black Media (CBM) pointed out that some of California’s gun laws are rooted in racism and a fear of Black residents owning firearms. It is well documented that the Mulford Act, grew out of reactions to the Black Panthers in Oakland openly carrying firearms during the 1960s. They are hoping that some of those historical racial biases do not still exist in state policymaking.

They also point out that California’s Democratic state leadership strongly supports restrictions on gun ownership. Therefore, they say, there may not be any incentives built into the state’s bureaucracy to speed up the processing of gun permits.

The California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) and The California Department of Justice (DOJ) are the two agencies in the state that process gun permits. The BSIS has noted that there are a number of reasons for delays, including incomplete or inaccurate applications, federal processing delays, and incorrect fees, among others.

California Black Media reached out to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to inquire about average wait times but, as of press time, the department had not responded.

In 2022, there was a surge in new gun applications after a Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision  determined that New York State’s requirement to demonstrate ‘proper cause’ before obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon in most public places was unconstitutional. That decision overturned similar, long-standing gun control laws in California.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta both expressed their disappointment with the Court’s decision, prompting counter measures by the state that critics say may be prolonging the permit issuing process.

“The fact is, individuals who are not law-abiding, responsible citizens simply shouldn’t possess firearms — and they especially shouldn’t be allowed to carry a concealed weapon in public,” said Bonta in a release following the SCOTUS’s decision. “When a gun is placed in the wrong hands, it is deadly. The Second Amendment is not a regulatory straitjacket. We must protect our communities.”

Newsom said gun control laws in California are working.

“Only in America do we see the kind of carnage and chaos of gun violence that destroys our communities and our sense of safety and belonging,” said Newsom. “America is number 1 in gun ownership, and we far surpass every developed nation on Earth in gun deaths – it’s not complicated. In California, we’ve passed common sense gun safety laws and they work: we have a 37% lower gun death rate than the national average.”

After the SCOTUS decision, Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) replaced California’s ‘good cause’ gun control requirements by expanding where concealed firearms are prohibited. It also increased minimum training from 8 to 16+ hours and requires applicants to have ‘good moral character’, which critics say is a vague prerequisite that is subject to the discretion of authorities.

“When there are critical delays accessing a constitutional right, especially around the right to defend oneself and family, you do have to wonder about the impact it’s having on underserved communities and populations,” said gun owner Micah Grant.

“What we definitely don’t want is a system where only the connected and elite can have added assurances and those without are left only to hope,” continued Grant, who is also chair of the board of trustees of CBM.

Craig DeLuz, owner of 2A News and a gun enthusiast for over 10 years, believes that delays in gun processing are having a critical impact on Black and other minority families, considering police response times in certain disadvantaged areas where Black communities are disproportionately located.

“I need to be my own first line of defense. You’re seeing that more and more. You’re seeing even people who weren’t averse to firearms being more proactive in engaging in buying firearms and getting firearms training because they are recognizing the need for self-defense,” said DeLuz.

By Lou K. Coleman | WSS News Contributor

You know there is a God. You know there is Satan. You know there is Heaven, and you know there is Hell, but yet instill you continue as usual. Make sense out of it!

We are living in the end-times! You can see the chaos that is virtually enveloping this world. You can feel the upheaval that is coming upon this world, but yet instill you continue as usual. Make sense out of it!

Because the world, as we know it, is coming to an end; it is even at the door. [Matthew 24:23]. Even Hollywood knows this. They have been sounding the siren, “Nee-naw, Nee-naw” about the end of the world for years. Every movie they make relates to End Times. They’re not just making movies, they’re showing you the future before it happens.

Hollywood isn’t just entertainment, it’s a weapon. Predictive programming is the way they prepare the masses for what’s coming. They hide the truth in plain sight so when it happens, you’re already desensitized. Think about it, 9/11 dozens of TV shows predicted it years before. The X-Files’ Spinoff, Predicted 9/11 Six Months Before Tragedy. The Pandemic? Countless films like Contagious and Outbreak showed the exact scenario long before 2020. Even the Al takeover: 2001: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951); A Space Odyssey (1968); Blade Runner (1982); Wargames (1983); The Terminator (1984); Robocop (1987); Judgment Day (1991]; The Matrix (1999); Bicentennial Man (1999); A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001); I, Robot (2004); Tron: Legacy (2010); Ex Machina (2014); Morgan (2016).

Not to mention Battleship, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Interstellar, Reign of Fire, War of the Worlds, Jerusalem Countdown, Left Behind, A Thief in The Night, The Beginning of the End, The Moment After, Image of the Beast, New World Order, The Mark, The Black Rider, The Rapture, The Prodigal, The Awakening; The Second Coming of Christ. The Omega Code.

I could go on and on, but the point is that these movies offers an intense look at the far-reaching consequences of biblical prophecy. But yet instead, you continue as usual. Make sense out of it! Wake your behind up!

People scoff at the idea that there will be an end to the world. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, they’ll mock, “So what’s happened to the promise of Jesus Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything’s going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing’s changed.” [2 Peter 3:4].

But Peter says: Guess what? There’s a very good reason the end of the world hasn’t happened yet, and it’s not the reason you think. Get a clue, people! Just because the Lord hasn’t come back yet, don’t think for a minute that He won’t! The Lord isn’t being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. [2 Peter 3:9]. So don’t get it twisted, this world, in all its fleeting glory, will come to an end. And make no mistake, that end is near. The Lord Himself has warned us, “The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” [Matthew 24:44]. You can ignore it, or even wish it away, but the day is coming. God destroyed the world once, and He will do it again. [Isaiah 24:1].

History repeats itself. The Old Testament tells a sad but true story about people who no longer loved God, and who had made up their minds that they would not obey Him anymore. The story begins in [Genesis 6:5], where the writer, Moses, said: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. People were sinning against God more and more. Finally, God had had enough and announced that He was going to destroy the entire world! The Bible says: “And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So, the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air”. [Genesis 6:7-13]. Don’t get it twisted! Destruction is inevitable.

The Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; He will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants. It will be the same for priest as for people, for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her servant, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. [Isaiah 24:1-3].

The Lord has spoken this word. Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming. I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will not look on you with pity or spare you. The day is here! It has come! [Ezekiel 7:3-10].

Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth. [Jeremiah 25:31-33; Luke12:54-56; Matthew 24:3-8; Luke 21:10-26].

Even so, they continue as usual.

I set watchmen over you, saying; Listen to the sound of the trumpet! But they said, “We will not listen.” [Jeremiah 6:17].

Therefore, thus says the Lord; Behold, I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord. [Jeremiah 28:16].

Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming; indeed, it is near. [Joel 2:1].

Tekiah! ??Shevarim! ?? Teruah! ??Tekiah Gedolah!

Hell awaits you!

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

On February 21, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass relieved L.A. Fire Department (LAFD) chief Kristin Crowley of her duties in the wake of fallout over how recent deadly firestorms in the city were handled.

Bass announced she appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year LAFD veteran as Interim Fire Chief.

“Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief,” Mayor Bass said in a release. “We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch.

LAFD officer, Captain Robert Hawkins, is alleging that Crowley purposefully mismanaged the department to bring attention to a 17 million deficit and budget as part of a strategy to get more money for the fire department.

“On October 24th, I met with Fire Chief Kristen Crowley about removing recruitment officers and its impact on Black firefighter representation,” Hawkins told California Black Media (CBM). “She told me that she was refusing to maintain staffing and had planned to cut fire engines over a 17-million-dollar deficit, and she asked the stakeholders if we can contact our retirees to fill temporary recruitment roles, stating to us that sometimes you need to ‘let bad things happen’ to get the attention of the city council for our budget.”

After receiving this information, Hawkins requested a meeting with the deputy mayor, Brian Williams, on December 2.

“I met with him to express serious concerns about the leadership of the Los Angeles Fire Department. I told him I do not believe the fire chief has the mayor’s best interests at heart, nor do I believe she is managing the department appropriately,” Hawkins alleged. “I warned him to warn the mayor in the event of a major emergency with casualties or any type of major destruction, I fear that she would fail to protect the city and ultimately shift blame to the mayor and throw her under the bus.”

In addition to understaffing the department, Bass said Crowley refused to complete an after-action report on the fires as instructed by the President of the Fire Commission, a necessary step to the investigation.

“The heroism of our firefighters – during the Palisades fire and every single day – is without question. Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what our city needs,” said Bass.

During her time as LAFD chief, Crowley had been outspoken over her disapproval of funding allocated to the LAFD, citing it affected its ability to adequately respond to the recent fires.

After her dismissal, Crowley released a statement.

 “As the Fire Chief, I based my actions and decisions on taking care of our firefighters so that they could take care of our communities. Serving others before self, having the courage and integrity to do what is right, and leading with compassion, love and respect have guided me throughout my career,” Crowley stated. “I am extremely proud of the work, sacrifice and dedication of our LAFD members, both sworn and civilian.”

Crowley, who appealed her dismissal on Feb. 27, still serves on the LAFD.

Hawkins said shortly after he shared his concerns with Williams, the deputy mayor was accused of a making a bomb threat to city hall and relieved of his post.

“My concern is our firefighter’s union — if they have a background agenda and when that background agenda started. I know that the union approached me less than two years ago to start the process with a vote of no confidence to remove Kristin Crowley,” said Hawkins. “Then, recently, before the Palisades fire I found it interesting to see their overwhelming support for the Fire Chief.”

CBM reached out to former Chief Crowley for comment, but she did not respond.

Metropolitan A.M.E. Smart Surfaces Program Director Rev. Jon Robinson and AURN’s Ebony McMorris discuss the impact of Trump’s executive orders on the environment, particularly as it relates to marginalized communities across the country.

More on Metropolitan A.M.E. at metropolitaname.org

More on the Smart Surfaces Coalition at smartsurfacescoalition.org