Local City Measure
NO on Measure S in San Bernardino, would not raise taxes so the Mayor can pay for sexual harassment lawsuits and give tax dollars to employees who work for the city but do not live in the city. Currently, only 10% of the employees working for the city are Black and only 5% are working in the police department. Only 8% of the sworn police officers live in the city and the city has never hired a Black as chief of police in 115 years. Blacks makeup 13.8% of the city population and pay taxes.

PROPOSITIONS
NO on Prop 14 taxpayers will be on the hook for $5.5 billion in bonds aimed at reviving the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), a program created in 2004 to boost stem cell research.

NO on Prop 15 would leave California’s Prop13 tax rules intact which is a benefit to older Black homeowners.

YES on Prop 16 would be a giant step to help undo the results of long-standing institutionalized race and gender discrimination that have been key to economic and social inequality. This would put California back in step with Federal Laws governing Equal Opportunity in Employment and Access into Educational Institution of Higher Learning.

YES on Prop 17 would make it legal for people to vote while on parole for a felony conviction.

YES on Prop 18 would make it legal for people who will turn 18 in time for the general election to vote, even while still 17, in that year’s primary.

NO on Prop 19 currently, a parent or grandparent can bestow their low tax rate while passing on a rental home or vacation property. That feature would be eliminated under Prop. 19.

NO on Prop 20 is being bankrolled by the state’s prison guards union and they are trying to keep the prisons full to protect their jobs. Plus it will be unjust to Blacks and Hispanic people by adding stiffer penalties for those who violate the terms of their parole three times and require DNA samples be taken from people convicted of misdemeanors.

NO on Prop 21 some say it could make a dent in homelessness a problem that is a crisis in our community. However, rent control does not work, as some have found out.

YES on Prop 22 is about Independent thinking people who use their cars and cell phones to work when they want to depending on their personal life situation. A yes vote also will provide new benefits such as healthcare and minimum wages. Plus we have a lot of Black people who love working for themselves.

NO on Prop 23 would mean at least one physician would have to be on-site at an operating dialysis clinic and add more expense to those who need the service.

NO on Prop 24 would expand and add to California’s two-year-old law on consumer data privacy and create another layer to an already confusing system.

NO on Prop 25 is a risk assessment system that would replace cash bail and is biased because it uses a computer program that is inflexible to human special needs in this special time of need. Plus it will put Black-owned Bail Bond people out of business.

Protests have erupted in U.S. cities and towns against high-profile police killings and shootings of Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. and Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. President Donald Trump has elevated the civil unrest as a major election issue, describing the protesters as “left-wing mobs” and positioning himself as the candidate most qualified to uphold “law and order” and preserve what he called the “suburban lifestyle dream.” He says his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, would build more affordable housing in suburban communities, which he claims will lead to an increase in crime. Meanwhile, Biden says the president himself is “recklessly encouraging violence” and that “for years he’s fomented it.”

USC experts offer their expertise on how the protests will shape this election year, while decoding the president’s racially-charged language about the suburbs.

Can the candidates capitalize on this moment?

“Black Lives Matter protests shifted public opinion on systemic racism and sparked calls to defund police departments, but it’s still unclear whether the racial unrest roiling the streets of America will help or hurt the presidential candidates for both parties. 

“Whether the candidates at the top of the ticket for Democrats, both of whom been staunch supporters of law enforcement, can capitalize on the movement’s energy may depend on whether they can convince voters that they’ve seen the light and now recognize the need for real criminal justice reform.

“Whether those at the top of the Republican ticket can capitalize on this political moment depends on whether they can frame the protests as proof of the need for ‘law and order’ approaches to social problems and can galvanize their base through appeals to ethno-nationalism and white identity politics.”

Jody David Armour is the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at the USC Gould School of Law. He studies the intersection of race and legal decision making and is the author of the recently published book N*gga Theory: Race, Language, Unequal Justice, and the Law.

Contact: jarmour@law.usc.edu

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Who is responding to the president’s rhetoric?

“Phrasing like, ‘America first,’ ‘thugs,’ ‘suburban housewives’ and most directly the ‘fine people on both sides’ remark are thinly veiled messages to a largely white demographic.

“The combination of political speech and militias that encourages extremist views, along with fear of progressive change, have all contributed to an us-versus-them narrative that today has centered around the rule of law, and in particular, police reform and public condemnation of systemic racism and abuse of authority.”

Erroll Southers is the director of the Safe Communities Institute‘s Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies program and a professor of the practice of National and Homeland Security at the USC Price School of Public Policy. He is a former FBI special agent and was deputy director of homeland security under California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Southers recently wrote about the need for a national registry of police misconduct.

Contact: southers@price.usc.edu

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Is the Trump Administration reversing on housing policy?

“As recently as last year, the Trump administration was fighting on behalf of affordable housing in the suburbs. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson railed against the ‘not in my backyard’ mentality that stands in the way of high-density, multi-family affordable housing. The executive order Trump signed last year cited with approval an Obama rule that compelled local governments to take affirmative steps towards affordable housing.

“Now, Trump has suddenly reversed course in the run-up to the election to pander to white, single-family homeowners in the suburbs. This isn’t dog-whistle politics, coded in order to avoid being labeled racist. No, it’s an open call of ‘Here, bigot bigot’ aimed at mobilizing white racial fears of mixed-income and multi-racial neighborhoods.”

Daria Roithmayr is the Richard L. and Antoinette S. Kirtland Professor of Law at the USC Gould School of Law. She teaches and writes about persistent structural racism in labor, housing, political participation, wealth and education and is the author of Reproducing Racism: How Everyday Choices Lock in White Advantage.

Contact: droithmayr@law.usc.edu

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Who actually lives in the suburbs?

“Trump is using outdated and segregated ‘suburban’/‘urban’ distinctions to capitalize on fear and racial panic to motivate voters at the ballot box.

“His inflammatory rhetoric about suburban degradation and ‘law and order’ plays upon a well-known historical narrative of ‘white flight’ that reinforces a segregated imaginary scenario placing the purportedly white suburbs, in opposition to Black and brown cities.

“In doing so, he ignores the demographic developments and transformations in U.S. cities and suburbs over the last 30-plus years, failing to account for how the suburbs, in some instances, have actually become important, thriving enclaves for immigrants and people of color. This is especially true since ‘urban revitalization’ and gentrification began to displace and relocate communities of color into the suburbs, most notably in the American West, in the 1990s.”

Karen Tongson is the chair of gender and sexuality studies and professor of English, American studies and ethnicity at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Her research interests include queer and gender studies, minority discourse, popular culture and suburban studies. She is the author of Relocations: Queer Suburban Imaginaries and Why Karen Carpenter Matters.

Contact: tongson@usc.edu

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What do the polls tell us about white suburban voters?

“In 2016, suburban voters gave Trump the presidency. In 2018, they were the lever that gave Democrats back the House of Representatives. According to the Dornsife Daybreak Poll, the support of white people in the suburbs for Trump and Biden is now tied, and I think that’s why Republicans are talking about how the suburbs are going to be invaded and destroyed.

“I think that’s very significant but add to that that, for example, Biden is gaining among rural voters over Hillary Clinton’s performance with that group. In every single geographic area, Biden has gained support.

“Obviously it’s still early and we don’t know the full impact and future course of the ongoing racial strife and the two nominees’ reactions to it, but one thing is clear: Trump starts the fall campaign in a weaker position than any incumbent since George H. W. Bush.”

Robert Shrum is the director of the Center for the Political Future at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and a former political strategist and consultant.

Contact: shrum@usc.edu or (202) 338-1812

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA— With the support and recognition of, Fighting 4 the Tatas Breast Inc., California Senator Connie Leyva and Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes recently approved the Resolutions SCR-97 and ACH-94 declaring October 3 as Inflammatory Breast Cancer Awareness Day in the State of California. The day encourages all Californians to learn about this rare and aggressive type of breast cancer and to support all people who are impacted.

Fighting 4 the Tatas Breast Cancer Inc. is an organization educating and advocating on behalf of Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), Triple negative (IBC) and Metastatic patients. It was founded in 2011 by IBC fighter Joshlyn Earls.

The impact of the Resolutions passing is monumental for this quick spreading disease, which affects both women and men. It is often diagnosed in women of younger ages and is often dismissed by doctors because they are too young to have breast cancer, not IBC.

As of October 2020, Fighting 4 the Tatas Breast Cancer Inc., remains the only 501C3 in the state educating, advocating, and promoting on behalf of this lethal form of sub-breast cancer.

This fast growing, incredibly aggressive breast cancer gives the breast a swollen, inflamed appearance, (hence the name inflammatory) and appears as an infection. If you are diagnosed with it, you’re automatically at stage 3b or higher. This breast cancer, unlike other breast cancers, does not feel like a lump. It is hard to detect on mammograms, so many doctors don’t catch it until it’s too late.

According to Dr. Massiom Cristofanilli of Northwestern University, there are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 new cases of IBC diagnosed annually. This is the very reason why Fighting 4 the Tatas Breast Cancer Inc., has chosen to be a symbol of strength for not only Black women and men in the Inland Empire, but for everyone fighting this deadly disease that often leads to a lonely journey while undergoing treatment.

Aside from Fighting 4 the Tatas essential services to patients, its advocacy and fundraising, the Black-led organization is monumental not only to the greater community, but to Black women and women of color as a whole; especially due to the implicit bias’ Blacks face in healthcare.

“As a Black woman undergoing treatment for IBC, it was a little degrading due to the lack of information and lack of my Doctors willingness to answer my questions,” Earls said.

She continues, “My experience consisted of not being given the same healthcare opportunities of my white counterparts. When it came to certain tests that my counterparts received, such as the MUGA Test (multi-gated blood-pool imaging), it was not given to me, but was given to them! I found out after my chemo.”

Earls found out from an associate that she should have been provided the MUGA test, which is given to determine whether or not a patient’s body can tolerate the chemo. After the fact, when she went to the doctors, she asked, “Well, do you want a MUGA test?” Joshlyn agreed and found out that she had an enlarged heart. Luckily, she lived.

Although COVID-19 has presented unprecedented times, Fighting 4 the Tatas Breast Cancer, Inc. remains resilient ahead of its Bling for the Tatas fundraising event on its Facebook Live which will be on Saturday, October 3 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can follow them on Facebook here.

During the event, community members can assist the organization in raising funds to continue offering IBC, TTN and Metastatic patients counseling services, advocacy on behalf of the patients, educational classes, health and beauty items, emergency utility funding and more.

“When I was diagnosed in 2011 with Inflammatory Breast Cancer, I was given two and a half years to live…it’s such a lonely journey because no one understands,” Earl explains.

She continues, “I remember at one point placing an ad in a number of newspapers just to connect to another person who has undergone treatment for IBC. It’s so important for our organization to raise funds for this disease because our support services provide a space for patients to connect, understand, and receive accurate information regarding this deadly disease.”

For more information or to donate, visit www.fighting4thetatas.org.

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About Fighting 4 the Tatas, INC.

Fighting 4 The Tatas is a grassroots, nonprofit 501C3 organization. The organization consists of cancer survivors, family members and supporters; it understands and address the difficulties that newly diagnosed patients encounter as they struggle with their treatment. Fighting 4 the Tatas Breast Cancer Inc., was founded in 2011 during the personal journey of founder Joshlyn Earls. Her journey began with a visit to a chiropractor as a new patient. A digital scan was performed where its image caused concern to the chiropractor. He called Earls to inform her that she needed to see an internist immediately. After two different mammograms, ultrasound, and a needle biopsy, she was diagnosed with High Grade Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma (Clinical diagnosis inflammatory breast cancer).

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media  

When Dr. Andrea Goings launched her mobile medical service, offering at-home doctor visits and virtual consultation sessions via video in 2016 in the Los Angeles area, she did not know that just four years later her business model would be more the norm than not.  

Goings, an African American pediatrician, launched her service in West Lake Village, a city about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles near the Ventura County line. She made house calls to patient homes across the metropolitan area.  

“Technology has changed the way we approach and experience so many aspects of our lives, so I thought at the time, why not apply it to the work I do,” said Goings, who has been able to provide care to patients in various parts of the country while  she is temporarily in Ohio caring for her mom as she recovers from a surgery.  

“Being able to save busy parents from long waits in the emergency room or long drives to doctor appointments or giving them around-the-clock access to medical advice from the comfort of their home are all reasons clients have appreciated BabyDocHouseCalls.com over the years. Now, there is an added safety component that makes the service convenient, even necessary, for so many.” 

Goings said because her businesses gave her a head start. Therefore, pivoting to respond to the constraints COVID-19 safety measures have imposed on clinical care, has been easy for her.   

“Telehealth is a really good option for young adults who have returned to college campuses and dorms,” she says.  

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) says remote consultations like the kind Goings’s provides should be not be technically regarded as a distinct service, but an “allowable mechanism” through which medical practitioners can provide clinical services.  

“The standard of care is the same whether the patient is seen in-person, by telephone, or through telehealth. As a result, DHCS has strongly encouraged all counties to work with providers to maximize the number of services that can be provided by telephone and telehealth, to minimize community spread of COVID-19,” said Ivan Bhardwaj, Section Chief, Community Services Division at the DHCS.  

The DHCS has requested that all medical care providers adhere to all federal, state, and local guidelines.  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights says it will use “enforcement discretion” and it will not impose penalties for non-compliance with all aspects of the HIPAA rules when healthcare providers use telehealth in “good faith” during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The DCHS has also relaxed some its rules to accommodate telehealth, expanding platforms allowed to include popular video services such as Apple’s FaceTime, Facebook’s Messenger video chat, Google’s Hangouts and Skype. 

“So far it’s been great. No problems. We’ve been able to keep all of our doctor appointments and do it safely” said Joe Bowers, a Ladera Heights resident in Los Angeles County who is retired and writes a column on education for California Black Media. Bowers says, “My wife, Margaret and I appreciate the convenience of visiting with our doctors — from the comfort of our home.”  

For some critical mental health services that are vital to some of the most vulnerable Californians during the pandemic, like Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for those struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD), DHCS has increased its support.  

“The Department of Health Care Services, in partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation (The Center), is funding 21 sites to provide telehealth substance use disorder and mental health services for individuals in counties that have been impacted by COVID-19, or in the case of providers, who have experienced trauma as a result of treating individuals with the coronavirus,” said Bhardwaj.  

“DHCS and The Center additionally launched the Behavioral Health Telehealth funding opportunity in 2020 for non-profit behavioral health providers to receive up to $50,000 each for telehealth infrastructure beginning September 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021,” he added. “Providers applied for telehealth equipment, including laptops, desktops, monitors, electronic health record software licenses, internet subscriptions, cell phones for providers, and telehealth training. Providers that were awarded through this opportunity will receive funding in Fall 2020.”  

DHCS is also providing Personal Protective Equipment so that facilities that provide in-person mental health services and MAT sessions can continue to do so without interruption. 

California’s public awareness campaign titled “Choose Change California”?provides information on opioid use disorder and a list of centers across the state where people misusing opioids or other substances can go for treatment and community-based wraparound services.?The campaign is a collaboration operated by Sacramento- and Fresno-based The Center at Sierra Health Foundation and funded?through?the California Department of Public Health?MAT Expansion Project.? 

DHCS’ efforts have resulted in helping some medical institutions to survive the pandemic and move closer to their pre-COVID levels of clinical care by transitioning to telehealth services, but they have come with some challenges. For example, the DHCS says some providers do not have enough funding to fully invest in telehealth infrastructure. On the flip side, some patients cannot afford or do not have sufficient broadband services and the required equipment to receive services through telehealth. Other patients, depending on their living situations, do not have adequate privacy to engage in telehealth sessions. 

Goings pointed out that there are some obvious limitations to telehealth, too. With some conditions involving trauma or physical injury or pain, there is no way around seeing the patient in-person, she said.   

“Now, that school has started, it’s difficult because you don’t know if someone has the flu or COVID,” she says.  “I can’t give a clearance note, until you’ve been seen, tested and quarantined, if necessary,” she says.   

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized 36 California schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2020. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

“Congratulations to this year’s National Blue-Ribbon School awardees,” said Secretary DeVos. “It’s a privilege to recognize the extraordinary work you do to meet students’ needs and prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives.”

The coveted National Blue-Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 38th year, the National Blue-Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed almost 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools, with some schools winning multiple awards. Schools are eligible for nomination after five years. 

The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student subgroup scores, and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High Performing Schools – These are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by The Council for American Private Education (CAPE).

The 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony will be held virtually Nov. 12 and 13. While we regret not having the opportunity to celebrate in person, given the current situation regarding COVID-19, we will celebrate the 317 public and 50 non-public school honorees in the ways that we are able, and they will each receive their plaques and flags via mail.

Photographs and brief descriptions of all 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at https://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.

The following California schools were recognized:

City, School Name, District San Diego, Adobe Bluffs Elementary School, Poway Unified School District
Los Angeles, Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High School, Alliance for College Ready Public School District
Alameda, Amelia Earhart School, Alameda Unified School District
Alta Loma, Carleton P. Lightfoot Elementary School, Etiwanda School District
Long Beach, Charles Kettering Elementary School, Long Beach Unified School District
Rancho Cucamonga, Coyote Canyon Elementary School, Central Elementary School District
Fountain Valley, Ethan B. Allen Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District
Belmont, Fox Elementary School, Belmont-Redwood Shores School District
Danville, Green Valley Elementary School, San Ramon Valley U.S.D.
San Ramon, Hidden Hills Elementary School, San Ramon Valley U.S.D.
Bermuda Dunes, James Monroe Elementary School, Desert Sands Unified School District
San Marino, K. L. Carver Elementary School, San Marino Unified School District
Fullerton, Laguna Road Elementary School, Fullerton Elementary School District
Hesperia, LaVerne Elementary Prep. Academy, LaVerne Elementary Prep. Academy
South Pasadena, Marengo Elementary School, South Pasadena Unified School District
Costa Mesa, Mariners Christian School, Santa Ana Unified School District
Thousand Oaks, Meadows Arts & Technology Ele. Sch., Ventura County Office of Education
Santa Barbara, Montecito Union Elementary School, Montecito Union Elementary S.D.
San Diego, Monterey Ridge Elementary School, Poway Unified School District
Monterey Park, Monterey Vista Elementary School, Garvey Elementary School District
La Crescenta, Mountain Avenue Elementary School, Glendale Unified School District
San Diego, Park Village Elementary School, Poway Unified School District
Temecula, Pauba Valley Elementary School, Temecula Valley U.S.D.
Sacramento, Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School, Sacramento City U.S.D.
Tustin, Red Hill Lutheran School, Pacific Southwest District – LCMS
Rancho Cordova, Riverview STEM Elementary School, Folsom-Cordova U.S.D.
Felton, San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School, San Lorenzo Valley U.S.D.
San Diego, Silver Gate Elementary School, San Diego Unified School District
Solana Beach, Solana Vista Elementary School, Solana Beach School District
Long Beach, Tincher Preparatory School, Long Beach Unified School District
Irvine, Vista Verde Elementary School, Irvine Unified School District
Downey, Ward (E. W.) Elementary School, Downey Unified School District
Thousand Oaks, Weathersfield Elementary School, Conejo Valley Unified School District
Inglewood, Wilder’s Prep. Academy Charter Middle, Inglewood Unified School District
Los Gatos, Yavneh Day School, Los Gatos School District
San Francisco, Yick Wo Elementary School, San Francisco Unified School District

The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is gearing up to once again take moviegoers on a cinematic world journey with international film screenings with the announcement of its “Call for Entries”.

The 29th Annual PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival, will be held in February 2021 either with a physical festival in Los Angeles, a world-wide virtual festival or a combination of both. Over the years, PAFF has showcased films from all parts of the world, representing such countries as the United States, Angola, Nigeria, Jamaica, New Zealand, Rwanda, Canada, Mozambique, Venezuela, Egypt, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Brazil, Kenya, Fiji, Mexico, the U.K., South Africa, England, Japan, Trinidad & Tobago, France and Canada.

With the pulse on the international film market, PAFF has opened the minds of its audiences, and transported them to far-away places and back home again.

“Over the years, filmmakers the world over have become more sophisticated in telling their stories,” says Asantewa Olatunji, the director of programming for PAFF. “In our ever-shrinking world, it is so important to understand the experiences and points of views of the world’s diverse peoples and cultures.”

Last year, more than 40,000 people attended the film festival, which has long been a highly anticipated event in Los Angeles attended by local, national and international guests. PAFF currently accepts only online applications and submissions. As of June 1, 2020 filmmakers wanting to submit to PAFF2021 can submit through FilmFreeway at filmfreeway.com and typing in the Pan African Film Festival or can go to the PAFF website www.paff.org and clicking onto the FilmFreeway button or the “Submit a Film” button on the menu.

ELIGIBILITY:

PAFF accepts applications for films, videos and webisodes made by and/or about people of African descent. (Please note: the filmmaker need not be of African descent.) Preferably, submissions should depict positive and/or realistic images and can be of any genre — drama, comedy, horror, action/adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental, historical/epic, etc. PAFF accepts narrative and documentary features, shorts and webisodes.

COMPETITION:

The PAFF competition categories are: Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary (Short or Feature), Best Director — First Feature, Best Web-Series, plus a variety of Audience Favorite Awards. Films in competition must be copyrighted no earlier than 2019. With the exception of Audience Favorite Awards, films are judged by industry professionals. In addition to competition awards, other programming and festival special prizes will be awarded.

SUBMISSION PERIODS:

Early Submissions (Reduced Entry Fee): Currently being accepted through July 15, 2020.

Regular Submissions: July 16-September 20, 2020.

Late Submissions: September 21- October 30, 2020.

Extended Late Submissions: October 31-December 10, depending on available space.

After December 10, the submitter must contact submissions@paff.org to obtain permission to submit.

For submission instructions, information, fees and registration kindly go to www.paff.org and click onto “Submit a Film”. For questions regarding submissions, email submissions@paff.org.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Starting in the month of October, First 5 San Bernardino will hold its annual literacy campaign tour bringing awareness to the importance of reading with and to your child. Every year, these events are held for preschoolers throughout the County of San Bernardino. In partnership with CHAN Community Health Action Network, CCRC Child Care Resource Center, El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center, LISTOS California For All, San Bernardino County Library, and Victory Outreach Church, First 5 San Bernardino will conduct four literacy drive-thru events taking place in the cities of Barstow, Fontana, San Bernardino, and Victorville.  Due to the pandemic, First 5 San Bernardino redesigned the format of events for safety.

Preschoolers will receive a bag containing three different book titles, and a healthy snack, along with other resources. One of the goals of First 5 San Bernardino is to help build home-based libraries and to ensure that all children have library books available to them.

The events are free and open to the public but registration is strongly suggested as only 500 bags will be handed out at each site. For more information please visit the First 5 San Bernardino website at www,first5sanbernardino.org or call 909.386.7706.

5 FIRST 5 TIPS on building home-based libraries:

• 1.    Choose the right spot. Create a special space where books are kept and read. Make sure the lighting is good and seating is comfortable.
• 2.    Put books within reach. Use low, sturdy shelves so your child can safely select the books on her own.
• 3.    Be Thrifty – look for deals. Books can be expensive. Checkout your local library as they may have a free book day.
• 4.   Let them guide you! Pay attention to what types of books your child is interested in. Take turns on selecting.
• 5.    Collect! Stack up on books from your local yard sales, dollar store, book swapping with others, or asking for books as an alternative gift idea.

By Lou Yeboah

Hear me and hear me good! Not once in recorded history has the world been brought together into any sort of international unity. Until Now! Many governments have attempted global domination. They all have conquered great chunks of territory, but none have ultimately succeeded in forging a one-world government. Until now! And as children of the Living God, we must prepare for what is ahead in our future. Jesus Christ encourages us through the Parable of the Ten Virgins [Matthew 25:1–13] to keep watch and prepare… For it is clear that many pieces of prophecy are falling into place before our very eyes.  And soon and VERY SOON to come is a world ruler who is going to come up to dominate the world in the last days, and he is going to be an instrument in Satan’s hands. In the book of Revelation, John refers to the final and ultimate Antichrist as the Beast. He will have supernatural power and global influence. The Beast first appears as a political leader, who will make a covenant with Israel and assume world leadership. Later he takes on the role of a religious leader who is worshiped. Supported by his sidekick—the False Prophet—the Beast will deceive the world. He, his prophet, and Satan will form an unholy trinity to rule all of creation. But the man of lawlessness, the son of perdition, and the beast from the sea is restrained – for now. [2 Thessalonians 2: 7-12].

Therefore, hear me and hear me good – The worst of evil is coming. “The Players Are In Place!” This is no time for compromise. Understand that the Antichrist is not going to burst suddenly onto the scene as something new.  He is not going to come as a politician with radical ideas that shake up the whole fiber of the nations and of the world, but he is going to come as a moderate.  There is going to be something that is very attractive about him.  His attractiveness will be that he will be able to bring everything and everyone together.  Not only will he propose plausible solutions for economics and politics and social issues and religion, but he will bring the people of the earth together.  He will ride a wave of popular opinion.  He will be a great communicator, who will convince those who are against him, until, as Revelation puts it, the whole world will wonder after him, they will stand in amazement at him.  He will be able to come that way because everything that the Antichrist represents is already present in the world. [2 Thessalonians 2:7]. And his coming, will only serve to bring us closer to the day of Jesus Christ.  His day will be short, the Bible tells us, and immediately following it, Jesus will come.  

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief… [1 Thessalonians 5:1–11].

Beware, and WATCH [Luke 21:29–36]!  Indeed, the “fig tree” is putting forth “buds”

“And do this, knowing the time, that NOW it is high time to awake out of sleep; for NOW your salvation is nearer than when you first believed.” [Romans 13:11].

“So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, Understand, [daughter] of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end. Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.  And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be.” [Daniel 8:17-19].

I tell you, “The Players Are in Place!”

Reference Notes: [Dr. Roger Barrier]

1. New World Order –

Here are some significant historical milestones pointing to one-world government:

1935: A New World Order symbol on the back of the US dollar bill.

1940: H.G. Wells publishes a book entitled The New World Order.

1945: The UN is founded.

1949: NATO is established.

1973: The trilateral commission is established.

1995: The World Trade Organization is formed.

2002: American FDA-approved the VeriChip (human implanted microchip for electronic ID).

2009: The body responsible for managing the Internet, Icann, takes over from the US to become global.

2019: Countries around the world have increased facial recognition surveillance, e-mail, text, and phone monitoring, geolocation data from smartphones and vehicles, credit card data and ad tracking information.

2. The Antichrist Will Unify 10 Nations

The Bible says this will be around the territory of the old Roman Empire and then capture three other countries. He soon defeats the whole world as he establishes his worldwide government [Daniel 8].

3. The Coronavirus Fulfills Prediction

The coronavirus of worldwide consequence is fulfilling Jesus’ prediction in [Luke 21:11].

4. Technology Tracks Everyone

Technological tools already are developed to track everyone in the world. Many countries are implementing a system of facial recognition and GPS locators to spy on everyone in the world. Facial recognition is an insidious tool. Phones can record conversations even when the phones are turned off.

5. Mass Financial Changes

Large-scale changes in our financial systems can open the door for a one-world government. Every nation of the world is sapped with crushing debt. Banking will change dramatically. Paper checks can slide into a slot and be read and deducted or deposited without ever touching another human being.

6. Fraud Is Rampant

Hacking and fraud are sophisticated enough for one nation to control another.

7. Economic Sanctions

Economic sanctions could very well be the ultimate tool of the Antichrist. Only those who have submitted their lives to the Antichrist as Lord, as evidenced by receiving a mark in the forehead or right hand, will be allowed to buy and sell.

8. Common Worldwide Currency

Watch for a common worldwide currency like the development of the Euro in Europe.

9. Everyone Can See

Only in the last 70 years has it been possible for everyone to see Jesus simultaneously at his Second Coming.

10. Believers Anticipate

Watch For Jesus! Hopefully, the Rapture is just around the corner.

Michael Lorenz, a 22-year veteran of the Ontario Police Department who moved up the ranks from patrol officer to deputy chief, has been unanimously confirmed as the City’s new police chief, effective immediately.

Chief Lorenz, who joined the department in 1998 after graduating from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department academy, has worked a variety of assignments during his tenure, including narcotics, gang violence suppression, field training and SWAT.

His promotion was ratified Tuesday night by the City Council.

“With his experience, leadership skills and knowledge of our community, Mike Lorenz is an ideal choice to lead our Police Department into the future. We are fortunate, once again, to be able to promote from within our organization and maintain the consistency that has made OPD a model for local law enforcement,” said Mayor Paul Leon.

Lorenz replaces Derek Williams, who had previously announced his retirement as police chief after 29 years with the department. Like Lorenz, Williams had served as deputy chief before his appointment to the position of Chief in 2018.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of the Ontario family—we truly achieved excellence through teamwork. I have no doubt that Chief Lorenz will carry on, and even improve, the high standards of service at the Ontario Police Department,” said retiring Chief Derek Williams.

“I appreciate Chief Williams’ years of service to our city and look forward to working with Chief Lorenz in continuing OPD’s long legacy of exceptional policing and service to the community,” said Ontario City Manager Scott Ochoa.

Lorenz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from California Coast University. Prior to attending the police academy, he served four years in the United States Air Force.

At OPD, he has held leadership positions in patrol operations, East Area command, SWAT/crisis negotiations, COPS/MET, and the gang suppression and K9 units. He also served as captain in the field operations unit.

“Throughout my career, I’ve benefitted from the extraordinary examples set by my predecessors, and it’s an honor to be able to build on the great work they’ve done on behalf of the City, our residents and businesses,” Lorenz said.

Sacramento-The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) is dismayed by the decision of the Kentucky grand jury’s decision to limit indictments in the Breonna Taylor case to former officer Brett Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.  Two other officers involved in Taylor’s death escaped prosecution. As Hankinson’s charges stem from his firing into neighboring apartments, this indictment neither acknowledges nor vindicates Breonna Taylor’s death and reflects a legal system that shields officers from real accountability.

The CLBC stands with the family of Breonna Taylor and our brothers and sisters who are in pain now. We encourage transforming our anger and pain into electoral energy and intentional activism for genuine reform. Breonna’s sister, Juniyah Palmer, called on us to “Speak. Protest. But do not resort to violence. We demand change. We demand reform. But we do not need for our community to get hurt, we need for our community to get justice.”

The CLBC will continue its own work on police reform.  We had some success in recent years, but there is still work to do and it will not be easy. Let’s resolve together to make California safer for everyone.