By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— …that the Consequence of Sin is Death, “but” The Gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus! “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked….” [Galatians 6:7]. Playing games with God is a very dangerous situation. Living in and Out of Sin is a very dangerous situation. Don’t play games with the God of your Salvation! Don’t play games with Sin! Because God’s Law of Harvest cannot be broken,and you cannot neglect God’s law without consequences [Hebrew 2: 2-3].

I tell you, for this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?  Understand, if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. [Hebrew 10: 26-29]. Jesus said that your soul is worth more than the rest of the world put together. He asked, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Listen, the consequence of suppressing the truth is that God gives the sinner over to “The Sinful Desires of Their Hearts,” “Shameful Lusts” and “A Depraved Mind” [Romans 1:24-28].  I tell you, it is a fearful thing to be “Given Over” to your own destructive ways. God has made it clear that “The Soul Who Sins Will Die” [Ezekiel 18:4].  What shall you do?’” The answer, simple yet profound: “Repent!” 

As [Proverbs 8: 32-36] says, “Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” 

Although this message has been preached for 2,000 years. It has been ignored by most of those that have heard it. It is still being ignored in this day, and it will be ignored during the dark days of the Tribulation, but as an Ambassador for Christ it is my duty to remind you of the “Final Proclamation” [Revelation Chapter 14].

Repent, Repent, Repent!

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: [Deuteronomy 30:19]

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— How did Kimberly Ellis, an African-American, progressive Democrat and Bay Area grassroots activist, lose her second bid for chair of the California Democratic Party (CDP)?

During her last run for the job in 2017, Eric Bauman, who resigned amid sexual harassment allegations last November, only beat Ellis by a razor thin margin of 62 votes. Her near-win two years ago emboldened her supporters – their candidate could become the first Black woman to serve in the state party’s executive role in more than 30 years.

Depending on who’s responding, each answer to the question about Ellis’ loss falls somewhere between deepening fault lines of race, gender and politics that seem to be testing the strength of the Democratic Party, foreshadowing divisions that could open up even more as the party moves toward the 2020 election primary season.

Echoes of the Bernie vs. Biden rift between grassroots progressives and establishment Democrats and rumblings about the persistent marginalization of women voters and candidates all seemed to be playing out locally in the politics leading up to this year’s CDP elections.

Many African-American Democrats attending the convention, especially the women who voted for and supported Ellis, say their frustration with the party’s leadership’s routine neglect of African-American issues and candidates is reaching its peak.

“Kimberly Ellis’ campaign gave us all insight into the inner working of CDP and its voting bodies,” said K. Patrice Williams, an African-American woman and delegate from Solano County. “A world of special elections, held in January during off years on weekends between 10 and 1 PM, of which Black and Brown voters were not aware. We have now received a painful lesson in the world of super-delegates. State and federal elected officials that refused to vote for the most qualified, solutions-focused candidate who happened to be an intelligent, dynamic Black Woman.”

The CDP held the vote for chair this past weekend during the state party annual convention themed “Blue Wave Rolling” at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

More than 3,000 delegates voted Saturday night. Of that number, about 57 percent cast their ballots for the winning candidate, Rusty Hicks, a prominent union leader from Los Angeles, backed by a majority of elected officials, most of the state’s organized labor groups and several influential party insiders.

Ellis, who secured the support of the Bernie Sanders-affiliated “Our Revolution,” other progressive and moderate Democratic groups, and a cross-section of African-American and other women voters, lost to Hicks by at least 25 percentage points. About 36 percent of delegates voted for her.

The remaining votes were spread among five other candidates who contested, including current state party vice chairman, Daraka Larimore-Hall. About six percent of the delegates voted for him.

The CDP held its annual convention this year in the midst of a firestorm of racial discrimination and sexual harassment allegations that have unsettled the party and resulted in a leadership crisis since former chair, Bauman’s resignation last year. In April, Tina McKinnor, an African-American woman and former operations director of the CDP, cited several incidents of alleged racial discrimination in a lawsuit she filed against the organization. Two men, John Vigna, former communications director, and a party activist, Spencer Dayton, have also filed separate lawsuits against the CDP, claiming former chair, Bauman sexually assaulted them.

For some of the Black women Democrats who supported Ellis, her loss is as a stinging reminder. Although their ballots often represent the deciding vote in critical national and local elections, Black women candidates typically have had a harder time attracting broad enough support from other voting blocs to win statewide races.

“If I, as a young Black woman in this party, can’t see myself in leadership, then what’s the point?” Dallas Fowler, an African-American woman and a delegate from Los Angeles told the LA Times. “This is a majority-minority state, and until our party really shows up and puts our money and our time and our muscle behind these communities to ensure that we have adequate representation, we’re not going to see that.”

The CDP is also facing an internal uprising, according to some of its more left-leaning members, because they sense the state party priorities increasingly reflect the wish lists of big donors and corporations rather than the interests of members, who do the ground work to elect Democratic candidates during elections and who fight for Party ideals everyday.

“We say that we support campaign finance reform,” said Ellis, who stresses that she did not accept any corporate donations for her campaign. “I think it’s a fair question for us to ask, what are we doing as a state party to advance that value?”

Ellis, whose Facebook bio reads “Disrputor-In-Chief @Unbought-Unbossed” also touts herself as an independent advocate for the average Democrat, including young people, women, minorities and other groups who feel left out by the party’s establishment.

In his acceptance speech, Hicks, current president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said his plans as CDP chair include a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment, an effort to unite various factions of the party – including progressive Democrats, who supported Ellis – and preparation for the Democratic primary in March and national elections in November.

“We should embrace the passion that comes into the party, and also remember what our party is singularly focused on – and that’s seeing a change in the White House in 2020,” he said.

Ellis congratulated Hicks and thanked her supporters and the delegates who voted for her in a statement she shared the morning after the election.

“Party politics is always going to be tough and often disappointing,” she said. “But great change is never easy. So many delegates put a tremendous amount on the line in the face of extraordinary pressure. Certainly, there are challenges for us ahead, and I hope our new chair can bring harmony to our party during these difficult times.”

For Ellis’ supporters, their fight for equity and recognition in the CDP is just beginning.

“I’m offended, hurt and ready to mobilize our voting power,” said Williams.

By California Black Media Staff

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Here’s an update on five pieces of California state legislation that could have impact on the conduct of your local police and the way you live. –  from how (and how much) you get paid, to the school you select for your children and where you reside (or invest) in rental property.   

AB 392

The California Act to Save Lives may soon be law. After police groups dropped their opposition to the bill authored by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) last week, a majority of lawmakers came out to support it. If passed, the bill will change the standards for police use of force in California and hold officers more accountable if a suspect is shot. It would also be one of the toughest laws in the country intended to discourage the use of lethal force by police. Weber, who is also chair of the legislative Black Caucus, introduced the bill after police officers shot and killed Stephon Alonzo Clark, a 22-year-old African American man, in the backyard of his grandparents home in Sacramento. With the new changes to the language in the law, the bill stands a fair chance of passing the Senate and making it to the governor’s desk for his signature. Black Lives Matter and some family members of victims dropped their support after Weber made the changes to the language. They say the amended legislation isn’t as strong or specific enough, and is open to interpretation by the courts.  Other family members of victims have maintained their support, saying they understand negotiation is part of the legislative process. “I kept saying I wanted a bill that would make it safe behind and in front of the badge,” said Weber, thanking her colleagues and supporters after the bill passed in the Assembly.

AB 5 – Worker Status: Employees and Freelancers

Wednesday last week, the state Assembly voted 59-15 to pass AB 5. If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the legislation will make if tougher for companies to enter contracts with freelancers and could affect hundreds of thousands of “gig economy” workers across the state, including nail technicians, Uber drivers, Amazon delivery workers and even exotic dancers. Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) introduced the legislation, also known as the “Dynamex Bill” or the “Employee Misclassification bill.” By writing into law specific rules and penalties, AB 5 builds on a California Supreme Court 2018 decision that instructed business to apply an “ABC” test to determine whether a worker is a freelancer or employee. For a worker to be classified as a freelancer, employees would have to prove that the worker is (A) not under the contracting company’s control, (B) is doing work that is not central to the company’s business, and (C) has an independent business providing a service. If workers don’t meet those requirements, companies would have to provide all the required pay and benefits under California law like overtime pay, minimum wage, workers compensation, employee insurance, paid parental leave and healthcare subsidies. Leaders from various industries throughout the state are lobbying Lawmakers in Sacramento to retain the ability to hire certain kinds of freelancers that are critical for their particular trade or businesses. The bill has now moved to the Senate for review.

SB 756 – Charter School Moratorium

Last week, Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) sidelined her own charter school Bill, SB 756. Her proposal called for a 5-year moratorium on charter schools. By temporarily halting the legislation and moving it to an “inactive file,” she has a chance to re-introduce it next year. For the last few months, hundreds of Black parents of charter school students have been campaigning against several charter school laws that were making their way through the state legislature. Together, the proposals sought to slow the growth, take away legal rights and restrict the operations of the independently run, taxpayer funded public schools in the state. Last month, the Assembly passed two of the bills, AB 1505 and AB 1507. The Senate is expected to review and vote on the bills shortly. The California branches of both the National Urban League and the National Action Network opposed the package of bills, including Durazo’s, saying they are attempts to take away education options for Black families who live in neighborhoods where traditional public schools have failed their children for more than 30 years now.   In California, about 80 percent of Black students score below the state standard in math and 68 percent fail to meet the English Language Arts requirements. The state chapter of the NAACP supported the bills, arguing that charter schools take away resources from district-run public schools and that they may lead to the re-segregation of public education in America.  In California, about 50,000 African-American students attend charter schools. That’s about 8 percent of the total Black student population enrolled in public schools.  Gov. Gavin Newsom has commissioned a task force to investigate the impact charter schools have on public education in California. If Sen. Durazo re-introduces the bill, hopefully by then California voters will have access to the findings of the governor’s study to make a more informed decision on whether or not to support SB 756.

AB 1506 – Charter School Cap

Like Sen. Durazo’s charter school bill in the Senate, a similar proposal in the Assembly, AB 1506, called for a moratorium on charter schools in the state. Both the state NAACP and the California Teachers Association supported the legislation introduced by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who is African-American and a member of the Assembly Education Committee and the Legislative Black Caucus. The National Action Network and the National Urban League wrote an open letter to Gov. Newsom opposing the bill.  Last week, a day after Durazo sidelined her bill, McCarty decided to hold his from a floor vote, although it had already been approved by the Education Committee earlier this year. Responding to McCarty’s decision to shelve AB 1506 for now,  Myrna Castrejón, president and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association issued a statement. “Charter public school families’ voices were heard loud and clear by Sacramento politicians,” she said.  “We cannot and will not accept legislation that limits access to great public schools.”

AB 1482 – Rent Cap

Wednesday evening last week, the Assembly passed AB 1482, a statewide rent cap bill, with a 43-28 vote. Introduced by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), the bill prohibits landlords from raising rents above 7 percent per year, plus annual cost of living increases. Selling the legislation to his colleagues in the Assembly, Chiu talked about the high cost of living in California and urged legislators to take action to protect people who are often a rent hike away from eviction. “They are our neighbors,” he said. “They are our co-workers. They are our brothers and sisters. They are our grandparents.” Since introducing the bill, Chiu has made several changes to it in negotiations with landlord and realtor groups to gain their support. The rent cap, which sets itself to expire in 2023, covers single family homes and condos – even in areas with existing local rent control laws. It exempts landlords with no more than 10 single family homes and properties that are under 10 years old. AB 1482 is expected to undergo more amendments in the Senate.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino Public Library will be hosting a free nutrition class at the Feldheym Central Library at 555 W. 6^th Street in San Bernardino. The class will be held in Kellogg Room A on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 from 3:00 – 4:00 PM. 

Reach Out, a Local Non-Profit Organization, and Champions for Change are offering the classes in cooperation with the County of San Bernardino Public Health-Nutrition Department.

This nutrition program focuses on promoting healthy eating and active living to prevent and help decrease obesity  and other related chronic diseases within our communities. Learn how you can make healthier decisions that reflect your family’s traditions while staying within your budget in a fun and interactive program, including food demonstrations, cookbooks and free giveaways.

This month’s class is “Refresh Better”, encouraging people to choose healthy beverages.

These classes are free and open to the public, but registration is required.  Call Tamika Tonge at Reach Out to register or call the library at 909-381-8235.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK)— Brown Sugar, the popular subscription video on demand service from Bounce, is kicking off summer with a fresh lineup of titles to celebrate the season.

June is Black Music Month and to honor the occasion, Brown Sugar has curated a series of films from music legends such as Prince: Purple Rain, Michael Jackson: The Journey, Beyoncé: On Top, Rihanna: No Regrets and Winans: The Lost Concert.

For Father’s Day, consumers can explore the “Brown Sugar Daddies” collection of movies featuring influential father figures: Hotel Rwanda (Don Cheadle), Sounder (Paul Winfield) and The River Niger(James Earl Jones) as well as Season six of the Bounce original series Family Time (Omar Gooding).

Debuting on the service this month are new titles including Ali: A Living Legend (Muhammad Ali), Before They Were Kings: Vol 1 (Chris Rock), Before They Were Kings: Vol 2 (Dave Chappelle), Laff Mobb’s We Got Next (Brely Evans), Sudie and Simpson (Louis Gossett Jr.) and The Other Brother (Mekhi Phifer).

Popular returning titles in June are Foxy Brown (Pam Grier), Truck Turner (Isaac Hayes), Cooley High(Glynn Turman), The Mighty Quinn (Denzel Washington) and The Black Godfather (Rod Perry).

Viewers can watch these films and countless others on Brown Sugar along with complete seasons of top-rated Bounce originals such as Saints & Sinners, In The Cut and Last Call.

Brown Sugar is available on Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Comcast Xfinity X1, Amazon Channels, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and web browsers via BrownSugar.com. There is a free 7-day initial trial period for subscribers with a retail price of $3.99/month thereafter. Visitwww.BrownSugar.com for more information.

Puraci recognized by Senator Mike Morrell for her career in education 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— INLAND EMPIRE—- Cristina Puraci, President of the Redlands Unified School District Board of Trustees, released the following statement announcing her candidacy to succeed State Senator Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) in California’s 23rd District: 

“The Inland Empire was once an affordable place to live and raise a family. However, the out of control, rising cost of living in our region has diminished our quality of life,” said Puraci. “How much longer must we listen to Sacramento politicians push the same failed policies while our children, friends, and neighbors leave California for a better life? As your next State Senator, I will advocate for common sense solutions that will lower our cost of living, strengthen public safety and reduce homelessness, attract high-wage jobs, improve education for our youth, and protect our environment while preserving our Constitutional liberties.”

Cristina has dedicated over 15 years to the education field as a teacher and community activist. She was elected to the Redlands Unified School District Board of Trustees in 2016 and currently serves as the President. Cristina is also a member of several boards and committees including the San Bernardino County Drug and Gang Task Force and the Redlands Cultural Arts Council. An active community leader, Cristina is involved in several local organizations, like Refresh & Renew and Hands of Mercy, which provide food, clothing, and shelter to veterans and the homeless. 

Honored for her professional and civic leadership, Cristina has earned numerous awards including the WHO award (We Honor Ours) from the California Teachers Association. In 2017, Cristina was recognized by Senator Mike Morrell and Senate colleagues at the state capitol. “From humble beginnings, Cristina came here with admiration and respect for our Constitution, wanting to embrace the freedoms and opportunities that can only be found here in America,” remarked Morrell. “It was an honor to acknowledge her and the contributions she and her family have made to our community.”

Cristina has been a resident of the Inland Empire since immigrating to the United States in 1992. After attending San Bernardino Valley College, Cristina transferred to California State University, San Bernardino where she earned her bachelor’s degree before earning her master’s degree in Education from National University. Cristina lives in Highland with her husband of 27 years, Adrian, who is also a teacher. Together they have one son, Sebastian, who teaches biology, a daughter-in-law, Simina, and one grandson, Kevin.

State Senator Mike Morrell currently represents the 23rd District but reaches term limits in 2020, making this an open seat. The 23rd Senate District includes all or parts of Banning, Beaumont, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Cedar Glen, Calimesa, Cherry Valley, Crestline, Homeland, Hemet, Highland, Lake Arrowhead, Loma Linda, Menifee, Mentone, Nuevo, Phelan, Pinion Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, Wrightwood and Yucaipa.

Are you thirsty? 

Water is essential for life!  Did you know that today in the year 2019, nearly 5,000 children are dying every day due to a lack of clean drinking water? This is hard to believe! A group of high school students have partnered with the Ariix Puritii brand, Rotary E-Club 5300 and The Rotary Club of Manila to create Project: Philippines to address this situation. 

The objective of this partnership is to provide clean drinking water to the children living in the streets, under the bridge and at orphanages in the Philippines. These are the indigenous people of the Philippines; also known as the negrotas.

Right now, in many places in South East Asia there is a severe shortage of clean drinking water. The impact of the groups’ efforts will provide 5 villages and 300 individuals with 1 year’s worth of clean water. In order to accomplish this task the students have already raised $5,000 and need to raise $45,000 more in the next two weeks to reach our total of $50,000!

The $50,000 total includes purchasing 300 water bottles and filters for years worth of clean water and travel accommodations for the students that are traveling. Students were a team of 10 but had to scale back to 3 due to lack of funds. Raising funds would allow more student to travel.

One of our youth soldiers, Myles Keys relates how the students came up with the idea for this years’ project.

“We chose to do the water filter systems so that the Filipino kids would have a source of water readily available when they need it. Especially now, since the devastation from recent earthquakes and aftershocks, the demand for water that is clean and safe to drink is an important and immediate need. We can be there to help with this situation.”

The students are slated to be in the Philippines from June 10-20, 2019. While they are there they will prepare for participation in The Day of Mercy; servicing the children living under the bridge.  Also, students will assist Mercyworldwide offering children cloths, food, vision, medical and dental services at La Huerta Elementary School and at The AETA Children’s home from June 16 – 20th.

Recent earthquakes in the Philippines have intensified the needs of the children at the orphanage. The infrastructure of the affected areas sustained major damage, with more than 30 structures being deemed unfit for use. The entire area has been declared a disaster area.

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If you would like to support the students in this important mission, please CLICK HERE

If you feel compelled to become more deeply involved in this project, and are positioned to do so, there are several ways you can make a deeper contribution. We have many opportunities available to serve, the need is great, and the time is short. 

Please contact: projectphilippines2019@gmail.com 

For more information:

www.aetachildren.org

www.mercyworldwide.org

http://rotaryeclub5300.org

https://rcmanila.org

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is switching to a flex week schedule for the summer for most schools and offices.

The first day of the modified schedule is Monday, June 10, 2019. The first Friday that offices will be closed is June 14. SBCUSD offices will also be closed June 21, June 28, July 5, July 12, July 19, and July 26.

All offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4 for the holiday.

Most SBCUSD offices observing the modified summer schedule are open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, but families and community members are encouraged to call for specific hours of operation.

For transcripts, call Student Records at (909) 880-6615. To report suspicious activity at a school, call the See Something, Say Something Hotline at (909) 388-6043. For Student Work Permits, call College and Career Readiness/Linked Learning at (909) 473-2084. Or call the main SBCUSD office at (909) 381-1100.

Kid-Approved Indoor Theme Park and Playground Experience Opens in Inland Empire June 1

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)–MONTCLAIR, CA— Montclair Place, an Inland Empire shopping center, has officially welcomed Kids Empire, the indoor theme park and playground. Open on June 1, 2019, Kids Empire is filled with every kid’s dream adventure, including play structures, drop-in ball pits, and more!

Kids Empire is designed to foster playfulness for healthy, happy kids, and encourages active play for kids to let out their great kid energy. The indoor theme park includes two main playgrounds: The Maze and a Tots Area. The Maze is fully equipped with a fun block arena, a soccer arena, dance floor, obstacle courses, slides, rides and more. The Tots Area includes age-appropriate structures like slides, ball pits, bouncing trampolines, bicycles, and a dance area. Tickets to Kids Empire are good for readmission the entire day of purchase.

After working up an appetite, guests can stop by the on-site Empire Snack Bar or venture out and enjoy other Montclair Place eateries like Doner & Gyros, Pokeway, Noodle World and more in the Moreno Street Market Food Hall or the newly opened Canyon Grill restaurant located in The Canyon. Kids Empire is also home to many birthday parties, offering exclusive party packages, customizable invitations, and meal options.

Great for after school, weekends, birthday parties and more, toddlers and young kids can enjoy all that Kids Empire at Montclair has to offer. The cost for admission is $15 per child with two adults free per child ($5 charge per additional adult). Socks are mandatory for all guests entering the park and are available for purchase at the front desk for $2.50.

Kids Empire is located on the Lower Level, near Sears. For more information visit https://montclair.kidsempire.us/.

The opening of Kids Empire at Montclair Place is on the heels of other recent developments for the Inland Empire shopping center. New additions include The Canyon, the first US location of Doner and Gyros, an expanded Forever 21 retail store, and a new Spectrum customer service center.

For more information about these developments and other Montclair Place updates, visit www.montclairplace.com.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Jeremiah Bryant was recently promoted to Director of Strategic Development at Omnitrans, after 12 years of increasing responsibilities at the transit agency.

He will lead a team of 15 employees.  Functions of the newly-formed Strategic Development Department include service planning, development planning, stops and stations, grant writing, and business intelligence.

 “We believe Jeremiah’s skills and experience will help Omnitrans strategically adapt to a rapidly changing landscape within transit and in the San Bernardino Valley,” said Omnitrans CEO/General Manager P. Scott Graham.  

 “I appreciate the investment Omnitrans places in its employees.  Nearly 12 years ago, I joined Omnitrans and hoped to use my analytical abilities to aid the agency.  Over the years, Omnitrans has invested in training, development and provided opportunities for growth,” Bryant said.  “I look forward to leveraging the investment the agency has made in me by leading the Strategic Development Department as we move to enhance Omnitrans’ service in the future.”

Bryant began his career at Omnitrans as a Marketing Analyst in 2007 and was promoted to Planning and Scheduling Manager in 2010.  He has represented Omnitrans on numerous regional committees and served as the Agency’s primary contact with the American Bus Benchmarking Group, a national industry peer group. He recently graduated from the inaugural Omnitrans Leadership Development Academy. 

Prior to working in transit, he held market research positions at Darnell Group.  Bryant also served as an economics instructor at Chaffey College between 2000 and 2016.

Bryant earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Master of Arts in Economics from University of California, Davis.