Tag Archives: black people

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Miami Cop Shoots and Kills Homeless Man in a Park in Front of Dozens of Kids- reminder


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A Miami police officer shot and killed a homeless African-American man in front of up to 60 witnesses including children attending summer camp. Police officials said the violent suspect refused to drop a metal pipe he was holding. Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes said officers were responding to a report of a violent dispute on Thursday morning. He said several dozen people were in Gibson Park, many of them children, who may have witnessed the events that unfolded. “I understand the anxiety that’s been created across the country from police-citizen interactions, but I would ask that everyone, wait for the facts of the case and not make up your own story,” Llanes told reporters. “We will know what the facts of the case are.” The chief added that the officer involved in the shooting, who is a 20-year veteran of the department, will be reassigned to administrative duties pending the…

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Blue Cross rejecting payments for HIV/AIDS medication

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Mike Reitz: Stop AIDS discrimination by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana.

    By Robert Darrow

            Shreveport, Louisiana
Due to a new policy from Louisiana’s largest health insurer, hundreds of people living with HIV and AIDS are in danger of losing access to essential medication.BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) is rejecting checks from a federal program designed to help these patients pay for AIDS drugs and insurance premiums and has begun notifying customers that their enrollment in its Obamacare plans will be discontinued because it will no longer accept “third-party payments.” This funding was established through the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990 which has been crucial to ensuring that those living with HIV and AIDS can gain access to the medication they need.Several months ago, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraged health plans to stop accepting “third-party payments,” but this weekend (February 8th), CMS stated unequivocally that “federal rules do not prevent the use of Ryan White funds to pay for health care plans.” BCBSLA said it is “reviewing and considering this new information,” but we need commitments to help save and extend hundreds of lives in Louisiana.

As someone living with AIDS who helped found the local organization in Shreveport that oversees Ryan White funding, I know these funds change lives — and I’m afraid that if BCBSLA gets away with denying this coverage, other insurers across the country could follow suit. Please join me in tell BCBSLA to accept federal funding for people living with HIV and AIDS and to stop this discrimination.
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Abusive & Racist Language Degrades Us All


I am taking a stand for civility.

In March of 2010, we saw people with signs acting as if not only had they lost their minds but were transported back to a time when no person of colour wants, will go or be forced to accept in the 21st century. There is no place in our political discourse for the abusive, derogatory and racist language used against or by our members of Congress yet since the overwhelming GOP vote in 2010 a group called the TeaParty has decided racial activism is the only way to win .  We have seen a generation prove that primitive behavior that I call hate speech has been given a pass by judges on all levels the first amendment is being misused abused by those in positions of power. I want justice for what is clearly racist hate speech, that used to be treated and prosecuted accordingly.  Now, we see those with privilege acting out and getting away with using nasty ugly words we all know are racist offensive threats to the lives of the President.  There are folks making ugly threats, hopefully our secret service, FBI and CIA visit the homes of people who keep feeling their words of hate are covered by the first amendment … No one has the right to make threats of bodily harm to any human being no matter what race creed or ethnic origin

This sort of language degrades us all and undermines our democratic process.

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The NFL


TheNFLCongress: Revoke the Tax-Exempt Status of the National Football League
By Lynda Woolard
New Orleans, Louisiana

Despite the fact that it is a $9Billion/Year industry, the National Football League (NFL) continues to enjoy status as a non-profit organization — meaning it doesn’t have to pay federal corporate taxes.

The Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, makes nearly $30 million a year — earning more than the heads of companies like Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart. Through TV deals alone, the NFL has inked nearly $30 billion with various television networks. And so often, fans like you and me are asked to foot the bill for new stadiums through our own taxes.

Yet despite being the most profitable sports league in the entire world, the NFL does not pay federal taxes.

The NFL should pay their fair share towards our economy! Just like Major League Baseball, which gave up its nonprofit status in recent years, as well as the National Basketball Association, the NFL should not be able to hide under a nonprofit status in order to avoid paying federal taxes.

The NFL has methodically worked to shift all the power to their side, leaving players, employees and PARTICULARLY THE FANS little say in what goes on with the league. We deserve a say, but do not wish to boycott our teams! Therefore, we are calling on our elected representatives to revoke the tax-exempt status we bestowed upon the league half a century ago. Please sign this petition, and let Congress know that you want them to reconsider the NFL’s tax exempt status.

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1,600,000 And Counting…


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Bring the Unemployed in From the Cold

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The number of Americans who have lost their unemployment benefits is huge…and growing.

Today, we will hit the 1.6 million mark for the number of people who have been cut off from emergency unemployment benefits since December 28. That is 1.6 million Americans whose financial security, and in many cases their children’s financial security, is in jeopardy because Republicans in Congress have failed to act.

Last week, a majority of Senators voted to extend these benefits. But because of Republican obstruction, it didn’t pass the filibuster-proof 60 vote threshold. In fact, as shown below, many of the Republicans who voted against renewing unemployment benefits come from states where it is especially needed.

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Not only did these and other Republican Senators vote against the unemployed in their states, they also voted against the will of a vast majority of Americans. Poll after poll (after poll!), including the latest from CBS News released yesterday, finds up to seven in 10 Americans want to extend unemployment insurance benefits for those that lost them when they expired at the end of 2013.

Meanwhile, Republican grandees gathered at the winter meeting of the Republican National Committee actually voted to call for an end to a successful crackdown on wealthy tax dodgers in order to help, as they explained it, raise more money from wealthy Americans living abroad. It’s no wonder that 63 percent of Americans believe the policies pushed by Republicans in Congress favor the wealthy, while just 9 percent think they favor the middle class.

BOTTOM LINE: Profits at the biggest banks may have bounced back to record highs, but the economy is still not working for too many struggling families.  Letting the extended, emergency unemployment benefits lapse through the next year would cost us 240,000 jobs and slash economic growth.  It already drained $400 million from state economies in the first week alone. We can’t afford for Republicans to oppose this vital program that would support their state economies and extend lifeline for those looking for work.