Politics

News, Politics

Nigerians gather in Oakland for #endSARS Anti-Police Brutality Movement

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Hundreds of Bay Area residents – many of them Nigerian and Nigerian-American – gathered at Lake Merritt Amphitheater in Oakland Oct. 24 to rally around the #endSARS movement. Those at the gathering protested against police brutality in Nigeria, particularly demanding for the end of a special police unit known as SARS, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. What is SARS? SARS was formed in 1992 in response to violent crimes in Lagos. Over time, the unit has developed a reputation of acting recklessly with impunity. A report by Amnesty International cited at least 82 cases of abuse including torture, mock executions, and sexual assault over the past three years. Why are people…

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Education, Health, News, Politics

North Bay School District Candidates Grapple with How to Continue to Reopen Schools During Covid-19

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The four candidates campaigning for two open seats in the North Bay’s Reed Union School District’s Board of Trustees are focused on reopening the schools safely and improving communication with the community. The K-8 public school district serving Tiburon, Belvedere, and Corte Madera residents opened its doors to hybrid in-person learning on Oct. 5. The four candidates answered questions related to COVID during a two-hour live webinar, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Marin County. All candidates support the district’s phased reopening plan which intends to guide the district toward a full reopening in five phases. The district is currently operating in phase 2. Under phase 2, half…

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News, Politics

Swalwell Worried Trump Could “Incite Violence,” Summon “Militiamen” if He Loses

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East Bay Congressman and former Democratic Presidential candidate Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) said he is worried Donald Trump could “incite violence” and summon “militiamen” to the White House to protect him if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election.  “It worries me that he won’t accept the outcome,” Swalwell said of Trump in an Oct. 22 interview with the Peninsula Press. “I still believe in our institutions, and that the American people will demand a peaceful transfer of power. But this President, as we’ve seen from Charlottesville, to post George Floyd, when we have division or discord or confusion in our country, he doesn’t unite us. He makes it worse.”  “And…

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An excerpt from the grant award letter that Dearborn received from The Center for Tech and Civic Life.
News, Politics

Zuckerberg Helps Key Swing States Like Michigan Pay for Election Infrastructure

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DEARBORN, Michigan— In anticipation of the presidential election, city clerks across Michigan worried they wouldn’t have enough ballot openers, tabulators, and poll workers to manage the unprecedented volume of mail-in votes. That was until they received help from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Since September, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have made personal donations of $400 million to date, to help election offices across the country secure more staffing, training, and equipment to administer the November 3 elections. The majority of that funding has gone to a Chicago-based nonprofit called the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) which is distributing the money through its “COVID-19 Response Grant Program.” CTCL…

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Health, Housing + Development, Immigration, News, Politics

Undocumented Workers Face Worsening Economic Crisis Without Relief

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California’s undocumented workers face food insecurity and evictions now that $75 million in California state funding appropriated in April to support them through the crisis has been depleted. An estimated 2 million undocumented workers reside in California. Of those, approximately 125,000, or only a little less than 6 percent of them, received the one-time benefits of $500 per adult or $1000 per household before they dried up in July. “You have a hemorrhage and we’re giving you a Band-Aid,” said Maria Cadenas, co-founder of Undocufund, a group dedicated to providing financial support to undocumented immigrants in the North Central Coast. “I appreciate the intent. But it’s not enough.” Christopher Rios…

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Josh Becker (Photo courtesy Josh Becker 2020 campaign)
News, Politics

District 13 Senate Candidates Clash on Affirmative Action, Racial Issues

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In the race to replace the retiring Jerry Hill in California’s 13th State Senate district, the two candidates are drawing their sharpest contrasts with one another on issues related to race and police reform. Josh Becker — a Democrat from Menlo Park endorsed by Hill, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sens. Kamala Harris and Ed Markey — is warning that if Proposition 16 — which would restore affirmative action in the state — were to fail in deep-blue California, the no vote would “send a very bad message” in light of a national race reckoning following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Proposition 16 would repeal a…

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