The breach on the Capitol building by a mob of pro-Trump supporters shattered windows and vandalized the Capitol building.

Militant group members joined with scores of others who rampaged inside the Capitol as they stalked the halls waving Confederate flags.

Rioters were hostile and venomous even requiring Vice President Mike Pence to be taken to a secure location while forcing hundreds of lawmakers, staff, and reporters to either evacuate or shelter-in-place.

The crowd included members of the Proud Boys and other groups with violent ideologies. Videos reveal the presence of several noted hardcore nativists and white nationalists. Extremists forced their way into the Capitol building disrupting sessions of both houses of Congress and leaving a police officer and four others dead.

Former President Trump while speaking at the rally that preceded the riots encouraged rioters to march to Capitol Hill. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric inspired his followers to engage in more drastic — even lethal — acts of political violence.

Flags, signs and symbols of racist, white supremacist and extremist groups were prominently displayed along with Trump 2020 banners and American flags at the US Capitol.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-CO., called the breach a “massive security failure and I think an awful lot of people should lose their jobs over this.”

After making arrests on lower-level offenses federal law enforcement’s next challenge is building broader conspiracy cases against the extremist who stormed the Capitol building.

Dr. Erroll Southers, former FBI special agent and homeland security expert at the University of Southern California says we have a significant domestic terrorist threat.

Public confidence in the investigation is a concern because law enforcement and government agencies have routinely failed to acknowledge the full scope of white extremists and actually do something about it, especially when it appears in their own ranks.

“We have looked at this for years, says Dr. Southers. “By the way there was an FBI report that was heavily redacted 15 years ago in 2006 that said the infiltration of law enforcement by the right wing was unbelievable and they actually reintroduce this report two months ago in Congress.”

Dr. Southers adds this is a “wake-up call” and it’s unfortunate that two law enforcement colleagues got killed but it is a huge wake-up call to understand how serious this threat is.

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As Covid-19 vaccines are authorized and recommended for use in US by the Center for Disease Control two vaccines are available, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. A third vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson is in late-stage clinical trials.

There is still some confusion of what to expect after vaccination, as well as ingredients, safety, and effectiveness.

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
• Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine

Vaccines in Phase 3 Clinical Trials

The CDC says that as of December 2020, large-scale (Phase 3) clinical trials are planned for three COVID-19 vaccines in the United States:

• AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine
• Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine
• Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine

#COVID19 vaccines are safe and effective. Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines, and these vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. More on COVID-19 vaccine safety: https://bit.ly/3pE2Go7.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines calls for social distancing as black faith leaders find it necessary to discontinue in-person church services.

Most historically black churches are adapting to a virtual worship service.

“Black churches have historically lagged behind in technology,” says Rev. John E. Cager, senior pastor of Ward A.M.E Church Los Angeles.

His church was already equipped to move to online platforms before the crisis because Ward’s services are streamed on Facebook live.

Rev. Cager adds that it was a short learning curve for Ward to get something in place immediately. “Fortunately we have people in the congregation that possess the technical skills necessary to allow us to broadcast online.”

The black church has endured and ultimately overcome every crisis that this country has seen including the U.S. war for independence, civil war, Jim Crow and civil rights movement.

However the Covid19 crisis is the most prevalent threat to the black church and a clear and present danger to the planet.

“We had to move quickly,” says Rev. DeAntwan Fitts, pastor of Peace Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. “This is a test of our faith.”

Rev. Fitts also acknowledges the church has to unite around its mission, strategy, commitment and creativity.

Peace Chapel had no online services until the coronavirus crisis struck the nation.

According to Pastor Fitts dealing with day-to-day ministry responsibilities was always an excuse to put certain things off into the future including an online worship service.

This crisis has moved the church out of the comfort ministries.

Ward and Peace Chapel churches are located in multilingual neighborhoods of south and southeast Los Angeles. Each church has found unique ways of serving the needs of its congregants and neighborhoods.

Rev Kelvin Saul, community engagement pastor at Peace Chapter, was instrumental in creating an initiative called “compassion in the midst of coronavirus crisis”.

As the coronavirus scare progresses, Rev. Sauls is using his unique skills as a fundraiser to convince community organizations to sponsor a “grab and go dinner” every night. This meal distribution allows Peace Chapel to serve its disadvantaged neighbors, reconnect with families while assisting the next-door Freemont high.

Fremont High offers grab and go distributions primarily breakfast and lunch.

So the church raised $14,000 to operate the program for 2 weeks.

Rev. Sauls says this program is his Christian obligation.

However “the first thing we see is a sense of acceptance” from those who receive their meals, he recalls. “Second we see their sense of gratitude. Most importantly they feel that their humanity is valued.”

The post Two Black Churches Evolving During Covid19 Pandemic appeared first on First Source.

Those states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Utah.

CDC data indicates race and ethnicity categories have tangible effects on the lives of individuals impacted by COVID-19.

According to Dr. Stefan Flores, a New York City emergency room physician, Black and Brown communities where people come from low socioeconomic backgrounds or migrant communities are disproportionately affected.

“They can’t afford to miss a paycheck. They can’t socially distance. They can’t Uber or Lift to work, nor can they take work from home or Skype in or use a zoom meeting.”

Covid-19 has pushed to the forefront longtime health disparities among Black, Brown, Native American and other minority populations in the country. Health professionals have warned that black and Latino populations are at potentially greater risk of severe illness from the coronavirus, due to pre existing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and asthma.

National Institutes for Health infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, admits throughout his medical career, “that the health disparities and the minority community, particularly the African American community”, puts them at risk from Corona virus complications much more so than the general population.

Dr. Fauci pleaded to young and elderly people in the black community to “please try as best as you can to protect yourself”.

No group of Americans may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 than the incarcerated, senior citizens in assistant living facilities and the homeless.

Rep. Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, is pressing for specific provisions to address the health disparities towards underserved populations. She wants the CDC to pay closer attention to these segments of populations because preliminary data are seeing far higher infection and death rates than their counterparts during the outbreak.

“I think it is completely unacceptable to say African Americans and Latinos have all of these underlying issues but there’s nothing that could be done,” says Rep. Bass.

In a recent interview on MSNBC Dr. James Hildreth says in the current pandemic we see the same pattern that minorities are disproportionately represented among those who are infected by the virus. Generally, because minorities are disproportionately burden with obesity, hypertension and diabetes.

Dr. Hildreth, an infectious disease doctor, and President of Meharry Medical College is no stranger to tracking mysterious diseases. He pioneered work on HIV research during an era when people knew very little about it.

According to Dr. Hildreth, it is remarkable that scientists all over the world are collaborating to find answers to COVID-19. ? “That’s very encouraging” from his perspective.

Read More

https://www.cdc.gov/ and

https://www.politico.com/

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• COVID-19 can be severe, and some cases have caused death.

• The new coronavirus can be spread from person to person. It is diagnosed with a laboratory test.
• Currently there is no coronavirus vaccine.
• Prevention involves social distancing, frequent hand-washing, coughing into the bend of your elbow, staying home when you are sick and wearing a cloth face covering.

Read more about COVID-19 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/

2019-ncov-factsheet

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The USC Price Center for Social Innovation and Safe Communities Institute in conjunction with the Neighborhood Data for Social Change (NDSC) hosted the inaugural event to highlight its Criminal Justice Data Initiative and analyze public safety in Los Angeles.

The one-year pilot program is in collaboration with the Urban Institute’s National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership and the Microsoft Cities Team to initiating a community criminal justice reform through data. Its relies upon a different approach to analyze how crime data can be used to implement better police practices.

According to Gary Dean Painter, director of Sol Price Center for Social Innovation, Homeless Policy Research Institute, the partnership with Microsoft make available “new criminal justice data” to the public. However, this data is not available to open data portals and targets select communities.

Data will illustrate how neighborhood crime in combination with areas like housing, education, homelessness, economic development and jobs could shape public policy throughout Los Angeles.

“This data will affect people’s day-to-day lives”, says Joumana Silyan-Saba, external relations and community engagement leader for the L.A. Housing and Community Investment Department. LA Mayor Garcetti’s aide and the program’s policy director adds,“for us this means looking at the data to see if we are achieving this goals.”

USC hosted a panel discussion on the topics of policy, data and law enforcement as the first of a number of community events designed to shift public deliberation last week.

Earl Paysinger, Vice President Civil Engagement USC, reminded those in attendance “public safety is a broad issue.” The former Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief also says law enforcement officials must have a dialogue with the people in their communities. “The current metrics used by law enforcement is dated and does not reflect how communities define safe.”

The comprehensive data gives communities the ability to craft their own neighborhoods. Passenger and Silyan-Saba seem to agree that it’s going to take some time before the general public stop thinking of public safety strictly in terms of law enforcement.

“Public safety and criminal justice takes on many meanings,” says Dr. Erroll Southers, director, USC Safe Communities Institute. “In the public safety environment we usually measure negative data. As a former gang enforcement officer we got more funding when there were more shootings.”

However Fernando Rejón, executive director of the Urban Peace Institute, says, “it’s the people’s perception of safety. You have to look at the cultural nuances. If you want to understand community residences in these policy conversations you have to take cultural nuances into account. If there is no community by-in your policy will not be affective.”

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Gaye’s relatives  politicians and local residents gathered in June for a rededication ceremony.

Among those in the crowd were Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, LA City Council President Herb Wesson and City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

“I never thought in a million years that my brother would have a post office named after him,” said Marvin’s sister Zeola Gaye. “It warms my heart.”

The two-time Grammy winner was nicknamed “The Prince of Soul” because of  mega hits such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Lets Get It On,” and “Sexual Healing.” According to his biography Gaye was inspired by political unrest over the Vietnam War and wrote one of his signature songs “What’s Going On.”

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) introduced the legislation to name the post office at 3585 S. Vermont Ave near USC.

“Marvin Gaye’s music has transcended generations and gave 70s and 80s a sound,” said Rep. Bass.

In fact, Gaye is the first Motown artist to get a US Post Office and Forever Postal Stamp. The USPS issued a stamp honoring Gaye on April 2, which would have been his 80th birthday. He died in 1984.

The Marvin Gaye postal facility was previously known as the Dockweiler Post Office in honor of Isidore B. Dockweiler, a prominent lawyer.

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There have been 253 mass shootings so far in 2019, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Whenever these attacks occur, we hear the expected platitudes, but these thoughts and prayers are uttered so often they start to lose meaning.

Read more about this article at https://sci.usc.edu/2019/08/11/after-mass-shootings-guns-are-still-the-problem/

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