Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 4-9-19

National
Identical Twin Brothers Are Valedictorian And Salutatorian Of Class
750,000 To Lose Food Stamps/SNAP Benefits In Proposed Cuts
TOLEDO, OH- Deontae and Deontrae Wright might make you think you're seeing double. The identical twins are leading the way for the Scott High School senior class this year.
With a 4.5 GPA, Deontae is the Valedictorian. Deontrae is right behind him, the Saluta- torian, with a 4.4 GPA. It's the same in school as in life. Deon- tae was born first.
"We both like to compete against each other," says De- ontrae. "We want to score higher than each other."
The two brothers competed all year, each pushing the other to be better. It made their final grades tough to calculate, as their GPAs kept switching them between first and second posi- tion. But in the end, it was De- ontae.
"It feels awesome knowing that I put in the hard work and got something out of it," he
says. "It feels great at the end of the day."
The competition is a win- win no matter how to slice it. Both twins secured full rides to Ohio State University to study electrical engineering. They say they want to minor in business and start their own electrical
engineering firm once they graduate.
In addition to their high achievements in school, both of them hold two jobs and have more than 70 hours of commu- nity service. They say giving back makes them feel good, and changes the community.
A new bill being proposed by the White House adminis- tration will lead up to 750,000 losing food assistance later this year.
The proposal is meant to en- courage Able Bodied Adults Without Disabilities (ABAWDs) to go to work, but it’s based on the wrong assumption that these people are lazy and haven’t already been seeking jobs.
According to statistics from the Center on Budget and Policy Proposals, the average monthly for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit, formerly known as Food Stamps, was only $126 per person in 2016.
It is true however, that sell- ing SNAP benefits for cash is il- legal and considered to be defrauding the government. This method of “fraud” is on the rise. But many feel that ex- changing a $125 dollar food voucher in order to have cash to pay other bills, or other means of survival, isn’t behavior wor- thy of being demonized or crim- inalized; it’s a method of survival for those who need help the most.
Supporters of the bill claim it should be easy to find jobs in this better economy and job market; but the bill ignores the barriers to work that many peo- ple face.
Parents, for instance, are often limited to finding employ-
ment that won’t conflict with their kid’s school schedule be- cause the cost of before/after school programs is outrageous. Many poor people can’t afford cars to travel to work (or a vol- unteer site, or job training), and in rural areas public transporta- tion often isn’t available.
Formerly incarcerated peo- ple are ineligible or overlooked for many positions; the home- less, drug-addicted, and men- tally ill struggle as well.
With this newly proposed plan, SNAP assistance would stop after three months for those without disability unless they find employment, get job training, or volunteer, for at least 20 hours a week.
That’s not a new law; the re- quirement has been in place for years. Still, many states waive the requirement because they understand how cruel it would be to those who genuinely need the assistance.
The Trump administration now wants to make waivers much harder to get.
Congressional democrats have threatened to sue if the bill passes.
Deontae and Deontrae Wright are tops in their class.
7 Indicted In Prostitution Ring At Fort Valley State
A year-long investigation into a prostitution ring at Fort Valley State University came to a head last week when the for- mer executive assistant to the President was indicted for her role in the scandal.
Alecia Jeanetta John- son was charged with six counts of prostitution and three counts of pimping and two counts of solicitation of sodomy on Friday, according to re- ports.
Prosecutors say the 49- year-old was performing sex acts in exchange for money as well as providing prominent men in the community with
prostitutes.
Six men were also indicted
on one count each of solicita- tion of sodomy, as well as two counts each of pandering for sexual acts alleged to have oc- curred in 2017 and 2018, ajc.com reports.
Ernest Harvey, 47; Ken- neth Howard, 56; Ryan Jenkins, 35; Charles Jones, 57, Devontae Little, 26, and Arthur James Nance Jr., 46, face up to 12 months incarceration and/or a $5,000 fine, and up to 12 months and up to a $1,000 fine per count for solicitation of sodomy and prostitution.
Jones was reportedly the university’s chief legal counsel until he was fired amid the headline-making controversy.
How the sex scandal began
Fort Valley State University
first went under investigation by the GBI for alleged em- ployee misconduct involving students and outside players in 2018. GBI Special Agent J. T.
Ricketson said the agency was requested by the Georgia Board of Regents and Attorney General's office to "look into a matter" at the university.
Ricketson said their crim- inal investigation began April 12, 2018. While he wouldn't categorize the investigation, posts on Twitter and other so- cial media platforms pointed to a sex scandal with the Alpha Beta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
The Aftermath
A little more than a week after allegations surfaced of a sex scandal involving the chap- ter and a member of the Fort Valley State University admin- istration, the chapter was sus- pended. A letter from the South Atlantic regional director of the sorority outlined the suspen- sion and said the investigation was spurred after she “received information regarding unau- thorized activities and miscon- duct involving current and former members of Alpha Beta Chapter.”
Rival L. A. Gang Members Coordinate Largest Peace Rally Since 1992 Riot To Honor Nipsey Hussle
Peace among rival gangs in L.A. are end result of Nipsey Hussle’s senseless murder on March 31st.
In the wake of the tragic loss of Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom, Rival Los Angeles gangs from Watts, Compton, Inglewood, and Los Angeles met Thursday and Friday after- noon to honor the slain rapper with a call for peace in the streets.
Together they marched from a local Crenshaw grocery store to Hussle’s Marathon clothing store where the rapper died March 31st.
According to Blavity, Vet- eran gang leaders played a major role in coordinating the peace talks among usual ene- mies. They shared their
progress on social media.
The community march is meant to be the start of a larger effort for prolonged peace. Ac- cording to reports, there have not been this many gangs united for peace since 1992 — the same year the Los Angeles riots were sparked by police brutality against Rodney
King.
Memorials, vigils, murals, and other dedications have been springing up around Los Ange- les to pay homage to Hussle’s wide-spread community impact which included a STEM pro- gram for local youth, and build- ing affordable housing units.
PAGE 12 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019