Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 12-25-18

White House And Political News
Al Sharpton Slams Travis Scott For Super Bowl Performance
Along with Meek Mill — and, sources tell Variety, Jay- Z — the Reverend Al Sharp- ton has criticized Travis Scott for his still-unconfirmed decision to perform with Ma- roon 5 at the Super Bowl in February, saying that such a performance is effectively an endorsement of the NFL’s treatment of former San Fran- cisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The league’s stance toward the athlete, who has not played professionally since his controversial stance to “take a knee” during the Na- tional Anthem before games, has polarized audiences and significantly complicated this year’s halftime performance, among many other issues.
In an interview with TMZ posted early Saturday, Sharpton said, “I think any- one that goes into the halftime show is in effect directly vio- lating those that want to raise the question that the NFL should come to terms with what they have done and con-
AL SHARPTON
tinue to do to Colin Kaeper- nick and those that protest on criminal justice issues.”
“You can’t tell people to stand for those that take a knee and don’t go to the games and then say ‘but somebody ought to perform there and entertain,’” he continued. “You’re drawing TV viewers, you’re bringing supporters, and I think that you can’t have it both ways. You can’t help people market something and then turn around and say you agree with the people protesting.”
Stretch Of California Highway Now Named After Barack Obama
It’s official. More than a year after California state lawmakers approved a plan to name a stretch of the 134 Freeway in the Los Angeles area after our 44th President, signs have gone up signaling the change.
President Barack H. Obama Highway is a stretch on Rt. 134 running from State Route 2 in Glendale, through the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles and the cities of Glendale and Pasadena.
Sen. Anthony Portan- tino made the original an- nouncement regarding its designation in September of 2017 and was the main driver of the legislation that re- ceived bipartisan support.
“I am so proud to have au- thored this proposal to for- ever appreciate and commemorate President Obama’s tremendous legacy, statesmanship and di- rect connection to Southern California,” Portantino said at the time. “When my friend John Gallogly suggested the idea I was touched that he suggested it to me and ex- tremely honored to be in a
President Barack H. Obama Highway is a stretch on Rt. 134 in Cal- ifornia, that the former President once used during his college days.
position to bring it to fruition.”
The Democratic senator is also responsible for holding a fundraiser for the $7,000 needed for the signs. Funding was raised by individual donors based on a stipulation in the original resolution.
President Obama used the portion of the highway now named in his honor to
travel from his college home in Pasadena to Occidental College where he was a stu- dent. Obama studied at Oc- cidental from 1979 – 1981 before transferring to Colum- bia in New York City. Some credit his time in California as the beginning of his politi- cal activism and the place where he gave his first politi- cal speech.
National Christmas Tree Dark Due To Government Shutdown
Georgia Beating Trump Admin On Tightening Food Stamp Requirements
Since October 2017 through March 2018, the state agency dropped some 356 people on average per month from the food stamp rolls for not meet- ing the work requirements for the federal Supplemental Nu- trition Assistance Program (SNAP) program.
From April through Octo- ber of 2018, that number in- creased to nearly 8,000 a month, according to the news- paper.
However, it’s been hard for people like 25-year-old Cov- ington resident Miraco Belcher who lost his benefits after he was injured in a car wreck and was unable to work.
“I’ve been without stamps for two months now. It hurts,” he said in an interview in Octo- ber. “I can’t work and I can’t come up with money for gro- ceries.”
Belcher said he fractured his spine and suffers from de- bilitating seizures that gets worse when he is exposed to bright or flashing lights.
Back in August he was noted as being “able bodied” and em- ployed which got him cast from eligibility for the SNAP pro- gram. He is in the process of applying for disability through Social Security, which can last for years.
But is Georgia moving too fast to push people off the wel- fare rolls? Advocates for low-
income Georgians believe so. “People who use SNAP who can work, do work,” said Alex Carmardelle, a senior policy analyst at the liberal-leaning Georgia Budget and Policy In- stitute. “If you are not working and you are receiving SNAP it’s
because of a serious reason.” Georgia has a policy in place that allows recipients to re- ceive benefits for three months and within that time, they have time to meet the work require- ment or risk losing their bene-
fits.
Now “able-bodied” adults
have to work a minimum of 20 hours per week, or be in a work training or school program or risk getting cut off the pro- gram. Unemployed adults ages 18 to 49 who do not have dependents, and those who aren’t disabled or other- wise exempt, will have to be employed to keep benefits.
Georgia also has a new sys- tem called Georgia Gateway, a portal that gives insight into each recipient’s case.
“We have more data ele- ments available to us with this system than we have had with any of our other eligibility sys- tems,” said Jon Anderson, head of DFCS’s Office of Fam- ily Independence said. “We are more confident in the system being able to identify ABAWDs than we were in earlier sys- tems.”
Lots of folks aren’t seeing the light in Washington this week.
The National Christmas Tree may stay dark during the partial government shutdown, according to reports on Sun- day.
“During the federal govern- ment shutdown, the White House Visitor Center and Na- tional Christmas Tree site will be closed,” the National Park Service wrote on its website. “Restroom facilities will be closed.”
The tree, a massive Col- orado blue spruce, was dam- aged Friday when a man in “emotional distress” tried to climb it, a park service spokesperson told The Hill. The shutdown has “compli- cated” repairs that would allow for the lights to be turned back on.
There was a flicker of hope that might happen. The Na- tional Park Foundation, a charity that supports the park service, was providing materi- als and labor to get the lights working, a park service
NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE
spokeswoman told WTOP. The lights flickered on and off Sunday as workers as- sessed the damage.
The darkened tree, located on the Ellipse near the White House, adds a grinch-like note to the standoff between Pres- ident Donald Trump and Congress over his demand for a $5 billion border wall. Trump’s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, warned the
shutdown could stretch into January.
President Calvin Coo- lidge began the National Christmas Tree tradition in 1923, when he lit a tree with 2,500 bulbs in red, white and blue, according to the park service.
Ninety-five years later, the prospects appear dim.
Talk about a dark moment in history.
PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL-BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2018