Page 31 - Florida Sentinel 4-22-22

National News
Judge Drastically Reduces Black
Teens Mourned As Schools Cope With Aftermath Of Pittsburgh Mass Shooting
Employee’s $137 Million
Discrimination Lawsuit Against Tesla
In October, a federal jury awarded Owen Diaz nearly $136.9 million in damages for racist incidents he suffered in 2015 and 2016 while working at Tesla’s plant in Fremont, Calif. A judge has now reduced the multi-million dollar law- suit.
According to Reuters, U. S. District Judge William Or- rick called the $136.9 million “excessive” and "unconstitu- tionally large.” Orrick or- dered Diaz to receive $15 million.
Bernard Alexander, Diaz’s lawyer, said in a state- ment, "The award of $15 mil- lion is substantial but does not come close to reflecting the harm caused to Mr. Diaz, or the reprehensibility of Tesla's conduct.” Diaz will appeal the judge’s decision.
Tesla has not released a statement.
The original award com- bined $6.9 million in compen- satory damages and $130 million in punitive damages.
According to The New York Times, Diaz, an elevator oper- ator, said co-workers, includ- ing a supervisor, repeatedly used a racial slur toward him. He endured racist graffiti in the bathroom and derogatory caricatures of Black children in the workplace.
Owen Diaz accused Tesla of largely ignoring his com- plaints.
Several local school systems were in mourning and officials were coordinating support serv- ices for their students on last Monday, a day after two teenagers died and several oth- ers were wounded in a mass shooting at a party.
The event brought together more than 200 people — many underage — at an Airbnb in East Allegheny. At least 10 peo- ple were shot when multiple shooters opened fire, and oth- ers were injured as they franti- cally ran for safety.
In the aftermath, a Woodland Hills High School senior and a Grace Non-Traditional Acad- emy student were dead, and four Pittsburgh Public Schools students were injured.
Mathew Steffy-Ross, 17, of Pitcairn, one of the teens killed in the shooting, had en- rolled in the Grace Academy's
MATHEW STEFFY-ROSS AND JAIDEN BROWN
PHASE 4 Learning Center in Pleasant Hills only two months ago. But he made an impact on those who worked and attended the school, CEO Terrie Reed said.
Jaiden Brown, 17, was a senior at Woodland Hills High School. The school district said in a statement that it was "dev- astated by the loss of one of our students over the weekend and we extend our deepest sympa- thies to the family impacted by
this senseless violence." Airbnb announced Monday
that it intends to file a civil suit against the person who rented the East Allegheny unit where two teenagers died and eight others were shot at an underage party early Sunday.
The company had said Sun- day that the renter would be banned for life from renting through Airbnb, which has strict policies against guests holding parties.
These Airlines Are Dropping Mask Mandates After A Federal Judge's Ruling
U. S. airlines are lifting mask mandates, after a federal judge in Florida ruled against the Biden administration's manda- tory mask mandate for travelers on planes and other public forms of transportation. The federal mandate was ending the same day the judge ruled.
Monday's ruling quickly re- shaped U. S. air travel, as a cas- cade of carriers from Delta and United to Southwest and Ameri- can said masks are now optional for travelers aboard their air- craft.
The massive shift means many airline employees no longer have to wear masks — and won't have to enforce the rule on passen- gers. But airlines also warn that travelers should still bring a mask on their trip, to conform with the rules where they land, particularly for international flights.
Here's a rundown of where air- lines stand:
Masks are now optional for customers, but they should be patient with the change in policy. "Even as more pandemic proto- cols and policies ease, our team will remain vigilant and pre- pared for whatever may come next," the airline said. "Safety re- mains our top priority."
Alaska Airlines
Alaska said it will be ready to respond if the U.S. is faced with another COVID-19 surge.
"Please remember to be kind to one another and that wearing a mask while traveling is still an option," the statement added.
American Airlines
AIRLINE MASK MANDATES
American's mandatory mask re- quirement for travelers and staff at U.S. airports and on domestic flights is now rescinded.
Like other airlines, American said face masks may still be re- quired in some places, based on local ordinances or when travel- ing to and from international lo- cations.
Delta Air Lines
Masks are optional onboard, but Delta warned that travelers may encounter "inconsistent en- forcement" over the first 24 hours as the news is being "broadly communicated."
"Communications to cus- tomers and in-airport signage and announcements will be up- dated to share that masking is now optional — this may take a short period of time," Delta said in its statement.
Frontier Airlines
"To mask or not to mask, the choice is yours," the airline said. It cautioned that passengers should still check the policies at their destination, noting that some airports or countries where Frontier flies might still require
masks.
Hawaiian Airlines
Face masks are now optional for passengers and crew mem- bers on board flights, the airline said. "We advise travelers to stay informed and follow mask re- quirements that may remain in effect at their origin or arrival airports," it said.
JetBlue Airways
"While no longer required, customers and crewmembers are welcome to continue wearing masks in our terminals and on board our aircraft," JetBlue said.
Spirit Airlines
"We understand some Guests may want to continue wearing face coverings on flights, and that's perfectly fine under our optional policy," Spirit said.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest said it encourages passengers and employees to "make the best decision to sup- port their personal wellbeing," and it will monitor public health guidance and federal require- ments.
United Airlines
Masks are no longer required on domestic flights and some in- ternational flights.
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