An Officer Who Donated To Kyle Rittenhouse Defense Fund Has Been Fired
A police officer who donated to Kyle Rittenhouse’s crowdfunded defense fund has been fired.
Lieutenant William Kelly was fired from the Norfolk Police Department in Virginia after it was discovered that he made donations to support Rittenhouse, a Chicago teen dropout who is being accused of opening fire on Jacob Blake protesters with an AR-15-style rifle, Revolt TV reported.
“Chief Larry Boone and I have concluded Lt. Kelly’s actions are in violation of city and departmental policies,” Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer said in a statement. “His egregious comments erode the trust between the Norfolk Police Department and those they are sworn to serve. The City of Norfolk has a standard of behavior for all employees, and we will hold staff accountable.”
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, one of those donations was for $25 and is associated with the official email address for Kelly, who was the executive officer of internal affairs in the Norfolk Police Department in Virginia.
Along with his donation, he wrote, “God bless. Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong. Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.”
Kelly’s donation was first reported by The Guardian. Rittenhouse has become somewhat of a celebrity amongst conservatives, one of his biggest supporters being former President Donald Trump.
The Kyle Rittenhouse Defense Fund on GiveSendGo, a Christian social crowdfunding platform, was reported to have raised $586,940 between Aug. 27, 2020, and Jan. 7, 2021.
Rittenhouse allegedly killed two people and injured a third person in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and he somehow was able to walk past armed policemen; he eventually turned himself in after news broke.
Rittenhouse faces six criminal counts in Wisconsin, including first-degree intentional homicide.
Stacey Abrams Issued a Scathing 2-Minute Read Against the Georgia Voting Law
Stacey Abrams went viral on Wednesday while explaining how restrictive and racist she finds Georgia’s controversial voting rights law.
The Democratic politician appeared in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday and didn’t hold back when Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) asked Abrams to provide a list of provisions for the new voting law that she’s been a fierce opponent of, HuffPost reports.
“It shortens the federal runoff period from nine weeks to four weeks,” Abrams said. “It restricts the time a voter can request and return an absentee ballot application. It requires that voters have a photo identification or some other form of identification that they are willing to surrender in order to participate in the absentee ballot process.”
After Kennedy asked Abrams to repeat herself due to an audio delay, he ended the call after two minutes by telling the voting rights activist, “OK, I get the idea.”
Republican Senator John Kennedy asks @StaceyAbrams to give him a list of provisions in Georgia’s new voter suppression law that she objects to.
A more heated discussion about racism in America was brought forth after Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) claimed that Democrat-run states like New York and Connecticut also have voting laws that “need to be improved.”
“The intent always matters, sir, and that is the point of this conversation,” Abrams said. “That is the point of the Jim Crow narrative. That Jim Crow did not simply look at the activities, it looked at the intent. It looked at the behaviors and it targeted behaviors that were disproportionately used by people of color.”
The state of Georgia has been under fire since the controversial voting law was passed earlier this month. Major companies based in Georgia like Coca-Cola and Delta blasted the law for being “unacceptable” AJC reports. The MLB moved the All-Star Game out of Georgia in protest against the voting law. But Republicans have responded by threatening tax hikes on the companies and even boycotting Coca-Cola, Business Insider reports.
U.S. and Other Countries Double Down On Climate Pledges At Earth Day Summit
Reuters -The United States and two other countries hiked their targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions at a global climate summit hosted by President Joe Biden, an event meant to resurrect U.S. leadership in the fight against global warming.
Biden unveiled the goal to cut emissions by 50%-52% from 2005 levels at the start of a two-day climate summit kicked off on Earth Day and attended virtually by leaders of 40 countries including big emitters China, India and Russia.
The United States, the world’s second-leading emitter after China, seeks to reclaim global leadership in the fight against global warming after former President Donald Trump withdrew the country from international efforts to cut emissions.
“This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis,” Biden, a Democrat, said at the White House.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the new U.S. goal “game changing” as two other countries made new pledges.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who visited Biden at the White House this month, raised Japan’s target for cutting emissions to 46% by 2030, up from 26%. Environmentalists wanted a pledge of at least 50% while Japan’s powerful business lobby has pushed for national policies that favor coal.
Canada’s Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, raised his country’s goal to a cut of 40%-45% by 2030 below 2005 levels, up from 30%.
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not announce a new emissions goal, saying that China expects its carbon emissions to peak before 2030 and the country will achieve net zero emissions by 2060.
China will gradually reduce its coal use from 2025 to 2030. China, a leader in producing technology for renewable energy like solar panels, still relies heavily on coal for its electricity generation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed giving preferential treatment for foreign investment in clean energy projects, but also made an apparent reference to the United States being historically the world’s top greenhouse gas polluter. “It is no secret that the conditions that facilitated global warming and associated problems go way back,” Putin said.
The U.S. climate goal marks an important milestone in Biden’s broader plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy entirely by 2050 – an agenda he says can create millions of good-paying jobs but which many Republicans say they fear will damage the economy.
The U.S. emissions cuts are expected to come from power plants, automobiles, and other sectors across the economy, but the White House did not set individual targets for those industries.
The new U.S. target nearly doubles former President Barack Obama’s pledge of an emissions cut of 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025. Sector-specific goals will be laid out later this year.
CEMENTING CREDIBILITY
How Washington intends to reach its climate goals will be crucial to cementing U.S. credibility on global warming, amid international concerns that America’s commitment to a clean energy economy can shift drastically from one administration to the next.
Biden’s recently introduced $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan contains numerous measures that could deliver some of the emissions cuts needed this decade, including a clean energy standard to achieve net zero emissions in the power sector by 2035 and moves to electrify the vehicle fleet.
But the measures need to be passed by Congress before becoming reality.
The American Petroleum Institute, the top U.S. oil and gas lobbying group, cautiously welcomed Biden’s pledge but said it must come with policies including a price on carbon, which is a tough sell among some lawmakers.
“With a transparent price on carbon and innovation, we can make measurable climate progress within this decade without hurting America’s middle-class, jeopardizing U.S. national security, and undermining economic recovery,” said Mike Sommers, API’s president and CEO.
Biden focused on restoring U.S. climate leadership during his campaign and in the first days of his presidency after Republican Trump, a climate change skeptic, removed the United States from the Paris agreement on global warming.
‘THE U.S. IS BACK’
The new administration has come under heavy pressure from environmental groups, some corporate leaders, the UN secretary general and foreign governments to set a target to cut emissions by at least 50% this decade to encourage other countries to set their own ambitious emissions goals.
The summit is the first in a string of meetings of world leaders – including the G7 and G20 – ahead of annual UN climate talks in November in Scotland. That serves as the deadline for nearly 200 countries to update their climate pledges under the Paris agreement, an international accord set in 2015.
Leaders of small island nations vulnerable to rising seas, like Antigua and Barbuda and the Marshall Islands, also spoke at the summit.
World leaders aim to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a threshold scientists say can prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
A Biden administration official said with the new U.S. target, enhanced commitments from Japan and Canada, and prior targets from the European Union and Britain, countries accounting for more than half the world’s economy were now committed to reductions to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal.
European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed delight that the United States was back in the climate fight.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Valerie Volcivici; additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; Elaine Lies and Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo, and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; writing by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Raissa Kasolowsky)
Virtual Pitch Contest Seeks Innovators Providing Products and Services for Women 40+
Older women can sometimes feel underrepresented, forgotten, and sometimes ignored when it comes to their business, and health and wellness. The truth is, time is ticking for everyone, so aging is inevitable. However, Tamara McClintock Greenberg, Psy.D., M.S., is an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. Her story began with a close friend in her 60s who half-joked about no one in the world seeing her anymore because she is an older woman. During the conversation, not being taken seriously at her workplace came up, too. Greenberg remarked that she began to hear more of her older patients describe this feeling “invisible” experience. Then she began to notice it was happening to her, too.
But times are changing, and so are perceptions of aging. When it comes to health, The FemAging Project is taking steps to include women who are in midlife. According to a press release, the FemAging Project launched in 2019 with a vision to help women ages 40+ achieve their fullest potential. Improving health with solutions that are driven by technological advances is one way this goal is achieved.
The FemAging Project’s website stated that 55% of women 40-65 are worried about staying active, healthy, and independent as they age. In conjunction, The FemAging Project announced that along with the Keiretsu Forum Southern California, a unique opportunity for founders in the U.S. and worldwide focused on innovations/ business opportunities relevant to women who are over the age of 40, will be provided.
On May 20, 2021, at 12:00 pm EST/9:00 am PST, a virtual event called “The FemAging Era: Advancing Women’s HealthTech Innovation and Investment” will bring physicians, investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to discuss, illustrate, and explore opportunities and challenges. Additionally, innovators will be afforded opportunities to pitch their products and services to angel investors and venture capitalists, if they are designed for women who are over the age of 40. The press release also stated that participants will be eligible to win up to $100k+ in cash and professional services, a virtual 1-on-1 meeting with a potential investor, in addition to a one-year free membership to the Keiretsu Forum.
The Keiretsu Forum’s website notes that the “Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors.”
Additionally, the press release mentioned that the pitch competition is free and open to all businesses serving the health and wellness needs of women ages 40 and over, with the exception of nonprofits. Applications will be accepted from April 1-May 1, 2021. It was also noted that although early-stage plans are welcome, founders and innovators must show consumer interest. Participants must be available on May 20, 2021, for the event.
Ma’Khia Bryant Boasted About Making The Honor Roll Days Before Her Death
The mother of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant broke down in tears while recalling one of her last conversations with her daughter prior to her fatal police shooting on Tuesday.
“We hugged each other. She said ‘Mommy, I made honor roll,” Paula Bryant toldWBNS. “She said ‘Mommy, I’m looking forward to coming home.”
Ma’Khia had been living in a foster home in Columbus, Ohio, with her mother working to reunite with her daughters soon. But all that changed on Tuesday, April 20 when Ma’Khia lost her life after being fatally shot by officer Nicholas Reardon of the Columbus Division of Police, NPR reports.
“I’m very upset, I’m hurt. I want answers,” Paula Bryant said. “My daughter dispatched Columbus police for protection, not to be a homicide today.”
Authorities released bodycam footage on Tuesday night that showed Ma’Khia attacking two girls with a knife upon police arrival. It was Ma’Khia who called the police after being confronted by a group of girls. However, the teen didn’t expect to lose her life in the process.
Paula wants the public to know how loving of a person her teenage daughter was and how she should be remembered. “Ma’Khia had a motherly nature about her. She promoted peace. That is something that I want to always be remembered,” Bryant said.
After showing the gruesome bodycam footage during a press conference, the Columbus Director of Public Safety Ned Pettus Jr. sent his sympathy to the family and said the fatal police shooting would be fully investigated.
“I understand the outrage and emotion around this incident — a teenage girl is dead, and she’s dead at the hands of a police officer,” Pettus said. “Under any circumstances, that is a horrendous tragedy. But the video shows that there is more to this. It requires us to pause, take a close look at the sequence of events and, though it’s not easy, wait for the facts as determined by an independent investigation.”
President Joe Biden Nominates Black Woman As No. 2 Intelligence Official
President Joe Biden nominated Stacey Dixon Wednesday to serve as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
Dixon, an intelligence technology expert, would be the first Black woman to hold the No. 2 intelligence position if confirmed. Her nomination represents the Biden administration’s commitment to emphasize technology in intelligence gathering. Dixon, who has spoken in the past about how the U.S. intelligence community needs to diversify its ranks, is well respected.
“Dr. Dixon possesses a deep knowledge of the intelligence tradecraft and understands the critical work intelligence professionals perform every day,” Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence toldThe New York Times.
The post has been vacated since August 2019, when Sue Gordon resigned after being passed over for the director of national intelligence by former president Donald Trump.
The U.S. is lagging behind China and Russia in technology and intelligence collection initiatives. According to her Linkedin, Dixon has a wealth of intelligence and government experience. She is the current Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGIA) and previously served the agency from 2010-2016. In between stints at the NGIA, she worked for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).
If nominated, Dixon, a Stanford University and Georgia Institute of Technology alum, will be tasked with convincing Congress to approve funding research and developing new technologies.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who chairs the House Intelligence Committee told the Times Dixon “did outstanding work for the committee” and hopes she’s confirmed quickly.
Homeland Security Today reported Wednesday cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, elections, supply chains and more may be “more destructive and disruptive” in the near future.
The U.S. was part of a massive cyberattack by Russia that targeted several countries. The Biden administration is also working to protect the country’s power grid which is vulnerable to cyberattacks and electromagnetic pulse attacks.
U.S. Treasury Official, Bank CEOs Discuss Boosting ‘Economic Inclusion’
A virtual roundtable discussion between 20 CEOs who are members of the Bank Policy Institute (BPI) and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo was held on April 20. Attendees discussed the importance of forging strong partnerships between the public and private sectors to tackle challenges facing Americans, according to a press release. BPI is a nonpartisan public policy, research, and advocacy group that represents the nation’s leading banks which collectively employ nearly 2 million Americans.
One discussion point was the American Jobs Plan, which is intended to position the U.S. to outcompete China, rebuild infrastructure, and create millions of good-paying jobs.
But in January, Adeyemo shared sentiments about the need for more economic progress which should be beneficial in a broader context that spans beyond a limited scope.
“Relief packages have helped businesses and workers stay afloat, but the job report shows why more is needed. We need to ensure that economic relief addresses economic inequality that is being made worse by COVID-19. We need to build an economy that works for everyone,” Adeyemo tweeted.
During the virtual roundtable discussion, ideas for economic inclusion were discussed along with methods of improving access to credit for low-and moderate-income communities. Adeyemo also highlighted how the American Jobs Plan will restore American competitiveness by giving American businesses and workers the tools they need to succeed in the 21st-century economy. This includes restoring the highways companies use to ship their goods to other areas as well as universal broadband which allows Americans participate in the modern economy.
According to the press release: “The Deputy Secretary also discussed President Biden’s Made in America Tax Plan, and how the proposal rewards work, not wealth. “Deputy Secretary Adeyemo also focused on the Treasury Department’s review of U.S. economic and financial sanctions, which is underway.”
According to Reuters, earlier this month, Adeyemo said to academics and other experts on sanctions that he viewed sanctions as a “potential and valuable tool for policymakers.” Reuters also reported that Adeyemo regarded this as an important way to ensure they remained a viable option for years to come.
According to the Department of Treasury’s website, Adeyemo worked as President Barack Obama’s Senior International Economic Advisor. He was responsible for coordinating the policymaking process related to international finance, trade and investment, energy, and environmental issues. Adeyemo also served as President of the Obama Foundation, in addition to spending the majority of his career in public service.
North Carolina Sheriff’s Deputy Shot and Killed Unarmed Black Man While Executing Search Warrant
It hasn’t even been several days since the guilty verdict of former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin was announced in the killing of George Floyd, yet, news comes in that another Black man has been killed in another police killing.
According to USA Today, a sheriff’s deputy in North Carolina has shot and killed a Black man while executing a search warrant. The fatal shooting took place at approximately 8:30 a.m. as several deputies from the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve Andrew Brown Jr. with a search warrant at his residence in Elizabeth City, which is about 170 miles northeast of Raleigh. The victim was killed during the deadly encounter.
According to The Associated Press, while speaking at a news conference Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II stated that the deputy shot Brown about 8:30 a.m. The deputy had been wearing an active body camera when he killed the unarmed Brown at the time of the shooting. The sheriff has declined to reveal the identity of the police officer nor did he mention how many shots he fired from his weapon. He did state that there is a pending review by the State Bureau of Investigation and that the police officer has been placed on leave.
City Councilman Darius Horton has requested the immediate release of the body cam footage, the search warrant, and an explanation of what led to the police killing. “Not only do we need transparency … we need accountability. We need answers. … Let’s not hide behind anything.”
President of the Pasquotank County chapter of the NAACP, Keith Rivers, said, “When is it going to stop? We just got a verdict yesterday,” As he referred to the guilty verdict announced on Tuesday in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin. “Is it open season now? At some point, it has to stop. We have to start holding the people in charge accountable.”
School Bus Driver Out of A Job After Making George Floyd-related Remark to Black Child
A bus driver in New Orleans is out of a job for making racially insensitive comments to a Black child in Louisiana. WWL-TV reported that Rose Gabriel did not let something her son revealed to her pass by. She informed the school system last week that a George Floyd-related comment was made to her 11-year-old son, Rashad.
According to the news station, Rashad informed Gabriel that the bus driver, who is white, scolded him after his face mask slipped below the sixth grader’s nose. Rashad reportedly commented that he was out of breath, due to running to catch the bus to Trist Middle School that morning.
“Gabriel recounted what the driver said: ‘Since George Floyd, that’s what you all say, but I don’t see a knee on your neck,’” according to WWL-TV’s news report.
In the story, it was also stated that other bus riders heard the bus driver’s George Floyd comment that was also capture by the school bus’s onboard camera. During the interview, Gabriel also stated that she struggled to address her son’s bewilderment.
“I just started crying. Because she….excuse me. Don’t make him feel inferior. He’s not inferior to nothing. He’s equal to any of those students on that bus,” Gabriel said, according to WWL-TV.
Twitter credit- WWL-TV
The news station said that Gabriel drove her son to school the following Monday, then reported the school bus driver’s comment. However, the driver did admit to making the comment. The issue reached School Superintendent Doris Voitier’s desk.
St. Bernard Parish School District’s website mentions that Voitier was appointed to serve as Superintendent of the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools on August 10, 2004. According to the information provided, she represents St. Bernard Parish School’s students, in addition to the state of Louisiana as a board member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), which is the administrative body for all Louisiana public elementary and secondary schools.
According to WWL-TV, it was confirmed in a telephone interview that the school bus driver no longer works for the school system as Voitier took swift action. She reportedly informed WWL-TV that the school bus driver’s departure is a personnel matter, so it was not confirmed if the driver resigned or was fired.
David Mullings Shows Investors That Money Can Be Made in the Caribbean Market
There are very few investment firms that are minority-owned yet they continue to build a portfolio of quality public and private companies. Blue Mahoe Capital is a black-owned investment firm that is owned by David P. A. Mulling. Being that Caribbean companies are always overlooked by investors has inspired Mulling’s Blue Mahoe Capital in its quest to be more successful
BLACK ENTERPRISE engaged in a conversation with Mullings to discuss what drives him to be successful, why Blue Mahoe Capital focuses primarily on the Caribbean market, and why they have decided to invest in the entertainment industry.
You are the owner of an investment firm, Blue Mahoe Capital, which focuses primarily on the Caribbean market at this time. What steered you in the direction to dwell into an area that doesn’t seem to draw much interest?
I was born in Jamaica and having worked there, I saw the wealth of opportunity in the region. My advisor, billionaire Jamaican-Canadian investor Michael Lee-Chin, says that you should be excited to invest in a region or industry when three things are present: Perception is different from reality; inefficiencies are present and there is a lack of equity capital flowing in. The Caribbean is overlooked because of perception but being from there and working in finance allowed me to understand the reality of the investment opportunities that are present. Combine that with a love for Warren Buffett’s approach to investing and you would see the Caribbean as a value investor’s dream region, provided they understood the culture and knew the companies.
You need to establish a track record and then you can scale a business, especially an asset management. Investing in Jamaica was the perfect way to test my investment strategy, begin building a strong track record and then scale into other markets. Michael Lee-Chin built something amazing in Canada and I intend to do the same across the USA and Caribbean with his guidance.
You are investing in the entertainment industry. How did that come about and what will you be doing?
My brother Robert and I launched Realvibez, a Caribbean music video platform in 2002, eventually becoming YouTube’s first Caribbean media partner in 2008. Music is one of the largest exports from Jamaica but more investment is needed to professionalize the industry. Blue Mahoe Capital is willing to both buy and build companies in strong long-term growth industries.
We did not see a suitable company to buy and so we are building a portfolio company that brings more of the earnings back to the region while adding a more professional approach to the business of entertainment just like how hip-hop, Reggaeton, and K-pop went through transitions. Sometimes we buy companies and sometimes we build them. We have some great partners to make it a reality one of our portfolio companies and expect Carole Beckford, former Film Commissioner for Jamaica to build an amazing subsidiary.
What is it about Blue Mahoe Capital that will make it a company to watch? What will you be doing in the future that will elevate it more in the investment field?
Money has traditionally been a taboo subject in the houses of people below a certain social class and we intend to normalize the discussion about wealth creation as well as contribute to improved financial literacy, especially amongst people who look like me. However, we will be doing it with the most recognizable people of our era, musicians and athletes. We should not discount their power and definitely should not tell them to shut up and dribble or just make music.
What happens when you combine music, sports, and financial literacy with a focus on wealth creation and helping a historically disenfranchised group? What happens when an asset manager acquires stakes in public companies and pushes for better diversity policies and racial justice? Impact investing by a Black person will look very different from impact investing by the usual asset managers.
How would you advise those who have an interest in becoming vested in the investment game? What would you suggest one do to make a powerful impact?
Michael Lee-Chin told me to find a role model, get the recipe, and do not change the recipe. You can only change the recipe when you exceed the role model. I highly recommend people read about investing, gain knowledge and then pick a role model, learn their strategy and religiously implement it. It becomes your framework that allows you to control your emotions. Michael would add that you also need access to capital and investment opportunities so that means increasing your earning power, rebalancing your expenses, and opening a brokerage account right now. It has never been easier to start investing. Start with $10 if you have to but do it consistently and build healthy financial habits.
If you want to make a powerful impact then you have to think bigger. You have to get a coach and you have to pick a big hairy audacious goal as Jim Collins says in his books ‘Good to Great’ and ‘Built to Last’ because thinking small only leads to small impact. Thinking big leads to a big impact. Ask yourself what it would take to achieve the biggest goal you can think of and then work backward, step by step and begin connecting those dots going forward. Focus on building an amazing legacy that leaves positivity in the lives of as many people as you can reach.
What is one misconception that many have when it comes to being involved in your field?
The single biggest misconception is that you already have to be wealthy to get into investment management. You do not need to already have financial wealth or to look like you have financial wealth; You need a thirst for knowledge, a passion for investing, and an uncompromising desire to make your investors wealthy. You are not supposed to do this just for yourself. You are supposed to make your shareholders and investors wealthy and in turn, you will create wealth for yourself as well. Put them first and you will be quite fine. Serve them well and you will be rewarded.
