Category Archives: Intentional Communities

I think what 2020 has brought is this triple pandemic of COVID-19, social injustice and economic insecurity like we havent seen in a while. And there is this energy and desire for change and a knowingness among our entire community that it is time for a change but not knowing how to get there, says Brandi Grayson, the CEO of Urban Triage, Inc. If we want to get there, we have to have the right folks in there. Its time to pass the baton for innovation. Were so used to enrolling those who are the masters of the systems to do the work without considering that they are the masters of a broken system. So we just need to practice creating the opportunity to think outside the box.

Grayson announced last week that she was running for alder for District 14 on Madisons south side noting that she wants to continue to work hard to ensure that all Madisonians have a chance to succeed.

The reason that I decided to jump in right now is that we need leadership in the south district. We havent had leadership in years. And we need folks who are rooting for our community and advocating and creating policies that reflect the needs of the south side, Grayson tells Madison365. So, thats why Im jumping in.

Its the perfect time and I have amazing supporters. The reason why Ive been able to move so quickly and so impactfully and effectively is because of the supporters my families, my volunteers, our advocates. They just make the work doable, she adds. I have a lot of support. Its not just me. Its not just Brandi coming to the table; its my whole squad coming to the table to serve District 14.

Grayson is the co-founder of Young, Gifted and Black, a grassroots coalition of young leaders who have worked tirelessly to raise the voice of communities of color in Madison, and later founded Urban Triage, a nonprofit organization that addresses critical needs in the Madison community by way of transformative education and strategic partnerships. She is running against incumbent alder Sheri Carter who was elected Madison Common Council president in April of 2020.

District 14 takes up most of Madisons south side and is part of one of the most racially diverse zip codes in the state.

I think what distinguishes District 14 from other areas is the aggressive gentrification that is taking place on the south side that is pushing working-class people out. People cant afford to live over here, Grayson says. I think thats one of the largest issues which leads us to the conversation: how do we act in a radical way that supports the needs of the folks who have been a part of the southside district for generations?

Grayson grew up on Madisons south side where she has been a big part of the fabric of the community. She has lived there for all but about three years of her life.

The south side is different from any other area in Madison because of its diversity and richness. I live in an area where there are African immigrants, Latino immigrants, born-and-raised-here Africans, born-and-raised-here Latinos we have southeast Asian people across the street. We have Muslims, Grayson says. Im a very personable person and I meet a lot of my neighbors and people are looking for not just affordable housing, but safety for their children.

Oftentimes, we choose either or. We assume that in order to keep neighborhoods safe we have to build more luxury apartments and buildings. Things to generate property taxes and money. I get that part of capitalism, she adds. But we have to make sure that we are doing our due diligence to protect the culture of the south side and preserve it. Its so rich in culture. If were not intentional about protecting it, its going to be gone.

Another challenge facing south Madison, and all of Madison for that matter, is finding alternative spaces for youth.

Youth and family empowerment programs that work and that are rooted in the needs of the community versus what we think is useful, Grayson says. We have a lot of community programs that are not meeting the needs of our community members so we have to be creative and we have to have relationships with the people who are the most impacted by the lack of programmings and support.

I bring all of that with me. I have the social capital of our community members and constituents and Ive built relationships and a reputation in Madison for standing in integrity meaning that I say what I say and I mean what I say, Grayson adds. If there is room for adjustments, Im always willing to adjust because there are plenty of things we dont know that we dont know until we know it. Im always willing to honor my word by taking in more and new information and I think thats required for the position of alder.

Its important, now more than ever, to build programming through relationships and strategic partnerships, Grayson says, giving the example of her organization, Urban Triage, which works to foster self-sufficiency through healing, community leadership and personal development in African-American families and provides community support, training, coaching and workshops centered in transformative justice, equity and transformative education.

One of the things that people often say is that we dont have that in the budget. But we do! Youd be surprised how far a little can go if we have the right people at the table, the right partnerships and the right support and right resources. Urban Triage is a reflection of that the work that Ive been able to do in a year, Grayson says. I realized a long time ago that we dont get anything done without our community. We are for the people and by the people and that is really what Im rooted in. Not hearing from some people, but all of the people because everyone matters.

This years Common Council race is seeing a racial diversity in its candidates that Madison has never seen before. Grayson says that is important.

One of the challenges that we face in Madison is how we talk about race and how we deal with race. We talk about race from a very simplistic view and lens. If youre Black, you get it. But its not just race that matters, its lived experience and being able to provide a perspective that is only gained through experience, she says. When you understand what it means to be homeless and sleep on concrete and wake up on concrete, you have a different approach to policy. Thats very important.

The COVID pandemic has really changed how politicians can get people out to vote. It used to be all about going door-to-door, neighborhood to neighborhood. Grayson says that she and her team have adapted to the new world of campaigning during Coronavirus.

Fortunately, I know a lot of people. Normally, you would send a whole group of people door-knocking every single day, but we have a strategy where we are having people call people that they know, Grayson says. We have a huge digital presence and we will be ramping that up in the next week or two, as well. We will be getting groups together on Zoom where I can discuss my platform.

A lot of times people focus on endorsements, but I have to get to my constituents because they are the voters, she adds. We may do some events where people can drive by. We are going to be creative like we always are.

Grayson has already nabbed the impressive endorsements of State Rep. Francesca Hong of the 76th Assembly District, longtime Madison alder Shiva Bidar and former Wisconsin State Senate candidate Nada Elmikashfi. She has also gotten the endorsements of MMSD School Board members Nicki Vander Meulen, Savion Castro, Ananda Mirilli and Ali Muldrow and Madison alders Rebecca Kemble, Tag Evers, Keith Furman, Arvina Martin, Max Prestigiacamo, and Grant Foster

Im proud of the great endorsements and the support I have been getting, Grayson says.

On Tuesday, the Grayson team announced the endorsements of Dane County board members Elena Hassl, Heidi Wegleitner, and Elizabeth Doyle and former Dane County Supervisors Leland Pan and Kyle Richmond.

In one of Graysons campaign ads, Grayson says, Madison is like a small, big Pleasantville. And now if we can just get Pleasantville to include all people, then we would be right where we should be.

The biggest thing for me is that healthy communities are safe communities. We really need to focus on that, Grayson says. We need to make sure that people on the south side are not being left behind. We have to be intentional about creating affordable housing, healthy communities and wealth building for those who are often pushed out.

For more information about Graysons campaign, click here.

Read the original here:

"We are for the people and by the people." Brandi Grayson looking to bring all voices to the table in District 14 - madison365.com

Lauren Zabierek is the Executive Director of the Cyber Project at Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center. She previously served as an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force and as a civilian intelligence analyst with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA).

Paul Kolbe is Director of The Intelligence Project at Harvard Universitys Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a former member of CIAs Senior Intelligence Service and formerly led BPs global Intelligence and Analysis team.

OPINION In the Intelligence Community we like to discuss cutting-edge technology, complex operations, and advanced analytics to give us an edge over our adversaries. But the most important element in our intelligence advantage is the quality and makeup of the ICs corps of professionals. Much like we accept that the best equipment and training is vital to military effectiveness, diversity across all functions within the IC is essential to the conduct of our intelligence activities. Unfortunately, the IC is not as diverse as it needs to be and is not recruiting from as wide a talent pool as it could. The CIA recently launched its newwebsitededicated to hiring intelligence officers from different backgrounds. This is an important step, but its important to note that the Intelligence Community comprises more than just the CIAits other agencies must also step up and make diversity a priority. Additionally, a truly diverse workforce does not rest alone on hiring; retention and development of officers is an equally important pillar in this mission.

In September, the Intelligence and Cyber Projects at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs hosted a virtual conference exploring Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the IC with over 600 participants from the Community, academia, and private sector.During the conference, panelists and attendees shared their experiences and ideas for concrete policy and cultural changes to improve DIB in the IC for the benefit of our national security. Speakers examined the historical record and the experiences of underrepresented groups in the IC and compared strategies for recruiting, retaining, and developing a diverse workforce. The participants identified pathways for improving the diversity of thought in the IC, including how academia and the private sector could play a facilitating role. Panelists also reexamined the role of networking, mentorship, and leadership within national security organizations. The purpose of these conversations was to stimulatedialogue, spark creative new solutions, and inspire a diverse new generation to consider service in the intelligence community.

Changes to improve diversity of thought, experience and background must start in the way the IC defines and looks for talent. Can we acknowledge that the understanding of what it means to be elite has evolved from pedigree to capability and talent? What does talent actually look like? To us, talent looks like curiosity, integrity, honor, grit, courage, the ability to think on ones feet, and the ability to speak up and go against conventional thinking. Diversity of experience and backgrounds, we believe, is a necessary foundation for those qualities. In addition to more intentional hiring, we must also nurture our talent as well, or else these attributes can be dulled by groupthink, bureaucracy, the grind, or lost entirely to attrition. Too few make it into the senior ranks.

We invest massively in IC technology an indication that we believe in its ability to powerfully augment the mission. All the technology in the world, however, wont do much when intelligence officers are reticent to embrace it in favor of traditional methods. Developing new methodologies, moving away from the way things have always been done, and incorporating technology into analysis and operations is a hallmark of an elite organization. Though there are pockets of innovation and excellence across the community, we must aspire to building more capable IC across the board. Doing so requires people from every background, race, age, and gender denomination, to imagine and work and evangelize. It also requires de-prioritizing elite pedigrees and educational backgrounds as indicators of success.

So how do we recruit this talent? Our panelists stated we must start by acknowledging that the talent pool is not limited and continue by building connectivity in underserved communities. One key step is to understand that just because a candidate might be interested, they wont always apply. We must have models to demonstrate value and belonging, and more transparent pathways into the IC. And if an officer departs, we must offer them pathways back into the community so that we do not lose that institutional knowledge and experience forever.

Policy and culture play important roles in nurturing our talent. We can create community wide policies that promote diversity and leaders actions and intentional messaging matter to create a truly diverse and inclusive culture that supports innovation is critical. Culture starts at the top, and so a leaders actions and intentional messaging matter to create a truly diverse and inclusive culture that supports innovation. Its not enough to offer platitudes and designate diversity officers, change must be modeled from the top-down, and be lived and championed throughout the ranks. It must also take place in the course of everyday hiring, promotion, and assignment decisions.

In the IC, all human capital issues are inherently national security issues, and diversity is one of mission effectiveness. Officers must look like and understand the makeup of the nation to truly understand the threats we face. The IC needs to develop strategic human capital policies and programs that hire, develop, respect, and properly communicate with an evolving workforce that reflects the diversity of the public it serves. Failure to address these issues will diminish the ICs ability to recruit, retain, and develop the best talent, thereby reducing the ICs ability to maintain its most mission critical asset its people.

Read more expert-driven national security insight, perspective and analysis in The Cipher Brief

Visit link:

Toward a More Diverse and Inclusive Intelligence Community - The Cipher Brief

The clean slate of the New Year offers a natural time to set new goals and build new habits.

We caught up with CIOs who recently won the2020 Bay AreaCIO of the Year ORBIE Awardsto find out see what habits they believe will be important in the year ahead. The awards were presented by theBay Area CIO Leadership Association, a professional community that annually recognizes CIOs for their excellence in technology leadership.

Common themes from their suggestions include being change ready and more deeply supportive of the people you lead.

[ Get exercises and approaches that make disparate teams stronger. Read the digital transformation ebook:Transformation Takes Practice. ]

Read on to learn the key habitsthese CIOsbelieve IT executives should cultivate to adapt to our newnormal.

Jacob Sorensen, EVP & CIO, Bank of the West: In the year ahead, it is extremely important that CIOs are intentional about checking in on the wellbeing of our teams and individuals. The pandemic has challenged everyone in many different ways, and IT leaders must be proactive about checking in our team members regardless of how theyve been impacted. Many of our team members are working long hours in an always on mode. Other team members may be living alone, while others may be feeling isolated from the rest of the team.

As leaders, we must ensure our team members are getting the required downtime to recover from the long hours working from home. Make it a habit to encourage your teams to set aside time for their healthy habits of choice, whether thats exercising, doing a hobby, or spending time with loved ones preferably away from a screen. Frankly, this is something I am still trying to improve myself.

Ultimately this downtime makes for a more productive and effective person. It helps avoid burnout and fosters more creative and innovative outcomes. By being consistently deliberate with these well-being check-ins, CIOs will build a more stable, supportive IT culture that will better serve everyone in the future.

Todd Wilson, Senior Vice President of IT, Clif: As Heraclitus said, the only thing constant is change. This has never been more true than in 2020. As CIOs and technology leaders, change is a given, but generally far out of the comfort zone of most. To adapt to the new normal we are adjusting to a state of constant change. As technology leaders it is essential for us to keep a people-centric focus as we digitally transform. We can promote an attitude of adopting this new norm of constant change, even championing it to disrupt our organizations and industries for the better, while keeping people top of mind.

Clif Bar is a values-based company intentionally focused on sustaining our people, community, planet, business, and brand. It begins with our people. For IT leaders, driving change and adding value across the organization must revolve around our people and their needs. This includes asking some key questions, such as: How will our people respond? Will they adapt? How do we create quick wins to provide a beacon for adoption? We must be intentional in our empathy while evangelizing the tremendous value we are unlocking. To be an effective technology leader in this new era, we must put our people at the center of our strategies while promoting, championing, and embracing a world of constant change."

Kirsten Wolberg, Chief Technology & Operations Officer, Docusign: Habits are our behaviors. For me, how I behave and show up in the world is tied to my values. In 2021, I believe CIOs and IT executives will be well served to get really clear on their values and what is truly important to them and to their companies. Importantly, DocuSign has company values that are consistent with my personal values trusted, loved and responsible. These values were essential to guide me and my team to do the right thing for our fellow employees and our customers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It was challenging to move everyone to remote work, and for many CIOs it will be even more difficult to navigate bringing employees back to the office. There will be hundreds of decisions to make, and thousands of lives will be impacted. Staying focused on ensuring the company values guide the way will simplify the move back to the office and help tackle every new obstacle that 2021 brings.

Sally Gilligan, CIO & Head of Corporate Strategy, Gap Inc.: As technology continues to accelerate the pace of change across industries, it is important for CIOs and IT executives to stay connected outside of your organization. This habit helps to foster an agile learning organization that is aware and can respond to change. By having that external orientation, it also allows the organization to have awareness of any emerging innovation that may shape industries and shift underlying economics. Additionally, this helps leaders understand where to invest. As a leader, this understanding informs where you need flexibility, where your strategy needs to evolve, and the talent you need to grow and deliver.

The pace will continue to accelerate. CIOs and IT executives will need to be integrated into a broader ecosystem of innovation to participate in the broader conversation. By cultivating the habit of seeking outside opinions, it allows you to understand what you should be considering and how best to navigate the emerging landscape. Talent will continue to be one of the most critical aspects of your ability to deliver the business needs. When you understand what is possible and what is emerging, you can also develop and invest in your teams today to be able to deliver tomorrow.

Adhir Mattu, VP & CIO, Marvell: CIOs are leading a world where a multitude of changes are happening around us from emerging technologies, such as 5G, artificial intelligence and edge computing, to industry model changes like autonomous vehicles, online retail, and Industry 4.0. Were also leading in a time when there are ever-increasing cyber security challenges, as well as changing environmental and geo-political situations. As business models continue to adjust amid these myriad changes, it will become increasingly imperative for CIOs to reimagine and rescale IT accordingly, enabling profitable growth for their firms.

In the year ahead, CIOs must develop the habit of constantly looking out for change patterns and make quick adjustments accordingly. While every industry faces its own unique set of challenges and opportunities, as CIOs, we all find ourselves in a position where we must focus on innovative ways of supporting the business in the most scalable and cost-efficient manner, all while still offering high-performance IT services with excellent user-experience. CIOs who remain adaptable amid all of this change will add more value to their organizations in the years ahead.

Rob Lloyd, CIO, City of San Jose: 2020 proved the importance of people and trust. For CIOs, we saw our organizations (and communities) turn to us in a true moment of need. How powerful it was that we solved keeping people collaborating and working remotely in days/weeks, that they openly invited us to help redesign business processes for an instantly digital work. How meaningful it is that we are tending to new, transformational challenges facing us together and with more empathy than ever before.

That ability of CIOs to think operationally, tactically, and strategically at the same time has translated well. We've helped our organizations address how to pivot today's work, how to organize tomorrow's work, and how to prepare for what's important on the horizon. I've never seen so many leaders from across organizational disciplines take the time to appreciate how the IT team has kept things running, kept people connected, anticipated change, and listened deeply to work with peers/partners to solve big, new challenges in novel ways. This will continue to be useful in the year ahead as we face even more economic uncertainty, deep challenges to people's lives and livelihoods, and bonds of community.

One area where I need to improve my abilities is in how I help our people take care of themselves. Making time to reinforce interpersonal bonds. Protecting our people from falling into over-working and over-meeting. Providing time, space, tools, and guidance for people to take care of their minds, bodies, and families. Leading by example in setting new norms for work-life integration. Finding recognition and team building rituals that work in hybrid work environments. I'm convinced the best of us in the CIO and IT executive community will be the ones who can lead in terms of that mental, physical, and family well-being."

[ How can automation free up more staff time for innovation? Get the free eBook: Managing IT with Automation. ]

See more here:

IT leadership: 6 CIO habits to develop in 2021, from Bay Area CIO of the Year winners - The Enterprisers Project

Nothing symbolized the year 2020 quite like the face mask. It became a ubiquitous, often required, item for people around the world to wear in response to the pandemic, to keep themselves and those around them safe.

The need for masks was so urgent that many companies quickly pivoted to begin producing masks at large quantities. It was an entrepreneurial, and even heroic, response to the immediate demands of hospitals, communities, and consumers.

Like many companies, Mighty Wella medical accessory company built at Babsonalso began producing face masks in 2020. But, unlike most companies, it wasnt a change of direction, it wasnt in response to the pandemic, and it was highly personalfor its customers and for its founders. And, it already was part of the plan.

This wasnt really a pivot for Mighty Well, said Yousef Al-Humaidhi 15, co-founder and CFO. Weve always prioritized the needs of our patients and the needs of our community members. The difference is that as the pandemic came in, those needs shifted drastically. So, we didnt completely throw out the old business model and replace it with a new one. We just moved with our market considering what was going on with COVID.

Mighty Wells founding has been well documented. As a Babson sophomore, co-founder Emily Levy 16 was diagnosed with chronic neurological Lyme disease. Working with Maria Del Mar Gomez 16, and Al-Humaidhi (now her husband), Levy created a fashionable and functionable PICC line protector, which led to the formation of Mighty Well and a line of wellness accessories.

Weve always designed products that were specifically made for chronically ill patients, Gomez said.

For Mighty Wells immunocompromised customers, wearing masks was not a new concept. Even before the pandemic, its customers were clamoring for high-quality face masks, so Mighty Well began development in 2019. The pandemic only accelerated the need and the production, resulting in the launch of the Mighty Well Mask in June.

It definitely helped that Mighty Well was founded by a chronically ill patient, because we understood what our consumers were going through, Gomez said. Our target market is my best friend and, for Yousef, his wife.

Because of the pandemic, Mighty Wells mask also helped increase its brand awareness and open new markets, including caregivers and those who have immunocompromised family and friends. The companys community has more than doubled, from 20,000 community members to more than 50,000.

It allowed us to reach another huge, different audience, she said. This has allowed us to grow the reach and the bulk of Mighty Well through this face mask.

Like any entrepreneurial endeavor, especially a startup company, the ability to adapt to changing conditions is critical. Mighty Well is no different, although its approach might be.

Considering Emily has had chronic Lyme disease since the inception of the company, we have a built-in flexibility and agility in our team, Gomez said, because we know that with a chronically ill founder, we need to be able to adapt quickly if something happens.

With the pandemic and the growth of the company, Gomez and Al-Humaidhi have taken on greater responsibility and expanded roles. Plus, the company has been able to add three new part-time employees.

Al-Humaidhi notes that a purposeful level of redundancy has existed since the companys earliest days.

If someone critical to the business were to walk away, the business has the people in place, built in, to continue operation as though nothing happened, he said. Weve really been intentional about making sure that we have that flexibility, not just as a startup, but considering that we work with several chronically ill and immunocompromised people in our team, we work with people that might have a bad day, and we have to be able to work around it because the business cant stop.

Mighty Well has proven in the past year that nothing can stop it. In addition to expanding its product line and its markets, Mighty Well is working on starting a clinical trial in 2021 and launching a new catheter securement device with medical distributors and hospitals.

Babson always taught us to think on the fly and react to things as they came, Gomez said. The biggest thing that Emily was pushing for at the beginning of the pandemic was Entrepreneurial Thought & Action. A huge part of it is you really need to put something out in the market first to get feedback right away and then iterate, iterate, and make changes as you need.

And, the maskthat symbol of 2020is here to stay, for Mighty Well and for its customers.

As the caregiver of someone who is chronically ill, I know that I will wear a mask for the foreseeable future in settings like on planes and on buses, so I dont see that really disappearing from the needs of our consumers, Al-Humaidhi said, and I think itll always be a core product line for us.

Posted in Entrepreneurship of All Kinds

Tagged Alumni, Startups, Entrepreneurs of All Kinds

See original here:

When Making Masks Proves Purposeful and Personal - Babson Thought & Action

Updated at 3:15 a.m. ET

A pair of Louisville, Ky., police officers connected to the raid on Breonna Taylor's apartment last year were formally terminated from the force, a spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department confirmed Wednesday.

The termination letters, signed by interim Police Chief Yvette Gentry, said Detective Joshua Jaynes, who secured the warrant for the March 13 raid on Taylor's home, and Detective Myles Cosgrove, who federal and Louisville investigators said fired the shot that killed the 26-year-old Taylor, were dismissed from the force as of Tuesday.

Each has 10 days to appeal the police department's decision.

The announcement of the terminations comes the same day Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer formally announced the hiring of Erika Shields, who previously led the Atlanta Police Department, as LMPD's next police chief.

During a Wednesday morning press conference, Fischer described Shields, who will be sworn in as Louisville's top cop on Jan. 19, as a "well-respected visionary" adding that she was the unanimous choice of the city's diverse selection committee.

He also alluded to the fact that she comes to Louisville with a keen understanding of a police force and a community in search of a path forward. Shields left her post in Atlanta in the aftermath of the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in June.

"And when tragedy happened in her city, she put her city before herself, stepping down, so she would not be a distraction, as her community worked to heal," Fischer said.

The two officers involved in the Atlanta incident are facing criminal charges stemming from the encounter. The officer who shot and killed Brooks has been terminated from the Atlanta Police Department.

"I understand there is much healing to do across the country and here in Louisville," Shields said Wednesday, addressing residents of the city for the first time.

Shields, who is white, spoke of her quarter-century working her way up the ranks in Atlanta and how it informed her about present-day challenges facing police interactions with communities of color.

"Policing to me, and race, to me, [are] not mere training blocks of instruction or a work rule in a disciplinary manual," Shields said. "The last year has shown that we have a long way to go."

New details in Cosgrove and Jaynes termination letters

In the termination letters to Cosgrove and Jaynes, Gentry, the interim LMPD chief, said each had violated department policy.

According to the documents, Jaynes ran afoul of department protocols in connection with the preparation of the search warrant and truthfulness.

"The evidence in this case revealed a sustained untruthfulness violation based on information included in an affidavit completed by you and submitted to a judge," the letter reads. "It is my decision to terminate your employment based on that evidence."

For Cosgrove, LMPD said he violated department procedures including on the use of deadly force and failing to operate his officer-worn body camera.

LMPD also found that Cosgrove fired 16 shots into Taylor's apartment, striking her twice.

"The shots you fired went in three different directions, indicating you did not verify a threat or have target acquisition," the letter to Cosgrove states.

"In other words, the evidence shows that you fired wildly at unidentified subjects or targets located within the apartment."

Both Cosgrove and Jaynes have been on paid leave in the months since the shooting and in late December received notification from Gentry that LMPD intended to sever their employment.

Earlier this week a lawyer for Jaynes told Louisville NPR member station WFPL his client's dismissal from LMPD would not come as a surprise.

"I think the outcome [has] already been pre-determined," Thomas Clay said to WFPL. "I think Detective Jaynes is going to be terminated. And we're prepared to do what needs to be done in order to appeal that decision."

Dispute over charging decisions

None of the officers who discharged their service weapons during the raid faces criminal charges for Taylor's death.

Another member of the search party, former Officer Brett Hankison, was terminated from LMPD in June.

A Kentucky grand jury indicted Hankison in September on three counts of wanton endangerment for his role in shooting into an apartment unit near Taylor's.

When Daniel Cameron, the Kentucky attorney general, announced Hankison's indictment during a press briefing on Sept. 23, he said that Cosgrove, who fired the fatal shot, and another officer, Jonathan Mattingly, "were justified in their use of force."

Both Cosgrove and Mattingly fired into Taylor's apartment after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, first fired upon them.

Walker has maintained that the couple did not hear officers announce themselves before entering the apartment. He also said he mistook them for intruders. Walker, a licensed gun owner, said he fired a warning shot, which struck Mattingly in the leg.

That prompted officers to return fire.

In October, Mattingly filed a counter-suit against Walker, saying that Walker committed assault, battery and intentional emotional distress. Earlier that month, Mattingly sat down for an interview with ABC News and the Courier Journal where he claimed that the Taylor shooting was "not a race thing like people try to make it to be."

Breonna Taylor's name became a rallying cry, along with George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Jacob Blake and other Black Americans who were killed or seriously injured by law enforcement last year. Those encounters sparked a national reckoning on race and social inequities in the United States and internationally.

One of the grand jurors in the Taylor case said the move to terminate additional officers made him feel "vindicated," according to WFPL. The grand juror, who has remained anonymous, has joined two others in coming forward to raise concerns about how Cameron, the attorney general, presented the case.

Cameron had said grand jurors agreed with not charging any of the officers for the killing of Taylor.

However, the three grand jurors have said they not only disagreed with Cameron's characterization, but also said they pressed for more charges to be considered, but those requests were rebuffed by prosecutors.

You can read the full Louisville Metro Police Department Final Action report below.

Read more:

2 Louisville Police Officers Connected To Breonna Taylor's Death Have Been Fired - KPCW

Triumph in the Midst of Tribulation: Our Good News of 2020

I could feel the anger starting before I even finished watching the media clip. A 14-year-old Black boy, the son of award-winning jazz artist Keyon Harrold, was being violated in the lobby of a boutique New York hotel by a White woman who claimed he had her smartphone. Another racial incident went viral because of the glaring abuse of privilege whereby irrationality disses a respect for life. This trauma made me pause and think about how many times this year and in the past Blacks have observed or experienced acts of racism by systems, institutions or well-intentioned people. Im not like the victims mother who repeatedly asked why this would happen to her gentle son. I know why. I analyze and reflect on the why in my daily racial justice work. It is hurtful and tiring to know that there are people who hate you, institutions who work against you, or policies written to hold you back just because of the color of your skin.

And yet, it is the close of the year and the holiday season of love, peace, and joy is upon us. To that end, I know that this year has not only been one of the most challenging in racial matters but also economics, healthcare, and politics have divided Americans. We are polarized on issues and in need of hope and belonging. So, I decided to contact some Black friends who reside in my local community of Chapel Hill-Carrboro to hear of their good news. Black Americans are a people who have overcome enslavement, Jim Crow or segregation, lynching, exclusion, and now Jim Code. Weve been managing two pandemics: coronavirus and racism. What has been our triumph this year? What are the blessings that have sustained us?

Sibby Anderson-Thompkins (Interim Chief Diversity Officer, UNC) For me professionally and personally, 2020 brought tremendous growth, abundance, and purpose.Professionally, I agreed to take on a challenging job, one that I wasnt sure I wanted.Still, I was able to successfully leverage my experience and expertise as a seasoned diversity, equity and inclusion architect to move campus leaders towards meaningful charge.2020 was also a growth year for my son, graduating from high school and starting college virtually. He had his ups and downs, but he finished his first semester with a 3.3 GPA.Im grateful and blessed to serve.

Sylvia Black (CEO, Black Star Strategies) Since COVID-19 has prevented us from seeing our grandchildren as often as we normally would, my two grandchildren and I now have standing appointments to talk via phone every other week. They each call me at their appointed time and we talk for 30-45 minutes about what is going on in their lives. As a result, I feel much more involved in their lives than I have in several years now that they are teenagers.

Michelle Laws (Community Activist and Assistant Director, NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services) Ive witnessed the amazing resiliency of historically marginalized populations who came into the pandemic shouldering a disproportionate share of the disease burden due in large part to the effects of historical and durable structural inequality and racism. Although communities of color have been hit the hardest in terms of COVID-19 related mortality and morbidity, we have been fighting back hard to survive in spite of the challenges operating against our favor including the economic fallout from this pandemic. And personally, being turned inside out from the pandemic has forced me to draw from my inner strength, hope and faith (inside/internal work) to explore the new opportunities (outside) that this crisis presents. Im focused on what really matters and realize the role my gifts and talents play in helping to make my community and state better have been the wonders of 2020. I didnt break during this pandemic and all of the tragedies and losses that occurred in 2020; I got better.

Marilyn McClain (Physical Therapist, UNC Healthcare) In spite of all that has gone on that is perceived as negative, the spirit of love prevails. This quarantine provided me an opportunity to be intentional about connecting with friends and family. I also participated in three global meditation events for love, peace and unity that were powerful and energizing. I am also grateful to have remained free of COVID-19 even though I have to go into the homes of patients who tested positive to provide physical therapy. I am blessed.

Paris Miller (Community Activist and NAACP Officer) Soon after the U.S.A. went into COVID-19 lockdown, the holy month of Ramadan began for millions of Muslims around the world. Ramadan is usually a very communal period of time, but this year I was forced to be still, break-fast, and worship in the solitude of my home. This solitude would usher in a spiritual journey and awakening I hadnt experienced since my initial embracing of Islam over 20 years ago. As the death toll climbed, and anxiety and stress rose for many, I set my goals of spending more time with the holy Quran and standing in the late-night prayers as much as possible.Although I was hungry, tired and sleep deprived, a PEACE descended upon me, and my faith was renewed and fortified in ways that continue to sustain me during these difficult timesI pray to see another Ramadan.

Chi Nwogu (Founder, GameFlo and Entrepreneur-in-Residence, UNC Entrepreneurship Center) This year I was able to face my depression head on through adversity. A childhood friend was arrested in New York City on May 30, the fourth straight night of nationwide protests against police brutality. His arrest brought communities of people together, but also sent me into a deep depression. Two months later, I told my six siblings for the first time about childhood trauma that was the root cause of my depression. Being vulnerable is not something that happens often in my family, and my courage to tell the whole truth has freed me to have deeper conversations with my family, particularly my parents who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in November!

Halona (Founder, Breakroom Consulting, Inc.) and Ted Shaw (Julius L. Chambers Distinguished Professor, UNC School of Law) What was great for us in 2020 was the time our family had together in Chapel Hill. That included dinner at home every night, movies, games, puzzles and conversation. We were reminded of the deep bonds of love that hold us together. On a societal level, while it came as the result of racial injustice, the awakening among many White Americans and institutions to that injustice has been a positive development. Racial progress has always been bought and paid for in blood.

Soteria Shepperson (Artivist and Coordinator, Interfaith Council of Social Service) Artivism inspires community and transforms culture. Be inspired, live courageous, and transform the world. This work has been my joy.

Robert Smith III (Associate Chair for Administration, Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine) We were blessed with our first grandchild. A pure joy in the midst of these trying times.

Nicho Stevens (Community Activist and Marketing & Communications Associate, Broadstep Behavioral Health) Professionally, I started a new full-time job amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic. On a more personal note, I learned to value myself more! Ive always been the one to work hard to please other people. However, this year I took more time for self-care (mentally and physically) and as a result I feel like a more confident and happier person.

Elmira Mangum(Education Leadership Consultant) I am grateful to be a witness to monumental changes in our society to see love continue to win because love can use anybody the most unlikely among us. Being a person born before we had the right to vote, I am so grateful to see 2020 prove the importance of that right when exercised to its full extent. Im thankful that it is just the beginning of the changes to come. And on the lighter side, Im grateful that my black cake and peach cobbler can share the same table.

These voices of gratitude and perspective give us the language and hope to breathe more. As the cliches go in the midst of it all and when you add it all up, life really is too short. The racial tension and violence wont end tomorrow. However, we all have the capacity to learn, evolve, and transform ourselves to be better neighbors and coworkers. I refused to allow that crazy reaction and mishap by that hostile woman to dictate my joy. I trust that over time Keyon Jr. will rebound and find support from his loving family. And just perhaps, the woman will accept counseling to heal her own insecurities.

I have no doubt that 2021 will bring to us exactly what we believe we deserve. There is too much work to be done to allow evil doers to impede our purpose. Therefore, my frustration towards an interrupted routine, mask-wearing, and thwarted travel plans pales in comparison to my many 2020 blessings. The spirit of my friends (as noted in the aforementioned testimonies) provides a demonstration of the will and beauty of humanity. This past year Ive especially enjoyed the exploration of deeper loving relationships, more focused study and reading, new passion-filled clients, and jaunts on my new electric bike.

Im looking forward to the next chapter. Why? I see blue skies and more triumphs. How about you?

Never Too Far contains perspectives and insights from an inquisitive and engaged Orange County transplant from Philly. Deborah Stroman is an entrepreneur and UNC leadership professor who has seen too much and not enough, and thus continues to question and explore the thoughts and actions of humankind.

Chapelboro.comdoes not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community.Contribute today every single dollar matters.

Related

Originally posted here:

Never Too Far: Triumph in the Midst of Tribulation - Chapelboro.com

FLINT, Michigan -- Flint native Jonathan Quarles has always been interested in solving problems.

As a successful social entrepreneur, the ethos that he cultivated as a kid growing up in Civic Park was spurred to action in the face of the 2014 Flint water crisis. Quarles launched Quartz Water Source, an organization that views itself as a second line clean water solution that supplements, not replaces, municipal water anywhere it is needed. Quartz also has a donor-advised fund called Water to the People for people interested in helping fight the global water crisis. The fund is managed through the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Proceeds from an apparel line from Flints Eight One Zero brand support the fund.

We want to be the hub for any community in the world to have clean drinking water and access to clean water, Quarles said.

After graduating from Florida A&M University, Quarles worked in private and public sector jobs and founded The BTL Group, a business development and relationship management platform. Quarles has also been a fellow from the Aspen Institute, German Marshall Fund, and the

Global Entrepreneur Summit. He was honored by Ebony Magazine, Black Enterprise, D

Business Magazine as 30 under 30, and Crains Detroit Business as 40 under 40.

His first book, Making Dollars While Making Change: A Playbook for Game Changers, will be available on Amazon on January 7, 2021, and has already sold out pre-order copies.

Were going to be doing some cool things that are very Flint-centric, Quarles said. The first place well be delivering the book to is Comma Bookstore downtown.

Quarles talked with Flintside about his background, growing up in Flint, his career, and the process he went through writing his book.

Flintside: Tell me a little bit about your background in Flint. What neighborhood did you grow up in?

Jonathan Quarles: I actually grew up in Civic Park and went to Sobey Elementary, which is closed now, Whittier Middle School, which is closed now, and graduate from Flint Northern, which is also closed.

I turned 18 and went off to school in Florida at Florida A&M University and got my MBA there and from there started working and eventually moved back to Detroit.

Flintside: How did the city shape you as a person and your career? What does it mean to you to be from here?

Jonathan Quarles: It means a lot. Flint taught me grit, persistence, community. The idea that to whom much is given, much is expected. It also kind of set a bar high for me so that when I left, I realized that I have to come back but also that every day, everything that I do in life, its a representation of Flint. You dont ever want to do anything to embarrass home.

That inspired the whole start of Quartz Water Source and inspired the book. All throughout the book, I talk about lessons I learned growing up in Flint. I was in a gang. I lived kind of two realities. One part was, I grew up knowing that because my family came from humble beginnings, I realized the only way we could get out of poverty was to create ownership and be able to own our own future. That was one part, but in the midst of that, in order for me to get out and go to college and do things, I had to be safe. So in the late 80s/early 90s when gangs were really rampant, for me, I had to walk to the bus. So there were a lot of dangerous places I had to walk through and experience, so being a part of a gang gave me an association that protected me while I was going back and forth while my parents were at work.

Flint taught me that having character, doing business and being a person of honor and integrity, are so important. Flint is not a big city, so if youve done something wrong, your reputation spreads throughout the community, so its important to be a man or woman of your word and do things honorably. You burn someone, you wont ever be able to do business with anyone else or be friends with anyone else because people talk.

Flintside: What was it that sparked that interest in business for you? You mentioned seeing it as a way to escape poverty, but just general interest-wise, what drew you to the business and entrepreneurial world?

Jonathan Quarles: Ive always had this ability to connect with people and Ive always been a problem-solver. I always looked at business as solving problems. I might have been like 5 or 6 or something, and I started a detective agency. I made business cards out of cardboard and literally had binoculars and flashlights and would go around the community spying on people. That was, in my mind, solving a problem to help make the community safer.

It really wasnt until I was a paperboy. In my paper route, I had one territory and there was another person who quit, so I was given an opportunity to expand. So at one point, I was actually one of the highest grossing paperboys in Flint. So from that point, I started really seeing how to build a business, and started bringing in all my friends to kind of help roll up papers and deliver them in the morning.

You had to interact with people too. Back then, you had to knock on doors and ask people to increase or have their monthly or yearly subscription. It actually developed a muscle in me. I learned how to be persistent at the age of 8, 9, 10.

So it was just seeing how money could grow, and you could actually start from nothing and solve problems and close deals. The greatest feeling used to be when people would say, Yes, Ill get a new subscription. That was everything to me, and I just felt super accomplished.

So I translated that into starting a t-shirt company, a printing company, I had a janitorial business, I had all of these different hustles. I love the idea of starting something from nothing and seeing it flourish, but also I wanted to have money. A lot of my friends sold drugs or did things that are illegal, but I didnt do that because I had a mother and father that were very involved in my life. So I had to figure out other hustles in order to grow money. That was my way of trying to build wealth so I could get my parents out of the neighborhood we grew up in and then be able to provide for my future family.

Flintside: With your book being available in January, what was it like for you sitting down to write your own story? Did you learn anything from that process?

Jonathan Quarles: I had actually been, in my mind and kind of casually, been writing my book for about three years. Because of COVID-19, it allowed me to sit still. Previous to COVID-19, the work that I do requires a lot of travel internationally and domestically.

In 2017, I wrote in my journal that I want to be an author, but I dont have time and I dont think Im a great writer. I struggled with those insecurities. But being stuck in a house in February, I started just journaling. I had an outline for Making Dollars While Making Change, and what I found is I just started getting in a flow.

Writing also became therapy. I was having some anxiety issues from being stuck in a house and not being able to go anywhere. I dont know if Ive ever actually been in the house every day for a whole week without leaving. Writing let me release myself.

The book is half memoir and half playbook that intersects business and social impact. The first half, I talked about seeing my best friend get murdered when I was younger. I talked about things that Id never really opened up about publicly and allowed myself to be vulnerable and even talked about my anxiety I was dealing with for the first time in my life. I talked about how important mental health is, and how I started seeing a therapist.

The book to me, when I got in a groove with it and started finding my voice, I just couldnt stop writing.

Flintside: Things like mental health are topics that just dont get talked about, especially in poor cities or in majority Black cities like Flint. How important is it for you to share your experiences in the book with not just a wider audience, but also an audience in your hometown?

Jonathan Quarles: Thats probably my favorite part of my book. For African Americans, particularly in poor communities, historically mental health has been something thats really taboo. We dont really talk about it or address it, or were not really informed about it.

I talk about mental health and how to address it, as well as the things we should be putting into our bodies. I talk about my diet, and natural plants and herbs that stimulate our bodies, drinking a lot of water, exercising. I exercise 4-5 times per week, but as Im getting older, Im realizing that my body is functioning better than a lot of people my age because of overall health and wellness being a priority.

Flintside: Your book sold out of pre-order copies. How did it make you feel to know theres so much interest in your story out there?

Jonathan Quarles: It feels good. I sent my manuscript to a few people just to get their thoughts and feedback, and everything has been positive. Reading the reviews has really touched my heart, because again, I never thought I was a good writer. I had to find my voice. Because Im a business person for the most part, I usually write like business documents. The book is not just a business book, its an overall personal development book. I had to be more creative, more descriptive, talk about how I felt, what stuff tasted like, what did I see.

In writing a book, you have to expand and provide more details and be creative.

Flintside: One of the things about Flint in every generation of people from here, theres always people who have big dreams and big goals. Now that youre established in your career, what advice would you give to young people growing up here now, who are sitting in some of the same spots you were and have their own big dreams?

Jonathan Quarles: I think theres a couple of things. One, its so important to have a good support system. People who support you through good and bad, and who celebrate small wins as well as big wins. A lot of times we get so busy trying to accomplish these bigger goals or vision, but every day has small wins to celebrate and a support system is important.

I also think health and wellness is certainly important. The reason why I eat the way I do is the work I do every day requires a lot of thinking. So I need food that is a helping hand or complement to those tools I need for peak performance.

Discipline is extremely important. Every morning, I have the same routine. Every night before I go to sleep, I meditate and reflect on the day. Im always intentional about creating magic in peoples lives, whether thats through my work or whether its just being outside.

I would also always say persistence. When youre thinking about game-changers or entrepreneurs, youre going to fall, there are going to be a lot of nos, a lot of peaks and valleys. But being persistent in the midst of triumph or disaster is something that defines those that succeed.

Success to me is not money or awards or accomplishments. Success to me is love, is having a family that you can appreciate and spend time with, is doing something thats bigger than yourself and impacting the world. You may not actually reap the rewards from it, but generations to come will.

Flintside: You have a passion to do things or contribute to things that have some societal or public good attached to them. You dont always see that in the business world, where a lot of the focus is just on how much money you can make. How did you blend those two passions?

Jonathan Quarles: At a very young age, my dad always instilled in me to whom much is given much is expected. He said that he needed me to never work for anyone, because I always had this mindset of ownership and a little bit of stubbornness. I have my way and I want to figure out how to make it happen.

You never forget where you come from. I want to be successful so that I can help more people. Jay-Z said, I cant help the poor if Im one of them. So for me, my motivation for being a successful businessman is to make a profit, because you obviously have to be profitable so your business lasts. But for me, I want to be as successful as possible so that I dont have to ask the government or someone else to do something for my community that I can do myself.

What are you doing for others? Thats what I learned in the church I attended growing up. Whatre you doing to serve people? For me, my lifes mission is to be thoroughly used. When I die, I want to be remembered as someone who was thoroughly used. What you do for other people is what lasts.

Excerpt from:

Everything that I do in life, it's a representation of Flint - Flintside

Bloomington, Ind., Jan. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solution Tree has teamed up with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) to improve student outcomes through Redwood Learning, a new web-based professional development initiative to prepare and credential educators in evidence-based teaching practices for online learning. Redwood Learning represents both organizations ongoing commitment to providing educators with quality, efficacious training that leads to measurable increases in student achievement. The new professional learning brand will debut at REMOTE K12: The Connected Teacher Summit, hosted by Arizona State University (ASU) on Jan. 9, 2021.

Rooted in intentional learning design, Redwood Learnings core focus is developing educators to implement evidence-based teaching practices for the benefit of all students. This new professional development targets the research-based competencies and skills educators need to grow. Redwood Learnings course design delivers professional learning services directly to educators, catalyzing sustainable change and improvement among practitioners, schools, and districts.

In addition to immersing staff in training models and equipping teams with evidence-affirmed practices, Redwood Learning also provides educators with the opportunity to earn microcredentials which are endorsed by Solution Tree and ACUE, along with a certificate for 15 contact hours.

Our vision is to transform education worldwide to ensure learning for all, said Solution Tree CEO Jeffrey C. Jones. Our partnership with ACUE affirms our vision and further connects educators with the confidence and skills required to ensure consistent growth in student learning, particularly during this moment in education. Research-backed and results-driven, Redwood Learning is designed to increase teacher efficacy and improve student learning outcomes.

The first course offered by Redwood Learning is Foundational Strategies for Distance Learning. Specially designed for secondary educators, this course adapts the key components of Dr. Robert J. Marzanos The New Art and Science of Teaching framework for remote education. This award-winning framework is based on more than 50 years of research and comprehensively addresses the most alterable effect on student learning: high-quality instruction.

All Redwood Learning courses align to the evidence-based teaching competencies defined in ACUEs Effective Practice Framework. The Framework is a research-based, consensus statement of the instructional skills and knowledge that educators should possess. It is based on decades of research from the scholarship of teaching and learning and discipline-based educational research. The Framework was independently reviewed and endorsed by the American Council on Education.

The course includes six modules, each comprised of authentic online teaching videos, expert insights featuring nationally known experts in K-12 teaching and learning, opportunities to learn and collaborate with a cohort of peers, and the opportunity to practice and reflect on instructional strategies.

Foundational Strategies for Distance Learning is the first of several courses to be offered by Redwood Learning. Each Redwood Learning course takes approximately 15 total hours over a 12-week period.

We are thrilled to partner with Solution Tree to support positive outcomes for students nationwide through proven, research-based teaching strategies, said Susan Cates, CEO of ACUE. Our first course is designed to address the extraordinary need among teachers to effectively educate their students in virtual and blended environments. We look forward to making a difference through Redwood Learning for many years to come.

ASUs REMOTE K-12 event offers sessions to support principals, superintendents and EdTech professionals. Redwood Learning will have a virtual booth at the summit and will have staff available to interact with educators and respond to questions about Foundational Strategies for Distance Learning.

For more information on Redwood Learning, please visit http://www.solutiontree.com/redwoodlearning.

###

About Solution Tree:Since 1998, Solution Tree has worked to transform education worldwide by empowering educators to raise student achievement. With more than 48,962 educators attending professional learning events and more than 5,500 professional development days in schools each year, Solution Tree helps teachers and administrators confront essential challenges. Solution Tree has a catalog of more than 500 titles, hundreds of videos, and online courses and is the creator of Global PD, an online tool that facilitates the work of professional learning communities for more than 20,000 educators. No other professional learning company provides Solution Trees unique blend of research-based, results-driven services that improve learning outcomes for students. Follow @SolutionTree on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About ACUE:The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) promotes student success through quality instruction. In partnership with colleges, universities, higher education systems and associations, ACUE prepares and credentials faculty in the evidence-based teaching practices that improve student achievement and close equity gaps. Numerous and independently validated efficacy studies confirm that students are more engaged, learn more, and complete courses in greater numbersmore equitably with their peerswhen taught by ACUE-credentialed faculty. ACUEs online, cohort-based credentialing programs are delivered through institutional partnerships and open enrollment courses endorsed by the American Council on Education. To learn more, visit acue.org.

Go here to see the original:

Solution Tree Partners with ACUE to Launch Redwood Learning at Arizona State University's REMOTE K-12 Connected Teacher Summit - GlobeNewswire

L.A. TACOs contributing photographers had a hell of a year documenting the streets of Los Angeles. Here are their favorite photos from 2020.

My camera helped me maintain a sense of normal during the early surge of coronavirus. And later in the year, while covering the protests, my camera lens played a pivotal role in protecting me. Above all, Ive been blown away by all of the amazing images that have been produced during these turbulent times by my friends and other photographers. Lexis-Olivier Ray

Benjamin Burgos by Lexis-Olivier Ray

Street vendors are such a huge part of Los Angeles that it has been an honor being able to highlight and capture their stories, hard work, and endurance during such an intense year. Witnessing the constant hustle and pride they have for their work despite the many obstacles they go through to be able to sell has been both eye-opening and inspiring. Janette Villafana

The Flower District has been present in the collective memory of so many Angelenos that wereraised out here. Absent from the mainstream narrative of what L.A. is supposed to be. I wasenamored by place; a flower district, a neighborhood of independent vendors dominating a spacein a city that is so quick to sell out culture and space for more money. I had been teaching atnight school in South L.A. and some of my students were working and owning businesses in theflower district. Brenda, Rogelio, and Elvis would tell me stories and show me pics of theircreations in class. I respected the symbolism and story of each arrangement. They are artistsfacilitating a feeling through their hands, cultivated into a bouquet for a wedding, a funeral, acelebration and so much more. Sean Muang

This was a year of massive growth as a photojournalist and human being. Photographing protests and the impact of the pandemic on immigrant communities further instilled a drive to be intentional about the imagery Im making and how it affects the way people understand history. While I documented moments of struggle, there was also equal amounts of hope and resilience as communities came together to support each other. Samanta Helou-Hernandez

Looking back at the year, 2020 will be like no other in the history of L.A. TACO and our city of Los Angeles. From the protests, to the championship celebrations to a pandemic. The year 2020 has brought our newsroom to think outside of the normal boxes and establish a new lane for local news. The next ten years for TACO is promising and exciting. Erwin Recinos

Demonstrators face off LAPD while protesting police violence at Los Angeles City Hall. (Brian Feinzimer)

Demonstrators organized by Black Lives Matter LA gather in front of LA mayor Gercettis house to protest police violence, the proposed LA city budget of 54% to the LAPD and the death of George Floyd. Brian Feinzimer

Originally posted here:

LA Taco's Year in Review: Our Best Photos of 2020 - L.A. TACO

Israel plans to spend NIS 20 million to put a halt to illegal building by Palestinians and settlers in Area C of the West Bank.But the primary drive is to thwart what the Israeli Right believes is an intentional plan by the Palestinian Authority to take over Area C by building illegally.

In cooperation with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, we are mobilizing in full force for the battle against the hostile takeover of Area C, Community Affairs Minister Tzachi Hanegbi said Thursday. The regional and local councils in Judea and Samaria will receive a dedicated budget to assemble effective and determined systems to thwart the Palestinian Authoritys stated plan to establish facts on the ground, in violation of the law and the agreements it signed with Israel.

Among other items the money will be spent for are vehicle and drone patrols to collect information on illegal land activities in Area C, according to a joint press release from the offices of Hanegbi and the prime minister.

Right-wing NGO Regavim has long argued that the PA is working to create facts on the ground in Area C to ensure that the area can not become part of sovereign Israel. In particular it has complained against the lack of enforcement against illegal Palestinian building.

In the absence of any negotiations toward a peace deal, Israelis and Palestinians have focused their efforts on the retention of Area C. Many on the Right hold that all of that territory should become part of sovereign Israel, while the Palestinians say all the territory should be within the borders of their future state.

Much of the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, concur, unless the PA and Israel agree to a different set of borders within the context of a two-state solution.

The Palestinians, the UN and the EU have argued that the Palestinians have little choice but to build illegally, given that permits for Palestinian construction in Area C are rarely granted. The UN and the EU have provided financial support to the Palestinians for such building.

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

Left-wing group BTselem said in response: 2020 saw a sharp spike in the number of Palestinian homes and infrastructure demolished by Israel in spite of an unprecedented health and financial crisis. In light of this, it is not surprising that the Israeli government allocates even more funds to further harass some of the most vulnerable communities living under its military control, as part of its ongoing attempts to drive them off and take over their land.

Separately right-wing politicians and settler leaders continued to press Netanyahu to authorize 70 settler outposts built illegally over the last three decades. The Right has argued that these communities were not illegal, but rather fledgling communities for which the authorization process was never completed.

Read more from the original source:

Israel to spend NIS 20m. to stop Palestinian takeover of Area C - The Jerusalem Post