All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Column: I’m Black. Larry Elder is ‘a clear and present danger’ to Black Californians – Los Angeles Times

I won’t lie. Few things infuriate me more than watching a Black person use willful blindness and cherry-picked facts to make overly simplistic arguments that whitewash the complex problems that come along with being Black in America.

And throughout his career — as a radio host, as a talking head for Fox News and now as a gubernatorial candidate — Elder has made a point of doing just that, usually with a lot of taunting and toddler-like name-calling of his ideological enemies in the process.

As longtime political consultant Kerman Maddox put it: “Larry Elder goes out of his way to be at odds with the leadership in the Black community and at odds with the thinking in the Black community.”

Erika D. Smith is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times writing about the diversity of people and places across California. She joined The Times in 2018 as an assistant editor and helped expand coverage of the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. She previously worked at the Sacramento Bee, where she was a columnist and editorial board member covering housing, homelessness and social justice issues.

Source: Recall candidate Larry Elder is a threat to Black Californians – Los Angeles Times

L.A. COVID mask mandate at outdoor venues: What to know – Los Angeles Times

The order applies to outdoor events that attract crowds of more than 10,000 people.

In those cases, attendees must “wear face masks at all times, except when actively eating or drinking,” the order from the Department of Public Health states. That’s further defined as “the limited time during which the mask can be removed briefly to eat or drink, after which it must be immediately put back on.”

Source: L.A. COVID mask mandate at outdoor venues: What to know – Los Angeles Times

The truth is most Afghans don’t head west to Europe | openDemocracy

My research shows that, until recently, many Afghans, especially young men, did not necessarily head to Europe to become refugees. Many of the young men I worked with in Afghanistan and Turkey in 2017 and 2018 had other, more mundane motivations for migration. These young Turkmen-speaking men from northern Afghanistan embarked on dangerous journeys through Pakistan and Iran to reach Turkey. There, they found jobs in the country’s construction and service industries, or as cooks, waiters, and cleaners. A few worked in a garment factory, and the clothes they made were exported to markets in the Middle East and Europe.

These men had strong social ties to their communities back home in Afghanistan, meaning hardly any were interested in migrating to Europe. Instead, they worked illegally in Turkey, under exploitative conditions and in constant fear of deportation. They aspired to masculine ideals – wanting to be the breadwinner, to provide for their families, and to achieve the social status and prestige that comes with marriage. An arranged marriage, in which the bride is chosen by the groom’s parents, is still considered the most prestigious route to matrimony and household formation in Afghanistan.

And so they sent remittances home to support their families and saved some money on the side towards a bride price. The marriage market has changed, and Afghan rural household resources, based on land and agriculture, are no longer sufficient – cash is instead required to pay a hefty bride price. Large, expensive weddings have also increasingly become the norm. After five to six years, the men would return to their villages to get married and start families. This circulatory mode of itinerant existence – working in Turkey and providing for families back home in Afghanistan – has come under intense pressure due to the pandemic, closed borders in the region, and armed conflict in Afghanistan.

Source: The truth is most Afghans don’t head west to Europe | openDemocracy

JSU coach Deion Sanders promotes COVID-19 vaccine in Mississippi

Two weeks before the Jackson State football season opener, coach Deion Sanders is encouraging the public to get vaccinated.

Jackson State corporate sponsor Walmart came to campus on Friday to offer free COVID-19 vaccines from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sanders was the spokesperson on the social media video promoting Walmart bringing the vaccination clinic to campus.

Source: JSU coach Deion Sanders promotes COVID-19 vaccine in Mississippi

Nurse whose unvaccinated grandmother died of COVID-19: ‘People have turned a medical issue into too much politics’ – Chicago Tribune

The 85-year-old Wisconsin resident had declined the vaccine for political reasons. “There’s no sense in arguing about it,” said her vaccinated son.

Source: Nurse whose unvaccinated grandmother died of COVID-19: ‘People have turned a medical issue into too much politics’ – Chicago Tribune