mercurynews--2020-11-13--Letters: GOP intransigence | Concerning contrast | Work remains | Assange case | Invest in renewable

Letters: GOP intransigence | Concerning contrast | Work remains | Assange case | Invest in renewables

Submit your letter to the editor via this form .
Read more Letters to the Editor .
As a record 75 million American voters are calling Joe Biden “ president-elect ” many Republican U.S. senators are saying that President Donald Trump has not lost the election and that the president has the right to legally pursue voter fraud allegations despite not having a shred of hard evidence .
And until those legal challenges have been exhausted , they will not accept the will of the people .
It ’ s not much better in the House where Minority Whip Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges ” have been resolved , “ the election is not final.
” The refusal to accept Joe Biden as this country ’ s next president by most of the Republican Congress is an affront to our democracy and does not bode well for Biden and his administration .
How will any meaningful legislation be passed with a political environment so toxic ?
The majority of American voters breathed a collective sigh of relief knowing that Joe Biden will restore integrity and honor to the office of president , and the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respected leader and ally on the world stage .
He is embracing science to give this country a fighting chance against COVID-19 and ultimately restore the economy .
By actively consulting with diverse leaders throughout the country , the social and economic playing field will be leveled , and the lives of people of color will matter .
In sharp , disturbing contrast , more than 72 million Americans preferred a man without honor who repeatedly sided with known dictators , failed on an epic scale to manage the pandemic that is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly disparaged war heroes , women , people of color , and the disabled , and as of July 2020 , lied 20,000 times to the American people .
Democrats still have more work : the Senate While it is appropriate to celebrate the end of the catastrophic Donald Trump presidency , we can not lower our guard .
Trump may be on his way out , but the dangerous conservative ideology that illegitimately propelled him to office has not .
The forces of conservatism are regrouping , retreating deeper into their reality-proof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part in overcoming the obstructions of Senate Majority Leader Mitch “ let ’ s block everything and blame the Democrats when nothing gets done ” McConnell .
The unrepresentative Senate has thwarted the will of the American people on everything from immigration reform to judicial appointments .
The tyranny of the conservative minority has gone on for long enough .
Contribute to the campaigns of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the Georgia runoffs .
Write postcards to voters .
Get phone banking .
There is much that we can do to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on power via the Senate , God help us .
Journalistic publications , including WikiLeaks , exist to tell the people the truth — even when the government tries to spin it or hide it .
Confronting uncomfortable truths is necessary in a democracy ; for this reason , I am deeply concerned with the U.S. government ’ s prosecution of Julian Assange .
It is already hard enough to get the truth to the public .
Sometimes it takes brave whistleblowers willing to leak secrets , knowing they are putting their careers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , the journalists who help reveal these secrets might be targets of prosecution .
If Assange is extradited to the United States to face 175 years in prison for journalism , it would set a dangerous legal precedent that could impact press freedom around the world .
If reporting in the public interest becomes a crime simply because the government declares something a secret , we fall deeper into our worst authoritarian tendencies .
The time has come to invest in America ’ s future together .
Most Americans are ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know fossil fuels that powered our industrial revolution had a big downside — the byproducts linger in our atmosphere and prevent some of the sun ’ s heat from escaping back to space and heats our land and water instead .
Now we are spending billions each year to recover from increasing natural disasters , and we are still subsidizing the fossil fuel industry about $ 20 billion a year .
Time to clean and cool our planet by refocusing our national investments on clean energy , carbon sequestration , energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful investing in fossil fuels .
Now let ’ s do the same for our future .
Part of that investment must go to help fossil fuel workers transition .
Time for Democrats , Republicans and all parties to unite for this common cause .

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
GOP refusal to accept
Biden win an affront
As a record 75 million American voters are calling Joe Biden “president-elect” many Republican U.S. senators are saying that President Donald Trump has not lost the election and that the president has the right to legally pursue voter fraud allegations despite not having a shred of hard evidence. And until those legal challenges have been exhausted, they will not accept the will of the people.
It’s not much better in the House where Minority Whip Steve Scalise says until the “serious legal challenges” have been resolved, “the election is not final.”
The refusal to accept Joe Biden as this country’s next president by most of the Republican Congress is an affront to our democracy and does not bode well for Biden and his administration. How will any meaningful legislation be passed with a political environment so toxic?
Rudolph Silva
Berkeley
Voters’ divide reveals
worrying contrast
The majority of American voters breathed a collective sigh of relief knowing that Joe Biden will restore integrity and honor to the office of president, and the United States will resume its rightful place as a respected leader and ally on the world stage. He is embracing science to give this country a fighting chance against COVID-19 and ultimately restore the economy. By actively consulting with diverse leaders throughout the country, the social and economic playing field will be leveled, and the lives of people of color will matter.
In sharp, disturbing contrast, more than 72 million Americans preferred a man without honor who repeatedly sided with known dictators, failed on an epic scale to manage the pandemic that is currently seeing a dramatic upsurge in cases, repeatedly disparaged war heroes, women, people of color, and the disabled, and as of July 2020, lied 20,000 times to the American people.
Michael Meneghetti
Pleasant Hill
Democrats still have
more work: the Senate
While it is appropriate to celebrate the end of the catastrophic Donald Trump presidency, we cannot lower our guard. Trump may be on his way out, but the dangerous conservative ideology that illegitimately propelled him to office has not. The forces of conservatism are regrouping, retreating deeper into their reality-proof echo chambers.
We must play our part in overcoming the obstructions of Senate Majority Leader Mitch “let’s block everything and blame the Democrats when nothing gets done” McConnell. The unrepresentative Senate has thwarted the will of the American people on everything from immigration reform to judicial appointments. The tyranny of the conservative minority has gone on for long enough.
Contribute to the campaigns of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the Georgia runoffs. Write postcards to voters. Get phone banking. There is much that we can do to help. If the conservatives keep their grip on power via the Senate, God help us.
Eamonn Gormley
San Jose
Assange case illustrates
threat to journalism
Journalistic publications, including WikiLeaks, exist to tell the people the truth — even when the government tries to spin it or hide it. Confronting uncomfortable truths is necessary in a democracy; for this reason, I am deeply concerned with the U.S. government’s prosecution of Julian Assange.
It is already hard enough to get the truth to the public. Sometimes it takes brave whistleblowers willing to leak secrets, knowing they are putting their careers and freedom on the line. Soon, however, the journalists who help reveal these secrets might be targets of prosecution.
If Assange is extradited to the United States to face 175 years in prison for journalism, it would set a dangerous legal precedent that could impact press freedom around the world. If reporting in the public interest becomes a crime simply because the government declares something a secret, we fall deeper into our worst authoritarian tendencies.
Nozomi Hayase
Berkeley
Renewable energy
deserves our funding
The time has come to invest in America’s future together. Most Americans are ready to tackle climate change. We didn’t know fossil fuels that powered our industrial revolution had a big downside — the byproducts linger in our atmosphere and prevent some of the sun’s heat from escaping back to space and heats our land and water instead.
Related Articles Letters to the Editor | Letters: Escape Bay Area | CASA program | Feinstein replacement | Faulty comparison | Not conservatives
Letters: Escape Bay Area | CASA program | Feinstein replacement | Faulty comparison | Not conservatives Letters to the Editor | Letters: Psychiatric beds | SJSU neglect | Squandering cash | Overdoing coverage | Pac-12 negotiations | For climate’s sake | Electric appliances
Letters: Psychiatric beds | SJSU neglect | Squandering cash | Overdoing coverage | Pac-12 negotiations | For climate’s sake | Electric appliances Letters to the Editor | Letters: Abandoning tenants | Deaf culture | Western contributions | Conservative alienation | Precise language
Letters: Abandoning tenants | Deaf culture | Western contributions | Conservative alienation | Precise language Letters to the Editor | Letters: Insulate wires | CDE was wrong | Functional Chromebooks | Trump’s ego | Healthy debate | A new path
Letters: Insulate wires | CDE was wrong | Functional Chromebooks | Trump’s ego | Healthy debate | A new path Letters to the Editor | Letters: Local solar | Titan resources | Activism helps Now we are spending billions each year to recover from increasing natural disasters, and we are still subsidizing the fossil fuel industry about $20 billion a year.
Time to clean and cool our planet by refocusing our national investments on clean energy, carbon sequestration, energy efficiency and technology jobs. We were successful investing in fossil fuels. Now let’s do the same for our future. Part of that investment must go to help fossil fuel workers transition. Time for Democrats, Republicans and all parties to unite for this common cause.
Virginia Tincher
Palo Alto


mercurynews--2020-11-13--Review: ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ omits the politics, purpose of the book

J.D .
Vance ’ s “ Hillbilly Elegy , ” an election-year explainer to liberal America about the white underclass that fueled Donald Trump ’ s rise , has been reborn as blandly overbaked awards bait .
Ron Howard ’ s adaptation , penned by Vanessa Taylor , has mostly done away with the moralizing social examination that made Vance ’ s bestseller — the second half of that subtitle , “ A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis ” — such a lightning rod .
The 2016 book came at the moment many were searching for explanations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Appalachia and the Rust Belt .
“ Hillbilly Elegy , ” a pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps cultural critique-slash-tribute to the author ’ s Ohio-Kentucky heritage , emerged as one of the trendiest answers .
Howard ’ s film arrives on the heels of another election cycle without a whiff of the same analysis — Vance wrote of “ learned helplessness ” and “ something almost spiritual about the cynicism of the community at large ” — and he instead leans into the colorful and difficult characters of Vance ’ s family for a neater redemption arc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This “ Hillbilly Elegy ” has stripped away the most sermonizing , debatable parts of the book , but it ’ s also denuded it of any deeper purpose , leaving us with a cosplay shell of A-list actors chewing rural scenery .
Howard ’ s “ Hillbilly Elegy , ” in theaters Wednesday and on Netflix on Nov. 24 , is well-meaning .
But it teeters constantly on the edge of parody , never slowing down enough to let its characters — a shouty , melodramatic bunch fighting through a chaotic world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come through as much more than caricature .
If the book begat a blizzard of op-eds , the film is more likely to inspire only memes of its most Appalachia soap opera moments .
It ’ s a jumble of timelines but the basic shape of “ Hillbilly Elegy ” is a reluctant homecoming .
J.D .
Vance ( Gabriel Basso as an adult , Owen Asztalos as a kid ) gets a call from his sister ( Haley Bennett ) that their mother Bev ( Amy Adams ) has overdosed .
Leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he drives home from Yale Law School when he ’ s on the cusp of a major job interview to the decaying steel down of Middletown , Ohio .
The trip forces him to reckon with his roots , bringing back a flood of memories just as he ’ s leaving his past behind .
Some memories are better than others .
Anything with grandma , for starters , is something to behold .
That ’ s because Glenn Close , buried under prosthetics , a coral reef of frizzy hair and plate-sized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , foul-mouthed Mamaw .
Close , who was so brilliantly subtle in 2018 ’ s “ The Wife , ” has just about broke the needle in the other direction .
Her Mamaw takes in young J.D .
after a series of incidents with Bev , and it ’ s in those scenes that “ Hillbilly Elegy ” works best .
Close ’ s performance is over-the-top but there ’ s grit and strength in it .
It ’ s harder to find something to hold on to in Adams ’ performance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ grating mess of fury , pain and addiction that Adams struggles to make her coherent .
It might be less the fault of Adams than the prevailing high pitch of the film , which by condensing several generations of struggle doesn ’ t allow room for rumination .
Howard , a humane and sensitive director , has made a film full of empathy but missing a wider lens .
And by taking politics out of “ Hillbilly Elegy , ” the movie has unwittingly put some back in .
Instead of a tale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , Howard ’ s film has reversed course .
Hollywood rushes in , wigs in tow .
Rating : R ( for language throughout , drug content and some violence )

J.D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy,” an election-year explainer to liberal America about the white underclass that fueled Donald Trump’s rise, has been reborn as blandly overbaked awards bait.
Ron Howard’s adaptation, penned by Vanessa Taylor, has mostly done away with the moralizing social examination that made Vance’s bestseller — the second half of that subtitle, “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — such a lightning rod.
The 2016 book came at the moment many were searching for explanations for the political shift taking place across Appalachia and the Rust Belt. “Hillbilly Elegy,” a pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps cultural critique/tribute to the author’s Ohio-Kentucky heritage, emerged as one of the trendiest answers.
Howard’s film arrives on the heels of another election cycle without a whiff of the same analysis — Vance wrote of “learned helplessness” and “something almost spiritual about the cynicism of the community at large” — and he instead leans into the colorful and difficult characters of Vance’s family for a neater redemption arc.
That has a dual effect. This “Hillbilly Elegy” has stripped away the most sermonizing, debatable parts of the book, but it’s also denuded it of any deeper purpose, leaving us with a cosplay shell of A-list actors chewing rural scenery.
Howard’s “Hillbilly Elegy,” which is playing in theaters (where that is allowed, in the wake of pandemic precautions) and will be released on Netflix on Nov. 24, is well-meaning. But it teeters constantly on the edge of parody, never slowing down enough to let its characters — a shouty, melodramatic bunch fighting through a chaotic world of poverty, addiction and abuse — come through as much more than caricature. If the book begat a blizzard of op-eds, the film is more likely to inspire only memes of its most Appalachia soap opera moments.
It’s a jumble of timelines but the basic shape of “Hillbilly Elegy” is a reluctant homecoming. J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso as an adult, Owen Asztalos as a kid) gets a call from his sister (Haley Bennett) that their mother Bev (Amy Adams) has overdosed. Leaving his girlfriend (Freida Pinto), he drives home from Yale Law School when he’s on the cusp of a major job interview to the decaying steel down of Middletown, Ohio. The trip forces him to reckon with his roots, bringing back a flood of memories just as he’s leaving his past behind.
Some memories are better than others. Anything with grandma, for starters, is something to behold. That’s because Glenn Close, buried under prosthetics, a coral reef of frizzy hair and plate-sized glasses, is the crochety, cigarette-smoking, foul-mouthed Mamaw. Close, who was so brilliantly subtle in 2018’s “The Wife,” has just about broke the needle in the other direction. Her Mamaw takes in young J.D. after a series of incidents with Bev, and it’s in those scenes that “Hillbilly Elegy” works best. Close’s performance is over-the-top but there’s grit and strength in it.
It’s harder to find something to hold on to in Adams’ performance. Her character is such a loud, grating mess of fury, pain and addiction that Adams struggles to make her coherent. It might be less the fault of Adams than the prevailing high pitch of the film, which by condensing several generations of struggle doesn’t allow room for rumination. Howard, a humane and sensitive director, has made a film full of empathy but missing a wider lens.
And by taking politics out of “Hillbilly Elegy,” the movie has unwittingly put some back in. Instead of a tale emerging from a seldom-listened-to corner of the world, Howard’s film has reversed course. Hollywood rushes in, wigs in tow.
‘HILLBILLY ELEGY’
Adapted from the 2016 memoir of the same name by J.D. Vance
2 stars out of 4
Rating: R (language throughout, drug content and some violence)
Cast: Glenn Close, Amy Adams, Gabriel Basso, Haley Bennett, Freida Pinto, Bo Hopkins
Director: Ron Howard
Running time: 115 minutes


mercurynews--2020-11-13--Coronavirus: California unemployment claims backlog drops by big amount

California ’ s backlog for unpaid or unresolved unemployment claims has declined by the largest amount since state labor officials began keeping track of the massive logjam for jobless payments .
During the eight months of business shutdowns ordered by state and local government agencies to combat the coronavirus , the state government has struggled to pay benefits to workers who have lost their jobs .
For the first time , however , it appears that the Employment Development Department has begun to make considerable progress in decreasing the number of backlogged unemployment claims , according to a special dashboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Nov. 11 , about 542,100 California workers remained stuck in the EDD ’ s bureaucratic limbo for unpaid unemployment claims , this news organization ’ s compilation of statistics posted on the EDD dashboard shows .
For months , the backlog of unpaid or unresolved unemployment claims in California has been well above 1 million .
That backlog was as much as 1.44 million in March , 1.8 million at the end of May , and 1.56 million at the end of September .
The backlog of 542,100 claims as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 348,100 from the backlog of 890,200 that the EDD reported on its dashboard for Nov. 4 .
That was the steepest dive in the backlog totals for a single week since the EDD began reporting backlog figures as of Sept. 30 .
The total number of backlogged claims as of Nov. 11 was 39 % below the totals reported for Nov. 4 , the EDD dashboard shows .
An unemployment claim ends up in the EDD backlog total if it falls into one of two categories : an initial claim that has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be disqualified , or a continuing claim for which at least one payment has been made but has taken more than 21 days for the EDD to make the next payment or disqualify the claimant .
• Bay Area job market looks weak — no matter how you count it • EDD unemployment backlog might take months to fix The initial unemployment claims backlog as of Nov. 11 was 207,300 , which was down 88,600 from the week before , the state agency ’ s dashboard showed .
The continuing claims backlog was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prior week , the EDD reported .
The EDD ’ s broken call center , glitches on the agency ’ s website , and countless complaints from workers who lost their jobs who said they haven ’ t received unemployment benefits prompted Gov .
Gavin Newsom to form a Strike Team to advise the EDD .
Facing a volley of complaints about the state labor agency ’ s ineptitude and inability to make prompt claims payments to unemployed workers , EDD director Sharon Hilliard said she would retire at the end of @ @ @

California’s backlog for unpaid or unresolved unemployment claims has declined by the largest amount since state labor officials began keeping track of the massive logjam for jobless payments.
During the eight months of business shutdowns ordered by state and local government agencies to combat the coronavirus, the state government has struggled to pay benefits to workers who have lost their jobs.
For the first time, however, it appears the Employment Development Department has begun to make considerable progress in decreasing the number of backlogged unemployment claims, according to a special dashboard posted by the embattled state agency.
As of Nov. 11, about 542,100 California workers remained stuck in the EDD’s bureaucratic limbo for unpaid unemployment claims, this news organization’s compilation of statistics posted on the EDD dashboard shows.
For months, the backlog of unpaid or unresolved unemployment claims in California has been well above 1 million.
That backlog was as much as 1.44 million in March, 1.8 million at the end of May, and 1.56 million at the end of September.
The backlog of 542,100 claims as of Nov. 11 represented a sharp decline of 348,100 from the backlog the EDD reported on its dashboard for Nov. 4.
That was the steepest dive in the backlog totals for a single week since the EDD began reporting backlog figures as of Sept. 30.
An unemployment claim ends up in the EDD backlog total if it falls into one of two categories: an initial claim that has taken more than 21 days to pay or be disqualified, or a continuing claim for which at least one payment has been made but has taken more than 21 days for the EDD to make the next payment or disqualify the claimant.
The initial unemployment claims backlog as of Nov. 11 was 207,300, which was down 88,600 from the week before, the state agency’s dashboard showed.
The continuing claims backlog was 334,700, which was 259,500 fewer than the prior week, the EDD reported.
The EDD’s broken call center, glitches on the agency’s website, and countless complaints from workers who lost their jobs who said they haven’t received unemployment benefits prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to form a Strike Team to advise the EDD.
Facing a volley of complaints about the state labor agency’s ineptitude and inability to make prompt claims payments to unemployed workers, EDD director Sharon Hilliard said she would retire at the end of this year.


mercurynews--2020-11-13--Letters: Tracking campaign cash | Electoral College | Challenges remain | Disdain is divisive | Addi

Letters: Tracking campaign cash | Electoral College | Challenges remain | Disdain is divisive | Adding to stress

Submit your letter to the editor via this form .
Read more Letters to the Editor .
State should make it easy to trace campaign cash Like most voters who live in California , I waited eagerly to receive my voter guide to contemplate my proposition voting choices .
My first concern for a proposition is who supports it and how is it financed .
We all know the importance of “ following the money ” .
Our Secretary of State has chosen to not enter that vital information , opting instead to provide two websites we must link to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This process is both tedious and time-consuming .
I believe this “ oversight ” is purposeful and designed to encumber voters .
One can not have too much information when voting .
Not well done Secretary of State Alex Padilla .
Jerry Mungai , in Letters , Nov. 10 , defended the Electoral College as fair ( “ Electoral Collage needed to give small states voice ” ) .
Another letter from Jerry Meyer made a better point ( “ Electoral College is not the problem ” ) : award electoral votes by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are souls , states are not .
Whatever is closest to being representative of souls is best .
Do you want to be among 5 million California voters who don ’ t matter at all ?
Trump may be going but challenges remain President Trump is all but gone .
While it seems to be good riddance , he did awaken the country from a deep slumber .
Same old , same old is not good enough .
We have to adapt to a new place in the community of nations in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assuage our ego by entering into wars like Afghanistan and Iraq is a losing weapon .
Fighting for our own health , education and making us a more equal nation is a better way .
Our country is diverse , unequal but stuck in centuries-old ideology .
We will have to change to be a nation that is fair to all its citizens .
Joe Biden can not go back to old ways .
Our priorities are crystal clear .
Health care , education , immigration , racial justice and climate change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a tall order .
Even an earnest beginning will do Disdain for Trump voters must end if we are to unite In his column “ For the election , America did the right thing – barely ” ( Nov. 10 ) Leonard Pitts laments that the “ blue wave ” didn ’ t materialize .
Instead , America actually became more “ red.
” He further declares the election was “ a clear choice between good and evil.
” Interestingly , these statements provide clues about why the blue wave failed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they didn ’ t vote as he thought they should .
His demonizing of opposing viewpoints as evil stereotypes is ignorant , irresponsible , and divisive .
Pitts ’ sanctimonious attitude of political entitlement and intolerance has become characteristically “ blue.
” If America ’ s goal is unity and equality , Pitts would do well to respect that no matter who someone voted for , almost as many Americans voted otherwise .
That doesn ’ t make them wrong or evil .
Instead , Pitts ’ views this political diversity as unfathomable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only acceptable way to think .
Get a clue .
Are we not all stressed enough with COVID-19 ?
Now having just held a national election for president of the United States the people have spoken , and the president-elect is Joe Biden .
Now comes the peaceful turnover of government to the newly elected leader .
From all reports , the election went very well with millions of citizens voting in record numbers with no evidence of fraud .
The incumbent , who by all measures has lost , continues to challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with no evidence of any fraud or malfeasance .
Being coddled by Senate leaders who appear to fear him , the president rages on , refusing to assist in the transfer of power , trying our nerves and our patience !
This president ’ s behavior is very troubling for all of us .
Last I checked we are in the United States of America .
These are scary times for our democracy .

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
State should make it easy
to trace campaign cash
Like most voters who live in California, I waited eagerly to receive my voter guide to contemplate my proposition voting choices. My first concern for a proposition is who supports it and how is it financed. We all know the importance of “following the money”. Our Secretary of State has chosen to not enter that vital information, opting instead to provide two websites we must link to in order to obtain the data. This process is both tedious and time-consuming.
I believe this “ oversight” is purposeful and designed to encumber voters. One cannot have too much information when voting. Not well done Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
Adrian Simpkins
San Jose
Award electoral votes
by district for fairness
Jerry Mungai, in Letters, Nov. 10, defended the Electoral College as fair (“Electoral Collage needed to give small states voice”).
Another letter from Jerry Meyer made a better point (“Electoral College is not the problem”): award electoral votes by district, not by state. People are souls, states are not. Whatever is closest to being representative of souls is best.
Do you want to be among 5 million California voters who don’t matter at all?
Robert R. Wahler
San Jose
Trump may be going
but challenges remain
President Trump is all but gone. While it seems to be good riddance, he did awaken the country from a deep slumber.
Same old, same old is not good enough. We have to adapt to a new place in the community of nations in which we will have co-equals.
War to assuage our ego by entering into wars like Afghanistan and Iraq is a losing weapon. Fighting for our own health, education and making us a more equal nation is a better way.
Our country is diverse, unequal but stuck in centuries-old ideology. We will have to change to be a nation that is fair to all its citizens.
Joe Biden cannot go back to old ways. Our priorities are crystal clear. Health care, education, immigration, racial justice and climate change.
We know governments are sluggish and it is a tall order. Even an earnest beginning will do
Kohli Singh
San Jose
Disdain for Trump voters
must end if we are to unite
In his column “For the election, America did the right thing – barely” (Nov. 10 ) Leonard Pitts laments that the “blue wave” didn’t materialize. Instead, America actually became more “red.” He further declares the election was “a clear choice between good and evil.”
Interestingly, these statements provide clues about why the blue wave failed. Pitts dismisses approximately half of America because they didn’t vote as he thought they should. His demonizing of opposing viewpoints as evil stereotypes is ignorant, irresponsible, and divisive.
Pitts’ sanctimonious attitude of political entitlement and intolerance has become characteristically “blue.” If America’s goal is unity and equality, Pitts would do well to respect that no matter who someone voted for, almost as many Americans voted otherwise. That doesn’t make them wrong or evil.
Instead, Pitts’ views this political diversity as unfathomable and undesirable as if his is the only acceptable way to think. Get a clue.
Thomas Roth
Morgan Hill
President’s behavior is
adding to nation’s stress
Are we not all stressed enough with COVID-19? Now having just held a national election for president of the United States the people have spoken, and the president-elect is Joe Biden. Now comes the peaceful turnover of government to the newly elected leader.
Related Articles Letters to the Editor | Letters: Escape Bay Area | CASA program | Feinstein replacement | Faulty comparison | Not conservatives
Letters: Escape Bay Area | CASA program | Feinstein replacement | Faulty comparison | Not conservatives Letters to the Editor | Letters: Psychiatric beds | SJSU neglect | Squandering cash | Overdoing coverage | Pac-12 negotiations | For climate’s sake | Electric appliances
Letters: Psychiatric beds | SJSU neglect | Squandering cash | Overdoing coverage | Pac-12 negotiations | For climate’s sake | Electric appliances Letters to the Editor | Letters: Abandoning tenants | Deaf culture | Western contributions | Conservative alienation | Precise language
Letters: Abandoning tenants | Deaf culture | Western contributions | Conservative alienation | Precise language Letters to the Editor | Letters: Insulate wires | CDE was wrong | Functional Chromebooks | Trump’s ego | Healthy debate | A new path
Letters: Insulate wires | CDE was wrong | Functional Chromebooks | Trump’s ego | Healthy debate | A new path Letters to the Editor | Letters: Local solar | Titan resources | Activism helps From all reports, the election went very well with millions of citizens voting in record numbers with no evidence of fraud. The incumbent, who by all measures has lost, continues to challenge the legitimacy of the vote of the people with no evidence of any fraud or malfeasance. Being coddled by Senate leaders who appear to fear him, the president rages on, refusing to assist in the transfer of power, trying our nerves and our patience!
This president’s behavior is very troubling for all of us. Last I checked we are in the United States of America. These are scary times for our democracy.
Susan Dillon
Morgan Hill


mercurynews--2020-11-13--White separatist leader Tom Metzger who spewed racial hatred dies in California nursing home at age

White separatist leader Tom Metzger who spewed racial hatred dies in California nursing home at age 82

By JOHN ROGERS | The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Tom Metzger , the notorious former Ku Klux Klan leader who rose to prominence in the 1980s while promoting white separatism and stoking racial violence , has died at age 82 .
Riverside County Department of Public Health spokesman Jose Arballo Jr. said Metzger died Nov. 4 at a skilled nursing facility in Hemet .
The cause was Parkinson ’ s disease , Arballo said Thursday .
The former grand dragon of the California chapter of the Ku Klux Klan became one of racism ’ s most prominent figures after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to form the White Aryan Resistance movement .
He eventually was pushed into the shadows and financial ruin , however , for his organization ’ s role in the 1988 beating death of Ethiopian college student Mulugeta Seraw in Portland , Oregon .
Seraw ’ s family won a $ 12.5 million judgment against Metzger , his organization and others in 1990 following a trial in which a recording was played of Metzger praising the killers for performing what he called their “ civic duty.
” Metzger lost his San Diego-area home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although left penniless , Metzger continued to produce a racist newsletter for years and operated a racist hotline , taking calls personally .
He posted regularly on his organization ’ s website until just a few months ago , according to a brief biography announcing his death on the website .
Metzger ’ s death was first reported by the Times of San Diego .
“ Tom Metzger spent decades working against core American values as one of the most visible hardcore white supremacists in the country , ” Anti-Defamation League CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Throughout his life , he engaged in a wide range of hateful activities from spreading anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric to launching vigilante border patrols as a California Klansman to recruiting skinheads to the white supremacist cause.
” The killing of Seraw left racial wounds in Portland that continue to this day , said Randy Blazak , a former sociology professor at Portland State University who has written extensively about hate groups .
“ We became known as Skinhead City .
We had racist skinheads and anti-racist skinheads doing battle in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precursor of antifa and the Proud Boys , ” he said , referencing those involved in recent violence that have gripped the city .
Born in Warsaw , Indiana , on April 9 , 1938 , Thomas Linton Metzger served in the Army from 1956 to 1959 before settling in California and a career as a TV repairman .
He joined the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the mid-1970s , rising to the role of grand dragon of California before leaving to form the White Aryan Resistance in the early 1980s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego County in the early 1980s , winning the Democratic Party primary but losing by a landslide in the general election after Democrats and Republicans united against him .
He became a prominent media figure during those years , appearing on TV talk shows , organizing white supremacist demonstrations and cross burnings and promising a white civil war that would result in “ blood in the streets.
” His son , John Metzger , and other white racists appeared on Geraldo Rivera ’ s TV talk show in 1988 and brawled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists .
Rivera suffered a broken nose during the televised mayhem , which created a national furor .
Tom Metzger ’ s downfall began after he sent one of his White Aryan Resistance members to Oregon to organize a local Nazi skinhead group .
Within a month , local skinheads had beaten to death the 28-year-old Seraw with a baseball bat .
They later admitted they singled him out because he was Black .
The civil judgment stemming from the killing was devastating for Metzger , said Elden Rosenthal , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We chased him for 20 years .
We collected money from him for 20 years , which is the limit under Oregon law , ” Rosenthal said .
“ The goal of the case was to put him out of business and to impact his standing in the white supremacy movement — and we thought we accomplished both of those things.
” Another attorney , James McElroy of San Diego , arranged the sale of Metzger ’ s house to a Latino family to help satisfy the judgment .
“ Poetic justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to adopt Seraw ’ s son , who was 7 when his father was killed .
The boy is now in his mid-30s , is married and works as a pilot for a major airline , the attorney said .
Although Metzger has long been identified as a white supremacist , he actually shunned that term , saying he was a white separatist and didn ’ t have a problem with Blacks who did not interact with whites .
Still , the racial hatred he fomented continues to this day , McElroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , I looked at him as totally on the fringe , ” Rosenthal said .
“ What we have unfortunately learned over the last 30 years is that there ’ s a whole lot of people who share his views .
… At the time it seemed fringy , now it seems a bit frightening.
” Associated Press Writers Gillian Flaccus in Portland , Oregon , and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this story .

By JOHN ROGERS | The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Tom Metzger, the notorious former Ku Klux Klan leader who rose to prominence in the 1980s while promoting white separatism and stoking racial violence, has died at age 82.
Riverside County Department of Public Health spokesman Jose Arballo Jr. said Metzger died Nov. 4 at a skilled nursing facility in Hemet. The cause was Parkinson’s disease, Arballo said Thursday.
The former grand dragon of the California chapter of the Ku Klux Klan became one of racism’s most prominent figures after he left that organization in the 1980s to form the White Aryan Resistance movement.
He eventually was pushed into the shadows and financial ruin, however, for his organization’s role in the 1988 beating death of Ethiopian college student Mulugeta Seraw in Portland, Oregon.
Seraw’s family won a $12.5 million judgment against Metzger, his organization and others in 1990 following a trial in which a recording was played of Metzger praising the killers for performing what he called their “civic duty.”
Metzger lost his San Diego-area home, his television repair business and other assets. Although left penniless, Metzger continued to produce a racist newsletter for years and operated a racist hotline, taking calls personally.
He posted regularly on his organization’s website until just a few months ago, according to a brief biography announcing his death on the website. Metzger’s death was first reported by the Times of San Diego.
“Tom Metzger spent decades working against core American values as one of the most visible hardcore white supremacists in the country,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt told The Associated Press. “Throughout his life, he engaged in a wide range of hateful activities from spreading anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric to launching vigilante border patrols as a California Klansman to recruiting skinheads to the white supremacist cause.”
The killing of Seraw left racial wounds in Portland that continue to this day, said Randy Blazak, a former sociology professor at Portland State University who has written extensively about hate groups.
“We became known as Skinhead City. We had racist skinheads and anti-racist skinheads doing battle in the streets, which is sort of a precursor of antifa and the Proud Boys,” he said, referencing those involved in recent violence that have gripped the city.
Born in Warsaw, Indiana, on April 9, 1938, Thomas Linton Metzger served in the Army from 1956 to 1959 before settling in California and a career as a TV repairman.
He joined the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the mid-1970s, rising to the role of grand dragon of California before leaving to form the White Aryan Resistance in the early 1980s.
He ran for Congress from northern San Diego County in the early 1980s, winning the Democratic Party primary but losing by a landslide in the general election after Democrats and Republicans united against him.
He became a prominent media figure during those years, appearing on TV talk shows, organizing white supremacist demonstrations and cross burnings and promising a white civil war that would result in “blood in the streets.”
His son, John Metzger, and other white racists appeared on Geraldo Rivera’s TV talk show in 1988 and brawled with Roy Innis and other Black civil rights activists. Rivera suffered a broken nose during the televised mayhem, which created a national furor.
Tom Metzger’s downfall began after he sent one of his White Aryan Resistance members to Oregon to organize a local Nazi skinhead group. Within a month, local skinheads had beaten to death the 28-year-old Seraw with a baseball bat. They later admitted they singled him out because he was Black.
The civil judgment stemming from the killing was devastating for Metzger, said Elden Rosenthal, one of the attorneys who represented the Seraw family.
“We chased him for 20 years. We collected money from him for 20 years, which is the limit under Oregon law,” Rosenthal said. “The goal of the case was to put him out of business and to impact his standing in the white supremacy movement — and we thought we accomplished both of those things.”
Related Articles Obituaries | ‘Black Godfather’ of music dies at 92
‘Black Godfather’ of music dies at 92 Obituaries | Sandra Bullock’s ‘The Blind Side’ long criticized for its ‘White savior’ view of a Black athlete
Sandra Bullock’s ‘The Blind Side’ long criticized for its ‘White savior’ view of a Black athlete Obituaries | Ex-Mississippi police officers plead guilty to torturing Black men
Ex-Mississippi police officers plead guilty to torturing Black men Obituaries | Hair relaxers have been linked to cancer among Black women, litigation says. ‘Nobody cares except us.’
Hair relaxers have been linked to cancer among Black women, litigation says. ‘Nobody cares except us.’ Obituaries | Contra Costa DA attempts to block publicization of new racist texts by Antioch cops Another attorney, James McElroy of San Diego, arranged the sale of Metzger’s house to a Latino family to help satisfy the judgment.
“Poetic justice,” said McElroy, who went on to adopt Seraw’s son, who was 7 when his father was killed. The boy is now in his mid-30s, is married and works as a pilot for a major airline, the attorney said.
Although Metzger has long been identified as a white supremacist, he actually shunned that term, saying he was a white separatist and didn’t have a problem with Blacks who did not interact with whites.
Still, the racial hatred he fomented continues to this day, McElroy and Rosenthal said.
“At the time, I looked at him as totally on the fringe,” Rosenthal said. “What we have unfortunately learned over the last 30 years is that there’s a whole lot of people who share his views. … At the time it seemed fringy, now it seems a bit frightening.”
___
Associated Press Writers Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this story.


mercurynews--2020-11-13--CEO of San Jose-based SunPower is relieved the next president isn’t a climate denier

America ’ s climate policy is about to undergo another radical reversal .
For the past four years , President Donald Trump propped up fossil fuels , called climate change a “ hoax ” and falsely claimed wind power causes cancer .
He dismantled Obama-era environmental regulations and appointed a former coal lobbyist to lead the EPA .
Biden , on the other hand , is promising to urgently address the climate crisis .
The president-elect has pledged to invest $ 2 trillion in clean energy and to immediately rejoin the Paris climate accord .
Business leaders in the renewable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of relief about the 180 in Washington .
“ It helps a lot , ” Tom Werner , chairman and CEO of rooftop solar company SunPower , told CNN Business when asked about the fact that the next president isn ’ t a climate denier .
“ I ’ m optimistic we ’ ll have stable policy that creates a more positive environment for renewables with the Biden-Harris administration.
” Biden is expected to appoint climate-focused policymakers to lead the Energy Department , EPA and other critical agencies .
“ That can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who added that he has had talks with Biden policy advisers .
After years of trading mostly under the radar , solar and other clean energy stocks have boomed in 2020 .
SunPower ’ s share price has spiked 270 % to record highs .
The San Jose , California-based company , which is majority-owned by French energy giant Total , is now valued at $ 3.3 billion .
Rival rooftop solar firm SunRun is up more than 300 % this year , giving it a market valuation of $ 11 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry is great and getting greater , ” said Werner .
Democrats failed in their quest to win a clear-cut majority in the US Senate , though a 50/50 split is possible if the party pulls off an upset win in both January runoffs in Georgia .
Regardless of those results , sweeping legislation such as a Green New Deal is off the table .
Even a carbon tax may not be feasible in a divided Washington .
What happens to the ‘ lifeblood ’ of the solar industry ?
Still , solar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tone from Washington .
“ The prospects for more policy support in a renewables-friendly agenda out of DC are significantly improved under a Democratic administration , ” Brian Lee , analyst at Goldman Sachs , wrote in a client note this week .
Despite the spike in solar stocks , the potential for better policy and increased solar volume “ does not appear to be fully priced into stocks , ” Lee wrote .
“ We believe clean energy stocks — in particular solar equities — are poised to continue to outperform.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States to the Paris climate accord is driving much of the optimism , as the move that would signal Washington ’ s commitment to tackling the climate crisis head on .
So too is a Biden climate taskforce ’ s ambitious target of installing eight million solar rooftops by cutting regulations and speeding up permitting .
But the big focus is on the fate of the federal Energy Investment Tax Credit ( ITC ) , which is scheduled to get phased out by 2022 .
Biden ’ s tax plan calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which provides a huge incentive to home owners and businesses that buy or finance rooftop solar installations .
“ We view the ITC as the lifeblood for solar demand in the US , ” Angelo Zino , senior equity analyst at CFRA Research , wrote in a recent note to clients Despite the continued gridlock expected in Washington , SunPower is optimistic about another extension of the tax credit .
“ The ITC is the most important thing by a lot , ” Werner said .
“ That ’ s No .
1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denial , the Trump era ushered in a flurry of tariffs and other trade threats .
In January 2018 , Trump imposed a 30 % tariff on silicon solar cells and modules made overseas .
Those tariffs are scheduled to phase out in February 2022 .
Werner said there was bipartisan support for Trump ’ s crackdown on China , but he believes the trade strategy created “ meaningful friction ” for SunPower in the form of distractions and higher costs .
“ Tariffs can be implemented faster than companies like SunPower can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Instead of running my company , I was spending time learning trade policy and how to get input on it.
” Before renegotiating NAFTA , Trump repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico , where SunPower had factories .
“ We had to create a whole strategy of what-ifs , ” Werner said .
“ If there is a tariff , do we shut factories down ?
Do we move them ?
These are hard things to make quick decisions on .
You can ’ t just build a new glass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in the White House , these trade tensions are not going to just disappear .
Zino , the CFRA analyst , predicted the next administration will impose another round of solar tariffs .
“ Biden is likely to be just as tough on China as Trump has been , ” Zino said .
In August , SunPower spun off most of its manufacturing operations into a separate public company called Maxeon Solar Technologies .
As part of the reorganization , the two companies have a two-year exclusive purchase and supply agreement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic and cultural trends that have been mostly bullish for solar companies .
First , the migration out of cities is fueling a housing boom .
SunPower partners with Toll Brothers , KB Home and other builders to install solar panels on new homes .
The company ’ s new home business is “ growing astronomically , ” Werner said , “ because people are moving out of high-cost areas into low-cost ones.
” • 620 video feeds ready to help residents and firefighters spot California wildfires • San Francisco latest California city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Florida readies for more from tropical storm Eta Another hot area : SunPower sells solar panels to big data centers , which are growing rapidly because of the increasing importance of cloud computing .
“ That business is booming , ” Werner said .
But the biggest game changer has been the work-from-home movement , which has encouraged many Americans to upgrade their homes , including boosting resilience .
Home owners on the West Coast are installing rooftop solar in part to offset the power outages that have gripped California .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because so many people are working from home , ” Werner said .
“ If you lose power…you can ’ t work .
”

America’s climate policy is about to undergo another radical reversal.
For the past four years, President Donald Trump propped up fossil fuels, called climate change a “hoax” and falsely claimed wind power causes cancer. He dismantled Obama-era environmental regulations and appointed a former coal lobbyist to lead the EPA.
Biden, on the other hand, is promising to urgently address the climate crisis. The president-elect has pledged to invest $2 trillion in clean energy and to immediately rejoin the Paris climate accord.
Business leaders in the renewable energy industry are breathing a huge sigh of relief about the 180 in Washington.
“It helps a lot,” Tom Werner, chairman and CEO of rooftop solar company SunPower, told CNN Business when asked about the fact that the next president isn’t a climate denier. “I’m optimistic we’ll have stable policy that creates a more positive environment for renewables with the Biden-Harris administration.”
Biden is expected to appoint climate-focused policymakers to lead the Energy Department, EPA and other critical agencies.
“That can make a huge difference,” said Werner, who added that he has had talks with Biden policy advisers.
After years of trading mostly under the radar, solar and other clean energy stocks have boomed in 2020.
SunPower’s share price has spiked 270% to record highs. The San Jose, California-based company, which is majority-owned by French energy giant Total, is now valued at $3.3 billion. Rival rooftop solar firm SunRun is up more than 300% this year, giving it a market valuation of $11 billion.
“The vibe in the solar industry is great and getting greater,” said Werner.
Democrats failed in their quest to win a clear-cut majority in the US Senate, though a 50/50 split is possible if the party pulls off an upset win in both January runoffs in Georgia. Regardless of those results, sweeping legislation such as a Green New Deal is off the table. Even a carbon tax may not be feasible in a divided Washington.
What happens to the ‘lifeblood’ of the solar industry?
Still, solar executives and investors are optimistic about the tone from Washington.
“The prospects for more policy support in a renewables-friendly agenda out of DC are significantly improved under a Democratic administration,” Brian Lee, analyst at Goldman Sachs, wrote in a client note this week.
Despite the spike in solar stocks, the potential for better policy and increased solar volume “does not appear to be fully priced into stocks,” Lee wrote. “We believe clean energy stocks — in particular solar equities — are poised to continue to outperform.”
Biden’s promise to immediately return the United States to the Paris climate accord is driving much of the optimism, as the move that would signal Washington’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis head on.
So too is a Biden climate taskforce’s ambitious target of installing eight million solar rooftops by cutting regulations and speeding up permitting.
But the big focus is on the fate of the federal Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which is scheduled to get phased out by 2022. Biden’s tax plan calls for Congress to expand the ITC, which provides a huge incentive to home owners and businesses that buy or finance rooftop solar installations.
“We view the ITC as the lifeblood for solar demand in the US,” Angelo Zino, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research, wrote in a recent note to clients
Despite the continued gridlock expected in Washington, SunPower is optimistic about another extension of the tax credit.
“The ITC is the most important thing by a lot,” Werner said. “That’s No. 1, 2 and 3.”
‘You can’t just build a new glass factory’
Beyond climate denial, the Trump era ushered in a flurry of tariffs and other trade threats. In January 2018, Trump imposed a 30% tariff on silicon solar cells and modules made overseas. Those tariffs are scheduled to phase out in February 2022.
Werner said there was bipartisan support for Trump’s crackdown on China, but he believes the trade strategy created “meaningful friction” for SunPower in the form of distractions and higher costs.
“Tariffs can be implemented faster than companies like SunPower can adjust to them,” he said. “Instead of running my company, I was spending time learning trade policy and how to get input on it.”
Before renegotiating NAFTA, Trump repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico, where SunPower had factories.
“We had to create a whole strategy of what-ifs,” Werner said. “If there is a tariff, do we shut factories down? Do we move them? These are hard things to make quick decisions on. You can’t just build a new glass factory in Portland.”
Even with a change in the White House, these trade tensions are not going to just disappear.
Zino, the CFRA analyst, predicted the next administration will impose another round of solar tariffs.
“Biden is likely to be just as tough on China as Trump has been,” Zino said.
In August, SunPower spun off most of its manufacturing operations into a separate public company called Maxeon Solar Technologies. As part of the reorganization, the two companies have a two-year exclusive purchase and supply agreement.
The Covid bump
The pandemic has spurred a number of economic and cultural trends that have been mostly bullish for solar companies.
First, the migration out of cities is fueling a housing boom. SunPower partners with Toll Brothers, KB Home and other builders to install solar panels on new homes. The company’s new home business is “growing astronomically,” Werner said, “because people are moving out of high-cost areas into low-cost ones.”
Related Articles Election | Bay Area youth who grew up with the climate movement celebrate landmark Montana case
Bay Area youth who grew up with the climate movement celebrate landmark Montana case Election | Sailboat stays stuck at Stinson Beach as owner works to remove it
Sailboat stays stuck at Stinson Beach as owner works to remove it Election | Letters: Psychiatric beds | SJSU neglect | Squandering cash | Overdoing coverage | Pac-12 negotiations | For climate’s sake | Electric appliances
Letters: Psychiatric beds | SJSU neglect | Squandering cash | Overdoing coverage | Pac-12 negotiations | For climate’s sake | Electric appliances Election | Castle Rock State Park to expand in size due to rare state land purchase
Castle Rock State Park to expand in size due to rare state land purchase Election | Cupertino quarry won’t restart cement production after entering into legal agreement with Santa Clara County Another hot area: SunPower sells solar panels to big data centers, which are growing rapidly because of the increasing importance of cloud computing. “That business is booming,” Werner said.
But the biggest game changer has been the work-from-home movement, which has encouraged many Americans to upgrade their homes, including boosting resilience. Home owners on the West Coast are installing rooftop solar in part to offset the power outages that have gripped California.
“It’s actually been a stimulus because so many people are working from home,” Werner said. “If you lose power…you can’t work.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


mercurynews--2020-11-13--Fremont school district to kick cops off campus, board decides in split vote

FREMONT — Cops will no longer be allowed to patrol Fremont schools , officials decided during a contentious meeting Thursday night , adopting a recommendation from a 25-member task force created to evaluate the issue earlier this year .
The Fremont Unified School District board voted 3-2 to end the School Resource Officer program , in place for 22 years , which stationed one Fremont Police Department officer at each of the district ’ s six high schools , all overseen by a sergeant .
The landmark decision comes in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local protests , as well as calls to defund police departments and remove officers from school campuses .
“ This moment I think is calling for us to look at transformation , not just reformation , ” Fremont school board member Dianne Jones said during the meeting Thursday night .
Fremont ’ s large school district , with about 35,000 students , joins the ranks of others in the region which have also decided to put an end to police presence on campuses , including the Oakland Unified School District , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High School districts in San Jose .
Board members Michele Berke , Ann Crosbie , and Jones voted in favor of removing the School Resource Officers , or SROs , from campuses , citing data in the task force report showing Black and Latinx students were arrested at disproportionately high rates in recent years of the program .
They also expressed concern about a lack of sufficient data keeping by both the police department and the school district , which was highlighted in the task force report , and about the power dynamics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board president Desrie Campbell and board member Larry Sweeney both voted against removing officers from campuses .
Campbell said she didn ’ t feel there was enough information available yet about how the district might replace some of the security functions the SROs provide , and the costs .
She suggested waiting until after schools had reopened to give the program more time to be evaluated .
Sweeney supported keeping the officers on campus for safety , and noted the six principals of the schools where the officers were stationed supported the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our SRO program , we are putting our students and our families at a much higher risk than they are now , ” Sweeney said .
The issue stirred a wave of controversy in the district in recent months , with a large turnout of people who supported the SRO program , as well as those who wanted to end it , showing up in public meetings , and responding to various surveys and online petitions .
The school board voted in August to form a task force of district staff , parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evaluate the SRO program , which costs about $ 2.5 million annually — about $ 838,000 of which would be from the district , according to the department .
The task force recommended the district end the SRO program , expand mental health supports and restorative practices , and restructure the way all student interactions with police are handled going forward .
Between 2015 and 2018 , Black students accounted for more than 21 percent of the arrests in FUSD , even though they only made up 2 percent of the district ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ disproportionality factor of 10x ” highlights why the program isn ’ t fair for all students .
Latinx/Hispanic students accounted for about 14.4 percent of students during that same time period , but they made up 27.4 percent of arrests , the task force said .
Antonio Birbeck-Herrera , the chair of the task force said Thursday in an interview the district offers too much deference to the police department , and doesn ’ t require any metrics be kept to evaluate if the SRO program is helping student outcomes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other part of education , ” he said .
“ The increased policing in school harms school climate and undermines students ’ mental health by creating an environment that assumes students are suspects and criminals , ” the task force report said .
“ Really we were kind of blindsided , ” Police Chief Kim Petersen said in an interview Thursday about the task force recommendation to remove the SRO program .
Though the task force interviewed police officials and obtained written information from the department , Petersen said the department was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and someone from the SRO program should have been able to be at every meeting .
She defended the SRO program as critical for student safety and peace of mind for parents , students and staff .
“ It ’ s not only having the actual safety and that immediate access to that person who is trained to intervene if there is any sort of violent event , but it ’ s also that sense of safety .
That ’ s really the primary role , that ’ s the primary function @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an interview .
At the meeting , Petersen questioned the integrity of the task force , calling its report “ incredibly biased and one-sided , ” and claiming that task force leaders “ had a predetermined agenda ” because some spoke in favor of dissolving the program before the task force formed .
Asked in an interview if the arrest statistics the report highlights make her think there is a discriminatory pattern to the SRO program , Petersen said , “ Absolutely not.
” She noted that in 2019-20 , the prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , there were only 11 arrests and none of them were of Black students .
Almost half were students identified as Latinx/Hispanic .
She urged the board to slow down before making any decisions .
“ You have done none of the work to figure out how you would fill the void if you lose this program , ” she said .
During the meeting , about 70 people spoke in favor of removing police from campuses at the meeting Thursday , and about 30 said they wanted to retain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fremont schools , echoed the comments of several speakers who expressed disappointment that Petersen tried to undermine the process .
“ Instead of providing data to show why SROs are a good thing , they used propaganda .
They told us what the program could do .
They tried to tell us we would be unsafe without them , but didn ’ t tell us how we are safer with them , ” Nanavati said .
• Some Ring doorbells can catch fire , hundreds of thousands need to be re-installed • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real problem | Voice for small states | Invest in renewables Annie He , a parent , said the report should have highlighted that 70 percent of parents in one survey issued by a student-led organization said they supported the program , and she invoked the memory of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting .
“ I beg you , do not end the SRO program .
If something happens after you end this program , you will never be forgiven by this city and this community .
And remember your kids or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said at the meeting .
Some parents and residents suggested the district should work to improve the program , not end it , but Birbeck-Herrera disagreed .
“ You should not build on a broken foundation , ” he said .

FREMONT — For the first time in 22 years, police officers will no longer patrol Fremont high school schools.
After contentious and lengthy debate Thursday night, the Fremont Unified School Board voted 3-2 to end the School Resource Program, which for the last two decades had stationed one Fremont Police Department officer at each of the district’s six high schools, all overseen by a sergeant.
The controversial decision comes in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd in May, which touched off national and local protests, as well as calls to defund police departments and remove officers from school campuses.
“This moment I think is calling for us to look at transformation, not just reformation,” Fremont school board member Dianne Jones said during the meeting Thursday night.
Fremont’s large school district, with about 35,000 students, joins the ranks of others in the region which have also decided to put an end to police presence on campuses, including the Oakland Unified School District, and Alum Rock Union and East Side Union High School districts in San Jose.
In making the decision, the Fremont school board adopted a recommendation from a 25-member task force created to evaluate the issue earlier this year.
Board members Michele Berke, Ann Crosbie, and Jones voted in favor of removing the school resource officers, or SROs, from campuses, citing data in the task force report showing Black and Latinx students were arrested at disproportionately high rates in recent years of the program.
They also expressed concern about a lack of sufficient data by both the police department and the school district about law enforcement interactions with students — highlighted in the task force report — and the power dynamics of having armed officers on campus.
Board president Desrie Campbell and board member Larry Sweeney both voted against removing officers from campuses.
Campbell said she didn’t feel there was enough information available yet about how the district might replace some of the security functions the SROs provide, and the costs. She suggested waiting until after schools had reopened to give the program more time to be evaluated.
Sweeney supported keeping the officers on campus for safety, and noted the six principals of the schools where the officers were stationed supported the program.
“If we do give up our SRO program, we are putting our students and our families at a much higher risk than they are now,” Sweeney said.
The issue stirred a wave of controversy in the district in recent months, with a large turnout of people who supported the SRO program, as well as those who wanted to end it, showing up in public meetings, and responding to various surveys and online petitions.
The school board voted in August to form a task force of district staff, parents, community members, and students to evaluate the SRO program, which costs about $2.5 million annually — about $838,000 of which would be from the district, according to the department.
The task force recommended the district end the SRO program, expand mental health supports and restorative practices, and restructure the way all student interactions with police are handled going forward.
Between 2015 and 2018, Black students accounted for more than 21 percent of the arrests in FUSD, even though they only made up 2 percent of the district’s students. The task force said that “disproportionality factor of 10x” highlights why the program isn’t fair for all students.
Latinx/Hispanic students accounted for about 14.4 percent of students during that same time period, but they made up 27.4 percent of arrests, the task force said.
Antonio Birbeck-Herrera, the chair of the task force said Thursday in an interview the district offers too much deference to the police department, and doesn’t require any metrics be kept to evaluate if the SRO program is helping student outcomes.
“We would never do that in any other part of education,” he said.
“The increased policing in school harms school climate and undermines students’ mental health by creating an environment that assumes students are suspects and criminals,” the task force report said.
“Really we were kind of blindsided,” Police Chief Kim Petersen said in an interview Thursday about the task force recommendation to remove the SRO program.
Though the task force interviewed police officials and obtained written information from the department, Petersen said the department was “totally excluded from the process,” and someone from the SRO program should have been able to be at every meeting.
She defended the SRO program as critical for student safety and peace of mind for parents, students and staff.
“It’s not only having the actual safety and that immediate access to that person who is trained to intervene if there is any sort of violent event, but it’s also that sense of safety. That’s really the primary role, that’s the primary function of this program,” she said in an interview.
At the meeting, Petersen questioned the integrity of the task force, calling its report “incredibly biased and one-sided,” and claiming that task force leaders “had a predetermined agenda” because some spoke in favor of dissolving the program before the task force formed.
Asked in an interview if the arrest statistics the report highlights make her think there is a discriminatory pattern to the SRO program, Petersen said, “Absolutely not.”
She noted that in 2019-20 — a school year that was cut short by the pandemic — only 11 arrests were made and none of them were of Black students. Almost half were students identified as Latinx/Hispanic.
She urged the board to slow down before making any decisions.
“You have done none of the work to figure out how you would fill the void if you lose this program,” she said.
During the meeting, about 70 people spoke in favor of removing police from campuses at the meeting Thursday, and about 30 said they wanted to retain the program.
Akshay Nanavati, a graduate of Fremont schools, echoed the comments of several speakers who expressed disappointment that Petersen tried to undermine the process.
“Instead of providing data to show why SROs are a good thing, they used propaganda. They told us what the program could do. They tried to tell us we would be unsafe without them, but didn’t tell us how we are safer with them,” Nanavati said.
Related Articles Education | Man shot, killed by Colorado cop was holding a marker, not a weapon
Man shot, killed by Colorado cop was holding a marker, not a weapon Education | Texas sheriff’s corporal arrested on suspicion of fatal hit-and-run crash on California freeway
Texas sheriff’s corporal arrested on suspicion of fatal hit-and-run crash on California freeway Education | California cop ordered to stand trial on assault charge for 2018 on-duty shooting
California cop ordered to stand trial on assault charge for 2018 on-duty shooting Education | Ex-Mississippi police officers plead guilty to torturing Black men
Ex-Mississippi police officers plead guilty to torturing Black men Education | Judge rules retrial of ex-Philadelphia officer in 2020 protest actions should be held outside city Annie He, a parent, said the report should have highlighted that 70 percent of parents in one survey issued by a student-led organization said they supported the program, and she invoked the memory of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
“I beg you, do not end the SRO program. If something happens after you end this program, you will never be forgiven by this city and this community. And remember your kids or grandkids could be one of the victims,” she said at the meeting.
Some parents and residents suggested the district should work to improve the program, not end it, but Birbeck-Herrera disagreed, “you should not build on a broken foundation.”


mercurynews--2020-11-13--Review: ‘Ammonite’ is a distant, chilly, beautiful tale

The new film “ Ammonite ” unearths the stories of two women buried by history : paleontologist Mary Anning , who in the 19th century made significant prehistoric fossil discoveries along the coast in Southwest England , and geologist Charlotte Murchison , who worked in the area briefly alongside her geologist husband .
But instead of illuminating what we know about Mary and Charlotte and their work , in “ Ammonite , ” writer-director Francis Lee ( “ God ’ s Own Country ” ) takes a footnote from their lives— that they worked together a bit and became friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affair .
While that ’ s an inspired idea for a piece of historical fiction , “ Ammonite ” is a mixed bag : exquisitely beautiful , with committed and lived-in performances and bursts of intense eroticism , but also a dreary and oddly empty experience .
Kate Winslet , stripped down and serious , plays Anning , who lives with her mother ( Gemma Jones ) and is struggling to get by .
Life ( if you can call it that ) in the coastal area of Lyme Regis is harsh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s taken in her eyes and hardened face .
Although she ’ s notable in her field , she doesn ’ t get to socialize with the men in the Geological Society of London .
Instead , she toils in silence in her hometown , searching for fossils in the cliffs and shilling her findings to curious tourists for meager sums .
Then geologist Roderick Murchison ( James McArdle ) stops by her shop and asks her to take him out so he can see the world the way she sees it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconscious condescension : He assumes Mary can and will hand over her lifetime of work and expertise in an afternoon on the beach .
Behind him is his wife , Charlotte ( Saoirse Ronan ) , cloaked in black and a figurative shadow of a person .
Mary barely takes notice of her .
The real Charlotte was a fellow woman of science a decade older than Mary .
But in Lee ’ s version , she ’ s the young and fragile wife of a busy man .
She has suffered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own depression .
Roderick says he wants his “ bright , funny , clever wife back , ” but he also treats her as a delicately wilting flower .
You wonder if part of her mental state is due to the fact that he ’ s the type of husband who orders a decadent meal for himself and then puts in for plain white fish , no sauce , for his wife .
He decides she shouldn ’ t accompany him further on his travels , and pays Mary to take Charlotte out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but grudgingly accepts .
She needs the money .
With their differences in age , social status and interests , Mary and Charlotte are an unlikely pair .
But after a fever and convalescence , they have an intense affair that awakens both , briefly .
It ’ s tempting to compare “ Ammonite ” to “ Portrait of a Lady on Fire , ” another period piece about a lesbian relationship near the cliffs and sea .
But “ Portrait ” was a sweeping , intoxicating release , and it ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a love story or even a romance .
The intimacy is fleeting and the revelations are few .
Perhaps that ’ s because Lee ’ s script is so spare , and there ’ s only so much an actor can do to fill in the gaps .
A film like this should give life to its characters and reveal essential truths beyond the book-report versions of their existence .
But “ Ammonite ” keeps you at a distance on a rather vacant , but beautiful , journey .
Rating : R ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and brief language )

By Lindsey Bahr | Associated Press
The new film “Ammonite” unearths the stories of two women buried by history: paleontologist Mary Anning, who in the 19th century made significant prehistoric fossil discoveries along the coast in Southwest England, and geologist Charlotte Murchison, who worked in the area briefly alongside her geologist husband.
But instead of illuminating what we know about Mary and Charlotte and their work, in “Ammonite,” writer-director Francis Lee (“God’s Own Country”) takes a footnote from their lives— that they worked together a bit and became friends — and turns it into a passionate affair. While that’s an inspired idea for a piece of historical fiction, “Ammonite” is a mixed bag: exquisitely beautiful, with committed and lived-in performances and bursts of intense eroticism, but also a dreary and oddly empty experience.
Kate Winslet, stripped down and serious, plays Anning, who lives with her mother (Gemma Jones) and is struggling to get by. Life (if you can call it that) in the coastal area of Lyme Regis is harsh, and you can see the toll it’s taken in her eyes and hardened face. Although she’s notable in her field, she doesn’t get to socialize with the men in the Geological Society of London. Instead, she toils in silence in her hometown, searching for fossils in the cliffs and shilling her findings to curious tourists for meager sums.
Then geologist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) stops by her shop and asks her to take him out so he can see the world the way she sees it. It’s admiration cloaked in unconscious condescension: He assumes Mary can and will hand over her lifetime of work and expertise in an afternoon on the beach. Behind him is his wife, Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan), cloaked in black and a figurative shadow of a person. Mary barely takes notice of her.
The real Charlotte was a fellow woman of science a decade older than Mary. But in Lee’s version, she’s the young and fragile wife of a busy man. She has suffered a loss and is fading away into her own depression.
Roderick says he wants his “bright, funny, clever wife back,” but he also treats her as a delicately wilting flower. You wonder if part of her mental state is due to the fact that he’s the type of husband who orders a decadent meal for himself and then puts in for plain white fish, no sauce, for his wife.
He decides she shouldn’t accompany him further on his travels, and pays Mary to take Charlotte out with her instead. Mary is insulted but grudgingly accepts. She needs the money. With their differences in age, social status and interests, Mary and Charlotte are an unlikely pair. But after a fever and convalescence, they have an intense affair that awakens both, briefly.
It’s tempting to compare “Ammonite” to “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” another period piece about a lesbian relationship near the cliffs and sea. But “Portrait” was a sweeping, intoxicating release, and it’d be wrong to call “Ammonite” a love story or even a romance. The intimacy is fleeting and the revelations are few.
Perhaps that’s because Lee’s script is so spare, and there’s only so much an actor can do to fill in the gaps. A film like this should give life to its characters and reveal essential truths beyond the book-report versions of their existence. But “Ammonite” keeps you at a distance on a rather vacant, but beautiful, journey.
“Ammonite”
2 1/2 stars out of 4
Rating: R (for some graphic nudity, graphic sexuality and brief language)
Running time: 120 minutes


mercurynews--2020-11-13--Review: Glamorous Robbie cuts through the dust and grit

Dust , dust and more dust .
The parched Texas landscape of “ Dreamland , ” Miles Joris-Peyrafitte ’ s Depression-era drama , is chock full of the toxic gray stuff , which billows across fields and coats everything in sight .
And then bank robber Allison Wells , aka Margot Robbie , pops onto the screen like a bolt of electricity , or “ a bat outta hell , ” as one character says — all charisma and brassy sex appeal and old-style glamour .
She ’ s bleeding and she ’ s dirty , but heck , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come across as a genuine movie star , but placing her in the 1930s seems to seal the deal .
Like the best of the Golden Age goddesses , Robbie can burn up the screen with a mere flash of her blue eyes .
Robbie ’ s Allison , a fictional character , has obvious echoes of Bonnie Parker , the real-life outlaw played by Faye Dunaway in “ Bonnie and Clyde.
” Only here , her Clyde is gone ; he ’ s been shot in the aftermath of their last heist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded .
That ’ s where Eugene Evans ( Finn Cole ) , the impressionable young man who falls under Allison ’ s spell , comes in .
The story , in fact , is his — narrated by his younger half-sister , Phoebe , decades later .
( She ’ s played as a little girl by Darby Camp , sweet and spunky but not cloying . )
We learn that Eugene ’ s father abandoned him as a young boy , leaving him with a single postcard to read over and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head with dreams of an eventual reunion in Mexico .
Meanwhile , his mother ’ s new husband is a hot-tempered sheriff ’ s deputy ( Travis Fimmel ) who runs an oppressive household .
Life is precarious ; the farmland has been decimated by a series of brutal dust storms .
Eugene ’ s dreary life is punctuated by an occasional thrill like stealing a detective magazine from a newsstand .
One day he hears about Allison , whose latest heist has resulted in five deaths , including a young girl .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her head , and she may be hiding nearby , Soon after , Eugene finds Allison in his very own barn .
It doesn ’ t take long for him to fall under her spell , and the essence of the film is this seduction .
The story itself is unremarkable , even thin — there are no surprising twists or turns , no big lessons in the script by Nicolaas Zwart — but the relationship at its core is hugely entertaining to watch .
And it ’ s not just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film ; Cole is memorable , too , as a young man who struggles before our eyes not only between right and wrong or between lust and honor , but between youth and adulthood .
Also to be admired is the evocative period cinematography by Lyle Vincent — you can practically feel the dust smart in your eyes — and the sure-handed direction by Joris-Peyrafitte , all the more noteworthy in that it ’ s only his second feature and he ’ s still in his 20s .
( At some point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue to mention , but not quite yet . )
One of the director ’ s most interesting decisions is to have Eugene ’ s reality appear in widescreen and his dream world in 8 mm film resembling home videos , showing Allison and Eugene in beachside frolics that may never happen .
But back to that barn , where Eugene makes the momentous decision not to turn Allison in and claim the money , which could save his family ’ s farm .
First , he pulls a bullet out of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leap yet to joining her life of crime , to becoming her Clyde ( Cole does , by the way , seem to resemble photos of the real Clyde ) .
Still , it ’ s clear where this is going .
The final stage of the inevitable seduction takes place in a motel room shower , and it ’ s shot in a distinctive way : for most of the scene we only see Eugene .
The effect of this , one of the film ’ s standout scenes along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beautifully rendered climactic confrontation , is to focus more intensively on the battle happening in Eugene ’ s soul ( and body . )
At this point , he ’ s already so in love with Allison that he seems more than willing to make himself accept her lies .
“ I ’ m not a killer , ” Allison keeps insisting .
But even that rather dubious claim is not the real point .
She is killing Eugene , before our eyes .
Rating : R ( for some violence , language @ @ @

By Jocelyn Noveck | Associated Press
Dust, dust and more dust. The parched Texas landscape of “Dreamland,” Miles Joris-Peyrafitte’s Depression-era drama, is chock full of the toxic gray stuff, which billows across fields and coats everything in sight.
And then bank robber Allison Wells, aka Margot Robbie, pops onto the screen like a bolt of electricity, or “a bat outta hell,” as one character says — all charisma and brassy sex appeal and old-style glamour. She’s bleeding and she’s dirty, but heck, she’s glamorous. Robbie has always come across as a genuine movie star, but placing her in the 1930s seems to seal the deal. Like the best of the Golden Age goddesses, Robbie can burn up the screen with a mere flash of her blue eyes.
Robbie’s Allison, a fictional character, has obvious echoes of Bonnie Parker, the real-life outlaw played by Faye Dunaway in “Bonnie and Clyde.” Only here, her Clyde is gone; he’s been shot in the aftermath of their last heist, and Allison is all alone, wounded.
That’s where Eugene Evans (Finn Cole), the impressionable young man who falls under Allison’s spell, comes in. The story, in fact, is his — narrated by his younger half-sister, Phoebe, decades later. (She’s played as a little girl by Darby Camp, sweet and spunky but not cloying.)
We learn that Eugene’s father abandoned him as a young boy, leaving him with a single postcard to read over and over, filling the youth’s head with dreams of an eventual reunion in Mexico. Meanwhile, his mother’s new husband is a hot-tempered sheriff’s deputy (Travis Fimmel ) who runs an oppressive household.
Life is precarious; the farmland has been decimated by a series of brutal dust storms. Eugene’s dreary life is punctuated by an occasional thrill like stealing a detective magazine from a newsstand. One day he hears about Allison, whose latest heist has resulted in five deaths, including a young girl. There’s a $10,000 bounty on her head, and she may be hiding nearby,
Soon after, Eugene finds Allison in his very own barn. It doesn’t take long for him to fall under her spell, and the essence of the film is this seduction. The story itself is unremarkable, even thin — there are no surprising twists or turns, no big lessons in the script by Nicolaas Zwart — but the relationship at its core is hugely entertaining to watch.
And it’s not just the always-impressive Robbie, who also produces the film; Cole is memorable, too, as a young man who struggles before our eyes not only between right and wrong or between lust and honor, but between youth and adulthood.
Also to be admired is the evocative period cinematography by Lyle Vincent — you can practically feel the dust smart in your eyes — and the sure-handed direction by Joris-Peyrafitte, all the more noteworthy in that it’s only his second feature and he’s still in his 20s. (At some point, his age won’t be an issue to mention, but not quite yet.) One of the director’s most interesting decisions is to have Eugene’s reality appear in widescreen and his dream world in 8 mm film resembling home videos, showing Allison and Eugene in beachside frolics that may never happen.
But back to that barn, where Eugene makes the momentous decision not to turn Allison in and claim the money, which could save his family’s farm. First, he pulls a bullet out of her leg. He hasn’t made the leap yet to joining her life of crime, to becoming her Clyde (Cole does, by the way, seem to resemble photos of the real Clyde).
Still, it’s clear where this is going. The final stage of the inevitable seduction takes place in a motel room shower, and it’s shot in a distinctive way: for most of the scene we only see Eugene.
The effect of this, one of the film’s standout scenes along with a vividly choreographed bank robbery and a beautifully rendered climactic confrontation, is to focus more intensively on the battle happening in Eugene’s soul (and body.) At this point, he’s already so in love with Allison that he seems more than willing to make himself accept her lies.
“I’m not a killer,” Allison keeps insisting. But even that rather dubious claim is not the real point. She is killing Eugene, before our eyes.
“Dreamland”
3 stars out of 4
Rating: R (for some violence, language and sexuality/nudity)
Running time: 98 minutes