Category Archives: National Vanguard

100 years ago

April 15, 1922

Now comes the women's gasoline filling station: The rapidly increasing ranks of women automobile drivers has led the Gipson Oil Company to adopt a novel, and for Little Rock, new plan of erecting a filling station that will cater to the trade of the fair sex. The new station will be located at 1501 Gaines street. It will be a small frame and stucco building, of the drive-in type.

50 years ago

April 15, 1972

Tommy Arnn, 26, the man who was freed Thursday after he had been robbed and locked in his car, was fined $84.75 later Thursday on 16 overdue traffic tickets. Arnn had spent eight hours in the trunk before the police heard him beating on the trunk lid and summoned firemen to open it at 7:15 a.m. ... The police had the car towed in for routine fingerprinting and discovered the overdue tickets in the car.

25 years ago

April 15, 1997

Gospel music listeners throughout Arkansas knew Jewelene Bonner as the "Gospel Angel," host of a radio show that aired on KABF-FM, 88.3, in Little Rock during the 1980s. "She was one of our original volunteers and best fund-raisers," said John Cain, program manager at the community radio station. Bonner's show, Gospel in My Soul, was broadcast statewide from 1984 to 1989 before she left the air for health reasons, Cain said. ... Bonner died at her home Saturday of a heart attack. She was 74. ... She got her start in radio in the mid-1960s as the first black female gospel disc jockey in the area at KOKY, now KITA-AM, 1440. The founder of the Highland Park Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons, she also worked as a librarian at Philander Smith College in Little Rock and filled the same role at First Baptist Church of Highland Park. She also wrote for the Upper Room and Baptist Vanguard, publications distributed by the Black National Baptist Congress Convention. Bonner received honors and certificates from the city and state for her community work on illiteracy. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock's school of social work honored her in 1988 for her work with Resources in Education for Adolescent Parents. In 1979 she was named Mother of the Year at Philander Smith College, her daughter Avis Thames said, "because she was inspirational in the education of single-parent children and children without parents."

10 years ago

April 15, 2012

Bowls and plates were full of delicious food at the 10th annual Empty Bowls charity dinner benefiting the Arkansas Foodbank. But there were also empty bowls at the event in the foodbank's warehouse, a reminder of the reason for the dinner. The handmade bowls, a signature of the event, were made by local artists and students. They, along with gift certificates, paintings and crafts, were part of a silent auction. Artist Lori Weeks painted live during the event -- her painting was auctioned off at the end of the evening. The full bowls and plates were filled by 15 local restaurants and served food-court style around the warehouse. The menu included such variety as barbecue, tacos and a chocolate fountain. Tom Brannon served as the evening master of ceremonies. Event chairmen were Heather Tackett and Adam Perdue.

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Other days - Arkansas Online

Abby Livingston| Texas Tribune

WASHINGTON Fending off the Republican advance in South Texas this fall was already going to be a taller-than-usual order for Democrats. But few Democrats anticipated it would be this hard.

Thanks to a succession of self-inflicted choices, fallout from redistricting and some flat bizarre circumstances, Democrats are confronting a mind-numbing set of complications in their fight to hold on to three seats in South Texas. And national polling indicates Democrats have no room for error if they want to hold off a Republican challenge in a region that was once a historical Democratic stronghold.

The seats in question are held by U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen. A third vacant seat recently belonged to Filemon Vela of Brownsville, who stepped down to take a private sector lobbying job.

For Democrats, there may simply be too many fires to put out at once, national political analyst David Wasserman, of the Cook Political Report, said to The Texas Tribune.

Democrats have been united and energized in recent days in their opposition to Gov. Greg Abbott ordering security checks of trucks crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, a move that has ground trade in the region to a halt.

But they have multiple other vulnerabilities to contend with: In the 28th Congressional District, the FBI raided Cuellars home and campaign just ahead of his primary campaign. (His attorney has since said that Cuellar is not the target of the investigation.) In the neighboring 15th Congressional District, Gonzalez is vacating his once-safe, now-ripped-apart-by-Republicans district for safer ground, making it even harder for Democrats to hold on to his old seat. And in the 34th Congressional District, Vela abruptly resigned late last month, setting off a summer special election that could put a Republican incumbent on the ballot for that seat in the fall.

Going back to the 1980s, these three neighboring districts have traditionally made up South Texas, a region of the state with a high proportion of Hispanic voters that has leaned left politically. Emerging from the Rio Grande, each district stretches from border town population centers north through ranchland.

Each of the South Texas districts has some unique circumstances, but they could all add up to a big headache for Democrats and make it more difficult to retain control of the House, said Nathan Gonzales, a political analyst and publisher for Inside Elections.

Nationally, Democrats have a slim margin of control in the House, and even losing one South Texas seat could jeopardize Democrats hold on the gavel. Currently, there are 23 Republicans and 12 Democrats in the Texas U.S. House delegation.

Per Wasserman, who rates the competitiveness of U.S. House races for a living, Democratic circumstances are becoming dire.

President Biden's anemic approval ratings with Hispanic voters and on the immigration issue could already be putting TX-15 out of reach (now that it's a Trump seat), and the FBI raid and a Vela-triggered special election are massive distractions for Democrats in TX-28 and TX-34, respectively, he wrote in an email to the Tribune.

House Democratic operatives say theyre ready for the fight.

Monica Robinson, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said there are challenges and opportunities in South Texas and Democrats are not taking anything for granted.

Were confident in our Democrats in South Texas and our ability to run smart, nimble campaigns that will win in November, she added.

Vela came to office in 2012 after a fresh round of reapportionment created the new 34th District.

He announced in March 2021 that he wouldnt seek reelection in his district. But he upgraded his retirement announcement to a full-blown resignation on March 31, vacating his office nine months earlier than expected.

That move set off what will be a confusing special election in which the winner will hold the seat for only a matter of months, while creating an opportunity for Republicans to gain an advantage for the main event in November where they will face a more difficult district.

District 34 was redrawn by the Legislature last year to be a more safe seat for a Democrat, making it the Republicans hardest South Texas target in November. If the new map had been in place in 2020, President Joe Biden would have carried the district by 16 points.

But Velas exit means there will now be a June 14 special election that still adheres to the old district map, where Biden won by only 4 points, which could make it easier for a Republican to win. If a Republican wins the special election, it could boost their name recognition when they compete again in November.

Democrats are now dealing with a resulting scramble in South Texas.

Gonzalez is running for Velas open seat in November after switching districts because redistricting tilted his district boundaries toward Republicans. Gonzalez already declined to run in the special election, given that he is still a sitting member of Congress.

Theres also little incentive for other Democrats to run for the special election. At best a candidate would be able to hold the office for a few months while not being allowed to run for reelection for the full term in November, since that primary has already been settled. Gonzalez won the Democratic primary for Velas seat in March.

I wish we had a member till the end of the year, Gonzalez said in an interview. But it is what it is, and under the circumstances we gotta deal with what we have.

Republicans, meanwhile, are giddy about the special election contest. The GOP nominee for the two-year term, Mayra Flores, is in the race.

We see an opportunity to try and pick off this seat in the special, said Dan Conston, the president of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the Republican super PAC that controls much of the partys House campaign general election spending.

And if Mayra Flores wins, it gives her a significant jump-start of a fall campaign against a weak candidate in Vicente Gonzalez, he added.

For Republicans, the stakes are historic: Should Flores win the special election, she will become the first Republican Latina elected to Congress from Texas. If thats the case, her fall campaign against Gonzalez would mark the first member-versus-member federal race in Texas since 2004, when Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Martin Frost for a newly drawn Dallas seat after a mid-decade round of redistricting.

It is unclear how much Democrats will spend on a special election.

Why would we want to spend a boatload of money for an election that is meaningless? Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said of the special election in an interview. Theres not a doubt anywhere that Vicente Gonzalez is going to be sworn in in January of 2023.

The most formidable Democrat running in the special election is former Cameron County justice of the peace and commissioner Dan Sanchez, who announced his own campaign last week.

Gonzalez, who will face Flores in November for the two-year term no matter what comes to pass over the summer, predicted a Democratic victory in the special election that will take the wind out of the sail of most of the Republicans in South Texas, after we win that special.

Itll be a preview of whats coming in November, he added.

For his part, Vela said hes not worried that his exit will hurt Democrats chances for retaining the seat.

Vicente is going to slaughter Mayra Flores in the November election, Vela said in an interview on his last day in Congress. I dont think its going to be even near close.

Flores responded in kind via text: Congressmen Vela and Gonzalez will find out the hard way that South Texas Hispanics know the national Democratic Party has abandoned us in favor of radical policies that harm our communities.

First elected in 2016, Gonzalez ran for Congress when the 15th District was once a safe Democratic seat.

This past fall, Republican state lawmakers gutted that original 15th District in redistricting, turning it from a seat Biden narrowly carried in 2020 to one that Trump would have won by almost 3 points. Gonzalez secured the 34th District nomination on March 1.

The destabilization of the 15th District is a direct result of Republican redistricting. Gonzalez did not flee his old seat for a friendlier one. Republicans did it for him, drawing a conspicuous peninsula out of the 34th District to bring in the Gonzalez residence, separating him from nearly all of his old constituents.

Members of Congress dont have to live in their districts, and his move leaves behind an open-seat race for the 15th District, now the most endangered Democratic-held seat in Texas.

The Republican emphasis is on the 15th District, demonstrated by GOP nominee Monica de la Cruz Hernandezs designation as a House GOP Young Gun, or top-tier candidate. GOP activity could expand further, though, as campaign committees are known to add candidates to these lists over the course of the cycle.

Two Democrats are battling it out in the May runoff: attorney Ruben Ramirez and businesswoman Michelle Vallejo.

Vallejo has the backing of state and national groups and politicians, including EMILYs List, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia of Houston and state Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg and Mando Martinez of Weslaco. Ramirez has endorsements from Gonzalez, Vote Vets PAC and the Blue Dog Democrats, a group that pushes for moderates. Both candidates have union endorsements.

More broadly, Gonzalez told the Tribune that national Democratic groups were failing South Texas Democrats. He called the DCCC, a member-driven institution with which he has clashed in the past, asleep at the wheel when it comes to South Texas.

But there is an equitable amount of Democratic frustration on Capitol Hill for having to deal with the open-seat race and the Vela vacancy.

DCCC staffers say the committee has hired two staffers in the 15th District and the committee is in the process of expanding that staff and opening a headquarters there as well.

And then there is Laredo.

In January, the FBI raided Cuellar's home and campaign office. The FBI has yet to elaborate on why it conducted the raids so close to the election, a highly controversial move by the Department of Justice.

Cuellar has proclaimed his innocence. But six weeks later, he found himself in the first Democratic runoff of his congressional career.

Cuellars attorney Joshua Berman told the Tribune that a DOJ official told him that Cuellar was not the target of the investigation. The DOJ did not comment when asked to verify the claim.

But it was not merely the ugliness of an unexplained raid. For the last three years, liberals have been trying to chase Cuellar out of office and spending big against him. Their candidate is attorney Jessica Cisneros, who challenged Cuellar two years ago.

She is at the vanguard of the progressive left in Texas, but she is running in a district where many Catholic voters do not agree with her social positions particularly on abortion.

Its not so much a problem that there would be no incumbent running, its that Cuellars rival could be too far left for the general electorate, said Wasserman, the political analyst, reflecting a consensus that Republicans privately hold.

Cisneros campaign manager Regina Monge said pundits like Wasserman have it all wrong.

Voters like Jessica because shes independent, not accepting a dime of corporate money and represents change from the status quo. Shes focused on the issues that matter to South Texans: health care and good jobs, she said.

Republicans Cassy Garcia a former staffer to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and activist Sandra Whitten are currently in a runoff election for the GOP nod to take on whomever wins the Cuellar-Cisneros nomination fight. Garcia recently picked up an endorsement from U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

House Republicans argue Democrats South Texas problems are rooted in policy. Ever since Democrats underperformed in 2020, a widespread consensus settled on the notion that positions like defunding the police and the Green New Deal from out-of-state politicians did significant damage to the party in South Texas.

South Texas has become Democrats worst nightmare, wrote House GOP campaign spokesperson Torunn Sinclair, blaming Democratic policies on the border, energy and economy in an email to the Tribune. Trends show South Texas is already leaning Republican, and Democrats have done nothing to reverse the trend, and their policies are making it worse.

Moses Mercado, a Washington-based Democratic lobbyist who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, blames Republican control of redistricting for much of the South Texas turbulence.

This is their dream, he said of Republican ambitions in South Texas. They created the mess.

What is clear: Both parties are organizing here in ways they have not before. National party staffers are on the ground, and the cheap television markets will likely feature political commercials on loop by September.

Were changing how we do business in South Texas this cycle, said Robinson, the House Democratic campaign spokesperson. The DCCC is reaching voters earlier than ever before, were being intentional about how we communicate with Hispanic voters in the Valley and were resuming in-person organizing after Democrats put public health over politics in 2020.

We cant wait to welcome you in person and online to the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, our multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the days news all taking place just steps away from the Texas Capitol from Sept. 22-24. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/14/south-texas-democrats-cuellar-vela-gonzalez/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

More: White House says Gov. Abbott's truck inspections causing 'significant disruptions' nationwide

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Democrats are in danger of losing three congressional strongholds in South Texas - Standard-Times

The Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) was a new womens basketball league that began in 1997, starting with eight teams. Like all new leagues starting out, the WNBA had an expansion phase, promoting their brand and creating new teams to compete for a national championship. Among those teams was the short-lived Portland Fire.

The Portland Fire existed for only three years, in the 20002002 seasons competing in the Western Conference. The Fire played at the Rose Garden, now known as the Moda Center.

The Portland Fire are one of two WNBA teams to never make the playoffs, next to the defunct Miami Sol. In their inaugural season, the Fire finished seventh in the West with a 10-22 record and .313 winning percentage. They went 11-21 with a .344 winning percentage in 2001, and went 16-16 in their final seasoncoming in at fifth place in the West. Their record was 37-59 overall, with zero playoff appearances and zero championships. The Fire averaged only 8,000 fans per game which was small for the league at the time.

Jackie Stiles was selected fourth overall in the 2001 WNBA draft. She averaged 14.9 points per game and was awarded Rookie of the Year. Injuries complicated her careerand she never played again in the league, though she did later play for the Lubbock Hawks of the National Womens Basketball League and the Canberra Capitals of the Womens National Basketball League in Australia.

Due to the WNBA turning only five in 2002 when the Fire folded, the league sold ownership of their franchises to the owners of their counterpart NBA teams. Paul Allen opted not to buy the team because the Portland Trail Blazers were strugglingand the WNBA was suffering financial problems league-wide.

Trail Blazers legend Clyde Drexler and Clackamas businessman Terry Emment attempted to buy the franchise, but the deal was never made. Portland has been without a professional womens basketball team since 2002.

Womens basketball in the City of Roses started off with the Portland Power, one of the nine founding franchises coming out the the American Basketball League (ABL), which attempted to rival the WNBA at the time.

After the 1996 Olympics were hosted in Atlanta, the ABL was able to recruit multiple gold medalists like Portland native Katy Steding. They won a division title in their 1997-98 season, going 27-17and winning the West.

The ABL seemed to be doing better than the WNBA. The Power were 9-4first in their conference before financial issues within the league ruined their chances of winning their first title.

Natalie Williams, the daughter of former NBA star Nate Williams, was the Powers star player, and was awarded first-team ABL two years in a row in the 199697 and the 199798 season. Leading the league in scoring and rebounds, the team folded along with the rest of the league in 1998, starting with eight teams and ending with nine.

There have been talks about bringing the Fire back to the Moda Center, but no progress has been made. In December, Trailblazers star Jusuf Nurkic shared his support for a team returning to Portland on Twitter. Kirk Brown, co-founder of DiscoverOrg (now ZoomInfo), also expressed interest in bringing a team back to the WNBA.

There is no doubt that the Portland Fire wouldnt thrive today without Portland having a large womens sports fan base, supporting teams like the Portland Thorns who led the National Womens Soccer League in attendance last year. The Thorns average 14,391 fans a game, more than the next most popular team, the Racing Louisville FC that averages 6,610 per game. Before the pandemic in 2019, the Thorns averaged 20,098 fans per game.

If a WNBA team does come back to Portland, they would need a venue. They could play at the Moda Center, like their NBA counterparts, but there will be potential scheduling conflicts. A good location may be the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where the Portland Winterhawks Hockey team hosts their games. The Coliseum has a capacity of 10,934.

Not only would Portland provide a solid WNBA fanbase, they would also already have a rivalry with the team up northfour-time WNBA champions, the Seattle Stormjust like the Portland Timbers have a rivalry with the Seattle Sounders, or Thorns has with OL Reign.

Excerpt from:

Remembering the WNBA's Portland Fire - Vanguard - Psuvanguard.com

The Smith Memorial Student Union ballroom saw over 300 students, faculty, family and community members come together to celebrate the life of Amara Marluke, on Saturday, April 9. Marluke was a freshman at PSU who was shot and killed on Monday, April 4 at age 19. The celebration of life event was organized in her memory.

Amara Marlukes perseverance through an incredibly turbulent and neglectful childhood propelled her to become an advocate against injustice as well as an ally for others.

She was relentless and graduated [high school] with honors at 18, despite being two years behind when we adopted her, explained her mother, Amy Marluke.

Her accomplishments throughout her young life are inspiring to both those who knew her and those learning about her. The program included the playing of one of her songs called Love is Blind, which lyrically details the intricacies of relationships.

Amara made me stronger, [she] made me braver, Amy Marluke said.

Friends and family gave unwavering testimonials to Amara Marlukes exceptional character, adding to the stark tragedy of this loss. Clear admiration set the tone for the event, and some of her past speeches were also played.

I have a dream, I have a plan and I have hope, said Amara Marluke during one of her recorded speeches. I refuse to believe anyones path is predestined.

I was in awe of Amaras ability to unite, said Richard Arnold, a faculty member of Sunset High School where Marluke attended.

Amara Marlukes family, Richard Arnold and PSU President Stephen Percy all alluded to upcoming scholarships created in Marlukes name. Her legacy will be carried on through scholarships aiming to provide more opportunities to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and disadvantaged youth, specifically those who have been in foster care.

It was just a privilege to experience her positivity, said friend Chloe Bernard.

Percy called for a moment of silence to recognize the loss of Amara Marluke at the beginning of the ceremony, and after learning about her bright, loud, audacious personality, that silence proved significant.

Amara Marlukes story remains half-writtena song unfinished. Her memory will be carried among the PSU community and within her work with the Black Student Union and various social justice projects.

In the words of Amy Marluke, she lived to fight the world.

And the world will keep fighting for her.

A GoFundMe has been started on behalf of the Marluke family for those interested in donating. If you or someone you know may be a victim of domestic violence, visit resources such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline or SHAC (Student Health and Counseling) for immediate assistance.

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Honoring the life of Amara Marluke - Vanguard - Psuvanguard.com

With the cost of living increases, insufficient wages, wealth inequality growth and continued gentrification of Portland and other urban areas, trying to keep a roof over ones head is a struggle for the lower class of the U.S.

If you dream of owning a home one day, disappointment may be in your future. If a place of your own wasnt in your plans to begin with, then rent will also continue to suck you dry while you are forced to work three jobs to afford a studio that costs more than a mortgage.

Older generations love to slam millennials and Gen Z for being entitled and spoiled, while themselves being ignorant of the fact that they benefited greatly compared to younger generations when looking at the data on cost of living and inflation over the yearsespecially when it comes to housing.

Taelor Candiloro of Anytime Estimatea real estate number calculator and data collecting sitecompares inflation to median housing costs in the U.S. According to Candiloros research, housing prices have outpaced inflation by 150% over the last 50 years. If inflation and home prices increased at the same rate, Candiloro argues the median home cost today would be $177,788instead of the $408,100 that it currently is.

To make matters worse, the current median home cost in Portland is $547,041, much higher than the national average.

The statistics on Portland continue to be a lot more grim, as it is one of 13 cities in the country where the median cost of housing increased more than 200% since the year 2000increasing from about $179,000 to the depressingly high $547,000.

Additionally, the current median household income of $67,521 would need to be $125,260 to afford a home valued at $325,677. Millennials in 2019 were faced with a 31% higher home-price-to-income ratio relative to what the baby boomers were facing in their thirties in 1985. No amount of boot-strap pulling is going to overcome such obvious hurdles.

Last month on an episode of 60 Minutes, investment company CEO Gary Berman claimed that millennials have no desire to own a home because they grew up in the sharing economy. Not only is this claim out of touch, but coming from the CEO of a company that owns over 30,000 rental properties in the U.S. rented to primarily millennials, its infuriating.

Perhaps more people would be able to afford a house if it werent for the perception that housing is a possible investment opportunity. Many investors now treat housing as a commodity.

Maybe it is a radical thought, but no individual or company should be able to have investment properties that are used to exploit people who want a shelter of their own.

While my sympathies for larger real estate investors are nonexistent, I am also not losing sleep over smaller landlordsowners of one to four propertieswho lost money due to the pandemic. Especially when housing as an investment is considered inherently risky.

These landlords have unfortunately had to offload one or more of their properties to even larger property investors during the course of the pandemicthus causing even higher rent prices for tenants.

Michelle Conlin of Reuters wrote about childhood friends who owned 96 units in Rochester, NY, almost offloading all of their units to out-of-state investors while claiming to be heartbroken having to do so. Sympathy is hard to find for people and companies that are inherently parasitic.

With the rapidly increasing rental prices combined with property investors both big and small treating housing as a commodity, it is no wonder that Portland was named the fourth-fastest gentrifying city in the U.S. in 2017.

If the dream of owning a house is out of reach, maybe the rental cap we have here in Oregon will help you to continue renting. In Feb. 2019, Oregon Senate Bill 608 passed, placing a cap on rent that equals 7% plus the annual consumer price index from the previous year, as well as a couple other protections for renters. Buildings that are less than 15 years old are exempt from that cap, unfortunately.

For 2022, the maximum amount that a landlord or property manager can raise your rent is by 9.9%. Yet the potential for your rent to go up more than $100 per month while still falling under the cap, makes it difficult to consider this a victory.

How many of the working class in Oregon received a raise recently that even matched the U.S. inflation rate of the last 12 months? Last November, Minneapolis and St. Paul voters passed an incredible rent control ordinance that was capped at 3%, though a Republican-controlled Senate committee is advancing legislation in an attempt to overturn the rent control measures that voters approved. Shame.

Looking elsewhere in the U.S., its even worse. The apartment unit I was living in less than two years ago in Tucson, AZ, had rent go up by more than $300a price increase that no tenant should have to endure just to keep a roof over their heads.

The fact that rental increases in other places are far worse than here shouldnt mean that we should allow this to keep happening to us, as it is going to continue to get worse for those who are already struggling.

People who think that they are smarter than me will say that the reason for all of these increases is increased demand and limited supply, as well as that pesky inflation that seems to make everything else raise in costexcept, of course, for our wages.

We all see the apartment complexes being built everywhere. We are being told that they will help alleviate the rent prices, ignoring the fact that these newer, cheaply built apartments charge rent that is higher than anything else in the areaincentivising other properties in the area to raise their rents to the cap, or even higher for any building that was built less than 15 years ago. They already add on monthly fees for all sorts of silly things anyways. Why do we need to pay pet rent on top of a pet deposit?

Along with numerous issues that younger generations continue to face, when do we say enough is enough? With no sense of irony, we are already being told by older generations that we are entitled and spoiled.

I say that they are actually in debt to usand eventually it will be our responsibility to collect.

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The grim outlook of owning and renting - Vanguard - Psuvanguard.com

By Carlos Rodriguez, USTFCCCA April 13, 2022 

NEW ORLEANS Here is the third edition of the NAIA Womens Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index for the 2022 season, as released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). No marks from previous seasons are used, which means this objective ranking is comprised solely of marks from the 2022 indoor track & field season.

1British Columbia

2William Carey (Miss.)

3Concordia (Neb.)

4Vanguard (Calif.)

5Southern Oregon

British Columbia held steady at No. 1 for the second week in a row. The Thunderbirds are rolling with 18 top-10 marks, leading the NAIA in four events. Zoe Doorenspleet (No. 1, 5000) and Olivia Lundman (No. 1, 5000-meter race walk) are still No. 1 in their respective event and have three other Thunderbirds behind them ranked in the top-10 in both events. Hailey Kjaer kept her spot at No. 1 in the javelin, as she leads a trio of ranked Thunderbirds in the event. Jamie Hennessey (No.1, steeple) is the fourth athlete to hold her No. 1 spot.

William Carey (Miss.) remained at No. 2 with 12 top-10 marks. Brittany Jones added the No. 7 triple jump (11.82m/38-9) to her resume at the UAB Green and Gold Invite. She also leads the nation in the long jump and now joins her sister Nevagant Jones (No. 1, 12.45m/10) on the top-10 triple jump list. Joy Abu still leads the nation in the 100H and 400H and is a member of the No. 1 4100 team, giving the Crusaders five national leading marks.

Concordia (Neb.) is entrenched at No. 3 after last weeks big jump into the top-5. Over the weekend at their home meet, the 4800 relay squad of Rylee Haecker, Kylahn Heritage, Jenna Esch and Keri Bauer ran the No. 1 time of 9:18.80. The 4400 also achieved a new mark running the nations fourth-ranked time of 3:53.07. After this past weekend, the Bulldogs have eight top-10 efforts.

Vanguard (Calif.) jumped five spots to No. 4, making their debut in the top-5. The Lions have nine top-10 efforts and recorded seven of the nine this past weekend at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational. In the 200, Eryn Burke and Armiyah Johnson ran the No. 7 and No. 10 times respectively. Burke also ran the 400, winning with the No. 3 time of 55.89 and teammate Brooke Dalgity ran the fifth-best time (55.89). Burke, Dalgity and Johnson along with Dorothy Jackson, were all part of the 4100 team that recorded the nations second-best time of 46.24. In the 400H, Jordyn Burke finished second (No. 4, 1:02.87) and Julianna Holm added the No. 7 high jump (1.65m/5-5) to cap off the Lions incredible weekend.

Southern Oregon rounds out the top-5, staying put at No. 5 for the second straight week. There were no new top-10 marks recorded by the Raiders as they have seven top-10 efforts. Abi Stevens still leads the nation in high jump (1.72m/5-7). Shes also ranked third-nationally in the heptathlon. Both of the relay teams are ranked in the top-10 with the 4100 coming in at No. 6 (47.30) and the 4400 team at No. 3 (3:50.92).

Here are the remaining top-10 teams in Week 3: No. 6 Southeastern (Fla.), No. 7 Friends (Kan.), No. 8 Indiana Tech, No. 9 Marian (Ind.) and No. 10 The Masters (Calif.).

Mark your calendars for May 25-27, as thats when the 2022 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held once again in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

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2022 NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index Week 3 - U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

The Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs organized a 3-day Coordination and Capacity Building workshop for Multi-Stakeholders in Nigeria, including MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) of the Federal Government, the Private Sector, CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) and the Media. The workshop was part of a two-phase Activity in Nigeria aimed at the adoption of a Roadmap and the establishment of an Integrated Protection and Human Security Coordination Mechanism, anchored and coordinated at the highest level of Government. This is towards the establishment of the Society Protection Web by strengthening of the Protection and Human Security architecture in the country and the region by extension.

At the opening Ceremony, the Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, represented by Hajiya Raheemat Momodu, Head of the Human Security and Civil Society (HSCS) Division welcomed the participants and expressed the appreciation of the ECOWAS Commission of the efforts made by stakeholders to address human security and protection concerns. She noted that these include the combat of human trafficking, advancing the rights of the child (including combatting VAC Violence Against Children) and addressing irregular migration. Others she said include drug abuse, IHL (International Humanitarian Law), GBV (Gender Based Violence) and Forced Displacement and Social Protection. She also expressed the appreciation of the Directorate to the Office of the Nigerian Permanent Representative to the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS National Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support in co-organising the workshop.

Other speakers at the Opening Ceremony include the UNICEF Country Representative to Nigeria Mr. Peter Hawkins, represented by Mrs. Adebisi Arije and the Head of Delegation of the ICRC Mr. Yann Bonzon, represented by the ICRC Multilateral Liaison Officer Ms. Chinelo Agom-Eze. The ECOWAS National Unit in the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by Mr. Johnson

Ogbole while the Workshop was opened by the Nigerian Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Ambassador Musa Nuhu, represented by Mr. Victor Samuel Makwe.

At the end, the meeting agreed on the need for the establishment of the Nigerian Protection and Human Security Coordination Mechanism and set out key advocacy points for the 2nd phase of the Activity, namely the High-Level Advocacy component. It also made critical recommendations to facilitate the work of all stakeholders in driving the protection and human security agenda. These include: developing a centralized government database to track progress recorded in relation to protection and human security and ensure ease of coordination, eestablishment of specialized funds for supporting access to justice (specifically aiding impoverished victims in civil litigation against their victimizers) and linking all strategies relevant to countering crime against persons (justice system and police reforms; GBV, anti-TIP, child labour policies; humanitarian emergency response, etc.), ensuring effective witness and victim protection measures in dealing with victimization of vulnerable persons, amongst other recommendations.

In closing, the ECOWAS Commission reiterated its commitment in supporting all Member States in improving the protection and human security fortunes for all ECOWAS citizens and for all persons within the ECOWAS space. The Representative of the Nigerian Permanent Representative to ECOWAS Mr. Victor Samuel Makwe and the Minister of Foreign Affairs represented by Mr. Johnson Ogbole, Counsellor at the ECOWAS National Unit in the Ministry also congratulated ECOWAS and the participants for very engaging discussions and excellent outcomes and pledged to continue to work assiduously with ECOWAS to bring the outcomes to bear.

Participants at the Workshop included ECOWAS Staff, ECOWAS National Unit, Office of the Nigerian Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Nigerian Ministries and Departments and Agencies including: Justice, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Women Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs, Labour and Employment, Health, Education, Nigerian Army, NPF, NSCDC, NDLEA, NIS, NAPTIP, NAFDAC, The Presidency- OSSAP-SDGs, NBS, NCFRMI, NEMA, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), NACCIMA, Civil Society Organizations including NACTAL, the CYPF, CISLAC, WOTCLEF, The International Academy for Gender and Peace,

Constituency Watch International, Impart Africa, Emechihu Favour Discovery Foundation and Media Institutions including the AIT, Channels TV, NTA, Arise TV, TVC News, Daily Trust, FRCN, Radio Nigeria, Premium Times, Vanguard Newspapers, The Cable, This Day, The Guardian, People and Power Magazine and NAN.

Partner Organizations in participation where UNICEF, IOM, ICMPD, GIZ and ICRC.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

This Press Release has been issued by APO. The content is not monitored by the editorial team of African Business and not of the content has been checked or validated by our editorial teams, proof readers or fact checkers. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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ECOWAS and Nigeria Agree on a Roadmap to Institutionalise a Government and Society Wide Approach - African Business

Louisiana State Treasurer John M. Schroder has joined a number of other State Treasurers across the country in an effort to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The treasurers are pledging to divest their state-controlled investments in Russian companies.

"I am sickened by the images of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine," says Louisiana State Treasurer John M. Schroder. "Louisiana Treasury is joining other states in divesting from any Russian investments in an attempt to do our share in forcing an end to this invasion and crippling the Russian government."

According to Schroder, Louisiana Treasury manages one fund that currently owns international stocks with any exposure to Russia.

The Treasury Department says The Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund (LEQTF) investment is an index fund managed by Vanguard. The index held less than 1% in Russian stocks. The index removed all Russian stocks on March 7, 2020.

See the full statement from the joint treasurers below:

"We, the undersigned State Treasurers, condemn Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The Russian invasion is a threat to democratic freedoms and global stability and cannot be tolerated. State governments invest a significant amount of public funds with some invested in Russian-domiciled companies. Actions taken by states can help the people of Ukraine by putting additional pressure on the Russian economy to force an end to this invasion. These actions are not only morally imperative, but the current crisis also constitutes a substantial risk for states' investments and our economic security. We cannot continue to invest funds in a way that runs counter to the foreign policy and the national interests of the United States. Moreover, we choose to stand on the side of freedom and security for free and independent democratic countries."

"Therefore, we support efforts at all levels of government and across the public and private sectors, which include cross-functional and multi-agency partnerships, to divest State Treasury and pension funds from investments in Russian-domiciled companies. We are committed to taking steps that include divesting as soon as possible to have the quickest and most meaningful impact on this tragic situation."

Treasurer Kimberly Yee, ArizonaTreasurer Dennis Milligan, ArkansasTreasurer Fiona Ma, CaliforniaTreasurer Dave Young, ColoradoTreasurer Shawn Wooden, ConnecticutTreasurer Colleen Davis, DelawareTreasurer Julie Ellsworth, IdahoTreasurer Michael Frerichs, IllinoisTreasurer Michael Fitzgerald, IowaTreasurer Lynn Rogers, KansasTreasurer Allison Ball, KentuckyTreasurer John Schroder, LouisianaTreasurer Henry Beck, MaineTreasurer Dereck Davis, MarylandTreasurer Deb Goldberg, MassachusettsTreasurer Rachael Eubanks, MichiganTreasurer David McRae, MississippiTreasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, MissouriTreasurer John Murante, NebraskaTreasurer Zach Conine, NevadaTreasurer Monica Mezzapelle, New HampshireTreasurer Elizabeth Muoio, New JerseyTreasurer Tim Eichenberg, New MexicoTreasurer Thomas Beadle, North DakotaTreasurer Robert Sprague, OhioTreasurer Randy McDaniel, OklahomaTreasurer Tobias Read, OregonTreasurer Stacy Garrity, PennsylvaniaGeneral Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Rhode IslandTreasurer Josh Haeder, South DakotaComptroller Glenn Hegar, TexasTreasurer Marlo Oaks, UtahTreasurer Mike Pellicciotti, Washington*Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, WisconsinTreasurer Riley Moore, West VirginiaTreasurer Curt Meier, WyomingTreasurer Carmen Pigler, District of ColumbiaCommissioner of Finance Bosede Bruce, U.S. Virgin Islands

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LA Treasurer joins other states in divesting Russian investments - KATC News

In recent days, Ukrainian officials and citizens have made it clear: even if the country does fall to Russias massive invasion, the fight wont stop there.

It is high time to proceed to resistance! said defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov in a March 2 Facebook post. I appeal to the citizens who are in the territories temporarily occupied by the enemy. With your help, our army will quickly defeat and drive out the occupiers.

Hunters. Foresters. You know every pathin your area, Reznikov said, adding that guerillas should leave the [Russian] tanks and target logistics convoys. The enemy must feel that every step without invitation on Ukrainian soil may be his last.

Ordinary Ukrainians near or behind enemy lines appear to be listening, resisting through both violent and non-violent means.

For some officials, that means everything is going to plan.

Since 2018, U.S. and European officials have quietly helped Ukraine implement key portions of a total defense framework that military officials call the Resistance Operating Concept, according to a U.S. special operations official who requested anonymity to discuss the project with Military Times. The work took place over time, through interagency meetings in Kyiv and with multinational representation, the official explained.

Special Operations Command-Europe was unable to grant Military Times interview requests for resistance experts due to the ongoing conflict. The Pentagon has adopted a restrictive media posture on the war in Ukraine, denying media embed requests and conducting routine intelligence updates on background.

The Resistance Operating Concept centers around building up the capacity of NATO members and friendly countries to mount an effective civil and military resistance if they were to face Russian invasion.

The ROC also encourages civil disobedience and non-violent resistance in the face of enemy occupation.

Nations supported under the ROC are encouraged to develop the legal and organizational framework for a resistance and bring it under the official control of their armed forces. That makes it easier for resistance forces to receive external training, funding and weapons.

Ukraines total defense project, which is part of a U.S.- and NATO-supported defense reform collaboration that has been ongoing since war began in 2014, resulted in such a framework last year and not a second too soon.

The ROC did help Ukraine self-evaluate [their national defense plan]...and it generated some momentum for Ukraine to catch up with their neighbors in that proper legal structure, explained the U.S. special operations official familiar with the countrys resistance planning. The official added that other countries have also implemented lessons from Ukraines combat experience against Russia in the Donbass region.

Kyivs legislature passed On the Fundamentals of National Resistance in July, according to a release from president Volodymyr Zelenskys office. The legislation included important measures aimed at developing territorial defense and [a] resistance movement, and introducing a system of preparing the population for national resistance.

It also offers legal protections for any civilian in Ukraine who takes up arms against an occupying force, while offering the government options for disavowing or blocking counter-productive resistance.

The law also placed Ukraines highly capable SOF units who have trained extensively with U.S., Canadian and European troops since 2014 in charge of building out and coordinating insurgent forces in the event of occupation.

Its not clear yet whether Ukrainian SOF are organizing and leading insurgent forces amid their ongoing ambushes and raids against Russian columns. But early signs of resistance are appearing as Western nations flood the country with man-portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.

One of many widely shared videos out of the conflict zone depicts a drive-by Molotov cocktail attack on a disabled Russian vehicle under tow.

Videos emerging from Kherson, one of the few cities currently under Russian occupation, show a restive population that regularly protests and impedes occupation forces. One video even showed protestors brawling with Russian troops as a hail of warning shots sounded in the background.

Citizens in Energogar, another town in southern Ukraine, delayed a Russian advance on the towns nuclear power plant when hundreds of residents blocked the road with vehicles, barricades and their own bodies.

Ukrainian officials are doing their best to fan the flames, too.

A new official website the National Resistance Center run by Ukraines Special Operations Forces offers advice and handbooks for would-be insurgents of all stripes. It also disseminates fresh news daily on protests and resistance actions in Russian-occupied areas of the country.

The website includes how-to guides on reporting Russian troop movements, tactical medicine, secure communications, sabotage and more.

A 19-page pocketbook consolidates much of the training material into a single PDF document illustrated with various images of Vault Boy, a symbol from the Fallout video game series where players navigate a post-apocalyptic world through smarts and sabotage.

Notably, the website also instructs everyday citizens on how they can resist Russian occupation without taking up arms.

This portion of a resistance handbook published by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces instructs readers on how to conduct sabotage operations. (Screenshot)

One page instructs office workers in any future Russian occupation administration to work as slowly as possible, spread alarming workplace rumors, do your job badly and misplace documents.

The adoption of total defense isnt unique to Ukraine, though the Eastern European country of more than 40 million is poised to be a test-case of these principles in action.

In recent years, other countries across Europe have quietly updated their national defense plans to lay the groundwork for an insurgency in the case of Russian invasion and occupation.

Countries at the vanguard of resistance planning include Poland, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden; and other vulnerable states, like Georgia.

Ukraine, should its government fall, will offer insight on a burning question for these countries can a country plant the seeds of insurgency before a full-scale war even begins?

Volunteers of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces talk to each other by a damaged vehicle at a checkpoint in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine's second-largest city Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital tactics Ukraine's embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe's largest ground war in generations. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Thats what military planners from countries who have invested heavily in resistance capabilities are closely monitoring, explained the editorial director of West Points Modern War Institute, John Amble, in a recent article.

Ultimately, the questions are whether civilian resistance is a credible means of defending against aggression and, if so, what balance between such an approach and conventional capabilities is appropriate, Amble explained. He noted that the effectiveness of such efforts thus far remain unknown in an operational sense but have certainly been symbolically powerful.

Ukraine is considered one of the countries best-suited for armed resistance among ROC adherents due to its combat experience in the countrys east, explained the special operations official familiar with the countrys resistance planning.

If resistance cant succeed there, some worry it wont succeed anywhere though Ukraine cant rely on NATO military intervention like many other ROC-inspired militaries can.

Meanwhile, planners supporting Ukraine are preparing for what could be a protracted fight.

According to the Washington Post, Ukraines partners are planning how to help establish and support a government-in-exile, which could direct guerrilla operations against Russian occupiers in the event that Kyiv and other cities fall and make continued conventional warfare untenable.

We must win the war, said one Zelenskyy advisor to the Washington Post. There are no other options.

Davis Winkie is a staff reporter covering the Army. He originally joined Military Times as a reporting intern in 2020. Before journalism, Davis worked as a military historian. He is also a human resources officer in the Army National Guard.

See the article here:

How the US and Europe helped Ukraine prep for insurgency - ArmyTimes.com

Karen Panetta developed a knack for computer programming in high school, inspired by the magic that was inside the box. That curiosity would fuel a trailblazing career in engineering as an educator, a researcher, a mentor for young women, and an inventor.

Panetta was recently elected to the National Academy of Inventors, the first woman from Tufts University to earn that honor. She joined Tufts in 1994, rising through the ranks to become the first woman granted tenure in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; she is now also dean of graduate education for the School of Engineering. Her research includes developing software that uses artificial intelligence to improve medical diagnostics and to enhance robotic vision, for applications such as underwater search-and-rescue.

Panetta also has paved the way for young women to pursue their own engineering paths. She founded the Nerd Girls program in 2000 to encourage young women to pursue engineering and science; today the program is a nationalmultimedia enterprisethat includes the Nerd Girl Nation web series. She was honored for her pioneering work in education with a U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring, presented by President Barack Obama in 2011. She also foundedIEEE Women in Engineering Magazine, of which she is editor-in-chief.

Tufts Nowasked her about her trailblazing career and her advice for young people today.

Tufts Now: What early influences shaped your invention skills?

Karen Panetta: I was always inventing things, like rollercoasters out of paper towel rolls. My dad, who grew up in Medford, worked on heavy construction equipment. He loved to make machinery, which he sold to pay for our college educations.

He saw my aptitude for math and science and thought I should be a civil engineer, but I had no idea what that was. Zero. When it came time for college, he said: You're going to be an engineer.

Thats why, when we used to walk around campus years later, I held his hand. I think students who saw us thought it was a bit funny: The professor is holding her fathers hand! And I wanted to say to them: You know what? I'm very proud. I am a professor, and I wouldnt be here without him.

Why electrical and computer engineering?

I had a knack for computer programming, but I wanted to learn not just programming, but also the magic inside the box. In college, I learned how to build semiconductors, and my dream was to work for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). That's what I did, and they also paid for my masters and Ph.D. in exchange for going into teaching. DEC thought that if they put engineers back into colleges as educators, students would have a more realistic education that mapped to real-world issues and challenges. At the time, there were no internships either, but I secured donor funding for the School of Engineerings first career internship coordinator. Now, everyone understands the value of industry experience while youre a student.

Did you have any sense that you were in the vanguard because of your gender?

I knew it was going to be a profession where I would have to make some inroads. When I came to Tufts, there were no women in my field. Career websites said: Electrical engineers work in labs doing math problems and working with soldering irons. I wouldn't have become an electrical engineer if I saw that. The message I took was that I could be a mentor for women studentsI could show them there was so much more to engineering.

What were early reactions to Nerd Girls, and how did the program make a difference?

I received pushback from some people who were thrown off by the name. You call them girls; they're women. And you call them nerds. Back then the definition of nerd had a certain stereotype associated with the name and I wanted to redefine that. I wanted to take ownership of the word and turn it into a positive thing. Most outreach programs show that women can be good teachers, but Nerd Girls went beyond this and emphasized that women can be innovators and leaders. And that helps the students learn there are no limits. All students, including women, can be teachers and business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Looking back, what were pivotal choices you made early in your own career?

Id have to say the most influential was joining the IEEE [Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers]. They gave me leadership opportunities, and that made all the difference to my career. I was interacting on committees with medical doctors and biomedical and physicists and mathematicians and learning about other people's research. Ive tried to do that throughout my career: The more perspectives you bring in, the more diverse personalities you bring in, the more robust and creative the solution.

You co-authored a book,Count Girls In: Empowering Girls to Combine Any Interests with STEM to Open Up a World of Opportunityin 2018with KatianneWilliams, E96, who was part of the Nerd Girls. Is there a key message from the book that you want to share with young girls and their parents and teachers?

Its never too early to start. We used to say, Get them in fourth or fifth grade or eighth grade. To that I ask: Did you teach them to read and write when they were in fourth grade? No, you start them from the very beginning. And that's exactly the way math and science need to be taught.

The Presidential Award is the nation's highest award for engineering, science, mathematics, and mentoring in education. What does national recognition mean to you?

It was a very proud moment in my career! But so was being accepted into the National Academy of Inventors. Invention is in everything I do. Even before I came to Tufts, when I was at DEC, I was the co-inventor of the first digital twin of a whole computer. Research Im doing now in artificial intelligence involves developing algorithms that emulate human vision and find ways to visualize sensor information the human eye cant readily see. I believe fundamentally that emulating human systems is the best way to channel my engineering knowledge.

What words of encouragement do you have for young girls and women who are considering engineering?

I use an analogy from sports. If you join a sports team and you lose the game, you don't give up the sport. Engineering is the same way. Failure is part of it, and if you're not failing, then you're probably not doing something right.

Everybody thinks their career is going to be a linear, direct path. It's actually a series of zig zags. So keep pivoting and keep going. Stay away from negative people. Find people who are going to empower you. Surround yourself with encouraging people and ignore the noise. Trust that you have the training you need, and that there are people out there ready to help you get where you want to go.

Laura Ferguson can be reached atlaura.ferguson@tufts.edu.

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A Trailblazing Engineer Says Invention Is in Everything I Do - Tufts Now