Arizona

U.S. House of Representatives Passes Milestone Voting and Ethics Legislation

House Resolution 1 – the “For the People Act of 2021” – counts as a strong rebuke and counterbalance to voting restrictions considered or enacted in various Republican-led states across the country. It restricts partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts and nullifies obstacles for voters.

Arizona State University Renames Film School to Honor Sidney Poitier

In an interview ahead of The Sidney Poitier New American Film School’s unveiling, University President Michael M. Crow said Poitier embodies everything that one would look for in an icon. “With Sidney Poitier, it’s his creative energy, his dynamism, his drive, his ambition, the kinds of projects he worked on, the ways in which he advanced his life,” Crow asserted, according to USA Today.

ULI/REAP Launches First-Ever Virtual Academy

The first-ever ULI/REAP (Urban Land Institute/Real Estate Associate Program) Virtual Fall Academy 2020 has launched with over 150 candidates enrolled in the live and on-demand program that runs through graduation on Friday, December 11, 2020.

AARP Polls Reveal Top Concerns for Voters 50 and Older

More than half of voters 50-years and older in crucial battleground states are worried about contracting the novel coronavirus. 

At the same time, African Americans are particularly opposed to how President Donald Trump has handled the pandemic, according to extensive polling commissioned by AARP. 

SBA Administrator Carranza’s Statement on January 2020 Jobs Report

U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza today issued the following statement in response to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Situation Summary for January. According to the just-released report, 225,000 new jobs were created in January, and the employment rate rose slightly to 3.6 percent due to the labor force participation rate increased to 63.4%. The report comes on the heels of two reports released this week indicating new U.S. jobless claims fell by 15,000 to 202,000 – a 50-year low – while private payrolls soared by 291,000 in January, the largest gain in nearly five years.  Administrator Carranza said:

COMMENTARY: What Do the 2019 Elections Mean for 2020?

While Democrats scored some gains, the Mississippi governor’s mansion is still in Republican hands. Mississippi has the largest concentration of Black people – 39 percent – of any state, but African Americans remain underrepresented among elected officials in Mississippi.

Remembering Congressman Elijah Cummings and the Journey Still Ahead

The nationally televised October 25 funeral services for the late Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, paused partisan debates and revealed how a son of Baltimore worked tirelessly for his constituents and for this nation. In the days since his home-going, I have marveled at how his life’s work somehow brought together officials who held firm to their stark political divides but united to honor a man who believed that everyone deserved a fair chance at all America had to offer.