Cop resigns after charges of using excessive force on 11-year-old girl

A New Mexico police officer has quit the police force after he came under fire for pinning a sixth-grade girl to the ground inside her middle school.

READ MORE: Cop accused of racism and excessive force named ‘Officer of the Year’, angering citizens

Officer Zachary Christensen, who worked as a school resource officer at Mesa View Middle School in Farmington, was filmed on video from his lapel camera trying to detain the 11-year-old girl, whom he accused of assaulting two school employees as she tried to leave the school. However, the girl was cleared of all wrongdoing, according to The New York Daily News, which quotes Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe, saying the accusations “proved not to be true.”

Video from the incident that occurred on Aug. 27 was released to the media, showing Christensen ripping the girl’s backpack off before slamming her against a wall and then to the ground, as the girl cried: “I’m not resisting. Get off of me — you’re hurting me.”

While Christensen held the girl down, a school administrator can be heard talking off-camera to the officer and accusing him of using excessive force.

“Officer Christensen, you need to allow her to stand up, sir,” the administrator said, according to the Daily News. “Officer Christensen, she is not a threat to yourself or others at this moment. You need to allow her to stand up.”

“… you’re not going to use excessive force to get this done,” the administrator adds.

“We’re not being excessive,” Christensen responds.

The officer accused the girl of starting trouble by taking “more milks than she was supposed to” from the school cafeteria and throwing one “on the ground,” according to the Daily News.

The girl’s family has retained an attorney, who told KRQE that she suffered a concussion and pain to her arm and shoulder from Christensen.

“While it is appreciated that the principal and vice-principal asked the officer to stop, there is a question as to what the administrators could have done to prevent this from occurring at all,” attorney Mark Curnutt told KRQE.

READ MORE: S.C. sheriff and deputies indicted for allegedly using excessive force—then trying to cover it up

Police Chief Hebbe said he personally apologized to the girl and her family for the officer’s actions.

“There’s no excuse for the way this girl was treated,” Hebbe said in a video statement Sunday. “As the chief of police, I am extremely disappointed that we failed to perform at our expected standards. We value our relationship with our community and will continue to work hard to maintain the public’s confidence in our department.”

 

 

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Surprise! Popular health care software fails Black folks

Blacks are more likely to get overlooked for health care programs than white patients, and this could be because of a widely used by flawed software program that puts money over need.

READ MORE: Virginia woman gives birth to healthy son in bathtub after hospital sends her home

A new research study led by Dr. Ziad Obermeyer of the University of California, Berkeley, and published in the Science journal, found that the software program directed millions of high-cost patients, who are disproportionately white, into health care risk management programs even if they were healthier, than Blacks who were reportedly not as healthy and in greater need for the programs, according to The Associated Press.

This flaw is due to the software predicting costs rather than need, according to Dr. Obermeyer. Fixing it could result in a huge hike in the number of Black patients who will become eligible to participate in these programs.

“The problem was the algorithm was built to predict who’s going to cost money next year, not who’s going to need health care,” Obermeyer, who studies machine learning in medicine, told The Associated Press.

The study looked at patient data from a large hospital system and found that Blacks cost $1,800 less per year than whites who had the same number of chronic illnesses. That pattern has been duplicated at other hospitals across the country.

The software developer, a company called Optum, called the study’s findings “misleading” and said it was ever intended to be the sole determinant for health care decisions.

“The cost model is just one of many data elements intended to be used to select patients for clinical engagement programs, including, most importantly, the doctor’s expertise and knowledge of his or her patient’s individual needs,” Optum spokesman Tyler Mason told the Associated Press.

READ MORE: Millions of children to lose health care because GOP was too busy passing unpopular tax bill

In recent years, health insurers have attempted to identify patients with chronic medical conditions to sign them up for health care management programs designed to help them maintain a certain level of consistency and care. This reduces emergency room visits and hospital stays and ultimately brings down huge health care costs.

But as this study indicates, big data is not immune from bias and inherent flaws as well and could end up resulting in racial disparities in health care delivery and services the same as poverty, doctors’ unconscious beliefs and Black people’s distrust of hospitals and the health care system.

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Eddie Murphy dishes about that time Barack Obama asked him two questions

Eddie Murphy, who sizzled in his portrayal of Rudy Ray Moore in “Dolemite Is My Name,” dropped by “The Late Show” Friday night to talk movies, his upcoming gig hosting Saturday Night Live and Barack Obama.

READ MORE: Eddie Murphy on playing Rudy Ray Moore in ‘Dolemite Is My Name’: ‘He wasn’t a genius’

When Murphy received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015, it was President Obama who surprised him by asking him two questions: when he was coming back to standup, and what dye he used in his hair, according to The Huffington Post.

“It’s a great picture I have of me talking to him in the White House … and it looks like we’re having this thing, and at that moment he’s going, ‘so, what kind of rinse do you use?’” Murphy told Stephen Colbert. “I was like, what?”

Murphy said he is several months older than Obama but still gets gray hairs in his mustache and nose. Those he just cuts out, he said.

Murphy’s star continues to rise with his electric performance in Dolemite, which is in theaters and playing on Netflix. Fans also eagerly await his hosting job at SNL in December, where he said he may revive old character favorites like Gumby, Buckwheat and Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood. “I would imagine yes,” Murphy told Colbert, who asked him if he missed playing those roles. “I don’t miss (it), but I’m looking forward to going back and doing that stuff, but I hope it’s funny.

“I always wanted it to be funny, as funny as it can be,” Murphy said. “SNL is such a big part of who I am. I don’t want to go back after 35 years and they say oh it was alright.”

Murphy said he started doing standup at 15 and when Colbert asked if his mom was ok with it, Murphy shot back: “Ummm yes, when I started bringing them checks home.”

READ MORE: Eddie Murphy talks about making his comeback with…well, comic timing

Next year, Murphy is also slated to revive his stand-up career, and he will soon begin shooting the second installment of “Coming to America,” a cult-classic that also starred Arsenio Hall.

Thanks for asking, Obama!

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Space Photos of the Week: Moon Walks for Moon Rocks

A look back at what the crews of the Apollo missions photographed on the surface of the moon.

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Yaya Toure: Ex-Manchester City midfielder helps Qingdao Huanghai to promotion

Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has helped Chinese League One side Qingdao Huanghai earn promotion to the Super League next season.

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Rudy Giuliani Butt-Dialed a Reporter (Twice!)

A UN phishing attack, Adobe accounts exposed, and more of the week's top security news.

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'The Rise of Jordan Peterson' Doesn't Tell You What to Think

The documentary explores how the bestselling author has been both celebrated and reviled. 

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Basepaws' $99 Cat DNA Test Tells You What's Truly Wrong With Your Cat

Why is your cat such a freak? This at-home DNA test can't tell you that, but it can reveal some information about its health and heritage.

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (15-Inch) Review: Big Size, Small Features

Microsoft goes big with a 15-inch version of its Surface Laptop. It's bigger, and maybe even better if you don't ask too much of it.

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6 Best Pumpkin Carving Kits and Tools to Cut Like a Pro

Get your jack-'o-lantern straight with these Halloween-ready tools and kits, including knives, scoopers, and power tools.

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17 Cool Tech Deals on REI Winter Gear, Dyson, and More

We've found great discounts on everything from vacuum cleaners to heated ski boots.

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Tesla Has a New Solar Roof—and Musk Says This One Will Work

Elon Musk revealed Version 3.0 of the Solar Glass Roof, which is made of solar panels, but looks like slate.

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US Zimbabwe sanctions: Security minister targeted

Owen Ncube is denied entry by the US over what it calls "gross violations of human rights".

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Microsoft Is the Surprise Winner of a $10B Pentagon Contract

Amazon had long been considered the favorite for JEDI, a project to use cloud computing to modernize warfare.

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Facebook Tries Again With News, This Time Paying Publishers

The social media company will pay companies including the New York Times, WIRED—and Breitbart—to distribute their content.

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Martin Ekechukwu: Marketing Strategist Sees Purpose In Helping Others

BE Modern Man: Martin Ekechukwu

Entrepreneur, music and marketing strategist; 42; Head of Media & Marketing, Brand Partnerships and Strategy, WHTWRKS, Inc.

Twitter: @martinchilaka; Instagram: @martinekechukwu

At WHTWRKS, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be in a position to create amazing content that connects with social and digital media audiences. Our role, and my role, in particular, as a marketing strategist, is to generate ideas that help brands connect with their target audience, leveraging culture while using influencers to drive the conversation. Influencers could be in music, film, or in a completely different category. But we don’t stop there; we create the campaign strategy for the brand and see it entirely to fruition by developing the content and launching it. The impact it has had on brands has been beyond our expectations. We not only tell incredible stories using culture, but also share our culture with the world even more while encouraging people that don’t look like us to pay attention.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN LIFE?

I’m most proud of my daughter and the young woman that she is growing up to be. Children are the best reflection of who you are. When they do well, are well adjusted, and prepared for the future, the sense of pride is incredible.

HOW HAVE YOU TURNED STRUGGLE INTO SUCCESS?

My first company, Village Tea Company, started as a massive success, but as with all good things that grow too quickly, the fall back down was painful and we never fully recovered. With all the challenges from my first company, I was very discouraged and initially swore off of entrepreneurship, but quickly realized that the failure and my failed approach was due to a lack of enough real-world experience. I narrowed down the skill sets I needed, returned to a corporate job, and eventually took my learnings from the first company, with my skill sets and got back to my entrepreneurial roots as a brand and marketing strategist, where we’ve been going five years now, with year-to-year, double-digit growth.

WHAT PRACTICES, TOOLS, BOOKS, ETC. DO YOU RELY ON FOR YOUR SUCCESS?

I surround myself with people that are much smarter than me. I am a decent student, but I learn better watching and paying attention to others and how they handle themselves. I wish I were one of those people that can read a ton of books and miraculously see improvements. I need more hands-on engagement for me to improve.

WHO WAS YOUR GREATEST MALE ROLE MODEL AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?

My father was my greatest role model. I learned that no matter your accomplishment, you have to humble yourself and put your family first. In spite of all his achievements—Rhodes Scholar, Oxford graduate—nothing was beneath him when it came to providing for his family. As a family of immigrants, his greatest priority was our comfort. He taught the value of relationships and honor. My gentlemanship was sowed directly from my father.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE MANHOOD?

Manhood is not about masculinity. It is about understanding the responsibility one carries as a man not just to provide for a family and protect, but to also provide guidance towards duty, honor, love, and achievement. Manhood for me has always been about sharing with others my own story and helping those who have not had a traditional nuclear family experience to reach their full potential.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Help first and ask questions last. Our purpose on earth is to help each other in one way or another. If there is an opportunity to make some money, great; however, that should never be the driving factor.

HOW ARE YOU PAYING IT FORWARD TO SUPPORT OTHER BLACK MALES?

We as black males usually have poor access to resources, leadership, and advice when it comes to not only business, but life’s lessons. I haven’t been around a long time, but I do know that my role is meant to help others. As a marketing strategist, I volunteer with the minority program at my business school every year. I offer my time to young black males who have aspirations or are seeking feedback toward their career choices. I also happily speak during career day at local inner-city middle schools.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACK MAN?

It’s not hard to say what I like most about being a black man. I love the feeling of being a descendant of kings and from a continent rich with thousands of years of history. Having been born and raised in Nigeria, the feeling of being black and the honor of being part of an African diaspora creates an incredible sense of pride. I love that we have our own culture, language, swagger, style, and frankly beautiful approach to all things creative and analytical that only we can deliver.

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BE Modern Man is an online and social media campaign designed to celebrate black men making valuable contributions in every profession, industry, community, and area of endeavor. Each year, we solicit nominations in order to select men of color for inclusion in the 100 Black Enterprise Modern Men of Distinction. Our goal is to recognize men who epitomize the BEMM credo “Extraordinary is our normal” in their day-to-day lives, presenting authentic examples of the typical black man rarely seen in mainstream media. The BE Modern Men of Distinction are celebrated annually at Black Men XCEL (www.blackenterprise.com/blackmenxcel/). Click this link to submit a nomination for BE Modern Man: https://www.blackenterprise.com/nominate/. Follow BE Modern Man on Twitter: @bemodernman and Instagram: @be_modernman.

 

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A New Study Casts Doubt on ‘Gaming Disorder’ Diagnoses

“Dysfunctional gaming,” as the World Health Organization may call it, seems to be more a symptom than the cause of psychological issues.

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How This Man Went From Homeless to Youngest Subway Franchise Owner in Atlanta

In mid-October, Chris Williams Jr. was all smiles at the ribbon cutting and grand relaunch of his Subway franchise store in East Cobb, an affluent northern suburb of Atlanta. That’s a long way from where he found himself just 18 months earlier. Believe it or not, Chris was living out of his rental car and showering at local gyms.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chris and learning how he transitioned out of that dark place to becoming the youngest Subway franchise owner in Atlanta, and what lessons he’s learned along the way.

How did you find yourself in a situation where you became homeless?

It was the result of a series of choices that I made. I left the military early, which caused me to have to give up a lot of my benefits. I was accepted to Tennessee State, but I didn’t have the money to go. I took a job in Arizona as a car salesman. From that, I saved up enough money to enroll in a finance program at the Automotive Dealership Institute. In February of 2018, after completing the program, I moved to Miami. I expected to find a job quickly, but that just didn’t happen. With the money I had left, I had to make a decision to rent an apartment or rent a car—and I chose the car so I could get around for interviews and work.

Eventually, I landed a job offer in the Atlanta area as a finance manager and moved there in June of 2018. I probably had 40 different jobs starting from 18 years old. I would get a job and then quit shortly after because it wasn’t what I wanted to do.

What was that transition like, going from homeless to Subway franchise owner?

The entire time I was homeless, I knew it was going to be temporary. As bad as it got—including the rental car company once threatening to report the car stolen when I missed the payment—I was thinking about and preparing for entrepreneurship. I would study in my car at night, reading books about business and finance from Harvard.

I had been thinking about purchasing a franchise, particularly a Subway, because of the international brand recognition. I was also being mentored by Ralph Diesel (aka Raphael Saye), a young, multi-unit Subway franchise owner, out in Southern California. Ralph was working with Nipsey Hussle prior to his death to bring more young, black males into business ownership.

In March of this year, I decided to apply to become a Subway owner, took the test, and attended orientation. Then I was presented with a list of stores in the area that were available for purchase and chose from there.

Subway franchisee Chris Williams Jr.

So, the obvious question is how did you go from no money to enough money to purchase a business?

Well, I started making really good money at my finance manager job, so that helped me save. But this question actually leads me to what I’ve learned and what I’m hoping to teach others, and that’s about raising capital. There are two primary ways to raise capital. The first is debt financing. Most people recognize this as the traditional act of applying for a bank loan—getting money from a bank, in exchange for interest. The second is equity financing. This is offering a piece of your business in exchange for money to fund it. For debt financing, it’s important to realize that you don’t need a bank for this. You can seek out friends, family, colleagues, etc. to ask for money in exchange for paying interest on the money you’re borrowing from them. Family has more money than you think. And while you may have to go to several people to get the full amount you need, you’re not held to any standards a banking institution requires.

For equity financing, since you’re giving away a piece of your business, you’re going to want to make sure you understand the financials, what the investor can expect, and make sure you know your audience. Be prepared to answer any and all questions, as you might only get one shot at it.

You officially took over the East Cobb store on Sept. 3rd. Looking back, any regrets or things you would do differently?

The first week I took over the store, the entire staff quit. I suspect being a new, young, black owner had a lot to do with it. I was literally running the place all by myself. So, I’m sure I had a moment of regret at that time and was wondering how quickly I could sell the store! However, like every other situation I’ve been in, I adjusted. I’m finally getting things where I want them, which is not having to be in the store every day.

As for doing anything differently, I probably would have taken more time to save up more money. I have always been told that when an opportunity presents itself, take it. It’s good advice, but there are times when it may make more sense to take a little bit of time to plan better. I definitely skipped some steps that would have been helpful.

What advice do you have for people, particularly millennials, that are finding their way in today’s economy, on becoming a business owner?

I think that the traditional American dream conditions us to become lifelong employees through promoting education. I’m in no way discounting education, however, education comes in a lot of different forms. Millennials have an opportunity to redefine what success looks like and how to achieve it. There are alternatives, and investing in yourself and a business is certainly one of them that has proven successful for people that dropped out or never went to college. My other advice would be:

• Surround yourself with people that are doing what you want to do and more
• Read, study, take courses; whatever you have to do to learn and prepare yourself for the next steps.
• Ignore the haters. As a young, black, entrepreneur, I’ve had to deal with rude comments and stares from people who don’t think I belong in the room. You belong at the table, don’t let anyone make you feel that you don’t.
• No reward without risk!

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Nigeria move to end IAAF cash row

Nigeria's sports minister seeks to end a two-year stand-off with the IAAF by refunding money owed to athletics' world governing body.

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Poll: Most Americans oppose reparations for slavery

By COREY WILLIAMS and NOREEN NASIR Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Few Americans are in favor of giving reparations to descendants of enslaved black people in the United States, a new poll shows, even as the idea has gained momentum among Democratic presidential contenders.

Only 29% of Americans say the government should pay cash reparations, according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

But the poll reveals a large divide between Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Most black Americans, 74%, favor reparations, compared with 15% of white Americans. Among Hispanics, 44% favor reparations.

Lori Statzer, 79, of West Palm Beach, Florida, opposes cash reparations and an official government apology.

“None of the black people in America today are under the slavery issue,” said Statzer, who is white. “It’s over with.”

Using taxpayers’ money to pay reparations “would be unfair to me,” she added. “My ancestors came to this country, worked hard to become Americans and never asked for anything.”

Poll respondents also were sharply divided by race on whether the U.S. government should issue an apology for slavery: 64% of white Americans oppose a government apology, while 77% of black Americans and 64% of Hispanics believe an apology is due. Overall, 46% of Americans favor and 52% oppose a national apology.

Not everyone realizes how horrible slavery was to black Americans, said 63-year-old Nathan Jordan, adding that the federal government should apologize for slavery “because it was wrong.”

While he supports reparations, Jordan, who is black and lives in Vienna, Georgia, can’t put a dollar figure on what would be fair.

“I don’t think the government could even afford that,” he said. “I don’t know what the value would be. There are still a lot of (black) people trying to catch up. I’m not sure if they’ll ever catch up.”

Alicia Cheek, 56, of Asheboro, North Carolina, who is black, opposes both reparations and a government apology, saying white people today “can’t be liable for what their ancestors did.” She also questions how a fair amount could be determined.

The nation is marking 400 years since the first slave ship sailed to what would become the United States, bringing about 20 slaves to the British colony at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619.

Over the next two centuries, more than 300,000 men, women and children were forcibly brought to what is now the U.S. from Africa, according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database.

The debate on reparations has flared on and off since the moment slavery in the U.S. officially ended in 1865.

After the Civil War, Union Army Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman promised compensation to freed slaves in the form of land and mules to farm it — hence the phrase “40 acres and a mule.” But President Andrew Johnson took away the offer.

More than 120 years later, then-Rep. John Conyers, a Detroit Democrat, introduced legislation to establish a commission to develop reparations proposals. He reintroduced it in every congressional session until he resigned in 2017, and it was reintroduced last year by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat. Presidential candidate and Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey filed a Senate companion bill this year.

Other Democratic candidates have come out in support of reparations or at least a commission to study it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, has publicly opposed the idea of a national reparations policy.

Anita Belle, founder of the Reparations Labor Union in Detroit, says “doing the right thing means making amends for what a nation did wrong.”

Belle said she was encouraged to see even a low level of support for reparations among white Americans.

“That’s still progress,” she said.

An apology for slavery would help the country move on, said Reuben Miller, assistant professor in the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

“And by moving on, I don’t mean moving on and forgetting,” he said. “I mean moving on past the atrocity. It would teach a lesson about the relationship of black Americans with their government.”

The new poll finds that about 3 in 10 Americans think the history of slavery still has a great deal of influence on black Americans. About another 3 in 10 think it has a fair amount of influence.

And many see enduring disadvantages for black Americans in public life. About two-thirds of Americans think white people are treated more fairly than black people by police, and about half see advantages for white people in applying for jobs or shopping in stores.
“We have to look at righting the wrong with cash to the people that were done wrong,” Belle said. “To just say we aren’t going to do anything is to just perpetuate the wrong.”
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Associated Press video producer Noreen Nasir reported from Chicago.
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The AP-NORC poll of 1,286 adults was conducted Sept. 20-23 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
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Online:
AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/

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