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Harris’ New Plan to Fight Price Gouging Will Bring Much-Needed Relief to Black Households

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Vice President Kamala Harris will unveil a first-of-its-kind economic policy Friday that goals to address the company price gouging that’s crippling American households. The plan will provide much-needed relief to black households, who’ve been disproportionately affected by higher prices.

On Wednesday night, the Harris for president campaign announced a brand new policy that seeks to enact a federal ban on corporate malfeasance within the food industry.

“Vice President Harris has repeatedly emphasized during the campaign that ‘food prices are still too high,’ and she recognizes in particular that rising food costs remain a top concern for American families,” the campaign said in an announcement.

The federal ban, which might have to be enacted by laws passed by the U.S. Congress, particularly targets the meat processing industry.

Harris’ campaign notes that the “highly consolidated” industry is controlled by just 4 large corporations that act as “middlemen,” buying animals from farmers and ranchers, processing them later and selling the meat to retailers like grocery stores. The campaign said these corporations not only raise food prices but additionally make the industry less competitive for small businesses.

The multi-pronged plan to lower the fee of food and groceries also includes authorizing the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate and impose “severe” penalties on large corporations that violate the brand new proposed policy. Harris also calls for more federal support to help small businesses compete.

The Democratic presidential candidate’s recent plan to combat price gouging would especially profit black households, which data shows have for years faced higher and more volatile inflation than white households.

According to tests from the University of California San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, black families experienced barely higher inflation and 13% more volatile inflation between 2004 and 2020. As a result, black consumers spend more on groceries and other household services.

A customer shops for eggs at a Kroger food market on August 15, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Egg prices proceed to rise within the U.S. as inflation continues to impact grocery stores across the country. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

He added: “If financial markets benefit wealthy individuals, the consumer market should also be prepared to cover the daily living costs of citizens across the country.”

Johnson said Harris’ policy announcement is primarily aimed toward protecting corporate greed, not inflation.

“This is not an inflation issue, this is an issue of greed,” he explained. “Her decision is to address the greed that is driving inflation in some ways and driving up the cost of things that ordinary citizens in different communities have to deal with.”

Johnson continued: “Her solution is to prevent monopolies from artificially raising prices.”

On Friday, while in Raleigh, North Carolina, Harris can also be expected to announce additional actions to address rising housing and prescription drug costs.

The Vice President’s policies come after the Biden-Harris administration recently released a brand new Consumer Price Index report showing that the 12-month inflation rate fell to 2.9%, the bottom level since March 2021.

In an announcement Wednesday, President Joe Biden acknowledged that prices are still too high but argued that the newest inflation report shows his administration’s policies are “making real progress,” noting that wages are rising faster than prices.

On Thursday, the White House also released the outcomes of its first Medicare price negotiations because the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows the federal government to negotiate directly with drugmakers to lower drug costs. The administration said the brand new pricing saved $6 billion on 10 drugs, and beneficiaries could save as much as $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs.

President Biden and Vice President Harris traveled to Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Thursday to attend a rally where they touted recent progress in lowering prescription drug costs.

Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, theGrio.com
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech alongside U.S. President Joe Biden at Prince George’s Community College on August 15, 2024 in Largo, Maryland. Biden and Harris held the event to discuss their administration’s efforts to lower drug costs. The event marks the primary time President Biden and Vice President Harris have appeared in public together since Biden announced he was dropping out of re-election. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The economy stays the primary issue for voters ahead of the November 5 election, according to a recent poll by The Economist/YouGov. Another poll by Laboratory of the Black Future in 2022, the economy was similarly found to be a very powerful issue on the minds of black voters.

Vice President Harris has made it clear that the prices to American families can be a top issue in her presidential campaign, which she launched on July 21.

“She is sensitive to the needs and interests of citizens and their concerns about the price of things,” Johnson said.

“It will be interesting to see what the solution from the other side will be and whether there is a real path that takes into account the interests of citizens and consumers, or are these simply points of view on the problem for which there is no solution?”

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kamala Harris Recognized for Her Spotlight on Race and Reparations During NABJ-WHYY Interview

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Kamala Harris, theGriio.com

In a wide-ranging interview with the National Association of Black Journalists and public radio station WHYY, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke more broadly about race than at some other time since becoming a presidential candidate and then the Democratic Party nominee.

The historic presidential figure (Harris is the primary Black woman and Indian-American to be nominated by a significant party) made her first appearance as vice chairman on the difficulty of reparations and outlined the systemic harms inflicted on Black communities by U.S. history, including African-American slavery and racial oppression.

“We need to tell the truth in a way that leads to solutions,” said Harris, who co-sponsored HR40 when she was a U.S. senator.

While members of the Congressional Black Caucus and advocates have called on President Joe Biden to take executive motion within the absence of three many years of inaction on Capitol Hill, the presidential candidate has signaled she believes it should come through Congress. She cited Congress’s ability to carry hearings and “raise awareness” in regards to the history of slavery and racial discrimination.

However, the vice chairman added: “I am not downplaying the significance of any executive action.”

Referring to her economic plan if she wins the White House in November, Harris said her ideas for creating an “opportunity economy” would aim to “explicitly address the obstacles that exist historically and currently” in areas similar to student loan debt, health care debt, biased home valuations and black maternal mortality.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris (left) is interviewed by National Association of Black Journalists members Gerren Keith Gaynor (far right), Eugene Daniels (second from right) and Tonya Mosley (third from right) on the WHYY studios in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“I am pleased that Vice President Harris has recognized the important role truth plays in our pursuit of racial healing and transformation,” said Lee. “My legislation to establish a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation would usher in a moment of truth-telling by educating and informing the public about the historical context of the racial inequities we witness every day.”

But Hunter said that despite Harris’ clear preference for congressional motion on the commission’s creation, such a commission through executive motion “could be a source of legislative policy.” He continued,

Political pundit and radio host Reeta Colbert admitted that Harris “hung around” during her CNN interview and presidential debate with Trump to discuss her racial identity.

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Airlines forces 14-year-old girl off plane due to weight and balance issues, leaving her to fend for herself

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The mother of a teen who was banned from a plane in Canada due to a weight imbalance is outraged at how the incident has put her daughter’s safety in danger.

According to the CBC, 14-year-old Camryn Larkan boarded a Porter Airlines flight home from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia, on August 30 after visiting family and friends. Once she was seated on the plane, a flight attendant approached her and told her she had to get off the plane.

14-year-old stuck at the airport
14-year-old forced to leave plane due to “weight and balance” issues. (Source: Pexels)

“I was a little disoriented… I thought I was going to go back to my seat. I thought they were just going to take my bags.” – Camryn he said CBC. “As soon as I got off the plane and saw the doors close, that’s when I started, you know, getting really concerned.”

Porter Airlines pulled Camryn from the flight due to a “weight and balance issue.” The airline said agents asked for volunteers, but when nobody got here forward, “passengers were selected based on ticket type.”

After Camryn and several other passengers were asked to leave the plane, a Porter Airlines agent arranged for Camryn to fly to Victoria the subsequent day. Camryn immediately called her father, who got here to pick her up on the airport.

Camryn’s mother expressed her frustration, saying the airline completely mishandled her daughter’s exit from the plane.

“They put my child in immediate danger,” Catherine Larkan said. “It was complete neglect and it shouldn’t happen to any other minor.”

The airline’s policy is that unaccompanied minors are exempt from involuntary disembarkation. The company offers a $100 service plan for children traveling alone. The plan is required for children ages 8 to 11 and optional for children ages 12 to 17.

Camryn’s family didn’t know the service existed, so the airline treated the 14-year-old as an adult.

“At the time, our team was unaware that Camryn was a minor,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson said. “Camryn left the airport quickly and our team had limited ability to discuss options with her.”

Children travelling without an unaccompanied minor plan are considered “independent adults” and are subject to “adult passenger considerations such as weight, balance and unloading situations.”

“They provide a service, saying we know these people are at risk, and they say if you don’t pay for the service, you’re going to be treated like any other adult passenger traveling,” Camryn’s mother said. “It’s just absolutely absurd.”

An airline representative told People magazine that its customer support department is in touch with Camryn’s family and that Porter Airlines is working on solutions to minimize the chance of an incident like this happening again.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Here’s What You Need to Know About Threats in Springfield, Ohio, After False Accusations About Haitian Immigrants

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Haitian immigrants in Springfield Ohio, theGrio.com

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A small Ohio town has been flooded with false bomb threats since last week’s presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump falsely accused Members of Springfield’s Haitian community kidnap and eat cats and dogs.

Trump’s vice presidential candidate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has amplified debunked web rumors about Haitian migrants because the Republican ticket criticizes President Joe Biden’s administration’s immigration policies, which Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, supports. City officials acknowledge that the influx of about 15,000 Haitian migrants is causing problems, but say there is no such thing as a evidence to support the claim that they’re eating people’s pets.

More than 30 bomb threats since last week have targeted schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials, forcing evacuations and closures. Springfield also canceled its annual diversity, arts and culture celebration in response to the threats, and state police on Tuesday distributed in city schools.

Here are some things to know concerning the situation in Springfield:

Who is behind these false threats?

Foreign actors, in particular. That’s according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who said many of the threats got here from abroad. The governor’s office said a criminal investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies found the “vast majority” of the threats were international in origin. Officials didn’t provide further details on how investigators determined they got here from a foreign country, and DeWine didn’t name the country.

What’s happening?

DeWine has sent dozens of Ohio State Highway Patrol members to all 18 city schools, where checks might be conducted twice every day to prevent further disruptions and help parents and students ensure that the buildings are secure. But even with the increased police presence, many parents still didn’t let their children go to school Tuesday.

Meanwhile, security cameras have been placed at strategic locations around the town, and an explosives-sniffing dog has been deployed to Springfield and might be on duty 24 hours a day.

DeWine $2.5 million declared greater than two years to increase support for primary health care. State highway patrol also helps local law enforcement implement traffic laws. DeWine said many Haitians are inexperienced drivers who’re unfamiliar with U.S. traffic laws.

How is the town reacting?

Springfield never wanted to be the focus — not like this.

City officials said Tuesday that misinformation and lies about Haitian immigrants have sown fear and division, disrupted science and price taxpayers money. In an announcement, they implored public figures, community members and media to “move beyond divisive rhetoric and instead work to promote unity, understanding and respect.” The statement didn’t mention Trump or Vance by name.

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the influx of migrants is straining police, hospitals and schools. He also criticized the federal government, saying the town asked for help months ago. But on Tuesday he urged national leaders to “soften their words and speak the truth.”

Why did so many Haitians move to Springfield?

Work and word of mouth.

Springfield in consequence, industrial jobs were lost and the population dropped significantly late last century. But the town made a concerted effort to attract employers and Haitian immigrants who helped meet the growing demand for employees in its factories and warehouses. Word spread, and Haitians began arriving in larger numbers in the past few years.

Haitians from Springfield and elsewhere have come to the U.S. to escape violence in their home country. Many Haitians are here under a federal program called Temporary Protected Statusallowing them to live and work temporarily in the U.S. because conditions in Haiti are deemed too dangerous for them to return to the island.

What do Haitian immigrants say?

Members of the Haitian community say they were uneasy even before Trump and Vance picked up on the pet-eating lies, as former residents were angered by the brand new arrivals’ impact on jobs, housing and traffic.

“Some of them are talking about living in fear. Some of them are afraid for their lives,” Rose-Thamar Joseph said last week on the Springfield Haitian Community Outreach and Support Center.

On church service on Sunday, Mia Perez said her daughter was evacuated from school twice last week.

“Children at school are asked by other children, ‘What does dog taste like? What does cat taste like?'” Perez said. “She asks, ‘Are we Haitians who eat this stuff? Is it true? What’s going on?'”

“It’s a conversation I wasn’t ready to have with my daughter,” Perez said. “I felt disrespected by our culture.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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