Latest news with #NAACP
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Democratic council candidates sound off on 'two-project solution' for the Falls
The six candidates running in this year's Democratic primary for Niagara Falls City Council have mixed opinions on whether the city would benefit from the so-called 'two-project solution' involving Mayor Robert Restaino's proposed $200 million Centennial Park project and Niagara Falls Redevelopment's plans for a $1.5 billion data center. Niagara Falls Democratic City Council candidates' forum This event was brought to you by the Niagara Gazette and the Niagara Falls NAACP. During a candidates' forum on Tuesday at Bloneva Bond Elementary School, several candidates said they have a wait-and-see approach when it comes to both projects and that they would need more information before they could fully endorse either one. Their comments came a day before Restaino announced that he's holding a press conference today where he is expected to announce more details about the Centennial Park feasibility study, a document several council candidates said they like to see before deciding whether they could endorse the project. During Tuesday's forum, candidates were asked questions by representatives from the event's two sponsors, the Niagara Gazette and the Niagara Falls chapter of the NAACP. The candidates' positions on the events center and the data center are summarized below based on the order in which they were asked to respond. Former city employee Bridgette Myles said she's open to either project or both, mainly because she believes the Falls needs development and job creation. While noting that NFR has failed to deliver on many of its development promises over the years, she said it would be 'awesome' if they actually moved forward with the data center, which the company claims would create hundreds of jobs. Myles said she also believes Centennial Park would be a benefit to the community. 'Any type of development for Niagara Falls is going to be a win,' she said. Michia Lee, a first-time candidate for public office, said doesn't like the Centennial Park concept and believes the data center has more potential to create jobs city residents need. 'I think one would be an asset and one would be a liability,' she said. John Kinney, who worked for the city for 35 years, including most recently as a director of the Department of Public Works under Restaino, said in light of NFR's many empty promises over the years, he questions whether the data center will ever materialize. He referenced a years-old NFR plan to build a $200 million hotel on the site of the former Native American Center for the Living Arts on Rainbow Boulevard. The plan was presented to the city in 2017 but never happened. 'They have promised to build many things many times. Ask them about the hotel at the Turtle. It's not there,' Kinney said. Kinney argued that Restaino's events center has a much better chance to produce benefits for the city. 'The event center is going to keep us year-round in the tourism industry,' Kinney said. Without being able to see the city's feasibility study for the project, candidate Sylvana Rahman said her stance on Centennial Park is a 'no.' 'I really can't vote open something that I'm not getting the full picture of,' she said. She also questioned the cost of the project and who was going to pay for it. 'There would be $200 million coming out of whose pocket?' she said. 'Whose pocket would it be coming out of?' Rahman favors the data center because she believes the project would provide more of what the city desperately needs, and that's quality jobs for its residents. 'The data center will bring hundreds of jobs and opportunities to Niagara Falls,' she said. For the city to be successful, local realtor Noah Munoz said it must embrace reinvention on multiple fronts. He also declined to fully commit to supporting Centennial Park without seeing the results of the feasibility study first and questioned the legitimacy of the data center given NFR's track record in the Falls. 'NFR has made many promises and they have made many many deals with many mayors and they have not come true,' he said. Incumbent Councilman Donta Myles has opposed any city investment in Restaino's arena since the project was first announced in 2021. During Tuesday's forum, he said his stance has not changed because little has changed about one his main concerns — the source of funding for the $200 million project. 'I've been about 'show me the money',' he said. 'I've asked very detailed questions. I would ask $200 million, where's that coming from? Do you have any public or private sector investment? Who's going to pay that $200 million? That's us, pretty much.' Donta Myles said he's also worried that a city-built arena won't be able to compete with other entertainment venues across the region, citing KeyBank Center in Buffalo, Artpark in Lewiston and the Seneca Niagara Casino in the Falls as examples. 'How are we competing with them?' he said. The six candidates are vying for three open slots as the Democratic council candidates who will appear on the ballot for the November general election. The three top vote-getters in the primary will face three Republican candidates, including incumbent Councilman David Zajac, former Falls lawmaker Vincent Cauley and political newcomer Tanya Barone in the general election. Former Falls Councilman John Accardo has also qualified to appear on the general election ballot for city council as a Conservative Party candidate. Residents who are registered as Democrats in the City of Niagara Falls are eligible to vote in the Democratic primary. Early voting is now open. Primary election day is Tuesday.
Express Tribune
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump criticizes Juneteenth and other 'non-working holidays,' sparking backlash online
President Donald Trump stirred controversy on Juneteenth after posting on Truth Social criticizing 'non-working holidays' for harming the U.S. economy. 'Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed. The workers don't want it either! Soon we'll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year,' Trump wrote. 'It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the U.S., honoring June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free enslaved people. It became a federal holiday in 2021 under President Biden. At Thursday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump would not be issuing a proclamation and added, 'We're working 24/7 right now.' Trump's remarks quickly drew backlash across social media. Civil rights leaders and Democratic lawmakers condemned the post as 'tone-deaf' and 'disrespectful to Black history.' NAACP President Derrick Johnson called it 'a deliberate erasure of a vital part of American history.' Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) tweeted, 'Juneteenth isn't a burden—it's a reminder of freedom hard-fought. Trump's comments are cruel and calculated.' Meanwhile, Trump supporters defended the post, saying his focus on economic impact was valid. 'We need productivity, not paid time off,' one user replied on X. Why didn't he tweet this on Columbus Day? — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) June 19, 2025 Laziest man in the world wants you to work harder. — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 19, 2025 You lazy fucks aren't working enough. — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 19, 2025 First it was our kids had to many toys, now we have to many holidays. 🤦♂️ — Lev Parnas (@levparnas) June 19, 2025 Trump just said on Truth Social that there are too many 'non-working holidays in America.' Not only is he trying to make you work MORE but also he's taking an apparent dig at Juneteenth. This is coming from the same guy who golfs every weekend. Pathetic. — Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) June 19, 2025 Trump, who previously claimed he made Juneteenth 'very famous,' has made eliminating DEI programs and slashing federal holidays part of his broader campaign to reshape the federal workforce and culture.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Parade, other activities will mark Juneteenth in Johnstown
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The week-long Juneteenth celebration in Johnstown concludes Thursday with a parade in downtown Johnstown and other activities at Peoples Natural Gas Park, 90 Johns St. The parade begins at noon at Franklin and Washington streets. The parade route will proceed to Franklin and Main streets and will cross Market and Walnut streets. It will turn right onto Johns Street at Sargent's Stadium at the Point and proceed to People Natural Gas Park. A parade review will be held at its conclusion. PHOTO GALLERY | Johnstown Juneteenth Celebration | Peoples Natural Gas Park During the parade, one lane of traffic on Washington Street will be closed and traffic will be blocked on additional roads while the parade passes. At 1 p.m., a Juneteenth proclamation will be read by Johnstown Mayor Frank Janakovic. A Black veterans recognition ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m., followed by music by DJ Moe Be at 3 p.m., Chris Dahlin and Yoko the cockatoo at 5 p.m. and The Palovations at 6 p.m. The Juneteenth celebration is sponsored by Johnstown Branch of the NAACP and Flood City Youth Fitness Academy.
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
xAI is facing a lawsuit for operating over 400 MW of gas turbines without permits
The Colossus data center operated by xAI outside of Memphis is facing a lawsuit for operating a fleet of natural gas turbines without permits. 'Over the past year, xAI has installed and operated at least 35 combustion turbines and other sources of air pollution at the Colossus site without ever obtaining the necessary preconstruction or operating air permits,' the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) wrote in a letter to xAI. The legal group submitted the letter on behalf of the NAACP. It serves as a notice for intent to sue xAI for violations of the Clean Air Act. The law requires organizations to submit such a letter 60 days in advance of filing a lawsuit. The gas turbines have the potential to emit more than 2,000 tons of NO x per year, a group of chemicals that contribute to smog. Memphis already 'had some of the worst air quality in the region,' SELC notes. 'In 2024, Memphis was deemed an asthma capital of the nation by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America due to high rates of emergency room visits and deaths from asthma.' SELC alleges that xAI failed to obtain permits required by both the federal and local regulators before installing the generators. It also alleges that the company wasn't operating them with proper air pollution controls. At one point, xAI had enough turbines to generate 421 megawatts of electricity. Last summer, the Shelby County Health Department, which oversees local air pollution compliance, 'told reporters that xAI's turbines were exempt from permitting, although SCHD still had not disclosed publicly what xAI was operating on its site nor the legal basis for any such exemption,' SELC said. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW To determine what was happening at the Colossus site, SELC paid an aerial photographer to capture images of the facility in March. The photos revealed that xAI had installed 35 turbines around the perimeter of the data center at the time. Thermal images taken about a month later showed that at least 33 of them were operational, SELC said. After those images were taken, the Greater Memphis Chamber, a local economic development agency, said that xAI had removed some of the turbines. 'The temporary natural gas turbines that were being used to power the Phase I GPUs prior to grid connection are now being demobilized and will be removed from the site over the next two months,' the Memphis Chamber said. 'About half of the operating turbines will remain' until a second substation complete's the data centers connection to the grid, the organization added, and that once the substation was complete, the turbines would serve as backups. But a flight on June 15 showed that at least 26 turbines remained, including three new ones that had been installed since the April flight. The total generating capacity was around 407 megawatts, just 14 megawatts shy of the previous amount. 'With very few exceptions — none of which apply here — new sources of criteria and other air pollutants in Tennessee must obtain preconstruction approval in the form of an air permit as well as a permit to operate and emit pollutants,' SELC said.
Black America Web
2 days ago
- Politics
- Black America Web
NAACP Won't Invite President To National Convention For 1st Time In 116-Year History…And We All Know Why
Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty For more than a century — 115 years to be exact — the person who holds the office of president of the United States has been invited to the NAACP's national convention. That tradition has been put on pause for the first time, as President Donald Trump has been disinvited to the proverbial cookout due largely to his second administration's aversion to all things related to Black people and civil rights. According to the Associated Press, NAACP President Derrick Johnson announced during a press conference Monday that Trump won't be in attendance at the convention, which will take place next month in Charlotte, North Carolina. 'This has nothing to do with political party,' Johnson said. 'Our mission is to advance civil rights, and the current president has made clear that his mission is to eliminate civil rights.' Johnson is not wrong. In the last few months alone, Trump has made housing discrimination easier by signing an executive order to eliminate the federal government's use of 'disparate impact' data that shows racist renters and mortgage lenders disproportionately harm Black people; he signed a similar order discouraging school administrators from using 'disparate impact' data to address racial disparities in disciplinary actions taken against students, labeling it a DEI practice; his Department of Education launched an investigation into Chicago Public Schools over its 'Black Students Success' program; his Justice Department ended a wastewater settlement for a mostly Black Alabama town, falsely calling it 'environmental justice as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,' simply because environmental racism was addressed in the reaching of the settlement; he announced the restoration of names given to military bases to honor the Confederacy, and Trump's DOJ has upended police reform initiatives by withdrawing consent decrees, and ending Biden-era police-accountability agreements with Minneapolis and Louisville, Ky., that came as a result of extensive investigations following the police killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor. From Trump's propaganda-laced war against DEI to the Jan. 6 instigators' hypocritical hate for Black Lives Matter, Trump has made it abundantly clear that he's not interested in fighting systemic racism on behalf of anyone but white people, who do not experience systemic racism. In fact, back in April, the NAACP sued the Department of Education to prevent it from withholding federal money for schools that did not end their DEI programs, one of multiple lawsuits it filed against the Trump administration. Anyway, Trump has to be feeling a little lonely at this point. Fresh off his public breakup with Elon Musk, he witnessed the largest mass protest against a single president unfold across all 50 states while his birthday military parade, which he tried to sell as a celebration of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade, was sparsely attended compared to what was expected (and we know how defensive he gets about his crowd sizes). Nineteen states have also sued him over his anti-DEI agenda, and he's been sued by 12 state attorney generals over his disastrous tariff strategy. On top of all that, Trump's approval ratings continue to plummet after he achieved the lowest 100-day mark approval rating of any president in history. Maybe the man is just a bad person who is bad at his job — and that's why he has no friends outside of his MAGA cult. SEE ALSO: Protecting Protest Rights And Dissent Amid Trump's Attack On Freedom Op-Ed: Trump Turns Urban Ethnic Cleansing Into Reality Show SEE ALSO NAACP Won't Invite President To National Convention For 1st Time In 116-Year History…And We All Know Why was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
