The Daily Moth 8-13-19
New rules for immigrants seeking green cards; CHP officer killed in Riverside gun battle; Five Russian nuclear engineers killed in mysterious blast; Deaf UK men complete walking journey; U.S. Deaf men complete cycling trip; 2019 National Black Deaf Advocates Conference
[Transcript] Hello, welcome to The Daily Moth! It is Tuesday, August 13. Ready for the news?
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New rules for immigrants seeking green cards
The Trump administration announced on Monday new rules that would allow the government to deny green cards to immigrants who have used or are likely to use government benefits such as Medicaid, housing assistance, and food stamps.
The Acting Director for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Ken Cuccinelli, said he wants immigrants to “stand on their own two feet” and not be a burden to the U.S. taxpayer.
The new regulation, called the “public charge review,” will apply to immigrants who legally arrived in the U.S. on temporary visas and applied for a green card.
The new rules will check if an immigrant used Medicaid or housing vouchers in the past, and scrutinize the applicant’s income and assets to decide if they can get a green card or not.
The U.S. government has for a long time asked immigrants questions on their income and how they could support themselves as a part of the application process, but the new rules now prioritize the immigrant’s financial abilities.
Immigrants who speak English, have private health insurance, and have income that are equal or greater than 250 percent of the poverty line, which is about $64,000 for a family of four, are not likely to be declared a “public charge.”
The new rules will go into effect in 60 days, but there could be lawsuits that will block or delay it.
Advocates for immigrants said it was a cruel policy that would put fear in immigrant communities and cause them to abandon government programs, which could harm their health.
The new rules will not apply to people who already have green cards, certain members of the military, to refugees and asylum-seekers, or to pregnant women and children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/us/politics/trump-immigration-policy.html
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CHP officer killed in Riverside gun battle
On Monday evening in Riverside, California, a California Highway Patrol officer died in a gun battle with a 49-year-old man after a traffic stop on a highway.
The officer’s name was Andre Moye and he was 34 years old. The Los Angeles Times said he pulled over a white GMC pickup truck for some reason, then decided that the truck needed to be impounded and called for a tow truck.
The gunman, Aaron Luther, got a rifle from his truck and shot at the officer as he was filling out paperwork.
The officer was hit, but returned fire and radioed for help. At least seven officers from different departments swarmed the scene, where the firefight continued.
A video from a bystander shows the gunman holding an AR type rifle, shooting and dodging bullets. The gunman was shot and killed.
The officer was airlifted to a hospital, but died on the way. Two other CHP officers were critically injured and a third was wounded. Two civilians sustained minor injuries.
The Riverside police chief said it was a long and horrific gun battle. There was a press conference with an ASL interpreter.
A 31-year-old mother said she was driving with her 6-year-old twins when a bullet flew through her front windshield. They ran out of the car and hid at the bottom of a bridge with the help of a retired Marine who was in the car behind them. They were not injured.
Officer Moye leaves behind a wife. His body was in a flag-draped casket that was placed in a hearse, which was escorted by officers in a somber evening procession. The Riverside Police Department honored him by posting an image of a CHP badge with a black bar across it.
It is not known the motive for the shooting. The gunman was a member of the Vagos motorcycle gang and had a lengthy criminal record and served time in state prison.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-13/deadly-shootout-near-215-freeway-in-riverside-motive-unknown
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/cellphone-video-captures-deadly-officer-involved-shooting-in-riverside
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/riverside-california-police-shootout-chp-officer-killed-and-2-wounded-in-shootout-near-l-a-area-freeway/
https://bit.ly/2Z0TPm0
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Five Russian nuclear engineers killed in mysterious blast
Last Thursday five Russian nuclear engineers and two other people died in a blast at a military test site in Sarov, a restricted area in northwest Russia near Finland.
There is suspicion that the blast involved a nuclear-powered cruise missile that is called, “Skyfall.” There are reports of increased radiation levels in the area. People living in a nearby village has been ordered to evacuate, but it is not clear if it is related to the blast.
President Trump tweeted that it was a failed Skyfall missile explosion and that it has caused people to be worried about the “air around the facility.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the explosion happened during testing of a missile at sea when the fuel caught fire. Several people were knocked off a platform and into the water.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech last year to announce the nuclear-powered Skyfall missile. He said it was capable of circumventing U.S. antimissile defenses and had an unlimited range because it had a small nuclear reactor that powered it.
Russian officials have not shared much information about the blast, which has caused speculation of “another Chernobyl.”
There was a funeral in Sarov to honor the five Russian engineers with thousands of mourners.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/europe/russian-village-evacuation-missile-explosion-intl/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/12/europe/russia-military-blast-radiation-intl/index.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-confirms-missile-exploded-during-testing-in-russia-11565648472
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/world/europe/russia-nuclear-accident-putin.html
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/08/12/russia-buries-5-nuke-engineers-following-explosion/
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Deaf UK men complete walking journey; U.S. Deaf men complete cycling trip
Here are two brief news updates.
We did a story in June about two men who decided to walk across the United Kingdom (UK) starting from John O’Groats, Scotland to Land's End, England (shows sign) to raise money for improved access to mental health for deaf people.
The update is that Mark Hodgson, Daniel Dorney, the walkers, and Christopher Potts, the driver, have completed their trip on Sunday, August 4th.
{VIDEO}
It took the two men, Hodgson and Dorney, 58 days to walk from north to south of UK. They started June 5th and ended August 4th. Their goal was to raise 10,000 GBP, but they ended up raising 57, 636 GBP which is about $69,543 USD.
The Daily Moth asked what their next step will be. A spokesperson for the two men mentioned that there will be another challenge that both of the men will release in September. They want to continue raising money for access to mental health for deaf people and to encourage people to have their own challenges to raise money as well.
The second story we did was last week about two men who rode on their bicycles across USA to raise support for the American Society for Deaf children (ASDC). The update is that Conrad Baer and Albert Blake arrived in Astoria, Oregon on Sunday August 11th.
{VIDEO}
CONRAD BAER:
Yay!
Yeah!
ALBERT BLAKE:
It’s finished!
How many miles was that?
CONRAD BAER:
4,292 miles!
ALBERT BLAKE:
Yeah! See the water behind us?
That’s the Pacific Ocean. We’ve reached the end.
CONRAD BAER:
Wow, we’re truly inspired now. We just checked and we’ve raised a total of $25,700.
How amazing is that?!
ALBERT BLAKE:
That’s an increase of $700!
Wow!
CONRAD BAER:
With that money, the ASDC can support over 300 families. So, that is a tremendous impact. We want to thank you for your continued support.
ALBERT BLAKE:
Yes, wow!
CONRAD BAER:
Now, this is the end of our journey. We can enjoy laying back and recovering, right?
ALBERT BLAKE:
That’s right! What a good feeling.
RENCA:
Baer and Blake stopped by the Youth Leadership Camp (YLC) to give a presentation before arriving in Astoria.
I thought this was a pretty cool fact — there are two pairs of deaf men in two different countries (USA and UK) raising support for two different reasons, but what is similar is that both gave back to our deaf community this summer.
Congratulations to both for completing their trips.
UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2469091406458338/
US: https://www.facebook.com/BBikeUSA/
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2019 National Black Deaf Advocates Conference
The National Black Deaf Advocates hosted their 2019 conference on July 31 to August 4 in Oakland, California at the Oakland Marriott City Center.
The topic was, “Building Together: A Community of Strength, Knowledge, and Power.” There were over 330 people from both the U.S. and out of the country who registered for the conference.
NBDA had a media team that covered the conference and I will show you a video they created.
[Video showing highlights of NBDA conference at the Marriott hotel]
There were over 20 different workshops on a multitude of topics that included education, employment, leadership, ministry, Deaf-Blind experiences, sign language, law enforcement and criminal justice, Black Deaf experiences, the legislative process, and businesses.
Here is another video from the NBDA media team that shows highlights of two youth programs, the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES!), and the Collegiate Black Deaf Student Leadership Institute, who had sessions at the California School for the Deaf, Fremont.
[Video showing highlights of the YES! And CBDSLI programs at CSDF]
The Daily Moth was able to interview the outgoing NBDA president, Evon Black.
ALEX: Hello Evon! The NBDA Conference recently ended. Can you share some highlights from the conference?
EVON BLACK: Okay, there are so many, but I’ll pick a few highlights of the conference. First, there were many who went for the first time. That was very positive. Secondly, we had sponsors who made large contributions. We broke a record for the largest sponsorships in history. That was a highlight. Thirdly, I want to mention that the Youth Empowerment Summit — I was part of the first group that founded the program, under my leadership, on this campus. Now what I’m proud of is the collaboration with the California School for the Deaf, Fremont. We’ve never had a partnership with a Deaf school in NBDA history. I’m proud to see not only the Youth Empowerment Summit, but also the Collegiate Black Deaf Leadership Institute enter in this collaboration. It’s nice and something that I’m really proud of.
Alex: Thank you for your time and service, Black.
Now, here is an interview with the new NBDA President, Isidore Niyongabo.
ALEX: What is your vision for your term?
ISIDORE NIYONGABO:
My vision is clearly not only mine as I rely on a team who was elected to run this organization. We have four top objectives. Number one is the financial health of the organization. NBDA is now 37 years old. The finances is shaky. We hope to work hard to identify key donors and ongoing funds that will support us for many years in the future, but my focus is the first two years. I hope we can rise and see a stability in the financial part. The second one is that we have several chapters of the organization but some have closed down or are struggling. Our goal is to provide leadership training so those chapters can rise again. We will be more involved. When the community is strong, that means the organization is strong as well. That’s the goal. The third one is to have more communication. We have technology now so it means the more visibility we have, more people will know about the organization and they will be more likely to donate and become involved. We want to be more aggressive with communicating with members and the community both nationwide and globally. The last is transparency for better visibility. It’s important for us, the members, to know where your money is, where the organization stands, what projects we are working on, and more. We will continue to communicate going forward. That’s a priority. Those are the four goals. I look forward to working with you for the betterment of the Black Deaf community in America.
Alex: Thank you, Niyongabo, for your time and good luck with your leadership.
Here are two video comments from two of the conference attendees.
AKILAH ENGLISH:
NBDA feels like home, a real home, because of my identity. I feel inspired and re-connected. I work in the education field. It can be lonely being Black and Deaf. I feel alone as I work. There, I’ve met with so many people who work in the education field. I feel connected and I understand the struggles. I’ve built a rapport with others and shared tips and advice. That knowledge I am bringing is an inspiration to myself as a Black Deaf educator.
CHRIS JOHNSON:
It’s my first year as the Assistant Director of the Collegiate Black Deaf Student Leadership Institute (CBDSLI). Oakland, California was a wonderful experience. The topic was very important, “A Community of Strength, Knowledge, and Power.” I had the opportunity to meet 14 students. We had a wonderful beginning and at the ending, we grew and feel strengthened to go back to different schools and raise communities. This is important — I want to thank Victoria Monroe, who is the Director of the CBDSLI.
Alex: Convo was one of the sponsors for NBDA and they provided The Daily Moth with some footage of the banquet and interviews with people. The banquet topic was, “Wakanda Night.”
[Video footage of a fancy banquet in a hotel ballroom. People are mingling around and enjoying meals and the program.]
SAM HOLDEN (NBDA Vice President):
I’m proud to have worked with Evon Black, who was the second female president. She taught me a lot that I will bring in the next two years. I’m looking forward to making NBDA strong again. Thank you for believing in me and willing to let me (lead) again. ILY.
DR. GLENN ANDERSON:
The purpose of NBDA is to open doors and opportunities for Black Deaf leaders, see them advance in their careers, and to continue networking and teaching each other. Now, our own people are giving presentations and teaching workshops. It’s beautiful. Look at this, it’s beautiful!
Alex: The next NBDA conference is in 2021 in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information about NBDA, you can check out their website at www.nbda.org.
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That is all for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
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Supported by:
Convo [https://convo.click/2mVhM8h]
Gallaudet University: [gallaudet.edu]