USA –  The high price of bread and eggs doomed her. Nope, it was raw racism and sexism. Well, maybe she should have gone on Joe Rogan’s show.

If you’re looking for a reason why Vice President Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump, there are plenty to choose from. Many of Harris’ reeling supporters are still trying to understand the forces behind Trump’s win. Trump won less than half of the popular vote, where his margin of victory was smaller than President Biden’s in 2020. Still, he swept all seven swing states and he has forced Democrats to ask what they must do to reach more working-class and Latino voters.

One prominent evangelical pastor offers some insight. The Rev. William J. Barber II has long been one of America’s most persistent and eloquent spokespersons for poor and working-class Americans. Barber, who has been called “the closest person we have to MLK” in contemporary America, has organized coalitions of the poor, working-class Whites and people of color around such causes as raising the minimum wage, expanding health care and strengthening unions. Barber is the recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant” and helps lead the Poor People’s Campaign, which seeks national solutions to ongoing poverty.

Barber also done something else: He’s shown Democrats how they can win political victories in red states. Barber is currently the founding director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School and Repairers of the Breach, a group that trains social justice leaders.  But he made his mark from his home state of North Carolina. As one of the architects of the “Moral Mondays” movement, he helped lead a racially diverse coalition that is credited with toppling a Republican governor and turning North Carolina into a swing state. Though Harris lost North Carolina, Democrats in 2024 won races for governor and attorney general, and the GOP appears likely to lose its veto-proof majority in the state legislature.

For Democrats debating how best to reach new voters, Barber’s perspective could be valuable. He has written a blueprint for expanding the Democratic base in North Carolina and elsewhere through what he calls “fusion politics,” a multiracial and multiclass coalition that transcends the conservative-vs.-progressive binary. Racism is often depicted as a Black problem, but Barber insists it’s also been used throughout US history to hurt the economic interests of everyday White people. He once said, “Racism may target Black people, but it damns a democracy, and it damns humanity.” (CNN)

USA –  Tall and disheveled, with a scraggly salt-and-pepper beard, Ramon Rivera was just one month out of jail when he approached a construction worker early Monday and fatally stabbed him without saying a word, police said.

He was not done, police said. An urban nightmare was unfolding on a mild autumn morning in New York. The 51-year-old made his way across Manhattan and, more than two hours later, police and prosecutors said, he fatally stabbed a fisherman and then a woman sitting on a park bench. His clothes covered in blood, Rivera was arrested shortly after the third attack with two bloody kitchen knives in his possession, according to police.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams described Rivera as a homeless man with a criminal history and “severe mental health issues,” an example of failures of the criminal justice and mental health systems. The seemingly random killings highlight the challenges confronting New York City and other municipalities across the country as they maneuver a delicate balancing act – how to deal with soaring homelessness and mental illness and its perceived – and actual – impact on public safety.

“We always hear something is being done but nothing changes, and every six months something unthinkable happens,” said Mary Brosnahan, who for three decades led the Coalition for the Homeless, an advocacy and service organization. “And that’s what gives everybody a sense of insecurity.” Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat who represents the area where the stabbings occurred, on Thursday joined nearly a dozen city and state elected officials to demand accountability, saying Rivera was “released into the public without sufficient care or oversight.”

“Mr. Rivera’s case is a damning indictment of the failures of the criminal justice and mental health systems in New York City,” Nadler and the others wrote in a letter Thursday, echoing the mayor. The three deaths “may have been prevented,” they said in the letter. Adams, referring to Rivera, said part of the investigation will be to determine “why he was on the street.” A month before his alleged rampage, Rivera stood in a Manhattan courtroom. (CNN)

CHICAGO – Nearly six years after actor Jussie Smollett was accused of staging a hate-crime hoax in downtown Chicago and lying to police, the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned his conviction over prosecutorial issues. The court ruled that after Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx dropped charges against the former “Empire” actor, a special prosecutor should not have been allowed to intervene.

“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust,” Justice Elizabeth M. Rochford wrote in the court’s 5-0 decision, with two justices abstaining. “Because the initial charges were dismissed as part of an agreement with defendant and defendant performed his part of the agreement, the second prosecution was barred,” said Rochford.

Smollett’s case that unfolded in early 2019 saw a shift from widespread sympathy that soon turned into skepticism – and his character being written off the Fox television show – as emerging details led to questions regarding the actor’s claims about what unfolded during the alleged attack. This week’s ruling did not address Smollett’s claims of innocence, which he has maintained since 2019, according to his legal team.

Nenye Uche, Smollett’s lead attorney, said the original case should never have gone to trial, and that it would not have done so if his client was just a “regular Joe down the street.” “This was a vindictive persecution. This was no prosecution,” Uche said. “I’m sure Jussie would want an apology, but he’s a realistic man, right? He knows he’s not going to get it,” he added.

Special Prosecutor Dan K. Webb expressed disappointment in the court’s decision to overturn the conviction and sentence, which included paying Chicago more than $120,000 in restitution for overtime expenses incurred while investigating the alleged hoax. Webb said in a statement that Thursday’s ruling did “not clear Jussie Smollett’s name – he is not innocent.” The City of Chicago is still able to pursue its pending civil lawsuit against Smollett in an attempt to recoup the more than $120,000, according to Webb. Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo – brothers who say they were paid by Smollett to help carry out the staged attack – told CNN they agree with the court’s decision. (CNN)

WASHINGTON DC – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on November 21, 2024 approved the Beryl Emergency Response and Recovery Project to support Barbados’ recovery from the impacts of Hurricane Beryl. The project, which is expected to benefit approximately 24,640 people, includes innovative World Bank mechanisms which will help Barbados and other vulnerable countries better respond to disasters.

On July 1, Hurricane Beryl passed 150 kilometers off Barbados’ southern coast, causing extensive damage, including to the Bridgetown Port, the cruise terminal, the Fisheries Marina and its breakwater. The fishing industry was hit particularly hard, with 240 vessels damaged or destroyed, the livelihoods of thousands of people dependent on the sector disrupted and the supply of goods and services across the fisheries value chain impacted. Tourism and housing were also affected, with 73 percent of hotels, apartments, and guest houses, along with 40 homes, suffering various levels of damage.

The Government of Barbados made substantial efforts to address the most urgent needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. These included the relocation of fishing vessels, removal of debris, and rehabilitation of the port. Recognizing that resilient recovery would entail rebuilding infrastructure, climate adaptation, and strengthening disaster preparedness, the government partnered with the World Bank to prepare the Beryl Emergency Response and Recovery Project.

This US$54 million initiative will focus on rebuilding critical infrastructure, protecting vulnerable communities, ensuring the sustainable recovery of the fishing industry, and enhancing the country’s disaster preparedness capacity, paving the way for a more resilient Barbados in the face of future climate risks. “In the face of adversity, we must not only rebuild but rebuild with resilience. The challenges brought by Hurricane Beryl once again remind us that climate change is not a future concern—it is here, and it is affecting our communities, our people, and our livelihoods,” said Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. “This project is a testament to our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us, empowering our people, and safeguarding the future of Barbados. We don’t want just to respond to the disaster—we want to ensure that we stand stronger in the face of the next one,” she added.

The project will provide critical support to the fisheries sector, including the repair and replacement of fishing vessels and equipment, and the rehabilitation of the Barbados Fisheries Marina and coastal protection infrastructure, incorporating climate-smart technology to enhance resilience and promote environmental sustainability. Efforts will also focus on strengthening Barbados’ preparedness and response capacity, with improvements to the national emergency management system, the development of a management information system, and the creation of inclusive emergency shelter strategies.