Criminal Justice Reform Must Include ‘More Transparency,’ Says Alice Marie Johnson

Currents News Staff

As protests continue across the country since George Floyd’s death, calls for police to change their ways have grown louder. Tensions have heightened even more by the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Georgia on June 13.

Protesters have started a “defund the police” movement, and police departments around the country are looking at reforms.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo is giving the more than 500 departments around the state until April first to come up with a plan for reform.

To prevent the spread of coronavirus, since March, some inmates at New York City’s Rikers Island were released. According to the New York Post, some 10 percent have since been arrested, some of them multiple times.

Due to bail reform, they’re being re-released. Out of the roughly 2,500 inmates let go, 250 have allegedly committed nearly 450 new crimes.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo is giving the more than 500 departments around the state until April first to come up with a plan for reform.

A former convict turned advocate for criminal justice reform joins Currents News to lend her perspective.

Alice Marie Johnson was granted clemency by President Donald Trump after spending 21 years of a life sentence in prison for her role in a drug trafficking ring.

She shares her thoughts on the ongoing protests and her vision for the future of criminal justice reform.

Catholic Charities of New York Helps Renters at Risk of Eviction as Moratorium Is Lifted

By Jessica Easthope

A change is coming for renters in New York City. The eviction moratorium has been extended to August 20, but it won’t include everyone.

“That extension of the moratorium only covers tenants who have been affected by the pandemic and the only way they can prove they were affected is by showing they applied for unemployment insurance benefits,” said Antonio Garcia, the Director of Catholic Charities of New York’s Eviction Prevention Program.

Starting on June 20, those who were struggling to pay rent and facing eviction before the pandemic will once again be at risk.

“Nobody knows the magnitude of the problem yet, what we could see is a spike in people facing eviction in New York City,” said Antonio.

According to Catholic Charities, there are more than 200,000 non-payment cases in New York City Housing Court every year. Nine percent of those cases result in evictions. Anthony projects courts will have double that amount once the moratorium is lifted, leaving the city’s low-income renters with an uncertain future.

“It doesn’t seem to be happening for everybody but it is for some? That doesn’t seem fair,” said Tatiana, a direct support professional working with adults who have developmental disabilities.

Many of her clients are out of a job because of COVID-19, but they don’t qualify for unemployment because they don’t make enough. The moratorium will be extended for them if they can prove their unemployment is because of the pandemic, but in the meantime they’re struggling and Tatiana is fighting for them.

“They have to feed their families, they have to feed their families and they have bills that they can’t catch up on,” she explained.

Catholic Charities is doing everything it can to be a resource for these at-risk tenants.

“We help clients find the resources to pay the rental arrears, we also mediate with landlords to find a solution, sometimes landlords are willing to abate some of those rental arrears,” said Anthony.

Catholic Charities is also presenting tenants with long-term solutions to their rent-payment-problems.

“We have employment specialists who can help them, we also have a tenant education program that helps people with budget management,” said Garcia.

The eviction moratorium will be lifted for those whose unemployment was not affected by the pandemic on Saturday, June 20.

After the Death of Rayshard Brooks, Atlanta Protesters March for Criminal Justice Reform

Currents News Staff

It was outrage and a demand for justice in Atlanta, Georgia after the death of another black man at the hands of police.

Protesters marched to push criminal justice reform after the death of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot on June 13 by police after a sobriety test.

On the morning of June 15 a march and a rally at the Georgia state capitol were held in support of Brooks, who was shot twice after police found him asleep in his car at a Wendy’s on Friday night.

After a sobriety test, an officer tried to arrest Brooks, saying, “put your hands behind your back.”

Brooks resisted, and there was a scuffle.

Witness video shows Brooks taking a taser from police during the struggle, and surveillance video shows him pointing it toward an officer as he ran away.

The district attorney said his office is still investigating the incident, but those taking the streets are demanding action.

“They should have done something different in that situation because they had several different options,” said Justin Miller, the attorney for the family of Rayshard Brooks.

This incident follows weeks of world-wide protests against police violence, ignited by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Memorial Day.

Floyd’s brother Philonise says the Brooks shooting is another example of what needs to change.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “You constantly see people dying every day, black people dying.”

The officer who shot Brooks has been terminated, and Atlanta’s police chief stepped down over the weekend.

But those who showed up at the capitol say that’s not enough.

“We need to hold them accountable, and we can’t stop fighting,” said protestor Hannah Gebresilassie. “We’re hurt and we’re broken, but we can’t stop fighting.”

Currents News full broadcast for Sat, 6/13/20 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

It was a rallying cry at protests across the country and now many lawmakers are trying to make it a reality – defund the police.

Those calls come as summer violence flares up in big cities, exploding in Chicago.

George Floyd has been laid to rest, but the spot in Minneapolis where he died is now hallowed ground for many.

And the big apple is reawakening from lockdown, but for some it’s too late. Meet a small business owner who is determined to recover, but he’ll have to go at it alone.

Homepage

Should We Get Tested for COVID as Gatherings Resume? We Ask the Doctor

Currents News Staff

As economies reopen, we’re reminded the coronavirus is still here. And so, conditions change and questions remain.

Florida is one state that’s not alone in seeing a spike in new cases. It’s happening in many areas: Arizona, Utah and New Mexico all reported 40-percent more cases during the first week in June than the week before.

Is this because the virus is spreading, or is it because more testing is happening? What numbers should you be looking at to get an understanding of how sick your state is?

Many are now planning outdoor activities with family again, or vacations. Everyone wants to see loved ones again, and some are taking the precaution of getting tested before their vacation or event.

When should a person get tested, and how long does it take to get the results. Should you get it two weeks in advance, in case you’re positive and have to quarantine?

Meanwhile, protests are still happening, and now President Trump has decided to re-launch his campaign rallies. Should we be worried about another wave of coronavirus?

Johnson and Johnson are about to start human trials of a vaccine, but how promising is it, and when can we expect to have a vaccine available to the public?

To offer his insights and answer some of these questions is Dr. Robert Tiballi, an infectious disease expert with the Catholic Medical Association.

Send Currents News your questions about the coronavirus at [email protected]. And tune in on Fridays – the doctor could have an answer.

Currents News full broadcast for Fri, 6/12/20 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

The nationwide debate over the future of the police is front and center on Capitol Hill.

Controversy swirling around Christopher Columbus and his statues has New York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying ‘hold on.’

A man who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty – he grew up on a farm. But now he’s slated to become a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

People are back on the beaches in Florida – but maybe they shouldn’t be.

Coronavirus upended her family but it didn’t prevent a girl from finishing on top.

How This Student Found Faith in the Classroom & Became St. Peter Catholic Academy’s Valedictorian

By Emily Drooby

Samantha Chan has accomplished something many only dream of: she’s the valedictorian of her Catholic Academy.

“I feel pretty excited because I like school a lot and I feel like studying is a very important part of my life,” she said of her accomplishment.

Like children across the country, the St. Peter student has been dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. She has had to learn from home and miss out on typical school events.

Samantha was affected more than most. Her mom is a nurse — a hero working the frontlines of the outbreak.

Her principal, Danielle Alfeo, tells Currents News she learned of the family’s extra struggles while on a visit to deliver a graduation sign.

“Mom came out first and said, ‘Samantha hasn’t been out of the house at all.’ She says because she was so afraid that she was already exposed to so many germs,” Danielle explained. “She didn’t want her children to be exposed, either.”

Her mom’s job isn’t the only reason Samantha’s family was extra cautious. They also live with her grandparents.

“Because I don’t want to risk anything, because I live with my grandparents,” she explained, “I’m paranoid something could happen to them.”

But, she didn’t let these additional worries affect her school work.

“She’s such a phenomenal student but very quiet, very reserved, very polite and well mannered,” said Danielle.

The eight grade student says she loves to study, and that has helped her be successful.

Her Catholic faith has also helped during this time. It’s a faith she found while in Danielle’s fourth grade religion class.

“I wanted to become closer and understand more about the faith,” Samantha recalled.

She decided she wanted to be Catholic. Now, Danielle is her godmother and confirmation sponsor

“She always looked out for us in the classroom and she understood our interests, I felt like she was a good candidate for my godmother,” Samantha said.

She has a deep and ever-growing connection with God, and a strong work ethic. Samantha has also dealt with more than many kids her age, but she never let it affect her work. She’s valedictorian, and a role model.

The Road to Priesthood in the Brooklyn Diocese: Deacon Nestor Martinez’s Story

By Jessica Easthope

Deacon Nestor Martinez knows what it’s like to work hard. Anyone coming into Divine Mercy Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn would say he’s a natural. But, looking back on his days in the seminary that wasn’t always the case.

“There were some moments you want to give up. I went to the seminary and the first three months, oh my goodness, it was so hard for me,” Deacon Nestor told Currents News.

But his work ethic prevailed: he’s now two weeks away from becoming a priest. His perseverance started at a young age while growing up in a rural farm in Colombia.

“You’re growing corn, beans, peas,” he explained. “You work throughout the day until 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.”

He’s the eighth of 10 children. As a kid he lived, worked and did everything with his family. He hasn’t been with them since coming to the states in 2017.

“Whenever they have internet they call me, we keep in touch with each other,” he said. “I keep in touch with my parents too. I try to call them every day,”

His family and dedication to the Church has marked his vocation, but he can also look back on a time when a church was not at his doorstep.

He recalls having “to get up every Sunday like at 4 a.m., and then prepare myself and go to Mass walking like 30, 40 minutes.”

Once Deacon Nestor recognized he was being called by God, he looked to join the seminary at a very early age.

“I wanted to go to the seminary when I was 14 but the problem was it was hard for my dad to send all of us to high school,” he said.

His parents were surprised, but supportive.

“When I told them they were surprised, but they reacted positively,” Deacon Nestor said.

Though each priest serves his community fully, Deacon Nestor’s mission is to bring families back together; he said that’s been a silver lining of the pandemic.

“I think through this pandemic, we are realizing many important things in our lives and one of those is family,” Deacon Nestor said.

He wants people to experience the same family unity he had growing up. So, as many families work on reconnecting with each other, Deacon Nestor will soon be building his new family in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

NET TV Honors The Graduates of 2020 Night 1

Join us as we honor the 2020 graduates of the Brooklyn Diocese’s Catholic Academies with special messages for the graduates from their principals. We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year but our elementary school graduating class has risen to the challenge. Many have faced personal hardship and loss in their families and all of them have needed to adapt to remote learning and distance from their friends. This program salutes their accomplishment and ensures this milestone moment of their graduation is recognized throughout the Diocese.

How COVID-19 Is Impacting the Future of Religious Pilgrimages

Currents News Staff

A religious pilgrimage is often the trip of a lifetime for many Catholics. Amid the pandemic, those dreams were put on hold, but that could be changing.

Now that countries around the world may have different travel restrictions, companies and customers are facing new concerns.

Bob Faucett, who is in charge of religious pilgrimages for the Unitours Company, joins Currents News to share how the pandemic has affected his business.