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Stirring the Pot: Answering a Question with Many

Published

11 years ago

March 25, 2014

It’s one of the most asked questions during the last two week – What happened to Malaysia Flight #370?

Depending on what official you ask, what country wants the limelight or what news station you’re tuned into, the answer changes.

Itwas on March 8 that the Beijing-bound Flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport with 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Shortly after reaching cruising altitude and speed, all communication ceased with control towers. An “All right, good night” from the co-pilot was the last thing anyone heard – or has seen – from the airliner, not to mention anyone who was on board.

For more than 15 days, the story on what happened has gone from the plane crashed over land, to it was intentionally turned and flown in one of two directions, to no one seems to know where it is, to one country after another spotting “floating debris” in the South Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, search planes, nor deployed ships, have been able to find what satellites seem to see.

Through the confusion and changing story lines, the families of those who were on the plane have had the most questions. And from where I stand, that seems to be because they are being kept in the dark.

No airline is prepared for tragedy. No city or country is ready to handle the PR when a plane crashes or has an incident of some kind on their property. But knowing that there is even a remote possibility that something could happen should warrant a game plan.

But alas, pressure to answer the tough questions consumes all else. Then possible explanations are leaked, egos rule and inconsideration takes over.

“Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived. As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia’s Prime Minister, we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean.

The above was the message victim family members received Monday afternoon.

Oh yeah … that was sent via text.

I don’t know if I’m more appalled by the fact at how impersonal this latest method of communication was or at the fact that the message said nothing new.

If I remember from my media law class – and all those SVU episodes I’ve watched – reasonable doubt has to be based on something. There is nothing … except a plane took off and shows no record of landing. There are no bodies, still no fuselage (or pieces of it), no answers. Yet Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced Monday the mystery has been solved.

We continue to see devastated family members being carried out of press conferences and others hurling accusations at aviation officials and political leaders.

Yet still no answers … just more questions.

I know everyone wants this nightmare to be over, especially the victims’ families. But if you don’t have the correct answers, don’t say anything.

Like my Mom used to say – when you assume ….

Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig is an award-winning, professional journalist who resides in Oakland. If you have an individual, organization, issue or other topic that may be of interest to our readers, contact her at talk2mfc@yahoo.com. Need more stirring? Visit stpminute.blogspot.com.

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California Observes Third Annual Black Health Advocacy Week

On May 4, 2023, the California Assembly unanimously passed ACR 53, enacting BHEAW every first week of May. “The life expectancy at birth for Black Californians is 76.2 years of age, which is five years shorter than the state average and the lowest life expectancy of all racial and ethnic groups in California,” said Weber in a statement.

Published

8 minutes ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California’s third annual Black Health Equity Advocacy Week (BHEAW), observed from May 5-9, reaffirmed the commitment of the state and advocates to address systemic health disparities affecting Black communities.

Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego), who is a medical doctor and chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), authored the resolution that created BHEAW — the first statewide initiative of its kind focused on advancing Black health equity.

On May 4, 2023, the California Assembly unanimously passed ACR 53, enacting BHEAW every first week of May.

“The life expectancy at birth for Black Californians is 76.2 years of age, which is five years shorter than the state average and the lowest life expectancy of all racial and ethnic groups in California,” said Weber in a statement.

“This disparity is a stark reminder of the systemic and institutional factors that contribute to health inequities in communities of color,” she added.

The California Black Health Network (CBHN) led this year’s events, combining advocacy, training, and public engagement to amplify the urgency of closing health gaps for Black Californians.

The theme of this year’s observance was “We’ve Got the Power.”

“CBHN is calling on our community to step up, speak out, and get involved. Increasing the participation of Black Californians in policymaking — across the health industry and public sector — is one of the most powerful ways we can drive change and save lives,” reads a message from the organization promoting this year’s BHEAW.

“Policy change is within your power and this week we’re in Sacramento with our Health Equity Advocacy Training (HEAT) Program Cohort 3 to uplift issues impacting our community and advocate to help shape the policies and programs that will improve the health of current and future generations of Black Californians,” the message continued.

Focused on public awareness and information, this year’s BHEAW included a social media campaign, a rally and training program with vital information on medical conditions that have a disproportionate impact on Black Californians, including maternal mortality, mental health, diabetes, cancer and more.

For more information on the resolution or to join the movement, visit CBHN’s official site, www.cablackhealthnetwork.org.

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California Assembly Passes Bill to Strengthen Penalties for Soliciting Minors

The revised version of Assembly Bill 379, authored by Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento), now allows prosecutors to file felony charges against adults who solicit sex from a 16 or 17-year-old, provided the accused is three or more years older than the minor. If the offender is within three years of the minor, the charge would remain a misdemeanor.

Published

2 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The California State Assembly has agreed to amend a controversial bill that would increase penalties for adults who solicit sex from minors ages 16 or 17, following a wave of criticism from Republicans and concerns raised by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“From a prosecutor’s standpoint, this bill strengthens California law and gives us the felony hammer to prosecute the creeps that are preying on teenagers,” Krell said in a statement supporting the amended bill.

The new amendments also include provisions for a state grant program aimed at improving the prosecution of human trafficking and sex trafficking cases, as well as a support fund for survivors partially funded by increased fines on businesses that enable or fail to address human trafficking.

The bill faced significant opposition last week after the Assembly removed a provision that would have treated solicitation of 16 and 17-year-olds as a felony for all offenders.

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Business

Student Loan Collections Have Resumed: Here’s What You Need to Know

According to the DOE, 42.7 million borrowers owe more than $1.6 trillion in student debt. More than 5 million borrowers have not made a monthly payment in over 360 days and their loans have been declared “in default.” Another 4 million borrowers are in late-stage delinquency (91-180 days). As a result, there could be almost 10 million borrowers in default in a few months. If this happens, almost 25% of the federal student loan portfolio will be in default.

Published

5 hours ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) announced that its Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) resumed collection of its defaulted federal student loan portfolio on May 5.

The department has not collected on defaulted loans since March 2020.

‘Collections on defaulted federal student loans are resuming. This means that your tax refund or other federal benefits may be withheld,” reads an email affected borrowers in California and around the country received from the DOE last week.

“Later this summer, your employer may also be required to withhold a portion of your pay until you begin to repay your defaulted federal student loan,” the email continues.

“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a release.

The DOE is urging borrowers in default to contact the Default Resolution Group to make a monthly payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or sign up for loan rehabilitation. Later this summer, FSA will send required notices to begin administrative wage garnishment.

Student loan debt statistics among racial and ethnic groups reflect dramatic differences in financial health, habits, and resource availability from one community to the next, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Black and African American college graduates owe an average of $25,000 more in student loan debt than White college graduates (Black and African American bachelor’s degree holders have an average of $52,726 in student loan debt).

“The level of concern here really depends on the reasons a borrower has not paid their federal student loans. If they don’t have the capacity, they may be overstretched,” Michele Raneri, vice president and head of research at TransUnion, said in a statement. “They may not know they have to pay them, may not be able to find the information on how to do so, or may not have a willingness to pay for one reason or another,” she said.

Top tips to manage any pending student loan payments include reviewing your student loan balance on your Dashboard.

Affected borrowers can visit their loan servicer’s website for assistance if needed. Setting up auto pay to ensure on-time payments is recommended. Individuals are also encouraged to review many loan forgiveness options and qualifications.

Most programs have strict eligibility requirements, but student loans can be forgiven under programs such as the following:

Public Service Loan Forgiveness for people who work for eligible government and nonprofit employers
Teacher Loan Forgiveness for people who work in eligible teaching jobs
Income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness for people who repay their loans on an eligible IDR plan
Total and permanent disability discharge for people with a disability that severely limits their ability to work

Learn about other loan forgiveness programs at Studentaid.gov.